Fridge popping breaker when plugged into garage outlets

If it's a GFCI breaker, then it's common for fridges and GFCIs to not get along so well.

If it's not a GFCI receptacle, you'll want to make sure the fridge is not overloading the circuit. If you've added anything new to the circuit, then that may be the case.

If neither of these are true, then it could be as simple as the breaker going bad. They are a mechanical device, and can go bad.


If you have normal power at the outlet and the outlet tester does not trip it, then there are two options:

The GFI is wired backwards. A GFI has line connections (for incoming power) and load connections (for using the GFI to protect other outlets). If the incoming power is connected to the load, you will get the behavior you describe.
The GFI is defective. This is pretty common.


Plumber wants to replace PRV valve into house at same time he is replacing hot water heater

Normal household water pressure is about 40 to 50 PSI. A water heater pressure relief valve is normally set to to open at 150 PSI so 90 PSI voiding a warranty seems like a stretch. If in fact your pressure is at 90 PSI I'd be concerned about your faucets and appliances valves, ice makers, etc.. because 90 is too high.  I'd ask him to check it again and watch him do it (so you'll know how to do it in the future, LOL) if it's high, you might want him to do it. If you have him do it, think about also having him replace your main shut off as those almost always go bad and they're usually right next to the PRV. Good luck and stay safe out there.


Here are some things that you can do:

check the air filter, could be frozen or dirty
check for any possible ice build-up
shut down the system from the breaker for 30 minutes: this will reset the system and allow time to melt any ice build-up. Power back on and see if the temperature holds and the system stays on.

Here is what I would recommend to have a professional do

Verify that the thermostat is working correctly, a bad thermostat would give the results you are getting.
Have the pressure checked. Too much or too little refrigerant can affect the efficiency of the unit and may cause it to cycle too much and shut down.

In my experience, I would tend to lean towards the thermostat since the system works properly after you've powered it off and back on. If the system cannot determine the temperature after a certain period of time (varies by manufacturer) it will shut itself down as a safety feature since it could run indefinitely and cause damage to the system.


I dont think birds would be so sneaky.  It is going to be a mammal.
You can catch it.

source
I like live catching over poison because poisoned animals die and rot and stink.
Once you catch one you can display it to your landlord.  Then he can pay for a pest control person to come catch the rest and most importantly, seal up the way they are coming in.  Your landlord should be enthusiastic about protecting his property.
In case it is not a rat but a squirrel, or a hedgehog or a bogle or whatever you have in the UK, you will be able to get a good look at it and plan accordingly.


No, you can't do this -- Code requires that boxes and most kinds of splices be accessible.  Under certain conditions, it's possible to bury splices made using a special connector in a wall (see this answer for what's needed) -- but the conditions aren't likely to be met because the cables at your box aren't all the same size.


House wrap is important to stop moisture that might make it through the siding, driving rain, wind, siding sometimes cracks, the wrap will protect the plywood and help with wind pushing into the walls, when you put it back staple it on the tape the joints with the proper tape.eg; if it's typar then get typar tape.


How close together can I put two drywall anchors?

I love those anchors and use them all the time. Don't bother trying to patch the hole and re drilling it, the patch won't hold. Leave the old anchors in the wall and install a new one an inch or so to the right or left of the old one. Then measure the distance between the keyholes, center to center, and measure that distance from the center of your new anchor to where the next one has to go. Drill a small hole at that point, don't use the "drill point" on the anchor as they can shift when screwing them in. Screw in the new anchor and you should be good to go. You can now go back and remove the old anchors and patch the wall or just leave them there. Good luck.


What happens if you sweat pipe copper pipe without flux?

There are several possibilities to consider.

If you had really cleaned the joint beforehand with emery cloth or steel wool (both parts of the mated joint) there there is a good chance of a decent joint. The cleaning action helps clear out any oxidation on the parts that prevents the solder from adhering to the copper. (Keep in mind though that the simple act of applying heat to the joint also brings on oxidation.
If you had happened to be using a rosin core silver solder that flux built into the solder wire may have been more than enough to clean the joint for proper soldering.
An improperly cleaned joint may appear to not leak because it is tight or a small amount of solder may have flowed into the joint but it is no substitute for a properly made joint. One way to understand the sweat process success is to carefully observe how the solder sucks into the joint just as the silver solder wire is touched to the joint and melts.

So if your situation is like #3 (and possibly #1) you will really probably want to take things back apart and re-do this work. Last thing you want is for the joint to come apart under mechanical stress on the pipe or start leaking after a year of so of thermal cycling of the joint.

It can be really be worth while to get a handfull of copper fittings and a length of copper tubing and practice a dozen or more test joints to get the techniques down. (Note that standing water in or on a pipe near where you are soldering can be a huge detriment to getting good sweat joints.


How can i set up a Solar Panel to charge a 12v DC car battery and power a Raspberry Pi?

Since you have an old car battery, the cost of damaging it by overcharging isn't much ($40?) and that would only happen if it got a lot of sun over weeks.  A small home solar system might have thousands of dollars of batteries, so standard practice has long been for those to always have charge controllers.

For small systems the cost of a charge controller used to be significant so it was common to forego it in favor of simplicity.  However, there are now very - inexpensive -   controllers which no longer as easily justify the old practice.

If you can afford an additional $25, you might as well do it right.  Also, it would come with instructions on what to do.


I would scrape off the paint in that circle to see what is there - you might find screws etc

If not then I have used a bradawl in the past to find the joist - usually light fittings are close to joists for support or an extra piece of wood is fitted between two joists to provide support.


Since the 3" pipe is flush with the foundation, I can't add a reducer to connect the pipe properly.

Chisel out a half an inch around it so you can get a rubber repair reducing coupling on there.


How to replace Blender's Drive Coupling?

If it is press fit then you need to just pull hard.

If it is screwed then you need to lock the shaft somehow and then turn the coupling in the same direction as it normally turns when it blends. Locking the shaft down may require some disassembly to get access to it.

If you have the replacement ready you can look where the shaft connects to see which it is.


Why does my furnace stop unless we remove and replace the inspection panel?

Sounds like the high limit might be tripping.  There are many causes for this, though faulty limit switch and/or dirty filters are the most common.

removing the access panel likely opens the door switch, so the unit is reset when the panel is put back in place.

Check for dirty filters, blocked/obstructed/closed return air vents, blocked/obstructed/closed registers. If you have the tools and knowledge to do so, inspect the high limit switch.


I experienced this at a previous property of mine.  I found the easiest thing ended up being adjusting the latch.  Unscrew the metal plate and use a small sharp chisel to carve out the required area (and maybe a large drill bit if the actual recess needs expanding more than a millimetre or two).  Any gaps can be filled with wood filler after the fact.

If the case is that the door fails to easily sit flush in the frame then you may want to adjust the hinges (usually by digging out the hinge recess in the frame a little more) to see if that stops the “bounce”


Reducing sound transfer of finished basement drop ceiling on a budget

Sounds travels through vibration; one molecule bumping into another.  It travels through the air, but it also travels well through relatively thin solid material (ie, wood).  What you need to do is block those vibrations.

As you mentioned in your post already, the easiest ways to help your situation would be sound dampening insulation in between the floor joists, and/or sound dampening ceiling tiles.  Another useful step would be to decouple the frame of your drop ceiling from the floor above, by placing rubber grommets/mat between the drop ceiling hangers and the floor joists.


Why am I starting to see bubbles after painting a wall?

If it's concrete or plaster applied to brick, that's a porous surface, which can lead to bubbles like this if not sealed/primed beforehand. At this stage, you could treat the paint itself as your (rather expensive) primer coat. Basically the wall has now been sealed with paint instead of primer, so you can sand it smooth and paint a final coat on top. As long as you don't fall prey to the other things that can cause bubbles (all user error, not product issues) then you should have a smooth finish.

Those you asked are likely correct that this is nothing more than a cosmetic issue. Other more serious concerns (excess moisture, etc.), would likely manifest in a more obvious way than just tiny bubbles in paint.


How do I remove these screws from an IKEA Micke table?

Those don't actually screw in.  They just press in the hole and then tighten to the connecting bolt attached to the  opposing piece of wood.  Just loosen the cam so you pull the connecting bolt out.  Should be fairly easy.

After that, if you still need to get the cam part of the fastener out, it should just fall out.  If it doesn't, I just stick a small screwdriver in the connecting bolt hole and lift it up.


When waterproofing my basement, should I apply 11 mil plastic in addition to the dimple board?

More stuff doesn't always mean better. Sometimes it means more expensive, or sometimes it means overcompensating for other weaknesses in the structure. Or sometimes it means old contractors who just don't want to give up their stubborn ways.

In your case, the waterproofing should be the parging layer. That should be some form of rubberized sealer that forms a complete barrier. The dimple board is there to protect that layer from backfill and to provide a drainage plane to the french drain.

Provided those are all done properly, I can't see the plastic adding any value to the equation. Getting a foundation wrapped watertight with plastic sheets doesn't seem viable either from an installation POV.

So, my vote is that it's unnecessary.


In all honesty, your using 2 incompatible set ups: hardwired and remotes. they're designed to be exclusive of each other. Either remove the canopy controller and use as standard fan, or remove dimmers in the wall, and use the remote.

If you really want both, you'll need to either uses something like this wonderful but pricy setup or something like this.


How close is too close, when digging below foundation level?

It would depend on soil type and the load on the foundation. As a very rough rule of thumb, the soil actively supporting a foundation spreads at a 45 degree angle downwards from the outer lower edges of the foundation. You should be able to dig outside this section with impunity. If you encroach upon it, if you only excavate something like 15 foot sections at a time, assuming the wall is longer than this, you shouldn't encounter any issues unless the foundation is extremely heavily loaded, such as supporting a large concentrated load.

When backfilling, be sure the soil within the support prism is very well compacted, but be careful not to collapse the pipe.


How can I attach wooden shelf ledgers to concrete foundation walls?

There are many types of concrete anchors available. Have you looked into them? Which you choose partly depends on the tools you have available. However, I'd consider freestanding shelves attached to the framing above.

Since your plan is to use lag screws already, why not use anchors designed to accommodate them? This way you can use the same screws throughout.

Lag Shield

Expanding Anchor

Concrete Screws


The outlet is not "further down". Electrical power is delivered to the outlet first, and the switch is "further down":

Constant-hot power is delivered from the outlet box to the switch, and switched-hot is returned to the outlet via the same cable.

(The NEC specifies that when a cable does not contain a neutral wire, the white wire can be re-marked for another use, and when a constant-hot is in the cable, it must be assigned to the white wire. This leaves the black wire to be re-marked as the switched-hot.)

Following Harper's recommendation, I have illustrated black tape for the constant-hot and red for the switched-hot.

(Switch loops are no longer wired like this, as the widespread use of smart switches has changed the standard so that a neutral connection is now required in every switch box.)


Water smells like sulfur or rotten eggs only in a couple of faucets

If it is indeed coming from the water source.

The term used is “sulfur water” which typically refers to water that has a rotten-egg odor that is caused by hydrogen sulfide.

Odor on hot side only. If the sulfur odor occurs only in the hot water, the most likely source is a reaction between an anode rod in the water heater and natural sulfate ions in the water. An anode rod is made from magnesium or aluminum, and its purpose is to protect the steel water heater tank from corrosion. Magnesium rods are more likely to cause the odor, so the first step would be to replace the magnesium rod with an aluminum rod, if available. If the aluminum rod still produces the odor, the next step would be either to operate the water heater without an anode rod or to remove the sulfate ions.

Removing the anode rod would remove its corrosion protection, potentially shortening the life of the water heater tank. There are FDA-listed corrosion inhibitors we can add to the water to extend the life of the tank.

Removing the sulfate can be accomplished by using a dealkalizer, a system similar in operation and cost to a water softener.

Odor in the cold water that goes away after water flows. In this scenario, the most likely source of the hydrogen sulfide is Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria (SRB’s). The bacteria are not considered pathogenic, but the “breathe in” sulfate ions and “breathe out” hydrogen sulfide, just like we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Just like an un-ventilated room full of people can get stuffy after awhile, a section of plumbing where there is no flow can get stinky after a while when SRB’s are present. Therefore, a characteristic of a rotten-egg odor due to SRB’s would be a strong odor in the cold water at first draw (for example, filling the pot for morning coffee), with the odor decreasing as the cold water flows.

Although rare, it is possible for SRB’s to colonize in the water heater tank but nowhere else. The tank holds too much water for the odor to flush out quickly. A relatively-easy test to determine if the water heater tank contains SRB’s is to raise the temperature to 140oF or higher for 48 hours, which will kill the bacteria. If the odor (hot side only) goes away, the odor was due to SRB’s; if not, it is due to the anode rod reaction.

Some laboratories can test for SRB’s, and field test kits also are available. Treatment would consist of shock-chlorination of the well and plumbing, with continuous chlorination if the odor returns too quickly.

Odor in the hot and cold water that does not decrease as the water flows. This is true hydrogen sulfide from the source aquifer. There are a number of treatment methods available, including Water Softener, Sulfur-Cleer and Iron-Cleer filters, chlorine, hydrogen peroxide chemical feed and carbon filtration. The choice will depend on the level of hydrogen sulfide and other contaminants (like iron) in the water as well as the peak flow rate (gallons per minute) and the peak daily water usage (gallons per day).

As with many water problems, the cause(s) may be complex and require in-depth exploration. For hydrogen sulfide, that exploration starts with finding the source.


No -- splices need to be accessible in case something gets messed up and the splice needs re-doing.  There should be a space in the base of the lamppost to make the needed splice/connection, though -- look for an access panel as part of the base.


Do I have to obtain a permit if an electrician does the work?

It depends on the deal you make with the Electrician.  It's common for the Electrician to get the permit, though not unheard of for it to be the homeowners responsibility. The only way to know for sure is to ask the Electrician, or read through the contract/estimate.

It's also typical that if the Electrician pulls the permit, the cost will be passed along to you. You'll likely see it in the estimate/bill, as Permit. You may also notice that the price the Electrician charges, is a bit higher than what the permit office charges. This is because the Electrician will likely bill you for the time they spend dealing with permit issues (filing, waiting in line, etc).


How to bond both ends of raceway containing grounding electrode conductors?

Your problem: neither the Code nor electrical-fitting-makers ever envisioned someone stuffing two grounding electrode conductors down the same ferrous conduit
You are correct that using ferrous conduit and conduit bodies here would require you to conform with NEC 250.64(E):

(E) Raceways and Enclosures for Grounding Electrode
Conductors.
(1) General. Ferrous metal raceways and enclosures for
grounding electrode conductors shall be electrically continuous from the point of attachment to cabinets or equipment to the grounding electrode and shall be securely fastened to the ground clamp or fitting. Ferrous metal raceways and enclosures shall be bonded at each end of the raceway or enclosure to the
grounding electrode or grounding electrode conductor to
create an electrically parallel path. Nonferrous metal raceways
and enclosures shall not be required to be electrically continuous.
(2) Methods. Bonding shall be in compliance with 250.92(B)
and ensured by one of the methods in 250.92(B)(2) through
(B)(4).
(3) Size. The bonding jumper for a grounding electrode
conductor raceway or cable armor shall be the same size as, or
larger than, the enclosed grounding electrode conductor.
(4) Wiring Methods. If a raceway is used as protection for a
grounding electrode conductor, the installation shall comply
with the requirements of the appropriate raceway article.

However, the NEC doesn't speak here to what to do in your situation where you have two grounding electrode conductors in the same piece of ferrous conduit.  Normally, for a single GEC in a conduit, you can use a lug-equipped grounding/bonding locknut (Bridgeport 162-G or equivalent for 3/4") on the box entrances and a grounding hub fitting (Bridgeport MCH-075) or a hub clamp (Bridgeport 1325-B or equivalent) on the grounding electrode end of the conduit.  However, all of the aforementioned fittings are only rated to accept a single wire, and you have two wires.  As a result of that, we'll need to find an alternative approach.
Jumpering and tapping our way to success
The good news, though, is we still can use grounding/bonding locknuts with lugs to accomplish the job of bonding the enclosure knockouts as before; however, we need to jumper from said lugs to the grounding electrode conductor itself, not to a grounding or neutral bar in the enclosure.  This will require 6 AWG copper (or whatever size your existing GECs are) for the jumper, as well as 6AWG to 6AWG lay-in parallel mechanical taps (Ilsco GTA-2-2 or equivalent) to connect each end of the jumper to a GEC, in addition to the aforementioned grounding/bonding locknuts (which come in various sizes, just make sure to get ones that have lay-in lugs on them).  In this situation, the bonding jumper extends from one tap connector, through the lay-in lug on the grounding/bonding locknut, then to the other tap connector on the other grounding electrode conductor, thus connecting both GECs to the raceway bonding point.
At the exit points, though, we'll need to take a somewhat different approach.  The aformentioned tap connectors are dual-rated Al9Cu, so using them near the ground is a bad idea for corrosion reasons, and there aren't any equivalent direct burial products out there.  So, I'd use an extra grounding clamp on each ground rod, with a jumper from one extra rod grounding clamp, through a lay-in pipe grounding clamp rated for direct burial (T&B JDLI or equivalent) that is fitted on the conduit to bond it, and on to the other extra rod grounding clamp.  This works because 250.64(E)(1) lets us land these bonding jumpers directly on grounding electrodes at the grounding-electrode end of the raceway, instead of landing them on GECs.


Replace rear bearing of Dewalt DWS520 Type 1 track saw

I looked at an exploded view of that saw, and there are bearings listed as replacement parts (part No's 66 and 68), which is usually the tell-tale sign that they are replaceable. That may however be difficult if you don't have the right tools and skill sets, such as a bearing puller and a press to re-install them. I would call DeWalt.


This is easy

What you have here is a low voltage (NEC Class 2) transformer that steps house voltage down to a safe voltage -- they're typically used to power doorbells or HVAC controls, but may be found in other places as well.

Simply get your new cable into the box with the power off (use one of the built-in NM clamps you can see on the bottom right), then connect black to blacks, white to whites (+a black from the transformer), and bare to bares/greens.  While you're at it, use a grounding screw and pigtail to attach the box to the bare/green ground wire bundle.

Then you can install the new receptacle and its box on the other end of the new cable.


The initial check would be to install a pressure gauge on a hose faucet and check to see if your relief device is opening because your supply pressure exceeds the pressure set-point of the relief valve.

Also check if it is a temperature sensing valve as well, and ensure that is within range. If it leaks but is within range, I would return it for a new one.

Note these valves are notorious for leaking once they have opened (manually or due to exceedance of setpoint), do not manually open the valve during handling or after installation. Also, on boilers/water heaters, most local codes require that the valve outlet is plumbed to an outdoor location.


Do I need to paint exterior fiberglass porch columns?

Ultraviolet light will degrade them (specifically the plastic that binds the fiberglass together into the "fiberglass reinforced plastic composite material" that we usually refer to as simply fiberglass) if you do not prime and paint, and then they will start shedding glass fiber (which does not degrade, but does make AWFUL splinters), which is a horrid mess to deal with. If you like the color as is, and it's a color, try to match that at the paint store - otherwise (if it's a "fiberglass look" you are trying to preserve) consider a clear UV protective finish such as spar varnish (which will need renewing over time, generally more frequently than paint.)


What Size Toilet Flange for 3 1/2" ABS Pipe?

The outside diameter is more important with PVC pipe because that's how the fittings attach.  For instance, DWV (drain) pipe and SCH40 pipe have way different wall thicknesses (so different inside diameters) but the same outside diameter.

That said, you have a 3" pipe there, and should get a flange made for 3" pipe.  What you will typically find will be a "3x4 toilet flange" that will fit over a 3" pipe (flange has a 3.5" inside diameter) or into a 4" pipe.

You may have purchased a flange made to go into a 3" fitting previously.

Your comments indicate this is a concrete slab, and you can't connect around the 3" ABS pipe, so a 4x3 flange won't work as it sits.  You have two options in that case.

The easiest is to get a flange designed to fit inside ABS pipe specifically, like the Sioux Chief 888-A.  This is simple, but some people scoff at the push-to-fit flanges as unprofessional.

The other option is to chip out concrete around the pipe and use a standard 4x3 flange with a stainless steel ring.  This will securely glue to the pipe and be more like what a plumber would have done if they were installing the toilet from new.


Why isn't my Fluidmaster installation working correctly?

1 The float must not be near any obstructions..  Sometimes the valve body was rotated too near the rear of the tank, causing the float to graze and hangup.

2 Another problem can be the refill hose is cut too short, causing the valve to bind.

3 Another issue is not extending the valve tube (it rotates, getting longer or shorter, affecting the tank level.

4 Also check under the valve top, for bits of rust/pipe crud, which can cause very flaky operation.  Be sure to turn the water off for this one...


I looked at some manufacturer's documentation. Short answer: the stated size is the total length of the pipe nipple including the threaded sections.
This does appear to be consistent among manufacturers (at least in the US / North American market).
Also an important detail is that the length of the threaded sections is standard for each pipe diameter. So with a little information you can figure out what length the unthreaded middle portion of the pipe nipple has.
Length diagram from Anvil Intl.:

Alternate
And their accompanying diagram of the available standard nipple lengths. What's important about this is the "close" lengths - these are nipples that are fully threaded, and so its the shortest total length they could be at that diameter. If you subtract this from any of the others you get the unthreaded length.
Example: a 1" size pipe 6" long. The close length is 1 1/2", so the remaining unthreaded portion must be 3 1/2". (Plus or minus 1/8" as noted on the first diagram).

These documents state "APPLICABLE SPECIFICATION: ASTM A733" which means, I think, that these measurements should be consistent among manufacturers.


Separate panel for house in garage - how much capacity do I reasonably have left?

Go 60A on the Tesla charger.

You'll thank me later.

Your main panel has the capacity for it, so let's just bite the bullet and do it.

You can serve it out of the main panel without any trouble.  6/2 cable and you're done.

If you want, instead, you could replace that 90A cable with a 150A cable.  At that point you can put the 60A charger in the big subpanel.  I presume your awesome 40 space sub has 200A busing.  However I think that will net out to a lot more money.


How can I fit a board to another that isn't straight?

The technique I've used most often is called "scribing". The word simply means "writing" or "tracing", but here's how it goes.

Set your board to be fitted in place. I typically tilt it so that I have roughly the same gap at each end if the high spot is in the middle. Otherwise, align the top as you'd like it to ultimately be.
Lay a pencil on the surface you're fitting to at the location with the widest gap and perpendicular to the board being fitted. Either tilt the pencil up so the lead point meets the corner of the board or lay something under the pencil to raise it, as needed. You want the point of the pencil exactly at the edge of the board being fitted at the widest part of the gap.
Slide the pencil (and spacer, if present) along the surface being fitted to, scribing a line parallel to it on the board being fitted. If done correctly, you'll see an exact replica of the shape to be cut drawn on the board.
Use any technique needed to shape the board to the scribed line. A powered hand planer is useful, or a belt sander, or a circular saw with a steady hand, or a combination of these. If done carefully you should have a very good fit. If needed, repeat the process.

Now that I've written that all up, I recommend this article for a better description and diagrams. Here's a good video, too.


How to design a radiator cover for good heat distribution?

A radiator works by heating a room with radiation and convection.  Radiation is smaller in percentage as opposed to convection.   The heat of the radiator is radiated into the room.

Convection works by sending the warm air above the radiator and drawing in cold below.  This circulation is the main method of warming a room.  Vertical airflow is required to maximize heating.

To that end to putting a cover on a radiator will effect both radition and convection.

To maximize radiation:

Add a metal plate behind the radiator on the wall to direct heat away from the wall.
For the front and side covers, they should have enough openings on the sides and front to radiate heat to the center of the room.  You want to hide your ugly radiator, but continue to promote good radiation. Decorative screens/grills work best.

To maximize convection:

Do not place any large objects, curtains, or any other type of obstructions that could effect airflow in front of or next to the radiator.
Allow for proper airflow at the bottom of the radiator.  The cover should have opening(s) at the bottom to draw colder air through the radiator.
Allow for proper airflow at the top fo the radiator.  The cover should have opening(s) at the top to promote warm air rising.

Some suggestions for the top:

Make the top a removeable cover
Make the top a cover that can open and close (much like a cabinet door)
Add vents/grill/screens to the top

If you add a top that doesn't have any openings, then some effiency is lost for the style and look of your cover.  Basically we don't want to block the airflow but we don't want to look at an ugly radiator either.


What is the order of tasks when refitting a bathroom?

The advantage of tiling first are that you don't have to cut as many tiles - just those at the room corners and around pipes. Certain areas will be easier to tile too.

The disadvantage is that you need more tiles. You will also need to make sure that all pipes are in the correct location but not connected. This will mean either having the water turned off or fitting isolation valves (of itself not a bad idea).


Painting: How to recover from improper surface prep?

I have used tsp for years it will help remove any residue I usually wipe after applying but only time will tell if it will be a problem. I would check to verify the paint is adhered if so I probable would not worry about it. If the paint did not stick well it would be time to remove and try again. I know I don't get it all off when I use TSP but have not had issues if the surface was somewhat clean.


Suggestions for fixing bottom of concrete step

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.  I ended up using concrete and some pieces of scrap wood as make shift forms.  I also pushed some concrete back in behind using a broom handle as suggested by fixer1234.  Since I didn't want to get wet concrete on the driveway I used a garbage bag and some masking tape to mask off the area surrounding the hole so I could just pour the concrete and push it into place with my forms (you can still see a bit of it left behind in the finished picture).

Some complications/gotchas that I encountered:
1. The pavement around the step wasn't entirely flat, so it was difficult to get the wood forms to line up squarely and stay in place.  I ended up putting a couple bricks behind to push them into place and hold them there.
2. The concrete mix I bought was more granular than I would have liked, with lots of large stones in it which made it hard to get a smooth surface.

The fix is still holding well, and I think it turned out reasonable given that I've never mixed or poured concrete before :).  Now I'm working on cleaning up all the rust and re-painting the railing.


I have removed these before. A cut at the bottom bar, which is not anchored into the sill the way the sides and head is. When cut, the 2 bottom corners can draw in, allowing the flanges on the sides to begin to withdraw from the groove they are mudded into. You may want to nick the upper inside corners to make it easier to bend inwards. They might even snap there for you too. If they only bend in at the bottom, that will still have the lower corners raised above the bottom masonry sill by a few inches. With that the head that is keyed in at the top can be tapped down to release it, one corner at a time.


Will silicone sealant not be waterproof after 14 hours?

The silicone was probably cured enough to be used. The problem is probably either a poor bond due to surface contamination or a leak location you haven't found.

If you wish to re-caulk, peel and scrape the existing bead away and clean with alcohol.


Flexible cords and cables cannot be used in place of house wiring (NEC 400.8(1))  They also cannot pass through walls (NEC 400.8(2)).

See this answer for more detail.

Cutting the cord also likely voids the UL listing of the product, not to mention the fact that you'll lose GFCI protection.

Hardwiring the unit would also mean you'd have to reevaluate the overcurrent protection, and possibly increase the breaker and conductor size.  This could also mean that you'd have to remove other outlets (receptacle, lighting, etc.), to reduce the risk of overloading the circuit.


How can I drill through a Linoleum floor?


Is it feasible to make a sealable hole in the freezer door seal?

Put the cord/hole in the top of the door, and it really won't matter:

The cold air is heavier than the air around it.  So your freezer full of cold air is like a bucket of water:  the cold air is trying to flow out only where gravity will let it.  Other than the stirring of air causing the mingling of warm and cold air, a freezer doesn't need a top at all.  Ever wondered how the open-top freezers at the grocery store stay frozen?  They're a big bucket, and the cold air is trapped by gravity.

So take advantage of that:  Put your cord inlet at the top of your freezer, and don't worry about sealing it.  The mixture/transfer of air at the cord inlet point will be negligible.


How can I fill a hole in a brick wall so that it can be redrilled

Variant on 1) Fill the hole with epoxy, let harden, drill pilot hole in epoxy for screwed, mount the coathanger.

You might want to make the original hole slightly oversize so a good ring of epoxy remains after drilling pilot holes. Using this method, the screws will be removable.


What kind of electrical connector is this and how do I remove it?

It's a push-in connector. Basically the splice version of a "backstab". Not the best connector, to be sure.

Do not cut.  Firmly grasp the splice connector, then steadily tug and twist the  --

-- Actually, forget that.  The wires in the ceiling are already too old, short and fragile.  Leave the connector alone and cut the modern, plastic black and white wires about 6" from the connector.  If you dislike this plan because you plan to reuse the old lamp, then cut it at the halfway point.

Strip the ends of those wires you just cut, and wire-nut your new fixture to that.

Also these types of connector are single-use, so once you drag a wire out of a void, you have damaged the spring and can't use it again. This is also true even if you use a proper release mechanism.  I would say "just cut" because it leaves the wire stub in the hole, preventing reuse; but wire length is precious and not to be squandered, that's why you have a short-wire problem today.

Note that the above part of my answer violates Code.  The Code answer is the wires in the ceiling are simply too short.  Loosen the cable clamp and see if you can pull extra cable length in. If not, replace the entire cable in the ceiling/wall.  It must have 6" of length beyond the cable clamp, and 3" beyond the ceiling surface.


Why neutral wire connected to load wire?

It's not neutral.  Neutral wires must be white, but not the other way round.  A white wire can be hot if it's in cable.
So think about the meaning of this.  If you see a bundle wire-nutted together, and even one wire is non-white, what does it mean about the whites in that bundle? It means they cannot possibly be neutral.  They are hot.
"Hot" includes always-hot, switched-hot and 3-way travelers.
Here is how a 3-way switch works, electrically. The physical positions may change, and the colors will alway change, but electrically if you unwrap it, it looks like this everytime.

... That wasn't so bad, was it? I love this drawing because it makes sense.  Current travels in loops, and you can see very quickly what's really going on.  Eother the switches line up, or they don't.
Of course, when you turn your gaze to the morass in that electrical box, not so pretty.
It can be prettier.  They make colored electrical tape, a 5-pack for $4.  And I recommend re-marking wires in the box, particularly travelers, using that tape. First rule of tape marking: mark both ends of the wire the same.   It really makes life easier, and it's one of the easiest things a less experienced person can do to make comprehension easier and reduce mistakes.  I'm a stickler for it just because I don't have time to puzzle out wire functions everytime I open a box.
It is now the law that you must mark white wires black or a color when you make them a hot.

So identify both travelers on both 3-way switches and mark them with yellow tape.  On a 3-way switch, the travelers are on the brass screws.. That is the key to wiring a 3-way switch.  Every switch jumbles around the positions, but the screw colors are true.


Hardware for a barn/sliding door that cantilevers into free space when open

Look for "full pull-out drawer sliders." Imagine the biggest drawer in a Snap-on giant tool chest. The big drawers ofter use 2 tandem sliders on each side of the drawer. There are ball-bearing models. Look for "architectural full pullout drawer slide." They can take the weight, but they might not have the travel distance. You could build a mechanism in this way: wall >first tandem slides >intermediate plate >second tandem slides >door. Build a vintage-look box cover over the mechanism.
Or you could look at truck/trailer manufacturers for sliding hardware.


What is the correct way to connect two adjacent panels?

Exterior panels are not normally hermetically sealed, and other than a top entry, no major attempt to seal them is required.
For the meter bottom entry, two locknuts (one inside the panel, one outside the panel) should be sufficient. You actually don't want the bottom of the box to be watertight - any water that gets in or condenses should be able to drain out, though in most boxes it can do that via the open side with the cover anyway.
Same for your question about side to side panels indoors - you don't just leave the conduit floating between locknuts in different panels - or you use one of the cast nipples (with no offset) or offsets that do have a shoulder for the locknut to press against. I would probably use the cast option (offset or not) for the exterior case, but I would not kid myself that it was waterproof, or that it needed to be, but it would keep the size of any water entry from rain hitting it and running sideways down to a minimum.


Ethernet Gauge Too Small for Patch Panel

If the cable won't terminate securely in the patch panel, it's either the cable or the patch panel that's out of spec.

If you're absolutely certain the cable and patch panel are Cat 6, Cat 6 may be made with either 23 gauge or 24 gauge conductors.  A good Cat 6 patch panel will accommodate either.  In fact even Cat 5 or Cat 3 cable will be made with 24 gauge conductors and will terminate securely in a Cat 6 panel, although it won't perform to Cat 6 levels.  Even quad or some thermostat wire would terminate securely since the gauge is in the working range.

A Cat 5 panel will typically handle Cat 6 made with 24 gauge wire without a problem, but you may ruin the jack punching down 23 gauge conductors.

There's lots of sub-standard cable out there.   A number of big online sellers were selling Chinese manufactured cable with counterfeit UL stamps etc.  Some was even copper coated aluminum or tin rather than plain copper conductors.  Maybe you got some of that.  There's also lots of low quality Cat 6 terminating hardware out there.

I'd try reterminating this cable in a surface mount box and jack from a good quality manufacturer - Leviton, Hubbell, Panduit, Siemon, etc. - try a Cat 6 jack first, then a Cat 5 jack.

If that doesn't work, replace the cable, but I'd test it in your panel before I ran it.


Buzzing sounds when I switch off the electrical socket

Is it fine to hear buzzing sounds when switching off power points?

It suggests something is plugged in and turned on (drawing current) and that maybe the switch contacts are not clean or are pitted.

The buzzing sound is probably arcing as the switch breaks the current. Its a sign of further damage accumulating.

New sockets are cheap enough (less than two cups of coffee) that you could try replacing one and see what effect it has.

At a minimum I would turn the circuit off at the breaker and open up the socket to looks for signs of overheating.


Based on the current very top picture there are three main indicators.
#1 - These are directly under and perpendicular to the loaded joists.
#2 - As mentioned in the comments the left part of the wall is under the footings for the truss.
#3 - This is actually the most damning evidence of this being load bearing...   The right side of the picture.   Two clues here - the brace for the plumbing and the wall of 2x4s.   You simply wouldn't worry about a plumbing brace on a non-load bearing wall and you definitely wouldn't squeeze 6-7 2xs at the end of this wall (also a good indicator that this is a point load and the door and over to the right are not of consequence).
Again if you are set on removing you can consult and engineer/architect with full blueprints.   I mean normally you don't need this many load bearing walls in a short span so maybe there is a solution but no inspector will allow you to remove it without sign-off.


What are these electrical boxes in the closet that have no breakers in a house with buttons for the light switches?

Most likely the boxes contain relays that are controlled by low-voltage circuits from the push buttons.   A relay is an electrical switch that is controlled by an electrical circuit.   In this case, the relay allows low-voltage wiring and push buttons to control the light circuit.

This setup was sometimes used before modern home automation systems existed to allow control of a circuit from multiple locations or with devices that were not rated for normal line voltages, and a variation of it is sometimes used today where the switches are located near the circuit panel and remote switches are located in convenient locations.


Basement waterproofing with thermal break

As a home inspector, I always recommend to seal water intrusion from the exterior whenever and wherever possible. Since you mentioned a poured concrete foundation, I would recommend hiring a professional crack repair company.They can inject a flexible polymer substance into the length of the cracks that should seal them in most cases as long as the foundation is not still moving (and the crack is expanding).

Based on your comments, I would be more concerned that the foundation was not poured properly and/or does not have steel reinforcements in the concrete, and may cause more problems in the future. Until you get the cracking repaired and sealed I would not suggest putting up a finished basement, because then you would get what the previous commenter said would be mold.

For the crack in the floor, that is typical for a floating floor and can be fixed with some concrete polymer caulk. No big deal.

But then, this thread is three years old, so you may be long past this issue.


How can I safely cut small limestone bricks?

Something like this https://www.harborfreight.com/4-12-in-turbo-wet-dry-masonry-diamond-blade-68878.html and good angle grinder, at least 7.00 amp and dig about 1/4” all 4 side and little tap with small hammer would do the job. You have to rest brick (one being cut) on two bricks on the edge.


How can I build a long-lasting composite deck that’s exactly flush with the ground?

Use the composite planks as supports.

Create a void where you would have your deck.  Make it two plank thicknesses deep.  If your ground is soggy you might want to go deeper and level up with chip-to-dust and a vibrator.

lay a weed suppressant membrane.

lay your supports.  These are the same as your boards but spaced out  at 14" centers.  You might want to drive 6" nails into these at either end to locate them horizontally.

Lay you boards over the top with deck screws.  Job's a good'un.


TL;DR Yes

Full answer: Normally the only restriction is the amount of power. An ordinary switch will be rated for the full power of the circuit - e.g., 1875 W for a 15 A circuit. However, a smart switch, dimmer, motion switch, etc. is much more complex and will typically be rated for less total power. That helps save money as the electronic components don't need to be designed to transmit, switch, dim, etc. as much power or to dissipate as much heat.

The good news is that with CFL and now LED lights - which you should be using pretty much everywhere now as the power savings pay for the bulbs very quickly - the power ratings of switches are typically far more than ordinary residential needs. For example, if you have 2 3-bulb fixtures, in the old days (incandescent), that could easily be 6 x 60 W = 360 W. With typical CFL bulbs, the power used is 13 - 16 W, and with typical LED bulbs 9 - 10 W, for a total of 54 - 96 W.

Just check the rating on the new switch and compare it with your existing bulbs & fixtures. There may be different ratings depending on the type of bulb, but 2 fixtures in a small hallway is unlikely to be a problem.


How can I splice strings of patio lights together?

"Holiday" lighting is covered in the code and required to be listed by Article 410.160. It is considered temporary lighting and therefore you could argue that it could be spliced without a junction box.

The code puts a 90 limit on holiday lighting [590.3(B)] but there is a holiday at least every 90 days and you could claim that you are celebrating a holiday practically every day of the year.

If you don't mind violating the listing of the assembly, and the code: Solder them together and use shrink tubing to cover the splice (make sure you put the shrink tube on one side before you solder the splice.) It may not be pretty but if it is well insulated it will be as safe as the plugs and probably more waterproof. Keep the 3 amp fuse on the end of it for added safety.

OR as bats suggested get a roll of LED rope light terminated with an approved plug.

Happy Thursday!


What actions can I take to reduce moisture on basement floor?

Multi-part answer here:

It could be the water table, in which case, there's not a lot you can do.  If it's the water table, then you'll have water seeping up through the floor. BUT consider that when they built the house, they dug a bowl in the ground, and then backfilled with loose soil, rocks and whatever other garbage they had lying around.  You could have a permeable (gravel and sand) fill inside a relatively impermeable bowl (clay).  In this case, sloping the ground away can help.  It will at least get rid of standing water up against the foundation and help mitigate anything flowing through the walls.
The major worry is mold.  Make sure the area is clean, so that there's nothing for mold to feed on.  You can spray with a biocide if you see any growing, and certainly don't enclose it by adding drywall over the area.
If you have rising damp, then an internal sealant won't do anything.  the hydrostatic pressure will force water through.  A dehumidifier will remove the symptoms.


20A home circuit breaker stuck in "TRIPPED" state

If you cannot move the circuit breaker actuator from the "tripped" position to the "off" position and have it stay there then there is certainly something wrong with that breaker.

You should definitely plan to replace that breaker with a new one as breakers do fail from time to time. But first you should evaluate what it was that caused the breaker to trip in the first place. If that is comprehended and corrected then install the new breaker.


Yes it will not be an issue. The header is almost surely over-sized as it is not designed to just barely support the design weight but rather it is up-sized to the next sized header that is being used on the project. Even if it was a max capacity, 75 lbs is relatively small compared to the amount of load that the header is designed for.


No ground wire, no box (old or new) trying to install light fixture

You'll need a metal old work box with a BX/AC connector and insulating bushing

Your wiring appears to be BX (old style armored cable).  While the armor on BX is not up to modern standards as a grounding path, it's better than nothing whatsoever, and should be bonded to in any case.  This is done by using an appropriate armored cable connector fitted into a knockout on your new box -- this connector in turn uses a setscrew or spring clamp to retain the cable armor in the connector.

From there, you can ground the light fixture to the box using a grounding pigtail and screw into a 10-32 tapped hole on the back of the box, provided you get the correct box of course.  It will need to be a metal box (no plastic here!) with old work mounting means that attach to the existing interior sheathing materials (instead of being attached to a stud).


Safety of hard wiring cable lighting intended for halogen bulbs in a circuit with LED dimmer switch

Back when every lamp was an incandescent bulb, things were simple.  Then Mr. Tesla came along...   In this day and age, you can't just slapdash random hardware together and expect it to work together.

The dimmer is not listed to drive a DC power supply, is therefore not legal to use with it, and in any case, is unlikely to play nice.

Some DC power supplies are multi-voltage. Dimming is completely ineffective on them, they see dimming as lower voltage, and draw more current to compensate, potentially overloading the dimmer.

If you want to go Low voltage lighting, you will need to get a power supply compatible with whatever LEDs you expect to use in the future, and then get a dimmer designed to dim those LEDs and halogens.


Air pushing under basement door and kitchen sink cabinets when furnace runs

You are supplying heated (or cooled, in season if it also does A/C) air to the basement, but not providing a return for it in the basement, so it's traveling to a return on the first floor by any means it can.
As you properly suspect, the cure for this is a return in the basement. Placing the return low in the basement will return colder air (good in heating season.) If you also air-condition you might want a way to switch to a high return vent in the summer (such as having one low, and one high and a damper to choose between them.)


II would say you are fine (and you may have been fine before, who knows). You have replaced the screws that hold the cabinets to the studs, and those are the ones that hold the cabinets up. The ones in the face just keep the faces flush, so if one ever breaks, do the repair then.
Hope this helps.


Door bell partially rings randomly since Nest doorbell installation

While I guess it's possible that fluctuations in the Nest Hello's power usage could cause the doorbell hammer to move, I wouldn't expect it to be enough to make the doorbell actually ring.

If you add a resistor, I imagine it should be only a few ohms, but it needs to be able to handle a fair amount of power (around 25 watts, from what I've read).  It could also prevent the Nest Hello's battery from charging correctly.

Before you start messing around with resistors, try Nest's advice.  You might need a new doorbell transformer.


How do I connect a 4-wire oven to a 3-wire outlet?

You'd have to look at the old receptacle to be sure.  If it's a NEMA 10-50, then the following is true: it is being fed by common 6/2 grounded cable.

NEMA 10 is an obsolete and somewhat dangerous receptacle family, used in the old days for ranges and dryers.  It provides hot, hot and neutral - 240V hot-to-hot, and 120V hot-to-neutral.  It does not provide ground.

Often, this was installed using the common "/2" cable. There's no choice to color; it's always black, white and bare.  In this usage, the white is not a neutral; it's the other hot.  The bare wire is the neutral. Really.

Today, a white wire used as a "hot" must be marked with tape.  Back in the old days, that was not required if the usage was obvious.

I would make the argument that the old circuit is "grandfathered", which it is.  If the 10-50 receptacle broke, you could change it without breaking the grandfathering; in fact the stores sell 10-50R's for only that purpose. I would argue the same is true for changing it to a modern 4-prong NEMA 14-50.  I would then use the NEC 2014 rules which allow retrofitting a true ground. Can't promise you the inspector would agree.


Repair sagging ceiling that has heat strips

In the pacific North West the "cable heat wires" are laying on the sheet rock between the trusses. These are easy to damage and usually have a insulation above them. I would suggest checking them before working on the sheet rock a few homes I have repaired had some kind of adhesive holding the cable in place if you have this kind of install they are difficult to remove but can be separated with patience.


How can I hang heavy objects on a wall, without leaving any marks?

You have a dilemma. The strongest removable glue bases hooks, such as Command, appear to be rated to to hold a maximum of only 7.5 lbs.  Even if you double these up, you are at 15 lbs. It might be possible to rig a series of hooks to spread the load, but it would take a careful rigging to avoid having all the weight on the two outside hooks.

This is not a practical solution for something weighing over 20 lbs., especially if it is not static. A whiteboard is not static since it is subject to constant jostling as it is written upon.

Any surface attachment is problematic. When dealing with wallboard, you have a paint film attached to layer of thin paper/cardboard, attached to a plaster substrate.  The adhesive strength of the paint film sticking to the paper over a few square inches is not enought to hold significant weight. If you had an adhesive between the hook and the paint that was strong enough not to let go, the paint (or more likely the top surface of the wallboard paper facing) will likely pull away.

A possibility, one I have not tested, is the use of a tension pole system, such as ZipWall

The poles are extended between floor and ceiling and held in place with spring tension.  This system is intended to hold up a thin, lightweigh film of plastic to create a dust barrier, but several poles could probably hold a board of moderate weight.  This would only work if the ceiling were solid, not a dropped tile ceiling or any surface that was not plaster, plasterboard or wood.  It also rules out textured ceilings. Even if the ceiling is solid, there is a possibility of marring the ceiling.

While I know you ruled out nails, you might consider using Ook style picture hooks.

These use superfine hardened steel nails that are easily removable and leave a pinhole size mark.  Even that may disappear with a slight rub or covered with a tiny dot of tempera or acrylic craft paint. These hooks are available in weights up to 100 lbs. each and are aslo available with a cushioned back that is even better at avoiding damage to the wall.

If you want a truly mar free, safe installation, you should prop the board up on an easel-like structure, as suggested by Michael Karas.


Yes, it really is switched. That's why it went out on you.

What's going on here is this.  The cable on bottom, and the cable on top left, are always-hot -- one comes from the supply and the other carries power onward to other points-of-use.  It makes no difference which is which.

These two cables, on the hot side, are using the wire-nut to splice.  On the neutral side, they are using a feature on the receptacle.  Receptacles have 2 screws on each side, which can be split, but usually aren't.  When they are not split, both screws are simply connected.  So the white wires are connecting using the receptacle as a splice, instead of a wire nut.  No big deal.

Now, look closely at the cable which remains.  The white wire goes to the bundle of hots. I don't think it's an accident that you drew it that way. I am sure it made you go "WTH?" and you double checked to be sure.  The black wire is the only hot wire that goes to the receptacle.  That means we do not have a "split receptacle". Both sockets do their thing together.

This cable is a classic switch loop. At the other end, black and white go to the switch.  With the switch off, they are disconnected.  With the switch on, it's as if black and white are the same wire, so with the switch on, the hot wirenut bundle connects to the receptacle.

THat white wire is not neutral, it is always-hot, and they're stuck using that wrong color code because cables are only made one way.  Switch loops used to require only always-hot and switched-hot, so they made white one of them.  White is supposed to be the always-hot so it is more obvious that is not neutral.  They did that correctly here.  (Newer Code requires they also mark the white wire with black or colored electrical tape or paint, I sometimes mark the wire with a sharpie.)

The reason it worked, then lost power, is that you or someone turned the switch off.  This would probably be a switch that you honestly have no idea what it does.  It may be one of several switches in a row, that you've developed the habit of just throwing together.

Why would anyone switch a receptacle??? Because light switches are required in rooms, but installing overhead lights is expensive. So Code allows builders to switch a receptacle instead, and the homeowner is expected to plug in a floor lamp and never use the switch on the floor lamp. Commonly the homeowner is dissatisfied with this, and pays an electrician to install a proper overhead light. Costs them $400, but hey, they save a nickel a month on the mortgage.  /golfclap

The voltage you are seeing is called phantom voltage. The reason is that upper-right cable goes to the switch. The white wire is always-hot and the black wire is disconnected from anything. When two wires lay close like that, a hot wire will induce a phantom voltage on the disconnected wire. Sensitive voltmeters (like any cheapie DVM) can see it, but it can't drive any load. It will disappear if you plug a tiny load like a nightlight (or cable box) into the socket while you measure.

What to do about it

First, for God's sake, mark the white wire with colored tape so the next guy knows it's a switch loop.

Now, get a short length (9") of black wire, if in doubt use #12 size.  This is called a pigtail.

Add the pigtail to the 3 wires on the wire-nut.  If it's a yellow wire-nut you'll be pushing its capacity limits, so maybe change it for a red wire-nut.

Now attach the pigtail to the other brass screw on  that receptacle.  If the receptacle uses push-in-the-back backstabs, consider the wire to be attached to the nearest screw, and Google "how do I move backstabs to screws" because backstabs are generally unreliable, and you might as well solve that while you're in here.

Now, search that receptacle for a breakaway "tab" between the two brass screws.   Break off that tab.

Do not break the tab on the silver side. If you do, buy a new receptacle (they're $3 for the good ones), don't swap sides!!!!

Now you have one socket switched by the mystery switch, and the other socket always-on.


How can I fill odd-sized spaces with fiberglass insulation batts?

A "bib system" is often used in these scenarios. A mesh is stapled to the underside of the joists, and fiberglass is blown into each cavity.

If you really want to use batts you'll need to support them somehow. You could install strips across the voids and lay the batts on them. You'll need to use several rows and cut to fit.


You can't do that
The dining room, and kitchen, circuits are old-school switch loops.  They only bring always-hot and switched-hot to the box.
You are poaching neutral from a different cable potentially on a different circuit or even different phase.  Can't do it.
You can't attach the smart-switch wires to anything except wires in that same cable.  All related wires must be in the same cable or conduit, NEC 300.3.  There are several reasons, but one relates to the current imbalance it causes, resulting in EMFs not canceling each other out as they normally would.
That means you will need to either go with a different smart switch, or use a smart module up at the lamp itself if power enters there.
As far as the blinking problem, it might be tangled up in this, but it might also be a problem of the light or bulb not being dimmer-ready. Try swapping an old-school incandescent in there and see if that fixes it; if so it's the bulb.


It's burning wood you smell. If it's not a new saw, the issue is likely that the blade is dull. Time for a new blade.

If it's a new saw, it could be that you're cutting too fast through too hard of wood.


The thing is: heat pumps move heat around rather than creating it, so they are more than 100% efficient. They collect heat from the outside air and move it inside, and depending on the available heat outside, the output inside can be several times greater than if that same energy were to be used to generate heat (as in a resistive space heater).

With your numbers, and assuming your boiler is 80% efficient, you only need the heat pump to be about 170% efficient to be a net win — that is, a COP of 1.7 or greater. This is easy for a heat pump to achieve, even in cold weather.

In this chat discussion Shalvenay pointed me to a chart for Mitsubishi heat pumps, and the MSZ-GL12NA-U1 has a COP of 3.84 when the outdoor temperature is 47° F and 3.13 when it's down to 17°. Assuming your prices are as you say, this is a definite win for the heat pump.

But are you sure you're factoring in the full electricity costs? I know it's a year later, but looking at my Eversource bill, I see $0.11397 for Generation Service Charge, but there are bunch of per-kWh Delivery charges as well, coming out to about $0.223 total per kWh — or $6.54/therm. That makes the math look somewhat different — you'd need a COP of 3.4 or greater for the heat pump to be a win over gas priced at $1.50/therm. According to the data sheet, your units should still hit that when it's relatively warm out, but won't as it gets cooler.

There is also another factor to consider. Burning natural gas is relatively clean as fossil fuels go, but still releases CO₂ — about 12 lbs per therm burned. In Massachusetts, about .9 lbs are released per kWh of electricity generated — about 25.7 lbs per therm. If we again go with 80% efficiency for the boiler, that means a COP of 1.7 or better is a win for carbon emissions, even if not for your pocketbook.


Diagnosing a non-starting chainsaw [Makita EA7300P / Dolmar DCS7301]

Yes, it turned out to be a faulty coil.  The replacement coil came with its own flywheel, so perhaps there was a design flaw in the original.

It took some work to insert the new coil. Setting the gap between the flywheel and coil (0.3mm) was a little fussy.  Had some automotive feeler gauges lying around that helped with that.  And getting the little spark plug cap/insulator properly on the coil was a bit of a pain.

After buttoning it up, it started on the first pull.  So I'm fairly certain it was the coil.


Here's how you test a breaker

First, you need to get some hard numbers as to the actual load you are putting on the breaker.  So get a Kill-a-watt and see what your various loads actually do draw in amps (test them individually).

Now you are looking to test the breaker, not set the wiring in your home on fire, so don't draw this through the house's wiring.  Build a little test box out of a 4x4 metal junction box, #10 cable, and 2 twin receptacles, and strip the #10 cable back about a foot.  Ground to ground bar, neutral to neutral bar, and hot directly to the breaker under test.   Plug all your loads into the receptacles.

OK, you want to test the breaker.  Go get the breaker's trip-curve chart.

Look up the amps you will be applying, say it's 40 amps. That's 200% of the breaker rating, so find 200% on the horizontal chart for your breaker (not this example)... and follow the 200% line up to the number of seconds the line enters and exits the "gray area".   In this example, it's 9 seconds and 35 seconds.

Turn on your loads and stopwatch... your breaker should trip between 9 and 35 seconds later.  (maybe a smidge longer if the load is causing voltage to sag).

That's a thermal trip mode.

The magnetic trip is an instant trip based on high excess current.  That is the horizontal blob at the bottom of the chart.  Flow 15x rated current and you should get a nice instant magnetic trip inside one AC cycle (<=20ms).


Yep, especially if you can see the end is free. If you think there's enough in the box to get a connector on, then just cut it and activate the box.

If you'd like to try and get more wire, then use pliers with their teeth wrapped a couple of times with electrical or duct tape. As long as you don't try too hard and rip the wire open, you won't damage anything.

Likely, you just need to break the foam's initial sticky area to slide the wire. Go straight in at the top or bottom of the box (top if pulling down and bottom if you're pulling up).

Use the outer edge of the box as your lever's (pliers) folcrum and pull up or push down (see above) the plier handles while gripping the wire tightly. This will usually provide much greater power and pop the foam's seal.


How should I connect this old fluorescent lamp?

There are many ways of arranging a fluorescent tube circuit, one of the oldest ones is like this:
Pre-Heat

A: Fluorescent Tube B: Power (+220 Volts) C: Starter D: Switch (Bi-metallic thermostat) E: Capacitor F: Filaments G: Ballast
Another is like this
Semi-Resonant

There are other arrangements - see Wikipedia


Removing pole and concrete base from yard

This is the remnants of a natural gas or propane grill, gas heater, or perhaps a gas lamp. The flared tubing fitting and old control valve stem are the giveaways here.

Look around the structures adjacent to the yard for signs of a pipe with a valve for which you cannot ascertain a purpose, so you can at least try to confirm that any leftover fuel supply line is shut off. Although I doubt anyone would be callous enough to cap, bury, and abandon a live gas line, it is not out of the realm of possibilities. There is also the chance that the fuel supply came from a portable tank...

Either way, I would start digging until it was excavated, then chuck it. If in the course of digging you encounter an old pipe or buried tubing, be careful and try to locate the source to ensure it is shut off and safe to leave as-is.


How to repair a hole in exterior concrete foundation

You need to clean up that area and fill it up with gravel. Compact it the best you can shoving the gravel down and to the back. When you're a few inches from the hole pour in cement. Pour in enough so it's a few inches above the hole and then slope it down away from the hole to deflect water from there. Fixing the gutter problem, maybe adding another downspout, should be done too. Good luck


Your reasons for using green board are valid.   They are along the same lines of reasons for not going to the gym and staying in shape.

Driving to the gym takes time.
I have more fun on the couch.
I sweat and have to do more laundry.

These are lies we tell ourselves so that we feel better doing the wrong thing.

I understand that you don't want to take care of the issue correctly.  I get it.   You don't care about your shower, most don't.   But it isn't about doing this perfectly, it is about how much time you are going to spend doing something wrong multiple times.

Put the green board up, coat it with redgard, stick on your tiles.   The water will just wick to the other areas not covered in redgard or get behind the green board and leak somewhere else.   You will be doing versions of the same thing over and over, you will have mold issues, tiles will fall off.

First there really is no difference between greenboard and drywall.   They are basically the same material and both should not be used in wet areas.   Your question infers that you are using green board (mold resistant) drywall as some sort logical precautionary material.   When in fact it is just a marketing ploy.

The biggest issues that your tub surround has are - it has no moisture barrier and the tiles were not the right fit to go over drywall (you have to basically have to do a perfect job for this to last, grout has to be thin, and grout/tiles waterproof).

You are going to saving yourself a TON of time just ripping these out and starting over.   I have a good answer on here that shows different tub wall installations.   The one I would suggest for you is 1/4" drywall, plastic sheet, 1/4" hardieboard.  It really is that easy and the thinner hardieboard is super easy to work with.   You can do your demo and have your new wall up in about 3 hours.  The tiles depends on the install method and type of tiles.


plastic vapor barrier on basement ceiling - is it optional?

If the basement is finished and has no moisture issues, the vapor barrier is not needed. If it has moisture issues, the vapor barrier is probably a problem.


Hooking up a NEMA 6-30p heater to a 6-50r socket

Yes.  Your plan will absolutely work, and be safe.  Make sure you properly use flexible cable (likely SOOW) with the breaker box you put together, and consider strain relief where the cable exits the box.

However, the cheaper route you mentioned, isn't as dangerous as you think.....

Consider any device you plug into a normal 15amp outlet.  Very often, the circuit, and breaker are 20amp, even when the outlet has a  15 amp style receptacle.  Say you're plugging in a cellphone charger.  It needs 0.1 amp.  Yet your circuit breaker exposes it to 200 times that!  Omg let's freak out and build a special subpanel at the outlet to provide a breaker appropriate for the cell phone charger.  Wait.  Nobody does that.

Plugging a 30 amp device into a 50 amp outlet is no worse than plugging a 0.1 amp device into a 15 amp outlet.  Just change the plug and be done with it.

But if you enjoy building sub panels, enjoy this project!  If you build a special sub panel just for this, you should consider adding 20 amp breakers and outlets to it also.  Could end up being super convenient to have.


Can I install 120v and 240v receptacles behind the same two-pole breaker?

What you built is called a multi-wire branch circuit.
You must follow all the rules for a multi-wire branch circuit, including pigtailing neutral and not splicing neutral through a device (e.g. no using the 2 silver screws on a recep).
If it has only 120V loads, it can use breakers which do not have common trip (e.g. handle tied breakers or quadplexes without common trip).  Yes, you are allowed to mix both  120V and 240V loads without restriction... however, if you do, the breaker must be common trip.
In fact, they make a special receptacle just for that.  It has a NEMA 6-20 socket and a NEMA 5-20 socket in the standard receptacle package.  They also make one with a 6-15 and 5-15.


My guess is either the joint wasn't cleaned enough and/or not fluxed properly. I have had problems when my old tub of flux got dirt in it. When heating, the dirt burned and ruined the flux preventing a good solder joint. Check your flux and flux brush for dirt and replace or clean as needed. Then clean all of your joints thoroughly with one of those wire brush cleaners for copper tube or scotch bright.


Accidentally cut through joist above eave

Without pictures it's hard to say. I don't fool around with structural (the cost of getting it wrong is too high) I'm going to assume you need to repair it.

What you'll want to do is called sistering. Basically, you'll take a new board the same size as the rafter (you said it was a 2x8 so get a 2x8) and use it to patch the damaged board. You'll need some 3"(or longer) nails or screws. I would also suggest some construction adhesive for added strength.

Attach the new board to the top part. Put the adhesive on and then attach it via nails/screws. Alternate locations and which side you're going from
Glue and nail/screw attach the lower (presumably smaller) part. This may take some clamping. Ensure it's as straight as you can make it.

Once dry, your joist should be as good as new


PVC pipe projector screen frame 18x10. How to support top heavy?

Any idea are welcome

fill bottom tube(s) with lead shot or sand.
buy some extra tee and 45 degree joints and make triangular braces.


The heat tape really only gets warm not “HOT” enough to damage pvc or cpvc I have seen heat tape that was improperly installed, not self regulating and it was crossed over itself several times, one of those areas melted the heat tape but the controller blew prior to damage to the pipe and that was standard cold water pvc (cpvc can handle higher heat)


Should I paint the exterior wooden trim on my home if it's peeling?

If the paint is peeling, then it's time to repaint.
You probably could get away with touching up the areas where the paint is peeling, but it's difficult to get a good color match, and it's probably almost as much work to do touch-ups as it would be do redo the whole thing. If there's a scrape in new paint after only a year or so, that would probably be the time to touch up just the scraped area...
Prep is the key to a good paint job:

Sand and scrape off any loose paint.
Caulk any small gaps.
Repair any large cracks. (Ask a whole new question if you're not sure about how)

Enjoy another 5, 10, 15 years of nice looking paint, then do it again.


How long should the smell of silicone caulk last?

A few days. Solvent will continue to escape the caulk from deeper in for a short while. After a week you probably won't detect it, but that depends on the nose.


What techniques are used to change the color of a particle board's veneer & edge banding?

The cheapest, easiest no tools (except scissors) method is to use contact paper. It is available at most hardware or decorating centers.  It is preglued vinyl sheet on a roll similar to wallpaper. Several wood grains are usually available. It used to be used commonly as cabinet shelf lining. With practice you can get decent results, it is water resistant and cleanable.


You should start by installing a lockout on the breaker that feeds this: so you can turn it off completely.  Then you've got your choice of trying to install a vault to hold the device (with attendant moisture problems), or simply disconnecting the outlet, capping the wires and throwing dirt over.  Leave some bright colored tape above it, and a note in the breaker box, to aid in a future treasure hunt.


Why does my bathroom exhaust fan drip during the summer?

I think Chris is right, warm moist air from outside is coming into the vent and condensing on the cooler inside surfaces.

Fixing this could be as easy as fixing or replacing the outside vent damper so it closes properly.  You could also go for a vent damper that installs within the vent itself.  And finally, you can insulate the pipe so that the vent pipe stays close to the temperature of the air flowing through it rather than the inside or outside of the home (depending on where the pipe runs).


Dimming multiple led light bulbs (parallel or in series)

Those are light bulbs.

You must connect them in parallel just like you would connect other 240V light bulbs in parallel.

You must use a dimmer intended for LED lights.


When re-roofing and doing a tear-off do I have replace the roof deck with plywood?

Are your 8-inch planks laid tightly together, or is there significant space in between? Old roofs that were originally topped with rigid shingles (wood or tile) were sometimes installed with spaced decking planks, and that kind of decking is not suitable for use under modern asphalt shingles, which are flexible.

However, if the planks are relatively tight together this is not a concern. The planks should be fine as long as they aren't damaged, and you'd only bother replacing damaged sections. Strip old shingles, add new underlayments, add new shingles.


Wire connection between ballast and lamp socket

No.  You need to wire the lamps according to the diagram.  What you propose does not match the diagram.

On the yellow, the diagram says you must split the yellow wire to power both filament terminals on one "end" of the bulb.

On the red, you must join 3 wires then split them to power both filament terminals on the other end.

This splitting will take extra wires and wire-nuts. Use #18 solid wire rated 600V.  If you have spare length of ballast wire, you can use a little bit of that.

This particular lampholder seems to have 3 holes per "side".  Note that 2 of those holes are "siamesed".  That is telling you they are interconnected to each other/ the same thing. Only connect to one of them.


What is this box connected to my electric water heater?

Mike - that looks like a power saver box installed by your utility company.

The utility can regulate the HW Heater on and off. Thus saving you energy as the theory goes (that's the theory).

My theory is if I want it low , I will set it there and not raise it high - thus I save energy and have hot water when and how I like it, not luke warm water.


What can I use instead of a ducted range hood in my kitchen?

One solution is a window extractor fan.

Cutting a hole in the wall is pretty permanent, but you can always replace the glass in a window if you need to restore it. Actually cutting a hole in the glass is a job for a professional, but it's pretty quick and doesn't make much mess.

Any room with a gas burner (like a cooker) needs a vent to allow fresh air in, otherwise you'll use up most of the oxygen and it'll start producing poisonous carbon monoxide. If you add a fan to suck air out of a room, it's even more important to have a vent to allow fresh air in.


How to build sunken shed foundation with insulation

Change your roof style! It is a shed why have a high pitch? A almost totally flat roof with a membrane surface will do what you want , these hold up well even in costal areas where I live on the other side of the pond, and in some areas even a 1/2 inch two tall ends up in legal issues , a almost flat membrane was the way to do it , it holds up well drains even heavy rainfalls and they can last a long time if properly installed, want to go a bit cheaper rolled roofing that is heat sealed , not as good as membrane but much cheaper. I agree icf are blocks for walls not foundations, high density foam under a slab is a cost effective way to insulate and add a hydronic heating system and it could be quite nice.


Splicing 6/3 wire to multiple 8/3 wires (or even other 6/3 wires) inside a junction box

I use Polaris and other brands for this, in the past I used to use cambric , linerless and super88 to insulate the split bolts the cost of the Polaris style pays the first time you reuse them and are much easier to use. I use a size 4-14 rated alcu  Home Depot actually had a good price on these and I usually put tape on to hold the plugs in place but nothing is required to hold them in the box.  Their are 2 lug 3 that I think you want up to 6 I have purchased all 600v rated and UL approved.


"Look nice" is a highly subjective criterion.
One approach to that sort of junction is to scribe a trim board.
One tacks a trim board in a vertical position touching the stone, and then sets a compass or pair of dividers equal to the largest gap between the stone and the board. The compass or dividers are then used to follow the irregular stone face and scribe a corresponding mark on the board. The board is then removed and the scribed line is cut, which should result in a trim board that meets the stone wall "snugly" (depending how well it was scribed you may need a few test fits and trimming to get it snug enough to suit.)
If the stone wall is at all prone to being wet, choose a trim board that won't rot (PVC "lumber" or pressure-treated.)


How should I dispose of treated wood or manufactured boards?

When it burns, treated wood emits all sort of nasty chemicals that it was treated, such as trivalent chromium, copper sulfate, and arsenic. Not good stuff to breathe or pump into the air. If you can't find a way to use the leftover wood, the most responsible thing is to just take it to the dump. At least they'll have waste and runoff containment systems.


blocked sink due to same height of drain outlet?

Try to add one of these to allow air into the drain


What could be causing a leaky p trap under my bathroom sink?

If it is a PVC compression fitting, put a bucket under the p-trap and take the trap off.

Odds are good that you will find one of two things.  Either the threads were cross threaded, which will affect the pressure seal around the pipe, or the plastic o-ring was caught in the threads at one point in time and was mangled.  A mangled o-ring won't provide a satisfactory seal.

Either way you will know which part to replace, and these connections (provided it is compression fitting PVC) can be replaced easily at your local hardware store.

If it seems that everything is fine, look for the following items:

Is the pipe being unnaturally flexed or bent due to particular pipes being too long or short?  If so the solution is shorter / longer pipes, but make sure you don't dramatically change the geometry of your setup.
Are the locking nuts really tightened appropriately?  Sometimes a good "extra twist" solves a leak in the best possible way.  Remember, if you "break" an obviously replaceable section of pipe, you're out a few dollars in plastic, so don't be shy.

The joint between the end of the p-trap and the pipe from the wall is supposed to be constantly under water, so it is fairly common for those to leak.  Normally they are fitted and tested for leaks.  The workman will not leave with one leaking.  Since it is under the sink, and people often store items under their sink, eventually the pipe gets bumped.  That's probably the source of your new dripping; however, it is highly unlikely that anyone will remember bumping the pipe, even if they did it.


Chamberlain B550 - How to use a relay to open/close door?

Your existing setup will still work even with the new magical control panel that works with 2 wires. A relay wired in parallel that momentarily closes the circuit will activate the garage door. The most likely cause is that your relay is staying closed too long, so adjust it so it's only closing the circuit for 0.2 seconds. You can test a few timing values to find the best one, it might work best as quick as 0.1 seconds or as long as 0.5 seconds.

Test this first by shorting the terminals on the back of your control panel for a split second to verify that this action activates the garage door.

If the test works and the relay still doesn't work, make sure that you wired it in parallel and not in series.


There are two solutions that should be easier and cheaper than cement or mortar.

Cement could certainly work, if you can get it to stay in place while it dries.  Get some steel wool, which mice won't chew through, and a can of spray foam such as Great Stuff (there's even a pest repellent version of it available at Home Depot).  Stuff steel wool around the hole and fill it in with spray foam, which will expand and can be trimmed with a knife after it dries.  This will keep bugs out and the steel wool will keep mice from chewing through, and it's fast, easy and cheap.

Alternately you could get a small piece of sheet metal.   Use some construction adhesive to hold it in place and it should keep bugs and mice out.


Are there any "easy" ways to trace a home electrical system?

I use a circuit finder, like this:

It requires a little finesse, but not too much.

http://www.amazon.com/GB-Electrical-CS550A-Circuit-Breaker/dp/B001DT6NC6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1289622691&sr=8-2


A 5-stage reverse osmosis / UV filter will likely give you the results you want.  This will filter out heavy metals as well as viruses and bacteria.

Downsides:

Cost (~$400, plus consumables)
Maintenance (new filters every 3-6 months, new UV lamps / membranes periodically)
Waste water (Every gallon of purified water produces at least 3 gallons of waste water)

After installing, I would definitely send a sample of the filtered water off to a lab to verify that it is potable.


Is it OK to nail 1/2" plywood straight to the pocket-door box?

The 'boxes' made for pocket doors are designed to act as the framing for your wall material (typically sheetrock). You topically can't frame out the pocket door pocket with full studs as that'd make the wall too thick.


Why does my gas furnace heat up and then blow cold air?

Sound like this may be the same problem as described on Why does my furnace need frequent power resets?

You didn't mention if the furnace comes back on on its own or not. If it doesn't (or doesn't as often as it should), it sounds like the exact same problem I posted about in the above link: a dirty flame sensor. If this is the case, cleaning it will probably make the problem go away.

If the furnace is coming back on on its own, then:

dirty air filter
Chimney is clogged causing exhaust to come back down the chimney (backflow)
Backflow sensor is clogged/broken
Flame sensor is dirty/broken
Control board is faulty

Checking the sensors is probably easiest.


How to change the bulb in an enclosed ceiling light?

Most likely, it should pull down, out of the ceiling with relative ease. The trim will be attached to the fixture either with some long springs, or a lot of the newer fixtures have tabs along the side that hold it in.

If it is the spring type, there is a tool called a Recessed Can Light Tool that makes re-attaching these a bit easier, though they can also be reattached using a screwdriver or needle nose pliars.

Try not to twist it to much as you might just be tieing the springs into a knot unknowningly.


Should I spray down the shower with a diluted bleach solution after using it?

Vinegar works just as well, without all the worries - use 30 percent vinegar to 70 percent water.

Also, make a habit of wiping down the shower with your towel after you dry off. It'll collect all that water, which will then be vented out of the house when you wash & dry it.


Follow the vinyl flooring manufacturer’s instructions.

I doubt they recommend installing their flooring over old carpet, because the carpet can compress when loaded and deform their flooring.

If you sit a table on the flooring for very long, 1) it will show a deformed area around the leg of the table from the weight of the table, and 2) it will not spring back into its original shape once the table is moved.

I’d remove everything down to the slab/subfloor and fix anything (including possible moisture issues) that I find.


How to increase light from a vanity cabinet?

Fluorescent

Cram more tubes in there. Don't use T12 tubes, they are too bulky.  You can get four T8 tubes in that space if you really cram them tight.  Better still, use T5 tubes, which are almost half the size of T8.  All are equally bright to the old T12.

48" (45-something for T5) is a good length as this will be the most common tube and ballast.

You need ballasts matched to the length and T-code (which is the diameter in eighths of an inch).

LED

Using low voltage LED strips, you can out an essentially unlimited amount of light in there - just a case of how much 12/24V power you want to supply.  The low voltage LED strips are cheap Chinese but they are unlikely to give any trouble.  Use a UL listed power supply such as a GE or Meanwell.


Beware that if in a use that is subject to plumbing code, your 3D printed item almost certainly will be a code violation.

The probable best bet (and I'm not guaranteeing success) would be a "Multipurpose plastic pipe glue" - go to the plumbing section, find the PVC pipe cement, don't buy that - look for the somewhat smaller stock of pipe cement that claims to work on PVC, ABS, and perhaps a few other variants of plastics - try that. Use PVC pipe cleaner and primer on the PVC side of the joint. Make some test joints and try to tear them apart after they have had a day or two to cure.

If, as I vaguely gather, PLA is essentially the most common form of hot glue, then judicious and careful use of a hot glue gun would be the other option that might work.


Switches in other bedrooms turning on different lights after I put new light up

Note:  I'm in the US, so I apologize if I get any vocabulary wrong.

I'm going to describe the picture you posted in your question because I believe you might not know exactly what each wire is doing.  I will number them left to right, 1-8 (not counting grounds/earth).

Wires 1-3:  Neutrals are not switched, so they can all be tied together.  Neutrals and hots should never be connected, and grounds should also be separate.  Wire 1 goes to the fixture, wire 2 is coming "in" from the breaker panel and wire 3 carries on the neutral to the next box (probably another light).

Wire 4:  This is the "live" wire coming in from the breaker panel.  It is energizing the screw terminal block and supplying power to wire 5 and 6.

Wire 5: Gets power from wire 4 and carries it on to the next box.

Wire 6: Gets power from 4 and carries it to the switch.

Wire 7: This is colored as a neutral, but wrapped with brown tape in the diagram to show that it is doing the job of a hot wire.  This is a live wire coming back from the switch.  It is live when the switch is on.  These two wires for the switch are known as a "switch loop" and is one of the only times (the only time?) it's acceptable for a neutral colored wire to be used as a hot.

Wire 8: Bonded to wire 7 and providing power to the lamp when the switch is on.

Now, if you confused any of the "in", "out" or "switch" wires, you could have strange results.  With the hot wires disconnected from the screws and the power on, the only hot with voltage should be the IN cable.  With the power off, you can check for continuity between the black and white wires of the SWITCH cable.  There should be continuity with the switch on, and no connection with the switch off.  The remaining cable that has no power and is not related to the switch will be the OUT cable.


Plastering: Solutions to a cornice that has fallen off

What would happen if I just left that area unplastered for 4 months?

It would look exactly like it does in your photo, i.e. a bit ugly.

You could paint the exposed orange plaster to make it slightly less ugly.

  Is it feasible to plaster it oneself, and if so what tools should I use?

Just take the cornice off the floor and reattach it with high strength grab adhesive and/or with nails. 5 minutes and done, and it looks less ugly than currently.

Depending on where your personal balance is for effort/ugliness you can either leave it like that, or try and use filler to hide the nail holes and sort out where the corners meet (they're never perfect) / make good the bashed corner.

Or you might even want to go and buy a new piece of the cornice which doesn't have a bashed corner, and mitre it to fit etc. But given you're considering just leaving it without doing anything at all, this is probably more effort than you'll find worth it.


Absolutely, that is common practice. Not much insight required, sounds like you got this.


I believe those are switches that can be controlled remotely. The method varies - some can receive commands through power lines, some use radio, some need a separate cable.

You use these when you want to build a "smart house". That is, all the electrical devices can be controlled remotely. For example you could connect to your house from your work through the Internet and turn off the light in the kitchen that you left on. Or you could switch on the coffee maker before departing for home, so that you have fresh coffee when you arrive. Or maybe have your washing machine send you an SMS when the laundry is done. The possibilities are limitless.

The technology isn't anything new, but such devices are still a lot more expensive than traditional electrical networks. They are trying to make it cheaper of course, but it's nowhere near the point where it could be made ubiquitous.

Also they are not problem free. As always - the more stuff there is, the more something can go wrong. And both radio and power-line based communications suffer heavily from noise. Separate cables don't have this issue, but they are difficult to lay out, not to mention expensive. Naturally, progress has been made here as well over the last decades, so the latest types of devices are already quite reliable.

Last but not least - not only are there different methods for communication, but several different protocols as well for each method. So whichever you choose it will severely limit the devices available to you. Of course you could always use the traditional "dumb" devices, but then you'd loose all the benefits of a smart house.


Simply unscrew it. The sealant/adhesive will break away from the wall as you unscrew it and stay attached to the pipe.


Whats the easiest way to fix sticky painted furniture so that it's no longer sticky?

It's called "blocking" and often happens w/latex paints - especially if the 1st coat wasn't allowed to dry fully before the second coat was applied. It's not much of an issue on walls, but horizontal surfaces are a different story.

The ultimate solution is time - possibly a few months. The inner coat's moisture is blocked from evaporating by to outer coat. It will slowly wick through the surface over several weeks.

You might be able to reduce the stickiness by spreading some fine talcum powder on the surface, then lightly vacuuming it off - but TEST in an unobtrusive area, first, because if it's too sticky, you could end up with permanent, visible, dust built into your paint job.

You may be able to speed the process by blowing warm (not hot) air across the surface for several days (hot air can cause the paint to peel). This can open the pores in the paint to allow slightly more rapid evaporation, but a lot depends on what paint you used, how much moisture is trapped in the undercoat, etc.


Those Philips disks you have are designed and tested to work inside a recessed can.  You cannot modify them as you are suggesting.  First, there's just no way to attach them to the junction boxes.  Second, it wouldn't be "legal" to electrical code and it may not be safe.

Your two options are to get a "flush mount" recessed light disk that is made to attach to a junction box or have the boxes replaced with proper recessed light cans.  Even the "flush mount" lights are 3/4" - 1" thick, so if you want a true recessed look, installing cans is your best option.


To be on the safe side:

Contact a local plumber and request that he scope the drains.

Plumbers equipped with a snake camera can inspect the drains and tell you if there is any damage or blockage. I would highly recommend you go this route especially if you plan on finishing the basement.  Do not put a floor over these holes until you know for sure what they are.
If you want to try and DIY, call a local hardware store that rents out these drain cameras. The draw back is that since you do not have the experience, if you find something questionable you'll need to contact a plumber anyway.
If you are really set on finishing the floors and are going to do it despite recommendations here be sure to leave some sort of access door / trap door in the event of flooding.

Good luck.


What is the correct way to wire a 3 way switch where power comes into the middle switch?

You'll lose your mind dealing with all the red black white business.  Get a 5-pack of colored electrical tape and start marking wires for their actual function.  Always mark wires the same at both ends.  Here is what's really happening in a 3-way.

First, the two traveler wires get marked yellow.  There is no need to tell them from each other.    So in the /3 cable, tape the black and white wires with yellow tape.  That'll leave red, which is a preferential color for switched-hot.
On the black and white cable up to the lamp, mark both ends of the black wire with red tape, since it is switched hot.  Mark the lamp's black lead red also.

The hard part is behind us. Now we wrap up.

On both 3-way switches, the yellow wires go on the brass screws.
On the near 3-way, the supply wire (black) goes onto the black common screw.  (It's almost like someone color coded it, lol).
On the far 3-way, you have no choice: 1 wire 1 screw.  Done.
All the wires that remain are white and red.  Nut them by color: white to white, red to red.
Golly, that was easy!  Or rather, we made it easy with our thinking cap and some colored tape.


What kind of joint compound over plywood

I personally would never recommend joint compound over plywood. You could wood putty all the screws and other defects as mentioned above or you could try one other idea. How much of a lip do you have between the surface of the sheet rock and the surface of the plywood? My suggestion would be to place a piece of 1/4 inch sheet rock over the plywood if the difference between the two surface is deep enough. Then you could just finish the perimeter with tape and joint compound.