Framing isn't the issue, airflow is. If you plan on enclosing both the hot water heater and furnace, use open slotted panels on a bifold door to allow air flow. If you have a fresh air return (from outside) for the furnace, this must be directed into the room of the furnace with sufficient space for air to flow into the the furnace, usually the face or a special opening on the side. For space you can use the wall cavity much like cold air returns are used in finished rooms.
There is no threat to framing being in contact with a stone/brick chimney, obviously keeping the ash shoot opening clear. With metal exhuast or AA and AAA steel chimney framing cannot come within 2" of the steel. Some building codes may exceed that.


Addressing a shower pan that was not sloped properly

It sounds as if you practically have all the concrete removed. It may be wise to bite the bullet and start anew. For the sake of consistency it's better to have a floor pan from one single installation.
It certainly is possible to install patched areas in concrete and have them function as expected. Shallow chisel divots can be filled and if the area is solid without cracks and hasn't been jolted-loose from the demolition the odds are good for a repair.


I prefer to use dyes first.  Metallic dyes can be mixed with either alcohol or water.  Using water will raise the grain, alcohol won't.  Dyes allow a progressive tinting, that is even reversible.  Dyes penetrate more deeply, compared to pigment based stains.  Dyes can also tint shellac as a base coat and will seal the wood for any further finishes.

The grain will raise slightly with the first water coat.  Light sanding with 220 will knock it smooth. Be sure to use an dewaxed shellac as a sealer. A 1lb cut is sufficient for sealing.

Once the color is sealed, water based finishes are fast and a lot easier to get a dust free finish, compared to an oil poly.


Stripping parquet floor glue to install underfloor heating

You don't mention the age of the 'new' house....

It depends on the floors construction. Standard is to have a 50 to 75mm screed on top of a 100mm ish concrete subfloor on top of 150mm crushed and compacted hardcore/stone. Insulation has only been added since the 1990's.

If so, you'd need to remove the whole screed and hope that it's not terribly bonded to the concrete subfloor (sometimes is, sometimes not).

But I'm worried about any house old enough to have original parquet flooring. It's possible that the little wooden blocks are glued straight on on top of a concrete subfloor. Then you're in trouble.

Removing or digging out as you say to a specific depth in concrete is difficult. It's usually easier to remove the thing and start over.

Also heating a floor without insulation underneath is pretty ineffective, again it's best to... Remove the floor, dig out, insulate, new membrane, new concrete, heating pipes set into a new screen. Floor covering of your choice.

A lot of work. However there are mechanical scraper devices for removing sticky substances/adhesives, but I'll not lie to you, whichever way you do it will be hard work and take a while. Depending on age I'd have some of the black adhesive tested for asbestos too, as it's possible.... (but don't panic, just don't create dust whilst working on the adhesive. Tests are cheap, £30 or so)

Re: new info/comment...

Yes, insulation stops the heat going the wrong way if you like. There's a couple of schools of thought, one is to insulate directly under the heat source, throwing all the heat upwards and some like to insulate under the 'mass' if you like, then the heat soaks into the mass (concrete slab say) which acts much like a storage heater, evening out heat fluctuations etc.

You'll struggle to dig out the middle because of sealing the membrane etc.

Thinnest/cheapest way IMHO is to (either follow what AndyT said) or glue back any loose blocks roughly, sand the whole thing flat (again roughly) and then fit a new laminate floor over a heating mat. Try to get both from the same company for best reassurance. Pergo 'quickheat' is as good as any.

You'd probably get it all in around 22mm or so.


That "free" wire is actually a bit of a millstone around your neck in your situation
The problem with your "free" 4/0 wire and quadruplex (4/0-4/0-4/0?-4) is that it's somewhat too large for the job at hand.  You see, devices like breakers, switches, and panels can't accept arbitrarily large wires for simple reasons of physical space, both for lugs large enough to fit large wires and more importantly for the space required to bend large, stiff wires to get where they need to go.  This is a particular issue for you because you need to insert a visible blade disconnect somewhere in your solar feeder to satisfy your utility.
This is required by your utility's interconnect rules by way of incorporating Texas PUC Rule 25.212, and practically means that you need to fit a non-fused safety switch to provide that visible-blade disconnect.  However, a 100A safety switch doesn't have enough room for 4/0 wire in it; one can special order some safety switches with oversized lugs and enclosures, but that's going to be a costly proposition for a one-off project.  You could use a 200A safety switch instead of the 100A switch, but that's a cost adder as well, and it just gets worse when you add in the additional cost of collar lugs, subfeed blocks (vs. branch breakers), beefed-up subpanels (200A vs 125A), and heavier-duty service equipment.
As to your main panel...
Your next problem is finding a suitable main disconnecting means, given the sheer amount of solar power you're harvesting (64A of it with both inverters running flat-out).  Unfortunately, while a solar-ready meter-main that provides a dedicated solar input breaker is in some ways the ideal solution as it doesn't cut into busbar ampacity, very few meter-mains of that type that I am familiar with can handle an 80A solar input breaker.  Worse yet, your utility only apparently approves of a small selection of meter sockets, with no meter-main devices among them.
The good news, though, is that that the other normal solution for this problem, namely a "mobile home service" panel with feed-thru lugs running off to the house, will work for your situation, because there's a 200A main breaker at the house that'll protect the feeder to the house from inadvertently getting overloaded.  Since you're planning for future upgrades to the solar system, though, you'll want a 225A busbar on your main panel as well as the ability to take a 175A breaker for the solar infeed.
The first criteria rules out most mobile home feeder panels, unfortunately; the GE/ABB TM822RCUFL is the only made-for-purpose mobile home panel panel with a 225A interior.  The second is also a problem, as GE branch breakers upwards of 125A are not well-known parts.  You might be able to find a THQMV175WL through a supplyhouse, but applying it would be tricky at best due to the splicing required, so we'll need an alternative solution.
Fortunately, Siemens provides us with one in the form of the PNW1224L1225C.  While this comes configured as a main-lug panel, we can fit it with a MBK200A or 225A kit to convert it to main breaker and also add a ECLK2225 subfeed block + ECLK3N extra neutral lug to serve in place of the feed-through lugs.  Finally, while the QN2175(R) and Q2175B are both special-order parts, most supply houses that deal in Siemens stuff should be able to order them for you, answering the question of a 175A breaker when paired with another ECLK3 neutral lug opposite the subfeed block.
Note that either way, you're limited to a total of 50A for other loads (pumphouse, security fence/gate operation, serviceperson's receptacle) and a CLSURGE for a service surge protector by the NEC 705.12(B)(2)(3) point 3 limits, and your main panel will need the appropriate premade warning label required by 705.12(B)(2)(3) point 3, as well.  (The surge protector is a new 2020 NEC requirement, found in 230.67; normally, I'd recommend an external Type 2 SPD, but those require a breaker to connect to the panel, and that breaker would push you over the busbar limits even though the SPD draws no load.)  You could use a 30/20 or 35/15 triplex breaker (two single poles and a two-pole in a two-space package) if you want support for feeding the security loads from the main panel, or a 50A two-pole if you want the pumphouse subpanel to feed those instead.
Alternative main panel plans 1: tapping the meter
If the plan of using a mobile-home "trailer panel" or field-fabricated equivalent as the sole service equipment isn't workable, there are a couple of alternatives.  First off, since your utility largely uses Milbank meter sockets, you can look at using a set of Milbank K5022-INT tap lugs on the load side of the base to pull off a set of 1/0 Al conductors for the solar switch, which goes on the opposite side of the meter base from your main panel.  Note that the solar switch needs to be a fusible switch in this case as it's now a piece of service entrance hardware; 125A RK5 fuses are reasonable (and reasonably cheap) for this, and will accommodate your existing solar setup and proposed partial upgrade.
Since we don't want the wellhouse to get shut off by the solar disconnect, though, that leaves us with two options for powering it.  Either you can use a 200A mobile-home panel or equivalent (such as the Homeline one you're looking at) to provide breaker space for both a whole-service surge protector and the branch/feeder breakers (wellhouse, fence/gate hardware), or you could use a special set of lugs on the line-side of the solar switch to tap power there.
The latter, of course, depends on what you get for said switch: Square-D provides a flexible option for their 200A switches in the AL20DTF, but it's not listed, so its applicability depends on your AHJ, while Siemens switches can accept a control tap kit, but that only provides a tab terminal, not a full screw lug, so it limits how much power you can run to the wellhouse.  With both switch options, you'll also need to provide another service disconnecting means at the rack, dedicated to the wellhouse, although it can be as simple as a fusible A/C pullout disconnect, with a pair of conduits connecting it to the solar-switch.
The former isn't without its caveats either, though: you can't run the wellhouse feeder back through the service conduits as NEC 230.7 prohibits service and non-service conductors from sharing a raceway, so you'll need to fit a "runaround" conduit from the main panel to the solar-switch.  This can be either a rigid conduit run from the back of the panel to the back of the switch using LBs or pull-elbows, or a liquidtight flexible conduit run from the bottom of the panel to the bottom of the switch around the service riser using 90° fittings at each end.
With either of these, though, you'll be constrained by the need to run a minimum of 2 neutrals in your solar and house conduits, as you can't cross-connect neutrals that originate in two different service disconnect enclosures.  This also means you'll need to use care when wiring 120V loads from the backup power system; even if not required, using different colors, tape flags, or so on to denote backup-power/solar neutrals is a good plan in this circumstance.
And all that grounding business...
As far as grounding goes, you'll need two 8' rods driven 6-8' apart at the meter rack, with a 6AWG copper grounding electrode conductor going from both rods up into the meter socket and terminating there, as per PEC's service loop drawings. Fortunately, you don't need to worry about providing a grounding wire in your conduits, as the quadruplex has you covered on that front.
At the inverter rack, the grounding wire makes a pitstop at the solar combiner panel before continuing onward alongside the pumphouse feeder.  In addition, you'll need another pair of ground rods and matching grounding electrode conductor at the rack, headed on up to the grounding bar in said solar combiner panel.  At the pumphouse, though, you can use the well casing as a grounding electrode, provided it's made of metal of course; if it's a plastic casing, then you'll need to drive ground rods and connect them up to the grounding bar on the pumphouse panel.
Of course, all the bonding screws in all the subpanels need to be pulled out, and the house will need its own grounding electrode system (made rods, metal water line, Ufer/concrete-encased electrode), tied to the grounding bar in the house's panel.  Finally, you will need to run a neutral out with the feeder to the solar system as your inverters don't support 240V-only connections to center-grounded systems, and probably should continue that neutral out to the pumphouse as well in order to provide 120V there without the bulk of a local step-down transformer.  (Sharing a neutral between multiple feeders is permitted by NEC 215.4(A), although that won't work if they're on the load side of different service disconnects -- you'll need 2 neutrals and thus 9 wires minimum in the solar/pumphouse conduit in that case.)


How do I repair this soffit flashing thing?

Its just trim molding, to hide the cut edge of the soffit where it abuts the wall.

It should be re-attached for both appearance and critter protection.  You can add some foam insulation, which will help seal the edge.

A bead of exterior caulk, then the molding, then another bead if there are any gaps in the molding-to-wall or molding-to-soffit,

Use 1" to 1 1/2" hot-dipped galvanized 4d finishing nails and try to hit structure underneath.  If you are a tool hound, this would be a good time to get a small air compressor and an 18 ga finish nailer.  Tell your wife you can inflate her tires and the kids basketballs/footballs.  I've expanded from 18ga nailer to 15 ga nailer, crown stapler, 16d framing nailer and strip flooring nailer, all with the same pancake compressor.


Frigidaire oven smells smoky and turned itself on to bake. Safe to use cook top?

I would say it is safe to use both the induction rings and the oven provided your in-law is in the kitchen.  I would not use any timer function on the oven.

The main risk is the cooker starting a fire.  If your in-law is in the kitchen, she will probably smell burning insulation, and be able to turn the power off, before an actual fire breaks out.

I would continue to turn the breaker power off when the cooker is not in use, particularly when she is out or asleep.


It appears from your most recent fault status report that you have an open or intermittent hot lead somewhere from the last outlet in the close bedroom to the first outlet in the far bedroom. Here are some possibilities to check:

If any of the the electrical outlets in question are using poke-in-and-leave-it type wire connections then rewire those connections to use the side screws with the wire under the screw head. Some types of outlets also have a screw tightened clamp on the side that the wire will feed straight into from the back.
Contemplate of any remodeling in this area of the building has been done recently. A nail or a screw inserted in just the wrong place could have severed the hot lead in power feed cable in the wall or passing through a stud.
Consider temporarily disconnecting the wiring between the last working outlet and first on working outlet. Then run some temporary wire between those locations as a debug to see of a new wire works.
There is always a chance that part of the faulty wiring run can be traced and inspected. It may even route up into an attic or unto the crawl space where through the wall stud routing is blocked due to doorways. Wires in these areas may be more susceptible to damage due to human activity, pest access to wires or poor routing of a cable over a sharp metal edge.


The lighting outlet needs to be wall-switched in a finished room

NEC 210.70(A)(1) states (sans irrelevant exceptions):

  (1) Habitable Rooms. At least one wall switch-controlled
  lighting outlet shall be installed in every habitable room
  and bathroom.

The "wall switch-controlled" part is easy enough: it means that there needs to be a switch on the wall (located as per Article 404 and other criteria) that turns a lighting outlet in the room on and off (it can be a dimmer, smart-switch, or occupancy sensor, provided there is a wall control that can switch the outlet manually).

However, the key here lies in the NEC's definition of the term "outlet", for which we turn to Article 100 (aka the NEC's glossary):

  Outlet. A point on the wiring system at which current is
  taken to supply utilization equipment.

From this, we can tell that the lighting outlet in question needs to be switched before it ever gets to the utilization equipment (luminaire, in our case).  As a result, the built-in switch on the existing luminaires is no good for this job.  Besides, making it so that you have wall switches in the conventional places will make everyone happier, especially your houseguests.

If you wish to keep the sconces...

There is a way you can keep the sconces, though -- you can make it so the wall-switched lighting outlet powers a different lighting outlet/light fixture (on the ceiling, preferably, although putting it on another wall will work too).  That way, the new fixture becomes the primary source of light for the room, and the sconces can be kept the way they are (save for  being mounted to boxes and connected to modern wiring) as accent pieces.


How to properly wire GFCI Subpanel and Hot Tub

From the main panel to the subpanel, you'd want to run either #6 copper UF cable.... Or if in conduit THWN-2 wire, either #6 copper or #4 aluminum.  Aluminum is fine for a feeder like this.

From the subpanel to the hot tub, any conduit will do, because all cabling must be wet location rated, and conduit is presumed to be 100% full of water anyway.   My first choice, if you can bear the pipefitting required, would be Rigid or Intermediate Metal Conduit, which only requires a 6" burial depth and lets you use conduit for ground, saving a wire.  I would not use EMT because it would rust quickly.  I would not use Schedule 40 PVC, but would use Schedule 80 PVC.

Inside the conduit I would only use THWN-2 and only copper, since it is outdoors and genuinely at risk for water exposure.

You don't need to worry excessively about shock hazard past the GFCI hot tub panel, stopping shocks is its job.

However California has seen at least one monstrous wildfire started from arcing in a bad hot tub connection, so AFCI protection is warranted if you are in a wildfire area.


How can I fit a face plate to two devices in separate single-gang boxes?

The gap you are seeing is well within the normal limits of adjustment for standard yokes (the metal thing the screws go through).

You just tightened down the yoke screws and let them land where they may.  You'll need to back them off, shift the outlet and switch around as needed, and repeatedly try the plate until it lines up.

If the yokes don't give you enough horizontal slack in their slots, you may need to change to different devices that do.

If all else fails, roll back to the original receptacle and switch, figure out from where this location is supplied, and install the GFCI there with this part of the circuit on the LOAD terminals. If there's already a GFCI there, then this one is redundant.


Best way to remove excess solder from sweat fittings for re-use?

What you're doing is what I've found to be most effective also.  Don't add any flux to the fittings, however, add some to the steel wool since you want the solder to cling to it and not the pipe fittings.
Keep in mind that you're not going to want to reuse these for any sort of drinking water use since they were originally soldered with lead-based solder and it's nearly impossible to get it all off.  But for your heating system use or other non-potable water use, no problem as long as they are in good shape.


How can I accurately locate bricks covered in stucco or plaster?

While this doesn't answer the question directly, I question the need to know where the bricks are when hanging items indoors.  Unless the load on the anchor is going to be axial rather than lateral (ie, pulling rather than hanging), the bricks above and below should still provide support for the anchor even if you are in a mortar line.

Alternate Solution

Perhaps using a different anchor style would solve your problem.  One that flares more when tightened, to better embed itself in the mortar.  Combine this with epoxy to further increase the strength of the anchor.


Why is my lighting circuit tripping the breaker?

Somewhere in your light circuit there was a short circuit that caused the breaker to trip. By repeatedly trying to reset the breaker, the point at which the fault occurred finally blew itself apart. Now instead of having a short circuit you have an open circuit. Proper troubleshooting will allow you to find the problem's location, but explaining this procedure is somewhat challenging in this forum.


I tested my miter saw on a 20A GFCI outlet, it worked fine. I tested my neighbors miter saw on a second 20A GFCI outlet on a second circuit in my house, it also worked fine. But after plugging my miter saw into the 2 indoor 15A GFCI outlets, it would trip the GFCI the moment I started the saw. My neighbor reported a similar problem when he plugged his miter saw into my outdoor 15A GFCI outlet.

So, while it could have been a short, and tripping a GFCI is often evidence that there is something (dangerously) wrong with your power tool, for me the solution was to replace the 15A GFCI outlets with 20A GFCI outlets (on a 20A circuit). Both saws are working fine now.


Stain Grade Door - piece of veneer missing - how best to repair?

For minor repairs I have used lacquer sticks with much success. There are videos of people who really know how to use the sticks to make repairs like you need. You could try it yourself with practice. The sticks are not a big investment.

Paint could be used too, as in faux finish, but that is definitely an acquired touch.


You are just chasing your tail. As long as there is exposed wood and a convenient source of water, you will have carpenter ants.

The solution is to improve your roofing and gutters to keep the house dry.


If I understand your description you're concerned because the posts are encased in concrete with no gravel under the posts.
It would have been good to have gravel under the posts for drainage but it's not critical. Of greater concern to me is the several feet of soil they placed around the posts above the piers. Encasing the posts in concrete isn't necessarily a problem but in my opinion you want to avoid having soil directly in contact with the posts.  Microbes in the soil and moisture in contact with the posts will accelerate rotting so you want to avoid that. There are various ways to anchor deck posts and provide for drainage away from the posts. I have seen deck posts done just the way yours are - it is structurally sound but I don't like it because of rot issues. Given that your piers and posts are completed I'm not sure what recourse you have. So let me show in the picture below the way I prefer to do posts and one possible remedy for your situation.
The illustration on the left is the way I prefer to do deck posts because it keeps the post above grade while still providing support. The one on the right might be one remedy for your situation. It would mean removing the soil around the posts down to the pier and then backfilling that space with stone for drainage. It's not the ideal solution but it will give the posts a longer life.


3 Ways to deal with plumbing that has seized due to lime scale

1 More torque

Get the biggest wrench your space will allow and use it to loosen the plumbing.
Alternatively, you can try using a pipe to extend the leverage you have on an existing wrench.

2 Descaling

Go to the dollar store and buy some 'cleaning vinegar' (and a spray bottle if you don't have one).
Pour the cleaning vinegar into an empty spray bottle and close it.
Thoroughly spray the area with the lime scale
Wait 10 min
Repeat steps 3 and 4 until lime scale is satisfactorily removed

3 Cut and replace the fitting

When the other two methods don't work, or you have plenty of pipe to work with, you can use a pipe cutter, pipe saw, or oscillating saw to cut to the affected are and replace the fitting.
This method is the one I generally use, as trying to salvage something with a lot of buildup is time consuming and not likely to re-seal well.

Going forward you'll want to address the reason for the scale build-up (water pressure too high / improperly sealed connection) and possibly think about installing a descaling filter on your water main to protect appliances and any fancy shower heads.


Don't count on it

RAL has a very, very small color space. Further, RAL is not an "analog" system - there's no way to pick RAL 1049.33185 if you need a shade in between.  So forget it; no RAL color will match Mondriaan's choice, unless he picked from RAL in the first place.*

The eye can distinguish millions of colors; a thousand in the color space isn't nearly enough.

Honestly, RAL is just another Pantone.   A system entirely intended to be trendy, and be used for new designs, and never intended to be a tool for historical matching.  Of course they want you to believe that all past colors should be defined in terms of their system, and sadly, they sometimes succeed. However, your interest is as an historian means RAL and Pantone swatch books are ideal for leveling tables.

A critical limitation of Pantone is that it is defined in terms of ink ratios of Pantone inks; whose mixes are proprietary. In fact Pantone is trying to deprecate many of the something like 26 inks a Pantone printer must stock, so many original colors are being obsoleted.  Yeah, that's just what we want in a color system.

For a proper match, you need an absolute color space such as CIE or Munsell.  Munsell is an odd hybrid, it's a private company who makes a swatch book, but Munsell numbers are derived from absolute physical characteristics; for instance 7.5 BG 8/4 describes

BG (Blue-Green) is a range of hues, and there are 10 such ranges in the circle
7.5 (0-10) indicates the specific hue within BG
8 (0-10) lightness (reflectivity) indicates fairly light; 0 is black 10 is white
4 (0-10 nominal) indicates level of color saturation.

This is in absolute terms, which means the max number can range wildly based on amount of saturation that is possible at that hue and lightness. This varies by hue (reds saturate far more) and lightness (pastels can't saturate much at all).

Munsell makes a swatch book with 40 hues x 8 lightnesses x 2-10 even numbered saturations.  These are numbered linearly and are designed to be interpolated.  So you can nail down a Munsell number for any reflectable color, like 8.1 BG 7.16/3.34.

One difference, CIE to Munsell, is that the Munsell company survives (part of XRite, who owns Pantone). They stock sheets of each standard swatch-book color. For fractional colors, they will formulate you you custom sheets for about $300.  I'm sure in 1953 those custom sheets were loaded with chromium and lead; today they're organic.  No dependency on ink formulas here!

There are also mail-order paint shops that collect color books, including Munsell and whatever books may exist for CIE, and will cheerfully mix you a sampler latex paint tin of any color out of that book for a few dollars.  You can then thoroughly paint a piece of wood (3-4 coats to be sure of no print through) and take that to your local paint shop. They can then scan it and match up.

Don't even try to match off screens

Reflective/paint colorspace works so violently differently from additive/video display colorspace, that there simply is no comparing.  I've tried to use digital photos and Photoshop to interpolate between two Munsell chips (i.e. reddish chip - exemplar - purplish chip) -- it totally does not work at all.  It's as if the computer cannot even see the color; like it's seeing something else and it's just wrong.  Anything you do to color-match via the computer, e.g. dropping a Jpeg of the art into Photoshop, will wildly mislead you. Don't even bother trying.

Contact the gallery

I would talk to the gallery.  At some point in the history of time, I am sure somebody stuck a color scanner on Mondriaan's painting and lifted off the CIE or Munsell numbers.

* Which has happened. I was doing some industrial archaeology and was resolving Munsell colors, expecting a fraction and a $300 "send off to Munsell for custom sheets" sort of deal.  I found the number not only to be an integer, but actually in the standard swatch book - dead nuts.  Then I checked another.  Again integer; again in the swatch book. It was perfectly clear the company had specced their colors out the Munsell book. That meant all the usual "wobble" from aged or sun-bleached pigment samples, ambient light color, you name it, just went away. It was ridiculously easy.


Is adding a GFCI outlet ahead of inverter as good as having one on the inverter?

If your house inverter is a true sine inverter it will work to have the GFCI outlets after the inverter, any imbalance in the hot neutral and they are I’ll trip just like with normal residential wiring you are used to.
 If the output is a modified sine wave the harmonics generated have caused problems with GFCI’s I have installed on a PV system. I did have luck with a second system back in 05? That was modified sine it did work when we tested it but I am not sure if under a heavy load the GFCI may trip like the first system did. These were the only ones the owners wanted GFCI protection many times on emergency circuits folks don’t want them to trip, I can see using them on a boat would be a good idea. Check the specifications on your inverter out put, if the graph shows a sine wave with lots of steps it is a modified sine, some of the newer ones the steps may be small enough to not cause the bad harmonics, if your inverter is pure sine it should have no problems at all.


Lamination to achieve smooth surface over plywood

Lamination is a valid term to use in your application. Countertops are often laminated with Formica™ but I would not consider it to be a product to be rolled on in a manner similar to wallpaper.

I tossed a search to the world wide interweb for "thin laminate" and found a product I was unaware existed.

It's called cabinet veneer sheet and is produced and sold in various thicknesses and with various patterns. I've seen figures for 1/32" thickness with paper backing (implying self-adhesive) and poly backing, again self-adhesive.

One would expect that you've sanded the plywood prior to application and used a tack cloth or other method to remove sawdust. Read and follow all label directions to get the best bond possible.


Are there any NEC restrictions for wiring 220v and 110v sockets on the same dual pole breaker?

Use a two-pole, common-trip breaker and you're set

Since you're dealing with a 20A circuit (where 15 and 20A receptacles are allowed), you can set up this mix of receptacles provided you handle it as for any other combination 120/240V load: all four wires need to be there, as shown in your drawing, and the breaker that protects it needs to be a two-pole, common trip unit (no handle ties here!).  This is written into the Code, albeit somewhat awkwardly, as 210.4(C) exception 2:

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

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

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


Nailing a joist hanger to ledger with concrete behind

Joist hangers resist loads in shear, not withdrawal. While a 16d is more common, full resistance is developed in a 2x.

Simpson Strong-Tie makes a short nail that is 1 1/2” long x 9 ga. diameter.

Oh, and be sure to order the nails treated (galvanized) or stainless steel based on the type of pressure treated ledger.


Can I install 1x6 T&G boards over 1/2" drywall on 2x6x14' ceiling joists

Yes, that should be fine - not that you needed the drywall, but no point in taking it down since you've put it up. Just account for the thickness of the drywall when choosing the length of fasteners for the T&G boards.


The sandwich of three (probably two 2x4s and a 2x8/2x10 that run left to right in the picture are clearly carrying the load of the upstairs floor joists.  (Which are also heavily compromised by the piping for the upstairs bath.).  You cannot remove this wall without supporting that point load all the way to the foundation.

If you want the wall gone you'll need to contact a local structural engineer or experienced contractor to devise a replacement structure,  probably just a simple header.  The load will need to be carried through temporary structure while this work is being done.  It is not a DIY friendly project.

Note also the door on the far right has a significant header over it, so the original framers knew the wall would be bearing a load. Then the plumber went and cut right through their top plates.  ;-)


Any way to do a mitered corner without a table saw?

Your circular saw should be able to cut the 45 degree angle, there should be a lever to allow you to tilt the plate thus tilting the bade.   Something like this

Then to get a Straight cut you need a guide along one edge. You need something longer than the piece you are cutting and wide enough to clamp it to it and have enough room to run the saw along the edge for a straight cut.  Something like this, although this is a special clamp guide, you could just use something a bit wider with some other clamps.


Where would I connect the C wire in my HVAC system?

From the CT (control transformer) Red and Black are 240v Line Voltage, stay away from those. The two yellows are 24v, one yellow connects to Red wire R connection, that's 24vac to the thermostat. The other yellow is the C/0v connection.
Without an actual picture of the termination it is hard to advise how to make the tap/splice.
Edit: Be sure to turn off electrical power to the furnace before accessing the controls. Many older furnaces had no reason to and no intention of making a C (otherwise called the Common or 0v reference) available for controls. That wire often runs straight to a control device and is terminated to a stake-on or soldered directly to a device, then daisy chains to all the components that need the C for controls. If you look at the control diagram you see one yellow goes straight out of the middle on the right side of the Control Transformer, turns up and then veers off to a device (fan relay) marked BR. That is the C wire. The termination on the relay has several dashed wires connected, those are for furnace/AC/ventilation options you may not have been installed in your furnace. Often there is a forked termination with spare blades sticking up for those unused options that you can use if you have the appropriate sized stake-on for the thermostat cable. If there isn't a forked termination, you don't have the right stake-on, or it is a soldered connection then you will need to cut that yellow wire somewhere in the middle and make a 3-wire splice with an appropriate sized wire connector.


How do I Unstick a Fixture Mounted to Bathroom Tile

Dental floss (bathroom handy) or fishing line. Wrap it around a couple of handles (toothbrushes also seem handy in a bathroom) and saw the thing free of the wall.


What are these pins for that I keep finding in my steel cabinets?

They are the remnants from the rivets used to hold the pieces of steel together. Each rivet contains a piece that holds the metal together and a piece that looks similar to a finish nail. When the "nail like" piece is pulled by the riveting tool it distorts the head then breaks off.

Pop Rivet set tool grips shank, draws ball head up through tube rivet to expand it till it bottoms out and breaks at neck inside tube rivet.


You live in  a state that's cold and has high electric rates, and electric baseboard heating uses a lot of juice. I'm guessing costs are your primary motivation, right?

If so, my recommendation would be to take the money you would spend on a whole new system (I'm guessing it would run $10,000-20,000) and instead buy a gigantic solar array capable of making your house net zero. New York state has a lot of incentives and subsidies, to say nothing of the 30% federal tax credit.

This approach will result in no disruption to the interior of your home, reduce your electric bill to zero forever, and be good for the environment. Depending on your current bill and the price of the array, this may be a financial no-brainer. Talk to some solar companies.


Will a cement mixer extend the working life of mortar?

A mixer might help you mix smaller batches more quickly, so that you can easily adjust the size of a batch and keep up. But most mixers will make you think you should be making an even larger batch, and that's not a great plan.
It won't perform magic, and trying to extend the working time of cement products is heading down a road that is better left untravelled. Far better to sort whatever you need to sort to make small batches accurately and make more of them.
Without knowing what method you were using, you may be better served by a proper mortar hoe that has two big holes in the blade to promote mixing than a mixer, since your problem was having too much mortar mixed up to get through. A beneficial side effect of smaller batches is that they are easier to hand-mix.
I recall being instructed to make sure the mixing pan and tools were cleaned between each batch, to prevent the partially set earlier batch from speeding up the set of the next batch.
If you just want to extend the working life, then chilling everything (water, sand, cement) will slow the reaction somewhat. Chilling only one part (water being easiest) will slow it somewhat less, as the rest of the materials will bring the temperature back up, and the reaction itself is exothermic. But mixing only the right-sized batch for your rate of work is easier. I use a scale that reads in grams when I mix tile mortar and grout, working by myself on fussy small tiles. I can't possibly get through a whole bag at a time within the working time, and I don't even try. –


Activating hot water recirculation pump in garage via extension cord under kitchen sink

Hi grant welcome to stackexchange. I don't what part of the world you are in but if you are in the US. No you can't do what you are suggesting. I haven't had time to figure out how many code violations are involved, but I will start with the fact that you cannot pass an extension cord through a wall or partition. So let's just say NEC Article 400 in particular 400.12 Uses not permitted pretty much covers why you can't or shouldn't do it.

You might want to bone up on this article before attempting any extension cord additions to your dwelling.

Good luck.


Why is my switch controlled receptacle always on?

See this little tab here?

Turn the power to this box off at the circuit breaker, and verify it's off. Then grab the little tab with a pair of needle nose pliers, and bend it back and forth until it breaks off.  Once you restore power, half of the receptacle will be controlled by the switch, while the other will be always on.

A couple other notes about your wiring
When wrapping wires around screw terminals, you always want to wrap them clockwise.  To tighten the screw you'll turn it clockwise, if the wire is wrapped clockwise it will be "pulled in" by the tightening action. If the wire is wrapped anticlockwise, the wire could be "pushed out" by the tightening action.

You'll also want to try and avoid getting insulation under the screw terminals. The insulation can prevent you from tightening the screw enough, which can lead to a poor connection.  A poor connection causes higher resistance, which increase heating, which leads to deterioration of the wiring, which leads to higher resistance, which leads to more heat, which leads to fire.


Replace Switch that's currently wired Supply -> Fixture -> Switch with an Insteon Switch?

Insteon does make "2-wire" dimmer switch modules.  But not relays which you would need for motor control.  I presume this is because a closed relay would leave no current for the circuitry in the Insteon module itself to run, and the dimmers basically only go up to 99% intensity using the power of that last % to run the module.

Having deployed a significant number of insteon modules myself,

Here's what I would do:

Buy an additional Insteon switch module or remote fob for the new remote switch location
Buy a 'micro on-off module' to be placed in the attic in the fan's jbox.

Take the old switch out of line of the fan.
Wire the switch module you already have up where you want it, and ignore its red load wire.  (Cap it safely with a wire nut.)
In the fan's j-box:

Wire together in parallel:

the mains in.
the line out to your replacement switch.
the input to the mini on/off.

Connect the fan to the mini on/off's output.
Cap off the micro on/off's purple and yellow sense wires.

At this point you should be able to control the fan from the buttons on the mini on/off module
Use programming to make either switch module control the mini-relay, and all other switches.  (Making a switch control another switch might seem useless, but it is what will keep your indicator lights in sync.)

You are probably going to want to have one of their pc link modules and the pc software to do the programming.  But it can be done following tedius steps with just your fingers.  If you want to do it without the pc software, PROTIP, wire everything up temporarily on a table top and program it there before taking modules to their final install locations.

THE CHEAPSKATE OPTION:

If you want to save the cost of one of the Insteon switch modules (they aren't cheap) would involve taking advantage of the relay module's "sense wires".

You could for instance connect a switch between sense wire 1 and line.
That switch would then be able to actuate the relay directly without sending Insteon signaling.  That switch could be a 50 cent on/off switch in the wall where the old timer switch used to be.

Programming micro relays that use sense wires is difficult and I have ran into firmware bugs that flat out render their micro relays bricked in the on position in some circumstances until you factory reset them.  You won't want to go up into the attic to do this all the time, so consider skipping the cheapskate option.


Connecting a Honda 7000iS portable generator to a transfer switch

Good news: you can use this generator with this transfer switch
The good news is that the EU7000is, luckily, is a floating neutral generator, so it can be used with simpler transfer switches, such as your "select circuit" switch, or breaker interlocks without violating the NEC's grounding and bonding provisions.  (Many jobsite generators have bonded neutrals as per the OSHA rules on worksite use, but this means that they need to be used as separately derived systems. This, in turn, requires a transfer switch which switches the neutral wire over so that you don't put the two neutral-ground bonds in parallel inadvertently, which'd cause merry havoc with stray neutral currents and even GFCI tripping.)
...but the cord you'll need is kind of odd
The problem is that you'll basically need an adapter in order to plug your generator into your house, as your transfer switch has a 50A, California Standard twistlock inlet which requires the correct connector (the inlet's a CS6375 and the mating cord cap's a CS6364), while your generator has a NEMA L14-30R on it.  Such a thing does exist, or you could use a length of 8/4 outdoor cordage (such as SOOW), a NEMA L14-30P, and a CS6364 cordcap to fabricate your own cord.


A creative Eco-friendly Underlayment for a metal roof?

Red Rosin Paper (which is a bit old-school, but can still be found) would fill the bill, I believe. It's plant based. Seems to be getting sold for floors now, but was the thing people used before housewrap on exterior walls under siding.
However, depending on type and installation of insulation, all you really need is an airspace between the insulation and the roof. You need a vapor barrier between the ceiling and the insulation.
Some sort of cloth could also work, just to contain the top of the insulation and maintain an airspace. Boards also work, but may cost more than you want to spend.
You will want metal screening on the vent openings to discourage rodents (and perhaps other things) from nesting in the insulation.


The manual for the Pioneer mini split system I'm installing this weekend says the unit is pre-charged for 16 foot lines. For distances less than 25 feet the manual  says no change to the refrigerant charge is needed. Nowhere that I can find does it say the pipes have a minimum length.

Maybe see if the installation manuals are available on the Internet for the unit you intend to purchase. They should have similar guidelines.


I have done some of this same work.  I have heard that glue residue can mess up the paint finish over time, so I wanted to make sure that was taken into account when selecting a primer.

I called the Killz company (Killz.com) because that's the brand that's easiest to find in my area and I have used their products in the past with good results.

Their tech support told me that Killz Klear (or Killz Klear Max) is the best product for covering up adhesive residue.  The rep also said that Klear is good for chalky surfaces in general, so it sounds like it's a good choice on unpainted plaster even if you do manage to remove all the adhesive.

The Killz Klear is water based and should only be used with latex paints.


Are standard 20A receptacles a NFPA 58 ignition source?

This doesn't apply to you, but...
As of the 2017 edition (with no sign of changes in 2020), NFPA 58 Table 6.25.2.2 sets a 15' (not 10'!) distance between unclassified (ordinary location/non-ignitionproof) electrical equipment and the filling ports of containers over 1000lb water capacity.  However, NFPA 58 6.25.2.4 waives that requirement for commercial and residential installations:

6.25.2.4 The provisions of 6.25.2.2 shall not apply to fixed
electrical equipment at residential or commercial installations
of LP-Gas systems or to systems covered by Section 6.26.

Personally, though, I would keep receptacles out of the 15' radius around the fill port anyway; this is a mitigation against the risk of someone plugging in unrated portable electrical equipment that could serve as an ignition source in its own right, though.


What is the difference between a framing hammer and a claw hammer?

As others have said, a framing hammer is a specialty claw hammer.

So what makes it different?  First, weight.  A framing hammer is typically 20-32 oz, compared with 10-16 oz for a "normal" household claw hammer.  That helps it pound large nails in only a few blows.  Related to that is the much longer handle on a framing hammer.

Second is the face of the head: it's waffled to prevent slipping off the nail head, helping prevent bent nails.  A regular claw hammer will sometimes have a textured face but not nearly as pronounced, and the face may also be smooth.  A regular claw hammer often also has a domed face to allow a skilled hand to sink a nail below the surface with minimal surface damage: that's a feature you won't see on a framing hammer.

Third, the claw is straight since it is optimized for prying boards apart.  A regular claw hammer is optimized for pulling nails.

If you're only building a garage, I'd recommend using your regular hammer rather than buying a framing hammer. (Or best of all, just go rent a nail gun!).  For inexperienced carpenters, the time spent hammering will probably not be what slows you down.  Also, the framing hammer is tiring enough that after a couple hours you may actually be faster with a smaller, regular claw hammer.

If you do get a framing hammer I recommend a lighter one.  You'll work faster when you use it, you won't lose much power over a heavier hammer, and you'll feel much better on the second day.  In 2010 if you hammer enough that a 32oz hammer makes a difference versus a 24oz hammer, you have a nail gun anyhow.


I had some help from a friend and I think I have the mess worked out.


Is this likely to be asbestos in the ceiling above my bathroom?

It is hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like long, man-made fibers which is not a common form of asbestos in residential homes.  The common form is vermiculite.  I have a home built in 1965 (in the US) and it had "rock wool" batting which I was concerned about, so I did a fair amount of research.  This article helped me feel better.  The only way to know for sure is to send a sample to get visually inspected at a lab.  I had some plaster checked and it was not expensive.


Two 3 Way Switches To Two One Way Switches

If the travelers travel through the ceiling boxes, then it's do-able, and you won't need to pull additional cable. Start by opening the ceiling boxes to make sure you have two travelers in both boxes and identify which fixture has a single switchleg connection (and which fixture box has the switchleg traveling though it). It is also common to have the Home-Run power/feeder in the ceiling.

LET'S FORGET ABOUT THE HOME-RUN HOT IN THE CEILING:

Mark the switch with the hot/power as Switch 1. Mark the other switch (with the switchleg) as Switch 2. Identify the travelers A and B.

Switch 1: Disconnect the Hot and Traveler B. Connect the Hot, Traveler B, and a pigtail together with a wirenut. Connect the pigtail to the common screw.

Switch 2: Disconnect Traveler A and cover the end with a wirenut. Exchange Traveler B with the switchleg (in other words, move Traveler B to the common screw terminal and move the switch leg to the traveler terminal).

Now, you need to decide which switch you want to control which fixture. Call Fix 1 the fixture that Switch 1 will control and Fix 2 the fixture that Switch 2 will control.

Identify the ceiling box with "two" switchlegs that connect both fixures; in this ceiling box, there will be two wires connected to the fixture-power-supply via a pigtail, or you may also find two wires connected directly to the fixture-power-supply wire. Disconnect the two switchlegs from the fixture, and identify the side connected to Switch 2. The other side of the leg is connected to the other ceiling fixture. Mark the leg attached to Switch 2 as Leg 2. Mark the other leg as, "Fix Leg"

Identify Travellers A and B. Traveler B is now the Hot for Switch 2. Traveler A will be the switchleg for Switch 1. Disconnect Traveler A. Mark the side connected to Switch 1 as Leg 1, and put a wire nut on the side of Traveller A that is going to switchBOX 2. This side of Traveler A is not being used anymore. Personally I would mark that wire as "dead" or "chicken" or "banana".

Now, it's time to employ your descision making skill. Is this ceiling box for Fixture 1 or Fixture 2?

If you are working in Fix 1, connect Leg 2 and Fix Leg together (so that Switch 2 is powering Fix 2).

OR: If you decided that this ceiling box belongs to Fix 2, then connect Leg 2 to this fixure (and don't connect Leg 2 to Fix Leg).

Now connect Leg 1 (from Switch 1) to either this fixture or Fix Leg (whichever one is left over from the previous step).

Double check your work before closing the boxes: Traveler B is now marked hot for Switch 2. The switchleg for Switch 2 was moved to a traveler terminal and should be identified as, Leg 2. Leg 2 is connected to Fix 2- does it travel through the ceiling box of Fix 1? Traveler A from Switch 1 has been marked Leg 1. Leg 1 is connected to Fix 1. Does Leg 1 travel through the box for Fix 2? The remainder of Traveler A (from which ceiling box to Switchbox 2?) is no longer in use and both ends have a wire nut.

IF YOU HAVE THE HOME-RUN HOT/FEEDER IN THE CEILING:

There are several ways to accomplish rewiring in a more expedient manner (than described in the previous directions). However, describing the intention is perhaps the simplest direction.

Each switch will need power supplied to the common terminal.

Each switch only needs one leg to supply power to one fixture.

The fixtures should not be connected, but since they are on the same circuit they may share a neutral.


I used sleeve masonry anchors for my solar panels.

Screws will not work well with concrete. Solar panels act like a sail in the wind, do not underestimate the forces involved.


Heat large pool with electric via solar panels?

PV panels are ~15% efficient. Hot water panels are much more, and probably much cheaper.

Way more efficient to just heat the water, rather than convert to electric and then to heat. Maybe with the exception of a heat pump... $$$


Painting skirting board already painted with glossy paint

Painting over older existing paint, especially gloss finish, requires preparation.  The two things that most interfere are surface contaminants (such as grease, dust, other deposits) and lack of tooth (too smooth a surface).

On your new sections, cleaning the painted surface with soap and water or with a solvent cleaner (like mineral spirits) will generally solve the first problem. Light sanding (usually about 120 grit), followed by cleaning with mineral spirits or wiping with a tack rag will generally solve both. There is also a mild chemical stripper called a deglosser that roughens the surface somewhat like sandpaper.

Just painting over an older glossy paint will often lead to poor adhesion. The section already done is not easily fixed except by sanding and cleaning to remove any of the new paint that is still loose and to roughen up the exposed old paint. Then follow with a new coat of fresh paint.


Will the last electrical receptacle on the same circuit have two cables entering the box?

Then it's not the last outlet.

An outlet is any point of use, i.e. an overhead light or hardwired exhaust fan.  A receptacle is the fancy name for the familiar socket.  A receptacle is one type of outlet.

And it's not n cables entering the box.  It's 1 cable entering the box and n-1 cables exiting the box to go to downline load(s).  n can be 3 or more, by the way.

Every load must attach at a junction box or fixture that must be accessible without disassembling the house in any way (other than the fixture itself, obviously).  So there should never be a need to unscrew wood panels, bust up and re-mud drywall, etc.  Between accessible points there can only be wires.

So if you take covers off things, and remove lamps etc., you should be able to find it.   There are electronic tools which can aid in the search greatly.


Would it hurt my water pump if installed a second water pump on the output of the first?

If the problem is undersized pipe, you need larger pipe, or some other coping mechanism such as a large pressure tank at the house.

Placing a pump on the end of the small pipe will likely cause the second pump to cavitate, which generally damages the pump. Water can only be sucked so hard before it boils, at any temperature.

If you want a pump on the house side, you can do that, but you'd need to provide a large cistern to serve as the water source for that pump, so it's drawing from the stored water in the cistern, not the too-small pipe.

A larger pipe is a much simpler solution to this problem in most cases.


Can I run wires from two separate circuits through the same box?

The answer is yes you can have 2 separate circuits in the same box (they can have a splice also but not needed in your case). The only concern would be the total box fill. Based on the NEC the wire fill would be calculated at 2.0 for each conductor for 14 gauge wire and 2.25 for 12 gauge wire. The device or switch counts as 2X for the largest wire connected to it or each in the box. All the ground wires count as 1X of the largest ground in the box. If the box has clamps they are counted as 1X of the largest wire. With the numbers added up they need to be smaller than the listing on the box for cubic inches. If more information is provided on the size of the wires entering and exiting the box and total number of devices we can help with the calculation.


What could cause a temperature variance between our kitchen and the rest of the house?

Increasing the fan speed is an indication of a not-very good furnace serviceman.  Whatever that did, it did it everywhere in the house, so the kitchen would have the same relative temperature.

An energy consultant can help you, and bring an IR camera that can "see" if a wall is insulated.  You'll also want to "balance" the vents, which means turning down dampers in overheated rooms.  You can sometimes add floor insulation to bring up a particular room's perceived temperature.

The space under your cabinets might be extra cold, as it may be bare floor boards with no finished floor.


Can I use a generator with a bonded neutral with my interlock switch?

For a GFCI to function properly there cannot be a parallel path on the neutral conductor.  By using a GFCI compliant transfer switch, it disconnects the neutral conductor too thus preventing a parallel path.  It's a great design to incorporate this extra layer of protection for small portable generators.

Now if you're using a permanently installed generator that is hard-wired you have the option to chose whether to switch the neutral or not.  This is technically referred to as separately derived vs non-separately derived and all depends on the particular design setup.

There are advantages to each. One being non-separately derived systems do not require extra ground rods which has a tendency to let lightning back up into the structure damaging electronics.  More ground rods do not equal better protection.  It can actually cause the opposite to happen.

But again, small portable generators that are not designed to be hard-wired are unique in that they can be separately derived and still not require a extra ground rod as they are portable and not permanently installed.


AFCI trips when neutral and ground touched

When you touch neutral to ground, two things are happening.

The "making" of that connection may  have had some initial arcing
You now have a neutral-ground fault

Many AFCI breakers have a design that is sensitive to ground faults, so a ground fault may trip those AFCIs. They are not rated for GFCI, however.


Can I use a motion sensor to control fluorescent lights that are plugged into an outlet?

It shouldn't be a problem, if you purchase the proper motion sensor. When shopping, make sure the sensor specifically mentions compatibility with florescent lights.

The Heath Zenith Occupancy Motion Sensor Wall Switch

  Controls up to 500 Watts incandescent and 400 Watts fluorescent
  lighting

According to it's documentation.

You can pick one up at Home Depot for ~$15.00 or Amazon for $32 USD (2018).

If you shop around, you can also find sensors that work with compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). Like this one from Hubbell Building Automation, Inc..


It's definitely wired wrong. You need 4 wires to your stat R to Rc and Rh or R and Rc (it's hard to tell from the picture) bottom line is all three R's go together obviously using the red. W to W using the white. G to G using the green. Y/Y2 to Y using the yellow. That's it! Get that blue one outta there. The other 2 conductor cable is for the A/C one goes to C and the other to Y/Y2


What is the black stain on my exterior brick, and how can I remove it?

The brick wall above my apartment is blackened, what is it?

It is caused by water leaking from that drainpipe. It is some form of mould that thrive in damp conditions.

  And is it possible to clean it?

Yes, a stiff-bristled brush and hard effort will make a big difference.

You can probably experiment with various chemicals, such as diluted bleach, to kill the mould.

If you do not repair the drainpipe, the problem will return in some months time, perhaps after winter or seasonal rain.

You can buy sealants that are intended for use on brick which prevent water penetration and which might help prevent this. They will alter the appearance of the brick though. This only works if the water is coming from the outside, not if the pipe with the leak is internal to the brickwork.


Red wire in light fixture, no red wire in junction box

There is no standard for wire colors... Al least not for wire function.  Color is decided by the necessity of manufacturing cable. Often we get lucky and the colors in the cable line up with preferred colors for function.

However you can get colored tape and code wires yourself by function.  The first rule of marking wires is always mark both ends of the same wire at the same time.

Your setup needs 3 wires besides ground:

Safety Ground (always green, green/yellow or bare)
Neutral (always white or gray, though white isn't always neutral)
Always-hot (preferred: black, any color other than white gray green is legal)
Switched-hot (preferred: red, ditto)

I am fastidious about using colored wire or marking wires with colored tape, because it makes everything very clear.  My recommendation is to identify the wire that is appropriate, and mark it with red tape.

That said, it may not be possible if the topology of the wiring in your walls does not match the requirement.  Home Depot frequently puts things on the aisle endcap (those are for impulse buys, you know) and people get them home and discover they just won't work with their existing wiring.

Here's what you do

The two blacks and whites come in two cables such as Romex cable.  Cable 1 is the supply cable, and contains supply hot and neutral.  It may or may not come via a switch.

Cable 2 is one of three things: a switch loop with the two wires shorted by a switch (probably not); always-hot onward power to receptacles and other loads like a garage door opener; or switched-hot onward power to the other lamp.  We're rooting for that last one.

Start by taking a survey of every load in the house.  Does every half of every receptacle have power?  Does every hardwired thing work, all lights, fans, garage door opener etc.? Sump pump?  If anything does not, take note of that.  This is for a baseline for comparison.

Now, shut off the breaker and split and cap those four wires. Uncap a white/black pair from the same cable and hook them up to the light - black to black, white to white.  Cap off lamp red, it will be hot!  Does the light power up?  No? Then that is not the supply cable.  Try the other one.

Now the motion sensor light is working because it is connected to the supply cable.

The other cable is either always-hot onward to other appliances, or switched-hot to the other lamp.  Keep it capped off.  Do the survey again.  What has lost power now?  If you find any new things have lost power, you now know that black wire is always-hot onward to other loads. Leave it black.

If nothing else has lost power, except the other lamp, then good chance this is onward switched-hot to the other lamp.  Get some red electrical tape and tag the black wire red.

Now you join color to color, with the red-marked black wire going ot red, of course.  Expect 3 neutrals (white).


What are "alternative absorption field products" and are they a good choice?

There are several different types of leach fields, the most common is the gravel and pipe you know about. There are others that use chambers made out of plastic and sometimes just dirt. I have only installed 1 chamber system and the cost of the plastic sections was higher than the traditional gravel and pipe but the owner wanted to try this method because they used a garbage disposal (not good for leach fields because the fines plug the system) . there are also sand filters used with pumped systems and large mounds or very large grids with nozzles that drip the liquid when under pressure these systems are needed when the property fails perc testing (not enough drainage due to soil conditions usually high clay) these are the most expensive systems to install and require the highest maintenance. The standard is method is all that is required in many cases. But chambered systems may outlast a conventional system the chambered system we installed has only been in for. About 10-12 years and they have had no problems with it that I know of. If you want to find more information or types use the term leach field.


What should I use to fill a gap between oak trim and wall?

You are exactly right, I use latex caulk to fill the gaps and then paint when dry.  This will create a seamless appearance.  I've seen homes where the owners have caulked all their trim and it looks fantastic -- very clean.

Edit for clarity: I always strike off the bead square (which I make sure gets pushed down into the space) with a sharp cornered putty knife blade.


What is this mysterious pipe in my backyard?

This does look like large electrical conduit for a transformer that would supply multiple meters (say 4 to 12 dwelling units). Contact the electrical supply authority and describe the location and send a picture. The cracks may be repairable from the outside without interruption of service, but if water infiltrates then it might necessitate a more involved repair.


If this is an actual bay window in a flat wall, then it's due to a very poor decision to put a bay window in brick or stone, the window is causing too much stress. Brick or stone is great at handling vertical loads, but quite poor at handling lateral loads. A flat window & some brick or stone re-laying & re-pointing will be the only remedy to this type of problem.

Now, if this is actually a whole bay wall that the window simply sits in. Then, that's alarming. Any separation of the bay wall from the building means it's very bad & needs much more than crack patching. You have a rotting foundation under that bay wall from almost a century of trapped moisture weakening the mortar & brick or stone. Unless, it can be determined that the house is collapsing backwards (i.e. multiple wall cracks inside & out), the problem is usually the bay wall tipping out & away from the bottom. The cracks should be wider at the top than at the bottom.

To remedy the bay wall scenario involves installing very beefy temporary supports, jacking the entire bay wall back into place & then re-building the bay wall's foundation. Only after all of that & 30-days mortar curing & effort evaluation do you then re-install & re-point the formerly detached bricks or stones.


Seeking good method to locate short on buried AC power cable

Cheapest and easiest: Put a load (e.g., incandescent light bulb) on the short circuit (A to neutral).  Then follow the cable with a non-contact AC current detector.  The detector will stop beeping where the (first) short circuit is, since that is where the current is able to loop back in the cable.

If the voltage across the short is really that low, you may have to use a very low resistance load to get enough current to detect above ground (assuming the cable was properly buried).


Are brass picture hooks ok for a 30lb mirror on a plaster wall?

There are 2 alternatives as I see it: Drill holes to accommodate wall anchors using a masonry bit or use strips of two-sided adhesive to keep mirror   flush against wall, using the mantle as a base.


Effects of Gas Pipe reduction from 3/4" to 1/2"

If you were going to pull a permit, you'd be required to submit a pipe sizing calculation. There are several methods of doing this, the Longest Length Method is very popular.

How to use the Longest Length Method


Install soffit before or after new cabinet install?

Just imagining the logistics of it, I wouldn't want to build a soffit above already installed cabinets, especially if there are mechanicals up there already. Not to mention, trying to protect the cabinets while you drywall, mud, sand, and paint everything would be a nightmare.
Unless you have some really compelling reason why you can't, why wouldn't you do it before the cabinet install?


What is the power consumption of my LG refrigerator?

The nameplate wattage is volts X amps, or 127V X 2.4A = 305 watts. That's what the fridge will draw when the compressor is running. The compressor only runs periodically (ballpark 25% of the time, depending on the model), so the long-term average will be quite lower.

However you should also be aware that all motors, including the one in a fridge compressor, draw significantly power power during the first few seconds of operation. Could easily be 3 times as high. So if you are going to be running this from an inverter, make sure it is capable of around 1000 watts. Sometimes inverters have two ratings, a "surge" rating and a "continuous" rating, for exactly this reason. However the exact definition of a "surge" rating on an inverter is ambiguous, and some of them are only capable of running at their surge value for a fraction of a second, which may not be long enough to get the fridge started.

You haven't posted many specifics about the inverter or microwave, but running both appliances from that inverter may be pushing it, especially if the fridge compressor comes on when the microwave is going. Microwaves can draw 1000–2000 watts or more. (The "wattage" rating of a microwave is the energy that the food gets... actual consumption will be higher because of energy loss, electronics, motors, lights, etc.)


Did the plumber hook up my water heater backwards?

Yes, reversing them would be a bad thing. The cold water should be entering the bottom of the tank, the hot output at the top:

I'd insist that the plumber fix this. But if they won't, I'd suggest picking up a pipe cutter, some sharkbite connectors, and just fix it yourself. Shouldn't take more than a half hour to do so.


Not sure how to reattach two bathroom objects

what is that called?

The true name is escutcheon, the common name is pipe flange or trim flange. Those escutcheons are typically designed to gently grip the pipe with small bendy metal tabs that are part of the escutcheon. Other (better quality) ones have a set-screw that holds them to the pipe. The bendy tabs on yours are probably now ineffective and your only options are to either remove and replace or try to get it to stick to the wall with some strategically placed globs of caulk and tape to hold it till cured.

Do I need to hammer a nail into that molding to get it to stay against the wall and spackle/paint over the nail?

Yes, that is exactly what you need to do.


What pipe/adapter do I need to make this sink connect to this P trap?

You'll need to install a drain assembly. In a bathroom, pop-up drain assemblies are common.

Here's an image of the drain assembly, with all the parts labeled.

(source: naturalhandyman.com)

The tailpiece of the drain assembly, should attach to the trap assembly. If the trap is too low, an extension can be used.

When installing the drain, put a bead of plumber's putty around the drain hole of the sink. Then bed the drain flange in the plumber's putty.  From below, install the washer and nut, and thread on the tailpiece. When you tighten it down, the excess plumber's putty will squeeze out. Use you finger, or a rag to remove whatever oozes out.


How to respond when something floods inside home

Water damage isn't easy to deal with, here are the steps off the top of my head:

Shutoff the water
Get the water out, via floor drains, buckets, submersible pump, or a shop vac. I'd recommend the shop vac for being a fairly handy tool everyone should own.
Dry the area, and remove anything damaged by the water. Use fans, open windows, and/or dehumidifiers to dry it out. I would completely remove carpeting, drywall,
fiberglass insulation, finishing woodwork (trim), and probably plywood/OSB that has absorbed water. Appliances, duct work, and utility lines should also be inspected.
Clean and treat the area to prevent mold. This means bleach and other mold killers.
Replace anything that's been damaged.

As for the flooding dishwasher, make sure that the float sensor in the bottom of the dishwasher is always moving freely, and avoid running it when you're going to be away. Objects can get lodged under this float, preventing the dishwasher from filling. If something ever holds the float down, then it won't stop filling since the float is indicating that there isn't any water in the bottom.


Aluminum wire size needed for new 60 amp garage panel 130' from main 200 amp service in house?

Number 4 aluminum is good for 65 amps at 130' the voltage drop at 60 amps would be 2.55% . Up to 3% is allowed by code.


Why does one of two lights stay on when they share a neutral?

Without knowing exactly what you've got going on, it's impossible to say for sure what you have to do. It's totally possible that there are no "neutrals" in the box at all, depending on when the house was wired (and by whom).

Here's what the schematic should look like...

Basically, any wire that comes "after" a load, and creates a low resistance path back to the "source" is a "neutral". Which means you can further label the diagram as such...

The dimmer requires a "neutral", because it itself is a load. So it requires a low resistance path back to the "source" as well.

A wire coated in white insulation, does not make a wire a "neutral".


There are dimmable LED bulbs on the market. If yours is one of those you should be fine. If you try to dim a non-dimmable bulb you'll most likely see full brightness at high settings and flashing at low settings. You'll almost certainly shorten the life of the bulb.

The switch label probably considers compact fluorescent bulbs ("energy saving") which are even harder than LEDs to make dimmable. There is just a chance that the dimmer switch requires a minimum load, but I'd expect that to be started explicitly if so.


How can I widen a wall to match the width of the beam it supports?

Simply use 3/4" furring strips. There is typically a wood plate above the beam which may need furring as well, that will allow the top edge to be nailed or screwed securely.


Can light falling out of socket, how to resolve issue?

Usually the trim ring fits up into the can with spring tension from bent metal fingers that grip the inside of the can.

If you remove it and pry the fingers out slightly it should re-insert tighter and hold up tight against the ceiling.

Stay safe!


Is it worth it to replace hollow-core interior doors with solid core doors?

The differences between the types of doors is pretty obvious in use:
SOLID CORE DOORS

Mimics the appearance and feel of a solid wood door
Muffles sound better
Heavier and slams better

HOLLOW CORE DOORS

Lighter and easier to handle than a real wood door
Cheaper?

Jeld-wen says:

Hollow core doors are a good choice for areas where sound transmission is less important, like a closet or pantry.
Solid Core doors are heavier and more resistant to normal wear. Solid core doors are commonly used in areas where more privacy is preferred. If interior noise reduction is a priority, consider the JELD-WEN® ProCore The Quiet Door®, which reduces sound transmission by up to 50 percent when compared to a hollow flush door.


Does C&M MX24 have a constant pilot light?

There's no mention of a pilot light in the Installation, Operating and Servicing Instructions for Chaffoteaux and Maury's Minima MX2 24 FF NG

In particular, there's no mention of one in the parts list or fault-finding sections.

The circuit diagram shows a spark generator.

As you say, most modern boilers don't have a permanently-lit pilot-light.


Underground Power Cable Cut By Bucket Of An Small Excavator

It's likely that at some point during the cut, one of the phases was shorted to the neutral;  when that happens, the line to neutral voltage in the house will be 240V rather than the usual 120V, which is enough to do some damage.

It is not likely that shorting neutral to ground would cause any trouble at all.  The neutral is bonded to ground both at your service and at the pole - that's normal.


Gas furnace fails to fire up and provide heat

Sounds like the furnace may have failed the first diagnostic test for the draft inducer.
If the system doesn't detect a positive pressure to the pressure switch after the inducer motor starts, it won't let the burner igniter operate and throws a 4 flash code.
Sometimes the tech just needs to remove the vacuum hose from it and clean out any debris that may be plugging up the hole or the hose and put the hose back on and it will run.


Why are some of my trusses nailed to interior wall top plate?

Until the modern era, where McMansions resulted in large and complex truss systems, truss lift wasn't nearly the problem it is today. Also a factor is the fast-growing lumber in use today, which tends to react to seasonal changes more dramatically.

It's true that interior walls should no longer be fastened to interior walls. New methods of drywall installation keep trusses isolated. However, it's common for carpenters to "tack" walls to trusses to keep them plumb during framing. This can be done with a few partially-driven nails or specialized hardware. Ultimately, additional wall intersections, drywall, and everything else serve to secure the walls in their final state. In your case, the stub wall would have no other solid anchoring if not for a few nails into trusses.

No effort is made to keep trusses from touching the interior walls. Technically, the bottom of the truss and the tops of the walls are on one plane, and contact is common. The key is to allow for truss lift without damage that's visible on the finished interior.

You don't say how old your home is, but if it's as old as the coarse pink fiberglass insulation suggests, and if you haven't seen interior drywall damage, it's not an issue.


is it recomended to install 3/8" travertine stone tile directly onto drywall for a kitchen back splash

The kitchen splash hardly ever gets wet enough to do anything to the drywall behind it. Travertine, since it is very porous, should be sealed to keep cooking grease, food splatters etc, from staining or discoloring the tile. The sealer will help prevent water passing through as well.


I'd be seriously tempted to email that picture to the licensing board...
I assume from your question that this was installed, incorrectly, by licensed electricians.
Buy a ground bar to fit your panel, note the pre-threaded holes in the back of the panel for the ground bar, move the ground wire to it, and remove the bonding screw. Or call up your "licensed electricians" and have them come correct their error without charging you extra, because it was a blatant error.
You will need a torque screwdriver (or low-value inch-pound torque wrench) for the connections to the ground bar, and your breakers, and perhaps you need to check the torque on the screws installed by your "licensed electricians" as well.


what I have done was directly connect the 3, to A (needless to say colours matched with colours). then use another 3 additional short strings of wires (from the connectors A which accepts the inputs) to connect A and B.

it's been weeks and both working fine.


What’s this pipe outlet looking thing on the wall below sink?

Most likely, that is a drain clean-out. If you unscrew the cover, you get a fairly straight shot to your main sewer line. This way, if you get a clog (often tree roots penetrating the pipe) in your sewer pipe leading to your municipal waste system, you can get tools (rotary cleaners, inspection cameras, etc.) into the line.

Just leave it be and make sure you can get at it if necessary.


230 V single phase wired to 220 V dual phase?

If you have any 110/115/120V appliances, they can't work on unsplit 220/230/240V, period. In theory they could be ran in series, but the reality is that series work only as long as both loads are perfectly same. If the load varies (as it always do) the overloaded leg will get less than nominal and the underloaded will get more - and those appliances are at risk of blowing. The proper way of running those is to use a transformer to convert 220 into 2x110. Depending on how many 110V appliances you have, it could be cheaper to simply replace them with 220V ones and remove the last remains of 110V wiring.

For connecting 2X0V mains, generator and solar together, it's impossible to tell not knowing your exact wiring. You should consult a local electrician, because 1-pole transfer switch doesn't sound right without clear grounding. Understanding your grounding is the key here  and as @Harper says, Philippines grounding is a non-trivial one.

As you're currently describing it, I'd say that solar should use 2x110V inverters with 2-pole switch. But, it's also possible that you already have the 220V/2x110V transformer on the mains line and your contractor simply plans to hook up there.

The situation could be far more dangerous than you're describing. If 220V with 1 leg grounded gets connected to 2x110V center ground, at first everything may seem like it's working, but the moment the mains or generator goes live too, 110V will appear between "solar ground" and "generator ground". Again, it could still appear superficially working, but a person touching the generator or a solar panel casing will get electrocuted with 110V. That's why I can only advise consulting an electrician that fully understands both the Philippines 110 to 220V conversion issues in general and the wiring of your building in particular.


There are a few approaches to soundproofing.  One is a lot of mass, like you're describing with your walls.  Another is mechanical isolation, two solid "walls" with no openings between them, a gap between them, which can be air, and no mechanical connection other than where they are fastened to the building structure.

You can use the same principle with the roof.  Make it a double wall of clear material such as this clear corrugated plastic panel, which will provide light in the daytime:

Those kinds of panels come in various lengths.  A standard size is often 8', which might be a hair short for your dimensions.  A 12' length can be easily cut to the size needed, and a little extra length will give you some protective overhang.  The panels are self-supporting, you won't need a bunch of roof struts or posts.  You also won't need to insulate the roof.

There are matching mounting strips that you would use at the high and low walls.  The inertness of the walls will dampen noise transmission at those points.

Rip some angled strips of wood to put under the mounting strips to compensate for the roof pitch so that the mounting strips will be square with the panel.

You can improve the isolation even more with a layer of rubber or dense foam weatherstripping, or even a strip of wool felt, between the mounting strip and the panel.

To separate the two panel layers, you use two mounting strips back to back on top of the first panel (use long screws to go through everything and then into the top surface of the wall).  The back-to-back strips will be offset by half a corrugation so the panel corrugations are parallel between the layers (uniform gap).

Between the high and low walls, there will be an air gap between the layers.  The combination of the plastic material and the isolated layers will be very effective at blocking noise.  It will also be very light weight.

At the two sides, you would need to seal in the sound.  The side walls will need a wedge-shaped top piece to follow the roofline, and the height will need to match the panel at that point.  The walls will dampen sound for any connection there.

The gap between the panels needs to be sealed on the sides, and both layers should be firmly fastened to the walls.  How to fasten and seal the bottom panel to the side wall will depend on whether the corrugation is facing down, up, or transitioning.

If it's facing down, put a layer of rubber or dense foam weather stripping, or a strip of wool felt, between the panel and the top of the wall and screw the panel down.
If it's facing up, round a board to fit the corrugation (use the mounting strip as a guide).  Alternately, if a standard diameter PVC pipe matches the curvature of the panel corrugation, cut a section as a mounting surface.  Use silicone caulk to adhere it to the top of the wall and fasten through it.
If the corrugation is transitioning, cut up a few mounting strips to create pieces that fit the gap between the panel and the top of the wall.  Position these every foot or so to serve as fastening supports.  Adhere the supports and the panel to the wall with  expanding exterior-grade foam, which will also seal the gap.  You can then screw the panel down at the support points.

Between the two panel layers, see if the gap is the same as a standard diameter PVC tube.  The tube can be glued to the bottom panel and act as the spacer (fasten through the tube at the support points).  Another option is to use foam pipe insulation of a slightly larger diameter than the gap, with a PVC tube inside it to maintain its shape (fasten through the tube).  The insulation will seal the gap between the panels.

If you plan to use the shed at night, put fluorescent or LED lighting inside.  You can fasten it to the top of the walls.

If your goal is to block noise, take the walls all the way to the ground.  Then put whatever flooring you want inside.

Ventilation will be a problem because any opening will compromise the noise control.  If there will be a wall facing away from your house and not facing neighbors, you could put a small window or two in that wall (triple pane will provide better noise control).  You can open them to get some air and close them while you're working.  From your description of sand-filled walls, you would need to frame out the openings.

If you want a "sealed system", you may need to just open the door occasionally for fresh air.  You can condition the temperature, though.  If you will be working and using equipment, there might be little need for heat, even in the winter, because it will be well-insulated.  In the daytime, you will also have a lot of heat gain from sunshine through the roof.

For cooling, you could use either a portable AC unit with an exhaust vent to the outside (put the hole on the least problematic wall, like the one facing away from your house, close to the ground; run a duct through the wall and use a self-closing exhaust vent to keep critters out), or a two part AC unit that needs only a small pass-through that can be easily sealed.


From my experience with Walnut, etc.

You slab it with the bark on, oversize so there is excess stock to work with when planed to final dimension and stack the flitches with stickers between them to keep them separated. The base they're stacked on needs to be flat, the storage sheltered from rain and extremes of weather.

Paint the end grain to slow down moisture movement in aid of reducing checking and minimizing splitting.

When properly dried out, the flitches get resawn and then sent to the planer for finished dimension or sent to the veneer mill to be sliced down into sheets.

A local business, Wagner Electronics, produces moisture meters that are used to determine when wood is seasoned to the proper moisture content. Slow is good. Note: not an affiliate of any kind with the company, just relating how the professionals determine seasoning speed and finish.

Flitch: a piece of wood that is to be resawn or sliced for veneer.

Sticker: thin pieces of wood used to separate flitches or veneer stacks.


What tools and techniques are required to bend wood?

That is a very expensive podium, probably has a cost in the 20K range.  You can do laminated wood and then cut into the curve (very expensive as it takes a large amount of high quality wood) or you can try some cheaper options using plywood.

If you only need to do a slight curve, thin plywood has a lot of flex in it.  Just nail/screw it onto a frame.  If you need a tighter curve than what the plywood will allow there are a couple of options.  If only one face will show, you can in essence thin the plywood further by using kerfs.  Look up a guide on google and find one you are comfortable with.  Another option is using steam to soften the glue in the plywood which then will allow a tighter bend.


Oven wont turn back on after turning off circuit breaker

I'd say this is a sign that turning the power back on did the control board in -- inrush often can send a marginal component to its grave.  I'd check for power to the control board -- if it's getting power, then it's toast and needs to be replaced.


How can I get my Self-Destruct switches to do something?

Zip on over to Edwards Signaling, and pick up one of these
Motor Driven Industrial Sirens ($1090.00).

Have a listen

And a AdaptaBeacon Rotating Light ($972.00).

Wire them up to the switch, and enjoy.

You might also want to grab a pair of these.

For pranksters on a budget, you could get one of these 120V Selectable Output Horn/Strobes (~$50.00).

But you might want to cover up the word FIRE, to prevent confusion.


Remove the jumpers, they're superfluous

It appears from the installation manual for your zone controller that the C terminals for the thermostats are connected internally to the C wire coming into the board from its 24VAC power source.  This means that the white jumper wires between the zone C terminals and the blue C wire from the furnace can be removed altogether and your C wires hooked up in their place.

As to the 1K resistor?  Someone thought this unit power-stole, I guess, and put that in there to provide a bypass load to prevent erratic operation.  I'd remove it and keep an eye on the system -- if it doesn't malfunction after a week or two without it, I'd say whoever put it in was a member of a power-stealing cargo cult.


How can I waterproof a bathroom ceiling?

The better solution is to fix your neighbor's overflow drain so it doesn't happen again.  I can't imagine that any of these solutions isn't going to result in a mold problem if they're allowed to get very wet in an already damp environment and then not be removed and replaced.


How to Adjust/Re-square 4' x 4' Concrete Slab

It doesn't look square or 4 ft wide. Two or 3 AC guys just moved a 3' X 4' X 3" thick concrete pad 100 ft to set the new compressor on . I didn't watch but the only equipment they could have used was a hand truck. A few years ago I re-leveled  about 25 ft of 30" wide, 4 to 5 " thick sidewalk in 6 ft sections. I used a few car jacks ( scissors type work best) , pry or wrecking bars and numerous brick and cinder blocks; I needed to raise one edge about 6". And shovels. It took several hours over 2 days, but good exercise. Your pad looks like the edges may not be integral with the center and may separate when a side is jacked up. I think the first step is to dig down and find out how thick it is and dig out the soil on the side to which you want to move it.


How do I install baseboards behind bifold closet doors?

You don't. Either stop the baseboard at the corner and live with the gap, or frame the opening with baseboard or molding and overhang the edge.

Notice how in this picture you can't see the metal track at the top, and you also can't see the gap between the outer left/right edges of the doors and the wall. That's because the molding overhangs the wall by 1/4 to 1/2 inch.


You really don't want to penetrate that wall at all nor especially hang anything off of it. It's really just meant to work vertically, not laterally.

The best & only right shelving method is to hang the shelving from the ceiling joists, then you can have as many as you want. 2x4's resting against the wall with a lot of weight is perfectly fine.


Floorheating: which material for the floor saves warmth at best?

You’re looking for something with “thermal mass”.

I’d use tile, concrete or rock material. All can absorb heat and then release the stored heat later. Here’s a website that explains it:

https://greenpassivesolar.com/passive-solar/building-characteristics/thermal-mass/


How do I wire a duplex outlet from a switch/outlet combo?

If you want to have power always on to a box that is downstream of a switch, you'll need to use 3-conductor cable between the switch and split the hot side of the outlet.

At the outlet, break off the tab on the hot side only between the top and bottom outlet.  Wire the red conductor to one of the hot screws, the black conductor to the other one, and then the white to the other side of the outlet.

At the switch/outlet, you'll need to wire the incoming black wire to one of the hot screws, and the outgoing black wire (to the 3 condutor cable) to the other hot screw.  The outgoing red wire (the one controlled by the switch) goes on the neutral side of the switch, and the incoming white wire gets wire-nutted together to the neutral side of the outlet along with the  outgoing white wire (from the 3 conductor cable)

Be sure to ground all outlets and switches as well.

With this setup the bottom outlet on the second receptacle, and the outlet on the combo device will always be hot. The top outlet on the second receptacle, will be controlled by the switch.


What's this copper bit on my thermostatic shower cartridge for, and can I cut part of it off?

If you wouldn't take the time to return it and locate the "correct" cartridge go for it. It looks like it (the pin) keeps the cartridge centered to evenly distribute the load across the o-rings. Make sure there are no seals in the back wall of the housing that could get damaged by cutting it off and give it a try. The worst thing that can happen is that you throw it out if it doesn't work.


Is twisted and taped splice on cable, objectively any less stable than wire-nuts or terminal blocks?

Splice connectors such as US-style wirenuts and UK style terminal blocks are demonstrably better in nearly every way to the twist-and-tape method you describe.

Wirenuts and terminal blocks are more resistant to mechanical failure due to heating/cooling cycles and the mechanical stress of installation.
Wirenuts and terminal blocks are easier to inspect and test, even long after initial installation.
Wirenuts and terminal blocks are easier to install CORRECTLY and require less training to do so.
Wirenuts and terminal blocks can be quickly removed, and can be re-used without shortening the wire.

Tape can be removed and the wires reused, but the process is labor intensive and messy because of the adhesive. It's easier to cut the wires before the splice, thereby shortening the wires.

So why are wirenuts not more common everywhere? Cultural bias and intertia. For example, wirenuts are not commonly used in the UK because an early wirenut product in the UK market had a design flaw and frequently failed, spoiling the reputation of the product. Terminal blocks became the standard by default. Because of this history, wirenuts are seen as inferior in the UK, when they are empirically not. They are just different than the commonly used terminal block.

I would argue the same is true for twist-and-tape joints in Brazil: it's how it was done in the past, and anything different is strange and therefore must be wrong. The only difference is that, at least for household wiring, wirenuts and terminal block are empirically superior to twist-and-tape splices.


Can I tile my shower in stages on different days?

Setting the tile at different times is fine but when you grout the spaces you want to try and do these at the same time or you may see some shade differences.


Is there a minimum height for a small sub-panel?

There's no minimum height, but it can't be higher than 6'7" at the highest point of the "operating handle."
The code specifically states:

240.24(A) Accessibility. Circuit breakers and switches containing fuses shall be readily accessible and installed so that the center of
the grip of the operating handle of the switch or circuit breaker,
when in its highest position, is not more than 2.0 m (6 ft 7 in.)
above the floor or working platform...

You also need adequate working area in front of and to the sides of the panel and be able to open the panel door to at least 90º.


There could be 2 problems but I would check your pressure tank first, it sounds like your bladder or diaphragm has failed, if a really old system a diaphragm tank needs to be replaced, you can check the air pressure at the tank there is normally a shrader valve  that you can check the pressure with a car or bike tire pressure gauge, if the diaphragm has failed if you turn the pump off and drain the system by opening a faucet and you get a bunch of air just prior to nothing more time to check the tank pressure it will probably close to 0 psi but if it has ~40 psi (or a couple psi less than the turn on value of the pressure switch the tank is good and you have not purged the air out of the system, air in the pump side creates air in the jet and more air in the tank, it can be tough to get the air out but high flowing a couple of faucets usually will do it. If the tank pressure goes to zero or close you can temporarily get the system running by putting some water in the tank, charging the tank with air a bike pump or air compressor is used to fill the tank to just below the turn on pressure for the pump, many times 40 psi. Now let the pump fill the tank, I have had this work for a short while so I could replace the tank on the weekend, if left in for a while you might find your water starting to taste bad because of exposure to air in the tank. So check your pressure tank, it could be a cracked line in the well or at the jet but if you are reaching pressure with the pump shutting down and pressure is solid it is probably the diaphragm or bladder in the tank that has failed. Note in most cases it is cheaper to replace the tank but some bladder based tanks the bladder can be replaced for less, but it is a fair amount of work and a new tank has a better warranty.


How do I properly install GFCI outlets with existing 12/3 wire in parallel and on a switch?

You can't do what you want with GFCI receptacles.  You'll have to buy a couple regular duplex receptacles, and write them exactly as the old ones were wired.  And don't forget to break off the tab between the terminals, on the "hot" side of the receptacles.


Plumbing fixtures starve but water pressure 50 psi

does the PRV keep a constant 50psi even under demand?

It is designed to try to, by opening all the way up. If for some reason it is not opening all the way up, it could be a cause of downstream flow problems. I would replace/repair that first unless you suspect something else as the cause. Any other restriction, including limitations present due to system design (pipe/fitting size), and/or system condition could also cause the problems you describe.