What is the minimum thickness of foam board when insulating a basement

Building codes will tell you this information. First, find your climate zone on this map:

Then cross-reference that with the table here: http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/irc/2012/icod_irc_2012_11_sec002.htm

Look at the first number under "BASEMENT WALL R-VALUE". That's the minimum R-value you need to be safe. Divide that number by the per-inch R-value of the foam you want. For example, if you live in zone 4, it says you need a minimum of R-10 on the walls. If you're using low-density Home-Depot-sourced R-3.8 EPS foam (a sheet of white beads, like styrofoam), that means you need 2.7 inches of EPS  to be code-legal and safe. Round up to 3 inches. XPS (blue or purple and smooth) is R-5, so you could get away with only two inches of XPS. But XPS is more expensive per R-value, worse for the environment, and degrades to R-4.2 over time, so in general, EPS is preferred. Seal the edges of the boards with little bits of spray foam, caulk, and tape (as appropriate). Seal them to the floor too. You can use the same method to insulate the rim joists. Just make sure everything's sealed up tight so no inside air can reach the walls and rim joists.

The product you reference is 1/4" thick and only rated R-1 per board. So you would need ten sheets of this product to reach R-10. It would be much more cost-effective to buy a single 2 or 3" board. I believe Home Depot sells 1-3" sheets of both EPS and XPS so you should be able to find what you need there. You can use multiple layers, and in fact this is slightly preferred because you can stagger the boards' seams.

With continuous insulation like this, you don't even need to frame an interior wall, which will save you time and money. Just install drywall right over the insulation using Tapcon screws going into the concrete wall behind the insulation. I recommend using cementboard instead of drywall for the bottom few feet for flood resistance. If you insist on framing a wooden wall over the foam, use pressure-treated lumber.

There is no issue with leaving the insulation exposed for a while besides fire safety. Polystyrene foam (which is what both XPS and EPS are made of) will ignite and melt at relatively low temperatures. You are required to cover them with an ignition barrier like drywall. You can wait to do this as long as you're comfortable with, or as long as your inspector allows you to, if this is an inspected project.


Is it possible to replace this board in the floor with similar hardwood flooring?

I don't want to get into a long drawn out explanation on how to fix that plywood square. I will say that it is entirely possible to replace the plywood with a close match hardwood. The process is called "stitching". It involves removing the cut pieces of wood to bring it back to the original stagger then slip fitting the new wood back in while at the same time filling the hole left when you remove the plywood.

I expect that the hardwood flooring is 3/4" thick, likewise the plywood.  The plywood has to be removed and obviously replaced with a close match hardwood. There are a couple of very detailed segments on "Ask This Old House" that deal with stitching hardwood.  I'll try to find a link for ya later, but you can go to TOH and search hardwood floor stitching. It is a difficult job that requires a bit of skill and the patience of Jobe, but when done well, you can hardly tell it was a patch job

Found a video link for ya.


Why did my main circuit breaker trip before the branch circuit breaker?

"Circuit breaker coordination" is the term used when setting up multiple breakers / fuses. The trip curves overlap and in many cases a small breaker can take longer to trip than a large breaker.

One example I can provide is this: the plant I work in was not built with the same brand breakers. In one area an 800 amp main will trip out prior to the 400 amp mcc feeder or the 100 amp breaker on the motor overload bucket. The cost to coordinate these breakers to the correct ones would be several thousand dollars and it happens so infrequently that the owner is OK with the occasional down time. By comparing the curves of the different types of breakers you can see that fuses and small inverse time breakers will hold at 4-6 times their rated value for a short time.

So depending on the loading of the circuit and type of breakers used, if not well coordinated, the main will open before a much smaller breaker protecting the wiring but dropping power to everything. A well coordinated system takes planning and the correct breakers and fuses to prevent this from happening.


What size wire and pipe for a 125A subpanel in an attached carport?

Most jurisdictions would allow 1/0 Al THWN or better wire rated at 120A (per 75°C terminations) to be rounded up to 125A protection, and a #4 Al ground if using non-conductive PVC conduit.
1.25" minimum conduit would be needed with Sch40 PVC. Long sweeps are probably not necessary. If you use Sch80 PVC you would need to use 1.5".
LB's are fine, you may need to upsize LB's to 1.5" with reducing bushings to accommodate the wire size used, consult the internal markings on the LB's.
You need to protect the feeder with a 125A breaker at the service, check the stab limits in your main panel, sometimes you can't install another breaker across from the 125A breaker.
Your subpanel needs to be rated 125A minimum. However, often for pennies more, you can get a big 200A panel with lots of extra breaker spaces, so do that if it can fit.


Keeping washing machine lines warm in a cold garage

Instead of a space heater, try some pipe heating cable. This is a simple electric resistance heater that is designed to be wrapped around pipes in order to prevent freezing. The good ones have a thermostat built-in, so they'll only kick on if necessary.

You wrap the cable around your pipes, apply insulation over the wrapped pipes, and plug it in. This will be a little trickier around your washer supply hoses, but assuming these don't move a lot you can probably just use some duct tape every 6" or so.


Figured out the wiring!

Huge thanks to @A.I.Breveleri and @Shalvenay for guiding me through this - I couldn't have done it without their help.


Master bedroom light switch is controlling the bathroom too?

It sounds like the wire from your bathroom ended up in the wrong place, the good thing it won’t hurt to swap them around until you get the correct combination. The back stabs or quick connects are electrically connected to the screws so the hot and the line to the bath were connected, your job now is to move your wires. There should be at least 2 cables where the whites and grounds are connected and the blacks come to the switch, for the travelers there are lots of combinations but your always hot and the black to your bathroom should be on the same contact if 2 hole lugs or pigtailed together to the common of the switch. But as long as you only swap the wires on the switch around you will get the right combination in a few try’s.


Why would a modern home have baseboard heating?

Baseboard heating vs. forced heating and other options is not dependent on class of home.

For example, some people prefer the radiant heat, as in general it actually is far more comfortable than forced air (many opinions argue in both directions).

Some people have allergies, and thus, actually prefer radiant heat.

To your point, forced air affords central A/C options. I own a NE home I am selling right now, and guess what? for 9 years we wished we had forced air. Why? Solely for A/C for .... two months of the year, at best. We did not mind baseboard at all.

When it comes to a builder, they are all going to have their reasons. Some might place the above considerations high on their list, but more than likely it is based on price and availability.

I'm not solely discussing price of the equipment - but also of installation. Not to mention the inherent design/layout considerations that have to be thought of to run ductwork vs pipe.

on the topic of availability, I found that it seemed MANY people in NE still rely heavily on Fuel Oil. I intentionally converted my home to High Efficiency Natural Gas but it was nice to have radiant heat nonetheless. Especially in the north east. So contractors in general in NE I suspect (strongly) use radiant systems because they are plentiful, still very popular, and are not cost prohibitive to install.


Cut already-installed trim / quarter round to mount bracket

The ideal device for cutting a close fit molding like this is an oscillating tool with a wood cutting blade. Here is a picture of the type of saw I am talking about with red arrow pointing to blade type for your application:

(Picture Source: https://www.lowes.com/pl/Rotary-tools-oscillating-tools-Power-tools-Tools/4294607824)

It may be possible for you to rent one of these tools if you do not already own one. Alternatively the molding can be cut using a hammer and very sharp wood chisel.

From looking at your picture it looks like the molding is paint locked in place so it may not be necessary to nail the remaining molding after you cut out the two slots. However you may want to be proactive and nail the ends of the molding near where the cuts will be made before doing any cutting. This step would be particularly valid if using the hammer and chisel cutting method because the pounding could dislodge the paint lock on the molding edge.


Why does the breaker trip on my new low-power lighting circuit?

What could be the problem?

It could be that you miswired a switch so that it creates a short-circuit in one position. It could be that the miswiring occured elsewhere (in a junction box, a light fitting, etc)

  Am I overloading the circuit?

No, the total load of 500 Watts is not enough to overload a 15 Amp circuit. At 110 Volts, 500 Watts is only 4.5 Amps.


Is it acceptable to attach elevated deck joists to rafter tails?

If the building inspector stopped at your job he would put a stop order on it.  You should have a 2x6 or 2x8 bolted to the house framing and then run your rafters or joists what every they may be from that using joist hangers.


Found a similar design at the Delta website. The round knurled piece should unscrew. The male threaded section should also unscrew. Apparently some have a hex shape to facilitate installation. Some have an internal female hex shape that is removed by an allen wrench. This allows the retaining plate to be removed. If there is enough room between the backsplash and the spout you could try holding the piece under the sink with a pipe-wrench, vise grips or large pliers and have someone spin the faucet.


What exactly is this fiberboard-looking sheathing?

The material you have there is what I was taught to call celotex. There is a manufacturer that has the same name that may have been the original maker of this product.

It is pretty much the equivalent of loosely packed sawdust drawn into a sheet and held together by binding agents and tar, I believe on the outside surface. Research on ther internet may show it is made up of something else, never the less it is not that strong, and would not work as windbracing on its own. Many, many home have this under their siding.

It will not hold a screw, it is used for sheathing only that I am aware of in all my years. You are not screwed for having it, just like any other sheathing, you don't want it to get exposed to water, especially this stuff.


Turns out there is no flexible pipe, I guess I was reading the wrong manual. The system can be refilled by simply turning the screw at the bottom, as shown in the pictures.

The boiler needs to be powered off, and the screw (valve) slowly opened while keeping eye on the pressure gauge. Refill slowly to 1-1.5 bar (everything below 2 bar should be fine).

In hindsight, this seems obvious as the screw is right at the connection between the cold water mains and the central heating return pipe:

There is no need to remove the bottom grill either:


Should the bit in my impact driver have free play?

It's normal

If this is an impact driver (see below)

then it uses a 1/4" hex chuck. Most use a simple ball-detent system to lock bits in place, which allows for some slip, especially forward and backward.

If you got an impact wrench (see below)

then it would be a problem, but if you were getting an impact wrench, you likely wouldn't be asking this question.


What kind of contractor would I need to service or replace pull down attic stairs?

It looks to be exactly like a garage door. I take it lowering the stairs tensions a spring attached to the drums so it is easier to raise. Exact same system as sectional garage doors. The springs can be very dangerous to someone unaware of their potential. I think you should look for someone experienced with sectional garage doors, they will understand this system immediately.

If the rollers are hard plastic or rubber, the system could be made quieter by going to softer rubber. Applying foam to the closure panel could reduce any drumming effect, but will take careful detailing to keep it out of the way and looking attractive. Rubber padding could be added to stops to limit banging. A certain amount of noise is the nature of the beast, unfortunately.


Rather than my making too many assumptions, I will say only that having the fuel-air mixture a bit wrong can cause flame ignition problems.  Also, if the ignitor is poorly positioned or the gas flow to the ignitor is impeded in some way, that can also cause flame ignition problems.


How can I restore this interior wooden siding?

It appears as if the finish is some type of penetrating stain and sealer. There may also be a worn topcoat, such as satin polyurethane, that has worn.

SAND - As described in several comments, wood siding can be sanded to both remove scratches and even out the color. If you wish to stain the surface to restore the natural finish and even out the tone, it is also necessary to remove any top coat. This requires sanding over the entire surface, obviously concentrating on scratches. A belt sander is hard to control vertically, can gouge and kicks up a lot of dust. An orbital sander, or a palm sander is easier if slower.

STAIN - Once the surface has been sanded , you can stain. You can try to find a penetrating stain that is close to the original and reapply that. If you have large sections of fairly bare wood (after scratch removal), you may want to start with a stain prep coat (like a stain primer) that gives you a more even tone. You can also use a darker stain if the wood looks very uneven or shabby despite sanding. I would avoid the combination stains and finish in one. They are faster and easier, but when they scratch, the underlying lighter wood shows through more than with a conventional penetrating stain.

TOP COAT - Once the stain is done and dry, you should use a top coat such as polyurethane. You probably do not want a gloss finish. Satin finishes are usually used on this type of paneling and are more forgiving of scratches and brush strokes.  There are even some wiping finishes that tend to give a hand rubbed look. If you want it very flat, there are a few matte finish polys.

PAINTING - As an alternative, you could consider painting the surface. After sanding the scratches and lightly sanding the rest of the surface (but needs less sanding than if you stain), you could use conventional trim paint, with a variety of surface glosses.

GLAZING - You also could apply a glaze coat which is somewhere between paint, stain and top coat. You paint it on and then wipe some of it off with rags or sponges. It coats the wood with a distinct color, but lets some of the wood grain and underlying color show through. You could go darker or lighter than the current color for a two toned effect. This is a somewhat dramatic finish, so test it somewhere inconspicuous before committing to the whole project. If you do not like it, you can sand it off when dry and use a different approach.


The wooden support beam ("ledger" around here) is nice because it supports the shelf weight evenly. It also gives you the opportunity to put a lot of fasteners in the wall if you feel like a few isn't going to be good enough. The bad thing is that there's relatively little to anchor against a horizontal pull forward. So, if it was me, I'd combine the ledger with a smallish (10cm/leg) L bracket on each end to prevent that pull. (For aesthetics, I'd put the bracket on the top side of the shelf.
Sag-wise, in all likelihood, 4 support points will be adequate. If your load causes sagging, simply add a metal or wooden strip. If you see sagging on the short edge, add wood or metal in that direction.
If your wires are anchored well into the ceiling (note, this is tough, as a straight pull out -- "tension", as opposed to "shear" -- is the weakest direction for a concrete anchor), this should hold anything short of a book and bullion collection. Be sure to use turnbuckles or equivalent to ensure that your cables are carrying the load equally. I'd suggest when you shop for anchors that you aim for something like a 10mm x 75mm in an expansion sleeve design. For reference, this would be something like an ITW Red Head Trubolt Wedge Anchor, which offers around 3000 pounds resistance to pull out. To attach wire to a bolt in the ceiling, use a "bolt hanger".

If you set the anchors and test load them and discover that they aren't holding well enough, you might put a (roughly) 100mmx50mm wooden ledger on the ceiling. This will allow more fasteners into the ceiling and permit screw-in eyebolts for the cables.

One last note, if you're drilling into a ceiling that's not entirely owned by you, check to see that you're not going to accidentally drill into water, power, or (worst case!) a post-tensioned slab.


Is it possible to make a heliostat with no moving parts?

The short answer is no.

You might be able to produce a curve that will reflect an arc (spanning the days extent from east to west) all day on a given day without moving it, but only a small portion of such a mirror will be going into your window at a given time, wasting the rest of its arc.  Further, (as the season changes) your north-south alignment has to change, although this change is much slower.

A concave (focusing) mirror will have to be aimed to achieve concentration. Its focal length is a function of its curvature.   You can simplify your control to 1 axis by using a polar mount.

Have a look at some of the Heliostat sites


The "tick-tick" is likely an electric ignitor (a unit with a standing pilot light would not normally tick like that). Sounds like the ignitor is not consistently producing a spark capable of igniting the gas. The unit would be equipped with a safety feature that would close the gas supply valve if no ignition was detected during the "ignite phase".

Check the condition and position of the ignitor assembly. If none of this sounds familiar to you, get a gas supply company representative to check it for you (they often will inspect, and sometimes repair, for free; they want you to use gas because that's how they make $$).


Don't waste your time.  Trying to prevent a ladder from being covered in paint is like trying to keep a war hero's uniform from getting covered in medals.  Exactly like that, in fact.

Paint stains means the ladder has been doing useful work.  When did that fall out of fashion?

Assuming it is latex paint, your best bet is to catch it right away with soap and water.  Soaking it in water helps soften the latex paint if it's fairly new.  For oils and 2-part paints, fuggedaboutit.


Bonding Neutral and ground in a service panel

If the second panel is fed by the first (power is fed to the second panel through a breaker in the first), and the service neutral is bonded at the first panel. Then the ground and neutral should be separate in the second panel, and separate grounding and neutral conductors should be run between the two panels.


What to do with gap between cut baseboard/shoe moulding and new wider door trim

I'd use a non-shrinking wood putty. Caulk and white glue shrink badly, meaning you'll have to apply it multiple times.

Mix up some powdered putty and use a putty knife to shape it to your molding. Let it fully cure and skim it again if necessary. Sand and paint.

Next time, set your door in place (ideally you'd set the door without casing attached and then set the casing), trace the new casing edge, and remove the door. Score the trim with a knife to create a clean, sharp line, then make your cut outside that line.


Can a Thermostat Common Wire (C-Wire) Be Added to a DNV40NB Heater?

Sure.  I've highlighted the C wire in the wiring diagram.

You'll have to bring a wire from the transformer in the heater, up to the thermostat location. This may require pulling a whole new 3 wire cable.

If there's an open terminal where the brown wire attaches to the transformer, you can connect the new C wire for the thermostat there.  Otherwise, you'll have to tap in somewhere else.

This image shows how the new thermostat should be connected to the system.

  WARNING: If you don't feel comfortable poking around yourself, don't hesitate to contact a local HVAC tech (or Electrician).


Can one of my three-way switches be configured to use a remote control?

Make up your mind :)

One of the tropes around here is people wanting a light to be controlled by a complex switch scheme, and also controlled by another complex switch scheme.  Somehow, these are supposed to play nice together. They don't.  And it degrades into a glitchy mess pretty fast.

The best answer in this case is a networked smart-switch scheme that uses a programmable hub.  Now you can code in what each triggering action does.  This doesn't make it do what you want, but at least when it doesn't, you can improve the code to fix it.

And as far as products, you can use a smorgasboard of remote controls made to work with that system, including, potentially, your phone.


Cordage is a very specific thing.   NM is not that thing.  It's that simple.

Again it's back to 110.3 and the requirement to use items consistent with their labeling and instructions.   And frankly, you would do well to simply follow standard best practices.

Why are you asking all these "why" questions?  They are off-topic here, we are here to answer bona-fide home improvement questions from people actually fixing their homes, not ouiji-board NFPA's  intent with this part of NEC or another.  Try on electriciantalk or mikeholt.com etc.

Like I say, we get this from EE types all the time.  Part of it is classism: many think because an EE is a college degree, and an electrician is a voc-ed apprenticeship, like EEs are better or smarter somehow.  Another misconception is that Code electrical is a subset of electrical engineering, not at a practical level, no. Code electrical is 90% packaging... Aiming for safety, serviceability, clarity and replicability.  Another misconception is that Code electrical is simple, no, even a little research will reveal a bunch of stuff you don't know.

You also have swiss cheese syndrome, because you're trying to read NEC without understanding how it all connects together, and using the Web to fill in your knowledge but it's only giving you what you know to ask for, hence your knowledge is swiss cheese  - full of holes.

Keep in mind NEC is the single book that defines how nuclear power plants, cyclotrons, auto assembly plants, hydro stations, datacenters and malls are wired, aside from homes.  That's a big part of why it's so darn confusing and it's easy to get lost in irrelevance.   It's also easy to get lost in the details and forget the basics, like 110.3, everything needs to be listed for its purpose.

Seriously, put the darn NEC down, it's too complicated for your level.  Hit Home Depot or the library and get some practical consumer-aimed books on home electrical.  Spend a lot of time reading on the above forums, Ecmweb, etc.

This stuff takes time.


How can I reduce a tool's shaft size to fit a drill chuck?

Big mistake reducing that shaft.
First, you have a serious misfit between the application and the drive motor.  A 1/2" drill simply does not have the torque or overall power required to turn a 12" sanding disc.  The tool is going to bog and stall out anytime you try to use it.
Now, you see lots of Youtube videos where people make bench sanders out of 1/2" drills... that's great, except those guys are using common 5" sanding discs (you can tell by the 5 or 8 holes)*.  To drive your 12" disc, you will need a much larger tool.  In fact, if you look at 12" disc sanders, the nameplate on the motors, you'll see what is a good fit is for those discs - a big 1.25 horsepower 8A motor spinning at 1750 RPM.  (which isn't a good match for a 9" angle grinder either, since it spins much faster9" angle gr).
Anyway, the result is that torque will be so high that you're gonna need the 3/4" shaft.
I recommend you use an adapter that will let you leave the 3/4" shaft intact, so you can put it to use once you get a good sized motor.
Also, it's not going to work as a handheld tool.  Too small a motor and it won't sand.  Too big a motor and it'll kick way too hard.


Wiring 50A RV receptacle to 120V service

No.  You cannot hardwire a 50A receptacle onto a 30A breaker.

Given your goals (30A single-pole breaker) use either a TT30 receptacle or a NEMA L5-30R.

You are welcome to fabricate your own dogbone adapter, with a NEMA 10-50R on one end and either a TT30 plug or L5-30P on the other.

Inside the homebrew dogbone adapter, I am OK with hooking both 10-50R hots to the same supply hot, but: Be very careful that your RV is not wired with any multi-wire branch circuits.  Those will overload the neutral wire in that configuration. Because of this risk in using the adapter in random unchecked RVs, be very careful who you loan that adapter to.


Is it OK to borrow a ground wire from a different circuit?

Yes, in most jurisdictions.

NEC 2014

The 2014 version of NEC has made a change to 250.130(C), which now allows you to connect to the equipment grounding conductor of another branch circuit, as long as it originates from the same enclosure. The new text reads as follows:

  National Electrical Code 2014

  Article 250 - Grounding and Bonding

  VII. Methods of Equipment Grounding

  250.130 Equipment Grounding Conductor Connections. Equipment grounding conductor connections at the source of separately derived
  systems shall be made in accordance with 250.30(A)(1). Equipment
  grounding conductor connections at service equipment shall be made as
  indicated in 250.130(A) or (B). For replacement of non–grounding-type
  receptacles with grounding-type receptacles and for branch-circuit
  extensions only in existing installations that do not have an
  equipment grounding conductor in the branch circuit, connections shall
  be permitted as indicated in 250.130(C).

  (C) Nongrounding Receptacle Replacement or Branch Circuit Extensions. The equipment grounding conductor of a grounding-type
  receptacle or a branch-circuit extension shall be permitted to be
  connected to any of the following:
  (1) Any accessible point on the grounding electrode system as described in 250.50
  (2) Any accessible point on the grounding electrode conductor
  (3) The equipment grounding terminal bar within the enclosure where the branch circuit for the receptacle or branch circuit originates
  (4) To an equipment grounding conductor that is part of another branch circuit that originates from the enclosure where the branch circuit for the receptacle or branch circuit originates
  (5) For grounded systems, the grounded service conductor within the service equipment enclosure.
  (6) For ungrounded systems, the grounding terminal bar within the service equipment enclosure

So if your area has adopted NEC 2014, you can connect a grounding conductor to the grounding conductor from another branch circuit, as long as both circuits originate from the same panel.

NEC 2011

Depending on what code has been adopted in your area, you may not be able to borrow the grounding conductor from another circuit.

Here is what NEC 2011 has to say about replacing receptacles with no equipment ground.

  National Electrical Code 2011

  Article 250 - Grounding and Bonding

  VII. Methods of Equipment Grounding

  250.130 Equipment Grounding Conductor Connections. Equipment grounding conductor connections at the source of separately derived
  systems shall be made in accordance with 250.30(A)(1). Equipment
  grounding conductor connections at service equipment shall be made as
  indicated in 250.130(A) or (B). For replacement of non–grounding-type
  receptacles with grounding-type receptacles and for branch-circuit
  extensions only in existing installations that do not have an
  equipment grounding conductor in the branch circuit, connections shall
  be permitted as indicated in 250.130(C).

  (C) Nongrounding Receptacle Replacement or Branch Circuit Extensions. The equipment grounding conductor of a grounding-type
  receptacle or a branch-circuit extension shall be permitted to be
  connected to any of the following:
  (1) Any accessible point on the grounding electrode system as described in 250.50
  (2) Any accessible point on the grounding electrode conductor
  (3) The equipment grounding terminal bar within the enclosure where the branch circuit for the receptacle or branch circuit originates
  (4) For grounded systems, the grounded service conductor within the service equipment enclosure.
  (5) For ungrounded systems, the grounding terminal bar within the service equipment enclosure

Which means you can add a grounding conductor, but only at or before the service panel.

NOTE:
The grounding electrode system (of which the grounding electrode is a part), dose NOT include branch circuit equipment grounding conductors. The grounding electrode system is a collection of conductors used to connect the service equipment to earth, and is typically located at or near the service entrance only.

More from the NEC

  National Electrical Code 2011

  Article 406 - Receptacles, Cord Connectors, and Attachment Plugs (Caps)

  406.4 General Installation Requirements. Receptacle outlets shall be located in branch circuits in accordance with Part III of Article
  210. General installation requirements shall be in accordance with 406.4(A) through (F).

  (C) Methods of Grounding. The equipment grounding conductor contacts of receptacles and cord connectors shall be grounded by
  connection to the equipment grounding conductor of the circuit
  supplying the receptacle or cord connector.

  (D) Replacements. Replacement of receptacles shall comply with 406.4(D)(1) through (D)(6) as applicable. Arc-fault circuit-interrupter and ground-fault circuit-interrupter type receptacles shall be installed in a readily accessible location.

  (1) Grounding-Type Receptacles. Where a grounding means exists in the receptacle enclosure or an equipment grounding conductor is
  installed in accordance with 250.130(C), grounding-type receptacles
  shall be used and shall be connected to the equipment grounding
  conductor in accordance with 406.4(C) or 250.130(C).  \

  (2) Non–Grounding-Type Receptacles. Where attachment to an equipment grounding conductor does not exist in the receptacle
  enclosure, the installation shall comply with (D)(2)(a), (D)(2)(b), or
  (D)(2)(c).

  (a) A non–grounding-type receptacle(s) shall be permitted to be replaced with another non–grounding-type receptacle( s).

  (b) A non–grounding-type receptacle(s) shall be permitted to be replaced with a ground-fault circuit interrupter type of receptacle(s).
  These receptacles shall be marked “No Equipment Ground.” An equipment
  grounding conductor shall not be connected from the ground-fault
  circuit interrupter type receptacle to any outlet supplied from the
  ground-fault circuit-interrupter receptacle.

  (c) A non–grounding-type receptacle(s) shall be permitted to be replaced with a grounding-type receptacle(s) where supplied through a
  ground-fault circuit interrupter. Grounding-type receptacles supplied
  through the groundfault circuit interrupter shall be marked “GFCI
  Protected” and “No Equipment Ground.” An equipment grounding conductor
  shall not be connected between the grounding type receptacles.

  (3) Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters. Ground-fault circuit-interrupter protected receptacles shall be provided where
  replacements are made at receptacle outlets that are required to be so
  protected elsewhere in this Code.

  (4) Arc-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection. Where a receptacle outlet is supplied by a branch circuit that requires arc-fault circuit interrupter protection as specified elsewhere in this Code, a replacement receptacle at this outlet shall be one of the following:
  (1) A listed outlet branch circuit type arc-fault circuit interrupter
  receptacle.
  (2) A receptacle protected by a listed outlet branch circuit
  type arc-fault circuit interrupter type receptacle.
  (3) A receptacle protected by a listed combination type
  arc-fault circuit interrupter type circuit breaker

  (5) Tamper-Resistant Receptacles. Listed tamper resistant receptacles shall be provided where replacements are made at receptacle outlets that are required to be tamper-resistant elsewhere in this Code.

  (6) Weather-Resistant Receptacles. Weather-resistant receptacles shall be provided where replacements are made at receptacle outlets that are required to be so protected elsewhere in this Code.

There's a good YouTube video, where Mike Holt explains the options for Replacing two-wire receptacles

Consult your local government and/or a licensed electrician, to determine which version of code is used in your area. Codes do change, and you'll always have to follow the code adopted in your area.


Why is water profusely coming out of my shower head when the water is boiling in my water heater?

I just got my water heater fixed as previously it wasn't boiling water

A water heater should not raise the temperature of the water to 100℃ (boiling). You should not have any boiling occurring anywhere inside your household hot-water systems (excluding vessels used for preparation of food or hot drinks such as kettles and saucepans).

In my part of the world, a home water heater has a thermostat that determines the maximum temperature of the water, this thermostat cuts off the source of heat when the water reaches the set temperature. Perhaps you have a faulty thermostat, the wrong type of thermostat or one set to an incorrect value?

  is it safe for my family to take a shower while its like this?

There are two main health aspects of water heating systems:

preventing pathogens multiplying in the water
preventing people from being scalded

The first, primarily concerning Legionalla, is prevented by storing water at ⋝60℃ and ensuring it is ⋝55℃ at outlets.

The latter conflicts somewhat with the first. You need lower temperatures to prevent scalding of vulnerable individuals (babies, elderly, etc) The UK HSE suggests water at the outlet needs to be less than 44℃ to prevent scalding.

One way to reconcile this may be to have a thermostatic mixer close to the outlet - this will mix a small mount of cold water with the hot to reduce the temperature slightly. One place where you normally find these sorts of thermostatic mixer in the UK is under washbasins inside washrooms for the disabled. In most houses though, the temperature is just a compromise between these two risks and is not regulated using a thermostatic mixer.

Many showers include a thermostatic control that prevents the shower producing water hot enough to cause scalding.

  I'm guessing theres something wrong with the pressure seal on the shower head?

As Mike Baranczak commented, this is almost certainly not the cause of your problem.

In the types of shower familiar to me, the shower head plays no role in shutting off the supply of water. You might have a shower head that can be rotated to produce various patterns of spray, some feeling softer and some feeling more vigourous, but this doesn't much affect the flow rate or shut off the flow.

You shut off the flow of water using a valve much lower down than the shower head. This valve is part of the shower controls that you use to set temperature and flow rate. There is a valve that is either directly operated or operated by solenoid (often the case in electric showers which use electricity to heat an insulated element that heats cold water passing through the shower unit)

  Might it be that the pressure in the water tank is forcing out the hot water as the water begins to get very hot?

The water heater should have some means of handling excess pressure. Often it will have a pressure relief valve that vents excess pressure safely. Some older designs have the pressure regulated by a header tank.

If the pressure is high enough to force excessively hot water past a shut valve, there is probably something wrong with the heater, the valve or both.

If you need more specific help, you could edit your question to add details of make and model of heater and shower contols and shower head, together with photos of those items.


Panels at your service entrance can be all sorts of things.  Meter only, meter and main breaker, meter and several breakers and spaces, etc.

From your comment it sounds like yours is the kind with several breaker spaces.

Sure, throw a 2-pole breaker in there, come out a knockout with either conduit or cable, and go down to a junction box with a 14-50 receptacle.  Myself, I would use a steel box and steel conduit nipple to connect them, then use THWN-2 wire (omitting ground since the steel conduit is the ground).

You'll need #6 copper wire for this, either THWN-2 wire in conduit, or 6/3UF cable or other outdoor-rated cable w/ground.  Don't use Romex/NM.

You can use #8 if you want to, but then you'll need to make the breaker 40A.  That is legal on a 50A socket because of a Code exception.  Given the very short wire run, I wouldn't bother scrimping on the cost of wire.

The cable around to your welder needs to be #6 cordage such as SJOOW.  If you already bought #8, change the breaker to 40A.  You cannot make extension cords out of NM, UF or any other cable meant for use inside walls or burial.  It is too brittle and not made to resist physical damage.


Trying to remove a single handle shower faucet with stripped out set screw

I assume you want to replace the faucet.

Options:

Drill it out.  You don't care if you wreck the stem of the valve.
Drill and try an extractor.  I usually never can find one the right size.  I have a set.  Somewhere.
Once your pretty sure that it's not holding the handle on, you may need additional persuasion to get the handle off.

Start off with a low viscosity lubricant, such as bolt-out.  Caution may change the colour of grout.
The handle may be cemented on with calcium/magnesium carbonates (what makes water hard) Soaking in passivated muriatic acid may release it.  This will take hours to days.  Caution:  Review safe acid handling.
If the handle is metal you can try heating it with a heat gun.  If the valve itself is plastic this may make life more difficult.
If you decide to to pry it off, protect the wall with a couple of chunks of 2x4.  Run them horizontally and pry from above and below.  If working alone, you can hold them in place temporarily with duct tape. A 2 foot chunk will span standard stud spacing.  This, I think will minimize any flexing of the wall which might crack tile or grout.
A better way may be to rig something using puller jaws and a a slide hammer.

In response to a comment:  Turn off the water, and have your replacement parts ready.   Depending on how cheap the contractor who built the house was, there may or may not be individual shutoffs for the shower or just hte bathroom.  I've done many repairs that required shutting off water the entire house.  As a result of this, my first step in a repair is to add additional shut off valves.  (I live a 40 minute drive from the nearest big box store.  Few repairs are done without at least two trips to the store.  Being without water all day isn't a win.  I now keep a couple of quarter turn ball valves in 1/2" solder ends (since I have a copper plumbed house) on hand so I can start with that.)


Chrome is probably the most durable & is the cheapest manufacturing process. Brushed nickel has a Satin type of finish rather than chrome's mirror finish & bronze is outright dark. The look you're after is really the only concern for finishes & all will hold up very long to wipe off cleaning no problem.

As far low-quality goes I'd stay away from the cheapest faucets which are usually plastic. Typically, the best way to tell this beyond a box or website description is by the mounting or underside's large threaded tube(s) being plastic. But some plastic faucets have begun to put a brass tube(s) on for the mounting so be wary.

Medium to Highest quality is brass to stainless steel & they're noticeably heavier than the plastic faucets. Medium quality brass is what you've had for 30-years & is quite good & good for water purity. Brass or stainless steel will be the faucet's underside threaded tube(s).

I personally prefer Single Handle faucets everywhere as the faucet can be left in the last position for the most comfort & convenience. Two-handles (typically 4-inch spread, measure yours) are fine but in either case look for Ceramic Disc valves to enjoy the best maintenance free longevity. I've had exceedingly good results with the American Standard & Vigo brands for baths & pretty much just Vigo for kitchens.

Finally, you'll need to decide if you want a Full-Kit to replace your sink drain & pop-up stopper. A problem you will run into is connecting the new faucet(s) to the plumbing & you'll need a plumber to install his/her recommended faucet(s) or the faucet(s) you've purchased. The new faucets use "Sold Separately" stainless steel braided flexible lines where you probably have rigid or hard lines now.

The conversion is best done by finally swapping-out your old shut-off valves under the sink (if you have any) for new Quarter-Turn Ball Valve types (you don't want anything else & there is nothing better nor comparable) that will allow the new connection lines to install easily.

Happy shopping & try to choose 2 or 3 faucets for the plumber to readily allocate if they obtain them.


Is it ok to use caulking instead of tape and mud on my new drywall ceiling?

No no no no and NO.    You need to fire this guy immediately.   Anyone who even brings this up is beyond reproach as far as incompetency in this area.

Caulk is expensive.
Caulk cannot be smoothed to seamlessly fade into drywall.   Even if you took days/months to flatten caulk it would still have seams and ridges.
Caulk will not look the same when painted as drywall.   That is the whole point of using mud/joint compound... when you paint it, it looks the same as drywall.
What is he supposing for any nicks or scratches?   More caulk?
Caulk will dry out over time and harden and loosen.

However... I have started using caulk for ceiling cracks that keep appearing.   It is a good binder for seasonal contraction - but I tape and put joint compound over the caulk!
Edit: I have a small room in my basement to finish in 2-3 months... Thinking about giving the caulk a go.   I don't mind the caulking but to get the pictures right I would need to put on a little primer and paint and those steps are a PITA to do over again...   I will try to do a couple feet of a seam like this.


Add Heater to Circuit - 14 AWG to 10 AWG on 30A breaker?

Code doesn't apply to the wiring within appliances

The NEC does not deal with wiring within appliances -- UL (or CSA, or Intertek, or MET, or TUV) is the one responsible for ensuring that's safe, and they work off a different set of wiring specs (Appliance Wiring Material or AWM for short) than the wiring used for building wire.  This is codified in NEC 300.1(B):

  (B) Integral Parts of Equipment. The provisions of this
  article are not intended to apply to the conductors that form
  an integral part of equipment, such as motors, controllers,
  motor control centers, or factory assembled control equipment or listed utilization equipment.


what is the most effective and cost efficient way to heat basement rooms via electricity?

Efficiency

Cheap to install, expensive to run:

All electric resistance heaters are basically 100% efficient, no more, no less.  *Mind you, that's at converting electricity to heat.  Back at the power plant, things are not so efficient**, and that's it's much cheaper to just use gas, rather than have them turn it into electricity first.*  An electric heater spends all its energy as heat, and since they don't have or need vents, it all winds up in the room.

Expensive to install, cheap to run:

If you want to exceed 100% efficiency by a wide margin, use a heat pump.  This actually does work.  It is taking heat from outside and concentrating it.  However this is a lot like an A/C system (in reverse) and so it's hard to have fine zone-control.   If you want zone control, there's a product called a "mini-split heat pump" with no ducting and a little unit in each room. There needs to be freon piping back to an outside evaporator.

Thermostats

On the unit:  Most heaters have a kit that lets you put a thermostat right on the heater.  The heater's heat causes the thermostat to misread, so not a great idea.   You also have to turn off a bunch of thermostats when you go home.

Line-power thermostat: They are cheap and can drive several heaters, so zone control is easy.  It switches the heavy electric power cables going to the unit.  Those big wires make some heat inside the thermostat which again can cause it to misread, which is why they're infamous for being sloppy.  It also requires the heavy power cables make a big detour to go to the location of the thermostat.  This adds length, cost and energy loss while in use.

Common 24V thermostats: Electric heaters can also be used with common 24V thermostats, including "smart" thermostats like the Nest or Ecobee. This involves running the heavy cables in a beeline to the heater, and putting a common 24V relay either in the heater or down at the service panel. The installation is more complex but the most flexible.  You can even integrate the electric heat with a gas or heat pump system, using it as a stage of auxiliary heat.

A heat pump absolutely requires a 24V thermostat, and a fairly sophisticated one at that!

Quality

Resistance heaters are very simple things.  It's possible for them to be both cheap and high quality.  Cadet heaters are notoriously cheap, but I can't honestly say I've ever seen one fail, including some that were horribly abused by bad placement. They just keep working.

** A thermal power plant (that burns gas or coal to spin turbines) is 37-40% efficient; 60+% of the heat value is lost in the machinery.  So is nuclear, but nobody cares about thermal efficiency of nukes.  Hydro is near 90% efficient at turning falling water into electricity.  Wind and solar use "found energy" so efficiency is not critical. Electric heat is a good "dump" for wind/solar systems that have topped up their batteries.


Galvanized steel hinge screws with stainless steel hinges: What is the risk of galvanic corrosion?

Indoors? No they won't corrode. Zinc looks different than stainless which is more dull, so just get the right screws. It looks bad, I've done it before on accident.

Commercial door hardware companies will have boxes of them.


How to use LED lighting strip on ceiling?

While I doubt you'll find anything built and marketed as exactly what you are asking for, you can certainly find suitable electrical boxes to connect and contain things safely, and then do what you need to satisfy an "appearance shroud" over them. Probably the best bet for the appearance shroud would be a simple light fixture (not to be lit - simply to cover "ugly" junction boxes)


Magnetic locks are set up in one of two modes: 1) fail safe, or 2) fail secure. Sounds like yours is “fail safe”.

1) Fail safe mode allows the door to open when the electricity goes out. We use this mode in apartments, commercial buildings, etc.

2) Fail secure mode locks the door and prohibits access when he electricity goes out. We use this mode in jails, etc.

It appears you have a circuit breaker that is very sensitive or overloaded, which is causing the circuit to trip and making the magnetic lock go into “fail safe” mode...leaving the door unlocked and open.

One means of fixing your problem is to add a battery backup.


How can i figure out which wires go where, if the colors at the furnace don't match the thermostat?

If the wires from the old thermostat to the furnace are not the same colors at each end it seems to imply that there is a cable splice somewhere along the run where someone did a hack job of the splice work.

All is not lost however. You can figure this out fairly easily though. Start by disconnecting all the wires at both ends. (You may want to document the colors to terminals at the furnace end before you go and remove them all). Then get a temporary wire that you can run loose through the house between the two end points. Now temporarily connect the loose wire to each of the thermostat wires in turn and at the furnace end use a multimeter in "ohms mode" or a continuity tester to find which one of the furnace connection wires shows a connection back through to the end of the temporary wire. Write down the color relationship for a permanent record and for use in aiding you in connecting up the new thermostat.


Upstairs bedrooms are too hot. Would like to put in another thermostat.

You can't make your single-zone system behave like a 2-zone system just by changing the thermostat, unfortunately. What you're suggesting would be roughly equivalent to relocating the thermostat upstairs. To do this, you could either move your existing thermostat and wiring, or achieve a similar effect by getting a thermostat with a wireless remote temperature sensor. In the winter, you'd have the thermostat base its operation on the temp downstairs, and in the summer move the sensor upstairs.

But - this would just run the AC more. You'll still have the problem of upstairs being much warmer, even if it's 70 upstairs and 60 downstairs. You could probably achieve a similar effect by just turning down the temperature on your thermostat without moving it.

You mentioned your house was built in 1941. A common cause of poor upstairs cooling in older homes is the lack of a return air duct upstairs. This leaves no escape for hot air that has collected upstairs; the cool air pumped up there is going to settle down first. If you have a return upstairs, try closing your downstairs return in the summer so that your system is forced to pull more from upstairs. If you don't have an upstairs return, try closing some of your downstairs vents, so more of your cool air goes upstairs. Yes, this will make your blower work a little harder, but it's not uncommon and should be fine.

Finally, a low-tech but possibly helpful option would be to add a floor fan blowing air upstairs. Run it for a day or so and see if it makes a difference in equalizing temperatures.


Should I resurface my concrete before laying epoxy on a garage floor?

With the epoxies I have used minor imperfections like small divots from a heavy object chipping the floor are usually filled in. The epoxy can make a very slick surface. For instance, I coated one bay of my shop that I do automotive work in and wanted it like glass so oil spills were easier to clean. This worked great until I spilled some antifreeze. The antifreeze was so slick I could not stand on it until rinsed several times. I ended going back and added another coat with some traction powder. It is still smooth and easy to clean but not as slippery.

The epoxy did fill minor divots where heavy items had chipped the surface.

As a note of caution make sure to get epoxy specifically made for garage flooring. I always use 2 part and have excellent long term results. A friend just used a basic epoxy paint not specifically made for garages and when he brought his truck in and parked it the heat from the tires caused the epoxy to fail under the tires he had spots all around where he parked that the epoxy peeled off. He ended up having the floor shot blasted to remove the epoxy and recoated with a 2 part garage epoxy then had no further problems.


Suggestion for daylight high lumen bin-pin LED bulb

Most LED bulbs recommend against installing in a closed fixture like that because of concerns about heat building shorting the lamp life.

Another approach you could take is just to replace the entire fixture with an LED one. E.g. This LED ceiling fixture comes in 1400 and 1700 lumen varieties. You'll probably get much better light dispersion out of a fixture like that anyway because the individual diodes are all pointing in the right direction instead of a standard bulb where half of the light is shining towards the ceiling.


Splitting 150amp Service (midwire) from home at 100amps

You're not going to be able to avoid touching the existing panel.

The closest you can come is installing a new main panel where you cut your feeder. Then power the existing main panel from the new panel; your existing panel becomes a subpanel. However, you will need to remove the neutral/ground bonding from the old panel, and depending on how your ground rod is connected to the old panel you will have to move it to the new panel. And because you've now touched the old panel, it likely can not be excluded from permitting and inspection, and if it's as bad as you imply, then you'll have to fix it.

And since you're now in a position where you have to fix your old panel, forget about fixing the old panel. Instead, replace it. And run an 80 amp branch circuit from the new panel to your other house.


Who is the right type of person to create construction drawings for a home I've already designed?

Some of the things you mention don't require anything specific. Wall and foundation diagrams are boilerplate. The truss company will design the roof system to fit your design. Joist specs are fairly straight forward, and a salesperson at your local lumberyard may have the expertise you need.

As has been mentioned, if you find the right company they'll be happy to work from what you've drawn. They may insist on re-drawing it, but there should be very little demand to change your design substantially. Keep looking for a smaller local outfit with a good reputation.


Can I take a 220 line and convert it to a regular house outlet what would be the damage?

If it's a 4-prong receptacle, then you could do it. Though you'll have to swap out a breaker in the panel. This will leave you with a 20 ampere multi-wire branch circuit (MWBC), which can be used to supply countertop receptacles.

If it's a 3-prong receptacle, there's likely not a grounding conductor. So it's not going to be a good idea, though there are ways to do it.

As it sounds like you don't want to modify the existing wiring, this probably isn't a project you want to tackle.  A local licensed Electrician should be able to do it for you.


The GFCI device only protects part of the circuit, that's why there's a difference between the breaker tripping and the GFCI device tripping. When the GFCI is tripped, only the protected items lose power. When the breaker trips, the entire circuit; including the GFCI and protected devices, loses power.

It sounds like you may have a serious problem, that you might want to have a professional investigate.


Why do my pipes bang when running hot water in my kitchen?

You have a valve failing somewhere in your plumbing system, the trick is to figure out which one. If this only happens with your sink, then I would start there.

If your sink has a separate sprayer on a hose, then it's possible the diverter valve is flapping, trying to send water to the sprayer. If that's the case, it could be as easy as a blockage in the aerator of your faucet, which is often easy to remove and clean.

If that doesn't solve your issue and it's isolated to the sink, then I would try replacing the valve/cartridge in your sink fixture, or you could replace the entire fixture.

Beyond that, you'll need to work on a process of elimination to figure out which valve is causing the problem. There are likely shutoff valves under the sink, another at the hot water tank, and another for the house.

One last device that I've seen cause pipes to bang is a failing pressure reducing valve (PRV) that is bell shaped and found just after the main shutoff in some homes. This seems less likely in your scenario, since the last time I heard one cause pipes to bang was after I turned off the water and the pipes would rattle as the PRV allowed pressure to rise past the designed threshold.


I want to replace two switches controlling one track with one

There won't be any "extra" wires if you do the job correctly.  Currently (I'm guessing), each switch has a hot input and the switched output black wire which goes to the lights.  The white neutrals are all tied together somewhere.  What you need to do is cap off the hot lead to the switch you're removing (make sure this capped dead-end wire remains inside the box) and move the output wire from that switch over to the output post on the remaining switch. If you're just going to leave the dead switch in-place, then you're done.
If your concern was about leaving that switch "live," then certainly you should not do that (cap the hot lead as I wrote above)


How can I know if my boiler is supported by Nest 3rd Gen thermostat?

Unless you already have a separate electronic controller/programmer for your water heater you can't control it with your Nest thermostat.  Since you haven't mentioned it or provided pictures of a controller or wiring, I assume you don't have one.  Having a controller for your water heater is common in some regions but not in others.  Based on search results from Nest's UK website, I guess it's more common in Europe.  In the southern US, I've never seen a controllable water heater.

A basic water heater is controlled by a knob or adjustment screw and doesn't contain any electronics to interface with.


No hot water at faucets after replacing water heater

Check all the supply valves to ensure they are open.

It is not uncommon for old valves (particularly gate valves) to break whilst operating, leaving you with a low or no-flow situation (sometimes called a "dropped wedge"). This would require you to replace the suspect valve. If you did a DIY install, were any of the valves particularly corroded or hard to operate?

It is also common for debris to be dislodged during the work, causing plugging of downstream faucets (although this would be unlikely on large faucets, such as a bathtub filler).

Did you shut off the main supply valve to the house or out at the meter and forget to turn it back on? If a plumber installed it, call them back right away.


can a top/bottom feed style sub-panel be fed from back of panel

The panel has knockouts all over the place.  They don't care which knockout you use.

"Top or bottom feed" doesn't pertain to where on the panel the EMT enters; it pertains to where on the busbars you attach the wires.

The very fact that you have a choice of two sets of lugs (top and bottom), implies this is a main-lug panel (not main-breaker) and it either has

symmetrical screws (so the whole busbar assembly can be unbolted and installed upside-down) or
has "thru lugs" (a second set of lugs on the bottom of the buses) is intended for if you want to continue power to a second subpanel.


Can/Should I seal laminate "wood" flooring?

There are lots of grades of laminate flooring.  When I say lots maybe hundreds.

These are the main things that figure in on how moisture will affect your laminate (almost all apply to engineered wood):

Locking system.  I have put together some laminate that have a very "loose" locking system.  To the point where there are tiny gaps.  Not an install issue, just design flaw.  Any top layer gaps cause liquid to get under quickly.  A good floor should retain a large puddle... until it evaporates.  I have two different types of flooring in my house that would do this - engineered hardwood and rubber laminate.
Padding.  Some laminates come with padding built in.  If yours didn't hopefully they spent the $100 to buy a few rolls.  The padding creates a slight elevation to keep some moisture off the bottom of the flooring (and contributes in other ways).
Backing.  This is really all over the place.  Laminate can be backed by rubber (high end but getting cheaper), cork (high end), MDF (normal), layered wood (normal to high end), plywood grade (normal), and then things in between.  Each has different properties.  I could sit my rubber laminate in a pool for a year and it would still be rubber.  Cork handles low amounts of water well but will be totally jacked up in a big flood.  MDF and plywood are the main ones known to expand on "big" spills.  This is probably what your realtor was thinking of.  Layered wood sheets won't last with long-term water but anything short-term it handles well.  I personally would never buy laminate or engineered hardwood with plywood/MDF backing.
Top material.  This is probably the least important but some laminates scratch easily and if yours gets big scratches then obviously it leads a place for water to bleed.
Thickness.  I can't find any scientific proof but I know that I have seen a lot more 1/4" laminate warped versus 1/2".  The thin stuff is made for apartment buildings but gets used in some questionable areas of homes.
Installation.  Definitely the #1 reason.  Not having expansion gaps (water gets in, wood expands, out of room, warps - where it may have been fine after drying out).  Not locking the planks together firmly/properly - leaving big gaps in floor.  Uneven subfloor that promotes bowing, water pooling, and flexing.  Wrong install method - gluing or nailing flooring that should float.

Basically laminate is just as durable as wood or anything else as long as you get the right product for your installation.   A few bedrooms in a high rise can take about anything.  I use a popular rubber backed brand from HD for bathrooms or kitchens.  In high traffic areas of residential homes I want at least 3/8" and sheeted.  The horror stories with laminate are mostly due to wrong product or install for the need.  If you post a picture of your laminate (side view) I could tell you more.

Can you seal it?  Sure.  Will the sealant be affective long-term.  I doubt it.  When you paint and spill drops on a laminate floor you can usually just wipe off the dried paint.  It already has a finish on it.  It's finish will not support many binding agents without a lot of materials involved.  This is much different from wood and poly.


Installing GFCI protection on a circuit allows you to replace non-grounded receptacles (2 wire) with a grounded receptacle (3 wire) as long as it is marked "No equipment ground" and "GFCI Protected". If you just replace one non-grounded receptacle with a GFCI then it must be marked "No equipment ground". This can be found in the NEC Article 406.4(D)(2). It is used as a means to install grounded receptacles on a non-grounded circuit and not have to rewire an entire dwelling. The GFCI is not a ground but acts as shock protection due to its design.

If most of your dwelling was rerun in PEX then you should insure that you have a at least 10' of water pipe in direct contact with the earth, NEC 250.52(A)(1).

NEC Article 250.50 requires that every method of grounded available shall be combined to form one Grounding Electrode System. This means that if you only have the water pipe as your grounding electrode, you should as least drive and attach a ground rod supplementary to the water pipe.

Hope this helps to clear some things up.Good luck.


What is the easiest way to install 4" recessed lights in 6" holes?

Four inch and six inch recessed fixtures consist of two main parts - the can and the trim. They need to match.

The first issue will be getting the old can out. If it is old-work style, it may be held in just by pressure clips on the sides, fairly easy to remove. If it is new-work style, it will be attached to framing members, either directly or with a brace system. More complicated to remove and usually requiring cutting a bigger hole to get to it.

Even if it is old-work, a 6" hole differs from a 4" hole by 1" on each side. Cutting a 1" ring from drywall is hard, leaves you with a fragile piece, and will be difficult to tape and mud smoothly, and hard to brace properly.

I would suggest cutting a somewhat larger square out of the existing ceiling area. This will allow you to remove a new work can, if that is what you have. Leave at least 2" on each side of the hole. I would cut the new 4" hole (check the fixture for exact hole size) before mounting the patch to the ceiling.

Once you have a section out of the ceiling, you may be able to reach the framing to attach a new-work type unit. More likely, you will use an old-work style.

In either case, you will need to brace the new patch to provide strength to hold up the patch and possibly the new fixture. You can do this by using furring strips that are at least 6" longer than the size of your patch. The furring strips will extend on either side of the patch.

The strips should be screwed to the ceiling beyond the patch and the patch should then be screwed to the strips. I would use 4 strips, all parallel, two on the outside edge of the patch and two just a bit wider than the location of the new 4" hole.

Once the patch is up, tape and mud (spackle) the edges.

Finally, you might want to think about moving the new fixtures to a slightly different spot to get a solid surface to attach to. This may require some adjustment in wiring.


First, you need to find out WHY the floor is uneven.  Are the joists sagging?  Then you might have some structural issues.

From your description, it sounds like you have no boards over the joists right now.  Is this correct?

I would not cut the joists, as this will cause structural weakening.  You might be able to use a block-plane to shave down a particularly high point, but I wouldn't plane too much.

As for the shingles, I believe your friend was talking  about wooden, usually cedar, shingles.  These are tapered, and could be used to shim up a low spot, but I don't think it's very practical for a big job.

If the joists are the problem, there are three scenarios.

Joists are twisted, but longitudinally level.

This is the simplest.  If you joists are 2x8, then buy a couple of 2x8's and cut them down to the appropriate spacing.  Then bang them in between every pair of joists to straighten them up.

Each Joist is level, but they have different heights

You could find the low ones and cut (rip) a thin piece off a 2x4 to attach to the tops of the low ones.  It could be a bit tricky to get the thickness right.

Joists are bowed

I think the easiest option would be to sister the joists with new joists, only slight higher, so that the tops of the new joists are level and even over the entire floor.

However, you're probably not going to be able to tie the ends of the new joists into the structure.  This means that they're going to have to be extremely well connected to the old joists.  I'd recommend glue, and bolts with washers right through the mid-height line of both joists.  (The center being the zero-force axis of a beam.)  Drill the holes ever so slightly wider than the bolts, so that you can torque them nice and tight.


replace regular breaker with dual function AFCI/GFCI

It's redundant.  It's acceptable. It's not beneficial except in the unlikely event of a GFCI failure.


Using indoor-only Xmas lights -- in the outdoors, where they'll get wet

The main risk I can think of is electrocution. Most likely the parts are not designed to get wet, exposed to sun, and/or extreme temperatures. GFCI will protect you if you get electrocuted and the voltage goes to the ground, but if you happen to get electrocuted in a way that continues through the wiring back to the neutral, there will be no voltage difference to cause a trip.

The electrical codes cover the wiring in the wall and to the outlets. But from the device plugged into the receptacle on, it gets into consumer safety and groups like UL. The product you selected was deemed unsafe for this purpose by the manufacturer or an underwriter, so it would be best to get a product designed for the purpose you intend. As an aside, outdoor rated holiday lights are common and cheap, so it doesn't make sense to try to save money like this.


Transition from wood laminate to concrete 3/8" down

Your run-of-the-mill reducer should do the job. This type usually comes with a steel channel that you'd anchor to the concrete, then you simply tap the piece in place.


Unfortunately, you cannot salvage the pane that is not broken.  You will need to order a replacement of exact measurements or bring the sash to a glass supplier so a new sealed and gas filled unit can be made. A double pane that is not sealed will collect condensation and fog up quickly. Not an option.


Your research is pointing you in the right direction: the need for attic ventilation is overblown (pardon the pun). The attic fan is useless; don't use it, because it will cost you more money than it will ever save you. The air inlets are the soffit vents. What are the outlets? Gable vents? a ridge vent? Turtle vents? Whatever they are, they're probably fine. If the only outlet is the fan, just turn it off or remove it and let the air naturally escape from the hole.

You do indeed need to put baffles in the rafter bays to keep the insulation out of the soffit vents. Other than that, you're pretty much good.

Finally, let me mention that one of the best things you can do BEFORE adding all this new insulation is to air-seal your attic floor. Anything that makes a hole in the drywall needs to be sealed up. This includes electrical boxes, holes for wires, can lights, etc. For much more information on this subject, see http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/air-sealing-attic


Unless your paint is pre-1985, you really don't have to worry about lead.

Paint doesn't expire but it can go bad.

It's totally OK to use your high-VOC paint.  You're just not allowed to sell it at retail, or sneak it in to bypass local environmental regs.  Trying to educate 70 million people in the 12-state areas is a lost cause, so the (US and state) government's approach is to ensure that any product you buy in a local store is legal. As far as products you already bought, they're not worried about it.

So if this is "new old stock" sitting on your shelf, for God's sake, paint it before it goes bad.  The second best way to dispose of old paint is to paint something you don't want, then throw that thing away.  The worst possible way is throw it in a landfill, it'll leach chemicals for years.   Let paint do its job.  It's designed for that.

That said...

One curse of low-VOC paint is it's vulnerable to mold and mildew, in the can.  If you open a can of normally mild-smelling latex paint, and it's Stinky, that's what has gone wrong.  Do not paint stinky latex paint on anything (except for the "paint something you don't want and throw it away" rule).  Believe me, you'll want to throw it away!

I have no idea how toxic it is, except for what it is - mold and mildew, which, yes, is not good for humans to be around.

There are lot of answers for how to encapsulate it, but none of the answers have reported particularly good results in the long term. Having forcibly removed much worse paint, I'd remove it.  Latex is pretty flimsy stuff, and it'll practically fall off the wall with enough persuasion, i.e. wetting and firm nylon brushes.  The goal being not to damage the substrate so you don't have to drywall rework.


Should I change the routing of the return air flex duct?

I think they ran the duct longer to try and avoid it collapsing coming over the edge. To me it looks to be partly collapsed going around the support. To improve the flow I would add a 90 and shorten the flex. This is not hard to do. Get a 90 and 4 zip ties long enough to go around the flex. Use a razor knife to cut the flex and a pair of pliers to cut the wire slip the inner duct on the 90 and zip tie on both sides. Now pull the insulation over the 90 and zip tie in place. If you were able to remove several feet there should be enough insulation to cover the 90. This will eliminate the possibility of the flex pinching off The air flow and with a shorter flex run less resistance so more air flow.


Is there a tool to find a the closest spot on the other side of a wall?

The most common technique (other than careful measuring and mapping) is to drill a very small pilot hole through the flooring alongside the baseboard. The hole can be less than 1/8 and you can run a straightened clothes hanger through the hole to find it in the basement.

The hole would probably be behind or under the appliance, if the location were good, or it could be filled with wood putty or something similar if it shows.


It's not unusual to see an unused wires folded up in a box with the ground connected and the other conductors capped.  Unfortunately it's very rare to see anything marked or labelled to help the next guy figure out what's what.

This one's a little different in that it's clipped short on purpose - someone wanted to discourage trying to use the wire - and the wires are not capped.

I'd cap the wires and leave it alone.  Turn off the breaker for the light circuit, test to see if the short wire is live, and if so find and turn off that breaker.  I'd peel back the jacket 1/2", carefully strip 1/4" or so off the black and white, and twist on a small wire nut.

Tracing the wire to figure out where it goes and the rest of the story could be a bit of a project, and there's nothing to indicate any hazard, so I would not bother.


What kind of sink faucet screws are these and how do I tighten them?

The plates marked A are tapered. Rotate them one way tightens and the other way loosens. I have only seen these a few times and did not care for them as they kept becoming loose but that was in a rental with college kids so it could have been rough handling.


What is some advantage and disadvantage to had 9-in W x 9-in L Stainless Steel Square Chimney Cap

Pros to capping are reduction of rain entering, prevents birds and squirls from nesting in chimney you can see when you need to have the chimney swept.
cons reduces draft , provides a place for cresode to accumulate ( further reducing draft and looks ugly when there is buildup) .
In some areas where builders cloth was required due to fire danger we installed wind driven directional caps to increase draft. I don't think the large holes in the photo will meet the requirement if needed for fire risk.
Now understanding there are 2 caps from OP comment, I think this will increase the area for draft and take longer for cresode to build up so this is probably a good idea. I can't see where it would hurt.


Can I Combine Two Three-Way Switches and Add Outlet?

You will not be able to combine those to 3-way switches with the switch you have shown. You'll need a double 3-way combination switch, which is two 3-way switches combined. It looks very similar to the one you have shown but with two extra screws.

With the wires shown in your picture, adding the outlet won't work. You've either got load wires or hot wires or a combination of both connecting to the common terminal of the 3-way switches and I don't see a neutral in there. You might be able to fish a hot, neutral and ground to that location for the outlet. Hope this helps.


Electrical Connection AprilAire 600M Bypass Humidifier

W1 should work

If you want the humidifier running whenever the heat's running, then using the W1 and C terminals on the thermostat connection should indeed work.

...but, I'd make sure there's a humidistat on this

However, I would make sure there's a humidistat controlling the humidifier (it can simply be in series between W1 and the humidifier, provided it's an open-on-rise/close-on-fall type) as well, as too much humidity is a rather effective way to slow-kill a house.


How to fasten one pipe to another under sink

Both the pipe connections on the vertical pipe run in your picture (the one with the nut and the threaded one which is missing the nut) are designed as slip-joint connections. They utilize a rubber or plastic slip-joint washer that squeezes down on the inserted pipe when the slip-joint nut is tightened.

The assembly coming down from the sink is called a pop-up drain assembly and it has a 1 1/4" tailpiece pipe that you cannot see in your picture because it is inserted entirely into the 1 1/2" slip-joint extension which, by the way, is the piece that is missing its slip-joint nut).

You will need to get a couple parts from the plumbing shop: (1) 1 1/2" x 1 1/4" slip-joint nut; and (1) 1 1/2" x 1 1/4" slip-joint washer (rubber or plastic, don't matter)

Then you need to do exactly this:

remove the trap u-bend at the bottom
remove the 1 1/2" slip-joint extension and cut it down 1"
slide an 1 1/2" x 1 1/4" slip-joint nut up onto the 1 1/4" tailpiece, followed by an 1 1/2" x 1 1/4" slip joint washer
slide the (now 1" shorter) 1 1/2" slip-joint extension up onto the 1 1/4" tailpiece and hand tighten the nut and washer, from the previous step, to the threaded top of it
slide the trap u-bend back up into place
wiggle everything about until it's straight and clean
tighten all slip-joint nuts with a wrench, not too tight but more than hand-tight.

It should look something like this when you are done:


Can I apply water based polyurethane over oil based polyurethane and vice versa?

What you will want to do is to get a polyurethane stripper with brush, a pair of rubber gloves, a scraping tool, fine grit sandpaper (200), a clean cloth, and a well ventilated room.

Start by applying the polyurethane stripper liberally and evenly over the wood using the brush. Let it stand for about 5 minutes or whatever the directions instruct you to do.

Using the scraping tool, gently scrape off the polyurethane in the direction of the wood grain, taking care to remove the scrapings as you go along using a clean cloth.

Once the scraping is completed, lightly sand the wood in the direction of the grains until the surface is smooth.

You're now ready to apply the finish of your choice, whether it be polyurethane, a stain, or paint. :)


Need snow shield ideas for photo eye case

place the lower eye in a larger clear or windowed box with the window vertical or overhanging slightly.


Correct way to rewire for a ceiling fan + light from a switched outlet

Yes, this should work. A few things you may have already considered:

Each time your cable goes into or out of a junction box you should plan to lose 6" in length.
So tying into and out of the ceiling box for the fan would require 12" of slack on the existing 4-wire cable. Your plan to add a separate junction box is a better approach. The trick is to put it at least 6" closer to the dual-wired receptacle and run 3-wire the longer distance to this box. When you tie into the 4-wire here you will have extra 4-wire to use in the ceiling fan box.

Don't disconnect the red wire going to the duplex receptacle.
Just tie red and black to the un-switched black in your junction box. This puts half the load on each wire and you don't have to rewire the receptacle in the wall.

Get a deep 2-gang switch box to fit all those connectors
and dissipate the heat any dimmers you use to control fan speed or dim the fan lights. You're looking at needing at more than 29 cubic inches not counting extra for dimmers. And you always want to leave room for future expansion.

Get a ceiling box designed to hold a fan and mount it securely to a joist.


Halogen bulbs are technically incandescent bulbs. Therefore, the capacity would be 600 W according to the box.

According to topbulb.com,

  Halogen bulbs are technically incandescent light bulbs – illumination is produced in both when a tungsten filament is heated sufficiently to emit light or “incandescence.” The difference between the two is in the composition of the glass envelope and the gas inside the envelope.


How can I eliminate unneeded receptacles?

Yes, if you have your heart set on removing them, then after you remove the outlet, tie the two black wires together with a wirenut, and tie the two white wires together.  That way, you will still have power going to wherever the next electrical box is.

For the ground, you can either screw it to the box, if it is a metal box and you can find a place to do that, or just leave it unconnected in the box.  If you have two ground wires (one entering the box and one leaving), tie these two ground wires together.

Don't forget: before you remove the faceplate and start removing wires, disconnect the circuit by turning off the appropriate circuit breaker, and then test to make sure that the outlet is dead.


Is it ok to calk drywall corner joints rather than taping them?

I have been seeing this a lot lately so I don't know if there is a new caulk on the market for drywall but in my experience the caulk will 'flash' under paint so it isn't going to give you a good finish and it will be noticeable. I would ask the worker what type of caulk it is and how it handles being painted.


What is the actual function of the lock on a up can window handle?

The intent of the handle lock is that "break window, open handle so you don't have to climb through the jagged glass left in the frame, climb in opened window" is made difficult.
If the lock plates are too weak and snap when pried, that case gets no help from the handle lock.
Sad reality is that if a thief wants in, they will get in - "security" is just slowing them down or making things more difficult for them.


How do I change a bulb in this flush mounted light fixture?

The solution was inspired by Ed Beal's idea.
Pulling both handles out released the glass dome. Each handle can be pulled out separately to help keep the dome from falling.


Lighting fixture: 2 live, 2 neutral, no ground - Is is okay to have the 2nd neutral used as a ground?

This seems to be an old wiring system. What is on the other end of the white wires? Maybe one of the white wires   was used as PE= Protection Earth=Ground already, but it was not marked yellow-green with shrinking tube or other reliable markings at both ends which is mandatory nowadays.

Otherwise a Neutral must not be used as PE for safety reasons. If both white wires are Neutral and none of them can be re-marked and re-used as PE, best way would be to only use lamps that are isolated and do not need PE, i.e. are having the 2 squares (small square inside 2nd square) as symbol (Schutzisolierung, Schutzklasse 2).

Yes, Neutral and PE are connected, but only very upstream close to the location where the incoming provider line is entering the building and at one and only one location. Neutral and PE must not be connected anywhere downstream, and are to be kept separated downstream.

If Neutral and PE are connected at a 2nd (or even 3rd, 4th etc.) downstream location, GFCIs (RCD, Fehlerstromschutzschalter ) could be failing, and sensible electronics may be more likely to fail, since a second connection of Neutral and PE would produce a loop which is an "antenna" resp. 1-turn secondary coil capable to catch distortions (50Hz humming) and will be more likely to catch high voltage surges (from lightning strokes nearby, switching activities at the provider's net etc.).


Add both a secondary lint trap and a dryer duct booster fan. Fantech and Tjernlund are a couple brands to help you start your search.

Also, replacing any easily accessible flexible duct with rigid ducts can help prevent lint from building up.

Finally, check that the exhaust louver/vent cap outside isn't filled with lint too. Sometimes contractors use dual use intake/exhaust vents and forget to take the intake screen/mesh/filter out that is used to keep bugs from flying inside when used as an intake.


Will keeping a GFCI tripped increase its lifespan?

Is there any benefit to tripping a GFCI receptacle when it's not in use?

Does big current draw make GFCI outlets go bad?

I'd say you're over-optimizing. You only need 1 GFCI outlet on a circuit, and it'll last about 10 years. That's around $2/year. That's if GFCI outlets degrade from simply being attached to power; the second linked question indicates that heavy loads and similar usage causes the wear and tear.


I went to a repairshop , they said it was due to a broken coil spring.

Quite cheap to fix rather than buying a new wood sander


Multiple Dead Outlets, Breaker not tripped

As you suspected your Christmas lights apparently tripped the GFCI. The trick is locating the controlling GFCI. In some homes built in the 70s and 80s garage, exterior and bathrooms are on the same GFCI circuit. The GFCI might be on the breaker as well.
"I also checked the line and load sides of the GFCI plugs inside the house and both appear to be functional."
It sounds like you've tried all of the GFCI outlets without luck but you probably missed one. If none of the breakers are GFCI protected you need to determine which of your GFCI outlets is first on the circuit after the breaker on the problem circuit. With a multimeter check the line side for power. If there is power on the line side and not on the load side and it won't reset, you need to replace that GFCI outlet. If there is no power coming into the controlling GFCI the problem is most likely at the breaker. It's unusual for a breaker to fail but it happens.


If my regular propane tank for the house runs out, can I use a BBQ tank as a temporary fix?

This generally won't work all that well. While both large and small tanks contain propane, the large tank can deliver more propane to appliances than the small one can.

Propane is supplied as a liquid under pressure. The pressure in a propane tank is pretty much an indication of its temperature, not the amount of propane in it. When propane is drawn off by an appliance, the propane in the tank boils to make more gas - and that boiling lowers the temperature of the tank. A small tank, especially a small tank in winter, can become so cold that it cannot effectively supply gas.

This PDF (which unfortunately lacks page numbers to refer to) lists vaporization rates for various sized containers (100 lbs being the smallest, 5 times your typical BBQ cylinder) at different temperatures on the 6th page - at 40F the 100 lb can deliver 61,500 BTU/hr, at 20 F 43,300, and at 0F 25,000  - A pound of propane is 21,600 BTU, a gallon is 91,000 BTU.


I would go with a piece of square trim that would fit under.  stain it to be the color of your floor or perhaps darker (or black).  It would cover the board but it would have a finished look.  I'd also try to make it thin enough so that it wouldn't stick out past the brick.


Loud thumping sounds coming from radon pipe

Without seeing the details of your piping, can't say for sure where the water might be coming from.  But, the "intake" pipe for the radon exhaust, usually coming off of a sump pump well or pit, should not be going into any water.
Our previous house had a similar radon mitigation system, but we never had to use it.  The lower part of the pipe connected to a tight fitting lid on the sump well.  It did NOT go down into the well itself, and so was never near the water that was in the sump well.


It is of course possible that the drum is damaged or that the laundry is worn down between the rubber and the drum. Most likely, the drum is too full and the laundry is damaged as a result.


Replacing spout on irregular bathtub pipe

You'll probably just need to move the coupler further back. It could actually extend into the wall, and you could sweat the joint from the inside.

You could also use an "inside" pipe extension (example). The reduction in diameter probably isn't a concern in this case.


What can I do about a severed grounding wire?

Here is what the National Electrical Code says:

250.64 Grounding Electrode Conductor Installation. Grounding electrode conductors at the service, at each building or structure where supplied by a feeder(s) or branch circuit(s), or at a separately derived system shall be installed as specified in 250.64(A) through (F).
(C) Continuous. Except as provided in 250.30(A)(5) and (A)(6), 250.30(B)(1), and 250.68(C), grounding electrode conductor(s) shall be installed in one continuous length without a splice or joint. If necessary, splices or connections shall be made as permitted in (1) through (4):
(1) Splicing of the wire-type grounding electrode conductor shall be permitted only by irreversible compression-type connectors listed as grounding and bonding equipment or by the exothermic welding process.

So, the compression connector you have used there is not a listed irreversible compression connector. If it was it would be perfectly legal according to the NEC.
So, the electrician you talked to was not well informed. The Code allows the grounding electrode conductor splicing if it is done correctly.
Good luck!


how do you install laminate flooring with multiple rooms at one time with click flooring (since you can only put it in one way)

We did this and cheated; at some doorways we stopped and covered the join with a rather smart strip of brass.

This makes it a lot easier, especially if:

your house is not quite square
the floors are not quite flat
you have big temperature variations
you want to have different rooms not running the same way
you want the doors to close snugly


What is the required distance of electrical panel from a door?

The door's swing can't infringe on the clear working space
The situation you need to watch for here is where the door's swing infringes on said 30" wide by 36" deep working space around the panel, as that creates a situation where an unfortunate electrician taking measurements on a live panel can get clobbered into the panel by the door in a most shocking fashion.  You'll also want to make sure that the panel's own door, if present (as some small panels lack one), can open 90° while the door is fully open, as not being able to open that door 90° is also a Code violation (110.26(A)(2)).


Is slate tile suitable for exterior flooring in a colder climate?

Is this a pressure treated deck on post and beams?  Or on top of a foundation?

What ever you do, forget the waferboard and plywood.  Use only pressure treated plywood.

Over time water will find its way under the tile and freeze and crack or separate the tiles. How long it lasts has to do with how well the tile and grout is sealed and how many voids you have under the tiles.

I did find a new solution.  I haven't used it but it would be the only way i would install tile on a deck.  It is a high strength fiberglass grate that installs on top of the joists. The tile is then glued on the grate. The grout lines are left open for water drainage.

http://www.gratedex.com/pg_moredetails/pg_moredetails.htm


No power to switch box and overhead fans/lights in master bed/bath. No tripped GFCI, no tripped breakers

Except for certain code-required dedicated circuits (mostly kitchen, bathroom, laundry), you can have a lot of stuff on one circuit. That is especially true these days with LED lights, but even in the old days. 1/2 my house - lights in 2 bedrooms, receptacles in 1 bedroom, lights and cooktop exhaust fan in the kitchen, several receptacles and some of the lights in the basement - are all on 1 15A circuit!
When only one part of it goes bad, the problem is either in the first part that is bad or the last part that is good. You have determined the switch is OK because you have no power on the wires. So you have to trace it backwards to figure out where it came from. You likely have a loose wire, open wire, bad receptacle or bad switch. Check especially for any "back stab" connections.
What caused it? You might figure out when you find the problem. But since you already had 2 broken switches, I wouldn't be surprised if you find more things broken or about to break. It is quite possible that when you or Comcast was doing some work, you pushed something "over the edge".


Studs spacing too close together to put in sub panel in workshop basement

Simply surface mount the panel, then it doesn't matter what the stud spacing is behind it. You'll put a piece of plywood on the surface of the wall, screw it into the studs, then screw the panel to the plywood, and Bob's your uncle!
Once you've got the surface mounted panel, you can then run a chase from floor to ceiling (thanks for the reminder, George!), framing it with 2x4 or 2x6 (as dictated by the size of your box, since this won't be structural) and covering it (the chase, not the panel) with drywall, or, even better a removable panel for easy access for future wiring updates and giving you a very nice place to hide all your wiring, as well as "embedding" the panel in a "wall" structure. Sure, it'll stick out into the room, but it will enclose all the wiring and eliminate the need to run conduit and all the complications that can entail. (Yes, there are some who prefer conduit for everything, and places where it's required for everything, but when it's not required and you're not comfortable working with it, it can be an extra hassle when not needed.)
If you want the panel to be flush mount into a load-bearing wall, then you'll need to provide a temporary support the floor above, cut a stud to make a cavity big enough for the panel, install a properly sized header, install jack studs to support the header, remove the temporary support, then install the panel in the wall
If you go the in-wall route, you'll have to run all wiring through the header (not sure of the code implications of that), or they'll have to go out the top of the panel, immediately turn to go through the studs supporting the panel, then go up.
Alternatively, you could look to see if you could find a narrower panel that will fit your gap.


Assuming you have a full mains voltage going into the transformer, then there is a short-circuit in the wiring (or, much less likely, the transformer is vastly underrated for the current drawn).

"Bell wire" has thin insulation, compared to mains wiring. A staple may be pinching the wires, or wires could have rubbed together, tearing the insulation. Sometimes mice or squirrels can cause this. Such a short could have burned out the old transformer.

Another possibility is a short in the chime, which then caused the contacts of the doorbell switch to fuse together.

Also, inspect your connections to the transformer. If there are multiple wires, e.g. from both a front and a back door switch, they could be misconnected.

If you can, check the resistance between the bell wires going to the transformer secondary. The resistance should be greater than 16 divided by the current rating of the transformer, or (16 x 16) divided by the VA rating. For example, if the transformer is rated 10 VA, then circuit resistance should be greater than 256/10, or ~26 ohms. (Not to worry if it's just a bit lower, though: you're measuring DC resistance, while AC reactance across a coil is higher.)

Don't be concerned about the 22 VAC open circuit output because the nominal voltage, 16 VAC, is at the rated load.

BTW, my compliments on checking the voltage on installation! Had you not done so, the transformer would have burned out again, or there is a small possibility of fire if a "short-circuit" is a few ohms and is by something flammable.


stiff textile material for simple underbed "drawer"

PVC sheets may be a great option. You can use a thicker one that will hold it's shape better or a thin one that can be rolled up. Here is one of many suppliers just to give an example.

Personally, I'm a frugal and more about problem solving than how it looks and would probably use cardboard. I'd either use a bigger box from home delivery items or hunt down a large one, a household appliance store would have plenty of large and thick cardboard from such things as refrigerators. It's probably ok to just dumpster dive in the their recycle bin in the back but the best thing to do is ask up front.

Another option is plywood on furniture sliders and they come in square shape which would work very well too

pic credit: wayfair.com


Gas water heater turn off the gas valve and water, but leave the thermostat at low level, will this cause some issue?

Assuming everything's in good working order, then no problem. Turning off the gas killed the pilot and stopped the water heater from doing anything by the thermocouple.

However, based on your comments you may have bigger problems than a few wasted dollars from leaving the water heater running. It seems you shut the heat off to the house as well when you left and are worried about the water heater possibly freezing.

The water heater would be the last thing to freeze in being such a big and thick column of water. But yes, it could freeze after all of your other plumbing.

You must winterize properly to avoid damage to everything or just turn things down so they only maintain easier lower temperatures.


What to do about toilet overflow tube higher than allowed level on new fill valve?

I think @Tester101 has asked the pertinent question:  Is the fill valve height adjustable?  It is.  You need to adjust its height:


You'll need to make a connection at that quick-connect with the red wire going to it

You see that quick-connect terminal you measured 27VAC from R to? That right there is where the control board connects to C, and can be used as a tap point for a C wire with the correct hardware.  In particular, you'll need a 6.3mm (0.25") stacked or piggyback quick-connect terminal (such as one of these) that accepts 18AWG wire and appropriate crimping and stripping tools.

To assemble this:

Turn the power to the heater off.
Strip the end of the wire (blue is typical, but color doesn't matter) that you want to use for your C wire
Crimp the piggyback terminal onto the end of the C wire
Remove the red wire you measured 27V from R to from its terminal on the control board.  This is the C wire from the transformer.
Install the C wire piggyback terminal's female part onto the control board C terminal
Install the red C wire from the transformer onto the piggyback terminal's male part.
Turn the heater back on, and enjoy your new smart thermostat!


Hole drilling in a 6" by 12" solid wood beam

Once you drill a hole in an exposed beam you can't undo that ugly mistake. I would use conduit, "wiremold 4000", or a similar product  that can be painted a color that matches the beam making it less conspicuous. Drilling holes in an exposed wood beam is usually a big mistake that lessens the valve of the room.