Are individual electric heaters more efficient to operate than an electric boiler?

To answer the main question, an electric boiler is exactly as efficient at turning electricity into heat as individual electric heaters. However, individual electric heaters allow per-room heating setups; if you only rarely use a room, you can turn the heat down. However, an oil boiler will almost always be cheaper to run than either, unless you live near a nuclear power plant or dam. (Although an oil delivery is expensive, you don't need oil delivered that often.)

However, with this specific property, having a central boiler, plus a fireplace insert, plus individual heaters, tells me that the central boiler is probably not able to keep up with the heat demands of the house. (Side note: relying on a fireplace for heating is a terrible idea. They leak most of their heat to the outside, and add a large draft to the house.) It sounds like the house was made when it was expected that people would wear a sweater while indoors during winter, with the house not being heated to "room temperature". So, the individual heaters were added in order to provide an extra boost, but comfort is still not going to be great, and you'll probably be paying a lot for heating unless you're willing to use the sweater method.

My suggestion would be to keep the boiler for now. Those things have a service life, and you might as well let that service life run out. In the meantime, you should upgrade the sealing and insulation of the house to at least close to modern standards. This will increase comfort and decrease heating load.

(Side note: some houses have in-ground oil storage. These are expensive to deal with, and you do not want that. Make sure you know where the fuel oil is stored.)


How long should I wait before turning on a window AC after moving it?

If you kept the unit upright the entire time, you shouldn't need to wait at all.  When the unit is turned on its side or upside down, the oil in the compressor can drain out and get stuck in other areas.  Once you turn the unit back over, it takes some time for it to drain back to where it needs to be.


When to use snap-off blade knife and when to use trapezoid blade knife?

Trapezoid razor blades are stronger, so they can be used for cutting thick or very tough materials better than snapping blades. Examples where I use this blade:

Cutting carpet or vinyl
Cutting/carving wood where cleanness of the cut isn’t important

Snapping blades are super convenient when making lots of cuts on materials that dull or gum up blades quick and the material isn’t really thick or tough.

Cutting packing tape
Cutting thin/medium gauge cardboard


Does anyone make larger torsion spring clips for recessed lighting fixtures?

As DIY springwinding goes, that's a pretty easy one to start with - you can get a pack of 100 12" long spring-steel wires (straight, not a coil - it will be easier to start from there) and put the central coil and end bends into them. Bend around a smooth metal rod, and you'll have to bend somewhat past where you want them to end up, due to spring-back.

Then again, you could pry (or unscrew, but I'm guessing it's pry without being able to see that) the mounts out of the joists and lower them before remounting.

I'm not seeing extra-long torsion spring clips when I search for them; that does not mean they don't exist, but it doesn't mean they do, either.


What are the standard dimensions for fridges in the US?

There appears to be no real standards.  I found this website which has a table with dimensions:  http://www.rempros.com/dimensions/refrigerator_sizes.html
But the best thing I found is just Home Depots search filters.  From the images below you can deduce some things.  There are a total of 1,161 items, these are the percentages each dimension make up of that total.
Common Widths:

22 in - 3.6%
24 in - 11.6%
28 in - 10.1%
30 in - 9.9%
33 in - 12%
36 in - 30.8%

Common Depths (tolerance up to +1.5 inches):

22 in - 4.7%
24 in - 10%
26 in - 9.7%
28 in - 15.6%
30 in - 20%
32 in - 23.4%
34 in - 8.1%


Apparently the solution was not that hard. I found the manual here. The manual perfectly describes my problem on page 14 but unfortunately doesn't provide a solution.

  The end indicator flashes 3 times intermittently.

They forgot to mention the very annoying beep that beeps on the same rhythm as the indicator.

Solution

On other fora I found a suggestion to tilt the whole machine forwards. Mine was built-in so this was rather difficult. Instead I decided to remove the front plate in the bottom. This plate is accessible without removing the machine itself. As expected, there was water underneath the main compartment. I read similar things before and I actually hoped that it would just dry up. However, the water was about 1 cm deep and I removed more than a liter in total. This won't dry up within a week.

Removing the water was not easy but it is doable with a mop/cloth. Pay attention since there are quite a few wires as well. I also accidentally loosened a tube. I didn't know where to attach this, but in the end it was just the overflow tube. It is not supposed to be attached anywhere and is probably the cause of the water in the base.

The 'flood-detector' itself is not a very complicated device. It is similar in design to the float often found in toilets. When there is water in the base, this will lift and activate the alarm and the pump.

Once the water was cleared up and the float was lowered, the alarm was shut of and the machine worked again (I did all this with the machine unplugged so I only noticed afterwards).

For those interested, I've also included a picture of the base. The white thing in the middle is the float. The tube coming in from the top right is the overflow tube. It is attached on the top, but its end is not connected to anything.

I don't know what eventually caused the flood in the first place. Probably something was clogged. This in turn caused the overflow to dump the water in the base. My problems were solved after cleaning the filter and removing the water from the base.


Why do you need a Residual Current Device if you already have trip switches?

Circuit breakers protect the wiring from overheating and the house from burning down due to electrical fire.

The GFCI (RCD) protects you from electrocution. To put it in perspective, a 20 amp circuit breaker can pass 100-200 milliamps (0.1-0.2A) indefinitely, you cannot and are facing heart fibrillation and death if the current takes the right path through your body.

The GFCI can sense the ground fault current and shut the power off to save you from electrocution if you bridge the circuit to ground.


I would knock it apart for easier lifting. You could've done a little experimenting and probably had it done in the time it took to post this. :)


I cracked my door at the door handle plate. What can I use to fix and reattach the door handle?

Remove the handle and get a good wood glue and brush it in all the cracks. Clamp it until the glue dries (varies with the type of glue). If you can't clamp it, I'd suggest removing the door, laying it flat and weight down a piece of wood over the glues area until the glue dries. Then re attach the handle.
If using epoxy, most epoxies want to be clamped or weighted down in some fashion. You want to "clean out" the hole so the wood can lay flat in the repair area. Epoxy up any voids in the area. Epoxy up a few toothpicks and stick them in the screw holes so you have some new wood when re attaching the handle.


Need some help removing a kitchen sink drain

Tap (don't overdo it and break the "ears") with a hammer and nail or hammer and punch against the projecting "ears"  - and do as many of them as you can easily reach, rather than only tapping on the most accessible one (at least until the thing starts to move.)

Scribe a line before you start that goes across both parts so you can detect even a small movement. The shock of tapping may start to move things where grabbing with pliers won't budge it.

If no joy, add heat - use a serious heat gun if you have one, or a torch VERY carefully and pretty much so far out that the flame isn't directly contacting the sink parts, at least at first.


Can my front door swing away from the wall?

If I read it right, you have room for it to swing either way. No it does not need to swing to a wall.

Two things to consider for your door, does the swing help enter the room? In other words does it help the traffic flow? The other is were the light switch is for that space. Typically the light switch in on the latch side, not the hinge side.


How to Wire Fan with Black/White/Green to Ceiling with Black/White/Red/Bare?

In some installations, there will be two switches for a fan - one for the fan and another for the light.  The ceiling fan would have four wires (blue is common color for the 4th wire), and they are normally labeled Light, Fan, Common, and Ground.  One wall switch will control the black wire, and the second switch will control red.

Your new fan either doesn't have lights, or the lights can't be controlled by a switch independently from the fan.  The documentation should tell you what each wire is for, but your assumption should be correct - black to black (assuming your switch controls the black wire - check it), white to white, and green to ground.  The red wire should simply be capped off by itself in the junction box.


European Bulb E14 base 15w 110 volt dimmable bulb for Himalayan Salt Lamp

This is definitely cheap Chinese.  The UL listing appears to be faked.

Feel free to buy the lamp for its aesthetic elements, but buy a boring old UL listed lamp for the actual light part.


How can I insulate my attic on a tight budget?

The most direct answer to your insulation question is fairly simple. Your goal should be to have insulation equaling an "R" value of 40 or above on top of the ceiling of the second floor.

The cheapest method for a DIYer is to roll out unfaced fiberglass insulation over any existing insulation. We don't know what you have now, "R" value or type. That would be a helpful factor in determining how much more you should add.

But with that said, here are some general guidelines:

Standard fiberglass blanket insulation adds between 3.2 to 3.4 "R" per inch. Example: 3 1/2" insulation = R-11,  5 1/2" = R-19, etc.
This comes in rolls either 15 1/2" or 23" wide.

It is fairly easy to install, but precautions must be taken not to breath in any fiberglass dust or expose skin. Dust mask and light weight full clothing is good.

Also be careful moving around in your attic. You must keep your weight on the ceiling joists, never step on the actual ceiling or you may find yourself in the room below. A few boards strategically located across a few joists can make a walkway and can be moved as you work.

If you are completely inexperienced, perhaps you can get the help of a friend with a little DIY experience to help you out. Added insulation is always a good investment and will give you a fast payback on your A/C energy costs.

If any of my fellow SE guru's have any good video tutorial links, please add them.

A video explains all this

Good Luck.


Bathroom, dryer and central vac - Can any of the exhausts be combined, and can any use the same penetration?

If you have a gas dryer, that would be a no for the dryer, no question. For electric dryer and the other devices, it feels to be against code to me, though I can't find a specific citation on a quick look. In any case, there is a risk for one device to back feed another device unless all devices have effective backdraft dampers on the device itself. I doubt dryers and vacs have such devices, and for the ones I've seen on bathroom fans, I would not deem them "effective".

It's not a good idea. Is there any way to get enough room by transitioning into equivalent rectangular ducts ganged together? It may take a custom built fitting, but you need to exhaust through a combined equivalent area of all 3 ducts added together whether combined or not. So if there's not enough room for this, it's not going to work anyway.


Ceiling mounted punching bag without compromising structure or floor above

Hanging a 100lb weight from a joist should be no different (structurally) than putting a 100lb weight on top of the joist.  So since a 200lb person can easily stand on the floor above the joist, just hanging a 100lb bag from it shouldn't cause any issues.

The larger issue here is going to be what happens when you actually use the bag.  Speaking from experience, it's going to be similar to having a bunch of kids running around the house - things will shake and rattle a bit, and over time you might get some cracks in plaster/drywall, but it shouldn't cause any structural issues.

ETA: I missed the part where you mentioned using a mount that absorbs a lot of the shock from use.  If that's the case, then you can probably ignore my second paragraph.


To get your landlady interested, point out that the radiators are filled with moist, warm air, and that the system is corroding from the inside, shortening the life of the radiators and clogging the boiler with rust. That means the boiler's life is being drastically shortened and may soon cause a massive expense. Fixing it now would be much cheaper than fixing it later. The question is, is she greedier than she is lazy?

As to what's actually the problem?

It seems to me that your apartment's system wasn't being replenished with water. Opening the radiator bleed valve wasn't doing anything because there was no additional water available to replace the air.

Central heating systems come in two flavours -- open vented and sealed -- and each refills with water in a different way. In an open-vented system, there is a tank at the highest point in the system, that uses a ballcock to fill up with water: see this diagram at diydata.com. The ballcock is in the feed and expansion tank. If the ballcock isn't operating correctly, the feed and expansion tank doesn't fill with water, and so no extra water will be available to fill your radiator. The ballcock could be stuck, or it could have been tied off so that some work could be done, and never untied. If you've got that kind of system, the fix would be to get the ballcock moving freely again. Is there some kind of maintenance area you could check out?

Alternatively, it may be a sealed system; there's another diagram showing that. These systems are filled up with a tap -- see the 'filling stop cock' in the other diagram. Normally, you'd check the pressure in the system every few months and use the filling stop cock to make sure the pressure is high enough -- say, 2 to 3 bar. Again, this will probably be very close to the boiler itself and so would need access to your building's maintenance area.

My guess is that it's a sealed system, and that the internal pressure has dropped right down to atmospheric pressure on the fifth floor. Lower apartments won't be suffering because gravity gives them more than their fair share of water, so most tenants won't suffer. However, any rust generated in your radiator will sink down into the system and clog it for everyone.


How do I fix my garage door opener that stops working in hot weather?

I had this issue with a house and the root cause for me was sunlight interfering with the sensors.  It only happened in the summer for about 3 hours of the day when the sun was just right to overwhelm the light beam receiver.  My fix was a cardboard tube mounted around the receiver to provide addition sun light blocking so it could see the light emitter.  You can also try swapping the emitter and receiver.


Why does my circuit breaker trip after everything in room is shut down?

Strange that it happens with things turned off, I haven't heard of a PlayStation causing this when sleep mode but since that is the only thing still active I would try connecting it to another branch circuit via an extension cord and see if the problem moves, if still tripping try the TV next , and the sound system after that. The lights can't be the problem because there is no power when the switch is turned off. I never suggest running a space heater on a extension cord unless it is a heavy 12 gauge cord but try plugging it in on a different circuit also I would think if the heater was the problem the breaker would trip when other items were turned on.


Is there a way to deal with mold built up on the washer bellow tub?

I once moved into a place with this problem. The clothes absolutely stank after washing. The gasket/seal (not sure what to call it) was visibly stained with mold, but I could not be sure if the bad smell or the spores or what it was came from the gasket or from some other parts inside the machine. I guess the "outer tub" surrounding the "perforated rotating inner tub" (aka drum, aka basket) is likely to also be stained, when the gasket is.

I did everything I could without disassembling the machine, and nothing helped.

Cleaned all accessible parts with detergents and clorine
Washed several times on 90 degrees, first with lots of detergent, and then with clorine  (I guess washing clorine at this temperature may produce toxic gasses, but this washer was in a tool shed so I took the chance)
Washed with some anti mold agent

Nothing helped. The mold in the gasket got less visible, but was still hard to not notice, but the smell never got better. As far as I remember I could not smell anything from the machine itself, and when I took out my clothes it smelled ok, but then I hung it to dry indoors, and within an hour the whole room stank.

It might be possible to fix it by disassembling it, I would not know about that.


Can I ground my new exhaust fan to the metal box where there is no grounded conductor?

Sure, but it won't do anything. The term "ground" implies an electrical connection to the Earth, which is normally provided by the bare grounded conductor.


Using Well Pump 240 v Circuit For 110 v Light With Plug

Stop using ground as neutral. If your grounding system is anything shy of perfect, you'll energize everything that's supposed to be grounded.

The fact that it has conduit on the ends doesn't mean it's entirely conduit.  If the line were direct burial, the descent to depth is required to be in conduit for physical protection.  *Push and pull the wire. If it has about an inch of relatively free play, then it's in conduit.

Use a subpanel

If it is indeed conduit, then you can fish in THHN wires: two hots, a neutral and a ground, all #10. Bring that to a subpanel, and have a 20A double breaker in the sub power the well, and 20A single breakers feed convenience outlets and other 120V loads.  You will also need a local grounding rod, or rather 2 rods 10' apart unless your AHJ will let you use the well pipe.  AHJ=authority that issues permits and inspects.

You can then upsize the breaker in the main panel to match the wire (30A for #10, 50A for #8 THHN).

Otherwise... Use a transformer

For casual loads like you might plug into an outdoor receptacle, a 1.5 KVA transformer will suffice.  If you want a LOT of power out there, a 5 KVA 1-phase transformer off Craigslist will do.  Do not use a "step-up/down transformer" because that can accidentally put 240V on your hot and 120V on your neutral.  You need an isolating transformer.  For small loads like this, I would leave it isolated, i.e. don't bond neutral to ground. And have it feed a GFCI recep for statutory reasons.

Why not bond?  Bonding (vs isolated system) is a double-edged sword.  An isolated system has no relationship with ground, so touching hot is harmless - power doesn't flow because there's no loop. On the other hand, bonding neutral to ground forces hot to be within 120V of ground, which protects you from leakage from the 7200V transformer primary.  But in this case, the transformer primary is + and - 120V from ground (summing to 240V), so bonding does not make it any safer. Therefore isolation affords better safety.


Raise and support a sunken laminate floorboard without removing the entire floor?

I had something similar done on two different floors (solid wood herringbone parquet and more recently on an engineered wood floor). I assume the same trick will work for laminate flooring (given that it's pretty similar to my engineered wood example).

The trick was to use low expansion polyurethane foam to fill in the voids underneath the flooring. The foam comes in a can ending with a ~2 mm diameter pipe, so all you need is to drill suitably sized holes into the floor, stick the pipe in and carefully inject foam until everything is level again. Of course you can't do this with ordinary PU foam as that expands a whole lot and would rip your floor out.


Should in increase wire size for a well sub-panel?

12/2 may require a 20A breaker

Note ThreePhaseEel's comment, where he notes certain motors require a 25A or 30A breaker (NEC 430.52) yet are permitted to use 12AWG wire (430.22 notably 430.22E), if so, this may have been legal after all.  I would, at least, upgrade to 10AWG until it leaves the house.  I care if it burns down your house. I don't care if it burns down your yard.

If the amp draw is well under 20A, then go ahead and fit a 20A breaker and now you're code legal in any case.  And due to a happy coincidence of the numbers,  your wiring run is almost exactly 1 ohm of resistance.  That means the voltage drop equals the amps.  It's a lot easier to measure voltage drop than amps: measure the voltage at the panel, measure the voltage at the pump, subtract.  The pump must be running while you're measuring.

Yes, you can run 20A on 12AWG for unlimited length.   Your load might not like the voltage drop, though.  That's why I suspect the actual amperage is well under 20A.

Don't use a lightbulb for a heater.  Use a heater.

Light bulbs burn out and you won't know when they do. Just go to McMaster-Carr, Grainger, or other industrial supply and buy a heater module. For instance they have a strip heater, 240V, 3 inch wide, 120 watt for $19. Any common strip heater will do fine.

Or even better, they also sell pipe wrap heating, which you can then wrap with insulation. Could take well under 100W!

There's no way to string 120V out there

The pump has 240V hot-hot-ground 3-wire electrical service out there.  Neutral is not ground so there is no way to obtain a neutral to get 120V service.   No big deal since you can get 240V heaters.

If you must do this thing with incandescent light bulbs, get 3 bulb bases and wire them in series to 240V.   Then put 3 identical bulbs in there.  Each bulb will see 80 volts (1/3 of 240v).   Since that's 2/3 of its normal voltage, it'll run 4/9 (2/3x2/3) of its normal power.  The bulbs will last a great deal longer, but when one fails, they all go dark.


Dealing with tar on old railway sleepers

It's coal-tar creosote, which is hazardous to your child's health and most likely carcinogenic.

I'd get rid of them completely and replace them with something else.  Wear gloves, yadda, yadda.


Is it safe to use foil heat tape inside the dryer?

To be absolutely clear, this duct carries the fan-blown and lint-filtered air coming OUT of the dryer drum. It is NOT the duct carrying the heated air into the drum.
Given that, the upper working temperature of that tape is listed as 200°F. My guess is that this is above the max temperature of the air coming out of the dryer, but I'm not sure. At worst, the adhesive would fail; I doubt you'd have a fire hazard, especially since the environmental lint, which would be far more flammable, isn't expected to burn.


How shallow can a basement be for an accessory dwelling unit (ADU)

Per the International Building Code (IBC):

"The portion of a building having its floor subgrade (below ground level) on all sides. This definition of “Basement” is limited in application to the provisions of Section 1612."

"BASEMENT. A story that is not a story above grade plane (see “Story above grade plane”).
This definition of “Basement” does not apply to the provisions of Section 1612 for flood loads."

The definition is in the code that is used by your jurisdiction, which is almost surely the IBC. However, your city, county or state may have revised it to their desire as well. You need to determine the code that applies to your area to verify.

It would seem that a basement is any level whose floor that is not entirely at or above grade, and is not related at all to the wall heights


Have you heard about dirty sock syndrome? Its the smell a heat pump can make if microbes start growing on the indoor coil. If you have gas heat, then never mind. I'm just going to throw out ideas to see if anything comes to mind by anyone:

a small animal like a mouse crawled in the wall and died.
There are an old drain under the slab that has a p trap that has dried out. Or possibly a sewer cleanout. Maybe a sewer pipe is cracked in the wall or in the slab.
No cat right? if a cat sprays, it stinks.
You say it not as bad by the floor. That's a good clue, keep trying to isolate it.
Could be mold caused by a water leak or water from the roof leaking into a wall. Or any of the walls exterior walls?
I have heard of bad smells from certain kinds of bad paint batches. Did you paint recently?
Does it change with the humidity? That might be a clue.


I think the question you're asking is whether the joint compound will crack around the plugs if you don't tape the joint.

Probably.

But that depends on:

How well you replace the plugs. If you don't center them perfectly, leaving uniform gaps, the joint compound has nowhere to go  in the tight spots and you're left with a paper-thin skin on the surface that's sure to crack.
How well you press mud into the gap. Same reason.
Your climate. Extremes of temperature and humidity will probably crack untaped joints.
How you use the lath. If you use just one the plugs can move more and will probably crack. If you use two, well spaced, and 8 screws, probably not.

What I'd do:

Since it's only 17 plugs, run a strip of tape down one side, and a strip down the other, covering as much joint as possible with the two. The remaining untaped joint segments will be short enough that they're not likely to crack. This will take very little time. A 12" or larger knife will allow you to make a nice wide second coat over everything and end up with a finish that will require very little sanding.


What's an easy way to clad timber frame wall so as to be weatherproof?

paint the plywood before you install it, and afterwards paint the nails.

You can probably paint the nails with a small roller on an extension handle instead of using the ladder.

Consider using fibre-cement (eg Hardieflex) instead of plywood.


Do I need to do some drying before filling a small gap in the bathroom caulking?

OK, you had me at "a bulge with cracking". This is a little scary. Even though you don't feel any moisture doesn't mean it's not pooling on the top and rotting the wood. Tubs are heavy and tubs filled with water are a lot heavier. I really think you need to check into this a whole lot more unless you want a tub in the basement. You mentioned LVT flooring in the bath. You might want to consider removing a few planks and examine the subfloor. Hopefully some planks were leftover from when the floor was put down. If you determine all is good, a good silicone caulk applied after everything is dry and scraped clean is all you need. As mentioned above, try to eliminate the water running down the side or at least throw a towel down there before showering. Good luck.


What type of insulation should I use if my in-wall oven is heating the surrounding cabinets?

I would not recommend additional insulating wrap for the unit itself, this could cause it to overheat and malfunction... or even catch on fire. You should be able to find the model and serial #s on a placard inside the door.   Check the manufacturer's minimum clearance requirements, if the cabinets are too close then you have the wrong oven or improperly constructed cabinets.

You may be able to add a layer of 1/4" drywall (or some other insulating layer) to the inside of the cabinet compartments, this would slow down the heat radiating from the unit to the cabinets. But make sure manufacturer required minimum clearances are maintained.


Why does my ceiling fan pop and sizzle at one speed setting but works fine at another?

Is the fan safe to operate?

A burning smell from an electrical appliance (other than a toaster) is a sign that it is time to replace the item.

Sizzling sounds combined with burning smells are sometimes a precursor to burning the house down.

Melted electrical insulation reduces the electrical safety of the item and could lead to electric shocks (and possibly death).

I'd stop using it until it is removed (with power off at circuit breaker) and repaired or replaced.

   What should I check for?

I'm not familiar with these units but, from your description, it is probably a fault in a switch operated by the chain. It may be that dirty contacts at one position are causing arcing. Arcing causes a sizzling sound, Arcing causes heating and that causes barning smells as nearby non-metal parts are burned (eventually they may melt or catch fire)

Arcing is when sparks are jumping across a small air gap where the switch contacts are pitted, corroded or dirty.

In principle it may be possible to clean-up the contacts (which may only be a temporary cure) or replace the switch (if spare parts are available). You might need to replace any other parts damaged by heat.


What's the point of a thin (1/4" width) piece of wood set diagonally between two studs?

I would knock that sucker out with impunity. If it is to serve some purpose, it most likely would not be code compliant. Fire blocking is the first thing that comes to mind, but it is only in one stud section.


The inside diameter (ID) of PEX fittings is smaller than the ID of the pipe, and the ID of the PEX pipe is smaller than the same size copper pipe.  When the system was designed, the outside diameter was kept constant but the inside diameter shrank (compared to copper).

This sounds like PEX might have much lower flow rates, but the silver lining is that PEX is flexible so it has a lot fewer fittings.  The change in direction in fittings of copper pipe is a flow bottle-neck even if the fittings are larger than the pipe ID.  It's possible to have an entire run of PEX with no fittings at all until it comes out of the wall.

Now, even with that advantage PEX might have a lower flow rate, but it should still be much higher than any point of use calls for outside of a bathtub.  Also, new PEX installs use a manifold system so you don't have 2-3 points of use coming off of one 1/2" line.


How to Drywall Around Wood Extending From Ceiling

You don't box around that unnecessary wall plate. You remove it--it's part of the wall you removed--then fill the drywall gap. If you lack drywall backing because the joists are parallel, simply float some scrap wood across the gap and screw it to the existing drywall.


What could cause a crack in the drywall where the wall meets the ceiling?

You indicate that you have been in a drought since October.  Combine cooler weather, better insulated roof, and heat being on; the structural framing of the house may have shrunk.
I experience some "seasonal" cracking and shrinkage in my home.  See what it looks like in July/August, if the condition persists, consult a local experienced contractor.


You'll start by connect the grounding conductor to the green screw. The black wires that are currently attached to the old switch, will attach to the black and brass colored screws on the new switch. Finally you'll have to locate a grounded "neutral" wire; or group of wires, within the box. Using a twist-on wire connector, connect a short bit of wire to the grounded "neutral" wire(s). Connect the other end of the short bit of wire, to the silver screw on the new switch.


Any floor that is rated for humans and their furniture is more than capable of handling a 65 gal fish tank.  Typical tank tables have only 4 legs, but even that means <=200 pounds per leg, which is on the order of a person standing on one foot.  You have nothing to worry about. <-- unless your joists are way out of code.


T&P Valve dripping after connecting new lines to water heater

I often pop the T&P a few times quickly and tap the rod to seat the valve firmly. It works more often than not. Also when you drained your tank, did you open the T&P for relief air? If so, next time don't. I see guys opening it to drain the tank. Then I see guys replacing leaky T&P valves.


good job at getting it running again. I have seen contactors fail in a short period of time when the pressure tank bladder failed also if there is a starting capicator in that control box it can be failing causing the above problems with wiring and contactors, As for the pressure gauge these are bordon tube gauges a bent hollow tube filled with water, the gauge works because the outside of the tube has a different force than the inside once the gauge freezes it usually distorts the gauge to the point it won't work, so it is time for a new gauge. You should be looking into the start / run capacitor that may be the root cause of the damage to the contactor/ wiring .


Ceiling paint peels while rolling new coat

Yes, but you won’t like it...

Had this before, and you have to remove the old paint back to a secure, stable layer.

Think yourself lucky - we had to do it on the ceiling of a paper mill.. hundreds of square metres...


Knot stains happen when the sap of real wood transfers through the paint.  Knots are full of sap, and don't fully dry out when the boards are processed.  This can't happen with drywall.

What does commonly transfer through drywall is water, and I would guess that what you have here is a water stain.  It could be a leaky pipe fitting, or it could be condensation from an A/C line if that happens to run through the wall, but I admit that's probably not very common.

Since the house is so new, just call the builder.


How to deal with seasonal expansion and contraction of wood indoors?

Jack's answer is completely correct. I will simplify the answer with some easy advice.  Use some acrylic painter's caulk in a caulking gun, never use a silicon based product in this situation. When you cut the tip, only cut off enough to leave about an 1/8 inch opening at the tip. You want to push out a very thin bead of caulk that can be "pushed" into the offending gaps. Smooth the caulk with a wet finger or damp cloth. This will remove excess caulk and/or push it into the gaps at the same time. This type of caulk is water soluble so clean up is easy.  Let the caulk dry as prescribed on the product tube before painting. Hint:  I have found that Dap painter caulk dries and stays very white as opposed to Liquid Nails brand that seems to have a more yellowish color when cured.  If you are going to paint, the cured color won't matter.


It is normal for all things to smell a little bit when they are brand new. (Think "new car smell"), but in your case, I think this goes past a factory fresh scent. You should consult your washing machine manual on how to run a "cleaner" cycle. Typically it is like 1/4 cup bleach or something on an empty cycle. This should get rid of any smells coming from it!


The only way the plenum can get hot enough to hit the high limit is lack of air flow.
Open all registers and dampers and take the filter out.
If it still gets too hot your central air "A"
coil may be plugged with dirt.


How do "infinite zones" in induction cookers work?

As far as I can tell, this means coil sections are added and removed to couple efficiently to the pot currently in use, monitoring whether power is being drawn or not. It is a bit nicer than having to be as aware of minimum/maximum pot radius for each inductor, which requires a bit if attention on my induction range.

Pick your price/features trade-off...

(I do like induction, generally; it behaves much more like gas in its immediate controllability, and you can do silly tricks like cooking with a paper towel between stove and pot to catch splashes... but remember that it probably will require a few hundred more dollars to replace nonmagnetic pots.)


Toilet does full-blast, one-second refill every hour or so

Add a few drops of food coloring into the tank after it has refilled before it kicks in again.  Mix it up a bit to make sure it is dispersed.  Then watch the bowl to see if any of that colored water leaks though.  If so, then you know for sure that you have a leaky flapper as others have described.  If not, then the issue is probably on the supply side.

Note, you might want to lower the level temporarily, just to make sure any of the colored water doesn't go down the overflow in the case the supply is putting the water in and it is not leaking.


Should a kitchen sink S-trap be replaced?

You have an "S" trap because the drain exits through the floor and is probably unvented.

A "P" trap is for a drain in the wall that is teed for a vent stack.

The major disadvantage comes because "S" traps are usually used in locations where they are either not vented or poorly vented on the outflow side and so can siphon off the water in the trap, leading to sewer gas backing up into the building.

For a short term fix, after using any quantity of water, pulling the plug in the sink will empty it vigorously and pull enough water out of the trap to break the water seal, run a pint out of the tap afterwards to make sure there's a water seal.

For long term repair, you would have to install a tee on the drain, run the output from the P trap into one leg and a vent to who knows where from the other side. Plumber consultation recommended before you end up with one of those plumber's nightmare constructions.

It is illegal in most localities to have S traps in new construction because of the siphoning.


switch loop wiring - basement lights - wiring diagram included

I'm guessing you could call this a modified switch loop. The loop switch I'm used to seeing is hot and neutral at the light, neutral connected to the fixture and always hot to a switch and a switched hot back to fixture... no neutral at switch.
What you've got here is a switched neutral modified loop which is bad because the fixtures are always hot even when the switch is off. This is probably not to code depending on where you're at. A way to fix it would be to tape all your white wires black and your black wires white at all the locations and switching the black and white wires in the junction box so all the black wires become neutrals and the white wires become hot. again, might not be to code depending on location. If the basement is unfinished, you might want to rip all this out and do it right.


How to extend my washing machine standpipe?

That should be easy. Start by figuring out how much additional height you need. Use a pipe wrench to loosen the faceted collar at the top of the trap, and the standpipe should just pull up and out of that fitting. Take it to a store and tell them you need a piece the same size but however-much longer. You may have to get something a bit longer than that and have the store cut it down, or use a hacksaw to cut it down yourself. Slide the new pipe into place, and use the wrench to tighten the collar of the slip-joint again to seal the connection.

(Depending on how it goes, you may need to repack the slip-joint to get a good seal. That isn't difficult either -- remove the ring entirely, wrap some rope packing around the pipe just above the junction (or install a new packing washer, depending on the age of the hardware), slip the ring back over the tube and tighten it onto the threads; doing so compresses the packing and makes the joint waterproof.)


Use a standard 1/8" blade, but make two passes that overlap by 1/16".


Can I install a new dishwasher or are there code changes

In general you do not have to upgrade when replacing an installed appliance, but I cannot speak for your state or municipality. In my state there is no need for even a permit as long as it is a replacement or repair. Unless there is a code violation or you simply want to upgrade for a more safe installation.

When I say code violation that would be the effective code that was in place during its installation. The famous "Grandfather clause".

Good luck


Sorry but shopping questions are off topic but Leviton sells 15 and 20 amp non tamper receptacles, in both spec grade and builder (crap) grade. Every big box store sells both tamper and old style in both 15 and 20 amp.


Why does my dishwasher fill when the machine is off?

Shutoff the water supply to the dishwasher and run water through the sink drain from the faucet.

If the flow of water stops to the dishwasher, then the problem is in the supply and Ed's advice is likely on track. If you find water filling the dishwasher with the supply turned off, then the problem is with the drain line. The drain needs to be attached to the underside of the counter or connected through an air gap at the sink to minimize the risk of water from the drain backing up and into the dishwasher.


ISSUE: Snowblower pushes snow (forward) rather than throwing snow out of the chute

My Craftsman 3/21 single-stage, 2-stoke snow-blower now works perfectly and discharges snow from chute as expected/desired.  Thanks to everyone that helped me solve this HI/DIY problem!!!

Corrective steps toward problem-resolution:

Replaced drive-belt (specification was 35"; my old one had stretched out by over an inch)
Replaced auger-blades (hard rubber) with new ones.  The old ones were worn-out and were not (almost) sweeping past the backboard near the chute.  The recommended gap is less than 1/4 inch.  My old blade had a gap of almost 3/4 inch
Sprayed snow/ice repellent near the neck of the chute to prevent ice build-up when dealing with wet-snow (as was the case today in Chicago).

BTW, I took this DIY opportunity to replace all screws & aluminum rivets with appropriate stainless steel nuts/bolts/washers.  It costed me an additional $6; however, I thought that it will save me a lot of time when it comes time to do maintenance on my snowblower some time in the future ... especially since the screws get rusted quickly as snowblowers are mostly/often used in wet conditions and we (at least I) often do not take the time/trouble of wiping the snow-blower after using it (since it is too cold outside).


What's a hinge called for a two-door corner cabinet?

"Lazy Susan hinge" or "corner cabinet hinge" should do.


What is the purpose of a bathroom exhaust fan?

Since yours vents into your attic space I would never use it either.  Probably the biggest use of a bathroom vent fan is to help keep mold down in bathrooms, especially in humid areas.  Lots of lawsuits against housing tracks have happened in humid areas where builders just put the cheapest fan in and a couple years later the residents find mold.  Most bathrooms that are bigger than a closet have undersized fans and don't really do anything but make noise.

Building code changes will happen, if not all ready changed, that homes will have to have a certain air exchange per hour.  This is because the modern homes are being built pretty much air tight, or about as close to it as you can get with doors, windows and other entry points for air to get in a house.  Builders are starting to use bath fans for this, and a lot of them are being designed to be used 24/7, with very little noise.

Either way, do not pump moisture into attic spaces.


Can I vent a stove hood and bathroom fan through the same duct?

Code says no, because you don't want to wind up with a greasy disaster on your hands later
Section M1503.3 of the 2018 IRC puts the kibosh on your duct-sharing plan:

M1503.3 Exhaust discharge.
Domestic cooking exhaust equipment shall discharge to the outdoors via a duct.  The duct shall have a smooth interior surface, shall be airtight, shall be equipped with a backdraft damper and shall be independent of all other exhaust systems.  Ducts serving domestic cooking exhaust equipment shall not terminate in an attic or crawl space or areas inside the building.
Exception: Where installed according to the manufacturer's instructions, and where mechanical or natural ventilation is otherwise provided, listed and labeled ductless range hoods shall not be required to discharge to the outdoors.

The reasoning for this has to do with the one thing that every range hood on the planet inhales: grease vapors.  While hoods in commercial service get far greasier than their residential counterparts, even a residential hood inhales enough grease that some will condense out onto the inside of the duct and make a mess there.  Even before you get to the obvious problem of a grease fire in your range hood spreading to the bathroom via the shared duct, you'd find yourself with an IAQ nightmare on your hands with cooking odors and stale, greasy smells getting into the bathroom via leakage in the non-return flappers.
And this is before you get to the IAQ nightmare that is bad bath odors invading the kitchen!


Can Invisible Dog Fence Wire be run in same Conduit with Cat6 for POE Cameras without Interference?

Most information I can find states that this type of product operates in the 7-10 Khz range.
As such, while I would certainly consider it preferable on general principles to separate it from the network wiring, I'd also consider it low-likelihood of causing notable interference with DC (POE) or 100 MHz (network) signals on twisted pairs doing differential encoding (which is what "Base-T" ethernet does.)
The twists cause any coupled signal to "self-cancel" as each twisted section opposes the signal picked up in the next turn of the twist, and the differential encoding means that only the difference in voltage on each pair is observed for network signaling. The fiber, of course, is completely immune.
On the third hand - "client" - Probably simpler to just tell them "no" than to buy into any (even remotely) possible problems this might cause. But depending on the client, and the budget, might be worth a practical test bundling 300 feet of dog fence wire with a couple of Cat6 (not in a trench for the test) and looking for any differences in signal behavior with the dog fence wire dead or active. At their cost for your time, not "for free."


How do I connect a dryer to a dryer vent?

What you've done sounds fine.

One thing to look for though is that your connections are the right direction. The female end of each tubing should be on the end closest to the dryer. This prevents lint from snagging on the sharp metal on the way through the vent system and creating a clog (a big fire hazard). With the female ends upstream, there won't be any sharp ends to catch on.


Most of the time you'll be better off using slow speed, high feed: i.e. slow drill speed and press hard. Bigger the hole the slower the speed. Small holes you might get away with a medium speed, anything over 10mm you need to be real slow. Judge your speed by your swarf. Nice long curls are perfect, but you'll need good bits.

Oh, and don't forget to use lube. Water in a squirty bottle gets used a lot around here if the proper stuff has gone walkies.

Drilling dry overheats and kills bits faster than anything.

Remember to dry off though if you don't want rust.


Adding a pergola to my deck; ok to replace corner railings posts with pergola posts?

I would build it around, not connected to, your deck.

Bury your posts 4 feet in the ground  in-cased in concrete, Use a post protectors around them for longer life. ( With the post protectors you do not have to use concrete, i would. )

This will insure that racking is minimal with the lack of room for knee bracing that  you have and what little racking there may be would not be transferred to your deck, which could weaken/loosen your deck over time.

Added bonus: You could make it bigger, wider, taller; extend it out from the house/deck further. Think Larger deck in the future, more grapes.


How to remove ice maker from Miele / Liebherr freezer?

I worked it out after watching a YouTube Video about the Liebherr CS 2061 Ice maker Tray replacement. Apparently my Miele freezer is a Liebherr freezer re-badged.

How to remove

There are two retaining lugs in the middle (from the point of view of front to back).

(Ice maker is upside down in this photo and the next one).

These engage against two moveable lugs at the top of the freezer, circled:

Use a couple of chopsticks or screwdrivers to push both lugs up simultaneously, whilst pulling the ice-maker towards you (having two people might help). When the lugs release it should slide out forwards.

There is a control cable on top, prise the rubber covering aside, and then slide the connector upwards. Then the ice-maker can be completely removed.

The (outside) screw visible in the second picture is not relevant to removing the ice-maker. It holds the motor in place.

To replace

Re-attach the control cable, and then slide the ice-maker firmly back into place. The lugs should snap back into position to retain it.


Why won't my deadbolt unlock and how can I fix it?

You'll have to remove the dead bolt and thumb turn mechanism in order to inspect it. It could just be gummed up in which case it needs to be cleaned and lubricated, but also common is someone forcing the lock and bending a component.  If bent, you can try and straighten whatever is bent with a pair of pliers, but if it bent that easily it is probably a low-end deadbolt in which case it's probably better to replace it.  A locksmith can key a new deadbolt to your current key if that is a concern.  There might also be debris lodged in the mechanism which can be removed.


Would it make sense to peel off paint from peeling bathtub

I'm not sure if there is a correct answer. Stripping off all the paint would be a job, especially where it may be well adhered.  I think you would be well served to remove any loose areas as they develop until you are ready to do a complete refinish. When you do the refinish, then it will be necessary to strip all the paint and etch the original porcelain before proceeding.
.


What glue to bond metal and plastic in cold weather?

Some sort of 2 part epoxy should hold up pretty well. Araldite is a common brand in the UK. For best results, try to remove the old glue so the bond is to the plastic itself, scuff both surfaces with sandpaper, then clean with something like alcohol to ensure the best bond. Allow to dry before applying epoxy. It's important to use the specified proportions of resin and hardener (usually 50:50) and that the two are well mixed. The epoxy should cure at room temperature or as specified, but once fully cured it will hold up under fairly extreme temperatures. It is also waterproof and resistant to most chemicals.

Be sure it is only applied to surfaces intended or materials disposable. It usually is impossible to remove once cured except by grinding away.

Besides epoxies, polyurethane based adhesives work well also. The two part versions are stronger but the more common one part formulas work quite well too and are more convenient to use. Such adhesives can be found in sizes anywhere from small craft quantities up to large tubes of construction adhesive by the case. Note that not all construction adhesives are polyurethane based.


Can water hammer be fixed by replacing a tap?

My answer is based on this:

I have a mixer tap in the kitchen that has been causing an INCREASING amount of water hammer

It sounds like the plumber properly diagnosed the issue and can see that the valve is worn out. The more you use it then the more worn out it gets thus explaining the increasing amount of water hammer.
If the issue can be solved without a water hammer arrestor then I would go for that solution. Consider the pros of not installing an arrestor:

One or more fewer points of failure

The tap is required, an arrestor is an accessory

Arrestors can fail for various reasons and the hammer will return

If you install an arrestor then you're only hiding the problem.
Yes, the arrestor will absorb the noise but all that water force is still being exerted in your pipes. If you're only taking care of the symptom then the water hammer can still cause joints to fail and then you'll have a much bigger problem on your hands.


My neighbor went to the Lowes or home Depot, I do not know which one, and bought a step renewal kit that consisted of treads and riser covers. He and I installed them on his stairs that ran from the lower to the upper level of his home. The stair kit came in several different finishes. He chose the finish his wife wanted. When completed the steps looked great and his wife was very happy. (You know what that means). They were fairly easy to install. If you are not good with tools ask a neighbor or friend to help. My 2 cents.


A whistling sound at the return often indicates the grill is too small relative to the duct attached to it.

Does consistently leaving the doors open allow the system to sufficiently heat and cool the home?

For most bedrooms with more than 100 cfm of supply aor a 1 inch door cut is not sufficient opening for return air. If you have carpet installed it is likely you have less than 1 inch. Transfer or jumper ducts may help alleviate the pressure the home inspector noted. This can be easily checked with a manometer. The pressure difference between the room and the central area where the return is located should be 3 pa. or less.

Experiment by leaving all the doors open (as much a possible) for several days first. If leaving the doors open and/or providing better return circulation does not resolve the issue, then other help is needed.

Based on your other it sounds like you need a competent HVAC tech to troubleshoot and balance your delivery system. It is also possible that you are undersized or there are some other issues (like excessive duct leakage, or set up issues) if you are having trouble maintaining the desired thermostat set point.


Why do I hear water flowing in a floor drain near commercial bathroom fixtures?

The sound you hear is the “primer” releasing a “squirt” of water into the floor drain. The primer is activated when a nearby water valve is activated. In your case it’s the urinal valve.
The floor drain has a trap that blocks the smell from the sewer lines from flowing back up the sewer lines and into the room and building.
Primers are placed on drain lines and traps because they do not get a regular flow of water to keep the trap full.
Because you didn’t complain about a sewer smell, I know your primer is working.


What do I need to switch power automatically from utility to solar offgrid inverter with no downtime at all during the transfer?

As mentioned in comments, typical inverter switch times are fine for most devices.

The only way I know of to literally have NO downtime is dual-conversion, where your inverter is supplying the AC power 100% of the time, and your grid power is converted to DC and fed into the battery / DC input of the inverter.

That has built-in inefficiencies (thus, wasted power), but is "zero-switch" time as there's never a switch on the inverted power, you just go from float-charging the batteries from AC & solar to drawing down the batteries/solar.


The same two wires that connect to the dimmer connect to the new switch. Ground is extra, but for switching purposes, the two wires connected to the dimmer connect to the switch. Polarity, or which is which don't matter.


How do I tighten an out-of-reach PVC pipe fitting?

put a wall access panel in the ceiling below the shower

http://loftsandladders.co.uk/plastic-loft-hatches.html


How do I repair a door jamb that has soft and split wood at the hinge in my 100 year old house?

The short answer is longer screws, plus some glue.

There should be plenty of extra room for longer screws on both the door and the jamb. If the hinges are brass, solid brass screws are best.  Pre-drill. At the same time stick in a small strip of wood soaked in wood glue into each hole just to be sure.  Toothpicks, chopsticks or similar dry wood work well.

For bonus points sand off the lacquer coating on any solid brass screws you buy, so they will tarnish faster and match your hinges.


here a common construction is 1/2 or 5/8" plywood or more recently 23/32 OSB.  Both are often rough.  Next layer in cheap construction is some form of particle board, then carpet over that.  This, especially if done with cheap carpet is the lowest cost way to do a floor.

This substrate is also ok for laminate floors.

If you want to put down vinyl sheet flooring you need to upgrade the surface to something smoother, although there are now loose lay vinyls (thicker, stiffer) that do just fine on an OSB floor.

If you want to put down tile (I like tile for areas that get wet) then you need a thicker foundation to lay tile on.  In my laundry I bent the rules and used that same 23/32 OSB on the 5/8 plywood first layer giving me 1 3/8" total sub floor on 12" spaced joists.  The OSB got 2 coats of white paint to seal it, then I laid 12" tiles on it in a running bond pattern.  The floor has been zero problem now for 14 years.  (Tile doenn't bend.  Easy bend test.  Put a pie pan of water on the floor.  shine a flashlight on the pan from some supported point.  Look at the refected spot.  Now walk.  If the spot goes crazy, you need to consider a different flooring option.  Repeat the test at a friends house who has a tiled floor.  See the difference.

Your best solution would be to replace the soggy bits with exterior grade plywood, then use a water resistant top layer such as loose lay vinyl secured at the edges with double sided carpet tape, and a bead of silicone caulk on the perimeter of the room.

A cheaper solution would be to use 90 day exterior rated OSB, and a decent brand of vinyl plank floor.


Rental equipment selection for digging 52" deck footings?

Having dug footings before by hand (2-man auger, clamshell digger and shovel) I would definitely suggest the Dingo for this project. I did 5 with the auger and 2 with clamshell (because it was near utility lines) but 20 footings is a lot and you should keep this simple and quick, letting the machine do most of the work.

Note- clamshell post-hole digger example:

A clamshell is not better than 2-man auger, it's a lot more work but you have to hand dig near utility lines. The 2-man auger has 4 handles and the motor in the middle, one man operates from one side and the other stabilizes as it digs. It's fast but it's a lot of exertion, especially for as many footings as you're talking about.


Uneven/big gap between door and stop trim weatherstip will not seal

Yes typically you set the stop to the door. Before you do though check that the door is resting even with the outside of the jamb. If it's not, insert some thin cardboard shims behind the hinges in such a way that it "twists" how the door hangs and/or adjust the strike plate to correct that issue before resetting the stop. Remember to leave enough room for your weather strip. Cheers!


Light bulb spins in recessed but won't unscrew

Probably the glass bulb has separated from the base.

Wear eye protection and heavy gloves.
Turn off power to the socket.
Pull the glass portion of the bulb out forcibly, breaking it if necessary.  By spinning it around several times, you might be able to keep the glass intact and simply break the wires to the base.
Unscrew the base from the socket by whatever means is convenient:  pliers, cardboard tube (like from a toilet paper or paper towel roll, with one end squished to fit), potato (video, text), etc.


Sounds like you have tried the basic items.

You could try replacing the breaker.

If you continue to have a problem then you will have to call an air conditioning service technician to check the unit out completely.

Good luck!


How many wires is too many for an outlet?

The receptacle manufacturer should document how many wires can be put where. In general, if there are screws, you can use at most one wire per screw. For quickwire/backwire holes, you can only use one wire per hole, and further, that one wire can only be 14 gauge. Previously, 12 and 14 gauge were allowed for quickwiring, but not any more. The only kind of receptacle where you can directly attach a whole bunch of wires are those where the screws tighten down a bar onto another bar. Then, you stick stripped wires between the two bars and tighten the top one down to clamp them between the two bars; you can run quite a few through there.

Another limiting factor is box sizes. Boxes have a fixed wiring volume, and there are rules for working out the minimum volume box needed to accommodate a given number of wires, devices, and clamps. Assuming you're working with 14 AWG grounded cable, I'd expect the box to accommodate 4 hot + 4 neutral + 1 device + ground wires, so 10 wire volumes, and 14 AWG is 2 cubic inches per wire, so you'd need a 20 cubic inch box. That's a bit on the large size for a box holding a single receptacle, but there are boxes and box configurations (box + mud ring) that would accommodate that many wires, so it's not unreasonable.

As for wiring everything together, you should pigtail everything and then hook up the pigtails to the receptacle. The pigtail presents a single wire for slipping under the screw terminal. Remember to wind the J-hook you'll slip around the screw in the direction that you'll turn the screw to tighten it, so down on the left side and up on the right side.


How should a water heater drain pan be installed on a concrete slab floor?

Installing a pan under a water heater is always a good idea.  As a contractor, I have responded to many leaking tanks over the years and a drained pan would have made the situation a lot cheaper and easier for the customer. the leak is one thing, but the collateral damage is another.  If you have clearance above the water heater, you could raise the level with a few concrete patio blocks so it could drain down to the shower drain. If you have a sump hole in your floor, that is a good option. If using a shower drain, this assumes you can tap into it above the trap. Plumbing it into the washer drain might be tricky because you would need a pump to lift the water to the drain inlet.  Not seeing your set up makes it difficult to say for sure. There are also simple alarms that sense water and sound an alarm etc.  This would give you a heads up before the pan over flows and floods the floor.


Sanity check on hot water line for dishwasher installation where there wasn't one before

The types of fittings that you linked are compression type fittings that are meant to be used where a compression ring is placed around a smooth copper or nylon copper water delivery pipe. Your setup is using the flex braided water connection hoses and really should use the proper type fittings.

If I was addressing this connection problem I would focus on replacing the coupling nipple at this connection:

(Picture source from question at this posting)

Note that your sink unit flex pipe ends with a 1/2" fitting.
Replace the nipple with a 1/2" NPT Tee fitting like this:

(Picture source from amazon.com)

Then adapt the branch of the Tee to fitting with a 1/2" female NPT to 3/8" MPT fitting to connect to the dishwasher supply line using a fitting that looks like this:

(Picture source from amazon.com)

Technically the only fitting threads that need the Teflon plumbers tape are those where the water seal is made with the threads themselves such as between the Tee branch and the 1/2" to 3/8" adapter as suggested above. The braided hose connections typically have a black or red rubber washer inside the female coupling nut that is designed to seal against the end of the mating male fitting and so no plumbers tape is really needed there. Some folks however seem to like to use the tape on all the threads such as where the nipple was installed in your pictures between the two flexible lines.


If the damage is fairly small and the paper on the sheetrock has not bubbled or separated, just let it dry out well and prime the water stained area with Bins pigmented shellac, then paint the area. Hopefully you will get a good color match as a touch up.


In my humble opinion, it isn't a good or safe idea to try and fix them. The bi-metal that controls the heat range of the burner is more than likely fatigued and can't be replaced. The switches are bracketed together in such a way that they are not meant to be taken apart and if you do, it's hard to get them securely put back together. Even if you could repair it, it would only be a temporary fix and could go out at any time or really over cook your food. Just get some new switches and do the job right.


How to Reduce the Size or Bridge the Gap of a Vinyl Floor Expansion Gap

Use a traditional baseboard. If you're concerned about moisture, instead of wood/particle board, get PVC. There is plenty of nice stuff available like this one from Home Depot

You should be able to find one with a just-wide-enough base. If not, use something simpler and add a matching 1/4-round.

You can paint the baseboard the same color as your walls or a contrasting color.


Replace a motion-sensor/timer with simple single pole switch

Switches that do something more than just "switch", often require neutral - timers, sensors, smart switches, etc. Ordinary switches do not require neutral. You actually have the opposite of the usual problem - someone who needs neutral but doesn't have it because it was not always required to be available. So your problem is easy to fix!

Cap the neutral

This is the simplest solution. If you had only one neutral in the box then that would be the thing to do - cap it with a wire nut and a piece of electrical tape to keep it secure since wire nuts do not always hold well with a single wire.

Remove the neutral.

If your neutral, as is often the case and appears to be the case in your box, goes to a bunch of other neutrals on a wire nut, remove the neutral wire from the wire nut and replace the wire nut. Or better, put on a new, appropriately sized, wire nut, to hold all the other neutral wires together, as reusing old wire nuts is iffy at best.


Steel studs for interior partitions are C shaped and very thin material (see picture below). This means that 16" metal studs on-center actually have room to fit ~16" of material where wood members spaced 16" on-center have space for pretty close to ~14.5" of material in between.

Per the dimensions on the Roxul site in your link, the difference between the wood stud and metal stud versions are exactly for that reason. The metal studs versions are an extra inch wider. Comparing products for 16" on-center spacing: 15.25" for wood studs, 16.25" for metal studs.

You could probably make the metal stud version work for wood studs, but you would need to either:

Compress it by one inch to get it to fit. Compressing insulation reduces its effectiveness, so you will no longer get quite the same advertised R-value.
Cut one inch off of one side along the whole vertical length of every batt. If its faced insulation and you opt for the cutting route, make sure to leave the facing intact so you can still use the facing to secure it to the studs. I haven't seen the metal stud version in person, but I would imagine that the insulation extends all the way to the edge of the facing one one side to fill the void on one side of the steel stud, so this would be the side to cut off insulation.

Personally, I would try to get the right material for the type of framing to make installation easier and/or get closer to the advertised R-value.


Your question is fairly broad without device information, but the theory is sound. You essentially pressurize your home with dry dehumidifier exhaust to expel humid interior air. This depends, of course, on your home not being perfectly sealed. This isn't a problem as no home is.

The challenge will be ducting the air into your home in such a way as to not create new leaks that will negate the benefit of the dehumidifier.


Better replace those LEDs with incandescent lights.

I recognize that switch. It is an X-10 brand, WS467 Dimmer module.

Here's the manual.

This switch can be controlled in person with your finger, or remotely with a plug-in or wireless controller.  Hopefully the seller left behind some controllers for you.  Otherwise you'd need to buy one to take advantage of remote control.

Basically the larger top momentary pushbutton is the normal on/off control.
The smaller bottom toggle is to 'lock' it off so that nobody can turn it on remotely.


Should I remove chipped lead paint from door frames or seal and paint over?

If the top layer of paint is peeling/chipping away, it will probably continue to do it over time and you'll be stuck repairing it in the future. Getting rid of the problem would be your best bet which was my over cautious sister's approach. I used CitriStrip and also some Peel Away to remove all the built up paint right down to the wood. No sanding was required to remove the paint, just wiped it off after letting the paint remover do its job. No fumes and no airborne particles. We were then able to finish the wood with a stain and it turned out great.


Is it safe to cut throught a 70mm spruce beam with a Metabo jigsaw?

Yes, the problems you mention are possible if you try to advance the jigsaw too aggressively and even with thinner materials. Just don't advance it too fast and especially don't force on the jigsaw and it'll be fine although rather slow.

The other side is that those 10cm blades are rather expensive and you might be much better off just using a handsaw for the few cuts you need.


where should I install the bypass duct and humidistat of a whole house humidifier

The intake duct comes from the heated air supply -- so basically the closest place you can get it before any of your zones (to ensure it is getting air anytime the furnace is on, regardless of zone).

The humidistat can go anywhere it's able to sense humidity, though many have a probe designed to stick into the airflow of a duct. If duct-mounted, the normal place is to put it in the return vent before the humidifier: this gives a good overall sense of humidity levels in the house. For the most part, the house will mostly be at a uniform humidity level, but temperature can affect humidity so if there are rooms/areas of significantly different temperature they might have a different level.

Here's my setup, for reference:

I used a piece of 5" semi-rigid flex duct and a couple of adjustable elbows.

Initially I was using the humidistat shown here, but I've since switched to having it controlled by my thermostat, which automatically adjusts the humidity based on outdoor temperature to keep it as high as possible without getting condensation on the windows.

Also, if it came with a saddle valve, do yourself a favor and throw that in the trash. You'll have to turn the water on and off a couple times a season and saddle valves fail (by leaking and/or not shutting off) after a half dozen or so cycles. Buy a decent brass quarter-turn valve with a compression fitting sized for whatever supply tube you're using.


How do I determine when the temperature will be safe to pour concrete without additives?

Since you're in Gerogia you might not have this readily available, but in Minnesota we use hydronic heaters and insulated blankets to both thaw frozen ground if needed and to help concrete cure for a few days in below freezing weather. A hydronic heater is a a portable pump that forces heated water through flexible hoses laid over the concrete.

To answer your question, no you won't need to heat curing concrete if the temperature stays above freezing. Just let it cure a few extra days, or wait the full 28 days if you're extremely concerned.

Concrete that cures at a lower temperature is actually stronger after 28 days than concrete that cures at a higher temperature (assuming it doesn't freeze!) Source: Role of Concrete Curing


How do I nicely cover this floor pipe in the basement?

I would switch it out for a flush cleanout plug and paint it to match as close as possible. You should not cover or hide it because it is probably for sewer clean-out purposes.


Hot disconnected/ Neutral still connected OK?

I ended up using trial and error to go through each neutral to figure out which one went to the range hood wire. Took a little bit of time but this way I can safely disconnect the wire and cap both ends. Might as well do it now while I have everything torn apart.


How to efficiently circulate air to keep room cool?

A common method of equalizing the temperature across a room is to add a ceiling fan.

Cool air tends to stay near the floor, and a fan can be set to pull the air upwards.  As it hits the ceiling, the air is pushed outwards to the edges of the room. Because cool air is heavier than warm air, it then moves downward, better distributing the temperature.

A very low setting can be used to avoid noise and strong air currents.  This is easier with fans that have variable speeds, which is common with remote control types.

This technique is also used to circulate warm air for heating systems that need help with temperature distribution.

SUPPLEMENT

The ceiling fan should be placed near the center of the room. Most fans are reversible. The fan should be set to blow upward, if possible.

Floor fans can also be used.

Similarly, a pedestal fan.

If using a floor or pedestal fan, place near the air conditioning flow and direct the fan upward and toward the other end of the room.


Something like this?

A framing angle.

Home Depot and Lowes both will have them or similar in the lumber departments.


Does insulating an Air Conditioner from inside (for winter) increase chance of damage?

The cold won't harm the AC units the internal components of the compressor are hermedicly sealed. The fan bearings are usually double shielded so there is no problem there. It's really not much different than storing then in an unheated storage space.


What is that dripping noise I hear in the wall whenever cold water is used after sitting awhile?

I was reading the explanation provided here:

https://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/t30903/

I have the same problem and agree with most likely the fact that is expansion of pipes.


Why does my kitchen faucet's hot water line rattle and lose pressure?

If you're only opening it just a bit, then it can be thermal expansion.  When the hot water reaches the valve, it can cause some component to lengthen slightly, closing the valve a bit more than it was.

I've seen that exact behavior on bathtub valves as well.  If the behavior is new, it could be that a washer is staying compressed when cold and is expanding only when it gets warm.  If so, replacing the washer may change it up.

Does it cut back 50% if you open the valve all the way, or only if you open it a "normal" amount?


How can I change the final position of a threaded-in faucet?

Unscrew it and apply a bit more (or less) thread tape. Or use thread compound, which is a bit more forgiving of tightness.


What kind of thermometer do I use to check dryer temperature? Can same one be used to check stove temperature?

I expect people repairing appliances either use

a k-type thermocouple attached to a suitable multimeter.
a thermometer specific to the type of appliance.

The key factors are probably temperature range, accuracy and the mechanical details.


Regular Outlet Tripped, Now Various Outlets Are Dead

Another backstab casualty

We get these all the time.

First, the arc flash when you opened up the first box had a simple reason: the receptacle shifted position, and the "hot" screws on the side of the receptacle hit the grounded metal box.  Possibly contributing was the screws being all the way out in their highest position, because the screws were not used to attach the wires.  This surge was massive, in the hundreds of amps, and it caused the root problem.

The root problem is most likely one we've seen before: "backstab" connections in receptacles upstream of the incident socket.  Backstabs are intended for high production assembly of house wiring e.g. In developments.  The "electrician" jabs the wires in a hole, and the hole grabs the wire. However, these make "point" contact with the wire in just 2 places, quite unlike the long edge contact you get on a side screw.  As such, they are very vulnerable to "failing open" under heavy load, even when loaded only with ordinary household loads such as a 12A heater.

This is made much worse when a wire is pried out of a backstab, and the hole reused; extracting the first wire weakens the spring.  It is, after all, only 1 of 4 springs in a 60 cent socket.  I've seen backstabs designed to make edge contact, but they respond badly to side strain on the wire, and it's hard to avoid that when shoving wires into the junction box.

The upshot is, I bet you will find a lot of backstabs in this house.  If you knew the circuit layout, you could focus on the first failed outlet and the one before.

Twist/pull the wires out of the backstabs, don't cut them because a) it's a waste of precious wire length, and b) you can then inspect the wires for evidence of arcing. Move them to the side screws, and torque firmly (Code now calls for a torque screwdriver).  Also run down all the side screws.  Bonus points for wrapping the outlet a few turns of electrical tape to cover all the screws.  Don't back screws all the way off, that wrecks the receptacle.


Looks like Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT). I doubt if there is grout between the tiles.

The edges of the tiles are chipping because the subfloor is flexing too much. This may be from the subfloor spanning too far or dryrot has decayed the subfloor.

You’ll need to replace the tile and check the subfloor and underlayment. Before you remove the tile, you should check to make sure it’s not asbestos or the glue is not asbestos. (Most asbestos tiles are 9” x 9” square, but there are other types too.)


a yellow box called d.e.m f3cc73002v5

That would be an interference suppressor. It has a useful circuit diagram on it which shows how it should be connected. It also shows what it contains (three capacitors and a bleed resistor)

Some images from eBay:

L is the live wire in brown insulation
N is the neutral wire in blue insulation
The terminals at the top of the picture are for the earth wire in green/yellow striped insulation.

Note that the middle brown wire has a plastic insulating shroud to keep it apart from the blue wire. That protection is important.

However if all these have been ripped out by force there may be damage that needs repair.

All the connectors on this device are male spade connectors. The wires that connect to them should have female spade connectors crimped onto them. If they have been pulled forcefully off, they are likely to be damaged - check that there are no broken strands.

A damaged wire or connection could start a fire.

A loose wire, could blow a fuse or trip a breaker or electrocute anyone touching the dryer.

The safest thing to do is to get a service engineer to check and fix it.


Yes - the rectangular hole on the right leads to a curved slot that holds the bolts used to secure your toilet.  Your slot is broken which means the right side of the toilet will not be secure.  This could (read will) lead to a rocking toilet (not in a good way) which will be followed by leaks (um, eww) and rotted subfloors or worse.

A repair flange like this will work, but a full ring like this is better.

And I'd lean toward a stainless repair kit so there is less worry in the future.


Possible downsides of plugging up small hole in foundation?

Those two holes are relieving hydraulic pressure and draining the soil outside. If you plug them, the pressure may build up and you could have water coming in somewhere else.

Is the water coming in now going into a sump? Is it wetting  the floor and causing high humidity in the "cellar"? It sounds like you might need a French drain outside the foundation to lower the water table around the foundation. But with the current situation maybe you could just fit flexible plastic hoses into the holes and conduct the water to the sump or to a drain.


Son accidentally painted my new cedar shake! How do I remove it?

There are definitely pain removers out there at the local hardware. They have lots of fumes though so you'll want to be ventilated (:


How can I detect reverse polarity on an ungrounded receptacle?

It is difficult to test without a ground reference.  One way to do this is with a very sensitive (very high impedance) voltmeter such as a digital voltmeter.  Make absolutely sure you are not grounded (and no pets or children are around).  Make sure the digital voltmeter is definitely on the voltage setting.  Plug one probe into one hole of the outlet, while the other probe is stretched out some distance.  There should be a "phantom voltage" reading of somewhere between a few volts to nearly the full line voltage (for you in North America that would be around 120 volts) when plugged into the hot side.  On the cold (neutral) side, there can also be some phantom voltage but it should be much less.

There is a potential harm in having the polarity reversed.  Lamps with screw in bulb sockets should always be polarized  so the rim of the socket (which is more easily touched) is connected to the cold side.  That way to be shocked you'd have to stick your finger all the way inside the socket (you would not do that).  With the polarity reversed, the hazard exists at the rim, which may have some exposure even with the bulb all the way in.

The hazard can also exist with older appliances that have the cold side intentionally connected to the appliance metallic frame.  That was the only way to make them safer before the grounded outlets became widespread.  But it required the outlet polarity be correct.

You can mitigate the hazard by using a ground fault current interrupting (GFCI) receptacle even without a ground wire available.  These devices do their intended function even without a ground wire attached.  The test button also should work (it cheats by running its 5ma current test between hot on the load side and neutral on the supply side ... not ground).  If you find a device where the test function fails to trip it, do not use it.  Mark the device as "UNgrounded" for circuits with no ground available.  Do not use an alternate ground source that is not part of the supply cable for this purpose.  Never use the neutral as a ground.

The most common hazard to people is being grounded when coming into contact with one wire that happens to be hot.  The GFCI will trip in this situation even though the current is as low as 2ma.  If a metal appliance has internally faulted where a hot wire has nicked or damaged insulation and is contacting the frame, this hazard exists with the frame of the appliance.  In grounded situations the ground wire would cause that to short circuit.


Unable to remove push-pull stopper from tub drain

You just have to grip the whole top assembly with a channel lock or vise grip, taking precaution to not damage the finish. Slowly turn counter-clockwise. Also trying squirting WD-40 with the tube under the cap, Wait a few minutes, and try again.  Removing the cap off the stem will reveal the pop-up mechanism.  I have a picture of my cap removed.  Either the cap will come off at the top or the whole stem will unscrew at the "Cross" about 1.5" down in the drain. The stem in the middle of the drain will unscrew from the cross bar you see even if the cap is stuck. Using WD-40 will either loosen the bottom or top or both. When using the Pliers, use a rag to protect the edge and give gentle twist counter-clockwise.

Also try this using a small wrench,  The size that slip on the flat sides on mine was 10MM,  about 3/8".  In the tub, it should be flat enough to just slip the wrench in.

IF the whole assembly is rotating, see picture below, then the retaining nut beneath the tub has loosened.  Remove the retaining nut, disconnect drain from downspout, and remove the complete assembly.


How to remove built-in shelf without damaging

Hard to tell how it's attached without taking it apart. It can't be just glue, so there must be something else. Could be dowels. Could be screws (in which case, the heads might be visible on the other side of the upright, where the piano book is sitting)

That shelf is a permanent part of the house, it wasn't built to be removable. It's going to be really difficult to remove, and there's no way to avoid leaving ugly scars behind. If I were you, I'd just leave it.

If you insist, then maybe you could use a flush-cut saw (and hope there aren't any screws or other metal in there).


Converting 3-gang electrical box to single

So I called my sweetie over, who is the resident chef, but knows nothing about electrical, and explained you had extra gang spaces and wanted to eliminate them.  Other than that, I did not "lead the question". The instant response: "This, please!"

See, now that's the difference between an electrician and a chef.
I've learned to be careful and avoid the "target fixation" which motivates many to do wiring that exactly complies with Code minimums... or is designed to min-max for minimum cost.  We don't work for electricity. Electricity works for us.  Usability is the reason we wire, not Code... and as for cost, most electrical stuff is laughably cheap compared to its value.


It won't work right.  It will overdrive the tube (or underdrive the tube) and you'd get short tube life.  It may flicker horribly.  It may not be able to strike.

Basically the same things that will happen if you put T12 tubes in a T8-ballasted fixture.

It's basically a dumb thing to do.

If you got a wrong thing, take it back and get the right thing.

This may not help, but.. You know, if you have a T8 fixture and it uses anything like standard tombstones (lamp sockets), they sell special extension tombstones to fit a T5 bulb.  Or if the fixture already has that upgrade, you can roll it back using standard tombstones.

Though the T5 is slightly more efficient, all things being equal.


replace remote control for ceiling fan with light to wall switches

What you propose is indeed possible. How difficult it is, depends on what wiring is currently in place.

You should start by connecting all the bare/green grounding conductors in the switch box together, including a pigtail to both switches. Other than that, it sounds like the wiring in the switch box is good to go.

If you want to control the fan with a wall fan control, you can install that in place of the fan toggle switch.

In the ceiling box, you'll likely find the 12/3 cable from the switch box. If the existing fixture uses a remote module, you'll likely find that either the black or red wire from the 12/3 cable is simply capped off. You'll see the black/red, white and ground wire connect to the remote module. The remote module should connect to the fixture with a black, blue, white, and bare/green wire.

If you want to remove the remote module, you should disconnect it from all the wiring. Once disconnected, you can remove the module, or cap off all the wires and leave the module in place.

To control the fan using only the wall switches.

Connect the white wire from the ceiling to the white wire from the fixture.
Connect the bare/green wire from the ceiling to the bare/green wire from the fixture. If the box is metal, include a pigtail to the box.
Connect the red wire from the ceiling to the blue wire from the fixture.
Connect the black wire from the ceiling to the black wire from the fixture.

Now the switch connected to the red wire, should turn the light on/off. The switch connected to the black wire, should turn the fan on/off (and optionally adjust the speed).


What component do I need to add my own "Private" electric meter

Yes, you can do that and as you have noted, there are many used KWH meters for sale on EBAY and other places.  A properly installed meter base along with a listed meter will do what you want and be compliant.  It's not uncommon for such meters to be used with solar energy systems and such.
I recommend the old-fashioned mechanical kind vs. the new digital models.  They are simpler and more reliable in my opinion plus they look cool.  I like the spinning disk vs. a tiny LCD "spinning" one way or the other.


Are old work electrical boxes acceptable for roughing in?

There is nothing in the NEC that says you cannot use old work boxes.  In some parts of the US and world there is a lot of plaster.  When doing a couple of flips in France the past year we used a tool that basically cuts a one inch line in the plaster and run electric through said lines and put in old work boxes (designed for plaster).

The issue of how secure the boxes are is totally up to your local building inspector.  If you in any way feel that they are not safe (not secured enough), call your city hall and ask to have the inspector come by.


I would use wood glue versus hot glue. If the existing hole isn't too big, just find a screw that fits the hole, put glue in the hole and run the screw in to the hole/glue. If the hole is too big for the screw, add a toothpick (as d. george suggested) to tighten it up and add glue and screw. If the hole is REALLY too big, drill it out to match the size of a wood dowel, glue the wood dowel into the hole with wood glue, let it dry, cut it flush, then screw in the latch.


How can I stop my radiators "clicking" when they're turned on or off?

This is the sound of metal pipes and radiator components expanding and contracting. As they do so, they rub against other fixed parts, like wood framing, brackets, etc. If they stick slightly, you'll hear a popping or clicking sound as they stick and unstick from the friction against this expansion and contraction. So the solution is to locate any points that are making sounds, ensure they have space to freely expand and contract, and eliminate any points that may stick by either changing how it's attached to the structure, or changing the materials to eliminate the friction.


Is installing an outlet inside a cabinet with LPG tank a good idea?

Not a clue in the Phillipines, but the wire can be lengthened to whatever you want, using a same sized wire - that only needs to have electricity for ignition.
The hole for the tubing - through what? Metal will need a grommet, wood needs just a hole, and the space for the bottle needs a bottom vent at least. I guess the regulator is on the bottle, so that could go outside, with a longer pipe through the wall (again, protected) if it's not going to be potentially stolen.


Will a 72 x 24 x 1 3/4" Maple tabletop sag if supported by only four legs?

There is a cool website that calculates sag based on a variety of inputs.  https://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator/

It also naturally depends upon where you attach the legs.  If they were set in from the ends a fair bit, that would go a long way in preventing sag.


There are many kinds of engineers and most are specialists like: civil (water, sewer, drainage, etc.); structural; mechanical (plumbing? HVAC, etc.); electrical; acoustical; etc.

Architects know building components like: windows, stairs, doors, roofing, etc. plus they know code issues like required setbacks, energy use (insulation, vapor barriers, etc.). They also know customary construction practices so you don’t get unusual joist spacing, etc. If they need electrical, plumbing, etc. help, let them hire the specialized engineer.

I’d go with an architect with residential experience. (Some Architects do schools, clinics, etc.) Ask for their resume and a list of references.

Btw, a residential architect will know a couple good contractors capable of doing the job on time and on budget. (Always get 3 bids for the work.)


Which NEC code sections deal with outdoor junction boxes?

Start with NEC 300.2 and keep reading.
I don’t see an issue the connections are in a box.
junctions underground for UF wire do not even require a box. in that case a listed UF splice kit would be needed (yours appears to be in conduit).
if they pulled the slack from the junction at your box not this one, you may have a case.
Since it is after the meter contact the electrical inspector and ask if a permit was required for the work and did they get one and was it inspected?
The grounding conductor (green wire) is normally required to be an irreversible compression type or welded. I can’t tell but the Polaris connections are acceptable in a box.
the top needs to be accessible not buried. I am not sure if your 4’ comment is the depth of the splice or box top. In conduit this is well below the requirement (safer).
Each jurisdiction has there own requirements that would pass in my state if the green wire is in a crimp connector or butt splice.


How can I determine why all the faucets are giving only warm water when turned to cold?

Check the temperature of the main home water supply pipe, and compare it to other pipes in the house. Nothing else will be colder, but the other cold water pipes shouldn't be much warmer.

If you find a presumed cold water pipe that's significantly warmer than the main supply, then you can search for the source of the heat. If, for instance, the washing machine is bridging its cold and hot source, then perhaps your cold water faucets are pulling some hot water through the washing machine.


I spend long time in picking lumber. What do you look for when selecting boards?

I literally buy pressure-treated wood sight-unseen.

I live near a chain of lumber yards that offers convenient delivery at a reasonable price.  They offer pressure-treated fence posts with a consistent quality level, which is appropriate for my uses of the lumber.  I can call them up, ask for a number of fence posts cut to a particular length, and arrange for delivery.  The men at the lumber yard choose the posts (presumably from the top of the relevant stack), cut the lumber to length, strap it together, and put it on their truck.  I receive it, verify that it looks okay, store it (with appropriate spacers between boards), and use it as I need it.  I treat the cut ends of pressure-treated wood, either shortly after receipt, or before installation.

What I mean by "looks okay":

straight lines
no visible bow
no visible warpage
knots are not large enough to compromise structural strength
minor "checking" (shallow cracks at ends of posts) is okay
no deep cracks (that would turn the wood grain into a giant splinter)
no bark in the lumber
consistent grain width
grain direction is consistent with the shape of the lumber