What are the small raised bumps on exterior painting?

First, you made a big mistake.  You relied on Google reviews.  It's known by everyone that the reviews are completely unreliable.  Google is one of the worst rating systems.  Yelp is much more accurate but you also have to be careful.  Currently, no rating system is even close to perfect so you have to look at several rating systems and read them to find out if they are fake.  For example, if you find tons of 5-star reviews in the same month, it's obvious that the company paid a company in China to write the reviews or they are even writing the reviews themselves!
This even occurs on Amazon.  You would think it's harder because you have to be a registered buyer with a credit card.  Not so.  Amazon is trying but not very hard to figure out a way to stop it but with the number of products out there, it's a losing battle.  You'll notice a lot of relatively new Amazon product releases with 5 star reviews in the 1st year.  If you are sharp enough, you'll notice that sometimes many of the names are foreign sounding.  Then, after you purchase the product and after one year of use, it doesn't turn out as you expected, you'll notice that the Amazon rating for that producted has plummetted to 3 or 4 stars as the recent 1 or 2 star start to average out the ratings.  It's a scam.  Companies will pay like $5 a review to people to write reviews because it creates a lot of money for them.
Now, Google doesn't even filter out the reviewers so the reviews are even more manipulated.  The company can write the reviews themselves!  As I said before, if you are sharp enough, you'll even notice that many of the reviews occur in spurts.  Just don't use Google as a method to find contractors.
The dots are not normal and you should say something.  There are a ton of reasons why the dots appeared.  It could be the humidity, quality of the paint, how they painted it on, etc.  They are air bubbles that haven't popped.  It may or may not be their fault.  For example, if the material is porous, it has more of a tendency to do that.  One brand of paint might cause it and another might not with that type of substrate.  Nevertheless, you need to tell the painter to go back and sand it out and paint it again.  In painting contracts, there is an expectation of a certain level of finish.  In the tier of finish wasn't stated, then it's expected that the finish is relatively smooth.  And, when I say finish, I don't mean gloss, semi-gloss, etc.  I am referring to something like this.  This refers to drywall but you can probably find the exterior paint version of it.  You have to pay a lot to get a level 5 finish.  This means it's absolutely smooth with no sign that skim coating was done.  But, it's reasonable to expect a level 3 finish which is a relatively smooth finish.
Did you put use a high gloss finish?  After they sand it, don't just allow them to paint over it and just feather the edges.  It'll flash.  This means that due to the component in the paint that makes it shiny, you can tell where they painted another layer.  On the other hand, you can cut them a break and don't require them to repaint an entirely new coat since it's outside.  It's up to you to decide to make a big deal of it.  I'm kinda' anal so I would make them paint that entire side of the wall again.
Just to let you know, I stay away from high gloss.  You really can't paint over it again.  Why?  Because it doesn't come off and when you paint over it, it starts to look globby.  Yes, it lasts longer but the next time you paint it, it looks not so good.  By the third layer, it looks terrible.  Yes, it looks great the first time, especially on trim but you need to think about the long-term that no one does.  If you don't know what I mean, go to any old house and look at the paint job.  You will almost definitely see places where they used hi gloss paint.  You'll see that those areas look so globby.  It's because age and weather will not remove that gloss paint although it will dirty it.  When you then put another layer to it, it builds up and up and up.  If you use something that is more matte, yes you will have to paint it earlier but that is the cost of keeping it beautiful for the long-term.
And, please leave a honest review about them on Google, Yelp, and others.  If they do a horrible job, please post that this did so and mention that the other reviews are probably fake.  As long as you are honest, they can't sue you.  I have been threatened with lawsuits and I laugh at the lawyers.  Some actually sue me and I countersue for a frivilous lawsuit and they lose big time.  They can't threaten you for speaking out.  That's one of the biggest protections in the Constitution.  Just report honestly.
Unfortunately, I admit that many times, my honest review of their poor performance sometimes does not have any effect.  But, you try your best to make the world a better place.  Do what's right.


How to add insulation to ducts in hot uninsulated attic?

Adding additional insulation can help a little bit but even R30 around ductwork really won’t pay back.
The R8 blanket or if flex pipe is really only stopping condensation.
The small air space is difficult to fully insulate I have seen foam board used and even spray on foam and with the system in an unconditioned air space even massive insulation R60 the air in the ducts still warms up when the system is idle.
The short time of warm air is due the difference in temperature.
Will additional insulation help sure but on hot days when the system starts blowing there may be a few seconds of warmer air because of the small area of the duct.
Early on I tried to eliminate that small warm blast by completely sealing , spray foam and even 2 layers of R30 insulation.
Small air voids in your case won’t be a problem as long as there is no pathway for air to flow, however I found that the cost verses results to be disappointing and will add when the owner wants but mention my early experience trying to do the same.  On several jobs where I was asked to add additional insulation the owner thanked me later for suggesting to power ventilate the attic space and found this to be a better solution because the temperature in the unconditioned airspace was reduced and the $ spent on this were more effective.


You can have multiple circuits in one box. But you have to:

Keep all matching hots, switched hots and neutrals of any circuit together
Keep all neutrals of different circuits separate (nobody would ever think, I hope, of combining hots of different circuits - and neutrals should not be any different (except MWBC...))
Connect all grounds together

So it sounds like the existing setup is a bit strange but not necessarily a problem, in and of itself. Grounding may be an issue, and is the simplest part, so let's tackle that first:
Grounding
Grounding can be through a ground wire or through a metal connection - e.g., metal conduit. In your case, you said "all 6 ground wires were capped under one nut". That sounds like all 3 cables in and all 3 cables out. You're set for grounding.
Box Fill
A box can only hold a certain number of wires and devices. The exact number depends on the dimensions of the box, the size of the wires (12 vs. 14) and a number of other factors. It gets complicated. Assuming that the existing setup is code-compliant, it is quite possible that replacing a simple switch with a timer may cause either code (calculated values) or practical issues with box fill. If that is the case (or "just to play it safe if you're not sure") removing one of the switches would likely solve the problem - giving you more room to work. However, removing a switch leads to...
Switch Requirements
Most rooms are required to have a switched light. Or rather, they have to be designed for a switched light, though nobody can force a homeowner to put in a light (or to change a light bulb that burns out). This can be done using a switched ceiling fixture or (as was the case with my house - first thing I got "fixed" when I moved in) a switched receptacle for a plug-in lamp. That is why you have a switched receptacle.
If you have another switched light in the same room as the switched receptacle then you should be fine. If you do not have a switched light then code may actually require you to keep that switched receptacle (or, alternately, change it to a switched ceiling fixture).
If you do remove a switch, best practice is to either remove the wires or cap them with wire nuts (so they could be used again in the future, and disconnect the wires at the breaker or prior junction so that you don't have extra, unknown, live wires in the box.
Combining Circuits
You may be able to combine circuits. That can help with box fill (both code and practical) because then you can remove some of the cables. However, you need to make sure that you are not going to end up with overloaded circuits. That is generally not a problem with LED lighting, but it is still a consideration. When you have any 3-way circuits you need to make sure that you are combining only at the "incoming power" switch and not at the "other switch" as you could end up with some wacky (and possibly dangerous) situations if you mess that up.
Neutral Problem
Harper pointed out that your neutrals are currently combined between circuits. You can't do that! You will have to match up each neutral with its matching hot/switched hot. Then combine each of those pairs of neutrals together. In the end, the number of neutral groups should be the same as the number of circuit breakers that are related to circuits in this box.
Timers and Neutrals
Many timers, smart switches and other devices require neutral. Code now requires neutral in most switch boxes for that reason. Based on your description, that should not be a problem here, with the possible exception of the 3-way switch (again, if it has "incoming power" then it is fine but the other 3-way likely does not have neutral).


What should I do with the ground wire on a replacement bathroom fan motor?

As long as the motor is solidly mounted to a metal bracket and in turn solidly screwed to the fan housing then the ground wire may not be needed. The old fan may have gotten it's equipment ground from this method so the new one can also.

It also possible that this replacement motor is also sold for appliances that have plastic housings so the ground tail is required.

If there is no grounding means existing then the same really applies. There is nothing I can think of that says if you have to replace a small motor like this that you have to upgrade the circuit feeding it.


LED ceiling fixture certain diodes blinking

I am wondering if it is something that I can fix?

See fixing a strobing LED driver ;-)

  Maybe replace that driver?

That will be easier. The main characteristics are a close match to the the constant-current rating - 500 mA and a voltage range that wholly encompasses the voltage range - 42 to 48 volts.

Before doing that, you can carefully measure the voltage across each of the LEDs or disconnect the LED panels from the fixture and test the LEDs individually in situ.


How to hook up a 240V 50Hz heat pump to 60Hz

Ask the manufacturer of the desired system how frequency sensitive their system is. Some equipment will work just fine at either 50 or 60 hertz with no adjustment, some will need some minor changes (move jumper or such), some will need major change (replace motors, or add variable frequency drive), some will not work without a rotary phase converter. Do not use a Variable frequency drive on anything other than motors unless endorsed by the manufacturer. Chances are you do not want to mess with a rotary phase converter.


Can I convince you to not do this ?

Honestly not trying to be an ass.

Please, please - Get a quote from a company that builds retaining walls.

The quote will cost very little or nothing.

You will be shocked at the cost, and not in a good way.

The quantity of material needed to build the wall, will amaze you.

Please get a quote or two first.

I promise you, you will not regret it.

Block walls work in compression, heavy things directly on top of them is fine.

Side to side, their goal in life is to tip over, and they are damn good at it.

Blocks work because they are tied to very solid, heavy things at the top and bottom that run the length of the wall, and have regular supports at a right angle to the length of the brick.

A 1' deep pile of soil, behind a 4' block wall, 1 block long, weighs 500 pounds.

The path of least resistance is to knock over the wall.

Blocks, attached with mortar, to the soil behind the wall about as strong as a 2x10 resting on its edge.

The question is more one of how many yards of concrete will you need to build the footing.


It is called a "hex key", "Allen key", or "Allen wrench".

You can also find socket wrench tools with this hexagonal drive shape. Hex key socket wrenches are almost always stronger than Allen keys, and less likely to round out the screw head.

Both the fasteners and the tools shipped with Ikea furniture kits are necessarily the cheapest that can still do the job, so it should be no surprise that the wrench seems too loose. You may need to use a slightly larger hex key tool, even if it is nominally the "wrong" size.

If the next size larger hex key is too large, try one from a different standard, i.e. the next size metric for a SAE screw.

Once you have removed the cheap Ikea screws you should replace them with better quality. "Star drive" would be the best; purchase the screws and driver together.


Why does the outside fan stop but the blower fan continues to run?

I think the outdoor unit fan turning off while the AC is still running is normal - I know that happens quite often in my own home (and my previous home), and the AC has always worked fine.

As for the temperature, how new is your thermostat?  In my current house, I have a thermostat from about 30 years ago (one of those dial-style thermostats), and while it works fine in general, the temperature it's set to has very little relation to the actual temperature in the house.  If it's cold, we turn the thermostat up a little, and vice versa, and it works out fine.


Can I use toggle bolts to install faux wood beams to the drywall in the ceiling?

Is there an attic above that leaves the joists accessible? Add 2x6 blocking between the joists to get the support you need. Toenail the blocking to the joists on both sides of the blocking. Then you can fasten the faux beam to the blocking rather than the drywall.


Should I use Teflon tape or pipe dope when connecting PVC to metal?

This is what my plumbing supply house sold me to attach a 3 inch PVC threaded fitting into cast iron pipe.


Should I insulate above a suspended ceiling or in the attic?

It's not common to see insulation below a hard ceiling (immediately above a suspended ceiling--even if it's drywall). That space is considered "conditioned".

However, if your dropped ceiling is in effect a hard ceiling, it may make sense to insulate at that level. To do so reduces the conditioned space volume and would be more efficient.

It's going to depend on access and the structure around that room, as well as wall insulation and HVAC configuration.

In response to your comment, it wouldn't be a problem to insulate the lower ceiling as long as you have a continuous blanket through to the ceiling in adjacent rooms.


We had the same thing happen to our system.  During the winter, water accumulated under the concrete where the radon pipes went into the basement slab and totally blocked the air flow causing our radon levels to go up. We have a 24/7 radon alarm that showed the higher levels.  We ordered a new fan but that was not the problem.  We cut the pipe near the basement floor and installed a "y" with a clean out cap and used this to pump out the water with a small pump.  The pump had to be primed first but after removing 15 gallons, the radon pipes no longer gurgle. Be sure to put the clean out cap back on!


As a total novice DIYer I would say that this job is beyond what you are prepared to do. The house is an old rental so the previous work is old and most likely shoddy. Even if you were able to change the components successfully, you may cause more trouble somewhere else from wiggling the pipes around.

But if you must:
The plywood you removed can cover the hole you make in the drywall so cut with a drywall saw, but don't go deep. Just one inch max. And if you feel something that doesn't feel like drywall stop cutting and make a small hole to investigate. There are pipes in there and though there shouldn't be wires, there may be. Once you have a hole large enough to take a picture, snap a few and post it here. If we can help, great, if not replace the plywood and call your landlord because the overflow "fell off" and your worried about a leak. Oh also, is this a basement washroom?


After repointing a fieldstone foundation, should I backfill with gravel?

That sounds reasonable. The goal is to keep water away from your house. If you've ever stood on wet soil, you know that it is soft and has little strength. Also water under your house can lead to mold and mildew.

The gravel makes it easier for any water to drain down so the area under your house stays dry. Without the gravel, water would also try to flow through your foundation wall and go under your house.

The graded topsoil encourages rain water to flow away from your house.

If you like, you can even put a plastic sheet in two places:

between the gravel and the foundation wall to help block water going under your house.
between the gravel and the topsoil. Make sure it is also graded so water drains away from your house. This would really be your primary defense. The first sheet of plastic would be acting as a backup if you have this.

Did you have any specific concerns about this approach or are you just asking for general confirmation?


Does mould growth definitely indicate a leak?

No, not at all. Mold can grow in any suitable environment, which just means sufficient moisture and sufficient food.
Unfortunately, neither of these need be present in very large quantities.
It's relatively common to find mold growth on the ceiling in a poorly-ventilated bathroom, or even on other surfaces. Likewise, on walls in a humid basement.
These issues should be addressed with a two-pronged approach: improve the ventilation so that the humidity is kept low enough to prevent mold growth, and on painted surfaces use paints specifically formulated for humid environments and which have mold-retarding chemistry.
Of course, none of this means that the roof isn't still leaking. If you're at all concerned about that, you should go check it again to make sure moisture isn't getting through the roof. But certainly, the presence of mold doesn't prove that the roof is leaking.


Can vertical window be installed horizontally?

NO, you cannot install a window in the wrong orientation.

Glass is “set” in window frames using “setting blocks”. These blocks are made for the weight of the glass to rest on. They are sized and distributed according to the weight of the glass.


Ceiling fan electrical box missing female screw holes

This looks like a Legrand 22200 retrofit box. They typically have a riveted screw on each side, but I don't see either.

You might not need to buy a whole new brace, however. Take it down and go to the hardware store. They should have a box that will work with it as-is.


What is the name for the brush to clean this humidifier valve on my HVAC

That looks like a drain, not a supply line.

The device with the wires is an EZ Trap Condensate Overflow Cut-Off Switch

Here's a similar device that includes a trap brush.

Here's just a trap brush.


What is the *interrupting rating* of a GFCI receptacle?

I checked a few GFCI data sheets and they all listed either a 10kA Short Circuit Current Rating or Max Interrupting Capacity.

Leviton GFCI
Cooper Industries GFCI
Hubbell GFCI

I'm assuming that this is similar to the 10kA rating on common household circuit breakers where the device is required to break at least 10kA.

Cooper Industries has a PDF that describes short-circuit current ratings in more deail:

Article 100 Definitions
Short-Circuit Current Rating. The prospective
symmetrical fault current at a nominal voltage to which an
apparatus or system is able to be connected without
sustaining damage exceeding defined acceptance criteria.


What type of saw to use on a wall of windows, removing glass but keeping wood framing

That looks like regular dried-up old glazing putty. If it was me I would soften it using a heat gun while scraping it with a putty knife or similar tool.
Then I would rig a guide on my router and remove all remaining putty (and maybe a thin bit of the wood) with the router. I might use a paintbrush to soak it with mineral spirits prior to routing, to reduce dust.
If I were worried about asbestos exposure from this job (I wouldn't be...) I would wear a P100 respirator and tent the area with plastic to contain dust. Risk would be low with this short-duration job, especially considering that the bulk of the suspect material will have been removed manually prior to using the power tool / dust machine.


If you only drilled a 1/2" into the stud, and you know the stud is deep enough, get a lag or screw that matches the others a extra 1/2" longer. No doweling needed. You can dowel it if you like, but a dowel, a 1/2" in diameter and a 1/2" in, really does not hold much, the screw will still need to be 1/2" longer. 2"-2 1/2" screws should be the norm, so a 3" screw will work, unless your screws that came with the mount are 3 1/2", then the 4" screw you suggest will be fine.

Enough is perfect, too long can be bad. An 1 1/2" into the framing is great, in your case it will then need 2" not including the wall finish. That is never considered part of the length that the screw goes into to hold items in place. If your wall material is 1/2" thick, and the metal is thin, you can use a 2 1/2" screw if your wall material is 1" thick, you need a 3" screw, and so on.

Edit 3/16/15

I added a sketch to show what I am referring to. I hope it helps explain.


Changing straight staircase to a turned stair with half landing, is this the Only solution to stairs cutting loft in half?

If the stairs to the attic don't match the stairs to the second floor you're most likely going to wind up losing floor space on the second floor. How much depends on how many steps change direction. If you do change the first-second floor stairs to match you're going to lose some room in one of the sitting rooms. That might not be a bad thing because really... how lazy do you need to be to have two rooms dedicated to sitting? :) Your heart and your doctor will be happy but your renovation budget... not so much.

As to being able to fit a shower room... That can't be answered without seeing the floor plan.


What can you tell me about old red primer on wood?

Rather than speculating, go grab a cheap lead test kit from the hardware store.

Red and white lead, asbestos, carbon tetrachloride were all very popular and widely used things right up until they were not. Red primer on anything of that vintage has a strong potential to be lead-based.


What do I separate in my aerator assembly?

I managed this by myself. As shown in picture 7, just twist the bottom white part, off the golden part.


You were close with your search term, but try searching, "roller catch". You'll find a ton of choices.

(edit to add a couple of thoughts...)

Regarding repair versus replace: it's impossible at this distance to know, but replace usually is more predictable. (And in this case, probably not too expensive.)

And as a general rule, when I'm searching for something that I know exists, but I can't name it, I use google image search. Start with something similar, like "ball catch", and after a few pages of images, you'll probably see something like what you're really searching for. Then a few iterations later, you'll have found the most common name for the thing you're actually looking for.


Are railroad ties suitable for a retaining wall under tree canopy?

Where are you? Where I am from (Dallas TX)  railroad tie walls rot and shift. And due to the wood treatment chemicals in the ties there are environmental regulations which limit disposing of rotted ties.

I would not bring railroad ties onto my property, especially near a stream.

In Dallas "gabion walls" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabion are used by the city to control erosion around streams. First rate private walls are of special concrete blocks (http://www.versa-lok.com/ or http://www.keystonewalls.com/).

I would do nothing to this property unless the house was getting undermined.

If you would make a tall retaining wall, you will have constructed a cliff from which people (especially children) and dogs could fall unless fenced at the top. It would be astoundingly expensive and unless constructed by someone with real expertise they can start to shift and lean.

EDIT
Building a 4' high retaining wall down near the stream would make a 4' drop-off at the stream. That would accomplish nothing positive, but would make a hazard there and interfere with stream flow under high water conditions.

EDIT #2
It is my understanding that the railroad ties commonly employed for "retaining" walls are used ties and are classified as "non-structural". These ties were removed from railroad beds and are re-sold for home landscaping. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Used-Railroad-Tie-Cresote-Treated-Common-7-in-x-9-in-x-8-ft-Actual-96-in-5100000070908000/100023488


One circuit of lights comes on dim when another is switched on

As mentioned in my comment, I would say this is caused by phantom voltage or induced voltage.  This is a problem that is seem more these days because of an LEDs ability to run on very, very low power levels.

What happens is that the alternating current in one wire that is running parallel and very close to another wire will induce a voltage in the wire that is currently switched off.  When all the dimmers are off, there is no current in any of the wires, but when one is switched on and the electricity starts to flow, it causes a voltage to appear on the nearby circuits.

This is not enough to shock you, but it is enough for non-contact voltage detectors to pick up, and it can often be measured with some multimeters.  Other lighting technologies need way to much power for this to affect them, but the modern LED can have a small glow with the tiny amount of current.

I also found this question where they were able to use a resistor wired parallel to the switch to stop glowing, but they were having an issue caused by a switch with an indicator lamp and not induced voltage, so I'm not sure if that would help in your situation.


The sign indicates that the water supply valve (Wasseranschlussventil - AV) is located 0.5 meters to the left and 17.0 meters in front of the sign.

This Wikipedia page has all the details, though it is in German. But maybe Google translate will help if you're not fluent enough to read it.

  Designation in abbreviation of the installation fitting.
  Inner diameter in millimeters of the supply line.
  Distance between shield and installation fitting measured from the plate to the left . This is given in meters (field 3 and left) and
  decimetres (field right, after the comma).
  Distance between shield and mounting fitting measured from the shield to the right . This is given in meters (field 4 and left of it)
  and decimetres (field right, after the comma).
  Distance between shield and mounting fitting measured straight away from the shield . This is given in meters (field 5 and left) and
  decimetres (field right, after the comma).


How do I separate two 3-way switches to control lights separately?

In the most basic way it would depend how the wires were fed between the lights and the boxes. There are many combinations so we would need to see a diagram of were the wires go.

So you would need to do a drawing and post it. If you do that somebody would be happy to draw ontop of it for you and connect your wires if it can be done. (Do not worry about drawing the grounds, we will assume all your boxes have them).
To test where they all go you would need to

TURN off your circuit and test that it's off.

Than you would need to open all your boxes and open all the wire nuts except the grounds. Leave them connected. And make sure no wires are touching each other.
Now you need to set your meter to the low ohms (omega symbol) OR continuity setting (looks like 3 lines ontop of each other projecting sound).
Now you may go around from box to box piecing together where the wires go.  Go into the first box and attach a red or black wire to a ground (have them touching) and with your meter in the second box put one lead of your meter on any black or red wire and one lead on a ground (all the grounds are connected so any one is fine).

All multimeters are different but some multi meters have a continuity function , where it beeps if there is continuity. Basically it beeps if those are the correct wires and current can travel that path around the meter. Meaning that is the same wire/ same cable on whatever two wires your meter is on. If there is no continuity it will not beep.
Other meters to show there is continuity will have a very low ohms reading. If it wasn't a match it would have an infinity number or OL.

Once a wire from each cable is tested, record those findings and make a drawing. You will not have to say where each wire connects on the drawing (we more care where each cable runs to and how many wires). But maybe you want to draw that so you can put it back together!

We will also need to know which cable is the home run/ hot power cable.
To test that with all the cables still NOT touching (except grounds with each other) you will need to flip the circuit breaker on. And very carefully with your meter on Volts AC go between what you think is a hot (either black or red) and a ground and see if you have 120V. If you do. Thats the home run and record it on the drawing. That is an important step to let us know that. Don't forget to write which boxes are switches and outside lights etc... Good luck.


Running Cable Underground in PVC Conduit - Do I bond the PVC segments before pulling the wire through?

Is there a simple, definitive answer to this?

Yes
It may seem more convenient to install the wire as you go in a very few cases but the National Electrical Code prohibits it and is quite clear.
From the 2017 NEC:

300.18 Raceway Installations.
(A) Complete Runs. Raceways, other than busways or exposed raceways having hinged or removable covers, shall be installed complete between outlet, junction, or splicing points prior to the installation of conductors.

Most electricians would normally just use a fishtape to pull the wire in after installation. It really is a whole lot easier than trying to stuff the conduit over the wire and then glue it together.
An alternative is a pull string vacuumed into the conduit with a piece of plastic baggy on the end. (Make sure you pull slow and easy to avoid the string cutting through the 90ºs.)
Good luck!


Is it okay to use brass inserts in a plastic reverse osmosis pipe?

Here are some that appear to be fully-plastic, and/or plastic + stainless steel

Without knowing what particular fitting you need (1/4 compression to what?), hard to get more specific than that. Full plastic fittings are out there, and really are what you want, as RO & DI water do love to eat anything that will  give them ions. My reading on the above fittings is that the stainless (which is as good a choice as you get in metal, though aluminum may also work well from what I recall of an old lab D.I.W. system) is not in the normally wetted path.

Here is another supplier's nylon/polypro fittings:


Can I use a 15A breaker for a 10A baseboard heater?

Wire can always (or almost always, I'll bet there is an exception somewhere) be oversized. Using a larger wire than required by code will either make no difference at all or only improve things - e.g., by reducing voltage drop over long distances.

Breakers must NEVER be oversized when used as a protective device. Generally this is pretty clear from the particular device - e.g., a device that requires a 20 Amp circuit must have at least matching size wire (typically that would be 12 AWG) and must have a breaker that is exactly 20 Amp. There are certain exceptions - e.g., a 20 Amp breaker (with at least 12 AWG wire) may be used for 15 Amp receptacles, provided there are at least 2 (e.g., a typical duplex 15 Amp receptacle). But you can't put a 30 Amp breaker on a circuit that is rated for 20 Amps (either because of the device specifications, the wire size or both).

Breakers CAN be oversized when used merely as an on/off switch. This is the case, for example, in some subpanel installations. For example, if you have a 60 Amp breaker in your main panel feeding appropriately sized wire to a subpanel, then the subpanel can have any size breaker (though obviously it should be 60 Amp or larger in this example) as a main breaker because it is not providing protection, it is only used as a switch (e.g., to be able to safely work inside the subpanel without going back to the main panel). If you search around a bit on DIY, you will find many examples of using a large panel with a 100 Amp (or even larger) breaker for a subpanel that is actually fed by a smaller breaker in the main panel.

Now on to your situation:

  220 V baseboard heater with a 10 amp draw, wall mount thermostat. Can I run 12-2 wire with a 15 amp breaker?

The first determining factor is the specifications of the heater. It should have some information about what type of circuit it works with. Barring any specifics, 15 Amp is the typical bottom meter size in the US, and is obviously big enough (and should be safe enough) for a 5A or 10A heater. However, more typically with 200 V loads you will see larger breakers as one of the reasons to use 220 V is that you can get a lot more power than with 110 V. In particular, if you will be connecting multiple baseboard heaters on one circuit then you need to make sure that they are designed so that they can be on the same circuit and protected appropriately. Your circuit (including the breaker) needs to be larger than the continuous load (heaters may be on for long periods of time, so they definitely count for continuous load), I believe by 20%. So a 15A heater, for example, would actually need a 20A circuit (12 AWG wire and 20A breaker).

As far as wire, as already noted in another answer:

You need to see if a neutral is needed (you can't share ground & neutral). If so, then you actually need 12/3, not 12/2.
Even if you are using a 15A circuit now, going up to 12 AWG doesn't cost much for 40 feet and gives you more flexibility (i.e., up to 20A) for the future.


Covering concrete with soil will not affect the structural integrity of the concrete.  If anything, doing so will enhance structural integrity because the soil will protect the concrete from the extremes of weather.

Building a 6' high retaining wall is not something you want to DIY.  You really want the design (and probably the construction too) to be done by somebody with suitable liability insurance.

One point about covering the wall with soil, is that it allows the wall to be banked, rather than vertical.  That will mean you can have a much less substantial wall.


Are Cat6a keystone jacks suitable for Cat7 Ethernet cabling?

No, you won't get the 25Gb Cat 7 bandwidth with Cat 6a termination. For 25Gb speeds you need to terminate with GG45 (GigaGate45), ARJ45, or TERA, but not RJ45.

I think you should use 6a termination so you'll get 10Gb, but if 10+Gb becomes available in the future you can replace the terminations if needed.

GG45 is a product sold by Nexans that is backwards compatible with RJ45 at 10Gb speeds. ARJ45 is the ISO standard non-brand name that is similar to GG45 but might be easier to find. TERA is a product sold by Siemon, but isn't backwards compatible with RJ45, so it's not as common.


What should I cover gap with below stair banister

Since that area of the floor will be under the new cable banister/rail, there would be no fear of creating a tripping hazard by covering the gap with a decorative wood strip. I would use a low-profile oak "carpet transition bar" type of strip, stained and varnished to match.


How can I run Ethernet cabling through concrete walls?

Concrete walls typically have conduits where all wiring passes (edit: as pointed out by @alx9r, this might not always be the case. Sometimes wiring is cast directly into the concrete). This allows you to add additional wires to the same conduits, but doesn't help if you need to pass a wire between two places that don't have a conduit already in the wall.

Whether or not you can use the existing conduits is both a matter of convenience (are there existing conduits from and to the place you want to run the Ethernet cabling) and of wiring code - is it allowed to run Ethernet (low voltage) cabling along side other cables - high voltage (110/220 V), phone lines, TV coaxial cables, etc.

If there are no existing conduits you can use, you'd need to consider several options (all pictures from Google Images):

Run the cable along the walls, often by the skirting boards. The cable can be attached with clips to the wall. This method is easiest, cheapest and fastest, but people often don't like cables running visibly around the house and if the cables aren't properly secured they might be a tripping hazard.

Run the cables in plastic channels that are attached to the walls. This is similar to number 1, only that the channels help hold the cable better and are probably more aesthetic.

Run new conduits in the wall. This is done by carving a channel in the wall (called "wall chasing"), placing a plastic conduit in the channel, mortaring the conduit in place and patching up the channel on top of the conduit. As can be imagined, this is hard work (especially for long distances), very dirty (especially if grinding disc cutters are used to score the channel) and must be done carefully to avoid hitting other cables and pipes already in the wall. However, this will give the best aesthetic result.

If a conduit is used, fishing the new cable through the conduit is done either using preexisting cables in the conduit or with a fish tape. The new cable is attached to the preexisting cable or the fist tape (after pushing the fish tape through the conduit to the other side) and then pulled until the new cable is fully in the conduit. From my experience, if you have cables already in the conduit, it is much easier to pull them completely out and then fish the entire bundle (old cable/cables together with new Ethernet cable) back into the conduit.

Finally, Cat6 doesn't give that much of a difference in the common house over Cat5e - the extra shielding is useful with lots of cables running close together and for long distances. For home use spans are usually much shorter than the maximum 100 meters defined for Ethernet and there are only a few cables running side by side. However, Cat6 is much stiffer than Cat5e, making it quite challenging to fish it through conduits.


My Mercury thermostat clicks on when I manipulate it but immediately shuts off

From your description I believe it is a failure of the thermostat or a loose wire.
Is this a standard wet bulb with a bimetallic support?
(A glass globe with mercury and fine wires coming out of 1 end?) .
The most likely cause is the wires to the wet bulb are starting to fail, these thermostats normally last for decades but they do fail. Moving things may make the connection but when you let the pressure off it fails, if it continues to heat while you hold it that would be my first guess, second a loose wire.  I would remove the cover allowing access to the screws and snug them.
Depending on your location you may not be able to get a replacement because of the mercury but they make electronic ones that run on a 9v or a couple of AAA batteries and those are cheaper than the last Hg or mercury one I ordered.
(Some areas will not transport Hg or mercury containing products).


I've installed a Harbor Breeze fan (Hampton Bay's bargain brand) and I can tell you first and foremost that the remote is designed to be used by a fan previously controlled by one switch. If you have the wiring for seperate light-fan controls, I would recommend finding a wall switch system that has a remote, which will allow you to control the fan both from the wall and with the remote. The Hampton Bay/Harbor Breeze remotes only work while the wall switch is turned on, thus supplying power to the remote receiver unit. There are other options, such as this Hampton Bay wall-mount remote control, which you can use to replace the wall switch (instead "hard-wiring" the fan to the house wiring and controlling it with the two wireless units; remote and wall).

Moving on to the actual problem; if you twisted any of the existing or new wires together, you did it wrong, and you could cause a fire or blow out the remote; turn the fan and light switches off right now and do not turn them back on until you have rectified the problem.

Now, do the following:

Common master switch (one wall switch controls both light and fan)

Pick one switch at the wall to be your "master". When this switch is off, the light and fan will be off and will not respond to the remote.
Look at the wire coming from each switch and going to the ceiling J-box. Most likely, one will be red and one will be black and they'll go into the same main insulating conduit (a 3-conductor electrical wire; the third will be a white "neutral" or "common" and there will be a fourth bare or green ground). If you see two black or two red, the electrician ran two seperate electrical lines to the J-box (unusual but not unheard of), and you'll need to figure out which is which by turning on one switch and using a non-contact voltage tester to determine the live wire at the ceiling. Be extremely careful dealing with uncovered live wires; you can kill yourself very easily.
With the wire coming from your "master" switch identified, and with the circuit breaker OFF, pull the crown off the ceiling fan mount, pull out the remote receiver and disconnect it completely; we're going to start fresh. Place a wire nut and some electrical tape over the bare end of the "hot" wire from the switch that is NOT your master switch.
Look at the remote receiver unit. If it's like the one I installed, one side will have a white neutral, black hot, and green ground wire (the receiver may not have a green wire; that's fine, there will be one or two from the fan that ground the whole unit, receiver and all). The opposite side of the unit will have a black or red wire, a blue wire, and a white wire. The first set of wires I mentioned is the "house side", and should ALL be connected to wires in the J-box. The second side is the "fan side", and should be connected to wires from the fan (except for the fan's ground, which should go directly to the J-box ground along with any others).
Take the black or red wire from your J-box that you identified as coming from your "master" switch, and wire-nut it to the black wire on the "house side" of the receiver. Take the white wire from the J-box (there may be a couple twisted together) and wire-nut it to the white wire on the house side of the remote receiver. Take all the green wires (one will come from the fan, another from the mount, and maybe a third from the receiver) and wire-nut them to the bare copper or green wire from the J-box. (Again, there may be a couple twisted together)
Identify the remaining wires coming from the fan; there should be a red or black one that is the fan's "hot" side, a blue one that is the light's "hot", and a white one which is the common neutral side. These should match the three wires from the "fan side" of the receiver; match blue to blue, white to white, and the remaining fan wire (red or black) to the remaining receiver wire (red or black). Securely wire-nut and tape all these connections, making sure there is no bare metal showing on any insulated wire except green.
Turn on the breaker and the master switch. Being careful to keep any loose wires out of the way, try using the remote to control the fan. All controls should work.
If the remote seems to do some things but not others, check your master switch. If it is a dimmer switch, make sure it is turned all the way up. If you still have a problem, replace that switch with a standard two-way switch. I found when installing my fan that the receiver needs the full 110 volts from the wall, and even if the dimmer is all the way up, the "zero" position on the dimmer's potentiometer can still have some resistance which lowers the voltage and causes unpredictable behavior.
Once everything seems to be working properly (you can control all speeds of the fan, and turn on/off/dim the light from all fan settings), stuff all the wire back in the J-box and replace the crown, being careful not to pinch any wires. You're "done".

I put "done" in quotes because, depending on local building codes, it may not be legal to have a disconnected but live wire in your wall, even though the end is capped and still accessible. The wire you capped off may have to be disconnected at both ends, and if this is the case you should probably also disconnect the switch from the panel (most likely the switch will get power from a parallel connection to another switch in the wall box). You can then remove the switch completely from the switch box, or possibly use it for something else. OR, you can use it to control the light or fan, instead of using the remote for that purpose. You do this by wiring the capped-off end directly to either the red/black wire (fan motor) or the blue wire (light) coming from the fan. I highly recommend AGAINST trying to use both the remote and wall switch to control this part of the fan assembly, so when connecting the capped-off J-box wire, you should cap off the wire from the receiver that you are taking the fan wire from. It should still be fine to leave the neutral connected through the box; virtually all "on-off" manipulations in household electronics are done to the "hot" side.


heat pump condenser fan not running in winter

-5 (I assume °F) is a too low temperature for heat pump to work properly (usually those stops working at -15°C [+5°F]), so outer unit is simply 'locked due to excessive cold'. Auxiliary heat, in some units, is controlled directly by the HVAC controller and not by room T-STAT.
Anyway, check if auxiliary heat is connected BOTH on HVAC unit and Tstat, if it's connected only at unit side, connect it to the t-stat, if it's not connected, probably auxiliary heat is not present on your machine (if it was ECU controlled you won't have that cold in your house).
For now, you can just buy a couple of kerosene heaters and use those in case of emergency, look for 'zibro kamin' (I suggest a model that can work in case of power failure).


Can I use a secondary thermostat as a timer for my air conditioning system?

Yes, it is just that easy.

You will need a timer with a 'dry contact' or relay output.

If you take power from the pump, remember it is (likely) 240 volts.

Removing power from the pump will not remove power from the emergency heat strips, or from the fan.

Removing power from the pump may, or may not, turn off the reserving valve (Heat mode / Cooling mode) in the pump.


What causes a heater fan to keep running?

There should be a switch on the thermostat that says "ON  AUTO", make sure it's set to AUTO.

If the switch is set to auto, but the fan continues to run. You may have a short between the R wire and the G wire, or a problem with the control board in the furnace.


I am not going to act like I know the specific codes or whatever, especially for a dwelling 20 feet away from the main house.  But I can offer you something similar.

I have flipped many houses in the midwest and on smaller ones we often poured a slab extension.  Before pouring concrete local inspectors have asked us to dig three feet down and bury rigid ducts with at least R-40 worth of insulation around it and wrapped.

I thought three feet was a bit extreme but after the insulation, man you are only 1-1.5 feet below the concrete.  And several of these rooms have been 20 feet plus away from the house at the furthest point so the ducts were underground for 20 feet albeit maybe insulated a bit by the concrete (same weather variations).  Here are the exact guidelines I used when doing mine.

Also I have seen PVC type ducting like this used but not for residential.  I would certainly look into something like this if I were doing one today - I would also insulate it too as the R-10 they are promising is a suspect amount of insulation for cold weather climates.


It sounds like you have a floating shelf.  Because of the shear forces, these don't hold very much as they just end up pulling away from the wall.

If you want to pile heavy books on it, you are going to need to support it properly. The words "decorative" and "strength" don't usually go well together.  I would think you need something solid and not a rope. With rope you have to worry about tensile strength, stretch and how to anchor it (will the anchor now hold the weight?).

The best thing to do is install a bracket below the shelf to support it.  How many of these you need will depend on how long your shelf is and what it's made out of.  You could always start with two (one on either end), and if the shelf is sagging, install another one in the center.  There are "decorative" brackets out there but the basic principal is the same.  Make sure you anchor these into a stud and not just the drywall or else you'll end up just pulling the drywall off your wall.


What imperial machine screw has a diameter of 4.5mm and a thread pitch of ~1mm?

A friend of mine pointed out that #9-24 UNC is actually a standard size – it is far from common these days (mind this is an old piece of furniture). Here is a table from 1916:

The listed diameter of 0.176 inch amounts to 4.48 mm – well within my range of measurement error.

Now that this is cleared up, the real struggle will be to find one of these ancient screws, with sufficient length, more than 100 years later… in Germany.

On a side note: I did read the other answers and I appreciate them. I got my hands on a #10-24 UNC screw, but it does not fit.


Kenmore microwave heating when off with door closed

Toss It!
I am absolutely not in favor of throwing any useful stuff. See the clutter around my house and you'll agree :-)
But a microwave oven is a potentially very dangerous item. A conventional oven (from toaster on up to self-cleaning convection wall oven) has two main hazards:

Electricity - There are numerous safeguards in place including GFCI for plug-in appliances, circuit breakers to match wire size & appliance size, grounding requirements, etc. Despite all that, people sometimes still get hurt, but if the devices are not damaged and are installed correctly, electricity can be managed safely.

Heat - Anyone can get burned in an instant from a cooktop, toaster, conventional oven or microwave oven. Actually, microwave ovens are arguably safer (the oven itself does not normally heat up nearly as much as a conventional oven) yet also more dangerous (because the oven itself doesn't heat up much, the food inside can turn out to be unexpectedly hot after just a few minutes of cooking.

A microwave oven adds a third major category of damage. Yes, you guessed it, microwaves!
Microwaves, like radio waves, X-rays, etc. are not visible. As a result, they can do their damage without being apparent until the damage is already done. Like carbon monoxide and other "silent killers".
Microwaves can be managed extremely well by having a sealed oven with solid metal - or metal with openings no larger than a certain size (related to wavelength - the Physics people can explain). The result is that a typical microwave oven has multiple safeguards against the magnetron, which generates the microwaves, running while the door is open.
Your oven it has a serious failure (magnetron running even though oven is in the "off" mode). The good news is that the safeguards on the door are working as designed to turn off the magnetron when the door is opened. FYI, while consumer microwave ovens are designed to be extremely safe, there have been very noticeable failures of safety engineering, such as the Therac-25, where a combination of errors resulted in critical safety mechanisms not working as they were supposed to. So the concerns are very real.
The first question is: Can you use it without fixing it? The answer is an absolute NO. Unlike "turntable doesn't turn" or "light doesn't go on (or off)" or "some of the timer functions don't work quite right", this is a safety issue. You simply can't leave it as is - someone will inevitably plug it in to warm up something and forget it (since the normal timer won't function to turn it off automatically) and start a fire.
With any appliance problem, the next question is not CAN we fix it? The answer of course is "Yes, we can!". The question is DOES IT PAY to fix it? In the case of a countertop microwave oven, the answer is almost always NO. A full-size (~ 2 cubic feet) countertop microwave oven is typically in the $200 range. A small microwave oven (< 1 cubic foot) is often < $100. Parts are often relatively expensive (a full control board can cost as much as an entire oven - really!) and trouble-shooting down to the small level (e.g., relay instead of full control board) can be quite time consuming. But on top of that, while the chance of something going wrong is small, the risks are HUGE.
The exception, IMHO, is failure of parts that are designed to fail. Specifically, there are thermal fuses in many (perhaps all, I don't know the design requirements) ovens (especially microwave ovens, but actually some conventional ovens too) so that if there is a fire inside the oven, power will cut off quickly. I have replaced those in one microwave oven, but it was a built-in over-the-cooktop large oven - which tends to be much more expensive to replace than a countertop oven. In addition, the failure was clear - it followed a fire in the oven (long story...) and was not a fault of unknown origin such as you are dealing with here. Plus, the device acted as expected under the circumstances, and troubleshooting based on the wiring diagram all worked as designed. But in your case there is a failure - and a fail "on" rather than fail "off", which is NOT the way these things are supposed to work when they break.


Can I test an unwired light fixture with multimeter?

You don't need a bulb at all to test the fixture.  There should be one main "neutral", and one main "hot" wire coming out of the fixture. If there's more than one of each, you can tie each set all together, or test each one individually.  The following procedure assumes a single "hot", and single "neutral".

First, set the multimeter to test continuity , or the lowest resistance setting.

Test the "neutral" wire

Put one probe on the "neutral" wire.
Touch the other probe to the threads inside each socket.

Next, test the "hot" wire.

Put one probe to the "hot" wire.
Touch the other probe to the contact at the bottom of each socket.

The threaded portion of each socket should show continuity (or low resistance), with the "neutral" wire. While the contact at the bottom of the socket, should show continuity (or low resistance) with the "hot" wire.

If one or more of the sockets doesn't test out, you may be able to repair the fixture. It's up to you if you're willing to put in the work.

If you know what size socket it is, you might want to fit a bulb in the sockets to make sure they're not physically damaged (deformed, etc.).

As @MichaelKaras points out, you'll also want to check to make sure there's not continuity between "hot" and "neutral", or either of those and the body of the fixture.

With the multimeter set to test continuity (or low resistance). Place one probe on the "hot" wire, and the other on the "neutral" wire.
With one probe still on the "hot" wire, touch the other probe to various metal parts on the fixture.
Place one probe on the "neutral", then touch the other probe to various metal parts on the fixture.

If any of these tests show continuity, then the internal wiring is likely damaged.


What are the standard sizes/clearances for bathroom elements?

Toilets

The standard side clearance for a toilet is 15" as measured from the centre of the floor flange to the side wall and or cabinet. This measurement is increased to 18" for ADA compliance. I wouldn't go much more then that as you will start to feel like the toilet is floating in the room. The standard distance from the back wall to the centre of the floor flange is 12" for a tank type (10" for flush valve type).

Cabinet Depth

I'm not sure what the standard vanity counter depth is but it would be determined by what is available and what size the sink is.

Corner Shower

Showers come in a variety of sizes. While 36" x 36" is common you can also get 34" x 34" and 38" x 38".

You seem to have a good idea on the spaces needed. Your best bet would be to select the fixtures you want to buy (ones that meet you budget and taste). Then confirm that they will fit in the space. If they do not, adjust accordantly (pick different fixtures or increase the bathroom size if an option).


Is there is a Standard on how much main service panel / main circuit breaker amps should be?

Article 220 and you

Without the last year of utility usage data in hand, we have to use Article 220 of the NEC as our guide to sizing your service -- this is one of the toughest articles in the Code, so don't feel bad about being bamboozled by it (it's hard for many of the pros, even).  However, now that we have the information necessary in hand, we can go through the process together.

We start with the general receptacle load -- this is 3VA (volt-amps) per square foot of house, or 3*2635 = 7905VA.  To this, we add the small appliance load -- this is allocated at 1500VA per kitchen and laundry small appliance branch circuit (1 laundry and 6 kitchen in your case, conservatively treating the dishwasher and disposal circuits as SABCs) for 7*1500=10500VA.  Totaling these two numbers, we get 18405VA, which we then apply a 35% demand factor to for everything over 3000VA, giving us 8392VA of factored load.

From there, we then deal with major appliances.  You don't have any major motor loads (such as a dedicated circuit for a well pump) in your house, and your primary HVAC load is your air conditioner at 26.8A; also, it appears that you have a gas water heater to go with your electric dryer and electric range.  This means that we can use 9.6kVA as an allowance for the range (this handles ranges up to 50A, based on the Table 220.55 logic) and 5kVA as an allowance for the dryer as per NEC 220.54, to go with a 26.8A*230V=6164VA air conditioner load.  Adding this all together gives us 29156VA of total demand (before the car charger), which we divide by 240V to give us 121.5A of service load.

Adding the 9600VA (40A continuous) car charger to the existing load gives us 161.5A, which is over the current 150A service size, thus requiring an upgrade to 200A to fit this.

As to fitting the breaker in...

Here's the bad news -- you need to install a subpanel to get the breaker for the EV to fit into your setup, since Square D does not make a HOMT240250, and it does not appear you have enough spare spaces otherwise to fit things in.  The best bet is to move the range breaker (top left) out to the new subpanel -- this frees up space for a 100A breaker (HOM2100) that can then feed a 1AWG aluminum feeder (3x1AWG aluminum XHHW-2 in metal conduit) to a subpanel (I would use a 2 or 2.5" conduit to accommodate a future upgrade of the feeder to 200A, and use a 200 or 225A main lug panel with ground bars and 42 spaces minimum for the sub), which can then mount a 40A 2-pole breaker for the range and a 50A 2-pole breaker for the EV charger.


Make new walls match thickness of old walls

Rip some strips of 1/8 hardboard (masonite) and tack them on the new studs. Or you could use plywood, but hardboard is usually less expensive, and less prone to giving you splinters when you rip a bunch of it.


Why does the water at my sink not get hot but the shower does (same bathroom)?

Does your sink faucet have a single knob that controls temperature and pressure, or does it have separate knobs for hot an cold? If it's the single type it probably has some corrosion in the valve that's letting cold water in with the hot. If you've got shutoff valves for the sink faucet, turn the cold water supply off and see if it still only gets lukewarm or not.

Depending on brand and age of the faucet, you should be able to get repair parts from your local home improvement or hardware store.


Can I build an anti-fatigue standing mat myself?

You don't specify your location.  However, a child's play mat, a yoga mat, a good quality carpet underlay, a doormat, or a scrap of high density foam from a dumpster all can serve the need you describe.


Total Possible Amperage of Sub-Breaker Box

40 Amps.  I've never heard those called "cheater" before - I think space saving is the term I've heard.
The total amps of all breakers in a panel often exceed the overall rating of the main breaker in the panel.  The reality is that not all circuits are pulling anywhere close to 100% of their rating 100% of the time.  Yes you can trip the main breaker.
The electrical service 125 Amps in your case is sized based on various factors.  It isn't sized based on the breakers (though the breakers would be associated with the applicances/devices used to size the service).  Here is an example online calculator that can help size the service.
http://www.douglashelmer.com/calculators/electrical/residential-service/index.htm


Baseboard meeting at top of corner but not bottom

Baseboard should be installed using cope joints, not miters, for this exact reason. Some builders request that the drywall taping crew fill the edge channel on the drywall sheets along the floor to keep things more square, but this still doesn't resolve the issue of boards tightening outward when fastened, which very often results in open miters.

Coping, along with a slightly tensioned installation (cut 1/16" to 1/8" long, nail the ends first), almost always results in tight inside corners. This is crucial when working with natural wood, where fillers don't result in a quality appearance.


How can I control a bath fan with two lights through a single wire?

Plasterboard Work

It is often possible to run a new cable between a fixture and a switch without tearing up large sections of drywall.

If you can visualize the wire going up the wall from the switch and then from the corner of the wall/ceiling to the fixture, you may be able to snake a new wire.

Cut a small hole in the ceiling in in the plasterboard immediately above the switch.

The issue will be whether the hole in the ceiling allows you a straight run to the fixture box (along or between a ceiling rafters). If not, you nay need to cut more small holes where the cable would have to cross a joist/rafter.

If it is a clear run, you may be able to run a cable  from the ceiling hole to the fixture box. Then you can cut a small hole in the wall immediately below the first hole.

You also need to be able to drill through or notch the framing (without seriously compromising a load bearing wall) to allow a cable to pass through. If this is feasible, you can drop a cable down to the switch box, thread the other end through the hole or notch in the framing, and extend it to the fixture box. If you are notching or if you are drilling at less than 1.5 inches in, you need to put a special metal plate over that spot to protect the cable.

Later you can patch the small cutouts, tape over and paint.

Wiring

You can continue to use the existing cable to power one circuit and use a 14-2 cable to provide the hot leads for the other two circuits (they will all use the neutral already on the circuit. Since both wires in the new cable will be hot leads for a circuit, the white wire needs to be marked at the switch and fixture to show that it is hot.

You can find three switch units that fit a single gang box, or expand the switch box to double gang.


What to make of electrical rating etched into circuit breaker?

I have a variety of old and new Square D breakers in my panel. It seems that the older ones have this type of rating on the handle, while it is printed on the newer ones. I'm not sure what the cut-off would be in terms of age / production year, but it's not important.
It looks to me like that breaker is rated at 15A, and the etching is factory-applied, not done by someone after the fact as you suspect. You could check the side of the breaker if you can turn the power off and remove it to be sure the ratings there match the handle rating. I just checked a spare breaker and there is no other place the amperage rating is expressed anywhere on it. The only place I could find is the handle.
Here is a picture of my panel showing the variety of ways the rating is printed on the handles:

Upon reading harper's comment, I checked a spare 30 amp breaker I have to see what the other info on it reveals in more details. Stuff stamped on the side is all related to terminal ratings. There are also a couple of stickers, but those do not reveal the trip rating either. The part number is very well hidden, on the bottom of the breaker, in a slot between the line terminals. In my case, it says 235-07. Square D lists this breaker as part number QO235. The product page lists all the details you need, and is easy to find with an internet search for the number and brand of the breaker.


What are the methods of attaching cable to OSB

Tear-out of the bolts isn't the primary concern here, even with standard flat washers. Sag is one, and complete snap-off of the sheet corners is another.

If you must use the sheet without a frame, I'd move the cables inboard substantially--cantilever the shelf about 20% of it's length and width. This gives assurance that the corners won't break off and distributes the load much better.

If you can't do that due to the load objects' size or shape, put a proper frame under the shelf. This can be as minimal as lumber under the front and back edges to spread load.


Which fence wood and paint/stain is this?

"Is it paint or stain?"- neither, that fence is made of plastic. It is manufactured that color.

"Can cedar be prepared to look like it?" - the grain uniformity and absence of knots and defects is unrealistic, natural cedar will have natural imperfections. If you choose your lumber carefully you can select pieces that look nicest to you. A high quality semi-transparent exterior stain will give you some sheen with a bit of tint, along with a lot of sanding to make it smooth, is probably the closest you will get to the unnatural look of PVC fencing.


How can I prevent wasps from nesting in my eaves?

Wasps do not like strong mint fragrance. You could apply mint essence/oils to the problem areas, though I'm not sure if you'll get a whole season of protection from a single application, so you may need to reapply every few weeks. For a more permanent solution you can plant mint, citronella, or other insect repelling plants. Just be aware that practically all mint varieties spread aggressively and are nearly impossible to completely eradicate if you change your mind later. Planting in pots may be preferable.

Using decoy nests appears to come with mixed reports of success. These are a fairly inexpensive way to address the problem, that you can set and forget. Judging from the review sentiment, it appears to be important that you get your decoys up before the wasps show up in spring. If you're too late they'll ignore the decoy or worse, they'll use it as a foundation for their own nest.


Looking for a two way clamp two extend a pole

That is called a Shelly pole/mast clamp.  If you are extending a fairly light load like you show, an antenna or other such fairly light, non load bearing use, then this is fine.

For anything structural, or carrying live loads, this is the wrong product as you want to carry the load directly from top to bottom not laterally like this product does.


Adding wires to EMT conduit to add circuits

You don't need a wired ground in EMT conduit between metal boxes.

Your calc is fine, but you forgot the other calc.

So many wires, so close, will make too much heat.

And that's settled here.

You have 16 conductors so a 50% derate.   You derate off the thermal max for the wire you are using (for THHN, that's 90C column in table 310.15B16).  Blah blah, the ultimate derate for 16  THHN wires in conduit is #14=unusable, #12=15A , and #10=20A.

That doesn't work.  The ground is unnecessary in EMT, so get rid of that and bump your #14s to #12, but 15A is not legal for kitchen countertop circuits. At first blush, it appears you will have to cut circuits to make room for #10 wire on the 20A-mandatory circuits.

However, we're not going to do that!

Multi-wire branch circuits

These things are almost obsolete, because they play badly with AFCI and GFCI  breakers, but they can be life savers in moments like these.  This will require very judicuous breaker placement, which requires elbow room in your panel.

An MWBC has two hots which share a neutral.  The hots are placed on opposite poles (240V opposed) so the neutral  only carries differential current.

Interesting fact, if the neutral is carrying current, that means one of the hots is not - so if the neutral is seeing 10A, one hot may be 20A and the other is 10A.  Heat is the square of current, so 20..10..10 actually runs cooler than 20..20. So neutrals in MWBCs are exempted when calculating thermal derate. Read that again.  Get where this is going?

You now have two #14 hot wires, and six #12 hot wires.  And four neutrals, but they don't count for derate.   This puts us at 8 wires, which take a 30% derate.

30% derate on THHN is #14=17.5A... #12=21A... #10=28A.   So we made it.

In MWBCs, neutrals  must be kept fastidiously separate from one circuit to another.  Further, groupings must be marked - I like colored tape for that. For what it's worth, 8 hot colors exist: black brown red orange yellow pink blue and purple.  And I just bought some blue-red-stripe!  But you must also mark which neutral is with which hots.

Also in MWBC, neutrals must be pigtailed at every splice.  That way any device can be removed without severing the neutral for the other half of the circuit.

All breakers on an MWBC must be handle-tied for common maintenance shutoff.  A 2-pole breaker is one way to get that, however it also provides common trip guaranteed, which is not a thing we need.

If GFCI is desired at the breaker, then it must be a 2-pole breaker.  AFCI implementations differ by manufacturer; some don't allow shared-neutral AFCI.


Luckily I just happened to have one of my own to do (in my case repairing plaster around an old work box, but exactly the same process), so I'll give a walk-through of repairing the gap on the left:

What I usually do is fill the gap with wads of rolled up fiberglass joint tape:

Pack the wads of fiberglass into the gap (I'm using a screwdriver because the gap on mine is pretty narrow).  For wider gaps, you can either fold them into 'U' shapes or make larger balls of tape.  Doesn't really matter how you do it as, but fill up the gap.

When you're done, it should look something like this:

Make sure none of the fiber strands poke out beyond the plane of the wall (or you'll have to deal with it later during sanding and painting when it's more of a pain). Then, run a strip of fiberglass tape down the side of the box flush with the plane of the wall.  You'll want to use a full width strip - mine is cut narrower because I'm working next to the trim:

Then, use a putty knife to pack mud into the gap.  For really wide gaps, take your time so you don't push the fiberglass backing out:

Skim coat the tape smooth with the wall, and you should end up with something like this:

I've used the same method to fill in gaps around boxes as wide as an inch and haven't had any problems.  The first "coat" will take a long time to dry, and the wider the gap, the longer it will take.  It may also run a crack down the mud as it shrinks while it's drying, but that's fine - just pack mud into the crack on the next coat.  After this point, it's basically like finishing any other mud joint.

Good luck.


Which of my water heater's thermostats is broken?

The typical dual-element, dual-thermostat water heater in the United States is a "non-simultaneous" design: first the upper element heats the top of the tank to the set temperature, then the upper thermostat switches power to the lower thermostat, which uses the lower element to heat the rest of the tank.  There's never more than one element active at a time.

The picture on the left is the upper thermostat for a typical water heater; the schematic on the right shows both the upper and lower thermostats.  The switches are in the positions you'd find them on a hot tank with both thermostats working.  Note that point "T6" in the schematic is on the right and T7 is on the left, while on most actual thermostats, it's the other way around.  T6 is the terminal with a single wire connected to the upper element, while T4 connects to both elements and T7 connects to the lower thermostat.

Testing with a multimeter

If you've got a multimeter, it's easy; you don't need to disconnect any wires or anything.  Let the tank heat up for a while until the water is well above the thermostat set point, then shut off power to it.  If the upper thermostat is the one that's stuck, you'll have a pretty steep temperature gradient in the tank, so let the tank sit for an hour or so.

You may wish to switch both thermostats to their minimum setting.  This will make it more likely that the tank is hot enough that both should be switched off, but it also carries the risk of opening the stuck contact, leaving you with a questionable thermostat and no way to identify it.

Set your multimeter for the highest AC voltage range, and measure the voltage between points T1 and T2, between T1 and the tank body, and T2 and the tank body.  All three measurements should be less than one volt; if any is higher than that, power to the water heater is still live, and you should call an electrician to investigate that before you proceed with figuring out which thermostat is broken.

Now that you've verified that power is off, set your multimeter to the lowest "ohms" or "resistance" setting that will cover the 0 to 50 ohm range.  Measure the resistance between points T5 and T6 (if your upper thermostat doesn't have a terminal in the T3 or T5 position, make sure the limit switch has been reset, and measure between T1 and T6).  If you've set everything up right and the tank is above the thermostat set points, if the multimeter reads:

open circuit: Both thermostats working
less than 1 ohm: Upper or both thermostats stuck closed
20-30 ohms or so: Lower thermostat stuck closed

If the upper thermostat is stuck, you'll need to make a second measurement to see if the lower thermostat is broken as well.  Measure the resistance across the lower thermostat's terminals.  If it's less than 1 ohm, the lower thermostat is stuck closed or you didn't heat the tank up enough; if it's an open circuit, the thermostat is working.

Testing with a voltmeter

If you've got a voltmeter, you can determine which thermostat is broken, but it involves working with live wires.

Heat the tank as described in the "multimeter" section, but after letting the tank sit, turn the power back on.  Set your voltmeter to the highest AC voltage range.  Measure the voltage across the terminals of the lower thermostat, across T5 and T6, and across T5 and T7.  These measurements should be near either 0V or line voltage:

Lower thermostat: line voltage, T5-T6: line voltage, T5-T7: 0V: Both thermostats working
Lower thermostat: 0V, T5-T6: 0V, T5-T7: 0V: Upper thermostat stuck closed.
Lower thermostat: 0V, T5-T6: line voltage, T5-T7: 0V: Lower thermostat stuck closed.
Lower thermostat: 0V, T5-T6: 0V, T5-T7: line voltage: Both thermostats stuck closed.

Testing with a non-contact voltage tester

If all you've got is a non-contact voltage tester, things are harder: the results are less clear-cut, and it requires working around live wires.

Heat the tank as described in the "multimeter" section, but after letting the tank sit, turn the power back on.  Check the wire connecting the upper and lower thermostats (the "runner") with the NCV.  If it doesn't show a voltage, the upper thermostat is stuck.  If it does, proceed with the next step.

Shut off power to the water heater, disconnect the runner from the upper thermostat, cover the exposed end with something insulating (a wire nut or electrical tape), and turn power back on.  Check the runner again with the NCV.  If it doesn't show a voltage, both thermostats are working.  If it does, then the lower thermostat is stuck (or the NCV is picking up induced voltage -- I said this was less clear-cut than using a multimeter).


So a 100lb bag getting rocked by punches may be disturbing to whoever is upstairs it's not all that heavy for the structure. A single drywall sheet is around 50 pounds or so(not going to google exact weight). So the issue is fastening to the ceiling. I like the second one you posted because of the springs. I would fasten some light duty metal square tubing across the span of the joists in such a way that I could bolt the spider mount to the metal.

Hand drawn (obviously) conceptual illustration

With this method you can run the tubing across several joists spreading the load so over time they won't sag.

I think your joists run this way and in the method outlined above the metal tube would run perpendicular to the joists spanning 3 joists for redundancy.


Central air winterization and insulation

No. There's nothing that really needs to be done, as the units are designed to be outside.  The refrigerant in the lines will not freeze, so you don't have to worry about the lines bursting. Wikipedia lists the melting point of R-410A at -247°F†, so it would have to get fairly cold before you'd have to worry.

Some folks like to cover them, but that's not recommended. Covering the units can give mold and mildew a lovely place to grow, especially in the spring when temperatures begin to rise.

If the unit is in a place where snow thrown by shovels, blowers, or plows will hit it. Then you might want to build something to protect the unit. Just make sure anything you build allows adequate air flow, while also providing protection.

† Melting point is at atmospheric pressure.


Our house was built in the 1970s and we had a similar dilemma.  We covered the brick added a new mantle added black granite tiles as well as covering the opening with a cover we bought at a home improvement store.  We also widened the area a little as well to offset the mantel.  With the doors shut it looks very modern and clean and hides the internals.
Hopefully this gives you some ideas.
BEFORE

AFTER


What are code restrictions on turning sink tailpiece?

It's a grey area. Nothing explicitly says you can't, nor explicitly that you can. An inspector could reject it based solely on it preventing the fixture from "draining rapidly". I see your proposal as OK, it's no different than adjacent basins sharing a single trap. As long as the horizontal offset is less than 30" and there is not more than 90 deg horizontal change of direction.

Under such circumstances, no one can predict the result of an individual inspection. You can either enquire in advance, or just do it, having a more conventional plan B should there be any objection.


This one is simple -- you have the "line" and "load" terminals on the fan controller swapped, assuming the wire that is going to both the fan and the light switches is the line going in.  The red screw (i.e. the screw on the same side as the silver neutral screw) is the load terminal, while there is a brass(?) screw on the opposite side of the device that is the line terminal -- they are also marked RD/WH/BK on the back of the device.  Turn the circuit off at the breaker, and swap the two terminals -- you will need to swap the pigtail from the other switch over to the BK/brass screw on the device as well.


Please reassure me about basement french drains

Well, a (concrete slab) floor is just a floor, supported by its substrate. You may have some subsidence afterwards, so I'd advise my tips here, especially the one about undermining it a little to lock it all in place once you re-pour. Rebar is a must.

Done right*, I have no concern for the foundation. I'd be worried that there's a pocket under the slab somewhere and a section might drop a little. But that's not a show stopper, it's just more work.

*AFAIK, done right means you don't dig below the bottom level of the foundation.

If the slab is keeping your foundation from collapsing, your house has some big problems.


How do you prop an exterior wall to replace rotted wood?

This shouldn't be too difficult since according to your post, the top plate is OK. You'll need to get a few floor jacks and support the top plate from the foundation. You can rent them at most home stores. The jacks can be a little out of plumb to replace your bottom plate but then straighten them up. I would just replace all the studs. It will be quicker than messing around trying to sister them. Studs are cheap, you'll probably need 5.


Don't use the breaker panel.   Use a new breaker panel in a location of your choosing.

You'll need 4 wires from the existing breaker panel to the new one.  You'll need 2 spaces for a 2-pole breaker in the existing panel.  If protective devices like GFCI are required, those can be part of that 2-pole breaker.

Then, you basically use the new breaker panel as a switch bank.

Naturally, it can double as a proper breaker panel. You'll need to put 20A breakers or 15A as appropriate to protect your various branch wiring and devices.  If you have call for a 30A piece of equipment, you can do that too. 240V, not a problem - you'll have both legs.

Also the breaker panel will make it ridiculously easy to add additional new circuits as the need arises -- provided you use an extra large panel with spaces to spare. Because spaces are cheap and regrets are expensive, we very strongly recommend to "Go Big Big Big" when selecting a panel. Finishing the project with half the spaces unused is a good sign you sized the panel properly.

If AFCI/GFCI requirements allow, you can also use "double-stuff" breakers as an aesthetic choice to remind yourself which breakers are lights and which are receps.

If you are switching HID lighting (mercury vapor, metal halide, low/high pressure sodium), or old school fluorescents with 5-pound ballasts, then you must use "HID" rated breakers.


Lights go out in part of the house whenever I plug.something in

Probably a broken wire or bad connection in the box behind the outlet where you plugged in.  I recommend getting an electrician to look at it RIGHT NOW.  You could cause a fire in the wall and burn your house down.


Sounds like your fascias under your cladding are shot... The only way to make this work, which I would not recommend is to line up your screws with the rafter tails and get long enough screws to sink into them.


Interrupt whole house audio with arbitrary source, post-receiver but pre-amplifier

The device you're looking for is a "ducking mixer". Websearch will find public-address hardware that has this feature, and may find a consumer version or circuit diagrams.

It's basically the same idea as automatic volume control, except that rather than reacting to an input becoming louder by fading that input down, it reacts by fading the other signal down. There's usually a bit of delay built into this, so the fading and restoring of the normal/background channel sounds fairly natural rather than having it cut in and out suddenly every time there's a pause in the higher-priority signal (think turning a knob rather than flicking a switch, and waiting to be sure there isn't another word/sound coming a second later before going back to normal operation.

Of course if you want multiple signal sources to be able to interrupt your listening, you either need to mix them before they get to the ducking amplifier or the ducker has to support multiple high-priority sources. The former's probably more common/affordable.

Usually the easiest way to patch effects of this sort into a consumer receiver is to use the "tape loop" outputs and inputs, if your system has them. Switching to tape mode routes the normal signal to the receiver's "tape record out" connection, and routes "tape playback in" to the amplifier. That was originally intended to let folks monitor the signal that was actually being recorded on tape, but it's useful as a general "effects insert" path. (External equalizers also tend to be patched in via the tape loop, for the same reasons.)

Sounds like a fun home-automation project. Shouldn't be too hard to make it work.

("Mr. Smith, please pick up the white courtesy phone. Mr. Smith...")


Why doesn't my air conditioner's drip pan drain properly?

First - why is your drip pan filling?

Because the process of cooling air requires the use of a condenser which gets very cold.  Humid air when it contacts cold surfaces causes moisture in the air to condense (think how a glass with cold liquid gets condensation on it).

This water falls off the condenser and into the drip pan.

Second - Why is your drip pan over-flowing?

Sounds like your drip drain is clogged.  You should try to run a thin snake through the entire drain.  Hopefully the drain pipe is big enough to allow this.

Do NOT put drain cleaner in the pipe as, as you've seen, it will drain into your yard and cause damage to plants.


There's no reason you can't leave it as-is as long as you are happy with the appearance.  A lot of new homes in large developments don't have much more on the walls either.

You could have also used a primer/paint combo product and not have to apply any additional layers at all.


Light bulb sockets in ceiling fan damaged due to corrosion or arcing: Can clean to repair or must replace?

Sockets of that type are readily available as lamp components, sold by competent hardware stores and lighting supply stores.
Don't continue running it - that's a mistake given that you know it's defective.  Swap the socket for a good one.
Most likely the entire luminaire is an accessory that attaches to the fan hub, so it could come off and be serviced on a bench, or taken in to a lighting supply to be repaired.   Note the ventilation holes at the top of the bulb housing; use them to see inside, or if necessary send down a screwdriver.  Don't be surprised if the socket is screwed down onto a "hickey" (threaded hollow tube about 1/2" diameter, common in lamp construction).
If the bulb is getting excessively hot, it may be a cheap foreign job, or it may be an obsolete type called an "incandescent" which is basically an electric campfire that also makes some light.  Getting modern bulbs should take care of that.


Disconnecting pool pump housing from piping

The housing , after viewing the photo is attached to the discharge 1 1/2 inch plastic pipe. Although there are threads in view, you can also see a ring of glue (?) just above the pipe threads. So if there is no nut that would tighten to the pipe threads most likely you will need to cut the pipe to remove it from the housing. If the hole in the housing isn't very large you could try plugging it ,too.


What screws for attaching 1/2" ply to 3/4" ply?

You'll need to pilot and counter-sink screws like that, or try switching to a self piloting, self counter-sinking screw like Gold Star or similar. The problem with all purpose screws is that the blunt tip just flexes the fibers out of the way, reducing the amount of material the threads can get a hold of. With a screw that short it doesn't get enough bite to pull the head flush so it strips out. With a Gold Star, the burr on the tip severs the fibers, allowing the threads to bite in all the way around,  then the nibs on the bugle help the head burrow in so you don't have to counter-sink.


Smoke detectors (wired/wireless) - how much is enough

This might explain why you have many in the same area especially if in the sleeping area of the house.

https://www.nfpa.org › Public-Education › Staying-safe › Safety-equipment
Install smoke alarms inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. On levels without bedrooms, install alarms in the living room (or den or family room) or near the stairway to the upper level, or in both locations.

Some of the "extra" ones you think you have might be carbon monoxide detectors. I'd think twice about removing any safety devices.


Bottom few inches of drywall got wet, but wall looks fine. Do I have to replace that drywall?

If you started mopping up the water right away and limited the water under the wall you should be alright. There's usually a small gap between the drywall and the floor so that would help in the drywall not absorbing a lot of water.
Now if the water was an inch or two deep and soaking into the drywall, then you've got a problem because the strength of the drywall would be compromised. You'd probably want to replace it.


How to calculate length of roof sides when distance across is known? a2 +b2 = c2?

If it's a 45 degree angle, B=A.
Or you can set any value you please for roof height. You don't need to know any trig, nobody cares what the angle is.  People who do roofs work in rise/run ratio, not angles.
The Pythagorean Theorem requires one corner be a regular square corner (90 degrees.  Fit it to your roof one of two ways:

if you are committed to 45 degree angles on the roof, the apex angle will be 90 degrees.  Roof angle is 100% or 12" per foot.  You can put the square corner up there, and just make A and B equal as they are the sides of the roof.  A2+A2=C2. You know C, the width of the building.
If you want a roof of any height, then drop an imaginary line straight down from the apex, and the 90 degrees is where it meets the ground.  Now A is 1/2 the width of the building, B is the height of the roof.  You can take it from there.  Roof slope is B/A, stated as % or inches per foot.  For instance 4" per foot or a 33% grade.

Since in comments you say you are stuck with 45 degree angles*, here's how you use diagram A to do that.   You've already established your bottom edge is 10' so c=10'.  That is a stocking size, and let's say your PVC pipe does not have a flare on the end that  you'd have to cut off (otherwise you'd need to recalc). a and b are the same since your roof is symmetrical, so you plug into Pythagoras's Theorom (with a few substitutions):

a2+a2=102   -------------- this rewrites easily into
2 a2 = 100            --------------- and from here it's straight up solving.
a2 = 50
a = sqrt(50)
a = 7.071'
7.071' = 7 feet + 7/8 inches

That 7/8 inches will getcha.  Remember these measurements are from actual corners, so when choosing PVC length you need to measure the connectors to see how far the pipe stops short of the actual corner. PVC elbows are not made for building structures, so the manufacturers don't think about these things.
If you want to get good at that, talk to the people doing geodesic domes. They have to get the numbers right for the structure to be stable.


When I was working on modifying my garage door opener, I found two things:

One of the failure sensors was tripped; there are several, but the one that got me was the obstruction sensor. It was incredibly easy to bypass by short-circuiting the sensor's connection with a jumper wire.
The communication may be off, especially since you replaced the board and remotes sometimes don't clear their memory so well; check the blink patterns in the diagnosis manual. The blinks may indicate that the remote's rolling keycode pattern is incorrect. This is exactly what happened to me.


The two bare wires are your ground wires, but they are not installed properly according to current codes (even though as long as the screws remain tight it should provide sufficient fault protection).

To be installed properly, there should be a "pigtail" from under one of the screws in the back of the box connected with a wire nut to the two ground wires AND the ground wire from your light fixture. That's a total of four wires in a wire nut.

The one on the left is horribly short. The one on the right is even shorter. Since you may be unable to connect them properly, you can try leaving the one on the right as is. There may be enough slack on the one on the right that you can pigtail it as described above (three wires in a wire nut).

Never wrap more than one wire under a screw. It's nearly impossible to get a solidly reliable connection with more than one wire under a screw, unless it's the type that has a clamping plate and is designed for more than one wire, but in that case you're not wrapping the wire around the screw.

If you find it impossible to use a wire nut because the wires are so short, go to Home Depot or Lowes and get some push-in connectors. They're similar to wire nuts, except you push the wires into holes (one wire per hole) like into the back of an outlet. (I don't like the "backstab" connections on outlets, and I'm suspicious of these connectors, but in this situation it may be the best option.)


When this has happened to the kids (we let them help when painting) I just pick the paint out of their hair with fingernails while watching TV - they sit still and it's quite 'Gorillas in the Mist'

It does take a wee while, but it works without the use of any chemicals.


Why is water flowing into my hot water tank from the output pipe?

This is just a guess, but you're probably only seeing existing hot water in your house's pipes flow back to the water heater, since there's none of the resistance that the full tank of water can provide.


Direct stove/kitchen exhaust into kitchen sink drain

No.

Your traps need to have water in them to prevent sewer gasses from getting into your home. If your vent "seal" was strong enough, you could "clear" the trap allowing gas into the home. Flammable, stinky, potentially deadly gas into the home.

So no. Don't do it.


It is not uncommon to see tiles glued straight onto plaster or wallboard but it is not a good practice, IMO. Even if you were to pursue that method, you would have problems due to the glossy painted area (tiles won't stick) and the uneven areas (tiles won't lay flat).

I would recommend either taking down the entire wall surface and replacing it with tile backerboard (best), or scraping/sanding it as flat as possible and adding a layer of nice new flat backerboard (you could use the thinner 1/4" board in this case).

If this is an area that gets wet (shower/tub area), there are additional steps/considerations needed to ensure no future water damage.


New crawl space fiberglass insulation - Strong odor

Your comment about "burnt cotton candy" triggered my memory of this article that I read a while ago.  From Green Building Adviser on smelly eco-friendly fiberglass.
The article describes the glue used as having a sweet burnt smell:

According to Frank O’Brien-Bernini, an Owens Corning vice president
and chief sustainability officer, “The new binder was introduced a
couple of years ago. We have totally converted our entire product line
to this product.”
O’Brien-Bernini admits that you can smell the binder
when you open a fresh bag of insulation. He reminded me that
old-fashioned formaldehyde-based glues also have an odor — one that is
sometimes compared to cat urine. “Our prior insulation also had an
odor to it that was far less pleasant,” O’Brien-Bernini said. “When we
started developing this product, we did an aroma test. Most people
said the new aroma is far preferable to the aroma of the prior
product.”


Why does one stove top burner spark the other and vise versa?

There is a single spark igniter with two ignition gaps.

You have a single igniter that when triggered sparks every burner.

It ensures that if you left on the gas on the other burner, it would light and you would turn it off. Either that or the manufacturer did this to save on parts.


If you were measuring between a hot lead and neutral, with the power off, what you were seeing was the cumulative resistance of all connected (and switched on) loads on that leg. If everything was disconnected or turned off, you’d see infinite resistance.

What you probably saw was a very small load on one leg and a larger load on the other. Nothing to worry about.

BTW, I’m glad that you were smart enough to do this testing with the main breaker off. I still need to say this: never, ever do resistance testing on a hot circuit, especially at mains voltage! Ohmeters are designed to be used on unpowered circuits. Connecting a meter set to resistance to 120 volts could have caused the meter to literally blow up in your face, causing serious injuries or even death!