What are the risks of improvising to use a nearby embedded metal as a local electrical ground?

Broadly speaking there are two main types of earthing system (there are also some others that are only used in specialised situations).
In a TN system the customer's earth is connected to the Neutral and the whole system is connected to the general mass of the earth in one or more places , this provides a low-impedance path for ground faults. TN systems can be divided into three subtypes, in a TN-S system the earth and neutral are kept seperate and only interconnected at a single point. In a TN-C system (now banned in most places) they are combined throughout the system. In a TN-C-S system they are combined in some but not all of the system (commonly they are combined in the suppliers wiring but not in the customer's wiring).
In a TT system the customer's earth and the supply neutral are seperately connected to the general mass of the earth. The issue with TT systems is that the earth fault loop impedance is usually pretty high. So TT systems nearly always have to rely on a RCD for earth fault detection.
Which systems are legal varies between countries, I have no idea what the rules in India are.
In addition to earthing there is also a concept of bonding, the aim of bonding is to ensure that different metal objects that someone can touch are at the same potential, even if the earthing system or the general mass of the earth has fault currents flowing through it. At least in the UK incoming metal water and gas pipes (and occasionally other things but these are by far the most common) are bonded to the electrical earthing system for this purpose.
Using a local earth then has two potential dangers.

It won't be a very good earth, it will almost certainly not be good enough for use without a RCD, it may or may not be good enough to use with a RCD, you can't be sure without testing it.
It won't be bonded to all the other earthed metalwork, so during a fault there could be a significant potential between your new earth and existing earths. Depending on how close together metalwork connected to different earthing systems is this could pose a hazard.


What type of saw should I use to raise the legs of my hearth woodwork?

You'll either use a flexible, fine-toothed handsaw or what's called a "jamb saw"--a circular saw set up to cut very close to the floor. Which you choose is your prerogative.

If you use a hand saw, which may be adequate for just two cuts, lay a piece of sheet metal on the floor (and height spacer, if needed) to protect it, and use your hand, protected by heavy gloves, to keep the saw tight to the floor.

With either saw the biggest risk is damage to your woodwork through splintering. Always direct the cut into the workpiece to prevent blowout.


Exterior conduit run to fan, condensation issues

Condensation isn't as much of an issue with conduit as water intrusion, usually in buried conduit. But there is no point in running UF in conduit. THHN/THWN (they are almost always the same now) would be much easier to pull and allow you to use smaller conduit.   11' isn't much of a run, so size or difficult pulling probably isn't an issue. Still, THHN/THWN is a lot easier to work with than UF.
I doubt you'll have a condensation issue bc the pipe will be at the same temp as surrounding area. Condensation occurs when things are colder than surrounding area (like a glass of ice water).


How to fix window that won't stay open/what is this part called?

This is the modern equivalent of a sash weight.

Yours is either a (window) spring balance or a spiral balance.

But you seem familiar with the terminology, so the real question is: what's that little plastic part called?

It's either a Nylon Sash Cam or a Shoe Set I think.

It might just be easier (and better) to purchase a whole Window Channel Balance Repair Kit and replace all the plastic parts. They're like $5. Then again, an entire balance costs like $10.


In my house, a square piece of insulating board is up against the rim joist at the end of the bay and great stuff has been used around the edges of the insulating board.  (My house was built in late 1800s)

edit: if you don't use foam, there's really no insulating value - insulation really only happens when air movement is halted.

2nd edit: foam is cheap.  You can use it, then in the spring tear a few off to check for termites and then refoam.  Use a sharpie to write the date on the foam the last time you checked it... just an idea.

I took a photo for you.


Integrating existing Hydronic Radiant with new Hybrid (dual fuel) Heat Pump (forced hot air)

What you're describing is a waste of perfectly good heat pump heat

Forced-air, "dual fuel" heat pump systems require a "hard cutover" from using heat-pump heat to using auxiliary heat as you can't run a DX (heat pump) coil and a furnace heat exchanger (HX) in the same air handler at the same time without playing havoc with the heat pump side of the system (due to the hot air from the furnace impinging on the heat pump indoor coil).  However, since you already have a hydronic system that can supply standby heat (either as radiant heat or by using a hydronic coil in the heat pump air handler), you don't need to make that compromise, as even with a hydronic coil in the air handler (vs. radiant heat), you can run it and the heat pump indoor coil at the same time, allowing you to maximize the amount of efficient heat your heat pump is giving you, all the way down to your system's balance point and even beyond.

"But", you might say, "that new furnace is 95% efficient! My old oil boiler could never match that!"  While you are right that your old oil-burner can't condense the water out of its flue gasses, and thus can't achieve upwards of 90% efficiency, that's not a reason to give up on hydronics, either!  Modern boilers are just as good as furnaces, if not better, at wringing every last BTU out of natural gas molecules: even your old oil burner can achieve 80% efficiency or more if tuned correctly, and modern condensing boilers easily match or beat what even the best furnaces are capable of when allowed to work to their full potential.

You get other advantages by sticking with a hydronic approach as well.  Indirect tank-type water heaters can provide you with a robust and efficient solution to your hot water needs, using heat from your boiler to heat hot water instead of requiring a second combustion appliance for the task; so called "reverse indirect" water heaters are particularly attractive due to their tankless-ish operating characteristics and ability to serve as a central "nexus" point for a hydronic system, providing the useful characteristic of hydraulic separation between various parts of the system.  This is very handy if you want to add fancier things to your system, like zoned heat, solar thermal collectors, or even what's called a desuperheater on your new heat pump (sometimes termed a "hot water generator") that uses extra heat from the heat pump circuit to heat hot water.

So, you want to use two different fuels...

While it is considered unusual to have a house that can switch heating fuels (between oil and gas or propane) on the fly, it's certainly not impossible, either, and the flexibility of hydronic heat makes this a much easier challenge than trying to introduce a forced-air furnace into the picture.  Once again, we go to the reverse-indirect, "nexus" setup described before, only this time, we use a fat ("low-loss" in the hydronic business) header or manifold at the supply-side ports, so that two boilers, namely your existing oil boiler and a new gas boiler (instead of the silliness that is using a gas furnace as backup for a heatpump), can both be connected to the reverse-indirect tank in a hydraulically separated fashion.  The rest of the system, then, can be as before, with baseboards, panel radiators, radiant floors, and/or air-handler coils as the various heating zones.

Given your preferences for fuel use during cold conditions (oil first, then gas), you'll want to run the boilers in a lead-lag setup, with the oil boiler leading and coming up to full fire, then the gas boiler kicking in for additional capacity if the oil boiler doesn't have enough grunt for the current conditions.  Furthermore, if the oil boiler breaks down, the lead-lag control will simply kick the gas boiler on in response to the lack of output from the oil boiler.  This gives you the redundancy you're looking for (and then some: it means that say, a disruption in oil supply won't leave you wishing for a hot shower), without having to deal with the issues involved with forced air, "dual fuel" heatpumps.

Nonetheless, if you insist on kneecapping your heatpump....

Nonetheless, if you are absolutely insistent on using a forced-air furnace with your heat pump, or somehow cannot find anyone who can implement hydronic system upgrades where you are at, it is possible to implement most of the control logic you desire using a fairly standard thermostat and some basic HVAC parts.

First, though, instead of using a rule-of-thumb for the changeover that's bound to be wrong for your system, we'll need to work out the actual Economic Balance Point for your setup, for each fuel.  You'll need the prices of the fuels you get (oil and gas) in $/therm (excluding fixed costs such as meter or truck-roll charges), as well as operating efficiencies (or AFUE ratings if you don't have operating efficiencies) for your equipment, the coefficient of performance for your heatpump at two specified temperatures, and the price of electricity in $/kWh in your area (including all variable charges, but excluding fixed charges).

Once you have the numbers in hand, you'll need to divide your fuel prices by your system efficiencies to get their operating costs, as well as multiplying the price of electricity by 29.3 to get a price per therm for electric heat at a COP of 1.  You then divide the electric heat cost per therm by the furnace or boiler operating price to get the economic crossover COP for that system.  Finally, you convert the specification COPs at the given temperatures into a line equation (remember this from algebra class?), and then solve that equation for the temperature that yields your crossover COP: that temperature is the economic crossover point for your setup, at least within a first order as the linear approximation of COP vs temperature fails to account for the "defrost knee" in the heat pump's performance curve.

Note that you will have two economic balance points in your situation, one for the gas furnace and one for the oil boiler.  Also, do not come into this calculation with preconceived notions of what heat pumps can and can't do: I ran an economic crossover calcuation for a recent Mitsubishi H2i mini-split in my area (which has relatively low utility rates all-around), and it came out below 0°F! While the heat pump I used (a MSZ-FH18NA) is a stellar performer, with a COP >3 at 17°F, I would not be surprised if 40°F turns out to be rather higher than the economic crossover point for your system, especially on the oil side given that you have an older boiler there.

Also note that while the economic crossover point doesn't depend on load, your system's thermal crossover point does depend intimately on the heat load your house poses. Air sealing and insulation fixes are very good at cutting heating load, and are highly recommended in any case, but are especially beneficial in yours because they maximize your ability to use the heat pump as a sole source of heat.

Now that you're armed with this information, we can move onto setting up dual fuel.  You'll want to use a 4H/2C heat pump thermostat with integrated dual fuel support for this, not a separate dual fuel control board, by the way.  This way, we can run the oil system as the first stage of emergency heat and the gas system as the second stage.  You'll need to connect an outdoor temperature sensor to this thermostat, by the way, and also to wire it as a two transformer setup, with Rc/C derived from the furnace and Rh set up as switchable between being furnace-derived and being boiler-derived.  You'll also need a relay from W2 on the thermostat to the boiler C terminal that has its NO contact connected from R to W on the furnace board to isolate the boiler side from the furnace side.  Finally, you'll need DPDT switch connected with W1 from the thermostat on one COM terminal with the corresponding NC terminal going onwards to the boiler heat call and the corresponding NO terminal going to W2 on the thermostat, along with Rh from the thermostat going to the other COM terminal, R from the boiler going to the other NC terminal, and Rc from the thermostat going to the other NO terminal; flipping this switch disables the oil boiler as an emergency heat source.

Finally, when commissioning this control, you'll want to set the thermostat's compressor lockout (auxiliary heat changeover) temperature to the highest crossover point in your system; this is necessary for proper "dual fuel" behavior with the oil system cut out if your economic crossover points are below your thermal crossover point (a situation that's quite plausible).  If your economic crossover points are above your thermal crossover point, this is OK, but it means you'll want to recompute your economic crossover points each heating season, as it's very possible that your fuel price situation could change drastically on you.


If this is what you mean by parquet, I don't suggest it. If water ever penetrates (which it will if spilled on) this floor is over with. That real wood you have there is gorgeous. Refinish it by sanding, stain if you want and varnish it with a lamb's wool mop, using oil-based products. Replace the vinyl with as close a match as possible (same plank width, thickness, grain structure and color) and do it all in one shot. Sand a piece of your wood and take it to the store to match it. If it doesn't look 100% alike, or even if it is a completely different type, a threshold at the parting line will make it 'all better now'. If you don't have access to professional flooring equipment, I suggest getting a random orbit sander, it will be worth every penny for this job.


Using 230V-115V Transformer for 240V supply

You're talking about that step-down transformer you bought.

Step-down transformers are designed to turn a 230V Euro-style supply into a 120V North American style output.  They are designed to do this all day, all night, for as long as the device lasts.

The life of the device will be decided by its build quality.  Is a General Electric product better than a brand-you've-never-heard-of East Asian made cheapie?  Oh, you bet it is.  Still, a transformer has no moving parts, so expecting long life is reasonable.


Can I replace a floor joist cross-brace with two horizontal pieces of blocking in the same spot?

Usually the HVAC subs knock them out and leave them out, but if you place something like a 1X4 or heavier between the 2 joists at the bottom, it would stabilize the movement of joist deflection. Make sure it is a tight fit.


Put the cone on a spindle so it unrolls/unwinds, rather than pulling it off the end.


How do I put up a travertine tile backsplash?

For a backsplash, it's fine to tile directly to the drywall without anything behind it. For travertine, you probably want to avoid mastic. Mastic should NEVER be used on any natural stone because it is an adhesive and will discolor the stone (the adhesive has chemicals in it that will leach out over time). Use unmodified thinset. You'll also want to use a non-epoxy and unmodified grout (no latex additives) -- sanded or unsanded is fine. When the whole thing is done, you will want to seal it very well.

Travertine is VERY trendy right now, but you should be aware that it's not a renewable resource (it's mined limestone formations that accreted over thousands of years), the quality varies drastically, it is very porous, and it stains very easily. These things all make it close to my last choice for a kitchen backsplash. Even with a good sealer, it will still retain bits of food that hit it and will stain very easily if you splash something like tomato sauce on it. The sealer needs to be reapplied annually at least; preferably bi-annually. There are many porcelain products that look like travertine but are better suited to a kitchen environment.

As for how you'll mount it -- Decide on what kind of pattern you want. I have a soft spot in my heart for running bond with travertine. Mix a relatively small amount of thinset. Apply the thinset to the wall using a 3/8" notched trowel and rake it out. Stick the tile to the wall. Wait 24 hours for thinset to dry before grouting.

Pro tips:

Use chalk lines on the wall to keep things level to your countertop.
Cut all your tiles ahead of time if you can before you work on an area.
Mix small batches of thinset, and only work a few tiles ahead. It sets up faster than you think.
Keep a sponge and a bucket of water handy to wipe up any thinset that leaks between the tiles as you set them in.
I really like Tavy Tile Spacers because they help you keep the tiles level to one another.


For the crawl space I would not get a humidifier for this it will dry on its own. I would put a fan in the area to circulate the air and decrease the drying time if you have a fan but I would not purchase anything special to dry out the crawl space it will dry on its own.


lights flicker sometimes in my apartment

I'd contact the landlord/superintendent/maintenance, and have them investigate.

Electric water heater, electric heater, hair dryer, curling iron, vacuum cleaner. All these devices can draw large amounts of current, which can cause voltage drop leading to flickering lights.  Depending on how the building is supplied, the problem could be caused by your unit, another unit, or a combination.

The problem could also be caused by excess moisture generated by showering, a loose wire, an old dying bulb, a loose light socket, etc.


Replacing an outlet with white black and red wires with a usb outlet with 2 terminals

Here's what's gonna getcha with these types of sockets

That.

On a normal receptacle, that "Tab" decides whether those two screws are

merely a convenient splicing block to allow two wires to be spliced together with both sockets in one big happy splice, or
provide separation of the two sockets so they can be separately controlled.  This is typically done a) because one socket is controlled by a light switch, or b) because it is a multi-wire branch circuit with each socket on a separate leg of power, so two high-power appliances can be plugged in here.

USB receptacles (least, the ones I am aware of) do not support this separation of sockets. Nor do GFCI or any other specialty kind of receptacle, by the way.

If the tab is broken off, and you aren't wise to that and just connect the two wires together on the USB socket, then either a) the light switch will stop working, or b) there will be a loud BANG! and a breaker trip.

In either case, you have to decide which single wire you want both sockets to be powered from, and it either a) decides whether the all the sockets (USB too) are switched by the light switch or not, or b) either hot will suffice.

However, either way, the other now-orphaned wire must be capped and insulated.


How do I attach gutters to a french drain, does the perforated pipe need to run entire distance?

You are trying to combine two systems: 1) collection of ground water, and 2) collection of roof drainage. This is a bad idea...don’t do it.

1) Perforated pipe is used to COLLECT ground water. The concept behind the use of perforated pipe is that water flows in the direction of least resistance. That is to say, ground water near the perf pipe will flow into the pipe and the remaining water will flow to that area. Then, the process continues until all the ground water has been collected by the perf pipe and carried away.

Introducing water from your roof into the perf pipe will prohibit ground water from entering the perf pipe system. (You’re defeating the purpose of the perf pipe system.)

2) Solid pipe is used to TRANSPORT water. The water you’ve collected from your roofs should be transported to a storm sewer system...probably in the street.

When you combine the systems, the water from the roofs will not only prohibit ground water from entering the perf pipe, but will introduce roof water into the ground water system due to a hydrostatic “head” pushing water OUT the perf pipe. (Water can flow both ways through those holes in the perf pipe.)

Recommendation:

I’d use perf pipe where you have ponding water between the houses and then use solid pipe to transport it to the street storm system. I’d also use solid pipe to collect your roof water from your gutters and downspouts and extend that solid pipe to the street storm system. I would NOT combine the solid pipes, because an abundance of roof water can backup into the ground water system and prohibit it from draining.

Btw, when you install the perf pipe, be sure to put the holes on the bottom...not the top. You want the ground water to enter the pipe as soon as possible. If you put the holes on top, then the ground water has to fill up to the top of the pipe before it can spill into the pipe.


How do you hard wire a lamp socket to the ceiling?

This is assumes we're talking a screw in bulb socket like a medium base A26.  You can adapt the below for other socket types.

The first thing to do is test the socket itself.  Best way to do this is to use a multi-meter set to AC and an appropriate voltage setting for your supply voltage.  Using the test leads, touch the bottom pin and the metal of the base exterior (the part the bulb screws into).  It should read your supply voltage. If it does not then there is an issue with the socket itself.   If it reads the correct voltage, either your bulbs are bad or they are not making contact with the socket.  With the power off, try using a screw driver to gently lift the bottom pin up a bit and then try your bulb again.


Are there advantages to flex duct over sheet metal for bathroom fan (other than ease of installation)?

If you have the metal duct, there's no reason not to use it. Yes, flex duct would be easier but it would be more expensive, especially since you've got the metal duct already. There's also less resistance in the metal duct so your fan will do a better job.


Extending or increasing volume of a quiet doorbell

Many "old analog doorbells" have some old-fashioned mechanical adjustments to alter the volume. If labelled at all, would commonly be something cryptic like a + at one end of a slot, or near a lever, or on the more verbose, a + at one end and a - at the other.

This might allow a longer distance for the striker to move so it hits harder, for instance.

You may also get results from changing or replacing rubber parts, or looking for things like a collection of dust or cobwebs (or eroded rubber parts) damping the chime itself.


How to level uneven ceiling joists for sheetrock placement

Sister with steel stud using a lazer. Lazer a line across at your lowest point and sister on the line. Steel stud will stay come straight, stay straight throughout the installation and after the installation. It's easy to notch around existing obstacles and easy to work around with anything new going in.

This is actually a perfect example

www.finehomebuilding.com

If you don't have a lazer a string works well too.


We use 19.2" oc joists (5 spaces for 8' plywood) when we use Trus-Joist open web joists. They are so expensive that keeping size down and spacing maximized saves costs. (True-Joist has a software program to figure this out...)

Maybe the alternating spacing allow fasteners to secure the corrugated roofing on the "down" curve of the corrugated shape.

I think this old-time carpenter was ahead of his time.


Why is part of my GFCI circuit dead after a short-circuit?

Wait, you have white wires on the brass screws and black on the silver screws? Are you sure this is correct because black "hot" should be on the brass screw and white neutral should be on the silver screws. I did purchase a home in Ohio that was wired backwards 100% but I would be checking the wiring, did you check the circuit breaker? A short hot to neutral won't trip a GFCI, but will trip the breaker.


What type of wire to use in underwater applications

Use submersible pump cable -- it's what's listed and tested for the job

Submersible pump cable uses a different jacket and insulation composition than other wet-location cables, as it must meet standards for potable water use (NSF/ANSI 61, to be precise) as well as the applicable electrical standards.  The downside is that it must be run in conduit if it exits the wellbore, as it does not have quite the mechanical durability of a direct bury cable.


Yes, your two exits are code compliant for a basement rec. room.  (In fact, only one exit is required. It can be directly to the exterior or up to the main floor.)
Two exits are not required unless you’re going to sleep in that room.
The Code only stipulates the size of one door in a residence. It requires one egress door that is (1) 32” clear opening with the door in the 90 degree position (which requires a 36” wide door), (2) located at a exterior entrance into the residence opening into a public way or open side yard that opens to a public way, and (3) cannot open into a garage or carport, (4) and shall be a minimum of 78” high measured from top of threshold to bottom of stop, (5) and must be side hinged...no sliding doors allowed. (See 2017 ICC R311.1 and R311.2.)
Don’t forget the ceiling height shall be a minimum of 7’ too.


Arc flash thin sheet to cover panel cabinet & fixing the wires

I'm looking for a thin sheet of material insulator that is fireproof and arc flash proof that you can put over wood

Mica

  These sheets are chemically inert, dielectric, elastic, flexible, hydrophilic, insulating, lightweight, platy, reflective, refractive, resilient, and range in opacity from transparent to opaque. Mica is stable when exposed to electricity, light, moisture, and extreme temperatures. It has superior electrical properties as an insulator and as a dielectric, and can support an electrostatic field while dissipating minimal energy in the form of heat;

But it won't be appropriate for lining a wooden cupboard containing a dangerous main breaker box. Adding bodges over other bodges never turns a bodge into anything sane. The right solution for that is to tear everything out and rebuild that part of the installation to code.


Running wires through conduit on outside of house to feed garage sub panel

I learned here on the stackexchange that running wire outside is considered a wet location and THWN wire is needed, even if its in conduit.. The W is for wet locations.


Type of tool used to fasten wood to brick

The picture that you show is indicating some type of fastener to hold the wood to the brick. That is not really a tool. A tool may very well have been used to install the fastener in the first place.

It is difficult to discern the type of fastener that was used from your picture. A close up of the fastener would help but from zooming into your picture it appears that the wood may have been mounted using concrete nails that were aimed into the mortar lines between the bricks. Very hard steel nails of this type are often installed using a single shot tool called a "concrete nail gun" that shoots out the nail with very high force and velocity so it lodges into the concrete with minimal chipping. These nail guns use a small caliber blanks that contain gun powder that fires off to embed the nail.

Removing concrete nails can lead to quite a bit of damage to the medium that they are set into. In your case it may be necessary to cut the wood pieces away using a reciprocating type saw right along the nail. Once the wood is removed the nail may be either cut with a metal cutting blade or bent back and forth till it breaks off.

For your new wood installation you could choose to use a similar type of concrete nail installation but I am not experienced with how they work if you try to nail right into a brick itself. The brick may very well shatter or break into pieces. There are alternative types of expansion type fasteners that would be more appropriate for mounting wood to brick. These mostly require drilling a hole for the part of the fastener that gets installed onto the brick.


The problem may well be the "push ins", aka "backstabs".

Ignoring grounds (green or bare, all go together), you have:

Hot to switch 1
Jumper hot from switch 1 to 2
Switched hot 1 (light)
Switched hot 2 (fan)

Rewire as follows:

Take hot to switch 1 and connect two short pieces of black (or any color but white, gray, green or bare) wire and connect them with a wire nut.
One of the short pieces goes to the "hot" screw terminal on switch 1
One of the short pieces goes to the "hot" screw terminal on switch 2
Switched hots are connected as before, but make sure to use screw terminals.

And if you are putting in new smart switches/dimmers (don't use a dimmer on a fan), motion sensors or anything else "special" that needs a neutral, you can add a short white wire to the bundle of whites in the wire nut. Replace with a larger wire nut if necessary. The other end goes to the "neutral" screw terminal on the switch.


I'd consider fiber-reinforced plastic panels (FRP or "milkhouse panels" - example) attached with hook-and-loop tape. Both are available at your nearest home improvement store. It would be very tough and could be easily removed.


What are expansion joint requirements for magnesium oxide wallboards?

The best place to go for this sort of question is the manufacturer.  I deal with National Gypsum, USG, and others ALL THE TIME for questions like this.  Typically, the manufacturers web site will have all the design criteria you could ever want - if they don't, I would look for another manufacturer who took the time to make that information available.  These guys are generally very willing to help as a seccusful installation always looks good for them.  Give them a call.


I would call it siding, and if they are made of plastic, then I would say vinyl siding. Other materials would include wood and fiber-board.


Spray hose connector for delta kitchen faucet?

The connection is a specialty assembly specific to that brand of faucet. You will need to either find a plumbing shop that has exact replacement parts (as opposed to some "universal" assembly; which actually isn't, obviously) or source the parts from Delta as the person in your linked video did.


What is the best way of removing 1.25" of concrete from slab floor?

Generally you'll not be able to remove 30mm from a concrete slab without cracking up the remainder. In the UK a typical slab might only be 100mm thick.

However (in the UK at least) it's unlikely you're looking at the floor slab, but rather the floor screed (sharp sand and cement 3:1) used to finish off the floor. The 100mm concrete floor slab is actually a sub-floor slab underneath the finish screed.

Now, the floor screed can be hard, but it's laid fairly dry and is often not too difficult to chop out. Typical thickness ranges from 50mm to 75mm (but can be as little as 25mm...)

Starting in a corner, try chopping a small exploratory hole with a sharp cold chisel and a club hammer. Check for pipes first, as radiator pipes typically get buried in the screed around the edges of the room.


If your windows have any amount of wood as part of their construction, the grade in my opinion should 8" or more below the sill, the lowest part of the window. If they are protected from the weather, all the better for where they are now, but the moisture that will always be present in the ground will eventually effect the window structure. A picture, if you can get a link posted can be added to the post by a member.

A window should last decades or longer with occasional proper maintenance. In your situation the maintenance may need to be more often. I would give the window a close look to see if there are any hairline cracks in the paint. They will appear only on close inspection.

If you do go with the window well, dig it in so the top is a few inches above grade, and place gravel inside to give any water a place to go. A 12" deep one should do what you need. Of course, you can go with an 18" too if you choose to get more clearance to the sill and more gravel in the bottom.


When is the reverse function on dedicated drywall screwdrivers useful?

I've removed hundreds of screws with drywall guns over the years for various reasons (changes of plans, later access by subcontractors). Never has a screw stripped in the wood. You might ask yourself if you're using appropriate screws for the job. IMO, fine-thread screws are for metal framing.

My point is that the reverse function works just as expected despite the clutch action with what I consider to be proper screws.


How to block a window with plywood for big wall to project a movie?

I have had great success using a 4x8 foot sheet of white foam board.

It is extremely light weight. I hung it from ceiling on strings attached to three binder clips or bull dog clips like show below.

When not in use find a place you can store it flat. If it gets broken it’s cheap to replace. If it falls on a child no one gets hurt. The white foam is a good surface for projecting onto.
The one pictured below had foil on the other side but the plastic with lettering peels right off leaving a bright white surface .


Moisture in the bathroom is bubbling lead paint - how do I seal it?

I was researching exactly the same thing and came across a few products that does not require you to scrape the paint off.

EcoBond - you paint the surface and it will react with the lead.


Why would turning off a fridge/freezer for 24 hours then turning it back on make it work again?

In many cases (particularly with "modern" fridges that use one set of coils in the freezer and blow air around for the freezer & fridge, rather than having a set of coils in each space and no fans blowing air) the problem root cause is frost buildup in concealed air-duct spaces or ice actually blocking a fan from running.
While this may be from a failure in the defrost system, often it's just marginal design (the defrost system is not broken, but not completely effective as designed, so frost and ice gradually build up, and there's no "broken part you can replace" to magically cure the design error.)
Taking more care to seal up things in the fridge that will add humidity to the air that will freeze out on the coils can help. Replacing the door seals if the door seals leak can help reduce the inflow of humid air from outside.
If a door was left slightly open for a while, that can cause this all by itself, due to humid air entering, and may need nothing more than "be sure the doors are closed" to "fix" it long term.
I have had a fridge in a rental that I could not get the landlord to deal with, so I'd have to put everything in a cooler and remove the back panel of the freezer about once a month in summer to clear the ice buildup (it would cause fan noise when it was getting bad) with a blow dryer (don't use an ice pick or other hard tool - poking a hole in the refrigerant system is usually going to cause a repair so expensive you might as well just replace the whole fridge.) The defrost heater clearly operated, but ice built up beyond where it reached.
I've had far fewer frost problems with "old fashioned" manual defrost fridges, but those are difficult to find new, now-a-days.
Anyway, the day of not running allowed (at least some of) the ice to melt, clearing the  path for cold air movement. Or at least that's the most common scenario I'm familiar with to cause this "fix" to work.


When installing a three way dimmer switch, does it matter which switch is the dimmer?

I know it sounds pretentious, but it really does depend on what dimmer or set of dimmers or dimmer kit you buy. If you're a wireman you can probably go online to a manufacturer like Lutron and look up a set of specification sheets to help you select a proper dimmer.


Simple test:

Take some clear plastic.  One layer from a large sandwich bag would be ideal.  Tape it securely to the wall at a spot where you're observing the problem.  Make sure you seal all the way around the edge of the piece of plastic.  Do this a few different places.

Wait a few days.  Then check the test strips.  If the moisture is on the room side of the plastic, you have a high humidity-condensation problem.  If the moisture is under the layer of plastic, between it and the wall, then you have a moisture-through-the-wall problem, and you should look at your eaves and drainage around the outside of your house...


What are Filament Style LEDs and how do they work?

This is not a new technology, but simply a new manufacturing process.  They are "normal" LED's but each "filament" is a "long and skinny" arrangement of several small LED's in series.  Each individual LED within the filament puts out much less light than a typical larger LED, but they add together to make more light.

It is a nifty new way to package LED's.  Can look really nice when used well.  The individual filaments are available on eBay nowadays, and several bulb manufacturers have started working on making "bulbs" that use these filaments in various ways.

There are some negatives to be aware of.  Since each filament is a series array of many small LED's, the filament will die completely once any one of the many LED's in the filament goes bad.  So an expected failure mode with these would be to see a bulb that has several filaments, and one or more of them would be "burned out".  No doubt manufacturing advances over time will make this less prevalent.

"Are these any good?"  They have some benefits and drawbacks.  Biggest drawback is that they are new, and have not undergone the same set of engineering improvements that other LED bulbs have now gone through.  I would describe them more as "promising" and "interesting" rather than "good".


What is the proper way to clean a water heater?

Not sure there's a right way, just people with different preferences. Here's what I think is important:

You need water entering the tank from the cold side, so it should be open for most of the process. The cold line goes to the bottom of the tank, which is where the sediment will be. I personally turn my supply off when first opening my drain in case that valve malfunctions, but I've got a pretty cheap drain valve.
You want as much pressure going through the cold input to kick up the sediment, so try to leave all the valves open as much as possible. If your drain is a little slow, then opening and closing the cold shutoff might be a good way to get more sediment stirred up.
Monitor the discharge. On my next cleaning, I plan to run the hose into the utility sink next to the hot water heater so I can watch the result. Without doing this, you're missing a key piece of data to know when you can stop. I'd run 5 or so gallons after you see it start to run clear.


The best thing you could do is to put ceramic tiles but since that's not what you want let’s try to think of something else. Firstly you must replace damaged drywall. It is extra sensitive when it comes to moisture or water. You can, and should replace it with moisture resistant drywall which is normally used in bathrooms. Then you should apply some waterproofing layer; something cement based (something like Sikalastic-200 W).But thing that is worrying me is do you have horizontal waterproofing layer (waterproofing on your floor? I'm asking this because horizontal and vertical waterproofing layer should be continuous. Than you can pain the bathroom with some exterior (façade) material which is impermeable to water or you can use something like travertine technique which is more expensive but looks really nice and it’s waterproof.


You have a totally different problem!
Your root problem is a lost neutral. Probably somewhere up on the service drop to the pole, the neutral wire has parted.  Happens all the time; neutral is also the carrier wire that carries the weight of the other wires.
So you should check the panels for neutral integrity just in case it's something obvious. If you find nothing,  it's probably the pole line - call the power company out and have them fix their wire.
Neutral is NOT dependent on any grounding.  The power company supplies hot(s) and neutral from the transformer.  That is all you need for power to work properly.  An AC power system will work with no grounds at all if things are in order.  The only reason we do anything with grounding is to increase occupant safety.
So what's the deal with this HUGE red herring??
Well, when you lose the neutral wire, neutral current can find an alternate route through the Grounding Electrode System.  It's not a very good route since it involves traveling across dirt, but it's better than nothing and will provide some functionality.   The route is:
The panel's neutral bar... via the main panel's Neutral-Ground Equipontential Bond ... to the Ground bar ... to the Grounding Electrode System (GES)... And I'm betting your neighborhood has metal water pipes... to the Grounding Electrode System of a neighbor... through their N-G Equipotential Bond.... to their neutral bar... to their wiring... back to the transformer.
This is a terrible state of affairs.  You are not only moving current on your GES, which is a big no-no, but on your neighbor's grounding as well. Their neutral service wire is carrying not only their neutral current, but yours as well!
We don't ever want current moving on the grounding wires.  Those are only for use during transient ground faults. Normal service currents must be all on the neutral, the wire intended for that.
Remember, the grounding systems are only an "optional" safety bolt-on; power will work without it.
Your power will not work without safety ground, which is how we recognize a Lost Neutral.
Barking up the wrong tree
Your "electrician" did not actually care about having a working neutral wire.   Your electrician was trying to restore the original failure -- where neutral is out, but ground wires and water pipes carry your neutral current to your neighbor's.  Shame on him!
Now, fix your neutral.  Contact the power company and tell them power is out and have them fix their wires.  This is done for free.  And it takes an hour not a week.


What type of water valve is this, and how do I turn it off?

That looks like a standard multi turn valve it should look square further inside or have splines, if nether of these are true you have an issue that I found on one house I had to flip, i thought someone had cut off the valve stem , why I don’t know , but since the end of the shaft is clean , no hack saw or dremel cut off disks or other grinder marks it probably had a key that was square or splined that slipped in to turn it off CW to close CCW to open making it tamper resistant. I actually could not find the key and used a small angle grinder  to cut the shield back enough to grab the shaft with a pair of vice grips, I should have replaced it but it was on old galvanized and we did not want to take a chance. The cut back worked with vice grips and later we found a box of keys in the attic. I still have a few , but left one under each sink attached with a plastic zip tie. If memory serves that place was built in the late 40’s or 50’s but this was more than 40 years ago and I have only found a handful of keyed valves in residential, but quit a few in commercial hotels, schools and gas stations after that and this keeps folks from messing with them, get a light in there and take a better photo and take it to a plumbing specialty store, they usually have the valves and keys , I have only ever found splined and square, I moved to mostly electrical after dad passed but have seen them a few times.


What should I use as a base for my wall mounted PC case?

Your circuitry and peripheral devices could be mounted on a piece of plywood. Such plywood could be pre-painted if you wished to get a desired color effect. For a more unique effect you could cover the plywood with a layer of sheet cooper similar to that used by roofers. This could look very cool of it was all buffed out to an exquisite shine and sealed with a coating to keep it from tarnishing. A clear lacquer finish may be just the ticket.


A quick web search turns up some information. Obviously water heaters mounted outside require special handling. The Rinnai line has two lines of defense against freezing, including ceramic heaters and a mode that will run the combustion periodically to keep the unit warm. Naturally, the water lines still need to be insulated and heated to ensure against freezing.

These protections of course also work for indoor-mounted units. Other brands don't necessarily include these features though. It doesn't look like Eccotemp does.

I haven't bothered to read through their installation manual. However, guidance found on other sites suggest that as long as the air vent is at least 6' long in insulated space, this should be sufficient to prevent freezing from infiltration of outside air. So your 10' run is almost twice as long as you need to accomplish this.

Other things you can do to minimize the risk are:

Make sure that the vent openings on the exterior are facing away from prevailing winds.
Install a backdraft preventer (flapper) on the exhaust, to further reduce the likelihood of air movements through the vent system while the unit's not operating.

Some useful/informative pages I found include:
https://www.mclayservices.com/blog/cold-outside-will-outdoor-tankless-hot-water-heater-still-work/
https://www.waterheaterleakinginfo.com/cold-weather/
https://propane.com/2018/09/17/eight-cold-climate-tips-for-tankless-water-heaters/
https://www.eccotemp.com/blog/tankless-water-heaters-indoor-vs-outdoor/


Removing light switch but keeping the power

For the TV. Simply use a twist-on wire connector to pertinently connect the two wires together, instead of connecting them to the switch.

As for adding more lights.  If you have attic access, you'll simply install all the lights, and run the wiring from the attic. Run a line from the switch box to the first light, and connect all the other lights in parallel with the first one.  If you're not sure how to wire a simple light circuit, I suggest studying up or hiring a professional.


Why would the condensing unit fan shut off but not the compressor?

It fires up fine and then cycles through the fan working and not working [while the compressor is still on].

If it's NOT the capacitor, then the fan motor is kicking out on over heat via its integral thermal overload. You need a new fan motor (save the blades from the old one).

I don't bother with testing capacitors. Both fan and cap get swapped out on a 14yo unit. If it can start and run for a while, I highly doubt it's the cap, but you should replace that $5 item regardless. The bearings on the motor may be fine but that doesn't mean the windings are ok (failed windings will lead to thermal overload even though it 'works').

Most integral overload sensors reset themselves. That's why it comes and goes every five minutes.


How to put 5/8" oak dowels into holes which are just barely the right size?

Some 1/2" drills will allow the chuck to open to 5/8". If you can fit a dowel in the chuck, clamp it in the chuck, touch it to a file while the drill is running. Use the drill as a low tech lathe. Just be careful to not touch the chuck with the file.


What products will make installation of subway tile over laminate backsplash successful?

Hire a competent finish carpenter to remove the trim. Then proceed as "everything you read says" - remove laminate and apply backerboard. 1946 trim is probably better-quality wood than anything you can buy today, and it won't have been glued on with polyurethane either...


What explains a sudden voltage drop to laundry room?

This sounds like a “back stab” problem to me except you said 20 amp and backstabs are only approved for 15 amp circuIt. Current code requires a dedicated circuit. I would expect to find a loose connection or broken wire at the receptacle or in the main panel. If an older home with multiple receptacles on this circuit work backwards to the panel it will be the first not functioning receptacle or the last working one.

What are you looking for? A loose or broken wire at a wire nut or screw since a 20 amp circuit. I usually find them in the receptacle boxes as the wire fill is tight there compared to the main panel, but it can be in the main at the breaker or the neutral buss.


Redwood, cedar, and teak are probably the most common rot-resistant species used for outdoor furniture. The first two are a pleasure to work with, but they're very soft. That means that they can be damaged more easily. Teak tends to be less common and/or more expensive.

Pine (or spruce or fir) is inexpensive and can actually last quite some time if properly sealed and not left in consistently damp environments.


Short answer is you are way undersized on your box and it does not meet the National Electrical Code. Here's why:

Table 314.16(A) of the NEC does not list handyboxes for sizing but I am going to estimate they are the same size as a standard devices box of 2" deep. That would probably be generous. So, that would be about 10 cubic inches volume. The table says you can put 5 #14 wires in them. However, the code requires you to count each wire entering a box from outside once so when you make a splice it gets counted twice (314.16(B)(1)).

So, your example would be 10 wires total (5 in and 5 out) plus the ground for 11 wires (the grounds only get counted once no matter how many you have (314.16(B)(1)). Table 314.16(B) shows #14 wire needs 2.00 cubic inches per wire so you would need a box of 22 cubic inches.

Back to Table 314.16(A) and you would need a 4" square box 2 ⅛" deep or a 4 11/16" 1 ¼" deep box.

Happy Day!


Is there a cheaper alternative to plexiglass?

There are all sorts of translucent roofing products, mostly corrugated.
Some are cheap, others ridiculously expensive. Any large building supply company should have the stuff.


What should the plenum temperature be on a modern furnace

The proper delta T for a heat pump is 20-30*F.  For a forced air fossil fuel furnace I would expect to see 35-70*. If the return air was 50* you could easily have a plenum temp of 95* and if you had really good air flow across the exchanger, the return could be 60* and still have that discharge temp.  As to a remedy there are simply too many factors involved to address through correspondence.   In a nut shell the furnace has to put-out more Bu's than the floor, walls and ceiling loose for any given period.


Wet Room walls, is plasterboard (Gyproc or Drywall) OK to use?

Cement sheeting provides a better backing - specifically something like "Aquapanel" (as marketed here in the UK.

It's stronger and stiffer than standard plasterboard and hence can take the weight of the tiles. It is also more resistant to moisture. Also it's not hideously more expensive.


How do I add blocking to floor truss joists?

Along the wall at the top of your photo, simply cut blocks that fit snugly between the trusses and toenail them in place.

In the field, float blocks under the edge of the remaining subfloor and screw them through the subfloor. Toenail them once that's done.

At the right wall, lay a flat 2x4 atop the stiffback and under the subfloor for at least 4-6". Screw and glue it to both.

At the left wall you have more of a challenge. In hindsight you might've left a fringe of subfloor along the wall to reconnect to. As it stands, you'll have to block up from the trusses somehow. I can't see what's behind the insulation and wall, so it's difficult to be specific.

The critical factor here is that the subfloor panels are connected at the seams. It's not as critical that the blocks are attached to the trusses where they're perpendicular, though that's not a bad thing. Along the wall it's more important that they be connected to the joists because you can't connect them to the adjacent sheet.

Install all sheets using construction adhesive and ring-shank nails or screws and you'll have a very solid subfloor.


How can I remove a 240V heater to make 110V outlet

There are 3 components to this circuit:
Breaker
You currently have a 20A double-pole breaker. That gives you 240V between the hot wires, as used by the heaters. Unless you go for an MWBC, you should replace that with 2 separate 20A breakers, and if you do that then one would be for the circuit you are using and the other would be available for a totally separate circuit with its own hot & neutral wires. Note that I said 20A, not 15A. Note that you can get 2 120V circuits here, though if you really only need one then you can leave the 2nd space empty.  If you just put in a single 20A breaker then you should put in an appropriate blank cover plate in place of the empty space.
Wire
Note: Ignoring ground for this discussion. Ground should be a green or bare wire run along with the other wires and connected to the panel ground and to any appropriate device ground connections (metal case, ground screw, ground pigtail). You may also have ground connected by using metal boxes + metal conduit. Ground always needs to be connected one way or another.
You currently have red & black wires. That should mean one of two things:

Individual wires run in conduit, and just two of them - black & red. In this case, you should replace one of the wires with a white wire for neutral. Then connect the original wire (black or red) to the breaker, the white to the neutral bar in the panel, and wire up the receptacle on the other end.

12/3 cable which should have black, red and white (plus ground, of course). In this case, you will use the black or red (not both) for hot, plus white for neutral.

Receptacles
That's receptacles, plural. The good news is that an ordinary 15A dual receptacle can be placed on a 20A circuit. That way you can make use of the full 20A for loads. This is an exception to the "receptacles must match breakers" rule. If for some reason you only want 1 receptacle, then it must be 20A for a 20A breaker or 15A for a 15A breaker. But most people want to have 2 receptacles anyway. The only reason I know of to not want to use a 20A circuit is spending extra on the wire. But in this case you should either have a suitable 20A (12 AWG) cable or at least have 1 12 AWG wire (having to add a white neutral), so the cost is minimal to go up to 20A.
Note that since this is not a simple repair, rules for AFCI and/or GFCI may kick in, depending on your local code and the location of the receptacles.


How big a hole do I have to drill in concrete to embed rebar in it?

I have been working with and around concrete for 20 years now. One thing is you cannot put cmu block or any other stucture on just a thin concrete pad. You must have a load bearing surface (footer) , and the specs will vary depending on soil type, frost line, and load. Second, if you wanted to dowel in to concrete you must use epoxy to anchor them. If using #4 rebar, i would go slightly larger on the bit (5/8") to allow enough epoxy for bonding and an easier initial fit.


The 8" Home Depot siding will be too narrow. It's 8" nominal, the actual exposure width will end up under 7". To avoid the need to exactly match widths, consider replacing the boards full height, then you have no butt joints in the siding.

If you don't want to spend for the extra material, finding siding that exactly matches width may not be that easy. You could get someone to mill boards to a custom width. Since you boards have no special exposed profile, someone with a table saw could easily cut boards to match what you have. The raw material would just be nominal 1x12 and 1x10 lumber with one face resawn, which is a pretty common siding raw material.

This is a relatively easy DIY project, but it may take more than 3 hours. Be sure the siding nails you use are either hot dipped galvanized or stainless steel. Electro-plated galvanized nails will still rust. Siding nails have more of a head than finishing nails, so the boards are held tight and can't warp, but smaller than regular nails so the exposed head is not too objectionable.


Shower base and perimeter adhesive & grout

I would use the Thinset tile mortar for those tiles. I would use the epoxy grout for the shower floor and the rest of the tiles. There is a difference between the epoxy adhesive and epoxy grout, make sure you get the epoxy grout.


Shower gets colder during use, already replaced cartridge, what else could it be?

Depending on the type of valves you have, it may be that the washers on the hot side are expanding as the warm water heats them, closing the valve slightly, and the reverse is happening on the cold side.  If that's the case, and you don't want to live with it, then the only solution I can think of is to replace the type of valve to one that is explicitly designed to avoid this behavior.

If it happens more towards the end of the shower, rather than the beginning, then it may be that you're running out of hot water.  The easy solution there is to turn up the temperature on the hot water tank so that you use less of it during your shower, and space out activities that use a lot of hot water.


How should I build a low profile stud wall in a basement?

With steel sheetmetal studs fastened to sheetrock or plywood, the wall is plenty strong enough to securely support 200+ pounds—provided the load is attached and distributed properly.  Either one alone (plywood or studs) can hold that weight, but in combination they are much stronger than the sum of their capacities.

Note that the floor will carry most of the load with the framing conducting the load downward depending mostly on the non-compressible aspect of the materials.  If you are skeptical, visit a metal stud store, place one of the studs upright on the floor and stress it by pushing downward into the floor.  The only way you can cause deformation is with a very large force (800+ pounds) or flexing it laterally.

I looked for specifications, but they are surprisingly difficult to apply to this use.  If there is any doubt, you can always reduce the stud spacing to like 8 or 12 inches—They aren't so expensive that it would discourage a little overkill.


Is it OK to remove some 2x4 bracing in my attic?

Consult a structural engineer.

Bracing generally does look 'temporarily' built. It can, however, cause your roof to twist sideways if it isn't in place.


Carrier Furnace 58STX110-14122 fan starts the first time, but fails to start at subsequent calls for heat

Turned out it was a bad blower motor. Replacing it was the solution.


What could cause staining in a toilet bowl?

Many times older toilets have been cleaned with harsh chemicals that damages the surface. It ends up being cheaper and will look better to replace the toilet than dry it out clean coat let coating dry and find it needs a repeat in a couple of months.


I like the look of a cased opening with a bottom board incorporated to resemble a window sill on both sides


Is my window air conditioner cooling properly?

According to this, the Frigidaire FAS182H2A1 is an 18000 BTU device.
http://www.appliancepartsnationwide.com/FAS182H2A1/53279.htm

That's pretty powerful if working properly. The government suggests 8000 BTU for 325 SF.

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=roomac.pr_properly_sized

Check your outside coils too and clean if needed. If that is not a problem it could be something internal. Some examples:

partial clog in your expansion valve.
low freon level

If cleaning the outside coils doesn't work, I do not expect repair to be practical. You can buy a new 10,000 BTU unit from Home Depot for $300. It would be reasonable to ask the owner to pay for it.


Is a too-shallow foundation allowing excessive water into my dirt crawl space?

Water flows in the direction of least resistance.

Moisture is either coming up from below (a rising water table) or its coming from the surrounding ground water in the saturated soil, or both.

If it comes up from a rising water table, it will enter the crawl space from below.

If it comes from the surrounding ground water, it COULD enter the crawl space through the wall, especially if the EXTERIOR side of the foundation wall is not sealed properly, especially if your wood retaining wall is keeping dirt against the foundation wall.

Either way the moisture enters the crawl space and it will need to be collected AND disposed. NEVER install perf pipe around your house and under your footings. This can cause settlement. Removing undisturbed soil to install drainrock and a perf pipe, it will cause settlement.

I think the best way to collect it is on the exterior side of the foundation wall in drainrock and a perf pipe laid 6”-8” below the interior crawl space dirt, but no lower than the bottom of the footing.

To keep the subsurface water from seeping through the wall, I recommend installing a moisture barrier on the exterior side of the foundation wall and install a 2” thick plastic mesh on the wall to allow water to flow down to the perf pipe. (Water flows in the direction of least resistance. You want water to flow down the wall not lay against the wall.) If dirt is allowed to be backfilled against the wall, the dirt could hold the moisture giving it a chance to seep through the wall.

Once collected it needs to be disposed by extending a solid pipe over an embankment, to your drain ditch or in a collection well and pumped away.

This may be the most expensive method of solving the problem, but it’s sure to work.


When to repair engineered floor truss damaged by cut?

Well, it doesn't matter how thick it is, but it does matter how deep it is. If you've only cut one or two trusses, and it's no more than 1/2" deep, I don't think you have a problem. It's extremely unlikely that it'll cause failure of the floor system in any substantial way.

However, since you have fairly easy access, I'd attach a repair member to the underside of that board, fastening it with construction adhesive and 3" gold screws (through the subfloor where necessary). Make it as long as can comfortably be fit in the space available.


Better life span for halogen bulbs in ceiling lighting?

These bulbs can fail from overheating. If there is insulation in the space around them you may need to remove some to give them some ventiation, and it may even help to cut a small hole in the attic flooring.


How can I fix this handheld vacuum cleaner?

Easy fix if it's the batteries

The batteries are 18650s they are extremely common they are used in power tools, laptops, home devices and they are even the driving force behind the Tesla automobiles.

Test

Cut the red and black wires going to the batteries one at a time. Strip off a little bit of insulation and apply them to a 9 volt battery. Red+  black -

Leave the yellow wire for now. It senses the voltage for the charge indicator light. It's possibly connected to a chip wrapped in the battery casing.

This is what the individual batteries look like

CAUTION

These batteries have a lot of kick. They are potentially very dangerous if the contacts are shorted. They will melt wire and are very capable of starting a fire.

If the unit runs on a 9v then the batteries need replacing. If that's the case you will need to order some Amazon has lots of them. You'll want to find some with the same mAh rating. In your case you will need two 1300mAh batteries.

something like this, basically apply power directly to the motor.


Low Pressure

It is normal for the boiler pressure to rise when the internal water is hot and fall when it cools. However a pressure close to 0 is a concern.

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/home-services/boilers-and-heating/guides/boiler-pressure.html

Topping up the boiler is fairly easy. There are many online guides and videos showing you how. Check your boiler's manual to find the correct filling pressure. This should be measured when the boiler and radiators are cold.

If you keep having to top up the boiler to maintain the cold pressure, then it is likely you have a leak or water is being lost through the pressure relief. Repeated topping up will dilute your corrosion inhibitor and it will become less effective.

Bleeding air off either manually or through an auto vent can also reduce the pressure. This is common after a major refill, but will reduce over time.

If the cold pressure is correct and the hot pressure is too high then the expansion vessel might be faulty.

A faulty pressure gauge could also give incorrect readings.

Rattling Boxes

Without a photo, I don't know for sure what these boxes are, but they might be zone control valves that switch your downstairs/upstairs radiator circuits on/off.

Normally they are pretty quiet. Perhaps you have some air bubbles trapped in the circulating flow. These can cause noises when passing through tight spots like a pump or a valve. This might sound like a light fizzing or a kind of tapping noise.

If you are concerned then get a second opinion from another professional.


How do I cover/repair this piece of my bath tub?

Looks like someone slapped wood on it (with tape???) and the inevitable happened.

What I would do is pry the wood off and install a piece of PVC trim or planking (gluing would be the best option here but be sure to get one that supports vinyl), then use a siliconized latex caulk to seal it up.


Is there a list of status codes for Maytag Bravos Quiet Series 300?

From the Maytag Bravos® Use & Care Guide (PDF)

Code        Reason
LF          Washer is taking too long to fill
Ld          Washer is taking too long to drain
uL          Unbalanced load
oL          Overload
Sd          Suds detected
lid         Lid open
HC          Hot and cold supplies reversed
dL          Door/lid cannot lock
dU          Door/lid cannot unlock
Fd          Factory Default
F_ _        Fault code

If the machine is showing one of the fault codes, you'll have to contact Maytag. The list of fault codes is probably not publicly published, and is likely only available to Maytag service people.


How to determine if a Water Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) is working properly

I replaced the PRV with an exact match and it fixed the issue. It was a fairly straight forward replacement since the PRV had one union and my backflow preventer (about 10" down the line) had another.


How should under cabinet lighting wires be placed on the wall?

Here is what I would do - install a junction / receptacle box in the wall - run your wires through it - install a strain relief wire Tie on the wires to keep them from exiting the receptacle box or use the built in relief. That will keep your wires from falling back into the wall.I would then place my piece of dry wall over that receptacle box to make it look nice again - so all I have is my wires sticking out.

You could manage to hide the wires by coming through your cabinet just above the bottom seam of the cabinet and then immediately out the bottom to your under cabinet lights. or a simple notch in the bottom cabinet lip to feed your lights.

Those wires being as they are and also in the wall like that - perhaps even go to one of those switches are PROBABLY 120VAC - PROBABLY..


Is 1/2" plywood sufficient in strength as a 40"x28" table top?

Is 1/2" plywood sufficient in strength as a table top 40"x28", given an appropriate support structure beneath? Absolutely.

That being said, you want to make sure that your design incorporates support in multiple axes of stress as well as twist & shear.

Avoid large overhangs with such thin plywood, and consider building up the edge with multiple layers to decrease flex.

Rabbets (rebates for the UK folks), dado's (dadoes?), a pin nailer, screws, glue, some trim.. epoxy coating for durability..

Heck, include a pocket or a chute along the back to sweep loose lego into and you'll have one happy 6-year-old! :)


Yet another question about replacing a 15 amp breaker with a 20 - 12ga wire

That situation is beyond belief.  To put a 15A breaker on one 12AWG circuit is one thing.  To do it for all of them, doesn't make sense, nobody does that.  Occam's Razor says the likeliest explanation is you have aluminum or copper-clad-aluminum wire.  Look at the cable jacket markings and get back with us.

Putting 10 receptacles on 1 circuit and 2 on another makes perfect sense if it's appropriate for the loads.  10 might be bedrooms, 2 could be kitchen, bathroom or y'know, a home office. At the end of the day, you know what your loads are and feel free to rearrange.

The home office and dehumidifier on the same circuit... That is simply a case of someone overloading a circuit. Who did that... The cat?  Upsizing breakers won't save you from overloading circuits if you're not conscious about what loads you are asking a circuit to bear.  It's worth your time to identify which receptacles are on that circuit, total up the nameplate rating of their loads, and make sure the number is sane.  And if necessary rearrange some circuits.  Perhaps the dehumidifier receptacle can be moved to another circuit.

Panel being full is not a disaster, and it doesn't require the panel be replaced.  It is not that hard to fit a subpanel right next to the main panel, and move circuits there, especially if that area of the basement is unimproved.  My suggestion is take the lesson and get a huge subpanel, 42 spaces is not excessive.

Partly because you need full spaces for AFCI breakers, which are the quickest and easiest cure for aluminum wiring's various worries.


This is a Flush‑mount Glassbreak Detector. Here is a picture of another one that looks very similar made by Bosch.

EDIT: Just realized @BMitch deserves credit for this as he posted the correct answer in a comment before I posted this answer.


I need to find out how to straighten a wall

The easiest route to getting a straight, vertical wall is to identify the furthest out studs and then shim out those studs that are not as far out. Similarly, find the area on each stud that is furthest into the room and then shim the recessed areas of the stud to match.

Shimming can be done using cedar shims, sold by the bundle in big box stores and lumber yards. They can be broken to get the right size and length and tacked in place with a stapler or brads.

Not every inch of the studs has to be shimmed. I would try not to leave a gap of more than about 12 to 18 inches though.

If there is only one stud proud of the rest, I might try to shave that down, but if there are several, proud or leaning, I would use shims.

Getting to 90 degrees is a bit tougher, and is usually only done if there are cabinets that simply must be flush with the side wall.  More often the edge of a cabinet near an untrue corner stops an inch or two short of the adjacent wall and is completed with a trim strip.

If you need to get a perfect 90, you can use a framing square in the corner to see where the error is, and which wall needs to be adjusted to accommodate. If the difference is enough, you might even need to rip a thin shimming strip for each stud to adjust, or even sister a stud next to, but proud of, the existing studs as a nailing piece to hold the drywall (sistering is attaching a parallel board of similar size next to an existing board for strength or better positioning).


How should this sink drain be connected?

Your sink doesn't drain properly because the water has to go up hill to drain. The right way to fix this is to remove this elbow:

And then re-plumb it like this (but flipped horizontally):

You will probably have to replace the existing tailpieces to get enough clearance.


This all needs to be confirmed, it is an educated guess.


Bathroom Remodel; Tile laid, now told floor is unlevel?

Yes, the contractor should have noticed that the floor was not level. At which point they should have had a discussion with you about how to proceed.


Will running cable near metal stair railing cause interference?

Metal parts of the structure, such as stair railings, don't generate any interference at all.  So there's nothing to worry about there.

Running close to the power cords won't cause any trouble at all.  Long runs that are very close to cords / cables carrying high current may cause trouble, but not the setup you're describing.


Can I use existing #4 wire to supply a 15A outlet?

Yes you can put 4 awg wire on 15 amp breaker.
However with this size wire you will find nothing fits a #4 directly so you will need to get a splice.
splices that actually connect wires as large as 4 awg to wires as small as 14 awg  the part number is 971022 Morris.  I just happen to have a dozen on my desk.
you can find them for ~6$ ea . Depending on how far away the receptacle is this could be both a big savings and no voltage drop issues. Or just easier than pulling a new line but it is totally code compliant to do this.
There are other brands of these connectors / splices like Polaris I just happen to have the exact model you need on my desk (they are very handy).


Can I convert/adapt to PEX from copper tubing?

Yes you can do that (it's the standard way of converting to/from copper), and it shouldn't cause any troubles (read Why would you use copper over CPVC or PEX? and Does Pex tubing have any advantages over copper? for some comparisons).

Of note: you can get the male adapters that fit on the outside of copper pipe, and also that fit on the inside of copper fittings (like a street elbow). Can be handy sometimes if you're working in a tight space, or were going to immediately make a turn anyways (since you're soldering the fitting anyways, it's barely any extra work to do an elbow+adapter, and saves a PEX elbow and couple of crimp rings).


Kill two birds with one stone.

Given the aluminum wiring, you really want AFCI breakers in the panel.  That will catch most aluminum wire failure modes.  Thing is, once you are committed to an AFCI breaker, an AFCI+GFCI breaker is only $10 more.

All breakers are Cu-Al rated, which is a standard for breakers.  This standard is fully modern and usable.  Not to be confused with the old, faulty Al-Cu rating for receptacles and switches which is what caused all the problems with aluminum wiring.

Once you have an AFCI breaker, convert receptacles and switches to CO-ALR at your leisure. And done.

Pigtailing

Yeah, you could put copper pigtails on the aluminum wire at the outlet.  However a couple problems with that.  First, most splice types have problems. Alumiconns are excellent if torqued properly, but they are both expensive and bulky, and the box is a tight fit already with a GFCI breaker.  You could end up needing an extension box such as a Legrand Surface Conduit Starter Kit.


There's adhesives available from a company called Loctite, that come in different formulas. From temporary stick, all the way up to welded forever.

With black pipe, I would clean the threads really well to remove cutting-fluid used by the factory. I've gotten Loctite before at car parts stores, and the old farts there will give you a good recommendation on which flavor to use.  Alternatively, you could use JB Weld, which again will require the surfaces to be cleaned thoroughly, but unlike most Loctite formulas will become effectively glued forever.. Good Luck!


How do I repair or replace this fridge water line connector?

I've seen that piece called a Water Connector Union Fitting and a Tubing Coupler.

Verify the size of the tubing, but if it's the normal 5/16" to 1/4" it should be easy to get a replacement at any larger hardware store, such as this.  The ones I've seen (that look just like yours) don't require any tools, other than possibly a blade to cut a bit of the tubing off at the end if it's calcified - you just insert the tube.

You might also check to see if your tube just got pulled out a bit - it's possible it doesn't require replacement.


What should I watch out for when installing lighting in my flat?

If you hired a licensed electrician then he should be aware of any building codes in your area. I am trying to understand your question though. You stated "I've decided to add a layer at the ceiling and rig a bunch of spotlights there." Can you clarify this statement?
The only thing that brings up a red flag is how many amps are going to be drawn by the spotlights and how many other fixtures and outlets are on the same circuit? Is it a 15-amp circuit or a 20-amp circuit?

As a rule of thumb in counting devices on a circuit you count each outlet (light or receptacle) as 1.5 amps. Now remember you only count 80% of the rating which means a 15 amp breaker should not exceed 12 amp load, a 20 amp breaker would be 16 amps.

Check out this previous post. How many Outlets can you put on a 14-2


High limits and you

A "high limit" switch protects the furnace against overheating and damage  -- it's located in the output duct, or plenum, of the furnace and turns the furnace off if things get too hot up there.  The usual cause of a high limit trip is inadequate airflow -- in your case, because an apparently faulty connection was causing the fan to not run.

If you continue to get the "electrical burning" smell after fixing the connections -- that's a sign the fan motor on your furnace is on the way out the door.  Generally, you'll need to have an HVAC service tech come in and swap it for a replacement.  (If you can access the other side of the connection, you can also use a voltmeter to measure the voltage drop across it -- anything more than a volt is cause for serious concern.)


What is a "wet edge" and how do I maintain one?

To elaborate a little more. When you apply a finish like poly or even paint, it doesn't just instantly go from a liquid to a solid after an hour or whatever the dry time is for the product.

When it's exposed to air it slowly starts to solidify. As this happens the physical properties of the finish change. Most importantly it's workability changes. If you brush on a section of poly and it goes on smoothly it will eventually level itself out so that there are no brush marks.

In the middle of your project the phone rings and you step away for 10 minutes. In that time the finish has begun to set up. If you try and continue the job by brushing where you left off as your brush goes over the partially dried finish it can gouge it leaving brush marks or possibly lift it off completely in some spots.

Most finishes don't like to be over worked because doing so compromises their ability to level and possibly their adhesion. Your brush should only go over an area that was recently brushed or allowed to fully dry if you can't finish what you started.

To paraphrase what Les said and Chris Cudmore said Wet on wet > Wet on Dry > Wet on partially dry. You can minimize the effect of banding when doing wet over dry by feathering the new finish over the old a bit.


Sound proof window arrangements with double windows

Key factors are mass and air gap. Sounds like this hotel had both.


Recommended moisture content for painting bare wood

I figured it out. 12% is ideal (a few percent less for dry climates, and a few more for wet climates). Never paint on anything with 20% or more.

I've worked on several homes with bad flaking paint. One time I thoroughly scraped and let dry in hot weather for a week, and used high quality primer and paint, only to be scraping flaking paint again in 4 years.

I've consulted several sources on the problem and gotten mixed advice. Some said that it was inherent in wood siding, but I've seen 15+ year old painted siding in the same weather conditions without a single flake. Someone else said that it was a bad first paint job, and the siding is water logged, and that once the siding is water logged, it's ruined and will have to be repainted every 3-5 years. The most persuasive and logical answer that I found, in my opinion, is that some previous paint job was done with too high a moisture content in the wood, and every subsequent paint job will suffer from a slowly (3-5 yr at a time) peeling problem. The only way to fix it without replacing the siding is to remove all the paint with stripper and/or pressure washing and allow to dry to a proper moisture content before priming.


My plumber installed my hot water baseboard backward. The feed and return are hooked up backward. What problems will this cause?

Assuming it's a hot-water baseboard heater, there should be no problem from which way the water goes. It's a rather simple machine (pipe with heat dissipators) so it couldn't care less which direction the hot water is flowing.

What could be an issue is if a bleeder valve was installed on the output side and not the intake side. Typically the intake side would collect more air to bleed.


Does the ground wire need to be continuous through the termination block?

The ground has to be continuous, code allows splicing with non removable splices that are rated for grounding.
There are many splices out there but not all are listed for grounding make sure the splice you get is listed for grounding.
The second thing is the proper compression tool. I have had inspectors that wanted “stamped” marks from the compression tool proving the correct tool was used, I haven’t had that issue for many years but be aware it could be and make sure you have enough wire to redo the splice if the inspector calls you on it (both the splice or the compression tool used).
You can not use terminal blocks from the electrode(s) the grounding wire can only be spliced with non removable means as compression or cad welding.


What kind of glove offers the best protection when using an angle grinder?

You want moderately heavy leather (or an abrasion-resistant alternative), and you want a good fit.
Firstly, angle grinders aren't very dangerous. Abrasive wheels can go through leather fairly quickly, but it takes a lot of force. The vast majority of hand contact will be quick and light. You won't even notice it. I've even bumped bare skin against abrasive and diamond wheels with no real injury. If the wheel disintegrates, the guard should take the hit.
Any halfway thick leather is fine. You don't want Isotoners, and you don't want leather so thick you can't bend or feel anything.
Just as importantly, you want a good fit. You want the glove to stay in position for a good grip, and you don't want loose material hanging where it'll get caught in the machine.
Finally, don't wear gloves when using toothed, rotating blades. I recently violated this long-known rule and almost paid dearly for it. My glove slipped a bit and got nicked by a 12" miter saw. Had it grabbed the glove's fabric more aggressively it could've pulled my fingers right in. Foolishness noted.


For planning interior walls, should I get an architect or interior designer or someone else?

I would not let a designer make these kind of decisions.  A good architect, a builder, or a good general contractor would be your best bet.  You could always bring in a city inspector and ask them for a few thoughts too.

If money is no object than almost anything goes with a basement.  You can basically put a wall anywhere as long as you aren't moving anything above your head.

Some of the things to think about when drawing up plans:

How do the stairs flow?  I really do not like basements that have stairs that slice the basement in half (unless you have a huge basement).  I also do not like stairs that have a minimal landing pad - meaning it is hard to get things in and out of a basement.  The stairs in your situation could be good to go and a non-issue but this is the first thing I think about with a basement remodel.
Where are the low points of the basement ceiling and how will we handle these.  In a normal basement you will have a main load bearing beam that runs length of the house.  How high is it?  I am also assuming you will have duct work running parallel to this beam.  Can we go 3 inches under the duct work and beam and still have good clearance (7 feet).  Basements with lower clearances, I like to put the duct work against the edge of a room, with a higher clearance it doesn't matter as much.  Also the last few I have done, I have not enclosed the beams/duct work, and instead painted it with autobody paint.  Saves room and gives architectural details.
Where is the main stack and plumbing located?  If the mainstack is in the middle of the house - which is pretty common - then you not only have an obstacle but you have a huge cost if you want your bathroom in a far corner.  For instance by creating your bathroom next to the stack and incoming water supplies you could save 5-10K.  Plus bathroom could hide stack - I have built larger closets to do this next to or in bathrooms.  And then to add on a lot of people just put a bathroom in a plan and next thing you know you can take a crap and watch the football game without leaving the toilet.  Give your bathroom privacy - put the entrance in a hallway.
Windows...  Are they currently suitable for what you want?  If you have bedrooms downstairs do you need bigger windows to meet code?  What is the cost of this?  Also when building rooms you want to leave at least a half foot from edge of window to wall.
HVAC and drain.  Hopefully these are in the same area.  Also there are building code requirements for room size.  This is why it is usually a good idea for this room to be a storage room also.  And with the drain, obviously your basement is pitched (at least in some areas) to drain water to it.  So you can't build a wall a foot from it and not expect issues (drain back ups should not spill into walls).
Electrical panel.  Your panel needs to be accessible and have clearance.  Do you want the panel on a wall in a living room?  Best bet is to make this part of storage/HVAC room but that always doesn't work out.  You can move panel to fit plans (lots of money) or you can design around it.
Learn about existing walls.  If you have no walls in your basement that is a plus.  Often though basements are built with a divider wall or the storage room walls up.  You must figure out what is inside these walls and if you can use these walls in your design.  I had a divider wall in my basement that I used.  It was at a good spot but wish I would have know it was at about 85 degrees from floor.
Getting your money back.  You are building on a walk up basement.  It is an investment.  If done right and you do some of the work yourself you could see a return on your money.  Basically to make money back you need three things.  Bedrooms, full bath, and functional space.  Bedrooms are first priority - so make sure they meet "bedroom code" - windows and closets.  Closets are sneaky.  Plan for them if  you want something to be a bedroom.  Full bath is worth it.  You don't have to create a spa but if you have a bedroom get a bath in.  If your house won't meet code for bedrooms then a half-bath or no bath is fine - but then I would keep the basement very open so it could have multiple uses.

There are probably lots of other things to think about but this is just off the top of my head.  When designing you need to figure out your storage/HVAC room and bathroom and then kind of work around those two things.  Something that is properly designed can easily save 10-20K in a basement remodel.

Note: I was hesitant to mention getting an architect involved.  I lump architects into two general groups for residential housing - functional/builder and the fancy/designer.  The functional/builder will work with what they are given and cost structure.  They will understand how to integrate electrical panel and storage room.  Might even have some good ideas on room transitions and such.  Going with the fancy/designer architect doesn't mean they don't know what they are doing, it is just the design and look come before cost.


Can I build a deck from reclaimed 2x4's?

How old is the wood? If we're talking 70 years or so, definitely don't burn that stuff as that'd be old growth wood which you just can't get anymore (easily). I'd even have a hunch that a 70 year old 2x4 might carry as much of a load if not more than a modern cheap pine 2x6.

All that said, as you state, it's not treated lumber. Unless it is cedar, you likely won't get much life out of it as a decking material--unless you have plans to refinish it each and every year.

The 2x4 also wouldn't make for a sufficient floor joist, so you'd have to use new structural lumber for that anyways.

If it's old lumber, I'd consider saving it for another construction project, or donate it to your local re-use center or habitat for humanity. If it's not old lumber, I'd use it for the fire pit.


Is this the kind of situation where aluminium wiring is potentially dangerous?

Receps and switches labeled with CU-AL certification were legal at the time they were installed, but that certification later turned out to be wholly inadequate. They will be the source of trouble.
Receps and switches labeled "CO-ALR" certification are alright, as this is the revised standard that is much tougher on connector standards. Hint: the screws aren't brass.
You have to follow the instructions

NEC 110.3(B)  Installation and Use. Listed or labeled equipment shall be installed and used in accordance with any instructions included in the listing or labeling.

When CU-AL was decertified and CO-ALR was established, receptacle and switch makers who didn't step up to the CO-ALR standard had to make/label their devices for copper only.
Back in the day, sockets were either beige or black.  White is a fairly contemporary color, and I suspect it post-dates CO-ALR. Since they are not CO-ALR lugs, they are surely listed for copper-only.
It seems perfectly clear to me that you have an installer that just buys Cu-only devices and attaches them to aluminum anyway.  That is a codevio.
You're not allowed to fix it, though.
Almost any state or municipality has a rule that only licensed electricians can do electrical work on rental units.  Even the landlord can't work in an owned unit, because that would result in a sea of urban fires, as slumlords did cut-rate work.  No one can do electrical anywhere except a property owner who occupies the unit as their residence, or a licensed electrician.
There are exceptions but you have to ask the local AHJ what they will permit a tenant or landlord to do.  They often will waive the "electrician only" rule for simple recep or switch swaps.
Further, you need permission from the landlord to look at a cover screw cross-eyed. What you've already done would get you your walking papers with a lot of landlords; nobody needs a tenant who takes apart the building and does illegal work.


Can I drain a dehumidifier pump into my dishwasher?

Some dishwashers will pump water even when not in a cycle (just poured a litre or so into mine to rinse it and it pumped automatically - the door was open so not a cycle. But it needs to be connected to the electrical supply.

However, I would not suggest that you do this - sort a proper drain for your dehumidifier. As you may end up with a stagnant smell from not cycling the dishwasher, however, it will normally have a cleaning cycle.


Optimizing whole house coaxial distribution

I doubt your symptoms have much to do with inside the house, though following up the comments to look at what the modem shows (ideally capturing what it shows when you are having an outage) is a good idea. I had lots of dropouts on "Time Warner Business Class" that various service calls (with replacements of various cables - no splitters on that one, but replacing them is also "cable-guy Standard Operating Procedure")  didn't fix. One day it became evident that they had changed their central office equipment and things got a WHOLE lot better. But not perfect.

Any 2-way splitter is going to be down by at least 3 dB - that's just half power, and if it's a splitter, that's all you can get from a perfect one. The extra 0.5 dB is reality .vs. a perfect world.

Likewise, an 8-way splitter is 1-2-4-8 so it will be down by at least 9 dB from its input, which is why the amplifier is in front of it. Presumably the amplifier is not kind to your DOCSIS signals (or won't pass them upstream) which is why the modem is split off before that.


Wiring light switch with neutral (Z-wave)

Too bad I haven't updated answer when I rewired everything - but better late, then never, right? Here are the answers to my questions:

White wire is neutral in US in most cases... so it was in my case.
Basically, two whites were neutrals for two different circuits. I bought Voltage detector and separated right white wire by turning off circuit for lights - the other white still had electricity running through it so I was able to figure it which white/neutral I needed
Yeah, I just cut it, add in neutral connecting from the switch and then put cap on
For this you need Voltage Meter, there are quite few tutorials on YouTube that explain how to figure out which wire is which with Voltage Meter.


Our door won't close, is it a sagging door or a misplaced strike plate?

How old is the house? If a newer home, uneven shrinkage in the floor framing may be the culprit. It seem rather than rehanging the door it may be best just to grind the hole in the strike lower rather than having a notch show where the strike is lowered. If you  don't like the gap at the top, then resetting the jamb is the way to go, other than raising the door on the hinges and trimming the top.


You have a combination of a partial blockage somewhere in the drain system combined with something that causes too much water at one time to come through. Since this doesn't happen "all the time", you have to figure out what item(s) trigger the problem. The solution will depend on where the problem is. Water will always flow out of the lowest possible open location, which in your case happens to be the washer drain pipe.

Washing machine - You can rule this one out since it isn't connected.
Dishwasher - If this happens only when you run the dishwasher, then the problem is in drain pipe shared between the dishwasher and washing machine. If it happens other times as well then the blockage is farther along.
Bathtub/shower - If this happens only when you drain a full tub or towards the end of a long shower, then the blockage is in drain pipe shared between the tub/shower and the washing machine drain.
Sump Pump - This is the one possibility that would be related to recent rain. If you have a sump pump then every time it activates it will pump a large amount of water very quickly (like a dishwasher or washing machine draining) and that would match the pattern your are seeing. If you don't have a sump pump then this probably has nothing to do with the rain.

The most common solution to a drain problem is a snake. The catch is that the snake needs to be long enough to reach through to the blockage. A blockage that only affects one part of the house is likely to be close - often within reach of a 25' handheld snake. But if it is a longer distance to the clog then you will need to either rent a bigger snake or call a plumber who has one (and who knows how to use it). The bigger snakes are a bit tough to handle - I rented one once (and was successful) but usually if it gets to that I call a professional.

There are also chemical and air pressure solutions. They may work but a lot depends on the location and type of blockage. I find that a partial blockage (which it sounds like you have) is easiest to clear with a snake because the chemicals tend to pass a partial blockage without sticking around long enough to clear it.


How can I toggle two wall sconces, without also turning off power to receptacles?

First off, I would get approval from your landlord before making any wiring changes to your apartment. You never know, he might be friendly enough that he would hire an electrician to make the changes you want.

I would first attempt to figure out how the receptacles are wired to the switch. If there is a way to separate them, then I would do that.

If not, then I would bypass the switch and just make everything permanently on. then just use your wireless bulbs and remote app. You should be able to replace the switch with the wireless switch, but make sure it works with your bulbs.


Is there a lighting code restricting where lights can be placed?

I don't know of any restrictions off the top of my head other than in closets and bathrooms. I would make them show you the code reference sounds like someone missed the change and is two lazy to do it they way you wanted it.


What kind of expertise is required to install a gas fireplace log?

I consider it a DIY project myself.  However, it may be more ambitious than it seems at first.

Gas line work.
Brick/masonry drilling/patching
Electrical wiring for high heat environment
Control system
Modification of fireplace and/or gas log
Possible flue revision
Several building authority inspections

Whether this should be a DIY is determined by obtaining and understanding the "building authority" requirements and regulations for your location.  Maybe they say that a NFI professional must do the work.  Or maybe they say "all work must be to X standard and inspected by Y".


The 'ducting area' of most hardware stores will carry caps that fit over common sizes of duct. Buy one for the interior and seal it in with silicon as close to the outer wall as possible. On the outside these vents are almost always covered with a downward angled cover. Just spray in "large  crack foam" and you may not even need to move the cover. I wouldn't even bother to conceal the outer cover, houses have these kinds of covers all over.


Air too cold---I would measure the temperature drop across the evaporator coil in the furnace/air handler. If it is more than 20 degrees then moving more across the coil is necessary. Usually this could be done by increasing the blower speed. If you do not know how to do this call a good service tech to help. If the furniture is arranged so the discharge vents blow on you when you are sitting there, then you need to change the way the cold air enters the room or move the furniture. And not to slight Jim but I have never heard of raising the evaporator temperature by adding more refrigerant and overcharging a system has never been a good thing; ( if I am wrong let me apologize in advance). There could be other problems such as the A/C system is too large for the house, not enough supply registers allowing too much air to be discharged from those registers, poor placement of registers, the ducting is too small causing the air velocity to be higher than normal or there is too much air coming from the registers. But first start by measuring the temperature drop across the coil. Hope this helps