Please, get a BIG panel.

The #1 panel issue we here is "my panel is full".  This is an absurd problem to have given how panels are priced. The incremental cost for more spaces is a buck or two per space.  So max this out.

Get a 42-space panel.  No compromises.

That is the minimum sensible size for a modern home.  This panel will assure you never have the "my panel is full" problem - which the next size down, a 30-space, can't promise.  Even if you're at 8 spaces now and 18 seems huge, trust us.  Get a 40/42.

We mean spaces, not circuits.  The "circuits" number is completely useless because it relies on "double-stuff" breakers, and those are not available in GFCI/AFCI (big problem!)

If physical dimensions are a factor, look at Square D "QO" or Eaton "CH" which have more compact breakers, and put 40 spaces where others put 30. This is not double-stuffing.

Better ways to get a 150A main breaker

150A/42-space panels are rare enough to not bother looking for them. You're better off with a breaker panel  "Value Pack" that tosses in some bonus breakers.

If you have a main breaker upstream (e.g. at the meter) then the new panel doesn't even need one.  If this will be the main breaker, you have two ways to get a 150A panel in many panels:

If it has a main breaker larger than 150A, you can swap it out.
If you buy a convertible main-lug panel (which has space for a main breaker) then obviously you can select 150A.

Store advice

Never talk to a Home Depot, Lowes, Menards etc. employee again. Their advice is worse than useless.  Electrical supply house managers tell me they visit those stores and hire away anyone good.

GFCI/AFCI breakers

If all you're doing is replacing the panel, there's no requirement to fit all AFCI/GFCI breakers.  This is because of the concept of grandfathering.  You would be required to do that if you remodeled or significantly altered the circuit, and that is irrelevant to whether you upgraded the panel.  Your ability to do this in the future is one reason you need a big panel.  They don't make double-stuff AFCI/GFCI, and they never will.


Is my gas supply likely to travel through the floor or ceiling? [UK]

Can go below the ground floor, between the floors or through the roof.
All you have to do is find it.
I put one in and the gas copper pipe is in a 3" plastic tube actually buried in the new concrete floor.
My parents bungalow has the gas in the roof as the boiler is up there and the cooking stove in the kitch so the gas comes down behind the kitchen cabinets.


From a comment by Jimmy Fix-It:

  This looks like a simple "squeeze" arrangement; where the stepped bevel at the back of the nut just squeezes the tubing slightly against the integral internal barb. No official name that I know of, but definitely a low pressure application. If anything, I would call it a "low rent compression connection"


How can I run 2" sink vent stack through top plate?

Depends what it's venting, which may be just the sink, or may be more than the sink, depending how things are presently arranged.
Per ICC, a kitchen sink (alone) is 2 DFUs, so if this is a dry vent serving ONLY the kitchen sink, if could be as small as 1-1/4" (which is suitable for JUST 2 DFUs, no more) or it could be 1-1/2" (suitable for up to 8 DFUs.)
However, your plan to expand to 2" after making the corner (as drawn) fails 905.2:

Vent and branch pipes shall be so graded and connected as to drain back to the drainage pipe by gravity.

since the lower part of that upper 2" pipe will not drain into the 1-1/2" pipe because reducers are centered, not offset. At least all the reducers I've met are - could be someone makes them that way.


Should I release the pressure out of an air compressor when it is not in use?

The instruction manual for my Sears Craftsman 3 gal., 1 hp, Horizontal Tank states to drain the tank after each use or daily and also for storage.  The water that may be in the tank could corrode and damage the tank.


Tesla Mobile Connector tripping GFCI on NEMA 5-15

1 - If this is a 20A circuit but the device is designed for 15A (two straight up prongs instead of one up, one sideways) then changing to a 20A receptacle will make absolutely no difference.
2 - GFCI tripping, in some circumstances, is due to an actual failure of the GFCI itself. I don't think 6 years old is all that old (I have some that are 20 years old and working just fine), but replacing it may have some effect. A GFCI in a garage is likely subject to extreme temperatures which can affect lifetime.
3 - GFCI tripping, in most circumstances, is due to a failure of the device you are plugging in or due to moisture. Make sure that the plug/cord is totally dry before plugging it in and that there are no exposed conductors, crimped cords, etc. that could be the source of a real problem.
4 - Charging a Tesla, or any EV, off a 5-15 receptacle is extremely limiting. Going up to a 5-20, provided the charger will actually make use of it (which should mean that it has a 5-20 plug, which is actually quite unlikely because of other better options) would increase charge rate by 33%. But going to a 6-20 (20A 240V) would more than double your charge rate and going up from that to a 14-50 (50A 240V) will give you a LOT more charging capacity. See the Tesla manual for details.
Upgrading the receptacle (beyond 5-20) will require new wiring. How easy or hard that will be depends on:

Your total electric service - i.e., whether you have enough capacity or need to get a utility upgrade
Space on the panel for a new double-breaker
Work involved running a new circuit from your panel to the garage

But long term, it will almost certainly be worth the effort. It can easily make the difference between being able to charge overnight after a long trip vs. getting up in the morning and finding you are only at 25%.


Add a range hood damper if you dont have one already, it should close off the tube when there is no airflow.

I would still build that enclosure though. The enclosure should be made of non porous, heat/flame resistant, and corrosion resistant materials since your exhaust would likely contain lots of water and oil vapors. Some suitable materials being galvanized steel, aluminum, stainless steel, and copper.


P-Trap into Wall Marvel Connector Leaking

What is missing on this setup is the compression nut. It should fit over your 1 1/2 inch  drain pipe going into the wall stub. When you tighten it down the inner gasket will seal around the drain and prevent water and odor from escaping into the room.
This looks like a poor diy job. The problem may have been that the bend in the drain pipe before the Marvel connector prevents the nut from properly threading on the connector. Regardless, you need that compression nut on there. You can pick one up from any home supply or plumbing store. You may have to buy the entire connector. You're also going to have to play with the P trap to get it properly aligned so the nut will thread on. There is play in the pipes. As a last resort you may have to buy a longer 90 degree drain section coming out of the P trap and rotate the P trap 90 degrees toward the front of the sink to get a straight shot into the stub.


Can an electronic ballast be used for a G23 lamp?

The given phototherapy tube is a glow start tube with filaments. The glow starter is built into the base. Glow start tubes are usually driven with conventional magnetic ballasts. There might be also electronic ballasts for 2 pin tubes with built in glow starters, but usually electronic ballasts need access to all 4 pins of the tube.

The given listing for "universal electronic ballast" is lacking in details (input voltage/frequency ranges, tube current etc.) to give any recommendation for it's suitability.

I'd recommend replacing the existing ballast with an European model. For example:
http://www.lighting.philips.com/main/prof/lighting-electronics/fluorescent/fluorescent-electromagnetic/bpl-em-ballasts-for-cfl-pl-t-pl-s-and-pl-c-lamps/913710122350_EU/product or https://www.helvar.com/en/products/L11D240V50Hz/ or any other magnetic ballast with correct frequency, voltage and lamp power. Also when converting the wires might need also upgrading for the higher mains voltage. Consult a local lamp repair shop for advice.

Added, since unable to comment:
Suitable search terms to try on your favorite online platform: "magnetic ballast 9w" "Helvar L11D" "pl-s ballast".


Multi-Wire Branch Circuit on wrong breakers

You may think there is nothing on that circuit but it needs to be verified. It is a simple fix to turn both breakers and swap the wires.
Why is this important? With both hots on the same leg this overloads the neutral and this can cause a fire.
Many years ago MWBC’s did not require handle ties or double pole breakers.
People moving breakers around would split the pair and caused problems on the neutral.  I have found panels where the neutral had gotten hot enough to melt its insulation and I was called when it melted into another live connector causing that breaker to trip.
Since you understand the cable has 2 hot conductors that are sharing a neutral turn both breakers off and correct the problem by swapping the wires.
Both are 15 amp so the wire size should be correct.


Breakers often are tasked with two missions; protecting the conductors is always #1, and sometimes they are there to protect the equipment itself. Going from a 50A breaker to a 40A breaker is no problem from the standpoint of the protecting the conductors; you can always go down in breaker size, just never up.

So that leaves the protection for the cooktop itself. In the installation instructions (assuming you have them) or possibly on a nameplate on the unit, there should be something telling you Minimum Circuit Ampacity (abbreviated as MCA) which is addressing the MINIMUM wire size as discussed above, and there might be another listing of Maximum Over Current Protection (abbreviated MOCP) that is dealing with the protective device (fuse or breaker) that might be required in it's listing. So we cannot answer this for you other than to say "RTFM" (Read The Factory Manual).


Power surge upstairs, all power out, 1 outlet sizzling

Most likely explanation:

The outlet had a bad connection, and the wire finally popped out enough to cause trouble. This is very bad for the outlet, as electricity will arc across short distances; this caused the sound and smell. (This is an infamous failure mode of back-stab outlet connections.)
The other outlets went out because they're daisy-chained together, and there was a bad connection at that one outlet. (I don't think you're supposed to do that, but I wouldn't be surprised. Not that big of a deal, it's just not up to code.)

Alternately:

The outlet that was arcing may have had a short in it. Electricity was able to go directly from the live to the neutral. This is very bad for the outlet, and caused the sounds (electrical arcing) and the smell (burning plastic).
If the breaker/fuse tripped it was because the circuit was using way too much power. This caused all the other outlets to go out because they are on the same circuit. If the breaker didn't trip, the other outlets went out because there was a dead short in the circuit.

In either case, once the outlet is replaced, everything should be fine. Items plugged into other outlets shouldn't be damaged, and other outlets shouldn't have been damaged.

However, your question sounds like the bad outlet hasn't been replaced, and the power is back on. If so, this isn't good. The power should be turned off at the breaker/fuse box until the bad outlet is replaced.

In general, this would be a good time to make sure your smoke alarms work, and know where your breaker box is located. While I wouldn't expect a repeat, that's just a good idea in general, and you're a motivated learner right now.


Stud wall that doesn't connect to ceiling?

There are lots of ways to do this.  I wanted my pony wall very stiff, so I ran a 2-inch pipe from the top plate to some blocking at the bottom of the joists below the subfloor.  You might get away with screwing the bottom plate to the josts and using a bracket designed for preventing the studs from prying away from the bottom plate.  Also, you might consider a 2x6 wall instead of 2x4.

Here is a nice rundown of the options.


EMT is definitely an awesome way to do it.  I do 99% of my work in EMT.
However, you have to follow a few rules.  One of them is "No more than four" circuits. If your service is 120V/240V split-phase it's that simple.  However if you're in 3-phase land (120/208V), then the rule is "No More Than Three" if you have two or more 120/208 circuits in the pipe.
If you exceed 4 circuits, every circuit in the pipe needs a wire size bump.  Yikes!
But still, you can get a kitchen done with three (or at the outside four) 1/2" conduits.  The conduits themselves permit nine 12 AWG wires per pipe, so will hit "No more than four" limits before you hit pipe limits, unless they are Multi-wire branch circuits or larger than 12 AWG.
If you go to 3/4 conduit, then you're allowed enough wires you'll definitely hit 4 circuits before you run out of space, even with a range circuit in there.
Yes, I'm ignoring the ground wire. The EMT metal shell is ground.  You don't need to wire one unless you really, really want to.
Also you get to use THHN wire in as many colors as you care to buy.
You do need to mark wires to associate them, but that's easy - just get multiple colors of tape and mark them.   Since you're not allowed to mark THHN wires to be neutrals or grounds, white gray or green tape on a hot or neutral is fair game for marking. So you can do the whole kaboodle with just black and white, and mark both with red and yellow tape to show they're a matched set.


1/2" plywood under 3/4" underlayment is fine. The underlayment will be screwed to the subfloor at 6" on all edges and 8" on center in the middle in all directions. Use a construction adhesive between the layers to make them as one, the screws will draw it all together.


How to add more light and outlets in garage

Your drawing looks fine, as it is. However, the "up to code" section is tricky and more involved:

Your current existing wiring had to be up to code as it was at the time the house was built, and we assume it was. However, if you alter the circuit (add outlets, lights, etc.), the whole circuit has to be up to code as it is now. So all receptacles have to be GFCI protected, a certain minimum height from the floor, etc., etc.

Without knowing more about your current wiring, and without knowing your local bylaws, it's impossible to tell if this change you're planning will be up to code or not.

There are also other things to consider, like maximum fill for a electrical box (if you're adding more wires to your light switch box, you might be in violation of the electrical code because of that).


It would be a code violation to have a outlet connected to a dimmer, I would want to figure out where the hot is at the dimmer and connect the outlets to that then run the dimmer only to the light and that would be code compliant.


Install a 4x4 between two walls to hang heavy bag

100 lbs. jostling about creates quite a bit of force. I'd consider a 4x4 adequate up to about 8 feet of span. After that it's going to quickly become a rubber bad. Or worse, it could fracture and come down (hard).
For spans of 8-12 feet, I'd put a 2x10 oriented vertically in a pair of joist hangers, and I'd put another flat on top of it, screwed every foot or so. This creates a rigid T configuration that should be stiff enough. On the wall, span a section of 2x10 across several studs to create a robust surface on which to mount each joist hanger.
For spans longer than that you'd need something even heavier, such as four 2x10s in a double I beam configuration ( like II, which would maybe be good up to 16 feet). Instead, consider spanning a shorter distance between two adjacent walls using 45 degree joist hangers.


Glass is heavy and many wood doors are not constructed to bear the weight of the glass. You should look into using Plexiglass. It's  third of the weight of glass and most home stores will cut it to size. You'll have to buy the whole sheet.
Try to remove the panel molding off one side of your door and then remove the panel. Get an exact measurement for the Plexiglass, install it and replace the molding.


How can I install a window air conditioner and still allow the window to be opened?

I recommend window air-conditioner support brackets (or a custom made shelf) whether or not you intend to open the window.


If I were you, I would sand out the flaws from liquid nails, etc. and stain/varnish. I would add some cedar details other place in the bathroom as well. Finish with clear silicone II at edges and joints. Looks nice!


Supporting Shower Mixer with Silicone - is this acceptable?

Is this acceptable?

No, if you paid money for this installation, it is unacceptably poor work.

The central part and where pipes enter the wall should be covered by decorative rings. The central valve body should be firmly secured to the structure of the wall. Any visible silicone sealant should be no more than a thin bead to prevent water penetrating the surface.

  Is it safe?

No, water can leak through there and cause hidden rot or mould to develop.


Why is the drywall in my garage sagging?

The problem is because sheetrock does weaken a little over time, and with moisture, but the reason you are seeing it sounds like you just haven't used enough fixing points.

Usually you would fix to joists no more than 24" apart, and separate your screws on each joist by 16", which gives you a structure which can even cope with small amounts of water leakage without damage .

If you have joists already present, then you may be able to push the sheetrock back up and nail it correctly, however it may already be permanently warped - this will depend on just how far the bowing is.

I would guess though, that you don't have joists at that spacing - otherwise the sheetrock would probably be fixed to it already - so you will want to remove it all, fix joists and use new sheetrock. (This will be a fun job - especially if the existing stuff is a bit damp - bring friends to help bring it down otherwise you will have an exceedingly messy afternoon)


Should I dig a hole to pump water from under basement?

You should not immediately dig in this spot but you should do some research, get some expert advice and probably should put in a sump system to keep your basement dry.
If you have water entering your basement during rain storms it’s a good idea to implement a drainage system.    There are different approaches but you’re suggesting a sump pit and pump.   I have that in my basement, it’s quite effective.  It’s not necessarily the right solution to put a sump pit in the location you describe, just because you see water there.  Since you have water appearing elsewhere also, you should do some planning to put the sump pit in the best location.
If subsidence is a problem in your area you should not do anything that will remove a lot of water from the soil.   Neighbors and local pros will be able to give you information about that.   If neighbors have sump pumps that’s a good sign.
If  water elsewhere in your basement is coming through the walls you might consider a french drain and sump pit combination.  Read more about those elsewhere, but briefly it’s a trench dug around the inside perimeter of your basement and filled with perforated tubes and gravel to collect water and direct it to the sump pit.   OTOH if water is coming through the floor you might need more than one sump pit.  You’d best get an expert to look at it before you start digging in this one spot.
The location of the sump pit should be where its drain will have easy access to exit the house and then, with as short a run of pipe as possible, drain water onto the ground where it will run away from the house.  You have to think about the outside grade, where the drain will go, and where the water will flow from there.   During a storm you could be pumping hundreds of gallons per hour and you don’t want it all collecting around your house or your neighbor’s.
I don’t think your pool pump experiment will prove very much.   If you don’t have much rain, but you do have a little water in that one spot, and you pump it out …. would that spell “success”?   It really isn’t proving anything, only that the amount of water in that one specific spot given the amount of rain you’ve had during your experiment is (or is not) within the capacity of your pool pump.  It’s not an interesting experiment.
If you have a combined sanitary and storm sewer service, you might be allowed to pump sump water into it but even then it’s not a good idea.  If your main drain line (from your house to the street) becomes clogged during a storm, your sump pump would then cause black water to rise up all through the house.   If you have separate sanitary and storm sewers you must not pump storm water into the sanitary sewer.  Best thing is to drain the pump outside where water flows away from your house.
You should run a new dedicated electric line from your panel for the sump pump. If you have a nearby 20A outlet that isn’t used for very much else you could use that but don’t plug it in to the outlet shared with your washing machine, dehumidifier, or any other large appliance and especially not your basement fridge or freezer.
You should bear in mind that sump pumps need power, and power fails usually during storms, when sump pumps are most needed.  If you rely on the pump to protect a (future) finished basement you should consider backup solutions, either generator power or a backup sump pump.  A backup pump uses no electricity, it uses water pressure from your city water supply to drive the pump during power outages.
Hopefully that helps, but in summary: you should not dig a sump pit in this one spot just because you recently damaged the floor there if you also have water entering your basement elsewhere.  Instead you should plan to dig drains and a pit that will serve your whole basement. You should not run your pool pump experiment because it doesn’t prove anything useful.


Why does NEC require circuit breaker locks only on hard-wired appliance circuits?

Why are lockable disconnects only required for hard-wired appliances?

Because if they plug in, you can just unplug them :)

The purpose of disconnects, whether this type or those in fluorescent lights, is to allow you to unhook it when hardwiring.

The purpose is for lockout/tagout

This is why Code requires a disconnect switch within line-of-sight of the equipment in question. That is true in all instances; mainly this is applicable to industrial.

If a line-of-sight disconnect is not practicable, then Code is allowing a lockout/tagout device in its stead.


If you think a mini split is two expensive you have not compared the structural work and possible engineering stamps required for a package unit. The unit will take at least a 3’ wide hole usually ~18” tall this requires reenforcement of the brick and this would be for a studio style, a 2 bedroom unit will be even more because of the brick work.
Having installed both I can do mini split in a couple of hours drilling the ~ 2” hole to the outside is the hardest part (both will require power so we will call that part equal for the new circuit.
Commercial properties require additional B.S. or oops governmental permits in some cases and have to be done by a contractor licensed for the work, where a home owner can do there own work.
To fully compare systems get a quote to put the package unit in the mechanical work alone can double the cost of install.


How can I make low ceilings appear taller?

Generally speaking, a room with a light-colored ceiling will appear taller than a room with a dark-colored ceiling. However, in a really small space painted in a darker color, painting the ceiling the same color will make the border between wall and ceiling disappear, making it more difficult to gauge the ceiling height by sight.

A related technique for rooms painted in "warm" tones is to tint your ceiling paint two shades lighter than your walls, but in the same basic hue. This will blur the line without creating a "closed-in" feel that a darker ceiling can create.

Using vertical stripes on the walls will draw the eye up and down and will make the walls appear taller than they really are.

You can also cheat perspective a little by blurring the line between wall and ceiling. Painting a gradient between the wall color and ceiling color, that begins on the wall and ends on the ceiling, will give a somewhat forced perspective that makes the room look taller. Similarly but easier, painting a border the same color as the dark walls on the white ceiling will give an impression that the wall continues slightly higher than it really does before the ceiling begins.

One last thing; while the recessed lighting stays out of people's way, it won't illuminate the full 180* sweep from the edge on one side of the ceiling to the opposite edge; you'll get a band of shadow caused by the angle that the light is recessed into its can or tray. This can bring down the perceived height of the walls. Try filling the room with light from other sources, like wall sconces or table/floor lamps, to put light up along the walls filling the shadow.


3-Wire 30A needs to be 4-wire 30A for new oven, can I run a ground from wall outlet?

No, you can't.  That ground wire isn't nearly big enough!

You are allowed to retrofit just a ground, however it has to go

back to the panel
to non-flexible metal conduit or AC cable  that goes all the way back to the panel
to another appliance whose ground wire is at least 10AWG all the way back to the panel
to the Grounding Electrode system of that panel, i.e. The copper wire that connects the panel with the ground rods/water pipe.  You cannot use the water pipe.
To some combination of the above

There is no need for the retrofit ground to be routed with  the conductors, since it does not carry current except during fault conditions.  Use any feasible route.


Insulating the concrete attic with rockwool slabs

Just throw any insulation material you can get on your hands on the attic floor and cover it with "vapor-permeable film" (I don't know the correct term here) if it's not waterproof like styrofoam. Make sure the film is laid proper way up and won't move. Of course, this assuming that you won't be using this attic at all (not just "almost") - such insulation won't survive being stepped on it.

Because you're going to tear this house apart soon, the quality doesn't matter much. I also doubt any insulation would be reusable after 5 years, I think you should treat it as disposable.

I think it's going to be effective, as ceiling is where the most heat is lost. I've seen many houses which were insulated like this - just styrofoam slabs tiled on unused attic floor. I haven't heard about the flea problem - any insulation is certainly a nice place to nest, but fleas also have to eat somewhere.


Not possible by just going into drywall.  The achors are not designed to bear that kind of load.  The reason this won't work is because of torque.  Drywall anchors are designed to support loads that are very near the wall (i.e. pulling, more or less, straight down along the wall).  Your shelf will probably have the load offset from the wall by a few inches, which will eventually pull the anchors out of the wall.  This is because of torque.   The farther you go from the wall the more torque you have.  While the shelf may hold for a while I would not trust it.
The torque on the anchors can be mitigated by putting in angle brackets.  These effectively redirect the load from the edge of the shelf back to the wall.  This is better, but I still wouldn't trust this shelf unless it is secured into something more than drywall.


Matthias Wandel has a great article (and plans) for making shelving units: http://woodgears.ca/shelves/


Possible application to backboard in shower

I would let that dry the best you can, heat or fan...once that is done, paint it with kilz or similar and, of course, wait for that to dry, then install backer board up the wall. The reason I would paint the framing is to inhibit any growth of spores you can't get to die completely, therefore sealing them in and causing them to die. Some people seal it, others don't. I know a few people who bleach it and be done with it. Some use a mold/mildew converter, and some paint it with regular paint.


Turn triple window into one bow window, structural concern?

I can't think of any window that offer support. The frames are typically too weak and cannot handle the weight. The common framing for a door or window has a king stud (full height), then a crippler stud (shortened to support the header), a header (similar to a beam) over the opening, and at the bottom of the opening is a single 2xx4 or 2x6 depending on the framing, and the supporting studs below it. See picture below and how it disperses the load.

So, between your 3 windows are a crippler, king, king, crippler and are there to support the structure. Hopefully, this answers your question.
FYI - What the diagram calls jack studs, I know as cripplers.


How do I adhere vinyl sheeting to carpet?

I don't think there's a good answer to your question.  What you want to do is ... poorly thought out.

Get a small section of vinyl and unroll it so that the edges extend beyond the edge of the pen.  Let the pen hold it down.  Anything more is not going to be good for the carpet.


Light fixture opening is too wide for baseplate

This is a common issue.
One solution is longer screws, if you have adjusted the screws out to their maximum length and they are still not long enough to reach through the holes in the fixture then you can get longer screws at the hardware store or try the other solution.
The other solution is to not tighten the mounting plate up against the recessed box. Loosen the screws that hold it to the box so it hangs below the box enough for the other screws to be usable.  It may take some fiddling with fixture screws to find just the right setting. It is a little tricky to get the screws and holes lined up when it is loose but it can be done.  When you tighten up the little nuts that hold the fixture on it will pull the fixture up against the ceiling so it is not hanging loose.


How should I attach a C wire on my chromalox boiler?

According to the wiring diagram, the transformer should be installed between the T1 and T2 terminals. Though you have not shown the wiring in any of the photos, so it's difficult to give a better description than that.

However, since the transformer is only rated at 40 VA (volt-ampere), the maximum current on the secondary side of the transformer would only be 1.66666667 amperes.

40 VA / 24V = 1.66666666666667 amperes

In most cases the only things on the secondary side of the transformer are switches and relays, so this usually is sufficient. When you go installing thermostats that draw more current than that, you start running into problems.

If you want to install a thermostat that requires constant power, you may have to upgrade the transformer and any fuses that protect it.


Simple floor scrapers like this one, pictured below have always done the job for me - they will take pretty much anything off a flat surface including splashed concrete.


Can I fuse two Neutral lines of two different power lines?

This is a terrible idea, not only for a variety of safety reasons, but also because there is no guarantee both power supplies will be on the same phase.

For instance, I have seen a building with two separate 120/240 main panels, each fed by its own transformer from 480 volt 3 phase.  They had been sloppy about mixing neutrals, for instance a fan circuit ran all over the factory, grabbing the nearest neutral wherever there was a fan, even if that neutral came out of a different panel.  The two panels were originally on different phases of the 480 (for balance) but were later moved to the same phase - clearly they had been having problems.

A far bigger danger is it could overload the neutral wire (carrying its design load and also the unexpected load), and there would be absolutely nothing to detect this.   Neutral wires do not have circuit breakers.


How do I fix incorrect attic insulation?

I have some in my attic (from a previous owner) and I've found that it's never the same after it's been disturbed.  All that "fluffing" will do is create an enormous amount of dust.

I think you need to install new insulation; you shouldn't need to remove the old insulation if you're adding more of the same type.  The new will just sit on top of the old insulation.  If you do decide to remove some of the old, a shop-vac works well; just be ready for lots of dust.

Personally, I prefer fiberglass batting because you can move it out of the way if you need to, and it will spring back if you compress it.  These days, you can get batts that are sheathed in plastic so that they are clean and easy to install: no fiberglass dust!  Again, they would just sit on top of the existing insulation.


Twist in the proper direction
Are you turning the right way?  Remember, "Righty tighty, Lefty loosy" (which never made sense to me). Most screws are right-handed threads, so you'll turn them anti(counter)-clockwise to remove them.  In some situations left-hand thread screws are used (usually to prevent screws from loosening due to rotational forces), so you'll actually have to turn the screw clock-wise to loosen it.
Sometimes tightening the screw very, very slightly, can loosen it up enough that it can be removed.
Muscle
The first thing to try, is simply to apply more inward force while turning.

Use a screwdriver with a head that fits snugly in the screw head.
Put the palm of one hand on the back side of the screwdriver handle, and wrap your other hand around the handle ready to twist.
Push the screwdriver as hard as you can with your back hand into the screw, and twist with your other hand.

If you are using a screwdriver with a hexagonal or square shaft, you can grip the shaft of the screwdriver with an adjustable spanner (wrench) or vise grips. This will allow you to exert more torque, and may put you in a better position to push the screwdriver harder into the screw head.
Lube
Sometimes screws seize up due to rust, or other debris.  Soaking the area with penetrating oil, may free up the screw enough for you to remove it.

Apply a liberal amount of penetrating oil to the area.
Allow the oil to soak in for 5-10 minutes.
Try to remove the screw (by conventional means, and using the technique above).

Rapping, Tapping, and Banging
If both methods above have not worked, giving the area a sharp tap with a hammer might break the screw free.

Hit the screw and surrounding area with a series of sharp taps with your hammer.

Remember, you're not trying to knock the screw into next week, you just want to loosen it up (though there are situations where you'll have to give the piece a healthy whack).
Impact Driver
For really stuck screws, you can use a manual impact driver.

Attach a bit that fits snugly in the screw slot
Set the driver to spin in the proper direction (this process varies from tool to tool, but most commonly, you'll compress the driver and twist).
Place the driver on the screw, and hold the driver as straight as possible (keep you hands away from both ends of the tool).
Give the back side of the driver a whack with a hammer (a rubber mallet or non-marring hammer is good for this).
Repeat until the screw starts to twist (most impact drivers have to be "reset" between strikes, so don't forget to reset the driver before whacking it again).
Once the screw is freed up, use a regular screwdriver to remove it.

This may not always be the best tool when working with sensitive electronics or delicate equipment, but it's very useful for removing stuck screws.
Drilling
If you still cannot remove the screw, as a last resort you can drill the screw out.

Select a drill bit that is just smaller than the shaft of the screw you want to remove (you may have to guess if you can't see the whole screw, but you can always go bigger later so start small).
Place the bit in a drill.
Place the tip of the bit in the center of the head of the screw.
Drill until the screw comes free, or until you think you are deep enough.
If the screw did not come free, switch to a slightly larger bit and drill again.

This is a last-ditch effort, and will destroy the screw (and possibly the threads in the hole, if not done correctly).  Use this technique only as your last resort.
Explosives
Remove the screw, and everything else in a 20ft. radius.

Place the charge on the screw.
Light the fuse.
Run like hell.
Cover your ears.
Bask in destructive glory.

It's a good idea to film the explosion using a high-speed camera, so you can watch it over and over again in super slow-mo.


Can I remove the bathtub -- just the tub -- without shutting off the water supply?

The drain parts (the drain assembly is called a waste & overflow unit) can be disconnected from above, there should be no other direct connections to the tub.
Just unscrew and remove the overflow trip-plate and disconnect it from the stopper mechanism (called the bucket & wire assembly). The drain strainer can be removed from the tub drain shoe by unscrewing with a special tool called a spud wrench.
The main problems with this idea are:

the tile/wall treatments (as mention by other commenters) are usually configured such that they overhang the integrated lip of the tub, which means the lowest tile course would have to be removed (see pic below).
some (many) bathtubs are cast iron and extremely heavy, making removal without significant alteration difficult. On more than one occasion I have had to demolish the tub in-situ to get it out.


What Cement Based Product Is Used for Smoothly Finished Floors?

If you want to get a smooth finish after-the-fact, there are some great products out there that will set smooth and very thin - a real 'feather edge'. I recently used Henry FeatherFinish Patch and Skimcoat to prep a rough and uneven concrete floor before laying luxury vinyl tile and was really pleased with the results. Once mixed, it spreads like butter with a trowel or sheetrock knife. You can find it at Home Depot.


Removing attic house fan and adding subfloor

It would be very useful if you could post a picture of what the existing framing looks like around the fan opening.

Since it is unlikely that the joists are three feet apart there is a good chance that there are already framing headers across between two existing joists that take care of supporting the stub joist that was cut off across the fan opening. If this is the case then just one piece of 2x6 and a pair of joist hangers would be the simplest thing to add needed ceiling support back across the fan opening.

On the other hand if the opening is different then this is where a picture comes in valuable as to offering you the best advice.


Are these boards above my garage structural?

Cat walk or rat walk is what we called them. We usually laid them flat and would staple the romex.
They keep the boards from moving and cracking the Sheetrock, since you are decking the area make sure to do the same with the decking or as you move around it will damage the Sheetrock.


How to clean up a large plaster penetration

I'd just remove the plaster the rest of the way in the area of interest and replace it with backerboard / cementboard.
Tile is expensive in both materials cost and labor.
Putting tile on a dubious substrate is, therefore, a poor choice. If the substrate fails, your expense in both money & time invested is lost. The slight additional money and labor to provide high quality substrate for tile is well worth it.
You could do any standard large-hole drywall patching technique if you would rather. I would not advise that, and I would not advise tiling the wall (beyond the hole) as it stands, based on these pictures. You might get away with it. You might not.


GX23-2 Lampholder removing wires without cutting

You probably can't. I would just cut them back an inch or two on both the bad one and the "donor", then use splices on the wires.


How to build watertight containers that keep water out even if it is fully submerged?

You need pelican cases. there is no need to reinvent the wheel here, you would spend much more money developing and building waterproof containers instead of buying readily available commercial products.
Pelican cases are used in media productions around the world to keep all kinds of camera gear, monitors and computers dry and safe.
I have worked on television productions that have used dozens of pelican cases to transport sensitive cameras and large media production gear to locations in wet and hostile environments here in Alaska.
I took my entire camera gear Outfit including multiple cameras and many lenses down the Grand canyon Colorado river In a 1620 pelican case, It kept it  safe and dry through all of the rapids  and being completely submerged for short periods of time. My laptop was in a pelican case in a raft that was overturned and submerged underwater for nearly an hour and stayed safe and dry.


Safe to cut vine wrapped around electric mains?

Responsibility for the service drop (the wire from the utility to your house) lies with the utility.  Generally the demarcation line is the splice between the service drop and the conductors leading up the mast.

Your electrical utility thus may be willing to clear these vines.

The wires are insulated, though you can't trust the insulation is perfect. The vines won't conduct enough electricity to matter.  But if you cut the vines they'll die and dry out, and be far harder to pry off the line.  Damage from the vines will at first be mechanical, as the weight of the vines especially if it's windy can be significant.

If you do clear the vines yourself, use a wooden ladder, wear electrician's insulating gloves, and gently unwrap the live vine without risking directly touching the insulated service drop wires.  If you see flaws in the insulation, call the power company right away.

http://inspectapedia.com/electric/Electrical_Service_Drop.php


How to safely make space for attic ladder installation

JBR, the white things are knobs and the tubes going through the wood are just that tubes for knob& tube wiring, since you don’t know much about electrical you may want to identify another location.  It is quite possible the old wiring is still in use.

I have a 1930 farm house that almost all the K&T was still in use 5 years ago. Just a few new circuits that were NMB cables or Romex (a brand , the white and yellow cables)

Added reference:
The NEC requires the protection of the wires per 320-23 , and NM cable refers to this section also 334.23

Be very cautious around the old K&T wiring that insulation is extremely old and I have been zapped more times than I can count crawling around in old homes with K&T.

If you add a permanent ladder you will also need to protect all the wiring, the Romex can have some boxes added and extended to get it out of the way but I would suggest a pro to do any work on the K&T if it is still in use , it can be done but not many sparkys will do patch work on K&T and some jurisdictions do not allow it.


Why have cordless tools changed the battery style?

The neck style battery pack typically held an extra 1-2 NiCad cells in that neck portion. With  the transition to higher voltages, they want to make at least some change in design so you can't use the wrong battery like @Henry Jackson stated. But the main reason you don't see any is the way lithium-ion packs are constructed, yes they do still have a few battery packs that are round and are fully inserted but the majority of lithium-ion cells are designed rectangular, wide, and flat. These stack better in a normal box form factor and the neck would not be used to store any extra cells. Most tool companies are offering the same tools (same voltage mainly) that work with either NiCad or Li-ion. The more rectangular the form factor takes the less space to make a mold and typically less plastic/material so without the advantage of using the neck to hold more cells, the inefficient neck form factor has bit the dust.


How do I get rid of this dirt between the tiles of my bathroom shower?

I am in the US.  I have had luck with Soft Scrub (bleach and mild abrasive in a paste like base), and with Zud (oxalic acid); Bar Keepers Friend is also oxalic acid.  Comet is also bleach.  Get one of those products and Scotch Brite green scrub pads or something similar.  Scrub the stuff in there and leave it there.  Let it sit all day before you rinse it off.

Plain bleach is really less than ideal for this for a number of reasons.  One it does not cut grease and grime at all.  Two it is runny and won't stay on a vertical surface.  Three you will breathe a lot of it and hurt your eyes and nose.


Why is my AC blowing from this pipe and freezing up periodically?

Sounds like the condensate drain. The process of cooling air causes condensation to form inside of the AC and it's drained out through these lines. There's usually a small P-trap off the side of the AC unit (at least on HVACs for homes) that collects enough moisture to seal airflow (just as a trap under your sink keeps sewer gases from coming into your home). You have to periodically put something in this trap to keep it clean from mold (I use a cap-full of bleach, others suggest something like vinegar to be better for the environment).

As for why your AC unit is freezing up, I'd check your filters. If they are clogged, the AC may be blowing out the condensate trap and freezing over due to insufficient airflow.


Uneven bathtub drain hole, can't screw in new drain

Normally the drain unit in a tub or sink is pushed in from the top with plumbers putty under its top flange (Or some use a rubber gasket) and then it is pushed down into the tub opening. It is secured from the bottom side using a large size nut that screws onto the outside of the lower portion of the drain basket.

You will likely have a very difficult time trying to seal it up by turning and screwing the basket from the top.


Stand in front of the door.

If the handle moves away from you and to the left, it's left handed.
If  the handle moves toward you and to the right, it's left handed.
If the handle moves away from you and to the right, it's right handed.
If the handle moves toward you and to the left, it's right handed.

Basically, if it opens away from you, it's whichever way it opens to. If it opens toward you, it's the opposite of whichever way it opens.


I would call those fluted dowel pins. I use a similar style of pre made dowels. Finding that exact model may take some time but give fluted dowel pins or rods and that should get you close.


What products should I use to add sound insulation to a party wall?

You can get acoustic plasterboard (UK site). It won't block out all the sound (as pointed out on the site) but will reduce it - hopefully to a more tolerable level.

Stick this to the wall and then skim/tile on top.

You will lose a bit of space from your room, but it's only one wall (the party wall).


A frequently used bit is a Forstner style bit, which drills (nearly) flat bottomed holes.  .

For the smaller sizes (< 1/2 inch, <13mm) , a brad point bit is also usable and also (nearly) flat bottomed.

Because these bits are minimally guided by a central drill point, use in a drill press is recommended (to prevent sideways drift).  Careful use freehand can also work.  Go slowly at the start, until the full circumference is inscribed, then higher pressure can be used.


How to properly install allure ultra vinyl planks?

Cutting planks to length at the end of a row, you just need to score the laminate layer well and then bend the plank backwards.  It will snap along the score.  I used a rotary cutter that looked like a pizza cutter and it worked well.  Give it a few hard passes to score it deeply.

On rows, there is very little waste.  What you trim off one row you can use to start the next row (as long as the piece is at least 12" long).  That staggers the seams.

Each row interlocks with the previous row.  When you reach the last row at the end of a room, or a bump-out, where a full width plank is too wide for the remaining space, you trim the plank to the required width on the "leading" edge that does not interlock with the previous row (you trim off what doesn't fit in the remaining space).  You leave a small gap to the wall for expansion that gets covered by molding.

Note that it is intended to leave an expansion gap around the outer edge. The trimmed edges won't be perfectly clean, like the factory edge on the plank, and row to row won't be a perfectly even edge.  The system is designed for DIYers.  The edges all get hidden by coordinated quarter-round molding.  If you end at a doorway, there are coordinated transition strips.  So it all looks clean and finished when you're done.

Trim the width the same way--score the laminate side well and then bend the plank backwards along the score.  If you have a countertop or piece of lumber, line up the score along the edge of the countertop or board, and fold the waste edge down.  Try to fold it evenly until the whole length of the score is creased, then you can give it a sharper fold.  The waste edge will snap off.

If you have to "notch out" a corner, like a section of wall adjacent to a doorway, where a portion of the plank will be full width and a portion will be partial width, use a utility knife to cut all the way through the plank for the short cut.  The long score will then be free to bend to snap it off.

It is basically waste, some fraction of one row per room.


Approximately 2,350 lbs or 1,065 kgs.

Source: http://www.calculator.net/concrete-calculator.html


How to create an off switch for a socket that doesn't have one using a light switch?

If you are building from scratch, go ahead and put a wall switch next to the outlet. Then wire the wall switch so it is between the mains and the outlet.

If you just want to retrofit one outlet or so, you could add something like this to an existing socket:

This model has a local button, and also supports Z-wave for wireless switching.

Here's another version which supports Alexa/Google Home.


Are water and vertical cracks normal for full height crawl space?

I think the things you mentioned are solvable, though cannot venture a guess as to the cost.
First thing is to identify the source of the water in the crawlspace.  The ground around the house has a good slope towards the back, so it should be relatively easy to direct any surface water away from the foundation - much easier than if you had a totally flat lot.
The (I guess) minor vertical cracks in the basement wall are easily fixed with an epoxy compound that is injected into the cracks, assuming the cracks are not growing. I had something similar in my previous house, noticed right after we moved in, and the epoxy-injection fix I mentioned held up for the 21 years we were in the house.


Why is there so much metal-clad wiring in my house?

The flexible armored wire you are seeing is often referred to as AC or BX cable. (BX was a brand name like Romex is for NM) Bx was used extensively prior to 1960ish and is still used today. There are no current code requirements that require this kind of cable in residential construction and it has almost all but been replaced with NM. As you have probably already figured out, BX uses different box connectors, and many of the device boxes you have in place were probably made to terminate BX cable.

Although it is perfectly legal to use, and actually quite safe, it is rarely used because of it's higher cost and relative difficulty to install and terminate. The only caution I would emphasize is the ground conductor in older BX. it was very common not to use a separate ground conductor when using BX, and often when there was a separate ground wire, it was a smaller AWG that the black/white/red current carrying conductors. this was never a problem if the BX armor was properly attached to the metal junction boxes and again properly connected at the panel, thus making a substantial grounding path.

As  far as the bonus question. BX is heavy and probably brings a good price at the metal recycling brokers.  A couple of years ago when junk metal was really hot, a good load would have been worth hundreds of dollars. It was a popular find for junk dealers and the target of theft.


You probably can fix this without having to damage the wall. This is a common problem, and there are inexpensive tools designed to remove any pieces of the shower arm left inside the wall in the fitting.

You might be able to borrow one, but similar tools can be bought for less than US$10. Check your local hardware store or plumbing supply store.

Unscrew the shower head. A piece of rubberized shelf liner or jar gripper is useful to protect your hand and provide a high-friction grip on the fitting, but pliers can be used, at the risk of damaging the shower head.
Using the rubber gripper, again, turn the shower arm counter-clockwise to remove it. It may break off, or pieces of the thread may remain in the female fitting, and this is where the internal pipe extractor is useful. Be gentle, since you do not want to damage the fitting in the wall.
Replacement shower arms are no more expensive than the extractor, and are common hardware-store items. Measure the depth of the hole, and bring in fragments of the shower arm to get the correct size part. A good brass fitting should last many years.

BTW, I've removed pieces of a brass fitting with just a flat screwdriver, inserted at an angle -- but the old fitting was in much better shape than that in the photo.


Wow! I normally use post hole diggers (6" diameter?) 3 feet deep and ½ a bag of redi-mix per post. I did a free standing section of 6 foot privacy fencing this last summer and we just had a storm of >50mph winds and it is still standing and solid.

So, some of it depends on the quality of your soil but 4 bags per post would be major overbuilding in my opinion.

If you had access to an 8" auger and a full bag per post would still be overbuilding but if you are OCD then that would probably satisfy your worries.

Good luck!


GFCI breakers are prone to fail earlier than traditional breakers. I would swap the breaker with another functioning GFCI breaker from the electrical panel to see if the problem follows the breaker or continues on the existing circuit.


How do I get this shelf off my wall, no screws showing

Many fixtures with hidden brackets - especially bathroom fixtures - are secured with a set screw into each bracket. Check the underside on each end of the shelf for a small screw. These are usually slotted or hex screws, usually no more than 1/2" in length. You may need to back the screw out almost all the way, as there is sometimes a lip it has to clear.


is this the right way to ground fault protect both sides of an mwbc?

Close, but not quite.  From the point of the two GFCIs onward, the neutrals must be kept separate.

Consider: if you had a device drawing power on the black hot circuit from a load farther down the line, and nothing on the red, which GFCI would its neutral return current flow through?  Since they're just connected in parallel in your diagram, it would flow through both, and then trip both, since current out is not equal to current in within each GFCI.  If you separate the neutrals, you can make sure all the current from the black hot flows back through its proper GFCI, and none crosses over to the other one.

Also note that this scheme will fail if you use any 240V devices on this circuit.  The only way to do a mixed 120/240V circuit is with a 2-pole GFCI breaker.


Installing new fixture over medicine cabinet

As noted by commenters, you should never disconnect something without noting how it was connected in the first place. With smartphones common and handy, at least take a picture next time.

Educated guess here, but the non-hot wire was probably the switch. It's easy enough to check.

Take the wall plate off the switch and unscrew it from the box. Verify the wires are not hot. If it has a white and black connected to the switch, proceed to step 2. If you have any other colors (i.e. 2 blacks. connected STOP and get an electrician.
Assuming a white and black, turn the breaker off and connect the white wire you nutted off to your hot black wire. Now, turn the breaker on. If you have power at the switch, you have your answer. If not, STOP an consult an electrician.
Assuming Step 2 was successful, remove the nut from the black wire at your fixture and wire it to the hot side. Put everything back and you now have your switch working.


Do 240 volt dryers need to be AFCI protected

No -- the 2014 NEC only calls out AFCIs for 120V, 15 and 20A outlets -- the dryer is 240V, so it doesn't need an AFCI.

  210.12 Arc-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection. Arc-
  fault circuit-interrupter protection shall be provided as required in 210.12(A) (B), and (C). The arc-fault circuit interrupter shall be installed in a readily accessible location.

  (A) Dwelling Units. All 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and
  20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets or devices installed in dwelling unit kitchens, family rooms, dining
  rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms,
  sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, laundry areas, or similar rooms or areas shall be protected by any of
  the means described in 210.12(A)(l) through (6):


What is the best way to condition and protect a hardwood floor under heavy use?

If the rolling of office chairs is your major concern, consider putting urethane wheels or casters on your chairs.  This type of wheel will not scratch or mar the floors further. These can be found at office furniture retailers. There is no way other than using chair mats, carpet etc. that I know of to protect a wood floor if you do not want to apply additional finish coats to entire floor.


Your electrician is not a finish carpenter. Nobody competent would screw base like that.

All is not lost, however. Just make sure the screw heads are sunk below the surface of the wood. Get some wood filler/spackle (anything will do). Sand flat. Refill if you have divots. Prime. Paint.

It looks like the cap on the base was either attached badly or not attached at all. Do it over to match the line it had before. Caulk that gap before paint and it'll all be fine.


Why is wheel oil provided with a Montolit tile cutter?

This particular cutter is a score & snap tool, not a saw. The oil is just to lubricate the scoring wheel bearing/bushing, and not the cut itself. It's a very different animal from a wet saw, which uses a flood of water.

Most saws probably don't come with oil because either 1) they use sealed bearings in the scoring wheels, or 2) they don't expect that you'll put enough mileage on the saw to wear through the grease they apply at assembly.


Is it OK to use 15 amp receptacles with 12 gauge wire?

If you are asking about wiring in conformance with the USA National Electrical Code, 15 amp receptacles are often used with 12 gauge wire. The only problem may be in using the quick-connect feature where you just stick the wire in a hole and it is automatically caught and retained. Those are only for 14 gauge wire. With 12 gauge, you need to use the screw terminals. You can use 15 amp outlets on either 15 or 20 amp circuits. 12 gauge wire is the minimum for 20 amp circuits. 14 gauge wire is the minimum for 15 amp circuits. Knowing the proper wire size is only one of many requirements for wiring. If you have to ask about that, there are probably other things that you don't even know to ask about. Do you know how to determine how many wires are allowed in a given size box?


Yes you are dead on.  You need an expansion tank connected to the discharge side of the water heater. When water heats, it expands considerably.  When water goes from 212* to 213* it expands 1700-times its volume at room temperature. Also check you pop-off valve.  If it is over 7-years old, replace it.


Use a drywall knife or small saw to cut the hole into a square or rectangular shape, large enough to insert a length of 1x or 2x (depending upon the size of the hole, I've even used paint sticks for small holes). Use a drywall knife to gently cut into the painted paper outer layer of the drywall, angling inward toward the opening ... this makes the finish process easier ... all around the edges of the opening.
While pulling the board tight to the back of the existing drywall (board should extend well past the edges of your new rectangular hole), put in two or three screws through the drywall into the board on both sides of the hole (not too close to the edges of the hole). Be sure to sink the screws just enough so that mudding over them will leave no bump.
You can put a couple of screws partway into the insert to handle it by, if the hole is too small to just use your hand to hold it in place. Remove those screws before setting the patch piece.
Once the board is secured, cut and insert a matching thickness of drywall. the closer to the same size, the better.
Use a drywall knife to gently cut into the paper outer layer of the drywall angling out to the edges of the patch piece.
Place the patch, securing it to the backing board you inserted with several screws (not too close to the edges).
If the patch is not a close fit, use the drywall knife to widen the angled paper edges, to make room for taping. A fiberglass mesh tape is best for this, and will hide better if the painted paper is peeled/carved from under where the mesh will be placed.
If the patch is a close fit, skip #6 and begin the fill : the gaps can be filled directly with goop (drywall mud). Expect to do several layers (especially if mesh is used). First push the mud into the gaps and let it dry, then put a second layer. Finally, a third finish layer.
Apply mud with a wide, fresh edged drywall tool . Use the tool (and a damp rag or sponge) to keep the mud fairly smooth for the first layers as you are applying. For the finish layer, carefully smooth out the finish (don't forget to also mud your nail heads on the patch during the first round).

Most people apply the several layers of mud, then use sandpaper to smooth out the fix, leaving a smooth flat fix in a textured wall. I generally use a wet rag or sponge during the process to keep the extra cleaned up as I go. If the wall is textured, a rag or sponge matching the texture is helpful to re-create the texture of your fix. After the final layer is applied, press the sponge or rag gently onto the patched area to leave a matching texture!

Be patient : let each layer of mud dry. Also, be patient : don't try to paint before the entire project is thoroughly dried, or you will wreck your beautiful work!  Use a primer on the newly mudded area before applying the matching paint.


Shower not hot enough, unable to find adjustment, manufacturer out of business

If I am interpreting the pictures correctly, I think the white plastic piece that sits inside is the limiter.  Carefully remove the U-shaped locking piece, taking care not to damage the piece slide the white piece out some and turn it counter clockwise slightly and re-set it.

Lock it back in place, and test the water max temperature again.


Relocating a sink on the perpendicular wall: any cons against running ABS through the walls back the the old drain?

Of course you could, but read the applicable code: your run is very likely too long to be unvented. You'll need to vent this - run another dry vent pipe higher up and tie it to your newly proposed "white" vent stack.


uk wall socket switching off and back on again

It looks like your cord have a self-healing over-current protection, your washing machine and dryer may exceed the maximum load your cord may hold so the protection kicks in, then it cools off re-establishing the connection and so on.

Another issue may be a loose contact in your outlet or in your fuse-box.


Should I remove old linoleum when replacing a linoleum floor?

If it were me I would remove it.  No reason other than I like to start fresh when remodeling, and I don't feel like I did a good job unless I do.


Electric outlet only has 2 wires and no power, how to replace?

What you need is a wire tracer.  There are two types: one for live wires, the other for dead wires.  Your local tool lending library may be able to help.

It's quite possible you won't find the other end of the wire, or that it was disconnected in some other renovation.  It might drop into the basement, or head in some crazy direction.

And while K&T is good stuff:
https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/20279/5960
this one may not be worth saving.  At a minimum you'd want to put new shrink wrap on the wires through the metal box, and use emery paper to brighten up the copper.  Then put a two prong outlet in.


What is the best way to install a shower curtain when one wall is sloped

Get a swivel shower rod flange like this:

or this:

It looks like they're available in a range of sizes and finishes so you should be able to find one you like.


Open a hot water tap to relieve pressure and plug the drain valve into your garden hose. Turn on the hose for a second (no longer; you don't want to push sediment into the fixtures) to loosen up the sediment.


You will need to shut off the main water supply going to the house, open a faucet or hose bib that is lower than the area you will cut the pipe. Before you cut the pipe pick up on new supply tubes and this type of new valve for under the sink. Replace both while you are at it. This is presuming the pipe coming in is 1/2"

Follow the instructions for installation!!!!

Get 2 new supply lines these are 30" you may not need ones that long.

Hook em on up!!


Can oscillating multi-tools be used for fitting pattress boxes

Bosch lists a segmented blade HM-RIFF that it says will cut grooves in porous cement, small cutouts in soft wall tile. I guess four grooves would make a cutout. A lot will depend on the thickness of the brick,.Are you looking to cut thru a brick veneer or the entire thickness of a conventional redbrick? I would try to get a similar material to practice or trial cut.  The width of the blade looks a little wide to cut the short sides. You may be able to make a series of long cuts then chip out the segments.


Electric coils that are that uneven I would replace, sooner rather than later.

I have personally experienced the end of an oven element when one of the "hot spots" burnt through and it was happily arcing away. Fortunately I was in the kitchen and noticed it right away so I could shut things down, as it did not trip the breaker.

I have read of the same thing on a stovetop coil burning a hole through the bottom of a pot.

Fortunately they are generally quite inexpensive. I would replace the whole set, myself.


I usually save the baseboard especially if it is real wood. Using caution it can be pulled and the finishing nails removed then after the floor is installed it can be put back in at the proper height for the new flooring.


There are some common spots for an outdoor security camera, soffit, overhang, upper wall. Yes, it's important to watch out for the hidden cables or wires hidden buried in the wall. Here is a useful guide that you could look into when you are installing the camera outside https://www.securitycameraking.com/securityinfo/cctv-installation-and-wiring-options/

For outdoor mounting, secure the camera by using screws are common and useful.


Are black spots on the underside of roof sheathing mold?

Yes it is mold , don’t panic all wood has mold spores.
Most of the spores are not hazardous the only way to know is by testing.
If you want to kill the mold bleach water OR hydrogen peroxide and water 3% both will kill surface mold. I prefer hydrogen peroxide as it doesn’t stink.
Keeping the attic well vented really helps to stop mold growth but a few spots like you have is quite normal,
Why don’t you see mold in the lumber yard? After wood is finished it is sprayed with a fungicide that stops mold growth for a couple of months, kiln dried has the moisture removed so it doesn’t get the treatment.
I tried to cover common issues as some folks are panicked by the word mold when most of the time it is harmless and has been there for years, if new may indicate a roof leak or moisture source in the attic space.


Why might my ceiling fan have been disconnected?

Lookin at the photo, it isnt a clean cut so i wonder if it had snapped.

Not a chance. Cables don't snap easily. And they don't cut easily either, which is why the cut isn't clean.

  Can anyone think why this might have disconnected?

My best guess (and it's only a guess) is that the fan was installed by a DIYer, without getting Part P sign-off by an electrician, and in advance of selling the house the DIYer/vendor disconnected it (with extreme prejudice) as they didn't want any liability for it.

(The buyers of my last house may have come across a few similar things...)

  If not, does anyone have any tips how to reconnect with the wire being so close to the wall?

It may be possible to connect to the existing short wires with crimping. Might be worth talking to your local electrician for this.

Or you may be able to use this short wire to draw-through a new longer cable (although I'd guess the friction would probably be too high, and you'd risk stripping the new cable on corners.... On second thoughts: please don't try this idea).

Or you may have to bash a hole in the wall further back along the cable, in order to joint the cable somewhere where there's enough slack in the cable.


Winterizing pipes for weekend house in upstate NY

You would normally put a stop-waste valve after the main shut-off and bleed the entire house in one go. I'd bleed all of the potable water lines regardless. Standing water in pipes will still freeze and expand to the point where it can and will burst the pipes. Then when you visit your home and turn the water on, you are treated to an unexpected flood and have the joy of trying to figure out where the break is. Been there done that. One neat setup in my mothers house is there is a standard spigot teed off after the main shutoff. Makes bleeding easy and fast and adds a bonus hook up for a garden hose or quick filling of buckets.

If you plan an extended leave of absence, consider draining your water heater and turn the power/gas to it off. Make sure you fill it and bleed the entire system before you turn it back on!


How can I interconnect two doorbells operating on different voltages?

I agree with the other answer that it's very possible they'll both work on 6V or both work on 9V.  If that is the case you could wire it so both doorbells are in parallel off one battery.  There may be an issue if the battery doesn't have the power to run both doorbells.

You could use a relay as suggested in the comments.  With the relay coil in parallel with the 9V doorbell, and the contacts switching the 6V doorbell, you'd be done.  You'd just need a relay with the proper rating, and again the relay coil will take away a little of the power available to the 9V doorbell.

You could use surface mount DPST momentary switches for the doorbells, if you can find them, but you'd have to run four wires to the doorbell.

You could get a relay with two pole contacts and put another battery / power source in series with the doorbell switch in series with the relay coil, and have one set of contacts switch the back doorbell, and the other set switch the front doorbell.

You could install a PLC or home automation system that uses the doorbell as a digital input and the two doorbells as relay outputs, you could do all kinds of crazy things.  You could get a dog that barks a lot or you could put up a sign that instructs people to knock really loudly.

Of course all these things are harder than just buying a system made for one switch and two chimes, which are readily available, but what fun would that be?


Hiding cables when moving network switch down from attic

What I ended up doing turned out to be the simplest solution: picking a different mounting location.

In the new location, the network cabinet is mounted directly touching the ceiling, and the cables go directly through the drywall into the cabinet.


Stainless steel! For my home I custom made a one piece stainless counter and backsplash that goes up the wall all the way to the upper cabinets. It's impervious to just about anything and looks amazing! The only downside is that it is a pain to keep clean.


How to avoid drywall bulge over nail plates

Do you need those ? 1-1/4 from the face they are not required.
I usually will use a chisel and take the thickness of the plate off the 2x. As the plate will make a slight bulge some don’t do anything. But it is not often they are required.
definitely Not need on this side for the one on the left.


Who is the manufacturer of this shower faucet brand?

Extracted the image of the logo from the picture and edited a bit to get this.

Google search of the image revealed this.

Which led to this.

http://www.jb-products.com/


Without seeing the plans and what kind of precast piers you have - I would say that I'd pour more concrete, with some rebar drilled and epoxied into the precast piers and the new concrete poured over to join them both.

Then set stand-off post bases into the new concrete for the PT posts.


Just got quoted $5000 to service my HVAC system. Is this reasonable?

These questions are notoriously hard to answer because prices vary so much depending on location and house, but there is one answer that is correct for all of them:

Unless it's a small job, and you know how much it should cost, you need to get multiple estimates.  Wether it's the water pump on your car or an air conditioning compressor, get two or three estimates.  Anyone that doesn't want you to get another estimate or tries to pressure you into a sale is trying to cheat you.  It is standard practice to get multiple estimates on jobs that are this expensive, and the contractor should expect it.

Some repair people are good at inflating prices so that the cost of the repair comes within a certain range of just buying a new system.  They know what percentage they need to be at to make it seem like just getting a new one is the "smart" choice.  Multiple estimates are important because then they can compete on the actual repairs rather than scaring you into a bigger purchase.  Maybe your system is toast, and maybe something about the install makes it extra hard and expensive, but again, multiple estimates will show that as well.


Can I use 10 gauge to first distribution point, then 12?

You haven't said how you will manage the transition from 10 gauge to 12 gauge.  If you are thinking of wire nuts in a junction box, then the answer is that you cannot do this safely.  The 20A breaker's job is to protect the load wire connected to it.  A 12 gauge wire needs a 20A breaker to protect it.  You cannot guarantee that a device at the end of one of these runs will not draw in excess of 20A (the rated capacity for 12 gauge wire).  Your larger breaker (30A, the maximum 10 gauge is rated for) will not trip in this situation and the 12 gauge wire may start a fire.  In addition to being unsafe, it is also not to code.  Code requires the breaker to be no larger than the ampacity of the wire and since you're using 12 gauge wire at some point that's your limiting factor.

However, if you are thinking of installing a sub-panel then you may be able to do this.  It would be fine (if you follow all the rules for sub-panels) to run 10 gauge wire protected by a 30A breaker to a sub-panel and then run 12 gauge wires each protected by a 20A breaker from the sub-panel.  However, this seems a little silly (if you're going to all this work you probably want to run more than 10 gauge to the sub-panel).

If you explain more about your goals you might get more useful advice about what approach to take.


What happens to washing machine with bad bearings?

If it is the bearings, on some washers that is can be an expensive repair (on my washer I was quoted $600) which often means it isn't a DIY fix.

If you don't repair it, the sound will get louder and louder and could eventually damage the drum and shaft. As more bearings break down or fall out the washer will just stop working.


Identify the make / manufacturer of this chandelier

Moral of the story -- if you have pieces of a UL listing label, the UL folks can help!

It turns out the OP wasn't typing the correct UL number into the database -- the E-##### listing number was eaten away by rust. So, I suggested he call UL, and he reached a friendly guy named Jim who was able to figure it out:

  I called UL and Jim at UL helped me. It is H. A. Framburg & Co. E-12305, Bellwood Illinois. All of this matches up to the missing characters.

Furthermore, with that and the serial, he was able to get the model number -- it's Framburg's 8835, or "Syzygy" (don't ask me about the name).


What to use so concrete doesn't stick to plastic bucket?

A simple solution I used once was a layer of cling film... But you have to get it smooth... Any imperfections may show.


Double oven lost all power including accessories

The fourth wire (for both subpanel and oven) has everything to do with safety.  It will not impede an appliance from functioning.

What will break the appliance is certain wires breaking or losing contact.  Generally on ovens, the heaters are 240V (they use hot and hot) and the controls are 120V (they use one hot and neutral).  So when the controls go out, that calls into question one hot and neutral.

Losing one of the hots will only knock out the heating elements.

Losing the other hot will will cause everything to stop working if it is the particular hot that the 120V controls are using.  This is one of your possibilities.

Losing the neutral will cause everything to stop working.  (the heating elements could turn on if the controls worked, but the controls don't because they need neutral).   However, on a 3-wire oven, losing the neutral has a second problem: the controls are now seeking to return current via neutral, meaning they are "pulling neutral up to 120V".  That is a normal and harmless failure mode, except you bonded neutral and ground in the oven.  Which means this effect is also pulling the chassis of the oven to 120V, energizing it.  If you touch the oven and anything which is grounded, you will get shocked.  This is why we don't like 3-wire oven connections.

On the 3-wire subpanel, the same problem exists throughout the subpanel-served circuits.  If the neutral between subpanel and main panel has a problem, then similarly, it will light up every "ground" fed off the subpanel.  GFCI's can help reduce this risk.  But the most complete is retrofit a ground wire between main and subpanel, and then separate neutrals and grounds in the sub. (panel manufacturers sell separate ground bars, and you can detach neutral from the chassis of the panel).  Recent Electrical Codes have given very liberal permission to retrofit grounds.  You could also retrofit a ground to the oven and convert it to 4-wire.

So I would first start by checking loads on both poles of the subpanel. If one pole is good and the other bad, it is a bad hot wire before the subpanel.  If both sides have weird voltages (which add up to 240V) it's a bad neutral before the subpanel (dangerous!) If all other loads are good, then check hot and neutral connections both at the sub and at the oven. Be wary of the oven's chassis being potentially energized.


Why did I have issues scraping off a popcorn ceiling?

What you have is a drywall ceiling that has had popcorn sprayed over it. You can paint over it but you'll have to repair any gouges made from scraping off the popcorn and then prime it.  To remove the popcorn, spray water on it, let it soak in for a few minutes and then scrape it off with a mud knife. The larger the mud knife, the less you'll damage the drywall ceiling.  It's really a messy job so cover the floor up real good.


You're run is too long. Each LED strip will draw considerable current and add quite a bit of resistance to the run. You don't say what gauge wires you have in between, but here is a rough guide for how far you can run a 12V line:

           24 AWG    22 AWG    20 AWG    18 AWG      16 AWG      14 AWG      12 AWG
DC 100mA  216 feet  342 feet  594 feet  867 feet  1,379 feet  2,197 feet  3,508 feet
DC 200mA  108 feet  171 feet  297 feet  433 feet    689 feet  1,098 feet  1,755 feet
DC 300mA   72 feet  113 feet  198 feet  289 feet    459 feet    732 feet  1,169 feet
DC 400mA   54 feet   85 feet  148 feet  216 feet    344 feet    549 feet    877 feet
DC 500mA   43 feet   68 feet  119 feet  173 feet    275 feet    439 feet    701 feet
DC 750mA   28 feet   45 feet   79 feet  115 feet    183 feet    293 feet    467 feet
DC 1000mA  21 feet   34 feet   59 feet   86 feet    137 feet    219 feet    350 feet

Basically, speaker wire is relatively thin and LED strips draw considerable current. If it were me I would probably not daisy chain all the strips together. Try wiring them in more of a star topology where each new LED strip connects to a splice off from a single voltage bus (wire). Consider upgrading your power carrier to a 12 or 14 gauge wire.

The current draw will depend on the actual number of LEDs in each strip, but from the distance you've quoted you might be very close to or over the 5A of the transformer.


Boiler Combi 24 pressure indicator always point to 0

Take a close look at the needle of the meter:

There's a pin at about 7 o'clock on the dial that the needle would rest against if it were reading zero. But, the needle isn't against that pin; it either jumped the pin and is reading about negative 0.5 bar (pretty unlikely), or it's actually beyond the top of the range and reading about 4.8 bar (more likely).

Looking at the manual for your heater, and at the diagram for the connections at the bottom of your heater, that meter is on the heating circuit. The manual gives a maximum operating pressure of 2.5 bar (the safety valve is set to go at 3 bar). If the meter is accurate, then the safety valve has failed and your heating circuit is running at dangerous pressures. It's actually more likely that the meter is broken, and the needle is just hanging straight down due to gravity. Hard to tell without more information.


Can I use ProPEX for Pressure Relief and Steam Generator Drain?

The code requirement in most areas for the P&T relief plumbing is that it must be a material suitable for potable water plumbing - which in turn typically means it must allow a working pressure of 100psi at 180f. This might seem like an inadequate set of requirements for something intended to drain boiling water or steam, well over 180f, but the key term there is working - that is, it needs to remain durable when exposed to that pressure and temperature over long terms. The relief drain plumbing does not need to support pressures that high, and will only briefly be exposed to high temperatures so long term reliability is not required.

You may notice that PEX tubing is marked as complying with ASTM F877. ASTM F877 standards require that the tubing is able to endure 150psi at 210F for 30 days straight.


Safe to buy brass compression fitting/pipe transition?

From a corrosion consideration it should be good: Except check that the clamping screw on the CTS end is stainless steel , non-magnetic would be best.  A steel screw would not likely last long on a brass/bronze fitting underground. The fitting has a more reddish color than yellow brasses which is means better corrosion resistance ( less zinc and more copper and tin). This answer if for buried in the ground or a valve box.


Keep bedroom doors closed or open with radiators?

It depends on how the radiators are controlled. Does your apartment have baseboard electric radiators with independent temperature controls in each bedroom, or do you have a central boiler (steam radiator) or furnace (forced hot air) that is controlled by one thermostat somewhere towards the center of the house?

If you have individual controls, you'll want to keep your bedroom door closed so that the temperature in that space is better regulated per the setting for that room. If you have one central thermostat, you'll want to keep bedroom doors open so that the entire living space is at an equal temperature.

You can close off doors - and the radiators within - rooms that are not used (guest rooms, e.g.) so that you are not heating those spaces. With central heating, you'll likely find that some rooms/radiators run hotter than others due to distances from the central heating source, poorly placed radiators in some rooms (e.g. under a drafty window) or the location of the central thermostat. You can adjust the flow to each radiator at the source to tune the heat going to each room.


light switch is apparently broke, but the light stays on

As Ariser mentioned, what type of broke is broke?

If you mean the light switch simply doesn't turn off and on any longer then you should be fine. Any Major electrical problems would either be kicking breakers, making the lights dim or you would smell foul burning plastic. I would however fix it ASAP to avoid even the chance of an electrical fire.


Span of roof rafters, how to fix improper structure

I am guessing the big concern comes from the fact there are 2x4's that are 24" on center and that is either old construction or from something else.

Depending on what will reside on that roof (shingles + snow etc..your loading will change) - the 24 inch centers seem to be fine .. now on to the real deal 2 x 4's vs 2 x 6's and the placement.

Using 2 x 6's between the 2x4's will give you that spacing of 2 x 6 on 24 center. So you will have the structural support as if the 2 x 4's were not there - Of course I am assuming you are just adding the same components in 2 x 6's .
A problem will arise for you when you connect the ridge beam unless it is already a 2 x 6.

As noted in one comment it was recommend you get engineered trusses, so I thought to make sure there is clarity here because my answer depends on your terminology matching - so I included a link to describe. Trusses are faster to install ..
There is a difference in traditional Rafters versus trusses ...

Look here for details:
Differences Rafters and Trusses

Depending on Building codes in your area and the inspectors it might look odd enough that they give you a no pass - even though structurally you might be ok. Weirdness sometimes causes pauses..

While I do not see any problems with what your intent is ; except for the Ridge beam connection ....

An old saying I have :

Cheaper to do it right the first time than it is to do it right the second or third time..

If you must disassemble to do it right - Just do it right, you will be GLAD you did.


Is it okay to install brick veneer directly to interior of a poured concrete foundation wall?

It won't hurt anything, but won't help you if your basement has problems. For example, if your basement is damp and cold, it will remain damp and cold after installation of the brick veneer. If this is the case, then I would recommend first insulating the walls with rigid insulation boards. It'll make your basement much more comfortable, cost you probably under $1,500, and there'll never be a better time than now!


How do I move my sheave pulley vertical with the bottom door bracket?

Just screw that two-by vertically on the wall, or mount the bracket directly to the wall. That's why that bracket is adjustable, so that you can extend it out in front of the track so it can see the corresponding sensor.

Like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd25t6i72XU


How can i run my counter top convection oven and counter top microwave at the same time without tripping the breaker?

The problem is, you have both appliances on the same circuit.

Most kitchens are wired with two kitchen receptacle circuits for this very reason.

Running two high-power (heat making) kitchen appliances at the same time on the same circuit is simply a non-starter.  Almost every heat appliance is 1500 watts, because that is the maximum UL will certify on a standard socket.  The largest possible circuit for these appliances is 2400 watts, so 3000 watts is simply too much.  Not gonna happen.

Honestly, you should know this (at least by now), and you should not be even trying.  Intentionally creating an overload is asking for a house fire.   Certainly when you do trip a breaker for a reason that you know to be overload, you should wait 15 minutes for the wires in the walls to cool down.

If you really, really need to have those appliances there, you can try a heavy extension cord (remember these are HEAVY appliances), but draping extension cords across potentially wet kitchen counters is a disaster of another kind - though much is forgiven if the outlets are GFCI protected (they either have obvious GFCI receptacles, or "GFCI Protected" stickers on them).

The better plan is to contact an electrician about bringing the other kitchen receptacle circuit to a new outlet here, or splitting the existing outlet.


Can I use the Y wire in place of the C wire for my new thermostat?

Yes, you can swap out and reuse the Y wire as a C wire, since you don't have an air conditioner.   Or use the capped off wire (that's probably better).

hey're just copper wires, and there's no firm color code anyway. Take photos before you disconnect anything, and consider leaving a note tucked inside the thermostat documenting whatever you came up with.

Check this excellent answer for diagrams:
https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/10527/5960

Consider posting photos to SE when asking questions.


How do I properly wire GFCI outlets in parallel?

GFCI receptacles have two sets of contacts, line, and load.  The Line side of the receptacle is used to power the device, while the load side is used to power other devices down the line.  Any device connected to the load side of a GFCI receptacle, will be protected by the GFCI receptacle.

For example, if you have a setup like this (which I assume you have).

There is no need to have a GFCI receptacle as the second receptacle, since it will already be protected by the first GFCI receptacle. Because of this, if the first device trips all devices on the load side will not be powered (as you have noticed).

You can use pigtails to connect the receptacles like this.

But in a setup like this, you'll be required to have a GFCI receptacle at both outlets. The devices down stream are no longer protected by the first GFCI receptacle, because they are not fed by the load side of the device.

FYI:
This is what it would look like if the receptacles were wired in series.


How to prepare for 1 3/4" to 4" concrete overlay: rebar vs wire mesh vs fiberglass

I have done the exact same thing using concrete with pea gravel as the rock and fiberglass. Rebar is two thick and will cause problems, mesh might work but in the thin area I think it will still cause cracking.the concrete company can add the chopped fiberglass strands and these hold overlays together quite well, even when it cracks the fiberglass is like micro rebar pieces holding everything together. I also use finer rock but not all the way down to mortar but use pea gravel , some also call Turkey grit. This is stronger than mortar and won't crack as bad as a standard concrete batch at the thin area. If memory serves the fiberglass cost about 15$ per yard, the only negative I have found with the fiberglass is it can end up with some of the fibers sticking up a very slight amount and for bare feet (this was around a pool on a different job) I needed to put down an epoxy coating . other than that I love the fiberglass and use it especially on pours with irregular shapes and thin pours.


Ramifications of adding a second HVAC air return (in parallel)?

It is true multiple points of return will increase the efficiency at a very low cost. Here is a common example from 1960's era tract homes. The single air return was normally in the hall way that lead to the bedrooms all rooms had heat registers. The kitchen and living rooms had large open areas that connected to the hall. When doing remodels we added a secondary return at the opposite end of the home usually 14x18" if memory serves, this helped to balance the draw through the home especially if the bed and bathroom doors were closed and reducing the draft and a minor reduction of noise at the return. Many homes only have 1 return, and many only have filters at the furnace. By installing filters at the original return and adding a second return with filters we reduced the pressure drop and kept the ducts clean compared to filtering at the furnace. We started doing this in the late 70's on remodels, it was not that expensive back then, even cheaper with flex ducting today. we started doing it to create a more modern look and eliminate drafts, the clean ducts became part of the resale pitch later. The largest win in my opinion is drawing multiple points keeps the smells in the kitchen...


Can I use two UPSes to power the same device?

The "safe & sane" approach is to replace the current PC & switches with models that DO have redundant power supply inputs. If, in fact, there's anything like a reasonable NEED for that. People often get overly concerned with slapping UPSes on non-critical systems, in my experience. If the system was, in fact, critical, you would, in fact, have good reason to get one with multiple power supply inputs. Replacing the PC with a laptop that has a battery is another option for that piece.

Alternatively, you get a single UPS with multiple power supply inputs; if feeling creative you connect battery chargers to each phase and a true-sine inverter (or perhaps a cheaper MSW, depending on the loads you are feeding and what they think of MSW inputs - most computers don't mind) to the battery bank, but you waste power (generate heat) since the conversion in each direction is not 100% efficient - with one battery charger that is a "dual conversion" UPS, and with two it's a dual-input dual-conversion model.

But really - how critical are the systems? If the system is critical, should you move it to a server farm where these things are Standard Operating Procedure rather than running it in your house? As a professional computer support person, I have quite a few systems where I'm quite happy with just a surge suppressor. Many modern systems shut down gracefully on power loss, and a surge suppressor does not need a constant stream of money to replace batteries as UPSes do. Few things are as annoying as a UPS that claims it can run for an hour when you ask its interface, but that dies in 5 minutes when subjected to real-world testing. [Or the "even more annoying" totally killed its battery, no indication, and then trips on a power event so short that non-UPS systems stay up, while the UPS shuts off instantly.] How often is one phase out for long enough that the UPS won't hold things up, while the other phase stays up? Should you just get much bigger UPS batteries instead? Should you just tell your PC to shut down gracefully after a minute or two of UPS operation to cover brief outages?


Vinyl siding replacement and existing light fixtures

Normally the contractor removes the fixtures and outlets. In most states you do not have to be a licensed electrician to remove replace existing fixtures and outlets, (I believe there are a couple that may require it from reading different forums). You do want the siding company to mount the fixtures or they may end up looking bad. The siding company has the trim and experiance where an electrician may have no experiance with the siding type.


I don't believe the thickness of the cleat is as critical as the type of wall anchor being used.  The cleat holds the cabinet in place, but it's the anchors which are really bearing the weight.  I would make my decision based on the type of wall material holding the cabinet and use an anchor rated for the expected weight of the cabinet for that particular wall material.  If you have a regular drywall and wooden stud construction, I would probably use the screws used to hang kitchen cabinets as they are designed to carry a pretty heavy load.  You could have a 1.5 inch cleat with an inadequate anchor and the cabinets will pull it right out of the wall.


What is a recommended height for tile edging?

With larger tile that may span irregularities, I would advise 1/16 higher to end up flush.

With mosaics, I would go for the same height.  Too much thinset with mosaics makes a grout line mess, oozing up and needing extra cleaning.

If you are using unbacked glass mosaics, be sure to skim coat the whole field with a white thinset before pulling.a notched trowel for the final setting bed. Then flatten the ridges for a smooth, void free bed that won't show variations through the glass


How can I fasten 1x4 fence railings to fence panels from underneath or from the side?

I'd just try to find the best looking L-brackets; some can look really good. And matched with the fence, it will add an even better touch.