Do GFCI protected devices need to be labeled as such, if they are protected from another location?

Outlets protected by an upline GFCI require a GFCI Protected marking.  Several stickers come with every GFCI device.

You will never see a Code requirement for a GFCI receptacle.   You can satisfy all Code requirements with GFCI+breaker combo devices, or plain GFCI (deadfront) devices.

Putting a GFCI+receptacle combo device on a circuit already GFCI protected is silly.  You are playing a "Yo Dawg" joke on yourself.

Some very dull home inspectors will insist that nothing less than a GFCI receptacle will do, because he needs to see the TEST and RESET buttons.  However, that guy is right if there is no GFCI Protected sticker.


How do I remove pieces of my porch ceiling/soffit? (aluminum?)

Yeah, they're nailed on hidden flanges. You'll want to disassemble one end (wherever it's easiest to remove the fascia and/or trim channel) and pull nails one at a time. Be sure to keep track of order because they may vary in length somewhat.

Attempting to remove one panel in the middle of the run is almost guaranteed to result in damage.


Is it necessary to fully cure plaster if covering if with a layer of joint compound before paint?

The curing process for lime plaster (Calcium Hydroxide) involves the plaster absorbing and reacting with Carbon Dioxide in the air to form Calcium Carbonate.

Therefore no air impermeable material should be applied to it for the length of the cure, about 3 months.  Applying joint compound over it will prevent the curing process, with or without paint.

See: http://www.buildnaturally.com/EDucate/Articles/Lime.htm


No grounds here. GET GFCI!

It is not safe to do this with mains power -- especially since this will be near water (when the ice melts).  Those metal bits on top will be energized with lethal voltage.

Nothing in this picture is grounded. The wall cable has 2 wires, so no ground.  The 3 wires in the sleeve, yes, one of them is green, but that wire is for motor speed control and it is "hot".

If you absolutely must do this, then you also must plug this into a GFCI (aka RCD) protected outlet.  That will at least stop it from electrocuting you, hopefully fast enough to keep you from dying.

However, I strongly recommend that you obtain a 12 volt DC fan.  Power the fan from a "wall wart" style power supply plugged into the wall.  This will render it safe.

Of course, don't  have high hopes for this -- air conditioning does not work that way.  Further, your refrigerator will put more heat in the room making the ice than the ice will remove.


Is my existing electrical feed to my detached garage safe?

First there are multiple code violations even if done in the 60’s when Romex or nmb did not have a ground.
Having 2 hot and a neutral was ok I believe until the 1999 code change. But the max breaker is 15 because of the 14 gauge wire.
If the 14 gauge was removed a 20 amp breaker could be used but that was the max when built and still is today without a sub panel.
The switches and outlets for 120v are only listed for 20 amp circuits a 30 amp is a violation (even if a 15 amp receptacle or switch they can be used on a 20 amp circuit and be code compliant).
Could this be made safe? Yes, change the breaker to a 15 amp OR remove the 14 gauge wire and go to 20 amp.
Install GFCI protection on both lines you have 2 120v 15 OR 20 amp circuits at that point and this would be safe and even code compliant.
What would it take to make it better? Meet today’s code?
I would suggest a sub panel but then you would need A ground would have to be pulled from the service or on a point from that same panel to the garage.
A ground electrode would need to be driven or other method of grounding electrode to the panel. Then you could leave the 30 amp breaker in the main, install a 20 amp breaker for the #12 and a 15 amp breaker for the #15. And that would pass (what you have should have been flagged on the home inspection for the reasons I mentioned).


Yes you can use a “device” box as a junction box.
The same rules apply you have to securely mount it.
wires stapled within 8” (my inspectors do not consider the alligator clamps good for 12”)
and it will need a solid cover.
I have done this throughout my career as long as the box is stamped or you use the chart from the code book for fill it is code compliant to use as a simple splice / junction box.


When installing PEX, there are clamps that are supposed to be used to attach it to framing. There are also gaskets for when the PEX passes through openings and such. These are nothing special other than made out of a smooth plastic to allow the expanding/contracting PEX to more smoothly slide.

Sounds like these weren't used, or a few are too tight, or maybe the PEX is just rubbing a little bit next to a structural element.

Is it something to worry about? Probably not.


Help with Sain Smart 24V Relay Cycle Timer Module

The cycle timer you linked to seems to require 24 VDC. The thermostat will be fed with 24 VAC. Do not use that cycle timer!

You can wire a cycle timer just like a thermostat, in parallel to the existing thermostat. You can wire it near your furnace if that's more convenient; it will just connect the two conductors to call for heat at the set intervals, whether the thermostat is doing the same thing or not.

Look for one that's designed for HVAC use, e.g. https://www.supplyhouse.com/ICM-Controls-ICM305-ICM305-Duty-Cycle-Timer-Time-Delay-in-Minutes


What test can I do to my washer's gearbox to determine whether or not it is bad?

I decided to go ahead and buy a replacement gearbox.  Testing the new gearbox before I installed it, I determined that the answer to my question is yes, my test does mean that the gearbox is bad.  With the new gearbox, I was not able to spin the input shaft and hold the output shaft still at the same time.

I installed the new gearbox, and now the washer works again.


Try different solvents on the bag to see what removes the ink. The try an effective solvent on an inconspicuous bit of upholstery to see if it damages it.

You might need to make a paste of the solvent and an absorbent material, such as diatomaceous earth (used in swimming pool filters), to keep the solvent in place and to wick away the stain.

Look online for other tips on leather cleaning, e.g. Bob Vila's site.


Water leaking through vanity, through gap between faucet base and sink

Yes, there is supposed to be a watertight seal. All the valves and spigots are supposed to either have a gasket of some sort or sealed with plumber's putty at the time of installation. They can deteriorate with age. The drain seat should also be sealed. You have two choices: remove the fixture and put on some plumber's putty and reinstall or get some silicone caulk and place a bead of it around the fixture after cleaning the area and letting it dry completely.


Help identifying pieces in ambiguous wall anchor kit

OK, the yellow anchors do not go into the studs. They can be used in drywall, brick, masonry, etc when the proper size hole is drilled. Those big threaded anchors are for drywall. They have a sharp point and you screw them into the wall with a Phillips screwdriver and tighten them up so they indent a little into the drywall. Then one of your smaller silver screws get screwed into the center of the anchor. If you locate the stud, you can screw some of the silver screws directly into the studs after drilling a small pilot hole. The black caps just go over the installed screws to cover the heads for appearance.


how to tell if a remote lot ever floods?

You could make indicators, e.g. stakes with a water-soluble dye (food coloring? water-color marker?) at various levels, covered by a plastic tube, and with a cone over the top, leaving some air-space between cone and tube. Direct rain should not be able to hit the stake, but standing water would rise in the tube, blurring the dye marks.

These indicators would be very inexpensive and easy to make, so set out a fair number in different locations.


Non remote controlled ceiling fan turns off and on by itself

Sounds like a thermal cut if fan even has one.Running long periods of time motor getting to hot shuts down and when temp ok will run . If it is old fan may be best to replace fan.Motor may be on way out .


Can I put 6” recessed cans into 7” holes?

No problem at all doing this. But I would come up with a way to fill in that gap you have. It will allow drafts and dust penetration. Personally, I'd square the opening in the ceiling, take a new piece of drywall the same size as the hole and put the hole for recessed can in it and then secure it to the existing ceiling drywall (used 1/8" plywood for securing the screws into), mud, texture, put the can in (new or old work), paint and then the trim.


Yes it is. If it's the same size as the rest of the tiles he'll just knock out some and put in your decorative piece. If it's a irregular tile, he'll trace it where it should go and just cut out the shape with a hand held tile saw.


TWO ORIGINAL SWITCHES - ONE three-way and one single cant figure out wiring for SAFE UPGRADE

On cables 2 and 3, black and white are hot and neutral, respectively.

Each of cables 2 and 3 goes to a light.

Those 2 facts seem in contradiction to each other, but they're not.  Power comes in at one of the lights, through this switch, onward to the other light, and then onward to points beyond.

  which cable is my Line-In & my Load-Out...

It's not wired that way.  Line-in and Load-out are happening in the same cable.  Line-in is the black, and Load-out is the red.

Cable #1 is a 3-way "spur" to the other 3-way switch, which has only one cable interacting with it.  Red and black are travelers and I recommend you get yellow tape and re-mark them yellow on both ends.  White is the switched-hot for that lamp.  You MUST remark that some sort of suitable hot color on both ends.  I recommend red, since it's a switched-hot.

As far as installing any smart switches, you must install the smart switch "master" at this location.  The only thing that can go at the other end is a smart switch remote.


How do I make a spider farm in my kitchen to eat flies in the house?

I'm not an entomologist, but...this isn't going to work. My non-expert intuition here is that spiders don't want to live in a box, and they especially don't want to live with other spiders in a box. Also, if you're going to the trouble of luring flies into a box, maybe just put some fly paper in there? Sometimes simpler is better.
P.S. The expression is "you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar," but actual non-metaphorical flies seem pretty crazy about dog poop, so I don't think they're too fussy.
P.P.S. Please don't put dog poop in your spider farm.


Can I add outlet outside by just running cable through the wall and installing a plug on it?

In general, Yes.  There are a few things to be aware of.

Note also that I am speaking of the rules in Canada - USA is similar but there are some differences.

1) The Romex must be protected from physical damage.

2) It is illegal to run extension-cord wire through a wall.  It is legal (and normal) to run Romex within or through a wall.

3) Be sure that you get the wire colors correct.  Black is Hot and goes to the Brass-colored terminal on both the plug and receptacle.  White is Neutral and goes to the Silver-colored terminal at both ends.  The bare wire is Ground and goes to the terminals colored Green.

4) Because the receptacle is outside, be sure that there is a GFCI in the circuit somewhere.  That can be either inside the building or installed in the outdoor receptacle box.


This is not lumber, but framing timber as used in post and beam construction or for center joist support.

You're looking for support beams.

Our local lumber yard carries this stock, not likely to find it at the big boxes as they're more oriented towards stick framing for housing not utility and agricultural construction.


Am I required to retrofit an egress window in a 1950s home to meet code?

The required egress window size is 5.7 square feet, except for first floor and basement window is 5.0 square feet. The net height shall be a minimum of 24” and net width shall be 20” wide.  (See ICC R310.2.1)

The window sill shall be not more than 44” above the finished floor and provided with an appropriate window well if located in the basement. (R310.2.2 and R310.2.3)

Yes, you are “grandfathered in”, (See R310..6), unless you’re remodeling your basement and adding a sleeping room.

However, how do you sleep at night if you put a child or guest in that room? Do you at least have smoke detectors in the bedroom AND in the basement?


Need help understanding gas water heater

A - Expansion tank. This prevents the pressure increase due to heating water, from damaging the plumbing. The tank is filled with air, that is separated from the water by a bladder. When the water expands due to heating, water compresses the air absorbing the pressure.

B - Check valve (or back flow valve). This is designed to only allow water to flow in one direction.

C - Thermostatic mixing valve. This allows hot and cold water to mix, so the water is not too hot.  You can adjust this to make the water leaving the tank hotter or cooler. Note, the water can only be as hot as the water in the tank, so you'll also need to set the control knob to the proper temperature setting.

D - Ball valve (or quarter turn valve). Used to isolate expansion tank and turn off cold water to water heater.

E - Globe valve. Outlet to heating system.

F - Temperature and pressure relief valve (T&P valve). This is designed to open if the water temperature, or pressure in the tank gets too high.

G - Hose bib. Not sure what it's used for here.

H - Globe valve. Inlet from heating system.

I - Ball valve. Used to turn the gas supply on/off.

J - Temperature control. Used to set the desired temperature for hot water. Adjusting this will change the temperature to which the heater heats the water to.

K - Drain.  This allows you to drain the tank.

L - Ball valve. Not sure what it's used for here.
Possibly shuts off cold water supply to heater, and/or other fixtures. If anything in this closet was a main shutoff, this would be it. Can't see where the plumbing goes, so can't tell if it only goes to the heater or splits to other fixtures.

M - Drip leg. This is used to catch any debris in the gas line, to prevent it from clogging the orifice.

N - Pilot view port. An opening where the pilot flame can be viewed from. Peek through here to see if the pilot is lit.

O - Burner cover. removing this would give you access to the main burner assembly.

It's not clear if any of these valves are the main shutoff.

You'll use a combination of the control knob and the thermostatic mixing valve, to set the temperature of the hot water delivered to the taps.


Looks like the edges of the annual growth rings are separating. You can read about it here Raised Grain — It's Causes
and Prevention. Unfortunately there is not much you can do after the fact, other than wiping affected areas with a damp sponge to raise the grain further, let it dry and then sand it back to stable wood.
Here is another extreme example from my own deck. You can see where the front part had lifted and broken away some time ago, what's left is only held in place because it too thick to break off.


How about a good old fashioned nail and a picture hanger? Don't think I've ever had one of those fall down.


Having difficulty fixing my sagging door by bending its hinge

In all my years of hanging doors, prehung and many from scratch, where the hinges were cut in as well as all the other hardware, I have never needed to bend a single hinge. If the sagging is from loose screws, they need tightening or replace with a longer screw for better grab. Sometimes the hinge need a shim placed behind it cut from cardboard and build up the thickness as needed to get the gap right. Even hinge makers supply the precut cardboard to use as shims. At least with Stanley commercial grade hinges. But there would need to be a really good series of pictures presented to suggest where the shims need to go or even where the problem area might be. But these two tricks are all I ever used to remedy a door that was originally set well in it's opening. If it was not set right to begin with, usually other factors need to be addressed as well


How to cut out precise inside corners from hardboard?

A couple ideas:

Try different jigsaw blades. Many different tooth configurations exist, and some will work better with fibrous material.
Use a circular saw set to full depth. The cut angle will be nearly 90°. Clamp guides to your workpiece if you don't feel steady. You can finish with a utility knife once you snap the remaining tip of the scrap, or overcut slightly on one face if that's not a problem.
Use a rotary tool and a jig.
Use your jigsaw, then clean up with a rotary tool and a straightedge (or just a utility knife).
Finish the cut with a very sharp chisel. The flat (non-beveled) side should be against your final piece.


Can I switch all the stuff from my electric dryer to a gas dryer eliminating the gas burner

It may be possible to convert a gas dryer to electric, but it's not practical. Instead, I'd say you have two options.
Install a gas line
If you have a gas supply into the home, you could have a line extended to the area near the dryer. It will cost a bit of money, but it's cheaper than trying to convert the dryer to electric.
Return the dryer
Unless you bought the dryer on craigslist, a very long time ago, or from a not so reputable dealer. Most dealers will allow you to return the dryer, and exchange it for the correct item.  I'm sure dealers see this type of thing all the time, and that there are policies in place to deal with it.


Can you use casing molding for baseboard molding?

As others have pointed out, it really is a style choice and nothing prevents you from switching the two.  But one thing not pointed out and you probably didn't notice, is the edge that meets the floor.  For baseboards, the bottom edge is square, where casing typically round the edges (which will not make as nice of a transition from the molding to the floor if installing over wood or tile).


How should I clean my slate and stucco outdoor patio area?

If you are not sure about whether a  your paving is capable of withstanding the jet of water from a power washer, test a small hidden area first.

Natural stone and slabs have the highest resistance to power jet water stream. It is not uncommon to see small pieces of stone or slate taken of by the water stream. You should wear glasses because this can ricochet and get lodged in your eyeball ... ouch.

You need to take care with "wet-cast" slabs and paving.

I would recommend using karchers dirt blaster ...

It has a weird cone shape on the end that actually spins the water at high pressure making the cleaning much more effective.

You should then regulate the distance and angle at your own consideration.

I usually pull away when cleaning the concrete joints as the water stream can easily rip them out. Then do a quick sweep on the tile and only concentrate on areas where tough stains are left. There have been times where small pieces of stone were forced out of the slab and nearly blinded me -- Wear safety goggles!

There is also patio cleaner that does not spew water and debris all over the place and is a bit safer to use on sensitive material.

  Power-washing is particularly effective at removing mosses and algae
  that seem to thrive on certain types of paving, most notably
  'textured' patio paving and clay brick pavers. We find that the
  addition of Jeyes Fluid tends to inhibit the return of this type of
  vegetation for a short time, whilst not affecting the pavement
  surface. Certain quality sealants are also reputed to inhibit or
  prevent algal growth, but are an expensive way to eliminate a minor
  problem.

You would need to find some local advice on sealants that you can use on the particular slabs you have got. They can work well sometimes -- but also can be a waste of time the rest of times.


What parts do I need to get this outdoor light working?

The holes in the white part look like they might fit a G4-base halogen bulb:

It also looks like there is a label that's curling away from the side of the fixture in the lower photo; if so, it should have information on the maximum wattage that you can use.


Can I use 2-1/2" metal studs to hang 1/2" drywall?

I'm not sure it would be worth making any stud that couldn't take drywall. For walls, the drywall creates an axial load on the stud which it should easily support. But interior walls must also support an arbitrary lateral load, 5 psf in the US. This combined with the axial load is what would do it in. The manufacturer of the studs should publish span tables that tell you the maximum height wall for which you can use each style of stud under varying conditions.

I've little doubt you can find a 2.5" stud that works, but I'm not sure the proper gauge. That's where the span tables come in. Sorry I can't give you a final answer. All I can say is there's reason for hope.


What's the minimum subfloor thickness required for hardwood flooring?

Agree with diceless that a floating engineered wooden floor is more normal over a concrete slab. Thermal movement in fully fixed wooden floors causes problematical expansion/contraction more often than not.

Even using stable wood, the humidity in the room will change season to season, as will the temperature of the underlying/surrounding structure, all can affect the appearance of the wooden floor.

Was there a specific design/idea you had in specifying the ply subfloor?


How can I repair this door and deadlock?

Aside from replacing the door, you can purchase and install reinforcement kits for your door and jamb.

EDIT: These are also known as door wrap around plates.

As you can see, it contains a metal bracket that fits around the door. Some just protect the edge while other models extends a few more inches over the door and covers the holes for the dead bolt and handle.

Look around at your local home improvement store or call a local lock smith.

Get a new high security dead bolt while you are at it.


Six wires in outlet box, from 3 different circuits; 4 are hot?

The only way you can get 240 across a back and white wire in america is if one wire is wired to one phase, and the other wire to the other phase (and not the neutral bus bar).  Find the wires in the panel and move the corresponding neutral wires off the breakers and move them over to the neutral bus bar.  No grounds to work with?

Recommend you have an electrician do it unless you know what to test and check o make sure lal is well after the swing is done.  Combining phases on accident I have heard is no bueno.


Do I drain my washing machine pump for long term winter storage?

IF you can drain it of all water, that would be good. Since this is often difficult, or requires major disassembly to achieve with any confidence, non-toxic RV antifreeze is another option to prevent damage.


How to safely cap a wire coming from a wall

I would terminate the wires in a terminal block, coil the cable up inside the backbox and fit a blanking cover.

If there isn't a backbox fit I'd one or fit a surface pattress.

I believe it is required that the routing of cable through walls be made visually evident by the presence of visible surface fittings. If you intend to remove the visible surface fittings, you must completely extract the hidden unused cables from within the walls.


How to fence corners on a lot that is not square?

Any code I'm aware of doesn't allow permanent structure to block easement. And by privacy you are speaking of stockade style fencing? Just want to be clear.
But your questions: Place post C on the outside or two on the inside if you insist  with each placed flush with end of that section of fence.
For acute angles use scrap to shim angles, or one post per side of angle as close to end of fencing.
For ease of installation and aesthetics, unless there is a particular reason you need a complex corner, I would eliminate post (corner) C completely and consider fencing the angle from B to D. If C is the 10' clearance then set B and D farther away from that corner and don't sweat the minimal real estate lost.


Not having to pre-drill is the benefit, and that's actually a huge benefit in terms of time and labor.

If you're pre-drilling anyways, then there's no real benefit.


Where's the neutral bus bar in this picture?

There's a neutral bar on each side of the panel, which are bonded using the large strap across the top of the panel. Then  there's a grounding bar down on the left side.


One possible cause for electrical noises are loose connections on the back of the outlet. For example, where the internal mains wiring physically connects to the scews or push in terminals on the outlet, if these are not tight, or are worn out and loose, a noise can be generated.

Recommend checking and replacing if necessary.  Also, when replacing a outlet you might need to replace with a AFCI and or GFCI/DFCI type outlet per code requirements.  Some jurisdictions may not require this but you can still do it for safety.


Is it better to pull old nails or hammer them flat?

This will probably be more of an opinion-based question, but here's my take. I think you hit the nail on the head with your reasoning in the answer.
If you want to avoid running your new fasteners into the heads of the old ones, pull them.  If you ever plan to re-use the material or think you will need to saw it, it will also be good to pull nails/screws as to not ruin your tools later on.
If you don't care about the above and only want to get the job done quickly, just pound them in. The caveat with that is that if you're trying to save time, chances are you're not pounding them all in perfectly flat and end up having issues with your finished material not wanting to sit properly, depending on how flexible that is.
The little holes left behind by nails will not have any structural impact, if that's what you're alluding to with that part of your question.


There are many different types of moldings you can install that are around 1/2" thick that you can glue.  Pine would glue down fine on metal (might require doing it in sections so you can keep pressure on it for a day).

I would not go with quarter round here because your gluing surface is so small and it will eventually move, get stepped on, furniture hitting it, and just look bad.

The other thing I have done with using laminate in sun rooms is run metal t-mold transitions all the way around.  Here is an example.

If I were using this exact one I would probably saw off the right side so it is only 1/4".  This means you install the track, then flooring then glue the molding in the track after (just a little glue so it can be brought up if needed).

These are the only two things I have done.  One is more indoorsy and traditional.  It probably has a better chance of failing if the outside gets to it - water, large temp changes, dew.  The transitions would work well for a wetter area.  I do this for pool houses a lot.


If your luminaire has any mettalic parts it needs to be grounded unless it is double insulated.

Your plan to replace the 2 conductor cable with a 3 conductor cable (2 conductor with ground) is probably the best course of action. Even if you current fixture has no metal parts you may want to change that in the future.

Good luck!


How can I improve the stability of this DIY pull-up bar?

Added 2 eyelets per corner and used rope to tighten the tension.  Not quite an A-frame like the other answer, but it's now very stable.  I also noticed the instability was due to the wooden planks not being completely flat, so I padded the gap with magazines and doorstoppers, and now it doesn't budge at all.

Thanks for all the suggestions!


Can I use any DIY hubs with Lutron Caseta?

The Lutron Caséta Wireless product line isn't the best line for your needs. Yes, you will need a Lutron Smart Bridge or a Lutron Smart Bridge Pro to communicate with your Caséta Wireless devices. It is made to be end user friendly (idiot proof) to the point of not being DIY automation friendly.

Lutron hasn't published their API software publicly, but there is a PDF of their intergration protocol available. This PDF outlines Lutron's five product families that are their professional residential/commercial solutions (QS Standalone / Quantum / RadioRA 2 / HomeWorks QS / myRoom plus), and explains how to connect and send automation commands over ethernet (TCP/IP) or serial (RS-232) to each of them. Unfortunately, you'll still need to purchase a proprietary Lutron Integration Access Point for whichever product line you choose. The Integration Access Point is necessary to transmit the TCP/IP or RS-232 communications from your computer to the wireline or RF frequency the Lutron device can communicate on, but it's not as bad as adding another proprietary smart hub that tries to run everything in your house for you.

If you absolutely don't want to add another proprietary hub or don't want to limit yourself to a specific brand, then it might be better to go with a brand/protocol that easily communicates with your computer and isn't brand specific. A product that uses Z-Wave, X10, or Zigbee might be better for you, and should be supported longer than any of Lutron's lines.


Screws or nails for securing 2" lumber to overhead joists as fireblocking?

2X12 is great, 3/4" plywood would be easier to handle and to drill through when you need to. Chalk your plate line where the wall will go on the room side, rip your plywood to go to the basement wall and 1/4" shy of the chalk line. That way when you set your upper plate you can still see the line to accurately set your wall.
To answer your question, using nails will work, it is only fireblocking, you only really need enough to keep it up, since it is not structural, but do it anyway. Screws would work better, especially if it needs to be adjusted after it is up in place, and you see it needs to move a bit, it does happen. Shear or expansion should not be a concern. material usually shrinks once installed.


NEC, use more extension boxes or an access panel?

Yes J boxes can be behind access panels as long as they meet the code's definition of accessible .I would not add to that mess if you can't re work the conduits and re pull the wire as all ready suggested make sure that your access panel meets fire code. If I was going to deal with that and didn't have the means or budget to re do the grc using an access panel. I'd take that apart down to one extension ring and mount a 4 and 11/16 box maybe on the beam to the right or to the left if there is something reasonable to fasten it to (left would make it easier to rework the emt) run flex or emt to your new box from the extension or if there is a Ko available in the original box. Connect the existing flex and emt to the new box. Then work from that box to the one you need in the ceiling. You may need a larger box than a 4 and 11 that will be dependent on how many wires need to be spliced or run through that box.


The trim in my house won't hold paint. Is there a solution to this?

Paint needs pores to adhere properly.
If the substrate is very smooth or glossy then it should have been prepped in some way such as:

Shellac primer
Lightly sanded
Rubbed down with denatured alcohol
Oil-based primer

Oil-based paints tend to self-etch the surface

The painter is probably not at fault here since you probably paid them to just paint the trim and not fix the previous owner's mistake.


Is this wall load bearing and if so what are options to eliminate?

Yes, the wall can be removed, but you have several issues: 1) transfer of vertical load from second floor, 2) transfer of load to posts and footings, 3) horizontal load transfer.

Because the wall was originally an exterior wall, it is considered a load bearing wall, whether it has floor joists resting on the wall or not. Removing the wall will require a new beam across the opening.

The new beam will need to be supported on each end with posts. The connection between the posts and beam will need to be correctly selected. In addition, the posts will need a connection to the floor with approximately sized connector. You are lucky that that wall was an exterior wall, so it has an existing footing. However, depending on the load from above, the footing may need to be reinforced.

Exterior walls act as horizontal shear walls (whether they’re encapsulated into interior walls or not.) Removing the wall decreases the horizontal resistance. If you live in a high wind area or seismic zone, this could be a problem.

This is a structural change and therefore requires a Building Permit with adequate plans and specifications. As others have said, I’d use an architect or structural engineer (not a civil engineer) to prepare the drawings. If you’re in a hurry, ask them when they’ll be done. This is a small job for them and could sit on someone’s desk for months before finishing it. Put this key phrase in the contract “Plans and specs suitable for a Building Permit completed by ???? “


If you wire a separate circuit does that do the same job as a GFCI?

GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) has nothing to do with what the circuit is on.

Essentially, a GFCI shuts off if the current on the hot and neutral wires are not equal. This happens when there's a literal ground fault (hot has some pathway to ground, such as through frayed insulation), or there's a dangerous situation, like current is flowing through a person or through water and going to another ground (like a water pipe).

A GFCI can operate independently on a circuit with other non-GFCI outlets, on a dedicated circuit, and it can also protect other downstream outlets. There are also circuit breakers with GFCIs integrated that protect the entire circuit.


How can i add an outlet to an existing combination light switch?

No you can't. You have your always hot white wire, that should be marked with black tape, energizing the switch. You then have the two load wires, black and red, coming off the switch to control two devices. You are missing the neutral that would be required to add the outlet.

If you can combined the two devices at the fixture and connect them to the red wire, connect the hot to the black and the white to the neutral all at the fixtures, then replace the combination switch with a single switch. Connect the black, hot, to switch and pigtail to outlet. Connect red to switch and connect white , neutal, to outlet... just a thought.


What conduit should I install underground that meets code?

PVC is probably the easiest, and cheapest.  Just remember to glue your joints, and install expansion fittings where appropriate.


How do I replace a 3-way lamp socket so that it doesn't die after 6 months?

Maybe you've got something else going on?  I've never seen this problem before and I have a number of 3-way lamps!


Maybe it is wired that way on purpose. Two receptacles in our bedroom are wired like that. One side is normal,always on. The other side is operated by a wall switch so you can turn on a plugged-in lamp with the wall switch and have a radio always powered by the other side.


How should I cut non standard angles, shapes and miters?

What you are looking to do is create a "compound miter" cut down the sides of each board.  When someone mentions compound miters, they are typically trying to install crown moulding.  The moulding sits at an angle between the wall and the ceiling and also meets itself at an angle on in corners.  You want the same thing, but with vastly different angles.

If you search, you can find several "compound miter calculators" online, such as this one:

http://www.pdxtex.com/canoe/compound.htm

You need to put in two known angles, and it will tell you a miter and bevel to set the saw at to give the desired result.

The two angles you need is the angle the pieces will meet at, and the angle the pieces naturally sit.  For moulding, the angle it sits against the wall is called the "spring angle", and is typically around 30-45 degrees.

Your pieces have a much shallower slope.  They will rise 36" and have a run of 1" (or 1/2" depending on how I interpret your description, lets assume 1").  The page I linked to also has a handy slope calculator that tells us the pieces will set at 88.4 degrees.

Your pieces will meet at a 144 degree angle, but the calculator I found is nice enough to allow you to enter 10 sides and it figures that out for you.  This comes from 360 degrees (circle) divided by 10 sides = 36 angles per side.  The sides "meet" at the complementary angle which is 180 - 36 = 144.

So, taking all of that and hitting calculate, we see that you need to set your blade at a 17.99 degree angle, and set a jig to "miter" the board at a 0.52 degrees.  Of course on the jig it's going to be easier to just measure the 1" difference from top to bottom than to measure half of a degree.


Can I apply stain to an oil treated oak counter top?

I'm assuming this was a standard oil finish like a Danish oil or tung oil. They will harden. If the oil finish was a mineral oil, commonly used for butcher block tops for example, that oil will not harden. But even so, one coat of oil finish is not that much of a finish.

You should be able to apply stain to it. In fact, a hardened oil finish will help that stain so it is applied fairly evenly, although it may not soak in as deeply as it might otherwise. There are different kinds of stain, and that will be a factor. Thus there are dye based stains, which get into the wood. With an oil finish, the dye will not penetrate as well. Pigmented stains (essentially thinned paints) have pigment in them. (Ok, maybe that is obvious.) They are designed to sit on the surface of the wood anyway.

As far as a varnish finish, yes, a hardened oil finish that has soaked into the wood will not do anything to stop a varnish from hardening. However, if the oil finish is a non-hardening mineral oil, then varnish will probably not adhere terribly well to the wood. So really it matters what kind of oil finish was applied, and what is the purpose of this top.


As long as the steps are not attached to anything and the patio has a good mortar base and a packed gravel underbed then it should support the steps.

During the winter ground moves up and down due to freezing/thawing, so the steps cannot be attached to anything, because the whole patio will be moving up and down during the winter.

If the patio is old and has been been through several winters and shows no signs of cracking, then it is probably good to support stone steps. If it has cracks already, the steps will likely cause more cracking and settling. If it is a new patio, then it is hard to tell, because it depends on how well the patio was made and the soil.

Therefore, if it is a new patio, it would be better to use a separate foundation for the steps. If the steps are disconnected from the house, then you can use a gravel footing. Make sure it is drained with a pipe going to the storm runoff. If it is attached to the house, then it should have pillar footings that go below the frost line (about 4-5 feet deep).


"On-Center" is a term to indicate measuring from the center of one to the center of the next.  This has the advantage of not getting into the detail of the actual width of the material being used.  If you try to space a set of 2x4's by measuring between the side of one, to the side of the next, then you have to take into account the actual width of the stud. (24" - width)
A "2x4" is a nominal size, the actual size is less, and that's just a detail in the bigger scheme of things.  If you do "On-center" measurement that issue is brushed away.


How can I repair a towel rack that was ripped out of the wall?

Since you already have a wall paper finish on the wall and you are hesitant to move the towel bar to another location this does put a damper on the types of solutions that could be used to fix this problem. By the way; Don't feel too bad about the failure. It is very common to find towel bars attached just into the drywall. :-(

The normal "robust" way to fix this would be to make a hole in the drywall near where the mount ripped out of the wall. Such hole would be about 2" (5omm) high by 4" (100mm) wide. A piece of wood with string around its middle would be placed down into the slot and then raised back up inside the wall using the string to pull it back up so that it was centered over the opening. A 3.5" (85mm) wide by 8-12" (200-300mm) long board would be used for this. Holding the board in place with the string, you would install drywall screws through the exiting wall board and into the wood to hold it in place. Patch up would consist of cutting a small piece of new drywall to fill in the slot hole and screwing it in place. Drywall taping, mud and sanding would be done to finish the wall back to a nice finish so that it could be re-painted. With this scheme the towel bar support can now be re-installed using longer screws to reach into the wood support that was added. The wood support spreads the stress of the towel bar across a much greater area of the wall preventing future tear out.

Now that you have a picture of what could be done let me suggest an alternate approach that will provide a strong support and permanent fix. For this you would remove both towel bar brackets and install a primed and pre-painted horizontal board across the wall in line where the towel bar mounted. You would secure this in place using screws into the nearby studs. If the towel bar was mounted in a narrower wall segment it is best, from a looks standpoint, to extend the board across the width of the wall. After the board is mounted in place the screw holes would be filled with spackle, sanded and touch up painted. The towel bar is then mounted onto this painted board.

With this latter approach it may be desirable to size up the room and if there are other towel bars present you may want to install these board strips in a uniform manner for those as well to maintain a style in the room.

If you saved some of the original wall paper it is also possible to glue wall paper onto these strips after they have been primed. Done carefully the wall paper pattern can be matched to the wall and make the towel bar mounting boards hardly noticeable.


Thanks for the advice.

I have found following detailed instruction on procedures to check insulation with IR thermometer: Determining Insulation and Air Infiltration Levels Using an Infrared Thermometer

I have decided to buy a Black & Decker TLD100 Thermal Leak Detector, which seems to be an IR thermometer with some additional functionality to make finding hot / cold spots easier by coloring the aiming light dot. I will write here later my experiences.

After a week of using TLD100 I have to say my experience is mixed:

it really works extremely well for its primary purpose, i.e. checking the house insulation
using it to check heating system is a bit tricky, as IR thermometers do not work very well with reflective surfaces. In my case the heating pipes are from copper, which is quite shiny, and the insulation around them is a mineral wool finished with aluminium wrap, which is very shiny. Because of this, measuring their temperature with IR is very inaccurate, a contact thermometer would probably do a much better job. That said, the same limitations would apply for IR camera, as the principle is the same in both cases.


unfinished basement light recommendation

$250 to light a huge room is, in the grand scheme of things, not that big a deal. That's about $0.25 per square foot. If the existing lighting is 4' fluorescent tubes (as basements have typically had for a very long time) and your issue is simply quality of the light, then you can do quite well with any of:

Replace the fluorescent tubes with LED tubes. But remember some tubes are better than others - compare CRI, lumens and power usage.
Replace the fluorescent tubes with better fluorescent tubes - particularly CRI can vary quite a bit.
Replace the fluorescent tubes and the ballasts - as Harper noted, newer ballasts can improve things in a number of ways.

With LED tubes and ballasts, or with a full LED fixture replacement, some manufacturers are much better than others. I have my own experiences with going cheap on LED fixtures - they tend to fail early - not all but a significant enough percentage. So if you go on the cheap side to save money (which is not necessarily a bad thing to do), make sure to buy from a store that will stand behind the products. If you order online then stick with well-known manufacturers as the "unknowns" are far more likely to give you trouble and returns are crazy on this type of product (easy to ship back small, high value, stuff; not so easy to ship back 4' light fixtures).

Personally, I have replaced my fluorescent & incandescent bulbs and/or fixtures one at a time with LEDs. Still have a bunch of fluorescents in place and will switch to LEDs as they need replacement so that the $ impact isn't so high.

On the other hand, if your existing lighting is a "mixed up mess" - 4' fluorescents in one part, hanging incandescent bulbs in another, etc. - then I would spend the $250 to get everything all new, up-to-date, bright and energy saving.


It might be too late, but I would try pressure washing the old concrete to see if it lightens up.  Other than that, the repairs will always be a different color unless you use something to color it.


How to remove rest of Delta Monitor 1500 shower handle?

Have you tried one of these?

These are used for removing pulleys from shafts.  You are likely going to need to sharpen the points to fit.  With a 3 jaw puller it's often useful to wrap a stretchy cord around the jaws to keep them from slipping off a narrow edge.  The end is either a 1/2" or 9/16 end.  use a socket on it.


How do I attach a wooden post to existing concrete steps?

I think you just about answered your own question.

I would attach the posts directly to the sides of the steps, with the posts extending down as far as possible.  This will get you more bearing surface between the posts and the steps, and allow for more anchors in the masonry spaced further apart.  This will make all the difference.  I think the sheet metal mounts will always be prone to wobble.

The expanding sleeve anchors in your question are probably as good as anything for this, make sure you use long ones, even with 2x4's.  In perfect concrete with a perfect hole, you wouldn't need that much embedment to secure the wood adequately, but this masonry is questionable compression strength and quality, so I'd go for as much embedment as possible.  The 5/8" x  6" pictured in your question is probably just right, you'll have over 4" of embedment and that should be very strong.

I might use 2x4 rather than 4x4 posts.  The thicker the wood, the less embedment of the anchor, and the more it will wobble;  this may be hard to picture, but with a 4x4, the lever arm you have between the head of the fastener and the anchoring in the concrete is doubled.  You're not holding up a deck, just a hand rail, 2x4s are adequate.  You could also shorten the lever by countersinking the nut and washer into the 4x4.

Another way to go would be to double up two 2x4's, with the second 2x4 inside the first, with its butt sitting on the top of the step.  You could get the same effect by rip cutting a half-lap into a 4x4.  This might be the sturdiest of all, since the butt bearing on the top of the step would stiffen things a little more.

By the way, for future reference - when tapcons break like that, it's usually because there's some dust left in the hole from drilling, you can blow it out with canned air or other method.


Refinishing wood: Should I use wood conditioner after light sanding before staining an old desk?

I have found that wood conditioner is unnecessary for harder wood species. The primary purpose is to help reduce blotchy spots due to uneven stain penetration, which in my experience is prevalent with soft woods.

Previously finished woods may be less susceptible to blotchiness, depending on how thoroughly the wood was sanded. Conversely, less than complete removal of existing finishes can itself cause uneven stain penetration.


How can I protect my fingers while using a band saw?

Do not wear gloves while using a bandsaw (or any powered saw, drill press, or planer for that matter). The gloves will give you a false sense of security and do very little to protect your hands. In fact, they may end up getting your fingers pulled into the blade if the material catches. Which would you prefer: a cut fingertip, or a mangled hand?

The best way to protect your hands is to be very deliberate about every movement you make around the saw, and keep your hands away from the blade by using a push stick or push block. If the cuts you are making are simple straight lines, get a miter gauge that slides along the miter slot that is present in most band saw tables.

Assorted Push Sticks:

Miter Gauge:

EDIT:

After a clarification from @ArgentoSapiens, I realized you're looking to cut the smaller person-shaped game pieces and not the board tiles. The way those are most likely cut in the factory would be with a router table and specialized router bits. Stock would be fed through to create one very long "extruded" meeple which could then be cross cut into many smaller pieces that are only 1" or so thick. You could probably do this with just a few router bits if you've already got a router and a table. This would be a much faster and safer way of doing it.

If you don't have a router and router table, then I suggest using a band saw or scroll saw as you planned. However, don't cut the stock into roughly "meeple" sized pieces first. Plan on wasting a lot of wood for safety's sake ($3 for another 2x4 is well worth keeping all of your fingers intact). Keep each work piece attached to a larger chunk of wood that you can use to safely feed the rest of it into the band saw. Then when you have all the detail work completed, finish up by making one last cut to sever the finished piece from the larger chunk of wood.


You may not be able to hear the gas for the pilot light, it doesn't take much. Get a long match or lighter that can reach the pilot light and try to ignite it while holding down the valve button. That button overrides the thermocouple that will automatically shutoff the gas when it cools down. You need to hold the button long enough to heat the thermocouple back up while the flame is burning (30-60 seconds is usually good). Once the flame stays lit without holding the button, you can close the water heater back up and adjust the tank thermostat back to your normal temperature.


Best Practices for Metal Roof Directly on Existing Shingled Roof?

Best practice is to remove the shingles and repair the deck as needed; I don't think anyone would consider leaving the shingles as more than "something you might get away with" - certainly not a best practice.

From my "old-school" perspective, red rosin paper (moisture, not vapor, barrier, and not as slippery as tyvek, etc) and those furring strips you don't want, then metal. Depending on the current level of roof insulation, possibly also that foam you don't want.

If you have major concerns about rain noise, new shingles or a rubber roof (EPDM, white side up in your climate) might make more sense than metal.


Don't quote me but look into dimmer switch if any for led. Sounds like not enough current or wiring issue. Do you have a multimeter to test the current? Do different bulbs work (3)


What's the purpose of a cold water expansion vessel?

An expansion tank is needed on a section of closed line that is subject to variable pressure. The only sane cause I can discern for having two tanks in close proximity relates to multiple devices with multiple check valves or an undersized expansion tank. Whether that tank is before or after the water heater is usually irrelevant. The job is to take up liquid expansion between a closed faucet and a supply line check valve.

It may be the case that your water for radiators is separated from your drinking water. Two distinct systems with a check valve to prevent radiator water from draining back could explain a second tank.


Rob, thank you for explaining what you are doing, but I got that from your original question. What you need to do is re-wire the complete lighting arrangement in your basement.

My suggestion is to remove what's there and put in exactly what you need in each room/area. If you do not know what to do this wiring please simply hire an electrician to do this job for you.

If you are making this into bedrooms there are several other VERY important codes you MUST follow, such as AFCI protection for any circuits in the rooms, smoke/CO detectors, means of egress, etc.


How should ground wires be handled when updating switch loops in an older home?

No fake grounds: Don't create "islands of grounding"

Grounding must start at earth, via your grounding electrode system, to the main panel and its equipotential bond.  Then it must be carried onward from the panel sequentially up the branch circuits.

If you don't do that, you create an "island of grounding" where a few nodes are grounded to each other but nothing is able to return fault current on the ground wire. In that case, you have simply created a "Ground Fault Distribution Network".  (Bad thing).

It means that if any device on that island has a hot-ground fault or leakage, then all the devices on that island have an uncontained ground fault, and their grounded parts are energized at mains voltage. Every switch plate cover screw, every machine chassis, all become lethal to touch.  It's the worst possible outcome.

Isolate the ground wires from the boxes.  This is not necessarily easy, they are bare and will tend to be pushed against the metal parts of boxes and devices.

Consider retrofitting grounds

NEC 2014 made it a lot easier to retrofit just a ground wire, and continue the original cables in service.   Now if you have an island you'd like to ground, you can ground it any which way you can - within some generous limits.

Not any random water pipe will do, but some will.
Neutrals can never be promiscuous (shared across more than one circuit*). But retrofit grounds can. So circuit 7 can grab a ground from circuit 9, provided they source from the same panel.
The pathway must be big enough for the circuit, continuously: so a 20A circuit needs at least a #12 ground (#14 won't do), and a 30, 40 or 50A circuit needs a #10 ground.  Metal conduit of any size is plenty for any of these.   Here's a strategy: first wire a "backbone" ground with #10 to range, water heater, A/C, dryer etc. so you can tap it for other circuits.  likewise run #12 grounds where 15A and 20A circuits are in the same area.

GFCI is a good band-aid

A great many ground fault problems can also be avoided with a GFCI breaker (or GFCI deadfront or livefront strategically placed).  You still get shocked, but only for a few milliseconds.

* a MWBC counts as a single circuit, and its breakers better be handle-tied.


Sound is actually vibrating air molecules. This is not the same as moving air - hence why sound can come through walls, although it is hindered as it does.

I suspect (assume?) that the sound that is bleeding between bathroom and bedroom is low frequency sound. A brick wall is going to be excellent at stopping the sound, unless it's not isolated from the vibration of the water through the pipes.

Which leads me to my second assumption: are your pipes mounted to the brick? If so, that's going to be a big source of the problem. The vibration of water in the pipes will vibrate the brick, which will vibrate the air in your room. It will sound like a low frequency rushing sound.

Additional sources of sound will be the water on the bottom of the tub, which will vibrate the floor. Low frequencies love to go around objects and make things rumble.

All that being said, if your rooms share a door then that's probably most of the problem. Typical interior doors don't stop much sound.

Ideas:

If your problem is pipes mounted on the brick, you will need to remount them using some sort of isolation bracket (search for neoprene isolation bracket).
If you are drywalling over the brick, build a soundproof wall (isolate it from the brick).
If the sound is coming through the door primarily, this is much harder to fix. Interior doors are supposed to allow airflow, which is the enemy of soundproofing. You could weather-proof it and install a heavier door (heavier means better at soundproofing) if you liked, but it will be hard to get good isolation here.


Fridge freezers (the common type with a single compressor) are often designed in the assumption that a certain amount of heat will leak into the fridge, i.e. they have a minimum operating temperature of a cool room temperature.  They can't control the temperatures of the fridge and freezer completely independently.  Some models only have one thermostat, while in others cold air from the freezer is circulated through the fridge and back to the freezer, putting a load on the cooling circuit and turning on the thermostat.

You can sometimes work round this by pressing the "fast freeze" button if you have one.  This will force the freezer to run, but may slow down defrosting.

Wrapping the defrosting items in a thin insulating layer will also mean they defrost more slowly, and cool the fridge less.

Starting the defrost at room temperature would avoid this but you have to be careful to not end up with outer layers sitting around at room temperature.

A good compromise may be to start defrosting at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge when the outside of the frozen item is still around freezing point.  A light insulating wrap will slow this process down and make for more uniform defrosting; you can leave this on when you transfer to the fridge.  You would probably be talking about quite a few hours at room temperature, especially if it's multiple packs you can rearrange when you check to make sure they're still frozen.


Do they make a tv wall mount that will come out and down?

Dynamic Mounting http://www.dynamicmounting.com/ has a product specifically for this purpose. Be forewarned, they are not cheap (well, maybe cheap compared to a motorized lift, but not cheap compared to simpler articulating arms).


My 20 amp circuit has some 14 gauge wire in it. Is that OK?

Since your 20A circuit has 14ga wire attached to it, it's already illegal -- adding more 14ga wire to it won't change that situation as far as the code is concerned.  But adding load to it may well start a fire inside your walls and burn your house down, since a 20A breaker or fuse can't properly protect 14ga wire.  You're lucky in that it hasn't overloaded so far, but your new ceiling fan may well be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
To correct this problem, and make both your existing installation and your proposed extension legal and safe, you should change the breaker on that circuit to 15A.


Where can I find a bathroom fan that will fit in a 5" cylindrical space?

I lived in a condo built in the early 50's with a super cool looking chrome bathroom exhaust fan.  The original motor finally died after 54 years of service... so I went looking for a replacement fan/light unit.

Unfortunately I was unsuccessful as well since the original fan housing is not the "standard" (read: newer) bathroom exhaust fan size.

Anyway, I was able to find a replacement motor for the exhaust fan assembly and it worked beautifully.  If the motor has any nameplate data on it - odds are you can probably find an equivalent replacement.

I bought mine from this place Replacement Bath Vent Fan Motors - just remember it doesn't necessarily have to say "bath vent fan motor" in order to work, so long as the motor nameplate data (volts, amps, HP) are similar.

Good luck!


Do i need a short-time timer for coffee maker/water boiler?

If the appliances have their own timers built in, then I don't think an additional in line timer adds significant safety or energy efficiency. And given that any device can malfunction, any additional device can introduce risk. If you already have a built-in timer, then most of the time I would keep it in the indefinite on position if the other appliances have their own timers.

My sister has an electric hot water kettle which boils one quart to two quarts of water quickly and then keeps it near boiling. This is an energy efficient method for producing boiling water, but is an extra appliance cluttering the kitchen counter top.

I boil water on the kitchen stove and set the timer to alert me at a preset time. Sometimes I forget the kettle on the stove with the result that a lot of water vapor and heat is added to the air in the room.


Wiring for 3 switch in a 3 gang box (1 switch is a switch with fan speed control)

Here is a diagram that represents what you want to do:

Run a 12/3 from the fan/light combo to the 3-gang, and a 12/2 from each light to the 3-gang.

I have not drawn the fault ground wires into the diagram. You will have a bare or green wire from the power feed cable, bare wires from the 12/3 and 12/2's, a green wire from the DVFSQ-LF, and green screws on each of the simple switches. Connect them all together. Don't let them touch any of the terminal screws on the simple switches.

In the fan/light combo box, connect the red wire to the fan, the black wire to the light, and use a wire nut to connect the white neutral wire to the neutral connections on both fan and light.

In each light box, connect the white wire to the neutral side of the light and the black wire to the hot side. If the lamp wires are not marked, the neutral side of a lamp is always the connection to the threaded part, and the hot side is the metal button at the bottom of the socket.

In the 3-gang box, use a wire nut to connect the neutral wire from the power feed cable to the white wires in the 12/3 and the two 12/2's. Use a wire nut to connect the hot wire from the power feed cable to the black wire on the DVFSQ-LF and to the line terminals on each of the two simple switches. The terminals on a mechanical switch are interchangeable and usually not marked for line and load. Just choose.

Connect the yellow wire on the DVFSQ-LF to the black wire in the 12/3 cable. This will control the light in the combo. Connect the red wire from the DVFSQ-LF to the red wire in the 12/3 cable. This will control the fan in the combo. Apparently the DVFSQ-LF has no screw terminals so you will need wire nuts for these connections.

For each cable from a light, connect its black wire to the load terminal on one of the two simple switches.

As discussed in the comments to the linked question, you must add up the amperage of all the lights and fans, and make sure that the number is not more than 80% of the circuit breaker rating.


Sure its logical to have the exterior of the walls finished before the interior work. But if the house has a roof, and the exterior walls are covered with OSB, its hard to image drywall getting too wet. A severe hurricane type storm might be able to do it. If you experiment with some gypsum board and a spray bottle, you will see that drywall has to get a pretty good soak before it is damaged. I know because I've hung a lot of rock that was unloaded outside.


I want to put snap together wood flooring over bathroom subfloor. Is this effective?

There's a lot of problems with this

particle board subfloor
snap-in wood flooring
bathroom flooring

Your bathroom is a wet zone. Wood floor/subfloor and water don't go together. Add in

  Due to water damage I needed to repair a section of my particle board bathroom subfloor

and you have a recipe for disaster. The water will penetrate a wood floor and wreck your wood subfloor again. What you need here is

Waterproof membrane. Could be a vapor barrier, but could also be something like waterproof cement board or polyethylene underlayment. Make sure to use an approved method to seal the seams. You do NOT want to have to tear the floor up to repair subfloor.
Waterproof flooring. Tile used to be the only product here, but floating floor vinyl has become more common on the market. Because it's 100% vinyl, it won't be harmed by water, and it goes down like any other floating floor. Do not use wood flooring in a bathroom (especially solid hardwood), as these floorings respond poorly to repeated water exposure.


Bedroom light switching also switching bedroom walk-in cupbaord light

Any ideas on what could be happening?

You mistook a neutral for switched live

  the blue switched/live black sleeve did fall off while doing this so cannot be sure it is wired the same

Looking at your photo if wired correctly you should have something like

 N-----N----N      L----L----L    SL---SL
 Lamp  in   out    in   out  sw   sw   lamp

Instead you have something like

 (N)----SL----(N)    L----L----L    N---(SL)
 Lamp   sw    out    in   out  sw   in  lamp

The lamp lights because you have reversed its N and L connections and AC bulbs don't care which is N and which L

  Switching the walk-in wardrobe switch also turns off the bedroom light switch.

Well, we don't know if the wardrobe is before ("in") or after ("out") the room light. Miswiring the room light as above will affect the availability of neutral at subsequent lights.

There may be some combination of miswiring that accounts for the symptoms you report (though some aspects are not clear from your description)

The solution is to undo all the blue connections in the rose, keep all the blues separate and positively identify every wire (or more specifically, which of the three thicker blues is actually switched-live). You can do this using a suitable voltage tester


Defiantly cover all pipes. Several dollars worth of foam may prevent a big ,expensive problem , why even think about it ? I recently had a gas water heater replaced in the attic  and just recovered some pipe that was involved in the work. Although it was short lengths close to the heater ,I did not want to wonder if they were close enough.


Had ground rod connection added to my electric panel, should old ground to copper water pipe be disconnected?

No -- that bond wire could save your life!

It is very important that all non-current-carrying metal, including the cold and hot water pipes, be bonded to the electrical system ground.  This prevents highly unpleasant surprises should a wire in the dishwasher come loose and contact a water pipe!  Furthermore, this requirement is enshrined in 250.104(A) of the Code:

  (A) Metal Water Piping. The metal water piping system
  shall be bonded as required in (A)(1), (A)(2), or (A)(3) of
  this section. The bonding jumper(s) shall be installed in
  accordance with 250.64(A), (B), and (E). The points of
  attachment of the bonding jumper(s) shall be accessible.

  (1) General. Metal water piping system(s) installed in or
  attached to a building or structure shall be bonded to the
  service equipment enclosure, the grounded conductor at the
  service, the grounding electrode conductor where of sufficient size, or to the one or more grounding electrodes used.
  The bonding jumper(s) shall be sized in accordance with
  Table 250.66 except as permitted in 250.104(A)(2) and
  (A)(3).

Also, the pinhole leakage you saw in your hot water pipe is a water chemistry issue (excessive chlorine residuals can attack copper pipes), not an electrolytic corrosion issue, and has nothing to do with the bonding of the water system or any dissimilar metals -- in fact, in an iron-copper couple, it's the iron that corrodes first.


1/4 or 1/8th inch notched trowel.  Really it depends on how thick the tiles are.  If they are thick mosaic tiles I would go with 1/4th inch.  If on the thinner side you want 1/8th.

You want good coverage but this is just a backsplash.  So looks and getting too much thinset in the cracks trumps the other stuff.  If I had a perfectly flat wall I would almost always use 1/8th.  You can give yourself more wiggle room with 1/4th but this also may make your install take longer.


Water has come down through that tube.  It has rotted the fiberboard and caused the paint to flake off.

The tube must get water very intermittently or you would see it.   Probably it was cut off during a renovation and the new ceiling put up.

I am curious where that tube goes, of course.  If you can go up above your flat maybe you can find out.  Maybe it goes up through the roof and gets a little water when it rains.  You could try running a long plastic stick or tape measure through; leave it run up through and then when you go up there it will be easier to find the tube.

Ideally you find the top side and cap it.  If you just plug your bottom side it will sit filled with water and might eventually corrode its way out.


Unfortunately, your old thermostat likely did not have power going to it,  just sense lines that closed a circuit when the mercury switch attached to the thermostat closed.  All of the "cool" new thermostats require power and a neutral line (so minimum 4 wires).
Is there any way you can get power to the planned install location? they make 24V plug in transformers to do this, here is one transformer option;  then you can use the existing wires as needed assuming they are get-at-able from both sides.


It just seems like you have two 3-wire cables (with constant and switched hots) going into and out of that box, along with a 2-wire constant feed. It's not two circuits. The reds are switched and the blacks are constant hot.

IMO I would pigtail each color and use the side screws on the receptacle just like they were before.

That looks like #12 so you can no longer use the backstab/quickwire holes in the back of receptacles (in the US at least).


How to get rid of spilled olive oil on teak table?

It could go rancid and smell for sure since it's a vegetable oil.  It's definitely not used for finishing things like cutting boards for this very reason.

Soap and water are useful in getting oil off of things that are sealed, but if it's discolored the table I'm guessing it's not very well protected.  That makes the problem difficult since any kind of oil seeps deeply into wood fibers.  I'm not sure how far oil penetrates into Teak since it's a naturally oily wood in the first place.

If you do manage to get it cleaned up (which probably involves sanding and refinishing at the very least), it might be worthwhile to build a nice protective finish next time.

Check out this post for more information:
How do I fix up an unfinished, oil-stained pine table?


Which soffit vent should I install (size and angle)?

Were I you, I"d go for the big full size soffit panels

ALL the way around.

You pretty much can't have too much attic ventilation - you can have too little.


Turn off the breaker for the 3 switches and remove the cover and see if the wiring is burnt. The switch is likely shorted in the on position so only cutting power at the breaker will de-energize the circuit. And since switches are controlling the wrong things but in the same switch box there is likely wiring fused together somewhere. Follow your nose


What is this four-outlet ungrounded receptacle called?

Ed didn't really seem to answer your question, other than the 'why' so I did some digging and found this a page that references the polarized version of the socket (see #5).

According to the page it is called:

  4-plug socket

And

  dates back to mid 1950s

Because the version in your picture probably when out of production just before the one linked (polarized one) came into production we can assume this is the end date of your particular yoke.

However, as Ed said, the last of the "4-plug socket" style yokes likely went out of production when the 3 prong grounding requirements came in.

As a side note: I've had experience trying to plug things into the Monolite Quintet socket, and found that even though it was designed for polarized plugs, one generally cannot plug two polarized plugs in next together at such a close proximity due to the fairly common skirt on the polarized plug.  The "4-plug socket" seems to have similar spacing.


How can I touch up a marred furniture paint job?

You didn't say how large the entire top was. Over brush snagging looks terrible, unfortunately. If you really want a smooth consistant finish, don't attempt to just touch up the flaw areas. I would sand the top again, making sure the snags are very smooth, then put a thin coat on the entire top. Dust control is the key to doing furniture. If there is minor dust on the finish, leave it alone until the piece is cured completely. You can then buff if with a polish compound or ultra fine automotive finishing paper that won't scratch the gloss, but will remove minor dust flaws.


This is something the inverter's most likely doing, not your wiring
Grid-tie solar inverters are designed to feed power into an operating electric grid, and thus need a grid AC source to synchronize to.  If you deny them that grid source, they will refuse to invert.  This is to prevent the inverter from trying to power up a dead grid, which poses hazards to the linesfolk out in -20°C, 20m/s winds, and 20 cm of snow trying to get your power back on, as well as the health of the inverter.  Furthermore, grid-tie solar inverters don't have the ability to stably regulate grid frequency and voltage, or provide something called reactive power in order to keep the grid functioning properly, for that matter.
Note that if the shed is connected normally to the grid, and the grid is functional, a grid-tied solar inverter will supply power to everything: the shed, your house, and if anything is left over, up through the meter and service cable to the utility for somebody else to use.  It's doing this by synchronizing its own output to the grid-supplied AC waveform, though, hence the limitations described above.
For what you want to do, you'll need a proper inverter, not some Cheese-pipeline special, though
The bad news is that for what you're after, your inverter is likely the wrong tool for the job.  Your average cheap inverter purchased on Amazon/eBay/AliExpress/... is meant for RV(caravan)/portable power usage, and thus isn't made or tested for grid-tied service, or for long-term off-grid use for that matter.  For what you're doing, though, you need an inverter that's been independently tested to meet the applicable national/power utility standards ("grid code") for interconnection to the electricity grid, even if you're running an off-grid system.  Given that you're outside North America, I would recommend a Victron MultiPlus multimode inverter.  These have good support for worldwide grid standards, extensive testing to verify that they comply with those standards, and are also going to be more rugged with regards to motor starting and such than your average cheap inverter will be.  Furthermore, they have models in the line that support 120V operation (vs. 230V), and can support off-grid operation either in addition to or instead of grid-tied service, as they have an internal switch in them that lets them automatically disconnect the inverter from the grid when mains power goes away while still providing inverter power to a set of standby loads wired to a second set of AC terminals on the inverter.


Code requires the pipes to be bonded. Building steel can be used as part of the grounding electrode/ conductor so bonding the gas pipe at its entry to bonded building steel is code compliant and even required (that the metal lines likely to be energized be bonded).


Can I use Wago 221 and 2273 connectors outdoors?

The Wagobox capsule junction box for those connectors is IP68 rated - waterproof to 4m. Not sure if it is UL listed or allowed in US codes though.

However, those connectors should be ok in any junction box rated for exterior use..


The research I've just completed indicate that the motor may be called a split phase motor, although there's enough ambiguity in the search results to be uncertain. The indication I've found is that each of the four leads is an independent power lead. A four-position switch, typically rotary, with the common to power and each of the four leads attached to the switch will give you speed control. Prior to purchasing the switch, you can test this by connecting your ground and neutral and making contact with each lead with your 110v source line.

There's no indication of the need for an external controller appropriate to a stepper motor.


What could be causing corrosion on a water heater burner?

There is an insert in the flue that can be removed. loosen it and rotate it in the flue or use a long brush to scrap the sides of the flue then vacuum out the debris. At twelve years old your tank may be nearring the end of its life. You can also check the supply nipples on top of the heater to see if they are leaking and allowing water to seep in to the flue causing the corrosion.


Installing a light+fan combo switch - red, black, white wires

Your fan control must have let the magic smoke out

That smoky smell was your fan control failing -- fan controls and dimmers typically are short-circuits when they fail, so that's why the fan ran at full speed when you tried the fan control the second time.

Leave black wired to black and red wired to blue in the ceiling box, then get another fan/light combo control and use it instead of the burned out one.  You can leave the normal light switch in for now; when you get the new fan control, just remember to wire the fan side to the black wire going up into the /3 cable, the light side to the red wire going up into the /3 cable, and the incoming hot to the black wire from the /2 cable; don't forget to hook up ground to the bare wires and neutral (if present on your control) to the white wires, for that matter!


If there's enough headroom above the basement stairs, I would consider building a staircase over the existing basement stairs. Then you get to pick a height that works for all directions.

You could also make the stairs without risers and increase the overlap on the treads, almost turning them in to a ladder. This is the way stairs on Navy ships are designed. And bunk beds.


Outdoor water faucet will not stop leaking

That looks like an early version of a ball valve. To repair it, if you could, you would need to remove the faucet. At that point it would be easier to get a new one to reinstall.

It is a threaded connection on the supply line, possibly 1/2". It will take 2 large pipe wrenches to remove it.


What's the best technique for applying adhesive to the underside of ceiling joists?

Not much to it, really. I glued and screwed ~1000 square feet of type X to 3" strapping and I don't think any "dripped off."

Standard "cut tube at an angle and hold gun at an angle so the stuff smooshes out and sticks" technique. Pretty much the same as any construction adhesive.

If you are getting a round bead that falls off you are doing it wrong - the applied bead should be about 3 times wider than it is thick, as a guesstimate. The short end of the cut tip should be in contact with the surface as you dispense, the long/pointy end should be slightly off the surface, and speed of movement and dispensing are adjusted to maintain the correct bead shape.


A floating floor wants to be just that - not anchored down. If you go about placing the bottom plate for a stud wall on top of the flooring material and then try to use concrete nails to anchor the plate to the concrete floor the flooring will be captured and not longer able to float. This will result in constriction of the flooring material when it wants to move due to thermal and environmental changes and will likely warp, buckle and break joints between flooring planks.

BTW - In most places there will be a requirement for there to be an egress window in this basement bedroom to allow the occupant to exit in the case of fire. Unless you are prepared to provide that you may want to hold off on your remodeling project.


How do I get rid of fruit flies in my fridge?

The fruit flies have laid eggs somewhere in your fridge.  If there are any drain traps or any extra covers for electric/whatever take them off.  Spray the entire fridge with a spray cleaner that has bleach.  Then unplug fridge and let it dry out.

If during the exercise you find holes that are good possibilities of breeding grounds, plug them with tape.    We find fridges that are very usable in this state very often during flips and the first things we do is bleach the inside (409 makes a spray and a gel that works good - the gel on the bottom).  After it sits for a day we clean with soap and water and let it dry.  Then plug it in and almost all of the time - given seals are good never - no insect issues.


Can I install a Sharkbite shut off valve with only a half of an inch of copper to connect to?

No.  You will need about 1 inch.  It will hit the stop at about 1 inch and slightly (very slightly) pull out after it hits the stop.  This is something that you don't want to mess with because if you don't have the correct length the bite action won't take.  Good thing is unlike a bad solder job on copper you will notice that you didn't hit the stop right away.

Instructions here.


Newly framed bathroom wall not square, how bad will the tile look?

That looks like nearly 3/4 inch in a 2 foot run. That is a lot of angle, and I think most carpenters would consider it unacceptable on a new framing job (unless there were some underlying issue, like a pipe or an old beam preventing a square outcome).

But it also sounds like your contractor is challenged when it comes to getting something square. You can try again, but you may still be disappointed.

An alternative is to use a brick pattern on the floor.

The lack of a straight line on the left would make the angle cuts less noticeable.


Can I create a false ceiling using XPS board instead of gypsum board?

XPS must be covered with drywall or another fire resistant material.  XPS, when exposed to heat will put off toxic fumes and will melt.  The last thing you want in a class room is molten foam melting onto students in the event of a fire.

Stick with proper ceiling tiles, drywall or another suitable material.  What you are proposing would be against most building codes that I know of, at least in North America.


Pay now or pay later. Galvanized pipes inevitably fail over time because they crud up from the inside which constricts flow. This reduces the thickness of the wall, so if the flow doesn't get you, the failure of the wall will.

Having said that, 3" is huge, so it would probably take a while before you noticed flow constriction. You'd still have a problem with wall failure.

It sounds like you're putting up a wall finish now, so fixing now would be cheaper, as you wouldn't have the future process of [demo/ re-pipe/ re-finish].

If you knew how old your existing pipe was, you might have a shot at predicting its lifespan.

See also: Galvanized pipe life expectancy


Screws stuck inside of Anchors, with shelving unit in between.

The type of plastic drywall anchor that you show on those screws can be removed by holding the anchor with a pair of pliers and then back out the screw with a philips screwdriver. After the plastic part has been removed toss it into the trash.

Note that that type of anchor is not suitable for hanging a wall shelf unless that shelf is a piddly small thing only intended to hold some small nick-knacks. Any other application should have the screws going directly into studs in the wall.


How do I install a washing machine when the drain is 7.5 feet high?

I would recommend not doing what you suggest, here's why:

A typical rough-in for a clothes washing machine is as show in the picture below and consists of the following:

vent
2" p-trap
vertical section of 2" pipe above the p-trap
(an actual outlet box as shown is not required, you can just use the plan end of the pipe)

Your discharge hose will fit inside the 2" pipe opening and will usually enter the pipe about 6" to 8". This connection is not water/air tight.

The size of the p-trap and the vertical section of pipe are to accommodate for the flow rate of the washing machine's discharge. The p-trap will create a restriction to the flow and the vertical pipe allows for some head water to buildup without putting any back pressure on the washing machine's internal pump.

A p-trap is a must as it will prevent sewer gas from entering your house. The vent is required to protect the water seal of the p-trap but can be replaced with an air admittance valve depending on local codes.

I would imagine that if your machine can pump that high it will be near its limit and without any room for a vertical section of pipe to discharge into you will have to make the connection sold which will put additional back pressure on to the machine's pump (even more due to the pipe size only being 1.5") which will shorten the life span of the pump.


What is the best method of hanging drywall on ceiling?

I find that it's best to attach 1x3 furring strips across the joists.  It's worth the extra cost. The 1x3 will give you 1.25 inches of screwing space, so you don't have to be quite as accurate with your cuts.  Glue is not needed, but will reduce screw pops by making the assembly more 'solid'.  I always use adhesive when I can (when there is no vapor barrier or insulation covering the wood).


Sand the problem area to scuff up the surface for better primer adhesion.

If that doesn't work or if it's possible that the underlying paint contains lead (which is not safe to sand) then an oil or shellac-based primer may work better.


Main Breaker - Miswired connection Question

There is some confusion reading the question, for example "closing" a breaker normally means turning on the power, the off position is the "open" position.

However I think I get the gist of it, and I think you know what's going on.  You have some loads in apartment 2 that are on the house-common service, and some house-common loads that are on apartment 2's service.  This happens all the time when houses are divided up, and in my experience it's rarely caught by inspectors.

The landlord is of course obligated to correct the issue.  It is a bit of a cost issue, the landlord is paying for some of apartment 2's lights, and apartment 2 is paying some of the common area lighting for the landlord.

It is also a safety issue.  Say someone is servicing apartment 2's lights, and they open (turn off) the main breaker for apartment 2, but the light they are working on is on the house-common panel.  If they assume power is off, and neglect to verify by testing voltage at the light, they could get zapped.


Home inspection requires exhaust to attic exterior

You'll want to check with your local government.  The sale of a house often requires some things to be brought up to current code.  What things are required, depends on the local government.

For example.  In my area, sump pumps are required. If you're selling a house without a sump, you'll have to install one before you can close. A nearby area requires hardwired smoke detectors be installed before closing.

Selling a house where an inspection is required, means you'll have to pass the inspection before the sale.

If this inspection was done by the buyers (buyers inspector), they have every right to request whatever repairs they want. You as the seller have every right to deny the request, renegotiate,  or cancel the deal (assuming you haven't finalized the contract). You might want to contact your lawyer.


Will heavy rain tomorrow be a problem if I pour concrete today?

No, it isn't a problem if...

You lay poly sheeting or a tarp over it after several hours of cure time (ideally the following morning). Driving rain could degrade the surface of the slab, which is still soft even after a day.
Water running along the slab won't undermine its base.


Is there spring tension on this garage door part?

When the door is up on the track there is weight on it but when the door is down only the weight of the track is at that location.
Those vibration isolators are really made for compression. I use them on some motor loads they are nothing more than 2 bolts with a cast rubber holding them together. There would need to be some kind of safety device for when the rubber fails so your door and track are not damaged when they break.


Leak-proofing aluminium windows in a minimalist house

Everyone wants their house to be leak proof. No one gets it. I live in Florida and am always getting calls to re-caulk windows in high rise buildings that leak. That's just what water does. You mentioned aluminum windows. They expand and contract with the weather, that will break a seal and water will find a way to get in. Zero or less maintenance doesn't exist. Your 6" concrete upside down "U"  would probably end up pulling away from the wall a bit and leaking there, needing caulk. Since I mentioned caulk, it have improved much over the last few decades. The quality silicone caulk available today does  great job at remaining flexible and while it might not last a lifetime, I've installed some that still great after 30 years. Good luck.


What is the best way for DIYer to buy HVAC equipment and supplies if EPA 608 certified but not contractor?

This is just an extension of Ed Beal's comments. I would defiantly set up an account with a vendor who has national outlets (maybe two) which usually allows you to purchase from any outlet. Unfortunately if a state has certain regulations that only allow certain vendors to purchase regulated products, there is not much anyone can do about it.

You have an unusual situation, but if you needed anything immediately the only other option would be to overnight from you home supplier.


Applying drywall tape - to score or not to score?

Tape alone; no cutting the paper. Your friend is correct that much of the strength comes from the paper facing.

Check out the videos that have you feathering out the joint with a 10 or 12 inch knife.


Is mortar necessary for a single-row tile baseboard?

You could use construction adhesive, but it takes several days to reach a hardness I'd consider adequate for grouting. You don't want to grout a flexing surface. Also, it'll be more difficult to keep a flat plane among your tiles if you don't use a notched trowel.

I'd buy some premixed mortar and trowel it onto the wall as you normally would. The outcome will be better, and you'll be able to grout more quickly.


Can I utilize unused 30amp circuit for 20amp welder?

TL;DR Replace the double 30A breakers with double 20A breakers. Keep the 10 AWG wire. Replace the dryer receptacle with 2 20A receptacles wired as a MWBC - one hot to each, neutral shared. No safety notes or special procedures once the changes are complete.
And now all the gory details:

Replace the double 30A breakers with double 20A breakers

You can't have devices designed for use with 15A/20A circuits on a 30A feed. There are certain very specific exceptions (e.g., a 15A receptacle that comes pre-installed as part of an electric range, where the range is itself connected to a 30A or larger circuit), but in almost all situations, if you are going to either install 15A/20A receptacles (whether 120V or 240V) or hardwire devices that are designed for 15A/20A circuits, you must replace the 30A breaker with a 20A (or 15A, but that gains you nothing in this case, so go with 20A) breaker.

Simply removing one of the 30A breakers doesn't help. It does remove power from one of the hot wires. But it does nothing to change the 30A vs. 20A problem.

Replacing both 30A breakers (and they are really a pair, removing just one would not be so easy anyway) with a double 20A breaker provides advantages for use as an MWBC (Multi Wire Branch Circuit) which (a) lets you get 2 20A 120V circuits without changing the wires and (b) lets you use 20A 240V equipment as well.

Keep the 10 AWG wire

This may seem obvious, but it includes some important details. You can use 10 AWG wire with 20A breakers (should be no problem at all) and receptacles (if they can't take 10 AWG wire directly, you can connect using a pigtail). Leaving the 10 AWG wire in place avoids having to run new wire now (which may be trivial or may be a lot of work) and also allows future usage for a 30A circuit if desired.

Replace the dryer receptacle with 2 20A receptacles wired as a MWBC - one hot to each, neutral shared.

This is where it gets interesting. The existing dryer receptacle, if original (or straight replacement) to the 1959 build, is a 3-wire connection. This includes two hots and a neutral, but not a separate ground wire. This has safety implications, which are actually easier to resolve with 20A 120V circuits than with a 30A 240V circuit! The methods include:

If you have metal conduit or an existing (but unused because of the 3-wire connector) ground wire, use that as the ground for your new receptacles.
If you have an accessible ground from another circuit 20A or larger (so that the ground will be large enough for this circuit), you can run a ground wire from the new receptacle to that circuit's ground.
You can install a 20A GFCI and label it "No Equipment Ground". This gets tricky (but doable) with MWBC (either only use 1/2 the MWBC, or install two separate GFCI receptacles).

Any of these solutions will take care of "old dangerous dryer circuit without ground". Note that if the receptacle is in a location that requires GFCI (which is a lot of places now, depending on your state's version of the NEC), you may be required to install GFCI, either at the receptacles or using a double 20A GFCI breaker.
As far as MWBC, this lets you use any combination of:

240V circuit - black hot/red hot
120V circuit "1" - black hot/white neutral
120V circuit "2" - red hot/white neutral

which conveniently lets you get two 20A 120V circuits without running any new wires.

No safety notes or special procedures once the changes are complete.

This is crucial. For some oddball separate device, you can get away with your own funny procedures. But you can't do that for hardwired equipment or receptacles, because procedures will be forgotten. For example:
You leave the 30A breaker in place and wire up a standard duplex 120V 20A receptacle. You sell the house in a hurry, forget to (or run out of time to) change things back. New owner has no idea. Plugs in 2 or more 120V devices at the same time rated for high power - e.g., a couple of space heaters and some tools. Total power usage goes to 40A. Not enough to trip the 30A breaker for quite a while. But enough to overheat the 20A-rated wire (especially if it is older cable).
A proper installation - with the most important piece being the 20A breaker - avoids any special requirements. What you or any future owner can use is determined at a glance by the receptacles available. Unambiguous. Safe.


Can a wet vac be effectively used as a pump?

A pump can operate continuously to move water between two locations.  The wet vac will suck water into the cannister, but you'll need to continuously stop, and dump that water, before it reaches the top of the vacuum.  If you're looking at a flooding risk, I'd want the pump.


Desiccant silica gel is not all that tough. A spinning blade coffee grinder, or a blender should work. When you get it down to powder, leave the top on for 5-10 minutes. The dust will be awful. You shouldn't dull the blades much, unless you make a habit of this. Mortar and pestle would work too, but for the quantities you'll need would probably be tiresome.


How do I run ethernet, speaker wire, and coax through a wall into a crawlspace?

You've got a lot of different questions, so I'll try to answer the ones I can:

Coax sucks because of the necessary bend.  You're better off going with a backless box like the one you linked to, because it makes running cables so much easier.  (if you have a second person, have them push the cables up from below (or a straightened coat hanger or other wire to act as a needle, if the bundle of cables is too floppy), and then snag it from the hole with a wire bent into a hook) ... which you can't do as easily if you mount a box with little punchouts.  Also, you then don't have to worry about crowding the box, etc.
It's easier to run lots of cables at once.  What what you're planning already, I'd likely run an extra cat5e/cat6 cable, and then get an HDMI-over-twisted-pair (aka HDMI-over-cat5) extender if you wanted to go that route, or re-terminate it for RJ11 if you wanted to change it over to phone.
I don't know of any other way to get cables/pipes through the sill other than drilling, and it's allowed for plumbing, electrical, etc, so long as you then spray foam the holes afterwards (at least, it's required in my area, might not be in yours).
You only need to line up well enough to get it in the same bay, so you have a ~14.5" target.  I cut the hole for the box first, then check to verify the location of the studs (I don't use hardware that requires me to attach to a stud, so I just have to make sure to miss it when cutting my hole), then measure off of some reference point that I'll be able to find down below.  (electrical runs, walls, etc.)  If nothing else, you can use plumbing or electrical for identifying where the walls are from below.
To avoid humidity issues, use spray foam to seal around the cables.  (see #3).  It may even be required by code in your area.


Figuring this out is not as hard as it looks

The cable going off to most A/C outdoor units has two wires -- both of them go to the contactor's coil there, but one must connect to the Y wire (call for cooling) from the thermostat and the other must connect to the C terminal from the furnace/air handler (presuming the furnace/air handler is providing 24VAC to the thermostat for cooling).  As a result, when the thermostat connects the 24VAC going to it on the R wire to the thermostat to the Y wire going back, the circuit is completed (just like flipping on a lightswitch), and the air conditioner compressor comes on.

As a result, since the white wire going off to your air conditioner connects to the yellow wire going off to the thermostat, and assuming standard thermostat wiring color coding, the red wire going off to your air conditioner must be connected to the C terminal on your furnace, which is where your blue wire going off to the thermostat connects to in order to provide a return path for the 24VAC thermostat power that doesn't go through some load or another in the furnace.


Power supply is shot
G4 lamps are all 12V (least, all the ones I found).
All 20 lamps are behaving exactly the same. It can't be because of all the lamps being in series, since that would be 240V worth of lamps, and you're in 120V-land.  (that would be 2 series strings so only half would fail).   So cross that off the list.
What remains is there is a 12V power supply somewhere.  That is the common thread. Clearly, it is failing.