Is a floating perimeter slab a good approach for a dirt-floor shed?

Yes, the poured, floated & sealed afterward slab is the best way to go, if you're up to it, & it's the best anchor. Definitely do at least a 4-inch bed of gravel under everything, this is what moves instead of a slab or blocks or pads.

However, absolutely consult your Building Dept. first & foremost. They have plans for their requirements & you'll need a permit & likely 3 inspections. They have to approve your plan & that approval will hinge on if you can do anymore "paving" on the property, if the shed/coop placement meets setbacks & if the planned structure is sound or even big enough for your vision.

Other than that stuff, going with blocks filled with concrete is pretty solid & much easier. If anchoring the building is done like putting in fence posts then just concrete pads halfway in & halfway out around the perimeter would accomplish the same overall desire & be the easiest by far.

Oh I initially forgot, if the back, friend & truck's good you can possibly use parking lot Wheel Stops (6x6's) for the foundation or more. There shouldn't be any monolithic requirement & they're higher density concrete that's rebarred. It's slightly rednecky, but saves an awful lot of bag hauling, temporary lung damage, form work & drying time...you'll love the pinning holes too.


Grohe LadyLux3 faucet flowing at 40% expected rate, even after replacing cartridge

If it's equal between hot and cold, it's at or after the cartridge. Since you've ruled out the flow restrictor/aerator, the easiest next thing to take apart is the quick connect leading from the mixing cartridge down to the flexible hose loop. It's K in this diagram and usually made out of plastic that might need some delicate handling to detach without breaking.

I wonder if you don't have some debris in there.

If you don't want to do try to detach the quick connect, you can also try removing the cartridge again and blowing into the outlet to dislodge the debris and shoot it back up to where the cartridge is.

If there's no debris, or even if there is, point the output from the hose to a bucket and turn on the water and the faucet. The pressure at that point, without the hose, will help you narrow down the problem. If you still get low pressure there, that would be very weird since the blockage can't be upstream of the cartridge.


3M Scotch outdoor mounting tape may be something that will work for you. I've seen photos of the product used for attaching to brick, although the current collection of ad copy does not mention it. I've used the product to hold outdoor items and it's quite durable and strong.
The tape is a foam core with adhesive on both sides, allowing for irregularities in the surface. If it's necessary to remove for any reason, the foam has to be cut with a blade or some have used dental floss or similar cording to saw the foam.
Many locations have this product, Home Depot included. Image courtesy of Home Depot.

If easier removal is required, 3M Dual Lock is a velcro-type fastener. The product is not hook-and-loop but rather is a set of plastic panels with super strong adhesive, containing mushroom-head stalks that interconnect for a quite strong attachment. It's a bit harder to find and a bit more expensive than the foam tape.


Can this sliding door hardware support solid wood doors?

As long as it is a solid wood door and not a veneer. Drill the proper sized pilot holes too, so the door rail does not split.

The only thing you may want to be concerned about the screws are is the one on each roller that will go into the end grain of the stile. If it was a longer screw, it would be good insurance. End grain does not hold a screw as well as the grain running perpendicular to the screw. There, a 2 1/2"-3" screw would be well placed. Running it at a slight angle help cross the grain a little too, making it grip better. That trick will not be needed on the other screw.


Dryer Takes Too Long, Cleaned out Vent. What next?

If you did everything Jim did & got the same dump & blow-out, then that was an improvement. But, that method doesn't scrub or peel anything off. It just makes a small hole in the center to leave the built-up sides to collapse & fall inward to clog up again. Keep trying the blower periodically & shake & pound on the pipe wherever you can. Otherwise, use a vacuum at both ends or a vacuum in conjunction of an extendable dryer vent brush.


A basic drill/driver will meet the needs you mentioned.
What is drill/driver?
I think a cordless one would be more convenient. I own the Dewalt 20volt max but you could get away with 12volt max if you are not going to be doing heavy drilling. Dewalt's and their batteries are not cheap, I have set of craftsman cordless tools in another location and they are more affordable. There are many options, Rigid is another.
You want one that has a clutch or adjustment stops so when you are assembling cabinets you can set it to a weaker torque setting to avoid driving the screws too deep.


How do I seal an unused washing machine drain?

Pour some RV antifreeze into the trap. It won't evaporate quite as fast as water, and will stop the sewer gas until the rest of this is sorted out.

A sink stopper won't do what's needed here. A test plug  goes in the pipe, which is probably no more than 1-1/2 to 2 inches. The seal is formed by winding up the screw so that the rubber seal is expanded against the walls of the pipe. I have no idea where you think you can stick a 3-1/2" stopper in the washing machine box you've pictured. You'll need to cut the hole for the drain properly if, as it appears, it's not really matching the hole in the pipe.


How can I replace a ceiling fan plus light with just a light?

I'd go with just using the wires from the Rocker switch. They should be the same wires that make it up to the ceiling fan box & are hopefully a perfect match to the new light of black, white & copper. All you'd do with the fan speed controller is throw it away & wire nut & tape those wire ends in both boxes. The new wall cover plate would be a 2-Gang Half-Blank to cover over the now abandoned fan speed controller's space.


How to locate plumbing schematics of a very old home?

Plumbing schematics are often unavailable, but a good plumber can usually figure it out.

...

  Current building codes usually require filing with a local building department, but that did not exist before mid 20th century or later in many jurisdictions.


Would this fridge fit in this space with required clearance?

Just our luck. They provide a handy-dandy manual on the page you linked to, and here's what it tells us on page 15:

  Too small of a distance from adjacent items may result in lowered freezing capability and increased electricity consumption charges. Allow at least 24 inches (610 mm) in front of the refrigerator to op en the doors, and at least 2 inches (50.8 mm) between the back of the refrigerator and the wall.

This corresponds with my personal experience, wherein the only things that really matter are door clearance and a bit of space behind for warm air to circulate via convection. Whether that gap vents out the side or top isn't terribly important in most homes.


I have "student" bookcases I built years ago, which have 4'-long 1x12 (nominal) shelves supported only be a pair of shelf clips at each end, carrying two solid rows of paperbacks each. (One upright, one tilted back in front of them.) These sag just a bit in the middle, but have no trouble handling the distributed weight.

You've got a shorter span, so you don't need the stiffness of my 1x12s.  And if you're using shelf brackets at the 1/4 and 3/4 locations, the weight "outboard" of the brackets will tend to balance the weight between them, so sag would be less significant (and better distributed so less visible).

So I think the real question here is only how well you can affix the brackets to that wall.


I think that what you want is called a "paper rail" or a "display rail". There are lots of different styles, here is one:


Do you need a shower floor slope if you have a preslope?

The tiles don't have to be sloped but they must keep the slope that existed.


Do epoxy paints need to cure after being heated in the oven?

Beware. Many products are marketed as "epoxy" when in fact they are not epoxy based, just normal paint with a small amount of already-cured epoxy in the mix, so they can make the marketing claim of being "epoxy".   Real epoxy is nothing like that.

Many paints don't like being oven baked. You may want to experiment with something unimportant.

Real epoxy comes in 2 cans. You mix them together in a mixing cup, and you have a limited "pot life" to apply it and clean the spray gun.  Which is why they can't sell it in rattle cans.

High-temp-cure epoxy absolutely requires an oven cure, but gives extremely long pot life - long enough they can sell it in one can.  I've never seen high-temp in a rattle can, but if that's what you have, awesome.  The oven schedule is mandatory - don't short it, or it won't cure.

When spraying (real) epoxy, make sure to wear a proper NIOSH respirator. The resin in uncured epoxy contains an immune system irritant, skin is a good barrier, lungs are not.  That health issue is why big-box stores don't like to sell 2-part epoxies and urethanes in products you might spray.


You'd have to inspect the green PCB and add a terminal or solder on a wire to get a C connection on this board -- it doesn't have a terminal ready for you to use.

Pull it from the housing and look at the copper traces going between the thermostat terminal block and the transformer. From one of the T1, the T2, and the T3 terminals there'll be a trace going back to one of the pins below the transformer. That's the R terminal. The other low-voltage pin on the transformer is the C terminal. Its trace will probably lead to the coils of the three relays.

Take care that you don't choose one of the line voltage terminals on the transformer! Follow the traces from transformer pins back to the line voltage terminals at the bottom -- those transformer pins aren't the one you want.

Edit: with the photo of the rear of the board now included in the question, the circuit can easily be traced. I've marked the area on the rear of the board where mains voltage exists in orange -- keep your wiring clear of these. The R and C circuits are also marked.

The C circuit passes to the front of the board via the leg of a resistor. I suggest that you solder your wire on the top side partially so it's easily visible when somebody looks at this board again, and partially so it's easy to verify that it is keeping clear of the uninsulated mains solder points all over the back side. Also note that the white wires are currently connected to the R terminals. It might make sense to swap the reds and whites.

Passing your new C wire through a pair of holes will help relieve strain on the solder joint. Take care not to hit any of the traces while drilling the holes. It's probably easiest to choose the location if you drill from the back side of the board above the trace marked C.


Garage Door Won't Close, Reverts near bottom, Why?

Garage motors have a torque sensor to minimise the crushing risk. this means that if the motor is under too much load, it will automatically stop.  My guess is that your track is bent, or dirty and is creating too much friction for the motor.

you can test the opening and closing force by releasing the motor (pulling the wire to bypass the motor) and manually opening and closing the garage door. (do you see that its difficult to open at any point?)

the solution is to clean the tracks with a cloth and apply some grease... now garage vendors dont like you greasing your own track, so check your warantee first... but you will be amazed what a good greasing will do to the tracks...

regarding the type of grease to use, i would check with the motor manufacturer, the reason they dont like it is becuase grease can attract dust if you are in a dusty area, typically I simply apply a petrolium based grease on a clean track and 99% of the time the problem goes away.


How can I build custom air ducts for an in-wall heater?

Probably not the answer you want to hear, but the manufacturer of your heater would most likely prohibit the alteration of air flow into and out of the unit. Doing so would void the industry safety certifications required for manufacturers, the warranty, and would probably not be safe.

Additionally, all wall heaters have minimum clearance requirements for the placement of objects in front, 8" is likely too close for placement of combustibles (like wood cabinets).

I would recommend that you discontinue use of the wall heater if it does not fit your design plans. There are many types of plug-in electric room heaters that work for a variety of room sizes. Many of these are very quiet, inexpensive, and efficient (probably more efficient then that wall heater) and you can place it anywhere in the room you want.


MR16 LED Bulbs - Fitting too narrow and replacing old Halogen bulbs

It's common for LED MR 16's to not fit the same as their predecessors.  Those types have the AC to DC rectifiers built in and work with most any 12 volt supply.  Those cans probably have a small 50VA magnetic transformer attached to it inside the ceiling for each can, verses one big gigantic transformer for all the lights.

As for the gimbal not fitting back in the can, sounds like you need to find a different LED bulb instead of trying piecemeal together multiple parts.

Your trims don't seem to be from a popular vendor such as Halo or Lightolier. Your best bet is to look for some part number and google it.

If you're still hard-pressed on replacing the trim kits and not the entire fixture, you might can buy a 4" GU10 trim kit from the local hardware store and use the MR16 bulb instead of the GU10 bulb, and maybe, just maybe it will cover the existing hole and/or not fall out from being incompatible.


How to fix this one and is it a moisture problem?

I'm pretty sure that's from water damage.

First step is to figure out where the water came from, and make sure that whatever happened doesn't happen again. Maybe there was/is a leak underneath the sink that seeped out of the cabinet and into the drywall?

Once you've done that, fix the water damage. If the drywall really got soaked, you may have to replace it. Poke that spot with your finger - if it feels soft, cut out the damaged section and replace it (there are many tutorials online on fixing drywall). But if it feels solid, then just paint over the stained area with a sealer (Kilz, for example), and then a top-coat to match the existing wall color.


Run 50ft underground electrical: gauge and conduit?

A 20 AMP breaker you can run #12 but if you're going to install the PVC conduit, use 3 #12 THHN/THWN-2 wires, black, white  & green. You don't need the direct buried cable when using conduit. If you can feed it from the box your existing GFCI is in, then you could connect to the load terminals of it. If you're connecting elsewhere you'll need a GFCI outlet at the termination of the run. 1/2" conduit will be right for your job. Stay away from using backstabs and if you use stranded wire get heavy duty outlets with the screw back clamps.


Lag bolt vs structural screw (and length) for TV mount

1/4 lags should be fine even in redwood, many homes were built with redwood in the north Bay Area. Redwood is soft and has a lower withdraw force, I have 4 ea 1/4 x 3 lags holding a 78” flat screen I would use the same in redwood.

I would use lags over structural screws for the higher shear force. No brand preference, just plain old steel, bright or hot dipped it makes no real difference if they are not visible.


How to remove this flow restrictor in hansgrohe hand shower?

To collect the comments into an answer:
Use a small piece of metal to lift/bend each of the metal prongs up so it's no longer pressing into the plastic on the outside, holding the flow restrictor in place. Consider using one or more of the following to do so:

A small dental-type pick*
A small screw driver
A hefty paperclip
A sturdy piece of wire bent into a hook

You might have to push the restrictor slightly down while pulling up on the tab to release the end of the tab from where it's seated into the plastic. Simply pulling up may actually work against you to further embed the tab into the plastic wall.
It appears that there are 6 tabs holding it in place, once you get 3 of them bent, there will likely be enough play to get it out without having to bend the rest of them.
If you're finding it difficult to get the tabs to bend, you may consider leaving the restrictor in place and simply drilling out the plastic center, thus reducing the restriction. If you do this, be sure to thoroughly rinse out nozzle before reinstalling it. You want to be sure to get all the plastic swarf out the large end instead of letting it clog up the shower head.
*A pick like one of these:

Images courtesy of Harbor Freight, where the items depicted are available for under $5 US. No particular recommendation made, though they are a good source of cheap stuff. Neither an employee, owner, nor stock holder, but I'm always thrilled when my purchases last for a 2nd use!


Hot water twin impeller pump wiring to my boiler

Take a look at figure 5 in the manual. (Or any of the other figures)

None of them show you connecting the pipes in parallel across the pump.

The cold comes in and out one side of the pump in series. The hot comes in and out the other side of pump.

Check your plumbing in the picture against figure 5.

They are not the same.

Do you have just the hot water coming in and you are trying to use bothe sides of the pump for hot instead of hot and cold?


LFNC is not pretty but it's easy to install.  You have to strap it every three feet and within one foot of the boxes.  You can't exceed 360 degrees of accumulated bend between boxes.  Since it's impossible to get the stuff really straight, and it's sticky inside, you're better off limiting it to 270 degrees of bend between boxes.
The straps made for rigid metallic conduit or PVC conduit should fit well enough, and two hole straps will work well enough where running perpendicular to the joists.  Parallel to the joists, straps probably won't fit along the bottom of the joist, but you can just strap the conduit to the face of the joist instead of the bottom edge.
If you use reasonably small screws, like #10 or smaller, splitting the joist is unlikely, but it never hurts to drill pilot holes.
Use gray surface mount type plastic junction boxes and drill right through the back of the boxes to secure them to the joist.  You could use two of the four mounting tabs on the box but they'll tend to snap right off.


Do dishwashers with a built in "high loop" require a second high loop under the sink?

SUMMARY:

Reasons:

Building code may require you to follow manufacturer's installation instructions. Related to this, having a second loop under the sink could be easier to visually inspect/verify than the built-in one.
Apparently two loops is a safeguard against poor drainage. As such I think you might get away without having it but it appears to be a best practice to have two.

RESEARCH:

I found an article which discussed this specific issue and it included some manufacturer information.

Question posed to manufacturers:

  A high loop is required on the dishwasher drain in the installation
  instructions for all of your dishwashers. What is the purpose of this?
  Doesn’t the high loop that is incorporated in to the side of the
  dishwasher achieve the same thing?

IMO the single clearest answer addressed the specific benefits of a second loop:

  Viking: In testing our dishwashers, we have found that the additional high loop in the back of the dishwasher is required for
  proper draining of the water.  We have seen when this piece is not
  applied that over time the consumer will have issues with the water
  back up and causing issues with proper drainage and water pooling in a
  particular area.

Other answers reported were:

  Kenmore: "The high loop or air gap must be used to prevent potential backflow contamination of the dishwasher. Local plumbing codes
  generally dictate the requirements in your area. Section 807.4 of the
  Uniform Plumbing Code states: "No domestic dishwashing machine shall
  be directly connected to a drainage system or food waste disposer
  without the use of an approved dishwasher airgap fitting on the
  discharge side of the dishwashing machine. Listed airgaps shall be
  installed with the flood level (FL) marking at or above the flood
  level of the sink or drainboard, whichever is higher, or separately
  trapped with the airbreak located on the stand pipe."

  GE: "If an air gap is not required, the drain hose must have the high loop from the floor to prevent backflow of water into the
  dishwasher or water siphoning out during operation."

  Bosch: The high loop in the drain hose of your dishwasher is to keep water from settling in the hose if it were hanging down any lower or
  horizontally. This keeps the drain hose dried out and keeps any odors
  from backing up into the dishwasher.

None of these second group actually addressed the specific question of needing TWO loops, but they do explain why a loop is needed at all which is still useful context.


Why is our brand new dishwasher not draining?

You say that the drain hose runs down to the crawlspace then back up again.  It's winter time (at least in the northern hemisphere); I wonder if the water is freezing in the drain hose at the lowest point, enough that hot water from the dishwasher isn't able to reach it to melt it (there would likely be a layer of cold liquid water between the dishwasher and the bottom of the hose).

I think it's odd that the drain hose feeds through the crawlspace; any installations that I can remember seeing have a hose feeding through the cabinet wall to the sink's plumbing.  Is the dishwasher adjacent to the sink so that you could redirect the hose like that?


Based on your rather telling but incomplete information, I have to caution you on your plans. This may have changed, I haven't had septic in 20-years. Not good & not legal, if the field hasn't been unused for 20-years. This must be fully designed, tested, approved & inspected to be proper, legal & last 25 or more years.

If a newer field has to be re-used, all soil needs to be entirely removed & replaced with a proper draining & absorption mixture. A complete & total deep excavation. The fork must be a fork & not a single long pipe & no fork tine can be any longer than 100' & each must end with an inspection vent pipe. Each tine must be separated by dirt to avoid pooling & enforce even distribution.


What is the best method for painting a door

Neither!  Your door should be painted the same color as the trim, which is usually in a glossier finish than the walls. Semi gloss or gloss is typical for trim and doors.

The best finish is achieved when you remove the door, lay it flat and paint it with a good soft bristle brush. If it is a raised panel style door, start by painting the inner most details first, inner stiles second and finish with the outer stiles. Finish with long strokes going in the same direction as the grain.  Painting the door while laying flat will help eleminate runs and sags in detail corners.  Good Luck.


Simple & Cheap dance floor instead of carpet

The simple approach (and the one I'd suggest above any of the following) is to have a sock-hop (take off your shoes and dance on the carpet) and the most workable approach to a one-time need for a hard floor is to rent a dance floor (they are a standard rental-store item, as seen at weddings done in huge tents, etc...) 8x8 is a rather tiny dance floor for "a large group" and raw plywood in your living room is not going to enhance the decor (rental floors are usually parquet or faux-parquet)

If for some reason you want to buy something you'll need to store, these days laminate flooring (that interlocks at the seams) might be both more practical and cheaper than trying to get plywood to stay flat. It will also store more compactly. If you opt for large sheet goods, tempered hardboard (Masonite®) will be a better bet than plywood (it's far more prone to stay flat) and can be joined with a heavy tape. 1/4" will work better than 1/8"


Normal to see staples in hardwood floor? If not, how best to handle/fill?

No, that's not the normal way to fasten hardwood floors.  Usually they are nailed or stapled on the edges which are then covered by the adjoining piece.  I suspect there was a problem here and the flooring was raised up and rather than take it out and do it right, they just stapled it down and left it.

Poor workmanship in my opinion.


Woodford model 17 anti-siphon faucet won't work

I cleaned all the parts and reassembled it and now it works.  I still don't know what was wrong, but it's fixed.


You say you've got a 35A fuse and the unit takes 32A. So, on that front, you're good.
I'm not sure how UK wire is sold size-wise, but what you'll want to do is find some 3.5-4mm copper wire, which is rated for at least 40A (in the US we call it 8 gauge). It might be ideal to find it in a cable (hot, neutral and ground) for ease of running.


Where should I tap in to the existing duct work?

Basically you are trying to balance your new ducts with respect to your old ducts by sizing the new ducts. If you make a mistake or if your relative cooling loads (office vs rest of the house) ever changes, your only recourse would be to replace the ducts.

My preference is to size the ducts as large as reasonable possible (without increasing cost too much) and use a damper to tune the airflow ratios. Since you have 12" duct and a place to attach them, just get a damper like this:

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/DAYTON-Round-Balancing-Damper-2TFY1?Pid=search

An uninsulated unshaded west wall in Texas can probably generate a very high cooling load in the afternoon.


Why won't the brake release the drum (tub) in my Simpson 950 Eziset?

I have been unsuccessfully trying to solve a problem involving the brake/clutch on my Simspon Ezi set 750. So my hours are not totally lost I can report the sequence of events that happen during the wash in case this helps someone fix their machine. The click at the start is the cable solenoid retracting and disengaging the brake which then allows a few seconds of spin cycle which continues in bursts for about 1 min ( Presumably to allow the water to spray evenly over the detergent on the top or just wet the clothes ) . After this the cable retracts( Is loose) and the tub brake lever is engaged although ( And this is my issue) I think the pawl clutches'  purpose is to stop the bowl from rotating to the lock position as this locks the agitator and the bowl as one and is really only useful when the spin cycle is finished. My clutch doesn't seem to work properly and the agitator and tub lock together after the initial spin so there is no agitation and excessive motor load.
Perhaps this might assist someone, although Simpson is generally found in Australia and New Zealand.


Is it possible to use an older GE service panel as sub panel?

It looks like that panel has two grounding bars.  One on each side, mostly hidden behind insulated wires in your picture.  It also appears like the Neutral bus bar is distinct, and care was taken to keep neutrals and grounds on their separate bars.  This will save you much time.

By the looks of your picture, the panel chassis is used as part of the ground bus, which is kind of sketchy, but ok.  I would also guess the brass screw on the neutral bar doesn't have any hole to put a wire through, and touches an unpainted section of the chassis.  if so, removing it will likely separate the ground and neutral plane in that breaker cabinet.

After doing that (and testing with a multimeter that ground and neutral are separated), you should be able to run this panel as a sub off of a 100A breaker in the new panel.


Is a bleeder-valve to let air into the water line necessary when the plumber put in a frost-free valve? Should a bleeder-valve leak if kept open?

IMHO:
In this case, a bleeder valve is used to protect outdoor faucets from damage during freezing weather.
Pre-winter, you turn off water to the outdoor faucet, you open the outdoor faucet and then open the bleeder valve to let the water drain out.
In the summer, you close the bleeder valve, you close the outdoor faucet and then turn on water to the outdoor faucet, restoring it to normal use.
I'm guessing you had the outdoor faucet replaced with one that keeps the valve portion inside the house (where it's warm) while the handle of the faucet is still outside.
They left the bleeder valve in place...but it was in the open position...oops.


How to connect flexible tube to copper pipe

As requested, these links may help:

Exploded Parts Diagram
User Manual

Looking at these, and comparing to your photos, it looks like you may be missing a part that clamps the connector to the pipe. Good luck.


Can a 6x6 post be used horizontally to support the walls of a shed?

Almost absolutely. A 5' span is small enough that there's almost no shed you could build that wouldn't be fine on those timbers. It's only if you're talking 20' walls and a huge roof span that I'd be concerned.
If you want a more confident answer, tell us more about your shed. Size, wall sheathing, floor framing, and other factors are relevant.
Note that they should really be pressure-treated or isolated from the concrete and protected from ground moisture (splash).


Can you replace a Q1 Circuit Breaker with two QO breakers?

Go ahead and replace the Q12100 with a QO2100 and install the breaker for the Sense.  You'll be fine.

P.S. regarding double-stuff/tandem breakers: since your panel is class CTL, it does not support them in any slots.


How can I prevent my furnace exhaust pipe from freezing?

You can extend the pipe along the outside wall away from the neighbor's vent to prevent it from causing the freeze.

you can also have the neighbor's vent extended away from your pipe depending on what is easier/how willing your neighbor is.

the separation can be as easy as hanging a piece of plywood to redirect his air away.


How to reconnect disconnected elbow in waste pipe?

I second the comment that a photo would be helpful.  However, you might be able to use a flexible plumbing fitting such as those made by Fernco.


Is this a thin window air conditioning unit?

It's a vent for a portable air conditioning unit, and stop looking in my windows!

The other side of it would look like this:


Spacing for recessed lighting in bedroom

There are a number of variables you need to consider in order to space them correctly.

First, how much light do you want? Brighter rooms require more lights.  Related to this is the max wattage of your cans.  You will need more 35W lights to achieve the same brightness you'd get with 50W cans.

What type of spread (angle of light ) do the bulbs you plan on using produce?  Bulbs with a wider spread will cover a larger area but light will be more diffused.

The typical rule-of-thumb is 24" from each wall, and then 3-5 feet between cans.  So in a 12' room you'd probably want two rows of lights.  Considering it is a bedroom and you don't need it as bright as a kitchen, you can probably get away with 2 rows of 4 lights for a total of 8.  If you are using 50W bulbs then you will have 400W of light in your room.

The height of your ceiling also plays a big role. Higher ceilings typically require more cans since the light diffuses more before it hits the floor.

Also take into consideration the position of ceiling joists; this might limit where and how many you can place.

I always recommend drawing out your design on graphing paper before you make your first cut.  Find out the spread of your light (taking into account the ceiling height), and draw a circle under each can with a protractor. You want the light produced on the floor for each can to slightly overlap another light so that thre are no dead spots.

Make sure you check the ceiling joists before you start cutting!

I should also mention that if you are installing into an insulated area, make sure you use IC (insulation contact) rated cans!


What fitting do I need to ground EMT at my residential electrical panel?

The standard metal coupling suffice, if you install them properly.

This one is a compression style coupling, but the setscrew style will suffice as well.
You make the ground contact by running that conduit nut down and bapping it tight with a screwdriver blade and hammer... and tightening the compression fitting or setscrew.  After 50 years in a quasi-outdoor building, I can attest that it works fine.


How do I wrap pipe threads with teflon tape?

Wrap clockwise - i.e. in the same direction as the tightening action of the nut. This means that you are also tightening the tape around the thread.

If you wrap anti-clockwise I find that the tape bunches up and comes away.

As for the number of layers - I usually wrap the tape around at least twice, maybe even three or four times.


I guess you mean a galvanized or otherwise coated steel. Life depends on weather, specifically rain. In a desert it will last forever. If the current coating is repaired at any damage spots, it will last almost forever. "Repair" could be anything from dabbing on roofing tar to sandblasting and coating with a zinc-rich epoxy (typically used to protect industrial steel surfaces). Even conventional paints could be used - paint on cars and houses lasts pretty well. It depends on how you want it to look and how often you are willing to "touch it up". For industrial steel tank coatings (aka oil tank farms), touch-up is part of the maintenance program. The contractor is just trying to make money. Addition : There are also "aluminum" coatings commonly sold for mobile home roofs. These may sort of match your galvanized in appearance.


EDIT TO ANSWER YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION: Yes, whatever you can do to direct water away from the foundation wall will work. My neighbor, literally, just stopped by to borrow a circular saw so he can cut some plywood into 2'x4' sheets to lay against his house to direct water away.

Mass real estate owner here with same problem in 3 different properties.  All rubble basements get water, especially in Mass in October.

On the outside:

When it gets dryer or in in the spring, dig out about two feet down (deeper if you can) and a foot out from the foundation and fill it with cement to 3 to 6 inches above the surrounding dirt, sloped away from the house It'll take 5 bags of cement for each horizontal foot (or thereabouts), so you could end up hand mixing 30 to 50 bags depending on the horiztonal run. As you poor the cement, feel free to lay in some chicken wire or other metal mesh or screen to strengthen.

On the inside:

Buy a dehumidifier with a humidistat and leave it plugged in to help speed drying. (another edit: get it to drain into a basement drain or sink....otherwise it'll fill with water and shut off...pain in the ass to empty...build a shelf high up in the basement to put the dehumidifier on..above the sink if there is one...)

Install a sump pump.  Of course, if you go to Home Depot today, when it's pissing rain, they'll all be sold out. Dig a hole in the lowest point of your basement and put in a sump pump.  I won't explain it all here, but any homeowner can do it.  Google "install sump pump"

http://www.mountprospect.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=2886

In theory you can drylock from the inside, but I've had no luck with it.  You can also spray foam insulate from the inside - saw that on This Old House, but I think it would make a hellamess.


How can I correct my wiring to eliminate sequential GFCI outlets?

Sloppy work
Daisy chaining two GFCIs like that is sloppy or ignorant. Such work tends to suggest more of the same.  Lots of people install GFCIs with the supply on LINE (because it won't work if they don't) and onward wires on LOAD. They have no idea what LOAD even does, they just don't see any other screws to put them on.  So they are putting the downline circuit under GFCI protection without realizing they are doing that.  This causes lots of interesting problems.
It's also possible the A/C unit is not the only load on the protected side of that GFCI.  There may be other loads, and they may be causing the problem.
Multiple circuits in a box bring a certain risk
...which can be a real nuisance for GFCI installations.
Normal wiring requires each neutral must be monogamous to its partner hot(s).  [there is an installation type where 2 hots legitimately share a neutral].  Crossing neutrals in a circuit creates a significant danger, but there's nothing to warn you of having done  that, since all neutrals go back to the neutral bar anyway.
However GFCIs will notice a crossed neutral and "enforce it".  They trip immediately when any load is placed on the crossed-neutral circuit, because current flows off a different hot but back through the GFCI's neutral, thus causing a current imbalance.  So again, it could be a load on that circuit cycling on, and may have nothing to do with the A/C unit.
Outdoors is harsh on GFCI devices
Which is why I don't like putting GFCI devices outdoors.  Since I understand how downline protection works, I just place the GFCI device indoors and extend it to plain outlets outdoors.
Whenever a GFCI device provides protection to another device or outlet downline, Code requires a sticker be affixed that says "GFCI Protected". No one installs them lol, which leads people to think GFCI receps are needed when they aren't.
It is possible that weather action and age have killed the tripping GFCI #2.   So, given that you know GFCI recep #2 is totally redundant to GFCI recep #1, I recommend replacing GFCI #2 with a plain receptacle rated for outdoors.  And put the sticker on it!  You can make your own label; I make white ones on a P-touch label maker.


How do I remove a double-ended T3 R7S bulb that isn't spring loaded?

It's an extraordinarily stupid design. Neither side is spring loaded. It relies on the flexibility of the metal bracket to separate enough to get the bulb in. Requires very substantial force, to the point that you are convinced you'll break the bulb.


IRC - 2006

Requires bath fans only if no operable window.
Bathroom ventilation can operate intermittently at a minimum of 50 cfm or continuously at a minimum of 20 cfm, the same as 62
Bath fans must meet the design airflow either through on airflow either through on site testing or using their certified rated flow at 0.25” water column.
Bath fans must be rated at 3.0 sones or less or be replaced by a pickup grille for a remote fan.

Also I don't think the IRC has had any major updates in this area since this 2006 publication.  So no mention at all in the IRC of timers.

However...

On the west coast especially right now it is all about energy efficiency.  They want everything on timers and dimmers.  We did two houses in Oregon last spring and the inspector mentioned the timers we had on our fans.  (I have put timers on bathroom fans for at least 10 years as my "cheap" install)  So he tells us it is code but that he has been passing some without, given they promise to upgrade to this.  He shot me a link and I will throw in a quote that should answer your question:

  Controls:

  The code now requires that intermitte nt fans be controlled by a
  dehumidistat, timer or similar means of automatic control. This
  requirement can be found in Section M1507.4. A light switch
  controlling both the fan and light is not considered an automatic mean
  s of control, and is no longer allowed in rooms containing a bathing
  fixture. It is speculated that the use of a 30 minute or 60 minute
  spring-wound wall switch timer will be the predominate means of
  controllin g the typical bath fan system under the 2008 code. Some
  folks are confused by the language “.....o r similar means of
  automatic control.” The intent was not to have the fan come-on
  automatically, but to shut-off automatically. When using a
  dehumidistat, the humidly percentage is set by the user, and when the
  humidly level reaches that set point the fan will turn on
  automatically and run until humidity levels dr op below the set point.
  The same applies to a spring- wound timer, the intent is to have the
  user manually set the timer to shut-off sev eral minutes after they
  have left the room. This new code language is not expected to cu re
  all moisture related problems associated with a bathing facilities
  because it still requires participation from the occupants of the
  home, but it’s a good start. Although a minimum and/or maximum
  duration for the timers was not specified in the code, it is
  recommended that a minimum 30 minute or maximum 60 minute timer be
  used. The use of longer duration timers is not recommended since there
  is no need for the fan to run for hours after the user leaves the
  area. The 30 min./60 max. numbers were discussed during the code
  review process and this was the recommendation of the code change
  committee.

  What’s an example of “.....or similar means of au tomatic control”?
  One example might be a motion detector/sensor which turns on when it
  senses moveme nt in the room and stays on for a period of time after
  movement has stopped. This method is frequently used successfully to
  activ ate lights in commercial bathrooms, and there’s no reason it
  couldn’t be used for residential bath fans too. The intent of this
  language was not to limit the activation of the fan to a timer or a
  dehumidistat, but to allow for some design flexibility and allow the
  use of new technologies.

I think if I remember you are in NY.  I do most of my work in IL/MO.  I doubt the energy conservation codes have passed through in our areas yet.  But... they are coming and it is a good thing.  If you want exacts this will probably be a state by state resolution and then you have to have someone locally enforcing it.  So to answer your question is it code?  Yes and no.  Should it be standard now for anyone doing an install?  Yes.


Get a 1x2 or just some molding from your home store and make a frame and attach it to the wall. Then slide the vent up against it and caulk it a paintable caulk. Then paint it to match the wall or the trim, whatever floats your boat. Good luck.


Problem Replacing Jack and King Stud on Window

If you fastened everything up already, be prepared to undo it. At least there is a presumption I am making that the old framing gave you the room you needed.

You may not need to undo everything, but I do see the common (outside) stud gone. The first thing is and this is a guess (that is, after you removed the damaged framing, you set the jack stud first, then the common stud last) on how you replaced the framing. The jack stud beside the window needs to be toe nailed into the bottom plate on the old marks left by the original jack. Making sure all the splinters, trash, old insulation is out of the way or will not move back behind the jack stud before it is set in place and secured. A lot of shaking goes on and things that are loose can go in places and keep things from going back in like they should. Nails from the old sheathing into the studs you removed are a good one for this. After all that is assured, finish nailing the jack to the header, insuring the face of the stud is flush with the original header. A little behind it is not a problem either, more room for drywall. Besides, the old framing you have may be 1 5/8" thick, instead of the 1 1/2" thick you have now.

As a footnote, check the wall with a straight edge to see which framing is out of line, creating the problem. Just a mention... it may help you understand a bit more of what is going on. If you used straight studs, good. If you used new framing that is bowed from the start, not good. Again, these things are to help you understand what you have, I can't do anything from here but make suggestions.

Once you have all the things done I mentioned above, and the jack stud is in place and the straight edge has confirmed everything to be flat and the jack stud should be showing hopefully the 1/2" you need for drywall, if so move on with adding the last stud and drywall.

If you are willing to undo even more nailing before you try the above fix, I see the header is slightly proud of the face of the stud beside it. If this means there is room behind the header this will help move the jack stud back when the header moves back also. I see perhaps an 1/8" of the 1/4" gone that you need. After thatr has worked hopefully, toenail the jack stud so it draws the jackstud back to expose the remaining window jamb you need and tighter still to the common stud.

This is also another presumption that the window, since so much has gone on around it that the window has not simply popped out of the rough opening a bit since the fastening has been violated by the replacing of the jack stud, meaning it only needs to be driven back in from the outside using a block of wood to protect the window from the direct hammer blows and refasten it in place so it doesn't pop out again.


How to connect garage outlet circuit to power source

You'll need to either 1) connect the home run cable to an existing circuit (in an outlet box, for example) or breaker in compliance with applicable codes, or 2) create space in your panel by using tandem outlets or other approved devices.

Without more information, that's as far as I can go. Update your question if you want more detail.


"Upgrading" the circuit involves running a new cable (of thicker gauge).  Basically you would be replacing a 15 amp circuit with a 20 amp, for a benefit of 5 amps but with all of the work of just running a new circuit (either 15 or 20) which would give you a total of 30-35 amps instead of 20.  Because you also have two circuits, if one blows, only loose whatever was on that circuit instead of everything.

Running a new circuit is the way to go.  As a commenter said, you can "balance" the load. Ideally you would not have the AC on the same circuit as your computer as the motors can put off electrical noise.

The gauge of wire you use will depend on the amperage and distance.  If your room is upstairs with the bedrooms, code will often require an arc-fault breaker to be used.


Solar panels: converter has AC Voltage out of range

This is a safety feature to prevent "islanding".
Say what?
Imagine you have a generator.  Rule #1 of generators is "Don't backfeed the power grid!" Because if you did, that power would move backwards through the transformers, be stepped up to 9600 volt distribution voltage (which is the wire the tree fell on), and nail the linemen trying to restore your power!   So you must have an interlock to prevent that.
Enter a grid-tied solar system.  It does exactly the thing you can't do!  Connect the "generator" to both the grid and your loads!  How can that be safe???
Very simple. Solar grid-tie inverters are electronic and have a small computer onboard.  And solar is a tiny generator compared to the grid at large: the dog will wag the tail. The grid is so much mightier than the solar array that the grid will force the voltage and frequency to be in spec.  This is all specified in IEEE 1547 / UL 1741.  So the grid-tie inverter is actively looking for deviations in frequency and voltage, which would indicate that the mighty grid isn't there anymore to force things to norms.  Very slick design.
However... If the installed solar is too big compared to the grid capacity, they are poorly coupled: the tail can wag the dog as it were. And in a neighborhood full of solar systems, those systems can convince each other that they are the grid.   Now you have an island.  And that island can "go off and do its own thing" and lose touch with what the grid is doing.  Now you have a backfeeding problem.   That's what IEEE 1547 / UL 1741 are all about.
Thin wires will do it too
If the net solar generated in a particular place is much larger than the local load there, and the wires connecting to the rest of the grid are thin, then the local solar may have to push voltages pretty high to get its power out to the grid.

Suppose you have a neighborhood that's up a long, thin distribution line, and when everyone's air conditioners are going full tilt, it causes a lot of voltage drop, so the power company has jumpered the transformer +6% so it'll be in spec at max customer load. And then, everybody in the neighborhood installs solar panels.  At 11AM when the solar is near peak but the air conditioners haven't started really running yet, there's little local load and most of the solar output is going the other way.
Somebody has a 100m run from house to panels, and decide to use the legal minimum wire size (e.g. 1.5mm2 for 10A) with no bump for voltage drop/distance.  As a result, it suffers a 25V drop @ 10A. The inverter must make 256V for it to be 231V when it reaches the meter.  (panel voltage must be higher than grid voltage or current won't flow.)

The more power being generated by solar locally, the higher it must push the voltage to push that power onto the grid.
So grid-tie inverters must be sensitive to that, and do their IEEE 1547 duty to disconnect. They look for voltages out of bounds, as well as frequency instabilities.  Mind you, if the grid is up, it will force generators into sync.  So a grid-tie inverter does not want to use its onboard clocks to keep frequency on-spec; it wants to deviate to see if the grid will pull it back in line.
Look at your on-property wiring.
Make sure you didn't make the "too thin for the duty" wires between grid-tie inverter and your meter.
Also see if your neighborhood has a glut of solar, and if your neighborhood's distribution lines may be weak.  (this would be indicated by wide nighttime voltage fluctuations during  high-load times vs low-load; like dusk when the air conditioners are blasting full, vs 5AM when they are quiescent).  Has to be nighttime because you have to take the solar out of the picture.


Hot water isolating valve, when try to close the stem comes out

The parts below this stem have corroded off. You will need to turn the water ahead of this valve even if it means shutting down the whole water system. If that is impossible because it is in a hospital or a production line setting, then you could freeze the line with dry ice or with a freeze kit as long as the flow can be stopped long enough to get the line to freeze.


Water running in basement floor drain but no faucets or toilets are running

in some older homes, the sanitary sewer and stormwater drain lines are tied into one line out to the street mains.  you could be hearing/seeing drainage water from your exterior foundation weeping tiles draining into the main drain.  its often set up so that the basement floor drain acts as a vent, overflow and inspection point just upstream of where it dumps into the gas trap at the entry to the sanitary sewer portion of your household drain.

you can also look for a small plastic line that runs from somewhere just after the main shutoff down into the concrete floor.  this small line is designed to constantly flood water into the floor drain to ensure there is always water in the subslab trap at the aforementioned spot.  this ensures you dont get a dry trap and get methane coming up into the basement from the floor drain.


How can I remove just one tongue-and-groove subfloor board?

Are the tongues necessary? Can I just take my circular saw right
  between the boards, cut them way, and then screw them back down
  afterward?

You've been misinformed.  The point of tongue-in-groove planking is to keep the floor boards from twisting, slipping and sliding against each other and squeaking (or squeaking more in your case).  You still need to secure a tongue-in-groove floor to the subfloor or joists.

Joists almost never squeak on their own.  Squeaking comes from two pieces of wood rubbing against each other - usually because a floor hasn't been adequately secured.

Now if you DO need to cut away the flooring, then you should cut along the seams, and then buy Hardwood Floor Spline and rout out the old tongue so you end up with two grooves facing each other, and use the spline to rejoin the flooring when you reattach it.

But BEFORE you do that, I'd get a bunch of 2" coated screws and drop them through the subfloor into the joists below and see if that fixes the squeak.  It's subfloor so you don't care about the face, and if it doesn't work, they're easily removed.

*Tip - use a hammerdrill when putting in the screws


Is it OK to run 12-3 cable to a ceiling fan from a switch that's wired with 12-2?

Either is fine.

I'm a little concerned with what you mean for the the "crimp" grounds in both cases. So long as it's an approved connection method, fine (I finally gave up and bought the overpriced green wirenuts.)

Given that you want separate switching, and have the wire to support it, separate switching would be preferable.

You also need to be sure that the switch box is large enough.

1 ground (they only count once) 2 yokes (unless you use a 1-yoke double switch) at 2 each, 2 wires in, 3 wires out (clamp in box or exterior?)

1+2+2+2+3 = 10x 2.25 (12 Ga) = 22.5 cubic inches (or 24.75 with clamps in the box) for the two switches on 2 yokes configuration. Larger is fine.


Outlet trips GFCI and Circuit Breaker. Help!

The reason people think multiple GFCIs is odd, is this: A GFCI device (receptacle, deadfront or breaker) can protect additional outlets beyond itself.  This is done by using the LOAD terminals.  On a GFCI deadfront or breaker, using those terminals is essential. However on a GFCI receptacle device, the LOAD terminals are a constant source of misconfiguration by novices, handymen, ahem drywallers etc.  Either they miswire it so it constantly trips, or they accidentally GFCI-protect outlets they were not expecting to, resulting in nuisance trips and surprise outages.  So there is a warning tape across the terminals, that says in as many words, "Do Not Use: For Wizards Only".

Don't get me wrong, in a perfect world everything would be GFCI protected and every load that trips a GFCI would be fixed, and technical acumen and money would flow unlimited to get this done. However, in reality the technical acumen or time just isn't there, and the dangling problem isn't particularly serious.  Compromises must be made.

So... multiple GFCIs on a circuit are appropriate when the installer realizes he is not a wizard; or; when there are downline loads which should not be GFCI protected for one reason or another.   There's no way to protect half a downline.  The apocryphal example is where receptacles are wired panel-1-2-3-4, with countertop receptacles in 1-2-3 and a refrigerator is plugged into 4 and it trips GFCIs.  I don't care: A grounded refrigerator is the exact opposite of the use case for a GFCI, being a grounded metal box with all the electrical bits in the bottom back, shielded and beyond arm's reach for a human, and  you are unlikely to drop a refrigerator in the sink.

In such a case, the LOAD terminals will not be used at all.

Your direct problem

First you need to test.  Since your devices are tripping both the Breaker (which looks for excessive current hot-neutral or hot-ground) and the GFCI (which looks for any current other than  hot-neutral), the common factor is hot-ground, and current must be very high (bolted).  An ohmmeter should measure this resistance out at near zero, and it would trip a plain breaker on any circuit.  By the way, for that to happen, the appliance would need to have 3-prong sockets.  If 2-prong, don't bother with this test:

I would first measure hot-ground with an ohmmeter and look for numbers that are too low (less than 5 ohms).  Then  try them on other circuits, particularly a non-GFCI such as the electrician's socket (if present) at your electrical panel since it's least likely to break anything else. Also, I would try it in your bathroom's GFCI.  If it fails there, it's the appliances.  If it does not fail...

I think your problem is one of two things: either the LOAD terminals were in fact used, and misused; or more likely you have a grounded metal box and the wire attachment screws of the GFCI (perhaps the LOAD neutral screw) is touching the metal box.   If the back connections were used and the wire is pulling out of the back connections and touching the metal box, I've had that happen.  Maybe it happpens when you plug the appliance in because you are flexing the box. Regardless, make a few wraps of electrical tape around the GFCI to cover the side screws. That is a good practice on any receptacle.


How do wire a dimmer in a 3 gang box with one incoming line.

You bought a 3 way switch. This is not a three way switch circuit. Return it for a proper one way dimmer switch. I have always found the "all-purpose just cap of the extras" type of components to be sketchy.


This model fridge like all fridges has a drain hole for the water to run out during the defrost cycle, with your fridge the drain hole is located behind the back wall in the freezer, in order to get to it the Wall has to be removed. You may need professional help. You have to remove the freezer door, The slide out drawer and ice maker,if it has one.The side rails need to be removed that hold up the slide out drawers.Now your ready to remove the back wall.now you Will have to melt the ice and remove it from the pan,once you find the drain hole you Will need to clean it out. Now you have to go behind the fridge,remove the back cover at the bottom and locate the drain tube, on the end off the tube you Will find what is called a duck bill, that needs to be pulled off and cleaned,once you do all that your ready to put it all back together.. Hope this helps you.


I want to improve my concrete basement floor, but not too much

Get a contractor to take a look at it for sure. But I suggest to you that you will really need to rip out all the old concrete, re-prep the substrate and level it before putting in any new concrete. This will be the only good way to get a decent long lasting floor. Make sure to include heavy gauge wire mesh (5x5 or 6x6 inch grid) and re-bar if called for. When the slab is the proper thickness (3.5 to 4.5 inches) this can really help keep it together in the case cracks develop.

While you have it all opened up you should strongly consider adding drain lines along the bottom of the foundation over to a sump in one corner to help divert water from coming in on your new floor.

The type of patch up fix you asked about is really a waste of money because it is unlikely to last. Especially if you intend to use it for a shop floor.


Can I drain a dehumidifier in my basement with these?

It looks like a drain on the wall and a toilet drain and possibly a shower but I can’t make out if it has a trap and the placement is a bit strange (if it is for a shower you just need a cap with a threaded hole in either case This would be a good diy project.

You could add the trap for less than 20$  you might have to cut the cap off I see primer on that pipe in the front so they may be glued. You can purchase the parts at a big box or a plumbing store, save some $ and have a project done on your own. If you only need a threaded cap it might be about 5$ , (small can of glue and the cap)

If you discontinue using the dehumidifier make to seal the trap up or put some cooking oil in there just enough to cover the water it will keep the trap from drying out the oil floats on top even with a trickle going down the drain & oil lasts a long time with out drying out.


Is it better to apply one thick or several thin layers of paint

Science used to be considered an art... and I would bet that most scientists today would agree that it really is an art. I think that the best way to make sure it's nearly even is to use the same amount of paint over the same amount of area. In other words, use one cup of paint for each layer... or three cups of paint for one layer. Now most paint covers 600 sqft per gallon. So I would try spreading a cup of paint onto 36 square feet (that's 6 ft x 6 ft) and let nature run it's course (although it may take years). Alternatively you could try painting swatches of wood, and/or plastic, and or cloth, and/or aluminum, and/or any material.

Tips on painting and science:

Practice once or twice before starting.
If you start with a clean roller the first time, then start with a clean roller every time; or start with a used/precleaned roller... make sure that each painting job is handled "identically".
Purchase and use an accurate scale for weighing the paint and the roller (and maybe the swatch of wood). The idea is to make certain that each piece of wood gets the same amount of paint. But that's probably too tricky to get perfect. So, try to get it close, and record the actual amounts applied to the walls or swatches.
Make absolutely certain that the paint is very well mixed each time.
Record the weather conditions: sun, humidity, wind, time (at the time of painting, between coats, and over time as the wall or swatch is being weathered).
Subjecting different areas to different "accelerated" conditions will help fill out the results. In other words, allow some areas to age naturally, while other areas may be exposed to soil, or milk, or wet rags, and other areas could be solar irradiated, perhaps by adding reflectors. Other stressors might include an acid-wash treatment or a power washing every week. There should also be at least one section from each test that is kept from being exposed to any accelerating elements. Those would be the "control" sections for the experiment.
A time lapse camera (like for hunting) might be a good tool to have... once mounted it could be set to take a picture every day.
Replication is very important. For a good test, you would want at least four of each kind of "identical" test.
Consider the variety of paints and be write about why you chose to test whatever paint you test (any why not x, y, or z paint) and describe the kind of paint(s) with attention to details like the labeled application rate, color, composition, etc. Details might include: Gloss, Flat, Urthane, Oil, Acrylic, Latex, was primer used or recommended?, Aerosol, UV protection, Mildew resistant, Brand differences... it might be best to not mention any particular brand names, but you could mention relative price differences (which is information of value to most people).
Be sure to write the dates and identify/number the test articles on the swatches or wall (or on an attached tag), and keep a notebook with all the details and observations.


Plastic electrical box tabs - ok if broken?

If the clamp breaks off, strictly speaking, the box is trash and should be replaced. In practice, there's usually a little latitude.

(I prefer metal boxes.)


What is the protective plate on a door lock called?

Some doors have this plate that guards the latch mechanism.

You have one answer in that sentence,  Guard and latch, just reverse them to "Latch Guard".
It is called many things,
A  "latch shield"
Or "Door latch guard"
Or "Latch protector".
To name a few.


How can I locate and solve this water hammer problem, and what are its effects on the human body?

The best recommendation when you cannot get any satisfaction from the building owner / manager is to MOVE to another place. When you rent it is not your place to be doing things like getting in a professional to work on things like the plumbing.

If you do get ready to move now you know some more what to be looking for and asking questions about before you commit to the new abode.


Fastening not needed

For a short run like yours, you do not need to fasten the wires to the boxes -- the NEC folks have worked this out, and for 12AWG wires, you can run 100' straight up in conduit before you need to put any support in.  (This number comes from NEC table 300.19, by the way.)


Changing basement tub drain to shower drain - double 90 degree while horizonal, is this bad?

Is this what you mean? This looks like the only way you are going to get it where  you need it to go.


You've taken some good precautionary steps to eradicate the vermin from your house. But I'd like to suggest and comment on some of the tasks. The first job you should accomplish is to stop the rodent's point of entry. This can be done by walking the exterior perimeter of your house. Points of entry include: conduit penetrating the wall, air vents with holes in the grate, door bottoms with no weather striping, appliance exhaust vents (dryers, water heaters, furnaces, etc.), siding that has pulled away from the wall framing, eave openings with no screening, soffit boards that have warped or rotted. Remember a rodent can flatten its body to the point it can squeeze through an opening a third of it's size! And once it establishes itself inside it will continually gnaw at the opening to enlarge it. If you find an entry point you can plug it with steel wool, compacting it tightly into the gap. Vermin won't gnaw into the steel fibers. Once you have stopped their access you should next work on dispatching the furry pest. And the best and only way is to trap; be it glue ,snap, cage or electric is up to you. Sticky traps work most of the time. If you position them along the baseboards were the possible route of the vermin is increases a successful catch. It would be wise and helpful not to use poisoned bait of any kind due to the chance of poisoning a non-target animal or the chance of a pet getting into and ingesting the bait. Trapping assures you have a 'confirmed kill'. It also means not having to trace a rotting carcass some were in the wall. Lastly the audible repellents, from my experience, are a gimmick that can not be substantiated with any scientific proof other than what the manufacturer claims. Good luck and good hunting.


Sealing what appears to be a non standard overflow drain

When you have an odd-ball thing in the plumbing that needs sealed and you really can't find a thing made to seal it (and it's DWV, not pressurized supply) reach for a tub of plumber's putty...

There should be a gasket as seen in @toyrunrs recent question...


Possible to use trim with routed out channel to hide 12/2 or 12/3 wire instead of using Wiremold?

No, you can't do it unless there's a "nail plate" to protect it from physical damage (nails).
You could mill it out to 15/16" and lay in EMT metal conduit.  It has the thinnest wall of any conduit and will provide the needed physical protection.  Use that either simply as a damage shield in the vulnerable area, or if able, as a full-on wiring method for the entire route.


Is the purple wire on AC blower motor common wire?

Yes, your diagram is correct.
Your new motor appears to not be reversible so hopefully it spins in the correct direction.
Colours on equipment wiring generally do not mean anything aside from what is printed on the diagram; there are no consistent standards or requirements.


As @user253751 says - it sounds most like the effects of ripple control signals  - high frequency tones used to turn off and on hot water heating and other low priority loads.

Even if it IS ripple control related - it MAY be an interaction between bulb, signal and dimmer. If you place one of the new bulbs at a location where the other LED bulbs do NOT cry out to you, does the effect persist.

_______________________________________

Here are some Australian sources of ripple control filters - and DIY with off the shelf components may be feasible. Also, local electricians should be aware of the effect if it is ripple control related.

Google search here

Here  is a purpose designed $75 Australian solution. Hunter Pacific
ZF-1050 Notch Filter Noise Suppressor

This is far far far too dear for what's inside - but may help.

Note from here

" ... The ripple control filter must be matched to the local signal being output by your electrical company, usually 750Hz or 1050Hz (information of which can be acquired through your electrical company), and must be installed by a licensed electrician.
There may be extreme cases where the ripple control frequency is so strong it requires two filters to be installed to reduce the noise sufficiently and in some locations multiple ripple control frequencies are used also requiring multiple filters. ... "

Useful comment on page 14 here - related to fans but probably relevant

Throughout Australia, but in particular Sydney ... NSW ... , electricity distributors use a remote control and switching system that is commonly called ripple control. ... Ripple control systems superimpose signals on the 50 Hertz mains  ... Electrical equipment such as televisions, toasters, fans, fluorescent and halogen lighting and some appliances may be sensitive to ripple control signals. This results in an audible buzz being generated whenever the signals are present. As different frequencies for these signals are used in different areas, products may respond is some areas and not others. Some areas have more than one ripple control system in operation and different signals may be present at different times and affect different products."
Also: " ... In areas that have ripple control installed for off-peak tariff switching (such as off-peak hot water systems) there is
usually a dual tariff meter installed, or dual meters. A smaller control box marked “Zellweger” may also be present. The
meter or Zellweger box will usually have the ripple control signal frequency marked on it (for example 1050 Hz)."

____________________________________________

It's likely DIY enthusiasts will have established components suited to ripple control filtering. A suitable series inductor (maybe a fluorescent light ballast) and a suitably rated across-mains "X" capacitor of the right values may well be adequate. Off the shelf components designed for residential mains installation are available.

Another possible solution (YMMV) is to use a suitably rated 1:1 ration "isolation transformer" to feed the lighting circuit. This may  work by itself or with a following across mains X-rated capacitor. [ Capacitors connected across mains phase to neutral MUST be rated for such service. X-rated caps (a real term :-) ) are intended for this use. ]


Identify a pipe coming out of the basement floor, as well as a hole in the floor?

I am trying to figure out if this pipe is the vent from the main
drain.

It is a vent, it is coming off of the top of a sanitary tee so it is a vent for a fixture (Bathroom sink) that would be attached to the SanTee.
The pipe coming form the bottom of the SanTee is the drain for a fixture  that would be attached to it.
The hole in the floor should be the required space for a drain/trap for a shower/tub. Presumably since the sink plumbing and a  toilet flange was roughed in there would be a capped off drain pipe under the dirt.


I have 120v when measuring between true ground and the screw on my outlet plate

Unfortunately there could be several causes.   At a minimum you don't have an effective grounding conductor, to say the least.  That's one thing that needs to be fixed.  A way to find the problem is to unplug everything on that circuit and see if you still have the problem.  If not, you have a defective (ground faulting) appliance or other piece of equipment. If you still have 120 between ground and the real ground (the Earth!), then you have a short someplace.  I'd try removing all the outlets and examine them for shorts, loose wires.

I recently fixed a true short (tripped the breaker when a outlet controlled by a switch was turned on). Turned out over time the ground wire in the box came into contact with the hot side of the outlet.

If you are comfortable working in a main panel, I'd pull the cover off, determine which breaker controls the "shocking" circuit and follow the wire from the breaker to where the cable enters the panel, then follow it's ground and see if it's connected and in good shape.

You could also have a break in the ground connections anywhere from the main panel throughout the circuit. Like Ed, ph3, Harp and others have said here, wire and cable failures inside a wall, once installed are extremely rare.   By far most often these issues are in an outlet or fixture box someplace.   One more reason the code requires fixture and outlet boxes to be permanently accessible!

Please be careful when working inside a live panel.  One of my rules personally is only one hand in the panel at a time whenever possible.


Edit: How to use good wiring methods for a closet light switch with a door reed switch or plunger.   The key is work in low voltage.

First, keep in mind Code has a thing or two to say about closet lights, so the heat of the light doesn't start a fire, and even more about mains wiring in closets.

Option 1: use low voltage lighting off a transformer or power supply located at the mains supply. But watch it, low voltage means high current!

Option 2: bring mains power to the light fixture, mount an extension octagon box on the fixture box, and something like a RiB or Aube transformer-relay combo device. These either mount in a knockout on the junction box, or on the cover of a 4" square junction box.  They are made for this use exactly.

The RiB's cost as little as $16 but most of this equipment puts the mains wiring inside the junction box and the low voltage wiring outside as code requires.  RiB does not.  Ask a local electrical supply house (not big-box store) if they have any magic junction boxes to solve this.

See where it says "Sold By" and the next word is not Amazon?  This is Amazon Marketplace, which is on the same level as eBay and AliExpress.  That gomi doesn't even come close to meeting the standards for equipment used in mains wiring.  In NEC, this is covered in Article 110, particularly 110.3 where equipment must be listed by an independent testing lab such as UL, CSA or German TUV. (note CE is not a testing lab.)

Mind you, *components** are not equipment.  If it's sold at Digi-Key or Mouser, it's a component.  You use equipment, not components, in mains wiring.  So what does a UL mark on a component mean? It means UL has already done performance, insulation, toxic smoke etc. testing and will not need to redo those tests when certifying your equipment.

Equipment used in mains electric is sold at your friendly neighborhood electrical supply house, which are mostly local shops but include Greybar and City Electric.  Home Depot, Lowes and Menards have some of this stuff.

Your item there looks like a component.  But setting aside that, it doesn't provide any possible way to wire it using any safe wiring methods in NEC chapter 3.

It's fit for using inside of equipment, where chapter 3 does not apply: say you manufacture a relay box and want an interlock to shut off power if the cover was removed.  But the equipment would need to be listed separately.

Another option for its use is low-voltage wiring.  The component is certified (by who? magic elves?) for 120V, but you're allowed to use it at lower voltages**.   Code is much more relaxed when there's 5 volts on a wire instead of 120.  Low voltage wiring is covered in a different chapter, and devices which look like this (but are listed) are used in things like security systems all the time.

This would allow you to wire it using the informal rules for thermostat and intercom wiring, put 5V or 12V on it, and use that to switch your mains load, either with a relay or smart switch magic.

And by "it" I mean a quality unit sourced from a security-system supply house, Mouser, McMaster-Carr, etc.  This online dreck is often wildly overpriced, in this case I found a similar one at West Marine (!!!)* for half the price, free shipping and UL listed. SMH.   Use Marketplace/eBay/Ali for inspiration but get listed versions of it, often cheaper, often at local shops.

* West Marine is infamous for overpricing already-overpriced marine gear.

** in fact, putting anywhere near spec voltage on something that  "fell off a truck in Shenzhen" is itself crazy.

*** not even on Amazon Prime, Prime requires the manufacturer stock up Amazon warehouses, and Amazon charges a mint for that, and that is passed onto you in the price.


Copper salt?
That is a really impressive turquoise.  I have never seen hard water leave stains so vividly colored.  Not only has it left the stain but the color is intense enough to color the water in the toilet.  If this is from hard water then that would mean water from the tap has that blue color.  I would not drink that!
I think there is something in your toilet tank that is giving off that color.  It will either be something that is artificially colored blue (there are such products available, for putting in the toilet tank - maybe a previous owner placed it?)  Or you have something made of copper that is seriously corroding in there.  The blue colored stuff for tanks should not stain so I am betting on the copper.
That color blue would be copper sulfate.  If you are on well water your water might have sulfates in it that are corroding the copper thing (e.g. float rod) in your tank.
Long and short of it: please take a photo of the inside of your tank and post it!

A little more research - apparently the culprit is usually the copper pipe bringing fresh water.
[
https://www.npl.co.uk/special-pages/guides/gpg120_corrosion.aspx?ext=.
https://caitcocares.com/blue-green-tap-water/

Now and then a homeowner will call a plumber with the complaint of
“blue or green water coming from my tap.” This water this color is
rare. What most often causes tap water to come out blue or green is
the corrosion of copper freshwater line plumbing pipes. The discolored
water is often accompanied by a metallic taste.

To get rid of the color you will need to get rid of the pipe with the corrosion.  To clean it off, use an oxalic acid scrub cleaner; in the US some of these are Zud or Barkeeps Friend.  And serious scrubbing!


After I soundproof my bedroom wall with QuietRock, will I need to somehow soundproof the floor?

For insulating against sound between floors in our condo builds, we use the following from top down:

Carpeting where possible
Homasote on top of the subfloor
Fiberglass insulation in the ceiling
Resiliant channel to hold the drywall ceiling off of the joists (also known as sound attenuation channel)
Standard drywall ceiling, installed with 1" tight threaded drywall screws into the resiliant channel

I think the part you're looking for is the Homasote. If you have access to, and were concerned with, the ceiling below (which from your comments on the garage, this doesn't seem to be the case), consider the resiliant channel.


Can I plug a generator into a dryer outlet

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!
This is NEVER an option.

You MUST use some form of transfer switch or interlock, along with the proper male inlet. Also, a male-to-male cord is called a "suicide cord" for a reason.


Which location would be better for my this type of room to install split air conditioner?

Heat loss or heat gain is how fixed heating is installed. What that means to keep a uniform temp in the room we put registers under / over windows . Where the outside temp affects the room more.
I don’t find mini splits following this quite as much possibly because there air discharge is 3-5x the area of a fixed vent and the minis usually have active vents that oscillate further turning the air in the room. By conventional setups you might want the mini over the window. Will your mini fit there it has to have room to open you have to clean the filter regularly.
Installing over a window may have you drilling the line set through a header not so easy and the lines and drain go down to the outside unit so now it needs to be off set from the window and that looks out of balance to me I would rather put it on the red wall and use the furniture and visual how it looks to mount it. So heat gain and loss with small fixed registers makes sense but with mini’s that big thing on the wall if not located in a way that it looks balanced it can negatively affect resale later.


Why are there multiple receptacles by amperage?

I'm not really sure exactly what your question is in reference to the multiple room examples you give. Without referencing the exact NEC sections, it basically allows 15amp circuits in living spaces and bedrooms, a minimum of two 20amp circuits in kitchens with home runs (single purpose circuit) for certain Higher draw appliances such as refrigerators, dryers, water heaters, etc.  It has always been working practice to split up some lighting from receptacles and also use multiple circuits to separate higher use rooms such as a living room from bedrooms.   There are limits to the number of receptacles on a branch circuit, but I don't have the reference at hand.

As far as the different shapes of receptacles, 15amp, 20 amp, 30amp etc. This is quite obvious in the fact that the male plug on appliances is slaved to it's draw of amps. These different shapes assure that a machine that draws 17amps cannot be plugged into a 15amp feeder. Granted, one could put several 6 amp devises on one 15amp and overload it, but that is what the circuit breaker is for.  Under normal and historical uses in residential structures, it would be rare to easily overload a circuit with typical household items, such as lamps, stereos, fans etc. if someone is going to use multiple high draw appliances, then common sense has to kick in and design the circuit plan to accommodate the anticipated load. When i design a house plan, I always use a minimum of a 20 circuit panel(most of the time a 40)  and separate branch circuits to each room, basement and garage, as well as a few for lighting or outdoor usage.

I don't know if this really answers your question, but that's all I got for ya!


Should I be concerned about creaks when the wind blows?

Yes, it's normal to hear a wood-frame house creak any time the wind direction or speed changes. How much creaking you will hear will also depend on the temperature differentials between inside and out, and the humidity. What you're hearing is minute changes in the wood as  the pieces in the wood framing either rub against one another, or 'slide' on a nail.

The ONLY time you have to pay attention to it is if you go up in the attic and see that something has moved in such a way that it's exposed nails or where a rafter or joist has twisted. I have a few areas that concern me in my 1980 structure, and I have taken pictures of them so that I can keep an eye on any progression. If those areas continue to expand or twist, I will reinforce them with additional wood or metal strapping.

But yes, in general, it's perfectly normal in houses of all ages, types, and descriptions that have wood framing. It's part of the charm, honest!


How I can make wood stop sliding once I plane it?

If you are talking about smoothing cross cuts on a board, you are going to want to use a Shooting Board.

If you are planing the board along the long edge, or on the surface, you will need a solid workbench with a stop at one end.  Nothing fancy, keep it simple.  The height is adjustable so the plane doesn't hit the stop.


I have a hardwired ceiling light . I didn't know it was not switched. What is the easiest way to control (on/off) it?

Easiest?  Probably one of these:

(Image curtesy of Lowes; not an endorsement)
That will add a pull chain switch to a simple light socket.  Extra chain can be clipped on if you need longer length.
Other options would be:

Replace the fixture with one with a built-in switch
Run some wiring to add a switch loop to a standard light switch (possibly required by code if the room doesn't have another light)
Add a smart relay module behind the fixture in the box, and control the light with an app, remote, or smart home device
Like Phil suggests, put a smart light bulb in the fixture and control the light with an app, remote, or smart home device


How can I wire switch to convert a regular outlet to half switch?

No. Definitely NO way to make that receptacle switched in any way without running new wire.

Sorry.

Looks like those two switches were intended to control a fan and light separately. Notice how the black and red are in the same cable? That cable goes up to the fan/light.


Noise insulation of apartment right above noisy pub

While it's possible to improve the situation by doing things to the floor and walls, it's never going to be great. From your comment it looks like you're looking at this apartment as a potential place to live, not as a place you live in already, so my advice is to go someplace else unless you find the current noise level acceptable, and just want advice to improve it.


There is not really such a product since power cables are unable to carry the bandwidth needed for broadband signals such as CATV.  The best you might be able to do is a remote video sharing device that is hooked to the CATV tuner.  These devices take HDMI from your video source, transmit it over WiFi, and then turn it back into HDMI at the receiver.
This article offers some options:
HDMI over WiFi
To quote a section:

The Iogear GW3DHDKIT Wireless HDMI Digital Kit is the best HDMI
transmitter for most people. Using WHDI, it delivers the best image
from the lengthiest distances, has two HDMI inputs, and can be powered
via an included AC adapter or your TV’s USB 3.0 connection (cables not
included). It’s also the least expensive dual HDMI unit we tested.

I know nothing about this particular unit but it or something like it may do the job.


Rewire Metal Halide Security Light to Use Standard Bulb

You have it right. Remember that capacitors can store power for some time, so be careful when handling. I would recommend removing the ignitor, capacitor, and ballast to ensure some future user does not attempt to incorrectly re-wire the fixture. Remember, safety first: turn off and secure the power supply prior to servicing.


Is it ok to lubricate exercise equipment hydraulic cylinders?

Replace it. There is nothing to "lubricate" (it's already full of oil) and if there was it would not increase resistance.  You have some sort of failure in the valving/orifices that restrict the flow of the oil inside the cylinder and convert motion to heat.

They are more directly analogous to shock absorbers (as on your car) than "hydraulic cylinders" and the vast majority of shock absorbers are not rebuildable, including the ones used on most exercise equipment.


What is this small strip of wood in front of fascia?

By location, the strip is called drip edge, but by profile, it is a 1X2. It should actually measure 3/4" by 1 1/2"

Cedar is a good choice to use, it is available already primed. If you choose to replace it, any cuts or exposed bare wood, no matter the location should be primed. It helps the longevity of the material.

This was not part of your question, but it is an observation of your overhang of the roofing material. It looks like the projection of the roofing past the 1X2 is marginal, in other words, it looks like it is not far enough out to protect the drip edge. I usually set my shingles at least 3/4" to 1" past the drip edge. This keeps the rain from getting the drip edge wet continually. I think that is what is making the material decay faster than usual. Fortunately it is not a structural piece, no more than supporting the lower edge of the shingles.

My first thought is, the roof projection without the drip edge will work fine, just touch up the fascia and be done. But if the drip edge is an aesthetic piece, as in covering up the exposed edge of the roof plywood, then perhaps a rake mold can work in its place. It is available in PVC plastic and will not rot, but it is very prone to extreme expansion and contraction, much more so than wood when exposed to the weather extremes.


How can I fix railings that lack newel posts?

With the limited space on the right side. Here's a couple ideas that may help you.

Buy or build yourself a pair of stair posts. If you choose to purchase, they come in all sorts of different sizes and designs.

Example

Build a half wall or full wall on both sides.
Lots of ideas bouncing around the Internet.
Be creative.


Is something broken?

Almost certainly.

I used to have an oil-fired forced-water heating system and the water exiting
the boiler would be at 60C regardless of the room thermostat setting (e.g. 20C). The sort of system I used had a fixed boiler temperature. The room temperature is achieved by cycling the boiler on and off, not by continuous adjustment of the boiler output temperature.

This had a relatively simple control system, nevertheless, there's no reason for a boiler to be producing tepid water.

Some boilers have diagnostic lights and the manuals sometimes contain troubleshooting sections.


Can I wire 2 ceiling fans, 5 ceiling spot lights, and 3 closet lights on a singe 15 amp circuit?

There should be no problem putting it all on a single 15 ampere circuit. Likely in the worst case scenario, each fixture would consume ~100 watts. That would be using large 52" fans, and 100 watt bulbs in each fixture. With the 10 fixtures, that would be 1000 watts (10 * 100 = 1000). A 15 ampere 120 volt circuit can provide 1800 watts of power (15A * 120V).

More realistically, you're going to be using lower wattage fixtures, especially nowadays with CFL and LED bulbs becoming more common. Here's some calculations based on various wattage devices.

10 devices @ 75 watts each = 750 watts.
10 devices @ 60 watts each = 600 watts.
2 fans @ 100 watts, and 8 lights @ 60 watts = 680 watts.
2 fans @ 75 watts with 3 60 watt blub light kits, and 8 lights @ 100 watts = 1310 watts.
2 fans @ 100 watts with 3 100 watt bulb light kits, and 8 lights @ 100 watts = 1600 watts.

Since it's a 15 ampere circuit, you'll only need 14 AWG conductors. Unless there's a specific reason you're using 12 AWG instead, which is also fine.


No. Unless for some reason the circuit for the first water heater was way over sized.

If you read the manufacturer's installation instructions for the heater, it should specify what size circuit is required.  That size is for a single unit, and cannot have any other loads on it.


How to hook up a WiFi thermostat. Having 5 wires and no C wire

You are correct
Based on the wiring diagram and provided photo, you appear to be correct that terminal 5 on your air handler's control block is your C terminal.  So, go ahead and run your new thermostat cable, using that as C while matching the existing wiring for the remaining connections.


If you've replaced the outlet and are still getting the burning smell, then there is a serious fault in the wiring that needs to be corrected before you use the outlet again.

Unfortunately, if the inside of the junction box and all the visible wiring looks good, then finding and repairing the fault could require tracing house wiring inside your walls, which usually means making holes in the walls1.

But before you go that far, look inside all the adjacent outlet boxes, even the ones on the other side of the wall2. Outlets are often chained together and when one doesn't work it can be a fault in that outlet box or in the previous one.

Be sure to call in professional help if you are not certain that you have found the problem.

Please let us know how this is resolved. Many posters come here to ask about a fatally dangerous condition and are never heard from again. It makes me wonder how many people I've killed with my advice.

Or just keep using the outlet, and eventually the fire department
will make the holes for you.
I know, you said the smell is just around the one outlet, but check
anyway.


This looks like fungal growth to me. Specifically, it looks like the “roots” of honey fungus. I’ve seen this before on a stack of old PT lumber I had sitting outside for a few years.


Covering an above ground pool indefinitely

What you see there is not just water - it's probably already an ecosystem all by itself. If you would examine it, you'll see that there may be thousands of bacterial and other microscopic species there, most of which you wouldn't appreciate living in close proximity with people.

To make sure your new renters aren't killed off by the pool creatures, please make sure it is sealed closed, with no risk of people entering it, falling into it, or otherwise being able to use it. This, of course, assumes that you need it to function as a pool once your renters leave. If you don't care for the pool at all, simply fill it in completely and erase all traces, and you should be good.

Or, you can always make it a fresh, pristine and proper pool, and charge your renters more for the privilege.

But as it stands, it's almost certainly unhealthy, and would constitute a public hazard somewhere.


What are my options for asphalt driveway repair and/or sealing?

I'm repairing my asphalt driveway currently.  I have lots of cracks that grow weeds through.  I tried to get it sealed with liquid sealant, but within a couple of months it was clear that this didn't work, because many new weeds have grown through the sealant.

I think the workers who did the sealing did a really poor job, and I regret hiring them.  Since then, I've read several DIY articles about it and I've started fixing the cracks myself.  Here's what I'm doing:

Clean driveway.  I used a stiff broom, and even my shop-vac right over the cracks.
Clear out the cracks.  Remove weeds, dirt, debris.  Scrape the crack out with a prybar.  Clean again with a garden hose on "jet" setting.  Let dry.
Fill the cracks with asphalt filler.  This comes in tubes like caulk, and I use a caulking gun to apply it.  I use a cheap putty knife to smooth the top of the caulk.  It's messy stuff, and I need to clean my tools with a powerful solvent.  I use Gunk, an engine de-greaser.
Once I have all the cracks repaired with caulk, I plan to re-seal the driveway again with liquid sealant.  I agree with @Scott Vercuski, wear clothes you plan to throw out.  I saw the workers using a pushbroom to spread the liquid, so I recommend getting a pushbroom you plan to use only for this project.

I also have a couple of spots where a crack has let water seep in and erode a cavity beneath the asphalt.  I'm going to have to chip out a section of asphalt with a hammer and chisel and restore it with with asphalt patch.  This might be what you have to do with your low spot.


How can I hang a heavy mirrored bathroom cabinet?

That sure is a heavy cabinet.  I think you will be fine if you use at least a 2 or 2 1/2 inch #10 or larger pan head screw with a washer. Four screws/washers should be fine if you can only hit two studs, obviously, six screws/washers, two each in three studs would be better. Not sure of the metric conversion, but a #10 is about 5mm. I would not use anything smaller.


Will this frame support hanging planters?

To add stability you could use 2x6 members for the cross pieces along the bottom. Then cover the bottom with a half of a sheet of plywood. Pour concrete into the box thus formed at the base by the 2x6's and plywood.

You could get by without having to go all the way to full angle braces across the sides (which would get in the way of your hanging plants anyway) by installing some gussets made of thin plywood as shown below:

At a suitable size these would probably come right up to where the first hanging pot wires go.

I see that you have each corner made of just one 2x4. I would encourage you to make the corners out of two 2x4's attached in an L shape in each corner. This will go a long ways toward making the unit a good bit sturdier and will also make the cross bars on two of the sides have a whole lot more wood to bolt into.

I would echo that the proper fasteners for this structure are going to be 1/4" or 5/16" diameter carriage bolts as opposed to screws or nails.


Does the NEC allow splices inside a load center (main circuit breaker panel)?

It is legal to splice inside the service panel. I regularly have to do this when replacing the existing panel, it is quite common. Another way is to add a gutter and use that if the location of the panel is moved, code requires the splices to be in an approved or listed box that is accessible the panel is appropriate but sometimes with older panels there is not enough room to do it in a neat and workmanship manner so I add a gutter.


What was the purpose of this drain outlet and I would it be OK to floor over?

Probably a cleanout (which means it probably should not have been tiled over)
You can get a dressier "flush cover" to allow access to it without being that much of an eyesore.


What would be the best temporary adhesive to stick a shower head holder onto a ceramic tile wall?

Silicone caulk or silicone RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanizing) glue (pretty much the same thing with different labels.) Sticks pretty well, moisture helps it cure, and it can be peeled off when you want it gone.


Mobile welding - need a specific generator?

A welding unit needs a power source compatible with its power requirements. For the Miller Multimatic 220 AC/DC, that varies with your intended usage and amp draw. If you're intending to stick weld heavy steel at 200 A (welding current), you're going to need a 240 volt power source rated at at least 32 amps (i.e., 40 or 50). Also keep in mind your duty cycle; the welder is only good for a 15% duty cycle at that heavy power draw...10 seconds welding, 50 seconds resting.
On the other hand, if you keep your stick welding amp draw at 90A or less (40% duty cycle) or TIG welding at 130A, the welder will be perfectly happy with 120V power. (Not from a regular wall outlet, though, not at those amperages...you'd need a special 30 amp 120V outlet).
Now, while Miller very well may want to sell you their generator (and it might be worth considering to have equipment you know will work and play well together), the welder really won't care where the power comes from as long as it meets the voltage and current supply requirements. If you have another generator which is capable of supplying the load, by all means use it (Do make sure you have compatible plugs and cords first, of course!). If you're just using the machine in your own garage or shop, you really don't need a generator at all...just call an electrician to have the proper outlet installed wherever you plan to use the welding machine.
Editing To Add: I see that the Bobcat is a welding machine as well as a generator, so if you purchase it you will only need the one piece of equipment. It's up to you if you would rather have two separate machines (the Multimatic welder plus whatever lower-priced generator you choose).