Should a switch near a sink be on the load side of a GFCI outlet?

I believe the NEC requirement is only that the receptacle be protected.  I don't know of any additional California requirement that would apply, or there could be something local, you never know.

Is it better that the switch be on the protected side of the GFCI?  Well of course it's at least a little better.  The only way I can think of a switch zapping you in a way that would be protected by GFCI is if the switch wasn't properly grounded and somehow a loose connection energized the screws holding on the cover plate, something like that.  So it seems pretty safe to me in the first place if the switch is in good condition and grounded properly.


Perhaps the previous owners wanted the feel of some personality, or perhaps they shared their personality with the walls.

Since the house is new (to you) and you imply it  is yours and you want it to look good - plan to remodel it.

What do I mean? I mean, at the very least, plan to do new sheets of drywall where damage like that exists. It is pretty bad for the one picture you show and the time it will take to "patch in 4 sides" of a new rectangle of size 1'x 2' (just making that number up) may not be much worse in the long run of doing a 4'x 8'.

Not to mention, if you have any incling to change anything, run new wires (AC, HDMI, CAT6??), plumbing, or inspect the insulation, this would be a good starting point.

Getting intimate with the new place and fixing an eye sore.


LED vs. CFL Bulbs on Modified Sine Wave Inverter

It will work better - you don't even need the inverter, run the LEDs directly from the DC, they will like it much better than AC, and you will save power.

If you do choose to use AC you will have to convert it back to DC before the LED can use it, which commercial LEDs do automatically as part of the package.

I would suggest you don't use commercial LED's with an Edison base bulb, instead get special purpose LED's that run directly on DC. They are cheaper and simpler.

Does the DC voltage vary? That might complicate things.


Some electronic switches power themselves by running a trickle current through the light, but that doesn't work well with modern efficient bulbs.

Others, such as the one you got, require a neutral connection -- which is standard in new construction but isn't present in many older houses.

Sorry, but unless you run a neutral to that box you can't use this switch there.


Should unsanded grout become darker when wet?

Very nice looking job Jared, congratulations!  It is very normal for unsealed grout to change to a darker color when wet. This will happen even with fully cured grout.  Feel free to buff any excess grout or haze off your tiles, it won't hurt anything and that also is normal for newly installed tile.  If the darker color when wet bothers you, then go ahead and put a couple of coats of grout sealer on after about two weeks from the original grout date. Even though the manufacture claims stain resistance, it does not claim to stop the temporary color shift when wet.  Sealing the surface of the grout will stop the wetting of the grout and end the color changes.  You may find you need to reapply some sealer every year or so in a shower surround. Apply the sealer with a small foam brush just to the grout,  Buff excess off the tiles 15 to 20 mins later.  Looks Great!!!   Good Luck.


Why is my furnace blower noisy when it starts?

Maybe you have a belt that is slipping. It might make noise until the blower starts spinning. It you have a belt, check the tension.


How is a "ground joint union" different from any other union out there, and why are they specified for gas service?

A ground joint union has an angle cut (ground) into the union where the two sections mate. This provides more surface area at the joint, and allows the joint to seat more easily.

This is in comparison to a flat faced union, which does not have an angle ground at the mating surface.


I have a buried wire for a generator in my shed. Is there a safe way to reverse the feed to power the shed?

You're just as well off trenching in a conduit

The rub with what you're describing is that you'd have to switch both ends of the feeder cable to make it work, with all the logic based on the presence of utility power at the main house end.  As a result of the extra control wiring that would likely be needed to control the shed-end switching, you are just as well off trenching another feeder in between the house and shed as you are trying to rig up something.

However, there is a way to spare future-you more of this pain.  Instead of trenching a cable in now, you can install a conduit for this new feeder, and generously size it (2" is not out of place).  This means that there's room for more than a single feeder in the conduit; you can even move the generator feeder into the same conduit as the shed feeder once you have the conduit in place.


Should I avoid ground loops in branch circuits through conduit?

The "ground loop" in question does not matter one bit -- the NEC assumes all involved EGCs are connected together at all junctions, even.  (It's impossible not to have them all connected together in a metallic conduit system, for one.)

Note that there are a few exceptions for isolated grounds for certain sensitive equipment, but the benefits of isolated receptacle EGCs are unclear. (Note that the redundant earthing requirement in patient care areas is not an isolated equipment grounding requirement!)


Dusk to Dawn not enough light to turn off

Did you leave it energized continuously for 48 hours before condemning it?   Many light sensors these days have a learning feature, where they know what "24 hours" is, and measure the brightest and dimmest times of day reagardless of solarization in absolute terms... and learn to turn the light on for the dimmest 8-14 hours.  If your sensor doesn't have this feature, get one that does.

Unfortunately people who don't realize this feature exists, get impatient with them and interrupt their power so frequently that they never get a chance to store 48 hours worth of data.  (the memory isn't non-volatile; NVRAM costs money, and the chip that does this feature wholesales for like 14 cents. It's in a lot of even low-end sensors.)

I have installed a $6 Walmart-tier sensor in a very shaded location on the back of a porch because that is where the receptacle is... The first day it was on continuously, but I left  it alone; 48 hours later it was acting exactly right.


How can I repair the chuck on my cordless drill?

The chuck will most likely not be press fitted onto the shaft, meaning that hammering will not work to get the gap away.

the chuck actually screws onto the drill shaft (reverse thread -  counter-clockwise to tighten) So what you need to do is the following:

Open the chuck fully, and look into the chuck opening - can you see a screw or Allen key? ... if so, remove the screw/bolt.
get one of your biggest Allen/hex keys and insert into the chuck (short side first) and tighten the chuck jaws around the key.
Turn the key clockwise until the chuck jaws are back to the original position.
Replace the screw/bolt.

if you cannot turn, you may want to place the drill on a hard surface and knock the key with a hammer a few times to see if it turns.


How can I convert a shadow box fence to a solid fence?

The feasibility depends on a couple of things:

If you can remove the existing boards without breaking them. My guess is probably, but you would need to do it carefully. I would use a short 2x6 and a light sledge to tap on the board from the backside.
What the spacing is on the boards. If you can just take the boards off one side and put them on the other, that makes things easier. If the spacing is wrong for that, you would need to pull the boards off both sides and then redo them.
Whether you are willing to do the work yourself. If you are paying somebody, it may be cheaper to have them tear down the old ones and put up new ones than to carefully remove the old ones and reinstall them.


How can I get rid of gnats and other flies all over my house?

There are plenty of recommendations out there on the web, but I can't say how well they work.  I think the lifespan of a gnat is something along the lines of 15 days, so you basically just have to remove their food source, and they'll be gone in 2 weeks.

Clean dishes quickly, keep everything clean, get rid of potted plants (they feed on the manure found in many types of soil that you might get for potted plants) or cover the top layer of soil with an inch of sand to prevent them from getting to the manure, look for any dead animal bodies (rats, lizards, birds, etc.)

I've also seen ideas for traps, which supposedly work pretty well, but just because you catch some, that doesn't necessarily mean that you'll get rid of their breeding grounds.  The basic idea is that you take a cup and put 1" of vinegar and one drop of dish soap in it, then cover it with something that resembles a funnel (curl up a piece of paper into a cone shape and cut the tip off.)  They'll be able to fly in because the funnel will guide them downward, but they won't be able to get out so long as you seal between the lip of the glass and the funnel (maybe fold it back down on the outside of the glass and secure it with rubber bands.  Like this:


How do I get invisible edges on my spackle jobs?

Remove high spots by hand sanding the entire wall with a flat, rigid 1/2-sheet sanding block and 80 grit paper.  It's ok to remove too much, but stop wherever you start to see the sheet rock facing paper or joint tape. Ideally, 100% of the wall will have been sanded.
For the areas (if any) where the paper shows before all the ridges (as in your photo) are gone, switch to either a 1/3-sheet or 1/4-sheet flat and rigid sanding block with 100 grit and sand broadly over the areas surrounding the show-throughs.
Remove the dust by wiping down the wall with a damp cloth/sponge kept clean by frequent rinsing in a large bucket.
Apply a thin coat of spackle using a 10" or larger metal blade. Apply less than required.
When dry, shave off any specs etc using the 10" blade over the entire wall.
Use a damp 4"x6"x2" sponge to 'sand' the new spackle,  working the sponge from the middle of a patch of spackle outwards towards the edge and beyond.
Apply a second thin coat of spackle and repeat the shave/sponge steps.
Inspect for flaws using a bright flashlight or trouble-light held against the wall with the room lights turned off.
Touch up as necessary.


Broken up plaster is not a good base for repair as it is springy, not stable and ridged.  You want to screw a piece if wood as a backing plate to give a good solid base to apply Fix-all.

Try to slide a piece of wood that is as wide as the narrowest openng, but 6" longer than the area you want to repair.  You will span the entire area from inside the hole and then secure the wood with screws through the front.  Drill a hole in the middle of the wood for a finger-hold, or drive in a screw to hold onto.

Apply Fix-all to the hole and smooth to just below the surface.  Fix-all is not very forgiving, so you don't want to end up with too much material and the need to try to sand it down to level with the wall surface.  Better to apply it shallow and fill it out with spackel and then finish it smooth.


If the pendant fixture has a metal connection to that plate under normal installation, then I would recommend adding a wire somewhere inside the fixture to connect with the ground wire in the adapter.  If, however, the pendant is designed to hang purely from that 2-wire cable, then clearly the fixture doesn't need to be grounded, so just attach hot and neutral to the adapter.


For drain covers with no screw holes and no option of screwing in itself we usually slap some plumber's putty on the bottom and smash it in.  With a screwdriver and a few tugs you can remove and reuse again but should keep it from moving.


Technically, the only way to accomplish what you're asking is to use a double pole 20A GFCI breaker, as there is no such thing as multi-wire branch circuit GFCI receptacle.

Preferably, if it existed, you'd use a double pole 20A DFCI "Dual GFCI + AFCI" breaker, but until then your only option is the GFCI double pole.

Credit goes to SpeedyPetey for helping make this a good answer.


Where to connect Blue C Wire at old furnace?

The wire nut on the far right is your common. Test it before you power up your stat. You can test it by attaching test leads from the red to the blue coming from the furnace. You should get 24v.


How to fix a faucet that drips unless we turn it extremely tightly?

The type of valve that has to be "tightened down" to make a good seal is likely an older valve like the one in this diagram from ThisOldHouse.com:

Over time, there is a washer on the bottom of the stem that wears out.  Forcing the handle tighter can fix the issue, but this ultimately just destroys what's left of the washer even faster.  Normally removing the stem and replacing the flat or cone shaped washer is all you need to do.

Another problem that can occur is the metal "seat" for the stem that stays in the faucet when the stem is removed can become corroded to the point of not providing a good seal.  The seat can be replaced (if you can find one), or they can be ground down with a special tool to provide a new surface for the washer to seal on.  Feel the seat with your finger to see if it's smooth.  Try to just replace the washer first, and only mess with the seat if the drip continues or returns after a short time.

They might be a challenge to find, but you can normally get new seats, an entire stem, or any washer you need to repair the faucet.  A whole new stem will cost on average $15 or so, and they are easy to replace.  You shouldn't need to replace the faucet unless the exterior is in equally bad shape and you just want something new.


Drywall over plaster with furring strips

Hanging drywall over old plaster is very common.  If the existing strapping is securely fastened to the ceiling, you should be able to hang sheetrock.  I use 3/8" rock all the time over plaster walls and ceilings. The weight is not an issue.  You may want to check, using a stud finder to assure yourself that the  strapping is attached to the underlying floor or ceiling joists. It certainly would not do any harm to find the joists and add a screw into the strapping to be sure it is secure. The only time you might have a problem is when the strapping is only connected to lathes, and if the weight of the rock held only by lathes may sag if the lathe nails are not secure into the joists.   Good luck, go for it!


How deep of concrete base do I need for a 35 foot

There are lots of variables that really need to be evaluated by a Registered Engineer but you can use this site for a quick evaluation:

Flag Pole Calculator

Of course you'll need some details to figure the lateral force at the top of the pole, this comes from the size of the flag and the expected windspeed it will encounter.  You'll also need a figure for the soil characteristics.

Again I encourage you to consult an engineer since the last thing you want is for this thing to come crashing down and injure or kill someone.


Semi-permanent installation of 4x8 wall paneling suggestions?

Why not use a French cleat?

(link and image from Wikipedia)

One half could be glued or screwed to the back of the panel near the top, the other half screwed to the wall using toggles or other anchors. Only a few would be needed.

To add rigidity to the panels and eliminate bowing, additional plain strips could be glued horizontally to the middle and bottom of the panels.

If you are concerned about dislodging the panels or if they lean away from the wall at the bottom, you could pin them down with one or two screws at the bottom into light duty anchors (or toggles).

Removal and repair would be very quick and simple.


Adding Ground Conductor from Service to Upgraded Sub-Panel

I quite agree, pulling three 4/0 Al wires is the kind of job a DIYer ends up getting stuck on and having to call an electrician just for his truck full of pulling tools.

How old is this work?  If it was legal to wire ungrounded at the time, it may be legal to retrofit ground using the NEC rules allowed for that.     For a retrofit, the rules are liberalized and you have a much wider set of choices for how to get it done.  Make that argument to the AHJ and see what they say.

Also, why dig a wnole 'nother trench? You only need to dig out the old trench to the 45, which I assume is only a few feet from the house and shed.  Then you can disconnect the wires, cut the pipe (carefully) and get the access you need to get the ground wire through.  If the joints were not cemented, it'd be even easier.   Really keeping an underground conduit watertight is a lost cause, it will fill up with water, that's why the wire has a THWN rating.  So not cementing it does make sense.  It's exactly what I'd do in that circumstance.

Also, if your wire is the obsolete AA-1350 type, just be careful with your terminations, make sure the lugs are made of aluminum (most are), use the anti-ox and torque them exactly to spec.  I see no reason to spend a fortune on new AA-8000 wire, they both conduct electricity just fine, the issue was always at the terminations, and even that was mainly an issue for the tiny wires (10-12 AWG) on Cu terminations.  On the other hand if the old wire is not outdoor rated, that's a different kettle of fish.


Replacing old wires stuck on pipes inside concrete walls with new Cat6 cable

No, don't use oil for this.  It's flammable and also acts as a solvent on my materials.  There are commercial "wire lube" products that are safe for lubricating wires.  Most big-box home centers and all electrical supply houses have a selection of these.
But the trick is going to be getting the lube to where the restriction is assuming that the wire itself is not clamped, tied, or tangled on something that lube will not fix.


Found: rotted conduit main power supply into house

It will not be cheap and it cannot be ignored. But if it is between the utility pole / vault and your meter, it might be their (the utility's) responsibility. That varies from place to place, but it certainly can't hurt to call them.


Why doesn't the light in my ceiling fan work after changing a light bulb?

It is a bit dependant on the exact internals what is the exact cause, but the most likely one is that the system to switch the light on and off uses an electronic element called a Triac. If it can also be dimmed this is very probable even.

It is potentially possible to burn out a Triac by suddenly switching on a load that's a bit over its limit. If the original engineer had foreseen this he may have made a nice circuit that turns on the Triac when the AC voltage curve is at zero, to make sure it doesn't get overloaded. By turning in the lamp you can have accidentally connected it exactly at the highest point in the AC voltage curve, or near it, causing the maximum current to flow very suddenly through a cold lamp. (Cold lamps very shortly require more current to start glowing if it's a filament or even an affordable energy saver lamp).

If this happened the Triac can stay in conduction mode "for ever", requiring repairs by someone who knows what he's doing.

But to be 100% sure some close-and-personal research would be required.


This is an engineering matter, the beam size is provided for your first-hand information use only. Confirmation from a structural engineer is required for construction.
Deck length tributary to the beam = (20' - 5' - 0.5)/2 + 2.5 = 9.75', say 10'. Assume 5 psf misc. wt. on top of the snow load (S), the uniform distribute load on beam (with 10% increase for beam self wt.), w = 1.1*(S+10)*10. Beam span length (column - column), L = 27', deflection limit = L/240 = 1.35".
The roof snow load across the province of Ontario varies from 40 psf to 70 psf (approx.) Per the Allowable Stress Design (ASD) method, and Fy = 36 ksi, fb = 21.6 ksi, the estimated wide flange beam sizes for the corresponding snow loads are as listed below:
Snow Load - Beam size*
40 - W10x30
50 - W10x33
60 - W10x39
70 - W10x45
(*) - All beam sizes are governed by the deflection criteria.


Can metal studs support a 64" plasma TV on a swiveling mount?

I do this for a (part of my) living. Steel studs will not provide the support you need with a cantilevered arm. If you want to surface-mount the TV then you can use toggle bolts through a steel stud, but a cantilevered arm WILL fail.

The only appropriate solution is to open up the wall and either replace the steel studs in question with wooden studs, or slide the wooden stud in to the steel stud.


The porosity of the tiles doesn't matter - the waterproofing happens on the layer below. You'll want to use something like Kerdi (the Kerdi shower pan kit is nice) or a similar product, or RedGuard, or another form of waterproofing.

The problem with marble is that it's a limestone type of stone, and susceptible to chemical attack. Over time it will lose it's gloss and go dull. How long this takes will depend greatly on your water and the products you use. It might only last a few years or it might outlast you. When it dulls you can either polish or replace.

JohnBridge.com is a tile forum, and the topic of marble showers has been discussed there. You might get some good info by browsing old topics. And John Bridge himself has a marble floor in his shower and wrote an article about it. He lists a recommended sealer and has some brief instructions on using it, too.


How do I know if a firewall and mortar contain asbestos?

To test for asbestos, you take small parts of the material and take it to (or ship it to) a testing lab. Most major metropolitan areas will have testing labs.
Remember that Asbestos is only really dangerous in high quantities, and even then, only in it's 'friable' state (meaning easily turned to dust).
If you're demo-ing a small part of your own house, odds are slim that any harm will come to you. But it wouldn't hurt to take precautions, of course. I'd suggest getting a proper mask (one rated for asbestos), a HEPA filter for your dust collection vac and wet everything down as much as you can before and during the demo process.
UPDATE:
Some of these other answers are a bit overly dramatic, IMHO. Asbestos isn't universally deadly. In fact, in many cases where you might find and remove it in a home, the actual danger to you is minimal--especially if you practice even the most rudimentary safety precautions (keep the material wet, use a HEPA filter on the shop vac, etc.)
Of course, everyone has to do their own research and come to their own conclusions. But to balance the FUD a bit, here's a bit of quoted information from this site:
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infsisters/infasbestos.html

Asbestos a not a single, easily categorized substance such as carbon monoxide or radon.  It occurs in a number of different forms and the risks posed by them vary considerably... from minimal to severe. Crocidolite and amosite asbestos, known as amphibole asbestos, are the most dangerous forms.  Their fibers cling tenaciously to lung tissue while resisting the body's natural self-cleaning processes.  This long term irritation to body tissue can lead to disease and death. Fortunately, these forms of asbestos have been banned for years though some may still exist in older homes.
Chrysotile asbestos, a less toxic form, comprises over 90% of all the asbestos used in the US.   This form of asbestos is not nearly as persistent in lung tissue and low level intermittent exposure is not considered to be a health risk to a healthy person.
In fact, both OSHA and the EPA concur that asbestos is not dangerous unless airborne.
Even if airborne, many studies of asbestos workers indicate that it takes more than a casual exposure to asbestos dust to cause disease... even over periods as long as 15 to 30 years!  Asbestos doesn't "radiate" danger and its mere existence in low levels in your environment is not automatically cause for alarm.

Just my opinion, but I think the stress caused by irrational asbestos fears would cause more health problems than any actual low-level exposure by a DIYer. ;)


Run new electrical wiring in backyard from existing wall outlet

I would suggest the use of a weatherproof (WR) box extender. One of which could be installed over the existing box giving you sides on to which to connect the PVC conduit.

The following is an example. No endorsement of specific products is implied.


What are my options for venting a bathroom exhaust fan?

The "best" approach is to take the shortest straight path to get the exhaust air out of your house.  Generally that's via a roof vent.  Check out this answer for a little more info.

Your plan A, two bends and out the gable end is fine as an alternative.  10 feet is not a very long way for a bathroom exhaust vent.  If possible, use a rigid vent to avoid sagging and possible condensation build-up.


How can I mount a composite rail kit on a ramp shallower than the brackets accommodate?

For that shallow of a slope I'd be inclined to look at level railing kits and their associated hardware instead. That would be a much closer starting point. I'd then mill some 11° wedges from white vinyl to place behind the brackets, tilting them into position.

If that's not a good solution, create some 20° wedges (31° - 11°). Pre-drill them so that longer mounting screws pass through smoothly at the bracket mounting hole locations.

Solid vinyl board stock is readily available at home improvement stores. Try to find pieces that allow you to leave the factory milled finish on exposed faces. Cut faces will show a rough, porous surface.

Ideally the wedges will be roughly 1/2" wider and taller than the brackets (for a 1/4" reveal all around), and smaller than the posts (to avoid flush joints, which are tricky and can be unsightly).


You can't eliminate the only switch

Both the electrical and building codes require that every habitable room have a light switch in the usual place, and that it operate a light. (or, in the alternate, because of builder demands, a receptacle into which you might plug in a light).

Builders prefer to give you switched receptacles, because it is cheaper for them to build that.  Putting in a proper ceiling light is probably the #1 modification people do to home electrical.

If you were doing that, and connecting it to this switch, that would be copacetic.

However, I gather you want an unswitched outlet there so you can plug in other stuff.  You are OK with simply groping in the dark for a floor lamp (since you know how to do that) and turning it on from there.  However, that is a code violation.

You can split the difference (er, receptacle)

You can make one socket switched and the other always-on.  Receps are designed to do this, and the wire in your walls supports this.

Your switch and outlet wiring actually brings always-hot along; wires aren't normally color coded like this but your wires happen to be, and red is switched-hot and black is always-hot in both boxes.

You see in between the screws is a little "tab".  You can bend back and forth and break off the tab on the "brass" hot side (not the silver neutral side).   Then you can put a short black pigtail wire from that screw (now isolated) to the wire nut of black wires in the back of the box.  Now you will have one recep socket switched and the other not.  You can plug in normal things into the unswitched, and still have a lamp on the switched.

Alternately, you can hardwire a ceiling light either from this receptacle or from the switch box, whichever you find more convenient.


Pressure level in central heating system

You could rent one of those infrared cameras from your local big box store.  Using this to look in the walls and ceilings might help in locating the leak, depending on how big of a leak it is.


What sort of vapor barrier should I install when residing an old wood-framed building?

With the rain and humidity in your area you'll want a breathable house wrap, not plastic or foil, and a drainage plane behind the siding to allow any water that does get through to drain away and dry to the outside.


What tool will allow me to make a cutout in the middle of a vertical sheet of cardboard?

A good utility knife is all you need.  It will give you a cleaner cut and it's faster.


It's definitely a backup from a source higher up than the toilet.  It could still be on the same floor of the house/building. i.e. The washing machine drainpipe is likely higher than the toilet.

The backup can be clear if the source is something like a shower, dishwasher, washing machine.

Since you are in an apartment, you should first contact your landlord before trying to clear the blockage yourself.


Are there pitfalls to joining utility Energy Wise programs?

This is actually a very good thing for the future of the grid.  It's just off to an awkward start (and a very late one).

This particular awkward start could do this during peak power-demand times, mainly the hottest afternoons when everybody is running their A/C:

Reduce the duty-cycle on A/C and electric heat to about 50%, which only matters if its duty cycle is over 50%. That would be an issue if the day is very hot/cold, or you program your thermostat to chill/warm the house an hour before you get home. (in that case make it 2 hours). They say 16.5 minutes worst case out of 30, they are allowing for propagation time for the "cycle" signal - transmitting data over power lines is very slow and very narrow-bandwidth.
You have hot water, but as you use it up, your water heater can't replace it, for up to 5 hours.  But who takes long hot showers on hot days? Tanked heaters hold hot water just fine for hours, but when you use it, it'll be gone.  It will extend runtime if you use anti-scald faucets and bump your heater temp as high as possible (also helps for legionella).  You may be able to exclude this from the program, but you'll make less money if you do.

You can beat the water situation with a gas water heater or with solar collectors (which heat water) - they will be at peak performance right when the cycling happens.  If your HVAC is running >50% duty cycle, insulation can fix that.

Let's talk about why.

How the grid dispatches

The power grid was designed as a one-way service: a central authority generates and delivers, and consumers only consume. "Alternative electric companies" like Enron only exist on paper, it's still the same grid run by the same authority.

The grid architecture is currently has "open demand": consumers can draw any load, and the generators must either provide it, shed load (in a gruesome way), or the grid collapses.

Load varies dramatically through the day, so you must add and remove generating plants.  Except some plants aren't made to cycle daily - nuke, coal, geothermal, any steam plant.  Others make power when they make it (solar, wind).  The top of your capacity that you only use 20 days a year for 6 hours, are called peakers.

You also need to cover second-by-second changes in load. This is done with "spinning reserve" - part of your capacity that is spun up and on the line, but doing no useful work.  Steam plants hate this, and it's wasteful with "all capital expense" plants like nuke, solar or wind. Back to peakers.

Peakers are traditionally Cat/EMD/GE diesels, or of late, jet engines driving a generator.  They are "highly" dispatchable - meaning the central authority which controls the grid can push a button and get them online in a 10-15 minutes.  (That doesn't sound very "highly", does it?)  This is only good for replacing lost spinning reserve, it can't fill an instant need for load.  And because of this, quite a bit of spinning reserve must be kept up.  And peakers are ex.pen.sive!

If only they could dispatch instantly.

If only peakers were cheaper.

If only power could be stored somehow.

Power storage

Electricity does not store, even for 1 second.  It regularly drives the spot market price to zero. That's especially a problem if your region is heavy in baseload (coal, nuke, wind) like Ukraine, France or North Carolina.

Pretty much your only storage options are hydro backpumping or batteries.

However, that says nothing about storing the work product of electricity, e.g. You can certainly store hot water for a few hours or a chilled house for a few minutes.

The impossible dream: dispatching load

A 10MW deficit in the grid can be made up either by dispatching 10MW of generators or "dispatching" 10MW of load.  The gruesome act of rolling blackouts can hardly be called dispatching, but there was no other way to cut load in a controlled way. Now, with the computer/network revolution, there is.

And load dispatching (or the industry term, demand-side management) dovetails very nicely with that thermal energy storage I mentioned in water heaters, whole house A/C and heat, pools, and other loads you can reasonably afford to pause, like washers, dryers, dishwashing, charging electric cars, etc.

Potentially they could also dispatch your generating capacity.  Not your solar; it's already the perfect peaker.  I'm talking about having your Tesla PowerWall, EV or home generator backfeed onto the grid, for which you would be decently paid.

From the grid's perspective, demand-side management that is instant greatly reduces the need for spinning reserve.  It also reduces the need for peakers generally, at a time when solar is coming on gangbusters, and solar is an inherent peaker.  It's possible if demand-side management is widely adopted, peaking plants could cease to exist - a literal breath of fresh air to the minorities in whose neighborhoods most are built.

Your duties as a citizen in a great society

I don't believe America should be a nation of leeches greedily grabbing what they can, in a national-scale "tragedy of the commons". I think each of us owes something to the social contract that gives us our freedom and prosperity.

Provided, of course, they pay us. Part of our social contract is capitalism: wealth should go to its creator.  Fair enough.

These technologies stand to make a much stronger, more robust electrical grid, with less pollution and much lower costs.  Which should come back to the consumer, preferably in proportion to their participation.

Another part is independency.  It is an affront to individualism to depend mouth-to-teat on the power grid.  While load dispatching/demand-side management does nothing for this, the enabling technology will enable other stuff that help individuals achieve energy independency, or at least choose the terms of their relationship with the grid.

Consumer demand-side management, version 1.0

Obviously from their literature, the implementation is rather cheesy... grafted on and hacked.  They aim to operate heavy contactors on your water heater or pool, and interrupt your thermostat wiring to regulate your A/C or aux heat.

Of course since all this stuff moves at the speed of government regulatory authorities, it's only now reaching the consumer.   And it's a rough-hewn and awkward shadow of what the technology and business practices could and should be.

Others have gone through the plan in the most critical light possible, with an aim to reject it out of hand.  So I'll say that the power company is being conservative (in their favor) because this has never been done before, and nobody has any earthly idea how the economics will end up working out, and they don't want to lose their shirt.  There's another factor: "I don't have to outrun the bear".  For a limited rollout, they don't need everyone - suckers will suffice. So it's no surprise their initial offerings will be... lowball.

Consumer demand-side management, version 2.0

As it proves itself and matures, I'm confident the value of demand-side management and backfed home power dispatching will become more appreciated, and become priced correctly.  Remember most delivering power companies are profit-regulated, excessive profits can't go anywhere else but back to the ratepayer.

The real beauty of this tech will arrive when it becomes integrated with the appliances.  Now your water heater knows exactly what to do when it hears Code Orange groups 1-9 on the power line signaling: let itself cool off from 160 (legionella temp) to 120 (still usable temp) which will take hours.  And when you use enough that the whole tank drops to 110, fire back up anyway.  Now you're not impacted at all, and really, neither is the grid, since draining a tank during outage time is rare enough not to matter.

Your furnace haggles with the grid: "the house is worryingly cold, I need power." and the grid goes "run in heat pump mode if able, otherwise aux heat authorized to 50%".

Your washer, dryer and EV charger have an "urgent" button you can push for when the job can't wait.

It empowers off-grid living too.  The tech can be easily extended so appliances know how to behave on generator or solar/battery. For instance the generator manager goes "Dryer, suspend because heat pump needs to run". The solar controller knows batteries are topped up and it's about to start wasting power, so it says "dishwasher GO" or "air conditioner please overcool" etc. No one would ever build this tech just for solar, but it's an easy add-on to demand-side management tech.

Now it becomes easier to build a more robust off-grid solar home, and cut the big cord entirely.

Anonymity

Some people are really, really worried about the Gub'Mint knowing they have a clothes dryer.

Okay, maybe you don't want them knowing you did a marathon washer-dryer run an hour after the coroner's time-of-death :)

Seriously though, smart meters are a big ooga-booga privacy-scare issue, especially in light of just how much data can be divined by home power monitors like Curb. You have to be politically active to deal with that, both with your legislators and with your utility regulators.

I can tell you this: The utility doesn't care.  They need load dispatching for the reasons I describe, period.  It will suffice for them to clump you anonymously into a large group at random, say group 7, so they can command everyone in group 7 to go to reduction level Yellow.  Other than that, they only need to know if you signed up and are cheating.  But there can be ways to figure that out without invading your privacy.

And as I said, the power company simply lacks the bandwidth to spy on you. Their communication network is the power line and it can't handle Big Data.  As mentioned, it takes 90 seconds to broadcast a simple demand-side management SCADA control.  It is adequate to remotely read and shut off meters and  broadcast demand-side dispatching signals, but that's about it.  If they wanted to spy, they would put cell phone modules/antennas on smart meters.  Watch for that.


Why does cold water comes out faster when the hot water is turned off?

In some systems, hot water comes from a first-floor tank pressurised by a cold-water header-tank in the loft. This header-tank also supplies the cold water taps. Part of the reason for this is that mains water supply to the house is at a high pressure, the header tank provides a lower and more constant pressure that is more suitable for household taps and appliances.

Normally the cold water tank has separate outlets for each to prevent the sort of problems you describe. If your system instead uses a single low-pressure feed pipe to both cold taps and to the hot-water cylinder, that might explain the symptoms.

Since you say 'tap' and not 'faucet' I suspect you may live in a locale where the above applies.

A better plumber might be able to advise what can be done to improve the situation.


How to dig a trench for a cable for a garden office

You got a bad roll of the dice. Very good ideas and attempts that would work in more normal soil conditions. The problem is, if you continue then you will likely undermine the soil because that small rock will fall into the hole from the sides. That will be very difficult to back fill properly and over time it will settle and form a slight ditch / depression.

At this point I think I would call it on the attempt to minimize the work and / effect on the yard and just dig a proper ditch. It could still be narrow-ish, the width of a shovel. This will give you the space you need to backfill in layers compacting as you go and in the end (years from now) it will pay off in spades.


2 light switches controlling one light fixture?

You need a "three-way switch".

The red wire is called a "traveller".

Searching for these terms will find suitable wiring diagrams.


Is it possible to hang something on the wall surrounding my chimney?

I would drill a small hole through the plaster first to test your theory about how much space you have behind the plaster.  Your bit will stop when it hits the chimney, and you can use that to judge how much room you have.

If you have enough room, I would go with a toggle bolt style fastener.  If not, then you might need to use a masonry bit and drill into the chimney.  From there you can use a long tapcon screw to go through the plaster and into the chimney brick.


How to remove trim caulk orange peeled wall

How do you plan on not painting if the new trim is lower than the old trim?  Personally, I'd go with the same if not larger trim to hide any imperfections left by the old trim, but maybe that's just me.

To remove old caulk, just use the flat edge of the painters multi-tool to scrape it away.  Be careful not to dig into the wall or pull up the paper from the drywall.  For anything left, sand it down.  You'll probably want to have some extra drywall mud or spackle available to fix any spots and to cover any screw/nails that were previously covered by the old trim.

And then, yes, you'll need to paint.  It's easier to do a first coat on the trim and the walls before installing the trim.  Then all you have to do is touch-up any nail holes or scrapes.


You need to get a compression to pipe thread adapter, then you can use whatever threaded fittings you want.
For 1/2" copper, the outside diameter is 5/8". You would need a 5/8" compression x 1/2" male or female pipe:


Should I replace a carport post as it was originally built or with an upgraded column?

The post looks reasonably adequate as it was originally built even by modern standards. If it wasn't you'd have seen disaster long ago, when it first started to decay.

To maintain the style detail I'd rebuild to match, using pressure-treated lumber. By doing so you eliminate the need to cut that notch and you end up with a more robust post. A single post member may have weaknesses that are addressed by using multiple boards. To be clear, each board should be cut accurately to fit its bearing points on each end. It's not just the center board carrying the roof load.

I'd fit everything and screw it all together at 18" intervals with pairs of 3" corrosion-resistant deck screws from each side. After it dries out for a few weeks, use a high-quality wood filler to flatten out the screw heads, then prime and paint.


Hot water valve in the basement (how do I turn it off?)

The green arrow shows the direction to turn to close it.
The purple arrow shows the packing nut discussed in the comments.
I'm not sure what you mean about North, South, etc but if this thing is installed in the ceiling with the red handle pointing up, you could stand directly below it,  reach up and over it with your hand to grab it from above, then turn your body to the right.


What makes you reasonably certain it's not a protective plate? I ask because this is almost by definition what a protective plate does.

This is likely protecting an electrical cable. When you run wires to outlets or switches, it's good practice (and required by code in many places) that you place protective plates on the wooden studs where electrical cable has been ran through it. This is an important safety measure, to keep you from drilling or nailing into a live electrical cable.

for example:


The red wire should be the switch leg coming back from the switch.

The whites are all connect d so that appears to the neutral as it should be. Grounds are good. The two blacks should be one hot from the panel and one feeding the switch.

Take the switch apart and verify it is fed with a black and has the red on the other side of it. If so then connected your new light to the white and the red.

You should get a meter and verify your wiring if you are going to tpdo electrical work.

Good luck and stay safe!


Why does flushing a toilet or running a clothes washer sometimes change shower temperature?

This happens because water is diverted away from the shower to the toilet or washing machine.

What happens next will depend on the type of shower and it's age. Older, non thermostatic showers will be affected to a greater extent.

For an electric shower the flow of water through the shower will be reduced which will have the effect of heating it up further - though the thermostat should keep the effect to a minimum.

For a mixer shower it will depend on whether the cold water is reduced - in which case it will get hotter, or the hot water via the heater is reduced - in which case it will get colder. Again a thermostatic mixer should keep the effect to a minimum.

In any case you'll get a much reduced flow through the shower.

Power (pumped) showers shouldn't be so affected as the pump in the shower is controlling the flow rate.


What debuzzing coil should I use to get rid of lamp hum?

Debuzzing coils seem to start at 11 millihenries (See this example) -- which is only about 4 ohms of inductive reactance at 60 hertz.

For 300W bulbs, you want an inductor that can handle at least 3 amps, the higher the inductance the better.  Beware, also, of insulation quality and heat tolerance.

I show that Digikey carries some possible candidates (none in stock).  The Hammond Manufacturing, 159ZG is probably your best bang for the buck. Note that it's designed as a DC choke so it might be louder and warmer than a purpose-built LDC, like this one at Amazon.  Each 300W bulb needs it's own coil.

Note that LDC's can sometimes buzz as badly as the lamp, but you can relocate LDC noise easier.

Since you mention Digikey, there is another option to stop the buzzing available to someone who knows what they are doing.  You can use a rectifier bridge (Vishay GBPC3502-E4/51 or better) between the dimmer and the lamp.  This works by doubling the frequency that the lamp sees and halving the amplitude swings.

A rectifier is much cheaper, makes no noise of its own, and increases incandescent bulb life.

I won't provide any more details because, if you don't already know how to install this, you could get somebody hurt.  Just be sure any rectifier is mounted in a grounded metal box.

Update:
The OP tried a straight rectifier and, in this case it didn't work.  But, the good news about the rectifier approach is that it's easy to change it to filtered DC.  Filter the DC enough and nothing will buzz.

Use a 10uH inductor, anything more greatly increases the price without affecting performance much.
For the capacitor, you need about 200µF to start getting good filtering with 60Hz and a 300 watt load.

Here's the effects on the voltage, to the lamp, for three capacitor values. Note that the inductor is still required to deal with all the spikes, and harmonics, a dimmer induces...

Reference this simulation (crude but free!).

We can see that by 600µF, the power is smooth enough that buzzing should be eliminated.
Here's an 820µF cap that should work nicely, cost about $4. (Just in case, monitor its temperature carefully for the first few hours of operation.)


Plainly, not 'as good as it gets', but the question to ask is, "did I get the quality of job I paid for?" If you paid a mega premium with a contractual understanding that you'd get a level 5 job, that's bad. (Something to consider is that painters aren't exactly drywall tapers.)

If you paid a normal price, then perhaps you can think about ignoring it. (Once wall coverings/curtains/furniture come in, everything will be much less noticeable. Especially curtains.) If the sheen of the paint is eggshell or glossier, you could consider going to a flat.


How do I attach the cord from a pendant light to a nipple/threaded shaft?

Unlike some lamps this doesn't hang from a metal tube with the cord running through it.  It hangs from the cord.  Shove it through the nipple and tie a knot above it.
There are S-shaped plastic dongles you can attach to the cable above the nipple, but those cost about 10 cents more than a knot and do the same thing.  Hopefully your ceiling box already has a canopy (decorative cover) as this lamp probably doesn't come with one right?
If you want to spend a few cents there are plastic bushings for these nipples you could stick into the top to protect the cable, and there are compression fittings where you shove a plastic bushing in the nipple and then a plastic collar screws down on it.  IMO none of those is necessary unless you plan to swing from the lamp.
EDIT: I'm not sure why @threephaseEel asked for a picture of your ceiling box, but it's a good thing.  Now that I've seen it, I think you should ignore this answer.  You cannot use a standard crossbar and nipple with that box because the mounting hub you have for a chandelier will obstruct it.
You either need to

perform surgery on the box, removing that hub, which I don't recommend with that delicate K&T wiring OR
Buy an appropriate canopy kit, which I'll recommend in a new answer.


metal looking ball dust in attic, dangerous?

A plasma cutter used for cutting HVAC duct will have this kind of debris not dangerous. Other than that possibly conduit or other metal pipe / brackets being cut leaves the filings or if with a torch the balls, but I would expect a plasma cutter with most modern homes and ductwork.


How to wire a three-prong extension cord to 110 outlet?

You can do it, it's not cost effective compared with buying extension cords with multiple outlets on the far end, or 2 extension cords, or a 3-1 adapter or several other options.  You need:

Extension cord (14ga at least; 12ga if using 20A receptacles)  $10-30
listed steel strain relief for your cord and 1/2" knockout - $3
4" 2-gang all steel box $2
2-gang 2 or 4 outlet steel box cover $2
1 or 2 duplex receptacles, $1-4
1 foot black, white, green solid core 12ga wire, $1
3 wire nuts, red  $1

Put 6" pigtails on each of the receptacles using side screws or clamp-and-screw (found on better receptacles).  Lop the extension cord and push the strain relief down it, gasket side out.  Knock out a 1/2" hole on the 2-gang box and bolt the strain relief through it, gasket out.  Wire-nut the 3 black wires together, ditto white and green/bare, careful as you are mixing solid and stranded.  Cram everything into the box and button it up. Test carefully, done.

You need at least 14ga wire if you have 15A outlets and 12ga wire if any 20A outlets.  Doing this with 16ga is unsafe.

A GFCI outlet is a good idea, you can slave the second duplex outlet off the "load" side.   If you don't use a GFCI, you must attach the cable ground to the outlet, that will attach it to the metal box, but test this just the same.


How to install tub into non-square rough opening?

I don't know exactly where the other wall is you want to match up with. The standard method is to shim out your rough opening to be exactly what you need for the tub. That means putting shims on the studs around the tub to get it lined up where you need it.

Once the tub is in where you need it, add more shims to the studs above the tub to bring your backer board even with the tub. If the lip of the tub is 1/4" you will need to add at least 1/4" shims the entire length of each stud (maybe more if you have more space on some studs). I used wood lathe for my shims, if you have a table saw you can easily make these shims yourself to whatever dimension you need for your tub.


Why did the water stop a few hours after my Culligan reverse osmosis filter change?

The manual has this under Install Filter Cartridges (I ignored the "lubricate" part as it did not make sense to me),

  Twist the cartridge to lock it into the manifold.
  See Figure 2.

I turned the incoming water pipe tap off (from the along-the-pipe position to the across-the-pipe one).
To remove the filters, I twisted them counter-clockwise (looking from the bottom up) and pulled them out.
To put the new ones in, I removed the cellophane from their tops, removed their lids and twisted them in clockwise.
Turned the incoming water pipe tap back on.

The drinking tap in the kitchen had water for few hours after that, then stopped.

Suspecting an issue with incoming water supply, I removed the cover of the filter shelf, removed the steel holder above the incoming tube, pulled out the tube with its plastic cuff, got a bowl ready, turned the incoming tap on for a second and saw the water gushing.
Suspecting a blockage between the filters, I removed the two filters, forced the leftmost (sediment filter) manifold open by rotating it with a screwdriver (taking care not to inflict damage).  Opening the incoming tap for a second pushed water through the manifold.  Closing it off and opening the manifold for the carbon filter showed no water.  (In retrospect I guess this happened because I closed off the sediment socket).
Suspecting an issue with the Automatic Shut-Off (ASO) valve located between the two filters, I removed the top cover, removed the screws, pulled it out, at which moment a few liters of water gushed from the opening (emptying the bladder-pressured tank).

The investigation steps above turned misdirected.  After talking with a local Culligan salesperson, I followed their advice and twisted the filters harder in (clockwise looking from the bottom up).  As soon as I turned the incoming tap on, I heard the water filling the filter system.  The drinking water tap in the kitchen had water couple hours after that.


I figured it out. I tested which wires were hot and it turns out that only the black wire in A was hot. C is going to another light switch in another room so it needed an uninterrupted line.

My diagram on the right worked!


A carbide tooth skill saw blade will cut the combination, I use a 70 tooth if i need a really clean cut on thicker metal, but a "finish" blade will work, make sure to wear safety goggles , gloves and a long sleve shirt or coat at some of the chips get thrown.


Concrete is porous, so as much as it allows water to seep in, it will also allow it to seep back out when the surrounding ground dries. If you are seeing so much water that opening the door allows it to run out, then I would recommend a sump pump and a perimeter drain to catch and remove the water before it gets into the basement.


Installing a water filter on a sink with copper supply lines

I'd use a tubing cutter or hacksaw (gently!) to open a section in the supply pipe wide enough to comfortably work. Use emery cloth or other tool to debur the cut end. Now use slip-on connectors (like SharkBite) to attach your flex lines.


A thermopile produces more electric current than a thermocouple and have different electrical connections.. If the connector on the thermopile is the same as the old thermocouple, probably would work. Search Amazon for the part. I have gotten hard to find / discontinued parts from there.


How to place engineered hardwood against rough fireplace hearth?

Use a transition "tee" molding used for setting between 2 different runs of floor. One edge can be shaped to conform to the stone, it will match the color of the floor you choose and will give the required movement the flooring needs. It will look, in my opinion, less conspicuous once in place. That is if it is a floating installation. If it is a glue or nail down, scribe to fit it tight, that's all you will need to do.


Why Does the faucetts in my house sputter a bit ( like air in the lines, at times) when I turn them on, Hot, & Cold?

I believe that water underground, esp. in deep well can be highly pressurized.  That increases the amount of gasses that can be dissolved.  Bringing the water to the surface reduces that pressure and the dissolved gasses form real gasses (mostly oxygen and nitrogen) again.  That leads to an occasional "spurting".  I've never figured out why it's so random, but I've experienced the same thing on the water from my well.   I'm not sure of all of this, but that's what I think happens.


Where I live there are a lot of old trees (often landmarks) protected by laws as natural monuments. Rotting of tree bases is a common phenomenon while the living parts are saved by a multitude of measures.

Bases are prone to rotting due to moisture and work of fungus and insects. The dead wood is often removed as a measure, so the remaining trunk is hollow. This reduces the overall weight of the trunk, but it has to be stabilized afterwards. This is sometimes done by steel cables connected to ground anchors.

If that is not sufficient, sometimes the hollow trunk is filled with concrete after applying protective substances onto the remaining wood. Additional water draining systems have to be used to prevent further rotting.

All these measures usually can only delay the decay for some time.


What is the cause of dishwasher vent leak?

Does the water appear clear/clean, or does it have food bits and/or detergent in it?

My guess is one of two things:

The seal on the flap has degraded and the high-pressure jets are now able to force water in under the flap.
There is some "ledge" in this assembly in which water can collect and puddle, and doesn't dry during the dry cycle (possibly because of the extremely humid air passing by it; there's no capacity in the air to hold any more water).


How can I improve hvac air flow to my attic?

First, realize that with a single zone system and multiple floors, it's difficult to get the temperature correct everywhere. Also, since you mentioned this was an attic space, you're likely against the roof and getting heat from every wall plus from the computers and people in the space. In short, you're fighting a losing battle.

I've got a similar challenge, though not to your extreme, and here's what I have done. First, learn how to adjust the baffles on the ducts. In the summer, you want as much as possible going to the high floors, and the reverse in the winter. Get someone to feel the air coming out while you're pushing the baffle all the way to one side or another. For me, it made little difference until I pushed it all the way.

Next, exclude any rooms you don't need to heat/cool, e.g. a guest room or storage space in the basement. Shut the door and close the vents to reduce the effort you're putting on the HVAC.

Finally, I swapped out my return grille with models that accept a filter (they are hinged and open after releasing two small clips). These return grilles are special orders from the big box stores, but they carry them. I still leave a thin blue "rock catcher" filter directly on my HVAC blower itself. And I put a filter in every return except the upstairs in the summer and downstairs in the winter. The idea being to suck out as much air as possible from location that needs it.

This means that switching between heat and cool is a process, flipping the baffles and swapping in and out filters. But a little effort is better than a lot of sweating.

One last suggestion, since it sounds like you're running a small server farm in your attic. Either move that down to the basement, or consider replacing the window unit with a ductless mini-split system. You get to see out the window, and these systems have configurable thermostats.


You do not want to score the glass with a groove. Even the shallowest score mark in glass will create a line along which the glass will crack. In fact a glass cutter is nothing more than a very hard metal wheel attached to a tool handle that allows a score groove to be created across a sheet of glass.

Glass Cutter:

There are also specialty tools such as this glass bottle cutter that essentially is a mechanism to allow a score mark to be made around the outside of a bottle.


Does the thickness of insulation on the cooling pipe of an air contioner make a difference to preventing mould and condensation

Yes, if it wasn't insulating nor tight to the pipe & therefore trapping & holding the condensation water. You basically had a very thick & long wet sock in the room that never dried.

Now that the correct insulation material & method has been employed. Completely spray & let soak for a few minutes & then sponge wash the moldy areas with a solution of 1-part Bleach to 3-parts water. Re-painting may be needed if the walls are on the darker side.


How to wire in an alternate light controller?

The wiring you show will work.

However, connecting the outputs like that means even when the controller is switched off, its output might be hot.  Depending on how it is connected and enclosed, that may or may not be dangerous.

It might be better to use a double pole double throw switch wired so the input and output hots get switch between controllers and the other controller is completely disconnected.

And of course you have to make sure the switch is suitably rated for the max current and voltage of the circuit.

The neutrals should all be connected like you show.  Presumably your controller uses a separate power source since it doesn't have a neutral connection.


I read some of the comments here and tend to agree with several points raised.

The 2x6 pieces should be 100% tight and snug to the bottoms of the joists above. It looks like you tried to screw them into place without a clearance hole in the 2x6 which is what could lead to the type of fit shown. You should at least remove and reinstall them correctly.
You could do better than the screws you used by using some lag bolts instead. These will need a washer under the lag bolt head, a clearance sized hole through the 2x6s and a pilot sized hole in the joists. The clearance hole allows the lag bolt to pass through the 2x6. The pilot hole is the inner diameter of the lag bolt threaded region. I suggest 5/6 x 3.5" sized bolts. The bolts and washers would look like shown below.

You need to secure the chain to spring connection better. As it is now the chain could jump off the spring hook under robust usage of the punching bag. A better way would be to use a short bolt two washers and a nut to fasten the chain link to the spring hook. I suggest using at least a 5/16" diameter bolt if not even a 3/8" size. It may be necessary to spread the chain link to get the bolt through.


Recommended pine dimensions for desk/shelf unit

A simple Butt joint like this will avoid any visible screws :

https://www.1001pallets.com/common-wood-joints/

Those pins, having a larger diameter, and glued, will be stronger than screws as the smaller diameter of the screws will likely "rip out" of the end grain.

Or you could countersink the screws and fit covering plugs.


Best way to reinforce beam for a deadbolt?

I would sister up another 2x4 inside of the existing stud (weird to see a single stud there anyway, usually you would have a stud and a trimmer). Secure it with screws along the entire length.

Use heavy bolts with washers from the opening/door side to the back side of the studs, above and below the strike plate/latch area. To make them sit flush on the opening/door side, countersink the heads.

Then install a heavy duty reinforced strike cup and plate unit, there are many types and sizes available:


Where can I find computer readable RGB values for brand name paints?

If your looking for the RGB equivalent of a paint swatch, your probably better off looking at Pantone colors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantone

You can buy Pantone swatches (I think their pretty expensive though) and then use Photoshop or something to find the equivalent RGB value.

If you go into Photoshop and click on the Color Picker in the toolbar, theres a Color Libraries button that'll show you a great many Pantone colors. Click the one that matches the printed swatch and when you go back to the color picker, you'll see the RGB value.

As wikipedia says, Pantone is pretty much an industry standard, used in painting, printing, etc...

I'm sure you can in turn give a Sherwin Williams or whoever and Pantone color code and have them mix paint for you (if thats what you want).

If you want to take photos of the room you want to paint, photoshop it with the color you want from a swatch, some of the websites (we used sherwin williams) have tools to do that also, but won't produce Pantone or RGB values :(

-Mario


Underlay for saddle roof? Does side matter?

If I understand your question correctly, you have attempted to install a roofing underlayment sheet material from the inside/underside of the wood roof membrane in an attempt to prevent rain from getting in the attic.
That type of sheet material is designed to be applied to the exterior side of the wood roof membrane, under whatever final roof treatment (shingle, mineral asphalt sheet, edpm, etc.) is installed. See the picture below, which is from the website for the product in the link you supplied.
What you are trying to do will not work and will likely just redirect any water that does get through to a different undesirable area.


That looks like a beautiful 1 pipe steam system from many years ago. I love these systems and they work fine as long as you do not try to make big changes to them. The maximum temperature should be below 230 degrees well below that needed to cause a fire. So, no problem. You said that you got a new boiler? How is the new boiler and the heating system working for you.


Yes. You can use slats instead of a box-spring. It will be a LITTLE bit stiffer, but it's perfectly fine and you'll love how your bed squeaks less. Here's a pic from an Ikea bed frame assembly guide - just as an example:


Help Determine the cause of Cupping Floors

Cupping to me means the wood board is curling up on the edges..usually on the long edge of each board. (Concave.) Cupping is caused by moisture, sometimes humidity , but could be by moisture "introduced" into the flooring.

High-humidity or low-humidity usually does not cause rapid cupping, like you're experiencing, because it's introduced slowly and uniformly into the wood. However, if you've experienced an unusually high humidity this year it could add "moisture" to the boards which would expand the boards, thus causing each board to grow and could push against the walls. Usually, this causes the entire wood floor to bow up. If this is not what's happening, and I suspect not, because you described cupping, then it's moisture being added to the floor.

I don't think installing a new HVAC unit will cause cupping. Here, we prefer a system that moves air rather than a "radiant" type heating system because it dries out the air (we have a relative humidity of 80% or more year round...), and we don't have a cupping issue.

A humidifier will dry out the top of a board causing it to shrink, thus shrinking the top more than the bottom...causing cupping.

If the wood floor has been fine for many years and has started cupping recently, then I suspect moisture from leaking plumbing, leaking roof/drain, moisture from crawl space, or even a water event...like a large spilled water container. I know, sounds crazy, but water will drain down between boards and lay on the subfloor, then soak into the back of the wood flooring. It could take months for that to dry out...and the bottom of each board will "grow" while the top of each board will dry out rather quickly. (Do you have kids?)

You must find the cause quickly or face a big expense of replacement or major repair (sanding entire floor.)  We discovered a leaking drinking fountain near a high school gym and it caused such a problem that we had them chainsaw the entire floor out and replace it. If you can find it quickly, the boards will not "set" and you can run fans (not humidifier) and allow the boards to lay flat again. Is the entire house's wood floor cupping or is it just occurring in one or two rooms?


How do I prepare my home for a power outage?

There's a few considerations based on the time of year -- when it's cold enough outside, saving the stuff in your fridge isn't as big a deal, as you can just put it outside (although, you might need to pack it in some critter-proof containers).

Good insulation can help in the colder months; Good tree planting and possibly some awnings on the windows or a good porch can help in the warmer months.

For general preparedness -- I like to keep at least one spare bottle of propane for my grill; one of these years, I'll get a heat proof thermal blanket, as I managed to cook a leather welding apron I tried using last year when cooking in a power outage.  (and don't think you can just go and swap out a tank ... when your car's been crushed under a fallen tree branch, and you've got no power for 2 days, it kinda sucks to run out of fuel.

Oh ... and pack your freezer and frige with water bottles.  It's thermal mass, and if you have to open a fridge, there's less air in the fridge that gets exchanged with the room temp air.  (again, not as bad a problem whem the house is 50 degrees, but it helps during huricane season).

If the power goes off in the winter, and you're going to abandon your house (go to a hotel, or a friend or relative), and it might be days before you come back to check on things,  before you leave, you may wish to drain the water in your pipes, so if the house does freeze you won't burst a pipe; then, when the house starts warming back up after the power comes back on, you don't come home to a huge mess.

Oh ... and trim the dead branches from trees, especially those above where you park your car.  (I'm not kidding about the crushed car thing when you're iced in with no power for 2 days ... it really sucks ... and looking out and seeing the office park across the street from you with their lights on)

update :

A few more considerations -- look over what sort of systems fail when you loose power, and find suitable alternatives that don't require electricity, and would be useable in storm conditions.

For instances, people with sump pumps might want to consider a backup "water powered" sump pump

For heating, if you have a fireplace you rarely use, it'd be good to clean your chimney over the spring or summer and not in a panic when you're trying to prep for everything else; a chimney cap to keep out birds and leaves will significantly reduce the risk of a fire.

If you've got a generator, you might consider building a suitable location to run it from, away from your house, so you don't risk exhaust coming into the house and CO poisioning.

You might also want to test your emergency systems -- make sure generators start, make sure a squirril hasn't chewn through the gas line to your grill (yep, had that one happen, too), or set up a nest inside your grill (happened to a friend), etc.

Also, you may want to consider re-adjusting the circuits in your house;  yes, there are laws against 'suicide cables' to connect a generator to the grid, but if you shut off the mains from your house, you can connect up the generator, and then just turn on the circuits you need on; unfortunately, in my house, the pumps for my radiators are on a different phase than my oil burner; if I had the fridge and heating all on one phase, I could keep it all going with out needing a 220V generator.


Can I use my shower while grout is curing?

All you need to do is leave the grout to dry before getting it wet. The instructions should tell you for how long. As you and others have pointed out drying and curing are separate things.

While you can use the shower after the grout is dried you may need to leave it for a day or two after it's cured before sealing. You don't want to seal any moisture in.


What is the minimum drill voltage/power required for a plumbing snake bit?

Depends on the size/strength of the clog.

However, as an owner of a Hitachi 12v cordless, I find it quite strong as long as the charge is good, so probably.


Looking for guidance with leaky foundation

The solution is simple, likely just not easy.
Find the source of the water and eliminate it.  For basements the usual sources are rainwater not being drained away from the foundation walls, or groundwater.
With rainwater, your best bet is to ensure that all of your gutters and downspouts are in correct working order and that the downspouts drain in such a way that the water is carried away from the structure and can safely drain off your property.
Groundwater is more difficult and to fix it properly you need to address the basement drainage and sealing from OUTSIDE.  Chances are this property either doesn't have a perimeter drain or it's failed and the walls are not properly waterproofed.  The usual solution is to excavate around the outside down to the footings and install a perimeter drain and then apply an appropriate sealing system on the outside that allows water to drain to the bottom and also prevents and infiltration into the basement.
The final part is a properly installed sump pit and pump to take care of anything that makes it past the first two lines of defense and also takes care of any groundwater that is coming from under the foundation.
There are no shortcuts if you want this done properly.  From the looks of this the problem has been going on for a long time, perhaps since the property was built.


I have a couple of questions for you.  Why are you trying to remove this section of the mixing valve body?  Are you planning on replacing the entire valve or trying to repair a faulty cartridge?  The piece you are pointing to is normally part of the valve assembly and there should be no reason to remove it to change out a cartridge. If you are replacing the the valve, you may need to remove the whole body from the hot and cold feed lines and install a new body specific to the new fixture.  This may not be a bad idea since it sounds like the old one may be stripped now.  Another advantage will be updating to a scald guard style, and install a hammer arrester at the same time.

Most often when trying to remove old fittings like this, heat is necessary, lots of heat.  Any internal parts, such as the cartridge, "O" rings etc must be removed so they will not melt. Mixing valves typically are difficult to solder/unsolder because they are large and require lots of heat. I usually use MAPP gas instead of propane.

The other thought I have is if the piece you are pointing to is two pieces, you will need two wrenches. One to hold the internal part and one to turn the larger external ring. If the internal part is already spinning, it may be damaged now.


Can you use chlorine bleach and baking powder in a dishwasher for mold / grime?

Dishwashers are especially prone to over suddsing.  The Clorox is going to soften the water to such an extent the even the proper soap will over suds. Dish washer detergent is designed specifically to retard the formation of bubbles.


What you propose will work (assuming you’re also connecting grounds). However, you have no reason to use a GFCI outlet on the load side of the first. In fact, you don’t want to use one. Outdoor GFCI outlet don’t last, even with a an outdoor cover.

If you get a ground fault outside, there is no guarantee that the outdoor GFCI will trip first.

Just use a good quality normal outlet downstream of the switch and garage GFCI. Don’t forget to label that outlet “GFCI protected”.

Edit: as Harper noted in his answer, if you really want the GFCI Outside (so you can reset it there, for example), don’t put it downstream of the inside GFCI. Instead of connecting to the LOAD terminals, instead connect to the wires feeding the LINE side. You’ll probably need to use wirenuts to add pigtails (short wires) to connect the indoor outlet.


What could cause my Kitchen tile flooring to come loose and start lifting?

It could involve the thinset you used. Generally a latex modified thinset will give a stronger bond, especially in a high foot traffic are like the kitchen. If your thinset was not latex modified it's possible that the water degraded the integrity of the bond.


Do I have to strip or sand a table before painting with chalk paint?

This depends on what type of chalk paint you buy and the look you want on the table.

If your table has been painted twice with latex paint it could very well be that it is started to look "round" because of the thickness of the paint.  If you want more of a flat finish you would have to strip the paint.

Almost assuredly you cannot just paint chalkboard paint right over your old paint.  Since it is a table not only will you have to deal with the normal paint adhering issues but you will also deal with a ton of dirt and oil.  At the very least a light sanding, primer based on the chalkboard paint you bought, and then paint.

Note that if you skip the primer you could end up putting 4-5 coats of the chalkboard paint on before you get 100% coverage and this is more expensive than your primer.


Replacing two fence posts within a 32" span

I ended up going with the first option since it was indeed the easiest, and when these need to be replaced, it'll be easier to break up than an entirely solid footing.


I would use a shellac based primer after roughing up the surface. When doing this kind of work I use a tool that holds a roll of tape and paper 4” to 12” wide paper (hand mask dispenser) this helps to put the tape right at the joint and the additional width of paper really helps to catch drips , sloppy brush marks, I hate painting so I get tools to make it as easy as possible.


How to determine electrical box size per NEC

You count all wires that depart the box
When dealing with box fill, you have to count all the wires that depart the box (NEC 314.16(B)(1) is phrased "Each conductor that originates outside the box and terminates or is spliced within the box..."), no matter which direction they're running in the circuit topology.  Note, however, that while you need two hots and two neutrals running through the LFMC, you only need one grounding wire shared between both circuits. (Think about the case where the conduit's the grounding path.)
Note also that you only need to count 1/4 of your grounds for box fill. (It used to be that you only counted one ground out of the entire grounding bundle in the box, but that changed in 2020 to deal with boxes that had loads and loads of cables entering them.)


How can I replace an integrated security light with a solar powered version?

Typically an exterior light will have a cable directly from the switch to the light soley for the purpose of switching. This is unlike some electrical boxes you will find in your interior where there are circuits branching off within the box, or where power might come in at the ceiling and then a cable is run to the switch.

Assuming this is the case, once you disconnect it the old switch and light, connect the hot and neutral (black/white) together with a wirenut on both ends. This is a good way of indiciating that it is no longer in use, and if someone were to mistakenly connect it again, it would short out and trip the breaker.  If it is not wired in this manner you will need to be a bit more careful with what you disconnect and tie together.

On the outside, if your new light fixture is not being mounted to the same electrical box then you would want to cap the box with a weather tight cover.


what is the brown foam and sludge in my water softener brine tank?

"Iron Reducing Bacteria" create energy by oxidizing soluble iron in the water.  In the process this creates insoluble iron which settles out and leaves iron staining.  The bacteria themselves create biofilms or foamy messes in several areas, most notably toilet tanks and water heaters.  Look in your toilet tank, if you have similar foam and iron staining you probably have iron reducing bacteria in the water.

If you do have iron reducing bacteria you have to deal with them at the source, your well.  Generally this involves pouring bleach or another sanitizer down the well, pulling and circulating that through the plumbing system and then letting it stand in the pipes and well for 12-24 hours.  This is not a permanent fix, but it can get you a few months respite.  Any well company can assist with this process or you can find information online.

The problem is your water softener resin beads will be destroyed by this process, normally the water softener is bypassed during sanitization.  You need to sanitize the plumbing system separately, and clean the water softener by hand.  I recommend replacing the resin beads and sanitizing the resin tanks and brine tank at the same time.

A more expensive but permanent solution is to install water treatment systems to deal with the bacteria.  Usually this involves chlorine injection, some contact time in a tank to kill the bacteria, and then running the water through a filter or reverse osmosis system to remove the dead bacteria and most of the chlorine.  This is very expensive.


How can I cut aluminum angle stock without damaging my tools?

At work we cut aluminium with a drop saw. An sometimes our table saw.
We have a drop saw set up just for aluminium, with a fine tooth blade. It don't really do any damage to it as long as you cut slow.
aluminium is softer then some of the timber we cut.
So anyway if your trying to cut neat cuts use drop saw. An shouldn't do damage.
If you are worried use a angle grinder with a thin cutting blade.


Can I suspend garage storage from the ceiling alone?

Can I suspend both sides to the ceiling?
Yes, if:

Your ceiling is capable of supporting the weight. You're typically dealing with 2x4 truss chords, but I have no idea what your situation is. I'd consider laying a sturdy crossbar across several ceiling joists to distribute weight, and fasten your uprights to that.
You fasten properly. Don't rely on bolt pullout strength unless you size them adequately. If using the 1/4" lags you mentioned, they should be installed horizontally, tying your uprights to the crossbar or ceiling joists. This places the load in shear rather than tension. If you must install screws vertically, use 7/16" or 1/2" lags, piloted properly, and with adequate penetration.
You don't need the stability that wall attachment provides. If you're not tossing heavy objects up there regularly, where movement is a concern, this shouldn't be a problem.

What fasteners should I use?
Again, that depends on your design. I used nothing but 2-1/2" gold construction screws for my full-length racks, but I only use them in shear and I use multiples where needed. 1/4" lags are a good idea.


What is the Philips screw naming convention (Mn)? What is 2 in M2?

"M" screws are all metric, by standard. The number following the M is the outer diameter of the screw threads, in millimeters, so an M4 screw's threads have an outer diameter of 4mm.

See Wikipedia for more information.


Is it safe to use a receptacle with wires broken off in the backstab connectors?

Play it safe. Replace the receptacle. What else can you get these days for 71 cents? $1.24 if you get tamper-resistant (which nobody likes but you're supposed to use in many places now) and $2.18 for commercial-grade instead of residential-grade (electrically the same but built a bit better).


Can I put a 3-gang box and a 2-gang box (Old Construction) just next to each other to make a 5-gang box?

If HD is your only option then they can order it for you. Here is one -

If you put two together then the spacing will not be right for the cover plate to line up for all switches.

They do make modular ones so you can daisy chain several together, I have seen them a lowes but i can not find a link.

You may need to go to a dedicated electrical supply house.


Get yourself a good quality folding measuring stick like that pictured below. These have a slide out bar that allows for exact inside measurement transfers to be made.

One useful technique for marking in a precise manner is to use a sharp blade to make a cut mark instead of using a pencil. The cut is much finer than a pencil line.

Another useful technique if making multiple pieces the same length is to cut one length from some scrap wood and use it as a template length. Again use the blade to make a short cut mark for the length. Use of scrap piece helps to ensure you always use the same piece for measuring as opposed to picking up the 2nd or 3rd piece for the next measurement.


How long have Decora switches and receptacles been manufactured?

According to Leviton Decora became popular in the 1970s.

The New York Times from February 8, 1976 (page 118) has a picture of a Decora light switch.


Should I protect a shipping container from direct contact with the ground?

Containers are designed to be supported in 4 corners and span the rest.

If your container is longer than 40 feet (12 metres), you will find 8 support points, not 4.  The most important ones are the middle ones that are 40' (12m) apart.

Left in contact with the ground, they will rust uncontrollably, with rate wildly depending on the soil type, pH and wetness.

The contact with the earth will also be a haven for critters.   what kind of critter will depend on the height, so you get to decide whether the underspace is fit for scorpions, cats or horses!  Choose a height that will attract the least dangerous or most desirable critters.


macerating toilet installation with 4x90 degrees

This will probably work, but is not ideal.  It will put additional strain on the pump and be prone to blockages (moreso than something with no 90's).  If there is no cleanout nearby then you have another problem: getting a snake through all of these bends to clear a blockage.  Again, this is no a "showstopper" and you can still clean this out, but your job is just a bit harder than it should be (that's a general plumbing issue not related to macerating toilets specifically).
A similar question is available on the Saniflo FAQ page where they recommend against any 90 degree elbows...and you have four.  In the end, your question

Is this ok>

depends on what you mean by "ok".
Will it work?  Yes.
Will it work as well as something that was plumbed correctly?  No, you will be more prone to blockages and additional wear on the pump.


Just shut it off in the main panel.

Or... Change out the main panel breaker to 20A.
Put a pair of duplex receptacles fed off the hot tub subpanel breaker.  The breaker in the main panel provides overcurrent protection for the receptacles.   The breaker in the hot tub panel provides GFCI.


How do I insulate the ceiling in my crawlspace?

I am also in the Northeast and have had to tackle this type of situation a few times. There are several ways to attack it.

In your case, the best solution, but unfortunately the most expensive would be to use an open cell foam kit to fill the joist bays. They are fairly easy to use and give you about an R-4 rating per inch. They are a two tank kit with a hose and wand.
 Here is an example product: Touch N Seal 1000 Kit Open Cell Spray Foam Insulation

These type of kits start around $400, depending on the square footage and depth required.

A cheaper method would be to use 24 inch R-19 unfaced blanket insulation cut to your custom widths. You can use wire springs to hold it in place and keep it from falling. I would then cover the entire area with 4 to 6 mil plastic, stapled to all the joists. Tape the joints, if any. Moisture should not be a major problem since you have already done what sounds like a good job sealing the dirt floor. In the summer months, some ventilation in the crawl space will also help avoid excess moisture.

Rigid foam glued to the foundation walls would also help if the area is fairly air tight. If there is free air flow, insulating the brick walls would be a waste of time and money.


In the U.S., (I see you use cm. Metric is too difficult for us Americans,) there are several types of stairs that “bend” around corners, etc. We call them 1) spiral stairs, 2) winding stairs (your stair design), 3) curved stairs.

One of the most important requirement in the Code is that the stairs must be uniform. That means uniform height, depth, depth at wall line, etc. (I see your treads vary in width 31 cm from the narrow end.)

For spiral and winding stairs, our Code requires a minimum of 7 1/2” wide at a point 12” from the narrow end (the walk line).

Nosings shall not exceed 1 1/4” beyond the riser below and beveling nosings shall not exceed 9/16”.

Standard risers shall be a maximum of 7” and a minimum depth of 11”. However, in residences, the maximum riser height shall be 7 3/4” and the minimum tread depth of winder stairs is 10” in residences. (There are exceptions to these dimensions for spiral stairs...see above.)

Remember, using winding stairs is most dangerous descending. The likelihood of missing a narrow tread while descending is far more likely than missing a tread ascending. Make sure handrails are installed on both sides of the stairs...if not possible, make sure you have a handrail on the right side descending.

BTW, excellent drawing.


Wiring 2 lights with 2 switches in a double gang box

In the switch box ("gangbox" is not what we call it) One of those 14/2 cables is the hot feed from the panel.

In that box:
All of the bare wires (grounds) get connected together.

All of the white wires (neutrals) get connected together.

The switches are fed from the black wire from the panel.

The switches are then connected to one each of the black wires to the ceiling light and outside respectively.

Good luck and stay safe!


Theory: How do thermostats without a "C" common wire get powered?

First things first: I'm happy to see that you, too, yearn for IP-based control of things without those things caving in to the pressure to cloudify. Oh that more devices would offer a cloudless local network only option, and leave it to the user to implement VPN or other means for remote operation.

Anyway, in days gone by, thermostats were simple switches. It could literally be a toggle switch you'd manually throw to turn the heat on and off, or it could be an automatically-operated switch where a bimetal element or spring caused the switch to open and close based on temperature. Things were simple. The switch completed the circuit and the transformer's voltage was applied to the coil of a relay. Then came electronics.

Battery-powered thermostats can play a variety of tricks to extend the life of the batteries. One is the use of latching relays. One applies a current only to change the relay's state; it then keeps that state forever with no power consumed in the coil. Another current through the coil can cause the relay to change state again. Another trick is to steal power from the control circuit. As you noted, some amount of current must flow in order to make the relay in the furnace activate. A power stealing thermostat can let some nominal current flow -- not enough to activate the furnace relays -- and use this power for part or all of its own operation. This might be accomplished with an input current limited switching power supply of some sort.

It sounds like you have enough electronics background that you'll be able to sort out what's going on with the existing equipment if you're so inclined. It's possible that your zone controller may have failed, but based on what you've said of the system, I won't be surprised if it and/or the dampers and other equipment just never has been correctly installed/configured.


Removing the cover for this light fixture

Pull the spring-loaded prong away from the dome, and tip the dome below it - then pull the dome away from the other two prongs. Don't push the spring-loaded prong with the dome.

Simple geometry says that the required distance of movement to get
one prong clear is considerably less than what's need to clear the
ones at 120 degrees from it.
Trigonometry quantifies that to about half, if I'm constructing the
problem correctly in my head.


Yes, they should be grounded. You have ground wire in the box. Just twist some bare copper on to it for each switch and then nut it off


My washing machine drain is over flowing.

There is a plug below the floor drain. This is why when the washer drains it backs up. Soon it will start backing up when you take a bath.
The reason it got worse is the land lord knocked more debris into the plug and it is draining even more slowly.
A long power snake is the best way to clean these problems as it will get worse with time, drain cleaner may help but I wouldn’t count on it. (I say it will start backing up with a bath, this depends if the bath is on the right side of the plug).


How can I shave about 1/8" from a 8'x3/4"x1 1/2" strip of oak?

The tool of choice for this type of shaving operation is a router with a ball bearing edge cutting bit. Since the edge that you attached is 3/4 inch thick you would an edge cutting bit that has at least a 7/8 inch cutting edge.

The picture below shows this type of trimming operation in process.

Note that when you set out to do this for your project you will need a more powerful router than the small single hand sized unit shown in the picture. Shown is a small router known as a laminate and veneer trimming router. Also it can be tricky balancing a larger sized router along the 1 3/8 inch edge of your plywood pieces so use care to be safe. I also suggest that before using a router to spend some time researching online and become familiar with the proper cutting direction for router use and to learn about some jigging possibilities that you can use to help stabilize the router base by clamping on another parallel edge of wood or plywood that is spaced away from the cut piece by more than the width of the router bit. The picture below shows one type of jig clamped in place to provide more support for the router during an edge trimming operation.


How do we install drywall on a curved ceiling that is within 4 feet high from the loft floor?

1/4" drywall will readily bend into a radius and is available at the big box stores. 2 layers of that with glue between the framing and the 2nd layer. A 2X4, as long as the sheet with a few short 2X to hold it while you screw it in place. It must be tight to the framing before you run screws into it to hold it.


How to plumb a point of use water heater overflow

You can add a “T” fitting to your sink drain there are metal versions available also.
The “T” section needs to be above your P trap. This is how dishwashers are usually drained but should be fine for your overflow line.


Can I use pex for this connection between the shower and the tub faucet?

Yes, you can. But there's an important caveat here. The other connectors are using Sharkbites, which are push connectors. The two in your picture are a compression fitting. You'll either want a crimp ring or a clamp ring to secure the pex to the fitting. These might require a special tool. You might also get away with using a regular screw clamp.


What kind of walls are these? What hardware should I use to hang up some canvas prints?

The walls look and sound like plaster, probably over wooden lath. The lath is then nailed to wooden studs at intervals, probably at 16 inch centers.

A common approach to hanging art and mirrors on both plaster and plasterboard (drywall) is to use picture hooks with thin, hardened nails, such as these

The nails are sharp enough and thin enough not to do damage to most plaster.  The hooks (properly sized and in multiples) are strong enough to hold up over 100 lbs. Canvases on stretchers should be no problem unless they are many feet long.

Use at least two hooks to spread the load and improve leveling of hte pictures.

When the load approaches 100 lbs., extends out from the wall, or is subject to movement, it's time to find studs, or at least heavy duty toggle bolts.

  Images and links are illustrative only, not an endorsement of goods or sources.


Why is it OK to bond the neutral and ground in an appliance?

That is absolutely correct.  It is not OK to tie neutral and ground of an appliance.  This is literally bootlegging ground.

"Ok" is not the same thing as "legal".  It is legal to do this, only on dryers and oven/range, when installing on old wiring with no ground. This was a compromise worked out with the appliance industry, who feared losing sales.  The rationalization is that dryers and ranges are rarely unplugged and moved, so a neutral wire failure is unlikely.

Unrelated, since then, Code now broadly allows retrofitting grounds.

Hooking up an appliance in this regime

There are only two legal ways to connect a range or dryer.

using a 3-wire connection (hot-hot-neutral no ground), you are to bond neutral to ground in the range or dryer.
using a 4- wire connection (hot-hot-neutral-ground), DO NOT bond neutral to ground in the range or dryer.  This bond should be removed.

Using a 4-wire connection and still bonding neutral and ground would be a disaster for the reasons you cite.


The lighting in my house is dimly light when the switches are off, but only the LED's are lighly lit, the other types of lights just lighly flicker

I'm assuming that your lighted switches are lit when the switch is off. These work by passing a low current through the load to provide power to the built-in light. With normal incandescent lights as load, the current is too low to make them glow. However, the LEDs take so little power, that this small current will light them.

If you want to use LEDs, you probably need to either replace the switches or have at least one incandescent bulb on the switched circuit.


what mil thick plastic to hang for dust management

I can comment, from tons of experience, that trying to secure the plastic with blue painters tape is highly likely to lead to a great disappointment in performance. Taping up even the thinnest plastic sheeting is so easily torn down by any pulls and tugs on the plastic. Heavier plastic is even worse.

My recommendation, if you have to use tape, is to use something a lot more aggressive such as Gorilla Tape.

Even better is to drape the top edge of the plastic over a thin board strip such as a 1x2 and prop that up against the ceiling with additional 1x2s that are cut to the proper length to wedge in from floor to ceiling. Then run painters tape along the edge to seal the plastic to the ceiling if needed.

Note that professionals use a product that has adjustable spring loaded posts to hold up plastic in the same manner that I described with the 1x2s above. One such system is described here.