Are expansion joints required when running wire to an outbuilding?

Conduit
Is there any way you can move that east-west pipe north two grids (I'm assuming up is north) so it hugs the house?  That would reduce you to three 90s including the stub-ups.

You need Schedule 80 PVC for the stub-ups at both ends (bottom of vertical curve to conduit body).

Expansion joints, I just don't glue my PVC conduit except where I need to, e.g. within 10' of a stub-up or corner because I don't want it coming apart or moving from pull forces.  You won't keep water out; that's a lost cause.

Speaking of pull forces, make sure that pipe is good-and-buried and tamped down well, before you start pulling. The pull force would much rather move the whole pipe than just the wire.

The conduit body does not count as a 90, because it is accessible.

The stub-ups don't have to be dead vertical. If you're parallel to the building you can use a 45 degree at the bottom of the stub-up and come up the wall at a slant. The conduit body doesn't care. Two 45s like that and an extra-broad 90 underground wouldn't be terrible to pull, given your favor for extra large conduit.  I would use Rigid for the exposed slanted part, because idiots.

If this seems like a lot of digging near the foundation, consider that Rigid conduit only requires a 6" burial depth.  It's hella expensive, but it doesn't look like far, and you can trench it with a garden trowel. The only downside to Rigid is it must be cut and threaded, so it'll take a few runs to a hardware store that cuts and threads pipe (and shoplifters).

By the way, that stuff is all much cheaper at the electrical supply.
When you're at the electrical supply, mention your "thin wall" problem.  I bet the person will disappear in the back and come back with a couple of iron or aluminum 1-1/2" 90 conduit bodies that have nice stubby ends.  That plus a metal "close nipple" and a metal nut, should get it done.
If you can't solve it any other way, I'd thicken the wall in that immediate area with some plywood so the geometry works. Probably help with the conduit entering the ground also.
Wire
I don't know where people get the idea that #2 aluminum is rated for 100A.  Table 310.15(B)(16) plainly states 90A in the 75C column, which you usually get to use. (60C if dealing with UF or NM). I suspect they are stealing the friendly derate from 310.15(B)(7), which is only for whole services not subpanel feeder.
You need #1 aluminum for 100A feeder. (or #3 copper).   That with a #8 copper will fill your Sch 80 conduit to 26% which ain't so bad.  You can use #6 aluminum for your ground, as long as it's insulated.  Only copper can be bare in a wet location.
THWN or XHHW wire can't just be loosy-goosy flopping around in your walls. But it sounds like you are running straight out the back of the panel via a conduit body into conduit runs, then back out the same way.  That is all conduit or raceway which is fine.


Wiring Check-Over (Should be an easy answer)

"T" junctions ARE allowed in wiring.
Most circuits out there are wired using "vine" topology: Cables run Panel-A, A-B, B-C, C-D, D-E.  However, that is not a requirement.
"Tree" topology (unlimited tees and branches) is actually correct, allowed, and encouraged.
As such, the double cable run labeled "new lines" is completely unnecessary, and undesirable, due to the likelihood of crossing up wires in a bad way, and the many cubic inches it will require (overflowing the box, likely).
So eliminate one of the lines, and just make it a 3-way "Tee" intersection.  That takes care of that, and cubic inch count is down to 18.  (or 15.75 if there are no cable clamps in the box).
Wires need 6"+ of slack coming into a box. Period.
Each cable entering a junction box needs to have the sheath come in at least 1/4" and then have 6" of wire past the sheath.
And that's bare minimums: you want another few inches to cover broken off wire ends, trim-backs, and other minor casualties that will happen over the years. So you need to plan the location of the "new wall junction" accordingly.
For instance,  you might be able to use the section of cable going into the GFCI to pull in a new section of cable to the wall junction.  There are 1000 tricks, and there are "old work" electricians who know every trick and have the wacky 6' long flexible drill bits and other tricky stuff to get it done without disturbing drywall surfaces.
The old fridge outlet can stay
The existing fridge outlet doesn't need to be eliminated.  In fact, you have to be careful about receptacle spacing rules that you don't eliminate a mandatory receptacle.  I would advise just leaving it there... does not do any harm, and you can't bury it in drywall anyway, so the best you can do is a blank cover plate.  Instead maybe put a tiny shelf underneath it, et voilà, cell phone charging table!
Fridge non-GFCI
If you are using the GFCI's "Load" terminals to protect the downline, the new fridge location will be NOT under GFCI protection.  That is fine.  A properly grounded refrigerator does not benefit much from GFCI protection, but nuisance GFCI trips create a serious risk of food spoilage, and that's not as easy to detect as you'd think.
So it's a classic issue of "Safety system vs. safety system", like an AFCI on a fire alarm. Of course each profession will have strong feelings about their side of it lol...
Anyway, if circumstances call for you to "tee" off the GFCI, then you can attach the extra 2 wires to the "LINE" side of the GFCI, and it will be non-protected.  Almost all GFCIs will take 2 wires under each screw (read the instructions for how).
Consider surface conduit
You aren't allowed to mill a groove in the drywall and run non-metallic cables near the surface.  Cables must be run through center of joists, such that they are immune from damage by nails or screws 1-1/2" long.  OR, the must be guarded by a protective metal plate.
Honestly, the easiest way to do this is using surface conduit such as Legrand Wiremold.  You can install a "starter box" at the GFCI site, then run surface conduit over and up to the desired fridge outlet location.  The GFCI would come upward a bit and sit inside the starter box, and you could tap the GFCI's "Line" or "Load" terminals depending on if you wanted the fridge outlet GFCI protected or not.


Is it possible to install electrical meter between main panel and subpanel?

It is certainly possible to insert a meter, just by adding a meter pan and buying a meter (the utility does not need to be involved - it's not a utility meter, it's local to allow you to correctly distribute the cost unfairly applied to the end-unit owners in the present scheme.) Used "dumb" mechanical meters should be widely available since utilities replaced a lot of them with "smart" meters in recent years. Since it's multi-unit housing, a licensed electrician is required, and the fire alarm company needs to know when it's happening, but that should be about it - don't know if it needs a permit, but that's a LAHJ call in any case, so ask yours (or your electrician - NOT handyman.)
The 1500W heaters probably relate to the other question's room temperature sensors - there's your heating element to keep things from freezing. And probably most of your operating expense. Or the sensors may just be for alarm purposes, with the heaters on a normal thermostat.
The breakers will trip if they need to. The device on the handle prevents them from being manually turned off. They will trip regardless of the handle position, if they need to trip.
As noted many times in subpanel questions here, the sub-panel main is a local shutoff, and does not need to match the feed breaker supplying the sub-panel. So a 20A feed to a 100A sub-panel main is perfectly legit.


For a temporary fix gorilla tape would be my choice. Make sure the area that you are going to seal is wiped clean prior to putting the tape up. Since there is no real pressure the tape should hold on the inside to stop the leak.


Will a locksmith prefer to install a handle on a door that is hung or laying flat on horses?

I would vastly prefer to do them hung.

As far as just attaching the hardware, that job is a cakewalk when the door is hung.  Doing it while the door is on sawhorses only creates a handling problem; the doorknob will be awkward.

If holes need to be drilled for the knob, latch and strike, then trying to do that separately using measurements would be insane. 95% chance you'd mount the carefully measured door, and by golly, they'd be misaligned.

Doing the work hung doesn't add enough difficulty to be worth the trouble it will cause for fitment.


Why is my air compressor drawing too many amps?

With no load on the motor you should not see or even be close to FLA at speed.
Sounds like time to add grease/ oil to the motor bearings. You could also replace the bearings.
It is common for older motors to start to draw more as the bearings fail.
I would not wait long or the rotor may start hitting the stator then it is time for a new motor most of the time.


Secure subfloor underwall between joists

EDIT:

I let the photo lull me into a sense that the OP had more access to the joists than what is actually accessible. I did indicate what I think the answer is, in the final sentence of my final answer as an option...

You obviously can't leave plywood cantilevered out in space like that, and there's no way to butt one piece of plywood up against another in open air and have it support a load. The gap is also too big to sister the existing joist with a 2x4 and create a lip to support the plywood.

So I believe your only viable option is to use metal joist hangers and install short perpendicular joists between the two existing prefab joists. My first instinct was to suggest 2x6's for this, but I looked at an online joist load calculator and it exposed my tendency to overbuild. 2x4's are probably fine. (example:  http://www.awc.org/codes-standards/calculators-software/spancalc). I'd put them on standard 16" centers so you don't get any sag in the plywood subfloor. Then you could lay a strip of plywood down across those new joists, and the new joists will support everything.

You might have to work a little to tap/pound the ears on the joist hangers between the left joist and the subfloor above it, or find hangers designed to be mounted to a flat surface without a top ledge.

The only other options that would work would seem to involve demo work on the wall above the left joist.

ORIGINAL ANSWER:

If I'm seeing that picture correctly, you have full open access to everything from above and below.

You want to set the cutting depth on a circular saw so that it just barely cuts through the plywood, and do a rip cut from above, straight down the middle of the joist/truss on the left (do NOT notch into the top of that truss). Then tear up the plywood, and lay new plywood down spanning both joists.

Another option might be to create short joists between the existing ones, perpendicular to them.


1 king and one jack per side, assuming it's not an unusual load above. If your header has space above, make the jack continue up to the plate.

Only caution is that even though the 6" fill looks good on paper, the slightest fatness in your framing materials coupled with a tiny bit of "out of plumb", might mean your door is a tight fit. Buy the dryest 2x material you can find.


How do I wire multiple switches for my bathroom lights and fan?

If I understand your layout, you could wire it like this:

Chaining to all four lights like this requires the use of 12/3 cable for the first two sections, but if you want to follow Tester101's suggestion and add the extra conductor to the fan circuit for possible future use, you're going to buy some 12/3 anyway.

EDIT: Carl Witthoft is correct, the bathroom should be protected by a GFCI. I have altered my diagram to show a GFCI outlet with downstream protection.


Well, there might be a couple of issues here. But I don't think it is all that uncommon to have two dishwashers.

Of course, the most important thing is going to be how you connect the drain hoses. If you have a garbage disposal with a drain connection for a dishwasher, it's only going to accommodate one dishwasher. So you could connect one to the disposal, and connect the other into the tailpiece under the sink basin opposite the disposal. You have to put a high under-sink loop in both drain hoses at the very least. Check your local code, though. There's a good chance you have to install an air-gap device on each drain hose, and you might have to mount the air gaps above the counter top.

So the issue you might be reading about is backflow, which is when dirty water flows backwards into your dishwasher. Generally, the high loop(s) and, if required, the air gap device(s) will prevent this.

Another related issue is that it's important to drain the dishwasher(s) into the sewer line before the P trap. The water plug sitting in the P trap (combined with proper venting) is what keeps sewer gases from pushing back up into your house. If you connect the dishwasher drain hose(s) downstream of the P trap, you subvert this mechanism and sewer gases will push up into your dishwasher.

Back pressure might be a different matter, if the drain pipe under your sink is too small to handle both dishwashers draining at the same time, or if the pipe is clogged, then the water pressure could be high enough to force some of the water back up the drain pipe into your sink.


240v double pole breaker for two 120v circuits

The last guy got the 2-pole breaker thing right, the amperage wrong, and the GFCI wrong.  Here's what you need.

The breaker needs to be correct for the smallest wire in the circuit.  If it's all 12 AWG (no 14 AWG extensions) then the breaker must be 20 amps or smaller.  A 30A breaker is wrong and should be removed from service immediately.

Since it's a multi-wire branch circuit (MWBC), the circuit needs common shut-off, and with circuit breakers, that means either a 240V/2-pole breaker, or single breakers with handle-ties.  A handle-tie is a bit of plastic that sits in between the handles so they jointly shut-off.  It's sold by proper electrical supply houses; Big Box won't stock it.

Since it's a bathroom, at least part of the circuit needs to be GFCI protected.  Single-pole GFCI breakers with handle ties won't work.  The only options are:

A 2-pole, 120/240V GFCI breaker (expensive)
GFCI receptacles, making sure if you connect any additional loads on the "LOAD" side of the GFCI receptacle, that they use a dedicated hot-neutral pair separate from the MWBC shared neutral.


Looks like a doorbell transformer. Prolly output is 24 V ac from input 120 V ac in the metal box.


It could possibly be a clean out valve. These valves are often found under sinks which clog easily and/or often (like the kitchen sink), because they provide an easy way for a plumber to access the clog. It is much easier for a plumber to access a clog in a drainpipe that has a clean out valve, because the plumber can access the clog through the valve, which is usually a straighter line to the clog than having to go through the sink drain's p-trap, where drain cleaning equipment might become stuck or at least more difficult to maneuver.
I would not recommend routing a second drain line through the mysterious valve for three reasons:

You would need to ensure that the new left-hand sink drain had a proper p-trap, similar to the one currently under both sinks, as a p-trap helps prevent clogged drains and keeps sewer gasses out of your home. Additionally, many localities require p-traps under sinks or other places where sewage gasses might come up into your home.
If that mystery valve is a clean-out valve, you will be eliminating or at least restricting the point of access to it, and if your plumbing ever gets clogged behind that drain, you (or a plumber) will have a much harder time accessing and unclogging the drain.
Unless you know for sure that that mystery valve is in fact connected to your main drain line and is in good working order (no clogs, leaks, or unsound pipes), you might be allowing water to leak into your wall, which could lead to mold or other structural damage.

I would just leave your kitchen sink plumbing as it currently is, since it appears to be plumbed correctly, and bubbles coming up on the other side of your sink is a common and harmless problem. I often experience that problem myself, and the way I handle it is by simply running water down the drain in the sink where the bubbles are coming up. Usually, that washes the excess suds down the drain, and it is a simple, effective solution.


How to make a switched outlet, half switched, half hot

You want to break the connecting tabs off the receptacle (bend back and forth with needle nose pliers until metal fatigue causes them to break off), then just wire one plug to always be hot, and feed the other one through a switch:


Shear and Point Load rules of thumb for maximizing window area?

Yes, there is a rule-of-thumb for determining shear walls and how wide windows should be to have the posts between the windows transfer the loads adequately to the foundation.

You're in one of the highest rated seismic areas in the U.S.  Critical loads are moving the building up-down and side-to-side. We try to tie the roof to the walls and the walls to the foundation for vertical and horizontal loads.

I don't know the width of your house (I'll explain why that's important later), but as a rule-of-thumb, for seismic loads, you need a minimum of 4' of shearwall at each corner (before any windows) and you want no more than 60% of the length of the wall for window / door area. This allows you about 40% of the wall to tie to the roof and foundation.

For your 25' long wall, without structural calculations, I'd use :
25' x 40% = 10' of shear wall (Sorry, I know you want about 20' of window area.)

As a rule-of-thumb, the house length to width needs to be no greater than 1:3. So, if the 25' is the width, then the length should not be greater than 75'. Likewise, if the length is 25', then the width will be no greater than 25' (1:1) and no less than 8'-4"...you don't want it too skinny either.

Now the width of windows: As a rule-of-thumb, the width of each window should not be greater than twice the height of the foundation wall (stem wall plus depth of footing). So, if the stem wall is 18" high and the footing is 6" thick, then the windows should not be any wider than 4'. (As a rule-of-thumb, loads transfer from the wood posts between the windows to the concrete foundation at a 45 degree angle. So you don't want to be further apart than what can be transferred through the foundation to the ground.)

Yes, you are correct, Simpson has some great holddowns and pre-made shearwalls that we often use for garages because the garage doors exceed the 40-60% rule-of-thumb. However, they're expensive and you'll need to calculate the tributary loads. Keeping your house fairly rectangular, installing 4' shearwalls at all corners and keeping window widths about twice the depth of the foundation, you'll be safe.

By the way, use 1/2" minimum plywood (not OSB board for wall and roof sheathing) and nail at all supports with 10d at 4" o.c. at all supports...roof and wall. (If you nail any closer, you'll split the studs and have no resistance.) This all assumes the shearwalls are no less than about 1:2. If you have a vaulted 16' high wall, then the corner shearwall needs to be about 8' wide.

If these rules-of-thumbs don't work for you, you'll need to get it calculated. I'd get a hold of a structural engineer (NOT a civil engineer) in your area. Tell him you just want the calculations, not the plans. It'll cost you about 4 hours of his time (assuming he's got the software) and you can install it as per his design.


That's from Best of Wordless Workshop by Ray Doty; the original was a monthly column in Popular Science. (Published sometime between 1971-1985)

The retail versions probably make more sense, but you can hum the theme from the A-Team while exterminating with this one. Besides, Wordless Workshop was a great feature.


Check if the place you bought the trim from has end caps which are common also


As others have already commented, the touchless voltage detectors are often too sensitive. I've found that if I keep a finger on one side of the detector tip while checking individual wires in a box it takes care of the oversensitivity. Try laying a finger on one side of the detector pen tip while checking for voltage on the bar or bracket. If it still beeps, get a multimeter and extend a connected wire from the bar down to where you can test between it and the grounded (third) prong of three-prong outlet or other ground connection to see if you have voltage. Using this wire extension from the bar setup you can also check for voltage between it and neutral, and between it and hot. Record your findings and comment here.

It is possible you may have skinned a wire with a mounting screw without breaking it. It is also possible that you are not getting shocked because the other surfaces you are touching is not sufficient to ground you, especially if you are wearing rubber soled shoes. One day you may grab a hold of the bar in bare feet, expecting to do a few reps and find yourself needing a defibrillator instead. I think it is worth doing a few more tests to be on the safe side.


How can I manage a drop ceiling potentially overlapping the top of a window?

I had an almost an identical situation as you have shown except I worked very hard to eliminate the amount the drop down ceiling came down and was able to get it to work at 3.5 inches. I the built a wood box as shown in my diagram below that allowed the drop ceiling to fit around the box but still allow the window to exist full size.

This picture is a side view looking into the edge view of the window unit. The box is typically made of four pieces of pine boards including the top, two ends and the front face that parallels the window. The amount of projection out from the window will depend upon far back the window surface is from the wall surface and how far down the drop ceiling comes.


Where is the Main Shutoff my Cutler-Hammer Breaker Box?

What you have is called a split-buss panel.

Code allows up to six "main" breakers or disconnects. The top six double-pole spaces in your panel are all main disconnects. One (spaces 9/11) is the "lighting main" which shuts off the bottom half of the panel.

The lugs at the top of the panel are unfused lines coming from the meter.

As a side note, the single-pole breakers in the top half of your panel are technically a code violation since that caused you to have more than six disconnects to shut down all power.


Should the neutral and ground bars in my panel be bonded?

Since this is a main panel, neutral and ground can go on the same bar

The reason why you see neutrals and grounds commingled here is because when wiring a main panel, many electricians who wire mostly main panels (vs. wiring subpanels for the most part) find it quicker and simpler to simply slobber all the neutral and ground wires onto whatever bonded bar is handy.  They can get away with this because your main panel is the one and only point in your system where neutral and ground are allowed to meet -- they must be kept separate everywhere else.

So, you can simply sort out any spots where neutral and ground have been landed on the same hole, and call it good.

As to that ground screw?

As to the apparently-missing ground screw -- I'd try a Square-D 4028345850K since this appears to be a 100/125A loadcenter.  If it doesn't fit into the empty hole on the top right, post back with clear photos of the label on the inside left of the loadcenter cabinet.


How to install linoleum floor under carpet?

I don't see any nail-heads or screw-heads in the carpet edge trim, so you probably have one like this:

You might be able to save it, but they're cheap so I'd just replace it with a new one.  Pry it up taking care not to damage the door trim.  The carpet in the door opening should be loose enough that you can get access to the linoleum underneath (there may be a tack strip across the opening but you should still have a little room to play with). Finish removing the old linoleum flooring, then install the new flooring, gluing it down as you would normally.  Remove the old edge trim from the carpet -- I'm familiar with ones that are folded onto the carpet edge to hold it, so just bend it back.  Install the new one at the edge of the linoleum.  Push the carpet into the new edge trim, making sure it's taut, then bend the trim down to hold the carpet; use a piece of 2x4 cut to the width of the opening so that it bends evenly.


No doubt of it, that's a fluorescent.  Lights like this give fluorescents a bad name.   Fluorescents are really quite good these days.

Pop the cover off, get the model number and figure out what type of bulb it takes.  See if you can lay eyes on the ballast itself, to get a sense of its shape and size.

From there, go shopping for an electronic ballast for that bulb type.  Look for one that will physically fit in that fixture.  The shape and mounting are highly standardized.  An electronic ballast will not flicker or buzz, will start instantly (or quickly if it's a rapid-start or programmed start) in all conditions including deep cold.


switched socket and unswitched light fixture to switched light fixture and unswitched outlet

First you will need to find out if the switched outlet circuit is powered at the switch or at the outlet. Then you will know whether to run your surface conduit from the light to the switch or from the light to the outlet.

You should also find where the light power cable originates. In an older home the light may be powered from the same place as the switched outlet. In that case you may not need the surface conduit.

Be aware that most electricians nowadays think it is a good idea to put the outlets in a house on 20A branches and the lights on 15A branches. If your house is wired this way, moving so many lights onto the outlet branches will obliterate the original electrician's load calculations.


Yes, it's safe and code compliant to cap the wires in the box with wire nuts.  Just fold them to the back of the box so they're out of the way.
Most people wouldn't worry about this in am million years, but wire nuts have a rating for the combinations of wires that you can use with the wire nut, and some wire nuts are rated for single wires.  The little gray ones like Ideal 71B are rated for a single #14 and the Ideal black 59B are rated for a single #12.  I find the little blue wire nuts hold a single #14 or #12 solid or stranded fine and keep them around just for that purpose, but they are not rated for that.  Call me a renegade.
Some people cap wires with wire nuts without stripping the wire, but they hold best if you strip the wire so the wire nut bits the metal not the insulation.


Wood glue to reinforce screw holes in an oak frame?

I have used tooth picks and matches with glue for many years. With hard wood I use toothpicks as they are hard, match sticks with the head cut off work will work but I use those on soft wood like pine. I squirt the wood glue in push in however many I think I need then wipe the excess and insert the screws


The rule is - flick water on the dry plywood. If it beads, wait. If it absorbs, you're ready.

Always prime first. NOT Paint & Primer-in-one hokey. That's not actually primer, it's just thick paint. Use a good quality acrylic wood primer rated for exterior, or better yet, use oil based Kilz.

Editting to add: I regularly cheat a paint job on green pt, using only acrylic latex primers amd paint. However, expect to have to repaint after one year.


Installing a garden hose to a threaded valve, but not enough space

Get yourself an elbow that you can add to the faucet to have better access.

Photo courtesy Home Depot


You need to set up a temporary wall under the ends of the ceiling joists of the garage, bearing onto the floor of the garage. Since the section needed is so short, you will only need 5 or 6 2X4s or 2X6s to hold the ceiling and lift the wall for the short time while you replace the bottom plate.
 If you need 10 ft studs to hold everything up, cut 2 of them in half to double up as top and bottom plates, then use the other 3 to use as studs cut 1/4 longer than needed for a snug fit to lift the existing a little. Get one stud jammed in, set another and with either a hydraulic jack, or by "bowing" them in, as in pushing in the middle of the stud to bow it so it in essence gets shorter between the 2 points until you release it, which will lift the wall a little. work all the studs together one at a time, one will help the other.
Or 2 bottle jacks can do it all too, if you have 2 handy. 7 ton, maybe even 2 1/2 ton would work too. That corner, if there is no more than a roof over the garage, is pretty easy to lift up. You wont need much, an 1/8" will do.

This is all on the premise that the loft is contained under the roof with no 2 story bump out to house it, that the roof rafters bear on the top plate of the same wall that has the destroyed bottom plate.


How to know if I can use LED ceiling light bulbs?

MR means "Multi Reflector"
16 means 16/8ths of an inch wide (2")
GU5.3 means it is a bi-pin connector base where the pins are 5.33mm apart.
12V means it is 12VDC, a very important issue for you when buying replacements.

You can get equivalent LED versions using those same numbers, they should be available from any number of resources, both on-line and brick-and-mortar stores. You would not have to change anything other than the bulb itself because the LED versions will come with a built-in "driver" that will be set up to accept the power that was previously being used by the halogens. Plug and play...

But there is more to your selection than what you posted; you need to match the "beam angle" and the "color temperature". That info should be on the side of your existing halogen bulbs too.


How can I replace a 3-way light switch with a motion sensor?

Wiring diagram for Leviton PR180 3-Way Wall Mount Occupancy Sensor.


Sump pump pit fill-in / Radon mitigation

No, it probably wouldn't be.  Radon can come in through many ways, not just via the sump pit.  It can come in through cracks in walls or the foundation, as well as other ways.  See http://www.dea.human.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/radon_illustration.pdf.  If you do fill in the sump pit, the radon will probably find another way into the basement.

If you wanted to try it and see what the impact is, I would suggest just buying a premade radon sump pit cover and installing it.  Make sure you caulk around the perimeter.  I would suggest against filling in the sump pit itself, were I the homeowner, unless I'd done something to mitigate against whatever water infiltration the sump pit and pump was put in there for in the first place.


Why does water come out of the hot supply line when I open the cold?

My sink has a hot faucet on the left side of the sink.  It also has a cold faucet on the right side of the sink.  If you want warm water, you have to mix it in the basin.

If every faucet in your house is this way, then your problem is impossible.

However, I suspect you have a valve newer than 1930, with a single spigot. Which means there is a chamber before the spigot where the hot and cold water merge and/or mix.  At the risk of stating the obvious, this means the cold and hot valves are in communication.

Water can flow from the cold pipe system, through the cold valve, into the chamber, through the hot valve, and into the hot pipe system.  Yes, it's supposed to flow out the spigot "instead", but realistically it will do both.  Pressurized water will seek every path at once, like electric currrent.

Normally, the higher pressure in the hot-water pipe helps seat the valve.  But here, pressure in the chamber is higher.  No telling what'll happen.

This is more likely to be a problem on more modern valves like a Delta or one of those horrid temperature-control valves found in hotel showers. Or how about a washing machine?  Do you have any users who leave the shower valves at their preferred temperature and shut it off at the showerhead?  (I assume someone on the planet does this.)  Any of these can cause this behavior.   In a perfect world, every faucet valve would include an anti-backflow check valve. They don't.


Orange peel, knockdown and skip trowel finishes are very popular in FL. Faux finishing adds a nice touch.


When adding new circuits in existing drywall pros will cut a hole where the box goes.
Next use special drill bits to drill up or down depending on the direction of the wire pull, drilling up to get through any fire breaks going to the ceiling then drilling through the top plate, or to go down or through the bottom plate going to the crawl space.
The side of the hole is the size for an old work box.
The special drill bits are long flexible screw end spade bits the screw tip helps pull the bit into the work. A trick to center the bit to keep it 1-1/4” away from the plate edge is using a tennis ball on the shaft. (This can be difficult on exterior walls with insulation, in some cases another hole is cut and patched usually high on the wall) to get the needed holes to snake the cable in the wall.
Several methods to run the wire in the walls include:
“fish rods” are used these are normally thin fiberglass rods that we feed up to the hole and use to pull the cable down.
A pull string is commonly used dropped through the top hole with a tubular lead weight (think fishing) I mark the string for 8’ so I know the string made it all the way down. If it hangs up pulling up and letting it drop will tunnel through fiberglass insulation. Then use a coat hanger to reach in through the hole and grab the string.
The last method is usually on interior walls or no insulation straighten the cable and stuff it in the hole and feed it down grabbing the cable from the hole with a coat hanger.
Inside the wall no staples are required when pulling nm (Romex) or flex (mc,ac or flex able conduit) in a finished wall.
These are the methods I normally use.


POTS

Here's a decent one-page reference, where you are probably only interested in the first paragraph and diagram about the RJ11 plug: http://www.westernet.net/Help/RJ45.htm

Traditional telphone (POTS="Plain Old Telephone Service") uses "quad" wiring to support up to 2 telephone lines. That's the traditional telephone cable with black, red, green, and yellow wires. If you're looking at the wires in a RJ (registered jack) connector, they belong in that order. The mnemonic "BuRGundY" may be helpful. Each line uses one pair (2 wires) for a voice or fax connection.

Line one uses the red and green wires. Line 2 uses the black and yellow wires.

A single-line configuration (red/green) uses the two pins in the center of the connectors.

In a two-line configuration, the second line (black/yellow) uses the two pins to the outside of the center two pins.

DSL

DSL (ADSL, VDSL, etc.) also uses two wires (one pair), like POTS. Both DSL and POTS signalling can be transmitted on the same wires because they operate at different frequencies. But the DSL signalling causes interference with analog sound signals and needs to be filtered out. You use a DSL splitter to do this.

The DSL Modem

Your specific DSL modem might have an internal filter and might thus provide a clean analog phone jack. If not, then you need an external splitter.

If you do need an external splitter, then you need to plug the splitter into the wall, and plug the DSL modem and any analog telephony devices into their respective jacks on the splitter.

The Phone Company

You also need to have POTS service on your line from the phone company. Just because you have DSL service doesn't mean you have analog telephone service.

I don't have analog phone service from the phone company, for example. I do have a "home phone" line that I can use for the rare fax transmission, but it is connected to a VoIP device that is connected to my Ethernet network.


Replacing stacked gas washer/dryer igniter

For most every dryer you will need to remove panels and the drum to access the burner assembly. For stacked units, you should go ahead and "unstack" it; that is, remove the top dryer from the washer. Then you would normally open the door and look at the upper door-seal area to remove a couple screws that hold down the top. Remove the top to access the screws holding on the front panel. Remove the front panel and the drum to access internal parts.

If you have not done this before you should do more research or hire someone, as there are specific steps for removing and reinstalling the drive belt and drum. Not saying you can't do it; just saying that there is not room in this forum for a complete description of all the steps. There are lots of videos and info on-line, search "GE dryer drum removal".


So, from totality of info I assume drywall with no ability/intention to locate structural members. So use an expanding "molly" type anchor in one of the mounting holes and a small plastic plug in the other, for each bracket. Plenty strong.


Why aren't GFCI and AFCI breakers combined or used together?

There's more going on here than you think.

In the bad old days, all we had was the plain old thermal-magnetic circuit breaker (or worse yet, thermal-only fuses for folks with old stuff).  Folks got  zapped by hairdryers dropped into bathtubs and watched as poor connections and damaged cords turned their house into a bonfire for the local FD.

In the 70s, as microcircuit technology developed, the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter was introduced.  These devices use electronics along with a current transformer to measure the difference between hot and neutral, and open the circuit if it is excessive -- in the power distribution world, the equivalent function is called a "differential trip".  UL set two trip thresholds for these devices -- 6mA for protection of personnel (the GFCI we find in our bathrooms), and 30 or 100mA for protection of equipment (a so-called Ground Fault Protector for Equipment, or GFPE, device).  The GFCI was made available in both a receptacle form factor, originally intended for "quick fix" retrofits, and a circuit breaker form factor, originally intended for new construction or GFCI applications outside the scope of 15 and 20A receptacles.  GFPEs, however, were only made available in breaker form as they are used in a limited set of applications, mainly to protect long heating cable/tape runs or high-powered feeders where ground faults can cause serious fires.

Fast-forward 20-odd years now, into the late 90s.  Microcircuit and microcomputer technology has advanced significantly, and GFCIs have become a well-known part of house wiring, deployed in a variety of wet and damp location applications.  Dropping a toaster into the bathtub becomes futile as an assassination method.  However, houses are still burning down from electrical faults, aggravated by postwar copper shortages causing AA-1000 wiring and steel screws to be pressed into dwelling unit service for a time in the 60s (aka the aluminum wiring debacle).  However, the use of GFPEs on high powered feeders has proven to be a successful fire protection measure in that arena, and some testing performed by CPSC and UL revealed that damaged cords and wires were a major problem for house fires.

Enter the first generation Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI).  These devices were based on a mixture of analog and digital technologies, and proved highly effective at detecting house-burning parallel arcs, but in order to detect other fire-starting conditions, such as glowing connections, they also had to add the equivalent of GFPE protection into the device.  While not enshrined in the UL standards for AFCIs (a rather...debatable requirement for "series arc detection" was substituted for it, at least for the combination type AFCIs commonly deployed), most AFCI makers incorporated this functionality into their devices.  (Branch/feeder AFCIs lack series arc functions, relying solely on the GFPE trip to provide protection against glowing connections and other leakage inducing faults.)

However, the AFCI/GFPE combination had a drawback -- people were expecting it to behave like a regular single pole breaker, not a GFPE, and were perplexed by mystery trips when they started installing it.  While some of these mystery trips were due to arc-generating devices not being distinguished from real arcs, or EMI, some of them were a function of shared and looped neutrals in house wiring as a result of wiring errors.  This, of course, was all blamed on the AFCIs, rightly or wrongly, and also led to GE eventually redesigning their AFCI products to remove the GFPE functionality, replacing it entirely with microcomputer-based series arc detection.

Fast forward another 10 years.  The AFCI requirement, while still debated at the local level, has become permanently enshrined in the NEC, and is being expanded much like the GFCI requirement was back in the 80s.  One spot AFCI protection was expanded to during this was the kitchen -- with high power appliances, extensive usage, and all sorts of cord damage possibilities, the possibilities for electrical fires abounded here.  This, however, collided with the existing requirement for GFCI protection -- you either had to put one of the protection devices in a receptacle form factor (usually the GFCI), or use a subpanel to house a second, series-connected breaker with its attendant hassles.  Hence, in the early 2010's, manufacturers started to introduce Dual Function Circuit Interrupter (DFCI) devices that combined combination-type AFCI protection with GFCI protection for personnel.  While only available for single phase, 15 and 20A branch circuits at this time, they represent the ultimate in protection.

Furthermore, receptacle (called "outlet branch circuit") AFCIs were developed for retrofit and other limited (such as part of what is called a "system combination AFCI" using a specially listed circuit breaker, supplemental arc fault circuit breaker, or branch/feeder AFCI) applications.  There is even a receptacle DFCI on the market, but its application scope is unclear.

Can you have more protection than the bare minimum?

The answer to this question is almost a resounding yes.  The main caveats with installing AF/personnel GF protection throughout a building are leakage currents, EMI, and shared neutrals/MWBCs.  Once these are licked, then full ground and arc fault + overcurrent and short circuit protection throughout a building can be a reality.

First, some appliances have poor AF/GF compatibility.  They generate arcs internally that are mistaken for arc faults, spit EMI onto the power line that confuses sophisticated trip sensors, or simply leak too much current to ground.  Once again, though, instead of taking, say, the vacuum back because it's tripping the arc fault breaker for their bedroom, people blame the breaker for the problem -- this has been a cause of serious pushback against AFCI mandates, and is even a problem with plain GFCIs in corner cases.

The other problem is shared neutrals and MWBCs.  Shared or looped neutrals are the result of common wiring errors, usually "nut all the whites together" in boxes which are fed by more than one circuit.  A simple solution is to keep separate circuits completely separate, but this isn't always practical (say for kitchen small appliance branch circuits).  Fortunately, another option is available -- nowadays, you can buy two circuit (/2/2) NM cable that has two distinctly identified neutral wires in it, which can help with this, and also provides a suitable substitute for the use of MWBCs, as two-pole DFCIs are not available despite two-pole AFCIs and GFCIs being stock items.


Purchasing agent to air entrain concrete

Well don't I feel silly? I looked at the package of Quikrete Commercial Grade Crack Resistant Concrete Mix (Product No. 1006) that was in the back of the shed and it says right on it that it contains "air-entraining" admixtures.


Looking for the right thermostat- is it this hard

These are very common, any thermostat that you can find that offers and "Auto" mode should be able to cool and heat based on what's needed without any action from your part.
However, the way you described the functionality is a bit different than what the thermostat will do. The auto feature will run a HEAT program along with a COOL program but they cannot be set to the same temperature otherwise the system will go crazy. For example, you could set the HEAT temperature to 70 and the COOL temperature to 74. Then as soon as the indoor temps goes to low 70 it would trigger the HEAT and stay around 70 until outdoor conditions are warming the house. At that point it will not activate again until the COOL set temperature is reached and will then keep it at 74.
You have to accept some variation in indoor temperature otherwise you system will just switch from HEAT to COOL all the time and you will be paying to cool down the heat that you also paid to bring into the house.


Fix bulging back wall in GE Monogram zdwr240 wine reserve

If you can't close the door, it does not function so well either. Unplug the cooler, let it warm up completely to room temperature, maybe even add a little heat, but not too hot, warm to the touch, from a hair dryer, and give it a shove back in with the part of your hand that is near the wrist. You may need to pull it out of the space, lean it back a bit, but not too much, the refrigerant doesn't like it. and push it back in.

There was something that did that, it must have somehow been pushed severely from the back side, at least so I guess. Check the back for any sign of abuse that may keep it from going back in.

Before you try that, the crease is really predominate at the corner. After warming it up, put JUST your thumb over the middle of the sharpest part of the crease, and push steady and hard if you need to, the rest should follow. If you have a well rounded LARGE handle you may be able to use that instead. Since the handle has no feeling you will not be able to govern how the progress is going. It may be more prone to cracking the PVC shell that is deformed. If it does, humidity may enter the casing, that may or may not be ok.


How should I fill a hole in an exterior wall?

I would use Duct Seal

I'm surprised whoever installed the AC unit didn't use it, it's used all the time by Electricians and HVAC technicians.

It does not harden; so unlike foam, it can be easily removed and replaced if you have to add/remove wiring/plumbing.


What are the differences between pneumatic nail types like "smooth" and "ring" for house framing?

Definitions

Hot galvanized: Dipped in molten zinc as an anti-corrosion measure. The alternative is electro-plating, which results in a smoother but thinner coating.
Brite: Not galvanized. Usually not cement-coated.
Smooth: An untextured shank. Regular nails. Often coated with yellow or magenta "cement", a bonding agent that noticeably increases pullout resistance.
Ring: Ring-textured shanks for improved pullout resistance.

Usage

You'll use 12d (twelve penny, 3 or 3-1/4") smooth nails for most framing. We actually refer to those as 16d as they're the functional equivalent of 16d sinkers. They may be cement coated. Nails used with the current crop of pressure-treated wood often need to be galvanized or stainless to prevent accelerated corrosion.

You'll use 8d (eight penny, 2, 2-1/4", or 2-3/8") ring-shank nails for subflooring if not using screws.


What would cause multiple fridges motors to stop running, but leave the lights on?

One possible explanation for this would be if you run the fridge from batteries or solar power with too small inverter. Even a small fridge requires an inverter capable of giving at least something like 1 kilowatt when the motor starts. If the voltage drops when the motor starts, it won't be able to start spinning after the initial pressure pulse of the first rotation: the motor will get stuck and the overheat protection will cut the power from the motor. After a few minutes the motor will again try to start, and possibly fail again.

This answer does not apply if the fridge is connected to proper AC mains power.


When is service connection completed for water / sewer for new construction?

Typically, tie-ins are done in conjunction with the locality (town/city maintenance) and are done independently of the state inspections. This is because of locality-specific backflow prevention devices.

You see, hypothetically, nowhere in code do I need a backflow prevention device for sewer in my house in town. However, because I have a full basement, and my plumbing runs lower than the town's sewer system, it'd be in the best interest of all concerned for me to install one.

Get with your local contractor. He/she knows what to do.


Are outer joists a different distance in "on center" floor framing?

You are correct.

Framing a wall or floor the two outer studs or joists are moved in to compensate for the end of the interval. If you are going for an exact dimension divisible by 4'.

This makes placing 4'x8' sheets of OSB come out nice and even with no waste.

Good luck!


Code check: Installing a garage security flood light

A surface mount box can be attached to the exterior siding (what is the siding?)
In some cases I like to cut the siding an inset the box and screw it to the sheeting
OR cut through the sheeting and make the box flush mount (old work box could be used in this case).
Since you have the UF a surface mount is fine I usually use 2 screw clamps, cheaper than a CGB and 2 screw clamps are listed for the UF. a CGB may or may not be listed for use with flat cable it depends on the seal some are hard plastic and those are not on the ones I have used and some are a soft neoprene and some of those are. But I would use the cheaper 2 screw clamp.
All the unused holes are required to be plugged if you are concerned with water accumulation it is acceptable to drill a drainage hole in the bottom of the box.
The maximum hole size is 1/4”.
As far as height NEC 404.8.A  all switches and circuit breakers used as switches limit the switch to 6’7”. There are switches that can be up high but these are a specific type not a common snap switch.


how to disconnect main service drop at service panel

If there is a main switch or fuse right under your meter you can operate those, if your connection lacks that features or those are 'locked' so only the utility can operate on them, you'll have to call SCE and ask them.

Edit: also check if your contract can hold 200A on 'meter side' if it doesn't and you load your panel for 200A SCE fuses will blow and you'll have to call for service restore, so ask SCE to check if your service is capable for 200A

EDIT2:
I post my meter and panel as example:
You can see on my meter the bundled main disconnect, see if there is one on your too. On my panel you can see the main GFCI breaker (right) and the circuits' breakers, so I can remove power both from my main switch and from the meter itself. Here on older installations, now replaced, where main disconnect were fuses.


Is it OK to pull Category (Cat5e, Cat6 a, Cat 6a) internet cable around a corner constructed of threaded rod/ All-Thread?

This is a bad idea right off the bat because the threads on threaded rod are usually pretty sharp and could very well damage the cable.

Pulling around a fixed object rather than a pully or sheave that rotates is never a good idea.

The TIA/EIA standards specify bend radii, and sharp bends violate telecom standards, manufacturer's recommendations, etc., but usually does not violate the NEC which is what the inspector enforces.  In most cases the inspector and the NEC don't care if you compromise the performance of your cable as long as you don't create a safety hazard. The other standards may be good practices, and may be contractual obligations, but they are not the inspector's concern.


Are plumbers required to provide specs for the job they have done if asked by the homeowner?

Nope. They're expected to design and install to code and contract. Anything beyond that is a matter of professional courtesy to the customer or homeowner. I can't imagine one being unwilling to give you a few minutes to do so, and you'll be sure to take notes.


The specs on the AC unit say it's 14.2" wide, so it will certainly fit in the opening. You don't say how high the window is, but if it's a double hung, two pane, slide-up window like the ones on the building across the way, you might have to remove the window to make this work then fit a glass or plexiglass pane into the space above the air conditioner after it's mounted. And be sure not to drop that thing in the street...  ;-)

EDIT: Typically, units like this rely on the top sliding pane of the window to hold them in the opening. The AC unit is heavy, and it will want to tip backwards out of the window. You can see the tab/rail along the top of the AC unit in the picture just below. If you drop the sash down behind that, it will hold the AC unit in place, as it can't topple out of the window.

So; typically, you would pop the front cover off the AC unit, then screw the bottom of the unit to the window sill so it can't slide forward out of the opening. Then drop the sash behind that rail and screw it to the sash. Otherwise, it would be possible for the sash to move up and allow the air conditioner to topple out of the window, which would ruin the air conditioner and could also maim or kill somebody below.

In your case, if the unit won't fit in the bottom pane and you have to remove the window, you'll need to secure (and secure it well) some kind of support across the window opening to replace the window sash you removed, so the AC unit can rest against it. And you'll still screw that rail to the cross support to ensure that everything stays in place.


How do I prevent water from getting in my landscape spotlight extension cord

To answer your question, water getting into the ground terminal of your extension cord will not trip the GFCI. If water gets into that hole though, it will probably get into the hot or neutral slot and that will trip the GFCI. Get a light with a longer cord or use some of the power cords you see in stores at Christmas time (see below). most come with covers and although not meant for year round use, they usually are.


This looks very similar to something I encountered recently. Back a few months ago my water heater started kicking its breaker for no apparent reason. I figured it was just some random occurrence at the time so I ignored it for a few weeks and just kept resetting the breaker (A very bad idea, but I was busy). Then one day I heard water running in the water heater closet. fortunately for me, the previous owner of my house had installed a drain pan under the water heater because water was pouring down the side of the heater from one of the covers.

Apparently, this had been going on for some time because it had built up a mineral deposit like the one in your picture. It turned out that the heating element had completely corroded away to the point where water was leaking through what was left of it. That was why the breaker had started to trip because it had started shorting out when what was left of the element tried to turn on. I ended up replacing not only the element but the anode in the water heater as well.

If you are the do-it-yourself type I would suggest draining the water heater and pulling the heating element to see what condition it is in. Be sure you cut power to the water heater before you do any work on it. If the element is corroded you can get a replacement element at most hardware stores. Whatever you do, don't ignore it like I did. You could run into a real problem if it starts leaking and your water heater isn't equipped with a drain pan like mine was.


How can I allow 911 first responders to access a locked residence?

Call your local police department and inquire about a "Knox Box Key". They probably have a master already to open one. You will need to buy the one they suggest or have a locksmith get involved to match their key to the box you purchase. They might even have a system set up for your community that you don't know about.


How can I fix/replace this cracked step?

There is really no good way to patch this up or fix it without access to the area under the cracked tread. So I would suggest just doing that - open up the stucco covering under the subject area so there is enough room to work in there.

The nature of the fix will depend to some degree as to weather the crack is open or tight. Since you say that it is barely noticeable lets say that the crack is tight and you would be satisfied to just leave the crack width as is and just solidify the tread. Since the underside of the tread is probably unfinished you get an excellent opportunity to be able to use wood glue in the repair process. If there is paint, finish or stain on the underside of the tread you would have to sand it off so that you can repair with glue. The best glue is the yellow variety of professional wood workers glue.

To apply a fix you will want to cut a piece of wood that will fit comfortably under the tread up against its bottom side. It does not need to cover the whole bottom though. Make sure it bridges the crack by at least 2 inches on either side and is long enough to extend from the end with the crack to well past the other end of the crack. I would use a hardwood board for this patch (oak, maple or birch would be good ones to use).

You want to prepare this add in board for screwing to the underside of the tread. The best screws are flat head wood screws with Philips type slots (instead of straight slot screws). Make sure that the screws are the correct length so that they go through the thickness of the add in board and into the tread without going through the tread. If the patch board is 3/4" thick and the tread is 1" thick then a good screw length would be 1 1/4". Pre-drill clearance holes through the add in board along its sides so that they are away from the crack area. Counter sink the clearance holes just enough so that the flat head screws are just even with the surface of the board. Next you will need to drill pilot holes up under the tread in the correct locations so that screws can go into the tread without splitting it more. A good way to do this is to hold the prepared add in board in place and drill through the clearance holes with the pilot bit up into the tread. Use a stopper on the drill bit so that you do not accidentally drill all the way through the top side of the tread.

Next apply the yellow carpenters glue to the side of the add in board opposite the counter sink holes. :-) Spread the glue all over but do not leave an excess either. You could also apply some glue to the underside of the tread since it is common to apply glue to both sides of a joint but you can skip that if you have placed just the right amount on the add in board.

Then you put the board in place and install the screws into the pilot holes and firmly tighten into place. Be careful not to over tighten and strip out the screws in the pilot holes. Since the screws are only going into the treads about 1/2 inch they could strip out of you get two aggressive. I recommend hand driving as opposed to using a power driver for just this reason.

When it comes to patching the stucco area you may decide to take a more drastic step and remove all the stucco and re-do the area with drywall. It is much easier to work with and patch up if you ever have to go through it again in the future.


Why do my lightbulbs keep flashing then return normal

When they turn on do they blink and take a second to warm up?  If so they are florescent.  These bulbs often have ballasts in the fixtures that go bad after time.  If they aren't florescent and the problem continues after replacing the bulbs you could have a wiring issue.


What size wire and subpanel for a pergola with an outdoor kitchen?

You should really have done this calculation before installing the conduit but a 1" will be sufficient for what you want to do.

The answer is: the sub-panel needs to be sized large enough to carry the calculated load of all of the appliances, lights, fans, and plug connected loads. If you have all 120 volt loads you can either add up all the currents and then divide by 2 since you are splitting the load between two conductors on a 240 volt panel, or add up all the wattages and divide by 240 to get the max current on the feeders to the sub-panel.

Most of what you listed are very small loads except for the crock pots and other possible plug connected loads that can be manufactured as high as 1500 watts for 120 volts. (I am thinking of a resistive charcoal starter.) So, I would calculate the receptacles at a minimum of 1000 watts per if you plan to have mixed loads at that location.

All that said there are only a few basic sizes for sub-panels and a back-of-the-envelope calculation tells me you could have as small as a 60 amp panel here with #6 wire feeding it. Now, if you want some room (ampacity) to add on in the future and have big plans to grow your outdoor kitchen, you may want to go with a 100 amp panel fed with #3.

Now it comes down to personal preference.

Good luck and happy grilling.


Is it acceptable to have an electrical box the same depth as the stud?

Yes, that is acceptable. If you think there's a particular danger to that one wire (cabinetry/trim going on the other side), you can always install a 4x6 nail plate over it.


Is this a sign of my roof trusses sagging?

Wow, the picture you happened to take illustrates perfectly why those metal clips are installed.
The metal clips are used to keep the truss independent from the non-bearing wall. That is to say, the roof trusses are designed so the wall does NOT put pressure on the bottom chord of the trusses, but help maintain the wall in its proper position. The way it’s done is by using the clips so the trusses can move freely up and down.
When the roof structure is built, the trusses come with a designed “camber” to keep them from resting on the walls. When the roof was originally built, there was an air gap between the bottom of the trusses and the top of the top plate.
As the roof sheathing, roofing, etc. is installed the trusses start to settle down. Truss calculations can even anticipate future snow loads so the bottom chord of the trusses never settle down on the wall.
Structurally, if the bottom chord rests on the wall it will put the bottom chord of the trusses in “double bending “. This can cause the trusses to fail.
The truss bends like a beam with compression in the top (top chord) and tension in the bottom (bottom chord). When the bottom chord rests on a wall, the bottom chord bends putting additional tension in the top of the chord and additional compression in the bottom of the chord.  This additional force is called “double bending” and can cause the truss to fail.
Now, the reason this is such an amazing picture is because you can see two knotholes in the chord as it passes over the wall. The area of the bottom chord is greatly reduced because of the two knots. One knot is missing its knot and the other has cracked. Because the chord is in tension, it’s not known if the “crack” is from drying out or from excessive tension.
If you can slide a piece of paper between the bottom of the truss chord and the top plate of the wall, then you have no problem...even if the truss chord rests on the top of the gypsum board, you have no problem because it will crush the wallboard.
If the truss rests on the wall, then I’d contact a structural engineer (not civil engineer) or architect to review. You could contact the local truss manufacturer to see if they still have the shop drawings for your house. If so, they could review the installation.
Btw, I’m sure every structures professor in the world would love to have a copy of this picture to show their students. (Just for my own reference, what is the width of your house and where do you live...do you have snow on the roof now?)


Does this wiring for the addition of a switch to bypass the PIR look correct?

So your proposed wiring scheme looks great when it's in PIR mode.

However, throw the switch to "other thing" mode, and what do you see?

The PIR's supply wire is disconnected.
The PIR's lamp-side wire is being back-fed with hot.  Is that good for it?  Does its instructions say that's alright?

The other problem with PIRs is you really want to power them 24x7.  They also have light sensors, and they need 24 hours to see the maximum and minimum absolute lux in the location, so they can distinguish night from day in adverse conditions.

So I would flip it around.  I would make sure that PIR supply (brown) always sees hot, and PIR neutral (blue) always sees neutral.  I would run PIR switched-hot to one side of the switch, and always-hot to the other side of the switch.  The pump goes to the common.

Now the PIR is always up, but it either has a load, or does not.


Yes, you can tap into the conductors in the cabinet.  As long as it meets...Chapter 3,  Article 312  cabinets and cutout boxes. ( Installation 312.8 )  Over current enclosures taps,and feed through conductors 75% fill. And taps may run up to 25 feet..240.21  wire is a least 1/3 the size of the conductor. your tapping into


Help wiring a Nest thermostat in an unusual situation

You're a bit stuck here

The Carrier Infinity system isn't a standard "on-off" control, unlike conventional thermostats.  Instead, it uses a serial connection between the thermostat and the controlled devices (zone controller + furnace in your case), which the Nest hasn't a clue how to speak.

Your best bet for integrating more sophisticated automation into your system would be to use some sort of gadget with a RS-485 interface to speak the Carrier Infinity protocol.


Can I use an old chimney as a electrical chase

It isn't a chimney if it is disconnected.   Yes.
As for what you need to support the cables.   This is really on the whim of a local inspector.   As mentioned in comments I have never had an issue dropping NM straight down plumbing walls in the interior of a house.   I made right before the drop and right after the drop very secure.


Minimum number of recessed lights for 29x13 room

I have a basement room with almost the exact dimensions.  You walk in the basement from stairs and basement starts in almost a corner (3/4 basement) and then you walk almost the width of the house and it is about 14 feet wide.  I have 4 cans right when you get in the basement on one switch by basement door and then a square zone of 4 in the back of the room on a dual switch (dimmed and turned off and on from the first corner and then the complete other side of the room which is a small hallway) and then another zone of 4 in the front with the same dual switch set up.

Is 12 too many in the area.  Considering that I am using 65W bulbs... no.  With all 12 on at once the basement is well lit.  If I take one bulb out from any light, there is some dead space.  Also my basement has fully drywalled white ceilings and a bright light grey for the walls.  If I had any sort of texture or darker colors then less light.

Would I have gone less?  No way.  Honestly I don't want to have to buy lamps and stuff for your basement.  I also like to be able to see things.  When it is lit, it doesn't feel like a basement at all.  Everything has a dimmer and the 12 lights are split three ways so I don't ever feel like I have extra lights either.  I could have gone 16 easy too (2 more on the back two zones).  So my answer is 12-16.

Also you have to think how the room will be used.  I have 4 at entrance which is on the most, then 4 by TV which is on the least (or if it is on it is really dim), and 4 by sitting area which is used when people are reading or doing homework.

If you are doing this yourself both the cost and time are minimal to add extras.  An extra pot light is $20, 30 mins, plus a minor amount of time when drywalling.


I almost passed on this question, but couldn't resist.

I have been involved in a lot of home energy audits lately. Having spent a lot of time with some very qualified experts, i've learned a lot.

The one thing about a conventional fireplace is that they are for looks only. Even if the wood is free, it is costing you heating costs every time you light it. The real story is that for the chimney to draft properly and not fill the house with smoke, it has to pull tons, yes really tons, of air from the house to feed the flue. Only about 40% of the heat generated by the burning wood is actually sent into the house. The majority is sent up the chimney, as flue temps can reach 600 to 700. In order for this hot air to escape, it pulls the warm heated air from your home. So in essence, you are trading 40% efficient heat for the paid for heat at maybe 80% to 90%, depending on your heating system. Not a good trade, huh?

My advice is not waste your money on gimmicky promises of high efficiency gadgets. Just enjoy the fire as a romantic mood setting with a glass of wine, but don't forget to close the damper as soon as the fire is out to save your heating bills!


Can I make the seams between the tiles in my shower water resistant?

Tile, grout, and cement products are usually porous and will leak. The standard practice is to place a waterproof layer under the tile in showers and baths. Sealing grout is usually done for stain resistance, not to create a waterproof surface in a shower.

At this point, there's no easy answer. You'd have to fix it by removing the tile and starting all over.


How can I deal with a low spot in a fiberglass shower pan?

autobody filler might work out you can put a real thin layer of it then sculpt it with a sander then finish it off with enamel paint, assuming this is a fiberglass pan.  Make sure you don't create a slippery surface though.  Another way would be to remove the glass wall and completely resculpt this with filler than put down tile mastic and tile it with traditional grout including a new higher lip.  Then reinstall the glass frame.  I agree with you I would not start a project to tear out the pan.


Because you selected a 25A breaker, you will need to use 10AWG wire for the branch circuit.

NEC has a table of which receptacles are permitted on which sizes (amperages) of circuit.  Nothing in the NEC authorizes any kind of receptacle on a 25A breaker.  It will exceed the capacity of a 20A receptacle.  A 30A receptacle will allow plugging in things which draw more than 25A.  No receptacle will work.   As such, all loads will need to be hard-wired.

An additional rule says that if the sum of all hard-wired loads exceed 50% of the total circuit ampacity, then no receptacles are allowed on that circuit.

I have no earthly idea why you bought a 25A breaker.  But when I was first learning, I bought a stack of 30A 1-pole breakers reasoning that surely they must have a use - and then I never found one, except for a TT30 RV connector.  So welcome to the club.

Normally on a circuit of ampacity X, all sockets on that circuit must be of ampacity X.

On a 30A circuit, there can be any number of receptacles, but they all must be 30A.

A 20A circuit can have any mix of 15A or 20A receptacles, unless there is only one socket, and then it must be 20A.  This is due to a special exception in Code, you cannot mix-and-match socket sizes otherwise.

If I were you, I would take back the 25A breaker and get a 30, then 10AWG wire to (daisy chained) a 14-30 and 6-30 receptacle, modify both cords to have a -30 socket on it, and done.

I wouldn't try to make it work on a 20A receptacle, you're overamped - the dust collector is a continuous load so 6A * 1.25 derate = 7.5A + 13A saw = 20.5A -- too much for a 20A breaker.

Actually, if I were you...

I would take back the 25A breaker... and get the gear to put a subpanel in the wood shop.  My motivating factor would be the shortage of space in your main panel.

a 60A breaker
4AWG Al wire /3 with ground
A subpanel of good quality, e.g. Siemens, CH, QO etc. with 20 or more spaces.  I don't care the ampacity of the subpanel as long as it's >=60.  It needs a main breaker if it's in an outbuilding.
Ground bar accessory kit (any respectable panel will come with this)
two 20A/240V breakers for that subpanel type
20A/120V breakers as desired
A bit of 12/2 and 12/3 wire  (or THHN if in conduit)
A NEMA 6-20 duplex socket (can be 6-15 if duplex)
A NEMA 14-20 socket
NEMA 5-15 or 5-20 sockets as desired
Necessary boxes, conduit, etc.

The 6-15/20 duplex receptacle is for the saw and whatever else.  The 14-20 single (they don't come in duplex) is for the dust collector. 14-20 is a common receptacle type, 14-15 exists but nobody stocks it.   The common-as-dirt 5-15s or 5-20s are for all your 120V tools.  I assume you already have a circuit coming in to supply those, serve it out of this subpanel.  Pro tip: leave the lighting served out of the main panel, that way if you trip the subpanel breaker the lights do not go out.


Slow drain in upstairs jack/jill bathroom

If this just started I would try Draino or Liquid Plumber, if that dosn't work you may need to clean the trap. Seems like I've seen ads for a plastic thing for pushing stuff out of drains or use a piece of wire or a large zip tie and work it into the drain pipe to break up the gunk then try the draino aggain.


I think you're going to need more airflow than just open windows. You can probably rent a large air mover from your local home improvement store in order to circulate lots of air around.  Alternatively, try getting in touch with a local company that deals with cleaning up basement floods as they will have the same type of air movers.

You're looking for something like this:

(source: homedepot.ca)


You will need to dig a footing below the frost level , you don’t want the pad moving around. For diy a easy way to build a concrete wall is with Cinder blocks the hollow concrete blocks you stack like...  blocks.
Some rebar dropped in them and back fill with concrete can support just about anything including my truck when we brought the generator in.
I have even used bagged sackcrete on just such a small retaining wall and I mixed it in a wheelbarrow a fair amount of work but inexpensive and solid.
After the footing and wall is cured backfill with dirt or rock. I poured a small pad on top and that powers a remote cabin generator so we had the comforts of home when we went out there.


100amp Sub Panel for 75ft - Anything else I need?

Big enough subpanel

That's a 20-space panel. The 40 number is baloney. I'm glad you're getting a good size panel though

However, that panel has HOM's super-cheap 100A busing, which forecloses any possibility of going 125A at another time.  A panel that size should have 150A+ busing, man, Homeline lives up to its name. Consider also CH, BR, or Siemens. I don't recommend QO because the breakers are too expensive.

You do not need a main breaker in the subpanel if the garage is attached to the house.  "I want it so it'll trip first and save me a walk" does not work at all.

Electrician to finish

There are three things electricians do not like.

Finishing a job an amateur started, because the quality of work is usually a disaster and that requires the painful "you gotta pay me to redo it" conversation.
Using parts supplied by the customer, because noobs usually buy the wrong stuff, again ditto.
Being associated in any way with ninja work for which permits have not been pulled. It is embarrassing and invites the customer to sue for not mentioning the consequences of ninja work.

And frankly, much of what you want the electrician for - the careful eye - is part of the permit and inspection process.

Conduit, however...

One way to save a lot of electrician time is to pre-lay EMT metal conduit Take the time to learn to do conduit properly; so it's tip top and waiting for wires.  Also have the exact conduit length pre-measured, and have a pulling rope already in the conduit.  Lay it between the main panel and the new subpanel, and I would buy and mount same before calling the pro.

Use conduit at least 1 size larger than what the conduit fill calculator says you need, because that eases the pull.  And have access points at least twice as often as Code requires, every 90 or at most 180 degrees.

If you lay conduit, expect to use individual wires such as XHHW.  There are so few choices here that you could buy this in advance.

Wires

The cable you linked is the wrong stuff. (What'd I just say? :)

The correct wire colors for this circuit are black, black, black, because they are larger than 6 AWG and distributors don't want to stock multi-color wires in large sizes.  The ground should be green or bare #6 Cu, or black #4 Al. The wires should then be marked colors with colored electrical tape.

The correct wire size is #1 AWG Al for 100A or 1/0 AWG Al for 125A.  Very few people recommend copper for 100A feeder, other than people on sales commission. Besides, the lugs are aluminum, and why create a dissimilar metal problem?  Anyway, aluminum is no threat; the threat is failing to set the torque correctly.  That'll cause problems on Cu and Al equally.

You want XHHW x3 + gnd in conduit, or SER cable if direct-lain.  That's the Al equivalent of your chosen Cu, giving 125A. 100A cable is cheaper.

I'm stuck on 125A because the #2 Cu wires you proposed are good for 125A. The cost diff is very small, but you'll need a better panel.

Buy 2' more length than you ever thought you'd need.  I did that with some 1000 kcmil Cu at $10/foot (Al wouldn't fit in the conduit!) I almost bought six 15' pieces, but buying 16.66' saved our bacon.

Buying electrical

Don't buy wire online.  Buy it at your local electrical supply house, and tell them you're sick of overpaying at Home Depot (which they'll believe, because they secret-shopper Home Depot all the time, mostly to snare away any competent clerks). Check 2-3 on price to avoid the one that'll stiff you.

Once someone protested "I'm in eastern Oregon, I have to mail order." Really? Where do your local electricians get supplies? Turns out there was a Platt within 10 miles.

As a general rule, it is useless and futile to use online resources to price electrical gear.  The stuff is very low price, high weight and awkward sizes, which works very much against mail order.  People buy locally. Online sellers know they're dealing with noobs or the desperate, and price accordingly, padding prices even more to make their shipping charges seem not unreasonable. Some are bricks-and-mortar electrical supplies who post the "I don't wanna box it up and ship it" price online.

You just have to go locally.  On the most commodity things like 12/2 Romex big-box will loss-leader But on everything else, a friendly electrical supply will trounce them, often shockingly.  Price 4-11/16" square boxes at electrical supply vs big-box -  you'll never trust big-box again!

More power to you

A 100A panel can definitely support 2 charging stations that provision at 50A each. If you go 125A feeder you'll have headroom for a 50A and 70A Tesla charger.


How to make wood slats of slightly different lengths, all of the same length?

I think that you need a circular saw. You could probably pick up a high-quality, used one from a pawn shop for $20 to $40, or a cheap-new one for $40 or $50. Usually, circular saws and sanders aren't for rent... and a new saw is probably cheaper than renting a tool. And if you want to return it, I'd bet the pawn shop will give you a few bucks (back) for it. Alternatively, you might find a hand saw for under $20.

Blade thickness isn't really relevant here, make a mark with a pencil and a straight edge (at 29.5") but don't cut the line... cut adjacent to the line so that the pencil mark is still touching the corner of the board after your cut.

Buy some sandpaper anyway... for the splinters.


How can I get warm water from my garden hose?

You might want to consider installing a utility/laundry faucet, in place of the spigot.  This will allow you to connect both hot and cold supply lines, and will have a built in mixing valve to allow you to vary the temperature of the water. They also tend to have the proper threads on the spout, to allow the attachment of a garden hose.

You'll have to find a way to support the faucet, as you don't want it just hanging by the supply lines. I've seen them with all different types of attachment methods, including holes to allow them to be screwed to the wall/washtub.  You'll also want to make sure you have a shutoff valve on each supply within the conditioned space of the house. It's also a good idea to have a way to drain the lines once they're shut off, if you live in an area with harsh winters.

The only other problem, is that garden hoses are not designed to be used with warm/hot water. So you may experience problems from additional contaminants in the water, to accelerated deterioration of the hose.


Found a Crack in Subfloor when Removing Old Tile

You'll need to lay down an isolation pad over the crack before installing the new tile.
The pad will allow the crack to open (if it is active) and not break the tile like as if they were set directly to the concrete floor.


I don't recommend any wood based subfloor (plywood, osb, particle board, mdf, etc.) in direct contact with your concrete basement floor without first putting down some sort of moisture barrier. I just ripped out an old OSB subfloor (glued right to the concrete floor) in my tiled basement and it had large patches of thick black mold in many places. Many laminate floors suggest use of under-layments that can act as a moisture barrier. If you ever get water in your basement you will regret a wood based subfloor down there (regardless of a moisture barrier installed or not the subfloor will retain moisture for long periods of time). Why not just use a floating floor approach with the underlayment below the pergo?


How can I update this very stubborn antique bed frame so the mattress fits properly?

It may be that the frame was originally designed to have slats span the rails, and not have the mattress (box spring) sit directly on the rails. This would have lifted the mattress up a bit, and possibly allowed it to ride over the bits that are giving you trouble.

This was one persons solution:


How do I deal with 3" subfloor overhang and extreme joist notch

1) Is having a 3" overhang at the edge and corner for that 2.5' (which will be under the new shower and up to about where the adjacent toilet sits, but not behind the toilet) be a problem, especially since I'm going to be laying tile over it?

For tile, probably since any movement could crack the tile or grout

  2) If #1 is a problem (I suspect it is), is there any way to add support to this for the subfloor?

I would attach a metal angle iron to the -face- of the wall bottom plate with the top of the bottom piece at the right height to support the sheathing where it hits the wall. Strength isn't much of an issue, you're just stiffening things up so the size of the angle is not really that important, anything that you find at a local hardware store that you can't bend by hand will be fine. Normally, we'd frame in with wood but that is very tricky here

  3) How do I fix such a large notch? Can I just sister a joist (with a smaller notch in for the pipe to it to add support?

Gaa, dang plumber, they just don't care. That joist is not supported the normal load as the others are, because it is located so close to the wall so isn't supporting the full dead load as if it was fully space, also there is no way that the live load can occur right next to the wall. The issue is compression, since the cut is on top. This is good, better than if at the bottom where the wood is in tension. Unless the joist and floor feels bouncy, it's probably ok. The joist will move (deflect) before the load causes a failure. If you replace the plywood tightly, it will provide a lot of the resistance to compression that was removed when the joist was cut.

FWIW, I'm a structural engineer.


Nope, because it's a receptacle in a bathroom

Any receptacle you add in any bathroom must be on a circuit that follows one of these rules.

The circuit serves ONLY bathroom receptacles, and nothing else - no receptacles outside bathrooms, no fixed loads of any kind.  These bathroom receptacles can be in any number of bathrooms.
The circuit serves ONLY loads in this bathroom - other receptacles here, light, fan, heat lamp, etc.   But every load this circuit serves must be in this bathroom.

If the circumstances of this circuit qualify it for either one, then you can use it.  Otherwise, the advice you received is correct.


What's the best way to plug circular drywall holes left by electrician?

Wow, I'm surprised to see that an electrician did this to run wires! That number of holes certainly looks excessive.

While the method you suggested will work just fine, it seems like it would be quite repetitive.  It might just be easier to cut out a rectangular strip and replace it with a new piece of drywall - then tape, mud, sand (and repeat) and paint. You might have to paint your entire ceiling in order for it to blend well.

If I were doing this (and I installed 30 of them in my house without cutting any extra holes in the ceiling), I would have cut the holes for the can locations and then fished the wire using a 6' flexible drill bit and an extension bit if necessary. An inspection camera comes in handy here too to help you see what's going on.  If I was really stuck, I'd start by cutting a small hole only for the inspection camera (maybe 1" max - easy to patch), and if it really required a large hole, only then would cut a large hole so I could determine where the problem is.


Why do I get an open ground warning after a GFCI Test?

sounds more like something is wired wrong. The test button should drop the hot, not the ground. with the hot out, your tester would be dead all 3 lights. The black wire should go to the brass colored screw. The white wire should go to the silver screw. The bare copper should go to the green screw. these are on the feeder side, the wires to any other outlets follow the same color code but they should be fed from the bottom looking at the back of the  GFCI outlet.


How to reduce the width of a rolling curtain?

I would use my miter saw with a fine-tooth blade. Your question says "the perfect cut", so buy "the perfect tool"; which is a specialized window shade cutter:


Is it possible to have the fireplace and chimney put up against a supporting/load bearing column?

As always, consult your local building codes, but there shouldn't be an issue with heat on a reinforced concrete column. Whoever draws the plans will need to figure out an appropriate way to tie the column and the chimney together.


House wide 24v dc on single extra conductor?

Generally speaking, you can't mix high voltage (120, 240 and above) with low voltage (definition varies, but 24V is definitely low voltage). This means you can't use part of a high voltage cable for low voltage DC, and it also means you can't mix and match low & high voltage individual wires in conduit.
Part of this is the obvious "accidentally bridging the 24v +DC and AC live" safety problem, and there are other reasons as well.
As far as the specific question of neutral or ground as the other 1/2 of the circuit. No, you can't do that. Along with any other safety issues, the wires have fundamentally different uses:

"Ground" in DC circuits refers to a return path for the circuit. The "ground wire" in a mains AC circuit (the green or bare wire) is not normally used to carry current, except during a fault situation. Loading it up with 24V DC is therefore not a good idea.
Neutral in AC circuits is logically like ground in DC circuits, but it actually carries just as much current and the AC variation thereof. So some of the time that DC current would (theoretically) be opposite the AC current in the neutral (i.e., bringing it closer to 0) and some of the time it would be in the same direction (more current than normal). In any case, it won't work and it isn't allowed.


Which wood fence boards will last longer, pressure-treated-lumber or non-treated lumber that has a treatment applied after the fence is built?

Pressure-treated lumber should last longer. Any preservative applied to untreated wood would only affect the surface to a few mm inside, so would have to be reapplied more frequently.


Is my dryer outlet not getting enough voltage?

Have you inspected the dryer exhaust venting? These do get clogged with lint. I think I may have sometimes not kept our dryer vent as clear as I should have and maybe shortened the lifetime of the heater element in one dryer.

My elderly neighbor asked me to figure out why his dryer was not working right. He had put a blower on the vent opening in the wall, but the results were unsatisfactory. Up on the roof I found out he had put a screen of hardware cloth inside the vent opening on the roof (to keep out animals) and it was almost completely plugged. Of course, I told him he could not have a fine screen there, and with his permission I removed it. I also had him use the blower from below while I pulled out caked-on lint from the top.

To test the wiring for voltage drop (including the dryer cord) you would slide out the dryer while leaving it connected, remove the cover on the connection block, and measure the voltages between the two hots and each hot to neutral. Then turn the dryer on high and remeasure the voltages. If there is excessive decrease in any of these voltages, that would indicate a problem in the house wiring or the cord.

To test just the receptacle and the house wiring, you would pull the plug out partway and use the voltmeter on the partially exposed blades of the plug without the dryer on and then with it on.


That device shown in your picture is a small transformer mounted on an electrical box cover. Inside the electrical box the input side of the transformer is connected to the AC mains lines. The output side of the transformer provides a safe low voltage of 24VAC that connects to those small gauge wires that look to be brown and white/brown in color.

The most likely usage is that this 24VAC feeds power to a door bell setup. There are also other usages for a 24VAC transformer such as this. This could include a special thermostat setup, a security camera setup, a sprinkler control system or even a low voltage lighting application.


What is the name of a screw-nut ring used to hold up a hanging lampshade? (see photo)

Try googling "shade ring".  I found quite a few that were of different sizes so you'd have to be more specific of the size.

Here's one I found  at 1000bulbs.com


Power Circuit for outdoor mounted shutters

You need to use the GFCI breaker for the outside locations (Wet).

AFCI is a different animal altogether.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter is specifically designed for ground faults to protect in damp locations where there is a current path such as a person between ground and hot.

Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter - is specifically designed to protect against arcing - where perhaps the outlet is so old and worn the current actually arcs across the power outlet to the plug. You might notice these will trip if you plug a vacuum into an outlet whereby the ON switch of the vacuum is in the ON position prior to plugging the device in to the wall receptacle - you will see that arc .. an AFCI will trip in this instance.


Spaces are inside or outside, never both at the same time!

What you need is not venting as this attic is conditioned space -- it's inside the house control envelope, in other words.  What you have is likely an issue with improper ductwork that isn't returning hot air from the attic efficiently -- the temperature buildup is caused by a combination of stack effects (hot air rises) and the inability to get this hot air back down to the air conditioner to be cooled.  If there are returns from the upper attic down to the HVAC system, check to make sure they are not closed off by a damper, and that the HVAC system is properly sized for the load as per Manual J.  (HVAC sizing is like Goldilocks -- not too big, and not too small, but just right for the house you have.)


Sanding and revarnishing areas of different shades (wood floors)

If this is just a clear coat on the wood, then you won't be able to "fix" it. If the coating was a stain you could sand the light area and re-stain with a slight blending overlap into the dark area. Then sand the blending until the color looks blended. Another way you might be able to correct this, if it a clear coat, is to get a slightly gray stain, or light color to match the dark area, then sand and blend and sand then coat. But as was stated above, this is a sunlight issue, and there is no way to stop this from happening unless you do the entire floor, then cover it with a UV stable coating.


Which communication bus systems for home automation?

It seems that X10 is simplest solution if applicable, because it relies on existing electrical lines. Beside 1-Wire, protocols like RS-485, and CAN bus are also good option because they work well on large distances (tens or even hundreds of meters). Protocols like i2c or spi, are usually reserved for shorter distances (few meters) and are useful for say sensor to micro controller communication.


Why might there be concrete inside my wall?

The early 1900's was the age of horsehair plaster. The plaster was installed in several coats over wooden laths. What you might be hitting is the plaster that as squeezed between the lath and landed on the soleplate. You should be able to tell if it is plaster by its' somewhat crumbly texture. Insert a long screwdriver in the hole and tap it with a hammer. If it is plaster it should easily break-up and leave you with clean hole.


Why would my TV turn off/on when connected to a surge suppressor?

Every cable/satellite installer I've ever talked to says "Do Not connect the cable line to a surge suppressor." I'm not sure how exactly these devices are designed, but for some reason they tend to degrade, interrupt, and/or interfere with the signal. The first thing I would try in this situation, is to disconnect the cable from the surge suppressor and connect it using a simple coaxial cable connector.

NOTE: I am not a cable/satellite installer, I'm just some guy on the internet. I will not be held liable and/or responsible for any damage caused by my advice. Proceed at your own risk.