I live in Florida too so I know exactly what you mean about hot attics. I had the same problem except for the pvc water pipes. I put up a number of 2 by 8 feet of 3/4 inch plywood on the rafters. Where it was possible to move over some of the cables, I did it. where I couldn't move them, I took some 2x4's, notched them for the wires to go thru and put them over the rafters and then plywood on top, like a false floor. You do not want to notch your rafter. No matter what you do, your time will be limited just because of the heat. You have to make sure you don't get dehydrated. The last thing you want to happen is be back there working and start to get dizzy and then take 30 minutes to get out....been there, done that, not fun.


How do I flatten out a small, localized bump on a concrete subfloor?

A silicon carbide rubbing block. I'd swear this is a duplicate but it's not showing up in the "related" links.

Inexpensive hand tool, makes short work of bumps, by hand. Use some water to lubricate and prevent dust while grinding.


I just did this on the medicine cabinet I installed in my bathroom. The issue I think you are going to face is the depth of the wall - at least looking at the picture. I mounted a box on the side of the cabinet in mine but I had a full-depth wall. In your case I would tap into one of your 20 amp GFI protected outlets next to the cabinet using BX cable. Put a knockout in the side of the cabinet. Connect into the cabinet with a BX connector. For the receptacle I would use a narrow, grounded power strip mounting it on the back of the cabinet hard-wired with the BX cable.
I checked in my area and this met code when I used an outlet box. I'm not sure about hard-wiring a power strip but I'm sure one of the electrical experts here on Stack Exchange will educate us.
Edit

Here is one sample of a hard-wired power strip from Amazon. There are others available.


How do I connect a high intensity infrared heater and thermostat?

Try connecting the thermostat red wire to the blue terminal and the thermostat white wire to the red terminal

From the labeling on the cover of your ignition module, connecting 24VAC power between 2 and GR will turn the pilot burner on, while connecting 24VAC power between 3 and GR will turn the main burner on.  So, if you connect the red (R) wire to your thermostat to the blue (2) terminal on the ignition module (aka the blue wire from the transformer), and the white (W) wire to your thermostat to the red (3) terminal on the ignition module, you should get the unit to fire up when the thermostat closes.

If your thermostat needs a blue (C) wire, it can be connected to the white (GR) terminal on the ignition module (aka the yellow wire from the transformer).


X-10 Home Automation LED's always on low!

The X10 switch is leaking current through the lights. The same current was probably leaking through the halogens that you had previously. However, the current was so low that the halogens did not visibly light. The LEDs are so much more efficient that they do visibly light.

Bottom line: turned off, the wasted power is the same in both cases, even though the LEDs ads lit. Turned on, the LEDs are taking much less energy.


??? Venting a portable A/C does not require "modifying" the window at all. You open the window, insert the exhaust-hose plate, close the window onto it, perhaps stuff some foam between the upper and lower pane, and you're done, without modifications to the window...


It will very hard to prevent the odor of tobacco smoke from getting into your flat. I would not attempt to renew with that seal, you could make it worse.
That wool could be anything from steel wool to copper wool to other fibers that you definitely don't want to do anything to. You don't want to disrupt it.

You could put some duct tape over the existing seal, but even that could cause problems. If any tape you placed there were later pulled off, it could pull apart the existing seal.


What screw size can I go to when re-tapping an M6 bore?

Tap size chart and Drill Size Chart are the useful search terms. Most any useful tap size chart will have the drill size listed. A drill size chart will help you sort out the relative sizes of drills in fractional inch, number, letter, and metric sizes. Taps you can get at the hardware store may simplify the process by being packaged with the correct tap drill. Ordering on line from a "real metalwork supplier" (often less expensive, and far more selection) you'll likely have to order them separately.
What will work depends just how stripped out it is.
1/4-28 or 1/4-20 are the "next size up" with 1/4-28 offering a bit more allowance for hosed threads since it's a finer thread (and thus a bigger tap drill - #3 = 5.4102mm) but if the holes are stripped all the way to 6mm that's still a bit precarious. 1/4-20 uses a #7 tap drill = 5.1054mm)
The rather unusual but extant M7 is the first size that will work if the holes are ripped out to 6mm - 7x1 uses a 6mm tap drill, 7x0.75 uses a 6.2mm tap drill.
Next up from that is 5/16-18 (F tap drill = 6.5278mm) or -24 (I tap drill = 6.9088mm)

UNC = Unified National Coarse
UNF = Unified National Fine
UNEF = Unified National Extra-Fine

SAE (society of automotive engineers) is an older standard that has been incorporated into the Unified Thread Standard.
You can also repair the threads to M6x1 by using a Heli-Coil® thread repair kit (or possibly generic knockoffs if their patents have expired) where the hole is drilled out larger, larger threads are made in the larger hole, and a Helical Coil that fits in the new threads on the outside and has M6x1 threads on the inside is inserted in the hole. [I have used this product rather extensively, but am not associated in any other way.]


How do I connect to a dishwasher bushing?

"Do I just go to town on the end of that with a hacksaw and clamp on the drain hose?"

Yes.  The end is capped so that it can be installed without being connected to anything.  Leaving it uncapped would leave it open for leaks if you were to fill the drainpipe.

Just cut off the end as near to the cap as you can reasonable fit a saw, and slip the hose over it.  For added security, use a hose clamp to secure it.


Make sure your subpanel has enough spaces

The #1 mistake sizing subpanels is getting just enough spaces to do the job today.  Then later, they try to add more loads, particularly 240V loads that gobble up 2 spaces each... and they find a full panel. This is made even worse by the allure of "12 spaces/24 circuits" - that second figure has been a complete lie for several years, now that most circuits need AFCI or GFCI breakers, which take a full space.

"Running out of breaker spaces" should simply never happen, given that extra breaker spaces cost less than $2 each today.  Spend $30 extra and get a nice, big panel.  Aim to finish with at least 50% of spaces unused.

Don't use copper

The #2 mistake is using copper wire for feeder.  That's just silly. Not only is aluminum proven and reliable for feeder, the old feeders never had problems from being aluminum, not only did they improve the metallurgy, but the lugs are aluminum.  So the clever novice creates the dissimilar metal matchup instead of avoiding it.

Copper is also wastefully expensive compared to aluminum, which creates an irony if the person also cheaped out on a small panel. whoo, saved $30, wasted $400.

Honestly the main reason copper feeder exists is consumers affected by the aluminum ooga-booga. Like many moral panics, there is a nugget of truth at the center of it, but it applies to small-appliance branch circuits only (receptacles, lighting, dryers etc.), and is easily managed. No home inspector is ever going to blink an eye at a 100A aluminum feeder.

Aluminum is a very lightweight material, almost 1/4 the weight of copper, with fewer atoms spaced farther apart.  Atoms are what carry electricity, so the wires need to be physically larger (by 2 numerical wire sizes). Even so, the wire is notably lighter.

Wire sizes

First, at 100' of distance, you do not need a wire size "bump" for voltage drop.  The wire salesmen love to exploit two misconceptions: First, you shouldn't compute voltage drop based on breaker trip, but rather on practical load, i.e. what you actually expect to run.  (and the breaker should be at least 125% of that, for Code reasons).  Second, 3% is not in Code anywhere, and it's ridiculous. Very often, the voltage drop calcs will force you to bump wire size at 3.01% drop - the smaller size would compute to 3.35% drop, and that's perfectly fine.  4.15% is fine. 5.03% is allowable. Code is concerned with total voltage drop from the meter to the final outlet; don't allow that to exceed 8% without a good reason.

Anyway, you're nowhere near to even needing to think about voltage drop.  Even the wire salesman won't recommend a bump before 115'.

Given that you are at 100A, you just pull it out of NEC Table 310.15(B)(16).  Use the 75 degree C column, unless you have a cable type which mandates use of the 60 degree C column. And, you round up to the next available breaker size.  That means usually:

100A is #3 copper ($600/100ft) or #1 aluminum ($175/100ft).
125A is #1 copper or #1/0 aluminum (table ampacity is slightly less, but you get to round up).

As you know, the subpanel ampacity can be greater than the feed breaker ampacity. You don't need a main breaker in the sub, if it's in the same building.

Oh. You're in PVC conduit.

Okay. Change of plan for the wires, then.

You want to use individual wires not cable.  (the outer jacket makes cable very stiff - too stiff for achievable pulling through conduit. It can be done but you'll need an electrician's truck full of pulling tools, and the whole point of DIY is not needing to call the electrician, eh? :)

In this case, you use individual wires.  Such as XHHW-2, THWN-2, or USE-2. (the "2" just means it's the 2nd revision of the spec for the insulation, and as such, gives it more features, such as higher temperature.)

You aren't stuck with the cable's default ground wire size. You can use any ground wire that NEC permits (6 AWG Cu or 4 AWG Al).  Since it's an outbuilding, you will need the ground wire in addition to the ground rods.  Both are mandatory; one  takes human-generated fault current back to source, and the other takes natural lightning/static electricity to earth (which is its source).

If you just bought the cable, then cut off a few inches and see if the wires are individually labeled with markings.  If so, you can remove the sheath and use the wires in any application their markings allow.

If you need to run some of it openly (e.g. on joists as cable) and some in conduit, you either do the works in cable (hard pull; get bigger conduit, it'll help!) or you can transition from one wire type to the other in any appropriate (large here) junction box with permitted splices.


The transformer can be replaced, 120 /110v transformers are the same thing just different dates when they were manufactured. For many years we called line voltage 110, later 115 now 120 so they by definition are the same to the national electric code in the US. The important part is the output voltage and the size or how many amps / watts it is rated for. The new transformer needs to be rated the same or larger for example 120/24vac at 5 amps the new one needs to be 5 amps or better. The voltage needs to be the same in this case 24v I chose this as it is a very common size.

Can you wire them backwards, Yes if wired backwards where the secondary leads are tied to the mains or 120v the out put will be 600v if the insulation holds up (for this example).
Usually step down transformers have a ground wire on the primary side, most of the time they are stamped with the voltage on each side of the case 2 wires of the same color on the 120v side means it doesn’t matter which one connects to the hot and neutral or normally black and white of the 120v supply.

So make sure your output voltage on the secondary of the transformer is the same as the original and that it is rated for the same load in amps or KW, if the same value is not available go bigger NEVER smaller. And last make sure to hook up the primary side to the supply or mains voltage.


Hot and neutral terminals are switched in a outlet

First of all, you should never modify a plug by "switching terminals". So step 1: put the plug back to the original configuration. The problem here is seems to be in the receptacle, so fix the receptacle.

You didn't say what type of receptacle you have; there are three types of 30A twist-lock receptacles:

Your statement about switching the terminals "and now it fits" seems to imply though that you maybe have the wrong receptacle? If neutral/ground were swapped, it would still physically fit, it just may not actually work (though chances are most things still would work, but there are safety reasons not to have neutral and hot backwards).

There are many types of NEMA receptacles:

If you have the wrong one, you need to install the correct one. For the most part, there are two considerations in switching:

The L14-* receptacles are combined 120/240V, so have 3 wires plus ground. You could cap off one and switch to a 2-wire receptacle, but you obviously can't go the other way without running a new wire.
Moving to a same or lower-rated (amps) receptacle is okay, but moving to a higher-rated one may not be: it likely requires a larger gauge wire to be run.

If you want more assistance, tell us what actual receptacle and plug you have (take pictures, if needed), tell us the wiring is, what the circuit breaker is rated for and if it's a 1- or 2-pole, and anything else that may be relevant.


yes, if your tile grout is light colored and the dark areas are of an organic makeup (coffee, gravy, etc.), bleach will clean and brighten the grout. I believe it is applied full strength with a paint brush and allowed to soak-in for several minutes. Agitating with a stiff bristle brush will loosen any surface stains. Wipe up remaining bleach with a dry rag and than wipe with a rag that's been lightly wrung of clean water. Dry with a towel.


Single connection 2+ cable devices with splitter

In principal, yes you can do this.  Practically, there are some design considerations that need to taken into consideration in order to get the best performance.

There is signal loss every time you split the cable. So first and foremost, the incoming signal strength needs to support the number of devices and splitters over the distance of the cable (longer cable = more signal loss).

When both cable modems and TV are used, often the signal is split closer to the source and a direct feed is provided to the cable modem.  Some splitters have different loss levels for each connection and this is also used to provide higher signal strength for longer or runs or internet modems.

You should also contact your provider to ensure you can do this on your own.


Possibly excessive noise from Grundfos circulator

I got it! After some more research, it seemed like this was the kind of noise that indicates an imbalance in the impeller. So I pulled apart the pump, and lo and behold: there was a piece of debris stuck in there. After cleaning it out, the pump really is working with "whisper" silence.


Looks to me like a  mud dauber wasp nest, not egg pod. Mostly harmless to your house, though the nest may trap a bit of moisture; you could knock the nests off during the winter if so inclined, or when they'te no longer occupied. Mostly harmless to the occupants too; these are fairly polite wasps.


Does lack of zone control delay hurt heat pump?

Some newer compressors have a built-in delay to protect them from damage.  You should check the number of recommended cycles per hour in the manual to find out if this is an issue for your unit.

Damage could be caused by overheating over time, or a flooded start - depending on the design of the unit.


Replacing light bulbs with receptacles in garage

What you want is available if you are willing to order parts and put it together. The starting place is a single round outlet such as the Leviton 5258-SS.

Picture Source

Then you need the smaller sized 3.5" cover plate with 2.75" mounting holes. The above outlet mounts into the plate.

Picture Source

See picture sources for possible suppliers. To mount the 5258-SS into the shown cover plate you would need to drill your own holes. The existing device holes in the plate have too large of a dimension.


How to reinstall iron stair railing in concrete that rusted out at the base?

Use the core drill you mentioned before, make sure it is deep enough, say 4" to get to the bottom of the iron stub. That is the standard mounting depth.

To keep the drill in place, drill a hole in a piece of 3/4" plywood big enough (1'X4'??)to lay on the stair you need to drill with the hole in the place that the old post is located. Stand on this while you use the drill to cut the hole. Get another body on it too if you feel you need to, but if you can maintain good balance you will be fine. drill it down about 1/2" and set aside the plywood and finish the depth of the hole. you can always chip a little of the concrete out, to go deeper, but you will find that a well placed tap with a hammer and chisel or steel pin to the side will release the plug that you drilled.

The plywood will stay in place very well with the pressure of you standing on it, it does not take a whole lot of pressure to keep it from "dancing".

If you can use a water fed core drill.


Turn 120 volts two plug outside into AC connection

For the 12000 btu unit you linked to it is 120v.
Are there any other loads on this outlet or circuit?
A 12000 btu unit normally draws under 15 amps with an inverter.
The one main concern I know about on these units are using a sealant like nylog blue to make sure the fittings do not leak. We had a class over a year ago they mentioned servicing these units the number 1 problem was leaking fittings.
I have not used one but would use nylog blue . No interest in the company I use the product.
As far as tapping that receptacle if nothing else is on that line I would feed a disconnect from the receptacle and use it that way.
As with all splits make sure to hang the unit level or slightly lower on the drain side. Do not kink the drain and cut the line off just above the ground.


What can be done to mitigate risk when buying a very old home?

It seems there are a handful of steps you could take:

Make sure you understand typical protections built into the home buying process in the US. Generally, the things that can be major health hazards (radon, lead paint, asbestos) can or should be handled as part of the purchase. At the least, if you have a bank involved to write you a mortgage, they will almost certainly require these items to be tested for and mitigated.
Make sure you understand the renovations that already happened, if possible. How did the prior owner make decisions about what to do? Were they just concerned with cosmetics, or were there updates made to the home's infrastructure as well?
Make sure you understand your home inspector's process. Home inspectors are licensed by state in the US and are essentially required to follow standards on what they inspect and how they report their findings. That said, there's a lot of variability (as with any skilled trade) so it pays to research before choosing an inspector, and then make sure you're present during the inspection and understand what they're checking and why.
Have a trusted general contractor do a separate inspection based on providing an estimate to correct issues the home inspector finds. Be present for this inspection and ask them if they see anything else. Generally, contractors won't want to literally play the role of inspector, but if you have a friendly relationship with a contractor who is willing to walk through the house with you, that can be valuable.
Have a specialized pest inspector do a pest inspection. Old homes can be easy targets for rats, ants, and other pests that can do major damage.
Take out a third party home warranty. Many people would put these one step above "snake oil" in terms of the value they provide, but if your ultimate goal is elimination of risk, that's what these policies are for. That said, taking out such a policy on an old home is going to be a pricey affair.
If the home was built in an identifiable style and time frame in an area with lots of similar homes from the same time frame, try community-sourcing feedback (via social media community groups, or asking people you know in the community, or other means you have available) on what other local homeowners have had to deal with. Maybe all these homes have similar roofs that tend to fail in a certain way, or none of them had insulation in the walls, or the wiring or plumbing has a certain typical problem, or whatever.

As a frame challenge, the uncertainty you're expressing may be a good reason to purchase a new(er) home that may still be under a builder's warranty. Or, accept that the constant need for work is part of the "charm" of owning an older home.


what is the most effective way to grout between ROUGH, SMALL stones? (picture)

I would use a grout bag:

Your technique will be similar to that used when "tuck pointing" brick (look it up). Because your grout lines appear to be too narrow, instead of a brick mortar jointer (see pic below) I would customize a finishing tool or maybe use a narrow grout float.

You will definitely need sanded grout (make sure the joint width and depth does not exceed that recommended by the grout manufacturer), or maybe even a coarser aggregate mortar (check with a decorative stone supplier or good tile shop in your area).
Use several sponge buckets (dirty, clean, cleaner) and wring often when sponging, changing water frequently.

Do not fear a mild acid wash to remove residual grout haze, muriatic is what we generally use on stone and brick (test on a leftover stone sample prior to using to ensure no dramatic reaction/discoloration).

My Sequence:

1) Do the whole top section first, including finish sponging. If you must stop, at least finish a wall and stop at a corner.

2) Do the whole stone section second, including finish sponging. If you must stop, at least finish a wall and stop at a corner.

3) Do the whole bottom section last, including finish sponging. If you must stop, at least finish a wall and stop at a corner.

4) Wash and/or acid wash haze in one operation after the grout has set (refer to grout maker's recommendation for appropriate time prior to washing).

I dig your design, it is going to be beautiful.

P.S.- You're gonna need a lot of grout.


Can I use Schedule 40 PVC to protect a grounding electrode conductor where exposed to physical damage?

After some more research, the answer appears to be no. Per section 352.10(F) of the 2014 NEC and its informational note (quoted below), only schedule 80 is allowed where PVC is exposed to physical damage.

  Below Quotation is from NFPA-70:2014; The 2014 National Electrical Code

  352.10 Uses Permitted.

  ...

  (F) Exposed. PVC conduit shall be permitted for exposed
  work. PVC conduit used exposed in areas of physical damage
  shall be identified for the use.

  Informational Note: PVC Conduit, Type Schedule 80, is identified for areas of physical damage.


I would use an anti-fatigue floor mat. The wheels will make divots into the squishy floor mat material and help it from moving around from the vibrations.


The tiles should be ok, except for mold (which is easy to clean). 100% I'd apply silicone under the shower screen (external and internal if possible). Replace the door trim if possible (depending of your budget) if not and if you have a multitool remove the lower part and try your best covering it. Before anything, clean everything and apply an anti mold solution, since probably you already have some dots (based on the extent of the pictures)


Do I seal just the grout lines or the whole granite tile surface area?

With natural stone I seal everything. With glazed tiles I usually only seal the grout lines because the tile glaze is a sealer so putting additional sealer won’t add protection and in some cases can change the color or surface shine of the tile.

So glazed and porcelain I do the grout lines natural stone I seal the stone & grout because both are porous.


Basement bottom plate has no vapour barrier, should I replace it?

If you are inside your home's warranty period, now is the time to check with your local building authority to see if pressure treated lumber is required for plates in contact with concrete. There's a good chance the answer is yes.

If the builder has to come back and fix, its pretty straightforward to change a plate.


Can I notch the end of a piece of fire blocking to accommodate a wire?

Yes you can notch it. Make it so it does not pinch the wire in anyway, be VERY careful how it is fastened in. Fireblocking foam can be used to fill the rest in while the rest of the fireblocking work is being done.


Adding a circuit breaker to stop a constant tripping breaker

The problem is that all of those outlets and fixtures are on a single circuit. That means a single cable. The circuit breaker is merely the beginning of that circuit run.

What you need is more wire, not just more breakers. You would have to run a separate wire from one or more of those outlets and fixtures to the panel box, and then you could add a new breaker. Supplement: You would, of course, disconnect these outlets and fixtures from the original circuit.

Also, though you do not suggest it, please do not even consider changing to a higher amperage breaker. The amperage is again controlled by the wire (in this case, size), not the breaker.


Do I need to install GFCI outlets at each location for switched garage lights?

Any GFCI device is capable of protecting any number of loads downline.  At extremes, Europeans use one GFCI device for their whole house but this requires compromises that make it a bad idea here.  Therefore, it is unusual to need more than one GFCI per circuit.  Most of the time, when people fit multiple GFCIs on a circuit, there's a sad knowledge gap there, which is causing them to waste money.

GFCIs are not receptacles.  Those things are GFCI+receptacle combo devices.  They also make GFCI+circuit breaker combo devices, as well as standalone GFCI (they look like a receptacle, but with no pins, and the slang is "Deadfront").  There is no way to plug in anything to a breaker or deadfront, so their whole point is to protect downline loads.   But GFCI+receptacles can do it too.

Regardless, as long as these receptacles are on the ceiling such that they're for obviously lights only and not readily accessible for other loads, ask your local inspector if you can exempt them from GFCI requirements.  If you can't, using GFCI receptacles on the ceiling is prohibited. You need to be able to reach them to reset them! This forces you into a downline design.   And another factor does too...

Putting a GFCI device downstream of a switch is bad design, and will play havoc with many models.  In that case the GFCI needs to be upstream of the switch and feed both hot and neutral of the switch+light section of the circuit, so the GFCI proper is never switched. By nature it must be one GFCI.


What tool do I use to remove this wide and flat screw-esque thing?

They're plastic electrical box knockout plugs and they are included with weatherproof electrical boxes. I've never seen or heard of a tool designed specifically to install/remove them. A large slotted screwdriver is probably the most used item and is what's shown in the box instructions.


Over-the-range Microwave on small-appliance branch circuit

Folks may be too wrapped up in the kitchen rules and forgetting the everywhere rule.

No receptacles if fixed loads are >50%

Add up the rated amperage (or VA/120 or watts/120) of each and every load that is either hardwired or permanently installed like the microwave, garbage disposal, fan, lights, yadayada.   Got the total?

Now look at the circuit breaker, it'll be 15 or 20 amps.

If the total of all the fixed, installed loads is more than half the circuit breaker rating, that circuit cannot power receptacles (other than the receptacles for the installed loads.)


Gas fireplace, “log” placement, and flame flare up

If I were you I would stop using the fireplace until a detailed inspection has been done of the gas piping and gas jet manifold. It would appear that there is a gas leak coming from part of the piping assembly. This could be from a loose or dried out pipe joint or some malfunction part of the gas jet system.

From the appearance of the picture I would venture to guess that this could be a pretty dangerous situation until it is fixed.


For all new construction residential dwellings the answer is not too complicated.

For older homes with existing wiring the answer is not as easy.  A qualified electrician would need to assess the wiring conditions and even then only by trail and error could they determine if ARC-fault protection would be able to work.  In some cases using an ARC-Fault receptacle downstream may be an option, whereas a complete rewire of the existing branch circuit may be needed.

I've elaborated on the answer breaking it up into residential and commerical establishments for educational purposes.

Residential AFCI Requirements

All habitable rooms that contain 120 volt 15 or 20 Amp branch circuits require ARC-fault protection. This includes kitchens, family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, laundry areas, or similar rooms or areas.
Exceptions:

Bathrooms, unfinished basements, garages, and outdoors.
Fire alarm system installed in accordance with 760.41( B) or 760.121( B) is installed in RMC, IMC, EMT, or steel-sheathed cable, Type AC or Type MC, meeting the requirements of 250.118, with metal outlet and junction boxes, AFCI protection shall be permitted to be omitted. (This is mainly in condominiums and not so much in traditional houses.)
Existing installations are not required to be updated with ARC-fault protection unless modification to the wiring is done.

Exception: AFCI protection shall not be required where the extension of the existing conductors is not more than 1.8 m (6 ft) and does not include any additional outlets or devices.

Residential GFCI Requirements

All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in bathrooms, even if the receptacle is part of the bathroom lights, or if you have a washing machine in the bathroom it too requires GFCI protection.
Garages, sheds, and accessory buildings located at or below grade.
All outdoor receptacles.
All crawl space receptacles.
All unfinished basements.
All kitchen countertop areas.
All dishwashers.
All pool motors,  spas, and pumps
All receptacles within 6' of any sink.
All boathouses
All laundry areas
Exceptions:

A receptacle supplying only a permanently installed fire alarm or burglar alarm system shall not be required to have GFCI protection.
Receptacles that are not readily accessible and are supplied by a branch circuit dedicated to electric snow-melting, deicing, or pipeline and vessel heating equipment shall be permitted to be installed in accordance with 426.28 or 427.22, as applicable.
Receptacles installed for disposals and trash compactors are not required to be protected by GFCIs. A receptacle( s) installed behind a refrigerator is installed to supply that appliance, not the countertop, and is not covered by the kitchen countertop GFCI requirement.

Commercial ARC-fault Requirements

Dormitory units are required to have ARC-fault protection.

Commercial GFCI Requirements

All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in bathrooms, kitchens, rooftops and outdoors, 6' from a sink, indoor wet locations, locker rooms, garages, service bays, and similar areas.
All vending machines.
All pool motors, spas, and pumps.
All electric drinking fountains.
Exceptions:

In industrial laboratories, receptacles used to supply equipment where removal of power would introduce a greater hazard shall be permitted to be installed without GFCI protection.
For receptacles located in patient bed locations of general care or critical care areas of health care facilities other than those covered under 210.8( B)( 1), GFCI protection shall not be required.
Receptacles that are not readily accessible and are supplied by a branch circuit dedicated to electric snow-melting, deicing, or pipeline and vessel heating equipment shall be permitted to be installed in accordance with 426.28 or 427.22, as applicable.
In industrial establishments only, where the conditions of maintenance and supervision ensure that only qualified personnel are involved, an assured equipment grounding conductor program as specified in 590.6( B)( 2) shall be permitted for only those receptacle outlets used to supply equipment that would create a greater hazard if power is interrupted or having a design that is not compatible with GFCI protection.


Can I repair this dent on a finished surface?

I'm sure there is a way to repair the door but I don't see it being easy or very cost efficient.  I have a suggestion that might help you, have you considered flipping the door around so that the damage is on the inside. You will most probably have to reverse the hinges.  Hope this is helpful.


Can a HVAC solve my ventilation problem?

HVAC systems don't exchange air with the outside unless you specifically add an air exchanger. In older houses, this wasn't necessary because they leaked enough that you always got new fresh air coming in somewhere. With newer houses and recently fully renovated ones, the houses can indeed be sealed up so air tight that an air exchanger is necessary.
Based on your response, what it sounds like you have is an old house, recently renovated to be made air tight, with existing duct work and a furnace.
Based on that, you don't need a new HVAC system, you need an add on air-exchanger, such as this:

Ducting will need to be added to the outside to allow this machine to suck in outside air and blow out inside air.  This kind of device is, IMO, best installed connected to air return of your existing furnace so that fresh air can be injected, heated, and distributed thru the house.


Convert Full Switched Receptacle to Half Switched

It's probably not possible with your configuration. The incoming hot is switched, and there's likely no constant hot source present (unless it was wired as a split initially and someone modified it). You can certainly explore the situation to find out for sure. We can't say from here.


Why is my fridge building ice on the outside but not getting cold inside?

That is a sure sign that the refrigerant has leaked out. There is just enough left to freeze over the first bit of the coil as the remnants flash vaporize after passing through the expansion valve due to high suction. If a meter set was connected, one would find low high side pressure and high low side pressure.

If it wasn't a high priced refrigerator or is out of warranty, don't bother with a service call, just replace it. Do not attempt to repair it youself unless you have a EPA 608 or 609 license depending on if it is a R410A or R134A unit.


Your hinge is adjustable for both how far away from door to door (front screw) and also how far from frame to door (back screw) . The hinges also have the non interesting door to door height alignment ( up down ) .

A nice video sample of that is found here:
https://youtu.be/Bd7sbYWGpXw


When do tankless water heaters need to be descaled?

The manual will say something like

  Flushing the heat exchanger with a descaling solution if mineral build up is evident. Scale build up will shorten the life of the water heater, descale heat exchanger thoroughly and repeat annually depending on mineral content of ground water.

(From Bosch 2400E NG user manual)

or maybe something like

  Periodic descaling may be necessary in areas with high
  mineral content in the water. Scale buildup in the heat
  exchanger may result in lower flow rates, error codes of
  A7 and E9 and boiling sounds (knocking and banging)
  in the heat exchanger.

(From Bosch GWH 2400 ES NG User Manual)

so

  Under what situations should a tankless hot water heater be descaled?

When mineral build up is evident on annual inspection.

  Does it depend upon how hard your water is?

Yes

  If descaling should be done periodically, how can I determine the right frequency for my situation?

By inspection.


What kind of trim should I use for an aluminum backsplash behind a stove?

I'd go with Aluminum Flat Bar. Very easy to work with for drilling, scribing, mitering, cutting, beveling & just gluing up to the backsplash whether you want to frame the backsplash or just top it. If you want a to fill an upward & outward gap then the Aluminum Angle or Square Tube options in the link above would fit the bill perfectly.


Necessary to tape ceiling-wall joint if installing moulding?

You can do what you like unless local codes require otherwise.
It does not have to be pretty, since it will be hidden, but two benefits of bothering to tape and mud the joint (at least crudely) are better fire performance and not making life easier for your insect friends crawling around the house. A third would be somewhat less air leakage.


Done. Turns out that there's no glue under the underlayment, instead it's just luaun plywood sheets that are stapled extremely well to the subfloor. Once I was able to grab an edge, it was relatively easy to pry the entire thing off, one sheet at a time.


Proper method to attach horizontal board to beam posts in outdoor patio?

Your 2x10 idea is just fine. I wouldn't use hangers, though. They'll be ugly.

I'd do this:

Cut a 2x10 beam to length, fitting it between the posts.
Mount pairs of slotted bed rail brackets to the back side of the board, flush with the ends, one high and one low.
Set heavy screws as appropriate to engage the slotted brackets.
Paint the board and hang it.

Either that or simply mount it to the outer faces of the posts with nice screws. If you fit it well, that would look fine. It really depends on how deep you want the tv to be.


How do I attach vertical blinds to drywall with a half inch space then a concrete wall behind it. They are heavy

Here's what I would do.
Make a standoff spacer to bridge the space between the concrete and drywall surface.
Make the spacer out of a piece of small PVC tube, or better, aluminum tube, say 3/8ths or 1/2" diameter at most, cut to match the distance from the concrete to the outside drywall surface.
Drill through the drywall into the concrete with a masonary drill to accept a Tapcon screw. Make sure the drilled hole is deep enough (maybe half an inch longer than the screw's reach) and work the bit in an out to clean as much dust as possible from the hole.
Enlarge the hole in the drywall to accept the spacer. Use something for a depth gauge that you can push in against the concrete and mark the drywall surface, pull it out and measure the distance, and cut the spacer to that length. Install the Tapcon through the bracket and spacer into the concrete.


What you have is  a system called EIFS for short. Here is a link to get to the care and repair of this type of finish.

Sto Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) Manuals: StoTherm EIFS Repair and Maintenance Guide


Direction for deburring and filing tools

Generally, when speaking of different types of files the cutting teeth on the grooves are oriented in different ways but are usually forward facing.  When pushed the teeth are able to cut the material properly.

Most novice users tend to adopt a sawing motion twice as many passes with the file, thinking it will take half the time to do the work. Unfortunately not.

If the file is employed this way with cutting happening on the forward stroke, the teeth will bend causing permanent damage on the draw stroke.

Best thing is to research any tools and procedures before starting the project.  And find the right tool for the job.


Did they hire Duct Disasters R Us Heating And Cooling?

Most of what you see here is a testament to the sorry state of 80+% of the North American residential HVAC trade.  The single most important part of a forced-air HVAC system to get right is the ductwork, but as you can tell, it's also the part the installers who put in your HVAC system paid the least attention to.

The only part you show that's even remotely sane is the "stub" intake pipe depicted in your first photo; this is a standard way to configure a high-efficiency furnace to draw its combustion air from the surrounding space, instead of having its combustion air supply piped in from outside.  This is not the recommended way to install a high-efficiency furnace, as it means that combustion exhaust issues can then spill CO directly into indoor space via the air intake.  Furthermore, they did something that is all-too-common, and cheaped out, using PVC for the furnace exhaust.  Despite what furnace manufacturers say, DWV PVC is not rated for extended exposure to condensing appliance exhaust temperatures, and thus shouldn't be used in such applications due to the risk of heat damage and subsequent CO leakage.

(P.S. no, it has nothing to do with the hot water heater -- if a gas hot water heater was used, its vent would have to be completely separate from the furnace vent as a Category IV appliance, such as a condensing gas furnace, would backpressure a shared venting system whenever it ran.)

The rest of what you're seeing is telltale of sloppy, harried work; holes in the plenum need to be sealed off so that they don't draw in unwanted contaminants or waste conditioned air on spaces vented to the outdoors, and the consistent abuse of flex duct (up to and including the disconnected duct) simply makes your furnace blower work harder than it has to to get the job done.  (In technical terms, it drives the static pressure of the system up, which is basically the amount of "push" that the furnace fan needs to provide in order to get air to flow through the ducts.)


How long after applying orange oil to my Grandmother's old desk should I stain it?

From the craftsman’s blog

  A lot of folks make the mistake of sanding to either too fine of a grit or not fine enough before applying stain. Too fine and the wood won’t be able to accept the stain. Too rough and the wood will be very dark almost to the point of being black.
  So, what’s the right grit? Generally speaking, for woods like oak and pine, I don’t like to go any finer than 120-grit or any rougher than 100-grit. Stay close to that range and the wood should look great.


How can I repair a slow drip at the main water shutoff valve?

Have you tried gently tightening the gland nut? It's the hex cap under the handle and squeezes some sort of packing against the valve stem. Tighten only in 1/16 turn increments and only if it moves with minimal force. If it acts in any way like it's tight, somebody else may have already compressed the packing to its maximum and no further seal is possible.

This is a globe valve and its design dates from the days of steam for a good reason. Globe valves usually have arrows on them to show proper installation, the inlet should always be the pressure side with the valve closed.

If properly installed so the pressure comes in on the bottom of the valve, with the valve fully closed, the stem is on the pressureless side and allows you to remove the handle and the gland nut to replace the packing without taking the system fully out of service.

Packing is available at any plumbing store, take the gland nut and what you find under it with you so they can identify what was used.


What are the design limits of a normal tub overflow drains (and their gaskets)?

Wow, he might be right... according to this, "overflow drains" are a complete misnomer and the whole assembly is YMMV/at your own risk/a farce:

According to PMI (Plumbing Manufacturers Institute) no manufacturer currently makes bathtub overflows, only trip lever assemblies are made.
...
If you disagree then I challenge you to come up with the documentation that these so called overflows are a real plumbing product in the same sense as any other plumbing product being what it claims to be:
• Show that a standards specification exists with ASME, ANSI, NSF, IAPMO, or any other approved standards making group.
• Show the documentation for the engineering calculations that specify the flow rates the overflow should be capable of handling and how this relates to the overflow "protecting against accidental flooding resulting from an unattended filling operation".
• Show what listing agency is providing a listing for such a product and what testing protocol they are using to verify that the overflow is meeting the standard.
• Show what manufacturer makes an overflow that has such a listing and stands behind the product with a warranty that the product will "protect against accidental flooding resulting from an unattended filling operation" according to the standard to which it is listed.
You will find that none of this exists.

Yikes.


Trying to decide between these two types of masonry bits

My gut instinct is that you want an SDS Plus drill, for the simple reason that if you wanted an SDS Max drill, you'd know that you wanted SDS Max - They are obvious beasts.

The largest hole I've drilled would be a 4-5 inch hole through a single course of brick, which would have been better served by me renting a core drill, but I still got through in about 30 minutes - (the 10 mm pilot hole took seconds however.)

You can only get a proper answer if you can tell us what  you are planning to drill with it? General Domestic drilling? (SDS Plus) One hole to run a drain pipe through a brick wall? (SDS Plus) Demolishing several concrete columns? (SDS Max) Tunnling into a Bank Vault? (SDS Max)


What is the proper way to bring a water line in through skirting on concrete runners?

As for the best way to solve this properly, I'd say "put the house on a foundation" but that's clearly not what you are looking for.

Digging the trench to the point(s) where the water and sewer connect and then building an insulated box with a hard skin to keep animals out of it (cementboard or metal) to contain the pipes running vertically. Otherwise you're into the godawful failure-prone land of wrapping things in heat tape and insulation, and hoping you don't have a heat tape falure that either freezes your pipes or sets things on fire...


How to stop the vibrations/sound produced by glass inside a room while playing a speaker system?

Sometimes rope caulk

applied along the edges of the glass will keep it from vibrating.  You might have to apply it on both sides to get it to work.  This might not do the trick, but it's cheap easy and easily undoable if it doesn't work.  Hopefully you can go back to dancing around with both hands.


Humidity sensor switch wired to current setup

Those white wires are critically important

What you have there is a classical power-to-the-switch-box setup, with a power feed going in, some switches, and both switched-hot and always-hot feeds going off to other places.  As a result, that bundle of white wires in back is your neutral bundle, and is thus critically important to you since your humidity sensor needs neutral so it can power its own innards without trickling power through the load.

Wiring this will require a couple of wirenuts, by the way.  With the breaker off:

Unmount the old switches but do not unwire anything yet
Remove the bottom wire from the switch you are replacing; this will be your always-hot feed
Cut the wire in two and strip both cut ends back a bit further
Wirenut both those wires to the black pigtail coming out of the new humidity-switch
Remove the top wire from the switch you are replacing; this is your switched-hot for the fan
Wirenut that wire to the red pigtail coming out of the new humidity-switch
Fish the bundle of white wires out of the back of the box and nut the white neutral pigtail from the switch into it -- it's important that all of the white wires get nutted together here, as they are the return path for power to get back to its source!
Fish the bundle of bare wires out of the back of the box and nut the green grounding pigtail from the switch into that bundle.  Once again, it's important that all the grounding wires get nutted together here
Carefully stuff the bundles of white and bare wires back into the back of the box
Mount the new switch in the location vacated by the old
Mount the remaining switches back into their existing locations
Button the box back up, turn the breaker back on, and enjoy your new humidity sensor


That appears to be black mold affiliated with a water leak or a flood.  If a flood you need to have mold mitigation done by a qualified mold company.  Drywall removal will be required as the mold you see is coming from the mold on the back of the drywall.  Mold loves cellulose as a food so the paper backing on the back of the drywall will be completely covered in mold.  If a flood situation it is recommended to cut a minimum of 1 foot of drywall above the noticed mold.  However the paint can hide the evidence of mold and can be 4 foot or higher that needs to be removed.  After removal in a flood situation it is recommended to use a disinfectant grease removal soap and scrub all areas affected to include the entire home.  I clean a minimum of 1 foot higher than flood level. .  I use Pinal lavendar sold at home depot as it has a nice smell.  Then dry the home or area to a maximum of 50% of wood moisture measured with a moisture meter.  You can buy this at home depot for about $30.00  After reaching 50% moisture then spray all wood down with anti microbial mold killer.  Soak it down completely 3 times over 3 days no fans, no dehumidifiers.  After 3 days then turn on fans to create a circle of wind in each room leading to a dehumidifier in each room.  For entire home floods, you will need more than 1 dehumidifier.  Recommended is 1 per room.  So in many cases a mold control company is cheaper as we own equipment.  It is also recommended to have a Hepa Air scrubber to remove airborne mold spores.  After the wood reaches a level of 10% or less, you can install new drywall and insulation.  However I require that my customers continue to dry under normal AC or heat for 1 week after certification.  In cases of clean water damage like fire or water leak you can paint the studs with antimicrobial paint.  In cases of flood damages, I do not recommend the paint unless you allow the home to dry out 6 months or more prior to painting and closing the walls.  Flood bacteria takes more time to allow the antimicrobials to penetrate to core .  And if you paint to soon...you will have structural failure from dry-rot bacteria (Fusarium sambucinum) prematurely.


In Australia is it not possible to install a US Water heater?

Apart from the question of whether it's got the appropriate certifications, etc. to be installed in Australia, which is a legal rather than practical matter...

It's a 240V-only appliance, it should be just fine. It is normal for everything operating on the US supply at 120V from ground to be rated for 250V to ground, so the insulation (electrical) should be safe with a 240V single-sided supply rather than a 120-0-120 supply. But your local electrical and/or plumbing inspector may object if it lacks the correct documentation for the local area.


Anyway to hack a portable AC unit to cool 2 rooms

Any way of circulating the air between the rooms will help, although I doubt you will be able to achieve uniform temperatures. Put the AC in the room that is hotter (e.g. has more windows) and then do the best you can with a fan or two.

Also, make sure the AC is properly sized for the area you want to cool.


Thermal mass does not block heat; it stores and releases heat, and it slows down the flow of heat. It will absorb heat when it is colder than the surrounding area, and it will release heat when it is warmer than the surrounding area. These characteristics are useful in the following circumstances:

A thermal mass wall in a climate/season where the outdoor temperatures cycle above and below the indoor comfort point. The heavy walls will slow down the flow of heat so much that by the time it reaches the interior, the outside temperature will have dropped, reversing the flow of heat out of the wall. In order for this to work, the wall must be very dense and very thick; 12" thick rammed earth or adobe, for example.
A thermal mass element within a building's insulated envelope. Such a thing can be used to store free heat generated from sunlight, cooling, electricity usage, etc and store them until the sun goes down and everybody is asleep, whereupon it will release it, moderating the interior temperature and reducing its daily fluctuations, especially at night.

Insulating the underside of the floor is a great idea, as it will make your thermal mass floor fall into category 2.

Preventing the sun from hitting your walls or windows is likewise always a good idea; heat gain is driven almost entirely by direct solar gain.

Keeping the garage door closed may or may not help; try it and see.


Can I remove parquet flooring adhesive by using a heat gun?

I'd advise against using heat. Last week I removed a parquet floor from my living room that had been stuck down with bitumen. After trial and error I found the best technique was to use a hammer and chisel to prise the tiles up, leaving just the bitumen coating on the floorboards. I then paid a guy to sand up the bitumen with a large industrial sander using very rough sanding paper. It took him about half a day and the floorboards now look great. (Make sure you use very rough paper and a powerful machine - if the paper isn't rough enough, the bitumen just gums it up.)

I did try a heat approach but this just melted the bitumen, making it sticky and even harder to remove. I also tried to use solvents, which had the same effect.


Can the drain pipe in my bathroom vanity be turned to the side?

This shouldn't be an issue. With the standard P-trap, you can probably turn it so that it goes toward the side instead of towards the wall to get your 9". The important rule of drainage is that it always needs to slope down (other than the traps at each fixture) and that you can't get too far from the vent. Neither of those should be an issue with the change you're making.

Do be sure that the new sink isn't significantly deeper than your existing one since that could result in the drain needing to go uphill to get to the wall (which water doesn't like to do).


Water infiltration can come from 1) subsurface water, and 2) surface water.

Subsurface water can come from a rising water table or from hydrostatic water rising up through the soil.

Rising Water Table: You indicate the building is located above the water table. That may be true under normal conditions. When an extreme rain event occurs, the water table will rise. Your subterranean drainage system needs to be designed for these events AND provide a place for the water to drain. That is to say, the drainpipes around the building can collect the water, but it must extend to a location that it can be discharged. (We don’t design systems for “normal” conditions. We design systems for “unusual” conditions, including extra high water table.)

Hydrostatic Water: When you’re located on a hillside, the water table slopes with the contour of the hill. So, when it rains the water table may rise due to hydrostatic water that is uphill pushing the water table “up” at your site.
Surface water will run down the exterior of the walls and be collected by the perimeter drains. (Yours are located below the top of the slab, which is good, but we’ll discuss more later.) in order for this system to work, the drainline needs to extend to a drainage swale or down hill...preferably in a solid line (not perforated line).  I hope you did not hook roof drains into these drains, because if you did, the water will flow backwards and come out under the building causing flooding inside the building.

I see a couple of potential design flaws:

construction joints in the slab
no under slab drainlines
lack of double layer rebar in walls
web stiffeners at end of trusses
perimeter perf pipe not buried properly.

1) and 2) These two items go together. If construction joints are required, then an additional under slab drainline placed directly below the construction joint to carry the subsurface water away when the water table rises. The drainline should be tied into the other perimeter drains and extended to a swale or pumped away. Without the drainline, subsurface water can be hydrostatically pushed up from below and seep into the building through the construction joints.

3) You didn’t include the detailing for the rebar, but the Section indicates a single layer. A double layer is required because of double bending in the wall. (It doesn’t matter if the wall is structurally designed as a retaining wall, supported by the roof, or spanning from pilaster to pilaster...It’s in double bending.)

4) I know it’s under construction so maybe the web stiffeners are not yet installed, which has nothing to do with your question.

5) The perimeter perf pipe should have a 12” envelope around the pipe. It’s shown on the bottom of the trench.

Note: There is a barrier on the wall so water will run down the wall and into the perf pipe. There should also be a “protection board” installed over the moisture barrier to protect it against the backfill so it doesn’t get punctured.


In typical UK homes, critical infrastructure, like electrical power, gas, water and sewage should be deep enough that there is no danger of hitting it with a garden fork from the surface. About two or three feet would be typical I believe. You can check the depth of your sewer pipes at the manhole located near your home.

For example, according to Anglian Water

  There is a minimum and maximum depth at which service pipes should be laid:

  Minimum depth is 750 mm
     Maximum depth is 1350 mm

750mm is about 2½ feet.

In other countries the situation may differ of course. If you have a very old home or unusual terrain you might need to take more care.

In addition, I don't think you could realistically puncture any of these with a manually operated garden fork. I assume you have not sharpened the tines and are not using a club hammer to force the fork into your lawn.

Tracing underground services from the surface needs expensive specialised equipment (random example, another) which can be hired (random example).


After glancing through the White-Rodgers 1361 zone valve Installation Instructions, I'd say the C wire should be attached to terminal 1. While R should attach to 5, and W should attach to 4.


Outlet causes breaker/fuse to trip but why

Let's start with what it likely is NOT:

You plugged in multiple devices and they all trip the breaker. Therefore, it's very unlikely a bad device is shorting out the circuit. A phone charger, tablet etc. draws such tiny amps, it's very unlikely you're overloading the circuit. It's possible you have a bad breaker or other issue. But, also unlikely since other devices on that circuit work (lights etc.)

I'd bet with 90% certainty you have a bad receptacle. They are about $5 - $10 at Home Depot / Lowes. An electrician might charge you a minimum ($100 sounds reasonable) to replace it. It's pretty simple to do yourself. That said, I would not recommend someone who is totally void of any electrical understanding do this.

Here's a good answer on doing that yourself: How do I safely replace a worn out electrical outlet?


How do I add a "c" wire to the boiler for a Nest thermostat?

Yes, that C connector on the valves is what you want.  The nest thermostats use very little power, so that shouldn't be an issue for your transformer.

There are two wires coming from the transformer.  On a typical HVAC system, the red wire is used for control, and the other wire is what gets used as the "common" or C-wire.  In your diagram it looks like white is being used for control and red is going to the C terminal of the valves.


Cross bracing will keep the structure plumb. I would probably add the bracing above to keep the lower area open. There are also things like nylon cargo nets that could be added as a climbing structure that would create bracing also.


Low voltage track lighting flashing at low frequency

Because you have too much lighting load for the power supply (not transformer*) to cope with, so it is crowbar-ing.

Reduce load.   This is a good time to think LED.

* "Transformer" is a proper term for a very specific thing, which this is not.  Transformers are quite heavy and withstand short-term overload very well.  This weighs 6.4 oz. for 150W, and fails instantly at 100W. They can call it an A-10 Warthog if they please, but it's actually a switching power supply. As such it has a protective circuit (crowbar) which is tripping for whatever reason (defective? Misapplied? Loads you don't know about?)

The RU mark is a good sign, but still it's only rated as an electronic component, it would need a UL mark to be legal for direct use in mains wiring.


Why does tv sound go off when switching off the ceiling fans with pull chain?

You're on the right track. Generally when you have what seems to be unrelated electrical problems it's usually one of three things. First and most common is you have a broke neutral. Second somewhere in your system you have a phase loss. Third and most difficult to find is the system has had a previous problem and someone has tried to fix it by illegally tying neutrals and ground together in the system and now it's a mess.

Since you are saying it is happening full house, my educated guess would be that it is ahead of the panel (between the panel and the utility connection).

First I would look for a broke neutral. If you have an overhead drop carefully exam to make sure the bare wire (the neutral) is not broken or loose on the drop. Alos look for cracks in the insulation of the drop. If you find a break you can call the utility company and they will make the repair. If it's anything after the meter you have to make the repair. Make sure all of your connections in the panel and meter are mechanically and electrical sound. If you have a meter check for a good voltage reading between the phase conductors and neutral bus. Check the voltages on all breakers including the main both in the on and off positions. If there are any voltages that are not around 120V or 240V, make note of them and look for your problem there.

If you can't find a broken neutral visually and you don't have an extensive electrical background. I would recommend you find a highly skilled electrical serviceman to help locate your problem since it takes quite a bit of testing and maybe just some dumb luck to locate your problem, and some of the testing may require circuits to be active. Also if you want to examine the meter you may have to break the utility seal and that might require a permit by an electrical contractor.

Hope this helps, good luck and stay safe.


What could be causing my spa filter to clog regularly/often; and how can I fix it?

I don't know if this is really an answer, but I've had a Coleman 6 person spa in service for about 25 years. Yes, 25 years!  I have never had the same problems you are experiencing. We learned early on that any clothing (bathing suits etc) must be very clean and rinsed extremely well before going into the spa. Clothes cleaning detergents left in the fabrics release into the pool water and cause foam quickly. The clarifier is good at flocking these soaps, but they do tend to gum up the works quickly.  We never lost a lot of pressure however, just had to clean the filter.  We also made a habit of completely changing the water at least twice a year. After draining as much as we could via the drain hose, we used a wet vac to get as much out of any low spots.  We then put in just enough water to cover the intake close to the bottom and jogged the pump to cycle clean water through the system and get the dirty water out. Again, drain and vacuum and repeat this process until the water looks clear.  We do this with the filter out.  This will clean out a lot of crap. About once a year just before we do a drain and complete cleaning, we treat the tub with anti-scale cleanser.  This cleans the internal pipes of built up scale and solids. In your case, you may want to do this anti-scale treatment for a few days with the circulator on low and the filter out to purge the internal system. Then go ahead and change the water.

Another test you can do is to see how well the pump pushes water. When you have the small amount in the bottom, just above the intake, jets exposed, turn the jets to full, air off and see if the pump will shoot the water out of the jets with extreme force.  Mine will shot water 20 feet away!!!!  lol. If you don't have really good pressure, you may have a warn pump impeller. They can be damaged over time by chlorine based sanitizer, I never use chlorine, just bromine based shock etc.

The other item to check is if you have the right filter for your unit. Filters come in so many styles and densities. You may need to find one that allows better flow.

Assuming you find the root cause of your problem, good housekeeping, keeping as much contaminates as possible out of your tub will help. Very clean bathing suits or none at all,(yahoo) no body cosmetics such as body oils, moisturizers, perfumes etc. Keep chemical treatments to a minimum. Do a quick check weekly for PH, Total alkalinity, and bromine level. Adjust them sparingly so not to overdo any chemicals. Once you get everything under control, maintaining it is very easy and quick.  Good Luck


Good news - the plumber found the issue: a problematic cartridge installed in one of the upper floors. It was replaced and everything is back to normal for all residents. It was extremely difficult to identify the source and required all residents in the stack to be available when the plumber visited. Thanks.


New mini split ac on existing Spa disconnect

You either need to run a ground or get rid of the outlet

Right now, the GFCI hooked to the disconnect in your picture effectively bootlegs ground off of neutral, and the disconnect box itself is grounded via its neutral as well.  This means you either need to run a ground wire (10AWG copper will do) from this disconnect back to the main panel or the grounding electrode conductor system (by any path you can manage), or re-run the feed to this disconnect with a new cable (12/3 W/G will do since this is now a 20A circuit through and through, even).

Of course, you can also remove the GFCI and its feed, and then simply nut off the white in your cable to the mini-split as unused, landing the bare wire on the existing ground lug.  This technically abuses a white wire as a ground, but given that it's not also performing the function of a neutral at that point and that it runs directly back to the main panel, it's not going to be a major issue, practically speaking.  Of course, if you're going through this work, you could just remove this disconnect altogether given that it seems to be in a rather odd/useless place, replacing it with a simple junction box and a new run of 12/3 from the j-box to the main panel.


My faucet valve cartridge is stuck. Need help!

As already suggested you're going to need a good penetrating oil with several applications over time.
As you've discovered the problem is going to be holding the valve in place while you try to get enough torque to loosen the cartridge. Typically most valves will have flat surfaces built into the valve body to enable you to stabilise the valve with a wrench while loosening the cartridge. In the pictures you provided I don't see an obvious place to hold the valve with a wrench. It appears that both the top and underneath mounting nuts rotate.
I believe your best recourse is to tighten the faucet onto the counter as firmly as possible using wrenches above and below the counter - which may require two people. You can then put one wrench on the mounting retainer above the counter applying clockwise pressure while you turn the cartridge with another wrench in a counter-clockwise direction.


Can I span 11 feet 7 inches with doubled 2x6 deck joists?

Doubled 2x6 joists are probably strong enough, but they're not going to be rigid enough to prevent significant bounce. That's why joists spanning 12 feet are usually 2x10 or 2x12. You need to upgrade your joists and possibly the single remaining beam to eliminate the intermediate beam.

Alternatively, consider cutting the intermediate beam into the joists to be flush on top, and add joist hangers. This would raise it by 5-1/2".


Building code requiring rooms to have internal windows?

In the cases where I've run I to something like this, the hotel originally had open walkways around the rooms -- allowing more light in, and probably cheaper to build -- which were later closed off with an outside wall to provide a sheltered approach to the rooms and to reduce energy needed to heat or cool the rooms. The windows were left in place because there was no pressing reason to pay the cost of redoing that wall.

I can't vouch for that having been true in this case, not having seen it and not knowing the building's history, but it seems more likely than a local code weirdity.

Remember, most hotel staff turns over fairly rapidly, up to and including managers. Odds of anyone actually remembering the reasons for anything done a decade ago are low... but odds of their admitting they don't know aren't much better.


Securing base of floor cabinets to concrete

Base wall cabinets are rarely attached to the floor even with wood framing. It's just not necessary, as the weight of the cabinets, the continuous counter top, and the support they lend each other when connected prevent unwanted movement. This assumes proper attachment to the wall.

Island or longer peninsula cabinets are a different situation, where bar-top overhangs and narrow widths can leave them unstable. Code may even require anchoring. In those cases, attaching an inner frame of lumber to the concrete as you describe, over which you set the cabinet, makes for a great anchoring base. You can then screw down through the base shelf or through hidden portions of the side walls into the lumber.


Is it alright for an exhaust fan to vent into the loft?

Bad, bad, bad.

Mold will be in evidence shortly in the loft (attic), as we go into warmer weather.

The vent must run to the exterior, either through a gable wall or through the roof.  Its easier to properly down-slope to the gable wall (to eliminate any condensation in the vent pipe.

To reduce pipe condensation (either inside or outside of pipe), a jacket of insulation is suggested.  Also suggested is smooth walled pipe, gradual turns and no screw penetrations into the vent airspace.


Can I run two lines INTO a single condensate pump?

Usually whole-house AC can make about 3L/hour in humid conditions, and condensate pumps have rates in the range of 5 L/min. So adding another dehumidifier is perfectly handleable by the pump.


reuse padding when installing new carpet

To me, this seems like a "penny-wise, pound-foolish" place to save a few pennies. But then, I tend to rip out carpets and replace them with hard surfaces.

Consider that whatever spills, grunge or general nastiness that got through the old carpet are in the pad - and consider that the pad is already somewhat compressed in the wear areas. You're giving away a good deal of the "new-carpet experience" by leaving a dirty old half-flat pad under it.

Tack strips I don't feel as strongly about reusing.


How to properly anchor wooden porch columns to concrete pad?

A post base. There are several styles, this is one.


Can I use a 16 gauge nail gun for framing lumber?

A 16ga nailer is considered a finish nailer, and really isn't meant for joining 2x4s.  They are primarily used to attach 3/4" boards in the form of trim to studs or other materials.  The small diameter nail just doesn't have the holding strength to make framing  for a bench or anything else like that.

You would need a framing nailer for that job, but they are big, loud, and not unlike firing a gun into the boards.  They are heavy and have a lot of kick.

What I would suggest is an impact driver and 2 1/2" or 3" decking screws.  A normal drill needs a lot of force from the user to drive a long screw, but impact drivers make the job easier.  If it still takes more force than you can apply, you can pre-drill the holes before screwing.  For screwing at an angle (like toe nailing), pre-drilling makes it much easier.  In fact, if you're ok with pre-drilling every hole, a standard drill might not be too hard for you to use.

Impact Driver Example

There are many brands, and I chose the above at random.  You can pay more or less so shop around.  You don't need anything heavy duty.


Can I wire a receptacle to a cord and plug?

Use an inlet (or a full in-wall TV power kit, if required by the AHJ)

What you want for getting power back into the wall isn't a second outlet, but its mirror image, namely an inlet (product shown for exposition only):

That way, you can use a (short) length of ordinary extension cord between the surge protector and the inlet, then have normal building wiring from the inlet to another outlet.  This is similar to a 400.7 (11) setup:

  (11) Between an existing receptacle outlet and an inlet, where the inlet provides power to an additional single receptacle outlet.  The wiring interconnecting the inlet to the single receptacle outlet shall be a Chapter 3 wiring method.  The inlet, receptacle outlet, and Chapter 3 wiring method, including the flexible cord and fittings, shall be a listed assembly specific for this application.

only with the surge suppressor in the middle, which to me, would make it fall under 400.7 point 6 instead (you're facilitating the interchange of the surge suppressor or other intermediate device here).  However, your AHJ may require a 400.7 (11) kit -- these are called "in-wall TV power kits" generically, but are sometimes known by a trade name of "PowerBridge".  These include the inlet, outlet, and the wiring between them in the wall, and typically are designed to be easily field fitted, using an integral connector system.


What information do I need to give a general contractor to get a good quote?

Heading into a major renovation without a detailed plan, materials schedule and a clear budget can turn what should be a gratifying experience into a nightmare.  Preplanning is the key to success. Take your time, if you don't have the ability to create detailed drawings of the new layout, then it may be wise to have an architect create some plans for you. There are lots of items to be considered, plumbing, electrical, structural changes etc.

You should spend  time at home centers or specialty showrooms so you can determine what kind of fixtures, cabinets, counter tops, flooring etc, that meet your needs, style and budget. Remember, quality of these items varies tremendously, so do the costs, so get a handle on those items early in the process.

Create a "schedule" or list of the exact items you want in your renovation. The more detail, model numbers, colors, accessories,  the better. Even have samples of the flooring, trim, finishes etc. Many places will loan you a sample cabinet door and small samples of counter tops.

The advantage of having an architect is that he/she can take your selections and work them along with the unseen requirements into a complete "Scope of Work" that can be used to solicit quotes from contractors. The architect may also help you in constructing a request for bid that will include items such as time schedules, schedule of payments, and final hold-back (10% is common) until a final acceptance inspection is completed. The business aspect of a project like yours is very important since you are probably talking $30,000 to $40,000 or more.

When selecting the contractor, vet them thoroughly, check references, go look at some of their recent work and talk to their customers. Don't be shy about it, I have seen and cleaned up after too many botched and unfinished jobs because the customer fell for a smooth talker and never checked them out professionally. Be very cautious.

I could probably write a book based on your question, but I hope I have covered a few of the bases.  Feel free to ask follow up questions or more specific questions.  Good luck.


Why does my dishwasher make a singing / whistling sound

Sure sounds like a worn-out bushing / bearing pack. The squeal will get worse with time and become a screech. If it is a worn out drive belt the issue is just as complex. I have looked at LG's site for this product and it seems that this is definitely NOT a DIY job. LG offers tech support and possibly repair locations. Unless you are an expert at replacing bearing packs / belts and have a lot of specialized tools, I would send it out for repair, or you might have the option of an in-house repair.


This is how I suspect the circuit is wired, but you'll have to investigate to be sure.

In the fixture junction box:
White = Grounded (neutral) conductor.
Black = Ungrounded (hot) conductor.
Red = Switched ungrounded (hot) conductor.

The circuit may be wired this way because it continues on to feed other rooms, or simply because the switch is a "smart" switch that requires a grounded (neutral) conductor.

You'll learn a bit more about the circuit, when you open up the switch box and take a look inside. If you're still not sure what's going on, you'll have to probe the wires to gain a better understanding.  If at any point you don't feel comfortable, or you're in over your head. Don't hesitate to contact a local license Electrician.


Which laminate flooring is best with a largish dog?

At the risk of sounding like an old school hold back, I gotta weigh in on laminate flooring. I have installed thousands of square feet of various wood and laminate flooring. Even though the new laminates tout the hard durable finishes and long warranties, the common weakness of laminate is that it is a picture of wood on some type of paper or synthetic base. When a sharp heavy object tears away the paper thin "wood" picture off the top, the warranty covers that one piece of flooring, not the entire floor or the labor to replace it, which is almost impossible for a single piece in the field of the floor.

The other major concern I have with most laminates is the reaction to water in areas like a kitchen or bathroom.  Admittedly, I have not checked out the particular items you linked to, but in general, almost all laminates will swell and bubble at the mere site of water, and the damage is irreversible. Be absolutely sure the product you select will perform as promised if accidentally covered with water from a leaking pipe or an overflowing sink. Ask for a small sample and leave it in a sink of water for half an hour and see it there is a reaction.

I will not supply or install laminates, especially when there are a lot of good real hardwood click lock engineered flooring alternatives out there at the same or lower cost.  A good engineered flooring material will have a 1/4" to 3/8" 3 ply plywood backer and a  3/16" real hardwood veneer top, that can be sanded and refinished if necessary. Engineered products are very temperature and humidity stable, feel and sound a lot more solid under foot and can be cared for as you would any real hardwood floor.  I recently installed 300 sq ft of a Shaw engineered product, 7 foot long X 7 1/2" wide snap/clink lock panels. Quality was excellent and went down extremely fast.  Price was under $4.00 a sq ft.! Not pushing Shaw products, but I was reasonably impressed and I am a tough sell.

The other piece of advise I'd give you is to check some of your local flooring liquidators that sell retail as well as wholesale. You may find a bargain on something of much better quality at a very reasonable price. Even though I drop apx $80,000 a year at Lowe's and maybe $10,000 at Home Depot, I never buy flooring there.  I always get better product, better advise and cheaper prices at my local flooring warehouse.


The origin of Split-Bus panels

So, think 1920.  Lighting is the "killer app" that is making everyone electrify their homes.  Plug-in appliances are still coming along, but by and large 30A is plenty for most people just doing lighting and the few plug-in appliances of the day, with 60A for those with a big electric appliance.

Now, think 1950.  Postwar, they're building houses like crazy, and they have new-fangled "all electric" appliances - electric ranges, electric dryers, electric water heaters - some houses even have electric heat!  And why not? Nuclear fission plants are in the pipeline, and just around the corner is nuclear fusion -- clean, safe and too cheap to meter. The old 30A service (for mainly lights) or 60A service (for lights and maybe one big electric appliance) just doesn't cut it anymore.

The problem is, service equipment hasn't been keeping pace. Miniature circuit breakers exist, but the design mentality is still stuck in 1920 - with 60A being the largest main breaker that's really made in any production.  And these new homes need at least 100A, and 100A main breakers are nosebleed-expensive industrial tier products.

"Well", say builders.  "How about if we split the main breaker function to several several affordable main breakers?  You have to throw them all to de-energize the house.  Figuring on electric range, dryer, water heater, A/C, and a fifth to feed an internal 'subpanel' for traditional 'lighting' and recep loads". And the panel builders said "It needs to be an even number."  And NFPA said "alright, six it is.  You must be able to turn the power off with 6 hand movements".  Which also happens to be a rule in industrial power.

And so they built in the panel with a "built-in subpanel" for "lighting" (read: normal 120/240V loads).

So the top 12 spaces, the "Rule of Six" area, are for major (electrical) appliances that pull 240V.  Thus the 6 need 12 spaces.  You can put single-pole or even double-stuff breakers in there, but you won't be able to use all 12 spaces if you do.

Is the panel legal as pictured?

I count 1-2-3-4-5 throws.  Yes, you can do that and put 1 more breaker in the Rule of Six area.  However then you are done.  You may find that stifling, so I recommend putting small loads in the subpanel area.

It also remains that Rule of Six/split-bus panels are scary dangerous, because if  you have 50A range + 30A AC + 30A water + 30A dryer + 60A for the lighting section + a 100A breaker to the Tesla charger, you may notice that's 300A of "main breakers" on a 125A service.  As houses power more stuff, you have a higher chance of blowing right past the safety limits on the panel - and nothing catches this on a split-bus panel!

Meanwhile 100A and larger breakers have come down massively in price.   So I like to see Rule of Six panels converted into "Rule of One" panels one of several ways:

Given that exterior disconnects are Code requirements in 2020, fit an exterior main breaker and put the Rule of Six panel downstream of it.  Now it's just another panel, and you can continue it in service forever. (and your CH panel is excellent and you have every reason to do so).
Fit a single breaker into the Rule of Six area, and have that power a new subpanel.  Now you have a single breaker shutoff.


When wiring a switch loop, which wire is which?

It doesn't matter, it's in the past

In the old days (pre 2011 code adoption), National Electrical Code said that if a wire with white or gray insulation or a marking of three white or gray continuous stripes is used as part of a switch loop to single-pole, 3-way, or 4-way switches. The conductor should be permanently reidentified, and should be used for the supply to the switch but not the return (200.7(C)(2)).

  National Electrical Code 2008

  Chapter 2 Wiring and Protection

  Article 200 Use and Identification of Grounded Conductors

  200.7 Use of Insulation of a White or Gray Color or
  with Three Continuous White Stripes.

  (2) Where a cable assembly contains an insulated conductor
  for single-pole, 3-way or 4-way switch loops and
  the conductor with white or gray insulation or a marking
  of three continuous white stripes is used for the
  supply to the switch but not as a return conductor from
  the switch to the switched outlet. In these applications,
  the conductor with white or gray insulation or with
  three continuous white stripes shall be permanently reidentified
  to indicate its use by painting or other effective
  means at its terminations and at each location
  where the conductor is visible and accessible.

So before 2011 NEC adoption, the wiring should look like this.

The future

According to the 2011 code...

  National Electrical Code 2011

  Chapter 4 Equipment for General Use

  ARTICLE 404 Switches

  I. Installation

  404.2 Switch Connections.

  (C) Switches Controlling Lighting Loads. Where switches control lighting loads supplied by a grounded general purpose branch circuit, a grounded circuit conductor shall be provided at the switch location.

A grounded (neutral) conductor is now required at each switch location (see code for exceptions), which means the circuit would now have to look like this...

Or


Determining which 3 way switch is wired wrong

Get an electrician with an insulation resistance tester in to check this out further

Since both 3 way switches appear to be wired correctly, the one cause left remaining in the wiring system is a short between the two traveler wires themselves.  To find this, I would have an electrician come in and unhook both traveler wires at both ends, then measure between them with an insulation resistance tester (often called a "megger").  From there, it would be a matter of chasing down any shorts found, and replacing either the entire cable or patching in a section of cable using NM splice kits to repair the situation.

If it isn't that, then I'd have the switches themselves checked, although that's less likely than an errant staple or nail causing a short.


Worthwhile to insulate basement ceiling while remodeling?

Thermal insulation (and a vapor barrier) is applied between the interior and exterior surfaces of the home. Unless you plan on leaving your basement unheated, you wouldn't place thermal insulation between the floors. And leaving it completely unheated is a bad idea since pipes can freeze.

The only reasons to place insulation between floors is for sound or to slow the spread of fire. For fire protection, the places you'd install insulation are where fire could spread up an opening like a chase for running duct work and other utility lines.

What's left is sound protection, and that is best provided by using flooring materials like carpeting above, and then separating the drywall from the joists with something like resilient channel. Insulation in the ceiling cavity will only reduce the high frequency sounds from above. The low frequency sounds, such as loud footsteps, will travel directly through the flooring, the joists, and be rebroadcast by the drywall. Think of sound like electricity, the joists as a short, and carpeting and resilient channel as tools to prevent that short.


According to Table 250.122 of the National Electrical Code, a 10 AWG copper conductor is fine as an equipment grounding conductor for circuits with up to 60 ampere protection.

National Electrical Code 2014
Chapter 2 Wiring and Protection
Article 250 Grounding and Bonding
250.122 Size of Equipment Grounding Conductors.
(A) General. Copper, aluminum, or copper-clad aluminum equipment grounding conductors of the wire type shall not be smaller than shown in Table 250.122, but in no case shall they be required to be larger than the circuit conductors supplying the equipment. Where a cable tray, a raceway, or a cable armor or sheath is used as the equipment grounding conductor, as provided in 250.118 and 250.134(A), it shall comply with 250.4(A)(5) or (B)(4). Equipment grounding conductors shall be permitted to be sectioned within a multiconductor cable, provided the combined circular mil area complies with Table 250.122.


How to add bars or strengthen a sliding door?

If youre worried about someone breaking a glass door, stop.  First of all, there are much simpler ways to de-track a slider. Second, you can put all the bars you want on the door, but the thief can still break the glass and reach inside to release the lock & catch.

Similarly, garage doors are by design (for lightweighting) easy to crumple or kick in.

The simple fact is that a determined and experienced burglar knows more ways to get in, without doing significant damage or making noise, than you can imagine.  Unless your neighborhood has a history of breakins, it's not statistically worth while to take any extreme measures.  If anything, install an alarm system with automatic calls to first responders.


The problems don't stop at your system/pipes.

Just as they don't dissolve in your septic system (should you have one), they don't dissolve in the water company's septic system and can clog the equipment in the local sewage works that isn't designed to handle such "solid" waste.

While one or two wipes from one person probably won't do too much damage, if everyone did it it would cause major problems.

As for problems to your system there's a good chance that the baby wipes will get caught up in any bends - specifically the U-bend in the toilet itself.


Teak flooring in the shower, good idea or bad?

The teak wood is not the actual floor of the shower it is just a layer on top of the waterproof substrait or tile.  There is no wood that has properties to form a shower subfloor - it holds too much water, expands and contracts too much, and rots.  Not to mention sanitary issues.

So can you put teak in a shower.  Sure.  You can stand on top of whatever you want as long as the underneath part is waterproof and drains.  However you are just adding another (major) thing to clean.


Install New Attic Access Ladder Perpendicular to Joists

Yeah, You do not want to do as shown in the picture. Install the attic ladder/stairs in a way that it is parallel to the joists.
These units are often made so that they just fit between joists that are 24" on center. If your joists are such then this is great. If not they you have cut out one joist and frame in headers at each end of the opening to support the cut off joist at each end.
If the attic is under a peaked roof structure you want to place the attic/stair assembly such that the upper end of the attic ladder/stair is under the highest part of the peak. This may very well mean that the end of the lowered ladder assembly extends out toward the outside wall of the house on the eve side of the roof.


How can I remove this thermostatic mixing shower faceplate?

I believe that chrome cap on the front of the knob needs to be removed. The valve I have is similar. Look all around the temp control knob for an inset set screw that takes a small allen wrench to remove. The other possible option is the chrome cap needs to be carefully pried off. In either case I think you'll find the key to removal of the knob is on the knob somewhere not behind the escutcheon.


Circuit requirements add up to more than 200 amps?

Not even close

Look at how service panels work. There are actually two Poles, L1 and L2.  Since you are dealing in 120V loads, you can pull 200A off each of them.

A 240V load like a house air conditioner pulls off both at once.  You have none, however.

Aside from the 120V issue, you are supposed to radically oversubscribe panels. A family will use the power a family wants to use, how the circuits are subdivided will not affect demand.

The purpose of breakers is to protect wiring. If you subdivide a circuit, say, into 3 circuits, each set of wiring needs its own circuit protector (breaker). That's all that is.  And Codes have required a lot of circuit division of late, which is why each bathroom and bedroom requires its own circuit and you are putting 6 circuits in a kitchen.

Tom rewired his kitchen from three 15A circuits to twenty 20A circuits, even provided 2 separate circuits on each countertop receptacle. From the panel it looks like a leap from 45A to 400A, but Tom's wife doesn't know that.  She might raise her usage from 30A to 40A as she learns not to be skittish about breaker trips, but that's all.

A lot of your general-use circuits are dedicated circuits with almost no load on them. Fridge, gas range, gas furnace, gas water heater, lighting circuits... These might draw an amp or two yet you are figuring 15-20A for each.  This is just the nature of satisfying modern codes, which do a lot of subdividing circuits that would've been combined before. A lot of European homes have 6 breakers.

One thing we do not oversubscribe is big 240V loads that are likely to be on at the same time (i.e. Not electric heat and A/C).

Another type we do not oversubscribe is loads we plan to run 24x7, e.g. A Bitcoin miner will buy a house and (if he listens to me) will spread the servers around the house so the existing 30A A/C can cool it.  If he is putting twenty 10A servers around the house, he has to make sure they are balanced 10 on each pole, and provision a full 100A for them, plus the 30A A/C.

In other words we think about the loads that are likely to be on at once, worst case, and fudge in a safety factor.

Make it legal

This studio subdivision, are these mancave/art studio, or do you even have the sparkle in your eye of renting these units out? If the latter, get to the city permit agency and have a lengthy talk about subdivision - if it is legally possible and what utility divisions are required to do it.  For instance you will need separate panels for the studios, because the tenant must be able to reset his own breakers without having to call you.   And they may need to be (or be easily rearranged into) main panels with their own meter. That's code saying that, not my opinion.

My opinion is, existing units often have these ganky arrangements where a tenant has to call maintenance to reset a breaker, or get into tense fights with landlords over excessive use.  Those are terrible which is why they've been written out of most codes today.  Just last week we had a landlord in here who evicted her tenant due to excessive electricity use, then admitted the electricity use did not drop after the tenant left, and said "surely it can't be my ________" which it most certainly was.  The landlord was a complete ____ obviously, but the landlording business turns people into that.   Good meters make good tenants.

And now is the time to be fitting that stuff, it will be much harder later.  Aside from the obvious, once the units become rental units, the work must be done by a licensed professional.  The moment of it becoming a rental unit is an important detail that defines how much you can DIY.


Contractor scratched, gouged, and pitted my new hardwood floors

1) Make a complaint in writing and mail it signed return receipt (to prove it was sent and received).

-Make it short, specific as to the details (when, what, how, who, where), and make references to any violations or applicable sections of the written work contract regarding damages to property.

-Avoid emotions, threats, etc. while writing it.  It may be seen by a small claims judge or mediator so make is sound like it was written by a lawyer (they like such things).

2) Take pictures.  Use a artificial light at an angle with a tape measure next to each significant damage.  The angled light will let the damage show better and the tape measure will document the size.

3) Get 3 quotes of what it would cost to repair the floor; obviously not from the guy who damaged them.

4) Be careful about what you do or do not pay the contractor.  Don't pay for the flooring (if you haven't already).

-You might want to put all money normally due the contractor in a separate bank acct.  This will show a judge/mediator that you're not just trying to avoid paying or trying to renegotiate contracted costs.

5) After you have done #1-4 above, negotiate with the contractor re: repairing the floor (if possible...laminate floors or floors with a thin wear layer can't be repaired or repaired and still be worth their original new value).


What do you expect to gain by this?
Your roof deck is in good shape, so if you put a roof on it that keeps it dry, I'd expect it to stay that way.
Redoing the deck happens when you let the roof go to long, it leaks and rots the deck, and you need to remediate that.
If you are worried about meteors, they will not care about another layer of wood. I doubt you are getting hailstones of a size to break your roof deck, or it would be broken, and lacking some reason like that, I don't see much advantage to adding a layer of OSB to support your roof while it sheds water and ordinary size hailstones, when your current roof deck is doing that job just fine.


Replacing pool light switches with smart switches... is this correct?

Assuming both your switches and your GFCI have their line terminals on top and load terminals on the bottom, yes, this is correct.  Double-check that that's the case on your actual devices, because while the way you show it is common, I've seen some that are the opposite as well.

Also, you should pigtail the ground to the GFCI -- it doesn't need to run through it, and you're supposed to wire it in such a way that if you remove one device, nothing else loses ground.

Other than that, everything looks fine.


Craftsman framing nailer, does nail collation type matter?

Interesting, I don't think I have seen wire-welded nails for a framing nailer. Only roofing or siding nailers.

All I have seen are paper tape for clipped head and plastic for full head for framing nailers.

I would match the angle and try some paper tape collated clipped head of a couple different brands. If you can't get any to work, you may be out of luck.

Good luck!