Storing an Old Sump or Ejector Pump for Later Use

I've never stored an ejector pump "wet" but if I wanted to do that, I'd store it in a 50-50 mix of distilled water and standard green automotive antifreeze. The antifreeze contains rust inhibitors. I've personally stored a large diesel engine with a cast iron block for five years after flushing and filling it with 50-50 green antifreeze, and at the end of that time the fluid came out perfectly clean. No rust at all. And the antifreeze won't hurt rubber parts like bleach would.
It might be good to run the pump for a few moments after immersing it to make sure all the air is pumped out of it.


Backstab outlet with one wire screwed in?

You should use either side-screws, or backstabs, but not both at once.  And you should never use backstabs, according to many of us!  I just had to deal with a broken switch where the backstab was the core cause.

If you really need to connect 3 wires, you can pigtail.

Or, consider the $3 "screw-and-clamp" types such as Leviton that are sold at home-improvement stores and electrical supply.   They look like backstabs except the holes are directly aligned with the screws.  Aside from using the screws the normal way, you can screw down to clamp 1 or 2 wires in the holes behind the screw. So with two screws, you can connect up to 4 wires per side.


Is it likely that there is lead in the varnish of my old 1930's hardwood floor?

This page from Stanford University states:

  Presume all paints and varnishes applied before 1980 contain lead including finishes on old toys, furniture and playground equipment.

Therefore you should take precautions when removing the old material.

However, most of the risk from lead is due to the long term exposure to the paint, so the precautions you have been taking should be adequate.


How much cooling is my mist maker humidifier causing?

What you're asking about is the latent heat of vaporization.

It is 970 real BTUs per pound of water, or 2260 joules per gram.   A joule is a watt-second.  A BTU raises one pound of water one degree F.

That means if you have an ugly bag of liquid water, 1 pound, and it is 112F temperature, and you inject 100 BTU, it is now 212F.  If you inject another 970 BTU, it is still 212F but is now vapor.  If you inject 30 more BTU to make it an even thousand, it is now 242F.  The 970 BTU was eaten by the phase change.   Yes, you can use this to air-condition, but it works better with freon, propane, etc.

There's no free lunch.  That energy has to come from somewhere.

A gallon of water is 3785 grams (also 3785 ml, by wild coincidence, not). It will take 8.5 million joules or 2400 watt-hours, or 8200 real BTU,  to evaporate it.   If the humidifier avoids paying it (e.g. By misting), it is stolen from the air, cooling the air.

By "real BTU" I mean BTU is a timeless unit.  Remember when a furnace talks about BTU, that is slang. It actually means BTU/hr.


Remove Paint from outdoor metal sill of Main Door

if this is an anodized aluminum sill (thats what it looks like), try using brake fluid.  it will destroy just about any paint bond out there.  just wipe up afterwards and degrease with a good quality degreaser.

be wary though, if its anything else other that anodized aluminum (or an other uncoated metal), the brake fluid will destroy the coating (even powdercoating will be toast)

if its vinyl, try cleaning it up with paint thinner and a toothbrush.  it may take some time but it usually works.  oven cleaners with sodium hydroxide in them also do a good job without damaging the vinyl.


Should I repair small gaps between brick sill and window frame?

If the brick veneer was done well there's a "drain plane" behind it which sheds rainwater without allowing it to damage the structure. If not, this is a serious concern that should be addressed.

If you wish to fill the gaps, do it with a material that best matches from an aesthetic standpoint. I'd consider a mortar-colored exterior grade caulk (ideally urethane), applied with as small a bead as possible. You may want to pre-fill the larger voids with foam or another insoluble backer.


Window treatment that allows for a projection to be visible?

Depending on how much optical interference you can tolerate, you can either use a translucent film like they use for this product: Window Wonderland or if you are only displaying monochromatic images you can use a partially reflective mirror coating like EdmundOpticals.com.
Here's one that looks useful: Abrisa Technologies.


Screw placement to tighten and eliminate squeaks and popping

Gotta look at different ways to build step structure/risers. Get an idea of the different methods... 90 percent of the time the stringers are made from cutout 2X12's.  One on either side next to the edge and one in the middle. A stud finder is cheap and valuable.  Once you figure out the skeleton of your stair construction you will be able to do all of them. If you are covering your steps who cares about extra holes?  Shoot there are cool screws that pull the connecting wood towards the top wood...arghhh.  Can not believe I can't remember the name...we use 'Power Pro' .  Oh well, ask at your contractor supply store.  I would heartily recommend NOT using stick on carpeting for your treads!!


Chandelier cord was cut off and sold to me

More important than the breaker protecting the circuit is the load on that cord.  If the chandelier had all led lamps the cord might handle the current, but since it was wired with 16ga I wouldn't use any smaller than that.


Do I need any kind of separator / release agent when casting concrete in shuttering plywood forms?

I've seen this done with melamine-coated boards. I would make sure that the plastic veneer of the boards you're using is one solid piece. Family Handyman indicates you don't need any special chemicals to get it out of the form

  To remove the form, pry off the long sides and then the short sides. Pry against the form base rather than the concrete. If you have to pry off the form base, use a plastic putty knife; metal will mar the surface


What does this diagram mean, in English?

There are two separate text labels there, which apply to 2 separate wires.

One of the labels is "switch/black" which seems wrong. It seems like it ought to be describing the switched-hot wire going up to the fan, and black is at best a guess which color it might be; red is likely.   The other label is "switch/red" which seems right.

The symbol is not part of the text labels, it is part of the diagram.  It  is meant to be a wire nut.

The labeling and instructions are part of the UL approval which results in a UL listing, and it's a surprise to see such an amateurish mistake.  Are you sure this thing is actually UL-listed (or CSA, ETL or other comparable NRTL; note that CE is not one). There is a lot of cheap Cheese junk being offered on Amazon Marketplace, eBay, banggood and other purveyors of the junk from Alibaba; most of this has the ill-reputed CE mark if it has any markings at all.  These cannot be attached to mains wires in the US or Canada, NEC 110.2 "Equipment must be approved" (by UL or other NRTL).


What type of motor do I need for my attic fan?

My dad had to replace one of these at his house a while back and it wasn't much cheaper to buy the motor separately than it was to just replace the whole whole unit with one from a big box store.   If you can get a deal on the motor it may be cheaper though.

If you do find a motor, the thermal protection is important.  If you have a heating and air conditioning place nearby, you may see if they have some similar ones in stock.

If you type the model number into google (dow motor model d-xin-psc-6p1), you can find several of the exact same motor with different amps. I'm not sure how important the amps are, but it seems like the higher amp units have bigger blades.

Lowes has a replacement that has higher amps but is obviously made for a similar fan.

A lot of these seem to be made by 'Air Vent Inc.', Amazon has some too.


Is this mold in the walls or something else?

In the San Fernando valley 30 miles north of Los
Angeles a family member died. Leaving the spouse
alone. Mysteriously 7 years later the remaining
spouse died. When the coroner came, he thought
their was a death their in the past. Records confirmed
what he thought. There was a lot of mold between
the studs, and behind the walls.
My point is, if you don't know find out quickly. It can be concluded with a test of the air over a period of hours?!
Don't wait. Come to a conclusion professionally.
Painted for 7 years. Dealt with minor stuff, maybe
10 square inches in the past. Did train with a
firm that taught me what to look for when bidding
for new work.
I would contact my insurance company and go
from there. Get informed quickly.


A triangular wooden structure as you describe should work if the ropes are the same length and the hooks the ropes are attached to are both hung vertically. Pendulum period depends on rope length, so the set up you currently have couples pendulums having two different periods. That's a recipe for unstable swinging.
Also, the angle pictured on the left attachment point will cause wobbling even if you correct the length problem. That's because it causes one rope to oscillate on a different axis* than the other.
For maximal directional stability in swinging, you want the ropes attachment points to the limb to be set a few inches wider than their attachment pints to the seat of the swing

*Actually given the hookup, a different set of axes, but that overcomplicates things. Just work to preserve symmetry between the two ropes and all will be well.


Why is silicone caulk "falling" or peeling away from new bath countertop and wall?

This looks like something is shifting and pulling the caulk off the wall. My guess would be the vanity top shifted a bit on top of the vanity cabinet due to not being secured enough to the vanity.
Silicone caulk shouldn't be applied over old silicone caulk. Your contractor should have removed all the old caulk and installed all new caulk. This is something you can and should do.


If I understand your plan, it's correct. You need to split the incoming black three ways--to the two switches and the first outlet in the chain.

From the switches you'll run blacks out to your lights. Each switch will have two black wires connected. The white switch loop returns will bundle together with the other whites, including the one from the outlet chain.

The devices merely indicate wire purpose. Where in your boxes you make the connections is discretionary within the constraints of each box's limit.


There are garden hose splice devices that you can purchase at home centers and big box stores that can be used to fix these. You may lose a short bit of total length as you cut off the damaged part to accomodate the splicer.

If you need more added length you could use two of these splicers to stitch in a new length of hose.

They also sell devices that will attach new hose ends as well.

In your situation the hose ends that are broken may be broken from having laid out in the sun for years at a time. The sun treatment can make the hose hard and  brittle. On the other hand the part of the hose in the soil may still be in decent shape. You could cut off the old hose all the way back to where it is in the soil and splice on a piece cut from a new hose that already has the faucet tap fitting on the end.

Be aware that the direct attachment of your lawn sprinklers to the the potable water supply is not the recommended guideline. Sprinklers are generally connected through anti siphon valves (whether those be manually operated or solenoid controlled). You may want to look into replacing the temporary hose connect hack with a more permanent arrangement with some anti siphon valves. Note that the anti siphon valve should be installed at an elevation that is 8 to 12 inches above the highest sprinkler outlet on that water circuit.


Which plumbing adapter to join 3/4" FIP line to 3/4" Female NPT inlet port?

You'll want a 3/4" nylon hex nipple. Commonly they're available in white, gray, and black, though other colors may be available. More importantly, you'll want to make sure the fittings are NSF/ANSI 61 compliant. NSF/ANSI 61 certifies that the fitting is suitable as a drinking water system component.


Actually, the problem was that the fan was three way wired to a random switch downstairs! I just hooked the traveler wire up and it worked!


Drain pipe under sink separated, how to fix?

It looks like the tail corroded away, unscrew the nut and take the short pice of pipe to a plumbing store or even a big box and replace both of them.  I would probably replace the  trap also it may break when you start moving it , a trap and the tail piece nuts seals and all will probably be under 20$ for plastic maybe 15$ .For a complete kit in a bag.


Hanging Drywall Against Finished Ceiling

No need to completely scrape down but you will need to at least rough up the existing ceiling out to the distance of your final mud coat, to facilitate good adhesion of the new joint compound (assuming existing is painted plaster/drywall, if other then please state so).


How can I flatten a warped board on a picnic table?

The chances are you are not unwarping the board.   You can try but its been there a while and will probably go back.   I would hit the really high point with a planer, get it close to even then sand (for a while) this thing flat.   Yes it will take some labor time but the alternative of trying to make this straight will take far longer and probably not work.


24" o,c, 2x4 for load bearing wall and rafters for workshed?

Although the modern trend is fast stuffing more & more lumber in the wall, walls framed with 2x4s on 24" centers will support nearly any sort of roof load you're likely to ever see - especially if you don't live in a far northern climate. I've seen 2nd-floor hot tubs with far less support than that.

You do have to be pretty careful laying out the studs; 1-1/2" isn't a huge surface to stitch two piece of OSB together on, so if one end of a stud is kicked to the side only 1/2", all you have left for one of those OSB sheets is a scant 1/4" of nailing surface.

For roof sheathing, you might want to go a little heavier, though. I've built two matching roofs using only 1/2" sheathing (this was in Albuquerque), and it was really pretty uncomfortable to walk on such a flimsy roof. Come to think of it, the trusses in those roofs were 24" oc, which was fine for that climate. It was really hard to drive roofing nails into, because the sheathing flexed so much.


From the 2 images you've attached, this is not a load bearing group of walls. Feel free to remove all 3 of them.


Darn near none. Even less if you do it right and run conduit so you can replace it when you can't live without Cat9, or 12 pair fiber, or whatever everyone will have in 5 years.

The whole point of the fancy-pants wire is that it is, in fact, resistant to interference pickup, in places a lot more challenging than your house. Though I hardly see the point of Cat6 - it can barely run 10Gbit, and Cat5e runs gigabit just fine (I have over half a mile of it (in sections less than 100meters, of course) connected to switches that report error rates, which are pretty much 0)


If you're not planning on installing an electrical panel in the garage, the installation is quite straight forward. You can basically treat the garage circuit, just like any other branch circuit. If you do plan on installing a panel in the garage, the following information is not for you.
Overview
You'll install a 20 ampere breaker, in the panel in the house.  From there you can either go straight into conduit, or you can run any other approved cable. From the question, it sounds like you want to use nonmetallic sheathed cable from the panel, which is just fine. You'll connect the 12/2 with ground NM cable appropriately in the panel, and run it out to a junction box near where the conduit will leave the house.
Then you'll run conduit from that junction box, outside, underground, then up and into the garage, ending at another junction box. You'll want to make sure you install expansion fittings where appropriate, especially if you're entering the buildings above ground.
Next you'll pull three, 12 AWG THWN wires through the conduit. Connect the wires from the NM cable, to the THWN conductors in the junction box in the house.
Finally, you'll run cable from the junction box to the outlets in the garage.
Single, or Multi-wire branch circuit
National Electrical Code allows a garage to be supplied by a single, or multi-wire branch circuit without much trouble. If you don't plan on using much power, and don't mind having the lights and receptacles on the same circuit. You can simply run a single circuit out to the garage, and power everything with it. However, if you want to separate the lighting load from the receptacles load, you can install a multi-wire branch circuit without much extra effort.
If you decide to install a multi-wire branch circuit, you'll have to install a double pole breaker instead of a single pole breaker. So to do this, you'll have to have two slots open in the panel. You'll also have to install an additional conductor, so you'll have to use 12/3 NM cable and pull and extra wire through the conduit.
Conduit Size
Whether you decide to install a single or multi-wire branch circuit, you'll need to use at least 1/2" conduit if you're using schedule 80 PVC. According to Table 5 of Chapter 9 of the National Electrical Code, each 12 AWG THWN conductor has an approximate area of 0.0133 in.². Table 4 of the same chapter, says that 1/2" schedule 80 PVC has a total internal area of 0.217 in.². However, since there are more than 2 wires in the conduit, you can only fill the conduit to 40%.
0.0133 in.² * 3 conductors = 0.0399 in.²
0.217 in.² * 0.40 = 0.0868 in.²
Three 12 AWG THWN conductors will take up 0.0399 in.², while 40% of the total internal area of 1/2" schedule 80 PVC is 0.0868 in.².  So there's no problem fitting the 3 conductors through the conduit.
0.0133 in.² * 4 conductors = 0.0532 in.²
Even if you decide to run a multi-wire branch circuit, you'll still have plenty of room in the 1/2" conduit.
Conduit Minimum Cover
According to Table 300.5 of the National Electrical Code, direct burial nonmetallic raceways not encased in concrete or other raceways is required to have a minimum cover of 18" (450 mm). However, if it's a residential branch circuit, 120 volts or less, GFCI protected, with 20 ampere or less overcurrent protection, it can have a minimum cover of 12".
So if you're installing a single branch circuit to supply the garage, you can install a GFCI breaker and you'll only have to bury the conduit 12". Otherwise, you're going to have to bury the conduit 18".
NOTE: Minimum cover is based on the conduit running under nothing but grass and dirt. Minimum cover may vary if run under concrete, walkways, streets, parking lots, etc.
Grounding and Bonding
Since you'll only be installing a single or multi-wire branch circuit, you'll only be required to run an appropriately sized grounding conductor along with the current carrying conductors (250.32(A)Ex. 1). You'll extend this grounding conductor to each outlet, and connect any devices to it.  There are no other grounding or bonding requirements, as long as there are no metallic pathways connecting the two structures.
Means of disconnect
As Speedy Petey points out, you'll also need a means of disconnect inside or outside the building near where the circuit enters (225.31, 225.32). A means of disconnect is simply any approved method of disconnecting all ungrounded conductors. This could be simple snap switches, a pullout disconnect, a safety switch, etc.
Outlets required
Once you supply a garage with electric power, you'll also have to install a few required outlets. First you'll need at least one receptacle outlet (210.52(G)(1)), which will have to be GFCI protected (210.8(A)(2)). You'll also have to install one switch controlled lighting outlet inside (210.70(A)(2)(a)), and one switch controlled lighting outlet on the outside to provide lighting for the entrance/exits (210.70(A)(2)(b)).

Single branch circuit supplying garage

Multi-wire branch circuit supplying garage
Notes:

This answer is based on National Electrical Code 2014, and may not be applicable to areas that do not follow NEC.


Why does my bathroom shower have too much water pressure?

The simplest way to reduce pressure would be to use the water turn off valves usually located in the wall or under the floor near the shower controls. Turn both  the hot and cold shut offs back to apx half or simply turn on your shower as you would normally use it, then adjust the valves until you have a flow and pressure you like. Playing around with the hot and cold will effect the temp of the water related to your shower control settings. You may have to experiment a bit, but you can control both the max pressure and temp this way.

The other way to adjust pressure and temp on a one handle shower control is sometimes done inside the valve body. For this adjustment, you should have the installers manual. It will show you how to adjust the position of limit disks inside the valve body. These are common on newer scald resistant shower units.


Concrete stairs substrate preparation and layering

If you are building the stairs tight to the house, you need to go to the frost line with your concrete foundation. Run cinder block to just below the grade level, then go to the brick finish. If the stairs are small enough, just pour the concrete just below the grade and start your brick right from there. Many stairs have been built with a dirt infill then 4" of gravel over that, all on top of the footing slab. I feel that is an error in doing it that way since the dirt can take on moisture and freeze in winter. All gravel under the pour for the stairs, on top of the footing slab will keep heaving and cracking from freezing temps.

The plastic under the concrete also help slow the rate the water escapes the concrete, in essence keeping the concrete better hydrated, making it stronger. Foam panels will do nothing for it.


I built a large swing for my grand children what I learned having the A frame legs wider at the base about a 15 degree angle and then having the swing supports , chain, or rope a similar spread did the trick.

Originally I had the supports the same width as the seat and they would end up swinging at an angle, I went and measured several swing’s at our local park and found that they were wider at top, after moving the brackets out the swings now swing true.

I had tried all kinds of things changing from chains to ropes changing the length I had even tried taking the base out of level (this was a dumb thing and a lot of work)

After everything the wider at the top did the trick it kind of makes sense but I thought the swing needed to go straight up after measuring 2 different swings at the park I tried it and what a difference , it doesn’t affect their ability to get going or no one ever noticed but it did stabilize the travel.


Should a bathtub be installed on a concrete slab or the subfloor that will be installed over the slab?

In most cases if you place the bath tub directly onto an existing concrete floor you will then have to remove the concrete in the area around the bathtub drain to permit room for the drain basket, drain pipe and P-trap. Sometimes you get lucky and the bathtub drain lines up perfectly with a drain line that comes up just through the concrete floor .. and .. the necessary P-trap is already in place under the concrete surface.

If this is not the situation that you have then it may be necessary to have the tub on the elevated floor. This can leave just enough room to route a drain pipe from the tub drain over to where there is access to the necessary further parts of the drain line.


You lost your neutral

And this is an emergency.  You need to fix this before using the power there.

The safety ground isn't making a difference because that is neutral's job.  Your neutral is completely gone.

  How do I locate the break?

Now, unless you've been trenching, 99% of the time the problem is at a termination, which is probably just 2 or 4 places at most.  I'm guessing you did not see it because you've been checking ground, not neutral.  And depending on how much "redneck engineering" you've been doing, it might have been installed incorrectly in the first place.

If you have any ability to measure AC amps, another thing you can test for is current flow on the safety ground, e.g. out to the grounding rods.  There should never be any.  If you see current flow on the ground, that means neutral is not doing its job.

You never, ever, ever use earth as a current return.

  Why does the ground to soil rod not taking up the task?

Same reason they go to all the trouble to mine copper, instead of just using dirt. Dirt is a very poor conductor.  The only time dirt ever works as a conductor is with extremely low current (thus extremely high voltages), such as Australian rural distribution or a hack done in the third world with microwave oven transformers.

This work is incorrect by modern standards. A ground wire should have been trenched along with the conductors if installed in the past 20+ years.  A ground wire can be retrofitted and does not need to follow the same route.

  My house is 325 ft away from the barn, my redneck engineering says to go from my shop earth ground rod to my house earth ground with bare copper. and save ripping up a paved driveway.

I'd run it by the inspector, but in principle, that is compatible with the gist of the retrofit ground rules.

Neutral is not safety ground

And by that I mean ground in the mains electrical sense, not GND as "common" in the electronics sense.  If you're an EE and trained to sink all current to GND/Vss, that thing is what we call neutral. In mains power, you sink current to neutral (or the other hot). You never sink current to ground. Ever.  It is never a current return; current never flows on ground except during fault conditions.

Electricity doesn't want to go back to ground; it wants to go back to source. The difference is neutral goes back to the transformer (source for human-made power), and ground goes to the earth (return for naturally made power: lightning and ESD).

A lot of people conflate the two, on the logic that they're tied together at the service panel. That should only be one place in your whole service.  The job of the neutral-ground equipotential bond is to a) prevent hots and neutral from floating at thousands of volts (Say due to capacitive coupling inside a supply transformer)... and b) allow fault current moving on ground an easy path back to neutral, so the fault current can flow enough current to overcurrent-trip the breaker.   (otherwise fault current flows indefinitely, and simply energizes your grounds).

One option: rewire it as a main service panel

Now, in the old days, they allowed groundless 3-wire feeders to subpanels in outbuildings.  I gather your installation is that old.  That's dangerous generally; however with such very long distances there is some sense to treating the line to this outbuilding like it's a Service.  Service lines (e.g. your pole drop from the Power Co.) do not carry grounds.  Talk to your local inspector about giving you waiver for that... if your very old installation isn't grandfathered.  (if it was built to code at the time, you don't need to modernize it).

If you have your grandfathering or waiver, you treat it just like a service and the panel like a main panel:  2 local ground rods at the building (or an Ufer ground or 1 rod that passes the expensive test), which you need anyway, because it's an outbuilding.  Then install the one neutral-ground equipotential bond there in the "main" panel.

Another option: Go 240V with a transformer

If you are not grandfathered and your inspector won't give a waiver, you will need to wire a ground wire from the main panel. Given the cost of trenching, I would say you are better off going with a transformer, which has 2 effects:

It only needs 2 wires, freeing up your third wire to be used as safety ground.
It turns this barn panel into a separately derived service which means you do indeed bond neutral and ground.

I mention this because most people spec their wiring runs for 3% drop, and #4 aluminum at 500' only gives you 19A @ 3% drop.  So I'm guessing you only intend lights and odd plugs/sockets (dual 20A).  Well, that's only 4800 VA, and 5k VA transformers are $100 on Craigslist.

In a transformer setup,  the 3 wires are  tasked to 2 hots and 1 safety ground.  No neutral. The pole service feeds the 2 hots at 240V via a 20A breaker.  At the barn, the 2 hots go into the primary of the 5 KVA transformer.  The service panel is then served by the secondary's L1, L2 and neutral.  Now you have 20A @ 240V, or dual 20A @ 120V.

If you want more, you could go with a >=7.2 KVA transformer and run 30A that same way... at 4.8% voltage drop, which is acceptable. But the transformer will be more money.

You could do the same with a 10 KVA transformer, running 40A, but voltage drop would be 6.5% at full current, which is really, really pushing it.

If you want much more, you can get 25 KVA transformers at both ends back to back (primary to primary both jumpered for 480V).  Then backfeed the transformer at the pole, so it's a 240V-240V pair of transformers with 480V for transmission. The wire would run 480V@50A for only 4.1% voltage drop, perfectly reasonable!  That will give you 100A@240V at the garage.  So if you want a Tesla 80A charger, you're all set.

If you want even yet more, you can do ditto-ditto- dual 240V/600V transformers at hard wire limit of 65A@600V (39 KVA) at 4.2% drop. That will deliver 163A @ 240V to the shop, though realistically, 175A because you'd need to round up to the next available breaker.

All of the above is a no-trenching option.


Is carpet installation easier before or after installation of doors?

I'll assume you're installing a door and jamb, if you aren't installing a jamb I'd hold off on the door until the carpet is installed so it's not in the way

If you're installing the jamb I would do it before the carpet so the jamb can rest on the ground. If it has a threshold you'll have to install it before the carpet. I'd remove the door from the jamb and set it aside until the carpet is finished.


Can I reduce temperature in one room on my hot water furnace based system?

Most hot water baseboards have a "flap" which can be used to regulate the heat output so the system can be balanced, since there are often long runs serving multiple rooms.
The flap can be opened for maximum airflow and heat delivery, or closed to minimize airflow and heat delivery. If there is no flap, or that is inadequate to resolve the problem, you can block the airflow by other means, such as placing towels to block the airflow (on a hot water or steam system only, where there is no risk of fire from blocking the radiator.)


How to attach single step for deck where deck rim joist is not low enough to overlap step rim board

I see no reason this need to be complicated, it can all be accomplished from the front side.

Install your pavers properly at the proper height ( this is critical as it doing the yeoman's work here. ) And know-one wants a wonky landing.

Construct your step on your workbench to the dimensions you need.

Install a 2x6 between the stringers ( the sides ) on the back side so it is flush with the back of the step unit and then attach your  fascia to that 2x6 backer.

Now you can just set your pre-built step unit on your paver, slide it into place so the  fascia is up against the deck rim joist and fasten it to the rim joist from the front.

Your plastic fascia could be a more a robust,thicker,stronger board, this is effectively a riser that is acting as as another rim joist.  If you can not find one of sufficient width then you could run  strong boards run vertically.

You could use construction adhesive or L brackets to secure the step to the paver for added stability if needed.

There is more then one way to skin a cat. You could also just build a traditional  stringer, (  two step ) Use simpson strongtie brackets or a board at the top between the stringers and screw through that to the rim joist.


Are there residential light switches that don't have a arc upon toggleing

No, you will not find a typical wall switch that totally eliminates the little arc when switching a load. This is inherent in a switch.

You can use a heavy duty, or "spec-grade", switch that has a much more solid and distinct switch mechanism. This may at least mask the arcing.

May I ask why you are looking for this?


Hot and neutral lines from separate meters

In the U.S.A. this would be a major code violation, as I commented.

I have multiple 2500kva transformers feeding different areas of my plant, 2 are close enough that I thought I would see what would happen if I hooked this configuration up pulling 20+ amps into my load. using the trip curve for the breaker I set it at 25 amps no problem, after about 3 minutes it tripped.
 What I did notice was that it spiked my monitor for a phase imbalance.  If I would have loaded it any further I would have shut down the transformer that I returned the neutral side.

This is set for 100 amps so I am not sure why a 25 amp load gave me the first warning level. the meter only showed minor leakage and that is normal for this size system. Now I can say it is dangerous coming from different systems.

I thought I might see a mild increase in leakage from the transformer supplying the power but my equipment did not record this. I did also see on the recorded data oscillations of voltage across the load.  this is a liquid load (brine type) rated at 1000 amps so it did not even get warm enough to boil. Boiling will cause oscillations.

With this information, I believe this could damage the electronics in the charger especially as the load changes on the transformer that connects to the neutral.  So I still think this crazy and unsafe.


How to cut angled pipe for a segmented/lobster back bend?

I think the answer in both cases is a handsaw in a mitrebox. For 200mm pipe, that's probably going to be a home-made mitrebox with 250mm tall sides and 200-202 mm between the sides.

The simplest solution to the second problem for relatively short segments is to make the box long enough to cut both angles without moving the pipe, and clamp it in place - perhaps with wedges, or perhaps a strap clamp or hose clamp attached to the bottom of the box.


Installing new light fixture with two sets of wires

The last guy left you exactly what you need.

Notice the orange wire and 2 whites hanging down extra low. Those are the 2 things you attach to.

The lamp surely has a black hot wire.  Re-mark it with orange electrical tape.  Then off you go!  Done.  There is no ground wire.

The upper tier of wires doesn't need to be capped off. They are already capped off.  Push them back into the top of the box and never touch them again.  It's your house and you can do as you please, but messing with those is the path of pain, unless you know more about electrical than I do.

"I can see plainly that this wire is black and that wire is orange" does not qualify :) Wires in electrical are not color coded very well. Normally we don't even have this primordial color code, but since this particular installation is in the conduit wiring method, this applies:

grounds: steel conduit or junction box, or wires bare, green, or yellow/green
Neutrals: white or gray
Hots: all others, colors selected to clarify/distinguish often by function, but there's no mandatory standard.  Must be consistent within the same building.
...although, nobody with any style uses black for switched-hot.  Black is usually always-hot, and switched-hot is anything else.  One guess what your lamp does if you connect it to always-hot :)

All grounds go together.  All neutrals do not. Neutrals that are separated, are separated for a reason.

You can wire a ground to the ground screw site inside that junction box if you really want to.  I wouldn't bother.  The ground screw site takes a #10-32 screw, and they sell a bag of ten adorable green ground screws for a dollar.


Any suggestions for repairs of nasty cracks in my walls and the door?

On the wall you need to cut out the entire square of drywall out, mud and tape it, sand it, paint it.  With fast drying mud and a fan you can do this in 6 hours easy and maybe 30-45 mins of actual work.

For a door the only thing you can do is try to Bondo it but it should be replaced.  If you are leaving the place they might charge you for the door even if you fix it.  If you are renting it out the Bondo should be OK.


How do I mate two 2x6s together to make a 4x6 beam?

Keep in mind that lumber nominal dimensions are not actual dimensions.  A 2x6 is really 1.5" x 5.5" not 2" x 6" as the name suggests.  So a built-up beam made from two 2x6's is actually just 3 inches wide.  If you're supposed to use a 4x6 timber, you might not be able to substitute a built-up beam made from two 2x6's.

Using built-up beams made from doubled up or tripled up dimensional lumber is an everyday framing method.  The most common way to build them is simply nailing them together.  There are different standards for the specifics of nailing them up.

This illustration from Details for Conventional Wood Frame Construction shows nails 32" apart in a W pattern, with three nails at the ends.  The document specifies 20d nails.  Other standards may specify different types of nails and spacing.

It may not seem like a lot of nails, and there's no glue, but it's not necessarily better to make the beam more rigid;  this type of beam may function better if the pieces are allowed to move a little so that all the pieces contact the material they support.  The important thing is to stick to whatever the design intended, and that that design is something applicable codes allow.


How do I determine what size the outlet should be on a new shut off valve?

About 95% of all faucet and toilet stops are 3/8 compression on the outlet. Of course the input depends on your piping in the house, but usually use half inch IPS


Why did the high temp thermostat in my dryer fail when I disconnected the buzzer?

As @brhans noted, you effectively made a short-circuit of the EOC buzzer. Buzzers can fail, and I suspect designed normally to fail open. If you wanted to exactly replicate the circuit, that would require putting in a resistor equivalent to the resistance of the buzzer. But most likely the dryer is designed so that buzzer failure will not prevent the rest of the dryer from operating properly, so removing the buzzer and capping the wires would have been sufficient.

Hopefully the Thermostat Hi-Limit Right was the only sacrificial component to this short circuit, but you may not know until you replace it.

My old Kenmore (really made by GE or Whirlpool, not sure which) has a knob to control the EOC buzzer sound - including "Off", but you're not so fortunate.

Adjusting sound level is probably not practical. But it would be easy enough to wire up an On/Off switch for the buzzer. However, it would need to be designed for 120V usage - i.e., like a full light-switch in a junction box with proper insulated wires, not a "little" switch despite it being "only a buzzer".


Wallpaper removal: Should I use chemicals in addition to a steamer

I never had luck with chemicals... steamer & lots of elbow grease was the only thing that worked for us :-\


How can I hang something on an exterior wall with vinyl siding?

The siding needs to remain free to expand and contract.  So cutting at least a slot , then hanging something through that would work, but would be unsightly, and would leak water through the hole.  So I think that finding some kind of gasket or trim piece (such as is found where your vents protrude through siding) and trimming with J-channel all around it would look better and would be less prone to leaks.


Yes. But it shouldn't be hot. You should be able to keep your hand on it (this is a general idea in electrical products). Newer boilers get less warm, but that's for reasons of energy efficiency (they're better insulated).

If its getting too hot to keep your hand on it, and it hasn't been serviced recently, it may be worth getting it generally checked over.


Should I ground the metal box for 14-50 outlet?

You want one of these

attached with one of these

right here

Then you can lay the bare ground in the lay in lug, no wire nut in the box, no pigtail ... at least IMO that's the easiest way to ground this.

The green screw is typically used for grounding but you can really use any 10-32 machine screw.

Be sure to choose a lay-in lug that accepts #6 wire.


A feeder can't be a branch circuit.

However, this would require AHJ approval, but I suppose you could run your underground line to the shed using normal & proper wiring methods, and surface it right next to the RV receptacle.  Install an inlet there.  Then have a 3 foot long jumper cord that you plug in to the inlet and outlet to feed onward to the shed.  Don't even think of doing this until you've talked to the AHJ and gotten a general sense of whether they'll approve it.

I would more expect the AHJ to ask "how much harder would it be to simply continue the line on to the panel and do it properly?" You'd want to have a pretty good answer for that.

A more viable option would be to remove the RV receptacle altogether, extend off that junction box the feeder to the shed, converting the branch circuit to a feeder. Then from a subpanel in the shed, install the 50A RV receptacle. If this is wired with #6Cu or #4Al, once it's hardwired you can bump the breaker to 60A, or even 70A if it's THWN-in-conduit.


Installing swinging gate - how to prevent gate post lean

First off I don't think you're likely to have trouble with a properly set 4x4 post and a 4' wide gate.  The 4x4 should be stiff enough, and if the embedment is solid, it shouldn't lean with the weight of the gate.

One thing you can do is to make sure the gate is supported on the latch side when it's closed, so the post is only taking the weight of the gate while it's open.  This could be something as simple as a heel on the latch post that catches the bottom of the gate.

If your neighbor's fence is sturdy - not sure if that's the case, there's some rot at the bottom of the boards - and the neighbor will allow, you could bolt through the posts so they bear the weight together.


What is the difference between fire cement and fire concrete?

TLDR; - Concrete is poured into a form, for structural members.  Cement is spread as a glue.

Cement is a glue.  Concrete is a mix of aggregates, held together with cement.

If you're building something structural (to support a load -- such as itself), you'd buy the concrete.  If you're using it as a skim/finish coat, or to attach firebrick, buy the cement, and (possibly) mix it with some very fine aggregates - depending on the use.

See this answer for more detail on cement/concrete in general. What actually happens if I vary proportions of cement and sand in mortar?

EDIT: After seeing the video, I now understand.  What you are making is a light, weak concrete using the cement and perlite as an aggregate.  You need to buy the fire cement, not the concrete. (You could use concrete and omit the perlite, but I think it would be pretty heavy.)


Why does my thermostat show code 'PF' after running the fan or A/C?

HVAC is losing power.

Cause 1 overflow shutoff switch.
Cause 2 bad transformer.

My first inclination is that you have a condensate shutoff switch activated, due to a full pan due to over condensation and/or a clogged overflow pipe. If you had a really nasty old filter, or no filter for some time, then this is even more likely.


New Circuit Help Please - Feeding 2-gang receptacle boxes with MC 12/4

You gotta keep em separated!
You need to keep the neutrals separated throughout the circuit for a couple of reasons.  First off, if you want to put GFCI on this, the GFCI will tell you if you cross or join the neutrals by stubbornly refusing to stay un-tripped, so keeping them separated is a good policy that way.  More importantly, though, neutrals rely on being protected by the overcurrent devices of their partner hot wires, as they don't have fuses or overcurrent breakers of their own.  As a result, if you tie the neutrals together, and one of them opens, you'll potentially put 40A down a 12AWG wire, which is going to get rather toasty and melty...
And yes, you have the wrong cable for the job
While reidentifying neutrals to hots in a cable works, you can't take a wire smaller than 4AWG that's not white, grey, or striped with one of those two colors and legally use it as a neutral.  To be fair, if one was working under significant duress, tape-flagging a hot to a neutral is by no means the worst thing you can do, but it sounds like you'll have to order in some 12/2/2 MC and do this over.


There should be a diagram right on the label of the pilot light itself.

The dual inputs is because it is for a system in which you have a common circuit, usually connected to a momentary push button somewhere, that you press to illuminate ALL of the pilot lights at the same time, to test whether or not the lamp is burned out. So (typically) your regular indicator circuit would go to terminal 1, the Test circuit would go to terminal 3 and the common (neutral) would go to terminal 2. There are diodes on 1 and 3 that prevent the circuits from back feeding to each other.


THere are either 3 screws holding the glass over the bulb or the glass itself is "threaded" into the fixture.  Would need a picture of where the glass enters the light fixture to be sure.


Light Switch Replacement; 2 black wires, 2 attached white wires?

The switch/outlet combo you have could physically work, but as pointed out by @Speedy Petey, it would not be code complaint since all outlets in bathrooms need to be GFCI. Consider replacing it with a GFCI/switch combo such as this.

The wiring you have should work.  One of the cables (which consists of one black and one white wire) is from the mains, and the other cable (black and white) goes to the existing light fixture. You need to determine which is which. The easiest way to do this is with a non-contact tester.

With the power on and the old switch turned off (first make sure no bare wires or contact points are touching anything metal), check to see which black wire causes the tester to beep. If they are already disconnected, just check each wire separately. The one that beeps is the constantly hot wire from the mains. The other black wire is a switched hot going to the fixture. Turn the power off at the circuit breaker and mark the constantly hot wire with a piece of tape. Disconnect the old switch.

Look at the new switch/outlet on the right side (the side with the black screws). If there is a metal connector showing between the two black screws, you only need to attach the hot wire to one of them. If there is no connector, you need to attach the hot to both of them. This can be done by adding two short pieces of black wire (called pigtails) to the hot wire and then connecting the other end of those new wires, separately to each screw.

Now connect the other black wire from the box (the switched hot to the fixture) to the brass screw on the left side of the switch.

If there is no green or bare wire coming from the existing cables, you cannot properly ground this device unless the box is metal and the cables are armored (covered in a spiral metal casing). If there is a green or bare wire, it should be attached to the ground screw. If the box and cables are metal, the metal attachment strap of the device provides a form of ground (but not the best).

If the cable is not armored and there are no ground wires, the outlet is protected by the GFCI circuit, but it is not grounded. It needs to be marked on the outside as No equipment ground.

 Images and links are for illustration only, not an endorsement of goods or sources


Is it legit to turn a dedicated combi bolier supply into a ring circuit with outdoor socket?

There is no rule in the UK preventing you from putting central heating and sockets on the same circuit (which may or may not be a ring). In my experiance a dedicated circuit for central heating is the exception not the rule.

I'm not sure why you would want to make it into a ring, making it into a ring would mean adding an extra cable which would seem to defeat the whole point of this excercise. So it sounds like what you really want to do is create a radial circuit.

The main question that needs to be answered is what size is the cable and how is it installed. Given that what is it's current rating (current rating of cables depends on installation method). This will determine whether you can design a workable combined circuit using the existing cable. Generally for a socket you want the breaker rating to be at least 16A. The breaker current rating should be less than or equal to the current rating of the cable. Volt drop and disconnect times may also be an issue on very long circuits but are unlikely to be a problem in a typical household situation.

If there isn't one already you should install a switched fused connection unit with a 3A fuse to provide overcurrent protection and isolation for the heating system from the shared circuit.

Any new concealed cabling either needs to be 30ma RCD protected or wired using methods that are considered acceptable for non-RCD cabling.

The socket outlets need to be 30ma RCD protected.

If the CU is very new the circuit may already be 30ma RCD protected but on an older install it likely wont be. There are several ways of providing RCD protection.

You can replace the MCB with a RCBO which combines the functions of a MCB and a RCD.
In a split-load configuration if there is space available in the CU you can move the MCB from the non-RCD side to the rcd side (remember to also move the neutral to the corresponding neutral bar).
You can buy sockets with RCD protection built-in.
You can buy fused connection units with RCD protection built in.
You can fit a din-rail mount RCD in a suitable enclosure (normally you would only do this for higher-current circuits).

The RCDs i've seen sold as "inline" RCDs seem to be designed for portable use with flexible cables.

Obviously an RCD only protects stuff downstream of it (see comment above about concealed cabling).


How to locate the source of an outward wind-draft, that's going outwards from my room's window?

Use a smoke pencil

This is what pro hvac guys  use to find drafts. it produces a thin stream of smoke that you can direct at the perimeter of the window. When you observe the smoke being drawn into a gap you will have isolated a leak.


Actually, what you want to do is a three step process.  You first need to pour the concrete into the forms and screed it. The second step is to float it and bring some of the butter out. The third step is to stamp the partially dried concrete.  The stamping can go pretty quick if you had two molds set up on a tamp or step board that can be tapped with a mallet. The working time can vary, temp, humidity etc, but you usually have an hour or two to do what you need to do. Ask the concrete company to give you a longer cure mix, just a bit wetter


Why would cinder blocks be used instead of concrete for a foundation wall?

Those "big wooden casts" are called "forms", by the way. Very often brick is chosen over concrete for its aesthetic value. It's also relatively easy to double-wall brick for insulation purposes, but it's extremely difficult to pour two good-quality 4"-thick concrete walls immediately adjacent to each other.


Is primer required for fresh knockdown texture?

You should prime it first. Primer is essential to get good adhesion and coverage.

If you're really trying to avoid applying two coats, the next best thing would be a paint + primer combo.


Can I run a receptacle from a GFCI in the bathroom to another room?

The bathroom needs its own circuit, the only current code compliant way to go to another room if it is also a bathroom. Added per @harpers comment. If the bathroom loads include the fan and light then another bathroom can not be powered from this circuit. I like bathroom lighting to be separate because if the wife or girls plug in a curling iron and use a hair dryer at the same time it may trip the circuit and put them in the dark.


How do I drain my sump pump in a semi-detached bungalow?

The main thing you will need to pay attention to is the head rating of the sump pump. I can't imagine a standard big box store sump pump would have any trouble raising the water 8 feet...every sump I've ever owned had to go at least that high. The horizontal run has a negligible effect on the capability of the pump (it's not zero, but it is very small compared to the vertical portion.)
Yo uwill need to make sure that the pump can discarge enough water at the head height to keep up with the flow of water into the pit. This is most often a guessing game, unless you know the volume of the pit and can time how long it takes to fill up under the worst conditions (perhaps a severe rain storm).

A pump curve tells you the flow performance (measured in gallons per minute or liters per minute) of a pump relative to the head pressure. To read a pump curve, you must first examine the units of measurement used along each of the displayed axes. The pictured pump curve displays head pressure in Feet (along the left-side y-axis) and in Meters (along the right-side y-axis). Increased head pressure is indicated as you travel up the y-axis. The flow performance is indicated in gallons per minute (along the lower x-axis) and liters per minute (along the upper x-axis). This is an indication of the output flow of a pump.
The pump curve is read by first determining the head pressure of the application in which the pump will be used. Once you’ve determined your head pressure, simply follow the head value you have selected from the y-axis horizontally to where it intersects with the pump curve line. From that point, move vertically to the flow measurement on the x-axis.

Head Pressure


Is it a problem to have PEX manifold outlets adapted from 1/2 to 3/4?

If 1/2 PEX would have been large enough to do the runs but the contractor used 3/4 instead, then:

he (you?) paid the higher per-foot cost on the larger tube and paid for each adapter
the tube holds more water, so if this is a hot water run, it'll take comparatively longer for the hot water to arrive at the fixture.

If the runs really do merit the use of 3/4 PEX, then:

there's a bit of a flow restriction at that undersize manifold which results in more pressure loss than you might otherwise have had, but if this is in an average home, it probably won't be noticeable.

In the world of plumbing there are endless permutations of fittings and size combinations that could be made, and a great many that actually are available. Sometimes exactly the right purpose-made fitting isn't used (in other words, an "odd" combination of adapters/sizes are substituted as on your job) because the plumber decides to get it done with whatever he actually has on the truck today.


Kitchen faucet gives hot water when I close the cold tap

So is this a recirculating system? It sounds like your “plumbing” has created a back pressure issue that may be causing the problem. Adding a check valve should solve this problem.


I think the acid in the Naval Jelly might corrode through the basin, I think it's some metal that really doesn't tolerate corrosives such as drain opener AT ALL and makes a huge caustic mess if you try it.  Ask me how I know this.
With the power off, just try to get it moving with the garbage disposal wrench, which is just a 1/4" hex key with an offset to make it less knuckle busting.

It goes in the bottom of the disposal under the sink and turns the motor shaft directly.  Try moving it in both directions.  It might help to spray some WD-40 into the drain, it's hard to direct but just stick the straw down there and spray it all around.
There's also a wrench that's made to go in from the drain

you could try that as well.

If you get it moving, just rotate it with the wrench some, rinse some water through, and repeat (literally rinse and repeat) until you don't feel any resistance.  Then you can turn the power back on and see if it will run with just water.
If it will run with just water, turn off the water, immediately pour a cup of vegetable oil in there, and turn it off immediately.  The cooking oil is not a bad improvised solvent.  It won't harden and clog up the pipes.
Then you could try some more aggressive stuff like eggshells or ice cubes.  If it gets through that, declare it fixed.
If it doesn't, I'd probably just replace it.


How to prepare & paint a porch that has existing lead paint?

You need to remove flaking and loose paint or else it will eventually chip off and be a hazard in itself.

One approach is to avoid sanding and do a moderate scraping with a carbide paint scraper.  This will generate some flakes which can be much more easily contained than dust from sanding.   Vacuum with a shop vac and wear a mask.

Then prime and paint with a good outdoor deck paint.  The surface will not be perfect, but is should be good enough and the risk of freed lead paint is minimized. Besides, 100 year old houses should not have glass smooth wood surfaces! (my 144 year old one doesn't).


getting home heat treated for bedbugs - what could be damaged?

In terms of what can be damaged, let's hope the bed bugs, for starters...  ;-)

125 F is pretty warm, but it does fall short of, say, actual food cooking temperatures. That's a painfully sunny summer afternoon in Phoenix or Death Valley, but it isn't Dante's Inferno.

I can't imagine it harming cereal (unless it was also humid). But I couldn't vouch for every possible perishable product you might have on your shelves. Canned goods will be fine. They were canned at much higher temperatures than that. Things like bread should be perfectly fine. Oils like coconut oil and butter will most definitely melt into liquid at that temperature, but it isn't hot enough to change those oils chemically. I believe even olive oil should still be stable at 125 degrees and won't be altered into saturated oil.

Electronic devices should also be fine if you turn them off, then let them cool before turning them back on. Parts of most of those devices internally probably match or exceed 125 degrees during normal operation. Plastic parts aren't going to melt at that temperature. The maximum safe operating temperature for most hard drives is up around 122 degrees F (50 C). CPU's will run hot enough to cook eggs (or burn fingers).  If that kind of equipment is shut off during the procedure, then you let everything cool off before turning it back on, you shouldn't have problems.

What you don't want to do is remove anything that bed bugs might be hiding in, to protect it from the heat, then take it back in the house without fumigating it to kill any stragglers, or you could up back at square one.

How long does the interior have to stay that warm to make the bed bugs expire? I presume it has to be long enough for the temperature to normalize all the way through things like mattresses and piles of bedding and such?


I would invest in:

sheet brass (Various thicknesses, for the mainspring, gears, hands, housing, etc etc; it's generally easy to work and looks good polished)
A Dremel or similar precision rotary tool/spiral saw (for finish work and other fine detail)
A scroll saw (for basic cuts; you can also use it for most of your woodwork if you have a steady hand or a guidestop)
Myriad springs, machine and wood screws, nuts, bolts, and other fasteners.

I would invest in plans for a known working design rather than trying to reinvent too many wheels here. Patience is key, like a lot of precision work hobbies, and don't be surprised when your first assembly doesn't work quite right.

As far as kits, you can buy mechanical movements pre-made, but not pre-assembled. I would seriously consider this as a first step in your foray into clockmaking; clocks' tolerances are REALLY fiddly, and must be very exacting in every part to get anywhere close to a usable clock, to say nothing of an accurate one.


Help identifying possible dual pot light plug

Thos MR16 GU5.3 light bulbs are 12 volt bulbs. The GU10 bulbs are 120 volt. There is little to zero chance that this is some sort of "Dual Socket". And if it were, it would still likely be just a 12 volt supply.
The round things in the picture are rivets that hold the fixture together.
To brighten the fixture, I'd recommend a bright, new LED bulb. Your fixture likely has a power supply with a watt limit somewhere, if you can access it, check the largest total watts you can draw on that switch and get a bulb as close to that as possible. If you don't know the power supply rating, then just try the highest output MR16 bulb you can find anyway. They usually don't take much power. Many of the fixtures were designed for incandescent anyway.
You might already have what WAS a bright LED bulb in that socket. Over time, and this is especially true of the early models made years ago, LED bulbs go dim. They may never burn out, but they loose brightness so an easy way to fix a dim fixture is to just get a new bulb. Looks like 75 watt equivalents are available. This one is rated for 700 lumens and consumes 9 watts but you might want to look for one that is Energy Star listed as they won't go dim as quickly.


Worth it to add footing insulation if there's already a thermal break?

That is an expansion joint you are seeing. The material is 1/2" thick and something close to old style Celotex or beaverboard really soaked in asphalt or tar. It isn't much of a thermal break, but it is better than the masonry surfaces touching. Although it is available wider, it is usually only 4" tall. Either a bearing surface or gravel is below the 4" level. It is still in wide use in sidewalks and such, but nowadays ridged insulating foam is used. I have used it back in the day to set the top level of concrete, it was handy to float the concrete to.


Why does my toilet not leave enough water in the bowl after flushing?

It looks like you are missing your fill hose. There should be a hose connecting the outlet at the top of your fill valve assembly running into your overflow tube:


Preparing a deck & playset for re-staining

The answer given to the question you linked to, pretty much covers all you really need to know (IMHO).

  Q. There are few splinters and chipped wood on the deck. How to smooth those out?

Sanding by hand or with a random orbital sander should pretty much take care of those areas. If you need to smooth out "really rough areas", go with something like:

Begin with 60 Girt.
Then move onto 100 Grit.
Then finish with 150 Grit.

Though I'm guessing (not being able to see the actual state of your deck & playset) for most of your sanding needs, 100 & 150 Grits will be sufficient.


Can I rewire the cooker so I can use the gas oven without it being connected to the mains?

In these ovens the programmer (often called the "timer") contains the circuitry which controls the oven temperature. I don't think you can use the oven without a functioning programmer.

You would need an "off-the-grid" range and oven: https://bensdiscountsupply.com/premier-bak100tp-20-battery-ignition-gas-range-biscuit-with-black-trim/


Single neutral bus bar in subpanel with 2 columns of breakers?

The reason  you only have one neutral busbar is that your panel is super, super, super small and there simply aren't enough circuits to need 2 neutral bars.  Larger panels don't have 2 neutral bars for neatness, they have 2 bars to provide enough neutral/ground screws (if main panel).  You shouldn't even worry about terminating the neutral on the same side of the breaker.  One thing we preach a lot here is "don't save money on the panel - you'll only regret it later".

For instance, with 8 spaces, and if you totally fill it with 15A breakers, that will only be 60A (remembering the feed is 240V).  Running 125A feeder to it is a complete waste of your money -- or to be more precise, this postage-stamp panel is a complete waste of your time.  I would return it to the store and spend a little extra on something like a 24-space.  You'll thank us later!

As far as neatness, there is no Code requirement for neatness, at least, not in the way you're about to see. What you actually need is enough slack on your hot wires so you can move breakers around without limitation, and enough on your neutrals so you can bring them to the breaker on the happy day you upgrade to AFCI or GFCI.

Grounds need only be long enough to reach the ground bar; they'll never move.

And that should be reasonably tidy; it doesn't need to be Mom's spaghetti. What the 110.12 neatness rule is saying is don't just toss it all in higgledy piggledy so it looks like a grenade went off in there.  Try to comb it a little.

Here's what you don't need: this guy has painted himself into a corner.

I feel pretty / Oh, so pretty / I feel pretty, and witty, and carefree....

Whatever brain cells this guy used to style the panel, he should've used to do a better job of the actual work.  For instance where's the well marked white tape on the neutral wire? That's not optional. What is optional is different color hots; better to make them both black (since they are interchangeable) and the neutral red (since it is not) and taped too. How does this "pro" not own white tape?

Look at the grounds on the neutral bar.  Sloppy. This guy does main panels all daaaaaaay...  and it's allowed in main panels, but sloppy and a bad habit. If neatness matters, why not use panels with ground bars, and tuck them directly out of the way first?  If this panel were ever made a subpanel, a bunch of ugly wirenut extensions would be needed.

He's cut all his neutrals an inch or two too short, so he'll be either angling or wire-nutting every neutral when he goes to add AFCI/GFCI.

But those top circuits can never be moved to any other position.  He's murdered all the slack.  So if he needs to move things around to make them more logical, or rearrange to fit a 2-pole breaker somewhere, or he needs to use double-stuff breakers and those only fit in the bottom 8 spaces... he's cut off his nose to spite his face.  Why do that? Slack is cheap.


Why were both circular florescent tubes not working last night but are working this morning

Change the ballast

Especially if it hums or buzzes.   Old magnetic ballasts (heavy, transformer in them) are notorious for failing in a way which burns up bulbs prematurely.  They also flicker and are cranky in the cold.  A worn tube will be finicky about starting; what's happening is the voltage required to strike the tube increases as the tube ages, until the ballast can no longer strike the tube.

Also consider North American suppliers for the ballast, most ballasts these days are multi-voltage 100-240V and 50/60Hz, just make sure of that.

I don't know if the T8 type bulbs exist in your country, but now is a good time to think about switching from T12 to them. T8 has the same socket as T12 so you do not need to alter the fixture (outside of changing the ballast, which you are probably doing anyway).    The ballast must match the bulb type, so select a T8 ballast.  The T12s are obsolete.


Remove unused wires from circuit breaker panel

Wait, what? Why would 240V 3-wire need the neutral bar??

Oh, right, this is a main panel where neutral and ground bars are supposed to be bonded, so someone took the lazy but allowed approach of landing all neutrals and grounds in the neutral bar, and not having a ground bar.  So your neutral bar is stuffed.

The easiest way to free up space on the neutral bar is to get an accessory ground bar for that panel and move a bunch of grounds to it.

If the hots are all disconnected, why not disconnect the ground? Because some other circuit might be relying on that for ground.  In older homes where everything was not  grounded, it is common for grounds to be retrofit by running a ground from the previously ungrounded receptacle to a grounded site.  While dodgy in the past, this was made officially legal and recommended in the 2014 Code.

So go to the other end of the wire, and look at the termination of that ground wire and the equipment it is grounding.   If nothing else is using it as a ground, then feel free to detach and cap off both ends of the ground wire.   In the panel, wrap it with tape (preferably green) so it's not at risk for hitting anything hot inside the panel.

Then take all 3 wires and push them into a corner where they'll be out of the way.  I recommend not tearing them out, as they can be re-tasked for a 120V or 240V-only circuit for any future need.  "Leaving them alone" is way cheaper than fishing new cable.


How do I source, remove, and prevent green mold on my aluminum windows?

Mold and/or mildew (yours looks like mildew, but no big difference in regards to abatement) are both fungi and will grow where dark and damp conditions exist.

1) The cause is moisture.

2) You can clean if off easily with a scrub brush and soap, but to help prevent regrowth you should chemically kill it. A 1/4 cup bleach/1 gal. water solution will work or there are numerous consumer cleaners with bleach that will do it.

3) Take steps to keep the area dry, like rain gutters, an awning over the window, etc. Thoroughly clean, caulk and paint the stucco with a good quality exterior paint (most have mildew growth inhibitors). Chemically killing it will help prevent regrowth but be prepared to repeat if moisture cannot be controlled.


What can I use as a guide for my circular saw if I need to rip an 8' segment out of a sheet of plywood?

The factory edge on a fresh sheet of plywood is very straight. So use that.

Option 0: Snap a chalk line and cut by hand. Fine if you're doing sheathing, but not accurate enough for many other tasks.

Option 1: Use 2 sheets of plywood. Stack one on the other, offset by ~32". Use the top one as a guide to cut the bottom one.

Option 2: Make an 8' ripping guide.

You'll need the factory edge of a sheet of plywood, the full 8' long. Approximately 6" wide. Thicker is good. This will be the guide.

Also, a piece of doorskin (single-ply, 1/8" plywood) or 1/4" plywood, 8' long, approx 8" wide.

Glue & screw them together. Make sure to countersink the screws slightly.

Run your circular saw along the factory edge of the thicker piece, to cut the thin lower piece to match your saw.

Now you can put the fresh-cut edge on your material and know exactly where it will cut.

This jig is specific to the saw you used to make it.

There are many videos covering this on YouTube.

For bonus points, make it double sided (one narrow, one wide), so you can cut on either side of your circular saw.

Option 3: A guide that attaches to the saw, like the Kreg Rip-Cut

Option 4: Festool Track Saw These circular saws fit on special tracks to make straight cuts. Not only do they cut through heavy, thick wood with ease, but they cut through wallets even faster!


Concerns about cutting into roof for attic access?

Nit picking on terminology the roof (or the closet drywall) will be damaged.  That's what cutting a hole is. What you need to concern yourself is will it be repaired properly.

Basically a roof consists of the roof framing, the sheathing and the weatherproof covering.

The framing should not be cut in the roof. It just complicates things too much and isn't necessary. If it accidentally does get cut it can be repaired.

The sheathing depends on when your home was built. Decades ago you may have seen solid wood boards such as 1x6's, later plywood and more recently either plywood or OSB. Plywood and OSB are easier to replace and more people will have experience with it. If it's an older home with solid boards as the decking you may want to avoid messing with it.

The covering, things like asphalt shings are fairly easy to replace. If you have something like a clay tile roof then this would be more difficult but I doubt the contractor would have suggested cutting through the roof if that were the case. I think it would be best to use new shingles when repairing the hole but I'm not a roofer. With new shingles you'll have a patch that looks different than the rest of the roof.

Cutting through walls is similar in that there is framing, drywall then drywall compound over seams and finally paint. Much easier to repair and  if something goes wrong with the repair you don't have to worry about a leak.

Going through the interior closet is the safer choice for you, going through the roof probably makes attic access easier for the contractor and could be less messy for you since all the cutting and running of insulation hoses happens outside.

Since your walls are plaster it could make the repair more complicated but the repair can also be made with drywall, shims and maybe a little extra mud to even things out. It may not come out as could than properly repairing the plaster but in a closet I wouldn't mind too much myself. The other option is to cut out a proper sized attic access and install a hatch. To be code compliant the opening is larger than the 16" OC the ceiling framing probably is (I believe minimum is 24"x30" but double check). That would involve adding some framing around the hole to accommodate it. Not that big a deal but might be something to consider if you'd like to have access to that attic area in the future. The larger hole should also make it easier for the contractor to bring up insulation.

I personally would feel more comfortable with cutting a hole in the drywall than the roof. If you like the contractor/equipment/insulation from the guy that wants to go through the roof you can probably tell him you'd rather he go in through an interior wall and not make any holes in your roof. He'd probably agree to it.


How can I purge air from a baseboard heating system with the spigots on the wrong side?

The hand valves and spigots near the furnace are for isolating and draining the zones to servicing the radiators. To bleed the system, you would find a bleed valve at a high point, often at each radiator. You may have to remove a cover to find it, and it may require a screwdriver or small wrench to operate the valve. Make sure to have some rags handy to cleanup any water that comes out. When you're finished, check the pressure in the system and add more water from the water main input if necessary.


I don’t see an advantage of using hardwood veneer plywood over spf veneer plywood, unless it’s going to be your “finish” layer.

Yes, thicker is better, but required thickness is a product of span, (how far apart the stringers are located).

Those numbers (48/24 for example) stamped on the plywood mean maximum span for roofs followed by maximum span for floors...but that is for subfloor, not finish floor.


Brass push-fitting pipe insertion depth (standard or varies by brand?)

I would measure the depth to the stop point in the fitting - different fittings different depths.
A small ruler will be sufficient or a vernier caliper will do nicely.
Without the make of the other fitting we cannot say, and even then it might or might not be shown on any drawing we can find.


What type of professional can repair a possible gas pipe obstruction causing a large drop in pressure to my furnace?

Why would it act this way?
There is a difference between pressure and flow. If you have two tanks connected by an incredibly small tube, the pressure in those two tanks will be the same. Drain the contents of one tank, wait long enough, and the pressure in the two tanks will again be the same (and lower).
The size of the tube controls the flow rate, which limits how quickly the pressure can equalize. But it will eventually equalize.
If your gas pipe is 99.99999 % clogged, eventually the pressure on either side of the clog will equalize. But if you then open a bigger hole to pull the gas out -- like burning it -- the rate of exhaust will be greater than the rate of equalization through the tiny hole in the clog, so the pressure on that side will drop lower and lower. Until your stop burning the gas, at which point the pressure will slowly go back up and equalize.
Can you DIY? Yes.
Since you're posting on DIY.stackexchange.com, I'll point out that this may well be something you can do yourself.
You have a gas furnace. Somewhere near the furnace you have a gas connection that can be disconnected. This is probably a union fitting, like this:

There are other possibilities, but this is by far the most common. Union fittings are important because pipe is threaded together, and you cannot loosen one arbitrary location without also overtightening the threads at the other end of the pipe. Thus, a union is a fitting that allows you to create a disconnection in the middle of the pipe.
If you shut off the gas (at the meter, or at some shutoff valve that may exist upstream of the possibly blockage) and then drain the gas lines (by turning on the stove and burning off whatever is left in the pipes, for example), you can then open the union, and work your way backwards disconnecting pipe until you reach the known good spot.
You don't have to disconnect every single fitting. Most of the time you can skip a couple of fittings, if you pick your battles right and make sure there's enough room to twist a group of fittings around.
Once you're done, you can shine a light through the pipes looking for obstructions. Use whatever you have to hand - a skinnier piece of pipe, a swiffer handle, or even just a heavy weight on a string, to dislodge any obstruction you find.
It may be that the obstruction is caused by decay in the pipe -- perhaps there is one pipe where water has built up and rusted. You'd want to replace this piece. Just measure it and go to your local big box or plumbing supply store - they can cut to length and thread the pipe for you.
To reassemble, you'll want a wire brush to clean the pipe, and some gas-rated "pipe dope" which you can also get at the same store. These connections will also require at least one, but probably two pipe wrenches of substantial size - 10 to 16". And you'll probably have to put some serious weight on them at one point or another. So have a helper or some helpful tools, maybe including nail-up straps, wood blocks, a ladder, etc.
Other pipes than black iron?
There are other gas delivery technologies. One such is CSST, corrugated stainless-steel tubing. This is to natural gas what PEX is to plumbing -- much easier to route, faster to install, and it requires a whole different set of procedures and training. You don't want to just insert this in the middle of a run of black pipe, though. It's the kind of thing you get either installed as part of new-build construction, or when you redo your entire system.
Check your sediment trap
Other commenters and answers have mentioned this, but it bears repeating: if you have a blockage in your pipe, you may have the blocking crud also in your appliance. Before the gas enters your appliance -- right before -- there should be a sediment trap. This will appear as a 90-degree bend in the flow of gas, with an open leg pointing down:

The purpose of that "dead" leg is to collect whatever crud might be in the pipes before it can clog up your appliance. So... shut off the gas, empty the pipes, and then open that trap and see if anything is in there. You may have to dig it out with a pencil or a pipe cleaner or something. If there's a huge amount (like: the entire leg is full) then crud might also be inside your appliance -- maybe a "service call" is appropriate?


Check all the aerators for clogs. When you repipe you can dislodge a lot of rust and gunk from the old pipes and it can clog the filters. Also check the shower heads for the same thing. If the problem is with a specific faucet you might want to remove and check out the cartridge.


Ice build up on the coils limits heat that can be removed, causing the pump to run longer, in addition to the colder temperature requirement. That much is known. This is speculation: The pump running longer possibly caused the motor to overheat.

Electric motors of this size usually have thermal overload protection, they simply shut themselves off if they get too hot.

It's best to adjust temperature in small increments, verifying with a thermometer, and waiting overnight to allow the new setting to stabilize before making another adjustment.


How much active labor is involved in repointing?

After mortar is mixed it has to 'slake' in the bucket. Slake time is generally 5 to 10 minutes. If you had more than one person working I don't see why they all would be standing around - it only takes one guy to mix the mortar and the rest of the crew can be prepping the wall (removing old mortar, cleaning out the debris from the joints, and wetting the joints so the new mortar doesn't dry too fast) while one is mixing the mortar.

Once the mortar is applied, you'd clean up as much of the mortar that accidentally was spread onto the brick's surface as you could using a damp sponge. You would also shape the joints. The mortar needs to set a bit before you start on this step. One, so it can hold a shape, and two because sponging the mortar before it sets a bit can pull mortar out of the joint. Setting up a little takes time but you can use that time to start prepping the next section of wall.

After cleaning there will still be a haze around the joints. This can be cleaned up, but the mortar needs to set for a bit, otherwise over-spray from the cleaners can make it crumbly. But I wouldn't expect people to sit around waiting for mortar to dry - I'd expect them to tuck point the wall and then return the next day or after a couple of days on another job to clean up any haze around the joints. I wouldn't expect much downtime here either, as I'd work my way down the wall, and by the time I finished the place I started should be softened up enough where I could scrub off the haze.


Can I install a sink sprayer with a bathroom faucet?

The simplest approach to this is likely a second faucet - one of the "modern" faucet-is-the-sprayer that pulls out types would be least intrusive.
Might look a little weird, but to get a mixer and a sprayer (without risking major surgery on your dragon faucet) you're pretty much looking at that or installing a shower valve for the mixer, and that's going to look more weird, I expect.


How do I wire a 3 wire receiver unit to a ceiling fan that has 6 wires from the fan unit

Are you in Europe?  Blue means neutral there.  America doesn't use blue, neutral is white or gray.

One of those wires must be "hot" for the lamp.

All the other wires are speed control of the fan.  By connecting, isolating or cross connecting various wires, you get various speeds.  The old switch knows how to do that.

The new receiver does not.  It expects to only switch the fan on/off and "something downstream" manages speed, e.g. with a pull cord.  If you want that functionality, you either need a receiver that supports all those wires, or find a way to move or add the proper speed selector switch to the fan proper.

You might be able to retain the old speed selector switch, and have it takes its power from the receiver instead of from always-hot.  Then the receiver would control off/on, and the old switch would control speed.  That may mean putting the receiver next to the old controller instead of up at the fan.  Identify the lamp wire, and bypass that on the old switch and let the receiver control it directly.  However there's a risk to that: most fan control switches force you to start the fan in "high".  That's because if you start in "low", it may not have enough torque to start turning, and sit there stalled overheating the windings. It's best to use only products listed/rated for that purpose.


Ideas to reinforce piping shelter structure

I have that structure for a trike. The tubing is galvanized steel electrical conduit and has held up relatively well for the last ten years. The fabric is not doing so well in the sun. I'm on the third replacement and it's become ragged and deteriorating. Unfortunately, I've not found a coating which will provide additional protection (yet).

The cross brace on my shelter is different, consisting of two plates. It's similar to what yours would be if you chopped the center flat portion away. I own, which allowed me to use concrete anchors.

The shelter has held up structurally through three hurricanes during the last decade. You cannot attach the moving portion to the ground on a permanent basis, obviously, but for storm situations, a temporary clamping method would be beneficial. I usually backed a motor vehicle until it was over the lowest "ring" of the shelter. This prevented it from flying upward during the storms.

If you attempt to add weights to portions of the structure other than the base, it should be noted that there will be distribution of the weight through the fabric attachment, which may exceed the strength of the fabric, especially as it ages. I can push my finger through almost any part of the existing canvas. Recent movement of the lifting portion also has torn some of the fabric.

Your idea of sandbags on the cross brace is sound, as well as any other weights attached to p-brackets. If you have room inside the enclosure, lining the perimeter with brackets and concrete blocks will provide additional security.


How can I replace the short(screw connecting) wire for a middle-of-run outlet replacement?

Before, on each side, you had 1 wire going directly to a screw, and 2 wires joining a short pigtail under a wirenut, then the pigtail going to the other screw.  That's a silly way to  do it.

Rearrange the parts you already have so that all the white wires and the pigtail are joined on one wire nut. Then run only the pigtail to the new receptacle.  So only 1 wire will be on each side of the receptacle.  That is a much better way to do that thing.  This will work best with red or tan wire nuts.

What's happening here is that one of the cables (b/w/red?/bare) is coming from the supply / breaker panel, and the other two cables are branching in two different directions to go onward to other loads.  All 3 cables need to have their wires joined and the power must also go to a fourth place, the receptacle proper.  That's why 4 wires are involved.

It's real common for less experienced folks to get tripped up in wiring methods like this.  Who really cares if you use 4 screws or only 2 on the receptacle?  Not I, and not electrons.  The important thing is all the blacks get connected together and all the whites.  (Mind you, that's not the rule everywhere, but it's the rule in this junction box today.)

You cannot pull more wire out of the wall.  Do not waste what you got.


A NEMA 10-30 is 2 hots and a grounded neutral conductor, with 110V H1-N and H2-N and 240V H1-H2, all at 60Hz.  Whether an European appliance will accept it depends on the type of appliance:

Appliances with fractional HP motors, or especially AC synchronous (timing) motors, will likely not run correctly due to the frequency difference as motor synchronous RPMs will change as a result.
Grounded (IEC Class I, look for the ground symbol) appliances cannot be safely connected to a NEMA 10 outlet due to the lack of an equipment grounding conductor.  (They can be connected to a NEMA 14 or NEMA 6 outlet with the correct adapter, though, provided that mains frequency is not an issue.)
Some older Class 0 appliances rely on plug polarization and the grounding of the neutral to be safe -- this is common in old consumer audio gear.  These appliances also cannot be safely connected to a US 240V outlet of any type (whether it be a NEMA 6, a NEMA 10, or a NEMA 14) due to the lack of a grounded reference conductor in the 240V section of the circuit.  I'd junk them anyway.
Doubly insulated (IEC Class II, look for the square within a square symbol) appliances (that do not have an AC motor in them) and Class II power supplies (wall warts, laptop bricks, etal) don't care about how the mains is presented to them, and thus can safely be hooked up to a pair of opposite leg hots, even if they are 240V only.  The internal transformer will be built more robustly for 50Hz operation than it needs to be for 60Hz, so the frequency change is a non-issue.
Older instruments and some other types of (older) electronic equipment intended for worldwide circulation will have a jumper link, back-panel switch (the infamous little red switch), or other documented means to change over from 120 to 240V -- this covers older computer power supplies, for instance.  The presence of an IEC-type inlet and detachable (computer type) power cord, instead of a fixed power cord, is a good (albeit not universal) sign to look for a 120-240V changeover function.  Again, the frequency change is not an issue in an all-electronic device.
Newer Class II power supplies and electronic equipment/instrumentation have "universal inputs", and are capable of 120, 208, or 220/240VAC operation without any twiddling -- this capability will be marked on the device's safety label.


How can I fix the noise level in my home?

There's two principles to soundproofing that actually work: Isolation and Absorption. The trick is figuring out the right way to implement them. Be careful of anything that doesn't follow these two principles.

The Absorption principle is how acoustic ceiling tiles and carpets work: They absorb the sounds as they pass through the material, or they keep the sound from making it into the intermediary material (the floor and frame of your house) in the first place.

The Isolation principle focuses on uncoupling the materials so that sound can't be transmitted through them and amplified. It's equivalent to rubber feet on appliances or rubberized engine mounts.

Note that drywall is a poor absorber. It's a reflector and can also be an amplifier. Speakers work by vibrating a large flat surface; in the same way that your kids vibrate the floor above which vibrates the frame of the house and the large flat expanse of drywall on the ceiling below... which amplifies the sound.

If you want to focus on absorption, a few ideas would include putting carpet down upstairs (or thicker padding), possibly attaching tapestries or acoustic tiling to the ceiling downstairs, and hanging draperies downstairs so that sound doesn't travel through the entire house. If you have wood floors, I'd start by putting down area rugs and runners on the stairs and hallways... that will be the most bang for your buck, and helps protect the floors from people walking above. This is also the least intrusive way of soundproofing your home.

Isolation involves a structural refit. You would need to tear the drywall off of the ceiling on the floor below, and put it back up with an uncoupling system that generally includes acoustic caulking and rubber washers to keep the drywall from communicating the sound from the wood framing it is attached to. This is obviously expensive... but when done right will provide a good solution. If you go all out, you'll do the floor above, too, but that's a huge mess that involves tearing up the subfloor, and it's probably not worth it.

Solutions that may provide a bit of a temporary fix but don't generally fix the problem include filling the cavities between floors with insulation. A thicker carpet would be a better fix, because with insulation you still have the frame of the house transmitting the sound to the drywall -- putting insulation in the cavity is equivalent to putting a pillow in a bass drum. It's still loud, just a little muted. Insulation is however valid if you were to have uncoupled the ceiling from the joists first.


When hanging two layers of drywall, can the first layer be hung with the facing to the studs?

Green Glue does stipulate to be used between rigid layers. However, even the beveled edge of the drywall meets this definition.

The edge of the drywall is beveled so that the mud and tape when finished doesn't create a "hump" in the wall at the seam. If you don't mount the drywall with the beveling in the right direction (towards the room) then you will notice all the seams.

Let me preface by saying that I think the green glue installation will be just fine even against the beveled edge of the layer beneath but if you still want to make sure the surfaces are smoothly mated then you should install the inner layer backwards and the front-layer correctly.

That is, the stud-attached layer has the beveled side facing the studs. This leaves the rough edge (without bevel) facing the room. Then the finish layer adhered its rough side to the wall... thus the finished, beveled side faces the room.

On a side-note, are you also using low-density soundbard and insulating the walls between the framing members?


repair hole in hardwood floor near garage door

A solid healthy piece of oak would never collapse like that. You need to figure out what is going on before you fix it. Look at the underside if you can, break away any of the edges of the hole that come out easily (preferably without getting into the surrounding pieces) and try to figure out what you're dealing with. Look hard for moisture or evidence of insects. If you find anything suspicious, those problems must be dealt with first.

If ,however, the hole is pretty localized and the rest of the floor feels dry and solid, you can reasonably assume that it was an isolated defect in that piece and proceed with a patch. Here's a pretty decent tutorial on patching hardwood flooring:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez0GSSVuTyk

Good Luck!


FINAL UPDATE: I replaced the breaker, and took the opportunity to remove the wires going to the Load Control box, which from all apearances is no longer being used. I was relieved to find that the splices underneath were done with crimped splice caps, and then covered with the electrical tape.
Everything checks out good with votage at the heater and back in the panel box now.
I appreciate everyone who commented and served as a sounding board so I could confirm what I was orginally suspecting!


The old switch
Strictly speaking, you need to find out what those three wires are connected to. If I had to guess, though, I'd feel quite confident that the wires are as labeled here:

The bridging wire (called a "jumper" in my world) tells the tale. The power supply is the only wire that would be connected to both switches, and thus to two terminals, and thus need a jumper.
The previous sparkmonkey's choice of terminals gives one pause, but the circuit works. The gauge of the jumper is too small; it should match the load wires. And you should check that your local code allows two wires to be crushed into one terminal.
The New Switch
You should consult the documentation that came with the switch; there should be a diagram showing the purpose of each terminal. If I had to guess, though, I'd feel quite confident that the terminals are apportioned to the switches like this:

L1 is switched between L11 and L12. L2 is switched between L21 and L22.
You must connect the power wire to L1 and L2.
If you are allowed to connect two wires to one terminal, then use one jumper. Make the jumper from wire of the same gauge as the load wires. Connect the power wire and one end of the jumper to L1, and the other end of the jumper to L2.
If your electrical code forbids two wires on one terminal, then use two jumpers and a wire connector (ie. wire-nut, Marrette, Wago, etc). Connect one jumper to L1, and the other jumper to L2, then use the wire-nut to connect the free ends of the jumpers to the power wire.
In any case, connect Load 1 wire to L12 and Load 2 wire to L22.
If this does not work, the one of my guesses is wrong, and you have some diagnostic work to do. In that case post a follow-up comment and I (or someone here) will guide you through the testing process.


What could cause halogen bulbs to explode?

"One exploded after an hour" as indicated by @fixer1234 this is caused by finger oils or other contaminates on the lamp envelope itself (not the reflector).  Its very important not to touch anything but the outer edge of the reflector.

Further what type of fixture is this bulb being used in?  If the fixture is open faced situation such as this:

then the MR16CG must be used, (the CG stands for "Cover Glass") which has a self-contained lens.   I mention this specifically because CG versions of the bulb tend to be harder to find and many people don't know when to use the CG version VS when the open face bulb is ok (i.e. enclosed fixtures).

"We regularly have bulbs dying" is likely a socket problem, replace the bi-pin socket the lamp plugs into. When heat is generated by the lamp pins this type of bulb will prematurely fail. (I know as hot as the lamp gets while burning this is hard to reason, but when the bi-pins generate heat from poor connection the result is premature failure.)

In the end, the best advice is to give is find an LED replacement that you are happy with.  Unfortunately in many situations the MR16 halogen type of bulb is the hardest to replace with LED. It's very difficult to find LEDs that burn as brightly and with the colour clarity of the original - highly energy inefficient heat generating - halogen.


What is this device and what is wrong with it?

It's the old sump pump, which was presumably working when the new sump pump was installed, and kept as a spare in case the new sump pump died. It looks about normal for an old sump pump (they sit in water and get cruddy.)

It's not actually "connected" to anything, though there may be a wire taped to the cut-off pipe.


Grounding 3 wires to electrical box with 2 ground screws

Use a GROUND PIGTAIL.  One end of the pigtail, the end with the terminal, goes under the grounding screw in the box.  The other end is connected to your other ground wires with a wire nut of the appropriate size.