Suggestions on where to start hardwood flooring

Hardwood floors either have click-lock grooves or basic tongue and groove, but they all share that same basic idea.  That means they can only be laid in one direction.  The only place you can really start is going to be the top-left corner of your picture, and then move left to right and down towards the bottom.

If you start at the bottom, you can only move up, and that will cause you to have a transition strip of some sort in the doorway to the hall when you continue the flooring later.

When you stop in the doorway, rip a board to act as a "cap" for the edge of the last whole board.  If you don't cap it off, the edge will get damaged because it's thinner because of the tongue and groove.  When you're ready to continue, remove the ripped board to reveal a nice, protected groove to work with.


Should there be an air outlet in an attic with a whole house fan?

The concept of a whole house fan is two fold.  One is to bring in the cool evening air, the second is to flush out the hot air that is trapped in the attic.  Your attic should already be vented enough to allow the incoming air a place to push the hot air out.  If you where to make an opening for the fan to vent it, the cool air will just travel straight to it and not cool the attic as well.


How can you tell when a vacuum breaker needs to be replaced?

In order to answer the question with any assurance I would have to know what you mean by "leaking."  However I am willing to hazard the guess that the vacuum breaker is indeed operating as designed - that is to say it introduces air into the pipe/hose when a vacuum is induced.  This would cause the water to flow, and water flows in whichever direction is easiest.


What should I do about a hole close to a plug that is too wide?

Muralo's Spackle™ shrinks as it dries. If you keep applying thin layers and letting them dry, you will eventually achieve a flat surface. If the Spackle is proud of the surrounding surface you should be able to sand it flat.


How to clean vinyl floor tile not cleaned in 25 years

If it were my floor and I had to keep it I would test a small section with straight bleach - cracks and tile.  Let bleach sit for a good 30 mins and wipe.  Wait 1-2 days.  If there is no discoloration then that is my weapon.

I would then mop the floor with extremely hot water and bleach (10% volume).  You are going to need a mop with a scrubbing brush.  At first I would just recommend hitting the floor with the hot water and bleach and letting a bit of the solution sit on the vinyl - not enough to leak elsewhere.  After 3-4 moppings you can probably start scrubbing harder.  And you will need a steel brush for the cracks.  But the basic premise is the boiling water will shock the dirt free and the bleach will start eating at the next layer.   You could do this in 2 moppings with a heavy amount of grit or 10 moppings letting the water/bleach do most of the work.

Note:  This is just what I would do personally.  Obviously using bleach has a chance to damage the tile.  I have used bleach on many many vinyl tiles without damage though - but I am not sure all manufacturers would suggest this.


Garages are to be separated from single family residences by 1/2” gypsum board on garage side ONLY, provided the garage does not open into a sleeping room. (See 2017 edition ICC Table R302.6.)

Also the door between the garage and house shall be a solid wood door a minimum of 1 3/8” thick and is not permitted into a sleeping room. (See ICC R302.5.1.1.)

However, town houses require 2 hour separation, which requires 2 layers.


Pouring concrete for an under porch crawl space

The generic term for non-structural pours like that is rat slab, regardless of whether it's for rodent control or not. There doesn't seem to be any logical call for a liner, but local codes and ordinances aren't always logical. There are a few caveats besides that to keep in mind.

You'll want a slab at least two inches thick, three would be better. Don't be the guy that makes due with one inch and has it fail three weeks later.
I'd pitch the slab away from the house; no need intentionally create drainage nightmares.
The point where you want to have the concrete trucked in approaches a whole lot quicker in a crawlspace because lugging buckets on hands and knees sucks. A lot.


2 pole or single pole breaker to feed sub panel

It's up to you.  You can use a single pole breaker or double.  Single has potential to be cheaper.

If you don't plan on maxing out the outlet and the RV at once, you could safely go as cheap as a single pole 30A breaker 10-2 wire for the run and a 30 A panel if you can find one that small.

125A panels are pretty mass produced though, so you might find it cheaper ro get a 125A any way.  Just make sure its lugs can safely accept 10 AWG wire and know that you won't be able to use half of the positions in it.

Personally, I'd run 60A or 100A, 240 from a double pole breaker.  Especially if it's going to involve digging, since you can do more later with a full 240v panel and the extra amperage.  Think about EV charging in the next decade.


What shelves to get for a china cabinet?

Since you're painting anyway, it doesn't make much sense to use the more expensive hardwoods like quarter-sawn white oak or blistered maple - quite ordinary poplar should do very nicely unless you plan to put a huge amount of weight on those shelves. Poplar is strong and dense, and it paints exceptionally well.

Note that you'll need to edge-laminate two or more planks to get your full 15" depth if you use poplar.

Another entirely viable option would be to use 3/4" MDF. It comes in sheets (you can often buy half-sheets and quarter-sheets). It's very heavy (about 96 pounds per full sheet). It's also very rigid and dense and takes paint very well. So well, in fact, that it's sometimes used as an inexpensive siding on condos. It doesn't tolerate moisture, though, so be sure to fully paint all surfaces.


Making a template for fabricating a pipe boot from sheet metal

You have to make the round vertical piece with the angle cut on it's end first. Get that cut nicely so that it meets your needs even if it takes a couple of iterations to get the correct angle and the shape when it sits on a flat work surface.

The next step is to position the angle cut part on the flat sheet in the center area. Use a felt tip permanent marker to trace around the outside of the tube piece onto the flat base piece. Cut out the oval shaped hole along the inside edge of the marker trace line. After cutting the residual marker can be removed with rubbing alcohol.

If you decide to have bend up tabs to rivet and solder to the vertical piece you will have to arrange for those before you set out to cut out the oval hole.


Gas fired appliances usually have a standing pilot that is monitored or one of several types of igniters, spark igniters usually you can hear the click, click click, hot surface igniter several types here coils if nichrome wires that get red hot and a carbon like material that gets hot and ignites the gas all 3 that ignite the main burner do not have a pilot. The type that has a standing pilot the pilot is always lit.

Standing pilots are going out of style because of the constant use of gas. The bummer about this is standing pilots are much more reliable than any of the other methods.

If you notice the gas going off I believe you are remembering the temp being made and the main burner shutting down. As if the pilot shuts down this will normally cause the thermocouple to cool and will normally shut the gas down unless there is a system to monitor the flame. With the information provided I believe you are not accurate in your memory of events but a model number would help verify the normal operation.


Can I install a switch between two GFCI outlets so that only one can be used at a time?

This way of doing it is a little risky, because some GFCIs don't like to have their power interrupted on a regular basis.

A GFCI+receptacle combo device creates a zone of protection in its own sockets and anything downline that is attached to the LOAD terminals.  Hot and neutral must feed symmetrically from LOAD.  Ground bypasses the GFCI entirely (and that's important for it to work).

I'm not fond of your arrangement because aside from severing power to GFCIs, it violates a few of my "rules":

Don't put two GFCI devices on the same circuit
Don't put a GFCI device outdoors

So I would recommend installing one GFCI device that is upstream of the switch.  Then use the output of the GFCI, via the 3-way, to feed two plain receptacles.

I would also use a 20A-grade 3-way.  This won't cost $2.

Here I use brown/gray for hot/neutral in the protected zone, then I switch back to Romex colors just because I didn't want to redraw all that.


Nasty edges when spreading drywall compound

First, rookies should not use rapid setting compounds.
Next it looks way two dry, if it is hot a quick set will not provide you enough time as it will set even faster, always use cold water never warm or hot. Fast set is also harder to sand, I would suggest sanding that down and using ether joint compound or topping mud. I can’t tell if you are trying to texture the wall or repair a patch topping mud is the softest and easiest to sand and or provide a very nice feathered edge joint compound is close but not quite as smooth and just a bit tougher to sand. Once you get good with regular mud try some 60 minute if you must, as @brhans said practice but don’t start with the most difficult type unless you like sanding. How much dried in your tray and on your knife? Practice, practice, practice. If it doesn’t look good with regular mud you scrape it off I will remix in the tray and possibly add more cold water.


HELP! Upgrading my kitchen to ceramic tile floor

Two issues:

First, you need to make sure that your floor is rigid enough and planar enough for the tile to be successful. There are deflection tests to determine rigidity, and different ways of checking for planar. The bigger the tiles are, the more important these are.

1/2" plywood is unlikely to be sufficient. 3/4" plywood glued and screwed with backer board on top of it may be sufficient. An isolation membrane (I like Ditra) can help as well, as it lets the floor flex a little without popping tiles or breaking grout lines.

The second issue is floor thickness. If you go 1/4": backer board + ditra + a porcelain tile, that's about 3/4" thick. You need to set things up so the transitions to other rooms are safe; ideally they will be flush, but if not, you'll need a safe transition piece to handled the difference in level.

The installation manual for Ditra is a pretty good reference.


how to avoid tiny gaps in end joints of hardwood floor install

I'd use wax filler or even colored caulk (sometimes sold as wood mastic) -- a tiny amount. Let a bit of it dry first and compare the color to the wood--it can change substantially as it dries/hardens. Some laminate flooring I bought last summer (made by Classen) came with a wax sealer pre-applied.

For a solid (or even multi-ply) wood, sanding is sometimes an option, but for a beveled (v-groove) edges like yours it will probably look a little odd anyway and it's more labor intensive, but you can reshape the bevels this way. This requires pulling out the pieces though. If you really wanna go this way use a fine grit, 180-220 at least and an orbital sander. Try your technique on a piece of scrap first. You'd have to apply varnish after that and chances are it won't look exactly the same as the factory applied one. So I'd leave this route for when you redo your whole floor.


How do I secure an open-backed set of shelves to the wall?

If IKEA is nearby just go to the customer service (returns) section of the store and ask for a couple wall anchor kits. Otherwise, there are any number of kits available to order online or pick up at a local hardware store. I prefer the kind that use a flat nylon strap. Then you don't have to align everything perfect between wall and shelf. You attach one end to the furniture and the other end to the wall.

Attaching at the top is always preferable because it gives you the most mechanical advantage. If the open-back shelf is tall attach to the top of the top shelf as it won't be easily seen. For the shelf use a wood or metal screw as appropriate. For the wall use a wall anchor.

Keep the connection reasonably tight (don't go wild here) and the furniture can't exert much force on the anchor due to gravity when it tries to tip over.


How do I read *instant* wattage draw from my spinning-disc electric meter?

Yes.  You can determine your instant watts or kilowatts by using a stopwatch to time how long the disc takes to go around.  Then you need to do a little bit of math.   Not too much, promise :)

First, look for a figure somewhere on your electric meter called Kh. 7.2 is a common number, so you'd see a marking like 7.2 Kh or perhaps a different number. **

Take the Kh number and multiply it by 3600.  You can call this number Ks.  You might as well write this number on the meter, you'll be using it a lot.  ***

Use a stopwatch/phone to count the number of seconds per 1 revolution of the disc.  (If it's moving too fast or you want more precision, time 10 revolutions and divide by 10.)

Start with the Ks number (Kh x 3600) and now divide by the number of seconds. That is the number of watts being used right now. **** For instance if Ks is 25920 and it took 6 seconds, 25920/6 is 4320 watts.

If you want kilowatts, divide watts by 1000 (4.320 kw).

** gory details: Kh is the number of watt-hours per revolution.  A watt-hour is 1 watt for 1 hour. *If you had only a 1-watt LED nightlight burning, it would take Kh hours to turn.*

*** gory details: multiplying Kh by 3600 gives the number of watt-seconds per revolution, since there are 3600 seconds in an hour.  By the way, for a 7.2Kh meter, this number will be 25920.

**** gory details: Ks is the watt-seconds per revolution.  Divide by the number of seconds per revolution, the result is watts!

***** gory details: another example picture.


Honeywell Mercury Themostat 3 Wire, replace with Digital/Programmable?

What your options for replacement are (easily) depends on what your wiring is.

I find it odd that you claim it's getting inaccurate, but perhaps they built them better 50 years ago than 20 - all the 50-60 year old ones I have work as good as new, but those are the "classic round" version. They actually are subtly adjustable if needed, though non-subtle attempts can screw them up. They are sidelined at the moment, but in reserve in case of need.

Anyway, for a two wire setup the easy digital/programmable solution is to get a digital/programmable that uses batteries - I have a couple of examples of these in my view between home and work, and the older one eats batteries a lot slower than the newer one.

The fancy/expensive/prone to becoming obsolete so you need a new expensive - "Smart" thermostats (or hacking portals into your house) generally require a wire upgrade to supply the power they want. I'm obviously not a fan, but many people do seem to love them. Some of those people are not living in your house...


Is it safe to mount a 65" TV to the wall using 1 and 1/2 inch lag bolts instead of 2 and 1/2 inch lag bolts?

I would cleat the mounting using horizontal 2x4s or some thicker plywood mounted on the surface of the wall. It's less sightly, but you can distribute the weight along more studs. I would not try to mount it across only 2 studs using 1.5" screws.


Light Switch Neutrals: Bundle all together?

Wire nuts are color coded by size.  A yellow nut would be fine for 3 wires, but at 5, you'll want to go to a red nut.  If it won't stay together without tape, that is bad technique that will cause arcing and fire - fix the technique, don't tape it.

That "gray" wire you are seeing is actually black that is poorly tinted or faded.   Actual Gray is a middle 50%-ish gray, and is legally reserved for neutral.

Hots can be any color but white, gray or green.  However, in practice, using cable black is preferred for always-hot, and red is preferred for switched-hot.   In practical practice, we are stuck with the standard colors that come in cable, but "red" for "switched-hot" often works out.   Of course in a 3-way circuit, all bets are off...

As for box fill, there are rules on that. Count all grounds as 1 wire, all cable clamps as 1 wire, each "yoke" (switch, receptacle) as 2 wires, then count each non-ground wire entering the box.  Do not count pigtails.   Take that sum, multiply by 2.00 for 14 AWG ... or 2.25 for 12AWG ... And that is the number of cubic inches you need in the box.  If the box is overfull, you need to fit a box extension of some kind.


How much extra wire should I have in my electrical panel?

Leave just enough "extra" wire to route the wire along the edge of the board so it looks clean like the image below. Otherwise, do not bother leaving extra wire. You can splice more wire within the panel if you need to move things around later. Leaving a lot of additional coiled wire to try to account for the future could result in excess heat build-up and potentially an electrical fire. Note: Some excess wire is harmless, but if the panel begins to look like a mess of coiled wires, then you are likely creating the following situations the NEC tries to protect against in several areas of code (though not necessarily specific to the panels) to make sure the wire will not exceed the heat rating of its insulation at the expected current load:

Current running through a wire generates heat and relies on air to carry that heat away from the conductor. Therefore, the NEC protects against too many current-carrying conductors in close proximity for other areas of wiring:

  310.15(B)(3)(a)  More Than Three Current-Carrying Conductors in a Raceway or Cable. Where the number of current-carrying conductors in a raceway or cable exceeds three, or where single conductors or multiconductor cables are installed without maintaining spacing for a continuous length longer than 600 mm (24 in.) and are not installed in raceways, the allowable ampacity of each conductor shall be reduced as shown in Table 310.15(B)(3)(a). Each current-carrying conductor of a paralleled set of conductors shall be counted as a current-carrying conductor.

  314.16 Number of Conductors in Outlet, Device, and
  Junction Boxes, and Conduit Bodies. Boxes and conduit
  bodies shall be of sufficient size to provide free space for
  all enclosed conductors. In no case shall the volume of the
  box, as calculated in 314.16(A), be less than the fill calculation
  as calculated in 314.16(B). The minimum volume for
  conduit bodies shall be as calculated in 314.16(C).

When wire is coiled or there are more than one conductor, there is potential to induce additional currents in the wires due to the additional electromagnetic fields not otherwise present with a single conductor. The NEC protects against this related to ferrous metal enclosures and raceways:

  300.20(A) Conductors Grouped Together. Where conductors carrying alternating current are installed in ferrous metal enclosures or ferrous metal raceways, they shall be arranged so as to avoid heating the surrounding ferrous metal by induction. To accomplish this, all phase conductors and, where used, the grounded conductor and all equipment
  grounding conductors shall be grouped together.

  Exception No. 1: Equipment grounding conductors for certain existing installations shall be permitted to be installed separate from their associated circuit conductors where run in accordance with the provisions of 250.130(C).

  Exception No. 2: A single conductor shall be permitted to be installed in a ferromagnetic enclosure and used for skineffect heating in accordance with the provisions of 426.42 and 427.47.

  Image obtained from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:EEUU%28GE%29BreakerpanelInnards.jpg


If you have access to a shop vac or other vac, try sucking a strong string thru first, then tape the end to your group of wires & tube and pull it thru.   It's helpful to loosely tie some knots on the start of the string to give the vacuum something to "grab on to".


Assuming the math checks out (ie, you have 2x6 studs), this should work. If you only have 2x4s, I'd think about getting more lags into the equation.

If it was my project, I'd use longer lags to have more resistance to rotation in the mantel. (12" lags give about 6" in the mantel, though you'd lose a little in the drywall and the removal of the lag's head.)

There's two hard things to this plan: the first is making sure you hit the absolute center of the studs. I'd cut drywall away to make sure I'm centered. (It'll be behind the wood, so any patching can be pretty basic.) Second is getting your lags drilled absolutely perfectly dead perpendicular, both to the mantel and the wall. The best case is using a drill press for the mantel, though that might be tough. Using a spotter and a speed square can be very helpful. Obviously, your holes need to line up perfectly as well.

To prevent the mantel from slipping off in the future, all you'd really need is a couple of long toe screws through the mantle into the studs. They aren't doing much work, so that doesn't need to be overdone.

If all this sounds daunting, you might explore other options, like a french cleat (metal, not wood) that would be more forgiving in terms of install complexity.


The problem you describe is considered normal performance for many residential A/C units.  By design, these only function correctly if the outdoor temperature is warmer than mid 70s and the indoor temperature is above 68F.   Below these temperatures, the evaporator coil gets colder than freezing, becoming worse as the coil accumulates frost, eventually causing the system to become covered in ice and stop cooling until the unit is manually shut down and thawed.

In a situation such as yours where A/C needs to perform even during cool temperatures, it is necessary to install three accessories which will enable the unit to operate under these conditions:

(1)  A compressor crankcase heater (sized for your compressor)

(2)  A head pressure control (such as Totaline p251-0083h, approx $35 new, Ebay)

(3)  A evaporator control limit (ECL) switch or Freezestat (approx $20 new, Ebay)

Calibrating the head pressure control perfectly requires a set of gauges, but it usually works correctly if the temperature probe is placed anywhere near the discharge of the condenser coil.  Other than that, these are electrical items only, requiring no refrigerant expertise.  This setup is sometimes referred to as a "low ambient kit with freezestat."  An experienced tech should be able to install all these within a couple hours.


220 / 110 acv home voltage stabilization

If the LEDs are driven by a low voltage power supply, you could just get a high quality regulated power supply that supplies a tightly controlled output voltage irrespective of the input voltage fluctuations.  If your LED lights are on regular 120V fixtures, it's a harder problem.

A whole-house solution is possible but probably impractical, it would have to be rated for the full amperage of your service, which would be very expensive.

You can could have a power conditioner installed for lighting circuits, it wouldn't be too bad to install one or two.

If you use dual conversion "online" UPS's, they can correct for low voltage for the loads that they power.  Line interactive UPS's generally do not.  That would be helpful for the electronics, or for the LED lights if they run off a corded power supply.


What diameter pipe do I need to adjust this basin waste pipe?

Cut where marked, but adjust the location so you've got clearance to work later.

Seeing as you only need a couple of millimeters, you might be able to get away with buying only the coupling connector similar to this:

So a good straight cut where marked, insert the connect and solvent weld it back into place.

Take the cut piece in with you, and just make sure you've got a snug dry fit in the store.
No need to actually figure out the exact diameter.  Just buy the piece that fits.


Why do my breakers trip after the kitchen range shorted?

From what you are describing, you have all of the symptoms that you have lost a phase and it may not be the range circuit. It could be the main breaker or service conductors.

I would start by disconnecting the range and the oven then I would carefully open the panel covers and check to see if you are reading a nominal 240V across the output of the range breaker and checking the buses in the panel to see if you are getting a 240V reading above and below the main breaker in the panel. If you are getting a nominal 240V reading at all of these locations. Then check the circuit to the range and ovens and see if they match the panel or have dropped a phase. This might not fix the problem but you are trying to isolate the location of the problem.

There are a few comments I would also like to make about your circuit to the range.

First it is allowed by the NEC to split your range circuit to feed both a range and an oven.

Second a 40A breaker that feeds the circuit is not common in a residence. It is usually a 50A or minimum 45A breaker being fed by a #8 or #6 conductors. The size of the conductors are critical to the correct operation of the circuit and this may have even had something to do with the range shorting out. More imortant it may shorten the life of your new equipment due to voltage drop and improper voltage at the equipment.

Third and the really bad news. Your statement:

  wiring is messed up and definitely needs to be rewired, however that option is quite impossible in the moment.

That may have been true yesterday but may not be true today. The time to begin correcting the wiring may have already started or you could be facing more problems including possible burn and shock hazards. You may be able to phase in certain corrections first, but you need to consider permanent repairs instead of trying to bandage your system until later.

Hope this helps, stay safe and good luck.


What is coming out of these water pipes?

So, it was something blocking the WH's outlet! Remove & disassemble the Aerators for additional evidence. But, definitely flush the tank or get a Plumber & sock him with that fiasco. It could be magnesium from the anode rod, an excess copper soldering flux interaction, plumbers grease (which shouldn't be anywhere), tank outlet gasket failure, tank lining deterioration or just sludge film from massive debris in the tank. But Hey, water pressure problem solved!!!


2 GFCIs out of one box to different circuits

"mysterious grounding" may be the problem. A GFCI is very sensitive to grounding problems - by design. A few questions:

1 - Do the GFCIs trip and not reset? Or do they NOT trip but simply "don't work"? There is a big difference. If they trip and won't reset then there is a real grounding problem. If they don't trip then they may be bad, though unusual to have two brand new bad outlets.

2 - I'm a little confused about the circuits. "feed separate circuits" implies 2. "They worked before supplying one circuit" implies 1. Do you have 2 separate circuits - i.e., two separate circuit breakers in the panel? Or do you have 1 circuit that originally supplied the openers and now also supplies an outlet? If you only have one circuit then you should only have one GFCI installed.

In addition to any other "mysterious ground", it is possible you have a problem with the openers - i.e., a fault that is minor enough to not trip the regular circuit breaker but is enough to trip the GFCI.

I don't know whether an opener circuit by itself (i.e., no outlets on the same circuit) needs GFCI protection according to code or not. Harper or ThreePhaseEel or one of the other code experts can answer that.


Keep in mind that low DB noise are the ones that are supposedly the less annoying.

Try using some kind of low noise (like a fan noise) to mask the noise that are repetitive. It really works.

But it all depends on how low your noise is. It is the honking that you probably find more annoying though. And since they come and go, they are annoying and difficult to mitigate.

You are doing well to use different type of material and blue glue, of course.

I found this website to be a great help:

The Triple Leaf Effect & Air Cavity Depth (soundproofingcompany.com)

You would want to analyze the sound frequencies (signature) of the noise FIRST.

I recommend this:   Praat Linguistic tool for studying sounds

You can see that if the noise gets really low (DB) you need to decouple.

Hard to do to walls if you are renting like you are.

As for the window and the plug, you could also decouple them by putting some kind of rubber "bead" (harden silicone) or gasket (old cut bike tube or car timing belt) that you place you plug to (which will have a frame to frame it to). It will then sit on those soft beads or rubber to absorb the vibrations.

But, that website has a lot of good info.

2) and 3) The only way I thought of doing this would be to use some kind of board with nails or some protrusions that would in effect hold the fibreglass in place. If you use the idea on the website of the STC 63 sound reduction, you would have 2 plywood with blue gun, then insulation, then space then insulation and then 2 plywood board with blue gun. I would use (in that case) screws to prevent the FB to move. Size of plywood? The ticket the better, but space and weight might be the limiting factors.

The inside of the living space can be made to absorb (limit the echoing). I found carpeting to really help VS hardwood. Heavy curtains also helps.


What's the difference between these two types of compression fittings?

They both do the same thing except the one on the left has an integral compression ring (ferrule) and the one on the right uses a separate ferrule (which is not in your picture).


How can I thaw a frozen washing machine pipe limited access semi-exterior wall?

I literally just got done dealing with some pipe that burst after it froze not 10 minutes ago. My first suggestion would be, after it thaws, make absolutely sure it didn't rupture anywhere. Even a tiny trickle can turn into black mold problems down the road.

If you're using the type we used to use up in Canada when we lived there that's made to allow the expansion/contraction of freezing and you're less worried about rupture, what we used to do to avoid having to open up the wall was cut a small area you can easily place one of those cheap small vents into in your wall so it still looks nice. Then we'd either throw a space heater at it. Or we would go get those hand warmer heat packs that cost about a dollar a piece that when you rub them together they activate and produce good heat for multiple hours and lay them over the pipe to speed it up (ALSO to prevent them from freezing on the really cold nights.) Something like these:


Dryer loses electrical power in the winter

Broken wire.

The 'inner' copper of the wire may be cracked. In summer metal expands and makes contact, in winter metal contracts and doesn't make contact anymore.

I suggest replacing the wire feeding the outlet.


How to improve garage floor look and color?

I have used Rust-Oleum Epoxy Shield on a few concrete applications and I have to say it may be the "cheap"/non-fancy alternative but it has handled soaking into the concrete (instead of other paints that only sat on top of concrete) to provide a little more protection.  I have bought the two part epoxy speckle kits and have never been happy after a few months.


How to fix a Front door sticks out (from the inside slightly)

It's installed incorrectly.
This happens when the hinge side and latch side are not both truly vertical. In this case, the top of the hinged side is installed too far towards the interior. On closing the door, it will first contact the bottom of the latch side which then prevents the top of the latch side from closing fully
Your installer should fix this, it is because of poor workmanship


How do I add a receptacle outside off the porch light

You can add a box extension with knockouts, then run conduit down to a box with a WR weather resistant GFCI. If the cover or roof of the gazebo protects the location from rain a standard cover can be used but if it is wet your will need a hard use or in use cover (and the box itself will need to be listed for wet locations). Some folks don't like surface mount conduit if this is you you can box the conduit in. I have seen some very artistic "cover up's of conduit that made it look like a grape vine at first I did not realise it was conduit as they were on several posts.


How do sound-dampening drywall clips affect the ability to hang objects on the wall?

The sound dampening system you describe builds a metal frame rigidly attached to clips that have rubber isolation bushings. There are two possibilities in attaching items of significant weights.

Directly to the metal framing

This would spread the load over the entire metal beam, much like attaching it to a steel stud. It would not be quite as supportive since the beams are not directly attached to each other or to a sole and top plate.

This approach would probably be sufficient for almost any load a conventional stud mounted approach might support short of things that involve dynamic pressure, such as a punching bag. As usual, mor attachment points spread out the load and reduce chance of failure. I would at least double the number of mounting screws/bolts.

However, such a  mount might slightly compromise the acoustic benefits since the object would be rigidly attached to a steel member which could transmit some vibrations. Less of an issue with object that do not vibrate or emit sounds. You also need to ensure that you hit the steel beams but miss the studs and clips. If you hit the stud with a mounting screw, you defeat the clip's isolation function.

Using heavy duty drywall anchors

There are several possibilities discussed in this answer. I would tend toward the newer toggle type anchors that use a 3 inch metal bar to spread the load behind the drywall.  These are probably the strongest anchors after direct stud mount. Using a toggle also isolates the load from the steel frame. Drywall is less resonant than steel, so there is less chance of compromising the acoustics, but the panel may act as a bit of a drumhead.

You might want to think of ways to free float heavy objects in front of the wall, on an easel or something similar.


Options for Running High End Computer on Old Circuit

TLDR: Pay your landlord to add a 20A dedicated circuit for this PC.

Fuggedaboutit. 1350W is just too much.

Remember, you're talking 1350 watts at the low voltage DC side - you have conversion losses. You must provide what the AC-side requires. That will be clearly stated in the specs, or placarded on the unit.  Here's a Rosewill Photon 1350.

Let's be gracious and assume this mark is saying 15 through 8 amps, not 15.8 amps.  That is the actual power it will be drawing. 15 amps = 1800 watts, which reflects the internal inefficiency of the supply, and that's about right.   This is a continuous load, so you must provision 125% of that power, so that's 18.75 amps.  This will take the entire output of a 20A circuit.

You don't have one of those.

If your "12 amp" figure is based on a 15A circuit you are applying the same 125% derating to, then good on you for working it backward like that.  Regardless, a 15A circuit cannot power this.  Running a circuit at 100% load continuously will result in breaker trips, which results in death. Permanent death if you're playing Diablo hardcore.

Beware old service panels

If your 80 year old building has a Federal Pacific, Zinsco or Challenger panel, then maxing out a circuit is madness. Those breakers are not reliable.  This could result in fire, and perma-death of you.

A Challenger panel can have its breakers changed out to Eaton BR/C, (C for Challenger), and it'll be fine. Zinsco and FPE are beyond recovery, as not only are the Connecticut Electric breakers worse than the originals, but the buses themselves are defective.

Landlord permission + licensed electrician is mandatory

You cannot alter the wiring in your rental unit.  I live in one and the most I've ever done is change a cover plate.  All work requires landlord approval because of a legal concept called "mine / yours".  And all work in a rental unit must be done by a licensed electrician, to disallow low-quality work by cheap slumlords or sloppy tenants.  So if you want to upgrade the electrical service to the unit, you'll need to have a sit-down with the landlord and pay a 3-digit sum for the electrical work.  Or move.

Another snag is that older buildings are often laughably underpowered.  I have seen units with 30A/120V for the entire unit.  You will not be able to add a 20A circuit to such a unit.

Further, if the landlord pays for your electricity, expect a rent increase that may not be fair, because the landlord does not want you bitcoin-mining.

Don't forget air conditioning

Putting 1800 watts into a room will make a lot of heat.  5300 BTU/hr to be precise.  You will need an equivalent amount of A/C just to break even.  That will need its own circuit, since sharing the circuit with this PC is right out.


Why doesn't my freshly painted door fit back in the frame?

You say

  The new coats of paint are not too thick so it's not the paint job.

and this is a common misconception. Yes, it looks like the paint is negligibly thin but it actually adds up. When a door is constructed it has size that allow for painting it once, maybe twice, and then a new layer of paint will prevent it from closing.

You should have cleaned the previous paint off the door edges.


Can I place a bathroom vent fan lower on a wall if I increase the CFM?

I think you stand a good chance of being satisfied with 200+ cfm's.  Keep your venting duct-work full sized or larger, restrict the number of elbows. Make sure the termination does not restrict air flow.  And use a time delay timer that keeps the fan running after the smoker leaves for at least 15-minutes.


Are two wires coming out of the same circuit breaker safe?

It depends -- some circuit breakers are designed to accommodate two wires. If they are, though, it'll be clear that they are. For example, these Square D Homeline breakers are marked with symbols or text indicating that two conductors are allowed but only if they're both copper. The plate under the screw and the molding of the case are also visibly formed to accept two conductors.

Your breakers could be marked on the side of the case; you'd likely have to remove one to find out. There's a label just barely visible which might tell the story.. I'm not well-acquainted with your BR breakers but to my eye they don't look like they're designed for two conductors.
In any case, it's always safe and easy to use a pigtail: a single piece of wire as a jumper between the breaker terminal and the other two wires. Join the pigtail to the others with a twist-on or push-on wire connector.


Door knob lock not moving when turned to lock

I've encountered this issue before and the repair is easy.
The problem is with the lock (latch) being misaligned. This is the part of the door knob that moves back and forth and holds the door closed.
With a screwdriver loosen the 2 screws holding it in place. 1-2 turns should be enough. Twist the door knob to check if the latch moves freely.
If it doesn't verify that the latch is lined up correctly with (and not rubbing against) the latch plate (the plate guiding the latch).
If still not working correctly loosen the 2 screws that hold the door knobs together. Move them until the retracted and stuck latch springs out and then re-tighten the screws.
It's tempting to use an aerosol lubricant to free the latch (i'm guilty of this too), but it doesn't help in the long term. It will attract dust and build up grime that hinders the door lock mechanism.
Sometimes it's less hassle to install a new door knob.


Wireless Security System deadbolts with door handle that locks - how to disable door locks

I would simply leave it, and not use that lock.  That way if your wireless deadbolt breaks, or you need some extra privacy, you can still lock the house.

Failing that, just shove something in the hole in the frame so you cant engage the lock.  Easy to reverse if needed.


Anatomy of a concrete wall – what are all these layers called?

Yep, you got the Plaster right, it's that coin-thick smooth white finish coating. But, that gray nook & cranny stuff looks to be a Cinder Cement, this stuff is quite weak compared to concrete.

If you were scraping off big bulges & partially loose exploded chunks of the gray stuff, then it's definitely Cinder Cement. That's exactly how that stuff reacts to moderate water exposure & freezing. It's not Stucco nor old plaster work's Brown or Scratch Coat.

Just fill in the big voids with most any kind of cement & then re-Plaster over minor cracks & holes while skim coating the whole room in Plaster. If this will be painted, then the Plaster can just be a Drywall Joint Compound. This is the cheapest & plenty durable enough.


What might cause my dryer to trip the breaker labeled AC?

Sounds to me like someone crossed two wires coming from the AC and Dryer cables to the breakers. They are most likely both #10's and could easily be confused for each other.

Try shutting off the AC breaker and see if the Dryer runs with its breaker turned on. This sounds like what you said is happening in your question but just to double check try this test. If the Dryer doesn't run than than what happened is two wires are crossed to the two breakers. One is feeding the black on the AC and the Red on the dryer and the other is vice-versa.

Either way though, there is something wrong with the Dryer if it tripping a breaker. If you are not comfortable shutting down your main and working by flashlight in the panel with the cover off to straighten out the wiring then you should call an experienced electrician to check this out for you.

Also, you will probably have to call an appliance repairman unless you feel like getting into your dryer and working on that too.

Good luck with your project!


How can I determine the precise location of a clog in a drain pipe under ground?

To the question - almost certainly impossible to hear any sort of beeper through a meter of soil.

A pipe tracer (with or without camera - there's really no need for one here) can often be rented, or there are inexpensive models that can be had for under $100 (perhaps well under if bought direct from Asia.) You either connect to the pipe if it's metal, or insert something metal (such as your snake) into a plastic pipe, and the pipe tracer will put a radio signal onto the metal part which the detector portion of the tracer can find.

If you know any amateur radio folks, this is an easy cobble from things they already have, and might be enough of an amusing application to interest one in helping you, especially if you supplied a beverage or two.


How to determine polarity on cloth covered wires?

The wires themselves don't have polarity, that only exists within an outlet based on it being wired correctly, or reversed (hot/neutral reversed).

So essentially you just need to identify the hot wires and the neutral wires, and if you maintain this correctly throughout all of the wiring and correctly wire up your outlets, then polarity will be correct.

Non-contact testers are good for determining if there is any power on, but not perfect for finding the hot wire - sometimes neutral wires will give false positives if there is a hot wire in close proximity.

The best tool to use is a multi-meter.  The neutral and ground should read 0 (or a very low number), and hot to neutral or hot to ground should give you 120V (assuming your are in North America).

A standard outlet tester will tell you whether the polarity is correct or reversed. If it's reversed, then you just swap the hot/neutral wires.


Relocating the PVC from behind dishwasher

Yeah, a handy DIY person could do the re-routing of those hot and cold water line connections. You would have to deal with shutting off the water supply, cutting out all the old stuff and then re-plumbing in with new piping and fittings. Hopefully you get all the parts that you would need in one initial trip to the big box store. Do be aware as you get ready to re-route the pipes as close to the wall and as low as possible you may be faced with that electrical box back there being in the way.

After all that the quote really does not sound so bad considering the nature of today's prices for things. But it is totally doable if you have the gumption and determination to see it through. It may even be the occasion to acquire some new tools!!


How should I handle reflooring the bathroom of an old house?

Two things here.

If you don't want squeaks...   First you should remove plywood and add blocking to the joists.   The swaying of the joists, even slight allows the screws to move and eventually squeaks.   Second you need to glue the first layer of plywood down.

Your calculations are off - kind of by a lot - AND you are committing poor design thoughts at the beginning.

you should have a threshold in the bathroom between the hardwood and the tile
this threshold should sit higher than both - 1/4"
the reasoning is a flood should stay in the bathroom
yes you are building a mini pool!
based on your joists I would start with 3/4" plywood
Big Issue - no calculation for the thinset.   With bigger tiles this can get to be over 1/4".   Rather significant.   You will be troweling and back buttering.
Another Big Issue - no calculation for the thinset for the Ditra install!!!  This will be at least 1/8"
So with 3/4" plywood, ditra, and tile you are at 1.5" conservatively... possibly over.
so this threshold needs to be at least 1" so that it may hide the fact that your tile might be slightly higher than the wood.
if back buttering the tile, you are probably going to need to put down less thinset with your trowel (under spec).


Can I install 2 240v baseboard heaters in separate rooms?

Sure.
It's normal for this sort of setup to have a separate thermostat in each room, but there's no need for a different circuit (nor for 10 Ga wire, from what you have specified so far, which could be fed by a 10 or 15A 240V breaker on 14Ga wire, with considerable room for expansion. - If they pull 600 watts each, you need to provision at 125% for a heating load as it's "continuous", so 3.125 Amps each, so 4 will fit on a 15A breaker and 14Ga wire, 6 on a 20A breaker and 12Ga wire. If 500W, 5 and 7 for the same cases.)
Nor would you need /3 wire for typical 240V baseboard, which don't use neutral - /2 wire with ground is quite adequate and typical for those - be nice and put red tape on the white wire where you connect it, though.


Can the gravel used under my pool be used patio stone?

In my honest opinion if the idea of it turning into a soft concrete is what gave your fear, do not let it. That is the point of having a gravel base and the sand is simply there to easily level the pavers. Save money and recycle. :)

The gravel is used as saving money if you will from not having to pour a slab. Which also allows for a homeowner to do these types of projects. Many times in on jobs where there is concrete we just add sand and pave right over it, if it is uneven. If smooth you can add pavers and fill with sand.


In the UK (where question poster is located), there are several distinct types of plastic push-fit connectors. You can get specialized tools to help undo each type.

John Guest Speedfit
Wavin Hep2O
Floplast Flo-Fit
etc

Yours are Hep2o

and can be released with a Hepkey - there is a tool selection guide.

Hep2O

Speedfit

FloPlast


Is this shower trap better than a P-Trap?

This is what is called a drum or barrel trap in North America. They used to be common many years ago. Then P-traps became available and were found to be preferable, leading to the banning of drum traps in model plumbing codes.

Unfortunately, I'm not privy to the reasons they were banned. Some disadvantages I see is they retain a relatively large amount of wastewater. In theory, some small portion could remain in the trap for quite a long time, possibly allowing mold, bacteria and other undesirable things to grow in there. P-traps, by nature, have more of a first in, first out sort of flow, minimizing the chance of old wastewater staying around. In the case of the shower and floor drains, the wastewater is in very close proximity to the drain grate. It makes it easy for occupants to come in contact with the wastewater, which would generally be considered an unsanitary event and thus frowned upon.

Floor drains in residential bathrooms are quite rare in the Northern and Western hemispheres, except where the floor drain also serves as a shower drain. I've seen such a configuration in mostly tropical and sub-tropical countries. Floor drains in commercial restrooms are so common, they might be required. I'm too lazy to check right now.

Floor drains in residential laundry rooms, while perhaps not common, are certainly seen often enough. Still, they are not required, so many laundries have none.


How can I clean powder of dry paint on carpet?

I'd try a shop vac, quite loud, but very high suction.  Use the smallest opening attachment and 'rake' the carpet.

If you don't own one, ask around.  If you decide to buy one, an 8 gallon wet/dry is a good intermediate size.


Can I do anything with this gas fireplace? No gas service

The advice your home inspector gave you is ridiculous and he should have his license revoked. Either a flue is safe to use with wood, or it is not. Get a good chimney cleaning company that also inspects flues to clean it well first and run a camera down the length looking for any problems that might need attention and assure you it is safe for a wood fire.  Don't guess at this or just try a "small" fire before getting a real inspection.  Better safe than sorry.


I have a 3 total wire 220 volt service. New oven has 4 wires

If you dont have a White (Neutral) wire you will not be able to run the little things, like the timer, clock, lights, rotisserie, etc. Just the oven elements (and maybe the top elements, but not sure on that one).


What is the best way to handle house wiring cables with short sheathing?

I would get some white heat shrink slide it over the conductors and make sure it extends inside the box the 1/4” and at least it’s width past where the sheath was removed.

I have skinned the outer sheath several times in the past. The inspector only asked to verify if it was listed and then asked me to change from the black shrink tubing to match the color of the existing outer sheath. Way cheaper than tyco splices. My jurisdiction allows this others may not.


You got it.

Just make sure to separate the neutral and the ground on the dryer and use a 4-wire dryer whip and receptacle.

Sounds like a plan.

Good luck!


Standing water in front of retaining wall okay for wall?

I basically just went to the middle of the retaining wall and considered that the peak. I slightly graded down on the left and right side of pool to help water run down to these areas, then I put a drain on each side using 4 inch flex drainage tubing. I dug down about a foot, and at the start and end, I used a sanitary white T adapter at the beginning and end of drain pipe so I can attach the tubing, have the drain cap on top and have an opening at the bottom for clean out and added drainage, and I put about 3-4 inches of river rock below the fitting and inside a little. Around the pool I added landscaping fabric and put down an 1in - 2 inches of river rock around the pool for a nice aesthetic appeal, and to help prevent erosion.  So far so good.

Still never found any information on the effects long term of standing water in front of retaining wall, and I didn't want to wait and find out. Although the better way would have been to install a french drain around the entire pool, due to time, this cheaper, and quicker fix seems to do the job and relieve most if not all of the standing water.

Will add pictures soon.


Anode Rod replaced but short on hot water

Check the dip tube on the cold inlet.
The dip tube directs the incoming cold water down to the flame, if the dip tube is missing or fell off then the cold water coming in stays on top of the hot water and you're getting the cold water from the top and the hot water stays at the bottom and not coming up into the pipes.


Can old ceiling fan with red, black, green wires be replaced with one that has light?

You might even be able to add a light to the existing fan; many are/were wired for lights and it's just a matter of using a threaded nipple to attach the fixture and connecting it to the wires provided for the purpose.

If you do need to replace the fan, you should probably replace that controller with a simple switch. You would then use the fan's pull chain to set its speed and a pull chain on the light to turn it on and off, or wire in a modern remote control box.

Very doable; I got fans without lights and added fixtures to suit. One I left on the existing wiring and I do use the chains to control its modes. For the other it was easy for me to pull new wire, so I set it up with a 2-switch unit, one for light and one for fan, though the chains also exist for fan speed control and so I can kill the light from bed. ;-)


Rekeying pattern for duplex with shared front door

See if your particular lock shows up here:

http://www.imlss.com/images/pdf/kwikset_Rekeying_Manual.pdf

Though I think if you have a competent locksmith, you just tell her/him what you want, and it happens, you don't have to tell them how to do their job. And you have an incompetent one, telling them how to do their job is not likely to help, either. So anything past this is merely for information, unless you are planning to try and do this yourself, which can be complicated for boring legal reasons in many LAHJ's rather than technical ones.

I'm not a locksmith (I think we have a few posters that are) but with 5 pins that can be set 6 ways (each) you have many, many key combinations available, and you need, at most, 4 that work together, in 3 lock types.

In some sense you're delving into "sub-master" to get what you want, with each key working specific things - so the unit keys operate the common lock

52463 Let's say that's the common door.

Now, if you put a master pin of size 2 in position 1 and 4 of the common locks (with bottom pins of size 3 and 4) You can have Unit 1's lock set to 32463 and unit 2's lock set to 52443 and you get what you asked for, with neither being able to open the other via filing down a key.

If you want a full-on master or a front door only key, it's more of the same. Actually I guess I gave you a front-door only key while trying to avoid the "file down to open the neighbor" condition from the comments. If you are hiring a locksmith, they should be able to work out the details without your input on the specifics of the pins used. As such I'm going to stop here for now.


There are structural fittings for use with steel tubing. The tubing is all the same size, the difference with EMT (Electrical Metal Tubing) is that the insides are ground and finished so as to not cause damage to the wire insulation. Strctural tubing is not, and there are places that sell fittings for structural tubing.


Before I remodeled my house to have vents and radiant barriers and lots of insulation, I did put a water misting system on my roof using PVC pipes and drip mist emitters. The mist emitter was helpful because it broke up the water into a fine mist and sent it into the air, giving me evaporative cooling before the water even touched the roof. Also I had some of the emitters overhang the roof to give some cooling to the side of the house.

It all did the job as expected and the areas where the water mist existed received a great deal of cooling.

However after running the system for the summer, I saw a lot of roof shingle granules in the rain gutters.

The continual flow of water, even though I limited the flow so that most of it evaporated, caused about 10 years worth of wear on my roof shingles. Not a problem for me, I tore the whole house down the next year and built a brand new house. With modern insulation (I did upgrade the attic insulation to beyond code requirements), I almost never even need to use the new AC.

Here is the emitter:
http://www.orbitonline.com/products/Sprinklers/03/13/19/934/


120v and 125v outlets are nominally identical. You must have something miswired, or you have a rare faulty unit. Be sure you have power connected to the LINE side. Manufacturers try to make that hard to do by mistake, but you know how us humans are.


Is it typical for a roofing contractor to inspect roof framing and quote repairs?

isherwood is correct. Some so called roofers don't normally inspect anything under the sheathing. A Roofer is not a carpenter by definition. But then they are not being asked to build a wall or staircase now are they? A Roofer makes all decisions as to the structure of a roof. That means a Roofer works on, makes decisions on structure, load bearings, ventilation, truss or rafters, sofettes and anything related to the structure of the roof which is from the attic ceiling joists up to the ridge line.
isherwood may be referring to so called Shinglers working under the guise as a Roofer. These are Roofers that only want to work on replacing a piece of sheathing and laying shingles. Commonly known as shinglers. All they do is essentially remove and replace from the underlayment up. Sadly this is common practice amongst roofing contractors. And not what most home owners need when it comes to roof inspection and repair.
You have to be wary of Roofing contractors that are actually just Shinglers that will claim they will make all repairs, then when the roof is opened up, they don't actually fix anything but rather just cover the damage over with sheathing and shingles.
A true to the term Roofer will indeed do a full inspection of the roof structure, and walk the roof itself to look for damage, roof structure integrity, inadequacies in ventilation, code violations and so and discuss all their findings with the homeowner so the homeowner can make a informed decision when it comes to repairs.
Another option is to hirer an independent licensed roofer/roof inspector with experience in roofing and up to date on building codes to do a full roof inspection. This is a person that doesn't work for a contractor and is not trying to sell you a roof. You have to be equally as careful as to who you hire as not all independent inspectors are the same. You want one that specializes in roof inspections. Not just general building inspections.
Equally you can get three licensed bonified Roofers to inspect and give detailed bids as to the work you want done, which you should do anyway.
Never sign anything that gives them the authority to negotiate with the insurance company - it's illegal. You wouldn't be in trouble, they would. It's felony in most states.
Never sign anything that states they are to receive all monies before they start work. Or all claim money goes to them. Known as an AOB these can be worded differently. It's not illegal, but very commonly used in scams. It means all claim money they get, including for any other damages to the property included in the claim. You more than likely will end up with a subpar roof if any at all, and find it very difficult to get claim monies over and above the repair cost returned once they have it. They know push come to shove, you'll have to sue them to get it back.


What is this texture called and how do I replicate it

I have never seen this method, but to pick apart the various details I see in the picture, is a coat of drywall mud perhaps covering the whole wall first, let dry, then a tinner coat of mud applied with a wide bristle brush, perhaps a whitewash brush, then while it is still wet, "knocked down" with a wide spackle knife or trowel.


How do I prepare walls for wallpaper after removing wallpaper?

It depends on the wallpaper. Some "splits" to leave a lining paper behind when the face comes off. If this is sound, you could decorate over it.

If the remaining is uneven, yes, take it off.

To prep the walls, make sure that they are smooth, no loose plaster, etc. Sometimes you'll see walls washed down with sugar soap to remove left over glue or other mess. Fill or caulk any uneven bits, then paper over.


Why would the neutral wire in my bathroom's outlet box have voltage?

Before I explain my answer, turn off your circuit breaker! If the wires are truly switched, there is a hazardous shock/fire hazard present and you need to turn off the circuit breaker right now! If the options below don't resolve your situation, call an electrician for help. The problem you're describing can be very dangerous.

There are two possible scenarios here.

1) The receptacle circuit hasn't changed - If you haven't changed anything (wiring, additional receptacles, new receptacles), then it sounds like there is a short to ground. Your circuit breaker should be tripping though, which is odd. You will have to check the wiring to and from all receptacles and the load center.

2) The receptacle circuit has changed - I believe this is the most likely scenario. Have you replaced wiring or receptacle in that circuit? Keep in mind that something you changed that you thought was on another circuit may be connected to this one. Check all of your connections from the load center to the receptacle.

To answer your theoretical light bulb question, you are correct. A standard incandescent light bulb (not LED) will turn on if placed between hot/neutral, neutral/hot, and even hot/ground, ground/hot. It will not work with ground/neutral or neutral/ground because they have the same voltage potential and therefore can't carry current (V=iR). Please note that although it would work between hot and ground, this is a code violation and is very dangerous because you will be passing current through the grounded enclosures and you will also be creating a shock hazard.

You can test receptacle wiring with something like this: Receptacle Tester. However, this will only work if the circuit has power, which as you pointed out, your GFCI keeps tripping.


Right way to add standard receptacle to this GFCI circuit

You can use twist-on wire connectors (or other approved connector), to create a "pigtail".

Turn off the power.
Remove the LOAD side wires from the GFCI.
Using a twist-on wire connector, connect the white wire you removed from the GFCI with the white wire feeding your new receptacle and a short bit of the same size wire (6-8"  should do).
Do the same with the black wires.
Attach the bare ground wire from the new cable, with all the other grounds in the box.
Connect the other ends of the short bit of wire to the appropriate screw terminals on the GFCI.
Reinstall the GFCI.
Turn on the power.


Small patch in wall sheathing behind masonry chimney

You don't have to worry about energy loss. Your attic floor is insulated; that's the heat barrier for the home. You even want to get heat out of your attic to prevent ice dams (assuming you're in a temperate clime), but you have a vent right next to your chimney, so you'll be fine. Critters, though, could be a problem.

I don't think it matters how you cover it up; I'd put a piece of plywood on it.


Why does water accumulate on the hardwood floors in my 1930 home?

Certain sealants for floors reduce permeability. If you have a sealant or its over oiled it could be inhibiting the woods ability to "breathe". That is to say absorb and dissipate moisture.
Have you added spray foam insulation under your house or added some kind of vapor barrier under your house?
If you have been updating and insulating in an old house you can change the way moisture and air flow. One of the quickest fixes would be to get a dehumidifier from your local hardware store. ...


Placed Fire Place Insert Wood Stove into Fire Place; how to minimize heat loss through former chimney damper opening?

In the past I have used rock wool , some high efficient wood stoves use this in the fire box over the heat tubes so it can handle the heat. Pack enough to seal the flue. In my state a fresh air source is required for new stove installs, depending on the stove some times channeling through the chimney or coming in through an old ash clean out chute will work, other times a vent in the wall is required. I prefer if possible to duct the fresh air directly into the stove this way there are no drafts.


Generally if a thing is installed, it can't have a flexible plug-in cord.  However, there's an exception for luminaires; it is permissible there. Don't make it super obvious; don't use an extension cord for instance.  If you need a receptacle closer to your light, you can extend off existing receptacles (i.e. for your garage door opener).

You can't use just any cable tray for this purpose.  Most of them are intended for ethernet cable, USB and the like.   You need to use surface-mount conduit that is UL/CSA/TUV listed and rated for power cables.

For extending hard-wired circuits, proper surface-mount conduit is a thing and it is sold at local big-box stores.  However the systems have many parts, and the big-box stores have computerized inventory systems and they don't stock the parts that don't sell well. This always leaves me in the lurch.  You are much better off going to a proper electrical supply house, where they will stock all the parts for that particular system.  Buy it all there.


Normally, the junction box for a ceiling light fixture is attached to the ceiling joists in such a way as to distribute the load of the light on those joists instead of on the drywall. The normal way is to hang a 2x4 between two joists, suspended a couple inches above the bottom of the joists, and attach the J-box to that so it'll be flush with the drywall. Such a structure can support hundreds of pounds, even if the j-box itself won't.

Under about 30 pounds, which includes most modern round lights, small hanging lights and ceiling fans, you should be able to mount directly to the J-box; it will have threaded holes for a machine screw. Over that, most kits will include a threaded J-hook that is designed to screw into the wood strut above the J-box; these can support up to a couple hundred pounds, and the J-box then only supports the weight of a crown cover to conceal the mount and wires.

Be wary; there are "old work" ceiling J-boxes designed to be inserted into the ceiling and have their load distributed by the drywall. These will only take about 5-6 pounds (your average round light), but nothing more. Hanging a ceiling fan or heavy hanging light directly from a J-box is a sure-fire way to end up needing to re-drywall your ceiling (after putting in a proper J-box of course).


What is the best quick repair for a drain pipe?

Depending on how and where it broke it going to affect what you can use.  I'm going to assume you're not looking for a suggestion of duct tape.

For long straight sections, where I had to cut a pipe, I've used rubber pipe connectors.  You just slip it on one side of the break, align the pipes, and slip it over the break and tighten down the hose clamps.

There also exist pipe wraps that harden to do temporary repairs, that you can find in most hardware stores, but I've never used it.

I've used epoxy putty when I had a leak right at a coupling, so I wasn't able to get wrap something tightly right where it was.  You just knead it together, press it into the leak, and wait for it to set up.


Remove stripped copper from brass threads

If the bits of thread are loose, then I always find a small screwdriver to gently prise them out is sufficient.

If the threads are seriously damaged, then you may need to use a tap to clear the damaged bits.


Can I use a non-standard design for a stairwell ceiling cutout in an old house?

Unfortunately, as with most questions like this, you're going to have to talk to an engineer. A bunch of amateur DIYers on the internet, is not the proper resource for this type of information.

You're making a major structural change to a building, and you don't want it to cause property damage or personal injury. The "correct" and responsible thing to do, is to seek the advice of a trained professional.


Annual KWh usage of electric ignition on gas water heater

I ended up getting a Rheem XG40T12DM40UO instead.  According to my Kill-A-Watt it uses the following amounts of power, depending on the state of the water heater:

Standby, Idle: <= 1 Watt
Damper active open/close: ~4 Watts  (lasts about 10 seconds or so)
Active burn:  ~4 Watts


29 volts too much for a 24 volt thermostat?

This seems like poor design of the thermostat: most household HVAC "24 VAC" transformers are designed to provide that voltage under load, i.e., while drawing the design current, perhaps one ampere. Open circuit (O.C.) voltage of 29 VAC is normal.

That said, it would be easy to reduce the voltage to 24 VAC. Two 6 VDC zener diodes such as the 1N5340BG (~US$0.50 each) soldered in series, with opposite polarity, would bring the supply down to 23 VAC, giving a 1 volt margin. However, I question the manufacturer's claim that the normal O.C. voltage is causing the issue. and doubt that lowering it by 6 volts would help. More likely, the connections are incorrect or the thermostat is defective.


I am a cleaner. I apparently got water into an external powerpoint

If you got water into an external power point, it might trip an RCCB (gfci, ground fault circuit interrupter in the US). I would say to look first for external power points near where you washed. Remove the cover plate and  blast the insides with a hair dryer, being careful not to overheat the power point. If the owner has no power at all, they will have to use an extension cord from a power point of the neighbor's house.

I had a roof leak cause a loss of power on one circuit by dampening an external power point on a circuit with a GFCI breaker. Until I could get the roof fixed,                    I removed the receptacle and wired the circuit straight through with twist on wire connectors pointed upward so they shed water.

If an external power point was not properly sealed, it is the home owner's fault not yours. But in future you should not use a strong stream of water to clean around windows. I think people have gone overboard about 'power washing' houses.

If there are no external power points near where you washed, look for power points inside near the windows and dry them with the hair dryer.


One option would be to reconfigure the ducts so that there's an independent run for each classroom, joining into a trunk just before the fan. This way you could use dampers in each duct run to balance the airflow between rooms. If you keep the dampers far away from the registers, you can minimize the effect of the turbulence (and associated noise) from the dampers.


What areas of a home are required to be AFCI protected?

According to NEC 2014 210.12(A).

  ...kitchens, family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, laundry areas, or similar rooms or areas shall be protected...


Will this pulley arrangement keep this kayak level when hoisting?

No, it will not, at least if the load is balanced as shown.  The leftmost part of the kayak / canoe, having a snatch block on it, will experience twice the lifting force as the front of the kayak.  If the kayak was moved towards the left, it could potentially balance out, but you will likely need to do some manual adjustment as the kayak is lifted.


I am installing laminate flooring over the course of several days. Do I need to use the standard 48 hour acclimitization period?

The "48 hour" timeline assumes the flooring cartons are laid out to "acclimate", with air only getting above the cartons.

Get air underneath them. Take your first day or two's worth of packages and lean them against a wall so air can access them on both sides.   If you want even faster adjustment, bust them out of packages and fan them out individually for a few hours.


How to tighten a swivel component on a shower head?

On some models the rubber washer helps keep the swivel tight. Check if the grommet has been pushed into the pipe (when overtightened, sometimes they get squished inside the pipe).


1- Cut them down & haul the corpses away. But, the Governing Body may limit how much you can clear & your Architect or Builder will have other requirements.

2- Yes, the Contractor is there to do whatever it takes to get your money, he'll Sub-Contract the tree removal out to an experienced guy or firm.

3- Electricity, Septic System, Heating Oil or Gas (if not electric), 911 Service, Fire Dept. access or abilities & thereby Insurance Costs, Environmental Impact Control Costs, Water Retention & Driveway Path...meaning, will it be easy for many vehicles to park or big long trucks to deliver materials or will costs & problems arise from difficult access.


Brute force applied carefully would be the answer in this case. It's not unusual for adhesive material to seep under the drain grille when assembled. An angled pry-bar that can fit through the mesh to get as close as possible to the edge of the circle for best leverage and minimal possibility of damage.

The square holes would give you the best flexibility of attack when approached on the diagonal.  The tricky part is to have something thin enough that won't bend when you try to pry.


How do I insulate around conduits and into difficult edges in my attic?

Insulation is helpful even if it's not perfect. Ideally, you should cover the attic floor completely, without reducing airflow between any vents (soffit, ridge, gable, roof, whatever). Whether a specific area is important to insulate depends on your house, but as a rule, you should aim to insulate any walls/ceilings between living space and unconditioned space. You should also use some sort of vapor barrier at the edges, to prevent air and moisture from moving into your insulation.

Based on your question, I'm assuming you're looking at using rolled insulation such as fiberglass. You might also consider blown-in cellulose insulation, which is installed using a blower machine that can force loose insulation into cavities. If you buy cellulose insulation at a home center, they will often rent you the machine for free. Two reasonably handy people can do this installation -- you need one to feed the machine and one to operate the hose.

For insulating around wall/ceiling penetrations, you can also use a canned spray foam product (such as "Great Stuff" or "DapTex"). These will allow you to insulate tricky areas, and the foam will fill whatever voids you have -- perfect for pipes, around wiring, and around electrical boxes. Make sure you do not use these products in electrical boxes or around chimneys or other hot areas, as they are flammable.

I believe it's OK to place insulation on top of junction boxes. If you have recessed lighting in your ceiling, a special housing is required -- placing insulation over a regular recessed light housing can cause overheating and is a fire hazard.

One thing I'm not sure of is whether it's code-compliant to hide a junction box under insulation. Code disallows putting a junction in a hidden location, like inside a wall without an access plate. I don't think this would apply to insulation laid in an attic, but you may want to contact your town's inspection services department and ask.


Is this cement board / Sheetrock still ok to use in my bathroom?

As long as the cement board is solid with no large cracks it is useable. The stains may have occurred for any number of reasons. Also the cement board should be flat and even with no ridges. And do not worry if they feel or look wet, moisture won't effect it.


I'm surprised that you can't find 1/8" plywood (luan), but have you asked about Thermo-ply? It's a thick waxed cardboard, supposedly for sheathing (ha!) but suitable for your application.

Ramboard (somewhat thick cardboard, sold on the roll) would be suitable if you used entire sheets (as opposed to strips). The factory edge on this is handy for straight lines.

Also possible (but a pain to cut into strips) would be countertop laminate material... a good lumberyard would probably have some old/kicked around product for cheap. (But then, if you had a good lumberyard, you'd already have some 1/8 luan...)


How do I determine the correct tile trim depth?

I would experiment a bit using some cutoffs and a steel combination ruler.  Try to figure the average float percentage, I would expect 10-30% of the notch height for tiles that large.

The depth of mud under tile is variable, mostly based on the wall flatness and somewhat based on tile size.  You have to float enough to bridge and give full support, more so with a natural stone tile like travertine.

Your edge profile will look best and protect best if its as flat to the wall as possible.


Why is my hot water tank randomly emptying through the overflow pipe?

The tank has a serious problem! Pressure is building in the tank and is released by the over pressure valve on the side of the tank and comes out the overflow pipe. This is not normal operation for this to happen! If over pressure occurs even once, it needs to be investigated! If you allow this to frequently happen you are inviting disaster. Get the tank replaced immediately!

Also if you have an expansion tank, the internal bladder may have erupted.


Things that might be the issue here:

1) Muffler is rusted out and no muffling as it should.
2) The gasket between the engine and the muffler is missing or compromised.
3) There are other loose bolts, perhaps the head bolts or the spark plug.  Either of which can allow compression to leak out and be quite loud.

I suspect you'll have some success with your replacement muffler.


Looking for a WATT-O-METER with specific features

I personally use an APC with the free management software for my computer...

Most of their Back-UPS® line of products have the ability to connect to a computer and monitor your input/output power.  Some of them, like the APC Power-Saving Back-UPS Pro 1300 that I use, even offer an LCD display to see the current stats without a computer . The computer software these UPSs use is free at no additional cost, so you are only paying for the actual unit.  If you wanted to use this as a whole house solution, there are some detailed solutions out there, such as this one.  It all depends on home much you wish to invest into such a product, and what you intend to accomplish...


water heater bottom element not functioning after thermostat and element change

The manual you've provided doesn't show as much detail as I'd hoped, but it appears that your thermostat is identical to mine. To condense many weeks of fruitless service calls, I figured out my problem and it may help to resolve yours.

The temperature adjustment indicator may be out of kilter. The manual doesn't reference how to put it back into kilter, however.

Consider for a moment that the water temperature at the thermostat is lower than you want it. You should be able to rotate the indicator and hear as well as feel the click as the thermostat engages. You may also hear a bit of sizzling as the element heats up.

What I discovered is that the technician who installed the second thermostat showed me how to calibrate it, by turning the indicator a number of times beyond the limit of the plastic needle, then turn it back to the desired temperature. It's a hit and miss sort of thing, but if you know the water temperature at the thermostat, you can get closer.

I used an IR contact-free thermometer to get in the ball park.

Unfortunately for me the second thermostat failed and the same tech who installed thermostats three, four, five and six forgot to perform the calibration. I'm not a water heater technician and also forgot the process until all parties involved were unhappy.

After hitting the tank area with the IR thermometer and trying to understand the disparity, I had an epiphany. Cranking away on the indicator put the thermostat on the mark.

Try the turn and click method to see that you are getting a response. If you turn and get no click, turn more!

If you have to drain the tank, there should be a port on the bottom to which you can attach a garden hose to minimize the mess.


What's the proper method for installing new studs in existing frame?

Right stud: What's the best way to screw the stud into the frame at the top and bottom so that it's sturdy enough to support the new wall I am going to hang on it?

What you're doing here is called "sistering". I personally would use 2 screws each at the top and bottom.  More is unnecessary - after all look at the other studs - nothing holds them in the middle.

Left stud: Since I will be able to screw this stud into another stud, how many screws should I use? Should I put the screws in pairs so that it's two screws side by side all the way down?

For the left stud you'll need to toenail - that is - install the screws diagonally into the top and bottom plates.  It'll be easier if you pre-drill the holes - install at a 45 deg angle, 2 top 2 bottom again.

What length and type of screws should I use for both studs? I am assuming wood screws for this job, but I am not sure about the small details.

2x4's are actually 1.5 by 3.5.  So you'll be sistering into a 3" depth, so use 2.5" screws for the sistering, and on the diagonal, use 3.5" screws to cover the length of the hypotenuse and give you good bite w/o over sinking.


What's the best caulk type for exterior stucco to wood window trim?

In my opinion the best caulk for almost any siding job is urethane. It's crazy sticky, paints well (and comes in a zillion colors to match pre-finished siding by special order), and remains flexible.

Caveat: As I said, it's crazy sticky. It will remain on your skin for days and your clothing forever. You'll want to use a small, well-shaped nozzle and practice beforehand. Ideally, there's no additional tooling to be done. The nozzle does the tooling.


Changing swing check valve for a Double Check Valve Backflow Preventer

Since you are providing access to the backflow preventer...
Since you are providing an irrigation box for the backflow preventer, which means that you can access the preventer down the road, your plan is sound as far as that goes.  Note that Double Check Valve assemblies are considered testable, which means that in many jurisdictions, you will need to test them on a regular basis (such as yearly, or every other year, as discussed in this City of Tallahassee document) as well as at the time of installation.  This test is usually performed by a plumber, but your water utility may provide this service to residential customers for a small additional fee on your water bill.  This all is atop having to register your preventer with the water utility, which consists mostly of filling out and sending them the appropriate form.  Of course, if you're on a well, then you don't have utility regs to worry about, but you should still test the preventer on a regular basis to ensure that your well doesn't get contaminated by backflow.
...but as to that head loss
According to the FEBCO LF850 specsheet, a 3/4" LF850 will have about 5-6psi of head loss across it for flow rates below 20gpm.  Considering that most folks won't push more than 12gpm through a 3/4" line anyway, you might be able to get away with it, depending on how much head loss is in the rest of the system and what this is protecting.  If that 5psi of loss is excessive, then you'll need a booster pump after the preventer.  Note that that may impose more stringent testing requirements on your backflow preventer.


You are possibly using the wrong size wirenut for the number and size of wires you are connecting, or simply installing them incorrectly.

"Saving money" is a dubious justification for tackling electrical work if you are not up to the task - the money you "save" can easily cost you a good deal more when your work fails in a more dramatic fashion and burns the house down or injures/kills someone. You could hire an electrician to go over your self-installed wiring and make sure it was correct, and odds are excellent that no more wirenuts would fall off after that.

There are "push-in" wire connector blocks made and listed now. I'm not personally a fan of them, but they are made and listed.

i.e. See this image from Ideal Industries (not endorsing or associated, just using the image as an example)


How can I test the maximum current an outlet will provide?

It's called a Kill-A-Watt

A testing instrument that tells you what your appliances are currently drawing.

But you don't load up the circuit to breaker trip, because that would be reckless and unsafe.  You use it (or them) measure the actual current draw of the other loads and add them up.

You must also multiply any continuous loads by 125% when factoring.

Example: You have a 20A circuit.

1 amp of floor lamp
5 amps (a 4 amp PC, on continuously so rated 125%)
8 amps of air conditioner

That leaves 6 amps usable for a non-continuous load, or 4.8A for a continuous load.


Why does sink gurgle after installing AAVs in attic?

There is a blockage downstream of the kitchen. AAV allow air to enter the system and not exit. Plumbing systems are a neutral pressure system and the vent equalizes the pressure on the back side of the waste water. As the water from your laundry goes down the drain the blockage causes a pressure build up that the AAV no longer allows to escape. Removing the AAV allows the air to escape up the vent pipe.

One other possibility is a main waste line trap with the vent removed.

Main waste cleanout

Chest of Books

Some houses still have a set up like this. In this picture the vent is on your lawn and the clean-out is under the sidewalk or street. Often people remove the vent because it looks like some weird piece of metal with a cap on it sticking out of the lawn. With that vent gone and AAVs added top the air has nowhere to escape. This is an unlikely scenario but it is possible.


How to add a fuse/breaker to an extension cable

Fatal flaw: You can't use extension cords coiled up!
This entire product's very design is faulty.   Obviously the design intent is that you furl out just as much cord as you need, and then leave the rest neatly on the spool.  But you run smack into NEC 310.15(B)(3)(a):

A spool counts as a raceway.  That spool could potentially hold 11-20 wraps of wire.  Hot and neutral count but ground does not, so that's 22-40 wires.  The table calls for a 40% derate - very extreme.  Normally, wire ampacity is limited by several other derates, fortunately this does not stack with them, it derates off the "theoretical perfectly cooled" ampacity.  At 90 degrees C, that is 18 amps for #16. 40% of 18A is 7.2 amps.
(and we're being generous here; if we hold #16 to 60C temp, your limit is more like 4A).
And when you violate that, you get this.

As you can see, this product is a total loser from the day it was drawn on the back of a napkin in a bar.
And that's where the CE rating came from.  These epsilon-minuses had lined up the factory and faked their CE rating before they even realized you need a UL listing (or other third-party Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory) to sell in the United States.
UL told them to take a hike.
CSA told them to take a hike.
ETL (by golly, when there's a marginal product in need of approval it always seems to be ETL), approved the product on condition of adding a fuse.  So they had two choices: be yet another Chinese seller shoveling junk onto wish.com, DealExtreme, Amazon and eBay... OR, be in Home Depot.  So they bit their lip and said "alright, fuse it is".
Hey, the NRTLs certify safety, not product quality or fitness of purpose.
Then you decide you want to modify it.
Statutorially, this is modifying equipment contrary to instructions, and is a violation of NEC 110.2 and 110.3(B).
You could do it (illegally) by terminating the cable with a junction box* this is illegal, and fit a furnace-style fuse (a fuse and switch or socket in the form-factor of a common receptacle).  You see this all the time around construction sites, usually made of a 4x4 steel junction box and a domed cover. I don't like it because those knockouts are actually pretty fragile, as will be the fuse and cover in your case.
Bottom line is that a "reel up extension cord" of this type is a very concept which is technically infeasible.
The only way to make that work would be to use 90C-rated #10 wire.  At that point you're coming off a 40A derate at 40% giving 16A.  Or, make the drum large enough that the wire only wraps around it 4 times - that would require a 2'4" drum in your case.
#10 wire is a fair bit more expensive and would more than double the cost of the reel.  But if I wanted that, that's exactly what I'd do. Get somebody else's cord reel that lets you use your own cord... and use #10 cordage.

* By the way, now watching this video, the builder made a very poor choice of cable clamp. They make proper strain-relief cable clamps made for cordage (that one is made for Romex). And you have to ground to the metal box, which then takes care of the outlet grounding. And the person recommends a "screw-and-clamp" spec-grade recep but doesn't explain that adequately. Amateurs!!!


Your local building codes will be the ultimate guide, and depending on your location, you'll likely need a permit and inspection as well.

This may help you with your estimating:  https://www.awc.org/codes-standards/publications/dca6

Having just built a 16x12 deck ten feet off the ground, 50x18 would be lot of work and not cheap.


How do I control a heat lamp with a thermostat?

Without AC wiring experience, I can't recommend that you do this. A better suggestion would be to use a space heater in a closed off space (no flammable materials and have a smoke detector if you're going to leave it unattended).

However, if you ignore that, then at least consider the following.

Use an AFCI protected outlet. The arc-fault breakers will trip when things start sparking, hopefully before they burst into flames.

Make sure your switch is designed for your AC voltage. Wiring for HVAC thermostats are usually 24v. To use one of these, you'd need a 24v transformer and some kind of solenoid/relay to safely close the 120v circuit. They also make thermostats designed for 120v AC power, which would be a better option.


1st off, make sure all structural elements are sound before closing. And it's a good idea to clean up the patchwork up there. It's actually very easy to level. Use a lazer level adjusted to your lowest point. Sister any joists to that line. This image shows how with T-bar drop ceilings but the concept is exactly the same.

This one shows how to do it using steel stud.


Insulation exposed behind face of my fireplace

If you can't find the original, it looks like you could make a new trim piece out of sheet metal pretty easily.


How do I loosen latex paint to remove it?

If it's not well adhered to the wall, the first thing I'd try would be heat - get a heat gun (sorry, your wife's hairdryer won't work) and a scraper and try that approach before resorting to any chemicals.


Generator tripping GFCI breakers in main panel

That's to be expected.  The neutral from the circuit is going through the GFCI breaker, but the hot is coming from the generator.  The GFCI sees this as an imbalance, since there's no current flowing through the hot side of the breaker.

Here's what your setup likely looks like (if it was drawn really quickly in MSPaint).

If you follow the current through from the generator, you'll see that it returns through the GFCI breaker.

However, since the current is not flowing through the "hot" side of the breaker.  The breaker sees an imbalance, and trips.

The cutaway in this image shows the internal circuitry of the GFCI breaker, and depicts the current flowing only on the neutral wire.

WARNING:
If the generator or transfer switch does not provide GFCI protection, the kitchen will not have GFCI protection when on generator power.


What does it mean to get 2 phases of 110v outlet?

In the US, most household service is two legs of 120v plus a neutral. You can get 120v between either leg and neutral or 240v. Esteem both legs. In most breaker panels, single-width breakers alternate legs vertically and are opposite legs left and right per row. As you noted, you need to find outlets on breakers on opposite legs.

For example, if the breaker slots are numbered 1-10 on the left and 11-20 on the right, you could use 1&2, 2&7, 3&13 but not 1&3 or 2&11.

Also, these adapters are very dangerous. If you have one 120v plug connected and your 240v load connected but the other plug lose and you tough the prongs on it, you could get shocked. (These devices can be made safe using internal relays but most do not have these.)


Can I bypass a pull-cord switch by connecting the two wires?

Yes you can just connect those two wires with a rated connector and use the wall switch.

Optionally, you could just buy a new pull chain switch for a few bucks and install that.


How to add a light to an existing 3-way circuit

When you have two switches in this configuration, you have to look at one important detail.  Power is supplied to one switch, and the switched power comes off of the other switch and goes to the lights.  In your diagram, "from source" wire leads to the switch on the left.  The switch on the right has a black wire coming from it that supplies power to the lights.

Because of this, the only way to add another light is to get power from one of the existing lights.  You can't pull power from the switch on the left because it doesn't have a wire for switched power.  You can't get power from the switch on the right because it doesn't have a neutral.  The only two boxes that have switched power and neutral are the two light fixture boxes.


What type of wood is suitable for fascia?

Cedar is what I have used because it is very good at rot resistance,  fascia boards especially with gutters attached are one of the places in a home I usually find rot if your budget allows redwood is even better but cost more.


Why is the paint around my ceiling air vent discolored?

To me that looks like a water leak that is being pushed by the air flow. I would be checking for a leak above that location.


No. Section 314.29 of the National Electrical Code (adopted in some form in most localities in the US) requires that all outlet boxes be accessible without removing any part of the building or structure.  That includes wallboard.

You could build a recessed section in the wall that has an easily removed front panel.  You could install an outlet in that section, plug in the charger and then run the charging cable through a hole in that panel.

If the tablet uses a standard USB charger, you can now get outlets that have the charger built in.  Then you just need to plug the low voltage USB cable into the outlet and into the tablet.

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


building a fire pit starting with a steel ring

Galvanized gives no benefit. However.the tiny mount of zinc oxide produced would be no problem . I would suggest a local weld shop may have some stock to make you something. Material at least 1/8" ( 3 mm) thick if you want it to last awhile.  Stainless steel is pretty common, either the magnetic ( like auto exhaust) or non-magnetic. Stainless would not need to be as thick. Try a local junk yard.Bolts would be much more practical than trying to rivet. If you could find it, short length cut from large pipe like 24" diameter. Or , the old stand-by, 55 gal drum , cut off a foot of drum.


The hole in question is a siphon jet.  It concentrates flow from the tank, jump-starting the siphoning effect.

If you look close (I’m not suggesting you do), there’s a siphon jet hole (see letter G on diagram) in the bottom of the toilet bowl. It’s hard to see unless you put your head in the toilet (For the record, I didn’t do this). When you flush, water shoots out of this hole to fill the drain pipe. This creates a siphon.
When I investigated, it was plugged. Eureka! I cleaned it out and once again heard that perfect flush. -tomlaforce.com

See (acid), How to clean under the narrow toilet rim to restore full flush power

When you flush the toilet in the diagram, the chamber directly above the X fills with water. This chamber is connected to the same passage where the air is, above G. It's also where all the holes are and once they fill with water, the air is forced out through G.
A noticed change may be a clog somewhere but perhaps as the guest toilet, you never realized how poorly it preformed out of the box. IME this is typical of low-flow toilets but also of every toilet that hasn't been flushed in a while.
You may be interested in adjusting or installing a chain float which will hopefully allow enough water to flow after the bubble pops, to create a siphon.


How to correctly wire a bathroom heater switch

NO, NO, AND NO!!!  RED DOES NOT CONNECT TO WHITE. The "hot black" from your new switch goes to the black wire in the box that is feeding the circuit. The "load red" from your new switch then goes to the remaining black wire in the box. Yes, the green wire goes to ground.


Remember, porcelain isn't a polished smooth surface, it's a glazed sprayed on surface that's then fired at about 2300 degrees F. Once you've smoothed out the edge fill in any cracks or damaged areas with an epoxy glue. Let the glue self settle so it's a smooth surface and don't over apply. As far as matching the color, try nail polish. it comes in hundreds of colors and does a great job of sealing and self leveling for a smooth surface. I repaired a chip on a toilet and this really works well. Good luck


Most reasonable way to raise desk by 4 inches

I probably would rip a 2x6 down to 4 inches, make a three sided frame out of that and put the desk on top of it. Then attach the desk to the frame with some pieces of metal called "mending plates". make the inside dimensions of the frame the inside dimensions of the desk. Paint the new wood and plates black. If you wouldn't like the look of 2x4s at the bottom, you could cut some strips out of 3/4 plywood (or whatever thickness the desk is) and attach those to the desk bottom in some way, like more mending plates or pieces of wood.

You could Isherwood's idea, only use 2x4s instead of aluminum tube. Probably be a cheaper.

There are also "bed risers". They re small cone line platforms. It would take 4. I personally wouldn't like this because it wouldn't be that stable.