Can I install a Honeywell WIFI Thermostat?

The C wire, not to be confused with R or RC is the return path. Think of it as a ground, though technically not. Based on the information above, none of the wires O, B, W, G, R, Y, will work for C.  So they can not be jumped over to the C connection.  The C wire, usually the brown wire on the transformer, the low voltage (24v) is the common. However, no matter the color, there are only two low voltage wires on the transformer, one power (Red, Blk, Yel), one common.  So what ever color not representing the power, is the common C.  Of course, AC current flows both directions, but trying to make this simple.  Anyway, that wire (the non power wire) needs to come in to the thermostat for the C connection. With an extra wire (any color on the wire loom at the thermostat can be traced back to the 24v transformer and connected to the common, usually color brown wire). That extra wire used, the new color will become the C wire. Just a note, one issue I have had with the WiFi thermostat is the fan ON and Auto don't work independently. So for example, if the thermostat is selected to run the fan ON - no cooling or heating, I've seen that not work. It can be fixed too, just not answering that.


Does a DMM resistance reading between lugs on an AFCI breaker indicate failure?

DC Resistance on load side of two same make-model breakers (QO120AFI) while also in tripped state was high, so the 370 ohm reading appears to be evidence of internal failure.
The breaker that failed was not in the recall date code range.
Glad this was checked before pulling new wire.


If it take more than one to fill the hole, you don't have "very large rocks" for New England.
Plenty of old barns and other buildings are sitting on large rocks (4 feet or more in at least one direction) that were rolled into holes to provide a solid, dry, non-rotting foundation hundreds of years ago, for hundreds of years.
You appear to be talking about something more on the lines of a mortared pier built of comparatively small rocks - one issue with those is that they are more prone to frost movement (.vs. a sonotube or formed concrete pier of another shape, such as a tapered square pier) because the outer surface is rough and frozen soil is more prone to "grab and carry" it rather than slip past it in freeze/thaw cycles.
You might want to look at "slip forming" where you'd set a form and then build with your rocks and concrete resulting in a smooth outer surface, at least for the below-ground part. Almost any New England library is likely to have a copy of Helen and Scott Nearing's "Living the Good Life" which happens to include a chapter or two on slip-forming (and at least one "really very large" New England rock, as I recall.) That was more oriented towards full foundations, in their case. Another approach is to use sonotubes below-ground and mortared rocks above ground.
Depending on the purpose and nature of the shed, another option is to not worry about frost movement at all, and just set your piers on the surface of the ground and let the building float - again, many examples of old buildings built this way exist, though of course we only see the ones that survived this long, now.


Strange black mark against washing machine wiring harness

With the machine unplugged take those wires out of the wire ties, when whatever went up in smoke the wiring also got overheated and may have shorted, or even been the cause if the wires rubbed through and shorted out.
Closely inspect all of the wires as the insulation may have melted enough to allow conductors to short to each other or ground.


What's a workable low hassle privacy latch for the inside of an interior door (against the jamb)

Possibly a sliding vertical bolt, as more typically seen on the "non-knob side" of double doors?
Or hang the key to that deadbolt on the doorframe, since it's already there - change to a double-cylinder if it's not an egress path and the other side is a latch, or turn it around and don't need the key on this side. Or post a notice that it's not to be opened if closed unless there's an emergency... depends on the level of "privacy" required.
Presumably finding the key for the doorknob lock is a lost hope.
Life-safety-wise, consider that there are reasons (occupant passed out or otherwise unable to open from inside) that interior "privacy locks" (typical of bathroom/bedroom doors) have a means to be bypassed in an emergency, and that anything which blocks/locks an egress path is a bad idea!


My old deck had them doubled, my new one does not. Some people double all around (sides and front) to make the deck stiffer but I think it's an overkill.


Accidentally left hose on and now have no pressure

My neighbor came over and we found that the filter was clogged.

When we installed a new filter  the water started to work.


Testing a furnace transfer switch, watt meter shows extremely low usage

Well, from the tests you ran (see comments above), your setup is correct.

The Kill A Watt EZ should show a reasonable reading, BUT it appears that that kind of device requires balanced current.
So, because the furnace neutral current is not flowing through the Kill A Watt, it does not compute a valid power based on the current and voltage it does see. (Note that the meter is seeing a "ground fault" from its perspective.)

EG:

This is an apparent limitation of this model of meter; your setup is correct.

To determine the furnace's power draw, if you don't trust the label plate :), and, since you've access to the wiring at the furnace, measure the current and voltage there with standard AC meters.

Multiply the voltage and current to get KVA.  The KVA will be slightly more than the actual power used (thanks to power factor), but your generator needs to be able to supply about twice that KVA anyway (allows for motor start).

Since your furnace has a 1/3 HP blower (max 250 watts, steady state), your Honda 2000 Watt generator should be just fine to power your furnace.


How can I repair this gas leak on my new range? Teflon tape isn't working

Stop, turn off the gas, ventilate the house, and hire a pro.

If you applied teflon tape to a flare fitting, you are NOT the person to be installing your gas range. You fundamentally don't understand what you are doing, and doing this wrong can blow up your house. That tends to impair the "learn from your mistakes" method of learning. This is not the place to be "figuring it out as you do it the first time."

Removing the teflon tape from the flares won't magically make you competent to safely complete the job correctly, so my advice is let a pro who knows what they are doing do it.


What could cause my bathroom exhaust fan to stop working?

It may be unsafe to run the heater without a working fan.

Drop ALL the power to the room and remove the guts from the assembly. Usually the fan will have a short cord with a plug. Power it up and try to get it to spin (don't get shocked or bitten).

If it is fail you might be able to get a replacement from the manufacturer. IME this is hit or miss; sometimes I end up buying a completely new (same) fan and swap the guts so I don't have to install much. Manufacturers may not sell you replacement parts but they sure will sell you the whole thing...

Don't throw anything away. You may need the squirrel cage off the old fan motor if you can find its equivalent.

Verify the outlet in the housing is working properly.


Most circuit breakers have 3 positions: On, Off, & Tripped. To a casual observer, the Tripped position may look like it is still "On". Note that you cannot move directly from Tripped to "On", you must go to "Off" first

https://www.anthonyphc.com/wp-content/uploads/tripped-circuit-breaker.jpg
Should you be concerned: Yes. It could have been a nuisance trip due to a momentary surge, but it could also be a real overcurrent condition. Inspect all the devices on this circuit. Look for frayed cords. If any of the devices are acting weird, replace them. If it happens again, call an electrician.
Did an incandescent bulb on this circuit recently burn out? Rarely, a broken filament will momentarily create a high current path.


Installing Ring Doorbell Pro -How to replace doorbell transformer with this setup or bypass?

Once you remove the cover of that box with the switch and everything else, you should see three wires coming into the top of the box from the transformer.  These are usually white (neutral), black (hot), and green (ground).  Take a picture of all the wire connections and make sure that everything gets connected the same when you wire in the new transformer.  There will be additional wires in this box that are connected, and these connections all need to remain the same.

The transformer will most likely be physically attached to the top of the box with a conduit nut (inset of picture).

These can be hard to remove and install in a small box, but the basic method is to place a flat headed screw driver on one of the raised portions of the nut and tap it with a mallet to spin the nut in the correct direction.  The new transformer needs to be tight.  Loose connections lead to loose or damaged wires, and that leads to bigger issues.

When you reattach the low voltage wires to the transformer (the red and white in your pictures), it doesn't matter which screws the wires go to because it is alternating current (there is not a positive side and negative side like with a DC power adapter).

Any "modern" doorbell transformer will be 16VAC, which is what the Ring wants.  You are correct that this 10VAC transformer is not powerful enough, regardless of how you wire the Ring.  Note that if you plan on using your current chime, a higher voltage transformer might not work.  It could damage the chime (immediately, or in the long run).  Plan on replacing or removing the chime as well.


A boiler and a hot water tank ... what is this configuration? (UK)

Yes this is common in the UK.

The boiler will feed hot water into the heating coils in the tank as well as providing the hot water for the radiators.

The electric (or immersion) heater will be there either as back up (in case the boiler fails) or to heat the water on cheaper electricity (Economy 7) overnight.

There'll be a thermostat on the tank which feeds back to the boiler to turn off the heating when the water is hot enough, but other than that there's no direct communication between the immersion heater and the boiler. There might be communication via the timer used to control when each is turned on, but that's not usual.


What to do when spray foam has been removed and still have bad smell?

Where isocyanate comes from
Epoxy has 2 toxic halves that react with each other.  When they do, the result is so non-toxic it's used to line food and soda cans.  They are reacting to form a very long-chain molecule, which is very strong and tough.
The 2 parts "hold hands" like this:  A-B-A-B-A-B-A-B-(repeat a lot)-A-B-A. They don't have to be infinitely long, just long enough to entangle.
Formed-in-place polyurethane works the same way.  You have a toxic "A" part and "B" part that react to form a non-toxic long-chain molecule that is very strong and tough. (you're not interested in those properties in foam, but I work a lot with polyurethane paints, and if water contacts it before it cures, it will foam up).
If properly mixed, the isocyanates will be 100% consumed.  The only way that doesn't happen is if

The person used too much B-part, either by accident or on purpose because of a misunderstanding of how polyurethane works.
The person didn't blend/mix enough, and so inside the bucket are zones too rich in B-part.

If the stuff is turning to powder, that raises some serious questions about whether it was mixed properly.  It might be worth obtaining a small amount of it and intentionally mixing it with too much "B" part and see if that makes it behave like yours.  If so, I'd consider lawyering up and going after the installer for the health problems.
What isocyanate does
Read the MSDS and the CDC page, but isocyanate is an immune system irritant that can cause anything from "allergy to isocyanates" to some real immune system damage if you get a major slug of it.
However, as the CDC page discusses, isocyanate is very chemically aggressive so it is also very short-lived in the environment. It really wants to hook onto "A-parts" and will grab almost anything, including water vapor.  So the isocyanates should have entirely reacted within a week or so.  It's not a vapor itself, so it won't waft down.
But if you were exposed to a lot of it due to improper mixing, that might have done some damage.
But otherwise, any long-term health problems must be caused by other chemicals - the isocyanate is gone now.
What to do about it
Don't fall into the trap of "doing what is easy instead of what is effective". If you want to stop being sick, you need to do what it takes.  You alone must decide what your health is worth.
So it sounds like somebody chiseled out the bulk of the foam material. But I presume a lot of it was in direct contact with the wood, and I gather the part touching the wood is still there.
Well, that's not good enough.  You will need to encapsulate it.

First, remove all the material you can.  I would use a wire-brush or whatever else works.  Use a shop-vac that has a HEPA filter so you aren't spreading it around even more.  Wear a dust mask yourself, preferably an N95 if you can obtain one during the pandemic.
Then, with dust removed and after a water wipe-down and letting that dry, seal the surfaces with a primer.  Now my favorite primer is - ironically - a 2-part epoxy, but it is VERY fumey.  My second go-to is KILZ Original, but that is also quite fumey, being an alkyd primer.  So to minimize environmental sensitivity I'd use KILZ 2 preferably in a low-VOC form.
Prime all surfaces that ever  had foam. I recommend 2 coats, and in any case use all the paint. Never keep old latex paint around - now with the low-VOC requirements it is very susceptible to mold and fungus - and if you think you have problems now, try stopping the foul stench of moldy paint!

You'd be working in the attic a lot. I gather it doesn't have floorboards.  Take some plywood sheets up there (cut them down as needed to bring up there) and screw them down temporarily so you have a comfortable work area and aren't having to play Spider-man across the joists carrying tools and vacuums.


It's a strange method (to me, anyway) but my guess is someone put it there to prevent erosion. If you have water running from the downspout, without anything there it will basically pound a hole into the ground, as well as drain into your foundation, which can cause various problems including flooding of your basement, and cracked foundations.

I guess it's the cheap equivalent of one of these:

It's best though to have an extension and get it far away from your house, so that water is running downhill/away from your foundation.


Ecobee install with AC system disconnected

For now the only wires that are needed are Rh, W and C. The G terminal operates the fan. It sounds like you don't want to be operating the fan. You can simply connect the G terminal and use the fan at your discretion. Leave the Y terminal disconnected. If and when you want A/C you simply pull the stat off the wall connect Y and reinitialize the ecobee. When they start they check what wires are connected, and if you have a wire connected to it that doesn't go anywhere it may cause minor problems for the ecobee.

In regards to the A/C replacement referring to Jim Stewart's comment. A new air conditioner will be using 410a refrigerant. You don't want to reuse the old copper lines because

Lines used on r22 are not compatible with 410a
If the old unit was 410a, the lines need to be sealed from atmosphere when disconnected.
Flush kits are available to clean the lines (I would never use one, I always replace the lines)

So the cost of replacing it would be very close to the cost of a new installation. The electrical has been run. But it may not be done right.


What is this 1" growth cluster that formed over night

The best thing you can do--and you're going to have to anyway no matter what is--is to cut a hole to inspect further. Make sure to open windows and wear a mask, eye glasses, and safety gloves.


That gap should be filled with grout or mortar first before the waterproofing (probably RedGard or some other paint-on rubber thing) is installed.


Don't even worry about asbestos, it's only a concern if you tear it up into a breathable dust.
You say you are concerned about water intrusion, but all around that area there are gaps and cracks through which water could penetrate. You say you are worried about mold, but the wall above is covered with what looks like bio growth (mildew).
I recommend that you:

clean the area with the missing tiles with TSP, then a bleach solution (in fact, do that the entire area including the wall).
seal all cracks, crevices, and edges with paintable caulk
paint area with missing tiles, and the plaster wall area above, with quality indoor glossy bathroom paint.

If you had more experience with intrusive DIY projects there are a lot of other, more permanent solutions (e.g. redo all tile) but at your skill level this should help and it will look good too.


How does a 3-way motion sensor switch interact with the mechanical switch on the circuit?

To make a true 3-way motion detector switch -- as opposed to a motion detector with a remote, or a motion detector in series with a normal switch -- the motion detector has to be able to monitor whether power is being drawn through either of the travellers and which traveller it is currently connected to.

If no power is now flowing, to turn on flip to the other traveller.
If power is flowing, to turn on stay unchanged.

If no power is flowing, to turn off stay unchanged.
If no power is flowing, to turn on flip to the other traveller.

Welcome to the wonderful wold of simple automata and state tables.


What fittings can I use to re-route my copper DWV pipe?

I'm not sure why you need a flexible elbow. I'd use a 45 above the plates (near the insulation), bringing the pipe out of the wall plane, then a 90 to go right underneath the joists. Isn't it that simple?

If you find that the fittings are too long for that, use two 45s on the vertical pipe, one out and one back to vertical, but offset to the left (near the 22" mark on your tape measure) so you end up tight with the wall plate (or its former position). Then a 90 gets you exactly where you want to be.

In all cases be sure to leave a small gap to the wood to avoid expansion ticking when you drain hot water. Cut and dry-fit all parts, then mark them as to position before disassembly.


You could try the type of tire dressing like auto detailers use to spruce up the sidewalls of the tires on cars/trucks. You can find this online by searching for "tire dressing" or "tire shine". It should also be available at your local auto parts store.

My experience with products of this type is that they give the rubber of the tire a surface that is glossy look and a smooth feel. Exposure to sun and weather will likely require re-application from time to time but should certainly reduce the amount of "rub off" coming off the tire.


How can I replace a halogen light bulb inside this glass enclosure?

On the ones I have that are similar lifting on the metal tab at the end with a little force it pulls off. Then the lamp is pulled to the side and taken out. To re assemble put the new lamp in without touching the lamp use a tissue or the packaging material any finger oils on the lamp may cause it to get hot and explode when it is turned on. I usually will clean the protective cover and snap it back in place. Sometimes this cover can be very stiff but they are easier to snap back in place.


Can 2 x 6's, stacked flat be substituted for the 6 x 8's? Would they provide the same structural strength?

You can create what's called a laminated beam from multiple boards (think plywood, but with boards). The key on laminated beams is you want those boards to work together. If the boards ever come apart, their structural support diminishes significantly, to the point that you could be looking at structural failure. As such, you want the boards to be both glued (use an exterior adhesive, since this is for boards that could get wet) and bolted (galvanized!) so they never come apart.

The catch here is that you're running the risk that some of those boards might not carry the loads you're putting on them. A 2x6 is more prone to develop some sort of serious crack than a 6x8. That is why the 6x8 is more valuable. This isn't to say it's an enormous risk (proper lamination helps reduce that risk), but it's a risk that is far more unlikely to occur in an uncut board.

There's also a math caveat. Finished boards lose half an inch, so a finished 6x8 will be 7.5" on the long side. You might be tempted to do this

8 / 2 = 4

That's wrong! A finished 2x6 is 1.5", not 2. So 4 boards gets you to

1.5 * 4 = 6

You need 7.5", not 6", so that's 5 boards, not 4. Be sure you factor that in if you go the laminated route. If the cost difference is not as great, go with the solid beam instead.


How do I reduce how much the sun heats up a front room of my house?

A good deciduous tree helps, but it will take a while for that to work.  Just be sure not to plant it too close to the foundation.

Light blocking blinds are very good at blocking both heat and light.  This may not be good if you're trying to work in the room.

Insulation helps if you have an attic above, just don't block the ventilation from the soffits.

However, the important thing to realize is that cooling systems spend a significant effort overcoming the heating effects of people themselves.  And a couple computers doesn't help.  No matter how much you block the outside heat, the heat being generated is still there.  Therefore, make sure your vents are adjusted to cool the rooms you use (closing doors also helps), and direct most of your cooling to the upstairs.  If that still isn't enough, try a small fan in the doorway blowing in cool air from the floor (which will push out the hot air above).

Edit: Couple other thoughts.

Get an IR thermometer to check all your walls and various other heat sources.  You may discover a patch of uninsulated wall or find that the window it letting in more than you thought.

Second, check your thermostat to see if it has a setting for how much the temperature will vary before it cuts on.  Mine is an odd key combination that's buried in the back of the manual.  If you're going well over an hour between AC cycles, you'll reduce hot spots by reducing this setting.


What size conductor do I need to bond water and gas piping?

According to National Electrical Code, the water piping must be bonded to the service equipment enclosure, the grounded conductor at the service (service "neutral"), the grounding electrode conductor (where large enough), or directly to one or more of the grounding electrodes. The bonding jumper is to be sized using Table 250.66. For 200 ampere service, you'll probably be using 4 AWG copper or 2 AWG aluminum.

For gas piping, you can bond it to the same things as mentioned for water piping. However, the sizing of the jumper comes from Table 250.122, and is based on the size of the circuit that is likely to energize the piping.

For example:

If you had a gas furnace that was fed by a 15 ampere circuit, the jumper could be 14 AWG copper or 12 AWG aluminum.  Since the furnace circuit is the most likely to energize the piping, you'll size the jumper based on the ungrounded conductor feeding that circuit. This is a somewhat controversial topic, as some believe the jumper should be larger.

  National Electrical Code 2014

  Chapter 2 Wiring and Protection

  Article 250 Grounding and Bonding

  250.104 Bonding of Piping Systems and Exposed Structural
  Steel.

  A) Metal Water Piping. The metal water piping system
  shall be bonded as required in (A)(1), (A)(2), or (A)(3) of
  this section. The bonding jumper(s) shall be installed in
  accordance with 250.64(A), (B), and (E). The points of
  attachment of the bonding jumper(s) shall be accessible.

  (1) General. Metal water piping system(s) installed in or
  attached to a building or structure shall be bonded to the
  service equipment enclosure, the grounded conductor at the
  service, the grounding electrode conductor where of sufficient
  size, or to the one or more grounding electrodes used.
  The bonding jumper(s) shall be sized in accordance with
  Table 250.66 except as permitted in 250.104(A)(2) and
  (A)(3).

  (B) Other Metal Piping. Where installed in or attached to
  a building or structure, a metal piping system(s), including
  gas piping, that is likely to become energized shall be
  bonded to the service equipment enclosure, the grounded
  conductor at the service, the grounding electrode conductor
  where of sufficient size, or the one or more grounding electrodes
  used. The bonding jumper(s) shall be sized in accordance
  with 250.122, using the rating of the circuit that is
  likely to energize the piping system(s). The equipment
  grounding conductor for the circuit that is likely to energize
  the piping shall be permitted to serve as the bonding means.
  The points of attachment of the bonding jumper(s) shall be
  accessible.

NOTES:
 - If this is a multifamily dwelling, the sizing might be a bit different.


is it possible to have a unstable water pressure?

Yes very possible to have erratic pressure that can cause leaks that appear during spikes.

This is why a pressure regulating valve should be installed in between municipal water tap and the house.

Ask your apartment manager to verify that such a regulator is in place and that it is functioning properly.

These valves can and do go bad over time and should be replaced to prevent the type leaks you are describing.

Typically the highest pressure in a municipal water system will occur during the time when fewest numbers of citizens are using water. Late at night when everyone is asleep.


What electrical work can I do legally in New Brunswick, Canada?

Here is the answer I got:

1)  First we have three types of installation as define by the definition in the Regulation 84-165.

  “type I installation” means the installation and repair of branch circuits, devices, motors and appliances on existing type II installations, including domestic ranges, water heaters and clothes dryers, but no alteration or addition, except for the installation of a domestic range, water heater or clothes dryer, shall exceed ten outlets or a total of five kilowatts;(installation de type I)

  “type II installation” means any electrical installation not exceeding two hundred amperes having a single phase supply of power less than three hundred volts between any two wires but possessing no features attributable to a type III installation;(installation de type II)

  “type III installation” means any electrical installation having one or more of the following features:(installation de type III)
      (a) requiring a three phase supply of power;
      (b) requiring a supply voltage exceeding three hundred volts between any two wires;
      (c) having a service entrance installation exceeding two hundred amperes in current capacity

2) Then the regulation 84-165 10(1) says that you must be an electrical contractor with a group 3 or 2 licence to do any electrical work on these type of installation.

  10(1)No person shall undertake to carry out
      (a) a type III installation unless he is the holder of a valid Electrical Contractors Licence Group 3 issued or renewed under this Regulation, or
      (b) a type II installation or a type I installation unless he is the holder of a valid Electrical Contractors Licence Group 3 issued or renewed under this Regulation or a valid Electrical Contractors Licence Group 2 renewed under this Regulation.

3) Also the regulation 84-165 11(1) says that you must have a valid N.B. electricians licence to work on an electrical installation.

  11(1)No person shall make, repair or maintain an electrical installation unless he is authorized by
      (a) a valid Electricians Licence Class 3 issued or renewed under this Regulation,
      (b) a valid Electricians Licence Class 2 renewed under this Regulation, or
      (c) a valid Industrial Electricians Licence issued or renewed under this Regulation.

4) So to summarize all this you must be a licence electrician working for an electrical contractor to performed any electrical installation or repair in the province of N.B. even replacing rec.,light switches, light fixtures etc.

As for the data/communication, it doesn't fall under DPS jurisdiction, so we can legally do anything data, phone or coax, which I wouldn't see why not.


Premium for heatpump inverter technology

The simplest question can have the most complex answer at times.  I'll try to help.  Variable speed systems have some advantages over single stage or single speed systems.  For Florida I would say the best benefit is that it allows the system to be optimized for dehumidification in cooling.  The fan slows down and the cooling coil gets colder and pulls more moisture from the air.  This adds to comfort as well as reducing the risk of mold growth in the conditioned part of the home.  If any heat pump system is properly sized for cooling it will almost certainly provide all the heat you need without strip heat to supplement.  There is another choice which is 2-stage or 2-speed.  In this case the high speed is reserved for the dog days and the unit will run on low on cooler days and in the evening.  This may be a good choice.  Reputable manufacturers will warranty their compressors for 10 years and I recommend Carrier, Trane and York as top brands.  Be sure you save your purchase documents and register the installation.
The most important thing I can add is that it's true that you get what you pay for.  If you look for the lowest cost you get not only the lowest cost equipment but also a contractor perhaps less trained, less equipped and willing to cut corners that will affect you for years.  It is my belief that when you see bad reviews it is more likely the contractor earning the score and not the equipment.  So I recommend you pick your contractor first and allow them to customize the system to your needs.


is it permitted to invert the line/neutral polarity on an AC->DC power supply?

A similar question has already been asked on SE Electronics, and Kellenjb's answer alludes to the fact that unless there was something extremely strange (like a practical joke level strange) happening in your voltage rectifier, there will be no difference between the positive and negative part of the AC circuit.


How much cheaper is it to buy nuts and bolts by the pound?

You do not really need to buy a pound of the item to determine the cost per pound. From the weight of a single item, you can figure out home many there are to a pound. Then from the price per item and the price per weight, you can figure out which is a better buy. The nice thing is people have already weighed a lot of items. Here is a chart of bolt weights and another with nails and screw weights.


Is underground electrical cable underwater capable?

Absolutely not.  Underground rating presumes physical protection by the surrounding earth.

Undersea cable is designed to be laid on the sea floor.  You may have other threats like water-moved rocks, or the footfalls of people or animals that even undersea cable is not made to deal with.   There might be no cable rated for that duty.

If the cable is buried so it is both underwater and underground (in reasonable soil near the cable, i.e. not sharp rocks; but then rocks or something above to stop stream bed erosion) -- that would be fine.


This is a nice how to paint strip. If you insist on not using stripper and if mechanical means aren't getting it done, consider using a heat gun or a blow torch. (mentioned in my preferred order of attack.) Tough jobs require all three methods, repeatedly. Insure that any stripper used won't eat iron.

The paint on all but the hand rails looks somewhat sound. Hit it with a wire brush and if it doesn't all start flaking, your fine. Scuff it all up and just repaint it. The hand rails need to be smoothed and all rust removed. Avoid repainting with gloss if there's chunks left all over; shininess will show them better. If you want to look like it just came out of the factory, you'd have to sand blast the whole thing.

  Strippers that contain methylene chloride can do the job in about an hour, while more environmentally friendly products without the chemical may take several hours to strip the surface clean.

-Source


Why does my furnace run periodically when the thermostat is off?

This is one possibility, from my distant past...  In a house with hot-water heating that I lived in as a teen, the boiler and hot-water heating were controlled in a different way:

Whenever the water in the boiler dropped below a certain temperature, the burner came on and heated the water in the boiler jacket.  This would go on as long as the system was turned on, winter, summer, whatever.  None of this water circulated to the radiators, until...

When the house thermostat called for heat, the circulating pump came on and pumped the hot water from the boiler around to the radiators.  Of course, if the pump returned cold water from the radiators to the boiler jacket, the burner would eventually sense this and come on to warm the circulating water.


Is my new monitor tripping my AFCI breaker?

The concept of an AFCI is to sense an ARC occurring in a circuit. This can be caused by almost any dry set of contacts or any loose fitting in a circuit such as a poor connection at a receptacle or even a lamp loosely screwed into a socket. I can't think of anything in a monitor that would trip an AFCI unless you have a separate power supply for the monitor and a small arc may be occurring randomly in it.
Verify that the power supply is making a solid connect at is receptacle and check where the power supply cord is plugged into the power supply module.
Then again it may be a small arc in the power module itself. You might try and replace the power supply to see if the random trip is corrected. If that does the trick you usually can return the original power supply under warranty.
As far as a surge protector you would be better off using a small UPS and power your computer and it's monitor from it. A UPS because of its construction not only prevents sudden outages knocking you system offline, but it is actually a very good surge suppressor.
Hope this helps and good luck.


Unusual wiring in ceiling box for installing light

Do you have any wall switches that either don't seem to do anything or that control an outlet? If so, check with a non-contact tester to see if the switches have any effect on either or both of the wires. One possibility is that the "free" wire is a switched hot and the "loop" wire is neutral. If so, then you should be able to split the neutral (cut, wire nut the two ends + pigtail to lighting fixture) and use that together with the switched hot.

Thinking about this a bit more, a neutral passing through (but not split) is common in a switch box (where switches that don't need a neutral will have the wire present but not connected to anything, just passing through to the fixture) but I am not quite sure how/why that would be the case in a ceiling box like this. Each switched fixture should have a separate neutral going back to the main panel, together with the switched hot back to the switch and then with the hot back to the panel. So while I can see a way the neutral might loop through, I'm not sure it is correct - so you really need to determine if it is a neutral - and the correct neutral (though why there would be a different neutral in the same location is beyond me) - or not.

If you can't find a switch that has any effect on any of the wires in the ceiling box then forget about trying to do anything with it, as the wires are likely for something else - e.g., central smoke/fire alarm.

HOWEVER, before cutting any wires or installing anything:

Determine the active breaker for the circuit, shut it off and make sure there is no voltage on the wires
If you are renting, check your lease for what you can/cannot do and/or talk to your landlord. Even if you think it is just an improvement, there may be non-obvious reasons why this is not a good idea or simply not permitted. The landlord may (quite legitimately) only permit any wiring changes to be done by a licensed electrician. Or the landlord may not care at all as long as none of the other apartments are affected.


Air probably collects in the lines when faucets are in use at differing flow rates and then one is turned on suddenly. For example consider the upper faucet operating at a small trickle and the lower faucet is off. Then the upper faucet is suddenly turned on full blast. The straight through flow to the lower faucet from the forked fitting could actually act like a suction on the upper pipe for a moment and probably take in a small gulp of air from the upper faucet.

If your fork in the piping looks like this:

You may want to try a fork that looks more like this:

. . .with the water flow from the tank entering as shown by the arrow. In this scheme there will be less possibility of the straight through flow suddenly starting creating a suction from above.


how do I repair broken pipe under foundation

Broken/damaged drain pipes can be internally lined with a resin impregnated sleeve. There are limitations on size, size and type of damage, type of pipe, access, and pipe configuration. Check out this video:
trenchless liner


Pair of 12/3 wires in outlet box showing neutral-ground voltage

Harper is right about trace voltages on disconnected wires it could be anything causing inductance in the wires, but there are few things that concern me.

Aluminum wiring: One of the big problems with aluminum branch wiring is that is has a tendency to loosen up on connections and burn back from the connection point. Then you will be getting weird voltage readings like 57.7 volts. But I don't think this is the case where you have a red and a black reading the same voltage more than likely they have no power connected to them and should be reconnected to the other red and black with 128.4 volts.

You didn't mention if everything was working before you started your pigtail. When you start taking things apart you can start finding things like you have mentioned and we get caught up in chasing ghosts.

Instead of trying to determine each problem as you go along, I would complete the pigtailing first. Then go through and turn everything on and check to see if there are any problems. Look for strange things like a 1 or 2 volt drop between two receptacles that are only say 12' apart. That would indicate a loose connection somewhere. Lights dimming when you turn something on and the circuits are not related. That would indicate a loose or broken neutral. You television only comes on when the dryer is running (true story). Also broken neutral.

Then if you find something acting up you can identify the physical problem and location. Then if you post that problem we can be proactive and not so speculative.


My guess would be that as long as the cords look OK, I'd clean them up a bit and give them a try. Burnish and tin the tips well. Just be ready to pull the plug if they start to overheat or something.


How should I build large concrete footings for my deck?

NOTE: always check the code in your area, and double check your calculations with a licensed engineer if you can.

That being said some thing are fairly well documented for footings.  Most of these revolve around how much weight you are going to support and the type of soil you have.

The load bearing ability of the soil (in general) can be looked up here .  If you want to  be absolutely certain about your soil hire a soil engineer.  They will come out and use a penetrometer to check your soil.  Usually, Clay is about 1500 to 2000 lbs per sq foot in bearing capacity.

The next portion is to figure out how much weight this footing is going to hold.  Here is a formula you can use:

H (porch weight)=  40 lbs/sqft floor live load + 25 lbs/sqft dead load + 30 lbs/sqft roof live load = 95 lbs/sqft (assuming roof over porch).

S (Soil Bearing Capacity)=2000 (clay)

N (number of piers) = (7’x8’ Grid) = 56 piers

Size Required = (Number of Piers)* (Porch Weight) /  (Soil Capacity) = N*H/S = 56*95/2000 = 2.66 sqft

Converted to inches = 2.66 sqft * 144 (sq inches in a sqft) = 383.04 sqIn which is close to 20”x20” width

Note:  The above calculation does a bit of hand waving and averaging.  For instance, piers in the center of a ballroom floor will have very little dead load on them, but may in fact have more live load than the 40 lbs/sqft.   So those piers may in fact support more live load than 40 lbs/sqft.  While the piers supporting the walls of the house have almost no live load and only dead load

This chart can also help:

Baring looking the thickness up in a table (like this), most footings are between 6 to 16 inches max. A common rule of thumb is that the thickness of the footer should be as thick as the wall/post it supports. The commonly held belief here is that the load placed on the footing spreads out at a 45 degree angle within the concrete pad. So having a pad that is the same thickness as the post on top of it will allow all the weight to be distributed to the outer edges of the footer.

The IRC R403.1.1 states that “Spread footings shall be at least 6 inches (152mm) in thickness”. So that is the minimum. However, sometimes it is a good idea to make the footing to be a little thicker. Imagine a 16 sqInch footing with a 20,000 Lbs load carried by a 4x4. It is possible the weight bearing down on the 4x4 can shear through 6” of unreinforced concrete (we are pushing the psi rating of some concrete at this point).

This means that you don't have to carry the width of the footing up to the top of the ground level (saving concrete).  An thick and wide footing to act as kind of a snowshoe will carry lot of weight.

The thickness of the post that sits on top of the footing is determined by the weight it is supposed to support and the shear strength of the concrete in the footing.  Basically if you take a 4x4 and put it on a footing and support 20,000 lbs it will shear through 5000 psi concrete.  For your purposes a 12 in concrete tube as a post, should be fine for holding up a porch.

Rebar.  The rebar is placed inside the concrete because it has a high yield strength which concrete does not.  This helps keep the concrete from fracturing if loads deform or are uneven.  While precise calculation of the amount of rebar needed is complex.  Usually, an 18x 18 footer will need 4 pieces of #4 rebar placed horizontally and vertically to form a grid.  If you are using  a 12 in wide vertical tube as a post then place 4 pieces of rebar vertically in the tube the entire length.

Finally, it helps to anchor the footer to the concrete tube placed on top of it.  You can do this by placing J bolts into the footers center during the footer pour (while the concrete is wet) then placing the 12" tube over the bolt when performing the pour for the post.  This helps to keep the post anchored to the footer.


Connect to pre-wired Cat5e (no clear demarc point)

You won’t use the cable going outside.  You would use that if you had phone company DSL instead of  cable.

To make your other Ethernet outlets hot you need to add keystone jacks at those location as well as the location of the Comcast modem.  (Use the T568B wiring standard throughout— you could use T568A and it will work—568B is more commonly used—whichever you pick, stick with it for all jacks, or it won’t work)

You also need to purchase a “fast internet switch” (yes I mean search amazon or google for exactly those words).  It must have enough ports for the number of wires in the basement (minus the one that goes outside.  (“Unmanaged” is the type, but don’t include it in the search because not all have that label, but many do—- don’t however purchase anything with the term “managed” for this application.)

Using an Ethernet cable connect the keystone jack by the Comcast modem to a Lan port on the Comcast modem (we are sending Ethernet to the basement with this connection).

Now connect all the cables in the basement to the Fast Ethernet switch.   The wiring cabinet may have provisions for jacks, but if it doesnt the simply way is to buy cat5e surface keystones that hold 2 or 3 jacks and just wire them inside the basement panel, then use short Ethernet cable to jumper from those to the jacks on the switch.


Light switch arcing. Is this a fire hazard?

Any type of arcing should be addressed immediately and can cause a fire. The arcing is probably caused by a loose connection or a bad switch. There is probably nothing wrong with your basic wiring. I would replace that light switch. I have worked in many mobile homes and the switches used in that industry are much different than a standard household switch. They do not have screws, they are push-to-fit connectors. There is no screw to tighten. Thereby, you have to cut the wires where they connect and re-strip the wiring. Now, you can go back with a mobile home switch. However, these can be difficult to locate unless you have a local supplier. You could buy one online but I would go back with a standard household switch. You can buy an "Old Work" single gang box, a 15 amp light switch and a cover plate. All of these are available at Home Depot for a total less than $10.

Make sure the circuit is dead. Cut the wires on the old switch...

Cut your existing rectangular hole in the sheetrock to the size of the new box (larger). Make sure you don't cut it too large because the outer lip of the box will need to be flush with your wall. Insert the wiring into the holes on the back of the box. These boxes will work without the need for nailing it to a stud. When you turn the screws at the top and bottom, a small flapper will tighten the box to the backside of the existing sheetrock wall. Connect your two wires to the switch, screw the switch into the box and finish with a light switch cover plate.


shower diverter handle leaks water into tub sayco 3 handle

As best as I can tell, what was happening is that my shower head was getting clogged.
So this was causing a lot of pressure to build up within the diverter and the shower head.
After awhile, it would blow.  So replacing the stem didn't fix the problem.
What would happen is that it would push the little free inner part (with the holes for water to pass through) off of its small hidden retaining washer.  It's supposed to always stay on there(?) After that point the stem is "compromised" and will leak until you push it back onto the washer.  But if you do that without fixing the pressure problem, it will just happen again.

But the real fix is to also clear the clog in the shower head.  In my case I unscrewed it, checked for any debris in the entrance to the shower head (there was a piece of rubber), and also ran a pin through all the little exit holes to clear them of hard water deposits.  Then fixed the diverter so it was over its o-ring.  Reinstalled it.  Seems to work like it should now.
Other things that might happen: it might be missing an O-ring (a different one): https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/sayco-diverter-problem.30813/ https://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/mechanical-trades/ask-the-plumbing-experts/30397-three-handle-shower-diverter-questions


How can I add a second light to a circuit?

You can hook another recessed light in parallel with the first light. You can either run another cable from the junction box to the new light, or from the first light to the new light.

There shouldn't be a problem using 12/2 if that's what you have on hand, but 14/2 is typically used and is cheaper.

Remember to turn the power off, and verify that it is indeed off before beginning work.  And as always, if you don't feel comfortable doing the work, don't have the proper tools, or are just unsure of what you're doing. Call an electrician.


What material provides semi-permanent, strong bonding with a concrete floor?

PC-Concrete is a brand I have used especially if you are going to paint over it.
It is a good idea to acid wash the area (10% muriatic and water) then rinse.
Once dry fill the area and let cure. Remember if you use Acid to add the acid to water.


How do you protect romex at the end of an EMT run?

How about an EMT slip on bushing?

This about explains it all.

Catalog Page

EDIT: I think there are three goals here - clamp the NM cable in place, protect the cable from the sharp edge of the EMT, and secure the EMT to the jbox on one end.

I showed you how to protect the romex coming out of the EMT.

To secure the NM cable in place, where you want to clamp the NM in place depends on the box.  If its a plastic box the most of them have their own clamping system.  If it's a metal box then use standard 2 screw connectors, like these:

Staple romex as specified by code:

As for connecting the EMT to box, you probably need a metal box for the knock out.  Use set screw connectors, you sound as if it is inside.

The EMT should be secured to the walls.  You clamps will look like these. If it needs to stand off the wall use the first, which you might need if you don't have an offset,

Pipe Calmp

1 Hole Strap

J-Nail

Many other ways to do all these things also.

The only other thing I can think of is, an EMT connector, a rigid threaded coupling and two screw romex connector.  Romex stapling by code.


What size screws and spacer should I use for installing shelves on tiles?

Perhaps more important than the size of the screws (or other fasteners) is what they actually grasp. With any significant load, a screw will not hold by itself in tile or plaster.  The tile will chip and the plaster will crumble.

One possibility is to use an anchor through the tile and plaster that expands laterally.  There are several types (plastic, metal, etc.), but these are also generally used for lighter loads that are close to the wall, not a shelf that sits on brackets that act like levers, tending to pull them through the wall:

If your plaster is attached directly to masonry, there is an expanding anchor that is meant for that:

It must be placed in the masonry, not the plaster.

If there is a hollow space behind the plaster, a third type of anchor that mushrooms behind the surface could be used:

A fourth kind is a toggle that is inserted folded, but then opens behind the surface of the plaster and its fastening:

If the wall behind the plaster is hollow, this may be the best type of fastener.

If there are studs behind the plaster, the strongest fastening is to align the brackets with the studs and go through both the backsplash, plaster and finally into the studs with wood screws (wooden studs) or screws designed for metal studs.


Should I replace entire houses sheathing?

Fiberboard is flimsy and might be damaged in the process of removing the vinyl siding anyway. I'd replace it if the opportunity presented itself.

While you have the stud cavities open, replace whatever's in there with mineral wool. Then sheathe with plywood. Cover that with 2+ inches of rigid foam. Preferably polyiso (best R-value per inch) and preferably foil-faced (radiant barriers are nice, and you can use the foil surface as your water-resistive barrier if you tape the seams properly--no Tyvek!). Install your new windows on the foam, not the sheathing (outie windows). Install vertical furring strips over the foam, and nail your new siding into that. This creates drainage cavities that promote drying, and allow the foil surface of the foam to act as a radiant barrier.

Update: if after removing the sheathing and insulation, you discover that the wall was built with an interior-side vapor barrier (usually clear polyethylene sheeting right under the drywall), use a razor knife to cut it out. The wall assembly will be much more robust, especially in conjunction with the kind of exterior insulation I'm recommending.


You can get it condensate pump or multiple condensate pumps to handle all the drain lines and pump them into a laundry tub or another suitable location. It's one more link in the chain that can fail and you have to check the capabilities of any condensate pumps that you are using in regards to flow rate and holding capacity. Your T&P valve should be pipes to the floor within 6 inches of the floor and not pipes to a drain or condensate pump the idea being if there is a drip or a leak from there it gets noticed and repaired. Water softeners will all often flow more than what they condensate pump is capable of handling. A higher flow pump I'm sure is available.

Condensate pump

Amazon

This one looks like a pretty heavy duty condensate pump. For a hundred and fifty bucks with a 4.5 gallon per minute rating seems like a pretty good deal it might be up to the task. Not for the washer though. They can dump like 15 gallons per minute.


Water dripping under vinyl siding onto basement concrete

Any leakage is a problem. It can get worse through building movement or freeze/thaw cycles. It can lead to other problems like mold.

So moisture is either coming up from below (a rising water table) or its coming from the surrounding ground water in the saturated soil.

If it comes up from a rising water table, it will enter the living space from below through the crack between the foundation wall and slab.

If it comes from the surrounding ground water, it COULD enter the living space through the wall, especially if the exterior side of the foundation wall is not sealed properly.
Either way the moisture enters the living space it will need to be collected and disposed. I think the best way to collect it is on the exterior side of the foundation wall in drainrock and a perf pipe laid 6”-8” below the interior basement slab.

To keep the subsurface water from seeping through the wall, I recommend installing a moisture barrier on the exterior side of the foundation wall and install a 2” thick plastic mesh on the wall to allow water to flow down to the perfect pipe. If dirt is allowed to be backfilled against the wall, the dirt could hold the moisture giving it a chance to seep through the wall.

Once collected it needs to be disposed by extending a solid pipe over an embankment or in a collection well and pumped away.

This is expensive so you may want to monitor it for a season or two. This may be the most expensive method of solving the problem, but it’s sure to work.


What is the trade term for the thing that connects the top of a load center panel to 2" EMT conduit?

A Raintight hub, that panel uses a ds200h2.


Is a multi-wire branch circuit with shared neutral acceptable?

As long as the circuits are on different phases there's a decent chance this is safe as is, but it's a bad idea to wire this way in a home and a good idea to fix it.      You can't be sure of what's behind the walls but your solution might completely repair the situation and will be no worse.  Better to attach your new run to an outlet than a light.  If you use a light be aware that some lighting circuits are powered from the ceiling box, others are powered from the switch box.  Make sure to connect to an unswitched point in the circuit.

The style of wiring you found is common in large commercial installations.   It is simpler and cheaper to reduce the number of neutrals running around the place by 1/2 or 2/3.  If using conduit and individual conductors it saves pulling extra neutrals for nothing.   But the key is that it has to be designed and maintained properly.  All the circuits sharing a neutral have to be on different phases.   If an installation is designed so that ALL its circuits are run this way, and if professional electricians do all the maintenance over the years and decades, this will work fine because everyone knows what's going on.  But in a home, those are terrible assumptions.   If one of the breakers on a circuit like this fails, and is replaced, and the new one is on the wrong phase (because the homeowner doesn't know it was done this way or even a pro doesn't realize) then the neutral will be overloaded and the breakers won't protect it.  Also, if a homeowner turns off one circuit to do maintenance he won't realize that there are live wires in the junction box he's servicing or that there could be a dangerous voltage across a broken neutral during servicing.


It just means that a wire termination (where a wire meets a receptacle, wire nut or switch) failed somewhere from the overload.  It failed in an arc-fault mode, meaning it burned out like a fuse then arced across the gap, until the arc self-extinguished.  If it had not, you'd be seeing your insurance man in the morning.

The connection didn't short against another wire, so it didn't make a short circuit. That's why it didn't trip the breaker.  Breakers are not "Magic Master Detect-All's".  They make those; they're called dual-mode AFCI/GFCI breakers.  The AFCI would have tripped from the arcing, stopping the arc in case it did not self-extinguish.

So now you need to go hunt down the bad connection, starting at the panel.  Electrical circuits are wired like a tree, they can have any number of branches, but they never loop back to themselves.  Most are wired linear like a vine.  The problem is either at the last functioning outlet or the first bad outlet.  The top candidates are:

Backstab connections
Aluminum wire on old non-aluminum-rated terminations (basically all terminations out there on Al wire)
Loose amateur-done wirenuts - wirenuts are one of the few times "gorilla tight" is appropriate
Screws not tightened enough


Could this pipe be part of a french drain or something else related to a sump?

It actually isn't that bad of a place.

Most basement bathrooms I do end up being in a corner.
Builder planning on actual drain location is basically useless because they can't get in your head on what you will want in 5 years.
Remember that what you are currently seeing will be covered.
The corner location allows you to easily connect your sink drain without busting up more concrete for that.  So you will bust up the concrete around this and connect your toilet and shower to a point where you have an acceptable pitch for each.  Toilet will need to be relatively close and shower can be further away.  Given that it is in the corner I can throw an adapter on the top of this and run the venting and the drain from sink through the walls.  If this was in the middle of the room you would have an extra line that you would have to connect below grade for sure.
Given this configuration and a "normalish" bathroom you could bust up concrete with just sledge hammer and have toilet, shower, and sink lines completed in a couple hours.  After it gets inspected you could have this concreted the same day if you can line up your inspector right and if he trusts that you will have it completed (you would have cut the top off and framed beforehand if you want it done quicker).

So really if I am doing a bathroom this is a great place.

Edit:  Since the OP added that they are installing a french drain on the perimeter my advice would to leave this in tact and work around it.  There is no reason this should really affect a french drain system.


Need help to remove protective cover from light bulb

There is probably a set screw on the metal base, perpendicular to the direction that you insert the bulb (or parallel to the plane of the ceiling). There might even be 2 or 3 screws. You need to loosen (but not remove) them, they hook under a lip of the glass enclosure to hold it in place. Be careful to not drop it.

I circled the screws in this photo:


What are my options for getting this mess of cables under control?

I'm much more concerned about the fact that you have split-bus (Rule of Six) panel.  I guess I wouldn't worry if breaker sum <= service rating or at least within 20% of it... the reason we dislike split-bus panels is it's possible to laughably overload a service.   You only have 4 of the 6 breakers in-use, so that helps.
I'm also concerned with breaker spaces, I don't see how to power a house with so few breakers.
Other than that, I love CH panels. Great panels.
A few defects:

The 12/3 cable with shared neutral needs to go to a 2-pole breaker.  This is a Multi-Wire Branch Circuit and must follow those rules

The 10 AWG circuit needs to be breakered 30A not 40A.

The 12 AWG circuit needs to be breakered 20A not 30A.

Tell us more about the last two; rarely certain motor loads qualify for a breaker bump not otherwise allowed.

By code, am I allowed to route 5 NM cables together and run them through a single 2” knock out?

Yes, if you have a proper cable clamp rated for 5 NM cables.  NEC 110.3(B).
That might be a unicorn.

Am I allowed to run 6 circuits in a single conduit (as long as the conduit is large enough) or is there a maximum number of circuits?

Only if the a) length is less than 2 feet...  or b) the conduit is >4 square inch cross section and <20% full.
Otherwise, since you have more than 4 circuits in the conduit,  you must derate #12 wire to 15A, #10 wire to 20A, and #8 wire to 28.5A.
There's a lot of complicated math behind it, but that's the gist. See 310.15(B)(3)(a) and how it interacts with Article 334's derates and the statutory minimums in 240.4(D) and round up/down in 240.4(B).

Am I allowed to connect conduit to the bottom of the electrical panel or do I have to connect to the top?

If the factory provides knockouts, you're allowed to use them.  Other holes, see 110.3(B) "must follow instructions and labeling".
That clause (with 110.2) invokes the UL White Book and its design rules.

If I use PVC conduit, do I need a separate ground wire for each circuit or can I combine to reduce the total number of wires?

Everything you have talked about is NM cable.  You need 1 ground per NM cable.
If you were using wiring methods that entail individual wires, then grounds can be shared.

If I use a metal conduit, do i need to include a ground wire?

Nope, the metal conduit works except for certain flexible types. Assuming, of course, you are working in individual wires such that you could share a ground.

I would prefer if the new junction box was flush-mounted, but I assume it will need to be surface mounted like the electrical panel. Is there any way to connect conduit to the face of a junction box, rather than to the side?

No, because you have to be able to remove the cover without disassembling any part of the building 314.29.
You could flush-mount and then use a box extension to simulate a surface mount, for attaching the first conduit.
What's your fondness for surface mount?  That's been bugging me honestly. My hunch is that your biggest concern is aesthetics.  So why go to all this trouble? Why not just build a false wall in front of all those cables which you find so ugly?  Rip some 2x4's to give you the correct spacing at each location, then lay some drywall across it and Bob's your uncle.  You're allowed to hide cables. You could bring the false wall up so it's near flush with the panel.

By code, how large does my junction box need to be?

NEC 314.16 I believe. You need 2 cubic inches per #14 wire, 2.25 per #12 wire, and up to 5 per #6 wire. Grounds count as 1/4 of a wire (rounding up).


Only guessing, but many cleaning agents are made up of chemicals (bases) that tend to be slick which helps in most cleaning situations.  Perhaps clean the inside of the track with acetone or brake parts cleaner to remove any of the former cleaning residue.  Perhaps that will restore the friction needed to hold the awning open.


Why are there sewer odors coming from my shower drain?

You have sewer gas. Water in your plumbing traps is supposed to prevent that. There's some problem that is resulting in not having a water seal in your traps for these items (they may share one trap if it happens to both at the same time.)

If you pour water down the affected fixture (slowly) does the odor stop shortly thereafter? Or, if you carefully do this after each use, does the problem not occur (since it can be hard to tell when an odor stops coming in, if it's lingering around the bathroom.)

If so, you may have a venting problem, with the traps being sucked dry when lots of water goes down and creates a siphon (what venting is supposed to prevent.)

How old is the house and/or the bathroom? Another common possibility for an older house is that an old drum trap has failed, and is not functioning as a trap at all anymore. "Pouring water slowly down the drain" would have no effect in this case.

It's surprising that plumbers would not have mentioned or investigated these possible causes, unless they were only asked to clean the drains, rather than to identify and solve the smell problem.


Fixing Incorrect Concrete Leveler Application

You really should remove the stuff that was mixed overly wet - that tends to make cement products very weak. As a result, it should be easy to remove - might even come out with a stiff broom, if not, stiff wire brush might well do it.

Check the labelling on your paint - in most cases you should wait at least 30 days before painting (or attempting to paint) any fresh concrete product.


Why does my water smell bad after the water softener?

It sounds like it's an activated carbon filter, which takes organics out of the water (like the sulphur smell), and that it needs to be rebedded (this needs to happen typically once every 3 to 5 years, depending on level of contamination). Once the activated carbon is 'used up', it actually becomes a good breeding ground for bacteria and is worse than completely ineffective. (Aside, this is the same reason that jug-style filters like Britta need to be replaced regularly -- and it's better to use nothing than an old one).

There is not really anything called an "iron filter". Softeners can low levels of iron out, and greensand filters can be used for higher levels, but a greensand filter will have a small tank attached with potassium permanganate (dark purple stuff) in it:


How can I recondition aluminum door sills?

If you're referring to tarnish, try a metal cleaner marketed for aluminum. Most thresholds are raw (not anodized or clearcoated), and you can simply polish away the oxidation with the right product.

You could also brush the surface with a drill or rotary tool and a wire brush to give it a textured appearance and make it less slippery.


What can I do about my kitchen sink that has clogged suddenly and completely?

Usually it is illegal for the landlord to charge for building repairs.  The only time a landlord should be able to charge is when the damage is not from normal wear and tear (like dumping a pot of rice down the garbage disposal).

It's hard to guess what is causing the blockage but bet it is related to the Nu-Flo coating de-laminating and clogging the drain.  It is best to notify the landlord to have a plumber come out to auger the line.

The item on your sink is an 'air gap' to connect the dishwasher to the disposal.  The air gap prevents the garbage disposal from black flowing into the dishwasher.


Are there any penetrating sealers for concrete countertops that will darken the color?

There is a method that can solve both of your problems. I’m not sure how to translate it in English but it is called something like "polishing up to a point of black gloss“. This method makes the concrete waterproof and also brings up the color like you wanted. Back in the past this is the way people made their floors waterproof. Basically you polish concrete with something like fine sand stone till your hands start to bleed and then some more. Today you can use machines called "helicopters" which are rotating steel blades and high speed producing same effect.


How to fix over-tightened metal drywall anchor?

If the anchor has been overtightened and is now loose in the wall, it cannot be salvaged. The plaster in the wall (or the drywall) has been pulverized and will not hold this anchor or any other.

You need to remove the anchor and the screw.

AMENDED ANSWER

Based on new information from the Original Poster, the anchor is a molly type that mushrooms behind the drywall.  The best way to remove these is to push them in rather than pull them out.

Insert an awl or a very narrow screwdriver alongside the anchor, pushing toward the hollow in the wall. Do this repeatedly around the circumference. You are basically crushing the little bit of plaster that is hold the collar of the anchor on the surface of the wall. You shoUld then be able to gently push the anchor into the wall hollow where it will drop into the bottom if the cavity.

If you have not damaged the area too much, you may be able to replace the drywall anchor with a strap toggle type anchor.

The legs on this anchor slide to move the crossbar parallel to them. The crossbar is slid into the hole and the legs are then adjusted so that the crossbar is now perpendicular (but parallel to the inside surface of the wall. The front plate on the toggle is then slid tight to the wall and the extra legs are snapped off. The hanging item is then secured by a bolt that goes through the crossbar.

If the hole from the original anchor is much bigger than the toggle diameter, you probably need to patch the hole and move to a different, sound section of the wall and start again.

This answer discusses a range of mounting methods.

In general, I try to avoid molly type anchors because they are prone to the very problem you experienced.

 The links and images are for illustration purposes only and are not endorsements


If the wire is not connected to anything, it is a floating wire and the voltage measured on such wire would depend on parasitics.

More specifically, there is some parasitic capacitance, $C_{fh}$, between the floating wire and the hot wire, as well as some parasitic capacitance, $C_{fn}$, between the floating wire and the neutral wire.

When you connect one probe of the voltmeter to the floating wire and the other probe to the ground, a voltage divider is formed between the hot wire and the ground and this voltage will be divided between $C_{fh}$ and $C_{fn}$ in parallel with the input impedance of the voltmeter.

The outcome will depend on the type and length of the cable and on the input impedance of the voltmeter, but you can easily measure some significant voltage there.

It is also possible that the cable is faulty ($140$V seems rather high), so don't make any assumptions without careful testing.

You can find some more details on the topic in this post on the home improvement forum.


How do I compensate for the sun confusing my garage door opener's sensors?

You could swap the emitter and detector units so that the emitter is on the sunlit side.  It doesn't matter if the emitter is being blasted by sunlight; only the detector needs to be protected.  Of course you might just be changing the time of day of your problem  if the other side of the door is sunlit at a different time. :)

Don't forget to swap the wiring at the opener unit as well of course.


Puppies chewed through the cord on airconditioner in the window. I rewired color to color. It still is popping in wire fuse

Popping in wire fuse?  Is the unit actually connected to a fuse or some sort of breaker or tripping device. All AC units with cords that I know of come with a GFCI device at the cord cap. Is this tripping? If it is, pay attention to @EdBeals comment. GFCI's are very sensitive and you really don't have to have a short. You just have to have some sort of current leakage.

I would recommend you try and order a new cord from the manufacturer or an aftermarket cord and replace the whole thing.

Good luck.


If it's ground water, the issue isn't water vapor, but rather just plain water. Is the water table close or higher than your basement slab? If so, not a whole lot you can do to completely stop moisture issues, as that basement was just built in a bad spot.

That said, the main solution would be a sump pump and drainage tile system. Any water coming up through the earth dumps into the drainage tile, into the pump well, and gets pumped out. Again, though, if the water table is already higher than the basement slab, that'll be a never ending battle as well.

That said, perhaps the issue isn't as much about ground water as you think. Does it get humid in your region? If so, then 'damp' basements are par for the course. Basement walls are usually always going to be cooler than the air, and, a such, will be were condensation forms in a humid environment.

To prevent that, you need to a) dehumidify and/or b) insulate the walls.

A dehumidifier constantly running tends to be a normal part of any basement in a humid zone, so that's a good start. Insulating with walls with XPS or EPS foam will help too, it'll keep the moist air further away from the cold wall.

I can't say if an air exchanger would help or not. If it's including an A/C system, it could help (as the A/C is a dehumidifier) but otherwise I have a hunch you'd just be pumping more humid air into the space.

Products like drylock don't do a whole lot. They're not strong enough to prevent hydrostatic water pressure (high water table) and do nothing to prevent condensation. They're a bit of a gimmick.


Water heater straps too short. Replace straps? Get extension?

If you haven't got access to replace the strap, I'd just replace the bolt with a piece of threaded rod and a couple of washers/nuts.
They won't lie flat to the brackets, but since this is just for stability, they don't need to go tight so this shouldn't matter.
The above is obviously assuming that you can run a straight line between the holes on the two brackets, but it does look like this is possible from the picture.


Does an 8" round to 10x3.25" elbow exist?

I would take a piece of 10x3.25 duct, cap off one end and cut an 8" hole in one side and add a flange to connect the 8" duct to.  These should be common parts that are easier to source than some exactly sized elbow that still might need modification.


How can I patch a subfloor going under an exterior wall?

Removal of as much of the rotted or swollen decking is important.  The external walls I have put up are put in place, then the flooring(underlayment). It would be very difficult to remove the damaged decking under a  wall. I would cut it off at the bottom plate and lay new decking. If the internal walls are non-load bearing, the bottom can be knocked loose moved to the side, and the underlayment removed with new decking installed if the damage is substantial.

If the damage is not so bad I would cut it at the bottom plate and replace. Added: This looks more like light water damage not really rotted now that I am looking on my computer. It could be cut off flush with the wall and new decking added.  You will want to go to the next joist on either side or you will need to add framing for support and nailing.

Looking again, it is hard to tell how deep you dug out it is possible the OSB is an underlayment on top of T&G decking. Keep your fingers crossed.  See if you can peel up the OSB.  Most of the underlayment I put down is 3/8" but thicker material is used.


You should call an experienced HVAC contractor.

It sounds like one of the safeties on your furnace has failed and it is not initiating or detecting the flame properly (I am guessing you have gas, propane, or oil). So it begins to work, cannot initiate or detect the flame so it fails and it may just leave the fan running when it fails.

A service call will be worth it when you are warm again.

Good luck!


Can I pair two thermostats to work with a single zone system?

What you actually need is a single thermostat that has support for one or more secondary remote thermometers.  I believe the Honeywell TB8220U1003 supports this via this part:

Remote Thermometer http://customer.honeywell.com/Honeywell/getliterature.axd?literatureID=C7189U_color_3in.jpg

As a side note, it is often necessary to properly balance your HVAC system depending on the season by adjusting the dampers to increase/reduce the airflow to certain areas based on the season.  Also remember to open your cold air returns in the winter.  You might not need a different thermostat at all!


Hanging a shelf using 3 wall-mounting brackets: How to align the drill holes?

A helper would really help with a 4’ board

Screw one bracket into the wall (bottom hole only) 6” in from one edge where you would like the shelf
Place the other bracket 6” in from the other end
Place the shelf on the brackets and keep the brackets flat against the shelf
With the level on the shelf, raise or lower the bracket to find level
Screw in the second bracket in the bottom hole
Screw in the other holes and attach to shelf (ensure the shelf is centered first).
Maybe add a middle bracket, 3’ is a bit of a span depending on what you are putting in it


The post that I point out looks like it is notched around the angled stair carriage, an important detail. The wall sounds like you want to keep in place anyway....

Other parts could be removed but the stair would be bouncy, and would need reinforcement to make it act right.


How many CFM for a range hood do I REALLY need?

When calculating the minimum size of a range hood, there are three things you should consider. The size of the cooking surface, the amount of heat produced by the cooking surface, and the volume of the kitchen.

If the range hood is attached to a wall, you should have 100 cubic feet per minute(cfm) per linear foot. So if you have a 30" wide range, you should have a hood rated at 250 cfm ((30/12)*100 =250).  If the hood is over an island, you'll use 150 cfm/linear foot. In this case that same 30" cook top, would require 375 cfm ((30/12)*150 = 375).

Next we'll determine the minimum capacity based on British thermal units(BTU)/hour, by dividing the BTU/hour by 100. For example, if we had a cooktop that produced 40,000 BTUs, we would need 400 cfm. If you are using an electric range (measured in watts), simply multiply watts by 3.41214163 to determine BTU/hr.

The final calculation, will be based on the size of the kitchen. The air in the kitchen should be cycled 15 times per hour, so our formula will be ft³/4. If we have a 10ft x 10ft x 8ft kitchen, (10 X 10 X 8)/4 = 200 cfm.

We'll then choose the largest from these three calculations, and that will be the minimum size hood we need.  If you are doing more cooking than the average person, or just want a little more air movement. You can always get a larger hood, this is just the minimum size you should consider.

International Residential Code (IRC), says the minimum intermittent exhaust rate for a kitchen is 100 cfm, while the minimum continuous exhaust rate is 25 cfm.

  M1507.4 Local exhaust rates. Local exhaust systems shall be designed to have the capacity to exhaust the minimum air flow rate
  determined in accordance with Table M1507.4.

So you'll want to make sure the hood is at least capable of achieving these flow rates.


Wiring up a ceiling light with earth cable

From your wire-colours and terms I guess you are in the UK

  The light itself is a 5 arm ceiling light ...  I've never seen a light with an earth wire before

If it has any exposed conductive parts, they need to be earthed. Maybe the arms are metal?

  What am I doing wrong?

You have probably mis-wired the ceiling rose. One of the wires from the switch loop will not be what its colour suggests.

A typical UK ceiling rose is wired like this

A is power in
B is power out (to next light fitting)
C is to/from switch

Note the red tape on the blue wire (position 2) to indicate that this is not a neutral, as the blue would suggest, but a switched live.

Since your breaker is tripped regardless of the switch position, you probably have something other than the obvious error that occurs when the tape is missing.

You should not have trouble connecting three or four earth wires to the earth terminal. You can use a connector block if that makes it easier but I believe they must be enclosed in a junction box or in the ceiling rose. There isn't much spare room in a ceiling rose.

The ones on the right are the traditional ones used in the UK, a lighting circuit uses the ones rated 5A. The connectors to the left are Wago 222 and 221 connectors - they make it easier to connect multiple wires together - the leftmost one connects three wires together. There are 2,3 or 5-position versions of each. Wago also make push-in connectors (273 and 773 series) for various numbers of solid-core wires (not stranded). Other manufacturers like Ideal also make them. You can buy these from screwfix and other suppliers.


Suggestions for properly mounting 4' shop light

Replace that goofy Edison socket with a coverplate for a receptacle.  Now you have a dual receptacle that is switched by the garage light switch.

Hang the lamps by chains.  And then plug their plugs into the receptacle.

It gives you the versatility to move the lights around to suit, and allows easy swap or addition of a fixture.

Flexible cordage, as a replacement for fixed wiring, is only allowed in certain cases -- luminaires are one of them.  It is legal to use plug and socket when the plug is accessible (e.g. not behind a drop ceiling, unless your AHJ authorizes that).


How do I wire 2 switches to control a ceiling light?

It sounds like two of your red wires form a switch loop to one of your switches. The remaining red wire is the hot (I believe called active in Australia?) coming into your ceiling.

By connecting them all together, you have wired your light (and switch) directly to your unswitched power, which is why it stays on. You'll need a multimeter, voltage tester, or electrician to determine which red wire is the unswitched active.

If only one red is indeed active, then one of those two non-actives goes to a switch, and the other comes from a switch (or possibly to/from the same switch depending on how your two switches are wired).

One of the non-active reds needs to get wired to the active red.
The remaining non-active red should become your switched hot leg that would ultimately need to be wired to your light fixture.
You can use a multimeter or voltage tester to try this first-- if the switches don't work with the first combination you try, swap the two non-active reds and try your switch again.

If this whole concept sounds foreign to you, I recommend calling in some professional help (not the therapist kind).


My first impression, if I wanted to trust what the tester says, is you have a neutral that is damaged/skinned/possibly partially broken.

However, never trust gadgetry. That is only for possible diagnosis, not actuality.

Open up the offending receptacle and visually confirm what the gadgetry says. You may find a simple issue.


How to cut glass mosaic tile that's already installed?

I would probably start with an oscillating tool equipped with a diamond-tipped blade.  That will allow you to make plunge cuts through the glass tile pretty easily:


One solution, if you have some space to work with at the foot of the concrete steps, is to add some new steps constructed with pressure treated lumber. Here is an example to convey the idea.

The unevenly spaced original steps are replaced with a new set that are evenly spaced from the ground level up to the top. In this example I show the use of 2x12 lumber to create both the steps and the stringers under the steps. You could place the stingers to the outside edges of the existing concrete structure or notch them as necessary to fit over the nose of the existing concrete steps.

Not shown in this concept drawing is a header that would be secured between the top ends of the stringers under the new step. The header would be flat against the riser of the existing top step. Fasteners through this into the existing concrete would secure the new timber structure.

Another advantage of this concept is that many old style steps do not have adequate landing area at the top to make it easy to negotiate opening a outward swinging screen/storm door. The added width of the top step can help with this problem.


Providing additional support for door hinges with no stud behind

Your idea isn't terrible -- it's really nice to have long screws through the hinges, but it still might be overkill.

Long screws through the main part of the jamb that pass close to tight shims and go into the stud will be sufficient. I'd do 4 per side. If you don't want to patch and paint a whole bunch, you might be able to take off the hinges and run a long screw on a slight angle that will catch the stud.

If it isn't an integrated stop as shown in your drawing, pull the stop off and put screws behind it.


Is there a case where nails are better than screws, from an engineering/structural standpoint?

Screws are a "superior" fastener over a nail (they have far superior tensile strength) - especially if you're talking about screwing down decking.

However there are many scenarios where a nail is the proper fastener for the application (attaching joists is one example - screws are brittle and will fail when subjected to the forces of a shear loaded application)

Using your deck example - you should use nails to attach the joists to the deck framing but use screws to fasten down the decking itself.

Also keep in mind that screws take a longer time to install - think of a nail gun versus a drill...


Go for it man

That's precisely the right move in your case -- that's where the system wiring diagram expects you to tap your C wire at.


That does not look like any well pressure tank I have seen. It looks like something else. Post pictures that include more of the installation so we can see just what is included in your system and how it is piped.


Top Loading Washer Leaks from bottom of machine.. Usually Worth Repairing, or Time to Upgrade?

I'd say replace it no matter what, unless you're living alone or low on funds.

For a typical household, a front-loading washer will save $10-15 each month, so a new washer would pay itself off in 5-8 years.


Is a GFCI receptacle device a circuit breaker?

No.
Each type of device serves a distinctly separate protective purpose.
Breaker
A circuit breaker detects overcurrent faults, it does not detect ground faults. A circuit breaker will stop your house catching fire when the wiring in the walls overheats from prolonged overcurrent, it wont stop you and your family being killed by electrocution.
A typical UK breaker protecting a 6A circuit might only trip out when the current reaches 30A. There are several ratings in the UK:

Type B trips between 3 and 5 time full load current;
Type C trips between 5 and 10 times full load current; and
Type D trips between 10 and 20 times full load current.

The reason for this is that some appliances have a high inrush current and you don't want lots of nuisance trips.
It is probably worth noting that breakers don't trip at a specific current, it depends on how long that current is sustained. A small overcurrent will take a long tome to heat wall wiring to dangerous levels, the breakers typically take that into account.
GFCI
A GFCI detects ground faults, it does not detect overcurrent faults. This is mostly designed to prevent electrocution. It won't stop your house catching fire.
The assumption here is if the current supplied on hot is more than is returning through neutral, the difference might be flowing to earth through someone's body.
A class-A GFCI may trip out for a very low imbalance in current between hot and neutral, perhaps only 5 mA (i.e. five thousandths of an amp).
The UK equivalent, an RCD, might trip at 30 mA - there are many types designed for various purposes - which is why it is sometimes best to employ a professional electrician to select and install these.
AFCI
An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) is designed to detect arcing. This is where a poor connection, for example in a plug or outlet, causes sparking as the electric current crosses a small air gap. These are the types of faults that can cause fires even though the current being drawn may be well below what will trip the breaker.
Combination devices
UK
In the UK you can use an RCBO that combines RCD (GFCI) and MCB (circuit breaker) functions in a single device in the "consumer unit" (main distribution panel).
A typical UK installation would have two RCDs in the main distribution panel. You can buy plug-in RCD devices. You can buy sockets with built in RCD protection - mainly for outdoor use where an electric mower might cut it's own lead.
US
The US have similar combination devices. They can combine breaker and GFCI or all three functions.
From what I've read, historically, there seems to have been a practice in the US of putting breakers in the panel and GFCI in the outlets. One GFCI in a circuit can be used to protect ordinary outlets downstream of it. Nowadays people tend to use GFCI, AFCI and combination protective devices more.
Regulations
Nowadays you generally need all types of protection.
Usually, existing installations don't need to be brought up to date unless you are making significant changes like adding new circuits.
Obviously, regulations vary from place to place. You need to check what applies in your location.


Is it okay for one curtain hanging bracket to be screwed into drywall with no anchors?

Sounds like trouble to me. Superglue won't do you any good, as it's only as strong as what it's gluing to (and I suspect here it would be far less strong).

Some alternatives:

Cut away a square of drywall and replace it with the same thickness plywood, glued to whatever is behind (e.g. that metal). Then apply a thin coat of plaster, paint, and then screw into it
Find out just what that metal is, and consider screwing into it
If the curtains will generally hide that bracket, consider gluing a thin piece of plywood to the surface of the drywall and screwing into that


Garage flat roof conversion to pitched roof

Depending on how your existing roof is structured it should be a very straight forward task.

Just as a mention, even flat roofs have a slight pitch.

Even pitched (gable) roofs start with the same structure at the ceiling level. Either one supporting wall is built slightly higher than the other, or by adding a little framing to create the slight pitch needed to get the rain off one side or the other.


Change the 2-pole breaker to a Square D Homeline 30A breaker ($9).   Make sure that cable is at least 10 AWG (8 or 6 will do).

Then fit a NEMA 6-30 as you intend.

Then replace those two 15A 1-pole breakers with Square D Homeline 15A breakers.  If they power one cable with a shared neutral, use a 2-pole breaker.

Those Siemens QP breakers have no business in your panel.  Donate those to someone with a Siemens/Murray panel.  This isn't brand loyalty, the breakers do not fit properly and will arc.


I just painted my two youngest boys' room an intense goldenrod. It is a small room, and with only one window and slanted ceilings, it tends to be dark and closed in. I wanted to brighten the room, but I can understand that if that wasn't the desired effect the color can be overwhelming.

I personally find yellow to be a difficult color to tolerate for long periods of time; I believe that studies have shown that yellow can make people feel anxious. Here's a link http://www.colorpsychology.org/yellow/ that provides more insight.

If you already know that you don't love the color but can't afford to waste the paint, I would suggest you take it back to the paint store and ask them to tone it down for you, rather than just add white. Most paint stores or counters in big box stores will do this for free, however there is some skill involved and you might have better results at a store that exclusively specializes in paint.

To a certain extent, yes, adding furniture, paintings/photos, and curtains will break up the color and reduce the feeling of being inside an egg yolk, but, if it's enough to make you comfortable w/the color is questionable. The yellow may very well make some of the colors of other items look different; this may be good or bad.

You might try changing the lighting in the room. If there are windows, try diffusing the light with sheer curtains or shades. Light bulbs, both LED and incandescent, are available in "warm" or "cool" tones that might make the room feel totally different.

For some tips on how to decorate to "harmonize" the color, check out the Houzz app, which allows you to search through thousands of photos of homes. You can type in "yellow walls" and it'll show you what others have done, both professional interior decorators and regular folk, for inspiration and solutions.

If nothing helps, don't despair, I've made plenty of bad color choices in my day, and on a tight budget to boot, and I'm still sane (I think). I just wait a while and then repaint as soon as my budget and schedule allow it. That's the beauty of paint vs wallpaper-it's low commitment.


How much weight can a floating floor tolerate?

Let's not reinvent the wheel here. No need to lubricate your floor. The key is that every room should allow movement on both axes. You wouldn't want to pin the flooring under cabinets because they're often installed on opposing walls.

Regarding your bookcases... If they're not built-in units, don't worry about it. Folks use heavy furniture, aquariums, etc. on floating floors all the time. If the floor can move elsewhere it's probably fine.

Be sure to acclimate the flooring well. Even one pinned side along with severe moisture or temperature change could cause problems.


How can I repair fiberglass wallpaper with holes in it?

I managed to get it looking good by filling the holes with paint and passing the brush over it a couple of times after it was painted, while drying. The fiberglass glued to the wall.

Hope it helps someone!


Can air be trapped on the wet side of an expansion tank's diaphragm?

Water heater expansion tanks come in various sizes. 2.1 gallon, 4.5 gallon, etc. The minimum size depends on your water pressure and the size of your water heater. You can do a calculation or use the vendor's sizing table. A water heater expansion tank bigger than the minimum is not a problem at all. A bigger water heater expansion tank is actually better in the sense that for a given water heater size, the pressure rise is lower.

What does it mean to have air trapped on the water side of the diaphragm? It means your expansion tank acts like a bigger one, until that trapped air dissolves. So you have nothing to worry about.


What is the best type of underlay for vinyl flooring?

One way to work out the plywood shape is to make up a template out of heavy paper. You can open paper grocery bags out flat  for this and tape pieces together to make up the template. This can then be transferred to the plywood for making the cut lines.

Two things to consider.

Pickout where an edge seam will be for the plywood as it may very well be necessary to cut several pieces of plywood to get it possible to lay it into place.

Another thing is to remove any base boards and the toilet stool before laying in the plywood and vinyl. The vinyl is ideally placed under these items. Additionally the baseboard being re-installed means that it will cover where the plywood and vinyl do not fit perfectly against the walls.


You may be able to install a 120v receptacle but you would need to change the breaker to 20 amp how many wire is your existing feed would be my question if 4 wire yes you can convert if 3 wire it depends on the colors.


I personally wouldn't recommend that you put this inside your house.  If you really have something that gets that hot, I'd be looking into building a separate structure away from the main building.  This was actually pretty typical in early America -- the kitchens of large homes were in an outbuilding, so should there be a fire, it only burned down the kitchen.

I'm no expert on fire resistance, but I'd look to instructions on how to build a brick barbeque.  (normally, they're made from more than one layer of brick, with a special 'fire brick' on the inside).  If you used two walls, and left a void in between, you could fill it with vermiculite or perlite, which are the typical filling for fire safes.

I would avoid steel in the construction, especially in the roof, as repeated heating would cause it to sag; I'd probably use wood, with the assumption that if there were a disaster, the roof could be replaced.


The easy way would be to use floor leveling cement. You can built up first with some 1/4 plywood first to get in the ball park.

Without knowing the full extent of damage cause by the hottub I can not suggest a patch job.


Cutting notch out of tile- least wasteful/ fastest option

How are you cutting all the other tiles? If I'm picturing this correctly you can't use a snap cutter for that type of cut.  If you going to purchase something for one cut I would get a handheld 4" tile saw ($50 - $80). Because the blade is 4" you can carefully do the 4" wide cut without going too wide. You can also use water with it to cut down on the dust, trying to keep it wet may require a helper though. Another option is to have the home improvement store do the two straight cuts and then make the 4" cut with a dremel tool with a diamond blade, that will go rather slow but you can get a cheap one with blades for less than $20.


Hardwired Smoke Detectors, go with sealed battery units or unlocked with lithium 10 year batteries

Looking at the amazon reviews for the Kidde i9010, I do see a fair amount that say it didn't last the ten years.  I also see a comment from 2015 that says the battery configuration was changed from 3 to a single which is apparently more reliable.
For the $20-30 I'd risk going with the manufactured one.  The comments also seem to say that the support is good and free replacements have been sent out where it didn't last the ten years.  I'd hope that whatever the problem was that it has been fixed and they do last ten years.  Since it sounds like there was a problem with the smoke detectors meeting the ten year design it will likely be a while before the old stock is gone and bad reviews stop appearing.  I don't see any reviews newer than 2018 that comment on the battery life.


Are these toilet bolts installed properly?

The caps come with a washer-type thing that they clip into:

Your toilet clearly does not have these clips. Using silicone is most definitely not the correct way to attach these, so maybe the installer lost the clips or just has never installed a toilet before?

It's normal to cut the bolts to length, as the length needed depends on the thickness of your floor. The nice way to do this is with a tool that has a cut-off wheel (eg, Dremel), the not-so-nice way is a pair of cutters since it leaves the edges sharp, but if the cap is attached correctly it shouldn't matter.

Here's what it looks like normally (via Handymanhowto), the clips are clear in this case: