How to I safely anchor a safety line to a chimney?

There is no reliable data I know of for the ultimate strength of expansion anchors in brick masonry. It's not a viable anchor system no matter how many you use (within reason). You are almost better off with no protection because then you will make damn sure you do not fall. (Just kidding, but there is some logic to this amongst rock climbers).

An anchor system around the entire chimney is a much better option if properly placed. As you note, there is a risk of the entire chimney failing. This risk is difficult to assess, depending on the chimney's age, method of construction (reinforced?), type of brick, the mortar mix used, it's anchorage to adjacent structure, etc. The anchor should be placed as close to the highest chimney anchorage as possible, though it increases your fall distance, it decreases the bending moment in the structure.

If the resulting fall distance is unacceptable, or there is no anchorage, you need to consider alternatives. An anchor system installed into the structure of the building is most secure. This allows possibly a higher anchor (less fall distance) and a more desirable fall factor (proportionally more rope involved for a given fall distance reduces shock loading). This will involve locating structural members and using appropriate fasteners, as well as dealing with sealing around the anchor to prevent roof leaks.

There are manufactured fall arrest anchors suitable to such applications. By following recommended installation instructions, these anchors in the US are OSHA approved and will resist 5000 lbs of force. This is the only sure way of achieving an adequate anchor system.

In the US, OSHA fall protection requirements are applicable to work done on single family residences.

That's the official line as I know it. That said, I have a similar situation where I sank a single 5/16"x3" solid, shouldered eye screw (hot dipped galvanized) into the center of one roof rafter, straight through the roofing, sealant applied before applying the final few turns. It's been there for decades with no evidence of leakage or corrosion. It does not meet OSHA standards but I consider it marginally adequate in the event of a fall for my particular situation. It will not be adequate for other situations.


Need a tensioning rod to push something tight (opposite of a turnbuckle)

Where we need to separate like you are mentioning we use what the millwright call jacking bolts.
These are heavy 1/2” or better. In some cases they use a threaded rod  (short distances up to about a foot).
If longer than a foot they use the same or larger thread stock and weld it onto a plate or tube steel the tube steel just a 2x2 can span 6’ - 8’.
The millwrights usually use national course threads but I have seen them use acme square on 2” thread stock for a heavier load (several tons) needed to be lifted but maintain adjustability.
I don’t know if there are other ways like a reversed turnbuckle but the millwrights use standard stock and the nuts and washers on the inside push the parts away from each other and they call them jacking bolts.


Why is my toilet backing up and bubbling after replacing an ejector pump?

You have a clog downstream of the pump most likely.  It might have even died because of this (overheated?).

You will need a drain auger/snake in order to clear this.  If it's close to your access point you might be able to use a small handheld one, but most likely you'll need an electric drum snake:

You can rent these from most home improvement stores.


This is a tough one. Very odd to have that "cube" adjacent to the tub with a cabinet so close. The cabinet should have been pushed up against the tub and the cube/cabinet gap bridged, waterproofed, and tiled, so there would be no gap.

If the problem were just aesthetic I would say use some porcelain repair, it comes in a bottle with a paintbrush type applicator on the cap. Actually, the stuff dries hard and thin and might actually help with the water penetration issue that is your concern.

Silicone would work too, I would not worry about water pooling because of it. You are actually better off with water pooling where you can see it and dry it up, as opposed to it running off into that small gap and pooling back in that corner on the floor, which will eventually cause you big problems with the floor substrate.

Why is the damage occurring? There seems to be no reason for it. Sometimes bullnosed or V-cap tiles (those that wrap around an edge) crack along the edge due to expansion/contraction or improper bonding, but yours seems to have a grout joint along the edge. The real fix is to tear it out and replace it, and it does not look to be easy because of the location.


How can I keep my neighbors water from leaking through a wall?

You don't want to stop the water.  You are going to make a bad situation worse.  Yes you could use some leveling agents or caulking to stop the water flow.  But then what happens?

The water pools right at the wall, you get mold all over the place and then you and your neighbor have a big issue.  I don't know who maintains the walls of the condo.  In some condo places the outside walls, roofs, lawn, and so on is completely paid for using dues.  Basement wall is one of those grey areas.  You need to call the association to figure out if they should be paying it or your neighbor.

If they say your neighbor should be then they need to enforce this.  [You should try to talk to your neighbor and make sure they understand the importance (mold being the big issue or damage to your property) but it sounds like you have done this]  It should be taken care of right away.  Either the neighbor or the association is libel for damages based on someone else's property.  Do not mess with your unit or another unit though.  Because if you do incur damages they could point blame at your changes.  I would file a claim with the association right away given your neighbor isn't taking action - even if it is something petty (ruined $5 toy or box or whatever) but it will get the ball rolling.


Black greasy specks in sinks, dishwasher, etc. at home

Water heater anodes usually last about 3 to 5 years or so depending on the chemistry and hardness of your water, so chances are, if your water heater is only 3 years old, that's not the problem. That being said, it wouldn't hurt to take a peek at the anode and make sure it's doing OK.

The top of the anode rod is typically visible on the top of your water heater. It will look kind of like a bolt head on the top of the heater. You should be able to loosen it with a wrench and extract the anode to inspect it and replace it. If you don't see one of those on the top of the heater, the anode might be integrated with the hot water outlet pipe. You can disconnect the pipe and extract the anode that way.

From what I know, magnesium anode rods have a "bump" in the center of the cover nut while aluminum/zinc rods have smooth-faced nuts. I don't know if this is a "universal thing" or it varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but that has been my experience.

Aluminum:

Magnesium:

Most water heaters have aluminum anodes installed by default from the factory, but it sounds like you may have a magnesium rod and high sulfates in your water. That combination can cause hydrogen sulfides to form as the anode reacts with the water and produces black, oily particles to settle inside the water tank and float through the plumbing in one degree or another.

You might be able to get rid of the black specks by draining or flushing out your water heater (there should be a drain tap a the bottom of the tank that you can hook a garden hose up to) and replacing your magnesium anode with an aluminum or aluminum/zinc anode rod.


Convert Three-Way to Single Switch and Add Smart Switch

You don't have the neutral you think you do

This particular light was wired as a spurred three-way switch off of an old-style switch loop, so you actually do not have a neutral at either switch box, despite the white wires being present in both.  In your case, we can tell white is the always-hot wire at both switch locations, even, from the fact that it's the white wire nutted to the bundle of black wires in the light box.

From there, we know that the black wire in the cable from the light to switch A is the switched-hot, and that the black and red wires in the cable between switch A and switch B were the travellers in your old setup.  Since there's no neutral in all this, and the Insteon 2477D requires a neutral to work (i.e. power the smarts inside), we can't use that part here by itself.

Never fear, though! Insteon to the rescue!

However, since you are working in the wonderfully flexible system that is Insteon, there is a way to get what you want, simply by adding some more parts. You will need an Insteon In-lineLinc™ Dimmer module (model 2475DA1) for this, in addition to the dimmers you already have.

Once you have the correct pieces for this job, you'll need to rewire things as follows, starting with the fixture box:

All the fixture-box blacks get nutted to each other and to the in-line dimmer's black (LINE) wire (but not the fixture's black wire! otherwise, the light will simply be on all the time)
All the fixture-box whites get nutted to each other, the in-line dimmer's white (NEUTRAL) wire, and the fixture's neutral wire
The bare (GROUND) wire from the in-line dimmer gets nutted to the existing bare pigtail from the box and the fixture's bare ground wire
The fixture's black wire, finally, gets nutted to the red (LOAD) wire from the in-line dimmer

At this point, we move on to the first switch box, where the dimmer that replaces switch A needs to be wired as a 3-way secondary controller:

The two black wires that went to switch A get nutted to each other and to the black (LINE) wire on the first dimmer
The two white wires associated with the switch A circuit that are nutted to each other need to have the white (NEUTRAL) wire from the first dimmer nutted in with them
The bare ground wire that went to switch A needs to be nutted to the bare (GROUND) wire from the first dimmer
The red wire that went to switch A and the red (LOAD) wire on the first dimmer both need to be capped off individually, as neither wire is used in this configuration

Now that we have switch A done, we can button up that switch box and move onto wiring switch B as an Insteon 3-way secondary as well:

The black wire that went to switch B gets nutted to the black (LINE) wire on the second dimmer
The white wire that went to switch B gets nutted to the white (NEUTRAL) wire on the second dimmer
The bare ground wire that went to switch B gets nutted to the bare (GROUND) wire on the second dimmer
And, finally, the red wire that went to switch B and the red (LOAD) wire on the second dimmer both need to be capped off individually, as again, neither wire is used in this configuration.

Now, you can button switch B's box up, turn the breaker on, and set to work configuring the Insteon links so that the two wall dimmers are linked to each other (in a 3-way cross-link) and to the in-line dimmer module (so that it can receive commands from both dimmers).  Once the Insteon links are configured, you can turn the breaker off again, put the ceiling fixture back up, turn the breaker on, and enjoy your multi-way dimming setup!


Yes, a novice handyman can easily replace door knobs and deadbolts.  All of these come with good instructions, so read and follow them and you will be fine.  In North America, residential door knobs and door locks have a back set of either 2 3/8" or 2 3/4" - the backset is the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the hole for the door knob or lock.  Measure the backset and buy replacements that will fit the same holes.  Note that many door knobs are adjustable so they will work with both backsets.

One thing to consider is the security.  Make sure the deadbolt strike plate in the door jamb has long screws that extends into the house framing that surrounds the door.  Also, don't consider door knob locks to be secure - they are not as they can easily be kicked in.  I always replace those type with a regular knob and a deadbolt.

BTW.... Good luck with the "unduplicatable" keys...  there will always be someone who is persuasive or will badger some poor person into duplicating a key stamped with "do not duplicate". Your best bet is to find a lock where the blanks are unique or not readily available.  I replaced the deadbolts on a house with Medeco a number of years ago.  (At that time, Consumer Reports rated them the most secure locks.)

Every manufacturer has different grades of quality, so it is impossible to say every product from manufacturer X is good quality, and sometimes the quality of the parts is reduced to save costs.  Read recent reviews for the particular model of lock you want to install.  If you are able to examine the components of the lock before you buy it, examine the pieces to see if they are just cheap stamped metal or if they are made of something stronger.


Sounds like you need to replace the flush valve and possibly the shut off valve.

If you believe you have the water shut off, and you still have a drip, then the shutoff valve is corroded enough to jam before it is fully off.

The flush valve is pretty obviously malfunctioning.

Replace both of these and you should be back to normal.

Good luck!


Heat an outdoor water tank to 10°C? (with an electric heater)

Search for a "tankside heater adjustable thermostat" like this one

https://www.miller-mfg.com/product/71502.html

may be suitable.


Can you add a cable connector in knockouts in a breaker box after the wires are already in place?

Yes, there are connectors that can be slipped onto the cable and popped into place in the panel knockout. They do not snap over the cable though, you must disconnect the wires and slide the connector over them.

Also, here: http://www.amazon.com/Hubbell-4714B5-Connector-Thermoplastic-Installs/dp/B007IAMVFW/ref=sr_1_19?s=lamps-light&ie=UTF8&qid=1417826273&sr=1-19


Since you only have three conductors in your junction box, it means you are at the end of that circuit. The burning of the insulation is a concern and probably indicates that you have had an overheating problem and that has probably caused your failure. You need to trace back to the preceding box and check it for loose connections or some other failure. Just because the preceding receptacle is working does not mean that there is not a problem in that box. (forgive the double negative). I have attached a rough drawing to let you know what you are looking at.

If you can't find the problem in that box the you have damaged your wiring and you will need to ring out the circuit to find the problem.

Good luck


Most likely, you have the hots reversed.  In the example clip below, the wires on the Common and A1 terminals reversed.


Do I need to do any maintenance for a wood retaining wall?

If it was built correctly (designed with seasonal wood movement in mind) it shouldn't need anything done to it. Depending on how you would like it to look you might want to use a sealer on it. As for how long it will last that all depends on what was used to build it. If it was pressure treated construction lumber then I'd estimate 30+ years although the newer pressure treated formulas haven't been around that long so no one knows for sure how long it will last.


How should I protect wood gates in a damp climate?

"tends to rain" :) Wood will shrink and swell. You can't stop it. Rather, allow for it. You can use wood naturally resistant to decay. Not sure what's available in your locale, examples include redwood, cedar, teak, cypress. You can also use pressure treated lumber, in which case, be sure to apply preservative to cut ends. Field applied preservative will help for a while, but it will not last. You should avoid paint, the shrinking and swelling will quickly cause failure. If you must paint, all surfaces of every piece should at least be primed, if not fully painted.

Use corrosion resistant hardware and fasteners. Stainless steel if possible. At least hot dipped galvanized. Not the much thinner electro-galvanized. For hardware, a durable factory applied finish such as powder coating would be OK. Don't waste time with fine joinery, big and clunky is more appropriate. This is not an excuse to be sloppy, the big and clunky joints must be well made. The frame's primary diagonal should be low at the hinge side so that it's joints are in compression.


How do I repair a floor joist which has a hole drilled less than 2 inches from the bottom?

Replacing them? Getting an engineer? For a 1/2 hole in at least 8in joist? Seriously? I mean I'm sure the joist has lost some percentage of its strength. Like  pretty small percentage. I would speculate that the lost strength is within tolerance limits for wood, which is not uniformly perfect. Unless you plan on having sumo wrestlers fight on top of those joists, I would just let them be....


Limestone versus granite for yard edging

Limestone is soluble in water, especially acidic water (e.g. acid rain). That's why Florida has so many sinkholes; it's a type of karst topography where the water table dissolves the underlying limestone until the surface soil collapses into the void.

So, no: limestone isn't a good candidate for any stone edging that you'd want to be durable. It would be really bad for steps.


For inexperienced DIYers; or any body not really comfortable with plumbing in general, the easiest option is to replace the whole faucet.  While the faucet may be serviceable, stuck screws/bolts, proprietary disassembly steps, and difficulty finding replacement parts, make this a frustrating job for beginners.
The new faucet should come with instructions on how to install it, but here are the basic generic steps to remove the old faucet and install the new one.
Removing the old faucet
Turn off the water
Look under the sink, and you'll (hopefully) see something like this.

Actually, you'll see two. One for the cold water, and one for the hot.  Turn the knob until the valve is shut.  Then turn the faucet on all the way, just to make sure the valves are fully closed.
If you do not have valves under the sink; or the valves do not stop the flow of water, you'll have to shut the water off using another valve down the line or the main shutoff valve.
Disconnect the supply lines
Attached to each of the shut off valves, there should be a hose like this.

In some cases a rigid or flexible copper pipe will be used as a supply line, instead of a flexible braided supply line.
Using a pipe wrench or tongue and groove pliers, disconnect these pipes from the valves.
Make sure you have a small bucket under the connection, to catch the water that comes out of the pipe. A small amount of water is normal, it's just the water that was left in the pipe between the shutoff and the faucet.  If the water continues to flow or comes out under pressure, tighten the connection back up.  This means the valve is not working or has not been fully shut off.
Remove the mounting nut(s)
If you follow the supply lines (the pipes you just disconnected) up, you'll find the tailpiece (a long threaded pipe) with the mounting nuts at the top against the underside of the sink. There may be two (one where each supply line connects), or just one in the middle depending on the faucet make and model.

A basin wrench makes removing these nuts much easier.
On some faucets, the supply lines are part of the faucet and cannot be disconnected. In this case the mounting nut may or may not be right at the end of the supply lines.
Once the nuts are removed and the supply lines are disconnected from the faucet (if applicable), the faucet should just lift away from the sink.
Clean up the mess
Once the faucet is removed, scrape any old plumbers putty from the top of the sink using a 1" putty knife

Install the new faucet
Now that you have the old faucet removed, it's time to install the new one.  Follow the instructions included with the new faucet, or these generic steps.
Seat the faucet
Grab some plumbers putty, and roll it into a "rope" (about 1/2" or so around) in your hands. place the putty rope either on the sink where the faucet will sit, or around the bottom of the faucet itself. The plumbers putty prevents any water that may be near the base of the faucet, from leaking down into the cabinet below the sink.

Do not use plumbers putty on natural stone (granite, marble, etc.) counter tops, use a bead of 100% silicone caulk instead.
Carefully put the faucet in place, and press it straight down (don't worry if some of the putty squeezes out, that's normal).  If the faucet does not stand on it's own, get a helper to hold it for you.  Go back under the sink, and install and tighten the mounting nut(s) on to the tailpiece(s) using the basin wrench again.
Remove any excess putty that squeezes out from around the faucet base.
Connect Supply lines to the faucet
If the old supply lines are still in good condition, you can reuse them. Otherwise, head to the hardware store and pick up new ones (if not included with the new faucet).  Make sure to take the old supply lines with you, so you get the right ones.
Using the basin wrench again, connect the supply lines to the threaded tailpiece(s) on the faucet.
Connect the supply lines to the supply
Connect the other end of the supply lines to the shutoff valves, making sure to connect the proper line to each shutoff (you don't want hot water coming out when you turn the faucet to cold).
Check for leaks
Slowly turn the shutoff valves back on, and watch carefully for any leakage.  If you see a leak, turn the valve off and tighten the connection where the leak is.
Turn the faucet on (testing both hot and cold), and look for any leaks.
Tips
PTFE tape
Use PTFE thread seal tape on all threaded pipe connections, to reduce the chance of leaks.
Lube helps nuts come off
If any of the threaded connections are difficult to remove (when removing the old sink), soak the connection in penetrating oil.


How do I to choose a new light fixture for the bathroom?

Two factors affect what light bulbs you can place. The first is the branch circuit load, which  is the total amperage (watts / volts * safety margin). That must be less than the rating of the circuit breaker. The safety margin is 1.25, which gives you a loading of 80% of the breaker's capacity. This is to account for some resistance loss in the wire, initial startup surge, etc. See also How do you plan capacity for electrical circuits? and the National Electric Code if you're in the US. (NEC basic rules and design)

The second factor which will matter less since you're replacing the fixture is the heat loading of the fixture. When you see a fixture that has a wattage rating for a bulb on it, that rating is typically far lower than what the power cord is capable of handling. The rating is based on the amount of heat that would be generated by an incandescent bulb of that wattage. Overloading that is a fire hazard.


Had Air Scrubber put in HVAC... fan is on 24/7... but it no longer can maintain the temperature?

I would check if you have a make up air vent, this vent is on the intake side of the furnace and may be on the intake duct in the attic or to an outside location. They are usually not allowed in garages that makes sense CO and rarely put in crawl spaces because of damp musty air.
With cold temps a open make up air duct set up for intermittent use may be cooling things two much for constant use, I put baffles or adjustable dampers on the ones I have installed for this reason.
If you can find the make up air vent reducing the size of the opening may be all you need. For 24 hour operation I will take the opening down to a small opening not much is really needed on a 24/7 system.


For a subpanel application -- what you can do is pull the main breaker out of the panel and use a set of main lugs instead, as the panel disconnect is provided by the upstream feeder breaker (which will be a 30A unit given that your feeder is a 30A feeder).  In particular, since the 100A MCB BR panels use a backfed type BR main breaker, you can simply pull the main breaker out and replace it with a BRSF125 main lug kit.

Of course, if you want a single disconnecting means at the subpanel, you can leave the main breaker in there and use it as a disconnect switch.


There's no such thing as a lighting ring in UK domestic wiring. Lighting circuits are radial. (They run out from the fuse box but don't return to it.) If you are taking power from one of these you don't need additional fuses - the fusebox already provides the needed protection (5 A fuse, 6 A MCB). If you are taking the supply from a 30/32 A ring circuit you'll need a fused spur unit fitted with a 5 A fuse. (You are likely to need to buy this with a 13 A fuse and replace it.)
You can use either option to wire the sockets. Note with option 1 you'll need to use a sufficiently large ceiling rose cover to accommodate all the connections (or run them from the switch on a suitably deep backbox). Wago connectors can be useful for hooking everything up. Apparently 2 A plug/sockets are OK to use on a lighting circuit but the larger 5 A ones are easier to wire up.


Can't sump basin be shut so it can't overflow?

You'd stop the flow for a while, then it would come up through all the joints and cracks and gaps in the system. (A home's foundation and floor are not really like a swimming pool. They're not intended to be water-tight. Very little pressure would be present.)

What you'd be left with is essentially a home without a drainage system, subject to all the flooding and related unpleasantness of centuries past.


Wiring a subpanel next to main in finished wall

Your ground wire qualifies as an EGC, use table 250.122, #8 is good for 100A. Conduit would not require nail plate protection (300.4(A)(2) ex.1). You can phase tape wires #4 and larger (200.6).


Sliding door replacements for “non standard” sizes

It would depend on the door style. Some closets use bi-fold doors with louvers: http://www.lowes.com/pd_45731-11813-LO45731_1z0s9mjZ1z0s9nt__?productId=4724621&Ns=p_product_price|0&pl=1  ,others that slide: http://www.lowes.com/pd_201629-32998-45006_1z0s9meZ1z0s9nt__?productId=1057659&pl=1 ,and accordion type: http://www.lowes.com/pd_696687-259-WF3680DO_1z0s9mlZ1z0s9nt__?productId=999911281&Ns=p_product_price|1&pl=1 . All the links are for doors measuring 36" w x 80" l.


Are off-brand framing nails compatible with my Craftsman nailer?

Just keep an eye on the angle and you should be fine. If you're really concerned bring the gun to a store with you and check a strip to see if it looks like it will fit okay. I'm sure you can return the box if there are issues.


You've got a very good grasp of the situation already. At a high level the options would be

add a main breaker to the existing panel

if one is available
if a compatible interlock kit is also available
if you make room in that already-full panel for a backfeed generator breaker

replace the existing panel with one equipped with a main breaker and more room
or, add another panel.

Personally I'd lean toward the latter. Choose a panel that has a main breaker, feed-through lugs, and supports a generator interlock. Insert it so that the existing meter-main panel feeds into the main breaker of this new panel, then power the existing subpanel via the feed-through lugs of the new panel. If a panel with feed-through lugs is too difficult to find then the existing subpanel could instead be fed through a branch circuit breaker in the new panel.
This arrangement buys you a bunch of empty slots for future circuits, the opportunity to put the panel in a more convenient place if desired, and minimizes change to what already exists.


water heater draining hot water continuously from an outlet (seems tp valve outlet to me)

The water pressure in the house may be too high. These valves usually can be bought with a discharge over pressure of 125 or 150. Check the pressure in your house.  However these valves only leak or blow off above a 210 degree water temp. You may need a domestic expansion tank and/or a whole house PRV. If in doubt or you do not feel safe checking this tank, I would call a licensed professional (plumber) for help.


Gosund Smart Dimmer Switch Not Turning on Light

Don't experiment.
The first rule of electrical for novices is don't experiment. Don't just toss wires around hoping for a positive outcome.  The reason is simple: lots of combinations will work, but will kill you.  So stopping at the first one "that works" is Russian Roulette.
Nothing should be done without knowledge or reasonable expectation.  This requires skill and experience, and there's simply no substitute for that.   Fortunately you're here.
Now, this started with a cognitive bias: that since Gosund needs certain wires, surely they must be there.   Can't assume that.
The two wires that were previously joined need to be joined again.  They're not spares, they were already doing a job, and separating them broke that job.
Wires in the box
Cranking the gamma in Photoshop told me a bit about what's going on in the back of the box, but a flash photograph up close could be more helpful. (DO NOT disconnect and splay out every wire - generally every cable comes into a box anonymously, and the data about the function of the wires is stored in how they are hooked up.)
However it looks to me like this is a common 2-cable switch arrangement with supply coming into the switch, and the lamp on a spur.  That's good news for smart switches.   It looks to me like this is cloth-over-rubber wire, and you must watch that for aging/deterioration, and the maker went to some trouble to make one wire black-ish and the other white-ish.
So that aligns with the two white-ish wires being found already hooked together. I am appalled to see them on the ground screw of the switch, but there might be a reason for that - there may be a viable ground back to the panel, and they may have stolen it if they had a wire problem with the supply-side neutral.  Very dangerous but you can't fix stupid.
So my guess is the two "white" wires are neutral.  In a typical switch layout, they are already doing a job, so tied together they must remain.  A smart swiich neutral can be added to the pair.
Grounds
Safety ground wires are bare, green, or yellow with green stripe.  If you don't see that, then it's not a ground wire.  However, metal junction boxes, metal conduit and metal armored cable jacket can also be viable grounds.  Note these junction boxes are metal.
With metal conduit or metal jacketed cable, ground reaches the box via the fitting. With a ground wire into a metal box, proper procedure is to attach the ground wire to a screw in the back of the box. The metal box gets grounded first.
The metal box can pass ground to switches via the mounting screws and the metal yoke of the switch  (the wings that the screws go through).   Your switch appears to have a plastic yoke, that is a red-flag.  How did UL approve that?  Fair chance they didn't -- there's a lot of uber-cheap crud coming out of a certain Asian country, and they market the daylights out of it on Amazon.  Look for a UL, CSA or ETL mark with a file number. CE is usually fake, and FCC and RoHS are meaningless.  If it isn't approved, back it goes.
Note that you cannot pass ground to a receptacle via the screws, unless they are labeled "self-grounding" (which is all that means; grounding through screws OK)*.  In an older house like this, make a habit of using "self-grounding" receptacles.
What I would do
It looks like you either don't have a ground, or it's the metal box.  Most metal boxes have a hole tapped for a #10-32 screw, for grounds. Ground wires can be attached there if the box is grounded.
The neutral is the 2 wires tied togeher; neutral gets added.
Now you need to distinguish supply (always-hot) vs lamp (switched-hot). The good news is, guessing wrong here is safe.  So pick a black wire from the wall and hook smart-switch supply/Line to it.  If you got the right one, the smart switch powers up.   Since the smart switch has neutral, it doesn't need the lamp wire to be wired.
Then it's a victory lap to hook up the remaining wire.

* and certain other rare conditions you don't have.


Should neutral be bonded to ground in main and subpanels?

Neutral and ground should only be bonded at the service equipment.  This could be at the service drop, the meter, or the service disconnect (250.24(A)(1)).

Looks like the neutral is bonded in your main panel, via the bonding screw.

The second panel is then fed using four wires, to keep ground and neutral separate.


Of course it could get worse, but does it really matter? The leak is inside of your shower area and should not be a cause of huge concern.

That portion of pipe is normally not under pressure except when the shower valve(s) is opened, and then only subject to back-pressure created by the restriction of your shower head (unless you have installed one of those "shut-off" type devices upstream of your shower head; which I do not recommend using, BTW).

Your second question, "is there anyway to know if I am leaking on the other end, inside the wall?", concerns me a bit. If you have reason to believe that the shower-arm thread connection inside the wall is anything less than perfect, you need to take action. Pull away or remove the trim flange (sometimes called an escutcheon) which covers the hole in the wall where the shower-arm passes through and inspect the threaded fitting with a flashlight. Chip away additional material from around the shower arm if necessary to get a good look (don't chip too much, make sure the trim flange will still cover the hole). You need to ensure 100% that there is no leak inside the wall.


What Type of PVC pipe is required for a septic tank inlet?

I don't have an explanation why one pipe is used over the other, but in all my days of running jobs, Sch 40 pipe is the only pipe used, no other kind of PVC. Cast iron is code too, but your question was not including that. I only mentioned it because that is the only other accepted material.


How to install a drain cover in the shower for this opening in the floor?

You bought a tub drain cover, not a shower one.  I would just use silicone in a few places to secure it.  Do not wrap the silicone all the way around as it may hinder water from going down.


More than one circuit in a fluorescent fixture, OK?

This is fine as long as they can be joined end-to-end, are identified for through-wiring, or are listed and marked as a raceway, as per NEC 410.64.  Just keep in mind that end-to-end joinable luminaires are limited to one branch circuit (that must feed one or more luminaire(s) in the set) in addition to the circuit that is feeding the remaining luminaire(s).

  410.64 Luminaires as Raceways. Luminaires shall not be used as a raceway
  for circuit conductors unless they comply with 410.64(A), (B), or (C).

  (A) Listed. Luminaires listed and marked for use as a raceway shall be
  permitted to be used as a raceway.

  (B) Through-Wiring. Luminaires identified for through-wiring, as permitted
  by 410.21, shall be permitted to be used as a raceway.

  (C) Luminaires Connected Together. Luminaires designed for end-to-end
  connection to form a continuous assembly, or luminaires connected together by
  recognized wiring methods, shall be permitted to contain the conductors of a
  2-wire branch circuit, or one multiwire branch circuit, supplying the
  connected luminaires and shall not be required to be listed as a raceway. One
  additional 2-wire branch circuit separately supplying one or more of the
  connected luminaires shall also be permitted.

Also, in your case, as per 410.21, the luminaire must be identified for through-wiring in its integral junction box:

  Branch-circuit wiring, other than 2-wire or multiwire branch circuits
  supplying power to luminaires connected together, shall not be passed through
  an outlet box that is an integral part of a luminaire unless the luminaire is
  identified for through-wiring.


What's the name of type of AC Circuit where you can remove an element?

A parallel circuit is what you're referring to. In a series circuit, if one connection is broken, the entire circuit is broken.


Sure you can but you must make sure that the ends that you cap off are still accessible if there is any chance they may become active (hot). I would recommend you cut back to a place such as an attic and make them safe from there.

Happy New Year.


From the diagram it looks like the dimming assembly is simply in series with the load, on the hot side.

Yes, if you have two conductor cord, and you cut it, then you have four wire ends. The dimmer would be spliced into the hot wire, and the other one would have to be spliced back together.  It would make sense to just cut one conductor in the cord.  Leave one intact. The intact one is your N to Load line, and the one you cut gives you the other two pieces: A to dimmer, dimmer to load.

What to do with ground wires? You have two devices: dimmer and load (light socket). If the dimmer has a metal chassis, you can ground that. Follow manufacturer's instructions!

The light receptacle is porcelain, so don't bother.


How do you remove a really stuck shower diverter spout?

Quite possibly. I have cranked on spouts like that and had them release, and had them fold up and crumble, since it was old pot metal. A grinder would be a good way to go about it. The connection, if it is as you say, will be in about 3" in. The rough in for a connection like that is usually 4" to 4 1/8" to the end of the male adapter, so a cut about 3" should get you to the  adapter.


What size header do I need for a new garage service door?

For door openings up to 36" (nominal) and for structures with no more than two floors above, it's a safe bet that doubled 2x10s are adequate as a load-bearing header.

Without more detailed information, that's as much as I can say.


setting post in quikrete in a plastic planter

When setting posts in the ground the concrete mix will absorb extra moisture from the surrounding soil. I pour some concrete mix in and stir water in.....repeat till the hole is filled. I also know of fences and 4x4 posts that were set the way you described and they are still plumb straight and strong many years later. Only reason I would say to not just pour water in on top, in your situation, is because there is nowhere for the bottom mix to get extra moisture from if needed. I would either pre-mix the concrete beforehand or mix it after you put it in the planter.


How should I support a large gate in a vinyl fence?

There is always the option to attach a "Wheel" or Roller to the bottom of the gate. The is entirely dependent upon the ground conditions you have. I did this for a vehicle gate at my place. 6' wooden fence, with a 10' wide gate, also wood. Attached a large roller wheel to the gate, and it worked perfectly for years.


Does this arc fault breaker manage one or two circuits?

That is a two-pole AFCI breaker. Two-pole breakers will disable both poles when a fault is detected. It is likely that they are connected in a "shared-neutral" configuration, which is considered a single circuit. Half of the loads (outlets, lights, etc) would be connected to L1  while the other half of the loads are connected to L2. Even though the two hot wires share only one neutral wire, they can safely handle the same amount of power as two 15 A circuits with two neutral wires. Shared neutrals reduce the overall amount of wiring used (especially useful for long runs), but slightly increases the complexity of the wiring in the house.


Sub-panel tapped from aluminum feed in Duplex

Good news, your article 220 load calculations are correct

Upon reviewing 220.82 and your panel photo -- your article 220 load calculation seems to be spot-on in terms of what it includes.  Note that you do not need to use the 125% continuous load multiplier for Article 220 purposes as the applicable Code text explicitly refers to the nameplate rating of the appliance.

As to the tapping...

Your existing feeder conductor is indeed correctly sized for 100A -- the 83% rules for dwelling unit feeders/services in 310.15(B)(7) means that you can get by with a cable that can carry 83A, and 2AWG aluminum SE is allowed to carry 90A when terminated on 75°C lugs as per 338.10(B)(4)(a) (text from 2017 NEC, 334.80 is the section that governs temperature ratings and allowable ampacity of NM cables):

  (4) Installation Methods for Branch Circuits and Feeders.

  (a) Interior Installations. In addition to the provisions of
  this article, Type SE service-entrance cable used for interior
  wiring shall comply with the installation requirements of Part II
  of Article 334, excluding 334.80.

  For Type SE cable with ungrounded conductor sizes 10 AWG
  and smaller, where installed in thermal insulation, the ampacity
  shall be in accordance with 60°C (140°F) conductor temperature rating. The maximum conductor temperature rating shall
  be permitted to be used for ampacity adjustment and correction purposes, if the final derated ampacity does not exceed
  that for a 60°C (140°F) rated conductor.

Since you used mechanical setscrew-type (Polaris™) splices for your tap, you should be fine with the copper-to-aluminum connections as those connectors are Cu7Al or Cu9Al rated in their common incarnations.  Furthermore, the 83% rule for the run wires from the meter-main to your unit still holds thanks to 310.15(B)(7) point 3:

  (3) In no case shall a feeder for an individual dwelling unit
  be required to have an ampacity greater than that specified in 310.15(B)(7)(1) or (2).

Finally, the formal feeder tap rules do not apply here at all since the conductors from the junction box to the new subpanel are of a size which is adequately protected by the feeder breaker (#2 copper wires in conduit or a SE cable can handle 115A) without further consideration.  (In other words, they are not tap conductors in the Code sense of the term -- they would need to be too small to handle 100A in order to be considered as such.)

...and the subpanel in the garage

The installation of the receptacles and subpanel in the garage is close to correct, but needs rectification on a couple of points.  The good news is that these are not hard fixes, and should be manageable in a day -- nothing major was screwed up here, as you appear to have your neutrals and grounds sorted, and even though this box is full, that's an acceptable concession to make for something special-purpose.

The first issue is that the 50A breaker is a bit large for 8AWG wire going to a receptacle -- it would be fine if that 8AWG was going to say subpanel lugs via a conduit, as you could use the 75°C column in that case, but most receptacles are restricted to 60°C service, so that limits you to using the 60°C column in the ampacity table for circuits feeding receptacles, no matter the type of occupancy.  Swapping the 50A breaker for a MP240 or QP240, presuming that's the correct type for what appears from the interior layout to be a Siemens/Murray spa panel, will correct that, while the NEMA 14-50 receptacle can stay as NEC Table 210.21(B)(3) permits 50A receptacles on 40A branch circuits.  (It also permits 40A receptacles, but there are no 40A NEMA receptacle configurations.)

The other thing I noticed in your picture is a panoply of utterly redundant grounding wires, at least if the NEC grounding rules govern unchanged in your jurisdiction -- the RMC nipples are an adequate grounding path from the tap box to the subpanel and from the subpanel to the junction boxes in this case (i.e. not a service, and less than 250V to ground), meaning you simply need to use appropriate gauge ground pigtails from the receptacle to the box to finish the grounding path, given that you are using "bump out" covers on your junction boxes.  Furthermore, the bonding bushing where the feeder enters the subpanel shouldn't be necessary, either -- that gets rid of the wire from the bonding bushing to the ground bar.  In the end upshot, your ground bar will be rather empty, but that is fine given that you are using metal boxes and metal conduit.

Adding the stove is fine too, once you send all the Zinsco hardware to the smelter

It turns out that adding the stove only adds 16A of factored load, maximum (40% of 40A), to your 220.82 calculation, which puts you at 87.3A of computed service load, which is still within what a 100A service can handle -- the electrician who says you absolutely need a larger feeder to handle the additional load is incorrect.  However, you might as well get a new meter-main fitted anyway (with the cooperation of the other stakeholders), as you have a serious problem: not only is your existing subpanel a Zinsco, your existing meter main uses Zinsco breakers as well!  This renders this entire electrical installation hazardously unserviceable, as a documented failure mode for Zinsco breakers is them not turning the power off when you place the handle in the OFF position.

At this point, what you do is up to you and your fellow stakeholders.  A two-socket, 200A unit of whatever specification your utility accepts is not a bad choice for the replacement meter-main as it's one less piece of hardware to swap if future expansion is called for, while I would fit a 42 space minimum, 200 or 225A main lug panel with ground bars to replace the existing subpanel pyromaniac monster lurking in your closet.


The National Electrical Code has code explaining how to protect direct-buried broadband communications cables. However, they also provide an exception to that code, that allows cable companies to basically provide the cable no physical protection at all.
In the NEC you'll notice 830.47(C), which provides adequate protection to the buried cable.

National Electrical Code 2017
Chapter 8 Communications Systems
Article 830 Network-powered broadband Communications Systems.
830.47 Underground Network-Powered Broadband Communications Cables Entering Buildings.
(C) Mechanical Protection. Direct-buried cable, conduit, or other raceways shall be installed to meet the minimum cover requirements of Table 830.47(C). In addition, direct-buried cables emerging from the ground shall be protected by enclosures, raceways, or other approved means extending from the minimum cover distance required by Table 830.47(C) below grade to a point at least 2.5 m (8 ft) above finished grade. In no case shall the protection be required to exceed 450 mm (18 in.) below finished grade.  Types BMU and BLU direct-buried cables emerging from the ground shall be installed in rigid metal conduit (RMC), intermediate metal conduit (IMC), rigid nonmetallic conduit, or other approved means extending from minimum cover distance required by Table 830.47(C) below grade to the point of enterance.

However, if you continue reading, you'll see the "do whatever you want" exception (that was likely put in the code by a large cable company).

Exception: A low-power network-powered broadband communications circuit that is equipped with a listed fault protection device, appropriate to the network-powered broadband communications cable used, and located on the network side of the network-powered broadband communications cable being protected.

Which basically means, the cable can lay right on top of the ground. Or be pushed just below the grass, as most cable/telecommunication companies do.


Is my plan for an AC disconnect with GFCI appropriate?

I don't like putting the maintenance receptacle on the same circuit as the equipment, especially when you have capacity to do otherwise.
You only need one ground, sized for 40A, so 2@#8, 1@#10, 4@#12 is less than 30% of PVC sch40 fill.
You might be better off eliminating all #12's except the white, upsizing your feeder one size to 60A #6 CU feed to a single outdoor 6 space NEMA 3R panel and using 3 separate breakers rather than mounting a j-box to split the feed or routing feeds through disconnects. Conduit fill will only be 27%.


There are no red flags that I see in your question.  I don't like drylocking walls that will be covered in basements for the simple fact that if water hits concrete I would rather it go through the concrete than sit in the concrete (where if it freezes then expands will help promote larger cracks).  But you have 15 years there and nothing so good for you and with that track record I wouldn't worry about it.

I would personally run roxul in joists and then down a good foot or two below grade, with no vapor barrier (you already have drylock).  So what you have is insulation that does well in basements with drylock on one side and probably a decent air gap on the other and below.  Would spray foam be better... maybe.  It might insulate slightly better but then it is a mess if you do have a problem getting electric/plumbing out of the foam.

Moisture resistant sheet rock?  It doesn't matter unless you are having a lot of water gun fights in your basement.  The greenboard protects moisture from getting in the front (a little).  Any long-term moisture from the rear will effect it like it would regular drywall.

Treated lumber?  Perfect.  He could have used treated lumber for everything but not required.

You sound like you are off to a good start.  If you have more questions let us know.


So I starting looking into the failure of my 3 point door locks and heard a clanking when trying to put them into the locked position. I realized that the "shootbolts" were slamming against the side of the door. Why?  Was there an internal jam?   A broken parts.

Turns out there is a small bottom plate with a hole that receives the shootbolt (pic attached)  It was full of debris!  I cleaned it out and the locks worked fine again.  Easy as that.  But I almost overlooked it because I had a previous mind-set about what was wrong and what the fix was. Sometimes I just make it too hard. Lesson learned:  Look for the easy/simple stuff first.

I hope someone else benefits from the post and that I did it properly.


Reviewing some of your added info...

Since you only need 50A, you need #6 in Romex (NM-B or UF-B) cable... but in conduit you can run THHN or XHHW wires at a higher temperature, so you can get away with 50A on #8 copper or #6 aluminum.  At 50A, Your ground only needs be #10 Cu, or insulated #8 Al.

You could also stay with the 70A thing if your hot tub subpanel provides 50A protection and it has extra spaces. That would allow you to add another couple of circuits later.

You can transition between wiring methods anywhere you can put a sufficiently large junction box that will remain accessible.  What happens if your NM-B cable only sticks its neck out 1 foot into outdoor space, just enough to get into an outdoor box?  That's a matter of some disagreement here, but the understanding I have is that is not allowed. Water will wick for dozens of feet down the paper wadding, and will rot the cable from the inside.

PSA: Take no shortcuts when wiring a hot tub: while electrical drownings are deadly, bad hot tub wiring can also kill people 3 towns over.  Anywhere in the wildfire west, I would use metal conduit to wire a hot tub, and I'd run ground wires also.

Conduit is not actually liquid-tight.  In fact, you are required to assume outdoor conduit is 100% full of water 100% of the time!  The protection must be in the wires themselves.

You would need 2" conduit for that

By "Romex" what you actually mean is UF-B cable, which is rated for outdoors/underground/in outdoor conduit.  UF cable is wide and flat, and as such requires quite large conduit -- 2" in fact.  At that point you might as well run fatter aluminum MH feeder for half the cost at the same ampacity.

If you really wanted to get inside 1" schedule 80

... run Aluminum XHHW 4 AWG at 25 cents a foot per wire (x3) plus a 6 AWG AL ground wire (20 cents a foot).  At that point you can breaker for 70A.

This involves a couple of reality shocks for many people: first that aluminum wire is actually perfectly OK for feeder.  And second that individual THHN/XHHW wires are not only a legitimate wiring method, but very much the preferred one inside conduit! Much easier to pull - and pulling difficulty matters a lot when you DIY.

Now you'd make that splice inside the house before the wire enters the conduit. The Polaris splices would be about $10/pop x 3, but the savings in wire will pay for it.  Then from your main panel to this splice box, run #6 Cu if you want 60A or #4 Cu if you want 70A.  Or you're welcome to carry the 1" conduit all the way back to the main panel, in which case no splicing will be needed and you run the Al straight from the breaker to the subpanel's main breaker.

It should be noted that #4 and larger wire does not require "the color game". You can simply buy 3x your required length in black, and use colored tape to mark your phases, neutral and ground. However your ground needs to be either #6 Al or #8 Cu (Cu can be bare, Al cannot), because 1" conduit won't quite fit four #4.

Other notes

Of course an outbuilding needs a "main breaker" in the panel, simply to function as a disconnect switch - nobody cares what number is on the breaker.   It is highly appropriate and correct to use a 100A++ subpanel on a 60A feed. Some people believe that's not true and that panel rating must match feed breaker. No, if you get 112 mph rated tires, that doesn't mean you have to drive 112 mph!

Make sure to get a LARGE panel.  Spaces are dirt cheap when you buy the subpanel, but running out of spaces creates an expensive problem later.  The worst case is when people unnecessarily spend a fortune on copper wire, find themselves unable to pull the balky cable through the conduit and have to hire an electrician to finish the job, and then chintz out on the subpanel and wind up completely out of spaces and having to do expensive rework (or more likely simply be unable to do their next project).

I'm not against direct burial cable.  Much the opposite, I'm a huge proponent of it unlike most here, and the reason is theft.  But cable in conduit is a bad idea unless you wildly oversize the conduit.  Why do that when you can simply learn THHN/XHHW?


Gfi that has 12 2 gauge 20 amp, can i tie a 14 2 gauge in the load terminal for an outlet ans light in my shed

In this case, there's more than one problem to fix

I suspect you heard "conduit should be buried 6" deep" somewhere, went off to the home store, got the nearest/cheapest conduit you could, and buried it.  (Either that, or someone at the home store told you "conduit should be buried 6" deep.")  Unfortunately for you, that 6" rule only applies to rigid metal conduit (RMC) -- the PVC conduit you're using needs to be buried 18" deep, so you'll have to pull the wires out, dig it up, and re-trench it at the deeper depth (and add 12" lengths with couplings at each end to compensate for that).

Once you get the conduit set at the correct burial depth, you can then pull a set of 12AWG THHN/THWNs (black/white/bare) through the conduit.  (Had you gotten the conduit burial right, pulling out the old wire and stuffing new wire down the conduit would have been all that was needed for a fix.)

For the next bloke: Just use another length of 12/2

You can't do what you want without making the whole circuit into a 15A circuit (which requires replacing the breaker with a 15A breaker).  Just get some 12/2 and use that instead.


Is it ok to turn off the fridge for a few hours for defrosting?

The US FDA says that an unopened fridge should keep food for about 4 hours before it starts to spoil. This time is reduced if the fridge wasn't already cold, or if warm food was recently placed into it and hasn't cooled down. It'll also be reduced if the seals or insulation on the fridge is bad. Not sure how much defrosting you'll get in 2 or 3 hours though...


Hej!

Jag har sökt samma svar i ett par veckor och blev glad att se bilden du länkat till. Plötsligt slog det mig att ena ledaren kan först fästas på brytarens nedre fäste och den andra på "plattans" fäste som inte "spiken" kommer upp till. "Spiken" kan skruvas fast sist på rätt höjd eftersom det finns en öppning kvar vid det skruvfästet tills man sist skruvar ned själva lamphållarens "rör". Ja du hör ju att det inte är en elektriker som talar, men det blir faktiskt en krets med vippbrytaren som öppnar/sluter som den ska. Jag skruvade ihop den på några minuter. Ska våga prova den och återkommer!

Hälsar Ulf

Yepp, det funkade!

Ulf

In English:
One leader attached to the bottom of the switch part and the other leader attached to the part connecting to the lightbulb. The bent "nail" fixated finally to the right hight in the last hole and it can be twisted together. This makes an electric circuit, but I am NOT an electrician by far and will welcome any confirmation that this is the right and secure way to assamble this. I will check with my electric store and return shortly.

Regards Ulf

Yepp, worked like a charm!

Sorry about the Swedish and my poor explanation (in both languages). Stupid as I am I did not think of taking a photo of my first attempt of wiring and since it did turn out to work I am not dismanteling a fully operational light. However I have marked on the photograph provided by the questionaire how it's done.


Who do I contact to have the property line marked?

The official answer is find a local land surveyor and hire them to do a property survey.

However, you can do a bit of research on your own, and may be able to figure out where the property lines are well enough to get by without hiring a surveyor, which can cost $250-1,000+, depending on the size of your property and how complicated the boundaries are. Note that you and you alone will be responsible for the cost of moving your fence if you get it wrong though.

Property corners are usually marked by a piece of rebar driven vertically into the ground. There's often a brightly colored plastic cap on top as well. If you're lucky, the text description may even be legible.

You can get a good idea of where to start looking by getting a copy of your plat at your local courthouse.

Tools you'll need:

metal detector (or a very strong magnet on a stick, as DMoore suggests)
shovel (I'd recommend a drain spade, but you can get by with most any shovel)
compass
100' tape measure

Then go about finding your property corners. They should be fairly easy to pick up with even a cheap metal detector, as they usually aren't buried very deep, and are made of a giant metal bar. Try triangulating off of known features, like curb or street corners. Roads often have centerline markers embedded in them as well that you can reference.

To keep from having a bunch of obvious holes in your yard, cut a plug of soil around the suspected marker location by digging the shovel in a circle to cut the sod.

Source: I used to be a land survey technician for a few summers in college.


How to restore power after tripping a surge protection device?

The GFCI for the circuit might be in a bathroom. Check the GFCI's in the house as one might be feeding the kitchen (which should be on GFCI)


Intermittently losing power in one leg of a Zinsco Panel

First off, look at your weatherhead.  That funny little gooseneck the powerlines go to. There's a crimp there on each wire.  The crimp, and everything between the crimp and the pole, is the power company's bailiwick.

You can't really measure there, but you can measure at the top (line side) of the main breaker.

Turn off the main breaker to prevent crosstalk and feedback from influencing results.   Now measure

From Hot L1 to Hot L2 (should be 240V)
From Hot L1 to Neutral (should be 120V)
From Hot L2 to Neutral (should be 120V)

If that is solid, then turn your main breaker back on, and turn off all breakers that are 240V, or handle-tied, or have a red wire going to them.  (Zinsco is unique in that a "duplex" double-stuff breaker can actually be a 240V breaker; that is the only panel capable of that trick.)  240V loads will contaminate test results, because they are a resistance between the two poles.

Now, check the numbers again.

If you see the 240V number being less than 240V, that is a lost hot wire.  If you see any 120V numbers being above 120V, that is a lost neutral.  You can limp along with a lost hot, but a lost neutral is a true emergency.   Turn everything off ASAP!

If you see any lost wires, call the power company and report an outage.

We have field reports of the power company discouraging people from reporting outages, by cross-examining you with questions like "Do your lights work"; their job is to screen stupid people to avoid false service calls.  If the above tests prove an outage, then you need to "lie" your way past the gatekeeper and get the truck out there.  It's not a lie: the outage is real, it really is in their bailiwick, and your lights really are out because you tripped the breakers to prevent damage.

When the truck is out, be sure to point out this damage  you show here.  I have a feeling the pole-top splice may be in equally deplorable condition, and if it looks bad, the lineman could potentially fix it, call the job done and drive away, leaving this one unnoticed.  Don't let that happen.  Meanwhile stay away from it.


Does the water resistant cement board installed overlapping/hiding the edge of a shower pan absorb water in time?

Anything called “water resistant” I’m sure will absorb moisture over time, including cement board.
A quick Google search confirmed this:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cement_board#Advantages


The answer likely is get a better bulb.

I couldn’t follow your installation description exactly, but the “fan control” and the bulb are not compatible with each other.  The control leaks a little bit of current when it’s “off”, that builds up in the bulb and dissipates with a flash.

Pick a name brand (Phillips, GE, etc) bulb that is labeled as “dimmable” (even if you aren’t dimming).  This caliber of bulb quality should solve the problem.  The electronics or driver that coverts voltage for the LEDs is just too cheaply/poorly made in the bulb that you have, it’s fine for circuits with physical switches, your “fan control” isn’t a physical switch tho, it’s an electronic switch that leaks trace current thru the bulb.


Your best bet is to check the actual maximum heat coming off of the baseboard heater, and compare that with the operating temperatures of your TV in the manual.

I will admit, if the baseboard heater is at the baseboard, I'd imagine you'd mount the TV much higher than two feet off the floor? If not, I think you may be a bit close.


How do I tighten/loosen this recessed nut and bolt?

Don't underestimate what that little wrench will do, or how much torque you need to hold the bed rails together. With the lock washer, it only needs to be compressed, plus maybe another half turn at the most. The force created by the threads drawing through the nut create an incredible amount of pressure on the joining faces.

The included wrench has 2 distinct ends, one has the legs of the wrench equal lengths more or less, the other end has a shorter leg on one side. Because of the shape of the wrenches, I will assume there is little or no space to get a box end wrench around it, if there is any room behind it, then a box end wrench can be ground down enough to fit around it. A rail bolt wrench may work too, they are made to fit into even a deeper, hole. They are used for handrail assembly.

Back to the offered wrench, the one end with the short leg, in my opinion is the workhorse, the short side is always on the leading side of the turn, as in if you are turning to the right, or clockwise, the short side is on the right side. That side is shorter so it does not bottom out as quickly in the shallow hole the captured nut is in. The wrench with the equal lengths are for the nut when it is in the midway point, where the nut is being turned where the legs of the wrench will still clear the bottom of the hole. As soon as one side of the wrench touches the bottom of the drilled hole, turn it around, and use the end with the short leg to complete the turn, so to speak, then swap ends again, turn that a little, then change ends of the wrench, and repeat.

You may have tried these techniques already, but it wasn't stated in your question to what extent you tried to work with the wrench. The picture of the wrench only shows a little distortion on the short leg of the one end that would occur if the wrench is turned the wrong way. Even though there a slight distortion, having the proper orientation of the wrench to the nut, that won't matter.


What kind of caulk should I use for sealing windows to drywall?

I was going to say just acrylic latex (aka 'alex').  But since you don't like that or silicone, how about alex + silicone?  :) For example:

http://www.amazon.com/18128-Acrylic-Latex-Silicone-5-5-Ounce/dp/B00130BWLM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415915327&sr=8-1&keywords=acrylic+latex+silicone+caulk

The product is intended to address the relative weaknesses of each component.  It's paintable, but supposed to be more flexible and better able to expand and contract with temp change.


How should I shim the feet of a modular tub?

It's a trial and error thing. Place it, feel for wobble. Pull it out and make adjustments. Or avoid the whole fiasco and use mortar, which is the technique the pros use for obvious reasons. It's flexible and can be done in the blind.

And the reason it's necessary is because fiberglass things tend to be less precisely built than, say, wooden furniture. The front panel is left slightly longer to be sure that it rests tightly against the floor.


An aquarium chiller is meant to cool down a tank of water. You will find different types for different sizes of tanks and how much they need to cool the the tank.

However you may get a cheaper cooling effect by simply putting the tank in the shade by for example building a simple shed around it. This will prevent the direct heating from the sun.


Return everything you can.
Go to the library and look at their books which are primers on doing home electrical wiring.  Browse all of their such books, and grab the one that seems in scope and feels the most accessible to you.  Read it thoroughly, not "twittery ADD skimming".   You can skip stuff like subpanels, wells, stoves and hot tubs since you're not doing that.
Inventory what you still have.
Think about what you want to do, and come back here and ask "here's what I want, here's what I've got, what advice do you have for minimal waste of material and keeping new purchases sane?
Diagram out what you intend to do.
Decide whether you are going cables vs conduit.
Go to the town hall and pull a permit.   This will mean your plan gets some oversight from the local inspector, which will further help avert errors.  It will mean a final inspection/sign-off before completion.  It will also assure you don't get nailed on it when you sell your house and be forced to pay a pro to fix it out of your house proceeds.
From now on, go to a genuine electrical supply house, rap with the clerk about how you are sick of big-box bad advice, but were there for the discounted prices, and that you had heard the were actually fairly priced.   The reason to do this is a) save money, and b) stop being poisoned by the absolutely awful advice dispensed by the $9/hour big-box clerks.

Let's say we're at #4.

Your proposal, as stated, will place 2 different circuits inside the same electrical box.  That's not a big deal, but it absolutely requires you understand keeping hots and neutrals separate.  It will also save wire to do this other ways.

A separate circuit just for lights is very wise, but will be more expensive to wire.

Putting your entire shop on one circuit is more concerning.  Depends what you plan to do with your shop. I just have to think you'd be better off with more than one circuit for receptacles if you can swing it.  One area it helps you is shop receptacles generally must be GFCI - lighting does not.  (Though if the main panel is above the flood zone and the circuit is not , GFCI always helps.)

As a cost savings, I might make 1 circuit per section, putting the lighting on the receptacle circuit.  This avoids having 2 circuits in a box.  You run the risk of a breaker trip blacking out the lights, but you'll probably have at least 2 banks of lights on.

When a freezer loses power, that's bad news, because usually nothing warns you of this.   Your worst risk is of a freezer in the same GFCI zone of a circuit, tripping because something else in the zone tripped the GFCI.  Therefore I prefer dedicated circuits for freezers, and try to find a way to omit the GFCI.

Using receptacles for lights is perfectly reasonable - most of my installations are this - but all mine are located on the ceiling.  Luminaires are allowed to connect with flexible cords, but only within reason - I don't think the inspector would approve an arrangement which invites cords (or gasp, extension cords!) being stapled to the wall or draping across workbenches.

Where you see knee level switched receptacles for lamps, that is a cheap method used in newer housing stock, and is intended only for floor or table lamps, not ceiling-hung lights.

If you are not putting lights and receptacles in the same place, you can divide and conquer - install the lighting circuits in one project and the receptacles in the other.


Why do LED Lights Flicker on Low Dimmer Setting

LEDs on AC Power Don't Like to be Dimmed. Period.
(LEDs on DC can actually be dimmed quite easily - just look at an older battery powered LED device (like handheld computer games from the 1980s) and you can see the LEDs dim when the battery is low.)
But most AC powered LED lights - whether complete fixtures or Edison bulb incandescent replacements - have a driver circuit that takes high voltage AC and turns it into low voltage DC. That process does not lend itself well to dimming.
A modern dimmer is not, contrary to popular belief (including what I thought when I was a kid) simply reducing the constant amount of current or voltage. Rather, it chops up the power into little pieces and only sends some of those pieces to the lights.
With incandescent lights, only the total power really matters much. It also helps that the incandescent lights use the power "as is", where an LED light has to convert from 120V AC down to very low voltage DC. So this works fine on incandescent lights.
However, CFL & LED lights are, essentially "on or off". So dimming becomes a lot more complicated. With LEDs in particular, it takes very little power to produce light, so you often end up in one of two situations:

Flickering - The LED gathers up enough "bits of power" until it has enough to produce light. Uses that power to produce light. Waits for some more power.
Dim - This is actually what you want with a dimmer. But with LEDs this can happen even with a very small trickle of current to power a timer/motion detector/etc., with the result that "off" is never really "off".

There are technical solutions, aka "dimmable compatible LEDs" together with "LED compatible dimmers". Essentially, the LED light has to figure out that the chopped up bits of power are not a deliberate attempt at flickering the lights but rather intended to dim the lights. But despite the best efforts, sometimes they just don't work well together. As you have found out the hard way.
If both the LED fixtures and the dimmers claim compatibility, I would start by trying a different brand of dimmer to see if that helps.


Toilet tank fills after Shutoff valve is off and FluidMaster fill valve also is off

Water is not magically flowing up-hill from the bowl to the tank...

It is almost certain that the shut-off valve is not... shutting off.

Consider the design.  My experience is that the type of valve pictured uses a rubber washer as the sealing surface.

In most applications, a tap (sink, tub, garden hose) carries flowing water rarely.  The rubber seal spends most of its life sealing off static water, whose oxygen is quickly depleted.

In a shut-off valve, the reverse is true.  Fresh, oxygenated water is constantly flowing over the washer.  As the surface of the washer deteriorates, the ability to seal against the seat vanishes.

But the shut-off valve isn't used, so the problem remains invisible.

Until the day it's needed, as in your case.

There's no guarantee that the next shut-off upstream won't fail the same way.  I've had to call the City to shut off my water service at the water main, so I could replace the main shut-off, the hot water tank shut-off, and the kitchen hot-water supply shut-off...

And then change the faucet cartridge...


Is there something like a jubilee clip (hose clamp) that is extra long?

You can open hose clamps completely and chain them together. They're readily available in 6" diameters and perhaps larger.

You could also purchase a ratchet strap for about the same cost. It would let you avoid having screw buckles showing at intervals.

Or you can use about any chain or strap you like along with a turnbuckle.


The recommended way is better than using another way to clean this type of heater.
Or you can try both of them, suck it with vacuum first then blow the rest.
The soot part of black could be some part of your heater burned up, either the plastic part or just another dirt.
The other way to clean up is removing your heater completely and try to disassemble it and after that, you can clean each part perfectly. (careful with the cable line, make sure it is disconnected both Live and Neutral)
The water type of cleaning process is not so good with the electrical device because it tends to leave the water in it and make it worse.
Edit answer from edited question:

For coil and rheostat : i always use rubbing alcohol or IPA (isopropyl alcohol) other than that i use contact cleaner because it is made for electrical.
The fan : same as coil and rheostat but i won't touch the inside of fan (the coil of fan) because I'm afraid if there is any residue left in the motor it could burn the motor.

Let it dry after cleaning with alcohol or contact cleaner.


How can I fix a patio with drainage problems?

Two questions:  1) Where does the water come from? And, 2) Where else could you send it?

First thought is that you may need to do some grading and/or install some sort of french drain system to help that water run off to somewhere else... or perhaps intercept it before it gets 'cornered' if possible.  Also, those edgings around the patio appear to stand a bit above the level of the patio itself... if I'm seeing that right that can't be helping.

Hard to say much more without a broader sense of the lay of the land.  Again, the water needs to go somewhere, and that's the first decision.

far as the low spots in the patio themselves that may just be the result of some settling if the material beneath wasn't perfectly compacted.  So you might pull up the low-lying bricks and tamp in some additional sand to get those spots up to grade.  You might also consider a narrow gutter around the edge to catch water and direct it somewhere away from your wall.  Again, much depends on the overall grading of your lot.


How can I neatly take washer waste around the downpipe?

It probably should have been done using 45 degree elbows, in the first place, but honestly I think that it looks better the way it is than it would if you had a bent piece of pipe there. That would really look like a part-time fix. If it's not clogging, I'm really curious as to why you're wanting to make a change until you can directly run to sewer line.


Sloped Floor: Quick Fix for Bed and Desk

Build a large "ramp" that has the same angle as the slope in the room. When the ramp is placed on the floor, the top of the ramp will be level. The high part of the ramp will probably be against the wall in your case, where the desk would sit. The low part would be out in the room and would be where your chair would go. You'll have to be careful not to wheel the chair off of the ramp, so you may want to add a small "curb". The tough part will be getting the angle right, but it doesn't need to be exact; in your case, any improvement may be better than what you have now


Tool for straightening a bent metal bar of the gate?

Some woodworking clamps are reversable and can act as spreaders, like this model.  I have another style of the "quick grip" clamps that have a mechanical advantage on the grip mechanism and they are reversible.  They can't apply a ton of force, but for that square tubing, you might not need as much as you think as long as the spreader can get a good grip.

The other thing that comes to mind is a common scissor style jack included with cars for emergency tire changes.  You would need a padding material to not scratch the bars, but they can literally apply a ton of force to spread apart the bars.


Why does this grounding bar have three different kinds of screws?

If you notice, it has 15 small openings and 3 large.  The others are for securing tbe buss to the panel.
Also, you'll need a lug adapter to secure the #4 grounding conductor as per the panels specifications only up to #6 will fit in the three larger openings.

Edit to (2): I believe anything over #4 will need a lug adapter.


Low-profile clear cover for a basement window

Do a search for shutter caps.  These are metal caps that go over the tops of shutters.  They will help with the top, but not likely the splash-back from the ground.  If you can find a roofer or a siding contractor with a sheet metal brake (and is willing to deal with a small project) you could easily bend a strip of metal, perhaps 3 or 4 inches wide, to create a narrow shed roof/awning over the window to direct the water away.  You can lap it under the siding if you have siding or adhesive and caulk if you have brick.  You might even find a suitable piece of "L" flashing, valley flashing or drip edge that might work at the local building supply or lumber yard.


Why would you ever use oil paint on new work?

Enamel paints hold better, are MUCH harder than latex, and will stand up to a lot more abuse. You can also use harsher cleaning methods on them.


When I turn down the dimmer switch on my lights, do I actually use less electricity?

Yes. And here's why.
Rheostat dimmers
Old dimmers, used a variable resister to dim the light. Lets look at a simple example.

We can find total resistance (RT), by adding up all the resistance.
RT = R1 + R2 = 0 Ohms + 144 Ohms = 144 Ohms
Then we can find the total current (IT).
IT = ET / RT = 120V / 144 Ohms = .83A
We'll then calculate the voltage across each resistive load.
E1 = IT * R1 = .83A * 0 Ohms = 0V
E2 = IT * R2 = .83A * 144 Ohms = 120V
Finally, we'll calculate the total wattage (WT)
WT = V^2/R = 120V ^2 / 144 Ohms = 100 Watts
Lets see what happens when we increase the resistance of R1

RT = 200 Ohms + 144 Ohms = 344 Ohms
IT = 120V / 344 Ohms = .349A
E1 = .349A * 200 Ohms = 69.77V
E2 = .349A * 144 Ohms = 50.23V
WT = 120V ^2 / 344 = 41.86 Watts
As you can see, we've increased the resistance of R1 and effectively reduced the voltage across R2. And now we have a dim light.
Thyristor dimmer
Modern dimmers use a TRIAC, to reduce the amount of time the light is on. However, because of the circuitry in the dimmer, there is not a direct 1:1 energy savings. Dimming the light to 50%, will not equate to a 50% savings in electricity.
A typical waveform in an AC system would look like this.

A TRIAC prevents electricity from flowing every time voltage reaches 0, something like this.

So you end up with a waveform that looks like this.

With the TRIAC, the light is actually turning off and on 120 times per second. With every cycle, you're saving a small amount of power.  Is it enough to actually see on your electric bill? I guess it would depend on how long the lights are on, and what percentage they are dimmed.


It appears that there are a series of things that are going on with the metal rail edge of the drafting table. Here is what I saw:

There is residual celo tape or tape glue present.
Original finish that appears to be a paint is rubbed off in many places.
Some miscellaneous glue or finish drippings seem to be present.
There appears to be some dark finish the has dripped across the rail.
Some spots on the rail appear that they may even have some rust spots.
The rail looks to have been dislodged from its original position by some 1/8 to 1/4 inch.

I could recommend the following steps to clean up the rails.

I would try to pound the rail back into its proper position. Use a non-marring block of hardwood and a hammer to do this so the metal end does not get messed up. When doing this evaluate if the rail could be completely removed by sliding it out of its mounting grooves. If this could be done the rail can be more easily cleaned up, refinished and pounded back into place after the fact.
Use something like a razor blade scraper to shave off the tape and any drips of finish and stain. This may also help remove any paint scale.
Apply some elbow grease with steel wool pads to remove all of the remaining paint and finish off the rails. You could start with a coarse steel wool and then reduce to a finer pad to shine up the rail to the clear and shiny steel.
Move the table to a well ventilated place.
Apply masking tape and paper to cover the table right up to the edges of the metal rail.
Spray on two very light coats of a clear finish such as Krylon Clear Gloss Lacquer Spray. As with any spray finish application go easy and light. Pooling of the applied material will result in runs.


Does CFM of a compressor increase if pressure is reduced?

Absolutely Yes, this is simple physics the air is not requiring as high of pressure the throughout increases. Most air compressors rate there pump rates around 50 psi, 90 psi and the max psi. Even my cheap little pancake oil less has a dual rating of 3/6 scfm I don’t know for sure the exact number but was able to find the formula on line.  Just Google the ideal gas laws and there are many examples of this formula.
PxV = nRT ;
where P = pressure , V = Volume, T = Temperature, n is the amount of gas present
and R is a constant depending on the units used for the other variables.
There is a practical limit my 5000 psi compressor is only rated at 6scfm the volume increases as I reduce the pressure but because of the volume of the pistons and motor speed it will not jump as high as my little pancake compressor.


A simple 2x2 cut and then mounted to wall so the table half will rest on it.  Then from the underside of the 2x2 attach the table with screws that will pass through the 2x2 but short enough they will not go completely through the table top.


There's no need for fancy-pants stuff here, a subpanel will do the job just fine

Since you have fat wire (6/2, although 8/2 would work just as well) running to the existing condensor, what I would do is install a subpanel in place of the existing (presumably fused) A/C disconnect and put breakers for the A/C and well pump in that, instead of rigging up some goofy switching arrangement.

The cheapest option here would be a "spa panel" sized enclosure (while you can put a larger subpanel in here, the restriction to 240VAC only imposed by not having a neutral at this location severely crimps its utility) -- an Eaton BR48L125RP will do the trick here and for not much money, either.  You will not need any accessory ground bars -- leave the existing bar bonded to the enclosure (or bond it if it did not ship that way) as it will be your ground bar due to the lack of a neutral here.

Once you've turned off the breaker for the A/C, undone all the wires, removed the existing A/C disconnect box, and mounted the new subpanel with the existing cables fed into it via knockouts, you can then wire up the incoming cable with the white and black to the two incoming hot lugs on the subpanel, and the ground to the big lug on the terminal (ground) bar.

From there, you can then fit a BR220 for the A/C (replacing what I presume must be 20A fuses in the existing disconnect and serving as the air conditioner's disconnecting means) and a BR240 (to handle the starting current as per the pump manufacturer and NEC 430.52(C)) for the well pump circuit, which will need to be wired using 10/2 cable out to the pressure switch and from there to the control box.  The hot wires to the existing air conditioner condenser get landed on the lugs of one breaker, while the black and white (hot) wires of the 10/2 cable for the well pump get landed on the lugs of the other breaker, and the bare ground wires go to the terminal bar screws.  From there, you can wire up the well pump circuitry (pressure switch, control box, well pump) as per the manufacturer's directions.  Don't forget to torque the terminal screws on the breakers and subpanel to the manufacturer's specs using an inch-pound torque wrench or screwdriver, as well!


What's the best way to fix carbon to titanium?

I found this answer for you on this forum:

  Henkel/Loctite's Hysol series and 3M's Scotch-Weld epoxies are good choices.  Surface preparation is critical.  Review standards on this subject for best practices: ASTM D 2651 Standard Guide for Preparation of Metal Surfaces for Adhesive Bonding and ISO 17212 Structural adhesives -- Guidelines for the surface preparation of metals and plastics prior to adhesive bonding.

These two links were also included:

Standard Guide for Preparation of Metal Surfaces for Adhesive Bonding
Structural adhesives -- Guidelines for the surface preparation of metals and plastics prior to adhesive bonding


Connecting smart switch, identifying neutal wire

This is a switch loop.  The unpainted whitee and black are always-hot and switched-hot.

You don't have neutral here.  Further, the extra hot wire can't be on this switch.

Notice how the hot and switched-hot on this switch do not have any paint on them.  They were added later, and are a switch loop to a different circuit.  They were installed before NEC 2011 took effect, because that requires neutral on a switch loop. That would be the neutral you need and do not have.

The paint-speckled hot, however, is a dangerous interloper.  It is stealing hot from this circuit, but returning neutral on another circuit, causing that neutral to be overloaded*.

Further, that invasion is totally needless.  There are plenty of wires back there, so some must surely be hot for its own proper circuit.  This needs to be fixed, by a pro if necessary.

Regardless, given the availability of power here, the switch loop might be "flipped", so the power at the lamp is not used by the lamp anymore, and the power comes out of this box.   If that were done, the two extant wires would become switched-hot and neutral, and you would be able to install a smart switch here.


Do I need planning permission to build a roof terrace over a flat roof in the UK?

You will need to seek planning permission for roof terrace.  The main reason is that it can overlook the neighbours on either side.  If you had solid walls on either side and you wanted to go straight back that is likely to be ok.

Still as always best to check with you local authority to confirm.


Can I save energy costs by turning off the refrigerator for 1-2 hours every day?

You'd need to run an experiment to confirm this, but I think it would be a false economy.

Even though the fridge is well insulated it will warm up by some amount. Then when it's switched on again the cooling would have to work harder/for longer to bring the temperature back down again probably using the same (if not more) energy in the process.

Let the thermostat do it's job and keep the fridge using a little energy over the 24 hours to keep the temperature constant.

You'll save more energy by opening the fridge less often during the day.


Can 1/4" bead board be used horizontally without sagging?

I would say a quality product can be hung on 16” centers as I mentioned in the comments. Would 12” be better probably. Definitely less chance of sag but a quality veneer product should be fine hung 16 OC.


Do I really need this circuit vent if the sink vertical drain segment is 4' away from the vertical dry vent?

If the slope of the drain is 1/4"-per-foot you can do without the pink vent.  Be sure to measure your slope with a level.  Don't just measure from the floor.
You don't need an AAV to delete the pink vent.
trap arm size    trap max developed length @ 1/4"-per-foot slope
1 1/4"           5 feet
1 1/2"           6 feet
2"               8 feet

Instead of the green branch drain having a vertical drop, just run it horizontally (with a 1/4"-per-foot slope) over to the corner.  That is within the max length before siphoning could occur.


In the U.S., regulations allow a residential home owner to remove a certain amount of asbestos without training or license, (i.e.: 9 square feet of asbestos floor tile per day, etc.) However, disposal is highly regulated, both in proper container and location. You’ll need to check with your local governing agency for specifics.
If you hire the abatement to be completed, be sure they are licensed and have insurance for such work. (They could contaminate your neighbors property and you could be held liable.)
Licensed contractors will seal the area off from the rest of the house AND provide a fan or two to provide a “positive air pressure” in the rest of the house so asbestos air particles will not contaminate the rest of the house.
When we hire a company, we require a statement from them that they got it all.
If the pipe is located in a remote location and it’s likely that it will not be disturbed, I’d leave it alone.


I would like to replace air gap in my sink with a flat plate, what is that plate called?

Kitchen Sink Hole Cover

The key is to search (Google is your friend) not based on "air gap" but based on what you are actually covering - a hole in the sink.


What’s the best type of durable caulk to use for stairs?

Use the picture below as a guide:

You can caulk above and in the middle of the trim pieces on the side - in yellow.
the appropriate caulk here is the DAP Alex Plus.   Yes going there because I use this caulk because it settles with the smallest bead possible and it is a nice white.   I am sure there are others just as good, this is what we use.
You make the yellow beads as small as possible.   When I caulk trim like this you would have to get on your hands and knees inches away and inspect to see that caulk was used.
The red areas - DANGER - do not caulk these
If you had to take one picture - a snapshot - yes if you caulked them the picture might look slightly better.   But with people bouncing on the stairs, people with dirty feet and shoes... Caulking here will be an eyesore in a month or two.
Caulking stairs in the redzone is literally one of the biggest tells of a "bad flipper"
your stairs look great.   When you do something that turns out well, leave it alone.

Side Note: Those stairs can last a long time but laminate covering will wear really quick on stair nose if people are wearing shoes.   Also laminate is really bad taking metal rubbing against it.   So if moving a shelf put a blanket or rug on stairs for protection.


What you describe is called water hammer and can have a number of causes.  Air in the system could be among the causes.  The system you describe should have all air removed.  I assume the system has an expansion tank...  I would also ensure that the tank is in proper working condition.


You're missing the termination temperature limits from 110.14(C)(1)
You are correct that you are missing something.  In particular, while THWN-2 wire can handle 90°C without an issue, that doesn't mean that the things hooked to it will be happy at that temperature.  In particular, since we're dealing with a feeder here, distribution equipment, such as circuit breakers and loadcenters, is only rated for the use of 60°C or 75°C wire because the thermal elements in the circuit breakers themselves can be thrown off by excessive heat from a wire running at a higher temperature.  This requirement is captured in NEC 110.14(C)(1):

(1) Equipment Provisions. The determination of termination
provisions of equipment shall be based on 110.14(C)(1)(a) or
(C)(1)(b). Unless the equipment is listed and marked otherwise, conductor ampacities used in determining equipment
termination provisions shall be based on Table 310.15(B)(16)
as appropriately modified by 310.15(B)(7).
(a) Termination provisions of equipment for circuits
rated 100 amperes or less, or marked for 14 AWG through
1 AWG conductors, shall be used only for one of the following:
(1) Conductors rated 60°C (140°F).
(2) Conductors with higher temperature ratings, provided
the ampacity of such conductors is determined based on
the 60°C (140°F) ampacity of the conductor size used.
(3) Conductors with higher temperature ratings if the equipment is listed and identified for use with such conductors.
(4) For motors marked with design letters B, C, or D, conductors having an insulation rating of 75°C (167°F) or higher
shall be permitted to be used, provided the ampacity of
such conductors does not exceed the 75°C (167°F)
ampacity.
(b) Termination provisions of equipment for circuits
rated over 100 amperes, or marked for conductors larger than
1 AWG, shall be used only for one of the following:
(1) Conductors rated 75°C (167°F)
(2) Conductors with higher temperature ratings, provided
the ampacity of such conductors does not exceed the
75°C (167°F) ampacity of the conductor size used, or up
to their ampacity if the equipment is listed and identified
for use with such conductors

In particular, since modern breakers and loadcenters are basically universally marked 60°C/75°C, we can use the 75°C temperature rating for ampacity calculations, but can only use the 90°C column of the ampacity chart as a basis for derating.  With this in mind, we look at the 75°C column in Table 310.16 and get a rating of 65A for your 6AWG copper THHNs.  This means you can either use a 60A breaker and a 10AWG ground wire (bare or green THHN), or a 70A breaker and an 8AWG ground wire, with the latter permitted by the "round-up" rule in NEC 240.4(B).
If you really need 75A at the garage, you could use UL 1953 listed power distribution blocks in pull boxes at each end of the IMC run (one outside or inside the garage, one in the house) to transition from the 6AWG THHN inside the ¾" IMC to 4AWG THHN in the 1" conduit you were planning to use for the interior runs.  This would require you to use an 8AWG equipment grounding conductor alongside that 6AWG THHN instead of the 10AWG suggested above, but is permitted by NEC 110.14(C)(2), as documented in this Square-D document
Note that unless you have "straight shot" runs from the underground conduit to the panels at both ends, it may be more economical to use 1" ENT ("smurf tube") instead of the 1" rigid PVC you were originally figuring on.  Even when using ENT, you still have to obey the 360° limit on bends between conduit pull points, though!
GO BIG OR GO HOME
However, regardless of whether you run the underground wire at 75°C or 90°C, you should not let its ampacity be a constraint on the size of the panel you put in at the garage!  In fact, a 125A, 24-space or 30-space, main breaker (to provide a main disconnect for the garage) panel would not be at all out of place here, and nothing stops you from putting in something larger yet, such as a 40-space or 42-space panel.  Regardless of what you get, though, you'll need to fit it with separate grounding bar kits if it doesn't have factory-fitted grounding bars.  Furthermore, you'll need to ensure that the neutral/ground bonding screw or strap has been removed from the panel so that it's configured correctly for use as a subpanel.
Finally, you'll need to take some 6AWG or 8AWG copper wire and run it from the subpanel grounding bars through something like an Arlington GC50 to get it out of the subpanel cabinet, then take it off to a pair of 8' grounding rods driven at least 6-8' apart.  This provides your garage with a path for wayward natural electricity, such as lightning-induced voltages, to return to Mother Nature, while the grounding wire in your 4-wire feeder provides a return path for errant utility electricity to get back to the utility service via the neutral-ground bond in the main service panel.


What is involved in enlarging a concrete garage door opening?

Assuming the lintel I see in the second picture travels over the block wall, it should be safe to cut the opening. I'm a contractor and if I could get a subcontractor to do it for $800 and guarantee it in writing, he'd be hired.  It better be a good straight cut I can frame to.  Be sure to calculate the proper rough opening you really need and add an inch.  It is easy to add shims, but cutting again is expensive.


Best way to tear up half a concrete parking pad?

The only way to do what you want to do is cut the concrete with a gear driven saw and masonry blade, then jack hammer out the rest of the concrete.  It really is not that difficult and you can rent all the equipment and do it in a day easy.  You don't have to cut all the way through the concrete, but at least 1/3 the way through. it should break off cleanly.  Even a small DeWalt hand held jack hammer will do the job, take a bit longer than a larger rental unit.


How do I get an exterior vent to stop frosting over in a cold Canadian winter?

I have experienced the same problem. My intake frosts over and the furnace shuts down with a differential pressure fault. The cause is; when the intake air temperature falls below the dew point the relative humidity of the intake air becomes greater than 100% which means the moisture in the air will condense or precipitate out of the air onto anything that is colder than the dew point. When the furnace fires it draws a huge amount of air in through the cold air intake port. If the air temperature is less than the dew point, the excess moisture in the air immediately condenses on the cold intake screen (if you have one) and the inside of the intake pipe. As long as you draw this moisture saturated air across the cold surface of the intake port and the subsequent frost layer the moisture will continue precipitating out and make the layer(s) of frost thicker and thicker until the pipe is completely closed off or the screen is completely plugged.
The fix; First item of business was to remove the bird/bug screen. This eliminated about 80% of my issues. But every once in a while when it would get really cold (-20 to -50F) and the dew point was above 0, the intake pipe would completely fill with frost. So, I reconfigured my intake pipe to be as close to the building as possible and constructed a foam insulated hat that covered the top, sides and outboard surfaces of the intake, leaving the space between the building and the intake uninsulated. This allowed the intake to be "heated" by the escaping heat from the side of the building. I was only looking to get the intake pipe temperature above the dew point and I believe this has worked.