How do I wire a light switch and outlet in the same box?

Since your light is on a different circuit than the outlet, you'll need to run a switch loop from the light to the 2-gang box using 14/3 (yes 3) cable, with black as the hot, red as the switched hot, white as a spare neutral, and the bare or green wire as well, the ground (aka EGC) :)

In the light box, you'll take the black that currently goes to the fixture hot and connect it to the black of the switch loop instead; the fixture hot then gets wired to the red wire of the switch loop.  The switch loop white and green wires get wired into the existing white and green wires coming into the box.

After transposing the existing GFCI from the old 1 gang box into the new 2 gang box, you'll want to leave it alone from here on out.  To wire up the switch, you connect the brass screws to the black and red wires, the green screw to the EGC, and simply wirenut off (i.e. put a wirenut on the exposed end of) the neutral on the switch loop -- it's there for future use by say a motion sensor or lit switch as per 404.2(C) (neutrals are called 'grounded conductors' in the NEC, btw, if you're a Code newbie and scratching your head at this :):

  C) Switches Controlling Lighting Loads. The grounded circuit conductor for
  the controlled lighting circuit shall be provided at the location where
  switches control lighting loads that are supplied by a grounded general-
  purpose branch circuit for other than the following:

  (4) Where a switch does not serve a habitable room or bathroom


How can I magnify, intensify, and redirect the light from a skylight so that it is most effective?

You can always use the concept of a sun tube, a mirrored tube that runs from the roof to a room.  If the walls of the alcove that houses the skylight are not already white, paint them white.  It will reflect more light than a darker color.  If you really want as much light from the skylight as possible, mount mirrors on the walls of the skylight.


What are our options to update this brick facade?

Your cheapest route would be to paint it by far. If you want to change the texture of the wall, have it stuccoed. That can be done in 2 ways, a 3 coat system with a cement based finish or the 3rd coat can be a latex based product that is normally used in EIFS, (exterior insulated finishing system) The color is part of the finish coat with either system.

The top row of brick will need to be removed to tie the stucco in under the siding edge, leaving the brick there will create a water trap and allow water to get behind the brick. This system is around 3/4" to 1" thick. It can be thicker, sometimes thinner, but I would not let anybody try it.


Leaving a hot wire in the wall or ceiling

You must terminate the wire in a box and it must remain accessible with a cover plate.  You need to terminate it with the appropriately sized wire nut.

This may help locate the hidden splice:  get a voltage sensor ($5), turn off all breakers except for this one.  Put the sensor on high sensitivity and start sweeping around on the ceiling.  You might get lucky and find a hidden box or at least you'll get to know how the wires are run and get a better feel for which switch or light box contains the feed.


Is it safe to use a log burning stove in an old fireplace?

The way fire insert stoves work is relatively simple in conversion.

You cut the damper out of the fireplace, run stainless steel pipe (6" dia.) up the inside of the chimney. The lengths are held together with 3-6 sheetmetal screws so this is an actual inside pipe assembly and it hangs off a sheetmetal cap that covers the top of the chimney and is silicone caulk sealed to the top of the chimney flue tile so it's air tight to prevent exactly the type of heat loss you mention. The pipe that extends above the sheetmetal sealing cap gets a standard stovepipe cap to prevent downdrafts and water intrusion from precipitation.

The bottom gets a piece of flex stainless pipe that joins the chimney stack to the stove.

The advantage of this is you are no longer at the mercy of cracked flue tiles  and the fire hazard that represents. The 6 inch pipe runs at a higher temperature and tends to not creosote up. There are standard round chimney brushes for these so the soot that accumulates near the top is easily removable by popping the cap off and running the brush and 3-4 rods down the length of pipe.

Depending on where you live and your county's rules, this conversion may require a permit, but it saves you a lot of lost heat and drastically lowers your liability from flue fires.

The stainless pipe will need inspection periodically for pinholes and monitoring for soot buildup and a good brushdown every so often.


My RO water filter system has three filters. What is the fourth filter?

The fourth filter is an inline carbon polishing filter for removing any taste/odor that was imparted into the water by sitting in the water storage tank.

Yes, it should be replaced at the same time as your pre- and post- carbon filters. You don't need it, so if you don't want to replace it then remove it from the system. You might not notice any difference in the taste/odor of your water.

If it is installed correctly, the blue 1/4" water line coming off the right side of the fourth filter should go directly to your RO faucet.


Just use a metal old-work box, perfectly fine for low-voltage stuff. It will have standard knock-outs for conduit connection, as opposed to PVC boxes which commonly have spring-lever grabbers for NM sheathed cable:


What is up with this wall, and what is the right way to hang something on it?

Given that it's an exterior wall you've probably hit brick.

This would explain both why you've not found a stud - there aren't any, and why the nail only goes in 1/2" - 1" - you've hit the bricks.

Given that the plaster is crumbling, the simplest solution would be to drill a hole with a masonry drill and use a screw (or screw hook).

If you want to hang a lot of things on this wall then it might be a better idea to install some sort of rail - either a traditional picture rail or a more modern alternative and hang the pictures etc. off that.


What is on my sink faucet? Trying to install RO system

That is just a cheap plastic aerator and should unscrew. Turn clockwise looking down on the faucet. There will probably be female  threads in the faucet. Good luck.


The wire wrapped around the screw and the wire "stabbed" into the port next to it are connected together internally within the switch.  With the switch off, test for voltage to determine if the lone wire, on the bottom of the switch, is the hot (line) or if the two connected wires, on the top, are together the hot (line).  The two wires currently connected together on your existing switch should be again connected together on your new switch.

Good Luck,
Volt-Ron


Suggestions for dealing with the sharp corner of a storm drain

Sledgehammer.

Pound that corner down.

When nobody is looking. :)


If water is flowing in the white tube, that's coming from the "Thermal Expansion Control Valve" built into the shutoff.  Worst case, this could be because the thermostat or gas control valve has failed on the heater, causing the tank to get too hot.
Is the water too hot?  Is there a Temperature and Pressure relief valve on the tank and is it also tripping?

If the water heater is running too hot, fix whatever is causing that.  But that Thermal Expansion Control Valve (green handle) may have just failed, either way, it will probably have to be replaced.

Also, it looks like there might be a check valve (back-flow prevention) in that stack.  And/or there may be a check valve on your water supply.  Either way, this can cause unacceptable pressures to build up, tripping the expansion control valve and wasting water and energy.

To solve that issue, install a Water Heater Expansion Tank to keep the system at a safe pressure without tripping any relief valves.


"C" wire in wall! Where does it go in air handler/furnace?

If there's a C terminal on your board (can't tell from picture), use that.
If you have an air conditioner, it will have two wires that connect back to the thermostat (usually via the furnace): so long as one is going to R, the other will be C and you can splice into the same spot.
Lastly, you can splice into a wire from the transformer. You'll need a multi-meter to figure out which one it is (measure 24V between the C side of the transformer and the R terminal).

It does look like common is grounded to the chassis, so you can also use that to identify the side of the transformer -- find the side that has a wire connected to the chassis.

It'll be one of the bottom two terminals:

Test

You should use the multi-meter to test -- no matter which method you use -- before you actually splice into anything.

With the furnace powered on but not actually running (fan off, heat off), you should measure 24V AC between the R and the place you're hooking into.


How to repair rotted sill plate on foundation concrete pony wall and adding height to concrete wall

Since the soil should be 6" below (in my area code) I would verify building code and have association regrade the area as it is causing the rot from the violation. In a 3 story I would not want to try patch work on cement foundation without an engineering stamp of approval.


How to restrain the arbor on a circular saw to change the blade

Most circular saws have either a push lever that stops the arbor from spinning or a hole in the rear guard through which you insert a thin round metal object (screwdriver) which will catch on a saw blade tooth to keep it from spinning while you tighten the arbor nut.

Note that many saws have a left-hand thread arbor nut.


Looking at the timing of the question, you may have already solved your issue(s), but in the event that you didn't, here's a few tips.

1) Water systems are meant to be used, even if it involves kids who like long showers. I personally like a nice long, hot shower, so in our situation it would have been a test of self-control. Besides, who would purchase a 2-ton truck and be told that you could only put 300lbs in it? Plus, the previous answer estimated 15 litres a minute for a shower - that's a lot more water than any shower I have used. In the U.S., most shower heads limit the flow to under 2 gallons per minute (gpm), which would equate to roughly less than 8 litres per minute.

2) Could be the pump, but the impact of that would be felt much more rapidly. It would probably start to show as soon as the pressure tank lost it's capacity on about the first shower.

3) The sediment is probably coming from exhausting the capacity of your well. I picture the pump sucking water out of the water table until it starts running dry and then getting sediment from the empty cavity. Overnight the well replenishes itself and fills the pressure tank.

What will solve almost all of your problems is a reserve tank, sometime called a cistern. This is just a big poly tank of roughly 1000 gallons, that acts as your main water source. The existing pump supplies the reserve tank with a capacity switch that turns on when it reaches a low level and a separate surface pump supplies your current pressure tank. This will put a lot less strain on your well, well pump and provide constant water supply to your house. It will also make it easier to filter the sediment.

If you are able to change out a well pump at 280', then you can install a reserve tank and surface pump. It's not a complex task and you can save a lot of money by doing it yourself. I built a small shed around the tank to dress it up a bit, leaving enough room for the surface pump and a shelf of replacement filters. The surface pump should be available at the same location you purchased the other pump.

My neighbor also installed a reserve tank and put in two pressure tanks, as he wanted the pressure to remain more constant while he was using it. In any event, this should solve all of your capacity issues and make filtering a lot easier.


How to attach hose to router table port?

Given that you've provided no information about what actual size the shop vac hose (there are multiple "standards" though 2-1/4 inch is the one I'd usually assume) or the size of the hole in the router fence, either something like this, or something like that in the the other direction (or a chunk of wood with an appropriate size hole drilled in it.) The first can be cut to provide various smaller sizes or a flange, the second increases size to 4 inches.

Shop vac adapter (or Shop vac hose adapter) will get results in a search engine.

Or 1/3 of a roll of duct tape... ;-)


As Derrik mentioned, the Sagulator is probably your best bet. The topic has been covered fairly well in the woodworking stack exchange. The Sagulator is designed for static loads, e.g. shelves, whereas chairs are going to be taking dynamic loads, but the relative strengths should still apply: if you put in your yellow pine vs red oak, the ratios should apply for dynamic loads as well.


Possible and definitely use AlumiConn and follow the installation instructions. I got a torque screwdriver to pigtail my house (wiha 7.5 to 20 in.lb), but there are alternate instructions that don't specify torque.

You could just pigtail and not replace the aluminum conductor, but you would still want to pigtail the receptacles. The connections at the switches are reportedly less prone to failure, but I do those too and use the two-port Alumiconn connectors. I also use the 2-port on terminal receptacles.

When I am torquing an Alumiconn to 15 in.lb I find it helpful to put the connector in a Crescent wrench. It's easier and safer. I put the copper pigtails in ahead of time so I don't have to change the setting on the screwdriver while installing.

If I am approaching box fill, I use a twist on connector for the grounds, but I put on Penetrox A joint compound. Thirty years ago I pigtailed the receptacles and switches with twist on connectors and NoAlOx (an inferior antioxidant to Penetrox A) and I have had zero failures, but I am slowly going back and re-pigtailing with Alumiconn connectors. I think these are the only DIY connectors for connecting #12 or #10 aluminum to copper in branch circuits which are recommended by Jesse Aronstein http://www.kinginnovation.com/pdfs/alumiconn-docs.pdf


Appropriate breaker types for kitchen circuits

First the breaker must match your panel (Square D in a Square D panel; Eaton BR in a Challenger panel; sometimes it's tricky).
Then, the breaker must be the correct ampacity for the wire.  So if the wire is #14 use a 15A breaker.  Do not use a 20A breaker unless all wire in the circuit is known to be #12 copper or #10 aluminum.
If it is feasible for you to add new circuits to the kitchen, then there are a minimum number of circuits which must exist, and a few more we recommend for usability's sake. The Code requirements are slumlord minimums; exceeding the minimum makes a happier kitchen.

You must install at least two 20A receptacle circuits, which serve receptacles only, in kitchen countertops, rest of kitchen, pantry, dining area, breakfast nook etc.   These circuits can also serve small loads on a gas range (i.e. spark ignitors) and also a wall clock. The exhaust fan CANNOT be on this circuit.

Electric ranges and ovens can share a dedicated circuit (or not), and are subject to special/unusual math as to circuit ampacity.  Generally a 50A circuit/breaker is a safe choice, but the best choice is conduit between range area and service panel.  Connections MUST be 4-wire: using /2+ground Romex to power ovens has always been illegal.

Hardwired large appliances cannot be on the above circuits, and need their own circuit(s) as needed based on their ampacity (x 1.25 if the load might conceivably run 3 hours or more, so not microwaves nor disposals).  They can share circuits, but that "paints you into a corner" in the future, e.g. not allowing you to use a more powerful disposal because then disposal+dishwasher would exceed 20A.  Generally best to have a dedicated circuit for each.

Only recommended: Dedicated circuit for refrigerator, set up with a single socket (not the normal dual socket) and labeled "Refrigerator only".  No GFCI on this circuit!

Recommended: More than two Kitchen countertop receptacle circuits.  One per countertop receptacle is ideal. That is because 2 cooking appliances (typically 1500W each) are typically too much for 1 circuit (2400W).  This makes it easy for the chef to arrange appliances so they don't trip breakers.


How do I maintain a newly laid oiled floor?

Any oil-based finish is not very durable and must be renewed periodically. Flooring is usually finished with a polyurethane varnish for this reason (in the old days it would have been an alkyd varnish). It does; however, preserve the look and feel of real wood without having an obvious film finish on top of it.

The installation process can scuff up the surface which is why hardwood floors are finished after they are installed.

The MSDS for Woca oil (here) indicates the presence of a drying agent so it shouldn't be too much trouble to wipe on another coat - it should cure fairly fast.


How do I plug my three prong dryer plug up when I have a four prong outlet?

You need a new dryer cord, not an adapter

What you need to do is remove the existing cord from the dryer (dryer cords attach to a terminal block on the dryer, typically accessible by removing a cover from the back panel) and attach a new, four-prong/four-wire dryer cord to the terminal block.  There is also a white wire running to the chassis ground screw on your dryer -- that wire needs to be moved from there to the neutral screw on the terminal block, thus disconnecting the neutral-ground bond on your dryer.


Bosch dishwasher has water at bottom after using liquid soap

The main penetration of the tub that is below the waterline is the sump assembly. The sump assembly is comprised of the pump, heater, sensors, and other components. There is a main sump assembly seal that prevents water from the tub from leaking out. That would be the first thing I would inspect.

To further diagnose I would disconnect the unit and remove it, set it on sawhorses so I could view the lower components, then fill the tub and try to locate the leaking component.

NOTE- there are numerous other components that could be the source of a leak like your's (e.g. pump-to-sump seal, pump impeller seal, circulation pump assembly/volute seal, etc.) Disassembly of Bosch units can be tricky; not always intuitive. I suggest using your "Google-Fu" to check some online videos, such as this one: Bosch Dishwasher Circulation Pump Repair


How do I run wires for a wall-mount flatscreen TV?

Monoprice has a complete kit that will allow you to cut two holes in the drywall, and then get power and also run your signal cables vertically. I believe you need to install an 'old work' (aka 'retrofit') box for the power side, but that is pretty straight forward.

Once you cut the holes, these things fit in, and have wings that tighten down onto the drywall.


Run conduit the whole way and use individual XHHW-2 wires

First off, if you're going to run conduit, simply run the entire run in conduit -- it's not all that much more expensive than a cable wiring method parts-wise, and running a fat (say 2") Schedule 80 PVC conduit for the whole run means you can put fatter wires in in the future if called for, as well as making the pull relatively easy for whoever (you or your electrician) does it.

As to what goes in the conduit, once you have a conduit for the whole length of the run, you can run individual wires (presumably XHHW-2 insulated AA-8000 aluminum alloy wires at the sizes you'd be dealing with for 100A) for the hots and neutral, and a relatively thin (8AWG) bare copper ground.  This is no more expensive than either a SER or a URD cable in the grand scheme of things, takes up less space in the conduit, and is far easier to pull through the conduit than a fat, stiff cable will be.


GFCI outlet hot when nothing's plugged into it

As mentioned in several places, GFCIs use a little bit of power even when nothing is plugged in or energized downstream.

The heat distribution sure looks like it is coming from the GFCI electronics, but it could also be heat seeping from the other side of the wall, especially if that room has higher air pressure than this one—like if the exhaust fan were running in this room and someone took a hot shower in the other room.  Presumably there is another outlet on the other side of the wall close to this one.

You could try turning off this circuit for 15–30 minutes and see if it completely cools.  That would also rule out whether there is anything downstream causing a current to flow through it.

Or you could measure its power consumption and see if it is more than 100 mW or so.  If it is more than 1.0 watts, I'd replace it.


Why would two circuit breakers be connected inside the service panel?

As @Ecnerwall says, definitely not safe / legal / advisable.

My guess is that the guy kept tripping breaker #4 (maybe too many power tools in the garage?) and decided to share the load with another breaker by adding the extra wire. Approximately half of the current will flow through each breaker, effectively creating a 40 amp breaker.

EDIT: in fact it's possible / likely that the wires on that circuit were regularly carrying more than 20 amps. Wherever possible you should inspect the wiring, including all outlets on that circuit, to see if there are any signs of melted insulation or other damage. If you find any indication of heat damage I think it would be prudent to rip out the entire circuit and rewire it, since there may be damaged insulation in the walls just waiting to catch fire.


Ground Wire (or Wires) after PEX Installation

Run a new wire from the panel to the 2nd metal rod, and to the water main coming in

You'll want to run a new copper wire (minimum size 6 AWG unless your service is upwards of 200A) from the panel to the 2nd metal rod, and also run more of that copper wire from the panel to the water main coming in.  That way, the water main itself is bonded to the electrical system, and all ground electrodes present are tied in (it's actually against the NEC to have a ground electrode, other than a buried concrete-encased electrode, that's not tied into the mains grounding system).

See NEC 250.64(C) for what prohibits you from splicing to the existing conductor attached to the 2nd ground rod:

  (C) Continuous. Except as provided in 250.30(A)(5) and
  (A)(6), 250.30(B)(l), and 250.68(C), grounding electrode
  conductor(s) shall be installed in one continuous length
  without a splice or joint. If necessary, splices or connections shall be made as permitted in (1) through (4):

  (1) Splicing of the wire-type grounding electrode conductor shall be permitted only by irreversible compression-type connectors listed as grounding and bonding equipment or by the exothermic welding process.

  (2) Sections of busbars shall be permitted to be connected
  together to form a grounding electrode conductor.

  (3) Bolted, riveted, or welded connections of structural
  metal frames of buildings or structures.

  (4) Threaded, welded, brazed, soldered or bolted-flange
  connections of metal water piping.

and NEC 250.50 for the requirement to use all available electrodes for grounding:

  250.50 Grounding Electrode System. All grounding electrodes as described in 250.52(A)(1) through (A)(7) that are
  present at each building or structure served shall be bonded
  together to form the grounding electrode system. Where
  none of these grounding electrodes exist, one or more of
  the grounding electrodes specified in 250.52(A)(4) through
  (A)(8) shall be installed and used.

  Exception: Concrete-encased electrodes of existing buildings or structures shall not be required to be part of the
  grounding electrode system where the steel reinforcing bars
  or rods are not accessible for use without disturbing the
  concrete.


Running EMT conduit through soffit into attic

OK, I am assuming you are running 15A or 20A circuits for the bathroom and it can be run in 1/2" conduit.

First you are right to abandon the idea to bend EMT through the soffit and into the attic. Unless you get really lucky the geometry just doesn't work out. Instead you need to either transition from EMT to LFMC, Liquid Flexible Metallic Conduit (Sealtight) and run the it through the opening between the soffit and attic. You could also run the entire circuit in LFMC, but it requires a lot of strapping to make it look neat. I also suggested LFMC because if you use LFNC (Carflex) or Liquid Flexible Nonmetallic Conduit with no metal you may find it exteremly hard to bull wire through it due to the friction of the insulation and interior of the conduit.

You need to have at least a 7/8" (let's just say a 1" or larger) opening to get the conduit through to the attic. How you do it is a good question you can try and push it through. You might be able to fish a wire or fish tape up through the opening. I have found my best success with "fish sticks", found in almost any hardware store.

Now here is what most people don't want to here. When all else fails you may have to take down some of the soffit panels to install your conduit or cut an opening in it using a small plumping access panel. Either way if done properly neatly it's really not as horrible as it sounds initially.

Be sure and seal up any exterior holes into the attic since all kinds of inserts and varmints can use them for access.

Good luck.


Thoughts on furnace generator transfer switch install

You said inverter generator , these are usually much better than the type I use, with the old fashion alternator and voltage control. I power my TV’s and microwave refrigerator, furnace  and well pump with mine and have done this for over 20 years without knowingly killing anything.
I have been on generator power up to 2 weeks and loose power for at least a day every year usually several.

The important part is not overloading your generator , I usually am well below the generators rating and maybe close to 1/2 of its peak rating.

The reason this makes a difference is because when generators are over loaded they start surging this causes the frequency to bounce and the voltage to spike then droop. With a proper size for the load the generator will only vary slightly.

Your inverter rating is 2kw but what is the load the boiler needs (the pump being the big draw of the system) if your recirculating pump is a fractional horse power you would probably be fine, setting up a transfer switch for this one unit may be a good idea but I would want a quality heavy duty extension cord 50’ is not that long but pump’s have a large starting current and a small extension cord can increase voltage drop , create excessive heat in the wires and damage the system where a Quality 12 gauge cord will be fine.

I would move forward with your plan it looks sound and may provide comfort when all else is dark.


Are These Ceiling Stains From Cigarette Smoke?

My grand parents smoked in there home for years, when my grandfather passed we painted the house so my grandmother could sell it, a long story short washing with tsp trisodium phosphate, and painting the brown tar made it through the paint 3x coated we ended up repainting with a schellac based sealer then repainting this finally solved the bleed through problem. You will want to seal the surface not just prime zinsser makes one that I have used since then many times with no bleed through.


i have chipped my kitchen cabinet door. Is there any way it can be repaired

If you still have the chip and it's in pretty good shape, glue it back in place with some white epoxy from your home store. Use a toothpick to carefully spread the epoxy to fill and smooth out the cracks and seal the edges. If the chip is gone, fill in the hole with the epoxy using a toothpick, being careful not to over fill. Once the epoxy starts to firm up, dab the area with a small paint brush to add some texture. You could use white caulk instead of the epoxy but it will take a lot longer to harden.


You certainly have a leaking gas valve.  Your symptoms of it leaking only when open are pretty common.

A while back, you could open up the valve and repack it; but, due to this kind of fix being temporary at best, your gas company and insurance company will demand the valve be replaced.  So, ignore any advice to repack the valve.

This means it's not a DYI job, as you'll need proof the work was done by a licensed professional, in the event someone asks.  Hire a professional, and keep the valve shut until you do.

They will shut off gas to the house, bleed the line free of pressure (gas) and then remove and replace the valve.  The real problems that come from such a repair come due to the pipes possibly being seized due to the mortar, or more likely corroded due to moisture (common in such lines).  In those scenarios, the details of your exact layout will determine how much pipe might need to be replaced, and how easy it may be to replace the pipe.

If a plumber just gives you a new valve, you're lucky.  If they find your pipes are nearly rusted through and you need to replace them, you might feel unlucky, but really you are still lucky.  You're just lucky with a bigger bill, but a much smaller bill than if you were looking at rebuilding due to a fire.


Yes it's relatively normal for some gas to escape before it starts burning.

The smell is from an additive called Ethanethiol (ethyl mercaptan) which has a strong odor that humans can detect in very small concentrations.  You only smell it from escaped gas and not a byproduct of combustion, hence why you won't smell it relative to the duration of the burn.


My boiler's gas burner tube is catching fire, how do I fix this?

For most of these possibilities you will need a professional service company to fix. Some possibilities are;

The burner tube may be worn out, distorted , or dirty.
The delivered gas pressure may be too low.
The chimney draft may not be correct for this unit.
Is there any thing stored near the boiler that could give off an odor or vapor that could influence the gas mixture.
The burner orfice may be worn out or partially plugged. If the boiler is an older model this could be the problem and the orfices need replaced. Or,
the orfices may need to be removed and cleaned.


Zane; I gave a suggestion in your duplicate ask, however the picture is now worth a thousand words , "as the saying goes". I can't see how having that large tank mounted somewhere in the house will be of any value since you can not elevate it high enough to produce any decent pressure. For each foot of height of the water level above the point of use you will get .433 pounds of delivery pressure. so, to get even 20 pounds water pressure to take a shower, the top of the water level would have to be about 46.5 feet above the shower head. (1 LB = 2.33 feet or 20 LB = 46.5 feet). If your picture is how the system was installed there are a few things you could do: 1)"Fire" that plumber and hire one that knows how to plumb a booster system.  2)Replace the red pressure tank with a very large bladder tank. and get rid of that large tank that is somewhere in the house. 3) Make the big tank just a storage tank with a double swing check mounted on the top of the tank. (A good plumber will know how to do this) and move it to between the house water supply piping and the booster pump. 3) convert that large tank to a bladder tank similar to the red tank or just use suggestion 2, and get rid of that tank.  My 2 cents


First big question....Are you planning the floor in the pergola at the level of the deck floor?

Next...

For posts 15 feet vertical height I do not believe that 5 feet depth in the ground is enough. You should vie for a depth of 6 or 7 feet deep.
For a structure like this you want the bottoms of the posts anchored well below the frost depth.
For the type of height that you are talking about it will be absolutely necessary to have some type of angle bracing that will help to keep the structure from racking and parallelogramming.
If you have a floor at deck height this can offer some alternatives where you can place some of the angle bracing below.
It the pergola is meant to provide some shade at the grass level from a top that is 15 plus feet off the ground it will be far less effective than if the shade top were more like 8 to 9 feet overhead.

To add bracing under the elevated pergola floor:


How do I fix stain after sanding drips in polyurethane?

Many finish coats, including polyurethanes, can slightly darken a finish when applied. Your sanding, if it did not cut into the stained surface, may have just removed that darkening poly layer.

You should try applying a coat just to the area you sanded, feathering the edges with a nearly dry brush. Let it dry and see if the color has evened out.

If not, I would recommend sanding the whole side. If it has lightened significantly, re-stain the side and then re-poly. If not, just re-poly.

You may want to look at some of the wipe-on finishes. These are satin finish (not high gloss) and go on easily with much less chance of runs.


Sounds like the driver has failed. If a quality product, there might be a warranty. If a cheap junky product, you probably can't even find the company, at least operating under the name you bought them from. That's part of the business plan that makes such things cheap, in every sense of that word.
In either case, you'll need new lights or at least new compatible drivers for the lights if you need working lights.


How can I avoid streaks from a paint sprayer?

It's hard to make out what's going on from the picture but the usual culprit when spraying is either an imperfection in your fan(spray pattern) or problems with your prep work. Take your sprayer and shoot a short burst at a smooth surface (a piece of cardboard works) If the pattern shows any obvious abnormalities, it's either not enough air pressure or a defect in the tip itself (or sometimes just a goober of finish clinging to the tip). A pattern like this

is classic low pressure. A bunged tip will look less symmetrical but the streaks left in the finish can look very similar.

If the fan looks good and the problem doesn't show up on test pieces, take a hard look at the surface of your cabinets. They might need a little more scuff sanding or a good cleaning with TSP to get the grease off.


I'm not sure how much weight this is, but if possible, I'd go with Command Adhesive strips. For example. (These are pretty common; just check Walmart or similar.) These are basically perfectly designed to avoid damage to rentals, and removal is simple. Each strip holds 4lb, so a quick weigh should tell you how many you'll need per foam piece. If you're worried about them attaching to the actual foam, remember that you can use more permenant methods to attach the strip to the foam. (Needle and thread could even create a mechanical attachment.)


Are these four add-on wiring techniques all up to code?

Imagine ants climbing up a tree to harvest its fruit. It is a proper "tree topology" - None of the branches ever touch each other.  Ants are allowed to scurry up and down any branch in any order, but cannot leap or fall from branch to branch.

At any point on the tree, if we clamped an "ant current meter" around the branch, it would count exactly as many ants going up the branch as down.  Once past that point, ants might zig-zag up any number of sub-branches, but the ant must come back past this point at the end of the day.  144 ants go up past the point , 144 ants come back.  Ant currents are equal.  If there was a Residual Ant Fault Current Device, it would not trip.

If any of the branches touched each other, it would be possible for ants to go up branch 1 and come back on branch 2, making ant currents unequal on those branches.

So a "tree topology" is a pretty strong defense against the unequal currents problem.  How do you detect whether your diagram is a tree?  The "paint bucket" fill tool makes easy work of it. Trees don't enclose areas, so the paint should be able to reach all points (except between wires inside a cable.)

Nope, in #4, the wires enclose a space, so it's not a tree diagram, and currents are not equal because currents can encircle the space, imbalancing currents in every cable/raceway on each side of the space.


How to remove hydrostatic pressure from basement floor so we can finish part of the basement?

Do your sump pumps run frequently during wet weather? Does water leak through any cracks in the walls or floor? Do you get puddling or standing water in any area of the basement during heavy rains? Do you have an extremely high water table in the area?

If not, I suspect your problem is normal ground moisture not necessarily drainage water or the water table. The developer that built the house or contractor that poured the floor is responsible for not putting down a vapor barrier.

I would propose that amongst the other things you are investigating, you have a small section (maybe 1' x 1') of flooring saw cut and removed to look underneath the floor. This could be done in an area that will not be finished and could be a DIY project costing you less than $100. Or hired done for a couple hundred dollars. There should be a layer of heavy plastic under the concrete floor. (You could also leave this open to see if water puddles in the hole.)

If your basement floor does NOT have a vapor barrier under it, I propose all these other things will come to naught. If you are getting moisture leeching through the concrete floor then I don't think perimeter drainage is your problem.

The best solution would then be removing as much of the basement floor as possible and have the concrete replaced with a heavy plastic vapor barrier underneath.

Ultimately, if you finish the basement without entirely solving the moisture issue, I would recommend you never use carpeting. Paint on the basement floor may not hold. Therefore, check into just staining the concrete and leaving it after that if you want some color to the floor. This will still allow it to breathe. Throw rugs or anything else that is absorbent, on the floor will promote mold. You will need a dehumidifier running in most weather except for the very driest weather.

Good luck!


Venting Two Bathroom Fans to Single Roof Vent

on/off at the same time

Problem ?: NO.
No problem with having two fixtures on the same switch. As long as the combined amp ratings of the fans (and anything else on the same circuit) is below the amp rating  of the circuit breaker.

both ducting to a y-adapter attached to a single roof vent opening

Problem ?: Maybe.
Maybe. When bathroom fans are controlled by separate switches it is not allowed to have them share the same duct because one fan will push the humid air from one bathroom to the other bathroom. Will that be the case with both fans on at the same time? All things being equal, fans CFM's, length of ducts, size of ducts it may not be a "problem".
With different size ducts and different fans i can see one causing the other to not work efficiently. (This is speculation on my part, an HVAC tech is the proper person to ask.)
My gut feeling is it is not a good idea.


If you're following the National Electrical Code, you have a few options.
Install an insulated fixture
410.44 exception 1 allows you to not connect a grounding conductor, where the fixture is insulated and there are no exposed conductive parts.
Install a ground
410.44 exception 2 allows you to install a grounding conductor in accordance with 250.130(c).  Which means you can connect a grounding conductor any of the following:

(1) Any accessible point on the grounding electrode system as described in 250.50
(2) Any accessible point on the grounding electrode conductor.
(3) The equipment grounding terminal bar within the enclosure where the branch circuit for the receptacle or branch circuit originates.
(4) An equipment grounding conductor that is part of another branch circuit that originates from the enclosure where the branch circuit for the receptacle or branch circuit originates.
(5) For grounded systems, the grounded service conductor within the service equipment enclosure.
(6) For ungrounded systems, the grounding terminal bar within the service equipment enclosure.

GFCI protection
The final exception to 410.44 allows you to not connect the grounding conductor, where the fixture is GFCI protected.


How can I soften the closing/slamming of this gate?

The holes in the top of the spring are used to increase or lessen tension on the spring. It's the same principle you will find on a spring-loaded barrel hinge. You should find a pin in the last hole on the barrel that is up against a stop. Place a narrow metal rod like a small screwdriver or allen wrench into one of the holes and rotate the top of the  barrel to lessen tension on the pin and remove it. You can then reinsert the pin in a different hole to give it the proper tension.


Kitchen drawer railing track socket replacement

Take a pencil and trace around the outside of it so you know where to install the new one. Use a small flat screwdriver to pry  it off, take the old one to the home center so you can match it. These are available to purchase. You can then attach the new one with small screws and some adhesive.


Certainly sounds like you have a wire/outlet that is connected to two different circuits, given your symptoms.

First - when dealing with something whacky like this, just shut off the main breaker if you need to, say, cut it. If it's still hot with the main off, you have some really interesting wiring going on. And if, for some reason that should never really occur, you have a need to cut romex live, use insulated handle wirecutters and only cut one side at a time, then cut the ground wire last from the neutral side, rather than shorting out the wires in the cable with the cutters. That was not a very good or safe approach to the problem (you could have just left the thing alone until it was sorted out - cutting it does not seem to have helped in any way, and I don't see any way it WOULD help.)

Second, see what happens if you turn off BOTH the "breaker on the main" and the "breaker on the subpanel" that you identified as being associated with it. NOW is it dead?

Then, go looking for where someone connected the two circuits together. Or, call an electrician to have a look - the life you save may be your own.


UPDATE

After spending a few days trying to decipher the troubleshooting instructions Liftmaster sent me, I've resolved this issue.

http://liftmaster.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2715

As I mentioned originally, I could hold the button down on the wall control to "force" the door down. I did this and then waved something in front of the sensors. This reversed the door. So, the sensors are working fine.

I ended up pressing the green "Smart" button on the back of the main unit and then pressing the remote button once. This seems to have re-added the remote to the system. Both remotes work normally now.


Dryer vent through band joist between 1st and 2nd floor

Since you have floor trusses your plan should be fine. There is usually only a top board 2x4 that holds the trusses on layout and locks the ends together .

Picture credit
You should have ample space below that chord to cut in a dryer vent with not problem


How do I fix this 30 ft (9 m) dryer vent abomination?

Move It!
As already noted by some others, moving the dryer to the wall where the vent ends is a great idea. The location for a gas dryer needs three things:

Vent - Absolutely perfect. While you're at it, since it will be a short distance, splurge on some rigid metal ductwork. For a short length it doesn't cost much, and it is much less vulnerable than the flexible stuff to (a) lint buildup and (b) punctures. Punctures are an annoyance with an electric dryer - the worst that happens is some hot, moist air in the room. But with a gas dryer they can be downright dangerous if carbon monoxide leaks into the room.

Electricity - You may or may not be able to turn that old NEMA 10-30 into a functional 120V receptacle, but right next to it is what appears to be a standard duplex GFCI receptacle.

Gas - You're in luck here too. Your water heater is in the closet.

Put the $ 300 - $ 500 toward a qualified plumber/gasfitter and you're all set. It actually shouldn't cost very much - basically splitting off the connection a short distance to provide a connection outside the closet for the dryer.


Mounting box slightly offset in ceiling: is there an offset mounting bracket that I can use to mount ceiling fan?

It looks off set I agree, however we cannot see if there is any structure above that required the shift.what I do see is that it looks to be attached to the joist, I am not sure why it is not centered like the one on the far end of the photo unless there there was structure in that locarion, but shifts in lighting like this make it look like low quality work. If there is nothing in the way it should be able to be shifted on the same joists.


Why would you use copper over CPVC or PEX?

Copper has a well-proven track record
Copper parts are more readily-available and it's easier to repair (eg, don't need the expensive crimping tool like with PEX)
Safer during fires since it is much more resistant to heat and giving off fumes

That said, I am a huge fan of PEX. It's been around for quite a few years now (though obviously nowhere near as long as copper), and for the most part is proven.

Pex is cheaper (in both material and labor costs),
Pex is easier to install, with many less connections required (eg, try doing a long straight run through a wall or perpendicular through joists - PEX slides right in, copper requires a ton of little segmented pieces and couplers)
Pex can look better when properly installed (when not properly secured, it sags, and because of the forgiving nature, you can have crooked lines and non-right angles).


Is there a better solution than a lint trap for venting a clothes dryer indoors?

According to Chicago Building Code

  18-28-504.1  Installation.

  Clothes dryers shall be exhausted in accordance with the
  manufacturer’s instructions. Dryer exhaust systems shall be
  independent of all other systems and shall convey the moisture and any
  products of combustion to the outside of the building.

  Exception: Where the make and model of an electric dryer is known
  and the manufacturer’s installation instructions do not require
  exhaust, see Article 4, Ventilation for room exhaust requirements.

Venting a dryer inside is a potential fire and mold hazard, and can negatively affect indoor air quality causing sickness (and/or death, maybe).

You should bring this up with the condo association, the building owner, and potentially the building inspector.  A possible down side to this action is, the condo association could ban the installation of dryers altogether.  So you'll want to try and suggest some alternatives.

I'm going to guess, the condo association is worried about the appearance of vents sicking out all over the building.  A potential appeasement would be to select a nice looking vent (voted on by the condo association), and force anybody who installs a dryer to use the same vent.

They may also want all vents to be installed in similar locations, so the vents are uniformly placed on the building.  A good way to insure this would be to install all the vents at once, including installing vents for units without dryers (in which case they should be sealed until in use).


Water filter setup - 1 1/4 inch pipe to 3/4

You are (and may not realize if you did not pay attention in geometry class) talking about a nearly 2/3 reduction in pipe size (area/cross section) when you go from 1-1/4" to 3/4".
Area of a circle = Pi r squared. 1.23 .vs. 0.44 square inches for the pipes under consideration here.
That will definitely have "a negative impact on pressure and flow" as compared to keeping it at 1-1/4" throughout.


Do modern, well designed circuit breakers and/or panels have a 25-40 year lifespan?

I suspect part of the problem may be AFCI, GFCI and other recent advancements. A simple panel is totally passive - as long as there are no loose connections causing sparks/arcs, and actual breaker trips are not very frequent, there is little to wear out.
However, code has changed over the last few decades to mandate AFCI and GFCI protection. Breakers which include AFCI and/or GFCI protection have complex electronics - in many cases actual microcontrollers - and are therefore much more susceptible to wearing out, just like any other complex electronic device. In fact, many of these devices now have built-in automatic testing to help avoid surprises.
On the other hand, I have read many times that typical large appliances (refrigerator, dishwasher, clothes washer, dryer, etc.) have 10 - 15 year lifetimes. But those devices can often be kept running far longer with relatively minor repairs. In other words, YMMV.


With the limited info provided I will guess that it is a 240v heater as the other one was but this time they only used a single pole thermostat to control the power, it works the negative here is that there will always be a hot conductor in the baseboard unless the breaker is turned off, this used to be quite common, or was used with multiple heaters in 1 room. Each of the switches in the thermostat can control a 240v load, but by not breaking both hot conductors there is always power to the heater but no current flow until the switch closes providing a path for current flow.


How safe is my patio and how much weight could it support?

This really needs to be looked at by a structural engineer, or similar qualified person, to give you a load bearing range.  To calculate the load one would need to factor in the size of the wood, the type of the wood, condition of the wood (rot, ...) the overall weight of the structure, and how it is secured to the structure.  I can speak from experience that balconies do collapse from overloading and poor maintenance.  Where I live they had one collapse about 10 years ago and many got hurt.  The codes had to be updated and new rules were made for enforcing them.


Code aside, the hottest thing in our living-room after the woodburner itself is the area directly above the wood-burner. I don't think this is a good place for any electronics, as most electronics generate heat of their own. Typically they dump these using heatsinks (large lumps of metal that quickly spread the heat over a wide area, like a radiator on a car or in your home), but these rely on the ambient temperature being relatively low. You'll find the electrical circuits in your TV will have a MUCH shorter lifespan - nevermind what it would do to the screen itself.

To be sure, check the manufacturer's recommendations for siting the telly and you'll probably find a safe operating temperature range. Compare this to the temperature of a thermometer hung where you want to hang your telly.


Since they are concrete steps, slope them from the radius point. All the risers will be the same and the only difference will be at grade, which would be the same problem without sloping the treads. For that matter, the whole assembly can or could be pitched a little or all of the 5% slope to minimize the difference at the first riser.

I have not checked to confirm if it still holds true, but in the U.S., outside steps are required to have slope, but not to exceed 1/4" over 12".

To help picture this in words, if to make every tread level, the riser needs to be
20 cm tall. To make each one slope, reduce the height of the bending form to make the riser 5-8 mm shorter and raising the concrete form so the top of the forms are at finished height. This will automatically pitch the treads.


Why is my bathroom fan buzzing and humming when I first turn it on?

Sticky old oil in the bearings. After buzzing (and probably turning very slowly) for a while, the motor heats up enough for the oil to liquify, and then it runs normally.

Try fresh oil if the bearings have a place to apply oil, or consider a new fan. This is a common problem with old fans.


What type of glass allows UV-B radiation to pass for laundry sanitizing?

Quartz glass passes UV-B and is what the tubes of UV bulbs is made of.

But it’s prohibitively expensive for use as roofing material. And rather fragile.

Why not put a UV-B bulb near your laundry? Aside from that the UV rays will cause premature fading of your clothes and maybe blind passers-by. /s

Using oxiclean or similar hydrogen peroxide “color safe bleach” or very hot water will effectively kill the bacteria that make clothes smell dank in the tropics.


Concrete column splice - weld or surround with 6mm?

Historically rebar has had high carbon so so very likely to crack if welded.  Modern rebar is lower carbon but is not intended to be welded. Depending on the composition of the rebar you have a fair chance of no cracks in the weld zone. I would stay with the traditional wire joint.


How should I frame in a large window opening to install a smaller window?

If you were framing this opening from the start, figure 1 is the way it would be done. I would go that direction so it will make sense to anyone working in this area of your home in the future.

Did you consider the possibility of centering the new window horizontally in the existing opening? That may result in a better proportion. In that case I would still use the approach in figure 1 with new vertical sections on both sides extending the entire height of the opening.


Since the original window sash, and not the jamb, were replaced with a window replacement insert, to keep the look the same, you need to do some fabricating.

All this is dependent upon if you can find an exact replacement unit to match the one installed in 2007. The chance of that.... maybe. Window manufactures make changes to their product over time. Your window is possibly not in production anymore, but the next generation of window that carries the same size and some the details is what would now be available. Again, this is only a possibility.

What you will need to buy in addition, and this will be much, much more unlikely, is the wood window unit that matches the original one to the house when it was built in 1991. If you do, you would still need to throw away the operable sashes of that unit and install just the jamb. A big expense just to throw away a major part of it.

If it were me, I would get the materials to make a new wood jamb to match the one installed in 1991.

Construction details for wood window jambs are really quite basic construction. A tablesaw and miter box is all that is needed for tools along with drill and screwgun.
Priming everything before assembly would be essential.

The brick mold on the outside of the window may be the only other part difficult to match exactly. All are basically the same size, but there are minor detailing differences from one supplier to the next. Some folks don't worry over this too much since the differences are so small.


Outdoor led wall panel - reacting when hit by a ball

My guess is that if you can't find something pre-made (which would be by far cheapest thanks to the efficiencies of mass production), the best way would be to have two panels:

The back panel would be an LED panel, protected by the front panel from being hit by the ball.
The front panel would be a plastic (i.e.,transparent) panel with sensors - perhaps in the corners - to detect hits.
Then you need a small computer (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, etc.) to connect it all together to change the lights as needed, keep track of the score, etc. The hardware shouldn't cost all that much, but there would be some significant programming involved. Not a trivial project, but a lot of fun if you are truly geeky (like me) and have time (which I don't :-( )


Where can I find unusual L-shaped brackets?

You could get a length of 1" x 1" x 1/8" angle steel, and manufacture your own.

Start by using a chop saw to cut the angle steel into pieces as wide as you need.

Next cut one side of the L to 3/16". A jig will help you cut the pieces quickly and accurately.

Use another jig to help you drill the holes.  A drill press with a carbide-tipped or cobalt drill bit will be useful for this.

Finally, paint the brackets to the desired color using a quality spray paint designed for metal.


HEPA Vacuums for Lead Renovate, Repair, and Paint

A HEPA filter on a regular shop vac wil be fine, I wouldn't bother using a household vacuum even with a HEPA filter though.


How to prevent cockroaches climbing onto something?

I had a client who had the same problem with the box bed. I put two wraps of foil tape around the frame and it kept those little bast...ds from climbing up. You have to make sure the surface is really smooth and kink free. You can pick up this tape at any home store.

Also, try to bug proof your place. Check for openings around drain and water pipes. Place a few of those "Roach Motels" around the place to kill off some that might already be in. Other than spraying insecticide, which many people don't want to do, I don't know anything else to do. There's a reason they've been around since before the dinosaurs and have survived. Good luck.


First of all, most if not all "wifi" thermostats have a battery backup so the thermostat keeps working even if the wifi goes down.

Second, if you lose power, how do you expect your furnace to keep running?  Your existing thermostat runs on electricity too.


Repairing water damage to ceiling drywall where ceiling meets wall

You'll want to remove a section for repair and inspection. Keep in mind, the hard part of wall finishing is the plastering. Also the worst part of the water damage is going to be in the least visible area, in behind the wall. Cut out a section of the damaged wall large enough to inspect behind. Mold is a concern but once it's dry it tends to die. Anti mold spray is available for exactly this purpose.

Mold spraywww.homedepot.com


Drain pipes are generally run below the "frost line" for the region, and should never freeze in anthing resembling a normal winter.


Unknown LED fixture replacement identification

Barking up the wrong tree.
The LED emitter is not defective
Since the beginning of artificial light, the emitting device has been a high-wear item that needs frequent replacement. We've been replacing logs, candles, wicks and bulbs for 10,000 years, so it seems perfectly reasonable that "surely the light emitting thing must be frequently replaced".
You have charged headlong into this project with this assumption on your mind, and have never doubted it or re-examined it.
In similar vein, vacuum tubes in radios once needed frequent replacement.  Now, they are replaced by semiconductor transistors that essentially never fail.
That is what has happened with LED.  The "light emitting thing" is a semiconductor, and is vanishingly unlikely to fail.   Not impossible, but on any light assembly, it's the least likely to fail.
As such, LED light fixtures have no reason to make the 'bulb' replaceable.
The electronic driver, which conditions supply power to the exact current flow needed for the LED, is a different matter.  It is full of less reliable parts such as capacitors and Chinese 'anything'.
What you certainly have there is a perfectly functional LED and a broken driver.
But don't take my word on it. Place that lamp onto a bench power supply.  Tell the power supply to supply 10 milliamps max (better power supplies let you do this - very important).  Then increase voltage until it lights.
Don't be tempted to run it at higher milliamps unless its heat sink is properly installed. That will burn it up.
Look at the driver
I'm pretty sure France uses something like the Europlug, and not that tiny little barrel connector I see. Therefore, there is something between the little barrel socket and AC mains power.  My guess is the driver is an electrical "match" for that particular Cree emitter.  That, I think, is the item which has failed.
That driver module you photographed, the picture is too poorly lit and blurry to make out the figures, but it clearly says "Constant Current Type".  That's very important, and also not a surprise, since it is the nature of LEDs that they must be driven in a current-regulated fashion to get peak performance out of them.  (they are unable to self-limit their current the way an incandescent can).
Anyway, any driver should suffice so long as it has

the exact current output that this driver states
An input AC mains voltage range that is acceptable
An output voltage range that is compatible with the LED emitter
The necessary government certifications (CE is worthless, but note the "TUV" stamp just to the left of it).


Wall furnace material - could it be asbestos?

It could be.

A few things you've left out where the year of the build of your home and the area you are in. These could help narrow down if this was used in your area at the time of construction.

You have two options:

Pickup a test kit from your local hardware store - or bring a sample to be tested by a lab.
Call a qualified professional for an opinion: Knowledgeable contractors can identify this immediately or you can contact the local authority in your area who deals with asbestos.

Asbestos used in insulation wraps are typically OK unless they are disturbed. Since there is a doubt, stop everything you are doing until you've confirmed what it is.


Existing home. Lived here for years. Breaker popped loud sound, help!

This is a serious electrical risk. You (and your kids) cannot afford NOT to have an electrician come and check out this dangerous situation. Attempting to bypass the problem without expert advice risks fire and electrocution.


Well the vapor barrier will help but it depends on a lot more. I have completed basements and below grade daylight basements that were / are totally dry without the plastic because the plastic would affect the grounding plane or uffer grounding system. The base of the slab had 6" to +12" of compacted rock then the wall footings or they were first also had at least 12" of rock and drain tubes around the foundation. Last we sealed the wall from the outside several different coatings in wet areas and heavy plastic sheeting from the siding down to the bottom then back filled with crushed rock. None of these leaked. On the wall line but one full basement did have water entry at a emergency window exit that a sump was added on the outside to keep from happening again. It all depends on how things were built. I have seen homes built over natural springs that were dry but other homes that were in a dry area on a hill leak like a some one was pumping water in. It all depends on how the home was prepared , and drained.  To tell the truth I don't see anything that works well from the inside if you have leakage , but if dry tape a plastic bag down on both the floor and walls. Wait 24 hours if the area looks damp maybe a sealer like epoxy paint may help but if water droplets I would be cautious unless you just had a 500 year rain storm.


Get a can of expandable foam from your hardware store. If they have it get the one for extra large gaps. Also pick up a tub of ready mixed tile grout.
If the hole is really deep the foam may fall through before it had time to expand so you may need to stuff some newspapers into the hole to give the foam some thing to rest on until it had time to set up. Get as thick a layer of foam in there as possible for insulation.

After it has set, trim it off half an inch below floor level and trowel in the grout mixture level with the floor.


How should I connect GFCI outlets where the wires loop over the existing outlet?

Option 1, which has the merit of being easy:  Put them both on LINE, just like that. Leave the warning tape on the LOAD terminals.

This will only provide GFCI protection at this receptacle location, and you would need to buy GFCIs for each socket.

Now if you want one GFCI device to protect every receptacle on the circuit, you have several options.

Option 2: Fit a GFCI+breaker

These critters are more expensive than a GFCI+receptacle device, and you need to open up your service panel to do it. But voila, your entire circuit is protected and done.  You could protect 5 circuits in about 10 minutes' work, instead of all the chasing and troubleshooting I'll next describe:

Option 3: Reverse-engineer the circuit to place the GFCI correctly

Every GFCI has a pair of LOAD terminals, which protect loads downstream from the GFCI device itself. That is simple on breakers and plain GFCI (deadfronts). But on GFCI+receptacles, their dual function makes it very easy to misapply the LOAD terminals, and cause big problems.  Hence the warning tape. Heed it.

You will need to get some testing equipment (dollar-store night lights are great) to detect power on each receptacle socket.   First, turn off the breaker to that circuit, and check absolutely everything to figure out which loads are on that circuit, and which are not.  You don't want to miss a load.  If the breaker is a 2-pole breaker, you have a MWBC and you'll need a lot more skill to do this; instead just punt back to the "Fit a GFCI+Breaker" option using a 2-pole GFCI breaker.

Take a guess at which receptacle load is the first one reached by the cable from the panel.  Regrettably, you'll need to cut that nifty loop there.  If this turns out to be the wrong one, darn.  Strip a little more insulation back so the wires can go into a wire-nut or around a screw terminal, and either sit there making 4 shepherd's hooks and putting them on 4 screw terminals, or just get a 6" length of black and white wire and pigtail the receptacle using wire-nuts.  My knees prefer the latter.

If you found the right location, when you sever those wires (cap them off temporarily with wire-nuts), the entire rest of the circuit will be dead when you turn the breaker back on.  That is the best place to put the GFCI+receptacle device.  Now you need to figure out which black/white pair is the supply.  Trial and error will suffice.  Attach that to the LINE terminals as I describe here:

Best way to use LOAD terminals without it going badly

STEP 0: Grounds go everywhere.

The GFCI engine doesn't use ground.  But they are often packaged in  or combined with things which do need ground.  (e.g. a GFCI+receptacle combo device, whose sockets need ground).  So if able, ground it. Grounds are always pigtailed so you can remove the device without severing the ground.

STEP 1: Attach only 2 conductors to the LINE terminals.

Over the course of mapping the circuit, you will find 1 cable/wire pair (black, white) that you think may be your supply hots.

Connect only that pair only to the LINE terminals of the GFCI.  (obviously also connect ground).

Give the GFCI a full shakedown cruise.  Make sure it powers up, make sure a big load like a toaster works on it, try its test/reset buttons, try a 3-lamp tester/external GFCI tester (ground needs to be hooked up for an external GFCI tester to work) etc.  Until you do this, do not pass GO, do not collect $200.

STEP 2: Hook up anything else to the LOAD terminals

Without disturbing work so far, only now tear the warning label off the LOAD terminals, and to them, hook up any additional (downline) loads.  If you need to land 2 on there, use a pigtail.

If you get any GFCI trips that you aren't intentionally causing via testing, then separate all your loads and apply one load at a time until you find the load that is tripping.  That load has a problem. The problem is probably not a defective GFCI device, it's a defective load that needs cleaning, repair or replacement.  Do that.

Then label each downline receptacle "GFCI Equipped" and if applicable, "No Equipment Ground".


Threaded copper fitting stripped, whats my next move?

That looks like a standard '3/8 compression x 1/2" MIP' (male iron pipe) connector. You can get it at any hardware store.

Normal procedure is to cut the tubing above the fitting and install a new one. Your tubing does not look too good, you have to have fairly smooth tubing surface for the new compression fitting to be able to slide on and seal. You may have to cut a little farther up on the tube. Be VERY careful not to kink or bend the tube while cutting it.

This is how compression fittings work.

You may want to purchase a mini tubing cutter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u77SJgIS4mY,


How do I find doors of unorthodox sizes?

Quite simply, you get doors of nonstandard size via special order.

When looking at door replacement, measure the size of the door slab itself, not the frame. If you have e.g. a 30 inch door, that means the rectangular piece of wood that is the door itself is 30 inches wide (and likely 80 inches tall which has been standard in the USA for decades, although that can vary as well). A 30 inch door may require a 30.5 inch gap measured from edge to edge of the frame (note: this is an example, I don't know the actual clearance). If you try installing a 30.5" door slab into a frame with exactly 30.5" of clearance, you will not be able to close it. Doors have thickness, and the hinges need a little bit of wiggle room as they swing the door out.

Your question is slightly ambiguous about what exactly you are trying to replace, so I will cover both options here.

Replacing the door slabs: simply measure the doors themselves. Measure the width, height, thickness, the dimensions and locations of the hinge plates, location of the latch (the part that sticks out of the side and keeps it closed), etc.
Replacing the door along with the jamb, i.e. a complete pre-hung door. Measure the width and height of the door slab, and also the rough-in size. Do this by removing the door casing carefully to avoid damaging the surrounding area, and removing any other obstructions that prevent viewing the underlying wall framing. You should be able to see the edge of the drywall and, depending on how tight the jamb is to the wall framing, the jack studs that surround the door. Measure the width and height of the rough-in opening. I would also measure the thickness of the wall: while a 2x4 wall is fairly standard, you may encounter "sideways stud" walls that are thinner, or even a 2x3 wall. This could be the case in older construction near closet doors (my house has a few like this).

When you talk to the person helping place the special order, it helps to have all of these measurements already done. "Hi, I have a door slab with dimensions X by Y, rough-in is A by B. I need a pre-hung door that will fit in this opening."

Do not underestimate the importance of measuring all of these things instead of going to the nearest big-box home improvement store and grabbing a door off the shelf that may or may not fit. Even little things like making sure the mortises for the hinge plates match (if buying only the door slab) will save you time and frustration later on.


Should I use 2' x 2' tiles for a galley kitchen?

You really need to have a solid surface for large tiles.  The actual tiling is not the hard part.  You need to make sure you have a very very flat concrete or backer board subfloor.

As for installing the tiles the only thing "harder" is that you will have to back butter your tiles.  Also if you mess up a cut bad it costs you more.

The flip side is if your subfloor is set up right you can have a really nice looking kitchen floor.  The big tiles do look nicer and clean easier.  Also if you start in the right spot all/most of your cut edges can be hidden easier.


Is it normal for pressure-treated lumber to warp?

Treated wood doesn't always twist/warp/shrink, but in my experience more often than not it will to some degree. For something small like window planter boxes etc. I would use non-treated lumber and stain or paint with a quality exterior grade product. Obviously if the project is a deck or similar structure subjected to the inevitable wrath of Mother Nature then you should always use PT. Or as Kris suggested you could elevate and stack PT lumber to dry under controlled circumstances to mitigate warping.


How to determine if a 20 amp breaker can be upgraded to 30 amp

It depends upon two things:

The gauge (thickness) of the wire; and
The length of the wire.

For 30 amp, a typical household installation requires 10 gauge:

To measure it you'll need to use a wire gauge measurement tool on an uninsulated piece of the wire:

You can get these on Amazon


Projects to Pursue while Studs are Bare?

You'll need to install hard-wired smoke alarms to meet current residential code. This requires three-strand+ground wire run to the necessary locations -- one in the hallway leading to the bedrooms (carbon monoxide and smoke) and then one smoke alarm in each bedroom.
Seal any wire penetrations between the heated envelope of your home (such as where pipes and wires penetrate the top or bottom plate) with spray foam.
Remediate any insect or rotten wood or air sealing problems. Watch for dirty insulation as you pull any existing insulation out.
You might need to replace your fuse box with a modern circuit breaker box.


Yes, bathroom lighting and other hardwired loads are always allowed to be on other, non-bathroom circuits, except for these particular ones:

Not Kitchen countertop circuits, since they must be dedicated to that. NEC 210.11(C)(1)
Not the laundry room circuit, since it must be dedicated to that.  NEC 210.11(C)(2)
Not a bathroom receptacle circuit that serves other bathrooms. (NEC 210.11(C)(3) which is what ThreePhaseEel is talking about.)

However, it's allowed if the bathroom recep circuit serves only this bathroom.

So for instance, suppose your existing bathroom recep circuit, the one you want to extend, already serves non-bathroom loads, but it's "grandfathered" because this was setup before Code changed. That's fine; it gets to stay grandfathered; but you can't use it for the new bathroom.  At all.
The rule of grandfathering is you can't make the situation worse.


How do I fill a gap between wall tile and acrylic shower base

If you have access to the same tiles that you used, you could cut them to size (you may want to consider using a good cutter or wet saw). That way you can caulk the space in between the tile and the acrylic shower base. If you don't have any extra tiles or can't find any more of the same type, you could find a nice complementary looking small tile and install that instead.


Help identify outdoor frost free faucet make & model

Thanks to a YouTube video, this is likely some model of B&K Mueller QuarterMaster hydrants.


Is it possible to adapt a NEMA 14-50R to a NEMA 6-20P or NEMA 6-30P appliance?

Nothing easier.  You're already on a 30A breaker, just change the receptacle to L6-30R.

Don't even bother with an adapter cable.

Just cap off the neutral inside the junction box, you won't need it.

However the breaker must match the receptacle.  If you change to a NEMA 6-20R receptacle, you'd need to change the breaker to 20A.


The blue capped pipe doesn’t look big enough. I think toilets need 3” poppies, unless there some kind of power flush.

Also, a floor mounted toilet comes with a set rough-in distance from the back wall (like 8”, 12”, etc.) and is centered on the toilet fixture. So, measure from the back wall AND from the side wall to see if it will fit. If a floor mount toilet won’t work, you may need to find a wall-hung toilet and use a drain line in the wall, if there is one.

Likewise, a tub or shower have limited distances for rough-in too.

Generally the sink drain can be routed around and tie into the shower or toilet drain. You just need adequate wall space to mount the cabinets, etc.

The vent could be a problem if they have not extended something up through the roof. Look in the ceiling joist space for a 1 1/2” to 2” pipe that has been capped.


The anchors you chose to use are for a VERY hard wall surface, like concrete or masonry.
The type of wall hangers you would need for a saw tooth hanger could be as simple as a nail driven at an angle or something more suitable off the store shelf.


Chances are pretty good that the red wire is just extra (or the black wire). The two most common types of wire for lighting and outlets come in 2 and 3 wire varieties, so sometimes you have an extra wire. Try to hook up just the white and black (green to ground), and see if it works.  If not, swap the black for red.

Of course if you have a voltage tester, you can check the white/black and white/red pairs for voltage before hooking up the light.

There's a small chance that one of the red or black wires has constant voltage and the other is switched, so use a voltage detector and make sure all the power is off before splicing anything.


Can water pressure changes cause hot water tank to leak?

The shower was being used when the water was turned off. Was the power or gas turned off to the water heater? Low water level on many tanks left running can cause failure of the tank. This is the reason many recommend to turn the water heater off if on a long vacation.


Is the vermiculite found in my popcorn ceiling toxic? Can I remove it myself?

Vermiculite on its own poses no health risk, and can be removed without concern.  However, in many cases, mined vermiculite can contain traces of Asbestos, and so its removal is not recommended without an asbestos test.  I would, as Scott suggests, call the testing company, and make sure that since no asbestos fibers were found, this indicates that the vermiculite used was asbestos free.  If that is the case, you are good to go (that being said- wear a mask when you strip the popcorn ceilings, or you'll be coughing and hacking a lot- that dust is nasty).


How do I detect live electrical wires with a degree of confidence?

I would treat an inconsistent reading as a positive (live wires).  The reality is, it's hard to detect with 100% confidence an actual live wire behind a wall with a stud finder or non-contact tester as these can be triggered by low voltage lines, or line-voltage lines that are off but in close proximity to other live circuits.  The proximity of the wire to the walls surface is also a factor here.

Wires running vertically should be stapled to the stud so you are less likely to hit them when cutting into walls, so it's really the horizontally run cables you need to worry about.

An inspection camera is a handy device for these scenarios since you can look around the stud cavity to confirm or rule out the presence of electrical wires.

I'm assuming this is because you want to cut into the wall.  If you think there might be wires behind where you are cutting, instead of using a drywall saw, try just scoring the drywall and give it a good whack with a hammer to break out the piece of drywall - you're far less likely to damage wires or other infrastructure this way.


Contradictory theory with vapour barrier - basement bathroom

It's complicated. Basically, there are three principles to understand: 1) vapor will move from warm space to cool space, 2) if and when vapor gets into the wall, and it will get in, then it needs the ability to get out, 3) we're not dealing with "moisture" from the exterior. (I'm assuming the building envelope does not leak), and 4) all this reverses for warm climates.

So, 1) is simple...sort of...just make sure you have a really good exhaust fan. Your bathroom (I'm assuming there's a tub/shower) will generate a lot of "vapor" and what does not get exhausted, will migrate into the wall...no matter how good your "vapor barrier" is or how good it is installed. When this occurs, it will turn to moisture at the dew point. Now it's a problem.

So, as 2) implies, when the vapor in the wall turns to moisture, then it needs to escape. If a "moisture barrier" (moisture barrier has a perm rating of 1.0 or better (less)) is installed on the inside face of the wall, it will inhibit the moisture from escaping. Therefore, I do not recommend installing a moisture barrier (polyethylene sheet, foil faced insulation or similar) on the inside face of the wall...vapor barrier (with a perm rating from 10.0 or worse (higher)) yes, that's ok.

3) and 4) are not discussed here, but important to understand. (Some people think no exterior "moisture barrier" should be used because in the summer this all COULD reverse. However, all siding manufacturers recommend a moisture barrier and I think too much moisture would be injected into the wall system without the moisture barrier.)

Whether you use batts or rigid insulation it does not change these concepts. If rigid is used, I'd use closed cell so vapor does not penetrate the rigid board and then get trapped.

Also, these principles are the same whether it's an interior wall or exterior wall. (I wouldn't use insulation in an interior wall, unless it's for sound control.) But I would use a "vapor barrier" on an interior wall.

Also, same principles for ceiling...use vapor barrier (no poly, etc.)

It's very confusing: Moisture Barrier = perm of 1.0 down to .01 and Vapor Barrier = 10 and up. (By the way, a really good paint system has a perm rating of 6.0-7.0)


Can I drill another set of holes in my studs to mount a TV?

Yes. It's OK

Mounting holes do not significantly affect the strength/function of studs (within reason - if you make Swiss cheese out of them, you might manage to have an effect - but that's not what you are describing.) If you are going to be very close (1/4" or less) to the old holes, you may need to drill them out and glue in a dowel before you drill the new holes - if further away, no need.


How do I properly prepare newly-finished drywall for priming?

You didnt have to use a mop, for next time all you have to do is take a broom to it and sweep the dust off, put some primer on, wait for it to dry and then take a pole sander to it, and dust clumps left on the wall is forever gone.


Should the wiring to my recessed light have a strain relief and a ground wire connected?

There's several problems here:

The ground wires seem to be missing. That looks like yellow Romex (12/2, with ground). You need to ground your light fixtures and the box (which is why the box has that ground wire)
They ran 2 wires into the same hole (normally you put one per hole)
The wires are simply electrically taped together
The rail should be attached to joists on both sides.

What they should have done was use a NM wire clamp to hold each wire in its own hole.

The clamp holds the wires firmly in place, and prevents the wires from rubbing against the metal box (which could cause a short, and potentially a fire)


how much damage does window condensation cause

The critical point here is that your interior humidity level should be based on the outside temperature. At zero Fahrenheit you should be down around 25% inside, or maybe lower.

That said, it's difficult to eliminate all window condensation while surviving as a human. Weather can change abruptly, and it's difficult to get your house to keep up.

When things get very wet I'll go around and wipe up the liquid water each morning before it starts puddling. Wood damage occurs fairly easily. A bit of fog isn't a big deal.


If you don't need to clean and reseal the deck to start with, you can use a wasp/hornet/flying insect killer in a spray can.  They usually shoot a stream at least 10 feet so you can single out the holes and get the bees as they fall out.  Fill the holes with caulk afterward so anything left inside can't get out.

If you plan to clean and reseal the deck anyway, a pressure washer does fine for cleaning but would have too much splatter and overspray for sealing.  Try a roller on a pole or a garden sprayer with a long nozzle so you have better control applying the sealer.


I agree; it sounds like a blown ballast to me. As Ed Beal suggests, if the ballast is rapid-start (2 wires per tube end) the imbalance of some LEDs some real fluorescent may have caused it undue stress.  Or perhaps the ballast was starting to get marginal on its own, and using LEDs forestalled the problem until it deteriorated more.
I'd roll it back to real fluorescent and see if that takes care of it; if it does, happy dappy.  Today's real fluorescents are superb in color quality, and electronic ballasts take care of the rest of the undesirable qualities of "That 70's Fluorescent".  So no need to go LED if it works at that point.
Note that T8 real fluorescent tubes will not work on T12 ballasts or vice versa. They may "half-work" with bad side effects, and will stress out the ballast.


Can condensing furnace experience too much condensate and cause repeated short cycles?

The pressure switch was faulty (sticking)

Normal operation should not be more than 5 minutes to start the flames.


Advantages to quotes from Lowe's/Home Depot vs direct from contractors?

HD and Lowes to my knowledge do not have any contractors on staff.  Meaning that they outsource all of their services to local contractors.

Pros

you get a warranty from a company you know will probably honor it in a year
you can sometimes - not all the time - use their financing and may be able to have zero interest for a year if your credit is good enough (if you don't pay it in that time you do pay back interest)
edit:  Adding in another pro since I forgot about why I have used them going back 15 years ago.  During one of my flips I couldn't find a licensed plumber - well I could but I was new to flipping in the area and was under an immensely quick timeline, so the bids I was getting were high but the worst part is no one would guarantee a deadline.  I got a 4k plumbing bid from bigbox but stipulated that it must be done within 10 days or money back.  I couldn't believe the supervisor at bigbox signed it... Day 9 they were 20% done.  I called and informed supervisor and took pictures (with a real camera).  4 plumbers finished the next day.  I doubt bigbox was worried about the job but sure the supervisor was worried about his.  But if you can get them to agree on timelines it is probably very easy to deal with your credit card company to decrease amount.

Cons

HD/Lowes make money by jacking up the normal price by 20-100%.  I have seen very simple small bathroom installations get 20k quotes.  Just thinking I could do 20 of these a year and live very nicely just by doing bathrooms.
They do very little to vet out contractors.  Usually these are guys who aren't drumming up enough business on their own.  For the bigger companies that HD/Lowes deal with you aren't getting their best people.  The only thing that HD/Lowes does is take contractors off their list once they have had issues.
you will now have a middle man to deal with that will be fed part of the information/issues from you and part from the contractor.  Also you will have to deal with admin issues with the middle man.  I have seen many times HD/Lowes mess up these small contracts and leave something off or promise something to one side and not the other.
you could have multiple contractors for a seemingly easy job.  There is no one "owning" who is going into your house.
Good luck taking one of the big boxes to court if you can't resolve an issue.  Most of their small print would probably make you file hundreds of miles away and moves things out of small claims.  You are also dealing with a legal team.  Back in the day I had a friend who was using one of the "orange" ones to sub subcontract... He had several disputes.  He basically got a letter from their lawyer banning him from their stores after he filed a police report.

My advice.  I would only use them if you feel that you don't have any reputable businesses around you that can do the work (not reputable Joe from craigslist - and nothing wrong with using Joe if you are confident on what you need to do) or if you feel you are just the type of person everyone takes advantage of.


Is switching my flourescent light fixures to LED fixures a DIY project?

Fluorescent fixtures are fairly simple to work with. There are LED tube bulbs that will plug right into the system without touching the ballast, but these cost more and are less energy efficient. Upgrading your existing fixture to ballast-free LED's should be easy- mostly consisting of just removing and throwing away the old ballast and rerouting some wires. If your existing tubes are not T12 you would also have to change the tombstone connectors.

There is a better article to read here at EarthLED that describes different fluorescent tube replacements and how to use them. Here is a brief excerpt from the article:

  The oldest but also least expensive and most widely installed option
  is the ballast bypass or direct wire LED fluorescent replacement tube.
  Instead of building expensive circuitry inside to enable the function
  with a ballast, this option instead allows the user to bypass the
  ballast entirely and run directly off of the line voltage at the
  installation.


Can paint/hardware stores match stain like they do paint?

I would buy something close and tint it yourself.  You can run sample swatches on scraps of your unfinished lumber and stop when you get it right.  This will also allow you to experiment with different techniques to see which is the best match, e.g. how long to let the stain soak in before wiping it off.

See http://www.ehow.com/way_5938323_can-add-tint-wood-stain_.html


How do I use three-prong appliances when my outlets are mostly two-prong?

I'm assuming you're in the US.

Get a tester and see if the box is grounded. A two lead neon type tester works well for this. Insert one lead into one side of the two-prong outlet and touch the other lead to the screw that holds the plate on. Try the other side, too. You may have to scratch off some paint if the screw isn't bare metal. If it lights up that's good news. You can use a multi-meter set to read AC voltage or another type of tester instead of the neon one.

If you have grounded boxes, you can either buy two-prong to three prong adapters that have a lug that you put the plate's screw through or you can buy replacement outlets that are designed for retrofitting in this application.

Your other option is to have an electrician come in and upgrade your wiring to full grounding.


Stair case shoerail minimum width and extending width of closed stringer

Typical Balusters will tend to make the stringer rotate when a force is applied perpendicular to the stairway. (Code requires a resistance of 200 lbs. applied at the top of the guardrail and perpendicular to the guardrail.) I’d try installing several newel posts along the stairway. They could extend from the floor up to the guardrail height so they won’t rotate.


How can I wire a single gang 3-way fan control and dimmer?

I don't think it's possible to get everything you want because of the 3-way requirement. There is no true 3-way dimmer setup with double throw switches. The ones promoted as such use electronics to detect the change of state in the satellite switch and mimic 3-way operation. Such a setup may or may not work with your current wiring, you would need to refer to the installation instructions for a specific device.

And even if the pseudo 3-way dimmer is made to work, it cannot be done in a single gang box, the fan control would need it's own box. The closest scheme I can imagine would require a double box at one end with the sole fan control and a separate dimmer control. The other end could be single gang to contain the dimmer satellite control. No fan control would be possible from the satellite end. Even so, you are likely a wire short between fan control and fan, but it's not possible to say for sure without detailed information on all the devices involved.

With most fans available today, it's unlikely to be able to switch the light and fan all with a single pair of 3-way switches. The typical fan needs it's own dedicated speed control. As it's controlled electronically, it's not even possible to set the speed to maximum and then toggle it on and off with a wall switch. When you cut the power, the fan "forgets" it's status. When power is restored, it most likely will default to the off state. And the fan would never work on a dimmer controlled circuit no matter what.

There are other possibilities, but in each case, you will need to give up one or two things, either single gang, dimmer control, use existing 3 wires, or 3-way control. Depending what you would be willing to give up, a solution likely exists. You just can't have it all.


Can I fully load multiple breakers (rooms) in my apartment?

I don't know about your local code requirements, but in almost all countries at least the building has some breaker to connect to the power grid.

For example for my house this means \$3 \cdot 63A \cdot 230V = 43.47kW \$. Check it for your house. That is a whole lot of power that could easily set lots of things on fire.

However there are some things to note that do not make all this available for me:

There are other persons/electric devices in my house
the power company allows at most 40kW to be drawn continuously (due to limitations of the installed measuring equipment)
Drawing so much power will lead to a voltage drop that depends on many factors.
Most breakers do not like to be run on their exact amps value and trip after a while (sometimes hours). Use some safety margin.

Depending on the wiring you use (inside the walls and as short, non chained extension chords), they will introduce some more or less noticeable voltage drop, further decreasing the usable power for your devices.

For safety reasons you should check (or if you do not have the tools and knowledge to do so, let it be done by someone else) all equipment involved. There could also be other limiting factors involed, e.g. an RCD/GFCI.

125MLO indeed means that the panel is rated for max 125A.

For extra safety install multiple kill switch methods and a smoke alarm...


You're fine just so long as the fan enclosure covers the wires and the wires do not interfere with the rotation of the fan.


How to repair towel rack that was anchored in drywall

I would use a jab saw to enlarge the hole. Then use a rod of wood and place it behind the spot your towel rack will eventually sit. (Make sure the piece of wood is longer than the towel rack bracket). Screw through the drywall above where the towel rack bracket will sit and below it. This will anchor the wood to the back of the wall while you patch the hole. Once that is done you can patch the hole with a pathig kit (ex.  https://www.amazon.com/Wall-Doctor-Drywall-Patch-2)

Once you have let that set and cure you can remount your towel rack bracket. U can remove the extra screws and patch those holes over with a little spackling.


Water gets really hot after 2 minutes in the shower for 5 minutes then goes normal

There's probably some heat exchange between pipes happening at some point, or you're getting backflow from the water heater(s). You'll need to investigate with your building manager and a plumber. There's not much we can say with the limited information you've provided.


Pipe not straight, touching another pipe - possible fixes

A little window and door, low pressure expanding foam will do the trick. Be very careful around those pipes they are in very bad shape. Don't pry or push on them. You are going to need a complete overhaul of your heating system if they are representative of your system. I'd start putting money away if I were you.

Don't use the regular expanding foam. It creates enormous amount of pressure.


Why is there still voltage in my wires when the breaker is off?

What you are seeing is called phantom voltage.
This is a voltage induced from another live circuit that is running parallel to your now dead circuit.
Proof the breaker worked all the lights went out.
Phantom voltage is a voltage and depending on several factors it may be 120v but there is no current potential thus the lights are out.
There is a possibility that this could be part of a multiwire branch circuit
And the neutral is conducting the other circuits power back to the source.
And that’s why multiwire branch circuits require handle ties by modern code.


Will my floating laminate flooring contract in winter enough to show the edges?

You're correct that the flooring will be at its minimum dimension in winter, when temperatures are slightly lower and, more importantly, humidity is lower. Since you've essentially eliminated all overlap with your skirting, you can expect to see the edges of the floor in winter. Ideally you'd have left about half the gap you did. Most flooring I've installed calls for 1/4" (about 6mm).
The usual solution is to install "base shoe", a small molding designed for basically this purpose. It's often installed when flooring is laid between existing skirting. I would wait and see what movement you actually get and only take action if needed.


How to inspect/test old capped off drain pipe

I would start by pouring water down that drain. If you have a cleanout outside, remove the cap and have someone pour water down the drain and try to observe the water flowing. If it's been capped for a long time, which it appears to have been, you'll probably have to snake it as stuff has probably settled in that pipe. Again, observing down the cleanout, if available, helps. If all this investigating pays off, you can go with it. If you really need "peace of mind" you can rent one of those drain camera's for a couple hundred bucks.


I would be looking at the switched outlet.
If your 1,2,switch are from the closest to your panel I would go to the switched outlet first as it is quite common for a failed backstab to have this problem at the last working outlet or first non working.
you know the switch is getting power and if backstabs are used switches are normally fed by a pigtail.
When the switched outlets other side is fed by a back stab that would be the most likely place, if not there the switch box would be my next check.

If you pull the outlet out and everything starts working the wires need to be moved from the backstabs to the screws. If the outlet has been damaged (melted from arcing) replace it.


It looks like the caulk there is old and cracked. Scrape it all out so you have a good surface to work with and use a premium acrylic caulk. DAP extreme stretch or 230 would be good choices if you dont want to work with silicone. If the gaps are larger than 1/4" you should use window expanding foam or backer rod first to fill the gap before caulking. Then use a wet sponge and your finger or caulk tool to smooth out the bead


Remove the jumper to G, turn dip switch 8 on, and enjoy.

The jumper between W1/Y1 and G on your board is what is causing the fan problem here.  So, I would remove the jumper to the G wire (from W1/Y1) from the zone board with the indoor unit OFF at the service switch, flip dip switch 8 on the zone board to ON to make it so that the zone board calls for fan when a heat call comes in, turn the service switch on the indoor unit back ON, and enjoy your newfound comfort!