How can I stop exhaust fan vent condensation problems?

It's a near certainty to be the insulated flex duct. For the sake of discussion, insulation will help quite a bit, but some drip back is inevitable due to the configuration. Condensation will happen. Bathroom exhaust has a very high dew point. As soon as it hits a surface colder than dew point, condensation happens.

With insulation, condensation will occur much higher up, but it will happen. Then it runs back down the duct to drip out of the fan into the room. The only solution is to not vent straight up. The duct should turn to horizontal as soon as possible after leaving the fan. The remaining duct should slope slightly away from the fan to eliminate drip back. If possible, the duct can be exhausted out a nearby sidewall. If the roof exhaust is the only option, the duct could be configured to have a type of drip loop where water can collect instead of running out of the fan. Hopefully any water collected would evaporate before much can accumulate.

You might consider placing a very small drip hole at the lowest point, and let condensation drip out of the duct into a more suitable container from which it can evaporate.


Yes what you are looking for is a "Master Link" - they are available from places like Grainger, ACE hardware, Home Depot, Bicycle Shops, even amazon.

I looked at your pic - enlarged it - and noticed you had a Genie Pro - I did a search for the following.
The prices though might break your candy machine money..so you will need to skip the soda and snickers bar for a day.
Somewhere under $4.00  ..

Genie Pro Chain Master Link

Moving Up Garage Door Company.

Garage Door Supply Company


How do I remove plastic-headed wiring staples?

You can use the claw of a hammer, a cat's paw, a small pry bar or a flat blade screwdriver as a prying device. Slip the prying device between the plastic & the cable, or slip it between the wood and plastic and pry. Pry gently if you're between the cable and the staple - you don't want to dig into the cable housing and damage it. You can also twist to gently begin moving it away.

If the wire staple is really tight, you can use vice-grips* to grab the plastic around the nail and pry it out a bit until you get enough room to get under there to pry it out. (Or, just keep bending with the vice-grips until you get the nail out - they're not that long.)

Depending on the amount of effort that goes into removing them, you may be able to reuse the wire staples to resecure the wire in its new location, or you may mangle it far beyond reuse. Have a small bag on hand for replacements. It's easier to return the bag unused, than to be up in the attic when you realize you need a few.

*Using "vice-grip" as a generic term for locking pliers, no specific endorsement of Vice-Grip™ brand locking pliers implied or intended.


...And you didn't put a concrete-encased conductor (UFER ground) in the slab? Sigh. That's the easy way out and the most effective ground you can make in most places.

Yes, you need a grounding electrode (ground rod) local to the detached building. Connecting to reinforcing steel in the slab would have provided a very good grounding electrode, but if it's already poured, that ship has sailed.

6 AWG solid is the default minimum size for a connector to a grounding electrode. 8 AWG might be acceptable given that the feed size is 10 AWG, but I'm having trouble tracking down the exact language where that is mentioned. It's one of the messier (or more confusing) sections of the code (IMHO.)


Yes, that's fine.  I do it myself.  I bought some 10x10x6 boxes for splicing some wires that had been cut short by copper thieves, and also to house relays for some lights.

You can also connect the box(es) to the service panel by lengths of EMT conduit (which is exactly what I do). This takes care of grounding.  You are only allowed 4 circuits per conduit (unless the conduit is <24" long), so in the case of my big 6x10x10 box, I ran 4-6 conduits between box and panel.

For simpler jobs, my preference is to run a 1/2" or 3/4" conduit to either a 4" or 4-11/16" square junction box (much cheaper at the electrical supply than the big-box store).  Then I bring 4 circuits into each box.  For the last hop from box to panel I use stranded THWN-2 individual wires, which is easier to work with and is legal in conduit.  (the reason not to use stranded THWN everywhere is it's hard to attach to receptacle/switch screws, until you get the knack).

These boxes are also nice places to mount GFCI deadface or receptacles if you want to protect a whole circuit, but don't want to spend $40 for a GFCI breaker.

You need 4-1/2 cubic inches per pair of non-ground wires spliced.  So one 120V circuit needs 9 cubic inches, and a 120/240 split phase circuit needs 13.5 c.i.  You also need one 2.25 cubic inch allowance which covers all ground wires.  I use  4-11/16" boxes (or 4" square boxes with extension boxes) for the necessary cubic inches; (42 c.i. and 22+22 c.i. respectively).


Can I replace all the Qest pipe in my home by myself?

It's really difficult to say if you can do this yourself or not. It certainly could be a DIY job, though that doesn't mean it should be in your case.

The first thing I think you need to get is an understanding of the scope of this type of project. It will require tearing up walls to replace pipe, adding fittings, etc.  During this time, you will have the water to your house turned off. How long this will take depends on how large your house is and the complexity of the plumbing system.  Are you able to allocate enough dedicated time of your own to get this done in a reasonable amount of time? Do you have others living with you, and if so, how are they going to feel about not having water for some time?

If I were you, I'd bring in some pros if only to quote out the project. This will give you an idea of how complicated it is. If a master plumber tells you it will take him 5 solid days to do it, count on it taking you a lot longer - is this something you want to get yourself into?

If you want to take a trial and error approach, pick a small section that you feel comfortable working on, like a guest bathroom.  Do the work - how long did it take? Were you able to successfuly complete it without outside assistance?

A lot of time DIY'ers start projects that they can't reasonably finish on-time, and this often leads to stress and unhappy spouses.  It's OK to acknowledge that you are in over your head and you need a pro.

As far as resources, you will certainly find a lot of how-to's on the internet, but you will not find a guide on how to complete your house.  Every project has some unique properties to it and this is where skill and experience really come into play.

Good luck!


GFCI Protected Outlet Trips with GFCI Outlet Tester, but the outlet lost power

Never mind. I thought the GFCI switch in the master bathroom was controlling the outlets in the same room. After some testings, however, I found out that the outlets were actually controlled by a GFCI switch in the guest bathroom. All the devices are working fine. Thank you all for your suggestions. Very much appreciated.


The bridge tap basically just means that you have your DSL modem connected to a pair of phone wires that also branches off to (probably) other jacks in your home. All of those jacks are "bridged" together. This could literally be crimped or twisted connections inside your walls, or you might have a wiring closet with more structure, such as all the wires screwed down to posts on a bus.  This is presuming that you're not on a party line and don't have law enforcement or a nosy neighbor physically tapping your phone line (humor?).

Have you recently plugged anything else into any other phone jacks in your home? If you have, then unplug it and see if your performance improves.

Even without other devices plugged into the extension jacks, a "bridge tap" can cause reflections echoing around on the wires which can interfere with the performance of your DSL modem.

What they're really telling you to do is to have a single, unbranched, dedicated phone line for your DSL modem (2 twisted wires technically, but I'd just think of it as a single thin phone cable).

An electrician or knowledgeable friend could help you with this. This is low-voltage, so the installer doesn't really have to be a licensed electrician unless your locality requires it.


How much #12 NM-B can I put in PVC conduit?

The dimension of Encore 12/2 nm-b is .16x.45 inches. Belden Cable has a calculator, it says you can fit only 8 in 2".


What is the sheathing underneath my brick exterior walls?

A better question would be, why is my sheathing getting wet?

The grain of the sheathing suggests to me it is  Homosote  Homasote.  It should not be squishy, rather firm and resilent.

Something is allowing water past your brick barrier, and then, past what was vapor barrier (for the time, 15-30# tar embedded felt paper.  I would look up, overflowing gutters can get behind fascia boards and run down the inside of the bricks, soaking the sheathing if the vapor barrier was broken during the bricking (as sometimes happened, also mortar bridging can cause this).  In no case is it normal for the sheathing to be wet. Poor tuck pointing (especially around windows) can also allow water intrusion.

Once the water intrusion is corrected, all stud bays in the affected areas should be opened and the sheathing evaluated for viability.  Also, opening the cavity will allow faster drying out and possibly see where the intrusion is starting.

As an aside, my 1941 house used a gypsum lath board for plaster.


Is my main feed the correct size for my panel?

Yes, you should immediately downbreaker to a 135A breaker. Hold on. Those aren't made.

Oh dear.  Well, per NEC  240.4(B)(2), you should round up to the next available breaker size.

You'll need to fit a 150A breaker ASAP.  Sorry to put you to the expense! :)

Seriously, there's  one other thing that may apply here.   Since all the power for the entire domicile comes through this feeder cable, it actually gets to be derated like a service.  Per 310.15(B)(7), you apply a (favorable) 83% derate, meaning the 150A breaker only needs wire rated for 124.5 amps.

Alternately, take your 135A wire ampacity and divide by 0.83 to give 162.7A if it's handling all the power for a domicile.  That again rounds up to 165, 170 or 175A depending on which breaker sizes are actually made.


Does the subpanel feeder need to match the main breaker size?

The feeder for the second panel, is sized to the load it's expected to serve.  The breaker in the main panel, that protects the feeder to the second panel.  Is sized to protect the feeder wire.
For example, if the load calculation shows that the second panel is expected to supply 60 amperes.  Then the feeder to the panel, only has to be sized for the 60 ampere load. You'll then need a breaker in the main panel, that's sized to protect the feeder.  So in the main panel, the feeder will have to be connected to a 60 ampere breaker.
tldr;
Feeders are sized to the load they'll serve.  Breakers are sized to protect the wiring connected to them.


How can I prevent a shower curtain from drifting into the shower's occupant?

This is at least easy to try:  Go to a place that makes vertical blinds.  Buy a handful of the steel plates they use to keep them hanging straight.  Pick up some 3/4" diameter disk magnets.  Put plate on one side of curtain, and a magnet on the other.

If this works, then buy a can of that vinyl goop that you dip tool handles in.  Dip the plates into the goup.  This will keep them from rusting, and if they swing against the wall tile they won't leave a mark.

The weights are easily transferred when you install a new curtain.

If you have a delicate finish on your tub, you may want to change the style of your weights to reduce the chance of scratching:

Weights have beads of silicon seal on them.  Or use rubber drawer bumpers (See Lee Valley Tools)


Problem with getting handrail flange bracket tight to post

I am inclined to agree with Jack in the initial comments here that the bracket shown is what not going to ever be able to constrain the post to no movement. At best the depth of engagement of the post into the bracket is about two inches and the total length of the post is probably about 36 to 40 inches. Think of the size of lever arm at play here. It is very easy to see how even moderate pressure on the post could deform the bottom portion. This would be even more true if the post itself is relatively thin material.

Even if the post were literally welded to the bracket any racking of the post would likely experience problems with the relatively small studs that you have embedded into the concrete.

You will have to find a way to secure the upper end of the post in such manner as to constrain it from movement. This will undoubtedly be taken care of in a direction that is inline with railing assembly once things are fully assembled. Racking of the post in a direction that is at right angles to the railing will require additional measures. Some possible options:

If the upper portion of the railing is adjacent to the building structure use another type of bracket to bolt the upper portion of the post to the building.
If there is additional span of the base concrete about 12 to 18 inches from the post on the side away from where you walk you could attach another bracket to the concrete and secure a bar or rail from there at an angle up about half  the way up the post. This will create a strong triangular structure to prevent the racking. It even looks as if Lowes sells a  bracket made for just this purpose:


How can I get my thermostat C wire connected?

You have a C wire, so use it - you don't have to bridge as that is only necessary if you don't have a spare wire.


Some suggestions:

Regardless of the door type, a good coat of primer and exterior paint will be the better of the finishing options.
a fiberglass or steel surface should outlast a wood one (they should both be 'trimmable' with the right saw blade)
Check to see if your door slab could benefit or be harmed with the inclusion of a storm doors. Some doors benefit (water protection) other's can be damaged by it (over heating in the sun).
consider ripping out the entire door and door jamb and installing a whole new all-in-one pre-hung exterior door. This will allow you to re-square up the opening and also likely give you the most water-tight seal.


You haven't done yourself any favors, but if only the posts are in you could make it work. You'd just have to plunge next to a post, trench six feet, then rotate the machine and repeat. The blade ought to protrude enough to clear a six inch post, and if the fence sections aren't installed clearance between the posts isn't an issue.

In all honesty though, I suspect using a mattock to dig pass the posts may be less aggravation. Trench what you can, and knock the gaps down by hand. It's not like you need to get all of the dirt out as you can work the mesh into loose soils.

I hesitate to mention it but if it's just the posts and they're set in the ground not cement you can pull them straight out and drop them back into the hole after you do the trench. The easiest way is definitely a front end loader with a chain on the bucket; it's a lot more work with a chain, crowbar, and blocks.

There are also chainsaw attachment/chainsaw type trenchers. (Terrasaw among others) I've no idea if you can find one at a nearby rental place but it may be worth a look. I've no experience with them, sounds like a long day but it'd get you close to the fence. [There's also something called the "Alpine Magnum" that I mention for the sake of completeness. I'd never even heard of them before and I'd be absolutely amazed if anyone rented them.]

If the whole fence is in or nothing above works I'd suggest renting a small excavator for the day, assuming you have room along the fence line to drive. That would let you dig flush with the fence, but the trench would end up a bit wider.

Maybe the best piece of advice is to visit your local equipment rental place (the one the specializes in renting machinery, not the BORG) and explain your problem rather than what you want to rent. They know what they have in inventory, and can give you suggestions. For example, the one here rents Bobcats for 1.28 Gigadollars per day and small banged up Kubota with a backhoe for about a quarter of the cost. So "I'm digging a hole" saves you a ton of cash over "I'm looking for a bobcat excavator." Maybe you'll get lucky and they'll have an offset trencher or small skid steer with a tiny bucket.


Power a ceiling fan motor and light from the supply side of a three way switch

You could replace the 14/3wG between the two three-way switches with a 14/4wG cable, and use the fourth conductor to carry the switched-hot back to the 14/2 supply box, where you would connect it to the fan light wire.

This is more labor than your other plan, to connect the fan light directly to the existing light, but it will be a lot less confusing to any future electrician or handyman who has to deal with the circuit.


What is the type & size or part-number of this breaker terminal allen screw?

That could be a TCAL25 Connector Lug. That is what you would need on the breaker in the second picture.

However, you can also buy just the Set Screw separately. They come in many different sizes.


What is the correct way to tile a wall when there are existing electrical sockets

Most electric receptacles are installed into the box with long screws that have a special backing washer. The washer is there to hold out the receptacle, so you can loosen the screws until your receptacle is flush with the outer surface of the wall. The face plate is then fastened to the receptacle. In the US, the screws from the receptacle to box are at the top and bottom of the box (or left and right if mounted horizontally) and the faceplate attaches in the center for a typical outlet, and at top & bottom for switches, GFCI outlets, and many newer-style outlets and switches.

If you can get enough extra distance out of those, then you can tile right up to the edge of the electrical box. Here's an example of an outlet that has been set to protrude a bit outside the box:

Note that you should tile around the edge of the box - don't tile right up to the edges of the receptacle within. This way the receptacle can be accessed if needed. The faceplate will cover past the edges of the box.

If your tile layer is too thick for this simple approach, you may need to move your electrical box out. If you have old work boxes (the kind that are installed by clamping or screwing into the wall), you may be able to loosen them and re-mount them once you've tiled. If your boxes are fastened to structure, you won't be able to adjust them - you'll have to cut them out and mount new ones. Because you're redoing the wall surface, this isn't a huge deal. But there is a shortcut available, the electrical box extender:

As you can see, that's designed for exactly your case. It's preferable to have a properly mounted box, but when that is not practical this gives you an easy alternative.


I had this problem in my house in Georgia with a number of animals, to solve I put my cat in the attic for a few hours a day for a week or so (usually when I was up there anyway). The cat never killed anything, (to my knowledge) but the scent of the cat drove the animals out for good. I have found this solution to be simple, cheap, and effective. It also works with dogs.


How should I affix a flat horizontal object to a vertical chain?

The naive approach is to just put a bolt through the chain, below the plank, at the appropriate height, possibly with some washers around the chain to sit between the plank and the side of the bolt.

My biggest worry with this approach is how the bolt will interact with the other hanging chain link that passes through the same chain link that the bolt passes through.


Why does my Ring doorbell keep repeating the chime?

OK, this may be a side-effect of the way the Ring powers itself.

The Ring is in series with the chime.  In series circuits, the same amount of current (amps) flows around the loop through both devices.  And by the way,  this problem crops up with Nest thermostats and dimmers too.

How does the Ring power itself? By deliberately letting a little bit of current flow through the circuit, including through the chime.  The Ring (like the Nest and dimmers) is betting that a small enough current won't make the chime (furnace, lamp) activate.  And it is guessing at how much current it can get away with.

So my guess is: you have a chime which is more efficient than most.  Sure, when the visitor rings the bell, the Ring shorts the two wires to simulate a doorbell push, and then it lets go of that correctly.  And then, it needs to recharge its internal battery - transmitting video over WiFi is hard work.  So it allows current to flow at that lower rate.  Unbeknownst to the Ring, that is enough to ring the chime.  The Ring isn't timing out when it stops; it's just finished charging.

Now like I say, smart thermostats have the same problem: they charge by sending some current down the W line, hopefully not enough to engage the furnace relay.  If that doesn't work, they give you an option to hook up the "C" line to power the thermostat directly.   Unfortunately it does not appear the Ring has an option like that.

TLDR: Your chime is too efficient for the Ring to vampire-charge itself.  Get rid of one.

Well, if you're in love with that chime, there might be another option, but it's definitely not UL-approved.  You could alter your chime to be less efficient... by putting a resistor of appropriate size in parallel with the chime.  Finding the appropriate size would take some measuring or experimentation.  You would not want one which gets too hot, worst case someone holds down your doorbell button for a long time.  A fellow shouldn't be able to burn your house down by holding the doorbell button.


Can I use an adapter to convert a 120v outlet to 240v?

No. That 120V plug can give small amounts of electricity, like to spin the drum or run the blower.  Normally the heat comes from gas.

What you bought there is an electric dryer.  That thing requires INSANE amounts of electricity, and the little 120V plug cannot possibly provide it.

You can search the room (or other potential places where a laundry room would have made sense) for a large socket the size of your fist.  It either has 4 slots...  or 3 slots and looks like the scary clown from Halloween. (And it does kill people).

If there is no such socket on the premises, and you don't own the place, talk to the person who does.  If you own it (or have permission) then you will need to call in an electrician to install the large circuit breaker, wiring and socket. He will also change the cord/plug to 4-prong, because 3-prong is illegal because it's unsafe.  This is serious work, and should not be attempted by a DIYer new to electricial work.  Success will depend on

your service panel being modern enough (FPE or Zinsco is no-go),
panel being large enough (not full) and
your electrical supply service being large enough (most likely it is, but mine isn't).

If none of this can work out, then back to the store it goes. They should not have sold it to you.

If you bought this thing used eg. On Craigslist, then you made the common mistake of not checking what power it takes.  I regularly score very low prices on 3-phase shop tools, because the seller bought it without thinking about power requirements (because he didn't know anything about power) and I go "heh heh heh" as I cart it off. Often he had bought it from someone else in the same pickle.


What is the proper and safe wiring to two lights with 2 separate switches and 2 outlets on 1 circuit?

I can't make a diagram, but I will try to describe it the best I can..  I'm assuming a 15A circuit using 14ga wire, but if it's a 20A, use all 12ga wire.  All wire has a ground, but I'm not mentioning that. Just tie all the grounds together in each box and connect it to the switch or receptacle as the case may be.

From the power source, run 14/2 to the first light.  From the first light, run 14/3 to the first switch and 14/2 to the second switch.  Run 14/2 from the first switch to the first outlet.  At the first switch, tie the whites and blacks together and run a black pigtail to one screw on the switch.  Connect the red wire from the 14/3 to the other screw.

At the first light, tie all the whites (including the fixture) together, and tie the two blacks (NOT the fixture) together.  Connect the red wire from the 14/3 to the black wire of the light fixture.  Switch 1 will now control the hot leading to that light.

From the second switch, run 14/2 to the second light and the second outlet.  Connect the incoming black to the black that goes to the outlet and run a pigtail to one screw on the switch.  Connect the black going to the light to the other screw switch.  Tie all the whites together at switch 2.  Connect the second light fixture, white to white, black to black.

Of course, both outlets are black to brass screw, and white to silver screw.

Use a nice deep box for light 1 since it will have 3 cables going to it since electric code does specify how many wires can be inside of a box based on size.  Celing boxes can have more room to work inside of which is why I would use light 1 as the "junction" rather than having the main power go to switch 1 first.


How can I replace a 3 wire thermostat with a 4 wire on baseboard electric heater?

There's not really enough detail to give a solid answer. The answer will depend on the type of thermostat you purchased and what the existing wires are connected to. There's a good chance that you have a switched (red), neutral (white), and hot (black) wire in the wall since baseboard heat often works line voltage. This would be a single pole thermostat with a neutral which I'm not used to seeing (perhaps the old thermostat had any electronics within it). Typically you see 2 or 4 wire thermostats for baseboard heat.

The new thermostat you purchased sounds like a double pole thermostat that supports two hot connections and two switched connections. This would be for a 220v vs 110v baseboard wiring.

You'll need to do some more analysis, the easiest method being to look up the details on wiring your old thermostat and understand what each wire should be. If the white is an unneeded neutral, you'd cap it. And if the black/red you have are hot/switched then those can be wired to one half of the thermostat (only use the black or red wires on the thermostat). Double check the manual on your new thermostat to be sure it supports a single pole baseboard wiring.

If information on the old thermostat isn't available, you can at least verify the hot with a non-contact voltage tester being careful not to electrocute yourself when the breaker is energized for testing. A neutral should have continuity with a known good ground if you have a voltage tester. With the baseboard connected the switched will also show continuity like the neutral. If you somehow reverse the neutral and switched, the breaker will immediately trip when you turn on the thermostat (since you've created a short circuit).

Please don't hesitate to contact an electrician if you can't identify the wiring on the old thermostat and you don't have the equipment to safely test the wiring to verify what each wire does.


I would pressure wash the entire surface with plain water. Make sure to keep about 18 inches away from the surface and use a wide fan tip. You want to wash it well, but you don't want to peel off any of the material. Allow the surface to dry for 2-3 days.

If the stucco is structurally sound and there is no loose or peeling paint, you can use a bonding agent such as Weld-Crete. Then you can apply new stucco right over the top of your existing finish.

Kirk Giordano is one of the country's greatest plastering companies and he has many videos that detail how to get a variety of finishes.


You can't put that in a new structure anyhow

While the rule of six (230.71) is not a dead letter (there are still cases in new construction where a panel lacking a main disconnect can be installed), the "split bus" type panels you speak of are no longer Code, as they violate 408.36, Exception 1:

  408.36 Overcurrent Protection. In addition to the requirement of 408.30, a panelboard shall be protected by an
  overcurrent protective device having a rating not greater
  than that of the panelboard. This overcurrent protective device shall be located within or at any point on the supply
  side of the panelboard.

  Exception No.1: Individual protection shall not be required for a panelboard used as service equipment with
  multiple disconnecting means in accordance with 230.71.
  In panelboards protected by three or more main circuit
  breakers or sets of fuses, the circuit breakers or sets of
  fuses shall not supply a second bus structure within the
  same panelboard assembly.

But, marine panelboards are totally different beasts

Marine electrical gear is a different creature from the household stuff you were initially thinking of, and a bit beyond the scope of this site in some cases.  I'd talk with a specialist familiar with the subtle hazards AC on a boat poses if I were in your shoes -- electric shock drowning hazards are brutal.


Sounds like a pressure issue to me since multiple toilets and when you open the tap the noise stops. Unless plumbing work has just been done that could have debris plugging only the upstairs fill valves I would think your pressure has changed.


Is it ok to trim a header to make a door fit?

I am assuming that the main support beam was properly supported on either side of the staircase before you began this project.  If not, you have a bigger problem that may need an engineer, or at least a serious framing contractor. If is is properly supported, read on.

A simple closet door by itself in a partition wall (non-loadbearing) does not need a true structural header. Headers are used to carry and transfer weight where a door interrupts a load bearing structure.

If there was no header in the wall before and it was sound, the only weight being carried is the small amount of framing over the door and the surface covering, such as a small area of drywall. The top plates should be enough to carry this weight.

If you added a 2x10 inch header, you have given it more support than it really needs and trimming 3 inches off that header should be no problem.


Replacing a water heater--the physical task, not the plumbing part of it

Here is a frame that can be made to use with a cable hoist.

The hole in the top is where the ratcheting cable lift will pick up the heater with straps around the heater. Lean the frame to the wall after the frame is set where you want the heater to set at on the floor.

To rock the heater away from the wall, ratchet the heater up enough to clear the flange the inch or two it needs and step on the bottom slowly to add enough weight to counter balance to frame with heater back so the heater is beyond the pedestal.

After using care on rocking it back, use the ratchet lift to lower the heater to the floor

Not everything is to scale, you will need to confirm some things yourself, for example if the building of the frame itself is something you may want to handle, the size to the top shelf that the lift will set to to lift will need to be bigger, or even if something like this will fit where  your heater is..


Will it be fairly safe to terminate the wires using screw terminal blocks like these?

Permanently

Although UK connector blocks of that type are rated for 400V AC 30A. As far as I know, any unused wires should be either removed completely or alternatively, disconnected at both ends, and connected to ground at both ends. This is so that a circuit breaker trips immediately if the wires are ever accidentally made live. All connections must remain accessible via a cover plate, you can't just plaster over where the light fitting used to be.

One important objective is to avoid creating an invisible and illegal lethal electrical hazard for the next family that move into your home.

Temporarily

What you propose is perfectly sensible for a temporary arrangement during painting of a wall or ceiling. Temporary in the sense that normal arrangements will be restored within a day or so.

You don't need a 30A connector for a lighting circuit, a smaller 6A connector is fine for a typical UK 6A lighting circuit. This is enough to ensure that the breaker trips before the connector catches fire in the event of a mishap such as accidentally flooding the connector with conductive paint.

The purpose of the covering is to keep the liquid paint out, so it probably doesn't need to be electricians tape. That would probably be convenient though.


I wouldn't trust a random individual on the internet to correctly identify bearing walls. There are general guidelines for identifying bearing walls, but many exceptions to the rules.

Get a competent person in your kitchen to look at the structure. From there, you can figure out the engineering.


Supply is coming but if load (Appliance) is connect then load does not work

You probably have a wire break, a corroded or loose terminal, broken receptacle, or something somewhere. All of those situations can create a high-resistance on the circuit. That resistance can be low enough that a low current device (such as an indicator light) can still work and a multimeter will measure the correct voltage. But a high current device won't work.

See Why does my GFCI circuit breaker trip with any small load, even after replacing the breaker?


I am going to post a contrarian answer and will welcome any correction.

Flexible cords are covered in article 400 of the National Electrical Code.  There are uses not permitted in section 400.8:

  400.8  Uses  Not  Permitted.

  Unless  specifically  permitted in 400.7, flexible cords and cables shall not be used for thefollowing:
  (1)  As a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure
  (2)  Where  run  through  holes  in  walls,  structural  ceilings,suspended ceilings, dropped ceilings, or floors
  (3)  Where  run  through  doorways,  windows,  or  similar openings
  (4)  Where attached to building surfaces
  Exception to (4): Flexible cord and cable shall be permittedto be attached to building surfaces in accordance with the provisions of 368.56(B)
  (5)  Where concealed by walls, floors, or ceilings or located above suspended or dropped ceilings
  (6)  Where installed in raceways, except as otherwise permitted in this Code
  (7)  Where subject to physical damage

Now think about (1) above.  At first glance it looks discouraging;  but consider that if that rule ruled out all use of flexible cords, this would be a very short article.  It's actually not really that clear what (1) means, but it doesn't mean that flexible cords and cables can never be used.

If you look at 400.7, it lists permissible uses of flexible cords and cables:

  400.7  Uses Permitted.
  (A)  Uses.
  Flexible cords and cables shall be used only forthe following:
  (1)  Pendants
  (2)  Wiring of luminaires
  (3)  Connection  of  portable  luminaires,  portable  and  mo-bile signs, or appliances
  (4)  Elevator cables
  (5)  Wiring of cranes and hoists
  (6)  Connection  of  utilization  equipment  to  facilitate  frequent interchange
  (7)  Prevention of the transmission of noise or vibration
  (8)  Appliances  where  the  fastening  means  and  mechanical  connections  are  specifically  designed  to  permit ready  removal  for  maintenance  and  repair,  and  the appliance  is  intended  or  identified  for  flexible  cord connection
  (9)  Connection of moving parts
  (10)  Where specifically permitted elsewhere in this Code

Now to me (2) above sounds promising, doesn't it?  Does your light qualify as a luminaire?  The NEC does have a definition for "luminaire" in Article 100:

  Luminaire. A complete  lighting  unit  consisting  of  a  light source  such  as  a  lamp  or  lamps,  together  with  the  parts designed to position the light source and connect it to the power supply. It may also include parts to protect the light source or the ballast or to distribute the light. A lampholder itself is not a luminaire.

This is not surprising to me.  For example, in warehouses, it's a common practice to make up a cord and plug connection for the highbay lights up in the rafters.  This is done to make maintenance (installation / removal) more convenient.  It's a generally accepted practice.  The highbays are certainly not portable or frequently moved.

Many outdoor lighting products would, to my read of this, clearly qualify as "luminaires."

Note that 400.8(4) would seem to discourage you from attaching the cord to the building surface, including the roof.

The "subject to physical damage" restriction in 400.8(7) is always subjective.  I would say that a cord laying on a pitched roof, no foot traffic etc., is up out of harms way and not subject to physical damage.

The cord you'd use would have to be rated suitable for the environmental conditions, there's no getting around that.  The question is, would say SJEW cord, which is rated for extreme hard use (that's what the E means), and to outdoor wet locations where exposed to sunlight and rain (that's what the E means) is suitable for the environmental conditions.

So with all that said, I think I have made a good argument that you could use a cord grip to mount the cord to the light, run plug terminated SJEW cord a short distance to a (preferably twistlock) receptcacle on a GFCI protected circuit, with an in-use cover, located under in the soffit or on the fascia.

An inspector could see it either way.  I think the most tenuous part of the argument is the "subject to physical damage" part.


What can I do when the rough in hole in my concrete is too large for my toilet flange?

Pour concrete (or mortar mix) to fill the space and embed your bolts into.
Wrap or otherwise protect the pipe. The UPC says:

312.1 ...Voids around piping passing through concrete floors on the ground shall be sealed.
312.2 Piping in connection with a plumbing system shall be so installed that piping or connections will not be subject to undue strains or stresses, and provisions shall be made for expansion, contraction, and structural settlement. No plumbing piping shall be directly embedded in concrete or masonry....
312.10 Sleeves. Sleeves shall be provided to protect piping
through concrete and masonry walls and concrete floors....


What Size Screws Should I Use to Mount an Electrical Box Bar Hanger?

The screw should not be larger than the factory drilled hole which looks to be 1/4".  Typically seen in the field are #10 x 1" Slotted Hex Washer Head Sheet Metal Screw.

You can go longer than 1" but for that bar hanger probably not necessary.


Replacing 4-wire outlet and didn't label the order -- does it matter?

Be careful, the old receptacle could have been a half hot, meaning one wire goes to a switch and the other is always hot. Test both the wires with a meter to make sure. Turn all the switches on in the room  before you test. If they are both hot then you will need to abandon/cap off the one to the switch leg. Another way to tell is if you still have the old receptacle there will be a metal bus that attaches both gold screws. If that is removed then it's likely a half hot.


How can I determine existing well PSI / GPM for dedicated irrigation well

Try this:

Install a pressure gauge, either temporarily on a tap that the pump runs, or by tapping a a pipe for the right thread and screwing it it.  (Usually 1/4" or 3/8" NTP thread.  Should work with shedule 40 pipe.
If you can run the pump without a zone running do so, and record the pressure.  DO NOT DO THIS IF IT IS A positive displacement (piston or  diaphragm) Centrifugal and jet pumps will tolerate this, but it's a waste of energy.
Turn on your smallest zone.  Record the pressure.
Manually turn on another zone.  REcord the new pressure.
Turn both off, and turn on your largest zone.  Record.

If your system is capable of running multiple zones at once this tells you that you have pump capacity to spare and you won't have to worry much.

If the pump is a surface mounted pump, read the model and serial number data off and do an internet search.  If it's a submersible pump this information is usually with the starter box which may be in the house, or on a pole nearby.

Individual sprinklers may have either a number or a capacity on them.  Some sprinker system can accept multiple nozzles that are colour coded.  Look up the manufacture and colour coding.  If you have a combo that translates to 40 gallon per hour and there are 15 of them, then that zone is using 40 * 15 = 600 gallon/hour or 10 gallons per minute.

Worst case:  Usually there is a valve box with all the valves in it.  If they were considerate, they left a stubbed off pipe just for this use with a threaded plug or cap.  Otherwise you may have to install one.

You would also want some sort of fitting and a short length of large diameter hose (1.5" flat lay hose is cheap, and is sold by the foot at farm stores.)

Hook it up and see how long it takes to fill up a known volume.  Garbage can works for this.


Can I feed a sub panel off my 200A service box? Or would I need to run wire from the inside breaker box?

I don't think that's a 125 amp wire. My bet is that's an 8 gauge wire feeding that whole panel, so 50 amps per leg. I wouldn't bank on it being more than that.

Whether or not you can add more is another question. You've got a 20 amp 240v breaker and a 20 amp 120v breaker. You could add another 20A to the one leg with only 20A (the unused slot below the single 20A) and be OK. You just can't exceed 50A on any given leg.


approximate strength of poured reinforced concrete slab

The slab you’re driving on is a slab on grade that does not rely on reinforcing to span voids.
If, as you say, the ground is compacted to 95%, (which is about the most aggregates can be compacted,) then the load will be transferred to the ground without the slab bending.
With 6 1/2 sack concrete, it’s compressive strength is probably between 4,000 psi and 5,000 psi depending on the amount of water, aggregate, etc.  Therefore, one square foot of concrete will support between 576,000 lbs. (4,000 x 12 x 12) and 720,000 lbs. (5,000 x 12” x 12”).
Therefore, one square foot of concrete is substantially less than the area of 8 or 10 tires from the concrete truck.
Note: Don’t let the truck “bump up” onto the edge of the slab...it’ll crack the edge. If possible let it bump up on timbers and have timbers along the edge of the slab and on the slab for the first 12” or so. This will allow the weight to distribute out into the slab.


Breaker off but shock when electric heater kicked on

Well it really shouldn't matter if you have the breaker off but in years past a multi wire branch circuit did not require handle ties or common trip. This may be the case and you turned off 1 breaker but the other breaker was still using the neutral any imbalance will be on the neutral, or the hot on the circuit you thought was turned off gave you a shock. Been there in residential and industrial.  Current code protect for this with a common trip on these kind of circuits.I will need to find my 80' S code books because there was no dedicated circuits back then and if on what we call a MWBC today handle ties were not required. Edit i was an apprentice in the 70' S back when zinsco and FPE was the the best or low cost options avabile did lots of them in my apprenticeship and after returning home.


So long as you're not removing a stud or part of a stud, you should be fine. Just punching a 4" hole through sheetrock, insulation, and the outside covering (brick, vinyl, aluminum, etc) will not compromise the structural integrity of the wall.


Sticky black liquid coming from Furnace / AC Unit

Has the combustion been checked on this furnace recently and is the heat exchanger in good shape. Are there any odors in the house, people getting headaches, nausea, etc. If he said that it looks like it is coming from an old drip pan made of tar get someone else to check your system. You may need to gain access to the duct work to find the source of the black sticky stuff.


Chamberlain Internet Gateway connected to MyQ Garage Opener, but doesn't appear in app

I called up tech support this morning.

They told me that if the gateway said it was programmed (as indicated by a steady blue light), but the device wasn't appearing, it meant that I needed to reset the gateway.

Resetting the Gateway

The process for resetting the gateway is you disconnect it from power, then press the recessed button located on the long side above the logo sticker - I used a bent paperclip to do this. While still pressing the button, connect it to power.

Once you see the "yellow" (looked orange to me) light come on, you can release the button.

The device should now be reset. The green light will flash indicating that it's trying to get an internet connection. Eventually it should become solid (within ~20 seconds), indicating that it has its connection.

Adding the Device

Login to your account on your computer or phone again and tell it to add the device. Press the learn button on the motor and within ~5 seconds the main lightbulbs on the motor (not the smaller LEDs) should flash, indicating that the gateway has successfully been connected.

Check your account again and the device should now appear properly.

Hope this helps other people.


Converting generator power to "clean" power for sensitive electronics

This is a half answer, based on some parallel knowledge not directly related to small home generators, so bear with me…
The only generators I get near are those on movie sets, which are gigantic by comparison - see Aggreko for an idea of the sizes I'm talking about. These, of course, are smooth as silk so require considerably less external mitigation.
Basically, you need several levels of protection if these are not already built-in to your generator.
Power limiting - ie surge protection.
Brownout - power slump - protection.
Grounding protection & isolation.
Delicate electronics don't like any of those. A general purpose mains surge protector will be the least likely to come into play in this, but shouldn't be skipped; they're dirt cheap. The other two could be more insidious.
A UPS (uninterruptible power supply) is the standard method of protecting computers & other delicate electronics from brownout or even total power-loss. These are an entire topic to themselves, but start fairly cheap & run to 'ouch' prices.
Grounding protection/isolation may be built into these - pay more, get more. Essentially, grounding protection is built on the 'in-house' side of a 1:1 coil-wound transformer. These seemingly odd little boxes - 120v in, 120v out, (or 240v i/o as appropriate) seem to do nothing; but they isolate one circuit from another. You then correctly ground the 'in-house' circuit to achieve total isolation from the external power supply.


( bathroom van fan ) which wire goes where?

Which of the two black wires is connected to blue or brown doesn't matter. This is because it is a AC-motor and will therefore spin the same way no matter how it is connected.


Metal around wall register boot for trim

I don't think they're made anymore, but I heard them called Register Mounts, Extensions & Collars. I looked for replacements a few times & ended up with nothing to end up wire brushing them back to bare & spray painting them, good as new.

If no-one else here answers or has an avenue to get any. You can make your own quite easily & of much better quality...in the size that you need, which might be the real problem. I'd suggest Aluminum Angle for it's workability & corrosion resistance, but you can go with steel or C-channel or J-channel.

You'd probably need about a 4' length for each one & can either attach the last corner with a tab on the inside (not on the outside like the picture) or use a corner brace with countersunk (if desired or needed) screw, bolt or pop-rivet face holes.


I would start with boiling water - a couple of very large pots.  Dump.  If you get any kickback or notice that your water levels stay high repeat a few times.  If you have ice or a blocked line, really hot water helps both.

Normally you would check your water levels in a cleanout or basement drain - from the sounds of it you have a bathtub at your low point or maybe it is at the same level.  Usually I tell people to have one person look with flashlight on drain.  If you see the water levels rise, even a little temporarily then usually there is some sort of blockage - I know that it may be ice in your case.

If the water isn't backing up into tub move on...

Then I would fill showers/sinks/tubs - anything that holds hot/scalding water and fill them until you run out - except for said tub that got the backwash.  Again good to have another person at tub/drain.  Dump everything at once.  If it starts backwashing to tub then stop.  You have to think just after a few times doing this that ice would be thoroughly melted and then you need to troubleshoot like your main line is clogged.


Will wrapping the stove pipes with copper pipes increase wood stove efficiency?

In a woodstove, where the fire doesn't get very hot, you get a lot of unburnt gases. These are compounds that could burn but only at a higher temperature. Instead, they evaporate. As they travel up the chimney, the cool and condense. Over time it builds up. If you then burn a really hot fire, they can finally ignite, and your chimney burns. This can happen when you use a lot of pitchy softwood for a long time (Douglas Fir, for example) and then burn some really dry hardwood (e.g., maple).

If you do something clever to extract more heat from the chimney, you will get more condensed goop in your chimney, so be sure to clean it regularly.

Another way to deal with this problem is to always make a really hot fire. Then almost everything will burn, leaving very little goop in the chimney, and very little ash. That's going to be too much heat for your house, so you have to surround your fire with an enormous thermal mass. That will moderate the temperature. This is the principle behind a "Russian stove", among other names.


Probably...but check the fine print
There are a number of different light technologies in use (e.g., incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, LED) and dimmers have evolved to handle each new type. But some are easier to dim than others. In general, if you have a light that is dimmable then if you use a new dimmer it will work with it as well as newer technology lights.
For example, this Lutron dimmer can work with:

Up to 150W of LED or CFL (provided the LED or CFL bulbs themselves are rated as dimmable - not all of them are)
Up to 600W of incandescent or halogen

You might wonder why fewer Watts of LED & CFL bulbs work than incandescent or halogen. There are technical reasons, but it doesn't matter because 150W of LED is comparable to 600W (or more!) of incandescent lighting - i.e., with any technology enough to light up a large room.
On the other hand, this less expensive dimmer from the same manufacturer/product line can handle 600W of incandescent/halogen but clearly states that it is not LED or CFL.
So the new dimmers are designed to handle the old light bulbs as well. Otherwise there would be a lot of problems as people upgrade dimmers without replacing the light bulbs at the same time. But plenty of people find out the hard way that you can't necessarily put a new bulb (LED or CFL) on an old dimmer.


What is the best way to close gaps between a chimney and roof from the inside?

Pretty much any fix that you attempt from the inside has the potential to create issues in addition to the primary problem, which is that your chimney isn't properly flashed.  Spraying foam or shooting caulking/tar into the gap is very likely to create water traps somewhere in the roof decking, most likely underneath the existing flashing. You would basically be hiding the problem more than correcting it, and could also make it more difficult to fix the underlying issue in future. I would strongly recommend having the flashing corrected.


Replacing light switch with motion sensor switch

There are not too many whites!  All those whites have a job. They are "working for a living".  You do need to add your switch's neutral wire to that bundle. Do so competently. All the whites must still be connected to each other when you are done!
The red wires are probably the other half of a multi-wire branch circuit. This is a serious complication.  Because the black?Blue? wire will be on one circuit breaker, the reds will be on another breaker, and you must turn them both off in order to safely separate the neutrals.

In fact, Code now requires those 2 breakers be handle-tied so they must be shut off together. (for this very reason).  If you're lucky, they're already that way.  Otherwise you will need to do the "legwork" to identify the red breaker and assure it is off, before separating the neutrals. Once you've done that, either acquire a correct handle-tie, or get a 2-pole (NOT A DUPLEX) breaker (whose handles will be tied from the factory) and replace both breakers with that. Note the 2-pole breaker will take the same amount of room in the panel as both old breakers.

The new switch will care very much which wire is the supply from panel and which is  the onward wire to the light.  In your box, one is black and one is blue.  It's legal both ways, so we don't know what the installer did.  Regardless, it is safe to experiment here: simply connect them black-black and red-blue. If that doesn't work, swap them.
You must wire a ground wire to this switch, as Patrick discusses.  That is because the mounting screws can't make contact with the junction box through that wood-like material.  In fact, you can't have burnable wood-like material like that be a "sleeve" for a junction box!  That needs to be notched out (e.g. with an oscillating saw, those things are amazing lol) to fit either a box sleeve, or better, a steel box extension.  That needs to be done everywhere that is like that.  Otherwise a wiring problem in the box couls start a fire!


Maximum height of hand-shaped concrete curb?

How much concrete slumps is directly related to how much water is used to mix it. Interestingly, (within reason) drier mixes are also stronger than wetter mixes, all else being equal. Most people mix too wet by default.

I'd firmly suggest some experimentation (by which I mean not "try to do a section" but to actually build a short test piece that you will discard.)

You may find this description of the standard "slump test" somewhat informative to your application:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_slump_test


Yes use one for both the waste and vent. If the existing sink doesn't have issues draining, your vent will be fine. For the waste, just "T" the two sinks together and join them to the existing drain/waste pipe. Do the same for the water supply for the sink. Remove the existing cut-off valves and put a tee on the stubbed out pipe with the opposite end of the tee pointing at you and the leg of the tee pointed to the new sink. Run a new piece of pipe from the tee over to your new sink and put a 90 on the end. Connect your shut-offs for the old sink at the tee and for the new sink at the 90. Of course you'll have to run a hot and cold line. You don't have to, but I would replace the existing cut-offs with new ones while they are off. Good luck!

Normally you would stub out a drain for each sink and then have a p-trap directly under each. This is what is shown in the photo , before the p-traps are installed. It is permissible to have one trap, but if you do, it has to go below the tee.
I'm old school and don't use Shark fittings. I'm not sure if they are acceptable in a sealed wall or not. Hopefully someone else can help you there.


What is the difference between R20 and PAR20 lightbulbs?

According to this site:

  R20 bulbs have reflectors that direct light forward and produce more narrow soft-edged beam that is less precise than PAR20 bulbs. R20 bulbs also produce less shadow than PAR20 bulbs. PAR20 bulbs control light more precisely and produce more concentrated light than R20.

Source: http://www.agreensupply.com/difference-between-par20-and-r20-led-light-bulbs/


I suspect the white wire with the stripe is actually the switched power from the switch. Putting together what you have said, I think your setup probably looks something like this:

Where the green wire is the ground and the red wire is your wire with the stripe.

If this doesn't match up with what you are seeing, then let me know what looks wrong and I will try to figure out how it is setup.


Would this be an effective method to remove painted popcorn ceiling?

If the popcorn finish is fairly even throughout, and you can afford to lose just a bit of headroom, one method is to skim over it with thin wallboard (3/8 is generally available and 1/4 can be special ordered). This is put up in sheets and screwed to the underlying structure (which needs to be located with a stud finder or the poke-with-an-awl method).  Then taping, mudding (filling the joints), sanding the joints and painting.
Sounds like a big job, but usually less time consuming than taking down the popcorn surface.


How do I disconnect a garbage disposal wall switch?

It depends on  the wiring in the switch box. More than likely there are two (or more) sets of wires coming into the box and disconnecting and removing the switch still   means it is junction box. By code; a junction box Can not be covered or buried in the wall.  The box must have a cover that can be removed for access to the wires.
You would have to   remove both/all wires all the way back to their source, which would  mean opening walls because the wires are stapled to the studs (unless they are run in conduit) and they may originate some distance from the box.
The air switch Eliminates the need for the wall switch but the power to the outlet for the disposal is still needed, and it is probably coming from the box that houses the switch.


Reparing a water damaged drywall & doorframe

If you have never done anything like this you might want to get a pro to do the repair. If the wall was wet long enough from behind to rot a door jamb that you see, the framing behind the jamb and drywall will most likely need repair too, possibly the bottom plate replaced if pressure treated material was not used.
You can do some of the demo work to verify what you really have, but the door jamb should be replaced. The drywall needs to be cut out beyond your "poke holes" at least 1 ft. beyond each side and about 16" up from the floor to start. If there is mold growing on the back side of the wallboard, remove more until it is gone. Once the drywall is removed and cleaned up, next would be evaluate the extent of the rot. If the wall is non bearing it will be simple, If it is a bearing wall, it will take a pro to determine what needs to be done. A note on drywall repair, whether the repair is 16" tall or 2" tall, or 4' wide or 8" wide, it takes the same effort to repair and it will still take a full sheet of drywall, drywall tape and mud, so don't be squeamish on what needs to go.

You may be able to salvage the skirt boards if they are not rotted from the back side. If they have mold, it can be cleaned off and the back can be painted with primer that has mold inhibitor in it.

If you can find a reputable, licensed handyman with references and pictures will help. A picture from far away that shows the whole project will not show what goes into the job, knowledge and quality wise. Get references from the handyman so you can call the people he worked for that he did the job for will really tell you more than the pictures. The pictures just show he did it, the references tell you how well he did it.


Not the best workmanship I've ever seen, but most washer boxes like those have a trim piece with a flange that covers the drywall about an inch or so. Your drywaller probably knew this and didn't work hard to do neat work in an area he knew was going to get covered by by a trim piece. Assuming that's the case, this is no big deal.


Can tankless water heaters be used in Europe?

They are much more common in Europe than in the USA, actually.

You may not be using the right search terms, and searching from your PC may not be the way to go about this.  But if you're in Europe in a shop, you shouldn't have any trouble finding European models made for Europe in Europe.


Can I plug a 120 volt generator into a 240 transfer switch with a modified cord/connector?

In principle Yes, but all your 220V loads won't work (as they are phase-phase and with this configuration will get 0V). You can connect the phase to both phase contacts and the neutral to it's place.

So I suggest you to turn off all the 220 switches in your fuse-box.


OK so one problem at a time.

First, the fan/heater/light.  They did a big cheat when they wired it, and violated the "all currents must be equal in a cable" rule.  Current goes up the right cable [to heater(red), fan(black) or light(white!)] and then returns on the left cable. No no no no!

Also, I like color codes for purpose: black for always-hot, red for switched-hot, blue for alternate switched-hot, etc.  You don't have a choice in cable, but you can mark wires with tape, and I'll ask you to.  Always mark both ends of a wire the same way.   As an aside, if there's a neutral in cable, it must be white.

It appears the center cable is the power supply, so it is already correctly colored: black for always-hot and white for neutral.

The fan, properly

Where the black fans off to the 3 switches, is fine.  Please tape the red wires black since they are always hot. And if you are OCD, on the left switch, exchange wires so always-hot is on the bottom like the others.  Thanks.

Since you are deprecating the heater, you can do this now.  The left cable can continue to be ignored.   The right cable will be redesignated:

white for Actual Neutral
red for switched-hot-fan-light
blue (use blue tape to re-tag black) for switched-hot-fan-fan

Move the white wire from cable 3 into the neutral wirenutted bundle, blue(black) on the top of the "light" switch.   The left cable can be ignored, leave its neutral in the bundle since we'll use it soon.

Up in the fan unit, disconnect the neutral from the left cable and cap off both its wires.  All connections there are to the right cable.  You can do this right now, and I recommend you do even while you continue the old combo fan in service.  Later, when you install the LEDs, you'll use only the blue (fan) and white (neutral) for the fan, and fork off the red (light) and white (neutral) for one of the sets of LEDs.

That was easy. Magic of colored tape!

The new LED lights, 120V method

One of the two sets of LEDs can easily be powered using the red and white wires that went up to the fan.  Extend some /2 cable to the new LED location.

The left cable becomes the power for the other LED.  Its white wire stays in the neutral bundle and land its black wire (recolor it orange or yellow, whatever you have tape for) on the remaining switch.

However, I really don't like 120V power inside a shower/tub area.   Also LED dimming with 120V products doesn't work nearly as well as 12V dimming.

The new LED lights, DC method

DC makes a lot of sense if you can procure the parts (and we're not a shopping site, so we can't help there.)  LED dimming works much better on DC, and DC is not a hazardous voltage.

In this case, I would retask the black/white of the left cable to power the fan only, via the left switch.  All 3 of the wires from the right cable will be disconnected from the AC power system entirely.

It's hard to go into more detail without looking at the particulars of the hardware you end up going with, so this is the point to ask another question.


How do I transition from a wood floor to tile that has a 1-1/4" height difference?

Find a custom wood molding shop in your area (there will be one) and have them custom bevel a piece of 1 1/4" oak in a width that suits your fancy, then stain and varnish it. It will be more easily accomplished than you think, and the custom milling charge you will pay will be worth every penny.

I might just butt a narrow piece of 1 1/4" oak right up to the tile, or maybe 1 1/4" quarter-round (if you can find it). Better to just know you have to step up/down than to have a weird sloped transition.


Identifying what material this ceiling is made out of

If it HAS asbestos after the grinding and removing the entire area and all ventilation in and out of the area is completely contaminated so it's a little late.
Remember that "in the olden days" a lot of people were exposed to asbestos on occasion but the people who were harmed by it had repeated exposure over many years.  People would build homes with this stuff, when they were done the home was completely contaminated, then a month later a new family would move in and nobody got sick.  With the air exchange in and out of those older structures it did not matter after a 6 months or so there was not a free asbestos fiber left.
Something tells me you knew all this already though and you are just looking for confirmation that you won't drop dead a month after you drywall everything.  Well sorry I can't give it to you - although MOST people who got sick from asbestos needed many years exposure there's always some outliers in anything.  Just try not to build a home that is so sealed up when you open the front door your ears pop and you will probably be fine.


Exhaust fans are made out of metal and plastic.  Very very hard for mold to grow there.  Mold will pick out a more organic material - like drywall.  You should clean your exhaust for dust every year or at least check on it but not for mold.

I doubt if you have symptoms coming from your house that it is your exhaust or attic.  Now attic could have mold - I don't know - but it wouldn't have a great affect on you unless there was air blowing into your house from attic or the problem was absurdly bad.  But going up to the attic is 20 mins of your life - so just do it so you have peace of mind.

I would look at the shower area or ceiling and then check out other parts of the house.  I wouldn't discount it being something other than mold either.


How to do sink plumbing in the basement?

Your last pic seems to indicate where the drain exits to the street/septic system. If your sink bowl is enough above that point that you can run a drain line from the sink, with the proper 1/4" per foot slope, and tie it into this drain, you should be fine. If not, then you'll need some sort of lift pump to get the waste water up to that level.
If you're going to end up going with the lift pump, you might consider putting in a bathroom nearby to get more use out of the pump.


Trusses are designed based on 1) top and bottom chord size, 2) size of web members, 3) size of connectors at each chord, 4) species of wood, 5) pitch of roof.

I'd go to your local truss manufacturer and give him all the info I listed above and have him run it through his "truss calculator". It'll take him about 5 seconds and you'll know for sure. (Or, go to your local truss manufacturer and ask him to run a printout for 4:12 truss spanning 25'-7" out to out and take the printout home and compare.)

You will be able to compare everything fairly easily, except the connector plates pressed into the chord joints. For that, ask to measure one of their standard steel plates and measure distances between deformations and depth of deformations.


How do I hook up a washing machine drain line to this box?

It should be a knockout, meaning that a hard sharp blow will pop it out. The plumber should have done this before he glued the drain line in place, since knocking it out now could cause the plug to fall down the drain. This could lead to clogs in the future, since the trap is glued and cannot be disassembled.

Put the tip of a flathead screw driver on the knockout, and tap the back of the screwdriver with your hand or a hammer. Try to get it so that only part of the knockout breaks free. Then grab the loosened disk with a pair of pliers, and twist it free. Be very careful not to drop it down the drain.

Once the hole is open, simply hang the washing machines waste line in the hole. The washer should come with a piece of plastic used to make a hook in the waste line. Install that, and hang the waste line in the hole.


How can I hide or dress up a large wall of debris?

Plant desirable native shrubs and vines that would grow over the irregular surface and transform it into an aesthetically pleasing feature. You might have to add soil to fill voids, and you could mix leaves into this soil for fill.

You could put up a barn owl box to entice one or a pair to live there and provide natural rat control. If you don't have barn owls where you are, then you probably have screech owls. We have had boxes for screech owls in our back yard for almost 40 years and they do some rat control, but not like a barn owl or barred owl would.

Have you had any suggestions that in the current condition your yard is not in compliance with residential code? We have a natural yard in a sea of manicured lots and we have gotten three citations for code violations over the past 10 years. The underlying criticism is that our lot (10,000 sq ft) is not neat and so surely must be in violation.

The code inspectors have so far ruled that our yard is in basic compliance under the xeriscape allowances in the city code, but they always find one or two technical violations or common violations that are mostly overlooked. Last time the only thing we had to do was trim trees in front to be above 14 ft from the street surface.


Source of periodic buzzing noise in the walls

My only experience with unknown buzzing sounds was when a tenant complained of similar sounds. Upon investigating I discovered a honey bee colony had made a nest inside the board and batten wall. I was fortunate enough to find an apiarist (bee keeper) that relocated the bees to his orchard for free.


It sounds as if the cable going to the switch just requires a feed.

I am not sure how you intend to bring power to the gazebo from the main house, but basically you would wire both 12/2 cables to the #12 feed wire and wire it color for color; white to white, black to black, ground to ground.

The GFI would get wired to the LINE terminals only.

Please comment if you can add any details that might help.


How can I remove a burn mark on finished wood without replacing the piece entirely?

Go to a hardware store and get some good wood putty, filler or epoxy that can be molded and sanded.  Now sand out the burnt part of the molding.  Apply the putty in where you have sanded and have it roughly conform to the shape of your wood work.  Then let it dry to the time as shown on the manufacturer directions.  Now sand to match the rest of the molding.  Stain or paint to match.  Probably the hardest part is to match the stain, if it is stained.


Increase 1/2'' copper water pipe to 3/4''

If you are looking to increase the water flow to the fixtures in your house but do not want to re-pipe the whole house, you could increase the supply pipe from the 3/4" inlet to the water heater. Tee off any of the individual supplies from the new 3/4" supply with reducers and the final pipe into the hot water tank could stay 1/2". This way you would double the supply water available to all the fixtures since the hot and the cold will have individual supplies instead of a 1/2" supply supplying both the hot and cold. Also, remember that almost all sinks and toilets use a 3/8" supply and only the tub and/or shower and the laundry tub use a full size pipe.  Doing it your way would be fine.


I will answer by using this question as a platform to address the difficulty and expense, at least in the U.S.A., of procuring one replacement piece (tank or bowl) for a 2-piece toilet.

There are numerous manufacturers of toilets from many countries and locales, most offering (at least) several designs and several colors of each design.

The primary reason is financial. Supply and demand dictates that sales of complete toilets would dwarf sales of just a tank or bowl. With essentially zero demand there would simply be no financial incentive to ship, wholesale, then retail the individual components for separate sale. If they did, the cost would likely be very near the cost of buying a complete toilet, which would undoubtedly rankle most consumers.

That being said, there are exceptions. A good plumbing shop may very well have just a tank or bowl available for the basic top seller at their shop and in the most common color (white). You also may be able to order a replacement from the manufacturer, through a distributer. What you are not likely to find is replacements for anything no longer manufactured (designs change frequently, for many reasons); anything in a color that is not white; anything not originally sold in large quantities; anything from a distant land.


Can I leave a wall primed, but without paint, for several sunny months?

It depends on the primer. PPG has over 100 different types of primers.
https://www.ppgpaints.com/search?term=primer
Edit: Since you referenced KILZ 2 primer, and I’ve been asked to direct comments on it specifically, I’ll elaborate: 1) KILZ 2 primer comes in various types: interior/ exterior, mold resistant, etc. Depending on the exact type, some perform better than others, 2) KILZ 2 primer is a latex primer. Latex primers have a shelf life and limited performance, 3) Some primers have a UV resistance, this primer does not stipulate that criteria,
However, leaving wood siding and trim exposed to the weather is dangerous and may cause the material to be replaced.
Summary: If the primer goes “bad” and needs to be touched up in a year or so, it’s still better than leaving wood untreated and exposed to the weather.


Is there any harm in using shorter shelf brackets with a deeper shelf?

A wooden shelf that is cantilevered 3 inches or so out from the end of a bracket will probably survive some load. But stack too much of a load on it (a pantry, canned food is heavy!) and even wood will crack. Particle board is very likely to fail of course as it has very little real strength.

A shorter bracket will often be designed for a smaller load. (Long brackets may be wider at the base, to support a larger load. They may be more robust to prevent buckling.) The issue is not just will it support the entire width of the board, but is the bracket adequate to support a greater load since a wide shelf will have more items stored on it. Those extra items stored are hanging a significant distance away from the wall.


Nope. Unless the first switch is already fed with power from somewhere else (which is not the case in your diagram), then you need three (non-grounding) conductors to use a 3-way switch: 1 hot and 2 travelers.


Those are standard screens easy to repair. Pull the rubber / plastic retainer material out of the groove, the old screen fabric will fall out if it did not pull out when removing the retainer.

Get a roll of the type of screen fabric you want to use. There are different colors and materials. I like to place the frame on the floor for large ones and the kitchen table for smaller. Verify that the frame is still square by measuring corner to corner diagonally. Lay the fabric on top of the frame. They make roller tools to push in the retainer but I always cut the screen with these so I use a carpenter's pencil to push the retainer in.

If caution is used you will end up with a very nice tight fit. Use a razor knife to trim the excess on the outside edge for a good finished job.

I find the expanded poly retainer a real pain and I usually tear it during removal if you have this type of retainer you may want to pick up a roll when you get the screen it is inexpensive. Hope that helps.


Replace fan speed controller with Dimmer switch

The color (as long as it isn't white, green, or bare) doesn't matter; they're just pig-tails on switch legs. You're good to go here with a direct swap out and arbitrarily connecting the wires to the new device (assuming it doesn't have a neutral contact. If it does it probably matters which contact has incoming power. Read the directions ;).

Make sure those nuts are still snug after you're done.


It most likely means you have lead paint underneath a coat of latex paint. In places where’s there’s a crack in the latex, the tester  is responding to the lead.

If there’s no small children and the paint isn’t peeling, it’s often best to keep the lead in place by putting another coat of latex paint on top, sealing it. Trying to remove the lead by sanding or chemical means can often be more toxic than removal in these situations.

If there are small children and/or the paint is peeling, you may want to refer to a lead specialist for the best mitigation for these circumstances.


How do I install laminate counter tops? What are some tips/tricks to it?

Cutting the countertop to length:

Try making a custom circular saw jig to cut your countertop to size. 3/4" plywood placed together at right angles with a cleat for guiding your saw should give you a straight cut. Assemble the jig with extra material, then cut it to size with your saw for a perfect fit.

Use a saw blade with a high tooth count and cut the counter upside down. That way, the blade teeth are traveling down (but really up) into the counter surface, minimizing chances for chipping out. Start by cutting the backsplash first, with the rest of the counter pointing towards the floor. Then stop and rotate the countertop so it's upside down and finish the cut. Be sure to support the cutoff material so it doesn't break off a chunk of the laminate near the end of the cut.

As @auujay points out, masking tape can also help reduce the likelihood of chipping.

Source: woodworkingtips.com

Cutting the sink hole:

I crawled several forums looking for advice on this one. Some suggested techniques (in the order that I would try them) were:

Use a jigsaw with a down-stroke blade to cut out the sink hole. By cutting on the top surface, you have a more accurate picture where your sink hole will be, and the downstroke blade will eliminate chip-out. Start each rounded corner with a 1/2" spade bit.
Use a jigsaw with a metal cutting upstroke blade. The finer teeth will make for slower work, but have less of a chance of chipping.
Use a circular saw to cut straight sides from underneath the countertop. Flip over and finish the rounded corners with a downstroke jigsaw blade.

Once again, use masking tape for both cut line visibility and to reduce the chance of chipping the laminate. Also remember to support the cutout section to avoid tearing the laminate near the end of the cut.


Any chance a studded wall is a supporting wall?

Yes, there is a chance that the wall could be a bearing wall.

You can determine if it’s a bearing wall by verifying if 1) the wall is near the middle of the house, 2) has roof joists resting on it, 3) has a beam or concrete footing under it, 4) has plywood, OSB board or double gypsum board on either side of the wall.

1) If the wall is near the middle of the house there is a strong likelihood that it is a bearing wall. Because you mentioned that your roof is flat, there is a strong likelihood that roof trusses that span the entire width of the house were not used, but you’ll need to verify the other items I’ve listed.

2) You’ll need to look in the attic to see if any joists rest on the wall. (Flat roofs will probably rest at mid-span across the roof.)

3) If you can’t get in the attic, you may be able to get in the crawl space and see a beam or concrete footing under the wall. If so, that is a strong indication that it’s a bearing wall.

4) If you live in a high wind area or a seismically active area, the wall may provide lateral bracing. If plywood, OSB board or 2 layers of gypsum board on either side of the wall, then the wall could be a structural wall. (The wall would need to extend up to the roof to be structural.)


Rigid duct is absolutely better--it's much less likely to accumulate lint and clog or create a fire hazard. However, I wouldn't be concerned about using a short length of semi-rigid (metal) duct at the fan end to allow for some install flexibility.
You could also make all the connections and rely on some pivot at the opposite end of the initial straight run to accommodate height variation. I can't imaging your builder not being able to work with that.


Sealing gap between foundation and external wall

It looks like your siding is wood (probably cedar). You don't want to seal this too much - the underside of these shakes/shingles needs to be able to release moisture or your siding may rot sooner. Best option is to seal from the inside, probably with spray foam.

Edit based on comments: because you've indicated this is an inaccessible crawlspace, you should consider two other measures:

Apply pesticides around your foundation, under the edge of the shingles, and at crawlspace vents. These can help control the vermin problem without perfect sealing. (Powder treatments including diatomaceous earth are pretty effective and easy to use for ants and similar critters, but you'll want to target whatever particular vermin you've seen.)
Get access into your crawlspace and inspect there. If the crawlspace has no floor and vermin are digging through the dirt to get inside, extra sealing at this seam would have no effect. However, better sealing from inside the crawlspace could seal your walls and floors for better insulation and critter-resistance. Adding a moisture/bug barrier on the floor may also help. And you may find a bigger issue, like a colony of ants/termites/whatever established in your crawlspace.

I'd encourage you to get access into your crawlspace and inspect there -- it's really the best way to ascertain the cause of your critter problems and enables the most effective solutions.


Tempstar 2 stage furnace restarting every 7 minutes - not going into high

I blew out (by mouth) the rubber line coming back from the low pressure vacuum switch back to furnace near the drain. It initially had some resistance but then cleared. Everything worked fine after that.


Can I use vodka instead of isopropyl alcohol?

I am not sure this is a comprehensive answer to your question but this past holiday season I was doing some repair work in my daughter's house bathroom. I needed some isopropyl alcohol to clean soap scum off the bathroom wall painted surface. They did not have the isopropyl alcohol available so instead brought me some ethanol alcohol from a supply that they had distilled themselves.

This ethanol was a very high proof and it did indeed clean the painted area but it also almost immediately softened the paint to the point that it became a gooey coating on the wall. Letting it dry again the paint seemed to restore itself to a non gooey state.


How should I organize a workspace to take my handedness into account?

Lamp on the left so that your work hand doesn't block your light, which is more probable to be the case than the other way around.

As far as the vice goes, I'd say it depends on how you orient it and if there is a wall on the left or right side.  If there is no wall on either side, I'd put it on the front-left so that it is near the lamp, and because if the lever arm is at the front of the desk, you could walk to the side and torque down on it with your right hand that way.

If there's a wall on the left, I'd put it on the right, but with the lever arm on the side rather than the front... again, so that you can stand to the side while torquing the lever arm.  Only problem with that is that your lamp will be at the opposite corner, but if it's easily moved, that wouldn't be a problem.


What should I have my dehumidifier set at to dry out my basement?

Humidity levels between 40-50% are what most people prefer in a house. So, I'd say that setting is fine. If you live in a humid region, you may want to keep the dehumidifier running down there all the time (and set it up to drain via a hose rather than having to constantly empty the bucket)


How can I unscrew the faucet nuts in the tight space behind my sink basin?

This is exactly the purpose of a basin wrench

Here's a picture from familyhandyman.com that shows a basin wrench in action:

Note that as mentioned in another answer, you usually don't need to remove the faucet to replace the washers;  but if you do need to remove the faucet for whatever reason - this is the tool.


Are water heater elements like light bulbs in that they either work or do not work?

The symptoms you describe are consistent with a failed lower element.

An electric water heater typically has two elements (and two thermostats). Only one element operates at a time.

Under normal operating conditions, the lower element will turn on when water is drawn out of the top of the tank and cold water enters the bottom of the tank. When this water at the bottom of the tank is sufficiently heated, the lower element turns off. The upper element is not activated at all.

If a large quantity of water is drawn, perhaps in excess of 50% of the tank capacity, the upper thermostat will detect cooling in the upper portion of the tank. This will cause the upper element to turn on and the lower element to turn off. When the upper element heats the upper part of the tank sufficiently, it switches back to the lower element to complete the heating cycle.

If the lower element or thermostat fails, the lower portion of the tank will never be heated. This significantly reduces the effective capacity, as only the upper portion of the tank will be heated.

If the upper element fails, you may continue to get hot water as long as the upper thermostat is not triggered. But once the upper portion of the tank cools and the thermostat triggers the upper element to come on, all heating ceases. The lower element will never come back on (because the upper thermostat is calling for heat from the upper element, which fails to provide.)

Another less-common possibility is a broken dip tube on the cold water inlet. Normally, the cold water inlet is at the top of the tank and just inside this inlet, there is a tube that extends to the bottom of the tank to direct incoming cold water to the bottom. If the dip tube has broken, cold water now enters the top of the tank, where it mixes with hot water and cools it off.

Before replacing the element, check the sacrificial anode. This is an aluminum or magnesium rod about 3/4" diameter with a steel wire core. It helps prevent corrosion of the water tank. If the rod is more than 50% consumed replace it along with the element. If it is completely consumed so that only the wire core remains, replace the entire water heater.

(If a sacrificial anode is allowed to be completely consumed, we can assume that the tank has begun to corrode and will need to be replaced soon. Better to replace the tank before it leaks than have to clean up water damage from a flood!)


Should furnace blower run when the heat is off?

If Your fan is connected To your humidistat in the the ducts (it should be for best humidification  control) when humidifying you need the fan to run or water will end up building up in the duct work.


ivy growing between sliding glass door frame

Having a picture would be good. If ivy is growing there, it means it is getting water somehow, which is bad. Just cutting the visible part will not fix the critical problem, which is the water supply.

When ivy grows it creates a thick mat of small roots and veins that make sort of a carpet in the floor of the area. This mat has to receive water for the ivy to grow. You need to find the root mat the ivy is growing out of, and remove it. Then you need to clean away the dirt there. Also, you need to figure out how it was getting water in the first place and change the drainage around your house so that water is not being fed to that area.


How to repel pigeons so that they don't loiter behind my windows?

Many buildings in my area have the same problem. I have seen many clever items, but the one that seems to work well is a strip of plastic with stainless nails extending up from under the plastic sill covers. These are constructed with strips of acrylic plexeglass cut to fit over the exterior window sill, then drilled every few inches all over with Stainless 3 inch nails protruding up from under the strips.   The birds will not land on the sharp points.


What are some alternatives to a square ceiling air diffuser?

As long as the cover is the same size as the opening (or otherwise impede air flow), you can probably use any cover.

I would start by searching for ceiling vent or grilles.

12x12 inches is a common size for vents, so there should be many options available depending upon your budget.


What type of sump pump back up systems are available?

Your best answer would be to try to eliminate the water before it gets in. Your best options will depend on the reliability of your electric source. A battery pump will only last so long. A watered powered pump will require a steady flow of municiple water. If you have a well it obviously won't work without power. The other consideration is how easily can you run a water supply line to the pump in your now finished basement. Water powered pumps are expensive to run interms of the cost of the water used and the amount pumped. The best models are close to a 1 to 1 ratio. The less expensive ones use 2 gals to pump 1 gal. In my area water and sewerage are combined in one bill. I would be paying a sewerage surcharge on the water the pump uses even though it would discharge in my yard. The water bill would still be less than your insurance deductable, and your rates won't increase due to a claim. I would use the electric as a primary pump and get a water powered unit as a back-up.


TV cables getting stuck in conduit after mounting TV on fireplace

Vacuum a string through the conduit. Literally put a vacuum cleaner sucking on one end and feed string in the other until it comes out.

Then PULL the wires (all of them, at once) into the conduit with the string. That works easier if you make the front end of the cable bundle somewhat smooth as you attach the string, generally by wrapping tape to cover the connectors, etc that will want to catch. You can have your helper push a little as you pull.

Stagger the connectors (put one behind the first one, and the next one behind that) so they don't make a big fat lump right at the end.


Can I spray regular foam over fire block caulk?

The entire point of the fire blocking foam is prevent/slow fire from spreading from one area to another; it has less to do with the electrical/plumbing between two areas than the hole that was created to allow them through. As long as you have fire grade blocking to the prescribed thickness, there is no issue with other foam on top of it.


What is this sensor/device located near the master bath tub?

Posting per the ops response to my comments:

When the alarm goes off - is there a speaker in this box ?

The unit is an Alarm Buzzer - removing the cover will reveal a speaker .


How to fill a gap behind plastic baseboard

You should really do a mitered return on that edge and terminate it into the wall.  It will require a 45 cut in the opposite direction and a small piece, also cut at a 45 to fill the gap to the wall.

Here is an example


Are cracks on exterior walls serious and can I fix them myself?

From the pictures it looks like the cracks may only be in the stucco, and the underlying structural wall may be unaffected.  It's hard to tell without actually inspecting the wall, but my guess is that these cracks are only skin deep.  However, you will want to treat them to prevent them from spreading.

Here is a good article about Cracks in stucco.

Here are some excerpts from the article.

  All buildings are subjected to a
  variety of stresses in various forms
  and this stress is often transferred
  to the plaster stucco membrane.

  Stucco
  is not and never was intended to be a
  structural material.

  Cement stucco is
  a relatively thin, brittle shell over
  a framed structure and can crack if
  the stresses are transferred and
  overcome the strength of the plaster
  membrane.

  SHRINKAGE STRESS

  All Portland cement
  shrinks as it cures. Controlling and
  minimizing that shrinkage is critical
  to minimizing cracks

  Shrinkage cracking
  tends to have a map-like cracking
  pattern.

  OUTSIDE SOURCES

  Structural loads,
  lateral force racking, thermal
  changes, wind, lumber shrinkage and
  seismic events are all examples of
  outside sources of stress.

  HOW HARMFUL IS A HAIRLINE CRACK?

  a hairline
  crack does not automatically mean the
  stucco is faulty, failing or will not
  function for the service life of the
  building.

  MAKING REPAIRS

  Once the decision is made to make
  repairs, there are several options.

  Option 1: Treat the joint with the
  same finish material.

  Option 2: Paint the wall or ceiling
  after treating the crack with an
  acrylic paint or paint designed for
  stucco.

  Option 3: An elastomeric paint
  coating.

  Option 4: Recoat the wall from
  architectural break to architectural
  break with the same finish material.

  Option 5: A new basecoat and mesh over
  the wall area.


Air conditioner locating c wire on old unit

This wiring could do with a bit of cleaning up

As you pointed out that Cable 3 (the rightmost cable in the photo) at the air handler goes nowhere, we can take it out of the circuit entirely by nutting the red wire from the air handler to the red wire from Cable 1 instead of the red wire from Cable 3.  (This means that the blue wire from Cable 3 is no longer nutted to the red wire from Cable 1, too.)

Once that's done, finding C isn't so hard after all

Now that we have that useless cable removed from the picture, we can find C rather readily, given that we know how the outdoor unit is wired; in particular, green and blue in the cable to the outdoor unit are connected to the contactor, with the other wires left unused.  Since we know that the blue wire in the cable to the outdoor unit is connected to the blue wire in the cable from the thermostat, we can safely presume that this blue wire is the Y wire, leaving the green wire to connect to C on the air handler.

Since we have a good indication that brown is C as well from the scant documentation available for your make of air handlers, we can safely assume that the junction between the thick brown wire and the thin green wire is where you need to connect the white wire in your thermostat cable to use that white wire as C.


How can I remedy a slight bump underneath my new hardwood floor?

Nailed down hardwood board strips can be removed (destructively) to allow access to the offending sub-floor.

It involves carefully cutting out the piece with a circular saw and an oscillating saw.

Replacing the piece involves glueing down the same length piece. You have to cutoff the bottom half the groove side to allow the replacement to drop in.

Hopefully your flooring was  prefinished, which makes matching a snap


Trane Furnace Fan Works, But Heater Won't Run

Check to make sure that when you switched the fan switch to the on position and back off that you didn't accidentally move the system switch from heat to cool.


How can I install a Miele Washer and Dryer that use a 240V/15A splitter?

First step: receptacle replacement

Your existing receptacle is a 10-30R.  This will need to be replaced with a 14-30R in order to plug either of your new appliances in.  Furthermore, it appears you have aluminum wiring, so this will be a bit trickier than usual, but not impossible for a DIY job.  Of course, if you are more comfortable calling in an electrician to deal with this, they'll be able to take care of it without too much trouble, and may be able to bring better stuff to bear on this job than you can.

For doing this yourself, you'll want:

A NEMA 14-30R receptacle of the flushmount type
Some short lengths of 10AWG copper THHN (black/red/white/bare if you want to insist on color codes, or you can use white as a universal donor with some tape flags for hots and wire stripping for the bare ground) for pigtailing the receptacle.
3 port Al7Cu or Al9Cu insulated screw lugs rated for 8AWG/10AWG wire
Anti-oxidant compound if called for by the connectors used
And a torque screwdriver, as the requirement for it got added in the 2017 NEC (you can get one at the orange borg or online for $60 these days)

Once you have the breaker off, you can undo and pull out the existing receptacle, and also undo the ground from the box lug at this point.  Toss the old receptacle as you won't need any more of it.  Fit the cut and stripped pigtails to the new receptacle, using your torque screwdriver to torque things down to specification.  If called for in the connector instructions, apply anti-oxidant compound to the ends of the existing wires. Then, use the screw lugs to connect the pigtails to the existing wires, matching the pigtails up with the corresponding wires and using the torque screwdriver to torque the terminal screws down to specification. Stuff everything into the box (it may be tight) and screw the new receptacle in before turning the power back on and using a meter to check your work for the correct voltages.

Now: time for two 30A receptacles on one 30A circuit

There is absolutely nothing in the NEC that prohibits placing two 30A receptacles on the same 30A branch circuit.  Neither 210.21(B)(3) nor 210.23(B) forbid this -- in fact, you could say that the Code explicitly provides for this exact case (otherwise there wouldn't be a line for 30A receptacles in Table 210.21(B)(3)).

Unfortunately, I don't know enough about how your house is built or where you want the 2nd receptacle on your wall to be able to instruct you further here.  (This job will likely require you to tear out a bit of drywall, too.)  The instructions above will leave you in a good position to do it or have an electrician do it, though.

Bonus!  Your breaker box should be replaced at the earliest opportunity available!

You have a Zinsco panel -- while they don't quite have the sordid failure history of FPE's line of non-breakers, Zinscos should be replaced at the earliest opportunity available as their track record is poor, relative to something like a CH or a QO.