How can I have the water running to increase pressure on my boiler?

This is how I found the solution: on vaillant eco pro filling loop pipe there is only one visible valve with a proper handle located on the left side. Follow this pipe and where it connects on the right side instead of a normal valve with a handle there is a kind of hidden screw on top of it. Turn it anti clockwise with a screwdriver to have the water running, then you can open the valve with handle on the left to top up your boiling pressure. Be careful only topup to 1.5 bars, about half of the grey area and please Don't forget to turn back all the open valves at the end to its initial position.

Hope this helps, because it took me hours to locate this hidden valve in the right side.


There is no real experience needed when cutting an opening in cement board. I've seen openings for faucet handles created with nothing more than a well placed hammer strike (one hit each hole!). What ever tool you have available will suffice. I've drilled perforations with a masonry bit for a single shower valve. Oscillating tools with a carbide blade work. The primitive method is to cut the mesh with a utility knife and then force the board to break along the cut line. For a triangle cut not along an edge, mark the outline with a pencil, and drill a 3/8 inch hole at each of the 3 points. With an aggressive saw blade follow the lines to each 3/8 inch hole. If the edges are to jagged smooth with a rasp or  a whet stone.


What are the options to increase doorway height in load-bearing portion of foundation wall?

There are two very important dimensions left out of the "Obstruction Details". See picture below.

Overall height of overhead clearance. (Directly related to number of courses of cinder blocks in the wall).
Width of the opening. (This is of lesser importance than the overall height).

The dimensions I show are just pure guesses based on what one may expect in a fairly standard basement.

If your basement was built with 10 courses of cinder blocks such that the joist plate is directly over the bricks then there are going to be many fewer options. Already with severely compromised ceiling height the engineer may suggest a cross support beam inline with the wall fitted up between the ends of the joists that are cut off flush to the surface of the cross beam and then supported via metal joist hangers into the sides of the cross beam. Such cross beam would span over the opening and extend to an even multiple of the joists spacing.

If your basement was built with 11 or 12 courses of cinder blocks then you have more options. The engineer may suggest cutting out the bricks and overhead cinder blocks and laying in a cross beam header. This header would be longer than the opening width and may be specified as a steel or wood beam. The ends of this cross beam header would be supported by the first solid cinder block course on either side of the opening. It may have to be shimmed up from the cinder block course with wood or bricking.

With either of these approaches it would be necessary to prop up the overhead joists back away from the opening whilst the engineer approved re-work was being performed.


Ventilating a cat box through the dryer exhaust duct

Sharing ducts in that way usually isn't allowed by code for health, comfort, energy efficiency, and fire reasons, among others. It's not a good idea, as you won't balance venting force without a diverter of some sort, and that means you have to constantly be switching it back and forth for the current need. You're almost guaranteed to forget at times, which creates fairly obvious problems.
Run a second duct along the first. Install a new vent outside with an operational backflow/draft preventer flap.


Will using concrete anchors in wall studs cause problems?

Yes I'm afraid concrete anchors are not appropriate for wood studs. Sleeve anchors rely on being able to press against the sides of their hole with enough pressure to counter act the pull-out weight of the load they're bearing. If the sides of the hole are somewhat squishy (like soft pine is) the anchor will probably fail. You can:

Move the unit slightly and re-drill properly sized holes, just make sure to move them at least 2" away from the old holes.
Fill the holes with 3/8" dowels and glue and then re-drill.
Bore out the holes in your hardware and use a 3/8" lag (or whatever size works with the holes you drilled) if your hardware will allow it.


Contractor cut wire in wall - all still works fine - is this dangerous?

Does this all sound right and I should just not worry about it?

If it is causing you concern, you could pay another electrician for a second opinion. I wouldn't bother but you may feel it worthwhile.

  do I need to start tearing down walls to figure out where the cut wire came from?

If you must know where the wire leads to, that might eventually be necessary.

There are other tools that can be used for tracing wires without requiring opening up the walls - for example, tone-generators are often used on telecom wiring, I imagine you could isolate the power supply to the house and use that kind of tool.

This might be a lot of work for little reward.

A disconnected wire is unlikely to pose a hazard unless it is a ground/earth wire which might mean that some light-fitting or power outlet which shoudl be earthed is not. An electrician can test lights etc to test the earthing arrangements meet code. You can buy relatively inexpensive tools to test outlets - these might give you some reassurance.

If the electrician has pronounced it safe and has capped off the wire, I would leave it at that unless you have good reason to mistrust the electrician.


How much space is needed in electrical box for new dimmer switch?

The box fill calculation in NEC 314.16 is per device; there is no code difference in a single gang box for a switch or a duplex outlet or a dimmer. Code treats them all the same, using a 2x the wire size calculation for the largest wire connected to them.

Example: if the box has 2 cables 14 awg with ground there is a total of 6 wires but you only need to count 1 of the grounds. The metal box should have a clamp, so 1 clamp is counted at 1x and 1 device counted at 2x for a total of 8. Now we look up 14 gauge wire per table 314.16B. Number 14 wire is calculated at 2 cubic inches x 8 for a total of 16 cubic inches. The box would need to be 3x2x3.5 per table 314.16.A. I hope this helps your understanding of box fill. Note for 12 gauge wire use 2.25, otherwise the rules are the same.

Also note you need to use the listed size not a measurement of the box the above box is listed as 18 but calculates at 21.


Load bearing wall & shelving suggestions

That is one heck of a shelf! The top of the wall has a top plate. Remove the lower 45 degree legs and fasten them to the top of the outer corners of the shelf. Use 3" wood screws. Then attach the 45 degree legs to the top of the wall where the ceiling meets it. This is the reverse of what you have now. I cant tell from the photo but make sure the rear shelf board against the wall has screws through it that enters studs. All of the other excess wood is overkill.

This will free up all the space below the shelf and provide a boundary of sorts for the items you plan to store.  Don't worry, you couldn't possibly affect that wall with this shelf. The shelf would give before the wall would even budge.


When should screws be used for general wood framing?

The short answer is that, for residential framing, the only situations that call for screws are:

Where building hardware specifies screw fasteners
Where squeaks are a concern and adhesive would be impractical
Where access is limited with respect to hammers or air nailers
Where the need for later non-destructive removal is expected

Everything else is usually done with appropriately-sized nails or staples, some of which should be adhesive-coated, ring-shanked, or otherwise special.

I won't endeavor to list all appropriate fasteners and their use-cases here, as that would be an inappropriately broad topic for this site. The most common pneumatic fasteners in my area are ~3" cement-coated framing nails, ~2-3/8" ring-shank nails, and 1-1/2" to 2" cement-coated narrow-crown staples.

Construction adhesive is appropriate for reducing noise and making structures feel more solid, as in staircases. It is not, however, rated for weather resistance scenarios. Mechanical fasteners and building hardware fills that role.


You lose more heat through ceilings than through other surfaces (because the warm air is touching it, and because of good convection currents).

The insulation value of glass is very low. To put it in USA terms, a single pane of glass is R-1, while many house walls are R-20 and ceilings R-30. I've seen superinsulated roofs at R-60. Even triple-pane glass is only R-3; inert gases inside help, but over time they leak; you probably can't have a good seal if you want to run a curtain through them.

During the day, insolation will warm your house through the ceiling (probably too much, even in your part of the world), but at night when you're only losing heat, you'll really feel it. You'll use a lot of energy to stay warm.

At the same time, it would be very expensive. Windows are generally an expensive feature in a house. Sloped windows should be tempered for safety, which makes them even more expensive. And you're talking about a huge area.

Roofs in particular get beat up pretty hard; standard roofs (asphalt shingles) around here last about 20 years.

Meanwhile, you lose the opportunity to put photo-voltaic panels on your roof.

However, you can get a lot of what you're looking for with a much less ambitious approach.

Small solar tubes bring in a huge amount of light for their size.
A skylight over your bed can let you stargaze in comfort. Put your bed up high for a wide viewing angle.
Spend more time outdoors.


How often should I recaulk the ceramic-tiles in my bathrooms and kitchen?

Truly it's not a dumb question. I know I've got kids (3-4) and they can TEAR UP any caulking laid down in a matter of months. For clarification, I am talking 'caulk', the sealant to keep the puddles of water from water-logging and destroying walls/flooring/underpinning etc. in between the tile and bathtub;  grout is a different issue, of course (as others have stated, grout being the 'cement' between and under your tiles, holding them in place).

Back to the silicone, honestly, I have found myself caulking their entire bathroom down only to find it 8-10 months later peeling back/cracking/ missing places... It truly depends on what is going on in said room how often one might wish to reapply/replace. I use a "holy hell, how can this be possible?" sliding scale to determine the NEED for replacement- however, as stated, with the kids and appreciation for puddling up the entire bathroom floor; I make sure there are NO breaks in the seal where water might seep through and cause damage... I'd say a good rule of thumb is if you feel like water (or any amount of moisture) could collect/ make it's way through- it's probably a good idea to knock it out. If it peels/flakes away easy, is receding from either side, starting to crack or chip, etc. there's a good possibility that it can/will allow water damage under- causing MUCH BIGGER issues...
   Much rather do it and not need it than need it and not do it! haha


Reinforce ceiling joist for ceiling storage

Generally speaking, this sort of thing is left to
professional engineers. Nobody here will give you the stamp that your AHJ will require for a
building permit.

Google "structural engineer" or "residential structural engineer" to find one in your area. (This assumes you're in North America... terms might vary elsewhere.


What is the purpose of this valve in my garage

I had something like this in my garage where a water softener was previously.  When the water softener was removed it was easier for the previous owner to just connect the pipes instead of opening up the wall and/or rerouting the plumbing to a less noticible location.


As long as the add on is more than 1.5–2 inches wide, it will make a fine extension.  Much narrower than that and the seaming iron and seaming glue will make a bit of a mess.  Someone very experienced can probably manage it well enough though to make it turn out all right.  The six inch piece will be invisible if professionally done.

If you have any concerns, have a reputable installer or have a written agreement that they will do whatever it takes to get the job done to your satisfaction.


Will my US 120v power tools work on UK 240v 50Hz?

Probably not, but check the specs.
A lot of consumer electronics - e.g., computers, TVs, etc. will work fine on a range of 90V - 240V and 50/60 hz. That is because they are designed to work that way and a key is that most of those electronics actually work on DC power. So they build in a power supply that converts high voltage AC to low voltage DC. Frequency doesn't matter (within reason) because the result is DC = no frequency at all. Voltage doesn't matter (within reason) because there are components that can handle a wide range and 90 -> 5 or 240 -> 5 is a big change either way.
However, motors are a different story. If a motor runs directly on AC then it will be dependent on the voltage and the frequency in a number of ways, and rewiring (or possibly even redesign) is needed to run correctly (and safely) with 2x voltage and/or 50 instead of 60 hz frequency.
Check the specifications or the nameplate and you should be able to figure it out easily enough. The frequency is a particular issue with motors, so even if you use a transformer to go from 240V to 120V, the motor may still not work correctly, leading to it running too slowly and/or premature wear.
Battery operated tools are a little different. Since they run off batteries, the only issue is the charger. Battery chargers are often designed to handle 90 - 240 & 50/60, just like laptop computer power packs. But check the specs to be sure.


Can I use a neutral from another circuit to install a 3-way switch?

No, you should not do this.  Think of what would happen if someone wanted to work on that other circuit - they would flip the breaker and assume its off, yet there is still current on the neutral coming from another circuit!  Zap!  Even worse, someone disconnects the neutral without knowledge that it used elsewhere and now you have an open neutral!

As well, it's worth mentioning that the neutral has no phase - they are all tied together (and tied to ground at the main panel).

The correct way to do this is to run a new cable.


What steps should I take to figure out which alarm model I have and how to go about installing a missing sensor?

It's surprising not to have a brand name visible, either on keypads or the main system. I will say it is possible that your system is very outdated, and so the alarm company basically doesn't want to touch it (rightfully so), they just want to put in something modern which they know they can support if it breaks.

You should have a control system somewhere. Often these are a metal box that opens and has a circuit board inside. There should be a model number or name on that, and if not, posting a picture would help.

If there is a circuit board like this, it is possible the model/name is printed on the reverse side, as they actually sell the box separately from the circuit board -- the installer mounts it at install time. You'd have to remove the circuit board in order to check this (cut the power, and be careful not to damage the board -- including being careful of static).

Aside from that, there are three general ways to go about fixing the problem.

Install the missing door sensor

Installing the sensor may or may not be easy. If you have another door sensor, you can verify that you're getting the same thing (usually just a NC magnetic contact sensor, like these):

Short out the door sensor wire

You may be able to short out the door sensor. There is a very small chance that this won't work, if it requires a resistor to terminate, but that is not common on door circuits. Of course, this door won't be alarmed if you do that. It also means you need to find that wire, somewhere. You could do it at the panel, as well.

Remove the door sensor circuit

This means re-programming the system to not use this circuit. It definitely requires finding the model, and then figuring out how to program the system. Sometimes this can be done through (at best) cryptic button sequences, other times it needs PC software and a (sometimes special) cable.


Lights running without disconnect switch

That looks like where a main breaker goes, and the stuff in there looks like the damaged guts of a main breaker.  I supremely doubt this is for the outside lights.

This an extreme hazard being just like it is. I strongly recommend you get an electrician out to fix it before it burns someone's hand.  What's more, it appears that something that is supposed to be breaker-protected, isn't.  So the protection is gone, opening the possibility of a fire.


Removing an outside load bearing wall is serious, it will be worth the few hundred dollars to ask the opinion of a structural engineer. They will be able to calculate the loads and give you a stamp of approval. I take it you're doing this without pulling any permits.


You cannot split a GFCI receptacle, however, a GFCI receptacle is not the only way to provide GFCI protection to a circuit.
GFCI Circuit Breaker
One option, would be to provide GFCI protection to the entire circuit by installing a GFCI circuit breaker.  Install a 20 ampere GFCI circuit breaker, and run 12 AWG copper conductors to the receptacle location.  Then you'll simply wire a standard receptacle, in a half switched configuration.
Blank Face GFCI Device
Another option, is to use a blank face (dead front) GFCI device to provide protection.

Install a double wide box at the receptacle location.
Connect the wires feeding into the box to the LINE terminals on the GFCI device.
Use the LOAD terminals on the device to feed a standard receptacle, wired in a half switched configuration.


Can I install sheet vinyl over ceramic tile without adhesive?

I have seen vinyl floors where the glue was put down unevenly (sparingly in some areas), and by comparison the areas without enough glue were visibly damaged on top from wear. So, I think that (for whatever reason) vinyl floors which are not (well) attached have a shorter lifespan.

However, you might want to look into floating vinyl floors (here's a random link for a floating vinyl floor vendor). Perhaps it would help to lay some carpet padding on the underside, so that it doesn't slide and protects the original floor.

Now, I have often seen vinyl floors that are made to look like tile, stone, or wood, but they are always reaching for a conservative aesthetic. If you already have a sheet of vinyl that you like, then you are sort of forced to install it properly or be willing to sacrifice it to a learning experience.

But I have always wondered if you could create vinyl panels from say, 3/4" plywood. Basically the idea would be to cover the top with the vinyl and the bottom with say, foam rubber or carpet padding, and then just lay the panels down and cover the seams with trim. Unfortunately, I've never had enough money to warrant an experimental floor, so I can't really recommend it; but if you try it, let us know how well it works, any tips or hiccups, and after a while- how long it lasts.


You won't find one, because of box fill limits. By code, you are only allowed to stuff so many wires and devices (switches) in a box. Otherwise you risk overheating and a fire.

The largest available single gang box you can get is 22 cubic inches.
A one gang double 3-way switch plus the required wiring is 22 cubic inches.
A one gang 3-way plus 2 singles switch, plus the required wiring, is also 22 cubic inches.
The switch you are seeking (a one gang triple 3-way) plus the required wiring equates to a wire fill of at least 28 cubic inches. Too big for the largest single gang box.

An alternative would be a two-gang box with a mud ring that brings the opening down to a single gang opening. But if you have room to do that, then you have room to put in two switches in a double-gang opening.

Therefore, the almost non-existent code-compliant use case of a one gang triple 3-way switch doesn't justify the existence of the product.

Sorry!

Additional bad news:

Depending on whether the 4-way circuit originates in this box or passes through, I don't think you can fit all the required wires in a single gang box anyway.


What is a "solar-ready" air conditioner?

You paid a higher cost to have an AC with the built-in breaker circuit to handle the output from a small solar system.  The built-in breaker limits the size of the solar system that you can install for your house.  I would look at it as a Marketing pitch.

Is there some benefit to using this "solar ready" feature when I get solar installed? Or should I just get it installed the "normal" way, as if I did not have a "solar ready" air conditioner?

When going solar, if the size of the system doesn't exceed the 16-panels limitation, You have one breaker panel you don't have to install. That's the bottom line.
Why the limitation?  The solar size is restricted by the size of the circuit your AC is on.  If solar is connected at the main breaker, the size is limited by your service input and other minor considerations.
Another consideration is how convenient is it to route the solar power to the AC verses the location of the Main Breaker box.


How should I prepare the site for a concrete step?

You're asking 3 questions, so I'll address them separately. In the future, please ask one question per post.

There's no reason other than aesthetics and strength that you should extend the slab below grade. Since your step will be 6" thick, strength is not an issue. Use inexpensive substrate rather than making your slab 10" thick.  As far as substrate depth, that depends entirely on the existing soil. There's no magic number. The key is to remove all organic soil and be sure that what's left is thoroughly compacted. Water injection can help.
Considering the small initial cost increase, I'd go with rebar in a 12-16" grid. It will provide more stability in case of cracks. For a slab that size I'd probably cut or tool 2 control joints on the thirds.
If you attach the step to the patio and experience settling you'll end up with a slanted step and/or slab damage (rebar tear-out). I'd leave the step detached and 1/4" to 1/2" above the ideal height to allow for slight settling.  There's no reason to leave a gap or to install an expansion joint against the existing patio in this case. Expansion can occur away from the patio. If the new slab is flanked by other concrete, however, you'll probably want expansion joints at the ends.


Repressurising baxi duo tec 2 28ga combi boiler?

I really think you have to open 2 valves as in UK systems,there's an odd use of not having a 'load' valve integrated with combi. In your case I think you have to open the valves on the 'by-pass' pipe connecting the fresh water inlet to system return.

Open the circled ones:


How can I round the edges of a piece of wood?

I would expect that most retail outlets do not offer to run wood through a shaper or do router work. What you really want to look for is a crafts-person that has the tools to do this for you.

If your intent is to avoid having to pay someone to do a project like this then take the opportunity to figure out how you can do it yourself. There are a number of options that you can investigate:

You could elect to purchase a router and bit that can cut the round over edge on the wood piece. This approach may not actually cost too much more than outright paying a crafts-person.
There are tool rental businesses that allow you to pay a small fee to use a tool for a day or half day. This is usually a fraction of the cost of buying a quality tool of your own.
There are lower cost hand tools that can be used to create a rounded over edge on a board. A nice sharp hand plane and a sand paper block can do the trick with a little time investment.
You can ask around. You may very well find a friend or colleague that has the tools and would be more than willing to do the routing on your board. You may find it appropriate to offer a meal out or a visit to the pub as a return favor.


What is this bug and should I be concerned?

It's a woodlouse.

Mostly an outdoor bug, generally beneficial, but may bother some plants.

They are generally not a big deal in houses, although not pretty. Wikipedia comments

  Woodlice can also invade homes en masse in search of moisture and their presence can indicate dampness problems. They are not generally regarded as a serious household pest as they do not spread disease and do not damage sound wood or structures.

(When I was a kid, we called them potato bugs.)


What size Wire and breaker for Mitsubishi Mini Split HVAC

The problem is your attic temperature

Phoenix makes outside-the-insulation-envelope attics just stupidly hot, and so you run into trouble at NEC 310.15(B)(2)(a) - the thermal derate.

Suppose we use 12 AWG wire that is allowed 90C for thermal derate purposes (NM-B or UF-B).  The 90C column in 310.15(B)(16) gives you 30A "to play with". When you derate that to 50%, you find yourself at 15 amps.  Well, look at that. That's enough.  And that 50% derate will cover you all the way to 167F, according to 310.15(B)(2)(a).  Which hopefully will be enough.

If we need 176F we'll need 10 AWG wire; if we need 185F we'll need 8 AWG wire.

You may want to discuss with your inspector what they expect.

Now, the circuit breaker must be 15A, because the UL-approved instructions say so.

Now it looks like this unit will pull less than 7.5 amps normally. That's less than half of circuit capacity, so you have the option to run a neutral wire and install a service receptacle as ThreePhaseEel describes, and for those reasons.


How can I eliminate the need for the switch controlling living room receptacles?

The following assumes that only one switch controls the outlets.

Turn the breaker off to the outlets.
Confirm there is no power with an outlet tester.
Remove the switch cover.
Loosen the switch.
Confirm there is no power to the switch using a no-contact tester.
Remove the two wires attached to the switch (should be a combination of black, red or white).
Twist the two wires together and cover with a wire nut.
Remove ground wire (green or bare), if present, and push to back of box.
If there are other wires in the box, ignore them.
Put a blank box cover over the switch box.
Turn the breaker back on.
Throw away switch.

NOTE: Switched outlets are often used in rooms that lack an overhead light or only have a pull chain fixture. This allows someone entering the room to turn on a table or floor lamp so they are not stumbling around in the dark. In fact, switched outlets or fixtures are now mandated under the National Electric Code (which is controlling in most locales in the US): 210.70(A)(1) Habitable Rooms. At least one wall switch–controlled lighting outlet shall be installed in every habitable room and bathroom.

There are also techniques for splitting a dual outlet so that one half is switched and the other half always live.  However this requires at least three wires running to the outlet box (neutral/hot/switched hot).


How can I convert my dryer to plug in in my apartment

You can't modify the building wiring without your landlord's permission, period.  And you won't get it.  Most places it's not even his permission to give, as by local ordinance, work on rental units must be done by licensed electricians.  If he is willing to give permission, and you are willing to front the cost of the electrician, then you might as well do it right and install a proper NEMA 14-30 receptacle and dryer vent. Do not install a 10-30 simply because your dryer has that cord: change cord to a 14-30.

That said, it's possible, not easy, to hack a dryer to run on 120V only.  The secret is that a 240V heating element will also work on 120V at half the amps and 1/4 the power.  This puts it within reach of a common 120V/15A receptacle.  It will dry clothes rather slowly and more by blowing dry air around than actual heat... So you'll need the dryer exhaust to be absolutely tip-top.  If the dryer is discharging into the dryer room, it will be ingesting its own 100% humidity air, and won't dry at all.


Can a mix of receptacles and light fixtures be installed on a single circuit?

To directly answer your question about the unused switch in your kitchen, you have to check a couple of things before you install a receptacle in it's place:

Is there a source voltage feed in the box?
If there is only one cable entering the box and both the black and white conductors are connected to the  switch(es), then the voltage feed is coming through the light fixture. In this configuration, there is no neutral and you cannot install a receptacle.
Technically, if the source wiring is not 12/2wg, AWG and controlled by a 20 amp breaker, it does not meet current code for use with a receptacle.
If you do find that you can install a receptacle, be sure to use a GFCI type.
Determine if the wires on the unused switch are energized and where they go.
If you use the line side (source) wires for your receptacle, be sure to safely terminate the unused switched load side wires in wirenuts.


Not if you don't want to.  The EMT piping is itself a valid ground path, provided there is a ground path that is continuous back to the panel.  All my work is in EMT and I don't own any green wire.

If you need to bond from the EMT to a ground wire, most likely there is a hole tapped for a 10-32 screw on the metal junction box, it may be sitting up on a pucker to give the ground screw some clearance.

UK-style "ring circuits" are illegal in the United States and the wiring of the circuit should not be looped back to the panel.

Sometimes conduit winds up being laid in a ring simply out of coincidence but the wires inside do not go in a loop.


What will happen to the concrete I tint with latex paint?

Latex paint added for color, strength or work-ability will not harm concrete, it actually has a chance of improving it.
The scientific article from New Zealand with link someone posted here actually states that  optimum strength is achieved at 12% to 16% paint replacing water.
http://www.hms.civil.uminho.pt/ibmac/2008/14IBMAC_123.pdf
As far as the original post information, I did not read anywhere in the article that a  60% paint ratio to 40% water ratio was suggested. Article states that too much paint is not good, nor does too little accomplish much.  Other online research would lead me to the conclusion that I should not exceed 20%.
One site suggests that amount plus 10% to make a wetter mixture, but I trust the scientific study info more. An excessive amount is a bad idea, but at the 12 to 16%  levels the concrete is actually improved over a water only mix.
I am using paint for purposes of adding color, and getting rid of old paint, but will follow NZ article guidelines for strength and work-ability.


Can you create wood conditioner from DIY wood sealant?

I've experimented with oiling wood (for a few years, about ten years ago) and I've never seen oil make the wood rancid (I know wikipedia says it does), but if it's a concern use mineral oil (which won't become rancid). The real drawback is that any-old-oil only yields a temporarily wet look (for a few months). Using an oil based varnish will allow the wood to appear like it has been freshly oiled in a permanent way. I've experimented with several drying oils and shellacs. Incidentally, (true) shellac is a natural substance obtained from the lac bug. For furniture, shellac is kind of a nice sealant.

You can thin oil with paint thinner, but that totally defeats the no VOCs. Also, the wood will absorb the oil after a while and the wood will look dry again even if you cover it with (a water based) varnish. Using blown or boiled linseed or tung oil will make the oil form something closer to an epoxy like resin (in a crude/primitive kind of way).

Siccatives are used for drying oils (chemistry becoming more modern). When I was a kid I used to see japan drier everywhere... I think it's a relic now (look in an art store or get it online). Anyway, something like that is what I would use with (raw) canola (to help it "dry" and make the finish last longer). The funny thing about driers is that they keep it looking wet longer.

The final word: experiment with wood blanks.


One word......YES.

By a licensed burner technician.


They are just called "push-on" single pin crimp-on connectors. There are different types of push-on connectors, these are referred to as "bullet" type. You can usually find them where they sell ring and fork tongue connectors.


If your outlet is GFCI protected this is the first part of doing it safe, with 180' of extension cord you will need to use heavy duty cords some cords use 16 awg wire and at this length with a small or light cord there can be excessive voltage drop causing the blower to over heat and possibly trip the breaker. With a heavy gauge cord like 12awg it would be fine and possibly ok with a 14 awg cord but the size of the blower would be needed to know. With a GFCI and heavy cord it will be safe.


What's the best way to seal an access hole in a wooden gate?

If your goal is to make the hole look "neat" instead of just a chunk cut out of the fence gate, I would suggest simply adding a little trim around the hole like was done in the picture below.  Obviously your hole is probably smaller, and a thinner trim would need to be ripped from fence boards, but the concept is the same - cover the rough, unfinished edge of wood with nice, sharply cut trim.

Another option would be to grab some "outside corner molding" which is sold at most stores that stock interior moldings.  It would need to be treated to handle the weather.


Why does one pressure tank on my well only pressurize partly?

You have an abnormally small differential (20/40 or 30/50 are more typical, for a 20 PSI differential rather than a 10 psi differential) which will impact storage on all tanks.
Referring to a tank chart for a 62 gallon bladder type tank, the 20/40 drawdown is about 22.6 gallons and the 30/50 drawdown is about 19.2 gallons, so 10 gallons of drawdown at 30/40 seems perfectly normal - i.e. nothing was wrong with that figure for that size tank at that pressure differential.
All that you achieve by lowering the precharge to 10PSI is a big slug of water that sits in the tank and does nothing for you, since the tank still starts refilling at 30 PSI. You may also stress the bladder since you are running a bigger slug of water in the bladder at 40 PSI than you would be with a 28 PSI precharge. You'll still only move 10 gallons of that water each pump cycle, but now you'll have (probably 20+ gallons, starting from 10 PSI and goingup 30 PSI is not a standard tank chart figure) that just stays in the tank all the time - so instead of the bladder going from near empty to just over 10 gallons, it will go from (guesstimated) 20+ to 30+ gallons.


Based on other answers and comments, I'm hoping I can provide some help by bringing together some of the relevant information into one answer.

How it works

As @user1289451 pointed out, the "screw" is technically a worm gear. However, instead of the threads on the worm turning a gear, it is advancing the band by engaging the slots and moving the band forward and backwards. Because one side of the band is secured, then this forward and backwards motion results in widening or narrowing the band around the hose.

Loosen the connections

It sounds like the screw is turning, but if something seems seized anywhere, pick up some PB Blaster from your local hardware store. It will help free frozen joints. If you are screwing the worm drive and nothing is happening, then the threads or the band are so rusted out that the threads are not making contact with the band. As such, the only thing holding the clamp together would likely be rust/corrosion. Spray PB Blaster into the housing and let it sit for a while (check can for durations). When you come back, attempt to use pliers/flat head screwdriving to get leverage on the band itself using the slots and simply pull it apart.

Use a nut driver (To loosen it)

I would also second what @gregmac said in his comment. When loosening this, it is highly recommended to use a nut driver (or an appropriately sized socket if it's not 1/4") to loosen this. Between slippage and stripping the screwdriver slot, a nut driver will save you lots of headache. However, when you reattach the existing or a new hose clamp, be careful when using your nut driver because it is very easy to overtighten the clamp, possibly damaging the metal/plastic/copper hose/pipe to which you are clamping.

Replace the clamp

I'm not entirely clear on why you need to resuse the clamp as you can replace just that part with a part from a local hardware store. In fact, if you are unclear about its operation, I would recommend a trip to your local hardware store and looking at hose clamps in the store and playing around with them so you understand what how it operates under normal conditions. I would recommend replacing this if at all possible to avoid issues if service of the same connection is required in the future. If you need to cut the clamp, there are several ways to do it. If you want to avoid damaging the hose at all possible costs, then a hacksaw through the top of the wormgear housing might be your best bet. Once you've broken through to the worm itself, use a pair of pliers to bend/twist/open up the housing so that the band moves freely (since it will have not resistance against the worm anymore). You could attempt to cut the band, but this has a much higher chance of damaging the hose.

Pipe replacement

If you get to the point where you need to replace the metal pipe itself, or even any portion of the dishwasher hose, look into using Pex piping. I know it seems scary, but Pex makes plumbing much simpler and with a little research you should be able to replace part or all of the pipe if necessary. The damaged section can be cut back and a piece of PEX can be cut and inserted in the line and secured with a crimp clamp. With a little care, almost any size pipe or hose can be replaced with PEX.


Is it a good idea to use a Fernco repair fitting within a finished wall cavity?

I wouldn't say its a great idea in my opinion - but on the other hand, using a coupling is generally code compliant.

I'm not a huge fan of those repair couplers, but they are usually approved for joining like materials underground if they're fully sheathed (the coupling is surrounded by stainless steel - called a mission coupling) so I don't see why it would be a problem in the basement unburied.  Whatever you do, make sure you properly cement that coupling in place.

I would call the inspector on that one, just to be sure.  Something like this is one of those plumbing code issues which varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.  When dealing with sanitary sewer piping, I wouldn't scrimp out on a fitting just to save a few bucks... the thought of a potential sewer joint failure in your basement is too awful to imagine.


NO COLD WATER after installing pump. Have to run hot water to get cold water

If the pump you installed was one that is located at the "point of use", when the pump runs it pulls water up the hot supply and pushes it back down the cold supply. I do not like this type of system since the result is something similar to what you are experiencing. Your only recourse is to make sure that the pump shuts off before the hot or warm water is pushed into the cold supply pipe. You may need to change the setting of the temperature sensing control to prevent this. You may need to play with the adjustments to get the best results. As I said earlier, these type pumps are a pain in the a## and sometimes are more trouble than they are worth.


My neighbor keeps complaining about my music. How to soundproof my apartment?

Unfortunately, since you do not own the space and cannot make deep changes to it, your options are limited. The general idea is to "decouple" the sound generation equipment from any rigid structural members, and to then isolate the air space that you are vibrating from any neighboring air spaces, so that the vibrations induced by the moving air into rigid surfaces is reduced to the minimum that is feasible to obtain.

Bass frequencies are going to be next to impossible to isolate; the best you will probably be able to do is to put your subwoofer on a folded towel, so that its contact with the ground is buffered and so the chassis can't induce as much vibration. Also try moving the subwoofer more than two feet away from any wall. this reduces the "coupling" effect that a subwoofer has with vertical surfaces, which sets them vibrating sympathetically (increasing the bass response as heard by you, but also transmitting it through structure).

Treble frequencies are much less penetrating, because their high frequency makes them easier to cancel out by their own reflection, even if that reflection doesn't produce a perfectly inverse wave. Basically, you will want to hang or install something very thick and substantial, but soft, on the wall that separates you from your neighbor. This soft material will literally absorb the sound by being compressible but not elastic; it absorbs the pressure wave without transmitting it through itself, so that the sound cannot contact and be conducted through the wall. Good candidates are polyester batting (i.e. quilts, insulating curtains), egg foam, acoustical panels, etc. Understand that these will also reduce the reverb time of the room, which will make the room sound "deader" and will make your stereo sound quieter as you will only get the sound waves emanating directly from the speakers instead of what's bouncing around the room.

Understand that if your neighbor wants it pin-drop quiet, your only real solution is to use headphones, or move. Sound pressure levels are measured on a logarithmic scale; an increase of 10dBA is a doubling of the perceived loudness, and a 10x increase in the energy contained in the sound waves. So, even if you were able to absorb 90% of the energy of the sound waves that are currently going through the wall to your neighbor (which is admirable, and will be expensive to achieve without tearing down walls), you'd only cut the volume as heard by your neighbor in half. If you were playing your stereo at a comfortably rockin' 85dBA, for the sound to be below your neighbor's threshold of hearing in a space with no perceptible ambient noise, you would have to block 99.999999% of the sound produced by your stereo. This is, I deem, impossible to achieve in an apartment built to standard multi-family residential code; to achieve this, you pretty much have to build an entirely new room within the existing room that is suspended on vibration-absorbing struts. This is NOT a project you undertake in a space you don't own outright and control down to the foundations.


Light bulb lumens output between Europe and America

Your question is whether the voltage will be a factor.  Provided you are talking about different bulbs each built for the local voltage, it will not be a factor.

What makes any bulb emit light is power (in watts), not voltage or current.   Power = Voltage x Current, so for any change in voltage, there's a change in current that will make it the same power.  Halve the voltage, double the current for the same power.

Lumen is an international unit so a lumen means the same thing everywhere.


Garage door torsion spring popping and warping. Tension or defect?

According to the technician, the coil snaking is normal for new springs. It will become less pronounced as it "wears in." A bit more lubrication was applied and the binding has stopped.


What sort of bit can I use to drill out a thin seized screw?

Have you tried using a Screw Extractor bit?

They are made for this purpose.  You basically put it into your drill and when the drill slowly turns in reverse, the bit bites into the screw and tries to unscrew it simultaneously.


Window Tempering Rules and Interior Doors

The rule is basically to use tempered glass if someone can fall through it. I don't see any distinction made between exterior and interior doors, nor would I expect to, because exterior vs interior doors do not change this risk.

"Glazing in an individual fixed or operable panel adjacent to a door where the nearest vertical edge of the glazing is within a 24-inch (610 mm) arc of either vertical edge of the door in a closed position and where the bottom exposed edge of the glazing is less than 60 inches (1524 mm) above the walking surface shall be considered a hazardous location." (California code, but I don't think it matters here.)
https://up.codes/viewer/california/ca-building-code-2016-v2/chapter/24/glass-and-glazing#2406.4.2


Maybe look for some hardware for truck boxes?  They typically have the 'shut and go' feature, are rainproof, and lockable or not...

https://www.buyersproducts.com/catalog/truck-and-trailer-hardware-14/latches-445


That looks perfectly suitable. One additional thing you should be aware of, though - if your existing plumbing contains any yellow brass fittings, they really need to come out because of a chemical quirk of PEX; the zinc gets leached out of yellow brass, leaving behind only soft copper, and the fittings may either leak or plug solid. You can use RED brass, just not YELLOW brass.

The manifold should be one size larger than the pipe supplying it.

If there's any question at all about grounding, a solid ground rod can be driven... with the result of giving you a better ground than you ever had by grounding through copper pipe.

Like copper, PEX requires a 1/4" drop per foot (never install it level or wavy), and requires a drain at every low point so the house can be winterized if necessary.

Is there any particular reason for going with PEX instead of tending to leaky fittings as you find them? I suspect that those fittings were always leaky because they were never sweated together correctly in the first place. I ask this question because replumbing the entire house in PEX is really a large, expensive job... while replacing (or resweating) one fitting at a time is relatively cheap.


What's a simple solution to have 2 NEMA 14-30 receptacles and switch power between them?

You could use a double throw switch.

Other materials required are just commonly available residential wiring supplies. Enclosures or boxes, wire, conduit, etc. Exactly what you use is unique to your situation and difficult to speculate about.

Update:
Do note this is not the cheapest of devices. As noted by longneck, running a new circuit may be cheaper. This would be quite true unless the panel is a fair distance from the outlets. Now that we have more detail about the intended use, running a new circuit as suggested by Michael Karas is the only reasonable solution. You do not want to be in a position where you cannot charge your car because you need to dry your clothes, or vice versa. You spent good money on a nice electric vehicle, you deserve to have a proper charging setup for it.

This is so important that in the off chance your service cannot handle the additional load, you should seriously consider what's involved in upgrading the service. There will be additional benefits to this beyond being able to charge your car when you need to.


Is copper piping required within a certain distance from a water heater?

Although copper may not be required, it is possible that PEX is prohibited.

One reason for this would be building codes / regulations. For instance, the UPC states:

  604.11.2 Water Heater Connections. PEX shall not be installed within the first 18 inches  (457 mm) of piping connected to a water heater.

The specifics of what your local regulations state can vary widely, so you should inquire with your local officials.

Another potential restriction could come from piping manufacturer's rules or recommendations.  For example:

  Install a minimum 18 inches of metallic or other approved material
  piping between water heater and PEX tubing.

from the TUBING INSTALLATION
PRACTICES section of  INSTALLATION HANDBOOK:
Cross-linked Polyethylene (PEX)
Hot and Cold Water-Distribution Systems of the Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association.


Build workbench against wall or free standing

If you have the space, a freestanding workbench away from the wall is a great thing to have. It is much easier to move your body around the bench and workpiece than to rotate the workpiece, particularly when you would rather not disturb its position. You can make it strong with heavy construction (big strong legs).

The drawback is the same as with any workbench, a large flat area upon which to stack stuff... making it unusable, lol...


Is it possible to use a dimmable LED GU10 bulb on a non-dimmable circuit?


Shower drain pipe leaking through floors

Looking at your drain cover and pipe you can see that hair has accumulated around the outside of the pipe. That tells you that the drain cover wasn't properly sealed with plumbers putty or suitable bathroom sealant. In other words, the water is leaking in around the edge perimeter of the drain instead of only flowing into the drain.
The drain pipe itself should be flush up against the shower pan. You indicated the cap thread are long enough to reach the drain. Assuming the drain fitting is threaded screw the cover and pipe back into the drain. Put a bead of plumbers putty or other plumbing sealant under and around the underside of the cover and screw it in.
Be sure to clean it all up before-hand so the sealant will hold.


Reuse aluminum wire for basement Sauna heater

Honestly, you're probably better off leaving 40A service to an electric stove in place.  It's a selling point when you go to sell the house, especially when it's a competent 4-wire circuit, for people who might want to go back to electric, or do a best-of-both-worlds gas range and electric oven.  Since it also has gas, that takes the sting out of the aluminum wire for those who are bothered by #6 aluminum.

If it's convenient you might drop #8 aluminum or copper straight down from the stove receptacle to the new appliance. You need to make an Al-Cu transition anyway, inside the stove box is as good a place as any.

A 6 KW heater is 25 amps. That must be derated by 125% to 31.25 amps.  You cannot put 31.25 amps on a 30A circuit unless the device is UL-listed and the UL-approved instructions tell you to do that. If they do, feel free to use #10 copper for the final-run to it.

You cannot put aluminum wire on the device's terminals; they are not listed for AL.  So you must pigtail with a legal size of copper wire. You can splice from #6 Al to copper with a "MAC-Block" insulated splice, inside a junction box.  That may require mounting an additional junction box.  See how that's enough trouble that you might be better off just making that splice in the oven box?


Electrical wiring stapled to subfloor/joists beneath baseboard

Normaly the romex is pulled through a hole in the bottom plate for the wall. As long as the hole is 1-1/4" back or the wire is 1-1/4" back it could be legal no conduit required. If less than 1-1/4" a nail plate would need be used to prevent a screw or nail from being driven into the cable. If the hole is in front of the wall (wasn't sure) I would move it back into the wall ,the other choice would be to add a short piece of conduit 6" above the floor to protect the wire. Per NEC 334.15.B. 6" above floor EMT, schedule 80 PVC, rigid or Inc.


That is odd. If that's how the mice got in then you want to fill the blocks with gravel & then smooth that over with concrete or cement. If the mice didn't enter there then "Big Gap" spray can foam would be the insulation choice & best treatment.

If you'd like to use the block voids to secure the sill of the stud wall(s) then you can screw cleats to the sill plate bottom. The cleats would be set into your concrete, cement or foam flush to the top of the blocks & the sill would be screwed to them later.

Preferably, the cleats would just be PT2x2 chunks that only snug against the basement side of the block void to hold the sill against the wall or sill with spacer blocks behind & at the wall...if the plan is to align the sill & studs to the face of the blocks & just run drywall over the blocks for a fully flat wall.


Can I convert 2 two-pole 60A breakers into 3 two-pole 40A breakers

Well designed, mostly.
So what we're looking at here is a commercial 120A tankless heater with its cover removed, and next to it, a Siemens 4-space subpanel.  All in a custom equipment bay that's been drywalled.  I'd guess a cabinet door swings over this? Well done.
The good news is, "the last guy" really did this right in the large sense, bringing a single 125A feeder from your main panel to this subpanel.   It only takes 2 breaker spaces in your main panel, and it means you can fit any of  the 120A-class water heaters here, whether they take 2, 3 or 4 circuits to power them.
The bad news is, "the last guy" in the small sense did did exactly the thing we constantly warn people about: using a subpanel that is barely enough for immediate needs and provides no room for future expansion.  Now, since the water heater accounts for 96% of the panel's capacity, there isn't really any room to hold anything else, but gosh, the price difference to a 6-space panel wasn't even a latté and would have protected the case of a 3-circuit water heater, as many are made.
But it's still good.
While this usually doesn't work anymore, in this particular case we can fall back on the trick of using "double-stuff" breakers.  This panel is a dead-ringer for a Siemens/Murray E0408xx1125 panel, so assuming it's a Siemens...
Siemens does indeed make a breaker that crams two 40A/240V breakers into 2 spaces, the Q24040CT2.  And indeed, the outer poles have common trip.

This bad-boy goes in one of the double breakers spaces.  A run-of-the-mill Siemens 40A breaker ($10) goes in the other. You now have three 40A circuits.
Remember, just as the handle-ties suggests, one of the circuits goes on the inner screws, and the other circuit goes in the outer.  Very important!
You need to mark the wires! (the last guy didn't)
Wire needs to be #8 copper or larger.  #6 aluminum will also work.  White wires need to be re-marked with tape because they'll be used as hot wires. Black will do, but for style points --
-- actually, hold on.  There isn't really a need or purpose to distinguish the two hot wires from each other.  However it is absolutely vital to distinguish them by circuit.  So I recommend re-coloring both black and whites in each cable, making the same color in each cable.   E.G.

Cable 1 becomes yellow, yellow, ground*
Cable 2 becomes blue, blue, ground
Cable 3 becomes red, red, ground.

They sell a 5-pack of colored electrical tape for like $4. This will assure a "pro looking" installation, and make it very easy for you to keep the circuits straight.

* Black-black-ground is also fine here, but I figure if you don't own any black electrical tape, you can get by with just the 5-color pack :)


What size start capacitor should I buy for my refrigerator compressor?

What is the PTC?    For the horsepower, you need to add in the power factor which is somewhere around 75% and use the input watts of +/- 1000 not the 745.7 figure you used. Is the compressor a psc which uses a capacitor all the time. What is a Supco 3 in 1 start capacitor? You have a lot of variables you need to consider. If you are not exactly sure what you are doing call a service tech or continue to play " Russian roulette"


What kind of lightbulb(?) is in this chandelier?

There is also something called El-Wire. It is a flexible cable that is fluorescent. It can be powered of batteries and is popular on clothes, like dancers - But the applications are endless for this glow wire.

I bought 10 metres of this and it is really funky stuff. I bought really thin el wire for christmas decorations but you get various thickness.

Explanation

El wire is quite different from standard lighting. What makes it work is high frequency alternating currents and not really the input voltage. I have read that powering it up directly from 110vac or 220vac will light them up but it will be dimm because its on 50/60hz.

The general standard indicates that the transformer box you get with it steps up (or down) to somewhere between 90~120vac at 1000 Hertz - You can get transformers that can even power a few hundred feet by a AA battery up to several days. This high frequency is what excites the phosphor coating and causes it emits light.

Regulating the frequency makes it brighter or dimmer. The input voltage also makes it brighter or dimmer but too much or too little voltage will deplete the phosphorus layer quicker. Unlike LED's el wire will eventually burn out and become really dimm.


All grounds should be connected together. You can make pigtails from box screw, each switch and connect it all together with feeder ground. If you using wire nuts, they have different sizes and capacity usually written on package. Just choose properly size, it is going with number.


Looking to setup a 100Amp panel in my attached garage and have ideas/questions

The type of cable you linked to is SE cable covered by Article 338 of the National Electrical Code. It connot be used underground with or without a raceway. Here is the pertinent code language.

338.12 Uses Not Permitted.
(A) Service-Entrance Cable. Service-entrance cable (SE) shall not be used under the following conditions or in the following locations:
(1) Where subject to physical damage unless protected in accordance with 230.50(B)
(2) Underground with or without a raceway

Notice item 2.
You could use several other types of insulation in a raceway, including THHN, XHHW, XHHW-2. USE is for direct burial and can be used without a raceway except where exposed to damage so you need to sleeve it in PVC or metal raceway above ground.
Aluminum also needs an anti-oxidation compound such as NOALOX or ALNOX, there are many brands.
Rigid or IMC conduit can be buried only 6" deep. Table 300.5
SE cable can be used as a feeder for interior wiring so if you kept the feeder inside the house and garage without going outside you could just protect it with PVC in the garage and be good. Or you could run the cable outside just not underground.
You will need a single 100 amp 2 pole breaker to feed the sub panel. 2 -50 amp breakers is not acceptable by the Code.
A separate disconnect is not required. The panel in the garage is not a motor so the "within-sight rule does not apply". The breaker in the main panel can act as a disconnect. You actually don't even need a main breaker in the panel if you don't want one. You can buy a Main Lug Only panel if you wish. The main only panel you linked will do just fine without a main.
Good luck and stay safe!


Removing old rusty single hole faucet - please help!

The brass ring piece with the two holes in it is the part that needs to be removed. It should be able to be unthreaded from the tubing part that the hoses go up into.

Generally a special spanner wrench with two pegs on it would be used to turn the brass ring. The pegs would engage the two holes in the ring. Alternatively you could use an adjustable pliers or plumbers sink wrench to grasp the ring on its outer edge.


Wiring an in-line on/off toggle switch on an LED lamp with additional controllers is not working as expected

Yeah, this is a "throw parts at the problem and hook stuff up randomly" type deal.  There is a significant knowledge gap here.   Not least you did not notice the circuit is on with the switch off, that shoulda been a giveaway that you had it wrong, and you should've stopped right there and done more research.
The way a switch works is it either shorts out its two terminals, or it does not.
With the switch on, you are shorting out all four black and red wires to each other.  This is creating a dead short to the power supply, forcing it to crowbar, because it's a smart supply with protective circuits.  Had it been an old style transformer, you would now have a transformer glowing cherry red-hot.
With the switch off, you are using the two terminals of the switch to carry power from the 5V supply onward to the LED controller.  Which is then functioning normally, but, 24x7.
Experiment... since it's only 5 volts DC
So let's keep using the switch as a splice block for now, so we can learn stuff.  Try unplugging the power supply, then remove one of the red wires from the switch. Keep the switch off!!!  Plug the power supply back in, what happens?   Ah, the light is off! Don't throw the switch!
Now, take the loose red wire, and short it to the terminal that has the other red wire.  What happens?  Ah, the LED system turns back on!! (or at least, is now turnable on).
So if black and black are connected, shorting red to red causes the system to power up, and separating red from red causes the system to power down.  Gee, now if only we had some sort of gadget that would selectively short or separate the red wires!  Where could we come up with such a gadget????  Think think think....
Of course, you'd have to stop using it to splice the black wires, then, wouldn't you.  You'd have to come up with another way to join those.
The better way to do that
Of course, once you have the switch wired correctly, which I trust you will figure out, you notice something still.  Everytime you shut off the switch, the LED controller forgets where it was.  It forgets last brightness and color.  That's because it's not designed to be turned off at a physical switch, it has a soft switch (#1).
So if you want it to stop forgetting, you must power it 24x7.  So how do you physically turn off the lights?  You can use the "switch to interrupt a wire" method on the common wire for the LEDs.  As it happens, I can read the PCB traces and I see the red wire (on the top side of the board) is the common wire.  That is typical; red is conventional for + voltage, and LEDs are positive common.
So if you install the switch to interrupt the red wire (of the 3 wires), then the LED controller will continue to remember and output what you last set, but the switch will prevent the LEDs from actually lighting.


What can (and cannot) be put down drains that are connected to septic systems?

Tooth paste and soap (even a little anti-bacterial) are certainly fine.  Basically, you just don't want to put any harsh chemicals in there that will kill the bacteria eating away at the waste.

I would avoid food and thicker items as they will not break down.  I try not to allow hair, coffee grounds as they might not break down.  I would definitely avoid paint.

Also avoid paper products that wont break down.  Feminine products can cause havoc.  Almost all toilet paper is septic safe these days, but read the packaging to be sure.

If you just bough a new house, or built one, I would recommend you have someone come out and pump the basin sooner that later.  That way you know for sure that the tank is clean and in good working order and you can have a fresh start.  I have heard way to many horror stories for new builds where the contractors used the tanks as a trash can and that later caused problems.  Then remember to have the system flushed out every 3-5 years based on usage and local laws.


Adjusting Craftsman Garage Door Motor Height Travel

Here's the manual. On page 29 it shows the following:

On page 30 it describes how to check and adjust the reversal mechanism. I suggest that you do so.


Scrap all the junk off the seam and wall, then sand it. Get some fiberglass mesh drywall tape and some joint compound and seam it. If you're not familiar with taping drywall, there are countless videos on the subject on the internet. Good luck.


Yes, you can paint it.  Make sure you clean it very well (use a TSP Cleaner) and then use a primer first (although some sites say you can get away without a primer).

Also make sure to paint it a lighter color than the current one:

  I assume you're painting with a
  lighter color paint - vinyl siding
  painted a dark color can have problems
  with warping and expansion in direct
  sun.

from http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Alt/alt.home.repair/2008-08/msg03475.html

The expected life of the paint job will be dependent on the weather conditions for that area of the house and probably be about the same as a wood sided area.


Ceiling fan gets voltage but lights do not turn on

There was a drop in voltage to the whole circuit (97v instead of 120v). After inspecting the wire run from load center to room wiring, I found that the hot and neutral wiring pig tails were loose and needed to be secured. After adjusting the wiring and testing with a multimeter, I wired the ceiling fan + lights and they started working.


This really isn't a good idea. Whole house fans are designed to pull air from the hottest point in the house (the highest point in the living space), and replace it with cool air pulled in through the windows. Doing this through the garage would be very indirect, would likely leave stagnant hot air in some areas of the house, and would reduce the effectiveness of the fan due to all the passages the air would have to pass through.

In addition, as Ed pointed out, in some areas code won't allow venting a living space into the garage. Even leaving the door to the garage open may not be a good idea; it might let bugs into the house, and (if the fan were turned off) let garage fumes into the house.


6x6 Cedar posts for yard barn, should I glue them?

Gluing won't hurt, but it won't help either (in this application) so I wouldn't bother.

Where gluing does help is when you are doubling a beam by stacking two smaller beams on top of each other. (i.e. 2 2x4's to make a 2x8)  Gluing will then help transfer the longitudinal shear stresses that develop when the beam bends slightly.  (To visualize this shear, bend a paperback book, and see how the pages slide against each other.)

Glue works best to keep things from sliding against each other. It's worse in a torque scenario, where you would try to twist two pieces apart, and not very good in tension.  It's also completely unnecessary in compression.


How can I tell where my inground sprinkler hoses are?

I spent a couple summers in college installing underground sprinkling, so I know a little bit about this.

Typically you will have a large valve box somewhere in your yard.  These will usually have an access hatch (or several small hatches) for maintenance, so they should be easy enough to find.  Typically a pipe will run from the water supply to the valve box.  From the valve box pipes will run out to the various sprinkler heads.

Each valve in the valve box represents a single zone.  When the sprinklers come on, a valve will open and all the sprinklers in that zone will come on at the same time.  You can tell (roughly) where the pipes will be for that zone by finding the shortest path from the valve box that connects all the sprinklers in a zone.

As long as you dig carefully, you shouldn't have too much trouble.  The pipes are usually pretty tough and are usually buried about a foot or so under the ground.  If you do run into one, you're not going to be able to move it without doing some serious trenching, so you'll most likely be stuck moving your hole instead.


How do I repair laminate damage on a kitchen drawer?

It may be possible to repair, but depending on the underlying material, I would take different approaches.

If it's particleboard, your best bet is trying to patch it with veneer.  You can find sheets (for bigger patches) online, or banding at most big box stores.  The main problems here are matching the current laminate and applying the patch so it isn't obvious.  Some tips:  Make sure the surface is clean and ready to take the patch, and try to make the patch as "un-square" as possible, so it doesn't stand out.  Tracing paper and a lot of patience are required.

If it's plywood, I would refinish the cabinet.  If the laminate problem is from heat, it's going to occur again after the patch.  You can apply the same veneer patch method to plywood (it's easier), but this will likely be a recurring problem and you might look into a different cabinet finish or a higher quality laminate.


how to replace surface conduit for a two-wire lighting circuit?

First, is actual neutral present in the switch box?  That's a requirement now, so if it's a switch loop you'll need to re-run it with /3 cable.

Now the purpose of grounding is to

return natural electricity (lightning, ESD doorknob zaps) to its source (earth via the grounding electrode system), and
return artificial-electricity fault current to its source (via the equipotential bond to neutral back at the transformer).

You've created an island of ground. All it'll do is distribute ESD and fault currents to other places in the island.  I talk about the badness of that here.

Easy to fix: Retrofit ground to connect your island to your house's grounding system. In 2014 they liberalized the rules to make it much easier. More on how to do that, here.

To answer your questions:

I agree, this is wire repair, not expansion of the circuit.
Grounds should be run home as I describe.

Also, whatever circuit(s) are still on knob & tube, slap an AFCI breaker on them. This will trip on any wire arcing, which is the usual problem people worry about with K&T.


If you only have a three wire feed to the barn then the panel should have the neutral and ground connected together.
The old method of wiring a sub-panel in a separate building was the 3-wire method like you have. The wires should be Hot, Hot, Neutral not Hot, Neutral, Ground.
Consequently the sub-panel would have been bonded (neutral and ground connected together). So, the replacement panel should be bonded.
If you have not bonded the neutral to the ground in your barn that is why your tester is saying it has an open ground.
Here is the pertinant NEC section:

(B) Grounded Systems.
(1) Supplied by a Feeder or Branch Circuit. An equipment grounding conductor, as described in 2S0.118, shall be run with the supply conductors and be connected to the building or structure disconnecting means and to the grounding electrode(s). The equipment grounding conduc- tor shall be used for grounding or bonding of equipment, structures, or frames required to be grounded or bonded. The equipment grounding conductor shall be sized in ac- cordance with 2S0.122. Any installed grounded conductor shall not be connected to the equipment grounding conduc- tor or to the grounding electrode(s).
Exception No.1: For installations made in compliance with previous editions of this Code that permitted such connection, the grounded conductor run with the supply to the building or structure shall be permitted to serve as the ground-fault return path if all of the following requirements continue to be met:
(1) An equipment grounding conductor is not run with the supply to the building or structure.
(2) There are no continuous metallic paths bonded to the grounding system in each building or structure involved.
(3) Ground-fault protection of equiprnent has not been in- stalled on the supply side ofthefeeder(s).*

Good luck and stay safe!


A possible explanation: there is something wrong (or intentional) about your wiring such that there is a very weak (high resistance) path for current bypassing the switch.

In some designs of power supplies, the small current will charge an internal capacitor, and when there is sufficient charge it will assume it's been turned on and start supplying power to the LEDs — which then immediately discharges the capacitor, resulting in the brief flash you see.

Perhaps your light switches are illuminated, or they have some sort of special function beyond being a simple mechanical toggle switch. One common reason for this sort of leakage is devices inside the switch which need power and (since there may be no neutral wire at the switch, at least in US wiring) get it by letting a small amount of current through the switched circuit.


My furnace blew up a few years ago and my insurance company hired a professional cleaning company to clean everything. (About 8 weeks and $35,000 later and they were done.) I had to leave the house, but stopped by occasionally to watch.

I had terrible rust stains in the toilet (we have “hard” water). They used an electric drill (actually battery powered...maybe that’s a safety thing) with a bristle toilet brush stuck in it. They cut the plastic handle of the toilet brush off down to about 6” - 8” long then stuck it in the chuck where the drill bit would go.

They used Comet cleanser (they said Bon Ami could work too.)

You’d think it would splash like crazy when you start scrubbing, but it doesn’t.  They laid the brush tight to the wall of the toilet and moved it around slowly...stopping to add Comet cleanser from time to time.

Try it...you’ll be amazed.


Can i fix or run my 110V pedestal fan on 220V?

Don't do it. Plugging the fan into 220V will draw twice the current and result in 4 times the power delivered to the motor, so it will spin like crazy. There is risk of overheating, fire, fan blades dislodging and bearings overheating.

In some cases the motor can be rewired for a different voltage but it takes a fair bit of experience and knowledge to do this correctly. It's also unlikely that a simple fan motor will support this, so it's definitely not worth taking the risk.

I would recommend taking the loss and properly disposing of the fan. Properly disposing includes making sure no one else accidentally plugs it in. So please don't give it away or resell it unless you are absolutely sure that the recipient knows what he/she is doing. I know it's a bit painful, but it's the right thing to do.


Can I fill the void behind the shelves in a tub surround with polyurethane spray foam for added strength?

I can share some experience and advice here...

don't put anything hard in the shelves - like a bar or wood in the shelving void.  The house will move, the tub will move and this will move any type of insulation you use in addition.  Pretty soon you will have a shelf that is awkwardly hard in some area and soft in other and possible bulges.
do put insulation in the shelves
do put insulation in all of the other voids in the tub surround

Great Stuff is actually the exact choice you want if you are going the spray foam route.  You will want to tape the back of the shelf section (duct tape) after.  That is to ensure the spray foam doesn't move too much.  Also you may want to quickly sand the inside with a rough grit to allow better bonding.  If your fiberglass is thin you want to go spray foam.  The drawback of the spray foam is that under heavy stress and time the spray foam can break off from the shelf and then potential move a lot.  Shelf will still be sturdier but may make a little noise.  And that is really the negative with spray foam - you have the chance of hearing a rubbing noise after wear.

I really really suggest filling large (non-shelf) voids with fiberglass batts.  I lay the fiberglass all around the tub, I pack it in huge voids, and fill (pack) shelves with it...  I fill shelves if I believe that particular fiberglass is thick enough to handle the extra weight (I know it isn't much).  I will generally try to use fiberglass because it isn't noisy and gives the fiberglass a soft marshmallow feeling.   I would also tape the back of the shelves with the fiberglass so it doesn't fall out.

IMO this is a huge upgrade done for $40.


Replacing light fixture from 2 wires and ground to 2 wires only

You've asked the right question with "is this safe".  You can install the two wires and no ground and the fixture will function just fine and probably never have any issues, but the ground is there because of that "probably".

If something is wired incorrectly or a connection comes loose or a wire is damaged that ground becomes very important very quickly.  It can be the difference between getting a dangerous shock from the fixture and having a breaker safely trip when the issue arises.

If this is a new fixture that was designed without a ground wire, it could be what is called "double insulated" (rare in light fixtures from my experience).  Basically that means that even if there is an electrical fault, the outer housing of the device will not electrocute you.  If this is an old fixture, the ground wire has probably come off or it was never designed with one.  A picture of the fixture would help, but the basic rule is that the metal housing of the fixture should be grounded.


Could I use a pressure washer with a well pump?

Experience showed that the well pump water pressure is set to match most "city" water's pressure which is between 50 and 60. Our pump was set to 50 and the pressure washer we purchased is 1750 ps1. We connected the pressure washer and it worked without issues.


What type of wire for subpanel in attached garage?

The problem with NM-B and conduit is that you have to treat it as a single round wire the diameter of the largest dimension of the oval (or "round-ish" for 3 conductors and ground) for fill calculations - and, let's face it, it is a giant pain to actually pull. Also, it's a dry-location-only type wire and garages are skirting the edge of that being true.

I'd strongly suggest that you should just run conduit the whole way and then use THWN, XHHW, or the like. It will be better protected, and it may also be cheaper (large NM-B often has a significant premium over 3 or 4 conductors of equivalent conduit-type wiring - and the conduit you will use can be much smaller to run 3-4 AWG 6 conductors than one AWG 6 NM-B.)

4 THWN or 3 THWN and a bare ground (AWG 6) will fit in a 3/4" EMT conduit (per code-compatible fill calculations.) I'm having a bit of trouble tracking down a hard number for the diameter to use for NM-B in AWG 6, but I'm fairly sure it comes out to a much bigger conduit (based on checking the same thing in smaller wires.) You might want to run larger conduit for an easier pull, or stick with smaller conduit for cheaper tooling and conduit, or go with PVC conduit if you decide to go larger than 3/4" so you don't need tooling (at least in the form of benders) though you should be able to rent those pretty cheaply for a day if you wanted to do 1" or 1-1/4" EMT for an easier pull.

A $300 (or rent it for a day) drill option: If you already have a cordless drill (so you can skip the batteries and chargers) you can often get the right-angle drill to go with it for under $100 - might take a bit longer but will get your job done eventually if you'd prefer not to rent, without sinking professional electrician tool money into the big guy without having professional electrician income to offset it. Will also be smaller for an easier fit into your tight joist spaces.


I'd try something simple first.  The problem is there's too much play in the fastening of the post boards to the joists below.

Gluing, suggested in another answer, could work - it would take out the play - you'd just have to be careful to use a good strong outdoor rated glue. I am not sure the glue would hold up with the weight of the post and the length of the lever.  Even if it does hold up, gluing would make it difficult to maintain - you would have to cut the posts off the joists if any post needs to be replaced.

The posts are attached to the joists with two carriage bolts.  Carriage bolts are inserted through drilled holes, and the top of the bolt has a square chunk under the cap that keeps it from spinning when you tighten it.  You only put a wrench on the nut.  You can't apply too much force without spinning the bolt.

I'd replace those carriage bolts with hex head bolts, and use a fender washer under the bolt head and the nut.  With a hex bolt, you'll have a wrench on the bolt head and another on the nut and you can apply a lot of force.  The fender washer will spread the force over more area than a regular washer.

I'd also loosen all the bolts, then replace them one by one.  Let the rail sag before you tighten everything so it's not sprung in place, it's already at rest when you tighten everything.


Flip one side from L1 to L2

Your switches are intended for both single-pole and multi-way (multi-location) applications; as a result, both the "up" and the "down" positions on the switch connect COM to another terminal (either L1 or L2, depending on which position we're talking about), instead of having only one position that connects the terminals together, with the other position leaving them open-circuited.

So, fixing this is simple: turn the breaker off at the distribution board, switch one of the wires on L1 to the L2 terminal for that switch (not the other switch's L2!), button the box up, turn the breaker back on at the distribution board, and enjoy your light switches!


Looks like a “Big Ass Fan”, maybe a “Haiku” model or “Haiku L” model. They come in sizes from 8’ to 14’ with various types of controllers.
You can Google them and then email your pictures to them.


My guess is one of two things:

1) Damaged splash guard (the rubber flap pieces that hang from the drain)

2) Some object, or some mass of shredded food/etc, has become lodged in the disposal so when it's spinning, things hit and just get shot upward.

Both could be a long shot, but it's worth checking in to both for sure.


How can I mount an electrical box in a drywall hole that's too large?

I assume you used this box to avoid tearing up a bunch of drywall. So let’s try for a solution that avoids that.

Mount a piece of wood inside the wall along the edge of the opening and mount to this piece of wood.

The wood must be small enough to fit inside the existing hole. Once in you rotate it into place and then mount with drywall screws going through drywall and into the wood. If this area is exposed wall (not covered by a picture, a TV, or other furniture) you will want to patch the screw heads.

Mounting to the wood may require some more DIY finesse. With so little room to work you may find you need to modify the clip attachment and find some other means to attach on that side of the box. Like maybe snip off the clamp part so the hinged piece sits flat agains the wood and then drive a screw in horizontally.

HOWEVER, by the looks of things this is a box intended for main electrics? If there are high voltage (>50V) connections in this box it is a code violation to modify it. In particular, it may no longer be fire resistant after modification.


internal fuse on air handler blows every time it shuts off

Are you 100% certain that it blows when the thermostat opens the call for cooling circuit to shut it down?  Or, does it run for a good while, shut down, and then you notice that the fuse is blown?  If I were you, before going down that rabbit hole I would put one more fuse in it, run it for 5 minutes or less, shut it down from the tstat yourself, and see if the fuse is blown.

If you do find that the fuse blows as soon as the tstat shuts it down, one reason it would blow after the call for cooling is gone is perhaps there is a blower keepalive timer (common in newer HVAC systems to push the last of the cold air out of the ducts) and that is somehow shorted out, causing it to blow the fuse when that circuit kicks on to run the blower after the tstat tells it to stop.


How do I remove the valve stem from a kitchen sink?

Turn off the water supply for the faucet where you are removing the stem. Check underneath the faucet for a shut-off valve. They usually have round or oval knobs. Rotate the knob clockwise until it stops to cut off the water supply.Remove the faucet handle, if present. Use the edge of a flat-bladed screwdriver or knife to pop off the faucet screw cap, which is usually concealed as the "Hot" or "Cold" label. Remove the faucet screw with a Phillips screwdriver and lift the faucet off the tap. Other faucet handles may be held in place with a hex screw on the underside which should be unscrewed with a hex screwdriver. The handle can then be pulled off.


Do clear ceiling fan blades cause strobing?

"Clear" things do not pass 100% of light hitting them. A quick search indicates "up to 92%" for acrylic, generically (may be less depending on details of fan blades and how clean they are) - as such, you will still have at least some "strobing" effect if the light source is above the fan.


If the roof trusses run parallel as that wall it's most likely not load bearing.
if the roof trusses run parallel to that wall and there is not a truss directly above the wall, it's not load bearing.
If the trusses run perpendicular to that wall, then the wall might be load bearing.
If the trusses run perpendicular to that wall and end directly above it or overlap slightly directly above that wall then it's definitely load bearing.

Based on the info you've provided, that's the best we can do.


Breaker Immediately Trips, Need Help Troubleshooting Why

Shared Circuit
Assuming this isn't just some crazy coincidence, I'd bet on:

The alarm and the lights are on the same breaker
When you left the breaker off for an extended period of time, the battery on the alarm started to get low, which caused the chirping as a (correct) warning
Red and black on the alarm are battery connections and not incoming AC power. A typical alarm system has a converter (either a wall wart or built in to the main alarm panel) to convert from 120V AC to 6V or 12V DC. That AC wiring will, in the US, almost always be black & white (hot & neutral). Black & red is, however, typical for battery power. A battery, even when relatively low, can make quite a spark when shorted.
Sensors, bells, etc. connected to the alarm have nothing to do with the current (pun intended) problem.

So what is going on? Anything is possible. But since the breaker is tripping immediately, the likely scenarios are:

Something came loose & shorted when you put the new wires, dimmer, etc. back in the box. To test this, open up the box and disconnect the hot & neutral from the dimmer and see if the breaker can be reset. If so, you know the problem is somewhere in: dimmer, lights, connections between dimmer & lights.
Something came loose & shorted when you messed with the alarm. Not on the low voltage side. You need to find the incoming power - either to a wall wart or into the main alarm panel - and disconnect it and then try resetting the breaker.

If you can't find the problem in one of those two places then you have to disconnect each light or receptacle on the circuit until you find the problem. There is a small but non-zero possibility that somewhere in the circuit something else (e.g., a bad backstab connection) went bad coincidentally with the new work.


uncontrollable heating in multi unit apt

The simple answer is to set the fan to on instead of auto. This will help even out the temperature during off cycles. Using the dampers in the duct system close off the damper to the apartment with the thermostat 50% and make adjustments to all the other apartments accordingly. Keep notes on how the dampers are set because this will likely be a seasonal change that has to be done when switching from heating to cooling.

Adding a multi sensor thermostat like an ecobee as mentioned in the comments will also help. But it won't eliminate the problem. You need to balance the air flow into each apartment. If the apartments that are normally cold are suddenly the apartments that are comfortable then the ones that were comfortable will suddenly be too warm. Try getting it sorted out with dampers and possibly adding multi sensor thermostat. The downside of an ecobee is that you have to change the batteries periodically in the remote sensors tekmar makes some hardwire versions but then you need to run a wire to each sensor. Changing batteries in a single dwelling home isn't such a problem but in a rental it becomes problematic.

There isn't much else in the way of a simple fix you can do that I'm aware of.

Side note

In my region multiple-unit dwellings require fire separation in between every apartment. If one duct system is used then fire dampers need to be installed at all fire barriers. I don't know if this applies to you but be careful when dealing with multiple dwelling homes.


How can I fix electrical outlets that don't "hold" plugs that are plugged in to them?

You will need to replace them (or get an electrician to replace them).

Replacing sockets is a straightforward job:

Turn off the power to the receptacle.
Verify that power is off at the receptacle.
Unscrew the old socket from the box.
Make a note of which wires go where.
Remove the wires from the old socket.
Wire up the new socket - double checking that live -> live, neutral -> neutral and earth -> earth.
Screw the new socket onto the box.
Turn the power back on.

This is still a job a householder can do in the UK. However, if you are uncertain about any of the above steps or you think there might be something more serious wrong with the electrics then get an electrician in.

If the plugs aren't holding in the sockets then the sockets are potentially dangerous.


Should drop ear elbows be used with CPVC supply lines?

If its a short length of pipe and it's got a little wiggle room it shouldn't be an issue if you solidly mount them, but everything already mentioned (30' length of pipe needs expansion loops, over sized holes are good, allowing for some play/movement of the pipe is recommended) is good advice.

And you don't want the pipe flopping around inside the wall. It will make attaching the angle stops and supply lines for the faucet a PITA later if they move around too much.


Shut off valves to tankless hot water heater won't turn

Post a picture of the valves to clarify, but in my opinion those valves are blocked by limestone, so you have to replace them.


I'm in Minnesota (-30F to +95F), and plenty of folks here have paver patios. I have one, and I'm currently building a Z-brick walkway around my garage (they're overkill, but I got a mountain of them for almost nothing). They do move sometimes, but they tend to settle back in after frost is out.

Permeable pavers are typically only used to skirt maximum non-permeable surface restrictions. Unless you have a very permeable base soil they don't do much for drainage. I'd go with less expensive conventional products.

Shoveling isn't really a problem due to the chamfered edges of most pavers. You'll catch the occasional rogue edge, but you do with any hard surface. Plastic shovels glide better than metal.


Do you connect light stability wires to ground nut?

That is a ground wire and should be connected to the equipment ground. If you have a metal junction box then it should also be pigtailed to the ground.

Since the fixture you have does not have a permanent mounting method and hangs by a hook, then it requires an external ground wire. Hence the bare wire.

Attaching it to the green screw is fine if you have a metal grounded box. If the box is plastic it should be wire-nutted to the bare or green equipment ground wire.

Good luck and be safe!


Presumably the socket for this appliance is a three-phase one to physically match the plug you show.  (Otherwise, obviously, you could not plug it in).
If that socket is actually wired with two or three phases of power available, then your appliance plug is not wired correctly.   You could remove the jumper shown in the first picture and make use of additional phases via the unused grey and/or white wires in the power cord.
On the other hand, if you only have one phase of power available at this location, or perhaps in your home entirely, and a 5-pin socket was installed just to suit appliances like this one that come with the three phases jumpered as shown, then your plug is wired correctly.
Additionally, referring to the diagram in the first picture, if you are powering the appliance via one phase, as currently wired, you should make sure that power cord (which in fact has 5 conductors) contains 4mm^2 wires.  I cannot tell from the picture how fat the wires are.  If they are smaller than 4mm^2 AND you only have one phase of power available at the socket, you should entirely replace the power cord.


How to shut of water supply to laundry tub?

Either

Shut off the main valve (stopcock) for the building. If necessary drain pipes. Or
Buy a pipe-freezing kit. Prepare thoroughly. Have a plan B. Work fast.


My AC condenser is running when I turn heat on and it is not a heat pump, any advice?

You clearly have a problem with the controls of your heating and cooling system.  If he outdoor unit is straight cooling and is running when you are calling for heat, something is wrong. This is a fairly technical problem, I recommend you consult a pro.  You may have a bad thermostat.  But in any event this is costing you unnecessarily in energy cost and could damage the components of your system. Good Luck!


The bare copper wires are the ground (grounds are either green or bare wires). You need to add the green wire from the dimmer to this bundle in the wirenut.

The white wires are probably the neutral, providing a return from the lamp to your electrical panel. If you had a smart switch that needed a neutral connection, you would connect there.

Note: this comments assume you are in North America. Different countries use different insulation color conventions. Thanks, @Clonkex, for the reminder.


How large of a hole can I fill with putty in cedar siding?

It will depend on the type of product being used to fill the hole - some are better suited to small holes while others can handle larger holes.  Products that don't (or resist) shrinking will be better for larger holes where the shrinking would be more noticable and might result in cracks.

Check out the products at your local home center and read the labels to find a product best suited to your needs.

As for taking size of the hole into consideration, both the diameter and depth are important to consider.  A long shallow scratch will be easier to fill than a smaller but deep hole.