Can I use a range plug (50A) to run my 30A dryer?

OK, so you have 4-prong wires in your walls that go from the service panel to where you want your dryer.  Currently it has a 60A(?? surely 50 or 40A??) breaker on one end, and a NEMA 14-50 range receptacle at the other end.  You want to make good use of those wires.

Is the 60A breaker not for a subpanel?

First, do an exhaustive search for a subpanel somewhere.  60A is a highly bizarre breaker to use on a range circuit.  However it's probably the most popular breaker for use on a subpanel.  Further, a subpanel is likely if your main panel is "full", or far from the kitchen.

OK, then we need to change the ends

The receptacle needs to be changed to a NEMA 14-30 type. Do not under any circumstances even think about using a 3-prong NEMA 10-30 type; I mention this because if  you walk into any random ACE or Home Depot and ask for a dryer socket, this is the one they will press into your hand.  It's universal, obsolete, dangerous, and a Code violation in all but a few installations.

Because the receptacle has been changed to a 30A, the breaker needs to be changed to a 30A also.  Generally breakers must match sockets (exception for 40A circuits since 40A sockets are not made; they use 50A sockets).

Connecting a presumably 6 AWG wire to a NEMA 14-30 recep may be a challenge.  If it's designed using the same internal hardware as the NEMA 14-50, it'll fit fine.  Otherwise, you would need to pigtail the 6 AWG wire using 8 or 10 AWG pigtails.  (and if the cable is 4 AWG aluminum, you'll definitely have to, unless the receptacle is rated CO-ALR).


I have a single socket and I would like to know if I can run four more from it

No problem, just parallel them.   Hot to hot, neutral to neutral, ground to ground, etc.  Use wire nuts and pigtails when you have to attach more than 2 wires to a receptacle side.


Protecting a stone retaining wall from water running down it

Honestly, I would imagine your walls will be just fine with a little water running over them. The stone walls all over the Irish countryside have been standing for a year or two and seem to cope with the wet, cold North Sea coastal weather pretty well, and most of those aren't even set in mortar.  ;-)

What I definitely would do is consider what kind of footing the wall is built on. If there's a chance of water running down the wall and digging a trough at the base that undermines the wall, you might beef up the footing and/or build in some drainage.


AFIK the main cause of freezing on the evaporator coil is low refrigerant. This may sound counter-intuitive but it is a well known accepted fact.

There may be other possible causes. I think the blower is supposed to continue for a short period after the compressor cycles off and your unit may not be doing that. Call a competent a/c tech. This is not a DIY project.

From original poster:

  a tech . . . discovered that the switch
  to turn the outside unit on and off was bad. It would sometimes stick
  open and other times closed. The result was that although the inside
  unit turned off, the outside unit continued to run.


How could I motorize my venitian blinds?

If you have experience with Arduino, you have most of the project in good stead. Servo motors and stepper motors are commonly used with Arduino to accomplish similar tasks. Your answer lies as much in your budget for this project as it does for the selection of motors.

A 360° capable servo will rotate when driven by the proper code, operated by an appropriate servo driver board. Non-360° servos are limited to about 180° movement, far too little for your rotation needs. You can find code libraries to cover this aspect, as well as appropriate hardware from the multitude of Arduino sources, Sparkfun, Lady Ada, Amazon, etc.

The other option would be a stepper motor, stepper motor driver boards and code libraries. As you've noted that a bit of overdriving isn't a problem, you can get away with some slop in the positioning. A stepper motor is commanded to move a specific number of steps. If during this command execution, movement is impeded, the motor keeps counting and may stop short. Some stepper motors also have encoders to report location/progress, but that increases the price, of course. Servo motors by design "report" location and attempt to move until success or servo motor burn out.

Stepper motors would have sufficient power, even those among the low end force models, while servos would require purchase of the higher end components in order to get working devices.

Mechanically, I suspect you'd have an easy time of connecting either type of motor. A housing/bracket for the motor, a coupling to the rod, even a simple piece of vinyl or rubber tubing, and you'd be ready to go.

I expect the difference between the price of parts required to create nine sets of drives and the price of nine factory-motorized blind sets would be substantial, in your favor.

As a DIY project, it also would provide you with a sense of accomplishment. What value can one place on that?


Sinking concrete pier: Better to not attach new post to pier?

To meet modern best practice you'd want both ends of any post anchored. Obviously your particular home isn't going to collapse if a post was to fall out (and it's unlikely it could anyway with that small of a gap).

To slightly derail the conversation, I'd seriously consider permanent adjustable floor jacks for your purposes. Why not build some future-proofing into your solution (assuming you aren't opting to dig proper footings)? They aren't terribly expensive (for the few you want to fix), and they'll allow you to add height down the road as needed.


What can I use to manage the wires when replacing a looped ceiling rose light fixture with one that just has loose wires?

You can use a block connector (you can bridge it - on one side loop a a wire into each terminal to make it like one big connector)

or You can use a twist connector

I was searching for something like this. But an insulated version- i found something in china but the problem is it will never be approved to use that on internal circuits due to high risk of electrical shock. These are used inside distribution boards only - and can only be installed by qualified electricians.


How far from the foundation and how deep should a French drain be?

Location

Since the water generally comes from outside the home's footprint, drain tile is usually installed along the footing (inside, outside, or both, depending on the situation). Whether you need interior circuits in your case is uncertain.

Depth

You don't want your drain to work harder than necessary, so it shouldn't be deeper than necessary. They're typically installed slightly below the underside of a basement slab, for example, or just below the top of the footing along which it resides.

Drainage Media

Clean (washed) rock is important, but size isn't so critical. More critical is that you protect against silting. Fabric either wrapped directly around the pipe or laid over the washed rock medium helps prevent the surrounding soil from infiltrating the pipe and clogging it over time.


Why is my bathroom sink leaking around the overflow seal?

I agree with Sfors on trying to seal up the leak areas, as this will make plunging a future clog in the primary drain possible.

Although, the rust and leaks being that high up tells me your overflow's outlet into the primary drain is blocked and the overflow is staying mostly full, instead of freely draining straight through.

The overflow's outlet is a side port hole just below the primary drain's opening, so you may have access to it to confirm it's a real drain (there was a very stupid period when they were just for expected appearance) and is cleared when fished from the overflow inlet above.

Now, if you don't see a side port inside the primary drain, then the wrong drain was put into the sink with the overflow being totally deleted as a drain and does indeed just fill up...until it finally turned itself back into a drain, the wrong way.


Is it possible to convert a truss attic into living space?

It is definitely possible. My uncle has had this done in his loft. They had to reinforce the trusses with large pieces of wood, but they were single rather than double cantilever so it was easier.

Perhaps it's worth getting some quotes from professionals or hiring an advisor, as they'll be able to give you an idea of what would be involved and the complexity of the task even if you don't use their services.


Realistically the smallest generator you can find that has a 240v receptacle is usually rated around 3500w.

For an actual calculation the nameplate rating for the pump would be nice, but it's probably submerged. A typical Franklin 1 hp pump draws about 5A @240v, you need a minimum of 50% overhead for startup, that gets you to 1800w, plus whatever accessories you need in the pump house.

I have heard people having difficulties using cheap inverter style generators with motors, they seem to be too sensitive for inrush. The inrush on a motor under load given an ideal source can easily be 5x the rating during the first couple seconds. I think the solid state circuitry of an inverter has to be protected with less tolerance than a wound rotor generator.


How to remove combustion door for Kenmore Power Miser 9 water heater?

The door gasket was the one preventing doors from coming off. After prying carefully prying doors from all sides with screwdriver the doors came off.


The most likely reason is that this specific caulk doesn't have good adhesion to the specific plastic. The problem is solved by using some other caulk - the best bet is to figure out which plastic you have and look for caulk that claims "adhesion to X" where X is your plastic.

I had a similar problem once - otherwise very useful Henkel sealant that adhered to tile so good I had to cut if off with a knife wouldn't hold on PVC window frames. I changed the sealant to the one that claimed adhesion to PVC and it still holds perfectly.

Btw maybe elastic silicone sealant is a better fit for the application you describe.


The current carrying capacity of wire and cable is determined by (1) the heat produced due to conductor resistance, (2) the high temperature limit of the insulation used, and (3) the surroundings of the wire to the degree it traps heat in the insulator (everything such as insulation thickness, conduit, proximity to a hot roof, etc.).  Items (1) and (2) are characteristics of the wire.  Item (3) is a characteristic of both the wire and the installation.

Even though the wires within NM-B cable are THHN wire and have insulation rated for 90 degrees C, many versions of the code, including 2011 NEC Section 334-80, limit ampacity of non-metalic cables such as NM-B to no more than that permitted with an insulation rated for 60 degrees C (probably due to heat retention by the thick outer PVC jacket, although they do not explicitly say that is the reason):

  334.80 Ampacity. The ampacity of Types NM, NMC, and NMS cable shall be determined in accordance with 310.15. The allowable ampacity shall not
  exceed that of a 60°C (140°F) rated conductor. The 90°C (194°F) rating
  shall be permitted to be used for ampacity adjustment and correction
  calculations, provided the final derated ampacity does not exceed that
  of a 60°C (140°F) rated conductor. The ampacity of Types NM, NMC, and
  NMS cable installed in cable tray shall be determined in accordance
  with 392.80(A).

The code goes on to explicitly describe how the cable must additionally be de-rated for the installation (multiple cables in one conduit, multiple adjacent cables in an insulated wall, etc, etc.)

The differences in ampacity are all about the effect of heat on the insulation.  Regarding multiple ampacities for a single wire type, there is always an asterisk somewhere describing the particular instance where the wire is to be used and which ampacity is applicable in that case.


Mounting heavy mirror that has a angled beveled frame

I would use a standard picture wire technique. Either one span for two wall anchors, or if that would show above the frame, use two shorter ones.
Purchase a frame hanging kit, which would include the screw-on eyelets, or just put screws into the frame and wire to those. You might have to experiment a bit to find out how much slack is needed in the wire.

Photo and more info from Home Depot
If you find that the frame vibrates against the wall when doors are closed, etc., a few felt pads would help.


Removing paint from glass is pretty much always easy. It's hard to scrape it off if the surface is rough and frosted but then again, glass won't be adversely affected by paint removers. If you were to go with film, most of the adhesives that hold them on are pretty serious - always test first.

For this, I would use lots of thin layers of spray paint. This would make the surface appear smoother since I'm sure there's some texture with the frosting, and the spray paint will stick to the low spots and even up. Make sure to mask it off well!


The first way I tried to install was one black/black, one black/white
on the double wire box and capped the extra white and black
separately, and black/black and black/white on the single wire box.
This worked and the double fixture box turned on but the single wire
box did not.

The single wire box gets it's power from the double wire box, The second set of wires in the first box are going to the second box. (Power comes in on one set of wires and goes out on the other set of wires)
In the first box the blacks go together with the black from the light, joined  with a wire nut.
The whites  go together with the other black from the light, joined  with a wire nut. The bare ground wires go together with a wire nut.
Is there no green  ground wire on the fixtures? If there is they attach to the bare grounds in each box.
Since you are not dead yet, i will assume you know to turn off the breaker and TEST for power BEFORE you proceed


How can I convert from 2 sconce lights to one vanity bar light?

The difficulty that you face is the existence of two outlet boxes, the metal or plastic boxes recessed in the wall that contain the electrical wire. Most electrical codes require that those boxes remain accessible, with either a fixture, a device (such as an outlet or a switch), or even a blank cover over the outlet box.

If both of the sconces are controlled by the same switch, you only need to hook up the new horizontal bar to one of the sets of wires in one of the outlet boxes behind one sconce. The question is, where is the power coming from and how are the outlet boxes and the switch routed?

In the simplest example, the power comes to the switch box. The hot wire (black) is attached to the switch. The  neutral wire (white) is not attached to the switch. On most modern switches, the bare ground wire (occasionally green) is attached. In the switch box, there is another set of black, white and bare wires. That second black wire is attached to the other pole of the switch.  That is now a switched hot wire. The second white is attached to the first white and the ground is attached to the other ground(s). These wires then leave the switch box and go to the closest outlet box behind a sconce. The switched hot wire is attached to the black wire from the sconce and also to another black wire going to the second outlet box for the next sconce.  The white wire is also attached to the white from the sconce and another white to the next sconce. Similarly the ground wire.

Several other wire connections are possible and a bit more complicated. If you are unfamiliar with what was just said, you probably should not be trying to do this without an electrician.

On the practical/decorative side, someone skilled in electrical work can easily hook up a bar light tapping into one of the outlet boxes. If the second box is directly tapped only off the first (as described above) and has no other wires in it, the wires leaving the first sconce to power the second sconce box can be fully disconnected, and the second box will no longer have service. It could then be fully covered without access, or even removed. The dead wires in each box should be marked to be sure there is no confusion in the future.

If the wiring does not allow you to fully remove service from one box, it either needs a blank cover over it, an outlet with a correct cover, or it needs to be fully covered by the fixture.


How to keep my tankless water heater safe in a cold room?

40°F is above freezing, so freezing shouldn't be a problem.
If the weather is getting cold and you're concerned that this utility room might dip below the freezing point, prop the door open a bit to allow some heated air in.
Also, since this is an apartment, talk to your landlord about your freezing concerns and ask him to address the issue - maybe adding some insulation to all the pipes in this room, or, even better, adding heat to the room!
Additionally, based on reading the comments on the OP, talk to the landlord about your freezing concerns and ask him if this is something for you to worry about at all. It may be that she's fully aware of the temperature issues and purchased heaters that have an anti-freeze feature built right in so this won't be a concern at all. It's still possible for piping to freeze, but again, 40°F is above the freezing point and it's unlikely to be a concern unless a serious cold spell hits and gets this unheated room really cold. Simply opening the interior door to this room should allow more than enough heat from the rest of the apartment into the room to keep it above freezing.


Where should I connect my modem in this ethernet junction box?

You can't use those black boxes. They are for distributing telephone lines, not Ethernet.

You have two options.

The first is to put RJ45 connectors on the ends of the blue cables. You'll need to buy (or borrow) an RJ45 crimp tool and get some RJ45 connectors. You can crimp on the connectors to all of the blue cables, or just the ones you intend to use. Make sure the connectors you use are compatible with solid core wire.

PROS: Probably the simplest method.
CONS: Doing an acceptable job of crimping on the connectors takes a bit of experience.

The second is to buy a small patch panel rated for Cat5e. A patch panel looks similar to those black boxes you have now, except that next to each place where the blue cable is connected, there is an RJ45 jack. You'll need a punch tool for this. Some panels or bags of jacks come with a small plastic punch tool which works just fine, but it takes a bit of extra work.

PROS: Arguably easier than crimping on connectors.
CONS: Takes up more space.

Once you have completed either of the above, you can then connect the cables or the patch panel to your modem or a small Ethernet switch.

Also, you will need to examine the wall plates. The jacks the blue cables are connected to will need to be Cat5e rated or better, and the blue wires need to be connected properly. Frequently this is not done correctly by the initial installer.


How can I remove grout and mortar from a drain?

You probably (and hopefully) have a large amount of sand/grout stuck in the P trap.  If so your best bet would be to remove the P trap and give it a good thorough cleaning (out in the yard, with a hose).
(While the trap is off you'll be able to inspect the tailpiece and the drain line as it goes into the wall and clean those up too if necessary.)

If you can't detach your P trap you have a few options:

If your trap has a cleanout nut, open it up and run water through until gunk stops coming out (you can employ your wire hanger here too, to "encourage" it).
(My experience is most older pipes that have such a cleanout nut are so old that the thing is frozen and can't be opened without breaking the pipe, so be careful if you try this)
Remove as much of the tailpiece as you can and clean out the trap with a shop-vac and/or spoon/wire/etc.
Work a snake down the drain and whip it around like crazy while running LOTS of water
(In the hope that you'll wash enough of the grout further downstream that (a) your drain runs quickly again, and (b) it doesn't clog your pipes further down the line where you can't get at it.
This is really a last resort and just delays (or moves) the need for a proper fix...)


Do you really need a p-trap on bathroom sinks?

The “P” trap (named after its shape, has nothing to do with urine) is there to prevent sewer gases from entering your home.  It stays filled with water to form a barier.

You need it.  Sewer gases are not good for you.  In the right concentration they can even be explosive.  Plus they smell really, really bad.

Everything that connects to the sewer needs such a barrier.  Some things like toilets have the barrier built in.  Sinks do not, so they need it in the pipe.

Your friend will eventually get a clog further down the pipe.  This time he won't have a convenient and easy to take apart P trap for whatever crap he washes down the sink to get lodged in, so he will end up having to spend a lot more effort to remove the clog.  Cleaning out the P trap (or just replacing it, if it was too gross to be worth saving a couple bucks) would have solved the clog problem just fine.


How to place a bathroom vent fan in a vaulted/cathedral ceiling?

It's perfectly fine to have a fan mounted in a vertical wall. Just attach it to the current ductwork (as long as it is vented to the outside).


HVAC Fan Set to Continuous By Landlord- Please help me rewire

WARNING: Tampering with equipment that does not belong to you, could lead to eviction and/or legal action against you.

If you have the property owner remove the jumper that's between the R terminal and the G terminal in the furnace,  that should solve your problem.  However, if they do that, they'll want to connect the green G wire to the G terminal instead. Otherwise the fan will not function properly.

Since you are NOT the property owner, you should not make any modifications without permission from the owner.


Is tungsten wattage different from regular wattage?

Yes, apparently "tungsten-heater" load type is measured differently than a ideal/purely resistive load type!

Check this for example - http://www.nkkswitches.com/pdf/electricalratings.pdf - you will see chart of the current v time "inrush" curve for tungsten filament electrical light bulbs - while cold, their resistance is very low - so they spike when switched on (not coincidently that's the time when these burn out - during power-on).

And thus differences in ratings, for example this smart switch allows only 1/2 tungsten load than resistive:

ELECTRICAL RATINGS
• Electrical rating: 15A, 120Vac, 60Hz
• Resistive: 1800W
• Tungsten: 960W
• Electrical Ballast: 500VA
• Type 1.B Action


Bathroom fan and clothes dryer share an exhaust duct

The only good solution here is to run independent duct lines to the exterior, as should've been done initially. It's a violation of codes for good reason, as you've seen. Both ducts should be rigid or semi-rigid pipe, as appropriate.

Backflow preventers aren't the answer, because if multiple fans are running, and one is stronger, the other could be completely blocked. This means that the weaker fan isn't doing its job and may overheat due to lack of cooling airflow.


What's the proper way to leave extra length of wire going into electrical panel?

The Code requires "neat and workmanlike" work.  A lot of people interpret that as nipping back all extra length of wires so there's the minimum wire clutter possible.  I don't at all.  I leave enough wire so I could move the breaker almost anywhere in the panel, and I use stranded wire so shaping them in clever ways doesn't work.

One very easy way of leaving extra space is intentionally choosing breaker locations that are farther away than needed, i.e. wire all the left-entering cables onto the right breaker bar, and the right-entering cables onto the left breaker bar.  Remember don't cross the buses with wire, go above or below the buses.

  110.12 Mechanical Execution of Work. Electrical equipment shall be installed in a neat and workmanlike manner.

That's it.


Is it possible to access an internet enabled cctv camera only over wifi

You should be able to access it over WiFi, and most require you to set them up via a local network. To disable internet viewing, you simply block the IP from outside access (use a static IP for the CCTV). Your system you purchase should have instructions for that. – Jeff Cates 2 days ago


How can I separate a drain pipe from a sleeve protruding from the floor?

I would just cut the pipe 10" above the floor and go to a home store or plumbing supply and get the PVC fitting to reconnect the existing pipe to your sink. If you try to twist it you might damage it beyond repair and then you could be in some trouble...


I'm guessing these shattered because of shock or perhaps from being fully extended more than normal since the front wheel takes a lot of the weight when drawer is fully extended. The rail is acting as a lever where 10kg in the front of the drawer could easily be the equivalent of 100kg on that wheel when the drawer is fully open. The other thoughts are if someone where to lean on the drawer or if the cabinet was being moved and dropped.

I've seen replacement wheels, but they tend to be for specific rails/sliders, and I doubt you'd get a good result without a perfect match. For replacing the entire slider, I'd look for a replacement with a high weight limit. I've seen sliders in the US that are designed for 50kg, which I'm guessing would more than handle your load.


Why does condensation appear on surface of window, but not all of them?

Condensation is all about the dew point which is determined by the relative humidity along with temperature at the surface of the window. Although RH is probably consistent across all of the panes, temperature will vary due to air circulation or convection. This could cause one pane to gather condensation and the one next to it to be dry.
This isn't an issue if the condensation is on the exposed surface of the window. If they are double or triple paned and the moisture is between the panes it would indicate a leak in the seal which results in lowered efficiency.


Does the number of links of a chainsaw chain affect the sprocket?

Gauge is the thickness of the drive tangs on the saw chain. Chain gauge must match the groove width on the bar.

The only effect chain gauge will have on standard spur sprockets is the contact area it presents on the spur teeth, thicker gauge = wider contact area.

Rim Sprockets use a pocket that must be wide enough to allow the drive tangs to seat.

Pitch is the length of the links that make up the chain, basically the distance spanned by three rivets divided by 2 and chain pitch must match the sprocket pitch so the chain is properly driven.

The reason for measuring over the span of three rivets and taking the average to calculate pitch is that the drive link has the rivets closer together than the tooth and span links.

Where the pitch matters, as shown on the simpler spur sprocket chain drive mechanism on an electric pole saw. Chain drive tangs must be the right distance apart to engage the sprocket teeth properly.

This leaves the remaining variable which is the number of links. More links, longer chain which must of course be accommodated by having a longer bar. Since the chain is seven links longer (81-74), the chain will be about 2.3" longer. If the bar nose radius on the new bar is equal to that of the old bar, your new bar should be about 1" longer.

Also, there are different geometries on saw bars that can be used to take up that extra length which only can be seen by comparing the old bar against the new bar.


GE Profile refrigerator model PSSS3RGXA SS not dispensing water or ice. Makes ice into bin

Have you removed all of the tape that the refrigerator shipped with?  All of it?  For sure?

Check for any door open sensor switches that may be stuck.


The mortar should be matched to the brick hardness (or stone hardness).

A soft, reclaimd brick might be matched to a Type N (750 PSI)

The type S, at 1800PSI would be my guess for these bricks.

The M, at 2500 PSI would probably be too hard.

A great tutorial from the Nation Park service:

Repointing Mortar Joints in
Historic Masonry Buildings


All most any compressor should be able to handle an automotive sprayer, especially if it's only a few small metal parts. I doubt it'd even kick on half the time. If it does you just have to wait until it stops running (probably not even then).

The (very) important part is the regulator, set to 25psi max, above which the compressor's tank should have no trouble maintaining. If you're trying to paint a car, then you might want to look into a beefier compressor, because you'd want to avoid having to stop midway, to let it catch up.

More "gallons" means longer spans of not needing to run the compressor.

More "horsepower" means less time to catch back up.

Unless you're sand-blasting, really neither of these numbers concern you (at this time that is; go big if you're planing on buying stuff like nail guns in the future). A standard pancake compressor should suffice for just about any task except continuous sand-blasting.


Light bulb burning problem on a two lights luminaire

I haven't tried halogen yet but with regular one, before bulb burnt, there was a whole evening where the bulb closed for while and then open back again for 15 minutes, flickers during 10 minutes then closed and reopened 5 minutes after to finally burnt the day after. This is with the newly bought luminaire. –

That's very important information.

If the light blinks and flickers with the new light fixture, then something must be wrong either with how you installed it, or most likely in the wiring or switch. Suspect a loose screw somewhere, or a defective switch.

Check the switch for loose/not tightened screws or bad connections (cut the power first, of course), and check the screws in your power panel (tableau électrique). Maybe the switch itself is bad and needs to be replaced.

Do not turn it on unless you're around, as loose connections can start fires.

Will update when you tell more.


How do I prepare exterior concrete walls for painting?

If by cement you mean stucco (which is essentially cement) you need to strip off the layer of paint that is peeling. That's typically done with sandblasting--but not using sand as an aggregate. They typically use a softer material like the husks of nuts.

You then need to paint with a proper stucco paint that will breathe.

It's not a simple job, unfortunately.

The DIY method would be using a lot of elbow grease and manually scraping as much of the flaking paint off that you can with wire brushes.


Water from bathroom faucet smells like rotten eggs

A rotten egg smell in water is usually from high sulfer content in the water.  Not unheard of in very hard water. Where it could possibly be coming from in the pipe perplexes me though. The fact that it only comes out one faucet is odd.  If both the hot and cold smell bad at only that faucet and no other than the problem must be in the faucet itself, since if it was in the water heater all the hot water in the house would smell and the hot and cold pipes are 2 different pipes until they get passed the supply lines below the sink.

I would shut off the water below the sink, open the valves to drain out any water that might be sitting in the pipe and then see if the faucet outlet itself smells odd.  If there is a screen at the mouth of the faucet remove it and see if there is debris inside.

This is hardly an answer but I'd target the faucet or something trapped inside it as the problem.

Love to hear what the problem ends up being.


How can I protect a house foundation from weather conditions?

The concrete itself should be fine. Make sure water doesn't have anywhere it can pool, since standing water, concrete, and freezing temperatures can lead to cracking. I would protect any metal brackets or bolts intended to secure the framing to the foundation. And I would also protect any plumbing coming through the foundation. Where the water line is exposed, make sure it's drained, cap the end, and cover it in pipe insulation and then some plastic. Throw out some grass seed around the yard to minimize erosion.


Try a set of floor tile lifters that have a handle and strong suction cups on each end.  Here's a link.  http://www.amazon.com/Red-Double-Suction-Tile-Lifter/dp/B00HDP84SU

You may be able to do the same thing with a couple of plungers if you can get a good seal.  Good luck!


Can I use a WiFi thermostat without a C wire?

This is my attempt to "demystify" the whole "C" wire thing for non-technical folks.  This explanation intentionally ignores lots of details that are not relevant to a basic understanding of the concept.

An old-timey thermostat is mechanical in nature.  You can think of it very much like 3 separate mechanical on/off switches. (the "switches" in this case are mechanically actuated by temperature using springs and tilting glass bulbs full of mercury and other old-timey mechanical mechanisms)

The circuit is actually VERY simple.  The old-timey thermostat switches on and off the "juice" which comes in on the RED wire...separately on and off to each of the other 3 wires (often green for the fan, white for the heat, and yellow for the AC).

That's all the old-timey thermostat does.  Hook or not hook the red wire to each of the other three as needed.

Modern thermostats control your HVAC system with the same connections.  They do the same thing...hook the red wire up to the proper green/white/yellow to turn various parts of you HVAC on and off as needed.

Since the old-timey thermostats were mechanical in nature, they didn't need any juice of their own to operate.  If you think of a modern thermostat as an old-timey thermostat plus a smart phone stuck to the wall right next to it...you need something to power the smartphone.  (some "kind of modern" thermostats have batteries in them for this purpose...to power the "smarts")

The red wire brings juice into the thermostat...but there is no "ground wire".  Our "smartphone stuck on the wall next to the old-timey thermostat" needs both a "hot wire" and a "ground" (or "common").  (again, this is simplified so as to not get lost in irrelevant details and confuse the non-technical readers this was written for)

The "C Wire" (often blue) is this additional "ground wire" needed in order to complete a circuit for the electronics (which old-timey thermostats didn't have).  The "other end" of the C wire is hooked to the other side of the transformer that supplies juice to the R or red wire.  It is the other wire needed by the electronics in the newer thermostats in order to power up their "smarts".

Hope this helps a few people understand what the C wire is about.


Find and eliminate musty smell in bedroom and bathroom

It is absolutely unacceptable to have standing water in the crawl space of a pier and beam foundation. I would start with regrading around the house to direct surface water away from the foundation. The goal is to establish a swale about 4 ft from the foundation on any side where the ground slopes up from foundation.

Standing water in the crawl space will lead to a lot worse than a musty odor. It will eventually lead to rot in the beams, floor joists, and sub-floor.

Some people put drains under the soil in the crawl space leading to a sump from which water is pumped out and away from the foundation. Is the soil level in your crawl space below the level of the soil outside? Do you live in an area with a high water table and plenty of rain?


Wiring a 2-wire outlet into a 3-wire receptacle?

Look at the side of the original outlet the connecting tab is probably broken on the hot side. If you don't mind not having a switched outlet I would cap the red and you should be fine. Normaly the red is the switched connection but not always. If using the black the outlet is still controlled cap the black and connect the red to the outlet and you would be good to go.


Is there some flexible cement-based mortar?

I'd opt for a fire resistant silicone sealant such as this one >>
http://www.bostik.co.uk/construction/product/bostik/Fireseal-Silicone-Joint-Sealant/340

That's from a UK site, but I'm sure there are similar products in your part of the world.

When it comes to cement then flexibility is usually imparted by including lime in the mortar - although that's a slow process involving the exposed lime within a crack recalcifying over time so not really suitable in your scenario.


Why did a gate post rot after just 6 years?

The most common failure with posts in concrete is "collar rot", where the post rots right at the point where it exits the concrete at the ground line. This can be easily avoided if the concrete is slightly above ground grade and domed or tapered away from the post so water doesn't lay against the wood. Drainage is the key, keep standing water away from the posts and they will last a lot longer.


How can I remove soap and toothbrush holders?

If they really are glued to the wall, a heat gun on low might melt the glue enough to get them off. Then heat the remaining glue and scrape it off.


Can I increase the efficiency of a refrigerator by replacing the door insulation?

Yes it would.  Extruded (tiny bubbles, no beads) polystyrene runs about R5 per inch, compared to R3.5 for fiberglass.

However:  The door is only about 1/5 of the surface of the fridge.  You are going to make that 1/5 possibly have 1/3 less heat loss.  So overall you are reducing it by 1/15 or about 7%

In addition transfer thorugh the walls is only part of the heat loss.  More is caused by opening and closing the door.  If half is caused by loss of cold air on opening the door, then your savings just dropped to 3.5 %

If it is old enough to require rust repair, it may be time for a new fridge.  Fridge is one of the big power users in the house, and cooling systems have improved a lot in the last 20 years.


Which router bit was used on this 18mm plywood drawer front?

I may be wrong but it looks like a cove bit.


Should a 240 V dryer circuit show a current differential between legs?

Dryer connections have 2 hots, and neutral, and often a safety ground.
Anything since 1990? 1996? requires neutral and ground as separate wires.
Dryers do NOT connect "2 hots and ground", if you thought that, that's incorrect unless you're dealing with a Philippine-model or 5-continent model dryer made for 230/400V.
(the Philippine model dryers are typically North American dryers reconfigured to run on 240V-only, by adding a transformer to support 120V loads and using a 240V tumble motor. The Philippine government requires people in the former American-built districts stop using neutral; to harmonize the whole country to Euro-style 230/400V power.)
Those numbers

24A - 1.3A - 22.7A

That's perfectly normal draw for a dryer.  The 22.7A is the heating coil, and the 1.3A is the tumble motor and miscellaneous 120V electronics.

13A - 8.5A - 4.5A

Exceedingly improbable on a dryer circuit. 99.9% of dryer circuits are dedicated circuits that serve only the one 30A receptacle.  (mind you 30A circuits are allowed to supply as many 30A receptacles as they please; just 99.9% of the time, they do not).
Now, 13A@120V + 4.5A@120V is 2100W, which is a lot of heat - about 1-1/2 hair dryers going full tilt.  So the point of loss will be rather warm.
We can cross off the dryer. First, there's nothing in a dryer that could possibly draw 8.5A of imbalance current (tumble motor stalled and pulling LRA???? It would burn up quickly) and nothing that would draw only 4.5A of 240V that wouldn't also burn up from lack of air movement. (I assume you'd hear the blower running?)
So job 1 is chase that circuit and find out what else is on it.  Other 30A receptacles are allowed.  Sockets of any other amperage are not allowed.  Nothing hardwired should be there either (because it with the dryer would overload the circuit - and why isn't that happening, by the way?)
I don't see anything wrong with your ammeter reading methods.  Klein is a perfectly respectable vendor, and the "dryer on" readings are right in line.
Also, get rid of that Square D breaker.
It doesn't belong in a GE panel and will burn up the bus.  GE breakers only (or Eaton CL type not BR).  The correct GE "THQL2130" is $10.
Ditto that Murray breaker at bottom right, again a THQL1120", $5-ish.


I use a decorative chain to support the horizontal lamp cord:

This is called a swag  lamp in the USA.

Of course your installation would not have the vertical segment above the lamp. I have found that a decorative plastic chain is adequate in such cases.

Note that at the suspension points the cord remains within the chain and does not pass over the hooks. Hanging a lamp cord over a hook guarantees that it will eventually break.


Can I plug an IEC rated for 10A into the wall?

If I understand your question, the answer is no.  Or, yes, you "can". But no, you should not use a hollow table as the electrical enclosure for a home-made power strip unless the table was actually designed to be an electrical enclosure.
Instead you should buy ready-made boxes that do what you want.  If you want to have power outlets embedded in a table, there are a lot of ready-made modules to do that.  Search for "recessed table outlets" "recessed conference outlets" and so on.   Some of them pop up in cute ways.  Some of them have built in USB charging.  Most of them have built-in power cords under the table presumably because that is cheaper than using an IEC connector and avoids the risk of users kicking the cable out.  But some do have female IEC connectors instead so you can use separate power cords.  Some of them can be daisy chained so you can install recessed outlets in different parts of a large table, while having only one power cord connecting the table to the wall or floor.  That sounds like what you want to do, but a lot safer.
If you use daisy-chained ones perhaps you could route the double-insulated cables between them through your hollow table.   Again, a more ready-made way to do this would be to install a $2 plastic channel under the table, or just use staples.
All my links are the results from random searches, just for illustration.  They may or may not be what you or anyone should use for your purpose.


I'd start out with some club soda since it's pretty good at acidic materials. If it doesn't work then try some vinegar. work the zipper back and forth to free it up and then squirt some WD-40 on it. You mentioned it is a snowboard bag. You might have accumulated some salt from roadways on the bag and it froze up the zipper. Good luck


How can I repair a buried 120v cable splice to make it meet code?

What you call "Romex" is actually NM cable.  It is not rated for outdoor,  wet locations nor direct burial.  UF is rated for all three.

For direct burial rating,  what matters is the lettering on the cable, not the color.  Several vendors are choosing to use white for NM 14, yellow for NM 12, orange for NM 10 and  gray for UF of any size. But that is not a standard and has no force of law

Copper is not a legal conduit wiring method, so it is irrelevant and it counts as direct burial.

Direct burial requires 24" burial depth. Rigid conduit requires only 6".

Direct burial splices are not allowed except with certain splice kits designed specifically for that.

This would be a hot mess if it were mains wiring.

But it's low voltage DC. Right?

Because these defects would not be of concern if this circuit were less than 30 volts and less than 55 watts.

So I would be thrilled to hear that the cable actually goes from the switch to a low voltage power supply  in the 12-24V range, which then powers 12-24V LED lights at the pole. These are readily available for RV or automotive use.

I presume it might be low voltage since it can easily handle the load, so there's no reason to risk electrifying the ground and wasting energy from AC mains  leakage at the splice


How should I insulate basement walls and floor after water mitigation?

I know it's popular, but putting a finish surface on a basement cement  wall doesn't seem clever at all.  A cement wall is a perfectly presentable wall surface, it is a basement, after all; you'll not fool anyone into forgetting they are in a basement.

The problem with covering it up with an "appealing" wall finish is now you cannot inspect the wall. I get where your idea is that you'll have a leak-catcher system, but if anything goes wrong with that, you'll have a mold nightmare lickety split.  And a lot of expense on both sides: installing the wall in the first place, and tearing it out.

If you really want to insulate the wall,  install a vapor barrier and insulate outside, digging if necessary.  That will place the wall mass inside the insulation envelope so it will help regulate interior temperature; the mass becomes your friend instead of your enemy.


The drain configuration depends on the direction and degree of slope. Yeah, you might need to work around it, unless the patio is positioned on the upward slope, on the side of the yard opposite the outlet(s). Below is a picture depicting where a french drain could be located with respect to a patio and slope. Also, I am assuming the patio is solid concrete and sheds water away from the house. If not, then you will need to run the drain under it, next to the foundation.

A solid concrete patio might present either a problem or it might save some work. The intention of the drain is to protect the foundation. The patio probably doesn't need protection, and if it sheds water far enough away (30 ft sounds good enough) then it will protect the foundation underneath it from water.

There's a good chance that you will have two drain outlets. Also, if the slope is fairly steep, then you won't need a drain on the lower side. The picture shows a few examples given a gentle slope.


Fireplace main burner not lighting . .. .pilot is fine

I ordered a new ICM and that fixed the problem.  In checking the voltages at the valve TH to ground is now 1.92v.  Also, the red and green LEDs on the battery relay are now brightly illuminated.  With the defective ICM they were very dim.  Thanks for all your input.  Hopefully this will help others in the future.


Can I install wood floor on adhesive left from old linoleum floor?

As long as it is flat this should be a non-issue.  Floating or nailing down a little left-over adhesive is "normal" and not a big deal.


You'll need minimum 1-1/2" rigid for MHF cable.  That means 8" burial depth to give 6" cover.  12” cover under vehicle drives.

THWN or XHHW wires are a much better choice. It would allow 1-1/4 conduit and other wires in the conduit.  Cable in conduit is silly as it makes for a very hard pull.  The only reason to do it is if you wanted to transition from conduit to in-house wiring without any splices.

A wired ground, or Rigid as the ground, is fine.  You need grounding rods also.

Remember at #2 wire size the splice  box must be quite big.


Why is my wall buckling and the plaster coming away In one area and how do I repair it?

Plaster doesn't stick well to wood in the long run.  On an old time plaster wall, the base coat was spread over lath boards so that it oozed out the other side and locked in the wall as a whole.  When that starts cracking, problems result.   This is too new of a house for that, so it's probably just some not-so-well thought out wall finishing.

The go-to product for sticking plaster to other things, including old layers of itself, is "Plaster Weld"  It's a pink thick latex that will bond to the substrate and let the new plaster stick to it.

I have an old quart, I've been nursing for years.  Seems it's not that easy to find these days.  Plaster Weld quart


Where to connect a c-wire on a furnace with existing two wire mercury thermostat

TR is Common on your unit, Every 24 volt device will have a Common leg as well as the 24 volt hot leg, just as a car battery has pos and neg, common is akin to neg in this case.
Common is called this cause every 24 volt circuit terminates upon Common to complete the circuit.
The last pic shown is the "time on"   "temperature off" fan delay, the 2  lighter colored wires are low voltage, 1 id the heat circuits 24 volt hot leg  being W or white, the other being Common or C.
The gas valve has the same 2 24 volt leads as well,  without completing the circuit nothing will work,  every electric circuit requires 2 legs of power be it 1 hot leg  and neutral/Common or 2 hot legs as in a 230 volt circuit.
Google 40 VA HVAC transformer to see what they look like so you will be able to locate it.
Your 2 wire thermostat will have only red and white shown on my diagram


Grounding a switch that has no ground screw or wire

I called the company, they didn't seem very knowledgeable. Since the yoke is metal and would be grounded if installed in a metal box. I went ahead and grounded it as between between the box and yoke with the top screw.


Is this a kitchen drawer? You should have access to the back of the drawer (closed) by going down underneath through the kitchen cabinet.

Close the drawer and fetch your knife that way.


What can I put on these bricks that are sticking up to get them flush again?

Use a dead blow hammer and see if you can pound it into the ground further, or pull the high ones out and dig out the underlayment that is preventing it from sitting flush.


Living in South Florida I know exactly what you mean about the metal studs. What has worked for me is starting out with a very small drill bit and moving up to the size you finally need. The best screws to me are drywall screws if you can stand the black appearance and the head sticking out a bit. You can usually start them out with a whack of a hammer and don't even need to drill. Good luck.


This is slightly hard to answer without knowing what tools you have at your disposal. Perfect world, you'd have access to a complete shop (tablesaw, chopsaw, pneumatics, pocket hole jig). My description will talk about tools I'd use. Imperfect world, you can usually fake it with hand tools.

You probably want a well-supported shelf at the bottom. I'd cut it so that it would be a very tight friction fit. I'd support it on 4 sides, direct to the floor. The front support can be a surrogate for a toe kick panel. (Supports can be anywhere from 3/4" thick on up.)

The top and bottom rails can be glue only, but better if you pocket screw them into the stiles. Definitely glue the bottom rail to the shelf. I'd air nail the rail to the front of the shelf as well. You could put something as a backer for the top rail as well, but those parts don't get anywhere near the abuse that a bottom rail gets.


These compression fit plumbing pieces need to fit together very straight to get a good seal.  Try to adjust all the joints to be as straight as possible.  Because each joint can either slide or rotate, this is normally possible to do without much effort.

Also, many bathroom sink drains use 1 1/4" pipe, but many P traps and the pipes coming out of the wall are 1 1/2".  It's a small difference, but it matters to make a proper seal.  Most P-trap kits these days come with an adapter washer that is thicker than the normal 1 1/2" washer.  It may have gotten lost in the packaging, or you may not have gotten one, but they are sold separately and are normally very cheap.


Sounds like the barn did not have proper equipotential bonding, which lead to a voltage potential between different areas of the barn.

Your cord was plugged in where ground was 0 volts, and your equipment was set up where ground was a different 0 volts. Because of the lack of equipotential bonding, there's an electrical potential difference between the two grounds.


Forced air furnace filter gets wet with water while A/C is ON

Check the condensation drain path from your evaporator for blockage or leaks. There may be a tray with a tube attached. They tend to rust through over the years, but it could be mineral buildup or the result of insects blocking it.

Source and read more


Is transitioning to all electric heating smart?

First step is to convert those prices into something you can compare on equal footing.  $0.063042/kWh = $17.50/GJ, for oil, $2/gal = $13.7/GJ

So, superficially, oil is cheaper than electricity for the same amount of energy.  However, there are a couple of other things to consider.

Oil combustion is only about 75 - 90% efficient at heating because you have to exhaust the products of combustion, losing some heat in the process.
Electricity on the other hand, when converted directly to heat (like in a baseboard heater, or electric furnace) is 100% efficient.
Electricity can be used to run a heat pump which, instead of turning the energy source directly to heat, uses a refrigerant to move heat from outside, allowing you to get 2 - 3 GJ of heat into your house for every GJ you put into the heat pump.  This GREATLY improves the cost effectiveness of electricity... but....
Heat pumps typically have a minimum temperature at which they will operate effectively.  This temperature will depend on the model and they are getting much better, but you may still have to depend on resistive heating on the coldest days of the year.

Given your assumptions, the prices you have thrown out, it seems like it will be a wash, or slightly cheaper to use electricity.  Long term reliability, equipment costs, and other concerns may be a different story, however.


How to soundproof rehearsal room in shared building with other rehearsal rooms?

Since your limited to the type of construction you can perform on the walls; it would be best to consider a portable (or easily knocked-down) sound-lessening partition wall. My only thought is an 4' x 8' x 2 inch foam insulation board hinged to a second piece(for easy set-up). Setting up several of these against the existing walls should lower sound transmission in either direction.


Where do I attach the fixture grounding wire when no supply grounding wire is provided?

If you cannot route a ground wire (with continuity back to the breaker box)(to be preferred), you can supply the lighting with power from the LOAD side of a GFCI.  This is why there is a "No equipment ground" sticker in the GFCI packaging, which you should put on the outlet (if not hardwired) or on the under-cabinet lighting.

This would not create a ground, but it makes a safer alternative for a fixture within reach of a water supply (6 ft in IRC code).


How tight should a Maid-o-Mist steam valve adjustment screw be?

The particular model in the diagram should have the orifice hand tight. If the orifice is left loose it can vibrate loose and fall off. There are other models and other brands that are adjustable. By turning the cap you expose more or less of the orifice. The larger the orifice the faster the air is expelled. This allows the steam to enter the radiator at a somewhat controlled rate. This allows you to slow or increase the rate that the radiator warms to balance the heat from room to room.


These blades typically have a boss that has a set-screw and also might be "keyed" (i.e. has a round hole with a flat spot, to mate with a shaft equipped with a flat area, to provide a landing surface for the set-screw).

Your problem sometimes occurs when the set-screw has come loose due to vibration; check it and tighten if necessary. It is also possible that the boss in the fan blade/propeller was damaged by the spinning shaft, because the set-screw was loose; this normally requires fan blade replacement.


Is the back section of this house salvageable or should it be knocked down?

Rick, that is an impossible question to answer with the info you have supplied. The condition may be bad, but you need to access or have accessed the structural integrity of the shell. This doesn't sound like it's gonna be a DIY project, so my advise is to get some professional evaluation and a few quotes for a restoration and the demolition. Once you know what the real costs are going to be, it will be much easier to make a decision to repair or remove with your family.  If you want to post some pics, it might make for some interesting comments.

After looking at the pics, my first impression is that the frame looks fair and built with decent sized lumber. It looks fairly straight on the back of the building. The is obviously a lot of water damage and the plywood floor has rotted as well as some of the framing in that area. I imagine the roof is shot as well.  As a contractor, I look at it and see a fairly involved renovation. Now depending on what that space is used for and what it adds to the overall property would be part of the considerations. It obviously is gonna need some framing, new floors, roof, windows and siding.  There will be some electrical work as well, I'm sure.  I also see a fairly expensive demo job there. It is a large structure with a lot of wasted to get rid of.

If this space was important to the overall value of the property, I would consider a rehab. Like I said before, get a competent contractor or two over there and get some quotes.  In my distant and still uninformed opinion, it looks like it might be worth saving.


Proper way to secure a basement post to a metal I-beam

Some are welded, by bending those "ears" or "tabs" over, others are bolted with clamps using those tabs.

Check what was specified with the architect / design engineer.

And, YES, it is required, otherwise it could be knocked over...


There is no issue running an unbalanced load through the breaker.

I would probably make the adapter, since code inspectors have no business looking at what's plugged in to an outlet.  They should be concerned only with what is part of the fixed structure.  You can always unplug it when they come around.

But that kind of outlet makes me think it's a business with a compliance department and lawyers.  Even if the inspector doesn't have a right to complain about your bootleg adapter, your insurance company will if there's ever a fire, related or not.  And personally, I don't like shared neutral-ground conductors.

What's going to really get you though is putting a 20A outlet on a 30A breaker.  If your AC failed in a way that caused it to draw 30 amps, it could overheat that outlet and start a fire in the wall.

So.  You're going to want to change the breaker, and when you do, I would recommend you rewire as follows:

1) Use the existing combined neutral-ground conductor for ground

2) Pick one of the phase conductors, and clearly mark both ends with white tape.  Use that for neutral

3) Pick another of the phase conductors and cap it with wire-nuts on both ends
4) Take the last phase conductor and put it on a new, 20A single pole breaker.  Install a 20A outlet for the AC unit.

For extra credit, take advantage of the wiring in the wall to bring TWO 20A circuits to the box where the AC will plug in.  Steps 1&2 as above, then.

3) Buy a double-pole breaker.  Be advised.  In a 3 phase panel you need to particularly select a 120/208 double-pole breaker, as opposed to just a 208 double-pole breaker.

4) Wire the two remaining phase wires to the double pole breaker.

5) At the outlet box, install two seperate 20A outlets.  One on each phase, sharing neutral and ground between them.  If it's a single gang box, break the tab between the two hots.

This will let you dedicate one 20A circuit just for the AC and still have plenty of power on hand for other uses.


Your problem is probably due to impurities/dirt on the tiles - you really need to get them clean.

I used isopropyl alcohol on mine, and scrubbed them hard. As soon as they dried I applied an epoxy and the hooks are probably now attached to the tiles more strongly than the tiles are attached to the wall :-)


Thicker epoxy rather than grinding concrete substrate to achieve smoothness

The 3 mil (0.003 inch) thickness in the product documentation is about the same as the thickness specified for an automotive epoxy primer I worked with this summer. For comparison, I sprayed that product onto steel that was prepped with either sandblasting with 80 grit media or D/A sanding with 320 grit screen. It came out fairly smooth -- certainly there's no texture from the metal showing through.

Your description of the concrete ("laminated rice") makes it sound like the chemical treatment entirely stripped the cream off the concrete and has left you with exposed fines (sand). Eyeballing a caliper here I'd guess that must be a profile of at least 20 mils. It would take a lot of coating to fill that.

The roller will lift a lot of paint back out of the depressions in the surface. A squeegee wouldn't do that, but I wonder what happens with a very thick coat. Does it cure properly? Does it bubble/blister when the solvent evaporates off the surface but more remains below? The vendor may have some guidance. You could do a test section.

It seems to me that grinding isn't inherently awful unless you do it dry. Grinding with water will make a sticky slurry or paste but zero dust. Don't leave it to dry though. Dilute the paste with just enough water to be able to push it around with a fine broom or a squeegee and pick it up with a wet/dry vac (resist the temptation to wash it down the floor drain). Apply fresh water, ie rinse and repeat, until the paste/slurry is removed. A pump-action weed sprayer or a garden hose with a misting nozzle could be a convenient way of applying the water.


What is the correct slope for a deck, and why?

I’d use 1/8” per foot slope because 1) it’s enough to actually allow water to run off, and 2) the deck will “appear” flat

You don’t want standing water on your deck. It can cause rot, etc. I live where we get a ton of rain. It’s important to get rid of water on wood, etc. on the exterior of a home.

When you look at the deck, it will appear flat AND your soup bowl will not spill when you place it on a table.


Can I safely spot seal drywall after sanding

Should not have any problems, as the repaired surface will be the same composition as the rest of the wall.

The fact that you did the whole wall once is the best way to prevent "shiners" at the spot of repair, as long as the new sealer extends into what was done before.


If they can put a man on the moon, why can't they build a 'composter-friendly' under-sink disposal?

While this would have real potential if you could do it, as there are many people who do seriously get into composting (I am one who does try), it has some problems.

The main problem is how do you separate the water from the solids, while leaving it at least slightly wet. Compost needs some water content, and if you pack the solids too densely it won't decompose easily. You would almost need to re-hydrate the solids for them to be composted if you remove too much water.

So, how do you remove the water? I can see a few ways.

Filter it out. But any sieve that has holes in it that will allow water to drain out, but holds back most of the solids will get clogged too fast.
Squeeze it out, using some sort of trash compactor design. Again, one would need to work it out where the water goes, and then deal with the solids in an automatic way.
Centrifugal action, so something like a washing machine spin cycle.

Any of these schemes need to remove just enough water, but not all of it. It is not an easy problem to solve.

What we do, that seems to work, is leave a 5 gallon bucket in the garage. When we have kitchen waste, veggie peelings, etc., they go into the bucket. Every few days, I walk down to the compost pile with the bucket and a pitchfork and turn it over, adding the new material. This works quite well. (Another major part of our compost pile is shredded paper from our paper shredder, plus shredded leaf waste.)

This is a low tech solution that works splendidly well. Yes, some of the material would compost faster if it went through a disposal grinding process, but low tech often has advantages.

It is cheap.
It never needs repair. (Ok, some days my back hurts.)
No electricity required.
It gives me some exercise, never a bad thing.
It forces me to go out and turn over the pile once a week or more. This gets air into the pile, as well as tending to keep it free of animals due to the frequent activity (who would otherwise wish to nest in the pile.)


How do I install a wireless remote for a ceiling light without a fan?

The short answer is that it depends on the internal circuitry of the remote. I have a Harbor Breeze fan/light combo that came with a wireless remote, and I know that there are protective circuits inside the receiver that detect if there are non-incandescent bulbs in the system (e.g. CFLs/LEDs, which can cause power spikes, don't work with simple dimmer circuits, etc), or if the wiring is connected incorrectly. This protects against certain short-circuits and against overloading the wiring. From what I know, the basic design assumes you will either use it for a fan only, or a fan with light.

If this is the case, you can't use the remote to control just a light. The receiver will detect that the motor circuit is discontinuous and shut off to protect itself. However, the receiver may not be that "smart", so as long as the Motor Hot wire is capped off to avoid arcing, shorting and electrical fires, the circuit through the Light Hot and Motor/Common Neutral wires should still work. You just have to connect the receiver unit properly; the wires coming out of one side of the receiver should go to the J-box, matching white to white and red or black to red or black, and the wires in the other side should go to the light, again matching white to white and black or red to blue.

If this doesn't work, you're probably going to have to put the light on a wall dimmer. There are models of wall switch that are also receivers for remote controls. Lutron's "Maestro" system uses one wired wall switch, to which a number of wireless controls can be linked and communicate with it via RF. This allows for, for instance, 3-way switching where there used to be none, without having to fish wire. In your case, the Pico remote control works with a Maestro switch and allows similar functionality to what you want with the Harbor Breeze control; a remote you can take in hand and control the lights from anywhere in range of the wall switch. You can get this system at a Home Depot or online. Downside? It's toward the cutting edge of home lighting controls, and so is pretty high-end; the switch and remote control combo is about $80.


Why doesn't current return via the grounding conductor when it's connected in the panel?

Yes and No.

There are two separate systems with "ground wires" in the typical US residential service, the three wire Edison service.

The Grounding Electrode System (GES) consists of ground rods and other grounding electrodes, connected (bonded) by a grounding electrode conductor (GEC) to the neutral at the first means of disconnect.

The Equiment Grounding System (EGS) consists of the equipment ground conductors (EGC's or ground wires) run along with all the feeders and branch circuits in the house.  The EGS is also bonded to the neutral at the main bond, nowhere else.

Under normal circumstances, no current flows on the EGS;  it does not provide a path back to the neutral at the panel to complete the circuit.  Current flows on the EGC when there's a ground fault so that the fault will draw enough current to open the fuse or breaker, clearing the fault.

The GES doesn't carry much current under normal circumstances, but whenever there is current on the neutral, there is some current flowing through the GES, through the ground, through the neutral bond to the ground at the utility pole.

Current doesn't only take the path of least resistance;  it takes all paths, with more flowing on low resistance paths, and less flowing on high resistance paths.

Normally the neutral wire has very very little resistance, and the ground has significant resistance, so although they are parallel paths back to the utility transformer, very little current flows in the ground, almost all flows through the service neutral conductor.


The simplest and most secure repair to keep pests out is to use 1/8 - 1/4 inch hardware cloth sold at any hardware store or building supply warehouse. The smaller the opening the more critters it will keep out.  The hardware cloth is made of galvanized wire the size is measured by the opening size (1/4 inch is how big each opening is). Purchase 8 inches more for the size you want to cover. It fastens to any surface material with any type of fastener. It cuts with metal shears so you can contour it to any shape and once installed it can be painted so it is less noticeable.   I'd start by screwing it to the bottom edge of the 2 x 10 look-out (blocking) shown in the second photo. Then screw the left and right side to the rafter above the stucco wall and the fascia board/rafter respectively. You'll have to cut around the metal flashing on the left. Install a short piece of treated lumber below the 2 x 10 blocking so the bottom edge can be screwed into place.


How should I prepare subfloor for backerboard installation in bathroom tiling project?

1) Safe assumption.  Your floor trusses are carrying the load of the entire room.  A little extra tile weight isn't going to matter.

2) You want a relatively level surface but the thinset itself will have enough flexibility to allow your final floor to be perfectly level, provided you take the time to make sure each tile is placed level.  If your variance is more than 1/8" you'll need to apply more/less thinset based on the relative height (lower subfloor - more thinset) in order to ensure you can get level.  If you want to remove all doubt, a thin layer of self-leveling concrete poured first (seal all holes!!!) will give you that level surface you want.

3) I personally wouldn't have put any gaps between the subflooring as long as the material is the same.  However the thinset will fill your gaps - and you don't want to fill the gaps around the outside wall because those do serve a purpose for expansion.

One other note - this is a bathroom floor right? PLEASE apply waterproofing to the floor before you proceed.  Water will penetrate grout (unless it's epoxy) and get trapped, and if you don't waterproof the wood then it'll rot.

Also - related to my comment above - you don't need to use backerboard.  Backerboard is for wall mounted tile, to be used instead of drywall (it doesn't rot).  However, as indicated in the comments below, using it is fine and may in fact be recommended as it's a better surface for water protection than wood when under a floor.


Separating a circuit with existing 12-3 wiring

Yes.  This is the last person planning ahead.  They made sure you would be able to do this.  This would create a multi-wire branch circuit and you must follow the rules for MWBCs.

There must be 240V across the hots, so neutral carries differential current not the sum of both currents.
The breakers must have common maintenance shutoff.  It will be impossible to shut off one and not the other; one hand action does both.

This will almost certainly have a side-effect of common trip, meaning if one side overloads, it knocks out the other side.  In fact, the most normal (idiot-proof) way to wire these is to simply use a 2-pole breaker, because they are readily available everywhere, instead of UL-listed handle-ties for those breakers, which are a specialty, hard-to-find item.
This must not be a duplex/twin/tandem breaker, which does not have 240V across it!

Neutrals must be pigtailed. You may be accustomed to using the two screws on each side of a receptacle for a splice to extend the circuit.  Can't do that on a neutral, because removing the receptacle etc. would then create a "lost neutral" situation downstream!  The appliances on the two half-legs would be in series with each other at 240V, and one leg could rise to as high as 240V.

If you are past the point where the halves have split for good, then you don't need to worry about this requirement.

AFCIs normally go in the service panel, to protect wires.  Here, consult your panel's manufacturer (or the maker of UL-classified breakers for your panel) for how to do 2-pole AFCI breakers in their system.  Some simply offer 2-pole AFCI; others have you handle-tie two singles.
There are only 2 possible places to put GFCI protection: As a 2-pole GFCI breaker at the service panel, or as a device serving only one leg of the GFCI.  You can't share the neutral past a GFCI.


Plastic fitting cracked in kitchen faucet supply line

I tried heat-shrink tubing: no way, not enough of a seal for the pressure.  I tried electrical tape: much better, but could not withstand the 30 psi max pressure of a supply tube.

The tube itself is, unfortunately, part of the faucet assembly, so I was forced to replace the entire faucet.  I notice that Pfister now uses a different fitting for the quick connect joint, no doubt because the one depicted above was breaking in the field.

So the best answer seems to be, sadly, to replace the entire faucet assembly.


It sounds wrong to me, but I couldn't be sure without actually being there.  You should connect the new fixture, in exactly the same way the original fixture was connected.

If there wasn't a grounding conductor in the original circuit, replacing the fixture did not make one magically appear. If a grounding conductor is required, you'll have to install one in accordance with local codes.


Sub panel neutral and ground not bonded so why continuity between them?

The feed for your sub panel comes from your main panel the grounded conductor neutral and grounding conductor equipment ground are connected in the main panel so measuring continuity in a sub is normal even when the grounded conductor is isolated from the box and the grounding conductor.
This is normal the resistance value is usually quite low just a couple of ohms or close to zero. The length of wires and any resistance at the connections is all there is.


Can anything interesting be done with Kidde's interconnect wires?

First, don't use the wiring for anything else. It's a life safety system. Don't mess with things that are this critical.

Second, the signaling is simple: voltage on the line means one of the detectors has detected something.

To address your ideas:

Anything but the cheapest detectors has an indicator light on the front that tells you which one has been tripped. For example, my First Alert smoke detectors have a solid red light on when it detects smoke. The el-cheapo detectors installed by the original builder did not have such and indicator light.
Again, anything but the cheapest detectors has an indicator light on the front that tells you the state of the battery. On my detectors, the green light tells you the state of the battery and the line power with various blinks.
Don't mess with your life safety systems.


What is good advice for a beginner layng insulation?

Since you're going to have the walls open, I would use pre-faced fiberglass batting.  The rolls give you more flexibility than the pre-cut batts if you have non-standard height walls and they're usually a little cheaper per square foot, but I see special offers in the big-box stores all the time so shop around.

There's no special trick to installing it, but wear a dust mask that's rated for fiberglass dust.  The vapor barrier goes on the warm side.  I usually cut pieces to length before installing them in the wall (but I'm an engineer and can't help myself! :), but you can cut it to size while it's in the wall if you're not as OCD as me: put the loose end at the top of the wall, unroll and stuff until you reach the bottom then cut it off.  Run a bead of adhesive along the stud, then unfold the flaps at the edge of the insulation on one side of the stud and press into the adhesive.  Repeat for the insulation on other side, then staple the two of them into the stud.  Tap the staples in with a hammer if they didn't go all the way.  Done!

I don't have a book recommendation, but it's easy to learn how to do it.


How do I terminate coaxial cable in a crimp on F type connector?

The first step is to cut the cable to length.  You can use any tool capable of cutting the cable, personally I reach for my trusty lineman pliers.

Once you cut the cable, it will look something like this

Now that the cable is the proper length, you'll have to strip the insulation off. Again, you can use any tool capable of stripping the insulation without damaging the inner cable.  Personally, I use a tool specifically designed for the job.

With this tool, you simply

Push in the button on the end.
Slide the cut end of the wire into the hole, until it hits the stop.
Release the button.
Rotate the tool around the cable a couple times.
Pull the tool off of the cable.

When you're done, you'll have a perfectly stripped cable.

Next you'll carefully bend the braiding back over the insulation (this step may vary, depending on the connector being used. Consult the documentation with the connector).

In this case, I'll be using a crimp on connector like this (twist on connectors are also available).

Push the stripped cable end up into the connector.

Make sure you push the cable in far enough, so the inner insulation starts to peek through the hole inside the connector.

Finally, using a crimping tool.

Place the cable end into the crimping tool, and squeeze the handle.

Note:
Twist-on F type connectors are available, in which case you'll not need the crimping tool. However, I've had poor results with the twist-on variety, and much prefer the crimp connectors.


I called Bali, the manufacturer.  They were able to look up my order based on the number on a sticker on the blinds.  They said the entire headrail needs to be disassembled to replace the cord.  They cannot send me a cord and instructions. There is a lifetime warranty, but since the previous owner purchased it and my name was not on the warranty, the warranty is invalid.  It looks like I am purchasing a new blind.  They said you could buy just the headrail, but my wife would like a different color if we are going to have to take it down anyway.

If anyone has one of these blinds and you know who purchased it.  Make sure you use their name when you call or email them.


What is the purpose of a deeply cut stud in interior walls?

It’s an old “sheetrockers” trick. When an interior non-load bearing wall stud is warped, it can be brought “back in line” by cutting it and relieving the stress.

I’ve only seen this done on interior non-load bearing walls AND when there’s just one or two in any one wall. If you have several in a row or they’re in a bearing wall, you should consider reinforcing a few studs.

If it hasn’t been a problem, I’d be cautious about fixing something that’s not broken. Banging the studs with a hammer could cause other problems.


How to fill a 20lb BBQ Propane tank with LPG?

If I understand correctly you want to adapt a 1" P.O.L. to a 1-3/4 ACME so that you can fill your BBQ propane tank with a different connector.

In that case you'd want something like this.

1-3/4" ACME to 1" POL Adapter

If you do get something like this, make sure it comes preassembled, or assemble carefully with yellow teflon or propane rated pipe dope.


Switching to three-prong outlets where ground wire is present

Hard-contact grounding via yoke or screws

We're discussing here a case where the metal box is grounded, and thinking about the mounting screws, the metal yoke on the receptacle metal yoke (that the screws go through) on the receptacle and the wings where the threaded holes are in the box.

Suppose a receptacle floats a bit above the metal box, held up by the drywall ears on the yoke. Does the reach of the screw count as a grounding path?  NO on receptacles, YES on switches.

What if the box wings are even with the wall, and the yoke lands hard-flush with direct yoke-wing contact?  That is acceptable if the wings are clear of paint, rust or other gunk, and there aren't any little paper squares holding the screws captive (they insulate).

Also acceptable is a "self-grounding receptacle" which has features to assure this contact.

Also acceptable are spacers, which occupy the gap so the screw is torqued down hard flush.

Grounding to the "ground screw" hole in the metal box

It is acceptable to attach to a "ground screw" hole in the metal box, if the hole is tapped 32 thread-pitch or finer, and the screw is #6 or larger.  6-32, 6-40, 8-32 or 10-32 are all fine.  Note that 10-32 is the quasi-standard for junction boxes, so almost any box and those green ground screws will all have that thread.

You are allowed to have more than 1 ground screw in a box. Feel free to drill and tap them yourselves, just tap them -32 or finer.  That means you can use self-tapping -32 screws, but cannot use random sheetmetal screws, which are much coarser.

Grounding several things to 1 ground screw

Only one wire per ground screw. A "Thru" wire which mostly encircles the screw head and continues onward, is just fine, as long as it is a "U" shape and doesn't loop itself. Crossing itself means at some point two wires are stacked under the screw head, and that creates a single point of contact, which will get hot and suffer mechanical strain.

The way you connect several wires to a ground screw (besides using several ground screws) is pigtail off the ground screw, and join the other grounds to it in a wire nut.  For instance you would have 4 wires joining:  Supply, onward, to the box, and to the receptacle (unless you use the hard-contact grounding method).

Green wire nuts do nothing for you, except that green nuts have a hole in the top for one wire to continue onward past the splice. That is a wiring style some people use, but remember the last principle.  For instance you could have a 12" pigtail coming off the junction box, and join the supply/onward wires to it at half-staff, then the remaining spur goes to the receptacle.

Never splice at any device (except a box)

You must be able to remove any device without breaking the flow of grounds.  So for instance, putting 2 wires on a receptacle ground screw is nope.


Can I replace a single dedicated 20A/120V receptacle with a 20A/240V receptacle?

Yes, this will work. In the panel you'll need to remove the white wire from the neutral bar, mark it with black tape to show it will be always hot and hook it to the two pole breaker along with the black wire. You'll also need to mark the white wire at the outlet box with some black tape.


Sliding wooden patio door getting harder to open/close

If the door panel, the moving part, is not clad (covered with metal) on the outside, the easiest way to remedy the problem is to plane about an 1/8" off the door itself. The weather-stripping is part of the jamb so it will not be affected. The interior side of the track will have a few screws holding it place. I see one screw hole in the picture, looks like it is missing the screw. Remove the rest, that piece should come out, and the door panel with it. If there is a place in the jamb where the door is loose compared to the other places, move the door to there to get the top to tip out, it will be heavy...

As a note I would draw some concern why the head is dropping, unless the bottom sill that the door rides on is rising. Either will cause the same problem. Swelling wood from leaks in the siding or flashing or other things that happen over time.

Although this will not address the potential problem, that is, why the head has dropped, if that is why the door head drags, you may be able to run a few 3" screws into the track at the top and draw it up a little, that way if there is any room for it to go up, that will make that happen. Do not put the screws in the middle of the jamb, do put them in the middle of the operable track that the sliding door panel rides in. Headers are usually made with 2 pieces, with a 1/2" space in the middle. That's why no screws in the middle.

If the sill is raised up, check to confirm with a real true, stable, straight edge. If it is riding up in the middle, that is bad, usually there are no ways to send a sill down, usually they are set in sealant, and gravity does the rest. Very few have screws set to them, it is a leak potential.


How Are My Stair Openings Framed (60s side-split)

Wow, you even opened up some of the wall to help determine which way the floor joists are running. (Often this is done with a “stud finder”.)

I see nothing unreasonable about your joist layout: 1) joists follow what you discovered when you opened up the wall, 2) joists span the short distance across a rooms, 3) joists have “normal” span lengths, (nothing excessive)

However, I’d guess the joists were doubled where joists change direction.

To answer your question about how stairs are framed, I’d go to Architectural Graphic Standards. (You can Google it.) Typically, 2x12’s are notched for the proper “rise” and “run” called stringers. I’d guess there are 3 stringers: 1 on each side of each stairway and 1 in the center.


Thickness of gypsum board has nothing to do with upstairs or downstairs. It has to do with spacing of supports: ceilings = 1/2" on 16" on center and 5/8" on 24" on center. (A 1/2" board will sag over time from support to support if it spans too far.)

Likewise thickness of gypsum board has nothing to do with "party walls". The Building Code requires fire wall SYSTEMS. There are many systems that use 1/2" Type X and some that use 5/8" Type X. It has to do with spacing of supports, nailing pattern, and use of insulation.

By the way, the Building Code also requires a minimum sound rating rating in "party walls" too. Often we'll use the sound wall SYSTEM criteria as the governing criteria, and just specify that the board be fire rated (Type X) and kill two bird with one stone.

Now, if the space is in a moist environment, (porch, steam bath area, etc.) we'll bump up the thickness for ceiling gypsum board, (I.e.: 1/2" to 5/8" thick on supports at 16" on center.)


Leaf stains on fresh concrete driveway not sealed yet

Tar leaf, simply known  as tar, is caused from the organic pigments that give leaves and pine cones their color get embedded in the micro-pores and small voids on the surface of the concrete. They can be hard to remove without a good detergent and some scrubbing action. The best detergent to use is one with bleaching action or ammonia. Typically detergents designed to remove organic stains (blood, food stains, etc.) work best. OxiClean is one example. Granular detergents offer an added benefit, because they provide additional friction when you scrub the surface.

Here are the basic steps to follow:

Use a pressure washer to remove all solid leaf matter and debris from the concrete.

Apply a household detergent (as recommended above) to damp concrete. Let it sit and wet out for a few minutes.

Scrub vigorously with a stiff broom or scrub brush.

Rinse the concrete with water until you remove all the soap.

If this procedure doesn't completely remove the stains, repeat the process.


tar joint between garage wall and asphalt

While the asphalt-base (tar) crack filler would probably work, it is also sticky and messy and will probably end up being ugly against your stucco/plaster wall.

I recommend a self-leveling flexible urethane filler, often sold as "concrete crack filler".

Either way, you will need to sweep out that crack as well as you can, then blast it clean with a stream of water from a hose, then let it dry thoroughly. Take your time when applying so you get a clean, nice looking, even bead.


Will I have to install new cables when converting from a SD CCTV system to HD?

Coaxial cables are good for pretty much any resolution. So a full HD security camera will probably be fine over your existing coax. After all, your HD television signal probably arrives via coax to your TV or STB.

What you will need at the other end of the cable is a receiver that can record full-hd images at a reasonable FPS over the number of channels you have active. If you have HD cameras and a recorder that can record your HD images, then you should be good to go.


Framing like that looks fine and is standard.  Just put a single 2x flat at the top of the jamb instead of 2 and nail up into the cripples above it.

As for the screwing into the floor, the closer you can get a screw or nail into the floor the better.  We usually shoot some nails at an angle (toenail) at the bottom plate on each side of the opening.

Other than that get your measurements right and you should be good to go.


GFCI master works but others in chain aren’t

I can't buy that the GFCI in the garage is powering circuits in your kitchen. Kitchen receptacles are usually powered by small appliance circuits which are 20A and there must be at least 2 of these in the Kitchen/Nook/Dining area. NEC Article 220.52 (A). This is actually in my 1965 code book so it has been around for almost every dwelling in the US. These circuits by code are separate from any other circuits.

I would look for a different circuit breaker or a GFCI powering the receptacles in the kitchen. If it isn't a breaker look for GFCI receptacles that are hidden. Like behind the refrigerator.

Good luck.


Why can't I get hot water quickly at my vanity sink?

If you eventually get hot water, it is more likely due to the flow rate of the sink vs. the flow rate of the shower. This determines how fast the cooled water sitting in the pipes is pushed out before the hot water from the heater reaches the faucet.

In half inch pipe at a typical faucet flow rate of 1.5gpm, it will take 1 minute to clear roughly 18' of pipe. If you have a 3gpm shower head and the same length of pipe it would take half as long. This also assumes that both the shower and sink are being fed by the same size pipe and how the plumbing is routed. If you have a longer pipe run to the sink, it will take longer for hot water from the heater to reach it even at the same flow rate. 3/4" pipe will also take longer at the same flow rate to clear out the same length of pipe (about 12' per minute at 1.5gpm).

As @household Installs pointed out, different types of pipes and different levels of pipe insulation will effect the heat loss of water in the pipes when it isn't flowing.  But you will always have heat loss that will eventually reach ambient temperature, and the amount of time it takes water to move from the heater to the faucet is a constant based on flow rate and capacity.

One solution for the sink would be installing a small on-demand hot water heater underneath and cut down on the amount of water you have to flush from the pipes between the heater and the faucet (and thus time spent doing so).


Find replacement decorative wood spindle for screen door

A local wood working shop with a lathe can replicate one of those, if you get them a template and you let them know the size of the pin on ONE end.


What is the optimal configuration of a cross brace on a wooden gate?

You asked for optimal: Follow a few thousand years of practical experience and put in a tension brace (lower outside corner to top hinge-side corner - opposite what you are going for, which is a compression brace) Go with the past few hundred years and make it a turnbuckle.

The best form of compression brace "in plane" is none of the above, and has a point on the end that connects to both sides of each corner, with the midpoint of the brace hitting each corner. Call it corner to corner. That is inferior to an "out of plane" brace in the same position that overlaps the backside of the face frame and is glued and screwed to the face boards; both are inferior to the tension brace, though you can use both for the classic X brace scheme - but the tension side will do most of the work.


Assuming you're in the US that line should be 1/4". For the braided line you want 1/4" compression x 1/4" compression. It will have a fitting at each end with a rubber washer built in and it will connect directly to the fitting on the fridge. The other end of that line in the photo will have the same fitting.
Google  "1/4" icemaker braided line"


Proper way to test AC voltage for dishwasher hookup

Your test procedure is a good start. However, you should confirm 0 volts between all possible combination of wires, including ground. And if your water lines are copper, test between that and the wires, too.

Also, you are wrong about the function of the wires. Black is hot, white is neutral, and bare is ground. You got white and black backwards.


How should I power 6 30W (30-36v 1.05A) LEDs from the mains?

You need more than a "transformer" - you require a DC power supply for most bare LEDs. A transformer is only part of such a supply.

If you are running the LEDs in parallel, resistors are essential - otherwise one unit will end up with "more of the current" and die from it. LEDs are very sensitive to and require precise control of current - the voltage can and does vary. Resistors are a crude way to even this out - and I do mean crude. The resistors and supply voltage need to be chosen so that if an LED is operating at 30V (or 29 if you are the type of pessimist that designs for trouble) it is limited to no more than 1.05 amps; but any LED unit may be operating as high as 36V, and it will not get 1.05 amps with the aforementioned resistor - but you can't "fine tune" the resistors as operating voltage will vary with LED temperature, among other things.

A better (electrically) arrangement is to provide 1.05 (or 1.00-1.04 for some safety factor) amps at 180-216 volts (or 90-108 volts, in two separate supplies, or 60-72 in 3 separate supplies, or 30-36 in 6 separate supplies) with a supply that precisely controls the current and lets the voltage land where it needs to land (variable with temperature, particular individual units of the the LED, etc.) Unsurprisingly, such circuits and the components to build them have become more common as LED lighting has become more common.

If you are electrically/electronically unsophisticated, buying something to suit your needs is more likely to work correctly and cost you less in the long run than building it, unless building it is your route to becoming more sophisticated, and cost is not an object.

(as an aside, the proper thermal design/management is often as much, or more of a challenge in building an effective LED light from bare components as the electrical supply.)


Does adjusting the body of a irrigation sprinkler to orient one side of the sweep cause a leak at the sprinkler unit?

If the sprinkler head was installed with teflon tape (about three turns) then you can choose the orientation without starting a leak.


Can I build 11' x 5.5' loft with 2x2x8 beam and 2x4 joist?

You will likely experience some bounce using a 2x4 joist even when on 12" centers. I would suggest 2x6 on 12" centers for a nice solid platform floor.

With only a 5'6" width of the platform I think you will have tight work area up there considering a desk on the wall. If the desk is on the long wall I say you have a non-starter situation. If the desk is on the short wall then maybe it is usable but do add a safety railing to the open edge so you do not accidentally fall off. A six foot drop could be downright painful.


3-way switch and top only hot outlet troubleshooting

It looks like that final outlet did actually need its tab removed. The current was flowing through the bottom outlet, then connecting back to the top through that tab and sending the signal back to the source. Thanks everyone!


Heck No.  Checklists of switches to throw in sequence are absolutely unacceptable. I know this is "new to you", but this is well-hashed territory to safety investigators and most people familiar with electrical.  It falls in the "facepalm, what were you thinking" category.

This may seem counterintuitive, but for a temporary fix, you permanently modify the wire.  You de-energize the entire system, then run around with flashlights physically severing the mains connections, and physically splicing in the generator connection. Like you'll never use it again, but leaving it intact for potential future use.

For instance I would physically remove the main breaker from the main panel and replace it with a (listed) blanking cover, and/or remove and insulation-wrap the mains feeds.  Then hard-splice the wires to the garage so they go to the generator instead of the garage panel.

Walk that whole thing, double/triple check it, have the inspector visit if that's a requirement, then light 'er up.  That's what I do for temporary work.

For permanent work, obviously, I'd put in a proper interlock.  This is not as big a deal as it sounds.  I would start by installing a small** sub-panel right next to the main panel.  This would have two "main breakers" in positions 1-4, with an interlock between them (rather simple affair).  One would feed from the main panel, the other from the genny.   Then I would decide which circuits I would ever want to light from the generator, and move those circuits to the subpanel.    The original main panel stays mains-only.

src

I gather you want to use the wiring to the garage subpanel in a bidirectional manner, feeding the garage from mains, or feeding the house from genny.  This has come up on this forum before, and there's just no way to do that even remotely safely.  Bite the bullet and lay parallel cable.

** by my definition, "small" is 42-space.  Panel space is dirt cheap and often comes with free bonus breakers, so a net win.  Whereas, running out of panel space is a catastrophe.


Connecting LED strips lights under outdoor stairs

In parallel.  if you connect them in series, the last one in the string will be a lot dimmer than the first.  It's up to you whether to use fat cables running from string to string, or separate thinner wires to each.
Get an appropriate LED supply for the number of strings you're using.
You can buy standalone PIR units.  Connect your power supply to one of those.


Changing roof truss diagonal to vertical

Is there anything very critical I should beware of, or should I avoid doing this entirely?

Yes, you should be aware that the roof truss wasn't haphazardly designed by someone on a Friday at 4:59 PM.
A lot of engineering went into your trusses so unless you're an engineer then I would suggest you do not alter the webs.


Where can I get flexible ferrous/ferritic strip?

Edit - Here are two sources for strips - MyWhiteBoards and MagnetValley. However these strips are magnetic but should be equal or better than "magnetic receptive" material.

Original post - It sounds like you want a surface similar to a dry-erase white board.  MyWhiteBoards is a source for flexible, magnetic, dry-erase wall covering.  Although it is called "magnetic", it means "magnetic receptive" which means that magnets will stick but the covering itself is not magnetic.  From this source, the smallest size (1.5 ft x 2 ft) costs $42 and includes a peel-n-stick backing.

If a non-flexible surface is OK, then Office Depot or Staples carry lower cost magnetic-receptive white boards.