Will 3.5" polyiso keep my electrical cables from melting?

A low humidity sauna might be as high as 100°C measured above the upper bench.  It's really no consolation that much of the wire will be behind insulation and won't get to the full temperature inside the sauna;  if the insulation is compromised in the boxes, that's hazardous.  The connections in the boxes may be rated for lower temperatures than the 90°C insulation.

Keep in mind that the wiring generates some heat of it's own.  The ceiling light in particular would concern me.  Heat rises, so it will be hotter than the average temperature in the room.  The light will generate some heat too, on top of the ambient temperature of the sauna.

I don't think receptacles in the sauna is a good idea, receptacles are generally rated for 60°C operating ambient temperature.  You might find some industrial specialty receptacle made to withstand high temperatures but I bet it would cost a fortune.

I think you could safely blank off the and insulate over them, leaving an insulated access panel cover to get to them.  (You can't bury a junction box, it has to be accessible.)


Bathroom toilet install - path of least resistance

Just " GOOGLE" a pump up toilet system and you will get many options. The one from Home Depot  will let you install a complete bathroom if desired and costs less than $700.00.


This is pretty easy.
#1 - you don't use drywall on a tub surround (and if you do you put backer board over it).
#2 - You don't know what the overhang is until you run new board behind the tub since you can't attach to something cut like that.
#3 - You do want an overhang.   There really isn't a "limit" on it although it cannot be so much that it overhangs to actual tub.   Yes it is too much right now but when you install a board that is flat you probably will be fine.
#4 - You have nothing to attach your pieces in the corner.
#5 - You already installed drywall that needs to be taken.
No offense - you are basically doing everything wrong right now.   Clear your head as you haven't made a lot of progress and you get a "do-over".  But you need to take down what you have put up, work out the studs (different question), and then learn how to install a shower.


How can remove this window screen to repair it?

This is a pretty standard screen repair. You need to remove the spline to get the screen out, which can be done with an awl or a narrow flat-head screwdriver.

You'll need a new screen, spline, a spline install tool (under $10), and a sharp utility knife.

It's not very dificult, but does take some patience.

It looks like this is a fixed window, so you'd have to install in place.

Position the new screen, and then push the spline into the channel, pulling the screen tight as you go. I'd start with the top edge.

It's critical to get the first edge straight. Start with enough spline sticking out so you can wrap it down both sides, and on one side, also run back along the bottom. You should end up with a single piece of spline with the ends in one corner (though this isn't crtical, and if you have to cut it that's fine).

Work your way down both sides at the same time, keeping it tight as you go, then finally install the bottom edge.

Finally, cut the excess screen off using the knife.

Here's a full guide (and the source of these pictures): http://www.familyhandyman.com/windows/repair/how-to-fix-a-window-screen/view-all


What should I do about standing water in my tiled shower?

A tiled shower is generally designed to be watertight during normal use. However, if it is holding water for an extended period of time, it will have a higher chance of leaking or deteriorating more rapidly. Whether it's likely to leak in a way that causes significant additional damage over the next 2 months depends on your house and usage: what's underneath the shower, can you inspect it regularly, how much do you use this shower. It also depends on whether the caulk which seals the corners in your shower has held securely in place even as your structure has shifted. You can mitigate the risk of damage somewhat by cleaning up the standing water using a towel or squeegee after you shower, but it's also possible that your shower is now leaky enough that it should not be used at all. If you want opinions on that, pictures of the shower and the area underneath would be helpful.

You didn't mention the extent of settling that caused your floor to become uneven in the first place. Depending on lots of factors (your home's age, weather conditions, foundation and drain tile, etc.) this could be normal or this could be a sign of a severe structural problem. While repairing the shower may solve your immediate problem, I'd recommend you talk to an experienced builder or structural engineer to better understand this root cause. You don't want to spend money fixing the symptoms only to have them reappear later. Good luck!


Is checking the oil in a fridge as straight forward as a car?

The oil is part of the coolant. Changing the coolant isn't a common task for home owners because of the specialized equipment required.


Latex paint takes about 24-36 hours to cure in normal/optimal (50%) humidity environments, and longer to dry if your humidity is higher. The easiest way to bring down household humidity in the summer is to leave your A/C cranked down. Your air conditioner will remove humidity from the air.

First, ensure that any patching you do has dried thoroughly. Prime the day before you paint. Put a fan on it and make sure that you don't use the shower for about six to 12 hours after priming.

Don't use the shower for at least 12 hours after you paint. Then keep the room ventilated (which might mean showering with the door open and a fan blowing drier air in), and keep your A/C turned down so that your relative humidity stays lower.


Do radiator covers harm heating efficiency?

Radiators heat by convection and radiation. The radiation output will be affected by the amount of radiated surface you cover and the convection process will be affected by how much you reduce the air flow around and thru the radiators. If the covers reduce the heat output too much you may have to increase the size of the radiators or add more heating surface. (another radiator or a larger radiator) The amount of heating reduction will be determined by the construction of the covers. Covers that have a closed top will reduce the output by as much as 30%. Design is everything.


How should I wire up a 3 prong dryer outlet to 120V?

DO NOT wire a 10-30R receptacle to 120V, and a "standard" 120V 15 or 20A receptacle CANNOT be put on a 30A circuit. If this unit is capable of being run on 120V then there will be instructions on how to convert/wire it. There will be a way to replace the plug on the unit with a standard 15 or 20A 120V plug. You may also need to re-wire it internally.

Can you post the name and model of the charger? More info may be available online.


Assuming the wires are all 12 AWG, this meets Code.

However, current Code requires dedicated circuits to certain rooms and loads, e.g. bathroom receptacles must serve only bathrooms; two kitchen countertop circuits; dedicated washing machine circuit; yadayada. Your setup as it was, with six circuits was Grandfathered, not obliged to be brought to current Code, however, you cannot make things worse.  So for instance if one circuit once served a bathroom receptacle and 2 others, and now serves a bathroom receptacle and 5 others, that qualifies as "worse" and is not allowed.

You'll be able to charge a cell phone from any outlet.   You'll be able to run a heater from any outlet.  Two heaters.. good luck LOL.  This is the problem with this setup.  Why would the electrician really cheap out on this deal?

I can think of two possibilities. Some people worry about "old" Knob-n-Tube having arcing faults or ground faults.  I think Knob-n-Tube is awesome, but discretion being the better part of fandom, I would still put K&T circuits on an AFCI breaker because that will detect most potential K&T problems (as well as most potential Romex problems), and GFCI also because that rounds up the last of potential problems, and allows 3-prong plugs on ungrounded circuits.  I suspect the electrician did in fact put them on AFCI, and at $50 each, there wasn't budget for 6 of them. (possibly because you set the budget? ;)

Second, speaking of multi-wire branch circuits, back in the K&T day they positively loved multi-wire branch circuits.  That's where 2 hots share a neutral, and this works if the hots are on opposite poles.  I presume the electrician did attempt AFCI and/or GFCI. Those require a 2-pole AFCI/GFCI breaker, and the installer may not have been able to figure out the intended MWBC topology, or there may have been illicit neutral-sharing that would prevent an AFCI/GFCI from working.  The easy fix is to put all hots which share neutrals (properly or not) on the same single breaker.

Absolutely, if I had done the job, it would have been six circuits, possibly three multi-wire branch circuits and a spare /3 to avoid hitting NEC 310.15b3a limits whilst giving me some expansion room.  I'm not even thinking of MWBC because the Knob-n-Tube might have that; I just like how it lets you get 8 circuits within 310.15b3a limits.

I have no idea where you got the notion of a 15A breaker.  Breaker size has nothing to do with circuit function. It has to do with

the wires downline of the breaker
not in this case, but in larger circuits, the type of receptacle
not in this case, but in some cases, the instructions provided with the appliance
not in this case, but sometimes, motor or welder spec

Not counting wires built into lamps, switches or other appliances... If your wires downline contain any wires which are #14, then the breaker must be 15A.  If all wires are #12 or larger, 20A is correct.  Any circuit which serves common NEMA 5-15 sockets (you know the one) must be 15A or 20A.


kitchen faucet is stuck and we need help

In my part of the world, typical tap clamps look like this

or this

Sometimes, things are obscured by a tap brace that you must remove.

The retaining nuts are not always easy to see in the darkness under a kitchen sink full of pipes and other obstructions.

But if you are removing the sink and tap and disposing of both, it doesn't matter.

You can undo the other end of the tap tailpipes and throw out the whole lot. In the worst case you can cut through the pipes (above the isolating valves obviously) with a suitable saw and tidy up later.


What should I use to raise the height of floor tiles in a shower?

if you are making up 2" of space, standard premix concrete is fine.  you dont need anything else.  its mass and mechanical locking expansion will hold everything together just fine.  if its 1", you can still do it with premix, bud you need to add polymer modifier and i would put in a sheet of steel rebar mesh (3 x 3)


How to connect a neutral wire to a bundle?

Easy.  You have five cables coming into the box

supply from upstream
onward supply to other downstream loads.
switched load to device 1
switched load to device 2
switches load to device 3

Each load line has a switched hot and a neutral.  I would mark the switched hots with colored tape, red, blue, yellow etc.
The switches each connect to an always-hot and a switched-hot. Sometimes installers do clever things to daisy-chain the switches, so there aren't 3 always-hots coming from the switches.
So I would expect 5 always-hots nutted together: supply, onward, and 3 switches.
And 5 neutrals nutted together: supply, onward, and 3 loads.
And of course each switch nutted to a switched-hot, if they have pigtails and are not connected directly.
Now with 3 smart switches, you'll have as many as 8 neutrals.  That's too much for a wire nut, especially since smart switches tend to have pigtailed wires smaller than the other wires.
I would get a 6" length of white wire (only white or gray will do) and make a pigtail fo break up that fat wire nut, e.g. Put both supplies, the pigtail, and a couple loads under one large wire nut, then put the other end of the pigtail, remaining loads, and smart switches under another wire nut.
If the wire nuts are >10 years old, replace them.  The new ones are much better.


Can the wire from the y terminal on thermostat be connected to the c terminal on heater board as pictures show?

I agree with @RetiredMasterElectrician that if the repairs were attempted by licensed HVAC contractors, they should have no problem diagnosing and fixing this and should do so free of charge since it will have taken them 3 tries to do so.

If the yellow wire at the control board was previously connected to Y, I have no idea why he would've removed it. That will be your call for cooling (turns on the compressor) and probably why your A/C stopped working (but fan/heat work which are controlled by G and W respectively).

Yellow should be reattached to Y, leave brown connected to C, and everything should function. Do not jumper Rh to Rc. The Nest has an internal jumper when it is required. Plugging into the Rh terminal is appropriate in your case.

Before you had a C wire, the Nest will use the furnace's R/W wires to charge its internal battery. After you turned off the pilot light, it was probably only running on battery and couldn't maintain its charge. Using a C wire should fix that issue and give the Nest constant power.


Can I replace a microwave with a range hood exhaust vent without doing carpentry?

Having recently done the exact same thing you are mentioning, here are my tips and observations. For reference, this was the range hood I bought.

Make sure to buy a range hood that is the same width as your
microwave. This wasn't an issue for me since the microwave was a
standard size for most range hoods.
The only "carpentry" work I had to do was creating/adjusting the vent
hole in the bottom of the cabinet. The new range hood should come
with a nice template to show you were the vent cutout needs to be.
You may get lucky with being able to use the existing hole but I was
not this lucky. This was the ONLY cutting that I had to do.
The new range hood was super easy to install under the cabinet (4
screws!) with the included brackets. The exception to this is that
you may need to buy the cable that plugs into the outlet and directly
wire it to the hood.
You may have an unsightly backsplash area from where the microwave
was previously installed. I didn't have any paint behind the
microwave so there was a bare patch that I had to repaint. I also had
to fill a couple holes in the wall that were used to secure the
microwave.
You may need to get different ducting if the new range hood doesn't
include the appropriate adapter/connection for your existing duct.

Hope that helps!


What type of plastic water supply pipe do I have in my crawlspace?

I think that is actually CTS (copper tube size) CPVC. It is smaller and thinner than the normal sized PVC. If it has cracked here it will likely crack else where so If you can get to it, I would recommend replacing the entire run with one piece of PEX. And making the end connections in an accessible space.


Two options:

Find a screw that does fit the thread. You have the screw that holds the handle on, right? Take that screw to the hardware store and buy one that is threaded the same and 3-4 inches long. You can then drill a hole in a 2x4 for the screw (you'll probably need a washer) and use that 2x4 to pull the stem out.
Forget about changing the cartridge. Just open the back side of the wall and replace the whole assembly. If you have copper pipes, Shark-bite connectors make this a super easy fix nowadays.


Will 2x6 cedar be ok for monkey bar rails?

For one Western Red Cedar 2x6 plank, loaded vertically, attached to bombproof supports at either end:
The estimated sag is about a quarter inch in the center, and the shear is 1.39 MpA.  Materials data gives me an approximate Shear strength of 5.5 MpA, so you're well within limits.
HOWEVER, the weak point will be the attachments. These will need to be rigid in shear and in bending.
As well, you'll need to design the beams each plank is attached to to support the full load.
8 feet is an invitation to overloading.


How effective are DIN 985 self-locking nuts?

In the General Aviation aircraft industry, AN365 / MS20365 full-profile Nylon insert self-locking nuts are an important staple. Use them with the appropriate washer and in appropriate locations.

Nylon insert self-locking nuts major weakness is heat, they are recommended to only be used in areas that never exceed 250°F (~121°C). The heat softens the Nylon, reducing its gripping power.

For high temperature use, metal construction self-locking nuts are used. Nylon is a little more gentle on the threads, the full metal nuts either have one end ovaled or have the end castellated and compressed to grip the threads and can be like running a thread cutting die on the bolt if disassembled multiple times.

Straked Top Lock, Nylon Insert, Torque Nut


Water heater refuses to light after power outage

I had a family friend who's a professional come out and he cleaned off the igniter a little more thouroughly than I had, and that solved the issue. A happy ending!


Is it reasonable that a contractor has asked for two-thirds of the project cost by start time?

It could be worse than the answers others have provided.  I've personally heard of contractors that got in trouble (financial) on a fixed price project and were losing money.  Then they tried to get out of the hole by asking for big up front down payments for cash flow on subsequent projects. Thankfully it's not been my personal experience, but it has been the experience of others whom I've helped.  I think this is a more common problem with smaller contractors, many may be great craftsman, but not good businessmen.

For major projects involving contractors, I have been asked for proof of ability to pay and I have no issue with that.

I just managed a LARGE concrete driveway replacement for my mother and the contractor wanted 50% up front.  I told him I wasn't comfortable with that and we settled on 25% to start and the remaining progress payments based on completed work.   He was OK with that and it turned out well.  Sometimes you just need to push back and negotiate.   I could write a lot more here regarding this, but need to not allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good!


How large are in-wall heating vents that connect to registers?

Here's a link to a manufacturer of various types of wall ducts; the wallstack and register stackheads page shows the size of openings that you can have.  Looks like your choices are 2 1/4" or 3 1/4" deep, by 10", 12" or 14" wide.


Can I connect a GFCI outlet's ground screw to the neutral wire if no ground wire is available?

Although the neutral wire will generally be near ground potential, there are some situations where it might not be.  For example, when switching on a large motor, the voltage on the neutral wire may jump briefly but significantly.  Further, if the neutral wire breaks between a device and the panel, it will very likely end up with full line voltage on it.  If the neutral wire were bonded to the ground terminal on a piece of equipment, any voltage on it could shock anyone touching the equipment.  Because the current would be flowing on the ground wire which the ground-fault interrupter does not switch, the GFCI would provide no protection against it.

The accepted way to handle the situation where no ground is available is to use a GFCI with its ground lead attached to nothing but with a label affixed reading "NO EQUIPMENT GROUND".  A GFCI used in such fashion will not detect some failure modes that would be detected if the grounding wire were bonded to neutral but the danger of putting neutral voltage on the ground wire exceeds the safety gain from catching those particular failure modes.

It would be helpful if someone were to sell a GFI which was designed to connect ground to neutral well enough to trip the detector immediately if a device has a leak between its hot and ground leads, but not well enough to pose a dangerous condition.  I am unaware of any such devices being for sale, however.


Fire escape stairs leads right up to my window, how can I increase security?

Since making modifications is out of the question, you might want to consider a portable alarm system.  These are designed for apartments and most have glass break sensors you can add to the window.


Connecting an exterior string of patio lights to an existing permanent exterior CFL fixture

Of course, the "best" thing would be to get approval for a licensed electrician to add a switched outlet outside. Or use a remote-controlled outlet, some even have regular-looking-but-wireless wall switches you can stick next to the light fixture's switch with removable adhesive. Or maybe invest in some alexa/homekit/smarthings junk.
The socket cannot be adapted, the cfl gets high voltage from the transformer. I might consider ripping out the transformer and cfl socket, then putting a normal ceramic bulb socket on the bracket. Many sockets have the black and white wires pre-wired; just match them up with the leads show using wire nuts or wagos. Might need some epoxy or jbweld to attach the socket to the bracket, depending on how it attaches. It doesn't have to be very sturdy, but it needs to be able to take some heat, so no hotglue.
It would then be fully functional with CFL/LED bulbs and nobody would notice or complain. At that point, a simple "socket-to-plug" adapter would give you a plug for a DC adapter for your LED strip. Use an inline GFCI if possible. I don't know how you would hide the wires and keep the wall wart dry, but I think this idea at least solves your wiring issue within the confines of your HOA and pre-sale home inspectors.


Why doesn't the extra C wire work when hooking up WiFi thermostat?

Check the voltage between the R wire and C wire at the thermostat.  I bet it's 0.

It happens all the time... installers hook the wires backwards on the transformer.  Historically, it didn't matter because transformers make AC power. Polarity doesn't matter on AC.** As long as one side of the transformer went to "thermostat" and the other side went to "furnace", it was good.  The early transformers didn't even have R and C labels, that was added later as a "convention" for future expansion.  And the convention is "R" to thermostat, and "C" to furnace.

Well, these smart thermostats need power for themselves.  Since they're supposed to be getting "R", the instructions say connect "C".  Of course if your transformer is wired backwards, the terminal labeled "C" on the transformer already goes to the thermostat, so connecting another wire does nothing.

So on "C", what the smart thermostat is looking for is the side of the transformer which goes to the furnace (and not to the thermostat).  Whichever that may be.

** When I say polarity doesn't matter on AC, I mean for this little low-voltage stuff.  Different deal on 120/240VAC household power because they do certain tricks to improve safety.


How do I understand this description of lumber?

Technically, the 1x8 is 3/4" THICK, not "high". That's nitpicking, though. A 1x8 is always specified as a "1x8", never by actual stock thickness in softwoods (ie pine). A nominal 1" plank will always be 3/4" thick after planing, a nominal 2" plank will always be 1-1/2" thick after planing. Width is a little different, but follows generally the same rules - an "N"x2 is always 1-1/2" wide, an "N"x4 is 3-1/2" wide, an "N"x6 is 5-1/2" wide, BUT an "N"x8 is only 7-1/4" wide. Wider planks than nominal 6" are narrower by 3/4" instead of 1/2".

The "5/4" (pronounced "five-quarters") is correct, very commonly used for hardwoods and occasionally for "presentation grade" softwoods. That's a plank that begins life rough-sawn at 1-1/4" (5/4") thickness and is planed to 1" thickness.

"Clear" - no knots or bark inclusions.


It's simply a splice.  They are using the screw and the backstab to accomplish what they could do with a pigtail.  In particular, they are grabbing "always-hot" because this is the first switch.   Presumably they are also grabbing neutral.

An ideal 3-way circuit:

What they are doing: (shown translucent)


What risks may arise from putting a capacitor on the supply line to the door-bell?

Don't do anything like this. Mains voltage is not a toy and it's not for tinkering.  Everything that touches mains voltage should be UL/TUV/etc.* listed as mains equipment and installed according to its labeling and instructions. Bare components from the electronics supply are not equipment: they lack labeling and instructions for use in mains wiring, and cannot be so used.

It's very likely the device failed not because of over-use, but because of defectiveness.  Running a buzzer til it's burnt out won't damage wires unless the buzzer melts down and shorts out.  You may have dodged a bullet as far as your house not burning down.

I would go to a low voltage DC doorbell, because low voltage DC is treated much more lightly by the electrical codes.

Either get a (very, very small) solar panel, battery and charge controller, or kitbash a consumer product that already combines those, such as one of those solar path lights.  Or get a low-voltage "wall-wart" transformer.  Have that power a low-voltage doorbell via the button obviously.  Ordinary use won't flatten the battery, but extraordinary use would.

* CE is not a testing lab.


What do I need to do to clean/restore these floor tiles?

The traditional way to seal the tiles and add a new sheen to the tiles is with Boiled Linseed Oil. These tiles are likely quarry tiles rather than the more modern replacement terracotta tiles.

You can buy modern products that do that same job.

See this link https://lubelska.co.uk/how-to-seal-a-reclaimed-brick-or-terracotta-floor/


Normally wiring like this could go into a GFCI disconnect and directly into a prewired hot tub. If you purchased individual parts, then you would go to a sub panel adding separate GFCI breakers for the heater and motor, etc..
Unfortunately the wiring provided is only good for 240 Volt,30 Amps. Two 30 Amp breakers do not equal a 60 Amp service.  It will not handle a hot tub the needs 50 Amps. You might be able to get a hot tub that only requires a 30 Amp circuit. If you do get a hot tub that requires a 50 Amp service, then you'll have to get larger wire run from your main panel to the hot tub and get a 50 Amp breaker.


do I need to bind the edges of a remnant if it has carpet pad attached on the underside?

Even though the carpet has an attached underlay this will not keep the edges from fraying. You will need to have the edges finished. Your carpet will last longer and look better.


Should I insulate my attic with a hot or cold roof?

Oh what a shame you already did the roof. That would have been a perfect opportunity to add rigid foam insulation boards above the roof sheathing.

A vented roof is definitely better from the perspective of shingle life and moisture resistance, but with such shallow rafters and an unwillingness to lose any ceiling height, that's not an option. If you go with a vented roof, you will need to use 3-4" or so of rafter depth for the ventilation channels (depending on roof pitch; lower pitch requires deeper channels), giving you not much room to work with for insulation between the rafters. If you are unwilling to reduce the ceiling height by installing foam or mineral wool boards across them, then the room will be very uncomfortable as a result.

Your best bet at this point is to get someone to apply a full 6 inches of closed-cell spray foam to the underside of the roof deck between the rafters. This stuff is R-7, so you'd wind up with nominal R-42 between the rafters, which isn't bad. Taking into account the thermal bridging of the rafters, the actual performance would be more like R-37--not terrible, but not great. If you go the spray foam route, hire it out. The DIY kits wind up being about as expensive as hiring out the job in most locales. If you thought the upcharge to add foam to the roofing job was high, wait till you see what the spray costs. Expect $9-14 per square foot of attic space.

You can try doing this yourself with cut-to-size foam and Great Stuff filling the entire faster bays; this is referred to as "cut-and-cobble." You will definitely save money, but it is a messy, time-consuming, un-fun, thankless job, and it is more difficult to get a perfect air seal (which is absolutely required) with this approach than with spray foam. Furthermore, the R-value you'll achieve will be lower because there is no R-7 rigid foam commonly available. XPS is R-5 (yielding a whole-roof R-value of R-26) and polyiso is R-6.5 when it's hot but R-4.5 when it's cold (yielding a whole-roof R-value of between R24 and R-34 depending on the temperature).

I strongly recommend accepting a 3" loss in ceiling height and putting polyiso under the rafters. If you can live with that, you can detail the polyiso as your air barrier by taping all the seams with housewrap tape. Then then fill the whole rafter bays with cheap cellulose, which is hydroscopic so it will help wick water away from the roof deck if it does get wet. This should yield you a whole-roof R-value of R-39. Then cover that in drywall. You can do it all yourself and it won't break the bank. To improve the R-value, just add more inches of polyiso under the rafters; each extra inch will add another R-6.5. The cost difference between this and 6" of spray foam should be dramatic--maybe 5x cheaper or more.


Putting 2cm granite on top of plywood and adhensive

Perhaps you could reinforce the edge/rim with a strip (steel, hardwood, or 2x4s) underneath the plywood.

Brackets should also be helpful, especially if they are attached to support strips.


Kitchen lit with exclusively PAR20 spot lights, how can I reduce shadows?

When searching for "bulbs with housing attached", I found that this actually exists! For a PAR20 bulb, the housing is a 4" housing. They sell a product called "LED Recessed Retrofit Downlight." You would remove the trim that's already installed, plug in a pigtail then shove the new housing retainers either through the gap between the drywall and the existing housing, or directly into the existing housing if there's enough spring tension. Hopefully it lands flat?

I also started looking into adapters so I could put other format bulbs in. It seems like the name of the thread on the PAR20 bulb is called E26. There are adapters that will go from E26 to GU10, which is the plug with the 2 little prongs. The bulbs that would fit that would be called MR16. The adapter ends up pushing down the bulb by about 1", and the beam on MR16's go as wide as 60 degrees. I think this would be the cheaper option, but slightly less effective in reducing shadows.


where the fresh air comes from in garage with gas furnace and heater?

A "make-up air intake" or "combustion air intake" can provide a path for combustion air when a furnace wasn't designed for a direct external conduit:


Can houseplants actually improve air quality?

I would do both plants and an air filter.  You can purchase a reasonable sized air filter for $89 on Amazon (Honeywell 17000-S QuietCare True HEPA Air Purifier, 200 sq ft) that does a pretty good job of helping clear up the air.  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000050AQ5/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1  I use this one because it's large enough to make a noticeable difference, but small enough to not be obtrusive, which you would probably want in an apartment of this size.  I have one in my den, another in my LR, and a third larger one in my BR, but I have a dust allergy (you may want to get tested for allergies...Dust, mold & pollen allergies can cause headaches).  It's relatively quiet as air filters go.  I've tried smaller and larger models, which were respectively ineffective and too loud and too visibly large.  I've also tried a model with an ionizer and permanent filter, which had a horrible smell, and ionizers are irritating to the lungs.

I also have about a dozen smaller plants, and they refresh the air in the immediate vicinity, but they would not be enough by themselves. To help the plants and increase the freshness, I also bought a water based air purifier humidifier by New Comfort ($45 on Amazon), which I place near the plants in the dry months, and this also helps me breathe better.

Finally, there is the issue of what is causing this air?  It could be the laminated floor still offgasing formaldehyde (the issue is complicated - see http://inspectapedia.com/indoor_air_quality/Formaldehyde_in_Laminate_Flooring.php). If you bought any new furniture, it could be from that if it contains MDF, which most does.  Sealing the MDF may help. It is difficult and expensive to accurately determine your air quality and what may be causing the problem.

It could be dust - in the fall, when the heat is first turned on, the air becomes particularly dusty and s/w smelly if you're sensitive to that, but then it levels out.  I'm in a private home, so it's easy to check the furnace air filter, but if it continues you may want to do that or ask the sup to check it - a dirty filter and/or ducts can cause what you describe, too. Frequent vacuuming (with a HEPA filter) may help, as may installing dust filters over your heat vents.

To prioritize, I would start with an air purifier such as the Honeywell 17000-S, and see if this helps, then proceed with other remedies.  Good luck!


Bare copper will eventually corrode if it is in left in direct contact with concrete over time.

You can try wrapping the pipe in duct tape and then covering it with sand, then skim coating over the top with concrete. That way, you could get access to the pipe again if you needed to.


Installing roof truss diagonal bracing: splice plate where braces cross?

If the purpose of the plans is to just protect against damage, I think your plan is probably fine (you might not even have to cut them down to size, I don't see the problem with it overhanging a little bit).

However, it's not clear to me based on that document exactly what the purpose of the splice plates are. To me it sounds like the splice plates are on the outside faces of the braces, nailed through from both sides.

I would call the truss manufacturer to find out specifically what their bracing requirements are.


Keeping a shed warm in winter and cool in summer

I have a similar shed ( 12 X 8 US ft.), I have mineral wool insulation with OSB ( cheap imitation plywood ) over it. It also has an 8 X 4 ft glass skylight. I have aquariums in it and put plants in it in very cold weather. I am impressed by how comfortable the temperatures are. It has about 600 watts of aquarium heaters  and lights ( they cycle off/on). I use a 8 in. diameter fan in the one window when hot. Moisture has not been a problem; no moisture barrier. I have aluminum ( aluminium ) along bottom edge of the skylight and condensation does drip from it. Our lowest temperature is 15 F , typically 32 F, 0 C , at night in winter.


Removal of toilet flange in bathroom remodel with subfloor replacement and tile installation

cut the closet elbow off then use a coupler to add the new elbow and flange


What should I look for in a Whole House Fan

I have spent hours, even days researching whole house fans, and have found them to be one of the most cost-effective energy-saving home improvements one could choose to make.

After sorting through all of information out there, Here's what I'd look for:

Quiet operation - This allows you to run the fan during the coolest hours of the day (the nighttime, while you sleep) and get the maximum cooling effect. Dual speed operation is also nice, because the low speed is in many cases much quieter. Exchanging the air is important, which high speed can do quickly, and low speed can be used over night to cool the thermal mass of the structure down to the core. This way you can use your structure as a 'shield' against the heat the following day, and you can actually get more of a cooling effect with less airflow.

High Efficiency - If you are considering installing a whole house fan, you are most likely trying to save energy by reducing A/C use. So finding the most efficient whole house fan seems only logical. Some manufacturers have begun using ECM (electrically commutated motor) technology, which allows for AMAZING efficiency numbers -- and also extremely low noise levels -- especially on the lower speed settings.

Automatic, Insulated Doors - Unless you like crawling into your attic every season to insulate the hole in your ceiling (or if you live in a mild climate)  you'd be better off finding a product that features mechanical insulating doors. Keep in mind that the seal created when closed is as important, if not more important, than the insulation level (R-level) provided. When shopping, ask whether or not the seal is maintained when the unit is off. Without a seal, it does not matter what the R-level is, and the insulation can not do its job.

Good luck in your search, and keep these features in mind when shopping.


Your situation is not that uncommon.

For the hangers, you may use roof mounted brackets / hangers or you may add blocking behind them as the other answer suggested.

You can also have a custom made gutter that has an angled flange that sticks under the shingles and sits on the roof, or just have a deeper gutter that sits against that fascia.

As suggested by @riseagainst using the columns or rain chains is your best bet.


I've seen Tommy do something like this on This Old House.  The trick is to get a tool that you use to gently pry out the offending shingle and rip out the nail from behind, without removing the shingle above.  I don't remember the trick for blind nailing the replacement back in.  But that's better than tearing it all the way up.
Look at the head of this example tool.
Shingle ripping tool


House wiring and grounding. How do you retrofit an old house and ground it?

It's perfectly legal to run JUST a ground wire to retrofit old work.   You do not need to also pull all the conductors.  This is legal as of NEC 2014, so if your region hasn't adopted it yet, just wait.

People who say "might as well pull all new conductors" do not fully understand what the new rule permits.  Retrofit grounds do not need to follow the same path as the conductors.  What's more, you can borrow/share grounds from one circuit to another as long as they all terminate back at the same panel, and are of large enough size.  That is much easier than pulling all new homeruns!  For instance you can run a 10 AWG ground to a clothes dryer, and any nearby 20A outlet can simply ground to that, etc. etc.

It is also both legal and safe to put GFCI protection on ungrounded receptacles or circuits.  GFCI protection is safer than a ground, although not as awesome for surge suppressors and radios.


Cordless

I re-read your question and saw it said cordless. I don't have a cordless but this website rated the Milwaukee 0824-24 V18 Lithium-Ion Hammer Drill Kit as the best. The Hitachi DV14DL 14.4-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Hammer Drill is another quality product available for about the same price as the Milwaukee drill.

Cord

I have this one and it works pretty well - Hitachi 5-Amp 5/8" Hammer Drill

Don't forget to buy a good hammer drill bit if you are doing true hammer drill work! Non-hammer drill bits will break. I suggest carbide tipped drill bits for this task. The smaller the drill bit though, the faster they break - carbide or not.


How can I join PVC pipe in a food safe way?

Gorilla glue makes a non-toxic PVC cement.


How to repair a French Door latch that's keeping the door from opening

I had a similar problem with a Sierra Pacific door. On mine you raise the handle (clockwise) to lock and lower the handle (counter clockwise) to unlock.
I lowered the handle as far as it would go and then with a small screw driver pry the pins up / down to fully retract the locking mechanism. That would be your pin in picture #2 and the one that goes into the floor.
I was not able to find a replacement that would fit, but was able to fix the broken piece.


Why does my compressor bog down at low pressure?

This is the same thing that happens when you use an extension cord of insufficient gauge to power a compressor, as you say, it's insufficient power.  Of course, it will try to pull sufficient power, and if it succeeds, probably light the extension cord on fire.


Why won't any light in my house turn on after a range hood was installed?

Definitely sounds like either breakers/fuses/main power were left turned off, or he did something that caused breakers to trip or fuses to blow, or he damaged the wiring in some other way.

Breaker/fuse box is the first thing to check.

If that isn't it... he touched it last, he didn't get you to confirm that everything was working properly before he left, he owns the problem.

(Though if you've got other work going on it may not be the electrician's fault. After some work was done on my place, one specific bathroom's light failed to turn on. Electrician swore he hadn't done anything to that circuit. He was right; one of the carpenters had hit the cable with a sawzall. I had to find that break myself. I must say they were good about fixing it once I pointed it out to them, and the carpenter apologized profusely for not having checked for wires before he started cutting.)


Why won't a 5/8" compression fitting with a ferrule integrated in the nut fit onto 1/2” copper pipe?

Pipe and tube are measured differently.
pipe is measured by inside diameter and tubing is measured by outside diameter. Depending on the fitting you may have the wrong one. I had a heck of a time remembering this when I went through my HVAC training as plumbing and electrical are normally pipe and hvac is normally tubing, back then the web was not as helpful as it is today for a full explanation and the 1/8” differences I believe that is your problem , look up pipe verses tubing measurements.


How can I repair scratches on door molding?

The smaller scratches could easily be filled with wood filler and painted.

The only decent way to fix the worst ones is to replace the trim, IMO. Or you could just paint it as is and hope that noone notices.

The trim seems to be made of MDF.I would also argue that this damage could still fall under normal wear and tear. I would never use mdf for trim in my rental units. It just doesn't last.


Why does my shower head stop abruptly after a few minutes?

Long shot: perhaps this is one of those energy-saving shower heads that automatically turns off when the water supply has warmed up. You then flip a level on the shower head to restore flow for the duration of the shower. This is for people who turn on the shower to let it warm up while they go do something else; it stops water waste after the water heats up.


What type of refrigeration is recommend in a cabin with sub-freezing temperatures?

You may be able to use a propane or natural gas powered fridge.  They have no moving parts that would break; in the extreme cold, I'd imagine that only the pilot light would be on.

I've stayed in a cabin that had one of these that was regularly exposed to -25 F, and it lasted for 40+ years.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/refrigerator5.htm


What is a safe maximum amount to leave a window open?

Most code states that all railing balusters must be spaced no more than 4" apart to prevent a child from inserting their head.

So, that is one measurement you could use...if you don't want anyone's head to get through: 4".

Of course, also make sure you can't get an arm through that could reach the window lock.

Edit by OP:

According to http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/HeadAnthropometry.JPG
Men's heads range from 5.1" to 6.5" at their widest point (and women's 5.2" to 6.1"; 1st to 99th percentile).

As such, choosing a maximum gap between 4" to 5" would prevent somebody ranging between a child and adult from entering through the space.


Any tips on fixing a difficult wall for tiling?

If this were my wall: I'd pay the $30 to have an engineer remove the towel rail and fit service valves to the pipework. Then you can take it off, replace it, or what-have-you whenever you want without worrying about the upstairs neighbour. Mention to the plumber that you'll be re-plastering and re-tiling so the service valve is properly proud of the wall.

Then, with the towel rail off, get someone in to plaster it. (Don't try plastering yourself unless you do it for a living, it's much harder than the fellow you'll get in will make it look.)

Then tile away. A smaller tile means you can generally get away with really quite big imperfections, a wall that's a couple of inches off true at the top should be fine. (See here for more on that.)


Where do I place the shims after replacing hinges?

Shims are normally installed between the jamb and the framing, not behind hinges. If you can't do that, you can shim hinges, but it'll make your hinges protrude and it'll increase the gap there, making your weather seal less effective.

It's also possible that you've simply run long screws int too far, pulling the jamb outward. If so, simply back them off a bit.

Your guess sounds right. The answer is "wherever they're needed to solve the problem".


Reverse polarity on outlets, any negative side-effects?

There's no danger to the attached load. AC current reverses direction 50 or 60 times each second depending on what country you're in.
It literally makes no difference at all for the equipment.
Human safety is another matter. The hot/line conductor is generally dangerous if you touch it, while the grounded ("neutral") conductor is generally (not always) safe. However, if equipment has a single-pole switch, it is only breaking the conductor it assumes is the line conductor. If you have the line and neutral reversed, then the appliance is still energized even if the switch is off.


The reason you don't find larger heaters than 1500 w is the max load for a 15 amp circuit. Going to a 20a 120v circuit can get you to the range you want these industrial heat guns are quite expensive but are out there and much safer than building one because they have built in safetys and the proper heat & electrical insulation / insulators to prevent a fire. But most do use nicrome wire as the heat source.


I have always used rubber insulation when I can find it. It's a much better insulation and lasts much longer. Foam seems more readily available, maybe because it's cheaper.


Would this entire wall need re-skimming or just where the wardrobe has been removed?

...can you skim up to the edge of the existing skim on the wall and get a nice smooth finish?

YES- an experienced plasterer, decorator, or painter could make it look nice by repairing just that area.

  ...would it save me money to fill in the holes...?

MAYBE- if you do it correctly you might be able to save the professional some time and materials cost; conversely, if you do it incorrectly he/she might have to tear it out and redo it correctly.

My feeling is that if you were skilled/experienced enough to correctly patch those holes (especially the large area of damage near the floor) then you would be capable of doing the whole job yourself. Since that doesn't seem to be your intent, I think you should let the pro do it all. The additional time and materials needed to repair the holes won't make a huge difference in the total cost of the job.


Adding a indoor concrete ramp to existing concrete

As I understand it, your laundry room connects to another room with basically a smooth level concrete floor.... and you want to create a "lip" in the doorway to prevent water escaping the laundry room.

To state the obvious:  the real trick would be to prevent the flooding in the first place.  Why does it flood?  Is there a drain that could be improved?

Aside from that, let's turn the conversation around.  What you're describing is kinda like a very low shower-stall enclosure.  If you can shift your thinking to 'how would I make a 1-inch lip to enclose a shower', you might start thinking about other options:

something made of tile (grouting into place to get a good seal on the sides and bottom)
some plastic pre-made shower seal that might be cut to length (link: https://www.amazon.com/Wide-High-Acrylic-Frameless-Threshold/dp/B0031Q4DF8 )
even enclose the 'flooding area' (like a washing machine) with a water-catchment basin (like many people do for water heaters) might be a solution

Hopefully this is of some use to you.  Good luck!


What does the low pressure light on my Rinnai tankless water heater mean?

I know this sounds like a long shot but I'd suggest looking into your PRV, it may be going out.


What is the correct way to attach two grounding sources to my electrical panel?

If in doubt, don't be bashful about adding an accessory grounding bar or two. This attaches direct to the chassis of the panel.

This can be a wiring convenience, because you can terminate each of the cable's grounds at the grounding bar, rather than taking it all the way to the breaker with the neutral.

Separating the grounding bar from the neutral bar also aids making this panel a subpanel in the future; 24-space is worryingly small for a whole house, so that may be an option if/when you outgrow it.   The reason you can't just turn it into a 48-space using "double-stuff" breakers is that as of NEC 2017, most circuits must be AFCI or GFCI, and as of NEC 2020, virtually every circuit must be.  AFCI breakers are not possible in double-stuff, so every 120V circuit will need a full space, and every 240V circuit will need 2.   You might be grandfathered in that respect today, but if you do any renovation you'll quickly find yourself out of spaces.  Again.

I am also a big fan of 100% separate neutral and grounding bars, with a clear neutral-ground bond that is a wire.  That lets me clamp an ammeter around it to look for ground-fault leakage.

To the extent able, you should leave hots and neutrals long enough to reach every breaker space thay can. That will allow you to a) upgrade the circuit to AFCI or GFCI, since they need neutral at the breaker; and b) move the breakers around as needed to acommodate many things which need to be in a particular place - whole house surge suppressors, gen interlocks, solar power breakers etc.


wiring two 110 v outlets from one 220 v outlet

Ok so that connection socket is a NEMA 14-30 and is intended for a dryer.

You say you are plugging 240V tools into it now.  Are these tools sized for a 30A circuit?  Or are they smaller draw (<4800W) and you just cheater-corded them into this receptacle? That does not provide safe overcurrent protection.

If all your 240V power tools are >3840 watts

Stay with the NEMA 14-30 receptacle.

You can also install another 14-30 in parallel with it.  You can't pull them both together over 30A, but this spares you from constantly plugging and unplugging the fragile sockets.

Now there are only two legit ways to split this out for 120V loads: make it a subpanel, or install a PSU like those intended to distribute power to a rack of servers.   The subpanel option is maybe $60-80 and the PSU option probably $200.

If all your 240V loads are 4800 watts or less

You can use the subpanel or PSU option to split up the 30A supply.

Or you should be changing your breaker to 20A and changing that fat receptacle to a NEMA 6-20 type (which they make in duplex receptacles if you look widely enough).  Your appliances should get NEMA 6-15 plugs, or 6-20 if they exceed 2880 watts.

Once done, you can also connect 120V receptacles (the common NEMA 5-15/20)  in the fashion of a "multi-wire branch circuit" or MWBC.

Those get wired as neutral to neutral, and line to one of the 240V legs.   It's also possible to split a double receptacle to power each socket off an opposite 240V leg.  This would allow you to put two 240V sockets and two opposite-pole 120V sockets in that same 2-gang junction box.

Take care to wire all 120V sockets so that if you removed the socket, that would not break the neutral for anything downstream.  This is a Code requirement.

Pencil in a budget of $25 for all this stuff, unless your breaker is GFCI/AFCI, then more like $100.

Lastly, common sense applies: just because you can plug many things in, does not mean you can run them all at once.

One more thing.  Are you sure you're saving any money going with 120V heaters?  Cheap foreign-made $20 heaterfans are complete pieces of junk that might last a season.   A 2000W, 240V baseboard heater is only $50, and they're a heck of a lot better value, not least because they'll last 20 years.

Continuous loads must be derated 20%, which becomes 1440W, 1920W, 2880W or 3840W respectively.


Lever for hot/cold water not turning to full capacity

are you talking about the shower mixing valve?  if so, they have an internal bushing with teeth that can be pulled out and turned, then put right back in to allow for hotter water.  check the instructions that came with the new valve for adjusting the water temp. you'll just need the appropriate size allen wrench to take off the handle and a philips screwdriver to remove the bushing to turn it.
low pressure could be a number of issues.  If you have a pressure reducer, a couple turn to shorten the screw could add some pressure for you.  also could be solder stuck in the pipes if he didnt flush them out.


Correcting over-amped wiring... fire hazard?

If there are any problems, they'll appear at the terminations first.

So as you work on that system, just keep an eye peeled for any thermal damage at terminations.  Discolored wire, melted insulation, arcing, anything like that.

Truth be told, 14AWG wire is allowed for 20A - just look at the table formerly known as NEC 310.16... but this presumes 75C terminations (e.g. the receptacle will not scald your child's finger if he touches the outside while a wire is cooking away at 75C on a screw) and a bunch of other favorable factors.  So there is a statutory rule elsewhere in NEC that clamps 14AWG ampacity at 15.


What is the best way to clean your clothes dryer exhaust?

You can probably do it yourself cheaper than hiring it out. You could try something like this vent cleaning system. It seems to have fairly good reviews on Amazon, and for $25 it's worth a shot. It claims to have a 12' reach and the ability to navigate turns in the vent, so you may have to go at the last 3' from the other end.

Note: You'll need a drill to attach it to. A shopvac would also be helpful, but if you don't have one, the kit includes an attachment to use with your dryer.


if your rise is 7.25" and your tread is 11.5" but you also have a 3" nosing is this legal

Its going to matter where in the world you are as looking at your localbuilding code will tell you if it is legal, but from the common sense side, there is a reason why a nosing of ~1" give or take 1/2" is typical - becasue it is safer than 2" or 3" or 1'.......

I'm going to bet a 3" nosing is not allowed in your area (or any???) but again, check the code. It promotes a tripping hazard.


You wrote

  (RI) Receiver In: white, blue & black

  (RO) Receiver out: white & black

I think you have this reversed. The receiver controls the fan and light separately with inputs of white and black (neutral and hot, respectively) and outputs of white, blue and black (neutral, switched hot for light and switched hot for fan, respectively).

You could have only one wall switch provide input to the receiver and use the remote to control the fan and light independently. The other switch and its hot would be unused. If you mount the receiver on the wall switch, this might satisfy the requirement that there be a light switch on the wall. You could cover the unused switch with a shabbat light switch cover, e.g. these.

If you want to forego having the light controlled by the remote, and just have the light controlled by the wall switch (to satisfy the code requirement), you could operate the fan with the remote, and have the line hot to the receiver be the switched hot from the fan wall switch. But the blue output from the receiver to the light would not be used. Instead you would connect the hot from the light wall switch directly to the blue wire to the light. You can do this because there is a common neutral white in the cable from the wall to the ceiling box.


How can I stop my lights dimming when my Air Conditioning turns on?

First I would check the electrical connections to the compressor and the breaker in the panel, see that they are tight and not corroded. Next I would measure the starting current of the compressor with a clamp on ammeter. I had a problem like this on a friends AC, only his problem was tripping the breaker at times. His compressor is about 10 years old, and is harder to start now. When I measured the starting current it measured 175 Amps! Which on this compressor is the locked rotor current! We replaced the starting capacitor and added a "Hard start kit". Now the starting current is a respectable 50 Amps.

Some tech info:
The induction type motors used in these compressors have an extra motor winding. This is called a "start" winding and is used with the "start capacitor" it is there only to get the motor to initially turn and a mechanical switch disengages it at a low speed. What happens over time is that the motor load is increased due to wear, and the start capacitance becomes weaker. So why not just build a compressor with a large start up capacitance to begin with? Some higher end units do just that, but most don't to save $$$. Contrary to popular belief, the start capacitor size does not "Give a bigger jolt" to the motor, but delays the 60 cycle feed to the second winding fooling the motor to think it is driven by a poly phase feed. The larger the capacitor value, the bigger the delay - hence the lower the starting current. Without a start winding, the motor will sit there humming until it trips the breaker. Three phase motors (poly phase) do not have start windings because they have three windings.


First I would say that it sounds like something is seriously wrong with your home wiring. Personally, I would trip every breaker associated with a circuit where the voltage is reading low, including the 220V circuits.

What I would guess is happening is that maybe the neutral wire on one of your mains lines is broken or loose/disconnected. If that's the case, then all of the power for your electric items is having to go through ground.

Seriously, flip those breakers and call an electrician. It's probably an easy fix - just reconnect the wire, but if all of your electric power is relying on ground connections, then there's a chance that things that are supposed to be safe may not be - the case of the breaker panel, the case of the washer/dryer, etc.

It sounds like a voltage divider - hot to "neutral" is not getting 100% of the voltage (power) you're expecting, so "neutral" to something else (ground) is getting the remainder of the power you're expecting. This power is either on its way to starting a fire somewhere in your house, or it's being dumped to ground and is heating up wherever the ground (or water pipe!) is making contact with the ground.

When you measure voltage, how are you doing it? Hot to neutral? What happens if you go to the breaker box and measure hot to neutral, then hot to ground?


Lifting 200-300 LBS with 2x8 wood - design question

This will most likely work if the body is as light as you say, but that seems like an optimistic estimate.  When you start to lift, the board should tell you if it's going to be ok.

By the book, this isn't strictly "safe", but I don't have a problem with self-engineered solutions.  The one thing you have to remember is to treat the lifted object as if it could fall at any moment.  Never put yourself or one of your limbs under the body and always predict how it will fall if it does and stay out of that path.

What you have created will work, but it is also dangerous in that it has not been tested or properly planned/designed.  It could damage the car, and it could damage you, so treat it like a pending failure, and be happy when everything does work out.


What sort of nails should I be using on Sheet Vinyl underlayment?

Unless installing a rigid material such as new plywood, luan, cement board, etc - you generally do not nail it down. When you do, ring shank is the right type of nail. But it has to be a decent quality nail vs. the cheapest bidder, also, the condition of the flooring it is being nailed into is quite important. Just nailing into plywood isn't going to cut it because it is multiple layers of glued sheets, and the glue dries over time and plywood separates. This gives very little for the nails to bite into.

Most underlayments are cut into place and taped down (example: installing underlayment) or glued with flooring glue. Even most nowadays don't use that. Depending on the product you buy, many have self-adhesive backings. While many many products have gotton cheaper in design, thickness, etc. over the years, engineering has been thought out for the full product installation. (sometimes for the worse). Your product should have guidance on the methods to be used.

Once you have divots, dimples, nail heads, or other imperfections in the underlayment which almost always happens, you will need floor leveler. Its a simple cement product you add water to, spread it, dry, clean and sand as/if necessary, then you can add the new flooring. If this is not done, the nails will show through even in many thick flooring products. (Here is a quick googled example on youtube: floor leveling)


Putting plywood between layers of attic insulation

Yep, that's fine. It won't degrade the insulation's performance at all. You can even make a permanent walkway consisting of plywood on top of rigid foam insulation where it would penetrate the layer of blown fiberglass.


Does a sub-panel in an outbuilding require a ground wire or rod?

Larry, I can relay what is required in our area.  For each and every premise now is allowed one service panel only; thus requiring only three wires to feed.  All other panel on the premise are required to be fed, for the sake of safety, with four wires.  These include two wires as phase conductors, one neutral and one ground. Additionally, all panels that are  located in a separate building require ground rods, no longer just one ground rod but two separated by 6'. In the service panel the neutral and grounding all come together at the neutral bus bar.  The subsequent panels must have all neutrals and grounds separated. Good Luck; PCL


What would cause a clothes dryers thermal cutoff to keep tripping?

How did you check the vent?  Mine had an open airway, but after years of use, I picked up a cleaning brush and was amazed as how much lint came out of the vent.  If your dryer is anywhere other than on an outside wall, I'd pickup a cleaning kit just because they are nice to have and reduce your fire risk. Here's one from Amazon:

That reminds me, I should clean it again soon.


How should I connect these beams to the posts?

If you want to avoid the steel braces and have an attractive, complete wood look that is also strong, there are a few ways. A combination of strongbacks on the outside faces of the posts and cornice braces from the post to under the beams would look great and stabilize the beams.

The strongbacks are short 2X4 pieces, perhaps champhered, top and bottom,  that would screw into the post and also the beam on the outside parameter. Two are required for each post. The beams should be cut at 45 degree miter angles or notched to fit together and lay on top of the posts.  The cornice braces typically are triangles or 45 degree braces that mount to the sides of the posts and the bottom of the beams. Again, two per post are required. You can then screw some timber ties or long lags down through the beams from the top into the posts.

you can fancy up the cuts on the strongbacks and braces to enhance the style.  The combination of beams sitting on top of the posts with side and bottom support is extremely strong.


Oops! I forgot the clamps when I fixed my sprinklers!

If the repair was done inline with the pipe and pipe is fully seated on both side then it will probably never fail but might leak over time.  But if the pipe is not fully seated onto the barbs on each end or the repair was done on an end then you have a high chance for a future failure.

If the pipe is on a sprinkler zone, and not part of the supply, then your risks are further reduced.

Regardless of all these things,be nice to yourself and the future home owner.  Go buy some stainless steel clamps then dig up the probably shallow pipe, unscrew the clamp all the way, and place them over the pipe without having to remove the pipe from the fitting like for pinch clamps.  A special trip to buy the clamps should take longer than the digging, installation and backfill combined.


How hard is it to replace a broken-off toilet seat?

Yes, it's trivial. The seat is held on by bolts that go through the toilet and are secured underneath with large nuts. These days the nuts are usually plastic and designed to be tightened/loosened by hand.

The spacing between the nuts is standardized, at least in the US, so the only measurement you need is front-to-back. There are a few different sizes, but basically the break down to "circular" or "oval" and a generic seat of the right type will almost always work fine.

It will usually come with fresh mounting nuts. Insert the bolts through the holes, reach underneath and install the nuts firmly in place (you may want to try wiggling the seat a bit to make sure the nuts have properly centered themselves and seated", and you're done
.


You need an extra option for this

Assuming your EPO switch is a normally open type, the typical way to do this at the panel uses a breaker with a shunt trip or shunt release option fitted, which will trip the breaker when power is applied to the shunt trip's terminals.  Most North American panelboard-type MCBs can be ordered with a shunt trip as a factory option -- however, it's limited in nature, and often cannot be applied to specialty breakers such as GFCIs/AFCIs.

However, what you can do is provide GFCI, GFPE, or AFCI protection for the branch circuits, and put the shunt trip on the main or feeder shutoff breaker.  That way, you only need one custom-ordered breaker instead of several, and also circumvent the incompatibility between specialty breakers and shunt trip accessories.

If you were back home...

If you were on the European system, however, DIN rail breakers are rather modular (compared to North American loadcenter/panelboard-type MCBs), so shunt trips for RCCBs are available as a general rule.  Most can be either factory or field fitted depending on the situation and breaker make/model.

(If you had a normally closed EPO, you'd need an undervoltage release option instead -- it's the inverse function of a shunt trip.  These are not as common as shunt trips, especially in North America although some European breaker lines have restrictions on the employment of their undervoltage release options that aren't present on their shunt trips.)


Does the application of a new layer of lacquer dissolve pinhole bubbles?

As you have found, a further coat does not dissolve dried bubbles in a varnish coat.

You will need to sand it back and recoat, but 400 grit? I would suggest much finer.


Just a warning, unless you are pretty handy this should be done by a pro. If you have done large glue ups before, and have 2 people to help at glue up time and everything protected from dripping glue, you may have a chance.

It starts with your wood selection, for a finished hand rail that will measure 1 1/4" to 1" thick by 2" wide you will need 8- 1/4" thick by 1 1/2" wide strips of straight grained oak, Get more than what you need by third or more. Get at least enough full length pieces to have every other laminate a full piece and a foot longer than needed on either end. If you can get all the full length, better still. I am going with these dimensions and quantities since it looks like you balusters are perhaps  1 1/4" square, the 2" finish will give a little wood to go around the baluster, and the 1 1/2" thick material should be easier to find than the thicker material, less costly too. The extra material is to cull out the pieces that do not want to bend as uniformly as others. Because of the 1 1/4" thickness, you will need to cut the balusters shorter so the raw wood does not show if you choose to mortise in the balusters.

Next is protecting the floor and steps. Blue or green tape the upper corners of the noses of the treads paper everything else and secure flat, no wrinkles with tape. Glue WILL GET EVERYWHERE!!! what does not get around by dripping, will get around by stepping in it, rubbing against it, sitting in it, you name it. While gluing this much together you and others, if you are doing it right, will not have enough time to concentrate on cleanliness, since you will be wrestling slippery wood with glue all over it trying to clamp them in place.

To start the glue up, you will need enough clamps for one about every 6", or closer. This does not include what you need to hold "guide blocks" in place. Better to have extra on hand rather than finding you do not have enough to finish the job once you start. That would be disastrous. Typically, many glue ups "give back" a little when released from the clamping jig, and take a slightly larger radius, so this is why you will use the inside of the balusters and treads to use as a gluing jig. It will give all your angles and radius and rise to meet your needs. The glue up will be on top of the treads and clamped to the balusters at the bottom of the balusters so the treads will define the bottom face of the  rail before truing up at the finishing stage.

Do a mock up gluing, with no glue to get a feel for how the wood is going to be contrary, and it will. when glue is added it will be much worse, so learn how to handle it now. If the 1/4" material is not yielding like it should, have it re-planed down to 3/16". I truly believe that 1/4" will work, but if for some reason  it does not, go with the 3/16" and add more strips to get your 2" in width. You will find that if you add "L" shaped pieces of plywood clamped to the balusters so the long part of the "L" is vertical and clamped on the balusters in 2 places each on every other baluster, having the short part setting horizontal over the nose of the tread, it will surely help control the strips while clamping.

When gluing, I would use a yellow glue like alphatic resin glue. Titebond or Elmers professional and the like. You will need to move fast. The glue has a good open time, but you will have a lot of gluing to do at one time, and a lot of clamping at one time. Cover the entire surface with glue, no dry spots at all. If you have your program down for dry clamping, perhaps numbering the strips may help in reassembling after glue has been added, since it may be advisable to lay all the strips out flat over a large clean area, let the glue fly over the whole surface of strips laid out tightly together, flip over, set tightly together again and let the glue fly again. Perhaps a paint tray and roller may be of assistance on this. You will need your helpers handy just to keep the strips behaving while adding glue.

When setting the strips to the treads and balusters, before you add any clamps, even the ones previously mentioned, use tape to add small wood block to the balusters, so when the clamps are set, the clamp does not make a mark or marks on your finished balusters. Back to setting the strips, You may be able to set 3 or 4 rows of strips at a time, you may be able to set more. More the better, as long as it is fast and efficient. The idea is to set it clamped from the bottom up every 6" completely, not a clamp here and there, and fill in later, if you do, there will be gaps or flat spots created. 2 different radii once set on the ends, do not like coming together, so the clamps must be added from the bottom up. Some can be added loosely to aid in holding the strips, but do not tighten, until all the ones below are tight in their proper sequence. FWIW, These glue ups are done on a jig that the strip are added to on the outside of the jig, much easier to handle. But that jig is made at the onset of the stair fabrication, at least for semi-circular stairs and everything is built up on that jig. In your case you would need to replicate a jig that has the same radius as the inside edge of the proposed handrail, and layout the EXACT rise that is needed or you will have the same problem when you adjusted the treads for your situation, though not a severe as an issue since no mortises are cut for the balusters. Again just a mention.

Once the glue up is done and dry for a day or 2, remove the clamps, and the curve will be set well enough. The curve may open up a little, that will be expected, but it will get it closer to the center line of the balusters. Next is cleaning up a lot of glue.

While gluing, you will notice the laminations will not line up across the top and bottom of the handrail, corners will be above another. That what it takes to bend the helix shape. Your best tool for cleaning this up may be a belt sander, continuously moving to uniformly knock down the corners simultaneously on the section you are cleaning up. Start with 32 grit or your belt will clog quickly due to overheating. The glue will soften with heating and bind to the belt.

This is a jig I made to line up the bent rail for marking the locations for the mortises on the bottom, and for marking the angles you will ned to cut your balusters. How you cut them will depend on how you choose to fix it in place. There are a few options here.

Gotta go for now, more with pics later on marking out the balusters for setting to the rail


With just 1000w total 14 awg the voltage drop would be 2.85% at 75'. So you could do it with 14awg. 2000w the wire size would be 10awg. For some reason I was thinking 1000w or 2 lights. Going to LED may get you the needed light and not have to go to the larger wire.


Can I upsize my air conditioner if I have a two-speed compressor?

During the AC season close off outlets that go to the cooler area of your house, and be sure the other outlets are wide open. Put in a brand new, low restriction furnace air filter. Keep curtains closed all day on the sunny side of the house.
After these steps you may use a portable on the lower floor if you need it. As long as the portable unit has 2 air ducts going outside, it will have no adverse effect on your central system.
Also, be sure to have the central AC set so that it comes on well before noon. If you wait until it feels like it's getting too warm ... then the system will never catch up.


I would suggest listening to your unit when it is running , not just the fan but the compressor also. Possibly make a recording  I am talking about the outside unit.
When the unit is not cooling try listening and recording again,
The problem could be as easy to fix as an intermittent contactor (a contactor is a high power relay that turns on the compressor) some units have different relays for the fan and compressor so listening is important, the compressor not humming away may indicate it is “sticky” or possibly the starting cap is getting close to failure.
A cap going bad normally causes dimmed lights and hard starting it’s hard to explain the sound but it can take 10-15 seconds when normally it is up to speed in 3-5 seconds.  When the start capacitor fails it may blow the fuse or circuit breaker. Or it may over heat the motor and the mother’s internal thermal overload turns it off until it cools.
If I was called for a intermittent cooling issue I usually check the cap they are a cheap fix and look at the contactor and see if it has been throwing excessive arcs.
Other things like bad valves in the compressor can be the problem but if your technician put a gauge set on it that would be obvious.
One of the last things of the top of my head would be the thermal expansion valve on the evaporator (inside coils) these can stick closed and prevent refrigerant from flowing so the outside unit starts pumps up to shutdown pressure then waits for a cycle restart timer 3-7 minutes on most systems.
Edit:
You might ask your tech if he measured the cap or inspected the contactor. (Both are in the outside unit).
At this time your ears are thallus you’re best troubleshooting tool.
Intermittent problems are hard to find because everything is running when we get there.


In answer to your question nothing looks amiss as far as overloading is concerned. The way you know if a panel is over loaded is that the main circuit breaker trips out on overload. Prior to that if you are really concerned. Get an infrared thermometer and see if you can find any hot spots. Particularly around the connection and lug points. You want things to stay below 75C or 167F. Look for any discoloration or burn caused by overheating. Overheating is a sign of overloading due to the resistance of the bus and conductors.

Good luck


With the light connected to the outlet it would violate code not to have the switch, if you added a ceiling lamp that was switch controlled then this outlet could be wired hot without violating code.


How to construct a door header without enough height?

I see several options, though it's difficult to be sure from one photo.

Set the header into the roof framing cavity. You mention that the rafters are parallel. If they're not directly over the header you may have more room than you realize.
Since the wall is parallel to the rafters you may not actually need a load-bearing header. Doubled 2x6 may be adequate. You can possibly fit that just by removing a wall plate.
Have a steel beam sized by an engineer. Your local lumber yard can probably help with that, and they may not charge extra.


Installing cabinet on thick sound/thermoproofing layer and concrete

Whether you like it or not, you're going to need to mount those rails into the concrete if you want the cabinet to stay on the wall. There's not much structural integrity or load bearing capacity in 1cm of plaster.
There are a variety of ways of attaching things to a concrete wall, from screws (like Tapcon™ that are specifically designed to hold in concrete), to expanding anchors.
You indicate you'd had "cavity dowels" recommended to you. I'm not familiar with that term, but if they're something designed for the purpose, they should do just fine. If you expect your load to be 20Kg cabinet + 50Kg of "stuff", then you're only looking at 4 of these "cavity dowels" which doesn't seem terribly excessive to me.
You'll need to go to your local hardware store of choice, take a look at the options there and pick anchors that meet your expected load rating. It's possible that you'll find "cavity dowels" that are rated higher than 20Kg per fastener, so you may not need to use as many. You'll also need to select a masonry drill bit of the appropriate size for the anchors you'll be installing. Once you have those, drill the holes and insert the anchors according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Odds are good that you'll really only need 2 anchors (of whatever type) to hold your 50-70Kg load. Anchors are designed to hold a lot of weight. It's quite possible that you'll find anchors that are rated at 50Kg each which means that 2 of them (to hold the rail level) will be more than enough to support your expected weight. Again, though, you'll need to look at the packaging of the anchors you're choosing to determine which ones are appropriate.

There's another possibility (but it's probably not something you're after or you wouldn't have chosen a wall-mount cabinet). Come up with some sort of leg affair to support the majority of the cabinet's weight from below, then your anchors into the wall are simply there to keep it from tipping over.


Problems with crossed hot & cold water lines on shower

Demand the manufacturer's instructions so you can review them. Then respectfully insist that the plumber (who you paid to install it correctly) return and make all needed corrections. It's not right for the plumber to expect you to do anything unless you agreed to up front.

He should be correcting the piping if necessary, he should be adjusting the temperature stops, he should be adjusting the cartridge, he should be ensuring the trim is oriented correctly.


Rewiring outlet from half-hot to full-hot

The short wires are called "pigtails".
As you gathered, it was important that the two black non-pigtails remain connected to each other irrespective of the receptacle.  You can use the 2 screws on the receptacle as an ad-hoc splice block... but that doesn't work if the tab is broken. The purpose of the tab is allow you to use it as a splice block instead of for separate control.
You can't buy a new tab.  You have 2 ways you can fix this.
1. pigtail each socket separately.
Leave the two pigtails on it, but simply move the red pigtail from the "red wires" wire-nut, to the "black wires" wire-nut.   You can still do that if you saved the bits.  Or you can buy some loose wire and cut some bits if you have a stripper.
Putting 4 wires on a wirenut is a little challenging, and you'll need red or tan wire-nuts, not yellow ones.
There's no way to replace just the tab.  To salvage a tab-broken recep, just pigtail both sides as above.
2. Replace the outlet
You can "get the tab back" by replacing the whole receptacle - but given the DIY repair boom, prices are going crazy, and you could pay as much as $1.25 for builder (cheap) grade... or $4 for the vastly better quality spec-grade ones.
In fact the spec-grade ones allow 2 wires under each screw, so the builder wouldn't have needed to pigtail.


Which nut/washer combination to join timber to timber (joist to rafter)

The spikey washer needs to go between pieces of wood.   I doubt its usefulness, since the strength is either going to come from the bolt in shear, or friction between the wood surfaces, depending on how tightly it's bolted.  The teeth won't fix poor clamping.

A lockwasher needs a lot of compression to function properly, it's really intended for metal.  If backing off is a concern, use the nylok or a second "jam" nut.

You'll want large metal washers against the wood on both ends, otherwise the bolt heads will just sink into the wood when you try to torque it down.


Listed electric baseboard heaters that permit installation below outlets

The short answer is yes, some might be OK... the FPNs are separate from the actual code; they aren't enforceable. However, if the installation instructions prohibit installation below a receptacle, you're going to be considered in violation. I'd be surprised if any of these types of heaters allowed it...

You can always get one of these.


That is commonly called a kitchen sink strainer or basket strainer.

You should start by soaking the parts that you can see in the picture with a penetrating spray lube, the kind that says "helps loosen rusted parts".

You will need to disconnect the plumbing from the strainer by removing both the metal and the plastic slip-joint nuts. Then remove the strainer by unscrewing the large metal ring nut with the little "nubs" all around the outside. This will likely be difficult. I usually use a large long-handled screwdriver and a hammer to try to back the nut off. If this does not work, you may have to actually destroy the ring nut to remove it (not uncommon).

Take all the parts down to the local mom and pop plumbing or hardware store and they will hook you up (don't even bother with a "big box" hardware store).
You will need:

new basket strainer
1 lb. plumber's putty
at least (1) 1 1/2" SJ washer

The rest of what you need should come with the strainer.

NOTE: this leaked because the plumbers putty seal between the sink and the strainer's upper flange failed. Caulking plays NO part in this assembly.


Paint a twenty year old door that have some paint peeled off

First, read up on lead paint.
Second, post a photo.
Third, what's your budget?

Painting water based over oil is possible, but only with good preparation.


How do I patch a large hole in plaster and lath?

What I have done on my 1909 house (I am in the U.S.) in the same exact situation is clear a wider area of the lath and plaster and replace it with drywall.  To do that, you will need to add some padding over the studs because the lath&plaster is thicker than 1/2" -- what I did was pad it with 3/8" plywood, then drywall over plywood to achieve approximately an even joint between the new drywall and the old plaster.  Then you tape and sand the joints like you would with regular drywall, prime and paint it later.


Replace under warranty Bradford White or get a new Rheem water heater?

Talk to a different plumber. I don't trust anyone who suggests that I replace something that I could get for free under warranty! Even if it's not a good make you'll still get a new one and get another 4-5 years out of it, then you'll be free to buy the latest and greatest which will be more efficient. I'd get someone else to install a warranty replacement and save that money up.


once moisture has set into the tile it is basically ruined.  Your photo appears as thought the support wire above the ceiling has come unattached from the grid.  Check your support first.


When wood has been exposed to natural light over many years, it changes color. When it is sanded that color change goes away, and you have what you have now. I am surprised that is all the difference it is.

I would suggest "toning the finish", as in add color to the top coats that mimic what the aging has done on the surrounding surface. If the color looks grayer than the new, add a few drop of gray or black stain to the finish to give it a subtle difference. Put a coat of that over it. If it is heading in the right direction, add a second coat to add to it. If it goes the wrong direction in any step, use the solvent appropriate for your finish, wipe it all off and let it dry, start again.

Keep the added coloring stain well under 25% of the volume of the finish. Stain weakens the wear ability of the finish. This why 2 coats of toned finish. Do not try to do it in one shot. If you get the right color and your added mix is only 10% of the total mix, good deal. Carefull how you cut in the new finish. You may have guessed that adding the toned finish over the existing finish will make a darker ring around your work.

DO NOT MIX oil and water based stains.


Bolt, washer placed in wrong order of floor lamp

According to the picture, the order of the parts is correct. The small nut , the first item in the left side of the picture is the nut that tightens the whole lamp. The bolt you mention, is a piece of pipe Usually 1/8", so the wire can be fed through it to provide the electricity. The parts shown from the right to the left appear to be a spacer, a washer, and the nut. Tighten the nut as necessary being careful to not over-tighten. Make sure the nut is not stripped or broken. One last item, there should be a small nut on the top of the lamp assembly, just below the socket that you may be able to tighten also. Hope this helps.


How to cheaply fix crooked looking tile?

Trim baby, trim...
You will need some custom angled molding made to follow the straight lines of the tile joints, but "absorb" the crookedness of the wall in its internal angles. It will not be an easy fix though, it will take a very skilled millworker / cabinetmaker.


Why were these load bearing walls not stacked?

Why it was done?  Because the designer wanted the wall in one place upstairs and another place downstairs.

Is this legit?  I can't answer whether it was to code when first built, or whether it is still to code, but I am pretty sure it is safe.  Essentially the first floor wall is being supported by a cantilevered beam projecting out from the ground floor wall.  Given that the beam is 8" deep, cantilevering out by 8" wouldn't concern me at all.

Given that the structure has stood for 89 years thus far, it is probably good for another 89 years. Don't worry about it.

Having said that, you do need to make sure that your remodelling allows for the extra stresses this creates.  So beware if you need to cut holes in the timbers for pipework or electrical; you need holes rather than notches even more than usual.


You should scrape as much off as you can to prevent any interference with the mortar bond and to ensure the tiles will lay flat. I use a razor scraper like this:

P.S.- invest in a few packs of replacement blades.


Why does my outlet have an extra neutral wire connected?

That 15A breaker and the trip

Remember this: Breakers protect wires. Breakers come between you and wires overheating and starting a fire in your walls where it's almost impossible to put out.

Code is very clear: #14 wire gets a 15A breaker.  #12 wire gets a 20A breaker. (NEC 240.4).  You are not allowed to put common receptacles on a larger breaker (210.21B3).    That is because breakers also protect appliances. A 15A breaker allows 1800 watts (20A allows 2400W).

Appliances which make heat (and have standard plugs) are hard capped at 1500 watts (UL) - and that's not very much, so most heat-making appliances use all of it.

People have no concept of what appliances actually draw -- you use the word "little" to describe the heater, as if that makes it a small draw -- it's a 1500 watt draw.  Go look :)  Your coffeemaker is probably around that too, since it also wants to heat the water as quickly as possible.

If you're noticing, two heat appliances is 3000W and won't even fit on a 20A breaker. Correct.  Heat appliances are like Sauron; they do not share power!

If you need to run 2 large loads, run 2 circuits or position them so they are on different circuits.  No way around it!

Some fool had the same problem, and that's why he fit the 25A breaker.  Why did it work then, since 25A=3000W and your draw was slightly above that?  Breakers operate in "thermal trip" mode, where they allow the  overload, allow the wire to heat up, and only trip before the heat becomes dangerous. This scheme depends on the wires being the proper size.

It also depends on Do not immediately reset a breaker after a thermal trip.  Wait 10 minutes for the wires to cool off, since breakers cool off faster than wires.  Well, okay... the first trip, go ahead and reset immediately but remove some large loads.

"Equal currents" is a basic principle

As you know, current flows in loops. (kinda like hydraulic fluid). Out the hot, back the neutral.  These partner wires must travel together in the same cable or conduit.  If power goes out to a lamp, the return must come back on the same cable.   Why?  A bunch of reasons.

First,  Unlike hydraulic fluid, electricity throws a large magnetic field - and because it's AC power, this field vibrates.  If the wires are tightly bound to each other, the fields cancel each other out and the effect is null. But if the wires are separated at all, it causes physical vibration (damaging the wires) and eddy current heating in metals.

But second, neutrals don't have circuit breakers. It is supposed to be protected by the idea that current on a neutral can only come from its partner hot wire, which does have overcurrent protection.

Third, GFCI detection requires this - they check whether currents are equal to see if any current is leaking or shocking someone.

You are allowed to split; say for a ceiling fan, you can split power to lamp and fan, both returning current on the same neutral. The 3 wires add up, and cancel each other out.

You're usually safe if you physically run cables in a tree fashion -- branches can branch and re-branch, but they can't loop back to another branch.

And there will always be at least 1 partner wire.  And the pair (3+?) will always be the same size as each other.

So this neutral wire is an anomaly

Since the electricians looked for other cables in the back of the box, we know this must be a weird single wire that's been bridged over from somewhere else.  No doubt that circuit had a problem with its neutral wire, so they "stole" neutral from here.  Great: if it's a 15A breaker, then this circuit's neutral can carry 15A + the 25A from your breaker = 40A. That's not good!

My thought is, figure out which neutral is the partner to the hot, and remove and cap off the other one.  Treat it like it might be hot; it will be once you remove it, because it will get pulled up to 120V by the appliance trying to return current.

If a nearby switch has a powered switch, it's possible that switch is wired as an old-style "switch loop" and he stole neutral from here.  Roll it back to a switch that doesn't require neutral.  For instance timer switches that crank (instead of pushing buttons) don't need neutral.


How aggressive should one be with replacing aged steel pipes in a Norfolk VA brick house?

It depends on the water , steel can last a very long time in some waters, so doing nothing unless there is a problem is an option. Find out from neighbors ( with steel pipe) if there have been problems. If any is accessible , a piece of pipe could be removed and examined  as an indication of the whole system but opening an old pipe connection can easily make problems. Pipe wall thicknesses are measured routinely in industry  with ultrasonics but it would be expensive to hire an inspection company.


Venting question for new shower install to existing half bath

If the distance is less than 5-6’ horizontally from the vent to the new drain normally a single vent will be enough.  I have seen contractors double this length on 4” drain lines when the new 2” line ties into a 4” drain