Goldline/Aquarite Chlorinator electrical problem--what went wrong?

You've already sorted this out, but the lesson here is simple: Don't ever assume anything.

Determining 220 vs 110 at the panel is fairly simple. You have a phase A and B in your house, which come from each side of the transformer. The transformer is center-tapped to ground, and this is your neutral wire.

"Voltage" is really just a measurement of potential difference between two points, and so if you think of it that way, the voltage between A and B is 220V, and the difference between A and neutral or B and neutral is 110V.

In your breaker panel, every other row of breakers is a different phase.

To get 110V power, you need a neutral wire, and a hot wire from either phase A or B (it doesn't matter which). So any single breaker, like #3, is only supplying 110V power.

To get 220V, you need one hot on phase A, and one on phase B, like the 220V breaker at the bottom right (#4/#5).

This picture also includes some tandem breakers (the one currently being installed is a tandem), in which case both circuits are on the same phase. That is, both #1 and #2 are on phase A. If you measure the voltage (potential difference) between #1 and #2, you'll get 0V.

Voltage between #1 and #4 is 0V, and between #3 and #5 is also 0V.

Voltage between #3 and #4 is 220V, since they're on different phases.

Note though, it's against code to use single circuit breakers to run a 220V circuit, since if the power trips, you want all the power to trip, not just one side (since that would leave 110V hot).

The other huge tip-off at the circuit is the wire colors (though again, never assume, always test). There aren't a ton of requirements for wire colors, other than two: white means neutral, green (or bare) means ground. If you use a white wire for something other than neutral (common in a light switch, for example), it must be indicated on both sides, usually by wrapping a piece of red or black tape around it. Black is hot.

The next most common color is red, which has two very typical meanings:
 * switched, which you'll commonly see in duplex receptacles where one is constant, and one is controlled by a switch
 * hot for 220V, which is the case here, where red is the opposite phase from black, to provide 220V.

To sum up:

In the panel, a double-sized breaker on the circuit means 220V
At the branch, not having a white neutral wire means you can't get 110V.


You can install a reducer, but you'll cut your flow volume by an equal proportion:

28.3in2 - 7.1in2 = 21.2in2 (an area reduction of 75% when going from 6" to 3" duct)

This will negate a significant amount of your fan upgrade, will make it work harder, and may shorten the motor's life due to reduced cooling.

You might ask yourself whether you really need 150 cfm (and the accompanying noise).


Heat pump blower motor cycles on/off after running 140 seconds

Your system is trying to pull air it cannot supply. You have a dirty air filter; clean or replace it.


Adding 3 way dimmer when two circuits exist

(I am by no means any sort of expert, but I hope this points you in the right direction at least. I'm not an electrician but randomly looked up stuff about switches before because I was curious why they were called "3-way".)
You mentioned that there are three switches controlling the lights. That means there are two 3-way switches and one 4-way switch. The Wikipedia article on this does a much better job explaining than I can. Essentially you need 3-way switches to have two switches control one light, but you need 4-way switches to allow for more than two.
You said the switch you replaced has 4 wires. Sounds to me like you're looking at the 4-way switch from the middle of the circuit. I would guess you bought three 3-way dimmers and replaced the other two without issue but are confused with this one. I think you simply need a 4-way dimmer.


Garage door weather seal replacement -- Wrap around bracket

You're right about the tension being at a minimum when the door is up. There is tension to hold the door in that horizontal position and that tension can be considerable. What the manufacturer is also worried about is if you remove the bottom roller carriers the door will come crashing down, and they can weigh anywhere from 200 to 800 pounds. You need to support the door in the "up" position, a few "c" clamps and a few small pieces of 1x2's clamped in the roller channels so the door can't move. Do not rely on the garage door opener to hold the door in the "up" position. Then proceed to remove the bolts from the bottom brackets. You should then be able to pry the bracket away from the bottom of the door without actually removing it but freeing up the bottom track so you can install the new seal. Good luck.


How can I install a fence on top of this wall?

A somewhat destructive and costly alternative:

Use concrete anchors to fasten 4x4s to the lower portion of the wall.  Cut the 4x4s so they are the same height as the wall to the right in the pictures.  Then you can lay a trellis, slats, or whatever across the 4x4s using screws, bolts, etc.  This will likely ruin your lovely greenery and cost more than your c-clip idea, but this might be sturdy enough.

Can't tell from the pics, but I'm assuming the ground that meets the fence is composed of those concrete blocks?  If there is dirt right up against the fence, drive the 4x4s in the ground for more support.

Alternatively, hammer off the sloped top of the wall so it is flat, and fix cinder blocks as high as you like.  This might actually preserve your vines.


Is there a minimum distance required from the bottom of the sink to the outlet?

There's a minimum and maximum distance the vent must be from the trap (which is based on pipe diameter), but I've never seen a minimum vertical distance.

The bottom of the fixture should be above the top of the trap arm, but beyond that, it wouldn't make any difference (this should be obvious, as water doesn't flow up :) ).


Should I be worried about radon while I live on the 9th floor?

Threats to health can be scary.  But in this case, you'll want to keep on learning about radon.  Learn what it is, exactly; learn where it's found in terms of what part of the building, and how it's mitigated.

The upshot is I've never heard of a radon mitigation system on the second floor, least of all the 9th!  You have more to fear from wildfire.


Can a Wood Burning Stove use a stovepipe made of copper for a chimney?

You need to use a listed insulating stovepipe anytime combustible construction is penetrated. These pipes are also listed to be enclosed by construction. Thus it seems acceptable to me to install the listed stovepipe and enclose it inside a decorative copper tube.

For good measure, you should probably have some provision for venting the resulting annular space at the top and bottom of the copper tube.


I already accepted an answer for this, but I thought I'd post back because what I've learned since may be of help or interest to others.
After cleaning up the damaged coving and chipping off the wall plaster, it seemed more apparent (as some commenters suggested) that this coving was made in situ. In fact, it seems as though the plaster of the coving was the same continuous layer of finishing plaster as was on the wall. You can just about see below how it sits on the bonding coat.

After plenty of Googling I learned that the cove was probably not so much cast as sculpted using a running mould. There are some amazing videos of people doing this on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=running+mould
I didn't fancy doing this in situ, but I found various videos of people using the same technique to create sections on the bench. Inspired specifically by this video I decided to give that a try.
Making the blade that scrapes the plaster is worth some attention. It was the most  time consuming part and essential to get right. Here's a good video of that whole process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlH_vMc6yTE
I read that zinc is a good material for this, but I ended up using 0.5mm aluminium which is way too soft and flimsy for extended use. However, having very limited metal working tools this did allow me to cut a half-decent blade with tin snips and file into shape; finally smoothing down imperfections with 240 sand paper.
I won't post all the details of my ugly contraption, but I ended up with this.

It took 6 or 7 fairly thin coats of plaster of paris. The trickiest part was mixing small batches of plaster quickly between coats before the plaster could set on the mould. Plus also keeping the blade and running track clean between passes. I want an assistant next time as this was surprisingly exhausting.
Other notable details are that I added a layer of hessian at the back for strength. A curve of wire mesh would have been better (as in earlier video) but I was doing experiment no.1 on the cheap. Also, thanks to commenters in this related question, I used washing up liquid as a release agent.
A hollow back was created by putting a right angle bead at the back of the casing. This made the section lighter and used less of the fairly expensive plaster too.
Here's the final product out of the mould. I haven't glued it into place yet. That's for another day.


Do i need special ball valve for hot water heating system? Is WOG rating ok?

You're fine
Ordinary WOG (water, oil, gas) rated, metal-bodied ball valves are going to be rated for hydronic temperatures and beyond; if you want to make extra sure, you can check the specifications of the valve you're looking at for a WSP (Working Steam Pressure) rating, which a typical ball valve (using the Watts LFFBV as an example) will have as well.  (Obviously, a plastic-bodied valve is going to have a much lower working temperature rating, and no WSP rating for that matter.)


So I'm narcissistically answering my own question... I waited a couple weeks and nobody bit, so, here it is.

The answer is, yes... wait 20 minutes until it is more or less dry to the touch.  It might still have a little "grab" to it, but it should by no means be sticky.  You have up to 2 hours to work with it, but i did mine as soon as I hit 20 minutes.  It will only stick to itself at this point, and this is the benefit of "contact" cement.  Coat both the substrate, and the laminate.  Use wood strips, dowels, or something to separate the two pieces so you can position it.  Start in the middle, and remove boards as you press the two materials together.  Once this stuff bonds, sorry... game over, it is bonded so make sure you move out evenly.  it is like applying an enormous sticker.  I've heard you can reactivate the glue with heat though, like an iron, so maybe that can save you if you make a mistake.  Mineral spirits is also supposed to work.

I bought a roller from lowes designed for laminate.  I think this is a crucial tool in getting the 25 psi required to fully bond the two pieces together.  I found mine right where they sell laminate for counter tops.

I waited a few hours to router mine, and it did router clean.  The cement is fully hardened and cured in 7 days, but you can router it within a few hours (minimum 2, is my recommendation).

Bottom line, follow the instructions on the can.  There are also MANY youtube videos on the process.


I'm replacing old dishwasher but the connectors are different

It is in your interest to understand / measure the connectors on the dishwasher and your water supply to select the right hose adapter.

Perhaps one of these lines will allow you to bridge the new dishwasher into the existing water lines;

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=dishwasher+line

If you are near a Home Depot or Lowe's try their websites as well.  Let us know when you are successful!

Best to minimize the number of parts: you may need an adapter to bridge your hose into the female copper piping fitting.

Whirlpool W10685193 Dishwasher Swivel Gooseneck Fitting. 3/4 by 3/8-Inch

Or get a flexible 3/8" steel braided supply line, that is however long you need, and then you don't have to mess with copper. Just make sure the other end will fit on the valve under the sink (e.g., you might need a 3/8" to 1/2"). The fitting pictured usually comes in the bag with 10' supply lines along with other adapters you might need.


Can I build a garbage chute that connects the garage for residential use?

I personally wouldn't do it.  Even if you could find a suitable hatch, you'd need a good way to clean it out regularly.  When I lived in an apartment complex with a hatch, it was foul; it was bad enough that they'd spray for bugs every 3-4 months, and in the process, drive the bugs into other apartments (and mine was right next to the chute ... so make sure, when renting an apartment, take that into consideration).

I'd be afraid that if the chute went straight outside, that bugs would eventually use the route to come up into your home, particularly of any food trimmings were to smear themelves on the chute or hatch.

If you were to connect it to a garage, I'd be concerned with fumes coming into the house.  At a bare minimum, I'd make sure to have a CO monitor inside the kitchen, but I'd think that car exhaust would get in, too, and might make for a less than pleasant effect on your food.

I'd also look to fire codes in your area -- you're not allowed to have open holes between floors in many areas, because it'll allow fire to spread more quickly.  (never mind that you have to vent toilets ... but you then have to fill gaps on the holes those vents run through).

...

For non-meat or dairy food scraps, you can also get kitchen compost bins which have a charcoal filter on top ... so you can stash your trimmings under the sink, and then empty it less frequently.  The only real problem are meat scraps; yes, you can put them down a garbage disposal, but it's not ideal as it puts a greater load on the sewage treatement plant; also, it won't work if you have a septic system, and still won't provide a good solution for bones.


How can I remove an oily stain from raw wood before painting?

Mix a box of baking soda or sawdust with mineral spirits or isopropyl alcohol to the consistency of toothpaste and rub it in with a soft brush, leave for an hour and then hose off.   Preheating the wood with a hair drier or as if in the sun to allow oil to flow easier , then reapply ,  If the stain persists repeat.


It has hard to see that mess of wires. I believe what they did was wire nut the C to the wire that goes out to the outdoor unit contractor. That works fine as long as the blue wire is hooked to Y on the thermostat. The blue was your Y wire for cooling. But then what do you use for common?You are going to need 5 wires from your thermostat to your furnace. Just hook up R to R, W to W etc.  then on the C and Y terminals at the furnace you will attach the red and white wires coming from the compressor so you will have 2 wires on each of those terminals.


How to prevent trash bins from falling by placing apart or side-by-side, on a windy day?

In my area the problem with the sloped driveway is solved by simply placing the bins along the curbing to the side of the driveway. The roadway surface is typically sloped down a small amount toward the curb and this helps to keep the wheels of the bin squarely against the curb. This in my experience offers more support for the bin in high wind conditions by trying to place them directly adjacent with each other.

The negative factor with placing bins directly together is that the trash company driver will often bypass pickup at your location if you do this. And you can expect to get the bright orange warning sheet taped to your bin if you persist in doing this.


How do I fill the hole caused by removing a door plate on a metal door jamb?

The usual approach is to attach a cover plate.


Which way should my joists run for a tray ceiling?

If it was me, I'd do 30" joists... they math with less waste out of 8' sticks, and the structure will be more substantial if you walk on it in the attic.

My only hesitation is about the light from above in the picture. Is there a chase for a skylight that you haven't mentioned? If so, design for that, rather than anything else.


I know that with my gas range, whenever an igniter is used for any of the burners, it sparks them all. By guess, this is probably a safety feature in case any burner was turned on without igniting it. What I'm getting at though is that if you are able to ignite the oven by the burners, then it might be the same feature and in which case - there is gas in the oven that can be ignited. Gas should be either burning or cut off - the burner ignition should not affect it.

So, my guess is maybe a bad igniter in the oven? It might have a secondary igniter specifically for the oven that is not connected to the burners - this one could be bad or disconnected. So that when you're primarily lighting the oven, it might spark the burners (all connected as a primary igniter) or vise versa. Then the oven could have it's secondary igniter that is used for keeping the oven heated when it needs to reignite - without affecting the burners. Again, it's just a guess and you might find something about this in the manual or documentation for the range. You might also be able to see within the oven if there were a second igniter, however this might not be the case as it could be an internal wiring control that specifically ignites only the oven as well.

I don't think it'll be an easy fix, but it's most likely the igniter or rather the controls of it.


How to remove big PVC coupler in hot tub

It's threaded; odds are good you don't have sufficient leverage if you're trying by hand. I'd suggest a large pair of water pump pliers, which are a fair bit more useful to have around than a large pipe wrench. You're less likely to bust anything with pliers too.


3 12v lamps in series will work 3 x 12 = 36.
There can be additional sets in parallel if your supply is large enough. The wattage for each set of 3 will be the wattage of 1 lamp. Example a 20 watt 12v set of 3 will draw 20 watts at 36v. A second set of 3 in series with each other would draw a total of 40w and a 3rd set the total would be 60w. If 1 of the lamps in a 3 bulb set burns out the other 2 will go out until the bad lamp is replaced in that series circuit. Additional parallel sets would not be affected.


Cedar shingles do not need paint. Without paint, they last a very long time with almost no maintenance.

As soon as you paint them, you are climbing on a maintenance treadmill of having to scrape and repaint them that you'd avoid by letting them attain a natural brown where dry, gray where wet appearance as they weather.

If you have issues with the natural color, dye or stain is a better approach than paint to changing it. The best approach is to let it be. The best way to stain or dye is to dip the shingle and let dry before putting it on the house.


How to connect thermostat C wire to Weil-McLain CGa boiler?

According to the CGa-010 wiring diagram, you'll want to connect the C wire for the thermostat to the terminal pointed to in this image.

Notice the transformer is circled in red. The location where the transformer wiring terminates is circled in orange. The "common" side of the transformers secondary is pointed to by a large blue arrow.


Can you splice a #10 bare copper ground with a irreversible crmp?

You can make that splice in any junction box.  You will need to leave the usual amount of spare wire that any junction box splice requires, e.g. 6" beyond the end of conduit and 3" beyond the wall surface.

You cannot make the splice then pull it into conduit to reside in the pipe between junction boxes, unless you are using a splice method specifically UL-listed for that purpose; I expect none exist.

  NEC 300.15 Boxes, Conduit Bodies or Fittings - Where Required. Fittings and connectors shall be used only with the specific wiring methods for which they are designed and listed.
  Where the wiring method is conduit, tubing, Type AC cable, Type MC cable, Type MI cable, nonmetallic-sheathed cable, or other cables, a box or conduit body shall be installed at each conductor splice point, outlet point, switch point, junction point, termination point, or pull point, unless otherwise permitted in 300.15(A) through (L).


Trying to install Leviton smart switches replacing two older switches

Thanks for the input. I got this working. Started the sequence from right to left. The white neutrals were two wires capped off under one cap. The pigtailing worked for the neutrals to the new switches. What I had wrong was switch two was chained to switch three with a red. I ran that, which should have been hot, to the reds that are pigtailed together.  Then I relooked at the wiring diagram and was able to get the switch wires adjusted.  Bottom line, working well.


You could also simply redrill new holes to match the framing. 2 or 3 new holes near the ones that are there will not weaken the bar. The holes look oversized for a range of fasteners, you could use smaller holes if you are using 1/4" lag bolts for example.


Is galvanized pipe safe for use as a bathroom faucet?

Since galvanized pipe was used for close to 100 years as water supply lines yes it is fine to use in your sink.
Galvanized fell out of favor in the 70’s because it is harder to install but I know a couple of contractors that still use it today for the main into the house because it is tough.
You do want to use dielectric unions for your connection from the galvanized to the copper if you don’t galvanic action will corrode the pipe at the junction very quickly in some cases less than a year in others 3+ it depends on the water.
For those that point to the pipe building up on the inside that takes decades in my experience.  And those that talk about lead in the pipe but use brass and stainless just don’t have a clue that unless the brass is rated for potable water it will contain more lead and even brass that is rated for potable water has lead , just an approved amount. Stainless now we deal with chromium, plastic do we even know some haven’t been in use for that long.
There was a time when lead was used for both pipe and solder those days ended back in the 70’s for solder and much earlier for pipe because lead leaks.
I don’t know of any method of transporting water that California prop 65 doesn't require a warning and I don’t even live there any more but everything has the risk warnings.
.


How do I remove/replace these window screens?

The third picture tells the story. Working from the outside, disengage the knife latches on the right side (the picture shows one near the top but there are usually two), then slide the screen to the left to clear the the frame from the right-side channel. Then pull down, out of the upper channel. The frames are aluminum and sometimes get stuck due to oxidation, so spraying the channels liberally with WD-40 or similar penetrant may ease removal. Be careful not to bend the frame, but be prepared to replace the unit. A good mom-and-pop local hardware store should be able to custom fabricate a replacement. They make plastic clips that snap over the frame that will serve the same function as the knife latches, as not all shops know how to install them.


what lightbulb can I use in this 250V 100W light fixture?

The numbers you have found are the maximum ratings of the socket.

The wattage of the bulb, if incandescent, must not exceed 100 W but may be less.

The voltage of the bulb must match the voltage supplied by the electric service, which is almost certainly whichever of either 120 or 240 volts is standard for your country. The voltage rating of the socket is irrelevant. Check the old bulb for a voltage marking.


What is the most economical and energy-efficient way to winterize windows?

In the winter, windows can be one of the biggest sources of heat loss in your entire house.  In an older house with no or low insulation, this can be particularly true.

One thing that you can do with minimal fuss - if you feel cold drafts coming from around the window its entirely possible that you've got air leakage around the window frame itself.  A quick test to determine whether this is true or not is to light a candle and hold it about a foot from the window, and slowly move it around the border of the window.  If you see that the candle's smoke is significantly disrupted, you can add spray foam insulation around the perimeter of your window.

1) CAREFULLY remove the trim around the interior window frame so you end up with a window like this:

2) If there is an obvious gap between the window sash (the wooden frame around the window) and the structure, use some canned spray foam insulation and carefully spray foam into the gaps to create an air tight seal.  DO NOT OVERFILL as the foam will expand.

You want the foam to end up looking like this:

Give the foam AMPLE time to cure - give it a good 24 hours - and then use a straight serrated knife to cut any squeezed out foam off level with the wall.

How the window may look prior to trimming back the foam:

Finally, reattach the window trim like it was before.


Advice needed replacing 45 year old spigot

As you mentioned, the fact that spigot has two flats in front of the flange (for a smooth jaw wrench such as a crescent wrench or monkey wrench (but not a pipe wrench (serrated jaws) which would squeeze the brass spigot, possibly deforming the threaded fitting on the pipe)) suggests it is has female threads.

It is likely that there is some play in the pipes.  Remove the two nails and it might pull out 1/2", affording a view behind the flange.

However, even if it is threaded at the spigot, its risky putting a wrench only on the spigot.  Those threads might be very tight, whereas a sweated connection some where under the house could be weak.  Thus two wrenches are required, one on the spigot and one on the pipe side.

Alternatively, you could buy a small adapter to mount onto the spigot long-term with plumbers paste or teflon tape or whatever stops the leak, then attach the hose when needed to the spigot.  For example, one kind of adapter would be a quick-connect. Another type would be a splitter. Another type would be a swivel union. Another type would be an antisiphon coupler.


air conditioning system stays on even when we turn off our thermostat

Is there a small switch somewhere n the thermostat that says something like "fan" and has positions for "auto" and "on"? Is it in the "On" position? If what you mean is that the fan keeps blowing when the thermostat is not calling for cooling (but the air at that point is not being cooled) that could be it.

Otherwise, look for a short circuit in the thermostat wiring, which would make the A/C think that the thermostat was calling for cooling all the time.

If the latter, and it's too cold in the house, shut off the circuit breaker supplying the a/c with power.


How can I build a fence next to existing neighboring fences?

I would speak with both neighbors before installing anything.

Then, I would start by establishing how close to the property line the neighbor's fences are, and set end posts about the same distance inside the line.  You could then add  a small "make-up" piece to fill the gap, or if the posts are nearly against each other, perhaps a decorative panel, trellis, or similar could be used to cover the small gap.

This way, if a future owner on either side decides to remove their fence, the integrity of your fence will not be affected, and the corners will be in the right place to add a run down the your side of the side property lines.


How can I prevent sudden increases in shower water temperature

Adjusting the whole-house water pressure is unlikely to solve this problem, simply because you set your shower temperature based on some initial balance of hot and cold. When other people draw cold water only, the pressure difference will still have the potential to affect your shower temperature.

Instead, you should get a pressure balanced valve or shower fixture. These fixtures automatically reduce hot water pressure when cold pressure falls, so instead of a temperature spike you simply get a momentary decrease in output pressure. You can find pressure-balanced fixtures (which would replace your existing shower fixtures) or an independent pressure balancing valve (which you'd want to install near the shower but would allow you to keep your existing fixture).


I have a combi boiler and since yesterday the radiators are getting really hot even when thermostat is turned right down

Check if a zone valve is stuck open.
Check if there's another thermostat (e.g. behind furniture) calling for heat.
If the thermostat is battery operated (e.g. on a timer), check that the battery is OK.


How can I convert an enclosed deck to an open deck?

You'll need an engineer to tell you if those posts have enough good material remaining.  But one thing you can do is figure out if your post sizes and spacing is over-built for your local codes.  You'll have to find the codes for your area.

Here is an example of deck specifications.

If they are OK, you'll want to re-grade and treat them to prevent more rot.

If they are not OK or you just want them to look better, you can cut off the bad portion and pour new (higher) footings. (Make sure the footing depth and diameter and height above grade meet local code)  Make sure you cast a metal post base in the footing.  Don't cast the wooden post in the footing.


It is not sealed with petroleum jelly but a beveled slip washer.  You can try to tighten the nut on the p-trap where the black pvc enters the copper p-trap.  If that does not work, you will need to get a new 1 1/2 beveled slip joint washer.  Your big box home improvement stores carry them as do any plumbing supply houses.

They also make rubber washers for this fitting:

But I prefer the beveled slip washer since it works on compression.


Ceiling light hole in Switzerland? How to fit a chandelier or other heavier light into Swiss ceiling?

Finally, I have gathered all my courage and asked a colleague.
For these type of holes you use these:

They are called Lamp Claws.


Why does the pop-up on my sink's drain keep popping up?

If you look under your sink, where the rod from the plunger enters the sink's drain, you'll see that it passes through a screw-on cap.  Tighten that cap a little (not too much!) because it has come slightly loose.  The cap holds a ball that the rod pivots around, so by tightening it you'll make the entire plunger assembly harder to move.  Play with it a little until you get it how you like it.


How can I replace the top two wood panels in my front door with glass?

I'm assuming it's a wood door with rectangular frame and panel construction.

Often in cheaper doors, the wood panels are simply held in by trim on one (or both) side(s) - usually the interior side. If that's the case, you can simply (carefully) pry the trim out, remove the panel, and insert glass in it's place. You'd then want to seal the exterior side with a little silicone, and reattach the trim to hold the glass in place.

If it's a higher quality door, the panels are housed in grooves within the frame, and it's assembled in one step. In this case, you would have to cut away part of the frame in order to remove the panel. The simplest method I can think of would be to use a router and a fence to remove the material. Set your fence so that the router cuts away about a 1/4 inch of the frame material on the inside. If that doesn't expose the panel completely, slowly adjust your fence so your router moves closer to the outside until the panel is exposed. You'll likely have to use a chisel to square the corners of your cut. Then remove the panel, replace with glass, and install trim to lock the glass into place. Paint/stain to match.

If you have the tools, it is actually pretty easy to make a double pane window. You would simply need 2 panes of glass of the same size. You would insert the first as normal, then use thin strips of wood, I'd say approximately 1/8 inch square to offset the second pane. Attach these strips tightly against the first pane,locking it in place like you would with trim and lay the second pane on top. Then finish with trim.

Edit: One note I just considered. Often frame and panel looking doors are not actually constructed as such. Some times there is a solid plywood core and the faux frame and panel is simply laminated on top. In that case, I would look into getting a new door.


Should all my home's GFCI outlets be connected to a GFCI breaker?

No.

You should not put a GFCI outlet on a GCFI breaker.  You need GFCI protection in only one device per circuit.  Or stated better, you should not have a GFCI outlet downstream of a GFCI breaker.  It's not unsafe per se, but it will be an unpredictable pain to deal with when it trips and you don't know where to go to reset it.

GFCI Outlets do not require GFCI breakers.  GFCI Breakers make regular outlets and other devices GFCI protected.


I found it took me a couple hundred hours of applying mud to get to the point where I knew exactly how I wanted it to look.  I learned just fine by starting with the pre-mixed straight out of the bucket and slapping it on the wall.  You'll quickly notice the difference in application ("spreadability") when it starts to dry in your mud pan a little bit.  Then you add water - too much the first time of course - and the mud will fall off your knife before you can get it to the wall.

Just keep in mind, it might take more than two or three coats, but if you can spread it on the wall you can't really screw up the consistency.  If it's too dry, it will crumble as you press it with the knife, if it's too wet it will fall off your knife (and the wall).


Why am I measuring decreased voltage between my dryer's neutral and hot conductors?

There is a problem with the neutral wire.  I would start by making sure the screw in the breaker box to the dryer's neutral wire is secure, and that the wire is mechanically intact by firmly wiggling it at the neutral bar end.

Also, the neutral bus in the main breaker box should be bonded to ground—usually by a green screw like this:

Check the bonding screw by unscrewing it a turn or two and then screwing it back in well.  If this is not in a service breaker box, but an auxiliary panel instead, there must be no neutral to ground bond.

If the breaker end checks out okay, then look inside the dryer outlet box.  (Turn off circuit breaker first.)  Those have screws to secure the house wire into the outlet.  Make sure the neutral wire (as well as the others) are mechanically sound and firmly attached to the socket.

If you measured the neutral inside the dryer, you should also check the appliance pigtail ("wall cord") for signs of wear.

If the ends of the neutral wire are okay, then it is time to measure the resistance of the wire from end to end.  Unless the dryer is located within leads span of the breaker box, you will need to scrounge up a piece of wire to extend the lead range.  It can be any gauge, but do measure its resistance so you can easily determine the additional resistance of the dryer wire.  The dryer's wires should be 8 or 10 gauge so the resistance should be very low:  100 ft (30 m) should be no more than 0.10 ohms.


How can I learn the basics of Home Improvement projects?

Welcome!  You will certainly find lots of specific questions and answers on this site but not as many general how-tos; it is after-all a Q&A site.

Firstly, you need some tools! There is a great thread on this site about the tools everyone should own, I suggest you give it a read!

The internet is a great resource and you will find answers to almost any problem or project you have.  If you are looking for some more general knowledge, I'd recommend taking a look at the books section of your local hardware store.  They usually have some good beginner books on plumbing, electrical, painting and other common around-the-house work.  This particular book rated well on Amazon in the "how to do everything" category.  Certainly high up on the list of common tasks for home owners are basic electrical and plumbing: Changing light fixtures, switches, dimmers, thermostats, unplugging drains and toilets, replacing faucets and/or components.  Typically, the easier projects revolve around replacing existing components , whereas more complex projects involve new installs or big modifications.

Also take a look at this sites blog as it has some good walk-throughs.

If I can give you any advice it is that you can do anything you put your mind and hands to - don't be afraid! Read-up and give it a try!  But also know when you are in over your head and you should bring in a pro.  Stay away from serious electrical work, and never try anything gas-related on your own.

Good luck and have fun!


Getting full power from my backup generator to my electrical panel

Ok you wrote a book.  Proposing all manner of third rate hackery. And what does it boil down to?  You want to get 5000W out of your 5000W generator.  Quick question.

What is 240 x 21 ?

By my math, it's 5040.     There's your 5000W.  You do get it out of the big NEMA L14-20 connector.

I have no idea where you got 41A.  I'm pretty sure you made that up, probably by dividing 5000 by 120.  I seriously doubt it was on the generator spec.  There's a way if you really really want that, but as you get educated, you will realize you do not.

What is it you're missing? The odd idiom of North American 2-pole service.   I don't blame you for not getting it... It's weird.

Your house is served by +120V, neutral (0V), and -120V.  I just described an instant in time, they're AC so they will reverse position 120 times a second. The poles are called L1 and L2 and the middle is Neutral.

240V loads grab L1 and L2.  120V loads grab either pole and neutral.  Which pole they grab is nearly random and that's the idea, to make them average out so loads are balanced.

For you, with 21A on each pole, balancing is a big deal.  You'll have a problem if you put 30A of load on one pole.  So you'll need to get into the gory details of what is on which pole, and manage accordingly.

Step 1: Control MWBCs so they don't kill you

I don't recommend rearranging things on a panel because you can break a type of wiring called a multi-wire branch circuit.  Find an electrician and tell him to do exactly this:

  find every multi-wire branch circuit in my home, and make sure both its hot wires are served from the same 2-pole breaker.

Step 2: get rid of double-stuff breakers

If your panel is stuffed, and has lots of breakers that have 2 breakers in 1 space, those will drive you absolutely bat crazy.  ack... You know what, to heck with all that.

Let's just get you a new subpanel with the appropriate interlocks, and move the loads you want the generator to power into this new subpanel.  Make this subpanel quite large (at least 20 space) realizing you'll use 4 spaces just for the interlock.

In a perfect world, your new panel will have ammeters which will tell you how close to 21A each pole is getting.  Even better get one of those new fangled whole house monitoring systems. Ask a new question on how to get one to work in a generator interlocked panel.

Step 3: rearrange your loads in the panel

Now finally, it's time to learn the gory details of how poles are assigned in a panel.  Read my posting here.  Your panel may differ, but probably not by much.

Move your loads into the new panel, and consciously and carefully balance the loads.   For instance if your table saw is on L1, put your dust collector on L2.  Stuff like that.


What are my options for installing 240v receptacles in an attached garage?

A subpanel is probably the safest bet. It will allow easier access to cut power in an emergency, and it will offer better protection of the wiring.

If you go with option 1, you'll have to step down to #12 or #14 wire at some point to feed 120V receptacles.  Which means you'll potentially be able to draw 30 amps on a #12/#14 wire, before the breaker trips.

If it were me, I'd install a subpanel with a 30A main breaker. Then use a 20A single pole breaker to feed the 120V receptacles, and a 20A double pole breaker to feed the 220V receptacle. You could use a 15A breaker for the 120V receptacles, but since it's a shop (where you'll likely use high draw devices) I'd go with 20A.  If you do use 20A for the 120V receptacles, make sure you use receptacles rated for that amperage and #12 wire.


Can I put an electrical conduit through this space above the wall to simplify future fishing?

Yes, this is a good idea, but a few details.

No more than four cables per conduit, unless you're willing to upsize ALL the cables to the next larger size. That is 310.15(B)(3)(a).
The conduit needs to be fairly large, because the cables are oval. Each oval cable is treated like a single wire of the wide dimension (because they twist). They can't fill the conduit more than 30% (for two) or 40% (for three or more).  1-1/4" conduit is probably a safe choice, though 1-1/2" will be easier to pull.  (pulling stiff Romex is a bugbear).  *This is not a Code requirement per se, but it'll surely be a practical limit given NM-B tends to have kinks, and kinks snag like crazy in conduit.
Flex is a bad idea.  I know it seems easy to install, but the flex will fight you every inch of the way. The energy you are using to push or pull the cable will instead bend the conduit sideways. Believe me, this is very frustrating, especially when pushing, and pushing is (otherwise) easier since you only have to watch one end.  With a non-flexible conduit secured at both ends, that's an non-issue.
Assemble the conduit first, then fish the wires through it.


What you're trying to do is called a French drain system. If you google for French drain you'll find a ton of info and useful diagrams.

Coarse gravel is typically the base. This is then topped with finer gravel and landscape cloth so as to help prevent clogging. If you use sand too, you definitely want to use a cloth to keep the sand from draining out.


Best application for stained concrete patio - shedding overhanging trees?

Acid etching. You have a few options here. Phosphoric Acid or Muriatic Acid


Replacing SPST light switch with Occupancy sensor

You will need to determine which of the black wires on the original switch is the always hot feed. A voltage meter would be very helpful in determining this. Once you establish this, hook that black wire to the black,line, wire on your new switch. Hook the other black wire to the red, load, wire from your new switch and then hook up the ground wire to the metal box or to the bare copper wire.


What are my options for heating an energy efficient home with low heating needs?

Low ambient mini-split heat pump is a typical approach - might want a couple-three (the 9-12K BTU/hr ones tend to be more efficient than the bigger ones, and the "1-compressor - 1 inside unit" also tend to be more efficient than the "1 compressor - multiple inside unit" versions, though the initial cost will be more.

An alternate approach for just heat, and using your ducts as is, would be to replace your furnace with a "fan coil unit" (water to air heat exchanger with a blower fan) and connect that to a highly efficient gas water heater. A circulating pump would also be required, and perhaps a heat exchanger to isolate the systems (or find a coil unit that is safe for potable water contact and use a stainless steel pump.)

On the third hand, a natural gas parlor heater (fake wood stove) in that size range could provide the heat, (or a pellet stove if you wanted to change fuel sources, but at the current time gas is probably the most economical heating fuel if you have it) and then you might still want some sort of fan on the ducts to help even out the temperatures around the house. These are available with controls that do not require outside electric power to operate, and can be quite an attractive focal point.

Ground source heat pumps are a lovely idea that suffer from often being not economically viable - A minimal GSHP setup is typically 5-10X the cost of low-ambient air-air units, though they are far more resilient in deep cold since they operate from deep groundwater temperatures that are usually stable at 52F or so.


How to wire A/C Thermostat given different wiring conventions

It does not seem that the thermostats are compatible, no.  Your existing thermostat is designed to control a heat pump with a multispeed air handler:

L1/L2 are likely 24VAC in
COMP controls the heat pump compressor
R.V. controls the heat pump reversing valve
HIGH/MED/LOW control fan speeds
the unused wire is just that -- it looks like someone wired your 'stat with network cable BTW, which is a bit of a no-no.

The new thermostat you have is designed to control multispeed air handlers in zoned hot water (hydronic) systems instead -- instead of controlling a compressor and a two position reversing valve, they are designed to control a variable-position hydronic zone valve, typically for heating only as they have no heat/cool changeover system or extra outputs for controlling cooling components.


Extract air in bedroom with no other vent

The fact is that no home is sealed 100%. There are many sources of makeup air, from electrical outlet penetrations to imperfect windows.

Even so, the airflow under and around your door is more than adequate for that little fan. No worries.


A GFCI needs to be labeled as a disconnecting means to be used as one

A normal receptacle or deadfront GFCI is not labeled or listed for disconnecting use -- it won't kill you for abusing it that way, but it could lead to some premature wear on the GFCI's contacts, shortening its lifespan.

There are deadfront GFCIs that are listed and labeled for this task, but they are uncommon, and will have "ON" and "OFF" labeled on/near the buttons in addition to "RESET" and "TEST", as depicted below:

GFCI breakers are a different story though

However, a breaker-type GFCI is also a perfectly cromulent circuit breaker, and thus is considered a disconnecting means under the NEC even if it is not listed/labeled for SWD (Switching Duty) service.  (I know of no circumstance under the NEC where an appropriately rated circuit breaker, whether SWD listed/labeled or not, is not a legal disconnecting means.)


Bubble of air out of toilet when flushed

If there was a clog in the main drain line going out to the street, you would likely see everything in the house, or at least the basement and ground floor, being backed up or draining slow. More likely is that some animal has set up shop in the vent pipe that serves the toilet. A nest or similar made of twigs and leaves can end up being a pretty effective stopper and prevent air from entering as it's supposed to.


Help with fairly basic irrigation system

Usually sprinkler systems are on a second water meter so that they are billed at lower rates than water used in the house. A municipality approved anti-siphon/backflow valve will be required and may cost a couple hundred  dollars. Very likely you will need a diagram for approval and a final inspection when finished. Pick a pipe size and stay with it ; I put in my own system and used both 1/2 and 3/4 pipe . So when I make repairs, I need two sizes of parts, inconvenient.


Where do you put the oil when oiling a fan?

You'll need to check the manual to be sure but if you don't see ports, chances are they are sealed like Tyson said and don't need maintenance by you. And for motors that do need oiling, manual should tell you what kind of oil you need.


Nest Thermostat Wiring for Baseboard Heaters

Since you have a R841C (with an integral transformer)

You have your terminals on the relay confused. Connect RH to the HOT terminal from the relay and W1 to to the NEUTRAL terminal from the relay.  C on the Nest is left unconnected, and you do not need a separate transformer here.

If this was an R841D (standalone relay)

You have your terminals on the Nest confused here.  Connect the hot wire from the transformer to the RH terminal on the Nest, the neutral wire on the transformer to one end of the relay coil (it doesn't care which way it's wired) AND to the C terminal on the Nest, and the other end of the relay coil to the W1 terminal on the Nest.


electricity is out in half the side of the house

sounds like one of the legs coming into the house isnt working correctly. if you look at the breakers, I'm willing to bet that all the ones that are not working are all on the same side of the panel. If its an older home there could be a fuse somewhere on that line that blew from the tree trimmers and having the line repaired. OR i would have the utility company come out again and look at it, make sure that both lines going into the house are working correctly, to at least eliminate any outside issues. If the utility company still says everything is working on their end, then I'd be looking inside the panel/s to see if there is a fuse.


Can I use a single 3-conductor cable to rewire a switch in the US?

Using a single cable with three conductors (like a single run of 14/3) is the most common way to wire a switch and is certainly the right way to do it.

If using US-colored wire, 14/3 has black, red, and white.  White carries the neutral to the switch (which is required now), and the red and black are used for the switched hot.  And then of course there is the omnipresent bare ground wire.


Which is better - epoxy or polyurethane to fix the hairline cracks on the basement wall that is leaking?

Ok here it is. My opinion neither will fix a leaking wall from the inside, once that spot is fixed a new location will start leaking. The only real way is to eliminate the water through drainage and possibly sealing from the outside.


How to control 120V power outlet with low voltage

A relay, just like the other stuff your thermostat controls uses for this purpose.
Not surprisingly, you'll find that 24VAC coil 120/240VAC contact relays are very, very common, and available in a wide range of ratings. You'll need one rated to operate the horsepower of your fan motor (or more, but not less) at 120V. It may also be rated for more horsepower at 240V, but you need HP at 120V rating if the fan motor is wired for 120V.


Installing plywood over 1x6 subfloor in preparation for engineered hardwood

Good. 2-1/2" screws are less likely to strip at the joist connection if that proves to be a problem. You need the screw heads below flush, and sometimes the plywood is hard enough that the screw will strip before it pulls in.
If you're asking for brand names, that's off-topic here. As you're indoors, almost any will do. "Heavy duty" adhesives are solvent-based and bond the best. "Project" adhesives are water-based so they don't dissolve foam, but would still be fine. 1/4" beads on a 8" interval would probably do well.
This is debatable. I've never concerned myself with decoupling in 30 years of working on homes new and old in Minnesota's wildly varying climate. This site is the first place I've heard of doing so. As long as all layers are stuck down securely, it probably doesn't matter, but I'd be inclined to pinch the original subfloor to the joists with all fasteners to reduce the likelihood of lingering squeaks.
Yes, if by "planks" you mean joists. All layers of subfloor are typically run crosswise with respect to joists. Joints are staggered where appropriate.
Yes. That's a design decision and doesn't depend on the subflooring direction.


What are the tabs on this face-plate for?

They are actually nuts, even though they are an odd shape.

They mount behind the receptacle to grab the screw and sandwich it to the cover. The screw goes through the cover, then through the receptacle, and threads into the tab. The offset dog on the tab should secure under the cover edge. This lets you use the screws on the top and bottom of the receptacle to secure it to the cover.

See the instruction sheet from the manufacturer:
http://www-public.tnb.com/shared/inst/TA01413-TB2.pdf


How are these installed and how can I remove them?

If you're putting a mantle in there you've got some major work ahead of you, and this is just a minor step. Taking those out is just a matter of chipping away the mortar around them with a suitable tool and cracking them loose. I doubt they have any additional fastening beyond the same mortar that holds the rest of the stone in place.


Option for some light between broken fluorescent lights and new LED recessed lights

The option that I use for this type of thing is to add light with portable lighting fixtures. These are extremely handy for adding lots of light in a localized area where you want to perform some work. I use two types.

Halogen Work Light

Picture Source

These output a tremendous amount of light. The wire cage on the front is there to protect from burns as the fixture will get quite hot in use.

LED Worklight

Picture Source

These operate much cooler but also put out less light compared to the halogen type. I selected the LED light with an internal rechargable battery. I can use it plugged in but then can also use it in a portable manner without having to be near an electrical receptacle or dragging an extension cord. The battery operation also comes in extremely handy in cases where it is necessary to work in a dark area because you have had to cut the power at the service panel.


Check the voltage at the lamps. If it is nominally 120 VAC, a bad neutral connection could cause variations well over that due to uneven splitting of the line voltage. The power supply in the LED might be overheating due to over-voltage.

Also check if there is heavy fiberglass insulation above the light fixture, preventing convection of heat from the lamps. A larger fixture, with a wider-diameter plate against the ceiling, might serve as a better heat sink.


Toilet tank slow to refill (bowl refills normally)...bad overflow tube?

The overflow tube drains directly into the bowl, not the tank. The only way I can think that it would prevent the tank from filling is if it was cracked or had a hole in it and allowed tank water to drain into the bowl. If this was the case, you would notice the fill valve cycling if it was a slow leak or never shutting off if it were a large leak.  The reason the tank fills quickly when you divert the bowl refill tube into the tank is that you are simply not splitting the water from the fill value between the tank and bowl any more.

It sounds like your fill valve assembly is the problem.  The fill value has 2 outlets, one that directs into the tank, and the other that sends water into your bowl refill tube. My best guess is that something inside of the fill value got clogged with sediment, hard water deposits, or something else that restricted it. These are relatively cheap to replace and likely not worth the time to clean them out in my opinion.


Your reasoning is completely off-base.  I've been in a building during a sprinkler activation (due to mechanical violence to a capsule-type head) and only that head went off.  (Deluge systems used to protect extreme hazards use open heads that have no capsule or metal strip at all.)

The "automatic overpressure pump" you mention is likely actually a fire pump used in tall buildings to make sure that the standpipes and sprinkler systems have enough pressure, as the city water pressure isn't high enough to get large volumes of water to the tops of skyscrapers.  Even then though, the pressure generated by these pumps is limited by reducing valves in order to protect not only sprinkler heads, but firefighters who are using lines off the standpipe system -- this was demonstrated dramatically when some of these valves were found failed (see document p.10, PDF p.20) by firefighters battling the legendary First Interstate Bank high-rise fire in LA.

In short -- no normal building situtation will expose a sprinkler head to pressures above the typical 175 psi rating.  The city doesn't supply water at that high of a pressure for obvious reasons (faucets don't like 175 psi any more than sprinkler heads do!), and fire pump systems in high-rises have reducing valves going out from the main riser to each floor's sprinkler trunk to keep the fire pump from damaging the system inadvertently.


How can I clear a slow running kitchen drain?

Get a drain cleaning water bladder of appropriate size for your pipe.  They should have them in the UK.  They are readily available in the US and Canada. Hook it up to a garden hose.  Take off your kitchen sink's trap (the U pipe) and feed it as far as you can into the drain pipe.  Turn on the water to the garden hose, and it will likely clear out whatever you have in there.


Rewiring Outdoor Light to Switched Outlet (half hot, half not)

As you may have suspected, you would need four wires to have a half-switched and half-hot outlet.  Ground, Neutral, Hot and Switched Hot.  So, you could replace the light with an outlet, but it would have to be all switched or all hot (remove the light switch).

This day and age, you could use a regular outlet and then plug in an outdoor wifi switch to it and use that to switch something while the other receptacle always has power.


How to repair basic cable/wire issue for household appliances

There's no good way to repair just that wire, and the adjacent wires are also probably close to failure. You'll need to remove a section of cable and rebuild.

Label the cable a ways from this end so you know the orientation with respect to the white plug. As you can see, the cable could be reversed and have the same color scheme. You don't want that or your fade and balance will be backward (or worse).
Snip all wires as far from the plug as you reasonably can. I'd try at the start of the thicker shrink wrap. The more wire you retain the easier repair will be. Strip the wires 3/8" and set the plug aside.
Cut the cable 3-4" back from the strain relief--wherever you think you have conductors in good condition.
Salvage the strain relief, or install a new one. I'd try pulling it off the cable, but it's probably thermally welded in place. You can possibly pull he copper out of all chases, slice off the cable jacket flush on each end of the part, and use a drill to reopen the passages. If you can't save the entire thing, just save the solid portion that secures the cable in the speaker housing and use that.
Feed the fresh cable through the strain relief. Put a square knot in the two cable bundles inside the strain relief block to prevent pullout.
Begin stripping wires. Notice that the outer two cable bundles contain two wires each. That'll be some fiddly work. Be patient and don't damage the conductors.
Strip the wires 3/8" and slip appropriate heat-shrink tubing over each.
One at a time, twist the wire ends together parallel and solder them, then apply the heat-shrink tubing.
Connect the plug and assemble the speaker housing.


that looks like just surface rust.  wipe it with strong citric acid or some commercial rust remover (like CLR or Limeaway).  if it all comes off, its just some rust that has dripped down from the upper port.  assuming there are no current leaks, you can just wirebrush it off and seal with a rust converter (corroseal or 3m marhyde are by far the best at this job) and then repaint the whole thing with a good quality latex or polyurethane (it will flex when heated).

just be gentle.  remember, a radiator is a pressure vessel full of hot water.


Can I wire my guest bathroom on one circuit?

Yes, in the US under the NEC you can wire a single bathroom on a 20A circuit, provided that circuit feeds ONLY loads within that one bathroom. This circuit cannot be shared with other rooms or other bathrooms.
This is not to say this is best practice, but it can be done.

210.11 Branch Circuits Required
(C) Dwelling Units.
(3) Bathroom Branch Circuits.
In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts
of this section, at least one 20-ampere branch circuit shall be
provided to supply bathroom receptacle outlet(s). Such circuits shall
have no other outlets.
Exception: Where the 20-ampere circuit supplies a single bathroom, outlets for other equipment within the same bathroom shall
be permitted to be supplied in accordance with 210.23(A)(1) and
(A)(2).


What is the wooden frame around my window?
That's the window "jamb".

Should the wallboard terminate at the rough opening?
Yes. You don't normally extend your wallboard all the way to the jamb so you have room to insulate, etc.

Will I need to extend the jamb to be flush with the wallboard?
Yes, extension jambs are often needed with retrofit construction. Ideally your jamb will be a uniform distance behind the wallboard all the way around. If it varies by more than 1/8" I'd address that.

Do I need to use thicker trim to account for the thickness of the tile?
This is entirely a question of design preference. Normally, tile isn't as thick as the standard trim and therefore whatever is installed elsewhere in the home works fine.

Should I fill the gap around the window with some kind of sealant or insulation?
Yes. Modern practice is expanding foam of the "low expansion" variety. You don't want to bow and bind your window.

What type of wood trim is recommended?
Again, design preference. It can be stained or painted, hardwood or softwood, or whatever you like. It's not exposed to weather, but consider whether it'll be subjected to moisture and choose accordingly.


How can I repair my stainless dishwasher interior?

I did end up screwing it down. I used small, stainless, countersunk screws and took Ed Beal's suggestion of sealing it with red RTV. So far it's holding up just fine.


Why does my shower water temperature creep up?

Assuming a common mixer valve, if the faucet washers are not neoprene, warming may cause the one in the cold valve to expand, choking off the cold water.


I see no benefit to cutting a section out of the wall before patching it up. You don't say how old your house is, but in the houses I've lived in that are nearing 100 years or so, the plaster can weaken to the point you can pull it apart with your fingers if you damage the surface somewhere.

If that is indeed a coat of plaster/insulation on top of the structure of the wall, nowhere will be load bearing and you will want to drill into further the brick/breezeblocks/studs anyway.

Filler will work for those holes. If though after cleaning the loose bits away you are really worried they may be too large for filler, when I have large sections to fill I:

Clean the area with a wire brush.
Fill out with typical multipurpose/'one-coat' plaster.
Then a thin layer or two of pre-mixed finishing plaster, sanding in between.*

After painting it's invisible no matter what the damage.

-

EDIT: TDHofstetter makes a good point. I can't assume thats plaster over brick from two photos. From experience though, what may seem like an extra hour or so digging back to solid material to do the best job possible, can quickly turn into a whole weekend replacing 2/3rds of your wall! If the wall is otherwise fine, and unless you know you are going to want to mount something to that area, I would still suggest filling it and coming back to it when you need to.

Someone might offer better advice if we knew the structure of the wall though, could you maybe drill further in to see how deep this layer goes, and what, if anything, is behind it?


How do I repair this hole in my ceiling?

I would cut out the area of the hole to a rectangular shape past where the broken plaster exists. If you are very close to a ceiling joist then cut that side right even with the edge of the joist. Next take pieces of pine 1x3 or 1x4 boards and place them up in the ceiling overlapping the edge of the hole. Use dry wall screws to secure the boards through the existing drywall. If there was a ceiling joist by one side then screw the 1x3 flat against the side of the joist so that it makes a 3/4 inch overlap into the rectangular opening. The next step is to cut an appropriate sized piece of new drywall that will fit into the opening. A really tight fit is not necessary. Screw the drywall piece to the already installed pine boards so using more drywall screws.

(Note: Do not try to use drywall nails for any of this. It will create a bigger problem than you already have.)

After the drywall is installed use some of the drywall tape that is an screened mesh with sticky glue on one side. Cut lengths of the stuff and stick it to over the seam edges around the sides of the rectangular area that you had cut out. This mesh tape is typically 1.5 inches wide and I like to put one strip centered over the seam and then run two more, one on each side of the seam so that you get about 3 inches of total mesh coverage to the ceiling material around the hole.

The next step is to use pre-mixed drywall mud and a wide mudding knife to cover over the seams with layers of dry wall mud. I use 6", 8" and 12" wide tools to permit wide feathering of the mud out onto the ceiling over the joint area. The key trick to the mudding process is to not get carried away putting it on too thick. Use thin applications and let dry each coat. If you trowel it in smoothly each time you can really cut down on the amount of sanding you have to do at each coat of the mud. Another two secrets, vacuum and wipe all dust off the patch area after sanding before going to the next steps, and secondly work with the mud from a separate rectangular mud tray instead of the mud bucket. You want to keep the mud supply clean and not let any dry particulate get into the bucket. Any left over in your mud tray should not be returned to the bucket as it likely has junk in it and will lead to misery later!!.

Once you have the patch nicely mudded in and feathered out so that it looks good from the floor as being flat and even it is time to address the texture issue. You can buy cans of spray on texture material but I have had only moderately successful results with them. I have had far better luck with using a 4" paint roller with a very high napp roller. Thin down some drywall mud in a paint tray and then roll it onto the ceiling over the patch area. Note it takes very little water to thin the mud and must be very well mixed. You will have to experiment with the thinned mud consistency, roller napp type and rolling technique. I have found that if you roll out onto the existing textured ceiling you can blend in the patch area very well even if the paint roller applied texture looks somewhat different from the existing texture. Two other tools can be applied to modify the texture as well, a wall paper glue application brush and a large natural sponge.  Once the texture has dried apply a coat of primer paint and check the result. If more texture is needed or more blending is needed then reapply mud and paint again.

These pictures show views of the proposed 1x4 pine board framing added around the periphery of a patch cutout hole. The first picture shows looking up at the opening in the ceiling. The second picture shows the view from above the ceiling in the attic area. Note that the edge of the hole has been cut along side of a ceiling joist on one side of the opening.


How do I replace a dimmer switch with a single switch?

To make the switch work, you'll simply attach the two wires you removed from the dimmer to the new switch. If there wasn't a grounding conductor attached to the dimmer, you have a couple options for grounding the new switch.
Add a grounding conductor
You can use a length of bare copper or green insulated wire, and connect it in an approved manner to the other grounding conductors in the box. Then you'll attach the other end of your grounding pigtail to the switch.  You could use a twist-on connector, crimp connector, terminal block, push-in connector, or any other UL listed product designed for this.
Adding a grounding conductor is the preferred method.
Self grounding device
If it's a metal box, you could use a self grounding device.  The switch will then be grounded to the box through the attachment screw, assuming of course that the box itself is grounded (which it should be if it's metal, but don't make assumptions when working with electricity). Self grounding devices will be labeled as such, and will have a little copper doohickey around the attachment screw hole.

NOTE:
If you're attaching a grounding pigtail to the other grounding conductors in the box, make sure all the existing grounding conductors stay connected. DO NOT permanently remove grounding conductors from the bundle, they must all be connected together.


Your understanding of transformers is a bit off, but the root cause may be as you suspected...

A transformer (usually) consists of two coils of wire, a primary and a secondary, wrapped around a ferromagnetic core.  An AC voltage applied to one coil creates a changing magnetic field in the core, which induces another AC voltage in the other coil.  The ratio of the primary voltage to the secondary voltage is determined by the ratio of the number of turns in each coil (the turns ratio).  When AC is applied, the impedance across the primary coil is that of the load circuit multiplied by the square of the turns ratio.

An ohmmeter applies a known DC voltage to the circuit being tested and measures the current flowing into the circuit.  Because it's DC, the magnetic field in the core doesn't change, so there's no voltage induced in the secondary coil.  What you are measuring is simply the resistance of the primary coil, which should be low.

Barring some unusual circumstance like an electrical storm causing a surge or a teenage son turning everything up to 11, you probably have a problem somewhere in your system.  I think I would call in the service people at this point (I'm not familiar with your system, so don't know if it can be serviced by end-users), but if you're up to troubleshooting, and if you can disconnect or turn off everything on the secondary side of the transformer, you could try replacing the fuse and re-applying power.  If the fuse blows again, you know it's the transformer at fault.  If not, reconnect or turn on devices one-by-one until the problem manifests again.


presumably one drain outlet is for a washer and the second is for a condensing dryer, they should be interchangable.

If you're unsure run a test with a glass full of clean water and a funnel


I found some helpful diagrams at do-it-yourself-help.com.
GFCI Protecting the Load

Wiring Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter Switch
With this arrangement a
receptacle, switch and disposal are protected with the ground fault
breaker built into the device.

Not GFCI Protecting the Load

Wiring Ground Fault Interrupter and Light Switch
With this
arrangement the receptacle is protected but the switch remains outside
the circuit. This arrangement can be used to control a light or other
device where the extra protection of a gfci is not necessary.


Is having all locks with the same key a bad idea?

If you lose the keys, or need to give them to someone who you later come to distrust, or post a picture of them on the internet then you'll need to change both locks instead of just one.

If this is just two doors, then it's not really a big deal - slightly more inconvenient if things go wrong weighed against slightly more convenience in everyday life.

(Note that a 'lost keys' insurance policy may not pay out to have both locks changed if you lose the keys - it's a conversation you'd need to have with the insurer prior to purchasing the policy.)


How should I prepare a plywood subfloor for floating vinyl plank flooring?

I'd question how waterproof you need this to be. Will there routinely be water sitting on the floor? If not, you may be over-engineering things.

That said, off the top of my head, one option for waterproofing the subfloor would be to paint on Redgard:

It's a 'paint on' waterproofing membrane that you'd typically use behind tiles on cement board and the like.


Firearms - you should never use WD-40 to clean or maintain firearms.
Drive chains of any type - because WD-40 isn't a lubricant it really will not work well on Drive chains of any type.
Gears of any type - WD-40 doesn't have enough lubrication effect to be useful on any type of gearing. Only specified gear lubricants should be used.
Locks - Use powdered graphite or silicon spray instead.


Why does my shower only get hot when the sink faucet is on?

Try pulling the cartridge out and turn on the water valve back on. Look to see if you have good flow coming from both hot and cold water holes.  Doing this could blow out any debris in the lines restricting flow. Cartridges act weird when water pressure is not balanced between hot and cold.

Try turning off just cold supply and then just hot supply so 100% of water pressure is directed to clear out any debris.

Some showers have built-in valves for hot and cold.  Adjust them so same flow is coming out of both holes.

Did you try adjusting the hot water safety limiter? It basicly just stops the handle from turning all the way to hot.


Condensation forming on garage roof despite insulation

The principle at work here is basically this: condensation, or dew, forms when humid air is exposed to a cold surface. More specifically, it forms on a surface when the temperature of the surface is below the dew point of the air. It's the same thing that happens when droplets form on the outside of a glass holding an ice-cold beverage.
One way to prevent the condensation forming is to keep the air-exposed surface warmer. Obviously the exterior of the roof is simply going to get cold in winter; there's nothing to do about that. What one can do, though, is apply vapor-impermeable insulation to the interior side of the roof deck and keep the interior space warm. "Vapor impermeable insulation" often translates to "closed-cell spray foam." With this foam applied the water vapor in the air can reach the foam's surface but can't permeate deeper into the roof assembly. The foam's surface is warmed above the dew point by heat from the room and condensation is prevented.
The other (and more common) way to prevent condensation is to control the dew point. This is done by controlling the relative humidity, which in turn means controlling sources of water vapor and venting whatever vapor is created. This is why we often use layers in exterior walls and roofs:

interior wall finish
vapor barrier
insulation
exterior wall substrate
exterior wall cladding

The vapor barrier prevents (slows) diffusion of water vapor into the insulation. If it were absent then vapor would condense in the insulation -- or, if the insulation were absent too, then the vapor would condense on the wall substrate.
The foil facing on your insulation should be a good vapor barrier especially because you've taped the joints. Somehow, though, vapor is getting around the barrier. Maybe you can improve this.
When you've done all you can to control vapor sources and to establish a vapor barrier, then next defense is to ventilate the roof/attic space to exhaust whatever vapor gets in there.


Do I have to use armored (MC) cable to connect to a pot (recessed) light fixture?

You are required to use whatever type of wiring your local code permits for this type of connection.  If you are in a residential location then it is likely NMD90; if you are in a commercial location then it will likely require BX/AC. The shielding you are referring to between the can and the box isn't really BX/AC; its just flexible metal conduit. It looks similar to BX but it's not the same thing.

If you do use BX/AC, make sure to use plastic bushings at both ends of the cable so you don't nick the conductors with the sharp BX/AC.

Usually with cans, there is a friction cable clamp you just push the NMD90 through, however if you use BX/AC then you will need to use one of the punch-outs and a proper cable clamp to secure the cable.


Heat pump - outside unit fan not running

Sounds like your defrost cycle isn't kicking in.  There is a defrost circuit in most newer units that controls that cycle, in which the unit runs in reverse -- literally taking heat from your house to defrost the unit.  I'd turn it off ASAP if that's the case since it's just wasting electricity and call a tech to have a look and possibly replace the circuit board.  Tell them what's going on ahead of time and maybe they will have the part with them when they come out!


Possible electrical wiring paths are blocked *everywhere* by glulam posts. What to do?

Also look into the Conduit wiring method.  This allows you to put up to four circuits (or even more with a wire size bump) into a single hole/pipe, instead of only one or two cables.

This works because you are fitting individual wires into a pipe, instead of a sheathed cable containing multiple wires, so you don't have the bulk of the sheath, packing and grounds.  All the circuits in a pipe can share a ground, and if the pipe is metal, it can be the ground.


replace fireplace switch with nest thermostat

You need both a transformer and a relay to do this

The Nest cannot switch a millivolt system on its own, even when supplied with 24VAC, as it has solid-state output switches instead of mechanical relays.  Hence, you'll need both a 24VAC transformer and a 24VAC fan relay in order to control your fireplace from your Nest.  The transformer secondary goes to Rh and C, while the relay coil is connected to W and C, and the relay contacts connect to the existing switch wires.


I ended up just cutting the cage off using an ordinary pair of scissors.  Haven't had any problems since.


Switch with 2 red, 2 black and 1 ground wire

Connect the line to the one hot wire.  The black wire in its cable gets capped off. Connect the load to the black or red wire of the other cable, you'll know you have the right one because the light will work.  Cap off the other one.

This combination will work until you find one of the other 3-way or 4-way switches in the system.  Then, it will fail until you throw that switch back.  Your layout is

  ---- 3way ==== 4way ==== 3way ----
  ----------------------------------

or

  ---- 3way ==== 4way ==== 4way ==== 4way ==== 3way -----
  -------------------------------------------------------

with any number of 4ways in the middle.

I have a personal rule that "the last guy" probably had a pretty good reason for doing it that way.  So before you take a wrecking ball to his work, look for those reasons.  Otherwise later, you'll be going "Gosh, it'd be a lot more convenient if it worked like --- oh right, it already did and I destroyed it  because I didn't understand it".  Those 4-way switches are about $10 each, people don't use those without a pretty good reason.


How can I remove a clog in a central vacuum system?

you could reverse the suction by attaching a vacuum cleaner on the port while the system is shut off and see if that loosens the clog


How to solve the problem of sticky Danish oil?

Actually I've found the perfect chemical for stripping Danish Oil: The exact same spray disinfectant that caused the problem in the first place! Spray it on and leave it for a few hours and the oil scrapes off without damaging the wood.


How do I seal my shower escutcheon plate to prevent it from leaking?

You should only seal the upper arc (clock face analogy: 7 through 12, to 5, leaving the 6 position open).

You can seal behind the escutcheon. in the plane of the tile (bridging the actual wall penetration), at the 7-6-5 position.  there should remain a small gap at the bottom of the escutcheon cover plate and the tile.


How can I unscrew this nut with little clearance?

What you want is a basin wrench:

(Source)

The left end pivots so you can reach up under the sink and access the nut.

That said, you have some serious corrosion going on there. You might have to go with destructive methods, perhaps involving grinding off the top of the faucet.


Repairing a break in threaded water pipe joint buried in wall

Wow, that is a big problem. 2 possible fixes come to mind:

Buy some "x-pando" pipe joint compound. You can "google" the term to see where you can purchase it. I used it for years to seal bad pipe threads and for situations similar to yours. It is a powder you mix, put on the threads like pipe dope, screw the fitting in and wait till it sets up; follow directions on the can. As it sets up it will expand slightly.
If that does not work go to a pipe shop, take a 6 inch long brass pipe nipple and have them add 2 or 3 extra threads to that nipple. Use x-pando again and the extra threads may allow you to insert the nipple farther into the joint past the crack. If neither of these ideas work call a plumber or get out your demolition tools.

One last thing, after studying the picture, that gray material may not be concrete. It may be dried plumbers putty. Get a small chisel, old screw driver or some sharp tool, and a hammer and chip at it. If it falls apart it may be dried plumbers putty and not concrete. If it's not concrete you may be in luck to just replace the faucet more easily.


What can cause foggy/misty/gray water when water heater is turned off?

Could be that your water has some minerals in it. I noticed some cloudy water and a funny taste when I first moved into my house. I searched online for a water analysis company and for about $150 they sent me a kit to collect water samples and analyzed it for several minerals.

Turns out I have a VERY high calcium content. According to their findings there is no upper limit to the amount of calcium you can have in your water but it will make it taste funny and cloud the water/give it a funny taste. Depending on how old your hot water tank is you may have some sediment built up in the bottom.

If you haven't ever done it I'd recommend looking up a company that does water analysis, they'll normally send you a kit with a number of bottles and instructions on how to collect samples. It's a few hundred dollars but it's generally worth the peace of mind to know what you're potentially drinking/showering with. Here is an example of a water testing company. The price looks to be about $120 (plus shipping the test sample back to them).

Depending on what's in your water, you may want to flush your hot water tank as well. Here is a set of instructions on how to do it. I do it about once a year. It uses alot of water but it helps extend the life of your hot water tank and provides a more efficient heating of the water.


How can I reduce flicker on an ELV chandelier?

Well, I solved the problem, but not the way I expected.

Basically, I used a non-ELV dimmer switch from GE instead. Works much better. I guess the conclusion from this is that the Lutron Maestro is a crappy dimmer. Good thing they discontinued it.


Outlets not working after space heater was plugged in

Officially, wiring is done in a tree topology - each segment branches off another.  However, in practice, most wiring is done in a vine topology -- they're all in a row.

Either way... the problem is in one of two places.

The last receptacle which works
The first receptacle which does not work.

Fiddling with any other receptacles won't do a thing.

That's because the problem is in the wire or the wire ends/splices.  Failure of a wire is extremely rare.  It's almost always where the wire connects to something else.

The usual cause is a "back stab" wire connection into the socket: the kind where you jab it into a hole and the socket just grabs the wire.  Backstabs are legal way to wire sockets - one time - but they're not very reliable*.  It is much, much better to use the side screws.

* Backstabs are made for a single use. If you pull the wire out, the spring is sprung.  Also, when you are shoving the receptacle back into the socket, forces on the wires can lift it off its intended contact area, or overload the spring and cause it to lose tension.


Can I mount an LED light bar to a truss web?

Yes. They will not impart enough force to harm the truss webs. Cables, duct work, plumbing, and other things are routinely attached to truss webs.


How can I build a lamp like the one I saw in the store?

It is great to begin woodworking with a custom made project that fits your needs. Often doing it yourself can result in a significant savings, but I think you may find that purchasing the components for the lamp may well cost more than the amount they are asking. But your version will be the size and finish you want.

For the linen panels, you could try mounting the linen on thin plastic, such as acrylic, cut to size. You could use spray adhesive, such as this one, or you could tension the cloth and glue the edges with a thin bead of a general adhesive.  Just make sure it will stick to the type of plastic you select and do a small test to make sure it does not discolor the fabric.

Screw length should be enough to go through the first piece and 1/2 to 2/3 of the way through the second. You need to pre-drill all holes. Glue will stabilize the piece.

Finally, be sure to leave the top of the lamp open to allow heat to escape, and be careful when stapling over wire not to nick the insulation.  You should consider attaching the wire with a bead of glue along the length instead.  You can hold it in place with tape until it dries.


It's a bit hard to tell what I'm looking at from that one photo, but it may have been someone's attempt at a homemade version of the common commercial weather seal that you see on modern overhead doors.

I'd probably remove it entirely and start fresh. 3 pieces of vinyl molding with rubber gasket will probably cost under $25.


Cabinet scrapers are a surprisingly effective way to remove many surface finishes from flat wooden surfaces.

If you haven't used one before you would have to learn how to sharpen them - which involves creating a hooked cutting edge using a burnisher. They remove shavings.

This would have been a good question to ask at woodworking.stackexchange.


How to hang a dryer vent in a basement ceiling?

You can use metal pipe hanging tape to hold it up. It comes in a roll and has several holes in it which you would use to attach it to your framing with nails or screws. Simply cut it to length with a pair of aviation snips, and nail or screw it up.

Once thing you want to be careful of is not to put it on too tight and crush the vent line.


A Google search for "recondition rubber" brings up quite a few hits. However, I'd be surprised if any worked for any significant time.

Once rubber gets old and and particularly if it becomes perished it loses its elasticity and flexibility. You might be out of luck here.


Water based concrete paint peeling and cracking. What to do?

Not waiting between coats would be the cause, 6 to 8-hours is the usual wait for normal evenly rolled-on coats. But, with top-quality paints like Behr or Valspar I wait a day, because of rare lift-off issues. They take a month after that to cure & solidify. Another cause would be Cold, but you didn't indicate any such situation & if would need to be below 50-degrees.

You can strip it or you can skim-coat it with drywall Joint Compound to then start over with the primer & everything. Don't run your roller dry, just try to even everything out. Paint in floor to ceiling single strips & don't do a "Z", "N", "V" or "W" application pattern. Do 3 strips & then go back over those to smooth & even them out. Typically, only 1-coat is needed unless you're jumping to the other side of the color spectrum.


Possible to fill in porcelain sink depression so that water stops pooling?

Sure, you could fill it with an epoxy, or you could tile it.
Note: Only since you don't care about aesthetics, since I suspect either will look awful in short order, if not right out of the gate. My mind's eye makes a beautiful tile sink bottom (like a shower floor) but the real world experience part of my mind doubts that the detailing at the edges could look good, not to mention mold potential.
Additional Note: First check if you may have a "lifetime warranty" or other applicable warranty on the sink, since some makers do have that sort of policy, but it's out the window if you attempt to fix it yourself, normally.


Can I rewire an audio amplifier with a round pin plug to fit sockets in living room made for lamps?

Can I wire a round pin 5 amp plug onto the amp

Nothing stops you from doing so.

  Or does an adapter exist

Yes, adapters exist, they are sold as travel adapters for people from the UK who are visiting India (the indian 6A plug is equivilent to the 5A BS546).

Unfortunately many travel adapters are frankly complete garbage. I belive https://www.amazon.co.uk/Go-Travel-Earthed-Compact-Convertor/dp/B079VRTCRX is a non-garbage one but I haven't bought one personally.

Be aware that 5A sockets found in a domestic premesis will almost certainly be fed from a lighting circuit. So pay attention to total load on said circuit. They will also likely be fed via a light switch, people may find it confusing if the hi-fi turns off when they turn off the light switches.

Also make sure the socket is not fed via a dimmer. If it is then you would need to change the dimmer for a conventional switch before plugging anything other than dimmer-compatible lighting into it.


Can I connect two separate ducts systems together?

It won't hurt anything as a temporary fix. The existing one side of the AC system will have about the same cooling capacity, but each side of the apartment will now have one-half the cooling capacity, assuming the same amount of air is delivered to each side which is unlikely given the extension and turns needed to jumper to the other side (extra pressure drop). The AC will run longer, and will probably not even meet the thermostat set point so will run continuously. If it does ever turn off, say at night, at least the system hit the Tstat set point. This could also result in the tenants on the good AC side complaining since there will be less cooling there. I agree with @Michael Karas, get the broken one fixed as soon as possible to avoid the extra work. If you choose to do this, and this duct is out of sight, put a damper in the extension so you can open/close as needed in the future. Replace the filter at the bottom of the broken unit with cardboard to restrict air from flowing backwards through the broken unit.


How can I mount a large, heavy, half-inch-thick sign on a wall WITHOUT drilling through it?

By not excluding drilling into the wall, you may have more options at hand. The first configuration that comes to mind is a modification of the "hidden shelf" design.

Drilling a hole in the studs to take bolts forming a line to support the bottom of the sign would be similar to the hidden shelf construction. A piece of trim cut with a rabbet with the lip outboard of the sign will prevent it from slipping off.

A similar, but less hefty rabbet trim on the top will secure the sign from tipping.

For the weight you've noted, it would be best to have as many supports in the wall as possible. There will be a small overlap on the sign where the rabbet prevents fall-off, but even one-eighth of an inch (3 mm) would be sufficient if minimizing intrusion is important.


Metal and Plastic Bathroom Faucets are the Same?

The washerless faucets usually have a plastic disk with rubber seats and most are spring loaded but not all.
The last part is the pivot this is usually plastic also in both metal and plastic faucets.
The rubber is the part that fails and is the same in both plastic and metal framed faucets.
The seats are easy to replace and many are color coded for size.
I have not seen much difference with the exception of hard water deposits. With hard water the plastic frames break much easier than the metal.


How can I stop mice from chewing garage door bottom weather strip?

When you have to fill the gap, use stainless steel or copper wool (not kitchen pad with soap though) and optionally foam the gap closed. The metal stops the mice from eating through the foam.


Should the meter base be installed before chink siding in new construction?

Yes.

B. Install the meter base on the sheathing over the Tyvek?


"Can I take the electrical panel off the wall..."

Yes, but removing it requires the feed conductors and circuit conductors to be disconnected. This is a big job and (depending on your local code authority) a licensed electrician may be a requirement. If you are allowed to DIY and you are comfortable working with conduit, breakers, wire connections, etc., make sure you take a bunch of pictures before and during and label everything carefully.
If you are asking "how do I do that", than I propose you call an electrician.

"Do I need to turn the power off?"

Absolutely. Again, the fact that you are asking makes it clear that to safely complete the project you should call a reputable licensed electrician. It will be worth every penny of the cost, believe me.


Should it take a while to get supplies to rewire a 1100sq ft house?

At the risk of throwing someone under the bus, NOTHING he would need could not be acquired at a real supply house (or even home center) in less than an hour and totally in stock. Even the ethernet cable (typically Cat5e) is nothing special in bulk and ANY electrician worth his salt should have the tools and be able to terminate.

I get the impression that he overbooked himself and needs time. Unfortunately for him we have the internet, so his excuse is easily debunked.


It is really impossible to correctly answer this question without discovering the root of the problem. Some removal of shingles and or siding may be necessary to inspect the flashing etc. If you find the problem in the valley or around the sidewall, i'd recommend using some ice and water shield under any flashing that may have to be replaced. It can be difficult to find these leaks, so start high and work you way down.  Good luck.


Ideally you'd disassemble the corner and replace parts so you can start fresh. Sealant over sealant is a low-percentage approach.

Otherwise, it's a matter of scraping away as much of the old sealant as you can, cleaning the surface well (maybe with alcohol), and using one of the purpose-made sealants. It must be extremely flexible to handle movement due to temperature variation.


I want to install a 220 heater in my garage.

You need 8AWG and a 40A breaker for this equipment

You'll need to run 8AWG for this circuit -- NEC 424.3(B) requires the 125% continuous load modifier to be applied to the nameplate rating of the heater, meaning you need to size the wire and breaker for 38.75A of load.

Two hots and a ground should be fine

Most electric heating equipment runs solely off 240VAC, which means that you only need to provide it with two hots and a ground, unless the equipment installation instructions specify a neutral is required as well.  In that case, you'll need to use 8/3 cable for this; otherwise, 8/2 is OK here, given that nothing else can be attached to this circuit anyway.


Getting plumbing on the other side of support beams

I wanted to follow up on this in case anyone stumbles upon it.  I actually ended up using a relatively new solution -- a 2810HR Joist Reinforcer.  It's a 14-gauge steel plate which allowed for a larger bore (in my case I made it 4.5") through a 2x10 and I put one on each side of the headers. The IBC/IRC certification they have for the plates passed inspection with no issues.
Only recommendation I would make is to get a better square bit to drive the screws than the one the company provides.
Otherwise, it got my plumbing where it needed to go and it's incredibly sturdy so I'm not worried about the strength of support. Hope this helps someone in the future!


How to wire a sub panel from a 15 amp circuit existing run

You don't need a shutoff or subpanel for a single outdoor circuit.

You should not put 4 GFCI receptacles outdoors if you can avoid it.

The best way to handle the GFCI requirement is to find a place along the circuit still inside your dry house.  Put the GFCI there, whee itvwon't get destroyed by weather.   You know how to use the LOAD terminals on a GFCI to protect downline things, so do exactly that for your entire outdoor circuit.

Now, because the wiring is also protected, you are allowed to use direct burial at 12" cover.   Though since you are using Rigid, you only need 6" cover.  You can use THWN individual wires in the conduit and do not need a ground since Rigid is the ground.


Why does my electrical panel have a separate insert?

By screwing the dead face in the same frame and door can be used for different types of boxes. This looks like a sub panel, (no main disconnect) the same frame can be used with the additional punch out in the top section for a main panel with the disconnect.


After cable replacement, Craftsman garage door won't "close", moves a few inches down, then back to further than it started

I have solved the issue. I unplugged the machine and moved the trolley to the end of the rail, as would be done during installation, and then let the door run. The trolley acted just as it ought to and my garage door is opening and closing, saving me a ton of money on a garage door mechanic. I am assuming, at this time, that the chain slipped up when the cable snapped, or that somehow the unit "reset" itself to thinking that the trolley was at the end.


What is the best way to fill finishing nail holes on door and floor trim?

Less wiping.

More time before sanding.

Unless you go to something extreme like epoxy putty, it all shrinks. If you leave the filler proud of (sticking above) the hole, let it cure fully, and then sand it down, it should work. In extreme cases you may need to refill and let that cure, but that's adding more time to the program which is probably not good for you. If you scrape it flat to the hole, it will shrink below the hole. Without adding any overall time to your program, I'd save sanding for the next day just before painting, at least. Excess putty near the hole will come off with a sanding block (and if you don't use a block, that can also promote divots) - since you specified that you are painting over, filler beyond the hole should make no appearance difference if it's allowed to cure and sanded flat.

If the building is not fully heated when applying the filler, or is heated but is dumping a huge amount of water from fresh drywall work (or unvented construction heaters), that may affect the curing time of the filler product negatively.

I have personally had better luck with "modern" "lightweight" filler compounds than with "wood putty containing actual wood fibers" (which, inherently, shrink quite a bit, because they are wet wood fibers...) - the fact that the nailholes are glaring white .vs. the wood surface does not matter if you are painting over them. Given that you are (I gather) in a production/professional capacity, probably best to run some experiments with different fillers and schedules and see what works best for you.


Unless you are planning to do some patching and painting I am afraid you are stuck with a 4G box. If you want to remove the switch because its just irritating you can use a switch blank shown below:

These can be found in most big box hardware stores and online. They come in different colors and can be found in decora style also.

Good luck.