You'll need to use a 10AWG ground pigtail here

For a flush mounted box, NEC 250.146 and in particular 250.146(B) form the controlling Code on how to ground the device(s) inside:

  250.146 Connecting Receptacle Grounding Terminal to Box.
  An equipment bonding jumper shall be used to connect the
  grounding terminal of a grounding-type receptacle to a grounded box unless grounded as in 250.146(A) through (D). The
  equipment bonding jumper shall be sized in accordance with
  Table 250.122 based on the rating of the overcurrent device
  protecting the circuit conductors.

.
.
.

  (B) Contact Devices or Yokes. Contact devices or yokes
  designed and listed as self-grounding shall be permitted in
  conjunction with the supporting screws to establish equipment
  bonding between the device yoke and flush-type boxes.

Since your receptacle does not have a self-grounding clip on the mounting yoke (I know of no receptacles >20A that do, even), you will need to use a bare or green 10AWG copper wire from the receptacle ground terminal to a 10-32 screw in the designated grounding hole on the back of the box.  This will ground the yoke, faceplate, and receptacle grounding terminal, without relying on the receptacle mounting screws as a grounding path.

As to that sheathing...

Since this is an existing run of cable, and the straight NEC does not limit the ampacity for which AC sheathing can be used as a ground path, I would use this sheathing as a ground, considering the obvious alternative (NEMA 10) is quite a bit worse here.  There is also the option of running a 10AWG bare copper wire back to the panel or grounding electrode conductor/system by any route possible to serve as a retrofit ground conductor as per NEC 250.130(C).

(The subpoints to NEC 250.118(8) you mention are Chicago-area specific amendments to the NEC.)


Can a freestanding **gas** range share 15AMP circuit with a range hood/extractor?

Steven - I am also in Vancouver, and just installed a new kitchen with permits and inspections. Yes, the gas range and hood can be on the same 15A circuit, as mine are. Just be sure that the oven is also gas, and does not have any electric broiler or electric self-clean. If the rating is under 12A you are fine. If you are splicing into an existing 15A circuit, you can install as many junction boxes as you need, so long as they are accessible by pulling out the range, or by removing the range hood's fake pipe, or by opening the door of a cabinet above the range hood. My splice is in the receptacle box that the Ikea hood fan plugs into.

I have always had gas ranges, built-in ovens and cooktops, and have never heard of CO being a problem. It should only be a problem if the flame isn't getting enough oxygen.

In the basement, you probably have a gas furnace, gas HWT and gas dryer. They all suck air. If you add a range hood and a bathroom fan, you could be seriously short of makeup air. I was required to add a 4" fresh air vent in the new basement suite. I put it behind the fridge, so that the cold incoming air would mix with the heat from the back of the fridge, avoiding cold drafts.


Can you build a retaining wall vertically with no angle?

I have built many vertical retaining walls. Drainage is the first concern then the height. Code may require rails over several feet (in my area 3' is the max). You did not specify the number of steps or the rise (if more than 3' even with drainage usually reinforcements are required). With some walls this is drilled holes that are pinned together. Some are mortar.

So yes you can go vertical but more information is needed on the height and conditions to give a specific recommendation.


Vacuum near the point of drilling

Have someone to stand next to you with the nozzle of a (running) vacuum cleaner, and position it very carefully near the where the drill bit enters the wall. Preferably - under the drill point facing up, so as not to "compete" with gravity. Most of the dust should be caught by the vacuum cleaner.

Down-sides to this solution:

If you're not careful, the vacuum cleaner nozzle/attachment could touch the spinning drill bit and be harmed (and these parts tend to be expensive beyond their actual production cost).
This still misses some dust (more if we're not careful and precise with the positioning and the angle).
You can't always get someone to help you with drilling.
Sometimes there isn't enough room for both people or for both the nozzle and the drill bit.


How to clean settled grease from kitchen cabinets?

A standard treatment for kitchen surfaces is to wipe it with a solution of TSP, an acronym for trisodium phosphate See http://www.ask.com/explore/what-tsp-cleaner.  It forms an strong alkaline (basic) solution that converts the grease to soap, making it easy to clean off.  The reaction is called saponification.  The same reaction takes place in drain cleaners and oven cleaners.

Be advised that the TSP will do the same thing to oils in your skin!  Use rubber gloves, eye protection, and whatever other precautions you find on the package.

A "Just Remembered" Edit:  TSP, and other alkaline solutions will attack aluminum surfaces!! Be warned...


Can I hook up the Glas WiFi Thermostat with oil furnace in basement and central ac in attic

Looking at the installation instructions found here, I see two important details.  First, the thermostat does have a connection for Rc and Rh.  When you have two thermostats and two systems located in different areas, you normally have two low voltage transformers for the control systems.  The red wire from the heat goes to Rh, and the red wire from cooling goes to Rc.

The other subtle but important bit is this note:

  Note: If you have only one R wire, connect to RC.

This tells us that Rc is the "main" red wire connection, and the common wire (that is required) must also come from the cooling system.

So, yes, this thermostat should work, but when it comes to hooking up a C wire, that will need to come from the cooling system.  If your heating and cooling system have separate fans (blowers), then you might need to wire the furnace so that the fan always comes on with the heat and you will not have separate heat fan control.

Check the manual for other details and even call their customer support because I don't have all the facts, but it at least seems it's worth a try or more research.


First, setup a lamp shinning on the rounded edge.

Get two rulers, place one perpendicular the vertical side of the stair and the other perpendicular the horizontal side.  Then line rulers up flush to each other, say at the 4” mark, you should be able to get a measurement of where the gap starts (from both directions).  That’s the radius!

The idea is you are making a small carpenters square (image below), so you see the radius of the circle.  The light shinning from behind should make it easier to see where the gap between a ruler and the stair starts.


Cement board or plywood for stuccoing over

You can use any of those materials, or none of those. Waterproof paper (properly installed such that water is prevented from penetrating the repair seams) and wire mesh alone, with no substrate, may be just fine.

An important part of the job that you do not mention (and is not apparent in your picture) is the waterproof paper/membrane.


When calculating circuit load, what should I add for outlets?

In a residential load calculation, general-use receptacles are included in with the 3 volt-ampere (VA) per square foot general lighting value.

In other than dwelling units, receptacles are calculated at 180 VA.

If you wanted to use the 180 VA value, it would be 1.5 amperes (180VA / 120V = 1.5 A).


How can I stop Lego bricks from falling in to a register?

I like the idea of a smaller grate, but make life easy and get some regular fiberglass screen material at the hardware store and wrap the register cover with it and reinstall the cover. Cheap, easy and safe.


Checking voltage on a 240 volt thermostat

A simple voltage tester would work fine, you can test line to line and get 240v or line to ground to get 120v. Lack of voltage drop would only matter if you tested line to load when load is open. Even a non-contact sensor should work fine for determining voltage being present. You could also turn off all two-pole breakers.


Mice entering condo through a large hole in drywall behind gas range

I know this may sound silly but it actually works. Take some cotton balls and saturate them with peppermint oil and stuff them in that hole. Then do as you stated and stuff some steel wool into the hole. I would follow that with some 45 minute dry time sheetrock mud (you might have to use some foam filler first if the hole is really big).

The peppermint oil will keep the rodents away in the short term. Rodents that are familiar with that entry may return to find the steel wool, which they will ingest and eventually die. The sheetrock mud will be a (hopefully) final deterrant for any other rodents to enter at this location.


How long should completely renovating a 6x12 bathroom by yourself take?

I don't think we can judge your estimates via the internet. Some info we don't have.

your skill level. The time it takes to do a job seems to vary about 8x from novice to expert. Since you're asking this question, you're probably on the slow end of the scale.
tools. Having the right tools makes the job go faster and produces better results, but buying a full complement of tools may not be a good idea. Stopping the work for a tool shopping trip is a big delay (or the best part!)
your time and energy. If a pro works 8hrs/day but you only work a couple hours in the evening, it will take you way longer. If you decide to work 12hrs/day but get tired, then you'll need to factor in rest time. If something else in. Your life comes up, your project may sit idle for a while.

I've found that diy projects don't save me money or time, unless they are very small. I do them because I enjoy it, and like knowing I shaped my home.


Why isn't my refrigerator water line delivering water?

Chances are you have a cheap saddle valve. Plumbers and appliance installers often use them because they're quick. They use a piercing needle built into them to punch a hole in copper pipes. The problem is that they're prone to corroding shut over time. Also, they have poor flow rates.

You can simply close the old one and install a new one if you like, but evenutally it'll crud shut also, as the second one in my current home did.

The right solution is to install a proper valve. This requires cutting pipe, but isn't terribly difficult. The benefits are longevity and flow, which is important when you have a drinking water dispenser and not just an ice maker.


How do I fix a door that's sticking closed?

Short of reframing the door, I'd suggest taking a belt sander to the side of the door that sticks.


What advice would you offer somebody who is building a laundry chute for the first time?

Safety first
Make sure you wear proper safety gear. Safety goggles, appropriate gloves, hearing protection (if applicable), and a hardhat, might all be useful safety equipment.
Watch out for that...
Make sure you know what is inside the wall/floor, cutting through a wire or pipe can ruin your day really fast.
"Did it come out yet?"
It might be a good idea to line the chute using ducting or other lining material, so the items you drop in actually make it out the bottom.
Don't bring down the house
The easiest and safest place to install a laundry chute is between studs/joists. If you have to cut studs/joists to install the chute, you'll have to reinforce the structure appropriately. If you are going down more that a single floor, you'll likely have some structural issues to deal with. If you go between studs, you'll have to deal with a sill plate at the bottom of the wall and possibly a top plate at the top of the wall below.
The right tool for the job
Make sure you have all the proper tools before you begin. Having all the right tools you need at hand, makes every job easier.


What is the proper wiring for a NEMA 14-30 240v receptacle?

Yes, you wired the NEMA 14-30 receptacle correctly. That receptacle has two hot connections, each 120V but on different phases, resulting in a 240V potential. So if you take a voltage tester you will find it reads 240V between the two rectangular slots on the outlet, and 120V between either rectangle and the neutral or ground. You can check this using your voltage tester, but it sounds like you did it correctly.
Figuring out where that wire went is going to be tricky. If you can't find it visually or by process of elimination, the best tool to help would be a tone & probe kit. You'd hook up the tone generator to your mystery wire (after double-checking that it's not live) and take the probe component with you. When the probe is near the toned wire, it will beep, even if it's a few inches away inside a wall.


Realistically you just need to buy a thinner one.  I very much doubt you would be able to plane it down yourself to the precision needed.


Sizing Ground wire for 200AFeeder to House

No, you're interpreting the Code correctly
Table 250.122 in the NEC is what governs equipment grounding conductors, and for a feeder with a 200A maximum breaker ahead of it, it requires a 6AWG copper wire, which is what you are installing.  This is because the grounding conductor only has to carry current long enough for the breaker to trip; in normal operation, there should be 0 current on it, as opposed to the hots and neutral, which have to sing for their supper, 24/7/365.
Note that this is a different table from the table that's used to size grounding electrode conductors such as those going off to your ground rods.  Your 2AWG Cu GEC is a trifle undersized for 600 kcmil Al service conductors according to Table 250.66, which'd require 1/0AWG Cu for that application; however, since you're dealing only with ground rods and not a water pipe or miscellaneous electrode, NEC 250.66(A) kicks in and says that a 6AWG conductor is all that's needed.  (A concrete-encased electrode would fall under 250.66(B) which only requires a 4AWG conductor, and ground rings require no more than a 2AWG as NEC 250.66(C) requires the GEC to be no larger than the ring conductor, which is required to be 2AWG minimum by 250.52(A)(4).)


Any way to meet code with 40.7% or 40.44% conduit fill?

Derailed by Derating

Your plan is a non-starter, even if you overcome the fill issues you're having, because of the other limit the NEC places on conduit fill; namely, the derating factors found in 310.15(B)(3)(a) that limit ampacity based on the number of current-carrying conductors.  The first two rows of the table are normally not an issue because nobody gets to use the 90°C ampacities of wires straight up for termination temperature rating reasons.  However, staying within those rows limits you to a maximum of 9 current-carrying conductors, and you need a minimum of 10: 3 for the three-phase machine, 4 for the two 208-240V single phase machines, and 3 for the 120V circuits (the analysis comes out the same in both scenarios, assuming we put the 120V circuits on a multi-wire branch circuit in either case).

This means that the ampacity rating of your 8AWG wires is limited to 27.5A by the 50% derate imposed by the NEC due to the conductor count.  Going up to 6AWG gets you to 37.5A, which would be acceptable for your application, albeit marginal.  The other wires are not spared either: the 10AWG wires need to become 8AWG as they are limited to 20A by the derate, and the 12AWG wires need to become 10AWG or else they will be limited to a mere 15A for the same reason.

Even with the fill savings yielded by removing the extraneous equipment grounding conductors and using a MWBC for the 120V circuits, we still wind up needing 3 6AWG, 4 8AWG, and 4 10AWG conductors in the best case, or 32.71*3 + 23.61*4 + 13.61*4 = 247.01mm2 of conduit fill to run this in a single conduit.  Since your 1" EMT has 222mm2 of fill available for you to use, we come to a single conclusion: you must split this run into two separate runs, one for the 3-phase machine + its convenience receptacle and the other for the two single phase machines and their associated receptacle, in order to wire this feasibly using "normal" methods.

There is a tricky way out, though...

There is a way to get this run down to 9 CCCs (and thus to manageable derates), while staying within the fill of a single 1" EMT, though.  If you can run the computer's power supply on 208V AC (check the power supply's label, if it says "90-264VAC" or something like that, then it will run quite happily on any AC voltage within that range), and the two single phase machines do not mandate specific upstream breaker sizes, we can cram them together to form a multi-wire branch circuit, consisting entirely of line-to-line loads.  This forces that circuit to go up to 8AWG wire at a minimum due to the fact we are effectively connecting the loads together in a delta configuration, vs the wye configuration more common in three-phase MWBCs, but lets us run the computer and both single machines off of a single three-phase branch circuit.

As a result, we wind up with 3 8AWG wires for the three phase machine, 3 6AWG wires (why 6AWG? this has to do with three phase power and wyes vs deltas, suffice it to say that the factor is roughly 1.7 times the single phase amps for a balanced load consisting of 3 single phase machines of a given ampacity wired as a delta, and then you have to factor continuous load derating atop that) for the two single phase machines and the control computer wired in a delta configuration across the circuit, and 3 12AWG wires for the convenience receptacles, wired as a conventional MWBC.  This gives us 3*32.71 + 3*23.61 + 3*8.581 = 194.703mm2 of total conduit fill, well within the 222mm2 of available fill in your 1" EMT.  You can even get a 3rd receptacle circuit in there "for free" simply by pulling its hot wire, as then the neutral on the 20A MWBC stops counting.


Looking for a reliable replacement capacitor on pool motor

this is not a shopping question but more of an identification question.
To answer your question the brand is irrelevant. The cap is 30 micro farad expresses as 30uF the voltage is 370v. Any value 370 or higher will work fine.  To get the correct style search for “C65R” then match one that lists 30uF.
Most of the time when a cap fails case bulging is visible at the top and bottom. An ohm meter can be used to see if the cap charges and discharged if your meter doesn’t have a capacitance test function.

With the power turned off short the terminals together then pull 1 of the connectors off. Now using the ohms function on your meter put the leads on the 2 terminals you are looking for the value on the meter to start climbing if the value is increasing swap the leads and now the value should be dropping if this can be observed and the case is not bulging it is probably fine. If there is no change in the value the cap is probably bad and it is time to replace it.


Center of the flange 13 1/2" not 10" or 12" what do I do?

If the center of the flange on the floor is 13-1/2" from the wall where the tank goes and the new toilet is 10" or 12" then that is fine. There will just be a gap behind the toilet. If the toilet was set to 13-1/2" and the flange was at 10" or 12", then that would be a different story.


How do I add an electrical switch for a closet light using an existing light switch?

Your light and switch arrangement needs hot and neutral to function.  You tapped it off the light switch in the bedroom, which only has hot and switched-hot (marked as white with black electrical tape).  That is not a good place to get power.  Here's what's happening:

With the bedroom switch on, the two pins on the switch are shorted out, so both power wires to the closet have the same voltage.   It can't function.

With the bedroom switch off, current flows from hot, through your closet switch, through your closet lamp, and then through the bedroom lamps and to neutral.  The lights are in series.  That would light - dimly - with incandescents, but smart bulbs won't like it at all.

You cannot tap power at the switch if there's no neutral there.  You should tap it at the bedroom light, where neutral is available.


Are these sloppy cuts and gaps normal around roof vents?

That's not too sloppy. Under that shingle should be the vent, tar paper, and perhaps the top of the next layer of shingles. Since this is right next to your ridge, there won't be much water coming down the roof to this joint, so the risk of any leak around the vent is very small.


Can I use SharkBite connectors on a copper stub out?

If you are trying to install a screw-on tub spout, it might not tighten up, because the SharkBite adapter will spin.  You would need to use a wrench to tighten the SharkBite side, and that would be hard to do inside the spout.

Some spout basics:

Diverter vs tub only

Diverter spout models have a pull up knob that blocks the water
flow, causing it to reverse and come out the shower head.
Tub only are just simple spouts, filling the tub.

Spout connection types
There are three main types of how a spout connects to the pipe

1 Front threaded.  The pipe traverses the length of the spout
internally, ending in a threaded fitting (usually 1/2" IPS).  A front
threaded spout usually does not integrate a diverter.
2 Rear threaded.  The pipe connection is made at the rear of the spout.  These spouts can be either diverters or tub only.
3 Slip on. These spouts will work with just a clean, open copper pipe, as it has a set screw adapter to clamp the pipe.

Soldering to the nipple with the PEX attached is not optimum, but can be managed if you have room to tightly wrap a water saturated cotton rag around the copper and extended over the PEX portion. The water won't allow the PEX connection to go above 212 until it dries out.  You will need several inches of bare copper pipe on the end to solder to.  (Just TRY to a solder a pipe with any water in it.)  Practice your soldering ahead of time and you will become confident of solid, leak free joints.

This thread has some good advice on soldering

This page describes tub spouts.


Underground conduit will fill with water. Fact of life.  That's why you use wet rated wire in conduit.

You can direct bury cable or wire made for direct burial such as UF.  It is made to be in contact with water.

If you use conduit you use wet rated wires like THWN.  You can use wet-rated multiconductor cable if you really want to, but you will need bigger conduit and the pulls will be much harder.

Using NM outdoors is out of the question.


It is normal for that type of post in the south.  To treat the wood and not affect the color use a linseed based sealer.

The applicator I've linked to is only intended as a reference as there are several manufacturers and styles of rough surface applicators.

Linseed Oil

Linseed Oil

Rough Surface Applicator


When setting fence posts, does the post need to go to bottom of the concrete?

I have to upvote the question as it looks like you have done some reading.
With wooden posts I usually do put rock in the hole first but all of my posts are set prior to the concrete being added so that may be the reason some say put the post on rock, I use the rock to prevent the concrete from mixing with the dirt in the bottom of the hole. If in heavy clay there will be water down in the bottom and rock or concrete won’t stop that it will be wet.
As far as metal it depends on the job a long line of posts I will have preset just as the wooden posts but for just a few I might pour the concrete first and then set the post or anchor plate.
Can you get a little extra height using the cement as part of the post? Not really.
Ok you can get a little maybe a foot but not 2’ as your example. Concrete has no sheer strength I have seen folks try do do exactly what you are asking at the coast to have the concrete break below the ground and allow the fence to be pushed over.
I thought the posts would break at the ground level before the concrete but I have seen this several times in high wind areas with sandy soil. So if in a coastal area and you want a 6’ fence don’t skimp and buy 8’ posts go with the 10’ it may even be a code requirement in some areas.
If you have really good soil it may work fine to get a little extra height but be cautious about wind loading and your soil type you don’t want to put a lot of $ and work in to have a few posts fail and cause a lot of repair work.


What is the best adhesive to use for attaching nylon webbing to acrylic?

Gluing on structural straps is an iffy project for most materials.  Have you considered pop rivets? The tool can cost less than $10 and the rivets a few dollars more.

You just drill a small hole throught he plastic, punch a small hole through the strapping, insert the rivet through the holes, add a washer on the webbing side and operate the tool.  You may need two or three per attachment point, depending on how much strain they will be under.

The rivet tool may come in handy on other projects, like repairing your Tricorder.


how long to wait for re-painting one side of fence after pressure washing the otherside which is unpainted

It's my understanding that latex paint bonds well to damp wood. I think you should have no problem with painting now


Yes.  That is exactly what we recommend.

You can go as large as 42 space for just a few dollars more.  Beyond 42 space, the cost gets prohibitive.

There is no problem having the subpanel be of a larger ampacity than the breaker protecting it.


Does it matter whether surge protectors share an outlet?

It's the amps (or watts, equivalently) that matter

A receptacle can be branched to feed as many devices as you please (within reasonable limits, at least) provided the amperage of the devices stays below the amperage limit of the receptacle/circuit.  For standard North American circuits and receptacles, it's 15A, so if the amp draw of your devices adds up to below 15A (and it darn well should given what you state is plugged in), splitting the receptacle with a splitter tap to feed the two power strips is a nothingburger.

(Yes, there is a small amount of extra risk added by an extra splitter tap plugged in, but practically speaking, if one power strip no longer does the job, a tree structure like what you propose is the way to go vs. daisy-chaining strips.)


Is there a "universal" flux core welding wire for repairing any kind of iron?

A railing ( tubular or angle) it it very likely to be "mild" steel , aka -carbon steel. It contains 0.1 to 0.2 % carbon , a little manganese and silicon. Highly weldable with standard filler metal . MIG is the easiest , gas shielded solid steel wire or flux cored steel wire ( the flux generates gas to shield the weld.). You want the most common standard  steel filler wire. You do not have the skill necessary to weld any type of cast iron; the railing is very unlikely to be cast iron." Wrought iron" is an archaic name for very low carbon steel ; unlikely to be in your railing but it would weld the same as mild steel.


Your plan is what most people & contractors do. But, latest basement testing has revealed that even with foam board or spray-in foam you need 6-mil poly against the concrete & then also on top of it. Under-it stops moisture & air from wanting to come in & On-it stops moisture & air from wanting to penetrate it. Here's a really good video breakdown I recently ran across of what's been determined.


How do I wire a/c if furnace wiring compartment has no y terminal?

This is easy

If your furnace board does not have a Y terminal, then you simply need to connect the Y wire from your thermostat directly to the Y wire to the outdoor unit (compressor) with a wirenut.  This way, the thermostat sends 24VAC to the compressor contactor to turn the A/C on during a call for cooling, as well as sending a 24VAC signal to the furnace fan relay to run the fan.


I've had good experience with large articulating mounts from monoprice.com.  And they're pretty inexpensive.


Yes, the Code prevents you from doing this. On the surface you'd think you can pigtail the #8 wire to #12 (because #8 won't fit in 20 Amp outlets) and connect the #12 to 20 Amp outlets. But the 40 Amp breaker has to be changed out to a 20 AMP breaker because the breaker can't exceed the rating of the wire/outlets attached to it so you'd be limited to using one appliance at a time.The wire might have to be pigtailed into the breaker if it doesn't fit. If these are kitchen appliances on counter tops then the outlets would need to be GFCI protected. If the existing wiring is in conduit, you might think about running two 20 Amp circuits.


How do I clean ballpoint pen marks from an LED TV screen?

A simple pencil eraser works well, you just have to be patient and not press too hard.  I've had my kids mark up TVs and laptop screens a few times.


How do I get rid of white lines in wall corners showing up after painting?

If the prior owner used caulk, and they were really dumb and didn't use paintable latex caulk, then its possible that this would be the result.

Regardless, obviously the paint isn't taking properly here - so yes, the answer here is get a quart of primer go over the edges with a brush, let it dry, and redo the corners.


Why are only half of my receptacles working after an electrical arc in one of them?

You'll need an electrician to replace/rewire the receptacle that shorted.  The short melted a wire and caused an open circuit to the remaining outlets fed from that box.  If you are lucky, there is enough wire with unburned insulation in the box to re-wire, otherwise, a new run of wire through the walls may be necessary.  Good fuses/breakers should prevent this.  The fuse should blow before the wire melts.  Make sure your fuses are properly sized for the guage wire on that circuit.  Check other receptacles in the home and if any are loose, have them repaired too.  If you have metal boxes, you might consider wrapping the terminals on the receptacles in electrical tape.  This should help avoid this problem in the future.

Pulling a plug out "too fast" wasn't the cause.  Receptacles should be able to handle more abuse than a phone charger!


Why is my Bosch drill working intermittently?

I had the same problem, I emptied half I can of aerosol contact cleaner into it, vents, trigger chuck ect, goes well again


How to fix a leak in an inaccessible bathtub fixture?

The hot and cold control valves are generally serviceable from above. I would guess (can't say for sure because I don't recognize the brand and model) that you could pry up the circular cover on top of the knob(s) to access a screw that would allow knob removal.

From there, you should be able to disassemble the valve assembly by taking apart the packing assembly, unscrewing the stem, and replacing the worn out washer(s) that are causing the leak (make sure you shut off the water supply first).

This is by no means a sure thing, some roman tub (that term may help you with finding parts) faucets have other means of securing the knobs (like a set screw on the side), and some have proprietary valve designs that do not work like traditional faucet valves. There are myriad brands and styles both foreign and domestic. If you can get the knobs off, you could at least take them to a reputable plumbing supply shop to try to identify your unit and get more information to help you repair it..


Is it OK to leave the thermostat unwired?

The only risk is if you live in a cold climate, your pipes could freeze and burst, flooding your home.  This is unlikely to occur in a few hours, but keep in mind the time of day and the availability of stores and professionals should you need additional supplies or assistance.  If it's -30 out, this isn't something you want to leave broken for 24hours.


One specific light fixture seems to be killing my LED bulbs

Are there any signs of burning on the base of the bulb when you take them out? I wonder if the bulbs are not seating fully in the fixture (due to the shape of the bulbs and glass shades) and you are getting some arcing in the socket that eventually ruins the contacts.

Another thing to look at is to verify that your bulbs are approved for damp locations. It looks like most of the current Cree bulbs are but you seem to have an older model (?). If there is a shower in this room perhaps the moisture is working its way into the bulbs over time.

My final thought is to look at is the voltage at the sockets, if you have a multimeter. Is it considerably higher than the rest of the house? Anything over 125V is probably excessive. Or do these lights share a circuit with a refrigerator or something that might cause a voltage spike when the compressor turns off?


Can I use a single insulated wire to upgrade knob-and-tube?

No, it's not to code to run a single insulated hot wire. It's also weird and confusing.

Instead, replace as much of this as you can. If you must keep some K&T, run it to a new junction box and change it over to NM-B (aka Romex) cable. Rewire these fixtures with NM-B. Looks like if you can do a new run from the attic for the switch box, you should be able to do the same for the other boxes nearby.

P.S. Removing a chimney gives you a great opportunity to change out a bunch of wiring throughout your house. Future you will likely appreciate it if you can modernize your wiring now.


My toilet bowl drains when my neighbor flushes his toilet

Sounds like a problem with the venting.  Your neighbor's toilet is likely not vented properly, so when they flush it siphons your toilet.

Contact a local plumber, and/or the building manager, and have the problem investigated.


Should I insulate a metal pipe roof vent to stop condensation?

If I understand correctly, you're saying that there is moisture getting past the seal on the old (metal) pipe's flashing, but not past the seal on the new PVC pipe. This is probably due to a failing seal, and not condensation. If the old pipe is abandoned, I'd do one of two things:

Go into your attic and cut it off below the roof line. Repair the roof sheathing and roofing.
Replace the flashing from above.

It's possible that you're actually seeing condensation if the attic has very poor ventilation and there's a source of moisture somewhere, such as a roof leak. In that case, fixing the roof leak should eliminate condensation.


1.5 inches of water in dishwasher drain cup after use

Because this is an old installation, I suspect a problem inside the dishwasher. However, it is possible that it is related to the drain. At first I thought this was a lot of water - 1.5" of water on the bottom of the tub. But the "cup" isn't that big so (a) it might actually be normal (where 3" was not) and (b) that could easily be from the water in the drain hose coming back into the dishwasher, as described below with a drain hose installed incorrectly.

Your dishwasher drain should be connected to either a traditional air gap or to a high hose loop.

A traditional air gap is a metal/plastic gadget, usually installed on the corner of a sink. The dishwasher drain goes up the air gap and the water has to literally go through a gap to go back down into another drain hose that goes down to the disposal or sink drain. I don't see how this could be broken and cause standing water in the dishwasher. Normally if this is broken, you have water all over the counter whenever the dishwasher is run and if it is clogged then you would have no water drain out at all.

However, if you have a high hose loop and it has fallen down, which can happen if it is not held up securely, particularly if any other work has been done under the sink, or if the dishwasher is pulled out for service, then you could have a problem of this sort. The high hose loop prevents sewage from backing up into the dishwasher by making an effectively impossible "hill" for the water to have to climb back up to get back into the dishwasher. If the drain hose does not go up above the bottom of the sink then water could easily drain back into the dishwasher at the end of the cycle and, if you have a clog (even a partial clog) in the main sink drain pipe or disposal then you could have some water from the sink come down into the dishwasher. See my answer at Draining problems in dishwasher. Is this drain setup ok? for a picture.


That jamb is too far gone to be trying to fix it with a dremel, IMHO. You can buy new replacement jambs and just replace that side for not much money.
Have you tried salvage yards, used building material stores to find a match?


There's no good way to secure a thin strip like that with less effort than simply replacing the faulty board. You'll regret not fixing it correctly.


container liner for easy cleaning when mixing concrete

What kind of liner do you propose to use? Seems to me that any liner that I can think of would rip easily with the rigor of mixing the concrete.

I have used one of those heavy duty wheelbarrows that has a plastic tub on it for mixing concrete. It was surprisingly easy to wash out as compared to a metal wheel barrow.


Hissing noise coming from the lights in my bedroom

You have two options, get rid of the dimmer or try different LED bulbs.  All LED bulbs hiss when on a dimmer, some bulbs hiss much louder that others.  A led compatible dimmer will help reduce the amount of hiss but it will never get rid of it.

Here is an article that compares a couple of different led bulbs and dimmer switches.  It looks at the quality of light and the amount of buzz each bulb makes with different types of dimmers.  http://www.cnet.com/news/which-led-light-bulbs-are-best-for-dimming/


Master showerhead has electrical current, what to do?

This is how some of our troops got killed overseas. Simply taking a shower delivered lethal doses of electricity.

The problem is grounding.  It is certainly possible that the ground in the breaker box has become separated from a real earth ground.

So first, the breaker box ground needs to be fixed at the very least.
Even if it requires driving in a new ground rod and new wiring.  Then make sure all ground connections are tight.

Highly recommend a qualified electrician to look at this one.


Does x-ray lead paint detection find lead underneath latex topcoats?

The short answer is Yes, X-ray lead paint detectors can 'see' lead through top layers of non-lead paint.
But it depends to some degree on the thickness of the layers of paint as well as the type of X-ray detector 'gun' used.

There are 2 types used for lead detection: K X-rays and L X-rays.
The K X-rays have higher energy than the L, which means that they are less attenuated by layers of paint.

So a K X-ray lead detector will be better able to detect lead in lower layers of paint than an L X-ray detector.

If you're concerned that you might get a positive reading from an X-ray lead detector, then you'd probably be better off having a chemical lead test done instead, since this should only be able to find lead in the surface paint layer.


How to remove bathtub drain flange with nubs?

You CAN use Channellock type pliers, just not the way in the linked picture/answer shows. You use the handles of the pliers, adjusted to the width of the throat of the tub drain, as spanners. Insert the handles into the drain so they are against the nubs, then turn those pliers by putting a pipe wrench, large adjustable wrench, or another set of pliers on the jaws of those pliers (which are pointing up) and turn counter-clockwise.

I have removed numerous tub drains using this method.


What can I do to fix the dispenser in the front of my fridge?

When you push the levers in to dispense water/ice, do you hear the motor running (but nothing comes out)?  If so, then it's probably a supply problem (iced up line, etc).  If not, then it's likely an electrical problem.  Most likely a fuse or a bad relay.

To get into the unit, you would (usually) need to remove the whole plastic panel on the inside of the door.  The screws are usually hidden underneath the seal that runs around the edge of the door.  Your user manual might have some useful information as well.


What reasons could cause my Bosch dishwasher to periodically fail to fully clean dishes?

After a few months of rerunning failed washes, I found the issue... I hope.

I disassembled the dishwasher's front and removed the control board. Upon close inspection there were two dead/fried ants (yes, the insect) on the bottom of the control board near the pins for the relay the heater. This relay is already unreliable in this dishwasher model and I have fixed it before.

One of the solder joints connecting the relay looked like a cold solder joint. Cold solder joints can sometimes have intermittent connection issues so I was hopeful that this was the issue. I suspect the ants were in there during a run and caused the pins to arc which melted the solder joints.

I removed the solder from the joints and re-soldered the pins. I reassembled the dishwasher and have had two successful runs so far. Fingers crossed this resolves the issue.


How can I fix this gap in my kitchen counter?

The screws attaching the cabinet to the wall are placed at every stud, near the top of the cabinet where you see the solid wood. Studs are typically spaced every 16" and can be found with a stud finder. The cabinets will be attached to each other, so look for screws in adjacent cabinets, too, tightening everything uniformly. There should also be something holding the cabinet down to the floor, behind the toe kick on the front.

What you need to find out is why the cabinet is pulling away. Perhaps it's just caulk drying and shrinking. It's possible your floor is settling/sagging in the middle of the room. Or the outside walls could be going out of plumb. Some of these, like sagging floor joists, could indicate other problems that need to be solved first.

To fix the problem, you could remount the counter top tighter to the wall. But 99% of us would simply add more caulk.


What's a clean and code-compliant way to terminate Cat6 cables at a wall, where a rack mount patch panel will be in front of it?

Riser cables are not "fragile", for one thing. 65 of them in a bundle are not even remotely fragile, as a unit, unless "hack with an axe" is your fragility standard. Rack patch panels (punchdown style) are specifically intended to terminate riser (or plenum) type solid cables without the need to put a plug onto the cable (where repeated use might flex the wires too much and break them; though this is unlikely to be an issue in the average house.)

Low voltage cables can have all sorts of things that look like "violations" if you were to do that with power wiring, and are not in low voltage.

You can simply have a low voltage cable passthough, (a pretty hole in the wall) leave the cables hanging until the rack shows up, and terminate them into a rackmount patch panel designed for the purpose. This passes code & inspections for commercial occupancies, which are generally somewhat harsher than residential.

You could also run them into a "between the studs" "structured wiring" box that had patch panel ports on the door, which seems to be the way you are thinking, but I'm not finding that as a common option so I think you'd be modifying the door for that purpose yourself. Most "media wiring boxes" appear to be oriented towards hiding it all - I suppose you could use one of those and have the door open all the time once the rack is in place.

You will probably have to get 72 ports worth of patch to (efficiently) terminate 65 cables, as 12 & 24 are the usual units for patchbays.

Resist the urge to cut everything as short as possible - well-designed cable installations will have a deliberate loop hung on the wall (or sometimes in the wall) to allow for "moves, adds and changes."


How do I remove calcification from a screw head?

Most of the time you can chisel it out with a scratch awl and a utility knife. You will dull the blade of the knife, but that's why they are replaceable. I also would use my $2 awl, not the heirloom one with the rosewood handle.


When I sized the ventilation (with heat recovery) for the house we built, I used numbers based on the replacement rates for the activities in each room combined with the number of people.

So, bedrooms tend to have the lower requirements, kitchens etc highest.

We had extraction in kitchen / bathroom and input in bedroom / living areas etc  The unit we fitted, that was designed to run 24/7, was a unit 2ft * 2ft * 1ft deep. We also took the opportunity to bring the inlet air underground for 100 feet to help mitigate the summer high and winter low temperatures of the air.

We used this supplier : https://www.stiebel-eltron.com/en/home/products-solutions/information-engineering/ventilation-systems.html

Have a look at this link as that will give some relevant values:

Room air changes

Once you have the total amount of air to move, then you can work out the amount per hour and from that the fan size needed.


Do I need hidden decking fasteners on both sides of a joist?

This instruction sheet from Deckmaster has you installing on only one side, but alternating sides for interior joists, and adding extra bracket sections for decking splices.

I suggest that you follow manufacturer guidelines for your product.


What should I do about a frozen spigot pipe?

My neighbor had the same problem last year. See the attached hose. It should have been taken off before the cold weather came. The hose does not let the water drain out and subjects the valve assembly to freezing. In his case when the pipe thawed out he had a flooded basement. Close the shut off valve inside the house now before warm weather comes. Then check the valve assembly for leaks and replace if necessary.


How should I replace a cantilevered rim joist?

I can think of a couple ways you might go here. The rim joist doesn't carry much actual load. Most of it is on the common joists. Really, you can remove it and replace it without doing much else. Keep an eye on things as you do so and watch for any twisting movement in the in the joists.

Another approach would be to rip cut the joist halfway down and replace it with two boards. Remove the top half and replace it with a 2x6, then remove the bottom half and replace it with another 2x6 ripped to the correct dimension.


I ran into two hot lines when replacing a three way switch

It's possible that you are detecting residual voltage from the neutral through the lamps at one switch (in the order of 50V often), you can use a multimeter in voltage mode and see how much voltage you actually detect. Or take out the bulbs from the fixtures and check again.

Other wise you can (with the breaker off) connect 2 wires at one switch then check continuity of the wires at the other end (with a battery and little bulb for the poor-man's checker). If the non-lives are those that connect on both ends then it's fine.


Furnace entering lockout mode - air flow problem?

I'd have to say to get an HVAC technician in for a complete cleaning, overall inspection, adjustment and, of course, solving the problem...keep using the better filters, they're worth it to you and to the system.

Yes, it could very well be an air-flow problem and the filter removal may have partially addressed the problem. However, if you have cooling on top, then the filter removal, possibly, revealed the problem's deeper and you have a dirty A-coil. This, is what the air always blows through regardless of heating or cooling.

And yes, it could be your humidifier if a majority of air flows through it with your setup...uncommon for what I've seen. However, your blower fan or even burners could be clogged-up or you may have a circuit board, transformer, sequencer, limiter or even igniter that's failing.

Sorry, HVAC is just a bit too complicated anymore and even the codes thrown by them are commonly just a symptom and not the cause. If the unit's never been serviced since 2009, then it's definitely due and may have been wasting money for a couple of years.


Corroded wiring casing in basement - cause?

2017 - probably MC-Lite (aluminum armor) which you could verify by magnet, but the fact that the corrosion is primarily white leans heavily that way.
Given that much corrosion in 3 years, I'd suspect that it's getting something like acidic condensate from the furnace flue (or condensate drain) dripped or splashed on it, or there's water softener salt/brine getting onto it.
A third possibility would be if there was any concrete work associated with the "flipping" and concrete/cement got onto the cable and was not removed - concrete and aluminum are highly incompatible.
Aside from correcting whatever is contaminating the cable, or if you can't figure out what that is, this might be a place where liquidtight conduit and THWN would be a better bet than MC-Lite.


7500 Watt Manual Transfer Switch has #10 wires, but my well pump is wired with #8

You should be OK. The ampacity of the 8 ga is 40 amps, but who ever installed it was considering voltage drop over that long a run and used 8ga. A wise precaution and someone who actually followed installation specs...nice!
The ampacity of 10ga is 30 amps and such a short run between the generator and xfer switch won't have any appreciable voltage drop.
Most of the experienced electricians here don't really like the type of transfer switches you are using. They are over-priced for what they do and there are better alternatives, like a mechanical interlock on the main panel between the main breaker and the generator breaker. That way there is very little re-wiring to be done and you can easily pick and choose which, of all your circuits, are powered at one time simply by turning off existing individual breakers.
If you carry on with your xfer switch, there are tons of easy options to connect 8 ga with 10 ga.


Can I put a low-voltage transformer in the attic?

Your attic is an accessible location that looks like it is already housed so all you will need a box for the connection to the power according to the instructions. Additional enclosures should not be needed.


How should I run wiring for my above-fireplace mounted TV?

I agree with @DA01 that it'll basically be impossible to fish horizontally through studs and insulation, without having to cut open all of the sheetrock. Then you have to deal with sealing it all back up air-tight, and patching the drywall and repainting (at least the entire wall, and maybe the entire room, depending the paint match).

So a couple alternatives:

Use a wiremold type product to surface mount the conduit:

There are lots of different brands, and it can be paintable. With planning, you can minimize where you see it.

Build up the wall using cabinets or a false wall, so you can run wire in behind, on top of the existing wall.

Could be as simple as just a drywall section sticking out, or some built-in cabinets or some brick work. Cabinets of course have the benefit of being able to build in other components such as your A/V gear and speakers.


It appears to have changed in the 2012 IRC when the requirement for hot tubs was also applied to bathrooms and wet areas

Here is information that references the change and a screenshot is provided below.

Significant Changes to the International Building Code, 2012 Edition via Google Books


Can I double-feed a low voltage DC system?

I parallel power supplies all the time. The only problems I have found is with switching supplies sometimes they don't work well together but this is on loads that are inductive in nature. If I want to be 100% sure it will work I use a transformer based regulated supply set at the same voltage. So both supplies under normal load are being used. Setting 1 supply at a different level has the higher voltage one doing all the work and possibly failing earlier than if both are set at the same level. No diodes or anything else is needed. It is much like hooking 2 batteries in parallel for more amperage.


The hot water pressure is low in my shower and tub

Does you shower have a pressure balancing valve?  That is the single-knob type to control the water temperature.  If so, there is a pressure balancing piston that sometimes gets clogged with hard water deposits and stops working properly.

Fortunately the inner cartridge can usually be replaced and restore proper operation, without having to replace the whole valve.  See this TOH video for and example:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,20809251,00.html


Strong intermitent sewage smell in bathroom, possible broken underfloor pipe

Although your question is not detailed or specific enough to provide definitive answers, you should do these things:

Check the void space that you mentioned for signs of a sewage leak
Have a plumber run a camera down your branch and main sewer lines to check the integrity
Check your vent lines to ensure they are not plugged or restricted
Check for a drain that is not frequently used (like a hidden floor drain) and run some water down it to establish a seal in the trap if necessary)

Consider this:

It is not uncommon for drain flow(s) from another appurtenance to cause a siphon action in a tub or sink drain, resulting in sewer gases/odors entering the room. This is caused by inadequate venting and there are methods to abate it, call a plumber.


Calculating Stair Strings - Is 7.92" Too High of a Rise for Patio Stairs?

The maximum riser height allowed by Code is 8”. (See ICC R311.5.3.1)
The minimum riser height allowed by Code is 4”. (See ICC R311..5.3.4)
The maximum difference between the maximum height of any riser and the smallest allowed by Code is 3/8”. (See ICC R311.5.3)
Keep the maximum number of risers at 3 and you won’t be required to install a handrail.
Handrails are required when there are 4 or more risers. (See ICC R311.5.6)


How can this panel pull 100A without any breakers tripping?

It could have to do with the trip curves of the breakers, and/or the ambient temperature differences between panel locations.
Trip Curve
For example, let's say all the circuits on Phase A are drawing 3 times the rated current. The trip curve for these breakers, say they will trip between 10 and 30 seconds at 3 times current. So the total current on Phase A at the main panel is 270 amperes, or 2.7 times the rated current (100 A). The trip curve for the breaker in the main panel, says that it should trip between 12 and 35 seconds at 2.7 times current.  If the breaker in the main panel is a bit more sensitive, you can see that it might actually trip before any of the secondary breakers.
Ambient Temperature
As well as a trip curve, circuit breakers will also have an ambient temperature curve.  Breakers are designed and calibrated to operate at 40°C (104°F) ambient temperature. If the breaker is operated at an ambient temperature of -10°C to 24°C (14°F to 75°F), the breaker will be able to carry more current. However, if the breaker is operated at an ambient temperature between 41°C to 60°C (106°F to 140°F), it will carry less current and could lead to nuisance tripping.
For example, if the 100 ampere breaker is operating at 140°F ambient, you might find that it actually trips at only 85 amperes.
High Altitude
When breakers are installed at higher altitudes, the current  has to be adjusted due to the reduced cooling effects of the thinner air. According to the documentation I could find, the adjustment multipliers are as follows:

0 - 6600 ft. (0 - 2011 m) -> 1
6600 - 8500 ft. (2011 - 2591 m) -> 0.99
8500 - 13000 ft. (2591 - 3962 m) -> 0.96

If you were installing a 100 ampere breaker at 10,000 ft., the breaker should only be expected to carry 96 amperes (100A * 0.96 = 96A).
Though in your situation, the breakers are likely all installed at a similar altitude. So this it likely not the problem, unless the air near the main panel is significantly thinner for some other reason.


No water after reopening main water valve

I'm going to assume it's a typical gate valve, and also since you said main water valve I'll assume it's the main shutoff just before the meter.

With these assumptions in mind, I'm going to say you will have to call your local municipality. The water company does not allow (or like) home owners to tamper with anything near (and defiantly not before) the water meter.

In fact, in lots of areas the municipality actually owns the pipe (and any fixtures) before the water meter. So this is not likely a DIY job.

When you call to have them come fix the valve, ask them to replace the broken gate valve with a ball valve.

If I have assumed incorrectly and the valve is on your side of the water meter, you can try to repair it yourself (see this question for how to do it) or you could just replace the broken valve.

If you are going to fix the valve yourself (it's on your side of the meter) and there is no other shut off before this valve, you will have to make a call to the municipality to have the water shut off to the building.

If you do the work yourself, you may have to get a permit and/or have your work inspected by a licensed plumber.


What steps should I take when cabling a drain?

I was afraid of doing this the first time; but after a plumber let me assist him I saw it was pretty basic.  When you want to clear a drain pipe you want to consider the diameter of the pipe and the material of the pipe.  The size of the pipe will determine what size bits you want to use.  Bits come in a variety of sizes and shapes to handle different size pipes and types of blockage.  Since you are overflowing at the toilet seal, I'm going to assume you want to clear your main line which is going to be pretty big.

The size of the bit will also determine the thickness of the cable you need to use.  If you use a cable that's too thin for the bit, it will bind up and could become a twisted mess when it hits the blockage.  For most jobs, the power drain cleaner you can rent at Home Depot is sufficient.

An important point is to go slow and use a low speed until you get to the blockage.  The thing you want to avoid is to have the bit banging around with so much force that you damage the pipe, especially if you have a brittle material like clay.  Start with a small bit to see how far the blockage is and how tough it is.  Work the small bit through the blockage if you can, and then replace the bit with a larger one and repeat until you have the pipe cleared.

The 'tricky' part is  working through the blockage without twisting the cable.  You don't want to push the cable, just let it pull itself through the pipe and blockage.  You also want to make sure to wear a pair of thick leather gloves.  If the cable does twist up it will protect your hands and fingers from getting seriously pinched.

If you think there is some kind of damage or other serious issue, you can rent a camera to inspect the inside of the drain pipe.  Most of them will also give you a distance measurement and record the video.  This would be useful if you have to bring in a professional plumber.


Is copper clad aluminum wiring safe to use?

Copper clad aluminum doesn't have the safety issues that aluminum wiring has for household branch circuits.  The cladding was applied with a special manufacturing process and it's held up over time.

The NEC tables for aluminum wire sizing are also for copper clad aluminum, so larger gauge wire is required for a given ampacity than would be with copper.  So although you don't have to do anything special with it, but keep in mind that you can't for example put a 20A breaker on a circuit with 12 AWG copper clad aluminum - you're limited to 15A.

I don't know if copper clad aluminum is available for power any more, I have not seen it.  It's likely that it came and went due to economics.  For a time copper was so much more expensive than aluminum it was worth making.  Now, the savings using aluminum are not enough to offset the manufacturing cost.

There was some low grade network cable on the market recently that was copper clad aluminum.  It had a high failure rate, but it's not clear that the cladding was properly applied, etc.  It was sold with a counterfeit UL mark, clearly a fly by night product.

The only reason I could see to replace it now is the possibility it may make a future buyer nervous should some future inspector note on their report that aluminum wiring was found in the house.


Cut plaster hole, without hole saw, options?

Your best option is a jab saw and a steady hand.

If your question is how to do it while spending no money the answer is substituting the saw blade in a multi-tool or Swiss Army Knife. Failing that, scoring the plaster with a utility or X-acto and carefully breaking it out.


Would my grounding conductor be “choked” out by metallic conduit?

You want Schedule 80 PVC, not a metal rigid conduit

Assuming that the engineers want the grounding electrode conductor protected from physical damage, then the tool of choice for this job is Schedule 80 PVC conduit, as you are correct that putting a single conductor in a ferrous (steel) conduit will cause a "choke" effect that impairs the ability of that conductor to carry current.  Either that, or if ferrous conduit is required, then use a conduit grounding clamp, jumper, and lay-in tap lug at each end to bond the conduit to the conductor -- this suppresses the choke effect.


Is there any legitimate reason to have a direct vent between utility room and attic?

If the furnace and water heater are gas powered, it would be to provide adequate airflow for their combustion so that you don't get carbon monoxide forming in the utility room.

Here's a link with some information.  An excerpt:

  The heating appliances are fully isolated from the living space with partitions. Figure 1 provides two vents to the outside, one within a foot of the ceiling and one within a foot of the floor. If vertical ducts are used to bring combustion air to the appliance each vent should be sized at one square inch of free vent area per 4000 BTUH of the appliance input rating.

(This is based on a half-remembered long-ago conversation with a service person working on my furnace and heater, which are in the center of my mostly-unfinished basement: I mentioned framing in a utility room around them and he said not to for that reason).


How do you access the Rainsoft water softener "advanced" settings, such as hardness?

Finally found a web page that alluded to the answer. On the front panel of the control unit there is a small raindrop. While touching the raindrop (it doesn't look like a button), push the program/enter button. It will cycle through the factory settings, such as capacity and hardness.


Just get a combi if you need both DHW and heating or just an 'only heating' boiler. Few brands names: Immergas, Baxi, Buderus, Bosch, Riello, Junkers.

If you get I condensing unit I suggest you to keep the flow below 55°C, to exploit the condensing capability of the unit.

DHW units usually aren't suitable for space heating because those units lack a feedback control on water temperature (they assume inlet is standard 'acquaduct' range: 5°-20°, so returning with hot water may cause serious issues bringing water to boil in the exchanger leading to steam production and eventual explosion)


Does leaving ceiling fans on improve A/C effeciency?

A fan won't improve efficiency, rather the opposite (more circulation means more loss to the outside).

But it might improve comfort.  Increased comfort can result in the occupants raising the temperature, and thus reducing cost.


What are the small white ants in my apartment and how do I get rid of them?

There is no such thing as a white ants.

Termites are white, however.

Termites require two things: wood and water in the same location. If you have termites, you need to eliminate any contact between wood and moisture in the house. Note that wood in contact with the ground is automatically considered "moist".


Why is smoke entering my home through the fireplace?

Damper closed - most likely.

Chimney blocked - while "damper closed" is a self-correctable version of this, if the fireplace has not been inspected there may be anything from bird nests to parts of a chimney in serious disrepair blocking the flue.

SO - before you become a statistic (of the chimney fire sort) call a chimney sweep and have the flue inspected to be sure it is in safe condition to use, and find out where the damper control is (often a lever or chain hanging down in the top of the fireplace.)

Another possible problem, particularly common if the fireplace & chimney is on the outside wall of the house, would be an excessively cold flue - sometimes curable by putting newspaper up into the throat of the fireplace and lighting it (before lighting the fire), to get air moving the right direction (up and out.)


Is it against code to splice wires inside of the load center?

National Electrical Code 2011
Chapter 3 Wiring Methods and Materials
Article 312 Cabinets, Cutout Boxes, and Meter Socket Enclosures
I. Installation
312.8 Switch and Overcurrent Device Enclosures with Splices, Taps, and Feed- Through Conductors. The wiring space of enclosures for switches or overcurrent devices
shall be permitted for conductors feeding through, spliced, or tapping
off to other enclosures, switches, or overcurrent devices where all of
the following conditions are met:
(1)   The total of all conductors installed at any cross section of the
wiring space does not exceed 40 percent of the cross-sectional area of
that space.
(2)   The total area of all conductors, splices, and taps installed at
any cross section of the wiring space does not exceed 75 percent of
the cross-sectional area of that space.
(3)   A warning label is applied to the enclosure that identifies the closest            disconnecting means for any feed-through conductors.

This is the applicable code section. It used to say no splices were allowed unless there is enough room. This led many, many folks to simply state "NO splices allowed". They were wrong.
You'd be amazed at what it would physically take to reach that 75% number of fill.
So basically yes, splices are FINE in a breaker panel.


Multiple motion sensor lights on one switch

Unfortunately many or even most of the motion sensor lights on the market are junk.  At least that's been my experience.  I have installed a bunch of these purchased at big box stores that just didn't work, replaced them with better quality brands and had no trouble.

Before I went to too much trouble with these, I'd remove them and bench test them - wire them up (carefully of course) on a test bench and see if they work as they are supposed to one at a time.  If they don't, you can return them and get something better without wasting a lot of time.

If they work individually, I'd further bench test that they DON'T work with both on the same circuit.  I am skeptical that that's really an issue.  If it is, it's probably more trouble to rearrange your wiring on separate circuits than it is to just replace them with better lights that don't have that restriction.

In fact it probably boils down to replacing them either way so maybe it doesn't even make sense to test, just find a high quality brand that works when installed on the same circuit and replace them.


Can you change a PRV by isolating the radiator at both ends?

A hot water heating system has to have enough water pressure in the heating system (boiler, piping, and radiation) to keep the water up to the highest point in the system. So, for each pound of water pressure in the system, the water will rise up in the piping a height of 28" or 2.31feet. For example, if the height of the highest point in the heating system from an accurate pressure gauge on the boiler was 20 feet, the boiler static pressure or cold fill would have to be 8.66# (20 divided by 2.31). Most PRV settings are 12psi for a 1 story house and 15 psi for a 2 story house. So, if you remove the TRV there is pressure in the system that is being supplied by a PRV set at at least 12 psi If you want to remove any of the isolation valves you should reduce the pressure to a point that the water will not flow out of that pipe. MYself, I would drain the system.  Hope this answers your question.


You can install a cover plate:

Obviously the screw heads have to be hard to open after installation.


Dishwasher automatically turning on batch feed disposer?

Some dishwashers have an internal food grinder, so there is no need to use an external one. It was common practice to connect the discharge of the dishwasher to the disposer, but not likely that the disposer would be activated by the dishwasher.  In fact, it could be quite dangerous if the disposer was to activate automatically.

It's not impossible for the dishwasher to activate the disposer, but it's not likely (or common, or possibly even safe).  You could verify whether or not the disposer is activated quite easily, simply by running the dishwasher and monitoring the disposer to see if it does indeed come on.  There would also have to be some wiring running between the dishwasher and the disposer, so you could look to see if there is.


Are sheet metal screws required for connecting round duct branches?

Yes, now a days screws and a sealant of some sort are required. Use aluminum tape, not the gray plastic crap with cloth backing, it falls apart in a few years. There are brush on sealants also.


There are a few reasons that paint wrinkles. The most common reason is using an oil based primer or paint over a latex painted surface. If you only have a small area of problem, this is probably not the case. I suspect you may have left some wallpaper sizing or glue behind. Some soap may have leached behind the wallpaper also. When removing wallpaper, it is very important to really clean the surface well. Sometimes a skim coat of joint compound is needed to smooth the walls and create a good bondable surface. Another possible cause is that the primer was not dry enough when you painted. If the primer didn't wrinkle after it had been on and cured, then maybe something contaminated the surface before you painted.  As you see, there are several reasons for the paint failure.  Check the options or add more detail to the question.


Asbestos. (lgam.info/asbestos-cement-pipe)

You'd need cast couplings: (ebay, Smith Blair Industrial Ad)


Salt free and low maintenance water softener

The only thing that comes to mind for a practical "salt-free-softener" is a Reverse Osmosis (RO) system. You could also distill the entire water supply, but it's not practical unless you happen to be sitting on a lot of excess power/heat.

An RO system is rather costly and wastes a considerable quantity of water, so they are more commonly used for drinking & cooking water rather than for the whole house. The principle of operation is that the water is forced through a membrane that does not allow dissolved minerals to pass through it, but a significant amount of water has to be diverted to carry that material off.

I don't think they normally are set up this way, but it's always seemed to me that the waste-water from the process could be collected and used for toilet-flushing, irrigation or the like.

Depending on the age and condition of your salt-based softener, and the hardness of your water, you might find that you can reduce salt use considerably with a more modern unit - many older units simply recycle on a time switch, while newer ones actually pay attention to the amount of water used.


Should I close the gable vent on my garage in the winter?

In most cases, vents are there precisely to be open in the winter (and all other seasons) and plugging them up may result in various problems depending on which of various roles they serve, including but not limited to combustion air supply for fuel-burning appliances, keeping the roof from forming ice dams, preventing mold and mildew, etc.

As such, even without further details about what this particular one is doing, I would tend to think that it was put there precisely because there is supposed to be a vent there, usually to meet building code, and it should not be plugged.


Will replacing windows significantly reduce solar heat gain in summer?

Different types of solar coatings (and where they are installed on the glass panes) can make a significant difference in the amount of solar gain.
There are various types of solar coatings and each serves a separate purpose. However, they all allow vision out the glass.
You indicate some of the double pane windows have failed. I’d take this opportunity to replace the glazing units with special solar coating. Here’s an article that explains the various types:
https://www.google.com/amp/glassed.vitroglazings.com/topics/how-low-e-glass-works%3Fhs_amp%3Dtrue
In addition to the various types of solar coatings, there are 4 surfaces to a double pane window where the coatings can be applied. Installing it on the inside surface of the exterior pane will provide best reflection.
This process needs to be accomplished by a window manufacturer, but you do not need to remove the window frame, just the glazing.
I’d do all the panes so all the windows look the same when viewed from the outside and inside.


How to calculate sizing for treehouse footing?

Hmmm...no digging in the ground and no concrete.

Sounds like the four perimeter beams will be your foundation. They’ll need to be treated for ground contact (pressure treated) as you indicate.

Your total load will be about 220 lbs. (Live Load) as you indicate, plus about 800 lbs. in lumber and material (Dead Load). I did not add snow load as I’d assume if there’s snow, then there’d be no “kid” load.

If you don’t remove the topsoil, your soil bearing value will be about 200 - 400 lbs. per square foot.

Assuming a total load of about 1,020 lbs. distributed at the perimeter: 13’ x 13’ x 4” wide beam for a footer allows a total footprint of about 17 square feet.

So, with a total load of 1,020 lbs. / 17 sq. Ft. = a soil bearing value of 60 lbs. per square foot for 4x beam footings.

Option 1: Use pre-cast square concrete footings at the corners. So, 4 - 16” x 16” footings will give you a footprint of about 7 square feet and a soil bearing value of about 145 lbs. per square foot, which is also very reasonable.


Why is there white crust on my dishes after they are washed in the dish washer?

It sounds like the detergent not completely disolving.  Is your water hot enough (it is hooked to the hot water, right)? Does it take a long time for your hot water to reach it? Try running it in the sink before starting the washer and see if that helps. You could also turn up the water temp (be careful though if you have small kids). Switching to a detergent that disolves better might help, or use a little less. Try liquids vs solids. As a last ditch, it could be your water is hard and you need a softener installed.


These look like aluminum windows. Most likely the problem here isn't water intrusion, but the windows "sweating" in the winter. The water then gets wicked up by the drywall about 1-2" from the window itself.

Your first option is to replace the windows with vinyl. That will provide you with better insulation overall and you can eliminate the sweating entirely. This is also expensive and difficult.

The second option is to tear down the drywall next to the windows and put up, say, 1x4 vinyl planking. Since you'll be tearing out the metal casing along the edge too, what I would suggest is casing the wall around the window in door casing. It will hide the ripped-out drywall damage and, once caulked, it will look quite attractive.


The counter balance is not working correctly, but repairing this or replacing it is non-trivial.  Instead, you can pickup a device like this that will create enough friction to hold the window in place.  It should be installed between the window and the frame and is a simple DIY job.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_128860-76018-F+2537_0__?productId=3010767


Should siding be replaced or can it be repaired?

First off, never assume anything. You should take some pictures and know the basic dimensions of the house. You could talk with some local contractors, armed with pics and dimensions and get some ballpark prices.  New siding on an existing building can go $250 to $400 a square (10ft X 10ft), removal and replace.

Just because your inspector found some rot, don't expect the sellers to discount for an entire siding job. You can try for what ever you think you can get, but I bet your offer to buy contingencies won't cover that. Unless the inspector committed and said the siding was unserviceable, you will need to negotiate.

Wood siding can last 100 years if well maintained, but I have seen 20 year old siding that was junk.  The type of wood, whether the wood was back primed when installed, and how often it was stained or painted will make a huge difference.

Although this is not in a pure sense a home improvement question, I could not stand to not answer this one. I am a home inspector and these questions come up all the time with my customers.


Proper Method of Beam to Colum for two story column?

I’ll try to help. There are several issues.
First, I don’t think the posts have to extend two stories. I think the posts could extend from a foundation support up to the deck structural system.
Second, posts could extend from the deck structural system up to the roof overhang if necessary for the guardrail support. (The posts could align with the first floor posts, if necessary.)
Third, the size of the deck support beam (you call it a “rim joist”) is dependent on how far the deck extends from the wall AND how far it spans from post to post. By Code, “decks” are required to support 40 lbs. per square foot (psf). See Table R301.5)
If the exterior balcony is more than 6’ deep (I’ll assume 6’ you tell me if I’m wrong) and posts are more than 6’ apart, a single 2 x 6 will not provide enough support. In fact, 2-2 x 6’s will not give enough support.
Fourth, notching a 6 x 6 about 3” is excessive and will not give adequate support for the deck and guardrail.
I would restructure the balcony so that an adequate sized beam is used (4 x 8) and so that it is placed on top of a post, rather than notched into a 6 x 6.
Please note that the code requires decks to be anchored to the house in at least two locations using straps like this tie:
https://www.fastenersplus.com/products/Simpson-DTT2Z-Deck-Tension-Tie-Zmax-Finish?gclid=Cj0KCQjw7YblBRDFARIsAKkK-dJZrRsiFDrb6UevCNA1fWsgoBllbcaFbSIxYM08Q-lVaduQDD0EbOYaAvekEALw_wcB
I’d use a steel post cap (like Simpson Strong-Tie) to connect the beam to the post, but there isn’t enough info to size the connector.


I know this is going to sound crazy but I had a similar problem with a cold water shower valve. It would squeal and then the pressure would drop. I ended up removing the valve stem and found a very loose washer. I replaced it and never had the problem again.....


Do I need to upgrade wiring to replace a 50A breaker with a 60A breaker for a new hot tub?

Number 8NM cable is not good for 60A. To be honest it was not even good for 50a. #8NM cable is only good for up to a 40A circuit.

For a 60A circuit you need #6cu or better yet #4 considering the distance.


How to wire a ceiling fan with a red, black, white, ground in ceiling box?

Connect the remote receiver to the fan wiring: black to black, blue to blue, white to white.

Connect the supply wires to the remote receiver: black to black, white to white.

Connect the grounds together: green (supply) to green (fan), along with a pigtail to the junction box if it's metal.

Cap off the red wire in the ceiling.

Remove the red wire from the switch and cap it off.

If you wanted the switch to control the fan or lights directly, connect the supply black to the black (fan) or blue (lights) from the fan, not the remote receiver. Cap off the corresponding wire from the remote receiver. Given that you only have 1 switch on the wall, though, it's probably best to control everything via the remote. Also keep in mind that if you connect the fan this way, you lose the ability to adjust the speed.


Can subterranean termites live on wet wood only without access to the ground?

You should ask a professional, well established pest control company.  I can tell you only about my experience in Florida that Subterranean termites can establish colonies by building mud tubes up the sides of concrete block, to reach wood inside your home. In Fl. A lot of the big companies use Termidor, which is injected into the ground surrounding your home.  They treat your house every ten years and will offer a warranty if you pay about $125. Per year and they inspect your house yearly for signs of damage.  What we call dry-wood termites fly into your house through openings and colonize after they drop their wings. Often they can be treated with a type of heat gun and other means if the infestation is localized.  If they are all through your house they usually treat by tenting the entire house and gassing them.
I'm sure there are other opinions and treatments, esp. in different climates.


Since you say it's not working, I assume you mean disused fireplace.

Two insulation approaches (which don't depend on there being an operable damper, though closing a damper if you can figure out how will certainly help.)

Stuff rockwool or fiberglass batt insulation up into the throat of the fireplace (above the firebox) - also feel for drafts down low in case there's an outside air inlet, and stuff that if there is.
Cut one or more pieces of foam board insulation to roughly fit in the throat of the chimney, then use spray foam insulation to seal the edges tightly to the masonry.

Neither of these need (nor should) be visible when looking at the fireplace normally.

You can also fill the fireplace front opening itself, but that is more of a visual impact on the room with the fireplace in it and may be unacceptable as a result.

If you have not used it for at least 18 years and don't intend to, you might want to consider having the chimney externally capped off, as well, or even taken down, but those are more extensive projects rather than quick DIY solutions.


How much concrete is required to hold 125 lbs/sqft permanently?

Base on your description:

Concrete strength does not appear to be an issue. With a minimal 2500 psi concrete the entire safe could bear on one square inch.
The size of the footing depends on the bearing capacity of the soil. Suppose the soil has a bearing capacity of 20 pounds per square foot. Then the foundation would need to be 25 square feet. Other soil bearing capacities would require larger or smaller minimum footings.
Placing a new foundation near an existing often has substantial engineering implications. The forces overlap on a portion of the soil because the bearing capacity of a soil is a function of it's ability to distribute loads. Consultation with a professional engineer may be in order.


Can an 8 gauge wire melt due to arcing on a 35 amp breaker

There is no chance of the entire wire burning up.   The wire failed at the terminations.  Unscrew the wire from the breaker and furnace, and closely inspect both sets of wire ends, and the screw terminals on which they terminate.  You will find either arc damage, or poor workmanship, or both.

Also check for any intermediate splices.   There is nothing wrong with those if they are done properly.

It's also possble it's a failed breaker, but I wouldn't count on that.


What might be a good way to fix this damaged drywall(?)?

It looks like one layer of paper has separated from the other. The paper surrounding the tearout has loose flaps of paper around it too.

Remove all loose paper and give a tight skim coat or two of paste spackle, sand smooth, prime and paint.

You will be wise to get a 4" drywall knife to help in this. The little 1" knife that is considered a putty knife are good for nail holes and window glazing. Check out a YouTube tutorial on drywall paper tear repair


How to remove carriage bolts from a basketball backboard?

There's either some space behind there, or they go right through the wall and the nuts are on the other side of the wall. There may be a compact/flattish bracket (not requiring removal of these bolts to remove the backboard), these pictures are not helpful in assessing that possibility. If there's really no space, get behind that wall and look.


Is this a threaded tap? If so, what is the best way to unscrew it without damaging it?

I will use a piece of leather if I don't want to damage the finish. Think old leather belt if you don't have any scraps of leather.


Install a 22-1/2 or 45 degree elbow on the pipe protruding from the wall, then a short length of PVC, then a threaded adapter. This gets the plumbing much closer to where it needs to be and gives you more alignment flexibility with your trap. You could swing the trap directly behind the tailpiece, recovering some storage space.

The black section in the photo from this answer shows what I mean.

You can probably accomplish the same thing with compression fittings, but I prefer cement-welded plumbing wherever possible for reliability.


Can I change a 240 volt 40 amp outlet for an oven to two 20amp 240 volt outlets?

Normally, you can never split a 40A supply to serve two loads rated for a 20A circuit.  Except here.

This is an allowed exception for supplying oven/range loads.  It's in NEC 220.55, referring to Table 220.55, Note 4:

  The branch-circuit load for a counter-mounted cooking unit and not more than two wall-mounted ovens, all supplied from a single branch circuit and located in the same room, shall be calculated by adding the nameplate rating of the individual appliances and treating this total as equivalent to one range.

NEC 220.55 and Table 220.55 also includes some derating (or more accurately, permissive up-rating) that overrides the normal "125% for continuous" derate found in NEC 210.19(A)(1). It appears to be permissive.   Speaking of 210.19, ThreePhaseEel points out

  210.19(A)(3) Household Ranges and Cooking Appliances. Branch- circuit conductors supplying household ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, and other household cooking appliances shall have an ampacity not less than the rating of the branch circuit and not less than the maximum load to be served. For ranges of 8 3/4 kW or more rating, the minimum branch-circuit rating shall be 40 amperes.

  Exception No. 1: Conductors tapped from a 50-ampere branch circuit
  supplying electric ranges, wall-mounted electric ovens, and counter-mounted electric cooking units shall have an ampacity of not less than
  20 amperes and shall be sufficient for the load to be served. These tap
  conductors include any conductors that are a part of the leads supplied
  with the appliance that are smaller than the branch-circuit conductors.
  The taps shall not be longer than necessary for servicing the appliance.

  Exception No. 2: The neutral conductor of a 3-wire branch circuit
  supplying a household electric range, a wall-mounted oven, or a
  counter-mounted cooking unit shall be permitted to be smaller than the
  ungrounded conductors where the maximum demand of a range of
  8¾-kW or more rating has been calculated according to Column C of
  Table 220.55, but such conductor shall have an ampacity of not less
  than 70 percent of the branch-circuit rating and shall not be smaller
  than 10 AWG.

This also overrides the 125% rating by saying a 40A breaker can definitely supply two 20A ovens, and saying a 8.75KW-9.6KW oven is allowed on a 40A circuit.


Outlets and lighting on covered patio - 240V to 120V

The fact that you want to connect a GFCI recep downline of another GFCI recep, and you have concerns about feeding a light from a GFCI recep, suggests to me you are unfamiliar with how GFCI "Downline Protection" works.
A GFCI is a device, not a receptacle.  You've been buying combo devices that provide both.  A GFCI device is perfectly capable of protecting anything wired downstream of it (i.e. fed from it).  The GFCI receptacle protects its own sockets, obviously... however it can also protect downstream loads.
You choose that protection (or not) by placing the hot and neutral wires on the GFCI's "Load" terminals (or not).
"But what else would I do?"
If you don't want the downstream to have GFCI protection, stick its hot and neutral on the "Line" terminals also.  (they take 2).
Details:
It's true, traditional receptacles have 2 screws on each side, and they are hardwired to each other (if you don't break off the tabs, that is).  They were intended to be used as a convenient splicing device - supply on one screw, downstream on the other screw, easy peasy.
Somebody does that a lot, then they meet a GFCI.  Two screws on each side, supply gets one, downstream gets the other, just another convenient splicing device, right? Why do they even waste money putting tape on two of them? Does it have writing on it? I didn't look.  Actually, those screws have totally different functions.  The "Line" screw is meant to be both supply and onward connection - it has a feature that lets it take 2 wires.
The "Load" screw is specifically reserved for protecting downstream loads that you want to give GFCI protection to.  It should never be used for anything else.
In fact it is illegal to simply throw all downstream wires onto it.  Why? Because that would result in plain outlets being GFCI protected, and that's fine but they must be labeled with a "GFCI Protected" sticker or it's a Code violation.  You would also be doing yourself a favor to make your own labels that also state where the reset is to be found.
So you should make careful choices with each hot/neutral pair you add.


How much clearance should I allow for a coat of poly?

Wet and dry surface coating film thickness calculations are complicated and dependent on several factors (varnish/paint solids content, applicator, application method), an "average" per coat thickness, if one was pressed to give it, would be 35 microns dry thickness for alkyd varnish. Paints vary widely.

Why do you not paint or varnish after assembly?


Shower Head Threading: International Perspective

British Standard Pipe  is a family of standard screw thread types that has been adopted internationally.
At least 41 thread sizes have been defined, ranging from 1⁄16 to 18, although of these only 15 are included in ISO 7 and 24 in ISO 228

ISO is, of course, the International Standards Organisation.
However I'd not be surprised if China, and most of the planet, use metric threads for this sort of plumbing.
The US has a proud, some might say stubborn, habit of ignoring International standards and inventing its own.

The standard thread size for modern-day shower heads in the United States is 1/2-inch NPT.

That's National Pipe Thread. Not BSP, Not metric.
In your shoes I'd measure at least the internal diameter and thread pitch. I'd also check for straight vs tapered.


GFCIs (in proper operation) interrupt the flow of current when a ground fault is detected.
That is, if the amount of current flowing out of one of the sides of the socket does not exactly equal the amount of current flowing back in the other, it'll cut off power so that no electricity flows out of the outlet.  (Some configurations protect "downstream" outlets as well.)

The possible safety benefit comes into play only when something is actually plugged in to a protected outlet, and the real safety benefit is realized when (a) something is plugged in AND (b) whatever that is has a ground fault that would otherwise put someone or some property in serious danger.

The other slight possible benefit of replacing the outlets before use is the possibility of discovering some existing dangerous wiring issue if it exists in the current outlets, but the odds of that are relatively low and the odds of you putting such an error in (especially if you do it yourselves!) seem a whole lot higher.  If you're concerned about the existing wiring to outlets you aren't using, you can probably just turn off the circuit breaker to that circuit, so there won't be electricity in the outlets.  This assumes you're not using anything else on the same circuit.

If you're not using those outlets, there's no benefit to replacing them right away, and there is of course a cost to doing so.  You could buy replacements and wait on installation until some time when you have an electrician over to the house for something else, when the marginal cost of replacement is minimal.  Then you can benefit from GFCI protection if/when you do start using those outlets, and (assuming they still work) have one less item on the next buyer's inspection report to help that buyer feel more at ease.


Is it within code to complete 12g wiring circuit with 10g wire?

Yes, you can use larger wire.  However if you are putting in a junction box it must remain accessible.  That means you cannot cover it with drywall or hide it behind anything.


I think I have a section of frozen PEX inside an exterior wall. What should I do?

First the only real concern you should have here other than the ability to use your sink is that the ice has made its way to the nearest PEX connector.  What can happen is that the ice expands the PEX connector slightly and when it melts the connector is a little loose.  It could fail right away or a year later.  Not trying to put you in alarm mode but this is worst case scenario.  The actually PEX tubing handles freezing much better than copper and will be fine.

PEX can also be ran in long lengths so it could be that the first connector is 10-20 feet away in the middle of your house and this isn't an issue at all - I don't know unless I see it.

What would I do?

If I was in let's say Atlanta or a warmer region I would probably not do much.  It will thaw and will work after that.  I would keep an eye on the area for leaks, especially first few days after it works.  To get it to thaw you try running other hot water on the same run.  This might be the bathtub.  Also you said this was for bathroom sink.  I would keep the cabinet open during cold weather.  This could change the cabinet/wall temperature by 10 F.   You could even run a space heater under the cabinet to get things going.
If I were in a colder region...  I would probably open up the drywall behind the cabinet.  I would add more insulation to the wall and possibly wrap the PEX.  This really depends on what is on the sink wall (tile or whatever) but get that PEX as close to my drywall as possible and put up a solid barrier to the outside.  Really if the PEX runs are right next to the drywall on an exterior wall it should take very severe temperatures along with you keeping the house pretty cold for them to freeze.


THHN in EMT is generally less expensive than MC, and much more capable as well (i.e. MC is what it is - cable, 12/2 or 12/3 or whatever, while 1/2" EMT can support up to 4 circuits on 12 or 14 gauge (more wires than that on 14 gauge but you run into derating issues which make sticking to 4 the safer bet for planning.)
If your needs are simple and you don't care to learn the fairly simple process of bending EMT, sticking with MC may be better for you, though personally I find the process of cutting it more annoying than bending conduit for most purposes, but when snaking through joists or the like, the flexibility of cable is a temptation.
Out on the face of concrete walls, or along/under/above trusses I'd choose EMT 10 times out of 10.


Can I glue a decorative tile to the existing tile for a shower niche?

1) No, definitely not the best solution. I think the best solution would be tearing out the tiles that surround the niche and re-doing it.

2) I am not familiar with wall tile, but with floor tile, you don't install new tile over old tile (typically) because of concerns of cracking if there's any movement in the subfloor. With your situation, I think the major concern is waterproofedness -- I'd be concerned around the edges of the niche whether there's any break in your cementboard/vapor barrier. Water might be able to get around the tiles that make up the 'walls' (in the Z-plane) of the niche, since grout by itself is not waterproof and may let water through.


To install in an unconditioned space over outdoor wood, you will need two things and these aren't really negotiable - although you can certainly choose your "manufacturer".

You will need cement board installed to specifications on the deck floor.   Depending on your deck screwing these down will probably be OK but there could be a requirement of using mortar then screw - that will be messy to get that level... in both senses.  It may also need gapping to account for wood movement.

You will certainly need a membrane like Ditra that spans the area.   There are a few manufacturers that make membranes for these applications, I have only used Ditra (kerdi).   You will need to mortar between concrete board and membrane for sure.

The other option is to install pure vinyl (rubber) click lock planks or squares.   Some of these high end ones come really really close to looking like tile.   And for a deck they might not be as slippery when wet and will probably be much more comfortable without the grout maintenance (that's if you don't have cracking issues).  You are probably laying down some plywood here but that's a simple job.  Only hard part here is trimming the outside so it looks good.
Either way - tile or fake tile - the biggest issue with doing a flooring like this on a deck is "where does the water go.   If you get the slope wrong or don't provide drainage tiles it is a really hard process to go back and fix it without ripping a lot of finished things out.


Okay that TV wobbles when articulating wall mount is extended?

If the TV weighs less than or equal to what the mount is rated for, it should be fine.
However.
You could upgrade to a sturdier mount rated for yet more weight, (increasing the safety factor) and perhaps of a more robust design (i.e., mounts with two sets of arms holding the TV, rather than a single arm) if it would provide "worried parent peace of mind" (albeit at some cost.)


How can I remove a plastic cupholder glued to the wood frame of a large mirror? I don't want to damage the frame or mirror

Get a 3" wide plastic drywall knife and cut off the handle. Wrap masking tape around the cut end, and you can use it like a saw. A second plastic drywall knife 1" wide can be used to pry away the cupholder as you cut.
After the cupholder is gone use the "saw" to cut away the glue, just like slicing bread. If the wood is painted you can remove the glue and repaint. If the wood is plastic coated you could test a solvent like alcohol or artist thinners. If the wood is varnished, look for a goo-gone product safe for varnish. Coconut oil dissolves many things, but test it first on a hidden edge.


Lee I am pretty close to your area.  Normally we would leave exterior wall in tact.  Then we would running a series of 1xs and attach them perpendicular to the framing.  Plumbing would would run inside of the 1xs.  You might need to notch the framing but by 1/4" at most usually which is fine.