Junction box above ceiling to add second sub panel from existing sub panel feed

I'd use a flush mount NEMA 1 pull box and mechanical setscrew/splice connectors

While an ordinary junction box is simply too small for splicing 4AWG conductors, larger boxes are available.  These are called pull boxes or NEMA enclosures, and in particular, you need a flush mount (into the ceiling), NEMA 1 (indoor) box.  Size-wise, you are looking at a minimum dimension of 6" across as a 4/4/4/6 or 4/4/4/4 SER cable will fit into a 1" conduit of the appropriate type (nobody uses Type A PVC conduit, but it provides the most fill area/diameter of any conduit type in the Code, so its what's used when transposing cable sizes into conduit sizes for this) and NEC 314.28(A)(2) requires the box to be at least six times as long as the largest conduit entry into it, more or less:

  (2) Angle or U Pulls, or Splices. Where splices or where angle
  or U pulls are made, the distance between each raceway entry
  inside the box or conduit body and the opposite wall of the
  box or conduit body shall not be less than six times the metric
  designator (trade size) of the largest raceway in a row. This
  distance shall be increased for additional entries by the amount
  of the sum of the diameters of all other raceway entries in the
  same row on the same wall of the box. Each row shall be calculated individually, and the single row that provides the maximum distance shall be used.

  Exception: Where a raceway or cable entry is in the wall of a box or
  conduit body opposite a removable cover, the distance from that wall to
  the cover shall be permitted to comply with the distance required for one
  wire per terminal in Table 312.6(A).

  The distance between raceway entries enclosing the same
  conductor shall not be less than six times the metric designator
  (trade size) of the larger raceway.

  When transposing cable size into raceway size in
  314.28(A)(1) and (A)(2), the minimum metric designator
  (trade size) raceway required for the number and size of
  conductors in the cable shall be used.

Inside this box, the actual wire splicing is performed using appropriately sized mechanical splice connectors ("Polaris" or "Unitap" are common trade names for them) for the hots and neutral, and a small equipment grounding bar for the ground wires -- this ground bar screws into a pre-tapped hole for such on the back of the box using a 10-32 machine screw.  All of these connections will need to be torqued to manufacturer specification using an inch-pound torque wrench or torque screwdriver, by the way.

As to mounting the box, you'll want to use a piece or two of scrap 1x or electrical strut ("unistrut") as crossmembers between the joists to mount the box to, given that your average NEMA 1 box is designed to be mounted through the back, not a side.  You'll need to screw it to the crossmembers with the appropriate screw for the crossmembers you're using, too -- NEMA boxes are not designed to be nailed to things.

The RV outlet is a subpanel

The good news is that the RV outlet assembly is a subpanel, so provided you use appropriately sized cable (6/3 copper NM is fine here provided physical damage is of no concern), it's no different than any other situation where you have two subpanels on the same feeder.  The "feeder tap" rules in NEC 240.24 do not apply here, by the way, since the conductors from the splice point to the RV outlet assembly are sized for the full 50A the breaker in the main panel will allow.

(As a sidenote, this logic does not apply to a simple receptacle -- the use of a plain receptacle here would result in a mix of utilization devices and subpanels on the same circuit section, which is something that the NEC does not appear to contemplate.)


How do I renovate this wooden furniture?

Can't tell what sort of varnish, if any, is on there, but it looks like it's come off in the worn places you care about anyway. Without a complete refinish job, you can try touching up much of the damage you picture with a swab that's been dipped in a dark oak (or red oak) stain. Just put a little stain in the places the finish is gone, wait 20 min. and wipe off gently. The result will not be as good as a complete strip, sand, restain and refinish job, but with the correct choice of stain color I've seen this method take things from fug-ugly to really not too shabby.
If you go this route, be sure to test it on a small, inconspicuous area first.


Driveway expansion joints are rotting wood: What to replace the wood?

I have been caulking expansion joints in concrete for 15 years.
This is what you do:

Get the wood out
Clean the top 3/4" of the interior walls of the joint with a wire brush
Install "closed cell" backer rod into the joint. You want it to be about 1/8"-1/4" larger than the joint. Roll it down in from the side is easiest. The top of the rod should be about 3/4" below the top of the concrete.
Blow the crack out with a leaf blower. (the backer rod should fit tight enough to stay in place as long as you dont blast it head on)
Use professional grade urethane or silicone caulk for concrete. The best thing is probably Dow 888 silicone but its very expensive. Urethanes are cheaper and almost as good. Sika brand Sikaflex 1a or Sonneborn brand NP1 are great
Caulk depth in the center of the joint should be 1/2 the width of the joint but no deeper than 1/2". People are tempted to think deeper is better but it will cause bubbling and premature failure. If it is too thick it will not stretch easily and therefore pull away from the concrete.
Tooling the caulk is necessary. It will force the caulk into the pores of the concrete and it will smooth out lumpiness. Use a metal or rubber spatula or a tablespoon.
Self levelling urethanes are available but the have the consistency of pancake batter so your joints have to be pretty level to use it. You'll also have to dam up the ends of your joints. Plus you will have to be on the lookout for rain, bugs, and blowing leaves for a couple of hours after you finish.
2x4s are a lousy choice for expansion joint because they are so wide. You are going to use a lot of caulk.


You can't put a dimmer on a socket, unless it is a special socket type only used for lighting.  If there is a possibility of someone plugging a motor into it, nope.

The Ceeform family of sockets have quite a variety of keying, and they are specifically used for theater lighting... so it's definitely possible.


Added new light to circuit but it turns on when switch is off

What you did was to place the new light in parallel with the switch, instead of in parallel with the existing lights. With the switch on, the new light is shorted out and and the old lights get power. With the switch off, you have the new light in series with the old lights. I’ll bet the the new light is very low wattage (e.g. LED) while the old lights are high wattage (incandescent). The low wattage light gets almost all of the voltage and the high wattage light gets so little that it doesn’t visibly glow.
As @isherwood noted, what you have in the box is a switch loop (actually two, but that’s beside the point). What you need to connect to is the switched hot and neutral and the only place you’ll probably find those is at one of the existing lights.
Edit to add more details:
Here's the wiring called a switch loop:

The power enters via the black (hot) wire into the fixture box. It continues into the switch box via the white (with black tape) wire to the switch. When the switch is turned on, the power continues back up the switched hot (black wire) to the light. After the light, the power returns to the source on the white wire (neutral).
Depending on the age of the installation, there may or may not be an additional white wire carrying the neutral into the switch box. This is to allow the use of smart switches which require a neutral but in your case, would not be connected in the switch box, but just capped off.
The power could also enter via the switch box, in which case, it would look something like this:

The difference here is that the hot directly enters the switch box and goes to the switch. The switched hot continues up to the light. After the light, the power returns on the neutral to the switch box where it's spliced to the neutral back to the source.

You need to connect the new light between the switched hot and the neutral. This is the only way it will work correctly. Here's how to tell where that is.
If there were no extra white wires in the switch box or there were just one or two (one from each existing light) not connected, then you have a switch loop: you cannot connect the new light at the switch. Instead, you must connect to one of the existing lights, back to the black on the light and white to the white on the light.
On the other hand, if there where two sets of white wires, each connecting through (spliced with a wirenut or such), then the power is first arriving at the switch and you can connect there. Connect your new black to the side of the switch going to the lights (if you can't tell, try one. If the switch won't control the light, switch it to the other). Your new white connects to the spliced whites in the switch box: remove the wire nut, add the new wire and re-attach it. You may need a larger wire nut but just going from 2 to 3 wires, probably not.
Note: I have ignored details such as how to connect a wirenut and have ignored the grounds. You must properly connect the grounds assuming there are ones there (maybe not on very old installations).
Hopefully, this is enough to help you. If you are still lost, I'm afraid you need to call a professional: an electrician or, for this, maybe a handyman. Please don't experiment. House wiring voltages or currents make it just to easy to kill yourself or someone else or to cause a fire! Be safe!


Should I add a vapor retarder to an interior cinderblock wall as part of my basement remodel?

Are you sure it was mold? It may have been mildew. In my experience, mildew can grow on nearly any surface as long as it stays moist...be it bare concrete or painted concrete.

In this case, the moisture on this interior wall likely is not coming from outside the basement, but rather is moist air condensing on the cool concrete. Painting it won't stop that from happening.

If there were existing finished walls, the issue was that moisture was getting back there, condensing, and then not easily drying. Leaving the walls bare (ie, no finish wall in front) would allow them to dry.

Alternatively, you can certainly spray-foam them as well. This will prevent the moist air from ever hitting the surface of the wall in the first place.

A final thought would be to check humidity levels in general. You do want to keep the humidity below about 50% and that's often hard to do in a basement without a dehumidifier. So be sure to have a dehumidifier running down there as well.


DIY Corner bathroom sink vanity installation

Things to consider:

Most "new location" sink installations require opening of the wall to relocate drain and water-supply plumbing, you do not mention this but need to prepare for it.
flexible drain tubes are more prone to accumulation of material (clogging) so you may want to consider adjustable tubular slip-joint drain pipes. You do not mention a trap, these are necessary for safety and code compliance.
The upper flange of the drain assembly (where the drain assembly meets the sink hole) is most often sealed with plumber's putty, you may need some.
The ability to fasten the sink to the wall with those "coach screws" is totally dependent on wall construction. You may need special anchors or other reinforcement to ensure the attachment is strong enough.

Terminology and methodology is particular by geographic area, so if this does not make sense then we hail from different parts of the world.


It looks a lot like this Peerless RP70538, but your stem is a little longer/different.  Based on this, I'm pretty confident its a Peerless cartridge.  Maybe the longer stem detaches?
https://www.amazon.com/Single-Function-Pressure-Cartridge-Compatible-Peerless/dp/B08PQQ2XP1
I guess it could also be a foreign copy of a Peerless/Delta faucet as well.


You're making it harder than it is. You're going to laugh when you realize.
It's common to have fixtures that take multiple bulbs
In the fixture wiring, they typically give separate access to each light's "live" wire.
So simplicity itself. Run power to the switch, then run 3-core wire from switch to light.  Now you can use the standard UK connection block to wire it so each bulb is controlled by a different switch.
Now, put a tiny bulb in one socket and a big bulb in the other.


Add 120 volt outlet to a 240 volt disconnect

I think what you actually want to do is install a subpanel. The subpanel can then include both 120V (e.g., 15A or 20A) breakers for receptacles or lighting and a 240V breaker for the original sauna use. The specifics will depend a bit on:

Existing wire size
Existing breaker size
Requirements of the existing sauna circuit

Keep in mind that there are GFCI requirements (which can be handled in the subpanel or possibly in the main panel) and that ground & neutral should be kept separate in the subpanel. The subpanel could have a main breaker that is larger than the breaker in the main panel that is connected to the wire that goes to the subpanel.


Fire alarm has 3 black / white wires, 1 red?

The red is probably the comm conductor for linked units. It is a bit odd that there's only one, but it could simply be the first in the chain. Without knowing the entire circuit layout I can't speculate further.

The extra blacks and whites are probably part of a lighting circuit on the same breaker. To connect your alarm you'd pigtail from each color.

Your mystery switches could be for switched outlets. Check for half-switched outlets where you'd expect end tables, for example.


In older structural brick buildings, it was relatively common to plaster directly to the exterior brick walls.   Most of this plaster has successfully held for 100+ years, so if you were to simply remove the loose plaster and re-plaster I would imagine that it would hold for quite a long time as well.

However it plastering is a bit of a lost art and can be very time consuming and expensive.  You could also install some furring strips directly over the existing walls and ceilings and drywall.

I guess the decision would depend on if your goal is to retain the current plaster, or simply to have functional walls and ceilings.   It almost always works out to be less expensive to install furring strips and drywall.   Also depending on the situation this gives you an opportunity to add some insulation.


Is it okay to protect NM Cable in an unfinished basement with ENT?

You'll have to check with the Authority Having Jurisdiction, but I'd say "smurf tube" on a wall in a shop is a no no.

National Electrical code allows ENT for exposed work, but not where subject to physical damage.  Which means if you're trying to protect your cable from physical damage, you can't use ENT (unless you protect the ENT from physical damage as well).

  National Electrical Code 2014

  Chapter 3 Wiring Methods and Materials

  Article 362 Electrical Nonmetallic Tubing: Type ENT

  II. Installation

  362.10 Uses Permitted.

  1) In any building not exceeding three floors above grade as follows:

  a. For exposed work, where not prohibited by 362.12
  b. Concealed within walls, floors, and ceilings

  362.12 Uses Not Permitted. ENT shall not be used in the following:

  (9) Where subject to physical damage.

If you don't want to use metal conduit, schedule 80 PVC conduit is identified for areas of physical damage.

  Article 352 Rigid Polyvinyl Chloride Conduit: Type PVC

  II. Installation

  352.10 Uses Permitted.

  (F) Exposed. PVC conduit shall be permitted for exposed work. PVC conduit used exposed in areas of physical damage shall be identified for the use.

  Informational Note: PVC Conduit, Type Schedule 80, is identified for areas of physical damage.


Why are there sometimes holes in framers squares?

It's for hanging on a peg-board hook, both in the store and in the shop.


Best Way to Extend 30A 120v circuit over 300 feet?

Concentric-Neutral cable is relatively inexpensive and is intended for direct-burial. Personally, I'd be getting the 2 AWG stuff but that may be more money than you want to spend.

Note that you will need to drive ground rods at the barn. Two rods a minimum of 6 feet apart should be good.

Be sure to both bury it deep enough and put a pressure-treated board over top of the cable before you pile the dirt back on top.


Non IKEA dishwasher for IKEA Metod system

Good news - Ikea came up with the solution by itself. Recently (about one week ago here in Poland) they've released a hinge system that supports all non-ikea dishwasher. It's based on a sliders which you attach to the front of dishwasher. It costs around 22 euro and works like magic :)

Iggy, Dmoore, thank you for your answers.

Iggy, removing bottom kick plate didn't work because front panel hit the extendable legs which obviously couldn't be removed.

DMoore, this solution might work but it's quite pricy - around 1/4 of a dishwasher.


Is it safe to store an extension cord outside under a carport?

Water, extreme temperature fluctuations (+-30°), and direct sun exposure can all damage the insulation of the cord. If you live where wind driven sand/snow is a thing, you might have problems. The contacts can be corroded if exposed to water, and very moist air (especially if it's moist salty air).

Inspect the cord for brittle, cracked, torn, or damaged insulation before each use. Inspect the contacts for corrosion before each use.


Should I use 10/2 wire for a lengthy 20A circuit?

Unless the run is extremely long (we're talking 200 feet) or has a high sustained load you won't have any problem with 12/2.  Most tools/appliances I know of are designed to work properly down to 110v.  Assuming a voltage drop of 3% you are still comfortably above 110v, unless you anticipate a sustained heavy load near max capacity (20A) that will start heating up the wire more than usual.

Working with 10/2 is much more cumbersome than 12/2 in in standard receptacle boxes if you're pigtailing (parallel circuit). It's even more cumbersome when it's not necessary.


What might be causing leaks in my roof and ceiling?

In the end, the roofing company had ceased to exist which was why it was difficult to get hold of them.

I got a reputable building company to sort out the cracks in the walls and weatherproof the render - they did an amazing job and they even found a fault in the way the new roof was fitted... and fixed it for free.  The fault was that the new roof was just a new covering (although well fitted and looked good to the untrained eye), but it required some lead flashing (like a skirt) to force water run-off from the walls to run onto the roof and towards the drain/drainpipe.  Without the flashing the water was allowed to run between the roof covering and the wall itself, hence leaking underneath in particularly wet weather.  The issue never returned.


Using a timer switch for power, how to wire two lights so that when one is on the other is off

You could use a smart plug like a Shelly Plug which will allow you to set up time with built-in tools to automatically turn on and off at dawn and dusk and be controllable with a smart phone. The advantage is that the Shelly is smart enough to automatically adjust to changing daylight hours, which a wall timer will not usually do.
It's hard to argue with the simplicity of a simple timer that @Tim suggests comments for your question.
Edit
There are timers which will allow you to control two different devices from the same power outlet. An example would be the NearPow Outlet Timer, which allows two different devices to have nine on/off settings per day and seven day programmable.
Good luck with the plants.


Plumbers putty , in a 3/8 in thick rope circle, goes under the top part.

It helps to have a helper push it straight down and keep it from turning while the jamb nut and rubber washer and  (sometimes paper) thrust washer.  The rubber washer goes against the sink.  The thrust washer goes between the rubber washer and the jamb nut.

If someone used some thread dope previously, get the mating surface of the sink cleaned off.

If the rubber washer or the thrust washer is deformed, replace them.

This video from Anaheim shows the mounting of the "Cushion ring" in step 6

A locknut wrench helps to loosen/tighten the nut.

This video shows replacing an ISE with a Waste King


I can think of two sources for this water: (1) condensate water overflowing from the a/c evaporator coil collection tray (2) water condensing on the cold low pressure (suction) refrigerant line and flowing down.

I think (1) is more likely.


As far as I know there is no code saying you cannot leave de-energized wires anywhere you want to. When the inspector said that "capping off the wires in this new void space is not allowable" he probably said it with the assumption that they would still be energized. I think it would still be responsible to label them with a tag saying something like "dead circuit, do not energize".

If I'm wrong then the Sparkys on this forum will surely correct me.


Wall between House and garage is hanging over the concrete slab. Is this a major issue?

It is only an issue if it is load bearing.  If it is load bearing then you cannot have part of your footing floating (in the first picture it definitely looks like the bottom plate is outside of concrete).  Period.  Is it a thing that has to get fix right away?  No.  Engineer will give you advice on fix.  It is just a wall though and shouldn't be too costly.

If it isn't load bearing it is still horrible workmanship.  I would like to see what engineer says - since we are only looking at 2 small pics - but I would say that at the very least you run a 2x6(ish) from ground to bottom plate and anchor 2x6 into concrete.


Subfloor and hardwood floor installation:leveling and squeaking

It depends.
I've ripped out subfloors to achieve a level floor so you are in a better position than that.
Floors are generally most level with the supporting members and out of level across them.  Setup a laser and find the high point and then find the low point.  How far out are they?
You can shim the members up in rough fashion to get approximately level then put down plywood ( tng 3/4, subfloor adhesive, screws ).  That is fairly low effort big bang.
After that if you want to get the 1/8" over 10' recommendations you can do SLC.  That's quite a bit more work.
If you don't need nail down you can use underlay. I like the feel of a floor with underlay ( some amount of cushion ) and you get less impact noise.  Some people really like the solid feel and sound of glue or nail down flooring.
I typically go with PL subfloor adhesive though I have used the two part poly urethane foams as well.  Either is fine.
For underlays it depends on the installation.  I have done engineered hardwood overtop of thermal heat transfer plates and hydronic heating and in that case I selected a low-R value to allow the heat to come through the underlay easier.  Since you aren't running a floor heat source I think the only criteria is going to be how compressive the underlay is.  Engineered hardwood typically specifies the maximum compression to be 20 percent and maximum thickness of 1/8".  This is probably derived from the NWFA ( National Wood Flooring Association ) who are the go to people as far as best practices on flooring installation.  Really I think the point here is that you don't want so much deflection that the boards could slip their connection point.


How to replace 12v halogen under cabinet lighting with LED lighting from scratch?

You can buy LED fixtures off the shelf, which are basically ready to go. I've seen these as puck-shaped lights that are basically designed for under-cabinet or shelf lights.

There are other pretty simple off-the-shelf solutions as well, such as using rope light.

If you are talking about using raw LEDs and literally doing everything yourself, it's pretty simple. You need to get some high output LEDs (pay attention to color temperature, beam angle, etc to make sure it is suitable). You can get LEDs in different packaging: clear/diffused, large/small, forward/side-emitting. Likely your best bet will be a large frosted one. How many you need will just depend on how much area you're covering, and how bright you want it.

You'll need a DC power supply. The exact values are all dependent on what you use, so it's very hard to give an answer here. There are online LED array calculators available, which can give you something like this:

One of the major disadvantages of serial wiring (shown here) is that if one LED is disconnected or burns out, they all go out. Finding which one is broken can be difficult, and if you've ever done this with x-mas lights you'll understand what I mean.

Another possible disadvantage of the DIY solution is that you are either going to have to come up with a nice way to package this all underneath, or you'll have a bunch of wires and bare LEDs hanging under your cabinets (maybe hidden by some moulding, but still). This may turn off future potential buyers. Off the top of my head, using some split-loom tubing may be a way to hide the wires and make it look at least half-decent.


That's pretty much what old galvanized pipes look like. I wouldn't do anything unless you have a leak. It's more likely that you'll experience a clog, though, from accumulated corrosion and deposits inside the pipe. Rarely do pipes rust all the way through.

I would plan on replacing as much metal drain pipe as possible when/if you do renovate, though. In my home I cut channels in the slab and replaced most of my galvanized and cast iron with PVC after it started backing up from the kitchen. One two-inch line was down to a finger-sized trickle due to rock hard deposits in the pipe under the floor.


How can I remedy sticky latex paint without stripping?

Note that plain Latex is a poor choice for a table top, it is not very durable. As Ed noted, there are enamel latex paints, hopefully you used one of these.

Nevertheless, it should dry eventually. You can speed it up by putting it in a well ventilated area. Or better yet, heat it slightly by putting it outside in the sun for an afternoon.


For the branch circuits, if the wires/cables can still properly enter the panel enclosure you can simple extend the wires with wirenuts. This IS legal and proper contrary to what some might say.

If the cables do not even reach the panel box then you should splice them in junction boxes with the same size and configuration of cable to reach the panel.


Under the tape, you should have no voids. If you do, you likely didn't press it into the bed of mud well enough, or you didn't have enough mud period. The mud acts like glue to the tape (properly applied).

Mud is designed for multiple coats, however. Even if the mud pulls the tape in some, a subsequent coat should fill the gap.


Can I fix damaged AC line insulation with tape?

You should not tape this pipe.  The foam insulates the cold pipe so it doesn't leak its coldness into the warm air outside, wasting energy.  It also prevents the cold pipe from condensing water from the air around it.  The foam insulation is cheap and is very easy to install.  Just buy some on line and snap it onto your pipe.  You can use a little tape over the foam just to hold it on but not instead of the foam.
Can you run your AC without the foam?  You can, just look at the part of the pipe inside the house.  Without the foam insulation it may be condensing and dripping water so just make sure it isn't dripping somewhere you don't want.


Minimizing risk of structual damage when hanging heavy bag from ceiling using commercially-available mounting system

I wouldn't worry about doing structural damage to your joists with this mounting hardware.  Realistically the 100 pound heavy bag won't generate any more wear and tear on the joists than a 100 pound kid upstairs jumping rope would.  The shock absorber will even out some of the peaks and valleys of the dynamic loads.

If you really want to spread the load to more joists, sure you could attach boards to spread the load to more joists.  I don't think it's necessary.

I would probably use 2-1/2" x 1/4" lag screws with full depth 1/8" pilot holes to mount this - nothing larger, possibly something smaller.  That won't appreciably weaken the joists.

The most important thing is to locate the joists accurately and hit them as close to dead center as possible.


Why do I have to tell my Nest thermostat to either cool or heat my house?

You don't.  There is a feature called Heat*Cool:

https://nest.com/support/article/What-is-Heat-Cool-mode


What can I do about outlets with no ground and reversed polarity?

Well the most obvious and always recommended answer is to upgrade the old electrical wiring. Very old wires can have insulation falling off or crumbling if you try to start working with it. For a very old installation that may also involve replacing the electrical distribution box (panel) as well.

Now with that said there is not anything inherently unsafe with a two wire system as long as common sense is used. That common sense has to include:

Not using electrical appliances when the user could be providing an alternate path to GND for the AC electrical power. I.E. do not stand in a full bathtub and drop a plugged in hair dryer into the tub).
Use double insulated electrical tools if at all possible.
Do not use electrical appliances that have frayed power cords.
Replacing the two wire outlets with a GFCI that can trip if the  hot wire current is not equal to the neutral wire current. GFCIs used in this configuration need to be labeled as not providing a safety GND connection.
Consider testing the existing wiring (or get an electrician to do it) to see if the old neutral wiring creates a voltage drop of more than a couple of volts when circuits are loaded. If higher voltages are seen then use of bare metal appliances such as a desktop computer chassis may expose you to the voltage drop of the existing wiring. If this is the case the only real solution for safety is to get rewiring done.

For the outlet with the reversed polarity the first thing that should be done is to replace it with one wired to the correct polarity. Another thing to look at is to replace outlets with the newer style where the slot for the neutral prong is larger than the hot wire prong.


What is the optimal screw drive hole shape to get the maximum torque for a steel screw?

I would say the optimal screw hole shape that will allow the maximum amount of torque to be applied, would be no hole.

Removing material from the head of the screw; no matter what shape, will weaken the screw slightly. The only way to maintain the full strength of the screw; and therefore achieve maximum torque, is to not remove any material. So a hex head screw (not to be confused with a hex drive screw), would allow for maximum torque.


Is an Ionizer Air Purifier effective against birch pollen?

It's hard to tell from the product page, but it looks like this is just an ionizer, with no fan or filter. If so, then all it does is emit ions; it doesn't remove anything. The theory is that it will charge particles (e.g. birch pollen), which will then attach itself to nearby surfaces, thereby cleaning the air. Unfortunately, these are more effective at generating ozone than actually cleaning air, and ozone, whilst very helpful high in the atmosphere, is very bad at ground level and in the vicinity of people (e.g. lung damage).

This is different from a true electrostatic precipitator, which emits ions into a fan-driven air stream, but immediately collects them (and any ionized particles) on plates parallel to the air stream. These work very well, but are larger and more expensive than simple ionizers, and emit some ozone as well.

I found an article on Effectiveness of Home Air Cleaners in Reducing Indoor Levels of Particles, sponsored by Health Canada. It compares various ways of improving indoor air quality. Another useful article is a Consumer Reports overview of air filter types. Based on these, a standard HEPA filter (thousands of models available), or perhaps a portable electrostatic precipitator (I couldn't find any) would better meet your needs.


How can I meet the height requirements for a door in a basement with a low ceiling?

Ask your Local Authority Having Jurisdiction -- eg, your town's building inspector. You may have a grandfathered situation. Or, if this door is not considered an essential exit from a living space (if it's an unfinished basement, for example, or if sufficient other exits exist), the headroom requirement may not apply -- you may be able to argue that requirements are already met and this opening does not have to comply and get a written variance. It's really going to be a question of the inspector's judgement.


If you wanted to put a two hose portable a/c in the living room you could vent it out the sliding glass door by getting one of those pet door panels that fits in the sliding glass door. You would use the pet door as the opening for the hoses.


That looks like heating tape.

You wrap it round water pipes in the garage or somewhere else cold.  It provides just enough heat to stop the pipes freezing.

I've used this in the past on outside taps.  It is available at most big DIY shops.  It doesn't use much power.


How to install a Wemo Three-way light switch in this configuration?

You would wire up the smart 3-way switch as shown in the picture below. I am showing the connectivity and did not show the various wire nuts that will be required to connect the wires on the switch to the existing wires in the box.

You cannot install the smart 3-way switch in the box at the right because there is no neutral there.


"Sylvania" had a couple of different types of breaker panel systems during their forray into that business. One of them was called "Zinsco", the other was "Bryant" panel and breaker system. The Bryant version was eventually taken over by Eaton / Cutler hammer and is now called their "BR" Series (BR for Bryant). Zinsco breakers were / are a disaster waiting to happen and in the opinions of most people, should be ripped out and replaced as they had a tendency to not work and/or catch on fire. Zinsco as a stand-alone company went bankrupt ages ago because of this and Sylvania was unable to rescue them, so they too got out of the business. There are some aftermarket companies selling redesigned versions of the Zinsco breakers, but before wasting money on them, check to make sure your homeowner's insurance policy doesn't have a rider saying that they will not cover any losses from failures of Zinsco (and Federal Pacific Stab-lok) breakers. Some do, and in some jurisdictions you cannot make any alterations or repairs to these panels, you must rip and replace.


Here's a link to the datasheet. The full part number will identify which one you have:
http://www.alliedelec.com/m/d/772fae44f4baf4fd6f22e9b824e60f47.pdf

I had to do some googling myself to ensure that the "T" side is the LOAD. The "L" side is your Line end.


How do I fill the holes in concrete to reattach a curtain rod?

You might have to use one of these drop-in anchors with an embed sucket. Enlarge the existing hole, if it is smaller than the sucket, and install the sucket with recommended adhesive. If the existing hole is larger than the sucket, clean the hole and fill it with mortar paste and the sucket. Do not install the curtain rod holder until the adhesive/mortar has fully cured. https://www.globalindustrial.com/c/fasteners/Anchors

For the edge, I'll just paint it over.


Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  The larger the room, it easier it is to visually pick up on a level problem.  I tend to be a bit of a fuss budget, but I can usually pick up on a 10 foot span that is much more than 1/4 to 3/8 inch off level. This is a pretty objective observation that would be more pronounced to a trained eye than a casual observer.


Vapor barrier (if any) goes on the warm side of the wall. That's the inside for those of us in the frozen North (on average, for the greater part of the year.) In central Texas I'm guessing that might be the outside, on average.

Best solution to messy irregular stud bays might be damp-spray (aka glue-spray) cellulose (not a DIY product, but really good at dealing with irregularities and no vapor barrier is needed.)


Which of these will strongest connect three panels?

B seems like the obvious choice.

You can easily rule out A because it will require two brackets, minimum, and even with those two, one of the seams will be weak.  To make that seam strong, would require a third bracket, and it is generally undesirable to increase part count when you can achieve similar results with a smaller part count.  (But I'll admit you didn't say that was part of your criteria).

C has the same problem.   Two of the panels will be tightly connected to one of the panels, but one of the seams is weak and can flex open more than the other two.

The obvious advantage to B is that each panel will be directly tied to the other two panels, which means every seam will be much tougher to separate (flex open) than A and C.

Another thought:  B in the corners with A at the midpoint of the panels would be a really nice tight box.


How do I determine what max 3 way bulb will be safe in my lamp?

If it says 60 watts max, then the maximum wattage bulb you can safely use is 60 watts. If you could find a 3-way incandescent bulb like a 20-40-60, that would be safe. But I've never seen one that small.

With such a low acceptable wattage, the lamp may have been designed with CFL or LED lamps in mind, you can get something like an 11-23-34 Watt CFL 3-way bulb that gives light equivalent to a 50-100-150W incandescent. That would be perfectly safe in this lamp,  assuming that it fits inside the "harp" or whatever holds the shade on.

3-way LED's are a little harder to find, but they do exist and they often are closer to a standard light bulb in size and shape, so they may fit better in your lamp.


The only way to know for sure if there is an option to open up the gap width across the counter top is to slide out the drop in unit and make measurements. It is typical that a cabinet installation will have opening compatible with a standard sized standalone range between the sides of the cabinets. However there is no guarantee that the installers did it that way.

The first thing you can look for is to see if the counter top extends over the side walls in the opening by some amount. If it does than you may have the opportunity to trim the opening to a larger size. The following drawing shows what would be the ideal situation for you where the counter top overhangs the cabinet side walls by 0.25".

Success at trimming such counter top will depend highly upon skills, available tools and the makeup of the counter top materials. Be aware that a drop in unit hides the current edge of the cutout. When you slide in a new standalone unit the cut edges of the opening will be visible unless you apply some type of trim or re-surface the counter top.

Another thing to be aware of is that on some cabinets the side walls of the cabinet may not be even with the front frame of the cabinet. Sometimes the front frame overhangs the side walls much as 1/4". In such case if the sidewalls are at 30" it would also be necessary to trim back the front rails. This can be done but if done in a sloppy manner can look pretty ugly along the front edges of the range.


Low water pressure in both kitchen lines -

Since the pressure drops for both hot and cold at this fixture, the problem is inside the fixture as you've already guessed. The first place to look is any aerator or filter screen on the fixture, debris gathering there will quickly slow the entire flow. Looking at the diagrams for your faucet, I believe that will be part P (the flow straightener) in this picture (Q appears to be a tool for opening the end of the spray assembly).

You can also verify the pressure from before the fixture is strong by disconnecting the hot and cold supply and running them into a bucket or drain to check the pressure coming from after the shutoff valves.

The problem could also be in the mixing valve and you'd need to remove and inspect the cartridge if it's there. basically anywhere after the two water lines merge could have a blockage.


How should I convert my range receptacle?

What you think is incorrect is exactly what I'd do and what I have done in the past. Ideal make a blue wire nut that would work for a #6 connected to a #12, Do that for one hot leg on both ends and the one end of the neutral where the outlet will go. Install a 15 Amp breaker and connect the #12 pigtail to it. connect the two pigtails at the box to your new outlet. Don't forget to connect the ground wire. Cover the box with the appropriate cover. You could also use split bolt connectors instead of wire nuts. Just make sure you have about a mile of electrical tape. Tape up the ends of the unused wire.


Do Victor Poison-Free Insect Magnet Traps actually work on spiders?

These will generally work on hunting spiders, such as jumping, wolf and fiddleback (recluse) spiders. The hunting spiders go and look for food, and will thus be attracted to insect pheromones as they indicate the presence of a group of insects (males fighting over females and/or "orgies" of large numbers of both sexes), providing ample opportunity for the spider to nab a meal.

Web-weavers, not so much; they don't go hunting for their meals, instead waiting for the food to come to them. So, the myriad web-spinner spiders including most of the big scary ones like garden spiders, orb weavers, funnel-webs and black widows, won't fall for these types of traps; really the only way to get rid of those types of spiders is a poison of some sort, which they'll get on their feet as they move around, then ingest when they clean themselves (most insect/arachnid species are rather fastidious).

Understand that spiders are beneficial, even inside your home, though I definitely get why you don't want them hanging out in the bedroom.


How can I identify and source an old faucet cartridge

That looks like an American Standard brand of faucet. Probably same stem as a Hampton (pic below) or Williamsburg style faucet. The part number for that cartidge might be 994053-0070A pictured below. The cheaper version would be Danco 10472 4Z-24H/C Stem for American Standard Faucet. You should try to call American Standard (800 442 1902), and you should try to send them your pictures (above). And read the fine print on the warranty from American Standard.


How to protect stair stringers from water rot?

I had a similar problem with stringers in direct contact with cement that had water runoff. I sawed off 1/2" from the bottom of each of four stringers,screwed in 4- 2 1/2"  stainless steel lag screws into the bottom of each stringer. Once back in place, backed out the lag screws like leveling a washing machine. End result, the stringers were 1/2" above the concrete and the water just drained by. I guess it's kind of a hack but it worked great. Twenty stringers is a lot of lag screws though.


How can I drill my wall if it contains flint?

For flint you will need a diamond coated drill bit, SDS plus drill bits on hammer won't cut it. If the item is big try to drill somewhere else where the motar is. Flint is a nightmare!


Will a 2 PSI natural gas line be sufficient for a tankless water heater?

2 psi!

Where do you live?
Yes 2psi on 1/2" iron can deliver your stateted load a whopping 250 feet!

You can use a 1/2 in regulator down to 7" up to about 15 feet before the tankless. And reduce at the unit.

Also check the tankless for acceptable input pressure, you may not need a reg but most likely you will.

Something like this is totally acceptable not in reference to code


2 x Wire Lines in Ceiling Electrical Box - 2 White/2 Black - 3 of them are always hot

Both switches are single pole. The one with the red wire is going to 1 fixture, and the one with the white is going to a second based on the photos with the hot being the common black. A non-contact volt meter may show power on the wires that is not really there with a load. This is called inductive coupling and happens when a hot wire is run in close proximity to a second wire (this is how transformers work).

This won't be too hard to figure out. Notice that one of the cables black white & ground come in together. With the power turned off connect both blacks together and the light fixture to the 2 whites. Turn the breaker on and the light switch on the right hand side will control this light.

If you would like to figure out the true feeder with the power off connect a light to 1 set of black & white wires of the same cable if the light comes on with the power restored this is the feeder. If the light doesn't come on this is a switch loop and the black is usually tied to the hot or line side of the feeder and the return from the switch is on the white.


moving electric water heater to old shower cove

You can move the water heater to just about anywhere that would be convenient. However, it is not a good idea to reduce the size down from 3/4" to 1/2" directly off of the tank. You will likely run into issues with water pressure.

In branch plumbing, it is best to keep the size of the pipe at its maximum until it branches off to a specific fixture. Most fixtures, with the exception of a toilet takes 1/2". A toilet is actually reduced to 5/8" by the time it gets to the fill valve. 5/8" is an odd size in plumbing, so most plumbers typically run 1/2" anyway.

You should try to extend the 3/4" pipe as far as you can go, and then tee off of it using multiple 3/4 x 3/4 x 1/2 tees. When you tee off, try to make that run directly to a fixture without teeing off again. This will greatly help keep the water pressure balanced. If all of the plumbing is 1/2", then the fixtures will compete against each other for water because there is not enough volume of water coming through the pipe.


How to handle unattached ground wires in boiler fusebox/control panel (sub-panel?)?

Add a ground screw and land the ground wires there

I'd use a self-tapping ground screw (Garvin GSST or equivalent -- these are different from regular sheet-metal screws in that they use a fine-pitch (32tpi) thread instead of the 16tpi coarse pitch thread normally found on a sheet metal screw) into the back of the box to provide a grounding point, then land the loose ground wires there.  The fact that it's only grounded via the BX armor is not great, but it's better than floating altogether....


Meet Schneider Electric's red-headed stepchild

Since about the mid-1980s, Schneider Electric Canada has been the one responsible for the (re)design and manufacture of the Federal Pioneer Stab-Lok product line.  While reliable information on the Federal Pioneer product line is scarce, there has been evidence that Schneider Canada has acted to clean up the most egregrious design flaws with the Federal Pioneer Stab-Lok product line, mainly in the form of recalls of Stab-Lok breakers that appear to be of somewhat later designs than the original Federal Pacific type NA and show proper concern for electrical safety on the part of Schneider Canada.

Considering the recent vintage of your panel, I would monitor it, preferably with periodic infrared camera inspections to catch failing connections.  Having an electrician familiar with Federal Pacific/Federal Pioneer design flaws take it apart and inspect its innards visually may be valuable as well -- they may be able to tell you if your panel has retained any of the "red flag" busbar design errors that contribute significantly to the fire hazard old Federal Pacific panels pose.  Furthermore, a panel that new is highly unlikely to be a "split bus" or "rule of six" design -- a panel with a single main disconnect is potentially less vulnerable to being rendered completely irrelevant due to common-trip jamming faults in two-pole branch breakers than the "rule of six" design was.

I do not recommend, however, any "testing" of branch circuit breakers, especially in-situ; the required fault currents to properly test a breaker's magnetic trip capability are highly hazardous in the case of a failure, and it is practically impossible to get a sufficiently accurate "calibrated short" in the field anyway.  Furthermore, breakers are rated for a limited number of cycles at their nameplate interrupting current -- after they reach this limit, replacement is required to guarantee maintenance of their interrupting capability.


Can I use a 2x8 for a ceiling joist and rafters on a 16' span?

The local IRC book would be handy for you. I have a few screen shots that may help, but only as a guide line. A building inspector will have the final say, but this is what they go by.

This does depend on where you live, for it has to do with snow loads. Roof cover factors in a bit too.

Span does not matter if it is  4/12 pitch or a 12/12 pitch. The span is not measured on the slope.


How to straighten a curved/crooked brick wall?

If your objective is to provide enough of a flat surface for an adhesive strip to hang something, I'd try taking a 120 grit sand paper, scuffing the small region where the plaster is and applying a little spackle with a small putty knife, probably nothing over 3", just wide enough to cover the area where the strip covers. There's a fine art to applying mud or paste and leveling it, so if you're not experienced, you can practice a bit. Spackle comes in small containers and has glue in it, and that should do a pretty good job of adhering to the plaster. If the curvature is minor, you shouldn't have to worry much about shrinkage. You can take a hairdryer on a low setting to expedite the process. Once it's hardened, voila, you should have a level surface with some texture that the entire adhesive strip will bind too. If the plaster has been painted a color other than white, it will be unsightly, but if the goal is to suspend a frame, the frame should conceal it. When you move out, it wouldn't be anything to take some 15-minute dry mud and conceal and sand the whole thing down and match the paint, so you're not really damaging the wall in any manner. The only other choice that comes to mind is using a concrete screw like a tapcon or something more extreme like an expansion-type anchor bolt, and both techniques involve using a masonry bit and boring into the brick.


I had that problem too, we found it was the wax gasket under the toilet, the smell travels, we checked everything else and after I fixed it the smell lingered for a few days and went away the toilet was rocking that was the problem.
Good luck


The gray stuff on the side of the joists should simply be dust that also lines the interior of duct work when the ducts are present.The picture does not show everything but I presume the concentration of dust is there because the foundation is close to the area and the air is drawn through the space concentrating the dust that will accumulate. Again, this is a presumption, I have the same thing in my duct work, but coating all the sides because of the liner.

Onto the "non-question" question. I do not know what part of the country you are in, or continent, but in the USA in all cases the returns are enclosed. Some jurisdictions allow the joist runs to be "panned" - a piece of sheet metal that covers the entire run of the cold air return so the return air is supplied by the interior of the home, not the crawlspace, as in your case. Other jurisdictions require that the entire run be set in duct work, not just the bottom pan, but all 4 sides. I think the last is for fire safety. Some states or counties are more stringent than others.


Is there a lifetime failure count for a breaker?

I've sold breakers for 25 years and never heard of it, but it doesn't make it untrue.  Weigh the difference in the price he is charging you to put the breaker in now against what it would cost to have him come back and change it.  Then compare your savings.  No savings means don't do it until you start having problems.


How do I unscrew a hex screw that doesn't have any grip anymore?

You may have some luck with a screw extractor. They come in various styles - here are two of them:

The extractors are designed to screw themselves down into the head of the screw while at the same time applying torque on the screw in the direction that would loosen the screw. Your described screw had a hex socket type hole so the extractor may be ready to try. Sometimes it is necessary to drill a small hole in the screw head to engage the extractor. The first type shown has extractor on one and a suitably sized drill on the other end.

It the extractor fails to remove the screw or if the thing is too far gone already to accept a screw extractor then it would likely be a next step to remove the core of the screw by drilling it out. With care you can drill down the center of the core and use a diameter that is smaller than the outside thread diameter. Then you can come back with a threading tap to remove the reset of the screw material and clean up the threads in the mating part. Here is a picture of a typical threading tap.


How far apart should timber joists be for an MDF floor?

The standard flooring material is OSB, not MDF.  MDF doesn't have enough strength to support a floor load.  I can't remember if it's 3/4" or 5/8" OSB, so someone will hopefully chime in with that spec.

Typical spacing for joists is 19.2" (just under 3/8ths, there's usually a black diamond on tape measures for this point).  It corresponds to 5 joists per 8' span.

Note that if the joists will lay directly on concrete, you need pressure treated to prevent moisture damage.  And when nailing into pressure treated wood, you need galvanized nails to avoid a chemical reaction that would eat through the nail.


How to change ceiling light on a flush flat light fixture

Grab the edges carefully and pull down. Should slide down on metal spring catches on two sides. Once down about an inch, you'll see them. Sqeeze together, like tongs, and pull down and out of the slot in the recessed frame. Some have coil springs but if it's difficult to pull down, it's probably the sqeeze style.


Why aren't vent stacks usually equipped with hats?

You are right about the Bernoulli effect.  Additionally, I have had customers who have complained about odors in the front yard when the wind is just right.

As far as emptying the toilet bowl, the government may need to bear this responsibility.  Manufacturers, in their rush to meet the demands and constraints of an out of control national legislature, requiring ultra low flush commodes, weren't able to get all the bugs out in time.  They had to meet the requirement and still keep product on the shelves.  Some of the early models had this problem.  I think most of the later models have this problem under control. It has to do with how they flush the bowl and how they keep the bowel filled.

As to a fix, here is an idea that may work. It is an engineered concept and works in some situations.  Say your problem stack is a 3" ABS riser sticking through the roof.  Take a piece 5" diameter of the same material about 8" long.  Fix it to the top of this stack.  This sleeve will run parallel to the stack. Put equal sized spacers between the stack and the new sleeve to drive your support screws through.  The sleeve should not touch the stack.  Extend the sleeve above the top of the stack about 4". The sleeve will also hang below the top of the stack 4".  This sleeve will break-up the wind currents and take the pressure off the top of the stack. Good Luck.


What's a good cheap sander to sand the ends of wooden blinds?

As 'cheap' is one of the requirements -- I'd probably go with a random orbit or even just a vibrating palm sander.  You can get some decent models for $50-60.

I would recommending one of the 1/4 sheet models, where you can use any sand paper that you cut down to size, rather than the fancy shapes that require you to specifically buy sand paper made for that model.  (the circular random orbit might be an exception ... the holes help to clear out sawdust faster and keep the paper from getting bogged down as quickly, but if you're going for cheap, 1/4 sheet's still your best bet in the long run).

I'd loosely secure the whole bundle with a ratchet strap or something similar, jog the slats so they're well aligned (stand it on end and tap it on the ground), then tighten the strap, and sand the edges down.

If the slats are really thin, and you fear them breaking, either add another strap close to the edge, or even just bundle it up with tape.  (if you don't want to deal with tape residue, use cling film or similar first, then tape it)


What materials can be used to prevent polyurethane glue from sticking to unwanter surfaces?

The following is a carry over from a CNC video I saw many moons ago, but have lost the link.

Give the selected adhesive a sacrificial material on which to bond. Your thoughts of using plastic bags aren't far off, but let's add in a layer of adhesive that you can remove.

If you cover the clamping boards with wide painters tape where the glue is going to contact them, you'd be able to remove the tape from the clamping boards leaving the adhesive side exposed and likely mostly shredded.

If it's practical and possible to apply the tape to the shutter boards with the adhesive side pointing at the shutter boards, you may also reduce the amount of cleanup, as the tape will peel off, again possibly in shreds, leaving behind the tape adhesive and the extruded glue from the shutter joins.

You may be able to minimize the extruded glue by taping on one side the shutter boards along the entire length of the join while held together, then bending the taped joint open and applying the glue. When the boards are flattened, it would be easier to wipe off the glue from only one side, then apply more tape to keep that side from bonding to the clamping boards.


How should I upgrade or combine sub-panels so I can add another one?

Honestly, from the questions you're asking and, the work you've described, I think you should hire an electrician.
If you're running 120 from one location to another, you don't need a sub-panel. Your 220/240 is two-phase. It is split in your service panel, left side breakers are one phase 120/110, and the right is the second phase. You get 220 from a panel by using a 2-gang breaker and providing two legs of 110 on the same phase. Wire rating is as follows:

15A - 14 ga.
20A - 12 ga.
30A - 10 ga.
40A - 8 ga.
55A - 6 ga.


Wire brackets blocking circuit brakers from tripping

As Tyson pointed out modern breakers are "Trip Free" meaning they can trip even if their handles are locked on.

The "wire bracket" you refer to is a breaker handle lock that is used just to keep people from inadvertently turning a breaker on or off that you want to stay off or on.

I put one on my sump pump circuit. There should also be one on your smoke detector circuit.


Where should smoke detectors be located?

According to the guide handed out by my local permitting office, which doesn't cite electrical or fire codes but does detail what they look for:

A smoke detector should be placed inside the door of each bedroom 24 inches from the nearest walls or centered on the doorway 24 inches from the wall holding the door.

A combination smoke alarm / carbon monoxide detector should be placed in any hallway that leads to bedrooms, where it enters the main part of the house, again, centered in the hallway on the ceiling and 24 inches from where the hallway connects to the rest of the house.

All of the smoke detectors should be hardwired to a circuit on the house's mains and should talk to one another via a third wire.


how do i make a light switch turn on a lamp plugged into receptacle

The red wire may be a switched hot. The best way to find out would be to remove the black wire with the power off put some tape on the black and with the power back on see if this is now a switched hot. If it is great turn the power off break the tab and put the black back on.

If nothing happens pull the switch and see if the red is connected in the switch. I would guess the black is the always hot and someone changed the receptacle without breaking the tab so it is always hot.


Background on UK practice

In most detached houses in the UK, the hot water tank is primarily heated by hot-water from a gas or oil-fired boiler that also supplies heat to radiators for room heating. The boiler installation has it's own timer to control room-heating and hot-water. The electric immersion heater in the hot-water tank is only a backup system used when there is a problem with the (more cost-efficient) main boiler.

A thermostat on the hot-water tank is linked to the boiler timer and controls when the water is being heated to prevent wasting energy heating already hot water. The immersion heater isn't typically controlled by this thermostat. That's one reason why it is expensive to use.

Your home however may have a hot-water system that relies only on electric heating. In that case there would be no additional water connections to the hot-water tank for the heating coil - only a bottom infeed and top outfeed pipe.

Your timer

That timer looks suspiciously like a couple of plug in timers that I own. These are intended to be plugged into a normal 3-pin 13-amp power socket. It looks like some home-owner has rather crudely re-purposed the timer.

That sort of electro-mechanical timer needs constant power in order to keep time.

The pins go in two concentric rings of holes, one is an off ring and one is an on-ring
As the dial rotates, the inserted pin pass a switch and push it to either the on or to the off position. The override switch can be operated manually, but only when there isn't a pin at the switching position.

It might be one of these immersion-heater timers

I would remove this dangerous-looking lash-up (or pay an electrician to remove this) and install an appropriate timer designed for the purpose after reviewing the whole heating system and the need for thermostatic controls.


The problem I see is that a gas water heater has a big pipe/flue running through the center of it which takes away a lot of room that the hybrid system probably needs. It also vents very hot gas out of the top which is where the compressor is mounted in a hybrid. The electric backup elements are tiny in comparison and just need to stick into the side of the heater.  People with gas, which is normally cheaper than electric, don't have as compelling of a reason to choose a hybrid heater, so I doubt there is much demand.

So, very complex and low demand...  Probably doesn't exist.  I've never seen one.


How do I cover up this partially exposed brick?

I would not even mess with that. Trying to apply some substance to the brick will be a very tricky operation.

The best option is probably to build a drywall box closely around it. Doing that guarantees that everything will be flat and easy.

Two notes:

(1) Make sure the boundary areas at the top and bottom are absolutely sealed off, not even a pencil should slip through. Otherwise such spaces can be used by rodents and other vermin to travel around inside the walls of the house.

(2) If any cords or wire would be run at any point in the future through there, install thinwall EMT as necessary and attach it to the brick so it cannot move.


6.3 kW 240V Advantium Oven and 4.5kW 140V wall oven hard-wired to 50 amp breaker

This isn't as straightforward as it seems...but it turns out you're OK in the end

The original installer of your oven setup leaned on the NEC provisions for tap conductors in circuits feeding cooking appliances, found at 210.19(A)(3) Exception 1:

  (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 8.75 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.

This means that the general outline of your setup, while not recommended by the installation instructions for your new oven, does comply with the NEC.  To figure out whether the new oven is allowed, we then turn to Table 220.55, applying Note 3 to the combination load of two ovens, one 6.3kW and one 4.5kW:

  Over 1.75 kW through 8.75 kW. In lieu of the method provided in Column C, it shall be permissible to add the nameplate ratings of all household
  cooking appliances rated more than 1.75 kW but not more than 8.75 kW and multiply the sum by the demand factors specified in Column A or
  Column B for the given number of appliances. Where the rating of cooking appliances falls under both Column A and Column B, the demand
  factors for each column shall be applied to the appliances for that column, and the results added together.

Given that both appliances fall within Column B, and that the table gives us a 65% demand factor for 2 appliances in that column, this means that while the two appliances sum together to 10.8kW, the Code-computed load on the circuit is actually 7.02kW due to the demand factor. This means that the 40A breaker is sufficient for the circuit, even with the new ovens installed; however, since your wire is 6AWG, you can bump the breaker to 50A safely.


The short answer is no you do not. Clean up your joint compound if it is a bump above the surface.

HydroBan usage around fixtures:   Bonds directly to metal, PVC and ABS plumbing fixtures only.

How to use : this link does not seem to work in Firefox 57 but will work in MS Edge.

How to use HydroBan video  : watch it and you will see them doing exactly what you are asking about with no grinding or roughing up the surface.


Adding partitioning stud wall anchoring to sides instead of top and bottom

Your local building codes would, of course, depend on your location.

It it's OK most places to build partition walls that are not full height.  It's done in offices to create cubicle-like spaces, it's done in homes to give some separation between rooms, etc.

If you consider the wall to be part of the structure, I'd bet in most places it's not building code compliant to attach only at the walls, not at the floor.

If you consider the wall something like a cubicle partition, more of a piece of furniture rather than a part of the structure, those are often attached only at the wall and not at the floor.  Of course you have to follow the manufacturer's instructions for the system to get something that won't fall down.

Common sense - in normal wall construction the last stud isn't attached to the rest of the wall with much strength.  Without attachments to the ceiling and / or floor, all that's holding it together is a few nails into the header and sole, and the drywall.  It would be big enough to do damage or hurt somebody if it fell over.  I wouldn't do it.


I like the thatch idea!  ;-)

According to a variety of sources--for example this one--it's probably slate shingles, closely followed by concrete or clay shingles, with metal not far behind. In all three cases, barring natural catastrophes, you will have passed on before the roof wears out.

There are terra cotta (clay) roofs in Europe and the middle east that are hundreds of years old, but there are also people who maintain those roofs and occasionally replace broken shingles. Metal seems appealing in the Pacific Northwest, especially if you're in an area with extremely high snow loads, because the metal roof itself will be very strong, but weigh less than slate, clay or concrete. You can apply metal to a very steeply pitched roof that will shed snow more easily (reducing the load on your structure and on the roof itself), and it will have ridges extending down the slope of the roof that will help naturally segment the snow into sheets and provide a channel for it to slide on. And, of course, some people like the sound of rain on a metal roof.

There are architectural composite shingles that look more or less like traditional cedar or clay shingles, but they haven't been around long enough to know for sure how they perform over decades or more of exposure. Cedar shingles would really look nice, but you'll be replacing them in your old age.

"Traditional" asphalt shingles will probably cost between $0.80 and $1.50 per square foot unless you have a complicated roof design, which will drive the cost up. You might get away with doing a metal roof for three times the cost of asphalt and still have a roof that will outlive you. Slate will probably cost at least $10 per square foot, up to $40. Clay and concrete will fall somewhere in-between.


As the comments above indicated, the problem was a dimmer switch that I didn't know existed.


Sounds like you expansion tank is failed or not pressurized properly. I suggest draining the expansion tank and checking the pressure. If you get any water out of the air valve, your tank has failed.


Will a curtain across a doorway significantly reduce air flow?

If there are HVAC vents and a return in the basement, the air is being mixed by your air handler, and a curtain won't make a difference.  If that isn't the case, there aren't natural air currents circulating the air between floors, so again, a curtain won't make a difference.

To the extent there is air mixing between floors, that's probably a good thing for the basement.  Basement humidity that migrates into the house air will get removed by the house air conditioning, and fresh air in the basement will reduce the likelihood of a mold bloom.

All that said, the basement is humid for a reason, and that reason should be investigated.  It's normal to get a little water migration through the basement walls and/or floor.  Basements are also generally cooler, so the relative humidity will be higher.  However, it can also be a sign of an external water problem.

Examine the basement walls and floor for signs of visible wetness (there shouldn't be any; if there are, you've got a problem to deal with).  But even without visible wetness, any water collecting around the foundation will increase what migrates to the inside.

Check gutters and downspouts to ensure that the gutters are tight, the system is clear of debris, and the downspouts discharge far from the house (at least 8' if possible).  You may want to consider downspout extensions, or piping the water farther away.  Make sure there is good grading around the house.  The backfill around the foundation settles for decades and gets eroded; you need to periodically improve the grading.


How awful is it to have asbestos in the drywall?

To give some insight, when the asbestos is in a spot that cannot be removed, the asbestos is "encapsulated" as it is called. It can be a coat of paint, or plastic sheeting taped up tight. I have seen both used. Anything that keeps the surface from abrading.

In your case it is trapped between two layers of paper with numerous coats of paint over the living space side. The occasional nail you refer to is the only thing that would violate that, short of vandalism.

In my 42 years in the residential building trade, I have never heard of asbestos in drywall, then again, I only heard for the first time last year about asbestos in vermiculite house insulation.


How can I remove old paint from wooden door frames?

Dried paint does not come of with a wet sponge, even if it is water based. There is a plasticizer in the paint which hardens as it dries and loses it water solubility.

There are several techniques, and which one will work depends on many factors, such as the finish on the door frames before painting, the cleanliness of those frames, the type and age of the paint, etc.

Try using a plastic scraper - use the edge of a credit card (not an active one) held almost perpendicular to the molding and scrape downward. You can also use a plastic putty knife, but that edge is usually not sharp enough.
Use a metal scraper - harder to do without damaging the underlying finish, but if done very gently and carefully, it may get most off. There are specialty scrapers called cabinet scrapers that are especially suited to careful work like this.
Follow up the above two methods with a utility knife (a razor blade-like knife). Use it sideways as a scraper just on the painted area.
Use a pot scrubbing pad - (but this involves wet hands that you don't like; try latex gloves) use a cleaning solution. Mask the adjoining wall first to avoid scraping paint that you want to keep.
Sanding - if all of the above fail, you can try a sanding block or sponge.  This will definitely get it off but will cut through the finish n the molding mandating at least a partial refinishing. This may be the only technique that gets out the fine lines of white in the grain of the wood as shown in your pictures, unless you want to try to carefully dig it out with an xacto-type knife (a very narrow craft knife).

For all of these techniques, the molding finish may be damaged. If so, you can touch it up with a polyurethane (assuming the color in the damaged areas is not too different from the finished areas). You might try a rub-on poly if the gloss is close to the existing one. It is more forgiving in application.


Can an isolation valve be used to reduce pressure?

They won't reduce the static pressure, just the dynamic pressure when there is water flow. It depends what problem you are trying to solve.

If it is to balance Hot / Cold a bit then yes, closing one a bit will work. It may be a little noisy, but nothing compared to a shower. If your static pressure is too high and you are leaking somewhere then no - it won't make any difference.


The red lead is wired to hot on BOTH the load and lead terminals of the GFCI. Likewise, the white lead is wired to neutral of both the load and lead terminals.

This sounds insanely wrong, and if it is in fact an Edison circuit -- two hots, shared neutral -- then a GFCI cannot possibly work right because the current on the neutral will not be the same as the current on the hot being measured by the GFCI. It will trip frequently.

I don't like shared neutral circuits at the best of times because remember the current on the shared neutral can be as high as the sum of the currents on the hots. Just because the neutral has no voltage does not mean it has no current, but the overcurrent protection on the breakers is on the hots. You don't want to get into an overcurrent situation on the neutral because nothing stops those wires from overheating.

  Is this wired correctly, and if not, how do I rewire it so that it is?

There was a similar circuit in my house when I bought it and I ended up just pulling new correct wiring through the walls and doing the whole thing over. I concur that when you are rewiring an old house, everyone who lived there before you was dangerously ignorant; I've found terrifyingly bad wiring in GFCIs.

So, solution one: rewire everything so that there is one circuit for the GFCI and everything downstream that you want protected by it, and another circuit for the non-protected stuff.

However, if you don't want to actually pull new wire through the walls and do it all again, the next best thing to do is solution two: get a two-pole GFCI breaker and replace the breaker in the panel. Now you can throw away the GFCI outlet and replace it with a regular outlet. The downside is (1) expensive, and (2) when it trips you have to go to the panel to reset it.

  I just replaced the outlet by splicing the outlet inline i.e. both the incoming and outgoing are connected to the hot lead terminal, same with neutral.

That's solution three, and it will work, but whoever wired it up originally might have wanted things downstream of the GFCI to be protected by it. This solution breaks that property.


Several things suggest that it's not load bearing:

The fact that it's at the end of a "pony wall". This is likely a horizontal support post that wouldn't be present if not for the wall.
The wording "to ceiling". This suggests no structural integration with the roof framing or any supporting member.
The lack of blocking or other load-transfer notes in the floor framing layout.

Some things that would seal the deal:

Footing layout showing no supporting structure at this location, and...
Main floor truss diagrams showing no concentrated load below the post.

With what's presented here I can only be about 98% certain. If you want more than that, consult a local professional.


Are you saying the stain area was damaged and then poly was applied over it?

If so, there are no options. (none that do not involve sanding).

Post photos to get more experienced opinions & thoughts on this statement/answer:

If the areas are noticeable but not to an obnoxious level (right where everyone will stare all of the time), you could spot treat the area by sanding with a small tool and then stain, clean, and re-poly.

BUT it will be noticeable, so would the poly repair so: You'd light sand the surface (the entire surface) and clean, then run a new poly coat. That will help the poly/surface blending.

The stain repair WILL be noticeable (although you could possibly make it look like a natural defect in the wood). Take time when repairing to make sure the edges are treated such that you do not get a thicker border that looks like a coffee spill.

In general, you will have to decide if this is worth the time and fuss to do, or if a surface strip and re-apply is the right approach.

The advice for poly and stain and having clean surfaces includes inspection. This is something I'm sure you wish you had noticed before proceeding. Hopefully the idea above can help?


How do I remove water trapped within wrought iron railing?

Keep in mind that through condensation alone, the humidity in the air and temperature variation, if those risers can breath they will accumulate water.  I would, as you have said, drill small weep holes as low as possible.  With normal evaporation, this will mitigate the problem the best.  Keep the lower plates painted with a good quality paint and you should see minimal rust.


If the space is too tight to get a basin wrench in then it's possible that the plumber installed the faucet onto the basin before the bowl was put into place. After all, it's much easier to work on top of the cabinet than it is to work underneath.
You may want to look into removing the counter top from the cabinet, or the basin from the counter top to get at removing this.


Can I safely disconnect this television outlet?

This shouldn't be an issue. You could put a wire nut on the bare wires in the box or wrap each of them in electrical tape in case the same wire runs to other outlets or is connected to your coaxial distribution.


Unfamiliar wiring on what looks like a single pole switch

I believe they were using the switch to pigtail together the two looped wires and the top back-stabbed wire. The top screw and top backstab are the same terminal of the switch (the other screw and backstab are the other switch terminal). This is probably the hot coming from the source (breaker panel) and being distributed to two other switches.

You can proceed as follows:

Disconnect the looped wire and the top backstabed wire.
Cut the loop to produce two separate wires.
Connect together these three wires, together with either the line wire to the new switch or a short piece of wire (pigtail) to go to the new switch. Be sure to use a proper sized wirenut.
Connect the bottom back stabbed wire to the load terminal of the new switch.

One caution: between adding another wirenut (or two if the switch has its own load wire that must be wirenutted to the load wire) and the size of the new switch, you may well exceed the fill limit of the box. In this case, you'll need to actually remove the box and replace it with a deeper box (not an easy job).


Can I hide a transformer in a metal box in my cabinet?

From what I can find on the model you cited here.
It is a sealed unit meant for halogen fixtures so it would normally be mounted inside a light fixture or other enclosure anyway.

Therefore, I don't think you need to worry about heat. But if you are OCD you could epoxy it to the metal cover of the 4" box and the cover would act as a heat sink and radiate away some of the heat.

Good luck!


Can I use a different brand of underlayment under my Pergo laminate floor and still be covered under the warranty?

It appears you can use any brand of underlayment as long as it meets Pergo's specifications. Their warranty is concise and straightforward and the only reference to an underlayment is made in the "Conditions" section, and it reads as follows:

  Foam underlayment should meet or exceed 2.0 lb polyethylene foam (1.9-2 lb density), CFC Free, 1.8mm to 2.1mm thickness.

By the way, according to Pergo's installation instructions, an underlayment is required only when it's not attached to the flooring.


How can I fasten pink polystyrene wall insulation into a structure?

Firstly, as has been said, that material will not hold up to either the cats or the weather. You need an actual siding over it.

The construction adhesive you mentioned will eat the foam unless it's the water-based "panel" or "project" variety. The solvent in the heavy duty type dissolves polystyrene.

I built a similar "hot box" for my dog using the same stuff. I assembled six panels by creating a frame of 2x2, fitting 1-1/2" foam inside, and screwing 1/4" BC plywood to both faces. I strategically extended the plywood 2" on one face as needed to create the lap necessary to screw the other panels in place. It's extremely solid and comfortable. I have it mounted off the ground by just the front panel, and I can stand on it with no movement whatsoever.


Wow!  That is a great job of removing texture.

You have (at least) three choices:

Add texture—maybe one you like more than the old one—which greatly helps hide joints, fasteners, and other imperfections.
Skim coat and sand.  Making it perfectly flat may take a newbie quite a bit of effort.  Expect at least four coats.  Use non-diffuse work lights well away from center:  the best would be next to the ceiling at the far edge from where you are working to readily reveal shadows of non-flat features.
Paint and hope for the best.  If it is ugly, maybe you could keep the curtains closed and engineer the light so the ceiling isn't noticeable.


Your pressure drop issue is really a problem with flow capacity. You will not be changing or improving the flow capacity of your main house's plumbing system by tying in that 1/2" line from the guest house and will likely see zero improvement by doing so.

You would be better off trying other things:
Install low-flow water saving shower heads (this will help more than you think).

Check your water meter outlet size and ask your service provider to install a larger one if possible, then replace the main service line with larger pipe (I know, big job).

If you have a pressure regulator anywhere in the system, check it for proper operation. Raise the pressure setting if possible (check with city bldg. dept. for max allowed).


Is spinning a new paint can the same as mixing?

Normally the paint store has a shaker not a spinner. But this may be a difference in terminology.

The paint shaker usually thoroughly stakes the paint to mix it up. They always recommend you buy plenty of paint and mix it all together in 5 gallon buckets so the color is uniform.

Construction job spec's require painting break to break so floor to ceiling corner to corner to reduce color variations. So, you may have to paint an entire wall to get uniform color.


Does the bare wire in an 8/2 cable connect to neutral or ground at my sub-panel?

The current National Electrical Code that most jurisdictions employ will no longer allow a 3 wire sub-panel feed.
4 wire feeders are now required for sub panels. Two hot legs, a neutral, and an equipment ground.

250.32 Buildings or Structures Supplied by a Feeder(s) or Branch Circuit(s).
(B) Grounded Systems.
(1) Supplied by a Feeder or Branch Circuit. An equipment grounding conductor, as described in 250.118, shall be run with the supply conductors and be connected to the building or structure disconnecting means and to the grounding electrode(s). The equipment grounding conductor shall be used for grounding or bonding of equipment, structures, or frames required to be grounded or bonded. The equipment grounding conductor shall be sized in accordance with 250.122. Any installed grounded conductor shall not be connected to the equipment grounding conductor or to the grounding electrode(s).

Hopefully, you can correct this without too much hassle.
Good luck!


Sometimes the Joist bays and stud bays are used as conduits for the air, being in between the living spaces it may not affect the efficiency and be needed for moving the conditioned air or return air. If there is no connection to other areas it would not hurt to seal it up. A piece of sheet metal some self piercing screws and some silicone sealant will seal most duct openings put a bead around the opening screw a piece of sheet metal in place and screw ~every 4” let the sealant cure prior to running the system or it may blow your seal and a leak like that can be very loud like blowing on a blade of grass between your thumbs loud , but if it cures and holds there will be no problem with noise.


silicone caulking at uneven tight tile joints / gap

not entirely sure what your concern is, but one tip I would suggest is you can carefully mask areas with painters tape where you don't want caulk so that you can spread caulk more effectively (thouroughly) in the uneven joints.


Some very important information is missing here. Where are you intending to place that lighting fixture?

Normally a light like that is mounted in a permanent manner to a wall. There should be an electrical box in the wall that is positioned directly behind the hole shown here:

Three wires from the fixture, white, black and a safety ground pass through that hole and connect to the permanent wiring in the electrical box. You may want to consider adding an additional safety ground wire from that green screw showing in the above picture.

You will not use that two prong cord suggested by the person at Home Depot. They do not know what they are talking about. You do need to have the safety ground wire of the fixture connected into the safety ground of the building wiring.


Does my sump pump evacuate water slowly due to a perforated pail?

A sump pump without an inlet won't have any way of getting water into it to be pumped out. It would, therefore be rather useless.
A sump pit without an inlet pipe but numerous holes (such as yours) will allow water to seep into the pit where it will make its way to the sump pump's inlet and be pumped out of your basement.
"Normal" is probably defined by when the sump was installed. Our house has a sump pit in the "root cellar" that was probably added in the 1940s. They broke a hole in the concrete floor all the way down to the dirt, dropped a brick on the dirt, and the sump pump sits on top of the brick. Once the float is high enough, it kicks the pump on and out goes the water.
My in laws added on to their house in the early 70s. They have a nice pit with a plastic liner. There's an input pipe from the "root cellar" old portion of the basement, but, I don't think there's an actual inlet from the new portion - water just seeps in from there.
I haven't a clue what modern (2000+) code calls for, but so long as the water can get to the pump inlet and the pump has power, it should be doing its job.
You're much better off having the pump running nearly constantly during a storm than you are having the water back up into your basement. You may want to look at adjusting the float so that it has to be higher before the pump kicks in, but then you risk overflowing the pit. You could also consider adding a 2nd pump (with its own exit plumbing or upgrading the pipe size going out to handle the additional flow) to handle more water coming in than your current pump can handle. It also makes for a nice emergency backup should one pump die during a heavy rain storm.


Will powder coating be durable enough for a closet pole?

The best coating you could use is chrome plating. This is an industrial process you have done at a plating shop, but that would be silly for a bit of pipe since you can by chrome plated pipe off the shelf.

Powdercoating is not nearly as strong.

The problem with powdercoating is it's very hard to do yourself with a piece that large.  You need an extraordinarily large oven.  Sourcing small quantities of powdercoat is also a problem, this typically boils down to buying the dreck at Harbor Freight, which, I am glad they are making the tech available, but not gonna give you the durability you want.  So if you're farming out the powdercoat job anyway... Talk to the plater.


According to wikipedia, it's so they don't roll away::

  A carpenter pencil (carpentry pencil, carpenter's pencil) is a pencil
  that has a body with a rectangular or elliptical cross-section to
  prevent it from rolling away. Carpenter pencils are easier to grip
  than standard pencils, because they have a larger surface area. The
  non-round core allows thick or thin lines to be drawn by rotating the
  pencil. Thin lines are required for high precision markings and are
  easy to erase, but thick markings are needed to mark on rough
  surfaces. The lead is strong to withstand the stress of marking on
  such surfaces. The pencil is robust to survive in a construction
  environment, for example when placed in a bag together with heavy
  tools. The core is often stronger than in other pencils. Carpenter
  pencils are also used by builders, because they are suitable for
  marking on rough surfaces, such as concrete or stone. This shape and
  lead density aid in marking legible lines with a straight edge that
  are clear and easy to follow with a saw blade.

Though it's possible that there's some historical precedent involved:

  The flat pencil is one of the oldest pencil types. The first versions
  were made by hollowing out sticks of juniper wood. A superior
  technique was discovered: two wooden halves were carved with a groove
  running down them, a plumbago stick placed in one of the grooves, and
  the two halves then glued together—essentially the same method in use
  to this day.

The "flat so it doesn't roll" theory is also supported by this article on Carpenters Pencils at PencilPages.com

  A carpenter's pencil has at least two essential characteristics which
  distinguish it from other types of specialty pencils. First, the shape
  of a carpenter's pencil prevents it from rolling, even when placed on
  a steep sloping roof. The most popular shape seems to be a flat,
  octagonal style. Secondly, the lead must be strong enough to make a
  heavy mark and to withstand the stresses of carpentry, which
  frequently requires marking on very coarse surfaces. The leads are
  usually wide and flat.


Proper grounding and service wire choice for remote load center, RV pedestal

The answer is "electrician in trade since 1976". In 1976 a 3-wire groundless connection was legal. Certainly not today.

Even a 1976, a separate neutral and ground wire was an improvement. He made it sound like the AHJ would prohibit it, seems unlikely.

Today, belt and suspenders is mandatory. All sub panels must have ground and neutral brought separately, with separation in the sub panel. And then, an outbuilding or other off site location needs a separate ground rod.

And unless the ground rod tests to 25 ohms, it needs two ground rods. Unless you have the equipment, testing is more expensive than driving a second ground rod.

If you're in conduit, use THWN or XHHW. It's cheaper.

if the conduit run is continuous, don't choke cable down it, use individual THWN or XHHW conductors. Your neutral can be smaller and your ground can be much smaller.

For instance I just priced 2/2/4/6 in XHHW and it was $120 for 100 feet.   I don't see any 2/2/2/4 URD or anything out there at that price.

Mind you I got these prices by calling my local electrical supply house: trying to buy wiring on the Internet doesn't really work. Too many prices are sucker prices, or lowball but "gee, we're out of stock but thanks for joining my email list" prices, and then there's shipping to contend with. There is also junk imported from far-east places that use US wire sizes.  You don't want that. US big-box stores don't have any selection.  Proper electrical supply houses aren't online, these things have a very low price-to-weight ratio, so selling online is a fool's game.

Why URD is not a good fit for feeder

Feeder, service lateral and distribution are three separate and different things.  Your location is on your side of the meter, which makes yours feeder.

Power companies follow a completely different and more liberal code.  They are allowed to use AA-1350 aluminum, it was designed for power transmission and distribution after all!  URD is intended for distribution (pole to pole) or service lateral (pole to demarcation point which is before the meter) and that is abundantly clear:

from product descriptions (which say that plainly, even if many don't understand the terms and so, disregard them)
product brochures (note the truly screwball ampacity ratings, and footnote that "by the way" these don't apply to NEC usage which must come from NEC's tables).  This is glossed over because product users are expected to know it.

Now if you selected this cable because of these wild ampacity ratings like 120A for #4, that doesn't work at all. You need to use NEC rules for determining ampacity. For instance #4 Al has the same ampacity as #6 Cu, only good for a 60A subpanel.

So why does groundless 2/2/2/4 URD exist? For service laterals for three-phase wye service, hot-hot-hot-neutral, either wye or wild-leg delta. Why does Home Depot sell it? Because it sells.  Given how bad their help is, I'm sure a lot of what they sell is misapplied, or wasted when the inspector catches it.

Also, the cable does not have a ground wire.  People look at the yellow striped smaller wire and go "that's the ground because yellow is kinda like green". No, it's the neutral.  It's legal to remark #4 or larger wires, so it would need to be marked with green tape to make it a ground, and a hot conductor would need to be re-marked with white tape to be neutral.   I bet almost nobody does that.

A fair bit of googling reveals many claims that URD is not legal inside any home.  The claims are that NEC doesn't mention URD so it's not a proper wiring method.  That does make sense.


Will removing subtreads and risers that are attached with construction adhesive and nails damage the stringer?

I think the least invasive way to handle this is to add two more stingers, one right against the existing stairs(essentially just a nailer) and one out at the ultimate width of the new treads. This way you don't have to remove the old sub-treads/risers or change the height of your treads, which would cause you grief when you get to the top of your staircase. Once you've got your new stringers in just apply sub-treads and riser to match the existing construction and you're good to go. The bigger problem is that no matter how you construct it, the landing or the the lower staircase will have to be modified to make the intersection work properly.  This illustration shows how the problem could be fixed by lengthening the landing and pushing the lower stairs out (assuming you can do this). You could accomplish the same effect by pushing the landing to the right but it looks like your landing is captured on that side in the pictures. Although this fixes the stairs the railing system will still have an unusual transition but it's not too bad depending on how far you need to extend your treads.


After Lamp Blew and Circuit Breaker Popped Light Won't Go Out

They're new LEDs.
An ordinary switch turns power totally on and off. However, many special types of switches, often (but not always) including:

Dimmers
Smart Switches
Motion Sensors
Photo Sensors (a.k.a. dawn/dusk)
Timers

need to have power flowing through constantly in order to power their electronics. There are a few different ways to do this:

Batteries - easy, always works, but means changing batteries every year or two, which is something people forget to do.
Leak current through the circuit - Easy to design, but very much not compatible with LEDs. Typically results in LEDs blinking or dim.
Neutral to complete the circuit - this is, IMHO, the best solution. Except that if you don't have neutral in the box then it doesn't work. Which is why neutral is now required in new installations in most switch boxes.
Ground - this is permitted if designed appropriately and very low current used.

Most likely if you swap the sensor switch for a simple switch, everything will work correctly. If you really need (or want) the sensor, then look for one that:

Requires ground to function. This will be described in the installation instructions.
Requires neutral, provided you have neutral available.
Specifically claims "LED compatible". That should mean that it doesn't leak current through the circuit when off.

This problem does not happen with incandescent bulbs, which is likely why you did not have a problem previously.


All new Plaster needed for unmodernised Victorian Terrace?

Impossible to answer in general, and hard to answer in specific without actually seeing it. Photos would help, but seriously, I'd suggest you bring in a pro (or several pros) for advice and estimates. After they tell you what the options are for that specific situation, you can decide how much or how little you want to do yourself.

In the US, I'd suggest having this done as part of the inspection process since that estimate can become a bargaining point when setting the final price of the house.