Using old roof footings for a ground-level deck

Using the old footings sounds fine, so long as they've done their settling or were poured off kilter to begin with, it's those new ones I'm not too keen on, that will just sit on the ground. If you are going to use pier blocks, you might as well use the old questionable footings; can't be any worse then just using a rock.

You mentioned frost which means 3~5' down for the footings, at least where I live. For reference and how to do it right (in its entirety): Chicago Deck Code (footings: p. 48 and 49)

I will admit that it not being attached to the structure and not being a fire escape, you could say meh to some of the more colossal building techniques contained therein, but don't be surprised when it sinks those pier blocks into the ground and ends up looking like your sloped patio.


How to differentiate neutral or ground bar?

This is wired as a main panel (not a sub-panel), so they are effectively the same.  Best practice is to wire grounds and neutrals separated in case this panel ever needs to become a sub-panel, but what you've got here now is a typical main panel where the neutrals and grounds are intermixed.


Why does the circuit breaker for my bedroom continue to trip without any visible event after a power loss?

Probably a bad breaker, but the symptoms are also consistent with a mild overload causing the breaker to heat up and trip over time, the longer you let the breaker cool before resetting, the longer it takes for it to heat up and trip again.

I'd leave it turned off until you've ruled out a short in the wiring or other overload condition causing it to trip - if it's a short somewhere, that short is causing a lot of heat somewhere in the walls or other inaccessible place.

It's possible that the wiring is not straightforward and there's a load connected to the breaker that you're not aware of - like maybe the toaster in the kitchen is on the same circuit so be aware of what other appliances in the house may be in use when you experience the trip.

The hard thing about finding a short circuit is that if it's due to, say, a bad connection in a junction box under the floor, it may not short out until you walk near it and make the wires flex enough to touch. If you notice any kind of burning smell associated with the trip, keep the breaker turned off until someone finds the problem.

Some types of breakers are subject to "nuisance tripping" even without any overload or wiring problems - if you have an AFCI or GFCI breaker, you could be experiencing nuisance trips due to a device that's plugged in.

If you have 20A service to your bedroom, you're probably in a newer house (15A is more typical, especially in older construction), so a short is less likely than if you're in an older house so the most likely cause of the problem is a bad breaker. Hopefully the landlord had his electrician swap out the breaker since a breaker is relatively cheap compared to having the electrician make another service call.

The consequences of a short somewhere are severe enough (i.e. a fire in the walls or other inaccessible area) that it's worth ruling out a short before you leave the circuit turned on. If the landlord can't fix it to your satisfaction, hire an electrician of your own and bill it back to the landlord. Even if it's just a bad breaker, the landlord is responsible for wiring problems.

The fact that it stays on after waiting 5-6 hours probably means that it's not a short, but I wouldn't dismiss any repeated circuit breaker trips since the circuit breaker is your only warning about a dangerous short in the wiring.


Where does the C wire go in my A/C - Furnace?

It doesn't look like your unit exposes the C wire directly, so you'll have to run your own wire from the transformer.  Not sure where the transformer is physically in your unit, but here it is on the schematic.

You'll notice a terminal on the secondary side of the transformer, with a bunch of blue wires connected to it. This is the C terminal, and where you'll want to connect your C wire.


How to repair the voids in this stone wall

Standard mortar mix will work well for this. Be aware that it will become quite a bit brighter or lighter in color when dry than the old mortar .


I hate to tell you that I know from calling the manufacturers of both hardiebacker and durock that they do no support concrete installations.  Both indicated that it would probably work fine but they simply haven't tested it.

I have personally used it in a very small area that I needed to raise - very small.  You want to treat it like tile (thinset with large trowel) then hit each sheet with 4+ tapcon screws (which are hard to get just right).  This 2'by4' area took me way too long and I am not sure how I could have made it faster.  It has held up in a rental for 6-7 years now with no issues.

I would think before doing this.  Also I would choose durock since it is a little more flexible than hardie (I prefer hardie for everything except floors).

Given you are raising this area with the carpet, there is simply no logical transition.  Normally you would just buy a metal tile transition "L" and lay the flat side towards carpet... This will leave you too high.  The only thing that I can think of - and maybe others have ideas) is to basically raise the carpet area towards the tile, basically building a mini ramp.  Roofing shingles and plywood will get that job done.  Let's be clear, building a ramp so your carpet meets your tile OK is pretty ghetto.  It might turn out OK, but you will know.

After all of these workarounds to get everything lined up, that shouldn't be I would have to ask the question - wouldn't you be better off demoing the tile in the bathroom and laying the tile on the slab?  Demoing tile isn't that hard and laying tile on a slab is the simplest install.  Depending on size of bathroom this may be the least time consuming thing.  I know you have a bit more in material cost but this is a permanent solution and the right way.

The crew I flip houses with have a simple motto - we do hard stuff, we do some stuff a bit ghetto, but we never make the ghetto stuff hard.


I believe it would be called a "block and bleed" cock in industry. "Cock" because it is a 90 degree turn off/on. And the B & B because the small ( 1/2 " ?) knob on the lower part will open to bleed a line when the cock is closed. That of course , assumes that the supply is coming from the top pipe in the view.


Can I connect a 120V outlet to a 240v well house supply?

You are thinking of a tap rule and that would not be safe in this case because you only have 3 wire no neutral. There are 220v heaters but I would suggest good insulation on the pipes and letting a faucet trickle so the pump kicks on every 5 minutes or so, I have done this in several homes and not had frozen pipes even in the low single digits and -f  but I did loose some plumbing in the barn that now has heat tape luckily we had water in the house and could shut the feed to the barn off until we got the pipes fixed.


How can I neatly install temperature probes in my ductwork?

I would probably use a strain relief connector (aka dome connector):

There have a rubber grommet in the middle that compresses down around the wire when you tighten it, forming an air-tight seal. Some also have a gasket around the nut at the bottom. These are really easy to install (just require a 3/8" hole), pretty cheap, and available at the box stores.


I feel there is a light draft or visible gaps

That's most likely your problem. If you can feel air blowing around the edges of your windows and/or sliding door, then they're not sealed properly. Same if you can see light through it.
Since you know the window manufacturer and you know they're only 5 years old, you may want to contact them to see if they offer a warranty on the windows/doors. If so, you may get them replaced for free and be done with both the bugs and the heat/AC loss.
If they're no longer under warranty, I'm sure they'd be happy to sell you new ones, but for a far more reasonable price, you can tackle replacing weather stripping.
NOTE: Depending on where the air/light is coming from, you could have issues with the sealing between the window and the exterior of the house. This could be allowing water behind the siding, where it could be pooling and starting to rot your house framing. You may also want to contact the home builder to see if they offer any sort of home warranty and if it's still in effect.


What are my options for a basement floor drain?

Only proper options are the options. You'll need to seal that up so Radon & Water can't come in, stop the creation of a sinkhole under the house & get a condensate pump with a pipe into the plumbing or to the outdoors. Unless, you have actual real plumbing within 10 or so feet, then you may still be able to do a gravity drain or break up the floor to do so.


How can I secure a metal frame to polyurethane foam?

The best way is to embed (bent edges of) the wire mesh in the foam while the foam is wet, and let the foam harden around it. Since it's now too late for that, try large coarse screws, or bend a wire into a section of a circle and poke it into the surface, in a manner where the bent-circle aspect means it pops back out of the foam face elsewhere. Such tie wires could also be better done as embeds while the foam is wet, with a rod, nail or washer wrapped by the wire inside the foam to give them a better hold.

On the screw front, screw-in drywall anchors might give a better grab to your screws, since even the coarsest screw hasn't got much hold in foam.


Try closing all of the other vents, this should blast that room. If not, then that room's duct is either grossly improper, has a blockage or the ducting has separated. If it does blast that room, & hopefully it does, then you'll want to keep that configuration for the most part. It's called Balancing & you'll want to just crack the other rooms & hall to a little bit more open for an equal or Balanced distribution or you may find that just 1 vent (hall) really affects the Balancing. You'll have to remove the grills that don't close & block them with cardboard inside the fully re-attached grill for testing or Balancing & also to repair their operation or replace them.


Insulate Floor with No Crawlspace Access

I'd have to go with #5 as the better way and only right way. If the partial new floor has to come up for radiant heating anyway, and it does, then I'd strip everything to the joists and do it right with screws. You'll be eternally quiet, solid and comfortable with the heating protected by the subfloor and reflected up by foil-faced insulation for maximum efficiency. Make it all pay you back.


Is it ok to run CAT-6, Coaxal, and HDMI near hot water pipes

It would be a good idea to keep them as insulated from heat as possible. Depending on the type of cable, they could potentially release toxic fumes if they are exposed to too much heat.

Generally, if you are running them near a hydronic heating system, then the pipes won't get hot enough to melt the jackets of the wires as long as you wrap the pipes in foam insulation. This insulation can be found at most home and hardware stores and varies in size. It may also help the efficiency of your heating system by reducing the amount of heat loss in the pipe in areas where you don't want to heat.

You may want to do further research to see what the wires are rated for. I found a guide to in-wall wire installation that may help you out.

In wall cable ratings


How can I tell if a circuit breaker is worn out?

Breakers are supposed to be good for a fairly large number of triggers, and they are supposed to fail open when they fail. Is there a chance that you were running at a heavier overall load when the second incident occurred? I'm thinking that if you were say within 10 amps of max on the main breaker just due to normal load (air conditioners, perhaps?), and caused a short on the secondary (a 15 amp circuit, perhaps), you might have triggered the main to trip first by simply overloading it, before the secondary could draw enough to trip.

If you really think the secondary might be bad, then by all means replace it, but no, you don't have to replace the main just because it tripped. As long as it feels normal when you move it back into position (flip some other breakers to see how they feel - there shouldn't be any slop in the movement), you'll be fine.

The last several times I've seen breakers fail they've all failed open.


Pilot in gas water heater still goes out after replacing thermocouple

I reinstalled the pilot and cleaned out the burner and related assemblies and the pilot was only going out in the morning.

The issue turned out to be because we are still on a low-pressure gas system, which is susceptible to condensation and water seeping into the natural gas service pipes. The guys from my gas distributor pumped all the water out of the pipes and it's been fine since.


How can I patch a hole in a painted wood paneling (or plywood wall)?

The process for patching should similar to drywall, but with slightly different materials. I'd suggest using wood filler at the joint.

In more detail: first, get a new piece of plywood of the same thickness as the existing wall board. Then you need to attach your patch piece to structure. For this, you have two options.

Cut away more of the existing plywood until you've exposed some structure you can fasten into.
Cut some lumber to span the opening, and attach it using screws through existing plywood around the opening. Then cut your patch and mount it to the spanning pieces.

If the hole is only 6" wide, a small piece of 2x4 or even 1x2 and a plywood patch will probably cover you.

To seal the seams between your patch and existing plywood, use wood filler. Fill with a putty knife, sand flat, prime and paint. Assuming you can find a 4ft x 2ft plywood panel of the appropriate thickness, total materials cost should be around $20-$30.


How to remove concrete paving stone from mold?

Thanks to all who provided suggestions in comments/answers - I've actually succeeded in getting it out before having chances to try them. They'll definitely come in handy in the future I think though - and the muriatic mention from Shimon will definitely be useful as I wasn't aware of it and the ability to etch concrete could be very handy! Plus it would have allowed me to save a casting I lost earlier where excess concrete in just the wrong place caused it to be nigh-on impossible to de-mold without destroying it.

Ultimately I used a very low-tech solution of inverting the mold on the floor and standing on it, shifting my weight to flex the "bottom" of the mold  and this caused the slab to drop enough (the slab wasn't flush with the top of the mold so there was a few cm of room for it to drop) that I could get a butter knife in the edge and pry the slab loose.


Light fixture in basement with a light switch that has an outlet next to it ........light won't work now

If you replaced a light fixture and when you turned it on it started to buzz then went out. Then let's go tho the obvious. You had a short in the wiring at the fixture. So first turn off the breaker to the fixture. Remove the fixture and look inside your box. I am guessing that you will find a wire burnt in half or at a splice or it may be wired incorrectly. If that fixture has a ballast or driver you can assume that the miss wiring has burnt it out and needs replacing.

You said you had a wire coming from the receptacle to the switch. You say the a conductor is coming from the receptacle and it didn't trip the breaker. I am assuming that would be your hot. Check the switch by using a continuity tester touch both posts of the switch and see if you can get it to ring when you turn the switch on.

You also run a ground to the switch and connect the fixture to the ground to eliminate a possible shock hazard.

Good luck and stay safe.


That looks like a torpedo bulb with a candelabra base (the base indicates globe style, it's mislabeled). If the voltage is at least accurate, that 29w should be a 40W incandescent equivalent, which is how many manufacturers often indicate wattage on packaging. They also make LED versions of virtually every bulb nowadays if you wanted to get an even more energy efficient version, a decent sized hardware store might carry them.


Could my furnace be leaking due to condensation neutralizer?

To me it looks like the drain line is plugged causing the condensate to build up in the air handler. Once the water level is high enough it finds a way out.

You know your pump is working but now you need to make sure to clear the line from the air handler to the pump. It is quite common for dust and spores to develop blockages in the tubing and this creates the problem you have.

There is 1 more possibility that a low Freon charge could be causing the evaporator to ice up and possibly water dripping down the side wall is causing the leak but I would be clearing the drain tube (this is quite a common thing).


Most transformers will give off heat. I don't know if 50C is too hot but most transformer components are rate either 75C or 90C. I suppose you could give Hammond Manufacturing a call and ask their engineering department.
A simple transformer is basically two coils so your primary side is always passing current. Due to that you have a lot of EMF or Magnetic opposition which is the cause of the heat. I won't get more involved in transformer technology since it is about a one semester course and I don't want to bore you or myself to death by trying to explain any more than I have. I will say it does rise in temperature under heavier loads.
An autotransformer will also give off heat. Your particular transformer is shielded and for that reason probably will give off more heat and it is an isolation transformer, and an autotransformer is not. So really not comparable.

Hope this helps


Cable With Same Plug And Slot (RJ11), What's The Purpose?

That looks like a DSL filter. DSL "piggybacks" on a regular voice line. The DSL modem will automatically block out voice frequencies. DSL filters are used on all connections EXCEPT the DSL modem to block DSL frequencies from the voice devices (phone, fax, answering machine).


Sounds like the fan motor is dying.  Sadly, nothing lasts forever.  The more expensive units can be repaired, but it sounds like you have a cheaper model that isn't made to be repairable.

Luckily, cheap ceiling fans are pretty affordable.  Mine cost under $40.

Time to replace it.


What do I look for when buying a used gas cooktop

I would be more worried about the igniter or if electronic how often it fails.
I have been asked several times if I could repair them and the high voltage circuits are usually potted and not repairable.
With potted electronics you are stuck purchasing expensive replacement parts.
And that may be the reason to sell (or a remodel).
I am not aware of any real safety concerns and any alerts could be online using the brand and model.


Does painting roof tile improve longevity or performance?

Simply using paint is a cosmetic application. Using a silicone or other sealant based paint would actually improve water protection. If the goal is to seal the roof then it might be a good idea to apply silicone sealant and then paint. For cosmetic applications, any outdoor latex or acrylic would do just fine.


A very likely cause, and one that is not too difficult to fix, is a partial obstruction of that drain (or even another drain) downstream or a partial or full obstruction of a vent pipe.

Are there any slow drains in the house? If so, snake them out. Go on the roof and inspect your vent pipe(s) for any debris, animal nest, ice plugs, etc. Run a large snake cable down the shower drain itself too.


How can I connect multiple lights to a two prong timer?

Two-prong splitters are not hard to find. Expand your search to big box stores or online retailers.

You can also use the ubiquitous 3-to-2 adapter (cheater plug):

This adapter is safe to use in this case because of the GFCI outlet.

However, if you're in a pinch, just break off the ground prong on that green splitter and plug the ground holes on the outlets with caulk or something else non-conductive.

Don't use it for anything requiring equipment grounding. You're responsible for acting like an adult and not abusing this equipment (or a cheater plug, or whatever) or allowing less clever people to do so as a result.


Using a Leviton GFCI self grounding outlet on 1950s house with metal boxes that might or might not be grounded

No no no. A "self-grounding clip" is nothing important as far as your concerns about grounding.  It doesn't help at all, and it doesn't really hinder either.

The purpose of a "self-grounding clip" is to resolve some minutae in Code. I assume you've removed a receptacle or switch at some point in your life... you know how there are 2 screws, top and bottom? Ever think "Hey, these screws are metal, and so is this yoke. Is that a valid grounding path?" Code says "Yes" for switches (since they don't need much) and "no" for receptacles (because the yoke-to-screw-head contact is pretty flaky, especially when you're pushing a plug in). Self-grounding receps have an extra spring clip to make that yoke-mounting screw contact reliable enough. That is all.

As such, "self-grounding" doesn't make a hill-of-beans difference to whether the boxes are grounded.

If a ground is isolated, it doesn't matter either way - though it can be valuable to retrofit ground to that location.

The only thing of concern is if you have a group of outlets whose wires are connected to each other yet are not grounded to the panel and grounding system.  In that case, they aren't grounded, and worse, will share ground faults - if one of them has a ground fault, it will place 120V on all their grounds!  So you could get nailed touching your PC, when actually it's a heater that's ground faulting!

  I was told in order to be up to code all un-grounded 3 prong outlets need to switched to GCFI outlets.

That's the simpleton version.    The real version is fitting 3-prong outlets in grandfathered 2-prong sites require ground, or, may instead be GFCI protected.  The GFCI protection doesn't need to be at the receptacle. It can be anywhere, e.g. fed from the LOAD terminals of a GFCI breaker or other device upline.  Also, footnote, outlets thus protected need a sticker saying so.

Perfect world, you only need one GFCI per circuit if you are smart and the wiring cooperates.  If you're fitting 2+ GFCIs per circuit, you may be better off fitting GFCI/AFCI breakers - it's much easier to install, and you get better protection including from most "old wiring" problems. If you're interested, pop off your panel deadfront and shoot us a well-lit picture (yeah I know, hard to do with the main breaker off lol) and ask a question about how to GFCI it.  We know what to look for.

If you are choosing "One GFCI recep at every receptacle", then do not use the LOAD terminals at all. The are ONLY for extending protection to downlines. The LINE terminals are designed to take 2 wires, if you read the instructions carefully.


Can structural bricks be used as pavers for a patio?

For brick driveways the most important part is a solid compacted base--crushed quarry rock or shale, not crushed river rock. Sand is normally used, not mortar.

For a “green” drive, place the holes vertical and fill with dirt and then grass seed. I have done this and if kept moist with drought resistant grass it works well (but I live in the grass dead capitol of the world). Keeping it trimmed is a chore as a lawn mower is too tall and a weed eater inconsistent. I purchased a Toro fly mow from a friend and that really works well (lawn mower with no wheels floats on a cushion of air). I think they are for golf greens but not sure.

If you don’t want grass turn sideways and use poly sand to fill the cracks. Poly sand really helps prevent grass with pavers. As long as you have a solid base the bricks will hold up. If the base is not solid you will have ruts in short order.


How do I smooth out spray paint drips on a metal monitor stand?

Unfortunately, there is only one way to fix your boo-boo.  Sand it back down to metal or enough to remove the drips.  Next time, when using spray paint, remember several very thin coats are much better than one heavy coat.  Always start the spray away from the object you want to paint. Move smoothly and fairly quickly across the area, then go past the end of the work before stopping the spray. Let the paint dry a bit before the next coat. Be patient, smooth and quick. Trying to put on too much at one time caused your drips.  Good luck.


In my mind, it comes down to what's under that beam and ceiling joists.  There should be a wall under the joists (looks like that may be the case 'cause you can see what looks to be the top plate of the wall under the joists), and a built up post of some sort under the edge of the beam.
If those conditions are met, than you should be OK to put down the plywood over the joists.


How can I attach modern fixture to knob & tube wiring?

Use a NCVT (non-contact voltage tester) and see which of the two wires alarms when the switch is on. That will be your black/hot wire. If both of the wires alarm, stop, do not pass go, something else is wrong.

For the ground, you don't have one. The safest thing to do is run a whole new wire back to the panel. Anything else is "less than safest".


What part do I need to search for to fix this leaky outdoor hose faucet?

The anti-siphon part on top is broken.  You need to determine the brand and purchase the replacement part for the anti-siphon.
The brand can be seen here.  Take a photo of the brand here.

For the similiar style shown in my comment earlier, a replacement part is sold.  If your faucet is a PRIER or Mansfield, this is the part needed.

You would order a similar part/kit for your brand.

You can unscrew the plastic part,  It is most likely cracked to gush that much water.  Try this universal replacement part shown in this Youtube video.

Replacing part with universal repair kit

I found this part, which looks identical to your photo. Remove the plastic piece and see if it looks like this.

IF the right blue handle is turned inline with the outlet, water should come out, even if the top cap is leaking.

This part can be purchase here.

You stated you didn't want to replace the whole fixture, It might be easier (@ more cost) to replace the whole faucet with a similar type.
Another solution is to replace the broken faucet with a standard hose faucet, and add a vacuum breaker part on the hose bib end.


One of the types of breakers mentioned in the panel label, Bryant GFCB, are still made.  Bryant was bought by Eaton some time back, so they are now known as Eaton BR   GFCI series.  Most big box and stores stock them, or any electrical supply house will be able to get them for you.

Image from Home Depot - Eaton Type BR GFCB

Interestingly, as Harper notes in the comments, regular non-GFCI type BR breakers are not listed for use with this panel for some reason.  I expect they would still be safe to use since the busing is identical on regular and GCFI type BR breakers, but it would not pass an inspection that way since it is not listed for that use.  So the only currently manufactured breakers originally listed for use with this panel are going to be GFCI type.

It appears that Eaton also makes some cross-listed breakers that are compatible with the original Crouse-Hinds ones.  See this PDF for more details


Add a toilet to washing machine drain line

a toilet needs either a large drain pipe or a fecal grinder that prevents fecal matter and toilet paper from clogging it up

that or it needs to be a urinal


Will These Electrical Panels Support Hot Tub?

I assume the 2nd pic is the sub-panel in your garage?     If so, you should be fine installing the breaker for the hot-tub in the garage, since it has a 125 amp feed.  That is unless you have lots of other simultaneous heavy loads, which I don't see breakers for. Just because the amperage of the breakers adds up 170 amps in that panel isn't a problem.  Panels are over-subscribed all the time.
Using the capacity of every breaker at the same time, is a virtual impossibility.
The heating element size in common hot-tubs is 4 - 5.5 KW which is 16.6 amps and 23 amps respectively. And it will not nearly be on all the time.  Additional draws will come when you use it and start running pumps.  But the total draw will be less than 50 amps.
Again, just because you have the circuit capacity doesn't mean you are using it.  If you were using all the capacity of every circuit in your house (ignoring the fact the main breaker would trip), you'd need a very large loan to pay your electric bill!


Brass central heating elbow joint leaking at connection to plastic pipe

The fitting looks like it’s a Sharkbite which is a type of push-on fitting that can also be removed by pushing the plastic ring at the end of the hub back into the hub by use of a special tool, an adjustable wrench, or even sometimes your fingers.

Before you remove the fitting, you will need to shutoff the heating system, relieve the pressure, and if possible isolate and drain the affected line.

Once that is done, you can remove the fitting and inspect the pipe ends and the fitting for any visible defects or damage. Here’s a instruction video on how to install and remove the fitting.

Note that there should be a sleeve that inserts into the end of the plastic pipe that looks like this:

It strengthens the end of the plastic preventing it from being squished by the clamping force of the fitting. If it’s missing, it might be the cause of the issue. More info here.

Once done, you can reinstall the fitting or replace it if needed. If the end of the plastic pipe is damaged, you may need to cut it back and add a new piece. Sharkbite also makes couplings as well.


How is a finish sander different than an orbital sander?

Anything that sands across the grain on wood puts scratches in the growth rings that can be hard to remove.

Orbital sanders are good for removing homogenous materials like paint where you don't want a pattern to the marks left by the sand paper. As you use finer paper, the random action leaves finer scratches till the surface is smooth.

Finish sanding on wood is a bit different, you want a straight line sander so the abrasive cuts parallel to the wood grain so you can get a smoother surface.

Also, Finish Sanders are available with Random Orbital Action. If you've ever been in a car paint shop, you know it as a DA or Dual Action Sander. The pad is loosely coupled to the orbital mechanism so it doesn't produce spiral cuts in the finish but has a random combination of straight and orbital motion.


How do I stop my in-cabinet lights from falling out?

I have similar looking lights in my cabinets. The tabs on the side are meant to engage a plastic retaining collar mounted to the cabinet. The previous owners did not install the collars, but they did leave them behind in the back of one of the cabinets. Unfortunately, there were 3 missing.

For those three, I used a staple gun to make a little lip just inside the edge of the hole. Here's a picture of where I would put the staple(s) in your cabinet.

My lights had 4 tabs, so I used 4 staples in the proper position. I also used a screwdriver to back the staples out a bit for a better fit. The first one I did I just pried the staple out a bit. But for the subsequent ones I held the screwdriver against the edge of the hole and just stapled over the top.

Then to install the lights, make sure the tabs and the staples are NOT aligned, insert the light, and give it a little twist to slide the tabs over the staples.


If the shelf is one with a sturdy back that is affixed to the shelves and sides of the unit then you should be just fine using some screws like 2 to 2.5 inch long #8 or #10 screws. Three or four on each side that are through the back, through the wall covering (drywall) and into the studs should be more than enough hold it securely.

On the other hand if the shelf is the very typical type with a thin cardboard back that is stapled to the back then that will not be suitable to use to mount the shelf against the wall. Another technique would be required. One scheme would be to screw some angle brackets onto the sides of the shelf and then through the other face of the angle brackets into the studs. This of course only works if the angle brackets just happen to line up over the studs. These are the types of angle bracket I am talking about.

If careful measurements reveal that the angle brackets above do not end up lining up with the studs on both sides of the shelf then it will be necessary to pre-attach several boards to the wall that are longer than the width of the shelf unit and long enough to span across to where studs are located. Screw three of these boards to wall with screws into the studs. Then use the aforementioned angle brackets to the sides of the shelf unit and into these pre-attached boards.


Why doesn't my outlet switch switch any outlets?

Yes, most older houses were wired with half-switched outlets because they did not have switched overhead lights.
It's entirely possible that someone replaced the receptacles with new ones and did not break off the tabs between the 2 halves of the outlets, thus both top & bottom outlets are always live.
Using red insulated wire to go to the switched receptacle was a convenience, but I don't believe it was ever required by code, thus there's no reason for you to be concerned about the fact that there aren't any /3 cables leaving your switches. Actually, in 1951, most (all?) wiring would have been individual wires with cloth insulation, not the modern NM cables with multiple, individually insulated wires within a sheath, so it's even less surprising that you're not seeing a red wire.
The outlets with 2 pair (white/black) of wires are somewhere in the middle of the run - power comes in on one pair, provides power to this outlet, then carries power on to the next outlet in the string.
The outlets with 1 pair (white/black) of wires are at the end of the string. Power comes in and is provided to the outlet, but doesn't need to carry on to another outlet.


Will galvanized metal conduit balusters resist rust?

Rigid conduit (which is pretty much the same thing as galvanized steel pipe) is galvanized with a considerably thicker layer than EMT - it's also stronger (emt is a bit flimsy for a railing) and more expensive (such is life.)  Since you didn't specify what type of galvanized metal conduit you were considering using, what happens will vary with the type you choose.

EMT is very flimsy and prone to rust - inexpensive and easy to work
with, but not a great railing material, IMHO.
Rigid would work nicely, and probably not rust for a good long time if the galvanizing was not deeply scratched.
I know there is a third product (IMC) but I don't have any direct
experience with it. I believe it's "Intermediate" Metallic Conduit
and heavier than EMT, lighter than rigid - and I don't know how its
galvanizing compares.


Installing shelf over block construction walls, plus more

Your 1 by firring strips should not be randomly spaced - they should be 16 inch on center - just like studs. There is a set distance you have from sheetrock to concrete block (about 1 inch total). There might be electrical run behind the sheet rock as well. You might want to invest in a tool that you might be able see behind the sheet rock.

All of that said :

You will need to anchor into the concrete block via through the fir studs.

Issues:

Concrete block is not hollow everywhere so the anchor you will need is a metal style plug - much like a lead lug.

Concrete block has hollow area (which might be filled with concrete) depending on what year your house was built (if after 1997 you can be assured it should be every 24 inches I believe and there you will also find a strap down rod so the roof can be strapped to the foundation every 24 inches).

So in these non-hollow areas again a concrete plug style anchor will be needed.

In a hollow area you can use a butterfly anchor.

You should find areas of the wall where you have those stud fir strips - because as you tighten the bolts/screws holding your heavy iron against the wall it will compress the wall and also there will be 'free play' that could allow the screw/bolts to sag from the weight - loosening the hold into the concrete and also damaging your wall. To exaggerate what I am saying imagine a 10 foot pole extending out from that wall and some one standing on the end of it - it will sag and act as a crow bar on the anchor point.


Can I use polyurethane to coat a painted wall tile and safely use as a trivet?

The clearcoat won't buy you anything for temperature resistance. It's not like you can put a high-temp clearcoat over a low-temp-vulnerable paint and have that work out.  Both the paint and the clearcoat will need to be high-temperature rated, since it'll be encountering worst-case 400F/200C or so from the bottom of a fry pan.

By the way, you need more words.  You're cutting off the noun, like using the word "cell" to mean "cell phone" or "built-in" to mean "built-in cabinets".  This doen't work with polyurethane because it is ambiguous - you have polyurethane paint, polyurethane stain, polyurethane sheeting, polyurethane panels (glass) etc.


New 4 prong dryer but have a 3 prong outlet

Your dryer wants the modern, safe NEMA 14-30 recep.
Your house has the obsolete, dangerous NEMA 10-30. If the neutral wire has a common problem, it will electrify the chassis of the dryer.
So you can, but you shouldn't.   Here are your options:
LUCKY: There's a 4-wire cable underneath that 3-prong outlet ($15)
Turn the breaker off. Unscrew the receptacle and go see.
If you see either a ground wire, or metal conduit going back to the service panel, you're in luck.  You can simply change the receptacle to NEMA 14-30 and you are done.  Metal conduit is a valid grounding path.
This happens a lot, because Goober gets a used 3-prong dryer, doesn't realize you can easily change the cord, and so Goober changed the receptacle from 4-prong to 3.  Home Depot still sells the receptacles, which they should not.
SUPERB: Fit a 30A, 2-pole GFCI breaker ($95)
At your service panel, find the 30A breaker powering that outlet.  Change it for a 2-pole GFCI breaker.  (this requires that GFCI breakers be available for your panel: Eaton, Cutler Hammer, Bryant, Challenger, Square D, Murray, Siemens and GE are available many places. A few others are supported by Eaton CL breakers. For Pushmatic, Zinsco and FPE you're out of luck, but in the last two, your panel is actually dangerous and should go ASAP.)
After upgrading the breaker, change the receptacle to NEMA 14-30 and don't hook up the ground wire.
Finally, stick two stickers next to the receptacle:

GFCI Protected - reset at panel
No Equipment Ground

And you're done.  This is safe as houses. It would be almost impossible to kill yourself with your dryer even if you were intentionally trying.
GOOD: Retrofit a ground wire. ($20++++ depending on luck of route)
Run a 10 AWG separate ground wire, bare or green, from the dryer receptacle area (leave 1' extra slack) back to any of the following places:

The service panel where the breaker is
any junction box with a metal conduit path back to the panel
any junction box that has a #10 ground wire going back to the panel
Anywhere in the Grounding Electrode System - the bare wires connecting the panel to ground rods/water pipes/etc.

Then, change the receptacle to NEMA 14-30 type and hook up ground.   If the old neutral wire is bare, insulate it thoroughly.  Shrink tubing is not excessive. It mustn't touch ground.
POOR: Change cord to NEMA 10-30 ($15)
There is a procedure in your instructions to swap the dryer out for a 3-prong cord.  It involves changing the cord (obviously) but also involves adding a ground strap tying neutral to ground.  This instruction is telling you to "bootleg ground", which is stupid and dangerous, and illegal anywhere but here because of a special exception notched into Code for dryers and ranges.  Ugh.
The problem with this procedure is that if the neutral wire breaks, it will electrify the chassis of your dryer.  The reasoning behind the exception to the rule is that "Dryers are unplugged rarely, and this isn't likely to happen". This was installed due to pressure from appliance manufacturers, who were scared of losing sales if rewiring was required.  The "retrofit ground" option wasn't available then; it's a quite recent development.
LESS POOR, BUT ILLEGAL: Cheat a separate ground. ($20)
Defy its instructions, don't attach the ground-neutral strap, and hang a ground anywhere you can, in some way which is inferior to the Retrofit Ground procedure (which presumably, you are unable to do).
You could do it all neat and proper, like a retrofit ground, but don't. Deliberately make it look horky-dorky.  That way nobody mistakes it for a proper, legal retrofit ground.
Of course, this is very naughty.


Actually, now that I think about it, I've seen pros pour posts that were worse than that, and it didn't rain!  lol.  Don't think you're in bad shape.  You can certainly use them.  Try packing the downward leaning side hard with a dirt tamp, you just might get that 1/4" back. Don't be afraid to use the pull and grunt method. Brute strength. Being only 30" deep, you may be able to force them back to plumb and compact the voided side with a tamp and some fill.


You're almost there!  Simply run a /3 cable instead of the /2 to the switch; this lets you run the switched hot using the cable's red wire, freeing up its white to be connected to neutral at the fixture end and capped off at the switch end.  This is required for future use as per NEC 404.2(C):

  (C) Switches Controlling Lighting Loads. The grounded
  circuit conductor for the controlled lighting circuit shall be
  provided at the location where switches control lighting
  loads that are supplied by a grounded general-purpose
  branch circuit for other than the following:

  (1) Where conductors enter the box enclosing the switch
  through a raceway, provided that the raceway is large
  enough for all contained conductors, including a
  grounded conductor

  (2) Where the box enclosing the switch is accessible for
  the installation of an additional or replacement cable
  without removing finish materials

  (3) Where snap switches with integral enclosures comply
  with 300.15(E)

  (4) Where a switch does not serve a habitable room or
  bathroom

  (5) Where multiple switch locations control the same lighting load such that the entire floor area of the room or space is visible from the single or combined switch locations

  (6) Where lighting in the area is controlled by automatic
  means

  (7) Where a switch controls a receptacle load

  Informational Note: The provision for a (future) grounded
  conductor is to complete a circuit path for electronic lighting control devices.


Tempered glass (might be costly, might not; but a good and common solution seen in fridges, easy to clean, won't harbor mold, etc.)

Plastic would work but will eventually get scratched up somewhat, but is also a common refrigerator interior suface.

Wire mesh (fairly heavy, stiff) works and permits airflow. Stainless steel or powder-coated to prevent corrosion. Again, a common shelf material in this application.

Have you verified that the "wine fridge" will actually operate properly at the temperature range you require? many are optimized for "cellar temperatures" in the mid-50's F (10 C) and don't do well running at normal refrigerator temperatures in the lower 30's (1-3 C)


Replacing an old light switch with a new one. Trying to figure out correct wiring

You are attempting to replace a "normal" switch with a a "3-way" switch, which is why you have a "common" terminal you don't know what to do with.

You also are replacing a switch that depended on the box screws for grounding with a switch that has a ground terminal. You need to maintain the connection to "the ground wire going out the top" and you should also have a "ground screw connected to the box" (unless it' a plastic box - hard to tell from that picture) as well as the "ground screw on the switch" - it is unsafe and improper to connect only to the ground screw on the switch, particularly if (as I read it, which MAY not be what you MEANT) that's at the cost of the ground going out to the fixture. Basically, you need a wire nut for the grounds, and you need "pigtails" (short wires) coming off that to make the connection to the box & switch. "Special for grounding" wirenuts are made that allow one of those pigtails to be from one of the wires going straight through the wirenut - whether you want to bother with buying one for a single switch is up to you, you don't have to use them, a regular wirenut will work.

Edit to add in response to edit of question: Yes, if you have adequate wire to do so, you can just bend the ground wire around to connect to the ground screw on the switch, and keep the wire-nut connection to the top ground wire. The bigger picture does appear to be a plastic box, so you don't have to try to ground that as well.

Best solution would be to get the proper replacement switch. However, you can simply leave one terminal disconnected and use a 3-way as a regular switch:

Can I use a 3-way switch as a single-pole switch?


Water meter leak indicator moves once in a while

Max, with that small of a “leak” I would not worry about it but I may try an experiment where you turn your water heater off for several hours and see if it is any different this test may be more accurate if some hot water was used after the water heater was turned off so the cooling down or cycling of the water heater might be eliminated as the cause but .0001 cult is a very small amount of water. And probably not worry about as it is not a consistent leak and may be due to water heater temp cycling.


Help needed to calculate the R value of a brick veneer wall (house built in 1958)?

The only way to know the R-value of your wall is to know everything that was used to build it. Some of the ways you can determine this include by drilling a hole in it or looking behind an electrical outlet. That said, if your house is typical Canadian construction, here's my rough estimate:

1/2" drywall or plaster and lath: R-0.5
2x6 cavity filled with fiberglass batt insulation: R-14 (R-19 batts x 0.75 due to thermal bridging by the 2x6 studs).
Plywood sheathing: R-0.5
1" cavity: R-0.75
Single-wythe brick veneer: R-0.75

So the all-inclusive "whole-wall" R-value of your wall, if it's like this one, would be R-16.5. However, typically when discussing R-values, you only include the insulation--taking into account thermal bridging by studs. In that case, we would describe this wall as an R-14 wall. If your wall has different cavity insulation, or only has 2x4 studs, or has been retrofitted with rigid foam or mineral wool outside the sheathing, then the numbers would be different.


How can I mix tank and tankless hot water to feed my bathroom?

Do the simple thing ..
The simplest thing is to add more electric-fuel tank for heating and storing water. You'd do a bit of math to figure out how many gallons you want to be able to consume in a window of time and how much recovery time you'll allow for the heaters to come back up to temperature before the next demand cycle hits. With that one can estimate whether it's even possible to get there from where you're at, and if so, how many tank water heaters you should have in service.
.. or else engineer a solution
You can save a little space and energy by using an electric instant heater to supplement the hot water stored in the tank. You're going off the well-beaten path, though, so a bit of design (aka engineering) will be necessary. Like any custom design, you may find that the design parameters weren't quite right and the solution requires a bit of in-field adjustment.
Following is just one approach of many. This approach focuses on minimizing the load the master bath shower places on the tank heater. It assumes a plumbing topology in which the tank heater continues to directly feed all hot water consumers except the master bath shower. The master bath shower would be fed by the outlet of a tankless electric heater; the tankless heater is fed by a mixing valve; the mixing valve is fed from the tank heater and cold water.

Figure out what is the hottest temperature you'll require at the master bath shower and how many GPM will be needed.
Look at the electric instant water heater's data sheet; find its temperature rise graph. Determine how many degrees temperature rise the heater can provide at the GPM selected in step 1.
Subtract the temperature rise of step 2 from the target water temperature of step 1. This is the required input temperature at the tankless heater.
Adjust the mixing valve so that its output temperature is equal to or greater than the input temperature found in step 3.

This arrangement balances two goals:

provide more water (GPM) at the target temperature than what the tankless heater could do on its own
use the tankless heater to truly supplement or extend the runtime of what the tank heater could sustain on its own


How can I hang Christmas lights on eaves with no soffit?

After trying a few different configurations, I've decided in the interest of keeping things straight and simple, if I mount the long side of the vinyl J channel against the trim edge and drill holes through the short edge, I'll have enough space for LEDs and power injection wires and a good straight line of LEDs through each piece of J channel, and I won't have to disturb the shingles.

Added benefit: J channel comes in 12.5ft pieces and the strands of 50 ARGB LEDs are just over 12 ft so I can take the lights down easily after Christmas if I use a velcro or semi-permanent adhesive to mount them, or leave them up (semi-permanent installation) and mount them with a permanent adhesive or nails/screws through the trim.
To anyone else considering installing any kind of lights on an edge like this, you can either mount each light on a shingle clip (select lights with wide spacing so you don't need hundreds of clips) or mount the lights on something straight (pvc, vinyl/aluminum channel) and mount that to the house so you don't need to secure as many points.


General suggestions:

use powdered soaps (not liquid)
make sure you are using a rinse aid (jet-dry)
make sure you aren't using 'too much' soap
run the dishes through a cycle with vinegar added to the dishwasher
look on the dish soap aisle for some powered 'soap scum' removal powders that you can adde to the dish soap. It's often a citric-based product in powder form


Turn off the power to the circuit at the breaker, and verify power is off. Then pull the nails, and remove the box. Then install an old work braced ceiling box.

They are available at any hardware or big box home improvement store, from many different manufactures.
Those nails should not be inside the box, and replacing them will screws does not solve that problem.

National Electrical Code 2014
Chapter 2 Wiring Methods
Artical 314 Outlet, Device, Pull, and Junction Boxes; Conduit Bodies; Fittings; and Handhole Enclosures.
III. Construction Specifications
314.43 Nonmetallic Boxes. Provisions for supports or other mounting means for nonmetallic boxes shall be outside of the box, or the box shall be constructed so as to prevent contact between the conductors in the box and the supporting screws.


Will it damage my washing machine and tumble dryer to be left in a shed for storage

I hope this helps, I live on the coast in California where we get a good share of cold and wet weather.my washer and dryer are in a metal shed but I use them weekly. I would think if the units are drained,and off the ground (dirt) they should be fine. You me mentioned wrapping them I believe that be a great idea the only problem I see is if you have critters i.e. Rats squirrels I'm in the mountains and our little critters find places to live in wintertime


My heating coil was bent. Should it be replaced?

If the heating coil belongs to the landlord and it is still functional (it heats the apartment when needed, without leaking, etc.), you really don't have any reason to "make" your landlord replace it, and making a great fuss about it would put you on the short list for not getting your lease renewed with any sensible landlord.

It's their property, if their chosen fix for the heater they own in the apartment they own is to bend it back into shape, you are merely a tenant who can choose not to renew your lease if that sort of repair is somehow offensive to your sensibilities. I don't think you'll have any luck from a legal standpoint trying to break your lease over it.


Can I put gypsum and paint finish on top of a concrete fast set repair mortar?

I would use a setting joint compound (maybe durabond) rather than mud because it's more durable and moisture resistant.  It's more time-consuming to sand, however.  Either should stick to concrete and both should get a coat of primer before painting.  If have old or really glossy concrete, you can prep the surface with a little Muriatic acid to etch the surface and get a better bond, but that shouldn't be necessary for fresh-cured mortar.


How do I connect a 1/2”BSP (F) Swivel inlet with a Quick Connect hose end?

Ok I figured out your sizes the gun takes a 1/2” BSPM thread
Your link the male adapter 2.70 pound (your dollar? ) is the right one but there are 2 sizes FQCBM2 is a 1/2 BSP fitting so this should be the correct size.
I hope this gets you all set up it looks like it should from both descriptions.


How to spec buried wiring to a garden workshop

Figure out what tools and equipment you'll likely use, and that will largely dictate what size circuits you'll need. For example, table saws come in a variety of powers, but the "hobbyist" ones tend to be on the lower end of that spectrum. In the US, these would be 120V 15A (or maybe even 240V), but that may be different in the UK. Don't forget to factor in lights, AC or heat, general purpose outlets for a computer or music, etc.

Consider which tools and equipment you'll be using at the same time. If it's just you in the shop, you probably won't be using the table saw and bandsaw at the same time. But, you'll probably be using a table saw and dust collector (if you have one). Don't forget about your lights and such here, too.

When you have those numbers, add up the current or power ratings for everything (using the largest rating for a group of tools which won't be running at the same time - e.g., table saw, bandsaw, lathe). Add some fudge factor to that and round up to the nearest normally-sized breaker (e.g., your tools require 32A, fudge that by 20% to 38A, round up to 40A). Once you have that, you can then calculate the voltage drop and figure out what size wires you need (search here or ask a new question for that).

One big thing to note at this stage is that it's very easy (and relatively cheap) to go bigger. The difference in cost for bigger wires is pretty negligible compared to the labor cost of installing it. So, if in doubt about what size subpanel you'll need, defer to going bigger. I've seen rules of thumb about woodshops doing well with 60A; without a dust collector you could almost halve that.


Terminating unused wiring in electrical box

Cap off hot and neutral

The hot(s) and neutral wires should be capped off and laid in the panel somewhere out of the way.   Don't attach even the neutral; neutral can be a live wire in certain edge conditions.  You can attach ground, however.

How long to leave the wires? Long enough so every hot and neutral can reach every breaker space in the panel.  This should be standard operating procedure for every circuit anyway*.  Neutral is one of these because AFCI/GFCI.

* which is incompatible with the "Captain Snippy" method of making wires minimum length for an "ultra-neat panel" -- but you don't actually get brownie points for that.  You get brownie points for a functional panel.


The best way to overcome this is to re-wash the windows with an entirely different technique.

Get yourself some microfiber cleaning cloths and a silicone edge squeegee.
Get a plastic bucket with some warm to hot water.
Add some general purpose cleaning soap. I like to use Fabuloso from Costco as it is cost effective and works well.
Wash down a window pane with the soapy water and a microfiber cloth.
Use the squeegee to remove all remaining water from the window. With each swipe of the squeegee wipe its blade with another dry or wrung out microfiber cloth.
Carefully dry the edges of the frame of the window pane where the squeegee didn't quite fit or lifted off the glass at the end of the stroke.

Some other things:

If the windows are very dirty it can be helpful to use two buckets and two sets of the washing cloths. Get the dirt off with the first bucket and wash. Use the second bucket to come back and rinse the pane before proceeding to the squeegee step.
When cleaning multiple windows that are very dirty do change the bucket of water often.
When cleaning windows on the outside get a kit that includes an extendable pole and a head that consists of a microfiber mop on one side and a squeegee on the other side. When using these a rectangular shaped bucket is handy so the 12 - 13 inch wide mop/squeegee head fits nicely into the bucket.

Once I discovered washing windows this way I have never ever reconsidered the use of commercial window spray cleaners and paper towels -- even for my car windows.


If flame sensor will affect Motor assembly's functionality of furnace? How does that work?

There is a chemical added to natural gas (ethyl mercaptan) so you can smell leaks. However, this chemical burns, otherwise you would smell it when using a gas stove -- so it will not warn you of a leak after combustion, which is where the Carbon Monoxide (CO) hazard exists.

You should probably inform company B, and your home warranty company, that their technician seems to be giving advice that could get someone killed and get one or both of these companies sued.

This doesn't necessarily mean company A was correct about there being a crack, or that company B was wrong about there being a dirty flame sensor. I'd suggest getting Yet Another technician in there to check both... or simply assuming that both problems exist and having both fixed; at worst, one of them will be good preventative maintenance.


Can I use self-levelling cement over different levels of plywood?

You can add plywood, but I would use deck mud to level those large areas. Since you'll be applying ditra you don't need to feather anything. You're just needing a "fairly level" surface under the ditra and on top of it.

Self-level is brittle and expensive.


I ended up having to replace the control board on the dryer.


Can push-in wire connectors handle 20 amp circuits?

As long as it is rated for it, it can handle it.  I use these IDEAL push connectors ALL THE TIME.


Bathroom vanity light with no junction box

Someone cheated pretty bad here. They probably busted the hole in the wall, fished the line, and then it looks like they used the ring for mounting the fixture to the box to just drywall screw it into the wall.

Not code. Not safe. Not smart.

You have a stud behind it so you could use a pancake box (could only find 30 packs online but your local big box should have individuals for sale)

Note that this one has clamps built in, but you can buy them with 1/2" knockouts as well (just use a NM clamp with those). You can then mount the ring to it and then put the fixture back up. Thankfully it's a cheap fix (I bet the box costs no more than $2)


Is there any legitimate reason you would NOT connect the ground wire on a circuit?

No, there is no reason not to have the ground connected. Even with armored (BX) cable, you should connect the ground. There is an older style of armored cable that uses a wide metallic strip (inside) as the ground which is a bit flaky since it's hard to get a good connection (it is just supposed to connect with the box connector). The actual armor though is not designed for grounding, and should not be used or relied on as a ground (though in most cases, the electrical connection exists for it to work as ground).

Let me be clear though -- you should check what is on the other side of the wire, and make sure it actually is grounded (or, possibly, not connected -- which you can fix), and that it is not being used for some other purpose. Just a red flag for me: when someone snips off the ground it means they didn't know what they were doing, so don't assume that anything is correct.

One thing to look for - there should only be one common ground in your house, and everything should be tied together. If you have, for example, two separate ground rods and circuits mixed, you can have ground loops and noise issues, especially if you have sensitive electronics (TVs, amplifiers, computers) connected. All grounds should be connected together at or near the main panel.

On the same topic, you should have a ground wire connecting your electrical grounding wire to all copper pipes in your house, and to any gas lines. Be careful with placement, as often you need a jumper wire to go around a non-conductive water meter to connect both sets of pipes together.


You're not going to heat the patio significantly either way - the hot air will rise, there's no ceiling to contain it.
Radiant heat is about all you'll get, and that is pretty similar between open fire and stove - the major improvement in efficiency inside is from using less excess air that simply goes up the chimney, and trapping more of the heated air inside the house - but outside all the heated air inside or outside the stove or fire is going to go up and away from people.
If you are into large complex projects you could follow the Romans and build a "stove" under or around your patio (hypocaust ala Romans, or more modernly a "rocket mass heater" in the wall or seat form.) That gives you a larger area of lower temperature radiant heat than a bare fire.


If you have only one switched hot wire, you cannot control the light and fan separately just by getting a double switch. You would need two switched hots.

If this wiring is in conduit, you would need to pull one more wire from the switch box to the ceiling box. If this is NM, you would need to pull a new cable with another conductor a 12 or 14/3 + gnd (black, red, white, gnd).

One conductor (say the white, with a black mark or tape to indicate hot) would carry the always hot from the ceiling box to the two switches, one (say black) would take a switched hot to the fan and another (the red) would take the other switched hot to the light.

Another solution to controlling the fan and light independently is to get a wireless controller which uses a single hot input (can use a switched hot and just leave the switch on) but has separate outputs for the fan and light.

With only one switched hot you must use the pull chains. Leave the fan pull chain off and the light on and the wall switch controls the light. If you want the fan in addition to the light, use the fan pull chain. If you want the fan only, turn off the light with its pull chain.


Adding a dimmer to a four-way light circuit

Master dimmer placement is up to your wiring, not your whim
Sadly, for most "smart" hardware (especially fancy stuff that can connect to Alexa etc), the "master" smart-switch or smart-dimmer in a multi-way configuration (such as yours) requires access to always-hot, switched-hot, neutral, and a traveler/remote wire.  This means that your wiring configuration dictates where the master dimmer goes, and in your case, it must go in Box 3, since that's the only place where all the requisite wires are accessible.
That TP-Link can't handle your setup, either, but you don't have to give up on fancy "smarts"
Furthermore, the TP-Link/Kasa HS200 is no good for your application as it can't handle multi-way switching without serious help.  There is no need to despair, though, because there is a way to get what you want, and more, namely the Leviton DW6HD-1BZ.  Not only is it Alexa-compatible, it is capable of not only multi-way switching, but multi-way dimming using matching DW00R-DLZ remotes.
The resulting wiring setup goes as follows:

The white in the /3 "spur" cable gets moved from being nutted with a bunch of black wires to join the existing bundle of white wires in order to provide neutral to the remote dimmers.
Likewise, the black in the /3 "spur" cable gets moved over to join with the existing bundle of black wires to provide always-hot power to the remotes.
The "master" switch gets installed in Box 3, with its white neutral pigtail joining the white wires, its black line-hot pigtail joining the existing bundle of black wires, its red load terminal getting connected to the black wire in the /2 load cable, its red/yellow remote terminal getting connected to the red wire in the /3 spur cable, and its green ground terminal getting connected to the existing grounds.
At box 1, a remote gets fitted, with its black hot terminal connected to the junction of the black wires, its white neutral terminal connected to the junction of the white wires, its red/yellow remote terminal connected to the junction of the red wires, and its green ground connected to the rest of the grounds.
And the other remote gets installed at box 2, wired with its neutral terminal to the white neutral wire, its hot terminal to the black hot wire, its remote terminal to the red remote/traveler wire, and its ground terminal to the existing ground wire(s).

If you decide you don't want smarts after all
If you decide that you don't want Alexa messing with your lights after all, the Lutron Maestro dimmer you picked out will work for your application, using Maestro MA-R, MA-RR, or MSC-AD remotes.  The wiring does work somewhat differently for them, though, as they use a "flow through" wiring for their remotes but do not require neutral to operate.  This permits you to have the master dimmer placed at the box you wish, although with the remotes, it doesn't really matter where the master is.
As a result, we can use the following scheme, with the master dimmer at Box 1 as you desire:

In Box 3, a remote is fitted, with its blue remote terminal connected to the red from the /3 spur cable, its black line terminal connected to the black from the /3 spur cable, its brass load terminal connected to the black from the /2 load cable, and its green ground terminal/wire connected to the ground bundle in the box.
In Box 2, another remote is fitted, with its blue remote terminal connected to the red wire, its black line terminal connected to the white wire, its brass load terminal connected to the red wire, and its green ground terminal/wire connected to the existing ground(s).
And in Box 1, we fit the master dimmer, as you desire, with its blue remote terminal connected to both red wires in the box, its black line terminal connected to the black wire from Box 2, its brass load terminal connected to the black wire from Box 3, and its green ground terminal/wire connected to the existing grounds.

With either set of parts, you can now button the boxes up, turn the breaker back on, configure things as per the manufacturer's instructions, and enjoy your new multi-way dimmer!
Addendum: if you really don't want anything at Box 2
If you want to use the Maestros without anything at Box 2 and with a 3-way switch in Box 3, that's possible too.  You'll want to nut the black wire to the white wire and cap the red wire off in the 14/3 cable at that box, as this will let you wire the master dimmer into Box 1 as described above.  (The reason why I'm not advocating for abandoning the run between Boxes 1 and 2 is to make it easier for someone to put a remote in at Box 1 if they so desired in the future.)
Then, at box 3, the black wire from the /3 spur cable and the black wire from the /2 load cable are nutted to each other and to a jumper (pigtail) going to one of the same color screws on the 3-way switch, while the red remote wire from the /3 spur cable lands on the differently colored screw on the 3-way switch.  (The other same color screw on the 3-way switch is left open; the Maestro, when working with mechanical 3-way switches, uses the switch as a single-pole switch to control the remote wire.)


Cutting it off is a bad idea. Aborting the "process of buying" that you're in might be worth considering if it bothers you that much. Relocating it significantly would probably require significantly relocating the septic system, which is very expensive - so you might consider it a "deal-breaker."

As for the location in the center of the yard, simply change your mindset from "I'm hiding this ugly thing I cannot believe is here" to "I'm putting a centerpiece in my lawn/yard."

I'd go for a planting, myself, but seriously get out of the mindset (while retaining the function) of "just hide the darn thing" - put in a carefully laid out bed that has some shrubs that happen to hide it (paint it in camouflage colors, as well - white pipe does stand out.)


Does wire run in conduit in a crawl space need to be rated for moisture?

Simply use dual-rated THHN/THWN and call it a day

Just about all THHN made and sold today is dual-rated THHN/THWN-2 -- this means that you'll be getting wet location performance "for free" when you use THHN in conduit.


What's the difference between commercial and residential tankless water heaters?

Safety vs. Efficiency
The residential models have a default temperature of 120 F and a maximum of 140 F. This compares well to a typical residential hot water heater. The concern is that if the water is too hot it will cause severe burns. That can happen even at 140 F. Here is a chart of water temperature burn times.. At 120 F you're "safe". At 140 F it takes 5 seconds to cause a severe burn, which is bad but allows a chance to go "oops" and get out of the way in time. At 185 F you essentially burn instantly.
Why are the commercial systems allowed to run so hot? Because they are used for space heating (which needs very hot water) and because there is an assumption that there will be people actually installing and managing the system in a safe way - e.g., installing appropriate temperature controlled mixing valves or adjusting the system appropriately depending on the actual use. A typical consumer will be more likely to mess up. Sad, but true. Plumber installs it and sets it to 120 F, customer decides they want the water hotter and instead of cranking it up to 140 F (hot but manageable) they go to the top at 185 F. Then, from the comfort of the burn ward, they call their lawyer to sue the plumber (for not instructing them what to do, even though he probably did), the manufacturer (for not warning them, even though the heater came with a big red warning sticker), the water company (for delivering H2O that could handle that amount of heat), etc. Too many lawyers. The manufacturer has an easy way out - limit the residential heaters to the traditional max. of 140 F.
So why can't you use the residential system at 140 F to heat your house? Because it won't work very well. Heating (and cooling, for that matter) depends on:

Difference in temperature between the supplied hot air/water/etc. and the ambient temperature
Rate of transfer  between the supplied air/water/etc. and the room air

You simply don't get the same amount of heat out of pushing 140 F water through pipes in a 60 F room that you do from pushing 180 F water through the same pipes.  Yes, if you let that 140 F water sit long enough then it would end up at the same temperature as the room (and vice versa) but then you aren't pushing the water through very quickly so you don't heat transferred fast enough to make the room as hot as you would like. You can't have it both ways. Ask on https://physics.stackexchange.com/ for a detailed explanation. This is also the reason why you want your air conditioned air coming through relatively cold - if you pump 60 F air through your house it will feel cool but it won't cool the house nearly as effectively as 50 F air.


How do I remove a plunger inside the overflow assembly? without the rod?

Soak it overnight with CLR to soften any lime/scale (the bucket, i.e. stopper will often have crusty stuff from years of just sitting there) then douche it with penetrating oil like liquid wrench. Then use a stiff heavy-gauge wire bent into a hook shape to try to fish the bucket out.
Then, instead of trying to replace the bucket and wire assembly, leave it out and put a blank trim plate on the overflow. Hand them a rubber stopper and scram before there are additional problems.


Can I remove oil-based paint from furniture with paint stripper and pressure washer?

A stripper gel is worth a shot. Never tried myself. I'd definitely use a heavy duty respirator with that stuff. A big no way on the pressure washer ;).

You might also try contoured sanding pads. I use these all the time. Sanding just sucks and takes devotion..

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2005237/10568/large-contour-sanding-pads-6-piece.aspx
http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2000274/1744/standard-kit-sanding-sticks-24-piece.aspx


how to measure CFM in digital animometer

Depending on the tool you're using, it may or may not directly display the value you're after (cubic feet per minute). You'll have to check the documentation for the tool you're using, to determine if, and how to output the proper value.

If the anemometer only displays the air speed (fpm [feet per minute]), you can use that value, along with the area of the register, to calculate the volume of air.  The formula is as follows.

Q = A*V

Where:

Q = Air flow (cubic feet per minute [CFM])
A = Area of register (square feet [sq. ft.])
V = Air velocity  (feet per minute [fpm])

EXAMPLE:

With a 10" x 6" register, and an average air speed of 275 fpm.

Q = ((10" * 6") / 144) * 275 fpm
Q = (60 sq. in./ 144) * 275 fpm
Q = 0.4166666667 sq. ft. * 275 fpm
Q = 114.5833333333 CFM

NOTE:

When measuring the speed of the air coming from the register, take a few measurements from different positions in front of the register. Take the average of all the collected values, and use that in the formula.


Can have low curb close to side of toilet?

Yes, 15” is required from the center of the toilet to the wall/cabinet.

However, you could raise the toilet 9” to the top of the curb...a true throne.

Be sure to maintain a 6’-8” ceiling height. (Most rooms require a 7’ ceiling height, but there is an exception in the code for bathrooms. See IRC R305.)


Help Wiring Ceiling Fan With Dimmer Switch

I don't think you will be able to use a remote control unit in conjunction with a conventional wall switch type dimmer. They are just not going to be compatible.  Use a standard switch on the wall or simple wire the hot together all the time. Then use the remote control for any and all control.  You don't really need the red wire.  Just cap it off. Then just send full time power to the ceiling box on the black.


Well, I didn't attract any other answer besides CoAstroGeek's comment, but we went ahead and started tearing out our shower anyway. We found multiple punctures in the pan liner (including some from mounting cement board to the inside of the curb), and general shoddy construction (big thanks to the Floor Elf for his helpful pages on building a shower).  I think I'm well justified in pulling everything out and rebuilding.  I guess I could try to patch the pan liner, but I'm never going to match that tile, and so I may as well rebuild everything from scratch, properly.


Why is my washing machine making this sound?

Likely a failed transmission (I was going to go with bearing before I heard the video) and likely costs more to fix than getting a new washer (almost certainly costs more to fix than getting a clean, working used washer.) But, if you like to look, look up the "tricks" to getting into your model of washer (the last one I tore down had "places you shoved a putty-knife" that unlatched the cover) - there's usually something non-obvious like that, but the internet has largely circumvented these "trade secrets of the appliance repair trade" if you look hard enough.

It's also helpful to look for "common problems" or just problems and your model number.


How can I unbend a bent furnace filter slot?

It sounds as if the slot is OK at least on one side of the bend, or perhaps both. If so you can make a shaper out of a piece of wood whose thickness is cut to the width of the slot.

Insert the wood in the good section of the slot and force it through the bent section. You may even be able to tap it sideways with a hammer.

If the wood is too soft to bent the metal back, try a harder piece of wood or even a piece of metal if you can find one of the right size. A piece of wood layered to the right thickness with a thin piece of metal toward the bent side of the track would also work.


How do I mount a TV on a solid wood wall?

I agree with BMitch that there's horizontal strapping over the studs. You might want to try a Bosch GMS120 Wall Scanner instead of a regular stud finder. It claims it can find wood substructures 1-1/2" deep which is going to be about how deep your studs are from the front of the panels.

The other side of the wall is probably an exterior wall which will make this difficult but try finding the studs from that side. Also electrical boxes are usually mounted on the side of studs so use them as a cue.

Another option, would be to try and figure out where the studs are through trial and error. Measure out from one corner, factor in the depth of the panels and strapping from the side wall then over your fireplace drill a small exploratory hole near where a stud should be but not directly over the strapping. Poke around with a wire bent into the shape of an L and see if you can find a stud. If you can't try measuring from the opposite wall. Once you find one you should be able to easily find the rest since they should be space 16" on center.

Just remember to get longer lag bolts.

Also, there are some replies in this forum thread that might be useful to you.

I had to mount a TV fairly high. Make sure you get a mount that has tilt control to reduce neck strain.


Is my furnace fresh air intake correctly installed at my apartment?

It's hard to tell from your photos, but I believe that duct is a passive makeup air system.
When the furnace goes on it needs to exhaust gasses out the flue. For it to be able to exhaust gasses it needs to recover fresh air.
Most buildings have plenty of little leaks which can let air get back in. But some new homes are built with sealed building envelopes, trying to keep the home bottled up. This presents a problem for gas burning appliances (or any exhaust appliance for that matter).
Ducting in from the roof will allow the furnace to recover air, but it's unlikely to seriously impact your thermal envelope.
If your home were "too air tight" then your furnace wouldn't work.


Why does my new furnace vibrate and smell like burnt oil?

My suggestion is to record the sound. If using your phone take a video. Move the phone slowly to knee height, up to head height, move over a couple of feet and repeat.

It may be a piece of flashing in the air handler that is not sealing well any that can make a heck of a racket. As far as the smell again it could be a seal. Take note of the outside conditions when it is vibrating. Is it windy, raining, snowing?  If you can put together 1 or 2 more clues it may be easy to track it down.


If your unit is producing cool air, the evaporator is probably working. The condensation usually falls into a drip pan located under the evaporator heat exchanger. The drip pan drain can become clogged, which will drop the water into the air handler and from there, gravity takes over. Gravity started it, but once it's out of the pan, it's anywhere.
Start with locating the drip pan and checking the drain. You may have to sop up the condensation from the pan with sponges, towels, absorbent cats, etc. You can check with a stiff wire to see that the drain is clear.
The exit for the drain can become clogged. My drain dripped onto weeds which grew upward into the PVC pipe, allowing slime to grow into the pipe. It became a plug which had to be removed using a shop vac (wet/dry vac). Once removed, I was able to open the top of the entry point and add some diluted chlorine bleach, repeated on a regular schedule.
I also re-configured the drain to enable it to drip into a section of large diameter PVC filled with pea gravel, reducing the growth in the future.
Newcomb and company has a useful set of instructions similar to mine above.


Will neodymium magnets harm my power drill battery?

For one, the magnetic field generated by the magnets are going to be small potatoes compared to the magnetic fields generated by the motor while in use.
Two, battery chemistry is essentially unaffected by ferromagnetic fields of the magnitudes you'll encounter in everyday life. Thirdly, there exist specialty tools that have a big magnet on them out of the factory, designed for drilling holes in large pieces of sheet metal, and those of course have no problems.

Unless the magnet is strong enough to lift several 747s off the ground, it's not going to have any impact on your battery.


What type of screws/anchors to fasten a closer to a steel door

Any type of threaded screw will eventually pull out. I'd think about using some bolt and cap nuts. You'd have to drill right through the door and can probably use the same holes on one side. I'd think about adding a few washers on each side for a little extra strength.


Washing machine trips Gfi when rinse cycle starts

Your washer has a ground-fault, or the GFCI is bad.  Replace the GFCI, have the washer serviced, or don't plug the washer into a GFCI receptacle.


What factors should I experiment with to improve the performance of a DIY solar hot water system?

Are the PEX hoses black and is the sun side of the re-purposed aluminum plates black?

If not you may want to consider changing this so as to increase the efficiency solar energy absorption.


There are wire tracers (e.g. "fox and hound" a brand name, not affiliated, don't even own own one) or "tone and probe" more generically - you need the type with an inductive (non-contact) probe. Those inject a high frequency signal which the detector detects. But I'd start with a careful check or re-check of basement, attic and near where the telephone and or TV enter the house (I guess if the cables are "behind blank panels" rather than terminated to jacks you'd have to look inside blank panels for the other end of them, too.)


Can I cover the vent leading to my crawlspace?

If that grate-covered hole is in a "common area" and up against a wall, you can bet that it was once a floor furnace. The combustion boxes on older gas floor furnaces would crack over time (decades) and become a carbon monoxide (CO) danger to inhabitants due to flue gas escaping into the home instead of going up and out the vent pipe. A utility inspector would red-tag (forbid the use of) the furnace when a new renter called for assistance with lighting the pilot light. Instead of replacing the unit, the landlord takes the easy way out and removes it, patching the wall above but with no easy way of repairing the hole in the floor. I have seen this exact scenario before.

To confirm, go up in the attic and see if there is an old vent pipe above the general area. If so, then go ahead and cover up that unneeded "ventilation" hole. It probably allows a musty smell in the house anyway. Do not disturb the old vent pipe if it appears to be something other than metal, it may be Transite pipe, which contains asbestos (a carcinogen).

Make sure there is really no functioning heating equipment down there before you cover it up (fire hazard). Your gas supply utility will send a technician to confirm for free if you tell them you have a safety concern.


What lag bolts to use when mounting 65" TV to drywall using plywood?

The plywood plan sounds fine.

The lag bolts through the plywood into the studs need to be long enough to go through the plywood, through the drywall, and engage about 1-1/4" to 1-1/2" into the stud proper - not any further or you risk hitting electrical gear.  For best results, pre-drill a hole into the stud somewhat smaller than the minor diameter (all-solid diameter) of the lag bolt.

It would also help to drill the plywood out to the major diameter (edge of thread) of the lag bolts.  You don't want the threads engaging to the plywood, but rather, the stud.  Worst case if the threads engage the plywood, it can end up causing the plywood to push away and then stand off from the wall, putting the screw entirely in shear, not its best strength. You want the plywood to be somewhat in compression against the drywall, the drywall's best strength (and tension is the screw's best strength).

The screws from the TV mount into the plywood need to engage into the plywood, all else is wasted. Since you will only have 3/4" of engagement, use lots of extra screws.  They should also be snug.


What is the technical term for this corner cupboard?

I am not certain what you mean by a "technical term" for it.  I would call it a corner hutch or a corner display hutch or maybe a corner bookcase.

Why corner? Because it is shaped to fit in a corner.

Why hutch? A hutch is sometimes something that sits on top of a bureau, table, desk, or other piece of flat-topped furniture. However, hutches can also be a free-standing shelved storage units with doors.  The impression people have of "hutch" will vary by region.

Why bookcase? It's got books on it.

I can tell you also that I would not call it

a cabinet: Cabinets usually have doors and are wall-hung or sit on the floor.
a cupboard: Cupboards are usually wall-hung and contain dishwares or foodstuffs
a curio cabinet: these usually have mirrored backs and glass doors
a display case: see curio cabinet. These usually have at least glass doors.


Ceilling light wont switch off after a new installation

Old UK wiring

Old UK wiring was as shown below

A comes from the fuse-box/consumer-unit (possibly via other junction-boxes/roses for other ceiling lights). B goes to the next ceiling light. C goes to the light switch for this lamp.

However most electricians will not have cable type C with two red wires and will have used regular cable with a black and a red wire and will put red tape around the end of the black wire to indicate it is "switched live" and not neutral (as it's black colour would suggest).

From what I've read, sometimes they would connect C's black wire to position 3 (the other red live wires) and then C's red wire would be the switched-live return from the switch. Connecting the black to the reds would make it obvious to an electrician and that might be why no wire had red-tape on it's end.

Checking

If someone has removed the red tape, you can:

turn off the lighting circuit at the fuse-box/consumer-unit,
check there's no voltage present with a voltage tester (preferable non-contact type) and
separate all the wires,
use a continuity tester to see which red & black pair are connected/disconnected by the switch

A typical Non-Contact Voltage detector (NCV) and a typical mains tester

Finding which wires go to a switch using a multimeter (at least CatII 600V rated) on an isolated circuit (off at fusebox and tested for no 240V AC).

Your wiring (Guesswork)

Looking at your photo, I think the top of the screw-block connections from left to right are probably:

Live (3,4,5 in the diagram in this answer)
Earth (9)
Neutral (6,7)
Switched Live (2)

In which case your lamp should be connected at the bottom of the two right-most positions.


Electronic devices are subject to damage by electrostatic discharge (ESD). Walking across a carpeted floor can create a potential of 25,000 volts. To estimate the voltage, note how far a spark jumps from a finger to a grounded object, e.g. a wall-switch screw): a rough guide is ~1,000 V/mm or ~25,000 V/inch.

That said, reputable manufacturers include ESD protection to thousands of volts and high pulse currents in consumer electronics. Though you can protect the device by reducing nearby ESD (using antistatic spray on carpets, room humidifiers, etc.), a well-made capacitance switch should not fail from a small spark. You might try a different brand of touch-control lamp. [The ones I use have lasted through about five years of cold, dry winters with many finger-to-lamp sparks. ouch]


Dimensional treated yellow pine lumber, non-standard widths?

Reorder the beams so they are installed from shortest to tallest, with same heights together in sequence.  I would place the tallest next to the building.

With a little luck, a board across them will create a straight line.  If it does not, how much variation could there be?  1/16th inch?  1/32nd?  If you are blessed with perfect climate which will not distort the lumber's dimensions, then maybe some sliver shims are called for.  Otherwise, prohibit your guests from laying down and gazing across the decking.


Just to clarify, the travelers on a 4 way are connected to the top terminals from one three way and the bottom terminals from the other.

NOT from side to side.

Google 4 way switch and check the wiring diagrams against what you have done. Like here.

Good luck!


Bought a 230V air conditioner, but my apartment is 110V. What to do?

No, there is no magic doohickey to solve this problem.  Not least because it introduces a bunch of other satellite problems.

These aren't like "Windows vs Mac" 2 incompatible flavors of the same thing  240V is actually more powerful, so an A/C unit would not be made 240V unless that was necessary to power its functionality.    So a 240V A/C will probably overdraw a 15A circuit even if you used the (non-cheap) tech to convert.

The right thing is to take it back and get an appropriate A/C.   How did the salesman not have this conversation with you and make sure you had 240V power available?  Don't do business with them again, they stink at their job!


Why is there an exposed wire coming out of my wall near my fluorescent light fixture?

This is a ground wire.  No wires should be left exposed hanging out of the wall.  It's not going to spontaneously burn down your house like that, but it could possibly become energized in which case it would pose a risk if someone were to make contact with it.

The fixture should have a grounding nut and that wire should be secured to it. Look for a green colored screw (not guaranteed to be green, but makes finding it simple).

In the event the wire really isn't needed, the wire should be neatly folded up within the electrical box (or the wiring box on the fixture itself).


What should be used between a concrete tub and wall tile?

Using some wet room type silicone should work just fine for that joint under the conditions you mention. You can usually find transparent variants of it as well, leaving the design intact.

And it takes no real time to apply.


The site filterbuy.com does have filters that are a little over 16x21 in, e.g., 16.25 x 21.25 x 1 inch.
What is the thickness of your filter, 1 inch, 2 inch, etc.?


How do I make a lamp cord stick to drywall?

Do not use lamp cord to extend a circuit to a new outlet! The wire is neither big enough, insulated enough, or grounded. It's illegal everywhere, and I wouldn't consider it to be safe.

Use Wiremold with standard electrical wire. That's why the product exists.


Two elements will help in casting small concrete parts..  A plasticizer, such as a latex admix and vibration of your mold, to cause bubbles to rise.

If you really can't get a latex admix, you might try latex paint, as a guess (keep the percentage low, <10% of your water)


You certainly can. Just be aware that they won't be as rigid in the case that you hang heavy objects on them, such as cabinetry. You might consider putting one or two fasteners into the concrete through each stud, leaving an air space behind the stud. (You don't want untreated lumber in contact with masonry.)

Alternatively, built your wall  as you normally would and notch those studs around the pipe at the top. Use a 2x2 for a top plate behind the pipe. This will leave you with more robust framing and the ability to install full-size outlet boxes, etc.


Venting a double kitchen sink (converting from an S trap to a P trap with AAV in a tight space)

In your 4th photo you have the sanitary tee oriented improperly ( horizontally instead of vertically ) but in your 6th photo you have it correct ( but you have an incorrect fitting on the top ).

The sanitary tee will sit on the straight drain pipe going down through the bottom of the cabinet, it will accept the pipe coming from the trap. Depending on space you may not need to take such a circuitous route to get the trap outlet into the san tee. ( Meaning you may not need the 90 elbow going into the san tee, the trap swivels and you can cut the pipes to try and make a straight run to the san tee )

For the AAV you can come off the top of the san tee and then 90 over to the side of the cabinet and then 90 up so the AAV can go up between the side or back of the bowl and the cabinet ( anywhere there is room for it. )

It needs to be a high as possible. Put a threaded connection just after the 90 that turns up so you can pull it out if you need to change or service the AAV in the future.


Coating galvanized cable so it's rust-proof and sun-proof?

If you are too cheap (re: specific price presumably that of the galvanized cable) to do it right, don't expect miracles - being cheap is expensive (every time you have to replace the cheap item, + the cost of each failure.)

Galvanized is already sun-proof, the only way to make it not sun-proof is to coat it with plastic that's damaged by the sun.

It's also rust-resistant, but CHEAP cable will be minimally coated with zinc and thus the sacrificial protection of the zinc will soon wear through, exposing steel, and rusting. High-quality galvanized cable will have a thicker coating and a higher initial price tag.

That or a proper grade of stainless (be sure to factor in the salt exposure for "near ocean" in picking an alloy) will be less costly in the long run than cheap galvanized cable, assuming the rest of the system involving the cable will survive a hurricane. If not, you might just as well use cheap cable and replace it when you replace/rebuild everything after a hurricane.


This is making some assumptions, I am a existing structures inspector for a US city and I am going to assume you are in the US or North America.

There is not a restriction on drainage line drop from the toilet flange for the ICC IRC 2012, with some caveats.

Most siphon toilets in the US have traps of 2 to 2.5 inches.  The maximum distance from the toilet's weir to the vent permitted is 8 to 10 feet running length respectively. IRC Table P3105.1

In the diagram below, the length of i plus j cannot exceed 10 feet if the toilet has a 2.5 inch trap.

Example:

  If the distance of i is 8 feet and you decide to drop
  j to 3 feet, to the letter of the code, this is not allowed.  That would exceed the 10 maximum between the weir and the vent stack.

The maximum drop in the drain fixture (the length of pipe between the trap to the next junction) cannot exceed the diameter of the pipe.  However, the vent can be below the weir of the toilet, other fixtures cannot. IRC P3105.2

Source

The drainage line for the toilet still have to obey the first clause of P3105.2, so this will affect your maximum horizontal distance, this is dependant on the slope you give the line, if give the minimum required (1/8 inch) then this is beyond the 10 feet and probably will not affect you.

Incorrect Example:

  If you slope your line to 1/2 inch per foot.  Then the horizontal pipe (i) would have to be less than 6 feet.

All of this is to prevent water and waste from 'plugging' the entire width of the pipe, moving down the pipe creating a vacuum that siphons water out of traps.


Do you paint bare dry wall without skimming with mud?

You do not need to have joint compound or skim coating spread over the whole wall before painting. The correct way is to use the compound and skim coating plus any needed sanding to cover seams, nails/screws and other types of repairs. Then you prep the whole wall using an appropriate sealer coat or primer paint. Lastly you come with your final paint coats.


Making sure old Honeywell Thermostat (round dial) doesn't turn on

Look for an on/off switch or a heat/cool switch on the thermostat.  If you can't turn it off, turn it to cool.  If your thermostat doesn't have a switch like that, turn off the circuit breaker for the heater.


any sort of inflatable cork to plug pipe when shutoff valve is being repaired

If you can stop the flow of water in the system you can freeze the water in the pipe, then fix whatever you have to. This works on steel and copper pipe. I have frozen pipes up to 2 inches. A pipe freezing kit is great but you can also use dry ice. Find a place that sells dry ice and buy the crushed type.  Make sure you use heavy gloves to protect your hands. Get a face towel or equivalent and use it to hold the dry ice as you wrap it around the pipe. Use a lot- 2to3 inches of ice. Then duct tape the cloth to keep it in place. Wrap this whole thing with paper towels or newspaper  for insulation and wait for the pipe to frost up just past the dry ice wrap. Test for water stoppage downstream. When frozen you can complete your repairs. When done remove everything, allow to thaw and you are done. And by the way where is the washer in a hydronic heating valve? all the ones I have seen have brass to brass seats.


Which is the better first step: rebuilding a basement closet, or insulating the basement walls?

Insulate 5th.

First is framing, second is HVAC (most difficult to adjust around other features/elements), third is plumbing, fourth is electrical and data, fifth is insulation, then wallboard and paint.

If cabinets are involved, I’d install them next.

I always install the floor coverings last...well, “touch up painting” is very last.