How can I combine two switches on two circuits on 1 timer switch?

Since you have two circuits (i.e. two home runs from the electrical panel) in play here, you can't "combine" the switches in the manner you're thinking of.  This leaves you with two options:

You can buy a second RPLS540A EconoSwitch and install it in place of one of the 3-way switches for the outdoor lights as per the instructions.  This is the simplest approach, but leaves you with two EconoSwitches to program and the possibility that your two sets of lights will wind up "out of sync".
If you have a neutral in the box for the single pole EconoSwitch, this also raises the possibility of a setup using a SPDT relay in place of one of the three-way switches with its coil controlled by the existing EconoSwitch; this would require running an extra cable from the box with the single pole switch to the box with the three-way switch for the outdoor lights, though.  You would also need to swap the existing EconoSwitch for a RPLS740B: the RPLS540A you have passes the power it uses to operate through the load, while the RPLS740B uses a neutral wire of its own to get its operating electricity "back home", so to speak.


Switch wiring for 2 single pole switches and 2 different lights

To make one switch the master switch, and always function one light:
Connect power to the inlet side and the outlet side directly to the light.  That light will always function with the master switch, regardless of the other switch position.
To get power to the other switch, run wires from the outlet side of the master switch (can use the push slots, or wire it with twist caps) to the inlet side of the closet switch. Then run wires from the outlet of the closet switch to the closet light.


what kind of electrical boxes and fashioning methods are best for metal framing?

As far as I recall, the main differences are using appropriate metal screws to attach (standard) boxes, and using bushings (should be either provided with framing or easily available from the framing supplier or an electrical supplier) to protect wires passing through the framing.

This guide from "steelframing.org" might be a helpful read.


How can I improve efficiency of my home? Geothermal not saving money

Upon replacing my air filter, I noticed some warm air in the air handler. My strip heat was stuck on causing the problem the entire time. Company is replacing the circuit board.


How to seal straight-thread faucet shank / nipple to the faucet?

The scenario you've described is not ideal. The faucet was manufactured to a sub-optimal design. In this case, you must either select a different faucet, or improvise. Chicago Faucet has been using this same type of design on their wall and deck faucets for many years. They use an adhesive on their straight threads from the factory.

@DaveInCaz suggested you use a thread sealant. I would recommend an anerobic pipe thread sealant. Allow the nipple to cure into the faucet before attempting to connect your supply lines to the nipples. The torque you apply to tighten the supply line to each nipple could break the seal between the nipple and the faucet if you don't.

Your alternate choice is to select a different faucet.


How can I replace the bleed plug for my towel rail?

The hardest thing to determine will be the screw diameter and pitch.  A visit to a plumbing supply will likely yield some typical samples to try.  Just don't force them in, it should start smoothly and tighten to a firm stop.

This link lists what must be common UK bleed valve sizes 3mm, 6mm, and 13mm, the ad lists all three and a key with delivery (to UK) for under £2.

How close is this to your unit?


How should I prepare a steel door for painting?

You might need to use more than soap and water - but that would be a first step. However, you don't want anything too harsh. Just makes sure that the surface is completely dry before painting.

An additional coat of primer might be worth it - but only if there are any places where the original primer has rubbed off or you have knocked the door. Places where the metal has been exposed should be sanded to remove any rust.

If the primer is sound then you should only need to undercoat before applying the gloss to give the finish some "body". I normally end up with 2 coats of top coat to give an even finish.


Recycle E12 sockets from a string of outdoor patio lights for Christmas decorations

If I follow your hoping to salvage the sockets out of this string and use them for a custom made string of lights.  Since these sockets go for about $2 or so, you'll save something like $100.

I think it's a good idea as long as you make this a low voltage string of lights.  I don't think 120V homebrew stuff is a great idea for a lot of reasons.

But say 12V - that's not nearly as dangerous, and power supplies are inexpensive and easy to find.  With LED lights, the load is much smaller than with incandescent, and these types of projects are easier to pull off since voltage drop doesn't amount to much with a reasonably big wire.  Low voltage LEDs should be less expensive and last longer because they don't need as complex a circuit in each bulb - a simple regulator instead of a full blown power supply circuit. The main conversion gets done in a wall wart that can be easily swapped if it breaks.

If you cut off those sockets with a bit of lead, you could connect them to a two-wire backbone cable and let them hang. I'd use a 14 gauge or 12 gauge twisted pair bell type wire rather than a cable with a jacket like an extension cable.   That shouldn't be too hard to find.


Shower hot water valve still "leaking" after replacement of washers

I assume that this valve has replaceable "valve seats". Possibly the seat is worn and not allowing the new washer to make a seal. Remove the stem as you did to change the washer and look at the seat with a flashlight. If you see a notch or roughness, then the seat should be replaced. Put in a new washer too (or if it is symmetrical flip the washer) because the recently replaced washer will have gotten damaged by a damaged seat.

Use a valve seat tool to unscrew the seat and take it to a hardware store or a plumbing supply and get a pair. Install one and save the other for when the cold valve needs a new seat. Do not use Teflon tape on the threads of the seat. Even pipe dope is not necessary, but Teflon tape can cause a leak if a dangling strand of the tape ends up between the washer and the seat or even between the sealing surfaces. The threads on the seat are just a means of clamping the seat down and do not need to be sealed. The seal is made by the flat rim on the seat sealing against a flat in the body of the valve.

Video


How can I attach a keyboard tray to a desk that is 1/2" thick?

If the desk is particle board (that grainy stuff that is made from sawdust and glue), then I'd avoid trying to screw anything directly into it.

Instead, I would get a piece of 3/8" plywood, and glue it to the bottom of the desk using some construction adhesive (sold in various forms at all the big box stores; PL9000 or No More Nails are some products that would work). You could do some small-ish strips near the areas where the tray will actually attach, but keep in mind that the bigger surface area means more adhesion and spreading of the load. Not seeing what you have, my gut would be something like an 8"x5" piece on each edge of the tray would work. If you don't care you could just do the whole bottom of the desk (on the upside this will also make the desk a bit stronger). Keep it back an inch or two from the edge so you can't really see it.

Screw the plywood to the desk using some 3/4" #8 or #10 wood screws, and if you have them, use some clamps to hold it. You might need to pre-drill (especially for #10) depending on the density of the desk -- if it's too dense, the screw could cause it to crack apart around where you put it in (clamp it first, before predrilling, to make sure everything stays lined up). Be sure the screws are not too long to go through the top, and be careful not to overtighten and strip them out. The screws are just going to hold temporarily while the glue dries, though there's not really any point in taking them out afterwards.

Once dried, you can then use some 3/4" screws (probably even the ones that came with it) to attach the tray. The screws will mostly be holding onto the plywood.

If the desk is a fairly dense solid wood, you might be able to get away screwing directly into it. Use a shorter, thicker screw (bigger threads = more hold) like a 1/2" #10. It'll probably be necessary to also use a washer to prevent it from going too deep, and you'll definitely want to pre-drill a small hole for each screw.

Alternatively, you can add the plywood as described above, though you might be able to get away with 1/4" thickness.


The drain pipe on your sink goes straight down, but then it should go through a U-shape and go back up again for a few inches, and then go on its merry way.

This U-shaped bit of pipe has a name, and Admiral Ackbar really wants to say it...

Anyway, the idea of this "trap" is that the U is supposed to stay full of water all the time, all the way up to the nape if the "U".  That way, this water blocks the pipe, so sewer gases cannot come up the pipe.  A couple things can go wrong with that.

First, the water ultimately drains to somewhere else.  If that final exit is below the "nape" of the U, the U won't be full of water, and it won't seal the pipe.

If a sink is rarely used, that "U" will actually dry up from normal evaporation, and the sewer gases will get through.  This is especially a problem with dual sinks where no one ever uses one of them, tubs nobody ever uses, basement slop sinks, or unused washing machine connections.

Lastly, sewage makes gas by decomposition.  That gas has to go somewhere.  The sewer-pipe system in your house is supposed to be ventilated, via a "stack" / exhaust pipe that goes to the top of your house.  If that is plugged or malfunctioning, the sewer pipe will pressurize a bit and push the water up out of the trap enough for gases to get through.


What could cause a gas fireplace to come on by itself?

Some gas fireplaces with electric start have a thermopile that generates enough electricity to keep the valve open, even if you disconnect the mains electricity. So if the fireplace was on already and you disconnect the main power, I would expect the fire to stay on.

However, starting by itself is not a good thing. I would look at two components: the control board the the thermopile and solenoid connect to, or the remote control receiver. If you do have a remote control receiver, it's easy to eliminate that as the problem because you can just disconnect it. Otherwise, just replace the control board.


What is the best skim coating for polystyrene sheets?

If you attach (probably to the logs with long screws) metal lath

for the plaster to stick to, sure. If you only attach that to the foam, I kinda doubt it will stay, and without the lath I doubt the plaster will stay put long-term. Of course you could also just put drywall/plasterboard sheets up, again with screws long enough to hit wood (and adhesive, if you like.)


Secondary C Terminal on Furnace Circuit Board?

That looks good to me, the second "C" terminal connects to the chassis in the background of the photo so it most likely is equivalent to the screw-down terminal.

fitting a crimp-on fork lug to the wire would be another alternative if you really want to connect to the screw-down terminal.


How can I wire multiple recessed lights and multiple dimmers?

Since you have a one-switch-per-light configuration, you'll need to run a cable from the switch electrical box to each light.  So you'd have the line coming into the box, and then the hot would go to each switch, and then from each switch to each light.    All of the neutrals would be tied together.

This of assumes that a single circuit can handle the load of all of these lights - have you done any load calculations yet?  You also have to watch out for the box size as code states the maximum number of wires in each box depending on the size.

There might be other ways to accomplish this (extra wires for travelers, etc.) but we'd need more information on your setup to help provide any insight here./


You'll need to remove the first set of trim, the ones right next to the door.

The trims are either side at the top, this exposes the hanging bolts/wheels on top of the door. Loosen the locknuts.  Then I'd remove the two trims either side of the door (in the open position) as well (although the gap looks generous on your door). Then pull the door off the hanging bolts (a bit like opening a regular door) and slide the door out at an angle.

The channel at the top doesn't go all the way to the frame to allow you to roll out the rollers. Slide them until they stop and pull them down at 90 degrees to remove. Clean them up and check for wear. Cleaning the channel itself is a bit tricky if folks have tried to 'improve' performance by adding lube (it just attracts debris). Various ingeniously shaped sticks with an alcohol/cleaner soaked rag on might help!

I clean everything up, (soaking the wheels in cleaner works well) and make sure the wheels are free (I might lube the wheels, but wipe away all excess carefully). I don't lube the track.


Can I connect to any neutral wire in the house?

According to 2011 National Electrical Code article 300.3(B), No.  For verbiage, see this answer.  For one explanation why, see this answer.
Another reason not to do it, is because you could end up overloading the grounded (neutral) conductor. Depending on if the two circuits are on the same branch circuit, different branch circuits on the same leg, or different branch circuits on different legs, you'll run into different situations.  However, in two out of three of these situations, it is very easy to overload the grounded (neutral) conductor.
Examples:
Let's examine what happens in a 120/240V single split-phase system, in a few different configurations. The circuit breakers in these examples is a combination circuit breaker, with 15 ampere thermal overcurrent protection and magnetic short-circuit protection.
Load on a circuit

With a single branch circuit supplying a 15 ampere load, we see that there will be 15 amperes on the grounded (neutral) conductor.  This is fine, since the grounded (neutral), and ungrounded (hot) conductors are both sized to carry 15 amperes.
Two loads on the same branch circuit

In this situation, we'll see 30 amperes on the grounded (neutral). However, since we're also drawing 30 amperes through a single breaker with 15 ampere overcurrent protection, the breaker will open.
Two loads on the same leg, but different breakers

This is the dangerous situation, since the breakers will not trip. Each circuit will draw 15 amperes on the ungrounded (hot) conductor, but the grounded (neutral) conductor will see 30 amperes.  Since the conductor is only rated for 15 amperes, the conductor is in danger of overheating and starting a fire.
Two loads on different legs

If the two loads are on different legs. You'll find that while each ungrounded (hot) conductor sees 15 amperes, the grounded (neutral) carries 0 amperes.


Can I dig up next to my foundation to add height below my deck for storage?

You packed a lot of info into that question. Maybe break it into a couple of questions.  Regardless, the main question is about the excavation next to the foundation. I can't say for sure if that is a code violation in your area of Mass. I will say that in the Northeast, it is important to bury at least 4 feet of foundation or footings into the earth to prevent movement from frost. Depending where you are in Mass, the frost line probably runs from 2 to 4 feet below grade. The other problem with having a well entrance to a basement is the introduction of water, or the buildup of snow and ice in the well. I seriously doubt any permit was pulled for such a modification. Had this reduction in the frost wall depth been done at the time of a building inspection, I think it would have been frowned upon. usually extra depth of the frost wall and some type of drainage would be recommended.


Why are the lights flickering when the a/c is on?

Im going to assume you are talking about either a window air conditioner or portable unit - not central AC.

The lights flickering means the voltage is dropping.  Incandescent bulbs are particularly sensitive to that.  Most CFL and LED bulbs flicker less, though some may still flicker.

The voltage is dropping because of a large current draw.  It is normal for there to be a momentary large draw as the compressor starts up.  Fridges and freezers do the same thing.  Its part of the reason for having a dedicated circuit for such appliances.  The manual for your AC may even say it requires a dedicated circuit.

If its doing this when the AC first turns on, its not a problem.  If it were drawing too much power for too long your circuit breaker would trip.  If the compressor is starting and stopping rapidly causing constant flicker, your AC unit needs servicing or replacing.  The noise might be the compressor or a fan dying, or just vibrations.  Hard to tell without hearing it.


Is there a way to add an additional thermostat in an office building?

While it makes sense, it's probably not possible without MAJOR expense, though it's probably worth some investigating to get a ballpark on just how difficult or expensive it might actually be for your specific case.

If there's one thermostat for the whole floor (or suite of offices) there's probably only one heating/cooling zone for the whole floor (or suite of offices.) Zoning a system that was not set up with zones (smaller areas controlled by individual thermostats) after the fact is rarely easy or cheap.

You could perhaps move the thermostat, but then the office it's in now would be cold...that might be OK if you move the person who likes it coolest in there, and it keeps most of the other folks happier - if your office politics allow for that sort of arrangement.


You indeed should be able to connect the blue wire to the C terminals at the thermostat and furnace control board and have it all work without a hitch.


Can we plaster our ceiling without removing the crown molding

Yes, it is more likely the crown molding would be damaged by removing it to refinish the ceiling than by leaving it in place (see Should I remove moulding before adding a plaster ceiling? and Can I install drywall on the ceiling, without removing crown molding?)
It's fairly easy to leave it and tape off (or tape-and-plastic) to protect the molding while refinishing the ceiling.


RCCB tripping while checking the current between neutral and ground

This is normal. There can be a slight potential difference between the neutral and ground at a receptacle. (This would be due to a load on the circuit.) If you provide a current path to ground, then current will flow in the neutral path and there would be no corresponding current in the hot. A difference in the current between the neutral and the hot will cause the RCB (GFCI in the US) to trip.

EDIT Another way to look at it is that connecting the neutral and the ground at a receptacle divides any current flowing in the neutral path thereby reducing its value below that flowing in the hot path. This causes a difference in the current flowing in the hot and neutral paths. This will trip a RCB if it is in the receptacle or in the circuit breaker for the circuit or the master breaker.

EDIT2 There has to be enough current flowing through the RCB for a connection between neutral and ground to trip the RCB, that is, the circuit must have a load somewhere causing current to flow through the RCB.

If a circuit is completely unloaded and a low resistance path is established between the neutral and the ground (such as a connection with an ammeter), then the RCB would not trip.

In the case of RCB receptacles they can be in a loaded circuit, but on spur (as they would be if they are connected by pigtailing) or they can be "distal to" (beyond) the location where the neutral and ground are connected. I think the RCB receptacles would trip in those cases, but I doubt this is relevant to the OP's question here. He is probably asking about an RCB breaker.


I disagree that it is the joist causing the issue. When installed, they would have notched the joist so that the plumbing fit and there is no reason that the joist would have moved or expanded in size.

Related, the drain might not even be the source of the leak. While visually it appears that the leak is there, the problem might be elsewhere. Consider that you have tile and it is sloped to the drain. The tile is placed on backing, the backing is what provides the support and the slope. That backing is waterproofed. It could very well be that the waterproofing has failed and that the water is following the slope to the drain. Or that the waterproofing has failed at the drain.


How to use the 2015 IRC Chapter 24, G2407.6.2 to determine combustion air?

2407.6.2 requires the opening to have a minimum free area of 1 in.2 per 3,000 Btu/h of total input.
140,000 Btu/h / 3,000 Btu/h = 46.667 in.²
It also says that the opening cannot be "less than the sum of the areas of all vent connectors in the space."
For example, If you had a water heater with a 3" round exhaust duct, and a furnace with a 5" round exhaust duct. The opening would have to be at least 26.704 in.².
A = πr²
A = π * 1.5²
A = π * 2.25
A = 7.069 in.²
A = π * 2.5²
A = π * 6.25
A = 19.635 in.²
Total Area = 7.069 in.² + 19.635 in.²
Total Area = 26.704 in.²

Section G2403 (202) General Definitions
Connector, Chimney or Vent. The pipe that connects an appliance to a chimney or vent.

It also says that the "minimum dimension of air openings shall not be less than 3 inches". So the opening for your installation would have to be one of the following sizes.
Rectangular

3" x 16"
4" x 12"
5" x 10"
6" x 8"

Square

7" x 7"

Round

8"


There is some table, you appear to have found it, (though I don't know if you've found a "2-wire" or "3-wire" table - these days, "2-Wire" is a win, and black tape does not belong anywhere in a well, IMHO.)

...and you want our blessing it ignore it? If the pump "lost pressure" possibly from rust, not being stainless, evidently, possibly from ingesting black tape, possibly from 15+ years of wear - I tend to think in terms of "around 10 years, be ready to replace a pump" - the solution is to fix or replace it - adding a larger motor won't help, and adding a larger motor on undersized wire definitely won't help. If 3/4 hp got you adequate flow for 15 years, it will do so in the future, too - more horsepower is not always better, and often comes with a pump curve that may not work at your depth.

With a deep well and a relatively short topside run that's only slightly undersized, you can probably get acceptable voltage drop by leaving the buried wire alone and upgrading to 10 gauge for the longer downhole run in the well.

As to whether the problem is the pump (likely) or the well (possible) it's very hard to tell from afar - you either drop in a new pump and see what happens, or you hire a well company to come and evaluate the state of the well. There's not a lot that a homeowner can afford to do to evaluate a deep well OTHER than dropping in a new pump, and you can screw one up pretty good if you (say) try to evaluate the water level and end up dropping something down the well-hole. How far up the pipe was wet when the pump was pulled?


The simplest solution I can think of depends upon whether the upper hinge point is threaded or not. If it is threaded, then get a cheater bar, a piece of pipe big enough to fit around the end of the hinge, and give the hinge a twist until the gate no longer sags. If it is a pounded in hinge, get a big hammer.

If that doesn't work, replace the upper hinge with an adjustable one or adjust the lower hinge so that it pokes out more.


What could be causing an earthing fault in a specific socket?

I just had a similar issue. Chances are a wire in the outlet is shorting another wire. You probably can't see it in that outlet because the short is from another outlet. Ie. Where the outlet is fed from. With a multimeter check the outlet and you will likely get strange voltages or as you said full line voltage on the ground. Check the voltage on the steel electrical box itself, it should be zero but it sounds like that will have power which is not good. Now go to the next outlet in the chain / circuit and check the voltages again. Keep going to each outlet in the circuit until you find the issue. To find out which outlets are part of the circuit, turn of the circuit breaker and check power throughout the house. Alternatively you can guess when you remove the outlet and look where the wire is going behind the drywall.


how to "float" a large desk (3000mm x 720mm x 40mm) between walls

A solid wood plank 40mm (1-9/16") thick probably isn't stiff enough to span that distance (just under 10' for the Yanks) without substantial bounce. It'll be strong enough, but you would get seasick working on it and it would sag over time and with heavy loads.

Now, if you made it thicker, say 55-60mm, and you beveled the front edge to give the illusion of a thinner surface, you'd have something workable. You could support it solely on the rim cleats you describe and have a fairly stiff top.

The alternative is to go with your 40mm thick dimension and bolt several steel angles to the underside, back just far enough that they aren't conspicuous. I'd suggest a 50mm angle. Start with two and add more if needed. Steel is fairly flexible itself, so quantity is in question. These would not need to rest on the wall cleats to serve their purpose if they're securely fastened to the top. They could end just short for convenience.


Replacing a fan with two switches but only two wires

Just a quick note of warning: The white wires tied together in the switchbox should NOT have the bare wire spliced in with them. They are for two separate paths and must be kept separate, one for equipment grounding (bare) and the other for the neutral/return (white). The bare wires should not carry current except in fault conditions. Some of the danger is lessened if the bare going to the fan is kept isolated from the other two bare wires, but from the pictures I'm unable to tell if they are all tied together or if that one has been separated from the others.

Upon closer inspection, it looks like the previous fan was returning current on the grounding conductor (bare) which is non-compliant usage[NEC 200.6(A)]. They were using the white wire as a separate switch leg for either the light or the fan, another NEC violation as it is neither reidentified nor should be used as a switch leg [200.7(C)(1)]. The fan has a white which was tied to the bare wire, a blue which was tied to the switch leg for the light, and a black wire which was tied to the switch leg for the fan.

What SHOULD be done? To be code compliant the cable ought to either be replaced with a 14-3 wG cable (or possibly 12-3 wG if 20A circuit breaker or fuse), OR change the white wire from a switch leg back to being the neutral the way it was originally wired and the grounding wire back to being for grounding. The black and blue wires from the fan would both tie together with the black wire coming from the switch, and you would probably replace the double switches with a simple single pole switch to avoid confusion later. Most ceiling fans have a pull chain option to change the fan speeds and turn it off, or turn the lights off separately with the other pull chain to run the fan in the dark.

If this advice is disregarded, at the very least make sure the bare wire in the cable with the switch legs is not twisted together with the other bare wires and doesn't touch anything else metal, either in the switch box or fan outlet box. It is only carrying about 3 amps, but at 120v this can still be dangerous, especially if it is allowed to touch the other grounding conductors or bonded metal parts. Again, I'm not saying to do this, but it becomes less dangerous if the wires are kept isolated and it only carries current through this one cable instead of electrifying your entire grounding system.


Turn off the power to this circuit (hopefully you already thought of
that.)
Take off the cover of the box on the outside.
Take another picture, but it would be quite normal to find screws holding the box to the building as well as the conduit. Loosen or remove those screws, that may give you enough motion to do what you need to do.
If you resort to lubricants/penetrants, remove the wires first. Then use the petroleum products, then clean everything up before reinstalling the wires.


Why am I seeing voltage on the neutral wire from my 3 phase power supply?

Three Phase Power

In three phase systems, there are three "hot" lines (L1, L2, L3). Often there will also be a neutral (N) and a ground (G). The neutral and ground should be bonded together at your service entry). The three lines are all 120 degrees apart from each other. Loads can be attached in either a wye or a delta configuration. In residential applications, often only two of the three phases are supplied (and different houses will get different pairs of phases as to balance them).

Delta

In a delta configuration, loads are attached between phases (and a neutral is not needed). This configuration is common for large motors and in industrial settings. In some delta configurations, a terminal on the transformer's secondary is grounded and provides a neutral. The ground terminal would be either one of the three lines or a center tap on the   coil between two lines (creating a high-leg delta configuration since one of the lines is at a much higher potential (with respect to ground) than the other two).

Wye

In a wye configuration, loads are connected between a line and the neutral. Based on the question, I believe that this is the configuration being used. The power company supplies the three phases and a neutral, and the customer supplies the ground. Normally, the neutral is connected to the ground (which is bonded to metal rods in the earth, water pipes, etc...). If the load is properly balanced (meaning that there are equal currents flowing on each phase), the neutral currents will cancel out to be zero and the neutral would be unused.

However, it is rare that the three lines will be exactly balanced, so there would be a neutral current flowing based on differences of currents in the three phases.

The Root Cause

My hypothesis is that the neutral in the building is not properly connected to the power company's transformer. Without a good neutral connection, the neutral voltage is not held to earth potential (the ground connection usually has 1-20 ohms resistance to the earth). The neutral voltage will drift towards whichever line is the most loaded (as it forms a voltage divider). For example, if L1 has a large load and L2/L3 are lightly loaded, the neutral voltage will be pulled towards L1, causing the L2-N and L3-N voltages to became much larger than their nominal voltage.

So, the fix would be to repair the neutral connection between the building's breaker panel and the power company's transformer. This may be a bad connection of the neutral in the breaker panel, or a failing transformer. Repairing this could be dangerous because the problem might be in a section of cable that cannot be easily turned off (if the break is before the building's main breaker). Working with the power company to turn off your service or check their transformer will likely be needed.

Split-phase Systems

This problem has an analogue in the split-phase system which is common in the United States, and there are related questions on this site:

Why do my bulbs glow brighter when the microwave is running?
How can I determine why my lights are flickering?
Can my apartment's electricity harm my computer? Is there an easy way to test the electricity?


Patching a cracked concrete/brick walkway

Looking at your pic, I think you have a couple of problems to solve. the reason the bricks broke in the first place is that the base under the edge of the bricks is too low or uneven. This cause the edge of the bricks to break under pressure. I also see that the crack has traveled further to the inside brick and that one as well as the mortar joint is cracked.

I think you really need to remove the broken bricks, clean off the mortar best you can, then fix the base and replace the bricks and mortar. Simply use a cold chisel, and hammer to remove the broken bricks and mortar.  Lay in some fine base, (stone dust, or similar), compact it well with a block and mallet. Moistening the base material helps a bit here. Dry fit the bricks to check the base height, then butter the replacement bricks, place them and point the joints.

I would also be checking the other edge bricks to assure there are no voids under the edge, or the same thing will happen to other bricks. If there are voids, try packing fill under them and along the outside border. The edges of these bricks need to be on a solid base or you will continue to have broken edges and cracked mortar.


What is an effective way to attach this plastic filter to aluminum without drilling?

I would suggest good old J-B Weld for joining plexiglass and metal, and thistothat agrees.

Rough up the mating surfaces with 120 grit sandpaper and be sure to clamp where you can. If you don't want the J-B Weld to show, you'll have to put the plexiglass angle above the aluminum channel. However, it will definitely be harder to get a good bond, you'll have trouble clamping it from what I can see of your design. If you don't care because it's in a closet, you could cut some scrap wood to length and place it underneath as a brace while the J-B Weld cures.


How to repair a ceiling after removing glued on polystyrene covings?

This will need to be done by scraping off the old glue with a paint scraper whether it be a straight blade

Or one with a curved blade

The straight blade, is typically pushed to scrape, the curved or hook type is pulled.

I prefer the hook type since in my opinion the control is better. The straight type can go in too far and gouge the drywall and make the repair more difficult.

In either case, use the scraper of choice to remove the glue left behind. The texture is a gypsum product, easily removed by scraping, so not much effort should be needed, and it won't be difficult to get to the paper facing of the drywall. There is no need to go that far, but as long as the paper is not torn through to the gypsum core, not a problem if the surface gets roughened by the action.

When repairing texture, I usually sand around the repair area to feather in the new material. This also helps in filling in the areas where the drywall was removed down t the paper. The smooth area around the damage will be easier to repair using joint compound.

Fill the places that are recessed so they are filled level with the surrounding area. Let dry, sand the next day so it is matching the surrounding area.

Prime the places that were repaired if you choose too. There are folk who think it is best to prime, others who think it does not matter. On the ceiling, to me it does not matter, durability will not be an issue.

Next step will take some getting used too. Also before all this is started, you should put down floor protection and mask off the walls and anything below the areas you need to repair. It will be a dusty mess. It will get all over you, since all of it is overhead.
You will need a can of spray texture to match your ceiling, which looks like a very heavy orange peel.

It needs practice, read the instructions on the can and it will tell you how to use it.

All pictures courtesy Home Depot


multi tester showing 10 volts on in active wire

Do-de-do-doo....

The spooky 10V you are seeing is a "ghost" or "phantom" voltage, capacitively coupled from the hot wire, that your meter can measure due to the meter's high impedance, but can't do anything as it has no current (energy) behind it.  Some modern meters have a "LoZ" function on them that lowers the input impedance to get rid of these phantom voltages.


With the disposal off look at the bottom, some models have a socket that will accept an allen key and allow you to rotate the shredding disk manually to clear clogs. If not you can do it from the top with either a special purpose wrench or a couple of pieces of broomstick.

Inside the disposal is a rotating plate, with two cutter mounted on opposite sides. You lower the wrench, or two stout (something that won't break) pieces of wood down through the throat, then rotate it so it contacts the cutters. That allows you to rotate the disk by hand until it's unstuck. Once it's turning freely you can remove the tool and run the disposal to finish it.

All of this is assuming you didn't get something that shouldn't be in a disposal stuck. If you filled it with horse hair or iron filings you'll need either a new disposal, a plumber, or both.


I think you should just leave the floor slope as is. It is designed to help support drainage to one end of the basement in the event that there is ever an accumulation of a large amount of water into the basement space.
You should ask yourself if it feels awkward to walk around on the existing floor with its slope. Most likely it is not a big problem at all.

The varying length of the studs should not be a problem because you are going to be cutting them all anyway from the standard lengths that you can buy. They come either as 8' long or as studs they will be 92 5/8" long.

After you have finished out your office it there is a need for anything like a bookshelf or a desk to be perfectly level or plumb all you have to do is to shim under it with wedges or adjust its legs.


Connect a lamp wire to one wire or three

The connector with 3 white wires, one of which goes to your lamp, is neutral. That is fine as is. The black wire from your lamp is the hot wire for the lamp and goes to a switched hot, which logically should be the The wire connector with one wire from the ceiling is disconnected from anything. So connect the black wire from the lamp to that one lonely wire from the ceiling.

In case you didn't do so already, the safe way to do this is to turn off the breaker for the circuit before reconnecting the wires. Then turn on the breaker and turn on the switch. If anything goes wrong, the worst that will happen is you will trip the breaker. If you do this while the breaker is on - i.e., circuit possibly live (switches can fail) - then you might be just fine, might get a little spark, but might - if all goes wrong - have quite a shocking experience before the breaker trips.


how to hardwire an exterior rope light properly?

Well, this installation certainly does not appear to be in any way NEC compliant - it would appear that the power cord for the current rope lighting was simply run into the wall (where it is not listed to be) and caulked (and if hardwired, had its plug snipped off, and likely has stranded wire connected to terminals only listed for solid wire.)

The connector is no doubt proprietary to the maker of the rope lights and probably also to the era of the particular rope lights, rather than being anything standard.

I would suggest replacing the entirety of this travesty with something a bit more up to snuff.

Based on a quick look at a few LED rope light products, all of which seem to be of the "plug in" type, I would suggest replacing the "cord out the wall" with a properly wired outside outlet, GFCI or on a GFCI-protected circuit, in an outside box, with "in-use cover" to accommodate a plug in connection. If you find an LED-rope light (or power connector for same) that is actually designed for hardwire connections, you could skip the outlet and just have a junction box for the connection, but the circuit should still be GFCI protected. Since you want this controlled by a switch, make it a switched outlet that connects to the switch in question.

If that's more than you feel comfortable doing, hire an electrician - it should be a fairly small, straightforward job.


Walls out of square, how to align base cabinet?

Assuming you're installing cabinetry along the entire wall, I'd do this:

Find the point on the back wall that sticks out the most.
Measure out one cabinet depth and mark a line over the entire length of the floor. (Use a grout line as a reference-- even if your tiles are off-square, these are the lines your eyes will pick up as square.)
Install cabinets to this line, use shims to fill in the anchor points and the sides if necessary.
Tell the granite cutters that things aren't square, and let them deal with it.

I realize that this particular installation has a standalone on the end.  This really doesn't change anything -- You want the fronts of all your cabinets to be on the same line as you'll pick up the tiniest of inconsistencies, even with the fridge breaking the line.


How to make sure a tile does not bust on a high point in the floor

Your floor must be flatter period.   You must fix that issue before continuing. This has nothing to do with thinset or anything else.  Thinset is not used to build up the subfloor, it is used to bind to it and create flexibility.


In some ways, you're not far off from a system I've been working on for a while. Instead of reflecting sunlight, however, which, as others have mentioned, wouldn't really be effective, you could consider other forms of heating, such as a solar thermal array that heats water, or a cogenerating PV array that provides both hot water and electricity.

Of course, you're better off with a ground-source heat pump and utilizing any available sunlight for electricity, but what you're describing is typically referred to as solar gain, whether passive or active, and is a component in green building design.


Is it safe to spray herbicide on the bark of a tree if you don't get it on the leaves?

To answer your question directly, it depends entirely on the type of tree and the type of herbicide. It might be okay, but it might not be. It is possible to kill a tree with herbicides, and it is possible to kill poison ivy on its own with certain herbicides without killing certain trees.

Unless you're prepared to be absolutely certain that the type of herbicide you're using isn't going to harm a tree you care about, it's probably a safe bet to skip it. There's nothing that a pick axe + hoe + gloves can't solve. Rip the suckers out!


Can I mix acrylic paint with latex paint?

There actually is no difference between latex and acrylic paints because there is no latex in latex paints. Let me explain. All water based paints today are referred to as "latex", even though there is absolutely no latex rubber in the formula. ... Better quality paints have more acrylic resins than vinyl.

The acrylic paint for walls simply are thicker with more teeny acrylic beads that bind together when the water evaporates. THey pull together and tighten creating a coated surface of plastic polymer. The liquids in the paint may have some additives to strengthen and thicken this process. The thinner the paint (cheaper) means the less polymer beads the paint has in it.  Thus making the issue of multiple coats to fill in the areas that the beads were spread apart. Pigments are the colors added to the medium (polymers & Liquid). Curing in the case of Acrylics is simply a drying process that tightens and pulls the polymer beads together. No chemical change is needed other than evaporation. Its not oil based.


How to build deck starting in yard, ending on concrete slab?

I think your goal should be to have the deck a couple of inches below the bottom of the siding. If you use 2x6 joists, you'll need 5.5" plus the width of the decking, so you'll have to dig out the grass enough to get that depth.

There are two ways to deal with the concrete pad.

You could put a 2x4 on it's side and shim it up with pressure-treated shims to get the height that you need. I'd attach it with Tapcon concrete screws.
You could tear out the concrete pad with an electric jackhammer.

When I did my deck, I tore out the pad. It was a fair bit of work, but the deck was a lot easier to build.


There are a lot of details to consider, but if you can follow plans you can probably get it done.
Last year I designed a garage myself but needed to have the front wall engineered for both wind load and shear.  I tried to do the calcs myself but the city wanted a structural engineer to sign off on it.
Anyhow, while the plans weren't that complex on paper, building such a large wall and doing some more complicated framing up high was a big job but I got it done.
So if you have the specs, and can follow that you'll be fine.
There are so many variations on shear walls it's too hard to say just how easy or complicated it may be.  Some require additional fastening to the foundation, some require a lot of metal strapping.  Some require structural sheathing to be used on both sides of the wall or a closer nailing pattern.
I'd say give it a go!


What is the code approved way to cut and patch fire rated drywall hung on the ceiling of a basement?

I'm not aware of anything special for fire rating a joint in drywall, just use the same joint compound and tape you would use on the rest of your walls. Fire rated drywall will cut similar to normal drywall, but it will offer a lot more resistance because of the embedded fiberglass.

When sealing any gaps or cracks, they make special fire rated expanding foam and caulk. They tend to be orange in color. There's also fire rated insulation that can be used for any utility chases/bulkheads that connect to the ceiling.

For junction boxes, we've been required to box our in on common walls (2x4 above and below the junction and a piece of plywood behind everything) to ensure that any shorts in the electrical couldn't travel to another unit, but I doubt this would be a requirement for anyone in a single family home.


Is it safe to drill into the metal spacer between drywall and joist?

Update: From the photo provided, it doesn't appear to be a safety plate. I'm leaving this answer in case someone else comes here searching on metal behind their drywall.

If that's a steel safety plate you're hitting, then the answer is "no" you don't want to drill through it. It's installed to prevent accidentally nailing through the drywall, into the joists, and into some electrical or plumbing that's very close on the other side. Go 6" along the joist and try again, and if you hit wood instead of metal, thank the last person that was kind enough to install this plate.


I'm not sure about metric sizes, but this applies to US customary units.

The "1/2" designation is just a name - it is not a measurement of anything although in some cases it may be more or less approximately the same value.

For some applications, the outer diameter of the pipe is what is important. For instance, even though 1/2-in copper and 1/2-in PEX are not actually 0.5", they do have the SAME outer diameter and so will both fit many of the same push-fit fittings.

In other cases, such as making sure the desired amount of water flow can be achieved, the inner diameter is what is important. Consult the table below to compare among different types of pipe / tubing.

 Nominal Pipe Size   O.D.    I.D. Type K Copper   I.D. Type L Copper   I.D. Type M Copper   I.D. Pex A, B, or C   I.D. PEX-AL-PEX
 ------------------- ------- -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- --------------------- -----------------
  1/4                 0.375   0.305                0.315                n/a                  n/a
  3/8                 0.5     0.402                0.43                 0.45                 0.36                  0.346"
  1/2                 0.625   0.527                0.545                0.569                0.485                 0.500"
  5/8                 0.75    0.652                0.666                0.569                0.584                 0.637"
  3/4                 0.875   0.745                0.785                0.811                0.681                 0.806"
  1                   1.125   0.995                1.025                1.055                0.875                 1.032"
  1-1/4               1.375   1.245                1.265                1.291                1.054                 No data
  1-1/2               1.625   1.481                1.505                1.527                1.244                 No data
  2                   2.125   1.959                1.985                2.009                1.653                 No data
  2-1/2               2.625   2.435                2.465                2.495                No data               No data
  3                   3.125   2.907                2.945                2.981                No data               No data
  3.5                 3.625   3.385                3.425                3.459                No data               No data
  4                   4.125   3.857                3.897                3.935                No data               No data
  5                   5.125   4.805                4.875                4.907                No data               No data
  6                   6.125   5.741                5.845                5.881                No data               No data
  8                   8.125   7.583                7.725                7.785                No data               No data

So, for example the closest PEX tubing size to a nominal 1/2-in copper pipe (any type) would be a 5/8-in PEX A, B, or C types.

Sources:

http://www.pexheat.com/Home/5-Lies-About-PEX-Tubing
https://www.pexuniverse.com/pex-al-pex-tubing-technical-specifications
https://www.petersenproducts.com/Copper-Tubing-Sizes-s/1979.htm


Using a 100A main breaker in a 200A panel

Breakers protect wires.   The wire to the sub-panel can only be protected by the breaker in the main panel, and that must be correct for the wire's type and size.

Like Ed Beal says, you don't need a master breaker in a sub-panel.  The breaker in the sub-panel wouldn't protect the wire to the sub-panel. It protects the sub-panel itself, which is listed for 200A.  It can also be nice if you ever get sick of paying the tenant's electric bill and have the electric company feed a separate meter to that panel - voila, the master breaker is there already!

(I'm saying "master breaker" to avoid saying "main breaker", which might be confused with "breaker in main panel".)

If you are hoping for the sub-panel breaker to trip before the main-panel breaker, that doesn't work. Breaker trip curves are complex and unpredictable.

If the 100A breaker is not listed or labeled to work in the 200A panel, then you cannot use it, end of subject.  That's the law.

This is a situation where buying from a proper electrical supply house (and not a big-box home improvement store) will be very helpful.  You tell them what you want, they will sell you the right thing in the first place, and stand behind the combo.   On price, for the behind-the-counter stuff, I find them more than competitive with big-box. Their customers are, after all, electricians who deal in volume and drive past 3 big-box stores to buy there. (Electrical supplies do tend to wildly overprice the impulse-buy grab-candy at the front of the store, so don't go off those prices.)


Can I control a heat pump and boiler heat with one thermostat?

I'm currently running such a setup with an Aprilaire 8620W thermostat.  AC from the heat pump, Heat from the heat pump when outside temp is >=40F, Emergency Heat from the boiler kicks in when outside temp is <40F.
The thermostat initially installed was a Honeywell model, and that could be configured to support AC, or could be configured to support Heat, but could not be configured to support both.  It took about 18 months for the contractor to figure that out (because it only became an issue at season cutovers, e.g. spring and fall; they'd fix it to whatever season was appropriate and leave without realizing the other season had been broken).  I believe the model was VisionPRO 8000 Wifi.


No. Just no.

Current

Your kiln specs are for 20A. Your dryer breaker is (or should be) 30A. 30A is a lot more than 20A. If you had a failure where the kiln pulled 30A for a while, the breaker would not trip and your kiln might be damaged...or start a fire.

Ground/Neutral

Your kiln needs hot, neutral and ground. A 6-30 is a 3-wire connection. It will likely have hot, hot, ground, in which case you don't have a neutral and would then be piggybacking neutral for your 5-20 on ground, which is not to code and not safe.
Your dryer receptacle is actually more likely a 10-30, which is an obsolete-but-grandfathered type with hot, hot, neutral, in which case you don't have a ground and would then be piggybacking neutral for your 5-20 on ground, which is not to code and not safe. It is considered "safe enough" for dryers but your kiln does not fall under that limited exemption.
Your best bet to avoid running a new cable from the panel to the garage would be to see if you can retrofit ground. There are rules for doing that, but if you can legally do it then you could:

Replace the 10-30 with a 5-20 (no dryer any more) and replace the 30A breaker with a 20A breaker.
Install a subpanel. Not sure if you can use retrofit ground for a subpanel though - Harper or one of the other pros can answer that (and fill in 100 other details I missed). Then connect a 14-30 (replacing the 10-30) for the dryer, a 5-20 (for the kiln) and other circuits as well. As long as you don't run the dryer and kiln at the same time, this would probably work quite well.

Double-check the specs - and safety - of the kiln
The specs are a bit confusing:

120V
20A
2,300W
5,940 BTU
10 AWG
NEMA 5-20

20A specifications: 20A (obviously), 5-20, 5,940 BTU (1 kWh = 3,412 BTU, so 5,940 BTU = 1.74 kWh = 14.5A @ 120V, which fits just fine on a 20A circuit)
30A specifications: 10 AWG (it is perfectly fine to use 10 for 20A circuits, but code normally only requires 12), 2,300W (2,300W/120V = 19A and since this is continuous usage it needs a circuit rated for higher current - and the next typical size is 30A)
Just doesn't add up... That could be laziness, specs not up-to-date, etc. Or it could be a sign of poor and possibly unsafe design.


Should I use self leveling concrete to repair settlement cracked concrete slabs?

You should check the label/product literature for the cement products you intend to use. From what I remember self leveling cement is not recommended for filling cracks deeper than 1/2". If you want to use it then you should patch any deep cracks first. Self leveling cement is also about 10x the cost of a bag of regular cement mix.

If the ground is still settling underneath it's best to just break up the section, compact the ground underneath and then pour in that new section. That's going to be your longest strongest fix.

If you're not sure if it's done settling I would just fill in the cracks and see if they patches crack again.

A lot is going to depend on the size of the cracks as far as the best product to use but for most cracks I like to use a fast setting concrete patching mix. Can fill large gaps and can also be feathered out at the edges. It sets up in less than an hour which I like for walkways. You can also use a regular cement with an acrylic fortifier added to it if you can keep people off the repair for 2-3 days as it will be much cheaper.

With the fast set you need to clean out any loose chunks, wet the concrete, make a thin mix of the cement that you paint on the crack to aid in bonding, then mix the regular thickness mix, trowel in the crack, trowel it smooth then use the paint brush to smooth out the edges. I like to build up the level a little higher and then scrape it off with the trowel after a few minutes.

All the concrete repair products I've seen are polymer modified but not to the same extent that self-leveling cement is. Adding an acrylic fortifier to the mix will give you a stronger bond.


How to install low voltage bracket through a drywall block?

It was not particularly clear from your posting just what this 1x4 is in the wall. If it was flat to the back side of the drywall surface and went up at an angle in one direction and down at an angle in the other direction then this is a big problem. In this case this 1x4 is a cross brace installed in notches across a batch of studs. It's purpose is to triangulate with the studs to stiffen the building structure and keep things square. This would have been something that should not have been cut. Instead you should have moved your hole over and patched over the first  hole.


Need help tracking down possible open neutral

Posting this for continuity, the results.

I actually had an open hot on one leg or branch of the breaker box, that much I knew.  Here is how I found out, and what I did.

OK, so I finally got the old lady to rest long enough to unplug all the breakers (physically removed from breaker box).  Still had low voltage on one breaker bar.  We have a master breaker outside, near the meter.

It's at the top, this was a reference picture I took.  Normally has a cover on it.

Ok, so I test the two at the meter...  and they're both good there...  so the problem is in what I find is called the "service entrance", the wiring from the meter to the breaker box.  I should say now, the following repair should NOT be done by someone unfamiliar with general construction principles, and home wiring guidelines.  There are laws governing how this type of repair should be done (search "service entrance" for your particular state), and not following these rules and guidelines could result in death, shock, and fines.

So my line runs about four feet underground to the trailer, lift the skirt and the rest is aboveground.  According to the guidelines for Indiana, it should be 24in deep, in conduit.  It was not.  Not 24in deep.  Not in conduit.  It was 100A cable, run diagonally from ground level to about 18in down where it leaves the meter in sch. 80 PVC.  And, just as I expected, I found this:

So, I wasn't sure about which cable to get, so I got 200A cable, thinking, I have at least 100A in breakers just for the outlets.  Get cable, enough conduit to completely cover the wire, pulled out the old wire, pushed the new wire through, re-connected on both sides, reconnected all the breakers, and done.  We have our hot water, stove, and dryer working again.  In addition, the wiring was now up to code, the code violation being the source of the original problem.  "Call an electrician" they said, when I can do a better job myself at 10% of the cost.  HA!  Did-It-mYself!

New wire, not fully connected, in brand new conduit...  the lighter, L-shaped conduit under the skirt, going up into the breaker box is visible, that was the only conduit present before the repair.  Gaps in the conduit were sealed with FiberFix.

I want to add a few things.  200A cable is NOT easy to work with...  it is a little like bending rebar.  I used my tubing cutter to strip the insulation...  and a hacksaw to trim the ends.  Second, this repair is not for the "home handyman", you really need to know what you are doing with electricity and wiring, 240v will travel right up the wooden handle of a shovel.  Also, as I said, this is work that is supposed to be done by a licensed electrician or contractor, to "code", so unless you feel competent either fulfilling or violating said code, let someone more competent do such work.  Another issue is grounding, if you mess with your service entrance cable, you ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY need to make sure that the ground at the meter is solid.  Faulty ground at your meter means faulty ground in every single outlet in your home, a shock hazard, a fire hazard, and potential death to all your electronics that rely on it.

I hope this helps someone.


Do i need a backflow preventer for drip irrigation system

I think he is mistaken.  A pressure reducing valve is not listed in the code among the approved backflow prevention devices:

  2009 Uniform Plumbing Code 603.4.6 Protection From Lawn Sprinklers and Irrigation Systems

  603.4.6.1  Potable water supplies to systems having no pumps or connections for pumping equipment, and no chemical injection or
  provisions for chemical injection, shall be protected from backflow by
  one of the following devices:

  (1) Atmospheric vacuum breaker (2) Pressure vacuum breaker (3)
  Spill-resistant pressure vacuum breaker (4) Reduced pressure vacuum
  breaker


Is it possible to cut a larger opening in this window / serving hatch of this pool house?

Yes, you can but you will need to properly support the structure above the new opening.

As you can see, there is a header in place now fashioned of two 2x4s with blocking.  This is not a particularly strong support but I doubt there is much to support beyond the roof itself.

Doing what you are proposing with the lines on the photo, however, leaves no room for anything but that one 2x4 which is probably not enough support.

You could probably get at least as much support as you have now with a couple of 2x4s and a plywood spacer between then.  You'd lose a bit of opening height from what you've drawn but it would be close.


It's rather unlikely the cell phone charger is a transformer these days.  Nowadays, they are switching power supplies.

While it's possible to build a switcher with .99 power factor, the cheapies have really weird power factor with crazy harmonics, and at much higher currents than you'd expect.  This creates EMF (literally, electro-motive force) which can make things move, i.e. vibrate.

I could see that being a "canary in the coal mine", causing weird effects on an outlet that's already marginal.  A tight good outlet should not do that.  If that's a NEMA 1 type receptacle, it's gotta be an oldie.  It may simply be a wire that has loosened over the years, or an internal component that has broken.


I have no experience with this type of faucet, but from the picture it appears it is held in place only in the center. There are several possible ways the hinged clamp in the center may work. Is the hinged clamp in fact holding the body of the faucet or is this just a connection to the drain plug?

It may be that you pull down on the rod and press up on the clamp. It may be that you have to pinch the side tabs together to move the clamp up or it may be that the tabs are to be pressed only to remove the clamp.

It may be that you twist the clamp with or without pinching the tabs together.


Goof off is really not that strong, I use Remove-it contractors grade citrus cleaner. I have found it is great at removing adhesive goo. Non toxic and even works well on mastic , both on hands and surfaces.

I use double sided tape for name plates on load centers, I have to update these when modifications are made I use dental floss to cut the foam then Remove-it and the goo wipes off sometimes a second spray is needed on larger areas but it has always worked for me.


What do the numbers 1 to 9 mean on my thermostat?

It means it is a cheap device and they are not willing to provide a properly calibrated thermostat at that price point.

Instead they are giving you a real thermostat, but with no effort to calibrate it to any real world values, just slap a knob on it and done.  You are meant to turn it up if you are too cold and down if you're too hot, iteratively, until you find the temperature that suits you.  Then you are to remember that you like it at 3-1/2.

Since the knob is just slapped on, expect two identical units to have different meanings of, say, "5" .


The ground wires should not be with the white neutral, some folks see them on the same buss in the main panel and think it is ok to do it other places it is not.
I turn the power off and separate the grounds from the neutrals. Some fixtures do not have ground wires because they are made of plastic or nonconducting materials The grounds should be attached to the metal framework of the fixture or box.


Think outside the box.

If you are trying to minimize the distance to the deck to have max headroom, then attach the shed roof to the deck, so that water coming through the deck runs off.

Now build your shed but stop the walls a foot from the suspended roof.

From the roof hang 18" walls that have 1" clearance from the sides of the shed.  Stuff with  insulation.  Now if the shed moves up and down, the walls frm the floor telescope with the walls from the ceiling.


How do I remove Cement Board that has been screwed in and is bonded to wood subfloor with thinset?

Here is an idea to consider. If the tile comes off the cement board fairly easy, you could leave the cement board, scrape off the thinset and lay your foam and laminate over the cement board.  Just a thought depending on the overall thickness you need to achieve.


City water connection - can they make a connection at a hose bib?

I doubt seriously that the city crew would connect your water supply to a hose bib no matter what you told them. It is just too far outside of the norm.  For one thing, If you live in a climate that experiences sub-freezing temperatures in the winter your pipes would freeze and burst.  Virtually no one does it this way.  you want a good deep ditch between the house and the water supply to lay the pipe in, below the frost line.  Enter the house through the foundation wall below the frost line and connect to the cold water line at a good and convenient location.  In the years to come, you will be glad you did. (In an emergency and for a short period of time, yes you could connect to the hose bib.  It would work.)


How to exterminate/identify these insects?

They are some kind midge flies (chironomids (Chironomidae))... obviously a biting kind of midge fly. A species specific identification would require a much better image, or preferably- a sample of the actual insects.

I see that you live in India... that makes identification more difficult because entomology is not a thoroughly studied science there.

Generally speaking, midge flies are controlled in the larval state (before they become adult flies). They are a lot like mosquitoes; they lay eggs in stagnant water (sewage, ponds, and drains are common). The larvae are commonly called redworms.

Eliminating the (stagnant water) source of the midge flies would be the most effective control, of course. Otherwise, a natural control method (recommended) would be Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis which can be found in many box-stores... look for "mosquito dunks".


If you just want to extend your network you can use your existing electrical system.

This is called power line ethernet You get various version- The simplest being point to point. and more complicated ones that allow for mulitplexing/switching across several units like the one in the image below.

And you can get very advanced and slick ones called power line sockets that are switch traffic across your whole house with these stylish wall plates...

Speeds vary from products but usually start at 55mbs (55megabits = 5mega bytes per second) and I have seen speeds reaching up to 500mbs (50megabytes per second)

Cable is ALWAYS allot more reliable especially if you want to use it for you home multimedia systems, like streaming HD movies from a NAS, playing world of warcraft with ultra low latency so you don't get owned by a noob because of lag. Wireless is good for watching youtube on your smartphone, placing orders from your fridge or letting your guests leach some of your bandwidth. (Trust me- I had Wirless N on my media centre that was 3 meteres above- put in a 100mb cable and now i can watch movies without stress)

Obviously running LAN cable is the cheapest option - I would suggest using some cable conduit.You get various sizes and shapes - and you paint over plain ones if you want to camouflage them into your wall.

But be careful not to land up with something like this.. it is easy.

Some technical benchmarking and limitations

Some more reviews on the netgear 500mbs reviews


How do I untwist a very long, very twisted Ethernet cable?

Well, the good news is it does not appear that you've passed into "throw it away" levels of twisted yet. I've had users do things to innocent cables that I can't quite believe. I find out about them when the cable fails, usually.
Find a stairwell, or some other place you can let the cable dangle, hold, and wait. Since you probably don't have a 45m stairwell handy, you'll have to work in sections. Starting from the end is a problem unless you can let the whole thing dangle - you want to start as far into the middle as you can and let the end spin free, so that the twist gets "worked out".
Another approach is to wind the untwisted section of cable onto a core of some sort (essentially a small cable spool) and to spin that as needed to remove twist as you wind it on - you'll need to keep light tension on it so it can't snarl - you can tape it if you want to pause while working. Important to then unroll it, NOT spiral it off the side of the spool. Still likely to be easiest if you can hang the unspooled cable as much as possible so it twists freely.
Once you get it sorted, you may also want to look up various methods of coiling cables without adding twist when coiling. Various ways work, and the one I prefer may not be the one you prefer.


It depends on the manufacturer.   For most manufacturers this is an awning arm.   However a lot of times if an arm is detached from the awning unit to rest on the home it is referred to as a pole.


Light switches On in the Off position and Vice Versa

Standard colors are:

Neutral: White or gray

Safety Ground: Green, yellow w/ green stripe, bare, or the shell of non-flexing metal conduit, and metal boxes.

Hot: all other colors.

If a multi-wire cable is used, the white can be marked with hot-color tape and used as a hot. That does not apply in conduit. Conduits need 1 neutral per circuit and it must be white or gray.
Ground NEVER EVER Goes to anything else
Safety grounds, always and only green, yellow/green or bare, are never wired to any other conductor. Period. End of subject.  I don't how how in the bloody green blazes a green wire came to go from the switch's green screw to the neutral bundle, but fire the guy who did that.  That person lacks the basic knowledge required not to kill somebody.
If that's you, quit and hire a pro. Seriously, what the heck.
STOP EXPERIMENTING
You've dug yourself an irrecoverable hole because your response to "it doesn't work" was to "try random stuff".  By "random" I mean you don't have knowledge of what it does.
What will happen when you hit a combination that works (or works "good enough"?  You stop.  Trouble is, there are many combinations which will work and will kill you.
When you are stuck, stop and collect more information.  I know you're not doing that because of the ground wire in the neutral bundle, which is a "101" blunder.
It may be too late
Unfortunately, you seem to have relied on a notion that no matter how scrambled you make it, there are standard color-codes or groupings that will tell a remote expert how to fix it. That belief is false, unfortunately.  There are no color codes other than what I said at the top.  The only way electricians tell the next electrician the meanings of the wires is by how things are arranged currently.
Now, the only path is a great deal of on-site  iterative testing, which is too far beyond your skill-set to be achievable, even with support of people online.  I think the option available to you is to call a pro... unless you took good photos of the starting condition that was known-working.


preventing pipes on an outside wall from freezing

You have to get insulation between those pipes and the outside wall of the cabin and lots of it.  Don't insulated the warm side of those pipes.  That is the only heat that keeps the pipes from freezing.  I wouldn't pursue the heat tape idea.  Put all of your effort into insulation the cold side of those pipes.  And keep the interior of the cabin above 60* all year. You will eventually get it.  Good Luck. You can always let the water trickle from a faucet on those cold and windy nights. Additional thought, in general the exterior wall of he cabin must be well insulated.  Hope this helps. Good Luck.


What methods can be used to make a dark colored window become opaque?

During the daytime, the daylight outside reflects in the window and drowns out the light that comes from inside. The darkening of the glass only reduces the light that comes out the window, and at night there is no reflection to drown out the light, so the light from the inside can still be seen although it's reduced.

At night you have lights on inside, which of course increases the light that comes out. Dimming the lights will reduce the amount of light that gets out.

So, there isn't much you can do, unless you install massive floodlights to light up the surroundings at night, to get the same effect as you have at daytime.


"Duck" or duct tape is pointless here. You MIGHT get some temporary slowdown from using a self-fusing silicone overwrap, but it's not a solution, and will be difficult to use effectively on an active leak, especially with an elbow involved.

You need to contact your water company and arrange for the water to be shut off from outside the house so this can be fixed correctly. If you get lucky they might be responsible for the pipe up to the shutoff valve.


How to trim between wood floor and circular opening for spiral stairs

I would make a polygon (24 - 1/2x2 cut at 82.5 degrees + wood glue + a lap joint for strength) that can then be cut into a circle and maybe routed with a detail. You would see the grain changes in direction, but that wouldn't be a deal breaker to me. It would be a bit time consuming with all the cuts and glue up.

I've also seen videos of people using PVC trim and a clothes iron to bend long thin strips and it seems to work very well, but I've never tried it.


CFL bulbs flash slightly even when turned off

Any leakage current will cause CFLs to flash. I had to replace my porch light timer with a relay type because the sensor in my original one used a very slight amount of current to test if the bulbs were installed and working. And here's a similar problem I have been having, for which I have not yet found a suitable solution: I have some LED spotlights on a dimmer that ties in to a circuit with two other incandescent lamp system on dimmers.  Depending upon the setting of all three dimmers, the LED spots will flash. I think it is noisy contacts in the incandescent dimmers, and that small amount of pulsing is picked up by the LED circuit.  It is not annoying enough for me to delay any of my other projects to address it, as it only happens occasionally, and is mostly triggered by the chandelier setting.


How do I go from a 3-way switch controlling my basement lights to multiple 3-way switches?

What you're really looking for is zone control.

You still want the ability to turn all the basement lights on/off from the 3-way switches.  In fact, the ability to do so is a Code requirement, since the stairwell lights must be on a 3-way.  However, you want the ability to extinguish lights in areas you don't need.

So what you can do is add an additional block of switches on the "switched side" of the 3-way circuit.  That is, the side after the 3-way travelers.   In other words, don't overthink it.

The simplest way to do this, by the way, is to install lamps with pull chains.  But we can do it with real switches.

Let's start with a simple view of what a 3-way circuit is.  (And by the way, I strongly recommend you get colored tape and actually mark your wires these colors - because things will get really complicated if you do not!!)

Don't overthink it: don't mess with the yellows here. As things are, the "red" is on or off according to 3-way command. It branches out to your multiple, various lights including the stairwell light.    So we're going to have the "red" serve as the power input to another bank of normal (1-way) switches. They will input red "switched-hot" and output "switched, switched hot" to those lights you want separate control of.

Now, you can control the bunch with the 3-ways, and select which of the bunch turn on at the supplemental switches.

The stairwell light proper, since by law it must be under direct control of the 3-ways, will still get its power off the red, and will not be under a subsidiary switch.

Is this conservation necessary?

The better thing to do might actually be say sayonara to incandescent lights, and convert to LED.  Then you won't need to worry about the electric bill.


Fuse replacement in Xantrex solar charge controller

I'm pretty sure you don't want to substitute that fuse.

First off, the original fuse was rated for 1 A, while the new one is rated for 2 A. You'll have twice the current allowed in your system before the fuse goes.
Second, the power (wattage) permitted to pass through the second fuse is 67% greater than the original fuse would allow.

Grainger has an equivalent fuse for about $12, if you've got a store around where you live or if you can wait for it to ship. Just make sure the physical dimensions match as well.


The multimeter may be off trying to accurately measure an AC voltage that ends up looking like chopped AC cycles.

There is a good possibility though that no load on a triac switch of the dimmer could look like an AC waveform of full voltage to the relatively high impedance of the multimeter input if the dimmer design has a resistor/capacitor snubber circuit across the triac. The diagram below shows the typical snubber configuration used (R2 and C2). R2 is commonly a resistor of a couple hundred ohms in series with the capacitor. When the triac is OFF the snubber circuit will be able to pass the AC waveform through when a meter with an typical input impedance of 20K to 50K ohms is used across the open lamp terminals.


How can I determine what size and type of filter is required in my air handler?

You should only have one filter installed for the system, so if the return with the filter leads to the air handler, then you're already covered, and don't need a filter in the air handler too.  In fact putting a second filter in could be bad for your system, and could even cause your blower motor to fail because restricting the air flow even a little will slightly increase the load on the motor.  Is that likely?  No.  But there's no extra benefit from having an extra filter, so why risk it?


Pex Pipe Freezing & Tankless Hot Water Heater Too

To prevent freezing of the PEX water lines in the attic I think you should consider covering them with a cover that would allow them to be kept warm from the space heating of the house. Insulation over this cover would prevent heat escaping into the attic. The cover would go all the way to the attic side of the ceiling and insulation would be removed from under the cover to that heat flow from inside the house can keep the pipes warm.

You report that putting foam tubing over the PEX lines did not work. The next thing to try would be electric heating tape, but covering the lines would seem to be a more permanent solution. I have never heard of covering of the water lines being done, but I have never heard of freezing of plumbing on the scale that is occurring in your house.


Pigtail time

You'll need a couple lengths of the same gauge wire (preferably black, but any color other than white or green will do here) as what's in the box right now to serve as pigtails; if you don't have some NM laying around to shuck for this, just get a foot or so of 12AWG black THHN.

Once you have the old dimmer removed, one of them gets shucked of its insulation and goes between the existing ground bundle in the box and the green screw on the new switch, the second pigtail goes from the existing wirenut with the red and black wires in it to one brass screw as that's your always-hot, and the final pigtail goes from the existing wirenut with the single black wire in it to the other brass screw on the switch as that's your switched-hot (NOT "neutral" at all -- the neutral is the white bundle in back that you aren't touching).

Button it all back up, turn the breaker back on, and enjoy your new fan!


How to fix garbage disposal leaking black sludge under sink?

If it's coming out of the motor casing, the seal under the shredder plate has failed. The whole unit needs to be replaced. Repair is pointless as the garbage disposal will have other corrosion issues.

From Photo It's coming from the trap joints. There's a square cut rubber gasket under that screw collar that's probably hardened, cracked and is the source of the leak.

Get a bucket under the trap ("U" section) loosen the collars that hold it on and pull the trap out. It'll be full of gunk. Since it looks like there's rust on the outside, clean it really well and make sure it's not ready to corrode through. Replace anything that is ready to rust through. The tailpiece (what goes into the septic plumbing) also has a collar, take it loose and clean that piece as well. Replace all the gaskets and put it all back together.

Make sure the black "L" bend that comes out of the disposal unit protrudes far enough into the trap "U" when you put it back together so that the gasket seals. One problem I've come across is that the installer cuts it too short and it works its way down till the gasket fails to seal and it starts to leak.


Yes you do not lay baseboards down before grouting tile.  He has presented an issue where now he has to push grout under your baseboards so there isn't a grout "void" right at the baseboards.
And it could look good the first few months but shrink a little.   It isn't the end of the world but he basically made his job much harder and made a chance of a sloppy install.   You will for sure notice visually if there are voids right at the baseboard.   Now he has to tape the baseboards to keep them from getting grout on them, it is hard now for him to clean up, and you still have the problem of getting the grout far enough back at the right level.
Side note:   The only logical reason someone does this is that the person/tools needed to install the baseboards was only available then.  Just doing this before grouting could take more time based on my comments above - to work around it - than to actually put them back up.
Because this person is lacking some common sense I would keep an eye on them.   For sure do not allow them to caulk the bottom of the baseboard.  Caulk will fail here quickly.   Yes looks good for a month or two but will fail miserably after that.


What is the best way to clean a 300 gallon Water tank that was storing Canola Oil?

Hot water (how hot would depend on the type of plastic - at least warm, to start with) and baking soda (bicarbonate of soda.) Let stand (or agitate, if you want) for 24-48 hours, repeat as needed.

If you can source food-grade lye and are aware of and able to take appropriate precautions for handling it, it would work a bit faster, but in both cases you are using an alkali (mild or strong) and that will saponify (turn to soap) the residual oil. Baking soda is cheap, safe to handle, and easy to get as a food-grade item.


Where does the electricity induced in the shield flow from a CAT6a S/FTP cable?

Edit: Snip Tyson already linked Siemons paper.

That gives a pretty good idea of the setup.

In a nutshell the mechs in the patch panel are earthed via the patch panel to the rack frame which then should be bonded to a communications earth.

Not sure what standards are worldwide, in Australia the communications earth is bonded to the electrical earth at the switchboard or earth stake.

There will be relevant standards regarding distances, cable sizes and colours and so on. Should be covered under electrical or comms standards.


If you don't need all the vertical space, two options come to mind.
It would take about 3 yards of concrete to "top" that whole slab with a couple of inches of normal concrete, preferably fiber-reinforced. That won't be in danger of peeling off. However, if your concept of a workspace is LVP floored, the (presumed uninsulated now) concrete slab will be directly coupled to your floor, and that may be unpleasantly cold much of the year, and damp when it's less unpleasant that it's cold. Good if your workspace concept benefitted from a concrete floor, probably bad otherwise, and you seem headed for otherwise.
If raising the floor on sleepers, I would suggest raising the whole floor and insulating under it, rather than laying OSB directly or with moisture barrier (only) on the concrete on the "flat" side. That will give a floor that most people would consider to be more pleasant to live with, and may also reduce your heating bill somewhat, if you are in a climate that involves heating bills.


How can I rebuild creaking plywood-based stairs?

You should not have to rebuild the whole staircase.  Rip up the carpet so that you can see the problem. In most cases it is caused by treads becoming loose. If this is the case I would take the treads off, put some construction adhesive down, and screw the treads back.  If you see that you have a broken riser then you may have to replace the stairs or fix the riser. Let me point out that the treads will most likely be unfinished under the carpet so you might consider either replacing the carpet or installing a bull-nosed wood tread.


Energy saving box on an old whirlpool hot water heater

You need to have a conversation with your power company
Those "energy saving boxes" come in two kinds: one that turns off the water heater at certain times... and the other that qualifies you for a lower electricity tariff if the power company can interrupt your water heater at peak times.
The first type of box should simply go away. That's because of scientific discoveries that if tanked water heaters store water too cool, they breed bacteria including legionella.  Heaters need to be at around 60C to avoid this -- interrupting power and letting it fall to 50C or 35C can breed that bacteria bigtime.
For the second type, you need to have a tariff/rate conversation with the power company.  If they are willing to put you on the favorable tariff (or if they already have), they should help you maintain that controller.
What the power company needs it for is moments when power demand is nearly exceeding available generating capacity.  They have two choices:

Spin up standby generators called "Peakers" -- which are only used a few hundred hours a year, even though the mortgage runs 24x7x365.  As such, these power plants are murderously expensive.  Or...
Shed some load - this is most infamous in "rolling blackouts".  Being able to command 10,000 customers' water heaters to take a 15-minute siesta will work just as well, and is much more civilized.

Naturally the power company gives you some financial incentive to do this.  Though it's also being a good civic citizen.


What type of anchor is this and what is the max capacity ?

It looks like a "Triple Grip" brand anchor. I have similar anchors.  The box says 77 pounds in 5/8 inch drywall.  No specification for 1/2 inch.

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Against all odds, all three ignitors failed at the same time.  I had someone come to diagnose and he only had one with him so I have one oven working and two more ignitors on order.

Moral of the story: never buy Maytag.  This is the third of three Maytag appliances we purchased a few years ago which has had quality issues.


Had the same issue, used a sealant (couple of coats), then an underlayment (vapor barrier), which worked well on my laminate flooring. Suggest you use a fan and dehumidifier during those high humidity days.


What pump is good for emptying a pool with debris?

"Trash pumps" are designed to handle some degree of debris and sludge, but almost any pump will work if you put a proper filter screen on it. The key is to use a large screen bubble so that the pressure on any part of it is low. This prevents it from vacuuming up junk and clogging. Once you get most of the water out you can start to rake up the debris and move the pump to an area with cleaner water.
The water table may have been low when the pool was constructed, but came up later due to rain or changing grade nearby. You could dig a hole nearby to check. Buoyancy force is calculated as the weight of the displaced water minus the weight of the thing being buoyed (in this case, the pool and its contents). Water is quite heavy, so the force can be large enough to lift a nearly empty concrete pool.


Even many experts underestimate the volume of air exchange through tiny gaps, holes, slits etc. So generally too much unintended air exchange is often the biggest problem. Can be reduced by applying all weather silikon or acryl at the edge where  window frame and wall are touching, and between glass and frame. This should be done outside and inside and is not expensive at alI, does not change the building substance. If the window is not airtight between it's moving and still standing frame, also silikon can help, but a sheet of foil (kitchen) must be temporarily inserted in order to avoid sticking/glueing the window frames together until dry. This helps for rotating windows. Cave: the material needs a high temperature to dry out, ca. 15 Celsius or above. The door slit can be closed with old  clothes put at the edge every time the door is closed or with a special brush to be glued on the door.
Air gaps can be detected with a cigarette or candle on windy days.
A cheap heating is a car heating seat cushion (car accessories), heating from legs to the back like in a car, plus a voltage supply of 12V. There are also 230V/120V heating mattress covers for the bed. And a low noise hair dryer next to the bed can warm up the bed in 1 minute or less with very low costs. These 3 electric heating systems are very comfortable, inexpensive and very fast, and save money and energy and the environment. They are scalable, nearly maintenance free and can be transfered to the next appartment with no installation work.


Yes, these will work fine. The "5 watt" is the minimum for your fixture to dim. The 42 watt halogen maximum is, for the most part, a heat maximum and led bulbs don't generate anywhere near the heat of a halogen bulb. This is a 220 volt bulb.


Some fan manufacturers make after-market remote controls that can be attached to non-remote-controlled fans. (I have 2 installed.) Here is a link to one made by Progress Lighting. https://www.progresslightingexperts.com/lighting/7-196-826-0-220446/Progress_Air-Pro---Fan-Light-Remote-Control-P2618-01.htm. While my fan was also switched (just on/off), it's light and speed were controlled by pull cords. I put the remotes in to allow control by remote instead of pull cord. Just make sure there is room in the fan for the receiver.


Can I run a second cable to add another hot conductor for a range?

Splittng a circuit across two cables is simply not an option.  It cannot be done, and there are big reasons for that, and those reasons are much more critical on high-current devices.  This isn't low voltage DC power: this is AC and a whole lot of it.

Usually, in situations like this, the barrier is that the cable is too buried in finished walls to economically replace.  You are saying that is not the case for you.  Since you would be adding a cable in any case, add a 10/3 cable.

10/2 to a range or oven site is awkward.  You can get away with it when installing modern ranges which are designed for the world market, and take 230/240V only.  But then you are painted into a corner if you happen to pick a replacement that is North America only.  Perhaps this builder reasoned that it would be easy to swap the cable if warranted.


How can house corner be supported when there's a deep cellar next to it?

Option 1: Post

Shore up the corner temporarily by any means
Remove metal sheets and rods at corner
Dig out corner enough to be able to dig out a footing at the celler floor level
Pour footing in corner at cellar level
Install post
Reinstall metal sheets and rods and backfill

Option 2: Wall

Remove metal sheets and rods on side at house
Shore up the side temporarily using multiple post
Dig back entire side of cellar in about 8" down to cellar floor.
Shotcrete a 8" thick foundation wall under entire side.
Reconcile corners where shotcrete meets cellar.


Perhaps you can rent, or borrow at a tool library, a proper de-energized circuit tracer.  Unfortunately the inexpensive "circuit breaker finders" only work on energized circuits, though you could use one of those in a process of elimination, and to build up a circuit map.

The Ideal Suretrace is the market leader in this category, a basic kit seems to run about $1000.  With that kit you can follow all the wires through walls and even under slabs.

You do know you only need one GFCI per room, right?  Only the most upstream outlet should have the GFCI, the rest get stickers indicating they are also protected.


How to deal with sharp door latch corners?

A Dremel may be able to work but it is also possible to way overdo the grinding that a high speed tool like this can do.
If all you want to do is to break sharp corners all you need is a low cost hand file. File with a cutting surface called a mill file will give you nice smooth cuts of the sharp edges.
Here is a typical mill cut file.

Picture Source