Electrical shock when touching the water faucet in the shower

I forgot to update this after the electrician visited and I'm terribly sorry, so here is what happened:

The fault was caused by a neighbor two houses down the street. He had wired a ground and a neutral wire together in an outlet that he installed himself. Causing voltage to leak over the ground wire.

It is illegal to wire outlets yourself in Norway if you're not a certified electrician (and probably a lot of other places as well). The electrician said I was lucky to escape without any injury or complications. The person who did that wiring was clearly not an electrician, and was fined accordingly.

Apparently I wasn't the only person who had noticed the problem. Another neighbor in the neighborhood had also complained.


What is this protrusion of bricks in my wall?

Without a picture to confirm, it sounds like it may be a pilaster. If so, it is structural, and possibly helping carry a load (beam) above the ceiling


If your concern is friction of the legs against the floor, you can get some of these furniture sliders.  They will take that pressure off of the legs and allow you to push/pull the table without putting excess strain a the base of the legs.  This is, however, assuming that you can lift at least one corner of the table at a time just barely enough to get one of these under there.


When machining a hole, what is the order of operations?

I would countersink and then tap for two reasons.

The first is the countersink bit could damage the first thread and make installing the bolt a problem.

The second is there is less metal to tap and therefore easier and less wear on the tap.

Happy Day!


How can I patch a leak in my sprinkler system manifold?

There are epoxy-based putties designed for leaks like this, but your sprinklers might work at a pressure higher than the putty can handle.  JBWeld makes one which is sold in home improvement stores.

If you try it, be sure to leave the water off while the putty dries, and use enough to circle the entire leaky joint.

Wear gloves to mix and apply.  Don't expect to be able to remove the putty from anything it is attached to - when you replace the manifold you'll need to replace the puttied parts too.


What drill and screws should I use to attach security bar to a concrete wall

If you had one of those drills with a hammer setting rather than an actual hammer drill then that would explain it.

Like this one.

You need an SDS hammer drill like this.

Before you buy one just for a small project, see if there is a place to rent one near you. In the US, Menard's rents tools for small projects. Most rental places have them. You may have to buy a drill bit.

Then use anchors like TapCons for concrete like these.

Good luck with your project!


To me it looks like the white plastic end plates are removable, the cover may be screwed in place below those access plates.


Strange voltages from wires behind outlet, and smell from behind outlet

Couple things you failed to mention.  First, this outlet is controlled by a switch. Second, other outlets died when you removed this receptacle.  Those are both important clues.

First, let's fix the color coding. Grab some colored electrical tape.

The loose black wire, is a switched-hot coming back from the switch.  Conventional color code is red; mark it red.

The bundle of 3 wires in the back, 2 black 1 white, are all always-hot. Conventional color for that is black; so mark that white wire.

In a switch loop, you're supposed to use the white wire for always-hot, so it's more obvious to someone measuring that this is a hot. You're also supposed to mark it with black tape (no one ever does).

The remaining white wires are actually neutral. Mandatory color code for those is native white; you can't re-mark colored wires to be neutral.

White2 goes to supply, and it's where neutral is sourced. White1 goes onward to other outlets, however those outlets are now broken because you severed their neutral.  Doing so makes the neutral hot, and thus, dangerous; which is why we put insulation on neutral wires.

To make this make more sense, splice and pigtail

You notice you had 2 white wires going to the receptacle. You also notice that the little "tab" between the two screws is connected.  That means the 2 wires connected to each other as well as to the receptacle.  To make the downline circuit work without the receptacle, get a 6" white wire and a wire nut, and pigtail it with the 2 wires. Now the outlet will only have 1 white wire, and it will be obvious the whites are connected.

Why is a neutral wire hot?

Because neutral doesn't come from magic, it comes from being connected back to the panel.  White1 is the downline circuit trying to return neutral back to the panel.  Since it can't, "hot" voltage is just backing up, unable to go anywhere. When you put a voltmeter between white1 and white2, you are seeing the voltage trying to return.

Shorting white1 and white2 simply restores that function, so now the downline circuit works again, and those appliances come back to life.

You should not be shorting things that were not shorted before: what is wrong with your brain?  If the switch had been on, then shorting white2 and black (now red) would have given you a blinding arc flash, possibly a burn, and possibly more wire failures at the switch or anywhere upline.  This stuff can get out of hand real quick. If you want to "short things", short them through an incandescent lamp.

That smell

Probably was electrical. My first suspect would be that wire-nut in the back of the box.  I'd give it a pull-test (hold nut; yank each wire 1 at a time) and then tighten it up good-n-plenty.  Then, I'd examine the wires and the old socket for any scorch or burn marks.  If you cut the wires out of the backstabs instead of twisting them out, that was a mistake, for this very reason (also because wire length is precious).   You'll have to dissect the old outlet to see.

To pull wires out of backstabs, pull steadily while twisting slightly. It may help to jab the release. Backstabs can't be used twice, but that's irrelevant if you follow most of our advice and avoid using them altogether.


AC unit won't turn on: both inside blower fan and outside fan unit won't turn on

As it turns out, the box in the last picture is a safety measure which cuts the electricity when the panel door is removed. Turns out, there were a couple of screws on the outside that secure this box that were missing. Why? I did it (DOH!). I removed them a few days back when trying to open this panel door so that I can do the "G wire to C wire" switch for a new thermostat. Well, put those back and it's working now.


Yellow zinc construction screws and brass bathroom fitting

"yellow zinc" is probably zinc chromate, it's a rust preventative plating, but I wouldn't like to bet on its longevity in a damp location in contact with brass.

Spend an extra few dollars for brass, or brass plated, screws.


Greenish Deposit on Outside of Copper Pipe in Bathroom

That normally means there was a water leak at some point.  If you look at the pipe on the left in your picture, you can see a small trail coming down from up above.  Is there any sign of water above the floor/cabinet?  A small amount of green on copper usually isn't anything to worry about.  You just want to make sure that whatever is leaking has stopped.

If there is still a leak, clearly you'll need to fix that.


The longer you wait when trying to remove the grout the harder it gets, in your picture that is more than a haze, it should have been sponged more, but it's ok, you still need to remove the access by hard scrubbing with and plastic scraper, sponge with a corse side and water, if it does not have a high gloss look you can use a steel wool.


How to keep brick face clean when applying fresh mortar?

Both of those things. Skilled masons drop fairly little mud, and they manage to keep from smearing it. There's often a cleanup phase involving acid, though.

You can keep a nylon brush and a bucket of water nearby and scrub periodically, before the mortar cures. If you give the joints a few minutes to firm up and work carefully you won't damage them.


How can I fix a tilted concrete shed footing?

Lifting it (slightly) in place may allow you access to do repairs.

If there is enough solid footing, use (2) 2x10s bolted across the studs (parallel to roof peak).  Lift both 2x10s parallel to floor (disconnect all tie downs first) using 4 bottle jacks.  Cut 4 2x4 cripples to attach to studs under 2x10 at desired final height (for safety and to backup jacks.  Leave some weight on jacks.  You shouldn't need more than an inch elevation.
If the busted side won't allow jacking, you can run carry beams (2 2x10 bolted together) through the structure and out to each side.  Developing a footing at the jacking points may require 12" sona tube and concrete.
Mud jacking (concrete pumped under pressure) may be an option, but you'll need a pro for that.


How can I determine if a contractor has a valid license?

Contractor licensing is by state, and sometimes even more regionally.


Replace drop ceiling with drywall and soundproofing

I've been interested in this topic for years, but 'back in the day' there wasn't much info on the 'net about it.

Jacks post about RC1 made some sense, so I took a deeper look and found that while on the surface it may seem that he was correct, the use of RC-1 is not recommended by the Steel Stud Manufacturers Association (SSMA) and it's lack of industry standard or specification for its construction is concerning.

To sound proof a room you need to do 4 things:

Decouple The Framing
Install Absorption in the Cavities (Insulate)
Add Mass (Drywall)
Add Damping

Decouppling

The best sound isolation comes from a double stud wall with green glue. But, installing staggered studs to hang your drywall should be more effective than direct attachment to RC channel.

For a ceiling, you likely don't want the reduction in ceiling height and increase of cost of double studs. Thus a staggered-stud, or sound proofing clips with furring channel is likely your best path forward. According to the SSMA, to use soundproofing clips you should hang 7/8” Drywall Furring Channel aka hat channel (not to be mistaken with RC-2) from the soundproofing clips at a 48" span. RC-1 as well as RC-2 won't fit inside RC clips.

Insulation

While foam (open or closed cell) is superior for thermal it is distinctly worse for acoustic, just use the cheapest R13 for the walls, and R19 in the ceiling you can find.

Adding mass (Drywall, Plywood, OSB, and Cement Board)

For sound to conduct through a wall, it has to actually move the wall ever so slightly . A heavy wall is harder to move than a lighter wall. Standard 5/8” Type X is best as it is 70+ pounds a board, and cheap at $7 a sheet. Use two layers. Only mud and tape the final layer. Adding more than 2 layers doesn't improve things much, especially in the bass range:

Damping

There are many field applied damping compounds such as green glue that translate the vibrational force laterally converting the sound into heat. If we prevent the drywall from vibrating, the mass, insulation and decoupling become are more effective:


Does a reverse osmosis system drain constantly?

RO systems push water under pressure through a semipermeable membrane to allow the good part of water through and the bad part to stay in the input side and be washed away. Typical systems will operate with an efficiency of 4:1 or 5:1 meaning that four or five gallons of water go into the unit to produce each one gallon of filtered water. The rest of the water washes through the unit and goes into the drain. (This ratio can be worst for many older units whilst there are some manufacturers now advertising RO units with much lower waste).

My experience with RO systems is that they work well at producing clean drinking water. The initial equipment cost can be quite high as compared to a typical cartridge water filter system. But once that initial cost is past you there can be a quite long operational period without additional regular maintenance costs - that is unless the RO installation uses some post carbon filters which do require some maintenance.

The storage/filter tank that is part of an RO system can have problems however and if that happens replacing that part of the system can be a substantial cost. They can develop problems with the membrane or bladder inside the tank. There can also be problems with bacteria contamination in an RO system if it is not used properly. The manufacturer should provide instructions for their unit so that it is installed properly and kept serviced if necessary.

There are some health considerations with RO units in that they remove more things from water than just harmful things. Many of the beneficial minerals in the water are also removed by these units and there are arguments out there that this can be harmful in the long run if all the water you drink comes from an RO unit. As a matter of fact some commercial bottled water companies that produce their water via industrial scale RO systems are known to re-mineralize the filtered water to bring back some of its taste and benefits.


This doesn't sound like a venting problem.

If your basement bathtub is backing up, I assume it is the lowest point in your plumbing drainage piping.  This typically means that the sewer service line to the city is clogged or restricted.

What snake did you use?   How far from your property to the city sewer main?   50' doesn't sound like enough.  How old is the house / sewer line, do you trees on your property?  You might also want to rent the scope to see the problem.

Rent the 100' sewer snake from homedepot and run that from your house out to the sewer main.


UK regulations concerning external staircases

In the U.S., our Codes require a “landing” at the top of stairs that are as wide as the stairs and extends the width of the stairs...so it’s a landing that’s as wide and as deep as the width of the stairs.

So, that’s a minimum dimension required. If the previous owner enlarged it, you’re lucky, especially if you’re going to add a door that swings into that landing. Then minimum dimensions change, especially if it on a side next to the top step.


How can I ventilate efficiently a tiny room under my stairs?

I believe I see concrete, if a ground floor with concrete this may be your issue to know for sure tape a piece of plastic to the floor for 24 hours . When you pull the plastic up if it is wet you have found the source of the moisture.

I have had good results using 2 part epoxy paint on concrete sealing damp concrete. I usually wait until summer when the moisture is lower. I prep the floor with a muriatic acid & water etch after that is done and the concrete has dried (a fan blowing over it helps to dry faster) I coat the area with the 2 part concrete floor epoxy this has eliminated several homes problems with basements and daylight basements that had the same issue.


How do I install a GFCI receptacle to replace an old non-GFCI receptacle in a switch controlled outlet?

If the box is being fed by a three wire cable (black, red, white, ground), and a two wire cable is going from the box to other outlets.  Here's what you have to do...

Leave the black wires alone.
Connect the white wires together with a short bit of scrap wire, in a twist-on wire connector.
Connect the other end of the short bit of scrap wire (pigtail) to the neutral LINE terminal on the GFCI.
Connect the red wire to the hot LINE terminal on the GFCI.
Connect all the ground wires and create a pigtail to the GFCI and the box if it's metal.

NOTES:

This will not provide GFCI protection to any down stream devices (since there are none).
Make sure the GFCI you have, does not require you to reset it whenever it loses power (some do, and that will be a pain in the butt).


Safe mounting of decorative hook with small holes

A bit wider than 7/64" (0.109375") is likely suited for a #4 (0.112") wood (or sheetmetal) screw. #3 (0.99") will definitely fit.
Or just take the hook to the hardware store with you to be sure of screw size.
Note that most of the force on such a hook will be down, not out - or shear, not tension.


How to remove broken shutter fasteners from brick?

Shutter-lok fasteners are just made out of plastic (polypropylene), and typically anchor into a 1/4" predrilled hole.  They should not be hard at all to drill out with a sharp 1/4" drill bit.

An alternative is to:

Find a long metal screw, and pick a drill bit appropriate for pre-drilling that screw.
Drill into the remaining shank of the Shutter-lok, all the way to its end.
Screw the long metal screw into the Shutter-lok.
Grab the metal screw with locking pliers.
Pull the metal screw out.  (Ease it out, rocking and twisting if it resists.)

If you drilled the metal screw far enough into the Shutter-lok, they will come out together.  If any Shutter-lok plastic remains it will now be even easier to drill out with a 1/4" bit.


It is nothing to be worried about, the vent that prevents the tub and toilet gurgling  is probably down stream from the sink. When the sink drains it blocks the vent and creates the vacuum that sucks air from the sink trap (the glug glug you hear)  there are ways to reduce or possibly eliminate the noise by adding an air admittance valve under the sink counter but these can cause problems if not properly installed or if they get gunk in them.
So if you want to eliminate the noise look up air admittance valve (there are some answers here that even have photos)
The noise won’t hurt anything and doesn’t have anything to do with the pipe in the ground , just the vent, if you allow the sink to drain slowly it won’t make the noise in most cases.


How reliable are connector strips with plug-in terminals and how do I select and use them properly?

Call me old school, but I am not a fan of some of the new friction grabbing splice devices out there. Similar spring connectors have been used on spec grade outlets for many years for 14awg copper. I have seen many failures and intermittent connection problems with these push springs. My theory, and just a theory mind you, is that there is not enough actual contact surface between the wire and the connection device and that the contact tension cannot be tightened. Over time expansion and contraction of the wire, surface tarnishing and dust can compromise the integrity of the connection. This happens with copper and much more with aluminum. As the surface area of the connection shrinks from any of those factors, heat and arcing can be created in the connection. Eventually failure can result. If you look at the comparison with a good wire nut or screw fastening terminal strip, you will see that there is much more metal to metal contact, the conductors can be twisted together and the tension can be tightened at any time with a twist or a turn of a screwdriver.

An other concern I have is the use of these type of connectors with aluminium wire. I have had nothing but bad experience with alu branch feeder wiring over the years. You must be absolutely sure the device is Al/Cu rated at minimum and that connections are as tight as possible. On larger wires such as service entries where alu wire is still used regularly, a substance known as NOLOX is always used on these connection to fight corrosion and assure good conductivity between the wire and landing connector. I also use NOLOX on any dryer or range connections that have alu wire. Alu wire tarnishes very quickly and expands and contracts faster and more than copper, therefore needs to be secured firmly and protected from corrosion wherever possible.

The last reason I am not a fan of friction fit connectors is that they can be miserable to work with after initial installation. Yes, they are fast easy to install the first time, but if you need to modify a connection or trouble shoot a problem where these connectors are installed, it is pain if not impossible to remove wires temporally. Reinserting a wire often doesn't have the same grip as before.

I may be all wet on this one, but I'm not ready to give up my trusty high quality wire nuts and screwdriver yet.


Awning windows - How much ventilation do they provide?

Can't say for the US market (as I don't have first hand experience over here), but in the UK if those windows didn't provide adequate ventilation (open-able window area) they would not be allowed to be used in the construction of a new home (building). They wouldn't get pass UK Building Regulations.

Therefore if the US is anything like the UK in that regard, I would say those windows are ok! for the environment they are being put into. That said, it doesn't guarantee you as an individual living in that condo will be happy with them (the amount of natural ventilation they provide), as different people tend to prefer certain environments eg

My wife likes our house overly warm in the winter and fridge cold in the summer.
Me, I prefer the house a little cooler in the winter (too warm and I want to fall asleep) and generally as long as it's cooler inside than outside during the summer months I'm ok!


mounting un-vented range hood in plaster and wood lath wall

I'd be inclined to overengineer this; you can imagine that having a (greasy) range hood come down over a source of heat and/or flame would be bad.

What if you drill-and-cut new keyhole slots to match where your studs are? I think you should be able to fit two of them in a range hood.

Note that this is probably only an acceptable solution if the studs are reasonably centered on the range hood.


Solvented or Solvent-Free Grab Adhesives?

It depends on just 2 things. What you're doing & what the labeling says. I use Loctite Power Grab for most of my situations & I haven't had a single issue yet, but I've only just gotten to 10-years on stuff where I first used it.

Liquid Nails though I don't use ever. Because, I found it in multiple situations & renovations where it was barely 10-years old & up to 30-years old & the entire range was always dried out & completely released from everything, worthless.

Solvent-Free adhesives would really just be used for low VOC situations or upholstery, fabric, foam & foam-board applications, where you don't want to damage what's being glued.


Why is thermostat calling for cool when set to heat

My first thought is that the the wires are hooked up incorrectly.
Pop the cover on the thermostat and look at the labeling where the wire to the furnace attaches.
Do the same at the furnace end.
This may make it clear.
Second step:  Check the installation manuals for the furnace and the thermostat.  If you have 12v control for the heat pump, and the furnace wants a 24v signal...
Third:  It may be that the thermostat cannot properly control two devices.  In this case install a second thermostat at a point that is both reasonably central, and easy to run wire to the furnace.


Control switch from neighboring switch on a different circuit

A relay could be added to the circuit so that switch A, the three-way switch, controls the power on the relay's input. The relay's normally open (N/O) and common terminals can connect in place of switch B. When switch A is powered on the relay will close and this will allow current in the second circuit to flow to the lights formerly controlled by switch B.
There's a caveat: you'll need access to the switched output of the 3-way controls to make this work. You'll have to unpack the two switches out of that box to find out whether the A-switched output is available there.
Relays have three important ratings: the control voltage, the load voltage, and the load current. Load voltage and current ratings vary depending on the kind of load: motor, fluorescent lamp, tungsten lamp, etc. You'll have to search for one that meets your requirements. They can sometimes be found as a convenient UL-listed module packaged with pigtail leads like the one below.


How can I make use of this non-standard network cabinet in my garage?

This is one of the residential structured media cabinets that you can get at any of the big box stores, made by Leviton and several others (your pic is too low resolution for me to read the name on the phone block, there may also be a name on the cabinet door).

You can buy additional blocks of all sorts of things to fit in these, such as network patches, switches, routers, etc.

It's probably much cheaper just to buy standard 19" stuff from Monoprice, and then regular 19" rackmount switches/routes from manufacturers that actually specialize in network gear (as opposed to light switches and plugs), but that's just my opinion. I used standard stuff at my house, it was fairly cheap and looks great -- I'll post a pic later.

It really just depends on how you want it to look when completed, how much work you want to do vs using what's there, and of course how much you want to spend.


Escutcheon plate doesn't cover hole in tiled shower wall

I have run into this several times, the least expensive method I have found is to remove the plate and use grout, epoxy grout in this case I can’t tell if there is backing but hot glue on a paint stir stick really works , any epoxy that is fast setting could also hold something in place. Then fill with the appropriate color (white in this case) grout. I like the epoxy grout for things like this because it seals better.
You might say the color will be off as new grout even from the same bag will look different but in a small area like that the fixture changes the look also. In a few months it will look about the same and is not noticed by most unless they do this type of work.


Ceiling Light acting odd when interacted with from two switches

It sounds like you have an old school 3 way dimmer switch, the dimmer only works when that switch is in the loop. Newer electronic switches don’t have this problem I like the lutron maestro these work together so the dimming works at both locations , they also have a 10 second fade to black that gives time to cross a room. They are expensive but will solve your problem , this or replace the 3way dimmer with a standard 3 way switch.


My pool drainage seems to break the law of physics

It is sort of a siphon and you have a problem common to siphons , air lock. Air pockets interrupt water flow. You can pump water into the pipe to push out the air but unless you have a constant flow of water ,air will get in again. The U bends you refer to in comments are likely the main problem. With no air ,the water levels at each end of the pipe will be exactly the same.


Why is my blower motor drawing 12 amps on low speed - and can I do better?

You can measure current - Great!
You almost certainly need to (this will sound terribly counterintuitive, but you can use an ammeter and see it!) restrict the ductwork this is connected to. There might be a large master damper, or you might have only individual dampers, or perhaps you have to add dampers or put boards partly over registers.
You have already seen the current go up in "free air" - when you restrict the ductwork, you should see the current drop. When you have restricted it enough it will be drawing 10A on "high" - based on the information you have provided.
Bottom line - when it's driving the fan, it's doing work. When it moves more air, it does MORE work. When you restrict the airflow, it does LESS work and draws LESS current. People "intuitively" tend to think that restriction makes it "work harder" but that is not the case with a centrifugal fan. It's "counter-intuitive."


Battery bank in parallel/series or series/parallel

Well, there's optimal, and there's working with what you have.
Optimal is large capacity batteries in series. Really optimal is connecting that to a charge controller that actually looks at each cell voltage individually and can adjust - those tend to be rather high-end "boat" systems in my experience, and probably unaffordable for the African bush, where I assume your friend is trying to make the best of what they have got, not spend a pile more money.
That way no parallel strings get out of whack with each other. If you have to have parallel strings, ideally you set up some way that you can (easily) isolate strings for maintenance charging to get things "back in balance." That tends to favor paralleling series strings, rather than putting parallel sets in series.
I'm not particularly expert, but I did spend a while facing the possible prospect of having to go off-grid and reading a lot of material about it, before a previous economic downturn made my local utility more cooperative about hooking me up. So I don't really have a good suggestion for your more finicky details other than to go visit a specifically off-grid forum rather than this rather generalized one. And even there opinions will vary.
Now, if they are drawing 50A for much time at all, there's an immediate problem which is that that is "12 hour" rather than "20 hour" discharge rate for a 600AH bank, and typically [lead acid] batteries will deliver less than the rated capacity at rates faster than "20" or "24 hour" rates. It's very common to overdraw and under-supply a system, and it's very expensive when you factor in killing a bunch of (relatively inexpensive) lead-acid batteries (AGM are fundamentally lead acid batteries) which are finicky and dislike not being fully charged on a regular basis, as well as being deeply discharged at all.
These days there are relatively expensive lithium batteries which are far more tolerant of partial charging, but again, I assume "working with what they've got."
...and, even out in unregulated lands, some sort of overcurrent protection (usually fuses) is a good idea on a big honking battery bank that will melt a wrench if you drop it in the wrong position. Typically one per series string (and that way they don't have to be rated for the full capacity of the bank.) Having that much unfused power can get very messy very quickly, and I'll bet the fire department is rather limited, if at all.


Why should a (non-dimming) light timer care about what's connected to it?

This product is marketed primarily for lighting application, and so, its rating focuses on lighting applications.

Tungsten refers to incandescent, halogen and other lights in that family.
Inductive refers to HID (sodium, mercury, metal halide) and old-school magnetic ballasts for fluorescent.
Electronic/LED refers to modern electronic ballasts for fluorescent/LED.
The "LED Load" figure is just to restate the rating in commonly used terms.

The reason is because these different loads have different electrical characteristics, and that affects the contactor make/break.
A plain resistive load follows Ohm's Law steadily during both make and break events -- a 12 ohm resistor will draw 10 amps on switch make, and 10 amps on switch break.  The "general" rating applies here.
Tungsten (incandescent, halogen etc.) have a much lower resistance quiescent than they do upon reaching operating temperature. When you drive them constant-voltage, that results in "inrush current" which quickly brings them up to temp.  It is quite a current spike, and that means relay contacts have to contend with it on "make".  As such, relays are derated for tungsten loads.  Breaking an incandescent is just like a resistor.
Electronic ballasts for both fluorescent and LED are wildly variant.  Many have have power supply capacitors or chokes on the DC side which on initial turn-on will drink up current very aggressively. This works out to be an inrush current similar or even worse than incandescents.  But again little trouble on break.
"Inductive" means Old Fluorescent, and HID (Low pressure sodium, high pressure sodium, mercury vapor and metal halide) These contain bulbs which, upon striking the arc, act like a dead short. These days you drive that with a switching power supply in CC mode, but back in the day, you used a transformer wound in constant-current mode.
This transformer is a large inductor, which stores energy like a capacitor.  Just as capacitors use their energy to combat changes in voltage, inductors use their energy to combat changes in current.  An inductor does that by increasing the voltage - to infinity, or to the point where insulation breakdown occurs, whichever occurs first.
This means that HID loads (or as they call them "inductive") are pretty docile on make -- but on break, they do not want current flow to stop, and will attempt to drive voltage to infinity to preserve current flow. This high voltage will force current to leap across the relay contacts.  This is often called an inductive "kick" - and obviously it causes relays to be derated.
Motors are inherently inductive machines, with the same problems with inductive kick.  Since motors are all inductor, it can be worse.  However it looks like the 1HP motor rating is merely the inductive rating restated in horsepower (equaling 1.287 horsepower) and rounded down to the next common motor size.
Motors get you another way too: they also have very low resistance on initial startup; they need to be spinning to provide enough "back EMF" to limit current to reasonable values.  This is called the "Locked Rotor Amperage" and again, relays must contend with this on make.


I'm assuming the new switch came with the new light/fan unit.  In that case, cap the red wire in both boxes.  It must be a communicating switch.  So wire it as you would any single-pole light switch and light.


a three way bulb has an extra filament and provides 3 brightness levels, if you use a regular bulb it will work ok, but only give one brightness level.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-way_lamp


Drip leak on ceiling right above toilet. Can't nail down the source

Condensation on the vent pipe (warm pipe from venting the shower / sink drain hitting cold air in the attic space)? If it only started happening in winter that would be my suspicion.


Why are low-flow toilets more likely to overflow?

I have seen something similar happen in an area with hard water.

Over a period of time limescale builds up around the water inlet into the toilet cistern.  This in turn leads to the water flow not shutting off completely as the ballcock rises.  The limescale keeps the valve fractionally open, enough for water to keep flowing slowly.

Usually this water should just go down the overflow and not cause a flood.

If this is your problem, it is easily cleared by breaking up the limescale in the cistern.


Connecting a Gas Dryer to a Propane Tank

It might be a duplicate but I did not see an accepted answer.
I have hooked up both propane and natural gas dryers in the past. You can hook a dryer up to a propane or some call LP gas tank with a regulator. The one difference from the instructions in both dryers and stove/ ovens is there is a different size orifice on the output of the regulator to make it work correctly, right now I cannot remember off the top of my head I can’t remember  the sizes but in the past I have set up gas furnaces, barbecue’s, water heaters and stove tops and ovens and the only difference was a small brass orifice that you changed one size worked for natural gas the other worked for LP/ propane. I am sure a quick search will verify this.


Should be an easy fix.  Shutoff the water at the valve on the wall.  Unscrew the leaking joint.  Try cleaning or replacing the washer.  And then reattach.

If that doesn't work, replace the hose.  They are sold with the plumbing supplies with the other toilet parts.  The only part that is throwing me off is the white plastic angled piece in the hose.  So if you need that, and can't find an exact match in the hardware store, you're better off just fixing the washer.

Edit: looking at the picture again, I'm guessing the white plastic is the inside of the hose and the metal braiding is pulling back from the end.  If that's the case, I'd replace the whole hose with something a little longer.  I'm pretty sure they come in several lengths in the store, and you could use an extra 6" to make a better curve in the line.


Two GFCI outlets were just replaced and have power but don't work

First, don't remove the "For Wizards Only - Do Not Use" warning tape from the LOAD terminals unless the old GFCI actually has things on its LOAD terminals.  Sometimes a GFCI has 4 wires, but they all go to LINE.   If so, do that!

Then, follow a 2-step process for hooking up any GFCI.

Step one

Identify which screws on the new GFCI are the LINE screws.  Usually this can be done simply by not removing the warning tape yet.

There should be a pair of wires from the same cable (usually black and white) which were on the old GFCI's LINE terminals.

Attach those "candidate" wires to the LINE screws.  Now, protect the other wires so they won't zap anything.  Plug something into the new GFCI.  Then, go turn on the power, and test the appliance plugged into the new GFCI. Make sure all that works great.

You can also hit "Test" and "Reset" if you can find a way to do that without touching the stuff and getting zapped.

If the GFCI is not working in all respects, STOP.  Do not proceed to step 2. You probably got the wrong set of wires, so turn off the power again and rearrange as needed.

Now, if the old one had any other wires on LINE, turn off power and hook them up.  This should not cause problems but checkpoint this anyway.

Step 2

Note the wiring on the LOAD terminals of the old GFCI.  If there is any, tear off the warning tape and attach it to the new GFCI's LOAD terminals.

You know that the work done on the LINE terminals is solid, so do not mess with that if you're having a problem here. The problem must be something you just did.


How can I temporarily attach anti-bird spikes to a window air conditioner?

I think I'd bond the spikes permanently to something heavy as a base, like nylon blocks, using screws or whatever. I'd then apply rubber feet to the blocks and simply set them on the air conditioner.

No need to rely on tenuous adhesive connections and no need to replace the fastener each season.


How can I prevent my computer from interfering with the TV signal?

Your TV, sadly, has what is referred to as a susceptibility problem -- it's vulnerable to being confused by electromagnetic trash generated by other gizmos, like air pumps and desktop PCs.  From the nature of the interfering devices, it sounds like the electromagnetic trash is being carried from your PC and air pump to your TV via the power lines.

My recommendation is to plug your TV into a high-end surge suppressor with built-in EMI filtering circuitry (such as a Tripp Lite Isobar or Isotel) -- this will reduce the amount of trash that gets into your TV, and hopefully make it so you can watch TV with the computer on.


Switching out the cord is easy, but that does not make it a 110V dryer. It's probably not possible to convert to 110V, although you'd have to find a user manual or contact the manufacturer to confirm. And even if you could, it would probably draw more power than a standard residential 110V outlet could supply.

The only way to do this is to run a 220V outlet for the dryer. Do you rent or own this apartment? What country are you in? Most US service is 220V, even if all of the outlets are 110V.


Is this the transformer for my door chime?

No - that is not the transformer.
The transformer could be located in the furnace closet, the garage, laundry room.

If you are installing the Ring doorbell, you do not need to locate the transformer.  You should be able to connect to the existing two wires where the old doorbell pushbutton was located.  Attach the two wires to the back of the Ring doorbell.   From your picture, your original doorbell was AC power, so that is good.


Hoisting and securing 5 gallon bucket vegetable planter 25 feet up

You haven't given yourself a mechanical advantage here. If you attach a pulley to the bucket, then bring the line back up, you will only need to pull half as hard (but the operation will require more rope of course). Yes, reduce friction at the top with a pulley as well, if you can.

Picture stolen shamelessly from the internet


I have cut sandstone with both a sidewinder and wormdrive. Use a high tooth count so it won't chip the edges as bad but it will work, also safety glasses / face shield gloves and even long sleeve shirt help protect you, thanks for what blue stone is.


If you have access to the underside of the roof, removing the pipe and reconstructing the roofing is not difficult.   Such a repaired roof is much less likely to leak than with the pipe sticking through over the years.

By the number of steps, this might seem daunting, but each is very simple and an intuitive step in a lasting, trouble-free repair.

The basics are removing the bad stuff, repairing the hole, and renewing the roofing to make it weather tight.

After removing the pipe and flashing, clean up the hole through the roof decking, possibly called cladding or sheathing, (assuming the roof is not wooden shake or shingles) by cutting through with a hand saw, jig saw, or judicious use of a circular saw and make the hole rectangular (if not already).
Working from underneath, cut a piece of plywood of the same thickness as the decking to fit inside the hole to make a filler piece for the decking/sheathing/cladding.
Create support for the filler piece by cutting some more plywood, or a 1x4 (maybe two) to fit snugly between the roof joists and fasten into place by screwing/nailing through the joists into the plywood or board supports.
Topside, fasten the decking filler to the supporting layer:  construction glue, short nails, or screws.  It just needs to be strong enough to shrug off walking on the roof.
Peel back and remove a row or two of roofing to access the tar paper and make it so a nice new piece of roofing fits cleanly.  At the up-slope edge of the row above, try to loosen and remove the roofing nails holding the shingles with a wide flat-blade screwdriver or thin pry bar instead of simply ripping the roofing material.  If there is more than one layer of shingles (up to three layers are allowed), forget going for the tar paper:  instead, make some "roofing filler" with scrap shingles and fill in the hole in the roofing to make a consistent support surface for the "finish layer" of roofing.
Obtain new tar paper and roof shingles.  Probably you will have to buy roofing in units of 33 square feet (1/3 of a "square") and tar paper in obscenely long rolls.  It might pay to go to a local hardware store to see if they will sell it by the foot.  Maybe you want to use it up a whole package of roofing by replacing more of the roofing.  If so, remove roofing up to the first ridge or peak.
If the old tar paper is exposed, Add new tar paper by tucking it under shingles above and at sides and lightly tacking it down with a few short staples.  Cut off the excess, but keep 6 inches over the lower row of shingles (down to just above the tar strip).
Working from the bottom, follow the existing pattern of shingle placement and overlap.  Usually each row is 1/3 to 1/2 offset of the width of a shingle to stagger the side joints (to protect it by the next row above).  Place nails 1/2 inch upslope from the tar strip (black goo stuff near the middle of the shingle).  A maximum of three nails per shingle is all that is needed.  The next row will add up to three more nail fastenings which is plenty of holding power.  The black goo will melt on the next hot day to secure the shingles together.
At the top where the new roofing joins the existing, slide the new roof shingles under the existing row and gain access to the nailing strip by gently lifting and curling the lower edge of the row above it.  Nail carefully.
If there is any doubt about an exposed seam, use a suitable roof patch caulk.  If doing this during cold weather and it will not be warm before the next wind storm, it might be worth judicious use of a torch (directed flame) to heat the lower edge of the shingles to get them to stick together a little.  Given time, they will adhere on their own adequately.


The combo tee has a longer sweep. Long sweeps are easier to run a snake through and drain better as the water path is gradually changed (if you have the space to use them).

45 wye

Combination wye & 1/8


Ordering new windows for old house... Wall thickness?

The sanest thing is to order new construction flanged windows that are a bit smaller than the rough opening. Then you integrate the flange with the WRB that you're installing over the new sheathing (right?) and bob's your uncle. On the inside, you can cover up the lack of square-ness with new drywall or wood window boxes, shimmed to be square with the window, not the rough opening.

Since you're taking this house down to the studs and redoing the exterior sheathing, let me mention that you have a golden opportunity to add extra insulation outboard of the new sheathing. The marginal cost will be fairly low, especially if you're doing the work yourself and buy reclaimed foam.

Resources:

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/how-install-rigid-foam-sheathing
http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/video-how-install-rigid-foam-insulation-outside-house
http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/calculating-minimum-thickness-rigid-foam-sheathing


How to wire cables - 2-gang switch 3 lamps

If the only cable at the switch is brown-black-blue then blue is not a neutral.

Brown should be live (hot) to the switch; blue and black should be switched lives and should both be over-sleeved brown.

At some point you have to provide a neutral to the lights, as neutral is not run through the switch.


How do I attach a receptacle box to brick instead of a stud?

There is no obligation to attach an outlet box to a stud.  There are many applications where a box is "free floating" in a plaster wall using boxes that have various types of flanges that lock the box in.  Boxes are sometimes embedded in wooden boards, such as baseboards.

The important thing is to ensure that the box is firmly secured.  This could be done by screwing the box into the brick (using masonry anchors) through an existing opening in the box.  It may be more practical to obtain "old-work" type boxes that have their own retaining mechanisms. the box is slipped in, then the retaining mechanism is tightened to grip the back of the plaster and lathe.


Neutral and Live both hot when switch is turned off. How do I connect my new light?

The way you describe it, the receptacle has:

one hot and one neutral (single wire) when switch is on
two hot (single and triple) when switch is off

That would be functional (as in the light would turn on and off correctly), but dangerous (all the time) by modern standards.
The light would go between the three black wires and the single black wire. (two hots: no current, light's off) (one hot, one neutral: current, light's on)
It is possible there simply was a miswire at some point between neutral and hot.
Given the current state, if the ceiling light is high enough to not be a shocking hazard and you don't feel like fixing it all, all I can offer is:
Turn off the main breaker at the panel? That would turn off electricity to the whole house/unit. Use your cell phone flashlight to connect the ceiling light (or sunlight).
The only alternative is to identify where the miswire is and bring it all up to code, but that would be more effort.


I cut the ground wire on my chandelier before knowing what it was. What do I do?

Metal parts of luminaires are required by the National Electrical Code to be grounded. This is for safety in case the "hot" wire contacts the metal of the luminaire and it becomes energized, the ground wire will complete the circuit and cause enough current to flow to trip the breaker.

Chain hung luminaires accomplish grounding by weaving a small bare wire through the chain to the luminaire. If you cut the wire the luminaire will work normally except in the case I mentioned above. In that case the metal of the luminaire is now energized but the breaker does not trip because there is no return path. Until someone touches the metal part of the fixture and touches a grounded object at the same time. This then completes the path through the person with disastrous results.

In residential settings there not as many grounded objects as in industrial and commercial locations. However, safety is of prime concern so the requirement for grounding metal luminaires now applies in all settings.

So, you could splice the wire with a butt splice, although this would not be very attractive.

Or, you could replace the wire with a new piece of bare copper wire. Luminaires usually have a #16 to 20 gauge wire as the ground. If you can't find anything smaller a bare piece of #14 copper will do just fine.

Good luck and stay safe!


Your dryer venting properly is a good thing - as long as that is happening you should be fine.

  fire hazards more from lint catching on fire

TRUE.

Clean the LINT out of your dryer after every load - every so often clean out the lint system on your dryer to keep the dryer clean.. I have cleaned my lint system probably 4 maybe 5 times in 20 years.. a good working lint system and you should not need to do it very often. Your dryer will last longer and work better as well.


Should you repair the entire floor before refinishing a basement or go room by room

I'd definitely want to do all the grinding first. You'll probably have to rent the grinder and why do it twice. Also, you'll get grinding dust everywhere unless you really wet it down.... messy. When you frame the rooms, you don't want protrusions.
The filling in could be done as you go along because the rooms are divided. Being level isn't as important as being flat. I've been in many residential construction sites and have seen very few totally level foundations.


Cure/dry time for Polyseamseal with little air exposure?

Bottom line: the concerns in the comments above have not come forward.  I'd choose Polyseamseal again for this application.

Removed the wood clamping sticks this morning, several hours ago. Aluminum trim strip is solidly held, doesn't budge under pressure, and is not pulling away.  So the answer is that enough Polyseamseal cured/dried in 48 hours to hold it in place.

In hindsight, the adhesive that is closest to the air is also the adhesive with the most leverage, and first to cure/dry.  I ought to have realized this in the first place.  Also, also in hindsight, while there may be only miniscule exposure to air (essentially none), the thickness is similarly miniscule, so proportionality is not lost relative to a caulking application.

I'm on hold with Loctite technical support RE cure/dry. Will update my answer after speaking with them

UPDATE:
Just got off the phone with Loctite.  Product doesn't dry, it cures, but I didn't press for details.  Wish I had.  Better product would have been their PowerGrap Adhesive, which is white and water cleanup.  Said the Polyseamseal is not an adhesive, but I pointed out that their webpage describes it as "FLEXIBLE & DURABLE ADHESIVE CAULK", which was explained as, effectively, a miscommunication between engineering and marketing.


When tiling a floor must I start in the middle of the room?

The two things (starting in the middle and avoiding slivers) are NOT related.

You can start in the middle and end up with idiotic cuts on both edges - or you can start in the corner and not do that...

What you SHOULD do is measure enough that you know where to put the SENSIBLE cuts on the edges, regardless if you are starting at a wall, corner, or the middle of the floor. When starting in a corner or at a wall, your very first tile might well be a cut tile. By planning, you know what cuts you are making and can place the whole and cut tiles as you like. In your case, the first two-and-a bit tiles at the door should probably be cut so that there's not a large gap at the threshold (or you need to get the door molding cut so they can slide under it.) Depending how the (invisible) far wall (opposite the door) comes out, you might want to take enough off the "door" tiles that the wall parallel to the door does not have what looks to be a 1-1/2" slice running along it.

The main argument I've seen for starting in the middle is to avoid following an irregular wall - but you can do the same thing by striking a chalk-line where the first grout line from the wall would be, and pre-cutting all the tiles for that wall if it's irregular (or if they will be half or 1/3 tiles so the far wall isn't slivers - which you'll know because you measure it.)

Based on your pictures, I'd choose the "not centered" approach, since the visible far wall is decidedly not slivers that way, but that's purely an opinion call, not "right" or "wrong."


When I was still doing residential work the normal temperature drop across the Coil was between 15F.  and 20F.  A temp difference above 20F meant that more air flow was needed and a temp below 15F meant that there was too much air.  Unless things have changed recently or you have a special A/C system you can use these temp drops as a guide line. Just buy a temperature thermometer or a probe type and measure the air temp difference across the coil.  my 2 cents


It’s dumb that the box has no instructions.
But here’s how to do it.

Look for a pull tab around the rim. You need to pull the tab so that the plastic pulls all the way off around the lid. I had to use a screwdriver as leverage to get the pull tab out and get started pulling.

When you are done, you will see 3 or 4 ridges the hang down over the rim which look like you can grab and pull them up. You can’t.

You have to use those to turn the lid counter clockwise about 2-3 inches. It’s not easy to turn because you have to hold this big can tight while doing it.

Finally, grab a hammer and use the claw pull up the lid. Stick the claw under those ridges that hang down, and use leverage to pop each of them up and open the lid.

For closing it, I just pushed the lid down hard and didn’t bother twisting it back.


LED lights at home not turning on sometimes

This might be a bit late, but about a month after I posted this question we found the problem. The issue was that the main circuit breaker in the hallway outside of my flat was faulty. We have a tree phase breaker there and the problem was only on one of the phases which meant everything was working mostly fine except the lights. Later I learned that the electricians used exactly the faulty phase for most lights in the house (seems to be a common thing to use one of the phases for lights apparently). After replacing the breaker all problems disappeared.


No is your answer.  Move the complete circuit or don't move anything  This can really be a safety concern if one panel is shut down and the neutral and ground are on a live panel, or vice versa.


Beefing up deck joists: Decrease spacing or increase joist width?

First of all, those load tables are for L/360 deflection, which is already pretty stiff. That means that fully loaded, the beam will only deflect 1/360 of the length of the beam, or in this case about 1/8". If you can find a 480 deflection table that would give you even stiffer numbers.

Having said that, both adding depth and increasing the number of joists are valid ways of increasing the strength and stiffness of a floor. Upsizing to 2x8 would be a lot easier than adding more joist, and in general it is a more efficient use of materials to make a beam deeper than wider (and adding more joists is effective adding to the "width" of the joists). If you want to compare your two options, you can see that 2x8 @ 24" will give you a stronger floor than 2x6 @ 16" by just comparing the permitted span lengths. E.g. if you are using No. 2 southern pine with your loading conditions, 2x6 @ 16" has a max span of 6'-3" and 2x8 @ 24" has a max span of 6'-6". That means that the 2x8 is stronger.

(By the way, 100 psf live load?? Do you live in an area that gets a ton of snow? Or is this a public/commercial building? Typically residential decks are designed for 40 psf. Note that if you are serious about building a 100psf deck you will need to make sure that all parts of it are built with that load in mind... decking material, rim joists, columns, foundations, etc.)


Wiring 2 or 3 outlets controlled by one switch

Wiring diagram, though I hope you don't really need it:

Don't forget to break the tabs off the hot side of the outlets.


The C-wire substitution requires you to use the G-wire. When using the G-wire as a common you have to change it to C at the thermostat, and then to a common in the bottom panel of the unit. In your situation, your specific unit uses an older style control board made by White Rogers. This early revision of the board did not have a terminal bus on the board the thermostat, air conditioning, and fan speed 24v connections. Wires were used instead if a terminal bus, and only has 4 connections (your W, G, R, Y wires). To have your new thermostat work, you will need to remove the thermostat wire at the unit. Then you must either ground it to an exterior panel of the unit, or using spade, attach it to one of the open neutral buses on the control board. After doing this and adding the G-wire on C at the thermostat, it will work fine.

Now that the thermostat is working, you have lost the ability to control the fan. A little trick if you want to retain a way to control the fan without having to run a new 5-wire is to get a piece of 18/2 wire and run it into the control panel of the unit. Attach one wire to R and one wire to G. Attach a switch box to the side of the unit and run the wire into it. Connect the 2 wire to any light switch and mount it into the switch box. Throw your switch cover plate over it, and you have yourself a home made, manual fan switch that you can activate by going to the unit.

For Reference:

W - Heating
R - Continuous 24v Power
G - Fan
Y - Cooling
C - Common

R is used to energize, C is common (For Optional
Accessories like A/C, Etc..)
Closing R and W will initialize the heating cycle
Closing R and G will initialize the blower to run on low speed
Closing R and Y will initialize the cooling cycle and the blower on
high speed
Closing R between Y on certain units will only energize the A/C relay
and not activate the blower. These units require the thermostat to
energize the Y and G terminals together to initialize the cooling
cycle and the blower on high speed. Make sure to check that the Air
Conditioning is working properly, and that the blower is running on
high when the Thermostat is calling for cooling.


Samsung RF266 refrigerator not cooling - Fan making noise

I've had this issue before with Samsung refrigerators.  The sound of the fan is usually it hitting against an ice build-up, which means no air-circulation, which means no cooling.  The best solution to try first is to do a complete defrost (unplug the fridge and leave the doors open for 72 hours, removing any ice build-up that you can see/find).  This worked for my fridge.


Should I try to repair an A/C condensate pump that has suddenly started getting real noisy?

Replace it.  They are cheaply made and the little motor's bearings can wear out.  They are much cheaper to replace than the cost of the damage that might occur if it fails and floods an area of your home.

As for maintenance, I would open it once or twice a year to check/clean slime out of it so it does not clog.  After you clean out slime, pour a watering can full of water into the auxiliary inlet (the hole plugged with a blue cap) to verify that it pumps the way it should.


The pressure relief valve must be installed in an upward position, i.e. the red cap must be the highest point. In the position shown in the photo (horizontal installation) the valve closing contact zone can easily be jammed by dirt and rust resulting in a leakage. The red cap offers a maintenance/cleaning procedure - the valve can be twisted and in that way lifted for a short time (< 1 sec) to flush/blow the residual dirt out of the critical zone. This should be done regularly.
Above this valve there is a location which seems to be a place for an automatic air release valve, which has been removed. Since this type of valve is prone for problems/leakage, a manual procedure for air release may be better, i.e. the removal is not a bad idea.
Although air should not be accumulated in that place since the pressure relief valve under 1. does not work well with air instead of water.
If the pressure at the gauge is increasing with every heating cycle, and decreasing between the cycles, the pressure compensating tank (= big red item in the photo, should have a car valve for testing/filling) could be faulty or could have low pressure (rule of thumb ca. 50kPascal = 0.5 bar + x bar, x is height of the system in meter devided by 10 - for a 3 level building ca. 1-2 bar).
The Grundfos pump in the photo should be checked for correct installation position. The pump has - just as the valve in 1. - a horizontal position, which could be incorrect.
If the leakage problem is not solved, the complete system could be slowly destroyed, since every filling procedure resp. topping up inserts new oxygene into the system that promotes corrosion.
If the tank for the domestic hot water has an sacrificial anode, it must be also checked every year. That water system has no connection to the heating water system, but corrosion could also destroy the heat exchanger and other components.
The label of the right most red rectangular item can not be read, but if it is an electric valve for automated refilling, this valve can also cause the problem by not closing properly due to dirt in the heating system.
Less likely is a problem with the (electronic) control system or the pressure input sensor/filling sensor.
Normally the domestic water system has a higher pressure than the closed heating water loop.


Potential danger installing longer strike plate screws?

Most wood frame houses use at least two 2x4s or 2x6s(stud plus a jack post) plus the door frame at doors/windows. That gives minimum of a bit more than three to 3½" inches before hitting something.


Why do I have low voltage and backfeeding between circuits throughout my whole house?

Very very dangerous. First, all your electrical equipment is at risk.  Shut off the mains, call an electrician.  Or wait a bit longer and call the fire brigade.

If you have a shared neutral, or multiwire branch circuit, the neutral could have broken.  Or the house was miswired (see
http://www.homeinspector.org/resources/journals/Multiwire-Branch-Circuits.pdf ). Or what should have been a double breaker flipped, leaving the other half hot.


Do I need to fill the gap of a wide tv mount hole?

As long as the mount bracket is secured solidly to the TV, and not putting lots of pressure on one particular spot of the plastic chassis, no, you don't need spacers.

I've had mounts that come with spacers but it really just depends on the design of the TV and mount. If you can notice the plastic flexing while you put the mount on, then you should probably consider spacers or a different style mount.


Engineered hardwood flooring is what you're looking for. It's a thin layer of real wood bonded to a backer and pad. They snap together tounge-and-groove style. You may be able to install it directly over your existing floor, but you'll have to check with the manufacturer of the particular product to see if that is an allowable installation method.


Is it safe to ground a portable generator using the house ground at the service panel?

The generator must get its ground from whichever main service panel it feeds (e.g. it could have its own main panel), which in turn must be grounded any way that's legal. If you are simply running extension cords to the generator, it must be grounded legally.

It's legal to share grounds.  You do that by running your own ground strap to the same pipe clamp, pipe or ground rod.  You cannot go inside the other panel.

If generator power is entering the same service panel as utility power, then you absolutely must have some kind of transfer switch, which makes it impossible to have both utility service and generator connected at once.

The transfer switch can be as simple as two 240V breakers with a piece of sliding metal so they can't both be on at the same time.  No big deal.
https://www.google.com/search?q=panel+transfer+interlock&rls=en&tbm=isch&sa=X


Can I setup insulation without tearing down walls?

This is done all the time by insulation contractors. The technique is to drill a series of holes at the top of the wall. They next use a commercial 'blower' that forces insulation into the walls bay. It is a very non-invasive form of insulating because (as you asked) it doesn't necessitate the demolition of existing walls. It is also well with-in a competent DIY-ers capabilities and machines can be rented at most home centers.


What could be causing the foul smell in my bathroom sink?

A blocked vent is probably the most likely culprit. Other things to consider: leaking plumbing from a low point in the trap under the sink letting the trap drain, evaporation of the water in the trap if this sink is rarely used.

Some sinks do not have a true vent, and may have in place aa AAV (Air admittance valves-AAVs or Durgo valves or Studor vents). In my experience, these are poorly designed and allow sewer gas to seep through.

Sometimes really old hair that has been in a drain pipe for a long time will smell pretty bad. Not a sulfur smell like sewer gas, but more like a poop smell.


Outdoor extension cord that can be left unplugged?

When I was in a colder climate and needed to plug my car into a block heater at night, i installed an outside outlet with a water proof cover and put an external rated gfci outlet in it.

That way, the extension cord could get plugged into a water proof outletand if it were to short against ground, the gfci would trip. I hung the other end of the extension cord when not in use so that the plug pointed down towards the ground so it would let get ice or snow in it.

Surprisingly, the outlet never did trip over many winters. Snow isn’t conductive and pure rainwater isn’t either, but if there was a short to ground you had the gfci watching your back. You could also put a switch on the  outlet — either a waterproof one outside or a switch inside, so that you could shut off power when you wanted to.

In any case, my experience was in a cold clime. You may want more protection in a wet climate. Or your wife might want to look at self enclosed battery systems or generators to maintain power to her equipment. GFCIs can trip and your wife would lose refrigeration to her truck if she doesn’t have battery backup.


How can I prevent objects from falling into the gap behind my freestanding range?

Normally there are two options, though it sounds like you just replaced the range and haven't made any other changes, so you might only have one.

If its the plug sticking out that is the issue, then either yourself or an electrician (depending on your skill level) can change out the outlet for a recessed outlet. Whether you can do this will depend on a lot of things, like what is behind or in the wall.

The other option that is more common when installing new counters is to cut a thin piece of the counter top to go behind the stove. You would also need to support the piece, and again, the type of material will dictate how much support is needed; laminate is a lot lighter than granite, for example.


Absolutely not.  Merely having the pilot light on doesn't make enough heat to overheat a house.

Your cooling problem is probably

a) Problems with the A/C unit, e.g. low refrigerant or clogged condenser.

b) hot weather beyond the design basis of the system

c) a design basis that's too small for your tastes

d) something you are doing that's making a lot of heat.  E.g. cooking, baking, running a clothes dryer, printing on a laser printer, running a gaming PC, etc.

How do we test these things?

a) A/C problems: have the unit inspected.

b) Extremely hot weather: check the weather history.

c) Too small for home:  Have someone evaluate the size of the A/C that your home should have, preferably without seeing the unit you have now, as that could bias their recommendation.

I myself prefer units "on the large side" - that way I am free to turn it off when I'm away, without worrying about it struggling to catch up when I do turn it on.  Turning it off when you're away saves a lot of energy, though many people will not admit it.

d).  Other loads: Most are electric.  Find the electric meter.  There will be a spinning disc which changes speed based on your usage -- or a digital equivalent, that you may have to push a button or wait a few seconds to see.  Learn how to read this momentary rate of usage.  When the A/C is straining, run out and check its speed.  Then turn off the A/C and check it again.  It should nearly stop.  If it's still moving at a good clip, you are making heat inside your house, which is obviously fighting the A/C.


Measuring voltage from home to outbuilding

For a 120v circuit to have that loss, Your load is in the 12 amp range this will produce 3.47% voltage drop or 4.167v so you can look at the cost of running a small conductor.
the wire is consuming some of the power.
I am not sure how you came up with your numbers
If your actual voltage drop is 3.5% 120v 100’ 12awg copper this would provide 12 amps, based on 1.9029 resistance per 1k feet 0.054 ohms reactance per 1k feet with a actual Voltage drop of 4.167v as stated above. Southwire.com used.
P= I x E  12a x 120v =1440w  but power is charged in watt hours so your .850 kw or 850w means nothing and is not matching up with a 3.5% voltage drop on a 120v line.
If you would like further assistance figuring out what is really happening we can help there but with the info provided things don’t correlate.


How do I alter the shape of my existing concrete steps?

I'd remove the current steps, and then consider putting in new concrete steps. Maybe stain them or used colored concrete or perhaps tile them.

Concrete pavers aren't really designed for steps...and tend to be porous lower-grade concrete anyways. They make bricks for steps, but are a nightmare to maintain over the long haul as you are constantly re tuck pointing them--especially if you live in a freeze/thaw climate.


Connecting a broken nichrome wire heating element back together

The only thing that works (properly) is replacement. You would replace the whole element.
Heater element wire is brittle once it's been through a heating cycle (i.e. you turn it on once.) As such, "repairing" it tends to just lead to more breakage.


Can thinned water based polyurethane be used for blotch control?

In a word: no. Okay you can in theory, but there's no guarantees. There are three schools of thought when it comes to conditioning.

Flood your conditioner on, wipe off the excess, and then stain before the solvent (water in your case) dries.
Apply the conditioner evenly, repeatedly reapplying as dry spots appear until you have a perfectly uniform saturation, then let it dry overnight. Once cured, scuff sand very carefully to remove and conditioner left of the surface. Then stain.
Shellac. Don't worry about shellac, it's a whole other bag of problems.

To do number one you would have to introduce more water into the wood than I would say is advisable, more water = more grain raising, more warping, and the finish may start to fail to bind together which would completely defeat the purpose. Not to mention water dries so quickly you'll have trouble keeping things in solution long enough to work properly if it's a big piece.

You could in theory shoot for number two, but it is a technique that takes some practice and you'd be adapting methods from the world of oil based to work with water-based products which will take some experimenting. Basically you'd need to find just the right amount of dilution so that your poly behaves itself, in oil based it's about 2 to 1 mineral spirits to varnish (typically).

To be honest, this is kind of a lot of time and effort to avoid buying a $20 can of conditioner and your results will be far from a sure thing. Here's an article on conditioning with an emphasis on water based products that may help sell you on the benefits of a true conditioner. Wood Whisperer. Good Luck!


Two Breaker panels, one transfer switch?

Your guess is correct. You will not be able to use a single transfer switch in one of the panels to isolate your generator for both panels.

The solution may be to discontinue the use of the water heater specific panel and re-wire the water heater into the main panel. Then the single transfer switch in the main panel would work out nicely.

Keep in mind that there may be reasons why you would not be able to re-wire the water heater or why it was wired to a second panel in the first place:

The main panel may have already been over subscribed for a 200A service and installing a second panel was the overall cheapest solution.
The second panel may have been there to allow separate power usage monitoring for the water heater. This could have been done to share some electrical costs with a roommate that was living with and renting from a previous owner.
The main panel may have already been full of circuit breakers and the second panel was one way to be able to add an electric water heater at one time possibly replacing a natural gas fired heater.
You may not have room in the main panel to add the two pairs of additional dual 240V breakers, one for your water heater and the other for your transfer switch back feed breaker.


No, you can't mix and match 3528 strips/connectors with 5050 strips/connectors.

Even within  5050, RGB vs RGBW use different connectors, and there are even W-only strips in the 5050 form factor, which use a different connector still.

Put more of an effort into shopping, and you should be able to find the right items more easily.  EBay/AliExpress are not necessarily the best places to shop.


Oh fun: I had to do this when I upgraded to a multi-location dimmer system!

It's not the third picture: that's a four-way switch.

If it's wired correctly, you just have to disconnect the black wire from the "Common" terminal on each of the three-way switches and then use a current detector to see which one is hot: that's your line!

Safest way, and to remove all doubt in case the circuit is wired "unconventionally":

Shut off power to the circuit.
Tag (so you can reconnect the same way) each black wire connecting to the three-way switches.
Disconnect the black wires from the three-way switches.
Restore power to the circuit.
Use current detector to find the hot black.  That's the line source for the circuit!

(If none of those four shows hot, test the red wires still connected to each three-way to find the line source.  And in that case don't recommend whomever wired it the first time ;)


Cut 2" square cube from top of wood post for 2"x2" wood rail?

You could rough it out with a drill, maybe a router. Then tidy up the corners and edges with a chisel and mallet.

You could use a saw to establish the edges, then finish off with chisel and mallet.

Given that people such as Paul Sellers routinely cut blind mortices remarkably quickly using only a chisel and hammer, this could certainly be done that way too.


Pressure Tank Size for a Variable Speed Submersible Pump

Maintaining 40-50 psi is the key. Yes you can do it with a 7 gallon bladder tank and it would be better to go to a 35 gallon bladder tank but depending on your flow you could set your pump to run at 80% all day and maintain 50 psi so you really don’t need much of a pressure tank in that case.
If your pump is producing 40 gallons at 70% then you want a big tank to reduce cycling of the pump.
Water cooled 3 phase pumps can start more often than single phase pumps because 3 phase start better than single phase with a capacitor.
You don’t want to cycle your pump because this is where the cost $$$ to run comes in. Remember a motor draws 3-5x normal full load amperage at startup and even higher amounts called locked rotor amperage until they start turning. Starting often can double your cost to run so that 35 gallon tank provides just under a minute were 7 gallon only a few seconds.
Will it hurt your system to go big on the tank if it would run at 70% 50 psi nope won’t hurt anything but it provides a buffer if a head gets plugged so you are not pumping enough for constant run.
So go big with the pressure tank it will help in most cases and won’t hurt. Note I did not talk about dual set points 50 or 60 psi pump drops to 70 then at 40 it jumps to 120% never stopping lowest power consumption and the pressure tank being big helps maintain control. Of pressure because there is a slight lag from pressure reading, pump commanded up to pressure increased.


You can mix them, as long as the places where you have schedule 40 elbows are places where schedule 40 is permitted.

It never came up but I'd be surprised if you had any issues.  You ought to make sure that the fittings match, for example if you use a coupling between the schedule 80 and the schedule 40 elbows, it must be rated for both types.  Similarly, if you use the bell ends built into the conduit or elbows you would want to check with the manufacturer to make sure it's listed for mating with the other type.


How can I patch a large hole in a metal bathtub?

What may have happened is the porcelain top coat has been compromised to the point that it exposed the cast iron metal to the water. It has oxidized so much it has disintegrated and left a hole. If you are adamant about repairing the tub for the short time until it is replaced the best repair would be with fiberglass cloth and resin. This is what is used in the boating world to repair holes in fiberglass hulls. Wire brush any loose material from the tub wall wipe surrounding area with a solvent like lacquer thinner to remove contaminants. Cut an over sized piece of fiberglass cloth so it covers an extra 2 inches beyond the repair area. Mix the resin as per label. Brush the tub surface to the cloth outline. Place cloth over repair and brush liberally with more resin making sure to saturate the cloth completely. Build up with more layers of cloth letting each layer cure first. May want to do this on the other side of the hole. Sand with progressively higher grits until it is smooth. Paint if desired to match existing color. 2 part epoxy would also make a strong repair material.


How to fix a garbage disposal pipe leak?

There is probably a gasket under that hold down flange. Buy a replacement gasket. Then remove the flange, use sand paper to remove any corrosion until you have a smooth, bright metal surface, then install the new gasket, and screw the flange back in.


Why might a central heating programmer no longer override a room thermostat?

sounds like the room stat is a new addition? If so may have been functioned to switch on boiler and pump at same time ? If boiler is newish then will only heat water when tap is used. therefor room temp controlled by room stat and turn it down at night or programme when to come on?


How to prevent concrete roof from Absorbing water

Concrete absorbs water. That’s why it can never be finishing layer in this type of situations. Even if it is properly tilted that wouldn't solve your problem completely. You must protect it. Now, if you want to do it right it's a bit more complex than just putting tiles. If you are short on money you can do just that but it's not proper solution. Firstly you should apply some hydro coating. It should be something that is meant for outside usage. Pay special attention to the edges; places where your slab connects with surrounding walls etc. Than, since under the slab is a living space (which is being heated) you should put some thermal insulation to prevent condensation which also can cause humidity problems. If you use thermal insulation which soaks water you must wrap it around with a foil. Then you can put some metal sheets on top of the roof. Keep in mind that sheets cannot be HORIZONTAL. There MUST be some slope. Again, pay attention on the edges, they should be placed so water cannot find the way in. If you want I can draw some sketches how to do it, but I will need a picture for that.


Connect three kitchen appliances to same water line?

Sure, you can connect multiple things by stacking tee fittings.
There are two things to be aware of with the specific arrangement you're considering. One is that 3/8" hose is terribly small for a [clothes] washing machine. You'll do better to remove the angle stop valve, which sits on 1/2" pipe, and insert a tee there with a 1/2" valve just to serve the clothes washer.
The other thing to be aware of is that if more than one thing demands hot water at the same time the flow to all the things will be low. The 1/2" supply pipe is just too small to serve concurrent loads. If you can deal with the reduced flow, or simply coordinate the uses to avoid concurrency, it'll be fine.


How to cut tall baseboard on a miter saw on the flat with an angle greater than 45 degrees?

Based on what you have said, the only way I can think to do this would be to create a jig that raises the angle of the baseboard to the correct angle. In this case you need to raise it by one degree. However, with a change that small I'm not sure how easy it will be to build the jig.

What I would do is build a jig that raises it more. Depending on the miter saw, you should have some sort of bevel guide. Hopefully this is in degrees, but it may be just some preset notches with the degrees noted. Regardless, I would build a jig that raises it by either at least 5 degrees possibly 10 degrees (either way you will need to support the work piece, but the steeper the angle the more difficult to support. This would mean you would cut at 41 or 36 degrees. Depending on the precision of the equipment you are using, it may be easier to build the jig to either 6 degrees or 11 degrees and cut and set your saw to 35 or 40 degrees as appropriate.


Need help adding fan to existing 3-way switch setup

If the fan is controlled by a 3-way switch, you'll have to replace either of the switches with another 3-way switch.  Unless you eliminate one of the 3-way switches, you can't install a single pole switch.

If you want to install a fan speed control switch in this scenario, you'll have to find one that can be wired as a 3-way switch (not sure if it exists).


Why is my remote control not opening my garage door?

The fact that you have to hold down the indoor button to keep the garage door moving strongly suggests that the controller is detecting a problem. The fact that the problem only happen when going up strongly suggests that it's the opening tension which is mis-set. Get the manual and see what you can find out; it probably spells out handling just such an occurrence.


Power Pole ground to iron grill connector

I use cad weld when I need bonds that will stand up to anything or I do not want to have an access hatch for the bond to be inspected. Looking at the mess at your weather head you may not be able to find an electrician that can do it. The graphite trays that contain the metal are two expensive for the homeowner, but you may check around. Cad welding is an exothermic bonding that will bond copper  to rebar , steel pipe and even zinc & copper.
With wrought iron after cleaning the area you might consider a deox or noalox anti oxide compound this will prevent rusting at the contact points.


how to protect first stair riser from water?

Untreated plywood and oak will rot if heavily exposed to water. You need to switch your thinking to how an outdoor staircase is built. They use rot resistant wood, treated wood, or composite materials.

Marine plywood is a popular idea for water resistance but, due to its chemical composition, it isn't a healthy wood to use in a house. If children spend a lot of time playing on marine wood, they are risking actual poisoning. The symptoms start with mild chemical rashes and get worse from there.

Of your choices composite deck material will last the longest. And there is actual composite stair treads. But I've also built stairs using normal composite deck boards. As long as the under support isn't too far apart two 5ish inch composite boards work very well. See what you have locally. Treated and cedar lumber also works quite well, it just doesn't last as long. Purposed lumber like external stair treads are usually textured for traction.

Also check your local codes, some do not want any treated wood indoors. You may be limited to composite and natural rot resistant wood.

The riser covering the entire opening isn't strictly necessary. Check your local codes, but openings to the rise is often limited to a max opening of less than 4 inches. The purpose of that is to prevent a child from sticking their head in the opening. http://www.co.stevens.wa.us/landservices/documents/STAIRWAYSECTION.pdf

While riser boards provide extra strength to the tread, a 2x12 stair tread doesn't usually need the support. That does depend on the stair design. The riser board is there more for looks, and safety, than strength. If you wish to leave small gaps for drainage, it won't harm the structure of the stairs.


They do make reducing washers if your original hole is ~1-1/8 it is 1” using 12 awg Romex will take a 1/2” clamp down you can use 2 1’ to 1/2 “ washers one outside one inside the box or plug that hole and find an unused 1/2” hole , I don’t remember for sure but think a large blue or blue gray wirenut will cover a  single #6 wire , I would not cut them in case they are wanted at a later time.


Are the 3 wires found in standard NM-B electrical cable functionally identical?

No, they're not 100% identical. The hot and neutral can be counted on as being identical; or in 3-conductor +ground cable the hots will be identical. In larger sizes of cable, the ground is smaller, and in 3-conductor cable, the neutral may be smaller. That's because in large feeders, 100% neutral imbalance is unlikely. For instance 2-2-4-6 is a cable size; #4 neutral #6 ground.
But the hots (or hot+neutral in 2-conductor 3-wire cable) are the same size.  If you were wiring a UK device with US wires, you might tape the white to be red (hot) and leave the black as neutral.
Ground, however, is special.   It is not simply another conductor, it performs a very different function than than neutral, and that is what makes it reasonable to not give it insulation.
The outer sheath and inner insulation serve many purposes more than you are giving them credit for.
The wire insulation's jobs
Aside from the obvious (insulation and color coding)... the insulation provides protection from abrasion on sharp edges, and when wires are stuffed into a junction box.  It also must not burn easily, and must not emit toxic gases if it does.  And it must not deteriorate over time (UV notwithstanding).
The sheath's jobs
First is grouping.  Grouping is vital to understanding how a circuit works - e.g. if you have a 3-way switch and 2 wires go into one cable and 1 wire into another, you know which ones are the messengers.  It keeps neutrals paired with partner hots, which is mandatory and AFCI/GFCI breakers require this.  Since currents should be equal, keeping the wires together assures that the wires' EMFs cancel each other out, and with nothing between the wires, it prevents inductive/eddy current heating.
Next is binding and strain relief, as the cable is clamped where it enters the junction box.  Clamping the individual wires would create a stress point.
Also stopping nails. The usual rule is that cable is stapled or penetrates at the midpoint of a 4x4 joist, and one should use 1-1/2" or shorter nails so a nail isn't going to reach the staple or hole.  But between holes and staples, the cable floats and can come within 1-1/2" of the wall.   In that case you want the cable's skin to be tough enough that the nail moves the cable rather than penetrates it.
The cable also must hold the markings which identify the cable type, which decides where it is legal to use based on its characteristics. Color coding is often done - 14AWG being white, 12 AWG yellow, and 10 AWG red.


How to wire a three phase machine to a single phase plug?

You can't just fix this with wiring.

You either need to get 3 phase supplied to your location and wired to the device, or you need a phase converter, such as what these guys sell:

http://www.northamericaphaseconverters.com

A possible alternative might be to use a VFD, such as this one:

http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Drives/GS2_%28115_-z-230-z-460-z-_575_VAC_V-z-Hz_Control%29/GS2_Drive_Units_%28115_-z-230-z-460-z-_575_VAC%29/GS2-11P0

In either case, I would seek advice from the device manufacture's tech lines to confirm it's suitable for your application. These devices are generally expected to be connected to a motor, and you have a heater - that is an electrically significant difference.

Also note that I doubt the 3 phase is just powering the boiler. I don't know coffee, really, but I thought high-end espresso machines were pump driven - the pump will be 3 phase too I suspect.


Placement of window AC in open living space

I would probably use window 12 over number 1 because that is where the heat load is and the room is larger.
3 or 5 are both good options but I would use 3 because of  the proximity for the discharge to blow towards the family room.
If this were my place I would install mini splits , last week I saw an advertisement for a top brand 12k btu mini split with a 10 year warranty for 475.00 installed, I am sure that means you have to put the power in but hanging a split and mounting the outside unit on a plastic pad can be done very quickly, there are even some full DIY options out there but they are more expensive.
The split units can be mounted above windows or on walls and can add value to your home including providing a efficient heat source in the winter


It is possible that some of your neighbors decided that a natural patina of weathered grey looks appropriate on their fence boards. The dulling of wood fibers occurs if the fence boards are left un-sealed or bare for several seasons. The greyish white tone that develops is mostly due to the bombardment of U.V rays from the sun. Without protection the wood fibers become dry and bleached. With the proper wood sealer and maintenance you can extend the life that a wood fence lasts for many years. If the fence is frequently subject to water (as when a sprinkler soaks it) the minerals in the water can tint the wood white when the water evaporates.


How to remove dry erase marker from a refrigerator?

Isopropyl alcohol might work. I've had good luck with it removing permanent marker.


How to seal sump pit with removable cover

I am currently doing the same thing; while sealing it for a radon system.  The radon pipe will be through the slab in a separate spot in the basement.  I am using a piece of clear Lexan with rubber foam rope insulation underneath it.

Here is my finished cover.  It works fantastically.  Access hole with removable seal.  Uniseals for the cords and pipe.


Single pane windows with outside screens

Well, that wasn't much of an upgrade. I'm afraid you're stuck with having to use that plastic stuff or installing extra storm windows.


Washer Drain pipe too high - suggestions?

Yes, as @TomG says, take the standpipe up - but I'll modify 18" to "as far as the ceiling or the 8 foot limit allows", that's the least expensive first approach, and if it solves it, you are done. Get it right up inbetween the floor joists.

If a plumber was involved in the black Tee on the white PVC pipe at the top of the picture, the licensing board should hear about it. That thing is dead wrong - it's installed sideways (it's the wrong fitting for the location). I'd expect there might be venting issues with that connection, too.

If merely extending the standpipe does not do it, you need to clean up the lower mess to gain some height (and ensure adequate flow.) That might well involve a plumber (or some advanced DIY plumbing) and some expense, but it would not involve extra complexity and electricity use.


Swapping to Hive thermostat. 4 wire communicator has 2 wires per post

Leave the wires to the heatpump where they are at

Your system, instead of running Y, O/B, and C wires to the outdoor unit to control it, simply puts the compressor controller on the same ABCD bus that is used to connect the indoor unit to the matching (communicating) thermostat.  As a result, when you remove the thermostat wires from the ABCD bus, you need to leave the wires to the heatpump in place, so that the indoor and outdoor units can talk to each other.


Can I add a second dishwasher to an existing power circuit?

David!  We have 2 DW in our kitchen and I ran a dedicated circuit for each to be safe. Also, that extra capacity might come in handy for an instant hot or garbage disposal.  Code is getting stricter and stricter on hard wired appliances...what you can share with plug attached appliances, etc. It gets ambiguous at times. IE: if my DW has a cord, is that a plug attached device?
Since you are doing a major kitchen remodel including running a new cable for the new range, I'd strongly suggest running another 20 amp circuit for the 2nd DW.
BTW.  Good job asking specific questions.


Is there any way to heat up a space noise free?

Completely noiseless is a high goal - it can be done, but may increase the expense considerably. Quieter than a badly designed hot air system is much easier.

In-floor radiant heat, embedded in concrete or gypsum cement, offers essentially silent heat delivery (so long as the pumps are properly sized) - the boiler or hot water heater providing the heat may make a small amount of noise, which can be reduced or effectively eliminated by isolating it or removing it from the house entirely, and piping only the hot water in. But the amount of noise may not enough to actually bother you - does your hot water heater irritate? Is it gas?

Radiant tubing in non-concrete installations is prone to making some noise (a few creaks, ticking, or the like) due to movement from thermal expansion/contraction, as is hot water baseboard heat. Again, far less than a hot air system, especially a loud one. Indeed, the electric oil radiator you describe as "silent" generally makes some small creak/tick noises in my experience.

A hot air system that is properly designed can also be fairly quiet. So exactly how much noise is too much and how much you are willing to spend to eliminate it does play a large factor in how you proceed.


How to use a gas fireplace and a furnace together?

I have a similar set up and find it just as annoying as you do.  The best solution that I've found is to set the Fireplace at your desired temperature +2 degrees, and set the furnace to your desired temperature as well as setting it to "fan always on" mode.  This will help distribute some of the heat from the fireplace but isn't a perfect solution.


Dehumidifier with multiple float switches

Your instructions are basically telling you this:

Remove the JUMPER from Float Switch terminals.
Wire the Float Switch to the terminals (you should have two wires - one wire goes to one terminal the other wire to the other terminal) Does not matter which wire just that they are wired one to one terminal and the other wire to the other terminal.
The Switch makes the connection or breaks the connection.  Considering it is Jumpered you want the Switch to open when the overflow level is reached.

To Answer your question about series or parallel:

Both Switches Normally Closed in Series.
A AND B = ON

A Closed / B Open = OFF ,
A Open / B Closed = OFF ,
A Closed / B Closed = ON ,
A Open/ B Open = OFF.

Both Switches Normally Closed in Parallel.
A OR B = ON

A Closed / B Open = ON,
A Open / B Closed = ON,
A Closed / B Closed = ON ,
A Open/ B Open = OFF.


Can I create an outlet from patio light but always powered on

Chances are you only have a switched hot at the light location. You'd be able to eliminate the switch and splice the the wires so the lights would always be on and then install a photocell or timer at the first light location to control them. If your electrical system is in conduit, you'd be able to add a wire from your switch to your box location that would give you an always hot. If your system is NB cable from your switch to the light box, you could replace the run with a 12/3 cable so you'd have a switched hot and an always hot. Yes, you would need waterproof boxes.


What was the standard size of drywall panels made around 1960?

Drywall has always been 4x 8 or 12 as long far back as I know it was first used in the 20’s . By the late 40 and 50’s it was the preferred method it las less expensive and easier to install but the size has been similar to plywood 4x8 sheets has been the standard.
Demo of old sheetrock is much easier than today’s screws, knock a hole stick the framing hammer in the hole turn 90 and pull down the sheetrock will break on the nail lines sometimes sections of the nails come out some not but they come out easily except on oak 2x4. In my youth I could strip an entire bedroom in a little over an hour and a half including pulling nails with a framing hammer and wonderbar . It was more work to pick up the peace’s and toss them in the dumpster or if close to the dump in a truck. But you do not cut the nails.


Determining if there is insulation behind a wall

The easiest way is check behind an electrical outlet in the wall. As a precaution, turn off power to the outlet at your electrical service panel. Then remove the outlet's faceplate. Your outlet will be seated in a metal or plastic electrical box, probably mounted alongside a wall joist. Using a wooden skewer, poke between the front edge of the box and your interior wall board. Make sure to poke outside the box, not inside where the wiring is.

You'll want to use a narrow-diameter skewer, made of wood or plastic so it won't conduct electricity (just in case you bump into a wire). I've used bamboo skewers, which are about 1/8" in diameter and around 8" long, and can be bought in packages of 100 for a couple of bucks.

If you feel you're hitting something soft and pillowy, you've got insulation. If you immediately hit something hard, you're probably bumping into a wall stud -- try the other side, top, or bottom. If you can wiggle the skewer around and touch it to the inside face of the exterior wall -- bad news, no insulation.

If there isn't an outlet on the wall you want to check, you may be able to check by sound. Knock on a wall where you know there is insulation and remember the sound. Knock on a wall where you know there is no insulation and remember that sound. Then compare with the sound your mystery wall makes.

Finally, if all else fails, drill a small hole in an inconspicuous spot and poke your skewer through that. Patch the hole with spackle and a little paint when you're done.