How to repair damage to MDF baseboard trim

That looks like MDF baseboard, which is very porous and will swell when it gets wet.  It looks like there was a way for the water from your mopping to wick into the baseboard (likely a nick or cut in the factory finish).

To repair the paint, you'll need to sand the swollen part down flush to the surface. If you find yourself having a hard time getting it smooth or the fuzziness doesn't go away after sanding, skim the top of the damaged area with very thin layer of wood putty and feather it out, then sand smooth.

MDF likes to suck up paint too, so I'd use an oil based primer before finish coating.  It's possible that the paint might raise the surface a tiny bit and make it rough after priming, so lightly sand with 200 grit sandpaper after the primer is fully cured.

Finally, make sure that you don't have to repeat this process at some point in the future.  If this is in an area where there is a good chance the floor will get wet, make sure the caulking between the baseboard and tile is sound - particularly where the grout lines run underneath it.


What size aluminum ser do I need for 100 amp sub panel 10 feet away from 200 amp main?

Why SER?

With surface mounted panels in what presumably is an unfinished space, there is 0 reason to run an exposed SER cable here.  Instead, I would run a conduit between the two panels (2" EMT will handle anything you want to do here), and then simply run 3 XHHW-2 conductors (hot, hot, neutral) in the conduit between the two panels, using the conduit as a grounding path.

As to inner conductor sizing...

I would use 1AWG Al wires here; spending the extra for copper is a waste, and you can't get away with 2AWG for this because you'd exceed the 75°C termination limit that is normal for breakers and loadcenters if you did.  This limitation is a consequence of NEC 110.14(C)(1), by the way.

TORQUE ALL LUGS TO SPEC

One essential thing with this job, no matter who does it, is that all lugs will need to be tightened to the torque specified on the corresponding labels using an inch-pound torque-wrench; this is required by 2017 NEC 110.14(D), and is a good idea anyway, lest your electrical system go the way of Greg Biffle's infamous lugnuts.


Why does my shower head drip when the tub faucet is on?

What did you use to connect your tub spout?

I plumbed my bathroom with Pex and was heavily cautioned NOT to use Pex to run from the main valve to the tub spout because it would create exactly the issue your describing.

Since the inner diameter of Pex is slightly less than regular copper (or threaded brass fittings, which is what I used) it will create a slight flow restriction to the tub spout and (inadvertently) divert it to the shower head.

Just a thought...


Need to repaint my exterior, a couple of question with painting

If your goal is to touch up sections without a whole house painting...

In an inconspicuous area, use a razor blade and skim off a small section.  Take it to Home Depot and let them use their paint matching machine. Then have them mix an exterior paint for you.

I did this for an interior wall once and I could never tell the difference after it dried.

I would scrap and prime the bubbled portions of the wall.

My 2 cents


Is duct tape okay to use for insulating very small, low current wires?

Low voltage lets you get away with all sorts of things ;^)

Why? - Because they won't burn your house down.

Any sort of (non-conductive) tape is fine - use what you have, without misinterpreting that in silly ways if you happen to have a roll of aluminum foil tape... Duct .vs. gorilla is pretty much "gray or black" in this case - does not matter. Clear packing or office tape would also work. Masking tape would work for a while, then dry up and fall off in the middle of your Carnegie Hall performance.

If your isolation tool arsenal includes a hot glue gun, you can make a neater and more durable fix (I rebuilt a LOT of laptop power cord plugs "better than new" back in the day with hot glue and popsicle stick to replace the "custom molded plastic" at the end of the job. I did solder those, but they were carrying more power than your keyboard sustain pedal wire.)


There may be code differences between my area and yours, but beams bolted to the post as in your picture #1 and #3 are not allowed here.
Recommended connection is to notch the post and rest the beam in the notch, or at a minimum use metal beam supports bolted/lagged to the post below and through the beam (typically the beam support bracket would be for a non-load bearing connection like for an awning and not the deck floor).

If your post is rotted, you really should replace it along with the other rotted members. The joists themselves in your photo are showing early signs of water saturation which leads to rot and those will need replaced soon if not already. I recommend checking all your framing members for rot and either replacing, or bracing all of them with the understanding that you'll need to replace them or your entire deck soon.

If all you're worried about is replacing a few beams, you can use hydraulic jacks to support the old beam as you do so. Check some online resources for proper post notch and beam installation, they show how to do this in the middle of a span as well as at corners.


Is a back flow valve needed to attach a washing machine?

One way to accomplish this is; You can add one Inline spring check valve to each supply line.

After the check valves you can tee the hot and cold together with one 1/2" copper pipe out into a 1/4 turn valve  and then to the correct threaded piece to accept the washer supply hose.

The check valves will prevent water from one pipe from pushing into the other.

To regulate the temp of the water you could use 1/4 turn valves BEFORE each of the check valves and close them partially to adjust the temp of the water.

Or just plumb in mixing valve made for the job of mixing and not allowing back flow. I have seen shower mixing valves used for washing machine supply in older homes.


Your issue is less about how you'll fasten it to the wall, and more about the stiffness required to span that width. I have a very similar desk in my office made of repurposed 1-3/4" thick veneer and particle board door slabs hung only on cleats fastened with 3-inch construction screws. My situation is actually L-shaped, with one slab hanging from the other, and it's suitable for a multi-station computer desk.

2 inches of solid or engineered wood will be strong enough, but it will bounce a bit. I'd estimate the weight at around 100 lbs. It doesn't take much to support that, plus maybe another 50 lbs. of equipment.

I'd run cleats around the 3 sides. They can be almost anything of wood or metal. Even 1x4 pine would do, as long as you get appropriate fasteners into the masonry and wood framing. If you taper the front ends they'll be much less conspicuous.

I'd then install a large steel max-bracket (or two) in the center from the rear to stiffen the front of the desk. It should extend at least 2/3 the depth of the desktop. It'll be practically invisible to anyone standing nearby. Be sure to use sufficiently large lag screws here. There will be a substantial pull-out force on the upper bolts.

This arrangement will be strong enough to support the desk, your computer equipment or whatever, and the backside of any overly-casual, average sized colleagues who wander by.


Can I run the cord for plugged ceiling lights through the attic?

Short answer: No, you can't run flexible cord through the ceiling/walls.

There are many problems with this, the main being that it's against code, relevant section:

  NEC 400.8 Uses Not Permitted

  (ref. Extension Cord) Flexible cords and cables shall not be used for the following:

  As a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure
  Where run through holes in walls, structural ceilings, suspended ceilings, dropped ceilings, or floors
  Where concealed by walls, floors, or ceilings or located above suspended or dropped ceilings

Essentially, you can use flexible cord from the junction box to the light itself (NEC 400.7, ref Pendants), but not past that point where it becomes part of the "fixed wiring of a structure".  The main reason (as I understand) for this is that flexible cord is more subject to physical damage (which can then lead to overheating).

You have a few options.

Suspend the lights

You can suspend the lamp from the ceiling using hooks or some other physical means, so long as the flexible cord is exposed (eg: no holes through drywall).

Use surface-mount conduit

There are various surface-mount conduits (or raceways) products that will allow you to partially conceal the wires. Some products can be painted.

Add a junction box

Bottom line, if you want the wire totally concealed, you need a junction box. This is a non-trivial task, and almost certainly involves punching holes in the drywall (which you'll have to patch afterwards) to be able to fish wires. You'd use solid-core wire to comply with code to run to the junction box (typically 14/2 romex).

How to actually do this warrants an entirely new question.

Anyway, once you have a junction box in the ceiling, the best thing is to get a type of lamp designed to be hard-wired.

I looked around for a retrofit box cover to use the existing lights as hardwired, but can't find one. I'm not sure such a thing exists, but if it does, you could use that to use the existing lights as hardwired lights. Even in this case, the wire to the junction box has to meet code (eg, you can't use flexible cord), although it would be fine, as per NEC 400.7(1) to use flexible cord from the junction to the light fixture itself.


I modified a nail-in electrical box to use screws instead of nails. Is there some code that prevents that?

Here's another type of adjustable box that you can use.  Just mount the box approximately where you want it and after you find the correct depth you can move it, even after drywall has been installed.

Here's the cut sheet on it.  Here.


You can, but there's a few issues to be aware of.  First, your blown-in insulation requires space to stay "fluffy" and work well.  Compressing the blown-in with batts will diminish the former's effectiveness and compromise the overall r-value.

Secondly any vapor barrier (the paper on the roll) should be against the drywall.  If you don't have a vapor barrier in place, I would address that (see this article from this answer for more info).  If you do have a vapor barrier, make sure you buy unfaced (like your link), or remove the paper from your batts before installing.

Your best value will likely be buying more blown-in insulation.  If you buy a reasonable amount most of the big box stores will let you rent the machine for free.  It is a messy two person job, however.
It looks like you have standard 2x4s on the edges where the drywall is attached, you could staple faced fiberglass batts to it.  Measure between the "studs" and buy a roll that you can cut to width.  I've seen skylights both with and without insulation, I don't know if there is a downside to insulating them.

Edit

If you put plywood over the cellulose, you're going to have a similar compression problem.  This table shows you what kind of r-value you can get per inch.  So the depth of your joists (they didn't look very tall) is going to limit the r-value you can get if you're covering the joists with plywood.  Since it appears the insulation you already have is near the top, you won't see a huge gain in efficiency if you add just another inch or two of blown insulation.  You might try asking another question once you figure out what r-value you have and what r-value you'd like to have.  If you're near the recommended r-value for your climate and your house is still too cold, you might be better served by looking for air leaks first.


Can I get away with 5/4" cedar decking across a 24" span in a children's play structure?

It is not officially recommended, and any chart you will find will list 16" as max span (I've even seen a couple that said 12").

As far as safety goes, it would feel a little "bouncy" to an adult but I'd like to sit back with a beer and watch you try to break it.


What sorts of appliances will malfunction on a reversed AC outlet?

What sorts of appliances will malfunction or worse, potentially harm someone, if plugged into an outlet that is wired backwards?

Badly designed (and thus uncertified) ones.
Wrongly wired ones

In the real world, people do die from this, alas.

______________________

Modern appliances are EITHER double insulated or have a safety ground.

Double insulated is more a level of insulation than two physical layers of insulation. DI means that the appliance is never electrically unsafe under regulatory acceptable conditions of use.  If you eg stand in a puddle while holding it and pour water into it, or use it while in a bath or shower, you may exceed the regulatory conditions of use envelope.

A safety ground is an arrangement that connects accessible or modestly insulated metal parts of the appliance to system (in this case "usually" house) ground. If an electrical path develops between supply "Phase" and the earthed metal parts, ground current will flow and curcuit protection will operate (fuse or circuit breaker). Systems with resdiual current tripping (named variously ELCB/GFI/RCD) devices can detect very small currents to ground (<= 20 mA) and discnnect the circuit in <= 1/2 a mains cycle.

The mains feed consists of two wires - usually termed Phase and Neutral .
Neutral is usually held at ABOUT ground potential but is NOT connected to the ground lead within the appliance. Phase and Neutral can usually be reversed at the appliance feed point without causing immediate hazard. In a DI appliance there is minimal effect. In a grounded appliance there SHOULD be minimal effect.

If neutral and ground are connected within the appliance it will still usually operate but large metal parts connected to ground will now be at neutral potential. This may affect the ability for house fuses or breakers to operate correctly and WILL trip residual current devices.

Any appliance which has the earthed metal parts connected to Neutral (which they should not have) will have the metal parts placed at phase potential  if feed PN are reversed. If the metal parts are a toaster or electric jug or vacuum cleaner or ... body then this may be a very very very bad idea indeed.

If an appliance cord is wired incorrectly, strange things may happen, or it nothing obvious may happen but trhe appliance may become letally dangerous. Long long ago I was asked to investigate a situation where there was a house with an external sleepout. Most appliances worked OK in the house or the sleepiy but a casette recorder would only work in the hpuse but not in the sleepiut. Investigation revealed that

the sleepout had P & N reversed, and
the tape recorder has N & E reversed.
Usually this would be a relatively benign fault.

In this case most appliances saw N-P rather than P-N, E was OK so they worked OK.
However the tape recorder saw N-E on what should be P-N so did not work.
s has Phase on it's earth pin and the whole body was live at 230 VAC. What saved people was probably that the sleepout had no major grounded metal and, as the TR did not work when plugged in, people spent little time touching it.
So close !

Switched conductors:

Swapping phase and neutral may result in the appliance "internals' being live when it is turned off.

I'm in NZ. The mains supply is 230 VAC, 50 Hz. I note informally only that it seems that with 230 VAC people seem to care somewhat more about shock hazards that with 110 VAC. I've seen practices in other countries which would be utterly unallowed on NZ.

An important aspect of swapping phase and neutral is when the appliance has a single pole switch. This can only 'break' ne of the two mains leads and it is invariably designed to disconnect the phase lead. If P & N are swapped the Neutral lead is disconnected and the appliance will not operate BUT the Phase lead is connected to the equipment internal circuitry. The chances of an accident are significantly increased.

Some equipment is required by law to disconnect bot leads when switched off. An excellent example is an electric toaster where, if P & N were reversed, a single pole switch would cause the element assembly to be at phase potential.
Some years ago a batch of Chinese manufactured toasters that allowed a single leadswitching fault to occur were imported to NZ. The fitted two pole switch could have one of its two "fingers" trapped against an insulating mount of not properly assembled. As the toaster still switched off thermally if either lead was broken this fault was missed by the manufacturer and importer. About 5% to 10% of the toasters has phase on the element when turned off. This was brought to my attention when an adult nephew did what I would not have done in my wildest dreams (hopefully). He picked up an "off" but plugged in toaster to move it by inserting fingers down the two slots to grip the middle bar !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! . Shocking!. The importer was somewhat cagey. I lashed up a capacitance based tester that could tell if either witch pole was stuck closed. In such a case the element to body capacitance was far higher than when both poles were opened - plug toaster 3 pin plug into the capacitance tester and voila! A trip through a few showrooms revealed the extent of the problem and an appliance recall resulted.

Caravans, campers ... supplied power via mains lead:

In many countries Caravans require a neutral earth link in their in-van switchboard. This is safe if fuses or breakers are installed in the caravan and will work with fuses or breakers in the feed switchboard. RCDs in the feed switchboard will trip if this link is in place. Removing the link stops remote RCDs tripping but then the caravan MUST have RCDs as well.

SO - If P&N are reversed on a caravan with a van N-E link then the van will now have a P-E link and will blow supply fuses. BUT if the supply ground is faulty the van chassi and metal parts will be at Phase relative to ground. Properly wired appliances will work OK.
Stepping in and out of the van WITHOUT providing a ground to caravan metal bridge with your body will not cause a problem.
But if you bridge van metal to ground with your body you will receive a full mains shock. You may die and people have died in just this situation.

Removing the in-van N-G link will prevent this shock hazard but then the fusing may not work correctly and eg fire may result and [all together] you may die. Or your family.

Added August 2019 - ht Ray Butterworth

"Auto-Transformers":

Ray Butterworth notes another hazard:

Auto-transformers have a single 230 VAC winding with a tap at 115 VAC.
Apply 230 VAC relative to ground across the whole winding and you get 115 VAC relative to ground at the tap.

BUT - Reverse phase and neutral inputs so that you get

230 VAC live at the "ground" input and
ground or neutral at the "live" input.

This results in 110 VAC on top of  a "120 VAC pedestal".
ie

What should be output ground is now at 230 VAC and
What should be 115 VAC relative to ground is still about 115 VAC relative to ground (so measuring the voltage from this point to ground does not reveal the problem!).

Death can easily happen.

Ray says:

"One additional appliance that can be directly dangerous is a step-down transformer (e.g. plug into 230V line and produce 115V output). These often use an auto-transformer to split the voltage. If plugged in correctly, the output will be neutral and 115V. If plugged in backward, the output will be 115V and 230V. Most things plugged into it will still work correctly with the 115V difference, but there is potential for a major shock or fire there. And some high-tech devices rely on neutral being at approximately ground level; they will break."


Not sure how well it works (haven't had a chance to use them, yet) but the Off Clip-on Mosquito Repellent seems quite convenient.  You can clip them on and keep mosquitoes away while you work in the yard, this way you can't mistakenly wonder out of the protected range of candles, and you don't have to spray chemicals on your skin (that wear off as you sweat anyway).

WebMD says

  "Mosquito traps, a relatively new
  product, may be the answer. They work
  by emitting substances that biting
  mosquitoes find attractive -- such as
  carbon dioxide, heat, moisture, and
  other mosquito-friendly byproducts.
  They attract, then trap or kill female
  mosquitoes. When placed strategically
  near breeding spots, "they have
  knocked [mosquito] populations down,""

Placing one of these Mega-Catch™ Alpha Mosquito Traps a little way from your deck or patio, should lure the mosquitoes away from you and into the trap.


How do I add an on off switch to the power cord of a 2 wire AC motor

Do not assume that the fact that both leads from the motor are black means that the motor "has no neutral". One of the leads will definitely be connected to neutral and one will definitely be connected to hot. It may be that the motor is designed to have either lead be hot or it may be that one particular lead is supposed to be the hot. Something in the documentation accompanying the motor or written on the motor will probably tell you which this is.

The electrical box you have chosen is designed to be inside a wall, not loose on a table or on the floor. The box has flaps covering openings for heavy #14 or #12 sheathed cables to enter and be clamped. It is not designed for lamp cord. The flap could cut the insulation on the cord. You would be better off an inline switch designed for flexible cord. You can buy cords with the switch already in.

How do you propose to enclose the motor and protect the connection of the cord to the leads of the motor?

What is the current draw of this motor? You should select the power cord based on the current draw of the motor. Your proposed wiring is stranded wire "lamp cord" to wire this motor. This varies in current capacity depending on its size and number of strands between 3.5 A to 7 A or maybe 10 A if the cord is larger than it appears in the picture.

The switch is supposed to be in the hot wire. Is the plug you have selected polarized, that is, does it have one blade larger than the other so it will only go into the receptacle one way? If not, get one that is polarized. Your wall receptacles are supposed to be wired so that the smaller slot is hot and the larger slot is neutral. The insulation on one side of the cord will be marked or  ribbed so that you can keep the hot and neutral identified as you make connections. The convention is that ribbed or marked side is neutral. The smooth or unmarked side is hot.

Addition Edit

The inline appliance switch is the better and standard way to put a switch in a flexible cord, but if you would want to use the components you already have on hand, below is how I would used them to wire the connection in the switch box. But this is not an approved use for these devices and the inline switch would be.

Drill two small holes in the sides or ends of the box that are just large enough to insert the wires. File or sand the edges of the holes so they are not sharp. Insert the wires through the holes leaving about 6" or 7" of wire on the inside and then tie the wire into a simple knot large enough so that the knot cannot pull back through the hole. Connect the neutral wires with a wire nut and connect the hot wires to the switch terminals.


How Do I Disconnect This Plastic Wire Connector?

There are little hooks inside the connector (from the wire side). You have to find something small. (Tiny screwdriver) Push these hooks down and that releases the wire. If you are careful you can connect them again.


Why all daisy chained gfci circuits in house randomly trip? Stand alone gfci no problem

When I see "random tripping" I think "nuisance tripping". The easiest way to fix this is to remove the daisy chain receptacles off of the feed through GFCI and replace each one with a individual GFCI receptacle. Don't forget you still have a problem but now you can isolate it to one particular point and that will help you in your troubleshooting.

Some may comment that it's expensive but a contractor always measures time over material and whether replacing the receptacles will cost more than the hours you will be charged trying to find a "random" trip.

Hope this helps good luck.


Is there a globally recommended "hardness" setting for a water softener?

The setting is the "input hardness". The zeolite matrix resin (the part that does the water softening) will nearly completely soften the water until it runs out of sodium. The resin in the tank is good for a certain amount of "hardness" (measured in grains), probably in the range 10,000-50,000 grains. The setting is used to calculate when the resin will need to be refreshed (by measuring the quantity of water delivered, or using your estimated water usage).

If you input too low of a hardness, you'll have softened water for a while, then you will start to transition to unsoftened water. At some point, the unit will refresh itself, and you'll have soft water again.

If you input too high of a hardness, it'll refresh too often, wasting water and salt.

There's no "standard" hardness, it really depends on your water source. As an example, where I am in Indiana, it is about 18 grains/gallon of Calcium. If you have iron in the water, that must be factored into the hardness, usually at a rate of 4 grains per ppm of iron.

If you use municipal water, they probably publish the specifications of the water you receive. If you have a well, then you should have your water tested, preferably using a titration method (the paper strips work very poorly for measuring hardness).


How can I check my hot water heater temperature? Isn't 120 degrees cold?

Your best bet would be an IR or instant read thermometer.  You should test it from the closest faucet to the hot water tank, and make sure to let it run for several minutes first.

If you do use a leave-in meat thermometer, it might take several minutes to get an accurate reading.

Ice water should be close to 0C/32F (and if you add salt, it would get even colder), which I doubt your meat thermometer can measure.

120F might be considered low, but it is also safer.  140F is a pretty typical setting.


Where should I (not) place POE ethernet outlets?

Well, I will strongly suggest the middle of ceilings, because that's where you are going to want you POE wireless access points to be wired in for best performance, particularly in a solid brick walled house (very hard to get fast WiFi through brick walls at all.)
I will also suggest Cat6A if you have dreams of 10GB. While 6 is nominally good to 55m, the price differential is small, and 6A might offer some slight hope for whatever comes next for copper wires when 10GB is too slow.
But that also leads to my stock firm recommendation for wiring any building for network - use conduit, the cables become obsolete MUCH faster than the power wiring or the house. Being able to pull out your 6, 6a (or 5e if it's much cheaper for you now, though it's usually not that much cheaper) and replace it when you need something faster with whatever is in vogue then will pay off in the long run.
I don't know if the UK has any codes specifically regarding POE ethernet - in the USA as power-limited low voltage it has very little code affecting it (primarily the communications cable section of code, which does not have any notable location restrictions that I can think of at present.) Presumably as an international standard it might have been designed to avoid issues in most countries, but some may have more restrictive rules than is the norm for that application.


what would happen if I don't put a finish on my new computer desk?

Nothing disastrous will happen if you don't finish your desk top.  I see lots of old unfinished work bench tops and shelves at work, they are not pretty like old furniture but they're still working fine.

It will be harder to keep clean - the finish on wood keeps dirt, scuffs, marks from sinking into the wood and makes them easier to wipe up.  Finishes also protect from water and sunlight, but that's more of an issue outdoors.

There are all kinds of ways to finish wood, some are very simple and easy, no tools or oils required, and some don't involve any unpleasant fumes.  You could just wipe it down with an oil - some of these have very little odor, some even have a nice citrus smell.  If you want to seal it, paste wax is inexpensive, no odor, just takes a little elbow grease to apply.


CO detector starts beeping every morning at 6am

If your CO detector were actually detecting CO, it would not chirp.  It would sound a continuous, and very, VERY loud alarm you would definitely recognize.

The chirping is a universal (as far as I know) method for indicating that it's time to change the battery.  This is true for CO and smoke detectors.


In that pico-panel, you have a major defect. You have the breakers incorrectly swapped.  You have a 40A breaker on the thin wire and a 20A breaker on the thick wire.  The thin wire is totally unprotected.  Swap those breakers!
You are correct.  Without a neutral, that pico-panel cannot support any 120V loads end of subject.
You cannot use UF-B as extension cord and I cannot imagine what you were thinking there.   Being solid wire, it is not flexible like a cord must be.  It is not designed to be flexed over and over.  You need cordage such as SJOOW.
If one 10/2 UF-B is run in conduit the conduit must be 3/4" or larger.  Nothing else can be in the conduit.
Honestly, I think your best bet is to run the proper and final feeder that you ultimately want from your main panel to the shed.  I advise against having the power company drop you another service, because the power company has a new trick: they are charging people a "minimum provisioning charge" which, if you cancel service, becomes a "service availability fee".  That is, they charge you for the fact that you could have a service drop if you wanted it. I now have 2 sites with 2 PoCo service drops each, and they charge us $60 a month per drop no kidding.  They won't let us out of either one.  So needless to say, if I have to haul power 1000' I'll feed off my existing service rather than order a new one.
Service size has no bearing on it; one is 240V/100A and another is 480V/1000A. Same $60.


Trying to identify the names of and how to replace Ikea parts

That part is commonly known as a cross dowel. If you buy everything at once, you should be able to match thread diameter and pitch. (Your existing bolt/nut might be metric or imperial.)


What should I consider when cutting a dryer vent hole?

In general, the shorter the vent, the better, so moving the dryer next to the basement wall would be the optimal solution.  If you can't do that, then moving the vent as you said would be a lot better than your current set-up.

This article covers the whole topic in a lot of detail, see especially the sections on why to keep the length as short as possible:

Dryer Vent Hose Length Considerations
Dryer Vent Hose Lengths: Keep it Short

Running the vent to the new location shouldn't be a problem; my preferred tool for cutting the hole would be a hole saw, but they can be expensive.  Looking at your photographs, it seems like don't have any plumbing or electrical stuff to complicate the job.


Replace 240 receptacle with one or two 120

Yes, you should be able to do this. But along the way, you need to fix the problems.
A NEMA 6-20 is supposed to be hot/hot/ground. It is NOT hot/hot/neutral. But yours is wired up as hot/hot/neutral. In the US, black & red (and blue) are hot, white is neutral. Ground is green or bare or, fortunately for you, armored cable. So the first step is:
Make this a valid 6-20
You don't actually have to do this, but if you actually wanted to use the 6-20, you would want to make it safe. Ground is not neutral.
To do that, cap the neutral (since you aren't using it) and instead connect the ground pin of the 6-20 to the metal box. That doesn't always work, but with armored cable and metal boxes that is the normal way to do things. You can get a green wire with a screw attached and screw it into the metal box.
Switch to MWBC
You can get a single 120V 20A circuit easily - just use one hot + neutral. But you can actually get two circuits. This is an MWBC - Multi-wire Branch Circuit. Each circuit gets a hot (red or black) and they share the neutral (white).
The two circuits have to be on separate poles and common shutoff - but that's already done, so this one is relatively easy. Plus everything gets grounded to the metal box. There are a few ways to proceed. The simplest that I can think of is:

Get a 5-20 dual receptacle. This has 2 20A 120V receptacles, which can accept plugs from any standard 15A or 20A 120V devices (like vacuum cleaners).
Break off the common tab on the hot side. Do NOT break off the common tab on the neutral side. Which side is which? No guarantees, varies by manufacturer/model, so check the instructions.
Connect red and black to the hot side - one to each screw.
Connect white to one of the neutral screws.
Connect ground with a green wire/screw to the metal box.

AFCI and/or GFCI
Depending on specific code requirements, it is likely that this circuit (120V instead of 208V/240V) now requires AFCI and/or GFCI, depending on location. The easiest way to retrofit AFCI and/or GFCI for an MWBC is to replace the double 20A breaker with a double 20A breaker that includes the necessary functions. That is different from a single 120V circuit where it is very easy to use a GFCI/receptacle combination - but those generally don't support MWBC.


Is my rental house safe even if the electrical is not grounded at all?

I agree with Aloysius. Many homes in the U.S. Are 2 wire when the 3 wire outlets were added each circuit should have been protected by a GFCI and the outlets marked no equipment ground. Other that "touch lamps" I don't remember seeing lights that required the ground to work.  The hot smell is not a good thing make sure you are not overloading the circuit. I would guess that the electrician only checked the polarization of the outlets with a outlet tester like this or one with a GFCI test button.  If the circuits are GFCI protected with a GFCI outlet on the first outlet in the circuit or a GFCI breaker the system would meet code. The second tester cost ~10$ and you could verify the polarity and push the test button to see if there is protection.


What is the cubic feet of my washing machine?

Stick a measuring device inside.  Measure the depth and diameter.  Convert those to feet.  volume = height times (diameter / 2) ^ 2 * pi.

For example, my washer is 12 inches deep (a front loader) and 22 inches in diameter.  1 foot times (22/12 / 2)^2 * pi = 2.6 cubic feet.

To clarify:

12 inches = 1.0 feet

22 inches = 22/12 feet = 1.8333 feet

convert 1.83333 feet from diameter to radius by dividing by 2 = 0.916666 feet

1.0 x (0.91666) ^ 2  x π =

0.84027777  x  π =

0.84027777  x 3.141592 =

2.63980994


My water heater pilot turns off after about an hour

A thermocouple makes 30 mv power by a temperature differential across the tip of the thermocouple which contains 2 dissimilar metals.
If the entire tip is hot,there is no temperature differential thus no power made or  not enough power will be made.A thousand millivolts = 1 volt,so a thermocouple's 30 mv
is about 1/33 of 1 volt,a AA battery has 1.5 volts which is 1,500 mv,as you can see the amount of power made is very small, consequently it does not take much to affect the ability to maintain the pilot light. Many think that putting the entire tip of the thermocouple into the pilot flame makes more power, exactly the opposite will happen.
A temperature differential must exist across the tip, in other words the base will be a cold junction  and the tip a hot junction and this will create a tiny bit of power (30mv),
If the entire tip is hot no power or insufficient power will be made to power the tiny electromagnet in the gas valve that holds open the pilot valve after we have depressed it's button and lit it then held it closed for a minute or so.


Is my brand new central air conditioner short cycling?

If you are at set point, it sounds like it's working correctly. Many of the newer high end thermostats have the ability to program maximum number of cycles per hour or minimum time between cycles, etc. varies by Tstat.  You have to get into "installer setup" which requires the installer manual for directions and codes.   But bear in mind, if you change some of those settings, you'll have wider temperature swings between cycles.
I'm not an expert in the calcs for HVAC, but your system might be a little over-sized. If it's oversized, it cools the space quickly, but doesn't have enough run time to dehumidify the space, leaving occupants with a cool, but clammy feeling.
I guess the most important question is:  "Are you comfortable in the conditioned space?" If so, live and let live.  For me personally, 68 would be way too cold, but that's just me.
Ed Beal may have other thoughts regarding the cycling rate and hope he'll chime in...I always learn something from him!


Does the height of a water heater safety valve matter?

TPR valve shall extend into the heater tank and monitor the temperature in the top 6 inches of the heater. The discharge pipe shall terminate within 6 inches over the floor and not have any threads on the end, nor are there to be any valves in it.

All pressurized storage-type water heaters and unfired hot water storage tanks shall be equipped with one or more combination temperature and pressure relief valves. The temperature steam rating of a combination temperature and pressure relief valve or valves shall equal or exceed the energy input rating in BTU per hour of the water heater. No shut off valve or other restricting device may be installed between the water heater or storage tank and the combination temperature and pressure relief valve.

All pressurized non-storage type water heaters shall be provided with a pressure relief valve installed at the hot water outlet with no shut off valve between the heater and the relief valve.

3. Temperature and pressure relief valves shall be installed so that the sensing element of the valve extends into the heater tank and monitors the temperature in the top 6 inches of the heater or tank.

Every relief valve which is designed to discharge water or steam shall be connected to a discharge pipe.
5 (a) The discharge pipe and fittings shall be made of a material acceptable for water distribution piping in accordance with s.Comm 84.30 (4) (e) 1.
5 (b) The discharge pipe and fittings shall have a diameter not less than the diameter of the relief valve outlet.
5 (c) The discharge pipe may not be trapped.
5 (d) No valve may be installed in the discharge pipe.

5 (e) The discharge pipe shall be installed to drain by gravity flow to a floor served by a floor drain or to a receptor in accordance with s. Comm 82.33 (8). The outlet of the discharge pipe shall terminate within 6 inches over the floor or receptor, but not less than a distance equal to twice the diameter of the outlet pipe. The discharge pipe may not be threaded.

(source)


If we get a timber-framed single-storey extension, can we later (in a few years) add another storey on top?

Can you - yes - with the application of sufficient money, anything is possible.

Will it be cost-effective - probably not. Building, and then destroying a roof is a very expensive proposition. Removing roof framing and replacing it with an additional floor, likewise.

If you wanted to do this in a way that might make fiscal sense, have the frame designed as a two-story frame, but leave the 2nd floor out at first. It will cost somewhat more than a single-story, but it can actually be built out later without costing an absurd amount of money.


How can I reduce outside noise inside my apartment?

Your options are limited being in an apartment, since you likely can't make very many permanent changes.  I'll run through some ideas, though.

First, putting felt pads on the sides may help a little, but not for the reasons you think.  They will do very little to dampen the vibrations -- you need mass or a dedicated damping agent for that.  What the felt pads will help with is to reduce the mount of air flow through the door.  Air flow is one of the absolute enemies of sound proofing.  The more completely you can seal a door, the better it'll be.  If you have the opportunity to attach an automatic door bottom (surface mount) and then some gaskets, then that'll go a long way towards quieting the noise.

Is your door hollow core?  That is, does it sound hollow when you knock on it?  If so, then you may look into replacing it with a solid core door.  This can be done on a temporary basis as long as the hinges match up and you can simply pop out the old one and pop in the new one.  A solid core door (especially a 1-3/4" thick one) will do a substantially better soundproofing job than a hollow core one.  It does depend on you sealing it, though (see above) or else a lot of that benefit will disappear.

Beyond that... well, it really depends on how leeway you have towards making alternations to your apartment and how what your budget is.  Attaching mass loaded vinyl to the walls and door would help, but would get pretty expensive very fast.  Building an entirely separate interior wall would do a massive amount of help, but would absolutely cause noticeable marks when it was later removed.  The flooring under the wall will certainly have to be re-done.


How can I attach an under-sink water filtration system to the water line?

You're going to need to get a 3/8" x 3/8" x 1/4" brass tee, like this one from Home Depot.

Then you'll simply screw the tee onto the male end of the shutoff valve (where the cold water supply line should currently be attached). Attach the supply line (that you removed from the shutoff valve) to the male end of the tee. Finish the installation by attaching the tubing to the 1/4" outlet using a compression fitting (Which should be included with either the filter or the tee).


The answer is no if you're looking for a simple answer.

More complex answer - What everyone is trying to say in the comments is that you can size the wire according to Table 250.122 in the NEC. This table allows you to size the equipment grounding conductors according to the breaker size protecting the circuit. Example - If your breaker is a 50A then you're equipment ground should be a #8 from beginning to end and there is no downsizing. Keep in mind that the NEC has a complete Article 250 Grounding and Bonded and is one of the most complicated Articles in the NEC.

In answer to part 3 of your question. There is no distance to floor for running PVC other than it should be installed in a correct and workmanship manner. Also it should be protected from any unnecessary damage. A full description is in Article 352 Rigid Polyvinyl Chloride Conduit Type PVC.


You don’t want one row of panels to place the next row  in shade.
You need to make a balanced choice about panel spacing... too close and you lose useful solar energy... too far and you have too much darn lawn to mow...


Confused about CO/ALR devices versus AlumiConn and Copalum

If your goal is safety, install AFCI breakers.  The main failure mode of aluminum wire is arcing as a result of corrosion, and that's what AFCI breakers detect.

If your goal is compliance with a gold standard so you are lawsuit-proof, then CO-ALR receptacles will suffice.  That's not my opinion, it's Underwriter's Laboratories.  They listed these items as safe for use in that modality, as captured in the product's labeling and instructions, which are part of the listing.  UL's testing presumes the end user will follow the instructions.  NEC 2017 requires use of a torque screwdriver, so to complete the compliance, set torques correctly.   Regardless, NEC permits CO-ALR, so clearly the NFPA agrees (that's National Fire Prevention Association).

All we have against them is CPSC's opinion, since they have not provided any provenance to whatever testing they have done if any. Certainly it would be more persuasive if they could point to some rate of house fires from CO-ALR failures.  But all they say on the matter is "in real world conditions", which sounds to me like admission that they do work in spec conditions.  Certainly the most likely place for installs to deviate from spec (especially homeowner installs) is torque.

CPSC is correct that not every connection type is available in CO-ALR.  Here, enter the Alumiconn.  A lug system whose lugs are, amusingly, made of aluminum.


Can you terminate more than one common on the furnace C terminal?

Yes you can terminate any number of connections on the C terminal.  All of the connections will be in parallel.  This is very common.


Basement walls above grade are wet outdoors

There could be two issues: 1) moisture dripping off the building paper under the siding, or 2) moisture entering the masonry cells.

1) We install building paper (moisture barrier) under exterior siding because we know the siding will leak. Well, that moisture needs to run out at the bottom of the wall. If the siding is leaking really badly above this area for some reason, all that moisture could run out long after a storm and “wet” the wall.

2) If you look closely at the interior block wall, you’ll notice some discoloring (darker areas) aligned vertically. This indicates moisture is getting into the cells and filling with water. (Masonry blocks are hollow and often not filled with grout when the wall is constructed.)  This allows moisture in the ground to seep into the concrete block cells. (Yes, masonry block is porous.)

Also, if the window in the first picture is the same window in the interior picture, then these moisture spots align perfectly. This could mean the cell is “full” of water.

Heat will “draw” moisture out of a wall. (That’s why paint on south facing walls blister more than other walls.) So, where the cells have moisture, the sun could draw the moisture out and cause the discoloration.

I’d:  1) check to see if moisture is running out from behind the siding by rolling a few paper towels up and stuffing them up under the bottom of your siding at the wet area AND at the dry areas. Then compare after a storm, 2) Dig down a few feet at the wet spot and see if the moisture barrier on the outside of the basement wall is damaged. I’d also make sure the material (soil) is porous so the moisture can “flow” away from your wall. If it’s not, I’d replace with drain rock. (Round river rock without fines...no rocks smaller than 1/2” dia.) Worse case: you’ll need to install a French drain to carry the moisture away from the wall.

Regardless of where the moisture is coming from, I would NOT finish the interior until you find and stop the moisture because it will cause mold.

...but I don’t understand what is happening at the top of your wall inside. Is that insulation?


There is already over 200amps in circuit breakers. To add 60amps a new panel is needed and the entrance upgraded to at lease 200amps (300 is better).


How to winterize window AC unit from inside?

You shouldn't need to remove them from the outside; these things are generally designed to be installed and removed from inside the house (perhaps with enough strong people helping).


Condensate drain line freezing. Need an internal solution

If the drain line is accessible you could plumb it with a valve so that it goes into a tank during freezing weather. When not freezing it could go outside. What flow rate is coming out? If this is not possible or desirable, figure out how to direct the drain line into the drain under the lavatory.

Alternatively, you could put electric heating tape on the the part of the line that freezes.


What electrical wires are ok for 90C flushmount lighs?

NM-B is rated for 90°C.  Here's an excerpt from Southwire’s Romex® SIMpull® Type NM-B web page.

Southwire’s Romex® SIMpull® Type NM-B (non-metallic sheathed cable) may be used for both exposed and concealed work in normally dry locations at temperatures not to exceed 90°C...

From NEC

National Electrical Code 2017
Chapter 3 Wiring Methods and Materials
Article 334 Nonmetallic-Sheathed Cable: Types NM, NMC, and NMS
334.112 Insulation. ...Conductor insulation shall be rated at 90°C (194°F).

However, keep in mind that the ampacity is limited to that of a 60°C conductor.


Shower starts v hot and powerful but gets colder quickly even though lots of hot water available

You probably just need to replace the cartridge inside the mixer valve.

Thermostatic mixer valves work by expanding and contracting from heat and cold, automatically adjusting the mixture to maintain the set temperature.

It sounds like yours is worn out, and as it heats up it is adding too much cold water, or not enough hot.  Turning it off for awhile lets it cool off a bit and start working normally again until it heats up.

Replacing the cartridge is a pretty simple job - turn off the water, unscrew the screw that holds the handle in place, unscrew the cartridge with a wrench.  The  take the cartridge with you to the store to find the exact right one.  It should come with instructions for aligning the valve and handle properly, so be sure to read them.


If you only have one breaker that feeds all of the outlets (plugs are the other end), then there is nothing simple that you can do, someone made that decision when your mobile home was built. In order to change it, an electrician would need to open up the walls and change the wiring, as well as add another breaker in your panel, which may or may not be possible.

Are you absolutely sure all of your outlets are on the same breaker though? A simple way to check is to plug in a radio, turn up the volume, and turn off the breaker. If it goes silent, then that outlet is tied to that breaker. If not, then turn off another breaker to see which one controls it. Do that for every outlet and create a map/list of what rooms are on what breakers. But it might be what you fear. In small mobile homes, they may have a very small breaker panel, so they have one 2 pole / 240V breaker for the Stove / oven, one 2 pole 240V for an Air Conditioner, one single pole 15 or 20A breaker for the kitchen outlets, and one 15A for the rest of the house outlets.


New wire to the old receptacle, using the receptacle like junction box and outlet box?

No! Bad Idea.  If you want to relieve stress in a particular area than bring a new wire from panel on new breaker to that area and install totally new receptacles just on that wire. Do not mix circuitry.


Do I need to leave space between insulation and the roof deck with a cathedral ceiling?

Yes, cold climates require the insulation in walls to dry towards the outside through breathing gaps in the sheathing, with a vapour barrier separating the insulation from the warm inside moisture.
Roofs are similar, where ventilation is provided through soffits and ridge or gable vents.
Also, the airflow from soffit to gable provides for cooling (!) of the shingles in the winter. Otherwise warmth from the house would melt the snow near the top where heat accumulates, and melt water would re-freeze towards the bottom of the roof, causing ice and ice-dams to form.
In a hot and dry climate I could imagine that the convection through the roof's air gap will more than offset the reduced insulation.
A compromise is to leave a gap and slightly compress the R19 insulation with strapping (length- not cross-strapping, applied in the direction of the slope).
The R value will drop a bit due to compression, but it will be better than R13.
A rule of thumb is that for every 2 inches compressed you loose only 1 inch of equivalent R-value.
Additional insulation from heat can be obtained with reflective foil insulation (e.g. Reflectix) applied to the roof sheathing on the inside.


GE Profile Cooktop and element replacement

My course of action would be to replace the burner. It's only $59.28 at partselect.com. You've already done the hard part, which it removing the bad burner. Reassembling it will be faster.


When Laying Tongue and Groove plywood over 1x6 subfloor, do I lay it with the grain perpendicular to the floor joists or to the 1x6 boards underneath?

I would reset all the nails that are holding the 1X6s,making sure the nail point has found new wood by setting the nail head below the surface by making the last few strikes with the hammer at an angle to dimple the wood with the nail head.
With the nails drawn tight, that should eliminate any potential floor squeaks, but for redundancy add a screw between all the nails. Do not add no more than that, the potential of splitting the joist tops. So if you can, run the screws in at an angle to get the screw to not go the same direction as the other nails. It is a minor detail, but that is what I would do.

After your existing subfloor is secured do what you can to get your T&G joints to break near the center of the 1X6, running you plywood the same direction as the 1X6, perpendicular to the joists.

In my opinion, 3/4" along with the existing 1X6, is overkill on the subfloor/underlayment combination, unless you are setting tile. 5/8" T&G will be a lot easier to carry upstairs and still give a T&G feature which is good. In a minimalistic approach 1/2" underlayment grade plywood will work very well too with the re-secured 1X6. DO make sure it breaks on the center of the 1X6s, cut it if it is not, I refer to NON T&G plywood here so ripping an inch or two off the occasional piece does not matter. What matters is it breaks on the 1X6 everywhere. After that 1 1/4' OR 1 5/8" screws on a 8" grid pattern and construction adhesive will tie it all together. There is no need for 3 1/2" screws for any reason. Maybe 2 1/2" in the joists here and there if you choose, but remember the thing mentioned about too many fasteners in the tops of the joists.


Sounds like you need a neutral wire for that timer switch to work. It's simple logic really: the timer has to get power to run the timing mechanism whether the lamp is on or off.  There are clever ways to steal power when the lamp is off, but not when it's on.  So it needs a hot (which will be one of those wires) and a neutral.

Both wires being the same color is a hopeful surprise.  Same-color NM is hard to find, so good chance your wires are single-wire THHN/THWN in conduit, and the electrician ran two blacks (or whichever color he used) because it is a correct color for both always-hot and switched-hot.  You may be able to pull a neutral wire (white) by fishing.


Is there a significant benefit to using plastic window insulation year round?

If the plastic reduces air exchange between your home and the outside world in the wintertime, it will do the same thing for you in the summertime. You will get some benefit from the plastic in the summertime. I can't tell you how large of a benefit. But, based on my own experience, the tape that holds the plastic in place tends to grow loose after a season or two, so the quality of seal will deteriorate and you may find yourself having to put new plastic up anyway to maintain the seal.

Also, in my home (1921 with single pane windows) the impact of the plastic could not really be measured in terms of utility bills. It was nowhere near 50%. You will probably find that it makes the room much more comfortable, though.


What can we use as a wireless switch for a ceiling light?

You can use something like this, if there is room in the fixture:

The switch just mounts on the wall and uses a battery. There is no direct wiring to the fixture.  This company also makes a hand held remote that would work with the socket adapter (instead of or in addition to the switch) as well:

There are also hard wired switching units that fit in a junction box, such as this one

This last one uses the Z-Wave remote system and needs compatible remote controls.

I would not suggest using a fan control box because there is much less venting/air space in a junction box than in a fan housing.


Can I use standard electrical cable from a waterproof junction box when replacing an exterior light

"Normal" 3-core electrical cable has a name, NM or informally, Romex.  It is not listed for outdoor locations.  For that, you would use its brother, UF.

However, if it is all-conduit between the two junction boxes, it is not illegal to use cable, just a major pain.   The more practical choice is THWN-2 or XHHW,  which is individual wires and easier to work with.  Most hardware stores sell it by the foot.  With this wire, there is an indoor and outdoor classification, but generally only one kind of wire is sold, and it is dual rated.


How heavy is too heavy? mounting heavy window planter boxes

I used z-clips also known as french cleats. Perfect. They distribute the load across the sill of the window, including to the studs on both sides. Seems to be holding fine.


Self Leveling Compound for Floating LVP vs No Leveler and Glue Down LVP

It really depends :

How out of flat are your floors?  Have you taken a 10' straight edge around the room to get the flooring and found the largest difference?

How picky are you, if the floor has some bounce/flex when walking on it is that a deal breaker?  The constraints are there to give you a high quality installation.

Glue down won't work if the floor is so out of level that the clicking mechanism doesn't line up or if you do manage to click it you could end up with voids that cause bouncing and eventual failure of the product.
Some techniques I use:
Consider furniture placement.  If you have furniture covering the area of the floor that is less perfect it doesn't matter as much as you won't notice the bounce and that section of floor won't be subject to continual stress.
Fill low areas with glued down high density underlay
Sand down high spots ( depends if you have a localized high spot ).
Plan the direction of your boards depending on the direction of the slope.  Typically you'll find that the subfloor is flat going in the direction of the joists but across the joists it tends to go up or down depending on how the joists were installed and how much crown they had.  If you put the boards parallel with the joists then the click locks will likely work better than if you put them the other way and the click/lock is trying to stay together over what to the floor looks like a void.
Really I think an 1/8 is more than my perfection requires.  Anything 1/4" or greater should be fixed ( based on the straight edge ) I use a 1/4" horse shoe shim and try to fit it under the straight edge as I move it around the room.
If you have dips you can use SLC.  Mixing it up properly isn't rocket science - though a scale and remembering that 1L of water = 1kg helps when mixing up less than a bag and figuring out mixing ratios.  You should have screeds, trowels and choose an SLC that accepts feathering.  Most require a primer to prevent the plywood from absorbing all the moisture.  I found myself doing a couple lifts the first time and it worked out ok.  I hired out some of the work after doing a few smaller section myself and realizing how hard it is on your back.
I had a room where the end dropped by 1" so I raised it 1/2 with plywood and did SLC to bring it up the rest of the way.
SLC can and does crack.  That shouldn't be an issue if you have underlay and the subfloor is flat enough that anything that could crack doesn't move around.  Cracks are really fine the worst are pieces that come loose and then rub together as you walk on them.  Underlay is fairly soft and any pieces that do some loose are likely to embed in the underlay.  If the subfloor is flat and the LVP is installed flat and has underlay I don't see how pieces of the SLC are going to move around.
If you want perfect results you flood the entire area with SLC such that it covers every square inch of the area and you move it around as it does not self level.  You are really better paying someone to do that level of finishing.


Fluorescent ballast has white/black wiring; home wiring has red/white; how do I match them up?

Yes, in North America on a fluorescent ballast, white is neutral and black is hot -- switched hot, that is.

In North American wiring, white and gray are neutral, green and yellow/green are safety ground, and everything else is hot.  So red is hot.

Further, there's a mild preference to use black for always-hot and red for switched-hot. You obviously want switched-hot to a light.


How to tighten fitting on pipe in very small space


Do I need to replace the garage door opener or just the remotes to upgrade to rolling code technology?

I'm not sure it makes sense to spend money and effort retrofitting something on a 30 year old opener. How much longer do you think it will really last? New garage door openers can be had for around $150 and in addition to the "rolling code" remotes will include several other benefits like an electric eye safety sensor, auto-reversing contact sensor, vacation lockout controls, etc. If you want to spend more you can get other bells and whistles like quiet belt drives, wifi control, number keypads, battery backup...


Flushing upstairs clears a stopped toilet downstairs

The hydrostatic head water pressure on the sewer plug from the downstairs toilet is roughly 1 psi. The hydrostatic head from the upstairs toilet/drains puts roughly 6 psi on the plug. That is about 7 pounds force at the plug from downstairs or 42 pounds of force from upstairs ( with a 3" I D sewer pipe).


Wiring a GE smart switch in a box with 2 light switches sharing a neutral wire and switches sharing a hot wire on same circuit

This is not as hard as it looks

We can tell from your photo that the far left cable provides the always-hot and neutral for the lighting branches on the left and center switches, which leave via the two middle cables, while the far right cable is for the 3-way circuit and thus needs to be left alone.  Furthermore, we can see the neutral bundle for the two outdoor light circuits in the back of the box, running left to right.

This means that putting both outdoor lights on the same smart-switch is easy.  The neutral bundle gets pulled out from the back of the box and the switch's neutral gets added to it, with a pigtail of appropriate gauge wire used to make the connection.  Likewise, the existing ground bundle is pigtailed to the ground screw on the switch, and another pigtail is run from that ground bundle to the ground screw on the 3-way switch to the right, as the grounding in this box appears to be improper.

Then, we can cut the wire that connected to both the left and center switches (on their lower screws in your photo) back to just before the first stripped section, strip an end, and connect it to the LINE terminal on the switch.  The two wires going off to the outdoor lights are then wirenutted to a pigtail that connects to the LOAD terminal on the switch.  Get a suitable faceplate (3-gang with a blank in one position, a decorator or toggle in the second, and a toggle opening in the third -- modular faceplates are also an option for this, or you could use a switch-filler in the existing faceplate if your new smart switch uses a toggle style handle), button it all back up, turn the breaker on, and enjoy your new smart switch!


Why Does Butcher Block Countertop Need To Be Sealed Within 48 Hours?

Answer compiled from multiple comments to the question:

Wood is dried just before being shrink-wrapped. The second the wood is unsealed, dust and moisture can start to absorb into the wood. Both cause issues with a clean finish and water can cause damage in some situations.


Wiring a UK plug without coloured wires - help!

If this is an older record player, it probably does not need a polarized plug (where the neutral is denoted). Polarity would come into play with a newer record player.

Assuming you use Type G plugs, you could buy this replacement end and wire up the two plugs, omitting the ground prong.


How can I block off scorching sunlight from coming through my windows?

First, try to prevent the sun from hitting the building in the first place. Shade trees, large overhangs, louvers can all do this. There may be micro louver screens available that appear to be heavy duty insect screens but are actually very small louvers. You can easily see through the louvers, but they prevent the sun from hitting the glass.

Second, reduce the impact of what sun does hit the building by reflecting it away. Transparent reflective film on the window and light colored wall finish will work for this measure.

Third, reduce conducted heat. Insulate the wall so the hot outer surface cannot easily heat the inner surface. Use dual glazing the same way, the hot outer pane cannot easily heat the inner pane.

Fourth, prevent the hot inner surfaces from heating the room's air. Typically drapery or similar treatments. Not just the window, the wall too. Even sheer drapes you can see through are better than nothing. They trap air between the glass and the fabric, creating additional insulating value to keep the heat out of the room, and reduce the transmitted light that would have further heated the room interior.

I've covered how to reduce heat gain through the various modes of how it gets into the room, but I've only scratched the surface of ways to do this. Be creative. Figure out ways to achieve what I've outlined with materials that are readily available to you.


I cleaned a cast iron bath tub with a toilet bowl cleaner

The bowl cleaner temporarily removed the tubs resurfacing rust; an increasingly browning film stain. But probably too well; also dissolving away some of the tub's enamel. You'll want to find a balance between removing just enough brown film stain routinely; while not dissolving too much enamel. I suggest a lesser strength acidic cleaner, and rinse it off sooner, and very thoroughly. Unlike your tub, toilet bowls don't have an under laying iron frame, so rust can't resurface... Good luck, take it easy, and think about a replacement tub sometime. Long term, I that's a better deal, than "painting it". I'd like to buy stainless tubs, sinks, and toilets.


anchoring a beam made from dimensional lumber to concrete piers

I think this is what you need. Check with the representative from Simpson for availability and what size (W) you need. You can filter the desirable size from the table below.


Does shale rock call for a larger well diameter?

WOW, a lot to digest here between the OP and comments.  Here goes:  I have to agree with Ecnerwal, there is no reason to go with an 8" casing, it would be a LOT more expensive than 6".
Drilling wells is often a crap-shoot. To minimize the risk, in my area (Western Washington State), our Dept of Ecology maintains drilling well logs for every well drilled.  These logs contain what material was removed and at what depth and the depth when water was found. You could look into it if your area maintains logs like that.
On my property I have 2 wells, about 100' apart, one is a fantastic producer, at least 40 GPM!  Not that I need nearly that much, but just got lucky.  The other well only produces about 4 GPM.
I believe that attempting to refurbish the existing well might be your best bet. Like Ecnerwal said, a low producing well can slowly feed a large water holding tank that would be pumped from into a pressure tank or even a constant pressure pump that would pump from the holding tank into the distribution system.  Constant Pressure pumps vary their speed based on demand and don't require a large pressure tank.
If I were you, I'd base my decision on any available well drilling logs in your area. Drilling a new well has no guarantees. Look at it this way: If the refurbishment of the existing well wasn't satisfactory,  but still somewhat functional and you drilled a new well, at least you'd have a backup well in case of problems with the new one.


residential plywood roof deck: does the long edge have to rest on a purlin?

There are little metal joining clips that are used for light duty application of roof decking to rafters on 24" centers without lathe. If this is allowed when there is no lathe, then surely it would be sufficient if there is lathe.

The plywood is stiffer in one direction (I think the long direction) and it may be that the stiffness along with the joining clips (if used on the long side) are sufficient. One side of the plywood (I think the short side) is more flexible and that is what needs support by joining it on the rafters.

Editing If I could do it, I would get extra lathe and support the joints with lathe. How much better will you feel for all the time you'll be under that roof to have the joints fully supported?

More This roofer uses plywood strips to connect the long sides of the decking sheets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij00l1PzgU4 But I don't think his strips are wide enough. I would think 2" min, 3" best.

He says in this video he uses 1 x 2" battens and supports the long edge. The batten or lathe supports the edge by tension. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwsHolj_bnc


How do I mount a TV to cover a cubby hole above my fireplace?

I would build a 2x4 (or 2x6, it's hard to tell the depth from this picture) frame to fit into the cubby hole, something like this:

Spacing and attaching

Space the studs 16" on center. You'll need to attach this securely to the rest of the walls. Assuming they're also wood, a few 3" #10 screws into either side would probably do the trick. Be sure to recess the frame by 1/2" so when you put drywall on it's flush.

Blocking

The blocking can just be a 2x4 or 2x6 flat against the front edge, and gives you a very solid surface to screw a mount into. You probably only need it for one edge of the mount, so long as you screw the bottom into at least one stud its should be sturdy enough.

You can also use plywood (or OSB) on the surface, either with a layer of drywall overtop or just in the center of the hole, butting the plywood edge to the drywall. Kind of your choice which way is better, just remember if the finish is all drywall, it's easier to remove the TV and just patch the holes later.

Power

It looks like there is already power there. Keep in mind all junctions MUST be accessible from the finished space, so this means you'll have to put power in a spot that the existing wiring can reach, or re-run wiring. There are various types of recessed plugs that can make things easier when dealing with a mounted TV.

Low-voltage signal cable

Some of the plugs also have low-voltage, or you can run that separately. Again, I don't know what's there now, so I can't make specific recommendations. It's not against code to make signal wire connections in the wall (eg, splicing coax), it's just not necessarily the best idea because if the connection fails, it's not accessible.

I'm a fan of just having the cables come out of the wall (without separate connection jacks) behind the TV since 1) it's cheaper, 2) it's easier to install, 3) it's less likely to fail. The picture above on the left is one way to do this; in my last house I used a recessed media box that has grommets on the faceplate, and this is a great way to go:

(Note, I did that nearly 5 years ago, and ran everything I thought I might possibly need. I only ever used a single HDMI cable, and actually eventually ended up pulling most of the other cables out. Since I had everything in two 2" central vac tube conduits going straight about 10' opening into an unfinished space, this was trivial for me. YMMV.)

You may also want to run cables to a spot on the wall next to the fireplace, to put your sources (receiver, game console, whatever) there instead of on the mantle. Since you're going to be patching drywall anyway, if you need to punch some holes to fish wires, now is a good time to do it.

Conduit (optional)

You might also consider running a conduit, so you can run future cables through. If you do this, be sure to run a reasonably big conduit; cables like HDMI can't really be spliced so you have to able to fit the end through. Also, don't run anything in the conduit today (except for a pull string, if you want). Just run existing cables beside the conduit; if you end up having to replace them the cables are obsolete anyway, why bother with trying to pull them out and potentially getting stuck, etc.

Drywall / Paint

Finally, put new drywall up and patch it in, feathering the edges (there are lots of drywall questions here to address that part, specifically). This will typically take 2-3 days since you have to wait between coats.

Finally, you can paint. If you have the original paint and it was painted fairly recently, you MAY be able to just paint the new part and have it blend without being noticeable. More likely, you'll have to paint this entire surface (up to any edges/corners), so be prepared for that. Around corners even reasonably big differences in color are not perceptible, but on a flat surface even the slightest color difference is very obvious (trust me, I've been there, including the "Crap.. maybe it's just because it's still wet" thought, to which the answer is: no, it will still look off when it dries).

If you don't have the original paint you can color match. Also, obviously, if you've been thinking of changing the room color anyway, now is a good time.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out


How do I know if my lightswitch is wired incorrectly?

As Tester says, Shirlock is referring to a switched neutral. The switch should be stopping the current on the black line from getting to the light when turned off, but there are lots of ways to wire a switch where the wire colors don't help. In particular, if the wiring begins in the light fixture and uses a single pair of wires to the switch, you'll only have a black and white wire in the switch J-box.

To know if you have a switched neutral, you'd need to check if there is any voltage to ground from inside the switched outlet or light socket when the switch is turned off. If it's a light socket and you don't have a ground, you can use the large pin on an extension cord. Just use a voltage tester to see if there's any current, they are cheap and I'd consider it a required tool if you're doing any electrical work.

But Tester is also right that if you had a semi-competent electrician wire your home, and replaced the switch with another and using the same wires, you are unlikely to have this issue. And if you never stick your finger in the light socket, you'll be unlikely to ever realize you had this problem.


This is a guess, but some thermostats require power to be delivered to Rc and Rh.  They will usually come with a jumper wire to bridge the Rc and Rh terminals, but maybe this installer just got into the habit of using two wires because that thermostat didn't come with a jumper or it was lost, or that's just how he liked it.

There should be no reason that both wires are used, and you should be able to use the black wire for the C wire.  Blue is typically used, but your thermostat wire doesn't have a white so your colors aren't going to match no matter what you do.


Repairing a broken screw hole on a plastic junction ceiling box?

That box is a type of plastic called Bakelite. It's tough, but brittle. If you're careful, you can break the box apart without damaging the ceiling. If you have a hole saw, you can probably drill out around the rivet heads you see in the back of the box and it will come right out.

Then you can replace it with a new "old work" box.


Garage door immediately reversing when trying to close

Does the door move freely?  If the sensor isn't obstructed, the other cause for reversal would typically be down force.   If it takes too much force to close the door, it may think it's obstructed by something that's not blocking the sensor, and will reverse.   The amount of force required to reverse is adjustable, but you shouldn't adjust it without understanding why it changed, as it is a safety issue if not adjusted properly (think crushing a pet or toddler).    Please consult the instructions for your unit for proper adjustment.


correct fastener for drywall over plywood

Use a molly bolt, sometimes called a toggle bolt.  They can be found and any hardware store.  The butterfly end opens up on the other side of the wall material.  When it is drawn tight it is a very good and strong fastener. While you are at the hardware store pick up a small can of spackel to be used to fill the seen portion of he fastened hole.


1/2" Feed, 3/4" Piping, Effect on Water Flow Rate

The hot/cold mixer valve and/or the 1/2" valve outlet make installation of 3/4" pipe, downstream on the run to the shower head, unnecessary; you will have no appreciable benefit from this. Also, I imagine that your "rain shower" unit has a 1/2" inlet (although you don't mention this).

Your concern about "wasting hot water" doesn't make sense to me; your proposed pipe size increase is after the hot and cold mixer...


What should be used to insulate around the interior brick of chimney that is next to drywall?

The clearance for combustible materials to a properly built masonry chimney like you describe would be 0"; no clearance required.

I would use just about anything you want and worry more about getting your chimney inspected and cleaned on a regular basis.


Is it feasible to cover low-pile carpet with a 1/4" subfloor and vinyl tile in a kitchen?

I think you will regret leaving old carpet on the floor and covering it up. If you are willing to spend $$$ on plywood, why not spend those same $$$ on some foam underlayment for a solid vinyl locking plank floor? The foam is a decent sound deadener, water-proof and resists mold and mildew.

Old carpeting, even a low nap commercial type will hold moisture, breed mold and odors. One bad spill, pet accident, etc will become a smelly problem.

Rip it out and do it right, you won't regret it.


Is there a minimum height regulation for emt conduit in a garage?

There is no height requirement in NEC Article 358.12, "Uses not permitted" so long as the run meets the other requirements. There is also no height requirement for task lighting over a work area. The only "standard" height for work areas I have ever heard of was 30" above a work area. I assume this is to allow you to put things on the work area and provide adequate head clearance. It would be practical to provide some sort of protection from any glass breakage such as a wraparound fixture or lamp protectors.

If you would like to review NEC requirements on fixtures go to Article 410.


How to fix side of bathroom vanity damaged by water

This looks like birch faced plywood not cheap. You may be able to lightly sand the surface to remove much of the discoloration. I would paint it after cleaning it up and use a latex calking at the floor to seal it so water will not wick up the wood. don't get two aggressive with the sanding because this is a very thin veneer.


How can I prevent these LEDs from blinking when turned off?

My guess is that you have a dimmer which has a light or LED on it.  If this is the case, your particular dimmer does not have a dedicated neutral on it, so in order to power the light/LED, it needs to feed a small amount of current through the lighting circuit.  If you had a standard incandescent bulb, this would not be anywhere near enough to cause it to light up, but with CFL's or LED's, this might be enough to cause it to flash.

Purchase a dimmer that has a neutral connection on it (usually these are a bit more expensive). Because it can be powered without powering the rest of the circuit, it will eliminate the flashing light.


This looks suspiciously like the documented cycling behavior of a HPS lamp that is near its end of life.  The HPS lamp is similar to a fluorescent, but instead of using a surface-coated phosphor to convert the UV to visible light, it uses sodium mixed in with the mercury.  As a result, the lamp has an internal discharge that is struck upon starting and gives it a negative resistance characteristic, controlled by a ballast (typically an inductor).

When it nears end of life, as in the case of your lamp, reactions with the lamp's alumina (synthetic sapphire, really) shell have depleted much of the sodium from the lamp, raising the voltage required to maintain the discharge to a point where when the lamp is fully hot, the ballast can no longer provide that voltage, causing the lamp to extinguish and re-strike when it cools down.  Newer HPS ballasts have a counter in them that keeps them from sitting there and wearing out the lamp trying to strike it repeatedly -- instead, they will "lock out" the lamp until power is removed/reapplied.

Replacing the lamp should get you another 20,000 hours of light -- unlike with incandescent or compact fluorescent lamps, LED retrofits for HPS aren't nearly as advantageous lifespan-wise, although they exist if you wish to go that route for color rendering or disposal considerations, as HPS lamps have mercury in them and should be disposed of along with their fluorescent counterparts.


Can I replace an under mount sink with a drop in sink without replacing the countertop?

I have replaced bathroom sinks of various types with ceramic style sinks that sit from the top of the vanity cabinet surface.
This work best if the before and after sinks both had the faucet holes as part of the sink body itself. Another factor to consider is selecting a new sink that will work within the hole size of the old sink. This can make the replacement job tremendously easier, particularly if the existing vanity has a tile top.
I have found that you should be prepared to fully replace the drain down pipe, p-trap and drain line to the wall. Differences in sink dimensions and basin depth will likely leave it difficult to fit the old stuff to the new sink. Besides the new parts are not that expensive and it is far more pleasant to fit up clean new parts.


Move grounds to subpanel when I moved 8 single pole breakers to same subpanel?

The grounding should be fine...

What you're doing here is running multiple circuits (the feeder out to the subpanel and the branch circuits back) through a single raceway with a single equipment grounding conductor, as implicitly provided for in NEC 250.122(C):

  (C) Multiple Circuits. Where a single equipment grounding conductor is run with multiple circuits in the same
  raceway, cable, or cable tray, it shall be sized for the largest
  overcurrent device protecting conductors in the raceway,
  cable, or cable tray. Equipment grounding conductors installed in cable trays shall meet the minimum requirements
  of 392.10(B)(1)(c).

This, plus the fact that a single EGC can branch into multiple EGCs downstream of a panel when a multi-circuit raceway splits into individual circuits, means that you are fine on the grounding standpoint.

However, that poor, sweltering feeder cable isn't!

That feeder cable, on the other hand, is very not-fine.  Putting 18 current-carrying wires (8 branch circuit hots and neutrals each, as well as the 2 feeder hots) into a single raceway forces a whopping 50% derate on the conductors (as per Table 310.15(B)(3)(a)), and 30" is a bit too long for the short-raceway provisions in 310.15(B)(3)(a) point 2, which are limited to raceways 24" or shorter.  This means that your 2/2/2/4 SE cable is limited to 50A(!) and your 12AWG branch circuit wires can only handle 15A.

Fixing this would require re-running the middle panel's feeder and returning branch circuits using properly sized wires -- the branch-circuit wires would need to be bumped up to 10AWG, and the feeder hot wires would need to be bumped up to 1/0AWG (although a smaller neutral could be acceptable here, depending on the amount of unbalanced load anticipated in the subpanel).  With your 1.5" EMT, the 10AWG THHN branch circuit wires (at 13.61mm2 of fill each), and compact stranded XHHW-2 singles for the feeder hot conductors, this leaves you with 422.96mm2 of fill used out of 526mm2 usable, before accounting for the neutral -- a full-size 1/0AWG neutral takes up another 102.6mm2 of fill, pushing you to the very limit of what that conduit can handle.

As a result, I'd recommend replacing it with 2" EMT to provide room for growth, or running two more EMTs (1/2" will do, with 72mm2 used vs 78mm2 usable) to allow the use of 12AWG wire for the branch circuits coming back via the new conduits.  (Adding the extra conduits doesn't change the grounding logic from above at all, by the way.)


What is this dense, foam-like stuff under my bathtub?

Your tub space is odd looking, It appears that your tub  had an oval bottom.

For standard tubs The tubs are set in a base of foam or sometimes a cement type product to provide a solid bed for the bottom of the tub to rest on.

This is done to support the bottom of the tub and keep it from flexing.

If it was not there the bottom of the tub would be free floating and  the flexing could, over time, cause issues at the mounting points on the rim of the tub thereby causing loose and or noisy connections.


Using CEDAR planks to sound proof a home music studio

Soundproofing is an entire enginneering principal on its own. Not to be facetious, but you are asking for a definitive answer on soething that has near infinite variables.

Some quick notes, "solid" is not the way to stop sound. Air gaps and breaking up sound-waves is the way forward.

A bit of google on "soundproofing a room" will get you where you need to go, and likely better than a quick home depot fix. I checked and there is some excellent info available.

Good luck, and let us know what you do and how it worked out.

Max


Must Electrical Adapters Be Inside Gang Boxes?

In general, AC 120 and 240 wiring may not be terminated in a wall except in approved boxes or fixtures. And those boxes must be accessible. You cannot splice wires in a wall without boxes (except for certain approved in-line splices), and you cannot bury a box in a wall without an accessible cover.

That means you need to attach the DC adapter (basically a transformer) to an approved electrical box. This is usually done with the transformer bolted to the outside of the box with the wires from AC side of the box feeding inside, where they are attached to the line in. And this box must remain accessible, with a cover that can be removed to get to the wiring.

If this is not aesthetically pleasing, you may be able to locate the DC adapter somewhere else (in a basement or an attic) with an appropriate box, and then run low voltage wires to your speaker.

If this is a plug in adapter, you need to attach it to a conventional outlet in a conventional box, not buried in a wall.


If you're trying to just remove latex paint, it might be better to try something more targeted at latex paint.  That usually means less chemicals in the cocktail involved.
There's a product called Krud Kutter, Latex Pain Remover that contains Acetone, and something called Dipropylene Glycol n-Propyl Ether.  Googling the latter indicates there's some decent evidence from valid sources like NIH that this stuff is relatively low toxicity.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15705495/
In general, I'd choose a more targeted stripper with the least toxic substances you can find than a general one that'll take off everything.
It seems strippers are getting quite a bit less toxic than "the bad old days" of methylene chloride.  I'd still be cautious of this stuff, since stripppers are still likely the nastiest chemicals most consumers experience.
There's other alternatives out their, like infra-red heaters (different from a heat gun).  Since you say there's no lead, this may present a completely non-toxic way to strip the latex.  I haven't used them myself, but I do recall a friend having good luck with them.


You are fine.  Copper is pretty pliable and one soft metal.  I am assuming that this branch is already working and capped.  So if you do have any issues you should know right away.  Also I would tell the plumber what you did so he isn't pulling out his hair if something goes wrong.


How to tie treehouse cross beam to tree branch notch without harming tree

You certainly won't want to just sit the beam in the fork of the tree. The tree will move quite a bit and you'd slowly wear through the bark and damage the tree if you do that. Also note that forks aren't always the strongest part of the tree.

What you want to do is have the beam mounted to the tree with hardware that a) allows for lateral movement and b) is offset from the surface of the mark.

They make special hardware just for this. It's typically a huge lag bolt with a spacer than the beam 'rides' in via a slip bracket. Example:

source: http://www.treehousesupplies.com/1_25_Floating_Bracket_p/br-f1.25.htm


European DIN Specification bathroom lock standard door preperation, has a 60mm offset

the hole must be big enough for the axles, the largest is 8mm square so an 11mm round hole will do if it's correctly located.  the knobs are 78mm apart vertically

As per the drawing on that web site:


Adding split AC to a Dayton oil fired forced hot air furnace

Don't touch the tt and ff terminals. Those are specific to oil burners. ff is a flame proving circuit where a cadmium sulfide photo receptor connects. tt brings on the burner with a heat only thermostat. For cooling there should be a board or a different terminal block somewhere. If it's an older or entry-level oil furnace, a fan centre needs to be added. It's basically just a relay with a built in transformer that switches the fan to the cooling speed on a call for cooling. Whenever installing an A-coil on an oil furnace, make sure to leave at least 6" clearance to the top of the furnace. I always leave as much as possible.

With more information and perhaps photos I could answer with more detail.


How does one know if running water is enough to avoid frozen pipes?

An opened faucet will already lower the chance of a pipe bursting.
The typical way a pipe bursts is when it is fully shut. Since it is watertight, there is no place for the water to go. When the water freezes and expands, the only way to go is the side of the pipe, so it bursts.
When the faucet is opened, even just a little, it allows the water to drip out. Now, you say, the water is frozen, wouldn't that still burst? The answer is no.
As the water freezes and expands, the kinetic energy exerted by the ice against the pipe actually melts the ice, and just enough will melt and flow out of the faucet. This is how ice skating works. The physical pressure on the ice creates a thin layer of water, which obviously refreezes immediately once the pressure is removed. You can also easily demonstrate this by using a knife on a block of ice. The pressure from the tip of the knife melts the ice, even though it is just as cold.
So with the faucet opened just a little, as the water pipe freeze over, you'll eventually see the ice "leak" out of the faucet. This is the water melting and freezing immediately. Even though the opening of the faucet will eventually freeze over completely, that frozen opening is still substantially weaker than the pipe, and the expanding ice will continue to "leak" out of the faucet and not burst your pipes.


Why won't my washer turn off when breaker is off?

The diagram below shows a typical electrical breaker box:

Notice how at the top there is a "Main" breaker. Locate this breaker and turn it off. If the washer still runs then it has to be connected to the 240 hot lug screws, shown with the red text in the diagram (a bad thing, call electrician).

If the washer goes off when the main is pulled, but all other breakers do not affect it, then it means the washer is wired to the bus bar, also a bad thing, but not nearly so bad as being connected to the main hots.

If the second case is true, then you may be able to fix it yourself. Turn off the main breaker. Locate the connection to the busbar by using a continuity tester, disconnect it, install a 240V 3-wire breaker, re-connect washer to new 3-wire breaker. If your box is full, install a subpanel.


Type of insulation between exhaust flue and chimney flue?

Mineral or rock wool is what it is called, I believe Roxul is a brand of that. Check its properties to make sure it can handle that kind of heat. It is approved for firestopping in framing of homes.

Here is a video of it's benefits

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rbRYs0XEAM


It's called a drywall stomp. You use normal drywall mud along with something called a stomp brush and it makes that pattern on the ceiling.

To remove it, take a spray bottle and fill with water. Spray your ceiling to make it damp, then take a drywall trowel and scrape the ceiling down.


Can I change an orifice to make an R22 evaporator unit compatible with a 410a unit?

The orifice will need to be changed. The question is whether the evaporator is rated for the 410 pressures. In the early days the R22 evaporators could not contain R410, but after 410 came out mfg’s started making heavier coils that could support 410 but R22 was cheaper and we had experience with it so we continued using it even though it was being phased out.

If the evaporator coils are rated for R410 sure go ahead and use it, but as I told another person on this forum today I know of a company that upgraded an old R22 system it worked until a hot day and the evaporator coil exploded causing damage to the air handler and the home having to be evacuated (Freon is heavier than air and can kill especially with a closed up house). The fire department aired out the house but the oil in the air handler, furnace and ducts had to be removed before the home could be occupied because of the smell.

So I would check the model of the evaporator to make sure it has an acceptable pressure rating. If so, change to the appropriate size orifice. This won’t be as efficient of a system as it could be but it can work if the pressure rating is there.


As the others have said, paint will not help your situation.  You will need to apply another coat of mud. The final coat can be applied using a 12 inch flat knife, but I personally like a 14 or 16 inch bow trowel. The idea is to have a thicker coat of mud over the tape and bevel or feather the edges out wide so you will not notice the small difference in thickness.  With a 12 inch knife, your joint should be about 16 to 18 inches wide. Push harder on the outside of the knife than on the inside/center of the joint. This will leave more mud in the center and feather the edges better. Do this on each side of the joint.

Here is another tip for you.  For your last or final touch-up coat, mix a little extra water and some Ivory dish soap into your mud.  It will flow very easily, far less tiny air bubbles, and will sand out easy with little pressure. Never use sandpaper, use a 150 or 220 sanding sponge. Don't go crazy and strip it too much or you will expose the tape again. Smooth the center gently and feather out the edges more agressively.   Good luck