Why is my air conditioner tripping the circuit breaker?

Disconnect the power
Start by turning off the breaker, and pulling the serviceman disconnect, which will typically look something like this.

This will insure no electricity is flowing to the condenser unit while you're working.
Open the unit
Next you'll want to disassemble the unit, to allow access to the electrical parts. This will vary from unit to unit, so check the owners manual for the procedure for your unit.  Once you have the unit opened up, make sure to discharge the capacitors.

These things store enough power to kill you, so you don't want them to discharge accidentally.
Resistance is not futile
Once the power is completely removed from the unit, it's safe to start poking around (electrically speaking, don't go busting the refrigerant lines). Start by tracing the wires from the condenser fan motor, back to where they connect in the electrical box.  There should be 3 or 4 wires.  In my unit, I had Black, White, Brown, and Brown with a White stripe (your model may vary).  To determine if the motor is good, you'll measure the resistance across each coil.  To do this, you'll have to disconnect the wires, so the motor is no longer part of the circuit (make note of where the wires connected).
Typically you'll have 3 wires, start, run, and common (we'll ignore my 4th wire in this answer). Set your multimeter to measure Ohms, and start measuring.  You're going to measure the resistance between each combination of two wires to determine what each wire is, and if the motor is still good. Let's start with Black and White...
Black -> White = 15.9
Black -> Brown = 35.4
Brown -> White = 51.2
Knowing that...
Common -> Run = Lowest resistance
Common -> Start = Medium resistance
Start -> Run = Highest resistance
We can determine that...
Black = Common
White = Run
Brown = Start
If we also know that the two lower readings should always add up to the larger reading, we can safely say this motor is still good. If you measure 0 or infinity between any pair, that means you have a shorted or an open winding and the motor should be replaced.
Repeat the same procedure for the compressor motor.
Shorts on the ground
The other thing you'll want to check for, is shorts to ground.  Set your multimeter up to test impedance.  Put one probe on the equipment grounding conductor of the feeder, and the use the other to find a solid ground on the motor.  You may have to scratch some of the paint off, especially on the compressor.  Once you've found a solid ground, measure from each motor wire to your ground spot.  If the meter beeps or give a low resistance reading, you have a short to ground. As with the resistance test above, the motor should be isolated from the circuit when doing this test (once a solid ground is located).


Aprilaire 600M Wiring to Honeywell TH8321 Stat

I skimmed through the thermostat manual in the link but it didn't seem to address your model very well. For example, I didn't see anything about the capabilities of the U1 terminals.
The signal from the thermostat to the humidifier to quit humidifying is simple: the thermostat's output controls the water valve. When the thermostat turns off its signal the water valve closes and the humidifier dries up.
A simple solution is to get the Aprilaire humidistat and let it control the humidity rather than having the thermostat do the job.
It's a little nicer to have the thermostat control the humidifier valve, but to get there it looks as if you'll have to find some other way of controlling the damper. An upgrade of the thermostat to one that supports two accessories could work. There might be another way, though. It depends on when the damper should be operated. The furnace control might already have support for operating an accessory, for example. Or, if the damper should operate only when the thermostat calls for heat, you could add a relay to make it so.


Defiant security light installed..Motion senser flashes red But no lights

The sensor flashing red is telling you that the sensor sees you.  It's not turning on because only a fool would turn the lights on in broad daylight.  Yes, it knows it is broad daylight because it also has a light sensor.

If it is in fact night, then you have an unusual amount of artificial lighting in the area, and that is fooling the sensor.  However, most sensors have a learning feature if you leave the system energized 24x7, and after a couple day/night cycles it will learn what normal light levels are here.

If you cut power to the sensor, you will wipe its memory and it will have to start the learning process all over again.  So don't do that.


Ok to use solid furnace wire to connect this 24v transformer to my nest?

Yes, that size is enough. Solid wire is harder to bend then stranded but this isn't an issue unless you move or use the wire often.


Viessmann Vitodens 200w, LCD screen stuck on

We got an engineer in to deal with issues outside of the scope of the question, and Viessmann support would talk to him, they pointed out that it wasn't a test mode or crash, it was the LCD brightness! Hold down the OK button, and press the minus button (-) (not originally pictured, below the plus (+)) and turn down the brightness, fixed!


Why does my shower run out of hot water quickly?

Replacing the tank eliminates the most common suspects, although it is conceivably possible that you've just had terrible luck and there's a similar issue with the new tank as well. You can test the capacity of your water heater using this procedure, filling buckets with hot water and measuring the temperature to see how much you can draw down before it gets cold.

Assuming the tank capacity is fine, then the remaining possibilities are that the hot water can't get to you (which seems quite unlikely when there's no tempering valve), or that you are simply using it all up. If your shower heads have really high flow rates (like >5GPM), it is possible you could actually be using up all of your hot water in just 10 minutes. You can measure the flow rate of your shower head by using the bucket from the capacity test and timing how long it takes to fill it.


How can I safely cut the cable on a broken garage door?

Unless you know how to unload the tension on the torsion spring, this is not safe for you to do yourself. There are plenty of videos on the internet that show you how to do it, but be aware that the consequences ofusing the wrong tools or doing it wrong will likely result in serious injury, such as broken bones or amputated limbs, or death.

You should probably hire a pro to unload the torsion spring.


Replace the fixture -- the driver's failed and isn't starting up properly.


Wiring for a generator Inlet and EV charger

UF-B in conduit is a nightmare.
You can't fit even one 6/3 UF-B into a 1-1/2" conduit.
One 6/3 UF cable requires 2" conduit.
Two 6/3 UF cables require 3-1/2" conduit!
Since 3-1/2" conduit is required, 1-1/2" conduit is right out :)
Your only option is to have a junction box at each end of the conduit run, and splice from UF to THHN wire for the run  inside the conduit.  Note that your junction box will require 65 cubic inches because you'll have 12 active conductors being spliced all in all, plus 4 grounds (which count as 1/4 wire, rounding up). Each #6 wire requires 5 cubic inches.   Eight THHN wires will fit very comfortably inside a 1-1/2" conduit.
Note with #6 THHN, neutral must be on a white or gray wire, and ground must be green or bare - no remarking wires with tape.


Do hot circuit breakers indicate a problem?

It is never common for any breaker to get extremely warm. Residential plug-in breakers are rated for 70C. So your measurement of 125F then it is at 52C and I am guessing you're just measuring the breaker and not opening the panel and checking the lugs. If your breaker is heating up over 158F you have already done damage to to your breaker or bus.

Breakers heat up for a number of reasons:

Loose connections - kill the power and check all connections make sure they are clean and tight at the breaker and the dryer plug.
Splices in the feeder - Check and make sure your feed is continuous from the breaker to the dryer if there are splices that are a transition and cannot be replaced see above.
Undersized wire - This may be because of voltage drop because of circuit length Not much to say except change out the wire.
Damaged breaker - I am pretty sure you have already damaged the breaker so you should just replace it as SOP.
Damaged bus in the panelboard - pull the breaker and make sure the bus is not discolored or there is arcing damage. If there is replace the panel.

One other thing, you didn't mention the age of the mobile home. Many of the older models were installed with Aluminum conductors. If this is so you may need to No-ox the connections or pigtail the trailer.

If all of this is too much for a DIY, you might need to get a professional on site.

Remember "there are old electricians and bold electricians but there are never any old, bold electricians" so kill any panel or circuit before performing any maintenance on the electrical system.

Hope this helps and be safe.


Circuit Breaker Trip - Identifying Culprit

If the non working computer powersupply has a surge suppressor remove that and double check it may be the suppressor that is causing the problem. Suppressors use MOV's these dump the spikes to ground some times when a big spike hits they are damaged to the point of failure and even burn up sometimes causing problems like you have described.


How do I cheaply paint walls that duct tape stripped and ruined?

From looking at the pics, I don't think the walls are specially textured. Looks like typical "orange peel" finish from rolling on the paint.  I think all you really need to do is fill the voids where the two layers of paint have been removed with some "Light Weight Spackle". Light weight spackle is very cheap and can fill small blemishes quickly and easily. Apply with a small putty knife, let it dry for 20 minutes then sand it or smooth it with a damp sponge. Get a sample of the color from the tape, or peel a small piece from the wall and get a pint mixed at any paint dept. Have the paint sales person determine what finish the paint is, I suspect egg shell or satin.  You can use a mini roller or a soft brush to apply some over your patched areas, overlapping the undamaged color a bit. It may take a few light coats.  Try to "feather" the edges into the existing color by using very light pressure on your roller or brush as you overlap the original color.   Good Luck.


What hard material is behind the plaster on interior walls in my 1920s apartment?

If the wall has studs they could be yellow pine which "turns to stone" when the wood dries. Try to drill very small pilot holes to see if is wood or something else.


Does the NEC limit the maximum size of junction boxes?

There is no limit on SIZE - I've worked (in non-residential settings) with some you could sit in.

The practical concern with the "box and 4 extensions" shown is that the wires up at the ceiling are supposed to be able to come 6" out of the open face of the box, IIRC. From a practical working point of view it's usually better to put in a large box you can work in rather than a bunch of small extension boxes, but mostly code wants adequate volume, and adequate wire length, and does not mind a bit if you have more volume, or have made it awkward as shown.

Personally, if I need more room than an extension on a 4 or 4-11/16's box gets me I'm going to throw in a 6x6x4 or an 8x8x4 rather than construct a cluster-bleep like that. But I'll use a 4 inch and one extension quite happily, especially when it's way cheaper than a single bigger box (though I am always slightly befuddled that the extension costs more than the box does.)

Both orange and blue borgs (not a particularly good source of electrical supplies beyond the very run of the mill) stock up to 10x10x4 (400 cubic inches) at my local stores. Real electrical suppliers can get much bigger ones, but your wallet will prevent you from going there unless you actually need to.

Of course, most houses have at least one fairly large junction box, the center of which is full of circuit breakers ;-)


Where does the extra wire connect on my new furnace blower motor?

I'm assuming the grey colored motor is the new one and the rusty one is the old. In your old configuration the capacitor connected between the AC neutral (white) and the brown wire. In your new motor the white still needs to connect to your AC neutral. However, your new motor has two brown wires to connect to the capacitor, and any connection between it and AC common (if it has one) is internal to the motor. So whatever the white wire connected to on your old motor is where the white wire on your new motor should connect to. (I'm not sure if the diagram indicates that the wire in question is white, purple, or yellow; or a wire with white, purple, and yellow stripes. Your pictures don't show the actual wires.)


Can I use existing horizontal tub drain pipe as vent and add new vertical pipe to drain?

Depending on your location, this may not be up to code. Under UPC, a dry vent cannot be horizontal until it is a few inches above the fixture it vents. If your drain pipe backs up over time, you'll have water enter your horizontal vent section, where it can deposit solids and cause the vent to clog. A wet vent can be horizontal because it's expected to be flushed out by other fixtures that drain through it, but there's nothing to stop a horizontal dry vent from becoming clogged over time. Your proposed setup is more likely to suffer from a clogged vent than your current setup.


Is this 'Ant Killer' effective to kill carpet moth?

My suggestion is to find a good fogger and fog the van. Sprays and powders typically only work on the ones you can see.

As to the different products, it's important to note that many insect poisons share the same active ingredient, but at different concentrations. Ants are orders of magnitude smaller than moths, so it could be that this powder is more than sufficient to kill ants and eggs, but is ineffective against adult moths.

It's also possible this is just marketing as well. In other words, you market the same product, but label it for the different insects that people want to kill. If I have a moth problem, I'm not necessarily going to buy something labeled for ants.


Reinforcement for Ledger Board on Bearing Wall

The 2x4 ledger is sufficient to support your 2x8 joists, but it needs 4 or 5 16d common nails per stud at 16" on center to be able to carry the load if it is only carrying the floor load and no roof load. Typically the framers would have also nailed the side of the floor joist to the side of the wall stud so the the ledger isn't carrying all of the load, but I'm not going to assume they did that.

If you are concerned about it and want to replace it, first add a temporary support (build a temporary wall) to support the floor joists, next remove the 2x4 ledger, and then replace it with a 2x6 ledger.

Fasten the new 2x6 ledger to the wall with two Simpson SDS25312 1/4" x 3-1/2" heavy-duty screws into each wall stud. Put the top screw 2" down from the top of the 2x6, and put the bottom screw 3/4" up from the bottom of the 2x6.

I'm suggesting to use a 2x6 ledger to give yourself more room for the new SDS screws to work at their full capacity. If you have the room and want to overkill it, then upsize to a 2x8 ledger and put 3 screws into each wall stud.

If it's hard to find those specific screws, you can use any other 3" to 4" screw if it is rated for 350 or more pounds of shear strength.


What could cause unexpected high water usage?

Finally resolved this one.  It surprised everyone.  The apartment had a HW Expansion Tank (required by code) but no check valve (the building has one, but individual units don't).

It turns out water was flowing through the meter into the HW expansion tank, then flowing back out - no net water consumption, just a few ounces of water cycling into and out of the expansion tank with changes in pressure. 3,000 gallons a month is about 9 ounces a minute.

But the water meter only advances in one direction, so it accumulated as usage.  We installed a check valve and the problem was corrected.

Wow.


Options for adding a timer on heated towel rail socket in UK toilet

Allowed, but there are lots of timeswitched fused connection units available if you'd prefer not to have a plug/socket.
Selection here:
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Timers_Index/Immersion_Heater_Timers_1/index.html
Edit to add: all sockets must now be RCD protected. If the existing circuit is not RCD protected you must not change the fused connection unit to a socket.


Sounds suspiciously like your A/C lacks a suitable time-delay relay to prevent rapid on/off cycling, which is generally a bad thing (and why those are usually included.)

In short, when you "flipped off" the A/C circuit breaker, you should have waited 3-5 minutes before flipping it on again (or the system should have waited that long before attempting to restart the compressor.) The fan motor capacitor (or starting switch) failure might simply be coincidental to the actual failure, which could be compressor damage. At about this point I'm riding the hairy edge of my knowledge (I know that turning the compressor off and back on in a short time is bad, I'm vague on the exact mode of failure this is likely to cause, though I think it may have something to do with the refrigerant vapor condensing to liquid that is incompressible...)


Suggestions for a kitchen layout for my house?

My neighbors had a similar long, narrow kitchen to work with.

They decided to go with a long island down the middle, with the 'work triangle' on one side (fridge at the end of the island, sink and stove along the exterior wall of the house).

The advantage is that people can be cooking on one side (there's enough space for someone to pass behind someone else working, although they might need to coordinate if they're moving a hot pot or a tray out of the oven), while people who are just there to socialize can stay on the other side, out of the way.  Or, they can even help out with chopping stuff up, if you need some extra hands.

The last few feet of the center island doesn't have cabinets under it, it just has a central support, so they can get 5 stools around it (two on each side, one in the middle), where the kids can sit when doing their homework, or the family can sit there for breakfast or dinner.  (there's another table in the kitchen, but the kids (2,5,10) prefer sitting at the counter)

...

The kitchen planner they met with insisted they didn't have enough space for a central island, but she was insistent that she wanted one, and the kitchen deigner finally relented.

I'll see if I can get some pictures and measurements, so we can see how it compares to the size you're dealing with.


What is this attaching my toilet seat and how can I unscrew it?

That is called a blind jack nut, jack nut, blind collapsing nut, etc.

They are typically used when you don't have access to and/or don't have the tools to hold onto a nut on the backside of whatever you're putting it into. As you turn the bolt the wedge will move along its length, moving into/out of the split nut which adds/removes force that pushes the split nut apart. In the non installed position the wedge is at the end of the bolt so there is nothing in the split nut to force it apart & the entire assembly can be pushed/pulled through a hole.

In your case the bolt is accessed from the opposite side. There are usually caps covering the bolt that can be gently popped off/open using a small screwdriver. You will most likely need to grab the entire assembly from below with fingers, a screwdriver, or pliers to keep it from rotating as you turn the bolt. Once it breaks free the nut will likely be incredibly easy to hold as you unscrew the bolt.


Furnace Fan (Heat Pump) having issues when starting sometimes with a buzzing noise

It sounds like the contactor, relay, for the fan is intermittently missing a beat. This is usually caused by pitted contacts that develop from normal use. Sometime they make contact, sometimes they don't. You can try cleaning the contacts with emery paper for a temp fix but replacing it is a simple task. Turn off all the power before doing anything.


Just cover or seal it since it's not being used for anything. If it has a screw-down grate you can take that up & punch the screws through even just a plastic lid or its portion & screw the old cover back down for a solid seal...coffee container lid, peanut can lid, etc.

The Home Improvement stores also have plumbing plugs for most sizes of pipe, which are more permanent & better sealing. They expand as you turn the wing-nut to lock into the pipe fairly well. Plug all 3 drains so the house can't fill with either methane or just stink at any time.


Wall damage from insufficient attic ventilation

Your problem , as you noted, pertains to moisture. Specifically, moisture laden air coming from the living space below via small gaps and cracks (ie. conduit and wire runs, vents and register openings cut to large, electric boxes and outlets openings cut wider than needed, window door openings not sealed around the rough opening, there's a few more I can't think of right now).
There's also the issue of attic insulation. The original powdered stuff is a very poor insulator. It won't prevent the heat from the attic or the cool from the living space from transmitting (radiating?)    to and from the attic. If I recollect correctly, if warm air hits the cool bricks condensation will form on the bricks in the attic. Maybe not enough to be visible, but enough to be drawn into a porous red brick. I think you know the rest: the moisture contains salts from the brick and mortar, when it evaporates mineral deposits (efflorescent's) is left behind.
The repair is to -seal any passage way's from air infiltration below. Use expanding foam and/or any caulk to fill openings.
-insulate the attic floor. A better but bigger job is to insulate the attic rafter bays. I see HVAC ducts in your attic. Even though insulated the summer heat makes them less efficient at moving/keeping air cool. A radiant foil barrier, I found, works extremely well at reflecting heat from the exterior back out through the roof.
-seal/paint the brick. A clear masonry sealer and/or a masonry paint seals the porous bricks with a moisture impervious barrier. Clear seal on the living space side and dryloc on the attic side.
-an extra turbine closer to the problem area would help as a last additional solution.
Finally, just so you know the powder residue is not a serious problem. That is to say it's not a detrimental fault that over time will effect the integrity of your home. See it as an aesthetic issue.
Lastly, in my opinion the framing, raised pink insulation and vent location and other barriers are not causing this problem.


how do I protect a new engineered wood floor from sofa wheels

There are numerous types of furniture cups to cushion a floor against castors and legs.

Or you could just remove the castors.

 Images and links are illustrative only, not an endorsement of goods or sources.


You need to fall out of love with this pan - it is broke.  Why would you want to go through all of this work and compromise your work with a broken pan?  This is a decent size project - GET A NEW PAN.  If you want cheap get a used (unbroken) pan off of craigslist.  These pans are not that much compared to how much it will cost you to do this again.


PT, cedar, teak, or redwood. The latter is getting more rare and expensive. PT is a bit harder (more resistant to dents and scratches), but tends to warp more due to its extremely wet nature.

Also, PT has chemical concerns for some. The newer versions may be less concerning, but that's for you to decide.


Do I need to stain or seal an outdoor structure built from spruce?

Yes you absolutely need to treat spruce and pine with something or they will weather and splinter ferociously. You've got two basic options 1: a protective finish such as a varnish or polyurethane or 2: a penetrative sealer like linsead oil, water sealer, etc. Both have merits and weaknesses but either properly applied will get the job done. More important than the product you choose is the construction of the structure and the maintenance of the product in the future. If the structure doesn't shed water properly it won't matter what finish you use, it will rot and fail. Likewise if you don't maintain your finish it will allow infiltration and will rot or dry out and splinter. Another issue to account for is u.v. rays, direct sunlight can wreak havoc on your wood work. Spar varnish is the traditional choice of boat builders but Sikkens is my personal preference as it combines the added protection of a varnish with ease of reapplication of an oil. Also it has a built in u.v. protectant. Hope this helps, cheers!


Can I 'glue and screw' 1/2" and 3/8" plywood sheets to substitute for 7/8"?

I wouldn’t try to laminate two pieces of plywood together.

Group 1 type plywood is rated for various spans. Using 1/2” plywood to span 16” will span the distance without failing, but will have too much defection. That is to say, it will be springy. It’s designed for 2 span installations. If it’s a one span situation, it will be noticeable.

Adding additional plywood layers does very little to decrease the deflection problem and if the adhesive is not installed correctly (and cured correctly) it could create other problems, like 1) bulging, 2) warping, 3) delaminating, etc.

I’d use 3/4” plywood with the wood strips you suggest. 3/4” plywood will be stiff enough that you could use in a single span situation and still be acceptable for ceramic tile floor, etc.

Also, remember to install with the face grain perpendicular to the joists. (Screw and glue...adhesive... to insure no squeaks.)

Also, this is for “subfloor” only. You still need an underlayment. Check with the manufacturer of your finish floor material to see what they require for an underlayment. (It’s different for ceramic tile, vinyl, etc.)


What happens if XPS is an inch away from basement walls?

It doesn't make sense to me at all.  Yes adding a one inch gap does add R value as does any dead space - but then why not a 20 inch gap?

Also I am not sure how you install xps with a one inch gap.  Of course your could add furring strips and then you still have to fire block.  Wow that is just tons of work.

Why would he say that?  I guess he doesn't want the XPS to get wet if you have moisture problems.  Well xps handles moisture just fine and the reason it is often put in basements is that it can get wet, retains very little water, and does not mold (to a point).

The XPS should be on the wall.  You want a "bigger" gap for airflow for the drywall.  Your drywall will mold faster than anything in a basement.  So you want as much space for air to circulate on both sides of this.  Using 2x4 framing gives ample space for small amounts of moisture to dry before it attaches to the drywall and molds.  Would one more inch between XPS and framing help?  I am sure but not sure it is worth the returns which will be very small.


Why does hot water come from the faucet when only the cold water tap is on?

There are a few possible reasons:

Some hot water recirculation systems use the cold water as a return. In these systems, warm water is returned in the cold water pipe until hot water reaches the the temperature valve that controls the recirculation. Or, perhaps the one-way valve near the pump is failing.
Hot water pipes could be touching a cold water pipe (probably near the water heater). The two pipes touching would heat up the cold water pipe.
Cold water pipes could be touching a ventilation duct. In the winter, the duct would be warm and would heat up the cold water.
No heat trap in the water heater inlet. Hot water might flow up out of the water heater into the cold water pipes.

In the morning, try to feel which parts of the cold water pipe are hot, and that'll be your answer.

Another thing to check, but is likely unrelated, is the condition of a water expansion tank (generally mounted near the water heater) if you have one, or contemplate installing one if you do not (they're needed if you have a pressure reducing valve or a one-way valve in your water meter).


Fixing shower tile to repair possible water damage

If your tiles are flexing its likely that the wall behind has deteriorated because it became wet. Its possible that it was not installed from either moisture resistant drywall or from cement board and that the silicone seal has deteriorated. You may have water seeping behind your tiles leading to mould growth.

Re-grouting and re-sealing are your cheap, but temporary solution. If those tiles are flexing, in 2-3 years the silicone will break away again and deterioration will continue.

Base this decision on your current home budget. If you have the money to do a complete replacement without getting into debt, do it. You have to get it done anyway. If you do not, re-grout and re-seal and save up for a complete replacement.

Consider that if you do a complete tile replacement (as you should I think), your older bath may look out of place and your fixtures may look out of place too.


Replace Track Lighting To Recessed Lights Utilizing 3-Way Switch

What happened is that the white from the top switch is a neutral, while the white from the bottom switch is a traveler. Hence, one of the travelers is connected directly to both the common wire and the light, and the other traveler coming from the second switch is shorted to the neutral -- which explains the weird behavior and tripped breakers.

Now that that's covered, lets fix this -- this is all at the light-junction-box:

Turn the power off at the breaker box
Disconnect everything but the bare (ground) wires and the red wires.
Connect the white from the top switch to the white from the light.
Connect the black from the bottom switch to the black from the light.
Connect the black from the top switch to the white from the bottom switch -- tag that white wire with a piece of electrical tape while you are at it.
Turn the power back on at the breaker box


With GFCIs, the rule is "one step at a time".

Disconnect the GFCI except for the ground wire.   Tape or cap the dangling wires.   OK, assuming you want the light not on the GFCI,  does the light work?

Now connect only the LINE side of the GFCI.   Does that work?  If it fails, how?   If it's just dead, it's a bum GFCI and go get a good one from a better store.  There's a reason electricians don't buy from big-box.

Ok so it all works.  Now hang the remaining outlet(s) on the LOAD side of the GFCI.  Generally this means attaching exactly 2 wires from 1 cable.  If any problems arise, you know what it isn't.

Watch your neutrals.


Should I remove limbs before felling a tree?

I would prefer trimming as many as are convenient.

Leaving them on means the tree will preload those on the bottom, sometimes making for pinching or sideloaded cuts.

Since pines typically grow limbs to the ground, lower limbs might spin the tree during the fall, a potentially dangerous situation.


What type of dirt do I need to fix holes in my driveway

Yellow pages (the paper kind may still be best for this, or an internet equivalent that actually groks "local" results), gravel, stone (headings.)

Crushed rock with fines (sometimes called "road pack") - you want all the fine dust so that it will pack and stay put, rather than only loose rocks that will move around. Depending on the supply in your local area this may be gravel that has been run through a crusher to reduce the big rocks to smaller ones, (crusher run, or various sifted grades such as "one inch minus" or "one and a half inch minus") or actual quarried stone that has been similarly crushed from much larger pieces.

If you find the right sort of vendor, you can simply explain what you are doing and they will know what to bring.


Been there, done that.

That pan is called the secondary drip pan, and must be larger than the unit on all sides.  It should be open, and it should have either a drain that driips in an obvious place, like the center of the garage so you can be annoid by it and get it fixed.  If it has no drain, it should have an float switch that either triggers an alarm or turns the hvac unit off.

Don't tape the pan, find the leak and fix the leak.  The pan is supposed to be open.

Sometimes the air leak is where process tubing, and drain tubing exit the evaporator, and sometimes it is escaping from improperly sealed joints.

Seal the gaps around process tubing and pipes with a moldable rubbery sealant, I usually use a 3M brand that is sold as a tape with a backing that you peel off, build up the tape till it covers the gap, then press it against the bulkhead like putty,

For panel joints, use a good quality aluminum duct tape, then cover that with a coating of duct sealing mastic.  This is code in my area, everything is covered in mastic at every joint... in the trade the HVAC guys call it "pookie".  It white-ish or light grey putty that comes in tubes or tubs, and kind of looks like drywall mud...  But it isn't drywall mud, it has a rubber/latex component and is more like latex putty.  A panel joint is anywhere two panels meet, or two different object meet.  Like the joint between the two metal panels in your photos, that joint in my town would be taped and the tape covered in mastic.  The only place where you don't seal the panel is the vented cover to the furnace unit, /every/ other panel is completely sealed.  So servicing the unit requires the tech to cut the mastic, and reseal it when he is done.  The units were not designed for this, but most localities recognize that over time leaks develop in panel joints, so using tape and mastic prevents air leaks like you have right now.

I had this issue at my house.  One day I decided to service my coils, as the unit wasn't keeping up with the heat.  I expected the attic to be 140*f, but instead it was closer to 75*f...  Quite comfortable for an attic in the Texas summer.  I knew I was doing good as the attic heated up as I sealed the leaks.


Replacing Drywall Railing with Glass Railing

The portions of the wall section that you targeted for removal and replacement with glass are clearly not going to be load bearing because there is nothing directly above them but air. There may be a small degree of structural strength in the lateral motion direction that is offered by drywall being screwed to the stub wall studs but it is hard to tell just how much contribution there really is.

In any case you surely do not even want to consider removing a single bit of the full height wall sections.

It may be the best advice to get the paid time of a building engineer for an hour to come in and look at the situation before you make the commitment to start ripping things out.


Yes it can be done, and yes there are conditions on the "how." Following are a few thoughts that come to mind.

Use the right kind of cordage (ie not building wiring like NM cable). SOOW is a good choice.
The 50 amp circuit is going to require heavy cord (6 gauge). If you don't really need 50 amps (and you probably don't).. you could consider changing out the breaker to 40 amps and using 8 gauge cord instead.
Having multiple sockets on the cart is a little tricky because of the details of joining multiple 6 or 8 gauge conductors. The outlets probably will not be designed for having two conductors landed on each terminal, so daisy-chaining the outlets won't work. You'd have to use connectors like the Polaris brand.
The 120 volt socket on the cart is tricky. It's obviously unsafe to wire that in such a way that it's fed directly from the 50 amp circuit. Unfortunately I don't know the details of how to accomplish this objective while strictly meeting code. I confess that I've put such a socket on my welder cart, too.. I protected it with a 20 amp fuse installed inside the junction box. A panel-mounted fuse holder or circuit breaker would have been a nicer solution.


Can I change from a mortise lock without buying new doors?

There are certainly modern mortise locks which accept pin-tumbler cylinders. Whether any of them will fit in your existing mortise is another question; you may need to enlarge the mortise. You will undoubtedly have to drill for the cylinders; you may need to drill new knob/latch holes as well (though "decorative" brass or chrome plates can hide a multitude of sins).

If you want to switch to a "cylindrical" design (typical modern knobset, mechanism is housed in the knobs and a cross-bore rather than in a mortise), or a rim (surface-mount) lock, you'll either want to leave the old mortise lock in place, or glue in a block cut to exactly fill the space it occupied, since otherwise the empty space would weaken the door. Same issue exists regarding old holes in the door faces; same solution applies.


What circuit capacity will I need for a strand of outdoor lights?

The limit of 33 bulbs in a string is based on each socket being limited to 40W (it will say that somewhere). 33 x 40 = 1320W, divided by the worst case scenario of 110V (nominal is now 120V, but many places still only provide 110V, so they have to cover that). So 1320W / 110V = 12A, which is the limit of what you can put on a 15A circuit breaker (80% load).

I agree that 350ft is a long distance for a load of 12A, but MOST people in the US will have closer to 120V, so if it drops to 110V, that's still covered. The problem may be if you only have 110V at the outlet, the voltage will drop even more. But on incandescent bulbs that just results in less light, not more current.

If you use LED bulbs however, where the equivalent light of 40W incandescent bulbs will only use 4.5W each, the current will go down significantly (less than 2A total) and there will likely be no perceivable voltage drop.


Anything wrong with this ground wire? Is it supposed to be insulated?

The best solution is to attach the ground wire to a copper stake that is driven into the ground close to the home. Ground wires should be insulated as at some time they may be live and dangerous.


What's the best way to fill in some uneven cracks in my garage and level it out so that I can paint over it?

The paint may cause you trouble, as most want concrete to have cured for 30 days, so make sure that the brand you use will work with your timetable.

The concrete repair products are best for cracks up to 25mm and similar depth. Larger than that would require a concrete patch 1st, filled to within 25mm of the surface. Then the repair patch (just a sanded mortar type) or a refinisher patch product, which can be troweled paper thin.

A concrete bonding agent (usually a latex based product) is used first, especially if any sealing was done previously.


Turn off the power at the breaker
Rip the wall open
Pull out the devices from the boxes and label the wires of the devices
Remove the devices
Unclamp the cables and pull them back
Pry off the boxes
Place new boxes
Insert and clamp the cables
Repair the wall
Replace the devices following the labels applied earlier
Turn breaker on and verify correct operation
Install cover plates

Note that a small drywall repair is typically at least as much work, if not more work, than a large drywall repair - A sheet is 4x8 feet, so feel free to go (up to) that large if it simplifies your re-wiring at all.


What length of Tapcon/ramset nail for base plate?

One thing to think about is; how old is the cement? A very old cement breaks up with a ramset. Tapcon screws with the washer are a very good choice if you might be moving things.
Make sure to use the correct size drill bit (some boxes come with the right bit). Don’t over torque with the screw in the cement it will break or pull out as you have read.
On new construction I use a ramset, on something older than ~10 years I use Tapcon and have had much better success.


All things being equal (meaning, any wire and switches are rated for the voltage and current they will be carrying) you'll typically experience fewer losses and longer component life if the control is done at the line voltage side, instead of the lower voltage side.
Power loss due to resistance in a wire is proportional to the current squared (Ohm's law, P = I^2 * R), and raising the voltage lowers the current for the same power draw. Switching the line voltage also means less arcing on the switch contacts due to the lower current. Additionally, even though the power consumption of the power supply is low, leaving it on means using up more of its rated lifetime for no reason.
Granted, this may not make a significant difference in your specific application, but it's worth taking into consideration. If the code in Poland doesn't require one way or the other and the cost is similar for both, I would wire the switches on the line voltage side.


This is perfectly normal.

This is a switch loop coming into switch 3.

Ordinarily you would have a plain switch attached to the /2 cable's black and white (white should be marked with tape, since it is being used as either an always-hot or a switched-hot, you're supposed to use it for always-hot).

A 3-way or 3/4-way complex simply substitutes for a plain switch.  That is what is happening here.  Red and white in the /3 cables are travelers; I would remark them with yellow tape.  The black is presumably always-hot.

Now if you've been counting, here's what you have available in these boxes:

always-hot (/3 black and presumably /2 white)
switched-hot (presumably /2 black)
Travelers (all other conductors)

Notice something missing? Neutral.  It will be hard to hook up a smart switch unless it is one of the few made and  UL listed to use ground instead of neutral.


What is the best place to put a dehumidifier?

Humid air rises and warm air that can carry more moisture rises.  Cooking adds moisture to the air.  All else being equal, the dehumidifier has a easier job removing moisture from cooler air with a higher relative humidity.

I would place the unit upstairs in the central location with good air circulation, nearer to the kitchen and away from any heat sources.  The location also needs to be consistently warm enough that the dehumidifier will not collect frost or cycle off on its low temperature limit.


Instead of trying to stretch the link, could you use an anchor shackle?

The one in the image above is rated for 2000lbs.


You will always (always!) save energy by turning the heater off when you don't need hot water.

How much energy you save depends on the efficiency of the water heater but you will always save energy - it doesn't matter what size your tank is or how well is is insulated.

The ultimate reason for this is "the rate of heat loss of a body is proportional to the temperature difference between the body and its surroundings."  (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_transfer#Convection-cooling)


How to find a non-switched wire in attic

You should check the instructions for the fan, but I suspect it draws too much current to simply be tapped into an existing circuit.  It may be best to hire an electrician to bring a new circuit from the panel to the fan location.


If the framing around the window is essentially intact, insert replacement windows are fairly cheap and fairly easy, though you'll lose some glass area.. If the framing is rotting you'll need to deal with that; in that case either inserts or completely new framed windows may be the right choice. For the latter, make sure you install them with proper flashing & water barriers.

If you can't afford to replace the windows, all you can do is try to patch things well enough to not leak too badly and not fall apart. I have one basement window that I have temporarily just slapped a sheet of plexiglass across, held in place with caulking.... temporary ugly kluge but it does seal the opening better.


Can a 20' section of #4 rebar server as concrete-encased electrode ( UFER ) if it is not attached to the rest of the rebar matrix in an on-grade slab

#4 or 1/2” rebar can be used as the concrete electrode 20’ is the minimum and you will need to stub it up or connect a #4 awg copper wire to it with an approved clamp usually if connecting to the rebar the wire in the concrete is required to be sleeved as it exits but then the connection is not required to be accessible, if connecting to a stub of rebar that attaches to the 20’ piece again #4 awg copper can be used but the connection has to be accessible (I cad weld these so they don’t require access but not many electricians have the blocks to cad weld any more. But yes you can use #4 rebar. Normally the lower pieces connect to the upper ones or there may be 2 parallel bars the wire ties that hold them in place count as connecting. The length of copper if connected in the concrete also counts.


What is this metal bookcase component called?

I'm tempted to call that a double-ended dowel for a cam connection.


Is it safe to cap off live red wire in split receptacle?

Yes this is fine to do but against code because that plug is required to be split to meet code rules for kitchen counter tops.

CEC 26-712(d)(iii)


Be sure there is nothing holding it in place like a threaded collar. The 2 rubber o-rings are probably gummed and stuck to the faucet body. Add some hot soapy water and swivel with slow hard pressure in either direction. The bottom o-ring is hardest to lubricate. Once you have it rotating, use a screwdriver blade to apply upward pressure while you rotate the faucet arm. Clean everything and use silicone grease for assembly.


Do these "rafter ties" tie anything together?

Although I have done what you are asking several times, I had an engineer design and stamp plans, making a structural change this big is a big deal, actually the first one was a repair for a Bone head that just cut them out, the roof sagged walls bulged he could not sell and the bank shorted it, after repairing and turning this property I did several more on the side that had low ceilings.
All those places were similar,
Recently helped a friend with a 2 story same issues but he did not have the $ for the engineering stamp. Good thing because after we repaired it it survived a huge snow storm that caused my barn roof to collapse.   But again someone tried adding height with knowledge or experience and that’s why my friend hit a killer deal as I have in the past. So don’t change things without structural engineering review when they can cause massive problems including roof failure.


Wiring a Ceiling-fan and switch while disconnecting an outlet from the switch

Your problem is actually very easy to fix based on the information you've given -- simply replace the outlet with a new one without breaking the tab off the hot side, connect the black wire to the hot screw on the outlet, and cap off the red wire at the outlet with a wirenut instead of connecting it to the new outlet.


What effect does the number of coil turns on an electric stove heating element have?

IMHO:

The number of coils does make a minor difference in the time it takes to heat the burner; on the one with the extra coils, the coil's elements are usually smaller and therefor heat faster and cool faster.  The extra turns make up for the smaller coils.

You have to look at the ratings of the different coils.  Are they the same wattage?
Are the connections the same? (will the new one plug into the existing stove?


How can I make prepasted wallpaper stick better?

Using wallpaper paste when hanging it will make it stick better.

From the photo it looks like the paper is too short in the corner.

To fix peeling paper use dilute white (PVA) glue.

Probably the you would have benefited from doing more preparation to wall surface too (sand it and size it). it looks very lumpy.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/need-size-walls-hanging-wallpaper-77898.html


Fix single hung window glass that is cracked

I see in the bottom picture, the bottom is a tilt in sash, easy to remove. The top sash CAN be made a tilt in, it is missing the ballasts that keep it from dropping. It is now held in place by a metal or plastic clip that holds it in place. Find these, remove them and the sash will drop, and therefore, able to be removed. I see a screw visible near the tilt latch that may be one of the few to remove in order to drop the upper sash. Then again, that one may do nothing, I would expect to find the screws to lower the sash, under the upper sash, hidden by the lower sash. Remove the lower sash first the rest should go from there.

Most tilt in windows work the same, raise it a little, pull the clips in toward the center, lower the top so the plane of the window is perpendicular to it normal position, and lift one edge up, either the left or right, does not matter.

The rest is the same as the other answer, it will cost a little more maybe since you have the bars between the glass, then again....


How can I remove a receptacle and abandon the electrical outlet?

It sounds you caused a short circuit by wiring the hot and neutral together. You created a circuit with no electrical resistance so the breaker pops to prevent you from melting the wires and burning down your house.

Cap each wire that you removed separately unless they were already joined together. Once the outlet is removed and everything is safely capped and covered, remember that the cover plate must remain exposed and you cannot patch over the box.

If you are unsure of how to rectify this, you are best to call an electrician.


I removed a duplex receptacle and now my other receptacles don't work

Duplex outlets are usually installed in a daisy chained string.

If you want to remove one without affecting the others, you should observe carefully what wires are attached to where before disconnecting.

Make sure the breakaway tab has NOT been broken away as that would indicate a special situation:

Then use a wire nut to join the black wires that were under the brass screws or in their corresponding stab-lock holes.

Then use a wire nut to join the white wires that were under the silver screws or in their corresponding stab-lock holes.

That should restore service to the downstream outlets.

Alternately you might consider a solution OTHER than removing the outlet.  You can obtain 'recessed' outlets from most home supply stores, if the outlet you removed is in the way.

Remember, it's not legal to drywall patch over and fill in an outlet box.  So if you remove the outlet you will have to put a cover plate on that will stick out just as much.  Flush outlets will probably have less of a bump to them.


What is a ground loop in an electrical service?

"Ground loop" is a phrase from audio design. Ask an audio engineer.
It is practically not a thing in mains electrical, and let's think about why.  Safety ground has two jobs:

Return natural current (ESD, lightning) to source (being earth)
Return human-generated fault current to source (being neutral).

The subject of a "ground loop" is all about managing and coordinating currents flowing on safety ground -- that is the logic, yes?  Which currents are those?  No currents. System design calls for no current whatsoever on safety ground, except during fault conditions (which should only be long enough to trip a breaker or GFCI).
From a mains system design perspective, safety ground is the one case where we want a "web" of connections.  It's perfectly OK for grounds to criss-cross among different circuits and even services.  We run a ground wire to an outbuilding which has a ground rod too (partly: we don't want lightning traversing the wire to the main building).  The more's the merrier, the more's the safer.
And that's why we give audio engineers isolated grounds :)
Now, "ground loops" are concern in audio and computer networking; but understand in the electronics world, "GND" is a completely different animal: GND is the "common" or "zero-voltage reference" or what we in mains call "neutral". And this is often used as "signal ground", or the "zero point" in a referential signal (like RS-232, which has 1 common and many signal wires).   As distinct from a "differential" signal like RS-422 (which has 2 signal wires per signal, and only the difference between them matters).
Particularly in networking/distance signaling, if this "common" is bridged to AC mains safety ground at two places, it becomes vulnerable to differences in voltage on that safety ground network - which shouldn't exist.
But it's possible to have an ongoing ground fault that is too little to trip a breaker and GFCIs are not installed... and that can introduce millivolts of gradient on the safety ground network, pulsing at 50/60Hz of course. Or a signal processing device can leak noise back through its power supply onto the AC mains, which can then feed it onto safety ground via capacitive coupling.
The lesson is that audio and network designers need to be careful about treating AC mains safety ground as some sort of signal zero reference.  Also, they need to be careful about binding wires or shields in their cable to AC mains safety ground - lest that wire suddenly be asked to carry dozens or hundreds of amps during a bolted ground fault.


If the valve just spins in place, then the stem is stripped and your solution is to remove it and plug the hole with a repair sleeve or just replace the valve with a new one and turn it off. This was a common way to add small filtering systems to point of use. The water to the house would have to be turned off to do either fixes.


Running 100 amp wire for future use - how many wires do i run?

Run a 1.5" RMC

The 60%-of-width limit on bored holes in non-load-bearing studs from IRC R602.6 limits the maximum size of conduit that can be run within a 2x4 partition or furring-wall to 1.5" trade size (2" trade size conduit has a minimum OD of about 2.2", which exceeds the 2.1" limit that 60% of the 3.5" actual stud width/depth sets).

The best choice here then, balancing availability with usable fill, is a 1.5" RMC.  This gives you just enough space, at 533mm2 available vs. 528.9mm2 consumed, for a feeder consisting of 3 4/0 Al XHHW-2 wires, with the RMC as the ground.  This would allow you to bring 175A maximum, or 100A with voltage drop held below 3%, to the garage, which is adequate for whatever you, or just about anyone else, would want there.

Considering this is merely a provision, though, I would simply run the conduit for now, leaving it unpopulated with wires until the garage is built.


Does covering a mattress with sheets prevent dust mites and their allergens?

The answer is no, normal sheets(no matter the thread count)  will not keep dust mites and pollen from entering your mattress and box spring. It is possible a mattress can increase it's weight due to these two processes.

So I will assume this question to mean HOW can you cover the mattress to prevent.......

Well, for one I never take the mattress out of its original bag. It's air proof, so that covers everything else, plus it's free. I believe what you want is a vinyl plastic mattress cover. It will keep out EVERYTHING, so you're set. However any pre-existing mite colonies in the mattress will continue to eat the dust in the mattress until they die... however once you put it on, you will be separated from them hence forth.


Can I disconnect a Corian Sink Overflow tube?

It's quite possible that there is hair or other gunk in the sink tailpiece or caught in the stopper.  It absorbs some of the sewage and then gets really nasty.  The stink could then freely travel out.  Try taking out the stopper and cleaning any gunk you might find.

This would solve the stink problem.

To answer the question about the overflow being sealed... it would violate plumbing code almost surely.


What could be causing this drop in water pressure?

My guess is there is a restriction in the line going to the house, with only enough getting through to feed one thing, either the toilet or the faucet. And since the toilet is probably drawing the water first before the faucet, it goes there.

I agree that it is more likely just heavy rain that is causing mud in your water. However, surface water getting into your water supply is bad news. You should consider adding filters to clean up the water supplied to the house. I'd guess a chlorine injector to kill any bacteria in the water, a tank to give the chlorine some time to do its job and let mud settle out, coupled with a filter that can take the remaining mud and chlorine out.


When painting with a roller sometimes it feels uneven, like the cross-section is an oval rather than a circle. What am I doing wrong?

As some have said cheap can be a problem, are you loading the roller with paint evenly and working it on the cross hatched section of the pan?  I will roll into the paint lift and back up roll into the paint 3 or 4 times depending on how full the tray is. After loading I roll on the crosshatching or ribbed section lift and roll to even out the load of paint and reduce dripping.
With good technique even a cheap roller will provide even coverage and with bad technique the most expensive roller wont make a difference.

As we can’t see what you are doing try paying attention to how you load the roller, this is how my dad showed me decades past and even though I hate painting I can do a nice even job using this method.


LED Bulbs into Pre-existing Light Fixtures

They do work.  What's stopping you is probably the paper insulator and/or candle sleeve is not pushed down enough to allow the bulb to make a solid connection.  They should be flush with the top of the socket.


Cement surface and even paint (scarifed with 50 grit belt sander or similar) can stay, if both are well adhered..

An experiment is in order:

Use a good quality thinset, (Laticrete Platinum 254 or Custom Flexbond)
Trowel on 1/4 inch patch (4in x 4in or so).
Wait 24 hours
Chip off patch with a chisel

Observe the removed thinset:

If it cleaves off with no embedded paint, paint is very well adhered, but may be too slick, scarify through paint layer to cement before tiling.
If some paint embeds, and some thinset remains on surface, it is a good interface layer, proceed with tiling.
If paint cleaves off easily, remove paint fairly thoroughly before tiling.

In no case use a premix mastic thinset or other adhesive to adhere tile.


$400 electric bill traced to heater - what could be wrong with it?

From the DFW comment, I'm guessing you implied Dallas/Fort Worth. If that's the case, then you'll have AC already installed, and a lot of winter days that are above freezing. For that climate, a heat pump would be much more efficient. The emergency heat setting on a heat pump is the same as what you already have and you'll want to use that when it drops below freezing. But all other times the heat pump will be more efficient.


Are these termite droppings (aka frass)?

It's hard to say for sure as the photo gives to size reference but I think these are mouse "pills" or dropping and not termites.
Set a couple of mouse traps after cleaning this up and you will know.


Will this TV mount holds LG OLED C8 65"?

I am sure the mount would work in that the TV wouldn't fall off the wall.  However you might not be happy with the length of the articulating arm.  If the arm is short, and the TV is wide, you won't be able to turn it left and right like you want to.


Why do gas water heater exhausts have an air gap before the chimney?

The actual amount of combustion air - i.e., air flowing past the burner to provide oxygen and leave with less oxygen but more CO2 and possibly other combustion byproducts - is very little. The gap allows additional air to flow in and the combined air, if the ductwork is designed and installed properly, flows through the ductwork and out of the house.
If you did not have the gap, the amount of air naturally flowing through would often be too little to flow at a decent speed and would instead be more likely to sit in the ductwork. Hard to explain, but it just wouldn't work right.
A few additional points:

CO2 is not the biggest enemy - CO (Carbon Monoxide) is.
Yes, if you have too much CO2 you will have problems (think Apollo 13). But any house, even without any combustion equipment, needs to get makeup air with more oxygen to offset CO2 produced by people. But CO is incredibly dangerous and even low levels can cause a problem. CO is primarily produced by incomplete combustion which can happen easily in any combustion equipment if air flow is too low or there are impurities in the fuel or if a burner is clogged or many other problems. Therefore, you should have CO detectors near any area with combustion equipment.

Temperature of the output is actually a different problem than it used to be.
It used to be that furnaces and hot water heaters were relatively inefficient and the exhaust would be hot and you would want to make sure it all got out so you wouldn't burn your house down. But since it was hot, and hot air rises, that was easy to do.

Now furnaces and hot water heaters are so efficient that there is a different problem - the exhaust air, which you still want to get rid of because of CO2 and other potential problems, is too cold! So it doesn't rise as well on its own. That places a lot more rules on how to vent the exhaust, to the extent that where in the good 'ol days you would replace a furnace or hot water heater and reuse almost all the exhaust ductwork, now there is often a lot of work involved. But I digress.


What is the purpose of repainting the walls of an apartment?

In some areas, such as rent controlled communities, there may be
  requirements for landlords to paint rental properties. In New York
  City, landlords must paint every three years, while in West Hollywood,
  landlords have a four-year requirement. [source]

The implication seems to be that landlords are required to paint simply as a measure to prevent decay of the property and poor or unsanitary conditions for tenants.

More reading


Is it legal for a home/condo owner to do any electric work in Chicago?

If I recall, Chicago requires conduit wiring methods.

Thing about conduit is, about 3/4 of the actual work is planning conduit design, planning fill (in both aspects), cubic-inching the junction boxes, fitting the conduit and boxes, working out run lengths, and getting pull strings into the conduit. None of that is actually wiring, now is it?

You just need an electrician who will work with you and not have a Rumplestiltskin fit because he didn't get to do the whole job.


Should something be placed between engineered hardwood and a cement slab?

Yes if it is a floating floor. If it is a glue down floor, no it is not possible. Grunthos is correct on the availability of instructions. They are always available.


In all cases like this, I have this covered with a durable paintable material. In your case I would use a 1X PVC material to cover from the floor to the top of the 2X plate and another piece of PVC or 1X wood to cover the top of the plate and PVC edge and paint it all.


How can I install exterior trim around my windows

The problem that you will have is that you have stucco walls, this complicates the attachment of any decorative trim (but does not make it impossible).

For your application I would suggest lightweight foam architectural trim, painted as you wish. This is commonly used around windows on homes with stucco walls (albeit it is usually installed on the "brown coat" then stucco'ed over). The advantages are that it can be attached using special adhesive, you then caulk around it and paint; any other type of trim (wood, shutters, etc.) would require drilling into the stucco and using anchors to fasten.


Avoiding Satin Paint Streaks with Roller

By streaking in satin paint I assume you mean flashing. Flashing is when you can see differences in sheen at certain light angles that looks like you just went over some areas with wet paint and other parts look dryer.  It's more noticeable with higher sheen paints and oblique lighting like you might find from a nearby window on an adjacent wall. Does that sound like what you mean by streaks?

Flashing was something I always had a problem with. One of the things that leads to flashing is I believe an uneven coat. When I keep the roller consistently loaded I don't get flashing.

The W technique never worked for me and I don't think I've seen a professional painter roll on paint that way. What I've always seen them do is roll up and down the wall just the width of the roller. Then reloading and doing the next strip.

What I do is load the roller, roll off the excess in the pan, start in the middle of the wall, roll up, then down only 3 or 4 times. Reload, roll of excess, overlap the next section a bit. When I'm done rolling the next stripe I will roll back over the previous area slightly to even out any roller marks. Also I stopped trying to squeeze the most I can out of the roller when I'm almost done painting and I'm almost out of paint and too lazy to deal with opening another can. Keeping a consistent level of paint on the roller, not pressing it too hard and just letting the paint do the work has helped a lot.

If you move down the wall and notice you may have missed a spot on an earlier stripe, just leave it. Touch it up after it has dried enough for the next coat.

I also have one of those Wagner power rollers that pumps paint into the roller which makes it easy to keep the roller consistently full of paint. When I use that I've never had flashing issues.

Lately I've started using Benjamin Moore Aura which is really good when it comes to flashing. I wasn't sure if it was just the paint or my technique until a few months ago when I had to do some painting with a non Aura eggshell finish paint and I didn't get any flashing even though I did it fairly rushed using a roller and tray. The other paint is a good paint but I've had trouble with flashing in the past. Especially on ceilings.


Can I use a neutral wire from another outlet to repair a broken neutral?

No, you cannot do this.  Assuming the nearby outlet you want to borrow neutral from is on a different circuit, you will be overloading its neutral.  Even if it is the same circuit, it's very bad practice to leave broken wiring energized without fixing it -- what if it moves a little and reconnects just enough to arc?  Then your house is on fire.

However, fixing this properly probably isn't as much work as you think.  You most likely will not need to tear up your walls.  Unless you recently drove a nail through a wire, the wire inside the walls usually doesn't just break.  Rather, things usually go wrong at the outlets themselves.  The so-called "backstab" outlets are especially prone to having the wires come loose over time.  So the fix for this will involve pulling out each outlet in turn, making sure all screws, wirenuts, etc are tight, and ideally replacing any backstabs in the circuit.  Most likely you'll find one of the outlets had the white wire come loose, and when you tighten it, everything starts working again.


What length of screws to use over 3/4" plywood

If it were me and i was going to put additional underlayment down on top of the new 3/4 ply, i would use at least 2 1/2" screws and do my best to find the floor joists below. if you are using the new ply directly as underlayment i would use 1 1/2 screws to attach to decking.


Underlayment for using porcelain tile outdoors?

I have tiled a few concrete slabs and have never used anything but thinset, a membrane for a shower stall is great but for outside I believe it could have more problems than straight thinset, if you want to make it stronger add add mix or purchase thinset that is already enriched. Absolutely no need for a backer board on a concrete pad.


Availability of using 2 pole circuit breaker instead of 4 pole circuit breaker

No you cannot. It's a requirement that if a breaker senses an overload or short circuit, that it open ALL poles, so multi-pole breakers are made with what is called a "common trip", meaning all poles open at the same time. By using 2 x 2-pole breakers, you could have a situation where only one of them trips, leaving the other energized. that is extremely dangerous.

And for those in North America who may be reading this, there are some systems elsewhere in the world where the Neutral must go through a breaker, hence a 4 pole breaker (we don't do that here).


Possible to convert spa pump motor to bench mounted grinder?

A spa pump motor is usually what's called a "C face" design, meaning that the motor mounts directly to the pump, which is what mounts to the spa. When you take it off of the pump, you have no mounting feet, so no way to hold it to your bench. So yes, you can use a spa pump motor for other things, but it will require some substantial mechanical engineering to make it into a grinder. Also, a typical grinder has a shaft on both ends, a pump motor has only one.

From an electrical standpoint, you need to read the nameplate of the motor to know what it requires and if it is adaptable to 120V household current. They often are, but then the next issue might be how MUCH current it will pull. The practical limit for a typical 120V outlet in a residence is 12A (80% of 15A), which means the motor must be 1/2HP or less. Many spa motors are 3/4HP or 1HP, so you would not be able to legally connect that to a standard 120V 15A receptacle.


So it sounds like you have the wrong number of wires for your switch to have ever worked properly by your description, from the way that I read it.

SO I will try to understand. When you took off your three way switch was there three screws with three wires going to it? Plus perhaps your box is metal and has a bare ground screw at the back, or a bare ground somewhere as well as the other three wires?

Your house is really old but should have had an electrical upgrade. So I am assuming your cable has a separate, bare ground screw?

I am trying to see if perhaps the insulated(?) green wire you see is actually just a traveller for some sort of reason. And maybe there is another wire for the ground in the box.

Not knowing when your house was re wired last (since I am sure you do not have knob and tube) is making me wonder what the cables have inside them.

Could you please state what was on the original three way switch? Because those should be the wires you use for your new switch. I just want to make sure your bonded (grounded for simpler terms) properly.


How can I install an on/off indicator for a lighting circuit?

It sounds like you have light bulbs or fixtures directly controlled by Alexa/Google Home. A better solution, though sometimes a bit more work to install, is a smart switch. With a smart switch, the actual switch is replaced with a device that functions as both a physical switch and as a WiFi/remote/voice-activated/etc. device.
There is actually a bigger problem, potentially, than simply inconvenience. With your current setup, if the lights are turned off via Alexa/Google Home and then there is an emergency and someone who doesn't know about your Alexa/Google Home setup needs to turn on the lights, can they do it? Maybe (depends on the device) turning the switch on/off multiple times will do it. Maybe not. This is a real safety concern.
Related: you also need to ensure that you can toggle the lights regardless of whether your home assistant is available. If you can't turn your lights on because your Alexa is updating the firmware or because a backhoe tore through your fiber cable, that is an equally real safety concern.
A proper smart switch can often work in a 3-way configuration - i.e., with the 2nd 3-way switch being either a regular 3-way switch (possibly rewired a little bit) or with a "remote" at the other location (possibly wired using the existing wiring, possibly battery powered and radio controlled). There are a lot of possibilities.
Back to the original problem. There are lighted switches available such as:

However, as with smart switches, dimmers, timers, motion detectors, etc., lighted switches have to get their power from somewhere. There are 3 options:

Neutral - Arguably the best, but neutral is often not available in switch boxes in older homes
Ground - Usable in limited circumstances. Do not use ground instead of neutral unless the device is designed to do so.
Leak current through the main circuit - Lighted switches used to all work this way. Many still do. The problem is that this is generally not compatible with LED lighting.

If you decide to install lighted switches, make sure they are compatible with your wiring and with your current and anticipated lighting fixtures.


why won't my shower regulate water temperature

Your shower mixing valve probably has an anti-scald feature with either pressure balancing or thermostatic control. These can get out of adjustment.


This is not necessarily a Weber product, but certainly an IEC 60269 "D type II" fuse, quite common in Europe. The "D" is short for "DIAZED", a registered trademark of Siemens AG. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60269#D_type_fuses for more details.

The colored button (red, blue) in the middle indicates the rated current (red = 10 amps, blue = 20 amps, see Wiki page above), and pops off when the fuse breaks (clearly visible through the glass window, so you know immediately what happened). To replace a broken fuse, unscrew the cap, and don't stick your finger into the hole (the whole thing is otherwise safe).

A side remark (in case you do not speak french): The labels read

cuisinière (left column) = electric stove
lumière (middle column) = light
chauffage = heating
frigo = fridge
machine à laver = washing machine


There is a second black wire that you left dangling (I guess). You can see it on the first picture, right side of the wall opening, mid-height. It seems to be a slightly glossier black (newer wire?). It probably needs to be pigtailed to the other black.


Ring Doorbell - upgrade chime and transformer?

The amount of voltage and power that we are talking about here is too low to worry about stressing the wires or any other part of the system so don't worry about that.

The Ring will require a "modern" doorbell transformer, so that needs to be replaced for sure.  The old chime will likely not work with a 16v transformer if it was made for 10v.  It might work for a little bit, but it will sound funny and will probably fail quickly with the extra voltage.  What I'm getting at is you probably want to replace the transformer and the chime.  These are relatively cheap, so that shouldn't be a big deal.

The existing wiring should be fine, but be very careful with it as to not damage the insulation.  That can get brittle over 60 years time so move the wires as little as possible.  The low voltage won't cause a fire or a shock, but it can ruin the transformer if the wires have cracked insulation and start to short out.


Can this pull down attic ladder be fixed?

I'd say "yes".
Start by removing the quadratic piece of metal with some sort of lever, then place a screw from the "inside" through the hole and check if there is room for a nut to hold the loose part in place.


How to use ceramic glaze to waterproof an earthen tank?

Glaze is essentially glass that is formulated to bond with the supporting clay body such that it's physical properties such as coefficient of expansion are similar. Since your "clay" body is unfired earth of varying composition, even if you were to succeed in applying it, it will quickly crack and spall off.

You also will never get the consistent temperature control required for a homogeneous glass surface. A good part will be either over or under fired and not water proof. Also, pure glass fires at very high temperatures. To produce glaze that fires at lower temperatures, a flux must be added. Traditionally, low fire fluxes have been various lead compounds, which have been proven unsafe for food and water contact. I believe alternate food safe fluxes have been developed, but their functional temperature range is very restricted, so may not work for the application that you envision.

I commend your out of the box thinking, but this idea is just not practical. Keep the ideas coming though, you're bound to hit a good one eventually!


1 nest to control all vales on UFH manifold?

The Nest can only control one zone at a time, but that's ok, because it sounds like there's only one "control zone" in your system.

Your heating system may work better if its split into three sections, but since the will all come on at the same time, the Nest should be able to control all three at the same time.  What the Nest can do is control each zone separately.

Typical control systems have a "hot" wire and a "common" wire.  Just tie all the commons together and all the hots together and then run a single common and hot to the Nest for control.


How to harden a sloped grass driveway so that damage does not occur that has some softer spots?

It sounds like that soft area has deep water saturation which generally occurs in a low area during wet season. Because it's apparently not just a surface issue I don't think you're going to have a lot of success by adding sand or any other material to the grass surface. The best way to deal with it is to remove/redirect the water. One way to do this is to take up the sod and regrade that area - a lot of work.
However, I would first try installing a french drain in that area to channel the water away. The trick is to get it deep enough  so that it's below the water saturation level and also making sure that you're not simply transferring the problem to another area. It's difficult to do without being on site but I would proceed as follows:
(1) Dig a small test hole in the wettest part of the lawn to see how deep the saturation extends down into the soil.
(2) Determine the source of the water. Assuming your arrows all point downhill it may be (and I suspect it is) runoff from the driveway.
(3) Decide where you want to channel the water. Obviously, it needs to go downhill.    That will determine the length and direction of the drain. It may be possible to run the drain parallel to the driveway being careful not to compromise the driveway base.
(4) The drain should be be installed to the depth of the lowest water saturation point.
French drains are best at channeling water from above and less so from the side. That's the reason you want to make sure it's deep enough. It then redistributes the water through holes along it's length. Depending on the slope you're dealing with you can leave the drain open on the low end to facilitate drainage but it's not necessary.


How to attach eye hooks to glass fish tank to support a lightweight light fixture?

Take a piece of wood and cut a notch in it the width of the tank edge. Then screw the eye hook into it and you can then sit this on the edge.


What to do about furnace that's drawing gas odors into the room instead of heat?

This is quite possibly an emergency. Call your gas utility company and have them come check it out immediately. Also, open some windows to draw fresh air into your home, if you have a gas or exhaust leak it can be a fire and suffocation hazard.


How do I create a 3" deep hole, 3/8" diameter, in granite?

Will this work?   It says it's 4 inches overall length.

https://www.amazon.com/Concrete-Beginners-Drilling-Shipping-Guarantee/dp/B01CUDK6LW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497140514&sr=8-1&keywords=Drillglaas


Breaker for 240V baseboard heater, do I need GFCI/AFCI?

You need to handle-tie those 2 breakers, boy howdy!  If you can't find an appropriate factory handle tie, use a 2-pole breaker.
You don't need to GFCI a 240V circuit; the only exception being if you're in NEC 2020 territory (about 4 states so far) AND the location is one that normally needs GFCI (garage, basement, kitchen, bathroom etc.)
AFCI protects the wiring from arcing, which can cause house fires. Unfortunately 2-pole AFCIs are scarce.  NEC is not in the habit of requiring use of products which do not exist in the marketplace, so you're in the clear on that.
However if you want it, you might get lucky with your panel's brand.  For instance GE's latest AFCIs do not need neutral wires and are specifically designed to be used in pairs with a handle-tie for 240V circuits and MWBCs.  But you can only use those in GE panels.
You cannot use brand X breakers in your panel, only your own brand, or Eaton CL, Eaton CHQ or Siemens QD which are UL-approved for competitor panels.  However none of those offer anything special in the AFCI space.


It can oxidize, but if you can test it for connectivity it should be fine.


Is it safe to not have a safety cutoff on an immersion heater?

Hot water coming out of your taps is a serious safety issue as an unsuspecting person could scald themselves. It could cause damage, so an emphatic yes, this is an issue that needs resolution.

There are 2 problems I see here:

No Thermostat: every heater should have a thermostat, or a control of some kind to prevent overheating. It's not just for safety, overheating reduces the life of the heater
Hot water getting into the cold supply. This shouldn't happen, an overheat should lead to some sort of pressure relief which dumps the hot water safely

This system is unsafe and I'd be surprised if it was up to code. Your landlord should fix it.


How can I repair a bathroom fan under garage that is leaking in the winter?

The vent should be going directly outside, not venting inside the attic near a screen.  Also, the pipe should be covered in insulation to prevent the warm humid air from cooling down so much that the water vapour condenses and runs down the pipe into your bathroom.  This might be damaging your ceiling drywall, which is a pain to repair.

Extend the pipe through the exterior wall.  Use an exterior vent with a damper, so wind does not blow cold air into your house in winter.  There a a couple of different types of dampers, and the vents come in many colours and sizes to suit the exhaust pipe (can be various shapes and sizes), a 4" round vent is most common in North America for bathroom venting.  This can wait until February (it's already been years, I'm guessing - so another month shouldn't make any significant difference).
Insulate the pipe.  You can get pipe insulation that slides over the pipe.  If possible, you should do this now, to stop any further water damage.
If your insulation is soaking wet, replace it.
Repair your drywall if there has been water damage.  Be sure to use a stain-blocking primer before repainting the ceiling.


Are all plastic compression fittings interchangeable?

My experiance in the UK is that compression waste pipe fittings are pretty tolerant about pipe sizes. For example a "40mm" compression fitting will clamp down on a pipe that is anywhere from about 40mm to 43mm in diameter.

I don't know if compression fittings sold in other countries are similar or not.


What should I look for when shopping for a kitchen faucet water filter?

The first question to ask is what you want to filter out and why. From the wording of your question, it appears that you think your drinking water is unclean. As far as I know, public drinking water is safe everywhere in the United States, so I'll assume that you have well water. If so, you need to start by having the water tested. Use a local or semi-local lab, as they will know what to test for in your area. The staff of nearby public water districts can probably recommend a reputable, local lab.

Depending on the test results, there are different kinds of filters. If your water is very hard, some filters will require that you also have a water softener.

If you are just looking to improve the taste of safe water, then a carbon filter will likely suffice. They can be mounted on the tap; alternatively, a whole-house filter can be installed for a few hundred dollars. (That may not be an option for an apartment dweller.)


Conduit for future sprinker system before sidewalk pour

The correct answer depends on a number of variables related to the size of the space and your future landscaping plans. If time permits, you should sketch out a landscaping plan and consult with an irrigation planner to ascertain in-ground requirements according to planned design and water supply.

If time does not permit, follow advice of @Platinum Goose and overbuild with 2" PVC, which would allow you to feed smaller pipes and/or wires through. I would put in at least two (one each end) and glue caps which could be cut off later, as suggested by @Jim Stewart.


I was able to figure out it was the Draft Safeguard that was tripping. After digging around online some more there were a couple recommendations:
Right when we purchased the home we redid the flooring immediately from linoleum that had a threshold at the closet to engineered hardwood and we did not put a threshold at the closet (effectively increasing the gap at the bottom). I both verified the intake was clear and also placed towels at the door gap and let the furnace run in which it finally did not short cycle.


Is the PY4G HVAC unit compatible with Nest Thermostat?

Yes the PY4G unit is compatible with the Nest 3rd Gen Thermostat. I'm guessing that the quote from the manual about power-stealing is to ensure users use the common wire and don't rely on smart thermostats' power-stealing.

My issue was that I had 18/8 coming from the outdoor unit that met with 18/5, but only 4 wires {Y-G-W-R} were connected. The junction was hidden behind the aluminum flashing that protects the main duct before it enters the crawlspace. This is why I didn't see it when I was in my crawl.

I connected the blue wires, got a good reading on the multimeter, the Nest Thermostat no longer gives an error, and my HVAC is working again. Shoutout to @ThreePhaseEel for the help!


How can I remove 6-8 inches of concrete from a wooden floor?

Rent a concrete saw, make cuts more than halfway through it (preferably within an inch of the wooden floor) in a grid pattern, insert prybar in cuts, break chunks loose. Once you get the first chunk out, pry towards the hole.


Check around the farm supply places - they carry big dampers. I used to have one about 36" square (the ex still has it). Try places like here and here.


Can I install water filters in parallel to abate pressure loss?

2 filters in parallel will reduce pressure drop because of the increased area allowing higher flow but the cost of 2 filters , housings etc may be much more than a larger single filter. I have installed filters in parallel in the past but have found it to be cheaper to purchase a larger single filter.


Water radiator system has single loop instead of flow & return pipes -- does this make sense?

The heating system that you have is called A "mono-flo" hot water system. The tees in your system can either be standard or restricted tees. The usual installation practice is to have one restrictor tee on either the supply or return and a normal tee on the other supply or return pipe. When I was still installing these systems I would usually install 1 tee if the radiator was above the supply pipe and 2 tees if the radiator was below the supply piping. However the use of 1 or 2 tees is usually dependent upon the size of the radiator. A very large radiator would require 2 tees to provide adequate flow. These systems can be zoned at each radiator or room if desired. If you desire to learn more about these systems, just type in " a mono-flo heating system" using any search engine. (I use google)


How can I find out if a vapor barrier is requried for finishing a basement to code?

I'll answer the second question first:

  Where would I go looking for any such information for my location?

Your city's building and code inspector's office.

But note that because something is to code doesn't necessarily mean it has to be done that way--provided you can show why your way is better. Which leads to your first question:

  Does anyone know if the concept of vapor barriers ever come in to the code compliance of finished basements?

It does in many places, but today is highly discouraged from most modern building science perspectives.

When I finished my last house's basement, it was in a place that required plastic vapor barriers. I did a lot of research and came to the conclusion that it's a terrible idea and was able to convince my code department of that. Details of that can be found in my answer to the question here:

https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/8644/1209

Note the links provided in the comments by  Brad Mace which point to Building Science Corporation's recommendations--which were the same ones I went from.

The executive summary of why vapor barriers are bad in a basement is that a basement will often have moisture problems on EITHER side of the barrier. In both cases, you'd be trapping moisture rather than letting it escape. It's better to allow a certain amount of moisture permeability.


3" Electrical box has diagonal mounting holes. Need horizontal. Any adapters?

Yes, such an adapter exists -- its called a "universal" or "all-purpose" crossbar, and looks like this:


Just for reference: Here are the basics of how a 3-way is wired.  You need /3 cable.   And color-wise, all bets will be off.

I'll add more when you have more information for us.


How do I convert a light circuit with a single pole switch to use two 3-way switches?

Since the red wire is already being used for the outlets, you'll need to run a pair of 3 wire cables from the existing switch box to the location in the garage where you want these light switches.

This is what you'll likely have to do:

Here are some other options:

Image Source


should i wrap exhaust duct joints of hot water heater?

Duct tape and flexible ducts are OK for a fume hood exhausts or for ventilation ducts, but not for combustion exhausts.

Although regulations depend on where you live, for your own safety I would not use a flexible metal duct for combustion exhausts as they are not designed for this and can be prone to leaking. Same goes for duct tape. The glue or tape could melt, or the tape could perhaps even catch fire from the hot fumes.

So, use fixed tubing and connect it as per the instructions, probably with screws. There are also systems that are self sealing with built in rubber rings.

Furthermore, if possible for your hot water heater, I would recommend that you also connect an intake duct for fresh air. This will lessen the amount of CO gas is produced, and make it less likely that the  combustion exhaust product escape inside the house in stead of through the exhaust pipe. If you have a heater with condensation, it is possible you need to use specific concentric tubing to do this. It might be necessary to build a new connection to the outside for the intake, or, if the existing exhaust is wide enough, you could install an air intake tube inside the existing exhaust tube.


chipmunks burrowing under above ground pool

Get rid of the chipmunks. The liner stretches to drop into depression. If it stretches too much ,it will have a small leak. This mobilizes the soil to sink further; not leading to a happy ending ( been there, done that). I think the only practical repair is a new liner and fill any low spots before installing it.


Water backs up in adjacent sink only when garbage disposal is used

You probably have a bit of a clog in your trap or a bit further down.

Likely, your plumbing looks like this:

The disposal is trying to pump water down the pipe much faster than it would passively flow. This means there is enough water getting into the shared pipe that it backs up into the sink on the right in the picture, bringing disposed food with it. Basically, it's probably exactly what you thought it was.

Try removing and cleaning the trap. If the problem still occurs, start trying some other drain cleaning techniques (snake, chemical clear, etc).


A quick check says a slope of 1/4" to 5/8" per foot.

So over a 8' wall length, that's an elevation drop of 2-5 inches.

But, you need it to slope away from both walls. (Dual pitch)  That means that you'll need to go another 2-5" deeper for the free corner.  You could get away with the 2" drop along both walls, making it 4" deep at the corner.

OR,
You seem to want the water to flow off to the left.
I'd go with one course of tiles on the left hand wall, carefully graded at the maximum slope (5/8" / ft) to keep water away from that wall, and then do a single pitch away from the other wall. (Say 3/8").  If you lay it carefully, you won't notice the difference in pitches.


The fan was the problem. I measured voltage at the fan and it was 125. Experience has told me to look for the sample explanation first. I started with the wall switch. Wrong. I should have went to the fan first. Replacement was simple. I didn't have to remove the casing, only the fan which was a Nutone. I found it at Home Depot...Lowes did not have it.

Next problem I have I will think about it more before I actually do anything. Perhaps my advanced age (77) has blurred my thought processes.


My new dishwasher is smelling like sewer

From the description, this sounds like one of my favorite topics - dishwasher air gaps/high loops. However, from the picture it looks like the dishwasher drain hose goes up high. But since I can't see it come down, and since I know that if it is NOT installed correctly you are likely to have a problem, here goes:

The dishwasher drain normally requires an air gap. Traditionally, this would be a hose up to a corner of the sink into a little plastic/metal gadget referred to as the air gap. This would literally provide an air gap as the water would come out of the hose and through the air back down into another hose which would connect to the disposal or to the sink trap. Many recent (now on the order of at least 20 years, but not sure how long) models allow for a high loop configuration. In this setup, the hose loops up as high as possible - preferably up to just underneath the counter - and then loops back down to output into the disposal or the sink trap. This effectively provides an air gap as the water can only come back up through the high loop and back into the dishwasher if the sink were to fill up to the same height, which would hopefully be an extremely rare event. Even in such a case, the water would still not backflow into the water main (which would be a real safety issue) unless the water input to the dishwasher were open at the same time (i.e., dishwasher starting a cycle). So it is safe & effective and approved in many, but not all, areas.

There are two likely problems related to the high loop/air gap:

1 - The dishwasher hose is not mounted high enough - either installed incorrectly or was installed correctly but fell down. In this case any time the sink fills up even a little bit, or the disposal clogs a little so that it can't drain as fast as the dishwasher is trying to send out the waste water, dirty water can flow backwards into the dishwasher. Even if you can't see dirty water, this can cause quite a stink.

2 - The end of the dishwasher hose is going into the drain pipe after the trap. In this case, despite having the high hose, which provides an air gap to prevent backflow, sewer gas could go back through the hose to the dishwasher because it would not be blocked by the water in the trap.

If you can't figure this out, see if you can (a) get a picture of the highest point of the hose so we can see how high it is relative to the sink and (b) a picture of the hose where it attaches to the drain pipes. One or both of those may already be in the pictures you posted, but I can't tell because of the shadows.


How do I connect TV cables to this signal booster unit?

The amplifier appears to have Belling-Lee connectors (Wikipedia) while the cables look like they have "F" connectors
 (Wikipedia). Assuming you are in Europe, you should be able to find adapters. If you are in the USA, BL adapters are hard to find but I've gotten them from Radio Shack in the past.

Also called PAL or European to F Adapter


Securement requirements for ENT conduit: Is this a code violation?

The NEC doesn't require support within a foot of termination, but there may be some state or local amendment that may modify 362.30.
As far as attaching to sheathing I can't think of wording in the code that directly addresses that specifically, but an inspector would likely claim that the sheeting is not structurally sound for support, which would create a building code violation or not installed per UL.
Section 300.4 needs to be addressed, a couple holes and supports look like they might be closer than 1.25" to the edge of a wood penetration, you would need nail plates.


How can I safely extend a wire in my electrical panel?

You should check with your local inspection agency.

Different locales use different revisions of the code. They also may have their own addenda to the NEC. Furthermore, inspector interprets the code differently.

With all that in mind:

It looks like 312.8 is the relevant section of the NEC.
Mike Holt seems certain that wire nuts in breaker panels are OK. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHi42Gzydh0


Will high wattage LED bulb work with this light fixture?

The part number you supply is just for the socket, it is rated for the heat of a 100w GU10 bulb, the socket can definitely handle 10 watts of heat put out by a 10w bulb.

But nobody can tell from the socket rating what heat limit the trim is or what voltage the supporting wiring is designed to withstand.

Common design of that style of fixture is to be able to handle 35, 50, or 75w incandescent bulb, so it is likely able to handle 10 watts, but more info is needed to be certain. It is possible (but unlikely) that the fixture was designed to operate with a maximum of 5w, but that really seems unimaginable.


How can NEMA [1-15, IEC Type A] electric plug [in Japan] be safe?

Nothing is safe. There are only degrees of safety.

European plugs incorporate more safety features, which makes them safer. But they also work with higher voltages, which are slightly more dangerous (230 instead of 120 in US or 100 in Japan).

UK Plugs and outlets have many more safety features than any other design, so are safer still.

None of these designs can always prevent a determined or negligent person from electrocuting themselves.

I think it is better to regard them as less safe rather than unsafe, Just take extra care.

Do not use cords, plugs or outlets that appear damaged, replace them.
Always ensure plugs are fully pushed in.
Only grasp plugs by the plug body.
Keep fingers away from the front edge near the pins.
Do not pull plugs out by the cords
Do not let cords trail where they may be tripped over (causing plugs to be pulled partly out)
If you can do so, replace ordinary breakers and outlets with GFCI equivalents.