How thick is that paneling likely to be?

No one here can make that assessment for you; you will need to inspect the wall, by either drilling a hole at the intended mounting site, or opening the wall up.

  Is that same double-thickness situation (which looks like plaster over drywall, or maybe two layers of plaster) likely to be under the paneling?

Again, you will need to inspect the wall you intend to hang the shelf from and not make any assumptions of continuity of construction. Your inspector spoke out of turn here; unless he was the original home owner or carpenter that put the paneling up.

  If not, what is?

It's a 70 year old house - there is no reason to assume that it has never been remodeled in the past, and that any old work dug into, is original to the house. What's behind door number 2? Look.

  Am I going to need any special kind of hardware to hang shelves on wood over plaster over drywall over a stud?

Probably not - as long as the paneling has substantial thickness, and is properly affixed to the underlying framing. Neither of which you know at this point, and no one here can tell you, unless they've had that wall open themselves.

In earlier period paneling jobs, is wasn't unusual for the carpenter to panel a wall, not unlike they would panel a floor. By furring the surface in an apposing direction or at an angle to the framing first, then the finished panels at whatever angle was desired - without plaster or drywall at all.


Why does one leg of my panel drop to 0v and the other rise to 240v when a load is connected?

It sounds like you have a loose, broken, or disconnected neutral at some point.

Double check all terminations are tight, and contact the conductor, not the insulation.

Also check that you have the correct earthing/bonding methods. Do you have an earth/ground wire back to the house?

If so, you need a separate earth and neutral bar, with each wire connected to the correct bar, and no link between them.

If not, you need an earth electrode connected to the earth bar, the incoming neutral connected to the neutral bar, and a link between the two.*

* I believe the NEC no longer allows this approach; I'm not familiar with US code. It may be grandfathered in.


Changing a gas fire place back into a wood fire place

First check to see if the damper is still there (the door at the top to close the chimney)
I would also have the stack inspected & cleaned by a professional .
If the top 2 things are good the gas line will need to be removed and the hole filled with fireplace mortar.
Put a grate and  doors/fire screen on and enjoy the fire .


How much upkeep for portable Tri-Fuel generators

Note: This answer will be more generalized, than specific to generators. Also, I have a small engine repair and service certification from Briggs and Stratton.

All internal combustion engines will need regular service several systems. The most common of which are:

Lubricants
Air Filter
Fuel Delivery
Ignition

These things needing service will have vastly differing service schedules, depending on things like their duty/use types, sophistication of manufacturing, fuel deliver (carburation v. fuel injection (wet) v. direct fuel injection), type of fuel, age of motor, effectiveness of seals and so on.

For instance, it's not uncommon for a modern, fuel injected car motor, to safely go 5000-7000 miles before needing an oil change, and might go nearly 100k miles on single set of spark plugs (my wife's old CRV).

However, for things like generators that get only intermittent use, these problems follow a different schedule, that will be unique to that motor and schedule of use. Only being used perhaps once a year, makes generators particularly difficult to maintain and diagnose problems, since you may only find it when you need to use the generator. Many fixed installation generators remedy this with a weekly test run cycle, and built in diagnostics.

Liquid fuels like kerosene, gasoline, ethanol, and diesel all have different degrees and problems that can plague them, mainly in storage. Water in fuel, and evaporation of fuel is especially a problem for carbureted motors, which are effectively open systems. Thankfully, this is eliminated (mostly) in fuel injection systems, which are not open to the atmosphere, subject to evaporation.

Moving to a gaseous fuel (propane, natural gas, etc) similarly has much less of a problem (if none at all) with this issue with evaporation and deposition of the heavier components. However, liquid fuels usually provide some degree of lubrication to things like valves, and to a less extent the piston in the block. A gaseous fuel has no/negligible lubrication properties.

TL:DR All engines require service. Gas powered require the least maintenance, but can be more expensive initially.

Personal Suggestion: Go to a fixed installation generator on gaseous fuel, automatic cut-over on power failure, hopefully having automatic diagnostics and a regular self test cycle. Then you just change the air filter and oil when it tells you to.


How do I get the glass off this ceiling fixture

Three flat spring arms extend down from the base. They have bends so that they can hook the glass once it is fully in place. Pull the glass down a bit from one side only. Slide a butter knife around until you find one of the spring arms. Then either tug down or use the butter knife to push the spring inward while you tug.
When you re-install the glass, hook 2 of the springs into the glass and use your fingers to push the third arm in as you raise the glass dome.


External frost-free facuet gradually slowing flow

After pulling everything apart a few times, I found it out. Looking at the diagram on the site, part 10 (the retainer screw) had loosened off but not to the point where it were no longer connected. If it had loosened off completely, turning the handle would have done nothing.

Taking everything apart, part 9 had been squished a bit and was stuck in the tube. Loosening everything off let me knock the retainer and valve out of the tube. With the tube cleared, I tightened the retainer screw and the valve against the valve stem assembly. With the retainer screw now attached, I reinserted the valve stem assembly and put it all back together. Great success, eventually.


Can you vent a portable AC's exhaust through the chimney?

Yes, it works, I've done it.

It's much more efficient and effective to vent the hot air out a chimney - this is what the chimney was designed for - than to open a window for the outlet. Opening a window as per the usual instructions creates an uninsulated opening to the hot outdoors, leading to heat entering your house even as you try to cool it.

So long as the chimney is sound, and penetrates through the roof (some old chimneys may be sealed off if no longer in use), it's a good option. Try to jam the vent pipe up as far as you can to make sure the hot air goes up.


Scientifically speaking, how and why does sweating (soldering) copper pipes work?

I think @ArchonOSX has a good answer, but I'd like to expand a bit more on it (having a background in welding, brazing, and soldering).

Going point by point:

Flux typically promotes bonding between the base metals and the solder. It does this by cleaning the metal (removing surface contaminants), deoxidizing the metal, and preventing further oxidation. Hot metal tends to oxidize more quickly than cold metal, but the flux will remove oxygen (either by absorption, adsorption, or oxidation of the flux itself) where it is applied.

If all your flux burns (or gets oxidized) before you've finished brazing the joint, then the solder will be less likely to flow where you need it because the base metals will tend to oxidize. Solder doesn't bond as well with oxidized surfaces, so instead, it balls-up and drips off.
This is possible, but difficult. Unless you were in an anaerobic environment (and even then it might not work) you'd probably not get a good bond.
Wikipedia is pretty good on this one.

You want the metal to be uniformly heated so thermal expansion is uniform, so wicking is uniform, so everything is uniform. Copper, being a good electrical conductor, is also a very good heat conductor. If you only heat the joint, you might find it cools relatively quickly due to surrounding copper cooling the joint.

Not right at the joint (right away). When you are promoting solder flow, then you do want to focus the flame very tightly.
Yes, to heat the surrounding pipe initially.
Yes, because the metal here is also often a bit thicker than anywhere else, so it takes the most energy to heat up to brazing temperatures.

Capillary action is an interesting phenomenon that occurs when one material can "wet" another. Wetting is a process where the surface energy is lowered when the liquid-phase material is in contact with the solid-phase material. Some liquids, like mercury, don't wet others, like glass (forming an upward meniscus). Water does the opposite, wetting glass. The surface energy must be lower than the surface tension of the liquid to prevent beading (balling-up, which you see when the flux burns off). In small spaces, this wetting capability can cause a column of liquid to rise against gravity. For non-wetting materials, the opposite tends to happen.

I think I answered this part above.
When this happens, it's because the molten solder cannot wet the copper. Flux lowers the surface energy of the bare copper (another of its functions), which is how it promotes wicking, but if the copper isn't hot enough, it won't wet either.

HOWEVER, everything I just described indicates that the solder is on the surface of the copper (adsorptive or adhesive). In fact, the solder is able to form a localized alloy with the base metal that penetrates some distance into the base metal. This is why brazing (and soldering) can be quite strong, even compared to welding. This is an absorptive process and occurs because the higher temperatures allow copper atoms to move enough within their lattices to allow for an alloy to form. This process adds to the effects described before.


What is the difference between a cheap and a more expensive submersible well pump?

Stainless steel casing.
Only if you think there is something corrosive in your water. As a general rule, a submersible pump is under water all of the time. Rust requires oxygen, so unless you constantly pump it dry and expose it, the stainless can be a waste. But it does help with other corrosives. 20 years is a long time, was that pump stainless?

Plastic vs metal impellers?
Plastic is cheaper, but ANY tiny amount of possible grit chews it up really fast.

230 v (Pump is 300 feet from house.)
Absolute minimum; don't even consider 120V.

Automatic low water shutoff?
Absolutely, unless you have some other means of doing that.

Thermal protected motor.
You are required by code to have running overload protection for the motor. Using a thermally protected motor qualifies. If you get one without it, you must add a thermal overload relay to your controller.

Is Variable Frequency Drive worth it?
Maybe. Is variable volume important to you? In a pump like this, if you pump at full volume and turn it down with a valve, you are wasting some energy in that process. Using a VFD to lower the flow accomplishes the same thing while using significantly less energy in the process. But if you are NOT varying the flow on a regular basis, then the losses in the VFD will actually cost you MORE energy in comparison. So it depends on what you want to do with the irrigation system. A side benefit to a VFD however is that you can use it to convert your single phase electric service to run a 3 phase pump. The advantage there is that the pump is more reliable in the long run, there is no "start capacitor / run winding" in the motor that must be switched in and out.


How do I find the angles for baseboard on an outside stair stringer?

From your picture, it looks like if you extend the non-flat sections of the moulding they'll intersect before you reach the vertical at the end of the stair (e.g., pardon my abysmal Photoshopping):

This would certainly be the easiest solution, although it may not be the prettiest one.


Is a strain relief clamp necessary for dryer cord installation?

Yes, for legality and safety. Dryers in particular move a lot, and you don't want your conductors wearing through on the sharp edges of the chassis and electrifying the entire unit or starting a fire.

There's often one built into the dryer. It may be reversed for shipping. Otherwise they're readily available at hardware and home improvement stores for a buck or two.


When remodeling a hallway with new walls and ceiling, should walls be done first or ceiling?

I usually do the ceiling first but have a lift.
If doing all by hand you could make life easier by doing 1 wall with enough gap to slip the ceiling panel over the wall then it will stay on that ledge while you hold it up  and secure.  This is how I did most jobs prior to getting my first lift.


Lost pressure after "clunk" sound in pipe

It sounds like an old system with washers, where a washer has come loose, or possibly some object, e.g. a corroded-off screw head, is being pushed into the outlet pipe when the tap is turned on fast enough to move it.

If you shut the supply below the sink and take the valve apart, the issue should be obvious unless it's an object that drops out of sight down the pipe. In that case, carefully turn the shut-off valve on a bit, after first covering the valve opening with a plastic bowl to redirect most of the water back into the sink. Hopefully, this will eject any blockage. You might need a helper to hold that bowl.


Can I connect a 100A subpanel to a 100A main panel?

Let me try and answer some of your questions. First the panels you are looking at that are rated 100A simply means you can use them for any application up to 100A. You can for example add a 60A breaker to your existing panel and protect the new subpanel with a 100A rating. It is not so much what the panel is rated as what the protection is rated.

You can use other methods other than conduit but first you need to select what type of method you prefer to use and that must be permitted as outlined in Chapter 300 of the NEC "Wiring Methods". So you need to select a method then follow the installation directions as outlined in that particular selection. As an example, let's say you want to use type NM (romex) to connect the new sub panel. That would be Article 334 in the NEC. It will have uses permitted with exceptions and uses not permitted and give installation rules you must follow depending on where these panels are and the type of environment they are in.

I would like to suggest that it may be a better idea to replace and upgrade the existing panel. I believe this would be a better method and give you a better value added rather than several subfed panels.

Hope this helps

  Oops caught use overlapping


what tool / technique would I use to take the fan blade off this fridge motor (and re-mount it to a new one?)

You need a pair of retaining ring pliers.

Use the retaining ring pliers to remove the retaining ring.
Pull the blade off the shaft.
Push the blade on the new motor.
Use the retaining ring pliers to install the retaining ring.


Is a double pole, double throw switch correct for my spa cover motor?

simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab

Turn power Off before reversing direction.

Normally a 3 position DPDT switch with Center Off is preferred.

Here is a Mom-Off-Mom rocker switch 20A 120V
https://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/cw-industries/GRB260K101BBNN/CW129-ND/2349709


While someone has already linked to the adapter, for occasional use why not just clamp the SDS in the chuck? If you plan to do even a medium sized project, get a proper SDS drill. Besides small holes, these little hammer drills will be frustrating. My Bosch SDS cuts through brick, block, concrete like butter - like drilling into pine, even for 3/4" holes 14" deep. And you can use the chisels to break up concrete and tile. This is a well respected - and huge bang for your buck - model. I paid over $200 for mine five years ago and love it.


What speaker wire should I use to extend the length?

I would just install 14 gauge wire, it will be more than adequate at 30 feet.

Look for a reputable brand that's made for audio and rated CL2 for in-wall installation.  Any decent speaker wire will be made with fine strands and sufficient purity for your surround system.

You can spend a lot more on speaker wire, but you won't hear any difference.


How should I connect 2x4 (or wood horizontal railing pieces) to exterior painted wood?

You call it a patio, so I assume it is not a wood deck (which would be easier to add a railing). I'd avoid attaching it to the house though it seems that the other end of the patio roof may be tied to the house already.
Consider driving a super spike into the ground at each end to hold a post that will be the ends of the railing. At a 10 foot span, you'll want one in the center of those two as well. If driving the spike just off the patio won't work, then remove a patio stone and drive the spike where you need it. You can break/ cut the patio stone to fit around the post once its in place.


Should a washer go on nut side, or the bolt side?

Washers are used for multiple purposes when mechanical parts are assembled using bolts and nuts. Here are some usages and as you can see it is not likely that a generalized answer can be devised to directly answer your question!

Some washers have a special design that attempts to help keep the nut and/or bolt from coming loose. Known as a lock washer these may be a split ring type, star type, wavy or any one of a number of other designs. A lock washer will be used with the part of the assembly that most likely could turn such as the nut. It could be used under the bolt head in instances where the bolt screws into threads in one part of the assembly.
A washer is sometimes used to protect the surface of the assembled parts. A nut or bolt head being turned during the tightening process can mar the part surface around the hole and a washer can be used to take the abuse as opposed to the part. This may be particularly applicable when the parts are a softer material such as plastic, brass or aluminum and a washer made of a harder material is used.
Sometimes a thin material is part of the assembly and a larger diameter washer is used to help distribute the pressure of the tight bolt across a larger part of the thin material. In these cases the washer would be used against the thin material. It can help to keep the material flatter or to prevent pullout of the fastener.
There are times when a large diameter washer used as in #3 above may be used with yet another washer smaller in diameter washer on top of the first. This would be done for cases where the larger diameter washer may tend to mushroom when the bolt is tightened.
Assemblies often have a slotted or oversize hole on one side. This is designed to allow for tolerance in the hole size and location in the parts being assembled. Another variation of this would be a long slotted hole that permits the adjustment of one part relative to the other before the bolt and nut are fully tightened. A washer would be used over the slotted hole to allow the pressure of the tightened bolt to be spread across the slot and up onto the part itself. In some instances the washer will also help to prevent the turning bolt head or nut from deforming the slotted part during the tightening process.
Some assemblies are designed to have the parts move with respect to one another when the bolt is actually tight. The travel of the nut may be restricted by a shouldered design of the bolt or a sleeve can be installed around the bolt in the hole. In these cases a washer is often used to keep the moving part from wearing the bolt head or nut. The washer may be made of a material designed to reduce the friction between itself and the moving part. This can also help to keep a turning part from trying to loosen the nut through friction.

Many times washers will play a role that is a combination of the above usages. One common example is to see a lock washer used along with a larger diameter flat washer.


How to secure plywood wall panels with hidden fixings

If you use 3/4" plywood and not a veneered MDF you could drill a small pilot hole for trim head screws.

It will leave a hole about 3/16" in diameter that will need to be filled after the panels are stained/sealed. That is the best simple way to do it. Even simpler would be to use finish nails. They would leave a hole to fill of about 1/8". The lengths of thew screws or nails are entirely dependent on the material you are going through.

The joints between the panels could be done like a T&G arrangement but will cost plenty over a simple "floating tongue" or spline joint. This will control the movement between panel joints that do not fall on a stud or other suitable backing.

Another way is going the "european hanger" way. It has no visible fasteners, but takes up space behind the panel. As much as 3/4" to as little as 3/8", maybe 1/4", depending on your budget.


How should I extend the wiring so I can move a 220v subpanel?

The junction box needs to be accessible, so "in the ground" cannot mean "buried without access."

In many cases it makes more sense to just replace the wire from end-to-end, but if you can put a junction box (that is accessible) either at the former sub-panel location or somewhere closer to the supply (so that you are shortening the supply wires before extending new wire to the new sub-panel location) that should also work.


What type of concrete foundation do you pour for sand?

There are multiple options for building on sand, but much of the answer depends on many other factors. Compact sand (to say sand cannot be compacted is erroneous, it just doesn't require much) can be a very stable base. We have built many homes, cottages and garages on land that is sand for 10s of metres deep.

Screw piles are one solution that works, but all that does is point load your home onto the piles, so you need a lot of them. We have had no problems with thickened-edge slabs, frost walls on reinforced footings and even full basement foundations further from the lake. Just talk to a local engineer to get your footings and or piles appropriately sized.


Do I really need to wait a month before applying primer to plaster?

The reason for waiting is to ensure that the plaster dries completely. If you paint over damp plaster the moisture has to still come out - through the paint causing it to bubble and come away. You will end up having to repaint at the very least.

If you have only patched the wall then you should be able to prime and paint it sooner as there is less area to dry.

However, I would leave it as long as possible before painting, just to be sure.


What screws to use to hang bathroom mirror cabinet?

Really, any wood-thread screw that penetrates your framing (studs) at least an inch will do fine. Depending on the back panel construction you may want to use countersunk flat-head screws or pan-head screws. (You wouldn't countersink screws in a very thin back panel.)
If you have steel studs you'll need a sheet metal screw, and I'd use a few more (six rather than four, say).
Drill through the back rails if your cabinet has them, otherwise drill fairly near the top and bottom panels. Putting screws toward the vertical center can lead to sagging when the back panel bows. Don't use the pre-drilled holes unless they align over studs or you use hollow-wall anchors designed for the type of load you're installing.
Try to be aware of what plumbing and electrical hardware may be in your walls and avoid damaging it.
Use a bubble level or a tape measure (from the floor, wall, or ceiling) to set it level.


Yes! It sounds as if you probably have the answer to your question. The boiler is on your side of the house. The heat supply lines run under the floor on your side. Depending on how well insulated the lines and your floors are you're probably benefiting or sweltering in the heat your tenant is calling for when they crank up the thermostat.
If the basement isn't finished it should be fairly easy to determine - but I'm guessing it is.


Narrow conduit (old building), need to run 2xhots, 1xneutral

You want THHN wire.  You will find stranded much easier to pull, but harder to terminate.  Do not use backstabs with stranded!

Sizewise you must use #12 unless you know this is a 15A circuit.  No option there.  I just use #12 because the cost difference isn't so bad as it is with Romex.

You could've used the old wire to pull the new wire in.  You can wrap the first 3-4 inches of the 3 wires together with tape - stagger them about 1"  - and make the tape a bit lumpy so it's less likely to snag on things... at that point try pushing it through, if you fiddle enough you often get lucky.  If that doesn't work, you can tie a string to a tissue and vacuum it through, and use the string to pull the wires through.  Or get some proper "fishing tape".

Colorwise, use the correct colors since you can't remark wire in conduit.

The neutral must be white or gray, conventionally, white.

Hots can be black brown red orange yellow pink blue or violet. For simple 1-circuit pipe work, convention is black for always-hot and red for switched-hot.

Bat nailed it as to why you can't just shuck Romex.  If the wire isn't marked THHN, it's not as tough as THHN.  You can't use unmarked wire anyway.


Get rid of squirrels without poison or bb gun?

Just read this and my first thought was the trap I bought at Lowes a year or so ago. But, since I've never used it to trap a squirrel, that's just my opinion. So, I did a quick search on "squirrel traps" and found this: http://www.wikihow.com/Trap-a-Squirrel-With-Everyday-Materials. Sounds like fun to me. I'd give it a try.


Proper way to attach tapered, threaded connections?

See this thread about how much to tape to wrap.  Two wraps might be too little while 20 seems pretty extreme.

Some people like tape, some like compound and some like both.  I gave up on reading about which is better because it just seems to be a matter of opinion.

Both are for lubricating and sealing.  The "Pipe Dope" has a substance in it (sometimes hemp) that expands with moisture to further help prevent leaks.

Regarding how tight, you can definitely over tighten but if they are leaking I wouldn't hesitate to give another bit of a turn.  You need to be particularly careful with compression fittings since they can be more easily over-tightened.


Worried this Gypsum Wallboard/Drywall could contain asbestos? Anyone know what this is?

Websearch quickly finds http://www.mesothelioma.com/asbestos-exposure/companies/national-gypsum.htm

Determining whether your product is one of those listed as containing asbestos is the challenge. For now I would assume the answer is yes until a test has been done.


Will a dimmable LED allow me to shine a light similar in intensity to a candleflame?

Here's what I did:

I went to a certain big box store known for its 'Treasure Hunt' atmosphere and, pre-pandemic, free samples

I bought a 'feit electric dimmer switch 2 pack'

I installed them. It was really easy, though it does require a neutral.

I purchased the a large box of 'feit electric soft white led dimmable bulbs.  The new ones light up to the base (similar to the old incandescent bulbs and look much better).  Conveniently, my local utility was subsidizing them, so I think that they were really cheap.

Here's a similar product: https://www.feit.com/product/800-lumen-2700k-dimmable-led-8/
Total cost was less than $50, and I think that some of these parts have gotten cheaper since.
Note:  I've reliability issues with the LED bulbs with the plastic bases -- perhaps my fixtures are too hot, but I find that they often flicker or crack and die.
On another note:  I have a few boxes of incandescent bulbs that I'd be happy to get rid of -- I run a bunch of hallway lights 24/7, and installing LED lights is a huge win, even over compact fluorescent.


Spilled pvc primer in water softener tank?

If, you are speaking of the salt tank and not the water softner, since the water softner should be a sealed unit, just remove the salt and flush out the tank and install new salt. By the way, how did the primer get into a tank that is sealed or a salt tank that has a top on it?


If it were sunnier on his deck, he may have less rot as the dew would dry more quickly and completely. Will removing the tree eliminate the issue? Probably not completely given how crowded things look.

You're certainly not obliged to remove things that block sun from your neighbors property, however. Your house might also qualify as a sun-blocker, but I doubt you'd take that down.

Ultimately you'll have to feel out whats right and neighborly based on your comfort level and your relationship with your neighbor.


Can too much ridge ventilation be detrimental?

With the solar-powered vent and two static vents being so close together, I wouldn't be surprised if the the solar-powered vent (because it's powered) is pulling most of it's air from the two static vents. You might be able to check this by using toilet tissue, feather, incense smoke or something to determine air-flow direction through the static vents while the solar-powered vent is running.

If the net effect is that air is being pulled in, then none of those vents are doing as much as they should to cool the attic. Some of the air through the soffit vents is being exhausted through the solar-power vent, to be sure, but the static vents aren't helping.

If I were going to make changes, I would consider the following, in order of preference...

Remove and seal up the two static vents. This alone would cause the solar-powered vent intake to come completely from the soffits and thus pull hot air out of the entire attic area underneath.
Remove the solar-powered vent and install a ridge vent the entire length of the ridge next to it. As this makes venting totally passive, it might not be enough for your climate. Depending on size and efficiency, the solar-powered vent without the static vents may move more air. If still not enough, I would think more CFMs of air could be vented using a line-powered unit, but haven't researched it.


Can I install an under-mount sink in an existing Formica counter?

If the substrate under the formica (which is a thin veneer) is particle board, you must do something about the exposed edge of particleboard around the hole that they originally cut to put the sink into.  Not only is it ugly, but it will suck up water and expand and disintegrate.

There are kits to glue a curbing over this edge that purport to waterproof it. I am VERY leery that such a thing can work over the long term.  Water just gets in - that's its job.

Your fixtures must be mounted through an apron of the sink that extends to the back?  They would remain so, and just extend up from below counter level (there is probably no countertop underneath them now.  If you look underneath, you will probably see that the hole for the sink goes back further than the fixtures).  This will create a cleaning nightmare :(

The hole will probably need to be neatened up (it's probably not a nice even shape) and it is probably a bit bigger than it needs to be.  The sink will be held to the underside of the counter by clips that screw into the countertop from underneath, and you will use silicone on the rim of the sink before lifting it into place to provide a seal (and probably run a fillet around the joint after it's in place, wiping the excess away with your finger).

It sounds like a lot of work, and a lot of things that can go wrong.  I'd suggest just keeping it overmount.


Can camera wires be placed under the roof tiles?

They shouldn't be running either over or under roof tiles :) They should be running in the space underneath the roof structure, or get rerouted elsewhere.


The question is if the can has a built-in ballast for the florescent light. If the can uses standard screw-in CFL bulbs, then you can just replace the bulb (and probably the trim ring) with a retrofit LED module designed for use in a incandescent can.

On the other hand, if the florescent light has two or four pins to connect into the can, then the can is designed specifically for florescent and includes the ballast for the florescent light. In this case, you will need to replace the can (or modify the can, removing the ballast and rewiring it, which is probably not worth the effort).


What is causing a cat urine smell in my bathroom?

Look for leaks, the most likely culprit is a failed seal on the toilet.  If the toilet rocks or moves that will damage the seal and cause leaks.  Even if it was installed tight to the floor it is possible the seal (usually a wax ring) was not large enough, or was not replaced by a previous homeowner after removing the toilet.  Also check if the toilet is caulked to the floor, this should never be done.  It just traps leaks under the toilet where they will ruin the floor without you noticing.

Remove the toilet and inspect underneath.  If the floor isn't rotten and the flange is not broken replace the wax seal and remount.  Or hire a plumber to do the same.

Also even if you don't have cats the previous homeowner may have and moisture from showering is bringing out the smell.  Think about where you would put a catbox and inspect and sniff carefully.  It is common for cats to pee against the baseboards and the urine to seep under the flooring.  If water gets on the floor it will bring up the smell.

In one case I had to tear a room back to the studs to get rid of the odor.


Yes, you can cut it. Use an angle grinder with a masonry blade. I have seen it cut with a jigsaw as well, and a circular saw for flat pieces, but I prefer the angle grinder for this type of job. Cut it slightly long, then use a belt sander to take it down to your exact line and smooth the cut edge. This will (obviously) be messy, so do it outdoors. The "cultured marble" material is cast resin and will give off a fiberglass reek and quite a bit of resin dust, so wear goggles and a particle mask or respirator.

Cutting that much off the side will offset your sink basin from the plumbing, be prepared to change the drain and supply-line configurations. Cut it so that there will be a small gap (1/8"-1/4") left on the left side, as the walls are never perfectly square. You will then use caulking to fill that gap as well as where the backsplash meets the wall.

Another option would be to screw a strip of wood to the left end of the cabinet and to the wall on the left ("nailers"), then cut a piece of oak plywood to cover and fill the gap, leaving an unused hollow space behind. Stain and varnish to match the vanity.


Outdoor faucet's indoor shutoff valve not working - OK to drip water out of faucet through winter?

Heat tape is going to be your best bet until you can repair the hose bib. Leaving it dripping that long is incredibly wasteful, plus you'll get a mound of ice piling up where it hits the ground, and you still run the risk of the pipe freezing.


Should I use liquid water proofing membrane over a standard shower mud pan?

Any shower I have done in the past 5 years has been done with both the PVC liner over a sloped bed and the liquid applied membrane. I coat all the corners and the drain 1 coat, then paint 2 coats over everything up to the splash line of about 5 1/2 feet. No need to do the ceiling.

If you have not done it already, let me suggest this.... I use a modified thin set and fiberglass tape to cover all the joints before applying the liquid membrane. It strengthens the joints where the cement boards meet. Also bridges gaps for the membrane.


Options for adding “C” wire to thermostat

Once you confirm the power supply in the furnace matches your thermostat's requirements, then yes, use the extra wire. Not only confirm a constant 24v is supplied, but whether it should be AC or DC. (DC would be really weird, but worth confirming)

Since the wire you use may not match the usual color coding, label both ends of the wire to eliminate any confusion in the future.


I see what you mean, the results are all over the place and what looks like direct replacements may not ship to the US if you could even afford it. I know it's weird to say this, but you will need to call the manufacturer of the cabinets, if you know the brand of cabinet, or if not you should contact the drawer slide manufacturer and ask them to help you find a replacement, you'll want to ask for contact information for their closest distributer to you. For special order hardware is a bear, have patience and sometimes you just have to call around and find the closest contractor (like a casework shop) that carries the brand. Sometimes "closest" can be on the opposite side of the country.
To give yourself a head start in talking with them, go to their website, use the drop down for products, click on the the magic-move (i think but could be d-motion), and then scroll down until you see the web view option to view their catalog. See if you can find your specific product in there or in one of the other product line's catalogs. (sorry, but you'll have to do the legwork here).
If you've got the patience, you can pull the top and bottom sections of the slide apart, and hammer it back close enough to it's original shape. If you're picture is a good representation, it doens't look very bent. You might try clamping it to a block of wood with the bent section hanging off bit by bit and work your way gently tapping it back into relative position.
Your last best bet is to take your slides around locally and compare to other brands of slides... you'll want to look for something that will hold the drawer in the same position. You are not likely to find a slide you can mix and match with the existing closers. This is more about finding something that you can mount in place of the existing hardware and have the cabinet fronts not look like something is off.


Hole in concrete floor from floor anchor

You'd want to use a products like this:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-1-qt-Concrete-Crack-Seal-864000/100318507

It'll be hard to get concrete mix into such a small hole without leaving a void. This crack sealer is designed for smaller holes & cracks. Documentation here: http://www.quikrete.com/PDFs/Projects/RepairingConcrete.pdf


What you have is a four way switch and a three way switch. The three way is the one with the three wires, the four way is the one with four wires. Take note of the 'point' wire on the three way if you intend to replace it, you should find some marking on the back of the switch that indicates which leg that is.

As said in comments, it's unusual to see those in the US, but they are common in Europe and Asia. Akari makes an almost identical line of 'slim and stackable' wiring devices, except slightly smaller, if you're looking for an approved / listed replacement.


Will adding a french drain and sealing the wall be sufficient to waterproof a basement?

If the crack is visible from inside, you could use an expanding polyurethane foam kit. I've used one from RadonSeal in the past (http://www.radonseal.com/crack-injection/diy-injection.htm) and had great results. You can also inject the crack from outside if that's easier. I'd also check grading (is soil sloped away from the house?) and drainage (no close downspouts, etc) outside to make sure any easy water sources are taken care of.


How do I even out a tile floor to properly support a dishwasher?

"Most" kitchen appliances have adjustable feet that "should" be able to adjust to take up a 2-3" difference in flooring heights.  Your other option is to measure the difference and fill the gap with an appropriately width piece of plywood.

Check out this Image I found on http://www.dannylipford.com/how-to-install-a-dishwasher/


Why is my toilet not flushing completely?

What you might try is getting a new flapper since it is closing too soon anyway, also get the filling mechanism/float which will rush water into the tank quicker..they sell both items in a kit..and make sure the water level is high enough in the tank. You can even adjust the float a little higher. That will give the water more force from the added weight.   It sounds like all you need is a little extra push to get a complete flush.


Is it safe to put insulation next to knob & tube wiring?

The answer changes depending on location.

Because of a complete lack of actual fire incidents, four Western USA States: CA, OR, WA and ID petitioned for an exception to NEC 394.12 and permit insulating over Knob & Tube Wiring.  In some places you must first file a Knob-and-Tube Wiring Safety Report, and everywhere else it's a good idea.

It is a complete myth that Knob & Tube must be air cooled. Instead measure the gauge of the wire and put in an appropriate AFCI breaker for the gauge, and you're done. 100 year old copper is just as good as modern copper, in regards to household use.  You should remove from the K&T any high load devices.  What's left, especially in the era of CFL's and LED's, won't draw enough current to cause a problem.

The insulation of the era was not all that good, and perhaps for that reason K&T does not depend on it.  Ceramic tubes will outlast civilizations, and hold the wires apart even if the insulation is damaged.

You can even add an extra margin of safety by underrating the K&T (the opposite of depending on air cooling).  For example if you find 12 gauge wire, put a 15 amp AFCI in place, and you're more than done.  For 14 gauge wire, a 10 amp breaker might do nicely, even if they look at you funny at Home Depot.  Home Depot probably won't have the right breaker, but you can brave DIY scorn at Grainger, or just order online.

See

http://www.pct.edu/wtc/docs/articles/KnobTube_Report_WTC.pdf
https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/20279/5960
http://homeenergypros.lbl.gov/forum/topics/knob-and-tube?page=1&commentId=6069565%3AComment%3A79069&x=1#6069565Comment79069

You should, however, replace any fuses.  Those are dangerous, even with Type S fuse bases.


Are there simple ways to construct shelving under a kitchen worktable?

it is somewhat difficult to answer because I cannot tell what is easy for you.  It depends a lot of what kind of tools you have.

One way I can think of requiring basic tools would be to cut 3 pieces of 2x4 to fit between the legs and attach them to the leg with screws.  They are horizontally placed about 12” below your table top.  Then cut the shelf and have it rest on top of the 3 pieces of wood.  Attach the shelf it support with wood glue.


Leave the ground rods. Install a second set at the new service location.

The IBT only needs to go to ground rods.  It doesn't need to go to particular ones.

This plan depends on there being a ground wire between the old and new rods; it's a rare time when metal conduit shell, water pipe, etc. won't do.

There is no penalty for more ground rods than the house requires.


Can I handle-tie two 120V CH breakers for a 240V load?

It may not provide a legal breaker for a 30-A 240-V circuit such as for a dryer that uses 240 V and 120 V because the tie bar only works for manual shut-off. If one breaker trips due to over-current, it is not assured to pull off the other breaker unless that is an explicitly stated property of this model breaker.

I think the only use of tied 1-pole breakers is for powering circuits from two breakers with a shared neutral, an arrangement which I think is called a multi-wire branch circuit. But that would probably be with 20-A or 15-A breakers. I think you should return the extra 1-pole 30-A breakers.


Oven has power, preheat light is off, but no heat

Electric ovens use heating elements to create heat.  These are prone to "wear out" over a long period of time.  The typical way that these fail is by going open (meaning no heat produced).  This website (https://www.partselect.com/Range-Stove-Oven+Baking-Element-Testing+repair.htm) has good information on how to test and replace the element(s).

I suspect the problem with your top broiler might be a wore out element as well.  Might as well check them both while you are looking at it.


The whites in the back of the box are very important.  They are neutral, and you wouldn't have a circuit without them.  Also it's rather fortunate they are there, because a good quality smart switch will require them.

On both switches, you have 2 wires going to a single screw terminal.  This is nothing but a lazy shortcut in wiring.   Those multiple wires could be replaced by a pigtail, in which case the wiring would be easier to understand.   It looks like that hoppy wire is the "always hot" wire, and is commonly** color coded black, which it happens to be.  The solo black wires are switched-hots going up to the lights, and they are commonly** color coded red, and I'd mark them with red tape.  I'dThis will make it even easier to understand.

Most people, even freshmen like yourself, don't need equipment safety ground explained to them.  The only thing you might need to know is when ground has insulation, it is green, or green/yellow stripe.

** that is common practice. The law only specifies colors for ground and neutral (white or gray).  Legally a hot can be any other color.  In this wiring, the switched-hot is black because they are using pre-made cables and don't have a choice for color.  That's what tape is for.


Is water taste an indication that my softener is failing?

I have a water softener unit that would put a bad taste in the water after the regeneration cycle, although I could flush it out in a few minutes versus a couple of days. I fixed it by replacing the valve mechanism at the top of the tank - the valves had become clogged with sediment and weren't closing properly, thereby allowing the salt-infused water to enter the drinking water pipes. Replacing the valve system cleared up the problem for me.

I found the product I needed and instructions by searching for the water softener model on the internet. This may be an easier and less expensive fix than replacing the whole unit.


Does code allow flexible PVC for drain through joists?

Flexible drain lines are VERY prone to "double-trapping" themselves and failing to work. I don't know from a code POV but I'd guess not, and I know from experience that "draining things with hoses" can be fraught with peril - yes, I note that you said carefully supported.
In most cases by using slightly oversized holes and exploiting the slight flex of "rigid" pvc it is possible to get "longer than one joist bay" sections of pipe between joists. You can almost always get a two-joist bay section (i.e. 32" in this case) section in place just by angling it up and then rotating. Whether you can get more than that depends on the size of the pipe and the position of the holes relative to the bottom of the joists, unless you can get "end access" at one end to stick it in straight.
The other option is to run it below the joists.


This very much sounds like a thermal trip issue in the fixtures. If the lights are not blinking in sync with each other then this not a power supply circuit problem. And you've tried different bulbs. It is a fixture problem.


Is it okay to pigtail 12AWG and 14AWG on a 15AMP circuit?

Yes.
Yes. It's no problem as long as you can get a good twist on the wires.
Pig tails can be 14 gauge since the branch circuit is protected by a 15A Breaker.

You'll end up with four wires in the wire nuts, 1 12AWG and 3 14AWG, so make sure you use the right size wire nut.
True, never more than one wire per screw. Lots of people don't like the back stabbing... Can you blame them? The name even sounds wrong. And wrapping clockwise generally improves the tightening operation if there is a slight twist in the wire but there is an argument that a pull on a clockwise hook puts a counter clockwise torque on the screw. I've heard arguments for both but I say either is fine if you tighten the screw to the right torque.


How do I remove these ceiling diffuser flaps?

You need to access that section from the attic and pull the screws then the assembly will drop down. You have an older damper from the days when they were not made to be removed so that ~1’ section of pipe with the damper needs to be removed. I am guessing at the 1’ but you can see the screws that connect the 90 to the damper. These are the screws that need to be removed. I think I see 3 total and there are usually 3-4.


No, it never works that way.  Two 20A circuits don't make a 40A circuit. A 30A breaker does not mean two 15A circuits.

When two 15A or 20A circuits are combined on a single cable sharing a neutral (called a MWBC), they use a double-wide, common-throw breaker like that, but it's a 15A or 20A breaker.  It must stay on this style of breaker with a common throw; never put it on separate breakers and never, ever put it on a twin/duplex aka "double-stuff" breaker as that will create a fire hazard.

Other than that, double-wide breakers mean the circuit takes 240V.  (double voltage for big appliances).

30A means it takes 30A @ 240V, or 7200W - that is for dryers, water heaters, air conditioners, and mid-size RVs.
40A means it takes 40A @ 240V, or 9600W - that is for ranges, generally.

A 15A breaker could be a lot of things. Small welder, tanning bed, aforementioned MWBC, etc.  Given two of them right next to each other, I would speculate the house was wired for window air conditioners in multiple rooms.  I wouldn't trash those circuits; they could be useful.


finding the easy to install vessel sink drain stopper

Searching for rubber drain stopper or rubber drain plug gets plenty of results. For example, Amazon - Danco has a range of sizes from 7/8" to 1-3/4". I can't vouch for this specific brand, but I have something similar in my tub. The basic idea is rubber will compress a little and if it is sloped a little instead of a cylinder, it can adjust to fit. Measure the drain and pick a stopper that is, ideally, a little larger than the drain at the top and a little narrower than the drain at the bottom.


Understanding results of an energy audit

Plugging air leaks in you home is a bit like sticking fingers into a leaking dyke. Plug one hole and another one breaks through. Generally, the situation should have improved with new windows and doors (if installed properly).

The technician doing the post-audit should have identified where the air was coming from so you could fix that too.

One possibility is that a fire place flue or external fresh air duct to your funrnace was open during the blower test. This would have let a huge amount of air in. Other things to look for are stuck flapper valves in bathroom and kitchen vents.

Another place to check and seal would be around the sill plate. Often there are a number of small air leaks here. Individually they are not large but in sum they can amount to a significant air leak.


Where can I find a Powerline Internet Adapter with DIN Rail Mounting?

EDIT

I found it!
Just search for DEVOLO DLAN DIN

EDIT

Something like this but not sure if it exactly waht you want.

The only way is going to be to hack them and do waht you want. I have not seen anything like this for DIN.. even though i thought of it so many times.. because it makes sense. It will have to be something like this.

Essentially you will need to put one of these(below) in that (above)..

But I did find this on Search Engine


1/4" Hardibacker cement fiber board for shower walls

1/4" hardibacker alone is an unsuitable substrate for shower wall tile. If it were attached to properly waterproofed drywall, plywood, or plaster it would be fine. Think about it, one wayward elbow, knee, or hip bump and you may get flexion which would cause the grout (or tile) to crack.

  what is the preferred method for laying tile on concrete slab floor?

It depends on the application. Concrete is porous, so for water applications (like a shower floor) there are specific established methods for waterproofing, sloping, and draining.

For dry area applications, concrete is the perfect tile substrate as long as it is clean and dry. Just apply thinset mortar using the application technique recommended by the mortar (and/or tile) manufacturer.


Corrosion around hot water heater connection?

This appears to be corrosion which is caused by the dissimilar metals. Installing a dielectric union between the two pipes should solve the issue. There already appears to be a union installed on the cold water supply line.

Installing one of these unions should put an end to the corrosion you are seeing. They come in a variety of configurations. You will want to purchase one that is threaded on both sides. The brass end would attach onto your pipe and the zinc end would attach to the tank itself. One thing to make sure is that you will want to find one that is lead free.

http://www.watts.com/pages/_products_details.asp?pid=6855

  Series LF3003 Lead Free* Dielectric Unions are used in commercial and residential applications to prevent accelerated corrosion and deterioration in the piping system due to galvanic and stray current. It is installed between pipes made from dissimilar metals, and features a female iron pipe thread to female brass pipe thread connection. It consists of a union nut, two tailpieces, and a gasket that separates the tailpieces to prevent an electric current from occurring. Series LF3003 is ideal in applications such as hot water storage tanks, water and air conditioners, processing tanks, steam, gas, and water piping. Maximum Pressure: 250psi.


What circuit should I use for a new outlet in my living room?

IMO it makes absolutely NO sense to use an existing circuit, especially considering how taxed they are. As long as your panel will accept tandem breakers what is the issue? Also, with a house of this vintage I highly doubt the wiring is grounded, which you cannot extend. And do not assume if the wiring is old AC/MC cable that it is grounded, much of it from that vintage is not, regardless of the metallic sheathing. The only metallic wiring like this that can be used as a grounding conductor is that with the think aluminum bonding strip running along side the insulated conductors.
Besides, you never know what you might use this new receptacle(s) for. Don't think you'll never use it for anything more than a laptop charger.

Also, you re-purposed the old A/C circuit for a dryer?? Was it at least 10/3 cable? If not you have a non-complaint and potentially dangerous circuit if used for a 120/240V electric dryer.


How do I find someone to install a utility pole?

Many utility arborists have digger trucks and install utility  poles.  You can also call your local power company and ask if they have any sub-contractors that install private poles. Good Luck


What are the safety concerns in running low voltage wire to LEDs behind a wall?

Speaker wire works well for this, and you can get in-wall rated speaker wire, which usually has a 2nd common insulation around both insulated wires (like cat5). You can of course use regular mains-rated wiring in wall, but it's hard to tuck into tight spaces where you might want to hide an LED strip, and connecting to it legally takes a lot of space.
Buy stranded wire with flexible jacket materials like silicone to have an easier time "origami"-ing and hiding. You don't need oxygen free copper or anything fancy. Buy a bigger roll than you need; doubling the length is usually only 25-50% more up-front cost.
In terms of size for LED lighting, 20AWG is a good starting point for typical run lengths and a few watts. Subtract 1 gauge from 20 for every amp (12w/24w) to avoid voltage drop. So, if you need 6 amps, use 14AWG. This correlates decently to the recommended power transmission amp ratings. To be sure, that thickness is overkill in terms of fire safety but it provides voltage consistency to the strips, allowing you to very accurately match/correlate brightness levels by counting strip segments.


I would not expect just a couple of feet to make a difference even with 3/4” plumbing. It may have been that your sanitized light was just on the edge so you never noticed it and now with a couple extra feet it is below the min temp.
I would consider re plumbing with a smaller line the flow for the dishwasher is tiny even a 3/8 line would have sufficient volume for a dishwasher and the water entering the dishwasher would get hot faster and not be an issue.
 The other option would be to add a point of use tankless water heater some of these are quite small and will fit behind the dishwasher (I have installed them for the same reason) when replumbing would have been more expensive than the small tankless and the new circuit.
Even though I am an electrician I prefer the plumbing option as it is 1 less thing to go wrong as the tankless units have a shorter life than copper plumbing. ( I know the light load of the dishwasher extends the life on the units as I installed 5 in a small tract of homes, one had an additional bar sink that one has been replaced but to my knowledge the other 4 have not been replaced).


Whole house fan possible with vaulted ceiling?

Ceiling fans are not the same as whole-house fans, nor are they designed to 'introduce' any air into the room, they merely circulate it.

A whole-house fan is entirely different from a ceiling fan. A whole-house fan pulls air from the house and exhausts it out through the roof. Cool air comes in through open windows.

Typically they're installed in an attic, but some simple searching finds units that can be mounted in a vaulted ceiling with no attic space.

So yes, you can install a whole house fan.

By contrast, a ceiling fan is usually installed in high vaulted ceilings to circulate air. Heat rises, so you can get a very big thermal difference between the air the ceiling and floor. It's actually most beneficial in the winter, running in reverse, to push the warm air down out against the walls and down into the room.


Getting the most out of a low yield well

Your recovery rate is the problem. A larger water heater will still need to be refilled as the water is removed so you will run out of pressure in about the same amount of time.

A water tank of several hundred gallons added to your system with a pump may help, but in the summer you may have a lower water table and not have water at all.

In some areas there are companies that rent tanks/pumps that your system can pump into. If you do go dry they can be filled by a water truck. Very expensive water to go that route but it may be an option until you can have a new well drilled.

Just a word of warning drilling deeper doesn’t always work; close to the coast you may hit salt water going deep, other areas can have arsenic / sulfur that makes the well unusable. Make sure to get a good driller that knows your specific area and you may want to talk to a certified water tester (the ones that check for flow and contamination) as they know the depths and problems in the area.


When can the gauge of wire change in a household circuit?

Pigtails are referred to as tap conductors in the NEC.

Unlike tap conductors for some luminaries, ovens, and other appliances, which can be smaller than the OCPD, it is not permitted to use a smaller tap for general wall receptacle outlets.

NEC 2014 210.19 (A)(4)(Exception C) Individual outlets, **other than receptacle outlets**, with taps not over 450 mm (18 in.) long.

Here's a good example of tap conductors on a dimmer:


Flex connecting two black pipes mid line

Valve at the appliance
You didn't mention whether this valve here under the sink is the only one or whether there's another shutoff at the appliance. A valve somewhere in the plumbing system is a nice optional thing, but there really must be a valve at the appliance for service or emergency use. A person unfamiliar with the house is never going to think "hmm, no valve behind the range... maybe under the sink??"
Appliance connector.. not the right fit
The flexible tube connector shown in the photo is an appliance connector. When necessary, it is customary to have some hard pipe directly attached to an appliance and then use the flex connector to make the jump from the appliance to in-wall piping. Think of a furnace, for example: hard pipe extends from the gas valve to the exterior of the furnace cabinet and flex goes from there to the building piping. It's also not unheard of to join two flex connectors to gain additional length.
It's easy to imagine a mash-up of the furnace situation and the two-connectors-for-extra-length situation and morph it into something like what you've built here. I'm no expert in the fuel gas code, but I suspect that's taking things a bit too far. An appliance connector isn't the right material to use for making this connection.
Making things neater
So, how could things be better? First, put an elbow on each pipe stub and aim them both toward that left-rear corner. This at least gets you started on the right foot, keeping the connection out of the jungle in the middle of the space.
Next, if you really must have flexible tubing, CSST (corrugated stainless steel tubing) is the right material. I know, I know, it looks like exactly the same stuff as the appliance connector. Except it is listed as building piping. You can get this in many home centers now. It comes in coils of various lengths; you trim it to fit just right and then install connectors on the ends.
Save some money
CSST may be relatively expensive for the 2 feet that you need. So, about those left-right nipple/coupling sets.. Hang on, don't leave!
You can minimize in-cabinet wrenching by strategic pre-assembly of parts. I would do it as three:

90 degree elbow with left-right nipple pre-installed. This will go on the supply pipe.
Long piece of pipe, 90 degree elbow, short nipple, elbow, another long piece. This will go horizontal along the left side, upward in the rear corner, then horizontal across the rear wall.
Another 90 degree elbow with left-right nipple. This will go on the stub heading out to the range.

You can see how these will come together. Install the elbow-and-nipple assemblies on the stubs first. Then lift the pipes-and-elbows assembly into place in the rear corner. Use the two left-right couplers to pull it all together.


building house aprox 150000 pounds using 6x6 posts--what is recomended spacing from 3ft high to 12 ft high

You need an engineer to know definitively what your requirements are for your location and design. I am assuming you did not consult an engineer since they would have the spacing specified in the plans. ( it is unlikely they would they have specified 4 feet deep )

We can not answer your question because we do not know the required info nor would it be wise for you to take advise from the internet instead of hiring a professional engineer.

A friend of mine bought a house in foreclosure on the hillside of Anchorage many years ago.  It was built on 6"x6" timber piers some of which were only 4 to 5 feet deep as you plan to do. The house was listing badly at one corner as the piers at that end of the house had not been of sufficient depth.  He had to pay to have the house jack up and moved to a proper foundation we built. He then built another structure nearly on the same site as the older one. We hired a pile driver to drive 8" well casing pipe down to bedrock with steel I beams on top. It is not listing or sinking.


Fixing a timer control knob on a microwave

There are 3 possibilities:
Internal Timer Mechanism
If it is the internal timer mechanism - i.e., the electronics that respond to your mechanical turning of the knob - then it is likely not worth fixing.
Shaft
The timer knob slides onto a shaft. Typically that shaft will be metal, though in some cases it is plastic. If that shaft is deformed such that a "good" knob does not turn the shaft, then you are also likely out of luck - not worth fixing.
Knob
Fortunately, most of the time the problem is the knob itself. A typical inexpensive control knob will have a D-shaped hole that fits tightly over a D-shaped shaft. Over time, either the plastic "D" in the knob will erode, or a straight piece of plastic or metal that turns a circle into a "D" will break. The knobs are replaceable, and they don't have to match the name or color or style - the only parts that matter are  the size of the shaft and the total diameter of the knob. Google replace d knob for plenty of options. Many of us who grew up before every TV had a digital remote control (and before we could order replacement knobs on Amazon) remember having a pair of pliers on top of the TV with the broken knob to change channels.


UK Sewage connection - is an external rodding point mandatory

Approved Document H says:

  2.46 Sufficient and suitable access points
  should be provided for clearing blockages from
  drain runs which cannot be reached by any
  other means. The siting, spacing and type of
  the access points will depend on the layout,
  depth and size of the runs.

There is nothing to suggest that the access points need to be external.


Installing ceiling fan light kit if switch housing cover plate has no hole

The light kit might just replace this cover. So you'll take off this cover plate, and install the light kit in its place.


Ceiling Fan Universal Remote Wall Switch Install... Which wires?

If you want to use the control with the new fixture, you'll have to only use a the single "switch" to control it. This means you'll have to replace one of the switches with a blank insert, or not use the control module.

Decora blank insert

In the switch box, wire the new switch as follows:

Black wire #2 (the one that comes from the black group, and goes to the top of the fan switch), connects to one of the black wires of the new switch.
Black wire #1 (the one that comes from the wall, and goes to the bottom of the fan switch), connects to the other black wire from the new switch.
Black wire #3 is either removed, or capped off using a twist-on wire connector of appropriate size.
Red wire #1 is capped off using a twist-on wire connector of appropriate size.
Connect the green ground wire from the new switch in with all the other bare grounding wires.

The wiring at the new fan will be as follows:

Connect the white wire from the ceiling, to the white wire of the fan control module.
Connect the black wire from the ceiling, to the black wire of the fan control module.
Connect the green/bare grounding wire from the fan, to the grounding conductor from the ceiling.
Cap off the red wire using a twist-on wire connector of appropriate size.
Connect the black wire from the output of the control module, to the black wire from the fan.
Connect the blue wire from the output of the control module, to the blue wire from the fan.
Connect the white wire from the output of the control module, to the white wire from the fan.


Generally the durability is considered to be just as good as the older paints. The VOC-Free paints still have less color-selection (at least last time I looked), but that's been changing as demand increases.

The building I work in (in the U.S.) just completed a LEED-Platinum renovation, and used all VOC-Free or Low-VOC paints. Some of the special purpose paints were not available in VOC-free yet, but low-VOC paints covered most of what they needed (including paint for a metal roof).

I was impressed at how much less they smelled when I stood next to a painter with an open tray of paint for several minutes before realizing he had fresh-paint out (I was disappointed that it smelled like someone had painted a week before until I realized he was doing the touch-up painting right then).  In the first year we haven't seen any issues related to durability.


Is it normal for Teflon tape to discolor like this?

I haven't seen Teflon do that before. It looks like a black pipe dope or sealer was applied over the Teflon to stop a leak.
There are many different colors of pipe sealers. According to @Kris,  Rectorseal makes a black one, #7, for use with corrosive chemicals and active solvents and it also specifies for metal pipes only. We'll never really know what's there unless you get it analyzed. I'd clean off that part and replace the PVC female adapter and re assemble everything. The black material could even just be some black silicone caulk that was used as a last ditch effort to stop a leak.


Why does my whirlpool ice maker make ice, quit for several weeks, then start again?

Refrigerator ice makers are designed to stop when the ice holding receptacle is full. How often do you dispense ice? Are you sure the ice maker has stopped when the receptacle is not full? There is usually some sort of arm that gets raised as the receptacle fills up and when it is high enough, it shuts off the ice maker. Check to see if that arm is working properly.


First let's look at your situation where you have a 60A Service Disconnect and a 100A main breaker in your panel. You should never have a larger amperage breaker after a smaller trip breaker because if you have a fault downstream, the service disconnect will trip prior to your main breaker. So your main breaker is ineffective and is only being used as an equipment disconnect.

Second: Yes you can increase your service disconnect size but only if your feeder conductors to your panel are the correct size to handle the updated overcurrent protection.

Third: Your dimming may be caused by your service feeder being undersized and is causing a voltage drop to unacceptable levels or it may be caused by a broken neutral or ground. I would have that checked first before going to the expense of replacing a service.

Hope this helps and good luck.


Latest IBC code for residential regarding tempered glass requirement - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Maria, unless the IBC has changed since late 2018, your window would only require tempered glass if it were less than 60" at the base, above standing level (floor level), AND measured 9 sq.ft.
You can check it out yourself under "tempered glass requirements in residential bathrooms". Either code has been changed or your inspector didn't read code correctly.


The flange coming out of the disposer secures the pipe that attaches to the drain. There is supposed to be a rubber washer behind the flange that when the flange bolts are tightened seals the pipe connection from leaks.
disassemble once more and verify there is a washer behind the flange. If not get one and skip the putty.
If the leak is from the sink basket where the disposer attaches at the sink bottom it may be due to:
-not enough fresh putty. The putty should be rolled to a 3/8-1/2 inch diameter and overlapped where 2 pieces are used. More is better in this case.
-press the basket into place before tightening the screws underneath. You should see putty being forced from under the baskets flange in a continuous ring.
-the sink edge for the basket is bent or damaged. check for burrs or lippage with you finger.
-the basket screws aren't tight enough.


Can I use #14 wire on a 20A circuit for a compressor outlet?

20A breaker, 12Ga wire. Nothing special about it. The breaker protects the wire, the NEC specifically limits 10, 12 and 14 Ga wire to 30, 20 and 15 Amps respectively.
"Get away with" means you know it's wrong, so, go with what you know, and don't try to "get away with" something wrong, especially something so trivially inexpensive to do right.


A bunch of pieces of concrete will always be a bunch of pieces of concrete, any jointing compound that's weaker than the reinforcing bars in the concrete is at best temporary.

Pavers can hide a multitude of sins.


What could be wrong with my Frigidaire dishwasher?

Per the manual,

  It is normal for dishwasher to pause (no
  sound) when the wash action is switching
  between the lower and middle spray arms

but 17+ hours, yeah, somethings wrong. Hard to troubleshoot, could be the computer in the panel, some sensor. I think you need to get it serviced


On the recommendation of a neighbor, I purchased a set of five molds for US$99 with free shipping. The size for my bundle was 10" x 18" x 1.5" but they have many different sizes available. The web site has been upgraded since I purchased. The molds appear to be high quality and my neighbor has nearly paved his entire yard with the casting he's done.


Doesn't matter a bit.

The main time you need to think about how corners work is when the backing studs are different width. (If, for instance, you only have 1" of stud to attach to on one side of a corner, and 3-1/2" on the other side of the corner, you'll want to have the drywall sitting fully on that inch.)


Can microwave with convection replace an actual oven?

Yes, this could replace an actual oven, because it is an actual oven.

According to the specs on the website you linked to, the convection element is completely separate from the microwave element. There is a "microwave mode" and an "oven mode."

The only negative I see is that the heating element is 1600 watts. That's not a lot for that size oven. Toaster ovens typically run 1000W-1500W, and full size ovens run as much as 2400W. That being said, it just means it might take a little longer to warm up. It's not that big of a deal. And with the convection happening, heat will fill the cavity just fine. It just might take a little longer.


How to connect lighting fixture into ceiling junction box?

Look for a switch with a yellow wire that doesn't seem to control anything. That will become the switch for the light fixture.

Connect your light fixture green to green, white to white, and fixture black to ceiling yellow.


How can I move a tub drain plunger, if the linkage chain is missing?

Typically these aren't chains at all, but a rod in two pieces. See link provided by Getterdun. If you can grab that lower piece, you can pull it up and completely remove the stopper, by removing the overflow cover.

I've done this on several tubs over the years, and simply used a rubber stopper in the tub when needed. Newer tubs typically don't use this lever and rod, but have a decorative stopper at the drain itself, harking back to the old rubber stopper on a chain idea, but, of course, costing more, and looking somewhat nicer.


How to identify a whole house water filter type?

It looks like a standard whole house filter similar to this one. Replacement filters can be obtained at almost large hardware, orange or blue store.  There is a variety of Replacement filters that are for sediment, charcoal for taste, and others. I use a similar filter at the kitchen sink to remove the chlorine taste of the city supplied water. You could shut off the water, remove the filter and then reinstall the reservoir part, and take the removed filter to the store for a replacement.


Take it to a shoe repair shop they can sew it together and the tow straps I had repaired cost less than 5$.


How can I get rid of the weeds and moss growing between the paver stones in my driveway?

I'd seal it with a little cement mixed with sand, about a 1:4 ratio. Choose a dry day, brush in thoroughly, then sprinkle with a very very fine shower of water.


How do I better secure a loose lag shield in concrete?

Shaving some slivers of wood to take up the slack will work OK today, you probably won't achieve the rated holding power, and before long the wood will deteriorate and the plug will come loose.  So don't do that, especially if it's something critical where a failure could do damage or injure someone.

You could use an epoxy that is rated for metal and concrete, if the hole is cleaned out well, that should hold pretty well, but you can never be sure, so again that's no good for a critical application.

The easiest thing to do, if it will work, is fill the hole and move over a few inches.

If it's block or another hollow material, you could use a toggle bolt.

If it will work for you, can drill the hole larger and use the next size up lag shield and lag screw.

If you're already using the largest size lag shield available, you may be able to switch to an epoxy anchor, but that will be expensive and you have to do things exactly right for those to hold.


Should double glazing sit evenly in brick to brick window space?

Probably a case where the window can look good from the outside, or the inside but not both due to the way the house was constructed.

They chose to not make it look like an eyesore from the outside where everyone walking by would notice it.

It's one of the irritating factors of retrofitting something into something that was never built to those dimensions. You would need to hire a finish carpenter to widen the interior opening to give it that aesthetic balance as long as brickwork would allow it.


Yes, if the interior ceiling is getting wet at the wall and radiating outward this may be the cause. This is a common occurrence in high wind areas especially with the use of vinyl or aluminum soffits or soffit systems that are not inset from the fascia system.

One solution is to replace the soffit with solid wood or solid fiber cement, and provide ventilation through a continuous vent that is only a few inches wide and centred towards the wall. Or install individual vents that have louvres, make sure the louvres are pointing towards the wall.  Another solution that may help is to use a gutter there that provides adequate drainage.

The solution really is dependent on several factors, the height of the soffit relative to other parts of the structure, or other roofs around or underneath the area. The exposure and strength of the wind, and the size and design of the overhang also should be considered.


Can this outlet be used with an adapter for generator power?

There are two "five-alarm fire you're gonna kill somebody what are you thinking" issues  here, and one footnote.

Five-alarm: Generator Interlock

There must. Must. Must be an interlock switch which makes it mechanically impossible for your mains supply to be on at the same time as the backfeed breaker.

You may know to shut off the main (grid feed) breaker before turning on the generator.  More is required.  The generator must backfeed into a breaker, and that breaker must be physically interlocked with the main breaker so they cannot be on at once.  Depending on your panel, kits to do this are as low as $30.

If you are very cheap, that may be an absurd amount to pay merely to protect some random lineman who has worked 24 hours straight in the wet, cold, windy sleet to get your power back on. You might say "well, he should take the time and trouble to rig ground-outs on all the lines he's working on, and unrig them when the work is complete", even though that will make his very, very long day even longer.  But I think the better plan is to do the safe thing, obey the law, and respect that worker.

If a generator interlock is impracticable, you can install a subpanel and move the loads you want on generator into the subpanel.   You only need a "main-lug" or "no-lug" subpanel.  Siemens and Square D "QO type" both have particularly cheap interlocks that use two plain breakers, for $20ish + the breakers.

Five-alarm: A cord with prongs on both ends

Don't do a thing like that.  Never.  That is an accident looking for a place to happen; somebody will need an extension cord, mistake it for one, plug it in, unfurl, and WHAMMO.

Anyway, there's no need to do this.  There's a thing called an inlet that is specifically for this.  It looks like an outlet, but has prongs instead of a socket.  You plug a "normal" extension cord into it (by "normal" I mean it has a plug on one end and a socket on the other, and the two are compatible, i.e. The cord can plug into itself.

If that's too expensive for you, then replace that receptacle with a flat plate with a knockout in it. Get a flexible cord about 2' long, splice it to the wires in the box, have a strain relief where it leaves the box through the knockout hole, and put an appropriate plug on the other end so it could plug into the generator (except it's too short, make it so it can't touch the ground).  Then use a short extension cord as discussed above.

Footnote: ONE neutral-ground bond

A house's electrical system should have exactly one place where neutral and ground are bonded together.  That will be inside your main panel.

Most generators have a neutral-ground bond of their own, and if you wired them hot-hot-neutral-ground, that means you have two neutral-ground bonds.

That means if your wiring out to your generator is 3-wire hot hot neutral, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it, because even though it's not Code, it kinda fixes a problem.

If your airplane has a fuel leak and a wing about to fall off, don't worry about the faulty navigation light.


No power to garage after cleaning fuse contacts and shorting a main circuit

You probably blew the cartridge fuse, the one that looks like a shot gun shell,  non contact testers may see a voltage on an opened fuse of this type as the material inside to reduce the arc flash can be slightly conductive, no real current is available but enough voltage to trip the non contact tester this is why nothing is working. Try replacing the fuse or get a volt meter and measure across the fuse a good fuse will show 0 volts across it but an open fuse 120 across.


How to drill a hole in the wood without an electric drill?

Make a bow drill:

Get a block of wood big enough to hold in your hand. Scrape out small hole in the wood. The non-pointy end of the drill bit goes in that hole. This is called the "hand hold".

You're going to use this wood block to push the drill bit against the door.

Make a bow with some strong wood and strong string. Wrap the string around the drill bit, perhaps a couple times to get a good grip on the bit.

Drill into the wood by pushing on the handhold and moving the bow.

You can find more thorough instructions on creating a bow drill for firestarting here:
http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/bowdrill/pmoc/basicbowdrill.html


Can I install an L-Bracket at an angle to match the direction of the load (for a Hammock)?

The idea that you are talking about with just a common "L Bracket" is just not going to be a safe and workable solution. The forces on the ends of a hammock are tremendous and any mounting of a the simple bracket just is not going to perform as needed. Since you are planning a long projection of 10 inches or more you are going to need to plan on a much sturdier support mechanism.
For the vertical direction you should plan for an angle member that extends from the end of the bracket down a good 15 to 20 inches lower on the post. To deal with the intense force the hammock will be trying to pull the two brackets together you will need some additional bracing that extends from the end of the bracket out in a horizontal direction. If there is a cross member already between two posts to which you attach the brackets you can place these horizontal braces in either direction under compression or tension. It may even be possible to use a light piece of cable in tension for this purpose.


How do I install flex duct to existing duct including registers

I don't believe 7" or 8" ducts are trunks, and therefore you shouldn't be splitting them. Each vent requires its own branch duct from the trunk.

Trunk lines are almost always rigid rectangular duct of 10x12" or larger. You install a starting collar and connect your flex duct to that.

If your builder didn't properly facilitate new connections for your basement, you may need to have a tinbender come in and extend the trunk appropriately.


Is 94 cubic feet/hour of natural gas a heavy load?

One cubic foot of gas contains approximately 1,000 BTUs of heat, so 94 cubic feet of gas per hour = 94,000 BTUs per hour. That's about as much as a large gas furnace might draw, three times a typical gas clothes dryer, and twice a typical gas range with everything lit. One burner might be 9,000 BTUs.

If you need to ask the internet for help with this type of calculation, you really should not be performing natural gas work yourself. Don't blow yourself up. If you live in NYC, as your name suggests, doing so is highly illegal and puts other people in danger as well.


Low water pressure on refrigerator water dispenser

Many times the problem you are describing comes from a saddle valve a small valve that punches a hole in the existing pipe. These valves are notorious for getting plugged and leaking. The best fix would be to install a T  And a shut off valve at the location because in a few months or years most saddle valves start leaking.


Should I sand Kliz High-Build primer before painting?

I do not think you will have good results if you try to sand this primer, it will leave visible surface defects and clog up your paper. If you let it cure for a month or so it would be sandable with very fine sandpaper.

I know "the ship already sailed" because you already started, but this is not really the best primer for your application. The high-solids content of this stuff is basically for resurfacing problem surfaces, although it does have good stain blocking properties (see technical data sheet). You should use the very best applicators and very careful application technique to get the smoothest prime coat that you can, because your prime coat imperfections will affect the smoothness of your finish coat; it's just the nature of the primer you chose. Do not apply a second coat unless you need to, to cover imperfections of your first coat.

Although there are many ways to skin this cat, next time for cabinets or other fine woodwork consider a shellac based primer if you need stain blocking properties. It goes on thin and smooth when applied correctly and allows for a beautifully smooth mirror-like finish coat. Good luck.


What do I need to know about LED strip lighting?

Not a complete answer, but here's some more info.

Brightness

While there are ways to calculate this that aren't that complicated, it requires knowing many coefficients that are not readily available, so ends up being an educated guess at best. You can do just as well totaling your current lighting's lumen output, then adjusting for changes in fixture styles. (I consider even a simple LED strip a "fixture" for the sake of this discussion) It's a starting point. If you use proper task lighting, there's a lot of room for variance in total levels.

Uneven light

You do not want to see the actual LED elements, it's really annoying. Besides diffusers, indirect lighting techniques work well, though require more lumens due to losses through reflection.

Positioning

I'm not sure what the issue is with parallel surfaces. The efficiency is mostly inherent in the fixture's ability to direct light where it's needed. The mounting surface has little to do with this, you need to direct the light where it's needed.

White Light

The "whiteness" is measured in degrees Kelvin. The temperature a black body must be heated to emit the same color of light. Standard daylight is often taken to be 6500K, anywhere in the 5000-7000 range is close enough for most tasks. You eyes adapt quickly to small variances. In residential settings, daylight is considered too harsh because we are so accustomed to incandescent lighting, so most home lighting is produced to output more in the 2000-3000K range to mimic the orange incandescent lighting.

Noise

How audible the noise is varies by manufacture and environment, as well as personal temperament. I don't think noise data is readily available. Testing in a noisy store will not yield any useful data, other than if you can hear it from a few feet away it is too loud. Noise can be attenuated by placing it in an enclosure, but keep in mind power supplies generate heat that has to be removed by ventilation, you cannot seal it into a sound proof box.

Try to place power supplies as far from your pillow as possible, trying to sleep is when it will be most bothersome. Placing it lower so there is likely to be more furnishings obstructing a direct path will help, as well as being surrounded by soft materials that do not reflect sound as well.


How can I repair heavy hardwood scraping?

Without a picture it is a little hard to say.  Depending on the depth you may need to do one or both.

If the depth is shallow simply sand and refinish the spot (it will not look like new and particularly in certain light you will definitely always be able to see the spot).

If the scratches/gouges are deeper you will have to sand, fill, sand, then refinish and again, you will be able to tell its a patch job.  edit:  if the wood is stained you may also need to stain the spot prior to finishing as well.

Make sure you match the sheen on the finish.  (Satin/Semi-Gloss/Gloss)

And use furniture pads next time!!! :)


What to use to Seal gap between Pipe and Exterior wall

A common material used by wiring companies such as cable television and telephone installers is a duct seal product. Home Depot sells a multitude of this type of item which is a clay-like substance. It's useful for applications which involve repeated access. It's paintable as well, for those who dislike gray.


Are galvanised steel pipes suitable for supplying hot water?

If you have the opportunity to replace your galvanized pipes, do so.  It's an inconvenient project, involving opening up a lot of walls, but as you can tell from the comments, galvanized pipe is problematic at best over the long term.

It will frequently develop (as is the case in my own home and in my rentals) pin hole leaks.  The only good news with galvanized on that front is - the gumming will often re-seal those pinhole leaks, but not all the time, as my basement ceiling could have attested, before I gutted the whole thing.


How/where can I find out what the frost-line is for my area?

In general you can use these guidelines.

These are very good guidelines that are widely recognized.  However if getting inspected I would just ask your building department for their code requirements.

**NOTE*****  This is how deep your footings would be in undisturbed soil.  So for example if there was a regrading of the land - as often the case in new builds - you would have to go this deep past the disturbed soil or consult an engineer that would sign off on something else.  So if they regraded your land to 3 feet and you lived in Arkansas you would need to go to 54 inches or gets clearance from an engineer to put the footings shallower.


How do you deal with a gap between vanity and wall?

A semi-flexible trim such as a real wood or PVC quarter-round could be nailed to the wall, following its contour and concealing the gap. Because this is a wet area, definitely don't use an MDF type trim.
If not trim, then caulk. Silicone caulks usually aren't paintable but latex caulks are. A bead of latex caulk painted with leftovers of the wall paint might be less noticeable than the dark gap with dust and crumbs collecting in it.


How to waterproof outdoor storage bench?

For the lid, you'll need to support the decking as frequently as it is supported on the deck itself.  If your deck joists run every 12" or 16", you'll need to replicate that or the lid will sag. The photo shows benches that are sixty inches long.  You diagram show one support in the middle, leaving a 30" span.  At summer temperatures, it will be sagging within a week even with zero use.


Protect electrical cords from damage in storage

Hand held power tools do have problems with the cord breaking at the strain relief as your photo shows it is more of a usage issue in my opinion because that is the point the cord gets constantly flexed at that point. I usually make a loose coil of the cords and lay the cord on top of the tool. Cords are not two difficult to replace or repair. a new cord cap needs to be installed on the lower photo so the ground is available to the tool  and the top broken wire needs to be shortened or replaced. Some times if the rest of the cord is in good shape with a break at the strain relief I will move 6+ inches down the cord to get away from the area the wires have been abused and re-terminate the wires inside the handles. Loose coils on top of the tool would be my answer for power tools and for extension cords I connect the ends after coiling (and hang them on the wall) with the ends together they are protected from getting bent.


What is this type of garden appliance power socket?

That's a CEE 7/7 plug often found in mainland Europe used in their sockets. It's for 220V on the male plugs (polarity doesn't matter) and ground to the female.

You should be able to find sockets for those online that you can wire to the female end of a (220V) extension cord.


Copper Ptrap snapped during bathroom demo, how to fix?

Soak it good with penetrating oil. Then use a pipe wrench if you have one. Righty tighty, lefty loosy. Yes your measurement will work. Most kitchens are 1 1/4" and bathrooms are 1 1/2" however this can be different. Looks like you have 1 1/2". Get a new kit similar to this http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-1-2-in-Plastic-P-Trap-C9704B/205153793 plus any adapters you need that are not in the kit. Some kits have everything you need and more, some only a few necessary parts.


You need a quick connector at the compressor... it looks something like this:

The things to get right are whether the threaded end is male or female, the size of the threads (1/4 NPT is common in the US, but YMMV), and the compatibility with the connector you already have (if you don't feel like changing it as well). I can't really tell, but it might be a type M connector. Just to make things more complicated, there are different sizes out there.

If it was me, I'd unscrew the connector from the compressor and bring everything to a store that stocks such things to put it all together. In the US, any big box Home Depot/Lowes/Menards would have that.


Is it more efficient to turn my AC unit off periodically vs. keeping it on only while in the room?

With strategy 1, you're basically emulating what your AC's thermostat in energy saver mode would do when set to a temperature of about 72 degrees -- it will cool to a bit beyond the set point, then switch off for a while, and let the temperature rise a bit above the set point, and then switch on again.  Most ACs have a range of about 2-3 degrees around the set point they try to stay within.

Whether you manually or automatically switch the AC on and off as the temperature fluctuates shouldn't matter all that much.  However, since with strategy 2, you have specified a lower set point of 70 degrees, if you're in the room for long enough, that strategy will use a bit more energy (and provide more cooling).  If you adjust your set point up to 71 or 72 degrees, it will operate almost identically to strategy 1.

One note: ACs don't like to be cycled on and off rapidly, so in some cases the electronics will add an extra delay before cycling on, beyond what the temperature set point calls for.  Usually this is only about 5 minutes though, so since you say it takes about 20-30 minutes for the temperature to rise from 70 to 73, this won't apply to you.


How can I bend wire that is too thick to manage easily?

I doubt that it's #10, but even #12 can seem like a pretty thick wire when you're, even casually, used to #14.

I'm surprised your pump receptacle doesn't have clamps instead of screws. Is it a 20 amp, twist lock, single receptacle?

Without using force make sure the device screws are completely backed out, but don't remove them. Strip off about 1” of insulation to get a good size hook. As you're bending it, stop short of a full hook to more of a “U” shape. Put the wire under the screw and complete the hook with needle nose or diagonal pliers, the end of wire strippers whatever works before tightening the screw. Subtle bends and angles can make all the difference getting the wire under the screw.


How to calculate what wattage transformer to use for LED light strip

Yes, you can use a 40w transformer to power your 37.5w load. However, given the quality of these small power supplies, running at 90%+ all the time will cause heat and premature failure probably.

You will need to drive the LEDs at 12v. Running them at 15-18v (or anything over 12!) is a bad idea for the life of the LED.  You will need to put a resistor on an 18v supply to bring it down.  I'd recommend simply getting the 150w 12v supply.  Wattage/amperage is different than volts, where you can use a higher powered power supply and the connected lights will only draw what they need (example: running a 12v 50w light bulb from a 12v power supply rated at 150w is fine. Running a 6v 50w bulb on the same power supply is not fine).


Normal Hardwood floor installation on a wood structured deck

The wood outside will expand and contract due to changing humidity.  You need to provide some spacing between the boards for this.  If you're installing on a humid day, the spacing can be narrower than if you're installing on a dry day.  Any wood kept outdoors will experience a much more varied change in humidity than indoors, that's why the installation can't be quite the same.

Put on a finish that has UV protection and water protection.  Make sure it doesn't turn your deck into an ice rink if it's wet.  The other thing to worry about is that if you only finish the top side, the boards likely will cup since the unfinished underside will absorb moisture.


When to Repair Versus Replace Concrete Slab?

It's done-for. Whenever you have both severe surface degradation and spider cracks there's no turning back time. No patch will hold up with so many independently-movable segments. You'd have to pour a new slab that's robust enough to span such movement.
If it didn't cause problems at the door opening you could lay paver bricks over the top. They'd do pretty well I think. That would mean doing the same out into the driveway, though.


When do I need a neutral on a 240V branch circuit?

A nema 6 outlet has two hots and a ground, it is used for pure 240V equipment.
A nema 14 outlet has two hots, a ground and a neutral. It is used for equipment that has both 120V and 240V components.
A nema 10 outlet nominally has two hots and a neutral but no ground. However in practice the neutral pin is used as a combined neutral and ground conductor. Nema 10 outlets are forbidden in new work, but existing range and drier installations that were correctly installed to the code of the time are grandfathered and new appliances can be fitted with 3 wire cords and nema 10 plugs for connection to existing installations.
Combining the neutral and ground functions is problematic because if the combined neutral and ground wire breaks, the appliance case will become live. The system is therefore not "single fault safe".