How do a boiler’s autofill valve and expansion tank work together as a system?

The expansion tank (if intact) has a bladder or diaphragm keeping a bubble of air (which acts like a spring) separate from the system water (so the air does not dissolve into it and end up elsewhere, needing to be bled out and rusting iron/steel parts.)
The reducing valve (what I call an autofill valve) adds water to the boiler loop when boiler pressure falls below its setpoint. It does not remove water when its setpoint is exceeded - it only puts water in. For a typical 3 story building, pressure should be 18-25 PSI (1 PSI = 2.3 feet of head of water, roughly. So 18 PSI should vent up to 41 feet above. If your gauge is accurate, you're closer to 53 feet up at 23 PSI. 25 psi will push to 57.5 feet.)
Say your valve is set at 20 PSI, and the boiler is cold, and dropped to 18 PSI. The valve adds water until it's 20 PSI. Now the boiler fires up and becomes hot, and the pressure rises, because water expands as it heats (unless you are very close to freezing, where water is "interesting".) The bubble of air in the expansion tank compresses, so rather than the boiler and pipes quickly rising above 30 PSI and engaging the overpressure release valve, the air in compressed as the water expands and the pressure rises to some value less than 30, if the system is designed and sized correctly. Your boiler runs for a while, and then shuts down and starts to cool - the air in the expansion tank expands as the water in the boiler and pipes cools & shrinks, and if there are no leaks, the system ends up back at 20 PSI (at the boiler - less, the higher you are in the building) and no new water needs to be added.
The "Pre-charge" pressure on the expansion tank is typically just a little bit less than you expect the lowest acceptable boiler pressure to be, so that there's a little bit of water in it at lowest pressure, but room for more as the system heats and pressure rises. If the "Pre-charge" pressure is too high, no water is stored at lower pressures, and the system pressure will drop below fill pressure when the tank is fully empty but system pressure continues to fall as it cools. If the "Pre-charge" pressure is too low, lots of water is stored at low pressures, leaving less room for adding water and compressing air at higher pressures, effectively reducing the size of the tank, and possibly leading to operation of the relief valve as pressure rises too high when heating and expanding system water.


Can I upgrade existing T12 fluorescent fixtures to T8 just by replacing the ballast and bulbs?

Replace ballast and lamps, and for extra savings, on a four tube per bay fixture, get a 3-lamp ballast and run only three tubes.

The extra efficiency of the smaller tube plus high-frequency electronic ballast means that three T-8 tubes can put out nearly the same light as four T-12 tubes.

The ballast tends to be a lot smaller, and weigh much less than the t-12 ballasts.

Wiring varies -- your ballast will have a wiring diagram.  But to give you an idea, here is an example of wiring for an instant-start electronic ballast (which are easier to wire, but tend to fail bulbs faster); and a rapid-start or programmed-start electronic ballast (which often matches the old magnetic ballasts):

For the smaller 18AWG solid-core wires in ballasts, don't use the common yellow/red wire nuts.  Use blue wire-nuts, or for instance, push-in wiring connectors such as Gardner Bender PushGard, others are available... make sure the size is correct for 18 AWG wire.

You can reduce number of bulbs, since T8s are brighter.  A complete building rewire from four T12 to three T8 tubes per fixture eliminated 38 tubes and at 32W each, was a savings of 1216 Watts in power reduction if you only count tube elimination and not also ballast efficiency over mangetic (est. 10-15w per ballast replaced). PLUS, NO FLICKER! For someone with fast vision, not seeing 60Hz flicker in the peripheral vision was almost worth more than the power savings.


Concerns about broken washer found in water supply

First guess, it's just junk from the pipes: you didn't properly bleed the system after having used a shut-off; remove aerators, run water.

Next, a faucet with a sprayer has a flexible line; each end having a grommet that may have deteriorated (as with all other flexible lines).

Lastly, if the valves are old enough, their packing may have deteriorated to the point of breaking (but that seams unlikely if they still actually shut-off the water). Most likely it's just little bits of the valve's seat that were near pressure-cut through, and finally came lose when you actuated it.

That a valve leaks when 'out-of-normal-position' does not surprise me in the least. Welcome to the world of plumbing: now ya did it. Some valves have a nut or a screw that you use to snug-up the seal. With most modern valves you slightly tighten the entire assembly with two wrenches.

You say the particles are black; that precludes my last guess that it's pieces of your HW tank's dip tube (these should be some shade of white).

Solution:

Remove all aerators in the home. Clean them while you bleed the system for a few minutes from each of those fixtures. If the problem reoccurs, something is deteriorating and ending up in your water. This should be found if you want to eliminate any (IMO, completely negligible) health concerns. If it doesn't, now you know the steps to take when you use a shut-off.


Figured it out from a similar product manual. The little cap on the top can come off. The screw is hidden inside...


You could make someone happy and have it video inspected and/or snaked (where "someone" is the guy who gets paid) but there's plenty of 100 year old waste plumbing still in service, and not being used does not harm the pipe. Dump 5 gallons down there and see if it leaves promptly - if not, then spend extra money on it.


Why isn’t there a solution to detect loose neutral

Are you suggesting to detect a loose neutral in final subcircuits, or on the incoming mains?

Loose neutrals in final sub-circuits will generally cause series arcing, which should be picked up by AFCI breakers1. As the fault is confined to one circuit, there is no reason to trip the main breaker.

AFCIs aren't mandatory everywhere for cost reasons, and because they are quite prone to nuisance tripping where there is no fault.

Detecting over or undervoltage in the incoming feeder is possible. Some more critical commercial sites in areas with frequent power outages have this protection, which is usually used as a trigger to switch to generator power. Typically a separate relay would be used, which could be combined with a shunt trip device.

Loose neutrals on the feeders are not necessarily any more likely to cause fires than a loose phase. Damages are typically only to equipment overvolted.


20amp circuit 14a wire very short run intermittant use

The question isn't whether it's "bad," but whether it is legal. Running a 20A branch circuit over #14 wire is not legal (there are very uncommon configurations that it is pointless to explore here).

If you have any questions at all, bring in an electrician.

If it isn't legal, there is a reason it isn't legal, and the reason generally boils down to fire safety. You could (illegally) push 50 Amps over a #14 wire and power a load, but the wire is going to get hot. The more continuous the load, the hotter the wire is going to get. Voltage drop due to resistance is probably going to damage the load (especially if it's a motor or electronics), and chances are good that you'll cook wire connectors and start a fire, which may burn your house down and kill everyone in their sleep.

The code errs on the side of safety. I've actually seen horribly incompetent cases where, for example, a 240V water heater on a 30A circuit (two pole 30A breaker) was being served with #14 wire and it had been working for years. But maybe the next family in that house taxes the water heater harder and the wire heats up enough to start a fire.

Did you know that the vinyl sheath on NM cable will burn and carry a flame right through the walls of your house (stopping that flame from propagating down the wire is one of the main purposes of NM cable staples).

The bottom line is that it is not legal to put a 20 Amp breaker on a #14 wire. You need to replace the wire, or replace the breaker with a 15A breaker.

The breaker protects the wire, and protecting the wire protects lives.


How do I remove this sliding drawer in my kitchen?

This type of slide decouples simply by giving the drawer a good tug in the straightout direction. It is advised to start the tug when the drawer is fully extended and then apply a steady but very firm pull.

When it comes time to reinstall the drawer you reach into the drawer opening and then pull the bearing carrier tray fully out up to the face frame. Then you carefully re-inseret the drawer with the tracks lined up. The tapered nose on the track at the back end of the drawer will engage with the bearing carrier and then you just push the drawer in. It will roll in easily until just before it becomes fully seated against the face frame. At this point you apply firm steady pressure on the drawer to push it fully in. The pressure applied in this latter step will be similar to the tug that you had to apply upon removal of the drawer.


It looks like you're starting with a pretty large bit. I like to use the smallest bit I have (don't apply too much pressure, as skinny bits break easy) and work up. You're drilling more holes overall, but each one goes a lot quicker.


Hanging a new shed door on a frame that is not level

Almost any door should be hung plumb on both axes, level, and square. Not doing so results in undesirable movement due to gravity along with other adverse functional issues.

In this case, I'd hang the door roughly centered in the opening using shims, then I'd apply casing on the outside to cover the uneven gaps. Optionally case the inside as well. I'd then construct a threshold in an appropriate shape to mate to the door edges and the floor.

The ideal gap between a door jamb and the rough framing is one that's large enough to accommodate out-of-plumb and out-of-level conditions, along with room to shim. More is not helpful, but may also not be a problem if the casing is large enough.

In response to the new information provided... You have a small, lightweight shed. Level the floor by any convenient means and the door opening should return to something approaching plumb/level/square. Then you can hang the door parallel to the opening and expect it to work well.


Is it necessary or recommended to kerf baseboard?

The main reason the recess is in the back of all moldings is to "thin" the wood, reducing the amount of continuous rings in the wood that helps control cupping.

There is a fringe benefit of that relief in the back of trim, it helps get past some irregularities in the wall. I have had more problems with that relief cut than benefits when it come to base. The tapered edge of drywall at the floor coincides the relief cut in the back of the base, which then requires a shim to keep the base in plane with the wall. Not a terrible thing, but an extra step to do.

It is my belief that the relief cut or kerf as you have referred to it as, now a days has more purpose to go over irregularities, than to control cupping, since houses have better climate control than the old homes did when the technique was created. The trim is machined from wood that is kiln dried, which also helps in the reduction of wood movement.

In a nutshell, I would not hesitate to use 1X6 off the shelf, instead of 1X6 base. I used both 1X6 base and off the shelf 1X6 poplar for the base in my home. You cannot tell one from the other. I stained it too, looks pretty good if I do say so myself. The rest of the trim in my home is poplar to. FWIW.

The maple you speak of can take stain decently too if the wood is treated first with a wood conditioner.


What does it mean when one wire goes into load, and one goes into line

Line is the side of the device where the wires from the panel (or other equipment feeding the device) are connected.  Load is where any devices that are to be protected by the GFCI device are connected.

Most "newer" GFCI devices will not reset if they are not connected probably.

GFCI devices use a current transformer (CT), to detect any current differences between the "hot" and "neutral" conductors. The LINE terminals are on one side of the CT, while the LOAD terminals (and the receptacles on the device) are on the other.


How to troubleshoot "refrigerator power goes off occasionally but comes back on when I cycle power switch off and back on"?

It's probably just a twitchy power switch (spoiler: it was). Replace it or, if it can be cleaned, cleaning might fix it. For sake of completeness:
Try to determine if the power switch is a simple switch or if it is connected to some kind of built-in circuit breaking device. If a circuit breaker somewhere in the refrigerator is being activated, and reset when the power switch is cycled, the breaker could be faulty else it is receiving out-of-specification power from somewhere "upstream" (e.g. house wiring or a faulty component in the appliance).

Otherwise, use a multimeter to check for electrical fault in the refrigerator: If there is not continuity across the power switch when the fridge has "gone off," repair or replace the switch. If there is continuity, test voltage and continuity "downstream" from the AC plug until you find a fault. An electrical diagram of the appliance may help.

Thanks to mjohns and jPhi1618 for comments that formed the bulk of this answer.


What is this 6" vent coming out of the main furnace trunk going under my deck for?

It's an outside air (intake, probably, but you don't specify direction of airflow.)

Can be a simple system that forces some ventilation by bringing in fresh air all the time, can be a more complex system that alters the amount of outside air with a damper depending on the temperature inside, and outside, and called for by the thermostat (ie, so that you don't run the AC to cool off the house when you could just suck in cool air from outside the house.)


Can water supply and drain lines be installed on the surface of interior walls?

Piping exterior of walls is not a problem.  Just use install pipe based on the additional environmental conditions such as abrasion or temperature.  This means using copper, galvanized, or other piping that can be "abused" and adding heat tape and insulation as req'd or the ability to drain during times of freezing temperature for areas susceptible to freezing.


How can I rewire my bathroom fan, light, and receptacle?

If you accidentally broke the tab between the black (common) screws on the swtich, simply use two short pigtails off the supply line like this...

If you have two separate cables (one to the fan, and one to the light), then you'd wire it up like this...

And again if you've clipped the tab between the terminals, it will look like this...

Here is what the original circuit would have looked like with 3 wire cable...

And here is what the original circuit would have looked like with two separate cables...

Don't forget, since it's a bathroom the receptacle has to be protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).


disposal discharge pipe is not long enough

No need to rebuild the entire assembly! It's a simple fix, you just need a couple parts from the plumbing shop. All you need is a short flanged tailpiece (see below) and a slip-joint elbow (see below).

Use the metal retainer and gasket that came with the disposer on the flanged tailpiece after you have cut it to fit. Insert the tailpiece into the elbow after it has been cut to fit... voila!


The front of my stove top gets very hot when the oven is on. This is an electric range with smooth glass top

Bad oven door seal.
The seal around the inside of the oven door keeps hot air in the oven.  Seals can wear out. If the seal is bad, hot hair leaks out of the oven and heats up the front of the range.  Dials can get too hot to touch.
Working on an oven yourself can be a little sketchy but replacing the seal on the interior of the oven door is not such a big deal.  If you do a bad job, the worst thing that can happen is hot air leaks out of the door and you are used to that.
Before you try to replace it, maybe you can just clean it.  I got burned thru my oven mitt yesterday and I felt betrayed.  Mitt!  After all this time??  All this time not washing the mitt, and it was pretty solid with dry stuff in some places.  I washed it and it is fluffy again.  We will see if I get burned.  The same principle applies.  You can clean your oven door seal.  Here is a video though my oven does not look like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjzDaAl5YOI
I should clean my oven door strip.
If you replace the strip - do I need to say you need to replace the seal with a purpose built oven seal strip?  Because other stuff might melt or cause a fire?   Like that stuff you have in the garage you were thinking about using because you have it, and you are cheap?    There, I said it.   I too am cheap and I think that way.  But replace the door seal strip with a seal made for your oven.


Sounds like the exact kind of construction on a house we restored a few years ago. It was on a covered wagon route and was built about 1900, but I’m located “out west”.

I’d check with the local chapter of the Historic Preservation Office. (They’re a division of the Federal Department of the Interior.) They will have accurate info on type of construction in your area.

If you decide to restore it to their standards, there are some “big” tax savings, like your property taxes are frozen at the current value for 15 years or so, etc. However, you have to use their recommendations for windows, siding, etc. (Things like roofing can be anything, because it’s considered something that needs to be replaced from time to time, but check with them.)


Although I agree with Jimmie fix it that some gate valves break when trying to open, I would be looking for a local valve that is turned off OR when the pipe broke and was repaired scale and possibly pieces of PFTE tape may have plugged the lines at the bath. I find this more often unless the home is pre 50's galvanized then it could be both.+


What's the best/official way to draw a building's electrical system?

I'll go ahead and answer because I think your core question is a good one.  It sounds like what your company installs are fairly complex home automation systems, and you're hiring residential electricians to do the wiring.  Instead, what you need for applications like this is an electrician with industrial automation experience.  They do exactly the type of thing you're asking all day long -- wiring rack-mounted PLCs and relays, labeling wires according to ID numbers on a diagram, high voltage and low voltage wiring and termination.

Another thing you need is a contract.  If having your circuits and wires marked a certain way is important to you, then you need to specify that in your contract.  You can't just assume that your electrician will know that you prefer ID numbers on your circuits just because he has a sheet with ID numbers on it, especially a residential electrician whose usual clients would have no idea what the ID numbers meant.  And then, if something isn't done according to what you spelled out in the contract, you can point it out and the electrician will correct it.  The other stories you mention just sound like mistakes that should have been corrected by the electrician, assuming they were his error (was it you or he that ordered the relay panel that didn't have enough room for 200 wires?).  Anyway, everyone makes mistakes now and then.

To answer your specific question, there already is a system for diagramming electrical circuits.  You should probably already be familiar with these symbols if you're installing home automation.

One last piece of advice for good communication with your electrician if you're working in the U.S. (which you may not be): make sure that what you're calling these devices matches up with U.S. terminology for these devices.  For example, in the US, you would never call a switch with an "up" and "down" position a pushbutton.  Here, a pushbutton is a button that you push into the surface on which it's mounted.  Up/down switches are normally just called switches, at least in a house.  I don't know what a wallet is, maybe a wall outlet?  And it would be very unusual to have a 220V lamp circuit.


How can I remove this stuck nut on my riding mower?

See the holes through the pulley face?  Insert the heftiest screwdriver, steel rod, or what-have-you which fits and rest that against the biggest thing below it which does not turn.  Use that to prevent the pulley from turning.  Probably, you'll have to dedicate one hand to that while loosening.
Look carefully at the exposed thread.  The photo is not clear enough for me to be sure, but it looks like it might be reverse threaded.  So to loosen, apply force clockwise (as seen looking down the bolt).  Unless it turns out to be conventionally threaded, then counterclockwise loosens.
A ratchet and socket set like this will last decades.  3/8 inch drive is a good compromise between cost and durability/strength.  I still frequently use my Sears Craftsman hand tools accumulated in the 1970s and 1980s. The few failures I have had were cheerfully replaced (for free) years after I bought them.

For a nut so far down the shaft as that, a deep socket is called for.  Those can be purchased individually at larger stores.  Or sets of deep sockets at most stores, though that might be spending a lot of money for items you may never use.

If the nut was tightened well, the ratchet handle probably will not provide sufficient torque.  Simply extend its length by slipping a pipe over the handle, or attach Vice Grips, channel locks, etc. to increase lever arm—and therefore torque with the same pressure.

It could well be a two person job to initially loosen the nut—one to prevent the pulley from turning and one turning the socket handle with one hand and providing counter-torque on the socket with the other hand.  Counter-torque is often needed when the socket does not provide enough stability to keep the socket aligned with the nut.


How to tap into a light switch whose junction box is already full?

What is the size of the box holding this switch? Is it 1-gang, 2-gang, 3-gang, etc?

Would a deeper box allow the new cable and connections? There are 3-7/8" deep 1-gang boxes with a 23 cu in capacity which is higher capacity than standard.

Alternatively you could replace a 1-gang box with a 2-gang old work box. Of course, this might be aesthetically unpleasing.


If it's not leaking, don't fix it. But if it bothers you that much...

For starters, typically on a dual sink setup such as this, the garbage disposal drain is pointing towards the other sink basin. For the sink basin without the garbage disposal, there is a tailpiece, which is also a T, attached to the drain. Come straight out of the garbage disposal to the T in the tailpiece for the opposing basin. At the bottom of the tailpiece is where your trap goes, then to the drain line stubbed out of the wall.

I answered a question similar to this a few days ago with some diagrams. Let me find a link to it and I'll update my answer with it.

Edit:
Here's the link to a similar question.


What are the pros and cons of steel vs. aluminum metal roofing?

The aluminum is probably more susceptible to denting, being a softer metal.

Will you ever need to walk on the roof? Do you have overhanging trees that may drop branches in a storm? Even trees near your house can see branches go flying your way.

Another question is the coating used. Since steel can rust, you don't want to worry about it. A high quality product would seem valuable there. Of course, you don't want to see paint flakes peeling off an aluminum roofing product either.

Finally, make sure that you can deal with snow, although this is not a factor that depends on the material itself. Our neighbor has a metal roof. A few years ago, we had a large, heavy snow fall, and a huge mass of snow broke free to slide off the roof. As it was coming down, it tore off the gutters on their home, then completely flattened part of their porch. My guess is it was several thousand dollars worth of damage. Falling snow can also damage plantings near the house. There are tabs that can be placed on the roof surface to prevent this if you live in the snow belt.


Why does it take 20-30 seconds for a fluorescent tube to start?

If you have a starter, that is definately bad. Starters are cheap and easy to install, I can't remember the last time I have seen one. (Electronic ballast don't use starters). Since the lamp appears to be bright the ballast should be good. If there is no starter I would look at the ends of the lamp, the other thing that kills fliorescents is the electrodes have been eaten away inside the tube (the lamp ends are usually very dark when this is the problem) but it looked very bright so go for the starter  - they do wear out, I used to keep a box of them handy.


GFCI Outlets work... receptacles & lights in 3 rooms don't

No, do not replace everything.

Do you have a proximity based AC detector?

Do you have a signal-toner? (wire finder)?

What has changed (if anything) recently with respect to light fixtures, wall outlets, switches, extension cords, etc? Especially and obviously on this circuit specifically? Did you add/remove anything new? (a heater, an AC...)

The flickering for the bathroom light fixture that no longer works was probably your indication of a problem where somewhere a splice is detached (wirenut, backstab, wall sagged and tore some romex)

Has there been any new work activity in an attic or a basement?

Anyways....

As/If necessary, isolate all power and either use a toner or a detector with the goal of identifying all points of wire junction on the circuit in question. Positively identify anywhere there could be a BOX (switch, outlet, light etc.).

Using the above, make a logical path from the circuit panel to each room. Where would you run the wire FIRST if you were an electrician and didn't want to waste money on wire? Focus more on any common points near the affected area. NOTE: common sense doesn't always apply with how they run the wire, but it's a good guide.

Mark off any items that had "a lot plugged in" or that people bump/wiggle a lot.

Secure power to the circuit in question if not already.

With your list of suspects, (key suspects are ones that were not working) take a wall plate, or light fixture off and pull the wiring out. Ensure all wirenuts are secure, nothing is loose, burned, or dangerous looking. If so, repair it.

Pay close attention to any non-ground wires under a wire nut (more than 2) or in a backstab (more than one, or better yet, NONE!) or double upped on a screw.

If backstabs are used, take the time to correct this.

If wires are more than one to a screw, correct this.

If there are more than 2 wires on a wire nut, inspect it. One of these wires may be the suspect causing the outage.

Do not resume use of the circuit until you identify the bad connection. It is a fire hazard.

Depending on what you find from the guidance above, you might want to do the whole home. The issue you are having "should never happen"

Lastly, and this could have been first - do you have aluminum wiring? If so, there is a completely augmented list to follow.


Okay, thanks for the extra pic. I'll be honest, it looks like a lot of weight for that particular style of joist hanger. If it was my job I'd drill at least one extra hole higher up in the hanger to reinforce that lowest one.

One caveat, this counts as 'modifying' the hanger, rendering the manufacturers specs/guarantee etc. void (probably). I'd be talking to the building inspector or even the hanger manufacturer to be safe.

The hangers we have in my area have loads of holes...

You could up the specs of the cross nails by changing them to long construction screws...


Replacing kitchen faucet, unsure how to remove old plate holding hoses

See the threaded tube? There's a nut threaded on that, which holds the plate in place.

Use a Basin Wrench (or any wrench you can fit in there) to loosen the nut (rotate the nut anticlockwise to loosen it), and the plate will slide out.

If the nut is stubborn, and doesn't want to budge. A good shot of penetrating oil can loosen things up.


Check the drain hose
A dishwasher normally requires either an air gap or a high hose loop. Both are ways to make sure that water can get out of the dishwasher but can't easily get back in. In the case of an air gap, if it breaks you will have a mess. But in the case of a high hose loop, if it falls down (or was never installed correctly in the first place) then water can come into the dishwasher from using the sink.
A high hose loop is normally a flexible hose that goes from the dishwasher up to just underneath the counter, but at a minimum it must be above the bottom of the sink, and then goes down to either the disposal (most disposals have a special connection for dishwashers) or to the sink drain pipe just before the trap.
If you are not sure how your dishwasher hose is connected, post a picture.


Opening the cabinet on a Maytag Centennial Dryer

I believe you will find two screws holding the top on located at the backside of the dryer. With those screws removed the top will come off. With the top removed the front panel retaining screws will be visible. You may have to remove the kick/toe panel to gain access to the lowest front panel screws. I would suggest that the drum drive belt be changed at the same time while it is all apart.


How do I stop water coming in under a level access door?

Wheelchair access needn't be completely 100% level, it just can't have steps.

It's feasible to use a door sill (such as this) to stop weather getting in under a door. It's also possible to have a narrow channel under the door, too, that takes rain and moisture off to the side.


Framing a basement column with off-center 2x6s?

You idea will work fine. No need for ramsets, there are self-drilling tapping screws that will hold those in place very well.

Image courtesy of Uturn fasteners
Big box stores or any good hardware store will have these.


How to install flush mount lights when ceiling electrical box is 1/4 of an inch below sheetrock?

Options:

Put back the old light fixtures.
Convert some of the new fixtures to the dome type base.
Access the electrical boxes and remount them.
Rip out the old boxes and install new boxes in the correct alignment.


Can I move my kitchen to the front of the house or any other ideas?

There are several factors to consider here.

1) If the inside wall on the right side of the kitchen is a load bearing wall it could not be simply ripped out. It would likely have to be replaced with a beam to properly support the upper level.

2) If this first floor layout is built on a concrete slab then it is likely that some of the utilities are through and under the concrete. For sure the drain would be like this. The point being that moving such utilities is a major rework of the slab.

3) Kitchens normally have multiple electrical circuits routed to them. These would have to be re-routed or additional circuits added to the new location.

4) The existing bump out window implies some extra exterior wall construction details that may include foundation and 2nd level interface details that may impact the exterior in a fairly major way if removed.

So those are just the first things that come to mind.

In the end I would say that the project is possible if money, time and patience are available in plentiful quantities. But you also need to weigh if the investment balances with the value of the property, how long you intend to stay in the property and how/where you would live whilst a major project like this is undertaken.


Can I plumb this restaurant sink this way?

I have seen this done with bad results due to the weight and abuse a large fixture goes thru with accidentally knocking pots and pans into it. My suggestion would be to use galvanized pipes not black pipes those are for gas lines but I have seen it many times.  The size of galvanized pipe usually in such small size is fully threaded so get one a little longer than needed and add a large pan washer to distribute weight and add a galvanized thin walled nut to add support then add 2 brass angled pex quick connects at 3/4 inch and pex it to your existing pipes with appropriate push in addapters.  This will give strength to the faucets structure and add a way to quick disconnet the bench from the wall if need to be moved or cleaned behind. Just a few ways  I did mine and with casters i can load it onto the lowboy trailer and travel with the shop.☺ Have fun!


No hot water from kitchen faucet yet there is still water flow through hot water valve

It sounds like a chunk of the washer in that valve may have plugged the line.

I have seen similar issues with faucets where they won’t turn off all the way, this is usually caused from the rubber seal starting to fail. When you open the valve back up a chunk gets lodged and stops the water flow.

The problem may be in the valve or it could have passed into your new faucet.
The first step is to fix that valve , turn the water off for the house, remove the valve stem and inspect the washer if any of it is still intact , clear all the debris out install a new washer, plumbing stores have kits with a dozen or more in several sizes for just a few $ a good kit for any home owner to have. Reassemble the valve and close it keep the new faucet turned off.  Disconnect the pipe or tube from the repaired valve,

Next I back flow cold water through the valve to push any small chunks out of the new faucet.
With a bucket placed to catch the water turn on the new faucet to hot then slowly move to cold or open the cold valve, the water should flow backwards out of the pipe on the hot water side. Cycle from all hot to cold several times, if water is coming out of the pipe you won’t have to disassemble the faucet. Verify that when the hot is turned on at the repaired valve it flows. Reconnect the pipe to the repaired valve. And everything should work.


Can sump pump drain pipes be installed without breaking concrete?

Absolutely not...I've never seen anything like what you want to do in the 25 years I've been waterproofing basements. Perforated PVC pipe needs to be at least buried in gravel and preferably a filter fabric too. Check out the video on home pagee.


How to re-purpose an exhaust fan using a 10x3.25 duct?

10 x 3 1/4 seems to be a standard size. Any big box store should have them.


Try a flexible shaft:

This should work at any angle, though since it is flexible the speed will be limited compared to a rigid adapter.


Weird set screw on single handle bathroom faucet

It looks like a tamper-resistant hex screw. There are specific wrenches for these.

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


How do I get my hot surface ignitor to ignite?

First, never get anything on the igniter like finger oil.
Depending on the circuit board it may be a constant voltage or a variable voltage ignition system. If it is constant voltage you should get a constant 120 volts +/- . If it is a variable voltage system then it shouldn’t be much above 90 volts. The variable voltage system was supposed to extend the life of the igniter by only using the bare minimum voltage. It would try about 60 volts and if it didn’t ignite it would up the volts until it did. The only problem with the system was that when the igniter did fry it tended to take the board with it. Either you aren’t taking a proper meter reading or the board is bad. With either board the most you should be reading is line voltage and it should stay on for at least 10 seconds or so.


Are there any serious dangers to using manual tools?

Anything that cuts wood will cut flesh.

While hand tools are in general somewhat safer (since you'll stop when you cut yourself) it's quite possible to damage yourself to a hospital-visit-required extent (before you stop) through mis-use of hand tools, especially if you think they are magically safe since there's no motor.

I have a guillotine miter trimmer that will take your fingers off if given half a chance. I consider it rather more dangerous than my circular saw, as a matter of fact - if picked up carelessly the massive razor-sharp cutting head will move on its own and if anything is in the way it will be cut either deeply or off.

A rather more common tool that can hurt you badly if you are not careful is the humble chisel. And that hand saw can cut tendons before you stop if you get in its way. For the most part, dull tools are actually more dangerous than sharp ones (of tools that should be sharp) since a dull tool requires more force to use, so when it goes awry it goes awry with more force behind it.

A good deal of situational awareness encompassing "how this could go wrong and where the tool will go in that case" is a pre-requisite for safe tool use, powered or not. As are details like actually using safety glasses when you use a hammer (chips from the object being struck can be flung into your eyes with no need for power to be involved.)


Yes, pictures are good to support your questions. Depending on valve, sometimes you need a special tool. But yes, post pictures. You may require to pull hard on valve or tap, depending on how it’s grip better. Due to water hardness valve can be stuck hard.


Is an ungrounded outlet for a gas stove a safety hazard?

Your best bet, from a safety perspective, is to provide GFCI protection to the circuit.   You then label the 3-prong outlet "GFCI Protected - No Equipment Ground".  That will bring it up to code and render it safe.

The GFCI device can be at the breaker or anywhere appropriate to protect as much of the circuit as you want to protect.


How long will metal pipe last in earth and concrete

You could build big concrete posts, maybe 12" in diameter, up about 12" above ground level, and use metal post bases to keep the wood off the concrete.  Be sure to treat the end grain and base of the post with the best preservative you have available, and it ought to hold up pretty well.

In the comments you mention you're in the mid Pacific.  Without pressure treated available, keep in mind that some species are far more rot resistant than others.  The people selling lumber may be able to help suggest what will work best.  Farmers usually know, too.  Some of the most rot resistant woods are tropicals that would be very expensive exotics where I am, but they may be affordable where you are.

Sometimes small utility poles are at a decent price, they are treated for direct embedment in post holes.  Setting a pole is doable with nothing more than a shovel if you can hand dig the necessary depth.


How far to put a prehung door in a rough opening?

If it's pre-hung, it should be the width of your wall (sheetrock to sheetrock). That way you can easily place trim around it.


Fixing a couple of screw holes on a dryer

Based on the comment thread, your screws are not damaged excessively. This means you can take the good screws to a local hardware store and ask for a matching tap to clean or re-tap the threads in the door. The hardware store person should find a nut to fit the screw, identifying the thread as metric or SAE and then match the tap tool accordingly.

For a one-off task such as this, you can get away without a tap handle. Use an adjustable wrench set to match the flats on the tap, place the tap in the hole and attempt to start the cutting threads to match the probably-damaged threads in the dryer wall. Because the threads were there previously, you won't have to use the forward half-turn, backwards quarter-turn practice used for tapping a drilled hole. A bit of lubricant would be useful, a light oil or even motor oil.  The image below is an arbitrary selection from Amazon.

Once the tap spins with minimal effort, back it out and your screws will fit again.


Using existing outdoor outlet to run underground supply to fountain

Weatherproof extension ring is the part you’re looking for.

They are available in various forms, make certain the model you choose has knockouts.

Sleeve the UF cable in PVC conduit to get it from that point to underground.  Since your box is horizontal mount you’ll need an LL or LR or 90 to get from the knockout down into the ground.


How much weight can a 2 inch screw in a wood stud hold?

How much load a screw can hold does not depend on its length, assuming it is long enough.  Instead, the load is a function of its cross-sectional area.  A typical range for proof strength for steel is 50 to 100 kpsi (i.e., a screw with a 1 square inch cross-sectional area of steel can hold up to 50,000 to 100,000 pounds).

See here and here.

Of course, as the diameter of your screw increases, the stud is likely to fail first.


What can be used to prevent my windows from sliding down?

This might go against your "wedge them" restriction, but I saw these when searching for something in the past...

The are actually for sale at this site but of course they are easy enough to make.  A simple stick would also work, but that's pretty obvious and I'm sure you considered it.


Old house w/ 2 black wires replacing light switch with motion sensor switch single pole 4 wires

If the switch box ONLY has the two black wires in it, then its just a switch leg, with the main wiring run in the ceiling above the light fixture. Without additional wiring installing this device in this location may not be possible.


Threaded hollow wall anchors spin out partway in

i don't understand why you just didn't anchor to the studs, but you must have had some reason.

sometimes the metal anchors are a little too hard for the screws, so the torque that is exerted on the screw translates into the anchor, and the anchor spins in the drywall, thus defeating the purpose of using the anchor in the first place.  you can't use those anchors in those holes, however, you can get yourself some toggle bolts and put them right into those holes.  they are a stronger anchor anyhow.  have a look here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IuNkiiqhO4

just use plain old toggle bolts, not the plastic ones or the newfangles ones or the usb connected ones.  just plain old togglebolts.


Attaching ceiling ground wire when fixture socket does not have the green screw for attaching grnd wire

Is the fixture made of metal? If it does not have external metal components (such as a case or cage) then it would have no use for a safety ground. The safety ground is connected to conductive surfaces that shouldn't normally carry power, but if you don't have conductive surfaces then it is not applicable.

However, if the fixture does have external metal components but simply lacks a screw, you can ground it by creating a conductive path between those metal components and your ground wire. If your electrical box is metal, you can do this easily by ensuring the box is grounded, and then using metal screws to attach the fixture. Otherwise, you need to bond a ground wire to the fixture. This might be doable using one of the existing screws/attachment points. Otherwise, you may need to drill a hole in the fixture, tap it, and install a ground screw and pigtail.


How do I clean reclaimed wood from construction?

You could try X'Crete which is advertized as suited to removing concrete from forms.  It dissolves the concrete into a slush you can rinse away.  There's probably other similar products.

Or a more hard-core approach would be to use Muriatic Acid; apparently that's what masons use to clean their stuff.  Downside being it's dangerous.

A more tool-oriented approach would be a belt sander with a low grit paper.  Belt sander don't care.


How can I prevent reverse air flow from bathroom fan?

Your fan is equipped with a backflow prevention flap. Check that it's installed correctly and not gunked up with so much lint that it doesn't function.

It's usually a simple task to remove the cover, unplug the fan and light, and drop the motor panel. This usually doesn't require work on the wiring connections. From there you have open access to the flap.


Without knowing what's in your head, I'd say start with some basic deck pergola designs, and modify them to accommodate the canopy style you're envisioning.

Basic pergola for a deck instructions


Wire at the end of the circuit activates my tester at about 12-14 inches away

Those testers detect electromagnetic fields.
It's downstream of a dimmer
There are three dimmer technologies.  Variacs are a variable transformer which steps down voltage, giving a sine wave, but they are huge and heavy.  Rheostats are a variable resistor that adds impedance, giving a sine wave, but they make stupefying amounts of heat.  Both of these, being sine waves (as in (a) below), produce a 60 Hz electro-magnetic field. (50 Hz in the rest of the world).  Which is what that tester is designed to detect.
However both those dimming methods are totally impractical for the home.

So a third method is used: semiconductor dimming, which uses electronic switching to alter the sine wave (as in (b) and (c) above).  However, nature likes sine waves, and nature will treat a mutilated sine wave as if it were a conglomerate of various sine waves summing up. The science of this is called "Fourier analysis".
Which sine waves sum up to (c)?  Many of them, at odd multiples (3x, 5x, 7x, 9x etc.) of the base frequency.  So 180 Hz, 300 Hz, 420 Hz, 540 Hz, 660 Hz. and so on. Janky shaped waves can create lots of these and they can be strong. Depending on the setting of the dimmer, these other frequencies will have different strengths, and depending on the room, will propagate certain ways.
The tester's sensitivity to these harmonics will depend on its own design.
I bet all these factors are lining up in a way favorable to detection.


Is there any easy way to clear up paint 'dribbles'?

Unfortunately I've never been able to find a satisfactory way other than "sand it down and start again".

The only upside is that you should only need to sand down the affected area and repaint that. The paint is new enough that there shouldn't be any difference in the colour and with care you should be able to feather in the patch.

As you are painting over tiles, you might be able to get away without any feathering - just sand all of the affected tile and then when you repaint take care not to touch the adjoining tiles.


I'm using a system which is basically a set of heavy-duty shelf brackets mounted to the wall; the lumber then acts as its own shelves. Each of the woodworking tool catalogs I get has their own version of such a system, with different tradeoffs between price, adjustability, weight capacity, and so on.


Water heater not as hot when first bought (only 4 years old) even after flushing

Like someone else said, run a hot water tap for a while and measure the temp. That's what your WH is supplying.  If at about 120 or so, the WH is doing its job.  If your shower has an automatic mixing valve, the cartridge may need to be replaced.  We had the opposite problem....the mixing valve wouldn't mix enough cold water even on the coldest setting to make the shower tolerable....it was way too hot.   Replacing the mixing cartridge solved the problem.
Bottom line, it's either the WH or a mixing valve (if you have one).


What else should I check when troubleshooting a light fixture?

Often with light fixtures, each light has a pair of wires that come up and out of the fixture.  You wire all of the hots together with the line hot, and all of neutrals together with the line neutral.  If the wire nuts that connect all of the wires were not installed properly, it is possible that one of the wires is no longer making a solid electrical connection. It is also possible that one of the wires is damaged.

I would suggest that you remove the light fixture and examine all of the connections.  Look for loose wires (you should not be able to easily pull them out of the wirenut), nicks, burns, etc.

If everything is visually OK you should test each wire to each socket with a multimeter. Test for continuity by ensuring resistance goes close to 0 when you make a connection. Repeat this until you find the problem. Make sure the power is off when you do this.


Can structure with plumbing sit on floating slab?

I used to live in a mobile home in Montana. The lot was compacted gravel and the home sat on a number of cinder block stacks leveled with wood wedges between the block and frame. Water and gas were connected to the home using a 2 foot length of flexible pipe. We never had a problem with frost heaving. Just be certain to insulate and run a heat tape around the water pipe and skirt the home properly. Skirting will pay for itself by your second month of heating your home.


Assuming the aluminum fascia covering is sound (i.e. not bent all to hell or oxidized/corroded) and the wood underneath is in good shape, replacement criteria would be strictly aesthetics.
Yours looks bent up a bit and stained in places, but if it were mine I would attempt to (carefully) beat it back flat, caulk the holes, then hit it with a fresh coat of paint.


Dimmer switch replacing 3-wire switch not working

Your original is not a 3 wire light, but what amounts to a fan with a light kit installed.

2 wires are for the light and one for the fan.

Generally they are wired WHITE - NEUTRAL to [FAN / LIGHT] , BLACK - HOT for [LIGHT] . RED - HOT for FAN.

Is there another Switch on a different wall same wall that operated the original  Fan/Light Combination?

This would tell us that the RED is a Traveler for a 3 Way Switch.

You will need to provide some more details:

Measure voltage between Copper Wire [GND] and WHITE.
Measure voltage between Copper Wire [GND] and BLACK.
Measure voltage between Copper Wire [GND] and RED.


Can I install a 220V chandelier from Turkey on a Canadian 110V circuit?

There are a few things that would make me nervous about doing this:

For a given wattage, bulbs rated for 110 V will draw over twice as much current as those rated for 240 V.  For example, 60 W @ 240 V is 250 mA; 60 W @ 110 V is 550 mA.  Are the supply wires going to be able to carry enough current for as many bulbs and at the wattage you want?  The extra live wire is probably to allow independent control of parts of the chandelier from two light switches, so the limiting factor will be the neutral.
In any light fixture that you could buy in the US or Canada, any exposed metal parts that could be energized in a fault would be grounded.  Your photos don't show a ground lead -- is there one, and is it hooked up correctly?

My advice would be to talk to an antique dealer that specializes in lighting.  I imagine that there's a market for importing and/or updating fixtures to current standards, and they would probably be able to put you in touch with someone who could do any work that's required.

Installation should be easy once it's ready.  US wiring has color coded wires for live and neutral; if Canada is the same, you'd probably need to tag the neutral wire to indicate that it is neutral.


How should I deal with tacky alkyd paint on metal stairs?

Curing time for alkyd base paint can vary but I would recommend waiting at least 1 week. Temperature will also affect curing time. If you notice the coating hardening after a week then more time all you need for it to fully cure. If it's still tacky then you might want to research the thinning material a a bit more. Compatibility or mix ratios might be reasons the coating won't cure properly.

Also, be mindful of dust if you decide to blow air onto the stairs. Dust will stick to the coating and once it's on and sticks, it's on for good.


What size plate for 2 1-gang boxes side by side

Short answer: No

Whoever installed the boxes didn't learn how to do electrical work properly. So consequently, you have two single plates that have been trimmed.

If you were to find a plate like this it would be a custom item and may cost more than it is worth.

Either you will have to keep the trimmed plates, or you will have to replace the two single gang boxes with a 2-gang box.

Good luck!


How do I properly jack up one side of my house?

It looks like the most cost-effective way to level the floor is to do it with this self-leveling compound system, pumped in by a professional.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2mVPjnVzVg

I mean, there appears to be nothing wrong with the walls, the house isn't moving, and it's only the back of the house and the upper floors that have the issue.

As for the upper floors, they are easier -- I can rip out the carpet and flooring, add shims to the joists and do other measures to avoid the squeaks, put the flooring back, and the upper floor should be good for go.


Does the estimated cost of this plumbing repair seem excessive?

I would never, under any circumstance allow someone to tunnel under my house.  Anyone in proposing this is a complete moron.  It's a drain pipe that is probably 6-10 inches wide.

The normal solution - which I have done 20+ times for clay pipes in my area - is to break apart the concrete above the drain pipe, dig it out, replace.  While we are inside we try to replace the drain line about 2 feet to the outside... this part is a b*tch - but point is digging up some home right by the foundation on the outside presents problems too.

If the first floor or basement is finished then you have to pull up carpet, go through tile, pull up wood floors - do whatever you need to do.  On the wall you might have to remove small sections temporarily.

So costs:

Digging 3 foot wide section above drain + kitchen area (not sure what the scope is there).  This can be done by two day laborers and a jackhammer in one day.  Let's say high end $800 - I will give you price that guys would be smiling about after in my area.
bin to throw away trash/concrete - $300
removal of walls (maybe just bottoms) - $500
actual plumbing work - 2K-3K
backfill of area and concrete work - 1-1.5K
flooring??? that is the big question - somewhere between $200 (carpet) and 4-5K
redoing walls - this depends too on how many and what the layout is - $500-3k

On low end maybe 8K and high end 15K.  And when I say low end that is a high first bid that would make contractor happy and 15K is spending a lot of flooring and wall finishes. I just replaced an old clay drain from last remodel.  This city let me do my own plumbing (some do some don't), the city had 3 inspection checks, I paid a crew for excavation and concrete work (I did nothing hard), it took 4 days, and costs me right at 3K for permits, materials, and crew.  We had to go about 50 feet from main stack to exit point - through two walls and a finished basement (carpet).

Now I want to mention something else that is becoming more popular in our area yet I have not used it because of costs.  There is technology where they can run a sleeve inside of existing pipes that creates a permanent solution.  I have been quoted around 8-10K for these and they just didn't make sense for the money because we can do it cheaper - in my area it is all basement so there usually isn't much cost beyond concrete removal and repair.  I am sure someone else on here can weigh in on this.

Another thing to think about too... Is if you are going to have this kind of work done I would really think hard about what else is under your house and do you need any other work done.  If you have electrical, other plumbing, hvac, whatever under there really think if you see any need to change or upgrade anything.  You don't want to do this every 5-10 years and once you get the process going, doing something extra now will be a fraction of the cost in the future.


Installing a relay to control duct fans!

Your G terminal isn't meant for that
On gas furnaces, the G terminal is basically an "override" input to allow the end user to turn the fan on without a call for heat or cooling.  As a result, your results with your current fan relay aren't totally surprising; in fact, it shouldn't turn on at all unless you set the fan switch on your thermostat to ON.
But, your goal is still achievable
However, you can still get where you want to go.  You'll simply need a different relay with a 120VAC capable coil (a RIBU1C mounted to a junction box will work just fine for this) instead of your current, 24VAC-coiled fan relay.  The coil of said relay connects to the EAC-H and EAC-N terminals on your furnace's control board using crimp-on female quick-disconnect terminals, and the contacts switch the fan on and off just like you are doing with your existing relay.  Note that you'll need to use mains-rated wiring methods for the connection from the furnace to this relay; a piece of 14-2 AC or MC that uses stranded wire is your best bet, or you can use 3 14AWG THHNs (or 2, in a metal conduit) in your choice of conduit flavors if that's your preference.


With the "cable system", there are metal rods in the frame between windows that go the full height of the window and are tied into the frame. You connect a cable to an eye at the top of the window and run it back at an angle to the wall the window is installed in, above the window. The other end of the cable is fastened to a bolt that is securely fastened to the framing of the wall (this may be a lag bolt or a through bolt, depending on how the wall is framed).

I don't think these windows have this feature however. If you go to Support > Installation Instructions for the windows you posted, you'll see this quote (emphasis mine):

  IMPORTANT: While Integrity Windows and Doors does not
  control the style of platform support to be constructed, all bow and
  bay applications must have support located beneath the unit that
  follows the angle or radius projection of the unit. The support
  platform MUST extend directly under the sill of the unit to provide
  continuous support. AN INTEGRITY BOW/BAY IS NOT IN ANY
  APPLICATION ABLE TO SUPPORT ITSELF.

So if these are the windows you're getting, it looks like you're stuck with the support under the bottom.


Can I use machine screws in wood to hang shelves?

No. Wood needs wood screws.

These have a sharp point for piercing wood and a deeper thread than machine screws (often called bolts). The shallower thread on bolts is fine for metal, but not for wood.

For ease in setting a deep screw, you should also pre-drill the holes with a bit slightly thinner than the shaft of the screw. And for shelf brackets, I would use long screws, at least 2+ inches beyond the bracket and the drywall.

Take comfort in the fact that screws in studs are much stronger than bolts and toggles in drywall.

(All of the above assumes that there are not contrary instructions that came with the shelf mounting brackets.)

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


How do I lay joists over a complex-sloped basement floor

Use some self-leveling mortar or concrete.

It's a mortar/concrete that is liquid. You pour it out, and help it a bit and it levels itself automatically.

If the slope is extreme (more than an inch or two), then get it semi-close (but lower) with some regular concrete, then finish with the self leveling stuff.

You say joists, but are these joists actually suspended above the floor? You will have a very hard time cutting them to match a bumpy floor.

To find level on the floor get a bucket of water and a thin, flexible, transparent hose. Fill the hose with water and submerge in the bucket, then attach it to the bucket so it doesn't fall out and take the end of the hose to your wall, then mark the water level all over the place.

Subtract a fixed amount from the water level (cut a piece of wood the right length) to get the actual height you need.


You could put tile on them. Or thick stone.  Flagstone looks cool, and comes in variable thickness. Add thinner stone to the risers. You may not want to lose tread depth.  Step it up a notch.


What is the best way to get superglue off a Corian countertop?

What type of superglue? If it's CA-based, then this debonder will work on it. I'm not sure how it will do on Corian though. My guess is that if the glue didn't react with the countertop, then the debonder won't either. (Mostly I've used it for debonding balsa wood and/or carbon fiber.) I'd definitely try it out on a small scale first, and if it doesn't hurt the countertop, then go for it.

If that doesn't work, then my next plan of action would be scraping it off and buffing.


Does this kitchen faucet fit with this sink?

The easiest option in my opinion is to get a sink with a 4th hole cutout for the soap dispenser if you want that. They are a fairly standard option when searching for sinks and I think the resulting look is the best.

It may be possible to drill another hole, but I wouldn't recommend it. If you attempt this, please use a center punch to make a dent to start the hole saw in, otherwise the bit will slide all over the sink and not where you want to drill. The reason I wouldn't consider it is the high risk of damaging the finish and possibly making the hole in the wrong place.

If you don't like the first two options, you can only use one hole in the sink for most modern faucets. They typically include an option to install a cover plate to hide the other two holes. If you don't use that plate, you have two holes to use for soap and lotion dispensers.


Stackable washer/dryer covering crawlspace access point

Why not put the entire unit on 300lb casters with locks? You could also use a chain locking system, like an earthquake strap. Long enough hoses and ducting, or easy to detach hoses and ducting, and you can roll it right out of the way.


Garage Door stops and returns to original position

There are several possibilities.  First, rule out the obvious stuff:

Watch the electric eye sensors as the door opens and closes - confirm that the sensors remain aligned (the led lights on both remain lit during garage door travel, typically yellow on one, and green on the other); if there is a loose wire or sensor, or if there is excessive vibration or misalignment, the beam may be temporarily broken, causing the door to return to go back up

Confirm that the rails are aligned and straight, the bolts holding them are tight, the wheels on the door sections are tracking smoothly along the rails when the door opens and closes, and the rails are adequately greased to prevent excessive friction or binding during travel; also, ensure there are no other potential obstructions in the way of the garage door mechanism

If you have springs along the upper rail sections (i.e., not a torsion spring set-up), ensure that the tension in the garage door springs on either side is even, and there is similar sag side to side when the door is open; as you observe from the inside, the door should lower evenly (side to side, and in a smooth motion) if the springs are evenly worn, and the spring tension is similar    side to side

Confirm that the chain/cable tension on the garage door opener itself is set correctly (there is a certain amount of "sag" expected - check your owners manual for tolerances and how to adjust)

Finally, ensure the door return force limit isn't set too low (without standing directly under the door or otherwise causing injury, of course)

If all of the above checks out (sensors, rails, wheels, springs, all OK, door goes up and door evenly and smoothly, etc.), increasing the downward force slightly may resolve the issue.

In my experience, problems are often sensor-related or random obstructions (like the corner of a box or trash can getting the way of a garage door bracket).  If the springs are worn or the tension is too low on one side, the door may close unevenly, causing the wheels to bind up in the rails or strike an obstruction in the rails (like a joint or bolt head).


You are, looking for trouble & you'll get it. You must run each heater on a separate circuit, they will not run on the same circuit. A proper 20amp circuit will only handle 2000-watts or 17amps safely & continuously.

Look at the bottom or back of the heaters for how many Amps they use or require. You'll need an Electrician to re-wire the heater area if they are where you would like or need them to be.


Is it normal to notice underneath the plastic barrier in crawlspace drops of water?

It is absolutely normal. What you do not want to see is standing water under it. I have seen moisture under my plastic all the times I visited my crawlspace, mold has never been a problem. The idea is though to have no organic material like wood, grass, anything else that would decay, trapped under the plastic.


How to fix hardwood floor with wear from an office chair

Before you apply any stain, try dampening the area with mineral spirits (which will evaporate off fairly quickly, unlike water). That will give you some idea of what color the wood will be if you just apply a clear varnish over it. Also remember that oil-based finishes will tend to add some yellow to the hue (as will shellac).  It's possible that you don't actually need to do anything more than giving it a light scuff-sanding and a new coat or three of whatever's already there.

Remember to do something to keep the chair from wearing thru again too quickly... felt pads on the chair legs, an area rug or chair mat, non-marring wheels...


loosening bolt on the steel support strut that's secured to the ceiling of the garage

It looks to me like a bit of a can of worms.

The perforated angle iron is set up so that the holes are right on the edge of the vertical drywall - there's nothing solid for them to anchor to.  But you don't have much flexibility placing the track, it has to line up with the door.  That jog in the ceiling is in a very inopportune spot.

It's a bit of a hack, but you could drive screws at an angle and maybe, hopefully, hit wood framing behind the drywall, and get off easy.

Otherwise you'll have to remove the drywall and extend the structure out so there's something above the angle iron to attach to.

If you're lucky it may be an I beam behind there, and beam clamps on the flange may work out.

If it's a glue-lam beam or something you could just nail a 2x4 to the beam to use as a cleat for the screws.


The closest I could find for a manual was here: https://www.manual.guru/brands-6/SAUTER/4-oven/en-english-language.html

My guess, based on the icons shown here:

Clock
Clock Set (Hours and Minutes probably on different collars)
Oven Temperature Set
Grill + Lower Heating Element Set

See also: http://www.which.co.uk/reviews/built-in-ovens/article/oven-symbols-and-controls

Front Left Stovetop Set
Back Left Stovetop Set
Back Right Stovetop Set
Front Right Stovetop Set
Oven Fan
Oven Lamp


I think the simplest way to evaluate this is with a spreadsheet, where you collect the area of each "type" and can plug in numbers for different insulation values for each type, and view the effect on that part and on the total.
i.e if all the windows are the same sort or will be when purchased, you can lump that area & U value.
If there are different types, separate them into different rows in the spreadsheet.
The walls get a row, unless the walls differ, then they get as many rows as there are different areas of wall-types.
The ceiling gets a row.
The floor gets a row, but is often tricky to characterize since insulation value and exterior temperature is harder to know for sure on the floor.
...because that's the way I do it.
Other then "metric R" tacked on the end, this is all in "English" units mostly used only in the USA now, but it's easy to do in the units applicable to your area. A few numbers are input, most are calculated. It's easy to see the difference that changing one part makes to that part and the overall result. For instance, increasing my ceiling insulation can be done, but will have little impact on the overall use as it's already less than half what the walls are, and likewise less than half what the windows are.

When you get heavily insulated, you also need to pay attention to the heat lost (or exchanged) via ventilation, with or without heat recovery, as it becomes a significant part of the overall load.


Door weatherstripping: is this slot a kerf or something else?

Yes, you are correct that the slot may be used for insertion of kerf-type weather-stripping, either for the Z-compression-foam shown in your link or a simple "flexible bulb" plastic edge that is positioned in the gap by the blade edge in the slot and compressed when the door is closed.


Wire a new light where there was previously a ceiling fan with a light wired into a 3 gang switch box

Was everything working correctly before you removed the fan? All you want to do is replace the fan with a light fixture? If you have everything wired the way it was when everything was working and you removed the fan you should now have three wires. One white and I'm guessing from your description two blacks. One of those blacks provided continuous power to the fan so it would always operate whether the switch was on or not. You won't need that wire, put a wire nut on it. You should now have a black and a white left, those will connect to the black and white on the new light fixture. If I misunderstood or if you mixed the wires up then you may want to post a better picture of the ceiling box without the bracket as it's hard to see where the wires come from.


Can I safely install a 90 amp main breaker in place of an existing 70 amp breaker feeding the panel?

That would depend on the rating of the main panel. A bigger concern is the use of stab Lok breakers. They are fire starters and should not be used, replaced, or messed with. Post a picture of your panel for more information.


Help for roof ideas for very large cat enclosure

Under conditions of low wind even a wire "roof" can pick up a lot of snow load.
So, a large roof area like that will require a lot of support, even if it's wire fencing. That can be provided by rows of posts with heavy wire to support the fencing between posts, and you could exploit the posts as support for cat entertainment, perches, etc.
Whether your cats will want to be out there once the snow makes it through to the ground may vary with your cats (or even with the age of the cat, most of mine got disgusted with snow after the first year or two.) Our very furry robust barn cats basically burrowed into the nests they made (we helped by stacking bales to make a starting cavity for them) in the hayloft and patrolled inside the barn over winters, rather than roaming out through the snow. Our indoor cats rarely spend much time at all outdoors in winter, and prefer areas without snow when they do go out.
A solid roof may have a lot more impact on your property taxes than a wire "roof." One possible intermediate approach would be greenhouse film (sheet plastic, but sturdy and UV resistant for years) which is not normally classed the same as a "permanent structure" for tax purposes. You'd need to support it in a manner that would shed snow, and that might be difficult, expensive, or require changing your plans if the fences you are using for walls are also boundary fences (can't just dump snow on the neighbors property.)


No electric current going into Water Heater

Since this is brand new, and assuming you hit the red reset button on the UPPER thermostat, then it's most likely a loose wire somewhere. It might have been touching a terminal and worked for a while, but under load that loose connection over heated and burned away. One bad connection and the entire circuit is broken, so unless you know how to test for that, you can easily get a false negative reading. Here is what your entire circuit looks like.


Can I use roofing nails to attach OSB/plywood to studs?

Roofing nails are a bad choice for attaching sheathing. The wire gauge is too small and the hardness of the nail shank is much less than a framing nail.  I personally like to use 6d or 8d ring shank nails for OSB. 8d common nails are Ok as well. Ring nails won't loosen or back out over time as wood dries and shrinks. The heads of the roofing nails can easily break off and will offer little if any holding power. Although you may save some money now, having your sheathing loosen over time will be extremely expensive to fix later. Use the right materials now and be sure the job is done right.


What is the principle behind lockshield valves?

Scenario: your heating has been turned off all night. The whole house is cold. It's now 5.30am and your heating switches on.

Every thermostatic valve in your house is fully open, because it's very cold next to every thermostatic valve. If all your lockshields are fully open, where will the hot water from the boiler go? Answer: the flow through each pipe will be proportional to the resistance. Shorter pipe = less resistance, therefore more of the hot water will flow through the radiator closest to the boiler, some will go through a radiator further from the boiler, and (relatively) little will go through the radiator furthest from the boiler.

Eventually the room closest to the boiler will get up to temperature, the thermostatic valve will shut, and so the next closest room will get the most flow. And this will continue until all rooms are at their desired temperature.

What lockshields allow you to do is to very nearly close the valve on the radiator closest to the boiler. This increases the resistance of flow through that pipe, offsetting the fact that the pipe is very short. By closing each lockshield the right amount you "balance" the system by making every radiator have the same total resistance (total resistance = length of pipe resistance + lockshield resistance). And so every radiator heats up at the same rate.

Of course, you could even try and play with the lockshields to make rooms heat up in a specific order. e.g. bedroom first, then bathroom, then kitchen last.

Of course, balancing the radiators is difficult. I've never achieved it properly. At the end of the day, the rooms heating up one by one isn't the end of the world, unless you happen to have the bedroom which heats up last!

You seem to think that thermostatic valves control the flow rate. They shouldn't. You should think of them as an on/off switch: either they're on and letting water flow in, or they're off and not letting water flow in. In practice they might reduce the flow as the room gets towards the desired temperature in order not to overshoot it, but this is a secondary effect.


Can I use 16ga wire to complete a 150W landscape lighting circuit?

Generally its not OK.   You don't say whether the power pack is 12 or 24
VAC.

110W / 12 V = 9.16 A
110W / 24 V = 4.53 A

AWG 14 wire is rated for 15A

AWG 16 wire is rated for  8A

So, if you are using a 12 V power pack, 16ga is too small.

It would be technically OK, current-wise, for 120VAC, but I don't know of any 16ga wire rated for distribution outdoors.


What is the proper way to install a exterior door in brick/drywall wall?

The answer is different between a structure supported by brick and a brick faced (brick veneer) wood structure.

It also depends if you want the door flush with the brick or inset from the brick.

The jamb extensions address the situation where the door assembly is smaller than the combined wall thicknesses

In general, doors are attached to the building structure.  It sounds like your structure is the brick.

I personally like the inset look, so that would mean lining and waterproofing the brick rough opening with wood (typically 2x4s, treated).  Then the door and exterior trims would attach to that.

On the interior, vapor barrier (semi permeable, like Tyvek, insulation and framing.  The framing should be tied into the rough framing of the door..  Jamb extensions typically extend the door jamb out to thickness of where the drywall will be, making a natural place to cutoff the crywall.

After drywall installation, interior trims cover the small gaps between the jambs and the drywall.


What is the difference between a coaxial grounding block, an antenna discharge unit, and lightning arrestor

Antennas can build up a sizeable static charge which needs to be dissipated. Unfortunately the obvious solution of grounding the antenna also removes the signal from the wire. A coaxial grounding block allows static charges to dissipate from the center conductor without interrupting the signal.

More elaborate devices are filled with a gas which is ionized by high voltage spikes to create a very low resistance connection to the ground. This allows lightning traveling through the cable to be arrested. Both grounding blocks and arrestors are discharge units, which dissipate the static charge from the antenna. Only the arrestor provides protection against lightning.

Ideally either would be installed as close to the point of entry as possible. The cable run itself has all the drawbacks of metal suspended in air. It can gather a static charge, and conduct lightning. Also, as the first article points out, you may need a second ground wire if the antenna is atop a metal mast. Though the mast can be connected directly to the ground, since signal loss isn't an issue.


Can cement backer board be used to support bluestone or slate outdoor raised patio?

I would say the poured step, with proper expansion gap, however, PT lumber with the proper sub-floor/underlayment then backer board.

If you just use backer board, then tile/stone/etc, you will have the "floor" flex every time you walk on it. Crumble, crack, crumble, snap and you fall through. Water and backer board are not a good mix either. It is not concrete, but cement so it has no structural component. Backer board is the rough surface that allows the grout to adhere.

In other words, if you build a box step, use the same technic you would for an interior floor. Then seal it with a sealer to protect from water as best you can.


How can I avoid overflowing the water pan while defrosting my fridge?

Our fridge's auto defrost when out and we had a solid chunk of thick ice that we had to manually defrost before the repair man could do anything, he suggested we put quite a few towels in the freezer as well as the fridge  part. it soaked up pretty much all the water from the melted ice and we got our fridge fixed a couple days later. maybe put some towels in the fridge and under your pan. it'll make LESS of a mess anyways ;). Hope this helps, good luck.


Should I build the Kitchen Island on top of tile or remove?

Do it the same way your other cabinets are done so everything is the same height.

Also removing the tile is a little bit tougher than you think.  You can probably do it with an angle grinder but you risk the tile chipping badly or cracking.  Going this route will also require molding over base plate to cover flaws.  (and I almost forgot, when I have removed tile in past for things like this it was a PITA sometimes to actually make the area flat.)


Does a French drain need to terminate above ground?

Look at a typical "dry well" install - basically terminate the pipe into a blob of crushed rock, or an actual void/hole/tube punched full of holes, so the water can filter out. Just stopping the pipe underground will not work well.

In an essentially non-freezing climate there should be little problem with this - they can be done well in freezing climates, but it's more work and digging. If you use a open/void/hollow well it's easier to check/clear the pipe if that's ever needed.


The break in the wire can be confirmed by placing a voltage on one end of the pair then measuring for it on the other end.

If you know you have voltage on one end then simply having lack of voltage on the other end is proof positive.

If you have 3 wires to work with, then you can use a 12 Volt battery like from a car, then put it across pairs of wires, using a multimeter on the other end, to determine precisely which wire is broken.

If a trenching machine is responsible then it is most likely they all have been cut.

The precise location of the break can be located by using a time-domain reflectometer.

If the gas company came out and dug and you haven't had power ever since then their denials mean nothing until they come out and prove that they did not cause it.

I wouldn't let them off the hook until they send out technicians to prove their denial.

I would go so far as to tell them you think there is live electricity right near where they dug for the gas pipe.  See if that will get them off the dime.


Why am I not getting enough gas pressure for a BBQ and generator?

Make sure the output on your regulator is set correctly -- probably about 10" WC.


Can I draw power from nearby recessed lighting for pendant lights?

You'd have to calculate the load of the circuit to determine if you have enough capacity.

Volts x Amps = Watts

So if you are in the US, you probably have a 15 amp circuit which should only be loaded up to 12 amps.  Now go add up everything else on that circuit. Lets say you have 10 pot lights at 50watts each.

120v x Yamps = 500watts

= 4.1amps

Now lets say your two lights are 100W each, that's another 1.67 amps (200W/120V), so 5.7 amps total being drawn which means you would be able to add these without overloading the circuit.

If the circuit was already approaching 12amps, you would not have enough capacity and would need to run a new circuit.


How to identify the wires on the dimmer to convert it to Conventional on/off switch

Wires that are green, yellow/green stripe, or bare, are always and only Protective Earth aka Equipment Safety Ground*.  They must only be connected to each other and never anything else.  That makes the green-white splice WRONG, and it should be removed immediately and attached to real ground where it belongs.

Protective Earth is always a safety shield, and never figures into the actual wiring, so it is excluded from your thinking about how to arrange wires.

Now, voilà!  Things are simple. The two remaining black wires must be the wires to the switch.

* on mains equipment which is legal to use in the US, i.e. Has a non-counterfeit stamp and file number from a Nationally Recognized Testing Lab.  If you acquire equipment from Alibaba, Aliexpress, EBay or Amazon, all bets are off...


What is the correct way to wire a utility light with an outlet?

You would connect the safety ground wires that are currently twisted to a third bar wire pigtail which would then connect to the terminal that you have labeled B. (This would match much the same as you have shown the black and white wire sets to be pig tailed).

Be aware that the outlet of this new fixture will be a switched outlet if this light is turned on and off by the separate remote switch that you described in another question. Normally this type of light fixture would be used when connected to a non-switched circuit so the outlet is live all the time and then the light itself turned on and off via the pull chain.

If you have concerns regarding the safety of an outlet like this you may consider getting a ceramic base light socket that does not have the socket. They are readily available and not very expensive.


Drywall/Cement board transition for a tub surround

I would shim out the studs behind the Hardiebacker so it's level with the drywall. A couple packs of cedar shims should do it


steel poles with pine shelving - how to fix?

Your problem is there's nothing holding the 4 posts in place.  The fix is to attach the shelves to the posts as tightly as possible - they can't just set on the posts.  What you've basically done is tried to create a large version of these common steel shelves:

If you've ever put one together, the strength and stability comes from the wedge anchors on each corner holding the shelves tightly in place.

Your unit's stability is proportional to how tight you can attach each shelf to each corner.  Any looseness will be notices in wobble.

I'm not familiar with the brackets you say that you are using, but you could possibly sandwich the shelves between two brackets (one on top, one on bottom, but they'd have to make a very tight sandwich).  Or if it's like a pipe flange maybe the shelf can be securely screwed to the brackets.  The point is, you have to have a tight, secure connection on each corner of each shelf.


Adding an electrical outlet to a toilet/tub room

I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that

You can't tie into the bedroom 15A because (a) bathroom receptacles are supposed to be on 20A circuits and (b) bathroom receptacles are supposed to be dedicated to bathrooms. They can either be shared with other bathrooms or with lights in the same bathroom. So the bedroom circuit is not an option.
You can't use the heater circuit unless it is a pretty wimpy heater. Generally speaking, you can't put any receptacles onto a circuit that has 50% hard-wired load. That is not an issue with lighting (especially with LED lighting, but even with incandescent in most residential applications) but it is an issue with heaters. That light/fan/heater circuit is a dedicated 20A circuit because of the power needed by the heater. Typical heaters will use 1500W. Some might be a bit less, but anything more than 1,000W or so and you hit the 50% rule.

What you can do is to add a new 20A circuit (of course) or if there are other receptacles in the bathroom, you can connect to those.

Update based on comments:
It appears that the goal is not to add a "GFCI electrical outlet" per se, which would typically be understood to mean a duplex receptacle for plugging in various devices, but rather the goal is apparently to add another hardwired light fixture. That is a different matter entirely.
An additional low-power lighting fixture, such as an LED fixture designed for use as a night light, can certainly be tied in to the same power source used for the primary heat/light/fan. That solves the "GFCI problem" - no GFCI needed for hardwired lighting. That solves the "connecting to a non-bathroom circuit problem" - that (a) is for receptacles and (b) you wouldn't actually be connecting to a non-bathroom circuit.
There may still be issues with box fill, so expanding the box in some way, or adding another box nearby, may be necessary to make all this work. But you can do it on the existing circuit.
FYI, "you can't put a GFCI on a 15-amp circuit in a bathroom" is not actually true. What is true is that a new bathroom is required to have a 20-amp circuit dedicated to the bathroom (or possibly bathrooms), and that circuit must have GFCI protection for the receptacles. However, if you have an older bathroom with 15-amp circuits (as I do), retrofitting GFCI makes sense for safety - as my electrician did many years ago, I don't think he really asked, I think he just said "you need this" (when he was in my house doing other things I asked for) and he was right.


What are these lines called (on an air duct end) and how do you rebuild them if you cut the end of the duct?

You’ll want a duct crimper to finish the end that way. Image below from google image search, which led to one on amazon. I don’t link it since products come and go.


Temperature Increase of Sealed Enclosure

Even with what seems like a small amount of heat generated in the enclosure by the transformer, with no ventilation, and an ambient temperature not far below the operating temperature of the transformer, it will overheat pretty quick.

You can ventilate the cabinet with a cooling fan, you can even do calculations to figure out how much air the fan must move.  Alternately, you could mount the transformer on the outside of the cabinet, where the heat can dissipate.  However, these may be an issue in a corrosive environment or other conditions where the components must be kept sealed up.

If the cabinet must be sealed from the environment (due to presence of corrosive agents, etc.) there are cooling systems that cool the interior of the enclosure without exchanging outside air, but these are expensive and elaborate.


Why not use a sheet of rigid foam insulation? It will block light and heat.

You can cut it to size and, depending on the frame of the skylight, you may be able to wedge it in the frame without attachment devices.

If you need to use something to hold it up, double faced tape on the glass will be fairly easy to remove without permanent damage to the skylight.

To make it attractive, cover in cloth, paint or attach adhesive backed plastic covering.


Where can I find Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS's)?

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and Certificate of Compliance (CoC) have to come from the manufacturer or main supplier of the product. I have worked at a few places that demanded at least a CoC, and sometimes a MSDS which was usually for hazardous chemicals. Much of this is done only once  per product, unless there is a product revision. A MSDS and/or CoC maybe included with each Purchase Order (PO). There usually is no charge for these sheets, which total maybe one or two sheets each at most. They are needed by the manufacturer of products that use these materials and need proof of contents and quality. The MSDS is more detailed because it often has to list the ingredients and temperature limits, flash point, freeze point, etc. They also act also as a path from the end user who buys the final product back to the original source of the material. If a non-flammable paint catch's fire and is not supposed to, then these MSDS and CoC sheets put the burden of the problem back on the original product manufacturer or main distributor, not the final assembly plant or the consumer level distributor.


Mounting a TV to Concrete Through Wood Paneling and Air Gap

I believe 3/4" is plenty thick enough to not need anchoring into the concrete. I've done this with plywood between studs without issue for mounting my tv and it is just over 40 lbs. The plywood was though thoroughly anchored to studs. Just ensure the best you can that the furring strips are well anchored and I think you are good to go.


400amp service entrance 200amp transfer switch

Forget about buying this thing.
It's an "impulse buy", and that does not work for engineered products like whole-house generators and automatic transfer switches.
It's an Automatic transfer switch
It has a sequenced system which will automatically spin up the generator and then throw the loads over onto the generator.
With an ATS there is a simple rule: The generator must be large enough for the loads to be served.  You are not allowed to have a situation where the generator might come online and immediately bog from overload.   You must prove the generator is large enough.   And the switching equipment must be large enough too!
A "Load Shed" device sits in front of large appliances and automatically disconnects them if the generator seems to be struggling (low voltage or lower-than-spec frequency).  Equipment protected by "Load shed" devices can be excluded from the generator calculation, but it cannot be excluded from the switching equipment calculation.
In point of fact, since you currently have 400A service, the 200A transfer switch will be a "choke point" for your power that will prevent you from using utility power to its full capacity.
How do we arrive at the proper size?
You need to do a load calculation on your house and loads
You say you have an all-gas house.  However, your service panels are ones from a lavishly electric home. In the 400A meter-main, I see a 50A panel going to ???.   In the two large panels, I see no less than fifteen 240V breakers, as well as a subfeed lug kit carrying that panel's entire 150A to yet another, third panel in some other location!
So, the upshot is that all of this needs to be earnestly tallied up, and fed into a proper load calculation.  The load calculation will state how many amps/kVA you will need for a "whole house" generator.
I suspect you will painfully discover that your house really does need 400A service, and you cannot shim the house's loads down to 200A -- let alone 92A.
If you are able to eliminate maybe a dozen of those 240V loads (or move them to the meter-main panel breakers, which won't be on generator)... then you may be able to get your Load Calculation under 200A.  Then with some Load Shed units you may be able to get the "Load to be Served" under 92A... and then.. you could use that generator.
Having 1 generator feed more than 1 panel is problematic, anyway.
The problem is, only one panel can have a pass-through neutral.  All the other panels need to have an isolated neutral, requiring a 3-pole transfer switch.  The bargain transfer switch is only a 2-pole.
The way to solve that, after you have reduced the two large panels to <200A calculated load, is to replace one of the main breakers with a 200A breaker... and have the remaining 150A breaker power nothing at all.  (or perhaps, another panel which is "utility-side only").
The 200A breaker then feeds ONE "subpanel".  That "subpanel" feeds both existing large panels.   You stick the generator ATS in between the 200A breaker and the "subpanel" in the normal manner.
I'm putting "subpanel" in quotes because it doesn't actually need to be a subpanel.  As long as the wire from "subpanel" to the two large panels is 200A wire (250 kcmil not 4/0), the "subpanel" doesn't actually need to have any circuit breakers at all.   A subpanel with no circuit breakers is just a box and some lug splices.  "that was easy"
Effectively this will downgrade you from 400A to 200A service, but it will permit use of that bargain generator.
How Harper would do it.
Well if someone held a gun to my head and forced me to use a generator, I'd get a large enough generator for the whole job.
One side-effect is that the generator would be water-cooled (coolant-cooled, to be more precise). I would run that hot coolant through hot-water registers around the house, or one heat exchanger in the forced-air furnace stack... because, hey - free heat!
Or, I'd swap circuits around in the two large panels until one of them only contained loads you would never want to put on generator, and the other one contained loads whose Load Calculation was less than 92 amps. Then, I'd put the ATS on that panel only, and let the other panel just be dead.


What is the purpose of this black felt on end of oven conduit?

That is called electrical tape, also called fleece tape.
It is used to keep the wires in a neat bundle.
It is not conductive, so you cannot clamp a grounding strap to it.
Remove it so that you can check for the plastic anti-short bushing at the end of the BX cable jacket.


Exterior Home security/Lighting compatibility

Several companies make separate Passive Infrared (PIR) detectors that could be used for your purpose. Or you could just mount motion detector lights in chosen locations or on the outside of the house. That is what most people opt for. Tying the whole thing together could be done but at an added cost that most people don't want to spend for what they get out of it.

Half of solving all design problems is getting familiar with the available products. This comes from experience and research. Spend some time browsing the net for motion detector type lights and sensors. You will find lots to choose from.

Good luck!


Does my hanging light have to Match other lighting in the house?

Depends on the design of your house and the proximity of the fixtures. If the overall character of the house is similar, you may want to keep everything similar. However, we often "mix-it-up" if different areas are "different ".  Especially, if the "different" area has an unusual ceiling: (I.e.: different shape, height, color, use, etc.)

If the fixture can't be seen from another fixture, I doubt anyone will notice.


Is there a reasonably priced dog door that allows dogs through but stops cats?

A search for "electronic dog door" and/or "selective dog door" turns up several products ranging from $80 to $200 (though they are others that go up to $500), depending on size you need, for example:

PetSafe SmartDoor
Dog Mate Electromagnetic Dog Door - Has settings for locked, in/out, in-only, and out-only. Up to 14" shoulder height.

There's lots of small selective cat doors, they do seem to get much more expensive as you go bigger.

As far as DIY, there are several ways to do this, and the complexity will really depend on exactly what you do, and how much experience you have doing electronics and embedded programming. An instructable on an RFID cat door may get you started.

Effectively, you just need to buy/build the actual door, which is capable of being locked by some mechanism (I would suggest not using one of the flexible flap ones).

Then you need a lock mechanism that can be controlled electronically, such as a solenoid, linear actuator, or servomotor.

Finally, you need the sensor and control circuitry. An Arduino is probably a good staring place for the controller. For the sensor, RFID has a lot of benefits, but as some of the off-the-shelf products show, you could also use infrared and/or magnetic sensors. I would think those would be more finicky to get working reliably, whereas RFID is pretty simple: just mount the antenna so it can pick up the tag attached to the dog's collar when close to the door.

Here's another instructable on interfacing RFID to the Ardunio. All that needs is an output hooked up to the lock mechanism you build, and the software to hold the lock open for a few seconds after detecting a valid RFID tag.

Note that the hardware to do this DIY isn't necessarily cheap, and in fact, probably approaches the $100-200 price tag on some of the off-the-shelf doors. Great learning experience but don't expect to save much cash DIY here.


Is it safe for baseboard water heater power supply to run insulated wiring over heating element?

To me this looks like an aftermarket repair to add or replace the control voltage. As far as a shock hazard it is low voltage so that is not a big issue but the wire does not look to be high temp but is hard to tell. There would be a code issue using this plug in transformer to power a permanently installed device.


What is the maximum current a 13Amp twin wall socket can handle?

Assuming your country is the UK, this is a bit variable, they are all good for a total of more then 13A, but how much more....

Most common 13A double sockets are good to about 20A total across the pair, the exception being the MK stuff which is capable of the full 26A.

Check the datasheet for your chosen part to confirm, but IIRC only the MK ones (and possibly only the MK Metalcad ones at that) are specified to the full 26A.