What is a fireplace facing and what is it used for?

A modern, properly installed fireplace should not require a mantle to catch smoke; they are purely decorative. I believe Nathan was referring to the glass doors and metal screen that an indoor fireplace does require to be safe. Also that the inspector may have been referring to the surround (protects the walls around the fireplace and is often topped by a decorative mantel); the masonry directly adjacent the fireplace, on the walls and including a section of the floor.

The white mantle is decorative. The exposed hearth and the tile surround are functional.

In order to lower the risk when using your fireplace, you should:
Keep all combustibles a safe distance away from the hearth.
Use a fire screen to prevent sparks.
Install a spark arrester at the top of the flue to guard against roof fires.
Keep a fire extinguisher handy.
Install smoke detectors on every level of your home. You should also have a carbon monoxide detector.

Code -rumford.com (note, masonry fireplace; for steel-box construction consult the manufacturer)

R1001.11 Fireplace clearance. All wood beams, joists, studs and other combustible material shall have a clearance of not less than 2 inches (51 mm) from the front faces and sides of masonry fireplaces and not less than 4 inches (102 mm) from the back faces of masonry fireplaces. The air space shall not be filled, except to provide fire blocking in accordance with Section R1003.13.
Exceptions:

When masonry fireplaces are part of masonry or concrete walls, combustible materials shall not be in contact with the masonry or concrete walls less than 12 inches (305 mm)from the inside surface of the nearest firebox lining.

Exposed combustible trim and the edges of sheathing materials such as wood siding, flooring and drywall shall be permitted to abut the masonry fireplace side walls and hearth extension in accordance with Figure R1003.12, provided such combustible trim or sheathing is a minimum of 12 inches (305 mm) from the inside surface of the nearest firebox lining.

Exposed combustible mantels or trim may be placed directly on the masonry fireplace front surrounding the fireplace opening providing such combustible materials shall not be placed within 6 inches (152 mm) of a fireplace opening. Combustible material within 12 inches (306 mm) of the fireplace opening shall not project more than 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) for each 1-inch (25.4 mm) distance from such an opening.

Under my interpretation of #4, the mantle pictured is to close to the edge of the fireplace (~8") to stick out so far (~4"). It isn't the best picture to show a safe fireplace. Merely, it does a good job showing a useless mantle. It lacks doors and a screen but at least they attempted to keep combustibles (drywall) one foot from the opening in every direction.


If nothing is going to be making the bricks damp a moisture barrier should not be used behind them.

If it were to be a hanging garden instead of a firewall then yes, a barrier would then be a good idea.


Portable air conditioner exhaust through door

To quote from Consumer Reports,

  Unlike a window air conditioner, all the mechanical parts of a
  portable air conditioner are sitting in the room you’re trying to
  cool. This contributes to the noise and less-than-capable cooling, as
  the portable unit is using conditioned air from the room to cool the
  condenser and exhausts the hot air out an ungainly exhaust hose that
  resembles a dryer vent. That creates negative pressure causing
  unconditioned warm air from surrounding rooms or outdoors to be drawn
  into the room you’re trying keep cool

So unless the rest of your house is cool, in which case a box fan will do the job, you're not going to get much cooling in your laundry room.

In sum: yes, you can install a portable unit, and it will operate. No, it won't do much good.

.


Is it safe to screw #14 screws into the bottom of Center Support Beam?

This will be absolutely fine. People put screws into beams all the time. The fibers that run along the beam will barely be broken by this. (Notches out of the beam interrupt the fibers, which makes them another story altogether.)

You might want to predrill with a small (like 1/8") drill bit to make your life a little easier.


Proper backfill for a trench dug below foundation level (within the 45 degree cone of support)

No handy references, (I was taught, as grunt labor, by a licensed civil engineer and former SeaBee, but I don't know which books it might have come from to him, or if any of them are on the web) but backfilling with something like road base (crushed rock including fines so it will pack well) and tamping it very well in thin layers (if you tamp 6" of fill, you only properly compact about 2" of it, so tamping 2" layers 3 times gets a better result.) Tamp with something fairly small - a large plate won't really compact as well (unless you rent a vibratory plate compactor.) If you are tamping by hand and it feels frustratingly slow, you are probably doing it right ;-)

Clay is virtually impossible to get properly compacted back into a trench - in non-bearing applications you generally backfill it and mound it a bit, then come back in  year to fix the settling. Obviously not such a good idea in a bearing application, thus the use of a readily compactable material like road base.


Why would Central AC, Fridge & Pool Pump All Fail Within 3 Days?

Sounds like a string of bad luck.

While an electrical spike/surge will cause problems and failures in the controllers and motors, the freon exists in an enclosed system and therefore this will not cause a leak. The compressor is a hermetically sealed unit, so there are no shaft seals that will cause freon loss.

The refrigerator is the most likely to have succumbed to a power spike/surge.

Pumps will make weird sounds if there is a lot of air being circulated in the water, when they lose prime (run empty) they can destroy the shaft seal from it running without water to lubricate and take away the heat. Typically, the pump motor will not make noises from power surge/spike damage, it's more likely bearing failure (ball bearing type motors) from water leaking into the bearing through the failed shaft seal. The type of failure you see from electrical damage is overheating, shorted windings or failure to start because the start capacitor has been burned out. The stalled motor or shorted windings can cause the circuit breaker to trip, though they usually have internal thermal protection that shuts them down, causing the motor to shut off.


Floating, click together vinyl laminate strips versus square tiles and spreadable adhesive?

These are pure vinyl/rubber planks.  There is no warping and very very minimal changes in size.  These issues are unfounded.

Now personal opinion:  I have personally used these (not the exact ones but the brand) planks and I have used other pure rubber planks and I have to tell you that I have been very happy with them all.  The only thing I will say is that on the pure rubber side the planks are usually expensive and sometimes the top doesn't look non-rubberish.

As for the click lock mechanism, this is always something you should test at store.  I have personally never had issues with the Allure brand.  As for their mechanism I would give it a solid 7 out of 10.  You do have to get under the installed row which does cause an issue that you can unlock something while locking something in but it is just a simple puzzle to solve and when in place it is good to go.

As for criticism, first you could lay this stuff in a pool and it won't warp or bend - it is pure rubber.  So not sure what product they were rating or commenting on but this is not right.  Second if people have gaps it is because they have not locked something together correctly on a previous row.  These issues compound until you can see a noticeable gap.  This has nothing to do with the locking mechanism working or not, the user simply didn't install right.

As for warping or size changes due to temp or humidity, like I mentioned before this is a non issue.  Are planks better than squares?  It totally depends on the subfloor.  I would only glue down vinyl if it were in then sheets on a very flat floor or if it were in a commercial type building (apartment building).  Most home floors basement or main floor do not have concrete that is flat enough to support glue down directly on concrete.

And as far as install on this brand I can do a very large bathroom 8 by 15 and go around vanity, toilet, shower, whatever in about an hour - I have installed this brand and similar 25+ times.  It cuts with a knife like drywall (or you can use a mitre saw) and snap clean.  Out of all of the flooring choices this is the fastest to install, the most durable, and least amount of prep.  The downsides are it is a bit cold and just might not have the look that most people want.


double hung sash window, any way to prevent the top from being moved down?

Here's what the previous owner of my house did to prevent the top sash from moving: Painted it liberally.  They will be sealed and painted shut.  You could also use caulking.  They make clear caulking too so it wouldn't be noticeable, or in case you have bare wood still that has survived unpainted for the past 98 years. As an added bonus that would keep the drafts down a little too!


Process and product to fix concrete slab surface issues prior to framing over them?

First off you mentioned hollow underneath, was the base compacted prior to the pour, if not the whole slab is in question as the base has settled underneath the poured concrete so putting paint on a pig is a waste of money.

But to answer your question directly - clean everything you can then use "ProBond" or another Concrete bonding promoter. If you do not use a bonding promoter it has a higher chance of separating from the base.

Then use self-leveling floor resurfacer to finish the floor.
If you are doing the whole floor and it is a large area you may want to consider talking to your local ready-mix company as they do provide mixes for self leveling of floors. It is used in apartment buildings and other large multi storied structures it is called "gypcrete" and may be your best best dollar for dollar. Oh, the results will be great.


Compressor/fan stays off when cooling turned on

The first thing to do is check the two wires on the outside unit when the thermostat is calling for cooling.  In your picture it looks like the Blue and Yellow thermostat wires are being used.  You should have 24v AC across those two wires, which would normally close the 240v relay and start up the compressor and cooling fan.

If you're not getting 24v on the two thermostat wires, there's probably a bad connection somewhere.  Since the air handler is working and the thermostat has power, the 24v transformer is working.

If you are getting 24v, then you can move on to diagnosing just the compressor.  There are limit switches that can prevent the compressor from turning on if the coolant level is off.  There can also be temperature sensors that prevent the compressor from running, so these would need to be checked.  The relay should also snap shut when the 24v signal is present.  A poor connection might read 24v, but might not have the amperage to actually close the relay.  The relay can be corroded or filled with dead ant bodies.

I hope this helps.  Clarify anything you can in the comments and I can attempt to edit as needed.  I've done a lot to diagnose and solve problems with a WiFi thermostat and heat pump that were not wired correctly.


How do I keep water from getting in and out of a dishwasher drain air gap?

Dishwasher drain airgap.

It's placed above maximum sink full water level to prevent siphoning grey-water from the sink into the dishwasher if the P-trap ever gets plugged and you try to empty a full sink.

If water is spewing or leaking from the overflow slots in the cover, either the outflow from the airgap into the sink drain has become clogged (especially if it is set up to discharge into the waste disposal unit, food crud buildup, bioslime growth) or the unit is defective and needs to be replaced.

Diagram on how the drain airgap functions.


Yeah, the horizontal vent branch immediately to the upper left of your red circle cannot turn horizontal until it is a minimum of 6" above the flood rim of the fixture it is attached to or the highest fixture in a group that it is venting.

This will determine the length of the pipe you circled.

Good luck!


What to use when sealing floor-to-wall and window-to-wall?

You can caulk the window to the drywall or moulding. I like siliconized latex caulk, but pure silicone can work well too (lasts longer, but not paintable, and collects dust more if it's on a horizontal joint).

For the baseboards, there are a couple of things you can do. If removing them is an option, you can stick foam backer rod between the customary gap between the drywall and the floor, if it's accessible. If that's not an option, you can make sure the baseboard is well-caulked to the wall at the top and the floor at the bottom. Clear caulk works well for this.


Does my new shower need a dedicated vent?

Local codes may be different in each area. Check with your local building inspector. If there is already a vent because you have a sink and toilet, you could possibly tie into that for drain and vent.
I remodeled recently and moved the kitchen from one side of the house to the other. Where I ended up placing the sink and dishwasher, was on the same wall as a bathroom I had installed 3 years ago, on the opposite side. This allowed me to tie into the drain and water in the wall, which already had a vent stack. Inspector was perfectly satisfied with this setup.
So again, I would ask your local inspector. A permit is most likely needed, and would have to have an inspection for rough and final. Best to get the vent issue taken care of before rough inspection.


Being at the wrong end of multiple countries divided by a common language, in the USA I'd be looking for a company listed under "roofing" or "roofers" and preferably one that specifically mentioned metal roofing as something they do. The same people that install them in the first place generally know how to fix them as well.

As a self-described non-handy person, don't try to go up and have a look. If you can look at the suspect area of roof from the ground (perhaps with binoculars, or a long lens on a camera, and then you could post that image here) you might or might not be able to spot something, but in general unless there's something missing (such as a section of the peak flashing) your roofer will go have a look closer to detect the problem area.

The leak outside is often not where the leak inside is - it's usually somewhat (or quite along way) further up the slope of the roof.

AFTER the leaky roof is fixed you (if you care to tackle an easy start to "handy") or a drywall/plaster repair person would need to fix the ceilings, and then they will need to be painted. Often you can find one company that does both painting and plastering, but some specialize.

Be sure the roof leak is truly fixed, first.


Congratulations on becoming a home owner.  You will soon learn to use lots of tools if you plan to do any DIY projects around the house.
Most locksets only require a #2 Phillips screwdriver. You should not need any special or expensive tools. Just read the directions and follow them. Changing locks is very simple, usually just two screws that hold the inner and outer knobs together and two screws that hold the striker cylinder to the side of the door. You may also have to replace the striker plates on the door frame, but that is also easy and has only two screws.  All the screws should use the same phillips screwdriver.  Good luck.


WD-40 is a penetrating oil and corrosion preventative. As a lubricant, it is quite short term as it tends to evaporate.

And the lubrication type for an electric motor depends on the type of bearing.

Ball bearings require grease. Flush the bearing with solvent to clean out the old gunk and pack with a light bearing grease.

Oilite style sleeve bearings require oil with a viscosity in the SAE 10 to SAE 30 weight range. You can find what you need as Sewing Machine Oil or Supco Turbine Oil.

And if it's a regular muffin fan motor, I'd just replace it with a quality ball bearing fan. They come in common sizes and thicknesses. They often used plastic sleeve bearings and once the bearings have started to howl, the holes in them have gone oval shaped and it's an exercise in futility to make it go away by oiling.


1:   Are 2 bolts enough for securing a toilet or should all 4 bolts
  be used when available?

I have not seen toilets with 4 bolts - only 2 bolts. 2 should be fine if the toilet is installed correctly. Level with the floor and attached to the flange spud. You should have a wax ring (although you might have a wax ring and a spacer - check for exactly what you have - you might take some pictures and post.

  2:  Is shimming a robust way of securing toilets and avoiding
  rocking, or is there a better way?

The real issue here is why do you need to shim the toilet in the first place. How much rocking do you have ?... Does your toilet flange have a spacer attached to it ? If so remove the spacer.

Did you remove the old wax ring before installing a new one ?

How does your floor level sit - did someone change out the flooring and not set it correctly or install it with out leveling with the toilet flange. I have seen ceramic tile that had mastic 2 inches thick in order to have the floor height match the toilet drain spud.

You can use wooden shims or better yet the plastic ones - but first make sure you really need the shims. I re-did my bathroom with new ceramic tile - when I installed the tile I made sure the toilet level would be fine with the tile - some people don't think this far ahead.

  3:  Is any distance between the water tank and the wall behind the
  toilet a problem that needs bracing?

There should not be if the toilet is assembled correctly - again the key is correctly assembling the toilet. The Tank has 2 bolts and a rubber seal - install the seal correctly and make sure it is seated properly - wiggle the tank a bit to make sure it seats - tighten your tank screws (be careful as you can break the tank) a slight rock is not an issue - and it will move slightly.

Some videos that might be helpful to you ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_hVZ3rPzm4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM-6bgV7G5s


You are doing a great job!
With the system clean and open no bad bugs can grow.
Second, with the system turned off, if there is a leak, there will be much less pressure on the lines.
Last some might say that on a motor not regularly run, there will be no oil, so when it starts there will be massive metal on metal contact. Well not with hermetic compressors, like those in fridges.  In those, all the oil settles back in the compressor!
Standing a fridge up for 24 hours is required by some manufacturers to make sure the oil has time to make it back to the compressor.
You are doing everything right for a long life of your new fridge.


Does varnishing floors create a fire hazard?

Depends a lot on the specifics of the finish, but the most common finish, water-based polyurethane, does not create a fire hazard. Neither do other finishes, but some of them are mixed with solvents that make them easier to apply, which can be highly flammable. These solvents evaporate out, and won't be a fire hazard for long, but will be while applying. So when applying such finishes, you need to be careful with heat sources in the area, and especially make sure you dispose of the rags you use to wipe off things like shellac or tung oil quickly and safely.


What maintenance is needed for subway tiles?

The best is to seal your grout.  What some do not realize is that the grout needs to be sealed every 3 years.  Especially if it is a heavily cleaned area or use.


Remove ceiling fan/light combination replacing with a light and remove 1 of 2 switches that controlled the ceiling fan

It looks like you have a pretty "normal" setup:

Black (hot) & white (neutral) come in from the panel.
Black (switched hot), red (switched hot) and white (neutral) go from the box to the fan/light.

What you should find, but is not 100% clear from the picture, is a wire nut connecting three black wires - incoming from the panel, light switch, fan switch. Assuming you can find that connection (because if you can't then we need to figure out what is going on before doing anything else):
In the switch box

Remove the pigtail that used to go to the fan switch.
Cap the other black wire from the fan switch - you won't be using it.
Use the existing light switch (unless you want to switch a Decora style or a smart switch) - no change needed to that switch in the box.

In the ceiling box

Cap the incoming black wire - this was for the fan and you won't be using it.
Connect the red wire to the new light's hot (typically black) wire.
Connect the white wire to the new light's white (neutral) wire.
Connect all grounds together. New light ground may be green or bare.


How to fix leak in ABS pipe going into cement

The correct way to fix this is to cut some of the pipe out coming from the Y, and replace it with glued-in fixtures.  I don't think silicone would hold and it is certainly not up to code -- epoxy I would have no problem with myself but is also probably not code.  Sand the plastic and make sure it is really clean if you go this route!

If you are inclined to re-glue, you can cut a section out of the pipe -- one cut right at the Y's hub, and another about a foot away.  Then you need to remove the 3/4" that is in the hub, being careful not to damage the hub itself.  This is a huge pain as you can imagine, and I usually use a rotary tool with an aggressive grinding bit to simply carve it out.

Your third option is to replace the Y which might not be as hard as you imagine, depending on the access you have -- just chisel out the concrete surrounding it enough to get a coupling on the pipe.


How does an illuminated switch light up without a neutral

They DO pass current through the switch and light at all times - just a few mA. The indicator is wired in parallel to the switch contacts.   For most types of bulbs its not enough for the light to turn on.

However with modern LED light bulbs these types of switches (as well as dimmers, and home automation switches) that dont use the neutral can cause the LED bulb to turn on enough to be noticable or flicker.


How do you replace existing wires behind walls

This sounds like an exercise in frustration. Even if you do manage to bond the wires together strongly enough, you will surely damage them by pulling them through staples or around corners. I have frequently seen damaged cables from being pulled through tight spaces. If you damage the outer sheath of a coax cable you will lose a lot of signal strength, and if you damage one of the wires in CAT cabling you will not get any signal at all (or it will drop down to 2 pairs instead of 4).

If you are really insistent on trying to pull the cables through without opening up the wall (which is probably what you'll have to do in the end), try this: get some tough wire pulling twine and tie that to the end of your old cabling. Then when you're pulling the old cable out you will pull the twine along to replace it. This will give you an opportunity to inspect the old wiring: if you damaged it pulling it out, you will surely damage the new ones going in. If you were able to get the old wiring out successfully, it will probably be easier to pull the new ones through with the twine since there will be less resistance. However I still think this is going to be very annoying and you'll never know the condition of the cables.


Yes, wire connectors, or multiple wires per screw terminal, are common for telephone connections.  It's unlikely the wiring you have will cause problems for your xDSL signal.  I wouldn't suggest re-configuring it until you try to activate your service and determine if you get satisfactory speed.  That way, you have a baseline reference before adding any jacks for your basement.
If the cable is CAT5e and connectors are RJ45, you could even use those for hard-wired Ethernet with the appropriate connectors.  In a larger home, that can be an advantage for multiple wireless access points, hard-wiring media streaming devices & game systems, etc.
For the above reason, you might think about re-terminating the cables with RJ45 connectors if you ever decide to put an Ethernet switch where the cables are simply wire-nutted together today.  You can wire up a small RJ45 patch panel as an ad-hoc splitter for continued telephone use (if anyone ever uses those again) or there are RJ45 splitters.


There's no reason for a washing machine to use that much electricity unless it's heating the water.

If it's heating the water, it's using a resistive element.  With those, if voltage changes a certain percentage, power drawn changes by the square of that percentage.  So looking at the specs, it is 2000W at 220V and 2400W at 240V.  The new voltage is 109% of the old, square that and you get 119%.  The new wattage is 120% of the old.  Close enough: it is behaving like a resistive element.

2400 watts at 240V, that is 10 amps, which is obviously under 13 amps by a margin.  You should be fine.


Duplicate/extend outdoor GFCI outlet with above ground PVC conduit?

The first problem can be dealt with using a Bell 5403 or equivalent weatherproof extension box to provide a place to hook the conduit to and some extra cubic inches for the additional wire fill.  You'll need to hook a ground pigtail to it, by the way -- there do not seem to be non-metallic weatherproof extension boxes.

Since you are running conduit under the deck -- you can run individual THWN wires inside it instead of a UF cable (although running UF aboveground is permitted when protected from physical damage and direct sunlight if it isn't IDed as sunlight resistant), and running THWN will make it easier to pull even with an oversized conduit -- 3/4" inch will provide ample space for a single circuit extension like yours.  Don't forget to put in expansion fittings, lest your conduit run do the snake on you!

Last but not least -- simply use an ordinary outlet for the new outlet, and run it from the LOAD terminals on the existing GFCI.  (Although putting two GFCIs in series won't break anything, it could confuse you as there is no guarantee as to which one will trip when something happens.)


Is there mold in my apartment bathroom? What is causing the unpleasant smell there?

There may be several possible sources of the smell.  First let's address the mold issue.  Generally mold thrives in moist environments.  What is the climate where you are at.  You may need to run a fan to air out that bathroom for a bit.
Second, sewer and toilet area issues can contribute odors as well.  For example, a shower which isn't used may have a trap which has become dry.  Sometimes one will hear water running, having higher frequency splashing noise than water in pipes.  That may happen with a trap, usually a kind of S curve which blocks gasses from entering the house, from the sewer.  That could be a shower or tub, but it could also be a sink.  Run some water down every drain, and see if the odor diminishes.
Third, there can be secondary effects.  For example, the bottom of the toilet usually has a wax ring.  If someone poured hot water down the toilet, it could soften that ring and cause a leak just large enough for sewer gasses. Also, if the toilet were loose in it's setting, that could also permit the development of a crack in the wax ring.
Like toilets, sink drains can also get small leaks, which will permit gas to flow but may not leak visible water.
For a path forward, I would first dry out the bathroom.  I would get rid of any visible mold, whether black or light tan.  Consider a bathroom cleaning product with a mildewcide  in it. The major brands have products like this and you can always call their consumer help line for recommendations.  Run the fan to get the room dry, and to reduce the odor.  Opening windows may help.
Then run some water into every trap (drain).  And then wait and sniff.  See if you can identify where and when the odors appear.
Also, is there an apartment above you?  If the wall which is on the outside has outlets, do you smell the odor near the outlets?
Lastly, there could be a defect in the plumbing in the wall, or even leaking from another apartment adjacent or above you.


Is marijuana smoke worse for your house than tobacco smoke?

I think you need to deal with weed the same as you would tobacco.  The smell is just as bad as tobacco.  It FOR SURE permeates drywall.  I have had to rip out drywall from a few pot houses.  I think some things you need to think about are:

that most tobacco smokers try to air out their house.  They may smoke more in volume but generally they smoke out windows or open windows/doors after smoking.
weed smokers may let the smoke sit in the room or create a hot room.  It wouldn't take a great deal of time before a house was smell infested.
also weed smokers may grow their own.  The marijuana plant stinks and can stink up a house in a few batches of 5 plants.

Really there is a great range of possibilities with both set of smokers.  I have rentals and I personally would be more worried about weed.  I think it is because the amount of smell damage you can do to a house with weed in short amount of time.  I have had rentals before that I had smoke cost fears and talked to the renters way before it became permanent.  I would feel I would need to check in to a house smoking weed every few weeks.  It is just more of a communal drug and people often prefer holding the smoke inside.


What would cause my shower water to start hot and then, after a minute, settle on warm water?

You have a regulator in the faucet or shower head that keeps the water below scalding for safety purposes. You can adjust it by either removing the faucet knob adjusting the safety feature or removing the shower head and adjusting it's safety feature.


I have loose screws - how can I tell a drywall screw apart from a wood screw?

Drywall screws have a “bugle head”.

Flat head wood screws have a “tapered head”.

This may help:
https://www.boltdepot.com/fastener-information/type-chart.aspx


Meaning of the applicance wattage range 2000-2400W that is written on a tally

Does the nameplate also state a voltage tolerance range, such as 230-240V? Because that would make a difference in the wattage. In a load that is a fixed resistance, Power (watts) varies at the square of the voltage change. So if the kettle is rated for 2000W at 230V, but you apply 240V, the new voltage is 240/220 = 109%, so it will consume 1.09sq. the amount of power, so roughly 120% power, i.e. 2400W.


If you cut an access hole from the garage to the house attic, remember there must be 1/2” gypsum board on the garage side of the access hatch to meet code.
If you put a small door in the wall, make sure it’s at least 1 3/8” thick, solid core and latches to meet code.


Move or remove a downspout inside brick wall

I suppose you'd call a plumber. You must determine if this is connected to the sanitary sewer. Also this opening should be capped with a proper cleanout fitting with a cap that would prevent sewage from pouring out, but would be removable for inspection or clearing a blockage. The plumber could run a camera down this and see where it goes.

AFIK rain water is not supposed to be directed into the sanitary sewer. Does DC allow this? It may be they accept it under grandfathering . . . or not.


You cannot screw into a sheet metal very effectively. It would be far better to use a small bolt with a nut on the back. Alternatively a rivet could be used.

Tape or adhesive is normally how placards are attached to filing cabinets.

A simple approach is to use rubber cement. Rubber cement will securely attach the plastic and comes off easily if you need to remove it.


Is there any benefit to using vented aluminum soffit over solid wood soffit?

There would be no benefit other than aesthetic if you are matching the design of another part of your house. The common strategy is to cut out a strip of the plywood soffit before installing the vented aluminum soffit. This would allow you to use the airflow in your attic ventilation.


Did I make a mistake with this fluorescent light installation?

You shouldn't have any issue. Alot of ballasts are rated 120v/240v. A regular wall outlet is usually 15a 120v. Which you should be fine. Is this a t8 t5 or t12 fluorescent light fixture. I mean it is possible that you have a bad ballast that is only providing the proper power to the socket for only the bulb that lit. Try taking the bulb that is lit out of that side and switch it to the side that isn't lit. That should give you a rough idea that something is wrong. Check the connections at the socket of the side that isn't lit make sure the wires are actually in the socket. But again test the other side with the good bulb. sounds like a bad ballast in my opinion. But again no...plugging it in shouldn't have hurt anything. Getting power that way isn't really any different than hard wiring it.


Do I need rebar and footing for a 1'4" tall 4" thick concrete wall?

If this is a kids sandbox I'm assuming they'll likely outgrow it at some point. When the time comes to remove it you won't want rebar in there. If it doesn't serve any other purpose than a border for the sandbox then I'd skip the rebar.


Backer board bowing on 24" inch steel studs for rock ledger panel installation

This question is either subjective (based on opinion and personal standards of quality) or is a warranty issue. In either case it's probably off-topic. That said, here are my thoughts.

Yes, adhering the cementboard sheet to the drywall will add stiffness--probably enough to result in a satisfactory substrate, especially when considering the large size of your stones. However, it may not meet warranty requirements for either the cementboard or the stone.

All that said, tt would probably be trivial to cut out the majority of the drywall at convenient lines and replace it with half inch plywood. Glue your cementboard to that and be sure you won't have problems.


The good thing is - the nice man from Scottish Gas fixed it for me. Diagnosis took about 20 seconds - he knew before he had the cover off.

He couldn't hear the impeller fan running. Turns out the motor was over 16 years old and had just died. Because it wasn't drawing any air, the pressure sensor kept the ignition circuit off and the gas valve closed as a safety measure.

One swift replacement later (he had one in the van) and it worked straight away.


Carbon Monoxide
While anything is possible, and I have heard of people claiming to be sensitive to natural gas itself, what typically causes problems are the products of combustion of natural gas. That matches with "the exhaust came on". So the rest of this answer is based on the problem NOT being a natural gas leak (which would be often under control or at least supervision of the local natural gas utility) but rather a carbon monoxide or other combustion problem.
When a natural gas appliance (furnace, cooktop, water heater, generator, etc.) is running, the primary combustion products are water and carbon dioxide. However, if natural gas (or other carbon fuels) does not burn properly, due to insufficient oxygen or equipment malfunction, carbon monoxide (CO) can be produced. Carbon dioxide is harmless in small amounts but in large amounts can cause problems. Carbon monoxide is harmful even at low levels and can be fatal. CO is odorless and colorless and symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to the flu and often, tragically, not spotted in time. (And recently used as a way to nearly kill the main characters in a science fiction novel, https://www.amazon.com/Delta-v-Daniel-Suarez/dp/1524742414 , but I digress...)
The detection and resolution of a carbon monoxide problem, unlike a natural gas leak, is typically the responsibility of the homeowner and not the utility. Which means calling in a qualified HVAC technician to check the equipment and repair, replace or redesign portions of it as needed. The most important thing is to make sure that under normal operation, there is no significant amount of carbon monoxide either inside (e.g., near the furnace) or outside (the exhaust pipes). Assuming that is resolved, then there are two additional things to do:

Consider extending/redirecting the exhaust pipe for carbon dioxide. It is possible that if you are outside near the exhaust and it is running properly that the carbon dioxide could affect you. It shouldn't be a big problem, but if you have ruled out carbon monoxide then that is a possibility and the exhaust should be directed farther away. Typically it will be directed up as well - e.g., through the roof, though that may not always be an option.

Add carbon monoxide detectors. You should have one one on each level, and one not too far from any natural gas appliances. This is important because a combination of incomplete combustion combined with a cracked heat exchanger could result in carbon monoxide inside your house.


Trying to identify neutral wire in switch box to use with Wemo Light switch (more than one neutral wire seems to be present)

I see 2 separate circuits in there.  They all share grounds E, which is fine.

One is the three Romex's left of the "A".  They appear to be mostly "always-hot" except for a switched (receptacle?) on the red wire on the leftmost switch. They use nuts B and C.

The other is the stuff on the right, partly obscured, and using nuts A and D.  It looks like a power supply comes in the /2 cable, and a probably-light is connected to the /3 cable.  Currently it's wired so the black is always-hot and the red is switched-hot.

Both sides are doing basically the same thing, delivering always-hot-black and switched-hot red to the /3.   They are clearly demarced, except for nut D being in an odd position due to box cram.

Whichever circuit you are using the hots from, use the neutrals from that same circuit.   Do not grab the wrong neutral, neutrals must be paired with their hots.  Otherwise if/when you ever upgrade to GFCI/AFCI, you'll have serious problems!


I would use sand and experiment with different size openings under different thicknesses of the sand. If you fill a small container with a couple inches of sand and then open a hole on the bottom of the container it should simulate a sink hole.

Start with a funnel full of sand and see if it flows good when you take your finger off the end of it. Maybe try salt or sugar for their flow characteristics.

Good luck with your project!


Can a built-in dishwasher be plugged into a receptacle?

It can definitely be plugged into a receptacle.  Some new dish washers come with the cord already attached and some give you directions.  Almost all require a GFCI outlet and you need to read what size circuit you need.

My experience in the past 3-4 years.  Installed 6 dishwashers.  1 had cord already on it - which is kind of a pain because often there is no outlet.  The other 5 all had instructions that said it allowed for wiring to be turned into cord.  1 we did that because it made sense - used outlet behind fridge (not the same outlet as fridge).  Just look up manufacturer's instructions online if you have any questions but the short answer is YES.


How can I remove stinky radiator water from a rug?

Replacement makes the most sense here. You can fuss with steam-cleaning it, but you may not get all the smell out and the cost may exceed the cost of a new rug, per comments above. Toss it, clean the floor well, and replace if desired.


Do I need to add grounding and replace breakers at my sub-panel?

If your 15A & 20A circuits are 120V, you are not fully loaded on a 30A 240V feed IF they are on "opposite legs" - USA/Canada power is 120/240V and a 30A 240V feed can run 60A of 120V circuits fully loaded without tripping. Half the 120V circuits are on one hot "leg" and the other half are on the other hot "leg" and there is 240V between the "hots" of opposite legs, and 120V between the hots and Neutral. When oposite legs are loaded at the same time, neutral carries only the difference between them, not the sum - so it all stays below 30A in the wires.
But the broader concept there is that it's perfectly fine (and normal) to have breakers that add up to more than the feed amperage - of course, you'll trip the feed breaker if you use too many things at the same time, but that's also why it's OK - the main feed breaker will protect the wire. You may well have a 15A breaker on a lighting circuit that never draws more than 5A, (or 1A in a 10x12 shed with LED or florescent), for instance.
You should indeed have not one, but two grounding rods at the shed, 8 feet or more apart. The reason for two is that one grounding rod is acceptable if you do a test that costs more than a second grounding rod and 8 more feet of wire, but with the second rod you don't need the test.
There are some probable code issues with the power feed itself.
10/3 cable with 4 wires is not cordage (which for the same 4 wires would be marked 10/4) - it's wire that's intended to be installed and left in a protected situation, not moving.
If that cable is lying on the ground, it would need to move either underground into a conduit (where, in fact, you would not want cable, you'd want wires - cable is VERY hard to pull into conduit) or lashed onto a suspension cable overhead, out of reach. The cable or wires used must also be "suitable for wet locations."
For a "tiny house" on wheels that might move, you might want a flexible, tough cord that can be left on the ground - "cordage" - but that's really not appropriate for a shed that stays in one spot in the yard, and in most cases even with a "tiny house on wheels" or RV it's preferable from a damage point of view to run conduit out to a pedestal where a short cord can connect to the thing that may move.


Is it normal for coax cable to carry this much voltage?

Likely source of the problem is a bad cable box.  Transient voltages or surges from indirect lightning can damage electronics.

You could test the coax shield to neutral or metal pipe that is properly bonded and see what the voltage reads. Disconnect everything from the box as to isolate the box.

I troubleshot one the other day that had 50v on an isolated shield.

Further advice: make sure your home is properly grounded to earth w/ ground rods and/or water pipe per NEC Code.


If you can use metal boxes, there is an option that is exactly 2" deep.

They went and verbed the word gang, so you're search term is "Gangable Metal Box".  They are sold at most electrical supply places including many Home Depot stores.  They have various models with different types of wings for mounting.

At the bottom of the box in the picture, you can see a small screw.  Removing the screw allows you to take of the side wall and link it up to another box.  You could make a 12-gang box if you wanted to...

Gangable Box

Because it's a metal box, pay attention to grounding.  I believe the box must be grounded, so use grounding screws (there's a hole in the back for one) or ground your switch/outlet and use the type that have the self-grounding straps to ground the box.


Is this an emergency tool ie; seatbelt cutter/ glass breaker

That is not a glass break tool. It's a chip inserter.

You put the microchip in the U shaped slot at the bottom, then use the plunger at the top to push the chip in to the circuit board or holder.


How to attach cedar boards to a removable fence frame?

I'd face-nail with a brad gun. 3-4 nails. Fast, easy, and likely stronger than the rear-facing screws.

As a PS note that you will likely want to have diagonal brace on that frame to prevent racking as you remove the gate from the hinges.


How Do I Wire My Nest Hello Doorbell With A Plug In Transformer?

Make sure your new transformer has enough power for both your chime and the hello. I would not continue to use the old transformer. I would disconnect the power to the old transformer and rely on the power of the new transformer to operate both the old chime and the hello.

It looks like your old transformer is connected at the "0" and "3" terminals. Remove those and cap them off. Connect your new plug in transformer there.


Can I stick a tarpaulin using a nylon Velcro(Hook and Loop) in my wooden roof?

Four questions, but the one that's most important is the last one. The rest of the questions do not matter if the answer to the last is negative.

Hook and loop fasteners have the greatest strength in shear, forces applied in a sliding-across manner. If you had need to hang the tarp vertically on a wall and all the other aspects were solved, the fasteners might work if sufficient numbers/length/area were used.

Hook and loop fasteners are removed by applying force in tension, the stretching-away action of peeling them apart. In the case of a tarp on a roof, any appreciable wind is likely to get under the edge of the tarp and peel the fastener free. When the peeling begins, additional area is exposed to the wind, accelerating the action, allowing more peeling at a faster rate.

Using stitching to attach the fasteners is mechanically sound, but the thread used to perform the stitching is to be considered when calculating exposure life. One can have fasteners that will last for a year in the sun, but the thread can fail if it is not sun-fast.

If you are able to secure the hook and loop fastener to the very edge of the tarp, it would likely mitigate much of the peeling, as there would be a smaller area on which the wind would be acting. It would require that the entire perimeter be "enclosed" in the fastener material, or some other means of sealing out wind forces be employed.


Why are two columns holding up this support beam?

From the information you've provided, it seems as though the post is likely not needed.  However, none of us have been to your house, seen the plans, nor talked to the builder or engineer.  So we cannot say for sure, what the purpose of the post is.

I've seen temporary braces, and even tools left behind on builds. So it's definitely possible that it's no longer needed. But when it comes to the structural support of your home, you're going to want to be sure.

Contact Ryan Homes, and ask them about it. If they can't answer, find the original building plans (sometimes given to the original owner, otherwise should be on file at city/town hall). If you're still not sure, contact a structural engineer to have a look.

Don't remove the post until you're sure it's not needed.


What should I look for in a diamond blade?

IMHO the main one that matters is "dry .vs. wet or wet/dry" - since you are using it in a normal saw which is not set up for coolant, you'll need a dry or wet/dry type blade. While I have known people dumb enough to try to rig up a water drip on a saw not designed for it, I definitely consider it a dumb move, as water gets into all sorts of things that are not designed to keep it out.

After that it's just shopping (i.e. pick a brand you trust, or the cheapest one you can find, depending on your personal preferences.) Shopping falls outside the scope of this site.

You might want to consider renting a wet saw, since using a dry blade in a saw is arguably somewhat abusive to the saw from dust being pulled in by the motor cooling fan. You will need to wear a dust mask, a well. A wet-type saw is going to greatly reduce the airborne dust, but they are generally too expensive to purchase for a non-pro - however, they can usually be rented.


Are these screws adequate for securing a 304 stainless steel shelf bracket?

Typically, 1-1/2" (about 40mm) is plenty in a wooden stud (properly piloted). It's rare that I'd go much deeper since you increase the risk of damaging electrical cables, which are centered at about 1-3/4" (45mm). Keep in mind that the holes punched in such brackets give you a clue as to their intended load range. If they were super heavy duty brackets they'd have larger fastener holes.

Three such fasteners will hold a heck of a lot of weight. (For extreme loads, the long side goes on the wall.) Penetrating deeper may increase pullout strength, but if you're loading the shelves that heavily, pullout isn't your primary concern. Crushed plaster and fastener bending will occur first.

I don't know what you'd use into the shelf since I don't know what your shelves are.


I've heard some places are requiring fan-capable wiring to all ceiling boxes.  IDK if your code states the motivation but maybe that's the motivation.   The third wire allows future installation of a ceiling fan. If that is what your code requires you to install, you don't need a diagram. Just daisy chain the two lights from the switch in the normal way with 2+ground wires.  In the switch, and in the light at the end of the chain you cap off the third wire.  In the middle (first light) connect the third wires together.  That way you can later install a fan at the second box without opening the first box.  You probably don't HAVE to do it this way, you can just cap off the third wire everywhere ... but why not go with the spirit of the code?


How to fix paint after patching holes in the wall?

First off, you need to get those patches even with the rest of the wall and that's hard to do if you rely on sanding them down. get a mud knife larger that the patch so you can even them out with one swipe. As far as the orange peel effect, I've had great luck running a small nap roller lightly over the mud after it's had a short time to stiffen up. Then roller prime and roller paint. Good luck


My house had the white ( fiberglas ) blown in 20 years ago.  It was a nasty job with full coveralls ,mask, headcover and a trailer mounted blower unit. How would you do it ?  I had covered some soffits with pieces foam board an supposedly the operator tried not to cover the rest.


Should I keep downspout extenders installed during the winter?

Proper drainage depends on a constant gradient. These flexible pipes don't provide that.

Those concentric corrugations and the flexibility that allows them to follow ground contour with a portion of the length dropping into a depression or having to go over an obstruction leaves a pool of water that freezes.

Elbows and rigid downspout stock to get the roof runoff out away from the foundation works best. There are fold-up metal/vinyl 48/60" extenders available that allow for flowerbed maintenance.

If you have a lot of winter precipitation as rain, or a lot of melt-water, you need to get the runoff out and away from the house foundation, which is the purpose of a proper downspout system. Thus, extending the outflow of the downspouts is needed year around to prevent this.


Can a Dishwasher be installed underneath a Fuse Box?

Nope, and that cabinet needs to go too

Whoever installed that fuse box was completely ignorant of NEC 110.26's clear working space rules.  In short, there's a 2.5' wide by 3' deep by 6.5' high box, directly in front of the electrical equipment (fuse box in your case), that must be kept clear to allow service access to it -- no appliances, no cabinets, no shelving units, no garbage cans, no boxes, no dollhouses, nothing.


You can leave a gap of a about 3-4 inches (70-100 mm).

Fill the gap with gravel - you can go from coarse to fine as you go. This will ensure that there is a route for any water to drain away. If there is a lot of water you may want to go as far as installing a French Drain which has a pipe for removing the water rather than relying on percolation.

Another route is to make sure that there is a slight slope away from the wall.


How to insulate around kitchen cabinet cut outs for outlet and propane line access?

The ideal installation would have ducting below the cabinet base to bring the forced air out the front rather than pressurizing the entire space below the cabinet base. I expect very few contractors actually do this. You wouldn't have noticed the leakage going up around into and through the adjacent cabinets; these cutouts only highlight the problem. Depending upon your position as far as contract, warranty, or other leverage you may have with the builder, you might or might not be able to get them to correct this. It would be intensive work, though -- requiring some demolition of the floor of the one cabinet, or else disassembly of the countertop to allow removal of the cabinet unit.

The most realistic/likely resolution is that you make the best of the situation on your own with minimally invasive work. The simplest methods won't look like high-class craftsmanship -- fortunately it's hidden in a cabinet.

You could seal around the outlet by pressing in some foam -- backer rod, for example. Or inject spray foam (I'd suggest the low-expansion door and window type here). The vertical cut-out for the gas pipe could be sealed to the wall in the same way.

The hole through the floor is more tricky. An escutcheon from the plumbing department can help dress up the area immediately around the pipe but it won't be large enough to cover the entire area. It may be easiest to fashion a piece of sheet metal into a two-part cover to fit around the pipe. Small pieces of sheet metal can be found in a home center as duct work in the HVAC aisle or mending/splicing plates in the hardware/building department.


Trying to relocate a drain- I need to deviate like 27 degrees from the original direction of the drain. What are my options?

I would use a 22-1/2 degree elbow and flex the pipe if they won’t do it because of the short space a fernco or no hub in the middle will give a couple degrees they are not designed to be flexed but a slight couple of degrees will work if you can’t make a small bend with heat a hair dryer may be enough with abs to get the extra bend if you don’t want to use a fernco. I would never use the corrugated flex pipe and especially not under a slab. But the elbow and a bit of bend in the pipe should do it.


Should smoke detectors be on AFCI/GFCI breakers?

AFCI is required, but not GFCI, modulo local amendments
Assuming that your jurisdiction doesn't amend this, the requirements for smoke detectors/alarms in bedrooms (NFPA 72, NFPA 101, IRC/IBC) overlap with the AFCI requirement for bedroom outlets (both receptacles and lighting outlets) to force the smoke alarms onto an AFCI protected circuit under all recent NEC editions.
There are two ways I've seen to deal with this: either you can put in a residential alarm system with system smoke/CO detectors (and get the brains of a burglar alarm from the deal), which means you get to take advantage of the 760.41(B) requirement that fire alarm panels not be on AFCI or GFCI, or you put the smokes on the same circuit as frequently used lighting loads, so that breaker trips are troubleshot promptly.
As an aside, NFPA 72 29.9.4 point 5 requires smoke alarms that are AFCI or GFCI protected to have battery backup power.  If the 7 days of standby + 4 minutes of alarm backup power requirement given for dual-powered smoke alarms is insufficient, such as if you're dealing with a "snowbird" situation in Florida, then it's best to go to an alarm panel.  (You'd probably want the alarm panel anyway, as local smoke alarms are going to do you no good when it's July and the house is vacant and neighborless to begin with!)


Replacing an old 4 way toggle by leviton 4 way switch

Unlike most people, you correctly understood the importance of the black and brass screws with 4-way switches.   You also correctly understood that you can swap travelers.

But just to confirm, make sure the 2 wires on the brass screws go into one cable or conduit, and the 2 wires on the black screws go into a different cable or conduit.

So I assume your problem is that the switch is "up" when it used to be "down". There are two ways to solve that.

Physically flip the switch over when installing it... OR
Pick one side (e.g. brass) and exchange the two travelers.


Alternatives to extension cord over the grass to light a Christmas tree

This is what we sell quite a bit of, more at this time of year than other times.

Some people call them rocket post, or landscape post.

This is the post...

This gives you an idea of what you can add to it...

Click here to get the color flyer

Basically if you have a receptacle outside in a convenient location you can remove the weather proof cover and put this on...

...run conduit from one of the 1/2 or 3/4 threaded hubs (your choice when you buy) and run PVC to the post.  At the post end you just end the PVC run with an elbow to come through the ground.  You keep the top of the post blanked off or put almost any landscape light you want on top of it.  It has a 1 gang opening one 2 sides and you can put in a low voltage divider.  That way if you put the post in a place that you want a TV, Telephone, computer, speakers...you can use the post with a separate PVC.

Remember you will have a local code to follow and turn off all power when working on it.  Our local code says Schedule 80 PVC or ridged galvanized conduit wrapped in 50 mil tape that breaks the ground, 18 inches deep, GFCI circuit and these are just what I'm highlighting.  Depending on code you can use UF underground feeder (like 12/2 W/GRD UF)

Good Luck!


Does an Electrical Metallic Tube (EMT) Inside Corner Pull Elbow count towards the 360° total bends?

That's a pull point, albeit a possibly miserable one in practice. The latter bit being "informed opinion" as a frequent user of conduit.
As such, it "resets" your 360° (practically speaking, try to stay at 270 or less when possible - it meets code and there's less swearing involved.)


There doesn't appear to be a grounded (neutral) conductor in the box.   Looks like it's a simple switch loop, that somebody tried installing a combination receptacle on. It looks like the black wire is an ungrounded (hot) conductor, and the white wire is a switched ungrounded (hot) conductor.

There's no way to add a receptacle here, unless you pull a grounded (neutral) conductor to the box.

The top black screw on the device (middle of side one), is the ungrounded (hot) conductor going to the switch.  This screw is connected to the bottom black terminal via the copper tab, which provides power to the receptacle. The top black screw is also connected to the upper brass screw through the switch. When the switch is closed, electricity can flow "in through the black screw and "out" through the upper brass screw.  This supplies switched power to the light fixture.

The middle screw on the other side of the device, appears to be a grounding screw.  The lower screw is where the grounded (neutral) conductor should be attached.  This provides the grounded (neutral) connection, which is required to make the receptacle function properly.


That's a stone/tile/masonry cutting blade with a diamond 'turbo' rim.

It will work for Hardie Backer board or similar fiber-cement products but it'll make a lot of dust, and would almost certainly be awful at cutting any sort of wood or wood paneling - more likely to burn through than cut it.
Some other rim types for diamond blades are:
Continuous
Segmented
Segmented Turbo


What to use to fill a small HOLE in my concrete patio

I would get a holder designed to be held in with concrete, fill the hole and put the holder in this will secure the holder and hide the hole.


How do I adjust a Delta bathroom faucet that has a scald guard?

This is a feature of the faucet called "scald guard" that you can set to prevent overly hot water from burning people. I have a new construction and I found that the default setting was a bit overkill, so I adjusted it.

You only need a small hex key (size?) to adjust the scald guard. Before you begin make sure you close the bathtub drain or put something over the shower drain, the screw is very small!

There's a tiny screw at the bottom of the faucet:

Unscrew this and then remove the handle, you should see the plastic assembly. Take note of the circular piece, you need to slide this off in order to adjust the faucet:

Now you're ready to adjust it. Note the triangular plastic bit that is at the "4 oclock" position. As noted on the plastic part itself, turning it counter clockwise let's the handle turn more towards hot, and clockwise turns it colder. The circle thing is in there with saw teeth, so you just can't turn it, you need to pull it out, turn it, and then push it back in. I moved mine to be closer to the "2 oclock" position:

Now you can slip the circular plastic piece back on, then the handle, and then the small hex screw again to finish it off (basically go in reverse order). Your faucet should now be able to turn to the hotter position.

Adjust to your liking; also be cognizant of safety, the thing is there for a reason, and the plastic bit will prevent you from adjusting it too far towards hot. My personal set up is a little bit hotter for our master shower and bath, but not as much in our guest bathroom since there might be kids, etc.


Replace with Copper and "mixing" with Old Galvanized Pipe health concerns

It's really hard to read your question, but I think you are essentially asking: "Is it okay to replace galvanized pipe and connect it with copper?"

The answer is yes, but there are a couple things to keep in mind:

Copper and galvanized pipe will suffer from galvanic corrosion where they meet unless they are isolated. This requires use of a dielectric union

Galvanized pipe also is generally cited has having a 40 to 50 year lifetime. Generally they will rust from the inside out, restricting the flow in the process.

This restricts the flow, and is often the reason that older homes have such poor water pressure. It would be a shame if you get your new shower installed and then find out the pressure is awful, and it could very well be that it is the galvanized supply lines and not the shower itself.

There is also the possibility that there are metals leeching out into the water supply from this corrosion, but to know if this is happening for sure you'd have to get your water tested.

Once you start seeing corrosion on the outside of the pipes, it's just a matter of time until you have a leak. I've actually hard of some home insurance policies not covering damage from leaking galvanized pipes, so that might be worth checking out.

There's also no reason you have to use copper, pex is a perfectly valid option, and for replacing a long in-wall run it's significantly easier to install than copper (it bends, and comes in spools up to hundreds of feet long).


Help with plumbing a drain for a new shower? (with example picture)

I believe I found the answer to my own question at this link: when to use a wye or sanitary T. It says " When connecting any vertical waste drop to a horizontal run the proper way to do it is to either use a Wye & 1/8 bend (45 deg), or a Sanitary combo. A sanitary combo is a combination Wye & 1/8 bend already made in one fitting."

I believe this also addresses the concerns I had with the venting.


I would get a repair flange (screws to the old one) then fire your plumber because he should know how to install this 10$ repair kit. Added there are compression flanges closer to 40$ that will also work but I would choose the <10$ option.


For receptacles, the screws are not enough.  That is because you plug in loads, and that load could have a rather significant current draw. That is too much for screws.  (and this explains why the screws are enough on switches).

However, there is one thing that is enough.  Notice how any common receptacle has a metal "yoke".  The ends of the yoke may also have removable drywall ears.  Notice also the metal box has metal where the screw goes in.  If all these things are true:

The metal box is flush to the wall, and the surrounding wall surface is not proud of it
The metal parts on both receptacle and box are bare and free of rust, paint or other contaminants
you have removed the little paper/plastic "squares" that capture the receptacle's screws on the yoke

Then the hard-flush mating of those bare metal surfaces is an adequate grounding path for the receptacle, and you don't need a ground jumper.

Remember most recpetacles have one hole tapped #10-32 for a ground screw.  If you need to wire a ground, you can use that hole, use a grounding clip, or drill and tap your own.  If you do, it must be -32 thread of finer; random sheet-metal screws are Right Out.  10-32 is the quasi-standard and cute green 10-32 screws are readily available at any building supply, with or without preattached green pigtails.  I'm not a fan of the "with" because they are solid wire, which makes it the only solid wire in my work.


How do I disconnect (and reconnect) the tubing from this fitting?

Just to add some visuals to the others' explanations using your photo, you need to (1) push on the collar trying to move it parallel to the tube, and (2) pull the tube.

To reconnect, push the tube into the collar until it stops (should be about 1 inch). Make sure the tube end is square (perpendicular to the tube axis, with no damage); cut a bit of the tube if necessary.


There are different standards to pipes and threads. Your issue is that you are trying to mix two different threaded standards.

The ball valve that you linked to has national pipe threads (NPT). NPT are tapered and it is that taper that makes the seal between a male and female joint. No washers are required.

What is shown in your photo is compression fittings which have a straight or running thread. The seal is made by either a ferrule or a rubber washer.

In your case, the connection between the copper tube and the supply hose has been made as follows:

1/4" Copper Tube > 1/4" Compression by 1/4" Compression Coupling > 1/4" Supply Hose

The seal on the copper tube is made by a ferrule that is located under the nut. As the nut is tightened, the ferrule is compressed between the coupling and the pipe.

The seal on the supply hose side is made by a rubber washer which is usually built-in the the nut of the supply hose. (The compression coupling would have come with two nuts, one of which has been discarded as the supply hose has one built-in.)

So, to answer your question, you simply need a 1/4" compression x 1/4" compression valve that will replace the current coupling. Here is a link to such a valve.


What is the strength of a TV signal at the antenna?

The signal strength at the antenna is measured in dBm, decibel-milliwatts. A 0 dBm signal corresponds to 1 mW, -90dBm is 1picowatt (pW), one billionth the strength of 0 dBm.

Given the power of the transmitter, transmitting antenna gain, distance, receiving antenna gain and a few other parameters, such as obstructions and frequency, it's possible to calculate the approximate power at your receiving antenna. A television may need -65 dBm or stronger signal for clear reception.

An example of signal-strength calculation is shown at Mathworks.

Some stations make public a chart showing the signal strength at various locations on a map. If you can't find one for a local broadcaster, contact the station for info.


Which insulation technique should I use to insulate my subfloor?

On a similar project, I put down 2" (?) foam board insulating panels, then filled the rest of the cavity with Rockwool bats.  Inspector was happy.  Here's what it looked like from the outside, before the wall was finished (opening used to be a doorway)

Edit 1: Added picture of filled joist spaces

No, I filled the entire cavity

EDIT 2

Original plan called for (from the existing slab upwards) crushed stone, 6 mil vapor barrier, 4" concrete slab, up to near the top of the foundation wall.  Then the sill plate with the floor joists on top of that.  Final step was filling the rest of the void with closed cell foam insulation.  We deviated a bit because of the added cost of the stone & concrete.


Attic ventilation - intake:exhaust ratio vs total ventilation area?

For the 50:50 rule, I don't see the ridge vent becoming an intake unless there is another second ridge vent.  So given the choice, I'd ignore the 50:50 rule unless your ridge vent is not at a single height.

That said, in your specific situation, with a strong wind from one side and the soffits closed on that side, I think you're creating a situation where regardless of how big the ridge vent is, you could get a down draft from the upwind ridge vent to the downwind soffits.  But more importantly, by closing some soffits, you are reducing the airflow under part of the roof.  In areas of heavy snow, this airflow is critical to prevent heat from the home from melting snow from the upper part of the roof and having it refreeze on a lower part, forming an ice dam that would backup water into the roof (rot) and possibly into your home (leaks).

Because of the ice dam risk, I think you're better off going with shirlock's earlier suggestion to rely on the Styrofoam tunnels stapled to the rafters and adding some ridge vent filter to any soffits you are worried about.  Then install a ridge vent of the proper size for your roof.


Will my wall stand up to fairly heavy pine planking on the inside?

So, not shiplap. And, oh now you care. Nope, no problem at all, the inside wall's studs will handle it all fine. You'd only have a possible issue if you went outside of the wall studs' plane, like with loaded shelving that pulled laterally on the wall. With fasteners it'll all probably weigh about 413-lbs. It'll be great for decades to come.


How do I connect a lamp wire to an actual circuit?

That's all there really is to it - white to white and black to black. If they are not color coded then the black wire should be connected to the pin at the bottom of the light socket.

This assumes your light is line voltage (120V in North America).  If it is not line voltage then there should be a transformer somewhere in the fixture already.


What is the best way to patch 3" holes in plaster

This question is very similar to this question:

How Do I Fix a Hole In Drywall

There are some good answers posted, so it is worth a read.

To build on those answers for this particular case, I would recommend the medium size hole fix.  The only difference is since the hole is on the small side, trying to screw the new 3" circular piece may crack or break it in half or in pieces, so my recommendation is to glue it to the strapping or backing material using gorilla glue or similar.  Just make sure the new piece doesn't stick out of the existing wall.  If you can make it slightly less than the existing wall, that would be optimal, and then you can just fill in the depression with mud/spackle.

If the plaster is painted, you can use mud to fill in, it doesn't have to be plaster as the paint will cover it over.  If it is unfinished plaster, then fill in with plaster as the finish will be the same.  It looks to be painted, so standard mud/spackle should work out fine.


XPS polystyrene foam board insulation & Spar Urethane

You should check with the manufacturer of the foam board for a definitive answer, but I can't imagine any circumstance where styrofoam would interact badly with a cured finish. (Urethane is pretty inert when dry.)


Replacing Interlocking Ceiling Tiles From The "Wrong" Direction

Checking the Armstrong web site from the link you left they state that these particular tiles should NOT be stapled (for whatever reasons) and the warranty will be voided if done so.
There is also a question asked in their FAQ's asking this same problem :"can tiles be stapled?"  The rep answers with a curt yes and continues to reiterate the warranty void issue. That's all that's said.
I would try to remove the staples from the tiles that border the damaged area. Since that's what is preventing the new ones from being installed. Once the first new tiles are installed the remaining new ones will go in as per manufacturer's instruction.
As for method of securing them; the company states glue (like the Henry's you purchased) or their "ceiling track" (which doesn't work with your existing tiles). The "Accusto-Gum" adhesive is recommended for plaster and drywall surfaces. You may want to consider using an adhesive with more holding power. Any construction adhesive should hold. Staples or Henry's adhesive both are not advised for your repair. The staples have held for how long? Use both for increased holding power.


How can I build a bed frame out of palettes?

Believe it or not, there is an entire Pinterest page dedicated to beds made out of pallets. There are no instructions, but plenty of designs in addition to your IKEA model that you can use for inspiration. Some involve simply stacking the pallets in various configurations, but several of them are quite stylish and it's pretty easy to see how they disassembled some pallets and screwed them back together to make a nice frame.

Have a look!

Pallet Beds


Insects coming from gap under baseboard radiator, seeking solution

I would a silicone caulking to seal the gap. Silicone caulk remains very flexible when it dries and will last for years.


How do I properly mount hardware to a wall covered in AirStone?

You probably need to drill a hole big enough so you can push through a typical wall anchor. Then buy longer bolts the same thread size to attach the holder if the screws that come with the anchors are not long enough.


What is the formula used to determine blower fan size given total air volume and system BTU capacity?

Unless your house is very small or extremely energy efficient I think you should read the book again and recalculate the size of the heat loss and heat gain. The 400 CFM/ton of A/C is accurate enough for me. Sizing a furnace is not rocket science and is not an exact science since there are too many variables. Years ago when I was still doing this work (before retirement) furnaces were sized on their input or output and the size of the drive required. Do not try to be too exact unless you know "exactly" how the house was built and can guarantee that it was built to those specifications. As far as the "proper formula" used I have no idea, it never had to be perfect.


When finishing drywall, is it a common practice not to mud the bottom of horizontally-hung drywall?

Typically, drywall sheets hung horizontally are hung with the upper full sheet first against the ceiling, cut bottom sheet last. This is so you will have an indent at the top to tape and mud. Unless your wall is exactly 8 feet tall, the cut of the bottom sheet is at the floor, thus no indent.  Even if you have an indent at the very bottom against the floor, it is only about 2 inches wide. Common baseboard is 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 inches wide and will bridge this indent and is nailed mid and high.  We have never put mud on the very bottom of a sheet, even it the indent is there. I suppose if your baseboard is very narrow, you may have to ask the mudders to fill that area, but that is very uncommon and would be a special request.


How can I remove dried latex paint from a bathtub and tub drain?

I'd have suggested Goof-off or Oops, which are for latex cleanup. Here's a more robust plan.

  Step 1 Scrape paint off the fiberglass tub carefully with a plastic
  scraper. Clean with Barkeeper's Friend and water. Rinse thoroughly and
  repeat if necessary.

  Step 2 Try Dirtex in a spray can to remove latex
  paint from a fiberglass tub. It's available from ACE hardware stores.

  Step 3 Make a paste of baking soda and water. Rub the paint spot with
  the paste and a damp sponge. Rinse completely.

  Step 4 Rub the spot of paint with a dampened Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

  Step 5 Scrub the paint spot with a non-abrasive powdered cleaner like
  Bon Ami.

  Step 6 Visit a paint company and look for "Oops". It's made to remove
  paint spots.

  https://www.hunker.com/13422095/how-to-remove-paint-from-a-fiberglass-bath-tub

As for the trap, you may want to remove and discard it. parts are cheap. If it's not accessible, try the products mentioned above to dissolve it, or go to more aggressive drain cleaners. Be aware that they will remove chrome from your drain hardware.


Connect separate Heat / AC systems to a Nest E

To make this work you need a common 24VAC source for both units.  Chances are that either of your existing transformers will do the job but check the 24VAC requirements for each and make sure the capacity of the transformer you choose is adequate.  If neither is, get a larger one and use it.
You'll also need a C wire which is the "neutral" side of the transformer, wired to your thermostat.  Both units will need to share the C wire so you may need to do some wiring.
I drew the following sketch which I think should work for you using the connections you said were available on your two units.


Accidentally cut the bottom chord of truss

No contractor needed. Cut a piece of 1/2" plywood 3-1/2" X 12", drill 10 screw holes in it, slather it with glue and screw it on there. Might be overkill, but should do the job.


Vibration dampening solution to stop extractor fan / dishwasher vibration?

Are the feet of the bed on carpet or hardwood?  I am assuming hardwood, but I would start with dampening blocks like DA01 has suggested or something like these Vibration Isolation Pads, they can be cut to fit underneath the bed posts.  Good luck!


Garbage disposal problem -- do i need to replace?

... should I be replacing the entire disposal?

You could try removing the disposer and cleaning up the waste elbow outlet, which looks like it may have been permanently damaged by corrosion. As a note, you can remove the disposer without disturbing the sink flange/basket assembly by tapping the large fastening ring counter-clockwise until it releases.

The waste elbow outlet requires a specific type of gasket particular to that brand of disposer, and the connection is held with a special plate and screw. Confirm that you have these, then reassemble and test to ensure it does not leak. Your only alternative is to replace the entire unit.


Needs to fix this bed, this lock is keep on turning, did not tighten up, can anybody guide me?

Those fasteners are called cam locks or cam bolts. Here are photos of a cam lock nut and a cam lock bolt (or screw, or stud).

Your photo shows quite a large gap, especially at the lower left. Cam lock fasteners are not intended to draw a joint closed; they really should only hold it snug after the pieces have been fully pressed together. Try rotating the nuts to their open position, then press the pieces together to eliminate the gap, and finally rotate the cam to lock things together.
Finding the "open position," meaning that part of the nut where there's open space before the fingers engage, can be a bit of a trick. If you can disassemble the parts then you can look down inside to check its position. Sometimes the lock nut can be wiggled out of the wood and re-inserted at the right angle. If you have help, you may be able to have one person press the pieces together somewhat lightly while the other rotates the lock nut. Once it is into the open position the wood parts should move together.
It is possible that your cam lock nut and/or bolt is broken. Full disassembly is probably required to check for this, and definitely required if repairs are needed.


Is this fix for a cracked whole house fan collar sufficient?

As cheesy as the tape looks, it will do ok, It is made to resist the temperatures that blow through the duct work. At worst it may fatigue over time, but I think it will remain intact. To be certain, later when it is running check it out up in the attic. If the plastic shroud that has the tape on it is jiggling, the tape may fatigue. Aluminum can't take a lot of movement.

The tech is possibly quite right in their remark about the part not being available.

If there about an 1/8" of room between the shroud and the blade, it will do well over time. Should it ever strike it, it will be in the near future, within weeks, if not sooner if it decides to touch again. Then the fix will be a heat gun to get the plastic to stay.

I really think that it will be fine. What I describe would be worst case scenarios


How can I clean a very dirty concrete basement floor?

Is this a finished concrete floor or raw slab? If slab, I'd suggest low-power pressure wash...maybe even start with just the garden-hose attachment. Add a bit of soap.

The real challenge, however, is that you have no drains. I can't think of an easy way to get around that short of power wash a bit, shop vac it up, and then constantly repeat until the shop vac is full, then empty that into a sink and repeat.


Identifying function of electrical fittings

The green box in the far right is known as the "cut out" and is where the power enters the property. It contains the supplier's fuse.  The "tails" (wires) leave the top and enter a "Henley block", which is essentially a big connector block.  From here the power is distributed to your three "consumer units"/fuse boxes.  The two brown ones on the left are likely from the 1970s, and the gray one with an RCD is a later addition that serves one or two circuits.  The cable leaving to bottom of that box is an armoured cable, most probably serving an outside, socket, shed or light.
The brown consumer units do not support RCDs.  Given that these are now mandatory in many situations, the gray box was probably added when someone needed a new circuit which needed an RCD.
If this were replaced and brought up to date all three consumer units and the Henley block would be replaced with a single modern consumer unit with RCD protection.
However, as others have noted the existing cables are in the wall which may limit the.options on where the new consumer unit would be placed.


I think it's going to be tough to find 1000 hinges of any usable quality for a price that you will like. Even if you find hinges for $0.25 each, that's still pretty expensive.

I would look at using a piece of fabric or webbing as the hinge. A couple dozen feet would be good for the whole project. If you glued the webbing tight to the board and tight to the domino in a sharp 90 deg angle, the width of the game piece should keep it from falling away from the webbing and will keep it in a upright position. It should be able to fall towards the webbing with no problem.

I would set up a small test of a dozen pieces though before committing to any method.

You might even want to cheat a little and bevel the bottom of the domino just a touch so that it leans away from the direction it needs to fall. This will help with resetting the game board.


Can I use a perfume sprayer to spray bleach solution?

Bleach will likely make spring rust and it will quickly fail. Even regular sprayers don't last long. However, there are chemically rated spray bottles that will last and stand up to chlorine. That's what I used for just what you are planning, works great!

I got my sprayer at Home Depot. Here is a set on Amazon for reference


There are faucets not part of the desk but mounted directly onto the wall.
Some of these faucet-things have a heater unit above the tap. As there is only one outlet instead of two this installation could be designed for this kind of tap.

I don't see marks of a former installation on the tiles that could give a hint of what was installed before you came. So you should ask your landlord what is expected to be there. They surely have advice for you.

I assume you have to provide the kitchen on your own when you move in? Then, if you'd like to have something that has the heater unit below the desk, perhaps you can connect this outlet with your under-desk installation. Ask the experts to suggest something that you like.


How should the concrete anchoring some fenceposts relate to the driveway they're puncturing?

Since there will be now way to insure the concrete will be the same color or will it be able to tie in the texture to make the new pour "go away", neatly slope the concrete up towards the post say about a 1/2" to create a break line where the new concrete meets the old. Try to keep the slope uniform from post to post just so it will look professional. The slope will help drainage, even though the concrete acts like a huge sponge, holding moisture to the post, but it is much better than soil.

New concrete can smear over the old making a mess, but after a few hours, you can carefully clean the old concrete with a DAMP stiff bristle brush, no flowing water, taking MUCH care to not let the brush touch the fresh concrete. You may even wait 6 hrs and still accomplish this task.


What you're most likely looking at is a bacteria called Serratia Marcescens.

According to Wikipedia it is commonly found growing in bathrooms (especially on tile grout, shower corners, toilet water line, and basin) as well as many other places.

From that source (and others), the best way to get rid of it is regular cleaning by soaking & scrubbing with bleach-based disinfectants.


If you have access to your water heater, it will typically have a shut off valve on its entrance to allow being serviced.  If you can shut that off, that will kill the pressure on the hot water line, and you should be okay.
Open the hot faucet to confirm.

Given that, I would consider taking that shutoff apart and fixing it if you can.

Probably a worn out or deteriorated rubber washer.  Worse case if that is just attached to the plumbing by the nut behind it, you can replace the whole valve.

Take it with you to a store.


Mounting a ceiling fan with 28” joist spacing and no attic access

I had to install a light fixture over a pool table in a situation very similar to this. The fixture had to be centered over the table and between joists with 26" space.

I cut a 2x4 23" long and two pieces about 5" long. I centered the two pieces on each end forming a "T" and screwed them in with  some 3" deck screws. I pre drilled two holes at each end of the two smaller pieces for fastening into the studs and fitted each hole with a 3"deck screw. Now comes the tricky part. I cut a 10" hole in the ceiling and was able to fit the framing between the joists and centered the 2x4 and was able to screw the screws in with a ratchet screwdriver. I fished in some Romex and installed a fan box. I used the cutout from the hole to make a quick patch and then installed a 12" fan medallion which cover the hole (see below).

They come in many styles. Hope this helps


Green is indeed ground pretty much everywhere except old work in the Soviet Bloc.

You need to attach the new light the same way the old light was attached.   It is likely of the 4 wires from the wall, two of them were attached to each other and not to the lamp.  Reconnect those same ones the same way.

In wiring, colors don't mean a whole lot, becuase cables are made to standardized colors. (Old: black-red... new: brown-blue). So the information of how wires are connected is valuable. It is the only documentation for how the circuit is wired.

However, in that era in the UK, they were fond of using a special-color cable for "switch loops".   In this case, the color coding sort of works out.

Red is supply/always-hot, and comes from supply and goes to switch.  It does not go to the lamp, the lamp has no use for always-hot.
Black is old neutral, and should go lamp neutral (which is blue/EU or white/US.)
what remains is switched-hot. It is Blue (old) from the ceiling.  And from the lamp,  brown/EU or black/US.


What would cause a brand new water softener to not soften water?

Turns out @Ecnerwal was correct about my testing being flawed.  The softener appears to be working fine.  As he mentioned, it makes 100% sense that a TDS meter will measure exactly the same before and after a water softener install since the water isn't being filtered.

I'm not sure if my initial user experience tests were simply done too soon or if it takes a couple days to clear out the pipes but the slippery feeling of the water is now present as expected.  I have also been able to verify that everything is fine with the softener by the fact that I can run the dishwasher without rinse aids for the first time in over a year.

In this picture, the cup on the left just came from the dishwasher.  The cup on the right came from my cupboard and was ran through using a rinse aid before the softener was replaced.  Previously without the rinse aid, you wouldn't have been able to see my fingers through the cup.


How can I eliminate condensation on my toilet tank?

When warm moist air comes in contact with a cold surface condensation forms.

There used to be these tank liners sold that you would install on the inside of the tank to insulate it. It keeps the outside of the tank from getting as cold to reduce or eliminate condensation. I did a quick search and couldn't find it anymore.

I did however find toilet tanks that come with insulation already installed. See http://www.homedepot.com/p/KOHLER-Memoirs-Classic-1-28-GPF-Toilet-Tank-Only-with-Insuliner-Tank-Only-Liner-in-White-K-4433-U-0/203006152#

The liners were just sheets of styrofoam. I guess you could get some styrofoam and cut it to fit. You'd have to cut the kits anyway. Then glue it to the side and bottom of the tank. Going with a tank that's already insulated would be a lot easier.


How can I stop my handheld shower head from leaking?

I found the problem. Debris from a ruptured water filter (for the entire house) had come through the pipe and partially blocked a small filter between the pipe and the plastic T that holds the pivot ball. When I completely remove the shower head (so that I just had a pipe coming out of the wall in the shower), I could see a small screen filter in the plastic T of the shower head, and it had some junk partially blocking it. When I remove that and re-attached the shower head, the problem went away.


Replacing pendant but there are extra live wires

Connect your pendant to the leftmost and rightmost terminal in this picture.  Your pendant should have brown and blue wires that correspond.   If it has a yellow, green, or bare wire connect that to the corresponding large terminal at the top of the picture.
One brown/blue pair in the center set of terminals is power coming in, and another brown/blue pair is power going to the next pendant.  The third brown wire in the middle triplet goes off to the light switch, and the leftmost one is switched power coming back for the pendant.


Did electrician connect this service entrance box wrong?

Yes.  The panel's labeling means exactly what you think it means, that breaker slot 5-6 and all above it are limited to 70A breakers max.  That 100A breaker should be moved down to the bottom slot.

Additionally, that top breaker is being backfed by your solar setup, correct?  In that case, it needs to be bolted down -- that's a code requirement whenever a breaker is backfed.  You'll need a HOM4RK2HA bolt-down kit, which you (or your installer) will probably have to get from a proper electrical supply house.


How to handle air condenser with garage addition

Moving the condensers to the back of the garage is not a hard job but it takes time. The refrigerant is pumped into the condenser and the valves closed. The line set is cut and extended, the line set should be purged with nitrogen while being sweated back together normally a gross leak check under pressure.
 the line set is pulled to a vacuum recommended 500um or below, and leak checked again.
Depending on your state electrical code you may need a electrician to move the service disconnect and possibly add a 120v receptacle (this can be added to the back of the garage also when it is wired. Once everything is connected power the unit up and a final leak check and probably top off the Refrigerant.

Moving the condensers would be much cheaper than making the cut out in the wall and having them in an enclosed area like that would hurt their efficiency.
Have I done this yes both for additions and installing the condenser further away from bedroom walls where the noise was bothering the owner.  It’s a full days work with a pre made pad and no leaks in the system many may do it over 2 days. The wild card can be getting the system pumped back down.

The cost of building around the condensers will far exceed the cost of moving them, after their useful service life is over trying to install a new unit in that cut out may just get you laughed at and cost many times the original cost to move.


Tile first, then carpet. Tiling is a messy process. Much easier not to have the carpet there to get messy and/or need to be kept clean while you are tiling.


Ganged Circuit Breaker has strange ganging configuration. 40-[30-30]-40

This is a bit backwards, but OK as long as the breakers have a common trip mechanism inside them

Normally, you'd see this configuration as a 30-40-40-30, but either way, this is a quadplex breaker, where the outside half-poles are ganged together to form 1 240V circuit while the inside half-poles are ganged together to form the other 240V circuit.  You wouldn't get anything good out of the other configuration, as the two upper half-poles connect to the same bus stab (i.e. are on the same leg), and likewise with the two lower half-poles.  The crazy-looking handle-tie (what you call a "ganging clip") is manufacturer-supplied, and normal for this type of quadplex breaker -- it allows the handles to be operated together when you operate them by hand.  Common trip is handled by an internal mechanism, however.

As to why someone would do this? They simply ran out of panel space -- this is also evidenced by the large quantity of double-stuff breakers in the panel.  (This is why putting in a panel that barely fits is penny-wise and pound-foolish, especially for the main panel in a building.)  It's OK by Code as long as the panel is labeled and listed to accept double-stuff breakers in those two slots -- check your panel labeling for details.


Can using a new evap coil on top of an older furnace cause problems?

The only technical reason that this isn't possible is that the coil needs a specific amount of air to flow through it when it's cooling. So to select the correct coil, you need to know the CFM of the air moving through the air handler. Not impossible to figure out or measure, but might not be easy for an air handler as old as yours.

However, if I was a professional HVAC installer, I would not want to put a new coil on a furnace that old, either. The installer only touches a small portion of your system, but in the eyes of the owner easily becomes responsible for the whole thing. So if I wasn't comfortable with my assessment of the existing air handler, I would probably decline to replace just the coil, too.

tl;dr: find a different installer if you don't want to replace the whole thing.


Rigid foam vs cellulose insulation in the attic

Go with both, is actually the best answer for most attic situations. Cellulose, as you indicated, doesn't stop air movement too well & is much more effective in truly dead-airspaces. But, Cellulose is very much less expensive.

Rigid foam panels however, are very air stopping & even convection stopping, which can also feel like air movement to you & Cellulose. Yes, Rigid Foam can be stacked as thick or deep as you want, but it's very costly compared to Cellulose.

The proper setup is to always install Rigid foam on top of Cellulose. In picture #1 you'd want the Rigid foam 1-inch away from the roof deck, for roof ventilation. Then, you'd fill between the ceiling & Rigid foam with Cellulose.

Similarly, for picture #2, IF, the gable end had a vent or looked something like an unfinished picture #1 with that window being the gable vent. Then, you'd blow your Cellulose in first, to then lay Rigid foam on top of it to seal the Cellulose from air movement for a cozy dead-airspace.

However, for picture #2 as it is with no venting at all, then Cellulose by itself is fine, but you want to pile it up as much as possible to abate convection from penetrating too deeply. And, if it's affordable this space would be best suited for stacked Rigid foam panels fitted tightly between the joists for a floor to be laid on top for attic storage. This would give you the overall best thin insulation or non-intrusive insulation.

The final trick for just Cellulose is to first & foremost line the naked space with 6-mil plastic as your vapor barrier so the Cellulose doesn't get wet & create a structural problem or lose its thermal value. This can be large sheets that Cellulose holds down into each joist bay by itself or you can even cut slightly oversized strips of plastic to lay within each joist bay. Any seams should be taped with aluminum tape or specific vapor barrier tape.


How to determine if a faucet is plastic or metal?

In the strictest sense, if it has a metallic finish, it is metal, though it may only be a few molecules thick over a plastic substrate. But you refer to the base material. It can be hard to tell when it's in place due to the resistance of the mechanism masking the apparent mass. The way to distinguish without destructive sampling is essentially it's mass. Metal is denser than plastic. Removing the handle will usually make it easy to to tell just by weight. Many modern faucets are often made of both metal and plastic parts though.

One can still be fooled by weight. A solid, quality plastic handle may weigh more than a hollow, thin, cheap brass handle. The only sure way is to take a sample by drilling a small hole in an inconspicuous place. The shavings could be tested in a lab, after which they could determine exactly the type of resin or metal composition, if you paid them enough.

It usually suffices to simply hold a flame to the shavings. Plastic burns, metal does not.


Converting to a 3-way switch with a 2 wire cable

Best way would be to use a 'smart' switch of some sort. There are many on the market. Some are wireless (radio frequency), some use signals on the powerline. These switches require hot and neutral.

The downstairs one would be wired as a normal switch and it would directly control the light. The upstairs one would just be configured to control the other switch, and the two conductors would carry hot and neutral.


How to detect concrete or brick behind plasterboard

You do not have to anchor into masonry for this load. Drywall with proper anchors will easily hold a 4 kg load. That first type of anchor you show is an old and outmoded type. There are several new types that are much better, and the 2nd picture shows one of those.

You might have to cut off the screws that come with it, if they contact the hard surface behind the drywall. No pre-drilling is required to install the 2nd type. Get a large Phillips screwdriver and force it into the drywall to the first threads then screw it in snug, but do not over-tighten. If the sharp end contacts the hard surface behind the drywall, then back it out, cut off enough of the sharp end so that it no longer contacts, reinsert, and screw in.