What vinegar acidity is necessary to effectively kill household mold?

5% appears to be adequate per a brief search of the web.
30% is not really "vinegar" anymore - call it acetic acid and treat with care.
I have seen 10% sold as "cleaning vinegar" but I don't find any results in a quick search indicating it's much more effective than undiluted 5% on mold.


Insulation challenge - exposed wood beams with 6" tongue/groove slats on top form ceiling with attic above

Your goal here is a significant improvement in energy efficiency without causing any unwanted side effects, such as moisture buildup in the wrong places. With that in mind, I'd keep it simple.

Lay 4 mil poly sheeting right over the existing insulation. Unless the stuff is filtering through your ceiling and making a mess, just leave it alone. Lap joints 2 feet or so. This will provide an effective seal. It's not critical to create an actual balloon out of your house. You just want to eliminate the majority of airflow between the conditioned space and outdoors.
Blow the appropriate amount of cellulose over the poly.

That's pretty much it. You'll probably need to build a simple barrier around your access port to contain the insulation, and be sure any recessed light cans are rated for insulation contact. Otherwise, don't overthink it.


Mount ceiling fan to joist on sloped ceiling

I would consider getting a metal plate adapter similar to this:

You can mount this to the screw holes in the ceiling electrical box. Then in turn you can mount the fan hanger bracket in the correct orientation. As shown you can see there are plenty of options to adjust the positions of everything including the possibility to install captive bolts and nuts to which you could attach the fan bracket.

Edit:
There are various places to acquire plates like this. Google search for "ceiling fixture adapter plate" and you may locate a source such as here:

https://www.platt.com/platt-electric-supply/Metallic-Box-Accessories-Mounting-Brackets-Universal/Dottie/SP34/product.aspx?zpid=674218


Stacking 'Main lug' load centers for garage

Be aware that both hots and neutral must be in the same pipe.

Don't butt them against each other/use bare holes. Set them far enough apart that the covers won’t interfere. Use a metal conduit nipple between the panels right wall to left wall. Better yet, use 2-3 sensibly sized ones, so you have an alternate path for crossover wires. If you have 2 metal nipples between them I am very comfortable wiring the ground only to the first one and letting the metal carry the ground to the other.    Can't do that with PVC!

If you use PVC outside, swiff-sand it with a green Scotchbrite pad, prime it with alkyd primer (Kilz will do) and paint it. That protects it from UV.

If in the same building

You don't need a shutoff switch so don't waste 2 breaker spaces.

You can't put 2 wires on a lug.  But you can get 3-wire Polaris connectors and split.  That's what you do with the hots.  For the neutral and ground, if your buses have room for 2 large wires, just daisy chain.

If in different buildings

Then you need a shutoff switch.  You can backfeed a double breaker to make a shutoff switch, if there is a factory authorized tie-down kit for it to hold it down.

That takes care of the first panel.  For the second panel, just use the feed-thru lugs on the first one to go to the input lugs on the other one,  just as you have planned.  Come to think of it, they are the same lugs, we just changed one's function by back feeding the panel.


What glue to stick polycarbonate and glass together?

Readily available products will include clear epoxies and marine grade silicone adhesives
Auto/Marine silicone sealant is typically rated to -40F, up to 350F and is quite clear between 2 pieces of glass, I do not know how the solvent will react with the PC in terms of changing the clarity of the surface. It dries like a high durometer rubber and can assist in noise/vibration damping from one surface to the next. These take at least a day to cure.
30-minute epoxies harden solid, but have a lower temp range, around -60F to 180F. They get HOT when they cure, which can lead to warping of certain plastics, but when bonded to glass this should not be a problem.
Optically clear lens adhesives are based on epoxy or acrylate and have a slightly more narrow range of temperatures, usally -40 to 150F. They are solvent free and are thus cured rapidly using ultraviolet light or heating (or both together). The lack of solvent should mean no change in surface clarity of the PC.


"Floor Flange" or something similar for 1/2 copper pipe

This is an Drop Elbow (upside down for your use), most commonly used for wall penetrations...showerhead arms, tub faucets, washing machine supplies, etc. I don't know of any other types that you'd actually screw to the floor & haven't ever seen one.

Presuming your hole is tight to the wall or baseboard, you might be able to attach this to your wall or baseboard with either a direct connect flexible line or a single compression fitting. Anything more would likely get crushed by the fridge. But a screw in elbow fitting to convert to vertical may work for your situation. However, elevating the fridge's tube connection that's already set-out much may put it in threat of being crushed, so be careful & test it out gently.

-

Male solder-on or sweat-on. My preferred floor lock-in fitting. Threads are exposed for thread inspection, easy Teflon taping, more precise leak detection, female reducing adapters are more common & flexible lines come with direct attachment ends.

Female solder-on or sweat-on. Nothing really wrong with this. I just don't find much of a selection to accommodate it in the big stores.

All three would be first soldered onto the pipe you drop in the floor. It's ill-advised to feed a pipe up & then later solder on a fitting that's close to a wall, especially when so easily avoidable.

Your pipe or elbow beneath the floor would prevent or limit vertical movement & a hole drilled for the pipe diameter instead of for the fitting's shoulder would raise the fitting for easier future flexible line replacements & stop downward movement to avoid stressing of the piping beneath the floor.


How to take out the toilet water inlet faucet knob

Finally, I fixed it. I used a big flat screw driver to pry the knob off. One step for a quarter turn. The knob is loosened in about two full turns. Then, use a spanner to remove the nickel painted copper cap that holds the faucet filter cartridge. Once removed the cartridge with a pliers, the dirt and mud is draining out. The cartridge is full of mud. I cleaned up before putting it back to the shelf to remove the faucet.


Small stud wall to sloping ceiling under stairs

You need to locate and identify the underlying structure, where and what. Only then can one determine the best attachment method and wall layout. Stairways typically have stringers under them running the length of the stairway run that you can connect to. But there are endless variations on stair construction, so only someone on site can determine this. There are various devices for locating underlying wood structure, their effectiveness varies by local conditions.

Stud framing is typically 40.5 cm spacing on center, so you may need two intermediate studs in addition to the end studs. You need solid blocking flat to the mounting face in order to mount plumbing fixtures. Some hardware needs to be framed into the wall, so you need to identify exactly what hardware is used in order to provide and locate any needed structure.

Unless you can provide all this information, no one can adequately tell what to do in enough detail to ensure proper construction.


what is the woodworking technique used to build this piece?

This is a box joint. Some might call it a finger joint. Here I've cut out a small piece of one of the blow ups on the site.

Note the straight sides. The idea is the pieces mate together, indeed like the fingers of two hands, set to cross alternately. Without glue of course, the joint would have no strength at all. By the way, in my opinion it is a relatively poor example of a box joint. See that there are voids along those joints, that were then filled, probably with a wood filler.

A dovetail joint would have angled sides on the mating pieces, looking something like this (from Wikipedia):

You can see the difference is in the angled faces.

How was the table built? It appears as if this was done by hand work, or if a table saw was used, measurements were not done with perfect accuracy. Were I to do this, I'd use a router table, with incredibly precise bit placement, enabled by a good router fence, like an Incra-fence. A table saw would not leave flat bottoms between the fingers (UNLESS you have a good dado blade. Cheap dado blades will not do that.) The cuts CAN be done by hand work with a saw and chisels, but to do that with sufficient accuracy, it would require a fair deal of skill with those hand tools. IF you were to try this by hand, start out with some practice pieces of wood. Make a dozen joints first, only then would I trust your skill with the tools. Practice joints are a good idea anyway, with any tools.

You might check out some videos about making box joints. Youtube has lots to be found, like this one, where a table saw with a dado blade is used. Or this one, where you can see it done by hand.

Can you do this better? The fact is, the table you would get from this joint will not be terribly strong. A far better choice would be to use dovetails, which will resist torsion better using the physical shape of the dovetails, as well as glue. See that the fingers here mate along faces that can resist the torsion ONLY by means of glue. A dovetail joint is clearly stronger.

If you cannot manage a dovetail joint (I assume this is to be by by hand work, so using only saws, chisels, etc.) then I would strongly suggest that a stronger joint will be found by having MORE glue surface. The fingers in such a joint are plenty strong enough. If a box joint like this will fail due to torsion, then it will fail along those glue joints. So I'd suggest at the very least, using more glue surface here. That is, instead of having fingers that are 2 inches wide, make fingers that are about 1/2 inch side, thus creating very much more surface to be glued because there will be more fingers. Yeah, I know, it will make for more work. Do you want it to last? Really, best would still be accurately cut dovetails.

It does not appear as if any dowels were used here. BUT, to be honest, were I to build this table, I'd consider finding a way to insert small dowels, hidden inside each joint so they cannot be seen. This is easily doable. Again, the idea is to build the joint so that it resists torsion by more than simply glue surface.

Finally, as people will state, a well made glue joint is stronger than the wood it joins. HOWEVER, the glue joints I see in the picture above are not that terribly well made. There are clear voids. The mating faces are not that tightly mating. If this joint fails, which can easily happen, it will be by the fibers of those fingers tearing in shear, but it will happen along those glue joints. You can see joint failure happening in this video. Essentially the fibers right next to the glue joint will be seen to delaminate.


Cracks in new house slab foundation, how serious?

Unfortunately that looks very unusual to me. I think you need a civil
engineering consultant. It will cost something but saying "some guys on the internet said it looked bad " is worth nothing. And maybe the conclusions will be good.


What kind of lighting to buy when there is no previous installed to use as a reference?

You should be able to install any off the (local) shelf armature, connect the wires and mount it to the wall/ceiling.

If you want power efficiency then you should prefer LED lighting which are currently some of the more efficient lighting solutions.

One of the factors to take into account is how much light it needs to emit and where it needs to go. A single 100W incandescent bulb in a large hall is not going to cut it.

If you are wondering which bulbs to put into existing armatures then it's very likely a standard connector. For mains that is an edison base or bayonet mount in the UK.


Good news: it's fine as-is.

Bad news: Taped connections are fine IF they are either crimped or soldered. 3 wires just twisted together and taped are not ok.

More bad news: A metal box means nothing. A grounded outlet requires a ground wire. If you have a ground wire running to the box you don't need a metal box (plastic is fine). If you don't have a ground wire then you don't get grounded outlets until you run one there.

Even more bad news: This probably isn't the only surprise the previous owner left you.


I have California double sided wall furnace, only one side is producing heat. How would I go about trouble shooting It?

Call the Gas Company and tell them you are worried because your furnace does not seem to be working correctly. They will send a technician to look at it- FOR FREE. They want your appliances to work safely and correctly because they want to sell you as much gas as they can.

If you want to troubleshoot it yourself, you need to understand how they work. There are entire books devoted to this but here goes:

So I am sure there are differences between vintages and brands, but if you are familiar with millivolt pilot and burner systems you should be able to figure this out.

These furnaces generally have 2 separate burners. A single pilot assembly mounted at one of the burners is the ignition source for both burners, gas from the second burner (the one not next to the pilot assembly) is carried over to the pilot via a "crossover" channel, to allow it to also ignite.

A single gas control valve provides gas to both burners. The gas valve will remain totally closed until the control knob is set to "pilot" and pressed in, releasing a small amount of gas to just the pilot assembly, to allow you to light the pilot with a match (or piezoelectric igniter). The pilot flame warms up a millivolt generator (a cluster of bimetallic elements that generate an electric current when heated) called a pilot generator. Once the generator is sending current to the gas valve, the valve will remain slightly open to allow the pilot to stay lit when you cease depressing the control knob. If the pilot goes out or the pilot generator goes kaput, the gas valve will close and stay closed (unless you set it to "pilot" and hold the knob in, as described above) as a safety feature.

Normally, if one burner lights then both will light. Check the pilot flame, it should be a nice strong flame. The flame size can be adjusted with a special screw on the gas control valve.

Check the flame pattern and color on the burner that does light, it should NOT be a lazy, soft all-yellow flame. Nor should it be a hard all-blue flame; it should be somewhere between.

An easy initial action could be to replace the pilot generator, maybe its weak and not opening the gas valve all the way. Maybe you need a new gas valve? maybe there is debris obstructing the gas supply? maybe the "crossover channel" is obstucted, preventing burner ignition?


Wired fire/smoke alarms not communicating with each other

It turned out to be a short-circuit. The cable connecting one of the alarms in the basement had been trapped by the electrical box cover. The cover is metallic, and had cut into the plastic enough to make contact.

To find the issue I turned off the breaker, disconnected the signal cable from all of them, and started testing them from the top of the house using a 9V battery, as mentioned in one of the comments (+ to orange, - to white). Started with two, verified it was working, and kept going connecting alarms to be signal cable until I found out the culprit. After detailed inspection of the one that was causing the issue I noticed the cable damage.

Thank you @ThreePhaseEel for the 9V battery trick. It was really useful.


Can I use a paint & primer combo on new wood?

The paint/primer should be fine, especially with two coats, but I typically begin with primer, as it seems (in my experience) that primer holds paint better and lasts a bit longer before requiring touch ups or repainting, and it's often cheaper to do a coat of good primer (match latex to latex, or make sure you follow the label if you use a different combo), then two or three even coats of less-expensive paint (paint+primer is almost always 2-3x more expensive than paint alone.

I wouldn't sand and re-paint, of course. You should be fine with what you have so far.

[Edit: one other note on paint+primer paints; make sure you read reviews or ask others about their experiences with the particular brand you're buying. A friend ended up with a patchy-looking paint job when he used one of the cheaper brands. I don't know if it was an isolated incident or if the brand is normally bad (or if he didn't mix the paint well!), but research before you buy.]


How can I cap off an old, partially-exposed cast iron pipe when a qwik cap won't do?

Use a two pound maul and break it up. Residential cast iron pipe is rather thin and easily broken.  Then repair the siding.


Water Heater Cold Intake Pipe always drips from drain valve

Ben Welborn is correct.  Sediment or mineral is keeping the drain valve from seating properly if everything is closed inside especially the hot and your cold inlet valve works you could change out the valve without draining the heater. But I'm assuming since there is a sump that this is down inside a basement. Drain and replace use a 3/4 di electric nipple with a. 3/4" ball valve or pvc and remedy this problem for good


What tool or special bit do I need to remove this (will add the name later when I know it :-) )

the tool you need is called a pin spanner

http://www.mcmaster.com/#pin-spanner-wrenches/=12f7p7g


Carrier infinity 25vna heat pump utility curtailment

Only your utility knows what their requirements are specifically.  You may be best getting a different person there to look at your situation.  We have had rebates offered here in Connecticut for ductless heat pumps and as I recall homes that had baseboard heat were disqualified.  But that was without utility regulation.  I suspect you have a case if you can control the built-in strip heaters as long as the Infinity heats a major portion of the house.  For example all but a three season room or mud room.  Be patient and ask questions.


With only two wires between the thermostat and the boiler, you're not going to be able to power the thermostat, and call for heat.  You'll need at least three wires for that.

The C terminal on the controller is likely the COM terminal, though I can't say for sure. According to the schematic, pin 2 of the PCB connector is C. But I'm not sure where it's routed from there on the board.


Can I run a 60A sub-panel off of another 200A sub-panel?

Yes, you will want to come off of the panel inside the house. The one on the outside is likely just a shutoff. In which case it would be unsafe for you to open because you cannot dissconnect the power at the meter. So at least one side of the breaker would be hot. Flip the main cuffot outside so that you can work on the panel inside without worry.

For a 100' run I'd use service cable. 6/4 should be fine for 60 amps. You will need to run four wires. Two will carry the two phases, one will be a neutral, and the other will be a dedicated ground between the two panels. You may also want to add a ground at the new panel. Ground rod is best, or tie it to a copper cold water line (old school).

As for the appropriate breaker for the compressor, that will entirely depend on the compressor. If it runs on 240V then yes you will need a "double pole" breaker so that you grab 120V from each phase for a total of 240. But you will need to check the motor on the compressor to see if it requires 240v or 120V. It should also say how many amps it will pull.

Yes you could add a double 30 breaker and additional circuits for tools lights or whatever. Really you can have as many circuits as you like as long as the total used at any one time isn't more than 60 amps. So for example you could add a 30 amp circuit for a compressor and a 50 amp circuit for a welder and you will be fine as long as they don't run at the same time.

Edit: wanted to add that for the 60 amps panel you will need to use a 60 amps double pole breaker in the main panel to tie into.


Is this outside security camera wiring correct or lazy?

It sounds like you are near salt water, probably get a lot of sun.  This is a bad place to cut corners on outdoor rated, corrosion resistant materials.  I doubt that those white wires are rated for outdoors / UV resistant.  I am sure that those natural colored (not black) cable ties are not UV resistant.  I couldn't rule out they just forgot or just didn't care, but using those outside is usually a sign someone is very inexperienced, that's like first day on the job stuff.

The nail and plastic saddle type staples that were used to mount the black cables do not appear to be outdoor rated, the nails are rusty and may eventually corrode to the point they pop off.  They also probably don't clamp the cable snug enough to hold the cable straight for a nice neat appearance.

It's very lazy to use old unused cable as a means of support.  There is a code requiring the removal of abandoned cables, but it wouldn't really apply here.  Still, it's sloppy.

Ideally you would do something to hide the cables - run them in the walls, or install them in conduit - but that can get expensive.  But at the very least don't build up a bundle - remove the old cable and reattach the new cable to the building surface with a suitable fastener.


Start by removing the mailbox from whatever it is supported by - the plastic mailbox "post" is a sleeve that's set over some actual post. It may just slip on (so you can just lift it off) or it may have a few screws you need to remove before you can lift it off. (It appears to be this model of "Step2" mailbox, and the assembly instructions do have screws into the post)
When you have removed the mailbox itself, dig the post out. If the post is rotten, or broken/cracked, you'll need a new post. If the post is OK, you'll just need to set it firmly in the ground. If you get a new post, same.
People are terribly fond of setting posts in concrete - it usually causes more problems than not, but it seems great short-term. All you really need to do is set the post vertically in the hole, add only a couple of inches of soil, tamp that soil down firmly, and repeat until the hole is full. The small amount of work involved in tamping is all you save by using concrete to set posts.
Once the post is set, slip the mailbox back on the post. If it was screwed in, replace the screws.


How do I appropriately/safely connect multiple power tools to a 20-amp outlet?

The answer to your last question is "Yes", it is perfectly fine to use a 15 amp plug strip on a 20 amp circuit like you have. That is why the slots on the receptacle go both horizontal and vertical. I'd suggest a plug strip with it's own 15 amp resetable breaker built in. That will protect your lower amp tools.

The second issue would be to build your own multiple outlet strip with a two gang handy box and two 20 amp duplex receptacles and a length of 12 AWG or 10 AWG SO or SVT cable terminated with a 20 amp plug.


You can dig out the old footing where accessible even if means digging an "offset hole" to get it out. place a sonotube back in the hole, 6" above the bottom and fill the tube either 2" above grade for a short post or mount the clip to the deck after the old post is removed and run the concrete up to the clip. Place a wood form in the bottom of the hole if the offset is too much.

To get access to the other holes, remove 4  to 6 decking boards the get access from above, and do more of the same there.

None of it is going to be easy, but it is possible without tearing out the whole deck


Causes for toilets to self-flush due to water pressure issues

Most houses have a 'stink pipe' - a 6" pipe that discreetly goes up the side of the house and ends either under the eaves or pokes above the roof.  It's main job is to vent smells from the drains system.  However it also has a secondary job:
When you flush the toilet, the water rushing down the pipe can create a vacuum in the drains system if there is no pressure outlet to to maintain a pressure equilibrium in the system.  This is a second and most important purpose of the 'stink pipe' - it ensures the there is no build of pressure in the drains.  If this pipe becomes blocked or otherwise stops working however, you can find that flushing one toilet can affect the pressure inside the system and you will get funny things happening to other toilets / drains such as them emptying or overflowing as you've described.
First thing I would do is locate this pipe, and make sure nothing has happened to it - have you had any external works done on your home recently?
Secondly, I would locate where this pipe joins the system - there should be a drain cover, or at least a rodding point.  Remove this cover and flush the toilet as before.  If the downstairs toilet is not affected this time then it's highly likely that the stink pipe has been blocked somehow.
If this is the case, I would rod it from the top to ensure it's not blocked (birds nest, animal litter, leaves etc).  You'll need a good ladder and some patience.  If it's blocked, clear it and then get a filter cap for the top to ensure it doesn't happen again.
If that doesn't fix it, I would try rodding all my drains in both directions.  Make sure any blockages are cleared.  And if that doesn't work I'd get advice from a plumber on what to do!  Good luck.


You can try a fiberglass "pipe repair kit" available at most hardware stores. You soak the fiberglass in water which activates the resin, and then wrap it around the leaking pipes. It will completely encase the pipes and harden, leaving you with a pretty strong temporary fix. I've used this on PVC and copper with good results; I think it would work on rubber tubing but you might want to check the label.

Note that it probably won't be practical to remove the fiberglass later and fix what's underneath, so only try this if you're planning to completely replace that section of pipes/tubing.

Example: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100206252/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053


Can I put a metal safe weighing 2000 lbs in a 12x12 room?

If we assume your room was built to minimum standards from the IBC 2015, for example the live load table #1607.1 from here which lists habitable sleeping areas to support 30 pounds per square foot minimum:

(80" x 60" ) /144" = 33.33333 square feet.
so 30 pounds spread over 33.3333 square feet would be 1,000 pounds.

Depends on how over the minimum the original construction was designed to, but would need to be at least 60 PSF to for a 2,000 pounds load concentrated over a 60"x80" area.

Over a 12' span, you would need to have at least 2x8s installed at 16" on center to support 60 PSF.


Installing a door threshold on concrete slab

Even when swept clean I would not consider that a properly prepared surface for a threshold. Just the nature of the uneven surface of those filled concrete blocks would make water tend to collect underneath. You should use a concrete patch/resurfacer to create a smooth level (or slightly sloped away from the opening) surface, then attach the threshold per manufacturer's instructions. All the retrofit thresholds I have seen or installed need to be screwed down, yours included. You will need to mark and drill into the concrete and use an anchor to screw it down.


Stained Plaster - Waterproof primer before or after patching

There's no reason to prime in between layers of plaster and patching compound. Just remove any peeling paint or loose plaster and patch with new joint compound. Once the new stuff dries fully, sand it smooth, clean, prime, and paint. A decent stain-blocking primer like Kilz will do fine with an old water stain, but if you have more insidious stains (e.g. oil, knotty wood) you can use a shellac-based stain blocker.

If other patched areas are bubbling, those are signs of recent leaks or moisture. To stop those, you need to resolve the moisture issue. Until that's fixed your walls will continue to fail (and you'll be at risk of more severe damage in your wall structure, electrical, etc.).


Do I need to finish or top coat oil-based stain so that it doesn't rub off on a bed?

Once dry, the stain won't rub off on the bedding.  However, a sealer of some sort (polyurethane, shellac, etc.) will make the surface much easier to clean, resist staining, & wear better, etc.  I understand that it's a "rustic" look, but without a sealer it will tend to get grimy & dirty - even from skin oils - and you won't be able to clean it. It won't look rustic - just dirty.


Nope!   class 2 (low voltage) wiring cannot be in the same raceway as line voltage.


Can I run electrical cable and sound cable in the same conduit?

You really want to keep these separate in a high quality audio setup, as you will get interference...especially through a sub.

I would even recommend routing the cables in entirely different directions if at all possible to minimise mains hum. Is there no other route for them? As an example, my mains wiring is in the walls, so where possible I have my audio wiring in the floor or above the ceilings.

If you absolutely can't avoid running them together, get yourself a cable that has a decent screen and make sure it is earthed.


Can I change the fire rating of 1/2 inch drywall?

Intumescent coatings have evolved (I formulate them). It is just a paint now. 3 coats would add 20 minutes or so to the fire rating of the drywall.

Here, narrow clearance homes are required to use intumescent coated OSB on the outside walls.

These paints can withstand up to a year of exposure before being covered up so bad weather is no longer an issue as it used to be just a few years ago.

The old stuff was PVA resin and water soluble (almost edible) ingredients. Now we have encapsulated stuff with tough, exterior grade thermoplastics as the binder. Things have changed :)


Delay in light turning on when switch flipped

Sometimes LED lights are controlled by transformers or relays. It may be that when the switch is flipped on the current will have to flow to a transformer that changes the household voltage to DC voltage.


7 Watt CFL Socket -- is there a specific tool to close these copper prongs on wire?

The 2 holes touching, that look like a figure-8, on the side with the writing... are stab connections.  You just stick a right-sized wire in the hole.
The right size is typically 18 AWG solid or tinned.
Hot and neutral don't apply here.  These wires need to come off the fluorescent ballast and must be wired according to the ballast diagram.


Running a portable air conditioner without venting it

If you're using it just for the noise to help your wife sleep, an improvement might be to record the noise the machine makes (such as with the sound recorder in a computer or phone), copy the recording to a CD with a computer, and then play it on a stereo in the bedroom when she's trying to get to sleep. That assumes she needs the noise only to fall asleep, but stays asleep without it.

Another possible solution is a white noise phone app, and a phone in a charger on a bedside table. This may also be useful for travel.

The reason to use one of those solutions is that they draw a lot less power than an air conditioner, and don't put unnecessary wear on a mechanical device with lots of moving parts.

Obviously, if you want the heating or air conditioning too, the machine makes sense, but if you just need the noise, then a device that specializes in sound is probably a better solution.


boric acid (aka orthoboric acid, borax) works VERY well for under $5. Look for a tall white squeezable bottle at Home Repot or the like. Then lookup a recipe online with grease or sugar/jam for proper mixing ratios. Taking the bait back to the nest to destroy the babies is exactly what the boric acid does when used correctly. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what the exterminators are using, with a $345 markup for their "expertise".

Even though it's powerful against bugs, it's basically harmless to pets and humans, having the same LD50 as table salt. That it's cheap, safe, and effective, is why it's my favorite ant+roach solution.


What is this piece of the window called?

The entire vertical window frame is called the “jamb”. The portion on the jamb that protrudes outward is called the “stop”.

It appears that this window manufacturer has pre-cut a notch (cutout) in the stop and frame in anticipation of installing a connector for screen, etc. to be applied later.

The piece that seems to be missing is the “cover plate” that covers this pre-cut cutout.


How do you install zinc strips in a roof without creating leaks?

Nail them down, the same way your shingles are nailed down. That is, you nail down a course of shingles, then lay down the new course above the last course, working up the roof. This way the next course hides the nails holding down the previous one. At the ridge, before a ridge cap goes on, you also nail down the zinc strips, placed so they will protrude beyond the ridge cap. Finally, the ridge cap goes on. Enough of the zinc protrudes so that the metal gradually leaches out with every rain to impede moss accumulation.


The threading on the faucet looks ok. Amazon has 28mm aerators. I wish I could tell you an easy way to get what you need but at this point it's trial and error. I once bought three different sizes to try and match one to a faucet. Luckily, I got one right and was able to return the rest. Good luck.*


Exterior lamp post trips breaker after a few hours

In order to troubleshoot your problem you need to have a few meters. First you need an amprobe. Check the amount of current your circuit is pulling at the breaker when the fixture is on. Let's say you have a 15 amp breaker and your amprobe is showing you are pulling 16 amps. A standard molded case breaker has two operations. One an instantaneous trip and a thermodynamic trip. Since you voltage is too low for an instantaneous trip. It is slowly heating up and then tripping out on overload over time according to the breaker curve of that particular breaker. If you are reading an overload on your breaker and the only thing you have on that circuit is the light post, then you have a high resistance fault somewhere in your circuit. I can't tell you where with the information at hand but I would start with the photocell you just replaced.

If you check your circuit and it is below the amperage rating of the circuit breaker. Then you should take a good look at your breaker. You will need an infrared thermometer to check the temperature of the breaker. Turn it off let it cool down for and hour or so and then turn it back on and see if you are getting a temperature rise on the breaker. You can also check this by hand by just touching the breaker but make sure you don't burn your hand. Yes they can get that hot. Some breakers over time and tripping can weaken and this type of breaker is thermodynamic so if the bimetal part is weak it will heat up and trip without overload. If this is happening I would just replace the breaker and inspect it for loose or corrosion connections at both the connection of the conductor and the connection to the buss. If necessary clean and make sure your connections are getting a good electrical and mechanical connection.

Safety note: If you have removed the panel cover to inspect the breakers make sure the power to the panel is turned off to avoid electrical shock. Or have a professional do this for you.

Good luck.


How close to plumb to deck posts need to be?

Ok Jay, here it comes!  It is important to make the posts as close to plumb as possible. The closer you are to true plumb, the less stress will be exerted on your mounting fixture. In all honesty, I think the posts are a bit tall and should have been cut to flush down closer to your pad, but then I digress.

Here is a trick to help you plumb and adjust your posts quickly.  Pound a couple of pointed pieces of 2X2 or 2X4 firmly into the ground at 90 degree angles to your post.  Then take the temp support strappings and screw them into your post with a drywall screw. You can now adjust the strapping against the ground stakes until your left and right post sides are perfectly plumb. Screw the strapping into the stake, add a second screw top and bottom and you should have a very secure, perfectly plumb post.

I see in your picture you are using strings.  That is good, but if you can get your hands on a good self-leveling laser, it would make sizing the posts so easy, and give you excellent level  cross checks as you continue to add more posts to the gridwork.  Good Luck Jay


Bayonet style sprinkler stand pipe with a pipe nipple, 90 degree fitting and MHT hose adapter. Lower section similar to this part from Rainbird.

Normal operation is that you lift the cap, push the sprinkler standpipe with attached impact sprinkler in and give it a quarter turn to lock it into the socket. They've adapted the operation to put the water into standard lawn hose in this instance.


How do I know what type of wood I'm buying?

"White wood" is a generic term for whatever fast-growing wood is cheapest at that time and in that place. It may be pine, fir, or occasionally even poplar (which is as fast-growing and soft as most "softwoods" despute being considered a hardwood). It will be a solid wood, though there may be cases where boards have been spliced to get useful sizes.


Can I use the cutout for a drop-in sink to install an undermount sink?

I hate to be a wet blanket on this one, but you are not going to like my answer.  It will be very difficult to find someone that will attempt to do what you are asking for an in place, already installed granite counter top. Since you have a drop in sink, the cut out is probably not polished and the cut edges are not routed. In the fab shop, they use lasers and computer aided cutting tools to get perfectly shaped holes. Cutting in the field is hardly ever done. The process of attaching the under side bowl is not as difficult as the cutting and polishing, but will require some type of custom support to hold the bowl in place while the epoxy cures.

Depending how large the counter is, it may be cheaper and safer to have it taken out and done at the fab shop.


Should I be worried that the anchor bolts are not centered on the sill plate?

Looks like the mason centered the bolts where they expected the framed wall to sit on the foundation wall. They don't often spend a lot of time pondering what the carpenters will do, so this is very common. Short of an F3 or better tornado, it's not likely to ever be an issue.


how to add an overhead ceiling fixture to a switched outlet run

You could run a cable from the light fixture to a switched outlet and just put the ceiling light in parallel with the switched outlet and leave the outlet switched for a corded lamp, or you could disconnect the switched cable in the receptacle box so that the switch only operates the the new ceiling fixture.  You'd put in a new receptacle with the metal tab connections intact so the receptacle would be powered without being switchable. This would leave no abandoned wire in the wall. but it might be more difficult to fish a wire to a receptacle low on a wall than to fish into a switch box higher on the wall.

Alternatively, you could run a cable from the ceiling light fixture to a wall box with a switch and this might be easier than working lower on the wall. You would probably want to disconnect the old wire to the receptacle, but you could have the switch control both the overhead light and the receptacle.

The problem with either might be overfilling the box. If either of the boxes is the smaller size, you might have to replace it with a deeper box. Replacing the box will make fishing the wires much easier. I have seen experienced electricians in a team fish into an existing switch box in place, but I have never done it.


When designing plumbing, what is the most efficient way to pump water to a roof?

Head is a term used to identify the vertical distance between the pump output and terminus. This is where we figure out how hard the pump has to fight gravity. Another thing to remember is the rule of thumb is every 90 degree elbow is equal to 20 feet or 6m of pipe. How much water you want to move and your head distance will determine pump and discharge pipe diameter. So we need to know head distance, volume in lpm or m^3/hr to get an idea of where to start. And FYI, even though gravity will help the water fall, you will need a bigger motor to start against the head pressure meaning a bigger pump than you really need. Go horizontal.


Central heating system / boiler does not shut off

Here in the USA. we now only use 120volt control systems since it has been found that 230 volt control systems can cause problems similar to what you are describing. Many years ago we utilized 240 volt controls since it was easier to use 2 legs of 240 volt 3 phase systems to get control power. After it was discovered that these systems caused numerous drastic system failures , they were outlawed in favor of 120 volt control systems. I witnessed many failures; (overheatings, explosions, meltdowns, etc.). The wiring print you show is pretty simple so I have to ask "is this the whole wiring system showing all the controls or just a small portion of the whole system". One part of the problem of 240 volt controls is that if a short to ground develops after a gas valve opens then the valve may be held open if only one leg of the power is switched off. The valve could be held open indefinitely. There are other possible problems with your system, this is just 1 of them. I would also recommend that all the wiring be checked by a master electrician with extensive control training/service to make sure that everything is wired correctly, especially if the controls have been replaced or serviced recently. Trying to service your system from Pittsburgh, Pa. USA. is impossible but I can only render some possibilities.


This is really wrong.  Your drainage system should be moving the water at least 4-6 feet from the foundation - unless you are in a desert where I have seen some set up like yours.

Downspouts to PVC (no holes) to yard.  Just switch out the path of the PVC in question and fix the issue.  Don't think there is any logic to something done absurdly wrong.  I had french drains suppose to outlet to the side of my house from mid back yard.  As they reached 5 feet from the side... they started running uphill.  Don't overthink other's stupidity.


9000 BTU/Hr is 9000 BTU/Hr - exactly the same, assuming you are looking at the heat pump's cooling capacity, which is often slightly different from its heating capacity.

The heat pump might be slightly more effective as it won't have the partly open window, but that's a minor effect.


How can I install/remove ceiling lights from the attic?

The real practical solution to this issue is to acquire a long reach light bulb changing pole. These come in a variety of styles and extendable lengths. The particular type of bulbs that you intend to replace will determine the type of pole that you select.

It is always safer to be standing on solid ground with an extension pole than to try to balance on the top of a ladder. And if you follow my suggestion there will be no need to enter your attic and be changing out any fixtures.

Google Images with the phrase "long reach light bulb changer"  will show you all the options rather than me posting a plethora of pictures here.


Take out the screw completely.
Then the (usually) rubber enclosure slides off the hard plastic interior.


How to remove super tight sink faucet supply hose nut

You need two adjustable wrenches. Use one to hold the valve body and the other one to turn that nut counterclockwise. The one holding the valve can be supported by holding it against the wall.


Salt deposits in health faucets and shower

A water softener is one solution. It filters out the dissolved salts.


Can you use wirsbo/uponor/expansion pex for underground sprinklers?

Yes to pex all types, some sources:

https://www.landscapemanagement.net/benefits-of-evolving-irrigation-pipe-products-2/
http://blog.supplyhouse.com/pex-crimp-vs-pex-clamp/
http://blog.supplyhouse.com/direct-burial-of-pex-tubing


Converting Nema 10-50 receptacle for car charging

That socket is wrong, and was wrong at the time of installation.  The person probably had a leftover socket lying around and went "whatever".  I myself had a NEMA 10-50 in my stocks; I threw it in the trash rather than risk someone installing it.

You cannot ever use NEMA 10 except to repair a broken outlet in dryer or range circuits which predate 1989. Anytime you see a grounded with neutral location with NEMA 10, it was installed NEMA 14 and foolishly rolled back to NEMA 10 socket because an appliance arrived with a NEMA 10 plug. The proper procedure is to change the plug to NEMA 14.

Your all-metal EMT pipe has two #10 hot wires, a perfectly acceptable ground (The pipe itself) and a useless dunsel of a ground in the #12 green wire. Fortunately, redundant grounds are not illegal, so you can just ground it to the box and the panel and forget about it.  Can't hurt, might help.

Your wiring can support any of the following connectors: NEMA. 6-15, NEMA 6-20, and NEMA 6-30, however you must change the breaker to the corresponding amperage.   (Due to a special exception a 20A breaker is allowed on a dual NEMA 6-15 socket; however it's illegal to put a 6-15 plug on a 16A charger.)

Your charger, at 16A, is right on the line between needing a 20A plug or a 30A plug.  Consult the instructions.  Set your socket and breaker to match.


Using "interior" door lever on an exterior door

I did exactly that because I was always getting locked out. The finish on an exterior knob/handle may not last as long if used as an exterior knob/handle. I have a storm door with glass so that's not a concern for me. If someone is trying to break in they'll have a harder time with the deadbolt than the door knob.


How can I hide the wires to a self-made ceiling light fixture?

You can get a condiment cup or similar and just drill a hole in the middle of the bottom. Here's one, that runs $1.50, but there will likely be about a billion to choose from, so you can surely find the right diameter somewhere.


Why does my remote control garage door opener not work when garage door is closed?

I find that stucco homes have this problem because of the metal mesh in the walls act like a faraday cage.
You may be able to extend the antenna to the exterior of the garage and it will work better.


How to cut exact and identical rectangles with a circular saw?

Try this little trick.

Cut two rectangles from your plywood an inch or two larger than what you want your finished pieces to be.  Be sure one face of these rectangles are a straight factory edge.
Now stack the two pieces together and clamp them with the factory edges one on top of the other, nice and flush.
Scribe a perfectly square line using a builders square perpendicular to the factory edge on both sides separated by the dimension you want the piece to be.
Now take a perfectly straight piece of wood and clamp it onto the surface exactly at the dimension of the distance of the edge of your blade to the edge of the saw frame. You now have created a guide to run your saw against while making a cut through both pieces of plywood at the same time.
Repeat this procedure on the other side.
For the last cut parallel to the factory edge, measure precisely the distance and mark on either side, draw a line between the marks. This line should be square to the end cuts and parallel to the factory edge.
Now reattach the cutting guide at the blade to frame dimension as you did for the edges and cut both pieces at once again.

You have now made three cuts, two at a 90 degree to the factory edge and one parallel to the factory edge.  Since both pieces were cut at the same time, they should be identical.


How can I improve the drainage rate from a new walk-in shower?

Changing the pitch would do little. It sounds like it may not be vented correctly.


Is the transformer bad on my Central Air Conditioner?

I am going to take a stab at this but keep in mind I am a control guy not an HVACR guy.

First let me say a thermostat is nothing more than a set of switches. Your RC is the source side of the power, your C is the return, G and Y turn on your fan and compressor respectively. It doesn't get any easier than that.

So what we want to do is isolate the problem. First we need to take a voltage reading at the transformer (not the thermostat). In order for any voltage reading mean anything the Common side of the transformer must be grounded. Looking at your previous post I can see a ground lug at your top right. That's where we take our reading. form the xfmr (transformer) Common post (C) to the ground lug. You should be reading zero. Any other reading and you need to ground the C to the ground lug.

Now that that is done you need to take a reading at the xfmr's secondary side. It should read 24VAC between the C and the RC, and it should read 24VAC from RC to the ground lug. If you don't get 24VAC then you have a bad xfmr.

If you do get 24VAC you then need to move to the T'stat. Take the reading between the RC and C. If do not get 24VAC there you know it's the wiring between the Air Handler and the T'stat.

If you do get 24VAC then you have isolated your problem to the T'stat and beyond. If you take a small jumper and touch the RC to the G you should here the fan come on, and if you then touch it from the RC to the Y you should here the compressor engage. Now set the T'stat so that the AC will come on automatically. Watch and observe, does it work?

Now you have totally isolated your problem. If both the fan and the compressor come on, the problem is in your T'stat. If either the fan or the compressor doesn't come on then you know you have some other problem down line from the T'stat and that is when I would call a contractor for help.

The problem with your initial readings is that they only show you know how to use a meter. Without the secondary side of the transformer grounded you have no reference, so all you are reading is a floating voltage. I am not saying the system will not work with out a ground. I am saying you can't take any meter readings to analyse you system.

So go through and isolate the problem. Then repair or replace.

Good luck.


The easiest thing would be to rip it on a table saw with the angle and depth set correctly.


Separating 2 Light Switches (1 is a 3 way) Hardwired Together

The 3 way switch on the left is hooked up right and the back stab on the back of it provides power to the switch on the right and then continues on somewhere else.. It looks like the switch on the right is a 3 way and is wired for single action. You want to get rid of the backstab on the left switch by pigtailing it to the wire under the black screw and to a small piece of #12 awg then to the switch. Your new switch "line" will be the wire pigtailed from the 3 way switch which fed your old switch and the "load" will be the other wire from the old switch. If you need a neutral for your new switch, connect it to the white wires under the blue wire nut. If there is a ground wire on your new switch connect it to one of the screws on the back of the box.


Comparison of dual function breakers brands

The only "documented" comparisons you will find will come from the manufacturers themselves comparing their products against the others, the value of which becomes immediately suspect. For the most part, UL listing dictates that they all follow the same basic rule and pass the same tests. Everything after that is opinion and people's opinions tend to be formed by their personal experiences. I have installed all of the major manufacturer's products and quite honestly, there isn't a hair's width difference in them in them from a hardware standpoint. The biggest differences come in the form of availability in your area and customer service, which will also vary by location. I would ask around at your available suppliers as to what they carry in stock then ask neighbors about their experiences in terms of customer service.

In my opinion the article on differences between GFCI breakers and GFCI receptacles is a little disingenuous. They refer to breakers not having to meet the same requirements, but then go on to say that one of those is the "line to load reversal" test. Swapping line and load is something that is impossible to do on a plug-in breaker! They also go on about the possible failure modes, but a breaker is ALREADY a disconnecting device, so there is no need to do a redundant test on its ability to disconnect.


To insulate a hollow door - I guess you could try to fill it with insulating material.  You might be able to drill holes in the attic side and fill it with expanding foam.  You might also just make a mess and wreck the door.  Depending how it's made and how patient you are, you might be able to fill it with cellulose insulation.
I have seen attic doors insulated by affixing insulation to the attic side of the door.  One place that was insulated a long time ago, they basically built a 3" deep box out of Masonite or hardy board and filled it with cellulose insulation.  Another I think they just glued a thick sheet of foam insulation to the door.
The old one, the attic door opened into the stairwell but there was enough room between the stairwell wall and the back of the door that the box of insulation didn't interfere with opening the door.  The newer one, if I remember right, the attic door opened into the 2nd floor hallway so interference was not an issue.
If you had an interference issue, you might be able to fix something that's not solid like a bat of fiberglass or rock wool, that would compress when you opened the door and hopefully spring back when you shut the door.
And of course in any case you can't go wrong weatherstripping the door to eliminate drafts.


What is the liquid in a Radon U-tube Manometer?

It is oil of a specific density to correspond to the scale. I believe red is one density and blue another, at least for Dwyer manometers. I'm fairly sure replacement oil is available. If you don't care about the accurate reading and only that the fan is working, you could just use plain mineral oil, but you should post a notice next to the gauge that the oil is non-standard and what the last known good reading of the new oil was. I wouldn't use vegetable oil as it may get rancid.


Why does only one light burn out constantly

Both of those answers may be correct.
It is most likely that the arcing would be in the socket itself.  Obviously heat generated in the junction box is not as likely to damage the bulb as heat generated between the bulb and the socket.  And if the circuit wiring were involved, other bulbs would be burning out too (from excessive ultra fast "flickering").  In that regard, a common problem is that the "tab" in the middle of the socket can get compressed so that the light bulb is not making good contact with that tab when you screw it in.  Needless to say, screwing the bulb tighter and tighter will, over time, make the situation worse.  Fortunately, it's an easy fix, BUT you must turn off the lights ...and if you are not comfortable with electricity, turn off the breaker.

Turn OFF the light.
Using an insulated (or taped up) flat head screw driver, poke up inside the socket and press against the end of the tab so that it bends slightly outward toward you.

If there is a loose connection that is arcing, that is serious.  If you can't find the problem, install an AFCI circuit breaker and monitor the situation by bypassing different connections to see if one of them trips the AFCI.


Completely removing/hiding wall switches

A perfect drywall job isn't an option, as you're not allowed to cover junction boxes or otherwise render them inaccessible.

In the case of those switches which share a box with switches for other lights, you can find partial blank plates. However, these won't accomplish your goal of cleaning up the walls.

In all cases you can nut the broken circuit legs together in a permanent fashion, but again, this alone doesn't accomplish your goal.

Unless you can access the wire routes to completely remove the wiring back to the upstream box, you're more or less out of luck.


Will standing topped off tree trunks work for holding up a building structure?

The main concern here is not the load bearing capacity of the stumps, (which will not be a problem) but obviously the rotting of the wood over time. Essentially rot, is caused by moisture loving Fungi and Bacteria which feed off the wood. So if you can keep the moisture of the wood down, there is no real problem.

With that in mind, if the stump was enveloped by the structure of the house, and there was no run-off onto that area from rain, I would comfortably say that the stump would last the lifetime of the structure. you can further improve the situation if the wood is of a rot-resistant species like cedar, locust, cypress, oak etc.  and then the diameter of the stumps would also play a part.

If you can, it may be a good idea to dig a few inches around each stump and lay a cement casing around each stump under the ground to ensure that any ground moisture does not affect the wood.

termites, wood cracking, and new shoots may also be a hindrance if they are not controlled also.

So the simple answer (and a bit of a cop out) ... If you can control the moisture. it will work. if not. based on the lay of the land, wood species, stump thickness, climate etc... the stump will begin to deteriorate from the word go...


Your tool and your compressor both have (or should have, but they probably do) ratings in "Standard Cubic Feet Per Minute" (SCFM) possibly stated just as CFM.

The compressor SCFM needs to be equal to or greater than that of the tool to operate the tool continuously.

Small "homeowner-grade" compressors are often not rated for continuous operation at all (they will overheat if asked to supply their maximum SCFM for more than 10 or 20 minutes at a time.) Industrial compressors are more typically designed to operate continuously for long periods without failure.


Putting up a curtain rail on a dormer wall

Windows need framing around them, to support the hole-in-the-wall the window represents.  This means that support framing (IF you have wooden framing) will be immediately to the left, right and above the window, within the first several inches.

Small test nailings can be done in the area in question, just deep enough to prove wood-or-not.  Drillings with small bits can accomplish the same thing, as well as making a pilot hole for a screw.

Failing-finding-wood, anchors of various configurations will support the screw(s) in drywall (also known as plasterboard, wallboard, gypsum board, or gyprock), such as:


First off, since you're working in your service equipment, I'd have the power company cut the power to your place for the duration if I were in your shoes (thanks to smart metering, many electric utilities can even do this remotely -- call them and ask).  You'll also need a pair of BRFP filler plates to blank out the opening in the box the breaker will no longer be occupying -- you can order these in at your local electrical supply house, and something (an appropriately-sized screw lug connector or four is ideal, although a thick wrap of electrical tape will do the job in a pinch) for insulating the ends of the feeder wires so they don't contact something else live in the box.

Once you have all the materials and the power cut -- remove the deadfront from the panel, then unscrew the terminals (two on the breaker, one on the neutral bar, and possibly one on the ground bar as well depending on the age of the feeder and how it is bonded) for the feeder wires in question and pull the wires out of the terminals, insulating their ends as you go.  Install the feeder plates into the deadfront openings corresponding to the removed breaker then reattach the deadfront.  Finally, have the power company turn the power back on.

If you don't want to fiddle with all this, of course, you could simply turn the breaker off, lock it in the "off" position to keep some knave from turning it on behind your back mid-demolition, and mark it clearly as "unused".


running underground electric service to shed on concrete slab

If you decide to use EMT in ground it will need to be buried 18” per NEC table 300.5.
You can bring the EMT up through the slab and bottom plate if you want . I bring conduit into buildings this way quite often. Make sure to allow for your disconnect many jurisdictions require it on the exterior of the structure.
You can bring the conduit up just outside the structure.
EMT coming through concrete is ok per NEC 358.10.B.1
My recommendation would be to run pvc underground and schedule 80 when you come up through the slab if not inside a wall, inside a wall schedule 40.
why pvc? Emt even though it is galvanized will rust out and EMT / concrete / earth although allowed sets up the ideal conditions to rust out so it will not last as long as PVC.  I have had rigid that I installed rust out but I have been doing this since the 70’s.


Why has my bathroom cold water tap (but no others) stopped working?

We just had this happen - there was an airlock in the cold water pipe to that tap. As the tab was a mixer (two knobs, one spout), a simple solution is to put your thumb over the end of the spout, open the cold water completely (nothing happens) and then turn the hot water on. Blocking the spout means the hot water is routed back up the cold pipe, eliminating the air lock.

Use a cloth/rag if your hot water is too hot to keep your thumb over the end - it takes a minute or two.


What are the allowable ways to wire a kitchen range hood? (USA)

TL;DR: Put it on its own circuit or on a lighting circuit, but never on a kitchen receptacle circuit

Your options here are to put it on its own circuit (always works, but takes up panel space) or to put it on a lighting circuit (always works for hardwired hoods, may work for cord-and-plug connected hoods, ask your inspector for details).

Putting it on a kitchen receptacle circuit won't work

A receptacle within a cabinet and/or presumably greater than 5.5' off the ground falls outside the ambit of NEC 210.52 altogether, due to points 3 and 4 in NEC 210.52 proper:

  210.52 Dwelling Unit Receptacle Outlets. This section
  provides requirements for 125-volt, 15- and 20-ampere receptacle outlets. The receptacles required by this section shall be in
  addition to any receptacle that is:

  (1) Part of a luminaire or appliance, or

  (2) Controlled by a wall switch in accordance with
  210.70(A)(1), Exception No. 1, or

  (3) Located within cabinets or cupboards, or

  (4) Located more than 1.7 m (5 1∕2 ft) above the floor

As a result of this, it would violate NEC 210.52(B)(2) to place the range hood receptacle on a kitchen receptacle circuit, as Exception 2 does not apply to most hoods (the hood would have to be an integral part of the range for the exception to be usable):

  (B) Small Appliances.

  (1) Receptacle Outlets Served. In the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, dining room, or similar area of a dwelling unit, the
  two or more 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits
  required by 210.11(C)(1) shall serve all wall and floor receptacle outlets covered by 210.52(A), all countertop outlets covered
  by 210.52(C), and receptacle outlets for refrigeration equipment.

  Exception No. 1: In addition to the required receptacles specified by
  210.52, switched receptacles supplied from a general-purpose branch
  circuit as defined in 210.70(A)(1), Exception No. 1, shall be permitted.

  Exception No. 2: In addition to the required receptacles specified by
  210.52, a receptacle outlet to serve a specific appliance shall be permitted to be supplied from an individual branch circuit rated 15 amperes or greater.

  (2) No Other Outlets. The two or more small-appliance
  branch circuits specified in 210.52(B)(1) shall have no other
  outlets.

  Exception No. 1: A receptacle installed solely for the electrical supply to
  and support of an electric clock in any of the rooms specified in
  210.52(B)(1).

  Exception No. 2: Receptacles installed to provide power for supplemental equipment and lighting on gas-fired ranges, ovens, or counter-mounted cooking units.

Plugging it into a receptacle on a lighting circuit may or may not work, your inspector has to make a call on that

This option falls outside of NEC 422.16(B)(4) point 5:

  (4) Range Hoods. Range hoods shall be permitted to be cord-and-plug-connected with a flexible cord identified as suitable
  for use on range hoods in the installation instructions of the
  appliance manufacturer, where all of the following conditions
  are met:

  (1) The flexible cord is terminated with a grounding-type
  attachment plug.

  Exception: A listed range hood distinctly marked to identify it as protected by a system of double insulation shall not be required to be terminated with a grounding-type attachment plug.

  (2) The length of the cord is not less than 450 mm (18 in.)
  and not over 1.2 m (4 ft).

  (3) Receptacles are located to protect against physical
  damage to the flexible cord.

  (4) The receptacle is accessible.

  (5) The receptacle is supplied by an individual branch
  circuit.

However, since NEC 422.16(B)(4) says "shall be permitted", it basically means that the inspector must allow a cord-and-plug connected range hood that meets the parameters given, but may allow one that falls outside it; given that most reasonably-sized domestic range hoods draw less than 7.5A, having them share a branch circuit with other devices won't run afoul of 210.23(A):

  (A) 15- and 20-Ampere Branch Circuits. A 15- or 20-ampere
  branch circuit shall be permitted to supply lighting units or
  other utilization equipment, or a combination of both, and
  shall comply with 210.23(A)(1) and (A)(2).

  Exception: The small-appliance branch circuits, laundry branch
  circuits, and bathroom branch circuits required in a dwelling unit(s) by
  210.11(C)(1), (C)(2), and (C)(3) shall supply only the receptacle
  outlets specified in that section.

  (1) Cord-and-Plug-Connected Equipment Not Fastened in
  Place. The rating of any one cord-and-plug-connected utilization equipment not fastened in place shall not exceed
  80 percent of the branch-circuit ampere rating.

  (2) Utilization Equipment Fastened in Place. The total rating
  of utilization equipment fastened in place, other than luminaires, shall not exceed 50 percent of the branch-circuit ampere
  rating where lighting units, cord-and-plug-connected utilization
  equipment not fastened in place, or both, are also supplied.

This means that hardwiring them to a lighting circuit is also a viable option, provided your hood supports a hardwired connection. If I were to  cord-and-plug connect a hood to a lighting circuit, by the way, I would use a single receptacle instead of a duplex receptacle -- this makes clear that this is a dedicated receptacle for a single appliance, not a general purpose receptacle to plug whatever into.

Other hood tips

One of the biggest mistakes made with range hoods is oversizing -- even a "commercial" range in a residence doesn't need a commercial-sized hood capable of sucking well in excess of 500cfm of air out of the house.  Keep in mind that a commercial range hood is being used 6-12 hours a day, with the cooking appliance(s) under it being used continuously during that time, and has to meet OSHA standards for exposure to cooking smoke during that entire time because a line cook in a restaurant is exposed to that day-in, day-out, while your house has none of these issues to contend with.

Furthermore, a range hood that size needs special consideration regarding make-up air to avoid hazardous backdrafting of atmospheric combustion appliances in even a modestly tight house.  As a result, it's much better to use a smaller hood fan (200-300cfm is fine) with a hood system that has good capture efficiency and low static pressure loss in the ductwork than a larger hood with poor capture efficiency.


Connecting to water line stubs left at construction

All looks fine to me. 1-1/2" drain, 1/2" supplies. Just turn off the water at the appropriate point and cut off all three caps. I'm not sure what the sleeves are for over the supplies, but I'd remove them.

Don't forget to put a standard sink drain trap in to block sewer gases.


How can I remove graffiti from painted walls?

I think your best bet is to just paint over it/re-paint the wall.  On exterior concrete/brick walls it is easy to power wash or sandblast it - the goal is to remove everything. However neither of these will work inside - aside from the mess they'd create, they'd probably take more then just the paint off your walls!

You might find some chemicals to help remove it, but because spray paint is paint afterall, you will undoubtedly damage the paint underneeth it.  Permanent Markers can often be removed with Isopropyl alcohol if the markings are relatively new - you might have some luck with this on the spray paint too. However, with markers, generally speaking, the longer you leave it, the more difficult it is to remove.

By the time you get this stuff off, fix the wall, re-paint the parts that need it, you'd probably would have spent more time then just repainting.


what options do i have dealing with a chimney downdraft

The first thing to check is. Do you have a backflow preventing Cowl on the Chimney. These are quite effective in preventing backflow into your chimney.

But the real problem is that you are getting a high pressure against your second story wall which is butting against your chimney pipe. Its a natural progression that the wind buffeting the wall will want to flow down the chimney.  Besides the chimney extension to a point outside of the high pressure zones created by the building structure. you could possibly put an elbow on the current chimney to move as far away from the wall as possible.


How to insulate around heater exhaust vent pipe?

The pipe looks newer if it is double wall it could be sealed using fiberglass insulation with the foil on the outside (paper) not touching the pipe. If it is single wall rock wool would be the product I would use. Wrap insulation around pipe and slide to the opening.


Does anyone know if this is a Ethernet jack or a phone line?

I'd say it's a six-conductor eight-pin RJ-type connector, which means it is not Ethernet. It's likely a (multi-line?) phone connection.


Are stainless steel garage cabinets suitable for unheated garage?

Rust is only really a concern if there is water or very high humidity. Temperature doesn't have anything to do with it. In fact the Northeast gets quite dry during the winter so you should have no problems (assuming the garage does not leak).

Proper care of your tools will help prevent rust. E.g. for hand tools you can give them a quick wipe with tool oil now and then, and remove any surface rust if it appears.

A stainless steel cabinet should be resistant to rust anyway, although different grades of stainless steel are better about that than others.


This panel might be OK as a subpanel, but it will be rather limited by breaker compatibility issues...
What you have here is a rather...ancient GE panel; in fact, it is ancient enough that it dates back to before the modern "double stuff" breaker type in the GE Q-line (the THQP).  Instead, it calls out the thoroughly obsolete and unobtainable type TR breaker as its "double stuff" breaker type, which means that you are restricted to full-width single-pole breakers.  Furthermore, it is old enough that it dates back to well before current generations of the THQL breaker design (we can tell because it calls out type TQL breakers for the single pole, with type TR tandem breakers), so you may run into issues installing new-production THQL (issue RTxxx or newer) breakers; the only way to tell I know of is to try it and see if the breakers seat down fully on the stab.
This issue is better documented in this DIYChatroom post, with the pertinent parts quoted below for posterity:

GE changed the way they set the breaker's seating height. In my panel, you push the breaker down until the top of the molded slot rests on the stab. TQL breakers, THQL Issue UOxxx (probably MJxxx, NExxx and others too), and also Siemens QP and Eaton BR, can work this way, because they all have the same slot profile.
Recent panels have a ridge of insulating material next to the stab; the bottom of the breaker's case rests on the ridge. The stab is not as tall. It doesn't penetrate the breaker as deep. All the above breakers (except TQL which somehow doesn't quite fit) can be mounted. Also Issue RT-xxx of THQL, which doesn't fit the old bus because it can't accommodate the tall stab. Issue RT-xxx is all you will find in retail stock.

Note that even if current issue THQL breakers do not fit in your panel, you should still be able to use UL classified Eaton type CL breakers in it; however, this limits you to 50A branch circuits overall, and also means you can't get dual-function breakers, two-pole arc or ground fault breakers, or other sorts of exotica for that matter.  These limitations may or may not matter specifically to you, but would weigh against retaining this panel if I were in your shoes, especially considering that it will become surplus to need in any case.
But you do need to evict the aliens if you wish to keep it, though!
If you wish to keep this old soldier of a panel in service, you will need to evict all the alien breakers, though; while Eaton BR and Square D Homeline breakers appear to fit, they are not the correct breaker types for this panel and using them can lead to trouble with the breaker-to-busbar contact system down the road.  As I said before, while new THQL breakers may not fit, used or "new old stock" THQL breakers should still work, and so should Eaton CL breakers that are UL classified for GE panels.
As to how it was used in three phase service (or not used, as it turns out)
As folks may have noticed, the OP's loadcenter is nominally a single-phase, three-wire panelboard, yet it was used in a three-phase, four-wire application.  How? The key in most situations, albeit not the OP's, lies in the rightmost of the panel's three wiring diagrams, where it depicts what is known as a delta breaker being applied in this panel.  These oddball breakers are three-pole breakers, but with two jaws and a pigtail for the line-side connection instead of having three jaws, like a normal three pole breaker.  (The closest thing in appearance to a delta breaker in today's usage is a two-pole switching neutral breaker, but those are different internally as there is no overcurrent trip in the neutral pole.)
In this setup, the two line side jaws connected to the panel busbars, which provided the A and C phases in a 120/240V, 3-phase, 4-wire, high leg delta service, while the pigtail was hooked up to the incoming B phase (high leg), allowing a three-phase load to be powered alongside normal single-phase loads, such as when a three-phase air conditioning compressor or a small amount of three-phase machinery was to be powered from the same service that supplied normal single-phase lighting and power loads.
However, delta breakers had several usage limitations, one of the main ones being that they cannot be correctly used if a two-pole main breaker or main switch is upstream of them.  In particular, what would happen if you tried to use a delta breaker downstream of a two-pole main device is that the busses would stay live with the main shutoff and the delta breaker left on, as the B phase (power/high/wild leg) would backfeed the remaining phases (legs) of the service via the three-phase load.
Fortunately, the fact you had a separate main disconnect in the form of a fused switch kept this from being an issue; in fact, it does not appear that your panel ever had any delta breakers in it.  Instead, the three-phase feeder to the AC disconnect was (likely improperly) tapped at the main safety switch, bypassing this panel entirely and allowing it to serve as a single-phase panel fed by the two lighting legs (A and C phases) of your high-leg delta service.
While it was possible to safely use them in main-lug subpanels fed from three-phase main panels or main shutoffs (such as if the B phase was fed to your panel first instead of bypassing it on its way to the air conditioner), in "rule of six" split-bus main panels, or in a backfed main breaker configuration using a delta breaker as the main breaker and spliced pigtails to distribute the B phase, the misapplication issues encountered in main breaker applications, along with the deprecation of the "rule of six" as applied to split-bus loadcenters, mean that delta breakers are no longer permitted to be used in panelboards atop being long-discontinued items.
Nowadays, the notion of the high leg delta itself is almost obsolete; three-phase combination lighting and power services are run at 208Y/120V, using designed-for-purpose three-phase, four-wire distribution equipment, despite the losses it entails when running resistive loads, as 208Y/120V can be subdivided (for say a multi-unit building, or multiple buildings on a single transformer bank) in a balanced fashion even when individual buildings are being fed with split phase service (120/208V 2 phase 3 wire service is commonly provided in dense areas or for individual tenant spaces/units in high-rises and other dense buildings), vs the intentional imbalance of a high leg delta configuration, and also does not introduce the equipment-damage risks that are present in a high-leg delta service due to the fact the "high leg" runs at 208V phase to ground and thus will damage 120V devices if it is accidentally used to power a single-phase circuit.


Cover all walls of the bathroom with bathroom tiles?

lol lol Walls don't breathe and you already have them completly covered, with drywall mud and paint. I don't think your friend is quite qualified to tell you anything when he has no idea what he's talking about. Tile all the walls all the way up if you want to.


Insulating and framing a basement after drain system and plastic vapor barrier installed

You can do almost anything since it should be fairly dry on the inside side of the vapor barrier.  Best would be some kind of material that can tolerate a little water and resists the flow of vapor.  Any humidity in the basement air will tend to cool when it touches the vapor barrier and condense into water on the wrong side of the vapor barrier.

Sheet XPS or PolyISO Foam with seams taped would work and be an easy DIY project.

Better would closed cell spray foam installed by a contractor.

For a lower budget option you could go with a mineral batt insulation that is vapor open but will tolerate being wet without being a food source for mold.

Fiberglass batts are probably the worst choice since they tend to degrade in moist areas.  I would not recommend them.

Do not put an additional vapor barrier on the inside side of the wall, this will just trap moisture inside the wall cavity.


What is the best way to uncover weeping holes?

Use a Plugging Chisel.

  A plugging chisel has a tapered edge
  for cleaning out hardened mortar. The
  chisel is held with one hand and
  struck with a hammer. The direction of
  the taper in the blade determines if
  the chisel cuts deep or runs shallow
  along the joint.


Small Concrete Pad with (cutoff) 1/4" x 6-in vertical steel pipes, What is this?

Was probably a ham radio antenna--the kind with a center pivot and a single pole above (sometimes called tilt-over). I had one like it on a property I owned. I  just flexed a reciprocating saw blade down to the concrete and cut them off flush.

source and more images


What diameter threaded rod to brace crotch of tree with two 12" codominant stems

A 1" grade A rod has a breaking tensile strength of 60,000 PSIsource. If the cross-sectional area of such a rod is 0.785", it'll carry ~47,100 lbs.
So, is your tree heavier than 47,100 lbs? There you go and Bob's your uncle.


Lower everything 4", that is your best option.

If that doesn't fit, then find a shorter air admittance valve and or lower the existing one as much as possible.

If that still doesn't fit, then cap the air admittance valve. Add a Tee fitting below where the sink drain connects to the vertical drain pipe. Connect a 90 degree fitting to the Tee to make a vertical pipe, then attach the air admittance valve to the top of that. You'll have a wet vent for about 6-12", but it should work correctly.


Why is my fan continuously running when A/C is selected?

It looks like the fan is programmed to be on when in cooling mode. See the programming guide for the TB8220 section “fan schedule” it’s on page 18 of the manual I found. With fan in on it runs all the time, auto only when needed then there are other settings , occ1, unocc1, occ2 and unocc2 , other than this there is a manual override of the fan schedule, so if it runs fine in heat mode but you don’t like the choice in cooling mode you will need to reprogram the thermostat, note if I install a electrostatic filter in a home the default setting to keep the pollen and dust free in the summer is on all the time so I would check for an electrostatic filter just prior to the air handler, if you have one they need to be washed down every month or so based on how much your unit is picking up, once the grid wires are full they don’t catch the dust and pollen, I put the grid in the shower and a hot water rinse is all that is normally needed, if there are smokers in the home a spray with simple green will cut the tar but it may take 2 cycles to get nice clean wires. Let air dry then reinstall, note even with an electrostatic filter there should be at minimum a fiberglass filter prior to the electrostatic to pick up the big particles.


How do I fix a plastic gate that will not close when hot?

There is a pretty sizeable gap within the hinges themselves.  I would definitely swap out those screws for flat head screws (and probably countersink the hinge while I have it off).  Then remove as much gap as necessary with adjustment, assuming you can remove enough.  That's what the adjustment is for, so that's the best and cheapest fix if there is enough play.


Buzzing sound relates to domestic fuse problem, or bigger issue?

Leakage in the breaker (it's not a fuse) It produces enough heat to start a fire. I found one one where the heat was so intense it broke the plastic covers on the stove and main brakers. The aluminum feeds were so hot the insulation had melted off of them.
I replaced the feeds with copper (screw that aluminum) and the two breakers, no problem.
The breakers are available at Home Depot or Lowes. Turn off the main before swapping any breakers. The ones marked 200 are the mains. Be deliberate in what you do think before you do it.


It has been proven in recent years that chlorine (bleach) does not kill mold, especially on porous surfaces.  It hurts it a bit, but really just bleaches it out so you don't see it.  That's why it comes back so quickly. The mold remediation industry no longer uses it and strongly advises against it. Here's one site (I just googled, do not know these people):
http://www.countyservicesinc.com/bleach-myth.php

Sheet rock is one of mold's favorite foods and is quite porous - so if there is mold in a piece, it should be replaced.  Kilz might contain it on other surfaces, but it will grow inside sheetrock and can spread to an area that isn't Kilz'ed, so I'd say "no" in this instance.

Also, in reference to James's statement ... chlorine does kill bacteria - but mold is a fungus.


Why has my 10 year old ceiling fan suddenly started shocking me through the fan pull chain?

DANGER!!!
This sounds like a ground fault. They are particularly dangerous if you get wet, which is why Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters have been required for many years in kitchens and bathrooms, among other places.
If you have shoes on, you are insulated from the floor. Without shoes, a little bit of electricity makes its way from the fan through you to the floor. A little bit of electricity can be fatal if it passes through your heart, so this is a serious problem.
Why would a fan suddenly have this problem? Hard to say for sure, but anything with moving parts can have a small problem - e.g., a moving part of the motor rubbing on insulation - eventually become a big problem.
As much as we all like to have things last "forever", the reality is that many appliances, small and large, typically last in the range of 10 - 15 years. Sometimes, as with televisions and other electronics, they become obsolete. But with many other devices they simply wear out.
While the problem may be repairable, unless this is a high-end fan I don't think it is worth the effort and the risk of not quite fixing it correctly. This is particularly the case since fans are normally hardwired but not on GFCI, so there is no easy "early warning system" as there would be if you simply plugged it into a GFCI receptacle.


Is this mold growing on my shower ceiling?

I doubt that scraping paint of the celling would upset anyone, unless someone has hearing devices on your celling :) I suggest that you scrap it off, clean the surface with bleach or something like that and then repaint it. But the real question is what is causing this mold? My first guess is that you are not ventilating, or not ventilating bathroom enough and this is causing humidity, leading to mold. If paint on the wall is washable, maybe you can go without scraping, just with bleaching and venting.


Your light switch is not grounded and neither is the plastic box. You do have a ground wire in the box. It's the bare copper wires wire nutted together. To ground a switch, you'd need to get a piece of 14 AWG wire and connect it to the group of bare copper wires and then to the switch.
Most smart switches need a neutral, which isn't the same as a ground. The neutrals would be a group of white wires connected by a wire nut. Scrape some of the paint off the wires to make sure of the colors. Make sure the power's off before doing any work.


I ran a saw blade behind the wallplate and found a couple more nails that were hidden by the pipe and fins. After removing all the holders, I was able to lift the pipe up enough to get to the nails.


It looks by what you're saying that it would creeate a double vapor barrier (or vapor pocket), however with the materials shown, it may not create "problems" per se.

That said, I don't know why you would do it using those materials. You could easily grout a tile a shower fairly cheaply and get a more rugged finished product. Personally that's what I would do because it is the standard, easy and correct thing for a shower...

Having said that, you could also just use your liquid sealant layer and heavily coat your motor board and get an equally water-proof later.


How do I remove stuck-on stains from laminate flooring?

Very few things can "stain" a laminate floor, the top coat is non porous and made with a silicon dioxide material that is very hard.  You can scratch or gouge them, or get water between the joints that can bubble, but staining is very uncommon.

You don't say what you think the material is so it is difficult to recommend a solution.  "Melted ice cream" sounds like possible paint drips.  Try carefully scraping with a plastic putty knife or finger nail, and work up to a razor blade being extremely careful not to gouge the floor.  Once you have the majority of the material cleaned off try household cleaners, or a paint and grease remover like "Goof Off" (available in the paint section of most home stores)


What could be causing a high pitched squeak when the water is turned on?

It sounds like your problem is pipe movement.

During installation water pipe/tubing is suspended with metal tape, supported by brackets or run through holes drilled in the studs.

When the water flow abruptly starts or stops, this causes a pressure surge to run down the length of the pipe, causing it to move.

You will have to find the location where the squeak is coming from and modify the mounting so the friction causing the squeak is eliminated.

Rubber tape around the pipe under the bracket, repositioning, spray urethane foam can all be used to minimize the movement or separate the pipe from what it's rubbing against.

Installing water hammer arresters in the hot and cold runs can help absorb the pressure pulse and minimize the movement in a worst case scenario.

Our shower on the other end of the house was a good wash day indicator, creating a regular squeak symphony as the solenoid valves cycled to moderate water temperature. A couple squares of neoprene rubber and vinyl coated drive style brackets eliminated the issue by providing a semi-resilient attachment that separated the pipe from the sub-floor it was laying on.


How can I temporarily repair a lengthwise crack in an ABS drain pipe?

Tape it.
You are not proposing this kludge as a permanent fix. That's good.
The wrap-tape products are good for an emergency bodge, and that's what you are proposing, on a temporary basis. The problem with them is when they manage to stop the leak and then folks decide not to call the plumber (or do the plumbing themselves, whichever) after all.
I would also add a few stainless-steel band clamps, since the pipe is splitting, and that's a bit much to ask tape to hold. Put them over the tape.


What is this electrical junction box? (re: adding 3-way switch)

That looks like a doorbell transformer. Those smaller wires should lead to your doorbell chime unit (assuming you have a doorbell). The junction box is there simply to provide power to the doorbell transformer.

From the picture it looks like you have 12/3 and 14/2 in that box, but it is difficult to tell. How confident are you the larger wires are larger than #12?

Figure out what breaker is supplying power to that circuit. As long as it is sized appropriately for the smallest conductors on the circuit, it will be fine. For example, if that is indeed a mix of #12 and #10 copper, your breaker must be 20A or smaller.

Also as a side note, NM cables entering that metal junction box need to be secured with a cable clamp. Any unused knockout holes need to be plugged. It looks like you've got a couple of code violations there at the top of your picture.


Why does hot air from my fan heater stop after 4 to 7 seconds?

#2 is not a thermostat.  It is a thermal protection safety device, and the usual culprit in cheap Cheese heaters.  I can trip if the heater is failing and the protective device is behaving correctly, or the device has failed.

I would test it by wiring any 240V lamp, such as a small neon light(available as a component) between its terminals (parallel with it). It will act as a fault light, in normal conditions it should not light.

Don't even think of running without it.  It is an important safety device.  However you may be able to get markings off it and find a replacement on electronic component web sites in the neighborhood of 1-2 quid plus shipping.

This is a cheap heater and it should be expected to fail after a year or two.  If you can't afford cheap, buy quality.


Scratched finishing on IKEA furniture: how to fix

Kampel SeamFil seems to be an appropriate product if this is a laminate finish.  I'm looking for some myself.
If it's a paint finish, a thick touchup paint might work. Small brush applied.


What is the proper procedure for spray painting metal and plastic?

I did spraypaint a computer case a few years ago. It was glossy and I could see my reflection in it, but not as scratch-resistant as I hoped.

Question 1: You need to scuff to remove the smoothness of the steel and plastic to give the primer a surface to stick to. No need to go back to the bare metal.

Question 2: It depends how smooth you want your final result to be. Your end-result will be as good as your priming job. Prime, wet-sand with 1000grit paper, dry, repeat. I did this until I had removed all the "orange peel" feeling to my surface. (Took 6 or 7 coats) I used store-brand automotive primer and paint.

Question 3: This process give the smooth finish. The more coats/sanding you do, the smoother and glossier it will be. I used 1000grit for the first 3 coats, and then 2000grit for another 3 coats of paint.

The ??? step:

Apply a few coats of clear coating. That's what I didn't do back then.
When dry, polish it with car wax.


repair worn fittings / material
make oversize holes and use oversize bolts
install cross-bracing
...


Can I fill cinder blocks with soil/dirt?

It wouldn't be recommended if you are in an area where it will freeze. The dirt will hold moisture, and when it freezes could split the block. Really not a big deal for a planter bed, but it can happen. If it never freezes, have at it, it will not be a problem.


What causes this glass shower door hinge separation

It looks to me that the hinge is secured to the wall bracket with screws that enter from the wall side of the bracket. If this is the case it would be necessary to remove the screws that hold the wall bracket to the wall in order to gain access to tighten these screws that come loose.

You may want to consider the use of a thread locker product on the threads of the screws that are coming loose. This type of product comes as a thick liquid that you apply to the threads before assembly and then it dries/sets up to help bond the screw into the mating part. You should be able to get thread locker from most auto parts stores and well stocked hardware stores. One well known brand is LocTite.

Before applying the thread locker do clean the screw threads because in a shower application like this there could be a soapy deposit on the screws.

It is hard to say what the cause of the hinge screws coming loose would be. A common reason is vibration in the hinge assembly. It is possible that due to the weight of the glass door on the hinge assembly creates a low level of vibration each time the door is open and closed. From your picture the top part of the hinge has a metal to metal tight contact that could probably use some lubrication (the right side in the rotated picture) to reduce the chance of vibration from occurring.

Update: Removing and Reinstalling Door

You really do want to have a helper to hold the door steady as you remove the screws from the corners of the wall plates. The best advice here is to work out some strategy to place some support under the bottom edge of the door that holds it up just at the correct height. This should support the bottom when the door is in a position that is at right angles to the wall. Such support should be at both the bottom corner near the wall and the other bottom corner of the door. It may be necessary craft up something made with wedges, paint stirring sticks and small blocks of wood. Since this is most likely the nominally "closed" position of the door these supports may very well need to work in conjunction with the lower frame or threshold of the door.

When the door is in the supported position it should be possible to access the corner screws of the wall plates. With the door properly supported the wall plate screws should be able to be removed without putting any strain on the partially removed screws. You should aim to remove both hinges so that the whole door can be moved to another position while you work on that upper hinge. Another thing to consider when removing the wall plate screws is that since the door is in the "closed" position you will need two people, one inside the shower and the other on the outside to be able to work on removing the wall screws. One can hold the door while the other removes the screws on their side and then exchange roles.

Once you complete the work of securing the hinge screws from the back side of the wall plates you can reposition the door back on the supports and slide it back into position. Basically reverse the procedure that was used to remove the door to once again getting it secured to the wall.


Can you always use the Chassis as a HVAC C-wire contact point?

It is quite common for the C terminal of HVAC transformers to be bonded to the chassis. However, using the chassis as a C terminal is not a common technique, and should only be used in very rare circumstances.

I'm not sure why I would have suggested that, as it's not a "proper" wiring technique.  If you can link to the question where I said that, it might shed some light on why I said it.


Can I install tandem breakers in this panel, and would one 20 ampere circuit be enough for a garage?

Your panel is a 12/24, so every space can have a tandem or even quad breaker. That's what 12 space, 24 circuit means. In the panel schedule you may even see a line or dotted line through the middle of each breaker space.

A single 20A breaker can certainly have all that on it, but the question is should it? It all depends on what you will be running simultaneously.

I assume this garage is attached to the house?


I need a tool that hogs off stock to fix the side of a panel

The tool being used in the video is a Power Planer:

The are normally used on wood to do the same job as hand plane, but they can be used on soft metal like aluminum.

I also found this website which talks about using the tool to clean up the edge of an aluminum panel.  I've never seen this tool used on metal before your question, so I can't tell you much about it.  It seems to me it would ruin the planar knives pretty quickly.

Also, planers like this are only designed to remove at most a 1/16th of an inch of material, and I'm not sure what the max would be on aluminum.


Ok serious answer.  If in fact they are urethane, start with Dawn. If that isn't quite strong enough, step up to Barkeeper's Friend powdered cleaner.  It will clean and polish most anything and not scratch the urethane finish.


Can the fan be rewired so the fan works off the pull chain and the lights work off the switch?

The only way to know for sure, is to pull the fixture down and have a look at the wiring. If power comes from the panel to the fixture first, then this is trivial. If power goes to one of the switches first, then you're likely out of luck.

If you are lucky, and the power does go to the fixture first. Simply connect the black wire from the fan, directly to the ungrounded (hot) supply conductor. Leave the blue wire from the fan connected how it is.

As BrownRedHawk mentioned in a comment, installing a remote might suit your needs. Though you may want a remote at each switch location, which complicates the installation a bit.