How much work would be required to repair this roof?

Anything is repairable if you throw enough money at it. If you already owned this house having it repaired would be a consideration. A perspective buyer should have the current owner address this or the buyer should get an extreme discount.

A $100 inspection would provide you with a list, containing deserved discounts; the cost to replace bad wiring, plumbing; anything out of order. It's a bargaining chip, where the owner will probably fix what they can on the cheap or eventually agree to a reduced price. 50k(US) is a very rough ballpark for a roof gut, plus.


How can I add 100 amp electrical service to a shop?

reasons going to the service entrance will be difficult:

you'll have to open the meter box, and most meter boxes are tamper sealed by the electric company so you will have to involve them.
the meter box lugs are probably not sized for multiple connections.
this creates a potentially dangerous wiring setup. someone may assume that the main panel in the house covers the entire house.

i would go with connecting a subpanel to your main panel. i assume that the existing circuits in the shop go to the main panel? take them out and use the space you just freed up to wire in your subpanel.


Would running a band saw or cnc machine in my basement be safe?

My grandfather was a carpenter and when he retired he moved most of his tools into his basement. This included a drill press, bandsaw, and a very heavy full size table saw. It is definitely doable.

Drill presses and bandsaws don't generally create as much dust as sanders and routers. You can probably remove most of the dust they'd create with a well placed shop-vac. The bandsaw should have a dust collection outlet that you can hook the shop-vac up to. The drill press probably doesn't. You can also invest in a dust collection system to collect the dust and clean the air in the basement.

Depending on your particular basement, there are other things to watch out for.

Make sure you have a sufficient electric supply. You don't want to overload a circuit that was originally meant to power only a few light bulbs.

Make sure that you have room to move around tools, and to get out of the way if something goes wrong. Make sure there's room for your work too - raw materials and finished pieces. think about your ceiling height too, and imagine carrying and positioning an eight foot or longer board. You may have trouble getting full sheets of plywood down basement steps. You may have trouble getting finished furniture up those steps. I wouldn't recommend building a boat in a basement.

If your basement has moisture problems, that can lead to premature rust as well as moisture issues with wood working.


What solutions exsist to fill in the gap between the bottom of garage door and cement?

One option based on the information given is to install a heavy duty rubber stripping on the bottom of the door similar to the item shown below.

This particular photo is from Amazon but search "garage door bottom seal" and all sorts will pop up.


Why would you need insulation on the ceiling in a basement? Since the ceiling is touching a heated space itself, there is no need if you will then be using the basement too. Insulation there should be done only for soundproofing, unless you have radiant underfloor heat installed, in which case, the insulation should have been done already as part of the installation. So insulation really only offers soundproofing value. So the question is, how much noise will be generated there?

Counterbalance that with the rationale for leaving this space accessible. I've often enough needed access to the underfloor regions of my home, for wiring changes, plumbing changes, repairs, etc. So any insulation may be better done as fiberglass batts anyway.

As far as the walls go, filling the cracks is a reasonable idea, IF they are stable. If the walls have moved due to frost heaves, etc. and might continue to move, I would ensure they are stabilized before you cover the wall over. A buckling foundation wall is not something good to have under your house.


ceiling surface mount fluorescent light question

High output fluorescent lights do generate a fair amount of heat. If directly attached to a solid surface the ballast will over heat and may turn off to cool down.
The life of the light will be reduced due to the high heat. I always use 12 gauge single jack chain for mounting the 6 tube enclosed fixtures. I do have 5 or 6, 4 tube open fixtures that are directly mounted to the ceiling.
The enclosed fixtures when directly mounted shut down and some have to be power cycled to get them to restart (after finding this out all the enclosed fixtures were suspended and they worked great after that).


Fan works for heating, but not for AC, where to start?

If this is an older furnace you may have a bad relay in the furnace control box that runs the fan when the a/c is turned on. If it a newer furnace you may have a problem with the printed circuit board. A picture of the control board or the wiring of the furnace would help, along with the model, serial, and age of the equipment


Running conduit near knob and tube wiring

You could use "smurf tube" (Electrical Nonmetallic Tubing) or rigid PVC to have a non-conductive conduit. Be sure to bond any metallic conduit that is separated by such non-metallic conduit, or just use nonmetallic the whole way with ground wires. I suspect you are not supposed to contact the K&T in any case and should be securing the wires or conduit to prevent such contact.


Installing an electrical outlet in my attic?

If the cable is feeding a typical residential circuit, and if it's not already at legal capacity (which is fairly flexible in many cases), and if there's no other weirdness at play, yes.

If you're not lucky enough to have two feet of slack you may need to use two junction boxes. Cut the wire between two boxes and pull it into each of them. Run a new length of wire between, and splice in your new outlet leg from one box. It's more or less blacks to blacks and whites to whites. Junction boxes must remain accessible. Secure all cables appropriately (and within a foot of each box).


Should I be concerned if there is a small gap in the mortar when tiling?

The way I read your question is that due to some misalignment in the tiles, they were removed and some of the mortar was removed and the tiles replaced with a gap underneath. If the gap was filled when the tiles were pushed horizontally, you'll be fine. If a sizable gap remained, you could have a problem with the tile cracking if you step on it just right, heel to tile. Once the mortar has dried knock on the tile and listen for a hollow sound, which would indicate an air gap. Make sure you keep a number of extra tiles incase you do develop a problem.


Replacing light bulb in an external light

It should unscrew, CCW of course. And, before you screw it back in, put wax from a candle on the thread of both the glass and metal part and tighten with little pressure.


Jumper wire on a light switch box and I'm not sure what else

The jumper between switches is fine, but you need to fix that grounding
The jumper carrying always-hot from switch to switch is considered normal practice in the US, but your switches need to be grounded, and because they're mounted to a plastic box, that must occur via ground wires as the switches can't pick up ground from the box.  So, you'll need to use a proper wirenut (one of the 8-port push-in units will definitely do the trick) to bundle all those grounding wires from your cables together with 12AWG grounding pigtails from the green switch grounding screws.


Plansnow.com is a great place to look.  The plans are in color, have cutlists and step-by-step instructions.  That's where I started when I built my first shop furniture.  They are plans from the Woodsmith and ShopNotes magazines.


I'd wonder if the GFCI is detecting a fault in the wiring coming into the outlet.  The first step is to verify it's the power by unplugging from the metered base.  The next step, for me at least, would be to verify the GFCI in the meter with a simple tester that includes the GFCI button on the side (assuming it's a 110v style plug, not sure if they make them for 220v).

Make sure your extension cords are a high enough gauge to handle that distance for the number of amps you expect to pull, and be sure to replace them if they are showing any wear.

And if all else fails, replace the outlet (taking careful note of which side the wires are feeding the outlet, and which lines may be daisy chained off of the old GFCI so you can rewire it the same way).

Edit: [From your comment on the extension cord.]

Corrosion could have been the problem.  GFCI detects a leak in current, not necessarily going to ground.  So if there is a bad connection due to corrosion, that might appear to be a leak.  Also, realize that most fires are caused by arcing, and so AFCI are becoming common, which will detect more than GFCI.  That may be what's in the RV, and the reason it caught the issue before the base receptacle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc-fault_circuit_interrupter


How can I pull a wire through a pipe that has too many turns for fish tape?

This technique worked great.  I tied a string to the cord, tied a plastic bag to the string, and sucked that bag right through the pipe using a vacuum cleaner.

Just be a little cautious: the bag can travel through the pipe in a blink of an eye, and you might not want to have to fish the bag out of the vacuum.

Once the bag is through, pull the cord through, and untie the string.


Do deck footings need to be spaced evenly?

Yes, it's common to have deck posts at irregular intervals for various reasons--basement windows and doors, landscape features, sidewalks, etc. The important consideration is that each span is designed properly for load. It may be the case that you have beams of differing size.


How to remove old single-hole kitchen faucet

Some interaction between the center threaded rod with the slot in it and the outer tube is what holds "C" clamp in place. I would try holding the center rod with a large flat blade screwdriver in the slot and loosening the tube with pliers by turning the rod CCW. If that doesn't work, then try turning the rod CW and see if this releases the outer tube.

The outer plastic nuts just unscrew.


Can I use self-leveling concrete on a very not-level surface?

Why bother with self-leveling cement?   Just use regular cement and a long straightedge to make it flat.   Note that most of the smoothness of regular cement mix comes from working it with a "cement float" to work out the bubbles and help bring the "cream" to the surface.


Generally speaking, light fixtures are limited due to a housing (creating a confined space), or flammable material near the bulb  (such as a lamp shade). In the case of a simple "keyless" socket, neither is the case, so wattage (heat) tolerance is higher.


Floor frame for 8' wide shed is 3" too wide on either side

structurally it looks ok. (assuming you'rte going to fill that 3/4" gap or put blocking in there)
8'x13'5 was going to take 4 sheets of plywood sheet 8'5x13'5 is still going to take 4 sheets.
Either use the off-cuts to fill the ends or join sheets end to end


Let's break this down into math.

The next size down from x/16 is x/32. 5/16 converts to 10/32. Assuming your bit set is that granular, the next larger size is 11/32, and the next smallest size is 9/32. Those aren't necessarily common sizes, however.

The next size up in x/16 would be 6/16, which is 3/8. The next size down is 4/16, or 1/4.

My ultimate suggestion is even easier to remember. Take the item you need to put into the hole and hold the bit over it, so it covers the item. If you're putting in an anchor of some sort, the bit should totally cover the item. if not, go up one step in your bit set until you find one that does. If you're trying to put a screw in, find a bit that covers the shaft of the screw, but still leaves the threads visible.


How should I hook up my generator to a manual transfer switch?

I will join longneck, you need to give to give this one to a pro.

If you do not understand about back-feeding a circuit, already, it is too easy to kill someone. I say this without exaggeration.

The biggest problem with running a generator with a transfer switch is that you have to wire it into your main panel.

For basic protection of life, (as well as the law,) it must NOT be possible to have your generator and the power to your house on the same wire, at the same time.

This is not a case of, just for a few seconds, or I would not do that, or I will triple check a written list.

It must not be possible under mechanically, electrically, on with quantum physics.

The reason is that if you put power on the 'dead' wires to your house, it is possible to kill someone a mile away, or more.

Emergency workers expect down lines to be dead. Yes, they do check first, but that does not mean that the situation can not change while they are working on them.

Transformers work backwards, low voltage at your generator (240) quickly becomes high voltage (thousands).

And sometimes people, and pets, or cars, just do not even see a fallen power line.

This is a case of some money to a pro vs life.


Is it ok to use cable with a distorted sheath?

You can massage it with your fingers to straighten it out, and make sure when you nail or clamp it that it is flat and not on edge.
As long as it is not cut or chafed or bent sharply it should be fine.
Although it suggests something happened at the factory or in storage, it is still correctly insulated.
To be certain you could call the manufacturer and ask them if there is a recall for that production.


Will adding a second sink in a bathroom with only one sink currently reduce the water pressure?

The pressure may be slightly reduced while in use. Most homes have at least 1/2” plumbing and the sink cartridges usually have ~1/8” orifices in the faucet on each side so if you turn all 4 on at the same time you probably will notice a difference but not a significant one. Now a tub faucet that would be a different answer.


lennox AC condenser Fan running backwards

Your capacitor is too small.  The new motor you list requires a 10 MFD capacitor to run at 240 VAC.  Since the OEM capacitor in the unit is only 5 MFD, the new motor will randomly run backward and it will run with far less than its rated HP.

Also, you should connect the new motor to run on LOW (red wire).  These universal replacement condenser fan motors are not really multi-speed motors.  They are actually multi-horsepower motors.  At the low setting, your new motor is 1/5 HP.  The OEM motor was 1/10 HP, and the fan blades for your condenser are sized for the 1/10 HP motor.  When you install the correct new capacitor for your new motor, I think you will find that your condenser fan runs faster with the new motor on LOW than it did with the OEM motor.


Hard to tell from the photo but it could be latex paint over wallpaper. The fix is easy.

Using 80 or 100 grit sandpaper, gently sand the edges of existing paint and exposed surface. Remove dust and debris with mild solution of trisodium phosphate dissolved in warm water. Let dry.

Apply thin skimcoat of joint compound or sparkle , feathering the edges to existing paint. After dry, lightly sand.

To match existing wall texture (which looks like medium orange peel), using a small, disposable paint roller and thinned joint compound, apply texture. Let dry, light sand. Remove sanding dust and paint.


creating a 120v circuit from a 240v SEU circuit?

SEU is special

There was once an exception in Code that allowed SEU cable (and only SEU cable, not NM or other such) for hot-hot-neutral to ranges. This was only allowed due to intense lobbying by the appliance industry, and was outlawed in 1989 when Reagan handed the reins to George Bush Sr.

Since it was once legal, this setup is grandfathered for an old 3-prong range.  But only for ranges -- for nothing else since it lacks a ground.

And then Ground Retrofit rules happened, allowing you to wire just a ground from that range outlet to the nearest place with #10 or larger ground wire back to the panel - a (wired ground) water heater, air conditioner, a metal conduit that is continuous back to the panel, the grounding electrode wires from panel to ground rods, etc.

Retrofit a ground wire

Congratulations.  There you sit, with a 4-wire connection. You have 2 hots (black wires), neutral, and the ground you just retrofitted.  This setup is now totally Code legal.  Be careful to wrap the old braided neutral with tape - it must not accidentally touch the ground wire.

Neutral is not Ground, and they must be kept separate (except for the N-G bond in the main panel).

... Now you can fit a 120V receptacle there

At this point, you can pigtail off the 3 wires - one hot, neutral and ground - to attach #12 or #14 wire for your outlet, and go re-breaker the hot-in-use to 15A.

Further, you would be able to convert this back into an electric range connection in the future, with the modern, safe  4-wire type of connection.

Pigtailing off aluminum is tricky. Wire nuts won't cut the mustard.  The purple wire nuts are garbage, and the Internet is thick with pictures of melted and burned purple wire nuts.  What you need is a Polaris connector (AKA AlumiConn). Turns out copper wires work just fine on aluminum lugs, and that's what these are. Two lugs back to back, wrapped in insulation.  Either factory wrapped, or you-wrap-em-but-don't-mess-up.

Your wires are supposed to be 4 AWG but might be 6 AWG. Alumiconns won't cut it, they only work up to 10 AWG.  So you'll need a proper Polaris connector (3 of them).  Now, these all support quite a range of wire sizes, but get ones that are barely big enough for your wires.  Otherwise you're dealing with needless bulk and expense.  So don't just grab one that supports fat 2/0 wire, get one whose largest size is #4 (or #6 if you know your wires are that).   If you can't find any that support #14, you can bump your pigtail size to #12.

Plan B: If one SEU wire is white or white-marked

If you get in there and discover one of the SEU hot wires actually is white or has 3 white stripes, then that wire is usable as a neutral wire.  Then you can avoid retrofitting the ground.  Re-task the braided neutral to be ground. Re-task the neutral-marked hot to be neutral.  Pigtail with Polaris connectors, and you're done.


water running but wont run hot through the kitchen only

This sounds like the cartridge inside of the sink faucet has failed. Some cartridges have a special mixing valve that reacts to changes in pressure to prevent large temperature swings when, for example, a toilet is flushed. If this is the case, you'd have a single handle faucet, and if you disconnected the hot water from the shutoff under the sink, you should have full water pressure when you open that shutoff valve (into a large bucket). To fix it, get a replacement that specific to your faucet and follow the instructions that comes with the replacement. When disassembling a faucet, it's a good idea to place something (usually a towel) in the drain to prevent any lost parts.


How can I remove a switch and terminate a circuit in its place?

Turn off the power at the panel for this circuit (flip the circuit
breaker).
Remove the cover plate from the switch.
Test with a non-contact tester to make sure that there is no power
    in the circuit box.

Unscrew the switch.
Remove the two wires from the switch (unscrew or, if they are press
in types, cut them close to the switch)
Straighten the wires and screw a wire nut over the bare end of each
wire.

Wrap electrical tape over the nuts and the wires.
Carefully bend them back into the box.
Put a blank cover over the box.


Why is my light switch leaking electricity?

This is a non-contact voltage tester. It's not telling you there there is current passing through the wires, just that AC voltage exists. Since you switch the hot connection within a light switch, there will always be voltage present around a switch (unless you have tripped the breaker). It's the wiring after the switch where you shouldn't see voltage with a non-contact tester. If you do, then someone may have miswired the switch and switched the neutrals.


Ecobee 3 lite Installation -- Confusion about C wire (on furnace but not at thermostat)

Hast thou pulleth upon the wires at thine thermostat to looketh upon the point thine c wire might be clippethed at the jacket? Thou should.
Thou should not double up thine wire at the c terminal upon thine circuit board without praying thine luck is true, elste thou shall unwittingly risk fryingeth thine furnaceths brain. Do so without specific knowledge of its ability to accommodate such doubleth penetrant at thine peril tho it may be fine, I doth offer with humility and humble deference that thou mighdts turneth luck to surety with some calling of the blacksmith who manufactured this magical baseboard. May luck be at your side on your quest to fancier temperature adjustment.


200A in the subpanel
Which means you don't actually need a breaker; the existing 200A main breaker will suffice (assuming there actually is one, and you don't have a split-bus/Rule of Six panel).
All you need is subfeed lugs, either built into the panel, or as a bolt-in.  (however, this bolt-in will take 4 breaker spaces and limit the use of breaker spaces opposite it; so prepare to move as many as 8 circuits to the new subpanel).
However, this isn't going to work...
These days, people install 200A service because the electric company won't serve anything less, so an all-gas house like mine might not even have 40A on its load calculation. Such a house could support 160A of electric tankless.
However, in the past, people installed 200A service because they had so many electric major appliances that 100A service wasn't enough.  Obviously, they do not have 160A of capacity to spare... and I bet you're one of those. If you have 240V breakers on your range, dryer, furnace or A/C, I guarantee your panel does not have 160A of spare ampacity, and you'll need to either change your plan or go with a 400A-class service.
400A-class service actually implements as dual 200A service panels.  So your existing 200A panel just stays put. Then you install a second 200A panel (with a LOT of extra spaces this time, please!!) And there you'll have plenty of both physical space and ampacity for your water heaters.
Is this even a good idea?
First, I think the idea of electric water heat is great, if you have the ampacity available to you.  Some people don't like it, but I think most of their dislike actually relates to what I'm about to describe.
This isn't a problem you have, certainly... but many people have very bad experiences by getting too small a tankless. The heater could not carry their load (and they didn't do too much thinking about GPM and things like that).  These same people also have trouble with electric cars, off-grid solar tech, and other technologies.
Then of course there's the problem you do have, which is that a successfully sized tankless can take so much electricity that it's hard to provision (at least, if other conservation measures aren't taken to reduce the needed GPM).
The hot water pipe between the water heater and the points-of-use will tend to go cold fairly quickly.  As such, there's a "slug" of cold water that has to be pushed through the pipe before any hot water arrives.  A centrally located tankless does nothing to improve this.  However, with tankless heaters, it is possible to have multiple tankless heaters, each near a point-of-use (such as a bathroom).  This eliminates the long pipe run and the waiting... and allows the local unit to be much smaller in capacity, since it only needs to support one "large" load of known size.  For instance a bathroom's unit could be sized for its shower, and combined with a low-flow showerhead - making the unit size very practical.  This would make the bathroom immune to temperature changes from use of hot water in other rooms (but not within the bathroom itself obviously).
An extreme of this is Great Britain's "electric shower" - an 8.5KW to 9.5KW (40A) unit that is directly attached to the shower.
The right combination of units could also reduce the overall ampacity needed, making the project more achievable.


AIC rating for residential 100A main breaker

You'll have two services there.

As you say, according to PG&E, they design their facilities so that 10KA of short-circuit current is not possible for new single family drops. However, being a duplex with 2 meters, I could imagine them supplying twice the capacity.

That would be 20KA.  Since only one service will have a problem at a time, the worst-case assumption is that each service needs to handle that independently.


How do you control what angle plumbing joints go in at?

There is a range between "tight enough" and "too tight" - most alignment for NPT threads is done by using that.
Then again, there are unions and compression fittings (Swagelok, and lesser versions) that remove the connection between the threads and the sealing surface. The vast majority of "complicated lab gas manifolds" I did many moons ago were done almost entirely with Swageloks.


Gas fireplace insert won't stick to marble fireplace

First and foremost, I would attempt to locate the instruction manual for your unit. You may still have it somewhere in a junk drawer or similar, but almost just as easy, you should be able to look it up online or by contacting the manufacturer.

Many of these inserts are mounted by a series of fasteners from the structural interior of the where the unit is to be mounted, either directly to the gas insert, or to a bracket that will support, attach and secure the insert mechanical. To date, in the US, I cannot imagine any that are specified to be installed with any kind of adhesive. This just wouldn't make sense for servicing.

IF you unit is literally falling out of the wall, there is a very good chance for damage to the gas supply line and/or electrical ignitor and thermostat system. I would personally not feel comfortable with anything short of a licensed and certified tech to come and repair/install my unit.

If gas supply, electrical and HVAC are out of your area of expertise, please see a professional.


Can you install hardwood floors on a concrete slab?

You don't want to ever install a wood floor directly on a concrete slab (despite what your contractor might say), even using the traditional underlayment.

You have to create a buffer between the concrete and wood with something like DRIcore® or DELTA®-FL.

Though I have heard that even with systems like this, you can still run into problems if the moisture gets under the sub-floor and can't escape. Mold and rot can develop if moisture can't escape, so you'll want to make sure any moisture that gets in can always get out.


That is a lock nut wrench and are ideal for tightening and removing lock nuts on strainer baskets. Easy to find online by searching for that term; looks like an exact match to me.


Why does this toilet valve have corrosion on it?

I cannot answer whether it needs replacing, but I can tell you why this happens.

It happens because it gets cold and water condenses on it.

Whenever you flush your toilet, cold water runs through and cools it off. Then the hot, humid air around it condenses water on it, making it moist. Because this happens so often, it will be moist a lot of the time, and thus corrodes.

Why this doesn't happen other places: The toilet is the one thing that uses most cold water. Your shower and sink uses more warm water, and not as much, and thus aren't as exposed to this phenomenon.

Unless it leaks I think you can leave it on.


Adhesive removal from my recently installed carpet

This will vary depending on the particular product. For TEC 706 Universal MultiPurpose Adhesive, the product data sheet says:

Clean-up

Remove fresh adhesive from face of flooring with warm, soapy water. Dried adhesive must be removed with mineral spirits.


How can I repair a drain that won't stop leaking?

Respectfully disagree with Shirlock.  OVER tightening of PVC joints damages them and causes leakage.

Hand tight is snug, not SO TIGHT YOUR HANDS HURT.

Take a look at this article for more information.
The "Do's and Don'ts" of Assembling Threaded Plastic Fittings


How much distance do I need to branch from water heater?

You can choke (reduce) the hot water line as close as you like, I suppose. Thread a 3/4-1/2 reducer right in the outlet if it makes you happy.

It's not a particularly wise thing to do, however. 1/2" pipe is not a good size for more than one or two fixtures - running everything in your house that uses hot water off one 1/2" pipe will cause your hot water pressure to be excessively low when several things need hot water at once. A 3/4" pipe is more than twice as large (revisit geometry, - .19 sq in .vs .44 sq inch) so it causes less flow restriction and pressure drop - which is why the common approach is to use a 3/4" line to feed 1/2" lines, rather than 1/2" lines everywhere.

If you'd like to branch the 1/2" lines off the 3/4" line "as soon as possible" you can certainly put multiple 1/2" branches right at the end of the 3/4 flex line. That is what many "Manifold" systems as commonly seen with PEX plumbing do.


Is it possible to use a power inverter to run a sump pump?

Sizing the Inverter

If you want to run an appliance like a sump pump from an inverter, you need to make sure that you get one that's large enough.

The pump will be rated according to how many amps it draws (probably in the range of 5 or 6, based on a quick internet check). However, when an AC motor starts it uses a much higher current, maybe 2x as much. Ideally you would measure this surge current amount and duration so that you know what you're working with, but you could assume double the current for several seconds. So if you have a 5 amp pump, lets assume its surge current is 10 amps.

Inverters are usually rated by watts, but you can compute the amps by dividing by 120V. Inverters usually have a continuous wattage rating and a higher surge rating. Unfortunately, cheaper inverters will only surge for a fraction of a second before cutting out, so you can't just assume that the surge rating of the inverter will be able to supply the surge current of the pump.

The only way to really be safe is to get an inverter whose continuous rating is greater than or equal to the surge current draw of the pump. So in this case yo'd be looking at a 1200 watt inverter (which may have a higher surge rating).
[Some of the nicer brands of inverters will publish how long the surge rating can be used for, e.g. 0.5 seconds, 2 seconds, 60 seconds. If you know that your inverter has a long surge time, you may be able to get a smaller inverter].

Sizing the Battery

If this is just for a one-off emergency usage you may be able to run the inverter from a car battery, but you should at least have a sense of what you're getting into. To compute the battery runtime you need to know the amp draw on the battery. Note that the amps coming out of the battery will be at least 10x higher than the pump's amps, due to the much lower voltage. A 5 amp / 120V pump is using 600 watts, which is 50 amps at 12V. Assuming an inverter efficiency of 80% you're pulling around 62 amps from the battery. The capacity of car batteries varies based on model, but a good sized battery probably has 50 amp-hours of capacity (that's 50 amps for one hour, or 25 amps for 2 hours, or 10 amps for 5 hours). So you're looking at getting about 45 minutes of runtime until the battery is totally dead. (Of course it's not good to run a car battery all the way down, and then you won't be able to start your car, so it probably wouldn't be prudent to actually run it for 45 minutes).

If this is going to be a semi-regular event, you probably want to get a marine / deep cycle battery or two. Those have a higher capacity and will withstand discharges better.

Other Considerations

Automatic Transfer: Most small inverters just have regular 120V outlets that you plug your load into. If you want the inverter to be hooked up full-time and transfer from mains power to battery power, that will require something more sophisticated and probably a professional installation.

Wire Size & Fuses: As you can tell from my rough example numbers, you're looking at 60+ amps from the battery, which is a LOT. Standard household romex / extension cords is not going to be safe for that amount of current. You must properly size the wire or you will have a fire.

In addition, you should have a fuse on your wire with a rating less than or equal to the wire capacity. The purpose of the fuse is to blow before something catches on fire. If you're regularly blowing fuses it means there's a dangerous problem with your setup.

DC Pumps: If you want to run a sump pump from a battery on a regular basis, you're probably better off just getting a 12V DC pump and avoiding the inverter. You can run those directly from a car battery.


Are generator "bonding plugs" safe and legal?

Are you talking about just plugging in a plug with no cord, that internally connects Neutral to Ground?  I imagine it would work perfectly... until someone who doesn't know what it's for assumes it's a simple outlet cover and unplugs it to plug something else in to that outlet.
As far as whether it's code-legal, probably not.  Code tends to frown on things that make it easy to create a dangerous situation inadvertently, which this certainly would do.  The electrical code (AFAIK) doesn't say anything about this situation directly though -- instead, the code says you must use equipment that is UL Listed (or listed by some other NRTL, such as ETL), and that you must follow its instructions, which were part of the UL listing.  If your generator says that you can bond neutral and ground with a "bonding plug", then it's legal to do so -- but you probably won't find any that say that, because I don't think UL would approve a bond that can be removed during operation.  Instead, the instructions will probably say how to open up the unit and bond N to G internally, or it will say that you must use a 4-wire feed to a panel that bonds N to G already.


Do I need mortar between 1x6 deck boards and cement board?

A membrane won’t be adequate. If you want ‘waterproof,’ think shower pan. Not literally but by making this area semi-vitreous, there must be a drain or drains and a slope.

If you’re trying to avoid the disaster of the previous owner, I wouldn’t recommend the travertine, unless you put in a drain.

Have you considered Saltillo tile, limestone, or another type of stone? You can make wonderful, colorful installations indoors and out.

Regardless of materials used, the water will have to go somewhere and if you post some photos of the area, better suggestions can be made to make a beautiful and practical new flooring solution.


How do I stop an LED Troffer flickering problem?

So, your problem is that you are wiring lights in series.

This is not how you wire lights.

Single gets full voltage, works fine

Two in series, half voltage, apparently still works.

3 in series, 1/3 voltage, no worky.

4,5,6 in series, 1/4, 1/5, 1/6 voltage, no worky worse.

You are outing yourself as perhaps not actually qualified to be replacing lights, if you don't know (and evidently did not research) to wire them in parallel, as they are meant to be, so that each light gets full voltage as intended.


How do I calculate how much sand, cement and water I need for a specific volume of concrete?

A concrete mixture ratio of 1 part cement, 3 parts sand, and 3 parts
  aggregate will produce a concrete mix of approximately 3000 psi.

http://www.everything-about-concrete.com/concrete-mixing-ratios.html

In your case:

38l / 7 = 5.42l. This is one "part" of your total volume.

5.42l * 1 = 5.42l cement
5.42l * 3 = 16.26l sand
5.42l * 3 = 16.26l aggregate (gravel)

Obviously it's not common to mix concrete in such precise quantities. You'll probably use larger, round volumes such as shovels-full or 60 lb. bags as your "parts". For example, add 1 shovel of cement, 3 shovels of sand, and 3 of gravel to a mixing bin. Repeat this until you have the desired quantity of concrete.

Regarding water volume, that depends on the "slump", or flow quality, of the mix desired. Typically you slowly mix in water until the concrete is workable. Too much water weakens the resulting concrete and makes finishing more difficult.


Sewer smell after installing garbage disposal

The plumbing appears to be fine. A simple method you can do is to first remove, clean, reinstall the gooseneck then pour a box of  baking soda down the disposal and run it that through.

On another note, I noticed the water hoses in the background. If those haven't been replaced in the last 8-10 years, consider doing so.


What is required to recharge refrigerant in a built in ICE CAP Air conditioner that cannot be moved?

Air conditioners do not magically lose refrigerant.

If refrigerant is missing, the air-conditioner leaks; if the leak is not fixed, it will continue to leak. Fixing the leak is a related service that you absolutely require before you even think of adding refrigerant or having anyone else do so. Since you quite obviously are not equipped to find and fix the leak, you need someone who is both trained, equipped, and in the USA (at least), properly licensed.

It is HIGHLY unlikely that the air conditioner cannot be removed. The HVAC tech you are afraid to hire probably will know how, or be able to figure it out. That might let you replace your old, leaking, likely inefficient and requiting expensive old refrigerants A/C with a new, efficient, non-leaky and using far less expensive refrigerants unit, if you chose to.


How can I trace the exhaust duct of my bathroom fan?

I wouldn't bother with making smoke—at least not initially.  If this is in an apartment or condo, that might set off a smoke alarm.

The surefire solution is to poke your head up into the attic with a bright hand held light.  If you can't see the bathroom fan area from the access opening, you'll have to crawl through the attic until you are close enough.  Attics are not usually made for careless movement through them:  you might have to temporarily install pieces of plywood, 2x6s 4–6 feet long, etc. so you can lay a safe trail to get there.  If you don't, you risk falling through the ceiling.

If there is no attic, such as in a multistory apartment building, maybe you could rent an inspection scope (like this) and poke it through the fan into the duct and see what you can see.  There are only two or three possibilities:  1) the duct is clogged or collapsed, 2) the vent box knockout was never removed and not ducted anywhere, or 3) the far end of the duct is pinched or blocked.


How long can a water heater be without a water supply before it might be damaged?

As long as the water heater is completely full of water, indefinitely. The fact that there isn't fresh water flowing through it regularly isn't particularly important (and will likely even extend it's lifespan). If too much air enters the tank however, when the heater fires the lifespan will drop down into minutes or even seconds.


Is some condensation on bathroom walls safe?

If you have a vapor barrier (e.g. sheet polyethylene) behind the drywall, then you have a major problem. Painted drywall is airtight but not vapor-tight; moisture can migrate through it. And when moisture migrates through the drywall and hits the polyethylene sheeting, it has nowhere else to go. The fact that it currently condenses on the walls tells me that the walls are cold. That means the polyethylene behind it is cold, too. That means water vapor that gets through the drywall will inevitably condense on it and drop to the bottom of the wall, eventually rotting the whole thing out from the inside. Not good. Mold will probably not develop on the drywall at the top of the wall because that's not where the water will be collecting; it's the bottom of the wall you should inspect.

Vapor barriers in walls are generally a bad idea, but if there is any place you could safely have one in a bathroom like this, it would be on the inside, in the form of a water- and vapor-right waterproofing membrane, like RedGard.

If you are unwilling to rip out this assembly and redo it properly (with Redgard-coated cementboard instead of drywall, and no plastic vapor barrier inside the wall), then I would highly recommend preventing moisture build-up in the bathroom in order to preserve the integrity of the structure.


How should I prepare old subfloor for vinyl plank flooring?

How perfect do you want it to be / How much money and time are you willing to spend?

The vinyl allure product is at the cheaper end of vinyl products so my recommendation would be to forget about leveling and just make sure that the floor is not out 1/2" or more over 4'.  So take a 4' straight edge or level and move it along the floor and make sure that any gap under the level is less than 1/2".

The vinyl flooring will conform to the rolling nature of the floor to a better degree than most other flooring types and if you don't mind it being a little bouncy in some places I suspect it isn't worth the effort to do anything more than ensure there are no squeaks, there are no large holes and the floor is within the 1/2" difference over 4'.  The floor really just needs to be flat not level and pretty much the only case where I'd go to effort/money to flood a floor with self level is if that room receives no furniture and no area rugs.  If you already know the areas where furniture will sit you can spend more time on the areas where someone is likely to walk and notice the bounce / dipping of the floor.


Running UF-B along the outside wall of the house

Since your UF cable is marked "Sunlight Resistant", you can run it outdoors aboveground without protecting it from the sun's rays.  Go ahead and make the run -- just make sure the cable isn't in a position where it could get weedwhacked, run over, or otherwise physically damaged.

If it is, you'll need to protect the run with a length of conduit.


Why does the hot terminal of my extension cord always burn out?

Firstly when a plug or socket overheats you should replace BOTH the plug and the socket and also cut-back any heat-damaged wire. Heat damage can cause buildup of poorly conductive materials on contacts and it can cause loosening of the springs in socket contacts. This means that mating a heat-damaged connector with a good connector can cause the problem to spread.
Secondly breakers don't trip the instant a circuit is overloaded and US regulations allow 15A outlets to be installed on 20A circuits. So it is quite possible to overload an extension cord without tripping a breaker. You really need to pay attention to what loads are connected to a cord rather than just relying on breakers.
Thirdly normal domestic plugs and sockets aren't suitable for use in wet conditions. If you are going to leave wiring outdoors then it really needs to be done in a more suitable manner.
I suspect the reason that the hot fails first is simply that it in a normal american plug the hot contact is smaller than the neutral contact.


Is insulation blockinng airflow of my vented soffit?

Attic ventilation is very important so make sure you pull away the insulation from the soffits.
Purchase a small rake, a respirator and some quality gloves and do it before it’s the summer and the attic is now 40 degrees hotter than today.
Depending on the climate zone, soffits are an important piece on attic ventilation.  They reduce the chance of ice dams, keep moisture down which prevents mold growth and help to keep the attic cooler in the summer.
I removed mold covered insulation for the past several weekends, in researching this link was beneficial to me.

PDF describing attic ventilation

For safety get a quality respirator and wear long sleeves, goggles and gloves.
I also suggest old rain jacket with a hood.  Fiberglass, dust and mold are small and can get everywhere easily and quickly.


I would say 10 or 11 bags (depending on how sloppy you are).

0.2 * .05 = .01

.0929 / .01 = 9.29 bags

Since you never get perfect yield from a bag, I would personally go with 11 bags.


Trying to replace the stuff behind a bathroom knob, nothing was as expected from how-to's. Here's what we pulled out. What do we replace it with?

@Kris said nearly, precisely what I had planned to say. I'll break my answer down into 2 parts, as that is how you asked your question.
A. What is it and how to get a replacement part?
It does appear to be a shower valve cartridge. It will be helpful to have the following information on hand when you go to get help with the replacement part.

Have pictures of the valve assembly handy to share; multiple angles, which might actually present a mfg's name
Have the cartridge and any trim you pulled off; often times the brand can be easily determined by the trim
The easiest place to start might be a big box store like Lowes, HD, etc.
A plumbing supply wholesaler can almost assuredly tell you without hardly blinking an eye. Just realize you cannot purchase anything if your not a business owner, contractor, or of the like

B. Why is there a slow trickle when the main is shut off?
Over time sediment buildup is common place from each time the city supply lines are worked on. This can cause a poor seal or scratches the rubber seat and prevents a complete seal from ever occurring. This is common and it happens because we are not in the habit of operating these valves regularly like we do a water faucet, nor would I really suggest doing it. You'd probably experience the same behavior if you've ever turned off a toilet or faucet supply valve to replace a supply line; near impossible to stop them from exhibiting a slow drip. Here are some steps you can take to fix the issue.

Shut the water off at the city junction (where the underground water meter is) and, if the valve type is like a hose bib and takes several turns to turn on/off, unscrew the handle assembly; the hex nut at the base of the stem beneath the handle. If it's a 90 degree ball valve, then there's something else wrong and would probably just replace the entire valve
Replace the seat gasket and reassemble

When turning the water back on from meter to house, make sure the home supply valve is in off position and turn the water back on about 1/8 turn per ~10-15 seconds. This will prevent shocking the system with a bunch of water pressure that hits a wall and causes pipe and joint ruptures.
For the house supply valve, put the shower valve back together and leave the trim off so you can verify no leaks at the repair site. Turn on a nearby sink to prevent a water surge to the system that would cause pipe and joint rupture; same as previously mentioned. Also turn the water on slowly, same as before. Then turn the sink off and check for leaks at the repair site. If no leaks, turn on all the faucets in the house to purge air and debris. Once the system is completely burped at each faucet, turn each one off and put the trim back on the shower valve. Congratulations, you finished repairing your shower valve!


Updated based upon comments.

This type of failure could be attributed to any one of the following:

The GFCI tripped.
The GFCI has broken and stayed in a fault off state.
There is the possibility of there being multiple GFCIs in series on the circuit and one that you have not located yet has tripped.
Something changed in the area of the abode such as drilling holes into walls or pounding nails or driving screws that have resulted in damage to a wire in the wall.
Some part of this particular power circuit was wired up with poke in wire terminations on the back of the receptacle(s). One of these connections has failed.

Note that item number 5 has a pretty good chance of being the problem if you cannot account for any of items 1 to 4. Replacement of outlets with newer better quality ones and using the side screws is the much preferred method of securing the wire connections.


Replace manual thermostat with programmable

You may not be able to.  The programmable thermostats commonly sold are designed for on/off control of a heating and cooling system.  The Flair line of thermostats are designed to control a Flair damper that is allowing more or less air into the room.  The Open and Closed Signals move the damper in that direction.  I believe the Flair is an variable system, not the on/off a thermostat is designed to control.

You could try an old hack from the days before programmable thermostats.  Mount a 4 watt incandescent nightlight directly below the Flair thermostat and wired into a light timer (or a home automation module).  When the nightlight is on the thermostat will be fooled into thinking the room is a few degrees warmer than it actually is and the real temperature in the room will be "set back" several degrees cooler.

If you have some electronics skill a SPDT relay could have its contacts wired to the Flair wiring.  (Closed to the NC relay terminal, Open to the NO terminal, and common to common.)  A low voltage power supply (under 24V) that matches the coil voltage of the relay could be wired to the could be wired into the R terminal of the thermostat, and then out via either the RH terminal (heat) or Y (cool) and to the coil, then back the the power supply.  This won't work if the thermostat is designed to be powered from the furnace instead of having its own batteries.


Ceiling fan stopped working all of a sudden

I don't think you're skating by this one, unless it's new & not 10 or more years old. But, I could be wrong, try changing the speed setting or the spin direction & see if it will happily run slower.
If not then it's likely meant for the trash as it'll just be best to get a new one with decades of life in it. Did it make a phew, ugh or grunt sound?

I mean, you can take the name & number & try to find parts, but unless it's something special it should be cheaper to start over with a nice short warranty. Sorry, I don't rebuild them & they're usually trouble free. I'd like to say it's a capacitor or a motor regulation control unit. But, I'd suspect that it's toast.


Wiring ceiling fan/light properly on 2 different floors

You'll need a different fan control

First off, you'll need to get a different fan control that supports 3-way (with a regular switch) or remote (with a "master" dimmer and a special, manufacture-specific wallbox remote) functionality, as your existing fan control only supports single pole operation.  Lutron, Cooper/Eaton, Leviton, and Legrand all make fan controls that can do this, so it shouldn't be hard to find.

Smurf (tube) to the rescue!

Trying to wire a three-way control setup for both fan and light using NM cable between the switch boxes faces two problems, both due to the fact you need 2 travelers for each of the fan and the light, as well as a neutral and a ground:

NM cable stops at 14/4 W/G -- you can't get a cable with more wires than that in it.
The fan and light on a ceiling fan share a neutral, so you can't use 2 14/3 W/G cables in parallel as to do so would violate NEC 300.3(B)/310.10(H) due to the paralleled/looped neutral that would result (simply not using the neutral wire in one cable won't work either for the same reason)

As a result of this, the far more economical option than trying to find a workable cable here is to use conduit.  "But wait", you ask, "isn't conduit horribly expensive and labor-intensive to work with, requiring special tools and trade knowledge?"  You are somewhat right -- bending rigid conduits is a bit of an art form, and metal flexible conduits are typically only used in short lengths.

However, what most people don't know is that ENT, aka the "smurf tube" that is most commonly associated with telecom and low voltage work, is also Code-legal for mains electricity as well.  Since you can fit 11 14AWG THHN wires down a 1/2" ENT and still be under the NEC fill limits, this is quite a viable option for situations where high wire counts are needed, and ENT is far easier to run than most conduits, as it is flexible enough to be bent by hand.  You still have to obey the 360° rule with regard to the cumulative amount of bending between access points, but this isn't that big a deal in an exposed installation.

As a result, I would do just that to connect the two switch boxes -- a 1/2" ENT will suffice for all the wires you'll ever need here, and you'll need 6 14AWG THHNs in 4 colors for this -- a green ground, a white neutral, and two lengths each of any color other than white, grey, or green (I'd use yellow and blue or purple, myself, to avoid confusion with always-hots or switched-hots) for travelers.  Most metal boxes can accept ENT with an adapter fitting into a knockout, while plastic boxes are sometimes made with knockouts for ENT service -- those that don't can have a knockout hole of the correct size (7/8" for a 1/2" conduit) drilled in them, if worse comes to worse.

Also, pulling shouldn't be an issue, given that you're only going to be pulling 6 wires through the conduit -- you should just be able to use a shop-vac to suck a foam "mouse"/plastic baggie on the end of a pulling string through the conduit, then tie the string to your wires and pull them that way.


Who do you call when there is actually carbon monoxide in your home?

The fire department is the appropriate place to call for a carbon monoxide situation. I would call their non-emergency number and ask them to come by at their convenience. If you are in a building with other occupants it's possible the situation is caused by something elsewhere.

FYI most carbon monoxide detectors have a limited life (~7 years). There should be an expiration date on the back. Older CO alarms were extremely sensitive, e.g. to a puff of cigarette smoke or a little bit of fumes from a gas stove. Modern ones have a time-delay function where they will wait a bit, depending on the level they detect.


Who cares where the smart switch is physically located?  Not the smart switch.  Put it somewhere sheltered.
If you also want manual control in that location, then select a smart-switch that's designed to retrofit into old-school 3-way switch circuits.  It will expect a plain old "steam" switch as its "wired remote".  Fit a plain old switch here, run a (probably /2) cable to the smart switch location, and there you go.


question on the roof structure of my garage

In order:

a) You can do it! You didn't mention anything about trying to move the existing structure, so this is based on my understanding that you are simply adding the tie back in to prevent further spreading. Personally I would use something more like a 2x8 or 2x10; a 20 ft. span is a long way for a 2x4, and you'll likely see some sag. I would put 5 nails into each rafter, in a rough square pattern with one in the center. But, you'll want to offset the nails a bit from each other so that they aren't going through the same grain (which can make it easier for a crack to split the wood where the nails are). You can cut the ends at the same angle as the rafters to get a longer surface to nail through.

b) If you do end up hiring someone else, a handyman could certainly handle it.

c) From your pictures, one tie every other is fine: the plates of the walls aren't going to move with a tie every 4 feet, and additional ones aren't going to do much.


This tray that you speak of is there to collect water made when the frig goes into defrost.  The tray is supposed to be large enough to collect all of the water without overflowing.  The water is supposed to evaporate faster than it is generated.  If the tray is cracked,  that is a problem.  If the tray does not lay flat, also a problem. If your local atmospheric humidity is particularly high and with the tray tipped as it is, problem. The water needs to evaporate faster than it is replenished and spills over the lowest point of the tray edge.


How can I extend the length of my furnace run time after burner shutdown?

I too am like you, an old time boiler guy; 40+ years + 11 retired. My comment to you is, if your furnace fan is running on the correct fan speed and the furnace is not too oversized, the heat exchanger should be able to give up (cool down) enough so that there will be a very little waste of energy. The small amount of energy you are trying to remove may be offset by the energy the fan motor will consume. Yes, I still like the old ways that we were used to but that was then and this is now. Get used to it, the new generation has made us obsolete.


How should I build an exterior door landing pad?

If you build the pad with concrete you may want to consider not making it out of a solid block of concrete. Instead form it up to create sides and a couple of steps as necessary. But then fill a large portion of the inner area with sand so that the top of the landing is 4 to 6 inches thick. A little re-bar in the sides and folded over to embed in the top can help keep the thing together if it cracks due to frost.

If you do live in an area with frost getting deep into the ground you should consider adding corner holes down into the ground (with re-bar up into the step portion) that can act as posts down below the frost line so as to minimize the heaving effect that can make a floating construction move around during the year cycle and also settle into a off level state over a series of years.

Wood can offer an easy alternative but you have to determine if wood has a look that you like. Also wood may require replacement in 15 years or so depending upon materials and conditions. Finally with wood, if a frost zone, it is a good idea to build it on treated posts that you bury to a depth below the frost line.


The sockets are wired in series.  For all I know, they always have been.

You can get away with it with incandescents, at a bit over 1/4 the light from each bulb, so a 150 looks like a 40.

With one incandescent and one LED, the LED limits current to about 130ma, which is not enough for a 150W incandescent to get up to power.  As such, the incandescent doesn't see much current, and so can't drop much voltage.   Therefore the LED sees near full voltage, and is able to function properly.

If you want to test the "series" theory, try installing a 150W incandescent in one socket, and a 25W incandescent in the other.  If the 25 is much brighter than the 150, that confirms it.

Series is not a proper way to wire lights.  The person who wired it doesn't know what they're doing.  Have someone competent fix this and check all their other work.


Is it better to leave the door open or run the fan while showering?

The fan is better, as it actively moves air out of the room.  However, if you're getting mold with the fan on, then it's either undersized or not working properly.  Keep in mind you may need to let the fan run for a time period after you actually finish the shower to get all the humidity out of the room.  You can get fans that speed up and down depending on the level of humidity, and even turn off when it is below a certain amount.


Best way to remove textured wall (joint compound)?

Think about 1/4 inch drywall. It can be glued or screwed up and is much easier, faster and neater than trying to take the existing finish down to smooth. You do need to deal with seams and edges at the baseboard, but it is still faster an easier.

Links are for illustration only and not an endorsement of products or sources.


That is a set of punches.

There are pin punches (the straight flat tipped ones), for popping out roll pins and the like.

Center punches (the pointy ones) for marking a point in metal where to start a drill and to keep the drill bit from wandering.

Looks like two nail sets (the tapered flat pointed ones) for setting nails below the surface in wood.

And one tiny little chisel.


Does unthreaded portion of bolts fit through hole?

Unthreaded portions of bolts are generally just a tick under their nominal diameter.  So an 8mm bolt might be 7.8mm across the shaft.

Typically, the OD of threaded areas is smaller than that, so it might be an issue. You also have the possibility of bottoming out the threads if the screw goes deep into the threaded portion.


how do you remove a swamp cooler pillow block bearing that's stuck/seized/rusted on?

Oof, what a pain, I had a Champion swamp cooler with the same issue, except the collar was also rusted on. There's absolutely no way of getting leverage outside of possibly removing the entire squirrel cage, but then I'd be chancing the other side not coming off after the effort of removing the pulley wheel etc.

Wasn't sure what I was going to do but after reading your post I decided to give the hacksaw option a try, $10 and 15 minutes later and everything was off! So happy I found your post, would have been more money or a technician coming out otherwise.

I cut enough of a groove into each segment I was removing to insert a good flat head screw driver then gave it a little twist and they popped off really easily.


How strong is a lag bolt through the narrow face of a 2x4 stud (meaning it only has 1.5" to grab)?

An alternative is to use the flat stud in conjunction with one of the new style toggle bolts.

Now you have a 2+ inch piece of metal placed behind the shallow side of the stud. It would take many hundreds of pounds of force to pull that little steel bar through the stud.
You would need to drill a slightly larger hole to accommodate the toggle.
All of this assumes that the flat stud is not backed by another stud. If that were the case, standard lag bolt approach would have plenty to grab and a very rigid structure.

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


Removing cap from box/turtle style roof vent

After buying a replacement (and replacing the vent), it seems as though indeed these do not come apart (which seems CRAZY to me!). The new one I got does NOT have a mesh on the inside though, so it seems like this particular problem cannot happen again (as there's no "floor" for a nest to rest upon). However, that also means much bigger bugs can enter the shed :). I may add my own mesh on the inside of the roof, which would keep out the bugs but also allow me to remove the mesh to fix a problem like this in the future.


Why are corded Drills so different from cordless drills?

All of the "cordless" features debuted or were available on corded drills. The biggest factor now is that cordless drills have fallen so far in price that the market for corded is comprised entirely of people who have opted out of cordless. The superior holding power of keyed chucks, depth stops, secondary handles to counter torque, along with the more powerful tool make the corded drill excel at drilling multiple or difficult holes.

Other features which have remained on the corded drill are because of its superiority in continuous usage. The trigger lock can be handy if you're using the drill as a grinder, buffer, whatever. If you need to use the drill inverted for whatever reason it's easier than holding the trigger with a pinky. Setting the speed via a dial rather than trigger pressure is also preferable there, because you can lock in the slower speed.

The keyless chuck and clutch common on cordless drills are more user friendly when it comes to rapid bit changes and driving fasteners. The addition of the clutch necessitates reverse, because "only drives screws" is an awful selling point. Driving screws with a corded drill is easy, but breaking out the key every time you need to drill a pilot hole and getting out a screw driver if you need to back out a screw gets old really quickly.


Tub overflow drain upstairs with water damage on downstairs living room ceiling

here's a typical tube/over flow drain set up:

The black ring at the top of the picture is a rubber gasket. It forms a seal between the over flow drain pipe and the wall of your tub. If the tubs' drain or stopper needed maintenance the lever would be removed. This may have caused the rubber gasket to become awry. It's tricky to keep it in place while securing the screws that hold the cover.
That is the most likely location of your leak. To repair you must remove the two plate screws and verify the gasket is not split or damaged and centered in the opening. Further the pipe behind it must also be precisely centered to the opening and gasket. Start one screw first turning it until it stays in place. Tighten the next one snugly and finish tightening the first too.


40LB TV Mounted on Drywall using 6 Plastic Anchors. WILL THIS FALL?

Yes, you'll be fine. The TV won't fall off the wall unless the drywall itself fails (i.e. water damage or earthquake) or someone hangs off of it.


I have heard and even participated in lengthy debates on this subject.  The code is very clear, and the difficulty in maintenance and troubleshooting is of course easy to see.
Many of the arguments go down the path of, "Aren't there other things permitted in the code that are just as likely or more likely to create a hazard?"  But that's not the question here.  The question is, what is the actual hazard created?
The same box and the same splices with the same connections in the same wall
with an accessible cover plate is compliant;  a layer of drywall over that cover plate and it's no longer compliant.  How does the layer of drywall over the box make it more hazardous?
In fact, you can put a box in between the joists above a recessed light where you can get to it by removing the light.  That's considered accessible.  How is that more hazardous than the same box between two studs?
The answer is, it is not inherently more hazardous.
Don't do it;  it's still against code, and still a bad practice; but it's not inherently dangerous.


Yes, checking is common and doesn't usually compromise the strength of a board. That crack appears new due to the bright color of the newly-exposed wood. However, I see no reason for concern, especially considering the robust solid wood deck you have, which effectively spreads load to adjacent rafters.

Now, any "professional" who laughs at your questions shouldn't be called upon again. You don't know whether other issues you may raise will also be dismissed with such rudeness. They also should not have been dropping bundles on your roof if only as a measure of respect. It certainly is unpleasant, and it dislodges dust and can crack drywall or plaster.


Fridge Leveling Issue (Kenmore Pro 79993)

My interpretation of the instructions you just posted is that it is obvious the manufacturer intends for the unit to be installed with a slight backward tilt (front feet higher).  In fact, they did you the courtesy of building it in.

Believe me, you don't want a refrigerator with lazy doors that you can't quite ever trust to shut properly.  You want a door that closes smartly and with authority, without you having to worry about it, hand-guide it all the way shut, or double check it.

For what it's worth, NEC 110.3B make manufacturer instructions like this actually mandatory.  You could argue it'd be illegal to defeat the intentional front lift.


5 minute epoxy, thoroughly mixed in the right proportions and before the use-by date, and used within the prescribed temperature range, should be finished whatever curing is going to happen within about a day.  Expired materials, an inaccurate mix, or incomplete mixing, will leave unreacted components within the cured material.  If you're still smelling anything 2 weeks later, that's not likely to go away any time soon.  It likely also means that the epoxy won't be as strong as you would expect.

You can speed the cure if you warm it, but once it's hard all the way through, the reaction is pretty much done; any unreacted material is isolated and has nothing to react with.  Still, you've got nothing to lose giving it a little heat.

I'm not aware of any way to test it, at least at home (unless you have a well-equipped home chemistry lab).  As far as safety, you should be able to find the MSDS for the product online (sometimes linked at the retailer's site or the manufacturer's site), or the manufacturer's customer service can provide it.


I would get a double switch on a single yoke then put the fan on 1 and the security light on the second. A box extender will allow you to put that romex in a conduit sleeve as it needs to be protected and leaving the existing 3ways will keep you from being confused on the wiring.


Grind a quartz counter top or call a Pro?

To answer your question, “Can a novice ..do it in place”.  Yes you could, but I would NOT.  The hole for the sink is normally cut out before the countertop is installed, with water flowing on the quartz as it is being cut.  All the mess is made outside.  I just had this done recently.
I have done major DIY project, consider myself capable with a power handsaw.  I just cut up 4 leftover quartz countertops for an outdoor cabinet.  Since this in your kitchen, you would have to use a dry cut diamond blade, and it will be dusty as h…  I believe it will be difficult to cut the parallel line next to the backsplash and a saw guides will be difficult to clamp on the countertop except for the front edge.

A grinder would not have any support during your cutting session and would likely bind in the kerf as you proceed.  With the power handsaw, I was able to use a guide to keep the blade straight and on the cut line.
I believe the Pro would have better tools and blades to do this cut on an installed countertop and the router bit to do the corners of the sink cutout.

Again, I would NOT attempt to do this.  Any screwup and you are having to replace the whole countertop or a section of it with all the issues of making it match.


Do I need more space between my AC unit and bed headboard?

window unit ac vents are places on top so not a problem. first problem will be to make sure your curtains do not block the air intake in front of the window unit. so need to have good air flow to the intake or it will freeze the unit. next problem is that the unit sits inside your window so this will stick out from flush of your window about 5 inches. from your window to your wall is 2 inches. the window unit will stick out pass your wall quite a bit. go to local store and look at one. you will see where the window will sit on the unit and you will be able to go from there


If a new gasket doesn't clear up a drip, the valve seat may need to be resurfaced or replaced. The big box stores have replacement seats and the wrench to do it, and may have the tool to resurface. If the correct replacement seat is available, that's the way to go IMO.


What could green covering on a radiator pipe be?

You're seeing corrosion salts forming. In the presence of a water leak, copper will display greenish or bluish crust as the corrosion mineral in the water reacts and dries. Blue-green is copper sulfate, green is copper chloride/oxide. Fix the leak.

Discuss with your HVAC expert to find if you need to demineralize/deacidify the water in your heating system.

This is heated pipe, cold water pipes can show a greenish tinge where a lot of condensation from damp air coming in contact with the pipes condenses and drips off the copper pipe.


How to cut aluminium chequer plate (with a jigsaw)?

They do make blades designed for non-ferrous metal, and may make a difference over a standard bi-metal/multipurpose blade. These may be special order v. a home depot find.

I suggest going almost painfully slow to maximize cutting, over deforming the material/dulling the blade.

However, the two best ways I know to cut this material are a power 'nibbler' that cuts semi-circular bits out with a repeating punch style cutter, or on a power shear.


How to choose the correct bit for a screwdriver

Michael said many good things in that response. Read it. As an addendum....

In most cases, if it feels loose, then use a larger driver. A screwdriver should fit snuggly in the recess of the screw you are driving, without taking force to inset the bit into the screw. If it does not, then you are using the wrong one. It should have a shape that matches. Do not use something with only approximately the right shape, and jam it in. Thus, do not jam an Allen head bit into a Torx screw. This means you must know what kind of screw it is. If you don't/can't recognize the type of screw, then don't try to turn it.

There are some screws that are a combination head. For example, some have a doubly slotted head that will take a Phillips driver, but also a square recess for a Robertson driver. In that case, use a square (Robertson) drive. It will be a better fit, and is far less likely to slip and cam out. Even better is to use a driver that is designed to fit into that style of screw, with a shape that completely fills the recess to yield the highest torque.

For a flat head screw, again just use the largest driver that will fit snuggly into the slot. This will offer the greatest amount of leverage and thus drive the screw with the greatest torque for the largest turning power. Since large screws with large slots may require a large amount of force to drive and remove, this just seems like common sense.


Changing light fixture with red/black UK wiring using only black wires

Standard UK loop in wiring.

The 3 reds joined together will be live in, live out (to the next light) and live down to the switch.

The 2 blacks joined together willl be neutral in, neutral out.*

The black on its own should be sleeved brown (was sleeved red) for switched live.*

The new light connects to * and * (and earth, if it's not doiuble insulated).

from

https://www.practicaldiy.com/electrics/lighting-wiring/light-wiring-loop.php


Why do air conditioners have thermostats, not humidistats?

Some newer thermostats now offer a humidity setting.  So you can either choose to run your a/c to achieve a specified temperature setting or a specified humidity setting.  (I have an LG window A/C unit that has a humidity setting.)

I live in an area where our humidity level is pretty constant (6%-10%) except for maybe August, so humidity is not a big factor here.  I can see that in some places humidity may have a greater factor.

If a thermostat had a "feels like" setting, which took into account temperature and humidity, that would be ideal.  When the humidity in our area does jump up, my wife often complains she is freezing even though the thermostat is set to the same 72°F it always was.

If you do replace your thermostat look for one that also includes a "fan circulation mode" that will run every once in a while to move the air around without turning the compressor on.  This can create a dramatic cooling effect without changing the humidity level or wasting electricity.


Is it normal to find cracks in new concrete?

Concrete will crack naturally on its own unless it is given a place to crack such as control joint or expansion joint. As the concrete is curing it is heating up and expanding.  In the summer time, I have seen the slab crack before being able to walk on it.

Regarding footprints, it is tacky. However, the roughness can actually help the concrete and thinset to bind unless it is flaking.

One criticism......the young lady wearing the flip flops should not be walking around a construction site. Stepping on nails, rusty re-bar, broken glass etc is a distinct possibility.  Safety first!

As suggested by another responder, if you feel excessive water has been used then a core sample can be done and a test break can ascertain whether the concrete is no good.


In Brief

Twist-on connectors have a bad history in the UK.
The UK traditionally relies on screw-terminal connectors.
UK Electricians are conservative.
UK junction boxes, switches, ceiling-roses etc contain enough built-in connectors that additional loose connectors are not normally needed.
Newer types of lever-action, squeeze-to-open or stab connector blocks are possibly more popular alternatives.

Twist-on connectors

The Wikipedia article on twist-on connectors suggests they were outlawed in the UK 50 years ago. No references are given. It is suggested that 50 years ago the ("Scruit" brand) twist-on connectors were made of ceramic and were liable to crack and expose the wires.

UK Electricians are a conservative group. Vendors of novel products have to go to considerable length to persuade them that their products meet the relevant legislation.

An Ideal Industries Inc. catalogue says

  Conforming to BS EN 60998 Twister® wire connectors fully
  comply with BS 7671:2008 (17th Edition Wiring Regulations).

However, it isn't uncommon to see strenuous efforts on the part of manufacturers to persuade UK electricians that novel products meet regulations. E.g. Wagobox and Ezybond earth fasteners Some of these novel products more or less disappear from the market within a few years, others succeed.

Screw-terminal-blocks

In the UK, electricians almost invariably use screw-terminals.

ruler is marked in cm with mm subdivisions

The white translucent screw-connector block in the foreground is a typical example. This one is rated for 5A. Other sizes are available for different current ratings.

An electrician left behind the other connectors in this picture. I suspect they were used for temporary connections during installation. I've not seen any in a completed installation (but I'm only a householder not an electrician, so have very limited experience)

The "Marr No.1" connectors at back right  look superficially similar to US wire-nuts but are very different. The metal insert is removed and a grub nut is used to clamp the wires, then the plastic insulator is screwed over the connection.

The "Legrand 10mm2" connectors at top left may be for higher current ratings. Note that the plate that presses on the wires is arranged so as not to exert any twisting force on the conductors. Perhaps this avoids damaging stranded conductors. It certainly prevents the conductors being pressed to one side of the screw and therefore not being securely clamped in place.

An obvious advantage of these connectors is that the wires can be removed intact and should usually not need trimming before reconnection. I have the impression that in the US, wire-nut connections are often removed by cutting the wires, which may leave progressively less and less wire available in the junction-box or back-box for remaking connections.

When more than two wires are to be joined, a slightly different type of screw-connector is used:

Switches, junction boxes and ceiling roses often contain sufficient bult in capacity that you don't need additional connectors:

Newer connectors

Easier-to-use connectors are becoming more common:

Some of these are "lighting connectors" used to join solid-core wires to stranded wires. They are all rated at 20A and at least 300V. They all incorporate a test-port and wire-trimming guide.

It may be that UK electricians looking for novel connectors prefer these to twist-on connectors.


Suggestions for standing pole for sun shade

A 4x4 would work, and it mounting there is probably ok assuming the concrete is thick enough at the bottom which is below the bottom of the slab. Which it probably is, I would expect 6-8 inches +. I would use Simpson SDS concrete screws, 1/2" diameter and embed 4" into the concrete. Two of them. You'll need a rotary hammer drill to predrill the holes.

I suggest using pressure treated wood or cedar for resistance to rot since this is considered a wet condition.

Note that the higher want to mount it the more force on the post. More force in wind storm. More force to be more taught, keeping it very taught requires quite a bit of force


Wiring a Tesla Powerwall into an Existing Solar Install

The powerwall 2 is a DC-DC device and maintains power at 360V.  The solar inverter does the DC-AC conversion. From the Inverters perspective its like a solar panel string with optimizers maintaining the voltage at 360V. But the current can go both directions.


what is a "running board" for attaching NM cables perpenticular to floor joists in an unfinished basement?

Running boards or rat runs many times are a simple 2x4.  If you have a bunch of cables 1/2” plywood is legal and meets code standards for support of cables #10 and smaller.


Is There a DIY Way of Fitting This Attachment to My Bathroom Tap?

You have obviously tried to no avail at hardware stores and the like. Somewhere adapters are available but sometimes it's exhausting to locate them. There are rubberized couplings for small diameter pipe similar to rubber drain couplings.

Here's an example of a 3/4 inch one.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/3-4-in-x-3-4-in-PVC-Flexible-Coupling-P1056-075/100187989


The walls in our living room transitions into the ceiling with a curved surface...what is this called?

If the radius of the wall to ceiling transition is on the order of 1 to 2 inches then that corner is likely formed by use of a vinyl inside corner beading. It comes in lengths and inserted up into the corners and nailed / screwed along the edges through a flange that gets covered over with a feathered edge of drywall mud to blend the beading to the wall and ceiling surfaces.

Sometimes a wood material is also used that looks similar to a cove moulding but that would more than likely not be used up against the drywall in a mudded in smooth transition.

In decades gone by it was sometimes popular to create much larger radius transitions that could be a radius of 6 to 8 inches (maybe even more). These would be seen on plaster construction where curved backer corners were installed to the wall/ceiling lathe and then additional wood lathe was attached to these to create the curved surface. A professional plasterer would then plaster the wall and curved transition up to the ceiling all in one continuous process. Sorry that I cannot provide a name for that type of construction.


Should light bulbs above showers be "steam proof"?

As pointed out by others, luminaires above or near a tub/shower must be "steam-proof" (rated for damp locations). This means the fixture will be sealed in some way, to prevent moisture from entering the housing and causing damage and/or an unsafe environment.

NEC 2008
410.10 Luminaires in Specific Locations.
(D) Bathtub and Shower Areas.  No parts of cord-connected luminaires, chain-, cable-, or cord-suspended luminaires, lighting
track, pendants, or ceiling-suspended (paddle) fans shall be located
within a zone measured 900 mm (3 ft) horizontally and 2.5 m (8 ft)
vertically from the top of the bathtub rim or shower stall threshold.
This zone is all encompassing and includes the space directly over the
tub or shower stall. Luminaires located within the actual outside
dimension of the bathtub or shower to a height of 2.5 m (8 ft)
vertically from the top of the bathtub rim or shower threshold shall
be marked for damp locations, or marked for wet locations where
subject to shower spray.

Corrosion
The major concern here would be corrosion inside the fixture, which can lead to dangerous heating, arcing, shorting, etc.
Heat
Corrosion on contacts increases the resistance of the circuit, which can lead to excess heat, which in turn can lead to increased resistance.  Given the right circumstances, wires/contacts can be heated to the point of ignition.
Arcing and Shorting
In some fixtures, contacts can be in very close quarters with each other. If corrosion builds up causing the gap between contacts to reduce enough, arcing can become a problem.  Similarly, if the gap closes completely, a short can be created.
PITA
Corrosion in fixture can simply lead to a frustrating situation. If the screw base of a bulb becomes corroded enough, the bulb could become difficult or impossible to remove. This could lead to the fixture needing replacement, or at least an annoying bulb change experience.
Ground Faults
As we all know, water conducts electricity (in most cases). Because of this a deadly ground fault situation can be created, if luminairs are allowed to get excessively damp or wet.  If enough moisture enters the fixture to cause dripping, a solid stream of conductive water could bring electricity within reach of a well grounded individual.  In this scenario, a simple touch of the light could be deadly.


GFCI on a different circuit keeps tripping

When a GFCI trips, people often say "I don't understand. Why is my GFCI tripping?"

GFCI's detect ground faults.  It's what they do.

Yes, sometimes GFCIs are just bad. But Occam's Razor says the simplest explanation is usually the correct one: There's a ground fault.

Electricity flows in loops.  Every hot wire has a partner neutral dedicated to it, and it's important they not be mixed. All the power that goes out on a  hot, should come back via the partner neutral.  If current goes any other way, that's what GFCI's call a ground fault.  GFCI's compare the current on both wires, and make sure they are equal.   They do not look at the ground wire at all.  Ground usually figures into it as the alternate circuit path.

A hot-ground fault will usually flow a LOT of current and trip the circuit breaker.  But a neutral-ground fault is trickier.  They're at nearly the same voltage, but if they are brushing against each other, current will return via both neutral and ground, and cause the inequality that results in a GFCI trip.

When two separate circuits have related GFCI trips, it's usually because someone got sloppy and mixed neutrals or grounds.  For instance if power flowed out one circuit's hot and the other circuit's neutral, that should trip both GFCI's.  If a ground wire is being bootlegged as a neutral or is shorting against a neutral, that will also cause misrouting of power and a GFCI trip.  Or if something is getting wet, it may cause enough leakage to trip a GFCI.


How can I attach the frame of a bed to legs using carriage bolts?

I found what I needed! I happened to stumble upon it after posting this.

What I need are "Wood Insert Interface Screws". This will allow me to screw these into the wood, while using a carriage bolt to screw into this. Hope this helps someone.


How can I safely connect cable in a service panel?

Stay away from the metal parts above the main breaker. They are hot always.

If you haven't turned off the main breaker, also stay away from the bolts and buses right below it, and the buses down the middle that the breakers clip into will also be hot.

It helps to use gloves if you can get PPE in this day and age.

Note the way the last guy runted off all the wires so they can barely reach where they're going right now. Don't do that. Make each of your hot and neutral wires long enough to reach any breaker location in the panel, so you have freedom to move things around later, which you may well because your panel is full. Neutrals also need to reach the breaker in case you add AFCI/GFCI/??CI later. To make it "neat", run your wire along the edge, overshoot past your breaker then double back and pull in the way they have.


Is it safe to set my water heater tank to vacation during winter time? What else can I turn off to save heating bills during winter?

First of all you should turn off the water to the house and water heater . I've had a burst pipe at my vacation home because the power failed, it got really cold and froze pipes. When the power came back on and melted the frozen water in the pipes, there was a badly cracked pipe that did a ton of damage.   If you have pex plumbing that doesn't apply, but if it's copper or steel, you are at risk. Even if you did have a metal pipe freeze and burst, when you came back and turned on the water, it would probably be immediately obvious that you had a burst pipe that you could address immediately, mitigating further damage.
I would also set the heating system (not sure what you have, so take this with a grain of salt) to about 45 F. That's high enough to keep the humidity in check, but shouldn't be too costly.


Can I install a receptacle outlet below a window?

Yes.  As long as you have part of the wall under your window (your window doesn't go to the floor) then it is treated like any other wall in your house.


What kind of super strong bonding agent would be useful to repair a stiletto heel?

If the cobbler told you it was unfixable, it's most likely unfixable. The picture you linked is too small to see much detail, but if you have a question about glue I always recommend This to That as a good place to look up what kind of glue to use.

But honestly, I don't think any glue is going to hold this in the way you want. The shoes are most likely dead. If they're expensive enough you can look at a home insurance claim, but I doubt that's a route you want to go!


How can I combine two outlets into one output using OR logic?

There probably isn't anything you can buy that does this for a residential application, but it's done all the time in industrial plants, like this:

As the drawing suggests, make good and sure that you're only using ONE phase.  In other words, don't put the switch on one phase and the timer on the other, wire them together, and expect them to work.

Call an industrial electrician if you're not sure about doing this yourself; I wouldn't expect a residential one to understand this.  (When I worked for an industrial controls company, some customers hired residential guys to do the wiring.  I was very impressed with them...the wrong way.)

Alternatively, most residential timers have provisions for manual override, as long as you can access the timer itself.  But judging by your question, it seems that you want to bury the timer and forget about it.


How to replace bathtub pull-up drain stopper with screen/mesh for hair?

It looks like you might be able to do this pretty easily.

To remove the stopper, simply unscrew the top of the handle of the drain stopper, then unscrew the underlying screw in the shaft to pull out the drain cover completely. Then, you'll have the cradle-thing that holds the stopper. You might be able to leave that in place (I grew up in a house that had the stoppers taken out but the "cradles" left in place, and two women with long hair would share the bath. We took turns cleaning out the drain) and place the mesh catcher over it. See this video for a demo (It should be region-free.)

You'll probably want to put down putty or some sort of long screw from the drain to the "cradle" in order to keep it in place.


First I would check the circuit breaker, flip it off and back on then re check oven. If it does not work think about what you have done since last you used it, are you sure the door is latching closed and the controlls are on the right position?  If you know someone who has lived in the area for a long time ask them if they know who to call. An electrican can fix it. Call any local appliance sales place and ask for a recomendation on who to call.


Plain old mortar (or concrete with only small aggregate) would be my choice - it does not need to be a perfect seal. If it's dry when you are trying to do the work, pre-wet the area you are patching for a better bond. You'll also want to scrub off as much of that decaying organic material as possible. Use a fairly stiff mix and beat it into place.
It needs to be wetted out, not dry, but you want a mix you can place, not one you pour. Slapping or beating it once placed (equivalent to vibration but on a reasonable DIY budget) will help get the mix in good contact with the old concrete without having to have a very liquid mix. Apart from being hard to place, a too wet mix is weaker.


You have the wrong breaker for what you want to do here

The Eaton DNPL (aka BRD) type of breaker is a tandem or double-stuff breaker, that has two circuit breaker mechanisms inside it that share a line terminal, but have separate load lugs.  These are used extensively to "cram" circuits into a panel, as we see in your panel.

However, since both of the breakers in a double-stuff are connected to the same leg or phase of the service, you cannot use one to feed a multi-wire branch circuit (like the one you propose) without overloading the neutral, since the hot wires in a MWBC must be on different legs or phases to allow only the difference in loads to flow down the neutral, rather than the sum of the loads.

If this were a regular branch circuit, you would need to replace the bottom rightmost DNPL1515 and the empty slot with a DNPL152015, then land the wires from the old DNPL1515 on the two outer poles and the new 12AWG wires on the two inner poles.  However, this creates other problems, so read on for details.

You don't have the space for a GFCI breaker

The bigger problem for what you want to do though is that you need a two pole GFCI to protect a multi-wire branch circuit, and those only come in breaker form.  However, there is no such thing as a double-stuff GFCI breaker to begin with, as the electronics required to make a GFCI work take up too much space to be fit into a single breaker package along with the two breaker mechanisms.

So, you'll need to put the GFCIs somewhere else -- this could be a "spa panel" placed inline with the circuit with a 2-pole GFCI breaker in it, or a pair of GFCI receptacles or deadfronts at the "end of the line" for the MWBC in that you would have to have the two "sides" of the circuit have separate neutrals from that point on to avoid confusing the GFCIs with improperly divided neutral currents.  In this situation, you'll still need to use the DNPL152015 quadplex breaker in the main panel, as described above.


How was the wood grain aligned in this set of decorative wall panels?

Those are match grain veneer panels. They are usually made by attaching selected hardwood veneers to plywood using contact glues. Veneers can be purchased from specialty woodworking dealers.

The technique is not hard but requires some care (and practice) to get straight, bubble-free surfaces.


How can I stop PVC decking from squeaking?

Take up the flooring and install proper joists to be 8" on center.

At 12" on center your diagonal distance would have been just under 17".  Now with 16" on center your diagonal distance is 22.6".  That's way too long, and of course it's going to pull and squeak.  I'd be worried about long term safety as well.  Manufacturers do give recommended maximum spacings for a reason, after all...

Bracing it with 2x4"s which themselves are going to flex under the weight can't fix the problem.  You need to properly reinforce the structure with properly sized joists.

Basically you went cheap on the foundation - now you're paying for it.


The following protocols are listed in Wikipedia:

C-Bus: @wikipedia
EnOcean: @wikipedia
Insteon: @wikipedia
KNX: @wikipedia
UPB: @wikipedia
X10: @wikipedia
Zigbee: @wikipedia
Z-Wave: @wikipedia

In addition to these, I know there are the following systems:

FS20
HomeEasy
HomeMatic
iComfort
Kopp FreeControl
Belkin WEMO: @wikipedia
Intertechno
ELRO

Actually, I do not know whether some of these systems do not use some protocols above.

There are already some question concerning this topic:

Which communication bus systems for home automation?
What are some scalable, affordable home automation options?
What are the pros and cons of different types of smart switches (that are on the US market) ?


Don‘t tear the wires out

Some newer doorbells are going wireless.  But this is not a universal trend. Better doorbells are actually wired, because they do things that take power.  They are lighted (like, the button glows), they have cameras or WiFi, motion sensors,  microphones, speakers, etc.  Those things are not possible on battery.

Also, the wireless doorbells I have seen are not well built, and don't last.  I would expect quality ones to work both wired or wireless.

It would be silly to, a few years later, pay an electrician to re-run the wires... Or have to forego a nice doorbell because of no wires.

In other words, I think "wireless" is a fad.

I would simply disconnect the wires at both ends without cutting or damaging them.  The other end will be the chime, and it's quite likely the transformer is near that.   Sometimes, doorbells coattail on the furnace/thermostat transformer.


Water pressure when changing pipe diameter

First, check on what @ThreePhaseEel said then, as a "rule of thumb", a 2" pipe can carry the flow of 4- 1" pipes, so the 1" pipe will only carry 1/4 of water of the 2" supply pipe. Under a no flow condition the pressure will remain relatively the same but there will be reduced maximum flow and reduced pressure when a large flow is utilized.


In the end I used a sealant putty called Mortite to fill in the space between the tube and the brick. I tried low expansion foam but as it expanded and dried, it squeezed the tube out of shape so that I couldn't fit the cap back on. There was really no way to caulk that area because once the cap is on, you can no longer access it.
So basically, I put the vent into the hole with the cap on, secured it to the wall on the other side to it wouldn't move, and took the cap off. Then I smooshed the putty into the cracks and placed the cap back on. Had to get some help to make it work but it wasn't too bad overall.
I also went ahead and used the putty to seal the metal collar to the wall on the other side where the dryer hose connects.
Also I used Loctite to glue a piece of broken stone back onto the wall on the right of the hole.


You can have a blower-door test done (or rent a blower and do it yourself). Basically you close all your doors/windows, and then stick a big fan in your doorway (sealed), then have it blow air outside. It creates negative pressure inside your house, amplifying any air leaks. I had this done as part of an energy audit (and when it was fairly cold outside), and just walked around using my hand to feel for any leaks (they are pretty obvious, because it is like a jet of cold air shooting in).


What could be causing the grinding noise in my washing machine?

You don't have a lot of info there.  But it sounds like your bolt that is holding your main bearing for the main drum is coming loose.  If it is a front load this is really easy to get to.  Take off the back and you should see a large bearing.  I had to replace mine for the same reason.  It is held by one screw and has teeth that make the main drum spin.  If the teeth are still in ok condition - which it just depends on how much you used it with that noise - then you just need to put the bolt all the way back in with blue loctite.  If it isn't glued in it will works its way out quickly.


Not seeing a toilet shut off valve for installing bidet

That's a "PUSHON" toilet supply valve like this:

https://accortechnology.com/pushon-r-series-sink-lavatory-supply-kit-1-2-valve-x-1-2-ips-nut
If you go to their install video here: https://youtu.be/5DRQZuLR9y4 and skip to about 2:55 you'll see that to shut the valve off you pull on the knob and to turn it back on you push the knob back in.