Default an appliance to off (no power) when on generator power and on when on utility power

What you need is a critical-loads subpanel
This is an ordinary subpanel, in which the critical-load circuits are permanently moved.  (this isn't as annoying as it sounds).  The ATS automatically switches its source between utility and generator.
As Ed Beal notes, it's unusual to put a large load like hot water on a backup generator for a couple of reasons: First, tanked electric water heaters are well-insulated, and will hold heat for 12-24 hours. So it's simply not a problem except for long outages. Second, they are one of four enormous loads in your house, the others being electric dryer, electric range and A/C.  Because of their large size, they are generally excluded from critical loads, because they require such a large generator, and wipes out any ability to use a portable generator.
Generally an ATS (automatic transfer switch) implies permanently installed generator, since it defeats the purpose if the ATS can't auto-start the generator, and that's not generally supported with portables.
Pad generators can easily be sized to pick up any planned load, and when an owner is committed to supporting some or all of these large loads, that's what they do.  NEC requires a load calculation be done to assure the generator is large enough.
You may be looking for a load shed device
However, NEC has an exception - when doing your load calculation, you can exclude loads which are on automatic "load shed" devices.
A load-shed device is an interruptor, which monitors the input power, looking for sagging voltage, slowing AC frequency or other signs of the generator bogging down.  They then drop out their connected load.
What they do not make, unfortunately, is a smart "load balancer" that draws off only the excess capacity of the generator; it would have to "dim" the water heater, but that would work stupendously well with water heaters.  Be a disaster with a motor load.  Too bad this is vaporware... the problem is how to sense when the generator is at peak performance.  Generators don't exactly have an output signal for that.
For what it's worth, water heaters are well insulated.  Once they reach target temperature, the water will stay hot for as long as a day, even with the power off.
To answer your question, you need a contactor.
Which is a big relay. And I would use either a DPDT contactor with an interlock, or a 3PDT contactor.   2 poles are for water heater power; the third is to allow a "hold-on" feature.
Here are the bones of it. The common goes to the water heater.  The NC (connected when de-energized) contacts go to the utility (i.e. its normal 30A breaker in the main panel).  At its quiescent state, it's on utility.  Its NO (connected when energized) contacts, you have several choices  there.  The coil contacts likewise; you have choices there as well.
The reason to make NC (coil off) the utility side is so that coil doesn't have to get held "on" 24x7x364.  Wasteful and unnecessary vampire load, that!
How to wire that contactor's coil to manually switch onto generator load is complicated, and I have an easier way.
Or, you could run the water heater on 120V
Which lowers its power usage to a very practical amount for a small generator, only ~1200 watts.
It takes the water heater 4 times as long to recover, but it works.  You can crunch the numbers easily enough, thanks to a convenient unit called BTU.   (note that HVAC equipment uses this unit incorrectly.)

1 BTU heats 1 pound of water 1 degree F.
1 KWH (1000 watts for 1 hour) equals 3410 BTU.
250 pounds of water in a 30-gallon water tank.

Go look at the nameplate (take the ONE largest wattage, don't add them, they don't run simultaneously) and punch it into the above, you'll see full recovery at nameplate wattage takes around an hour.  Okay, that's on utility.
On half voltage, the water heater's power will be 1/4 of that. Recovery will take 4 times as long.   Expect ~1200 watts give or take. "Well gosh, that's well within the range of a common 120V circuit!"
So instead of a 240V/30A breaker, it goes to a 120V/15A breaker.   With the contactor we just discussed, the NO side is connected: 1 wire goes to hot of the critical-loads sub, and the other wire goes to neutral of that same sub.
We still need to get the contactor coil to pick up.  We don't want it picking up on utility (and the critical-loads sub will be hot on utility mode)... so we can either take coil power hotshot off the generator side of the critical-loads panel interlock... or, here's what I'd do.
I'd get a plain old Intermatic mechanical timer... the kind you twist.  I would feed the contactor coil through that.  It will work and run down the clock whether power is on or off.   Basically whenever you set the timer, the water heater will be taking 120V off the critical-loads subpanel instead of 240V off the utility-only subpanel.
Since a typical water heater can fully recover in <<4 hours (run the math above), I wouldn't bother with a timer longer than that.  You set the timer AFTER you use hot water, so it can recover, and the next person can "just use it".


You better go with what the inspector suggests, that will be the simplest thing, since he has to approve it. Otherwise you will most likely need an engineer involved to come up with something and that will cost. Just getting advice from a DIY site will not satisfy the inspector


Adding a C wire and fixing White vs Red on my Furnace

The only things you need is a tap from Pink to connect to the B common wire and to flip the red and white wires on the Thermostat terminals: block.

Write down a big W above the T1 conn. and R below the T2 conn. label so you or whoever has to look at it later doesn't get confused.


Lawn Mower (probably) Electrical Problem

So, I found what it was.  The plug was OK, and I laid it on the engine block and cranked the mower to verify a spark.  It had a spark so I figured it was fuel.

I took off the air filter cover and the 2 bolts that hold the air filter housing on the carb and removed the housing.  On the float bowl of the carb there was a wire coming off and going to a jumper that was not connected.  The other end of the jumper went to ground.  When I hooked this back up (i.e. re-connected the wire via the jumpers), it worked like new.

I have no idea what that is, maybe something that helps atomize the fuel, or a fuel pump relay?

Dunno, but it was electrical, just not a safety switch like I thought.


How should I build a raised subfloor for my basement bathroom?

Lots of questions (related to this Meta discussion).  I will just tackle a few points I feel confident about answering.

Subfloor

The Schluter DITRA does not need to be on CBU so I would skip the 1/2" layer of cement board you are planning on using and make your plywood subfloor thicker (or just skip the CBU and keep your 23/32" OSB).  CBU is not "stiff" enough to be a subfloor, it can be used instead of DITRA but it must be secured to a subfloor. It rarely makes sense to use 1/2" on the floor unless you are trying to make the finished floor come out to some specific height (for example to help the transition to another room with a different floor).  If you are not goin gto use DITRA, you will want some CBU on the floor but the 1/4" stuff is fine.

Apply the modified thinset and DITRA directly to the plywood subfloor.  Checkout Schluter's DITRA Installation Instructions for details on the subfloor prep and how to secure to DITRA to the plywood.

Toilet

Without a picture or diagram it is not really clear to me exactly what the issue is with the toilet drain, but that won't stop me from taking a guess :)

You may be right about getting away with cutting a larger hole in the subfloor to handle the bend of the toilet drain pipe. Are you sure the PVC drain will stick above the finished floor? Realize that the thinset between both the subfloor/DITRA (not very much) and DITRA/tile (more so) will add a little to your height, maybe between 1/8" to 1/4".

Have you measured the height of the toilet drain with the flange installed (just dry fit it to take a measurement)? The flange can be installed on the top of the finished floor (tile), on top of just the DITRA, or on top of the plywood subfloor.  In your case you would probably want it as high as you can, so install the tile first and then glue the flange to the PVC closet bend. I think once you dry-fit the toilet flange you will see you are OK here.


Orange flame on a Rinnai furnace after propane conversion

This sounds normal. It sounds like you have the proper air fuel mix and the moisture is normal, I have had almost every home owner call be on a cold morning saying there furnace is smoking, it is actually the moisture and it shows up as a fog on cold mornings , sounds like things are just fine.


Does this vent cap limit passive air flow?

Plumbing vents work on the principle of water moving and are sized accordingly. Reducing the "net" area may affect your plumbing's venting, thus the drainage.

We install radon remediation after tests are performed and they indicate it's necessary. Usually it's a passive system with the capability of adding an exhaust fan to "suck" more air through the system if future tests indicates the passive system is not working. Likewise, you could try the covers and re-test for effectiveness.

We worry about the "amount" of screen on outside grilles blocking air movement for heating systems. The amount of air reduction in your proposed "vent caps" seem excessive...especially if you're worried about keeping birds out of the pipe.


How to set-up a shelf in a tiled bathroom?

You have some nice tile there. It would be a shame to drill holes in it.

If you look at the customer reviews on the IKEA product page you can see this. You might want to consider that.

Review Source

If you do decide to use 3M Outdoor Mounting Tape some things to consider:

This tape is considered a permanent mounting system.
Make sure that both rails of the assembled shelf fit nice and flat against the walls on both sides of the corner where you intend to mount the unit.
You will want to make sure that the walls and rails are clean and free of any soap or oil film. I recommend a final cleaning with alcohol.
Attach the tape to the rails after you have fully assembled the shelf frame.
Attach the tape to the rails full length. If two runs fit the width of the rail then cover the full rail width.
Push the shelf unit into the corner carefully so that the two rails come into contact with the walls at the same time.

I have used this tape in the past and it adheres like crazy. Using it to mount metal rails really does mean that it will be there for the duration.

The tape seems to me to offer an advantage over the recommended two screws at just the top. It will hold the shelf securely in the corner without the bottom end being able to pull out from the corner.


Are these breakers suitable for a GE panel?

TLDR: They're all wrong.  Swap with a GE or classified breaker (e.g. Eaton CL not BR).

Allowable breakers

You can use several breakers inside a panel.

Breaker types which are listed on the panel's labeling, these will be made by the same manufacturer and the same type, and UL-listed.
Breaker types which are contemporary to your panel's labeling, but again are still the same manufacturer, and they state they will work in your panel, or substitute for breakers which are labeled for use in your panel.  Also UL-listed.
Breakers which are made by a third party, who sends them to Underwriter's Laboratories to have them UL-listed for the competitor panel.  UL calls this a "UL-Classified" breaker, and they run the same set of tests they run on factory breakers.  If you research the manufacturer of the breaker and their classified breaker lines, they should show a cross-reference chart stating which factory breakers their Classified breakers can substitute for.

UL-Classified breakers

Classified is UL's way of saying these are not OEM breakers and do not have the benefit of the OE's expertise and trade-secret knowledge, but they do pass safety testing.

Keep in mind that a manufacturer's Classified breakers are different breakers than the OEM breakers they make for their own panels.  For instance, Siemens QD breakers are classified for Square D QO panels, and must not be used in any Siemens panel of any kind.

Similarly, you will see that Eaton's CL line of breakers is not UL-classified for use in Eaton BR panels -- even though the breakers may look outwardly the same.

This should not be confused with cross-listing.  For instance,  Challenger panels have breakers known to be defective (but panels are fine).  People seeking to replace those breakers find their panel labeling requires type C breakers. They are pleased to discover that Eaton's BR line is cross-listed as type BR and type C.

Your breakers

On your panel, we can strike out the Square D breakers immediately.  Square D is absolutely opposed to "Classified" breakers.  They refuse to make classified breakers for competitor panels, and they object to the use of Classified breakers in their panels (not that they have anything to say about it).   So the Square D "HOMeline" breakers are out-of-place because Square D says so: You are using this breaker in contradiction to its labeling and instructions, which violates NEC 110.3(B).

It also violates NEC 110.2, which requires all equipment must be approved.

Siemens does make classified breakers.  They make the QD type for Square D "QO" panels, and the MSQ type also for Square D "QO" panels.  Now, Siemens' website just burned down so Google is useless (every page is 404).  But from Google's view of their pages, it's clear they don't make UL-classified breakers for GE panels.  Even if they did, their MP-T type is not that; being made exclusively for Murray lineage panels.  As such, 110.3(B) and 110.2 apply, same as above.

The proper GE breakers are perfectly reasonably priced.  If they weren't (QO isn't), then you could consider classified breakers made for that panel, such as Eaton CL.  Do not use Eaton BR; as mentioned earlier, a manufacturer's classified lines are incompatible with their own panels, unless they are also classified for their own panels (The fact Eaton didn't classify the CL line for BR probably means they can't.)


Can CFL bulbs in a fixture with a dimmer switch damage old wiring?

Typically CFL's are not made for dimmers. You need to match a dimmable CFL with the right type of dimmer. It is possible that the CFL damaged your dimmer but not the wiring.


You should be able to gently tap the area close to where the hole is and listen for the hollow sound that a thin layer of plywood over a void would make.
Then using a 1/8 drill bit probe the area to locate the center and cut out a section large enough to give you a look inside. After that gently cut away the rest to the edges of the vent hole.


Obviously, your inspector is aiming to cover both your butts, while the other inspector has an incentive to help sell the house- that's a strike against the sellers' inspector. Moreover, think about when you need to sell the house. Do you want to tell the next buyer it's fine? When can afford to replace it? Chances are, it will need to be replaced eventually... it looks like it's ticking to me.

But since you are asking, you must be doubting your own inspectors' experience or intelligence. Caution is also age related; older people tend to be more cautious, and wiser. Bear that in mind, it's only a tendency. So, do some people work... find out about them. And try to get another opinion from someone who can be there to physically inspect it. Maybe you could get two new inspectors. If they don't agree, then expect to replace the pipe since the owner will not.

Rationally, both inspectors work for themselves of course and have their reputations. Check with BBB and/or Yelp and/or Angie's list, and/or Facebook and/or ask them for references and figure out which guy has the reputation. Pay attention who their clientele is. If the sellers' inspector's clientele is primarily people selling houses, this would make me less apt to believe what he's selling.


Probably a problem with the control board on the AC unit.  If the AC unit comes on without a signal from the thermostat, there must be a short or something that is giving the AC unit the "turn on" signal.

Contact the company that installed the unit (if it's still under warranty), or your favorite HVAC company to come take a look.


240V outlet not working, reading 120V on each leg, 0V between legs

Hmmm.  Are the working and non-working outlets on different circuits? If so, it sounds like your alleged "electrician" put the 2 hot wires for the non-working outlet on the same phase. If so, I'd have a different qualified electrician check out his other work.
To fix this, if the non-working outlet hots are on the same phase, you need to move one to an opposite phase. In fact, if that's the case, it's a major screw-up.  Both hots on a 240 volt circuit need to be on the same double pole breaker. Lots of speculation on my part here. Pictures of the panel with the cover removed would help. I probably should have posted this as a comment, but I had too much to say!


build 6x6 single post from 2x4s for swingset?

I would emphasize that it is not possible to engineer a solution to your problem without more concrete information about loads and the existing structures. But I can share some thoughts that I hope are useful.

Start with an A-frame and modify to suit your situation.
This is a common solution to the problem of handling the dynamic vertical and lateral loads of a swing set. It is also a much easier DIY project than a vertical post anchored into the ground. You could build this framing on both sides of your swing and simply attach it to the play structure. If you want a more elegant solution start with this concept in mind and adapt it to use elements of the existing structures.

Can the play structure handle it's half of the load from a swing set? Specifically, is it anchored to the ground and/or braced to handle the lateral loads? If there is no cross-bracing add an internal cross brace between the post you attach to in your diagram and the one below it. This is one half of the "A". Consider adding a second diagonal cross brace from the same post into the ground (up in your diagram). This is the other half of the "A".

On the garage side take the same approach. If you can anchor into the garage framing that's great. To keep things lined up you can anchor one or more 2x6 members against the garage so that the cross-bar attaches at a right angle. Install a diagonal brace from this point to the ground (down in your diagram). This is half of the "A". Inside the garage, especially if you already have access to the framing, install a diagonal brace to form the other half of the "A".

About making a 6x6 post from 2x6 boards and then burying it. Besides the good points raised in comments to your question I would point out that boards (2x4, 2x6, etc) are typically used for framing above ground while timbers (4x4, 6x6, etc) are routinely buried as fence posts or covered with dirt to build retaining walls. You will find pressure treated varieties of both but the boards are almost always rated for above ground exposed use only while the timbers are rated for ground contact. In the example below the top label is ground contact and the bottom is above ground only.


Can I use the built in vacuum system for ventilation

Taking air out of the house like that would mean getting more fresh air into the house. A little would be good. A lot could result in drafts in strange places as the air would come in from wherever it can. The effect would likely be uneven as some areas, perhaps with leaky doors/windows, would get a lot of fresh air and others would get almost none.

In addition, the air coming in would be as hot/cold and humid as the outside. That would help feel less musty but not necessarily less damp or feel "good".

A quick search finds that central vacuum typically uses 2" ductwork where HVAC typically 6" or larger. That being said, perhaps an inventive HVAC tech. could come up with a solution to use the central vacuum ductwork for an HVAC system. Or possibly a mixture - use traditional HVAC ductwork for the easiest runs (and/or the rooms that need it the most, like the kitchen) and use the central vacuum ductwork for the rest.


When things are plugged in to different outlets in different locations, but are all on the same circuit, from that given protective device ( breaker / fuse ) and a neutral becomes disconnected that neutral will become "hot".

Try seeing how many things you know are plugged in to that circuit if possible and you'll possibly find a few things that aren't working...

Somewhere, either behind some receptacle, or in the panel itself that neutral became disconnected.

Envision the neutral as the return circuit for the hot ( which it is ) Whether it goes through a ceiling light, something plugged in it's still running hot as it travels through the neutral, when it becomes disconnected.


If by "bar-sink drain cover" you mean a perforated strainer like this:

then it might be related to the relative "softness" or "hardness" of your water supply. Where I am from we have "hard" water (high in mineral content) which has high surface tension and will not drain as easily through fine strainers. "Soft" water has less or no dissolved minerals but has dissolved sodium, and lower surface tension. Get a gallon of distilled water at the market, or mix 1/2 gallon of water with a 1/4 cup of table salt and see how that drains. If it drains fast, then you probably have to buy a strainer with bigger holes or enlarge the holes in your strainer. Or buy a water softener. Or best of all, install a sink with overflow protection.


What is the purpose of this PCB next to air pressure switch? Do I need it?

The board is the device that inturpets the humidity levels from a sensor and turns on the water solenoid, most units also have a flowswitch to turn the system off if there is no air flow. I would want at least an air flow switch controlling the water valve so the system is not flooding the duct work when no air is flowing , I know it is very small amounts of water but over time it candbuild up. Other than flooding the duct I do not think it will cause a problem to bypass the board.


What could cause bubbling in the downstairs toilet of an urban condo?

I'd start by snaking the shower drain. Liquid drain cleaners help with grease and oil buildup in the trap, but less so on hair or other solids, especially if they are further down the line (e.g. near the vent). The shower drain will be a lot easier to snake since you don't have to worry about damaging the toilet's porcelain finish.


How do I connect a new light fixture that has two black and two white wires?

Combine the 2 white from the new fixture to the white from the box, then connect the 2 black from the light to the black in the box, last connect the bare ground in the box to the metal strap that the lamp hangs from, If there is no metal strap or the new fixture is not metal tuck the bare ground up in the box and mount the new fixture.


What’s the purpose of a black rubber ring near the bottom of a drain body?

Ring labeled "A":

Multi-function tapered rubber gasket that centers the drain assembly in the bottom sink hole, cushions the clamping action of the nut that secures the drain assembly, and seals the lower hole (most sinks have an overflow drain-hole and channel cast into the body of the sink that leads to the space between the upper main drain-hole and the lower main drain-hole, overflow liquid enters the drain assembly through small holes in the drain assembly within that space).

Ring labeled "B":

This is a plastic (sometimes metal or fiber) friction ring; contradicting it's name, it prevents friction between the nut and the rubber gasket above so you can firmly tighten the nut without the nut grabbing and twisting/turning the rubber gasket.


Outlet with ground wire attached to socket ground and neutral

Misusing ground as neutral is a code violation.  It's the work of a hack electrician trying to get a job across the finish line, or other tradesman who severed a neutral by accident and hacked it so no one would notice.

I would search each receptacle box in that circuit for a reason for a neutral problem. Most wiring problems are at terminations.  If you find none, I would find the next box back on the cable run (that is still hot), and disconnect the cable there. Whatever broke the neutral may have also nicked the hot.

If the electrician did this, then every connection in your house needs review.  You know how to do receptacles!


Carrier is one of the better brands.  (However, most brands are pretty good these days.)

If you plan to stay in the house for years, look at systems with a higher SEER rating, as those are more efficient.  A more efficient system is generally more expensive, but it can pay for itself with lower power bills.

Units with a >16 SEER rating are eligable for a 2011 Tax Credit.  My local power company also had a rebate for high-efficiency HVAC, so look into that too.  (There may also be state and local tax credits).

Make sure the outdoor and indoor units are a matched/supported configuration, with an AHRI certificate.  You'll need that for any tax credits and rebates.

Some features to look for:

Higher end systems often have a better warranty (5 year vs 10 year).
On the outdoor unit, a two-stage compressor is nice because on moderate days the system doesn't run full blast, which is more efficient.
On the outdoor unit, a scroll compressor is quieter.  This can be nice if the outtdoor unit is next to your deck or window.  (Some units can be pretty loud.)
On the indoor unit, variable speed fans are quieter, more comfortable (they gradually speed up and slow down vs a sudden on/off), and help regulate humidity better.
A higher end indoor unit often supports a thicker air filter (e.g. MERV10 or MERV16).  Your typical 1" air filter is just some mesh over a plastic frame.  A filter like that can trap clumps of dust and hair, but not fine particles.  A higher end air filter is a few inches thick and looks like the air filter in your car.  They can trap finer particles and improve the air quality in the house.
A higher end thermostat may be necessary to fully take advantage of the features provided by your indoor/outdoor unit.  Higher end thermostats also provide fancy features like extra dehumidification, touch screens, scheduling, etc.

However, all of these features can be irrelvant if the installation was poorly done.  A top-end system can have tons of problems because it wasn't installed properly.  (e.g. The dehumidification feature can be a moot point when you find out the installer took shortcuts while wiring up the thermostat and air handler.)  Find a reputable HVAC contactor that is experienced with the brand/model of system to be installed.

Ultimately, you need the following:

A system that is sized properly for your house (tonnage/BTUs).  If the unit is oversized or undersized, you will have problems.
A manufacturer-supported combination of indoor unit, outdoor unit, and thermostat.
Properly sized ducting (both supply and return) that is insulated and doesn't choke airflow
The installation to be performed properly, in accordance with the manufacturer's reccomendations.


Is there a test to determine if a nail is galvanized or not?

Those are galvanized. The texture says it all.  Those different dark and light spots of silver all over the nail are crystals created as the zinc quickly cools in the air. Take a look at the image below and at this article by the American Galvanizer Association.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://galvanizeit.org/uploads/publications/Galvanized_Coating_Appearance.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi4xsy_45vpAhXDZs0KHfSXAmcQFjADegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw0wgwaqYYgCGJSuVaKVa8is&cshid=1588649225545


What type of cutting disc should I use for cutting steel rods?

Depends on you, as much as anything.
First off, don't forget eye protection and to work in a location where the sparks flung won't set your house on fire (sometimes hours later, if they get off into a nice cozy bed of lint or shavings in a corner.)
All cutoff discs are consumable, in the sense that they either break or wear down too small to be of use, so buy them in multi-packs.
Very thin discs are easier to break, but cut faster since they remove less metal. If you have a steady hand so you don't break them so much, they work well.
Thicker "reinforced" discs cut slower, since they remove more metal, but are somewhat harder (though not impossible) to break.


Why is CFL bulb life terrible in a three-stage off/low/high lamp?

There should be no ill effect from using a standard CFL in a normal three-way lamp; it's just switching another contact, not acting as a dimmer.

Bulb orientation, or heat entrapment, might be concerns. Or there might be something else causing that lamp to run at lower than normal voltage.


You are always smart to join two narrower boards to achiever a shelf width rather than purchase the full width in one piece.  The joined boards are far less inclined to warp.  It is necessary to joint the matching edges to get a tight joint.  Clamp from both sides. This helps eliminate a bow in the final piece. I personally like dowels.  And if you use clamping dogs to keep the joints even biscuits are not actually necessary.  Our modern glues are more than strong enough alone.


Rewiring a switch controlled receptacle to a ceiling light

First turn off the circuit at the breaker panel. A good practice is to confirm that there is no power on any cables in boxes you are working on using a non-contact tester.

If the switch only has one 2 conductor cable in its box, it is a switch loop. That means the power from the mains comes to the switched fixture box (in your case, the outlet) and only the hot wire is routed to the switch. The other wire in the switch cable is a switched hot (even though it is probably white or white with a black marking) which carries power back to the switched outlet.

What you need to do is to convert that switched hot to a neutral. First you need to determine which wire is always hot. Usually that would be the black wire, but you need to be sure. At the outlet box see which wire from the switch is attached to the black wire from the mains. If it is black, leave it connected. If not, disconnect it and connect the black switch wire to the black mains wire.

Then connect the white switch wire to the white mains wire. You will also need to connect the hot side of the outlet to the black mains wire (you will have already removed one of the switch wires from the hot side of the switched outlet).

Now you have an always hot outlet and a full circuit going to the switch box.

At the switch box, attach the white wire from the outlet box cable (now a neutral) to the white wire going to the light fixture. Attach the black  wire from the outlet box cable to the switch (hot) and the black wire from the fixture to the other side of the switch (switched hot).

At the light fixture, black to black, white to white.

We did not mention grounds, but they should all be connected in each box and to the switches and fixtures, using pigtails if needed. These are extra pieces of wire that you attach to the wire bundles to tie the fixtures or switches into the ground lines.


Federal Pacific 200a main panel problem with oversized 100a 2pole breaker

The 100A breaker is overcrowding the other slots for a reason: to enforce stab limits.  Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, and FPE  got that right.

If you did what you wanted to, you would have 130A on those two stabs.  That's over stab limits for a lot of modern panels! If you've ever seen panels where the main breaker is in the upper left corner and nothing is allowed across from it even though there's nothing wrong with those spaces, that is why.

So if you have felt righteous to do this because you feel you are working around a panel defect, no.  This is a plain case of playing swap-the-breaker on an overfull and overloaded panel, with known stab-reliability issues, doing the very thing that has everyone spooked.

The 100A breaker is not double size.  It is normal size 2-pole.  The other breakers are double-stuff. This is a 12-space panel with 8 spaces double-stuffed.  A 12-space panel on a 200A, all-electric house.  One has to woder if this was permitted in the first place!

Kill it with fire before it kills you with fire

If you're family, stop fooling around and swap the main panel.  It's not any harder than a subpanel, you just have to work in the dark because the meter is pulled.  Shop smart for a 40-space of a sensible physical dimension (CH, QO) and combo-pack that includes some breakers. Don't even attempt to solve AFCI or GFCI issues, aluminum wiring issues (loop back on those later, just use Al-rated breakers) etc.  If the AHJ insists on increasing project scope to include ancillary stuff like that, then just don't pull a permit and do it underground - but do it correctly.  Do double-check your wire sizes - I see too many 30s and not enough 15s.

If you're a contractor, run... this panel is a fire-starter, and if one does, your insurer may decide you're on your own!

Why not a subpanel?

Because I don't believe it's a significant cost savings over just swapping the main panel, it's a band-aid on a very bad situation, and the heat needs the whole 100A, there isn't spare (electrical) space in the subpanel for anything.


Identify voltage by looking into gang box

Quick answer is that 240v only requires two wires (black and red).  Four wires would be power coming in, and the switched power from the thermostat going out.  If there are 6 wires, then power comes in, and the thermostat controls two pairs, or one pair is power out to another thermostat and one pair out is to a heater.  How the old thermostats were hooked up should tell you that.


What are the grooves on the shank of my 16" masonry drill bits for?

Yes, that shank is for an SDS-plus chuck. It won't work well in a regular three-jaw chuck.

The SDS shank has the advantage of fitting into a simple spring-loaded chuck, so that bits are simply pushed into the chuck without tightening. This shank and chucks made for it are especially suited to hammer drilling with masonry drills in stone and concrete. The drill bit is not held solidly in the chuck, but can slide back and forth like a piston; it does not slip during rotation due to the non-circular shank cross-section, matching the chuck. The hammer of the drill acts to accelerate only the drill bit itself, and not the large mass of the chuck, which makes hammer drilling with an SDS shank drill bit much more productive than with other types of shank.
Rotational drive uses the sliding keyways that open to the end of the shank, which mate with keys in the chuck. The smaller indentations that do not open to the end are grasped by the chuck to prevent the drill bit falling out. The hammer of the drill hits the flat end of the shank. The shank must be lubricated with grease to allow it to slide in the chuck.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill_bit_shank#SDS_shank


Why should I repair/replace roof just because it's old?

"Shingles torn" "Nails showing"

You very probably have leaks you have not yet noticed. If you re-roof now, you might not rot out the roof deck and need to replace it as well. If you wait until you have leaks you notice, you may find that you're rotted out the roof deck and be looking at a far larger bill.

However - don't hire ANY contractor that drives by, looks at your roof, and rings your doorbell offering to replace it for you. That sort of "drive-by marketing" is typically associated with the absolute lowest form of "wannbe contractors", often mobile units that won't be around when the new (shoddily installed from the worst materials) roof leaks. Look up established local firms and invite them to make a bid.

Your insurance adjuster is wise to the tactic you plan to engage in - if the roof was not maintained in good condition, they will probably deny the whole claim (you neglected the house) rather than buy you a new roof. They know what old shingles look like, even after they have been torn up by bad weather. They probably even have "before" pictures of it, with dates, in their files.


Trimming wood floor boards for running wires under base molding

The tool that is made perfect for this is the type of unit pictured below:

(this picture courtesy of MyToolShed web site)

These oscillating multi-tools can accommodate a variety of blades that permit close cutting exactly like you need to do. Here is an example blade that is what I would use for this cutting job.

(this picture courtesy of Lowe's web site)

These are available from many manufacturers, both AC powered and battery powered. I went for years before getting one just a year or so ago and now use it for many jobs I used to struggle with. A particularly nice feature of the unit pictured is the LED light on the front of the unit to illuminate the cut area.


Remove and replace kitchen window with just caulking outside

It most likely has a window flange on it that you'll need to remove as well which is probably buried behind the siding. If you have a reciprocating saw you'll probably have to cut the flange off. An alternative that I've seen is to to remove the glass and then collapse the frame pulling nails and all with it. If you don't mind putting a frame around the window then you cut a section of siding off just wide enough to get to the flange, remove everything and then put a frame around the new windows to cover the siding that you removed. You could even save the siding piece your removed and put it in place under the frame.


Attaching Pergola posts to lumber on ground

You say you get winds up to 60 MPH but you don't see a need to have a tall structure anchored in concrete? Sure, most wind will likely whistle right through an open(ish) pergola, but all it takes is one good gust, square on the flat side of the roof joists, and it'll blow right over.
Even if you were to thread the top of the rebar and use nuts & bolts to hold the lumber to the top of the rebar, a 24" piece would pull right out of the ground with a 60 MPH wind pushing on an 8-10 foot tall lever. Additionally, rot (even with pressure treated lumber) will enlarge the holes in your sleepers and the fit between the wood and the steel will get sloppy. The rebar will rust, exacerbating the issue.
I've used rebar through holes in treated landscape timbers as edging for my gravel driveway. I've had to replace the lumber 3 times in less than 30 years. The timbers laying on the ground (granted, they weren't carefully installed with gravel for drainage, but still) rotted out to the point that there was not much left of them. After picking up chunks of rotted wood, it just took one or two hits with a 2 pound hammer to loosen the rebar enough to pull it out of the ground by hand. A perfectly acceptable installation method for something at ground level, but I sure wouldn't want to visit your house knowing that this was all that was securing hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds of lumber over my head.
There's a reason you see people using "fancy connections": A) it's required by code, and B) it's safe. Note that code is often "written in blood" - accidents have happened; engineers have studied what caused the failure; code was updated to require a minimum construction to prevent that kind of failure from happening again.
Frankly, renting a powered auger to drill a few holes for footings (be sure to check for buried utilities before drilling), getting them drilled to below the frost line (again, be sure to check for buried utilities before drilling), inspected (if necessary in your locale), filled with concrete and setting post anchors in them is far cheaper and simpler than the potential damage to people and property if this should fall over. Think of the hospital bills on top of the house repair, and possible lawsuits from people you thought were your friends, should your short cut method fail.


Can I use 90 amp breaker and #4 wire to connect to two 14-50 50 amp outlets? Or I need two 60 amp separate breakers for those two outlets?

Stop the press! The Tesla Wall Connector does exactly that
Leave it to Tesla.  They HAVE come up with a way to do exactly what you want.  It's called the Tesla Wall Connector.  They are designed to have 2 (or up to 16) share 1 circuit.  They have datacomm lines between chargers that will make them automagically adjust (video, cued up to 16:16) to prevent overloading the circuit.
Apparently, the Tesla Wall Connector can support everyone else's EV that takes a J1772 connector (with an adapter).  Do your diligence on this; but the people saying "yes" sound smarter than the people saying "no". Regardless, there's also the ClipperCreek system that does the same thing.
It's not a perfect solution - it can't prioritize your guest's vehicle over your own, for instance - but it will auto-balance, when EV #1 reaches full, it will increase current to EVs #2 and #3.
The video also makes a drive-by mention of other competitor EVSEs also doing this trick, so that is something to research too.  Since you didn't mention any model of EVSE, and we're not a shop-for-me site, that's as far as I can take that.
When wiring these, you bring the 90A cable down to a large (e.g. 6" x 6") junction box, then use any proper wiring method (e.g. #4-14 Polaris connectors) to split out the supply wire to the two EVSEs. Follow the UL-approved instructions in making this connector, including down-breakering e.g. to 60A, or hardwiring if it says that, which it certainly will.  Don't defy the instructions and use sockets - or you could create a serious safety hazard. And don't mix EVSEs that aren't matched, and you must use the data communication lines and switch settings.
Can't do it
You cannot put a 50A socket on a 60A breaker. (typo?)
You cannot put 2 sockets on a breaker that equals the sum of the sockets. That's basically the same as not using any breakers at all.   With rare exception, breaker size must exactly match socket size.
Also you're not allowed to have two 50A receps on one circuit even if it was breakered 50A.
You need a subpanel
If you want to run one line, you'll need to go to a subpanel. Then, you have two 50A breakers in the subpanel that go to your sockets.
However, "the total amps should be under 90 amps" isn't good enough.  You can't run feeders at 100% of their load.  The feeder size needs to be 125% of the expected loadm and since you expect to run two chargers at once.  So for instance if you have two 40A chargers that take 50A breakers (125% of 40A), then you have 80A of actual load and must run feeder for 125% of that (100A).
Why #4 copper wire? Do you already have that, or are you just trying to chintz out on the cable vs. the #3 you'd need for proper 100A?   Because hey, aluminum wire.  It's the right stuff for a feeder of this size,  Large feder like this has always been the right stuff, and it never had the problems of small branch circuit wiring: the subpanel lugs are aluminum for Pete's sake. (why create a dissimilar metal problem?) It has always been safe even in the old AA-1350 alloy.  The new AA-8000 alloy is gold standard.  It's also 1/3 the price of copper.
You'll need #1 aluminum wire for 100A, which is readily available in THWN or XHHW, but hard to find in MH and other cable types, so you can just go 2/0 in that case.  It's still dirt cheap compared to #4 copper. It will give you some headroom to be able to run other stuff besides just the chargers.
Also in the "don't chintz" out" department, don't shortchange yourself on the panel. Spend a few bucks extra and get a nice big panel so you can add other circuits as you get the inspiration.  Because you'll want to do that.  People who DIY subpanels tend to also DIY other upgrades later.
But remember - EVSEs are programmable
An EVSE is nothing but a relay and a tiny microcontroller that sends a signal that tells the EV how much current it can safely draw. It is the EV's job to comply with that request.  The conversation goes like this:
EVSE: Hey, anyone, I can serve 40 amps.   Anyone?  Anyone?
Car: Oh, hi.  40A, alrighty then. Please turn it on.
EVSE: SNAP Power is on.
That first part is not hardwired, it is a "software" announcement. It is possible for EVSE manufacturers to design their EVSE so you can program it to any value you please.
A breaker that serves EVSE's must be 125% of that value.  So for instance:

40A EVSE -- 50A breaker
32A EVSE -- 40A breaker
72A of combined EVSE loads -- 90A breaker

So maybe you can use that #4 after all.  Still, I'd sell it on Craigslist and get aluminum. Copper is so valuable that it'll probably be a net profit after you buy the Al wire!  And then you won't be painted into a corner by limitations.  Which is how you got to the "full panel" situation in the first place... why repeat that?
Why be limited by electricity?  Electricity serves us, not the other way around. This stuff is cheap.
I myself would run 2/0 aluminum off a 125A breaker (because both are price/availability sweet spots and the 125 is the biggest breaker that will fit in 2 spaces) then run dual 50A breakers to 40A chargers.


How to add C wire to a very old 2-wire Lennox G16 Gas Furnace?

According to the wiring diagram for your system (i.e. Figure 2 in the linked PDF) -- the yellow wire on the 24VAC side is the C wire (it's the wire that goes to the compressor but not to the 'stat in the diagram).  Just incorporate the green wire from the thermostat cable into the nut with the yellow and green wires in it on the 24VAC side, and you'll be set!


How to reduce ear splitting intercom noise?

The quick-and-dirty solution: place tape over the speaker grille. The 2" wide clear tape used for packaging/boxes provides a nice balance of muffling the sound while remaining visually unnoticeable on excessively loud childrens' toys; it'll probably do well here too.
The electrical solution: add some resistance to the speaker circuit. This could be done with a resistor added between the terminals right on the speaker, or with a resistor added in series with the speaker.
It's a bit hard to tell in the photo but I think I see the red wire from the speaker soldered to the top-left corner of the circuit board and a trace going from that point to the terminal marked 1. If that's correct then the easiest electrical hack is probably to disconnect the green wire and insert a resistor there.
The resistor could be a variable type ("potentiometer") like this 200 ohm Bourns 3386X-1-221LF

or it could be a through-hole fixed-value type that looks similar to this

The potentiometer is nice because you can adjust its resistance (and therefore the speaker volume) by turning the dial. You'll almost certainly have to solder wires to attach to those leads though. The through-hole resistor would be easy to install (no soldering) but you'll have to experiment to find the right value. Fortunately resistor kits with a variety of values can be had at low cost. Something in the range of 20-150 ohms will probably put the speaker volume where you'd like it.
If you find that this hack makes the voices in the intercom inaudible then you could add a momentary normally open push-button switch. The switch would be wired across the resistor so that when pushed the resistor is bypassed and the speaker goes to full/normal volume.


What do I need to use one winch motor independently on several different cables (for overhead storage)?

I have two of these Racor Heavy Lifts in my garage now.  I also had one in my old house.  They now have a rod that you can connect to a drill to raise and lower the platforms.  At $127 they are very affordable and work quite well.  I store my lawnmower on it in the winter and the snowblower on it in the summer along with some other items that are not used very often like my wheelbarrow.


You don't, unless the ballast label or data sheet  says you can.

In your case the ballast label says "For 1-lamp operation, individually insulate the yellow leads for 600V" - that is canonical.  Further, it makes sense.  They need to be capped off from each other because there is preheat voltage on them.

Since you need 4 wires and there are 4 wires left, do the obvious.  The red wires go to the same end, because they provide lamp preheat for that end.   That's what makes it a rapid-start ballast and not instant-start.  Despite the names, rapid-start is better - it starts more reliably in the cold, and lamp life is much, much longer - because it starts the tube using its preheat feature as intended.

This does not mean you can do this 1-lamp trick for any rapid-start ballast.  Many do not support it.  You got lucky, don't chance it again - check the label or data sheet. Labels typically list some of the tubes supported; data sheets list every one.


If you can get under your deck I'd try and do a test sanding just using sandpaper and some arm strength to see how easy the stamps come off. I'd be willing to bet a small orbital sander would do the trick with some fine grit paper.

Orbital sanders are pretty cheap so convincing the wife shouldn't be too much trouble. Maybe hop on craigslist or ebay and see if ya snag one on the cheap.


How do I prevent ice dams from forming on the eaves of an addition?

The way to prevent ice damning is to prevent the snow on the roof from melting in the first place and that means adequate insulation and venting in the attic. If the insulation of your home is not adequate then warm air from the living space fills your attic and melts the snow on the roof, the melted water then run down the roof where it freezes over the eves because the eves are not warmed from below.

Ice-and-water barrier or heat cables do not address the reason for the ice damning in the first place. Ice-and-water barrier will minimize damage that can be caused by the ice and the heat cable can melt the ice ( or prevent it from becoming so thick it does cause damage.

You have to prevent the melting, anything else does not fix the problem.


Low voltage in my light switch after relocating a ceiling box

Illuminated wall switch?

OK, so this is a powered switch.

It requires power to do its "lighting up" thing.

It could just be changed to a non-lighted switch, and some of these issues would "go away", but it would leave another dangling issue... plus, that's no fun :)

On classic devices like this, they do not have a separate neutral wire going to the switch.  They depend on being in series with an incandescent light.  Incandescents, which are off, are basically a dead short.

When you changed this to a fan (you used a fan-rated box, right?) you now have the lighted switch in series with a fan remote control module. When the module is quiescent, it draws very little power, and the lamp inside the switch doesn't light, and doesn't really bother the remote. That's why you were able to configure the remote even with the switch off.

This had led you to a misplaced assumption: that you can have dual control between both the switch and the remote.

No, you can't.  These two things will not play well with each other.

This is nothing an electrician can fix.  If you hire one, you'll end up paying for a lecture.  This lecture :)

But there must be a switch that works.

If this is the only light switch in the room, it introduces a problem.  Code requires that there be a light switch in the room in the usual location, and the light switch turns on a light.

So if this is the only switch, it's simply not an option to bypass it and use the remote exclusively for control of the light.

If power enters the fan box rather than the light switch, then most likely you can rearrange so the switch controls the light (bypassing the control module altogether), and the fan operates off the remote.  At this point the lighted switch might start glowing like it used to (if the fan's lights are incandescent or LEDs tolerant of obsolete lighted switches).  But if they are not, you can install one incandescent bulb, or you can wire a  Lutron LUT-MLC dummy load/incandescent simulator, in parallel with the lamp (i.e. between switched-hot and neutral). That should bring the lighted switch back.

If power enters the light switch, and the cable to the fan is /3 type (black white red), then you can also do what I just said, using white as actual neutral, black as always-hot to the remote, and red as switched-hot to the lamp.  If your light switch is a classic /2 "switch loop", and you want /3, that is something an electrician can easily do.


How realistic is lowering a concrete floor?

The concerns I'd have -- outside of whether there's anything under the floor that could be disturbed, and whether there's a rock layer under the floor that would prevent your lowering it -- would be:

You're going to have to make sure this doesn't disturb the foundation. I'd suggest getting an engineer's advice before doing anything.
You're going to have to dispose of all that rubble. That means renting a dumpster, and hauling it out of the basement. Not impossible -- a friend of a friend put a basement under an old farmhouse by digging outward from the root cellar, putting the house up on jacks as he went, and then getting a foundation installed under the house, and he did almost all of the digging and hauling himself -- but it's a nontrivial amount of work. You're going to be moving several tons at least.
Putting in the new floor is going to require establishing a good seal against water infiltration between it and the foundation walls. Again, I'd suggest getting an engineer's advice.

So: Yes, theoretically it can be done. Personally, given the cost and effort and potential liability involved I wouldn't consider doing it on property I didn't own. And I definitely wouldn't consider it without expert advice.


Can I have four 120V circuits on a Quadplex breaker?

It's vitally important you know what a MWBC is and how to recognize one, when you are doing things with existing circuits and quads/2-poles.  Placing both legs of an MWBC on the same pole Is Very Bad and can start a house fire.
That said, yes, 2-pole breakers in general can be used for two independent circuits.
However, in renovations you typically need to build to modern Code.  It's very common for people to do a reno and go "Aw, I'll just re-task the original wires that came here".  Nuh-uh.  Your kitchen reno needs to comply with modern Code, and that includes wiring, and that includes AFCI/GFCI breakers as required.   And where AFCI/GFCI breakers are required, that precludes use of double-stuff breakers.  Which is going to be a problem in a tight panel.   Code says "too bad; upsize or subpanel".
And yeah, that may be a good idea.  If you can find a suitable mounting point (e.g. facing a pathway so that nobody ever blocks the working space), adding a subpanel to the kitchen reno makes a lot of sense.  A well-powered kitchen needs 8 circuits or so. That lets you remove all existing kitchen circuits from the overstuffed main panel and substitute with just 1 2-pole.
Now, we strongly recommend wildly oversizing any panel; so if you just heard "8-space panel" what we meant you to hear was "30-space panel".  Spaces are dirt cheap when you're buying the panel.  And they save you a fortune later when you need to add spaces.
Not lightly do I spend your money, but please - spend $60 extra on another 20-30 spaces. It's the best investment you can make in electrical, bar none.


You should test the output of the thermocouple with a multi-meter to confirm that the replacement is working as expected.

An 8-year old heater would have an "auto-reset" thermal cut-off switch built into the pilot assembly, to protect the burner compartment from overheating, these can go bad. Was that replaced when the thermocouple was replaced? For modern heaters it is recommended to replace the entire pilot assembly, not just the thermocouple.

You should be able to purchase a replacement gas control unit for significantly less than a new heater. My heater is 16 years old and still going strong, 8 years is not necessarily "end of life".

Check out this tutorial : Water Heater Service Training


No water comes out of the toilet's refill tube

Save yourself a headache and just remove this damaged unit and fit a Fluidmaster 400A. -Less than $15 and 30 minute's work.


Trying to replace 1988 t12 w/ led 4ft bulbs

The "Substitube" name suggest it's made to work with an existing ballast present, and in fact the data-sheet confirms this positively.  You will need to install a rapid-start or programmed-start ballast to use these tubes.  I wouldn't do that; I'd return them!

What surprises me is that you direct wired to the opposite ends of the fixture, without a data sheet or diagram instructing you to do so.  A guess?  Or was your old ballast instant-start with shorting lampholders (the two fluorescent pins are internally connected in the lampholder)?  The problem is that only some LED tube replacements want that configuration... many others want both hot and neutral at the same end (and nothing at the other).  Obviously this does not work with shorting lampholders.

If so, you have two choices:

keep your wiring as you did it, and shop smartly for LED tube replacements which want line power on opposite ends.
grab whichever direct-wire LED tubes are convenient, and then if they require it, rewire power onto the same end -- this will necessitate replacing lampholders if you have shorting lampholders.  Lampholders are about 75 cents each at a variety of places; I shop at 1000bulbs.com.

I for one prefer wiring the opposite ends. Those two pins are only 1/2" apart, and I think that's too close for 120V (or 277V, yikes!)


How do I hang a round metal art piece on an exterior stucco wall?

This piece of artwork must be between 16 to 24 inches in diameter.  Yes?  Was this originally a barrel stave a ring or a keeper or similar?  They've flattened 3/4 of the band of metal leaving it canted at the bottom, yes?

I am thinking this is not more than 5 to 7 pounds?  You need to find out the proper weight and then be able to screw a weather resistant hanger into a wooden stud.  Screws, never use nails.  Galvanized hanger and screws or at least powder coated hanger.  Always black color, matt.

How have your outer walls been constructed?  From the stucco to the interior of your home?  How was your stucco installed?  Is there exterior plywood covered with tyvek or similar?  1/2" to 3/4" thick exterior plywood. I've seen stucco homes built over hay bales and chicken wire.

In any case, I would use a stud finder and ensure there was a solid 2X4 or 2X6 stud, use a block of wood with cantilevered edges at the top and sides to direct any water away from the stucco, then attach your powder coated hanger hardware that has a short hook or hanger to hold this metal art work away from the stucco but not so much it is able to blow in the wind and move around.  Look for black powder coated hardware. Use pressure treated wood for the blocking and I would paint with black matt exterior coating...if you go that route.

Main thing is to use galvanized SCREWS never nails.  Powder coated hardware.  Screws meant for the weight of this artwork and screwed in to the supporting wall studs or plywood under the siding.

What metal is this artwork?  Is it meant for exterior use to be allowed a natural patina?  I am thinking it might also be best sprayed with a black, matt, Rustoleum spray so it doesn't rust, unless you want rust which looks great.  Make sure the bottom of this piece is secured also so that it doesn't touch the stucco.  If you use a pressure treated block or backing you HAVE to use powder coated hardware as well as screws.  The pressure treatment will dissolve any other hardware within a year.


Is this an exhaust booster? If it is I would not turn it off without turning down the thermostat so it won’t be running without a proper draft. This is the only fan on gas water heaters I have installed, boilers with induction fans are a different matter and without the Induction fan the system won’t run. But normally a multi pass system not a std household water heater.


Assuming that you're concerned with AFCI requirements in dwellings, the generic National Electrical Code (NEC) 2014 edition, Section 210.12 only requires AFCI for selected "120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits", according to their locations.  Additional requirements may apply for plug-connected room-air conditioners (Art 440) and with interconnected power sources (Section 705.12(D)) related to utility-connected inverters.  In theory, a 230-v A/C requires "factory-installed" AFCI, if connected via plug and cord. Section 440.65.

Local codes may vary (somewhat wildly) on the requirements for any AFCI at all.


How to correctly varnish/lacquer all sides of a countertop?

What I would do is set the top vertical and varnish it as much as you can without varnishing the floor. You'll get about 90% of it done.
The simple path
Let it dry, flip it over and varnish it on the side you couldn't get. Requires nothing special, only time
The complex path
If it has to be done all at once (or you ever want to do this again), you'll need 1x4 boards (scrap boards if possible) or something similar in size. You could also use some old plywood, provided it's at least as large as the countertop. I find a couple of 1x4s would be cheap, but I have no idea what they run in Poland. You'll also need some 2 inch (50mm) nails. Lay the boards down across a sawhorse or some other support and drive the nail heads flush (the nails should be sticking out the other side). Put one nail every 2-3 inches (5-8cm).
Now, varnish the inside and bottom edges of your counter. Set the nail-boards so the nails are facing up. Now, take your counter and carefully set it on the nail boards so the bottom edges are resting on the nails. It would be a good idea if you secured the boards somehow (say screw a cross-brace between then), but it's not hard to set it on them just resting on the sawhorses. The nails will support the counter while you finish the top. It's unlikely anyone will scrutinize the bottom edges.
This setup also has the advantage that you have easy access to use a sprayer if you want


How would I join several pieces of thick plywood together?

Glue and clamp to laminate the plywood together. Just be careful to make sure all the pieces are all well aligned and clamped evenly - use additional wood top and bottom to spread the clamping force evenly and avoid damaging the plywood. Also be mindful that the glue will be squeezed out of the joints so will need to be carefully cleaned off before it dries.


How can I test a household LED light bulb?

Use the meter and carefully probe in volts mode these two points in the socket. You should read the same voltage as AC mains. Make sure you understand the dangers of probing mains voltage.

Also make sure that you are twisting the bulb in the right direction.


Is it good idea to use repair tape to block water from constantly dripping?u

Not a good idea. A better idea would be to put a bucket under the shower head with a rag in it or over the bucket to dampen the sound.


What material can be used to bond metal to metal and is removable in the future?

From your description, I'm visualizing that you want to attach a cover (metal to metal).  If the parts mate well, superglue (cyanoacrylate) may do what you want.

The original thin liquid type works best when the surfaces make good contact so that there is a very thin layer of adhesive between them.  Such a joint will be close to airtight.  It doesn't work well as a filler.

There are several types of superglue gels.  One type typically has fumed silica as a filler, which will join poorer-fitting pieces by filling small gaps (but they still need to mate well).  This may be a little harder to separate, if needed.  Another type of gel uses a material like rubber as a filler to also make it more shock resistant.  That will be much harder to separate, so you probably don't want to use that.
The glue has great strength for keeping pieces from being pulled apart, but very low sheer strength.  When you need to separate them, you can sheer the joint by tapping on one of the pieces in the direction that would slide it.
It works well when mating two surfaces of the same material so that they expand and contract at the same rate.  With dissimilar materials subject to temperature changes, the expansion of one relative to the other will sheer the connection.
It dissolves in common solvents like acetone.  You can also separate the parts by letting acetone wick into the joint, and you can use acetone to clean the parts for reuse if you need to separate them.
40 F to 120 F is well within its service temperature range.


I need a new shingle roof, does the 12/2 minimum pitch still apply if I use peel-n-stick?

If there are not asphalt shingles and  it meets the manufacturer specs for install, I can't find why not but you may still need to get it approved.

All from Florida Building Code 2004

  CHAPTER 9: ROOF ASSEMBLIES

  SECTION R905 REQUIREMENTS FOR ROOF COVERINGS

  R905.1 Roof covering applications. Roof coverings shall be applied in accordance with  the applicable provisions of this section and the
  manufacturer’s installation instructions.

  R905.2 Asphalt shingles. The installation of asphalt shingles shall comply with the  provisions of this section.

  R905.2.1 Sheathing requirements. Asphalt shingles shall be fastened to solidly sheathed decks.

  R905.2.2 Slope. Asphalt shingles shall only be used on roof slopes of two units vertical in 12 units horizontal (2:12) or greater. For
  roof slopes from two units vertical in 12 units horizontal (2:12) up
  to four units vertical in 12 units horizontal (4:12), double
  underlayment application is required in accordance with Section
  R905.2.7.

  R905.2.3 Underlayment.  Unless otherwise noted, required underlayment shall conform to ASTM D 226 Type I, ASTM D 4869 Type I,
  or ASTM D 6757. Self-adhering polymer modified bitumen sheet shall
  comply with ASTM D 1970.

  R905.2.7 Underlayment application.  For roof slopes from two
  units vertical in 12 units horizontal (17-percent slope), up to four
  units vertical in 12 units horizontal (33-percent slope), underlayment
  shall be two layers applied in the following manner. Apply a 19-inch
  (483 mm) strip of underlayment felt parallel to and starting at the
  eaves, fastened sufficiently to hold in place. Starting at the eave,
  apply 36-inch-wide (914 mm) sheets of underlayment, overlapping
  successive sheets 19 inches (483 mm), and fastened sufficiently to
  hold in place. Distortions in the underlayment shall not interfere
  with the ability of the shingles to seal. For roof slopes of four
  units vertical in 12 units horizontal (33-percent slope) or greater,
  underlayment shall be one layer applied in the following manner.
  Underlayment shall be applied shingle fashion, parallel to and
  starting from the eave and lapped 2 inches (51 mm), fastened
  sufficiently to hold in place. Distortions in the underlayment shall
  not interfere with the ability of the shingles to seal. End laps shall
  be offset by 6 feet (1829 mm).

  CHAPTER 1 ADMINISTRATION

  SECTION 104 DUTIES AND POWERS OF BUILDING OFFICIAL

  104.11 Alternative materials, design and methods of construction and equipment.  The provisions of this code are not intended to prevent
  the installation of any material or  to prohibit any design or method
  of construction not specifically prescribed by this code,  provided
  that any such alternative has been approved. An alternative material,
  design or  method of construction shall be approved where the building
  official finds that the  proposed design is satisfactory and complies
  with the intent of the provisions of this  code, and that the
  material, method or work offered is, for the purpose intended, at
  least  the equivalent of that prescribed in this code in quality,
  strength, effectiveness, fire  resistance, durability and safety. When
  alternate life safety systems are designed, the
  SFPE Engineering Guide to Performance-Based Fire Protection Analysis and Design of  Buildings, or other methods approved by the building
  official may be used. The building  official shall require that
  sufficient evidence or proof be submitted to substantiate any  claim
  made regarding the alternative.

Note: Also be aware of local amendments and declaratory statements


Wet Adjacent wall and base board behind bath tub

The leak is probably either in the supply lines and valve, or in the drain pipes. It's also possible that a vent through the roof is leaking rainwater. The only way to determine the cause with confidence is to have a look.

Are you sure that there's no access to the tub's plumbing from the back side or below? If not, consider installing an access panel at an appropriate location in your wall or ceiling.

This is a DIY site, so if you're not up to that task as a starting point, you probably need a professional.


What happen if misaligned connect 6 outlet

Yes, it will work ok.  because only an ungrounded plug can be used backwards, and the wide pin stil goes into the wide slot etc.
Others have commented that this layout is non standard and it's unlikely that the device has been blessed by UL.


With an open neutral at some point it would not be unusual to see a phantom voltage close to line voltage. The reason to have a black and red hot to an outlet is to have a switched outlet (when there are only 3 + ground) the jumper on the receptacle/ outlet needs to be broken for it to work but this is normal.

I would check and see if there is a bit of slack at the location you thought the white could be broken because I believe your neutral is open and the hot wires in close proximity to to your open neutral is creating a phantom voltage to ground.


To vent plumbing you must either find a way to tie into an existing stack vent, go to the outside via wall (this is code depending on area and must be higher than all fixtures - what you are describing is not), or go through roof.

If the roof is available this is probably your easiest option.  You drill a hole and throw a roofing vent with gasket over the hole, caulk gasket, plug pipe in bottom of vent through hole and you are done.  This is a very easy, forgiving process.   With materials in hand you can do this in 30 mins.  So just do it right.


Level floors first, windows only after. If the window square-ness, level-ness or plumb-ness are affected by the floor leveling, then you'll have window installations that last. The other way could rack the windows into inoperability or at a minimum release any caulking seals.


Which side of a two-wire cable should be used for "hot"?

NEC 2008 400.22(E & F) For lamp cord, the following conventions are followed:

Polarized solid black, white or brown insulation
Ribbed, grooved or striped side is grounded (neutral), smooth side is ungrounded (hot).

Clear insulation lamp cord
Silver conductor is grounded (neutral), copper conductor is ungrounded (hot).

Grounded (neutral) goes to the threaded shell of the lamp and is wired direct without break to the wide blade of a polarized 2 prong plug or in the case of a suspended lamp, to the grounded (neutral) white wire. Switching goes in the ungrounded (hot) side. You never want the thread shell to be hot (switch in off position in the neutral side with intact filament).

If the conductors are both the same color, the insulation is a single color and the printing is on one conductor's insulation only without rib (feel it with your fingers) or stripe, then that will be your continuous marker and grounded (neutral) indicator. The whole idea on zipcord is that you have some definite identifier as to what is grounded (neutral) to keep a continuous connection and wire properly to the lamp socket and wall plug.

  National Electrical Code

  ARTICLE 400 Flexible Cords and Cables

  II. Construction Specifications

  400.22 Grounded-Conductor Identification. One conductor of flexible cords that is intended to be used as a grounded circuit conductor shall have a continuous marker that readily distinguishes it from the other conductor or conductors. The identification shall consist of one of the methods indicated in 400.22(A) through (F).

  (E) Tinned Conductors.
  One conductor having the individual strands tinned and the other conductor or conductors having the individual strands untinned for cords having insulation on the individual conductors integral with the jacket.

  (F) Surface Marking.
  One or more ridges, grooves, or white stripes located on the exterior of the cord so as to identify one conductor for cords having insulation on the individual conductors integral with the jacket.

Note: National Electrical Code (NEC) is the US standard and quoting it defines this answer as being for US electrical power. If your country differs, feel free to post your own answer with your country or jurisdiction identified.


Converting a 3 way circuit from controlling outlets to controlling a fan

So, I got it. A little research and wire tracing, I figured I had this setup:

So I followed that diagram, wired the traveler to a hot wire so the outlets would always stay on, and everything worked. Even grounded the switches. Decent little setup now so if anyone in the future wanted to revert back, they could easily do so behind the switches.

Lessons learned: The internet doesn't answer your questions, just points out what else is wrong.

Hope that diagram helps anyone else dealing with stuff like this.


In the US we call them window screens instead of nets. Yes, there is a "window" made in the window screen for outwardly opening windows that allows you to reach through the screen, unlatch the window and open it. It's called a wicket. Goggle "wickets in window screens".


Looks like you hit the pros and cons of the washer tray pretty well :-) Couple of things I'd consider:

Since the room is tile and concrete, is there a drain in the floor? If so, adding a washer tray is rather unnecessary and I'd leave it out, just ensure that the floor and tile are properly sealed.

(I have seen washer trays that pretty much are the same footprint as the washer, and just raise it off the floor slightly; these blend in very well and would not be as obtrusive as a generic tray, however they may or may not exist for your model of washer, I would start with the manufacturer as they likely have one.)

As for the feet on the washer, most home improvement stores sell small carpet discs to put on furniture legs in order to prevent them from scratching wood floors and such, they also usually have small plastic discs with soft material on them for the same purpose, I'd recommend putting one of those under the washer's feet. Might see if you can find rubber ones, some of the carpet ones are made to glide easily over smooth surfaces, making it easier for chairs and such to be slid around, but you don't want your washer meandering around the laundry room! Although front loaders have a lot less motion/vibration than a top loader so this might not be an issue.


Can I use Wiha "Micro Bit" bits with regular 1/8'' hex screwdriver?

I can't see how they would be compatible.

¼" = 6.35mm
⅛" = 3.175mm


All sealers that I have worked with require a clean, dry, scale free, dust free surface. A vacuum cleaner should do the trick.

As far as pre-coats, and "how to apply", you need to follow the directions on the particular sealer you're using. They all have their own specifications.

Many sealers can be painted over, check the specs for your sealer.

Certain local codes do not allow renters to preform any work on their units. Roofing work is dangerous so be careful.


Looking for the least expensive way to level Basement floor

If there isn’t a moisture problem, I’d use a gypcrete self-leveling compound. Feather to edges and cover entire floor with your final floor finish. (Gypcrete can’t be left exposed. It’s not a walking surface.)

Gypcrete can only be installed to 3”-4” depth, so it would be fine. If there’s a moisture problem, you must take care of that first.


What specs to look for in solar panels to know it can power a product?

You need a different pump, and you need help speccing it.
You lack enough knowledge about electricity to be able to design a system, spec a pump, and certainly to build it in a way that would work.  You'll either need to skill up, or get help.
Right off the bat, the pump you picked uses 120V AC power - the zappy kind that can kill you, and that you buy from the power company.
If the goal is to go solar, you probably want another kind of power, called low voltage DC power, commonly 12 or 24 volts, and that is the kind that is used in cars.

You would need to identify and purchase a pump which happily ran on that voltage and type of power.
Usable solar panels already provide that type of power, so that part is largely done.
It won't be hard to add a charge controller and battery if you wanted to bridge across cloudy moments.


I'm assuming when you say "water feed" that you mean your incoming water main from the water company or well.  If that's leaking then it needs to be replaced which I believe you already know.
I am also assuming that by proposing to "bypass" with 1/2" PEX they are somehow going to put another parallel pipe in place or try to force the 1/2" through the existing 3/4".
I'm not sure either of these plans are all that good and the main reason is that you'll now be stuck with a 1/2" water service to your property and that's likely going to be deficient.  The 1/4" difference sound slight but remember that the cross-sectional area of a pipe (i.e. the IMPORTANT part) varies with the square of the radius.  So the 1/2" pipe has an area of 50% of the 3/4".
This comes from simple calculations using the typical ID of 3/4 and 1/2 PEX as 0.681" and 0.485" respectively.  Using the formula of A = pi * r^2 you can calculate the two as having cross-sectional areas of 0.36 sq-in and 0.18 sq-in.  That's 50% less and that's a LOT!
Let me suggest an alternative.  It's quite possible for a horizontal drilling contractor to drill in a new line and hit a 12x12" hole in your slab.  Using that they can then pull in a new 3/4" (or even larger) pipe and you won't be left with an inadequate water main.  They will likely need to cut such an opening in your slab and also will likely need to excavate a hole to get access to the water main.
Many plumbers work with these contractors but if not, you should be able to find one using Google or similar in your area.


This is found on plug-in GFCIs

The behavior you are describing is found on GFCIs that are intended to be plugged into a receptacle, like the one depicted below, instead of hardwired into building wiring.  It is necessary to prevent the combination of an open neutral in the building wiring and a ground fault in the appliance from causing a shock hazard the GFCI cannot cut off (because it has no power to its electronics in that case).


As others have already noted, a picture with the cover help will definitely help with diagnosis.

Very likely there is no "new" problem, but the "old" problem is a real concern. Normally a receptacle is attached to a box by two screws - top & bottom, and then the cover plate is attached to the receptacle by the middle screw. I see 3 likely scenarios (and there may be a combination):

The top & bottom screws are loose (or nonexistent). If this is the case, tightening or replacing the screws should solve the problem.
The box that the receptacle is mounted to is loose. This is generally harder to fix as you may need to remove it and remount it properly or replace it with a different box.
The box & receptacle are too far back, so the cover screw can't tighten properly. In this case, more likely the cover is moving than the receptacle. The solution to that problem is a box extender.

Once you have the cover off, you also want to check for:

Backstab connections. If you find any, you should switch to screw connections as they are more reliable.
Any signs of burning or arcing - e.g., charred insulation. If you have a loose connection combined with a shifting receptacle, you could easily end up with problems over time. If the receptacle itself seems damaged then I recommend replacing it - they are very inexpensive.


Can I have a clothes dryer and room heater on one circuit?

Get a 120V heater

Electric heaters are cheap.  A 240V 1000W heater is worth about $40.   You could easily spend more than that on exotic breakers and hookups.  Sell it on Craigslist and get a 120V 1000W heater.

If you hardwire it, either put it on a dedicated 15A circuit, or a shared 20A circuit. A hardwired load which shares a circuit with receptacles must be less than 50% of the circuit's capacity (2400W, which is why you can't do it on a 15A 1800W circuit unless you downsize the heater.)

Share a 40A breaker

No.  You are not allowed to put more than one receptacle on a branch circuit.  NEC 210.23.

To be more precise, 210.23 calls out the exceptions where you are allowed to have multiple receptacles on a circuit, and it lists them by ampere rating. For residential, only cooking appliances for a 40-50A circuit.

Each receptacle must have the same rating as the circuit, i.e. you can't put a 30A receptacle on a 40A circuit.  (NEC 210.21).  The exceptions are 15A receptacles are allowed on 20A circuits... and 50A receptacles on 40A circuits (because no 40A receptacle standard exists).

Duplex breakers

The usual way to solve a "box cram" problem is a quadriplex breaker that puts two 240V 2-pole breakers in two spaces.  Quadriplex may not be available in 3/4" wide breakers.  But you don‘t need them to be.   You can get two plain 120V duplex breakers and use them for four of your 120V circuits.  That will free up two spaces for your 2-pole breaker.

Sub-panel

Given the criterion of using the on-hand parts (240V/40A breaker and heater), sub-panel is the way to go. Put in a 240V 40A sub-panel and put in any circuits you please, does not necessarily have to include the dryer. In fact I wouldn't put the dryer in there. I'd move over as many 15-20A 120V circuits as I possibly could, to free up spaces in your main panel. You could certainly put at least six 15A circuits - I'm not familiar with the rules on panel fill. You could even put this sub-panel right next to your main panel to make it easier to move circuits.

Do not be bashful about buying a large sub-panel.  Cheaping out and getting a panel with too few spaces is how you got in this pickle in the first place.  You might even think about planning the sub-panel so it could become your future main panel.

It is totally OK to buy a sub-panel which is rated at a larger amperage than you are using.    It is also OK if your sub-panel has a "main" breaker larger than your 40A  breaker.  That main breaker will simply be redundant.


How much length of pipe is needed to use a 'donut' type PVC to iron pipe connection?

The piece of PVC should be long enough to extend to the end of the donut when it's inserted into the pipe. The seal is increasingly improved the further the PVC is inserted so you don't want to cut it short.


No one can tell you if it has asbestos in it except a qualified lab.  Use a spray bottle to wet down a piece of it, carefully scrape off some of the suspect material, put it in a plastic bag and take it to a lab to be tested.


I am going to guess from the look of the tile that the shower was installed years ago.  It was probably installed directly on some form of drywall.  Using drywall vs concrete board has one dramatic affect (other than waterproofing).  It will move/swell more during hot/cold, humid/nonhumid seasons.

Is it a huge concern?  Well at the very least I would epoxy the cracks.  Normally I would replace offending tiles.  If you have access behind this wall, what do you see?  Is it drywall?  If so that kind of answers your question.  Does it need to be replaced right away.  No.  Especially if you can see it.  Also since you have access to the wall from behind, how solid is the wall?  There should basically be zero movement on a bathroom wall.

You also might want to think about adding more insulation to your house.  If temperature and humidity changes are varying enough to cause cracking, maybe you can solve the root cause.  Then maybe the cracked tile lasts long enough to where you can just replace it when you want.


Do I need to prepare old pipe to install a compression fitting?

Generally speaking, the ring compression should work just fine. They don't look it, but they were standard long before the push-fittings came along and made this stupid easy. As long as there's nothing under the ring, it should seal properly.

I would get a wheel-type cutter to do this, however. Not only will it not burr the pipe, but it won't bend it either.


There are a few ways to play this

Mount a 2x4 on the other side of the ceiling (attaching the 2x4 to the joists with screws) and mount the projector to that. Unsightly, but it will definitely hold without any questions. Painting the 2x4 would help make it less noticeable.
Screw another 2x4 or 2x6 (can't tell from your pics) into place for the second side of the mount. Drill some small pilot holes in the ceiling to tell where it needs to go.
Mount only 2 screws into a stud. Use toggle bolts for the drywall side. It should hold well enough.
Use 4 toggle bolts. 8kg is about 20lbs, and that's well within the tolerances of toggle bolts. This carries the most questions, since the drywall has to hold all the weight. It should, but it may not since it's clustered so tight around the mount. If they used 3/4" drywall it should be fine.


Fried dimmer turns lights on/off but new dimmer won't

Try swapping LINE and LOAD on the dimmer

Older analog-triac dimmers were like single pole switches in that they didn't care which way around in the circuit they were connected.  However, you have a newer dimmer that is more sophisticated (and has to be, in order to dim LEDs properly without a neutral reference), and thus cares about the distinction between its LINE side and its LOAD side; in your case, the black screw is LINE, and the red screw that isn't covered by the label on the dimmer is LOAD.

As to the wiring in the ceiling box, the white wire in the /3 cable is neutral going to the fixture (the fixture's blue wire), while the red and black wires are always-hots, along with the black wire in the /2 cable to the switch box.  The white wire in that /2 cable, then becomes the switched-hot returning from the switch in an old-style switch loop configuration, going to the brown wire on the fixture, and needs to be flagged with a wrap of electrical tape at each end as a result.  Of course, all the grounds need to be connected together as well.

With the ceiling box wired as above, we then move to the switch box, where the black wire goes to the black screw and the taped white wire goes to the red screw that isn't covered by the label.  The green screw, of course, gets connected to the grounds in the box.


Is infrared blocking film effective in reducing temperature inside a room?

My house has no central air and lots of huge windows on the south, so it gets a bit toasty in the summertime.

I installed window film (brand is "Vista Window Film" if it matters).  I don't know what it does in terms of which part of the spectrum it blocks (IR or not?).

It has done a fantastic job.  It colors the view just a bit, though you only really notice when comparing against a non-tinted window.  Temperatures are bearable in the summer now.


It would be a straightforward process to shim all the low joists along their lengths. One would go about this by finding the highest joists and then shimming all the rest to be even with those highest joists. Of course this requires removing all of the existing subflooring.

It would require also that the highest joists be checked lengthwise to see if their top sides are straight. They may be high because they have bowed up during their aging. If they have bowed up then it would be necessary to adjust those joists first before tackling the lower joists.

There are multiple techniques to find the shim up amounts for each joist. Probably the easiest is to place long known straight members across the high joists at right angles. The bottom of the straight member represents the top edge of the shim that needs to be installed.

Another technique is to use a nylon string line stretched across the top of the joists and having its height adjusted so that it just skims the top of the highest joists. The string can be attached to vertical 1"x2" boards that are temporarily nailed or screwed to the face of the outermost joists across the room.

It would require multiple strings or straight members across the length span of the joists to get the reference level for each shim.

A really good way to make the shims is to acquire nice straight members such as 2"x4"s (or 2x6s) that are the same thickness as the joists themselves. One by one a 2x4 can be clamped to the side of a low joist with its top side adjusted to the string or cross reference straight member. Once carefully adjusted and clamped in place the 2x4 can be scribed with a line that follows the very top of the existing joist. A power saw is then used to rip the shim from the 2x4 to make the shim piece that attaches to the top of the joist. (Take extra care in cutting carefully and along the correct side of the line). The shims can be installed in place with construction adhesive and small finish nails or pneumatically shot brads.

The straight 2x4 material can be used to make two shims from the two straight edges. A more economical way is to use just one side of the 2x4 and then run the remaining piece through a table saw with the straight edge against the fence to restore the piece to two straight parallel edges to get it ready for the next shim marking.


Here's a diagram. On the left the hot wire comes in and is switched to one of two wires going to the othe switch. The right switch selects eithe the on or off wire from the other switch. So either switch can be toggled to turn the light on or off.


Twin brown & earth is the right cable type for a switch loop. One brown is  live from consumer unit, the other is switched live to lights etc

Fans often have both a switched live and a permanent live, this allows the fan to continue to run 5 mins after the light etc is switched off. It uses a timer built into the fan. This is better for clearing moist air out and reducing chance of mould. The extra brown wire is probably for that extra permanent non-switched live to the fan.

Finding out which brown is which requires using a Cat II or better voltage tester.


How could our sliding mirror doors have cracked so easily?

The main problem is that the energy that is stored when you open and close the doors are delivered direct to the mirror and the frames, cracking the glass or the wood. Check to see if your installation was done properly. Also, if you don't want to go through problems with the manufacturer, you can try to do some wood work and reforce the frames. Try not to hit the sliding dors when opending and closing them.

Hope it helps!


Well, old timers would saturate the surface with 3 parts boiled linseed oil and one part mineral spirits, let it soak in overnight, then buff it dry. If one coat didn't give the desired results, give it two!  Smells, but would give a nice shiny finish.


I’m trying to install a wall outlet where 3 Romex cables meet and are twisted together. Which goes where?

If everything worked correctly before you disconnected everything, then hook your blacks together with an additional 6" piece of black wire. Do the same to the white wires using a 6" piece of white wire. Remove that clamp from the grounds and wire nut then together with a 6" bare or insulated green wire Now take the black pigtail and connect it to either 4 or 5 in your picture. Connect the white pigtail to either the 1 or 2 in your picture. Connect the ground pigtail to 3. Your box fill will be OK with either #14 AWG or #12 AWG.
Oh, and you get a gold star for taking a picture before you disconnected everything.


How can I remove a dado strip of wallpaper without damaging the wall?

We used to carefully use water and it would come off pretty easily with some gentle scraping.  Just do not crazy soak the wall.  If you keep the wallpaper damp you should be able to carefully remove it with a scraper.  It should not hurt the drywall especially if there is paint on it.  Try this on a small area first.

Home Depot has a good description on other ways to do it.


You can do a number of things here:

Shorten the stud board coming down to the header and move the header up 1.5” to 2” inches (I would do that ) - a nice oscillating cutting tool would make that easy to do right in place.

I would then install my cabinet - and I would have a sturdy upper frame for it as well.

You could remove it , replace it with something thinner .. but really why spend the extra money for wood - just cut the stud board and move the thing up the distance you need.


I'm a big fan of corrugated steel roofs.  They are noisy in a rain, especially if you have the windows open, and have little or no insulation in the ceiling space. They are quieter if they are firmly attached to mass:  E.g. a steel roof over 3/4" OSB over trusses will be quieter than steel over 2x4 purlons over truss.

Steel roofs are commonly done on trusses at 4 foot spacing here for machine sheds  Roofing fluctuates a lot in price, but my latest shed it was 2.35 Canadian per running foot 3 feet wide.  Call it 80 cents per square foot.  They last about 40-50 years.  Nowadays you can get them in a large variety of colours.  In a tropical climate I would get white, or very pale yellow.

In a tropical climate I would consider very oversize trusses so that you have and 8-10 foot overhang all the way around.  This reduces solar heating, and gives you a bunch of outdoor space that normally doesn't get wet.


Tankless water heater plumbing: neutralized condensate and pressure relief valve

Yes down the drain is good, the condensate is slightly acidic, usually in the 3-5 pH range. The neutralizer is supposed to, well,  neutralize it back up to 7 pH but they do wear out or clog. Make sure your condensate doesn't come into contact with metals. It will eat them. Do yourself a favor and always pipe in your neutralizer like this in case it blocks up it can bypass. I always use Clear gorilla tube to allow for visual inspection.https://www.diversitech.com/en-US/item/id/11672

Make sure you pipe your pressure relief valve down to within 6" of the floor and not into the drain  maintaining 3/4 inch diameter all the way. In the rare event that it pops you are supposed to see the water on the floor and thus be alerted to the issue. If it's down the drain you will never know you have an issue. https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjZsrDb78zgAhUOtrMKHQFmBB8YABAIGgJxbg&sig=AOD64_3f3Fc_0mYzjmXXWbHAYQvAGUPvyw&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiJ5abb78zgAhWCZd8KHSvbAk0Qwg96BAgLEBA&adurl= this one is 50 bucks


I would make a cut with a circular saw set to the thickness of the boards all the way around the room, as close as the saw allows to the wall. I'd then fit 3/4" plywood inside the cut, adding framing below where necessary to support the edge well. I'd then overlay 1/2" plywood wall-to-wall, with construction adhesive between it and the old boards. Screw it all down with 2-1/2" construction screws.

If you're set on leaving the old boards in place, here's what I'd do:

Screw every board down tight with 3" construction screws, two per board per joist. Don't bother replacing any unless they're rotten or otherwise falling apart.
Grind down any severe bumps or high spots. If the boards are all down tight to the joists I wouldn't expect many.
Run 1/4" beads of construction adhesive perpendicular to the boards and on 6-8" intervals.
Set your plywood overlay and screw it down on an 8" grid using 2" construction screws, creating a laminated bond with the boards below.


How can I control a circuit breaker remotely?

Install a lock on the panel, or main shutoff. Then only give keys/combination, to those family members that pay their share.  Check with your local government before installing the lock, as it may not be legal in some jurisdictions.

Search for a circuit breaker lockout. A lockout is a device that easily attaches to a breaker, and prevents the breaker from being turned on. A combination or pad-lock can be installed, which will prevent unauthorized users from turning the breaker on.


There's a fascinating article in Fine Homebuilding # 221, pg. 73, where they torture test various brands of sandpaper discs and find that there's a HUGE gap in performance between the stuff that you can buy at Lowe's (Gator) and the stuff you can find only at good woodworking/tool stores or online (Mirka and Klingspor). I've typically used Mirka when I can get it; I will be trying some of the Klingspor discs soon since it was rated so much more highly. They also rated 3m highly, but didn't look at things like sanding sponges or normal block sanding paper, they just looked at discs.

There's three different things that seem to go into it. First, the quality of the abrasive. Cheap abrasive (Gator) will not hold the sharp 'edges' that make sandpaper feel gritty very long. The second is if there are any additional coatings. Norton, Mirka, and Klingspor have a Stearate coating that keeps the discs from loading up with the dust and grime from the object you're sanding. As auujay mentioned, there is a difference in the paper -- most used "C" grade paper, where Klingspor uses the "F" grade paper, which is much stiffer, but that seems to be the least of the issues with the sanding discs.

I should note that I've had really bad results with the Norton "universal" 5/8 hole disc design -- it seems to leave a lot of orbiter marks.


How to deal with lath and plaster over top plate of partition wall?

Like you're guessing, I would cut the lath as close to the partition wall as possible, then put furring strips [if necessary, see comments below] and drywall over it.

To cut the lath, I wouldn't use a reciprocating saw except maybe with a very fine-toothed blade.  Cutting those lathing strips with a reciprocating action is going to flex them back and forth.  That vibration may propagate into the other room, causing the lath to pull away from the plaster from above.  The result would be cracks in the wall/ceiling or falling plaster.

Instead, I would use a circular saw.  Or maybe a circular saw attachment to an angle grinder if you can't hold your regular circular saw up in the air or against the ceiling lath.