Safe to put insulation around recessed light cans after convert to LED?

In order to cover your recessed light cans with insulation you need to have IC-rated (Insulation Contact) cans installed regardless of the type of light installed in the can.  Since you mentioned your cans have holes in them, they are most definitely not IC-rated.  You'd have to buy some remodel IC-rated cans and replaced what you have with those before covering with insulation.


How can I insulate the inside of a fire escape door?

I think you only possible solution, that would not violate life/safety codes, would be to build a portico over the door outside to keep the sun off of it for as long as possible.

The other option is to paint the door exterior with a special heat reflective paint. It is designed to reflect a lot of the infrared energy away from the surface it is painted onto. I have put it on steel shipping containers used as site offices, it is highly effective. It has no effect if painted on the inside, it has to go on the exterior. So both options will likely require some interaction with your landlord.


For anyone curious about this; this isn't a traditional tub drain. Usually they unscrew and can be lifted out of the hole so that they can be replaced. https://www.instructables.com/Replacing-Bath-Tub-Drain/ I am not sure how common this style of drain is, but to fix you need to cut out the drain from below.


You'll want to cut back the drywall to the middle of a stud on each side. If the drywall was installed horizontally, there will likely be a joint near 4' from the ceiling. It's a good idea to use this joint as one of your sides for a patch of this size. To make the replacement easier, get all the edges clean and square. If you used any existing joint for a side, knock down any of the joint compound to get close to the paper.

Get a replacement piece of drywall. Cut it to fit the opening. Drywall is cut by cutting the paper on one face with a utility knife, snapping it back, and cutting the paper on the back. Use a rasp to smooth the edge. Count on 1/8" - 1/4" gap all the way around, so reduce your measurements slightly or rasp the edges back until the piece fits. Note, tapered edges go on top and bottom when installing drywall horizontally and tapered edges should always be met against another tapered edge.

Install it with drywall screws about every 12" on the stud and 8" on the side joints. To screw it in, a "mushroom bit" can be purchased that's designed to stop after the screw is slightly countersunk. You don't want to tear the paper, if you do so, you'll need to put another screw in slightly above/below to ensure the load is carried. And you don't want the screws above the surface of the drywall, otherwise the joint compound (aka drywall mud) will not be smooth. Make sure to put a few extra screws on the adjacent drywall if it wasn't already a joint.

Next, get some premixed joint compound and a few joint knives, perhaps 6" and 12" wide. Use the narrow knife to make your first pass over all the joints. Cover the joints with a paper or mesh drywall tape, and then put another layer of compound on top and cover all the screw heads with a little joint compound, too. Allow to dry, smooth out any rough edges with a screen sander, and then cover the joints with a second layer of compound with your wide knife. You want to fan out the joint as far as possible (e.g. 12" from the joint to each side) to make the seam disappear. Allow to dry and lightly sand with a mesh screen once more.

Prime the patch with a good primer and find a matching paint (take a paint chip to have it color matched). I'd also paint the whole wall, but if you really need to save on effort, feather out your painting so that you can't see the contrast from new to old paint.


What are the tools that every Do-it-Yourselfer must own?

A cordless drill
No doubt about it. I bought a DeWalt 14.4V three years ago, and it's been invaluable to me.
alt text http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/34/34c4b1f5-f4c7-465c-b9bb-f0a9ba2cd2ef_300.jpg


It depends heavily

Because ultimately, you have a room with heating/cooling loads, which you're trying to meet with the heat pump. 18 sq. m. is approximately 200 sq. ft., and I've generally seen 30 BTU/hr/sq. ft. as a rule of thumb for rough sizing. With this guideline, you'd need 6 kBTU/hr, or 1.75kW. Because your heat pump is going to be twice this, it's unlikely you'll notice an impact.

Why it depends

The problem with 30 BTU/sq. ft. is that is makes quite a few assumptions about your HVAC loads. If your insulation is especially poor, you will need more HVAC power. If you live in a milder climate (ex. 20-30 °C all year) you might not need any HVAC capability. There are too many variables for us to definitively say how you will be impacted.

How to determine the impact

If you found your old unit was running constantly, that's a sign that it's incapable of keeping up with your heating and cooling requirements. If, however, it was nearly always off (or, if it used an inverter, it was running at very low power) then it was likely significantly oversized. If you don't remember, try looking back at previous electrical bills. Unless all your appliances are also electric, or you drive an EV, you should be able to tell approximately how much power your old unit used. For a ~4kW unit, you should expect 1-2kW of electrical draw while it's operating (at full power).


I found the size difference is ~5% larger with stranded than solid depending on the strand count. The sizes are far enough apart that the strippers if in good shape are a great tool for measuring.


It could be a door switch but also could be the contactor or relay that runs the compressor has bad contacts. Sometimes wiggling them will allow them to seat so it starts again, if it is getting worse over time I would probably replace first you could test Jraef’s theory by opening the door while it is running if it keeps running it’s the contactor or relay.


tapering/mitering table legs on a table saw without someone helping

It's hard to say knowing nothing about your current setup, but it's common to keep your workpiece longer than needed during difficult cuts like that, and then trim the piece to length, eliminating the imperfect segment.

Otherwise, the right set of push sticks should make the job safer and easier.


How to remove a Screw or bolt fastened with metal epoxy

What is the metal you're screwing into part of?  Depending on that and the screw material, there's a high probability heating it up sufficiently with a torch (As little as 200F/93C may soften it) will allow you to get the offending bolt out and expose the surface of the epoxy so that you can try to use a powerful adhesive remover to dissolve it.  I'm assuming the epoxy has cured, but if it hasn't, you can look up other weaker solvents to use.  If you find you can't get enough cleared out with solvents, order the correct closed end hole tap and use either solvents or heat to soften the epoxy while you clear out the threads.
As a backup you can drill the center of the offending bolt with increasing sized bits to get rid of it(a huge pain, but I've done it) and use a pick and or tap and or heat/solvent to clear the bolt threads from the hole threads and then a tap and heat/solvent to prime the threads before using the correct bolt.
Depending on the size of the bolt you used and how concerned you are about ripping the head off it, you may wish to take an equal sized bolt and drive it into something else and intentionally rip the head off it to see what it takes.  Automotive impact drivers and torque bars are particularly effective for ripping bolt heads off without destroying your socket.  If you don't have an automotive impact driver a wrench can withstand more force than a socket.  Knowing how much force you can use to get it moving will help you know if it's time to try more heat.  On the other hand, heating the bolt up may allow you to heat the epoxy without distributing too much heat to the surrounding material, but will reduce the force required to tear the head off the bolt.
Depending on whether the metal is tempered or could be ruined by uneven heating, you might be stuck with mechanical removal and/or solvents, but a last ditch option is to drill and thread the hole to a larger size and/or use a thread insert to reduce it back to the size you want.
User @Jason recommends MEK as a solvent from experience if you need to go the solvent route.  Whatever solvent you use, you may want to double check it's OK on the metal.


Why doesn't the main breaker shut off power for house?

There should be a snap to it; the contacts are spring-loaded so that they make or break contact quickly, reducing any arcing that might occur as they approach or separate.  Arcing can still happen, but there's less opportunity for it than if the contacts were moving at the speed that you're moving the switch.

Like any mechanical device, they can wear out over time.  And this is something that I'd definitely have a licensed electrician look at; you may even need to have the electric utility involved too since they may want to disconnect your house completely before working on the switch.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about them.


Should the neutral be bonded in my barn's sub-panel?

We really need to know if the connection is made via metal conduit, particularly Rigid (pipe threaded) metal conduit.  The metal conduit is the ground wire, meaning the white neutral wire is not the ground wire.

Any wire which ordinarily handles return current from a hot, is a neutral.  Neutral is not ground.  Wires which only handle current during electrical failures are safety grounds.

The idea of hooking up an outbuilding without a ground was outlawed some time ago, and for good reason. For awhile, Code allowed a toxic hybrid: "just combine neutral and ground".  "After all, they go to the same place in the main panel, right?" But it's a terrible idea that actually makes things worse.  If you had no grounds at all, a broken neutral just broke your power.  With neutral bootlegged to ground, a broken neutral floats all your grounds to 120V, making things which are supposed to be safe, lethal!

Applying a ground rod is no cure either.  Dirt is a poor conductor (which is why we bother digging up copper) and the dirt between shed and house doesn't have the capacity to return large amounts of current like you have in an electrical short.  You end up just electrifying the soil as well!

Reminds me of a story about a woman whose phone ringer didn't work.  "But I know when someone calls, because the dog yelps".  Hooboy.

If you have separate neutral and ground

-- then as Someone says above, you need to have separate neutral and ground buses. Since outbuildings need a main shutoff, people usually use "main panel" type panels and use the "main breaker" as the shutoff.  These are intended to be main panels, which don't need separate neutral and ground buses, so this is often omitted.  Either they sell separate accessory ground buses, or they let you split a dual netural bus into a neutral bus and a ground bus.

Since many "electricians" mostly fling Romex into new houses or do repairs, they often don't understand the finer points of subpanels.  So it's common to see electricians wiring subpanels like main panels, glomming neutrals and grounds onto the same bus.  Either grounding wasn't taught when they went to trade school, or they got so habituated to working in 1-panel homes that they forgot.  Either way, it's the kind of error that doesn't fail right away.

If you have neutral only

Then you are bootlegging ground, with the risks therein.

You can fix that by retrofitting a ground wire and separate your neutrals and grounds.  The ground wire does not need to follow the same route as the conductors.  If the conductors are in conduit, you can add the wire.  Otherwise you can direct bury a bare copper wire of appropriate size.

Alternately, you can render that safe by putting the entire shed on a GFCI breaker (this being a 2-pole breaker if the shed has 240V). In this case you must separate neutrals from grounds or it'll defeat the purpose!  Now, if something bites you, it is returning not through the neutral wire, and the GFCI will detect this and trip.

Another option is convert the circuit to 120V-only.  The wire colors may (or may not) be the right colors for this to be legal.  In this case, one wire becomes ground, one becomes neutral and the other becomes 120V hot.  This is often good enough for people who aren't doing heavy work.


Craftsman 917 Riding Lawnmower Not Starting

So I was able to get it started by connecting directly to the starter but when the clutch/brake pedal was released it died so I must have either a crossed wire or bad relay somewhere


Why is water running into my water heater when cold water inlet is turned off?

This is because after turning off your water you still have water in the pipes.   The water heater in most houses is at one of the lowest points in the house.   Meaning that even after turning off water at tap and even after leaving a faucet open, whatever is lowest will still get what water is left in the lines.

It is funny because my new helpers go through this exact experience when prepping for plumbing work.   And they are each surprised about the amount of water that is still left in the pipes (and more surprised that they have to clean it up).

What you are experiencing is normal and if the water heater is the lowest (gravity) or one of the lowest spots in your water line it is perfectly normal to hear water flow after it is turned off and then dribble for a while - takes 5-10 mins for gravity to works its way out sometimes.


Drilled into white/cream colored plastic behind drywall, what is it?

No, it's not safe to drill into something unidentified.

White PVC is most commonly used for waste water (and vents, which are connected to the waste water lines but carry sewer gas to a vent the roof) and central vac. Schedule 20 is used for central vac and is much thinner than the Schedule 40 used for plumbing

It's also possible it's a conduit run for future use, eg running wires from the basement to the attic -- which may or may not have something in it now.

Now that you've hit it, you really need to open up the drywall there and figure out what you're dealing with, repair it, and then patch up the drywall. I'd suggest just opening a relatively small hole first to inspect it, then cut a bigger one if needed once you know what you need to do.

If it's central vac or plumbing, you'll have cut out the damaged section and replace it. If it's small hole, you may just be able to cut just that tiny bit out and replace it with a single coupling. For a bigger hole you'll have to replace with two couplings.

You can probably post back with a picture of the damage and describe what you see inside and we can provide better insight into what it is and how to fix it.


How can I figure out why my circular saw has stopped working?

" ... a spindle lock provides an extra level of safety" from the product description on amazon.  If that is not the cause, I'd phone Hitachi customer support.


Alright so we know that whatever you have in place is not following a normal wiring pattern and right know it's a real mess (example brown is never the ground). But if you are able to identify the conductors at the switch box with the conductors at the fan box. Here is generic fan diagram that might help.

This should get you started in the right direction.

Good luck.


Why am I getting noise with my network cable connectors?

Pin 6 is not crimped. Your crimp die is defective or you need to try again.

All the pins should be at the same level.

But really, punch-down into jacks and buy patch cables as already suggested. Cheaper and more reliable.


Can a GFCI plug on the same circuit as a range cause a fault for power getting to the range plug?

You can't do that.   The 240v power to the range must go only to the range.  You can't fork off one leg of the 240 and a neutral to also serve a 120v plug.  Of any kind.  If you need a 120v plug there, you need to either run a new circuit, or add an outlet to an existing circuit.

That, however, does not explain why the GFCI is tripping.   The GFCI would not know it was applied illegally - as long as it sees 120v across its line terminals, it is happy.   The fact that it is tripping suggests to me that either it is defective or you have connected it to 240v.  Or it is working properly and you are plugging in an appliance which has a ground fault, such as a 3-light electricity tester.


How do I take apart a wooden retaining wall?

If you have access to a sawz-all also called a Tiger saw or reciprocating saw you can cut the spikes. Pry the timbers one at a time to get a little separation. Using the longest metal cutting saw blades you can get in the 14 tooth per inch range saw thru the spike. The longer blade will allow you to cut the spike if it is on the far side of the timber. Depending on what type of spike was used you may be looking at using several packs of blades. The process may get tougher near the bottom if they anchored the timbers to the ground with rebar.


What is the proper way to protect electrical wires in an iron pipe lamp?

Iron pipe is (aside from galvanizing and listing and some of the fittings) exactly the same as rigid conduit. Code does not require any protection for wires in conduit - indeed, code regards the conduit as protection for the wires.

All pipes should be de-burred on the inside at the cut and threaded ends (or cut and not threaded, depending how you are assembling) to prevent cutting the wire insulation. If you want to additionally use braided loom, that is fine, but not a code requirement.

If you wanted to be persnickety, you could use rigid (or IMC) conduit  and conduit fittings and then paint it black, rather than using black iron pipe.


Upsizing makes your life easier

Since I doubt you have a truck loaded with nothing but pulling tools, you're better off upsizing the conduit to make your pull easier.  Get some 2" or even 3" schedule 80 -- you'll be quite happy you did!  (It also means you'll have room to put fatter wires down the pipe later if you want MOAR POWAH in the garage for some reason or another.)


Comparing table saw motors with same hp and different amperage

In the vast majority of 120V-land, this is an easy problem to solve. Way easier than the $543+tax+shipping a 51-pound motor that will make your saw underpowered.

Many circuits with the familiar receptacle are actually on 20A circuits

Because there's an exception in Code that allows the familiar NEMA 5-15 recep to be used on 20A circuits (as long as there are 2 or more sockets in the circuit).  The point of this rule is so the builder can just use the same recep everywhere.

If the breaker is 20A and the cable is 12 AWG copper, then you absolutely can just change it to a NEMA 5-20 20A receptacle.  And, it's backwards compatible with NEMA 5-15, so your old stuff will still plug in.

Changing the receptacle is such a simple and straightforward job (well, mostly) that inspectors exempt it from the usual rules about pulling permits, tenants not being allowed to do it in rental properties, etc. You still need landlord permission.

A new dedicated circuit is fairly cheap to put in

A new circuit to serve any of the above-pictured receps can be run for about $40 in materials, + labor.  $550 is a lot of labor.  In fact, if you have any notion to do this with 240V circuits, now's the time before your state enacts NEC 2020, which will require a $80 GFCI breaker on 240V circuits.


Supposedly (per hazy memory of TV show) cast iron pipes are quieter. Lacking a TV show's need to tear things out to make footage, and budget for silliness, I'd probably skip tearing out plastic pipes to replace with cast iron in the hopes that it would be quieter pipe...

Box and insulate. If you want a better job, then box and insulate the first box. Or just stop after the first box, flush, shower, and drain the tub a few times while someone listens below, and see if you feel the need for additional boxing. If you have the freedom of space layout, pencil a closet in around the pipe box, and that's another box between the pipes and living space. 5/8 drywall (because it's dense/heavy/good for blocking sound) and 2x2 in the corners make a nice pipe chase, and you pack that full of cellulose or fiberglass insulation. If it needs more, use resilient channel to attach another layer of drywall, and perhaps add a sheet product like mass loaded vinyl between the drywall layers as well.


What is this kind of rubber band with low elasticity called?

O-rings are typically made from a firmer rubber than a rubber band.  They will stretch but not as much.  They come in all sizes, so you're going to have a shopping quest ahead of you, but "O-ring" is probably the best search term for you.

O-Ring Google Image Search


What is the best kind of weatherstripping (door set) to use?

Essentially, you get what you pay for.

The cheaper ones (e.g. vinyl) work okay to block wind, but are very susceptible to wear and tear, may rip, may pull off the door entirely, leak if your floor or sill is uneven (they can conform but only a little), and only provide a wind block rather than true insulation. Also, they leak around the edges. But they are generally under $5, so if you don't care too much, you can just replace them every 5 years.

The neoprene and foam ones are generally more expensive, and will conform better to an uneven floor (like most floors). Less abrasion resistance, though, so they wear out faster.

Ones like that silicone one create a bubble of dead air between in and out, providing actual insulation in addition to stopping air travel.

All of these designs depend on the screws holding the stop against the floor, so strong winds may defeat them. This means they drag as you open and close the door, and eventually they wear out. They may also get hung up on carpets or the like.

An alternate design mounts to the bottom of the door, rather than the inside edge. These include a U-channel usually made of metal, and multiple 'sweeps' to create that long bubble of air. They are adjustable, but require you to have more clearance beneath your door--essentially your door has to be hung with them in mind. They work great, and they protect the bottom of your door from rot provided you caulk the outside edge well.

At the high end there are also spring-loaded systems. They are U-shaped channels and also have a spring-loaded gizmo that presses down against the floor when the door is closed but pulls open when the door is ajar. It sounds great but I have no idea if they work--too expensive for my needs.


Can a 27 inch stackable washer and dryer be safely installed in a slightly over 27 inch opening?

The problem you should be aware of is most walls aren't precisely square (Nor plumb). So if your tape measure reads 27 inches at the niche opening it may read 26 1/2 inches at the back of the opening (or 28 inches!). You should take measurements from different points of where the appliance will go. (3) minimum: front, middle and back.
If you find the appliance is slightly big for the space planned on modifications can be made to allow some extra space. As you suggested dry wall can be removed if you need 1/2 inch or less in width. Just realize you'll have an open wall with studs exposed. Unless, of course you only need less than 1/4 inch. Than you can remove the 1/2 inch drywall and replace it with 1/4 inch drywall or paneling.
Getting more than 5/8 inches would mean chiseling down the studs.
Remeasure to verify the width at several points. If they all read 27 inches you'll have a snug fit and possibly some vibration coming through the walls when the spin cycle goes on.


The water vapor is slightly acidic but not enough to damage plant life in my experience.  At 20’ horizontal and then 7-8’ up the carbon monoxide should be well diluted  but this is probably what you notice,
almost all of the systems I have installed exhaust to the roof the one that was in a wall was at 9’ , but that may be a requirement for my area as it was specified on the prints.

The one thing I would question is if the moisture stream is actually hitting your house?  if it is ask them to install a 45 or 90 to direct the moisture to the ground as horizontal moisture acidic or not could cause issues.


What's the best way to level this basement floor?

My family remodeled and has dealt with old and new layers of cement. I suggest the following plan based on our educated, though non-professional experience.

Leveling Old Cement Floor

Preperation

If it is safe to rinse the floor, you should wash the floor with cement cleaner (an acid requiring a special brush). This is will remove the less sticky and more corroded surface of cement, however this is optional, because there is a better way to correct this problem.

Alternately, You can use special concrete grinder. The aim is to take off the highs as well as expose the inner cement. This is messy, and you will have to be thorough about your cleanup.

Sealing

Next, if moisture ever was or ever will be a problem, then you have a serious risk that is common in 90% of Puget Sound area: mold. Mold can grow slowly and invisibly through the materials of you home, gradually poisoning the home. University studies found that in areas of the United States that were less moist as much as 50% of homes were poisoned in this manner by mold. The primary solution is to block the mold's access to moisture in the design of the home from the beginning.

Since you can't reconstruct the foundation walls, I suggest you treat the base of all wood-touching-cement beams (and wall-touching-cement) with a mold killing agent and wood hardener, followed by a liquid moisture barrier, like RedGard.  This should slow or prevent the spread of moisture from the cement. If you can afford it, you should apply the moisture barrier on the area of the edges of the floor and as much of the floor as possible working in from the outer walls (where invisible moisture is most likely).

Leveling

It is important to do the last two steps first, because RedGard has good adhesion to cement, but not very good adhesion, so if it were near the surface when leveling cement was laid, then the thinnest areas of cement would tend to break up and peel off a little bit around the edges.  This would not help the laying of the final flooring.

Now, your plan sounds great for leveling the floor. if the ground beneath the foundation is 98%+ packed and has good drainage, then you shouldn't notice collapsing in the foundation for many years, though you are right that thicker (4.5 inch or more) is better.  If you want to add strength to the floor, a thin and flat laid layer of 'chicken fence'-like wire, preferably galvanized could be laid just before you lay the first layer of cement. This will prevent cracking and crumbling on the underside of that layer of cement and help to make even a thin floor strong like a thick floor.

Once you have considered these points, go ahead and fill the floor with cement as you have suggested, using proper cement/concrete, then leveling cement.

Notes

Note that the liquid gypsum idea by isherwood is great.  Just remember to patch holes in the existing floor, and apply moisture barrier before laying it. It also helps to fan dry in warm weather the gypsum after laying it to get it dry as possible before laying the flooring. Gypsum is about as bad in the matter of wicking up moisture as a material might be.

Also, please note that it is a very good idea to use a high volume O3 generator non-stop for several days between Preparation and Sealing in order to reduce the amount of mold spores that will get kicked up when applying the layers of floor and wall.


Should I reinforce these joists at the central beam? If so, how?

If you need to remove the 2X2, then you will need to add joist hangers. The joist hangers available have stamped in the steel the nailing instruction for the hanger to perform the way it is designed. Many if not all hangers require "shear nail" in short, toenails as part of the nail sequence in each hanger.

If the 2X2 is not in the way, add cement coated 16D nails (3 1/2") even 12D nails 3 1/4" will work, a total of 5 in each end, 3 on one side, 2 on the other, situated roughly between the 3 on the other side.

If your span is over 8' (maybe 10') by code you will need bridging, diagonal or solid at the center point of the span. this will greatly reduce the springiness of the floor.


Bar keepers friend is a decent idea.
Do not pressure wash!
Marble is soft and you will ruin it. My advice it to call a carpet/floor cleaning company, or better yet a marble/granite installer.  Even if they do not clean themselves they will tell you what to do or where to go.
Marble is soft and will soak in certain liquids badly.  Once you get it cleaned, which should probably be done professionally, have it sealed.  It isn't 100%, but it will help a lot.
If you can afford it, get it professionally done by a trusted organization.  Be careful of handymen and others who do not specialize in it.  In the long run a professional cleaner will save you a ton of money and frustration.
If you want really cheap and easy, recover it and wait until you can afford the professional.


There is no reason that the headboard has to be attached to the bed frame.  I have slept quite soundly at the houses of family members where the headboard was a freestanding fixture or attached to the wall and the bed sat on the floor next to the headboard.


Installing a high efficiency "combi" boiler in an old house

Fit the new boiler where you want.
As part of the job get the plumber to flush the pipes to remove silt.
The boiler does not have to be central - the pump provides the push for the water and heating circuits have balance valves to control the flow or they can be fitted.
But consider if the existing boiler still works, how long is the cost of fitting going to need before it is paid back by the increased efficiency?


This should be achievable by adding a horizontal run from p trap to the drain without digging into your foundation.  Horizontal runs must be downwardly sloping at 1/4" drop per 1' run to function properly.
Since it sounds like you are only moving 8 inches you shouldn't need to worry about adding a vent line.  These are sometimes required by code for long horizontal runs and help vent gases allowing for smooth drainage.
The p trap can be on the front or back.  Doesn't matter as long as it does not become an s trap or a double p trap.


Does the supported weight of drywall anchors scale linearly?

This should largely be the case as long as the anchors are relatively far apart.

Think of it this way, two 50lbs. anchors on different walls can each support 50lbs, whether or not the load(s) supported is shared between the two or not.

However, any holes in the drywall weaken it slightly, so while an anchor in drywall may be rated for 50lbs, putting two within a few inches of each other will decrease this rating.

I don't have a good answer for how far apart the anchors need to be, but if you can span anchors to 16" apart, you might as well just mount directly into the studs (assuming 16" OC).


Hydronic kickspace heater on same zone as cast iron radiators?

You can mix a kick-space heater with cast iron radiators in the same zone but it is not recommended. My choice would be a "Beacon Morris". It comes in 3 models (sizes), and It has a built in thermostat that allows the fan to run when the water temperature is above 110 degrees F. The best installation would be with a monoflo tee on both the supply and return lines, however one on the supply will still work. I am guessing that the systems pump runs all the time and is controlled by a reverse acting control that turns the pump on when the water temp. is above about 110 degrees F. You may desire to add a thermostat to control the fan's heater to stop heat over-runs. For best results I have also installed Danfoss radiator valves on each radiator to control the heat in each room.


Is it ok to wire light switches and lights with 12/2 cable?

As long as you have a 15A circuit breaker on that circuit, it's OK to use 12/2 NM cable for your lights.  Since the maximum current on the circuit will be 15A, you won't need special switches.  You should label the wire that it is 15A, not 20A, so that someone else doesn't come along and treat it as a 20A circuit.

Pro: 12/2 cable is a slightly better conductor of electricity, so you'll have slightly less loss between the service panel and your fixtures.
Cons: it's more expensive, harder to work with than 14/2 cable, and you may need to use larger junction boxes because the NEC allows fewer 12 gauge conductors than 14 gauge in a given volume box.

You'll probably also find that you won't be able to use the insertion fittings on the back of the switches (but that's OK, IMO, because I always use the screws), and you definitely won't be able to use the electrical nuts that come with your lights, so you'll have to get your own (and making a secure connection might be trickier with 12 gauge).


Identifying non-standard flange fastener/nut

That is nut is 1/8" pipe thread, which is what standard lamp pipe and fittings are. Any lamp shop (or even a decent hardware store) will have a variety of lamp thread fittings available, including lock nuts. I call it lamp thread because while it is 1/8" pipe thread, the pipe and fittings are not tapered like 1/8" pipe thread plumbing fittings are.
While you may not find an identical flanged nut like the example in your picture, it would be easy enough to use a regular lamp thread hex nut and use a washer to increase the surface area.


It's needed, at least, strongly suggested if you have dry-walls, if you're on a brick&concrete house you don't need it.


Inexpensive way of fixing cracked area of concrete parking?

You can't fix that concrete. It's badly disintegrating and any patch will quickly degrade as well.
You can pour new concrete, or you can replace with something like driveway pavers, which would help alleviate the water issue since they're porous. You'd want to provide a good, well-draining substrate.
The project could be inexpensive if you can source some second-hand or otherwise unwanted pavers. I purchased almost 1000 driveway-grade paver bricks for $40 a few years back. The owner just wanted them off his property.
Good luck.


Turning an unneeded outlet into a light switch to power LED lights

Your plan sounds good the only problem is many receptacles are located is required spaces (habitable rooms no space more than 6’ from a receptacle 12 between them) so with that in mind if new receptacle is vertically the same or close there might not be any issues.


Is it possible to get sand and gravel back from concrete pieces?

Concrete doesn't "dry", it cures in a chemical reaction.  So introducing it to water will not reverse that process.  This should be evident from the vast uses of concrete in constant contact with water.


Can I wire a water heater and tanning bed on the same 220V circuit?

The 2014 NEC is adopted in Ohio.

You need a dedicated circuit for these appliances:
Refrigerator, Freezer, Electric range, Microwave, Water heater, Washer, Dryer, Dishwasher/garbage disposal, Furnace, Heat pump, Air conditioner (central and window), Sump pump, Hot tub/Sauna/Jacuzzi

A furnace requires a dedicated circuit.[422.12]

Dwelling units require at least one receptacle outlet for the laundry area. [210-52(f)] Laundry receptacle outlets in dwelling units must be fed from a 20-ampere branch circuit. Receptacle outlets outside of the laundry area are not permitted on the laundry circuit. [210-11(c)(2)]

If an appliance is a chord and plug type and it exceeds 80% of the branch circuit rating then a dedicated outlet is required. If the appliance is fastened in place and is rated for more than 50% of the branch circuit then that circuit must be dedicated. [210-23(a)]

Here is a terrible reference, but:
http://electrical.about.com/od/appliances/qt/DedicatedCircuit.htm makes a good point, "A good rule of thumb is that if it has a motor, it needs its own circuit."


ok to use led ceiling fan bulb in table lamp?

You can use the bulb in a normal table lamp so long as ...

Fitting:The fitting is the same (E.g. standard Edison screw in US)
Voltage: The bulb is marked the same voltage as your household standard voltage (120 V in US). The voltage is approximate, sometimes you will see 110 V - that's a small enough difference that it doesn't matter for our purposes.
Wattage: The bulb wattage (25W) does not exceed the rating marked on the lamp-holder (unlikely to be a problem for any lamp-holder designed for traditional  standard plain ordinary old inefficient incandescent tungsten filament light bulbs like your grandfather used.) Lamp-holders are often marked something like "Max 40W".
Cooling: There is room for air to flow around the bulb. LED bulbs can overheat in some types of small fully enclosed light fittings. This is unlikely to be a problem in any normal type of table lamp where the shade is open at top and bottom.

Nowadays  there are many different types of bulb. Some are designed for 12 V DC instead of 120 or 230 or 240 V AC. We can't see your ceiling fan so we can't be sure it isn't a weird one. That's why you should check markings on the bulb.

Footnotes:

Wattage is a guide to how much heat the bulb produces. It is no longer a useful guide to how much light the bulb produces. Sometimes the bulbs are marked with an "equivalent" wattage which you should be careful about understanding - it means "this bulb is roughly as bright as an old-fashioned incandescent tungsten filament bulb that produced this amount of heat". Ignore that and look for the real Wattage. Wattage is really a measure of heat-producing power.

Lumens tells you how much light the bulb produces.


Per IRC, are flexible PVC couplings ever allowed to be used above ground for PVC to PVC connections?

Fernco (Rubber) fittings are not approved in wall framing unless they have a metal sheathed hose clamp assembly covering the entire fitting as part of the design, Which limit them to straight couplings or reducing couplings. The reason is that vermin can chew through the rubber. They are suitable for underground but are more expensive than standard no hub couplings or regular pvc fittings. So the reason for wanting to use them for that is questionable unless there is some sort of access issue.


Very low water pressure in the 2nd floor shower but good pressure every where else

You stated that the home was remodeled 11 years ago and you don't know how the pressure was before. It could be that the previous owner installed some type of scald protection device for young children and it has been going out. These range in design and price. Here is more information about Anti-Scald Devices


How can I mitigate low frequency reverb in a bedroom?

Read about bass traps.  There are all different types; you can build your own or buy one pre-made.  It sounds like for your situation, a correctly tuned Helmholtz resonator will accomplish the task in a small package.  It's supposed to be cheap and easy; try this calculator.

You can determine the frequency of your noise with this app or similar.  Make sure that you see a clear low frequency peak because your phone might have a high-pass filter.  If you don't see one, then try putting your phone against the wall or against the AC unit, or try another phone/tablet/etc.


Pumping water using a small electric pump, does it need to be potable?

If you will be drinking the water, you need a potable water pump. "Potable" means "safe to drink."  No matter what, if needs to be able to start dry, you need a "self-priming" pump.


Do I need to add a fuse for a lamp circuit off a ring main?

You can only spur off a ring once but by installing a fused connection unit (FCU) as you have there, you can extend to the lamps under BS7671.
The FCU will have a maximum 13A fuse so this would be your design current for the spur.


Can I use the area above my garage for an extra room?

The short answer is, you'll have to contact an engineer. Only an engineer will be able to tell you if the structure is adequate, and/or what you have to do to make it so.

If this is going to be a habitable room, you'll have to make sure it meets all the building requirements in your area. So you might have more to be concerned with, than just the floor.


How to wire light with a switch in the middle of a circuit

It depends on which side of the switch is the line (power source from the box) and which side is the load (light and outlets).

If the two wire cable is the line and the three wire is the load, you may be able to use the red wire to carry uninterupted power to the outlets. The next question is whether the light or the outlets come next in the circuit, and whether that red wire shows up in their respective boxes.

If the outlet is next and the red wire is also capped in that box, you can use the red to power the outlets while still switching the light. Connect the incoming black line wire, the exiting red wire and add a black pigtail (a short length of wire). Then connect the other end of the pigtail to the switch where the incoming black wire was previousl.

At the outlet box, remove the incoming black wire going to the outlet and replace it with the incoming red wire. Attach the incoming black wire (that is now free) to the black wire going to the light. This may be attached to the far side of the outlet. If so, disconnect it from the outlet first.

If the light is next in line, this will only work if there are both black and red red wires going to the light fixture box. In that case, remove the outgoing black wire (going from the light to the distant outlets) and attach that outgoing black to the incoming red. Leave the incoming black on the light fixture.

If the red wire does not show up in the next connection box, you are out of luck unless you add additional wiring.

In sum, you need two hot wires leaving the switch box, a black one that is switched and a red one that is always hot. You are trying to keep the switched black connected to the light fixture and the unswitched red powering the outlet. (The colors are arbitrary, but since the red is not currently in use, we have designated it always hot).


Whenever I see a 3x jump in a power bill for an unoccupied house, my first suspicion is that someone is tapping into your house for free (to them) power because they know you are not home. I had a neighbor in Seattle who did this; went to Alaska every summer to mine gold, spent the winters in Seattle working on fishing vessel repair. One summer an RV parked in his driveway while he was gone and I met the owner, who said he was a relative. The relative left at the end of August and when my neighbor returned in September, he saw the huge power bill. He asked me if I had seen anything, I told him about his "relative", it was phony. From that point on he gave me his contact information in Alaska...


What are these things that appeared in my backyard and front lawn?

It is a termite bait station, used to give subterranean termites an easy way to get what they think is food, carry it back to their nest and distribute it to all, killing the entire colony.

Most likely your property has a lot of dead wood on it and is harboring termite colonies that are then migrating and attacking your neighbors, so they put the stations out in your property because you were not there. I've had to do that myself when a neighbor basically negleted her house and the entire thing became one giant termite colony.


Upgrade from outlet/switch combo to GFCI + outlet

I had a similar situation in my bathroom.  I had power in the ceiling, to the light, and a 14/2 running down to the switchbox.   My assumption is that the original install consisted only of the light switch, but had been "Upgraded" by everyone's favourite contractor, Some Moron.  This esteemed craftsman put in a combo switch/receptacle, Jumpered the hot side of the switch to the hot side of the receptacle and then pigtailed the neutral of the receptacle to ground.

IF THIS IS YOUR SITUATION,

You need to run a new 14/3 from the ceiling to my switch location and break drywall to install a 2 gang box.  The final wiring is:

Panel Black -  14/3 black. (with pigtail in switch location)
Light Fixture Black to 14/3 Red.  (Switched Hot - power to light)
Panel White - 14/3 white.

In the 2 gang box, I took a black from the pigtail to the GFCI hot, and the white from the 14/3 to the neutral screw.

Other possibilities:

Existing 14/3 -- Do as above, but obviously you don't need to run a new cable.  Check the wiring in the light box to make sure you get the switched hot right.

Double 14/2 - In this situation, you'd have 1 14/2 powering the receptacle, and another 14/2 acting as the runner for the switch.  Usually black is hot, and white is switched hot.  The white wire should be marked as such, perhaps with a piece of tape on the end.  Wire it exactly as it is.

Power to the switch box
You may have the situation where the power feed from the panel goes directly to the switch box. Usually you'll have a feed from the bottom (power) and another pair going out the top to the light.  Check these with a voltage tester!

Create a pigtail on the feed black with two short pieces of black wire.  One goes to the switch, the other to the receptacle. To the other side of the receptacle, attach the black to the light.  This is your switched hot.

The white from the light, the white from the feed are wired together with an additional short piece of white wire which goes to the neutral of the receptacle.

Additional Warnings:
All connections go to the LINE side of the GFCI.
Do not work with power on.  Turn off the breaker or fuse.
If you don't see one of the scenarios presented here, then call for professional help.


In any installation of GFCI protected loads, they must be designed so that currents are balanced.  That is because GFCI detection compares currents in the two wires, and aims to see them equal.  As such, unhooking only the LOAD "hot" wire, and not the accompanying LOAD "neutral", is a wrongheaded thing to do generally.   However, it is an excellent and interesting diagnostic test, that tells you where your problem lies.

What you have, by plain demonstration, is current flow on neutral that is not matched by equivalent current flow on hot.  That shouldn't be possible.  If the monogamous partner "hot" wire is disconnected, where can current possibly be coming from?

The most likely explanation is a promiscuous neutral.  That is, this neutral is returning current for other circuits served out of other circuit breakers.  This is occurring because at some point, some installer of something decided to grab the most convenient neutral, instead of grabbing the correct partner neutral.  This often accompanies shady handyman work and overloading too-few-wire cables -- this person's situation being a classic case of both of those.

Now there's one more possibility, but it's fairly remote. That is a neutral-ground fault somewhere in the wiring.  This would most likely be coupled with hot-ground leakage somewhere else whose grounds are connected to this ground.   Current takes all available paths in proportion to their conductance, and while most of the current would return directly through that circuit's grounding system, some might hop your neutral-ground fault and return on this circuit's neutral, where it would be most unexpected by the GFCI.  Like I say, it's a longshot.  But this too is coming out of another circuit.

Either way  -- How do you find that other circuit?  Shut off all your breakers and see if the GFCI breaker will stay on.   Then turn on one breaker at a time.  It really helps to turn on all the loads on that breaker.  When you turn on a breaker and the GFCI trips, you have found what circuit the promiscuous neutral or other-ground-fault is at.  Then you follow both circuits until you find the interaction or problem.

Once you find the breaker, you might turn it off, reset and continue turning other breakers on - just to preclude it being three circuits interacting.

The last thing to mention is a multi-wire branch circuit.  That is a circuit designed for two subcircuit "hots" to share a neutral.  Typically it uses /3 cable, red black white, with white being the shared neutral and red and black being hots. They must be on opposite poles or they will overload the neutral; and they need common maintenance shutoff; for those reasons we recommend using a 2-pole breaker or a listed handle tie.   If you wish to GFCI protect a milti-wire branch circuit, the only option is a 2-pole GFCI breaker.

What about a defective GFCI?  I doubt it.  Honestly that idea is the "first place people go" because they can't believe/accept they have a ground fault, but it's rarely true.  So I tend to discount it.   You can try unhooking both LOAD hot and neutral (do not unhook the curly pig's tail LINE neutral) -- if it trips with nothing on LOAD then, yeah, it's the GFCI.


Damage to the sub floor while scraping tile

If the damage is not significant (you mention the approximate area affected but not how deep the damage is) you could just tile right over it.

If the missing layer(s) of backer-board are significant enough so as to cause the tile to not lay level and flat, you will need to do something:

best option would be to remove and replace the damaged backer-board
the Ditra product works well but also requires a flat level surface below, so again it would depend on the nature and extent of the damage.
I have had decent luck troweling a smooth skim coat over rough surfaces and letting it cure prior to tile application, and would probably choose this method because it is the simplest/easiest, but this is a skill. Well mixed mortar with the right consistency along with careful trowel work are needed.


Gabion cage retaining walls: drainage and deadman needs?

There are two types of retaining walls: 1) cantilevered, and 2) gravity.

1) Cantilevered retaining walls rely on a wall that has a compression side and a tension side. The compression side relays on the compressive strength of the concrete, masonry, etc. The tension side relays on reinforcing steel.

2) Gravity retaining walls rely on the weight of materials pressing down more than side forces pressing from the side. There are a few issues with this system, including sliding, rotation, long term deterioration of the cage, etc. all of which are variables due to the type of soil. The reason there is very little information about these retaining walls is because any change in the soil can have significant affects on the wall.

So, these walls are generally oversized.

With regard to drainage from behind the gabion retaining wall, water is a great force that can destroy the wall. Therefore, more drainage (including filter fabric) the better.

With regard to the deadman, it’s not necessary for 2’ high retaining walls. In fact, it’s not even considered a retaining wall until 4’ high. At 2’ high, there isn’t enough pressure (force) on the wall for concern.


What does it mean for a halogen globe to strobe and then blow?

I have seen halogen strobe prior to totally failing, I have found 2 causes one was the lamp element itself that was bouncing around causing the flickering then failure, the other failures I have found have been arcing on the contacts. Since LED's draw very little power I would install one and it will probably work, if not cleaning the fixture contacts may do the trick.


Cannot remove door knob -- totally inaccessible!

You should be able to trip the latch, if you can see what you say you see - there should be something coming from the latch side which can be pulled or manipulated (often rotated, as that's what the knob would do) to do that.

If the hardware is really fouled up, a slim prybar next to the latch between the door and frame will often find enough flex in the framing to free it up, or allow you to pop the latch with a butterknife or the like, without major damage.

When you pass the point of caring about damage, the prybar nearly always works, or opens the way for the less slim one that does.

As you have the hinge pins out, beware of the door falling over when it gets freed up.


If they are on different breakers, you can't use a switch with a common hot.

You need something like (picked at random by Googling "dual independent switch") Decora 15 Amp Single Pole Dual Switch. The instructions include removing a tab that connects the hots if you need separate hots - just like using a dual receptacle on two separate circuits.

WAIT A MINUTE!!! From what you described, the old switch only had 3 wires! That means it also had 1 hot, 2 switched hot. In which case it was not on 2 separate breakers. If that's the case, you just have the wires confused. Separate the 3 wires. Determine which wire is hot using a tester (non-contact should be sufficient if it gives a clear indication, multimeter is the best test). Then turn the breaker (singular!) off again connect the hot to the common screw and one at a time connect one of the other wires to a switch and see what happens. You should be able to track it down that way to determine which wire goes where and get everything working.

Remember:

Screw location does not have anything to do with screw function. Each manufacturer, and each model within a manufacturer, can vary.
Color does not indicate function. It should, but often it does not. If things are wired (USA) according to code, you should find:

Green/bare = Ground
White/Gray = Neutral
Black/Red/other colors = Hot, Switched Hot, Travelers, etc.

So while typically black = hot, red = switched hot, there are no guarantees.


How many square foot of coverage per bag of mortar when repointing brick?

Had a few minutes... created a model in SketchUp and found that with a 3/8" wide joint the mortar takes up .55 sq ft per square foot of wall. 1" depth after removing part of the old mortar and it comes out to 0.015 cubic feet per square foot of wall.

About 0.7 cubic feet of wet mortar per 80lb bag and that comes out to close to 46 square feet per 80lb bag for a 3/8" wide mortar joint.

With a 1/2" joint width yield is roughly 36 square feet per bag.


glue/nail down wood flooring installation: any disadvantages for click-lock?

I work for a company that makes laminate flooring, we make different thickness and profiles(profile is the joint)I have 4 rooms with it in and they are all different, each was an upgrade on the other couple of years apart. The latest I put in was the best for connection, the long side just push tight together at angle then firmly push down to click, the short edge though has a plastic comb like membrane inserted during the manufacture of the panel and this locks it in place and is easy to fit and hard to separate(be warned) push the ends slowly together and you'll hear a distinct click.

One thing never nail wood to the floor it needs to float due to heat or humidity changes. Laminate states a 10mm gap all round the room, leave the gap-you may be a little under but no less than 8mm-it will expand with right conditions and if no gap left can buckle. If you decide to glue, not a problem, just use a waterproof glue to help seal the HDF(MDF but higher density)

Stilettos make holes in engineered wood flooring but not Laminate, dog paws destroy all types of wood flooring


Wiring residential internet router through existing smoke detector

No. The 2011 version of the National Electrical Code made this very clear.

National Electrical Code 2011
Chapter 7 Special Conditions
Article 760 Fire Alarm Systems
760.41 NPLFA Circuit Power Source Requirements
(B) Branch Circuit. The branch circuit supplying the fire
alarm equipment(s) shall supply no other loads. The location
of the branch circuit overcurrent protective device shall
be permanently identified at the fire alarm control panel.
This branch circuit shall not be supplied through ground-fault
circuit interrupters or arc-fault circuit-interrupters.

The 2008 version was a bit vague about this, but the 2011 version leaves no doubt. You'll have to find a power source somewhere else.

While this code snippet may not be applicable to smoke detectors, it's still good advice to keep smoke detectors on their own circuit (in my opinion).


It was the slope, when cutting in the p trap I changed the slope of the existing 2" drain pipe, and caused it to back up. Re-did it and ensured the slope was correct and checked with a hose and a manual regen and all drains fine.


How to replace a light bulb in ceiling light

That looks like an old school can/recessed light which utilized flood light style bulbs. You should be able to apply slight pressure with your finger tips while turning counter clockwise to loosen/remove the bulb.


Do these 2 x 4’s provide structural support?

I'd leave them in place and add a few more 50mm x 50mm (2" x 2") at 600mm (24") centers from the originals, thicken out the insulation to come up to the top of them and then plywood out (assuming the headroom isn't disastrous...).

That way everything is happy and you save some heat loss...

Plus, if they are nailed in two directions, (into the ceiling joists and into the vertical bearer) they will be very difficult to remove and you could easily damage the ceiling below...


Installing a sliding patio door...why does the entire frame have to be square, level and plumb?

Out of square doors/door frames either do not close (if really bad) or seal properly; a 1/4" can create a significant gap in between the door and weather stripping allowing significant heat/AC loss.

Out of plumb doors either open or close from gravity which is simply annoying.


What is controlling this baseboard heater without a thermostat?

It may be a vestige of a larger whole house baseboard heating system, where there was a central t-stat somewhere and all of the baseboard heaters were controlled from that one point. If that system was replaced with a central forced air heating system at some point and just this one room still has the baseboard heater (i.e. because there was no duct run to it), that baseboard may still be connected to a central t-stat somewhere that is buried or hidden. So it gets satisfied by your central heating system and shuts off, killing your sole remaining baseboard. The reason I know this is that I had that exact situation in a house in Seattle, where baseboard heating was the norm back when electricity was almost free. I put in central forced air gas heating, but had no ducts going to a seldom used basement room, so I left the baseboard there to be used only when the room was used. I didn't realize that the t-stat in the wall in the basement stairwell, which I thought was abandoned, was still active and controlling that baseboard heater.


The problem with answering this is we don't know how it is wired.

If the hot enters the switch and leaves as a three-wire that switches the outlet with the red then it is it just a matter of cutting the wire in the attic, installing two junction boxes and reconnecting.  Then feeding out of one of the junction boxes to the new light off the red, white and green.
If the hot enters the outlet first and leaves as a two-wire (switch leg/loop) to the switch, then all you have in the attic is a switched hot with no neutral.  This is not good because the new light requires the switched hot plus a neutral.


Can I install a service panel on an exterior wall?

I have never had an issue of a panel on an exterior wall infact over 95% of panels I have installed are on exterior walls or basement walls. If the inspector is concerned about condensation ask if he would allow a small device for dehumidification or low wattage fire rod would be allowed, many years ago I started putting low wattage fire rods in outside panels close to pools or water sources this keeps the panel just warm enough to not condense the moisture and extends the panel life.

But as I know of no direct code reference I would ask the inspector to cite the code reference that requires insulation.

I do know inspectors that try to pull crap on home owners and when I moved to a new county I had not worked in I think the inspector had 4 write ups and one would be considered a red flag (power down) I asked him what the code reference was because I had not touched that part of the structure, he stammered and said it was always that way I grabbed an older code book that I had at home and flipped it to the section and said no you are wrong and we can call the chief electrical inspector is you want to keep any of your opinions on the record. He then asked what are you an electrician and I gave him my number he wrote up a new inspection report with all items passing. So I know they do it maybe not all but in my location they do.


Much of the piping in the Dallas area is not able to receive these long-stem freeze resistant hose bibs. Maybe yours is, but maybe not. The threaded fitting must be way back in the wall on the inside of the insulation in the heated zone. And unless the valves go into a basement I wonder how one checks for leaks when installing a new one.

I also notice that the more expensive of these are described as "quarter turn" which almost certainly means they are ball valves. Ball valves are great as an on-off valve, but are not good for metering, i.e., adjusting flow through a range.

I installed quarter-turn ball valves at our house the last time I replaced the two outside hose valves at our house (in Dallas), but the ones I got are too hard to turn to use easily. These were good quality "garden valves" made in Italy, but were a mistake for this use. I am going to have to devise a longer handle for them. Everbilt 3/4" garden valve. Our hose piping comes out of the ground and not from the side of the house.

In cold weather I disconnect the hoses and cover the faucets with insulation and a plastic flower pot. Probably you could just supply your tenants with a foam cover that is secured to the faucet with a clip or a rubber band.


Can a Dishwasher that automatically opens the door damage my kitchen cabinets?

If your countertop, especially the lip that overhangs the dishwasher, is constructed with particle board, you can expect damage. The particle board will suck up any and all moisture coming out of the dishwasher. I have heard that even granite tops can get discolored from the steam you're referring to.

You can coat the bottom of a particle board top with some exterior wood glue or silicone sealer to prevent the moisture from being absorbed. If it's granite, get a stone sealer and just apply to the bottom part of the lip.


Is my plan to move and upgrade service panels reasonable?

400A boxes
400A panels are expensive because nobody does that.  The normal thing to do with a 400A meter is immediately split it to two 200A main panels, just ordinary common-as-dirt main panels, nothing fancy at all.  In fact, ordinary/common "class 320" (read: 400A) meter pans provide for two 4/0-sized lugs per phase. That's not for paralleling: That's for splitting to two different main panels. You couldn't attach a single 400A panel if you wanted to, because the lugs won't take a 500 kcmil conductor, and they're not for paralleling.
For some reason, some people with a certain level of electrical knowledge get fixated on doing it some other way (sometimes they cannot believe you can just split to two main panels like that)... and they always wind up with an expensive adventure.
Now, given your requirements, what I would do is (gosh) split to two 200A main panels.  One of the panels would have "Thru Lugs". The other would be the normal shop panel. So one-a these, and one-a these, coming off any common 320-class meter socket.  Together under $300. You can spend a little more and get the better QO, Siemens, CH etc.  I'm presuming outdoor for NEC 2020.
Anyway, feed the house off the panel with the thru-lugs. It's beholden to the 200A main breaker in that panel, so the run to the house is protected. It has 8 spaces for if you want to tap anything locally off that side of the service.  The 30-space is for the workshop.  I know it's smallish, but feel free to get a 40.
that was easy :)
The neutral bars (plural)
On your original panel, both sides are intended as neutral bars.  They have several features that ground bars don't have.  The panel provides enough neutral lugs for every space in the panel to be a "double-stuff" breaker feeding 2 independent circuits.  You're nowhere near even half that, so you have the option to spin off one neutral bar to make it a ground bar.
However, that's not your only option.  The common way to do that is to buy accessory ground bars for the panel ($8 or so). These bolt to the metal frame of the panel.  You may find that more convenient if some neutrals or grounds are too short.   You can get those (I would get 2), move the grounds to it at your leisure, and then simply remove the N-G boding screw or strap on Upgrade Day.  I don't see one, which is a bit odd.
Routing the cables
Your proposal for cable routing (coming in the bottom when it came in the top/back before) seems perfectly fine to me.  It's clear from your photo that the panel builder left you plenty of wire bending space for that purpose.
Make sure to put a knockout cover on any abandoned holes.


Adding overhead lighting and getting rid of half switched outlets

Changing wiring to the extent that you are talking about is a doable project but if you know nothing about wiring or are any bit concerned about feeling safe working with AC mains power it may be best to call in a professional electrician.

Some notes.

Adding ceiling lights to rooms that do not have them is easiest and most feasible if there is attic access above the rooms. Access to the attic allows one to get up there to place decent blocking between ceiling joists to which the electrical box can be secured. This is especially important when you want to support the weight of a ceiling fan from the electrical box. It is also possible to route the wires over to the top of the wall section where the switch is located and drill a hole down into the below stud cavity to poke the light wire down to the switch.

Adding switched lights to the ceiling of a first floor room that has joists above and then living space above that is a more invasive job. This generally requires opening up multiple holes in the drywall or plaster walls. Obviously the wall materials can be restored but it adds lots of work and the need to repaint the room afterwards. Access holes in ceilings that are textured adds an additional challenge in the restoration process. I have done this type of project many times and can say it is doable but be prepared for many hours of work.

Your '70s style house may not have vaulted ceilings but if you so in your dining / front room it may be a challenge to gain overhead access. Vaulted ceilings are very often built up as part of a roof truss construction and it is very likely that there is a possibility of no "attic" type access from above. So for this type of room you are looking at the much more invasive type construction work. If adding the switch for the chandelier is intended to allow controlling the light from two locations it will be necessary to run new wires all way between the existing switch location and the new switch.

Changing the half switched outlets to non-switched outlets is most easily done at the switch location by removing the two wires off the switch and then joining those two wires with a wire nut and pushing it to the back of the switch electrical box.

Another consideration is the size of the boxes where the re-dutied switches are located. There are code requirements on just how many wires can be in a given sized box and adding a wire from a new ceiling light fixture could exceed the box capacity.


Can the discharge of the water powered backup sump pump be connected to the discharge of the primary sump pump?

Put check valves on both discharge lines upstream of any "Y" connection to prevent back feeding through the unused pump.


How to reduce temperature difference between the second floor and basement?

Is this a central heating system? Adjust the dampers in the basement to full open and close them down on the upper floor, if you have AC you will need to reverse them in the summer or close the lower floors dampers and open the upper floor dampers. I like control dampers on the main ducts to each floor so there are only 2 adjustments, 1 in summer and 1 in winter instead of having to adjust all of them.


The bathroom light switch box might not have a neutral in it, and you need both a hot and a neutral to power anything.

In the US in older construction the light switch may be connected to the controlled light with a "switch loop", meaning a line hot on one connection of the switch and a switched hot on the other. The line hot and the switched hot are in  the same cable going to the box with the light fixture. One of these two wires would normally have white insulation, and so is sometimes mistaken for a neutral.

However, sometimes the line hot cable enters in the switch box and in that case there is a neutral in the switch box. In that case one can install a cable leading from the switch box to a receptacle.


Sub Panel in detached 10x10 bldg(welding shed)

You are on the right track. What is important is the duty cycle of your individual welders. NEC Article 630 is all about welders including there duty cycles.

The duty cycle is determined by what type of welding you are going to be doing such as small projects that are never more than 1/4" steel and the type and size of welders you will be using.

I suggest you try and Google or find a copy of NEC 630 and do a little reading before determining your service size to your building.

Good luck.


If the apartment is a 8" thick "cinder-block" wall with no insulation, then it's R value is likely around 1.5-2. If it's a concrete wall, it's R-value is around 3.8-4.

In any case, 1" thick polystyrene foam has an R-value of 5, and ½" drywall is about .5, so adding the foam and drywall (combined R-value of 5.5) over your existing drywall will more than double the wall's insulation value (in the case of concrete) and almost quadruple it (in the case of cinder block). All assuming there really is no existing insulation.

I would say the wall will become dramatically cooler.


How do I trace a water leak inside a stud wall?

Water can travel a long distance, and come from lots of sources, so there's no easy answer here. You'll have to start opening the walls and working your way up until you reach the source. If there's any spaces to check (attic, roof, another bathroom) look there before getting too destructive.

Around a bathtub, you can check for any locations water can pool at the edges and ensure it's caulked and sloped into the tub. Check around the faucets, valves, and shower heads for anywhere water could leak and run back into the wall. Fill the tub all the way to the overflow level and make sure the overflow doesn't leak. Then open the drain when it's full to check the drain pipes for any leaks (some of these won't show until you're under pressure).

And realize that you could also be dealing with condensation if it's cold outside and your insulation isn't adequate with a vapor barrier. You could also have a leak from the roof or condensation on pipes above the bathroom. Even uninsulated HVAC ducts can get condensation in the summer from the cold AC, as can dryer and exhaust ducts in the cold winter.


How deep do I need to sink a 6 x 6 post to support a 150 lb fire hydrant that will sit on top of it?

Even the worst of soils can support 1000 lbs/sf and there is no requirement to set something ornamental like this below frost line if you are willing to straighten it out once a decade or so.  Think about how most people do pedestal birdbaths in your area.

Now let's think of a scenario where we might want to do things a little better.  If you think someone is going to tie something to it that will induce a lateral load like the corner of a taut shade awning or your kids are going to use it to attach one end of a slackline or zipline to it..  Or maybe you want to prevent the neighborhood punks from uprooting it with their truck and absconding with it.    It these cases you'll want to go down a few feet like you are describing.  I'd say installing it like you'd do a typical fencepost in your area would handle the awning scenario.  You'll probably have to go down 3-4 feet to stop a truck.


Should a tenant be relocated while asbestos is removed from the ceiling?

"Asbestos in the ceiling' is rather vague. Are they referring to the ceiling itself? Popcorn texturing? Insulation above the ceiling?

As for the danger level of asbestos, it all depends on if it is airborne or not. In its solid state, it's harmless. It's only when it's friable and turns to dust and you inhale it does it become dangerous. Even then, note that for it to cause cancer and the like, it takes a LOT of exposure and a LOT of time. Most people injured by asbestos were those that worked in asbestos plants and mines. So, while it is dangerous, there is no need to immediately panic when found in your house.

I'm going to assume the asbestos is part of the popcorn texturing. This wasn't uncommon and (AFAIK) the most common place to find asbestos in a lot of homes.

As long as no one touches it, it's fine. If it's painted, even better. Did the plumber expose a bit of the asbestos? Probably. Enough to be of any real danger? I highly doubt it. Enough to cause the insurer or city or code to force you to remove it? I have no clue. That's more of a policy/regulation issue.

If this is a rental, then removing will likely have to follow particular standards, and that usually involves a remediation crew that comes in, fully seals everything off, wets everything down, bags all the materials, vacuums with HEPA filters, and then carts it all off for you. Fairly safe, though potentially expensive.


Fixing (at least temporarily) roof damaged wooden beam (rafter?) in an outbuilding

judging by the shape and cut of the wood, the method of assembly and the size of the members, i would assume you have a tile roof?  either way, it looks like it was built for a very heavy roof load.

the rot you are seeing is just part of the problem, it most likely extends far into the timber and may even be present in the adjacent rafters.

bracing the beam (thats the transverse thing under the rafter) may not help much as it looks rotten as well.

the best thing to do is put in a post.  this is a vertical column from ground to the bottom of the rafter.  put down a wide block of wood or a concrete slab first to spread the load over the paving stones below.  use a metal bracket at both ends and concrete anchors, lag bolts or nails to secure the post to the base and to the rafter.  if you use a good solid post and are careful in your work, it should last until you can replace the roof.


Replace single-pole switch with 3-way and add additional 3-way switch. Non-conventional solution needed

Smart Switches to the Rescue
There are a lot of different smart switches available as solutions. The methods I know of to handle "3 way" switching with smart switches are:

Piggyback on existing 3-way wiring

This works well if you have existing 3-way switches but want additional features such as multi-location dimming or remote control. Does not help you

Piggyback on regular wiring

Some smart switches can use regular wiring in a more flexible way by sending signals over the wiring instead of simply switching between wires. That might help you here, if you can run a cable from the other end of the lights (which it sounds like you may be able to do), this may be an option.

Wireless

Note that this does not necessarily mean WiFi. There are a number of different wireless systems available. A typical smart switch system that includes WiFi capability may have the WiFi part connected only to one "main" switch with the other switches "talking" to the main switch via a different protocol. So security is a concern but you may not actually need to connect your switches to a potentially vulnerable WiFi network in order to get wireless capability.
The big advantage of the 2nd switch being wireless is no wires to run, at all!. The disadvantage, of course, is the need to change a battery periodically. But modern devices are incredibly low power and your particular situation sounds ideal for this solution.
There are plenty of choices. One example (I have no connection to the company in any way) is Lutron Caseta. According to the FAQ page, the Pico remotes are designed to last 10 years on a single battery.
Be careful though - make sure anything you get is UL Listed (or equivalent). While the remotes are harmless, the "main" switch will be hooked up to 120V (US) or 240V (elsewhere) and you don't want to take chances on "substandard" items.


How can I remove hard water build up from a washing machine?

There's a product called CLR (Calcium,Lime, Rust) that you can pour on a sponge and scrub down the drum.  Use gloves!  It probably wouldn't hurt to pour the rest of the bottle in and run a small load (no clothes) to clean out the piping as well.


What is this technique of joining wood called?

They are joined...with wood glue. No, seriously...it actually is "stronger than wood". Bandsawn lamination is about as close as you'll get for a "specific name", though it could also be done with a router and templates. Or a CNC router, for that matter, these days.

The efficient approach will result in this one and a dark one with a light section, by sawing in stacks, then shuffling. This also has veneer strips along the glueline.


Coast 3-way -- does this conform with Code?

Perhaps I could be wrong on this but when I worked as an electrician in California many years ago, the coast 3 way switching was developed for the following reason. Many homes and offices were wired using steel flex (aluminum came later). Most cities in California at that time had their own electrical code, governed to some degree by the state code and NEC. There were some rules that did not allow you to pull four wires (Conductors) in a 1/2" flex conduit unless one was a switch leg.

By using a coast 3 way the conductors were as follows: one point wire (Common) one switch leg, one Hot and one neutral, with no travelers. Plus of course if you needed a hot plus a switch leg and a neutral at each end, you would have them available. On a standard 3 way switching you would have two travelers (In the UK these are called Strapping wires).


Is it expensive to switch from an 80% to a 90% efficient furnace, to comply with the new mandate?

PVC is relatively inexpensive so the main cost is installing it. If your furnace is near an exterior wall, they'll simply make a hole in that wall and run the lines directly out. If your furnace isn't close to an exterior wall, then you need to run the lines through the ceiling, preferably in the direction of the joists, until you reach an exterior wall.

If that ceiling is already finished with drywall and has other utilities running through the space, then the expense will be to open the ceiling and get the vents properly routed. Drywall repair can be a DIY job, though mudding the joints tends to be an art if you want it to look perfect. And most HVAC installers would likely outsource that job to another contractor. The second contractor is where the price on the job can start to jump.

That said, the added cost is only in that specific scenario, which is a minority of the installs. And you'll recoup that cost over time with a more efficient HVAC. Therefore, I'd avoid prematurely replacing a furnace since that will be the most expensive option of all. And I'd also recommend against using contractors that are sending out fliers or knocking on doors to get business. The good ones don't have to look for work, they've got a waiting list for their services.


How to wire LED light to old wiring layout

That looks like standard UK wiring using older colours.

You should really go out and buy a voltage tester but you can make up a test lamp with a pendant lamp-holder and a low-wattage bulb.

The lamp holder can be obtained from many stores. Alternatively you probably have one somewher in your home or in a garage that you can temporarily borrow.

The lamp holder has a bayonet socket (or Edison-screw socket) at one end for the light-bulb and at the other end, under a screw-off cover, has two screw-terminals for wire connections.

Your wiring works like this, note that one of the black wires is a switched live. Connecting that to the other blacks will blow your fuse or trip your breaker when you turn the light on, so don't connect the blacks together yet.

Step one is to identify which cable comes from the consumer unit. We are only concerned with the black (neutral) wires.

find a light on the same circuit that turns on correctly (this is your safety test)
Turn off power to the relevant lighting circuit
Check that power is off (try turning on/off the light that worked and is definitely on the same circuit).
Number, mark or label the black wires so you can tell them apart
Attach one terminal of the bulb-holder to all of the red wires. If necessary you can use terminal blocks and short lengths of red wire.
Attach the other terminal of the test bulb to one of the black wires and leave the other black wires separate
turn on the power and see if the light is on, if so, that black wires goes to the main panel, mark it.
if necessary turn off power and repeat with other black wires until you worked out which one goes to the main panel.

Step two is to work out which of the other black wires is a switched live.

make sure all the light switches on the same circuit are turned off. This usually means all light switches on the same floor.
turn off power to the circuit
disconnect the bulb holder
connect one terminal of the bulb holder to the black wire that comes from the main panel (consumer unit).
connect the other terminal to one of the other two black wires
leave the other black wire separate
turn on power
if the light switch turns your test bulb on and off you have identified the black wire that is switched live from the switch loop, if so, mark it with red electricians tape.
if necessary try the other black wire but remember to turn off power before touching anything.

Finally connect the spare black wire to the black wire that comes from the main panel (consumer unit)

Before starting, I recommend you read the answers to

When doing electrical work, what do I use to check wires are safe?
Electric shock - was I stupid, unlucky, or a combination of both?
Wiring up a ceiling light with earth cable
How do you properly connect 3 x solid 2.5mm wires to a 4mm stranded wire?


Connecting a refrigerator water line - modifying the existing tubing

I would install a Ice maker outlet box in the wall. This makes a nice clean looking install that is flush with the wall and does not interfere with getting the fridge in place.
It is like a washing machine valve box but with just one 1/4 turn valve that will except the stainless steel braided line. The braided line screws onto the valve and then onto the tube in the back of your refrigerator.
There are few different kind of connection types available, Copper sweat, Pex crimp and push to connect.
You will need to transition from your 1/4 copper to whatever type connection the box is that you choose.


A shed it’s a mono pour is 1/2 of what you need. I have built cold rooms using simple Window AC units by modifying the sensors and adding several inches of insulation on each wall and the roof a shed cans be turned into a cool room even a light freezer

My largest one was in my last place and that one did hold and cool up to 3 elk. My current one is less than 1/2 the size but has a larger compressor and coil set to freeze in some shelves to freeze the meat after processing, but is still “ temporary.
Next season I will put up the inside 2 walls and ceiling and turn on the compressor again.

My first unit I think I used a 12kbtu window system and it was great but I no longer live there. I did use a kit to modify the ac unit even though I could have built up what I have now it was much cheaper and I had a window unit that worked.

I would look up cool rooms with window ac units or kits to turn a window unit into a cooler (it has been many years) but is legal because the electronics are all that are modified and it works.


Can my current electrical service support adding an electric water heater?

This can be done -- the subpanel still has load to spare, albeit only by an amp

Since you have a 100A service, I can use the simplified calculations from 220.84, which give you 3VA/ft^2 for the house, 1500VA per Small Appliance Branch Circuit (kitchen/laundry), and the fixed appliances at nameplate rating (it sounds like you have none though), as well as 100% of the nameplate rating of the A/Cs.

From here, we get:

1200ft^2 * 3VA/ft^2 = 3600VA for lighting and general receptacles
1500VA per appliance branch circuit (kitchen, laundry) * 4 (3 kitchen, 1 laundry) = 6000VA for appliance branch circuit loads
8kVA for the range, 1.2kVA for the DW, 1.5kVA for the microwave, and 5kVA for the dryer = 15.7kVA

Before the HVAC loads are taken into account, we apply a 40% demand factor to everything over the first 10kVA, giving us a total of 16.1kVA so far.

The HVAC is simple -- we are dealing with 3 11.5A (conservatively) A/Cs on 110V circuits, so that's another 3.8kVA at 100% demand factor, giving us 19.9kVA total load, or 82A on a 240V service.

Now, when we add the 4.5kVA water heater in, this is covered by the 40% demand factor as it's over the first 10kVA of non-HVAC load, so the resulting net load is 4.5kVA*40% = 1.8kVA, or another 7A on the service -- pushing your service to 89A, which is still manageable.

We then repeat this for the feeder to the subpanel, with the stove at 8kVA, the dryer at 5kVA, and the washer circuit at 1500VA, as well as a conservative assumption of 1440VA for the two rooms (180VA/outlet * 4 outlets per room * 2 rooms), to yield 12.4 kVA for the feeder load after applying the 40% demand factor.  With a 240VAC feeder, this gives us a 52A feeder load, which has just enough room to handle the additional factored load from the water heater (again, 1.8kVA or 7A) -- that is pushing the feeder to 59A though.


Install a water tank without losing main pressure

Your check valve is in the wrong place.

If you're going to do this, you should use three valves -- one to automatically fill the tank, one to maintain the water pressure in your house, and one to keep your water stash private.

Install a float valve to shut off the tank fill when the tank is full.

Install a check valve to prevent water from flowing from the house plumbing directly into the tank while allowing the tank to empty into the house plumbing (right side of diagram below).

Install another check valve to keep your tank from emptying back into the public water supply during power failures (left side of diagram below).

The combination of these three valves allows the tank to hold water at a much lower pressure than your public water supply, which is necessary to keep the tank from overflowing.


How can I mount a one gang box to a pipe?

This question brought to you by Home Depot and their lousy selection.

I do a ton of EMT conduit. Hanging EMT or junction boxes off pipes is completely routine.

Just from one page on Grainger:

If the pipe clamps are blind threaded, like two of these are, take care to select sizes that fit the existing holes in your junction boxes, typically 10-32 or 10-24 is safe, sometimes 1/4-20 will work.  And select machine screws short enough they don't bottom out and break the clamp.

Your friendly neighborhood electrical supply house will have some of these, and other options, in stock.

Don't use the hole in your junction box that is tapped 10-32, that is for a ground screw.

I  have also seen people drill and tap holes directly into steel poles, then then simply use machine screws to attach the box.  Obviously the pipe contains no fluid.


Is it ok to run 2 NM-B cables in 1 EMT protective conduit in an unfinished basement?

There is no Code requirement to pigtail the receptacle hot and neutral unless you are using a multiwire branch circuit. (A circuit with multiple hot wires) Even then, the requirement is that removal of the device cannot break the neutral so the neutral has to be pigtailed but not on a two wire circuit.

300.13 Mechanical and Electrical Continuity — Conductors.
(B) Device Removal. In multiwire branch circuits, the continuity of a grounded conductor shall not depend on device connections such as lampholders, receptacles, and so forth, where the removal of such devices would interrupt the continuity.

There is a Code requirement to ground the receptacle in such a way that it does not break the equipment ground. Either you can use self grounding receptacles or you can pigtail the ground.

250.148(B) Grounding Continuity. The arrangement of grounding connections shall be such that the disconnection or the removal of a receptacle, luminaire, or other device fed from the box does not interfere with or interrupt the grounding continuity.

Ok all that said, you don't need to ever have two cables in a conduit unless you plan to run two circuits. You cloud then conceivably have two cables protected by one conduit and with 12/2 that you would need for 'a 20 ampm circuit I wouldn't try that in anything smaller than 3/4" EMT.
Good luck and stay safe!


the aquastat is a brand name of water fired boiler controls.  As such it controls a [water] boiler... as opposed to a furnace which only heats air.

the control relies on a well or aquastat well which is a brass/copper thingamajig that is part of the temperature sensor which protrudes into the boiler to measure water temperature.  These get corroded and scaled up, insulating it from the hot water, causing what seems to be a problematic control unit (aquastat) and erratic behavior.

so to replace just the control unit and not the well, turn off electrical power to boiler and it's controls and replace just the electrical control unit.  It's mostly a DIY if your ok with working with 120VAC.  But there's a good chance any new control will act erractic because...

the problem is with the well, and the well needs to be replaced.  To replace the well because it protrudes into the water section of the boiler you will be shutting off any automatic fill then dealing with what water drains out of the boiler above the well fitting, then having to refill and purge out air.  After removing the well inspect it and determine if the boiler and hydronic system should be flushed with a cleaner.

you don't need an exact aquastat [boiler control] replacement.  There are better controls less expensive than that like a hydrostat 3250plus.

on any old boiler it's not smart to not replace the well if replacing the aquastat


Wiring guidance for a smart dimmer switch (Kasa HS220)

Yes, this is a classic switch loop.  Nothing unusual about it (except it's new to you of course, and a darned impediment).    Power (hot and neutral) from source into the lamp.  The switch loop wires do exactly what you found, and there (was) no reason for neutral to make the trek down to the switch.

As of 2011, switch loops are required to bring neutral, typically using a /3 cable (black red white).  Precisely to support smart switches.  It is exempt if it's easy to retrofit a /3 cable.

You cannot use this switch here, unless you go into the wall and pull down a /3 cable from the lamp.


How to install baseboard at the transition between floors with different height?

This can be a tough problem to work out in a situation like this. Particularly if you are trying to run the same type and size of molding from one floor area through to the other. What I have done in instances where the height changes are small is to simply trim the bottom of the molding so it fit into place over a distance such that the it slopes from one height to the other. If the slope is small and over enough of a distance it will never be noticed by anyone but you (unless you point it out to others :^) ).

Installing the sloped molding piece does impose some interesting work with making the miter cuts on the ends. It may also involve some planing and sanding of the molding surfaces at the joint to blend it around the corner. (BTW you will be a long way ahead with this type of "blend to fit" with real wooden baseboard. MDF or plastic foam type baseboard fails miserably when this is attempted).

I see that the existing darker colored floor has baseboard without any base shoe molding. You may want to consider the addition of base shoe molding in the new area because it can play an essential role of covering up what you have to do along the bottom of the baseboard to slope it from one height to the other across the transition zone. It is acceptable to bring the base shoe molding up through the transition zone and then just cut it back off at an angle at the end of its run.


That is a valid type of socket. See the APC manual for the BX-1400 MS.
However, I would be extremely careful plugging any US type B plugs into this UPS. As far as I can tell, this is a 230V UPS. The US type B (aka NEMA 5-15) is normally used for 120V devices. If your device comes with a type B plug and, like most but not all computers, monitors and laptop power bricks made in the past several years is rated for 100V - 240V (or similar) then this will work fine. However, if you have a device that requires 120V (or 100V - 125V) power, using it with this UPS is a very bad idea.
All that being said, if the socket on one UPS works correctly and on another it does not, take it back to the store.


Consider replacing that door catch with one of this style. It would be a lot less traumatic to the knuckles when you use the regular door knob.

Alternatively you could consider a change of the regular door knob to an exterior lever style unit. These have additional benefit in that they can be opened by means other then a free hand which can be useful when you come in with two bags of groceries.


What is normal flow coming from icemaker tubing?

It should come in a steady stream. Some refrigerator user manuals state "filling a cup of water in 10 seconds".

Typically it is recommended (or even stated) to use copper tubing and not plastic. I do not know if this has any real impact on flow, especially with just 10' away.


Options for adding an additional valve to irrigation system

It looks like you have some "wiggle room" - the existing valves could be pushed closer together, though it might require rebuilding the manifold (branches off the supply line).
My 7-zone system is indeed in a single rectangular box. For ease of identification, I would recommend (at least) labeling each zone valve and if at all possible, re-number from 1 to 8 consecutively to avoid future confusion.
For your zone 8 to point the other direction, you should either route it around after it exits the box or dig deeper and route it underneath the valves. The valve should be in-line with the rest of them. Use care not to exceed the maximum bend radius for your tubing and do not kink it.


different wiring in newly purchased ceiling fixture

When a light fixture has two wires of the same color it usually means that polarity isn't important. However, the ridges/ribs may indicate a neutral. Connect them to the black and white wiring accordingly.

Possible duplicate here.


Th MIP thread is PART of the faucet and not a separate unit you can remove?
https://www.plumbingsupply.com/aerator.html

MIP/FTP/NPT..... They make converters, and also Aerators with 1/2 IP threads.


A/C Air Handler Leaking Water Everywhere

The Tee was left open as a means of a clean out.

Start by using a shop-vac on that Tee and hold your finger over the other end, in the pump (you may have to get the pump out of the way).

Next, snake it out, going into the machine: (e.g., the brush that comes with an EZ-Trap; johnstonesupply.com)

Followed with another vacuuming. Ideally the first go sucks it out; you don't want to just push the clog inside. If it still leaks after all that, you may have a cracked pan.


How to mount short handrail with no studs?

A photo would help us narrow down possible solutions, but the bottom line is that you must have at least two solid anchor points. I find it hard to believe that you don't have studs at least on 24" centers. It could be that you're hitting the floor system, but that probably just means that you have solid backing in a horizontal orientation.

If you can't find additional backing, I'd run a flat hardwood 1x4 behind the handrail for the brackets to mount to. It can extend all the way to door trim or wherever is necessary to find backing. Now you have solid backing for your rail brackets.


I have two bath fans that are the inline style, 1 for each bathroom. one fan is 4" solid duct end to end, the more powerful uses a 6" solid duct end to end.
From the vent side in the bathroom ceiling, there is a butterfly damper that remains closed due to gravity and lifts up when the bath vent is turned on. On the exhaust side, the 4" bath fan has a plastic hooded exhaust cap, while the 6" duct has a plastic louvered cap.
I would say on very windy days, my 4" duct probably opens up, as I can hear my damper lift up and down sometimes.
I also recently installed a new dryer duct, 4" diameter, where I used a heavier gauge exhaust cap which is damper style, with magnets. This cap could probably work for a bath fan, as long as the fan is powerful enough to lift up the damper flap. I used this one.
I would try adding a damper inline and a beefier exhaust cap.