Is there a required spacing between where high and low voltage lines attach to a house?

Since there are slight differences depending on what type of communications systems we're talking about, we'll have to look at a few different sections.
NEC 2008
Article 800 Communications Circuits

800.44 Overhead Communications Wires and Cables.
(A) On Poles and In-Span.
(4) Clearance. Supply service drops of 0–750 volts running above and parallel to communications service drops shall have a minimum
separation of 300 mm (12 in.) at any point in the span, including the
point of and at their attachment to the building, provided the
non-grounded conductors are insulated and that a clearance of not less
than 1.0 m (40 in.) is maintained between the two services at the
pole.

Article 810 Radio and Television Equipment

810.13 Avoidance of Contacts with Conductors of Other Systems. Outdoor antennas and lead-in conductors from an antenna to a building
shall not cross over open conductors of electric light or power
circuits and shall be kept well away from all such circuits so as to
avoid the possibility of accidental contact. Where proximity to open
electric light or power service conductors of less than 250 volts
between conductors cannot be avoided, the installation shall be such
as to provide a clearance of at least 600 mm (2 ft). Where
practicable, antenna conductors shall be installed so as not to cross
under open electric light or power conductors.

Article 820 Community Antenna Television and Radio Distribution

820.44 Overhead Coaxial Cables.
(B) Lead-in Clearance. Lead-in or aerial-drop coaxial cables from a pole or other support, including the point of initial attachment to
a building or structure, shall be kept away from electric light,
power, Class 1, or non–power limited fire alarm circuit conductors so
as to avoid the possibility of accidental contact.
Exception: Where proximity to electric light, power, Class 1, or non–power-limited fire alarm circuit service conductors cannot be
avoided, the installation shall be such as to provide clearances of
not less than 300 mm (12 in.) from light, power, Class 1, or
non–power-limited fire alarm circuit service drops. The clearance
requirement shall apply at all points along the drop, and it shall
increase to 1.02 m (40 in.) at the pole.

Article 830 Network-Powered Broadband Communications Systems

830.44 Aerial Cables.
(C) Lead-in Clearance. Lead-in or aerial-drop network-powered broadband communications cables from a pole or other support,
including the point of initial attachment to a building or structure,
shall be kept away from electric light, power, Class 1, or
non–power-limited fire alarm circuit conductors so as to avoid the
possibility of accidental contact.
Exception: Where proximity to electric light, power, Class 1, or non–power-limited fire alarm circuit service conductors cannot be
avoided, the installation shall be such as to provide clearances of
not less than 300 mm (12 in.) from light, power, Class 1, or
non–power-limited fire alarm circuit service drops. The clearance
requirement shall apply to all points along the drop, and it shall
increase to 1.02 m (40 in.) at the pole.

tl;dr.
Telephone (Communication Systems)

12" (300 mm) at any point of the span.
12" (300 mm) at the point of attachment.
40" (1 m) at the service pole.

Antenna (Radio and Television Equipment)

Kept away if possible.
Should not cross over or under.
2' (600 mm) if proximity can't be avoided.

Cable (Community Antenna Television and Radio Distribution)

Kept away if possible.
12" (300 mm) if proximity can't be avoided.
40" (1.02 m) at the service pole.

Broadband (Network-Powered Broadband Communications Systems)

Kept away if possible.
12" (300 mm) if proximity can't be avoided.
40" (1.02 m) at the service pole.


What is the most efficient way to install my new outlets?

Conduit is allowed on the surface, most cable types would require protection.
You can run multiple circuits in one conduit, the NEC has derating requirements that generally limit you to 4 @240v circuits. 8 circuits is 16 current carriers, gets you 50% rating, which is problematic. It can be overcome with #10 wire on 20A circuits, but won't go down that rabbit trail unless asked.
If just straight 240v 20A circuits (without neutrals) the wires could fit 4 circuits of #12 wires in 1/2" conduit, but you will probably find it easier to push the wire through 3/4" conduits.
If you do run in just 2 conduits you would have box fill limits to consider. The calculation can be a bit confusing, but the minimum size box needed for the first receptacle location if you pull extra wires straight through, using grounding raceway, covers, and devices could be as small as 22.5 in³ (8 conductors, 2 for single device yoke, x 2.25 in³ for #12). Depending on cover used you might be able to get away with a 4²x 1.5" deep box, but you best be considering at least 2" deep, and then you probably could fit two devices per 4² box.
You could reduce conduit and box size after the first receptacle, but uniformity has appearance benefits without much sacrifice of space or cost.


Is my furnace limit switch tripping due to a flawed coil installation?

That looks like a crappy install the coils should be sealed tight to the air handler. It can be repaired with flashing and screws or pop rivets.
The reason your coils are running hot is the air is not forced through them this will have a huge affect on the efficiency and probably shorten the system life. I would get it sealed soon it can be done DIY just be carefull when drilling or screwing the flashing in place. I will usually use a bead of calking to seal the metal because air passing through a screwed flat piece of flashing without sealant can squeal quite loud, just a bead prior to screwing together makes a tight seal.


Why would I lose water pressure in my house for several months after running the outside faucets?

that when we use the water outside it pulls some of the water from the
  pipes in the house and puts bubbles in them.

I'm not quite seeing the bizarre method by which this would take a month to clear out, but I think I see at least part of the problem - probably something like a defective vacuum breaker on the exterior faucet is somehow doing exactly that - putting air in your pipes.

If that air remains trapped for some reason (weird configuration of the pipes) it could result in a situation where you have a section of pipe with a trapped air bubble and a little bit of water running in it. This is not particularly common, in my experience - normally air in the pipes comes very noisily out the faucet the first time you turn it on - but to get your symptoms I have to speculate that somehow it stays trapped, and then over the course of a month of using the water with lousy water pressure, it's gradually dissolving the air into the water and carrying it out of the pipe, until finally the bubble is gone and you get normal pressure.

Mind you, it's also bizarre enough that it could be some other thing, but this would fit the air bubbles heard and the month-long recovery. And it may well mean that there is something else wrong for it to be able to happen in the first place, but I can't quite picture what that might be.

You might try removing an aerator on one of your faucets (reduces the restriction there, will let the water run faster) to see if that will help "burp" the air out faster. i.e., you'd see & hear bubbles coming out of the faucet if it was working - don't just leave it off for a month - if it doesn't work in a few minutes, it's not going to help.


Sounds like you have a ground fault. Remove the bulb and disconnect the wiring from the GFCI. Measure the resistance between all of the wires. It should be infinite (open circuit). Any other value indicates a fault between the wires.


Loose wire caused significant blackening in plug. How much do I need to inspect/replace?

L5 is rare in residential.  L5 and hardwiring would increase cost to maintain the dishwasher or disposal down the line.

I would trim the cord like you're thinking, and replace the outlet too.  But I'd say you should install a GFCI there instead of hard wiring it, and here's why:

The dishwasher and disposal both are obviously going to be in contact with a lot of water which (if they break) could leak current to ground through your plumbing (bad bad bad).

It's handy to be able to unplug these things in a pinch, and it's nice to have a second outlet there in case you need to plug in a power tool or a charger or something later.

Unless you would have to move the dishwasher to reach the outlet, replace that L5 with a GFCI.


Can I use 12awg ground from main panel to subpanel?

Conduit is your friend
You indicated these are THHN wires in liquid tight conduit. The bad news is that you can't just use a green ground as a neutral or hot, or use a white neutral wire as a hot. There are certain situations with cables where you can use a white as a hot or switched hot, but that is not the case in conduit.
There are only a few colors that matter in the US, and they definitely matter here:

White or gray = neutral
Green = ground
Black, red, blue, yellow, orange, etc. - basically everything else = hot

The good news is that you can run new wires as needed - that's the bonus of having conduit. For a proper subpanel, you should have 2 hots + neutral + ground. Ground and neutral separate from each other (remove the bonding screw if there is one and put neutral and ground on separate bars).
We can't guess what size conduit you have and, therefore, how many or what type of wires you can run through it. But assuming your 3 x 12 and 2 x 10 were installed correctly previously (i.e., not a problem with conduit fill), you should be able to remove the 3 x 12 and add 2 x 10 wires. Since you already have black and green, add a red and a white. That will give you a pretty standard:

Black = Hot
Red = Hot
White = Neutral
Green = Ground

Wire them all up to your 30A subpanel and you will have 30A x 240V or 60A x 120V (or some combination of 120V and 240V, depending on your needs). The 30A breaker in the house needs to be a double-breaker, not just 2 random breakers in the panel, so that you have the breakers on different legs so that you have 240V and so that you have common shutoff. Your 30A subpanel can actually have a larger breaker inside it as the breaker there is just a shutoff switch and not to protect the 10 AWG wires as the breaker in the house takes care of that.


What type of screws and rawl plugs should I use?

3 feet high, 2 feet wide. Can't weigh more than 30-40 pounds, and that's on the high side. I personally think you can get away with one good anchor. Once you go to 2, you want to have them dead level with each other, or you'll have to battle the alignment monster.

Get a 1/4 lag bolt shield and a 1 3/4" long lag bolt, get the proper sized masonry drill bit (it will be specified on the packaging) and make sure that you account for the depth of the plaster when you drill. Probably should drill a total of 1 5/8ths deep from the surface of the wall. Then tap the shield in as far as you can get it and tighten the lag down. Just leave a small gap between the plaster and the bolt head when you tighten it. Then hang the string right in that gap. That should be good up to about a hundred pounds WITH safety factor applied. Failure point is about 200 I believe, over 4x what I'm assuming the weight is.

I just realized you're metric. I don't know enough about metric lag bolts and thread sizes to convert what I've said, but perhaps you can get the gist of it.


How should I wire a switch/outlet combo to a split outlet if the feed is at the split outlet?

That description is OK, but you really only need to run 2-wire with ground romex up to the switch, not 3-wire. Split the hot side of the outlet as described. Use a wire nut to pigtail a short piece of wire from your source hot to the terminal of the receptacle that you want "always on" and also connect to the new black wire from the romex running to your switch. Connect the other end of your new black wire to one terminal of your new switch.

Remember, the switch just "makes" or "breaks" the hot.

Connect the new white wire from the romex to the other side of the switch. Permanently mark the white wire at the switch box with red or black permanent marker to identify it as a "switched hot". Connect the other end of the white wire from the romex to the hot terminal of the receptacle that you want switched (for the disposer). Permanently mark the white wire at the receptacle with red or black permanent marker to identify it as a "switched hot". Connect the source neutral to the receptacle and ground everything.


Double gang box. One switched, three hot. Is a shared neutral OK?

Sounds like you've got it.

Neutral feeder comes into the box, and pigtails out to each receptacle (silver colored screw) and a neutral to the switch (if required by 2014 code).
Hot feeder comes into the box, and pigtails to each receptacle (brass colored screw) and a hot to the switch.
Switched hot comes into the box, and connects to one of the receptacle terminals.
The bonding jumper on the receptacle with two hot feeds is broken.
All grounding conductors are properly connected.


tandem breakers with shared neutral please

Tandem breakers in the photo sharing a neutral is a code violation! But may not have been when installed. A quad or double tandem is the only one that can share a breaker if handle tied as the quad breaker bridges 2 poles.
With your current setup the neutral is not doubled as is common because at least the circuits were split, but they are not handle tied. And this has been code for a while.
My jurisdiction has required handle ties for ~20 years. I think the NEC has only required them for ~8 years so if your home is older there is nothing unsafe with the install with regard to overloading the neutral.
The issue with your configuration is if you turn off the top breaker to work on that circuit and the bottom circuit has a load you can get shocked from the neutral.
So you don’t have a fire hazard as is common with tandems but they don’t meet current code because of the lack of handle ties.
I do not know if there are ties for duplex to turn them into quads I have only done the center pair not the outer pair but I know quads are sold just not sure about a quad 15 with ties.


Precautions necessary when removing toilet and sink for extended period of time?

If you remove the P-Trap (the S shaped pipe) from the drain of the sink, then yes, you need to plug that pipe up as well.

The toilet drain has no trap - the toilet itself is the trap, and so it will need to be plugged regardless.

For the drain to the sink, its often easiest to simply affix a permanent cap on the drain pipe and then cut that off when ready to work again, but you need enough of a drain pipe to be able to cut a few inches off later and still work.

For the toilet, you can pick up a toilet drain plug which you can insert into the toilet drain and tighten to form a seal.


Any pitfalls to shutting off house water supply while working?

In general, there's no problem using the main valve. However, if the sink valves are stuck, you might find that the main is also in poor repair.  If the main is old and rarely used, you might find that's it's stuck or will become stuck once closed.

If the main valve is a gate/globe valve, and it looks old and cruddy. You might want to consider replacing that valve as well.  I'd recommend replacing it with a ball valve.


Have ceiling damage in daughter’s college condo shower area..can I fix?

I think your plan is fine, assuming there isn't a persistent plumbing issue. I'd gently brush and scrape away just the loose material, striving to retain as much texture as possible. If it gets smooth, dab on some spackle or joint compound to replicate the texture, then prime and paint.

Recognize that your paint probably won't match the existing very well, so keep it small and feather it in.


yes - these are elements of the truss system which holds up your roof. Usually, any 2x4 you find in an attic is safe to step on - except for small pieces uses to mount vent pipes.


Drywall regularly cracks / chips where nails and screws are, I don't know of any health hazards and filling voids with "mud" or joint compound is a normal process for sheetrock repair. I have been doing this for 40+ years. The only problems I have heard of were some had caustic ingredients that etched copper pipe the suppliers were from China after Hurricane Katrina? But other than that I know of no problems, yes you should use a dust mask when cutting and sanding but other than this if there was a problem you would be seeing tv advertisements constantly like the ones now showing up for roundup weed killer and asbestos although both are devastating very rare and in the US and sheetrock has been the prominent wall covering for 6 + decades.


Many building codes require at least 1/300 of the attic area in free openings for ventilation when cross ventilated, which it sounds like you have. If not cross ventilated, you need 1/150 of the area. Be sure your soffit vents are not obstructed by insulation. If the ridge and soffit vents meet this requirement without the gable ends, you might consider closing off the gable ends.

My guess is they were put there for a reason and you will not have adequate free area without them. I don't think you get extra credit for turbine vents though they can move more air because they don't move much air in still conditions. You should avoid mechanical ventilation if at all possible IMO.


Repairing Basement Wall Framing After Subpanel install notched to 75%

There is no place in the code book that I can recall that requires 12" centers for a bearing wall. You can move over the studs to a 16" center, rather than making a header. If you choose to. The drywall will make it a little tough to do that...


What options do I have for replacing this sillcock?

You can put a shutoff in the yellow area if there's nothing ELSE feeding off the hidden part of the waterline. If there was a shutoff above the ceiling it should have an access panel, but code violations are a dime a dozen with things like this.

Given the "handle-fall-off" situation I'd suggest overcoming whatever fear of drywall repair may be holding you back and opening up the ceiling to replace the sillcock with a frost-free unit, though I am also of the "and put an inside shutoff on there anyway" camp. Most houses are constructed such that drywall repair is a given for any plumbing or electrical work to get done, so it's a good thing to learn.

However, if you want to check if it's frost free first, and see if you can fix the handle, shut off the water at the main, and unscrew the entire valve-cap-nut assembly to remove the valve from the sillcock - if it's 2" long, it's not frost free - if it's 10-12" long, it presumably is. Then you get to have fun trying whatever you haven't tried yet, and perhaps some things you have, to hold the handle on - thread-locking compound or the like.


Can I remove the bottom wall plate once a new header beam is installed?

If there's no wall there need be no plate. It should remain under any trimmer studs supporting the header, of course. Cutting it out flush with the rough opening is standard practice.


I doubt that you damaged the fixture. You probably loosened it from the electrical box it's attached to. Usually the bulbs can be changed without removing the fixture from the wall. Turn the light off (because it gets very hot) and try to push up the fixture and rotate it in the opposite direction to correct what you did before. Get a ladder, not a chair, and get up there close so you can see what's going on up there and where the bulbs are.


What could be eating or removing the insulation in my garage door?

Carpenter ants, they did the same in my insulated (Styrofoam) garage door. They attacked one door but not the second. I stopped them with Sevin dust but it needed a couple months. I just sprinkled it on the floor where the door touched ( because it is "flea powder" it is very low risk to pets.)


Do I need a rain\snow cover on this furnace vent?

I have the same setup, and this appears to be the industry standard for high efficiency gas furnaces.

What I have done is take a piece of plastic screen, and hose clamped it over the end due to a couple of 5 year old hooligans that run around my back yard and find such outlets very attractive for the experimental dropping of pebbles and other small items.

WARNING -- There is a danger here of the screen condensing and freezing, thus blocking the exhaust.  You should remove it in winter time.  If your local five-year-old hooligans cannot be kept away in the winter, then check it often for freezing in extreme cold conditions.


Alternatives to circular saw for cutting 2x6 wood?

Buy a handsaw like this 13-20 dollars. Will cut straight not fast and it will strengthen and tone your arm muscles.


They are referred to as "Nail on Glides" at my local hardware store. They can be found near the other hardware like the hinges, locks, and door stops.


Cosmetic fix for installing decking board when not parallel to house?

Look like I found my own answer here: trex.com/trex/groups/content/documents/document/trex_004114.pdf as basically you could have 2.5 overhang and you can screw from bottom up at 45 degree angle. Interesting! If you the deck is totally not parallel and has more than 3 inches offset. I imagine the easy way to fix would be to "double" the trim joists with another joist that has spacer at one end?


How do I secure a toilet bowl to a tile floor?

If tightening the bolts on the toilet doesn't work, you may have a cracked flange underneath the toilet. You don't mention how much it moves but if it's a lot, I would recommend pulling up the toilet (make sure to plug the sewer hole with a towel!) and making sure everything still looks okay underneath, including the flange and wax seal. A badly rocking toilet can lead to a leaky wax seal. If nothing is broken try to determine if the floor is just sloped or something that can be fixed with a shim or something to level out the floor.

If the toilet isn't moving that much, you can slide a metal or plastic shim underneath from the outside.

Just be aware that a lot of plumbers consider a rocking toilet to be a precursor to a leaking toilet so if it's been rocking for awhile you might want to take a look underneath just to be safe.


How do I remove plastic shelf brackets that have broken off in the hole?

Plastic plug in a hole, I've always found drilling into it with a bit slightly smaller and stopping the drill, then pulling it straight out works dandy. If not, it gives to a place to try using a screw (and a nailpuller on the screw if it's REALLY stubborn) more easily. Then look for metal replacement brackets in the correct size for your bookshelf so it does not happen again.


How many "zones" should my underfloor heating system have?

Usually 3 zones is plenty for a single story structure of this size. In this case I think your contractor has given you good advice.  The distribution is to like living areas which is good. Obviously, more zones allow more flexibility and control, but the costs of equipment and labor rise as more zones are added.


Hand tools for cutting glued boards to size?

I;ve used the rough cut then router many times. works great.


How can I increase the heating efficiency of a forced air system?

Look for cold spots in your home. A room that tends to stay cold, despite your attempts to keep it warm is a signal of trouble. A nice tool for all such problems is the hand-held thermal sensor you can now buy, like this Black and Decker Thermal leak detector. Just aim it at a spot on a wall, ceiling, etc., and click the button. It gives you the temperature. Now move the sensing spot around, and look for cold spots. This can tell you if you have missing insulation in a wall cavity, or a spot of cold air entry into your home. Use this to decide to add weather stripping to a window or door for example, or to inject foam insulation into a deficient wall cavity, or simply to help you balance warm air flow through your heating system.


Yes indeedy - it's called a plumbing chase, and quite common. Toss in some conduits as well as the pipes and it will also help with your network/cable wiring.


Structurally required? I-beam support under stair opening header

2x8s aren't adequate for floor joists by modern standards, let alone for beams (even doubled). Someone probably added the steel beam and post due to floor bounce or sag. My former home had something nearly identical underneath where a fireplace was added.

I'd either leave it in place or bolster the doubled 2x8s that are along the duct with additional support in other ways:

Add another beam underneath them.
Replace them with a 3-1/2" laminated beam of the appropriate height (consult an engineer).
Add a post to halve the span. This would require adequate footing structure, of course.


I would start with the vent. Make sure that no wasps/hornets or birds have attempted to build a nest in it. Note I say 'attempted' because the gas being vented will either kill or drive off the pests. I found bumblebees in my vent 30' up from ground level.


What are my options for transitions between Linoleum and tile?

You could use an aluminum transition strip from the vinyl to the tile. Some types of transition strips are really intended to be installed under the higher tile layer so this may limit your ability to hide fasteners that secure the strip in place. Here are some examples:

...

You can normally find an assortment of different styles of aluminum transition strips at hardware stores and big box home centers.


Tile parquet is coming off the concrete surface

First the flooring is fine as long as it isn't warped.

To me there seems to be three main install issues:

You do not have enough gapping around the perimeter of your install.
If you are going to glue these down on concrete they would almost assuredly need some space between them - might use 1/32 spacers.
The glue dries to brittle.  Doubt this glue was meant to be used for wood to concrete - you are lucky you used the wrong glue as it let the squares pop up clean, relatively.

So your floor buckled.  This is due to:

is this flooring meant to be installed on concrete?  What does the manufacturer's info say?
has your house had wide swings in humidity?  This will cause the wood to expand, especially next to cool concrete.
have you had a lot of rain?  The concrete will keep moisture without revealing water but this water will escape up.
did you let the flooring sit out for 3-4 weeks before installing?

What it comes down to is that this flooring is probably not a good solution for your situation.  It could have been a humidity swing but you shouldn't be required to keep your house like a climate controlled wine room to keep your flooring from buckling that much.  This is a solid 9 out of 10 on the buckling range.   Expect that if you glue the squares down again, even with a little gapping added, you will probably get buckling in the future.  At the very least you are probably going to need to introduce a vapor barrier and subfloor to install a glue down.  I don't think I have ever seen glue down wood to concrete other than large apartment buildings.

My guess is that you and the previous owners are very lucky the install lasted that long and probably have been keeping house at normal ranges.  In my area we see this all the time, and it is buckled just like yours but not usually as bad.


Why exactly is WD-40 not a true lubricant?

WD-40 is composed of many different chemicals, and only about 10-20% of these are lubricants.  Even then this small amount is only a very light mineral lubricant.  Most of the other components are intended to help penetration, but are volatile and are intended to evaporate.

WD-40 does provide some longer term lubrication, but the problem is that the volatile components will dissolve and displace whatever lubricant already existed (e.g. grease), and then the majority of the WD-40 will evaporate.  So really it should not be used on anything that requires propper lubrication (or at least, a proper lubricant should be added again some time after using WD)


2" inlet water softeners aren't commonly available, so they'll probably be expensive. Install a 1.25" or 1.5" inlet water softener and you'll be fine for a typical 3 story 6-8 person household.


When are energy/water consumption specs important in regards to the price?

You have to look at the assumptions they make when determining the annual energy and water consumption. It could be 2 loads of laundry a week, or it could be 2 a day. Without knowing that, you don't know if you do more or less than their assumption, and thus whether you'd use more or less energy / water each year.

For example, in the US, Energy Star washers have a label which indicates (or similar):

  • Estimated operating cost based on six wash loads a week and a national average
   electricity cost of 12 cents per kWh and natural gas cost of $1.09 per therm

So, it makes it very easy to compare the calculated annual energy cost to your expected energy cost, as you can calculate the energy usage per load. You can do the same with water usage.

If you can't find information about the assumptions made, you could use the one given by Energy Star above as a starting point. For example, I pay 10 cents per kWh of electricity and 80 cents per hundred gallons of water. Total difference in operating costs is less than $4 / year, which means it'd take about 40 years for me to break even on the more expensive but more efficient one (148 euros ~ $175).

Even using the washer 10 times as much as what Energy Star considers average (6 loads per week), it'd still take me about 4 years to break even. And, if I'm doing 60 loads of laundry a week, I better get a bigger washer. So, in this case, there is no practical difference in running costs. If you had one washer using 200 kWh per year and another using 500 kWh per year, or if you pay a lot more for electricity / water, then you'd have a more significant difference.


How to tie a rope to both sides without loosing its grip strength?

There are several variants of hitches that allow tightening after they are tied.  The most common is the taut-line hitch.

Wikipedia [citing more authoritative sources]


What is the silver on the end of copper wire?

It's solder - it allows you to easily solder to the cable (if you needed to)

It's a very soft metal coating, a screw will make perfectly good contact through it.


How to troubleshoot a leak in an Aprilaire humidifier?

I can't quite tell whether you're seeing normal operation and mistaking it as a problem or if there's actually a problem. The white crumbly stuff is scale, also called mineral deposits. It is calcium and other minerals that are dissolved in drinking water.
I've drawn a line on the photo below to illustrate the path water should travel. It flows from the valve into the distribution tray at the top, trickles down through the evaporator pad, then collects in the tray at the bottom and exits through the drain hose. It's normal that the water that enters the humidifier will not all be evaporated - in other words, that some water will drain off when the humidifier operates. The amount of drainage will depend on how much the humidifier operates. If the indoor humidity is already close to the humidistat setting then the humidifier won't operate much and there will be little drainage.

The drain port at the bottom of the humidifier pad assembly should be inserted into the fitting at the bottom of the housing so that excess water goes through the drain hose. The humidifier pad assembly should sit fairly close to level and plumb in the housing so that the collection tray won't overflow. The water supply should be adjusted high enough that there's some drainage coming off the humidifier, but low enough to avoid overflowing the collection tray.
Based on the update of the question it sounds like water, as it trickles down the panel, jumps the gap to the plastic frame. A drip then forms and runs down the exterior of the frame, missing the intended drainage path.
The shim is a good idea. It seems reasonable to leave that in place and call it a fix. An alternative might be to modify the water panel. Maybe by crushing it down a bit on or near the edge you can make the gap from panel to frame large enough that rivulets of water flowing down the panel can't jump the gap.


How do I fix gutter nails that are coming out?

If the nails are loose and pull out easily, just pounding them back in won't help much.

The best way to fix any kind of nail/screw hole where the screw or nail won't grip any more is like this:

Remove the screw/nail.
Take some toothpicks and dip them in wood glue (e.g. tightbond).
Stuff as many toothpicks into the hole as you can, snapping them off flush with the hole.
Put the nail/screw back in (while the glue is still wet).

I find myself doing this most for loose door hinges, but it works for pretty much anything.  Once the glue dries, the result is better than new.


Considerations for making a 4-5 cm hole in a steel counter top?

You can use this type of bit. First drill a pilot hole of 3/5mm before using this.

Found over here

or this - but its more difficult - It says for wood but you can use them for soft steel as well but you need to constantly lubricate (lots!! dont be shy) the bit/surface to keep it cool using WD40 lubrication oil and drill at a slow speed. This is more dirtier and the edge can be rubbish.

Then you can mount something like this

These can be found at furniture shops/ swimming pool shops/ hardware stores.. you will need to find the one you need and possibly DIY it slightly.


What can I do to reduce cold infiltration by a direct-vent gas fire place?

It is very important to ensure all infiltration paths a sealed off and adjacent walls and floor are properly insulated. Even a hairline crack in the doors can cause enough infiltration to lower temperatures in the area, though no actual moving air can be detected.

Even so, the fact that outside air can freely circulate in the combustion chamber will also be a heat sink, lowering temperatures in the area. More sophisticated devices similar to this utilize automatic dampers that interlock with the fuel supply. These are located on the exhaust flue, and sometimes on the combustion air inlet as well. I don't know if retrofitting such devices is possible on typical residential fireplaces. Such a project must be done very carefully to ensure complete safety. Failure of the system can result in carbon monoxide poisoning, so multiple fail safe measures are called for. Such measures are beyond the abilities of nearly all DIY practitioners. Only fully qualified professionals should perform this sort of work.

Even more so, though flue dampers prevent cold air from freely circulating, they are typically thin sheets of metal with poorly sealed edges, so the fire box will still be fairly cold, albeit much less so.


What can I do to prevent possible gradual erosion on this small slope

If the pavers were installed properly--and it looks like they were--the edge banding should be staked into the ground much deeper than 6". So, structurally, I think there is nothing to worry about.

Now, aesthetically, it does seem a little wonky. But we can't see the larger picture here.

That said, if you are worried about a bit of erosion over time, I'd suggest removing the mulch up to the pavers and plant grass there. The grass will help stop any erosion over that small of a slope.


How big of a Battery Backup or powerwall do i need to power 3 medical devices

The first rule of off-grid power is

Conservation first.

The second rule of off-grid power is

Conservation first.

You do not, do not, do not, under any circumstances, use an inefficient old piece of junk just because you already have it.  Nor do you spec and acquire new equipment without thinking hard about efficiency and practicality of battery power.

As an example, suppose you have a server you want on a long term battery backup.  You're using an old gaming PC with dual Radeon 980s and an 850 watt power supply (so 1200 watts practical).  Do you a) install $12,000 of battery and charging apparatus, or b) buy a Mac Mini for $1200 that draws 40 watts, and fit $400 of battery and charging apparatus?  $12,000 vs. $1600. Tough call.

But this is just the kind of blunder that people stumble into when they are new to the idea of battery backup/off-grid power.

So this is a frame challenge.  Stop wasting your money and our time trying to power the equipment you've got.  It's way cheaper to replace with efficient equipment than to power your old stuff.

The third rule of off-grid power is

Inverters suck. Get DC versions of things.

The best way to power equipment is straight off the battery.  This avoids power conversion which is extremely inefficient, forcing you to triple or even quadruple battery/charging. *

I happen to know many CPAPs are produced which use 12 volts natively.  They might plug into the wall, but it's via a "power brick" or "wall wart" power supply which turns mains voltage into 12 volts for the machine's actual use.    And by the way, 180 watts is a ludicrous amount of power for a CPAP.  There is something wrong with that spec - it may be the spec rating of the DC power brick.

Sometimes you cannot avoid running an inverter.  In that case, you manually spin up the inverter only while you are actively powering a thing that needs it.  That is the way to handle the oxygen pump if you can't get a DC version.  So in that case you do need to account for inverter losses, but only when the unit is running.

We're not a shopping site, least of all for medical equipment, so I leave it to you to do your research.

* "But surely inverters are more efficient than that!" Not when your loads are cycled off, they're not. You have a 200W load that cycles 10% of the time, like a fridge.  At that load the inverter is 80% efficient, so for 1 hour, it takes 250 watt-hours.  The other 9 hours the inverter draws 60 watts standby, or 540 watt-hours.  That's 790 watt-hours when you only actually use 200.  That's 25% efficiency where I come from.  That's why inverters suck.


How to fake this concrete effect with paint?

You can use a natural sponge to make concrete like shadings.  Use a light touch and dab the sponge.  Turn the sponge often so you don't get a regular pattern. Practice first on some cardboard. You can start with either your darker shade or the lighter, see which you like the best. Go back over what you have done with a dry brush or rag to soften your work while it is still wet. Remember acrylic paint dries fast and darker.


Effective alternative to water-resistant barrier behind siding?

The short answer is that there isn't an alternative that will yield an acceptable degree of effectiveness.  Vinyl siding is not intended to create a moisture barrier, and attempting to create a moisture barrier with it could potentially exacerbate the problem by trapping water underneath it.  This is almost always specified in the installation instructions (and almost always required by code). For example, in from the CertainTeed Vinyl Siding Installation Guide (my emphasis):

  Vinyl siding is an exterior cladding; it is not a complete weather
  resistant barrier. Before applying siding, make certain the substrate
  is watertight. In order to be protected from precipitation, the
  substrate may need to be properly flashed around areas such as
  windows, doors, other openings and corners so as to shed water  to the
  exterior. See page 45 for proper flashing around windows.  The siding
  alone is not meant to be a watertight barrier.

Caulking only the J-channel is also not sufficient to prevent water infiltration. If you examine vinyl siding closly you'll notice that the bottoms of most siding pieces have drain holes, and runs longer 16` (depending on the manufactured length) will have unsealed lap joints.

If you seal all of these openings, you will likely still have issues. Vinyl siding is designed to allow air to move behind it to allow moisture out from between the vapor barrier and the siding.  Sealing it enough that it forms a water barrier would create a moisture trap behind it that could potentially be as bad as not sealing it.

Finally, vinyl siding is hung fairly loose because it expands and contracts quite a bit.  This means that you can either seal it well enough that the seals won't break due to expansion (which will make it buckle and warp) or allow expansion and contraction (which will break your seals and provide areas for water ingress).

Any "solution" is basically just going to mask the underlying problem or make it worse.  I'd say at this point it's a matter of weighing the long term consequences of not fixing the issue (mold, insects, rot, structural failure) with the short term costs.


What's going on with this lightswitch (two wires to bottom connect, not connected on top)

The electrical "loop" from switch to switch is actually common when the black wire (on a white neutral wiring setup) is used to power several switches in a box (lights, fan).

It prevents connecting each one separately via a marette (pressure wire connector).  Some will argue that it's a better way to connect them since there is no risk that any wire is badly seated in the marrete.

It's also much easier to replace switches individually this way.


Based upon your description and comments, I am going to guess that the trouble lies with your septic system not draining (or barely draining).

If you are new to septic systems, there is a lot of useful information online about the theory of operation and the different models commonly in use.

Regarding the "pump the tank again in 2 years" advice, that is boilerplate advice from a septic pumping company and it says nothing about the condition of your system, other than the tech servicing it thought it was working.  With a properly functioning conventional system and 2 people living in a 3-4 bedroom home, provided no one flushes a garbage disposal or anything nasty down the drain, the pumping interval can often be extended to 5 years.

On the other hand, if your drain field is mostly plugged then you will begin having trouble about 1 month after it is pumped, since that is roughly the time it takes for the empty tank to fill.  A failed drain field will not necessarily cause water to pond near the surface.  For example, one such failure occurs when more than just clear effluent leaves the tank into the drain field.  After awhile, that condition looks like this:

If the drain field pipes look like this then there will not be visible wetness and the sewage is going to go the only other place it can --back into the house.


Look for the junction of brown wires and attach your C wire to that

On the wiring diagram for your furnace, the brown wires are all C wires, and they come together at a junction that should be somewhere near where the mains wires come in.  Connect your C wire (which can be any unused wire in the thermostat cable) to that junction, perhaps with a length of extension wire (brown stranded #14 THHN/AWM will do the trick), and you'll be good to go.


How can I soundproof a grille in a wall?

Soundproofing and ventilation are not compatible.  The louvers could be blocked/unblocked at will with a rectangular piece foam rubber that is several inches (10cm or so), for example from an old sofa cushion.

Insert it when you want privacy is desired. Take it down, or pull it back otherwise.  You may find that you don't notice any difference in air quality inside the room, and end up leaving it in place all the time.  Or you may find that the louvers allow heat into the room in the winter.

Cut it to size + a couple centimeters.  If cut too big, it may bow away from the louvers.  If too small, it may not have enough friction against the walls to keep it in place.

Larger cities have stores dedicated to selling foam rubber or different dimensions and densities.

Thick foam rubber is also available from repair shops that re-upholster furniture.

Looks like people are selling foam rubber on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=foam+rubber

Per @longneck's comment, foam rubber can be purchased at craft and sewing stores.

A sufficiently thick pick can be built by laminating together thinner pieces, say 3 or 4 layers of 1", using double stick tape for example.


I have two roof drains, can I seal one of them?

You have a redundant roof drain. If one of them were to fail (clog) the other would (hopefully) continue to allow water to drain from the roof. If you were to cap one of them And the only drain were to become clogged water would accumulate on your roof to possibly it failed (or found a new route to the inside).

as for it leaking: it would be easiest to open an access to the drain piping inside the roof. Start were you said the water is wetting the ceiling and cut out a opening (14x14) to allow you to inspect and/or repair the pipe. The pipe, if it is original from the 1930's (geez, hmm) I believe would be 2-4" threaded galvanized? Maybe 2" cast? It may even be large diameter copper pipe. What ever the pipe material replace any rotted or rusted sections with ABS of comparable diameter. Join the new to old with rubber repair sleeves that tighten with hose clamps.


Drywall tape required for patch to small hole?

A hole that size should be taped to prevent cracking. You don't need to use tape though. Another method uses the patch piece of drywall's paper:

Square the opening to be patched.
Cut a pice of drywall about 4" x 4" larger then the hole.
Score the back side of the patch piece of drywall along lines 1 & 2, about 2" in from the end.
Place the drywall face down on a table, lining up the score line with the edge of the table and snap it along the line.
Repeat steps 3 & 4 for score lines 3 & 4.
Peal the outer edges of the drywall off leaving just the front paper so that your pice looks like fig 2.
Place the patch pice over the hole and mud.


How to wire a smart thermostat with dual Transformer system? R , Rc, W , Y , G. No C wire. No Jumper

You have a two-transformer system most likely
From the way your existing thermostat is wired, you most likely indeed have a two-transformer system.  This means that you will need a 3rd gen Nest, since the Nest E dropped two-transformer support, and the 2020 edition Nest supports the same physical connections as the Nest E.


Why does my blower fan sound like a yeti?

If the blower fan assembly turns freely when when it is removed from the forced air unit then there must be either something that is adjacent to where the blower mounts that has gotten in there. When the blower is out check very carefully for anything that may be in there. Maybe there is a flap, piece of insulation or even a dead animal that got into that area.

From the description given it was not fully clear, but it sounds like the blower fan is directly mounted to the motor shaft as opposed to there being some type of drive belt assembly between the blower and the motor. It is possible that there may be an internal failure inside the motor that is causing the problem. Normally you would be able to detect that when manually turing the motor - but not always. If there is a separation between the two then you would need to check both ends of the unit - motor and blower - plus the belt.


What's a "hi hat"? Is that like a can light (i.e. a light installed in a can flush behind ceiling drywall)?

Anyway: stuff, whether smoke or otherwise, shouldn't be blowing from any lights. One hopes that it's not actually smoke, and I would work harder to confirm that it's not. Check the entire fireplace flue and any spaces it traverses in the house and make sure it's sealed and far enough from any combustible material.

That done and having ruled out actual combustion products being pulled through the lights, it's still possible your fireplace is drawing from the house, pulling air through the gaps around the lights, and dust or other material (e.g. cellulose insulation) with it. You should make sure that the fireplace has an adequate air supply while operating, e.g. opening a window nearby a little so it can pull air.

A roaring fire will draw a lot of air. That air has to come from somewhere, so if you don't accommodate it and ensure the air comes from some place that's reasonable, it will be pulled from places that aren't reasonable. :)

I would be remiss to not acknowledge the suggestion in this comment:

  Are you sure it's not just a bit of smoke coming out of the front of the fireplace, and then becoming visible as it is highlighted by the can lights?

I've taken your statement at face value, and that the substance is in fact coming from the lights. But of course, it's worth double-checking that assessment before pursuing other possibilities.

And note that if it does turn out that the smoke is in fact coming directly from the fireplace, that suggests that the fireplace is not drawing air properly. Possibly the flue just hasn't been opened, or maybe there's some kind of restriction. Ironically, one of the things you should check in that case is the same as I've suggested above for a completely different possibility, and that's simply to make sure you have adequate air supply to accommodate the fireplace's draft.

For a more specific answer, you should edit your question so that it includes detailed, in-focus photos of the light fixtures in question, the fireplace itself, any venting associated with the fireplace (including the flue if possible), and if possible, the phenomena you're asking about itself. More specifics about the actual installation of the fireplace would be useful too: does it vent to a chimney, a flue pipe, a chimney with a liner, etc.? Is there any heat-exchanger or dedicated air source?

The more details you can provide, the better an answer you can get. Right now, it's not possible to suggest anything except very broad generalities.


How should I run stripped cable through conduits?

There are (at least) two problems with this, and the solution to both is to change to THWN (or another wet-rated labeled conductor) when you change to conduit.

Problem one is that stripped NM is not labeled and not acceptable per code for that reason, as @Speedy Petey said.

The second is that you are running to an external location, which means that the conduit is by code defined to be a wet environment, and even with the sheath on, NM is not rated for wet locations, but you need a wire that is rated for wet locations.


Replace electrical panel without a main disconnect

I'm sure you know this, but you definitely want to replace any Federal Pacific breakers in your house, as they're known to not trip, overheat, and/or catch fire! You might give the box a close inspection, my in-laws house has a Federal Pacific panel and the main panel instead of having a main disconnect breaker at the top of the panel, it has them in the rows to the side among the regular breakers, and the only way you know they're the main disconnect is the breakers are 100A each and they're marked "main" but they're the same size as the other breakers. Yours might be hiding in there as well. I'm not sure in Canada, but here in the US, unless local codes are different, if you've got a main disconnect that's separate from the rest of the panel, you can do your own work on the panel, but you can't touch the main disconnect, whereas if it's all part of the same panel, the power company won't pull the meter or otherwise disconnect it unless it's requested by a licensed electrician, and then it either has to be worked on by an electrician, or at least inspected and done up to code before they will turn the power back on. Running into this issue right now at my house, it has the original 1954 fuse panel with glass fuses and it's going to be $2500 to have it replaced!


How do I identify the hot, neutral wires in a light fixture?

go get an LED voltage detector.  They're less than about $20 US, and it'll light up when it gets near the hot.  And won't light up near the neutral...


Can this drain pipe be moved back closer to the exterior wall

With the wider perspective and builder's drawing it is looking like your original assumptions are correct--the vent was intended to be in a wall parallel to the foundation. This is unfortunate, since moving it outward would require that the toilet stub also be moved. It needs to be centered 12" from the finished wall behind it. The tub drain is also in the wrong spot if you're putting in a full 60" tub.
So yes, if you wish to maximize room size, you'll need to open the floor. Unless there's some weird surprise under the slab, like an oversized footing, this shouldn't be a problem.
I'm not sure it's worth the effort, though. You probably want your wall in front of the upper horizontal run of pipe so you don't have to deal with working around that. This means you're ~4" from the vent at the floor anyway. It looks like your basement is wide open otherwise, so that 4" in a bathroom probably isn't consequential.


A true two-part epoxy will be the most durable option, yet the priciest. The active mixing agent, causes the coat of paint to dry extremely hard and durable. Valspar offers a great product that is available in a variety of colors. Valspar also has a clear epoxy coat to add extra protection to the floor coating and adds a glossy shine.

Valspar Garage Floor Coating

A cheaper route, and lesser in quality is using Seal-Krete's Concrete & Garage Floor Paint. It is labeled as an epoxy, but it is not a true epoxy since there is no mixing agent. However, the paint does dry hard for protection. Seal-Krete also offers
Clear-Seal for a clear topcoat.

Seal-Krete Concrete & Garage Floor Paint

Either choice requires proper surface preparation. The concrete should be cleaned, etched and dry of moisture. Both Valspar and Seal-Krete sell concrete surface prep solutuions.


References to calculate lumber size and span for flat roof?

To calculate the maximum span of roof joists you first add up the Dead Load (weight of joists, roofing material, etc.) to Live Load (weight of snow) to determine the Total Load.
Your Dead Load is

roofing, which is going to be from 1 lbs. per square foot (psf) up to 3 psf, depending on the type of roofing.
roof sheathing is going to be from 1 1/2 psf up to 2 psf depending on the thickness, which depends on the spacing between the joists.
joists are from 2 psf for 2x6’s 12” on center, or 1 psf for 2x6’s 24” on center up to 3 psf for 2x8’s at 12” on center.
ceiling material, if any.

I’d guess your Total Load is about 7 psf, because you have no Live Load. Then you can use a joist calculator like this one:
https://www.awc.org/codes-standards/calculators-software/spancalc
You’ll notice that the span calculator only goes down to 10 psf Live Load. This is okay for your situation because you may hang lights, hanging flower pots, etc.
So, your total load will be about 17 psf. Then try various sizes and spans until you get one you like.
If you use 16” on center, don’t forget to convert your load from psf to 16” on center by multiplying 1.33 to your psf load. (So, 17 plf becomes about 23 lbs. per linear foot on your 2x6 joist. )


If you reduce a 8" duct to 6" just before a register boot, does it produce more force through the opening?

A lot if things will happen because fluid dynamics is complicated.

If you reduce the opening of one register, you increase the resistance of the whole system.  This increases the pressure of the whole system and reduces the volume of the whole system.

At the individual registers:
The increased pressure in the whole system will cause more volume to flow out of all of the other registers (than was flowing before), because their resistance hasn't changed.

The increased resistance of the register you reduced will decrease the volume coming out of that one, but, the velocity (which is maybe what you meant by force?) will be higher, because of the higher pressure (Bernoulli's equation).

The actual degree of these effects will also depend on the system fan - as most HVAC system blowers have a very shallow pressure/volume curve (and sometimes even positive slope, yikes!), you will likely see only a very small increase in pressure and a more significant loss in volume.  Nevertheless, the general relations I said above should hold.  Unless you somehow push the blower into some unstable region (positive pressure/volume slope), then bad things will happen.

Always be careful naively applying the surface area relation in the cases.  Going from 8" to 6" will reduce the surface area from 50 square inches to 28 square inches.  Naively you could guess that this would reduce the volume to 28/50, a 44% reduction, or that it would increase the velocity by 50/28, a 78% increase, but when you consider the system, and the fan, you see that it does neither and both of these.  It will decrease the volume, but by less than 44%, and it will increase the velocity, but by less than 78% (far less, in practice).

Also note that the degree to which these things happen will depend on exactly how you reduce from 8" to 6".  A flat plate with high losses will make your volume loss closer to 44% and velocity increase closer to 0%, whereas a carefully designed nozzle with minimal losses will get much more velocity with less volume loss (keeping in mind that a nozzle, after all, is a device designed to convert pressure to velocity as efficiently as possible).


Door lock and unlock based on authorized user proximity

A Bluetooth solution (where the smartphone acts as the key) may be the way to go for you.

You can check out this page, which has a lot of options, although I must make a disclaimer that I have never done this type of thing.


How should I handle moisture/insulation as I finish my basement?

I live just north of Pittsburgh, Pa. and this is what I did to finish my basement. After my house was built I waited 2 years to finish the walls. I tapped plastic to random spots on the walls to see if moisture was coming through the concrete block. When I was sure it was safe to finish the walls I coated all below ground wall areas with a Drylock material. My walls were insulated with 1 inch T&G styrofoam against the block with the seams taped with 2 inch "suretape" brand  tape used with duct work. The  area was studded with 2X4's, fiberglass insulation, drywall and painted. No leakage of any type. This worked for me. Make sure that you add enough supply and return registers to this area and if you have A/C make sure that the supply registers have dampers that you can close in the summer. (cold air falls to the lowest levels) Basements are usually the coldest areas in the house to heat during the cold months. I also run a dehumidifier in the summer to control indoor humidity and run the furnace fan on a low speed 24/7. The basement has been dry and comfortable for 18 years and counting. Hope this helps.


Persistent sewage smell coming from basement drain

You are correct that floor drains do need to be monitored and occasionally the trap refilled with water.

So the first thing to check is that your floor drain actually has a trap. The way to do that is to slowly pour water in to the drain. You should notice the water level rise and stay there. If the water disappears quickly then it's likely you don't have a trap.

Provided that the drain does have a trap, the next thing to figure out is why the trap is emptying so quickly. A common cause is something wrong with your vent stack. Problems can range from a blockage, to an improperly vented drain elsewhere, to no venting at all.

A good way to test your vent stack is to flush each toilet one at a time. Enlist a helper and keep an eye on the water in the trap. If one toilet causes the water in the trap to move significantly or drain completely, you have found your problem fixture or vent stack. Fixing this could be as simple as running a garden hose up to your roof and down that vent stack to clear the blockage.

If climbing on the roof is not for you, then a standard house-call charge from a plumber will likely fix it, and that's not usually too expensive.

But if a fixture is incorrectly plumbed or inadequately vented, that can get pricey.


How to raise a wooden floor above a basement (old porch floor) 8 - 10" to the same height as the adjoining room

What you’re talking about in this case is technically a ledger attached to the studs. I presume you’re going to need to pass an inspection, and in any case you want the floor to do its job, which means there are calculations to be done to determine how much load each stud ends up holding. Not all screws are appropriate for a job like this. The article I reference just below talks about Simpson Strong-Drive SDWS timber screws, and provides some computations as well. The screws have to have high sheer strength so they won’t break off, and you don’t want them to rust out and fail in the future. Here is an interesting page on the subject:
https://www.jlconline.com/how-to/framing/attaching-a-ledger-to-studs_o
Classic time-tested construction is post and beam. The posts are set on a foundation, and the beams sit on top of the posts (or a rim joist and the ends of the floor joists sit on top of a foundation). Basically, everything is stacked so that load is transferred straight down in a vertical column to the foundation. Gravity does all of the work. Fasteners like nails and screws (or holes and dowels) keep things aligned vertically so that nothing slips sideways and gravity keeps the structure up instead of pulling it down.
But in this case, you would obviously have to either build a parallel foundation to support the floor (a hard expensive job) or hang the floor off of existing structure. There is a good chance that attaching a ledger with the right fasteners and using joist hangers is legal where you live. It can definitely be strong enough if done correctly.
Remove the sheetrock high enough to attach the ledger in direct contact with the studs. You can leave the sheetrock in place higher on the wall.
Make sure you measure twice before attaching the ledger so that your subfloor and flooring don’t end up 1/2” higher or lower than your kitchen floor.
Run your joists across the shorter distance. This does at least two things. First, you can use narrower joists because each one carries a smaller load over a shorter span. Second, each of the studs that the ledger is attached to will carry a smaller load, because the load will be distributed across more studs down the longer wall(s).
Use metal joist hangers attached to the ledger with appropriate (high sheer strength) nails or screws (typically nails).
If you’re using dimensional lumber for your joists they might differ very slightly in width from one to the next. This can make your floor uneven. In that case use hangers with a flat face that do not hook over the top of the ledger. That way you can adjust the hangers individually so that the tops of the joists are exactly even with the top of the ledger.
If a joist has any bow to it, set it so that it arches up instead of dipping down. But get them as straight as possible. Lumber can twist and warp if it’s cut from relatively young, green trees and cut into boards before the wood has dried sufficiently.
Better yet, buy engineered joists. They’ll be identical in width and won’t have any bow to them.


Is it required to use AFCI/GFCI breaker when replacing subpanel?

It really depends what you're starting with, and what else is part of the scope of work.
If the scope of work is "replace subpanel" for a good reason, e.g. to get more spaces, dangerous (Zinsco), or obsolete (Pushmatic)... that does not trigger a requirement to upgrade breakers to AFCI or GFCI.  So you can simply stay with the same breaker types as you have now.
If it's part of something bigger, like a renovation, then you may be required to update to current-Code breakers for those circuits that are part of the renovation.


There is always going to be a grout line as long as the void is filled and it dosent look bad compared to the width of the other grout lines it will be fine once sealed.


A "swag" or hanging cord suspended from hooks is one approach to this problem. Special cordage that is "dressier" than standard cord is available to make it look better, but it's either a look you hate or one you can live with (perhaps, for a few, it's a look you love?) Seems like it's been out of fashion a long time, but was more popular once.


Are dishwasher overfill protection floats adjustable?

The float is likely not adjustable.  However, the diswasher has leveling feet and an excellent first step is to use them. Then clean the float area and all the folds and cracks of the rubber door seal.


What would cause a well pump to suddenly be louder when operating?

Turns out the pump was shot. 37 year old pump.. And the reason it died? Well screen was all plugged up, and the pump was pumping dry. Lots of $$ later, and I have a new well pump, and a new well screen. Was definitely out of the DIY range.


Water Expansion Tank precharged at 25psi. House pressure at 70

If it is a "bladder tank" that is, it has a balloon inside to contain the air needed for pressure, do not add any more air to it. when the tank fills with water, the balloon will reduce in size since it is not at the same pressure as the water entering the tank. After the same amount of air is compressed in the balloon/bladder, the pressure will increase to match the incoming pressure. This aids in the cycling of the water pump. Either too much or too little air will increase the amount of times the pump runs to maintain pressure, making the system work harder.


That back cover on your watch is a press fit into the main frame of the watch body.

The typical way these are removed is to place a sharp blade along the side groove where the cover meets the body. Most times the cover actually hangs over the body some toward the outside and placing pressure on the sharp blade will start to make the cover pull up from the body a small amount. Continued work around the perimeter will eventually get enough of a space between the cover and the body that you can get a small flat blade screw driver in the space to twist and get the cover fully free.

Reassembly is a process of just pressing the cover back in place. You want to make sure to squeeze it into place evenly all the way around so it goes in straight. If the cover is cocked off at an angle it could bind in the body and not seat all the way in.


Could sound insulation around copper pipes cause condensation?

No.

Insulation does not, by itself, cause condensation.

Insulation (in conjunction with other factors) prevents condensation.


Is there a typical layout to blocking installed for backing in new construction framing?

The information I have seen is that the ADA recommendations for grab bars in bath and shower are placement 33" to 36" above the floor of the shower or tub. So the expected height of the shower floor or tub must be added when placing blocking during framing.

Be sure the blocking is in the plane of the studs so it does not interfere with drywall placement. And if the blocking would be placed behind the plane of the drywall so that there was an air gap between the drywall and the blocking then subsequent installation of grab bars on a tiled finished wall could bend or crack tiles.

(I had a case like that and where I was careful to gingerly tighten the screws holding the grab bars when installing them in a tiled shower. There was an air gap of several millimeters between the backside of the cement board and the blocking. This came about because the bathroom had been renovated down to the studs and although blocking was installed in the plane of the studs, the cement board was less than 1/2" in thickness and shimming was subsequently placed on the studs but not on the blocking.)

It might be wise to use kiln dried lumber K-D 2x8" for tub/shower blocking to avoid problems from warping.

EDIT
Blocking for towel bars might be considered overkill, but in our house the original towel bars loosened and pulled out. What an irritation! I then used a certain type of 24" grab bar for towel bars and screwed them into studs (ours 24" OC). This limits placement.


Glue underlayment to concrete: how long does it take to cure?

On its website it says 8-10 hours.  However it is not for the application you used it for.  It is for gluing wood to things.  Not for gluing foam/felt/whatever to concrete.  Your underlayment has basically formed a bubble underneath.  The wood glue needs a lot of air to dry - hence wood glue there will usually be a lot of air available.  Now that the outside have dried quicker of course, now the inside is in the trapped little bubble with no chance at getting good air.  It will eventually dry but this depends on the material and how dense/thick the concrete is.  Also you may want to just remove and use the right glue - which will probably last longer - but that is up to you.  This could take 2-5 days to dry and since the glue was made for wood it may not bond right.


How can I remotely monitor a GFCI receptacle?

There are GFCI outlets that have indicator LEDs on them, like this one:

If you put this in the living space, then connect the sump receptacle (a normal, non-GFCI receptacle) to the "load" side of this outlet, it will also be protected. If it trips, the light will be out and you'll know it.

To make it more obvious, you could plug a nightlight into this outlet.

Even better, plug in an "emergency rechargeable flashlight": the kind that plug into the wall, but turn on automatically when you unplug them or the power goes out.

This would more readily draw attention: if the light is on, there is a problem.


"Tomato cage" plastic connections -- Design idea

Typically a wire product like this would be electro-welded together.

Your set of criteria is going to be next to impossible to achieve. You envision something that has the properties of a fully welded structure but desire it to be a pile of loose parts.

I believe that your best goal would be to make each level of your gadget an electro-welded assembly that is self sufficient from a structural standpoint. The design should be such that these pieces are able to stack together. At each interface between the levels there would be adjacent horizontal rings that are part of the lower stacked element and the next stacked unit. You could then have the user/installer then tie these rings together using nylon zip-ties of an appropriate size. Dis-assembly is as simple as cutting these ties with a diagonal cutter.

Cross sectional detail of one side. White dots are electro welds.


First, you're dealing with low-voltage wiring. There's no real risk of shock or fire. For that reason you can do as you like.

The only real risk is of a short, which could potentially damage circuitry or just waste power. However, I'm guessing that the power supply for this circuit was at the furnace, or there's a battery in the controller. Since you've removed the furnace unit, check for a battery and remove it, then carry on.


You are going to have to do some experimenting. Remove the plugs and start running some water, flushing toilets, etc., and observe which way the water's running. If this is multi-family, there could be separate drains for each unit. If you have a building plan it might show up on it. There's not much else we can do from here.


What is this lamp base wire clip and how do I remove the wire without breaking the clip?

That is a Heyco bushing. You need to squeeze, preferably with a needle-nose pliers, in what I would call a top-to-bottom position considering the orientation of how it is installed.

If you squeeze just right it will come out no problem and will not damage the cord.

Here is a decent video explanation:
http://youtu.be/G1IWQB3mQrw

Here is the manufacturer's guide:
http://www.heyco.com/img/SR_Assembly_Guide.pdf

Rest assured, it CAN be done with a regular pliers if you're careful. I've done it a million times.

Also, keep in mind, to replace a socket you really should not have to remove that bushing if the cord is in good shape.


Can not work out what material the interior of my walls are made of

It's drywall, also called sheet rock, and it is very typical. It is made of gypsum with a thin paper layer on each side. It is applied directly to the studs with nails or screws. The sheet size is typically 4'x8' which is a size that can fit both 16" oc and 24" oc stud spacing. Longer sheets are available at 10' and 12' The seems are covered with mud and tape.

It is relatively strong and can support normal household level loads such as shelving. There are a large verity of anchors that can be used to attach items to it. They vary in how much load they can hold, how big a hole it makes, and how it is in stalled. My favorite is the self driving screw-in type.


Can I use a heat gun or hair dryer to remove plastic from my steel door

You do not mention what kind of plastic this is or how it is adhered to the door - but since you said peel it off...

Don't use a heat gun - it will melt the plastic.

If the plastic is glued on to the door

Use something like this to dissolve the glue :


Radiators no longer heating up after cold weather

I assume that this heating system is hot water and not steam since you said that you bled the rads. That said, when the boiler is working and most of the rads are hot, try bleeding the ones that are cold. If water comes out of the bleed valve then there is enough pressure in the system. If not raise the pressure. At that point, the problem is probably water flow. You could have bad thermostatic valves, frozen or plugged lines, a bad circulating pump or something else. Try this and let us know the results.


How to make a toilet seat hinge more stiff?

If you're open to buying a new toilet seat you can find seats with stiff hinges such as this:

EZ Close seat

Random example, never used above product...

With little kids in the house, I've picked up a few of these type of seat from a local home store.  They are marketed as "Slam free", "slow close", "quiet close" and similar.  The hinge provides enough resistance so the seat will eventually slide to the close position, but it will not slam or start to fall by itself.

This might not be the cheapest answer, but my seats were due for replacement anyway, so it was a good option for me.


What materials and spacing should I use for ceiling joists/strapping in this conversion?

I'm assuming since this question is over a year old you've probably found the help you need, but i'm here so here's my answer.

The framing should be a consistent 16 inches from center to center of each board, if your rafters don't allow for this sort of layout the MAX i'd suggest would be about 18-20 inches, any more than that and you'll run the risk of the drywall sagging. Make sure to run a perimeter strap all the way around to secure the outside edge of the drywall as well as give a place for any trim or molding to attach to. Another tip I'd suggest is to use a chalk box to line your rafter framing and drive a longer screw through all layers for added security. As for the insulation avenue, spray foaming will do a nice job however there's a lot of risks if done improperly. Inside and outside temps MUST BE over 65 degrees, any colder and the foam WILL NOT CURE properly and off gas indefinitely causing  very substantial health risks. If you spray it yourself make sure to rent an outside air respirator and full faced mask, fumes are no joke, they'll beat you up in a hurry, and unfortunately most manufacturers imply on the product that a dust mask and eye wear are sufficient, but its no where close. I'd suggest rock wool, slightly cheaper per square foot, a comparable r value, plus the added bonus of being able to dry out if ever dampened (foam traps moisture)

Save yourself the back ache and rent the drywall lift, most home improvement centers and building supply company have them available you need only ask, the prices are usually very reasonable however if you've ever hung 5/8 rock over head before, even one piece, you'll know the price is very worth it!!

hope this helps and happy building!!


Need Help removing Mailbox (Architectural Mailbox 7500) from post

Those are pop rivets.  They are not for removing.

The product would have been sold with those permanent fasteners already installed.  The mailbox was installed on the post after those were attached, therefore they cannot be important to removing the mailbox from the post.

You can remove them if you really want to by drilling them out, however this will prove to be a waste of time.

Have you looked inside the mailbox proper?  Sometimes screws hide there.


What should I do to this basement closet so I can put clothes in it?

Since you don't mention the problem elsewhere in the basement you can probably solve it with increased ventilation in the closet. You can start by leaving the door open to see if it helps. If you see improvement install some louvers to help circulate some air. You can add a small 4 inch fan to help move more air. If the exposed water pipes are not insulated condensation may be forming on the pipes adding moisture to the air. If opening the closet doesn't help you have two options decrease the humidity or raise the temperature. I spent some time in a tropical area. The closets had a socket for a light bulb typically a 60 watt bulb. With the door shut and the light on the temperature  increases.This allows the air to retain more moisture so mildew won't form. Not the greenest solution though. Another option is a dehumidier either a conventional electric unit or the calcium cloride filled pan depending on how seasonal the problem is.


Why would water be coming out of my shower when I turn on the bathroom sink?

Any single handle/single spout faucet in effect connects the cold and hot water lines.  That's part of your answer.  You'll have to do more experimenting with the tub controls and both hot and cold water supplies.

Low pressure itself is not the cause, but low pressure could lead to flow reversal when a tap is open.


Electrical Wiring - New Circuits (Added pics)

Yes you can use a 2p breaker for individual circuits (the neutrals must remain separate), and you can daisy chain wire connectors in order to connect all grounds.


Replacing Bath Fan Switch with Timer Switch

First, let's label these cables:
Please confirm that this is correct:

Incoming power
Travelers to 2nd 3-way switch
Always on - receptacles? lights in other rooms?
Either incoming power to 3-way switched lights or switched hot to 3-way switched lights
Fan

Note that if this diagram is correct, the power and neutral for the 3-way switched recessed lights is separate from everything else. That is perfectly fine, but you need to keep it separate.
Replacing the fan switch
"Top"/"Bottom"/"Left"/"Right" are to be ignored when it comes to old switch vs. new switch because each manufacturer (and even each model within a manufacturer) does things differently. In your particular case, the new timer/switch has colored wires so that makes it easy:

Black wire on top of old switch is hot. This connects to hot/black on the new switch.
Black wire on bottom of old switch is switched hot. This wire, black from cable 5, connects to load/red on the new switch.
White wire on new switch should be connected together with the 3 white wires that you show near cable 5 - connected to 1, 3 and 5.
Ground/green should be connected together with all other grounds. Typically you will have a bare ground wire coming out of each cable if these are typical NM (aka Romex) cables. If you do not see any bare wires and it is a metal box and the wires are coming through metal conduit (which may be hard to tell unless you have some other part of the wall open) then the ground is the metal conduit. If that's the case, you can connect the timer/switch ground/green wire to the metal box using an appropriate screw.


It sounds like the existing 2x4’s are 24” oc and span 13’. (The truss has nothing to do with the existing ceiling or future floor of attic.)

Yes, the existing 2x4’s can barely carry the existing ceiling material.

To create an attic floor, I’d add 2x6’s at 24” oc spanning 13’ to support about 25 - 30 lbs. per square foot, depending on the species and grade of lumber. (This is good for Christmas decorations, luggage, etc.)

For more support, I’d add 2x8’s 24” oc spanning 13’ to support about 40 - 45 lbs. per square foot. (This will support books, people, etc.)

I doubt the existing walls will need to be modified, if they are bearing walls now.


Why circulator on heatpump Armstrong S-25 BF Cast Iron In-Line Pump, 1/12 hp breaks every year?

One possibility (and it's just that - a possibility, a guess, not definitive) is that your system leaks, and makeup water is being constantly introduced by an automatic fill valve.

The problem with that is that new water comes with oxygen dissolved in it, and oxygen rusts cast iron. So if your pump plugs up with rust, and fails, that might be your cause - as you have not provided any information on the symptoms of failure or state of the failed pumps, it remains a guess. If the failures are normally at the start of heating season, that's another clue in this direction - lots of time for the pump to rust while not spinning all summer.

If that is the case, a stainless steel pump might be the solution to your problem, though another solution would be to stop the leaks.

Systems with cast iron pumps and no leaks just rust out the oxygen that's in the initial fill water, and then rust no more, as there's no more oxygen.


Convert two switches to a dual stack, and add outlet - possible here?

First, a cautionary note:

I don't know if there is any code regarding "disposal switch next to light switch". Obviously you have that right now. But two smaller switches is even more "a bit close for comfort". Personally, I am used to the only switch right near a sink being for the disposal. I would be concerned that having two switches next to each other could result in accidental use of the disposal, which can be a bit dangerous to objects that have fallen into the drain.

It all depends on what is currently in the box. There are basically two ways a switch can be wired:

Panel -> Switch -> Switched Device

In this scenario, you have hot & neutral coming in to the box containing the switch. Hot connects to the switch. Neutral connects to neutral going to the device. The other side of the switch is Switched Hot going to the device.

Panel -> Switched Device -> Switch - a.k.a., Switch Loop

In this scenario, you have hot & neutral go to the box containing the switched device. Neutral connects directly to the device. Hot connects to another wire which goes to the switch. The wire coming back from the switch (Switched Hot) connects to the device.

The problem is that a switch loop doesn't, traditionally, include a neutral wire. You need both hot & neutral to power an unswitched device and also for powering many smart switches, timers, dimmers, motion sensors, etc. The NEC now requires neutral in switch every switch box, but older installations are exempt and there are several exceptions for various reasons as well (generally where it would be easy to add a neutral later).

The switch on the right looks very clearly like a switch loop. Two wires coming in, black & white. So you almost certainly can't grab power from there.

However, the switch on the left appears to have additional white wires, presumably neutral, in the back. The "brown wires" are likely to actually be black (though any color other than white, grey or green can be used as hot). So it looks like you have hot/neutral in, hot connected to switch, neutral patched through to disposal, switched hot to disposal. If that's the case then you can:

Replace the 2 single switches with a double switch. But you must make 100% certain that the switch has 2 independent hot connections. If there is a jumper to share the hot connection, then that must be removed.
Connect the switch loop wires on the right to one of the new switches.
Determine which of the black wires is hot and which is switched hot. Connect the switched hot to the new switch. Add two short wires (pigtail) to the hot wire. One goes to the new switch and one goes to the receptacle.
If my hunch is correct (verify before you start this process), the whites in the back should be wire nutted together. Add a pigtail for the receptacle to the existing bundle. As noted by Harper, there is a complication here. With the clearer picture, we can see that the neutral is NOT two wires from two cables nutted together. Instead it is a single wire straight through in conduit to the disposal. You can't break it to pigtail a wire for the new receptacle because that would not provide the extra several inches needed on each wire to make proper (and legal) connections. You need to run a new neutral from this box to the disposal and then nut together that new wire the existing neutral wire coming in from the panel and a pigtail to the new receptacle. See Harper's answer for excruciating (but important) details.
The receptacle MUST be GFCI unless the circuit is protected upstream by another GFCI receptacle or a GFCI breaker.


It's called a structured media enclosure and it does actually look decent. Granted, it's only half-assembled -- the second half of the project is the part that costs $$. If you wanted to hire a pro you'd be looking for an audio-video integrator - somebody that does home theaters and home automation systems. A contractor who does network cabling in commercial offices could do it well too. Either way, though, these pros usually work on systems far bigger and more expensive than what you have here.
The UTP network/phone cable are easy to deal with. They're most likely to be CAT5e or CAT6; check the jacket of the cables for marks that indicate the type. Every manufacturer of enclosures also offers a line of patch panels designed to fit. You can, of course, choose some other patch panel that suits you and devise your own mounting scheme. The blue and white cables down the right side look like they're all UTP and could be terminated to patch panels like these. You could then use short patch cables from the panel to your WiFi router or Ethernet switch. Following is an example of one made by Leviton with photo credit to BIoT Canada. Making one look like this is definitely art and it's not inexpensive.

The coax cables are a little more difficult. There are patch panels available for these too, but coax patch cables are annoying and coax cables have to be interconnected with a gadget called a splitter.
If you aren't interested in the nuance of splitting coax signals skip this paragraph.. A splitter literally divides the incoming electrical energy among its output ports. A 1-to-4 splitter sends one quarter of the energy to each of the outputs; a 1-to-8 splitter sends one eighth to each output. Depending on the signal source (the signal's strength, actually -- whether it comes from cable TV service versus over-the-air broadcast antenna, for example) it becomes increasingly necessary to also add an amplifier ("signal booster") with higher-count splits. Also, because of electrical signal quality issues, it can be important to use a "terminator" cap on unused ports. This applies whether the port at the splitter is unused, or a cable is attached but doesn't have any equipment (TV or tuner box) actually connected to it.
If a splitter or amplifier is used and the coax is also involved in a broadband Internet service then it's important to choose devices that are designed for bidirectional use so the messages from the cable modem can get back out to the cable provider.
So, for the coax, I vote to put F connectors on the ends of the cables actually in use and connect those directly to a splitter that has just enough ports. Leave the rest of the coax cables bundled neatly, maybe terminate them all just for possible future convenience, but don't bother with a patch panel or fully connecting every one of the cables to a splitter.


Troubleshooting why 3 Garage outlets have stopped working: GFCI

The National Electric Code, these days, says garage receptacles are supposed to be protected by GFCI [NEC 210.8 (A)(2)]. That could be a GFCI outlet that is in the garage, or it could be a GFCI breaker in the panel. Anyway, if code was followed, that is. The branch circuit supplying the outlet in the garage is not supposed to supply outlets outside of the garage [NEC 210.52(G)(1)], but who knows, your garage could be tied to a GFCI outlet in another part of the house. Not very likely, but possibly. First, I would try checking to see if there is a GFCI receptacle in the garage. If there is, then make sure that it is reset. If it is a new GFCI outlet, then it may have something called Smart Lock, which means that you have to go back to the panel and turn the branch circuit off for about a minute, then turn it back on, then go out and reset the GFCI. My best guess, is that your problem has to do with a GFCI device that has tripped. It may be an outdoor receptacle that is causing this, even though there is not supposed to be outlets on that same branch circuit that are outside the garage.


No, it's you. "Fairly clean" doesn't avoid foot greases. Actually, the real problem is carpet, it catches & holds EVERYTHING...if floors could talk.

Including you & mold & allergens & viruses & enormous amounts of bacteria if it isn't literally shampooed semi-annually.

The likes of Wood floors, Tile, Finished concrete & Vinyl flooring harbor almost nothing & can easily be sanitized or even sterilized compared to rugs & carpets.


It seems you will need a threaded coupler, female-female fitting.
You will thread it onto the male fitting and that will leave you a female fitting for a standard shower arm.
Take the old removed arm to the store so you can match the threads.


How to connect two 2x4 to 4x4 post base?

I'd normally use whatever material the beam is compose of. In this case, you probably have some treated lumber scraps. There you go.


Advice on estimating load and wiring a small cabin

The added up size of the breakers is not equal to (generally it's much greater than) the actual load.
There are code guidelines, or you can look at what's expected to be powered and what its actual amp draw is.
Tankless electric water heaters are foolishness, and the huge amperage requirement is one reason why (the lack of power savings is the other main one.)
Also you are apparently in 120V/240V land and don't realize that 2 20A loads on opposite phases at 120V are the same as one 20A load at 240V. That alone gets you down to 175A on your current list.
You also need a minimum of 2 20A circuits for kitchen outlets, and it's generally advisable to have at least one other circuit (15A is normally plenty) for the refrigerator and nothing else.
For a start, look at the actual running amps of your mini-split, .vs. its 40A breaker size. If you insist on the tankless foolishness, it's actual amp draw .vs. breaker size will matter as well, but it won't spare you much in that case. FWIW, that's one HECK of a breaker for a minisplit on a 288 sf cabin - I'm doing 1000 well insulated square feet with one that asks for 15 and uses maybe half of that.


How do I shut off the power, so I can install a USB enabled electricity socket?

Yes flipping the switch will turn the power off. You will still want to double check at the outlet with a voltage tester.

The objects to the left are fuses and are color coded to the amperage which you can also see embossed on the front (red is 30 amps; blue is 15 amps and I can't read the white one). If one blows then you will probably want to replace the entire panel for one with resetable fuses as I don't think you'll be able to find replacements easily anymore. It's also possible that a previous owner added a bypass wire at the back of a blown fuse. This is not something you want to keep in place.

Remember that the power to everything will be cut including lights and your fridge; freezer and computer. If anything can't handle a sudden power outage well then shut it down before cutting the power.

If you have appliances with an induction motor (like a pump or a blower) then the current may spike when you turn the power back on and blow a fuse. If you have several then disconnect them and after you turn the power back on reconnect them one by one.


How should I wire toe kick lighting for bathroom vanity?

There's not a standard for this.

What I would do is:

Install a receptacle hidden inside the cabinet (depending on cabinet style, this could also be installed in the wall if there's no back on the cabinet, or you cut a hole)
Install a switch on the wall, that controls the receptacle
Install a second junction box in the cabinet for the low-voltage connection, and run a lamp wire (or similar low-voltage wire) from that down underneath the cabinet to the toe kick (leave it coming out of the top of the toekick to be connected to the LED strip.
Plug in a transformer to the receptacle, and make the connection to the wire inside the second low-voltage junction box.

You could skip the junction box for low-voltage, but then you'd have to deal with the transformer being connected during construction, and think about how the transformer could be replaced if it ever broke (without having to tear out the cabinets).

The receptacle would also have to be GFCI-protected: so either it is a GFCI receptacle, or it is powered from the load side of another GFCI already in the bathroom. If you do this using an upstream GFCI, you could also run a 14/3 and wire the receptacle as split (so you have both constant and switched power).


satellite water heater or recirculating pump?

I moved to a house in rural area with propane heat and hot water. Another propane water tank is expensive. And because of higher electricity rates an electric hot water tank would also be a poor choice. The place came with a Grundfos recirc unit (25 watts) which is piped to pump outlet water into hot water tank inlet.
It draws water from a run of tubing attached to a far bathroom hot water feed under a vanity.

The pump is actually very quiet, and they can be adjusted to shut off during low usage periods to reduce energy cost. They can also be set to run based on the recirc temperature at the pump inlet, useful on weekends when you have visitors. It sits on side of tank, about the size of a 3 inch pipe about 6 inches long.
The one in my place has an old style mechanical timer and is hard to figure out, and needs re-adjustment after a power failure.

It is rated at 25 watts, and can supply 3 gpm max, but only under ideal low height between the pump connection at main hot water tank and the height of the recirc connection. Maximum is stated at only 4 feet. It would not be my choice to buy. It costs around $300 Can. and I could choose my own other parts required for less.

The pony hot water tank would likely be the same initial cost as the recirc option. You would need a 20 amp 220 volt circuit wired to it, and it could be trouble free for years. It would take up some space, but would always be quickly available hot water. It will use more energy than a recirc set-up, since the 140 degree pony tank has a high temp difference to radiate lost heat. But it offers the most convenient method of a short time delay.Your hot water would arrive in seconds, depending on how close your tank is to the taps. If hydro rates were cheaper here, I would prefer it.

Have you put insulation on the long run of hot water supply piping?


How to wire garage exhaust fan to humidity sensor/fan control and ventilation controller

While it's OK to have switches in parallel...

While putting switching devices in parallel is not a common way of wiring a house, there is nothing in Code that forbids it, and it is done in other cases as well (such as multi-location occupancy sensor control).  However, such a configuration comes with caveats; most importantly, you'll need something to serve as a disconnecting means so that you can manually turn this fan off in case it needs servicing.  If you don't care about what else is on this circuit, then the circuit breaker will serve the purpose, though.

... you need to be careful when you do so

Even with the issue of a disconnecting means addressed, you still need to be a bit careful with switches in parallel, to avoid inadvertently creating a looped or paralleled neutral situation, which can be read as violating NEC 300.3(B)/310.10(H).

How to wire this

As a result, I would wire this by using a two-gang box at the power source location with the vent controller taking up one of the gangs, then running a new-style (neutral included) switch loop to where the humidity sensor goes and wiring that switch loop in parallel with the vent controller; this can easily be done by using black for always-hot, white for neutral, and red for switched-hot at each location, then connecting matching colors together.  You can then run switched-hot and neutral to the fan from whichever box is more convenient; just tape the switched-hot to the fan from black to red to make the colors match nicely.  This does rely on the breaker as the maintenance disconnect for the circuit, but provides neutral at both locations, as is required by the fan controller and humidity sensor you specified, and means that either device can command the fan on.


Would refilling an AC with refrigerant improve its performance after 8 years?

how likely is it that some of the refrigerant has leaked over all
  those years?

Not very likely.

It's a pressurized system, so if you had a leak I would expect an 8 year period to be more than long enough for ALL the refrigerant to have escaped. There is a slight possibility of a seal partially failing and only letting refrigerant out when the unit is operating (pressure is greatly increased), but you would know pretty quickly - the cooling capacity would continue to decline as you use it, until it has little to no effect on the ambient air.

  Would bringing it in for a refill likely make a difference?

That depends on the current charge level. An under/over charged unit will not perform to the manufacturer's specifications. Not having any leaks doesn't necessarily mean the system has the correct charge in it. But it sounds like you're talking about a portable unit that has probably never had any maintenance performed on it (so it should still have the factory charge, which should be correct).