What should I do with leftover sulfuric acid from a sump pump battery backup?

If you can not find someone to take care of the acid for you, it is possible for you to dispose of it yourself.  this page which references batterycouncil.org which most discreetly describes the process outlined here that states:

Gather together all the acid you need to dispose of and put on some sort of concrete pad. The high acidity may harm grass and soil, so try to do this in your driveway or on the patio outside. If you have batteries to dispose of, pour the acid out of the battery into a plastic container that will not break down in acid. If you are unsure, pour just a little in the container and see if there is any reaction before emptying the whole battery.
Use rubber gloves and goggles anytime you are dealing with highly concentrated acids. Acid is harmful to the skin if exposed and especially to the eyes. If concentrated acid touches the skin, thoroughly wash the skin for five to ten minutes and then sprinkle with baking soda to neutralize any remaining acid.
Fill a larger container half full of water. Slowly add some of the acid that needs to be disposed of and stir gently. Slowly add the baking soda, one tablespoon at time. The solution in the container will bubble and foam as the baking soda neutralizes the acid. Continue to stir as you add each tablespoon full. Once the bubbling and foaming is complete, test the solution by adding another teaspoon of the baking soda with stirring to see if any more reaction occurs.. When the reaction is complete, wash the solution down the drain and refill the container half way with water.
Neutralize all the acid in the same manner as Step 3. Pour the neutralized acid down the drain. Follow the neutralized acid with lots of water. Continue to run the hose for five minutes after you are done and then turn off the water.


Woodflooring protection needed near fireplace?

Yes, wood is a concern and you should have a noncombustible hearth extension around the fireplace opening. It looks like your proposed layout is not appropriate.

Assuming you are in the US and subject to the IRC building code, Chapter 10 covers the requirements for fireplaces. The requirements vary depending on whether the fireplace is masonry (i.e. made of brick or stone) or factory-built (i.e. a pre-made metal box).

For masonry fireplaces, in general the hearth extension must be 2" thick, made of noncombustible materials, and must not have any combustable material under it. The hearth extension must extend 16" in front and 8" on each side of the opening (unless then opening is large, over 6 square feet, in which case the distances are increased to 20" in front and 12" on each side).

For factory-made fireplaces, the manufacturer specifies the requirements. IRC simply defers to the manufacturer instructions.


Can I shim the top of an 6x6 post that is supporting a beam?

If I was making a shim, I would not want the grain running the short way since it will tend to disintegrate under load and time.   Ideally 7/8 plywood, partly because it is harder wood... otherwise plane or rip 2x6 or two 2x4s to the desired thickness, or 1x6 if the thickness will suffice.  I would also glue and screw it.


How can I mend a broken bathroom sink drain pipe?

What you need to replace is the "drain assembly" or "pop up". Here's a link to a sample:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Delta-Push-Pop-Up-Drain-Assembly-in-Chrome-with-Overflow-Holes-72173/204154080

There's every chance you've got a 1-1/4", but maybe it's 1-1/2", so bring your old part with you to the plumbing place or big box.

Don't buy a plastic one. They're terrible.

I'm assuming you've not got a lever assembly to close the drain. (Typically, that's a little rod behind the faucet.) Just be sure to buy one that matches what you have now.

Beyond that, you'll need a big wrench to undo/redo the nut, and some plumber's putty to get back in business. (Some instructions these days suggest silicone around the top of the assembly... I wouldn't do it.)


What is the recommended thickness for wooden steps?

At that length and with a decent thickness (>=1 1/2") you'd probably be fine just using a solid wood plank as long as the species is appropriate. Here's a chart of the modulus of elasticity for some common woods

http://www.woodworkweb.com/woodwork-topics/wood/146-wood-strengths.html

To be honest, when designing something like a staircase you should really consider having it engineered by an architect or structural engineer just for peace of mind.


Should I powerwash and waterseal a pressure treated deck?

It's always good to inspect your deck every year after winter. Check for any loosening fasteners, any signs of rot, check for mold, and inspect places where wood meets wood.

I would advise against an annual power-washing. It is extremely harsh on the wood, even if done by a professional. It requires a lot of work to restore the surface, as the pressure washer damages the surfaces. I would look it at as something you do to restore an old deck.

It's usually a good idea to give the deck a gentle yet thorough annual cleaning to remove any built up dirt. If you see mold forming, it doesn't hurt to use some bleach. I'd try to do it when you have stretch of good weather so it can thoroughly dry, but avoid doing so when it's so hot that the water dries before you have a chance to rinse the cleaning solution off.

Trimming back any bushes and growth near the deck before this step is also good, as it ensures the deck can dry properly.

When it rains, see if the water is beading and running off properly. If it's not, then you should consider re-sealing the deck. It's not uncommon to hear suggestions of an annual application of water sealant. I don't think it's necessary unless it's a particularly expensive deck, or your region has a climate that's harsher on the deck.

For the late fall, it's a bit late in the season and you may not get the right conditions. I'd still do a complete visual inspection. You can do spot treatments to hold you over until spring. Clean any mold spots. Clean any areas of rot, allow to dry, and then spot treat with sealant. If water is pooling on any boards, consider spot treating there.

(Also, pressure-washing and resurfacing are a lot of work, and there is a lot of room for error. Make sure you're careful to do it right.)


What happens if I let my building permit expire?

Right off the bat, you won't get your power turned on.  Because the power company won't turn on power until the panel flip is signed off.

Since you have already done the rewire, I would pull a permit for the rewire and then get that signed off on.  I personally think you took your life in your hands by doing the rewire without a permit for that.

The inspector suggesting additional work does not have the effect of pulling a permit for that work.

It sounds like the inspector is ever pressuring you to increase the scope of the project.  I agree, this is like one of those lottery/Nigerian Prince scams, everything you do, the inspector will suggest another thing to add to the scope of work.  With the Nierian Prince scam, they tend to bump your next payment by about 2.5 times your last payment, and that sounds like this.  Going from a panel flip to blowing out all your drywall is a huge leap.

The only way out is to use the words "no", "not funded", "not this year", "outside project scope" and "I don't have a permit for that".


You are correct that "two-by" lumber is standard fare for ceilings.  What you're missing is that "two-by" lumber is actually 1-1/2" wide.
1-by is 3/4" wide.
2-by is 1-1/2" wide.
4-by is 3-1/2" wide.
Other sizes, subtract 3/4".
And manufacturers don't make products that require 2" wide studs.  That would imply some sort of pre-war construction using rough-sawn timbers.
In the early days, a 2x4 was milled 2" x 4".  Then it was run through a jointer to make one side flat, then (using the jointed side) a planer to make the other side parallel to the first side, then more passes through the planer to make both sides smooth.  Same thing in both axes.  Early experience was that rough-cut lumber was irregular enough that 1/2" of material would be used up in all this jointing and planing.  So the target "finished" size was the finished timber was 1-1/2" x 3-1/2".
Contemporarily, mills have gotten better at their game, and are able to rough-saw the lumber more precisely, so they're not really wasting 1/2" anymore.


How can I vent my kitchen exhaust through vinyl soffit?

Chances are good that there was still enough airflow happening with the vented soffit panel in place. I'd try it out with the new fan and see how well it works before cutting the soffit up.

Since the vinyl soffit was applied directly over the plywood soffit, you could install J-channel around the vent and cut the soffit to fit.

You could also replace the solid panel covering part of the vent with a vented panel.


You could try an orange oil product like Goo-Gone to try to remove the remaining sticky film. Apply directly to the spots, let sit for a short time and the use clean paper towels to wipe up the mess.


Add an outlet to the end of a partially-switched circuit

Right on the money!

You might consider running /3 cable anyway.  Every bedroom in our house has a long extension cord circumnavigating the room because the switched outlet (instead of a proper overhead light) is not in the roght place for how we fit out the room. You can just cap off the unused red wire. A future use of the room could swap wires so the switched outlet is in the new location and the present outlet is all unswitched.  The hard part is getting wire into the walls!


What DIY tools are very critical for plumbing works and repair?

Wrenches
Pipe Wrench

You'll want at least 2 of these, of different sizes.
Tongue-and-groove pliers

These come in handy all the time, have a few pair at the ready at all times.
Strap/Chain Wrench

Sometimes you just need to get a good grip on a pipe, nothing beats a strap/chain wrench fo this.
Basin Wrench

For those hard to reach places.
Adjustable Spanner

A few adjustable wrenches of various sizes always come in handy.

Tape Measure

You're going to have to measure something, eventually.

Pipe cutters
Copper pipe cutter

Pex/Plastic tubing cutter

Hacksaw

Pipe reamer

You can get ones that do both inside and outside reaming in a single tool. You'l also want a bit of sandpaper.

Pipe Cleaner

Used to clean up the ends of copper pipe before soldering.

Taps and Dies

You might find yourself in a situation where you have to thread some pipe yourself. For this you'll need some Dies, and possiply taps.

Torch

Working with copper is likely going to require some soldering, so you'll need a good torch.  DIYers usually grab propane, or butane torches. If you've got the extra cash and you'll be doing a bunch of soldering, MAPP torches are what the pros use.

Hammer

Do enough plumbing, and you're going to want to pound something into submission at some point.

Putty knives

You'll need this to scrape gunk off of stuff.

Auger

A great tool for clearing gunked up drains.  Either manual or powered, the choice is yours.

Glues, Puttys, and other gunk
PVC primer and cement

You'll need this if you're doing any work with PVC.
Dope and PTFE tape

If you find yourself working with threaded connections, you'll want to have some pipe dope and PTFE tape.
Solder and Flux

When working with copper, you'll probably have to sweat some joints.
Penetrating oil

Great for those really stuck joints.
Plumbers putty

You'll need this if you're installing sinks, and/or faucets.

Buckets

You'll always want to have a couple buckets of various sizes on hand.

A Box

The more jobs you do, the more left over fittings and other bits & bobs you'll have. The longer you do plumbing work, the larger the box will have to be.

Gloves
Leathers

You'll want a good pair of leather gloves, for when you're soldering and doing other knuckle busting types of work.
Rubbers

You'll also want some rubber gloves, for when you've got to touch stuff you'd rather not touch.

Plumbers Crack

You can't call yourself a plumber, unless your crack is hanging out. It's also great for warding off people who have "just a quick question", or want to offer "advice".


Why do the rotating brushes on my Hoover vacuum only work when it's in the upright position?

Make sure this is a bug, and not a feature
When the vacuum is in the upright position, the agitator should not rotate.  When the handle is lowered the agitator should be engaged, however, some models offer a manual agitator shut off feature.  Make sure if your model has this feature, it is not turned on.

Check the hose
Next ensure that when you lower the handle, the attachment hose is not becoming dislodged.  On some vacuums if the hose is removed, the lower portion of the vacuum disengages.
Check the belts
If one of the belts becomes worn or stretched, the agitator may spin fine until it comes under load. Once the agitator meets resistance, the belt slips, and the agitator stops spinning. Consult the user manual on how to check and replace belts in your particular model.

Image source: Pet Cyclonic Bagless Upright Owners Manual.


How can I get touched up paint to match?

The texture difference is most likely the function of brush vs. roller. Do not thin the paint. Try using a roller, but use very litle paint on it. You are trying to get just a bit of a top coat that give the slight stippling that vitually all rollers leave behind.


Remove items from atop and around the toilet. Clearing items away from the toilet will keep them out of the way and will prevent any accidental drops into the toilet.
Wipe down the toilet with a damp sponge. First put on clean gloves. Then moisten a sponge with hot water and wipe around the tank, lid, seat, base, and the exterior of the bowl. This removes excess dirt and helps disperse the cleaning product.
Squirt a liquid (cream) toilet cleaner inside the bowl. Squirt the cleaner inside the bowl, starting at the rim and making sure to get the area under the lip of the bowl. Read the manufacturer's instructions first for specific directions. Many cleaners work best if you allow them to soak on the bowl for a while.
Scrub the bowl with a toilet brush. Brush the entire bowl thoroughly, paying special attention to mineral stains that may accumulate along the water level and at the back of the bowl. The more thoroughly you scrub the bowl, the cleaner it will get.
Flush the toilet. Flushing rinses the bowl and the brush. Continue to scrub as the water drains from the toilet. Repeat several times to thoroughly rinse the bowl and brush.
Spray the rest of the toilet with a disinfectant cleaner. Follow the manufacturer's directions. Make sure to get both the top and bottom of the seat, and spray the entire exterior of the toilet. Use a cloth or paper towel to work in, and wipe away, the cleaner
Clean the handle thoroughly. Be sure to get the handle with the disinfectant spray. The handle is the primary avenue for the spread of germs, so clean it well.
Spray the floor and tiles around the toilet with the disinfectant spray. Wipe clean with paper towels or a cloth.
Replace items that were on or around the toilet. Put on clean gloves and rinse off the items that were on or around the toilet. Wipe them dry with a paper towel and put them back in their places.

tips:Paper towels are ideal for cleaning the exterior of the toilet. Since they are disposable, there is a lower risk of spreading germs, and they also absorb the cleaner well and don't leave streaks on the toilet. If you use a cloth, wash it well when you're done, and wash it separately from clothes or other cloths.

from How to Clean a Toilet: 9 steps (with pictures) - wikiHow -> http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Toilet


Add switches for two new lights to an existing switch box

There are basically two ways to wire up a switched device (light, fan, receptacle, whatever).

Switch Loop
A switch loop essentially looks like:

Panel => Device => Switch

That matches your description of the existing fan/switch. Power is at the fan in the ceiling. The hot wire (should be black, at least the part from the panel to the fan) goes past the device (i.e., does not connect to the fan directly) and connects to the switch. The other wire connected to the switch is the switched hot and connects to the hot connection on the fan. The neutral connection on the fan goes to the white wire back to the panel. Or to put it all together:

Panel hot => [through device junction box] => Switch => device hot => device => device neutral => neutral back to panel

It is possible to tap into that to power other devices, but it gets messy. Don't do it when you have another source (the receptacle you identified).

A regular switched circuit
Panel => Switch => Device

This is what you want to do here. Or more specifically:

Panel hot => receptacle => Switch => device hot => device => device neutral => neutral [through switch box] => neutral to receptacle => neutral back to panel

There are a few steps involved in your specific situation:

Patching in to the receptacle

It appears that your existing receptacle has two sets of wires. One set is backstabs (== bad) and one set on screws. Since you were able to pull power for testing purposes while leaving the backstab connections on, I'll assume those wires were on screws. You need to do the following for hot, neutral and ground:

Disconnect the backstab
Make quadruple sets of wires: Wire to next receptacle (was backstab), wire from panel (what you disconnected from screws and used to test the lights), new Romex that will go to the switch box, and a short pigtail (you can make it from wire removed from a short piece of Romex). Connect each set of 4 wires with an appropriate size wire nut.
Connect the pigtails to the receptacle. Black to brass screw (hot), white to silver screw (neutral), green to green screw (ground).

At this point I would cap the other end of the Romex with wire nuts and test the receptacle to make sure it is working correctly (ideally with a "magic 8-ball" outlet tester as a quick confirmation that hot and neutral are not reversed and ground is connected.

Receptacle to switches

This is easy. Black = hot goes to the "line" or "hot" connection on the switch. But if it is a simple toggle switch - no dimmer, timer, smart anything - then it really doesn't matter which screw gets hot and which gets switched hot. White = neutral does not connect to the switch unless you have a timer/dimmer/smart something that has a neutral connection.

Just remembered - you have two new switches. So we are back to pigtails again, specifically, black from receptacle + two pigtails to the two switches. If you need neutral for the switch (dimmer/timer/smart) then you will have white pigtails too.

Switch to device

Black goes to the other screw on the switch and at the device connects to "line" or "hot" (or colored wire if there is a short wire attached to the device). White connects to the white wire that came from the receptacle (so two white wires from the two devices connect to the one white wire from the receptacle) and at the device connects to "neutral" (or to the white wire if there is a short wire attached to the device). If you have multiple devices then you can chain on to the others with more Romex.

What went wrong?

This still leaves open the question of "what went wrong with the switch that it tripped the breaker"? A faulty switch is unlikely - a simple toggle acts as either totally open totally closed - there are only 2 wires and no "in between" settings. So unless you used a 3-way switch (designed for connecting two switches to control one device), all I can think of is that you connected the hot & neutral chained from the receptacle to the switch and then chained from the switch to the lights. Something like:

Black from receptacle -> switch brass -> black to light

White from receptacle -> switch silver -> white to light

If you did that, the light would be always on, as long as the switch was off. As soon as you turned the switch on, you would be short circuiting black & white from the receptacle and the breaker would (hopefully!) trip very quickly.

This should solve the problems, but please read up on things a bit more before just trying different cables, switches, etc. There are situations where breakers won't trip to stop a problem, either due to existing faulty wiring or due to bad breakers. Plus there are situations where even a tiny amount of leaked current can be deadly. Safety first!


It's pipe thread - i.e. tapered, NPTM, unless you have an oddball gauge. Size depends on the gauge.
How do you tell? Measure it.
No idea what you have for an adaptor internal thread.
How have you "tightened" it - Hand tight? Using wrenches? Clearly not using pipe dope or teflon tape, one or the other of which is required to actually get a seal.
If you refer to the Wikipedia page linked, you'll note that 1/8 and 1/4 (likely typical sizes) have about 3 turns difference between "hand tight" and "effective thread length."


goodman furnace /ac no y terminal on board

The furnace doesn't need a Y terminal, and in a lot of cases when it does have one, it's not connected to anything in the furnace.  Connect the wires from the thermostat as follows:

Red connects to R in furnace and R on thermostat.
White connects to W in furnace and W on thermostat.
Green connects to G in furnace and G on thermostat.
Yellow connects to the Red wire to the condensing unit.
White wire from condensing unit connects to 24V common terminal of the transformer.

Notes:

The 24V common terminal of the transformer should be grounded to the chassis, as well as connected to PIN 6 of the Molex connector on the board.
*The "hot" 24V terminal of the transformer should be connected to PIN 3 of the Molex connector on the board.


What steps should I take before staining a deck that has weathered for several months?

There's really nothing you need to do unless you're dissatisfied with the smoothness of the wood, or if it's discolored significantly and you'd like to freshen the surface. In both cases, a random-orbit sander should do a nice job of smoothing and bringing out fresh wood.


Temporarily prevent a full toilet bowl from draining

The toilet bowl can only hold water as high as the top of the porcelain inside of chamber 5 in the picture below, unless you do something to stop it:


How do I remove the rest of this lever-style door handle?

It looks like there is a threaded collar screwing through from one side to the other. I think if you use a small screwdriver / punch to undo it (as arrowed), this will release the two halves:


How is Hanstone compared to other quartz products?

Handstone is an engineered product, not a cut stone product. The parent company is not from Canada, rather Korea. (Hanwha L&C). Cut granite and quartz is commonly produced here in the northeast, especially in VT & NH. The average cost for real cut stone, polished, sealed and cut to order runs about $65/sq.ft.


Pex Plumbing System w/ Manifold (Entire House)

Pex is typically installed as home run, not trunk and branch. The central manifold gives (mostly) equal pressure to all fixtures, so temperature won't change when water pressure changes like on trunk and branch. Because water pressure variation won't scald or freeze you, home run also allows more latitude with pipe sizing.

Home run pex also gives you the other advantage of pex, freeze protection. No fittings in walls, attics, or crawlspaces means no hidden damage if a freeze occurs, that's probably worth the added $100 in pex tubing.

1/2" pex will have no problem delivering enough water to any standard fixture. Test have shown that pex will perform almost identical to copper in standard household systems at 60' or more: http://www.homeinnovation.com/~/media/Files/Reports/pex_copper_pressure.pdf

You may be able to outrun your 3/4" feed though. If you have 20+ outlets you probably have laundry, showers, and hose bibbs all sharing that 3/4" feed. Turn on a garden hose and do a load of heavy laundry on warm and you'll be approaching maximum flow through that 3/4" line, which I would guess also supplies your water heater, with no pressure for your upstairs shower. That's an extreme case but you should be aware of it. I have done retrofits on 2 houses that I lived in where I ended up with that scenario, but I never experienced the problem because I rarely water the garden and shower at the same time. On my most recent remodel (with 34 total hot and cold lines) I have run a 1" trunk to 2 closets with manifolds, and put the hose bibbs and laundry on their own manifold just in case (using 1"x1"x3/4" tees to feed 6 way manifolds). That may be overkill though.

You can combine lavatory and toilet cold lines. You'll notice the water pressure change but it will only affect your hand washing. It only saves 1 line per bathroom though, so may not be worth it.

Pex should be secured every 32-48", but in retrofits you can't always do that. I have not had any tubes that bang around where I've had to run unsecured pex, but you may. Less slack in the line will give it less opportunity to move too. Long sweeping curves are fine, elbows are to be avoided for flow and freezing concerns unless you absolutely must use them. There are 90 bend supports that hold the pex in a 3" radius if you need tight turns, usually used to make the upturn into a wall. In your soffit you should be able to do sweeping turns except for maybe the upturn into the wall.


Here's what happened.

Your house was built with a wiring shortcut called 'switched receptacles'.  You are intended to install a floor lamp and plug it into that switched receptacle, which is then operated by the switch.
They used the split-feed feature on the receptacle (breaking off the "tab") to split the 2 sockets, so one is always hot (probably black), and the other is switched hot. (probably red).
Someone got fed up with this, and installed a ceiling lamp.
An inexperienced person went through the house and replaced receptacles.  They simply matched up wire for wire.  They have never heard of a "tab".
The tab was not broken off, so it shorted  always-hot and switched-hot.
The homeowner didn't care enough to fix it. .
You show up, unaware the house ever had switched outlets.  You discover always-hot and switched-hot shorted to each other.

The tab is doing this.

Your options are to a) find the receptacle that should've had its tab broken off, and break it off; restoring original function.  Or b) cap off red wire at both ends add eliminate use of the switch.

Certain lights are required by Code.  Switched outlets satisfy this requirement.  So you might need the light.


You say that you put the clamp around a live lamp cord, but for a clamp meter to work, you have to put the clamp around only ONE of the conductors.  If you clamp around both wires, you will not get a reading.  For most situations, it doesn't matter which single wire you clamp around.

They have devices that you can plug in that give you holes to put the clamp meter:

Image source: Line splitter at Home Depot website

The one pictured also has a hole for a "10x" measurement.  It just has 10 loops of the single wire in it so measurements taken there will be 10 times higher (good for getting more precise measurements with a less precise meter).

Or you could make one with some single conductor wire and a male and female plug.


Is this slab really the foundation? I'm aware of 'slab on grade' shallow foundations but I've never lived in a climate where that is practiced. In my region a foundation with footings would be poured first (even when there's no basement), then the slab would be poured inside the foundation walls. In this latter technique the slab is non-structural.

You also mentioned something about cables being tightened -- is this a post-tension concrete construction?

It's probably a good idea to have a conversation with your contractor about saw-cut control joints. Concrete will move and crack and will continue to do so throughout its life. 'Control joints' are so named because they [attempt to] control and conceal these cracks. If you have the slab cut then you get the opportunity to influence where the cracks will happen. For example, you can encourage the cracks to make straight lines and to fall in places where you wanted a grout joint. If a crack is going to telegraph through your tile floor, it'll be much easier to conceal or repair if it comes up in a grout line rather than crossing a tile.


how do I transition conduit through a half-inch OSB shed wall?

I completed the project and all is well.

I added some 2x4 blocking to provide a bit more depth to work with.

I solvent welded a small piece of 3/4" conduit between the female
end of the LB coming through the wall sheathing and a threaded
terminal adapter (the small piece of conduit is completely embedded
in the fittings and not visible).

I then spun on a metal junction box on the terminal adapter until
snug against the blocking

I ran 3/4" conduit from the junction box up to the disconnect.

The load side of the disconnect is 14/2 Romex.

.


Yes, it's entirely possible for a breaker to go bad.  The symptoms you describe are consistent with such a problem. You should replace it immediately as in this condition it may not perform as it was designed to and you could be at risk for a fire should a short-circuit occur.  When in doubt, change it out!


Does black iron pipe need to be cleaned before installation?

My answer is yes threads need to be clean. However
it probably depends on what is used for sealing. Black pipe is normally used for gas. I don’t want any leaks and pipe dope both gas rated and regular state the threads need to be clean and dry.
I don’t remember ever seeing info on white or yellow tape but I have wiped the threads as I use oil when threading so it has become a practice to wipe fittings for gas if I thread them or not and with either tape or dope.


How to tell if Nema outlets have been successfully brought up to code?

I'm going to focus on the dryer, both because it's your equipment, and because it's so very easy to fix. The panel is right there.

The problem with NEMA 10's "grandfathered" connection, while Code legal, is if anything goes wrong with the neutral wire, the equipment chassis energizes at 120V - touch it and you're dead. The NFPA's logic is "That hardly ever happens because these connectors are rarely disturbed". Yeah, right.  It does happen, does kill people, and is often misreported as a miswired connection when it just had an ordinary failure.  The rest of the electrical universe is designed so a simple wire break fails safe. Not NEMA 10!  The appliance lobby won't let NFPA just put their foot down and mandate retrofits.

First, I am a renter. Heck will freeze over before I downgrade a NEMA 14 cord to a NEMA 10.  (In dire straits, I might keep the NEMA 10 cord, remove the ground-neutral strap on the dryer (as if it were NEMA 14), and ground the dryer externally - my hunch is, in your case, that's what the last guy did. That green wire stinks like tenant work.)

Code legality

Most likely, the NEMA 10-30 receptacle proper is grandfathered, and as such, inherits being Code legal.  Any modification of that circuit would void the grandfathering and require a modern 14-30 and /3 cable be installed.

The 3-wire cable from service panel to dryer receptacle lacks any proper tie-downs.  It needs tie-downs.  If it were me, I'd want it 6" longer and run it along the tan cable, but still, hose clamps are not proper tiedowns.

Other cables leaving that panel also seem to be improperly anchored to the wall.

Another code violation is lack of proper working space in front of the panel. There must be a 30"x30"x78" box in front of the panel for the electrician or homeowner to stand.  It looks like water pipes intrude.

Of course these won't fix your dryer circuit.

Now look at the bare ground wire coming from the panel and going through the hole to parts unknown. That is most likely the Grounding Electrode System of the panel.  We'll be gracious and presume this is fit and in good working order.

The green ground wire is an attempt at retrofitting ground.  That is legal to do, in fact NEC 2014 greatly liberalized the rules for retrofitting grounds.  Retrofit grounds can attach any of several places, and the Grounding  Electrode system is one of them.  That said, the green ground wire has 3 defects.

You can't twist it around and use a ty-wrap. The right thing there is a proper clamp, i.e. a small split-bolt.
The wire is not properly anchored to the wall. Leaving cables to go floppy-doppy is not legal.  Retrofit grounds need to follow the same normal clampdown rules as any cable.  Cinder block is a pain to work with, but I also see a lot of abandoned holes just waiting to be reused.
The green wire is much too long for any use I can imagine. It just seems to be wadded up, I suspect it used to ground the old dryer.

Ask the landlord to fix this and most likely they'll just remove the green wire. That would bring it to Code.

Now let's talk about how to get to Safe.  Obviously being a tenant you need to ask the landlord to do this.  I don't see where you can hold a gun to their head, so you may have to pay him.  Keep in mind landlords can't do their own electrical, it's not allowed.  But given the location of dryer receptacle and panel, this isn't even 30 minutes' work for an electrician.

1. Retrofit the ground

This only works if a) the existing cable has an insulated (white) neutral; or the existing cable is type SE.

You can change out the receptacle for 14-30, use the existing hot-hot-neutral, and then bring over that green ground wire to provide proper ground.  This is allowed under the ground retrofit rules.  The flaws in the green wire would need to be fixed obviously.   Parts cost: $12.

Given that drilling into cinder block is a PITA, it'll help to get a receptacle that uses the same mounting hole pattern as the current receptacle.  That type of receptacle is a matched set of cover+base, like this.

2. Run a new 10/3 cable back to the panel

Tear out the existing receptacle and cable back to the panel. Replace it with an entirely new 10/3 cable run.  Put ground on the ground bar, neutral on the neutral bar, and hots on the existing breaker. Fit the NEMA 14-30 in any location you please (in cinder block, best to reuse existing holes).  Parts cost: $20.

3. GFCI breaker

This answer is not Code but it is safe. This will arrest (not prevent) electrical shocks from touching the dryer.  Then use a NEMA 10 cord, but don't attach the neutral-ground jumper. In this setup, the dryer is not grounded at all: as long as there aren't any ground faults in the dryer, the dryer frame is isolated. If there are ground faults and you touch the dryer and get zapped, then the GFCI will trip.  Parts cost: $80 + the NEMA 10 dryer cord, just the thought of buying one of those makes me spit in my mouth.

4. Hail Mary: external ground.

This answer is also not Code because Code proscribes the NEMA 14-30 connector as the correct way to do this "but that would be modifying the house".  In this case you fit the NEMA 10-30 cord, but again omit the neutral-ground jumper, leaving the dryer's chassis to float/be isolated. Then you reuse that green wire to ground the chassis. Fix the problems: the bad clamp, bad anchoring and excess length.  Parts cost: $0 (not counting the NEMA 10 cord) and you could probably DIY this.

The oven/range

throws up hands I don't know what to do about that one.  It's their socket and their equipment.  You could leave it alone; pay them to retrofit a 6/3 cable ($$) and NEMA 14 socket and plug; or have the electrician install a GFCI breaker on the circuit.  I'd probably do the latter as it's a 5 minute job.


What should I do about partially tacky urethane finish?

It's possible it's just the cool temperature and it will dry in a few days.  It won't hurt to let it sit several more days and see if the tacky areas harden up on their own.

However my suspicion would be a compatibility problem between the urethane finish and the "green" mineral spirits.  Although they probably say then can be substituted for real mineral spirits, I've heard of mixed results when using them for thinning oil based finishes.  For a future project you could select all water-based finishing products which would have lower VOCs and would not require thinning with any solvents.  Or use standard mineral spirits for thinning and save the "green" ones for cleanup.

If the finish doesn't harden on its own I would try to remove most of the finish from the tacky areas as you described.  I would do it in stages with some drying time inbetween because if you remove too much you will likely also remove some of the stain resulting in inconsistent shading.  In that case you may need to strip and refinish a larger area (or live with the spots).


Try adding a jumper wire to the gas valve to see if that will fire the wall furnace. If it does, the problem is in one of the devices in control system.  Jumper out each device until you find the one that has failed. Take down the control's model number and see if it one that is recommended for a thermopile system. All devices used with a thermopile system are made special for that type system. The thermostat used with a thermopile system is not a standard type thermostat; they usually do not use mercury.  All the devices have special contacts that have very little resistence since the thermopile has a voltage output of about 3/4 volts. Next, when you jumper the thermostat wires at the gas valve and the unit will not fire, you should have a service tech check to see if the gas valve is opening and allowing gas flow but the flow is not getting to the burners. If this is the case they may need to remove the burner or burners to see if a spider or bug has made a home in the orfice of the burners.


Can a portable air conditioner be used to reduce moisture in a room?

I would consider a dehumidifier which will pull moisture out of the air. I'd also check into why the wall is getting moist. Are you sure there is enough insulation in the wall, because you definitely should not have moisture condensing on or in the walls.

An air conditioner will make the room colder which you probably don't want if the weather is already turning cold. The dehumidifier will pull the moisture out of the air without cooling the air the way an air conditioner would.

For the time being the dehumidifier should pull moisture out of the room for you. The specs for the appliances (dehumidifier or air conditioner) are usually fairly accurate, most notably on larger name brands. I've found knock-off and smaller brands to be a bit sketchy when it comes to performance, so I've learned my lesson and usually go for the larger more established brand names when it comes to things like this.


Repacked packing nut but sink is still leaking!

Is this the cutoff valve for the cold water supply to the washing machine? Does it take several turns to go from closed to full open on the stop?

If, when the valve is closed, it leaks continuously around the stem, then the plastic washer at the bottom of the stem needs replacing. One has to remove the stem to do this. Some of the valves of this type use the packing nut to cover the interior and other valves have a separate screw cover. These latter can be stuck in place, but if not stuck this is a standard maintenance procedure.

With the stem out to change the washer, one inspects the brass seat in the valve body. If the sealing surface is compromised, then it should be replaced. However, a valve in cut-off service for a washing machine is hardly ever cycled so the seat is probably OK.


How to support 1 corner of stair landing

Yep, doing another pair of sticks under the landing where the chimney used to be is quite enough. Slip a galvanized plate under the existing & new leg to prevent moisture wicking. With your new sticks, anchor the first stick to the cinder block, even with just Molly or Mushroom Head Bolts before attaching the other stick.

This will avoid any possible future racking or pull-away type movements. Not that it would, but you can also avoid the anchors by doing an X-brace of sticks between the then 2 supporting legs or posts, so you don't make any holes in the walls.


Multiple recepticles in a circuit which covers multiple rooms, all controlled by a single GFCI receptacle

You should never have more than one GFCI device on a single circuit, as they tend to interfere with each other and cause each other to trip.

I may be wrong, but I also don't think it's technically permitted to have outside circuits on the same line as inside (garage) circuits.

Regardless, your best option - especially since you're probably operating heavy duty equipment in the garage - is to put the garage on its own circuit.


Can I add 240v 40A circuit to my breaker box to power an electric range?

First, you say your service is 100A, but those "main supply" wires look awfully small for 100A.  They look a lot like #6 copper, which is only good for 60A tops.  I would make sure the wires are appropriate for the main breaker.  If they are inadequate, either upsize the wires or downsize the main breaker.

This ... I hesitate to use the word "service panel" ... is still supported.  Bryant was bought by Cutler Hammer, in turn bought by Eaton, and became Eaton's "BR" service panel line.  "BR", Bryant, get it?

Yes, you can get a "quadplex" double-stuff which fits in two spaces and supplies two 240V circuits. This quadplex will have proper and internal handle-ties, NOT A FLIPPIN' NAIL.  For instance this quadplex includes a 2-pole 40A and a 2-pole 20A.  It would replace the breakers with the nail.

 source

That breaker isn't just two twin breakers bolted together.  It is purpose-built to be a quad.  Internally there is a mechanism to assure both sides of the circuit trip together if either overloads (common trip).  That works with or without the goofy looking handle-ties.  The handle-ties are just UL listed versions of a nail; they are there to provide common maintenance shut-off.  With a nail (or listed handle-tie), common trip is not guaranteed.

You cannot add any more breaker spaces to this panel. The cover has additional knockouts, but there'd be nothing under the knockouts. This is an 8-space/16 circuit panel, you are using 14 and have only 2 more possible.

After this you can add 2 more 1-pole circuits or 1 more 2-pole circuit and your panel is wedged solid.  You might want to think about a bigger panel at some point.  Get a panel so large that you never, ever need to use double-stuff breakers. (because increasingly, they are requiring GFCI and AFCI breakers, and those don't come in double-stuff.)  You need 14 now, 24 is borderline too small, I would go at least 30, even 42.

You don't need to deprecate that panel, you could add a larger panel as a subpanel fed by a large breaker.

You could stay in "BR" panels if you really wanted to, it is still common and supported, though a bit on the cheap side. Siemens is commercial grade (so are CH and QO, but their breakers are rather expensive).


You need an oscilloscope for this, not a meter.

Meters "average" either electronically or mechanically.  If, however, you simply need to block DC while trying to measure a superimposed AC, just use a capacitor in series with the signal.  The cap will block any DC and will allow AC through.  Since the input impedance on a meter is relatively high, you just need to choose a capacitor that has a high enough voltage rating and a high enough capacitance so that it's effective resistance is small compared to the input impedance of the meter if you are wanting to get a precise AC voltage measurement.


Can I run NM 12 ga circuits on a running board or MultiCable Staples across floor joists use in a basement with an unfinished ceiling?

According to NEC 334.15(C) you can run NM cable on running boards exposed in a basement.
304.4(D) refers to running parallel to framing members but the stackable cable clamps could be consider support in this case. There is nothing in the code that I know of regarding the number of cables under one staple. You would have to refer to the manufacturer's instructions on the staples and their capacity.
The "bundling" you are referring to I believe is here:

310.15(B)(3) (3) Adjustment Factors. (a) More Than Three Current-Carrying Conductors. Where the number of current-carrying conductors in a raceway or cable exceeds three, or where single conductors or multiconductor cables are installed without maintaining spacing for a continuous length longer than 600 mm (24 in.) and are not installed in raceways, the allowable ampacity of each conductor shall be reduced as shown in Table 310.15(B)(3)(a).

The question here is the intepretation of the word "spacing". I would argue having them on the same board next to each other or in one of those stackable clamps is properly spaced. The clamps are sold and apparently approved for just that propose.
And here:

334.80 Ampacity Where more than two NM cables containing two or more current-carrying conductors are installed, without maintaining spacing between the cables, through the same opening in wood framing that is to be sealed with thermal insulation, caulk, or sealing foam, the allowable ampacity of each conductor shall be adjusted in accordance with Table 310.15(B)(3)(a) and the provisions of 310.15(A)(2), Exception, shall not apply.
Where more than two NM cables containing two or more current-carrying conductors are installed in contact with thermal insulation without maintaining spacing between cables, the allowable ampacity of each conductor shall be adjusted in accordance with Table 310.15(B)(3)(a).

Notice this is only when run through an opening to be caulked or insulated or in contact with thermal insulation. Most jurisdictions don't consider it bundling to run multiple cables through bored holes or on a running board together. However, others want only two cables or less through the same hole. Check with your inspector to be safe.
Good luck!


Hard wiring condensate pump with ground to furnace with only hot / neutral

Use a pigtail for the ground and a cord grip for the cord

With the power off:

Fit the cord grip (a Cooper/Crouse-Hinds NCG50-50 will do the trick) to a knockout in the box using a matching locknut and run the cut-off cord end through it, then tighten the cord grip down. This provides strain relief and sealing for the cord connection, which is permitted here by NEC 400.7(A) point 7 (preventing the transmission of vibration; in this case, from the pump to the rest of the furnace).
Wire the cord hot to the furnace hot, and the cord neutral to the furnace neutral
Remove the existing wire from the ground screw, and nut it together with a length of bare 12AWG as well as the ground from the cord
Land the length of bare 12AWG (this is a pigtail for the ground) on the existing ground screw in the box
Button it all up and turn the power back on


Ground screw inverted - Converting 3 prong dryer to 4 prong

You may be able to use a nut with the correct threading, but then you might have to be careful you don’t back the screw out. If it does get backed out and you end up losing it, maybe you could get a replacement grounding screw and put it in head-out when you hook up the ground. Then again, maybe you could use a replacement screw in the hole to the right of the ground symbol.


A drill bit will cut holes in acrylic, but don’t use acrylic or you will probably experience breakage like your example. Use polycarbonate, a name brand is Lexan. It can be purchased in the same thickness. It is usually a bit more expensive but it will not crack even when dropped, or hit with a hammer but will preform exactly the same otherwise.


Gap between wall flange and cement board

It looks like you might have installed the valve too deep in the wall.

The tile goes behind the silver escutcheon and up to the gray plastic circle that you can see from behind.

Usually the face of the gray circle template is at the same plane as the face of the finished tile. What kind of rough in valve is that? We can look at the instructions and it'll say.

The round hole in your backer board isn't too big, that won't be a problem. The problem looks like you recessed the valve too far into the wall, and now the tile won't slide in between the silver escutcheon and the backer board.


I put 2-stroke fuel in my 4-stroke mower and now it won't start

Remove the air filter and spray a small blast of starting fluid into the carburetor. It should run for a second or two. If it does then the problem is the gas is most likely old/bad. If it doesn't run for even a split second then you're not getting any spark which means you have an ignition problem which is most likely a fouled spark plug.


I would think electrolytic corrosion to be unlikely due to the intermittent nature of condensate flow and the fact that the brass fitting is isolated between nylon and PEX.

Your thoughts around acidic condensate are intriguing. Boiler feed water for industrial steam systems is treated with inhibitors to prevent yellow metal corrosion in the condensate collection systems, and industrial closed-loop cooling systems are treated for the same reason, so it is a known fact that yellow metals are susceptible. Pure water easily absorbs carbon dioxide just from being exposed to air, so the gas-rich environment of the combustion chamber may be accelerating the process.

I would replace the nipple with a plastic component, that should take care of the issue either way.


can I cut in / blend old brick extension

Yes, you can cut out and bond in new bricks to get a seamless match in the bond (assuming the gap is not an expansion joint - if it's mortar-pointed it's unlikely to be; an expansion joint should have sealant in it).

The main issue that you will run into is likely to be the ties used to fix the new wall to the old. If wall starters were used, they'll run right the way up the height of the wall in the joint and be in the way of where you are looking to put the new bricks. As you are bonding it with new brick, you won't need to worry about replacing any ties you have to take out.

Re-facing the bricks will be a hell of a job - the bricks will be hard and it won't be easy to tacke the face off in situ. Plus you'll need a diamond saw to cut faces off the new bricks (or to buy slip bricks from a merchant - most will be able to get these to order). My biggest concern with that would be ensuring that they are suitably bonded so that the faces don't blow off with freeze-thaw.


Is acoustical texture in HVAC ducts an asbestos concern?

Chances are slim that your texture contains asbestos, but you'd have to mail a sample to a testing lab to be sure. It was outlawed in texture in the late 70s, but it wasn't terribly common for that purpose. Follow a safe procedure if you do so.

It's normal for texture to show inside ductwork, etc. The walls and ceiling are sprayed before the vents are installed, and no effort is typically made to prevent overspray. The little bit of texture that's disturbed when you remove a vent isn't much of a concern. You could simply vacuum it up when it occurs.


I did a lot of research before finishing our basement. Traditional thought is:

vapor barrier
wood framing
fiberglass batts
sheetrock

And every basement I've been in using that method has smelled really musty.

Building Sciences Corporation has some good research on this:

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=building+sciences+insulating+basement

Based on that, here's what I did, and what I recommend for all basement remodels:

eps or xps sheet insultation, glued and taped to wall
metal studs. baseplate should be separated from concrete via thin insulation.
paperless sheetrock (use the fiberglass faced stuff...itchy, but won't attract mold)

Note the lack of a vapor barrier. The idea is that this leaves the system slightly breathable. XPS and EPS are vapor permeable so moisture can eventually dry to the inside.

The added bonus is that metal studs are SO much easier to work with than wood. They're light, straight, can cut with a tin-snip and you don't even need to use screws (you can crimp them all together). Plus, they won't let mold grow.


How to transition two different types of roof so there is no rain leaking between them?

Cover the shed as well as the lean-to. Get a piece of sail cloth big enough to cover the shed, as well as the lean-to. Rain hit cloth, rain hit ground. Shed dry, wood dry.


If it's draining from the second floor to the first floor it will drain. You are correct though it should be pitched so there's no standing water. Standing water will lead to the build up of scale, mold etc. and those things will eventually clog it.


How can I replace a old, large drop in sink with a smaller top mount?

Depending on how fussy you are about "matching" you can probably get quite close from a Corian contractor, if that's the actual product. Cut the hole bigger to where there's support (or add support) and join in a new section with the proper glues.

Logical alternative - when you can't match it, make it a feature - cut out the section to where there is support, insert a segment of black (or whatever color you like) solid surface countertop (assuming you want that aspect consistent) and put the new sinkhole in that.

3rd alternative makes it even more of a feature - leave the existing countertop alone,  bevel the edges of a new sheet of solid surface and put it on top, rasing the sink 1/2" or so. Looks nice at my credit union, (without a sink) I don't know how it would fly in my kitchen long-term (might depend on whether you use a dish-rack to the side of the sink that would have trouble draining over that extra height.) You could make it larger to accomodate the dish-rack, though.

4th Alternative if the plumbing allows (down can be harder than up, depending on where the drain itself is vertically) would be to undermount a section of solid surface and cut out larger/bevel the edges of the existing sink hole. That limits the area you can  lower to the space available in the sink cabinet with adequate gluing area to the underside of the top, while the overlay approach can be as large as you like.


By the valve operated by the float.

As the water rises in the tank the float floats and at a certain height that closes the valve which stops filling the tank as it is ready for the next flush.


How can I safely reinforce my garage trusses to support ceiling drywall and insulation?

Yes you can fix your roof, but there are many issues you’ll need to address.

First, you’ll need to understand that trying to “fix” this monster is difficult because the species, grade, size of nails, etc. are not known. Obviously the builder didn’t know or understand basic construction because, 1) minimal garage door header, 2) no window header, 3) truss web members not continuous, etc.

A simple solution is to GENTLY and SLOWLY jack up the center of each truss and install 2 diagonal web chords at the center of each truss connecting them from the isolated ends of the existing web member up to the peak of the roof. (I’d jack it up to same height as original, NOT higher than original.) I’d use similar 1x4 boards that the builder used and nail them with similar number of nails at each end. (Do not use steel straps because it’s too complicated for me to figure out if the web member will be in tension or compression.)

Securing the web member to the bottom chord should be adjacent to the end of the closest web member (the isolated web member). I’d be careful not to split the bottom chord. (The bottom chord will end up with a bunch of nails in close proximity to each other and will naturally want to split the bottom chord.)

However, a bigger problem is nailing the new web member to the ridge (peak of the truss) and there will be 2 members nailed in this location.

Then, SLOWLY allow the trusses down.

This “repair” will keep the trusses from sagging. One good thing about wood construction is that “failures” occur slowly and with a crack or split in the wood. (As opposed to concrete failures that can occur with “a bang”. (I.e.: FIU bridge collapse a few months ago.)

So, I’d monitor the new nailing joints for a few MONTHS especially if you live where there’s snow. Monitoring to me means making a journal and write down a weekly date and then measure the distance from the bottom of each truss to the floor for EACH truss AND visually check each end of each new web member and pay particular attention to splitting chord members. If it splits...run.


Convert plug-in light to hardwire (not hardwire to plug-in)

You are conflating 12V systems with line-voltage systems

When you say "hardwired lighting", you are actually referring to line-voltage ligthing.  This runs on 120V or 230V (actually, it runs on ~12V but has an onboard conversion module) and must be cabled to the high standards of the electrical code for mains wiring.  This stuff can kill you; if a lamp falls off and drops into a sink of dishes you are washing, you get to see how good your safety protection is on the circuit.

When you say "plug-in lighting", you are referring to one format of low voltage lighting.  This runs on 12V or 24V, and the electrical code for wiring methods is much more relaxed.  This stuff cannot kill or even shock you.  If it falls into a sink of dirty dishes it will probably remain lit.

Low voltage lighting is better - for safety, for ease of wiring, and for cost - not needing a high voltage conversion module in every light.

It would pay to do some more learning about these two very different technologies.

One neat thing about low-voltage is dimming works much, much better in terms of which lights they can dim, and how much they can dim.  That allows you to over-lamp your installation, and back down the brightness to what is comfortable at night, while being able to pump it up for working by day.

Convert this entire system to low voltage

The problem is, the wiring methods here are a nightmare.  One does not simply put mains wiring through a crevasse in the wall.  It is totally unacceptable as 120/230 mains wiring and must be completely redone at considerable expense, with lots of drywall work.

On the other hand, this sort of thing is typically acceptable for 12V/24V wiring.

Plug or hardwire has no bearing on voltage

Plugs or hardwiring are a wiring method, and work on either one.  That means you are free to use hard-wired wiring methods on 12V/24V stuff.


I use Female threaded couplings with a flat cleanout plug... a bit of overkill but good and flat


Gaps created by cement-board being further that the bathtub-lip when tiling?

Either your way or Ed Beal's are fine & do work. You just don't want any voids or unsupported portions of tile to avoid impact cracking or breaking. Back-buttering & going to a wider trowel notch should do it. But otherwise, mark your layout if you fill-in, to make sure you're actually filling to the row's edge.


Repairing animal damage in concrete driveway

I would fill gaps with polymeric sand, then lightly water the joint lines (think 'mist' not spray).  The sand will 'set' like concrete, but with some flexibility, so it shouldn't freeze/frost heave.

Be sure to follow directions about packing joint and cleaning loose sand up before misting.


Since you have removed the loads and replaced the breaker there could be a pinched or skined wire in this circuit causing the fault. A megger to verify the insulation is good is the quickest way I know. The wires are removed from the breaker and all switches off. If there is a low resistance at less than 500v there is usually a staple or nail through the insulation. If the test is good start turning on switches, lamps/ bulbs out when one circuit shows a low value this is the one to check. With all this said if you have recently added flouresent lighting, a large computer / UPS or a large dimmer on any kind of lighting circuit arc fault breakers can't tell the difference from an arc and a electronic load and will trip.


You can simply continue to use the 90 amp wires.  You change the breaker to 60A, they're about $10, but hold on to the old 90A breaker because those critters are expensive.

This depends on the rule that you are always allowed to use larger wires than required.


What size diameter PVC pipe can fit into a reducer labled 2 1/2" to 2"?

If it is what we call a standard reducing coupling then the fitting you are talking will accept a standard 2" PVC on one side and 2.5" on the other.

There are some other odd ball coupling type fittings out there but for that size of PVC they would be extremely rear.

When we have a 1" PVC coupling then it is designed to couple together two sections of 1" PVC pipe.  This is basically true for all the individual sizes.  P.


Water dripping from the ceiling over a humidifier

I bet your ceiling is cold.
Consider my cold drink on a hot day.  Humidity has spread around the clubhouse.  The outside of my glass is dripping wet and I must use a coaster.  Why does the humidity stop just on my glass and not breeze on by?  It is because my glass is cold, and passing humidity that bumps into it condenses into water.
So too your roof.  You have a cold spot for whatever reason.  Ambient humidity in the house stops there and condenses.  You could try to address the spot, or give up on humidifying the great room and concentrate on humidifying bedrooms.


Is it OK to use 1/4" OSB over a standard subfloor before installing 3/4" hardwood on top?

That will work.  That's probably one of the better things to use to bring your floor level.


Improvements to consider when opening walls during remodel of 60s home

Did you removed the drywall on the inside as well or just the exterior walls? If just the exterior consider air sealing around everything with spray foam when you pull the fiberglass insulation. You could consider rigid foam instead of fiberglass since 2x4 walls are not that thick.


Multiple GFI's incorrectly wired in series on the same circuit must be reset in the order they appear on the circuit.  In other words, your appliance may have tripped more than on GFCI-- its not supposed to be done that way, but it happens quite frequently.  While annoying it's not unsafe to have multiple GFCI's miswired in that manner.

Look for other tripped GFCI's (perhaps even the bathroom) that need to be reset, then try to reset the one in the kitchen you're having a problem reseting.

Your appliance likely has a ground fault and the GFCI is protecting you from shock.

It is possible for a GFCI to reach end of life, it's far more common tho to have multiple GFCIs miswired.


Those things are components.  You're not allowed to use components directly in a house.

You need to use a fixture which is designed to be used for household lighting.  These are sold in home improvement stores.  The manufacturer has gone through the appropriate process to get listed and tested as a fixture - so there's a stamp (and file number) from TUV, BSI, CSA, UL, ETL or other competent testing lab. CE is not a testing lab.

If you were to start up a company to manufacture fixtures, you would make the fixtures out of components such as those sold by Conrad. (Presumably, though, you'd pay wholesale).

Conrad sells them to the consumer as repair parts for fixtures.

If you want to "brew your own" built-in lighting, then use low-voltage lighting (12-24V) fed from listed low-voltage transformers.  You must still use care, but it sidesteps some of the safety issues.

Further, use either socketless LEDs, or sockets which are unique to LEDs.  What you have linked is a halogen socket, with an LED designed to be retrofit into a halogen fixture.  Nothing would keep someone from yanking out that LED and sticking a real 500W halogen bulb in there.  So don't give them the opportunity.


Best/strongest material to build a weatherproof shelf?

Galvanized steel Unistrut channel would work, you just have to be creative with which connectors you need. It's available at most big box home improvement store, usually in the electrical section.

Unistrut fitting examples


Of the 3 options you mentioned,  self-adhered flashing is the best option for a barrier.  However, I would take care to have a metal dripper above the flashing to ensure rainwater along the wall does not seep down between the flashing and the stucco.


Wiring in switch which turns on half outlet with no neutral

You evidently do not have a neutral in the switch box. The white wires attached to the switch are not neutrals but are either line hots or "switched hots" (the latter become hot when the switch is closed). The whites attached to the switch should have been marked with black tape to signify that they are repurposed hots. You can tell if the white are line hot or switched not by whether they are switched or not.

The neutrals for the existing circuit must be at the loads and were not carried into the switch box. (Neutrals are NEVER connected to one side of a switch with a line hot on the other side because when the switch would be closed this would be a dead short.)

In your top pic there is a white and a black going up. Is this new cable you brought in to go to the fan?

If you don't have a neutral in the switch box, then you cannot power a ceiling fan from wires in the box because you must have a neutral as well as a hot to power it. (And the neutral and the hot must be in the same cable.)

What you would have to do is bring in another cable with neutral and hot in the attic into the ceiling box for the fan. The neutral would be connected directly to the neutral lead of the fan. The hot would be connected to one of the wires in the cable you pulled to the switch box. This would give a hot in the box which would be properly paired with a neutral. The other wire in the cable in the switch box would be switched hot. In the ceiling box the switched hot would be connected to the hot fan lead.

EDIT The double switch you show could not be used to switch the fan by the method I describe because it has a common line hot connection. You would need a double switch that has two independent line hot connections.


Most commonly, in a two switch setup, line power comes to the first switch then goes to the second switch and then to the fixture.

In this setup, you need a three wire cable between the two 3-way switches (we don't count the green or bare ground wire when describing cable). Two of the wires are travelers (alternately serving as the hot line) and the third is the neutral. The hot wire from the line cable in is attached to the common on the first 3-way switch. The neutral from the line in cable is attached to the neutral in the cable to the second switch. At the second switch, the travelers go to the traveler terminals and the hot wire to the fixture cable is attached to the common. The neutral from the traveler cable is attached directly (not through the switch) to the neutral of the fixture cable.

If the second 3-way switch is not between the first switch and the fixture (because there is already a neutral at the fixture), you need at least three wires to the remote switch, two travelers and a return hot line to the fixture. In addition, code now requires a neutral at each switch, so you should have four wire to a remote 3-way (the neutral reserved for devices that may need it in the future).


How can I reduce noise from my neighbor's pool pump 12’ to 15’ away from my house?

You'd need a fence at least as high as the wavelength, with substantial mass, and for a 60 Hz hum, for example, that's a 5 meter (15 ft) high fence, made of concrete, such as used for highway sound barriers.


Wiring from basement main panel to garage

You are using individual wires, so you need conduit all the way if you don't want a box

Since you are using individual 4AWG THHN wires (instead of some sort of cable), you will need to run in conduit all the way from one panel to the other, unless you wish to have a box somewhere inside the house where you transition from the conduit wiring method to some flavor of cable (SER or NM).

A continuous conduit run inside can be practical, though, depending on what you are running through; the key here is to remember to provide ample pull points using LL and LR conduit bodies instead of bends whenever possible.


Should I use sugar soap or denatured alcohol to clean nicotine from painted walls?

I've found that some Trisodium phosphate works great for this.  Just mix some up in a bucket and use a sponge, and it should pull the nicotine right off, leaving the paint.  I'd definitely advise testing it in a small area first, but I've used it for this exact purpose before.


Will this sink piping configuration result in standing water in the pipe?

I'll try to answer your questions as stated.

Minimum height difference

I'm not sure if there is a code for this, but it's good practice to have the bottom of the disposal drain higher than the top of the drain into the wall.  So a height difference of at least one pipe-width.

But, as long as the bottom of your tailpiece is higher than the wall drain, the disposal shouldn't hold water.  If the wall drain was higher, then the disposal would always have a pool of smelly water sitting in it.  Your problem is that the height difference is so slight that the inside of a fitting or even a very small buildup of gunk will cause water to start pooling in the disposal.  I would strive to have at least a 3/4" difference.

The depth of your new sink could be the issue.  You can look for a disposal that has a shallower neck, or cut into the wall to see about lowering the drain opening there.

Deep P Trap

I worry about the depth of the trap because that is a lot of room for gunk to accumulate.  The disposal acts like a water pump when it's on, so it should be able to blast water through that deep trap, but it's not on all the time.  Oil, grease, and other yuck can slip down into the trap and congeal causing smells and clogs.

I don't see any reason the trap had to be that deep and I think that can be easily improved on.

Dishwasher drain

I'm not going to fully explain it all here, but that part is fine.  The dishwasher drain should either have a "high loop" or an "air gap" (search terms to learn more) to help prevent siphoning of dirty water back on to your clean dishes in the event of a clog, but the height of the drain line entry doesn't matter because the dishwasher does have a pump for the drain.  It's pool of water is near the floor, so it has to have a pump to get rid of the water - gravity is not an option.


dyeing grey water, standerds for how much dye to use

Probably enough that your guests can easily see that it's not clear when their dog is looking for a convenient drinking bowl, going for the most obvious inappropriate use of toilet flushing water as potable. Alternatively (and probably requiring a bit more dye) would you notice if you were handed a glass of the stuff that it was blue, or green, not clear?

I assume you'd handle this (and the disinfection) with dosing pumps. Non-toxic dye is available quite concentrated, so it probably won't take much volume. Looking at one example (dye manufacturer's recommended dosing rate), a pound of dry dye treats a million gallons, or a gallon of liquid treats 96,000 gallons (or 12,833 cubic feet, which may help grasp the relation to your current use, depending what your water is billed in.) The liquid would be easier to dose automatically.

You might be able to use a lower rate, but that rate should at least be adequate, and does not seem to imply "blowing through a lot of dye" for remotely reasonable water use. I suspect the standard in play is "does the inspector see that the water is dyed?"


How do you access under a front loading washing machine drum to remove a trapped coin?

There is certainly a method for removing/replacing the drum.  Most newer models have exploded parts diagrams online, both by the manufacturer and third party appliance part vendors.  The vendors frequently have videos (hosted on YouTube). You can google them by using the washers model number.

As far as fixing the rim damage, one of the rotary tools, like Dremel, would make short work of making it smooth. Start with a metal grinding bit and finish with buffing wheels loaded with buffing compounds.

The dented section (above the rim in your picture) should not cause clothing damage, it just ugly.

I doubt the drum will rust, as its likely stainless steel throughout.  Any paint damage (not seen in picture) that is scratched through the topcoat, should be primed and painted with automotive or appliance grade products.

I hope you get satisfaction from the shop.  This damage was careless and unnecessary.

Do know that a full drum removal would have been quite expensive, due to the number of labor hours needed


Washing machine hot water hookup valve repair

Should I spend $$ now to repair a known issue or wait to spend $$$$ later to fix the damage caused by known issue. Hmmm....
Also, how often do you attach and remove your washer hookup hoses? I'm 99.9999% certain that the last time I did that was when I last replaced the washer years ago.
If you want to save some money, and you're interested in learning some DIY skills, have the plumber replace the plumbing, but leave the drywall for you to fix. Most big-box home centers sell "project" sized pieces of drywall (smaller than 4x8' sheets) and small containers of drywall mud. You'll need a roll of drywall tape and a drywall knife or two. Tools and materials will probably be under $50, definitely under $100. There are loads of videos on the Tube of You on how to do drywall as well as oodles of questions here about it. It's not hard, it's just time consuming if you want to do a good job. If an adequate job is acceptable, it's a Saturday afternoon project. (Don't forget, the tools are reusable assets that you can apply to your next project with your new found skills, so they're an investment, not an expense.)


In CLAY soil, looking for best method to set wood fence posts?

When I redid my fence 2 years ago, I went with PostMaster metal posts (http://contractors.masterhalco.com/Contract.nsf/woodpostmaster). They weren't substantially more than a good PT post at Home Depot. You can also easily wrap them with a picket so you don't see metal.

I dug the holes about 30" deep, then just drove the posts into the dirt til they were the right height - much easier than cutting them. You could put a couple inches of pea gravel in the hole, but I just did concrete. My hope is that even if I have to rebuild the fence in 20 years, I'll never have to replace the posts.


How important are stainless steel fasteners for redwood?

Primary reason for using stainless fasteners are:

they are corrosion resistant
the have good strength/structural integrity
they are reasonably inexpensive

Secondary reasons:

they are aesthetically appealing compared to others
they are ROHS compliant

Anyway, the most important thing to note is that galvanized steel is significantly weaker than stainless steel. The corrosion protection is also less durable than stainless.


How do you connect one generator to two separate boxes?

From whence are they fed? Where will you put your interlock?

I happen to have a superficially (since I know no details of yours, yet) similar setup - mine is fed from one meter that feeds both panels. I dread to think what it would cost to put a transfer switch on that feed line, so each panel has an interlock and generator input. My reasoning is that I want to be able to power any circuit without any unsafe power outage creative wiring, but not all at the same time (that would be a BIG generator and the cost of that is also outrageous.)

Most of the time only one panel (in my setup) will need a generator attached to it, but the input is there on the other panel in case I wanted to power one of its circuits in the event of an outage - to avoid unsafe power outage creative wiring. Unless I got crazy and got two generators, I'd expect to power down the one panel and move the generator cord to the other one, rather than trying to power things on both panels at the same time. The "primary" panel in that sense is the one with the well pump and most lighting circuits on it. Refrigeration will also end up there, by design. Load control is by hand, but it's much nicer to be able to have well water (and turn the fridge and some lights off while getting it) than to haul water in a bucket from a stream.

I'm dubious about trying to feed from one generator into both panels at the same time, but if you have a large enough generator (and enough output breakers switched off) and sufficient hardware it should be possible, it's just not something that I personally looked into in any detail, as I had the thought in mind that I'd land loads I might want on a generator mostly on the one panel, but spend the small amount on an interlock for the other panel as well. I don't know if you'd have to have a sub-panel from the generator input to split to the interlock inputs, or if you could just depend on the generator output breaker at one end and each interlock breaker at the other end, with no more hardware needed in-between. Given how interlocks work, I can't see any unsafe condition arising from two interlocks on the two panels (i.e. you don't appear to be asking about "backfeeding from a sub-panel" which you cannot do.)

Depending what your reasoning (and scale of generator) is, you could possibly move circuits you expect to need to power from a generator all to one panel.


The chrome pipe and valve are a unit. The chrome pipe is sized to fit over 1/2" copper and then soldered at its end. The copper likely extends a fair bit within the chrome pipe, and it's not easy to find compression fittings for the chrome pipe, so your best bets would be to repair this valve or remove and replace it.

To repair it, you would shut off your house water, remove the valve handle, remove the packing nut, replace the packing material or any other worn parts, and then reassemble.

To replace it, you'd shut off your house water, remove your toilet line, drain the water from this area (because you can't melt solder well when there's water inside), and heat the joint with a torch. Once hot, use pliers to wiggle the whole pipe/valve assembly loose. Make sure you grip at the valve end - if you grip the chrome pipe portion, you might accidentally crush it around the copper pipe within, making the whole thing much harder to remove (guess how I know!). You can then replace it with another similar kit, or use a new solder or compression valve. I'd recommend a ball valve, aka quarter-turn.


I am going to presume that you mean the handles of the breakers are tied together.

This is the older method of creating a 2 pole, 240 volt circuit or a multiwire branch circuit.

If nothing is connected to them then nothing will happen when you turn them on.


What is the purpose of the twin single pole breaker?

Some things don't need common trip, they just common maintenance shut off. A 2 pole breaker provides both these things but not everything needs that.

The white things are called handle ties. You wouldn't expect to find them on every breaker, just the ones that need common maintenance shut off.

The two Breakers in one space are exactly what it says on the tin. They are separate Breakers with separate trip. I have never seen double stuff Breakers with handle ties, but if the manufacturer supports it then okay.

One thing that does need common trip is the pump. That should not be on a double stuff with handle tie. That should be on a 2 pole breaker. Now they do make quadplex Breakers which are two double-stuffs with a proper two-pole breaker in the middle; all that will fit into 2 spaces. That is what they should have used in that location.

I certainly hope that you tested the bathroom receptacles to see if they already had GFCI protection before installing a GFCI receptacle for no reason. Putting a GFCI on a GFCI is a waste of money. None of the breakers in that panel are GFCI Breakers, in fact there's no such thing as a GFCI double stuff.


Changing old light fitting to new - wiring problem

Thank you all for your comments and advice, I am in UK, the house is circa 20 years old but this is the first time the cloakroom light fitting has been changed. It gives me some comfort that I have wired correctly as such I have decided to return the light fitting and see if I can get some thing a bit better without the integrated LEDs. The switch is the standard cord pull on/ off. I will try again tomorrow when I have sourced a better light fitting and let you know if I need your words of wisdom! For now, thank you all, have a good evening...


How can I convert Cat5e wired sockets to Ethernet?

Yes, with it being cat-5e cable, you could repurpose it as network cable by installing rj-45 jacks. Early Ethernet (10mBit & 100mBit) used two pairs (4 wires) and Gigabit typically uses all 4 pairs (all 8). Your Cat-5 link is referring to 10/100 Ethernet, so only two pairs are used. The other two pairs could carry a phone line each or another Ethernet connection (we used this on IP phones, the computer was on one half and the VOIP on the other half, figure out the color diagrams yourself for your RJ-45s on the second half). My preference is to not muck around with this as the first time you plug in a Gigabit equipped computer, you face getting full ring voltage into its RX/TX for the second set of pairs. Wire it for Gigabit using all pairs and be done with it.

In the good old days of 25 wire straight cable, daisy chain was common installation technique, with the advent of CAT-4 and above phone installations I have worked with have all been star to a central patch panel.


How often should clients look at the job site and talk to the contractor?

I'd be walking the site daily. This isn't a new building with major safety hazards. It's your home, and you should have free access outside work hours. Any hazards should be eliminated, marked, or secured by then.

I'd want to feel comfortable raising issues with the GC at his/her convenience. I'd recognize that my project is not their only one, and that they have limited attention split among several (or many) clients. Call or email and wait for a reply.

I would not address subcontractors directly other than sharing greetings in passing (while staying out of the way). That would be a violation of unwritten (or possibly written) protocol. You're paying your GC to do the negotiation and communication with the subs, and you'll cloud the water if you get in between. Also, as stated earlier, you shouldn't be on the job when they are.

My $.02, however biased it may be for having been both a GC and a sub as well as a customer at various times in life.

Other tips

Keep your crap out of the way. Few things frustrate a contractor more than having to work in confined spaces for no reason other than lack of consideration on the part of the customer.

Be courteous. The people working on your home will find it easy to not care about their level of quality if you give them reason. Conversely, treating them with respect is likely to earn extra care.

If you like, offer a cold drink or cookies or something now and then. This extends the being courteous thing to something approaching bribery, but really it just generates mutual good will. This is important when you're paying a pile of money for something you have to live with daily.


The Code language has changed since the quoted link, now (as of 2014 through 2020) saying "...exposed cable wiring and for repair wiring...", removing the word rewiring. Significance of the change would be up to the local Authority Having Jurisdiction, but many agencies such as the NEW YORK ELECTRICAL INSPECTION AGENCY make it clear this means not for rewiring.
If doing a remodel or renovation you have to demo enough to repair structural, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical up to current codes. No exception is in the NEC for too inconvenient or too expensive.


That type of handle usually means the the screen is "spring loaded" into the channel opposite where those handles are. It should slide "across" (like a sliding glass door) until the edge near the handle is free and you can then pull it inward. Or, in some cases, outward, per comment.


Some modern inexpensive locks have an Allen screw holding the handle to the shaft. You would think that the Allen screw would be only on one side of the lock, the "inside", but in our locks it is on both sides, but the "inside" is what will give you access to the innards of the lock to release it.  Loosen this Allen screw to release the handle or knob, then pry off the bezel to expose the innards of the lock.

On our Kwitset locks these Allen screws are loosened by turning CCW as you would expect, but the screws themselves are "left-handed". When the screws are turned CCW they screw into the shaft to clear the handle it and release it.


Can I replace a 15A breaker with a 20A breaker?

If your entire branch circuit is using 12 AWG wire, then yes.  Swap the old breaker with a new 20 Amp GFCI breaker.


Oven warmer trips GFCI and bake element doesn't work

Igniter grounded out and failed
Since your stove appears to use an electronic hot-surface igniter for the oven burner, and it's most likely a GFCI that tripped instead of a regular breaker, then I suspect the igniter grounded out and failed when you turned the warming function on, which led to the GFCI trip.  You'll need to replace it (or have an appliance tech replace it for you) to revive the oven, most likely.


You'll have to hold the pilot button pushed in for some time, maybe as long as 20 seconds, so that the thermocouple will heat up and act to keep the pilot lit.
If the pilot still will not remain lit even after holding the button for a long time then the thermocouple probably has failed. Generally a thermocouple is a replaceable, semi-universal part. They can be found at big-box home centers, online, at plumbing supply stores, etc.


How can I install a GFCI receptacle to provide protection to other devices?

Yes, look carefully at a GFI (or equivalently GFCI) outlet:

You can see the terminals at the top are labeled Line which means, upstream power.  The pair of terminals at the bottom are labeled Load, which means this is where to connect outlets downstream which are protected by this GFI.

Be careful not to bridge the line terminals to the load terminals!  A pigtail should only connect to the load terminals.


It should be just that simple, yes.  I don't know if I would recommend the Trex brand though.  They've had lots of problems in the past with mold issues.  Not sure if those are still a concern or not, but you might want to think about another brand of composite decking.


Indoor A/C fan doesn't stop automatically

Yup, that's normal for mini-splits. It also keeps the room air circulating, which is especially important if it's used as heating - hot air will accumulate near the ceiling, so it blows it back down to the floor.

That unit has a variable speed fan motor, so when the unit is idle it's likely at minimum speed - probably single-digit watts.


The answer was to put the handles back on and turn them counter clockwise to unscrew the rest of the part that held the ceramic unit that needed to be replaced.  Now the problem is getting the ceramic unit unscrewed, but I hope spraying them with WD-40 a few times will loosen them up.


Can I use epoxy repair putty as a permanent fix for a screwed through water pipe?

I would not trust it, especially in a concealed area where a leak could go unnoticed for quite some time.
You may be able to repair this yourself, if you know how to solder.
Supplies

Tool to cut the pipe (Oscillating saw should work).
Solder
Flux
Torch (MAPP gas preferably).
Steel wool or sandpaper.
Heat shield (preferably non-asbestos)
Appropriately sized coupling without a stop.

Procedure

Use an oscillating saw (or any other means) to cut the pipe near where the damage occurred (preferably right where the damage occurred).
Use the steel wool/sandpaper to clean/mar the pipe on both sides of the cut.
Lift one side of the pipe, and slide the coupling all the way on.
Realign the pipes, and slide the coupling so that the cut in the pipe is near the middle of the coupling.
Solder the coupling in place (careful not to start a fire).

NOTES:

How well this repair holds up, is dependent on your soldering skills. If you can't solder well, you may want to get help.
You might consider installing metal protector plates over the pipes, to prevent further mishaps.


I have 3 sets of wires going to an outlet. I would like to add another outlet from this one, how do i do it?

Be aware that all electrical boxes are restricted on the numbers of wires they are allowed to hold based on their basic volume.  (Over-crowding in the box is considered inherently unsafe.) That being said, for the new outlet, simply add the new cable into the box. Tie all the blacks together under one wire nut. And under this nut as well include one free length of black wire the same gauge about 10" long.  Ensure the wire nut is tight and all the conductors are captured. Push this wire nut to the back of the box.  Do the same with the whites and grounds. Reinstall the original outlet.


Cutting and sanding/buffing galvanized steel

I would use a 4-1/2"- 5" angle grinder, I have dewalt, bosh, Makita and even a harbor freight. I use the very thin metal cutting disks fro cutting steel all the time, after cutting a pass done at a 90. a quick 45 will take the sharp edges off, if I want to polish or buff I use sanding disks, if I want to take rust off I will use a wire cup brush, in all cases it is a really good idea to wear eye protection , a face shield is even better with a good pair of leather gloves both to protect from the hot sparks from the cut but also from the metal it will get hot also. If you go with a grinder it can also be used for masonary just change disks. I probably have more angle grinders than any other power tool because the are so many uses for them.


Water barely comes out of my kitchen tap, then stops

Did you have any recent work performed on either the pipes, a hot water heater added, an Aqua therm unit installed  ?
Where are you located in the world ?

If so you might just have a piece of garbage in the aerators - at each faucet remove the aerators (thing at bottom of faucet outlet where water comes out you can unscrew it by hand usually) and then turn the water on. Then reinstall the aerators onto the faucets and test.
If you have copper pipes and sweating of copper joints was done - this is a very likely possibility.

Also as one commenter pointed out - frozen pipes ? - Both Hot and Cold ?


Supporting sliding ladder rail from sides of small closet?

I'd put ledgers on the walls to the left and right of the shelves.  By this I mean a board running horizontally the entire length of the wall, screwed in at the studs.  This will give you something with some strength and stability to attach to.

You could run a steel pipe across from ledger to ledger, attached to the ledgers with floor flanges.  I can say I have used 1" pipe and floor flanges this way for chinup bars many times and they held up well.

The weak point of the pipe is the threaded part, if it shears off it will be at the threads near the floor flange.  If you want to be safe, run a 1" dowel inside the pipe.  Even if the metal cracks, it's not going anywhere.

If the pipe is not sufficient, you could run a board across from ledger to ledger, just like a joist - you might even use joist hangers to fasten it to the ledgers.  That would give you the surface the ready made rolling ladder kits want.  Joist hangers are made to carry weight vertically, not horizontally, but I think they'd be strong enough for this purpose.  If you want something stronger in the horizontal direction, that's easy enough to work out.


feeding 30 amps to detatched shed with 10/3 armored cable?

Armored cable can't defend itself from the rain

You'll need to re-run this cable in order to meet Code.  While you have enough wires there for your proposal as the armor on modern type AC can be used as a grounding conductor as per 320.108, AC cable can't be run in damp or wet locations (such as outside attached to a fence) as that violates 320.12 point 2.  In fact, I would not be surprised if the cable already has water in it, or is even rusting away as we speak, depending on how long it's been out there.

Replacing the cable with a PVC-jacketed (wet location rated) type MC or MCI-A cable is your best bet here as a result.


Tinted shellac: adding a metalic dye to a dewaxed shellac: Advantage, can be done in layers, fast drying.  Finish can be blended and buffed.  Once blended, an appropriate top coat to protect all.
Stain or dye directly to the 'noticeable spot'.  Over-finish with spray can of clear coat : Lacquer, shellac or polyurethane as appropriate.
Stain markers (like a kids paint marker) are available in a multitude of wood tones.  They can be blended on surface and removed with paint thinner as needed.  They should be fixed with an over-finish as in step 2.


What is the best way to anchor a swing set for high usage by rambunctious children?

A possible solution would be to drive stakes into the ground at the legs, once the stakes are secure enough, screw the leg of the swing set securely to the stake.


Pull out the wire that's in conduit, (look it over, but it's probably just fine) pull in that wire and a ground.

It's darn near impossible to pull in another wire without pulling the whole bundle out and back in. It's fairly straightforward to pull the whole bundle out, add a wire and pull back in, unless the conduit is too small.

Code-wise, (250.118) properly installed metallic conduit (RMC, IMC or EMT) is a ground, whether or not you personally like it. It's not copper, but it's got a large cross-sectional area and the fittings are designed to maintain contact if properly installed.

I would not consider Romex an upgrade. I've seen too much rodent/Romex interaction to love it much, and with the possible exception of wire old enough to use cloth-based insulation as primary there's little benefit to "new wire" over "old wire."


Has our new septic tank been properly waterproofed?

Probably not.

I have a precast cement tank. It is not otherwise waterproofed/coated, etc. It's perfectly standard to use them like that. They don't spray water everywhere - it simply seeps, rather slowly, through the walls.

Consider, if you will, what happens to water that you keep in the septic tank. It sits for a while, and then leaves by a pipe whereupon it's diffused in the soil in the drainage field.

Any seepage through the cement/mortar will be quite slow, and will also diffuse water into the soil. Sure, it will be the soil around the tank, but there's no significant difference.

If you feel the need of an official opinion, call the local health department (whoever does your septic permits/inspections) and ask for an official opinion.


Used circle cutter in wrong place in drywall, best repair method?

Cut some short strips of plywood or even paneling (long enough to overlap both sides of the hole by a couple of inches). Don't cut your fingers off.

Put the plywood strip(s) in the hole and position the strip so it is extending out beyond both edges of the hole, behind the sheetrock.

Hold the strip tightly by pulling outward on the back of strip with your fingers, and drive  screws through the sheetrock and through the plywood strips.

Now, put the sheetrock cut-out back in place, and screw it to the plywood strip(s).

Patch the sheetrock.


Can keep my header when widening a doorway?

Not if you want it done right, but it's not as bad as you might think. Here's my usual routine to avoid excess drywall repair.

Remove the current door and jamb.
Mark the new rough opening on the wall.
Make the horizontal cuts to widen the rough opening using a circular saw (which will be extremely dusty--have a helper hold a strong vacuum) and/or a reciprocating saw. At this point the current header is still in place, but you've cut through all studs interfering with the new rough opening.
Make the vertical cuts on each side. With luck you'll be between studs. If not, just cut the drywall for now. Remove all drywall inside the R.O. on both sides of the wall.
Remove any studs at the sides of the R.O. that are within 1-1/2" of the R.O. You may need to remove drywall screws and extend the horizontal cut slightly. You should now have voids between drywall panels, at each side of the R.O., of at least 1-1/2" depth into the wall cavity. At this point you may want to stand your new door in the opening to be sure you have the R.O. correct. You want about 1/2" gap all around.
Remove any drywall screws run into the header. Gently pry the drywall away from the header to locate them. A magnet can help. Once the drywall is completely free, pull down the header. It'll probably be toenailed into the pin studs above and may take substantial force to dislodge. Once it's out of the way, reach up inside the wall cavity and pry out those nails. You could also cut them off with a rotary tool. The bottoms of the pin studs should be free of obstruction.
If necessary due to a taller replacement header, mark the top of the new header above the rough opening. Make surgical cuts with a reciprocating saw to shorten the pin studs appropriately. If you're very careful, this can be done by cutting through the drywall on one side only. It's easy to let the saw jerk the studs around and rip up your drywall here. Go easy. You'll have to repair these small slots later anyway, so you can add extra drywall screws to better anchor the pin studs if you like. Remove any drywall screws and the pin stud cutoffs.
Add new king studs where needed. Anchor them in place however you can, by toenailing into the wall plates and with drywall screws. If you have an existing stud less than 6 inches from one side of the R.O. consider extending your header to use that as a king. It's important that both kings be well anchored at the top and bottom, as they're critical to a rigid wall and robust frame for your door. If you can't get nails or screws in place, use a copious amount of construction adhesive (not wood glue).
Slide the new header up into the wall cavity. It might hang there of its own accord, but you could run a couple drywall screws in to temporarily support it, or place a 2x4 leg under it. Toenail or screw the header into the king studs.
Add your trimmer studs. If you used a king that's more than 3" into the wall, add double trimmers on that side, flush with the R.O. You'll want 3" of lumber there for rigidity and for trim backing. Fasten the trimmers to the header and re-fasten the drywall to the trimmers.
Repair the slots and any screw holes in the drywall above the header as necessary.