Turning on any high-power device trips my RCD

Somewhere in your electrical system you have leakage between neutral and ground.

All neutrals are connectd without fusing, so the very small voltage on neutral reaches all points in the neutral system. Current follows all paths in proportion to their conductivity (1/resistance) - the regular wired neutral is the dominant path, but some small amount of current uses the leakage between neutral and earth, and when your load is high, that current exceeds 30ma and SNAP!


Cleanup time!

The daisy-chaining simply means that instead of using short wire "pigtails" from a terminal screw on each switch to a wire nut that connects all the pigtails to the incoming hot wire, the incoming hot wire was stripped in places which were then wrapped around a terminal screw of each switch in turn.  As long as the contact surfaces of the wire and screws are still good (i.e. not corroded), things are still OK here -- any corrosion on the bared wire surfaces should be removed mechanically with a stiff wire bristle brush (think of it like prepping aluminum wire for termination) in order to preserve the integrity of the connection, however.

As to the switches with the rusted yokes -- I'd simply replace them with decent spec-grade switches, and make sure whatever was allowing water ingress into the box has been fixed as even when its not shocking you, the mix of water and electricity is notable for its destructive power, as you can see here. (More precisely, corrosion is an electrochemical process rather akin to that going on inside your average battery, so an external electric current source has the potential to accelerate the corrosion process.)


How to prevent warping of softwood shelves?

The problem:
Welcome to the joys of working with a natural product!
Wood will move year in, year out. Some woods are more stable than others, but they all have cells in them that were designed to move and hold water when the tree was alive. Now that the tree is dead, they're still there, they're just not actively working, but they still work just great passively. The first couple of paragraphs of my answer here go into some detail about it.
The thickness of the board will have some impact on the amount of cupping you'll see, but you'll need to go significantly beyond 20mm (~3/4") before you'll notice a difference. Head back to the builder's merchant and look at a board like a 2x8" (~50x200mm) - you'll see that even along the 200mm dimension the boards will curve (put the board on the 50mm edge, with the 200mm dimension vertical, then sight along the board, you're likely to find some that curve up or down - this is called "crown" and it's necessary to put the crown up when using this lumber in a floor or ceiling).
All lumber will dry out with age (roughly 1 year per inch/25mm to air dry when properly spaced). Kiln dried wood has been heated to speed up this process. It costs money to run the kiln, but it saves time - you pay extra for the process - but otherwise, it behaves essentially the same as air dried wood.
The Fix:
If you want to minimize the chances of your boards cupping, you need to purchase quarter sawn lumber. This will be significantly more expensive than the plainsawn lumber you show in your picture, and it will not guarantee that it won't cup on you, but it will significantly reduce the chances of cupping.
You can tell a quartersawn board by looking at the grain. The face grain will be very consistent along the length of the boards like this oak is:
Source: wiseGeek.com. No affiliation, just the first pic I found
You can also look a the end grain. Where the boards in your picture show the growth rings curving through the end, in a quartersawn board, they will run vertically (or near vertically) from one face to the other, like this:
Source: Bell Forest Products No affiliation, just the first end grain pic I found
It is possible to rummage through the piles of lumber at your local home center to find the boards that were plainsawn from the center of the log and exhibit these grain features. They will exhibit the same stability and resistance to cupping and expansion that quarter sawing will yield for the price of painsawn wood, but you're going to spend a lot of time looking for them.
You indicated that you clamped some pieces together and that the cupped one uncupped, at least a bit. Congrats! Give it 48 hours or so and it will, most likely, return to its curved shape.
A more permanent fix is to cut a series of grooves along the inside of the cupping to relieve the stresses. Unfortunately, this also weakens the board and it won't support as much weight when working as a shelf.
Painting is probably your best, simple, way of minimizing the cupping. Paint will slow the absorption and release of water by the wood, but it won't stop it completely. The same applies to a couple of layers of polyurethane or any other covering finish (stain will soak into the wood, not sit on top - it's only there to dress up the wood, not protect it). The key to minimizing the warping via coatings is to cover all 6 sides. Paint the top and bottom and edges and ends. If you cover only the visible sides, you'll actually accelerate the warping as you'll reduce the water absorption on one side while leaving it at "full rate" on the other side. The uncoated side will absorb more water and expand faster.
The best solution, one that is probably serious overkill for your fairly narrow shelves, is to rip the boards into narrower strips, arrange the strips so that the growth rings (viewed from the end) alternate up and down, then glue them back together into the width of board you need. This is the technique used to make wide planks for things like table tops out of boards wider than the ones you show in your picture. It'll work for your shelves, but it is serious overkill. If you want to find out more about this methodology, visit the Woodworking stack and look at the tabletop or table-making tags. You can also look at the wood-movement tag to see other thoughts on the topic.
To reduce the warping in a practical manner, place the boards on the shelves with the growth rings "down". That is, arcing from the bottom of the board, up in the middle, then back down. This will use the weight of whatever is on the shelves to help resist the wood's desire to curve upward, but won't prevent it. Unless you're clamping your books and nick-nacks down.


I recently saw someone set a length of galvanized pipe in a concrete footer, and then bolt a pressure-treated fence post to the metal pipe. The galvanized pipe and footer should last essentially forever, and provide plenty of strength to support the fence/gate. The fence and gate can be replaced as needed. I thought it was a fairly clever approach. You might consider it for your application.

It's perfectly normal to have two gates without a center post, using a ground pin (often called a cane bolt) to hold the less-often used side of the gate stationary. The only downside here is that the gate will twist a bit more if side loads are applied near the top of the gate (e.g. wind, someone pushing on the gate), since the only fixed point is at the ground.

The longer the cane bolt, and the further up the gate it extends, the more support it can provide to the gate. Taking this to the extreme, if you were really concerned about the rigidity of the swinging end of the gate,  you could make your own "cane bolt" out of a long section of pipe (perhaps 4 feet), and have it drop into a larger pipe set a foot or so into the concrete. That gate wouldn't go anywhere!


The standard jamb is 4.5 inches and is based on an assumption of .5 drywall on each side (.5 dw + 3.5 stud + .5 dw).

When a different thickness of finish material is being used, custom jambs can be ordered or constructed onsite. If you use standard prehungs with conventional widths, you need to create a jamb extender.

The simplest way is to install the jamb flush with the finish material on one side and attach the extender to the other side. You can use a trim strip, such as a flat lattice piece or other thin material around .25 inch thick. It can be glued and tacked to the edge of the jamb.

While you could try to get the extender exactly flush with the edge of the existing jamb, such joints are rarely exact and tend to leave a seam, even if filled. Most finish carpenters do not try to do exact aligns, but use a reveal, a slight offset that looks intended. In this case, move the extender trim about .125 (1/8th inch) away from the door opening, toward the drywall. Glue and tack. Once painted it will add a detail that enhances rahter than looking like a fix of a mistake.


Master bath faucet leaks when using other showers or when running dishwasher

Assuming you have an anti-scald mixing valve then it sounds like the seal (gasket) inside the bathtub faucet's cartridge could be compromised.
When the water pressure is full force (no other faucet diverting pressure) then the gasket is being sealed by the water pressure but as soon as a tap is opened then it alleviates enough pressure for the tub valve to fail.
You probably need to replace the cartridge in the tub faucet.
Even if it's not an anti-scald valve you need to investigate the gaskets inside the faucet.


Impact sprinkler-increasing spray distance as it sprays

If you tilt the mounting post, you can spray a roughly elliptical pattern. (The sprinkler head will be at one of the foci.)

If this doesn't meet your needs, you can place two or more sprinklers very close together, set to non-overlapping arcs and different radii.


The panel's material,size and construction are not given. May be it is not properly seasoned wood, so could be defective when machine cut to size too soon and warped on drying as grain is not along length or had ridgalls inside. After some time it might improve with moisture change and aging, but there is no reason to keep panels of demonstrated poor quality in bending and twisting.


Bring the exterior edge of the jamb flush with the stucco. This will make it easier to seal against water. Not sure if exterior trim will be used, but it will offer more protection against the elements.
On the inside edge you'll need to rip a fill piece to make up the 1 inch shy door jamb. Glue and finish nail it to the (2) sides and the top of the door jamb.


Neutral and ground connected to one bus bar in subpanel; should I change?

You are correct in your assumption that your neutral and grounding conductor must be separated in subpanels per the NEC which only allows neutrals and grounds to be attached on the same bus in the Main Panel with a main circuit breaker. You or a contractor should go out and purchase a second bus and separate the conductors.

I can also say that your situation is not uncommon in the industry. This subpanel was probably installed by the pool company and whoever installed it had limited experience.

The question most people ask is, is it safe? The only answer I can give someone without a seminar, is that it is less safe the way it is and it does violate the NEC. So you have discovered it and it should be corrected.


From personal experience, I suspect the logic board - but it's a nasty dice roll as the things are about half the cost of a new opener, and a new opener comes with a warranty, while a new logic board does not, and if I recall correctly was not returnable either, so if it does not solve the problem you're out that money. Mine had no visible damage.

In my case I was sure there had been a nearby lighting strike, and the opener did not stop altogether (so that's different from yours), but driving itself into the floor and not autoreversing were things it did after the event. Pay attention to the fact that these behaviors in an opener are things that kill people, particularly children (and pets) when counting the cost.

Then again, if money is tight, consider disconnecting the opener (well, you have already done that) and just operating the door manually until money is less tight. When you do repair or replace the opener, make sure it has a surge suppressor on the outlet.


Can a loadcenter main breaker be greater than the busbar ampacity?

The NEC requirement for protection of the panel is straightforward:

  408.36 Overcurrent Protection. In addition to the requirement of 408.30, a panelboard shall be protected by an overcurrent protective device having a rating not greater than that of the panelboard. This overcurrent protective device shall be located within or at any point on the supplyside of the panelboard.

So the panel must be protected by an OCPD at or below it's rating, but that OCPD can be the main or upstream.  As long as the upstream OCPD satisfies this rule, the main breaker does not have to;  a main breaker larger than the panel rating doesn't satisfy the requirement and doesn't protect the panel bus but it's not a violation to have it there serving as a switch / disconnect.

Keep in mind that the NEC also requires that the panel and the main breaker be listed, and used in accordance with it's listing and the manufacturer's instructions.  The combination of a main breaker and panel with a lower rating may violate the manufacturer's instructions.  That of course would vary case by case.


Can my floor hold 2100 lbs of dead load?

You need a site visit from a qualified person to determine if your floor system can safely carry the load, but given the span you gave and the information here, the answer is no.
However, you may be able to easily install sufficient intermediate support.
To get a line on feasibility before reaching out to professionals, I'd start by calling the manufacturer and talk with their engineers to see if they have a technical manual detailing bearing requirements. Don't be surprised if it's all about commercial floor systems. While you're at it, get the exact weight.
Next, call the city and discuss with a building inspector.
Given the weight you're guessing, at nearly 70psf uniform load (and an unknown concentrated load), it's not just the depth of the joists you need to consider. You need to evaluate the entire flooring assembly against the concentration of the load.

Assuming the load has full continuous bearing, not on point loads (ie. supported by feet or by a perimeter bar).
Assuming this is piece built.
Taking into consideration comparisons of some common residential construction design loads, a 6" thick concrete foundation wall is typically designed to carry a dead load of 75psf. Garage slabs are typically designed with 50psf uniform live load, 1,500 to 2,000 concentrated load, in mind.

Good luck and have fun!


Narrow conduit with 90 degree elbow - three thhn wires

I am thinking if you got as far as you did, the 90 degree bend in this conduit is OK.  If it's a buried box, or even conduit body, you got very lucky if you got as far as you did.

Fishing wire is sometimes a science, sometimes an art, sometimes black magic.  Here's a voodoo free approach for you.

If at first you don't succeed, lube, lube, lube.  There are many lubes available with different uses but the clear stuff which is easy to clean up and readily available should be fine.  Wipe it on the wire with a rag, and squirt it into the conduit.  Do not use dish soap, a common improvised lube.  Silicone spray lube is not an approved lube, but may the least objectionable improvised lube.  Silicone spray lube may stain upholstery or carpets so I would not try it.
Make up a good pulling head.  With three small wires there are many ways to do this but you want a secure loop at the end and minimal bulk.  Here's a picture of one way to do it, this guy stripped all three wires, made a loop in one, and twisted on the other two.

Work with gravity, not against it.  Go from the high spot to the low spot.
If you get lucky you can push, but it's easier to pull.  Solid wire pushes better but stranded wire pulls easier.
Pull with a fish tape; push the fish tape through from the low spot to the high spot, then attach the wires to the fish tape, and pull back through.  If you can push a single wire through, you can use that as an improvised fish tape.  In fact using a scrap piece of #10 solid Simpull as an improvised fish tape sometimes works better than a real fish tape.
If the fish tape fails, add a spring leader to the fish tape.  Harbor Freight sells a plastic fish tape with a built in spring leader for $cheap and it works fine.
As an alternative to pushing a wire or fish tape, sometimes you can suck a string through with a vacuum cleaner.  I doubt this will be necessary for this short run but search for it on youtube if the fish tape fails.
Work from both ends.  Have one person push from the one end to assist the person pulling at the other end, and go slow.  Even if you don't have to do this, it will allow you to get the wire through with minimal tension and minimal abuse of the insulation.


What do I use for backfilling septic pipe leaving my home?

I'd use pea gravel, sand, or flowable fill.  You want to avoid settling which could cause stress on the pipe and possibly break it or cause it to leak.  So fill materials that need little to no compaction are best.
The dirt that you took out will not compact well and it will settle over time.  I'd only use it on top of the fill that covers the top of the pipe.


Is there an objective way to measure how easily a sliding patio door is moving and if it is adjusted properly?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erpUegt5pqo
and then go to Home Depot or Lowes and pull their doors on the display
Please vote if you agree with this method so I can selected as the answer or come up with a better way

Also some references
https://idighardware.com/2009/02/door-opening-force/
https://adata.org/factsheet/adjusting-doors-access

and the code says:
https://www.thebuildingcodeforum.com/forum/threads/opening-force-for-sliding-doors.7752/

2. Sliding or folding doors: 5 pounds (22.2 N) maximum.

These forces do not apply to the force required to retract latch bolts or disengage other devices that

hold the door or gate in a closed position.

Advisory 404.2.9 Door and Gate Opening Force. The maximum force pertains to the

continuous application of force necessary to fully open a door, not the initial force needed to

overcome the inertia of the door. It does not apply to the force required to retract bolts or to

disengage other devices used to keep the door in a closed position.


Why would you take the word of the plumber? He installed the wrong parts, which now leak. He also says he knows more than Kohler. Three strikes against him.
How about taking the word of Kohler, who made the toilet and knows which parts work? Wouldn't that be a safer bet? And if you go this route and can't fix the toilet yourself, will you make the same mistake again by hiring the same plumber?


no hot water or cold water after installing faucts

Remove screen on faucet and take apart and clean.  May even have to pull valves on faucets and clean.  During your repairs I would guess you disturbed some crud and stopped up the little water conservators in the tap.  As a old restorationist I see it all the time.


Loose thread in standing lamp between base and rod

That's a common failure mode for those lamps; the threads are fairly shallow and prone to stripping out. Though if it happens immediately, rather than after a few years of use, I would definitely return it for refund and/or replacement.

If it fails after the warranty has expired:

It is possible to kluge the connection by wrapping the threat in teflon plumber's tape; enough layers will tighten the connection so the remaining threads can engage. This, too, tends to eventually fail, but you may get several more years of use out of the lamp.

Theoretically you could sweat-solder the mechanical connection, but you'd probably ruin the lamp's finish. Obviously you'd want to remove and reinstall the wiring so its insulation doesn't melt during thd attempt to solder it. And I'm not sure what solders would be compatible with the lamp's metal.

Realistically, most of us consider these lamps disposable. I just discarded one myself, after scavenging some parts that I'm planning to reuse.


How can I remove a single cracked floor tile?

There is a dremel tool called the multi-max that I have used before. You can get a diamond attachment for it that will cut through grout like butter. Once you get the grout out you should be able pop up the tile and replace it.


How to run electrical wire in concrete ceilng?

While that might work, I doubt your HOA would allow grooving the ceiling because the concrete is part of the common structure.

Instead, install flat conduit.

Or flatwire.

(source: flatwireready.com)

Or maybe you might like a beam which could conceal a wire.


What is the purpose of this piece of a toilet fill valve?

Looks like an aerator or flow restrictor. My guess is flow restrictor. Probably was a handy place to toss it, or keep it for later use if need be, by whomever removed it. Or maybe it just fell in after removal and nobody could spot it to throw it away properly.


Spigot replaced with ball valve- now the water gets out like from a water cannon...why?

The ball valve offers a straight through path for the water. It's bore hole is highly likely to be smaller than the feed pipe behind it so the bore acts like a hose nozzle.

The older style faucets have a complex path flow for the water through the device which causes turbulence in the flow and also a pressure drop. This is what makes it look to you that the flow is somehow more gentle.


Soffit vents are always better than no vents.  THere's a volume of air in your attic between the attic floor & the roof.  You don't make it clear where the foamed insulation is.  If it's on the inside of the roof it may keep the attic temp a bit more stable but is otherwise a waste of money.

If you don't have a ridge-vent or other roof vents (or large gable-end windows) there's no circulation in the attic.  Sooner or later the cooler air will migrate downwards, find the soffits,  dump water there (cooler air holds less water vapor than warmer); that may be the main source of your drips.  I would in any case go into the attic to see where the water's coming from.


How tight should baseboards be for laminate?

The last board is not secure to the wall ,and has plenty of movement - buy some talcum powder aka baby powder and place that under neath your floor boards and between the racks (joints) . It will act as a lubricant. Secure your baseboard tightly.

Here is a link you can read more about it.


What can I use to glue acrylic sheet together?

If by Plexiglass you mean acrylic sheets, use acrylic cement. It formulated especially for that. Old way to dissolve small pieces of plastic in dichloroethan, but it is more toxic. Cut plastic easier than glass.


Either system is quiet if installed and maintained correctly. Steam heat could become more noisy if the system is not maintained properly. There were 2 distinct steam systems employed for heating using either the older 1 pipe system or the slightly newer 2 pipe steam system. Of the 2sysyems the 1 pipe system always made more noise than the 2 pipe system. A hot water system should  be dead quiet if installed correctly. Even the noise of the water flow does not have to be there. I have seen all types and installed many. My choice would be hot water for my home however steam was my life and love.


Can I (should I) do anything about these open PVC exhaust pipes in regards to rain or pests

Your setup looks completely standard to me. In my region we have converted most HVAC systems and water heaters to high efficiency units. They vent nearly room-temperature gas via PVC in most cases. The inlets and outlets are arranged to prevent recirculation of exhaust gases into your home, and the outlets have mechanisms inside to deal with drainage from condensation and a bit of rain.
Regarding rodents... it's possible. About once a year I get mice in my suburban home, and I suspect the HVAC plumbing as an ingress point. However, it can be dangerous to apply mesh. Accumulation of dust, lint, insect nests, natural material, or whatever can obstruct intake and exhaust flow, potentially causing health and safety issues. I'd avoid doing so.
My $.03? Don't change anything unless there's an actual problem. If you must, consult an HVAC specialist for the right way to deal with the specific issue. Mesh covers may be available that provide a large surface area unlikely to clog, for example.


Sounds like you want to control the overhead light with a switch that's on a different circuit.  You can use an "in-line" switch such as this one which fits inside the ceiling electrical box.  You'll need a compatible wall switch to send the commands to the in-line switch which actually controls the load.  There are probably a number of other technologies and manufacturers, I'm just using this as an example.  If this is your first or only home automation project, you'll want to be sure both circuits are on the same 120 volt leg to be sure the signals get through.


Is there a reasonable substitute for nail guns when installing baseboards?

You could get something called a trim screw. They also sell them in white if you wish to match the color and not cover the hole with putty.

It sounds like you don't feel comfortable with trim nails as you might damage the surface of the material with your hammer. Quite frankly, that will likely happen if you're a novice.
A brad nailer is great for speed but if you have time then screw in a few trim screws and call it a day.
The only downside is that if you ever need to remove the trim and re-use it then you will likely need to know where to unscrew the screws. I would imagine that pulling the trim off without unscrewing the screws would damage the trim beyond re-use.


Central AC Tripping Circuit Breaker (sometimes)

Before you call a repair person, check the following: Look at the UL label of the outdoor unit.   Find the item marked "Minimum Circuit Ampacity."  This is the minimum size of circuit breaker required for your unit.  Verify that your tripping breaker is at least this big.  If it is too small, then you may need to upgrade the electric service to the unit.

It is normal for a compressor to pull more power during initial startup when pressure on the high and low sides have not yet stabilized and the expansion valve is fully open.  After the pressures stabilize and the expansion valve closes somewhat, there is typically a smaller load on the compressor than at startup.  The most likely cause for your compressor to over amp during startup is that the run capacitor for the compressor is a little weak.  A weak capacitor will still start the compressor, but the compressor will draw higher amperage than it is meant to.  This is a $15-$25 part.  The existing capacitor can be tested with a multimeter that checks capacitance.  If the measured value is less than 90% of the labeled value, then the capacitor must be replaced.  Make certain the replacement has an equal or greater voltage rating than the original.  The capacitance rating must be the same as the original.


The numbers on each side of your plan are probably measurements in millimeters. That's the closest relation I could find to the handwritten 1098 square feet.

7 541 mm * 13 300 mm =
7,541 m * 13,3 m =
100,295 square meters =
1 079.5 square feet


Can I connect a 12/2 wire to a 10/2 wire to operate garage openers?

You can, and the combo requires a 20A, single pole breaker

You can always use larger require than the minimum required by Code for a given circuit ampacity -- given that the 2017 NEC now requires a 20A circuit for garage receptacles, your plan of extending this circuit with 12/2 is fine.  It will require a 20A, single pole breaker of a suitable type for your existing panel (we'll need to see the labeling on the panel if you want advice on what to buy for a breaker, though), and you'll need to use a torque screwdriver when installing the new wiring (with your main breaker turned off, of course) due to the requirements in 110.14(D) (again, new with the 2017 Code).

Garage receptacles (save for ceiling ones) need to be GFCI protected

The general garage receptacles will need GFCI protection as well -- I would run the wires to the garage door opener receptacles first and then to the first general garage receptacle's location; that way, the GDOs don't wind up on the GFCI rather needlessly while the general receptacles can all be protected by a single GFCI located at the first general garage receptacle box that has the incoming hot + neutral connected to the LINE side, and then you can take the tape off and connect the outgoing hot + neutral to the other receptacles to the LOAD side, thus protecting all the garage receptacles with one GFCI.


If you are concerned about it and have access to it (which you apparently do since you can see the split), just sister another stud onto the side of it.

This will share its load without the need to remove it. It should be fine even if it is in a load bearing wall.

Good luck!


I want to run a 100 amp sub panel about 60 feet away, do I have to run it through PVC? AND/OR what size wire should I use?

You can either run it through conduit, or use multiconductor cable rated for indoor, outdoor, or direct burial depending on your route.

If you are going underground, you might consider Rigid conduit, while expensive and needing to be threaded like pipe, it only needs 6" of dirt above it rather than 18" like PVC or 24" like direct burial.

If you are indoors, any metallic conduit will provide a grounding path, sparing you the need to pull a ground wire.

For 100A we generally recommend #1 aluminum, or #3 copper if you own a copper mine.  The lugs on breaker and subpanel will be aluminum, so aluminum is a good choice for heavy wires like feeders.


A quick Google search for "flexible trim" shows several items that should work. I don't know if they're any good but they're clearly designed to do what you want and there are several to choose from.
Here's one example called eXtreme® Quickstep Flexible Laminate Floor Beading & Skirting. The photo looks like it matches your description exactly.

And there's also something called Flexible PVC skirting which is taller but equally flexible since it also comes in a roll.


How do I put in a 10 ft metal pole for a metal driveay gate?

Depending on the weight of the gate and your climate gate post holes are dug deep enough so as to not be effected by frozen ground heave. If you are located in this type of climate than 48 inches should be your goal to avoid having the posts disturbed by frozen ground forces. If you reside in a mild climate than 18-24 inches will suffice. The diameter depends on the diameter of the post, but figure for a 3-4 inch post drilling a 5-6 inch round hole. To help keep the post from possibly loosening the last 3-4 inches of the hole bottom should be widened to form an undercut (or a bell shape) making it wider at the bottom. A gas powered auger will save much time and labor. You will still need a hand operated post digger to remove the last of the dirt. Be forewarned hitting a rock will be a jolting experience even with a clutch. Once you have excavated a post hole to the proper depth insert the post. It should be positioned (if you drilled exactly) approximately in the center. You should support the post so that it remains in position while the concrete sets or you make adjustments. Any length of lumber or rebar that is available will do. Attach two opposing braces close to the top of the post (wire will fasten to anything well). Using an appropriate sized level, check the post for plumb alternating from 90 to 135 degrees on the pipe circumference (side to side and front to back). Adjust the support brackets to keep the post plumb. You should have at least (6) 60 lbs. bags (or equivalent) on site to fill a 48 inch deep x 6 inch diameter hole. Mix two bags at a time in a wheelbarrow following the directions for the amount of water (I believe it's 2 gallons per 60 lb. bag). When completely mixed shovel into the hole. After every 4-5 shovels tamp the concrete with a 2 x 2 or 2 x 4 to compact the mix and remove the air. The job will be most successful if you mix and pour the concrete without letting it set up. Fill the hole so that the concrete is a few inches above grade. With a trowel round off the concrete so it tapers away from the post. Finally, don't forget to inscribe the date and your initials in the still wet concrete. You can remove the post supports the next day, but let the concrete set a few days before hanging the gate.


Help getting a consistent stain across different types of wood

This will still take some experimentation.

Plywood will always take the stain harder than solid wood. If you are using conditioner on the plywood only, that is a good start. You will definitely need to sand the plywood over the original, in one direction. The sanding from the producer is too coarse and will make the stain take darker besides the dryness of the veneer from the laminating process.

Start with 120G and do a sample with the conditioner and maybe that will do it, A finer grit, up to 220, maybe what you need to go to. be sure to sand with the grain.

A tip to insure complete sanding is lightly mark the top with a pencil and sand until the marks are gone, that will have the same scratch pattern everywhere. progerss your sanding with 100g 150g, then 220g


First: don't guess: open up the box and see what is wired to the second switch.  Second: to provide direct power to the outlet, you just need to move its hot (usually black) wire to the input feed, rather than the output side of the switch.

EDIT: per the comment, I should have made it clear that you're not to wire directly to the switch itself, but rather, via wire nuts, to the incoming hot black wird.

Standard warning: if that isn't clear to you, you should bring someone in who's familiar with wiring rather than risk injury to yourself or the house.


What's the Actual Code for Receptacles Below Counters in Peninsulas

Answer based on the NEC in the US:

  Can I install a receptacle a few inches in on the half-height wall (so that it's still under the counter, but not a full 12" in)?

Yes, that's almost right. As long as you are not more than 6" in laterally off the counter edge you are fine.

Also, the receptacle cannot be more than 12" down from the counter top.


What's the best way to reattach a piece of siding?

From the installation instructions

Face nail with a 2" 6d or siding nail.

For good measure you could put a dab of matching color caulk behind the nail head before you nail it all the way down.


Fix your Grounding Electrode System or Neutral-Ground Bond

You need to have ground rods or a tie to an UFER ground set in your concrete.  From there you should have copper wires (typically bare) to your panel. It's not unheard of for those to be stolen.

From your main panel chassis you should have a bond connecting ground to neutral.  Remember that the first panel fed by a transformer's output is a main panel! This is easy to overlook.

Also easy to overlook in commercial work is grounding generally, since the metal conduit does all of that for you.  You don't need to worry about it on branch circuits, but it makes the neutral-ground bond easy to overlook.


Can you wire a 30A 2P standard circuit breaker "downstream" from a 60A GFCI 2p circuit breaker?

This will work fine. The GFI protection is on the feeder side so everything downstream will be protected.

Out of curiosity, why the need for GFCI protection?


How do I replace this toilet shutoff valve?

That's most likely a copper pipe covered in solder. You can try scraping the solder off to see if you get down to some copper to verify. A copper pipe cutter is cheap and easy to use:

Get this onto the pipe a close to the valve as you can, tighten the screw until it's snug, and spin it around the pipe making sure to keep spinning on the same location (you're making a cut, not treading the pipe or making a spiral). After every few turns, tighten the screw a little more and eventually the pipe will break off. Clean the pipe with some emery paper, and install a new compression style valve (this only requires a few wrenches (crescent or fixed, not a pipe wrench or pliers if you want to avoid teeth marks). If you removed too much of the pipe, you may need to replace the escutcheon with a flatter style.


I would replace the motor with a 4 speed PSC motor. Psc motors have more starting torque than non PSC motors and use less electricity to run and start, because they are more efficient. These motors are usually 4 speed however a few are 3 speed. you may want to check the capacitor since the motor will not run if the capacitor is bad and capacitors cost a lot less than a motor.


The first problem that the heat pump solves is the small differential between the ambient air temp and the temperature you'd expect to get out of such a system.

Let's say your home is at 80 degrees. Let's say (with only wild guesses at actual results) that the air that comes off your radiator is cooled to 65 degrees. (You're unlikely to get anywhere near 55 degrees, your water temperature, with a simple fin-contact radiator.) You now have an air temperature differential of 15 degrees. That's not much, and unless you move massive amounts of air it's not going to give the results you're hoping for. You may drop the room five degrees, or even ten, but that ignores the primary benefit of a true air conditioning system: humidity reduction.

This is the second problem a heat pump solves. By dropping the temperature in the room without a condensation stage, you've now effectively raised the relative humidity. This reduces the sensation of cooling you'll feel, and it could actually cause ugly side effects with respect to your home. Now your windows and walls may start showing condensation because they're cooler than outside, but also wetter.

Basically, if it was that simple, everyone would do it. Unfortunately, it isn't. I'd upgrade your window units or add another one. For the cost and effort you'll come out ahead. (Don't forget that a well uses electricity, too.)


How should one size ductwork for a new air return duct?

It is difficult to properly cool two spaces with vastly different heat loads and only one thermostat.

Assuming typical computers and monitors and two users, you probably have about a kilowatt of heating or 3400 BTUs per hour.

Rather than run ducts, have you considered a dedicated cooling unit for your office? You can go with a small window unit. Even the smallest one is 5000 BTU and only uses about 500 watts when running. That's just a few pennies per hour and even that is offset by the reduction in load on the main unit. With the thermostat in the same room, its load response will be much better and the temperature extremes you have been suffering with will be eliminated. Plus you can turn it off when no one is there and save energy that way.

Lately my thinking is that ducts are basically parasites and efficiency goes up when the heater/cooler is in the same room as the load. In the past, the equipment cost was lower with a shared unit but operating costs (energy) have gone up a lot (and will continue to go up) and that could change the equation on selecting shared or dedicated equipment. Comfort will always be superior with dedicated equipment.


Water pressure drops in well water home, stops completely for 5-10 minutes, then comes back full pressure

Check the water pressure & air pressure of your system when the water almost stops flowing as you've described (i.e. before the pump engages).  You may have a small hole in your bladder.  The other possibilities are:

The valve that your incompetent service person opened is not opened completely.  That would cause the incoming water to not keep up with the outgoing (shower) water & therefore need some time to recover before it will give you proper water flow. Ensure the water valve is open properly.
Your pressure switch isn't working as designed.  It may not switch on at the proper pressure level.  If it is adjustable, try to adjust it to the proper turn-on pressure.  If it isn't adjustable, then replace it or have it replaced.
You may have an electrical wire/connector that is intermittently working.


Sill plate on an 8 inch wide cinder block wall

It's recommended (and possibly required by building code) to add a sill seal below your sill plate. These are usually inexpensive rolls of foam, and serve to protect the sill plate from rot. The sill plate also needs to be properly anchored to the foundation, generally every 4ft is required. As far as a second sill plate, this isn't required.


Do two-stage compressors offer both two-stage heating *and* cooling?

A heat pump is an air conditioner that has valves that switch the flow of the Freon so in the winter the condensing could is the inside making heat inside and cool outside (trying to make a simple explanation).
So if the compressor is 2 stage it can run at 2 different levels, depending on brand the compressor doesn’t know if it is heating or cooling the home, except for the defrost cycle. So if it is 2 stage it should be able to do it in heating and cooling, how effective it will be depends on the air handler and if it is multi speed.


Any problem with installing two identical circuit breakers in series?

There is no problem here.

In fact, this is often how subpanels are configured; the main panel has a breaker that feeds the subpanel, and the subpanel has individual circuits protected with their own breakers. The subpanel will have an amp rating. The minimum of the subpanel rating and the ampacity rating of the wire feeding the subpanel will dictate the appropriate breaker for the main panel.

Appliances that require their own local disconnects (such as air conditioners, water heaters, etc.) frequently use a small enclosure with space for just one circuit breaker. This could be a good option for whatever application you are thinking of.


Why is my hot water baseboard heater not heating?

This type of radiator should be warm to the touch, not hot like an cast iron radiator. If you touch the fins with two or three fingers it should feel hot enough to be very uncomfortable. Lastly, go to incoming pipe  coming up through the floor again, it should be very hot, too hot to touch for more than a few seconds. Usually the water moving through the pipe is 150F to 180F. Then feel the outgoing pipe again, it should be almost as hot as the incoming side. If the outgoing is not hot you have a blockage or bad circulater. You should not be able to hold your fingers on either the in or out flow side these pipes for more than a few seconds. If you have a automatic bleeder on the radiator get rid of it and install a manual bleeder. Then run heat and bleed again. Then again one hour later.


Parts of the Philippines are wired like the USA. But they are trying to harmonize their power grid to the EU style, so people in those zones must wire like North American 240V-only - with 120V and neutral use forbidden.  At some point they will move a jumper on the supply transformer and be full EU.  If you are in the Philippines, your plan is fine.  Stop reading: this answer is over for you.   For everyone else in El NEC territory:

Neutral vs ground matters

Neutral is not ground.  It's never ground. It's not even a little ground.  Criss-crossing them or using one for the other seems harmless, but it actually creates a time bomb that means a simple loose wire somewhere could kill you.  They must be absolutely 100% separate at all times, anywhere but the main panel.

Here is the root problem with 240V-only panels.  Sooner or later, somebody will want to stick a 120V circuit in there.  Or a 120V/240V circuit (primarily 240V but uses 120V for controls, e.g. a dryer or range). They won't even think about what they're doing; this will seem very natural since you do exactly that in a main panel.  At this point, a simple wire problem will create a lethal situation, as above.

Because of this, inspectors generally want you to wire the neutral even if you're not using it, to protect you from that future mistake.

You might as well. You're wasting a wire if you don't.

You already have enough wires to deliver 2 hots + neutral + ground.  The trick is, EMT conduit is an acceptable ground path.   So the conduit itself delivers safety ground; your smaller wire delivers neutral; and the 2 larger wires deliver hots. Everybody's happy.

You will need to spend $7 on an accessory ground bar for ea--- wait a minute. Didn't you say the entire building is wired in EMT conduit? You're already finished with grounds. EMT is your ground.

Seriously. This is how commercial wiring is done.  I have four buildings with 7 panels with 6 services, all done in EMT or busway. None of the panels even have a ground bar.  They've been touched by a dozen electricians and many permit/inspection cycles, and nobody's batted an eye or said a word about it. About half of the work is old enough to predate mandatory grounding, and half is post-1980; there's no difference in wiring method. It's all Code legal today except for post-2011 AFCI/GFCI requirements and I refuse to put handle ties on certain breaker-switched, lighting-only MWBCs.

The only time you would ever put a ground wire in an EMT conduit is if you had an expectation that the conduit might take physical damage hard enough to part a coupler. But at that point, you really should be not using EMT there, either better protect the EMT or run Rigid.

Cable in conduit

Is legal, but you'll need a good supply of swear words to pull it.  It will be difficult to pull, and we like to warn DIYers both a) about the difficulty of pulling cable, and also the difficulty of any pull that is near the capacity of the conduit.  Generally, cable inside conduit should always be avoided; run THWN or XHHW single conductors to suit.   But since you already have this....

... Well, hold on. Does your USE cable have markings on each individual wire? Does it easily separate? If so, you can easily separate it, and get to play by the individual-wire rules.  Otherwise  you're stuck with what follows.

When you have a lumpy or non-round cable, you must treat that (for conduit fill calculations) as a round wire of the large dimension; i.e. what circle will this cable fit inside?  CME Wire says 1/0-1/0-2 URD is 1.14" in diameter. Okay.   With one wire, the conduit's inside diameter must be 138% of the cable diameter. (technically, that's 53% conduit fill, but what I just said is easier to compute). So for you, 1.57", but you just make it with 1.5" trade size conduit.

At 2 cables, you're only allowed 30% fill. So now the conduit must be 259% of the wide dimension to support 2 identical cables. (e.g. 3" conduit for dual 1/0-1/0-2 URD. Ouch).
At 3 cables, you're allowed 40% fill, so for three identical cables, 274% of the width of one cable. (still 3" EMT).
At 4 cables, conduit derate becomes a concern, but not for your oversize wire. Conduit ID must be 317% of cable width.  For you, 3.5" trade size EMT.
At 5 cables, conduit derate becomes so severe that it's not worth doing.

Adding an extra ground wire inside the conduit means that would be two "wires", forcing you to 2.5" conduit. Ridiculous.  So don't do that; secure the EMT firmly or run a ground wire outside it.


It would be best to use two. If you make sure your deck boards are cupped down you would think that only one screw would be fine, to stop the board from cupping up in the center. I have seen wood cup in some extremely odd ways so this is not always the case. Two per board/joist intersection will ensure you do not need to mess with it in the future. Or you can always just use one and wait for the weird boards to cup :) I prefer low maintenance and the screws shouldn't be too pricey. Good luck!


The straight answer is the two whites together go to the white, or neutral, of the fixture. The single black goes to the black, or hot, of the fixture. Leave the other splice alone, just fold it back in the box.

None of what you describe is a ground. If there is a bare or green wire anywhere that would be your ground. Also, under some circumstances the box itself, if metal, could be a valid ground, but this depends on a few things.


Gas Combustion Air Duct Re-Route Considerations

Consulting with an HVAC technician advised:

disconnect the left duct from the fireplace just below the first floor subfloor
disconnect the right duct just above the wye on the first floor
route the furnace + water heater duct to the left duct using 6" round B-Vent. The technician pointed out that it's key to match the existing brand (I have Ameri-Vent) so that the turn-and-click attachments are the same.
remove the right duct and fireplace, capping each with a sheet metal & silicone end cap.


What do you call this thick washer-type part?


Possible to Use Different Neutral for Separate Runs of Same Circuit

While the neutral to the fan is on the same circuit as the other devices, the original drawing suggested that it is not in the same raceway or cable as the hot wires to the fan. This is not allowed under the code:

  NEC 300.3 (B) - All conductors of the same circuit ... shall be contained within the same raceway ... [or] cable ...

UPDATE: The revised drawing does indicate that the neutral wire is in the same cable as the hot wire(s). Consequently, the neutral is on the same circuit and in the same cable, as allowed under the code. While there are two hot wires, they are actually the same circuit and merely one hot, using two wires and switched separately for fan and light, a very common pattern.


Is it safe to plug a power strip into a SurgeMaster outlet?

As you discovered, this is just another cheapazoid power strip, but in a different "form factor".  The real receptacle is behind it.
I'm being a little harsh on Belkin; they are certainly best-in-class among the cheapazoids.  I would consider them a Tier 2 supplier alongside Lutron and Leviton.  I use it myself.  However, even a top tier power strip (like Tripp-Lite) is still a power strip and is not anywhere near as safe as built-in wiring.
But it's even worse than that
There are two aspects we really care about: Human protection and machine protection.
For machine protection, this setup as illustrated does not have a safety ground, and while safety ground contributes to protecting humans, it really protects machines. You don't have safety ground.
For human protection, what we need the most is GFCI protection.  You can't use a GFCI receptacle at this location, because the bolt-up "power strip" blocks it.  The outlet certainly could be protected by a GFCI device at another location (receptacle upstream, deadfront upstream, or GFCI breaker). In that case the outlet would be fed off the GFCI device's "Load"  terminals. (that's the only thing "Load" should be used for).  You can test that by hitting "Test" on every other GFCI in the house (you're supposed to do that monthly anyway) and see if doing so knocks out power here.
Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, it can be OK.
Honestly, what really makes power strips dangerous is uber-cheapies, or asking too much of the power strip.  As I said in the other question, chaining power strips is fine if you don't load them very hard.  This is all about "know your amps", which most people have no clue about, so, skill up a bit :)
It goes without saying that a cheap Chinese power strip won't handle as many amps as a quality unit, and one which lacks a competent UL* listing won't handle any amps safely at all. Look at any of Big Clive's teardowns on Youtube to see how that is.

* Other agencies on the trusted list of NRTL's would also suffice, but never CE unless it's bought at a reputable bricks-and-mortar store inside the EU.


Cracks appearing on window and door frames (not the wall) all over a newly purchased home

Pretty much just normal shrinkage in winter as things dry out, possibly aggravated by using damp wood or not running A/C in the hot/wet summertime - so if replaced/installed/painted before you moved in in the summer, it would be swelled up, and as you run heat and indoor humidity falls in the winter, the wood shrinks.
Personally I'd suggest waiting through a year or two before fixing it unless it's the top of your spousal unit's issues with life in general or the house in specific - once it's "cycled" a few times it will move less (not none) in the future so a fix will be more likely to stay fixed. But's basically paintable caulk and paint to fix it, nothing major to get excited about.


why is a cylinder lock key not symmetrical?

The mortise lock type for the key that you depict has a single locking mechanism that can be reached by the key inserted from either side of the door.

The cylinder lock you refer to is actually two separate cylinders that are keyed alike, that each have a simple rod at their back that activates the lock mechanism.


This veers towards being "a matter of opinion" but you would seem to be of a mindset where a "heat pump waterheater" and perhaps "yet another minisplit for the family room" would be most suited to your direction of progress.

An oil boiler which is not heating much of anything but your hot water has a lot of "standby losses" - i.e. keeping itself warm while doing nothing. The heat exchanger coil that heats your hot water may be suffering from mineral deposits, and if so could be improved by cleaning or replacement, but if that's pretty much all your boiler is doing, it's a sledgehammer being used to drive tacks.

Various other alternatives are options, and the choice of "best" really comes down to your opinions/preferences - change to an oil-fired water heater (probably with tank - very few "tankless" units seem to exist in the market) and perhaps use a heat exchanger off that to provide the limited heat when needed to the family room - a system sized far closer to your actual needs than an old boiler that used to heat the whole house.

If you happen to have natural gas available at your house, it's generally a better cost than oil per unit of heat, and tankless water heaters are commonly available. Of course, if you do, it's nutty to have an oil rather than a gas boiler, but I've seen that sort of nutty...


Garage door opener stops--even when I take the chain off the gear!

Garage doors have two pairs of settings:

End stops: one at the bottom and one at the top
Force limits: one for heading down, one for heading up

The first pair is obvious: you want the door to stop right when it's properly closed, and right when it's fully up; you don't want the door to stop too early. You've looked at these, and they seem to be fine.

The second pair is less so. If something blocks the door, you want the door to stop moving, rather than squish whatever is in the way. In fact, the doors I've seen, if they hit the force limit on the way down, will immediately turn around and open (so if, e.g., it closed on someone's leg, it wouldn't keep them pinned). There are force settings for both going down and going up, and must be adjusted with the door and lift springs attached.

See page 24 of this Liftmaster 1/3 HP manual (you may have an older model, but the idea's the same). My guess is that your downward force setting is too low, so that the opener thinks something is in the way and reverses.

You may also have a model with a sensor beam across the bottom of the door, to stop the door closing if there's anything in the way BEFORE it hits the object. If that sensor isn't working you might get the same symptoms.


Grounding Rod for Residential application

This is a ufer ground or a concrete encased electrode. There should be a listed connector that connects to the rebar. To repair this wire brush the rebar and get the correct size clamp for the rebar size, tighten the clamp to the rebar then attach the copper to the clamp at the screw. These clamps are usually brass with a stainless screw, the rebar will get rusty but a ufer ground is the best method for grounding due to the large foundation area that is in contact with earth. If you want you can add a driven rod right next to the rebar it sounds like the wire may be long enough but a clamp to the rod will also be needed. Even though the rebar is rusty this is a superior grounding method so clean it up and use it even if you decide to add a driven rod.


How to fix an electrical outlet where the threaded mounting hole is stripped?

If the hole is slightly stripped, then slipping some type of material in the hole to take up space might do the trick.  A small sliver of card stock or paper or a very thin strand of copper wire (thin like a thread, not thick house wiring).

If that doesn't work or if the hole is actually cracked wide open, you could use glue to hold the screw in place.  Superglue will probably work well and will set fast.  Epoxy is another good choice, but it can be a bit messy.  Even something as basic as wood glue would work to some degree, but that takes a while to dry.  Epoxy will be the strongest choice here.  The other glues would probably fail after a while or if you tried to plug in something with a very stiff cord.

Glue will make it impossible to remove the outlet, but since the box is broken already, anyone that would replace the outlet would just replace the box as well.  They are usually very easy to replace once you've done it a few times.


You are asking questions about a system that requires EPA licensing and training. So it is somewhat off topic. Do you know the system needs to have a vacuum pulled on the lines? Most require 500um. A standard gauge set is normally used with a twin temp gauge after that to measure super heat and cooling, these values will be out of spec and more of the type of Freon your unit needs will have to be added. This can only be done by someone that has the appropriate 608 license for residential of which there are 3 most of us have all 3 or a universal license, even then an additional license is required to work on automobile/truck systems or a 609 license. Did you know there are rewards up to $10,000 for turning someone in for working on AC systems without a license, the fines go up to $25,000. So it is not a good idea to work on AC systems without knowledge and licensing. Note if your system did have a good vacuum level pulled prior to opening the system you have much larger evaporators than condenser (this is normal with mini splits) but the evaporators do require some of the charge also so you probably will need some additional fill to have the system properly charged, running a system low on Freon will shorten the compressor life especially on mini splits.

Added info 28 June 19
I thought I would make an update to this answer, in a recent training class I found out about some split systems that have precharged evaporators and line sets. The reason the training brought these up is they are a DIY install a bit more expensive up front but no license required.
 They are some what limited at this time (fixed line set lengths and single head) so you may find a coil next to the outdoor unit of ~15’ of line set that was not needed but it can not be shortened so the extra is left next to the outdoor unit. The training covered repair because since these units are diy and just “bolted together” there has been a fairly high failure rate.
How are they DIY and why are they failing?
They have self sealing connections at the connection point, the problem is that they suggest leak testing with bubble solution (this is how we find gross leaks that are really bad) professional leak detectors (not the 15-30$ internet specials) can detect leaks that are 1/1000th of bubble solution, so many of these DIY systems are failing at the 1-2 year from install point, they did suggest some liquid sealants to add to the threads of these joints and re charging if the DIY installer calls prior to damage to the compressor or moisture entering the system. So there are some DIY splits out there but be cautious as the extra cost up front is not much different from the same size system professionally installed and if you factor many splits have a 10 year warranty where the DIY have 90 days to 1 year ( not verified by me) the DIY may end up costing much more in the long run. I was unaware of these systems in the past but trying to help the stack exchange community thought I should provide this extra info that it may be possible to DIY a split system but I would suggest having it professionally leaked checked at the outdoor unit and the line set at the evaporator where it goes through the wall as these were the 2 main points of failure. With a well sealed system the higher quality split systems are expected to have a similar life span as a professionally installed system according to the training.


implications of small bottleneck in ductwork

Small-duct systems normally use a fan that provides high-pressure, not high-volume. Air will not move through those small holes without a fan unless there is a pressure differential, or a strong vertical convection caused by heat.
Use firring strips to build out the wall, and to get a better duct size and design. Then add an exhaust fan where the warm air exits the structure.


What is the best place to install an Air-conditioner in a room?

In order of questions asked:

It is best to install the indoor unit near the area of maximum heat loss and gain.  Above a window is a fine place, provided you have space to run the refrigerant piping and condensate line.
Near a corner is okay, but a less central location means there will be a longer time required to circulate air around the room.
As a licensed refrigeration person I can say that outdoor installations near the ground are usually more pleasant to service than those that are on a roof.  Most modern mini splits are very quiet.  As long as the outdoor unit is not directly next to a window, you probably will not be bothered by the noise.
Outdoor unit installed above or below the indoor unit does not matter as long as the total lift and length of piping is within the manufacturer specifications.


That is fine

You can do as you desire -- take the old j-box out and replace it with one facing into the unfinished space.  I'd use a 4" square junction box and mount it so the front lip is flush with the edge of the studs -- this way, if you want to finish the unfinished space later, you can simply slap a mud ring on the box in place of the existing cover, then put a new cover on after the drywall's up.


How useful is double-glazed glass for sound and heat insulation in a semi-tropical climate?

The important comparison is not between double glazed and single glazed windows. It is between specific windows and their specifications because there are high quality single glazed windows and low quality double glazed windows and even among one group or the other, thermal and acoustical performance can vary with manufacturer and part number.

Generally speaking and so long as the sash is not open, double glazed windows will offer superior thermal performance because the separated panes inhibit heat transfer by conduction. As a relatively mature product with several decades of manufacturing and installation history, seal failure that allows the dissipation of the inert gas is not usually a problem with products from established manufacturers.

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association has well established standards for windows and doors. The Window and Door Manufacturers Association is another resource. Their building science is sound. Similar resources exist in other regions.


Should I install fiberglass batts underneath my existing blown fiberglass?

Whatever gave you the idea that blown fiberglass is substantially less effective than batts? Though the R-value of batts is 25-30% better, you simply account for that with increased depth.

The inadvertent gaps and voids that batts will leave you with after fitting around countless roof framing members surely negate any benefit versus simply adding more blown fiberglass. The only thing you should consider doing is increasing the depth, should it be inadequate.

Also, you can't simply move and replace the fiberglass. To be effective (and not clumped or matted) it needs to be blown in. That means hauling it down to a blower and cycling it through. Not worth it.

I'm in Minnesota (winters routinely to -30F) and blown fiberglass is by far the most common professionally-installed attic insulation. Cellulose is probably more common for homeowner jobs, but they're similar in the end.


If you hang everything from the studs, you'll be OK. What type of wall is it? You mention masonry but with studs, plywood with stucco, block with studs and drywall? The cracks appear to be more cosmetic than structural failure.


Is it normal for installed PEX piping to be curved or bowed?

It is most likely fine. As others have pointed out, PEX comes coiled and it is completely acceptable to have it installed with curves and arcs, like this:

PEX is not like copper or iron pipe. Rigid pipe is... well... rigid, so we get used to thinking of plumbing as begin built from straight sections, but that isn't the case with PEX. I'm assuming the installation you are looking at is otherwise properly installed and supported, and the only part that has you concerned are some wide bends/curves. If that is correct, it's completely normal.


What are the options for mitigating problems with an asphalt garage floor

The DriCore subfloor panels are perfect for this.

Your main concern will be the tongue and groove panels separating, so if they are not firmly held on all 4 sides by the inner walls, install an outer frame of 1x4, or similar to make a tight box around the whole assembly. Obviously, leave the last side open until all the panels are in, then lock the last board in, or cut the last panels carefully so you can drop them in tight to the wall.
If you are worried about sinkage, pour sand over the floor and sweep it until the cracks stop taking sand, the leave a half inch of sand between the floor and the dricore.


What are the requirements for fire doors in homes?

In England, the regulation is Approved Document B of the Building Regulations 2019

In Wales, Approved Document B of the Building Regulations (Wales) and amendments

In Scotland, Part 2 Building Standards technical handbook 2017

In Northern Ireland, Technical Booklets

In general fire doors are not required inside dwellings of one or two storeys. In a three storey dwelling (including loft conversion or basement) fire doors are required on doorways to the protected stair and corridor leading to the final exit.

In some circumstances a sprinkler system may be allowed as an alternative to protect the final exit route instead of fire doors.


Why does our "granite" worktop mark so easily?

What some manufactures call quartz is actually ground granite and epoxy or Silestone. In most cases they are great and don't require sealing like solid granite does.  I suspect you may have purchased a bargain brand that is inferior to Silestone or solid granite or good grade Quartzite type.
Also, do not confuse Stilestone or similar to real solid quartz which is a granite rich in pure clear or milky quartz.

If you feel you were mislead in your purchase, you could go raise a stink at the retailer. Insist they inspect your counters and make it clear you are not satisfied.


The long side of the hinge needs to be fixed to your cabinet door, align the hinge pin flush with the end of the door like the picture below

Make sure hinge faces the side you want the door to open to.


What do I do with a sewer pipe (toilet rough-in) full of cement?

Since the ultimate solution may be to open floor and cut out the affected drains, lets hope it was only a  poorly sealed cap..  Its worth a few experiments:

Screw in a wedge anchor in center (of cement in drain) and use several pry bars or jacks to lift slug out

Drill a few inches down with a 2" coring bit (rented with a SDS max rotary hammer at local orange big box).  Repeat across the face of drain, being careful not to drill through drain.  Try chisel and point bits to see how deep it extends.  Shop vac pieces as you go, in case you breakthrough (think positively).

Call emergency hotline on the extended home warranty policy (its in with the mortgage papers)


How long should the hot water last during a shower?

Model the water heater as a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR), so it is always at a uniform temperature. Assume the recovery time is not dependent on temperature and completely accounts for insulation losses and the like. Neglect losses in pipes and assume the operator controls the shower temperature to 105°F perfectly. Taking the stopping criterion from the question, the shower is over when the water in the tank becomes 105°F.

The recovery rate raises 140 gallons of water by 81.3°F in one hour. We'll say this is a constant heat input of 9118 W.

The key is that a constant-temperature shower removes a constant rate of heat from the tank, that which is associated with raising 2.5 gpm of water from 58.7°F to 105°F. This is 16986.5 W.

The difference is 7868.5 W. With constant heat, you don't need any complicated integrals.

The time for the tank to drop from 140°F to 105°F is 1568 s or 26 minutes.

The (maybe counterintuitive) fact that the variable flow rate from the water heater does not influence the rate of heat removal from the water heater comes from the fact that the incoming cold water is the same temperature at the shower and at the water heater.

Note that, because  does not appear in the expression for ,  is now a constant.


How can I calculate my anticipated peak current load?

To answer the actual question here :

The maximum sub-fuse is 40A. So upgrading to 40A seems logical.

No, the 40A device you're looking at is probably this one :

This is a GFI/RCD trip device and its main purpose is to provide ground fault protection for the dwelling.  It does have a 40A rating, but this does not impact your user load calculations in any way.  What you need to consider is only the applicances you will be using, and the schedule that you will be using them on.
As an aside, the service breaker here is the green one on the left - this is the breaker TEPCO will change if you upgrade your service.  I suspect if you ask for a service upgrade to something greater than 40A they will also replace the ground fault unit to match the service rating.

Would I be correct in doing the following?
calculate maximum amperage with voltage and wattage of each device
summing up the amperage of all of the devices (ie. 10A + 20A + 7A + 5A)
finding thus the maximum amperage of the main fuse

You can do this if you anticipate that you will be using all of your electrical devices at the same time.  If, however, you are trying to make a better guess of your peak load, you should consider all your appliances and figure which combinations of them you will likely be using at the same time, and then select the highest load use case you expect you will encounter.
For example, if you never plan to use the microwave while drying your hair, you don't need to consider the load of both of those appliances at once.  If you're really trying to save on a rate plan, you can also then develop a daily routine that deliberately places certain activities at different times to reduce your peak electrical usage.  If you're fine turning off the A/C, for example, while you use other high-load devices for a short activity, this can really cut down on the service size (and cost) for your electricity in Japan.
This kind of mindful load balancing is very much encouraged in Japan, and the steep rate pricing for larger service is very much designed to promote this kind of peak-shaving behaviour.  It reduces the peak grid load if everyone is mindful to not dry their clothes and make rice at the same time, so this kind of lifestyle hacking is very much the norm in Japan, especially since the setsuden push following the loss of Fukushima.
There is a good article at Japan Times that discusses these types of strategies.

Service Types
Also, keep in mind that there are two types of common electrical service in Japan.  The panelboard in the image above (which we now know looks "exactly" like yours) is showing a two-pole service feed, or what is called in Japan a "single three" (単3) service.  "Three" here refers to the number of wires - two hot and one neutral.  A 単3 service at 30A provides two hot legs at 100V, so 6kW of total power, or effectively 60A of 100V power.  This type of service also allows for 200V loads for larger appliances, A/C, etc (note the 200V breaker top-right above, for example).  200V loads draw from both legs, so they must be budgeted separately.
The other common type of service is a "single two" (単2) service, or single pole, two wire service.  This type of service provides only one hot leg and 100V power only.  A 30A 単2 service can only provide 3kW, not 6kW like the 30A 単3 service, so when calculating how large your service amperage needs to be you need to be sure which type of service you have.  Harper's excellent answer below provides more detail on how to calculate your loads for both situations.


Circuit Breakers for Electric Baseboard Heaters

It sounds like you have the numbering correct.
240v is the result of any L1 and L2 connection, the NEC requires the handles be tied, so a two pole breaker or adjacent breakers are required.
1 and 2 are L1 connections, 3 and 4 are L2 connections. I think it is possible somebody reversed the wires that are on #3 & #4. Swapping those two from the current position would make the breakers feeding 240v adjacent, and able to be connected (as required by code) with handle ties or preferably two-pole breakers. Why they aren't on handle tied breakers is less clear, may somebody removed the ties after finding they didn't properly disconnect the misaligned connection. The 11/14 connection would create 240v also, but an explaination of why misswired is less clear, maybe another 240v 12/13 was removed.
A typical 120/240v service is created with two opposing 120v legs, L1 and L2, and are built in a typical residential panel fashioned as two interlocking combs feeding horizontal breakers with the same leg. So when you look at the panel 1 and 2 are on L1, 3 and 4 are on L2, 5 and 6 are on L1, 7 and 8 are on L2, etc..
Any place you mount a two-pole breaker by design terminates in two side by side buses, and automatically attaches to the opposing legs.
P.S. The two-pole 30 could be a water heater. The amperage marking on the handle is the rating for maximum current (amps), it does not double for a two-pole connection. Amps are kinda like lanes of traffic. When you make a higher voltage (which is pressure/force) you essentially speed up the flow of electrons within the existing lanes, so you get more work done without needing to increase the wire or breaker size. If you need to use a breaker that allows more amps then you have to use thicker wire. It is also possible #13 is not connected now, my suspicion is it should go to the kitchen since you only show one of the two required 20A circuits that the code requires to feed kitchen countertop work surfaces.


grounding wire from ceiling with no place to attach to the fixture?

Preferred solution in that case is to attach the safety-ground wire to the box with a screw (if the box is metal), or wrap it around one of the fixture's mounting screws. As long as it makes a circuit to the box and the body of the fixture, it's doing it's job. (Of course if the fixture is non-conductive, it doesn't need grounding.)


When I turn the bathroom light off it doesn't always go off

Try replacing the switch, it sounds very much like the one you have isn't working correctly.


How do I temporarily remove section of vinyl fence?

In the picture of the interior, you can see the locking wedges (lugs) that hold the horizontal  beams in the posts. If you just pull out, the raised edge of the lug will prevent it.

One approach is to place a putty knife (or some other thin metal blade, not too sharp) inside the post, parallel to the beam, covering the lug and angled into the seam of the post's cutout. If there are two lugs, you need on on each side. The cutout should flex and let the lug pass.

You made need to cut down small putty knives to fit inside the post.

This assumes you have some starting point to move one of the beams horizontally.


Is there any mouse traps on the market which are battery operated and give signal when activated etc wifi, bluetooth?

Yes. Kinda.

Google is your friend for this kind of thing. A random result:


Did the contractor installed the new layer of cement flooring correctly?

Rule #1 concrete cracks

Rule #2 you can't change Rule #1

That is why they put in control joints so the cracking occurs where you want it. Sometimes they come back the day after and saw cut the floor to add control joints.

Your pictures look like contraction cracks. These would not normally be a problem with a 4" slab but your thin topcoat could begin to break up if they get worse.

What kind of a warranty is the contractor giving you?


I found a cbb61 in about 10 seconds 5,5,4.5uf the same as you have for 6.29$ the wire colors may be different but that's not a problem it has 2 gray wires on the one side but you don't have to use both, just wire nut the extra off or put both under the same nut. On a 120v circuit 250v will be fine.


Where to connect C wire if no C terminal

Step 1: Find the low voltage side of the transformer. Using a volt meter in AC mode, measure the voltage between the two terminals circled in red, then measure between the two circled in blue. One of these pairs should show ~240 V mains voltage; the other pair should show ~24 V low voltage.
Step 2: Measure voltage from the R terminal (circled in orange) to each of the 24 V transformer terminals identified in step 1. You'll measure ~0 V to one of them and ~24 V to the other one. This latter one is your C terminal. Splice as needed to get a wire out from there to the thermostat.
By definition the R terminal is one end of the transformer winding and the C terminal is the other end. Simple thermostats (bimetal strip, or battery-powered programmable) simply short R to W or G to call for heat or cooling. Controls makers didn't spend money and circuit board space on the unnecessary C terminal.
Now fancier thermostats, which require so much power as to make batteries infeasible do require the C terminal. Newer HVAC controls include the C terminal, but when working with older controls, the only option is to find and tap into the C circuit somewhere.
The thermostat's processor and display are powered by current flowing between R and C. Connecting the C wire and the R wire both to the R terminal leaves you with 0 volts between the wires; the thermostat can't be powered from 0 volts.


Can a dryer heat coil be used after it gets bent out of shape?

I've replaced my heater coil twice in the past year. I suspect the first install failed because one curl eventually made contact with the frame. At no point during both installations were the coils spaced evenly, including taking the element from the box.
You're correct to avoid contact and the rest should not be a problem. The air passing over the coils won't care if there's uneven spacing. There may be sag as the element heats, something I overlooked the first time. If you allow a few millimeters clearance for sag, contact can be avoided.


How do suds cause water leakage and the machine to breakdown?

Pour yourself a drink.   Use a fresh cold can of soda and a clear-sided glass. Now, watch the interface between foam and liquid.

As the foam falls, the liquid line rises.   That's because foam is made of liquid.

The reverse happens when you agitate soapy water.  Now the foam rises without limit, and reaches places it couldn't reach without foaming.  Once it is clear of the agitation, it settles back into soapy water.  It can do this unlimited, so it can pump a lot of water.

So it's not leaking, it's migrating.  You are using too much soap (or poor soap).

Detergent bottles are tricky these days.  They went to those goofy "scoops", which caused the caps to become very large.  Separately, they also made detergent much more concentrated.  The upshot is that caps are no longer sized for 1 load per cap.  You need to read the instructions and look at the very non-obvious graduation markings on the cap.  For instance the detergent I use, you use 1/6 to 1/3 of a cap.


Is MoCA better for home network if coax cable is all over the house already? Or just rewire whole house with ethernet?

Assuming you don't have conduit for the network wires, use the wires you have until it hurts, and then face the pain of getting new wires in. If it never hurts enough for that, you get lucky.
If you have conduit, the game changes. Which is why some of us strongly suggest conduit for networking. But ripping the walls open for new wire when the wire you have works well enough for your actual use (as opposed to your theoretical not yet use) is pointless.
There is no "just rewire" without conduit, for any reasonable value of "just."


Approved weatherproof way of connecting SER into panel

I ended up buying SEU compression clamps and drilling out the rubber grommet with a round drill to fit SER. It feels wrong, and its certainly not listed for that use. But it seems to be the best option available, and in my limited testing it is weathertight.


How can I mount 2ft by 4ft fiberboard panels on a wall?

I've used 3M's hook and loop fasteners to hang pictures for years and they have held well. They are sold at a variety of locations. When I use them I stick one part to the picture first. Then I hook the other part to it, peel the film off to expose the sticky side, and carefully press against wall. It helps to have a strip of masking tape that is level and a corner piece of masking tape as guides.


I have fixed it.
I pulled the blue plastic section away from the bottom of the threaded section. The 2 plastic parts of the flush button sprung back up, and I clipped the blue section back onto the base of the threaded section. I will add pictures later.


My 6 year old grandson would love to make a “fort” there...


Is a cracked roof title considered cosmetic

Tile roofs can last anywhere from 35 to 50 years, depending on the roofing material installed under the tile. Cracked tile often happen from people walking on them during pressure cleaning or gutter cleaning. Some cracked tiles could even be from the initial installation as inspectors don't usually inspect each tile.
There are special adhesives designed to fix a cracked tile. It is applied with a caulk gun and prevents you from having to break loose the old tile to remove it, which can damage and crack the membrane below.  The adhesive comes in many roofing colors.
You should definitely get the roof leak that you found corrected before closing.


I'm getting a fake short on my fuse tripping GFCI

Gfci’s trip at aprox  5 ma your fuse is 15 or 20 amp so this small leakage would not be enough to blow a fuse or trip a breaker and the issue could have been there for years.
1950 wiring is usually cloth wrapped and the insulation can be in bad shape.
Measuring resistance on a plug in device will not tell you if it is the problem many devices that have motors or transformers will show close to a short across the blades that plug i. this is a dc value, ac values are many times this reading.
The leakage also has to be to ground or not running through the hot and neutral. Once the imbalance is ~5ma the GFCI trips and is referred to as a ground fault because some place in the circuit current is leaking or shorting to ground.
How to trouble shoot a ground fault with nothing plugged in, first you could remove the wires off the “load” terminals this will verify the GFCI is working when you press test and reset. If that works re connect the load to the GFCI.
the next step count how many outlets are fed by the GFCI (any outside lights?)
Cut the number in half and with the power off inspect the wiring at that receptacle. If you don’t find any problems some times I will pull the hot and cap it then see if the circuit will hold. If the circuit trips we start working back towards the GFCI if it holds we work towards the end of the run each time cutting the total in half and repeating the inspection until the fault is found.
If no fault is found again verify outside lighting or receptacles, a little water in a outside receptacle won’t trip a fuse or breaker but will trip a GFCI.
I usually narrow it down to the segment of wire or receptacle in 4 cycles by using this 1/2 cut rule and working to the fault. After verifying that the GFCI holds without a load.
Remember anything on the circuit can cause the fault your lights could be fed for the room or outside as I mentioned. If you see more wires in a box than just the feed from the last device and the cable going to the next run that could indicate a branch in your circuit to another location and outside fixtures have been the culprit many times for me.


How close (vertically) can I safely relocate a lag screw in a stud?

It really depends on your technique. The stud doesn't care. Plenty of them have knots bigger. If you can leave even half the hole diameter between the new and old holes it'll be virtually as strong as otherwise.

Mount the bracket using other holes, then drill the new hole. The steel will prevent your bit from dropping into the original hole.

Of course, you can epoxy a dowel (even hand-carved from scrap) into the hole and start over at any location.


Yes, the fixture is stuck in start mode.  It's preheating both ends, but it's not striking.

If it has a starter, replace it.  However, if it doesn't, or if the starter doesn't fix it, it's the ballast (the bulky part which limits the current passing through the fluorescent bulb).

If you're at the point of replacing the ballast, the replacement ballast might be wired differently - keep close eye on the diagram.  Also, the new ballast would almost assuredly not use a starter.

Another option, instead of replacing starter or ballast, is to rewire for a direct-wire LED "tube".  Don't use a plug-and-play LED because that depends on the ballast/starter working, and yours doesn't.


What should I look for in a roof dryer vent?

If you truly have significant snow accumulation then you need the following: Start with the thinnest walled 4" diameter PVC pipe you can get your hands.  Check the irrigation supply companies; Class 100, & Class 125.  Terminate it about waist high directly behind where the dryer will sit, against the wall. Use 4" flexible vent material to go from the dryer to this PVC pipe.  Extend the PVC pipe through the ceiling of the laundry room and then on through the attic and through the roof line, securing along the way as necessary.  Avoid any unnecessary bends.  Using 22*bends or at the most 45*bends, off-set as necessary in the attic to avoid framing members.  I would extend through the roof about 2-feet.  Flash the pipe at the roof line with a standard 4" plumber's type rubber boot roof flashing.  Make sure it goes under the shingles. On the top of this vent pipe install a rain cap or is sometimes called a china cap. Select a cap with lots of venting space.  Eliminate any and all screen material. I like a product made by Award Metals.  They call it their 'Type B' china cap.


A 100lb propane tank holds approximately 24 gallons of fuel, each of which will provide about 90k BTUs. So, one of your 30k BTU/hour heaters will use 1/3 gallon of fuel an hour (if run at full tilt), using up the full 100lb tank in about three days.

reference: https://theadminzone.com/threads/propane-usage-calculations.118427/


Can I grind a shallow channel in my basement concrete to correct the height of a shower drain pipe?

If you're going to tear it all out, you might as well do it right and just cut a hole in the concrete floor while you're at it. Then you can lay in the plumbing properly.


How to build a fireplace using an existing chimney?

I would STRONGLY suggest finding a "fireplace format stove" you are kinda happy with and stopping right there. Retrofitting a masonry fireplace is a huge undertaking that generally has to start from below the basement floor.

I guess a prefabricated metal fireplace in a framed drywall box could possibly scratch the fireplace itch a bit more. Most of those are not compatible with having a second entry to the same flue, so if both the living room and kitchen enter the same flue, you'll have to address that.


Can I use Murphy's oil soap to remove pine sap from composite decking?

I have cleaned pine sap off deck chairs, deck table and cedar decking by first scraping with a plastic scraper. Then I wet a paper towel in turpentine and wipe off the remainder. Sometimes it is necessary to saturate the area to soften the sap so it can be removed by further scraping and wiping with the turpentine.

The deck chairs I cleaned this way had plastic fabric seat material and were not noticeably affected by the turpentine. Of course after using the turpentine I followed up with a wash using warm soapy water to remove any of the chemical residue.

I have every reason to believe that this cleaning technique would with the composite type deck materials. Since there are variations in material compositions it would be wise to check in a small inconspicuous area before committing the whole cleaning procedure.


How to add a barrier with access to roll in and out trash bins in my 'public' driveway?

A few ideas, not knowing what the area really looks like.

Over time seek to identify the various mystery bins and mark them with names or house numbers in permanent ink. When they appear on your property you can either bring it up with your neighbor or ask the local police for help. This may also work through peer pressure. If your neighbors see their names sitting on your property they may be less likely to violate your space. (I find that turning on my hazard flashers is the best way to deal with tailgaters--the unwanted attention very often mitigates the poor behavior.)
Fabricate a temporary gate, such as suspended cables with wire mesh between, that you can install the day before trash day each week and roll up when not needed. Put it up, take it down. Like when training a puppy, your neighbors will become conditioned to do something else.


As long as the drain is still in the cabinet for aesthetic purposes, and the pipe can still allow the water to flow downhill to the drain in the wall, you can do what you need.

The p-trap is always under the tailpipe of the sink.


Why isn't my Lennox G26Q3/4-100-6 furnace firing up?


Wrong socket! Wrong socket! Wrong socket!

That obsolete, dangerous NEMA 10 socket is bad news anywhere you see it.  You wired this? Never use a NEMA 10 socket ever again. It should not have been sold to you, and make them take it back.  It is illegal except for exact replacement of a broken one.

Do these look like your numbers?

That is wild-leg delta. A perfectly plausible thing to see in a commercial shop.  You can see where, by grabbing the correct 2-3 wires, it can supply a variety of voltages including 120/240 split-phase (a-n-c).  By law, the wild leg (208 from neutral) must be colored or taped orange.

NEMA 10 connectors are illegal** for new work and have been for some time, they are only legal and sold for replacing broken ones already installed.  It has been fully replaced by NEMA 14, which is the same thing with a ground, or NEMA 6 if you don't need neutral. Any of them would grab phases A and C in this drawing.

It looks to me like they grabbed the wild leg by mistake.  This would happen if they have a 3-phase service panel and they put the 2-pole breaker in the wrong breaker position (because they don't know what they were doing).

Panels and phases

As you probably know, on most split-phase panels (120/240), every other breaker row on the panel is the opposite leg, A B A B A B A B A B.  And so if you use a 1-space breaker, you get 1 pole, and if you use a 2-space breaker, you get 2 poles and thus 240V.  It doesn't really matter which 2 spaces you use.

A 3-phase panel works the same except it's A B C A B C A B C.   With me so far?  You can use 1-space, 2-space or 3-space breakers. (well, 1-space makes no sense on regular Delta.)  Now if the 3-phase is wired Wye or regular Delta, power is symmetrical, so you can use any position without worrying about it.

However, a wild-leg delta system, watch out!  Every third row in the breaker panel is the "wild leg". If you want 120/240 split-phase, you must plug your 2-pole breaker into specific places that avoid the wild-leg row.  The problem is, the last guy didn't.

Mind you, the National Electrical Code specifies which particular phase must be wild-leg on the panel.  If it's wrong, I'd fix it, but beware - there's a difference between swapping 2 phases and rotating all 3, and the difference is motors will run backwards.

I for one would paint the high-leg rows orange on the panel cover, so it's obvious.

Look out for other shoddy work

We are code mavens here, and when you really embrace it, code is your friend. Code protects you from wrecking stuff and killing people.  The Oakland warehouse fire should be top-of-mind when working in converted spaces, so very preventable - and thousands of creative types are being evicted from similar spaces, a tragic loss to arts and culture.  You want the fire marshal coming through and seeing really competent electrical.

Since you say you do have good grounds (presumably in the metal conduit), please eradicate those horrible NEMA 10 receptacles.  Go NEMA 6 if you need 240V single phase (wild-leg is OK here).  Or NEMA 14 if you need 120/240 split phase (cannot be wild-leg).

Generally in this type of wiring, you don't just install random receptacles.  You wait until you know exactly what machine will go there, and then provision the power it requires, using the receptacle that's correct for that. (e.g. NEMA 15 if he wants 240 3-phase).

Here are the right colors when dealing with wild-leg. The lower phases can be any color except orange, white, gray, green or green/yellow.

If you see any existing neutrals, grounds or high-leg that aren't the right colors, please use some tape of that color to tag them, for practical clarity.   Mind you, for neutrals and grounds 6 AWG or smaller, Code requires you use wire of the correct color, so do that in any new work.

**  By context, we are in the native habitat of the NEMA 10 receptacle, i.e. US, Canada and the rest of North America. [we also claim Colombia because Shakira.] Eradicating NEMA 10 is a best practice everywhere it exists. Don't confuse "poorly enforced" with "legal".


Which type of pump is appropraite for my well?

At 115 feet static and 250 bottom your (sensible) options are submersible, submersible, or submersible.

Which is really "new-fangled 2-wire submersible" (my choice, matter of opinion) or "old-fangled 3 wire submersible" (avoid like plague, matter of opinion) or fancy-schmancy constant-pressure inverter-drive submersible (too expensive for me.)

Since you have a 6" bore, a 4" pump will fit nicely. Park it at 235-240 feet down the hole.


Hot Water issues in entire apartment, How can I fix this?

The pictures do not show anything useful, except that maybe the heater may be old.

it will quickly run out, the dip tube may be broken off.

The dip tube extends the inlet so that the cold water enters the tank at the bottom, below the hot water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fnQEIx-anI


What are the differences between Single Stage, Dual Stage and Reverse Osmosis Under Sink Water Filters?

Single versus dual stage is easy; dual stage is essentially two single-stage filters in succession. Bulkier, more expensive. Better removal of contaminants. Installation is the same.

Reverse osmosis is an entirely different technology. It generally has a prefilter because RO doesn't deal with particulates, only dissolved chemicals. It does handle those very well. It works by using pressure and a semipermiable membrane to achieve the purification. The membrane lasts a long time, but the system uses additional water to concentrate the impurities and flush them away so there's some ongoing cost there. Installation is a bit more complicated as well.


Waste cleanout plug too big or too small

First, measure the OUTSIDE diameter of the cast iron pipe where this opening is. Then go to the hardware store and by a Fernco coupler of the appropriate size. The coupler is basically a short tube made of rubber, with hose clamps.

You'll also need a PVC threaded cleanout fitting, and a cleanout cap. Pick the size of that based on the Fernco couplers available to you at the hardware store.


Ditch the box
The simplest way to do this would be to use an EMT-to-FMC coupling and a length of flexible metal conduit of the same size as your EMT that "dives" into the wall and lands in a FMC fitting atop the panel, as it appears you have enough length in your wires to do this.  You'll need to remove the box and offset nipple first, though!
You could also use a bent section of like-sized EMT and a coupling to make the "dog leg" through the drywall. This may be more attractive than transitioning to FMC if you're handy with a conduit bender.
If you come up short...
If that doesn't work out, probably because the wires are too short, then you can flush mount the box, with a wiring method of your choice (I'd use a rigid or EMT nipple and locknuts, myself) from the box to the panel, then use a short length of FMC and the EMT-to-FMC coupling from before to attach the conduit to a right-angle FMC connector mounted into a KO faceplate (Steel City 52C6, shown below, or equivalent for a 4" square box) on the box.

Or, use an extension
If the flex whip isn't appealing to you, but a box sticking out isn't a bother, you could use a flush-mounted 4" square box as above, but with an extension box (such as the Raco 203 shown below, NoSparksPlease's Raco 187 is designed to fit over a switch opening instead of the full box opening) and blank faceplate instead of the flex whip and KO faceplate, so that the EMT can come directly into the top of the extension box.