Why does half the house go out when a single breaker trips?

Panel-ology, Selective (Dis)Coordination, and You

What you are seeing (multiple circuits being knocked offline by an overload on a single circuit) is a not-uncommon phenomenon in some types of residental setups; however, understanding it requires some knowledge of how electrical panels are set up.

Panel-ology (or how electrical panels are configured)

Every structure that receives an electrical service from the utility, or from a separately derived system (such as a generator), must have some readily accessible means of disconnecting the electrical service from the building wiring with no more than six hand motions, as per NEC 230.70 and 230.71.  Furthermore, 230.90, 230.91, and 230.94 mean that this means must also provide overload (overcurrent) protection.  In practice, the only devices that are listed and used for this task are electrical panelboards (fuse or circuit breaker boxes/panels, in the vernacular) that are fitted with overcurrent protection devices (fuses, breakers); this provides service and branch-circuit protection in a single, convenient package.

The first panels used fuses, and only provided a few 120V circuits for lights and the occasional appliance, as well as a main cartridge fuse and service disconnecting means.  As more and higher-draw electrical appliances became popular, additional  120V circuits were added to this basic design, as well as cartridge-fused 240V branches for water heaters and electric cooking equipment.

Then, in the post-WWII building boom, circuit breakers began to become popular in new construction, providing convenience and improved safety.  No longer did you have to run down to the hardware store to grab a spare fuse when the lights went out because your kid plugged one too many things into the bedroom outlets, and it was also no longer possible to overfuse or bypass fuses, something that was done all too often in the fuse era.

Also, as buildings became larger, and needed more circuits, sometimes a single panel would no longer provide enough room; furthermore, the electrical code had a 42 circuit limit on panels, which was easily exceeded in large buildings.  This meant that more than one electrical panel was necessary -- one panel with the service entrance coming into it would have a small number of high-amperage breakers or cartridge fuse pullouts in it, and then the wires coming from it were connected to more electrical panels in the building.  These subpanels, as they are commonly called, do not need to have a main circuit breaker or main disconnect; they simply are loaded with smaller circuit breakers or fuses that usually feed branch circuits, but can also feed other subpanels as well, although it is rare to see "nested subpanels" like this in a residential building, unless you live in a high-rise.

Another development, this time on the low end of the housing market, was the "split bus" panel.  Main circuit breakers are large (100A or more), bulky, and costly; also, some circuit breaker manufacturers did not make, or rarely made, circuit breakers upwards of 60 or 100A in size.  However, house electrical services continued to grow, from the early 30A services, to 60A, then 100A and more, onto today's 200A residential electrical services.  In a split bus panel, there are two sets of breaker "hot" buses: the upper set is fed from the electrical service and contains not more than six two-pole circuit breakers for heavy loads such as dryers, electric cooking equipment, air conditioners/heat pumps, and water heaters.  The lower set of busbars is fed from a two-pole breaker in the upper set and contains the single-pole breakers for 120VAC circuits.  This design was, and still is, allowed by the electrical code (230.71's Rule of Six); however, it fell out of favor in the 1980s and later partly due to the consolidation of the circuit breaker market -- many of the "bottom of the barrel" circuit breaker manufacturers went out of business or were acquired by established names in the circuit protection business, all of which had no trouble making high-amperage main circuit breakers due to their experience manufacturing circuit breakers for heavy commercial and industrial applications, and thus had no need for split-bus panels in their product lines.

Selective (Dis)Coordination

In most electrical configurations, there will be at least two breakers in series protecting any given 120V branch circuit, and sometimes more.  However, the properties of breakers in series are complex to predict: sometimes the lower amperage breaker trips first, but at other times a higher amperage breaker will trip instead on a bolted fault (dead short).  This is caused by variations in the time-to-arc-initiation and dynamic arc impedance during the breaker tripping process, as it takes a short period of time (roughly one half cycle for a well-designed circuit breaker) for the breaker to react to and clear the fault in the case of a short circuit.  For overload situations, different breakers have different thermal trip time constants due to manufacturing variations, but the effect is the same: which breaker will trip on the overload cannot be predicted in advance.

In some systems (emergency power or continuous industrial processing, for instance), this property is undesirable.  Hence, the major commercial/industrial circuit breaker makers publish tables that an engineer can use to select a set of compatible (same make and series) breakers so that the furthest-downstream breaker is guaranteed to trip first on a short circuit, leaving the other circuits powered and running while an electrician fixes the faulty circuit.  This is called selective coordination.

However, it's generally considered impractical to selectively coordinate residential circuit breakers -- less is known about the fault currents present in a residential system or the trip characteristics of residential circuit breaker types, and the engineering effort required to selectively coordinate circuit breakers is significant compared to the impact of a feeder or main breaker tripping on a branch circuit fault -- i.e. a mere nuisance in a residential setup vs. a hazard to safety in a hospital's emergency power where you don't want lights and machines turning off mid-surgery or in a continuous industrial process where a disorderly shutdown could send chemicals spilling all over the plant floor.

...and You

This means that your only hope is to put the fridge on a less-loaded circuit so that it doesn't trip any breakers to begin with; either that, or your fridge is on the fritz (pulling too much inrush current on compressor start) and will need help (or a trip to the Dumpster) soon...

As to why it wasn't always this way?  Circuit breakers, like all other things, wear over time -- they can become more trip-prone due to this wear (say due to changes in the microstructure of the thermal element, or biasing of the core in the magnetic trip coil), and if this happens to a feeder or split bus breaker over the course of repeated tripping, this phenomenon (one overload taking out several branch circuits instead of just one) will happen without regard to any divorce paperwork that was filed.


Is there a problem in putting an oven over the microwave oven?

Do you still have the microwave manual? In there it should give the minimum clearances for the oven. These will be required to allow for sufficient airflow around the microwave so that it doesn't overheat.

If it's 3 cm or less (which is unlikely) then you'll be OK.

For the more likely case of it being more than 3 cm, why don't you build a shelf at the right height above the microwave and sit the oven on that?


Take the lever to a hardware store that has bins of various sized bolts. Figure the size, then get a grub screw to suit. My gut tells me you should start in the imperial section, rather than metric.


How to hang a mosquito net safely over a bed?

Use coaxial cable clips.  Don't screw the flap side in.  Also the part that you screw in, leave a small gap so that you can tuck a little of the flap side in.

I have two cable lines in my basement laundry room that I switch (don't ask).  It holds the cable great which is heavier than a mosquito net and with a good tug my cable is on the ground.  Of course this will work better if you screw into wood and if you aren't then you want to use some sort of anchor.  You can play with the "tug rate" needed for collapse by how much you tuck in and how tight it is.  Really with a mosquito net this could be very loose.  And the small screw holes can be easily concealed after.


Unused electrical duplex box, soon to be hidden behind a bookcase?

Article 100 of the 2014 NEC is on point for you:

  Readily Accessible Capable of being reached quickly for operation,
  renewal or inspection without requiring those concerned to use a tool,
  to climb over, remove an obstacle or other.

But personally I'd move the outlet using an old-work box then cut a matching hole in the back of the bookcase.  If it's a normal stud wall construction you've got a 14 inch wide cavity to work with (subject to a wire length constraint).  One day you may appreciate having available electric power within the bookcase wall... lighted nick-naks anyone?

Or, move the outlet to the other side of the wall (per @TomG).

Abandon in place is possible, but beware that the wires might daisy chain to other outlets.  Any junction of any wires must itself be accessible by the above definition.  You can't really win :-).  If you want to abandon, places like the Berkeley Tool Library rent or loan circuit finders.  These come in two halves: one half plugs into the hot outlet, the other is a sensor that can trace the matching wire or breaker.


Hooking up my compressor to my dryer outlet

Given the proximity of the 10-30R receptacle to the panel, and the presence of conduit connecting the two, you could upgrade the 10-30R to a 14-30R and likewise swap out the power cord on the dryer. That's something like US$25 in parts. This is an upgrade that is just good sense to implement.
If you upgrade to a 14-30R then you could easily make or buy an adapter from the 14-30P to L6-30R. It would deal with the ground-vs-neutral situation correctly.
There's also another option. Since the panel is just right there, get a bit of conduit and a box and install a new L6-30R receptacle. I believe code allows multiple 30A receptacles to be fed from a 30A breaker. If the panel has no room for a new breaker and you don't want to replace existing breakers with a quad breaker solution, you could choose to feed both receptacles from the one existing breaker. The terminal on your breaker might be designed for landing two conductors, but if not, attach a pigtail of wire to the breaker and use a wire nut to join the pigtail with the leads going to the two receptacles (times two: this same arrangement for both poles of the breaker).
The two-receptacles-one-breaker arrangement could be accomplished by putting the junction in the box with the dryer outlet but it might violate box fill rules and definitely would be crowded and hard to work with. It'll be much easier to run the conductors from a new receptacle directly into the breaker box and make the junction there.


How to anchor through .5 inch drywall/.75 inch wood/concrete block

I would drill a slightly oversized hole through the drywall and wood, then drill full depth in the concrete for the sleeve anchors. Set the anchors flush with the surface of the concrete.

I would then use over-length bolts into the anchors, at least 3". For extra stability, I might put a metal spacer in the oversized hole in the wood and drywall, and have the bolt pass through it.


Why can the connections of a recessed light be buried in drywall, but not junction boxes?

If you search this on the internet you will find the fixture can be disassembled and the j-box can be accessed through the hole that the fixture is in. Therefore the joints are still accessible. Like here.

If you bury a box under drywall it does not meet the definition of accessible according the Code since you would have to remove a portion of the building to access it.


Does a rock face concrete block house need insulation?

In 1926 they didn’t worry about insulation, oil was cheap. The blocks have “open cells” in them that could be filled with insulation, but I doubt it. Usually reinforcing is installed in most of those cells.

However, insulating the walls should be done after you 1) caulk all the cracks around windows and doors to cut down on drafts, 2) insulate the attic, heat rises so it’s VERY cost effective to add insulation in the attic, 3) up grade furnace, thermostat and air filter, if any, and upgrade hot water heater.

Replacing single pane windows with thermal pane windows and insulating walls is usually not cost effective.

I agree with @ecnerwal, get a copy of the heating bills.


Latex Matches Perfectly Twice...Then Suddenly Darker?

You probably didn't have the paint mixed well at one point and some of the color solids had settled out.
The best strategy now is probably to paint the entire wall after mixing thoroughly. Any variation will be masked by the natural light shift at the corners.


Only if you get the foam everywhere but where you want it.
If you can't see the location very well, in addition to being difficult to reach, you may not get a "perfect" application of foam, but an imperfect application will still give you more insulation than no application at all.


I see that you have posted two questions about this situation. I fear you have to address a couple of problems here.  First and foremost is to try to route water away from this area. We can address this in another segment with more info on the area in question.

As far as the immediate problem, I am pretty sure you will have to remove the damaged sections of the rotted siding. I also suspect there will be damage to the bottom plate and will have to be replaced as well. Also inspect any insulation in this wall for moisture damage and mold.  I would be looking at replacing the sill plate with pressure treated lumber and seal it with caulk under the plate to avoid any water creeping indoors under the plate.  If you do not want to replace the entire height of the siding, you may be able to scab a matching replacement patch in there, but that could be unattractive.  You could install a horizontal trim piece along the bottom, under cut or flashed to the siding if the rotted section is not too high up the wall. The important thing here is to remove the rot and create a side wall that will not rot again. You could use a PVC trim board (1X8 etc) or other rot resistant material. This is one of those jobs that require a look-see and adapt a solution as the amount of damage is determined. If you are looking for step by step directions for cutting, removing, and replacing, that is a whole other discussion, depending  on your level of expertise and tools you have available.


Whirlpool washing machine won't start, need help replacing fuse

I found one version that has the fuse in the cord cap (at the prongs under a cover). It was a UK style plug, not the U.S. style. What is your location in the world?

Unplug and look between the prongs. There should be a small access door/plastic cover for the fuse. I did find a manual download link. Check the last page for the pic of the plug/fuse.


I have 2 of these on my farm, we used mountain bike tires on the one that broke. We thought the wider and heavier rims would be needed even though we only carry sawdust for bedding stalls I think they have been on for 3-4 years and we did change the tubes that came with the rim & tire to the thorn resistant after a couple of flats.


How can I repair a bump in a wooden desk?

You will not make the crack go away, at least not with out destroying the texture of the finish. If the core material is particle board, it will be even more difficult. You could, as mentioned in the comment put something over it to flatten it, but it will take a driving force to set it back flush, or near flush.

This is where particle board will NOT treat you right. Since it is made up of fine wood particles, when the screw goes through, it displaces the particles and they will never go back exactly as they were. A small block of wood with a hammer driving on it MAY flatten it out some, by recompressing the particles of sawdust. It may also make the chips come out the rest of the way.

If it does work, you may want to try some appliance repair paint to fill in the crack after it has been flattened a bit or perhaps leave it just as it is. Use the appliance paint on the crack, work it in and remove the excess on the surface, leaving the paint in the crack. Hopefully it will disguise the crack to a degree.

Test the paint on a hidden surface with the same finish you need to repair, in case the appliance paint is lacquer based too. If it is, it will "melt" the existing finish and change the texture in the immediate area of the crack. Hopefully it will wipe off clean with no change in the surface at all.


Actually it is quite common to have multiple air return ducts, with both heating and air conditioning it can save 20-30% by making slight adjustments and changing the flows. I usually suggest dampers on both the supply and return trunk lines for each level for the maximum savings, summer with ac more flow to the upper floor(s) in the winter more flow to the lower floors when heating. This balancing if done well with a air handler appropriately sized can save up to 30% so it may be uncommon in your area but higher end systems do have multiple intakes.


Rain/irrigation run-off drain pipe opening constant dripping

These sort of leaks can be notoriously hard to track, some of the possible causes can be

A spring in the area that may have been diverted due to earthworks in the area
Neighbouring property having a water leak that is running into a ground water drain on your property
Having a roof mounted solar hot water system that is leaking
A underground water leak

I noticed you said you have checked the meter for a whole house leak. That is good and I would recommend you do that by turning off all taps toilet cistern taps and washing machine taps etc, then go to your meter write down the reading and leave the test over an hour if possible as very small leaks can be difficult to detect on a whole house meter.


The same thing happens to the bathroom fan in my office building. The problem is the fan itself; the grease in the bearings has degraded, and the motor is sticking. Without air flow, the motor heats up, and eventually the grease thins enough to let the fan turn again.

I'd replace the fan; it may be a fire hazard. (Yes, I'm working on my office landlord to get this done as well...)


Where do I connect the green wire on my dishwasher?

The flex is your grounding path, so cap off the green wire

In your situation, the metal conduit (flex, then rigid/EMT) is serving as the equipment grounding path, via the conduit fitting going into a 1/2" knockout (KO) on the dishwasher junction box, so you don't have a ground wire coming in.  This means you can simply cap the green ground wire off; if that's not satisfactory for some reason, you can use a grounding locknut instead of the existing locknut on the fitting, then attach the green wire to the screw on the grounding locknut.


Identify flexible metal tubing and connector

Flex tube for connecting a water heater, almost certainly not Aluminum.

Here's an image from Lowes website of a kit with two of them for less than $30 (no affiliation other than occasionally shopping for stuff the orange box does not have at the far less conveniently located blue box.)

Stainless steel, supposedly. And it's plumbing, not electrical.


Stucco alternative for a small section of a wall?

I did something similar with a stucco house I owned where I closed in a window opening to create a shower. I framed in the wall with and installed rough-sawn cedar plywood. The texture coordinated with the stucco nicely.

You don't want to install the plywood flush with the stucco. It'll look like a bad patch. You want it set back a bit like it's a design accent. Maybe 1-2".

Caulk the plywood to the stucco and then prime and paint. If it's not in a very wet location it'll last many years, after which you can overlay a new sheet if necessary.


We don't know the distance from the 4x12 beam over to the next support. So, we don't know the load (tributary load in pounds per linear foot) on the 4x12 and therefore we don't know how much, if any, the 4x12 can be notched.

However, assuming you have calculated the Total Load (LL + DL) correctly at 90 psf, then a No. 1 Doug. Fir 2x8 at 24" o.c. with a load of 90 lbs. per square foot (180 plf) can span a maximum of 9'-0" with a bending stress of fb = 1500 and modulus of elasticity = 1.4.  If you need the 2x8 joist to span further, you could span 11'-0" at 16" o.c. Or span 12'-0" at 12" o.c. (This does not account for "short duration loading" (snow that lasts less than 30 days) or "impact loading" (snow that lasts less than 7 days) like where I live.

Therefore, to determine if the 4x12 beam is adequate, I calculated the maximum tributary load on the 4x12, which is half the 9' span plus the 2' overhang, which is:
4.5' + 2' = 6.5' x 90 psf = 585 plf
The maximum load on a 4x12 spanning 10' is about 700 plf (Therefore, the 4x12 is slightly over sized and can be notched...if the 2x8's only span 9', which I'm guessing they are over stressed.)

So, I think there are 3 options:

Option 1: The 2x8 joists are in "reverse-bending" as they pass over the 4x12 beam. So, the top half of the joist is in tension and the bottom half is in compression. If you carefully notch the bottom one-third of each 2x8 so that the joist fits tight over the 4x12, then the overhang won't sag or fail.

Option 2: if you lower the 4x12 enough to let the 2x8 joists to sit on the 4x12, there would be no need to notch the joists.

Option 3: The 4x12 is slightly over designed, you could notch the 4x12 beam a maximum of 2" (making the beam an equivalent of a 4x10).

Note: In your original statement you indicated that the total load is 90 psf. This seems extremely high. Did you mean 90 plf on the 2x8 joists. If so, that would make the snow load 40 psf, which is high, but reasonable. (Meanwhile, I'd double check the span of those 2x8's.)


What are the primary differences between air paint sprayers and airless paint sprayers?

First off, I'm no expert on compressor/air type sprayers. Most of the time, these type sprayers are used for very thin paints such as automotive, lacquers etc. They also have fairly small paint reservoirs attached to the gun itself. They tend to put out a lot of over spray and should be used in a controlled area like a spray booth with proper ventilation. I never see this type of sprayer on building jobs.

The airless sprayer, such as the one you noted, use a high pressure pump to push paint through the hose to the gun. They deliver a good pattern (depending on tip selected), are easily controlled and since they don't mix air with the product, have far less atomazation of paint in the air. the other huge advantage is that the pick-up hose can be put directly into your 1 or 5 gallon can of paint. Follow the directions on priming and cleaning, but it is easy.  I personally have a Graco model 17 and love it.  It is a professional grade sprayer and retails around $450-$500. Just two weeks ago, I and a helper painted and back-rolled a complete two story house and detached garage in one day.(very long day, however!) This saved 3 or 4 extra days of labor and the results were fantastic. We shot both semi-trans stain on the house and matching color solid stain on the garage.  This sprayer handled both products easily. (I always use apx 10 to 15% flowtrol with thicker solid latex based products)

The only disadvantage of this type of sprayer is on very small jobs. It takes about a pint or more of paint to fill a 25 foot hose and closer to 1/2 gallon for a 50 ft hose when priming the unit. This amount product is usually wasted at the end of the job when you get ready to clean the pump.

From the type of jobs you plan to do, I would recommend the airless sprayer hands down.


What is a good way to cat-proof (or child-proof) kitchen cabinets?

There are inexpensive child safety latches that can be placed out of sight in the interior of your cabinet. They are also easy to install and only leave a few small screw holes when removed. Some may use adhesive instead of screws, but they might be less dependable.

Such a latch consists of a bendable plastic rod with a blunt hook on one side, and is situated on the inside of the drawer or cabinet. The hook catches on part of the drawer or door and prevents opening unless the rod is bent downward simultaneously to disengage the hook.

These latches successfully prevent cats as well as children from opening cabinets more than one or two inches.

Links

For pictures and advice: Picture / Video / Pictures of installation

Some alternatives are discussed here.


Reducing a 3/4" Male Flare to a 1/2" Male Flare

You've got the 3/4" flare x 1/2" NPT hex nipple, round backwards. The flare end should go in the swivel nut on the far right of the first photo, while the National Pipe Thread (NPT) end should go in the coupler between the two flare hex nipples.

From left to right, it should go 1/2" flare x 1/2" NPT hex nipple -> 1/2" NPT coupler -> 1/2" NPT x 3/4" flare hex nipple -> 3/4" flare swivel nut.

To do this in one fitting, you'd need a 1/2" flare x 3/4" flare hex nipple. But I don't think they make those.

Just make sure you use pipe dope on the NPT threads, you tighten all the connection enough but not too much, and you pressure test all the connections.


Should I add wood sheathing to a metal roof car port?

I would not add plywood under the metal.  The only thing that will come with this is the possibility of rot and the loosening of your metal sheet connections.  However plywood does offer structural support to your roof so you may have to add a few crosses and make sure you have a good screw schedule on the tin sheets.


How do you know when and where it is safe to drill into a wall?

Aim for a stud or well away from the stud.  If a line goes through a stud, there should be a metal safety plate on the stud that will keep you from going any further.

Lines that go up and down the wall will frequently be attached to the stud with staples (any electrical line running vertically will be attached) so you want to avoid just missing the stud to one side or the other.  If you don't need the support of a stud, then just poking a hole in the drywall should be well short of any line that is running between studs, however, it doesn't hurt to exercise a bit of extra caution if your near the height of nearby outlets.

To help, get a stud finder that also includes detection for metal wiring and pipes.  They aren't fool proof, but when they do find something, they can be a life saver.


What is the name of this combination of screw and rotating metal piece that locks it?

That would be the cam lock nut and cam screw fastener.

They are commonly found in DIY assembly products sold by various retailers including IKEA.  According to a recent post I've read IKEA may be looking to replace this fastener type in its products, but I haven't seen any changes yet so probably best not to hold your breath.  However, there are alternatives to this fastener such as TorpedoCSIS.


Care and maintenance of wood fence that is rotting because of damp leaves on the other side

Wood and water don't mix. If you want to make wood last, you have to keep it dry. So no good answers unless you can convince your neighbor to remove the rotting debris. Assuming you and the neighbor share the cost of maintenance and replacement  of the fence would entice them to take care of this.
Regarding preventative treatments, there are some do's and dont's:  Don't use a solid surface covering like Varathane or Ureathane:  Outdoors that finish will crack, chip, peel and look terrible. Paint might be an option.  My preference would be a penetrating oil with additives to prevent mold, mildew and rot. Whether paint or oil:  You'd have to use a wood brightener (it's like a bleach) on it first, then pressure wash, wait until very dry and apply the oil.   The tough thing is for this to be effective, it needs to be to BOTH SIDES of the fence, which may be at least impractical or impossible in your case.
Depending upon where you are, bare wood outside isn't the best option...here in western Washington State, I would never install a wood deck or fence again. It just doesn't last.


How to cut opening in 12" pilaster block-columns for electrical box (porch light install)?

Can you cut a groove in surface, and bury your conduit in that, then replaster/stucco the pillar.

Moving outside the box:

A:  Make it symmetrical:  that is, put a light on both sides. Now you have the same ugly everywhere.

B:  Hide the conduit in some kind of raceway.

c:  Be blatant and mount the conduit on the surface, then sheath the column with faux brick or stone.

D:  Trench in a line to a distance away, and use a floodlight


Find someone with a dentist drill.  Should have a small enough head to fit in your space.


What adhesive to use when tiling the fireplace hearth?

I have tiled many areas around wood stoves. It’s not only the adhesive but the tile, backer board and air gap that all come together. I normally use thin set with an admix. It is tougher to keep in place until set but I have had mastic melt several years later and the tiles start slipping down.

The gap I mention helps the backer board radiate heat so the tiles do not get overheated. With a wood stove your stack should not be getting above 350-400 (500 is getting close to problems). When I used to install free standing we always left a magnetic temp indicator that showed the stack temp. A single wall stack to the ceiling kept below 500 should do fine with thinset.

If mastic is used keep the stack temp lower or it may melt and the tiles will start slipping down and falling off.


The best solution, though perhaps not always the most practical, is to upgrade single glazing to double-glazing or upgrade double-glazing to triple-glazing.

A compromise is "secondary double glazing" which is not as effective.


Replacing toilet shut-off valve and need to turn off water; Need to turn gas water heater to pilot?

Do I need to set the water heater to pilot, in order to avoid the
dangerous scenario outlined above? Doing anything to our water heater
makes me a bit nervous.

NO, In the amount of time that it will take you change the valve there will be no issues with it set to the current temperature.
Once you turn the water off, even if someone opened a hot water faucet there would be no water pressure to push hot water out of the water heater (WH), so the WH will not need to fire up.
Once you turn off you main water supply you will want to open all the faucets in the house to bleed out what you can of water in the pipes to minimize the amount of water that come out of the toilet supply pipe when you remove the valve. You can turn it to the pilot setting if you want to feel more at ease, its easy and the pilot will stay on so no need to re-light it.
The boiler is a closed system, except for a one way valve that is designed to add water to the system if it runs low. It will not "empty out and run dry" if you shut of the main water supply for a short time. You can turn off the power to it if you feel you need to.


Any advantages on making paver stones vs laying a cement bed and cutting the joints?

Man I hear you on the work of making the pavers but I would do it that way.  I have cut concrete and I don't think you can expect to cut with that saw and not have a lot of nicks and cutting issues, if you can cut nice straight lines.  Your pavers will look better laid out if they are perfect.  I am not sure you can duplicate that doing cuts.  Your first method seems like work but it allows you to perfect the system.  Doing it the second way seems quicker but could have worse outcomes and if you have to scrap most of the pavers it will be a mess.


Glass cooktop stove with scratches on it

The photo looks like the glass is pitted rather than scratched.  They don't look to be very deep but it could have weakened the glass enough for it to crack when you turn the heat on.  The worst thing that will happen when you turn on the heat is the glass will crack.  In that case you will need to replace the glass for sure. Just be careful that when you are cleaning the stove top you don't cut yourself if the pits are sharp.


Is there some type of coating I can use to prevent condensate on my HVAC ducts?

I call it “The Coke bottle” effect. When you take a coke bottle out of refrigerator, it sweats on the WARM side.

The same thing happens when you start pumping cold air through your metal ducts in a warm atmosphere. (And vice versa for warm air.)

Paint doesn’t isolate the metal duct surface so you’ll have condensation.

I’d look to “duct insulation” which is made specifically for ducts. Some are self-sealing and have a peel and stick adhesive so it would be easy to apply.


which or what type water pump for car washing in remote location

If your only objective is to wash vehicles, you may not need to get as elaborate as a well pump and storage/pressure tank. If you believe that 55 gallons is sufficient volume, it may be more cost effective to connect an inexpensive electric pressure washer to your 55 gallon drum and allow the pressure washer to provide delivery and force to the stream.

Most pressure washers will specify required volume of water in gallons per minute feed which would result in the need to measure your water flow through the hose. If it meets or exceeds the specifications, you would have few problems with accomplishing your objective.

I use an electric pressure washer on the end of a smaller hose. My house is on a well-pump system and it meets the specifications only when the pump is running, but the pressure washer continues to operate. Perhaps the specifications are conservative, or the washer reduces output, but the result is satisfactory to me.


How can I totally smooth a wall surface without replastering?

You could use a fine surface filler to fill the small imperfections and sand that smooth.

Alternatively, if the old paint is loose enough to pull off on the roller, you should probably scrape it off before painting anyway.

Finally, if there is too much surface imperfection, you could paper the wall with lining paper and paint over that.


How can I replace the circuit breaker for my dryer in an old panel?

Update the panel, it needs it.... An electrician needs to do this.

The breaker simply cannot be changed out to a higher rated breaker, the wiring has to support  it too. This is what a qualified electrician can do.

The electrician can tell you if it is possible for it to be done with your existing wiring.


Is there harm in using my mini-splits in conjunction with my hot-water baseboard heat?

Running them at the same time won't cause breakage

As Ed Beal indicates in his comments, running both systems simultaneously with the mini-split set for heating won't cause trouble -- in fact, your mini-splits have support in their controls for running an auxiliary heating system while the heat pump runs if it can no longer keep up with heating demand.

However, you'll need to get clever with controls here

Normally, what I would suggest for your type of situation (no significant concern for running heat during power outages) would be to have the mini-splits control the baseboards using their auxiliary heat control facilities.  However, due to the lack of a second floor head outside the little-used guest room, this approach won't work on the second floor, for sure, and also seems not quite compatible with your control goals in general, given that your economic crossover point is rather high.

As a result, you'll need to do some dancing with your control setup to get the right mix of baseboard and mini-split heat for a given situation -- most low-voltage thermostats should be able to handle controlling the hydronic zones on your behalf, although you may need to route C wires to them, while the Flair device you linked in the comments can handle bending the mini-splits to your will.


How to diagnose an washing machine problem without tripping the main RCD

Option 1: Call a pro.
The safest and easiest approach. If you don't have the skills and/or equipment for the other options, just have the machine diagnosed and repaired by someone who does.
Option 2: Use an isolation transformer.
Just pull out your trusty isolation transformer and use it to power the machine. I'm sure you have got one, or you would have stopped at Option 1.
This ensures that both the live and the neutral conductors of the washing machine are isolated from ground and the mains, so you can't get nailed no matter which part of the machine you touch. You can also monitor the current through the equipment grounding conductor and while you wiggle or disconnect various parts of circuitry to pinpoint the ground fault.
Not really option 3: Play the Russian roulette and get yourself killed to save a hundred £/€.
This is very much against the applicable code/regulations unless you're a licensed electrician. If you're one, go to Option 2 instead. If you aren't one, go to Option 1.
You're still here? OK, whatever, it's your life (and those of your family members) anyway. Don't come back complaining when your house burns down or someone gets killed.
Disconnect the ground wire AND bond the chassis to the neutral wire instead. Triple-check that you haven't accidentally swapped live and neutral. Do not leave the chassis unbonded under any circumstances, as the ground fault would make it live and get yourself killed even sooner than otherwise expected.
If you want, you can make yourself a convenient un-grounding gizmo for this: Make a really short extension cord (so short nobody will ever want to use it for anything, like 20 cm or less) that has the ground contact(s) on the receptacle end bonded to neutral, and the ground contacts(s) on the plug end left disconnected. Clearly label this as a time-travel tool that takes you back to when dedicated equipment grounding was a rarely used luxury. Never use it to permanently workaround ground faults.
Undo these modifications as soon as you're done troubleshooting. Under no circumstances leave the machine unattended when wired like this.
Really, you should have picked one of the former two options instead.


When bleeding radiator why does the same amount of water go out through the overflow?

It maybe that air got into the system and this is preventing the heating system to fill up properly. You may have to remove the air from the boiler itself, there should be a valve to enable you to do this. Replacing the pump seems to be either coincidental or unecessary. Also, when draing some or all of the radiators down it is advisable to put a chemical in to prevent any corrosive effect from taking place. This may have a minimal bearing on how hot the rads get, clean water in the system can encourage furring to take place and therby reduce the pipe thickness, again preventing enough water through to the rad.
Lastly, if the rad or system is old, you may have some thick sludge which will prevent the pipes and/or rad from getting any hot or cold water at all. depends on how thick the sludge is. The sludge could have been disturbed when the system was drained down.
To remove the sludge you can buy a chemical remover and put it into the rad which is worst effected and turn the heat on, then most suppliers recommend you drain the system and put a chemical in to prevent this again. Finally, I had to hit one rad because it was located in a room where i could not get to the valves. I kept on tapping it with a hammer to encourage the sludge to move on and into the outflow, with patience this did work but it did take 30 -40 minutes of tapping and bleeding.


supplying 240V power to a hardwired heater -OR- a 240V receptacle

Simplest option would be to change the heater input to cord&plug, and put the receptacle required on the wall, and plug in one, or the other.
For a fair amount of money as switches go, you can get a 30A rated DPDT (douple pole double throw) center-off switch that does what you ask. The one I could find was in the "very beefy standard switch" look and may be similar to what you have (Presumably DPST) if it's properly rated for the load. The one I found was rated for motor load disconnect use.
You may also be able to find that function in a "gray box on the wall with a big handle" format, but I struck out (I found plenty of disconnect switches, which are single-throw and don't do what you need.)
If you want to completely overcomplicate it (but it might actually cost less) there is the "use a contactor relay" method mentioned in comments. It strikes me as overcomplicated, and it might also be code-dubious as you'd be assembling a system from recognized parts (we hope - beware of Amazon, etc. for this sort of product,) rather than using a directly listed product.


Is caulk a good temporary fix for a gash in fascia board?

You have to look underneath it.

The problem with water is that it doesn't just "gash" things, it goes through them and soaks what's behind them, and then it rots it. Take it down, inspect behind everything until you find all of the damage, FIX IT, put it back up. By caulking it, you're just sealing the water in and helping the rot.


Turning off Power to Thermostat to Replace It

Turns out that for my thermostat, I think I had to wait a bit longer. It took around 10-15 minutes for the display to completely go blank after the breaker was turned off. I think it might have been a large capacitor contributing to this issue, and it was taking a very long time to discharge.


Why do my downstairs radiators run colder than upstairs?

Had an engineer look at everything. The magnet filter was covered in thick black gunk. Took ages to clean. The verdict is all pipes and radiators are filled with this gunk and blocking flow very badly. The system will be power flushed and the pump replaced.


I don't know about the machine, but depending on the size of the wire and the length, you can straighten it by holding one end in a vise and then holding the other end in a pliers and giving it a quick jerk.  It takes a little practice but it works quite well.

However I would hesitate to use this technique on wire you plan to use for household wiring.  If the wire gets stretched too much the diameter of the conductor could be reduced, and likewise the ability to carry the rated current.


How to improve light quality from a bathroom exhaust fan?

You need a Daylight, Natural Light or Full Spectrum Bulb, going to Cool White is only a slight improvement & may be what you have now (Soft White & Cool White color is 2500K to 3000K). You'll need to check the package's or box's stated ratings, listing the color as 4500K up to 6500K.

GE & Phillips have a single incandescent option, though the CFL's have a wider offering. This is an enclosed fixture & not a sealed fixture so either of these will & do work perfectly fine, LED's will not. However, overall bulb length may be limited by the fixture & incandescent may be your only choice.


If a basement concrete wall is 43 inches tall, is it possible to put in an egress window?

Yes, you can install a code approved "egress opening"...but remember 1) sill from finish floor is 44", but you can raise the floor finish to accommodate the window frame, trim, etc., 2) overall opening must be 5.7 square feet (or 5.0 square feet if window is at grade), 3) minimum width must be 20", 4) minimum height must be 25", and 5) if a window well is required, it must be 9 square feet in area and project a minimum of 3' out. If the window well is more than 44" deep, then a ladder must be provided to the top. (See ICC R-310.1 - 310.2)


Need help making an exact size marble "ingot"

Marble is easy - this is not at all dissimilar to finely fitting marble tiles, and marble being a relatively soft rock, you can wet-sand it, or use a silicon-carbide block from the tile section at the home improvement store to dress it to precise size. The block will last longer, but is quite coarse - wet/dry sandpaper can be had in a number of different grades from very coarse to very fine.

Without knowing for sure, I also wonder if you are merely up against a "budget tile saw" or if you are forcing the cuts rather than letting the saw cut at a speed it's happy with. Most diamond-blade tile saws (particularly wet ones) make quite good cuts, when run properly, unless the whole thing is really shoddy.


What do I need to do to prepare to remove a textured (popcorn) walls?

As noted in the comments, you * NEED * to be positive that this isn't 70s vintage, because of the possibility of asbestos. If this was my house, I'd send a sample to a lab.

What's behind the wall depends on the vintage of the house itself. If it's post-50s, it's probably a manufactured board product like drywall. Prior to that, it's apt to be some kind of lath/plaster. Either way, you'll have some sort of a substrate to work from. Don't expect it to be in perfect shape after you've removed the texture -- you'll probably have to skim the whole thing. (This is where the comment about adding a new layer of thin drywall starts to look pretty good, though trim and electrical boxes need to figure into the calculation...)

Mask-wise, you should probably wait until you can procure a mask. This emergency isn't going to last forever in the way that you want your lungs to last forever.

When actually scraping, a spray bottle is probably the best option.

Paint layers on texture will make it much harder to scrape, as the moisture you're applying won't seep in as much. A sharp scraper will help, which usually means either a lot of blades, or the ability to quickly and easily sharpen them yourself throughout the day.


Why is it difficult to find pvc pipes in europe?

They don't have the DIY market as it exists in the USA - many homes are older and there are a ton of regulations regarding who can build what, when and where. Also it might not be legally allowed by law to sell it directly to an end user. The fact that it has PolyVinyl Chloride is probably a regulatory issue but I do not know that for sure.

I know that Industrial supply companies do have them as a previous European employer of mine built machines with PVC, given you are mentioning France too that side of Switzerland .. I am thinking Germany might be some distance.

If you are desiring to weld it together make sure it is all of the same type as US and European PVC do not weld together - I am not talking glue together - I am talking welding.

Also you might want to check with Local Laws as to whether or not you can even make that toy 'legally' .. European Laws can be strangely different and somewhat constricting in comparison to any one who has lived in the US, for example the Hitler salute can be done in the USA but not in Germany and there are plenty of other such laws besides this more well known law.

Bonus:
Wood is the best alternative material in Europe.

PVC PIPE Suppliers in Europe


Wood heating - Problems with power failures. Need some advice

You can find all types of power failure alarms online, with a simple search. One such device from Reliance Controls, is the PowerOUT!™

  The PowerOUT!™ is a power failure light, power failure alarm and a
  portable 6-hour LED flashlight. When plugged into a standard 15A, 120V
  outlet, the PowerOUT!™ will sound an audible alarm and illuminate three
  super-bright LEDs when your home's electricity fails. It can be
  unplugged and, using the three-way slide switch, the alarm can be
  silenced and the PowerOUT!™ can be used as a handheld flashlight that
  will provide up to six hours of cumulative light. The PowerOUT!™ is CSA
  Certified for the US and Canada and powered by a permanently installed
  NiMH rechargeable battery.

I have never used this product, and do not recommend or endorse the use of this product. This is simply an example of one such device that exists on the market today.

If you're simply looking for a way to be alerted if the power goes out, a device like this might be a simple cheap solution.


Can someone explain to me how this hot water recirculating system works?

You're sorta kinda in a bit of trouble here.  This system is close to being good, but because of a seemingly minor screw-up, you're going to have major problems here.  The recirculating pump SHOULD NOT be connected to the drain.

First off, it's quite possible that the segment of pipe between the pump and the "tee" attached to the drain valve is completely or partially clogged with (corrosive) scale/sediment buildup.  Judging by the scale buildup on the outside of the pipe just below the tee, it looks like the tee is leaking (why? corrosion?).  I can only imagine that the inside is worse.  Even the check valve and the ball valve upstream from the pump look like crap.  In fact, I'm pretty sure that's calcium on the ground below the check valve (thing between the pump and the drain with a hex bolt -shaped top on it), indicating that it too is already leaking.  The check valve almost certainly isn't functioning properly (check valves are intended to only allow water to flow one way,) which is possibly why you are having to constantly readjust the temperature in your shower.  The cold water gets injected into the tank at the bottom (via a long "dip tube" that enters at the top and travels down to the bottom.)  If this check valve is being held open by sediment, or if it has failed due to corrosion, then cold water could be coming out of the water heater from the drain at the bottom, making your "hot" water turn merely "warm" after about 10-15 gallons of use, which is one possible explanation for your "shower get[ting] colder during use" problem.

My advice would be to get this junk removed ASAP before something bursts and you have a disaster on your hands.  Get rid of it completely, or if you want to get it fixed up, get a new pump (Grundfos makes great pumps, but I can't imagine that this pump is usable at this point) and tell the plumber to connect the recirculating pump to the T&P relief valve inlet, which is not currently being used(?), rather than the drain.  Doing this would reduce the scale/sediment buildup greatly, which happens mostly near the bottom of the tank.  Replace all of the pipe in the vicinity of the pump as well, as it is probably completely scaled up and corroded.  Everything else should be ok.

I see a line (the CPVC that goes into the wall) for what I hope to be a T&P valve, but I can't see where the actual T&P valve is.  If it's tee'd off of the hot water outlet, then that's fine.  I'd hope it's not simply laying on top, not connected to anything, but I don't have enough faith in whoever installed this to take that for granted.


Why are recently repaired drywall joints in my ceiling bulging?

USG calls this defect joint ridging and offered the following cause and remedy.

Cause: All building materials grow or shrink in response to changes in temperature and humidity. When they are confined to a specific space, such as gypsum panels in a partition or ceiling, they are put under stress, either compression or tension, depending on the temperature or humidity conditions. These stresses are relieved when the panel bends outward in the region of the joint. Once this bending takes place, the system takes a set and never returns to normal. It becomes pro- gressively worse with each change of temperature or humidity. This progressive deformation appears as a continuous ridge along the length of joint, with a uniform fine, ridge-like pattern at the center.

Remedy: (1) Let ridge develop fully before undertaking repairs; usually six months is sufficient. Make repairs under average room conditions; (2) Smooth ridge down to reinforcing tape without cutting through tape. Fill concave areas on either side of ridge with light fill of compound. After this is dry, float very thin film of compound over entire area; (3) Examine area with strong sidelighting to make certain that ridge has been concealed. If not, use additional feathering coats of compound. Redecorate. Ridging can recur, but is usually less severe. Continuous wetting will aggravate condition.


What to do about a radiator behind a curtain?

It is terrible, shorten the curtains.   This is like putting a towel over traditional vents.   You are paying to warm up the curtains and probably getting a small fraction of the actual heat the radiator should be dispersing.   But you will have warm curtains!


What insulation should I use in my attached garage?

Cellulose insulation would be a great choice if you have living quarters above.  The cellulose insulation is more dense and will help control air movement and drafts.  Cellulose Insulation


If you are going to be swinging this 2-part pike around like a weapon, there will be a lot of stress at the join.  It would be good to spread that stress out.

Obtain pipe the diameter of the 2 poles.  Iron pipe would be strong but harder to work.  PVC would be light and easy to work but less strong.  Copper is expensive but strong enough, easy to drill and looks cool.
Cut a length of pipe approx. 30 cm.
Slide pike shafts in top and bottom of pipe so they meet in the middle.
Tape shafts in place so they stay put when you drill.
Drill hole thru and thru pipe and shaft.  In one side and out the other.  You could actually make 4 holes in the pipe so each pike shaft has 2.
Thread bolt thru each hole and fix on far side with a nut.

This will be robust for swinging around in your re-enactments because the pipe spreads stress over a large section of shaft.  It will be easy to break down.


How can I stop my boiler from making all this noise?

Bleeding radiators is quite simple, and can usually be done by homeowners.  All that's required is a radiator key, a towel and/or bowl, and a bit of time.
Why Bleed Radiators
Even with closed systems, air can still find its way into the system. When it does, it will collect at the highest points available (the top of radiators).  Trapped air can cause radiators to heat less effectively, so removing it will help reduce your heating costs.
How to Bleed Radiators
To bleed the radiator, you'll need a special tool called a "radiator key". A radiator key is a small key like object that will fit on the bleed valve of the radiators, and is used to open/closed the valve.

The first step in bleeding the radiators, is to turn off the system.  Next, you'll have to locate the bleed valve on each radiator.  This valve should be near the top of the radiator, and will look something like this.

Insert the key into the valve, and hold the towel and/or bowl below the valve. Slowly turn the key anticlockwise, until you hear a hissing noise or water starts to drip from the valve. Once water starts to drip, close the valve by turning the key clockwise.

WARNING: Never open the bleed valve too fast, too far, or completely remove the valve stem.
CAUTION: Water dripping from bleed valve may be hot. Contact with aforementioned water could lead to injury.
Repeat this procedure for each radiator in the system.
Repressurize the System
After bleeding the radiators (or even before bleeding the radiators), you may notice the pressure in the system is too low. The typical rule of thumb is that for a 2 story home, the pressure should be between 12-15 lbs. or 25 - 30 ft. If you notice the pressure is a bit low, you'll want to top the system off.
There should be a supply pipe connected to the boiler, with a valve that is fully closed.  This pipe should come from the cold water supply system of the house.  Once you've located the supply and valve. Open the valve slowly, keeping an eye on the gauges, close the valve again when the gauge reaches the optimal level.


Weatherproof junction/extension box with 8AWG wiring - selection and mounting problem

The problem I see is your wire fill with 4 ea #8 wires counted at 3 cubic inches each you are at 12 without a clamp. I would probably be looking at a double gang bell box.
One thing that regularly has to be done in industrial facilities is modifications to boxes or gutters. I would verify your local AHJ will allow this on residential.
I would cut the back of a bell box out to slide over the existing device box and mount it directly to the wall this will look better and provide the additional space to splice the wires. Since the existing box is proud of the wall a bead of calking across the top or even around that box prior to sliding it over the existing box would make it waterproof.
I have done this with both boxes and gutters coming out of concrete walls and steel plate. Your stucco would be the same as a concrete wall.
Trying to splice heavy wires in two tight a space is how wires get the insulation damaged and end up shorting out on the box or they vibrate through at a later date.


You might try a glaze coat and then over-seal with more varnish.
Some background:
A pigmented stain is made from 'bits' of color (the pigment).  When applied to bare wood, most  of the color is on the surface.  (But HerrBag, I hear you saying, my Minwax stain is oil based and penetrates.  Alas, Minwax is a MIX of dye and pigmented stain.
Most paint is pigment mixed into a base material that lets you disperse it evenly.  The opaqueness comes from the concentration of pigment and the base material itself.
GLAZES
are the same pigment in a transparent base that lets you 'float' a color layer over previously finished wood.  Indeed, to make a custom glaze, you add a small percentage of regular paint to the glazing base.
To adapt the technique for large areas will require the slower setting version glaze and a swivel head applicator (as used by flooring pros, its an oversized tubular paint pad (like a paint roller that doesn't rotate)).

A good article on glazes and glazing from Woodworkers Journal is here.


Is it Code legal to hardwire a refrigerator in a basement?

You cannot cut the cap off of a cord to make it hard wired; 1) you are modifying the equipment, i.e. not being used in its intended manner, and 2) portable cord is not allowed for permanent connections. And forget the idea that commercial refrigerators and freezers are hard wired to get around the GFCI requirement, they are required by code to have GFCIs regardless of how they are connected, have been since 2008.

Most MODERN refrigerators and freezers have been designed now to NOT trip GFCIs because of the impending requirement changes. So in reality what the main effect of this will be is that you will likely have to get rid of your old ancient garage beer fridge and upgrade to something built in the last 10 years. Just from an energy efficiency standpoint you should probably do that anyway. Around here, my utility will pay you $75 to get rid of your old garage fridge.

There is a Power Failure Alarm unit I found and used on a sump pump once, it would work for a fridge as well. It can be ordered with an alarm contact that can be wired to an auto dialer or security system, but now I think you could also wire it to a sensor for a "smart speaker" system too.


What's the difference between ETL and UL listed electrical outlets? Which should I purchase?

It appears California leaves recognition of testing labs all the way down to city level, an example of this is the City of Los Angeles, but there should be no issue with ETL for GFCI receptacles.
The National Fire Protection Association (also a private company and owner of the NEC) doesn't specify OSHA NRTL's or name UL or any other testing labs in NFPA70 (the NEC). It says:

110.3(C) Listing. Product testing, evaluation, and listing (product certification) shall be performed by recognized qualified electrical
testing laboratories and shall be in accordance with applicable
product standards recognized as achieving equivalent and effective
safety for equipment installed to comply with this Code.
Informational Note: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) recognizes qualified electrical testing laboratories that
perform evaluations, testing, and certification of certain products to
ensure that they meet the requirements of both the construction and
general industry OSHA electrical standards. If the listing (product
certification) is done under a qualified electrical testing laboratory
program, this listing mark signifies that the tested and certified
product complies with the requirements of one or more appropriate
product safety test standards.

Many Authorities Having Jurisdiction defer recognition by ordinance to labs recognized by OSHA as NRTL's. Not all NRTL's do electrical testing, and not all approvals apply to all countries. For example a UL symbol with the letters AR below it are only approved for use in Argentina, and NSF doesn't test electrical.


Utility sink continues to dribble from hot faucet after closing hot water line

Depending on the size and length of the piping throughout the house it's not unreasonable to estimate that there might be two gallons or more water contained in just the hot water piping. In the case of copper tubing, 50 feet of 3/4" contains 1.1 gal while 80 feet of 1/2" contains another 0.9 gal. It's relatively easy to consume that much piping especially in a two-story house or multi-bath house.
After the hot piping is drained down (whatever its volume may be), if water continues to exit from that basement-level faucet, it is being replenished from somewhere. Some valve is leaking water from the cold system into the hot system. Two possibilities come to mind:

The shutoff at the water heater leaks, allowing new water to flow through the heater tank to the faucet.
A mixing valve somewhere in the house is allowing water to leak from the cold side to the hot side, but not leaking to the faucet's normal output.

You mentioned testing whether this faucet's mixer leaks by turning off its cold supply. Try turning off all the cold supplies at all the other single-handle faucets in the house too. If the drip stops, then turn those supplies back on one at a time to find one that leaks. There could even be more than one that leaks. In the event that you have one or more single-handle faucets for a bathtub filler or shower (where there's no secondary shutoff valve as there would be under a sink) you might not be able to prove whether or not one of them has such a cross-supply leak.


Can I connect an outdoor wood stove to my current HVAC system?

As one comment mentions, the type of old stove you're describing heats by radiating, and it will be difficult to move that heat into the house somehow.

Another issue to be concerned with is whether or not the stove is certified - if it's not, chances are you won't be able to get insurance, or insurance may be invalidated if it's the cause of a fire.  Check your policy.

There are some good solutions for an outdoor wood furnace, but they're not going to be cheap.  It's far easier and cheaper to install a good quality, modern wood stove in the basement, and it's (IMHO) the nicest quality heat you'll get.

When we moved out of a house that had a wood furnace (which heated via forced air, and also had a boiler to heat water for the baseboard radiators) into a house with electric baseboard, the first thing we did was install a wood stove.


Most likely a mouse or rat, possibly a mouse-rat.


Yep. You can buy rubber "test plugs" of the appropriate size. They look like this one sold by Zoro Tools:


Perhaps you can run a line of sealant from the wall to the edge of the bath, creating a route for the water to take into the bath. Sealant is easily removed, so this wouldn't count as a structural modification in my eyes.

This should do the job, provided your bath is flush with the ledge. Here's a little diagram in keeping with your own:


What are framing dimensions like in the metric world?

The following information is from Norway, but I would expect that the same dimensions are used elsewhere in Europe.  The system used there parallels what we have here in the U.S., but the actual dimensions are different.  Colloquially, terms like “two-by-four” are used, but the actual millimeter sizes are used in price lists, etc.

The dimensions referred to by the colloquial terms are quite a bit bigger than in the U.S.  For instance, a U.S. milled four-by-four is actually 3.5 inches (89 mm).  In contrast, a Norwegian milled “four-by-four” is actually 3.86 in (98 mm).

Here is a table I compiled with some common dimensions:

Milled structural lumber dimensions
Actual size (Europe)     Actual size (U.S.)     Nominal size (U.S.)
 30 mm  1.18 in
 36 mm  1.42 in
 48 mm  1.89 in           38 mm  1.50 in             2 in
 61 mm  2.40 in
 73 mm  2.87 in           64 mm  2.50 in             3 in
 98 mm  3.86 in           89 mm  3.50 in             4 in
123 mm  4.84 in          114 mm  4.50 in             5 in
148 mm  5.83 in          140 mm  5.50 in             6 in
173 mm  6.81 in          159 mm  6.25 in             7 in
198 mm  7.80 in          184 mm  7.25 in             8 in
223 mm  8.78 in

Unmilled lumber is sold in slightly larger dimensions: 100 mm, 125 mm, 150 mm, and so on.

Studs, joists, and rafters are always spaced 60 cm (23.62 in) on center.  The dimensions of OBS and other sheets are multiples of 60 cm in both dimensions so they can be placed in either direction, e.g., 60 x 240, 60 x 300, or 120 x 300 cm.


What is causing a wet patch on an internal wall?

It will be awfully hard to say what is causing the damp spot without either opening up the wall or knowing a lot about the context in terms of what is in and around the area.  Either way, if the spot is damp and remains damp, repair will involve removing the wet section, so I'd say the answer you're looking for is: open up the wall by removing the wet spot, then look around and above the wet spot for potential sources.


Genie makes a lubricant specifically designed for their screw drive openers.  I used it at my old house and it seemed to work fairly well. You can buy it any major home centers.  I believe they came in packs of 3 tubes and each tube was designed for one lubrication.  I lubricated mine about every 6 months.


First that concrete subfloor you have is great.  Don't ever demo a good concrete bathroom subfloor unless you have to.

Second if you don't want a tile floor it is very easy to demo the tile without hurting the concrete sub - How can I speed up the removal of stubborn tile?

Third - an easier more viable option is to take out an area of tile around tub including your broken tile and find complementary tile.  Since it is by the tub it is very conceivable that there could be accent tile there.  This would probably be $30-50 and a couple hours of work.


How can I control several LED strips with one remote control?

I purchased 4 identical systems, each with the same LED driver/controller and remote. Each LED strip had to be wired separately with it's own DRIVER/CONTROLLER.  Only one remote will operate all 4 strips.  The problem however is that the remote can get out of sync with the lights strips and then it's pure h^ll trying to get them all back in sync, only to have it happen again just a few moments later.  I to this day have no solution, unless all 4 strips are controlled by the same DRIVER/CONTROLLER, which they are not and cannot be at this stage of the construction.  Food for thought and something I will keep in my knowledge sack for future builds.


Stinky air when I turn on the bathroom faucet...what is causing it?

I think what you've got is a blocked vent pipe, or worse, a non-existant or improperly-installed vent pipe. The vent pipe is supposed to connect to from the waste pipe stack or top of a lavatory drain pipe up through the roof, and is there to equalize plumbing system pressure and provide a means for sewer gas to escape. If the vent pipe is blocked, then the water flowing from the sink will increase the air pressure in the waste pipes, possible forcing sewer gas through the toilet trap out into the bathroom.

Check your vent pipes to make sure they're clear and hooked up properly. The article here might be useful http://bradyinspects.com/plumbing-vents


Can I use 14 AWG pigtails on a 20 amp 12 AWG circuit with 15 amp receptacles?

You must use a 12 gauge pigtail here

A 14 gauge pigtail on a 20A circuit is a (very short) tap conductor:

  Tap Conductors. As used in this article, a tap conductor is
  defined as a conductor, other than a service conductor, that
  has overcurrent protection ahead of its point of supply that
  exceeds the value permitted for similar conductors that are
  protected as described elsewhere in 240.4.

As a result, that 14AWG pigtail violates NEC 210.19(A)(4) Exception 1, which prohibits the use of tap conductors to feed receptacles:

  (4) Other Loads. Branch-circuit conductors that supply
  loads other than those specified in 210.2 and other than
  cooking appliances as covered in 210.19(A)(3) shall have
  an ampacity sufficient for the loads served and shall not be
  smaller than 14 AWG.

  Exception No.1: Tap conductors shall have an ampacity sufficient for
  the load served. In addition, they shall have
  an ampacity of not less than 15 for circuits rated less
  than 40 amperes and not less than 20 for circuits rated
  at 40 or 50 amperes and only where these tap conductors
  supply any of the following loads:

  (a) lndividual lampholders or luminaires with taps extending not longer than 450 mm (18 in.) beyond any portion of the lampholder or luminaire.

  (b) A luminaire having tap conductors as provided in
  410.117.

  (c) Individual outlets, other than receptacle outlets,
  with taps not over 450 mm (18 in.) long.

  (d) Infrared lamp industrial heating appliances.

  (e) Nonheating leads of deicing and snow-melting
  cables and mats.


Do I need a plywood base to install granite countertops?

The answer to this seems pretty clear when you consider one thing: It takes a substantial amount of force to bend granite, but it only needs to move a few micrometers* to break.

Now you just ask yourself whether a layer of plywood will prevent that miniscule movement. No, it won't. Physics has no interest in the opinion of the masses.

So, you might use a plywood substrate to help replicate a thicker top, or to reinforce poorly-built cabinets, or to help maintain position by adhering the stone to it, or for other practical reasons, but you don't do it to support, stiffen, or strengthen the stone. That would take something much more substantial and rigid, such as the vertical hardwood cabinet rails that typically exist at the front and rear of a cabinet.

* Or a few dozen, or a few hundred. The result is the same.


Running 100amp service 240' to a detached shop. Lots of questions

TLDR: it's overbuilt, but that's fine.  Spend a tiny amount more (or not even) and take advantage of the overbuilding.

Close enough for horseshoes

On #1, reducing the lugs is fine.  They make inline lugs, get ones made for 4/0 then knock it down to whatever will fit on the supply breaker in your main panel. It must be at least #1 Al, because that is the minimum wire size for 100A.

This is not reducing fat wire.  This is up-sizing correct size wire.   Up-sizing is always allowed.

Anyway, there may be another approach here.

On #2, you don't need another shutoff switch on the outside of the house.

Conduit until it's at-depth and then direct burial is fine, provided a) the wire is listed for direct burial and b) the depth is sufficient for direct burial.  The depth is 24" of cover overhead, not 24" of trench depth.  If the trench isn't deep enough, the day can be saved with conduit: most conduit needs 18” depth, and Rigid/IMC conduit only needs 6" (12" under vehicle routes).

The selection of aluminum wire is dead nuts perfect.  4/0 aluminum was a conservative choice and it isn't wrong. And there's a fourth ground wire in there, right?

The choice of 100A main-breaker subpanel isn't wrong, just cheap, and creates an unncessary problem that could cost more than it saves.

Here's what I don't like

Stock advice is to bump two numerical sizes for every full 120' of length.  However this is based on your actual, expected daily current draw, not your breaker rating. As an example, if you expected to draw 40A routinely, that's #6 Al, so you need 2 bumps, giving #2 Al.  This bump is not required by Code.  At all.   Separately from that, Code requires a size based on breaker rating, #1 Al for 100A.  Final answer #1 Al.

The usual mistake here is to bump based on breaker rating instead of actual usage, and to treat the bump as inflexible when it's not.  I would have preferred your friend have a conversation about your actual expected usage.  But this is one of  those "nobody ever got fired for buying IBM" deals, it's not like he gave you bad advice.  And you are stuck with it, so let's work backwards.

Code will allow 200A on 4/0 Al wire.  So as far as Code is concerned, you can breaker this run for a full 200A.   "Advice" says 4 bumps for 250', so unbumping, we get #1 Al, so your voltage drop will be trivial until you're pulling more than 100A.

Subpanels don't need main breakers, a main-lug panel will suffice.  Subpanels in outbuildings need main shut-off switches.  And the cheapest way to get that is to use a main-breaker panel. The breaker size doesn't matter because it is only a shut-off switch.

"Help! I am out of panel spaces!" Is the #1 panel complaint we get around here.  It is a very expensive problem. The cheap person who specced the poster's original panel did not ever foresee their desire for hot tub, extra kitchen circuits, GFCI/AFCI requirement preventing use of double-stuff breakers, electric car, nicer table saw, generator/interlock, tankless water heater, Code changes -- whatever, it's always something.

Because of that, we are quick to advise to think BIG when speccing a panel.   Big panels come with big main breakers, 100A implies a small-ish panel.

What about the cost difference for a bigger panel?  Not that much, and it's a net win, because you don't need to buy 3 of these things since a 200A panel will, obviously, take 4/0 wire directly.

So  I strongly recommend to get a 200A subpanel. This neatly solves 3 problems:

will allow you to up-breaker this circuit to its true capacity later
the 4/0 wire will fit just fine on this breaker without expensive couplers
good room for expansion

Now let's flip it around to the main panel. This cable, if not downsized, can be breakered as high as 200A. A larger breaker will solve the "4/0 won't fit on breaker" problem.  If your main's main breaker is 200A, you do not need a breaker at all because the main breaker provides the required protection.  So if your main panel has thru lugs or a place to lug between main breaker and main panel, you could be all set. Or talk to your electrical supply house about a "lug breaker" that snaps into breaker spaces and provides plain lugs.  The only gotcha about thru-lugging is you would not be able to turn off the run to the shed without shutting off the whole house.


How do I slow further cracking in wood outdoors?

You don't need to fill in the cracks to prevent further cracking. You need to seal the wood to prevent further cracking/checking. Moisture is wood's undoing, and you want to keep the level of moisture in the wood consistent year-round.

Almost all wood sealants are aimed at doing this--paint, stain, poly, etc. For outdoor furniture, poly-based stains are REALLY good, if you don't mind the slightly rubbery feeling they can leave. For stairs, look into decking products, some of which are poly-based, but are formulated to allow you to walk safely on them.

Now, if you have big cracks, you might get snow and ice in there, and the ice could wedge the wood further apart. Depending on how big the cracks are, you can fill them with epoxy resin, and then seal the whole thing with paint/stain/etc. The stain won't sink into the epoxy and color it, so you'll need to mix some colorant into the resin as you apply it.

If the cracks are even larger, you might consider using something like a Dutchman (bowtie-shaped piece of wood) to hold the two pieces from splitting further apart. This takes some skill and either a router or chisel and a good eye.

If the cracks are enormous, you may just be better off replacing the wood where it has split. Make it match as best you can, and then make sure to put a good coat of sealant on both old and new wood.


Should I reinforce the cupboard back before mounting it to the wall?

It depends on whether the shelves are attached to the back of the cupboard or the sides. They are effectively transferring weight from the contents to their attachments, which is why most cupboards with shelves attached to sides have the sides attached to the walls using some form of bracket.

One way to ensure that the cupboard is supported properly is to attach a piece of lumber to the wall along the bottom of the cupboards, they then effective sit on it. This of course assumes you have the space to do this, and that the lumber will not look bad if viewing it from the bottom.

You can do the same thing towards the top of the back by having a piece of lumber that screws into the sides (from the back) and runs the length of the cupboard. This can then be screwed through from inside the cupboard to provide extra strength. The downside of this is that it will mean the cupboard will sit away from the wall the thickness of the lumber. You would also put this piece towards the top of the back of the cupboard, but usually not right at the top, although having at the top would not be a problem. There needs to be enough space to screw through.

Combined, the lumber below the cupboard supports the weight of the cupboard and contents, with the piece at the top preventing it from falling forward.


What should I consider with new electrical lines in an old house?

The answer to your first question is YES. You need to have the junction in a box. Can you mount the box higher on the roof or a rafter or a gable end stud? if you don't have enough wire, then practically speaking, the box will have to live under the insulation. Technically it is not enclosed as in being sheetrocked over, so it is not a code violation in an older house.  but when you do bring out the new wire, be sure it appears above the insulation before you go back down into a wall. you could also tag the wire with a label.

The answer to question two is very simple. You do not need to run NM cable (Romex) in a conduit in a residential framed wall. You also do not need to secure fished wire except in the actual devise box entry hole.


Distance between Sprinkler head and Air condition system

Air conditioning units can get water on them - save any internal electronics which almost always have guard/protection/enclosure.  I can't foresee any local code that would care.


Ideally you will not want to have your entertainment and eating space right next to the roof vent anyway. Noxious sewer gas will be coming up from there that may smell to high heaven at times.

I cannot say if using the vent for a drain is acceptable to building codes. You will run some risk of water backing up into nearby sinks below if you start draining a slug of water down the vent standpipe.


In the UK, what is the classification scheme for outbuildings such as sheds and garages?

You'll need to check your local codes. In the US, most building code sections begin with a list of definitions, and I assume it's the same elsewhere. If the difference between a shed and a garage is legally significant then they probably define it. It could be based on size, intended use, access to utilities, proximity to other buildings, access to a driveway, construction technique... really anything your local building regulator has decided.

If this is a structure that might need a permit or inspection, you could also just call the relevant office and ask them.


Dimming (pulsing) lights in house can not find cause

Are there industrial plants within your area? I have seen problems on the main power feed from the utility caused by industrial equipment power factor balancing capacitor banks. I have also installed quite a few whole house surge protectors in that same area, the surges are easy to see with an Oscope but the power factor issue was tough until I rented a high end powermonitor that could detect the lead / lag issue. Both problems were caused by a plant several miles away, they were able to fix the problem with the cap banks as they had it set two sensitive and it was constantly hunting up and down causing some problems for home electronics in the area. The surge protectors were the only way to prevent damage to sensitive electronics because when huge electric motors start and stop they create dips and spikes on the line. Not sure if the power factor is causing your pulsing but it may be worth looking into.


When does glass wool need protection from damp?

I'm guessing that by glass wool you mean fiberglass insulation. Assuming that is the case, you have a couple of options. The fiberglass itself doesn't care about water, it won't rot or grow much of anything, the problem is the paper backer. You could use backer-less fiberglass.

If you choose to do this you will need to be aware of a couple of problems. While the fiberglass doesn't care about water, it will hold water in contact with the wood of the structure. It also takes a long time to dry which will increase the potential damage to the wooden structure. To prevent this you must add a sealed vapor barrier between the insulation and wherever the water is coming from. If this is done well, you should be good to go.

Now my choice would be to use closed cell spray foam insulation instead of fiberglass. Closed cell foam is impervious to water and acts as it's own vapor barrier.  It also generally has a higher insulation value than a similar amount of fiberglass insulation. The downside is that it is typically more expensive.
Good Luck!


How can I transition between these floors?

You should consider doing something mosaic-y there because the size difference will always prevent you from putting in a milled transition piece.

If you try to install something that looks perfect, it will always look imperfect. But if you go with something that is intentionally imperfect, it will look intentional.


In an attempt to answer some of the questions raised in your posting let me respond in answer format.

1) It can be advantageous in some situations to affix a timber post to the brick or concrete posts/walls in either side of the gate opening. This post can then serve as a better medium into which to attach hinges and latches.

2) A 3.8 meter wide gate will develop a huge amount of lever arm out at the latch end of the gate and this needs to be taken into account when developing the gate design.

3) The size of wood used can play a big part in how heavy the gate will end up being. The type of wood can play a role as well. This is one reason that boards are often used for gate facing instead of thicker planks. Cedar wood is also much lighter than hard wood like oak and thus becomes a popular choice for gates.

4) Adding appropriate bracing into the design of the gate will keep the gate from sagging.

5) Successful wide gates can often benefit from making the aforementioned side posts much higher than the gate opening and then using a cable from the top down to the end of the gate away from the hinges to help support the weight of the gate. Sometimes you can see the tops of the two higher posts connected across by a horizontal member. This provides support from post to post to keep the weight of the gates from pulling the posts to the sides.


In lighting, The letter "T" represents the shape of the bulb, which is tubular. The number represents the diameter of the bulb in eighths of an inch. I/E: A T5 is a tubular bulb that is 5/8" diameter. Lengths of these different bulbs (T5, T6, T8, T9, T10, T12) can vary because the wider the bulb, the longer the bulb can be manufactured. There are also some "D" and "U" shaped bulbs. This is why different fixtures require certain bulb types.

Fluorescent tube bulbs have low pressure gas in them (argon) that require ballasts. When power is introduced, the bulb warms up the gas. The ballast then kicks up the voltage in order for the light to start burning brightly. Old fixtures required a ballast and a separate starter to get the bulb brighter, but newer ballasts have the starter built in. Once the bulb is fully lit, the newer ballasts will reduce the line voltage to a normal operating level.

Fluorescent tube fixtures usually require a specific ballast and tube type. Some fixtures can be upgraded to use a different bulb type but the ballast and the sockets would have to be changed. I have mixed different brands of ballasts with different fixture brands. Bulbs can be any brand as long as the voltage and wattage fall within the parameters the fixture calls for. If you want to save energy and modernize your fixture you can eliminate the need for a ballast by switching to LED lights and bypass the ballast.


Any tricks to draining a tank-style water heater?

Make sure it's off (power/gas and water supply). Open a faucet (upstairs) and put a towel under the bottom valve before working on it (just in case). After the tank is empty, open the water supply again (for a minute maybe) to flush out any sediment.


Why two breakers (one for the line, one for the neutral) on a single-phase line?

What you have is a 240V breaker and circuit. The white is NOT a neutral, but being used as another hot...which is perfectly fine and legal. Newer codes require such a white to be re-marked as a hot.

DO NOT replace ANY breaker with one that is larger. 99.9% of the time the wiring is appropriate for the breaker feeding it. Installing a larger breaker could create a fire hazard.


What NEC requirements apply to installing receptacle next to a tree?

The most important code sections to be aware of when installing outdoor receptacles, are 314.15, 314.23, and 406.8(B)(1).
First off, the box should keep water out.

National Electrical Code 2008
ARTICLE 314 Outlet, Device, Pull, and Junction Boxes; Conduit Bodies; Fittings; and Handhole Enclosures
314.15 Damp or Wet Locations. In damp or wet locations, boxes, conduit bodies, and fittings shall be placed or equipped so as to
prevent moisture from entering or accumulating within the box, conduit
body, or fitting. Boxes, conduit bodies, and fittings installed in wet
locations shall be listed for use in wet locations.

Secondly, the cover should also keep water out even when things are connected.

ARTICLE 406 Receptacles, Cord Connectors, and Attachment Plugs (Caps)
406.8 Receptacles in Damp or Wet Locations.
(B) Wet Locations.
(1) 15- and 20-Ampere Receptacles in a Wet Location. 15- and 20-ampere, 125- and 250-volt receptacles installed in a wet location
shall have an enclosure that is weatherproof whether or not the
attachment plug cap is inserted. All 15- and 20-ampere, 125- and
250-volt nonlocking receptacles shall be listed weather-resistant
type.

Lastly, you'll want to make sure the thing isn't laying in the mud. Depending on the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), you might get away with attaching the box directly to the tree, or supporting it with the conduit used to supply it. The proper way to do it, however, would be according to 314.23 (B). Use a stake.

314.23 Supports.
(B) Structural Mounting. An enclosure supported from a structural member of a building or from grade shall be rigidly supported either
directly or by using a metal, polymeric,  or wood brace.
(2) Braces. Metal braces shall be protected against corrosion and formed from metal that is not less than 0.51 mm (0.020 in.) thick
uncoated. Wood braces shall have a cross section not less than nominal
25 mm × 50 mm (1 in. × 2 in.). Wood braces in wet locations shall be
treated for the  conditions. Polymeric braces shall be identified as
being suitable for the use.

Common sense says you should install the box up out of puddles, and if you get snow in your area above the normal snow level.  There are no code sections that deal with the height above grade, so use your best judgement. And never forget the most important code section of all...

110.12 Mechanical Execution of Work. Electrical equipment shall be installed in a neat and workmanlike manner.


Do NOT touch the 3 hot wires together.  From what I have heard, unlike the US, Germany provides full 3 phase power to residences.  That means those three hot wires are each 120 degrees out of phase with each other, so touching them will create a short circuit.  If you use a multimeter to measure the voltage from one to the other, you should see somewhere around 200 volts, and 220 between any one of them and neutral/ground.  Regular outlets in Europe are 220 volts, so they are only wired to one of the three phases, and neutral.  Different outlets should each use a different phase so the load is roughly balanced between the phases.


ok guys, here's what I did. Of the highs and low spots, I found that there were a couple dips that were significant, by the door and by the stairs/bedroom. I filled both of these in with SLC (self level concrete) and the results were pretty good.

Suggestions:

follow the directions exactly, do not over water, it will be too runny.. I used 5.5L/bag and it worked out somewhat perfect.. I had a couple of dry clumps that some how got missed. I had to scoop them up with the trowel and re-mix them with some water. I would recommend that you get a stir stick and check the mix before dumping to make sure that none was missed. I was using a paint type mixer and I think that an egg beater type would have been better.
get the straightest 1x4x8 and uses a screed. This is how id did SLC by the back door. The screed will slide along the high points and will push the material along, creating a perfect amount of SLC. Touch ups or moving smaller amounts of SLC with a trowel. I then feathered in the edges using a clean push brush.
Find some soccer cleats as it will displace the SLC way less than walking with a boot. You won't even see your foot prints after walking through.
don't freak out about this. If I can do it anyone can.


Ceiling fan and light on separate three way switches, code compliant?

You have a rather...neutral problem on your hands

In your diagram, the neutrals in the two inter-box cables are connected in parallel.  This can be interpreted as a violation of 300.3(B) and 310.10(H) regarding current-carrying conductors in parallel outside the same sheathe or raceway.

In practice, what will happen is the parallel neutrals will create a magnetic field between them, which will heat any ferrous metals in that field to at least some degree.  This can make for a bad day when it's a bit of junction box between two knockouts that's getting toasty inside your wall!

Fixing this might be actually rather easy, though. One option would be to use a 14-2-2 from the fan/light back to the switch -- this allows the fan and light to be wired to their own neutrals, although you'd probably have to modify your fan to bring the light's neutral out separately to do this.  In this case, the fan-travelers and fan-neutral are in one 14-3 between the switches, while the light-travelers and light-neutral are in the other 14-3.

Of course, if you can run a conduit or listed surface raceway between the two boxes, then you can simply pull in whatever wires you need provided the conduit fill isn't exceeded.  There are also multi-wire metal clad cables available (with 6 wires or even more) that could be applied here if a conduit run is impractical, although you'd need to order them through an electrical supply house.


How do I avoid taking off the finish at the corners when sanding between coats?

A shop I worked at called this "burning the edge".  I was the noob and they never stopped smiling when it happened to me.  I was using toned lacquer, which was even more fragile.

Short Answer:

Sand near the edges by hand. Use a hard sanding block. Affix the sandpaper firmly. Go slow.  The flat level pressure should smooth the top plane without touching the side plane.

Long Answer:

You say you want to avoid rounding off your corners, but that's exactly what the surface tension of the finish is doing.  You always have a thinner coat at the edge of the corner.  Sanding off the same amount of material at the edge as the top will always result in a bald pinstripe and much hair pulling.  Sanding flat and level with a fine grit will smooth the top plane without touching the (inperceptively) round edge and make it appear sharper.

Try This Suggestion:

You're getting brush marks that you want to remove.  Have you tried thinning the finish before applying?  Use whatever thinner the product recommends and brush on thin coats.  Thin coats make thin brush marks and require only a light sanding before reapplying.  Always allow more drying time after each subsequent coat.

Good Luck!  You're not alone with this frustration.


What tool should I use for an octagonal nut on a plumbing trap?

A channel-lock plier is the best tool for about any PVC nut. It's much quicker and more reliable than an adjustable wrench due to the clamping force you're able to apply and the gripping teeth.


If the tank has been in service for sometime even the slightest drip, spray, or oily part can accumulate over a period of time. Add to that any airborne particulates that settle on the oil and you have a greasy mess. To check if oil is presently leaking on the tank outer surface, clean off any remaining oil and let dry. Tape a sheet of newspaper to the now clean surface and occasionally check for oil leakage. Tanks do have a finite service time and will eventually corrode and need to be replaced. If you are not sure as to the integrity of the tank call your fuel distributor. They should offer a free check-up of the tank.


Replace insulation in a Trane HVAC? (TWE030C140B0)

If the evaporator has to come out, you'll likely have to recover the refrigerant first.  Unless you have the proper equipment, you're not going to be able to do it yourself.  Even if you have the equipment, you may also need to be certified to complete the work.

If you can replace the insulation without removing/damaging the refrigerant lines, then you might be able to do it yourself.


Will many weak bulbs be more luminous than one bright one?

For incsndescent bulbs, usually the opposite. -- a 100W incandescent bulb puts out more light than two 50W bulbs. Though as a single source, shadows may be more of a problem.

Not sure about fluorescents.

LEDs are probably closer to a linear relationship between wattage and lumens.


Pick your poison
You have two options for solving this, but both of them are going to be a bit more inelegant than pulling a new thermostat cable.  Either you can use a gizmo that "multiplexes" two signals over the same wire to free up the third wire for C-wire duty (there are several out there, with different installation instructions, so you'll need to follow the directions for what you purchase), or you can supply 24VAC from an additional class 2 transformer either plugged into a nearby receptacle or hardwired to the faceplate of a nearby junction box, removing the jumper between Rh and Rc then landing the new 24VAC source on Rc and C when you do this.


What considerations should I make for a fire ring?

The long and the short:

Lava rock vs. gravel isn't important except aesthetically.
Use mortar not concrete for binding (in general). All mortar is heat resistant, but you can look for mortar which includes fire clay or get information about mixing your own here (experience suggests that this step is strictly optional, but I will be doing that anyway).
It seems that there are two types of ground level fire pits – ones which rely on temporary insert which is somehow staked down, and ones which are actually built into the ground.


How to resolve uneven meeting of new and existing drywall pieces

Cut a few furring strips 4" longer than the opening. Place them behind the opening and screw them in place through the existing drywall on each side of the opening. Now place the new piece of drywall in the opening against the furring strips and use drywall screws to fasten it to the furring strips. you should now have a smooth surface to mud, tape and paint.


Is there a dust-free alternative to gravel for an indoor Petanque Court?

If this is an interior installation then no powder/gravel based playing surface will be "dust free" as the impact of the balls will create dust.  Reading up on the game, it does say that it can be played on grass.

Based on that, for an indoor game, I'd go with hard rubberized flooring (such as used in gymnasiums) topped with interior AstroTurf of a short cut.


I would not use EMT at all.  It is not weatherproof.  Those compression couplers (you know, the not-setscrew ones) are not for weatherproofing, they are for better grounds.  I would either go with thickwall with threaded connectors which I would teflon or dope for watertightness, or preferably PVC, which is cheap and easy to work with.


How well does AA-8000 alloy resist pitting corrosion?

The areas for buss bars and wire connections are dry locations not subject to much influence of salt air. I always use a anti-oxidant compound with any aluminum wire or buss bar installations. (Newport Oregon) Only a couple of jobs there where Aluminum was used close to 20 years ago I did a small update 2 years ago and other than the "grey oxide" that aluminum develops it looked the same as the stuff in the valley 60 miles away from the coast.


What should you look for when buying a 100 year old home that has been renovated to look brand new?

To start pretty on the outside dont always cut it.Do a look yourself a walk through.Outside roof ok how old; windows old  paint peeling signs of leaks .Next basement look and take notes  foundation type ,plumbing pvc  copper pex look for signs of upgrades.Elec panel look new looks neat not rats nest. Frame looks solid not cut up . Any odd smells damp mold septic.Radon vents dirt floor. Attic insulation ok mold smells ,mice nest. look up at roof any day light. If home still want . Talk to your home inspector about your findings and how deep you want him to look at it.
GET A PRO money well spent.