Is there a tankless water heater with instant hot water?

The tank is not the issue.  The distance and pipe size is the issue.

There is a considerable length of "hot water" pipe between your hot water heater and your shower or sink. That pipe is always full of water.   Over time, this water cools off.  It is now cold water, even though it's in the hot-water pipe.

When you turn on hot water, hot water starts flowing into the pipe from the far end.  The cold water already in the pipe must be pushed out before you feel warm water at the faucet.  How long depends on faucet flow rate, length of pipe, and pipe diameter squared.

That "square" rule is a real problem.  Go from 3/8" to 1/2" pipe, your delay doubles.  Go from 1/2 to 3/4, it doubles again.  And some dummies think 3/4" pipe is deluxe and will give them better showers.  Nope, it just makes them wait. Downsizing pipe as much as possible will help.

Also, you can move the hot water heater closer to (right next to) the shower or sink. That's easy with electric tankless heaters. However in practice, most tankless heaters are simply installed where the old tanked heater had been (which itself was chosen because of the ugly, awkward bulk of the unit) -- in which case obviously there's no speed improvement, and speed may be worse since flow rate is limited on on-demand units.  The solution is to install the tankless unit much closer to the point of use.


What width of wire for 24V DC LED driver?

20 AWG is rated for 5 amps, so it's good for taking any strip as far as you ought to.

I prefer 22 AWG or 0.25 mm2, and stranded wire.  The reason is, if the wires are any thicker, they will tend to "wag the dog", pulling the LED strip out of shape/position and potentially tearing off the solder pad.

The "0.75" on the output terminals is surely not a wire gauge recommendation, but read the data sheet to be sure.  Remember when installing mains equipment (and a driver is that), you must install in accordance with the instructions and labeling.  That indicates the conditions under which the item was certified as safe by UL, CSA, ETL, BSI, TUV -- whichever lab did the safety cert on it.  Note that CE is not a testing lab.


How to extend ductwork a few feet due to soffit

I don't understand why you didn't make the soffit flush with the duct work. Nevertheless, I see your issue.

I think you will have to take out the existing registers and cover the holes with metal and then pop-rivet the covers in place. Cut new holes for duct work extensions in the new covers (6"? 8"?) and then install take-offs and your extensions as required. Carefully seal the new seams with foil tape.

I note you do not have the duct work insulated. I presume this means you only run heat (not A/C) thru the duct work. If you do run A/C thru it, you really need to insulate the entire duct work system before you enclose it. Otherwise, if/(when?) condensate forms, it will eventually ruin the material you make the soffit out of. It will be FAR cheaper and easier to go ahead and do that now, than in the future.

(As an aside, I am not sure "Soffit" is the right term for this--it could be a regional thing. I would call it an HVAC chase.)


A 110V air purifier comes with a 100-240V adapter

If the device has a 100-240V adapter, it's a 100-240V device, not a 110V device. Or more likely it's a (some lower DC voltage you have not looked at - should be printed on the adapter, usually in tiny faint type) device with an adapter that is 100-240V

So, you should not need anything more than a way to plug its adapter in to use with 240VAC


How to unpack the base of a refrigerator?

Tip and swivel until you've "walked" it off the foam.

Cut the lip of foam off the side nearest you.
Tip it toward you (enlist help if necessary) toward the side where you cut the lip off.
While it's leaning toward you, tip it onto the left corner as you pivot the right corner toward you a few inches to get it off the foam.
Tip it onto the right corner (now sitting on the floor) as you pivot the left corner up, toward you, then down onto the floor.
Have your helper pull the foam out of the way.
Gently stand it back up.

Notes:

It doesn't matter if you start with the left or right side, I picked one, you could pick the other.
It's probably best to tip the fridge toward its back as this will prevent the doors from swinging open, possibly smashing fingers, possibly throwing you off balance as they move, potentially damaging the hinge as it hits its limit at speed, or at a very minimum being annoying and inconvenient.
As noted in the comments, check your instructions on which way to tip your fridge. The manufacturer may have a recommendation based on mechanical/structural details that evade my logic. If you tip it too far, you will need to let it settle - details on that should be in your manual, as well. Don't forget - they probably had it tipped as it was hand trucked around the store, onto the delivery truck and into your house. (They could be you if you hauled it home yourself...)


How do I drill a long hole lengthwise all the way through a post to make a standing lamp?

Long (18" and longer) drill bits do exist. If the hole is wide enough, bit extensions are also usable.

However, there's also a simple-but-elegant cheat. Cut the piece lengthwise, rout a channel in one or both sides, glue back together. If you make a thin-kerf cut, and are careful during reassembly, the glue line can be nearly invisible -- especially on straight-grained wood with the cut aligned with the grain lines.


Crossing cold air return ducts with romex

You are correct.  You cannot run NM cable through an air duct.  EMT is approved to run through a plenum, but I can't speak to the specific method you described. Someone with more experience may edit this answer.

The way they ran the NM looks fine.  Some of the holes they drilled might be a little too close to the bottom of the joist, but no big deal.  The wood does look a little messy.  Looks like something I would have done to keep my wife from hanging clothes from the cables. So long as the radius of the bends in the cable is not too severe and there is no friction wear, no problem.


Semi-finished basement, water-resistant "baseboards"?

I'd consider fiber cement trim board.  Almost all of it is Class 1 (A) fire rated, it's easy to find at the big box stores in a variety of dimensions, and it will most likely pass for baseboard if it's thicker than the "plasterboard or decently-thick plywood".


Fresh Air Vent to run only when system is on

The easiest way is to install the fresh air intake on the return side of your system. That way it sucks in when running and then is filtered, simple and inexpensive. If you want a self powered system again it is easy enough to put a pressure switch or vane flow switch in the duct so the system only turns on when the air handler is running. This is simple stuff.  Your hvac should know about both systems as they are common as safety’s.


Don't use carpet. Water will go right through that. Buy a tarp with metal rings, and use rachet straps or ropes to fasten that to the base of the shed. Example: https://youtu.be/2X6qlhyKSjM

Hardware stores and home improvement stores sell tarps. Walmart even sells them.


Why does a GFCI trip when anything is plugged into the other outlets?

A GFCI trips when the current coming in through the hot and out the neutral are not equal.  The fact that your GFCI trips whenever something is plugged into a LOAD-side outlet, but not when plugged into the GFCI itself, suggests to me that there's a neutral-to-ground-fault (neutral wire touching ground) somewhere on the LOAD side.

This is the way I would diagnose your problem:

Hit the "Reset" button on the GFCI so the LINE and LOAD are disconnected.
Turn off the electricity to that circuit.
Remove the outlet approximately halfway down the chain on the LOAD side.
Test for continuity (eg. using the OHM setting on a multimeter) between the ground and the neutral screws.  Under normal circumstances, ground and neutral are connected at the main panel, but since the GFCI (hopefully) disconnected the neutral, a correctly-wired circuit should find no continuity.  If my guess is correct, you will find continuity, confirming there is a neutral-to-ground fault.
Look for any loose wires in the box.  If you find any, re-splice the connections.
Unsplice the neutral and ground wires in the box. Check for continuity between the neutral and ground screws again.  If there is continuity, the outlet is defective.
Check for continuity between the incoming neutral/ground wires.  Repeat for the outgoing neutral/ground wires, if any.  If there is continuity, that tells you which half of the circuit the problem is on, so you can repeat this process from step 3 to narrow down the location of the fault.
If the issue turns out to be in the wall between two outlets, I would just run a new wire between those outlets.

The above is not a one-hour job; it will probably take you the better part of a day.  It will take longer if you don't already know how the connections between the outlets are laid out.

If you're not comfortable with any of this, hire a licensed electrician.


Is there any reason testing the neutral line on a dimmer light socket wouldn't work?

Figure 1. A typical triac-based dimmer switch schematic. Source: Homemade circuits.

Your continuity check is being interrupted by U1, the triac. This is a semiconductor switch which can vary the amount of the mains waveform getting through. Read the linked article for more.


What kind of Ethernet cabling would I need for through the attic - And what cat?

You should only need one cable for the router. Your computer, printer and any other wired devices  can all connect to the router.

As far as cable type, I would install Cat 5e but you could future proof a bit more with Cat 6. Just a question of cable and jack costs - the work is the same.

I normally use plenum rated cable everywhere but I do commercial installs. That may not be necessary for your attic.

The most important thing is to wire jacks instead of putting connectors on the ends of a long cable. A little extra work but far more professional and reliable. You will need a jack (Cat 5e or 6 to match the cable) and either a wall plate and electrical box or box eliminator or a surface mount box on each end. Get a 110 punch tool and you're all set.


Probably a 3 prong, based on the age. But you can't be sure until you move it. I usually buy both, and then return the one I don't need.


Cutting sink boss from granite composite sink

If you mean the tabs for the brackets to attach?, cut them off with a 4" diamond cutting blade; have eye protection and shop vac hose tied off near cut to cut down dust; hold up on very slight angle to avoid cutting into rim edge of sink top. Silicone that edge down with some weight on top until silicone sets up.


How to prevent expansion on wood block wall/door

The wood will swell slightly with higher humidity but if you don't have it in a frame and are mounting it like a sliding barn door then I wouldn't worry about expansion.

The problem with expansion is mostly for doors and windows in frames that causes them to jam.

Also, like the picture you posted, if the wood is cross-cut it will be less likely to expand and contract.

I would be more worried about the panel you are attaching them to warping then the blocks themselves.

Cool idea for a door.


Am I missing some obvious way to change this lightbulb?

After an hour of searching google

Home Depot

Looks like your light

Taking the description from the Home Depot page, I found this PDF for installation instructions

PDF

Looking at the PDF and the photos, it looks like there is a white trim ring around the glass. Instead of prying from the trim that touches the ceiling, see if theres another lip closer to the glass where it flattens out. It is probably held in via compression.


Conflicting contractor opinions on rebuilding steps using original construction method

Some thoughts:

Single stones that size will be ridiculously heavy.  Consider using three stones per step, similar size stones for the landing.
You don't need solid brick under the stones, but you need something.  You could compact fill dirt for bulk filling, then a layer of paver base, and top with a layer of sand under the stones at each level.  If you really wanted to get fancy, you could run a couple of rows of brick supports lengthwise, so they would support the seams if you use three stones per step (and fill as described in the cavities).
In terms of dimensions, the steps should follow a ratio of 2 x rise + tread = 26 to 27 inches.  If those are standard bricks, your dimensions will not feel natural, and people will have trouble walking them with a normal gait.  It would be closer if you rotate one brick on each side of the lower steps so that the tread is 12" instead of 16", then add a brick to the landing to maintain the total length if needed.  But it's only three steps, so it may not be a big deal.


Can I hold a Hammock up with Star Pickets?

The thing about hammocks is that they create tremendous sideways forces. With the following configuration, you balance them well, but still create large tensions in the cables and a very large compressive load on the upright:

Plugging in 150 pounds for mg, 4 ft for the post height h, 3 ft for d and w, and 20° for theta, you end up with a hammock tension (T1) of 263 lbs, a guy line tension (T2) of 240 lbs, and a pole compressive load (Fa) of 420 lbs.

Changing the mg, h, w, d, and theta variables will result in new values for each of these forces. For example, increasing w in relation to h will result in a lower compressive load on the pole, and a lower tension in the guy lines. For all other variables constant, changing w to 6 ft results in T2 = 161 lbs, and Fa = 255 lbs.

For best results, you want to minimize the bending moment of the posts, since that's what tends to pull them out of the ground. So attach your guy lines at the same spot as the hammock on the upright posts, and then attach the other end as close to the ground as possible. You'll probably just need some very beefy stakes, rather than T-posts for the end of the guy lines attached to the ground.

@Ratchet Freak's suggestion of angling the base of the poles in toward the center will increase compressive load on the poles an minimize tension in the guy lines, since Fa will be pointing up and away instead of just up. However, you run the risk of adding buckling and twisting as a problem with that solution.

Might I suggest using a hammock stand instead? They're not too much more expensive, and they'll do a much better job remaining stable.


What brand is this 3-handle tub faucet set it?

If you are, indeed, replacing the entire faucet, it does not matter what brand they are - only the spacing matters assuming you need to match the existing holes in the wall. If you are repairing the wall, you may simply replace them without concern for the current brand or spacing.

If you are replacing internal parts (only) then it might matter.


Replacing recessed medicine cabinet, uneven frame?

Use a reciprocating saw to cut the fasteners holding one of the sill/fire-block boards in place. Run the blade right through the drywall; making a slot, right where the two boards meet. The top board would be the ideal choice, as it can't fall inside the wall, when the fasteners are cut, that hold it in place.

If a cripple stud is in the center, trim one of them 1/4" shorter.

Trim the drywall to match the new opening.

Toenail the sill/fire-block into its new location.

Patch any damaged drywall from cutting the old nails/screws.

A circular saw will more easily make a straight cut, but will also remove more wood. If using a reciprocating saw, just take your time and don't get in a hurry.


How to find where an AC power wire ends (or starts)?

If you happen to have a "toner/tracer" for one of those other wire types, and you are SURE the wire has no power applied (yes, you said that, but generically, one has to be careful when attaching things to power wires) you can simply try it. It may or may not work well enough to be of use.
You may be able to rent (purchase is unreasonable for someone not in the trade, IMHO) a more sensitive/powerful unit optimized for power cabling. Or you can purchase a more affordable but likely not all that capable unit which specifically claims to work on electrical power cables, but is likely otherwise similar to the network cable models.
Now, if you have a bare end (unpowered) and are trying to match other bare ends (unpowered) you can just use a multimeter - after verifying no voltage and no continuity between hot/neutral at each suspected cable, short one (hot to neutral) and look for continuity at the others, or attach a battery and look for the DC voltage at the others.


Many electrical inspectors don't like seeing two wires in the same slot, especially when are unused slots.  They do seem to accept a few doubled up when they are all in use.  If they were serious about this "rule", they could insist on a ground bus extender—but I have never heard of that happening except in commercial (office) wiring.


Can I leave a garden hose under pressure for long periods of time?

It is certainly OK to turn off the water at the end of a hose for short periods. If you leave it on this way for long periods you are stressing the hose which could lead to a ruptured hose when you are not around. This could lead to a waste  of water or to water damage if the hose sprays on something.

In addition, this could lead to a leaking water valve because the stem packing will be under pressure. The usual valves have a seal around the rotating (multi-turn) stem, but if the valve is a "ball valve" (90 deg on-off), then this doesn't apply.

I think it is best practice to shut off the valve on the pipe when you are finished using the water.


How can I power a three phase AC motor with only 2 phases?

Three phase motors need to be fed with three phase power. It has to do with the internal configuration, each power leg must be fed power 120 degrees apart so the created magnetic field spins the rotor.

If you're thinking about using 240V split phase to power this motor, the effecive phase angle between each leg and neutral is 180 degrees out of phase. Expect the motor to stall if it will even begin to spin weakly, not create the proper back EMF, draw high current and release smoke.

If you need to run this motor off of split phase, you need to run it from 240V single phase and use a phase converter that electrically produces three phase power output. Your motor will then run perfectly. There are two types of phase converter, Motor Generator and Static (electronic).

Differences between Split Phase 240VAC and 3-phase 240VAC


It is "safe" but as the paint out-gasses it will continue to smell sour.

I used some older paint on a bathroom in a garage once and it continued to stink for months.

Only you can decide if the smell is worse than paying $30 for more paint.

Good luck!


Outlet appears to be switched but switches don't work

If a single outlet tab is left intact on series of 1/2 switched outlets, it will prevent the switched outlets from working correctly.  (The switched half outlets will also be always on also.)


Check the cold water inlet valve on the hot water heater. It's possible that the valve is partially closed, which would allow your expansion tank to pressurize slowly over time. The pressure from the tank would supply hot water to your faucet for a while.


How to attach old style stacking wire in-basket brackets

The wire has a bend on the end of it, it appears that you would just hook that bend over the wire on the bottom of the basket it will be hanging on.


How deep should drain pipe be buried under an asphalt driveway?

In my opinion you should be good as it was for depth, moving to Sch 40 is a good upgrade, that is what the company I worked for always used under slabs and especially driveways.

The main thing is that there are no low areas for water to collect and freeze. Depending on your area, it would be a hard freeze to get ground to freeze at the 12" depth, there would be exceptions as there is always is, but in a hard freeze there should be nothing running off the roof to freeze in the drain.

Although not needed, to increase the fall would be good for heavy rains, but for freezing, the benefit would be marginal.


Do common surge protectors prevent outgoing spikes?

Most ordinary surge protectors are designed to protect against large incoming surges only. That is surges large enough to cause permanent damage to equipment. They are not intended to prevent mere flickering of lights.
Many (maybe most) of them provide only one-time protection against large surges (e.g. lightning strikes nearby)
It is very unlikely that a typical home/office surge protector will provide the benefit you seek.
The relevant Wikipedia article says:

A surge protector attempts to limit the voltage supplied to an electric device by either blocking or shorting to ground any unwanted voltages above a safe threshold.
The standard let-through voltage for 120 V AC devices is 330 volts
MOVs have finite life expectancy and "degrade" when exposed to a few large transients, or many more smaller transients.

Other types of protective device can be more durable, but they still might not prevent lights from flickering.


Life span of an average flexible water hose

The life time depends on various factors and so it is not possible to give a definitive answer.

If the considerations are for an outdoor typical "garden hose" then here are some factors that will affect hose life:

How long the hose lays out in the direct sunlight.
Temperature of the environment where the hose is stored.
How many times the hose is driven across.
Number of times the hose is uncoiled and coiled back up.
Amount of time the hose is left under pressure with the nozzle at the end closed.
Material the hose is made of.
Thickness of the hose walls.
Diameter of the hose.
Whether the hose has embedded braiding.
Quality of the end fittings.
Amount of times the end fittings get stepped on or banged on concrete.
Number of squirrels or gophers that chew on the hose.
Number of times run over by the lawnmower.

If the consideration is for a hose used indoors such as in a shower or hand held shower head at a sink there would be a different set of criteria. Here are the ones I can think of for that situation:

Water temperature through the hose.
How much the hose is flexed in normal usage.
Number of times when the hose is forcefully jerked when used as emergency
Material the hose is made of.
Thickness of the hose walls.
Diameter of the hose.
Whether the hose has embedded braiding.
Quality of the end fittings and types of crimp strain reliefs there are near the end fittings.


How can I remove a stud to fit a range hood vent?

Options that avoid moving the range or knocking open the wall:

Go for an unvented hood
If there's no top cabinets you could get a ducted hood and run the duct inside the kitchen across the wall then outside where possible.  The choice of hood, size of the duct, and number of bends all have to be to code and planned by someone with more knowledge than me but I hope this can give you some direction if you like the idea.  With some thought this could be made to be not too ugly, e.g. an industrial-look duct, or build a plenum around it.


HVAC with long duct run has insufficient flow

Fixed! Two main issues, one was that the 12” duct was being constricted because it was being squeezed through a small area along with a line for the return.

The other was that they setup a feedback line from the coil directly to the return. Effectively there were three 12” ducts coming out of the supply, 2 went to the various parts of the house and one fed directly back into the return. Removing that feedback line gave us a ton more air. No blowers needed.


What is a durable and affordable flooring covering for a shed?

Look at a flooring store for sheet vinyl also called linoleum, remnants (the end of rolls). They can be inexpensive and would be seamless. An alternative that would be more slip resistant is something we call locally  porchpaint. It covers many New england porches. It is only available in gray and is an oil based enamal. You can spread sand on it while wet to increase traction. I have had it last 10 years on a porch floor.


cabinet hinges, crooked,uneven some will not close cabinet doors

For anyone who may be struggling with this issue, there I a simple solution. My cabinets are partial inset, using plain 3/8's inset hinges that were close to my originals in order to cover black markings left on my stiles. I added toothpicks and glue to original holes.so that my screws fit well. But after installed had to close double doors together or they would overlap just a little. I was over my head I couldn't figure out how to fix. I started getting estimates to repair. 100.00 to mill down one side of cabinets. 300.00 to rehang and move hinges over slightly. My last estimate was from Mr. Fix it. He tried to tell me how on the phone. Close the doors together on a paint stick. I had already done this, to hold my gap while installing. He came out with a 5 gallon paint stick. 1/4 inch thick. He closed the doors together,gently, on the stick twice and my problem was gone. He called it setting the hinges. I couldn't believe that's all it took. Wanted to share with anyone having similar issue. So that they wouldn't have sleepless nights and wasted tears, and messed up cabinets.


Mystery current on neutral wires coming into outlet box

First, there is such a thing as a multi-wire branch circuit (MWBC), in which two hots intentionally and consensually shate a neutral.  They are placed on opposite poles of service, which means only differential current flows through the neutral.  This works for 2 hots in single (split) phase service, and up to 3 hots in 3-phase (208V) service which you will only find commercially or in NYC.

Neutrals must be carefully wired to be monogamous to its partner hot(s), to assure that the neutral carries no more current than its partner hot(s).  After all, neutrals don't have breakers.  If a neutral carried current for more than its intended hots, it could overload, and nothing would detect this.  Borrowing a neutral is not allowed.

Another rule is that currents must be equal in every cable or conduit. This means no loops, wiring routes must be a strict "tree" topology. It also means the neutral will always be in the same cable with its partner hot, or hots in MWBC.

And that means MWBCs will be readily apparent in the service panel, because they will enter the box in a red-black-white cable.  (or in the same conduit).  When you see that, place both red and black gots on a 2-pole breaker, so that when you switch off one side, the other is also switched off.  That satisfies a basic rule of MWBC.

At this point, shutting off that breaker must arrest all current flow in the neutral.

If it does not, then you have a "promiscuous neutral" problem that you should aggressively eliminate.

Grounds, on the other hand, are allowed to be promiscuous, since current only flows on them during fault conditions.


Can central alarm smoke detectors be used instead of 120v smoke detectors in a new residence?

In a single family dwelling, it would be best to use regular smoke alarms. Pick a brand that also sells an interconnect relay, and you can use that to connect it to your security system.

To answer your question, yes you should be able to use low voltage smoke detectors as long as the central control panel has a battery backup and the overall system functions similarly to a normal system. If the smoke detectors don't have a built-in audible notification device, then you'll also need to install one of those in each required location.

Drawing up a building plan to show the Fire Marshal your proposed fire & life safety plans will be an important step. Getting that plan approved will help make sure you don't purchase and install a bunch of equipment that doesn't pass their interpretation of the code.

Usually you would only go through this much extra work if you wanted addressable smoke detectors, but in a single family dwelling that's an extra expense that's not needed in my opinion. That level of system is usually only needed in a commercial or multi-family setting.

In a commercial or multi-family setting, you'll usually want strobes and horns in public areas, horns in each unit, pull stations in the hallways, and the central monitoring station to be able to tell the first responders exactly which zone or location triggered the alarm. In a a single family dwelling, you should be able to easily locate what area needs attention without those features. Regular smoke alarms typically have latching alarm indicators, so it helps you diagnose problems by letting you know which device triggered the alarm.

  R314.2 Smoke detection systems.

  Household fire alarm systems installed
  in accordance with NFPA 72 that include smoke alarms, or a combination
  of smoke detector and audible notification device installed as
  required by this section for smoke alarms, shall be permitted. The
  household fire alarm system shall provide the same level of smoke
  detection and alarm as required by this section for smoke alarms.
  Where a household fire warning system is installed using a combination
  of smoke detector and audible notification device(s), it shall become
  a permanent fixture of the occupancy and owned by the homeowner. The
  system shall be monitored by an approved supervising station and be
  maintained in accordance with NFPA 72.

  R314.4 Power source.

  Smoke alarms shall receive their primary power from the building
  wiring when such wiring is served from a commercial source, and when
  primary power is interrupted, shall receive power from a battery.
  Wiring shall be permanent and without a disconnecting switch other
  than those required for overcurrent protection.


Installing an Ecobee3 - Add C Wire with PEK

Alright -- the trick with the PEK for you is to treat everything wirenutted to your two thermostat cables as the "furnace" from the PEK's standpoint.  You'll need some 18AWG pigtails for the connection from the PEK to the "furnace", though, as follows:

Red/black nut to PEK cover (furnace) R
White nut to PEK cover (furnace) W
Green nut to PEK cover (furnace) G
Yellow/white nut to PEK cover (furnace) Y
Blue/red/white nut to PEK cover (furnace) C

and then you can connect the base as follows:

Red Left to PEK base (t-stat) R
White Left to PEK base (t-stat) W
Red Right to PEK base (t-stat) G
White Right to PEK base (t-stat) Y

Just make sure to connect the Red Left (R) wire at the thermostat end to the Ecobee's Rc terminal or else the Ecobee won't turn on (this is a limitation of using the Ecobee/PEK combo).


Once frost builds up on the coils it will need to be defrosted. If the door did not seal well just 1 time for a few days frost will build up and has no way to dissipate in an open coil system like you have. I have seen this happen quite a few times on a freezer that was fine but the door was not fully closed or something was stuck across the seal causing a leak.


Air conditioning with exhaust fans between two rooms

First, "recommended"? Coming from a contractor and engineer, it sounds like a good solution, and it will work.

You don't need two fans. One with a transfer grille will do.

Power-wise, I have to this in IP so bear with me. Room 1 is 5 x 7 x 3.28 x 3.28 = 376 ft^2. Rule of thumb- and this is only an estimate - is 400 sq ft \ 3.5 kW. (1 ton refrigeration = 12000 btuh = 3.5 kW). It could be 600, but you would need to know construction type, insulation, fenestration, exposure, latitude, etc. and consult ACCA manual J. With high humidity, you want to make sure it runs long enough to dehumidify. Now add the second room which is 14 sq m = 150 sq ft. Total area is 527 sq ft. Using our rule of thumb, that would be 527 sq ft x 3.5 kW\400 sq ft = 4.6 kW of cooling. If we assume 6 air changes per hour (another rule of thumb), the volume of both spaces is 147 cu m or 5187 cu ft. X 6 air changes = 31,123 cu ft per hour which is 518 CFM. Again, rule of thumb is 400 CFM per ton, so 518 \ 400 x 3.5 is 4.5 kW.

So your exhaust fan should provide a minimum of 14 x 3 x 3.28^3 x 6 \ 60 = 148 CFM or 4.2 m^3\min.

Size the transfer grille for a maximum 500 ft\min, so about 42 sq in. A6 x 8 will be quiet. Probably quieter than the fan.


Valve to select higher pressure water source

This would be called a shuttle valve...

They are quite common in hydraulic control systems.

The only use I can find for irrigation is small 1/8" and 1/4" units for agricultural irrigation controls. Usual implementation is a stainless steel ball that rolls back and forth between two brass seats.


The simplest thing to do is to fill the tub with water and check for leaks:

Wait until the surrounding area is completely dry
Fill tub full of water and mark water level
Let the water stand for a couple hours
Check water level for any change and look for any signs of moisture around/under tub

On an aside, that crack looks a bit more then just cosmetic and will most likely get worse over time. If you're unable to replace the tub now, you can look for a local company that repairs fibreglass tubs. They should be able to advise you if it's repairable or not.


Is it okay to not connect the grounding wire to a ceiling box?

Metallic Boxes
If it's a metal box, technically, the grounding conductor should be connected to it (NEC 2011 250.148(C)).  However, if you've already installed the fixture without bonding it, it's not likely to cause a problem.   If the fixture itself is properly grounded, and the canopy completely covers the box. It's not likely anybody will ever come into contact with the box itself during normal operation, and so the danger is relatively low.
In most cases, the box and fixture become bonded when the fixture is installed. As long as one of the two are grounded, there shouldn't be a problem. Code bodies and safety experts say to bond both the fixture and the box, because there's no way for them to be sure that a fixture will properly bond during installation.  The fixture design likely is not governed by the same code body that governs the installation of the box, and the installation of said fixture may be completed by an untrained person.  So the code body calls for everything to be grounded, to try and limit the potential dangers.  They also want to avoid the situation where the continuity of the grounding conductor can be interrupted by the removal of a device or fixture (NEC 250.148(B)).
Nonmetallic Boxes
Nonmetallic boxes are not required to be grounded. Only the devices, and/or fixtures installed in them must be grounded (NEC 2011 250.148(D)).

National Electrical Code 2011
250 Grounding and Bonding
VII. Methods of Equipment Grounding
250.148 Continuity and Attachment of Equipment Grounding Conductors to Boxes. Where circuit conductors are spliced within a box, or terminated on equipment within or supported by a box, any equipment grounding conductor(s) associated with those circuit conductors shall be connected within the box or to the box with devices suitable for the use in accordance with 250.148(A) through (E).
(A) Connections. Connections and splices shall be made in accordance with 110.14(B) except that insulation shall not be required.
(B) Grounding Continuity. The arrangement of grounding connections shall be such that the disconnection or the removal of a receptacle, luminaire, or other device fed from the box does not interfere with or interrupt the grounding continuity.
(C) Metal Boxes. A connection shall be made between the one or more equipment grounding conductors and a metal box by means of a grounding screw that shall be used for no other purpose, equipment listed for grounding, or a listed grounding device.
(D) Nonmetallic Boxes. One or more equipment grounding conductors brought into a nonmetallic outlet box shall be arranged such that a connection can be made to any fitting or device in that box requiring grounding.
(E) Solder. Connections depending solely on solder shall not be used.


That's not a weird neutral.  That's a switch loop.

They are correctly using the white wire for always-hot, precisely to invoke that "WTH" response.  By using white as always-hot, it assures the white wire will always light up a voltage tester.    If white was a switched-hot, it might not always light up, and could be mistaken for neutral.

What they failed to do, however, is mark the white wire with black or colored tape, as is required today (also) to designate it as a hot.

You are welcome to retrofit grounds to help protect this circuit.  However, better protection would be achieved with GFCI.  You can't fit a GFCI+receptacle combo device here because they don't allow splitting.   However you can fit one at a receptacle upstream if there is any, or a GFCI+circuit breaker combo device if there is not.


What can I do if my toilet bowl fills with water, but doesn't actually flush?

Sounds like the flapper is leaking and/or broken altogether.  See instructions on replacing a flapper here:  http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Flapper-on-a-Toilet

See other possibly useful answers here:  How can I fix a toilet that flushes incompletely? and here: Why do my toilets flush slowly and often incompletely?

EDIT:  Um, after re-reading the question, I wonder if the toilet isn't simply clogged.  Does the tank re-fill and water stop flowing into the tank after flushing (you can hear when water is flowing)?  If the tank re-fills and water shuts off, it isn't the flapper.  If the tank re-fills and water stops, then it sounds more like the toilet is simply clogged. Did you try a plunger?  If that does work and the tank does refill properly, then you'll need the drain snaked I think.


Glue can be pretty strong when you've got plenty of area (like there), although unless you've got some diagonal bracing, it's going to be wobbly whatever fixing you use.

Most people don't use glue because it takes a while to dry, so you either run out of clamps after a couple of joints, or the clamps get in the way of the next thing. (by comparison you can bang in a few nails and call it done)

If you're worried about the screws rusting, use screws as clamps, and remove them after the glue has dried. Or leave them in and let them rust.


are crown molding corner blocks a good idea

The downsides I can think of are:

Cost
More seams
Not learning how do it yourself
If the corners aren't square - and they are usually not, they will be difficult to install.

The upside is obviously speed and ease of install.


Open steel columns on construction site exposed to heavy rain?

It sounds like you have 6" square tubing columns which are welded at the base to embedded plates in the footings. That there is no top plate thus allowing rainwater into the tubes.

Standard practice is to drill a "weep hole" just above the weld at the base to allow for drainage. Ordinarily, the weep hole works to allow normal condensation to drain, but in your case it will relieve the unexpected rainwater as well. Someone should have temporarily capped those open ends.

I would probably make a single hole 5/16"ø or 3/8"ø on a 6" tube. Usually these are done prior to erection at the fabrication shop at the top and bottom of each tubular column, but easily accomplished in the field.

If they are not already painted and the ironworkers are still on site, ask them to heat up the bottoms of the tubes to evaporate any collected water after the weep holes are drilled - afterall, it was their responsibility to protect the ironwork.


What are the rules for unplugging a refrigerator?

When you short cycle the compressor like that it's the worst thing an owner can do to shorten the lifespan of it's compressor.

The refrigerator compressor uses oil to lubricate the pump. This pump runs very hot. The oil becomes dirtier and dirtier as it travels through the refrigerator tubes and clogs the refrigerant paths making it impossible for the refrigerator to cool. When you short cycle the fridge, it immediately kills the pressure behind the oil from the compressor, and the oil in the pathways must trickle back to the reservoir. with only gravity assistance, so the thicker the oil is the less likely it is to make it back without clogging.

However if you must turn it off in order to sleep, turn the cold temp to off prior to turning the fridge off. All fridge manuals recommend that you do this before unplugging the fridge when moving the fridge. This will help keep the oil flowing back to the reservoir.


2 prong to 3 prong outlet - with pigtailed grounds

You've got a pretty good idea on what needs to be done. Naturally, you'll be turning off the breaker to the circuit.
In cases like this, I've always pigtailed the blacks together and had one connection to the outlet and do the same to the neutrals. You'll need some extra black and white wire and some wire nuts but it makes for a neater installation. If an outlet connection gets loose, it doesn't affect the whole circuit.
A converted bedroom to an office wouldn't need GFCI protection but you'd add them the same way for a single outlet protection and would use the load terminals for a daisy chain protection.


Do I need building control approval to install an external security camera powered by power over ethernet?

You don't need "Building Control" (in the UK, called planning permission) approval for this.

The requirement in UK building regulations only extends to mains voltage.  A PoE injector is typically 48 volts or lower - not something that is covered by current regulations.

Just remember to take all the usual precautions (outdoor grade cabling, secure fixings etc) and you're perfectly ok to do this.

If you still have any doubts, contact your local council planning office - it's free to make general enquiries like these as you are not trying to get concent for building works.


How can I shut off circuits when I have a generator with an automatic transfer switch?

The load center with the transfer switch (or "critical load panel") should have a circuit for each circuit that was specified to be connected to the generator.    The original breakers no longer function because nothing is connected to them now; there is probably one dual-pole breaker feeding the critical load panel, and there should then be a breaker for each circuit there.

If you are not comfortable investigating, call the electrician that did the install and ask them to walk you through operation and service requirements for the setup.


The first thing to check is if the air handler will come on when you turn the heat on. If the air handler will kick on and circulate air but not when you call for AC than you may have low refrigerant pressure.

Most AC systems have a switch that prevents the AC from running with low pressure to avoid damage to the compressor. If this is the case then I'd recommend calling a local AC repair service to have them charge the system.


Can we install an aeration unit in an older septic system?

The airated water treatment systems (AWTS) are a two tank system usually new ones have a inner and outer tank in the same unit. It is possible to buy a two tank seperate system and you could use your old septic tank as the first tank then run the outlet into the awts unit. http://econocycle.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=7&Itemid=13. an example of a two tank system is on this page.

Although all of this is possible if your dispersal field has failed it will still need replacing as this system only Improves the quality of effluent leaving the tank. The other option may be to connect to the council sewer if it is now available in your area?  you can run the sewerage straight to sewerif avalible or install a maceration pumpIin your septic and pump upto the sewer if it is nearby but you are unable to get fall.


How to attach a TV mount to a resilient channel wall?

Your best option is to cut a peice of 1/2 " finish plywood around 36 inches wide and tall enough to split the resilient channel at the top and bottom. That way the drywall will be supported by the channel as will the plywood. Carefully cut the drywall to the same size and firmly secure the ply through the channel into the wood without crushing the channel. You can fill the seam and sand it but choose a filler that remains flexible because wood and gypsum expand and contract with heat and moisture at different rates. Now if you so choose, you can prime and paint.  This method will allow you to support several hundred pounds, assuming you wall can. My TV is a 100lb 70" with a 30" long mount which allows me to turn the TV beyond 90 degrees. In my application I added plywood behind the drywall and replaced the drywall. As you can see from the image I didn't fill sand android paint but that's an optional step.


In order to wire this switch as "always on", all three wires should be removed from the switch and bundled together with a wire nut.

The three wires is a bit non-standard and might lead you to believe this is a 3-way switch or some other kind of odd arrangement, but someone has used the stab connector and the screw on the top of this standard switch to tie those two wires together.  If this switch only controls one light then one of the top wires is the power coming in, the other top wire is going on to another switch or outlet, and the bottom single wire is what provides power to your light.

If you wanted the switch to be "always off" the top two wires should be connected with a wire nut and the bottom wire would be capped off.  For always on, bundle all three wires.

To release the wires from the stab connectors, there is a slot that you can fit a small screw driver in to push open the connector.


Need to develop a tapered spacer for under a car lift on an angled concrete slab

Isherwood has good points about the capacity of the floor slab, you need to confirm what you have. A standard 4" slab may not hold up to the rigors of the lift. If the install guide says differently or you know you have a  thicker slab that can take it, then carry on...
Non shrink grout is typically used for this type of condition. Pack it fully by pushing it through to the other side of the form so you can see it bulging up against the form you have set about 1" maybe more away from the metal base. Keep adding until the area is packed. It seems you may be able to use the butt end of a 1X4 to pack it in, leaving one side of the form off to pack by. The last side will not need the form. Just mound it up to keep it from "slumping back" from the underside of the metal base. The forms you make would need to be the height of the gap under the base, it can be higher, so using 2X4s or 2X2s are a good idea.
Once the grout has gotten its initial set, were you can slice off a section of the mound and it does not lose its shape, remove the forms and slope the  grout to a 45 degree angle from the metal base to the floor.


Replaced tile grout-soaking up moisture and comes out on my hand

The grout has not cured.  A couple of possible reasons are that perhaps it was old and deteriorated or it was improperly mixed.
Either way, at this point it's unlikely to cure properly.  I'd pull it out and re-do the grout making sure to use fresh material that is mixed properly.  Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for curing time and conditions.


switch trips breaker when turned on if bulb is in

The bulb is either overloading the circuit (if the circuit is that close to overload, you have big problems), or creating a short-circuit.  I'd say it's more likely that the light fixture is wired incorrectly, or there's a short-circuit in the 'bulb' itself (more likely if it's a CFL, or LED).

Try a different 'bulb', and inspect the fixture wiring.


Gas hot water tank leaking - water turned off, what about gas? Repair or replace?

The straightforward solution is to call a plumber to replace the heater. If you are not skilled at sweating copper and have the equipment, then this job is too difficult.

If I were going to repair the leak without turning off all the water to the house, I would cut out enough of the tubing on the tank side of the valve to allow unscrewing the copper female adapter. Then clean up the threads and solder up a new fitting with tubing so that you are not heating the water heater tubing. Then screw it on and finish by soldering the other end.

Before cutting into the tubing, you would turn the gas at the heater to pilot, then turn the cold supply off. It appears the leak is on the cold supply side. Open a hot tap somewhere to relieve pressure in the tank and drain the tank down a little.


At least it's level on all sides. Worst case is when banks slope TOWARD the house. I've dealt with them, as well as the level drainage issues.

So here's what I did on one area that was problematic. The soil was rich, black and clay. I built up the clay as high as possible along much of the outside wall, sloping it toward the yard. It worked well.

In my current house, here in Georgia, I have fought water coming down from a field into the garden area. The soil is Georgia's finest red clay. After a good storm, water saturates the top soil and stays soggy for weeks. I dug a trench along the inside of my fence and laid down two 4" perf plastic drain pipe that I'd run through a sock to keep loose dirt from clogging the holes. I filled the hole with gravel just over the pipe, and the rest of the way with top soil. It catches the water and drains it down to the creek. It's a modification of a French drain.

Try banking soil up against your house, sloping toward the yard. If still a concern, try trenching around your house and putting in a drain.

Water's always going to fight back. Persistence is the key to success.


How can I remove a dull spot in a quartz countertop caused by Magic Eraser?

Polishing stones is done by sanding, alternating from rough paper to very fine, from 50 to 3000 grit and water, and is finally polished with a compound paste or wax and a buffer/polisher.  I used to polish acrylic with up to 6000. Your eraser probably acted like a sand paper and the damage depends on its roughness.  Additional sanding may be warrant to smooth it off. You may try first car paint polishing compound sold in most places selling car spray paint and hand polish your spot.  If you have polishing tools it could be more effective and easier, but it all depend on the damage you actually made. If you can still see scratches or dullness after your initial polishing it may mean your eraser was too coarse and you may need to smooth it off and polish again.

Be aware that stones are not impervious to stains. Sealers should be applied where cosmetics or food may come in contact.  You can also buy stone stains remover in most stone tiles retail stores, they are not very expensive and much less damaging than your eraser. Good luck.


Where can I get this type of 'wood paneling'/'siding'/(name?)

Generically, that's called "Ship Lap" siding. What it is made of is another aspect; it could be wood such as cedar or redwood, it could be pressboard, it could be vinyl or even aluminum made to look like wood. You should be able to tell if it's vinyl or metal by tapping on it. If it's pressboard, you would be able, if you look long enough, to see repeating grain patterns, something that never happens with real wood.

That fascia / molding and the roof joint needs some professional attention in my opinion. That's a tough spot for a typical DYI project and getting it wrong can leave you with some serious water damage.


Some questions on installing 125 AMP rated subpanel for 30AMP draw with 10AWG wire

To answer your questions in turn:

Yes, this is A-OK.  The subpanel amp rating is simply a maximum rating, and it's better to have the extra slots and robustness of say a 125A panel vs a 50A one.  (Very small panels tend to be awkwardly laid out, too -- yours, fortunately, doesn't suffer from that infelicity, but that's only one reason to get a 12, 16, or 20 slot one instead of the 4 slot one you have.)
As long as the load on the feeder does not exceed 30A, you're golden.  Use the 3VA/square foot residential Code rule when determining how much actual power is drawn by the general lighting circuits, while I'd borrow the 1500VA/circuit rule from kitchen small appliance circuits for determining how much power the shop circuit uses for load calculation purposes.
The feeder breaker in the upstream subpanel is the disconnecting means for the downstream subpanel in the case of an indoor subpanel like yours.  If you were using a main-breaker panel, you could retain the existing main breaker as an extra disconnecting means, but in a main-lug panel like yours, there's no need to add a disconnecting means that isn't required by the NEC.
Yes, since this is a subpanel, the neutral bar needs to be isolated.  You can remove the bonding strap and screw and chuck them in the trash.  Also, don't forget to get a ground bar kit so that you have a place to hook up grounding wires!
No, it doesn't -- leg balance in split-phase systems is generally taken care of by the way the panelboard's arranged.  You have to install breakers in a pathological fashion (who the heck would skip every other slot in a panel fed with 240V split-phase?!) in order to get a severe unbalance, as the busbars are arranged so adjacent tabs are on opposite legs in most panels.  In the case of your panel -- what you propose (i.e. putting two breakers in one section and the other two in the other) is alright as the inner two tabs are on one leg and the outer two are on the other.


How to splice 220 line to use for multiple uses

Don't try this (at home, or anywhere else for that matter)

You'd have to defeat the function of the transfer device to actually power the heater (unless you wanted to use your generator to power it without throwing the transfer device over to the generator position).  Furthermore, once you did that, the generator inlet would be live, with live prongs sitting there waiting to zap unsuspecting folks with 240V.

And if you're planning on doing this because you don't have some sort of transfer device (transfer switch, breaker interlock) installed, then your electrical installation deserves a red tag from the local inspector, as backpowering the grid is a great way to accidentally zap unsuspecting linemen who are out there trying to turn the lights back on.


How urgent is it to fix cracks in foundation?

Small hairline cracks are fairly common in foundations and slabs. They are usually caused by ground subsidence, and typical freeze/thaw cycles. They can also form almost immediately after the slab is poured for various reasons. If the crack continues to open, or there is any shift in the slab, you definitely would want to get it checked out by a professional.

Slabs can be very costly to repair. There are techniques out there such as slab jacking, and underpinning the foundation. These kinds of repairs can be in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Honestly, this sounds like a scare tactic from your contractor to drum up some business. If I were you, I would first fill the crack with a caulk made to fill cracks in concrete, and keep an eye on it. If a full Winter season passes, and there is no change in it, then it should be stable enough to leave it. Just be sure to check it periodically, and inspect for other cracks.


Should I be concerned that water is pooling when ground is dug near the foundation?

Water isn't "forming" -- the hole is either catching rain, or the water table really is that high in that area. Dry surface doesn't necessarily mean dry underground, if there's a layer of stone or clay that's keeping it from easily soaking deeper, or if you happen to be in the path of drainage from farther up a hill.

For new construction I would hope that the builders were aware of local conditions and did something appropriate with the foundation. I presume that your builders are subject to the same kinds of inspections those in the US are, and here I don't think they're allowed to fill in the ground around the foundation until it has been approved.

I think your choices are either to trust that, or to hire someone to carefully excavate alongside the foundation, look at what was done, and tell you whether it's properly designed or not.

Personally, unless you have reason to worry, I wouldn't.


Support header sizing for a large garage workbench

As long as it is not a V8 engine block it should do fine. If you hammer anything on the surface, stay near the legs, toward the center you will feel the slight springiness. It will not let anything you are driving with the hammer, like wood chisels for example, will not perform like they should. That particular task may even be a bit unsafe over the span.

Use a cleat on the back edge at the wall so the hinges do no supporting when the top is down as a work surface

I added a sketch to help understand the cleat I wrote about.


To borrow what User58220 said, I think part of your problem here is that you have the wrong pump for your application. This pump is designed to boost the incoming water pressure from a municipal water service. It requires a minimum of 10 psi to function correctly. The rule of thumb is 1 psi for every 2 feet of elevation, so you will need to elevate your tank at least 20 feet above the pump. If you can't, then hire a competent plumber to install the proper type of pump.

Provided you do have at least 10 psi, next you should check the controller. Hold the square button down until the display says Lo. Make a note of the number that appears after a few seconds. Press the square button twice. It will either display an error code or --. Consult the manual if you have an error.

The final thing to check is the pressure tank. Turn off the pump, turn off the water from the tank, and open (and leave open) a faucet to relieve the pressure. Then find the air stem (should look like the fill valve on a tire) and read the pressure. This number should be about 2 psi less than the Lo number you noted previously. If the pressure is incorrect, then let some air out or pump some air in until you are 2 psi below the Lo number.

If the tank leaks water out of the air stem when you try to take a pressure reading, then the pressure bladder in the tank is ruptured or water-logged. Replace the tank.


Water damage to wall drywall near ceiling - Should I repair or extract and replace?

I think this might be more of an opinion type question but I would just repair the corner and fill the small section where the paper ripped off.
Fill it put a layer of tape let it dry, put a new corner in mud let dry sand and a can of texture should fix it up. If messy with the mud it may take more sanding.
If you cut a section out there will be more repair work if the damaged area was wider and deeper I would cut out but it looks like the back paper is intact.
1 maybe 2 coats of mud should do it from what I see.


Oak doors stripped of paint - need to fill holes underneath before revarnishing/oiling

Sorry, but this will be more difficult than you may think, at least if you are looking for it to look great. (I am a perfectionist on these things, and everyone has different goals and flaws they are willing to accept. However, you might be disappointed if you hang a door that you are not proud of.)

Suppose you fill (as indicated) with matchsticks, and any type of dowel. Those spots will have end grain showing, which will be extremely noticeable, especially if you then stain. The end grain will absorb stain differently from the rest of the wood.

Similarly, suppose you fill with wood filler or just a paste made of sawdust and glue. Again, it will not have the same characteristics as the surface wood. It won't look right. Of course, it depends on how large the holes are.

You might try a plug cutter in a drill press, used to cut face grain plugs to match the grain of the wood. Now, drill the holes out with a sharp drill bit, so the plugs will fit perfectly. A tiny dab of glue on the plug, and it is there to stay. Now you will have face grain set into face grain. If you are careful to get a nice grain alignment match, this can be made to work very well.  And since you can buy plug cutters of various sizes, you can fill holes of many different sizes.

Once the plug is set in the hole, sand it down to be perfectly flat to the door surface. I rarely even wait for the glue to set, since it will do so in good time. Anyway, the sanding dust as I sand mixes with any glue present to fill in even any tiny imperfections around the perimeter of the hole. Note that plug cutters do not work well in a hand held drill, but you can get an attachment for many drills to make them work like a small drill press.

In the case of a really large hole that needs filling, you can always use a router to cut away that area to get a region with nice clean edges. Now if you do it properly, a template guide in the router will let you inset a Dutchman, again, with perfectly matching face grain.

Alternatively, one might try veneer patches, but for an outside door, veneer will likely not hold up well.

For those with some artistic skill, you might also consider faux painting any patches. Here you essentially paint on fake grain in any patched areas, made to match the door. Such faux grain can be very convincing, and with a good finish on top to protect is, this might be acceptable.

Make sure you find a piece of wood for these plugs that matches the grain of your door. All oak is not the same. You said oak, but there is white oak and red oak:  even within those subspecies, there are different colors and grains. It even matters how the wood was cut, thus quarter sawn versus flat sawn wood. These woods have very different looks. Find a hardwood lumberyard to select a piece of wood that will match. If absolutely necessary, bring the door along and get help from someone there to find some wood that will be a perfect match. Or you might bring a close up color picture of the door to compare the grain & color.

A few final thoughts:

Use a good glue that is rated for exterior use, so it will not be a problem with potentially wet conditions.
Since you are looking to match the existing wood, I expect you will apply varnish (or some variation of clear coat) on the door when done. Use a high quality coating that is rated for exterior locations. This should have components in it to resist exposure to the sun, rain & snow, as they are tough on such finishes.


Can't seem to find solution for vinyl tube to copper tube connection

Your most likely solution is to create the connector you need with two pieces - one to go from PEX (assuming that's what you have since Vinyl is not an approved plumbing material) to copper and one to go from 1/2" to 3/4".

When working with copper you generally have to sweat (aka solder) fittings, or less frequently screw them together (generally that's for end point connections like drop ears).

Lets start with what you need:

For your PEX connector, get a 1/2" to 3/4" PEX to female pipe thread connector (FPTC)

and a 3/4" - 3/4" copper male threaded adapter

Be sure to get the copper adapter that will fit over the end of your copper pipe as some adapters are sized to fit inside other fittings while others are sized to receive pipe.  Test fit them in the store.

You will need to solder the 3/4" copper to the male threaded adapter.  See this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doqoEJJOdYA

Note: 3-4 seconds of solder is too long.  Notice how much solder drips off of his fitting in that video.  That solder is molten metal and it will land on something.  1 second is plenty - you're looking for somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2" of solder to melt and vanish into the fitting.

Allow that fitting to cool completely (use a damp cloth to speed the process), then wrap silicone tape around the male threads.  Wrap in the direction of the threads, and only put about 2 layers of silicone over the threads.

Now very tightly screw the female to pex adapter onto the male threads.  Make this fitting as tight as you can using two wrenches - one to hold the pipe steady and the other to tighten the fitting.

Finally insert your pex tube firmly into the sharkbite fitting of your female connector.


How can I repair this leaning deck railing?

If you were to replace all the lag bolts, you could play around with plumb by shimming the top or bottom of the post where it sits on the rim joist. Be sure to use galvanized bolts (and healthy sized washers on both ends) that go all the way through the post and the rim joist.

A very big caveat: this might have met code where you are, but a 2x4 post -- especially an old one -- isn't the sturdiest. The IRC requires that a railing can withstand a 200 pound load in any direction. I would think seriously about replacing the posts with 4x4s securely bolted to the rim.


Stabilizing steel table legs for dining table

You have to think in terms of triangles when resolving issues like this. The upper inside corners of your leg frames want triangle type corner braces. You also want to have triangle braces from each leg frame up to the underside of the table. Done properly this will eliminate all of the wobble.


Vibrating PVC exhaust pipe from high efficiency furnace

A couple of things- if it's started vibrating... you might have had a rodent or bug intrusion. That would create a 'dead zone' where air has to rush around (probably in the 3" section). The exhaust motor would work harder to overcome this, and that would shift things.

Your house could also have settled, and the wood could also have swelled slightly with moisture. As the winter dries out, everything goes back to normal and the pipe stops rubbing.

Vibration can be carried up the pipe as well, so you'll need to lay a hand on it (or a cell phone, say) and 'listen' to the pipe. Maybe you can track down where it's pinching at and causing the noise.

You could also download a spectrum analyzer app to see what's the main frequencies of vibration. Might be fun to see.

As for putting in a fernco, the answer I remember was 'no'. Basis being ferncos can not be used on pressurized systems, ever. And that won't necessarily fix the issue, either, depending on where the problematic sound is coming from. The manual should state the venting requirements of the furnace. And a quick call to your local code office should give you an idea too.

Here was a quick google-
However:
http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/heating-ventilation-air-conditioning-hvac-home-inspection-and-commercial-inspection/24693-fernco-furnace-vent-pipe.html


Drill through a pass through header/top-plate to hang pot hanger

There have been studies done about the withdrawal force for various threaded fasteners, for example a single #10 screw can support over 100 pounds per inch that it penetrates the wood (Doug fir/hemlock).  If you upgrade to a lag bolt its over 300 pounds per inch.  Here is one of many documents.


Can a portable bedroom fan be slowed down?

I have once made a lamp with a light dimmer enclosed in a PVC box. If you get a box and make holes for wires then wire a fan dimmer to it, you can precisely control it's speed. But make sure it is dimmable. If it doesnt say "non-dimmable" or something like that, it should be dimmable.
EDIT: Since it has an integrated dimmer, it is very likely to be dimmable.


Can a subpanel's ground and neutral be served from another subpanel, while the circuits come from main panel?

I'd simply run the new neutral back to the "main" panel

While adding accessory ground bars to your "main" panel will be trickier than it looks, since you'd have to field-fabricate a replacement for the neutral tie strap that originally came with said panel in addition to unbonding the left-hand bar and moving all its ground wires onto a newly installed ground bar, you do have enough neutral space on the right-hand bar for an ECLK1-2 lug to fit there, and you can do the same with the left-hand bar for your new grounding wire.

From there, you can run the wires from the new cable through the subpanel and existing nipple to reach the "main" panel, as there's no shortage of space in that nipple for more wiring.  You will need to label on the subpanel's directory that there are feed-through conductors present and their disconnecting means is in the "main" panel next to said subpanel, as well, as this is required by NEC 312.8(A) point 3.

The alternative plan you propose of landing the neutral in the subpanel and continuing the hots off to the main panel is legal, under a little-used Code provision found in NEC 215.4:

  215.4 Feeders with Common Neutral Conductor.

  (A) Feeders with Common Neutral. Up to three sets of 3-wire
  feeders or two sets of 4-wire or 5-wire feeders shall be permitted
  to utilize a common neutral.

  (B) In Metal Raceway or Enclosure. Where installed in a
  metal raceway or other metal enclosure, all conductors of all
  feeders using a common neutral conductor shall be enclosed
  within the same raceway or other enclosure as required in
  300.20.

But, given the short distance of the shared run and the fact that there is space in the neutral bar for another add-a-lug, there's really not that much point in finessing things that tightly (and risking confusing an inspector who doesn't see that sort of thing on a regular basis at all).

HOWEVER: you'll need either a 90A breaker or 1-1-1-3 cable

There is a problem with your plan, though: namely, that 2-2-2-4 Al SER cable you are planning on using is only rated for 90A at 75°C (which you are allowed to use when running from panel to panel).  So, you'll either need to get a Q290 for your feeder breaker instead of a Q2100, or run 1-1-1-3 Al SER instead of the 2-2-2-4.

While you're in there, you'll want to swap the two breakers in the far bottom left of the "main" for the correct Siemens breakers, since the existing breakers there are foreign to your panel, and thus won't fit quite right.  In particular, the BR250 in the far bottom left position of that panel needs to be swapped out for a Q250, and the mystery 40A breaker above it needs to be swapped out for a Q240.

Other notes

It would be a good idea to replace the existing subpanel with something with more spaces; given the room available in that bay, using a 200A, main lug Siemens panel with 40, 42, or even 54 spaces for the replacement subpanel would not be at all out of place.  I would also use a larger subpanel than your existing 20-space panel for the new addition; a 30-space, 125A, main lug subpanel would not be out of place there, either.

Also, as with any panel work, you'll want to use an inch-pound torque wrench or torque screwdriver when tightening the lug setscrews on your connections.  Not only is this a NEC requirement as of 2017, found in 110.14(D), it's a very good idea anyway, lest your electrical system lose you the race!


Power Drill emits a bright spark and stops. Can fix?

So.. I think i fixed it.. this video and others suggest that this might be carbon build up along the shaft of the motor causing the excessive sparking. Some places suggest taking a can of compressed air to the thing.. and I didnt have one so I used a homemade can of compressed air... my mouth.. seems to have worked. The sparks are now down to a minimal level which is apparently expected in a brushed motor, and the drill is able to run even at max speed which it wasnt earlier.

TLDR - Could be carbon build up along the shaft. If you cannot reach the shaft, clean with compressed air or blow hard with mouth.


Why doesn't my solar water heater provide enough hot water for a few showers?

If it is properly installed and the auxiliary heater is working, you should have enough hot water for three or four hot showers.  A 200 liter tank is approximately 52 US Gal which is the normal size for a family of 3-4 people.
Adding a circulation pump will not resolve the issue you are having.  The circulation pump will shorten the time it takes for hot water to reach where your shower is located.  It will provided a small amount of addition storage, but since your tank is ~52 gal, the additional storage in the pipes will be minimum.
Before adding a circulation pump, I would validate that the solar heater is working properly.  At a daytime high temp of 24-25C degrees, the water is still cold and needs the electric element to bring the temp to about 52C (125 F) in order to feel like hot water is coming out of the shower.
I would check that the thermostat is set to at least 60C (140F), the factory setting.  About 1 or 2 hrs before sunset, I would turn on the hot water and measure the water temperature.
If the water temp is 60C, then you know the thermostat and electric element is working.
If the water temp is not 60C, then you could have these potential problems:

faulty thermostat
Electric element not working
Electric element is undersized

Do you have the standard 4000 Watt-230 v heater or did you select another heater option?


Without knowing much about your system, I'd recommend starting by checking the contactor in the condensing unit  (outdoor unit).
Before you begin
Before you open up the condensing unit, make sure to turn the power off at the breaker, pull/turn off the serviceman switch, and verify power is off.
Once you've opened the unit, you'll want to properly discharge the capacitor(s).  You don't want them to accidentally discharge through you.
Check the contactor
Using an insulated screwdriver, or pair of pliers, push the contactor plate in. You'll want to make sure the plate moves freely, and is not sticking or getting hung up.
If you're really careful, and comfortable doing so, you can run the system with the condensing unit open. Then you'll be able to see if the contactor pulls in.
Here's a good YouTube video that shows why the contactor not pulling in is a problem.
Next, set your multimeter to test resistance.  Carefully remove the leads from the coil terminals, then test the resistance of the coil by touching one probe on each of the coil contacts (where you removed the wires). Make sure the resistance matches the manufacturer's specifications.
If the resistance is really low, the coil is likely shorted out.  If the resistance is infinity, the coil is likely broken.  In both cases, the contactor will need to be replaced.

Isolate the problem
To try and determine where the problem is,  you could disconnect the control wires feeding the outside unit. Then switch the unit to COOL, and lower the set point until the thermostat calls for COOL.  If the fuse blows with the outdoor unit disconnected, then the problem is likely on the control board.
Unfortunately the control board doesn't appear to be serviceable, so you'll have to replace the entire board if that's where the problem is.


I've never seen a "plug" that completely covers the socket, but you can get a two-prong adapter like this that will fill in the Edison socket and only leave the two prongs opened.


First, cut away the non-glued part with a craft knife or carpet knife.  Next, pull individual strands of the pile away from the mesh using a pliers.  Optionally, sand down the remaining bits of the carpet using your multi-tool.  Finally (and also optionally), patch any damage to the plywood subfloor with wood filler.

The last two steps are optional because it's in a small closet where nobody's going to notice any slight unevenness in the floor.


This could be a "floating neutral," which is a serious electrical problem. See this other question here on stackexchange. In my case I resolved the problem by calling the power company. They asked "Do your lights flicker?" They replaced a nearby power pole within a few hours.
You could also have a poor/ineffective electrical ground. Does the drill have a three-pronged plug?


How to integrate beams and venting with drywall?

Interesting problem. If you've got metal vent, and a steel I-Beam, those will definitely move at different rates than drywall on wood framing. Sounds like you need something flexible for the transition. What about using self-adhering flexible membrane flashing material as (at least) part of the solution?

I know you can get flex membrane flashing with a white surface, but I don't know if any manufacturers offer a paintable product.

Also, I'm not sure how to make a smooth transition from the membrane to drywall, but it might be possible with some careful mudding.  I haven't actually used membrane for this solution, but I am a big fan of the product for other purposes.  Here's a discussion article that mentions many types.

Let us know what you end up doing?


Why do I hear intermittent speaker hum that goes away when I turn lights off or on?

It sounds like you a ground loop issue.  Take a look at "ground loop isolators" on amazon, best buy, etc...  They might help the issue.   This happens to me sometimes when I am putting a heavy load on a circuit in my house.  (Vacuums, Hair Dryers, etc will do this)


Direct burial connectors.

Several varieties exist, silicone packed and grease packed are the most common.

You cut and strip and twist the connection(s) and insert into the cap, which then isolates, insulates and waterproofs the connection.

They are a HUGE step up from the "vampire tap" connections that come with low priced landscape sets.  In any type of wet climate, the taps are only good for several years

Another approach is a "staked" junction box. which houses the connections for a hub distribution method.  The junction box sits atop a ground stake, keeping the wiring above ground.


Leviton Vizia 24 hr timer - How do I install?

Your timer needs requires four wires.

Black is "hot"
Red is the load wire, which is only hot when the switch is on (closed).
White is neutral, which allows the timer itself to use power to operate.
Bare/green is safety ground.

The box you're working at, does not have a neutral.  It's what's called a "switch loop", so only has a hot, switched hot, and ground.

You'll either have to run new cable to this box, or buy a timer that doesn't require a neutral.


Keeping Large Channel Trench Drain Clear

If leaves are the only thing getting it it will take years to decades.  Leaves decompose down to aobut 1/50th their volume.  The usually problem with a drain is sand and dirt.

That said:  The grate bolts in.  5 years from now, those bolts may be very hard to remove.  If the grates don't shift unacceptably without the bolts, take them out now, or just leave one in each grade to keep it from sliding sideways.  As an annual measure, remove the bolt, apply a layer of grease, and refasten it.  Garage drains here get a nasty mix of road de-icer and sand.


How can I center a TV on a wall with a centered stud?

Measure the side to side of the back plate. I believe that most manufacturer's will have the plate long enough to span 2 wall studs. (BTW: most wall framing is established at 16 inches on center or 14 1/2 inches in between 2 wall studs). If your plat measures at least 16 inches install it on the 2 studs closest to the center of the wall. Some TV wall mounts have 3 axis' of adjustment: one axis allows you to swivel the TV side to side. This makes it easier to orient the TV on the center if the mounting plate was not. Also, it may be possible, depending on the mounting plate type, to offset the bracket that attaches to the back of the TV so that when it is hung on the wall mounting plate it is closer to room center.


Question About Wiring - Hooking up New Thermostat

The black wire can be ignored

The black wire is what's termed a jumper between Rh and Rc. Some old thermostats required it since they weren't smart enough on the inside to deal with both one-transformer and two-transformer systems without such help.  You need to ignore the jumper with your new thermostat, and simply attach the red wire to the R terminal on your new thermostat, as it provides its own jumper in the form of the slider tab.


Is there a filter-reminder thermostat that uses run-time instead of total time?

Some programmable thermostats do base their filter reminder on run time.  However, the problem is looking at a filter, their change out period is not mentioned in runtime, it just says 'every 6 months' or something like that, so it's a little tricky to convert sometimes.
The Radiothermostat 3M-50 (in your link) says:

FILTER - AIR FILTER ALERT - The  3M-50 can be programmed to remind you
when the HVAC  sytem’s air filter needs changing. Touch FILTER. The
display will show the usage to Touch FILTER for over 3 seconds and the
display will change to LIMIT. Touch arrows to set desired usage limit
before filter alert comes on home screen.  When this limit is reached,
FILTER will be on home screen and the CHECK FILTER indicator lights.
Limit may be set from 0 to 999 days/99 weeks; default is 90 days/12
weeks. Touch to reset. To reset the usage back to 0, touch usage
number

However, I recently installed a Trane Z-Wave thermostat  and its filter reminder is based on hours.  As a bonus, you can implement Z-wave in your house!

The Filter Service screen will show the accumulated Filter Runtime hours as well as the Service Interval that will be used to trigger a filter message.  Any type of HVAC operation that causes the HVAC system fan to run will cause the Filter Runtime value to increase.


GFCI vs. 40v 5ah battery for water safety

It doesn't need to be a GFCI outlet.  It needs to be GFCI protected.  GFCI protection is conferred by having any particular outlet obtain power power from the LOAD side of a GFCI device somewhere.  On most string-topology circuits, a single well-placed GFCI device will protect the whole circuit.

If you stick a GFCI tester in there, push the button and the outlet goes dead, you're sympatico.

The bigger problem is the temptation to bring cords to the pool area

Your #1 safety risk is the fact that people wanting to plug things in, in the pool area, feel a need to run an extension cord from some distant location. This requires a social-engineering solution.  You need to rearrange your home to suppress that desire.

So either put GFCI protection on every outlet they might ever dream to tap... or, install a plethora of outlets, actually poolside, that are protected by a GFCI device somewhere.  I prefer to have my GFCI devices indoors, so I make extensive use of the LOAD feature of GFCIs. Now there's no reason for someone to run an extension cord to the pool area; there are outlets all over the place.

GFCI is safe as you're going to get

A properly installed GFCI setup, with the protection device some distance from the outlet, is as safe as things can be.  It will trip the GFCI if hot or neutral current takes a path other than the normal one.

Higher DC voltages bite.  HARD.

Electronics and car people tend to believe DC is docile and harmless.  It is at 12V, yes.  However, somewhere in the 20s it starts getting a personality, and by about 60 volts it goes full honey-badger.  Can 40V bite you?  Oh, yes it can! And it won't let go, either.  So ixnay on the 40V battery pack.  I encourage you to develop a little bit of fear of it.

TVs are 12 volts, anyway

Besides, now that TV tubes are gone, lot of TVs these days actually use a low voltage, typically 12 volts.  Better off just using a battery pack that size than do a double conversion.


Connected C-Wire to new Smart Thermostat and Furnace board and still no power

The thermostat you posted has no common terminal (C). The blue wire that should be wired to common at the thermostat is cut off and wrapped around the harness.

You show red, white, yellow, and green wired to R,W,Y,G terminals on the thermostat, but there is no common terminal on that thermostat and the blue wire that should be wired to common is unused at the thermostat yet wired to common at the air handler.

Is there 24 volts at the air handler low voltage terminals (R and C)?
You should, if not check for the door panel switch being closed. It must be closed or tape the switch closed if trying to work with the door open.

The circuit board in the air handler's circuit board should have an automotive type 3 amp fuse:  it may be bad.  If not and the breakers are on and proper voltage is to the furnace, then the transformer is bad.

If you switch the fan on does the fan work?  If so this proves you have both high voltage and 24 volt low voltage control power available.  The thermostat you show has no provision for the common side of power and looks to be battery powered.  Perhaps a Maple Chase brand thermostat?


Why are my floor tiles cracked and how can I lay them again so they won't crack

If the tiles are cracking, it's probably (edit: might not be) not just the plywood.  The floor is flexing in some manner.  Tiles need a very rock solid underlayment.

So pulling up the tiles and then pulling up the subfloor and then relaying a new subfloor may not actually fix your problem.

The joists may be flexing (and this is probably the issue) which would cause the floor to crack.

How old is the building?  If the build is quite old, the joists may be further apart or sized smaller than current code.

There are a few solutions, once you determine the problem:

sistering the joists
adding cross joists under the existing joists
adding lolly columns under the floor

I fixed a floor on the third floor of a 100 year old house by pulling up the plywood and gluing and screwing half inch subfloor.  The floor was rock solid, but we still didn't put back ceramic tile - we went for black and white vinyl. Looked great.


What type of drywall tape should I use for a drywall to plaster patch?

I like the mesh tape for this sort of thing - because you can get material through it, and it seems less prone to peel.

The self-adhesive aspect is not all that significant - it's merely holding it (barely) in place until it's embedded in compound. The compound is what actually sticks things together.


Inside the door frame is a tube like opening that runs the length of the frame. It is an integral part of the frame and is formed when the metal is extruded through a die.
The opening usually gets broken or is forced wider when the screw is turned to tight. Also corrosion occurs over time.
You can try this first: get a screw of the same diameter as the original, but slightly longer. You may be able to reach a sound section of the adjoining frame.
If not carefully separate the two miters until you can see an attachment point. This is not something that is easy and can be dangerous.


Best product depends on your criteria for best.
Personally I use a flat (non glossy) concrete floor paint, water based so cleanup is easy. I'm not fond of gray concrete as a finished look, so unless the concrete was dyed some other color I don't want to see it - your mileage may vary, they do make clear concrete sealers if you like that look. Paint cuts dust generation, and improves lighting if you use a light color.
Some folks like to spend a lot more on epoxy coatings and then spend some more on making them not slippery.


240 volt outlet powered by two insulated wires and one bare ground wire

Welcome to the community.

No. you need another insulated neutral wire. You should not use a ground wire as neutral, and you should not use bare wire as a current carrying conductor.


My apartment door unlocked by itself. Can anyone offer an explanation please?

Either your door lock is defective, or someone is unlocking the door while you are gone (someone with the key, like your landlord, or someone is picking it open).


I connected the line and load wires properly
Actually, you probably didn't. Not definitely - it could be a bad GFCI - but most likely the wiring is not 100% correct.

Turn off power.
Disconnect everything.
Connect only the Line wires - hot and neutral - and the ground wire.
Turn on power.
See if the GFCI receptacles work.
See if the GFCI test and reset buttons work.

Assuming all of that works, then connect the Load wires - hot and neutral - and see what happens. If at that point things stop working, then the problem is downstream - i.e., in the receptacles or devices connected via Load.
Keep in mind that with a non-GFCI receptacle, line and load are all the same. With a GFCI, you have to keep them separate and connect them properly or strange things happen.


Besides copper, the only other material suitable for conductors is aluminum.  In 1930 aluminum was a precious metal, as the Hall/Héroult refining process wasn't industrialized yet.  Far too precious to waste on wire, which was easier done by cheap, plentiful copper.  (Now it's the other way 'round lol).
This wiring looks like it may have been retrofit.  If so, it may be aluminum.  Scrape it with a knife to see if it comes up brassy or silvery.
That 2-prong receptacle is perfectly new, possibly 1980's more likely 21st century, noting the upward offset to leave room for an absent ground.  Inside the receptacle the metal bits are identical to the grounded type.
You can retrofit ground wires
That looks like armored cable, not conduit.  If you can freely pull out and replace the wires, it's conduit.  Otherwise it's metal jacketed cable.  Fixed metal conduit is allowable as a grounding path.  That metal cable may be, depending on type; AC cable was demoted to where it's  no longer allowable as a ground path.  No matter, you can retrofit just a ground wire, those rules were liberalized in 2014.
You don't need to follow the original cable, but given the ease of access you have, that's exactly what I'd do.  Do the same thing as the cable is doing, hop from junction box to junction box.  Those steel junction boxes are exactly what I use today for that sort of work, and they don't really age unless they're exposed to wet.
The layout of this wiring really did you a favor.  The splices are being made in the junction boxes, so the receptacle only takes 1 wire per side.  That's a knee-saver!  Just FYI, The 2 screws per side are there to optionally be used in one of two modes: a) as a handy-dandy way to splice 2 wires while also connecting them to the receptacle, or b) if you break off the tab, a way to control each socket separately.  Neither applies here.
If the box is grounded, you can ground the receptacle with a "ground pigtail"*. Search the back of the junction box for a hole that's a slightly different size than the others; that would be threaded for a #10-32 ground screw (note -32).  If absent, either use a grounding clip or drill and tap your own #10-32 hole (minimum size #6, thread pitch -32 or finer to bite enough metal to conduct electricity, don't use a sheetmetal screw!).
You cannot ground the receptacle via the mounting screws, but if the metal yoke bottoms out, clean metal yoke against clean box flange, that is acceptable. Typically the box is recessed shy of the drywall and that is not possible.
The ground path needs to go all the way back to the panel, but your retrofit wire only needs to reach a point with good ground that is served out of that same service panel,  e.g. say if you have a water heater that is grounded.
Aluminum wire
If you believe you have aluminum wire or other old wire you just don't trust**, a 'silver bullet solution' now exists in the form of AFCI circuit breakers.  They listen to the wire for any evidence of arcing, which is how most wiring problems show up.  Then, they trip to shut off power.   The concept of AFCI pretty much requires doing that in the circuit breaker; they make AFCI receptacles but they don't protect the wires feeding them, which defeats the purpose!   If you are installing AFCI breakers, they also make AFCI/GFCI combo breakers for a few dollars more. A GFCI breaker protects every point in the circuit, however, GFCI breakers are sensitive to wiring defects such as crossed neutrals.  Those are defects you want to fix anyway, but a GFCI breaker will trip until you do.
Long term anti-aluminum plan:
For small branch circuits (#8 and smaller) only use copper wire, because inspectors and homebuyers with small minds will freak if you use aluminum. Aluminum is perfectly acceptable for 50A+ feeders in #4 and above cable.  If I just spoke greek, get a book.
The wiring I see in your picture would be easily replaced if aluminum; so do that.  If you have aluminum wiring which is infeasible to replace, the problem with aluminum happened because they attached it to terminals that were rated for copper only.  Copper terminals don't like aluminum, zinc-plated aluminum terminals play nice with everybody.  So change to CO-ALR rated recepatcles and switches, and use Alumiconns instead of wire nuts for splicing. The purple wire nuts are no good. Alumiconns are actually miniature lug connectors, and like most lugs, they are made of aluminum.

* most grounds must be pigtailed anyway, note there is only 1 ground screw, that is because you are not allowed to use the "handy-dandy use the receptacle as a splice point" technique with grounds, they must be pigtailed so removing the receptacle does not break other grounds downstream.  That same rule also applies to neutrals in MWBCs, which is way above your skill level right now.  Upshot is if you see a neutral pigtailed "for no reason", leave it that way.
** or new wire you just don't trust, namely backstab connections.  Backstabs are all the rage because they shave time when building new houses. However they are unreliable and are the #1 source of arcing problems. As a direct result, AFCI breakers are now mandatory in new construction.


Why do I need to turn off two breakers to cut power to an outlet?

It doesn't matter if hot and neutral are the same wire gauge (the breaker must be for the smallest gauge used). I have a bunch of 10AWG neutral on long 20A branch runs, because I had a surplus and wanted to reduce loss.  If mixed, they absolutely must run in the same cable or conduit - it is not acceptable to use a hot from one Romex and a neutral from another Romex.

Are you sure you're not looking at capacitive coupling?  If a dead wire runs alongside hot wires, it will pick up a "radio signal" from the other wires, and that phantom voltage can be detected by a very sensitive meter such as a modern DVM.  Usually something will seem "a little off" like it will be 10V lower than every other wire.  The proof of the pudding is to hook it up to a night-light or use a lower-impedance voltmeter, the voltage will vanish like a ghost.

When backtracing circuits, I pull off the hot and neutral, then nut them to a resistor of known value, and then measure looking for that value of resistance.   I don't leave the neutral on the bus because I want to isolate/pair it.


How would you add baseboard trim to an angled wall?

I'd get a 2 x 4, trim it to fit the length and height of your trim piece and screw it in.

The horizontal lines are the piece of trim that will run along the outside of the staircase.


Safety cover for exposed brick exhaust inside a bedroom

For a longer term solution it might be worth considering two investigations.

Look at building out the wall around the exposed brick in the room. This could be built to sit a couple of inches (4 - 5 cm) away from the brick to create a dead air space behind the wall to isolate the room from the temperature variations of the bricks. Such wall structure with its "studs", however that is configured, offers a lot more options for installing safety measures.
Look into see if it would be possible to retrofit the chimney with an inserted double or triple wall stainless steel flue liner. The easiest case is one that would fit within the existing flue of the brick chimney. More invasive rework involves removing the brick chimney down to some level and replacing the stack with the rigid style multi-wall stainless steel stack that is supported with a new wood structure then sheathed appropriately for interior or exterior surfaces.


Alternatives to forced hot air in-wall units

I'm currently storing 9 240VAC 500 watt radiant (or infrared) panels; not sure if I'll use them or not, but they certainly exist in the US market. Mine were taken out and replaced with an oil-fired boiler as a less expensive source of heat. The space they were in had at least a 10 ft ceiling and they were ceiling-mounted, and quite effective, just expensive to run compared to other heat sources. They are a low-mass structure (steel panel with heating element attached, insulation behind.)

Storage/mass would only make sense if you had different electricity rates at different times - all electric resistance heat is basically 100% efficient; though cold-climate heat pumps can be 300% efficient and are thus a better choice if using electricity for heat. Mass makes the system slower to respond, not more efficient.

Without bothering to do an extensive search, I was able to quickly find 240V 250W panels in the USA currently. "240v radiant panel" as a search term, sift the bad results manually (I got 120V & hot water radiators mixed into my results along with the correct item.)

If your condo is poorly insulated and/or has inadequate power provisioned for the living room heat circuit, you may need to upgrade that or add additional circuits to provide adequate heat. Unless you have bizarrely low electricity rates or very limited need for heating at all, some other heat option will probably be cheaper to operate, but that depends on what you have available in your local market / at the condo.

Fluid-based radiant floor &/or wall heat (with whatever is the least expensive available method heating the fluid) is one option, but it is a major job to retrofit it, much easier/cheaper to build it in than to add it later.


What termite treatment is needed for reclaimed wood being used indoors

This is an interesting question.  I just read the wikipedia article on orange oil.  While this stuff comes out of an orange and is widely thought of as "natural" and "organic" and "safe", it seems like a pretty good description of it might be "turpentine from an orange".

I don't think you are likely to get an accurate and definitive answer to your question.  No matter which way you go, you will be taking a small risk.

If you think about it...all wood came from a tree, and most trees have some bugs in them.  One would think that kiln drying would kill the varmints, but who knows for sure?

If it were me, I would just finish it in the normal way and keep an eye on it after bringing it in the house. Your mileage may vary.


Your bathroom door can be any width you want.

The Code only refers to one door in a “dwelling” and it’s regarding an “egress” door...and it must be a minimum of 32” wide. (See 2017 edition of IRC Section R311.2)

References to IBC or ICC is not appropriate as they refer to commercial, institutional, etc. buildings, not dwellings.