Are receptacles protected when downstream from ungrounded GFCI?

Absolutely, as long as you place the load wires going to the downstream receptacles onto the LOAD terminals of the GFCI receptacle.

A GFI does NOT need an equipment grounding conductor to function properly. In fact, using a GFI at the beginning of the circuit is what will allow you to legally and safely use 3-prong receptacles downstream. Thing is, this does not create an equipment ground for equipment protection for things such as surge suppressors.

By code you are supposed to label any non-grounding downstream receptacles "No equipment ground present".


How do I stop grout in the corner of a shower from cracking?

The corners of the shower walls should never have been grouted in the first place.  Corners are the most subject to movement and thus the most likely to crack, so they get caulked, not grouted.


Installing Honeywell Wifi on Ruud Furnace with G wire replacement

Check your voltage from R to C terminals on the board to make sure you have 24 volts there. If you don't mind the feel of air moving, you would be better off just putting a short jumper from R to G. This will energize the fan relay to keep it running continuously and the best for you for constant air filtration and if equiped with a power humidifier will maintain the house humidity properly. Then using the G wire as proposed should work. Before you did this, did the fan start when flipping the fan swich on the thermostat to on for continuous fan operation? If you never tried it, it might be a good idea to change things back and do so to eliminate the chance that there's a break in the green wire. Or if your new thermostat is in place, leave the power off change things back on the Furnace and disconnect the red for power and the green and just hold them together with the power back on for a few seconds at the thermostat to see if the fan starts, again to verify no breaks in the green wire.


It sounds like there's a problem with the inlet valve, which should fill the tank when it falls below the set depth. Here's a video on maintenance for a Caroma Dual Flush:

http://www.caromausa.com/resources/videos/articles/29.php

And here's a PDF on servicing the inlet valve:

http://www.caromausa.com/database/rte/files/QuietFlow%202%20Service%20Guide.pdf


Concrete or mud pad below two layers of tile in bathroom. Not sure what it is and whether to demo it?

it is probably old mud that was used back in the days, now we remove the old mud and build it back up with the concrete board to where you need it to be, screw it down and glue your tile down.


lawn sprinkler system pressure reducer settings?

It depends on the particular sprinklers, but somewhere in the 25 to 40 psi range should work for all but golf fairway sprinklers.  Usually the pressure regulator is adjustable, so you can experiment to see what works best.


RCD will trip on a ground fault. Sometimes an older refrigerator or garbage disposal will cause them to trip.
Since it appears to have a cycle it may be a defrost setting in the refrigerator causing the fault.
It is possible the breaker itself is faulty but I would expect a more random tripping if this was the case.
Are there any other appliances that have a “cycle” if not try changing the temp in the refrigerator, colder might make it trip more often warmer less often if it is the defrost cycle.


Will the seals in a toilet dry out if the water is disconnected for a long period?

There are several things to do before leaving a house for a year.  Try a quick search for "winterize a house" or something similar to find many checklists.  One list I saw mentioned pouring RV antifreeze down each of the drains to fill the P-trap, then putting stoppers in the drains and plastic wrap in the toilet bowl to help keep it from evaporating.


How to fill holes in Hardwood Floor, Large, Medium, and Small

The only long term solution is to replace the boards. As others have mentioned, wood filler cracks out and in some cases looks like cat litter after a while. The reason is that the wood expands and contracts as the humidity changes between the seasons.

Replacing the boards is not as difficult as it seems, but the repairs will stick out unless you refinish that section of the floor. Theres a great 'this old house' video which demonstrates how to do this.

For the small gaps, the recommended solution, from a couple of floor refinishing professionals, was to leave them as character. Filling them will crack out, replacing them will be a ton of labor and may end up with the same cracks in the end - especially depending on what season you're in.


What type of hardware was used for these fence gates?

First one is a small pipe inside a large pipe, perhaps with some actual bearings, perhaps not.

Second one is just hinges mounted at the corner of the wooden post.


Floating floor tile (Snapstone). Can unlevel be fixed?

I'm assuming that there's a depression or hump in the floor that you'd like to eliminate or reduce. The only right way is to disassemble the floor and prepare the subfloor properly. If you do it carefully you probably will be able to reuse the tiles.

Problems with your ideas:

Foam will compress and degrade over time. Also, it's extremely sticky and difficult to remove. Massive mess even if you manage to get it under the tiles.
Levelers will not "seep" through the cracks in any appreciable quantity, and certainly not enough to give your tiles the full support they require. Also, mess.
I'm not sure how this resolves the issue as I've assumed it.


What can I use to lubricate a new kitchen faucet no longer turns?

Use CLR to dissolve the buildup from hard water.  Just soak the parts with buildup in a little bit of it.  This stuff works miracles.  You can buy it anywhere.


Does a hose spigot with lower water pressure than my others indicate a leak?

It's difficult to answer this question, without actually seeing the plumbing leading to each fixture.  Reductions in pipe size, differences in pipe material, pipe length, number of elbows/tees, etc.  These could all contribute to a reduced flow.

If you had a leak large enough to reduce the flow by half, you'd likely either notice it as water damage, or on your water bill. Reduced flow being the only symptom, a leak would be low on my list of things to check.

I'd likely start with the sillcock itself, to make sure it's operating properly.  If the valve isn't opening all the way, or it's gummed up with junk, you'd definitely see a reduction in flow. Turn off the water to the fixture, and remove the sillcock.

NOTE: That's a frost-proof anti-siphon sillcock, so it actually connects to the supply plumbing somewhere inside the house. So you'll want to have a bucket under that joint, to catch any drippings when you remove the sillcock.

If everything checks out there, start working your way back along the supply. Look for pipe size reductions, material changes, stuck valves, or any other potential restrictions.


Replacing ceiling fan/light combo with LED light only

The black/red/white at the ceiling junction box are travelers.
Most-common wiring will have the following:

You're going to find power at the existing switches, one switch should have two black and one switch should have one black and one red. One of these switches will be downstream from the other.

Figure out which is downstream and delete it (switch, wiring, and the box if it's a separate box demo the box or use a blank plate or if it's the same box go buy a blank insert if you have decorator switches). Most common wiring practice will have a cable entering one of the switch boxes, three-way nutted to another cable leaving the box and a pigtail to the switch in that box; if you have that, you'll pull them apart and test them all to see which is carrying the power.


Several things to check:

Do you have sufficient frame depth on the other side to install a door there?  As you can see, the door currently closes against a thin strip of wood along the top and vertical sides of the frame. You need just as much depth on the far side as the door thickness to be able to mount there.
Draw a picture for yourself of how the hinges must mount for whichever way the door is going to swing on the far side. You may have to chisel out new hinge recesses along the door edge -- and of course in any case have to chisel recesses in the far side of the door frame, along with a new recess for the latch mechanism.
If this door has a locking knob, make sure you can fully reverse it (or not, depending on which side you want to lock).

And finally, for aesthetic reasons, you'll have to do some patching/ filling of the latch and hinge recesses in the door frame on the current side.


Lampshade With Dimmer Causing Electric Shock?

With a very high degree of confidence, that dimmer was not part of the original manufacture.  The way the cable has been split to bring the live wire out looks very much like a post-consumer hack.

Having said that, the box and the dimmer knob both appear to be plastic, so it is hard to see how you could have got a mains shock from the unopened dimmer.

On the other hand, given it looks very dodgy, I would cut it off and throw it away, and replace it either with a simple on-off switch, or a proper inline dimmer.  I searched for "inline dimmer switch for lamp" and got lots.


Can I add elbows to move a b-vent exhaust?

Do a quick search online for the brand and model of the water heater. Most manuals for install are available online, but of course this will depend on the age of the unit. The manual (in most cases) describes the limitations of exhaust pipe distances and in particular the inclusion of elbows in the flue. It is important to check as elbows reduce the ease of flow and will effectively reduce the capacity of the exhaust and distance the flue can run.

So worst case it can make the installation unsafe and it is right to confirm with a professional or the manufacturer.


Open appliance which has a flat round disk as a screw head, no recess at all

Those could be screws with the heads removed, specifically to prevent people from opening the device.  In that case, try to cut a slash across the top of the screw so that you can get a flat-head screwdriver in there.  A dremel comes to mind, although you'll damage the plastic casing, but, hey, if you want to make an omelette...

Just as likely though, they are like ring-shank nails, with notches on them designed to catch on the plastic inserts on the other side and ensure that they never, ever get removed without destroying the device.  In this case, the answer may be to drill the head off of them so that the shank can be pulled through the hole in the plastic.  Understanding, of course, that you won't be able to put them back together.

Why do you want to take it apart, incidentally?


Some of these thermostats do not require and do not give you a place for the common,blue wire.  We call these thermostats power robbing thermostats.  They have the ability to take enough power from the working wires to maintain their own functions without a common lead.  This thermostat will work just fine without the common.  Just cap it off and push it in behind the thermostat. The only drawback for this type of stat is that when you loose power to the house the stat won't work.  Who cares! Nothing else works either.


I would just buy a 1x4 or similar material that would go with your butcher block and use them as a ledger board on the three sides.  Simply measure the height you want, attach ledger board to wall all the way around (3 easy cuts) and attach them to the studs.

Then just slide on your butcher block.  To attach to ledger you can use screws but a little silicone is probably more than enough for a tight space to keep it from moving.


Does the Baco Code require double 5/8 on the ceiling in a garage when there is living space above?

In residential construction up through duplexes, 1-hour Fire rating (1 layer) is required on the garage side of the ceiling and walls when there is a living space on the other side.

When you have 3 units or more, then you MAY need 2 layers, depending on the size of the complex and type of construction.

For ceilings in 1 and 2 unit residential units: 1 layer installed on 2x lumber and/or I-joists correctly gives you “1-hour” construction. In order to obtain the “1-hour” designation 5/8” type-X gypsum board must be installed on joists at 24” on center (max.) fastened with Type W or S drywall screws at 12” on center along all supports, and then “rough” taped. (See ICC Table 721.1(3), item 21.)


What software should I use to visualize a major renovation?

Sketchup might seem a little intimidating at first, but it is very easy to learn and use. There are a lot of great tutorial videos online. Also there are tons of free models available for furniture, fixtures etc.

I have tried a few specialized 3D home modeling programs. They all have a learning curve much steeper then sketchup and at the same time often produce inferior results.


Yeah, the Leviton rep didn't understand.  Perhaps you should change that to a deadfront if it's a dedicated circuit as you say.

But congratulations, you have overcome the usual GFCI fallacy: "The GFCI must be defective! MY appliances don't have ground faults, those only happen to other people!"

Indeed, I would follow SOP when chasing a GFCI trip: first remove everything from the LOAD side, see if that clears it.  If it does, divide and conquer the LOAD side appliances and wiring until it clears.  What you narrow it down to is faulty; you can either try to fix or replace it...

... or determine that GFCI is not required or useful for that device.  Which is what you do with refrigerators or freezers.


what is this unused brown wire in my thermostat wiring?

It's likely not connected to anything. If you go to the furnace, you'll likely see the cable that goes to the thermostat. You'll also likely see the brown wire either wrapped around the cable, or just not connected to anything.


Southwire M550 says coaxial cable is misfired and reversed?

From what I can determine from the instruction manual for the tester, and my previous experience as a cable television technician, the test requires a free-floating cable in order to be tested properly. Your question regarding a splitter is valid, as there are electronic components within a splitter that will generate failed tests. "In the old days," one attached a 75 ohm terminating resistor to a piece of coax being tested and read the opposite end using an ordinary volt-ohm meter. If the reading was approximately 75 ohms, the correct cable was identified and was possibly healthy.

If the cable was already confirmed as correct and the reading appeared shorted, it was likely there was either damage or an in-line splitter, typically buried in an attic or nearly unreachable in a crawl space!

You can confirm the reading you see if you have a splitter in hand, along with a known-good segment of coax. Connect only the coax, test it (as good, of course), then attach the splitter and observe the difference.


Blue or blue-green stains in fixtures is a sign of reduced copper. The source of this can be in the water itself (usually well water) or from the plumbing, usually caused by a very low pH (acidic water) which causes deterioration of the plumbing.

This is an article describing the problem. You should get the water tested and have a qualified water treatment specialist or plumber come up with a plan to address it.

Since you already have a water treatment system, it may just be out of balance.  In general, these systems require regular maintenance (flushing and changing of catalysts/chemicals).

Get it fixed. It's a health issue.


What should I do with old furnace filters?

While I cant think of any DIY project, you may wish to call or research as to whether that particular filter vendor provides recycling. If you have any friends or family with a fireplace or wood stove I bet they burn well. Barring both of those, all I can suggest is to buy washable filters in the future. You will pay a higher premium up front but it should pay off in the log run (and help you keep some junk out of the dump).

EDIT: Before burning, you should check that the filter is free of metal frames or added chemicals that could be harmful. If those are not present, the filter could also be shredded and composted (maybe).


Can I run two cooktops on one circuit breaker?

If you live in the US and your area uses the National Electrical Code then you can run a single circuit and tap off of it to feed the two cooktops. To use this rule though you have to run a 50 amp circuit.
In your case it would be cheaper to run two sparate circuits of 15 amps. Unless the equipment is marked for a higher circuit size. Doing the math on your voltage and power requirements is not a substitute for the manufacturer's recommended circuit size.
According to the NEC:

210.19(3) Household Ranges and Cooking Appliances. Branch-circuit conductors supplying household ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, and other household cooking appliances shall have an ampacity not less than the rating of the branch circuit and not less than the maximum load to be served. For ranges of 83⁄4 kW or more rating, the minimum branch-circuit rating shall be 40 amperes.
Exception No. 1: Conductors tapped from a 50-ampere branch circuit supplying electric ranges, wall-mounted electric ovens, and counter-mounted electric cooking units shall have an ampacity of not less than 20 amperes and shall be suffıcient for the load to be served. These tap con-ductors include any conductors that are a part of the leads supplied with the appliance that are smaller than the branch-circuit conductors. The taps shall not be longer than necessary for servicing the appliance.

Good luck!


Low voltage transformer on both doorbell & furnace

I doubt you've overloaded a 40 VA transformer.

I think what's happened is the Ring is designed to power itself by leaking a small amount of current through the doorbell ringer (but not enough for the ringer to actually ring).  Similar to how old-school dimmers leak current through the incandescent bulb.  However in your case, your ringer is too small/high-impedance, and it can't leak enough power to stay alive.

The answer is put something in parallel with the doorbell ringer so current can leak around it.

You could try fitting a Lutron LUT-MLC device there (in parallel with the doorbell ringer) and see if that clears the problem.  The LUT-MLC allows additional leakage to make inline-powered devices happy.


Will a GFCI-protected 15A circuit meet light power tool needs in a shed?

If you're running PVC anyway...there's no need to wrestle that UF alligator down the pipe!
Since you're planning to run PVC conduit in any case, you shouldn't bother trying to wrestle that 12/2 UF alligator down it.  Instead, what you want to run inside the conduit are 3 individual 12AWG THHN/THWN wires (hot, neutral, ground) of the appropriate colors. This takes up far less room in the conduit, is far easier to pull down the conduit, and lets you use stranded wire, which also makes your life easier pulling things.
Running a fat conduit is a wise investment
Furthermore, if I were in your shoes, I'd make that conduit fat, so that the next person (who may be you!) doesn't have to dig it up and replace it if they need more power at the shed.  A 1" conduit will easily accommodate a 60A feeder, so it'd be my minimum size for this; if possible, I'd go up to 1.5", which provides enough room for a 125A(!) feeder to the shed in the future, if such is desired.
Having GFCI upstream of outbuildings is never a good idea
However, there's no reason to provide GFCI upstream of an outbuilding, and a couple good reasons not to, primarily that you really do not want your lights knocked out from under you when something like a faulty power tool trips a GFCI.  As a result, running from your panel with a conventional breaker at the panel and a GFCI receptacle in the shed is the best plan; it also works well with the fat conduit mentioned above.  It does mean you'll need to make sure there's 18" of dirt between the top of the conduit and the finished grade once you've backfilled the trench, though; in order to do this, you'll need to trench down to 21 or 22".


Filling a gap between drywall and stair stringer

Wow!  If that's your most important home improvement project, you're really lucky.

Even if the drywall came all the way down to the stringer and you sanded everything smooth and caulked the corner, I don't think you'd be happy with it. Caulk is very hard to apply right. It looks easy but to get it perfectly smooth and even, Well if you ever caulked a tub or backsplash you know it's not. You could try sanding everything smooth, filling in the crack with drywall mud and taping the drywall down to the stringer. That will probably give you the sharp angle you're looking for. Remember, sharp angles dent really easy.

Personally, I think a new piece of quarter round would look better. Good luck and stay safe out there.


Odd that you said you had a white wire that was hot. Both white wires should be neutral and have no voltage. Seems to me wires would go like this: connect all black wires together. That will run hot all the time to the fan as well as sending power downstream.   Next tie all white wires together. That will provide neutral to the fan as well as pass neutral downstream. Ideally there would be a bare copper wire coming from the hot side and another to continue downstream. The red to blue should switch the light, providing that blue is the correct one for the light.


Should I increase wire size when extending a 75 foot circuit to reduce voltage drop?

You could use #12 wire. Your voltage drop will be slightly above 3%, but at the end of a 170' run with 1200w load the voltage drop would be 5%. Code recommends 3% for the feeder and 5% max at the end of the line, but both are recommendations and not hard rules, so 12 will be fine. Since you are only going 120' the actual voltage drop will be 3.5%


Replace fluorescent lights with LED lights

I searched f30t12 LED replacement, the first lamp that came up is a 3’ t8 lamp 13w 5000k for $6.88. These are plug-and-play, you swap the t8 lamp in and they work with the ballast. (A t12 lamp and t8 lamp use the same size tombstone)  So yes there is an easy one and there may be direct wire out there that bypasses the ballast, but 3’ lamps are less common so there may not be as many choices but these did state 120-277v. I just did not look further, the vendor was 1000bulbs.Com I use them for some of my lighting, and I like DLC certified lamps as these have a 5 year warranty.


What size wire for a 100A sub-panel at 275 feet?

I use Southwire's wire size calculator.
At that length aluminum feeder would be much cheaper, selective boxes for; feet, single (phase), aluminum, direct burial/conduit/overhead, minimum conductor size, input 275 (for the length), input 240v for the voltage, max voltage drop leave at 3 (but we will play with this), current at end (since you don’t know guess at 80), input 1 for parallel sets.
This came up for 2/0 with a standard 3%.
Input in 5 in the %  and the wire size drops to 1 awg with a 4.44% voltage drop
In the US the National Electric Code there are suggestions of 3% and 5% for voltage drop but these are only suggestions.
If you actually used 80 amps of 240v then the drop would be 10.6v with 1awg or #1 wire not a problem.
if you are drawing 50 amps 240v on the #1 wire the voltage drop would be only 6.6volts (got that by playing with the amperage and % voltage drop).
Only during really heavy loading of your circuit would #1 aluminum have a voltage drop that was at the max recommended by the NEC and it never exceeds 5% up to 80 amps.
Going to a larger feeder breaker 90 or 100 requires a larger wire size but I doubt you will need that much power.
I would get the 150 amp panel with more circuits you can feed it with anything below 150 as long as the wire size matches the feeder wire requirements.


What are the proper tools / technique to cut ceiling tiles?

The default USA maker (I don't know how far they extend worldwide, or who their competitors are locally but they are the only brand that comes to mind for this sort of ceiling in my head) of such ceilings says: Always cut ceiling panels face up with a sharp utility knife.

The maker of your panels suggests the same thing.


Automatically turn off power to home appliances power supply switches to backup generator

You could look into home automation techniques. Appliances can be controlled with WiFi, Bluetooth, powerline communication, or even a wired control connection with low-voltage control wiring routed on wall surfaces. There is a lot of general information available on the internet. Look at this Wikipedia article and follow links to other articles you will find in the article. There is also a lot of home automation product information available on the internet. If you want to design something yourself, search for do-it-yourself (DIY) articles about home automation.


A few products on the market (depending on the type of tile). They are sealers that when applied properly, etch the face of the tile and add skid resistance when wet. They do not change the appearance of the tile at all (as always, test an inconspicuous area and follow all instructions). Check local tile distributors,the products are generally very reasonable in price.

One is by Miracle, "511 non-skid", a good product. Another I've used is Invisa Tread, not sure the manufacturer. Miracle is a reputable sealer company and I think it runs about 15$ a gallon (here).

Be careful around unfinished wood or metal, pull the strainer off your shower as well. Good Luck


Application quality is probably more important than a specific paint. MDF sucks up paint better than most wet and dry vacs. Sealing it well (especially any edges/routed elements) is absolutely key.
This is a good example of the issue and a possible solution
You would have to get MDF pretty soggy with paint for it to significantly warp the doors. A much more likely issue is gonna be the paint cracking as it shrinks rather than 1 mm of drying polyurethane paint warping a 20 mm MDF door.
If I'm being honest solid wood or birch plywood is probably easier to get a good looking result out of. That way you can go for paint, stain or naked and finish it off with some clear polyurethane for protection.


How large should a hole be for a bolt to go through?

It's important to remember the difference between a bolt and a screw (this is handy if you don't know the size of the bolt or screw)

Screws have the threads doing the work of holding. Your hole should be the size of the screw shaft. In other words, hold a drill bit above the screw. You should still see the threads, but not the shaft.
Bolts have a nut doing the work of holding. As such, the hole should be larger than the size of the outer threads. In other words, your bit should cover the shaft and threads.


Is tape an effective way to hold on a foam elbow?

Try tape and do not wrap tight. And a couple of hose clamps to hold shape.On the elbows. And cable ties on the straight runs. Snug not pulled tight. Seam facing down.


I hit a pipe with a mower and now it won't turn

This sounds like that impact has bent the crankshaft, which means that the engine will either need replacing or to be rebuilt.

You need to decide whether a 2 hour drive to get a quote with the waiting for repairs to be completed is worth it or just to buy a new one....


I'd agree with Ed Beal, start a warranty claim in case you start finding it all over. Otherwise yes, if you can lift the feather/chip & work some glue in there that would be great. Immediately wipe up any glue that squeezes out when pressure is applied.

Make sure you put a piece of Saran wrap over it to then clamp it down with something heavy. The Saran wrap ensures you won't glue your heavy item to the floor.

Assuming that works & it seems nice & solid, then you'll need to put at least 3 coats of clear polyurethane over it to avoid Foot, Mop or Swiffer injuries in the future.


Live and Neutral reversed: cable colours wrong or the socket tester wrong?

The socket you have there is called a "Schuko" (or CEE 7/3 and 7/4, to be formal).
This socket is entirely unpolarized, by nature.  The socket design makes no differentiation between hot and neutral.  The plug can simply be flipped over, and the two are exchanged.
Part of a genuine CE listing (or the third party tested TUV, BSI etc. ratings) is that every appliance must be designed to be safe with either conductor hot.
So the simple answer is that when you get "Hot-Neutral Reverse" on a tester, it means you plugged the tester in upside-down :)   Really, we could do a whole comedy sketch here, because it's entirely a matter of perspective!
Meanwhile, in Canada... NEMA 6 sockets are polarized even though both working contacts are "hot" at 120V and there's no reason whatsoever to polarize them.
Also, you selected a cheap Chinese mail-order tester, we've seen the unit around here before under a different name.  Like all that stuff, it is sold direct-mail, which bypasses the government safety apparatus that keeps equipment safe.  It lacks TUV certification, and the CE is completely phony.  Using counterfeit safety equipment defeats the purpose.


Wainscoting and Wallpaper: which to do first?

I put the wallpaper up first once and put the wood trim on top. When you go to change the paper you have to score it. That works. I am doing a project now and didn't buy enough wallpaper so am putting board and batten wainscoting up.
Basically I don't think it matters which goes up first. But if I had a choice I would put up the wainscoting first. That way the wallpaper is easier to change.


Power to fixture to switch - How to wire?

The current Code requires that neutral even if you don't use it

You will need to use 14/3 for the run from the fixture to the switch (called a switch loop in the trade).  This is governed by NEC 404.2(C):

  (C) Switches Controlling Lighting Loads. The grounded
  circuit conductor for the controlled lighting circuit shall be
  installed at the location where switches control lighting loads
  that are supplied by a grounded general-purpose branch circuit
  serving bathrooms, hallways, stairways, or rooms suitable for
  human habitation or occupancy as defined in the applicable
  building code. Where multiple switch locations control the
  same lighting load such that the entire floor area of the room
  or space is visible from the single or combined switch locations,
  the grounded circuit conductor shall only be required at one
  location. A grounded conductor shall not be required to be
  installed at lighting switch locations under any of the following
  conditions:

  (1) Where conductors enter the box enclosing the switch
  through a raceway, provided that the raceway is large
  enough for all contained conductors, including a grounded conductor

  (2) Where the box enclosing the switch is accessible for the
  installation of an additional or replacement cable without
  removing finish materials

  (3) Where snap switches with integral enclosures comply with
  300.15(E)

  (4) Where lighting in the area is controlled by automatic
  means

  (5) Where a switch controls a receptacle load

  The grounded conductor shall be extended to any switch
  location as necessary and shall be connected to switching devices that require line-to-neutral voltage to operate the electronics of the switch in the standby mode and shall meet the requirements of 404.22.

  Exception: The connection requirement shall become effective on January 1, 2020. It shall not apply to replacement or retrofit switches installed in locations prior to local adoption of 404.2(C) and where the
  grounded conductor cannot be extended without removing finish materials. The number of electronic lighting control switches on a branch
  circuit shall not exceed five, and the number connected to any feeder on
  the load side of a system or main bonding jumper shall not exceed 25.
  For the purpose of this exception, a neutral busbar, in compliance with
  200.2(B) and to which a main or system bonding jumper is connected
  shall not be limited as to the number of electronic lighting control
  switches connected.

  Informational Note: The provision for a (future) grounded
  conductor is to complete a circuit path for electronic lighting
  control devices.

(Note that in an unfinished basement, point 2 of the above may hold, but I would still run the 14/3 cable anyway -- it's cheaper to do it right now than to fix it later.)


Way to lower the mattress inside a cot gracefully

Been there, and I sympathize (survived 3...)

Does your cot have a side that lowers? That helps.

It does get better with practice...

One thing that may help is to cuddle them with a blanket and lay them down with the blanket - often the colder bedding is the trigger to wake them...

The other thing we did was to use a sheepskin for them to lay on - very good for temperature - apologies to any if that is a "left-field" solution...

Aslo we never had "silent mode" in the house, even if the kids were having a lunchtime nap, it was hoover as normal etc - they soon slept through it...


Help with a new bathroom light/fan fixture

Without all details or photos, you need 2 wire on each side of your switch or a single wire with jumper on your line in side, then 2 (2 black or 1 black and 1 red) wires from the load side. Whites all together. At your fan, you need white and ground and the 2 other wires. From load, 1 wire goes to fan black/blue/red whatever color, and the other load side goes to the light. Here, tie all whites together too. Here is a sample drawing I found:


Replacing old thermostat with new wi-fi Honeywell

You can't simply connect any extra wire to the C terminal on the thermostat.  You have to also connect the other end of that wire to the C terminal in the furnace.

If you include a photo of the wiring at the thermostat,  and a photo of the wiring in the furnace I can give you a detailed list of instructions for hooking it up.


Is the 2"x4" backing strong enough to hold the server rack

You're asking about the 2x4. The issue is the fasteners. You won't break the lumber.

You didn't say whether you piloted to the lag screws, but assuming that you did not, or that you did so properly, they should hold well. That said, I'd have probably either used a 2x6 or a small sheet of 3/4" plywood. My reasoning is that a 2x4 is narrow enough and thick enough that it tends to roll. There's a lot of leverage (torque, really) being generated. A taller and/or thinner backer board would have less leverage affecting it.

The same is true of the screws used to mount the server rack bracket. Pilot properly (slightly smaller than the screw shaft diameter--not the thread diameter) to be sure they don't pull out. Pine is soft.

Also make sure that everything pulls snugly together. Gaps lead to movement, which amplifies pullout forces by transitioning them from shear to tension.

Finally, your carpentry looks good, but a hex screw in wood should almost always have a washer behind it. This prevents damage when tightening and increases load distribution. If you have those lags tight enough they'll pull into the wood somewhat.


Is it safe to run an electrical cable through an insulated exterior wall?

Difficult to imagine a problem. I did this for my sprinkler (low voltage) power supply. When I put 110 V wire through the wall, I usually use conduit, but I must have skipped the conduit once. The house has 5 exterior receptacles put in by a professional electrician, none with conduit (conduit is not generally required in TX)


Does this mean my drain has been malfunctioning for some time?
No, a malfunctioning drain does not cause mold by itself.

How can I prevent this from growing back?
If it is so important to you, you can disassemble the drain parts twice a month and clean them with bleach, but that stuff you think is mold is actually a mix of soap scum, toothpaste, lotions, decomposed organic matter, bacteria, etc. and is in every sink drain in the world.

Would it also be safe to assume that my emergency outflow channel is super moldy as well?
Very likely.


Installed Self-Grounding 3 prong in place of 2 prong

So you have metal boxes? The findings of 120 V hot to ground, 120 V hot to neutral, and low resistance neutral to ground are consistent with separate ground and neutral paths to the panel and that is almost certainly what you have.

The ground and neutral are supposed to be connected in the panel and only in the panel. If that is what you have, the resistance you measure between neutral and ground at a receptacle is the lengths of neutral and ground wire back to the panel where they are connected.

EDIT

You need to determine that there is a separate ground path (metal conduit or a ground wire) all the way to the panel. The other possibility consistent (I think) with your measurement results is that someone has connected the grounds of the each receptacle to the neutral in each box. I think this is called a "bootleg ground" and it is not according to code and not safe. I think you would see evidence of this inside the boxes.

Time for you to take pictures of the inside of one or more boxes and attach the picture to your question. Also time for one of the experts to comment.

EDIT2

Bootleg ground wiki. You could take off one or more faceplates on receptacles. You could take off the "dead front" on your panel and see if you have ground wires there. Of course, you could be grounded via conduit.


(1) I suggest filling the void with concrete. You could probably go heavy on the sand in the mix as it's not structural (for my shower floor I used one part sand topping mix to three parts sand).

(2) I agree on using caulk at changes of plane instead of grout.


How long can a concrete pool stay without the water?

Depends on where the natural water table is and how much pressure it can put on the pool (which is a function of the porosity of the earth immediately surrounding the pool).  If you know the bottom is above the water table you can leave it empty until the ground freezes.  Otherwise you're counting on the water table level and surrounding soil to not exceed the pressure from when it was first built or last empty without damage.

There is a countermeasure built into most pools: they have plugs you can unscrew or pop open when drained that provide a conduit for water to drain in and out of the ground.  But again, those are only as good as the sub-surface porosity at relieving water pressure on the pool shell.


Can the cooling wire (Y) be used to activate the furnace fan with a programmable thermostat?

When the t-stat is set to cool the fan comes on automatically when the temperature is set below the house current temp. But the fan will not turn off unless the house temp falls below the set temp. The (y) terminal does not need any wire attached to it. But do not try to make any terminal connections for anything but what it is intended for. You can easily burn the transformer, fuses or the low voltage wiring!!!


If it's a load bearing wall (seems likely), you need an engineer.


How do I temporarily cover a hole in my roof?

A few holes in a roof that needs fixing anyway is pretty cheap insurance. Wind can be powerful and damned persistent. Use 1x2 along the perimeter of the tarp and a few nails or screws to hold them in place. Really, you don't want to be up on the roof in a storm trying to retrieve your flapping tarp.


What is the proper glue to use to bond two pieces of plywood together as a substrate for formica?

I don't think it's going to be critical but when in doubt: PL. As far as I can tell, PL Premium can bond anything to anything. In a case like this, do a bead around the perimeter and bolts (quarter sized blobs) about 8" inches apart in a grid and you'd have to sacrifice a goat to a powerful deity to get those two pieces of plywood apart. The more important bond to consider is the laminate to your substrate. On that topic, counter tops are made with particle board, not plywood. PB is cheaper, flatter, and free of voids. Go particle board if you can (yes they make it in 3/8"), if not don't worry just make sure your plywood is of very high quality.


Dual Grounding Electrodes In Parallel versus series

I can't find anything that says you can't have it the way that you do. As long as each physical service has at least one ground of its own I think you're fine. Isolated ground systems aren't uncommon these days in residential dwellings, and that's how you'd do it (except you'd shield it and land it to an isolated ground bar in the can).
I've built large ground rings to deal with lightning which were always in series (#2 tin coat copper Cad Welded to 6 - 8 rods together about 10' apart, depending on the soil), but that was because we had to get extremely low resistance. The service grounds were completely separate. These are mandatory at cellular tower sites.
So with your setup, you just have options. Ever get any equipment that is particularly sensitive to noise? It would not be hard to set up an isolated ground bar and some IG receptacles. Or, just have fun measuring :)


What could cause my washing machine to stop before the rinse cycle?

Sounds like the timer-switch is dirty or worn, based on the fact there's a sweet spot that works. If the timer is stuck, i.e. it never reaches the end of the cycle on it's own, the gear teeth are probably worn in that spot.

If the timer works, it just 'misses' the rinse, you may be able to access the contacts and clean them. If the gears are worn or broken, you'll probably have to replace the whole assembly.

Since you can get it to work in the sweet spot, that rules out the usual suspects like control valves, relays, pumps.


Why has my shower head stopped spraying?

Most shower heads are easy to unscrew. If you can do so, take it off, examine the head and see how much flow you have with no head in place. Don't unscrew the supply tube inside the wall! Unscrew the shower head from the supply tube.

When you screw it back on, usually you don't need pipe dope or Teflon tape on the threads because the usual head has a rubber seal that the end of the supply tube presses on. Over time the seal may be hardened and lose the ability to seal.

Does this head have a knob to change the spray pattern?


Power in, and power to light at one 3 way?

If you're going to do this, you need to feed the hot wire to the far 3-way switch and connect the neutral directly to the lamp. You must wire so that the hot wire is switched and the neutral is unswitched. This is for safety (and code compliance) so that there is no power to the lamp when the switches are off.


Calculate savings from/cost-effectiveness of installing a tankless hot water heater?

You get the bast cost saving when you have to replace your tank or boiler anyway for another reason.   Remember that for some of the year, the lost heat from the tank may be of value to you depending on how the tank is sited and how cold and long your winters are.

Also are you having to use more air con due to the tank, if so the air con savings may be well worth while.


Why don't bookshelves come with wall mounting screws included?

From the linked assembly instructions:

Screw(s) and plug(s) for the wall are not included. Assess the
suitability of the wall to ensure that it will withstand the forces
generated. Use screw(s) and plug(s) suitable for your walls and the
intended load. If you are uncertain, seek professional advice. Read
and follow each step of the instruction carefully

If they included default hardware, customers would use it without thinking even in cases where it was not appropriate for their wall construction, presumably leading to a potential liability for Ikea. By not including any hardware for wall attachment, they put the liability on someone else to get the right kind of hardware for however the customer's wall is built.
This is some speculation about Ikea's reasons based on their instructions. I imagine the situation is similar for other furniture retailers.


Junction box with screws 2 3/4" apart, but fixture needs 3 1/2"

Normally, we just take a drill and make a hole in the strap that lines up with the other hole.

2 3/4" would be an old, obsolete size so if your house uses these you may have this problem again.

Good luck!


Does home security system only link to wire-powered smoke detector but not the battery-powered ones?

In short: yes that’s correct.

However there are wireless alarm systems, but they’ll use different battery smokes than you currently have.


Concealing led strip light power supplies in a porch ceiling

Normally you have to install a receptacle face down in the ceiling and plug your devices in to that. For example, ceiling mounted projectors, garage door openers, stage lighting, all have to be plugged in to ceiling mounted receptacles. Not hard wired.
Concealing flexible cord above a ceiling is not allowed by the National Electrical Code.

400.8 Uses Not Permitted. Unless specifically permitted in 400.7, flexible cords and cables shall not be used for the following:
(1) As a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure
(2) Where run through holes in walls, structural ceilings, suspended ceilings, dropped ceilings, or floors
(3) Where run through doorways, windows, or similar openings
(4) Where attached to building surfaces
Exception to (4): Flexible cord and cable shall be permitted to be attached to building surfaces in accordance with the provisions of 368.56(B)
(5) Where concealed by walls, floors, or ceilings or located above suspended or dropped ceilings
(6) Where installed in raceways, except as otherwise per-mitted in this Code
(7) Where subject to physical damage

Note number 2.
There are other ways to conceal your equipment such as building a cove along a wall.
I just bought some 120volt LED rope lighting that can be much longer and doesn't need a power supply. However, you still can't run it above the ceiling.
Good luck!


I would put it in the closet and put an outlet in there as well.  8 wires coming out of the wall is quite messy and having this in your office behind your desk is quite unsightly and hard to organize.

I'd suggest drilling down through the top plate and running both power and the network drops down into the closet wall.  I would use separate holes for the cat6 and power to keep them apart.  Mount a 1/4 inch sheet of plywood on the wall to the studs, this gives you the freedom to mount the network switch wherever you want and gives you a better handle on cable management.  Sand and paint it if you want it to look good.

WRT the coax.  You can either keep the cable modem at the desk and run an ethernet port to the office desk or, as you suggested, put it in the closet.  I would opt for the closet, but instead of running the coax under the door, I'd run that in the wall as well.  You seem to have good access in the attic, so you have the freedom to run an extra cable.  I'd go up from the box where the existing cable is, connecting them with a barrel, and run the new cable into the closet.

No cables on the floor, no bundle of wires coming out into the office.

Remember to seal the holes you drill into the top plate with fire rated caulk after running the wires through them.


How close can an IMC coupler be to the unsupported portion of the rise above a roof?

Some great suggestions and I did get a shorter 5' piece of the 2 1/2" IMC threaded and did exactly what Freeman and Ecnerwal suggested.  But to answer my original question:

Answer: The final top section of IMC conduit needs to be securely tied to the structure by at least one strap/tie. (This is from my interpretation of my local codes and discussions with the TEP installation engineer) This means the coupler will need to be (at least) ~6" below the top depending on the wall makeup you will be tying to. (more is better).  And that a second strap/tie will need to be BELOW the top coupler more than 8" (from the TEP SR guidance).  So from what I've found and interpreted, I  Could have set it up like my original cartoon, but the recommended way was superior and had a stronger finished "appearance".    This is my interpretation from my local electric company service requirements: https://esr.tep.com/wp-content/uploads/SR-305.pdf


Can solder be used instead of quick disconnect terminals?

Soldering this connection is illegal and unsafe; it's prohibited in AC mains wiring by NEC, and in appliances by the UL White Book; both proscribe conditions in which soldering is OK, and this is definitely not one of them.
Feel free to do exactly what they did: use uninsulated crimp terminals and then shrink-wrap over the works once it is crimped.
I get uninsulated crimp terminals by removing the insulation from insulated terminals.  There goes the temperature limit!
After you crimp it for a complete and secure physical and electrical connection, feel free to solder it also if you really want to. This is how NEC tells you to use solder.   You can't just hork-a-dork solder like you do on hobby electronics projects; this is a high-current connection.  Solder has a low melting point, so voltage drop across the solder is something that matters quite a lot.  And that makes the resistivity of solder matter a lot.  In this application it combines rather adversely with the high temperature operating conditions and high current.


Cracks on second store concrete slab...bigger

Having established in your prior question that this "slab" is merely a cosmetic/acoustic treatment (or "topping slab" as another poster called it) over whatever structural floor is holding it up, just fill the gaps up. If vaguely level, some sort of floor leveling compound (which may be what the "slab" is anyway - "gypsum cement" or gypcrete rather than concrete) should work.

Otherwise (if not level) you might want a less fluid product to fill it with that will stay put where you trowel it.

Think of it as having (more or less) a plastered floor, as that's closer to what it appears to be than "concrete." So you just need to patch the "plaster" until it's a level surface.


Can an improperly attached ledger board be flashed correctly without removing the existing ledger?

@trebor nirom , sorry I did not see your comment was going through old questions and found it.  One product I have used is “cop-r-shield” it is thin copper some what easy to form but more expensive than the “tight seal” aluminum flashing tape that I regularly have used. The aluminum is thin so if poked with a stick it can be punctured I pressed it tight up under the siding and down the wall then over the ledger. It lasts and did the job on that deck , no more water getting in the walls. The copper cost ~40$ for a roll and the aluminum is ~10$ other than one of my kids poking holes in a section it has held up for close to 20 years. Where the holes were poked through I added another layer about 6” wider on each side, it will stick to itself.


How to properly pipe a hydronic heating system

This isn't an "answer"  but a caution. I have a hydronic, in floor heating system in my house and let me tell you, there is a LOT of design and engineering to do to get this right. Even the tubing layout in the floor has design criteria (pattern should be that half way thru the loop, the tubing should parallel the first part for more even heat distribution.  There are sooo many options out there. Are you providing DHW off the boiler? or is the "boiler" a water heater? You also need to do heat loss calculations to determine if the BTUs supplied by your boiler or water heater are sufficient.
You didn't say, but I would guess that your radiant floor heating system will be installed in light weight concrete?  If so, that has a lot of thermal mass.  A thermostat that isn't too bright would leave the heat on until it reaches set point, then the residual heat in the slab could easily "overshoot" the setpoint by several degrees, making the room too hot and wasting energy. So at a minimum you'd want a tstat with adaptive intelligent recovery.   But even that said, in floor radiant systems are "slow" so you can't expect to set the tstat for 60 at night and 68 during the day to be effective.
I know this is a DIY site, and you could probably do much of the install yourself, but I'd strongly suggest getting in touch with a pro for advice and design.   Many supply houses have designers on staff that will offer their services for little or no cost, as long as you buy your materials there.
There are just too many opportunities for things to go wrong here so consulting a pro for design and advice is my strong suggestion.


Could this S trap be causing sewer gas odor and drain backup?

Oh my. this trap isn't even an S trap, it's a rollarcoster trap. wow..funny, but not your issue. The reason for the P trap is to trap a little bit of water in the P where stop all air from moving up the pipe. You have a sewage backup issue.

It's very possible this trap also does not trap water if you take off the trap you can see for yourself if it's full of water or not. The suction that S type traps create pull all the water out of the trap like a siphon leaving no water left to block air flow. I have one, i need to get around to fixing. It definitely does not cause any backup.


How do I add a P-Trap to a copper drain?

What size is that copper?  You can get plastic p-trap kits in 1-1/2" and 1-1/4", and these can be easily connected to your copper via slip ring compression fittings.  Basically they consist of a nut with a cone-shaped plastic washer, which when compressed by the nut squeezes against the (copper) pipe to create a seal.  Usually these are only on the sink side of things and the wall side has glued-on plastic but you can use the compression fittings on both ends.

Here is a 1-1/2" Plastic p-trap

If you want to solder, a better solution than using a compression ring on the wall side would be to sweat on a copper x female adapter, followed by a male PVC adapter and a PVC trap adapter.  Better yet if you can find one, just use a brass copper trap adapter like the following:

A less desirable but acceptable solution would be to use a fernco fitting to go from the copper to PVC, and then you can avoid soldering.


How to resolve a rusting uPVC window fixing torx screw?

I think I would see if I could remove the rusting screw.  It boils down to, it is never going to be less likely to break off than it is right now.  If you're lucky, you could coat it with silicone, seal out the air, and it won't get any worse, but that's just the head - the shaft may continue to deteriorate.

I'd try to get it out with just the torque I can work up with a screwdriver with a Torx bit, if I couldn't get it out by hand, I'd leave it.

I'd also try to get some penetrating oil on it, although it may be tough to get it past the head and down to where it counts.  Also tap down on the head a little with a hammer to vibrate it a little, this often helps break a stuck screw free.


If the faucet set currently installed in the sink is sprayer compatible, it should have a third tube coming out of the faucet body/mixing valve. Also note, unless there is a sprayer shut off valve or a fitting that automatically stops any flow to the sprayer when the mating plug is not connected, it would shoot a hard stream of water out anytime the water was turned on. My guess is that there is no sprayer feed in the set you have installed now.  If you put a pic of the bottom of the set from under the sink, we would know for sure.


Can bio fuel ethanol used as a main heating source?

Anything that burns will provide some heat, it will also provide some exhaust.

At today's prices you can save a dollar per gallon by using ethanol over home heating oil.  The problem is that you really shouldn't care about price per gallon, you should care about price per amount of energy released.

Heating oil is about 141 Mega-Joules per gallon.
Ethanol is about 70 Mega-Joules per gallon 100% Ethanol.

At $3.60 / gallon for heating oil, it is a bargain compared to $2.72 for 85% ethanol, because you would need to buy two gallons to equal the amount of theoretical heat available in one gallon of heating oil.  It is even more of a bargain than 95% ethanol (denatured), at $29.31 per gallon.  Note that we won't consider 100% ethanol, as opening the container tends to suck enough humidity from the air to make it 95%.

 $3.60 for ~141 MegaJoules of heating oil (1 gallon)
 $6.40 for ~141 MegaJoules of 85% ethanol (2.35 gallons)
 $62.15 for ~141 MegaJoules of 95% ethanol (2.12 gallons)

It is not a fuel with a high energy capacity, so you'll need a lot of it.  Cheap sources are not very pure, and are poisoned (to prevent sales on the alcohol market) that means that "burns cleanly" isn't going to apply unless you want even more expensive forms of ethanol.

Some claim that one can recover more heat from burning ethanol as all of the combustive products (including all of the heat) can be captured in the room.  This is highly inadvisable unless you use a double-burn setup, guaranteeing the complete combustion of Ethanol.  Partial oxidation of Ethanol produces acetaldehyde which is quite harmful to lungs and belongings.  Also, most Ethanol is denatured, meaning it has poisons purposefully added to it to prevent consumption (avoiding the alcohol taxes).  The by products of burning the denatured additives are varied and generally unwanted (if not also poisonous).

Partial combustion by-products, like acetaldehyde, are very damaging to certain plastics, making installation costs higher (or hiding those costs in future repair bills).

It makes sense in some places, but in home heating it's not a winning choice unless other factors increase the costs of more mundane solutions.


If it is cooling it is fine.  If it is not cooling unplug it for 24-hrs.  Good Luck.


What is a suitable mortar when repointing a wall made of soft red brick?

Please don't let a cement based mortar go anywhere near your house! Definitely use a lime based mortar. I won't get into specifics as it's very location dependent, but a quick google search of the options available in your area should find a nearby supplier. Usually either a tubbed putty or a bagged powder mixed with sand or if you're lucky, a complete pre-mixed mortar ready to use from the tub after a mixing to liven it up.
A basic lime:course sand mix would be around 1 lime to 3 sand. Sometimes a little stronger 1:2.5 or so.
The sand needs to be clean and well graded, not too many large stones/grit. I sieve my locally available sand as it's mostly a little too coarse for the fine joints I encounter.
It's a big subject though, with more than a few do's and don'ts. Firstly make sure the joints are actually ready for re-pointing. If you need to rake out lots of mortar to get a nice deep joint then maybe it can wait a few years (cracks excepted).
Secondly, clean out the joints and moisten them well before packing in the dryish mortar. Keep the finished pointing protected and damp for a week or more. Slower the better.
There is some good stuff on the thisoldhouse dot com website.


How to Remove a Stuck Kitchen Sink Strainer

I'm assuming you are referring to the large nut that compresses the drain basket to the sink. Grasp the tailpiece with some pump pliers and use a large wrench or second pair of pliers to turn the nut.  If all else fails, cut the nut off and replace the tail piece and nut assembly..  Be sure to use some plumbers putty around the basket flange before you reinstall it into the basin.  Tighten well so most of the putty squeezes out.


What can I do about water runoff that is damaging soil around my house?

You can try some of these:

The idea being that they roll up out of the way when it's not raining, and run the water away from the house when it is.

Being an inexpensive solution, it might be worth a try.


Forced-air heater for old floor registers

Toe kick heaters such as the slant fin sidekick are fan assist hydronic heaters as far as I know. Any heaters that fit in the register space that I've seen were electric, and that is expense to run and won't deliver much heat. They do exist so depending on your climate they may work for you. Dimplex makes one but I think it requires some installation. I've seen some that simply plug in. I just don't know who makes them.


What do I do when a horizontal rod for a popup drain is too short?

EDIT: Niall C. suggested finding a replacement rod that fits. Home depot has a few sizes on-line, but they may have more in the store. I'd try this solution before custom-making one.

Depending on the design of the horizontal rod, you may be able to replace it with a length of steel rod with the same diameter.

From what I can tell of the parts diagram , you may be able to slide some hardware off of the original rod and back on to your custom cut rod of the same diameter. If the original rod is threaded at one end, you could get a tap and die set or see if threaded rod would work.


As long as the boards come apart without damaging them, and appear to be in good condition with no water damage, sure!


20amp breaker trips with NO load...Continuity between black & white wire at electrical box

From the comments posted above I understand....

You say that you measure a hot to neutral short at the electrical box for one particular circuit. On the other hand you say that no short is measured across hot to neutral at the outlet boxes.

This can mean one of two things.

(One) Something severed one or both of the wires between the outlet string and the breaker box and in the process caused the two wires to become simultaneously shorted on the breaker box side of the break.

(Two) The shorted pair from the breaker box is feeding a different circuit than you think it is.

For the first case you should really think about what has changed in your building between now and when the outlets used to still function properly. In most cases it is unlikely that wires spontaneously break and short together without there being some interposing disturbance of the wiring. This can give a clue of where to start looking. Did something get nailed or screwed to a wall someplace? Did a window get replaced?

I can think of one case where a wire break/short could happen and that is if there was a loose or high resistance connection that over time caused so much heat to be produced wherein the wires melted apart and also shorted due to the insulation burning off. This type of failure is most likely going to happen inside an electrical box itself where connections exist.

For the second case the obvious thing is that you need to guide your attention to the correct circuit. Note that I have seen many cases where the breaker function labels in the breaker box are incorrect. So double check the circuit carefully.

To aid in either case there is a simple technique where you can run a known good conductor from the destination point back over to the breaker box. Just lay it along the floor / ground. Then wire clip one end of it a wire in question at the destination and use the other end of the wire with your multimeter. This effectively makes one of the test leads of your multimeter long enough that you can look for continuity or opens between breaker box and destination without having to buy other types of test gear. This kind of testing should obviously only be done when all the power is turned off. Use a flash light or battery powered lamp if it gets too dark to see.

One other thing to think about....if not already being done....is that when testing for problems like this it is generally necessary to remove all connections from each wire run and test against wire ends that are free ended.


Cut Hue Light Strip and connect pieces in parallel

Yes, absolutely.   In fact it's a good idea to parallel if you have more than about 10 feet of strips - those internal pathways on the strips will cause a lot of voltage drop if they're too long.


How can you cut a solid bamboo wood plank?

The link you have says the shelves have a paper honey comb center, not solid. You will not like it if you cut it.


Grounding the mast is a very good idea if it is metal. You can get ground clamps that are designed for use with water pipes and conduit of practically any diameter. They are two curved pieces of metal that have machine screws on either side to clamp to the pipe. There is also a screw terminal for your ground wire. I would put a separate ground rod in, but bond it with your other grounds at one place.

I would recommend not running the coax over the gutter, or for that matter over any exposed roofing material period, as the cable will be exposed to UV radiation and break down faster, as well as trapping leaves and other foreign matter. I would run the coax cable around under the eaves around the house.

One final thing to mention, is to use outdoor rated cable and connectors as corrosion can be a real issue. Also check your local codes and HOA's to see if they have any restrictions to tall masts mounted on your house.


Is the operation of a hard-start domestic water pump improved by the addition of an external soft-start controller?

I would say a soft start controller would not change the problem I have many booster pumps and the only thing a soft start would be good for would be throttling the pump. Centrifugal pumps create a large hammer action in how they work.
A expansion tank may be your best option. The quality of the valve may also be the issue I can warn you I had a irrigation pump that when throttled to 45hz with a VFD (can be used as a soft start) that frequency would tear up 4” irrigation lines I could run fine from 50 up to 70 hz and had no problems (below 40hz the motor would over heat)
There is cavitation at start up on the pump this is normal but a soft start won’t stop that. Some water filters can not be used without a pressure tank or expansion tank as the vibrations tear them apart.
I did see the comment on the water hammer arrestor that may work but I would think a 2-3 gallon expansion/pressure tank would solve the issue better than a electronic method.
I thought I should add most 120/240v pumps are capacitor start with a centrifugal clutch pulling them in. A soft start in this case would probably overheat the motor they are designed to spin up quickly and change windings or the cap depending on the type.


What steps should I take to prepare for using a thermal camera?

Started as a comment but became two long;
No privacy problems you don’t have to join to use the FLIR one that is the main objection I am aware of and I have not joined.
I have the pro model and to tell the truth I would do nothing different , you want a constant temp for an extended time if changing temps that can create shadows in concealed spaces that may show issues if a constant temp. You can find leaks in the ductwork but the system needs to be running in some cases to identify leakage from duct works, running the hot / cold water for a couple can help identify bad insulation on your pipes. You may also identify roof leaks in the attic , water running down is cooler and I have found some I could not see. Another thing you can do is look at your breaker panel and outlets. A loose connection can really heat things up ( I use my unit at work to find electrical problems and bearings that are running a little hotter than normal) , so you do want the forced air system running small leaks spear as pin holes or long straight lines at leaking ducts.
Rain will cool the roof and make leakage show up plus as I mentioned leaks you may not have found may be spotted.
I have used FLIR cameras for quite a few years , I no longer pay for an annual evaluation at my plant saving $ and I find motor problems prior to failure in some cases.


How can I determine fuse specs for the air handler's circuit board?

It's usually indicated on the board itself as a consequence of the manufacturing process

look closely just behind the fuse 3A
[][]2www.amazon.ca

It should be documented in the service manual but this is a easier way to confirm. If you can't determine the size, always go with a 3A fuse. The difference between 3A and 5A on a circuit board is very significant. And a short on 3A board using a 5A fuse is very likely to blow a component.

second method

The board ID number is often specified and Googling the numbers on the board often takes you a valuable information source. This image shows a alternate location for the fuse size. www.amazon.ca


If mounting a TV bracket on a brick wall, is it safe to use the existing holes from an old bracket?

Sure, as long as the material around the holes is sound and the holes are the correct size for the fasteners or anchors.


The icing is most likely really due to low refrigerant. I had similar problems with a slow leak in my heat pump, and limped by for a few years by having it recharged once a year since it was a slow leak. The bill usually fell between $150-300, gradually increasing every year since the leak was slowly progressing. I finally replaced the whole unit last year for $4500, since the refill schedule was accelerating down to 7 months in between rather than 12. (It was a 14 year old system, so that contributed a great deal to replacing vs repairing in my particular situation.)

Nitrogen is a common method for detecting leaks, so your tech wasn't doing something crazy. The new coil they suggested installing is probably the one that's leaking. You could ask to see where it's leaking, since they should have pinpointed the location with the nitrogen test. As for the blower board, they could be taking a shotgun approach to the repair and replacing parts they think could be related, but I can't say for certain, since they've seen it firsthand and I haven't (I'm also not a certified HVAC technician!). The blower could be a contributor if it's not running, since reduced airflow can contribute to icing as well. Try setting your unit on "blower only" mode, and if you get good airflow, that's probably an unnecessary replacement part. Or it would at least warrant further questioning to the repair company if it's really necessary.

I'm not sure what the wire is for without seeing a wiring diagram unfortunately. The fan screws should have no effect on icing, but it's a good idea to replace them. Remove the last one and take it to the hardware store to find a match. (Make sure you flip the breaker off first, since you don't want the unit running without it's fan attached, or spinning up while you're working on it!)

If you really think they're trying to pull one over on you, you could always get a second opinion, but you'll probably be on the hook for another $100+ basic service call fee from the next company too.


Where to buy a 4-inch toilet flapper in North America?

That's a Kohler Bancroft 4633. Here's where you can buy a [replacement flapper].

Here's a schematic of the Kohler Bancroft 4633.


I’d check: 1) roof framing, 2) top plate, 3) sole plate fasters, 4) wall sheathing

1) If the roof framing is identical over the “no wall” area as the “wall to be removed” area, then I’d assume it is not a load bearing wall.

2) If there’s a single top plate at the wall to be removed, then that would give additional indication that it’s not load bearing.

3) If there are no bolts with over sized washers (3” sq. Washers) in the wall to be removed, then that is an indication that it’s not a load bearing.

4) If there’s no wall sheathing (plywood, OSB board, etc.) then it’s not a lateral resistance wall.

If all indications are “negative”, then I’d assume it’s okay to remove.

Note: I did not mention checking for a footing, because you indicated your house is slab-on-grade.


Shutoff in shower very tight all of the sudden

Most of these systems have some type of collar/sleeve that covers the internal valve assembly.  I've seen them unsrew a small amount and begin to rub into the underside of the handle making it feel tight when turning off the valve.  I would try taking off the handle and see if you can screw that sleeve into the wall a couple of turns.


I'd guess that you have a rodent problem, and I'd guess that you're finding bits of your furniture padding/batting that were in the way of a cozy nest. How else could something like this just appear "around the house"?


Do GFCI breakers provide necessary protecting for multiple outlet surge protector?

Grounded (aka 3-prong) receptacles without an actual ground path
Older houses did not have grounded receptacles. Simply replacing a 3-prong receptacle with a 2-prong receptacle provides a false sense of security - and can actually be more dangerous than leaving the 2-prong receptacles in place. There is nothing inherently wrong with a 2-prong receptacle. Many devices do not require a ground wire and come with a 2-prong plug. But devices that come with a 3-prong plug are designed to use that 3rd prong for safety and bypassing that is not a good idea.
There are 2 different solutions available:
Ground the Receptacle
This can be trivially easy or monumentally hard. It is trivially easy if the wires are run through metal conduit. Metal junction boxes connected to metal conduit all the way back to the panel generally provides a good grounding path. In other words, you connect a ground wire from the receptacle (typically attached to a green screw on the receptacle) or other device to a grounding screw. The grounding screw doesn't have to be green, but it does have to be the correct type in order to ensure a good connection.
If you don't have metal conduit then you can either retrofit a ground wire all by itself, which does not have to follow the same path as the other wires, or you can run a new cable, including ground, from the panel (which always has ground) to the receptacles. Running a new cable is typically easy in an unfinished basement or garage but much harder in the rest of the house.
GFCI
A GFCI, Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, is designed to protect a specific type of problem, a ground fault. Despite the name, a GFCI does not actually use ground itself. Rather, it measures to see if current on hot(s) & neutral matches. If the current doesn't match then by definition it must be flowing through ground, and the GFCI breaks the circuit. So there is a class of problems where a GFCI or a good ground wire would provide protection, so GFCI is considered "good enough" to avoid the need to retrofit a ground wire. However, it does not protect against all modes of use of a ground wire. In particular, as you noted, there are surges and other problems which are resolved by making use of the ground wire and which won't be handled properly if the ground wire is missing. As a result, GFCI without an actual ground must be labelled to indicate there is no ground wire.
What to do?
I would recommend GFCI protection for the general usage receptacles. That is a cheap and easy fix. They do need to be installed properly in terms of Line/Load connections, or installed in the main panel (a little more expensive).
But for the most critical loads - i.e., your home office - retrofit ground if practical or run new circuits with ground. Unless this is a big house with "impossible" wiring and a full panel, adding a couple more circuits should not be that big a deal.


Can 12/2/2 cable be used with two circuits on the same leg with the neutrals tied together?

This is an unfortunately-all-too-common wiring error, even without a 12/2/2 cable to further confuse things.  Most folks (even electricians) think "I'll just nut the neutrals together" since that's what works when everything in a box comes from one branch circuit, which is the case 99.9% of the time -- in the 0.1% case, such as yours, though -- this rule leads to a looped neutral, which violates 300.3(B):

  (B) Conductors of the Same Circuit. All conductors of the same circuit
  and, where used, the grounded conductor and all equipment grounding conductors
  and bonding conductors shall be contained within the same raceway, auxiliary
  gutter, cable tray, cablebus assembly, trench, cable, or cord, unless
  otherwise permitted in accordance with 300.3(B)(1) through (B)(4).

and 310.10(H)(1):

  (1) General. Aluminum, copper-clad aluminum, or copper conductors, for
  each phase, polarity, neutral, or grounded circuit shall be permitted to be
  connected in parallel (electrically joined at both ends) only in sizes 1/0 AWG
  and larger where installed in accordance with 310.10(H)(2) through (H)(6).

This is easy to fix, though -- make sure that the neutrals in your 12/2/2 cable (white and white/red striped, or "candy cane wire" ;), are not nutted together anywhere.


Is there a technical reason why there are seemingly no smoke detectors that are battery operated, dual sensor, and interconnected?

No Demand
The demand for interconnected is associated with new homes in many jurisdictions. I don't know of any places (there may be exceptions, probably California if anywhere...) where they are required to be interconnected unless a home is new or, possibly, substantially renovated. When a home is new or is substantially renovated, it is easy to run wires between the detectors and to add wires from the first detector back to a power source.
So the need for "battery" is made obsolete by the need for "interconnected". You don't need battery if they are interconnected, you don't need interconnected if you are in a situation where you don't want to run wires back to a power source (because if you don't want to connect to power, you probably don't really want to run wires for interconnecting them either).
End result:

Battery power for individual detectors in older homes. (Unrelated, but now typically "10-year batteries" instead of "replace battery when you hear the chirp").
AC-powered for interconnected detectors in newer homes.

I don't think dual-sensor has much to do with it, though due to power requirements (and possibly a higher price-point) that may be more common with AC-powered, interconnected detectors.
I didn't catch the "wireless" part originally. For a bunch of reasons, I would prefer wired to wireless for smoke detectors. Wireless at many levels (from Bluetooth to WiFi to cell phones...) has enough problems that for life-safety I'd prefer wired, when practical. As long as this is new construction, wired seems quite practical, and new construction is the primary demand source for interconnected.


Does the combustion air inlet for a 95% HE furnace need to be sloped down the same degree as the exhaust?

I would slope it the same, as while it may not be condensate, there are other possible moisture sources (rain, snow) that could get in and a slope away from the device seems sensible to avoid issues.


The tile had already fully set for at least 24 hours before grouting I expect. So walking on it would be safe. The only damage that walking on uncured grout would cause is deforming the grout itself. If you see no evidence of smushed grout either your husband did not step on the actual grout or the grout had hardened enough to not be deformed by his steps. In any case I would not expect any trouble with the grout if it looks fine now.


Side mounting (base attachment only) of glass railing panels to wooden house frame. Requirements?

It looks neat.

I think I'd be looking for a glass railing engineer (as in an engineer employed by a firm in the business of glass railings or engineered/architectural  glass structures in general) to ensure that the glass, mounting and attachments were all adequate. And I like doing stuff myself. I'd just be uncomfortable with the possibilities for building something that looks (as this does) like the sort of thing you'd see in a mall, airport, etc but that then fails to perform as required when it matters - and that could be from something as minor as the way the holes for the supports are put in, or tiny defects on the clamping surface of the mounts (either of which might result in cracks, and cracks lead to glass structures falling apart.) These folks (and the correct hardware, glass, etc.) exist - as witnessed by the malls, airports, etc...

One thing might be to beef up the top rail into a more structural component.


Are 38mmx72mm roof trusses sufficient for a 6m span?

Using Google you can do conversions. Type:

  38mm in inches

into Google and it will give you the conversion as the first result.

Your sizes come out at

  1.5" x 2.8" with just under 2' centres with a 20' span

Now, the reason these are smaller than the quoted sizes is because wood is not measured in the finished size but in the original size. So a piece of wood that's quoted at 4" x 2" will actually be something like 3.5" x 1.5". This isn't a problem because everybody* knows this.

The calculations should take this into account.

* for some value of "everybody".


What's the easiest way to carry 4x8 sheets of 70-lbs drywall by yourself?

The way the GG would damage the drywall is by putting too much torque pressure on a single spot while you're lifting, since the GG is naturally going to want to twist the panel at the point it grips, given the way you have to hold it.

You probably can protect the drywall by using a foot long or so piece of 1/2" thick wood (like a strip of plywood cut to 3" x 12") putting it on the far side of the panel as you clamp with the GG.  That way the wood will absorb the torque pressure and distribute it more evenly along the drywall making it less likely to snap at the pressure point.


What type of insect is this in my pantry?

They look like flour beetles.
They've likely gotten into your rice, grain or flour and all that will need to be removed.  Try keeping pantry grains in plastic or glass airtight containers.
Be careful with pesticides if you go that route, since it will be near your food


How to remove dry water based urethane varnish from mirror?

Razor scrapper would work best with a little mineral spirits.


What concerns should i have about moving into a 100-year-old nj farmhouse?

If it's painted and that old, there's going to be lead paint, lead window putty, etc.

You'll not "really" want to to but really should investigate the septic arrangements, and get whatever it is pumped out and inspected. Water testing should include things other than lead (with the prime one being coliform bacteria, the most basic well-water test.)

Any old house will keep you from getting bored; there's always more to fix than you have time (and usually also money) for.

You'll probably end up replacing the electric wholesale, eventually. When you do, remember to run network wiring (or better yet, conduits for network wiring, since it tends to change over time, and being able to pull it out and replace it is golden.)

Rusty cars can usually be vanished with a call to the scrapyard - you might even get $50. Unless they are something with value to a collector (even in rusty condition,) that's probably the right call.


Is it safe to change wind blowing direction of a William Wall Mounted Heater?

Normal heaters of this type use natural convection: input at the bottom, output at the top.  The vanes are bent for that purpose.    However, this has a problem; it doesn't provide any room circulation, and hot air tends to "hang out" at the ceiling, where it can be 10 degrees warmer than air at the floor.

It doesn't take much to stir the air in the room; I use a "muffin fan" from a PC power supply.

What you have there is Williams' attempt to correct that.  It's called Forsaire, and it indeed has an electric forced-air blower.  This creates a reverse flow.  Now, cold air is taken at the ceiling, heated and dumped at the floor.  And you don't like that.

Depending on your model, the furnace may function during power loss.  Those models keep the thermocouple and millivolt thermostat from the convection models, and will cheerfully fire and burn the burner with no power at all.  Normally, the blower detects the heat and runs the blower at that point; however if the power is out, that doesn't happen, and it makes do with convection. Kinda cool actually; I've seen it. And if I recall, the manual specifically says you can do that.  In this operating mode, airflow is convection: out the bottom, up the top. That's what you want, yes?

Some models of this furnace make the 24V thermostat power mandatory; obviously they won't fire during AC power loss.

So you might want to consult your furnace's manual, or contact the factory, and see if yours can operate this way.

Also, ask the factory about alternate doors which will give you flow in a different direction.  They actually sell those: check out diffuser grille kits 6703 or 6704, or side grille kit 6702.

If cost were no object, I'd say swap this for a passive Williams unit, since you don't even like the Forsaire feature.  But that's a $700-900 deal depending on the size of the unit and if it's double-sided.


How to mount something with screwholes such that it is removable

If the battery holder has enough room in the holes where the screws go, that you could drill another hole below it, but larger, that the screw head can pass through, then slide down, then yes. I bought one like that just about 2 weeks ago, and the holes were beneath the AA battery slots and centered in the slot. No way to extend the hole to make it moveable. But, you could mount it to a thin board or wooden paint stirrer, yardstick, wood ruler, etc. Then you can drill a small hole in the upper section, with a larger one below and cut a slot between them to slide the screw on to. I am not aware of any adapters, but easy to make your own.

Sample:


Why are my circuit breakers not tripping?

Standard circuit breakers are not designed to trip instantaneously for all loads.  Breakers are designed with time curves they must meet, and for anything but the highest currents there is a noticeable delay from seconds to hours.

Schneider Electric PDF:  Your brand/type of breakers could differ from this chart, but the concepts are largely the same for most magnetic circuit breakers.

Here's some math provided by Tester101 in the comments below:

  14 gauge solid uncoated copper is 0.00307 ohms per foot. A 100 ft. run of #14 would be 0.614 ohms (200 ft. * 0.00307 = 0.614 ohms). According to Mr. Ohm, Current (I) = Volts (V) / Resistance (R). Therefore a direct short would be 195.44 amperes (120 V / 0.614 = 195.44 A). Which is 13 times a 15 ampere circuit, so it should trip within 2-3 seconds. Even with a 200 ft. 20 ampere circuit, it would be 310.88 amperes (200 * 0.00193 = 0.386 120 / 0.386 = 310.88) . Which is 15 times rated current, and again 2-3 seconds to trip. However, that's based on the trip curve in the posted link, which may be different than the trip curve of the breakers in question.

I've marked an example on the chart which shows that at a current of 15 times the rated current, it can take up to 2 seconds to trip (download the PDF and zoom in so you can actually read all the numbers).  For a 15 amp breaker, that's over 200amps for almost 2 seconds.  That's enough power to melt strands of your extension cord and possibly damage whatever you used to short the first two outlets.

When you touch two wires, only a small area of the wire touches, and explosively heats and melts (the POP and spark).  I suspect if you stripped the extension cord and used a proper wire clamp on the ends to make a good connection, you might be able to pull enough current to quickly trip the breaker, assuming the outlet doesn't internally melt from arcing when you plug it in.

The main point is that this IS NOT a good thing to do.  Tripping a breaker to find it with a short is pretty dangerous, and you can damage outlets or other wire junctions in the process.  If there's a wire nut in an adjacent outlet that's not making the best connection, it could melt.  Then you have to find and fix that which could be a challenge unless smoke and fire direct you to the problem area.

Plug in a radio, turn it up, and start manually throwing breakers.  When the music stops, you found the right breaker.  Don't purposely short wires.


I have found that a Navy Shower Head does a great job of wide spray (for hitting your entire body at once), good pressure (for washing hair), and it's rated low-flow so you should be able to get 2 hot showers back-to-back (provided you don't take 3-hour showers).

There are a few items called "Navy Shower Head"--this is the one I'm referring to: https://www.build.com/delta-52652-pk-shower-head/s244417?uid=1907341 You should be able to find it at most big-box home improvement stores and online.


While some of the reasons are likely subjective, there do seem to be some technical reasons. Looking at the RailEasy Cable Railing as an example (it was simply the first result on google), it specifies a height of 36 or 42" and post spacing of 4', both of which are smaller / shorter than is typical in a yard perimeter fence install. Fence height tends to be 6' (72"), and post spacing is roughly 6' as well, at least in my area.

The linked cable railing does indicate longer spans are possible, though it requires extra hardware to keep the cables tensioned properly. You would either need (a lot) more posts or the extra hardware, both of which increase the price and labor involved.

Taller posts are presumably possible as well, and the 3" spacing of the cables could probably be relaxed for a fence install, though the forces on the wood might become a problem. Larger spacing could also present a risk for animals or children to get their head caught.

All that said, there is a practical reason that may be why you don't see these more. Many fences are designed to provide some element of privacy. Not all fences, of course, as there are chain link, wrought iron, white picket, etc which provide little, if any, privacy. Compared to your standard 6' cedar picket fence, though, these cable fences offer no privacy because they are essentially invisible. The near-invisibility is a big selling point when installed as deck railings, as it doesn't obscure your view off the deck, but may not be so great for a fence.

Edit: Just re-read your Question and realized you were talking about replacing a front-yard fence, so the above may not be entirely applicable. Front-yard fences tend to be shorter, so a 36" fence may be more appropriate, and you may not be looking for full privacy. Some of the other issues still pertain, and in this case, it may be down to aesthetics - from afar, a cable fence would look like a bunch of wooden posts stuck in the ground, which is probably a bit weird for your neighbors. The cables would only become visible as you drew closer.


What are the advantages and disadvantage of using "pushfit"  pipe fittings?

I've been a bit cynical of these but tried push-fit on my last project -- works a treat.

Pros: it's really really fast and easy, you're more likely to get it right first time, and you can use PEX tubing which is lovely and flexible, so brilliant for doing e.g. taps for a basin on a stud partition.

Cons: expensive. Much more expensive. And you'd not want to use them on exposed pipework.


Since it's too small to fit a piece of drywall, I would fill the gap with setting-type joint compound embedded with fiberglass mesh.  It may take two or three coats to fill the gap.  After it's filled, finish the two sides like you would if it were filled with a piece of drywall:  Tape the patch with paper and feather out to the plaster.  Then put on a finish coat of compound.  Many folks prefer to use the pre-mixed stuff to finish, but you can use the setting type you used to fill the gap.


Not sure if it's code in your area since this is a building code issue but new hard wired smokes must be interconnected. I'd venture to say it is code in most places.

This means you have to feed the smokes at any one, then run 3-wire between them. Typically the red wire is used as the interconnect wire. Some areas have requirements that say the smokes must be on a dedicated circuit, some say they must be on a local lighting circuit. The local requirements on this vary.

I hope you do not mean you are using only 14/3, but a mix of 14/2 and 14/3.

Also, I would NOT put the whole house fan on this general use circuit. No valid reason other than convention and to lessen the load on such a circuit.

Also, I'm not sure what you mean by line and load in your diagram. That makes no sense as far as the diagram goes.


Wemo Light Switch + Niko Dimmer Switch combined

You still need a light switch where people expect one

The Building Codes require that you do have a functioning light switch in the usual locations.  That is not so much for you, they don't care if you can turn your lights on with your Google Glasses... They are a requirement for

Guests who they don't want getting hurt in the dark
EMTs so they can work 2-handed while saving your life, without holding a flashlight or delaying care so they can get you out to the ambulance where light is
Firemen so they can quickly determine if the room is clear
Police so they can quickly see that your son who got SWATed is holding a gaming mouse, not a gun

Obviously they are not mutually exclusive; with smart switches it does suffice for the wall switch to bepart of the smart-switch ecosystem send an "on command".  It just has to work.  The wall-switch "on" must easily bring it to a medium light level, what would be bad is if it was stuck at a previous very dim mood-lighting level that can only be changed from your phone.

If you are going to use your phone 99% of the time, a real risk is the batteries running down and you never knowing it.  So one option is to install a wired smart switch (controller) and re-task the physical wires to deliver always-on power to the switch.

Don't use unlisted cheap Cheese junk

The item you linked is notable in its lack of a UL listing, or rather a listing from TUV, CSA, UL or some other competent testing lab which operates in Europe.  The only thing you see there is a CE mark, which stands for "Chinese Excrement" - seriously it's a voluntary mark which means the manufacturer only claims to comply with certain EU standards. In actual practice, far-east manufacturers stamp it on absolutely everything, so it might as well be bought at a street vendor in Bangkok.  The vendor states that proudly... so clearly they are not interested in paying the fee to have TUV or CSA test it, since they know it'll fail.

Well, buy from someone whose stuff actually is tested by an impartial third party.


Screen Door Pneumatic Tube stopper: What are they called and why is mine not working?

They're called hold-open washers.
It won't be easy to assume based on your description. Perhaps post a photo of where the washer normally meets the metal?

It sounds like the washer is probably just bent. Maybe you can take it off and straighten it in a vice and try it again. If it comes down to it, and you want to save some money.. you can back the set screw out of a drill stop and put a thumb screw in, grind the lugs off the shaft and slide it on!


Which parts are missing from this vintage lockset?

I too wish you luck.

The parts you show are made from 'pot metal.'

Such parts have a short life in the best of times.

For older hardware on the cheap, I think ebay,

the ReBuilding Center in Portland http://rebuildingcenter.org/

or somewhere from here http://portlandonthecheap.com/homeimprovement.html would likely be your best chance


How to identify this shower faucet or cartridge brand to stop tub spout leak and remove screw-less escutcheon plate?

Was able to finally get the water shutoff a couple days back (apt. complex) and turned out to be a Price Pfister!


What equipment can I used to dig a foundation very close to another structure?

So called 'mini-diggers' (as they are often called in the UK) now go down to a size which will easily fit through a 900mm doorway. Your situation isn't an impossibly tight dig. I'd recommend simply visiting your local tool/digger hire centre and hiring the largest machine you can get into the space you have. Don't forget you'll need room to turn the boom around at least 180 degrees. Possibly a micro, micro-plus or mini.

NOTE: Terminology will vary from country to country depending on what excavator manufactures are present.


Smart dimmer: neutral, ground and copper wire capped together

If  and only if the dimmer's instructions say so
Bootlegging neutral off ground is not allowed, no.
However, a small number of dimmers are made to do that.  The instructions say to use ground for neutral if neutral is not available; otherwise they want you to use neutral.  This method has been approved by UL, and they approved the instructions as part of that.


HVAC System Just Installed Yesterday and AC condenser outside is blowing cold ir

Very generally speaking, provided the outside air temperature is 80F or warmer, correctly operating modern residential split systems should have a condenser temperature split of 15-20 degrees F.  If you measure the temperature of the air leaving the top of the condenser with a thermometer, it should be 15-20 degrees F warmer than the temperature of the air entering the sides of the condenser.

Very far outside this temperature range usually indicates a problem.


Do I also need to apply thinset to my Subway tiles or is it enough to just put it on the wall?

Back-Buttering shouldn't be needed. But, the best determination is to set a tile & then pry it off. You should have a nice even smush of Thin-set that covers the whole back of the tile. If you don't get full coverage, then you can try it again with a bigger notch trowel...on a fresh clean tile. If that doesn't do it, then you'll want to back-butter every tile.


How to prepare poured concrete wall for adhesion

If the wall is unpolished it already offers enough grip for any other concrete based adhesive.
Just make sure its dust free..dampen the concrete wall with a sponge.. let the water drip and sink into the wall and then use a normal adhesive recommended to be used stone veneer direct to the concrete

If it is polished concrete then you will need to grind slits into the concrete so that the concrete can adhere, also taking care to get the concrete into the prepared slits.

You do not need to use any other chemicals that i know off. done it plenty of times when applying plaster direct on concrete or slitted polished wall.. sticks forever.

Just make sure not use adhesive that dries super fast.. just a normal drying adhesive. Drying to fast can cause it the "glue" to shrink and pull away from the wall before it bonds properly.. that is why the wall should also be wet before application