Framing nails: ring shank .120 vs smooth shank .131?

You'll want to review the nailing schedule of the code that applies where ever you may be.  The one at the bottom of this post is pretty standard.  Here's a link to California's 2016 UBC nailing schedule.  (California requirements may be greater due to seismic requirements.)  Note that there's not one single nail specified for all wall framing; there are different nails required for different attachments.

"Upgrading" the required fastener isn't necessarily a good thing.  For example do you think it would be good to use 8" spikes made for joining landscape timbers where 16d - 10d nails are required?  No, that would be crazy - you'd split the wood to bits and have nails sticking into the next room and etc.

Sure ring shank and spiral shank nails are harder to pull out, they're great for decking and siding.  But the upgrade isn't necessary for wall framing - walls built by the standard method hold up great.  By substituting ring shank or spiral shank nails you may have unintended negative consequences - more subtle than using landscape spikes but still problems.

As a general recommendation, wait until you have a done a fair number of jobs following all applicable codes and standards to the letter before you try to improve on the standards.  Even then, think very hard before getting creative.  The code / standard methods are with very few exceptions tried and true, and actually a bit overbuilt to give you some margin of error.  You're second guessing all the people that put them together over the years when you deviate from them.


Portable AC Drawing 0.33 Amps Trips 15 Amp Circuit Breaker?

I agree with others .33a no way for even the smallest ac units. At 5 minutes I believe the circuit is being overloaded.
Most breakers for residential use are inverse time breakers. A 15 amp breaker loaded at 15.5 amps may not trip for a 1/2 hour push it to 16 amps and it will trip much quicker possibly 5 minutes.
I would check the load on that breaker with a clamp meter and would expect more than 15 amps. If the load is less than 15 the breaker is defective and needs to be replaced.


What would cause a bathroom light to turn off during operation?

An intermittent problem like this could be caused by a combination of a loose connection and the waste heat from the bulb.  As the bulb and light fixture heat up, they expand eventually causing the loose connection to be broken, turning off the light.  With the light off, they cool down and shrink, remaking the connection so the light turns on again.

This could be dangerous as you could get arcing across the connection at the points where the light turns on or off, which can cause electrical fires.

To find and fix the problem:

Try a different light bulb; this will tell you if the fault is with the bulb or the fixture.
Turn off power to the fixture at the service panel. Open up the fixture and check that all the connections inside it and in the ceiling box are secure.  Close up the fixture and reapply power.
If you're still seeing the problem, it's likely a fault in the light fixture itself.  I'd consider replacing it at this point (or there are repair kits, depending on your skill and comfort level with diagnosing the fault and doing the repair).


For best results, when it comes to drilling into stone, always use diamond drill bits. Don't let the term diamond scare you away from buying one. They're readily available from such vendors as Amazon for much less than you might think, a 5 piece 5/32” – ½” is $8 there. As another user here posted, DO NOT use the hammer drill setting on your drill. Easy does it, with a water spray bottle if you can't continuously run water at the drill site. As for mollys, I think you'll get the best results using something like a Powers mini dropin internally threaded expansion anchor. They take a machine thread screw that you can cut to whatever length you might need.


Soft crumbling walls, electrical mounting box

At this point, I don't think an old-work box can be used. As bib mentions, you need a sturdy surface to attach these. You also have a plaster repair in your future, so if you're going to patch that, you may as well go with a new-work box. You have two styles to chose from, one with a tab that attaches to the face of the stud and another that nails into the stud:

I'd recommend the version that nails into the side of the stud, but I'd also recommend swapping out the nails for screws. The process of nailing this box in will disturb a lot more of the plaster.

Go ahead and open the wall up enough to install the new-work box, get the cables inside, screw it to the stud, and secure the wiring with staples to the center of the stud. Then patch your plaster by installing some backing material, applying the plaster with a wide knife, and smoothing the joints so they can't be seen with a light shining at a sharp angle.


Material containing asbestos in Toronto apartment

It's certainly concerning if they can't tell you where the asbestos is given that they conducted a survey. If they're unwilling to disclose it you're not going to be able to make an educated decision. That being said, asbestos is only harmful if you breathe in the fibers. That means that plaster is safe since the fibers are trapped in the plaster itself and covered with paint. The same idea applies to tiles, which generally don't abrade enough to become airborne.

There's a chance it isn't even in that suite. Asbestos was a popular covering for pipes and boilers at one point. Around here some of them were simply sprayed over with something to encapsulate it. Again, without the survey there's no way to tell.

For whatever it's worth, asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral which is fairly common. That's not to say it isn't dangerous, but you do take a non-zero risk of being exposed by going outdoors. At much lower concentrations and much less frequency than in buildings, but you still can't ever be sure to have had a 0% chance of exposure.

I'd suggest you see about getting a copy of the survey. Maybe put in a call to the city and see if they're obligated to give you one.


Those were almost certainly added for a reason since even in 1955 builders did not add extra components to a structure needlessly.
You will need a building permit and in order to get that you'll need plans.  For those plans you'll need an engineer's stamp since you are changing the structure in a major way.
My recommendation is to hire a licensed engineer who can examine your current structure and give you some options to accomplish what you want.


What should I do about walls that are shiny and dull at same time?

A picture would help but...what you are describing sounds like flashing to me.  This is when the sheen of the paint is not consistent (it has nothing to do with the physical even-ness of the surface).  Flashing occurs when the paint absorbs into the surface unevenly, thus it is common when dealing with patching.

Step 1:  If the walls are really rough all the way around skim coat everything to get an even base to start with.

If the walls are only bad in spots simply mud/spackle and sand the spots

Step 2:  Prime anything that is not paint.  Use a good sealer primer, I would suggest doing all the walls judging by what you have described.  Let the primer cure (this is not the same as drying).  Cure time should be mentioned on the product label.  I would recommend you use an oil base primer.  Yes its smelly and tough to work with but it does a much better job of covering stains and drying evenly, it also penetrates better due to its longer dry time.  Sand lightly with a medium grit sanding sponge once the primer is cured.

Step 3:  Paint.  Use two coats of paint.  Cut the edges all the way around first, then come back and roll the large sections of the wall where your cut work has already dried.  The better the paint the better the result.  Good paint is expensive but totally worth it.  It is easier to work with, splatters less, and looks better when you are done.

Personal opinions that you can choose to ignore if you wish

Avoid anything that claims to be a primer/paint in one...they are all garbage.

Good paint and good brushes/rollers are worth the cost, especially since you can clean and reuse them. (I will note that using cheap stuff with oil based primer is perfectly normal and I do it myself to avoid the hassle.)


Why do I have low hot water pressure in my kitchen?

It sounds like the valve in your hot water handle has some blockage.
There are hundreds of different different designs, so it's hard to diagnose without brand/model. However, many faucets are made with valve cartridges (see link below) whose narrow channels can easily pick up bits of pipe scale. Take the handle apart and have a look.

Image http://community.homedepot.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/28699iE1106DE14461EE20/image-size/original?v=mpbl-1&px=-1


I think you may be mistaken about what the wires are. Since it's not a "smart" switch, there's likely not a neutral connected to it.  Instead, I would suspect that the white wire is actually being used as a traveler. This was a fairly common wiring method, before the neutral was required at all switch locations.

If this is the case, then you should mark the white wire at both ends with a black marker or tape.  This would also mean that you're not going to be able to install the "smart" switch, as there's not a neutral in the box.

Remember, not all neutrals are white, and not all white wires are neutral.

I'm no good at ASCII art, so here's a crappy MSPaint digram of what the wiring might look like.


You should check the operation and safety mechanisms of any automatic garage door opener probably twice a year or so, to ensure that they are operating safely. If you place a 2x4 flat on the floor, the door should reverse when it hits it. If you remove the 2x4, the door should close fully but not try to close after it's closed (the opener should not be trying to drive it through the floor once it's closed.) Likewise, the door should stop or reverse if the electric-eye beam is broken when it's closing.

If you don't have an automatic opener, adjust when needed as the door gives you issues with manual operation. If it gets hard to open or tries to close with excessive force, check for a broken spring and consider calling someone.

Lubrication, alignment, etc. can be addressed at the same time. No particular need to hire someone else to do it unless you are going to start messing with adjusting a torsion spring. If the spring is not broken (and needing replacement), there should be no need to adjust it for many years.

Garage door torsion springs, if not treated with great care and respect, can kill/maim you. OLD extension springs that lack safety cables (a cable running in the middle of the spring to keep parts from flying if it breaks) can also hurt you, as can a garage door without spring support if it comes crashing down from the raised position. Malfunctioning or misadjusted or safety-mechanisms-bypassed automatic openers can crush people/children/pets.


Venting a portable a/c into another room that is closed off with the window open

In theory this could work.  Probably not, and it depends a lot on the details. The biggest obstacle IMO is you need to cut a hole in your bathroom door to find out.
Let's solve the easy part first: You can repair the hole by camouflaging it.  Mount a door mirror over it, or cover it with wood and put a picture frame around the wood, like the apartment door in Friends.  Maybe something toilet themed.  Be creative.

Now for the A/C: An A/C moves heat and moisture from one place to another.  Usually to the outside.  The two most common examples of moving the heat to another inside space are 1) When they put a cashier's booth in a large underground parking lot and install a window A/C in it, venting to the parking lot.  2) Your refrigerator, which moves heat into your kitchen.
Here's the catch: In both of these examples the heated space is much much larger than the cooled space.  In your case, your bathroom is much smaller than your bedroom, and if you sometimes open your bedroom door to enter or leave it makes the challenge even harder by admitting new warm moist air.  It all comes down to how effectively that open window works.   If you seal both doors tightly and put a fan in the window, there will be no air flow.  The fan will mostly create turbulence.  It will help a bit.  But whether it will work enough comes down to experimentation.  If not, the bathroom will become so hot that the A/C will cease to work efficiently or at all.
An idea
Well, the best idea of course would be to use it the way it's intended.  But anyway.  Rather than seal both bathroom doors, you could open the window, install a powerful exhaust fan in it, well sealed all around the edges, seal the bedroom door, leave the other bathroom door open, and open a couple of downstairs windows.   This will create excellent air flow through the bathroom, and I think the A/C should work perfectly well.
Really?
The spectacle of a powerful exhaust fan installed in your bathroom window with sealant and tape, an extension cord running through the bathroom, the need to actively manage the entire system by keeping the other door and downstairs windows open, .... is all that really more aesthetically pleasing to you than just using the provided hose in your bedroom window?
My advice would be, if the entire plan is the one described in your Question, don't do it.  It's a big gamble to destroy your bathroom door for a plan that is unlikely to work very well, or at all.


How to protect decking when it's already winter

The temperature range is important because it dictates the drying time and should be followed pretty close. The dryness factor is critical. Wood absorbs water. When you set out to protect your deck you want the deck to absorb the sealer. If the deck is already wet, then the sealer won't sink into the wood and you've wasted your money. The deck must be dry so it absorbs the maximum amount of sealer. This applies to water based sealers too.

If you feel the need to do something now, You can get a water proof tarp and cover your deck and then apply the sealers when the deck is dried out. Make sure to allow for air flow while the tarp is on the deck. Then keep the tarp on the deck until the sealer dries, still allowing for air flow. Otherwise, wait until spring. Good luck.


Make sure you have carpeting, or even area rugs.  Get some furniture in the place.  Then move up the walls with various artwork, preferably some kind of cloth or canvas.  You'd be amazed at how much a hanging tapestry absorbs sound.  The emptier the home, the more you'll hear echoes.

Edit: I almost forgot, hang some curtains.


Outdoor concrete repair/resurface/sealing and painting

Thin coatings placed on top of bad concrete, especially slabs that already have numerous significant cracks, and is outdoors will rarely, if ever, be successful. You will spend a lot of time and money to bandaid it up only to have it fail in the next series of climate changes.
Best suggestion for the mess showing in your pictures is to:

Rent a jack hammer and break up all of the existing slab into manageable sized pieces.
Clear out all the old concrete pieces and haul away.
Evaluate the old base materials. In all likelihood the base there is totally inadequate as evidenced by the major cracking in the old slab.
If necessary dig out the old base materials and follow regional recommendations to lay in proper base materials appropriate to your climate zone, soil conditions.
Prepare the site with new edge forms to define the periphery of the replacement slab.
Lay in a combination of mesh wire and a grid of tied together rebar to hold the slab together in the event that small fracture cracks occur. Make triple sure that the mesh and rebar is properly positioned so that it is within the thickness of the slab. It does no good if it is left laying on the base material with the concrete just poured on top of it.
Pour the new slab. Highly recommend that the poured mix come out of a delivered redi-mix truck so that you get a professional mix appropriate to your area / project. A home mixed or small wheelbarrow mixing done from pre-mixed bags will not yield a quality job that will last for years. The existing old concrete and how it is failing seems to indicate that it was done in the way I am recommending that you avoid.
Properly screed and finish the concrete after pouring. Professional tools should be used.
Apply proper post pour care for the concrete slab while it cures. This may include wetting it down and possible even covering if there is a lot of hot sun that can make it dry out too fast.

For the steps outlined above numbered 4 through 8 you may want to really consider hiring a professional crew to come in to do the work. Unless you have good experience with concrete this may not be a project to tackle as a DIY. If you do hire a professional crew make sure that you check out references and look at similar projects that they have completed before. Also make sure that you work with a contract that includes some responsibility on the part of the contractor to repair or replace the project if it turns into a mess like you currently have on your property within 1 or 2 years. (It is highly unlikely that you can get any type of contractor warranty for any more than a year or so).


Can I use #12 ground wire as jumper when the other wire in the box is #14?

Yes.  You can always use larger gauge wire than for what the circuit is protected.  One limitation may be making sure you don't try to cram more/larger wires into the box than what it's capacity is.


What are these marks on the Romex wire in the wall?

That is tar from the old insulation, that's why it is sticky. I don't know why or how it happens, but old insulation had tar in the paper, and it is very common.

It is not scorching or melting from overheating.

Take a utility knife and try to gently scrape some of the black away. You should see it's just on the surface. It's nothing to worry about.


How can I hang a 250 lb wooden piece of art on the wall?

What you described with the 45 degree bevel is called a french cleat. It's used for securing heavy items to walls and I've seen them used in upper kitchen cabinet installations. 1x6 hardwood cut in half on a 45 I think would suffice.

I would consider putting one on the top and one on the bottom (mounted upside down) if you have enough room to slide the piece from the side. That way it eliminates rocking and someone trying to lift it up.

They make metal french cleats for hanging large pictures and mirrors but that max I've seen was a 200lb rating. Maybe you can find some that are rated for your project. Unfortunately they are 20" wide which would be too long to have 2 of them side by side but they do make smaller ones. Maybe there's the right pair for your work.

Here's another idea I had..... Disclaimer... verify that this will be strong enough for your needs. this is a DIY solution with no testing for fitness.

if you can drill into steel. Get some structural steel channels and drill some holes in the backside every 16" to drive lag screws into studs. In the front drill slightly larger holes to allow you to get the lag screws in from the front.

On the top and bottom drill holes for long bolts. Drill the holes just the right size for the bolt to slip through and fit snug so there's no rocking. You'll need to secure them on the inside of the wall mounted channel with a nut. Getting the nuts in on the edges shouldn't be hard. The ones in the middle you'll need to cut some access holes in the front to get the nuts in.

Attach a similar channel with the same type of cutouts (except the access holes for the blot nuts) and attach it to the back of your artwork.

Make another pair for the bottom or at the very least attach a piece of channel as a spacer.

Attach them near the top and bottom so that you can reach in with a nut driver extension to secure the bolts.

If you can't or don't want to work with steel here's an improvement to the french cleat that will provide some more support to help keep the artwork from lifting up and moving side to side if bumped and doesn't require reversing the bottom cleat.

Make the cleats as you normally would out of 1x6 lumber but make sure it's a couple of inches shorter than the width of the artwork. To the upper cleat attach a 1x1 or 1x2 strip of wood that is 5-1/2" long so that it's flush to the top of the cleat on the artwork. Do this for both the top and bottom cleats.

After you slide the artwork on the wall mounted cleats, predrill and drive some long wood screws into the sides of the bottom cleat. I only did 2 screws per side piece but should be room for 4 on each side.

This way the artwork won't fall, lift or slide to the sides.


If the existing surface preparation is sloped the wrong direction and water runs to an undesirable area then you would normally work to re-install the surface preparation to get a different slope.

Since you have a desire to not replace your tarmac due to cost considerations then your only real choice is to do one of the following:

Install an additional curbing at the lower edge of the tarmac area to divert the runoff water to another area. The height of curbing required would be fully dependent on conditions at your site.
Install a French style drain at the area adjacent to the tarmac. This drain would be a pit dug into the ground that can accept the run off water and allow it to disperse into the soil. Generally such pit is filled with rocks or course material that can let water enter easily into the pit. It is often good to cover the pit with a screen and lid. The screen can be used to filter organic material from entering the drain and hopefully preventing it from plugging up.
You could install a sump pit with a water pump unit. The pit would have an opening at the low spot where water collects so that the water can enter the sump pit. A water level switch on the pump system turns on the pump when the a certain level of water has accumulated. The pump moves the water out of the sump pit through a drain pipe that is plumbed to an area where the water can be safely discharged. This could be to a lower area of your property, out to the street curb or into a storm sewer system. This solution also requires the availability of electrical service to the pump area.


How to add tiny 0.5A 120V load to very remote split phase 240v 3 wire well house

At 0.15A x 120V, this thing is about 18 VA (similar to watts).   That is significantly less than 40 VA.

As it happens, 40VA thermostat transformers are cheap and common as dirt, typically around $13. They make them with both 240V and 120V primaries. Get one of each.

You connect the two 24V secondaries to each other.  The 240V primary goes to the 240V main via a 1 amp fuse.  The 120V primary feeds your controller.   This is double-isolated from 240V, so it won't be terribly dangerous.

If you really want to, you can call it a separately derived service and add a neutral-ground equipotential bond to whichever leg of the 120V you want to call "neutral", but given that it is going straight into another transformer that will also isolate it, that seems like much ado about nothing.

I recommend to snip the plug off the cord and hardwire this thing, to avoid the temptation of someone plugging a circular saw into the outlet.

Wow, that was easy and cheap.


What can I use to seam a quartz countertop besides epoxy?

Find an adhesive that is Greenguard Gold Certified

GREENGUARD Certification  helps buyers identify interior products and materials that have low chemical emissions, improving the quality of the air in which the products are used.

GREENGUARD Gold Certification (formerly known as GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification) offers stricter certification criteria, considers safety factors to account for sensitive individuals (such as children and the elderly), and ensures that a product is acceptable for use in environments such as schools and healthcare facilities.

If there is a specific chemical that you are sensitive to you can get the data sheet for the adhesive to see if it contains that chemical.


Attaching Three Copper Wires Together Without Using A Wire Nut?

What you're looking for is a "push-in wire connector" that looks something like

 or .

These don't require nearly the gymnastics required of twist-on type connectors, make a more secure connection over time, and aren't much more expensive either.


What equipment could I use for digging out a basement after the house is built?

The standard (as much as there is one) technique for this these days is to jack the house up to the point that smaller power equipment (which is not cheap) such as a skid-steer loader can be used - and so that the basement walls can be removed (with the house supported on blocking) and replaced with new ones to full depth, properly supported on footings. Some types of "trencher" may also be of use in this job. Sometimes the house is simply rolled off to the side once jacked up so that a new foundation can be built (without the house in the way), or a new foundation is built on the property and the house is moved to it, then the old one is demolished.

There are companies you can hire for the job, and that is by far the most usual approach to it.

Unless the current foundation is "full-depth" (ie, walls in deep trenches, with the dirt left on the inside for later digging out) it can, as suggested by @djs be hazardous to both your house and your life to dig below the current level of the footings that the walls (and house) sit on.

One obvious improvement from your described approach would be to build a ramp from the basement (possibly involving digging some outside the house) so that you can use a wheelbarrow or cart to roll excavated dirt out from under the house, rather than carrying it in buckets. In some cases a conveyor might be of use, but that's a fairly expensive and fiddly (lots of moving parts, and sensitive to overloading, etc) approach. If you cannot make a long ramp and have a typical steep bulkhead, wheelbarrowing to the bottom of the bulkhead and transferring to a smallish box on wheels running up a track (probably wooden) on the bulkhead that you pull up from outside (thus smallish- too heavy makes it miserable) would be much better than carrying buckets upstairs.

In the more desperate case where you don't even have a bulkhead, a ramp could be built to allow you to roll a box of dirt out a window, if there are at least basement windows to work with.


If I do not have any fuel burning devices, do I need a carbon monoxide detector?

Considering the low cost of these devices and how deadly CO can be, why wouldn't you want one?  That's like saying you don't want a smoke detector because you don't think anything will catch on fire.

Just because you don't have any of the items @Steve Jackson mentioned doesn't mean you can't be impacted by CO.  For example, maybe a delivery truck is parked and running in your driveway putting off all sorts of CO that is being sucked into your house.  Maybe your neighbours garage leaks near your air intakes.

One thing you can count on, if something ever did happen relating to CO, your insurance company would be the first one to find out you didn't have a detector!


The 4-wire connection includes hot, hot, neutral, ground. The 3-wire connection includes hot, hot, neutral, but no ground. The basic premise is that older houses only had the 3-wire receptacles and since ground is essentially the same as neutral, and dryers are rarely moved/replaced, let the 3-wire connections continue to be used. However, when something goes wrong, having ground the same as neutral can be deadly.

Almost every dryer built in the past 30 years or so can be wired up 3-wire or 4-wire. If it is 3-wire, there is a jumper (short piece of wire and/or a screw in the right place) to connect ground and neutral. If it is switched to 4-wire, that piece of wire or screw is removed.

NEVER mess around with the actual plug. Either use a 3-wire plug with a 3-wire receptacle or, preferably, use a 4-wire plug with a 4-wire receptacle.

It is possible to replace a 3-wire receptacle with a safer 4-wire receptacle. However, the amount of work involved varies quite a bit depending on the particular situation:

Dryer receptacle near main panel - easy
Ground wire available, just not connected - easy
Metal conduit from receptacle to main panel - easy
None of the above - hard - need to run a new cable (all the wires) and/or a ground wire, or install GFCI protection instead of ground

There are a bunch of questions on DIY about this, such as How to tell if Nema outlets have been successfully brought up to code?


How can I route a toilet drain around copper supply lines right below the slab?

I hate to say it, but there's really no alternative to excavating this and rerouting the drain line. The reason offset flanges are so limited is that they are MUCH more prone to clogging. I've heard they're not even allowed by code in some areas for that reason.

  I don't trust Shark-bite below ground or on old possibly out of round pipes

Shark-bites are fine below grade. If your copper pipes are really so bad off that you can't shark-bite them, you've got larger issues.


How do I install a washing maching in my condo?

The top hole is indeed used for the washer drain.

The lower pipe is used to drain a washing machine pan.

If the washer leaks this pipe allows the water to drain away safely, instead of flooding the laundry area.


Question Regarding Small Amount Of Grass Clippings Under Slab

All buildings (and slabs) settle. The key is to have them settle uniformly.

There’s several issues 1) type of fill, 2) compaction, 3) maximum size of slab pour

1) You mention adding dirt fill. Generally we use gravel, not dirt. Dirt does not compact as well as gravel. The type of gravel fill is “evenly graded crushed rock”. It tends to bind together good, it settles less over time due to decomposing, etc. Also, install the fill in about 6” lifts before it’s compacted.

2) Compaction is usually done with a vibration compactor, but depending on what the slab will be used for, you could drive a heavy truck over the fill. (Heavier buildings require better compaction.)

3) Concrete shrinks when it dries. Therefore, you want to pour the slab in square shapes (so it shrinks uniformly and eliminate cracks) and limit the size to about 12’ square maximum. Unusual shapes (like “L” shapes) will cause the slab to crack.

So, I don’t think a small amount of grass under your slab will be a problem. However, I’d use good construction practices by minimizing fill that will decompose over time and make sure it all compacted uniformly.


How do I replace this cast iron toilet flange?

Removing the old pipe
First you want to make sure the section of pipe that will remain, is properly supported (you don't want it falling). Then you'll want to install some temporary supports, to catch the portion of the pipe that you'll be removing.
Use a chain cutter, hammer and cold chisel, or grinder to break the pipe a few inches before the hub on the next pipe. This short YouTube clip shows how easy it is to cut cast iron with a chain cutter.

Next you'll want to use a hammer and cold chisel to break up the remaining bit of pipe, being careful not to damage the hub.  Once you get enough of the pipe broken up, you'll notice a lead ring inside the hub.  Using a prybar (or other similar tool), try to deform the ring enough that it can be removed (again, being careful not to damage the hub). carefully drilling holes in the lead ring can make it easier to remove it, just be careful not to drill too deep.
Once you have the old pipe and lead gasket removed, clean the hub up a bit and remove any bits of debris.
Install the new pipe
To install the new pipe, you'll need a 4x4 or 4x3 rubber compression donut.

Slip the donut gasket over the end of your new PVC pipe, and fit it into the cast iron hub (A bit of gasket lubricant will make fitting the gasket easier).  Work the gasket into the hub, until it is firmly seated in the hub.

Broken hub
If you were a bit overzealous and you ended up breaking the hub, you'll just have to use a coupling to attach the pipes.  Cut the cast iron pipe after the hub, then use a coupling to connect the pipe.  Make sure both pipes are well supported, since these couplings are not designed to hold weight.


How can I remove Gorilla Glue smudges from a quartz countertop?

Using a "brand new" razor blade will remove the bulk of it. Scrape very gently against the dried glue at a sharp angle. Then use some #000 or #0000 steel wool to remove the remaining residue. Then wipe the area down well. I wouldn't suggest any harsh chemicals, it might dull the shine. Soap and water with a small amount of rubbing alcohol is about as far as I would go.


Why did a failing water heater emit an electrical burning odor?

Electric water heaters have 2 components that can fail and cause the burned smell. The thermostat is constantly opening and closing electrical contacts after years of operating the contacts get eroded and cause a higher resistance then they heat up and arc this is probably what happened the breaker won't trip in this case because it is not drawing any more amperage but the heat generated is at the contacts not in the rod and thus the smell. The other common failure is the fire rod itself they crack from heat cycling and short out this will normally trip the breaker but not always if they just open. The rod failure is usually in the tank so no smell is usually associated with this failure but the wiring and thermostat can smell warm due to the excess current if it shorted.


How can I install drywall that has warped from improper storage?

First off, use screws - perhaps just my personal preference, but I don't have nearly the problem with them.

I assume you are laying the drywall horizontally (not vertically) and the bow along the long 8' (or 12') length (not the 4').

It might take a little longer, but you could screw a 2x4 along the face with the drywall in place to  force the board back against the studs until the all screws are in - One board centered in the middle should do with just securing it at 16" & 80" then pull the board and move on down the line.


What could cause the freezer to work but not the fridge?

Usually there's a fan that moves air from the freezer to the fridge.  It could be that the frost is preventing the fan from spinning and/or blocking the air chase between the two.  Would probably take a week or so to build up to that point.  If the defrosters not working, which, if that's the back of the interior of your freezer, it looks like it isn't, that's definitely what I would start checking.

I'm not fridge guy, but my first step would be to verify voltage to the defroster.


Cost of XPS panels vs. sprayed closed cell foam

There's a sizable difference in how "tight" (well-sealed) you'll get a DIY installation, even with the tape and GreatStuff in your calculations, vs a proper closed-cell foam spray job.  In most homes air movement is as big of, if not greater, culprit for heat loss than passive heat loss.  So if the cost of DIY is even close to a pro job, then the pro job will pay for itself in spades.

However, 2" of foam is below what's required for code here in Illinois, if that's all the insulation the wall would have.  So check on that.  It's important you get the right amount of foam... if not then you can build up condensation on the inside of the foam and end up with mold.  There's a lot of misinformation out there about this, so the simplest solution is to just make sure you follow code.

Also, make an effort to check up on the contractor.  According to the experienced guys who did my house, if the two components of the foam aren't mixed just right, the foam can either not work correctly or spontaneously combust while curing.  I'm sure the latter is rare, but the former would be undetectable to the naked, untrained eye, I would imagine.


How many watts does a 3/4hp disposal need to run

A simple conversion is 1 HP = 750 watts, so 3/4 HP is about 560W


need to make my table design less "tippy"

The inset from the edge of the table to the legs in either direction look way bigger than needed. The main clearance is for knee room, a persons feet can move around an object a lot easier. If you have 16" offset from edge of table to the legs from the end, that is more room than you need although if it were practical, it would be nice, but the table needs to work. 12" is the number I would work with to start, on the distance from the end of the table and the spread of the legs, the way you have the nice curve moving away where the knees are, if you moved the bottom of the legs so the feet rest about 6" vertical drop from the edge of the table, you should find it will greatly improve the tip resistance.


This is some anecdotal information without any technical references.  There are ways to calculate the amount of light needed for a room, but I opted for an experimental approach and never learned how to calculate it.

I just replaced the fluorescent lights in my kitchen with recessed lights.  I temporarily hung the lights from the ceiling with a cut up extension cord for power so I could test different brightnesses and color temperatures.  It looked ridiculous.  What I found is that I was going to need to try and match, lumen for lumen, the lights that I was removing.

There were 4 fluorescent bulbs that put out about 2000 lumens each (8000 total) positioned in an 8' strip (two sets of two) in the middle of the room.  At first I assumed that I could get away with less lumens because I was spreading out the light, but what eventually happened was using 7 recessed cans (6") that each had LED drivers rated at around 1300 lumens.  The cans were spaced about 5' apart.  The apparent brightness of the 9100 lumen total was similar because we went with a warm white light.  The harsh, cool white fluorescent lights seem a little brighter per lumen.

So how does any of this help you?  Well, my advice is to experiment with lights.  Hang up whatever lights you can find with a lumen rating and see what it looks like (day and night).  I bought several types of lights to test and returned the ones I didn't use.  Even if you just get 3-4 LED shop lights and hang them up you will get an idea of how many lumens you need.  The can lights will be more spread out, but once you figure out the overall quantity of light you want, you will be in a much better place to finalize the design.

Other thoughts:  Lower ceilings call for wider angle lights, so try to find the angle on any bulbs/LED modules you find.  Lower ceilings can also call for tighter spacing on the lights.  Spacing of 5' was good for my 9' ceilings, but you might need 4' spacing if you want a lot of light.  I'd stick with 6" cans for such a large space.  Color temperature is also important.  You probably want a warm white (3000K) for a family area.

I found that LED modules in the 600-1000 lumen range were fairly easy to find.  Anything over 1000 lumens is more rare, but available.  For warm white, lights around 1300-1400 was the best I could find.  Cree has 1600 lumen model (150w equivalent), but it only comes in a bright white.  Also keep in mind that my goal was to get as much light as I could.  A family room might be ok with less light (depending on how you use the room).


Baseboard installation floating floor without transitions

I prefer to install the entire floor first and then do the baseboards.

I find that sometimes the floating floor may shift from continuing to install the remainder of the floor, even when using the wedges around the perimeter, and i may have to adjust it some. If the baseboard trim is already in place then there no way to get my adjusting bar in place to pound on it in order to move/adjust the floor.

Also because i prefer to do one task to completion.


How do I place a terminal fence post next to my house?

I had the same situation at my place, I set  the post and ran the top rail past it to the house and set elbows to make a hoop to carry the chain link past the post. I did not want to screw anything to the house so I rebent wall brackets to clamp the top and bottom rails to the line post


How can I quiet a bathroom exhaust fan that became loud only after the duct was added?

There more restricted the airflow is, the more noise there will be. All contributing factors to noise:

Diameter of duct (larger is better)
Overall length (shorter is better)
Number of turns/bends (fewer is better)
Radius of turns (larger is better)
Size reducers used (no reducers is better)
Type of duct (smooth, rigid is better than flexible)
Type of exterior vent hood (low resistance opening is better for noise)

This is why the low noise fans often have very large (eg. 5") duct connections. Larger duct is more expensive and harder to install.

Note that adding ducting will ALWAYS make the fan louder than no duct, but you just have to accept that because duct is absolutely necessary. Starting with a low-noise fan is a very good move of course (and 0.5 sones is great).

If you had a contractor install a vent that vented it into the attic, all their credibility is immediately gone, because not only is that not to code, but it's an incredibly bad thing to do: in the worst case, it will lead to mold and rot in the attic space, and ice dams in the winter that will destroy your singles (and also lead to rot and leaks).

So if that contractor came back and installed vent, I would not be surprised at all if they did it the cheapest, easiest possible way, which would likely be using a 3" (maybe 4") flexible hose, and not taking care to keep it as straight as possible.

First step is to figure out what was done and size/length, etc, and then likely upgrade it to something better.

The best possible thing to do is have a straight, rigid large-diameter duct directly out the wall to a decent vent hood.

Pay a few extra bucks to get a decent vent hood that is weather- and insect-proof, but has low-resistance to opening with airflow, especially if it's in a place that sees driving rain or lots of wind. The cheap plastic louvered ones can work if they're sheltered, but they are bare minimum.

Couple other tips:

Don't allow any dips in the pipe where condensation could pool
It's generally preferable to have the duct sloping towards the fan, especially in areas where temperature goes below freezing
If you have to have turns, then large radius turns are better, which you can make with a couple adjustable duct elbows. You can also mix rigid and flexible duct where it makes sense to.
Adding a bit of flexible duct will actually help absorb sound and reduce vibrations transmitted from any rigid pipe

The goal is to have smooth even airflow, with minimal resistance and turbulence.


How to fit a screw into a drilled big hole on wall?

For this you can use wall drilling anchors as shown in the images below. They are also known as wall plugs or rawl plugs. You can get them from any hardware shop.


What should I do if my vacuum trips my AFCI device?

Plugging the vacuum into a surge suppressor with EMI filtering, should prevent the vacuum from tripping the breaker. However, if the vacuum is overloading the circuit, no filter will help.

When I run my vacuum sweeper / paper shredder / treadmill / etc. it trips my AFCI.
Eaton’s AFCI has been designed to work with devices with motors that are within the FCC standard for noise. Even though these devices have been manufactured to the FCC’s standards, after frequent use wear within the motor can create noise which trips the AFCI. To mitigate the noise generated by these devices, you may use a surge plug or surge strip

From Eaton AFCI frequently asked questions (pdf)


Leaking threaded connection to shower valve

If you can cut out the copper elbow and fitting, on the next one you can try this method:

1) Use a small amount of pipe dope on the male threads prior to applying no less than 3 full wraps with Teflon tape.

2) For Teflon tape, they make some varieties that are 'extra thick', which help compress to fill the gaps.

3) Before assembly, another thin application of pipe dope (Rectorseal 5 or similar) on top of the Teflon can help seal up the threads of particularly pernicious leaks.

It may also be worth confirming that the taper of the threads on your valve and your fitting match.

If you cannot or do not wish to remove the fittings or valve, the scorched-earth approach is to use a two-part epoxy putty.  Mix the stuff and apply it firmly around the entire threaded area and fitting.  The fitting should be bone dry.  For extra strength on 'field-expedient' fixes using 2-part epoxies, I've included a small strip of fiberglass tape to embed between two small layers of the putty.  It's not necessary, but it might help enhance the strength/longevity of the repair.


Roofs need to be ventilated to remove excess moisture and to inprove teh effectiveness of your insulation.  In the summer, improper ventilation can cause attic heat to build in excess of 160°F. This super-heated air eventually penetrates the ceiling insulation into the living area below.
  In the winter, warm interior air leaking through the insulation can cause condensation and can contribute to excess moisture build-up. Improperly ventilated attics will allow this moisture to collect and cling to the underside of the roof. The moisture will condense and fall, soaking the attic insulation and reducing its efficiency.
  You should install roof vents.  There should be a air passageway that allows air from the eaves to be drawn in and exit through roof vents. This all can be passive and does not require a fan.


How do I pour concrete over basement plumbing?

I am perplexed to how the plumber would have glued the drain down before concrete was poured.  If he really do this you need to get a new plumber, seriously.  Let's just say he didn't.  If my plumber was doing a job for me he would leave the pan in the same condition, albeit not glued in - since he is double checking the location, especially for fixed pans.  So try to pull it up (if it is glued and you can pull it up, well it shouldn't).
This is just a comment.  Based on the picture it looks like you could have plumbing traveling uphill, if this isn't for venting that isn't good.
To fill your holes you need sand then aggregate (small gravel) and then you pour your concrete.  You will be pouring a little over existing floor but not much and feather flat.


Will this supply list work for a 60 amp service?

You can't have two same feeders to an outbuilding

To be more precise, you cannot have two feeders if the voltage is the same.  So for instance you are allowed to have a 120/240V feeder, and then a 120V-only feeder.  But not dual 120/240 feeders.

Check with your AHJ if you can have a 120/240V feeder and a 240V-only feeder and move all your 240V-only loads there, however there are scant few 240-only loads (water heater, A/C) and 240-only panels are very confusing to "the next guy" who is likely to not realize it's a 240-only panel and land a neutral on the ground bus out of habit.

Option 1, the "right" way:

Abandon the existing feeder, this may be for the best if it is 3-wire feeder.  Run a large 120/240V feeder that covers all the house's needs, and make the existing subpanel a sub-sub-panel of what you're installing now.  So 2 more spaces needed (see how fast they go?)

Option 2: The "cheap" way:

Downgrade this circuit to 120V-only, and wire the new subpanel as a 120V-only panel. You would run one single hot in conduit, and split it to land it on both lugs of the shutoff switch (which is probably a breaker of some kind).   It cannot support 240V loads and must not use MWBCs.

However at 120V, you need to flow twice the amps for the same power - so where a 60A/120-240V service is needed you need a 125A service of 120V only.  Or not, depending on your load calcs.   Also, at 120V, you have twice the voltage drop, which starts to matter at this distance, so if your expected actual loads will be within 40% of the breaker size, upsize your wire 2 numerical sizes. Also, with wire sizes larger than #6 you should really switch to aluminum feeder, which requires upsizing 2 numerical wire sizes.  "You're gonna need a bigger conduit!"

One more thing: if you a sending two feeders over, the old and new panel must be right next to each other.  This is due to the "Rule of Six": you must be able to cut all power to the building with less than 6 switch throws, and those must be obvious, and in one location.

The rest of this answer was written before I realized you already had a 120/240V feeder going to the outbuilding.

Reasonable, but... That panel is way, way too small

Far and away the #1 panel question we get is "I am out of panel spaces, what can I do?" The sad thing is, the price differential for larger panels is just crazy small - a couple of bucks per space.  Whoever installed their too-small panel, got a few pizzas with the savings.  Whoo whoo. And now the homeowner has a $2000 problem.

This isn't a tiny house with trailer wheels under it. At 1200sf it's a real, full sized house, and needs a proper panel.  My go-to panel is 42 space, but since you have a mind toward small, consider 30 space, but that is absolutely the smallest I'd go. Seriously.

"I can use thise 2 breakers/1 space double-stuff breakers". Not anymore. Almost every circuit these days needs AFCI, GFCI or both, and those breakers do not come in double-stuff.

Since it is an outbuilding, it needs a main shutoff switch, but does not need a main breaker.  The cheapest way to get a shutoff switch is use a panel with a main breaker, as you propose.  The main breaker can be of any size, and does not need to be the same size as the supply breaker. In fact, making it the same size is pointless, since it isn't really possible to "sequence breakers" so the local one trips first.  Murphy's Law says the main-house breaker will trip first anytime it is raining. :)

So I recommend a 30-42 space panel with a built in main breaker of any size (commonly 200A on a panel with that many spaces)... So the panel has an obvious main, unlike these backfed jobs where you can't tell which is the main. Nice if it comes with accessory ground bars so you don't have to buy those. Also look for packs that include "bonus breakers".  Larger panels come with more bonus breakers, that alone can pay for the difference in cost.

That panel you specced is actually a 6 space panel.  For your shutoff switch, you specced a retrofittable "main breaker", and that actually is nothing more than a backfed breaker, meaning it sits in the main breaker area, taking 2 of the 8 spaces (And must be strapped down with the THQLRK2 Retainer kit).  It would have been desperately small and you would have regretted it the first time you tried to add a circuit.  I get where that panel was $20, but not after you add the grounding bars, the "main" breaker and the THQLRK2 kit.

A too-small panel means having to double-up on circuits too much, and making sacrifices like having clump the fridge onto kitchen receptacle circuits, so being unable to dedicate a non-GFCI circuit for the fridge. (Another frequent question we get, "how do I stop my fridge from tripping GFCIs?"). There are so many ways to dramatically improve usability of house wiring and it doesn't cost more than a latte.

And think ahead on that conduit

1" will get the job done today, but will foreclose on ever upgrading the power or using cheaper aluminum wire.  It may also be a difficult pull, and where that gets ya is if you find the pull too difficult, you end up having to call the professionals.  They won't do just the pull, they'll insist on doing the whole job soup to nuts.  Suddenly you have a $1000 electrician bill, but grats, you saved $50 on pipe.

PVC is the cheap stuff, but price it several ways - I would prefer 2" because that is when the price increment starts getting steep. But as a bare minimum, 1-1/4 so that the service could be bumped to 100A in the future.

Do remember comms cable cannot go in the same conduit with mains power, so if you want comms out there, think about dropping a parallel 1/2" conduit into the trench.


Rings
Your quotation has a UK source. In the UK a "ring" refers to a ring-main also known as a ring-final circuit. This is the typical way UK houses have provided power to wall-sockets (outlets) since the 1950's.
They are called rings because they are connected in the topological equivalent of a large circle. There are two routes back to the consumer unit (main electrical distribution panel) from each socket.

Source: Wikimedia. CCASA 2.5 Ali@gwc.org.uk. This example ring has two spurs.
Usually the ground floor has one ring-main and the upstairs has a separate ring-main. Anything larger than the average 4-bed detached might have more ring-mains.
Note that UK lighting circuits are separate and are not ring-mains, they are radial circuits. There will also be separate dedicated radial circuits for ovens/cookers, boilers and electric-showers.
Newer UK consumer units (main panels) have effectively a split power bus with an RCD for each half. So it is likely that there are RCDs between your downstairs gateway and your upstairs router.

Source: Chase Electrical.  Headings above MCBs are: (downstairs) lights, sockets, cooker ... (upstairs) lights, sockets, shower. This example has a separate RCBO (combined RCD and MCB) for smoke alarms?

Powerline
Across Different Rings
In my house I have an older arrangement that lacks RCDs in the consumer-unit. I use powerline networking between my upstairs router and my downstairs TV (it provides much better throughput and greater reliability than using WiFi in my specific circumstances) - So powerline networking can span rings.
Across RCDs
I don't know how much trouble (if any) your RCDs will cause. Anecdotal evidence suggests you might experience any of

it works but you lose around 20Mbps of 85Mbps bandwidth. or
it doesn't work. or
it trips the RCD.

What to do
I would go to a shop, clearly explain that I want to use the powerline units on separate rings each on a separate RCD. If they sell me some units for that scenario and they don't work, I would promptly return them as not "fit for purpose" under UK law (consumer rights act 2015).

(1)Subsection (3) applies to a contract to supply goods if before the contract is made the consumer makes known to the trader (expressly or by implication) any particular purpose for which the consumer is contracting for the goods.

...

(3) The contract is to be treated as including a term that the goods are reasonably fit for that purpose, whether or not that is a purpose for which goods of that kind are usually supplied.

Footnotes
(for Harper)

Ring final circuit test


Can I hang a countertop microwave oven under a cabinet with custom hardware?

Yes, you could build this yourself. It wouldn't be easy for someone without metal fabrication tools and knowledge on hand, but it could certainly be done. You'd want to try and procure the templates, which often have location dimensions printed on them.
It's worth mentioning that third-party manufacturers have made it available for barely half the price you quoted. Unless you have a lot of time and ambition, that seems the prudent route. Part #JXA019K.


How do I know whether or not I've killed the mold?

To be sure you can buy a mold test kit at your local home improvement store or even on amazon. It's probably not perfect, but might set your mind at ease if you're unsure.


I'm adding this as answer because I really think this is a solution that will work for you, even though as written, I really can't call it a duplicate.

Check out this question and related answers: How can I turn off the power to an outlet if a water alarm is triggered?

The basic idea is to get a device that cuts power to the washer if water is detected.  This will minimize any damage from a broken drain line since the machine will stop pumping water when the power is cut off.


Unscrew the cover and you'll see 2 sets of connectors/terminals. One set for primary, one set for secondary. Connect 230V to terminals marked as primary (at the top of the picture), and the second set of terminals is for 12V AC output.


I'm not sure what you're asking, exactly, but here are some suggestions based on my experience varnishing in a similar climate. The colder temps don't seem to have much effect on the quality of the finish.

Keep your work piece and your varnish indoors until you're ready to work. If the surface and the varnish are warm it doesn't matter a whole lot what the air temperature is except with respect to drying time.
Drying time will be slower. Water and solvents don't evaporate at the same rate in cooler air. My strategy is to work outside and move the piece indoors after an hour or so. You'll still have some odor in the house, but not nearly as much as if you'd do the work inside.
If you leave the work piece outside, plan for drying to take three to ten times longer.


Does outside air conditioning compressor fan run all the time?

It sounds like you still have some rewiring left to do, the fan shouldn't stop while the compressor is on. If the fan isn't on, your air conditioner won't be able to dissipate all of the heat that is generated by the compressor, making the compressor less effective ( or not at all effective ).


How to build temporary walls for a temporary room

I wouldn't try to use drywall for this, plywood would be better, but it isn't readily available in 9' lengths.  You could build panels out of 1x4s like fence panels.  You could beef up and use barn door slides instead of closet slides.

Another idea, a different way to go - if you made five 9'x4' panels, 2x4 framing with 1/4" plywood on one side, you could use lag shields and screws to attach to the floor and the walls where they abut, and use carriage bolts and nuts and washers to attach them to each other.  Then maybe angle brackets at the top to keep them plumb and keep them from getting pushed over.  This would easily disassemble and reassemble with just a ratchet. When it's put away between visits, you'd just have the small holes where the panels attach to the walls and floor to look at - no major blemish.

I think I'd build the walls, assemble them, THEN add the plywood the first time.  That will be easier to adjust if things are not perfectly square and plumb, which they almost certainly are not.


How to swap a series outlet with smart outlet

If the little copper tabs between the screw terminals are intact, on both sides of the receptacle.  It's as easy as using twist-on wire connectors (or other approved device), to "pigtail" the existing wires.  That will leave you with a single wire, to connect to each side of the new device.

To create a pigtail.  Start by turning off the power, and verifying that it's off.  Remove the two white wires, and combine them with an additional length of same sized white wire, using a twist-on wire connector.  Do the same with the black wires.

Now you'll have one white and one black wire, that you can connect to the new receptacle.


How to examine if there is termite damage in a ceiling or floor using a boroscope

A horoscope will do you no good here but a borescope may, or may not depending on the severity of the damage.
Generally the best you can see with a borescope is EVIDENCE.  Wood debris in the area below the infestation, mud tubes between the ground and the wood, possibly some areas in wood where chunks have fallen off.  But seeing direct termite damage is iffy.
The problem is that they enter through very small holes, which may not be in a visible area and eat away from the inside.  They generally don't penetrate to the outside to protect themselves and so the wood piece can look perfectly fine from the outside and be riddled with damage on the inside.
Usually you use a "poking" tool to check for such damage although cutting will expose the damage as well.


Any way to determine capacity of old washer/dryer?

According to page 4 of the LA700XS manual the washing machine's extra large load is 21.7 gallons which would translate to 2.9 cubic feet.

Most online buying guides for dryers recommend getting one that is double the capacity of your washer so the clothes have room to move.


How do I remove a drawer from Whitney desk (Pottery Barn)

I'm having the same problem with the PB Bedford desk.  I called the furniture dept. and they said on the drawer slides there's a lever and to push up on the one on the left and down on the one on the right and then pull the drawer out.  The drawer slides in your pic look just like mine, so maybe this will work.  I didn't have any luck, but it seems like a 2-person job.

Hope this helps!


Each flooring manufacturer has specific guidelines for the amount of tolerance for their product. It varies, but it is usually something like 1/8" (2 mm+/-), using a 4' or 8' straightedge. If your condition is a little drop, not a gradual difference, I would grind it down to make the transition over a larger area, say 1-2 ft out, or get a little thinset and fill it a bit.


How can I get the "new bed" smell out of my daughter's bedroom?

There's not really much you can do to stop the off gassing of VOC's from that piece of furniture, you just have to wait it out.  How long it will take depends on the compounds used and the manufacturing process.

Your concerns are definitely valid, there have been many harmful health effects associated with VOC's.

Most of the time, this process happens relatively fast, though a week isn't all that long.  Maybe a couple weeks to a month.

I agree with the commenter that suggested you call the manufacture or distributor.  They might have some information on how long this will take.

In the future, you might want to consider furniture that is certified low VOC.  GreenGuard is a UL certification common in North America.


I recently gave up on the felt pads when I saw an odd alternative on Amazon:

NancyProtectz Ribbed Furniture Sock

These may not be the least obtrusive furniture feet and might not lend to the modern look or feel of the Ikea chairs, but I've been using them on square, wooden furniture legs for a few months and they do fairly well sliding across 100-year old hardwood floors. None of them have fallen off yet, but they do occasionally need to be "hiked-up".


After replacing a recirculating pump (and pressure regulator), shower won't run hot

Here's the answer:  The problem was solved when:
1)  The recirculating pump was connected the right way round to suck water back to the water heater from the far side of the house AND...
2)  The new digital timer was programmed correctly and left on AUTO not OFF....!

Still can't figure out why it got worse simply by replacing a non-functioning pump with a good one, that was turned off (taking 2 minutes instead of 15-30 secs).  But as long as it's better now I don't really care!


Where can I find a replacement faucet sprayer hose?

That's a Quick or Snap Connect connection. They might be a little difficult to find, but there should be a few in the Home Improvement stores or online of course. Or, you can just replace the black rubber O-rings if it was just leaking.


Safe and low-liability way to determine whether a circuit draws more current than allowed?

TL;DR: There is not a 100% safe or 0-liability option to intentionally pull more current through a circuit than allowed by applicable codes.

The cheapest design I can think of is a non-contact clamp ammeter that graphs current clamped to a piece of thick gauge wire. Turn off power to the circuit and then short the thick gauge wire between the outlet terminals. Flip the breaker back on to let it trip and then look at the max current pulled. However, this seems like a huge liability should the circuit pull significantly more current than its rated capacity because it could overheat and either immediately start a fire or pose a potential fire hazard in the future. I personally would never do this and never recommend it since it seems like the test poses too much of the hazard you would be trying to prevent.

The next design I can think of creating also uses a clamp ammeter that graphs current clamped around a wire to a test load. You would create/buy a series of test loads sized to pull just a little more current than the circuit's wire gauge should allow if the circuit is wired correctly and operating normally (e.g. the circuit breaker isn't fault), but not so much as to pose a significant fire hazard over a short period of time. As an example: Use a 5 ohm power resistor inside of a high-heat insulated enclosure to limit current to 24 amps through a 120V / 20A circuit. Similar to the first design, you would turn off power to the circuit, plug the test load into the outlet, restore power, and then remove power if the over-current protection device does not turn off power to the circuit within a second. However, I don't have the data to support that this is 100% safe and it still seems like you could potentially be opening yourself up to future liability as an electrician by performing a test this way. I therefore could not recommend either of these methods or any method that intentionally pulls more current through a circuit than allowed by the applicable codes because there is always some room for liability if you accidentally damage the wiring by pulling more current through the circuit than allowed.


The general fix for air leaking around a door is known in the US as "weatherstripping".

Image from: http://www.energyconscious.com/m-d-building-products-door-weather-stripping-white-17-63628.html

It comes in several shapes and sizes, but the basic idea is to fill a gap with a compressible foam that will close an irregular gap and keep air out.  It's good practice to put it all the way around a door.


Identifying a metal item buried in my backyard

I finished digging it up. It was just an oval piece of concrete (about 3 inch deep) that had the edges wrapped with metal.  0_0  so I guess trash is the closest answer.  Wish I knew what it was t here for...it seemed deliberately placed.


Garage surface conduit feed an outdoor outlet

THHN must be entirely contained within conduit...
Your approach won't work because NEC 310.10 requires that you use insulated conductors as part of a Chapter 3 wiring method, instead of standing on their own.
but, you can use a stub length of conduit from the body to the box
However, outdoor-rated boxes generally have hubs built into them that accept conduits of an appropriate size.  As a result, you can fit a stub length of PVC conduit (often called a "nipple") between the conduit body and the box, provided you're using a plastic weatherproof box.  (These are often called "FS" or "FD" boxes.)


Is it safe to re-use drill holes in a wall?

If you didn't strip the holes when removing the old bolts, then you PROBABLY should be able to re-use the same holes, but to be safe, I would inject a little Elmer's wood glue (just a few drops) into each hole before you insert the bolts.  This is just to reinforce the wood in the hole and help ensure it stays locked in place.

But honestly, I think you'd be wise to drill new pilot holes 1" above or below the old ones, and fill the old ones in with wood putty capped w/ a little dab of plaster (or toothpaste).  The old holes will end up hidden by the mounting plate anyway, and better safe than sorry.


Why is there condensation on a pipe near my furnace?

I believe you may have a charge related problem. When ac systems start having icing issues they stop effective cooling a low charge can cause ice to form on the evaporator high moisture in the air you see , sometimes with severe icing it takes hours for the ice to melt, the system may run ok for a short period of time then start icing up. A simple recharge can solve this very common problem , if a R22 system note the cost of this refrigerant is very high +100 per pound a 5 ton system usually has 11-13 lbs and will need 5-7 lbs in most cases.


No ground wire in any recepts in my home 2 wire only

"Best" and "low cost" are contradictory. The "best" would be to run the correct wire direct from the panel (as well as correctly grounding the panel if it isn't already). The only "low cost" option would be if the panel is properly grounded and there BX cable running from the panel to that receptacle. Then the box for the receptacle should be grounded by that BX and a ground wire to the box would be acceptable.


Self-leveling materials are usually not intended to be finished-surface products--they cure out to something rather chalky. You'd need to overlay something more durable. I suggest finding a self-leveling product that meets your needs, then overlaying quarry tile or porcelain.

If that sounds overwhelming (it's not that difficult, just time consuming), You might just have to cut out the faulty portion and have it re-poured. You may find a deal by piggybacking on someone else's project. You might get lucky and avoid trip charges, or you could split them. Concrete isn't terribly expensive--it's the workmanship you pay for.


What temperature are faucet feed lines rated for? (don't want them to leach into potable fluid)

The tubing should have a stamp on the side that says what temperature range it can handle.


My wall is over 25mm (1 inch) thick, what kind of screw/fastener do I use?

You almost certainly have plaster over "rock lath" which is a sort of early drywall board with holes in it for plaster to key into. Rock lathed plaster was common during that time--used as a time saving alternative to wood lath, but before taped and mudded drywall became popular. The board was 1/2", and the plaster another 1/2" or so. It's a very robust finish system for a wood-framed wall. Just find a stud and use longer screws.


What cement product should I use to fix a hole in my slab?

I would be more concerned that your wire looks to be at the very bottom of the concrete, making it useless. Concrete is very strong under compression but very weak under flex. The steel is there to take the flex and should be about center of the concrete. Definitely use a concrete bonding agent and Ditra. The Ditra will provide enough of a barrier that the cracks should not come through. Personally I would not put a huge pile of money into tile considering it might end up cracking


Double check to make sure that the breaker didn't trip again. Were the outlets working after the electrician finished or did he just figure he got it right and left?

Call back the electrician.


Having trouble removing tap aerator/regulator

Try grabbing it with a pair of Channeloks,vise grips or regular pliers. Don't worry about scratching it up since you're replacing it. You'll want to turn it counterclockwise, or clockwise if you're looking down from the top, to remove it.


Why Does My Vacuum Trip My Circuit Breaker

Honestly, with these kinds of protective-device trips, the problem is often exactly what says on the tin.

An AFCI breaker is designed to look for arc faults, principally in the building wiring.   You've swapped breakers around, the problem does not move with the vacuum, it does not move with the breakers, it has stayed with the bedroom.  Occam's Razor: it's in the bedroom wiring.

Since wiring problems are almost always at wire ends or devices, I'd preemptively swap every receptacle with a nice contractor grade screw-and-clamp type.


The reason you don't have a union is that the previous installer assumed you would simply unsolder the elbow when you needed to replace the threaded valve. That's pretty much what they had to have done (well, really just solder the elbow after the threads were tight, the first time it was assembled.)

So, you can learn to solder and try to squeeze a union in there, or you can learn to solder and just disconnect the elbow, tighten the threads, and reconnect the elbow.

Either way works.


In a secondary panel, are grounding and neutral bus bars required on each side of the hot bus bars?

I think you may be over-thinking this. You can make a connection on either bus without reaching across an ungrounded bus in that panel.

The ground and neutral bars are so located as to give you free access to them without have to reach around or near an energized bus. You could stand to the right or left to make your connections without reaching across the phase bus.

In a larger piece of switchgear, the phase conductor bus should be located further in and the ground and neutral bars closer to the access panel not the other way around.

I think that is the intent of the code.


how to connect C wire for ecobee lite to Weil-McLain EG Series-5 gas steam boiler

I did the same upgrade, but my old thermostat, YWGR were connected to the corresponding letters on the furnace.  The blue wire was not connected on either sides.  I connected the blue wire to C on both ends.


Is it more economical to use hot water before boiling or to bring cold water to a boil?

It might be slightly more economical, but it also might be slightly worse for your health.  Hot water dissolves plumbing (pipes, valves, fixtures, etc.) much faster, and what it dissolves is in the water.

Lead is specifically of concern, particularly with homes prior to 1986 and with infants.  There's a NY Times article that sums it up nicely with sources.


Cast Iron to ABS - exterior of cast iron not smooth - how to stop leak at coupling?

One of these ironic things? ("American" Valve - Made in Taiwan...)

You should probably try to smooth the pipe out more - a lot can be done with a narrow strip of coarse sandpaper, wrapped around the pipe so you can "saw" it back and forth. You can also try really cranking on the hose clamps - if you're only using a screwdriver, you haven't really hit what they can do (but you have to maintain some sense of proportion once you switch to using a socket and ratchet on them, or you'll find the breaking point.)

For sheer desperation, I'm not sure if silicone or beeswax (from a toilet seal ring, of course) would be the better desperation move. With kitchen waste it could get too hot for beeswax.


Ecobee restarts when calling AC - old analog thermostat worked

I talked to my landlord to inquire about access to the actual equipment and it turns out its on the roof and not happening. However, he said he had the same problem with his unit and his Nest and to solve it he just removed the C wire. A big difference between the Ecobee and the Nest is that Nest has a battery and therefore does not require a C wire. I got one, wired it up with the same config as posted, minus C wire, and it was able to call the AC right away. Some commenters mentioned that my C wire might not actually do what it is labeled as, but it did power on the Ecobee. So either I had a bad Ecobee or it isn't able to handle certain funky situations that the Nest can. Maybe the lack of C wire affects the current draw, but hard to say since I never accessed the equipment.


Standard water heater outside the house?

I live in Georgia and we have similar weather in the winter. You shouldn't have an issue using that enclosure. However, I would insulate this very well. You never know when we could get another winter superstorm like we experienced in 1993.


Practicality of adding 3-phase power to residence?

A quick search indicates that acquiring 3 phase power from a local utility may be prohibitively expensive. The article I read suggests that such a resource will carry an installation expense in areas not rated for commercial service and may also carry a minimum charge on the utility bill.

If your objective is occasional use of heavy equipment such as a machine tool, it may be more practical to use a device called a rotary converter. You would want to ensure your selected device has the necessary capacity for your expected load maximum, with a bit of reserve tossed in for good measure.

If only a single machine is going to be using 3-phase power, another device known as a VFD would be of value. A VFD will provide variable speed to an otherwise single speed motor as well as other features one can determine by searching for that term.

There are plans online to build your own rotary converter. A friend without internet access, many years ago, connected two motors together via belts, powering one with line current and used the gizmo to run a monster Czech lathe in his shed. He had to "kick-start" it periodically by kicking one of the pulleys, but it worked. I'm sure a commercially produced version would not require such manual intervention.

The above assessment was performed based on a US installation. Other countries may have different circumstances.


I did a lot more research and I have concluded that what I proposed is mostly safe. There are a few important points

Single wall vent pipes must be 6 inches or more from combustibles (this includes sheetrock!). That means you basically can't use it in walls or near joists/rafters.
Double wall vent pipes must be 1 inch or more from combustibles. You can't put it against sheetrock or studs, etc. That means for a 3 inch pipe (4-5 inches double walled) you need a 6-7 inch wall.
You should use a firestop (a sheet of flashing with a pipe sized hole) at walls and floors/ceilings to keep the pipe a safe distance from studs/sheetrock.
to prevent backdrafting from a Whole House Fan another fire stop should be installed directly below the roof plywood to limit the airflow from the attic to the top of the vent pipe.


How to install drain in a wall above concrete foundation

A few options:

Run the drain pipe through the foundation (rent the appropriate rotary hammer/hole saw for this)
Run it through the cabinetry (as NPM suggests)
Build out the interior wall in front of this window and run the plumbing in there
Build out something on the exterior and run the plumbing in there
Build up the floor above your existing floor and run it through there

Running through the foundation may be the cleanest option, but I've seen all of these approaches deployed in various houses. Depends on your budget, skill, and preferences.


No, you can't
Unfortunately, the Honeywell thermostats that use an EIM rely on it to translate either RedLink (for wireless versions) or a proprietary protocol (for the wired ones) to the 24VAC signals that a furnace understands.  So, since Honeywell discontinued the wired versions in favor of their RedLink counterparts, you'll need to hunt down a secondhand EIM for your thermostat.


You just need bigger anchors ;-) The largest of these is 60" long with a 7" diameter.


How can I take the hooks off of this shelf holder?

Gently hammer up on the bottom, right next to the rail. They jam in place, especially if heavily loaded, and sometimes need persuasion to come loose again.

Several light taps will be less likely to go wrong than pounding as hard as you can.

Some (not all) will also respond to lifting up on the outermost end. Don't overdo that, or you'll bend them, especially if they are not of that flavor (which can be hard to tell for sure.)

They are called shelf brackets or shelf supports.


Are the gray wires in my switch boxes neutrals?

The grey wires need to stay bundled together as do the copper ground wires - you can't just pull one out and use it.  In order to use these bundles, you will have to add a small length of wire (of the same type and color) to the bundles (commonly referred to as a pigtail) and attach that to your new switch.  When adding a wire to the bundle, it's best to use a new wire nut fastener, and make sure that it is rated for the number and size of conductors being bundled.

Also, with the smart switch, the "live" and "load" wire position matters, but on the old switch it does not, so you might not know which is which.  Live is the wire that is always hot and load is the wire that goes up to the light fixture.


How can I switch my standard outlet to a GFCI?

Put the warning tape back on the LOAD terminals.

Since you are sure the tabs on the old receptacle were not broken off, they were simply splicing the two wires (on that same side) to each other, as well as serving the receptacle. Use a wire nut to join them instead, then use a pigtail to serve only the LINE terminals of the GFCI.

In this installation, LOAD will not be used.

I have a feeling there are technical errors on the downline wiring.  Generally Code requires that currents be equal in any cable or conduit, and in a simple /2 Romex, there are only 2 wires so they must be equal, obviously. So who knows.  Much as I'd like to help you spend days tearing apart the whole room in the dark disassembling everything and ringing out every cable on a great bug hunt for a triangled neutral or bootlegged ground or old dimmer, that is not what you asked for today.


Back in the dark ages, when playgrounds were built with concrete and asphalt surfaces, I saw 2-post swing sets built with 4-6" diameter steel posts (I was a kid then, I never measured accurately). If you want to use steel and weld it up, you're probably good.

If you want to use wood, you'll probably have too much flex. One of those posts could snap after some use (not day one) and send a kid flying. Flying off a swing at the top of the arc is great fun (even at my age), but having it be an unplanned event, with large chunks of wood following, would be considered by most to be a Very Bad Thing™.

Consider both swings going in sync - you've got all the weight pulling on both posts in the same direction at the same time. Now consider both swings going in opposite directions - each post is going to bend in the direction of the local swing, and the cross-member is going to twist. If your kids are even remotely normal, as they get older (and heavier), they will want to see how far they can get the thing to bend by swinging in unison, and how much they can make it twist by swinging in opposite directions.

Bear in mind, your kids may be small now, but they'll grow. We had a small steel swing set in our backyard that we installed when our kids were small. They continued to use it into middle school when they were in the 50-100 lb range. They continued to use it in high school when they were 100 lbs+. They had friends over and had more people on it than it was designed for. They had people swinging on it and hanging on it and climbing on the top bar all at the same time. As they hit middle school (and even earlier) they thrilled at trying to make the A-frame swing set lift up by swinging in unison. It came with screw-in anchors. We had to buy more anchors and bigger ones and put one on each of the 8 legs to keep them from tipping it up. It's just what kids do.

No amount of parental policing will ensure that the swing set will only be used according to today's design standard, and even if you manage that, there will be kids sneaking in when nobody's watching, mostly because you've gained a reputation for being the "swing set Nazi" and they want to show you!!! It's just what kids do.

After 10 or 15 or 20 years of rotting weathering and hard use by heavier and heavier kids (we took ours down just a couple of years ago after 2 of the 3 kids moved out - they would still swing on it with their college aged friends when they had them over), even pressure treated lumber will start to wear. There's really no telling when it might give way. Wood's a natural product and the average strength of a PT SPF 6x6 might be sufficient, but the particular pieces you pick up from the lumber yard may be below average (or may be well above average, who knows).

Spend the extra money and yard space for an A-frame design. You don't want the neighbor's kids going to the hospital and their parents suing you.


does an inside the cabinet outlet need gfci?

There are some rare kitchen GFCI exceptions - e.g., refrigerator, but only when it is a single receptacle (not the usual duplex), but I doubt the downdraft would get an exemption because there is no real basis for that - as opposed to a refrigerator where there is a real risk of serious harm (both monetary and health) due to spoilage.

But more importantly, if it is tripping the GFCI then you very likely have an actual Ground Fault. Fix the problem, don't bypass it. I would be particularly concerned with a downdraft because things happen fast when cooking - spills & thrills & wet hands & steam - not a good place to have an actual ground fault within easy reach.


Why does my 2 bulb fixture have 40 volts going to it when a bulb is removed?

Any time I see a strange voltage like 40 volts, I immediately suspect a broken wire or a bad terminal. Since installing and removing one of the bulbs seems to cause a problem, I would start by removing that fixture and inspecting it and the nearby wiring for faults.


If the large pipe is 12 1/2", 13 1/2" or so (it could be up to 14 1/2")from the wall that will surely be for your toilet. The pipe on the right will be for your tub. The plastic that it protrudes through allows the bit of maneuvering room to get it to line up with the tub drain or it could be used for a shower, although it will be offset instead of the center. This pipe should be somewhere about 16 or so inches away from the wall on the right that is NOT in the picture. You will still need a drain for the sink.

There should be a 2" line like the ones inside the stud wall in your picture, just not there.
I would presume there is another pipe on the other side of the room?


What is the best way to remove a broken screw from a deck board?

cheap grinders are cheap, get one.

Before grinding erect a shield to prevent sparks from hitting the windows or any other delicate surface. (they will stick) cardboard or an old blanket would be strong enough.


You can't do that to begin with

You can't put 15A receptacles on a 30A circuit in the first place -- NEC 210.21(B)(3) says no to that plan, and for good reason.

So, rethink your plan (this'd work fine and dandy with a 15A MWBC instead).


Add 240V to Garage through New Sub-Panel

Don't paint yourself into a corner... again

"24 space full, 32 space will suffice"...  A common theme on this forum is the size of subpanels.  Having a full panel is a difficult, expensive and frustrating problem as you well know.  Wouldn't it have been keen if it could have been avoided for the price of a couple latté's?  Well, it is, and it can.

And this is why we bang the drum so very hard for large, large panels.  If you have a full 24-space, don't even contemplate anything less than a 40. (40 is the maximum before panels start getting very pricey). If you go subpanel, I like to see 48+ spaces between the  two (remember you'll lose at least 2 for the subpanel breaker), so I'd recommend another 18 or 24 in the bathroom and 12++ in the garage.  Garage breakers tend to be 240V and they gobble up spaces 2 at a time.

As ThreePhaseEel says, "Go big or go home".  This isn't lazy upselling, but knowledge of *just how preventable "running out of spaces" is.

Less-than-40-space panels are for builders. Your builder, in fact!

60A breakers in 100A panels are fine (#1)

Yeah, you can have a 60A breaker in a 100A panel.  You can have a 100A breaker in a 100A panel (though at that point, thru lugs are just as good). Nobody cares how many panels you have or which loads are in which panel.  They only care that the house has enough power provisioned to support all your loads, in the usual way that is calculated.

So the only question is whether your additional garage load will oversubscribe your 100A service.  That would make this answer too broad, so I'll skip it.

You need more spaces, period.  You're allowed to have them in 2 panels. Connecting both at full line current is perfectly versatile!

60 vs 50 (#2)

First, if you wire for 50A you have probably wired for 60A - because you're using either #6 copper or #4 aluminum cable.  The only case where you're allowed 50A but not 60A is if you're running in conduit and you are using #8Cu/#6Al individual wires running 75 degrees C.

Nonetheless, I would just run the full 100A up to the laundry room sub; on #1Al wire (or #3Cu if your last name is Kennecott.)  I recommend aluminum for feeder.

By the way, remember the working space required around a panel.  You must have a box 30" wide by 36" deep by 78" high in front of your panel cleared of any stuff. (doesn't need to be centered).  Hallways/walk-throughs are great places for this.

Splicing and Junction boxes in feeder. (#3)

Any splice has to be in a junction box, but it has an impact on usable wire size.

You can splice #8 or #6 cable in a common junction box of sufficient size (24 c.i. for #8 or 40 c.i. for #6, so a 4" square deep, or 4-11/16 square, respectively).
To splice #4 and up, you have to think about bending radius, and you need a pretty big box.

Having the electrician finish the job (#4)

Your intuition is correct; electricians don't like to finish somebody else's job.  Further, when a novice enters a project, it is common enough for the novice to screw things up - example, the working area requirement for a subpanel.  After red-flagging several problems, necessitating re-do of much of the work, the electrician will (gleefully) write up the whole project and expect you to pay it.

So there's a 2-prong strategy to using electricians well (that way).

First, do obsessive project review.  Ask here about every detail and then -- you know the person who comes on here, we give feedback about a variety of factors on the project, and the person argues and self-justifies every suggestion?  Be the opposite of that guy. Read postings 2-3 times and make sure you miss no detail.  Ask, ask, ask. Listen, listen, listen.   Do this iteratively.

Second, work in EMT conduit if able, oversize the conduit, and don't chintz out on access points.  2/3 of working in residential is physically breaching the building - pushing through deck plates, fishing to avoid disturbing too much drywall, that kinda thing.  You know exactly what I mean.  I really hate paying an electrician to do carpenter work.


Does the orientation of a swing check valve matter?

If it is spring loaded then orientation does not matter but if it is swinging pure then it has to be orientated that its weight causes it to close.


I have filled several of these when I lived in California, abandoned Old redwood septic tanks that finally rotted out, I would check into that. Natural or something like this, I would only use fill dirt / rock . cement would cost way more and wont stop it if it continues to grow. use caution if you do fill it as there may be several feet of the top that has not given way but a person walking on top could be enough for it to let go, a couple of 2"X8"X8' boards laid down to the hole is what we used after I went through 1. the home ones we filled were ~6' round and maybe 6'deep ,the Motel one was close to 20' and at least 8' deep


Chimney flue repair before installing liner for wood burning insert

In my area a liner is required for a wood or pellet stove even if the flu is serviceable. I would have the cap made to protect what is left and the new liner will reduce any heat damage to those areas by being centered in the flu. Make sure to use solid or double wall if required, never use the flex pipe (looks like heavy dryer vent). that stuff really traps the creosote and there is no real way to clean it a standard brush just pokes them full of holes. I have heard stores in my area state that the flex line is legal but it is not here so even if the store offers flex at a couple of hundred dollars savings don’t use it unless you want a chimney fire.


This is what a wire tracer does. One part clips to the accessible wiring. The other part gives an audible tone when you hold it near any connected wires. I've used them plenty for Ethernet and phone cables but they work on any electrical wiring.


If there is no more room for adjustment of the motor to tighten the belt then the belt is too long.  If you have a link belt remove a link. This can give the impression of the saw bogging down when actually the belt is just slipping.


Gas fireplace shuts off after a few minutes

Similar issue with an Escape 42DV. Different in that the flame goes out and re-ignites immediately.

Initially, the flame would go out and come back on as if someone switched it off and then back on really quickly.  Then, the problem worsened.  Finally, the fire would go out (along with the pilot) and stay out until the system was turned off (powered) and then turned back on.

I proceeded to replace the thermocouple and the controller.  Same issue.  It wasn't until I replaced the Dexen IPI electronic ignition control module that the fireplace returned to being somewhat stable.

I'm still having periodic shut-off/start-up within a second or two.  But, it can't be the electronics, since they're all new.  Also, I relocated them away from the firebox, so they'd stay cooler (thinking they themselves may be getting overheated); and there are no ancillary sensors.  This is a Direct Vent fireplace, where the flue is a jacketed pipe, pulling cool air in from the outside by pushing hot out the center pipe (creating a vacuum).  There is no fan in the flue.

The only thing left is to have the flue cleaned.  It is possible that there is a build up (after 11 years) of soot that is affecting the airflow, choking the fire momentarily, and the flue needs to be cleaned.

Hope my experience helps.


How do I install a fan when the electrical box has 2 white and 2 black and 2 ground wires?

Usually only the receiver is attached to the mains. One set of receiver wires (usually black/white/bare or green) go to the circuit and another set of receiver wires, often with two hots (black, red or blue) go to fan and light separately, and then white to white and ground to ground.

If there is a receiver, the fans own wires should generally NOT be attached to the mains.


How can I remove a "log lighter" pipe from my fireplace?

You will need two wrenches, one to hold the pipe coming out of the brick to prevent it from turning, and the other to unscrew the log-lighter "air mixing" fitting (the fitting has an adjustable flap that controls the amount of air pulled into the lighter pipe to allow for optimal flame). WD-40 or any other penetrating oil might help, and I would use pipe wrenches as it will probably be stubborn. If you slop a mess of oil around in there you should wipe up the excess before using an ignition source, just in case.


What are the downsides to paving a dirt crawlspace with cement?

By paving I assume you mean pouring concrete.  The only downside is the cost and future modifications.  If you want to run a new drain line, for example, you need to break up the concrete versus just digging up some dirt.

Generally I would say homeowner and future buyers would prefer to see a concrete floor since it just looks better.


What could cause a ceiling fan to lose rotation speed?

Build up of friction in bearings could do it. However, that often takes 10 or more years. The cure is to take the fan apart and clean the bearings.

A Failing motor capacitor. will slow the fan. Again this usually happens over many years, but it does happen spontaneously. The cure is to replace the capacitor.


How much compaction should I get from crushed rock?

Don't put down a zillion inches of stone, then expect it to compact nicely anyway. You simply won't get as good of a result, as solid compaction as you will by laying down a couple of inches, compacting, then more stone. And you will spend less time compacting each layer anyway.

If you do it in layers, it will be clear how much you need to lay down to get your desired depth.


Dishwasher not filling after replacing sink faucet

Normally it is that the shutoff valve that you closed never reopened.   Really even if it is debris you are probably forced at this point of removing the valve just to troubleshoot.   There is no use disconnecting the dishwasher as this probably isn't the issue and by disconnecting you are causing potentially more issues.   If you have pics I can give you more exacts.

Update:  Based on your current pictures.  I would give up on the valve.   There is a problem.   The turn valves are notoriously bad breaking like this.   It isn't that I don't think you could pop this open but why spend time working on something that is broke.

I am not sure what the line is to the dishwasher - just guessing it is 1/4".  Depending on how much play you have I suggest unless you have a lot of plumbing experience that you install something like this.   Soldering a wet connection is hard, soldering a wet connection in a space like that is a pro job.   If you get the longest connector (sharkbite type - varies by store) you might be able to get by just cutting off each side, cleaning, and connecting.

Also while at store get a 1/2" cap in case you have an issue and a release cup (sharkbite's cap is like $2 and release is like $1).   Always good to have a cap on hand so that you can turn your water back on when there is still an issue.