To move a 3+ way switch to a Zwave system, you will have to replace all the switches that control the light.  From the picture, it looks like what you have is the 3 way switch at the end of the switch run, meaning the red and white are the travelers and the black is the common here.  So that means the other switch (lets call it the main switch) will likely have the line /2 wire, the load /2 wire and the 3 way /3 wire that comes to the box in your picture.  If thats not the case, please notate that.

I did a similar setup last week with Jasco/GE switches.  I checked the installation sheet for this one and it is very similar.  So, the new z wave switch (at the main switch)will have 4 wires going into it.  The black wire from the line, the black wire from the load, a white wire (which will connect to all other white wires) and the red wire from the /3 connecting to the traveler connection.  Go ahead and put a wire nut on the black wire from the /3 wire, it wont be used any more.  Also connect up all of the grounds, and connect that to the switch.

At the other switch (the one where the picture is), connect the white wire to the common and the red to the traveler.  Put a wire nut on the black wire, its no longer being used.  Connect the ground wire to the switch.

With that, you should be good to go.


How can I properly vent a dryer whose ductwork comes up vertically from the ground?

You need to accomplish three things.
Weatherproof the duct

Make sure no soil is in contact with the duct
Seal the duct seams with foil tape and/or silicone caulk
Provide a drain path for rain and groundwater falling into the well, such as a pea-gravel basin or a French drain
Provide rain protection with some sort of cover or roof

Insulate the duct
You want as little exposure to cold air as possible to prevent heat from flowing out through the metal. Wrap the duct with foil-faced insulation sleeve.
Cap the duct with a louver
Your idea to use an elbow and a new vent louver is reasonable. You could possibly reduce the profile depth of the assembly by using a duct box and mounting the louver to that, rather than an elbow. Any dryer vent louver that fits the box or elbow should work.  The critical goals are to keep cold air from dropping in during winter, and to keep pests out.


GFCI receptacles can go bad, and even new ones can be defective.  Try another one.  (And, of course, triple check that you are wiring to the LINE terminals.  And confirm that the one you are replacing will successfully Test and Reset so you know you have a clean load.)


Installing shower filter - NPT adaptor for larger intake?

In your first picture, you are looking at a ball-swivel assembly that is part of the previous shower head that was attached.
If you take a wrench to the flat spots on the swivel-ball base (clearly seen in your first picture) and unscrew the swivel-ball, that entire assembly will come off and you will be left with the standard 1/2" male NPT shower arm thread. NOTE- place a strap wrench or cushioned plier/wrench on the shower arm to hold it prior to attempting removal.


Ice Maker makes consistent clicking sound and doesn't make any ice

I pulled the ice maker out and pulled the top off of it. I then plugged it back in to the refrigerator without the top and watched the arm struggle with pushing the ice out. Given that I read that ice makers are not serviceable I purchased one of amazon for $95. I now have ice again!


Do the nails stick out at all when toe-nailing studs?

So long as one side of the heads of the nails are touching the studs, there is no problem. These nails merely keep the stud from slipping to one side or the other, and nails angled in from each side will do the job with no difficulty, even thought he heads are not fully flush.

If, for some reason, you had to drive a nail into the narrow edge of the stud (generally not a great idea because of splitting potential), the slightly protruding head might dig into the finish material. Not a problem with drywall, but paneling or wainscotting could be a problem. You could countersink the nail with a hammer or punch, but better to avoid such positioning.


What is a hacksaw called that has a single, straight handle?

I believe shopping assistance is off topic for the site, however advise on tools is on topic.

I believe that there is two options that would work for you:

A hand holder for a reciprocating saw blade:

A hand holder for a hacksaw blade, often called a mini hacksaw:


Which comes 1st, the mold remediation or the re-application of drylock on old stone walls?

I've never used drylock, but have had good results using kilz, which seems to be a similar substance. The paint itself kills mold. On stone, I would use the oil based kilz after a thorough cleaning with bleach. Before applying, heat the space long enough to assure that everything is very dry.

Kilz seals the mold from entering the room. It also penetrates brick, block, and maybe even a little into certain types of stone.

Regarding duct work, and anywhere else the mold may have parked itself, it's important to clean/replace anything showing mold before applying kilz, because doing any work on ducts after the application will stir up mold again.

Wear a mask!


How effectively a pedestal fan blowing inward can bring the outside air if kept 2 feet away from a fully open window?

While this doesn't directly answer your question, maybe you should consider a true window fan such as this one

It delivers 740 CFM, has a thermostat, is not too expensive (less than $50) and will be much more effective in ensuring the flow of outside air into the room. It's also reversible, so it can be used as an exhaust fan as well.

If you need more airflow, some models go up to nearly 3000 CFM (over 90 CMM) like this one.


I need a concrete footing to be 5 feet tall. What circumference and reinforcement do I need?

when you are building things 24 feet up and asking these kind of questions, it should be self evident you need to hire someone to do it for you or at the very least handle the technical design and ensure that what gets built is inspected and checked to make sure it matches the design specifications.

do yourself and any of your future guests and neighbours a favour, and get an architect and a general contractor involved.


Lichtenberg figures inside plastic casing of multicooker

Those types of burn marks are an indication of electric current being where it should not be and should definitely not be considered normal or safe. You should discontinue use of that appliance unless inspected and repaired at a manufacturer recommended repair shop.


If your pressuretrol is truly acting up, I would replace it.  I'm sure you've already ensured the pigtail is free of sediment, etc.  In my experience as an HVAC controls tech, once mechanical controls start to act up, it's usually more cost effective to replace the item in question than continuing to rely on a compromised pressuretrol.  (Murphy's Law is in full effect here).

Nothing like waking up mid-winter for work with zero hot water and a replacement pressuretrol is backordered (no, this has never happened to me before...)

You have a high pressure safety relief for the boiler if in fact the pressuretrol did stick on, so you're covered from catastrophic events - however ensuring your BMS is working properly is more important.  Plus if that safety lifts, if the overpressure in the system hasn't damaged any control valve(s) - you're still gonna have a huge mess on your hands.

Basically - don't rely on built in safeties to protect you from out of bounds conditions you can control :)


Appropriate copper pipe length for shutoff valves

I would leave the pipes at there current length. The reason I would leave the extra length is if you have problems with the compression fitting leaking now or in the future you will have enough space to cut it off and put a new fitting on.


How much base is needed for small retaining wall?

The depth of your 'foundation' should be 4" compacted crushed gravel plus one row of your CMU (concrete modular units).  Behind that wall and sitting below the gravel is a perforated 4" pipe wrapped in landscape fabric and back filled with drain rock.  Daylight down slope and there should be a down slope so you control the surface water.  Do not drain onto your neighbor's property.  I've always had to install a simple drywell; a pit with landscape fabric, drainrock (rounded cobble) another layer of landscape fabric then covered with a thin layer of drainrock.  The size of the pit is determined by the surcharge behind you wall and the length of your wall and your area or zone.

Make sure each of  your walls are no more than 3' or you shall be eligible for permit fines if they find out.  One wall no more than 4'.  Check your codes.  Behind the two walls make sure you slope the soil away from the wall about a foot or so down into a little 'swale' to collect surface water and drain towards that drywell pit as well...so bigger pit: Say 4'X6'X3'?  Or more?

Do you have enough depth to your property you could make at least 4 maybe 6' bed between the walls with a mini swale such as the one I described behind the top wall?  If you want to plant that first wall you should put as much space as you are able.  Install perf drain pipe behind both walls.  How much surcharge is behind those walls or slope?  Send a picture.  Drainage will make or break your all your work.  I am not kidding.  I am glad you are doing a cap.  I don't know if you've already selected your cmu but I would suggest as a profession to use ONLY grey with a light grey or concrete cap.  The wall should be 30 % dark grey to make it look more natural.  That cap should be a very light concrete color.  Any color will LOOK DIY.  Reds, browns will look like your wall is dirty or  has a very nasty infection.  Just some tried and true tips from a licensed landscape architect and construction install project manager...blah blah blah.  Dove grey is the only color I ever use for architectural structures in the landscape.  Comes from my background in Japanese garden design principles.  Gravel, concrete, decks, pergolas, arbors and garden walls are always dove grey to allow your plants to be the focus, not say, the fire engine red fence?  Grins.

UPDATE:  Glad you gave more information.  Wish I could just draw you a section, I'm sure I could but dissed learning CAD, I learned to design by paper.

It has always been a no no to use your home's foundation drain as well as storm sewers to direct excess water.  Perhaps your codes are different but the reason for that is you do not want to encourage MORE water to travel to any foundation or concrete.  Water is pretty destructive.  I've had a hard time with the rules for not being able to use the storm drains.  That is why I love dry wells.  Check your codes but it isn't a good idea to ever encourage water to drain towards your home's foundation even if it is into a pipe.

Then I need to know the distance between your wall (the radius is it based on your CMU's for a curvature)? Is there a scale I could use or did I miss that?  I am disturbed there is a slope between you and your home.  That means water is not only draining through the soil towards your wall but towards your home's foundation.  Do you know there is a decent foundation perimeter drain?  Do you have a basement?  Do you know if your foundation has asphalt emulsion between soil and concrete?  Is there a drain in your basement if so where does that go?  And this sump pump.  Now that really worries me.  Tell me more about this pump; where is it, what is its purpose, how often do you have to use it?  Sump pump just tells me a band aid is in place to cover up a problem that you might be exacerbating?  Also, that perf pipe should be on the same level as the bottom of your gravel foundation, not an inch or two above.  It might not be a big deal if I knew more but if you've not installed this pipe try to do so.  Back fill is NOT soil, it should be drainrock.  You want to encourage water to go towards the pipe that allows excess water to flow en mass to a proper spot.  What will the elevation of the patio at the foot of your wall be?  Why 2 walls that close to your home.  Shoot.  I need more information.  How about a picture of the area, excavation in relation to your home's foundation?  Get back to me, okay?  This could be a beautiful addition to your home and if done correctly will add big value to your home.  What planting do you imagine above that wall.  Is it really going to take two walls to accommodate that slope?  Pictures.  I'd rather do this on site but am learning to try being 'virtual'...


How high should I make my yurt platform?

Other things that come to mind that you may want to check out before deciding on the height:

What are your local zoning laws?  You do not want to make something too high that violates some local code (although from your description of the platform this may not be an issue).
What type of clearance do you need (if any) above and around the platform?  Any low tree branches or wires you need to watch out for?
Make sure to take into account how it will appear from the street or back of your house or however someone would look at it.  What is the grade as someone approaches the structure?

Other than that you covered a good number of the items to consider when determining the height.  The deciding factor here appears to be how the final structure will look in your yard... and probably you want to minimize its size/appearance as much as possible.  See if you can position it just high enough to get air flow under the structure for ventilation (to keep it dry underneath) but no higher.


Why is my GFCI/Switch combo working in such an odd way?

It sounds like your electrical box for the switch does not have the power source (line), only a 2-wire cable to handle the switching for the light; the line comes in at the fixture.

Unfortunately you cannot add an outlet to this configuration as-is. You will need to bring a third wire down into the box from the fixture that will act as a dedicated neutral so that you can have the outlet always powered, and then optionally power the light via the switch.

Based on what you've described, my recommendation would be to bring in an electrician to handle this task for you as it requires pulling a new cable from another junction box and correctly wiring it up.


Is it safe to add a floor to my garage attic?

Generally not recommended.  Trusses are not engineered to carry additional weight on their bottom chords.  There are "storage" trusses that can be specified when the house is built that will be able to carry the additional load.


Problem with GFCI at start of circuit with both lights and two receptacles

Lights?
A GFCI can protect lights. You just usually don't need to protect lights. Lights that are installed out-of-reach in the ceiling are normally not required to be protected by GFCI simply because GFCI would not help. GFCI protects against current leaking through a person. If you can't touch the light, no current can flow through you. There are some exceptions: lights above a tub or shower and some outdoor lights, especially if near a pool or other water.
However, there is nothing wrong with GFCI protecting lights. Just keep in mind that:

If your lights & receptacles in a bathroom are on the same circuit and the lights are protected by the same GFCI that protects the receptacles, then if the GFCI trips, the lights will go out. You might be holding a hair dryer or other device that, while at that point no longer an electric shock hazard, might still not be a good situation in the dark.
If your lights use a smart switch that relies on leaking a little current to ground, that could cause nuisance trips of a GFCI.

Line vs. Load
With a regular (non-GFCI) receptacle, you typically will have "incoming" hot/neutral and "outgoing" hot/neutral, and it doesn't matter which wires go to which screws, as long as you get "hot" vs. "neutral" correct.
With a GFCI, it matters. A lot.

Figure out which set of wires is "incoming" - i.e., hot/neutral coming from the circuit breaker. There are a number of ways to do this if the wiring isn't obvious. I would turn off the breaker, disconnect all the wires from the receptacle, cap them for safety, turn on the breaker and check with a non-contact tester.
Connect the "incoming" wires to the LINE side of a GFCI receptacle.
Test the receptacle - it should work fine with normal loads. TEST/RESET should work for testing the GFCI functions, as well as a "GFCI tester". If you have problems at this point then your wiring is really messed up or you have a bad GFCI receptacle.

Now that you have the LINE side working, connect the remaining hot & neutral wires to the LOAD side of the GFCI. If it trips immediately then you have  ground fault somewhere in the existing LOAD-side wiring (the lights or other receptacles). If it does not trip then use a GFCI tester to test from each of the other receptacles to make sure everything is good.
FYI, the lights on the "GFCI tester" have absolutely nothing to do with GFCI. The tester is really two functions stuck in one convenient package:

"Magic 8-ball" (Harper's term) tester for hot vs. neutral vs. ground connections. Not 100% reliable for diagnosis of a particular problem, but very useful for basic testing.
GFCI tester - drains a small amount of current from hot to ground to test GFCI functionality.


Here's what you don't want to do.

  Try to haul 5 volts any appreciable distance.

So I would lean seriously toward having the 24VAC wiring do the long haul.

However, if you want the gory details, you need to examine each option: determine the current that will flow on the long haul, and grind that through a voltage drop calculator given the expected wire size and distance.

The root of the problem is that a 0.5-volt drop only reduces 24V only 2%, but reduces 5 volts 10%.  Much worse, to do the same practical work, 5V needs five times the current, so
now you're looking at 2% versus 50%.  In other words, voltage drop's practical burden is a function of voltage difference squared, so it is 25 times worse for 5V than 24V.


Is any of this plumbing work a code violation?

All plumbing should be inside walls in finished space or it should be installed in a way that protects the joints and protects from punctures.
Who cares?  I never heard of plumbing failing because of elbows.
If you wanted this you should have been watching him during it.  Or another option is to just write it into the contract so you can set expectation.  As it stands you do not know which extra connections were actually needed or not.

4-5.  Have local inspector come out to OK it.  Don't pay plumber until it passes inspection.

And to answer your question 1, 4, and 5 sound like they are code violations but we don't understand enough to call these violations.   For instance I can run pex in a crawl space in Texas, I can run pex in a laundry room outside framing (still not good practice), and you can run plumbing in most places in exterior walls (not good practice and most inspectors would want to see a reasonable level of insulation).


What materials are fake coals for gas fireplaces made of?

Originally (back in the old days), they (like gas grills) used volcanic rock aka lava rock.

Several current vendors use a mixture of rockwool fiber material and vermiculite.  Others list sand and vermiculite.

Having them on the bottom helps diffuse the gas (by scattering the gas as it rises, so you don't see jets of gas).  The glowing aspects is a nice side benefit.

The newer 'glass' bead gas outdoor fire pits do a similar diffusion and look good when not in use (not so much for vermiculite and rockwool, which look 'ashy' (on purpose)).


Hanging a TV on the wall when it partially overlaps a window

This particular model provides a reach for the mounted television of a maximum of 29", which is astonishing (opinion) and according to the ad copy, allows a 90° turn for up to a 55" television set. This would appear to meet and exceed your requirements of about 45°. It's pricey, but not compared to the prices of large televisions that get knocked about.

As Tyson suggests, a Google search for "long reach wide television arm mount" would give you a wide selection. The one pictured above can be found here.


Is there a significant risk of CO2 buildup with a ductless heat pump A/C?

Your house is not a space-ship, and it's not built like a space-ship.

If it's built anywhere close to a spaceship, you can run continuous ventilation fans, typically though an air-air heat exchanger. If it's of "normal construction" normal leakage will take care of adequate air exchange.

If you are adequately curious you can have a "blower door test" done to determine the actual leakage rate of your house under controlled conditions, which might inform both sealing particular leakage areas and the decision of whether or not to install active ventilation.


Is it ok to blow hot air under the floor?

While this should work, I'd be worried about losses, including 1/2 the heat going down to the slab instead of up to the floor.
A simpler solution would be to insulate. If that involves ripping up the floor then it would probably not make sense. But you may be able to blow in insulation through the same holes where you are thinking of blowing in hot air, or possibly cut a few holes in hidden places - e.g., inside closets - where the fixup afterwards doesn't have to look perfect.
If you do end up blowing air under the floor, make sure that you have an easy way to turn it off in the summer - you really don't want air conditioning under your feet!


Can I use epoxy resin to fix a metal hook to a uPVC door, to stop it blowing in the wind?

Yes, but I suspect it will not be strong enough to hold over the long-term.
I think I'd drill holes in the door and bolt the hook to the frame instead of trying to use adhesive or epoxy.
The best would be bolts through the entire thickness of the door with a washer and nut on the other side.  Next would be some self-tapping screws suitable for plastic (usually wood screws will do the trick here) but you'll have to be very careful to avoid stripping the plastic when tightening.


I have found vents like the ones you have in the photo to be basically worthless. I have found that a powered temperature activated vent in the roof is almost as good as an air conditioner. The first one I installed was line voltage driven with a temp switch it was really a huge savings in that home, because it dropped the attic temp by 40-50 degrees, the next couple of homes I used solar powered vents, these were a little more up front unless a new circuit was needed and if a new circuit was needed the solar was cheaper.
In short a passive ventilation system is limited to the area in square feet you have and the height between them. If I were you I would be looking into a powered vent on the roof, it will work much better in my opinion from actual experience with Louvered vents that were 3’ square compared to a single 8 or 10” powered exhaust that actually cooled the entire house.


1/2 inch pex female fittings with a piece of tube cut to length might work for your project. The ends push on and lock in place without tools other than a knife to cut the tubing.


Inserting probe into pressurized water pipe

The usual way is to use a T with the middle outlet being vertical:

With a proper fitting, you screw this hollow adapter in. Ecnerwal says in a comment it is called a "thermowell".

Fill this with mineral oil and dip your temperature probe in.
The oil transmits temperature, but the probe is not submerged in water, nor under pressure, so it can be inspected and changed.


What is this sliding door latch called, and where can I find it?

I was able to find it.

It is called a 'Patio Door Keeper for Yale Ogron Sliding Glass Door', by manufacturer Barton Kramer.

Home Depot Link


Can replacing a T&P valve be done as DIY by a home owner?

Can it be done?
Probably.
Should it be done?
Maybe.
Are you allowed to do it?
Depends on your location.
Replacing the valve is fairly straight forward, and can be done following the instructions provided with the replacement valve.  The bigger problem is determining why the valve is leaking, and fixing that problem.
The purpose of the valve is to open if the temperature and/or pressure in the tank reaches or exceeds specific levels. My answer to a previous question, provides more information about these situations. There is another common cause for leaking T&P valves, which may be more applicable to your situation.
Gunk.
When a T&P valve is opened; either during testing of during a fault, gunk (corrosion, mineral deposits, etc) can become lodged in the valve. This gunk prevents the valve from closing properly, which can lead to leaks. If gunk is the problem, replacing the valve may be the only solution required.
If you're not sure why the valve is leaking, you're not comfortable working on hot water tanks (or plumbing in general), or you simply do not have the proper tools for the job. Please do not hesitate to contact a local licensed Plumber.


What would be the ramifications of applying a semi-solid oil based stain on a virgin 4 yr old pressure treated pine deck?

You can likely answer your own question with a little experiment. Before committing the whole deck to large amounts of stain application try a small area on 1 or two boards where you've sanded on one side and the weathered grey is still on the other side. If you like the result you will know what to do. If you dislike the look or match then you can proceed to close up the stain can and go back to sanding and scrapping the rest of the deck surfaces. The place where you put the stain sample over the weathered grey can be sanded down to fresh wood right along with the rest of it.


Do I need a new or a repositioned TV aerial for freeview?

The antenna should be fine, the frequencies are still the same, it is the format of the information being transmitted that has changed.

If that antenna is to be attached to a TV that hasn't been used for 10 years, odds are good that the TV will require a digital to analog converter box.


Would adding a ceiling keep my garage at a Warmer temperature for longer?

Yes, but you probably need to at least seal around the doors and perhaps insulate plain metal doors.

  what is a good and low cost material to use?

In my part of the world, mineral wool in rolls.

You can suspend this in netting (the upper floor of an office building I use has this, with a false ceiling below, but the insulation is suspended in netting). Stapling some netting to your beams seems to me easier than attaching drywall/plasterboard and laying insulation above that.


Cinder block or concrete for shed basement?

You do have a 3rd option, ICF forms or blocks. These are assembled like children's building blocks. Rebar can be set in the horizontal braces then filled with concrete. One advantage is they insulate the wall (I think it is close to R50). The last below grade shop I built was 11' with these and no forms to strip. The walls never leaked like block walls do so that was another big plus in my book.


I agree with Alaska man+
I had had flip houses we just dropped the new gutter downspouts next to the drain why would we do this?
it is common for these drains to fill with the gravel from shingles and leaves They almost have to be dug up to get them open once plugged,
Many years ago we tried jetting from the street discharge and from the house side thinking it was just leaves but the shingle gravel did not move and we almost got the jet head stuck , after that we just did not mess with them if they were plugged.
You may have luck working a hose in from both ends but my experience is a section will need to be dug up and cleared to get them to work again.


Is there a reason not to nail up drywall?

Nobody uses a pneumatic nailer for drywall. And in a world where shortcuts are revered, that has to tell you something.

You know this already, but screws are the gold standard. They stay put and they pull the drywall as close to framing as possible. Badly set screws can pop, but properly set ones don't.

Nails were common in the past, but they were usually ring shank (for holding power) and with a slightly bigger head than a framing nail. (They also had a propensity to pop as framing dried out, in spite of the fancy ring shank.)

If you had to use nails, the trick is to set them just slightly below the plane of the paper without cutting through the paper. The dent from a hammer made this work. A pneumatic nail is either going to be set too deep (ripping the paper, and being out of the way of the taping knife) or set too high (not ripping the paper, but being in the way of the taper). There's really no way to get the dimple you need with an air nailer.

If you are seriously only looking at a drill, get an impact driver. You'll get way more control driving screws. (And impacts are great for a lot of other stuff as well.) If you have a ton of rock to put up, consider getting an actual drywall screwgun.


How can I prevent my furnace and A/C from slamming doors?

This is common in HVAC systems with a single central return. My system does this too. It's simply the nature of a central-return system. The only practical way around it is to have a balanced system with per-room returns sized the same as the supply registers on those rooms.

There are a couple of things you can do about it. One is to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars necessary to re-do your house's return ducting to put a dedicated return in every room. Another thing that might help is to replace your doors with heavier ones on  less-well-lubricated hinges. Or you could just keep the doors wide open.

As for the whole-house fan, remove it, seal up the hole, drywall the ceiling, and pile insulation over the top to the level of the rest of the insulation on your attic floor.


Having done 3D printing with ABS myself, I'm familiar with this challenge. You need to exhaust the fumes--that's the long and short of it. Locate the printer near a window, open the window, and have a fan blowing air out the window every time you use the printer. Crack a window on the other side of your house for make-up air purposes.

Or print with PLA, which does not generate nasty fumes. PLA is a nice material and smells a little like popcorn when melted.


Lost in translation

The inspector is giving you the standard warning not to use double-stuff breakers on MWBC (shared neutral) circuits. Sounds like you fully understand that requirement... and they aren't telling you anything new


I rarely use primer on previously-painted walls unless the existing finish is suspect with regard to bonding. It's a disaster to have paint come loose due to incompatibility.

The right primer color when doing dramatic color change is usually whatever gets you close to your final color. You want whatever underlies your topcoat to have minimal effect on the color you selected. That said, sometimes a base coat can affect the topcoat in desirable ways, such as making the color deeper or more rich. That usually applies to bold colors, though, and gray (or custom-tinted) primer is often appropriate.

You ask about changing approaches mid-stream. That is a potential concern, but you'll have to try it and see. If the primer approximates what the first coat of paint did, it may not be noticeable.

When painting white over white primer, it's usually not as difficult as you might think to see what you're doing. Wet paint has a gloss, dry paint usually has more sheen than primer, and the color is rarely that close anyway. Use good lighting, good technique, and it shouldn't be a problem.


Try (this may well be awkward, and will probably need a pair of locking pliers rather than a screwdriver - assuming it unscrewed far enough to get those on before it stopped) pulling down on the screw as you unscrew it. Whatever it's screwed into (a plate, or a nut) is now turning with it - you are trying to get the plate or nut to jam so that you can continue to unscrew it.


What size and type wire should I use to pigtail to my light switches?

Turn off the breaker for the device. Is it a 15-amp breaker? Use 14 gauge for pigtails.  Is it a 20-amp breaker? Use 12 gauge for pigtails.
Buy a few feet of the appropriate color of solid THHN and wirenuts. (THHN also comes in stranded, in this case you don’t want that.) As noted in a comment if you mean that you are going to use neutral as a bootleg ground, that’s a big no-no.
NM-B, or Non-Metallic sheathed cable is a multi-conductor wire with at least hot/neutral/ground, commonly called Romex.  THHN is a single conductor wire.


Is vinegar really an effective carpet cleaner?

I use it quite a bit on dog urine in my carpet.  I recently purchased a device to remain nameless to help with this, but the white vinegar works well.  I wouldn't say it eliminates it, but you'd have to stick you nose it the carpet to smell it.

I soak up as much urine as I can and then drench the area with undiluted vinegar and let it evaporate over a few days.


Which way round do I mount an angle grinder wheel

The hollow is meant to be mounted outward. This is so that the nut sits at or below flush, allowing the grinding face to be used without obstruction.


Thermal expansion: installing a hardwood floor and subfloor

Upon further research, it was made clear that humidity/temperature need to be stabilized first, temperature excursion would damage a hardwood floor.
After the temperature excursion is addressed through proper heating and cooling, the primary concern for expansion is against the walls, where a 1/2" perimeter is to be left for expansion. If the Drywall is floating above the floor, the hardwood and subfloor can expand under it as needed.
The 8x4 boards of subfloor should be laid down orthogonally to the direction of the rafters.


Will drywall mud stick to shellac-based primer?

Yes. This fine plastering expert actually recommends it:

  If the surface is new, eliminate any possibility of coating failure by priming the surface in an oil primer, B-I-N SHELLAC BASE is preferred.

Here is another expert plasterer doing the same.


I would suggest that since you intend (and should) attach the frame to the subfloor that it will be much better to install the frame first. Then fit the flooring up to the frame.


It looks like this one which has a manual, which says:

  Remove the push button cover by gently prying off the top edge with a screwdriver


Will replacing filament light bulbs with non-dimmable LED bulbs damage the bulbs and/or a dimmer?

Yes, using non-dimmable lamps on a dimmer will eventually damage one or the other. Usually the lamps will suffer, specifically the driver in the LED.

Using the dimmer on full high should be OK, but you have to be careful to keep it that way.


One meter (200A service) feeding two main electric panels 100A ea, is it legal?

Your problem isn't only "two load centers on one meter", its "two wires in one lug that's not tested for such use"
While having multiple service panels fed in parallel from a single meter is fine, the devil is in the details, and that's where your current setup fails.  Atop the fact that this is a dual 100A meter base to begin with, which means you're overloading the currently in-service meter socket, the definite issue with inspection is that right now, you have two wires connected to the same lug in a way that the lug was never intended for, which is a violation of NEC 110.14(A).
Considering the issue, I would have the existing base changed out for a single 200A meter socket with suitable tap lugs (a Milbank 200A base with a set of Milbank K5022-INT lugs would do the job) or a 200A meter-loadcenter with 2 100A branch breakers in it.


Can I stain wood in sub-optimal temperatures?

I haven't seen anyone test 'how do bad conditions affect staining?' Usually what you'll see is someone posts a picture of a bad stain job and they ask 'what did I do wrong?' The answer is typically temperature, humidity, or technique.

Stains work by penetrating into the wood, getting absorbed into the pores of the wood. Anything else that gets into those pores will hinder absorption, and you'll end up with a blotchy inconsistent stain. That's why you want your wood dry.

Low temperature is less important than moisture, with the exception that if there is frozen water in your wood, that'll mess up the stain as well. If the wood is cold but stays dry, you should be ok.

In ideal temps, the stain should dry in 1-2 days. Low temps will slow the drying process, and if snow/rain gets on the wood before it's done drying, you're in trouble.

If you can keep the wood protected from rain while it dries, you should be fine.


Could a sweating pipe in the attic drip water onto the ceiling?

Probably this is the refrigerant gas return line to the compressor. It will be cold (maybe 45 or 50 F) and water vapor will condense to liquid water on it. It must be insulated and the insulation must be sealed or it will get wet between the pipe and the insulation. Keeping the line insulated will also make the a/c compressor work more efficiently and possibly last longer.

The gas return line is copper and will be the larger diameter line of a pair of copper lines which connect the evaporator unit (in the attic or in a closet on an occupied floor) to the condensing unit (compressor) outside the structure (usually on the ground).

If the evaporator unit is in the attic, then the line carrying condensed water may also be in the attic and this line may also proceed horizontally in the attic to and through an exterior wall and then terminate outside that wall where the condensate drips. The condensate line may be copper or may be plastic. This line will also be cold, but usually not as cold as the refrigerant gas return line.

EDIT

The refrigerant gas return line (larger copper tubing) will be cold when the compressor is running, but will warm up to ambient when the compressor is off.


How can I install an electric dryer using the old air conditioning circuit in my breaker box

In answer to you question - It is not possible to use any circuit in the panel you are showing unless you want completely replace the AC circuit. I am assuming the 20A 2 pole circuit in the lower right is your AC circuit. Regardless, all of the circuits shown are 20A.

NEC Article 220.14 (B) and (C) prevent you from using a 20A circuit for a dryer load. 220.14 (B) refers you to 220.54 which states all dryer circuits need to be rated for 5000VA, that would be 20.9A at 240V. 220.14 (C) refers you to motor loads which state you have to add 25% for motor start up. So a minimum circuit size for a dryer would be 30A 2 pole with #10 wire conductors.

Hope this helps.


What preparations can I do before I paint the ceiling of my bathroom?

Any home improvement centre sells two essential things for this: painter's tape and plastic sheeting. Buy a thin plastic for the walls, and thicker one for the floor (or, better yet, use drop cloth for the floor). Buy wide painter's tape, it's much easier to use it to attach plastic sheets to walls, shower doors, etc.

Tape and cover everything. There will definitely be splatter, so cover every square inch of every surface. It will take only a half an hour or so, for a bathroom of this size, especially if you have someone to help you to spread and hang the plastic.
Just hang plastic sheets from top of the wall to the floor, completely covering any wall-attached fixtures, etc. Use painter's tape first to tack the sheet to the wall, and then use a long strip to completely cover the area where the wall meets the ceiling. Make sure sheets overlap, so there is complete coverage.

Cover the glass shower walls completely, from both sides. Again, just hang a sheet of plastic on them, attaching it with painter's tape.

Cover the floor completely. Use drop cloth, or thick plastic sheeting. Drop cloth is preferrable as it's not slippery, and will absorb any paint splatter or minor spills.

Pull out potlights' trim. They are usually just spring-loaded, and will go out if you pull a bit. No need to remove the pot lights, and don't cover them completely so they won't overheat, but pull the trim out so you can paint around their holes freely.

Use a brush to paint corners and along the wall border.

Use a pole and a roller to paint the ceiling (and wear a hat, otherwise your hair will be full of paint splatter. Don't ask how I know this).


How to test voltage between neutral and ground

A simple multimeter can help you verify all three, as well as many other voltage related troubleshooting.  It's a real must have for... anyone really.

To measure between neutral and ground, you will set the meter to AC voltage, 200V range, and stick one probe into the neutral slot of the socket (the wider slot for USA standard sockets, on the left if the ground hole is on the bottom) and one probe into the ground slot (the D shaped hole).


How can I mount a window fan in a very tall slider?

Window fans and window air conditioners seem to be almost universally designed to work with single-hung or double-hung windows -- that is, windows in which a sliding sash moves up and down rather than sideways. Installing one of these in a horizontal window will be a fight from the moment you open the box.
The first thing is to prevent the sash sliding sideways (opening) any further than needed to accommodate the fan. The same techniques that prevent a burglar forcing entry by sliding the window work here: a wood dowel in the sliding track, a clamp to the window frame, etc.
Assuming the fan rests at the bottom of the opening, the second thing is to block the space above the fan. Depending on your requirements for security, aesthetics, air sealing, and weather resistance you might choose acrylic or polycarbonate sheet, plywood, or even cardboard. A foam gasket around the sheet can improve the weather seal. Whatever the material it'll need to be trimmed to fit. Shims or a narrow block of wood on the fixed side and top of the frame can help to hold the sheet in place. The side that interfaces with the window sash is difficult: a person could make or find some kind of U- or H-profile channel that fits nicely around the edge of the sash, but it might just be too much trouble.


Is this gray fibrous substance above my ceiling tile made of asbestos?

It could be.

A few things you've left out where the year of the build of your home and the area you are in. These could help narrow down if this was used in your area at the time of construction.

You have two options:

Pickup a test kit from your local hardware store - or bring a sample to be tested by a lab.
Call a qualified professional for an opinion: Knowledgeable contractors can identify this immediately or you can contact the local authority in your area who deals with asbestos.

Since there is a doubt, stop everything you are doing until you've confirmed what it is.


nest 2nd gen, no common wire/terminal in the fan coil unit

Add your C wire to the wirenut you see up front

In your photos of the wiring, you'll notice a wirenut that joins orange, purple, and blue wires together.  Joining the blue wire in your thermostat cable with that wirenut will give you a blue C wire at your thermostat.

Why, you may ask? Well, the wire that connects to the green G thermostat wire at the thermostat terminal block goes to one coil terminal on the relay at the bottom (you can just make out the bottom relay's terminal diagram in the bottom photo).  The other coil connection on that relay, then, must connect to C to complete the circuit from transformer, through thermostat switch, through relay coil, and back to the transformer again.  Lo and behold, the other relay coil connection is the orange wire, which goes up into the wirenut in question, which is then connected back to the transformer via the purple wire.

Furthermore, the red R wire at the thermostat terminal block connects to a pair of brown wires there, and one of them runs off to the other transformer terminal, relative to the transformer terminal that the purple wire connects to.  So, we have our C wire connection, in the form of a conveniently placed wirenut even.


How do I reconnect a garage to a house with existing underground wires?

You can reuse the wires one of several ways.

Run a separate ground wire

Since it is a retrofit, you can add ground wire.  (NEC 240.130).  The 3 circuits can share one ground wire if they all originate in the same panel (as of NEC 2014‘s new 240.130D). The ground wire must be installed properly, and an appropriate size for each circuit it's grounding.  If your fattest conductor is 10 AWG, a 10 AWG ground wire can protect all 3 circuits under NEC 2014.  If I recall, 8 AWG bare copper wire is readily available.

Hots and neutrals from the same circuit must be routed together.  A 240.130 retrofit ground may follow a different route.

If an existing wire is already bare and appropriate size, you already have your ground wire!

Wire larger than 6 AWG can be redesignated as ground by wrapping it in green tape at each accessible point.

Ask your inspector to re-designate

Generally you cannot re-designate a conductor to be ground, although an entirely bare copper wire can only be a ground.

Ask your local inspector if there's a way to allow this anyway.  Local jurisdictions can override Code.

Forget ground and use GFCI

GFCI's may be required anyway for your new circuits.

You can use the GFCI rules, which allow ungrounded 3-prong outlets when fed by a GFCI breaker or outlet.   All the outlets must be labeled "No Equipment Ground".

They must also be labeled "GFCI protected" if they are a plain outlet fed by a GFCI upstream.

In this case, take care not to connect ground to anything.  Nothing is safe except a ground wire run all the way back to the main service panel.

Make the barn a main panel, isolated by a transformer

This is a complicated one.  Wire the barn as a main panel.   It must have its own ground rods and neutral must be bonded to ground in the panel.   However this neutral must not bond to the neutral back at the house.
It is isolated from the house by a transformer.  This is a "mini" version of the service the power company provides to you.

The key is a transformer of appropriate size.  It must be single-phase and with a VA rating exceeding your planned load. I often see them on Craigslist at sane prices, e.g. 5K VA for $100.  Typically, you can jumper the secondary to either supply 240/120 split phase like your house, or 120-only at twice the amperage.

For amp capacity of a transformer that you've jumped for 240V, easy peasy - divide VA by 240. For instance, A 5K VA transformer is 5000/240 or 20.83 amps.  It can be supplied by a 20A breaker and 12 AWG wire, and can output 20A to each side of the panel.  If jumpered for 120V-only, it can provide twice that or 40A.

Main breakers that size will be tough to come by, don't bother, just backfeed a regular breaker.

Multiple circuits? Somewhat.

Generally NEC allows only one circuit per voltage. So you can have 240V on one pair of wires, and 120V on a second pair.

You can have more circuits for specialized uses which require a separate circuit, for instance the third pair of wires can be used for lighting controlled from the house. I would use that loophole to power the barn interior lighting on a separate circuit from the outlets - that way if the table saw kicks and trips the breaker, you aren't plunged into darkness with your hands 3 inches from a spinning blade.

Re-designate wire? Mostly no.

Generally, wire function is decided by color, and they cannot be re-designated unless they are larger than 6 AWG (at the request of distributors, who do not want to stock multiple wire colors in large sizes).   However, neutral (white or gray) wire can be re-designated hot (e.g. to allow 10/2 to feed 240V loads).  Also, an entirely bare wire can only be used as ground.


Can anybody tell me why I have 12 wires in light box?

3 supply, 3 supply to next light, 3 for switch, and possibly 3 for a duplicate fitting controlled by the switch.
As other comments said, just use the connections you need and leave the others alone.


Finger / Palm Prints on Danish oil stained wood

You might try applying another coat of the stain/oil, applying it using superfine (0000) steel wool. Rub it in with the grain. This may help break up the residual film you left and let the stain penetrate a bit.

If it doesn't work, you'll be no worse off if you have to sand and refinish.


Why is the polyurethane finish I applied a month ago still tacky?

Depending on the type of Polyurethane, they could cure first by solvent flash off, then by oxygen or water in the air, or by some other curing agents in the mix. What product did you use?

Sometimes very thick layers of Poly will not cure because the layers below the surface cannot interact with the air or the surface blocks the solvent evaporation of the lower layers. This interaction causes the whole thing to stay "tacky" for a long time.


Which type of portable generator will power my furnace during an outage?

I would not recommend a square-wave/modified-square-wave generator to run your furnace. The control boards in them are particularly sensitive to high-frequency noise induced in those sort of designs. One particular failure mode is that non-sine inputs cause excessive heating in inductive components, whether they be AC motors or current-filtering inductors on the control board.

Looking around, it seems that gas furnaces should be provisioned for 350W, and about the same for a typical refrigerator. 700 watts of steady-state load isn't bad, and I would argue that a 2000W steady-state pure-sine generator could handle the transient loads from start-up currents no problem, leaving plenty of room for laptops (75W - 100W), cell phone chargers (~10W), and lights.

Go with the pure-sine wave.


Fans always have cheap bearings and that is what they sound like when they go.

You probably need to replace the blower.


Workarounds for single-zone HVAC? Second thermostat? Adjust vents?

There are a few things you can do which can help:

1) Adjust the dampers in the duct work. Partially close dampers in the ducts going to the first floor and fully open the ones to the second. Take some time to mark them so you know what goes where. It will probably take a few tries to get them set right. That's usually the first thing an HVAC guy will do for this situation.

2) Seal off the leaks in your duct work. Go around and find leaks and seal them with the aluminum backed tape. It's real sticky and has a peal off backing. Oddly enough, duct tape always seems to come loose on my duct work. Go figure. There are services which will come out and blow a smokey substance through your system to locate leaks and seal them.

3) This can be controversial, but you could cover your low returns in the summer and high returns in the winter. The theory is that this will pull more warm air out in the summer and more cold air out in the winter. There are magnetic covers you can get for this purpose like this:

But you may have better luck with stronger magnetic sheets and custom cut them yourself.

I'm not a fan of closing registers, but that's probably one of the simplest things to do.

There are systems that can be installed which will automatically adjust dampers in your duct work based on thermostats placed throughout the house, but they're pricey.


LED Strip Power Supply needs to be unplugged/replugged to work

OK here's the problem.  An amplifier does not actually combine power supplies.  It simply uses the 5 input channels only as a signal to switch the power supplied to its input.  All the strips downstream of an amplifier are powered only by the supply to the amplifier!

So what you've done is hung all the LEDs on the #2 power supply, which is only sized for a single 16' (5m) strip.

The other power supply drives nothing but the controller and amplifier's internal loads, which are very small.  That might be a problem too.

Option 1, leave it like this, and make sure power supply #2 is sized to drive all LEDs. I don't get why to have supply #1 at that point, just split power off supply #2 and do it all with one.

Option 2:

Move the splitter so it takes the output of the controller and splits it to strip 1 and the amplifier.   Thus, power supply 1 will supply the controller and strip 1.    Power supply 2 will supply only the amplifier and strip 2.


How long do I need to wait before painting an interior PT plywood floor?

Recommendations vary because conditions vary. Here are the primary factors:

Initial lumber moisture content
Concrete moisture content (ongoing; dependent on ground conditions and the presence or absence of vapor barriers below)
Indoor temperature and humidity level
Effectiveness of drying mechanisms (dehumidifier, fans, etc.)

The point is that no one can give you a number. You'll have to either rely on look and feel assessment or use sensor hardware to measure moisture content. Also, follow the paint manufacturer's instructions. Some coatings are more tolerant of substrate moisture than others.


Metal tubes stuck together: drilled a hole in one. How to get leverage?

This, unfortunately, is a common and difficult problem.  The issue is corrosion between the Aluminum and Steel and it can make it difficult and sometimes impossible to separate them.
Here is an article from Sheldon Brown that describes some causes, prevention, and fixes:
Sheldon Brown Seatpost Article
I suggestion trying #9 to start with.


Can I install an outlet near the ceiling of a pavilion?

You can put a plain outlet anywhere you please.

The reason this is an issue is that in certain locations, the outlet needs to be GFCI protected.  And you can't put a GFCI test/reset button that high.

So if GFCI protection is even required, take advantage of a feature of almost every GFCI device, called "Load", which allows it to protect plain devices downstream.  That is obvious when dealing with GFCI+breakers or GFCI-only ("deadfront") devices.  But GFCI+receptacle devices can do it too!   So you just install one of those in an accessible location, and you're all set.


How do I repair laminate damage on a kitchen cabinet?

One idea to consider is to re-cover the whole side with an adhesive contact paper. With careful selection you may find this to look better than the way it does now. If you do elect to go this route I would recommend a step to even out the surface where the existing laminate was torn away. You may be able to sand the edges of the ripped area so it is a smooth transition as opposed to an abrupt transition. Another approach may be to try filling the torn out areas with spackle or dry wall compound using a six inch wide blade. This leveling is needed because any surface irregularity will show through contact paper.

Contact paper is available in wood print simulated coloring such as this example from Amazon:

Amazon Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Honey-Adhesive-Contact-Paper/dp/B000KKIR0A


Air conditioned made a sound while running and stopped working

I'd strongly consider getting a technician to have a look at it and repair it unless you are at least somewhat familiar with electrical work.


Is it ok having a ground wiring loose in the light fixture?

No. If a ground wire is present, it has an intended function.

Pigtail the lamp and box wires together with the grounding conductor in the cable.


How do I disconnect a garbage disposal from a junction box? What to do with loose wires?

It seems like you know most steps leading up to it. Based on that it seems you only want to know what to do with the wires once disposal wiring is removed.

I would simply take wiring caps and place one on each exposed wire and then wrap each wire with some electrical tape further ensuring the caps stay on and do not become exposed if touched or caught when working around the wires. If you are keeping the junction box I would still use the same method but place wires back in the box and and screw the plate back on. Pull wire to sit inside of junction box or just place the end in the box and screw plate back on.

Screw on one wire cap/nut on each wire.

Tape each wire cap/nut separately


How significant of a problem is having the grade above the foundation line?

Soil above the foundation means that critters (rodents, worms, reptiles, etc.), bacteria, molds, and water can easily access the siding and infiltrate the walls.  Some of these can rapidly deteriorate the structure in a matter of a year or two in contrast to a building lasting 100 or more years.

  Are there reliable technological solutions that would prevent us from digging up and replanting all of our trees and shrubs surrounding the house?

Yes.  Use a shovel to remove the soil next to the house.  You do not have to regrade the whole lot.  A foot wide trench next to the house is plenty for this concern, though channeling runoff away from the house should also be addressed.  That could be as simple as putting in a few drain lines at strategic points.

  What kind of professionals do I need to consult to get this done properly?

I would start by looking around your neighborhood and see what works and what does not.  Imitate the successes.


Some wall-warts are made to plug in horizontally to avoid that problem. But then some power strips are arranged horizontally also, so it is blocked one way or the other. The better wall-warts are made to extend OUT from the plug rather than below or to the side of the plug. That way they don't interfere with adjacent plugs, but then they are too long to plug into the wall behind a piece of furniture, etc.  There is no universal solution to this problem.

Except maybe the really short (1 ft/ 30cm) "extension cords". They are made speciically to solve the problem that you present.  Here is one example of many available...

http://www.allelectronics.com/item/ext-11/1-ft-extension-cord/1.html


GFCI plug tripping from a refrigerator that is plugged in last on the line

I’m not going to address the issue of if a GFCI is required but instead directly address the asked question.

On a GFCI outlet, the are two sets of hot/neutral connections, “line” and “load”. The incoming power is connected to the “line” terminals. Downstream outlets to be protected are connected to the “load” terminals.

What you can do, on the GFCI, is disconnect the downstream wires from the “load” side and instead connect them, along with the power wires, to the “line” side. (You should probably do this with wirenuts connecting the wires along with short wires (pigtails) to the outlet.) This will remove the GFCI protection from all of the downstream outlets. Any that still need protection should be replaced by additional GFCI outlets, keeping everything connected to the “line” terminals.


What is a "locus" when referring to house plumbing pipes?

The only thing that comes to mind (and it's not related to wooden house construction at all) when thinking of pipes and the word locus is that in German, "Lokus" is a term used for a toilet (perhaps it's a little nicer to say than toilet). That would fit your description of "locus pipes" - the waste pipes (and maybe supply) for the toilets.

Source: I'm a native German speaker. Also see the German Wikipedia entry for "Toilette"


The Nest runs on power supplied by your furnace. Typically the red wire is +24v. It doesn't need battery backup partly because its scheduling and other configuration data are stored online. It may also have some non-volatile memory for basic data.

In some cases, the common (C) wire isn't present. In your case, you have an extra conductor that should serve that purpose if properly connected. Here's more on that.

No need to call in the pros. If you find that something doesn't work, contact Nest. If all else fails, hook the old thermostat back up until you figure out the issue.


Feeder sizing isn't so simple
The minimum rules for service and feeder capacity planning are found in NEC Article 220; while they don't account completely for your usecase, we can use a modified version of those procedures here.  We start with the 550sf you gave, and multiply it by 3 to get the lighting and general receptacle load as-if this was part of its parent dwelling unit, giving us 1650VA (volt-amps, similar to watts).  We then multiply this by the .35 demand factor for dwelling unit general loads over 3000VA before adding 3000VA to account for the heavy tools circuit and 7500W/VA for the heater as per NEC 220.51.  Note that while the demand factor and the heater are both computed as per NEC Article 220 rules, the 3000VA for the tools circuit is an allowance (similar to a pair of Small Appliance Branch Circuits) for the heavy tools circuit due to the unavailability of details about the actual loads found there.
This gives us 11078VA, to which we add the dust collector load.  Since we are dealing with a UL listed appliance here, we start with the 20A nameplate amp rating instead of using the tables to look it up, although it doesn't matter in this case anyway since Table 430.248 gives us 20A for the full load current of a 2HP, 115VAC motor.  From there, we multiply by 1.25, per NEC 430.24 and 220.50, to get us 25A, which when multiplied by 115VAC gives us 2875VA, for a total load of 13953VA.  We then divide this by 240V, giving us a 58A minimum for our feeder ampacity.
While it's possible to wire this using 6AWG THHNs in a conduit or a 6-6-6-6 copper SER cable, that gives us 65A, leaving us little margin for an outbuilding. In NM, we'd have to use 4/3, giving us a 70A feeder instead, but neither NM nor copper SER are cost-effective ways to wire the circuit, at $3.5 to >$4/ft vs the $2.5/ft of materials that using 6AWG THHNs with a 10AWG ground in 3/4" ENT achieves.  Nonetheless, we can do better than that by going to aluminum.  A 1-1-1-3 aluminum SER cable goes for a mere $1.67/ft or so, and gives us 100A to the shop panel; we can upgrade this to a 1/0-1/0-1/0-2 SER cable to give us a 120A feeder (using a 125A breaker) for just under $2/ft.  If that's still too much cost, we can go with a 4-4-4-6 aluminum SER cable for just under $1/ft, but that puts us back at that 65A figure (with a 70A feeder breaker) from the 6AWG THHNs in conduit or 6-6-6-6 copper SER cable mentioned above.
GO BIG OR GO HOME
Now that we've decided on the size of our feeder, we need to figure out what size subpanel to put in, and this is where folks tend to get penny-wise and pound-foolish.  You see, ripping out a panel to replace it with a larger one is a big pain in the rear end, and far costlier than what you'd save by using a smaller panel.
Since this is in the same structure, we don't need to worry about a main cutoff (main breaker), nor a second set of ground rods, but we do need a set of separate grounding bars fitted to the panel to land equipment grounding conductors on.  Many main lug panels come with these factory fitted, but if yours doesn't, you'll need to buy the correct bars and add them yourself.  In either case, you'll want a large panel: a 24-space or 30-space, 125A panel is not at all out of place here, and if you feel like splurging, you can upgrade to a 40-space or 42-space, 200A panel for not that much more.  Just make sure that your panel's bonding screw or strap gets pulled out when you install it!
Sidebar: that dust collector may need a bigger breaker
There's one other issue with your setup, and that's your choice of a 20A breaker for the dust collector.  You see, motors draw a significant inrush current on startup; for a 2HP, 115VAC, single phase motor, the breaker will have to handle up to 144A for a short period of time.  So, there's a decent chance that your 20A breaker will trip on overload when you start the dust collector.
Fortunately, the NEC authors are familiar with this issue, and provide an "out" in 430.52(C), which permits you to size inverse-time (read: regular) breakers protecting a single motor load at up to 250% of the full-load current, or up to 45A for a 20A motor load, provided that the motor has its own overload protection.  You probably won't have to go up that high, but having a 25A single-pole breaker for your choice of subpanel handy in case the dust collector won't start on a 20A breaker would be wise (it's the largest value permitted for a 20A motor if the motor doesn't have a built-in overload protector).


Main Breaker Gets tripped every 1-2 hours but last longer in the night

When an appliance has an internal shorting or arcing fault, or electrical wiring has is shorting hot or neutral to ground, that is called a "ground fault".

You have a "Whole-house RCD" - aka GFCI - it looks for current leakage from ground faults. SOP in Europe-influenced electrical installations is to fit a 30-35ma (milliamp) RCD that protects the whole house.  The goal is to protect the house from arcing fires; 30ma can kill you.   This unit is typically combined with the main circuit breaker.

Beyond the whole-house RCD, you then have branch circuits with circuit breakers. Most of them will be one size such as 13 amp or 16 amp. Take note of that.

North American practice is to protect each branch circuit with its own GFCI (RCD) device (breaker).  The goal here is personnel protection, so only bathrooms, kitchens etc., and a lower detection threshold of 8ma.

My suggestion is to do the American thing - and replace one of your branch circuit breakers with an 8ma personnel-grade RCD, of the amperage rating of most of your branch circuit breakers.  This will have a lower threshold than the main, so it "should" trip sooner.  If the problem is on that branch, the trips will mostly now occur on this breaker.  If that branch circuit is not the problem, then swap the breaker to another branch circuit, and try it again.  Eventually you will narrow it to a single branch.

Then unplug all the appliances and test again.  If that does not clear the problem, then disassemble all the junction boxes in that branch and look at the wiring.   If unplugging the appliances does clear it, then return one appliance a day and when the problem returns, that's the one.  Have the appliance serviced.

This method won't work for the few odd-sized breakers you may have for stove, water heater, air conditioning, etc.  Simply switch those off for a day (when feasible) and see if the problem goes away when they are off.


In desperation, I would likely use a shop vacuum, a wet-dry vacuum that can tolerate pulling out water without damaging the vacuum. It should also handle the small rocks.

Be sure to remove the paper filter if the instructions for the vacuum so state and to empty the bin prior to this operation.

Even if the keys will not pass into the vacuum hose, it may block the hose enough to use as a lifting device to retrieve them.


How to install a house number plaque on vinyl siding?

I would just use silicone, as you can you can just rub it off after it is done (I would expect a small bit of damage but nothing that destroys integrity).  You might need to tape it until the silicone is dry if the numbers are heavy.


It looks like you have a double trap, unless I'm mistaken on how the water flows through this drain.

I've scribbled in where water will sit in the pipe, which clearly shows two traps.

The best option would be to go from the upper 90 of the P-trap, directly into the outlet pipe.

When you rebuild the trap, you should use a u-bend with a cleanout.


How can I repair a chip in an acrylic shower pan?

The damage on the shower pan shows a black base material. I'm assuming that is steel. I have repaired enameled steel tubs using epoxy enamel repair. I applied it in layers to get good curing and sanded and polished the top coat. In some cases sanding individual layers was necessary so that the areas within the repair did not build up to high. I also prepped the edges of the chipped area with a grinder to give a good clean oval to the damaged section.


How do I backtrace a landscape catch basin with only the exit point?

You can find the end, or at least the first leakage point in the line, with one of these:

It's intended for cleaning drain/sewer pipe. How it works is the small bladder/balloon will expand under the water pressure of the hose (garden hose water source) and has a small exit point on the other side of the balloon. So it will expand to the pipe size then fill it up. This way will use a decent amount of water but on a dry yard day should work fairly well.

Item/Picture source but they come is all different sizes and should be available at your local hardware store. I would measure the pipe first and buy the largest/closest size one you can, this is a 3" to 4" pictured but it may not seal a 4" pipe well until it has a certain amount of back pressure.

Same concept different approach, you can get 4" (or 3" depending on what you have) pipe fittings and step it down to a garden hose fitting.


Flashing /waterproof for wires going through roof gable

Yuck... Given you have the siding off can you relocate the wires into the wall behind the siding?


The sockets should be wired in parallel, not series.

The bulbs will be designed for whatever Mains voltage is used in your location.  If you put two in series, then each bulb gets half the voltage.  If you have "old-fashioned" filament bulbs, the may each light dimly.  If you have modern (CFL, LED) bulbs, they might not light at all because the circuitry isn't getting enough power.

Also, in series, if one fails with an open circuit, then no power gets to the other bulb and they both go out.

I suggest wiring them back in parallel, and then testing with new bulbs.  If one bulb doesn't light up, then swap their locations.  See if the problem follows the bulb or the socket...

Good luck!


Is there such a thing as lightweight window glass?

Well, there's rigid plastic, which is much lighter weight than glass for similar strength, but generally more subject to scratches. There are also plastic film products that would be similar to a screen in terms of weight and installation, some of which are very clear.

Glass weight is primarily a function of thickness, so thinner glass would be lighter than thicker glass, but without knowing what thickness glass you are contemplating now, it's unclear if you could go lighter or not.

Glass for a storm door should be tempered, which means 3mm / 1/8" is as thin as you can go (thinner glass is made, but it cannot be tempered and would present a cut hazard - since the tempering process also strengthens the glass, the thinner untempered glass would also be much weaker, and thus more prone to getting broken and causing cuts.)


Sump pump running continuously, float switch ok

The float switch has failed. Replace it.  Good Luck.


You don't need a ton of room to install a stud shoe.  You can also use traditional strapping but I would try to get a shoe on it.  If you can attach the front and one side really well you can probably get away with not attaching the side near masonry as well (could glue it).  The 2x is compromised so you need something bracing the front.


attach crossbar for ceiling suspended shelves using strong Simpson ties

That's going to depend on the fastener you use. For a vertically-suspended mount like this it's critical that you use a screw with enough thread area, or that you use through-bolts. I'd use 3/8" lag screws of 2-1/2" length or 5/16" machine bolts running all the way through the joist and nutted on top. Dividing your 400 lb. load in half gives us 200 lbs. per bracket, and 100 lbs. per screw. That's likely to hold well. Test safely first. Watch for deflection of the crossbar and deformation of the brackets.
A 2x4 on edge will carry a substantial load, but I wouldn't hang that much weight further than about 16" from the brackets. If you see a lot of flex, move closer.
See #1. Nails are almost never a good choice for load-bearing applications, and certainly not for direct suspension. You must use a threaded fastener of adequate diameter or a through-bolt with a suitable washer and nut.

I would consider using standard joist hangers and placing your crossbars between the joists, or simply lay your crossbar on top of the joists, if that suits your needs. Either is a much stronger method than vertical fasteners.


Critical issues here :

Side tab cut, not broken off. That is not safe as the 240V between them could easily arc, illegal per NEC 110.3 as the receptacle's instructions say to break off the tab entirely, not cut it. This defeats the safety testing done by UL since UL did not test it that way.
Backstabs are not compatible with 12AWG wire, the wire size now required in kitchens.
Bending the wires onto the screws is very shabbily done (poor conductivity, and NEC 110.12).
Backstabs and screws both in use (I believe that's not allowed).
Two separate circuits feeding the same yoke, but they are not handle-tied for common maintenance shut-off. (Alternatively, a 2-pole breaker can be used to accomplish the handle-tie, but never a double-stuff/duplex/2-in-1-space type.)
Neutral must be pigtailed - correct. This is so a receptacle can be removed without severing neutral for the other circuit.

The fix is what you did: pigtail the hots and use screws only.  Do that on the other receptacles... or, switch to the $3 Leviton screw-to-clamp type, which support 2 wires under each screw. And break the tabs off properly, they have break lines, a few flexes should do it.

When you are able, put the 2 circuits on a 2-pole breaker or handle-tie them.


Preventing electrical back flow on AC circuit breakers

Can't be done.

You should get a new meter installed for the water heater.

It's up to you how you get the tenants to pay for the usage. However without also adding hot-water meters for each tenant there is no way to know who is drawing the water and using the power.

Normally landlords embed the common costs in the rent for all units. Or swallow it as cost of doing business.


Could a high limit switch cause the furnace blower to run continuously?

Yes.  A bad high limit switch would cause this.  The furnace is trying to purge the heat that it thinks is there. Normally the limit switch will reset when the temperature drops. A bad switch will remain open, so the blower will run continuously.

This is typically caused by poor air flow through the furnace, which is most often due to infrequent filter changes.   The furnace continually overheats, and eventually the high limit does not reset.

Make sure to change the filter often, and insure that all registers and returns are open and free of obstructions.


Does it matter what kind of pipe is used for a sink drain?

There are two main factors that determine what is used:

Code requirements (as well as the project's specifications)
Cost

ABS and PVC are the cheapest, however there can be limitations with their use in larger buildings due to fire code requirements.

Where fire codes requirements limit the use of plastics, either cast-iron or DWV copper is used for the piping above ground switching to either Chrome or Brass p-traps for the sinks. However depending on the authority having jurisdiction (usually the local inspector), PVC or ABS p-traps may be permitted within the sink cabinet.

XFR-PVC is a kind of fire resistant PVC, and does meet flame and smoke spread requirements and, depending on the project, may be allowed to be used instead of Cast-iron or DWV copper where metal is typically required.

Chrome plated metal is also used for wall hung sinks where the p-trap will be left exposed.

Labs that use chemicals and acids typically use either glass or special acid resistant plastic pipe and p-traps.


They set off the no touch volt meter. I checked them with a multimeter and they are all reading zero.

Combining these, you may have a situation where both prongs of the outlet are at 120V:

the multimeter shows no voltage between the prongs
the no-touch meter measures an electromagnetic field.

If this is true, you have a wiring fault and it's time to call a licensed electrician.


How should I remove carpet in preparation for sanding and polishing floorboards?

Pull up the edges around the perimeter, roll up the carpet and dispose. If working yourself, cut the carpet into manageable sections you can carry.  There might be padding under the carpet but its probably not tacked down.  Cut and roll it up too.

Use a small pry bar to pull up the tack strips and make sure to remove or hammer down any nails that are not sitting flush with the floor.  If there are stubborn nails, place a small scrap of wood under the pry bar so that you don't damage the floor.


Is there a reason the hot wire is connected to the neutral bar and the white to the breaker?

No. I suggest you test the outlets on the circuit with an outlet tester. I use the
Gardner Bender GFI-3501.


Is it code to nut off a ground wire instead of connecting it?

The ground wire should be properly connected back to the box ground connection, or back to the line ground if there is no ground connection in the box.

Some will argue that the metal screws provide the grounding to the plate and so the ground wire is superfluous.

However, there are two issues with that.

The screws and the screw holes are very loose tolerance. The screws wobble around in them. The plate itself gets painted over, OFTEN. Any paint or other contaminant, eg. drywall dust, can get into the screw threads and break that electrical contact quite easily. That leaves your plate ungrounded.
When working on the switches, it is not uncommon to have them hanging out of the box while the electrician, or would be electrician / E.R. bait, works on the circuit as a whole. If you do not connect the ground wire, the plate again is, obviously, ungrounded.

The code in your area may indicate it is not necessary, so not doing so may be legally "valid", but for complete safety, you should wire it up anyway.

BTW: Inspectors do not inspect every outlet, that would take too long. Instead they normally sample test a few and trust that the electrician followed the same standards everywhere. The electrician, not knowing which outlets the inspector is going to test, is therefore "enticed" to do them all the same way.


Yes if they don't light and the ends of the bulbs are black you just found 1 answer the bulb is bad. If you replace the bulb and still have trouble your problem is the ballast, electronic ballast die when overloaded. I almost left a sarcastic note at the end of this but will explain. After just changing 3 ballast in very high end fixtures that the owner was two cheap to change lamps. The cost of new fixtures almost 700.00 plus install. I purchased 3 cheap fixtures and pulled the ballast cost just under 110. For the same ballast. I made 400.00 to replace them. Not bad for a few hours work, If he changed the lamps would have cost less than 35 at Home Depot


Is it ok to simply cap off an unused 240v line in a junction box?

First off, you can simply cap off the wires safely and cover the box. The box must remain accessible though, meaning you can't bury it in the wall.

Second, you CAN install a 50A receptacle on that line if it is for a welder.


Worry.
There's no reason for "cosmetic surface cracking" 20 years on that doesn't come with sub-surface structural issues. Something is not right in there, and it will come apart one of these days - tomorrow or 5 years on, we don't know, but it's likely to be inconvenient, messy, and quite possibly involving an embarrassing trip to the emergency room for cuts sustained in the failure.


How do I remove/uninstall this security motion sensor?

Use a flat blade screw driver and pop that little button off of the back side.  I strongly suspect that there is a screw under it that get you where you want to go. If that does not prove effective and you truly want to get rid of it use a straight claw hammer, get the claws between the base and the eves and simply pull it off carefully.


You want to use the lower voltage connections at the top the Wye start connections connect w6 to u6 to v6. Next w2 to u2 to v2. Those are the internal field windings to set up low voltage starting now connect u1 to u5- first phase, v1 to v5 -2nd phase and last w1 to w5 -3rd phase the little black lines are the connection points .


Is it safe to encapsulate lead shot with epoxy?

You are correct in that lead is pretty inert, especially when encapsulated. I would only worry about proper disposal once you are done with it, and how you plan to shape it (since a drill or saw could cause lead to become airborne, hammering should be safer).

If you are worried about health and safety, perhaps a different metal could be used, though they're generally going to be more expensive than lead. Quickly looking at metal density tables, you may also be able to use tungsten (much heavier than lead).

Also, keep in mind that lead isn't that much heavier than other common metals. Lead is 11.3 g/cm^3 while iron is 7.8 g/cm^3 and nickel is 8.9 g/cm^3.

If you want something very dense, depleted uranium would be an excellent choice (except for the health concerns with respect to breathing or eating it and availability issues due to it being a controlled substance).

Gold is also pretty dense, and quite safe.


Add outdoor outlet opposite indoor outlet

Yes, use a GFCI outlet. It will be less expensive then replacing the breaker and why go into your panel if you don't have to. Use pigtails and not backstabs on your dining room outlet.

Don't forget the water resistant outlet cover. (see below)


What is a good uPVC window or wooden double glazed replacement window solution?

Windows are very religious and debate inspiring. Identifying top goals will help in selection and maximizing ROI.

FWIW: uPVC and vinyl are synonyms in North America.

Energy Efficiency

Maximizing u-factor depends on the heating/cooling zone you are in.  .35 might be good for a northern climate, while overkill for a southern one
SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient) is more important in a southern area.
Air Leakage
Condensation reisitance

Intangibles

Durablity factors are hard to estimate accurately, but price is usually some indication of quality
Fit and finish  Construction materials used have an effect on
appearance as well as durability.  Maintenance requirements and paint-ability  are factors
Resale issues


Flow through the fill tube when there is high water draw from some other water user

There are several types (and many brands and models) of toilet fill valves, aka ballcock valves.

The type most susceptible to pressure fluctuations are those that utilize a "weir diaphragm" assembly because these rely on inlet pressure to keep the valve closed. An old stiff (or worn/soft/contaminated) diaphragm can exacerbate this susceptibility such that a pressure bobble can cause the valve to open.

You should open the valve to inspect the bonnet area and diaphragm for problems; cleaning/flushing all parts and perhaps replacing the diaphragm (replacements are commonly available, specific to each brand and model).

Another option would be to just replace the entire valve.


It's like a short chandelier as shown in your example. The "semi" can range from the shade being just a couple of inches away from the ceiling to usually no more than 12" away. Bugs love them.


In a non-load bearing wall the studs are really just nailing edges for the drywall.
You could just scab pieces to the side of the 8' to make 9' studs.  So take the 8' get a 1' piece and then get a piece that is 16" and use it to join the 1' and 8' together, 8" on either side of the splice.


Removing L-shaped elbow underneath a kitchen sink

The nut on the left is threading down onto the black elbow, you need to know this in order to turn it the correct direction. If you think that it is threading up onto the white one then you would be turning it the wrong way and tightening it.

Put your channel lock pliers on the nut so the handles are to the left and move the pliers handles to the right, this should loosen the nut.


how many ring or radial socket makes a circuit

The number of sockets you can have connected to a circuit isn't limited by the circuit breaker's amperage. No matter how many sockets you connect, you're still limited by the 20A limit on the circuit breaker. A socket with nothing connected to it does not draw any current.

Think about what devices you want to connect to the circuit. Find out how many amps each one draws and total that up. A 20A circuit can supply 20A intermittently or about 16A continuously (load for more than 3 hours at a time). Use the total amperage you need to supply to determine the number of circuits you need.

If you wish to connect multiple devices, but not use them simultaneously, you may do so as long as they don't exceed 20A or they'll trip the breaker.


How much maintenance should I budget for a historic home?

As someone with a relatively newer house (1930s), and have experience in dealing with issues of an 1800s home (my grandmother's), there are a few things to consider which can dramatically affect your annual expenses:

When (if ever) were the following replaced or upgraded:

Attic insulation
Wall insulation
Heating system
Air conditioning (if present)
Roof
Exterior painted
Septic system (if present)
Well pump (if present)
Plumbing
Electrical
Windows
Drainage
Fence
Deck

In my house, I had the seller convert all of the electrical outlets to three prong / grounded, but the cast iron pipes started giving up the ghost a few yers back and started springing pinhole leaks that required replumbing the whole basement.

I'm currently in the situation where I've been dragging my feet on getting the walls insulated; all of the places I've contacted want to cut a slot from the inside to inject the insulation, but I've got older wallpaper a room that I actually like, and plaster walls which I know are a pain the patch properly. (none wanted to pull off the top row of wooden siding and inject from the outside).  Lack of wall insulation and single-paned windows, combined with an old oil burner means that I'm easily paying 2-3x as much to heat my house in the winter as compared to similar sized houses in my area.

I wouldn't recommend anyone buy an older home unless they're prepared to work on it themselves.  You'll have odd things come up as things just start showing their age (eg, boards on the porch that lose strength from age), stuff that needs to be modernized (replace older bathroom fans or light fixtures).  I'd also recommend putting away money for a housing fund every month, so that should something significant need replacing, you've got a few thousand saved that you can tap into.  My neighbors recently had to replace their fuel oil tanks, which was a couple of thousand dollars; my mom had to have their septic tank dug up.  Most of my emergencies have been plumbing related.  You may not be able to do all of these items yourself, so will want to have enough of a cushion to call in professionals if necessary.

update: added 'fence' and 'deck' to the list ... my neighbor's fence had a section rip out in a high wind about a week or two ago (4x4 was set straight into the dirt, and had rotted at the base); had to redo my mom's deck last summer as it seems that whoever set it had dropped cinderblocks in a hole, then set the pillars on top, so it was only latterally supported by dirt).


Can my LED fan light that's hardwired to a dimmer switch also be controlled, ON/OFF, by the remote it came with?

With a fan + remote, you have two chocices:  Wire it so fan+light are controlled by remote, and ou can't use a dimmer. (can't dim the fan).  Or, have fan controlled by remote and light controlled by switch, which can be a dimmer if it doesn't affect the fan.

Code requires a light switch in a room that works

You may have noticed that when you go into almost any room anywhere, your arm knows exactly where to look for the light switch.  That's no accident; it's carefully enforced.

So the wall switch has to control something.  If the fan light were the only option, then the electrician would have to have chosen the "light by switch, fan by remote" option.

There is no way to have it both ways.  Especially not with a pre-existing dimmer; that's not possible in any way whatsoever.  These things simply will not play together.  They are incompatible.  Careful selection of control module, wall switch and remote, from a single product line designed to do that, may be possible.


how do I wire a duplex outlet that will always be hot from a switch outlet combo?

You simply need to tap off the wiring for the existing outlet using pigtails (short pieces of wire of the same weight and color).

Run a new 14/2 cable from the combo box to the new outlet location. Remove the hot lead (probably black) from the side of the existing outlet. Connect that lead to the black of the new cable and to the black pigtail using a wire nut or a push-in connector. Attach the other end of the black pigtail back on the hot terminal of the combo outlet.

If the hot wire to the combo outlet is already connected through a wire nut, you just have to add the new black to that bundle and reattach the wire nut (or a bigger one if necessary), no new pigtail needed.

Do the same for the neutral (white) wires. White to white.

Connect all ground wires (bare or green).


How can I calculate the Btus needed for a single room A/C unit?

I found this link, which is for a whole house:  http://www.northernac.com/newcalc.htm

This one is for a single room.  Assume the room direction is for the northern hemisphere.  Reverse North and South if you're in the south.  http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/advice/measuring-materials/window-air-conditioner-size-calculator/>

From the comment by mike:

This calculator is a bit better in that regard, but does not take into account climate: thisoldhouse.com/toh/calculator –  mike


How long should I let my window dry out before caulking?

Cut out the old caulk now to let it all dry out, that will open everything up to the maximum to allow for drying. If it is an older home it will still dry after it is caulked. One day to dry and one day to caulk and let it set will suffice for proper adhesion.

I suspect if the house is over 10 years old, it will not be an issue. It will still dry out. Newer homes may have a little more difficult time to dry out from the new vapor barriers out on the market.If you see drywall or plaster damage that has been around for a while, (wet is OK, water bubbles under the paint MAY be OK, black is bad) you may want to do a little removal to inspect inside the wall, just to be sure. Caulk takes a while to degrade and it does so with out notice, so check interior areas thoroughly.


In summer, should attics simply have fans or other ventilation?

We paid for a solar powered attic fan. It installs near the top of the roof peak and ideally points south (ours is east) and when the attic temperature exceeds 85°F, the fan starts. This presumes that there is sufficient sunshine to power the motor.

Our air conditioning use dropped substantially after the installation. It is still quite hot in the summer in the attic, but not body-killing hot as it usually is.

Because heat rises, you'd want a fan that blows out at the top and pulls cooler air in from below.


Why is water leaking near my bathroom's exhaust fan?

You may have condensation running down the vent pipes into the fans; given how a vent pipe attaches to the back of a fan, the condensation will tend to run to the side(s) of the fan fixtures.

Are the vent pipes uninsulated and in a cold space?
Could condensation have frozen inside of the pipe, and then melted at the same time as the snow?
Would the snow have stop the wet air getting out of pipes?

If it is condensation then you need to insulate the pipes and/or add a condensation trap just above each fan.

Assuming that all 3 exhaust fans vent via different pipes, you are looking for a design fault, as I cannot think of anything else that will be in common between all 3 fans.


Can I replace the insulation in an LG oven?

I've done this (due to rat pee (which is at least as bad as it sounds)).  It is a straightforward DIY job, just be sure you have good screw management solution.  I prefer to tape screws near the hole they came from.

Just get thin unfaced fiberglass batts in the right size. Remember that many call fiberglass the new asbestos, and wear a minimum P100 mask and non-fabric gloves.

You can also try running an "oven cleaning" cycle and cook the corpse to carbon black.  If it's just a corpse you have a good chance the smell will dissipate, at least if the corpse is really right against the oven wall.

See also How do I replace oven insulation that has been soiled by mice and smells bad?


Is there any liquid to stop leakage inside pipe or fitting

The honest answer is no.

There are things that will fix your problem, but they will cause more harm at the end.

It is like a pill that will only fix the problem, but have no side effects.

Your list of wants is long:

You want something that is liquid inside the pipe, find the leak inside of the pipe, and then dry inside of the pipe.

You are also looking for something that will attach and block to the pipe at the hole, but not attach to rough spots or connectors in the pipe.

It will also not harden around whatever is at the end of the pipe.

There is nothing that will only do what you want.

Your list of fixes is short:

The solution is to either put a smaller piece of pipe in the one you think leaks, and use that instead, or trace the entire pipe to find the leak.


Why is my A/C unit running when the heater runs?

Are you sure the AC isn't actually a heat pump? A heat pump looks about the same as an AC, but in winter it runs in reverse to pump heat into, instead of out of, the house. Examine the markings on the outdoor unit and see if it's a heat pump. If so, this is normal.


I'm assuming your dimmer is rated for LED, ideally with a neutral wire?  LED dimming is a morass of conflicting quasi-standards, and a lot of LED makers cut shortcuts by calling themselves "dimming" but only working with certain modern dimming methods.

Old style dimmers are made for incandescent only - they don't have a neutral wire, and power themselves by flowing a small amount of current through the circuit at all times.  Incandescents don't care (the current is too little to make them light up). But for LEDs, what happens really depends on how well the LED is engineered for working in old-style dimmers.

And LEDs do list the types of dimmers they're compatible with, on their data sheet.

But beware Feit Electric, Lights of America, or Utilitech.  Those are "bottom shelf" duff brands made to hit a price-point.  Here's the problem with that: The LED emitters are solid.  But they require an electronic driver circuit to translate 120V into constant-current to drive the LED.  When they must shave costs to hit their price-point, there are many ways to cut corners on that driver circuit, and most of them add up to dramatically shorter life, for instance by using cheap electrolytic capacitors.  Also, they cut functions like the ability to "dim" well.

Done properly, LEDs are a 30 year bulb. I've never had an LED fail except for a Lights of America.  I also have 18 years of experience with CFLs and yeah, only the bottom shelf ones fail there too. I get 10 years of service out of the others.

Try brands like Cree, GE, Philips, Sylvania.  They're not much more expensive if you shop around.


Locating HVAC Breaker To Replace Thermostat

It looks like the large 50A 2-pole breaker does control the outside AC unit, but doesn't affect the heat or the fan. I ended up walking through the breakers to find a 15A 1-pole breaker that stopped the fan and shut off the thermostat. Thanks for the comments!


How can I connect my 30 amp electric dryer to a 50 amp plug?

You have an incorrect receptacle installed at your apartment. Some genius just replaced the existing 30A dryer receptacle with the incorrect 50A range receptacle for some reason rather than doing it right.

You only real option is to get the landlord/super/etc to have the receptacle replaced with the proper 30A dryer receptacle. The cord you have on the dryer is correct, albeit the old style 3-prong version.


Which is the hot wire, neutral wire and ground wire?

The cap colors have nothing to do with it

The color codes say the **size and quantity* of wires they're designed for.  For instance yellow can bind up to 3 14AWG wires, but red can bind up to 6.  Their ranges overlap broadly.

It's all about the wire colors, except...

A bare, green, or green/yellow wire is always a ground.  Not every installation has grounds.  They are often pushed up into the back of the box.

A gray or white wire (light blue in Europe/rest of world) is a neutral, except it can be tagged with tape to use as a "hot".  People often forget to tag the wires with tape, especially when the use is obvious.

Any other wire color can only be a hot.  You should not mark a hot to be a neutral or ground.  But you can't count on the last guy doing right.

So here's what we know

The black-black bundle can only be hots.
The white-white bundle is certainly the actual neutrals.
The black-white bundle, the black must be a hot, so the white must be a hot that should have been marked with tape, and wasn't (typically because the use is "obvious").  Here, the obvious use would be for a switch loop.

In a switch loop, you have a black and (should be marked) white going down to the switch.  The switch shorts them together to light the light.   There's no standard which wire is always-hot and which is switched-hot.  So realistically the switched-hot will be either wire.

Your lamp needs neutral and switched-hot.  The neutral is easy; the switched-hot will be one of the others.  You can guess, but if you guess wrong, the lamp will be on continuously and won't respond to the switch.  That's exactly what you do to find out.

Ground wires are not readily visible in your photo.  You'll have to look closer in the back of the box.  Some light circuits are ungrounded; in which case there is nothing to attach to.  Normally you have to replace a whole cable, not run a single wire; but as of 2014 it is legal to retrofit just a ground wire, if you really want to.