Is there any study or calculation on how much money I save if I buy door/window X with a certain R value vs door/window Y with a different R value?

It's a very straightforward calculation, though parts of the industry prefer to pretend otherwise. Also, math is involved, and that tends to scare off people with math scars from school. Dumbed down approaches give dumbed down, generalized answers.

First, establish if you are dealing with Metric or "English" (BTU based) R values. They are similar but the units are different. Since it seems likley that you are dealing in square ft and BTUs and that's what I do normally as well, I'll go that way. Also note that some items (windows, quite commonly) will be specified in U values, which are 1/R. Let a spreadsheet do the math.

Then add up the areas of your house that are various constructions at various R- values (which you'll have to figure out from looking at how they are constructed, if you don't know) - ie, 1200 square feet of attic at R50, 2400 feet of wall area at R-12 (or 2400 square feet - 42 square feet of doors and -100 square feet of windows) and 42 square feet of doors at R-4 or R10  or whatever you are comparing and 100 square feet of windows at r1 or R3 or r-5 or whatever you are comparing. Beware of "as-built .vs. insulation-only" R-values for things like walls, where having a wooden stud at R1-per inch every 16-24 inches really adds up over the whole house. Or, ignore the parts of the house OTHER than those you are considering options for, as those won't change until you change them.

1200 square feet of attic at R50 will require 1200/50 = 24 BTU per hour per degree F to heat.

2400-142 square feet of R12 wall will require 2258/12 = 188 BTU per hour per degree F to heat.

42 square feet of R2 door will require 21 BTU per hour per degree F to heat, while 42 square feet of R10 door will require 4.2 BTU/hr/F

100 square feet of R1 window will require 100 BTU/Hr/F and R10 window will take 10, while R3 window will take 33.3

Now, look up the annual heating degree days for your area, and you have some number (say 6000) of days * degrees for a typical heating season. Multiply THAT by 24 hours per day and you know the seasonal load for each part of your house - 6000*24*100 = 14,400,000 BTUs for 100 square feet of R1 windows, 4,800,000 for R3 windows.

Now follow that down the "how you get your heat and what that costs" path (btu per unit of fuel, efficency of how that's converted to heat delivered to the house) to sort out the annual operating cost difference for the options you are considering. Then consider the lifetime of your windows, and likely trends in fuel costs. For electric resistance heat, 100 square feet of R1 window in a 6000 HDD climate is 4,219.2 kWh/year; r3 is 1/3 that, R10 is 1/10 that.

For a more complete heat use modeling job you should also consider ventilation rate, but again, not that much of a factor if you are only looking at "this window .vs. that window." There are also models that attempt to account for solar gain from windows, but that is difficult to model well in a complex environment with shading, etc.


How to open up a window in my shower room?

I have lived and worked in Northern California. There are obscure (frosted Windows) that are great for what you want to do. They are narrow 14" wide and do not require cutting the studs so no permit was required. The most important part of the job was to make sure there was no electrical in the space. Moving or modifying the electrical usually requires a permit. Many stud finders today have a warning that shows if there is wiring behind the Sheetrock. Since there is a very low possibility of electrical in the wall at a normal bathroom wall I would punch a hole and look. If there are no wires the hardest part of the install is cutting the vinyl siding. A top and bottom plate can be nailed or screwed in in place then a remodel window screwed to the studs. The last tough part is trim on the outside to make the opening look like the rest of the Windows. The inside is easy in comparison. A little mudd and trim it can easily look original from inside. Outside with older Vinyl can be tough to match but will look better in a few years.


What are my options for multi-room audio?

If you can run wiring to the rooms easily, I'd recommend going with the centralized stack-of-amplifiers approach. It's very cheap, easy to set up, probably has the best sound quality, and is the most reliable.

IR repeaters

Start by placing all the stereo receivers in a centralized location (I picked the laundry room). Then, install an IR receiver everywhere you want to have control over volume and source. I like these ones  since they're cheap and stick onto anything, however, you can get really nice units that have Decora plates that look very professional when installed. Don't worry about sticking with one brand -- all the systems are interchangeable. The only think you need to provide it is with 12V, ground, and a signal pin.

Routing the IR receivers

They usually have a 3.5mm stereo (i.e., headphone) jack used to carry these three signals -- so to run them back to your storage room you could either buy really long headphone extender cables, cut off the 3.5mm connector and splice in a cable, or build your own cable with a 3.5mm jack on the end.

Connecting everything together

Once you run all of these different IR receivers to your centralized location, you simply tie everything up into a parallel bus, i.e., connect all your 12V wires together, connect all your ground wires together, and connect all your signal wires together.

Usually, you use a connection block like the one in this kit to accomplish this goal. All it does is connect the IR receivers to a power source, and route their signals to the IR transmitters. The IR transmitters (termed "IR blaster" in the industry) get stuck onto all of your devices (amplifiers, signal sources, etc).

This may sound complicated, but it's very simple -- you can have a dozen or so IR receivers hooked up in parallel to one connection block, and you can tie multiple connection blocks together.

Understanding how the system works

The signal line is pulled up to 12V by pull-up resistors in each receiver. When you start pressing a key on your remote control, the IR receiver receives this digital code, and pulls the signal line down and releases it back and forth to generate digital 1s and 0s. This is what allows multiple IR receivers to be wired in parallel, but it also has some known limitations

One more thing

It's nice to have a centralized location, but remember that as long as everything is on the same IR bus, you can control anything wired at any point in the bus. For example, instead of just hooking up the IR receiver to a cable running all the way to your centralized location, you could put another connection block right there in the room with it, put some IR blasters on the DVD player or TV you may have in that room, and then continue to run the signals back to the centralized location. This allows you to control those appliances from anywhere in the house. This may be useful if you have kids that blast music too loud, too late. All of the sudden, you can turn down (or turn off!) their stereo from your room. It sends a message.

Known Limitations

Since everything is on one bus, the system doesn't "know" which room the command came from, which means if you have a stack of Sony receivers that are all the same brand, then any time you use your remote control, it will affect all of them.

If you want to be able to control multiple same-model receivers independently, instead of wiring all the signals to one connection block, wire them to separate connection blocks.

Audio Path

Alright, you have a stack of receivers -- and I assume a stack of signal sources. Obviously, if your stereo receivers each have multiple inputs, you simply route the output from each signal source to one of the inputs.

Most audio sources don't have multiple outputs, however. You may find that you can simply use Y-cables to split the output of each source to drive your different stereo receivers. However, you may notice poor audio quality when you do that, depending on how your sources and amplifiers handle output impedance and input impedance.

It's not really important to go into, but basically, if your amplifier "loads" the source down, then hooking multiple amplifiers up to the same source is going to load it down more. The source is "expecting" to only be loaded down so much, so if it's loaded down too much, your frequency response may get wacky. Don't worry! You won't damage anything. But it may not sound as good.

This is highly unlikely, given that most audio sources have MOSFET output stages that don't have any series resistance, i.e., they have no output impedance, and can drive dozens of amplifiers without any issue.

However, if you do have issues, buy an audio distribution amplifier, which is designed to take one signal source and drive it to multiple stereos.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

This also works great with video -- you can put TVs in multiple rooms, and run HDMI-over-ethernet back to a centralized location
Don't think you can't get a high-tech computer-based media center into this action; I use a Windows Media Center USB-based IR receiver that I've got an IR blaster stuck onto. I bought four Windows Media Center remotes and put them throughout the house. You can control the music or movie from any spot in the house
Obviously, you can use any remote control you want -- if you want some fancy touch-screen business, go get a fancy touch-screen remote control. As long as it can send IR signals, you're good to go.
I'm getting a PhD in Electrical Engineering, where I'm working on Wireless Mesh Networks and high-tech stuff like that -- but I still know wires are always better than wireless. Because of its simplicity, this system never crashes, and never needs to be taken care of. It just works.


My HVAC A/C is freezing after sundown every day

A low charge can cause evaporator freezing. If your cap was bad that usually indicates an older system. Micro leaks have caught up, probably R22 and it is getting expensive. A 5 ton system will take 4-6 lbs normally to be fully charged but may give you another 5 trouble free years. In most cases the icing will get worse. It could also be a throttle valve that is sticking but it seems more likely low Refrigerant.


How do I handle an unused light fixture junction box in a bathroom?

Since it sounds like you have a major remodel project in process you probably have all the walls open too. The very best bet for the discontinued light would be to remove the circuit and electrical boxes entirely. This way you do not need to keep an ugly do-nothing electrical box cover on your wall or ceiling.

Keeping an unused electrical box accessible can be an extra burden if you are trying to put tile on the wall or finish a ceiling. Remove it and eliminate those PITA points.


How do I set traps in the kitchen ceiling when my roof is flat and I lack access?

Although you cannot access the area between the ceiling and roof, you should certainly give all due effort to finding possible point(s) of entry for the mice. For one thing, you can bait or place traps nearby (trial and error here might also help to identify whether or not your hunches are right about points-of-entry).

More importantly, trapping the mice will have limited benefit if you can't cut off access to other mice.


Unable to screw completely into plug/anchor

I was using the wrong kind of plugs/screws.  The plugs I was using were hammer-in plugs and the screws correspondingly.  Those were not designed for the task.

I bought this package of plugs and screws instead and now all is good.


can I install cement backer board over plank subfloor

My experience is no, too much bounce. Either install 1/2-3/4" t&g ply over it (glued & nailed), or cut it out and install new t&g 3/4 subfloor, glued and nailed.

Also consider your floor joist width and span. In this question, that's undetermined.

In either case, then you can install 1/2" cement board.


How can I finish and seal an interior exposed brick wall?

A sealer I use for stone and grout (also rated for brick) is Miracle 511 Porous Plus.  It is solvent based, so use an organic respirator during application, remove pets, ventilate!

The Miracle product adds no sheen or color, absorbing completely.

They have a water-based product also, although I haven't used it and can't confirm-or-deny.

The Sure Klean is an acidic product, (hydrocloric acid).  On exteriors, you would flood with hose and/or pressure washer, obviating the need for a neutralizer.  I doubt you would hose down your interior, so a neutralizer indoors is needed.


Can I use dense foam board instead of paver base for laying patio pavers?

Who told you that? I'm sure it wasn't a professional! If that was the case, don't you think everyone would use Styrofoam? Sure you can use Styrofoam (polystyrene) but the pavers will be uneven in no time since Styrofoam is fairly soft. Does it get cold where you live? Styrofoam won't get rid of water which will freeze up and heave up your pavers. Plus it will probably void any warranty the pavers might have or installation warranty.

Paver panels (ez base as you call it) are made specifically for pavers. They are made from polypropylene (a dense plastic) which distribute the weight of each Paver and each step you take. They have channels in the surface to help drain the water away.


Hire a water tank truck. Some pool supply stores have them; or depending on the state of your community you might be able to strike a deal with the fire department, subject to no fires happening at the time. Park the (empty) truck, pump the water into it, fix the outlet, pump the water back into the pool. The fire department may be able to treat it as a training exercise; in other cases they are simply happy to help, and in yet others they will not help; it varies with the community. In several places I have lived they are the default pool fill service, and it also means they know where to grab a few thousand gallons of water in a hurry  when there are no fire hydrants in the area...

Depending on how good you are at breath-hold diving or whether you know someone with scuba gear, you might also try applying your appropriate type of grease around the outlet from inside the pool. Taping outside seems unlikely to work, IME.

Thinking it through a bit further, (if it's a bottom drain) find/buy a small innertube. Take a 5-7 gallon (20-30l) bucket and try to find a tube just a bit smaller than the bottom of the bucket (assuming the bucket is larger than the drain - otherwise you'll need to upscale the bucket.) To reduce hilarity, remove the valve-stem and fill the tube with water, then replace the valve-stem. Put rocks or bricks in the bucket. Place the innertube around the drain and the bucket on top of it. Drain some water and see if it seals.


How do I get crisp, clean edges in the corners where two paint colors meet?

Use painters tape (blue tape, Frog tape, lots of different names and brands) to mask off the areas you don't want to paint green.

First, paint your ceiling and 3 walls white (2 or 3 coats, however many are needed) and wait for the paint to dry. Then, apply the painters tape to those walls and ceiling as close to the 4th wall as possible. Next, and this is the most important part, go back with the white paint and "seal" the edge of the tape with a light thin coat. Failure to do this will lead to green paint bleeding under the tape, and you'll wind up with sloppy lines at the corners. Textured walls are a pain...

Once the white paint is dry, go ahead and paint with the green, using however many coats you need. Peel off the tape carefully and enjoy!

Most painters tape says to peel off within 14 days, so you could tackle this project over two weekends if needed. Also, if you seal the tape with too thick of a coat, some of that paint could come up when you peel the tape off, so don't glob it on.


Cleaning the burners every few years or so is always a good idea, because loose debris accumulates on and around the burners.  This debris gets sucked into the flames, causing those intermittent yellow bursts, as seen in the picture.
But, the flames in the picture look normal otherwise.


The remote shut-off requirement may cause you to choose between two problems:

While the remote shut-off is activated the lights can't be turned on locally. Must walk to the remote location and re-enable.
or, by using the 3-way as you've drawn, the lights can always be turned on locally -- but you can't tell whether they're on or off from the remote location! (assuming that the lights are not visible from the remote location)

#2 can be mitigated, for example by wiring a pilot light at the remote location.
If the remote shut-off can be three switches rather than a single switch that makes things easier. There exist three-way capable dimmers, for instance.
A simpler way to implement this is to use "smart" light switches. The Lutron Caseta family, for example. You could install three Caseta dimmers locally near the lamps and pair each one with a Pico remote installed at the remote location. The Pico remotes won't give you feedback as to whether the lamps are on or off, but you can click the off button of each one to be sure.


Goodman furnace flames out after 5 mins from cold start

We had a brand new Goodman furnace in our new condo do something similar a year after we bought our brand new condo. It would flame out multiple times, and then randomly decide to start working again. I'm not knowledgeable at all regarding anything HVAC, but I tried diagnosing all the different switches/sensors and came to my own conclusion that it was the control board as everything else appeared fine.

Asked for a technician to come and check it out and bring a replacement board; They forgot/neglected to bring the board, ran the same checks as I did and a bit more, but couldn't determine the problem. I rescheduled, this time insisting more assertively to bring a replacement board; They did on the second attempt and it has worked fine ever since.

Those hardware boards seem to be quite unreliable from what I've heard. It can't hurt to ask them to bring a replacement board to see if that fixes the issue.


The top tools appear to be dies - used for cutting screw threads on rods.  The lower tool appears to be a tap wrench (a tap is a tool a little like a drill bit, but used for cutting threads inside a hole).  The "winding and unwinding" action is to allow it to clamp to the tap; the wrench is then used to turn the tap in the hole.  The dies would also have had a wrench or handle with which to grip and turn them around the workpiece.

They are for use on metal.

See Wikipedia- Tap and die for more detail.


Since you’re not making your concrete patio as deep as the footers, your patio will be subject to frost heaving. This means that if you mechanically connect (e.g. build in a single pour) footers and patio, you’ll make your footers subject to frost heaving as well, even though they reach below the frost line.

I believe heaving of the patio might be mitigated if you pour it over a bed of crushed stone, like basement and garage slabs are done, but I don’t have experience with this.

Side note: you should use concrete tube forms regardless, as they will make your footers relatively smooth, making it much harder for anything subject to heaving to “catch” them and jack them up.


Can I replace a 40A water heater breaker with a 60A breaker to prevent trips?

TLDR:  there aren't that many things that handle electricity in a water heater - a couple of switches (unlikely to be them) and a big heating element. None of these parts are expensive.  Why not just fix the heater?  I don't know how to fix a heater but I know how to change a breaker - that's an effect my father referred to as "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic". And the cure is "school up".

Never up-size breakers!

I don't understand how humans develop the logic "Breaker size X trips, let's just use breaker size X+10 or 20 and maybe it won't trip anymore". I guess it's because they don't know why breaker sizes are chosen in the first place.

Breakers protect wires and appliances.  Without a correctly sized breaker,  the wire can overheat and start a fire.  Worse, it'll start it inside the walls, where it's impossible to put out a fire early - it will fully engage, there's nothing  you can do about it, and the house is done.

Or the equipment can have an internal fault that isn't detected by the breaker.  Of course appliances are safety tested; that's what Underwriter's Laboratories does, and they apply UL listings.  But a UL listing is only good if you install the appliance properly, and that includes the correct breaker size - UL can't vouch for a 30A appliance on a 60A breaker!

Obviously, the "up-size the breaker" mentality has already visited your house.  Almost all water heater circuits are 30A, and here you are already at 40A.  I suspect you've already had trip problems, you or the "last guy" has already up-sized the breaker, and that didn't work so here you are.  That is because the underlying problem is still there.  Your 60 will also trip, and you'll find yourself installing an 80, 100, 150, where does this end?   Why not just forget the breaker and go with this sub-feed lug kit?

See? It contains no breaker at all, just lugs.  Put a known-defective large appliance on no circuit protection whatsoever - what could possibly go wrong?

Well, a 60A breaker on a 30A large device and 30A wire is pretty much "no circuit protection whatsoever".

Or is this a GFCI problem?

You may have a water heater which isn't burning down the wires, just has a ground fault and is tripping a GFCI breaker.   GFCIs aren't required on water heaters, so you could hypothetically replace the GFCI with a plain breaker of the correct size (30A).  Boy, I hope your supply pipe is metal... However, again this does nothing to fix the underlying problem.

If it's a GFCI trip, the underlying problem is probably dirt/dust in the water heater wiring, or a faulty heating element.


You are going to need an adapter to get the hose attached to the compressor, then another adapter to get the compressor nipple attached to the hose. The adapters look like this:

This nipple comes in a variety of sizes, so you have to match it for intended usage. This nipple will go into the coupler on the compressor and female threaded end would be attached to the top end (as looking at the picture) of the hose. You'll need another similar nipple attached to the end of the tool end which looks like this:

You'll notice the big difference here is that it has a male threaded end. This (obviously) will go into the female threaded end on the tool.

These adapters can be made out of brass, aluminum, or what have you. For best results, I've used Teflon tape around the threads to minimize air leakage.


NEC 410.10.D The last sentence states marked for wet locations were subject to shower spray. I believe this is interpreted as any area inside the rim of the shower to be a wet location. I know IP54 = NEMA13 provides protection from water spray. None of the NEMA to IP cross references I have have a 4 for the first digit so I am not sure on IP44.


Why is my air conditioner running when the house is below the set temperature?

It sounds like the system is not actually "cooling". It sounds like it trying to dehumidify. An A/C system actually is a dehumidifier by its design. If the Temp of the residence is satisfied, and the A/C is still running, try turning up the humidistat higher. if the system turns off and returns to normal, then that is the issue. if it keeps running, then you will need to call a tech to come look at the system.


Should I use nails or screws for hanging drywall on the ceiling?

There is absolutely no reason to use nails in this day and age. I urge you to use 1 5/8" drywall screws.  There are several reasons.  Screws have much better holding power, they are actually faster to install, and they can be slightly counter sunk during installation to make mudding a lot easier ( especially with a drywall screw gun or a decent drywall bit that can be used in any drill).  Nails can loosen with age and "pop" out through the mud coat, cracking your paint.  The difference in price is negligible, but the difference in performance is massive. Drywall finish is the end result of a room project, the surface you will see for a very long time, don't cheat yourself.  Do it well, use screws and a good gun or bit.  Good Luck.


All these lines are connected, but it's not easy to say how without inspecting under the floor. I'd say there's a good chance the shower, possibly sink too, are connected to a one vent, and that drain is a wet vent for the toilet where they join further down stream. Then everything runs down to a main stack. That would be a fairly typical setup.

If you see bubbling in the toilet from the bath, or hear gurgling in the tub from the toilet, you may have a problem with a blocked vent. Otherwise, some movement can be expected. As the water rushes past the wye connection to the toilet, it causes some pressure changes pushing the water up or pulling it down on the other side of the trap (the toilet bowl). You're also likely to see that on a windy day just from wind blowing over the vent pipe on the roof. Other traps do the same thing, but you can't as easily see them.


How can I determine what is emitting chemical fumes in my home?

I doubt if it’s the styrofoam you’re smelling. It’s probably the chinking, especially if you’ve reinstalled or touched up lately.

All of the chinking manufacturers caution against touching, rubbing, etc. because of skin irritations and caution about inhalation.


Chinese Breaker Box (240v split-phase?) Lacks Neutral Wires and Grounding Bus

Don't the two hot legs need to be balanced if it's line to line to compensate for the fact that there's no neutral?

No, if there is no neutral then all the loads must be connected across phase to phase. In US terms this would mean that there are no 120V loads that need to be balanced.

I'm not convinced you have two hot legs from a US style split-phase supply.

The Chinese standards seem to be pick and mix of other countries standards. Note that Red=Live, Blue=Neutral, Green/Yellow=Earth is a valid colour combination in Australia.

The four "two-pole earth leakage breakers" (tengen DZ47LE-32 C16) are marked with N for Neutral at one connection.

I would therefore, naively perhaps, expect the blue wires to be neutral and to have zero or very low voltage with respect to the green/yellow ground wires.

I don't see any normal bus connectors, it seems the installer used red wires to construct buses live and instead of the neutral terminal that would be found in a UK consumer unit.

CE marked C16 circuit breakers should be 16A breakers with a "normal" sensitivity range.

  The blackening of the top screws of the old breaker is also concerning. Is too much resistance on the wire or screws/breaker a possible cause?

The clamping screws were not done up tight, the cables were not inserted correctly or the switch was passing too much current. Or all three.

Example, for comparison purposes, of an old and unusually neat UK equivalent showing copper bus bars at bottom connecting live feed to single-pole breakers, terminals at top for neutral and ground (these terminals are sometimes also called bus-bars). Note the copper bus bars normally have a plastic shield, and normally there is a cover that shields all the wiring with holes for access to the breakers only.

- Image by RF Lighting

Since China is not the UK, there may be entirely different exemplar Chinese installations that bear little relation to this. The question shows an installation where every breaker and switch has two poles. This means there is no need for a neutral terminal connector strip. However the neutral wires linking adjacent "earth-leakage breakers" form an improvised bus.


Where does ground of wall socket actually go?

It depends on your country, some countries do it slightly differently.
The North American approach is that the power company supplies hots and neutral.   You establish ground right at the house with 2 "nails" as you say, that are 2.5m long.  (8 feet).   Also, neutral and ground are bonded to each other at the main service point ONLY (the service disconnect aka main breaker)... so if a lightning strike comes in from the power company, it should take the bond over to the aforementioned grounding rods.
Of course in fact, lightning goes everywhere.
Further, power distribution lines in lightning country are supposed to have a "ground" wire running along the very top, above the main conductors, that is supposed to catch the lightning.  Also, the 3 hot wires (distribution uses only 3 hots, no neutral yet) are supposed to have lightning arrestors (VBO devices) that insulate normal voltages but conduct lighting to ground.   A lightning arrestor is an arrangement that brings the conductor close to a ground conductor, and the gap is wide enough that service currents won't leap the gap, but lightning will.


6 wire doorbell chime installation with Google Nest doorbell

Does your doorchime do a ding-dong for one door, and a dong for the other door? If so, it looks very similar to the wiring here:

Friedland Doorbell Manual

0 (top left) is common and not connected to anything inside the chime

T or 3 is transformer (which Google Nest may call TRANS)

1 is push for door 1 (which Google Nest may call FRONT)

2 is push for door 2 (or REAR, leave this wire connected to 2)

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9247327?hl=en


PVC Pipe for sprinkler system broken in multiple places

I do not miss those California sprinkler systems.

You have a long thin L shaped strip that needs to be watered, bounded by a wall on one side and concrete on the other.

My proposition: abandon the underground sprinkler system.  It is loudly telling you it is more trouble and expense than it is worth.

Underground sprinklers are nice and unobtrusive for expanses of lawn and formal gardens.  You have neither.  You can easily run an aboveground length of PVC along the base of your wall.  You could salvage sprinkler units from your old system and position them along the new PVC completely above ground, pointing away from your wall.

Everything will be in view and easy to maintain.  Leaks will be immediately obvious.  Your new pipe will be against the wall and so out of harm's way as regards people walking or mowing.  The roots can do what they want underneath.


Can I put a "U" turn in my range hood exhaust duct?

The person that told you grease will collect there was correct.
The other issue is each bend creates flow restrictions reducing the flow from the blower. Everything may work fine with 1 or 2 elbows but 4 is beyond the norm and your hood may not work well plus the built in grease trap.
I would try and lower the hood 4” and box that in it may look “different “ but a straight run until you can go up would be a better plan.


Possible causes: (not all of them equally likely)

Burrowing.
Poor compacting prior to paving.
Wood e.g roots, logs, garbage left under the gravel now decomposing.
Could be water erosion, perhaps a burst pipe.  That would probably be obvious though.

I'd make a small effort to determine what's causing it, but at this stage I wouldn't make too much effort at that, and jump quickly to exactly what you are planning to do.   If the situation returns I'd then dig it up and figure out what's causing it.
I wouldn't assume it's burrowing just because there is burrowing somewhere else.
It's a clue.  I have chipmunks, rabbits, groundhogs, voles, and hornets digging up my lawn constantly but I've never seen any of them burrow all the way under a paved driveway for no reason.   Might be a question of Outdoors SE.


L6-20 outlets do not carry a neutral, just two hots and ground and provides 240 volts only. As such, you cannot safely get 120 volts out of it without using a step-down transformer.

Using ground as neutral is not safe and is not allowed by the electrical code.

If you had a 240/120 volt outlet such as a 14-20, then you could safely make a splitter to two L5-20 using one hot and the neutral to each (as well as ground, of course).


Whats the maximum power in WATTS for this type of cable?

That load should be all right. The wire you named is considered good for 1920 watts continuously (3 hours or more at a time). This assumes 120 volt AC power as used in North America, Colombia,  parts of Ecuador and parts of Philippines.

In other parts of the world that use 230V for power, the wire can carry even more watts.

However the 1920 watts is for all loads drawing from that circuit   if you were to turn off the breaker, whatever else lost power is also on that circuit.


You are looking at a swaged cable end, specifically a threaded tensioning type of end. Special tools are needed to perform the swaging, especially if the part is stainless. I've used hand swaging tools for aircraft cable, but the fittings are far more malleable than stainless.
But you're in luck, as my searches found swageless cable components specifically made for cable railings, or as in your case, cable fencing.
From the above linked site:

The one thing all of these Swageless Wire Rope Fittings have in common
is that there is no crimping. The swageless fittings that you’ll find
on this page are designed for cable railings. There’s two reasons for
that, one is that they’re Type 316 SS and the other is they’re
designed for normal working load limits needed to tension cable
railing. The push-lock and pull-lock designs are the fastest to
install because you insert the cable and it self-locks with the
internal springs. The other designs utilize a plug (sometimes called a
cone or wedge) which must be manually placed on to the center wire(s)
prior to securing the outer fitting housing. These swageless wire
fittings designed for wire rope fittings are field installed.

You may get away with using a joiner:

or any number of various terminators, including the quick attach stud version:

All images from the linked site.


Water heater working when flushing a toilet

Do you have a mixing valve somewhere in the supply to the toilet ?

In cold climates it is common to mix some hot water in with the cold so that the water supplied to the tank does not cause condensation on the outside of the tank do to a temperature difference between the water and the ambient room temp.

Thus if your toilet is calling for water it will use some hot water from the  hot water heater.


At this point in the game I think your best bet will be to get some paint and finish remover and brush it on to the spindles and remove everything. Then you can sand, prime and paint.  T would have thought that the contractors would have known what would happen if you used the Tremclad over urethane. i must be old school because I hate to see finished wood painted over. Good luck.


How do I seal a vapor barrier on my basement walls if I have none from the floor above?

Vapor barriers tend to be one of the most hotly debated topics in home building. I redid a basement in MN a few years ago and ultimately went with Building Science Corporation's recommendation which would apply to your climate as well. See this answer for details: https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/8644/1209

Summary: Do not use a vapor barrier. Instead use EPS or XPS foam for your insulation which will act as a vapor retarder, but not trap moisture like a barrier would.


How to join chain link and wooden fence?

I would use the metal post designed to work with the chain link fence, however, here is a youTube example of how to attach chain link to wood.  As you can see, it does not look particularly great.


How can I determine if I have cracked drain pipes under the basement cement slab

If you have some idea about what pipes may be broken, and they can be accessed from somewhere, you can check the pipes with a camera. It's like an endoscopy for your house.

Some plumbers offer this service, search for it online.


How should I secure the inner ring of bearing race to a wooden frame?

Since wood glues tend to be stronger than wood itself in my experience anyway, gluing the dowel to the board sounds like a solid plan to me with one exception...

I'd suggest reversing the order.  Secure the dowel in the bearing first, since that step will put more potential strain on both parts.  Particularly if the dowel breaks, you don't want it to be permanently affixed to the board when it does.

Compared to the force necessary to wedge the dowel into the bearing, the insertion into a hole in the board with glue in it will be trivial amounts of pressure.


How can I attach a garden hose to my sink faucet?

Yes, but it won't be pretty. There's a fitting designed to let you hook up a dishwasher to a sink faucet. They come in both temporary and permanent varieties. Don't ignore the removable kind as that might be exactly what you need if your hose use is just occasional. From there, you can get another fitting to step up the dishwasher connection to a garden hose size connection.

Just realize that you're not going to get much volume/pressure out of a sink.

If you don't need a garden hose per-se but just a hose-like think for short range use, investigate a bath store like Bed Bath and Beyond. There exist rubber hand-held shower products that are designed to fit on to the end of a bath spout or screw on to a sink.


How can I fill a wheelbarrow tire when the bead is gapped away from the rim?

Looks like the typical gap one gets when mounting a tubeless tire.  You'll need to get the bead to seat against the rim as you pump air (hopefully quickly) into the tire - a hand pump might not do it.

Sometimes you can jiggle the tire to effect a temporary seal around the bead as your compressor dumps air in.  Using a clip-on tire chuck will help.

Some folks "squeeze" the tire with a strap around the tread area.  I've seen a device called a bead expander, and this guy shows the use of some large tie-wraps to achieve the same thing.


USUALLY, for the sake of aesthetics, wood flooring is laid parallel to the longest wall(s). There are times, though, when - because of the floor joist direction and lack of rigidity in the subfloor - the other (perpendicular to the longest walls) direction is better.

If the flooring is laid crosswise to the floor joists, it's easier to get the mopboards/baseboards scribed or flexed to match it - there's less ripple.


Roll up some fiberglas insulation like a jelly roll, so you can stuff it into the opening. Keep it recessed about one-half inch, so it acts like a foam backer except non-combustible. Make it a tight fit. Remove the front cover if you prefer, and tape a piece of heavy plastic over the electricals so you can just access the gap.
Fill the new gap with plaster or drywall compound, flush with the existing wallboard. A masking tape barrier will keep the mud from touching the panel box. Re-install the front cover, then sand and paint to match.


What is the purpose of ABS pipe in an irrigation manifold

It appears the black pipe is there to protect against impact damage. Were it not there the PVC could shatter relatively easy since it degrades in sunlight.


Can I demo plaster walls but somehow keep the window casing?

One of the main purposes of moldings, such as the trim around doors and windows (called casings), is to act as a barrier and seal to wind and water intrusion. Moldings on wall between vertical boards, called battens served a similar purpose. The decorative element was an extra benefit (unless you are an extreme modernist/minimalist who wants totally flat featureless transitions).

Since the days of rough hewn houses, our water and wind protection has improved overall. However casing still are a significant protector, especially against air leaks in cold climates.

Casings provide the protection in two ways -  they create a convoluted path for any air to get through by overlapping both the door frame (jamb) and the wall material (plaster, wallboard, paneling, etc); and they they fit tightly and are generally sealed to the other two parts with paint and often with caulk.

Your first approach will compromise both of those features. Your are effectively creating a butt joint with no overlap.  The path for air is directly perpendicular to the wall and the casing. The joint will likely crack at some point, even if you mud or caulk. Those seals work well when they are used in a corner that meets at a right angle, with one member going behind the other, not a butt joint. If you add an additional molding, you still have a butt joint along the edge of the original casing that might crack, and you are complicating your profile.

The second approach solves that problem, but getting the old plaster and lath out, and getting a tight fit pushing forward against the in-place casing will be hard.

The third approach seems much harder, but actually may be easier and less time consuming than the first or the second. Once the casings are off, removing the plaster remnants will be much easier. If you carefully score the joints around the casings and where they meet at the top with a utility knife, pry them off using a small catspaw type prybar, pull the nails through the back of the casing, lightly sand the chipped paint off the edges before reattaching, it should be quite manageable. It sounds harder than it is.

Even if you were to crack a molding or two in the process, they can be glued back together, and once painted, will seem whole.

P.S. My house was built in 1869, renovated in 1905, and renovated again in 1999. In the last reno, the above process is exactly what was done, leaving great early 20th century details, smooth walls and tight seams.


Should I put a basement dehumidifier on a timer, or trust the hygrometer?

From an overall point of view, it'd be slightly more efficient to run it on a timer with the hygrometer set to your arbitrary humidity choice. Doing that won't make much (if any) difference in the compressor's run time, but it'll force the air-circulation fan to shut off instead of continuously sampling room air.


Distribution of lengths of power outages

Ask your local regulatory agency. They will probably have that information.

However, the usual practice for anything but critical servers is to decide how long you will need to finish what you were working on, save it, and shut down cleanly.

If you really want to run for many hours, the simplest answer is just to use a laptop machine. They are designed for power efficiency and to run for hours off their internal batteries, and effectively have their own UPS built in.


Wiring a bilge pump with different size wires

The big deal with DC is the distance using the larger wire as the feeder will reduce the voltage drop. You will be fine using the 16 awg wire in the fuse holder with the 12 awg. Suggestion if you use crimp connectors fill them with silicon sealer , even bathroom calking will work then stuff your wires in and crimp this will make the connections moisture proof and anyone that works on marine electrical knows how the connections corrode away if not sealed. I have used this trick on my boats regularly used in saltwater and have never had a bad splice even a decade later.


3/4" drywall is getting more common (not common just more) in my area in garages.   Here is an example.
I can see this being a new standard because of fire ratings.   I did an apartment building a few years back and there were a few areas where I had to use this - including hvac room and elevator backing.   I have never "had" to use it in residential but could definitely seeing a builder do this for garages, especially garages that are nestled inside two story houses.


How do I remove wobble from my DIY table?

Your table and legs and floor are turning into parallelograms.  This is because the legs have no resistance against swinging on their mounts.

I suspect that these legs are not designed to prevent this, because they expect the desk surface will be anchored in both dimensions by something else, e.g. Being attached to a wall.

You will either need to select different legs, or find a way to brace these.  This is why most desks and chairs have some sort of cross bracing between legs, but you need more than that, or you'll just have more parallelograms.

If it were me, I would use steel angled shelf brackets that have a nice triangle shape to them, and drill and tap appropriate machine screws into the legs, using the steel in the legs to hold the screws.  I would not drill through the hollow legs and use a bolt and nut, because all that would do is squash the hollow leg.  You would need to learn the fine art of using a hand tap, and it would also help to get centerpunches to get the pilot holes in the right place, but that is not excessively hard.  Just tedious.


Proper size drain and venting behind new bathtub

yes that will be fine.  vent size increase as they go UP and more lines get tied into it. the size of drain lines increase as they go DOWN and more lines get tied together.  so yes a 1½ drain and vent can tie into a 2" vent and drain,  as long as it's an individually vented fixture


How to avoid air bubble under the floor ceramic-tile?

By "no other covering over it" - I assume you mean you didn't properly prep the sub floor, and so you put down ceramic tile over an uneven surface.

Which means you didn't "develop" an air bubble (an air bubble won't form under inflexible ceramic tile like it will under vinyl), but rather, you put the tile down over voids, so there was nothing to support the tile.

The ONLY fix for this is to remove the tile completely, level the floor (I suggest floor leveling compound), then put down a layer of Ditra (orange grid flexible underlayment that protects the tile itself), then the appropriate depth of mastic and re-tile.

There is no other way to fix an improperly prepared subsurface when dealing with rigid tiles like ceramic.


Using 6 gallon hot water tank as recirculation device

Let's say we're dealing with 70 gallons of water, and we're adding heat just by running a circulation pump to stir the water around. And, let's say the pump is a standard hydronic circulation pump of 100 watts (they actually seem to be a bit less). And, let's say that all of that 100W goes into moving the water about, which then decays into 100W of heat through friction.

100W is the same as 340 BTU/hour, where one BTU heats a pound of water by 1 degree F (love them Imperial units!). 70 gallons is 580 pounds of water, so we'll be raising the temperature of our water by 1.7°F per hour. If we start with 60°F water, and want 120°F water, then we'll want to end up with 60°F of temperature rise, which will take about 36 hours. But, we guessed high a few times in our calculations, so I'll estimate it would take closer to 100 hours to get up to temperature.

But, that's with no heat loss whatsoever. To avoid losing significant amounts of your precious heat, you'll have to insulate it all so that when the water is at 120°F the temperature falls less than a degree per hour. That isn't easy for a single tank; add in pipes and it becomes really hard.

After all that, here is my answer to your question: no.


How can I drain a low pan into a drain at standard sink height?

Move the tub’s connection to the drain lower at the wall (may need to make a hole) or put the dog tub higher. There are not a lot of options here.

If all else fails then a solution would be to drain the tub into a container on the floor and have an electric (or manual) pump to pump the water into the drain as it gets close to full.


Just mount a couple 2x4's horizontally on the wall with whatever anchor you prefer, and mount the white board to the 2x4's.  A regular 2x4 is 1-1/2" thick.  The 2x4's will get you just over the conduit as long as you can avoid the set screws on the coupling.  If you need to go a little thicker, you could screw a strip of plywood on top of the 2x4's to add another 1/2" or 3/4".


The backboard is part of the anti-racking structure and very much needed and used by just about every closet.

Backboard where the nails where pulled through can be reused a few times by putting the nails into new holes. At least until the edge is too chewed up.

As for replacement you can take a chunk of the board with you.


Don't "attach to drywall" if a stud is available.

Seriously.  You can have some pretty large insert/remove forces on a socket - 10 or 20 pounds.  Drywall is chalk covered with paper. It is simply not made to bear that, and the goofy "wings" that grab-the-drywall boxes use won't hold up to the strain.

If it was a switch, maybe not so bad... but for a recep, no, definitely use any means necessary to screw into that stud with a box capable of that.

I would go for a steel box because it will attach well to screws with no risk of tearing out... and then use wood screws with either a 90 degree ratchet screwdriver, or a hex head screw and a wrench.  Royal PITA, once, and then the job is done first-rate and you never have to sweat it again.

Now that we're not using it for attachment, that drywall damage is just an "oops". Cover that with an  extended cover plate, which are widely sold for just that purpose.


Will live power plug dropped into swimming pool kill the swimmer?

Water and power don't go together. Could it be lethal? The answer is yes.

A similar problem occurs at marinas and boat docks, I believe the last I read at least 5 people a year die each year in the US from stray currents causing involuntary muscle spasms leading to drowning.

Water breaks down the skin resistance and this makes us more susceptible to shock. Water is not a good conductor and distilled water is actually an insulator so while the electrons are trying to find their way back to the source, a body coming in contact with ground becomes a faster way back resulting in a severe shock and possibly electrocution. This problem in the stray currents is not usually line voltage, but a cord end in the water would be line voltage - 120v in the US, 240 on your side of the pond would be worse.

I believe your RCDs are set at 30ma with your feet on the ground this sounds safe to me, but in the water the effects can be worse because muscle spasms. On dry land the slight spasms many times remove you from the danger but in the water you can't get away and when you contact a grounded surface trying to get out the shock gets worse. In the US our GFCI devices trip at less than 6ma, all 120v outdoor outlets including ones around pools are required to be protected for this reason. Hope that helps.


Can I use a 30A backfeed breaker when I'm not using the generator?

That should be physically impossible, and the "outlet" should not be an outlet (it should be a boxed plug).

If it's physically possible and the outlet is an outlet, it's not a generator input unless you enjoy having your service terminated when the power company finds out about it. So remove any "generator" label, take apart the suicide cord, and use the outlet as an outlet.

It's quite possible to backfeed in a safe and correct manner with a listed manual interlock (the main OR the generator can be on, both can be off, but both cannot be on, by physical interlock preventing that) and a boxed-plug input to the backfeed breaker. You absolutely do not need a (generally overpriced) transfer switch.

This is a manual interlock for a Square-D QO panel - there are other styles for other panel types/brands.

Here's a typical correct generator input, fed from an extension cord with a receptacle on the end that won't (easily) electrocute you.


Why does my breaker trip when I turn a light on?

If you're saying that the breaker pops when the switch it turned to the 'on' position and nothing is in the socket, it is possible if you had the 'hot' on one connection and 'neutral' on the second connection of a single pole switch, that every time you turn the switch on, you're effectively touching hot to neutral, causing the breaker to trip.

If this is a new leg/pull/circuit, I'd look for stripped sections. Otherwise, this sounds like either the socket or the switch are not wired correctly. I'd assume that something is wired hot to neutral off the switch.

Otherwise, you probably have a short somewhere between the socket and the switch. I would check for anywhere wire could be stripped unintentionally:

Knockouts
Corners
Anything that is 'squeezed' into place
Staples (especially non NM rated staples)
Bored holes in studs, joists, etc.

Also, there is a slight chance that the breaker is old and needs to be replaced. It's rare, but I've seen breakers that fail, and can be reset.

I would be surprised if going to a new GFCI socket or breaker resolves this issue.


How to install casings on 5/8" drywall and 1/2" window/door jambs

You have a few options:

Place the casing over the drywall and jamb as usual, and let it tilt a bit due to the 1/8in difference.

When you apply the caulking to the seams, the difference will not be noticeable.
The bevel joints at the jamb corners will be slightly dipped, and you can minimize the visual distraction by applying some drywall compound and sanding it.
The drywall panel and the jamb are rarely ever perfectly flush anyway.

If however you require more precise results, you can add a 1/8 filler such as strips of "door skin" at the jamb so that the casing fits flat over the drywall.

Then apply caulking to fill the 1/8 gap at the jamb.
You can also combine the two and fill with only 1/16in. This makes the gap smaller but leaves a bit of a tilt.

with a table saw, trim off 1/8 thickness from the bottom of the casing, along its length, but only for about 1/2 of the casing's width.

If your jamb is 1in thick, and you want the casing half-on (1/2in on jamb), and you have 1/2-in shim spacing, you'll have 1in that needs full casing thickness, and the remainder will be over drywall and will need to be trimmed. For 2in wide casing that's half its width, for 2.5in wide casing (most populat) that's 1.5in of the width that needs its thickness trimmed etc...
This will provide a snug and level fit on both the jamb and the drywall. You need to set the blad height to half the width of the casing, and the fence at 1/8 (almost at the blade) and feed the casing on its side.
Which one you choose is a matter of aesthetics, tools and time.


Even though those existing anchors may be able to hold you up as you hang from the bar do you really want to trust it? I know I would not trust it. Hanging anything from a concrete ceiling is risky.

Hey even look at the fastener that you put in the picture. There is a fracture in the concrete that passes right through that area.

I would strongly suggest that you devise some type of stand for the pullup bar that sits on the floor and is built with materials that you know and trust to be reliable. Something like building an A-Frame assembly on two sides to hold up the bar.


How do I determine why all outlets on a breaker stopped working, but the hot-grounds are still 120V?

Sounds like you have an open (i.e. broken or loose/disconnected) neutral wire.


"Clip" projector directly to ceiling without "arm-mount"

Just use thumbscrews to attach the projector to a low profile mount, like this one. This approach allows you to maintain the positioning settings of the mount and have the projector free of mounting hardware when you detach it for use elsewhere.

Alternatively, build a small wooden box or shelf and set the projector on it when you want to use it. If you use a shelf like the one pictured below, you can use hooks instead of eye bolts for mounting so that most of the shelf can be taken down when not in use.


does dryer lint come into my bathroom through the air vent?

It's mostly a guess based on the minimal information provided, but I doubt you're seeing dryer lint. Dust fibers from clothing and toilet tissue accumulate on exhaust fan grilles. They need to be pulled down and cleaned at least annually.

Actually, the fan blades do, too. In some cases the moisture and dust conditions are so severe that the blades get completely coated and blocked over time, such that the fan moves virtually no air.


is there such a thing as a 120V XENON G6.35 bulb

My apologies, but I must revise my original answer.

There are "xenon" bulbs that are actually halogen bulbs filled with xenon gas. But what many consider to be a xenon bulb is an HID bulb filled with xenon. You must have a ballast associated with an HID light (halogens are not HID, there are no ballasts).

I cannot find a 120V xenon halogens with a G6.35 base, either. I do see several 12V and 24V xenon halogen bulbs (OSRAM HLX); but otherwise, 120V xenon halogens have G8 bases (I don't think that OSRAM even has a G8 base; OSRAM does has a G8.5 base).

Since a xenon halogen bulb is generally lower wattage and has a lower operating temperature than halogen, you could probably retrofit the halogen lamp (if you absolutely love or need the lamp housing and are willing to go the extra mile to convert it to xenon) without needing to worry about the housing burning up. In such a case, I would recommend ordering a G8 base to retrofit your halogen lamp housing (but definitely make sure the xenon bulb that you purchase has a lower wattage than your current halogen, just to be safe). Also you need to make sure the G8 base can fit into your lamp housing, and that you are able to swap bases in your lamp housing. You should probably write a note inside the cover of the lamp regarding the change, including what was taken out... or better yet the actual specifications.

I also wonder about the alternative possibility of adding a transformer to convert 120V to 24V. Again you would need to pay attention to the wattage, especially with respect to an added transformer. For example, OSRAMS EHJ 64655 HLX bulb is a 10,000 lumen, 250 watt (10.4? amps x 24 V) bulb that might leave you blind and start a fire.

The real deal with halogen (incandescent bulbs) is that 99% of the gas is either argon, xenon, or krypton or a blend; and only 1% is actually halogen (usually iodine). The effect of using 99% xenon instead of argon is a minor improvement to the quality. In this case however, xenon is a little better than krypton or argon. Sometimes the manufacturer will use xenon and not even bother mentioning it (except in the technical data sheets like OSRAM's - Xenophot® technology (HLX)), while other manufacturers will outright claim that they have a xenon bulb (and paint it blue, and increase the cost- it's sales pitch).

On the other hand, it is also fair to admit that a xenon HID bulb is actually just a metal halide usually (mercury) in xenon gas.


The elbow looks good, but what happens after that seems to be a mess.

Circled in red appears to be a flared adapter, which is connected to the valve using far too much dope to tell exactly what's going on. I'd assume by the large amount of dope, that it's the wrong type of fitting.

Circled in orange appears to be a galvanized steel nipple, which has tape dope in the threads. First off, that should be a black steel nipple, not a galvanized steel nipple. Second, it's atypical for a gas fitter to use tape dope. This would lead me to believe that the nipple was installed by an amateur.

I would expect to see a short black steel nipple threaded into the elbow, followed by a valve threaded onto the nipple. The valve should either have a flare fitting, or a flare fitting should be attached to the other side of the valve. The supply piping (commonly a flexible fitting), should attach to the flare fitting.

If this was in my house, I'd remove everything back to the elbow. Then I'd install the proper fittings.


Can driveway fabric (petro-mat) be used DIY?

I talked to one of the petro-mat sellers and found out that the standard petro-mat needs a liquid "tack coat" poured down before the geotextile is put down.  Typically the fabric is put down with a special machine.  To put it down manually would ideally involve four people, one standing at each corner, because if folds or wrinkles form, the piece has to be thrown out and you have to start fresh.  One could do patchwork, with reasonably sized sections, to make it more workable.  But the tack coat is very hot asphalt with no gravel, I think -- which is beyond this DIYer.
Some more googling led me to another type of petro-mat that doesn't required the initial tack coat.  For this one, you just clean the driveway thoroughly, fill any cracks at least half an inch wide, and lay it down.  It sticks to the driveway and stays put nicely while the asphalt is being put down.  Description:

The GlasGrid System capitalizes on the high tensile stiffness of fiberglass. Its grid configuration features fiberglass strands coated with an elastomeric polymer. Each strand has a remarkably high modulus of elasticity that makes GlasGrid stronger than steel by weight.
A pressure-activated adhesive coating on the underside of the grid makes GlasGrid one of the fastest-to-install interlayer systems.

I plan to make an appointment with a residential paving service to have a new layer of asphalt put on my driveway.  The previous weekend I will clean it thoroughly, use a knife to clear out the bigger cracks, fill them with the DIY crack treatment, and then the day of the asphalt appointment, I will lay out the glass grid geotextile and stick it down.  I'll let the asphalt people do their regular thing.
I think that the occasional small depression should get evened out through the normal paving process, so I don't plan to do anything to those spots in advance.
The challenge now is to get a small piece of glass grid.  It comes in very large rolls since this material is not currently marketed to the residential consumer.  However, one of the sales people connected me to a paver three hours away who works with glass grid, and he has agreed to send me a remnant next time he has some leftover from a big parking lot.  (None of the pavers in my area have the slightest idea geotextiles even exist.)


How do I identify what my house is built of under stucco

Since you're going to hang something on it, you're going to make a hole anyway.  Just make that hole your test hole, and if you hit wood or brick, it will be pretty obvious with even a small bit.  Then get the appropriate bolt/screw for the wall, expand the hole as necessary, and do the install.

I'd recommend against checking from the inside since the first thing you'll see is wood sheathing even if there's brick outside (unless you're as unlucky as me and see sheet rock installed behind aluminum siding, but I digress).  You'd have to go through the insulation, through the sheathing, and through the house wrap, to see if there is any brick or other material before the stucco.  At that point, there's a good chance you'll punch a hole right through the stucco anyway.


Can I add a separate neutral wire to my cooktop/range circuit?

That "sistering" is called paralleling and you can't do that, as a lot of bad things can occur, including a fire.
Further, you cannot run just a separate neutral wire even if it was the right size. That's in NEC 300.3 -- all related wires must be in the same cable.  There's a very good reason for that -- electric wires kick massive EMFs, and as long as the wires are together, those EMFs will cancel each other out.  If current is going in a loop (out one cable back the other), then anything between those cables (e.g. cable staple) becomes the core of a transformer, and heats up. It also causes vibration (the F is for Force) and vibration causes metal fatigue, cracking, overheat and arcing, which starts fires.

I'm sorry you did not install the proper cable, but you also did not read the instructions.   NEC 110.3(B) says you must install the equipment according to the labeling and instructions, which obviously implies that you gotta read 'em LOL.
Unfortunately my best suggestion is to chalk the wire cost up to "tuition expense", buy the right thing, and proceed from there.
If you can't sell the 6/2 on Craigslist, I would advise leaving it in the wall in case "the next guy" decides to go back to separate oven/cooktop again.  Ovens need 6/3 for the oven light, but cooktops generally only need 240V so 6/2 is plenty.


How to deal with little holes in shower's tiled wall

Alternatives:

Remove screws and fully dry the holes and tiles there. Then back fill the holes with a colored epoxy that color matches close to the tile.
Back fill the holes with a tile grout material of color similar to the tile color.
Break or cut out the tile with the holes and replace with one of the spare left over tiles from the original installation job. (Hoping that you have such tile).


YES.

I can't vouch for what "3-wire set" means.  I suspect it only made sense in context of that other question (you didn't get it out of NEC).

Cable in Conduit: Yes actually, but it sux

You ARE allowed to run cable in conduit, in two modes. You can either use it as physical armor only (for which sched 40 PVC is inadequate), or you can use it in the conduit wiring method, however that requires excessively large conduit to meet the fill rules.  Both require excessively large masochism to pull those stiff, balky things.  Not a job I would want!

The three grounds/1 ground point problem can be solved by pigtailing.

A single circuit of 50A is allowed to use #8 THHN, if the terminations at both ends are rated for 75C temperature.  You cannot use #8 NM or UF cable at 50A, because it is not allowed to go to 75C temperature. (but weirdly, NM-B uses the 90C column only for the derate I'm about to describe.)

Thermal derate

Let's go through the math.  NEC 310.15(B)(3)(a) requires you derate conductors based on how many are in the pipe. In split-phase systems, neutral and ground don't count, so you have 3 circuits and thus 6 wires.  6 wires requires a 20% thermal derate off wire max.

The only thing in the conduit is THHN wire which is allowed to 90C (terminations aren't, but they're not in the conduit). As such, you can use 55A as your basis.  The 90C number for #8 is 55A.

That derates to 44A. You get to round up to the next breaker size. Nobody makes a 45A breaker, so welcome to 50A.

Conduit size and aluminum

You'll need 1" conduit for seven #8 Cu wires.  If you use 3/4" EMT metal conduit, metal conduit is the ground, and  six #8Cu wires will just fit at limits.
Aluminum might be your friend

You could use #6 aluminum instead for cost.  There's nothing wrong with it at these large sizes. However if the water heater's terminations are not rated for it (CO-ALR) you would need to pigtail the aluminum wires to #8 copper. Price the needed Polaris connectors versus the savings in wire.

You need 1" conduit for six #6Al wires + 1 bare Cu ground.


This wiring is insane.  It's so wrong it's not even funny.

They used 14/2 cable, which is half the necessary size, and will start a fire if used to power a dryer.

They also wired it up simply matching colors to colors. It is obvious that the person who wired it never actually tried it, and good thing too.

I get the impression that they did this to meet some statutory requirement, such as a buyer demand/seller commitment to fit an electric dryer outlet.  Either the seller DIYed it in a hurry without even thinking about the four terminals, or intentionally faked it to get to closing.

However, if they were exceptionally dumb, they may have put 240V across hot and neutral, which would have fried the dryer's motor and controls.

If the unit was used at all, it may be that someone had a gas dryer that someone had installed a NEMA 14-30 plug onto (which is wrong to do), and then they moved here, and put this in to match the weird wiring on their gas dryer.

Regardless, this is entirely unfit for service for an electric dryer.  The receptacle is salvageable.  The cable is not.  It will need to be re-pulled with a 10/3 (black white red bare) NM (Romex) or UF type.


Can I build a French drain with old concrete and brick instead of rock?

These materiasl will work. Lining the trench with landscape fabric and wrapping it over the top (of the rubble) will keep silt from clogging your drain.  For higher volume flow, I'd add a perforated pipe at the bottom, but it's surely overkill for just a sink.

Definitely make your rubble somewhat uniform, for best support for the overburden (assuming you are burying the drain).


Furnace Draft Inducer Repair: is previously installed back plate necessary?

While those answers may apply to some degree, I know the plate does create a restriction, which causes a slight vacuum in the blower section.  This vacuum is used on some furnaces to actuate the diaphragm pressure/vacuum safety switch.  If you have a diaphragm switch hose leading from the blower housing, then you'll find the furnace will not start gas flow unless that plate is in-place and creating the vacuum signal for the diaphragm safety switch.  Ask me how I know...  duh.


Creating a dam for the creek in our back yard:

The location of a waterfall, rapids etc. is not choosable by humans, it is defined by the lay of the land.  You need to start with an elevation map of the land, i.e. what the elevations are at each point.  That will tell you a waterfall/rapids will be possible.

Once you have located a viable location, then just move your house there :)   Seriously, see if you can re-grade the land so it is favorable for your water feature.

Just don't trifle with water projects...


For any load bearing construction, you want wood-on-wood carrying the load, rather than lateral bolts carrying a shearing load.  Give your bed some legs.

You can still screw it to the wall, but the load should be going from the wood frame, to wood legs, to floor.


Is it ok to unsolder an outdoor spigot and to solder back a new one without cutting the copper pipe?

It's not mentioned in instructions because a professional wouldn't do it that way if they had a choice.

You need to get the water out of the line to heat it enough to melt the solder. That's easy enough when the pipe has been cut apart, but less so when you open the valve several inches away.
While heating, the pipe will get soft and you risk deforming it if you apply lots of torque to remove the fixture.
To apply the torque, you'll need some pliers since the pipe will be very hot from the blow torch. Trying to juggle pliers, a blow torch, and a very hot fixture with melting solder coming off of it is asking for trouble.
Once removed, you need to clean the threads of any solder and corrosion to be usable again.

That last part will take a lot of time to do right. In the interest of time, and to do the job right, professionals will cut the pipe a short distance back and replace it with new pipe. As a favor to the next person behind you, I'd recommend using pipe dope on the threaded connection rather than solder. This way the fixture can simply be unscrewed and replaced without a blow torch and opening up the walls.


To my untrained eye, it does appear to be mold. The would indicate a moisture problem. The first place I would look is bathroom exhaust fan vents, they need to exhaust outside of the house, through the roof or out the siding, not into the attic space. Next I would check for ventilation, often in the form of soffit and ridge vents, but could also be gable vents. They need to be unobstructed. If neither of these appear to be the cause, then there could be a leak in the roof.

With any moisture sources solved, the typical remedy for the mold itself is a bleach solution, being careful to not get it on your skin, clothes, or anything else that could be damaged.


Caulk is not a plumbing solution, and was never the right way to install a drain. (Plumber's putty is also on its way to the bin of history, having been supplanted by more reliable and less messy synthetic gaskets.) You need new gaskets or an entirely new assembly.

The only difficult part about tub plumbing is usually access. If you can get to the area in question, the rest is somewhat academic. Parts are generally fairly standardized and information abounds.


Is there any fixes to this issue without cutting a new lower hole in the wall pipe?

reinstate the previous sink.
replace the new sink with a new shallower one.
raise the new sink higher.

The sensible choice may be to insert a new tee fitting lower in the wall pipe and remove or cap the higher one.


How to convert fan switch to new light switch?

Yes you can use the existing box that supports the bedroom light as  a junction box.  Run a 14-2 from there, black to red and white to white, all grounds together. The other end of this can now be used for the new lights in the bed room. Good luck.


Should I set wood fence posts in quikrete with no supplemental water?

No. Unless you live in a swamp, there won't be enough moisture, and even if you do it won't be mixed with the cement properly. The concrete will be dry, crumbly, and have no strength. Just mix it like the directions say.


The garage door Drive Chain Sprocket Won't Move

Inside the garage door opener there is going to be a gear reduction system to adapt the motor speed to the chain sprocket speed. This speed reduction system also increases the motor torque at the sprocket so that a relatively small motor can easily pull the chain and move the garage door up and down.

Trying to turn the sprocket directly can be difficult if the gearing system uses all normal straight gears. On the other hand if the gearing system uses a worm gear drive it would be next to impossible to directly turn the sprocket. This picture will explain a worm gear drive.

So you should not jump to conclusions at to if the opener is broken or not. It will require testing. Sometimes the best way to do that is to unhang the opener and chain bar and test the assembly on the garage floor.


Porch construction: orientation of flooring boards (perpendicular or parallel to siding)

That's a "breadboard end", and it's simply a design element.
There is no requirement for it that I'm aware of. If you do an internet search for deck images, you'll see a wide variety of decks with and without this type of breadboard edging, and the ones with it will have it in varying widths. It's purely aesthetic.
The most important thing is to have metal flashing that runs up under the last piece of siding above the deck and across the top of that tripled ledger board. The metal will help shunt water off the top of the ledger instead of letting it sit there and rot it out.


What will I need to repair the grout in a small section of my bathroom?

You can remove the existing grout with a grout saw. Your local hardware stores should sell one.

The catch here is re-grouting. You can buy pre-mix grout in pints at some big-box stores, but be prepared for it to not match your existing grout. You may need to saw all the grout out and redo it afresh.

I would remove the toilet first, however. Make sure that tile isn't loose because of the toilet, or improper mounting


No, this is a bad idea. In the winter, the moist combustion byproducts or plain leaky indoor air can condense and freeze on the cold metal screen. After a while and in the right conditions, enough condensation can freeze to slightly prevent airflow, which makes the whole thing freeze over very quickly. I don't think I need to explain why a frozen-shut chimney is a very bad thing...


Removing old cable that goes through external wall

I've removed several of these, but never from a brick wall. Typically the hole is a bit larger diameter than the wire and the gap is sealed on both sides with caulk or rubber grommets. If you remove the gap seal it should be trivial to pull it out. I would dig around the cable on the exterior side with a knife or pliers to free up the cable. On the interior side, you can see the rubber grommet so you can cut or pull that off.
You seem to have more cable on the interior so it would be easier to get a grip on that side, but if you'd rather pull from outside you can use vise grips to clamp the cable and a pry bar and a wood/brick fulcrum to pull a few centimeters until you have enough wire to get a good hand grip. Pulling the cable inside would be a shorter pull though, as it has just a few centimeters more than the 20cm wall thickness.


Can I run a propane generator under my house?

CO production is certainly one concern, and you'd need to ensure that the exhaust system is properly ducted away.

But equally important: any fuel-based generator (internal combustion engine) is a major fire hazard and should be placed something like 2 meters away from any structure -- in all directions.  I do not know the local code where you live, so that number may be different, and quite probably a non-flammable material may need to be placed covering  a wall between the generator and the house proper.

All in all, for the cost of a few dozen meters of power cable, I would recommend installing away from the house and running a conduit into/thru your crawlspace.


How to permanently get rid of light fixture?

The cable in the wall have to be physically removed all the way to the other end, or if that is impracticable, as much as possible of both ends of the cables must be removed.  It must be beyond any possibility of anyone ever energizing those wires again.

If there are multiple cables in the wall, then I mean both ends of each cable, including the far ends that are in other boxes.

If there are 2 cables and they need to remain in service, you can evaluate whether you have enough intact cable sheath to install a Tyco in-wall Romex splice.  Those can be covered up.

Otherwise that through-cable run needs to be entirely replaced end-to-end.


Why would a drinking water dispenser on a sink have drainage lines?

I found a good explanation at:
http://www.purewateroccasional.net/hwairgapfaucet.html

The filter (possibly Reverse Osmosis) part has a drain pipe.
But it doesn't go directly to the drain.
Goes up to the tap base, where it dribbles in the open air (the "air gap") and back down through the other pipe to drain away.

If the second drain line becomes blocked, this "air gap" can leak.
Not sure if the possible leak would only occur when the tap is in use.


Accidentally removed grout behind bathtub caulk, necessary to replace?

Grout at that location does not last. I think tilers put it there to get the job "done" with only one session. I would think that a proper job would leave out grout there and just use long lasting caulk.

The best way to proceed would be to remove all the grout and seal with caulk or silicone sealer.

EDIT

But if you remove the grout be careful not to damage the finish on that tub.


Generator wiring into Automatic Transfer Switch – wire gauge

You have to run 4-wire to a generator.  A separate neutral and ground wire is mandatory.  A ground rod will not substitute. The only way to avoid running a 4th wire is to use non-flex metal conduit the whole way.  (or run 120V only, but that's no fun).
But that's OK, I'm about to save you enough money to pay for the ground wire or the conduit.  Minimum ground wire size is #8 copper or insulated #6 aluminum.
Since the generator run will be circuit breaker protected at 100A, you can use 100A rated wire.  Voltage drop will not be a concern at only 80 feet.
That is #1 aluminum wire if a) the wire or cable insulation is a type permitted 75C operating temperature, and b) the terminations (lugs) are rated for 75C operations.  The breaker panel lugs certainly are; whether Generac graces you with 75C lugs is a question for Generac.  you would think...
Do not put cable in conduit if you can possibly avoid it.  It's not illegal; just exceedingly difficult and serves no useful purpose.
If your entire run is in conduit, it behooves you to use THWN-2 or XHHW-2 wires which are indeed allowed 75C in practical use.  (technically they could go 90C but that requires meeting a long list of conditions; the electrical inspector is likely to nix this).   NM is not allowed outdoors and UF is allowed only 60C.
If your entire run is not in conduit, and making it so is impracticable, you can transition from one cable type to another in a reasonably large box using splices. The box must remain accessible without tools or dismantling any part of the house.


How can I prevent hanging sliding doors from coming off track?

Tip #1
I do a lot of remodels and the easiest way to make a bedroom look newer is take out the old hollow doors or mirrored doors and put in 6 panels.  Not many closets are square either.  The first thing you need to do is use the rolling mechanism to adjust the door meet the wall as good as you can.  You can angle the rollers and move them up and down.  Obviously your door needs to slide on the floor so you have to play with this a little.  But try to get each door to match its outside wall.

Tip #2
Buy better rollers.  These only cost a couple dollars at big box and if you are taking old ones out, there is no extra work.  For instance the roller in Mazura's answer isn't as adjustable as the normal roller you would get at big box.

Tip #3
You want a little friction on the flooring... But that only works with carpet.  If closet doors are flung open the pressure of the roller will eventually affect the track each time it jumps off.  So get the doors a little lower.

Tip #4
Make sure the rollers are about 3-4 inches from the outside of each door.  The closer to the middle your rollers are, the easier for them to jump.

Tip #5
Get a good light/flashlight and inspect your tracks.  Most tracks are about the same quality (I am sure there are high end ones but I haven't seen them).  You can have two problems with the track.  First the track can be angled down.  This just happens with the weight of the door over time.  It actually doesn't hurt to have it angled up slightly (open side of track).   For this use a wood block and hammer.

The other thing that goes wrong is the lip itself becomes deformed or it get pushed down.  I would simply tap this into place with a hammer.  For more deformed sections I break out the pliers.  If I am having an issue I go through the whole track with pliers.

Tip #6
Grease the wheels and track.


GE smart switch neutral power requirement

There was should have been a little Grey wire that came with your switch.

The NEUTRALS that are tucked away in the back of that receptacle need to have that grey wire attached - so undo the wire nut that has the whites all together and add the grey wire - place the wire nut back on.

Connect the Grey wire to the neutral connection on your new switch.
That connection is probably located in the Lower Right corner across from the Line connection and has the writing Neutral on it - there is a brass screw on the side but also there are two holes on the back side to insert two wires.


You actually have two problems, starting with how to get the post out of the sleeve now.

The first thing to try is some force, and the easiest form of force here would be a hammer. Circle the post, whacking it right above where it enters the sleeve (the harder the better, although use your judgement on avoiding damaging the post). Hopefully that will shear the rust and let you remove the post. Tapping down on the top of the post could also help (although it might also set it even harder in the sleeve).

Another possibility would be a strap wrench, which would let you twist hard on the round pole. You can find them for $5-$10 at discount hardware stores.

Vinegar wouldn't help, but a penetrating oil such as WD-40 might. However, you might need to use a lot and you don't want to create a teenie Superfund site in your back yard.

Your second problem is how to prevent this in the future. The obvious solution: don't leave the washing line outside in the winter! If that isn't possible or feasible, then you might consider replacing the (metal?) sleeve with a plastic one such as a PVC pipe. Bonus points for a bit of looseness in the fit between the post and the sleeve (although too loose and your washing line will look drunken).


What is the correct direction for hot on a vertical single handle faucet?

You've found one of the major conundrums of modern plumbing.
In the US it has always been hot on the left and cold on the right. Europe - I'm not sure about.
However, as faucet design has changed it's become complicated as you pointed out. This started with single lever faucets, which was okay, because left was still hot and right cold. But then they started putting them on the side. When they went to the side, and even before that, many manufacturers started marking them - hot & cold but some didn't.
Now to your dilemma. If the faucets are unmarked you can set them up however it suits you. I'm not aware of any codes dictating that.
My preference when a single lever faucet moves either toward you or away is to have the cold toward and hot away. I think this works best with small children because they have a hard time reaching them and it's easier to pull than push away - thus cold forward.
The main thing is to get them the same throughout your house so there's no confusion. Since neither has an indicator I would change the Delta in the bathroom so that hot is back toward the wall. It's easy enough - just swap the supply lines under the sink. The good thing is whichever way you put them people will adjust quickly.
First Edit
What Ed Beal is saying in his comments is correct. If you think about rotating the handle left even if it's front to back, that left would be hot and right would be cold. I don't think code requires that on the type of setup you're asking about - but Ed Beal would know. In that case you would want to swap the supply lines under your kitchen sink instead of the bathroom.
Importantly, you want them the same.


Patching around a pipe exit in stucco wall

A caulk rated for outdoor use should be just fine for this sealing job. If there is any fine particulate in the area left over from drilling through the stucco do brush or blow it away before applying the caulk.


Is there anything special needed to cut out a section of carpet?

I'd recommend putting the tack strips in after the wall. That way you can put shoe molding over the edge. The one time I ever replaced carpet I cut it with a multitool knife blade and I didn't need any specialized tools to get the new carpet down.


What size is this wallplug, and then what drill size (and type) would I use for brick?

Use the Black & Decker drill bit for masonry. 8 mm is compatible with the 5/16" size you gauged. If you choose, for a guaranteed tight fit, use the 7 mm drill first and if the insert is too tight, go up to the 8 mm. Even if the insert slips into the hole, the little "wings" should keep it from spinning in the hole until the screw goes in far enough to swell the plastic to a tight fit.

After the hole is drilled a little extra deep, do what you can to blow the dust out, so the anchor grips the actual hole, not the dust in it.


Newly installed ceiling fan, lights turn on and off on it's own - dimmer switch, breaker or light bulbs causing issue?

If the breaker isn't tripping (all your bedrooms are not losing power, just the light on the fan), it's not the breaker being overloaded.

How is this wired? Is the "dimmer switch" controlling just the lights on the fan, or is it the older fan's speed control? Or perhaps if I ask "How do {or did, with the old fan} you turn on the lights alone, fan alone, or both?" - is there a wall switch or speed control for the fan, and a separate wall switch for the lights, or does one wall switch (dimmer?) turn on the fan/light and then you select if the lights are on by a pull-switch on the fan? You have a remote control now - that would probably affect the way things should be wired.

Why do I ask all this? The only way I can imagine that you're causing something to overload with 120 watts of light bulb is is if you've got the fan motor attached to the dimmer, which is almost certainly not right...either the "dimmer" is a fan speed control, probably sized for the previous fan motor (did it have lights?) or it's only supposed to be attached to the lights, if it is a dimmer.

A dimmer won't work right as a fan speed control, and a fan speed control won't work right as a dimmer, and if both the motor and lights are attached to either one, it would not work.


Cleaning black spots (putrified insects) off vinyl siding

I don't know about Jomax, but a mixture of about 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar will remove green mildew off vinyl siding very easily.  I have seen the small black spots you mention and have removed them with the same and a little more elbow grease.


What is the correct way to secure a gas standalone range?

There is an inexpensive commercial product called an anti-tip bracket.

It is screwed directly to the floor and the foot of the stove slides into the slot.

It's primarily designed to go on the rear foot, so that a child climbing up the front of the stove won't pull it down on top of him/her self.  But you slide the stove into the rear bracket, and then attach one in place at the front for extra security.  The problem of course, is that you'll have to remove the front bracket to clean behind the stove.


How should I landscape my yard to make my home more efficient?

To make sure you get light in the winter, you need a deciduous tree (one that loses its leaves in the winter) planted on the southern side of your home (where the sun's rays are the strongest for people in the northern hemisphere). Pay special attention to the size the tree with grow to when mature, both in height and in width of the canopy. I'd recommend playing it well outside of the canopy's reach from your home to protect not only your siding, but also your foundation from roots that will travel often twice the range of the canopy.

Take special care to check for buried utility lines and place your tree away from any of them. You also want to be sure it is not too close to a sewer line, since the roots have a habit of growing into and clogging sewer pipes.

Finally, realize that a tree will add beauty and natural energy efficiency, but it will also add to the maintenance of your home, particularly from leaves clogging the gutters, and falling branches. If your only goal is energy efficiency, you may be better off upgrading to energy efficient windows and sealing any drafts.


The last time I removed a chuck like that, I had to open the jaws and remove the screw that was down inside the chuck...

And, sadly, they are usually "munched" due to the drill bits that have turned in the past....


Why aren't there more PVC gutters in the U.S.?

If you use PVC gutter stock, it needs to be solvent welded at all the joints. Don't bother with any of the clip-together DIY grade junk that's out there. Having tried two different manufacturers, here's the basic results on the clip-together stuff:

Vinyl's high expansion rate means that it grows mightily when hot and then contracts in cold weather, straining all the joints. No matter now much movement the brackets are made to allow, they allow ratcheting during summer heat, causing the gutter system to pull itself apart when cold weather hits. if you are using the common DIY clip-together stuff. Nothing makes you so angry as being on top a slippery 15ft. ladder in a typical winter Oregon downpour with the full gutter flow shooting out the gap, through your collar and down inside your raincoat. Various neighbors around here have tried it, cursed and thrown it away. If you're going to install it, the first hint of fall should be followed by a full inspection which means pulling the gutter stock back through the brackets so they fully seat in the connection and downspout joints.

Solvent welded vinyl gutter still has the same expansion rates, hopefully the support systems take that into account, I didn't bother wasting any more money on vinyl, but went with continuous construction aluminum gutters.

With continuous aluminum, you have no joints, it's one single run from gable to gable, the finish is baked on and it's held up over the 5 years it has been in operation much better than vinyl and hasn't got the rust problems that galvanized sheet iron has. It has been worth the money spent on it.


Bathroom exhaust fan issue after new switch install

A photo of the wiring would help , but it sounds like you have 2 wires going to the fan and light and 1 hot and got them mixed up. Mark all 3 wires going to the switch 1,2,3 or a b c. Basically you need to swap the 1 wire that is all alone with one of the 2 on the other side. Now it will work or the light will be on all the time , if the light is on all the time the 1 wire on the 1 side of the switch needs to be swapped with the wire that has been on the other side all the time.


Blade types for dry cutting pavers, diamond or composite?

Diamond blades aren't that expensive and cut much more quickly. They're much thinner, for one thing. I wouldn't use anything else.

However, doing so with a circular saw won't gain you much. Maneuverability is poor, meaning you're stuck cutting through the material in a big bite. A 7" angle grinder is the ticket. You can slide it back and forth and cut with much more control.


Is there a way to safely have exposed electrical wires?

Yes. This is not only safe but best practice. Tuck the capped wires completely into the junction boxes to avoid accidentally snagging on passing ladders, wallboard, etc.

If the room continues in general use then install blank cover plates.


What slope angle does a garbage disposal outflow pipe need?

I have never used a level for that. The rule of thumb is about a quarter inch per foot. From the picture it looks like you can just cut off about 3/4” off of the tee and reinstall it.


Plug socket won't turn off even after replacing

It must be a coincidence, I'd take the faulty socket back to Screwfix and get a replacement.

After removing the socket and disconnecting it from any wiring, you could test the switch with a continuity tester.

The only alternative explanations would be quite complicated. Even an overload is unlikely to produce the exact same symptoms in a new and a 20-year old socket. Anything that welds contacts together ought to trip a breaker, make a noise, a smell and leave visible evidence.


How can I lower an attic ladder by remote control?

There are kits you can buy, where you attach a metal ring to the door and then have a pole you store nearby to reach the ring and pull down on to extend the ladder


How do I restore boiler pressure through the filling tap?

I just googled the manual for the glow worm series of boilers and it look like you need to connect a flexible hose from the domestic water supply (far left if looking at front of boiler to the bottom of the thread under the blue cap, and then turn the domestic supply on. with out the model number of your boiler it is a bit hard to give you exact instructions. but the manual does say that the hose should be disconnected after pressuring which is why its probably not straight forward just looking at it. try this page glow worm manuals


How can two different breakers both turn off the same circuit?

That could be a split bus panel, meaning that there are two sets of power distribution buses.  It used to be allowed by something called the "6 handle rule" (which allowed up to six of them in a service panel) back when circuit breakers cost a small fortune.

They were wired like this:

And might look like this:
Note the gap in the breaker buses at center where there are no breakers, but you can see heavy black wires connecting to the right end of the secondary buses.

The cables from the meter connect at right (which would conventionally be the top of the panel) and feeds the six double breakers.  Five of them feed directly to heavy loads:  range, water heater, dryer, baseboard heaters, etc.  The top-left double ganged breaker feeds the second bus in the left half of the photo.

In this configuration, any circuit fed from the lower bus would be shut off if either its own breaker were switched off, or the feed breaker—which also shuts off almost everything in the building.


Attach rim joist to post supporting roof

It is mostly a style and preference choice.  The original half inch lumber post is probably not structural, though it could well have been a cheap replacement for one which was more substantial.  From what I can see of the eves, a 4x4 or 6x6 post is appropriate.  Some jurisdictions require heavier columns beyond a certain length, usually about 10 feet.  Raising a 6x6 post is not that hard with a helper or two, or straightforward solo job with block and tackle attached to the temporary support.

A properly designed and built deck should have no trouble supporting a post.  You could build the deck with an equivalent support which is not in the way:  slanted support, temporary horizontal truss, etc.

If you like the look of a stone or concrete base, it should not rest on the deck.  Build it into the ground (depth as required for freezing conditions in your climate) and finish the column on top of it.  Build the deck around the column—it does not need to be tied together and it is probably better there be a small gap (1 inch?) to allow for independent settling.

You could also support the roof with a 45° to 60° post fastened to the side of the house.