How to convince plumber that there is a gas leak?

The other answers here are good from a technical point of view about how to verify a leak, but to answer the question of "how to convince a plumber", I'll second a comment by @manassehkatz: call the gas company.
Any time I've suspected a leak the gas/energy provider has been very quick to send someone out with their own tester (not just a soapy water check). They are quite literally professionals at detecting gas leaks.
If they find evidence of a gas leak, that should be reason enough for the plumber to re-check and redo the work.


Is caulk acceptable for filling nail holes in baseboard?

Caulk is a bad choice, because it can't be sanded.  You can't get it perfectly even with the flat surface, because it stick to everything it touches.  You will end up with a slightly raised area around the hole, and it will show more readily than putty, because caulk has such a different consistency. And, yes, caulk will shrink just like putty, but unlike putty, you can't put a second coat on.


Does the lighting fixture size change the number of allowed wires in a junction box?

Here is a Code language excerpt for your situation:

314.16(B) Box Fill Calculations. The volumes in paragraphs 314.16(B)(1) through (B)(5), as applicable, shall be added together. No allowance shall be required for small fittings such as locknuts and bushings.
(1) Conductor Fill. Each conductor that originates outside the box and terminates or is spliced within the box shall be counted once, and each conductor that passes through the box without splice or termination shall be counted once. Each loop or coil of unbroken conductor not less than twice the minimum length required for free conductors in 300.14 shall be counted twice. The conductor fill shall be calculated using Table 314.16(B). A conductor, no part of which leaves the box, shall not be counted.
Exception: An equipment grounding conductor or conductors or not over four fixture wires smaller than 14 AWG, or both, shall be permitted to be omitted from the calculations where they enter a box from a domed luminaire or similar canopy and terminate within that box.

So, the light fixture you have in your post would qualify as a domed luminaire and the wires from the fixture itself can be omitted from the calculation if there are only 4 or less. However, this does not add volume to the box calculation itself.
Unfortunately, junction box overfill is probably the number one violation of the Code.
Good luck and stay safe!


Yes, in this case you should lay tile over vinyl floor. (consider using peel and stick vinyl for step one to save time.) It should last you until your remodel in a couple of years.
This is not an ideal way to install tile. however the rest of your floor was done this way. and this will not be the point of failure.


How much clearance do I need above a floor vent?

You don't need nearly 4". You can basically take the width and height of the gap on three, or even four sides of the floor vent into consideration, depending on how much of the undershelf area is open to the room. The air that comes through the grate can distribute to the sides as well as the front, and eventually make its way out from under the shelf.

Air movement looks something like this (assuming that that shelving is tight to the wall):

|               *               *               |
|               * ############# *               |
|               * ############# *               |
|               *****************               |
|_______________________________________________|

| : shelf perimeter
* : outflow area perimeter
# : vent area

The math looks like this:

original vent area (disregarding the grille) [av]: 40 square inches
distance between the vent and the wall (hypothetical) [dv]: 2"
outflow area perimeter length [op]: 2 * (4 + dv) + 10 = 22

required height: av / op ≈ 1.8 (1-13/16) inches

With that in mind, an inch may be enough if the vent is further from the wall than I've assumed, or if the rear of the shelf is open to the room (up behind the shelving unit). It would be different if it was a return, where vacuum pressure is low, where resistance due to airflow path bends is a more significant factor.

If the shelving unit has side panels that reach to the floor, you can simply calculate the entire frontal area of the void below the bottom shelf. If it's over 40 square inches, you're probably golden. The exception would be if the vent is very close to the wall, wherein you'd go back to the math above.


Floor leveling compound ontop of glued-down laminate

SLC is typically rated for install overtop of L/360 floors.  Assuming your glued down laminate is well adhered to the substrate below it and that substrate is a minimum of 1.25" thick (almost no wood floors are), then the SLC would be approved for that purpose.  The two SLC I am most familiar with are Sika and Mapei.
I've installed SLC on 5/8" tng plywood using the wood primer.  The SLC generally develops hairline cracks but as long as it doesn't allow deflection and pieces of it can't delaminate and migrate under pieces of the flooring causing noise then you should be ok.  If you are installing underlayment on top of the SLC then noise is less likely.
One trick often employed is to get a stiffer underlay and add an extra piece to this area.  It depends what the height difference is.  Or you can use door skin or a combination of the two.
The best approach depends on your budget, how picky you are for your floors being quiet / flat and the install method for the new floor.


How to connect steel posts to build a shelf unit?

A lot of structural steel and piping comes galvanized already.  For instance most silver/gray colored iron pipe.  (not black pipe used for gas; apparently methane or its additives don't play well with zinc.)   And you can get galvanized pipe fittings to link them, in most shapes.

Piping may not be the way to go.  You may want to go with sectional steel channel, one being the Unistrut style and its many clones.  Again, available galvanized.

If you really wanted to go PVC or EMT conduit, despite the weight load, consider designing a truss.  Crazy large geodesic domes are made using EMT conduit as the structural members.

There are many ways to arrest corrosion other than galvanizing.  My preferred way is to knock off the rust with a wirebrush or sander, then Rustoleum 7769 Rusty Metal Primer which seems to control light surface rust reasonably well, then any of a variety of topcoats (primer alone will not hold; look any any automobile that's driving around with rust busting through the primer).


Three way circuit powering a GFCI outlet

You can switch a GFCI outlet like you describe. Obviously the green LED indicator is powered from the power coming to the outlet so it stands tor reason that it would go off when the power to the outlet is switched off.
It is possible that some loads that you plug into an outlet like this could cause nuisance tripping of the GFCI when the switch is turned on and off quickly. This would only be likely to happen with devices that do not have properly balanced front end AC EMI filters that are tied into the safety ground.


Drywall hole slightly too large for mounting bracket to cover

You can purchase a piece of scrap drywall from your local hardware store - they might even give it to you free for that matter.

Make a rectangular piece the same size as your box.
Drill the hole for your wire.
Install rectangular dry wall piece over the box, patch nicely.
Sand and paint if need be.

When I do this I usually run a screw (or three) part way into my drywall scrap piece - so I can hold it in position in either manually or in the case where I have 3 screws with string / wire to keep it where I want it - when patching a wall.


What is the best way to cut metal siding for soffit vents accurately?

If you're trying to cut in place, I'd personally go with drilling an initial hole, and then cutting the shape of the vent with a "sheet metal nibbler".

The nibbler will let you cut from one side, as there's a small bit that you insert into the hole, and sheers off a small roll of material (somewhere near 1/8", depending on the exact pair).  You can also get powered ones, but they're fairly pricy, and the weight might be annoying for overhead work.

You might want to check with local rental shops, to see what they have.  (the increased weight might be worthwhile as you won't have to hold your arms up as long)


How should I connect ground and neutral for my vehicle charge circuit to my panel's bus bars?

Those are BOTH neutral bars.
We can tell, because the panel has what looks like 16 spaces.  They must provide 1 neutral for each space in the panel, since you are not allowed (by NEC) to double-tap neutrals on a screw.
When you count the number of non-attachment neutral lugs, I count exactly 16.  So there you go.
They didn't give you any ground bars in this panel.
Given that they also didn't give you any room for grounds on the neutral bar, we can discern that this panel pre-dates the requirement for grounds.  However, that is fine; this Square D "QO" which is an absolutely first-rate panel there is no reason to judge it for being old.
For now, it will suffice to add the EVSE neutral and ground to the neutral bar - since this is the main panel, (or wired as a main panel), grounds are allowed on the neutral bar here.   However, grab the right ground bar - you'll need to go shopping anyway. I bet the model listed on the panel label is still made, and fits the mounting holes already drilled and tapped into your panel chassis (bottom edge of picture, little nubs, probably similar nubs off top of picture as well).
It looks like all your wiring is either AC cable (whose shell is ground), or THHN in conduit (noting writing on some neutral wires).  That's why you don't have any grounds now.  Check your local jurisdiction to see if you are prohibited from using NM (Romex) cable.
You should fix the MWBCs, though!
Note that you have 12 circuits, but only 9 neutrals.  That is because three of the circuits are Multi-wire branch circuits (MWBCs) aka shared-neutral - a red and black hot wire sharing a cable with 1 neutral that they share.   These MUST be phased a particular way to avoid overloading the neutral wire!  (opposite: 240V between the hots). They must also be "handle-tied" so they must throw together.  Both to protect maintainers and signal to the next electrician that it is a MWBC.   You can buy approved handle-ties for QO breakers. Or you can simply use a 2-pole (240V) breaker.
Note that two of your MWBCs are on "tandem" aka "Double-stuff" breakers.   MWBCs on tandems are bad news, because it's very easy to place them incorrectly so the neutral is overloaded.
You need to identify the red-black pairs in each cable, and place them on 2-pole or handle-tied breakers. Talk to your Square D dealer to see if they have handle-ties for those QOT tandem breakers. Otherwise move the three MWBCs to 2-pole breakers (and move any single circuits on full breakers to the tandems).
If I counted correctly, you should finish with 3 2-pole breakers taking 6 spaces, plus 3 tandems taking 3 spaces, so this won't actually take any space in your panel.
However, you should also check to make sure QOT tandem breakers are even allowed in this panel.  That too will be on the panel label.   If not, they will need to be converted to full-size breakers, taking up 3 more spaces (leaving 4 left).


Should I fill eroded mortar in exterior brick?

Is it the bottom row of bricks, and are they regularly spaced? (I guess that's only possible if your foundation comes up 40cm.)  Because if that's the case, they're weep holes, and shouldn't be filled in. Otherwise, I'd go with @Tester101's answer.


How can I remove the stem on my leaking IKEA faucet?

While you have removed the locating screw, there are usually 3 rubber (well nitrile or somesuch) sealing rings which are a tight fit.

So, you might have to twist and pull very hard to get them to release.

At least, that was the case when I took a similar tap apart.

Of course, lots of care needed to get it back together without damaging the new seals...


First, let's address the cause of the problem for safety. Something was drawing too much power for the wiring, but not enough to trip the breaker. This means that there was a weak link somewhere. I suspect either a bad cord end or a faulty outlet. If the outlet was old, it probably had a weak grasp on the cord prongs.

The outlet must be replaced. It has been damaged and is a further safety risk. It's an inexpensive fix, but one that requires a basic understanding of house wiring and connection techniques. Many tutorials can be had online, but the details of your repair depend on some things you haven't shared, such as the age of the home and the outlet type.


What internet-connected home security system options exist?

I've not used it myself, but ELK seems to do SOME of what you are after.


Safely hang a mirror that does not have hooks

Mirror clips are made for exactly this purpose. Plain or fancy as fits your decor and/or budget.


Should I refinish Spanish stucco in winter or wait until Spring?

Widen the cracks to an inverted "V" shape and fill with a good quality latex caulk (do this on the next mild dry day). Water wont penetrate a sound stucco wall but the cracks may allow it to seep through. If the forecast calls for warm weather, 60 degrees or better, for 2 consecutive days than it is alright to do some painting. Wrap up early afternoon before it gets cold.


Need help identifying baseboard cap profile

The "three stairs" could be cut with a straight bit or saw (and a fence, set over multiple times) unless you are running enough linear feet to justify a custom-ground shaper bit. I'd just call them rabbets.

The part above that feels like some flavor of ogee moulding from the picture (less so from the drawing, which looks closer to a quarter round.)


How di i convert a generator rated140v to 230v

You will need to adjust or modify the governor so the engine runs at 5/6 current speed (e.g. 1000/1500/3000 RPM instead of 1200/1800/3600). That is because 230V-land is also 50Hz.

You will need to tune generator excitation so that it works correctly at this speed.

Then you will need to rejumper, rewire or rewind the generator for 240V instead of 120V.  This might be quite easy. Or prohibitive. Depending on the generator.

Then you need to move the neutral-ground bonding so it is corner-grounded instead of center-grounded, except if you're using it at a construction site and not interlocking it with utility power, I wouldn't bother. Center-grounding is a virtue in that application; Britain even requires it.

Finally change the receptacles from North American to the ones you find convenient.

Plan B: sell it on Craigslist to some American who brought over US tools without thinking about voltage, and buy the right thing.


Does a compression valve come with the tub insert and compression sleeve or they have to be acquired separately?

A worker at the tool store can tell you for sure, but generally compression fittings include everything you need to complete the connection, assuming you choose the correct fitting.  The tube insert appears to be a brass tube sticking out of the compression nut in the picture.  Your diagram shows the parts separately because it is a guide designed to aid in a minimal repair.


I've read that pouring oil, such as vegetable oil, into a drain will put a film on top of the water in the trap and that this will dramatically slow the evaporation of the water. When you anticipate that water won't be run through a drain for a long period of time, you could preemptively add oil to that drain.

This might leave an objectionable ring around the inside of a toilet bowl, but for other drains, maybe it's worth a shot.


Washing machine drain suddenly backflows

Alright, it took a bit of effort but we managed to take apart the drain construction (without breaking anything of course) so we could get deeper to unclog. Everything from the hose entry up to the neighbour's drain was already checked. The clog seems to have been a bit farther ahead, right about where my "diagram" stops. Lots and lots of gooey black gunk came out, I think we emptied about 3 or maybe 4 full buckets worth of the stuff.

We ran a couple quick tests with the washing machine: "rinse" program followed immediately by "centrifuge and pump" as soon as it stopped drawing water. This went perfectly fine for about 3 times (the vent pipe stayed dry the entire time), so we decided to pour a little drain unclogger down the top to get rid of any residual gunk. Then we ran the 2-program cycle twice again to rinse it out. My normal laundry is being washed as I'm typing this, so thanks for the tips and additional information on how drains work. =]

tl;dr: babby's first plumbing job was a success.


Is it OK to drill through a jack stud/full stud pair to cut a hole for water heater drain pipe?

There are general guidelines for dealing with cuts in wood framing.  For load bearing the basics are that you can notch 25% of the stud or 40% diameter for a hole.

Note: Notches should not be square - this provides a weak point in the stud.  Half circle your notches if you can.

Now there are ways around this if you need a bigger notch or hole.  In my area local inspectors will let you double up the studs and go 35%S and 60% respectively on load bearing walls.  This doubling up is a one time allowance - I couldn't do a whole wall like that.

For electricity these guidelines are more than enough to run several lines through a wall.  For plumbing though you might need to use different width boards (frame wall with 2x6) or use structural bracing.

Note that in the picture you see both wall plates (which offer little structural support) and bracing around the plumbing cut-outs.  When you buy bracing for plumbing there will be guidelines on the use of the product.  Follow those to figure out hole and notch sizing.

For this instance:  If I read right you need a pipe to run perpendicular to the studs.  The same rule applies.  I we are talking 2x4 construction that means that you have 1.5 inches going across.  Mean you can notch 3/8" which isn't much.  There are several ways to handle this is you have a larger pipe (a heater shouldn't need much though) needing out.

You could notch a little out of each jack and king.  Would be enough for a 1/2 inch pipe and I would feel perfectly fine about a half inch hole with a jack and king supporting each other.
You could rip the king out.  Flip the king stud around sideways and install 2 kings and bore a hole through the center of it.  If you needed a bigger hole you can use 2x6.
Buy a structural brace/shoe.  With a properly installed shoe you can cut out the whole stud and have a ton of space to run things.  Downside is they are expensive (relatively) and getting what you want isn't always easy.

I am sure there are other options but I would need to see a picture.  I would also add if you want to get it passed by local municipality then I would just ask your inspector what he/she wants.


Why is it unwise to use a Drain King to unclog a toilet?

Using water pressure to clean a drain can provide great results and disasters. I have seen where all the poop in the line was pushed back into another bath that only had a sgower, by the time the owner noticed the smell the bath & bedroom floors were covered in waste.


Lennox air conditioner capacitor and compressor ohm readings

I went through the Lennox web site to find a "store" near me and found an actual Lennox service center. They confirmed the 5/45 uf 440v dual run capacitor was correct. They didn't have any specs on the compressor coil resistance.

The service center didn't have any caps in stock but I found one at a local electrical supply house for under $10. It can also be ordered from Home Depot online (not available in stores) for about the same price.

I checked the resistance from each compressor terminal to ground (29-30 meg ohm each), re-checked the coil resistances (no change), put in the new cap, and turned it on.  I noticed the current draw is lower than expected (9.2A @ startup, 8.9A running @ 230V supply vs. 15.4A nameplate) but It's working fine so far.


Is it OK to shut off the A/C at the breaker?

Yes, it is ok to shut it off at the breaker until you can have someone qualified look at it.  This is the easiest, safest option for you.  It will ensure that everything is safely shut off, including the compressor, evaporator, and any other components that your particular A/C unit has.


Does XPS+OSB subfloor need to be anchored?

I did this fully floating.  No screws.  Hardwood on top also floating.  All is fine so far.  I did not like the idea of punching multiple holes in the vapor barrier with all those screws.


Which way to put a parquette floor according to windows?

Hardwood floors should be installed orthogonal to the floor joists.


Frequent burning of air conditioner compressors

Any motor will burn out if there is insufficient voltage reaching it.  Or it is overloaded.

Measure the voltage reaching the compressor, easily approximated by measuring at the electrical outlet.  Do this while the a/c is running.  Compare the voltage at the same place without the a/c running.   If the voltage drops significantly (240 v to 210 v), that is a sign of inadequate or poorly installed wiring.   Excellent wiring will barely have any drop (240 to 238 volts).

What is 16 mm aluminum cable?


Why American homes are wired TNC-S and not TNC

We do use RCD (Residual Current Device) protection, and rather extensively these days even, it's just hiding in disguise

North American electrical wiring indeed started off as a TN-C (all protective earthing is accomplished by referencing things to the neutral) system, back in the bad old days before we had three-prong outlets and GFCIs (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters), and evidence of this can be seen to this day (such as the abhorrently common NEMA 10).  However, two things happened:

Unlike Europe, who was coordinating a brand-new standard for wiring installs "all at once" if you will through the IEC process, protective grounding (TN-C-S) and GFCI (RCD) protection were added to the US NEC (the US wiring regulations, more or less) separately; furthermore, the GFCI protection rules in the NEC were phased in, location by location.
Our GFCI protection started off with wide adoption at the receptacle level due to the desire to retrofit shock protection into existing houses, especially in wet areas (bathrooms and kitchens).  This is in contrast to the IEC style of RCD, which was widely adopted in breaker form due to the larger number of new installs in Europe.

The consequence of these two things is that the sensitive UL 943 Class A GFCI, while widely deployed in the US nowadays, winds up performing a very different function to IEC RCD protection -- the former is designed to protect against electric shock, including "can't let go" hazards up to and including shock-drowning, while the latter protects primarily against fire, with protection against gross shocks as a side-effect.

Fast-forward a while, though, and the US, while having largely tamed its electrocution problem, still has a serious fire problem, partially electrical in nature.  This electrical fire issue is blamed on a variety of abuses and defects that cause what are described as "arcs", but are more precisely a surface-tracking type of fault where excessive current intermittently leaks through damaged insulation, slowly carbonizing/pyrolyzing it to the point where it smolders into an electrical fire.

As a result, electrical protection manufacturers in the US come up with what's called the Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter, or AFCI, that is designed to listen for the conducted-RF signature of these arc faults and break the circuit when one is detected.  Due to a combination of design limitations and accidents of history, though, the early AFCIs were built off of what basically is a GFCI platform, and as thus had a 30mA equipment protection ground fault trip function in them that is used to catch arcs-to-ground, despite the functionality not making it into the UL standards.

As a result of the rapid push to adopt AFCI breakers, and the retention of this GFPE trip functionality by 3 of the 4 North American breaker manufacturers (GE is the only one to have dropped it), in many cases, a modern house in the US will have RCD protection at the 30mA level on most branch circuits, with select circuits protected at 6mA.  However, this protection is provided at the level of individual branch circuits, not service-wide as is typically done in 5-continent power.

Why is this, you might ask? Well, service-wide ground-fault protection is applied to large, low-voltage three phase services in North America to protect against fires, and works well in those applications.  However, the sensitivity of North American ground fault devices at residential-scale operating currents requires they use electronic ground fault sensing, as opposed to early IEC direct-acting RCDs that used the differential current in the measurement CTs to operate the trip coil without any sense electronics.  This has the upside that North American GFCIs were able to achieve reliable performance at low leakage levels early on; however, it has the downside that wiring a GFCI up backwards (with power being fed in on the LOAD side) will break it in a non-obvious fashion.

As a consequence of this, you can't reasonably use a GFCI as a main breaker in North America unless you are willing to take the same approach as the large wye services do, otherwise you run into issues as soon as you start doing other sophisticated and desirable things, like solar power.  Furthermore, the larger size of US services means that a central RCD would need to be excessively insensitive due to the simple fact the differential leakage currents are higher.


The pictures you added, were edited with info to help you decide which way you want to go.

There are 3 options to choose

1) Out right replacement of the whole window sash and all.

This is the most expensive way to go about it.
Its benefits are the ability to check the condition of the framing. Windows leak over time and unseen damage will be hidden.
The other considerations are you may need to remove your siding and reset some of it to get you new windows in with their preapplied trim in place. Then again, it is a newer style of window versus sash weights, and the trim or nailing flange will fit very nicely. There is a chance you will need finish it off by covering it with a PVC brick mold.

2) Renovation kit with sash and jamb. These fit a new jamb with sash directly into the existing jamb, saving the existing trim and labor removing the jamb and trim. You only need to remove the sash and track.

I have seen wood sash versions of this, but I can only find vinyl kits for an example for now.
This is a cheaper and simpler way to replace windows.
You really need to make sure the wood that is to remain is not rotted, or has taken on water at any time. This will be your only time to get this in check until you find the rot the hard way, or until the windows are replaced again.
The outside stop, if all other wood is in good order will need to be covered in metal to keep the wood protected. At that time you may choose to have it all rewrapped to inspect and cover it all without extra seams/joints.

3) Use a jamb reliner kit

Cheapest of all options
Needs to meet all of the requirements for option 2


Is there a benefit to cutting a 2x4 in two passes of a mitre saw?

I watched the vid on Utube, very interesting. I don't use a slide chop saw for 2X4's (I use a 12" fixed) but that technique looks good to me. I think the reason is that taking two shallow passes is just as fast and doesn't load down the saw as much as a single pass. Since the angle of contact using a slide saw is much different than a fixed I can see why the double pass is effective. Leave it to Mike Holmes to find a better way to do most anything!


Attaching porch roof or pergola to old brick home

If your brick wall is solid and sturdy, you can through-bolt a wood header the same width as your new porch, and connect the joists to it using hardware for T joint.
Ideally, your posts shall be set away from the house to allow room for good foundations. You can add bracings or diagonals to maintain the squareness of the deck, and to resist the lateral load.


How to *Lower* an Underground Pop-Up Impact Sprinkler Head

The best way to deal with this does not involve digging up your whole lawn. You just need to dig up the area around the sprinkler head that needs to be lowered.

Once you dig out the area cut off the existing 90 degree elbow that is in there feeding up. Cut on the horizontal pipe about 5 to 6" from the existing elbow.

Next you would install two 45 degree fittings in sequence using a short piece of PVC pipe between them and then another piece to get back to horizontal again. This horizontal run is then terminated with a new 90 degree elbow to face up to accept the sprinkler head.

Dry fit all the parts before gluing them all together. This is important because you will need to rotate the double 45 degree fittings to get the needed depth. If you need more depth you just need to extend the length of the pipe added between the two 45 fittings. When everything is fit properly make marks with a felt tip marker at each joint so you get them back in the proper position when you take them back apart to glue them together.

Note that if the sprinkler head is fed from an underground TEE instead of just a 90 degree fitting a similar technique can be used to lower the TEE. It just takes two pairs of the 45 degree fittings.


The radiator is probably steel. To remove the paint, you can sandpaper it.

Optimally, you should dismount it, so you're able to get to the back of it as well. If you dismount it, you can also take it to a workshop and have it sandblasted. That's the quick way to strip the paint.

As for painting: If you get down to bare steel, apply a primer that is suitable for steel, and a coat of a paint that is compatible with your primer to give it color. This can be spray paint, which will give it a uniform surface, or you can brush it on - which will probably give a thicker, less uniform coat.

For the pipes, the same approach should work. Be careful with the amount of stress you impart on them, as this may lead to leaks further down the road.


Soft vs hard plywood vs two-by lumber for bed headrest

You can certainly use pine/fir plywood. It depends entirely on the appearance you're after. Pine tends to look more casual or rustic than fine hardwoods. It's also softer on the surface veneer, which is why the best furniture tends to be mahogany, oak, maple, cherry, etc.

It's not substantially less rigid, though. Hardwood plywood is usually only hardwood on the thin outer veneer. The core of a BC grade pine and hardwood plywood is usually very similar. 3/4" is plenty strong and stiff for your application. There are high-grade plywoods with very thin layers, which makes them more stiff and stable, but that's a different situation than just switching species.

Whether you can reduce to 1/2" depends on the design. It'll be less flat initially and more likely to warp over time if not supported by a rigid frame structure.


In-cabinet power outlets flush with wall or cabinet?

The ruling factor is that the junction box must be made of an appropriate material.  Not particle board.

If you have a junction box inset into the wall so it's flush, and then you put 3/4" of wood material above it, and use the long outlet screws to mount through that, then effectively the junction box walls are wood.  So if things get sparking or molten-copper-dripping in there, it sets the wood on fire. Whee!

You may say "but they allow this with drywall!"  Drywall doesn't burn.  It's used as a firestop, actually.


How do I use self-drilling and tapping SS screws?

Do yours look like this?

The straight portion of the shaft doesn't have to be as small as the pre-drilled pilot holes in the poles.  Notice the angled point and the lip ("flute") along the edge: that's a built-in drill bit on the tip of the screw. It will open up the hole to the diameter it needs.  The pre-drilled holes in the poles are there to start it out straight, in the right place; the screw will do the rest.

The hex head doesn't have a screwdriver slot because it is designed for a socket wrench.

It's very common for the heads on these screws to fit a US 1/4-inch socket.

Get a socket wrench, or a socket driver adapter for your drill, and go for it.  It'll work.


What exactly do the range of numbers (1 to 7) mean on the temperature knob/dial on a basic window air conditioning unit?

The numbers are completely arbitrary, and are whatever the product manager or artist at the manufacturer decided they should be.  They might be standardized within a company's product line.  If these are private-label units, all bets are off.

Numbers instead of real degrees means they used a thermostat too cheap to be consistent from unit to unit, so they couldn't print degrees and have that be meaningful.

Alternate explanation: they market the identical unit in several countries, and one of them uses Fahrenheit, so rather than have 2 scales, they have none.


You can splice diferent sizes, temperatures or types (NM, UF, THHN, SJOOW) cable anywhere it's legal to splice cable.

It needs to be inside a junction box.
The boxes need to be someplaces boxes aren't disallowed.
The cables need to have proper cable clamps entering the box.
The boxes need to forever be accessible without disassembling any part of the building with any tool (aside from the box covers, obviously :)
There needs to be enough room in the box for the splices.

"room in the box" works like this:  All ground wires count as 1 wire. All cable clamps count as 1 wire.  All other wires count as 1 wire each. Multiply your number of "wires" by 2.0 cubic inches for 14AWG.... 2.25 cubic inches for 12AWG.....  or 2.5 for 10AWG.  For you, 6 wires = 13.5 cubic inches = a deep handy-box will suffice, or my go-to, the 4x4x1-1/2 square box (21 cu.in.)

I'm very fond of steel boxes because if there's any sort of arcing or shorting in there, the metal chassis will help assure a breaker trip and also dissipate the heat to keep things below combustion temperatures.   Also plastic boxes are stupid overpriced for what they are.


Material for water feed line on furnace humidifier. Latex required?

I called Honeywell about the issue and they said both Latex and Vinyl were fine to use for the humidifier water feed tube.


Replacing pressure switch for my water pump

Here is the down side.  The pressure switch, generally speaking has a very long life, many, many years.  So they have to be renewed relatively seldom.  And if you put an isolation valve between the switch and the main water line and it accidentally get turned off you really mess things up and cost yourself $1000's.  Better to have to drain the tank down.


It really depends on what you want to store in it. If you are storing dry goods and don't need fresh air you would close of the damper in the summer. You can also control the temperature in the winter with a computer fan connected to a thermostat. If you are planning on curing meat, it's a lot more tricky.
Lowering the temperature in the summer depends on where the cold room is. If it's under the veranda keep it shaded and on extremely hot days soak it with water on top. As the water evaporates it will have a cooling effect on the concrete slab. It's effective and old Italian men sware by it. I've set up a couple passive meat curing cold rooms but it takes a lot of tinkering to keep a passive system within peramaters.
You could try this
I know a guy who ran the cold water from his water meter into his cold room based on me making a joke and he did it anyway and says it worked. He just hung a coil of copper and plumbed the cold in one side and out the other back to the original connection.
It went somewhat like this

Sorry for the crude drawing
I'm from Toronto so I know the temperature swings season to season all to well, and plus I'm an HVAC tech.


What are some pros, cons and recommendations for multicables?

I would not recommend these.  I researched them a few years ago when building and opted to just do them all individually.  Coax (Quad shield RG6), cat 5e, cat 3, and speaker wire.  It was actually more cost effective to buy them all in 500-1000' spools individually, than to buy a lot of multicable.  Plus, the interference can be an issue.  You could combine the phone and network use cat 5/6 for the phones, but again, it was more cost effective to buy them separately.


Water coming in through seam in bulkhead wall. How to fix?

You say, “...pooling up around the bulkhead.” Does that mean ponding water on the surface of the ground directly above the perimeter drain?

If so, you could have two problems (assuming the perimeter drain is really installed): 1) the soil (backfill) against the retaining wall and/or around the drain line does not percolate (drain), and/or 2) the drain line does not extend to where it can drain out.

1) Soil should have enough voids to allow water to percolate down to the drain line and then “run” (or be pumped) out so that the water drains away. Usually drainrock is used so that water can move freely through the rock and away from the wall. Here, we use a 3” thick mesh that lays against the wall so no water will lay against the wall.

2) Once the water has reached the drain line it needs to run away from the area. Otherwise, the water will fill the site up and put pressure against the wall. Water has tremendous pressure the deeper it is. That pressure will “push” water through any crack or joint.

Also, another important step is locating the drain line below the slab. Otherwise, water under the drain line but above the slab will enter the room.

Caulking and patching the inside of the wall will never be permanent. The only permanent fix is done on the outside of the wall. There are systems designed to gather the water inside the room and then pump it out, but then you’ll need to watch for mold, etc. buildup.

If the construction is less than a year old, it’s still under warranty. Contact your Builder Board that license contractors and discuss with them.


What is the best board to install behind a glue up tub surround?

Most use standard drywall. If you feel better using dens shield or another WP drywall that would be fine tub surround adhesive must be used to avoid discoloring bleed through on the surround. Two adhesive makers indicate they will work well. Honestly if they will bond to ceramic tile they will bond to most anything.

From the manufacturer:

  Liquid Nails LN715-10oz Tub Surround and Shower Wall Adhesive is a durable construction adhesive that provides an exceptional waterproof bond under extreme conditions. LN715 Tub Surround and Shower Wall is recommended for bonding most plastic and fiberglass tub and shower surrounds to drywall, plywood, greenboard, cement backerboard, and ceramic tiles

And another manufacturer

  Loctite PowerGrab 10 fl. oz. Tub Surround Adhesive with low odor, low VOC and easy water cleanup is an ideal interior construction adhesive. It is designed to bond most plastic surround tubs to waterproof drywall, wood, sanded tile board and ceramic tile.


What could be causing my furnace burners to fire up, then shut off due to partially open door?

There's likely a switch that senses when the door is ajar attached somewhere near the edge of the door opening. Sometimes the switch presses against a little feltlike pad that can become depressed over time. That'll release the switch and tell the furnace that the door is open when it's not. Replacing or thickening that pad may well solve your problem. Oh yes, while you're in there: cleaning the pilot, sensor, and blowing out the burner box is always a good idea.


Electric range spark and house fuse blown multiple times

This is sort of a common problem, caused by loose connections.

A loose connection causes a higher resistance, which leads to excess heating at the connection.  When the connection heats up, the resistance goes up more, which leads to more heat.  The heat will also cause expansion, which can lead to the further loosening of the connection. Eventually components become weakened to the point of failure.

In this situation you're going to need a new terminal block, and a new cord for the range. Ranges don't come with cords from the manufacturer, so you should be able to find one easily at your local big box or hardware store. Looks like you've got an old style 3-wire cord, so you'll want to ask for that when you go shopping. Just ask for a "3-wire range cord", they should be able to get what you need. The terminal block might be a bit more tricky to get, and may require ordering it right from the manufacturer.

If you're not comfortable with this type of work, you could contact a local appliance repair shop. They should be able to do this type of repair fairly quickly, and hopefully cheaply (cheap in price, not in quality).

When the new terminal block is wired up, make sure all terminals are tightened to the manufacturer recommend torque. Then come back after a few days/weeks of use, and tighten the connections again. Most folks never tighten the connections after the initial installation, which (in my opinion) is why the situation you're in is so common (another factor is that folks don't tighten the terminals to the manufacturers recommended torque in the first place).

On a side note... There should be a grommet in the hole where the cord enters the range. This grommet is meant to protect the cord from the sharp edge of the hole, and prevent damage to the cord. You might want to measure the size of the hole, and pick up a grommet while you're at the hardware store.


Assuming that the lamp cord is polarized you want to make sure that the hot side of the two wire conductor is attached to the center (copper) terminal on the socket. The common side of the cord is connected to the outer (silver) terminal.
The hot side is the one that plugs into the narrow slot in a polarized receptacle. The wider plug blade can only fit in the wider slot on the receptacle and is the common or neutral wire. You can also tell hot from common by feeling both sides of the lamp cord. One side is smooth (hot side) the other side is usually ribbed (common or neutral side).
You also want to make sure that the the screws are sufficiently tightened.
If the plug on the lamp cord isn't polarized with a wide blade or prong on one side and a narrower blade on the other you should replace the plug or the entire lamp cord with one that is polarized.


Should I grout the walls or floor first?

I can not think of a reason that it matters.

I would do the walls first, i would protect the floor with some heavy duty plastic sheeting taped down at the edges.

Wait a day and Then do the floor, use painter tape around the base of the walls.

After the grout has cure for a day then you can pull the tape off the walls and caulk the joint where the floor meets the walls with 100% silicone, mold and mildew resistant caulk.


What could be causing a Bosch dishwasher to not heat the water?

In most dishwashers, there's really only 2 or 3 parts that can cause this problem.

First is the heating coil itself. Disconnect it from whatever it's wired to. Measure the resistance of the coil with a multimeter. If it reads infinite OR 0, then the coil is bad. Anything in between and it's probably fine.

Next is the relay or the control board. On many dishwashers, the relay is on the control board. If yours is combined, then just buy a new control board. If the relay is separate, buy a relay because they are cheap. And if that doesn't fix the problem then it's the control board.


Why do I have a coax splice behind this blank face plate?

It is likely a remnant from either the initial cable-pulling process, or that connected cable is an extension that was used to "move" the coax to that other point in the room that you mentioned.  I would see what happens if you disconnect it - does the coax stop working somewhere else in your house?  That's the surest way to find out what it is used for.
Since it is a connection, having the access box is handy if you ever need to tighten the connection / move the coax port back to this box.  I don't think there is any code requirement on having access in this instance, though, as it's a signal wire (low voltage) - not power. (as always, IANAL)


Am I correctly replacing 2 x two-pole breakers with a quadraplex breaker?

Sure, if it fits
Your panel labeling specifically lists the BQC type breaker, so that's alright.
Your wiring (one pair in middle, one pair outside) is correct.
The breaker appears to be "common trip, both inside and outside" so that is either correct or overkill for your circuit, so that's fine.   (Beware Eaton "Non-common-trip" types).
However, your panel is labeled for BQC breakers only in certain places depending on whether the bus stabs have a forked tongue.  The label is not specific as to where that is in your panel, but given that it's a 30-space panel and the old CTL limits were 40-space, I'm guessing it's the bottom 5 rows of spaces.  Which are mostly populated already.
Might be time for a subpanel
As you are seeing, 30 spaces/40 circuits is inadequate for a modern house.  A better use of 2 spaces might be to feed a subpanel, so you can offload some loads into that.
If you had any thought to having a "critical loads" subpanel to support future generator or battery/gen/solar backup system, this would be a good time to think about that.
Normally I recommend a house finish with about 50 spaces, so by that a 12-space subpanel would suffice; however, since your house is so full already, I'd aim for more like 60, suggesting a 24-space or 30-space subpanel.  Scrimping on spaces is a futile gesture; the price difference is tiny compared to the frustration of - well, you know exactly, don't you!  You spent more on that BQC breaker than the price difference would've been for the last guy to buy a 40-space panel instead of the 30. So why not? Spaces are cheap, make the sub a 40-space. Never run out of spaces again.


How can I vent a bath fan with no access to exterior?

You need to vent the moisture outside. If you have access to the outer wall cut a hole into the sheathing it can be bigger than the duct. Then, using a masonry bit, drill a single hole through the brick where the center of the duct will be for reference. I suggest not using a hammer drill so as not to bust or crack the brick causing unwanted problems.

Now go outside using the center hole for reference mark on the brick mark the opening you will need.  Now drill a series of holes alone the mark fairly close together taking your time and be careful--it's better that the opening is smaller than needed because you can always remove more material.

It's important that you not hurry and drill from the brick facade.  This is because sometimes when drilling thru the back of the brick can break off uneven. Run the duct thru the hole install and seal the vent cover.


Natural Gas Tankless water heater condensate volume

Humidity will have little to no effect. The condensate is a combustion byproduct, and will be determined almost entirely by how much the heater runs - when the heater is running, expect pretty much the rated output. When the heater is idle, expect none. As such, volume per day will depend on your hot water usage.
What, if any, treatment is required before irrigation use will depend in part on your local conditions. I know some desert soils are very alkaline and might neutralize acidic condensate quite well themselves. Beyond that, some experimentation is likely called for. A small reed bed filter (see virtually any permaculture reference book/website) or the like might be beneficial before feeding to more sensitive plants - condensate is often a bit weird due to minor combustion byproducts other than water.


When you are adding new pipes segments to existing lines and they are capped at the end(ex copper stub outs)? what happens with the air trapped there?

These dead ends will immediately or eventually fill with water. How fast this happens depends on their orientation and whether water can pour in and air can escape back into the main branch and escape through a different fixture.
Sometimes air can remain trapped for a long time if the dead ends are pointed upward.
A closed off upward column of a foot or two is used in plumbing to absorb water pressure hammering.
When a nearby fixture rapidly closes (e.g. a solenoid valve in a washing machine), the water comes to an abrupt requiring a place for the kinetic energy to go, and the water would "ram" or hammer into the valve thus forming a water hammer. The hard hammering can be softened by providing an air cushion in the form of an air filled standing pipe with a dead end as a shock absorber.

However, it turns out that the air and water do mix over time, and the the length of the air column shortens in that upright closed pipe, eventually rendering this kind of water hammer arrester ineffective.
Today plumbers will install a spring or membrane based water hammer arrester. The membrane based absorber operates on the same principle as the dead end stand pipe, allowing a pocket of air and the elasticity of the membrane to absorb the shock. The membrane maintains the integrity of the air pocket by preventing the mixing of water with air.


Mold on drywall. Should I clean-up or replace?

General practice is going 6 inches above molded area and cut it out.  You must inspect the backside of the drywall.  If you can't you need to keep cutting out until you hit 6 inches of unaffected wall.  You then need to follow a mold remediation plan - not sure how anything else in the wall looks but useless replacing the drywall if you will put up new drywall on moldy framing.  If there is any humidity/dampness it will continue to grow.

As far as a barrier... I guess you could put up plastic.  Not sure how affective it would be because water will find a way to go somewhere.  Where do you want leaks to go?


If this is the gauge on the PRV output, you have a restriction on the intake side of the PRV or in the PRV itself. I suppose it may also be possible that your plumber installed a valve that's too small for your connected devices' flow rates.

As an aside, you also have a dimwit for a plumber if that's "a mystery" - or your plumber is lying to you, which comes somewhat lower than dimwit in my book.

You (or your new, hopefully competent and truthful plumber) will need to remove the PRV and see if there's something like an intake filter screen that is clogged with debris, pipe scale, etc. restricting flow into the valve, and if not, go looking for something stuck in the inner workings of the valve itself. You may wish to add a more easily serviced filter suited to the full street pressure on that intake side, as well.


Can chain link fence rail be used as electrical conduit?

Electrical conduit is similar to pipe, but there are important differences, such as requirements for the inside to be smooth so it won't damage wires.
In short, no. Use actual electrical conduit.


Oven Door allows too much heat to escape?

It varies by model number but generally there's a spring that attaches to the door hinge. If the hinge (or other part that links to the spring) breaks then there isn't enough tension to keep the door closed.

I had the same problem. In my case the roller broke which caused the hinge to not operate properly.

Look up your model number and look at the parts diagram to get a better sense of how your oven is set up.

If you remove the door (usually lifts straight up) you can see everything better and operate the hinges manually to see which one has a problem.


How to hoist hot tub out of surrounding deck?

I'd be cautious building something like this with limited woodworking experience. Typical framing like this would have 1/2" bolts and your rough sketch is similar to other stable gantries.
I see this a lot in Florida where people have partially below grade hot tubes and need to raise them for drain and piping replacement. Renting a gantry seems to be the popular way to do this. Some with wheels on the base allow you to move it out of the way to do your work. See picture below. This might save you some time and keep you from having to build one yourself.

I have no business interest in any rental companies.


How should I attach a slab of soapstone to iron shelf brackets?

Use the silicone, contrary to some ideas expressed it does stick well to clean smooth surfaces. So well, in fact, that mechanical scraping is often the only way to remove it once cured (actually there are some chemicals, like dimethyl adipate, that soften cured silicone).

If the brackets are securely mounted to the wall, silicone will grip like hell and hold that slab of stone firmly in place. Don't worry about the acetic acid, it smells a bit but won't hurt the iron. The soapstone might get discolored a bit but the underside shouldn't be a concern.


Reading electrical clamp tester higher voltage/amp 400A

No, you have to clamp each wire individually.


I was curious so I just did some googling around and it seems that, if anything, some lenders might require a closet for a room to be included in the bedroom count for the house. I imagine this might be to help ensure consistency in home valuations. Check the first few results here for more info.

Code does require a bedroom have an egress window however.  Also if your house is on a septic system it will be approved for a certain number of bedrooms and you may run into issues when selling the house if you've represented the new room as a bedroom but your septic system isn't rated for it.


How can I cut a bolt off flush with concrete in a corner?

Since it appears to be in dirt, dig it out would appear to be an option. If there's actually concrete under the dirt, chisel it out is still an option.

I'm unclear as to how that's not accessible to a hacksaw - looks plenty accessible to me. Other than a hacksaw, a sawzall (reciprocating saw) or angle grinder with cutoff disk are typical powertool approaches. An oxy-acetylene cutting torch would be another way.


Seem to have a voltage problem after reconnecting meter box - how to troubleshoot?

I should have tightened them more -- looks like 100lb not 50lb


Furnace not heating after changing thermostat

If your furnace and a/c are very old they may have separate power supplies. Old school heat/cool stats worked like this Rh(24v power) closes to W(heat signal) on a call for heat, that's the heating circuit.
Rc(24v power) closes to G(fan) and Y(air conditioning) on a call for cooling,thats the cooling circuit. You can also close the fan switch Rc-G to operate the fan independently of the air conditioner. Newer systems just use R for both heat and cooling as all the controls are incorporated into one control board. The C(common) is just used to complete a circuit. This picture shows what happens at the furnace old systems used 2 different power sources.
You need to confirm that the new stat will accommodate Rh and Rc systems.  (https://i.stack.imgur.com/vhq0k.jpg)


Can someone please tell me the name or purpose of this tool? Thanks

https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/04618823

It is a draw cleco used for sheet metal work to hold sheets together while riveting adjacent holes. Black usually means 5/32 diameter.


Single Electrical Outlet in home not working

I found the solution guys!! I traced the wiring of that outlet to the basement, and it isn't hooked up to anything. Hahaha. I don't understand why the outlet is even there if it isn't hooked to anything, but now I can rest easy knowing that my house won't burn down. Thanks for the help and the suggestions.


Tighting taps under kitchen sink doesn't cut off water supply

Those are supposed to be shutoff valves, but they are usually very cheap and I would not be surprised if the rubber washers are more like bricks.

If you need to do tap maintenance you will need to turn off the apartment's water. Unless you are in a condo this is really the building owner's job, not yours.

I stopped using this style of shutoff ages ago. You can get mini ball valves that are much better in every way for very small extra cost.


Standard 8d nails are 2.5" long.  Anything else is going to be some sort of special purpose nail such as these:

8d 1.5" nails


What kind of router would you use to extend a cabinet opening?

Why are you using a router?  Does your microwave overlap the edges?  If so, I'd use a jigsaw, seems to me to be much easier set up.


Usually the rubber hub seals on the pipe. Since it appears it is not sealing I would clean it and give it a try with silicone.


First off, have you considered how heavy this tank is going to be when full of water? The total weight of the water contained in a 31.5"x25.6"x25.6" tank is 744 lbs.
The total force on each wall is a function of pressure, depth, and wall area. Integrating all of that over the surface gives a total outward force of 459 lbs on each side.

You'll need to know the ultimate tensile strength of the particular type of glass you're using. I'd recommend looking for tempered glass, which will have a higher strength.
For a rectangular plate of toughened glass supported along all edges (meaning, including a top brace), I found the following generalized formula for a maximum uniform pressure loading (PDF link):
Pmax (psi) = 84000*t^2/Af

where t is the glass thickness in inches
      A is the area in square inches
      f is the safety factor (10 in this case)

(I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be the thickness parameter that's squared, not the constant as it was written in the source material. Also take this number with a grain of salt, since the source material has an apparent typo in the equation. Wikipedia has a much more in depth derivation here.)
Using the parameters you specified along with a safety factor of 10, the max allowable uniform pressure loading is 2.2457 PSI. So your choice of materials should be OK for the non-uniform loading with a max value of 1.138 PSI. Note that this is for a piece of glass that is fixed along all edges, so that would mean you've got it secured to a brace along EVERY jointed vertex to counter the bending moments at the edges of the plates.
Also consider the strength of your adhesive if you're set on going frameless. It's going to be under a max stress of about 8.04 lbs/linear inch, in both shear and normal stress if you're doing the corners as butt joints.


A modern dryer should have a separate ground (which is bonded to the exposed metal case of the dryer) and neutral connection, with a removable jumper between them.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to find an installation manual for this model, just several copies of the Use & Care Manual. There are three possibilities:

The dryer has connections for 2 hots + neutral and no wiring at all for ground and the metal parts of the dryer are not connected to the neutral. You can test this with a multimeter by seeing if there is continuity between unpainted metal parts and the neutral connection. If there is no continuity (and you really truly have no ground connection on the dryer anywhere) then "a self tapping screw and secure the ground in the connection area be sure not to poke any other wires" is the right answer as it will provide a reasonable ground connection independent of the neutral connection.
The dryer has ground & neutral bonded together with a jumper. For any dryer made after 1996 (and possibly even a little older) there should be a jumper and by removing the jumper have ground independent of neutral. If you test with a multimeter and find continuity between the metal parts and neutral then if you can find and remove this neutral-ground jumper you can then connect ground to the case with a self-tapping screw and be safe.
The dryer has ground & neutral bonded together but no specific connection can be found. If this is the case then you have a 3-wire connection forced on you. If you were to connect a grounding wire to the metal case, you would effectively be bonding neutral & ground so that even though you are using a 4-wire connection, safety-wise it would be exactly the same - with the same dangers - as a 3-wire connection. If this turns out to be the case then I do NOT recommend this as (a) you are cheating well-established (> 20 years) safety standards and (b) likely have a VERY old dryer.

Bottom line: If you still can't find a jumper, check for continuity between case and neutral. If you don't have any continuity (check multiple locations to be sure) then ground to the case. If you do have continuity, get a different dryer. Used is OK, as long it isn't too old. Anything newer than 1996 should have a removable jumper so that you can connect it correctly.


Why is the water pressure in my home clearly less than my neighbors?

Look for something like this.

near or on the water meter.  This is a pressure reducing valve, and it's used by some municipalities to control the pressure entering to house.  They are adjustable, so the one in your house might be set too low.
If you have a manifold setup on the PEX system, check to make sure the shutoffs on the manifold are fully open. You can also check the main shutoff for the house, to make sure it is fully open.
If you still cannot get better pressure, you might try calling the municipality and asking them for help. It could be a problem with the system before it enters your home.
This answer assumes you are using city water, if you use well or another water source there may be more things to check.


Can you hang a heavy punching bag where a ceiling fan mount is?

Ceiling fan boxes only have to support 35 lbs. ceiling fans (according to NEC), unless they are designed to support more. In which case they will be marked with the amount they can support, up to the maximum of 70 lbs.

So no, I would not recommend hanging a punching bag (assuming a heavy bag) from a ceiling fan bracket.


Can I use a 220v 60 amp breaker and 4/3 line for a sub panely with 2 breakers 220 1 35 amp and 1 15 amp

As long as you have the clear space, go for it
You should have no problem installing a small NEMA 3R "spa box"-sized subpanel in place of the existing disconnect and running your flex whips directly from it.  Just make sure that you have the NEC 110.26(A) required clear working area (30" wide, 36" deep) at the disconnect location before you start, as HVAC installers don't always remember that when fitting local disconnects.  Also, you'll need to make sure the panel has a grounding bar fitted and remove the bonding screw from the neutral bar on the panel.


My mistake, turns out that the heating had another smaller tank in the loft hidden behind the big tank and was filling up to compensate.


Accidental drywall mud over cement board

Thinset is approved for use over sheetrock - sheetrock typically has drywall compound on it.

If you were using a large format tile with a specific thinset that wasn't approved for use over sheetrock you might have issues.


this happens when LED bulbs don't have proper (or any) DC conditioning. Cheaper decorative LEDs in the US use a simple circuit of ~50 LEDs in series, with no other regulation. This also means they are off half the time (60 times a second they blink), but some bulbs will have multiple series strands in reverse polarity, so that at least one "filament" is lit the majority of the time and the flicker rate is doubled to a less-noticeable 120Hz.

These styles of bulb are extremely simple electrically, literally about the same as a tungsten bulb. They are nice and pretty and cheap to produce, but they doesn't work very well. Small fluctuations in voltage will have large effects on the light output because the LEDs are unregulated and being driven close to their limit. Unlike tungsten, which has a linear voltage-to-lumen ratio, LEDs produce exponentially more light with voltage above their specification. So while a 2v dip on tungsten might decrease light ~2%, it can cut the LED's ouput by ten times that or more.

You want a more expensive bulb that will properly convert the incoming AC to lower-voltage DC to keep the output steady over a wide variety of input voltages. If there's a short delay from when you turn them on to when they output light chances are they won't flicker no matter what you do.


How do I fix an uneven cement floor prior to hard wood flooring install?

A picture might be helpful but I think you have two options:

1) Grind down the ridge.  This will be messy and create lots of dust

2) Use a self-leveling concrete mix.  This is a special mix that starts off almost like water, levels itself and sets relatively quickly. Follow the directions carefuly as usually you have to work with it pretty fast from the time you mix to the time you pour.  It will flow into any cracks and holes so make sure that any of these that might cause problems with another floor below you are sealed before you start.


Connecting whole house surge protector to breakers

If the options

A)  choosing the shortest wire connections
and option
B)  connecting the SPD to its own breaker

are mutually exclusive, option A) is more important for the surge suppression, since possible capacitive or inductive couplings are minimzed.

The breaker is needed if the SPD is damaged or has been loaded with too much surge energy resulting in a long term low resistance - e.g. after a near lightning hit.
The normal circuit breakers (e.g. 20A) are much too slow to cut the surge current, which may be in the range of hundreds or thousands of Ampere, but will only flow for microseconds.

A SPD should be connected as close as possible to the incoming lines (power provider) of the breaker panel or main panel with as short connections as possible. At the same time, these wires should be "lonely" wires, i.e. all other wires should have a big distance to those SPD connection wires again to minimize any couplings.


Prep for Painting New Wooden Interior Door

Simple masonite doors can be painted in place. You only have to seal tops/bottoms of solid wood doors, to prevent moisture from warping them.

The primer is laughable, but functionable. Plan on two coats of your topcoat paint. Personally, I'll paint them with a coat of flat, then a coat of semigloss, to prevent that built-up look, bit that's personal preference, not the law.

As far as rolling, go right ahead. Not my preference, but I'll do it in a rental without blinking an eye. Not as nice a finish, but again, that's an opinion. I have lots of opinions. If you do roll, do yourself a favor and use a small whiz-roller- the kind that has a fuzzy outside edge, so you can get some paint into the panel profiles. Keep a brush by your side to brush it out when you're done.

All paints will work. If you go satin or semigloss, it won't stain as much from dirty paws.


What are the pros and cons of cast iron vs. porcelain covered steel bathtubs?

Great call. Cast Iron's bottom & sides are solid, none others are. Steel is quite bouncy & hollow sounding. Cast Iron is very heavy so consider that if you'll be installing yourself. You'll want 3 other helpers & to make a stretcher under its rim out of 2x4's & treat it like a King or Queen...unless winding stairs or shallow hallways will be a length issue.


I think there might be a wasp's nest in my garage or in its walls, how can I tell?

Yes, you might have one in there.  In my area at least, there are two common types that build nests around the house, mud daubers and paper wasps.  The good news is that while both sting, neither are particularly aggressive the way hornets are.
Be careful, however, if you are allergic to bee, hornet, or wasp stings!!
I'd follow one around until you see it hitting the nest.  Mud daubers will often make a characteristic high-pitched buzzing sound as they form the mud into their nest.  They can be just about anywhere though.
Paper wasps seem to prefer high spots and corners.
Locate the nest, spray with wasp insecticide, clean up the mess after they leave or die, and then take steps to plug the opening that they are using to get it.


After looking at all the photos, it looks like the fan is controlled by a fan and limit switch (the black thing with a silver dial and three black wires).

So basically, the thermostat calls for heat by energizing the TH W terminal on the gas and ignition controller (Black Honeywell box with all the wires connected to it).  This opens the pilot, turns on the spark, and ignites the main burners. Once the temperature in the heat exchanger gets up to the FAN ON temp., set on the fan and limit switch, the blower comes on. When the thermostat is satisfied, it removes power from the TH W terminal. This tells the ignition and gas controller to turn off the main burner.  When the temperature in the heat exchanger falls below the FAN OFF temperature setting, the blower turns off.

To control the fan via the G wire from the thermostat, you're going to have to use a relay to turn on the blower.  You'll energize the coil of the relay using the G wire from the thermostat, and the 24V common terminal from the transformer.  You'll have line voltage (120V or 240V) connected to the common terminal on the relay, and a wire to the blower connected to the normally open (NO) terminal on the relay.

If you don't understand the information provided in this answer, or don't feel comfortable making this type of modification to the furnace. Please don't hesitate to contact a local licensed HVAC technician.

Side Note:  The gas and ignition controller is installed upside down


Dryer with one wire connected to water pipe does not work after replacing copper pipe with pex

Danger!
A 3-wire dryer connection has two hots & neutral. It does not have a separate ground.
A 4-wire (required for all new installations for many years now) has two hots, neutral and ground.
The only time you should have a wire connected to copper pipe (and even then, it is limited for various reasons) is ground. Never neutral. So you appear to have two problems combined:

Neutral from dryer treated as ground by connecting to copper water pipe
Pex doesn't conduct so it is not a valid ground path

A typical US residential clothes dryer uses neutral for controls & lights, possibly the motor. It does not use it for the main power draw - the heating element. As a result, it can "kind of squeak by" but in a dangerous way if instead of ground on neutral (the usual 3-wire way, now deprecated) you have neutral on ground. When you made the ground no longer work (because pex doesn't conduct), instead of just losing ground (a safety issue) you also lost neutral (a functional issue).
In a way, this is a blessing in disguise, because you have found a major safety issue before it had the chance to kill anyone (seriously!).
Get this Fixed Properly

Replace the 3-wire cord from the dryer with a 4-wire cord
Remove the jumper wire in the dryer that connects ground & neutral (if you can't figure out how to do that, post the model # and we can probably figure it out)
Replace the 3-wire receptacle with a 4-wire NEMA 14-30:

The hard part: RUN A NEW 4-WIRE (2 HOT, 1 NEUTRAL, 1 GROUND) CABLE to your electrical panel. Normally this will be 10 AWG for 30 Amp. The problem is that based on what was previously done - routing neutral as ground - it is really not clear what you will find when you get to the electrical panel. I recommend posting a picture of the electrical panel showing the current dryer circuit breaker before doing any work so that we can review it for other possible issues.

In some cases if running a new cable is not a simple thing to do (e.g., different part of the house) there are ways to run ground separately through another path. However, that is dependent on ground being the only problem. In this case, all indications are that you only have 2 wires - not 3 - going back to the electrical panel, in which case taking care of ground through an alternate method will not solve the problem.


How to electrically hook up my humidifier to my furnace and have it run when furnace is running and not A/C in summer

On most newer furnaces, on the control board there are specific terminals for a humidifier.  The engineers have built into this control board the exact criteria that you are looking for.


How to open this electrical junction box?

The fitting is press fit together, and then the melted plastic holds the unit together. DON'T use any metal screws. What has happened is your wire has come loose from the strain relief. If you did anything - attach a strain relief to the backing, push your wire back into the connecting box. Then tie wrap your wires to the strain relief that you attached.

The image below shows only the self adhesive strain relief attached to your cable connector. So insert your cable back into your connector and tie the cable to the strain relief with a wire tie.

If you pull the unit apart you might have more issues (with looseness etc.)  you could do it your way and pull it apart and maybe wire tie the unit together. My advice is to get a new blanket as these things can be dangerous when they fail.


A is the fitting on the yellow gas line,
B is the nipple on the black pipe.
The two are made to go together, it is a flared compression fitting and does not flex.
Threaded joints explained.
How to wrap PTFE tape.
a wrench on the nipple (B) holds it from moving while a wrench on fitting (A) turns the fitting counterclockwise. Being a flared connection it does not get pipe dope when you reinstall it.
Since you have loosened B you will need to reset it. It does get pipe dope or PTFE  tape (Teflon) made for gas.  It appears white water Teflon tape was used.
After you get  A and B apart, take B off of the black pipe and thoroughly clean off the threads, apply PTFE tape for gas connections OR pipe dope (not both) and reset B onto the black pipe. It will be helpful to have a PIPE wrench on the black pipe while you tighten the B nipple down. How to use a pipe wrench.


Without any sort of picture, one technique that has worked for me is to pull on the screw to pull it out and then rotate gently - friction between the nut and its surface then allows the screw to come undone.

Tricky part is getting the “best” amount of pull compared to rotate. If it was cross-threaded then you are out of luck, see the next bit...

If all else fails, you will probably end up drilling the head off the screw - good luck.


On the L8148E terminal B2 is the common terminal, connect your C wire there.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZJ2tch3_oc&t=200


Wire for 100 AMP Detached Garage Subpanel. 50 feet direct buried 50 feet in crawl space

Overflowing...

Your existing panel is listed and labeled as a Circuit Total Limiting panelboard, which means that it can only use double-stuff/tandem breakers in spaces that are marked and designed to accept such.  However, the label on your panel designates no spaces as usable with tandem breakers, only standard breaker poles, rendering your panel-stuffing plans a violation of the panel's listing, and thus of NEC 110.3.  Furthermore, space 34 already has a tandem breaker in it, which means that your panel is overflowing right now!

This means that you'll need to change out your main panel for a 42-space, 225A, main breaker loadcenter, at minimum, in order to do this; a 54- or 60-space panel such as the Siemens P5470B1225CU would be my recommendation, even, given that you already are up to 43 spaces' worth of breakers and how useless double-stuff breakers are in this day and age.  The reason for the 225A panel (vs. 200A) is explained below, by the way.

and Overloaded

Applying NEC 220.83 to your current situation, consisting of:

3500 ft2 at 3VA/ft2
5 kitchen SABCs and a laundry SABC at 1500VA apiece
3 more 1500VA allowances for fixed kitchen appliances
a 12kVA range allowance
a 5kVA dryer allowance
and a 4.5kVA water heater
and your HVAC system consisting of 38.3A of heat pump outdoor unit as well as 111.9A of strip heat

puts you at 45500VA of non-HVAC load, taken at a 40% demand factor over 8kVA for 23000VA of factored non-HVAC load.  To this, we add the 38.3A (16.9 + 21.4) of heat pump outdoor unit draw at full rating and the 111.9A (26.3A + 29.2A + 2.5A from one unit, and 53.9A from the other) of heat pump indoor unit draw at a 65% demand factor to get 8809+16729 = 25538VA of HVAC load at a 230V utilization voltage.  Adding those two together and dividing by the 240V service voltage gets us a total load of 48538VA, or 202A, which is actually slightly more load than what your 200A service can handle already!

This forces us to bump the service to 225A to have enough headroom for the new garage. This requires a pigtail of 250kcmil Al to be added at each end of the existing service-entrance wiring (connected using Al9Cu Polaris connectors) to allow the existing wiring to run at 90°C and thus have sufficient ampacity for a 225A service, as well as a 225A panel, such as the one proposed above.

Wedging the garage in there

Now we can move onto the garage, which consists of:

a 28'*40', or 1120ft2, space at 3VA/ft2
2 1500VA allowances for power tools
and a 9.6A/230VAC (representative 20kBTU, 10.4EER air conditioner from here)
OR a 30A/120V TT-30 receptacle supplying a RV, treated as a single 3600VA RV site as per 551.73(A) and the associated demand factor table

By itself, the garage draws 8568VA, or 35.7A at 240V.  However, we can apply the 40% demand factor from 220.83 to the receptacle loads in the garage, meaning that the garage only adds 4752VA, or 19.8A at 240V, to the service load.  (The RV receptacle, which would otherwise put you over even with the bump to 225A, is being treated as a non-coincident load with the rest of the garage loads as permitted by NEC 220.60 given that I doubt you'll be working on stuff in the garage while you have guests over at your house :)

...and getting it hooked up

Once the panel is replaced, getting the garage hooked up is the easy half of the enterprise.  I would use 1.5" schedule 80 PVC for the entire run; in the basement/crawlspace, you can strap it to the bottom of the joists with an expansion joint in-line with the run to keep it from doing the worm on you, and then just transition it directly to the outside run with a pair of 45° sweeps to bring it down to burial depth (24" is fine) and 90° sweeps at each end to bring it into the panels.  Inside this conduit, you'll be running 3 1AWG Al XHHW-2 conductors along with an 8AWG bare copper ground; this takes up nowhere near the fill space availabe in the conduit at 270mm2 used vs. 442mm2 available while providing a fully rated 100A feeder to the garage.

At the house end, a Q2100 is indeed the correct breaker choice for the job provided that the replacement house panel is Siemens as well, while I would in fact take the old 200A panel that got obsoleted by the house panel upgrade and put it in the garage; the main breaker is needed to serve as a local shutoff for power to the garage (and nothing more), while 40 spaces should be more than enough for even the most extravagant garage plans.  If you wish to buy a new panel for the garage, the minimum I would get is a 100 or 125A, main breaker, 24-space panel, with a larger panel than the minimum highly recommended.

In it, you'll want 2 15A breakers for lights (and only lights), 2 20A GFCI breakers for receptacles (possibly combined as a 20A multi-wire branch circuit using a 20A 2-pole GFCI breaker to allow for 240V power tools), a 15A or 20A 2-pole breaker for the AC (depending on your AC) using a single NEMA 6-15R or 6-20R at the load, and a 30A breaker for the TT-30 RV receptacle.

Of course, when making all these connections, you'll need to use an inch-pound torque wrench and/or torque screwdriver in order to meet the tightening torque requirements of 2017 NEC 110.14(D).  Even if your AHJ has not adopted the 2017 NEC, you'll want to do this anyway, lest your electrical system lose you the race!


OHM reading for dryer element? Bad thermal cutoff fuse indication of element overheating?

As others said, you need to tell us more about your readings, meter type.

I'm thinking your reading is probably 10 ohms. 120 volts / 10 ohms = 12 amps, sounds about right. Check the nameplate rating on the dryer, see if its close to that. What is the thermal fuse rating?

Check the wiring, see if the circuit measures a low resistance to the dryer case, indicating a short. If all checks are good, it could be a stressed fuse that went over time. If you have a clamp on ammeter, check the running current against the nameplate rating on the dryer with a new fuse in place. If the thermal fuse is expensive or hard to get, then substitute a temporary fuse of the same rating just to test with before replacing the OEM fuse.


My opinion of the anchors that you posted is pretty low. There are far better anchors available than those. As a matter of fact those anchors are touted to be for "solid material walls, floors and ceilings". I personally do not consider drywall to be a particularly solid material in the same way that wood, brick or concrete would be.

Your wall is probably made up two layers of 1/2" drywall to be both a fire stop and sound deadening between the neighbors unit and yours.

If I were to be hanging a heavy mirror on 1" thickness surface drywall I would look at toggle type anchors that look like this:


Standing Fan seizing up only when powered

I'm going to suggest that this fan has reached the end of its useful life.  It sounds like there is a bearing problem that is impeding the rotation.
This is almost certainly an induction motor and one characteristic of these is that once power is applied, the magnetic field from the stator not only tries to rotate the rotor but also pushes is axially forward or backward. So when you turn the fan ON, there is a force on the shaft that is not present when the power is off.  That's putting pressure on the bad bearing and stopping it from turning.


How do I label fluorescent fixtures converted to LED?

Don't say what shouldn't be in there, say what should.  "Direct-wire LED tubes only"

I put the sticker directly behind (above) the tube so it hides the sticker.  I would place it near the lampholder which has the 120V on it, if that's a factor.

Then on the endcap of the fixture, at the power cord end, "Ballast removed. Direct wired for LED."

If the fixture doesn't have a power plug (or if it's annoyingly inaccessible), my practice is to install an internal disconnect inside the fixture (scroll down and look for the orange connector) which can be had cheaply here.  It's not required for direct-wire LEDs (and several other exceptions) but it's a good thing to do, and the connectors are only a buck.


What could this blue ring on my ceiling be and what are my options?

Looks like a water stain. Since you know the cause, just get matching ceiling paint and paint over it,  or repaint the whole ceiling if you can't get the color matched to your satisfaction. Or ignore it until you're ready to repaint.


Utility panels, gas pipe and building an extension

Gas
The gas meter will have to be relocated.
The gas company may handle the plumbing up to the meter, but you'll be responsible for extending the indoor plumbing to the new location.  The gas may be off for a few days, while the relocation is completed, pressure tested, and inspected.
Water
Depending on the supplier and local requirements, the water meter may not have to be relocated.  You'll have to ask your specific utility.
Electric
The electric meter will also likely have to be relocated.
As with the gas, the utility may handle the service conductors, but you'll be responsible for anything after the meter.


Upgrading from a two wire analog tstat to a Nest, need help

All,

I apologize for wasting your time. I feel like an idiot. It was because I didn’t put the face plate back on the heater and the kill switch was on. My bad! Sorry again.


How do I replace a ceiling fan controlled by 2 wall switches with a standard wall plug outlet?

Note that the ceiling fan electrical box will not be the same as a standard box for a receptacle. You will have to find a suitable faceplate that will adapt to a round/octagonal box, or you will have to change the box itself.

Option 1

Break the tab on the hot side of the receptacle, and wire the two hot wires separately to each screw terminal on the receptacle.

This will cause the two outlets to be controlled independently by the two wall switches.

Option 2

Cap the extra hot wire in the ceiling and wire the receptacle to the one remaining hot wire. Do not break the tab. Remove the switch that controls the hot wire you capped, and cap that wire on the switch end as well. This will control both halves of the receptacle with one switch.

Option 3

If your wiring was done with a switch loop (meaning the power comes into your ceiling box and not your switch box), then you can wire the un-switched hot in your ceiling box directly to your receptacle and make it un-switched. You could then decide what to do with the switches on your wall, but they would no longer control your ceiling box.

Option 4

If the setup does not use a switch loop, you could remove one switch, splice the hot in your switch box to that switch leg, and then you would have un-switched power to the ceiling box.

Keep in mind some of these setups are not "expected" wiring methods and might throw some people for a loop.


Garage door opens only partially in hot weather

Step one - when it's hot and acting up, close the door, disconnect
the opener, and open it manually. If thermal expansion is making the
door bind, you need to address the basic mechanical issues of the
door mechanism BEFORE you start cranking up the door opener. Clean, lubricate, adjust, or call a garage door mechanic, as apprpriate to the issues and your skills.
Then go though the complete adjustment procedure for your opener, including the safety tests that are supposed to be run every 6 months or so (stops when beam broken, stops and reverses when hitting a 2x4 laid flat on the floor, closes and stops correctly when nothing is in the way, opens correctly. At this point you may adjust the force if the mechanics are correct.
If you've done those things and it still acts up when hot, or if your adjustment procedure doesn't seem to work as it should if you do it when it's hot, you may have a problem (evidently of a thermal nature, or aggravated by heat) in the logic board of the opener. I had some very puzzling behavior from an opener once that appeared to have been caused by a nearby lighting strike scrambling it's little brains, and making it into a potential killer (it was trying to drive the garage door through the floor when it closed.)


How to temporarily mount a large object on the side of my house?

Based on the restrictions you've presented, your post idea isn't farfetched and I don't think it will look particularly unusual, especially if you consider to paint the post on which it is mounted to match the color of the siding. From any appreciable distance, the post will mostly vanish.

On close inspection, or a second look, the post may "pop into view," but the viewer will have already experienced the primary focus of the snowflake.

If the post idea is still rejected, the hanging idea could be better implemented by attaching it by cables to the eaves, but also attaching cables to the ground, to prevent movement. You could get away with a minimum of three cables, one above and two below, or two above and one below. A padded substance behind the snowflake will improve circumstances, as well. Use enough padding to push the cables all the tighter, forcing a more secure friction attachment to the wall. Paint the cables to match the siding?


How do I set my multimeter to test doorbell transformer

Yes your selecting an AC voltage setting is correct for a typical doorbell transformer.

If you can find the transformer itself the first test would be to remove one or both low voltage wires from the transformer output and then measure the output with the meter. This will tell you if the transformer is OK or if there is some problem with the AC line voltage feed to the transformer or the transformer itself has failed. This isolation could save a good amount of time trouble shooting the low voltage wiring at the doorbell and switch.


Is my circuit breaker tripping because the supply line for my disposal is wet?

You can find out if the garbage disposal itself is causing the circuit breaker to trip by opening the electrical box under the sink that connects the garbage disposal and disconnecting the wires to the disposal (after making sure the power to this box is OFF). Cap the ends of the wires with wire nuts, then turn the breaker on. If it stays on, then its the garage disposal. If it still trips, then the problem is elsewhere.


Bradford White water heater: burner making loud noise towards the end of the heating cycle

Want to share what I learned.

Thanks to Ed Beal who provided suggestion. I opened the unit and removed the burner assembly and cleaned the filter area. There was not much there. This did not help the situation.

Called our local plumber who guessed that the burner assembly was damaged. He was right. The burner assembly which looked like a exhaust on a car had a tear in the mesh. New burner assembly was installed and we are all good.

I have been told by multiple plumbers that they highly recommend Bradford White including the most recent plumber. With that said, I am not too thrilled with their product. Within the last 5 years (unit was purchased in 2014), we have had to shell out close to $700/- in repairs. This does not include parts because the unit was still under warranty. First two incidents dealt with the control unit by Honeywell that was bad. Now the burner unit.

Anyway, wanted to share my experience.


Air admittance valves on waste pipe with extraction

See comment above, this is a condo/owned property, not a rented apartment.

Since the other bathrooms vent into this pipe you cannot simply cap with an AAV.  The air flow from the fans will dry out and empty traps, leading to sewer gases elsewhere.

You need to break into that wall and fix it properly.


I have used vinegar many times to kill mold. Spray it on the area where mold appears and let is sit for 15 minutes, then rinse off. Bleach kills surface mold but doesn't penetrate below the surface to kill the "root".
You'll want to remove all the old caulking and then clean the area. Fortunately, vinegar works to remove old caulk, so does alcohol. After the area has completely dried, get a quality silicone caulk and apply it to the seam. let it fully cure, about 24 hours.


The first product is a dressing stick, so if you have abrasive impregnated grinding machines, you use it to flatten and true them.  A binder would be chosen to stay strong and hard with the heat produced.  Generally with stone you want a dressing abrasive harder than the stone, but as they mention particularly cleaning and truing diamond abrasives, it appears it is adequate in this case to be stronger and harder than the binder.
The second product appears to be more for hand filing, sharpening and shaping high strength metal cutting tools like wood chisels and punch dies, so they likely have flexibility to choose binder properties that are better for low speed hand work.


Looks like an epoxy floor coating. Quikrete, Drylock, and Rust-Oleum have products, probably many other specialist coating and concrete manufacturers do as well (I have a can of Quikrete's version kicking around somewhere that I got from a friend who overbought it, but I haven't gotten around to putting it down yet. Can't really help beyond identification).


Close old OTR hood vent hole on exterior stucco wall

You need more than patch or filler for that large of an area. Chicken wire, construction cloth or even expanded metal can be used to make it a quality repair. At that point you could patch , there is enough wire showing just make sure to overlap and work the base coat in so it is held in place by the wire.


My suggestion would be to put it on the side that makes it invisible or less obvious when looking into the bathroom from outside it.


Why am I having trouble starting my gas hedge trimmer?

The fact that it sped up right before shutting off tells me it ran lean. My first inclination would be to an air leak, most likely at the intake manifold or exhaust manifold. Check the gaskets and the bolts to make sure they are intact/tight. Also I'd also check the gap on the spark plug. Does the compression feel the same when starting as it did before it quit running?


How to flatten an uneven plank subfloor when the existing planks can't be removed?

Though the ceiling height is a constraint I would recommend laying down 3/8" 8'x 4'plywood sheets and shimming them up to level.  Lay the hardwood floor on top of that.


How is the service drop or service lateral of a residential electric service protected from overcurrent?

There isn't one

Just your main breaker. That's it.

The presumption is that the area prior to the main breaker is exceedingly simple, with nothing tapped there, so a problem there would be unlikely.

That's also why this is a bad idea.

Collecting data about electrical accidents is what the NFPA does for a living, so clearly, "unlikely" is proven out by statistical analysis.  If incidents were occurring at a rate of concern, they would be acting to deal with it, and their NEC codebook or UL standards would soon be updated to reflect it.

It wouldn't take a whole lot to add a fusible link to the input bussing of a meter, so that's an easy action UL can simply mandate.  If it were necessary.  The fact that they haven't says a thing or two.


Removing the smell of cannabis (not my cannabis!)

Grow some other strong smelling plants, lavender, eucalyptus etc. In fact many many non odoriferous plants in a space will help to "clean" the air.

It will dissipate.

Air ionization machine.

Citrus based cleaners.

Baking soda sprinkled on the carpets.


How clean does the surface of new-poured concrete footings need to be before pouring piers?

You have to have your Footings completely clean. The only thing that is allowed to touch the bottom of a footing is a dobie. In-fact, if you have to be inspected, you will likely be handed a failed inspection tag for even slightly dirty footings, as clean footings are part of the checklist before you can pour in most areas, and furthermore; your piers will need to be totally clean as well.
Leaving loose dirt at the bottom of a footing can lead to gaps under concrete that fills the footing, this is especially true in areas that have seismically active like the Middle East, Mexico, Japan & California, or in areas that are swampy like Florida, inland New York, Brazil, and Massachusetts. When the ground shakes, or gets wet, loose dirt compacts, leaving space between the dirt, and concrete, underneath the footing where you cannot see. The dirt that hasn't been moved has already compacted for millions, if not billions of years, therefore, it is not only important to clean the footings, removing all the loose dirt, but also to make sure the dirt at the bottom of the footing has never been excavated before (in other words, the bottom of the footings should be dirt that has never been touched by man before). Also don't just re-compact the loose dirt, because no matter how much you pack it, nature will pack it more as time passes.
When loose dirt is left under fresh poured concrete, as I mentioned previously, it eventually turns into space between the concrete and the bottom of the footing. Space under the concrete leads to cracking, potentially big cracks, and in a worst case scenario, if enough loose dirt was left in the footing before the pour, it can cause the foundation to sink on one side throwing the entire home out of level. Bellow I have compiled a list that has the proper steps to take when excavating and pouring footings.
Steps for excavating and pouring footings:

When all of your excavation is complete, you need to clean your footings extremely well before you tie any rebar.
With clean footings you can now start cutting and tying your rebar. (usually one man/woman cutting and 2-3 men/women tying.
After your Rebar is completely tied you should have nothing but dobies touching the bottom of your footings. At this point you need to clean your footings one final time.
Get inspection if required.

Side Note: "If you have a small crew working for/with you it works best to have everyone stop doing what they are doing, and have them all clean the footings."


What are the pros and cons of LED vs CFL vs incandescent bulbs for outdoor lighting?

The short answer is to check with the bulb manufacturer. Ambient temperature and use case requirements may also be mentioned on the box/packaging.

The long answer is that it depends (as always eh?). From what I could find online, CFLs and incandescent bulbs are actually MORE sensitive to LOW temperatures than LEDs. So in your specific use case, I would think you would be fine in using an LED bulb.

That being said, keep in mind that there ARE certain environments where LEDs may perform worse -- particularly in settings where the ambient temperature is very high, resulting in overheating of the LED package and eventually leading to device failure. I think most manufacturers are getting better at heat sink designs anyway so this may not be a concern later.

-M


Why does my hot water heater flame and pilot go out?

Pilot light thermocouple or valve controller.

Cheapest one to try first is the pilot light thermocouple. All the box stores and most hardware stores have them.


Vanity light installation using an old work box

It also says (specs on Home Depot web site) not listed for fixture support in ceilings, so it isn't even a question of 5.6 < 6, but rather "not designed for this purpose at all".

I believe the problem is not "plastic" but rather the wimpy little "swing clamps" - by design then can't support much.

The solution is a box that is actually nailed or screwed into supports. There are plenty of options like:

For a fan, you really need to make sure it is securely attached to a support (e.g., stud). For a light, there is a bit more leeway as it is (usually) not as heavy and does not have the constant motion/vibration of a fan.