Can I Move Interior Load-Bearing Walls Without Changes/Additions to Beams/Piers/Foundation?

Wow this is complicated...I love it.

You say, you want to know “if I can make some changes to my house's interior walls without making changes or additions to the underlying beam/pier/foundation structure.” Actually, it’s way more complex than just that...

We design from the top down and build from the bottom up. I’d like to start with your roof and how those loads are transferred down through your house. From your picture, it appears that ALL loads transfer to the exterior walls. That is to say, no roof joists or supports rest on ANY interior walls. That’s good. That allows you to move interior walls without affecting roof loads transferring down the walls to the interior foundation system.

Floor framing is designed for the critical span (load) and then used throughout the first floor. The critical span appears to be in the triple door entry area (I presume it’s the Dining Room) at about 8’. (Most of the spans are 6’ ) 2x6 joists at 16” on center spanning 8’ can support about 72 psf (old size lumber dimensions) depending on the species and grade. This is substantially above what is required by Code. (Code requires 40 psf “live load” plus an estimated 15 psf “dead load”. )

The 4x4 floor beams span about 5’ (4x4 posts are about 5’ on center) and can support about 250 - 400 plf depending on the species and grade. However, the total floor load on the 4x4 beams is  about 385 plf. (Half of one 8’ span plus half of one 6’ span resting on the joists supporting 55 psf = 385 plf.) Therefore, the 4x4’s are barely adequate, (unless there is a roof load on them.)

Next is footings. No additional weight (load) is being transferred to the footings by moving the walls, so I don’t anticipate any problems with the footings.

Summary:

So, because the roof load is on the exterior walls only, (you should verify that I’m correct by looking up in the attic and checking the entire attic...your pic is for only about 1/3 of attic), then moving walls DO NOT affect your foundation system.

However, there are some major walls that appear to support some roof loads that appear to rest on the floor joists. So, to answer your question about changing your foundation, we won’t know until we know about your roof.

Area A: I think you are correct, the wall is non- load bearing. Lath and plaster are not shear walls. I wouldn’t worry about removing 3’ or so of wall.

Areas B, C, D, and E: Again, I think you are correct about increasing the size of ceiling joists or providing additional support where the ceiling joists do not lap at the new wall locations. However, when you remove the walls that are perpendicular to the exterior walls, you need to “splice” the exterior double top plate. Currently, the walls are “woven” into the exterior walls. Cutting them off requires you to splice the double top plate with 1) tying the roof joists to the double top plate (I like Simpson H-1 clips) and 2) Installing a strap over the top plate where the walls were woven together (I like Simpson MSTA or LSTI in 48” long lengths.)


Can I install a new gas fireplace without changing cornices?

Your choices will be limited by what your local regulations say about the options for the type and location of flue and ventilation air supply. A reputable local supplier should be able to advise on the technical and visual aspects.

You might be allowed to put a flue behind the fire on the outside of the wall. In the UK we can get shallow depth gas fires and surrounds for flush mounting onto a wall. This avoids having to build a chimney breast to accommodate the fire depth and route the flue through the ceiling internally.

I think a ceiling height chimney breast would look okay and you could blend in some similar cornice to follow the new outline. The installer might need to cut through and remove some of the existing cornice hidden inside the chimney breast where the flue goes through the ceiling.

I think having the chimney breast stop part way up the wall would look odd.

If the fireplace is mainly for aesthetic reasons, a decorative electric fire and surround might give you the same benefits but without the problem of having to construct a flue. Again check for local regulations and also the available power output of the outlets.


That type of texture is created using specialty spray equipment and requires a bit of skill and experience to master.

I would recommend, for your small repair, that you experiment with readily available spray texture "in a can". There are many types available, practice on cardboard until you can reliably spray it to match your texture.


Stop and get things checked out!!!

The breaker is there as a safety protection device - not as a minor inconvenience. If the breaker is tripping there is an overload or short circuit some place that needs to be addressed. Electrical safety issues are nothing to mess around with. You could get severely shocked or killed as a result of an electrical fault. Call in a qualified electrician today to evaluate the situation and help with the proper fix.

The problem could be any one of the following:

oven
oven power plug
wiring feeding power to the oven
circuit breaker in the main junction box


Does this flange seem like it needs replacing?

It's impossible to answer a question like this, even if the plumber is right there. Water can seep through very tiny cracks so there is no way to know without doing very expensive tests, tests that would be more expensive than just replacing the item.

Usually a plumber will just replace something if there is any question whatsoever.


This is normal, they are just the seams between the drywall panels. Even the best drywall installers can't make a perfectly level joint. But, a skilled installer will feather them so they are not noticeable under most circumstances.

Based on the shadow, your picture has oblique (low-angle) lighting, it will accentuate the seams. If you have a long wall, put a flashlight near the wall skimming the surface. You should be able to see the seams on your walls also.


Can I sieve pre-mixed concrete for thin applications?

Aggregate gives concrete much of its strength. Stone is much stronger than common cement mixes, and the pebbles create interior reinforcement that's critical to performance. The gravel also reduces cost and water consumption, but that's not relevant here.
The problem with your plan is that standard concrete isn't designed to be structurally sound in such thin applications. It will be very brittle and prone to shattering.
Products that are designed for thin applications tend to have additives, such as vinyl or latex, which make them much more flexible and robust in thin applications. They're the right thing for the job. They'll also be much easier to work as they don't tear as readily when troweling.


New outlet doesn’t work breaker not tripped and the tester lights up

StackExchange will hear this form of a question many times, and even reading it right now it doesn't make sense. If you have a device that has gone bad and if the new one doesn't work. How does it not work? Either you replaced the receptacle correctly and you power is still off, or you installed the receptacle incorrectly now it doesn't work.
First you need to isolate the problem. You will probably need to abandon the tester light and get a voltmeter. Check the voltage between the source wire and the neutral and the ground wire. They both should read around 120V. If they do then the problem is the new receptacle. If they don't then your circuit is the problem. I would look real closely at the breaker panel and verify the breaker is not tripped. Just because it is not in the tripped position does not mean it hasn't tripped. Use your voltmeter to check the post on the breaker against the neutral bus and see if it is getting 120V.
If you have power at the panel and still no power at the circuit. Then you will need to trace out the entire circuit to find where the break is. Chances are you are not working on a dedicated circuit so find the other devices on that circuit and see if they are working. If they are working, try and find which device is feeding you receptacle and look to see if there is a loose wire in that box.
In short we isolate the problem and then look for the reason it isn't working.
Also most electrician will recommend not using the back stabs on a receptacle for installation. It is better to wrap the conductor around the screw and secure it that way.
Good luck and stay safe.


Your problems could be with the remote control receiver unit. These have power control circuitry inside that allows for on/off control of the fan and light and possibly speed control for the fan and dimming for the light. As with any electronic circuitry connected to the power line these can be damaged by a surge or serious spike on the power line.

One common cause of spikes and surges in some areas is thunder storms with accompanying lightening. You may want to look into swapping out one of these receiver units with a new one to see if it corrects the problem.

Note that this type of unit is permanently connected to the AC mains exposing it to storm surges all the time. In some instances the fan/light fixture may be wired up through a switch to shut it off. In cases where the switch is off during a storm it could account why some units escaped damage whilst others have failed.


Someone ran out of white wire

It appears the previous installers ran out of white wire to use for running neutrals, so they grabbed the spool of green wire off the back of the truck to keep the job going.  As a result, you'll need to treat the green wires in your switch boxes as neutrals for the purposes of installing your smart switch. This is workable here because you're in Chicago, land of metal conduit everywhere, and metal conduit is usable as a grounding path all by itself.

So, what I'd do is wire up the line/load pigtails to the wires that went to the switch, attach the white pigtail to the existing bundle of white/green wires (making sure they're bundled together as before), mark the green wire as a neutral with white electrical tape (given that replacing it isn't an option at this time), and either leave the green pigtail capped off/unhooked (grounding the switch via its yoke) or terminate the green pigtail from the switch on a green 10-32 ground screw in the matching hole in the back of the switch box (grounding the switch to the box via its pigtail).  If there are any other bundles of wires in the box (such as the bundle of reds in the first switch box), just leave them intact.


Can I step down 220 V to 110 V for my whole apartment?

You can't step down 220 volts by using two live wires - that voltage is between phase and neutral and the voltage between phases will be 380 volts, so no cheap 220 volts is there.

Note that besides different voltages there's 50 Hz versus 60 Hz issue - your country likely has 50 Hz mains and if you use an ordinary (not switching power supply) transformer it can't get 60 Hz out. If any of your devices are for 60 Hz the problem gets worse.

You certainly can use the transformer and separate set of wires scenario, but...

that's a separate set of wires and breakers and junctions and everything - you need to find place for all that, install it and maintain
if the transformer happens to be too small you'll have to either replace it (quite costly) or set another one and another set of wires in parallel (quite complicated)
you now have two sets of outlets with different voltages across the house and if you plug a 110 volts device into 220 volts outlet it likely breaks and maybe starts a fire. Even if you have two sets of outlets such that they require distinct receptacles one can always use an adapter and plug into the wrong one. In general this is why two sets of outlets with different voltages is quite a bad idea in real life. Every time there's an outlet with voltage different from country mains this problem arises, the only real solution is to have the same voltage everywhere.


Blind stop for replacement window in rough opening

Replacement windows are not designed to be installed in rough openings. They are designed to be installed inside of an existing window opening with the sashes removed.

If the exterior side of the wall has been stripped down to the sheathing, you would want to use a new construction window.  If it hasn't (or it can't reasonably be done), you likely won't be able to integrate the window flashing of a new construction window into the wall's vapor barrier. If this is the case, you'll need to rebuild the window jamb and casing inside your rough opening and install an exterior stop for your replacement window to sit against in the opening (this is simply a band of trim around the inside of the jamb).

Edit

From the photos, it appears that the existing window that was removed was similar to a mobile home window (it was a single unit with an integrated jamb).  In order to prep the opening for the replacement window, you'll need to build the parts of the opening that the replacement window assumed would already be in place.

First, you'll want to remove the 1x that was already added to the opening - it appears that it was installed flush with the exterior sheathing, but it also needs to be flush with surface of the interior wall so it doesn't leave a gap there when it's time to reinstall the interior trim.

Next, you'll basically do the same thing you did before, except you'll need to also need to install a 1x across the header on the top.  If it doesn't match the dimension of a standard milled lumber size, you'll need to get the next larger size and then either rip it or plane it until it is flush with where the trim will go on both sides. This is personal preference, but I'd get finish grade wood for this and install it with finish nails instead of screws.  This part is going to end up as part of the visible trim when you're done. Basically what you'll be doing in this step is building a jamb for the replacement window to sit in.

Once you have the jamb in, you'll need to install the exterior stop.  On a traditional window, this is the outer-most piece that forms the "channel" that the sash slides up and down in.  A replacement window re-purposes it as part of the exterior trim that would cover the any gaps between the window and the jamb.  I'd use a 1x1 or something similar for this. I usually see it referred to as "screen stop moulding" in the mill-work aisles locally. You'll need enough to go around your entire opening.

You'll want to find the there the replacement window is going to sit when it's centered in the opening, and then run a band of the stop strip all the way around the exterior side side of the jamb where it would meet the window:

The red "shaded" (forgive the horrible line drawing) area is where the window will go. The 1x1 is on the right.

After that is in place, install the replacement window following the manufacturer's instructions beginning at step 11.  In step 19, you'll be adding new trim instead of replacing what you'd have otherwise removed.  This would usually also be something like the 1x1 that you'll have on the other side, but can really be anything that covers the gap.


How to remove moisture from kitchen air?

How about using a small kitchen dehumidifier?


How can I fix an uneven and damaged transition from drywall to tile in the bathroom?

It looks like all that is seperating the drywall from the tile is a bead of caulking.  To fix this, I would first remove all of the existing caulking.  Then I would cut out the area of the affected drywall and patch in a new piece, using the factory taped edge as the end that butts up against the tile.  Tape, mud and sand the new section and paint to match. Once finished, install a new bead of caulking along the entire length and it should look like new!


This isn't an answer for your specific problem, but I can't paste images into comments, so I'm writing this up as an answer anyway. Some Googling was able to turn up the Viking technician's manual for self-cleaning ranges, which includes troubleshooting tips for non-ignition. I've copied in what look like the relevant sections below in case the link stops working (which is pretty likely, given it's only cached by Google right now).


How to upgrade generator socket from 20A to 30A?

Go ahead and put the 30A breaker in, along with a hold down kit
The good news is that your plan with the 30A breaker is feasible, given that you don't have a utility service, which means you aren't subject to the new 230.85 emergency disconnect requirements, which'd require an outdoor disconnect switch or main breaker.  However, you'll need a PK2MB hold-down kit for your 30A breaker in order to comply with NEC 408.36(D) (and keep someone from accidentally yanking out a live breaker during maintenance); fortunately, these are not hard to come by.
P.S. your panel is only a six-position panel, which means you'll have only one space left for breakers in it after you put the 30A breaker in, unless you resort to "double-stuff" breakers that is.


How do I go about removing a garage with asbestos wall panels?

Asbestos is exceptionally dangerous if disturbed. The regs are very strict and this is as I am sure you will know, just one fibre inhaled can cause respiratory cancer (years after), this is well documented. It is expensive I am sure but I would certainly get a experts to advise. This is not a DIY project unless you get properly insured and kitted and this in itself is far more a pain.


It sure seems to me that a sump pump would be a good idea, especially if you don't want to keep drying it with a wet vac.  I am assuming the pit you speak of is of some solid material, not just a hole in the dirt?

A sump pump is pretty easy to install. A small one with a built in float connected to some tubing running out of the crawl space would do the trick.  You just need to supply some electricity, set the pump on the bottom of the pit, connect the hose/tubing and your basically done.  It will work automatically when the water raises the float.


Why does my kitchen faucet's handle get hot while not in use?

Hot plumbing fixtures can mean an electrical problem.  There's enough leakage current to make something warm but not enough to trip a circuit breaker.  The fixture is close enough to ground potential to not give someone a shock.  One way to test for this is to cut power at the circuit breaker to any circuit that is near the kitchen plumbing.  If this keeps the faucet from warming up then keep the circuit off and call an electrician.


How would one solve this tub-length issue?

First thing I'd do is challenge whether the wall finish stack-up you described is actually required.
Could furring strips or hat channel be embedded in the same plane as the XPS foam? If so there's no loss of dimension due to the furring strips. Are furring strips even needed? Could the subsequent layer of drywall or backer board be held by adhesive, or by screws through the foam into the block wall?
Why two layers of drywall or backer board? Would one layer suffice? What about a thinner alternative such as Schluter's KERDI membrane? (I've never used that product; it's just an example that caught my eye.)
Also: the water-shedding layer in the wall could (should?) go in front of the flange of the tub. When placed there you don't have to allow space for this layer in the rough-in sizing.
If you do go with the 54" tub and need to make up 4 inches somewhere you're going to have to just build a box. It can be completely invisible if you make the box the entire width of the room, ie make the whole room 54" wide. But maybe there's a way to avoid that and also make the space useful. For example, frame a built-in shower bench opposite from the faucet.
If the the 4" build-out box extends wider than the width of the tub by one or two stud bays then that 4" plus the 3.5" depth of the existing wall could be turned into a built-in storage space. It's kind of shallow, but.. it could easily fit rolls of toilet paper, feminine supplies, cleaning products.. a whole lot of rubber ducks (Youtube, James Veitch Is A Terrible Roommate)..or hide-away towel racks, maybe?


Ceiling Fan & Light, replacing 2 switches from ON / OFF to Fan / Light Dimmer control

So I cut the diagram out of the PDF instructions

The reason for the red and yellow is that this is really two switches. The yellow is for your light and the red is for your fan. There's two for each, should you want to 3-way both.

The catch here is not the 3-way setup, but how you will get two hots to the box. You need one hot for the light, one for the switch and your neutral. Assuming you do, you'll take the yellow wires and attach them to the white and red that the previous 3-way used.


How can I lighten plywood to a finish that resembles pine?

I would use Oxalic acid (in deck "brightners") before using bleach. Bleach not only breaks down color, but accelerates wood deterioration.

Be sure to neutralize as directed; with borax diluted in water or bicarbonate of soda in water.


Convert gas wall heater to inset fireplace

This is not a recommendation since I never bought or installed one of these. Try searching for Woodland Direct or phone at 844-312-5159. I searched on-line and found this site. They seem to have just about everything you could possibly want. They have for example, a Kingsman ZV3600 zero clearance B-Vent gas fireplace Item #3580119 that may work for you. They have a long list of other possibilities, Or you can look up "wall mounted gas heaters or fireplaces".


Faucet-mount filter thread/size incompatibility

It turned out that the faucet end and the filter were both 55/64-27. I was able to confirm this when 13/16 and 15/16 both did not fit. The lesson is that if it screws on, it's probably the same size. The various faucet sizes are different enough that they won't be able to thread onto each other.
But why was the filter not fitting well despite the threading compatibility? I studied my filter closely. You thread it onto a faucet by turning a metal ring. It's my belief that the ring needs some sort of flange on the faucet to brace against in order to seal correctly. As you can see in the original pictures, th current faucet head consists only of threads.
The solution I took was to use two adapters. First, a 55/64-27 F to 15/16-24 F adapter onto the faucet. Then, a 15/16-24 M to 55/64-27 M adapter onto the first adapter. Then finally the filter. In the picture below, the M/M adapter is not really visible, but it connects the filter to the first adapter. Prior to buying the 55/64-27 F to 15/16-24 F adapter, I thought that I might be able to thread the adapter in reverse (the larger side facing up) so that it could provide a flange on the faucet that I could twist the filter's ring against, but that did not work; not enough room.


You ask about mitigating injury, but it seems feasible to implement preventative measures, first. The correct way to repair the siding is not with a ladder but with a boom lift or scaffolding. Doing so would avoid breaking 3 rules of ladder safety:

Maintaining 3 points of contact,
Not leaning to a side, and
Standing on platforms instead of rungs, which are designed only for ascending and descending.

These rules are intended to keep you from falling. I admit to breaking all of them, too, but in retrospect, my ladder-related accomplishments don't seem that important.

Assuming you still want to use a ladder, I suggest browsing the US OSHA rules on Personal fall protection systems. Note the 22 kN (5,000 pound) minimum breaking strength for the anchor, tether, and harness. Also note that belt-only harnesses are prohibited.

A complete fall protection kit will cost about $200 and are available for sale at many Websites. The most difficult part to find will be a suitable anchor. The most common anchors are intended for roofing and attach to the peak of the roof with 20-30 nails. Anchors are also available to mount to the top plate of a wall with 4 large bolts. A single eye bolt isn't strong enough to transfer that 22 kN to the frame of the house.


Cable Size for 100 amp service load center

If (as you imply with the A/C) the service is 120/240 USA-style then 95 feet of 4 Ga copper would be 2.5% drop at 100 amps and thus within the 3% drop even at full load. If it was 120V-only (I don't know that any country actually does that?) then you'd probably want bigger wire.

Speculating: Local advice may have to do with less-robust supply to the meter than we are used to in the USA, if there is already significant drop on the way to the meter, you may want to minimize the drop from the meter, as you might not have 240V to start with...

Your A/C units would be better if 240V (same power, half the current, 1/4 the percentage voltage drop) if you have a choice. Likewise the water heaters.

Lights should be trivial if you have no objection to and can get LED units.


I'd get a "piggyback" crimp connector and use that to land the common C wire on the C terminal
Given that your board does not supply outgoing C terminals, we have only one sane place to tap C left, and that's at the terminal where it comes into the board from the transformer.  However, we still need to be able to connect the incoming C wire to that terminal, so you'll need to use a ¼" "piggyback" crimp terminal rated for 18AWG wire crimped onto the end of the common C wire in your panel to leave room to land the C wire from the transformer (it'll look like the one shown below):


That wall is supporting ceiling joists so you can't simply remove it.

It's not carrying any roof or floor load as far as I can tell, so luckily no significant loads. If you want to clear span 13', use a 2 ply 1-3/4" x 9-1/2" 2.0E LVL. 1.55E LSL would be fine too, but that can be hard to find sometimes.

Typically remodelers try to put these types of beams up in the ceiling so they don't have to have a dropped beam with a soffit. They put the beam on top of the ceiling joists and use metal straps or strap hangers to carry each ceiling joist from above. The 2x6 ceiling joists will typically overlap a bit at the wall, so a 3" wide hanger every 16" can usually support both ceiling joists at the same time. It's a goofy way to do it, but each hanger would be carrying 200 lbs max so it could technically be done with just SDS screws but it's too much work to explain that to an inspector. They use hangers just to pass inspection easier.


As I understand it, normal cloth is not electrically conductive, so it shouldn't be a significant problem if some of it touches the conductor. My bigger worry would be a failure of insulation leading to a short-circuit in the cable. Applying the heatshrink will have inevitablly involved moving the wires around increasing the chances of cracking.

I would be very wary of touching the installation any more than you absoloutely have to before you are able to re-wire it.


How many Tapcons should be used to anchor a baseplate to a concrete floor?

I'd use 3 good ones in an 8 foot run; more if they don't feel solid. (Since it's not structural, all you're really trying to do is hold the wall to the floor and resist any after-the-fact warp/twist issues.)


What type of plug is this, and can I replace it?

That is a twist-lock-style plug used with receptacles like this:

Receptacles are still available - I have no idea if it's code-allowed to use them, they're not at all common in my experience.
I would also be inclined to replace the plug for use with a normal common socket. Check the electrical ratings on the equipment for how many volts and amps it uses. These twist-lock receptacles I found go from 120V/15A up to 220V/20A so what's safe and proper would depend on your device/appliance.


Lost Nuetral - Turning Lights On Stops Others Flickering

With a neutral, everything is forced to be split 50/50, regardless of load. When you have a lost neutral, your circuits that are normally ~ 120V can be anywhere between 0 V and 240 V.  The voltage on each side will float depending on the relative load of each side. Add more load and things could even out.
Some devices won't work well outside a narrow range - perhaps 100 V - 130 V. Many devices can handle a wide range for internationalization - e.g., 90 V - 250 V. But go too low, especially below 90 V, and a lot of devices simply won't work properly. Flickering lights would be the least of the problems. LED lights in particular will flicker if voltage is too low, unless (and sometimes even if) they are designed to be dimmer-compatible.


Preventing delivery theft at condominium building

Your right, HOA's can be impossible to deal with. They won't address this unless a majority of owners want to have it fixed. Installing lockers would be expensive and the delivery companies would have to have access to them. The USPS would probably tell you they'll deliver the packages but someone there would have to place them in the lockers. Your best bet right now is to have the packages delivered to a friend's address, or maybe to where you work. With so much shopping done online, this is becoming a major problem, even at private residences.


how to temporarily seal a narrow gap between baseboards and laminate floor?

You said it in your question: "caulking tape". I use the brand pictured but do not specifically endorse that brand. It is like string putty, you could gently press it into place and then remove it fairly easily. It does not cure like caulk, it remains a kinda stiff putty. I used it to seal a small roof transition crack while it was raining, then easily pulled it out and properly repaired the roof when the weather cleared up.


How should I handle bare wooden posts in a wet area?

I think you should seal the wood for two main reasons:

the posts are in a bathroom, where they'll be subject to high humidity (possibly condensation) and temperature changes. That's a recipe for warping and splitting in any wood. Even with the thick posts used in a post-and-beam house, you'll still see some ill effects eventually.
Doug fir is rot-resistant, but not rot-proof. If you do get condensation in that bathroom, you'll shorten the life of those beams if you don't protect them.

A third (cosmetic) reason is that untreated wood is going to lose color over time, becoming gray.  I would recommend you think about treating all the exposed posts and beams, not just in that bathroom.


Should one insulate rim joists prior to adding drywall if batt insulation already exists?

Short answer: Yes.

What you're missing from the rim joist insulation is vapor barrier.  So you should pull back the the insulation in the ceiling, then either insulate the rim joist with foam (ideally with sprayfoam around board foam so that there is zero air movement against the rim joist) or insulate with batt + vapor barrier.

It's really important that the rim joist has insulation and a vapor barrier, or condensation will form on the rim joist and drip into the ceiling, or cause mold to form.  Over time it could cause joist hangers against the rim joist to rust or the ends of the joists to rot - then it becomes a very complex and expensive to fix.

It is not sufficient to just put vapor barrier on the bottom of the joists, as this allows too much air movement, and that joist space is not vapor tight.


How to remove old masking tape from glass?

Mix dish soap and water to make a VERY slippery substance.  Then a common $2 razor scraper, being careful to make sure you change razor blades often and it never gets dull.  If it gets dull it could scratch the glass.
The purpose of the soapy water is to make sure the razor blade glides across the glass.
It's quick work, unless the masking tape is still tacky.  If it is, lay fresh masking tape across it, rub down and peel.
By the way, the razor blade method also works on primer and paint.  You didn't actually need to mask the glass at all.  You could have just overpainted the glass wherever you wanted to, and then used this same technique to lift the paint. It's actually much easier than what you're doing now.


Code for how many ground wires can be under one screw on bus bar in main breaker box of residence

Ground wires are limited to 1 under the screw, unless the lug is rated for 2 it will say if it can be. as far as mixing in the main panel to me it it looks neater to mix them, not running a ground to the other side of the panel for breakers on the neutral side, also not running a neutral to the other side with breakers on the ground side. Some inspectors can get really picky on the neat and workmanship clause, although if a large enough panel is not installed to start with then rewiring would have to be done if the panel became a sub to isolate the neutrals. NEC 250.70 not more than 1,  and 110.14.A. Both say they can have more if listed / identified. (BTW there are panels that are listed for 3. Grounds under 1 lug)


How can I locate and repair a leak on a flat roof?

Clearly this has been a problem for a while and also the standing water and patch job on the flat section of the roof is to blame.
There is no real shortcut here, as you can see, so the solution is to remove the roofing, repair the water damage, and then have it re-roofed properly.  There are ways to apply a flat roof so that it will not leak but slathering it with roof patch is not one of them.


Sonoff Mini with Home Accessory Architect firmware

Frame challenge: There are a couple of serious problems, right off the bat.
Sonoff is not legal to use
They sell it knowing this. There are certifications they must obtain, and that would require them to vastly improve their build quality.
All work done in El NEC territory requires equipment to be approved; and that means by a competent NRTL.  Sonoff didn't bother to get anything approved, and it doesn't have the marks of any competent lab -- RoHS and CE are not labs at all, and the Chinese consistently fake the CE mark; it is jokingly referred to as "China Export".  In the EU, whoever imports a CE-marked device into the EU is responsible for it conforming to Conformité Européenne.  So if you got it mail order (even if it came via an Amazon dropship warehouse)... you're the importer!  So sadly, as useful as Sonoff devices are, they are simply Chinese dreck from a safety and regulatory view, and should not ever touch mains wiring.  You need to investigate other brands that are UL-listed or regional equivalent.
The branch to the switch, and switch, need to be Class 1 wiring methods.
The device needs to be entirely inside a class 1 enclosure, and further, the "low voltage" S1 and S2 leads need to remain in class 1 wiring (i.e. THHN, Romex or twin-and-earth). Further, the switch and its enclosure needs to be mains rated; so a random $1.00 Handy-Box and 60 cent Leviton switch will suffice, but a random toggle switch off Mouser stuffed in a project box will not.  S1 and S2 cannot be wired into anything else unless all that, and everything it's wired to, is also inside class 1 enclosures.
I mention all this because this may compel you to a different design method, which would moot your question.


please help me understanding this wiring

You have two black wires that are effectively tied together through the lower screw and the push in connection on the back. It is likely that one is the hot feed to the switch and the other is an unswitched hot connection to some other circuit downstream, such as another switch, or an outlet.

The red wire is probably the switched hot going to the load.

If one of the black wires is hot to another circuit, there should also be white wires in the box connected to each other, probably at least 3 wires. One would come from the main panel, one to the load and one to the other circuit that shares the hot lead on the switch. There also may be more wires in the box unrelated to this circuit.


Hill side soil erosion control around deck

You might need a professional here, because my suggestion is indeed a retaining wall. What you do in cases like this is build the wall down to a solid footing. Make sure they put rods into the hillside to both hold the wall in place and help stay the soil. The wall will better resist the water and stop the erosion. Check with local regulations, but you can certainly build walls down into a creek bed structurally.


Unable to get the GFCI plug to reset why

If you know the manufacturer of the GFCI you could probably look up to see what a flashing red light means, but I'm guessing it indicates a miswired GFCI or some other kind of internal failure.

If you just installed the GFCI, double-check that the wiring has been done properly (i.e. you did not swap the LINE and LOAD sides, swap hot & neutral, etc).

If it is an old GFCI, maybe it is just time to replace it. They can fail over time, especially older models were more prone to failure.


This is a rim lock or sometimes called a rim latch. Yours looks to be made of cast iron, and while you may not be able to find the exact duplicate, you may be able to come close.


How can I prevent mineral build-up from my water?

Sounds like classic symptoms of hard water. Others:

Spotty dishes, clothes that don't seem to get clean without using a lot of detergent.
Soap doesn't get very "sudsy" when you get it wet.
Soap scum on your bathtub.
Buildup of mineral-like crust on shower-heads.
Water softener heating element failure.

You are very likely going to need a water softener to solve the problem.

Diagnosing:
Most hardware stores sell kits to test your water hardness that are very easy to DIY. Some stores that sell water softeners even have free test strips next to the water softener display.

Also, if you are not put off by a big sales pitch. Companies like Culligan will generally do a free water evaluation for you so they have an in to sell you their products/services.


Exposed Romex cable on garage ceiling without conduit protection

Stapled to the sides of joists, or through drilled holes, is fine in this installation.


What is a 3-pole fan isolater and why would I need one?

It allows you to disconnect (isolate) the fan from the rest of the circuit so you can service it and leave the lights and other power on at the same time if needed.
Here are a couple of resources:
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Technical/DataSheets/MK/3_Pole_Fan_Isolator.pdf
https://www.se.com/ww/en/faqs/FA166866/


Low pressure after water main pipe replacement

The tank has a bladder inside the bladder holds the water on the outside of the bladder( inside the tank is filled with air) . With the tank empty of water we normally pressurize the air to a few pounds less than the pump turn on pressure. So if your pressure switch is set for 40-60 it turns on at 40 psi and when it reaches 60 it turns off in this case we Would pressurize the tank 36-38 psi. This pressure pushes most of the water out of the tank with out the pump needing to start until the pressure drops to 40 psi. If the bladder had a leak and was not holding air the pump would short cycle rapidly and your pressure at your faucet has low flow. To check this turn your pump off drain the water out, using a tire pressure gauge measure the air pressure in the tank there is a small Schrader valve on the top of your tank.

if the pressure is below your cut in or pump on pressure by more than 5 psi it needs to be filled. A standard air compressor or bicycle pump can be used to pump it up. It may have a leak or got bumped when the pipe was replaced if it holds everything should be back to normal. Some manufacturers do make replacement bladders but seeing that they are not much cheaper than a new tank and a new tank will have a warranty I usually go new tank but have purchased bladders when they were reasonably priced. If the tank is holding its air charge the next thing is the pressure switch, I have had them freeze and not quite work correctly so it had to be replaced. If you don’t have a pressure gauge on your water line after the tank, it is a good idea to have one this way you can see when your pump is cycling and the pressure values.   This should help you troubleshoot the system. Your plumber should have checked the air charge especially since the tank is only 4 years old, bladder based tanks at normal pressures have lasted over 20 and some closer to 30 years so I would check it out prior to replacing.


How to install a handheld shower without drilling the shower membrane?

The holes drilled for the mounting bracket of the handheld are extremely small and the bracket would further deflect water entry.

But to be especially safe, you can force a silicone sealant into the drilled holes before mounting the bracket. The screw will push it into the gap, and this will effectively heal the break in the waterproofing membrane.

If you are especially paranoid about moisture, put a dab of silicone sealant on the back of the mounting bracket itself.


Unless there is airflow causing the fan to turn, the fan is getting power.
Disconnect the 2 wires powering (be careful, they could be energized) the fan and do a voltage check between each wire and ground. Both should be dead. If not power is coming from somewhere.


I am really not sure what your patio looks like.  I am going to assume it sits on the ground.

It would be normal for a lot of the erosion of the patio to happen on the corners.  You have basically two options...

Compress ground.  You need to wet the ground around the area to make sure there are no gaps with weight.  The pavers shouldn't be hanging above ground at all.  If this is the case then you will have more that breaks.  An easy fix would be to get some fast setting quickcrete...  Build yourself a box to meet your needs - you will probably need 2 pieces of 2x6.  Fill box with the quickcrete and try to push the quickcrete under the adjacent paver piece if there is a gap.  Just level it out to fit your needs.  Pour slowly so you don't have to cup any out.
Remove the current piece.  Keep removing pieces until entire paver lays very flat on the ground with absolutely no gapping.  Add more dirt/rock and then compress and reinstall pavers.
Based on picture I would carefully knock off as much of the cement as possible inside the boxed corner - if that makes sense.  Really I don't understand the lip.  Maybe it looks good but will increase chance of stone cracking.  I would then refill with a quick set concrete.  It needs to be filled right.  You see yours is uneven probably helping the break.  I would then put that corner back on... I know you will have a little crack showing but taking a sheet out will be a pain.  I would then fill the crack with a knife grade epoxy - should be fine with limestone.  Since your color is lighter and very neutral I would not color the epoxy or it might stand out more.


Which is the bare wire in a 12-3 gauge cable?

The ground wire will not have any extra insulation, though it is usally wrapped in paper to seperate it from the other conductors.

12-3 NM (aka "Romex") cable will have a bare grounding wire, white neutral (grounded) wire, black hot (ungrounded) wire, and red hot (ungrounded) wire.

If you only see white, black and bare wire then it is actually 12-2 (the second number is the number of conductors, the ground wire is not included in this).

12-3 NM Cable


Is it safe to store paint in a furnace room?

If your paints will be in close proximity of the furnace I wouldn't do that.  If they are in the same room and the room has ventilation but away from furnace I would go there.

I wouldn't store anything like this in the attic for sure.  Unless your attic is somewhat finished and you go up there all the time I wouldn't.  You don't want cans spilling or issues in a place that could affect house and really in a place that you don't keep track of.  That is why I would throw them on shelves in the garage if the attic doesn't work.  If your garage is attached for the most part you shouldn't have many days in there below freezing and almost none that go below the paints freeze point.


What type of conduit do I need in under ground use?

You do not need expansion joints underground. For most folks PVC conduit is the easiest to work with. This is different than water pipe but is similar in cutting and glueing. Make sure to chamfer the inside edges of the pipes so they don't cut the insulation when being pulled. I see this step forgotten about quite often.


You mention that it's a jet pump - so the valve is probably for priming the jet. The centered pipe is suction, the off-center pipe is the jet feed.

In my opinion, jet pumps are well on their way to being a holdover from times past, when electric motor reliability was questionable, and submersible electric motor reliability doubly so - they trade complexity and inefficiency of operation to keep the motor out of the well - a portion of water is pumped down to the jet, to help bring up more water from a depth where straight suction won't work. As such, when starting one up, you need to put water into the jet pipe (without having a working pump...complex, not fun.)

With current technology, when time comes to replace a jet pump you will almost always save considerably on operational costs by changing to a 2-wire deep well submersible pump with a single output pipe. However, it's generally not worth doing that if your jet pump is working well at present.


Can I run 3 feet of water pipe in the attic for a rain shower?

where is the home?
he most important question:  Does it freeze in your attic?
Even if it freezes - if the pipe is beneath ample insulation it is ok - Unless you are on an extended vacation - in which case must leave the heat on low enough to make sure the house envelope does not drop below freezing.


How to hook up C wire to Crown air handler

Get a scrap bit of wire, that's the same thickness as the other wires.
Disconnect the wire that is currently in the C terminal.
Strip both ends of the scrap piece of wire.
Connect one end of the scrap piece of wire to the C terminal.
Using a twist-on wire connector (or other connector), connect the wire that was previously connected to the C terminal with the new C wire, and the other end of the scrap bit of wire.

When finished, the two C wires should be connected together, along with the wire that's connected to the C terminal.

This type of connection is known as a "pigtail".


Well, if you want a bit more permanence, take a look at this site. It's an Ikea hack on a PAX to divide a room with sliding "doors". I like the site anyway, it's useful and between it and this there isn't anything you can't build.

Essentially, this guy used huge sliding doors to section off parts of his studio apartment, and the huge benefit was that he could close some parts off and open others to rearrange the room, like closing off the bed room when he had company.


HF compresser pops gfci on different circuit

Neutral or ground for the compressor circuit is somehow tangled up with neutral or ground from the freezer circuit.  Go through both circuits and make sure of several things:

the neutrals from both circuits are totally separated.  No contact whatsoever.
on both circuits, Neutral is not contacting ground anywhere.
the ground wires for each circuit goes all the way back to the panel.
there are no "islanded grounds", i.e. Where some devices are grounded only to each other but there is no grounding path back to the panel.  Sometimes when people add wiring to old pre-ground circuits, there's a ground wire in the cable so they hook it up.  Never do that unless there is a ground path back to the panel.  This ground can be retrofit if need be.

Keep in mind ground paths can be things other than wires, e.g. If the compressor is physically touching the freezer.


Best way to add low voltage outlet to wall that has blown in insulation on the other side?

A wireless AP that is power via PoE.  Connect a power injector on the source end of the RJ45 or get a PoE supporting router.

Then you only need a hole large enough to poke a network cable through.

PoE+. PoE+, or 802.3at, provides up to 30W of power to powered devices.

The upcoming IEEE 802.3bt aka 4PPoE (4 Pair Power over Ethernet) standard will introduce two new levels of power: 55 W (Level 3) and 90-100 W (Level 4).”

Depending on your access point this may or may not be viable option.

You maybe able to use this 48v to 12v @ 2A to power your AP.

https://www.amazon.com/ANVISION-Splitter-Ethernet-Security-AV-PS12-G/dp/B07W87KSFQ/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=gigabit+poe+to+12v+adapter&qid=1575563331&sr=8-5

https://www.amazon.com/ANVISION-Splitter-Multi-Size-1000Mbps-Compliant/dp/B01JCKHIGM/ref=sr_1_13?crid=2ANY0RN4U0G7M&keywords=12v+poe+splitter+gigabit&qid=1575563721&sprefix=gigabit+poe+to+12v%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-13


Why does the pipe to my radiator get hot, but the radiator itself doesn't?

Do you know for sure that this is a hot water system? Sometimes steam can sound like running water. If it is hot water, there is a giant air bubble in the radiator preventing it from filling. It needs to be bled off by opening the small valve near the top at one end. You will typically need some sort of tool or key for this. Slowly open the valve. Along with the air, hot water will spit out, so be careful. When there's only water coming out you're done.

If it is a steam system, there is an automatic air vent valve on one side or the other about half way up, it looks vaguely like a small bell. It's clogged up for some reason, preventing air from being vented, meaning steam cannot enter the radiator. It either needs to be unclogged or replaced.


Self levelling compond on an oily floor?

If you want a well-performing coating, you must do surface preparation according to instructions.

There aren't really any shortcuts around that. Oil is a contaminant that will fail almost any coating, and most definitely a water-based coating.

If you're new to surface preparation, I'm sorry if it throws a monkeywrench into what you hoped would be an easy project.  I realize the temptation to shortcut. But it will give a very unsatisfactory result, and an even bigger mess to clean up.


Yeah, that's legal.
If it's a particularly complex pull, larger pipe size can help.  It can also help with the fact that you can easily put 4 circuits in a conduit (if it meets the fill rules).
Now, since you mentioned this is a dryer and you are running hot/neutral/ground... If it's a gas dryer you are on the right track.
If it's an electric dryer, we must deep-dive into the arcana of dangerous and obsolete dryer connections.  Old 3-prong dryers used no ground, and worse, they attached the chassis of the dryer to neutral.  This has the potential of being dangerous in several ways.  As such they have been outlawed for 30 years.   And even when they were legal, it was NEVER legal to use /2+gnd (black white bare) to connect them - though it was done shamefully often.
Since you are doing a new cable run, you MUST bring it up to current Code.  This isn't far out of your way; you just need to use 4 wires in the conduit instead of 3.  The 2 hot wires can be the same color - but neutral must be white, and ground must be green or bare.
I for one recommend using stranded wire, because it's a lot easier to pull.
By the way,  if you use EMT metal conduit, the conduit is the ground - one less wire.
And yes, you will need to convert the dryer socket and cord to NEMA 14-30.


Fire Separation Wall - what should I use to seal small exposed openings?

Firestop - caulking or foam (there are other brands of both, just examples, not recommendations.)
These are helpful because they will seal around a cable as it melts in a fire (they expand with exposure to heat/flame) but the majority of the hole could also be addressed with plain old drywall compound (it seals all the other holes in the wall.) Using firestop around penetrations (such as the cable itself) is good practice, and some jurisdictions require more extensive approaches, such as an extended collar with fire sealant around cables, pipes and ducts.


How effective to use zinc strip to prevent roof moss

Yes, it works - although most recommendations I've seen prefer zinc to copper (both more effective and cheaper).  In fact, you see it all the time on older roofs underneath galvanized roof fixtures.  For example, my neighbor's house:

Basically, each rain washes metalic zinc down the roof and basically prevents any growth and lasts for decades.  Copper does the same thing, although in that case it would be copper oxide washing down the roof.  Note that if the house is brick, you should go with the zinc - copper oxides react with periclase in bricks and can cause damage.

If you want some more reading, there's a short piece on the Oregon State website.


How do I convert a service panel to a junction box?

Assuming it's not prohibited by your local codes and the existing panel is not violating any current codes like overfill, working space clearance, there's nothing code-wise that says "No this is prohibited".

However, a better solution if possible, since you have to run new wires anyway, is to install a 12x12 or larger junction box in the attic and crawl space and be done with it.

Now it would be wise to consult you Building and Planning Department first as most of the time the Power Co. will not reinstate power unless the work is permitted.  Also, not sure about your local jurisdiction but around here they make us install hard-wired smoke alarms in every bedroom and in every hall near a bedroom if a panel is upgraded.


How do I seal the bottom of this door to be waterproof?

"water tends to flow towards the door" is your problem. The right way to fix this is to redo the exterior so water will flow away from the house. Sealing the gap would be a good secondary action, but if you leave it at that, you'll constantly be dealing with leaks.


Reinforced concrete with a plastic membrane below sounds like a good solution.

Ideally you'd want to dig foundations under the walls too so that they can be raised off the ground and kept dry, but this "underpinning" is a very technical task, and if the walls are ok they can be left as is.


What code book do I refer to to find the proper repair for a broken wooden floor joist in Arkansas?

I don't live in Arkansas, but Google says your building department uses the 2006 International Building Code (IBC) with amendments. (Amendments are added to all building codes by the local Building Codes Division in each state to reflect local conditions, etc.)

You say it's a "home" so the "loading requirements" are usually somewhat less than commercial or industrial loading. So, if the joist failed, (you didn't say how it failed,) then you need to investigate the "why", because this is fairly uncommon...especially if it's one joist in a series of "like joists".

While the Building Code states a "Uniform Load" be applied throughout the house, we'll often add a joist or two under refrigerators, spa tubs, etc. because we know there's an extra load in those areas.

I think Ed Beal is correct that you can sister a joist on each side of the failed joist and fix the problem. However, I'd recommend you find the cause. If you suspect all the joists in this area are undersized, then you need to have it reviewed. Here where I live, you could call the local Building department and tell them the "span" and the "spacing" and they'd let you know if it meets code. If it's an engineered joist, you can call the manufacturer's rep and he can tell you.


How should I mend the plastic sheeting behind my drywall?

The standard now is to never do that again especially if you use air conditioning. Building science has determined this was a very bad idea because it traps moisture within the wall cavity. Here's a little Building Science 101 on this issue... http://buildingscience.com/documents/insights/bsi-073-macbeth-does-vapor-barriers


An immediate trip typically points to a short-circuit. Make sure that when you pushed the receptacle into place none of the wires came loose, and that the grounding conductor did not contact the ungrounded (hot) terminal on the receptacle.


Wiring a timed outside light using a socket

You don't need to do that because hard-wired timers exist.

The above are designed for easy fitting to an existing light switch. A five minute job at worst.

To add a new light switch you'd typically extend the circuit as shown at

This random website (uses new-colours for T&E but you will likely find old colour T&E in older homes and so will end up with a mix but that's OK)

Whether you can wire an outside light permanently to a plug that is plugged into a socket/outlet depends on where you live. Plugs are designed for flexible appliance leads and not for solid-core cable used for fixed wiring. In many places it is not permissible to use flexible wires for fixed wiring applications.


Can I drain a 15'x35' concrete brick patio using a floor drain connected to a 4" PVC pipe?

edit:
After reading your updated question, you will be fine installing the smaller drain. I have a large driveway drain that I installed a few months ago, and it works great to drain the huge puddle that used to form. I used a drain box similar to the 9x9 that you have, and 4" pipes.
Occasionally, during a very heavy rain, it will get behind and not completely drain until the rain stops, but that is because the pipe itself is only 4"!

Great question!
I am not an expert, but I would highly recommend the larger drain. The reason is, on a small drain, every time the drain gets stepped on (or driven over with a lawn mower), 100% of that weight gets put on your pipe underneath. A 4" pipe isn't designed to carry that weight, and could crack.

Even though the 9x9 drain won't necessarily drain any faster, it will have more surface area under it to support being stepped on, that way the soil under the drain, instead of the pipe supports the weight.


Is insulation around a dryer vent hose safe?

Do I have anything to worry about?

No. The air coming out of the dryer vent is not hot enough to ignite anything.

Otherwise they would require a double walled vent pipe.

Try putting your hand on the pipe while it is running. You will see it doesn't really get very hot.

Good luck!


Closing off a doorway between apartments but keeping the door?

Standard method is to put a door with a deadbolt on both sides of the doorframe, so both parties have to open their door for the doorway to be open. If not anticipating much use, you might want to pack the space between doors with insulation to reduce sound transmission. And if you don't want them playing with it, no need to give the tenants a key to that particular deadbolt. No need for a knob, either.

Otherwise 2-3 studs, drywall, insulation (again, to block sound as much as possible) and more drywall. Or 4-6 studs (2-3 on each side) that are not connected in the middle for better sound blocking. Double-layer drywall on at least one face might also be worth it for acoustics.


Combatting moisture in crawl space after venting window is sprayed with insulation?

The fan is the right idea, but it should probably be a stronger 120v unit. Look at bathroom fans and how they're rated for square footage. Some can be mounted in-wall and may fit your opening well.


I've had a couple of these over the years and found that their biggest benefit was the ability to convert to a spray for better rinsing of dishes if your sink doesn't have a separate sprayer, not so much their water-saving ability.  Even though a 40% reduction sounds like a lot, your kitchen sink doesn't use that much water to begin with compared to, say, your shower or clothes washer.  So reducing your kitchen sink usage by 40% may not produce noticeable results on your water bill.


Can I follow shellac with polyurethane (water-based or oil)?

Dewaxed shellac is unusual in being compatible with both water- and oil-based finishes, and in fact is sometimes used as an "adapter" layer between those. It can go over, or under, either.

(I'm not sure whether that wide compatibility also includes lacquer and catalysed finishes.)


How to insulate already-existing stud walls along block foundation

here is how we do block wall basement finishing - in almost 30 years i have never had a callback or any complaints about leaks after the fact.  you do have to make sure the foundation is in good shape with no failed blocks or footings.

1)  hire a foundation waterproofing company to come in and shoot urethane foundation sealer (blueseal is what we use.  like drylok, but cheaper and better - thicker coating in non retail 5 gallon pails).  you can also do it yourself with a drywall texture sprayer set to the smallest orifice.  you can use anything you want, but it needs to be silicone or urethane.

2)  before it dries (just follow the installer around), throw big handfuls of chopped fiberglass (check in your area for a fiberglass supplier - its cheap and abundant).  make sure you coat everywhere as much as you can.

3)  once dry, spray again.  dont worry if you miss a reapply window as the chopped glass acts as a mechanical binder.

4)  insulate with mineral wool insulation.  it can get wet and it wont grow mold.  it also self-drains if it does get wet.

5) install an air barrier, not a vapour barrier.  its important you do this step correctly.  the urethane sealant has sealed the wall cavity from the outside, but the blocks still act as a partial insulation void.  you may get some condensation inside the wall, but it wont freeze.  install the air barrier so that the printing faces the studs - this way the inside of the wall can breathe if it needs to.  its the opposite way its normally installed, but its not designed for this purpose.

this approach works surprisingly well because the urethane/glass composite acts as a strong but flexible sealed barrier that resists fracturing in the foundation, and even if cracks form, the urethane can stretch to make sure the water doesn't get in.  the air barrier trick is an old one, but it works really well in walls that may have occasional moisture.

good luck


How can I paint over a ceiling after there's been a leak?

Stains will usually come right through a new coat of paint.

Did you prime it first?  In my experience I've found that a good oil (or even better, shellac) based primer works best for keeping stains from bleeding through the paint.


How do I tune a Bandsaw so the blade doesn't drift?

The users manual for the saw should have all the information you need to get the saw setup. This is important because each model of saw will have different guidelines. If it is new saw such manual should have been in the box with the unit.

For a used saw that you purchased at some auction, sale or craig's listing there was not likely a users manual delivered with the unit.  :^(

There is help available on line though. Do a search on "Delta Bandsaw Users Manual" will turn up a good bit of information.

One link I found was here.

Key items that they list that would be applicable to band saws:

Ensure the blade is the correct length
Make sure the teeth are pointing in the right direction (up/down) when blade is installed.
Set the tension levers to apply tension to the blade
Hand rotate the tires that the blade rotates on to see if the blade tracks and centers.
If there problem then check the blade tension and adjust if necessary
Finally if the blade seems to want to come off the wheels it will be necessary adjust the coplanarity of the wheels to make sure that they are correct.


Use it only when the temps are moderate to exit warmer air from room when the outside temps are lower than inside and can come in through windows etc., like in the evening.  Once the outside temps are higher than what you want in your house and you have AC on, keep them closed.


How can I mount an 12V transformer for LED lighting inside a wall?

Regarding your code question: no, you cannot hardwire the transformer.

I believe this falls under NEC 400.7:

  400.7 Uses Permitted.

  (A) Uses. Flexible cords and cables shall be used only for the following:

  Pendants
  Wiring of luminaires
  Connection of portable luminaires, portable and mobile signs, or appliances
  Elevator cables
  Wiring of cranes and hoists
  Connection of utilization equipment to facilitate frequent interchange
  Prevention of the transmission of noise or vibration
  Appliances where the fastening means and mechanical connections are speciﬁcally designed to permit ready removal for maintenance and repair, and the appliance is intended or identiﬁed for ﬂexible cord connection
  Connection of moving parts
  Where speciﬁcally permitted elsewhere in this Code

At a stretch, if you could permanently attach the transformer, you could maybe consider this to be under 400.7(A)(8), but then you're still required to have a removable plug:

  (B) Attachment Plugs. Where used as permitted in
  400.7(A)(3), (A)(6), and (A)(8), each ﬂexible cord shall
  be equipped with an attachment plug and shall be energized from a receptacle outlet or cord connector body.

Additionally, I think this could be interpreted as violating 400.8:

  400.8 Uses Not Permitted. Unless speciﬁcally permitted in 400.7, ﬂexible cords and cables shall not be used for the following:

  As a substitute for the ﬁxed wiring of a structure
  Where run through holes in walls, structural ceilings,
  suspended ceilings, dropped ceilings, or ﬂoors
  Where run through doorways, windows, or similar
  openings
  Where attached to building surfaces Exception to (4): Flexible cord and cable shall be permitted to be attached to building surfaces in accordance with the provisions of 368.56(B)
  Where concealed by walls, ﬂoors, or ceilings or located above suspended or dropped ceilings
  Where installed in raceways, except as otherwise permitted in this Code
  Where subject to physical damage

So I'd say, no, you cannot just hardwire the transformer in any way.

Additionally, you need to ensure the transformer (and all connections) are accessible for servicing. Transformers also get hot and need cooling - failure to have adequate cooling could cause the transformer to prematurely malfunction and/or lead to all the other problems of hot things in contact with flammable materials like your walls.

I'd find some area (such as under the stairs) that is accessible and unfinished, and run a new receptacle there. Then you can plug in the transformer, run the low voltage wires back to the LED strips, and you're good to go.

It's quite common to remotely mount transformers -- eg, it's very common for low-voltage under-cabinet lighting in kitchens that the transformer is located in the basement near the electrical panel or other unfinished (serviceable) area.


What size breaker and wire for a barn feeder circuit?

Based on the activities you are talking about, I would say #4 aluminum.

The reason is 40A will probably suffice for immediate concerns, and you can do that with #8 copper except for the distance.  That necessitates a bump to #6 copper, and a side effect of this bump is you get some more headroom, as you can technically drive that circuit as high as 60A.

However, #4 aluminum has the same ampacity as copper at half the price, so why not use it?  At these large sizes, the fearmongering about aluminum does not apply, and these wires will be the newer alloy anyway.


How to take a house apart in sections to move?

This sounds like a shopping question and would be off topic. So I will discuss moving.
I have been involved in moving 3 houses. None were on a slab. All 3 were jacked up and moved in major pieces. Porches removed , all the electrical had to be brought up to code. Note all 3 were Victorians that were constructed well beyond anything in the last 50 years. Taking a house down in pieces would take more disassembly time and repair than it would be worth, unless you found an old sears mail order home That was in good shape (don’t laugh they are out there) these small homes were prefabricated and could possibly be dismantled and reassembled within reason. Other than that a stick built house is not really feasible.


Black paper layer in attic...what is its function and how do I patch it?

To this day tar paper is used as a moisture barrier under masonry products and roofing on the outside of homes.

You correctly identified the layers from inside out, tar paper, metal lathe, stucco. To repair it you will need to remove the damaged product and replace the layers.

Check the Internet for videos on repairing damaged stucco.

Good luck!


Is there currently lighting on the market that can simulate sunlight?

Yes, look for lighting solutions used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Desktop Panels

  The theory behind conventional Full Spectrum (White Light) light boxes is that they effectively replicate sunshine. As a result they give the user a positive response when they are lacking sunshine.

- Buying a SAD light

Bulbs

There are also replacement lightbulbs that claim to have similar purposes

  6 watt LED R50 E27 ES Edison screw globe bulbs with opal cover
  DAYLIGHT WHITE SUITABLE FOR SAD Sufferers
  480 lumen, daylight white 6400k, 30000 hour bulbs

6400K is obviously higher than 2700K

Of course, 480 lumens is very little, You'd need a ceiling fixture that can take many E27 bulbs.

There are 800 lumen E27 bulbs and higher output bulbs in T8 tube format etc.

search for "full spectrum" "seasonal affective disorder" light bulb


Pulsating water and banging noise from pipes when hot water is on in the faucet or shower in the bathroom

this is a common problem called water hammer.  its caused by resonance in the system of pipes that makes up your home water supply system.  this can be caused by trapped air, but can happen without it as well.  you have two solutions:

1)  install an anti-water hammer arrester. its a little doodad that helps to smooth out the pulses so you don't get the resonant waves running through the system.

2)  go through and mechanically fasten the pipes better than they currently are.  unfortunately, as most will be running through finished ceiling and wall cavities, this means cutting holes and patching them.


How can I tell when my steam boiler needs water?

Questions  Is the floor a radiant system with the piping in the floor like concrete or under the floor (tubing running under the floor between the joists). It makes a difference. You said the system was steam but if is that would be odd.  I am going to say that you mean hot water. One note; a radiant floor heating system has a large lag time, the house does not respond quickly to a thermostat change of a quick weather change. Also if it is a radiant slab system in concrete the slab water temp is rarely above 140 degrees F. I think you need to call a heating expert.( D. George)


How can the door of an Indesit IWDC 6105 be opened when the internal door lock has burned?

At this point, since the part is plastic and the wires burnt to a crisp, I'd go in there with a screwdriver  and break the lock off the frame and see if that frees up the door.  It looks like you'll need part of the wiring harness along with the lock mechanism  to repair it.


Converting dryer from 3 to 4 prong cord but it doesn't have a grounding screw / wire

I'd try the screw above N for ground

It looks like the hex-slot screw going into the top center of the metal plate above the terminal block is your ground screw, so I'd land the cord ground there.  It doesn't need to be connected to a wire within the dryer, either: the cord ground simply needs to ground the dryer's chassis/frame to provide protection from electric shock.


Cable clamp connector and knockout size for 6/2 NM and 8/2 NM

First, if it is at all possible to run conduit between panel and on-demand heater location, that's a great way to do it.  That lets you defer the wire size decision until you buy the heater, and simply drop in the individual wires you need.  Conduit allows higher ampacity from the same size wire - #8 is good for 40A in NM, but in conduit, 50A (single circuit) or 44A (2-3 circuits).  If the conduit is metal and non-flexible, the metal conduit provides the ground - no wires needed. A 1" conduit should be plenty.
Another option, since you need a box anyway and seem focused on a 125A heater, fit a 10x14" box that happens to be a subpanel.  Something like a CH8L125SP.  Supply that with #2 Cu or #1/0 Al wire or cable at 125A.  Then you can feed whatever breakers the heater needs at the time you select it.
If you want to do it as planned, you will need a LARGE box.  Each #6 wire needs 5 cubic inches and each #8 needs 3 cubic inches.  That is far too big for a 4x4 box. Consider at least a 6x6 box.
A 1" KO should be alright for a #6.  Use one KO per cable.


How do I join two cables outside so that they're safe and kept dry?

Electricity is a funny thing and different applications apply for various situations.
THis is UK/EU/US/Asia/Africa.. its all the same.

If you are running a low voltage cable 0-48Volts DC/AC

then you can use a pvc outdoor joiner (the screw caps have a rubber seal on them to prevent moisture from entering)

If you are running high voltage (110AC/240AC)

single phase then using a resin joiner is recommended!

You might be tempted to do something like this (this example is of low voltage coax,tv,internet, etc) and is not recommended for outside situations at all! over time water will get in.

That was undergorund application,

you can also use these above ground,

Notice the rubber seals- that is very important!


You have a lost neutral. Serious business! Fix immediately!

I don't know whether you've lost a neutral in a multi-wire branch circuit, at the subpanel, at the main panel, or at the pole.  The most common one is "at the pole", which is good news because that's the power company's problem and they'll fix it fast for free. Just report a power outage, which is what it is.

Once I had this happen on a 30A feeder which supplies our cottage.  Checked the other house circuit, nope, it's low too. Then I discovered we were only 1/2 of a 30A MWBC with the next cottage over, who was getting ~150V and was frying appliances.  Suddenly her complaints of frying appliances made sense.  So it's the creaky MWBC to the cottages - nope, it's the ancient FPE master panel.  Nope, it's the meter.  Nope, it's the pole - our entire complex was affected and the neighbor too.  Moral of the story: cast a wide net when searching for this thing. We should have started at the master panel.

What's really happening

Look at my diagrams here that describe how split-phase works.  What  you have going on is this:

Notice how the 240V loads don't care, but the 120V loads are now out of balance.  That's what is happening, and it's changing as loads are turned on and off.  The two 120V legs will add up to 240V, but  they won't be 120V.


four way switch to three way for vent fan

You want a DPST timer switch (or a relay) since your existing switch is a double pole switch, not a 4-way switch
From the wiring arrangement shown, the only way things could work is if your existing fan/HRV combo switch is a double pole switch, not a 4-way switch. As a result of this, we need two switching poles at the living room location, and most timers that support that are made in a larger "time switch" form factor that's designed to be surface mounted in an unfinished space, such as a mechanical room or garage.
There are a couple options here, but you'll likely have to replace the box with a bigger box, either way
Fortunately, you aren't out of options, as there are a few wallbox timers available that do provide double-pole switching, and you can also use a relay to provide the second switching pole due to the fact neutral's available at the living room box.  Most of these, though, will require replacing the existing single-gang box with a two-gang box in order to make sufficient room for the parts required.
Going old school here
The first option I'd look at if the box replacement is practical is a Marktime 72131AB timer.  This is a two-gang, spring-wound, DPST timer switch with a hold function that lets you override the timer for both poles; the black wire and jumper go to L1/L2 on this switch, with the black furnace wire and the red fan wire going to T1 and T2 (or vice versa), and no need for a neutral wire.
If you want a fancier timer...
If you want a fancy electronic timer instead of an old-school wind-up timer, that's possible too, but requires a timer that uses neutral for its power return, such as a Lutron MA-T51MN, and a 120V SPST or SPDT relay such as the AP&C PAM-1, in addition to likely needing extra box space to fit it all in for practical reasons. (The extra box gang is covered by a blank faceplate.)  In this case:

A white pigtail from the silver screw on the timer and the white wire from the relay module get nutted in with the existing bundle of white wires in the box
The green ground screw on the timer is pigtailed to the existing ground bundle in the box with a green or bare wire
The incoming black hot from the bathroom is nutted to the blue wire on the relay and a black pigtail to the black screw on the timer
The outgoing black switched-hot headed for the furnace is nutted to the black wire on the relay and a pigtail to the brass screw on the timer
The outgoing red switched-hot headed back to the bathroom gets nutted to the orange wire on the relay
And the yellow wire on the relay is capped off by itself

If replacing the box isn't an option
If swapping junction boxes is a non-starter, it's still possible to do this, although you have to give up the notion of a "hold" function on your timer to do so, as the Intermatic FD460MW (aka the only DPST timer I could find that fit your existing box and faceplate) is not available with that feature.  If that is acceptable, though, you can wire said timer as the existing double-pole switch was wired, with the black hot wire and jumper to the LINE terminals, and the switched-hot wires (black and red) to the LOAD terminals on the timer.


Yes, the second level unit is most likely gravity drained and the first level unit needs the ejector pump.

The ejector pump is used to pump condensate water to a higher level. It only operates for a minute or so when there is enough condensate water in the container to trigger the controls. It is not a continuous thing.

However, there will only be condensate when the humidity is high enough to collect on the evaporator. So, you need high humidity and a cold surface on the evaporator to collect condensate. This only happens while running the air conditioning.

So, depending on where you live (they call it the desert southwest for a reason) you could have very low humidity. In that case the condensate could evaporate quickly or never form at all.

Additionally, heat rises and the second level unit could be removing most of the humidity. Leaving the air too dry for the lower unit to collect any condensate.

Finally, as long as water is not collecting in the wrong place, leaking or damaging something, the units are operating normally. Don't worry about it.

Happy Day!


Consider if you need ceiling insulation at all.  In a bathroom there's lot of extra moisture, and you don't want some to enter the space between floor and the fiberglass moisture barrier, and have trouble drying out.

Floor insulation helps with sound transmission a bit (though an STC rated ceiling is better).  But in your case it might have more downsides than upsides.

This IS a good chance to insulated the joist bays from the outside, usually a weak place in standard home construction.  Post photos.  Research and remember some golden rules of insulation: seal air leaks first, never trap moisture between two vapor barriers, use the right insulation for your climate zone.  Get a local expert, as climate matters a lot.


How to install hinges after cutting custom door past wooden edges and composite exposed?

The problem is that whatever composite material you're referring to probably doesn't hold screw threads well or is simply too soft to sustain the screw shank. That's the primary reason for the solid wood insert rail (along with aesthetics and possible surface durability).

You have two primary options:

Use long screws. 2-1/2" or 3" screws of adequate diameter (#12 or 14) should hold well enough. Mortise your hinges in accurately so that the screws don't carry all the shear load. Pilot the screws appropriately to avoid splitting.
Rabbet out some of the composite material and install a replacement wooden rail. You could do this on a table saw with the door on edge if you have a steady-handed friend available. Bond it in place with urethane or high quality wood glue, clamp for a sufficient period, and do your mortises. Pre-drill with the proper size for your screws to prevent splitting.


Oh dear, some dim bulb wired this dimmer upside down and backwards

Whoever installed this dimmer clearly hasn't a clue, because they wired it in a way that's been forbidden for the past almost-a-century now!  In particular, they put the dimmer in the neutral side of the circuit, instead of the hot side, where it belongs.  The NEC prohibits this in section 404.2(B):

  (B) Grounded Conductors. Switches or circuit breakers shall
  not disconnect the grounded conductor of a circuit.

  Exception: A switch or circuit breaker shall be permitted to disconnect a
  grounded circuit conductor where all circuit conductors are disconnected simultaneously, or where the device is arranged so that the grounded
  conductor cannot be disconnected until all the ungrounded conductors
  of the circuit have been disconnected.

Furthermore, they managed to abuse the safety ground as a neutral (a working current return path) and the neutral as a half-hearted grounding attempt, giving this setup even more zap potential than it normally would have!

Getting this fixed

The first step in fixing this is to turn the breaker off, remove the errant dimmer from the circuit, and use a multimeter to check for continuity between the white wire that the dimmer's green wire was connected to and the bare wires in the circuit.  If you don't have continuity there, the feed for this box will need to be reworked due to the neutral having gone bad.

If you do have both a good neutral and a good ground going back to the panel, though, we can move on with fixing this then.  To get this into a proper state, we need to undo the dodgy tape-splice on the grounds and replace it with a proper wirenut, incorporating the green ground wire from the dimmer into this redone splice, then remove the wirenut from the two black hots and use a new wirenut to splice the white neutrals together.  Once that's done, one of the black wires from the wall gets nutted to the black wire on the dimmer, and the other black wire on the wall gets nutted to the un-taped red wire on the dimmer.  At that point, you can button things up, turn the power back on at the breaker, and enjoy your dimmer without having to worry about any shocking moments, during lightbulb changing or otherwise!


Best I can tell, it's time to buy another GFCI (the correct one, this time -- hopefully, the third time's the charm)

There are four problems here:

The old GFCI finally died (at power on, likely) and the new GFCI is likely DOA.  Easiest fix is to try getting another GFCI and putting it in.
Your new GFCI was the wrong part -- you need a weather-resistant receptacle in a damp or wet location these days (NEC 406.9), and yours isn't.  Leviton's W7599 is the equivalent of what you have in a Weather Resistant model, BTW (as of this post, at least).
Receptacles in wet locations require a while-in-use weatherproof cover or "bubble cover" these days, such as this.  This helps keep rain out even under wind-driven conditions, no matter whether stuff's plugged in or not.
Even weatherproof boxes need to be pressure equalized (via a drainage hole in the bottom) in order to keep pressure differences from driving water through even the slightest imperfections in seals and to give any water that does get in a path to escape.  This is allowed as per 2014 NEC 314.15:

  314.15 Damp or Wet Locations. In damp or wet locations, boxes, conduit bodies, and fittings shall be placed or
  equipped so as to prevent moisture from
  or accumulating within the box, conduit body, or fitting. Boxes,
  conduit bodies, and fittings installed in wet locations shall
  be listed for use in wet locations. Approved drainage openings not larger than 6 mm (¼
  in.) shall be permitted to be
  installed in the field in boxes or conduit bodies listed for
  use in damp or wet locations.

See also BSI-004: Drainage, Holes, and Moderation for a good explanation as to why even the most snugly sealed enclosures need weep holes.  So, if there isn't a small hole in the bottom already, drill a ⅛" hole in the bottom of the box, as per NEMA bulletin 110 and the aforementioned NEC clause.


Greenhouse wood foundation and frost heave

The short answer is: No, don't worry about it.

Your building is basically a yard barn and no building code I have seen requires frost footings for a yard barn.

I live in a Zone 5 with plenty of freezing and snow and separate buildings like garages are only required to have a 12" slab on grade footing. Yard barns can be place right on the grass if you want. Although, most people scape off the topsoil and place gravel to level the barn and provide some moisture reduction.

I don't think your building is large enough to be affected by frost heave in any appreciable way.

All that said, if you are an ovebuilder and want this to be permanent then a deep sonotube footing in each corner would certainly keep it from going anywhere. Anchoring it to these footings would also give you some wind stability.

Good luck with your project!


Is Drywall needed on exterior wall of garage on concrete block, 2-story house in Florida

Drywall on the inside of an exterior wall has not been required in any of the states I have lived, it is required for fire protection on stick built, but a concrete block wall has the appropriate fire ratings and should require nothing. call your fire marshal to verify local code as far as I know drywall is not required on an interior wall even from a garage to living space with block walls and your fire marshal or fire department can verify this. I think your inspector is nuts.


How should I route PVC electrical conduit around lightning prevention downleads?

Of all the homes I help oversee the construction of, the main thing that was followed when it comes to lightning protection is no sharp bends in the cable, or uphill runs. Always going down to ground. It can be run through walls, by means of drilled holes through the plates, so a close proximity of a non conductive PVC will be no problem. If you want to be safe, get a small gap between the conduit and the cable, though I think it does not need to be much say 1/2"to an 1". Since static electricity carries over the surface of the wire and not through the wire, which is the reason the cable is loosely braided, a little space between the two should suffice, just to be sure.


How to prevent an exterior automatic watering system from freezing

The first order of business is to find out where the frost line is in your area. The second is to dig a trench 6 to 12 inches deeper than the frost line from the immediate vicinity of an outdoor frostproof faucet (a frostproof hose bibb at the house sill is ideal) to the pasture. The house end of the trench should be pretty well squared off.

You can get ABS pipe in long rolls, and it splices very easily with nylon couplings and stainless hose clamps. Lay it in the trench. At the house end, it should have a 90-degree nylon elbow pointing straight up immediately adjacent to the faucet or hose bibb. On that end, install a female faucet adapter so it can be screwed directly onto the faucet/bibb.

You can now bury the pipe from the house all the way out to the pasture, except for the last several feet. At the end, where you'll draw water for the trough, install another 90-degree elbow and a "Yard Hydrant" (your local ag supply place will know exactly what I'm talking about). Finish burying the pipe.

At the beginning of frosty weather, you'll now build a small lean-to igloo of hay bales around the new faucet adapter. Don't try to insulate between the house and the "hayloo", let heat coming from the house wall heat it. A typical hay bale's R-value is about R-50, which should be plenty to keep the hose connection from freezing over the winter, considering you're all the way down in balmy NJ. If there's ever any question - say an extemely deep freeze - you can add a little heat with an extension cord and a CFL light bulb (an incandescent may be hot enough to set the hay afire).

Over the first winter, put an outdoor thermometer inside the "hayloo" and another outside it. Every time you remember to, go check both temperatures and record what you find. Then you'll have a very good idea how a hayloo performs, so you can predict about how cold it'd have to be before you add electric heat.


Question about wiring multiple lights in parallel as well a multiple lights in a parallel 3 way

The first diagram used to be valid, but hasn't been any good for a decade now
Back in the olden days, the first diagram used to be a perfectly cromulent way to wire a set of lights to a single switch with power coming in at a light and a downline always-hot provided for receptacles.  However, the 2011 NEC added a requirement for neutral to be provided at all switch locations, so that lighting control gizmos could power themselves without causing annoying malfunctions, such as flickering or dimly glowing LED loads, or naughtily trickling operating currents onto the equipment grounding system for that matter.
As a result, assuming that we're dealing with a 15A circuit, the 14/2 going down to the switch in that diagram needs to be replaced with a 14/3, with the black wire carrying always-hot down from the incoming feed to the switch, the red wire carrying switched-hot back up from the switch to the lights, and the white wire tied to the incoming feed's neutral, but left capped off at the switch location for future use.
The second diagram, though, never was Code compliant
While the second diagram isn't impacted by the 2011 NEC changes to require neutrals at switch locations since there is a neutral available at the left-hand switch as a function of power coming in there, it wasn't ever Code compliant to begin with, even though it works.  Why? Well, in order to figure that out, we need to understand a thing or two.
Most people think of electricity in terms of DC, where magnetic fields are a non-factor and wires can be run any way you wish (such as in a car) without causing interference with other wires.  However, that no longer holds when we start talking about mains electricity since it's AC, not DC.  In particular, any loop of wiring with AC flowing through it has a varying magnetic field inside that loop.  This magnetic field can be quite useful, as it's what allows us to have handy-dandy electromagnetic gadgets like motors that work readily, and also allows us to build transformers to step AC up and down.
However, it comes with downsides as well; in particular, if you put a wire carrying AC power out to a load some distance from its corresponding neutral that returns power from that load back to the utility, you now have a time-varying magnetic field inside your wall.  Since putting an iron object in a magnetic field induces current into that iron object, and iron isn't a great conductor of electricity, any iron object that is in that time-varying magnetic field heats up.  This is wonderful when it's happening to a pan on your induction cooker, and very bad if it's happening to say, a nail inside your wall.
As a result of this, NEC 300.3(B) and 310.10(H) effectively prohibit splitting a wiring path between cables, as was done in the second diagram with the two 14/2 cables between the light fixtures.  Instead, you need to combine those two runs using a single 14/4 cable or 5 14AWG wires in a 1/2" ENT ("smurf tube").  This way, all the magnetic fields are contained within the cable sheath or conduit, so they won't leak out to the point of heating up nails in your walls.


What is the correct material to reseal a shower pan to a drain pipe?

it was installed wrong, there's no real correct way to fix this other than starting again and using the correct fitting.

The correct way is to use the pipe fitting that matches the shower base,
you may be able to do from below or it may require disassebling the
shower floor and walls in addition to cuttihg a hole in ceiling of the room below.

Next best is probably to weld the pipe to the shower base if the two are made of compatible plastics, this could be a fusion weld done with a heat gun with a plastic welding head or (it it's all PVC) a solvent weld done with that Marley stuff.

if you want to make another doomed attempt at sealing it with caulk choose a product that has low shrinkage (preferably no shrinkage)


I have a 2 prong outlet and a surge protector

Those adapters are no longer used because it became obvious that even with the center screw used many boxes were still not properly grounded. In such cases if there is a fault to ground dangerous current could flow on exposed metallic parts, or flow through high resistance connections causing heat to build up causing fires.

NO! You cannot simply use an old water pipe, or especially a radiator for a valid and proper electrical ground.

You really need to have a new circuit run. It is possible to find a valid proper ground for an old circuit, but to do so, and do so compliantly, is likely harder than simply running a new circuit.