Let's do the math.  You are building an appliance that runs on mains electrical supply.  It will be a water feature. And you're giving it to someone else.

Do you own a copy of the UL White Book? Do you know how to do this safely?  Will it have a GFCI cord?

Rethink this thing in low-voltage

LED lights are readily available in 12 volts DC (the understatement of the century - read on).  Pumps are readily available in 12 volts DC.  This is a low voltage that is inherently safe from electrical shock risk.  It's exactly what you should be using around a water feature.

I can, without worry for your safety, advise you to try it yourself: hold a 9 volt battery with one finger on each terminal; not even a tingle.

Because of the low voltage, it is reasonably safe for you to "hard-wire" this stuff yourself, making your own internal wiring connections to feed the lights and the pump.  You can use wire nuts, terminal blocks, solder - whatever seems to fit.  Still, insulate the wires - a short causing heat and fire is one of the few ways 12 volts DC can be dangerous.

If you want to "dim" the LED lights, there is inexpensive off-the-shelf tech to do that, called a PWM dimmer.  If you want multicolor lights, they make RGB and RGBW lights that are run by a multi-channel dimmer called a controller, where you can dial any color you want.   If you want to get into some programming, they even make individually addressible LED lights where you can program a different color and brightness for each LED.  All this tech is insanely cheap.

Seriously, while this may be a safety scold, the real reason artists should work in 12 volts DC is the breathtaking options available to you as a designer - all dirt cheap!  Anything you see in Las Vegas with lighting, you can do that if you're willing to climb the learning curve. Plain lighting is easy.

Back to safety

The way you safe this is by powering the works from a "wall wart power supply" that is UL-listed.  The UL listing is your liability shield. It's vanishingly unlikely to fail-deadly because it's properly designed, under the watchful eye of UL.  As such, this is a liability shield for you -  you did your part by selecting a certified-safe appliance.

The supply plugs directly into the wall, and everything past it is low voltage.  You can use an on-off switch on the low-voltage side if you like.  Further, the on/off switch is something you could build right into the water feature.

When (and when not) to use Chinese junk

China makes a lot of really, really cheap junk.  It starts on a website called Alibaba where it's sold in bulk for pennies.  From there, it's sold on AliExpress (Alibaba, in single quantities), eBay, and the noxious Amazon Marketplace - the vast majority of listings on Amazon.

A "UL Listing" means it went to a third-party testing lab (UL) and was torture tested for safety compliance, and gets a UL stamp and 7-digit file number.  This cheap Chinese stuff never has any of that.  It has entirely faked marks such as CE, CCC, FCC or RoHS, if it has any marks at all.

Anything sold "at retail" in the US is supposed to be properly UL listed. (note that several labs are legitimate substitutes for UL: CSA or ETL are the most common; again there will be a ~7 digit file number.)

For anything that touches mains voltage, you MUST use listed/approved appliances - either because NEC or the UL White Book requires it, or for your own liability.

However, once you're on the low-voltage DC side, these rules can be flexed a bit.  First, I'd use listed wires and switches - for switches you can either use switches intended for mains from Home Depot or Grainger, automotive gear from the auto supply, or electronics-tier switches from Mouser, Digi-Key or McMaster-Carr.

For dimmers, controllers, LED lights, Raspberry Pi's for controlling LED lights, I wouldn't worry too much about UL listing; in fact, since these are components, there wouldn't be one.  Though UL has a "component" listing mark called ЯU; that's for people building appliances they want UL-listed.  UL won't torture test the components since they're already approved.

As far as your 12 volt "wall-wart" power supply, that touches mains, so it must be UL-listed. These can be had from Mouser, Digi-Key, Galco or Grainger.

Total up all the amps or watts from the pump and various LEDs (no need to count dimmers), and make sure the power supply is bigger than that.


How to open holes in plastic electrical junction box

I would use a sharp knife, a so called utility knife, if I had one handy, but would try my moderately well sharpened pocket knife if that was all I had.

EDIT It may be that all one has to do is to pierce a "ring" with a knife or even a flat blade screwdriver and then pulling propagates the tear as the inside is pulled out.

EDIT2 The fact that the ring feature is convex suggests that the designers envisioned the removal could be with a slicing action with a blade parallel to the plane of the rings. For a right handed person I could imagine holding the box with the left hand with the inside of the left forearm braced against the chest.

The knife would be held in the right hand (cutting edge toward the thumb) with the right elbow braced against the person's ribs. The cut would be made by pulling the knife so that in the event of a slip the right forearm would contact the chest and stop the movement of the knife. After slicing 90 deg the box would be rotated 90 deg to continue the cut . . .

Alternatively, the box could be held down on a flat surface and the knife held with the cutting edge away from the thumb. The removal would be with a slicing action from above then the box flipped over for slicing the remainder.


If the existing CFL lamp was positioned in the fixture to emit light from it's side as opposed to its end then it is unlikely to be a suitable LED unit that would give satisfactory performance. Most LED units are designed to be used in a manner where the light is mainly emitted from the end of the unit away from the screw base.


What is break down of amps on household usages plugin,lights ect

Switches do not use any power at all. The things they switch use power. Lights use whatever the wattage of the lamps (bulbs) are in the fixtures. Things that are plugged in use basically what's on the rating plate.

You can find many many web sites listing estimates of what household appliances, etc draw while in use. A quick Google search will bring lots of info. Also, most utility web sites have good information about using generators. Typically this includes average appliance power consumption charts.


What tool can I use to block light from a 50W bulb?

Photographers use Cinefoil to block light. They attach these foils to the barn doors of lights with pegs. You could try to clamp such foil to the shade, but make sure the peg itself is heat resistance. Don't fully cover/wrap the bulb/shade with foil. Bulbs can get extremly hot after some time. The heat of the bulb should have enough space to exit.

Examples of Cinefoil:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00915LB6M/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/44690-REG/Rosco_RS100113_Matte_Black_Cinefoil.html
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/50aa7079e4b040d142112688/t/576c2863893fc0c13dd81ad0/1466706022795/ (Cinefoil attached to barn door)

Downside: They are quiet pricey. Therefore a new shade might be cheaper.


How to fill in exterior paint on plywood

Additional coats will not help much. The key would have been to use a heat gun or chemical stripper to remove all the old paint, or sand the areas where bare wood and remaining paint meet until the surface irregularities were minimal.

You could try using a taping knife or wide putty knife and spread a layer of exterior spackle across the whole surface, then sand smooth. This is a bit of an art and if you aren't practiced it could end up being a lot of trouble/work. If the paint you already applied has a sheen it would not stick well anyway.

I think you know the answer to your question... it was your last mentioned option (except I think you should consider a heat gun).

Note: higher sheen/gloss paints will tend to exaggerate surface irregularities whereas low sheen can help hide.


What parts needed to finish exterior door?

If this was an interior door I would say just live with it but since it is an exterior door I think you need to have it reinstalled.

Issues:

The biggest is that the threshold should be at most a minimal bump to your house.  This is just odd and a tripping hazard.  There is really no way to fix this.  You in theory could cut off the head of the threshold but...
The gap underneath the door is just way too big.  So even if you could cut a 1/2" off the threshold, this would just make your issue worse.  You can install an extension on the door here and they make some great rubber ones that will form to the gap but this doesn't look great even if it works.  And this gap at the bottom is just inviting all bugs in your area into your nice home.
The gap on the bolt side is way too big.  You can add weather stripping but it will require so much that it won't look great.  Also since this is the opened side you will be replacing it constantly.  I don't want to focus on this too much but with a gap that big it would be pretty easy (by force or pushing lock) to open from the outside.
The door isn't true.  A slight slant will eventually have even more issues and may compound the other 3.

If I were to guess this guy left some of the existing "subfloor" under the door frame.  And it probably wasn't even.  This jacked your frame up higher.  Which means the sides are higher... The threshold was installed too high too.   The thing about this is there isn't a fix.  If there is, it is shady and ruins other aspects of your house.  You have one glaring problem, the door is installed wrong.  Take off the trim, cut out the door and have it reinstalled.  A good handyman can have everything back together in 2-3 hours max.


Turned off breaker, power consumption almost cut in half. No idea what it's for

For posterity (and future searches), I'll try to combine the suggestions from comments and briefly summarize the outcome. Any edits are welcome, especially if you feel I've misconstrued ideas. This is tagged as a community wiki.

The first suggestion was to leave the breaker off until the issue was better understood, as this could have been a dangerous and well hidden electrical fault.
Being winter, pipe or roof heating was suspected. (We later learned
that the OP is in a mild climate, with overnight temperatures a bit
below freezing at this time of year.)
Suggestion to 'leave it off' and start hunting for things that don't
work. (Particular reminder to check fridges/freezers after turning
off circuit breakers. Nobody likes a freezer full of spoiled food.)
Suggestion about heat pump/AC unit. (Not applicable in this case.)
Suggestion about booster heater for dishwasher, sump pump, or sewage
pump. (Not applicable in this case.)
Suggestion about someone illegally tapping power to a nearby house.
(Not applicable in this case.)
Suggestion about on-demand hot water. (Not applicable in this case.)
Suggestion to use a signal tracer (such as a Fluke Networks Pro 3000)
to follow the circuit.

Resolution (somewhat): it turned out to be an in-floor heating unit in a bathroom. There are still unexplained variations in power consumption (suggestion to get a clamp meter); perhaps the OP will be able to provide more information if anything comes up.


Even heating in home with partial basement

Hot air rises, so the area with overhead vents are fighting convection. You might install a reversible ceiling fan, a small vent booster fan or an in-line duct fan, at the expense of a bit of electricity and perhaps noise.


How safe is it to just cram all the wires to a ceiling fan up in the canopy?

Whether it is safe depends mostly on how well the wires were protected and how much space is in the canopy. But it is not a good idea.

Wires need to be protected from being disconnected and from being shorted out. Disconnecting could happen if there is too much strain on the mechanical connection through excess force. If wires are well connected with wire nuts or their equivalent and screws on terminals, this is not common. But it happens.

Shorting is a more common problem. a sharp edge of a canopy or other hardware can cut through wire insulation and short the fixture, the box, or to a bare terminal or the ground wire. A bare ground can be pushed into an exposed screw head, creating a short.

Good practice would be to carefully fold the wires, with bare ground usually being pushed in first, to the deepest part of the box. Then fold in the rest of the wires to minimize stress on the connections when the device or canopy is pushed in. Finally, try to have the bent wires oriented so that, when the canopy is pushed up, none are sticking out over the edge of the box or canopy.

Often connections are taped over the wire nuts or bare screws to reduce the risk of disconnection or accidental short. This is a good idea especially in a crowded box.

Finally, be sure that the box itself is large enough for all the wires and devices it will contain. This means, at minimum, the size required by code, but also may mean a slightly larger box.


Is it feasible to pull individual conductors out of a 20m CAT3 cable?

No, the intelligent (budget-concious) solution in this case is to use the cat3 conductors and any of various schemes to run ethernet over them; starting with the base case that 10Mbit ethernet runs happily on Cat3 wire, and many Cat3 wires are actually fine for 100 Mbit. Those are "free" solutions.

You could put trunking switches on either end and run a bunch of 10 (or 100 if you get lucky) mBit connections in parallel (there will be a lot of pairs - likely 25, so you can run up to 12 wait, you say 50 or 100, so 25-50 - only takes two pair each) for pretty cheap. Except you went and yanked on and broke the wires already.

You can get two-wire "ethernet extenders" that will happily run 40 mBit or more on a single pair. They cost a bit more, usually. Your wire abuse also lowers the odds on those, unfortunately.

Thus, the correct solution for you in this case is to ignore the wire you have been abusing and put a couple of 5 GHz Point-to-Point radios on the buildings where they have a clear line of sight between them.

Or dig a trench and install fiber optic in conduit. That certainly is the "price no object professional approach" and has the benefit of being unaffected by thunderstorms which can wreak havoc with copper inter-building connections. Digging up the old cable is not normally a part of this approach, since it just adds a headache. Calling DigSafe several days before starting is a part of it, though...

When you pull on the wires, you are probably pulling against the telco's strain relief when you snap them. Virtually all "old phone cables" were installed by Ma Bell and she didn't just dump a cable into the ground. Which is to say, yanking the wires out is not going to work.


2 separate lights on two separate switches on one line - issue

To have two switches/dimmer controlling two lights independently with the wiring we know you have:

The notation should be clear using your method, but if not, ask away.


Use waterproof glue, make the joint tight-fitting, and leave the screws on the shelf. A lap joint is one of the strongest of all the glued wood joints, and a well-fitted glued lap joint will be at least as strong without the screws as with them.

But... there's a condition. How wide are the two planks forming that joint? And which wood is being used? I ask because of wood's inherent expansion/contraction with humidity/moisture changes. If the joint is too wide for that species of wood, and the wood isn't extremely well sealed against moisture intrusion, then expansion/contraction will destroy the joint; nearly all woods expand & contract across the grain far more than they do along the grain. As the wood becomes moist, it'll become wider but not longer.

Certain woods have a very low expansion/contraction rate. Other woods have a very high expansion/contraction rate.

If the wood is extremely well sealed, its inherent expansion/contraction will be minimized, but can never be totally eliminated (there's no such thing as a perfect seal).

If you're using wide boards, and that species of wood is subject to high expansion/contraction, then neither glue nor screws will prevent the joint from failing. Better in such a case to make a different type of joint, like a dovetailed saddle joint pinned across the "inside" corner, for example. That's much more difficult to make, though. Another option would be a long mortise with a tenon narrower than the length of the mortise.

Good outdoor gate joints are difficult things to make, since they're exposed to the weather and tend to collect pockets of water after a rain.


Easiest solution - hang a picture over it - perhaps something with a water theme.

Arguably "best" solution - use an access panel, it's what they are made for.


Compound mortise and tenon joints on corners (ie. legs of a table)

I'd be worried about the wood splitting, especially in the beam on the right. That's only an inch or so of material to hold it firm.

If you disassemble the workbench then the largest piece will be the surface so you only need to keep the rest smaller than that. So I suggest assembling the short side permanently.

Then you can use a dado joint to attach the long beams and use a through dowel to be able to put a wedge in.


Can I put roof sheathing on vertically instead of horizontally?

If it is plywood you are using, it will be difficult to nail into by hand. The plywood is more stable across the joists rather than with the joists. When you run the plywood with the joists and try to nail into it between rafters the plywood will give so much the nails will hardly take if you are driving them by hand. I would not do it this way. It sounds like you are doing this to minimize the exposed joints. This should be a minor concern compared all the nails poking through as mentioned before. A layer of decorative material down first, like T-111 or something similar, then your plywood, will give the underside a nice look without a great cost, and if you gauge your nail length, there will be no nail points popping through.

If you use OSB, the direction you lay that material does not matter, it is structurally stable in either direction. But then you will have nail points all over the place still on the underside.


Safe to screw on a paper towel holder way above socket?

If you are concerned about the presence of wiring near where you are installing this, grab yourself a stud finder with "live wire" detection from your local hardware store. Entry level models are inexpensive. This way, you can find the studs and the wires. More expensive models may also detect other services (e.g. metal plumbing or gas pipes).

If you are just going to attach the holder with screws, or with the skinny little excuse for anchors usually included with these sort of things, you run the risk of the holder coming out of the wall over time, because at least one of those two mounting holes probably won't line up with a stud (unless you've got some super wide studs).

Grab yourself some drywall anchors or spring toggle devices to get a better hold on the wall. The former looks like a big plastic screw, with room for another screw in the middle, and a flat tip. This is is shown in the first picture below. These bite in to the drywall and get a firm grip, providing you with a rigid hole to screw in to.

The latter (spring toggle, second picture) consists of a screw with spring loaded wings that spring apart after you push them through a wall. Naming may be different in the US, but I would expect they would still be readily available. The objective here is to distribute the load of the holder (and anybody pulling on it) over a greater area to avoid ruining your wall.

Be somewhat wary of the drywall anchors though if you ever want to remove the holder, as they do tend to make a mess when they come out.


How do I remove spots from my new ceramic tiles?

It is likely grout haze.  Wait a week, daily damp mop the grout lines.  Then carefully use a haze remover sparingly (it is an acidic product) The marks will come right up.  Well rinse all areas of any solution, especially any that gets on the grout.

I made the mistake of not sealing a matte bisque mosaic hex floor tile before grouting early in my tile career.  I then used the haze cleaner too early.  It cleaned the haze alright.  It also removed some color from the grout.  I had to go back and hand stain the grout lines individually.  That's why I'm suggesting a week of curing for your grout.


Use screw into steel tube without using nut?

Your best bet would be the correctly sized metal screw.  Not a bolt, but a screw.  Some of them are self drilling/tapping (these are commonly referred to as simply "self-tapping" in the US). They will drill their own hole and tap their own threads all in one step. If you can't find the right sized metal screw, you can get a self-tapper a little bigger than the hole and it will tap itself a larger hole and hold tight. These are available at Home Depot (or any hardware store, really) in the little plastic baggies if you need a few, or in small boxes if you need a lot.

Self drilling and tapping metal screw


What style of lock for swinging garage doors that shift with the weather?

The lock is a standard household door lock, not really designed for doors that slop around as much as garage or barn doors do. You'd have to do a bit of jury-rigging, since they are virtually all designed for modern-style roll-up garage doors, but a garage door style lock will have considerably more slop and adjustability. You'd probably have to mount either an actual section of garage-door track, or simply something else with a slot to accept the tongue/bolt to use most "garage-door" hardware.

Here is one I found looking for "gate" locks, described as a "long throw rimlock" (key cylinder on the other side, this is the inside view) that would not appear to require jury-rigging. Note that there is considerable room for the parts to move up and down or side to side while still locking.


What's an efficient way to soundproof the space between my door frame and wall frame?

Noiseproofing, as you know, is best assisted by decoupling dense masses.

I am going to presume that your walls are framed thicker than standard 2x4 (as staggered 6 is a very common technique)

In this case, you have a pretty wide cap to fill in the shimmed jamb.

I would shove fiberglass into the cavity, or spray in foam, making sure not to overfill!

Then I would lay in greenglue (or their gap-filling material), then I would lay in the backer rod. Finally, one more application of the gap-filling material before setting the casing.

Here is a video of a door company demonstrating the install:
http://www.acousticalsurfaces.com/acoustic_doors/soundproof_doors.htm


What's the best way to connect up the outlet of a plastic tube so it doesn't clog?

Depending on the nature of the "fountain" - if it does not have small jets, then run larger pipe to it. If the output of your pump is all being driven through that tiny hose outlet, (which is my reading of what you wrote) there'a design flaw here someplace.
Otherwise, filters. You want a great deal of filter area so that it will continue to flow when partially clogged, so that you don't have to clean it too frequently. You definitely do not want the filters to pass anything small enough to clog the fountain jets, or any other part of the plumbing. You know full well it will have to catch a bunch of stuff, so make it big, which keeps the flow on any one section low. Then hose it out monthly or weekly or at whatever frequency it requires to maintain flow.


Looks like a run-of-the-mill blacksmith's or stone sledge that someone has customized for a particular purpose.


How can I access the lint duct assembly of a Maytag Centennial dryer?

If anyone else has this problem, don't try to take the dryer apart!

I found it's much easier - stick your head in the dryer, and get a good look at the Outlet Grill (Bulkhead Part #32).  (If the hyperlink breaks, the Outlet Grill is the part that holds the lint filter).  Lint covers up recessed screws on the grill that you need to remove.

Once you get the Outlet Grill off, you have plenty of space to get into the lint duct and clear it out.


Usually silicone is good for this kind of thing, doesn't make a mess, screw up wood finish, gum up plastics and rubber, etc.  A little goes a long way.  Just a tiny squirt on the rails, work it up and down a few times, wipe off any excess.

On older wood on wood windows, wax works very well, in a pinch, or if you don't have any wax, rubbing soap on it.


Can I mount electrical panel on exterior of bedroom?

An electric utility company may have rules about where they'll allow their service to be installed. For example, one electric utility I'm aware of will not connect service to a meter located within 36 inches of a window which has a view into restroom or sleeping areas. Near a garage window is fine; somewhere on a bedroom wall further than 36" from a window is also fine. It's obvious that this requirement has nothing to do with electric code. Instead, it protects privacy of building occupants and protects utility employees who may access the meter and disconnect at any time from compromising situations and ugly allegations.
An electric utility imposes their own rules on the service entrance as far as location, mounting, overhead or underground wiring, size of conduit for their service, etc. These rules are not in the National Electric Code; they're policies of the utility. Contact your utility to get a copy. It sounds like you may be working with second-hand information based on another person's inaccurate retelling of the utility's requirements.


Is drywall installer trying to pull one over on us?

I'd say it's a little from column A and a little from column B.

A good drywaller will get the finish to a point of being pretty darn good before primer. A bright light shone sideways on the wall shows where work is needed.

That said, primer shows all the little (emphasis: they should be little) flaws that the painter usually touches up.

So, I'd suggest you try and get him to do his best before paint. If you're concerned about the job being finished, holding partial payment back is common. Don't be punitive, but don't make it such a trivial sum that he can write you off.


What size heat shrink tubing do I need to repair this wire?

Whatever size is slightly larger than the wire. 1/8", I suppose.


Do I have to remove the existing 6' fence posts to install an 8' metal fence?

In terms of structure, sure.  However it will be ugly, unless you are a very good welder, and take a lot of care dressing it after.

Remember too that most fence pipe is galvanized.  The fumes given off when you heat it are quite poisonous.

It may be a better idea to just buy chunks of pipe with an inside diameter that can slide over the existing post, or alternately, to make extension posts of the same diameter with a stub that will fit inside the existing post.  This latter method would allow you to do any welding in a shop setting (much easier).

Or instead of welding you could use epoxy glue, or hole and bolt to join the pipes.


Replacing exterior hose valve, interior connection

Better to use an actual pipe wrench to unscrew the pipe inside from the valve inside while you hold both. A single person doing both parts is better able to balance the forces, and if you unscrew the valve outside you may just screw it off the pipe stub, not the pipe stub from the valve inside as you want. Correct term for "pipe stub" is pipe nipple, my brain belatedly dredges up.

As for "standard length" for frost-free hose bibbs, just get one that is long enough - if that's a little too long, just make a trim block to take up the difference on the outside of the house. A good application for PVC "trim lumber" as it does not rot.

Note that you may be able to skip the whole business by using a drill and screw extractor to remove the broken screw from the valve stem on the present valve. You could remove the packing nut and pull the valve stem to take to someone else for that service (likelihood of just being able to find a replacement valve stem is unfortunately subject to a very wide range of valve makers with incompatible parts, but it's not impossible, just a needle in the haystack.) Your call.


Alternative ways to insulate a shallow slab foundation?

You can either build up (put an insulated floor on top of the concrete slab floor - most people would also see this as nicer than a concrete slab floor for living in) or you can waste a lot of heat (and the floor will always feel cold.)


Is it okay to put rigid sheet foam insulation directly over studs before installing sheetrock (fiberglass insulation would be in the walls)?

We live in the same area, you will want something that will allow moisture out But stop air flow (vapor barrier).

We do have issues with mold here.
  on several houses I have found the bad stuff (Stachybotrys chartarum) and 2 have been when the home owner tried to seal the walls In similar era homes.
 In this era home there are normally a lot of air leaks and house wrap may be a better option, although toxic mold is not common all mold can cause issues with the structure and health at some level.

Also don’t forget about your floor. Your floor is a large external surface area and simple fiberglass insulation in both the walls and floor may be best. I have used chicken wire or fish net to hold the fiberglass in the floors in place and it reduces the chance of squirrels, raccoons and opossums getting in there and pulling it down (yes even in town).  if copper pipe do not let the chicken wire touch the pipe, the moisture in the air + copper+ zinc coated wire = pinholes in copper pipe because of galvanic corrosion.

If you want to air seal the room please get a dehumidifier.
Dehumidifiers in a sealed bedroom will go a long way to prevent mold and mildew here in the Pacific Northwest.


hard to say without knowing more about the floor plan. Maybe they're in a longer section of floor. Maybe there are plumbing fixtures that required a shift in layout. Who knows?
It doesn't much matter whether you use one header or three, but you'll want trimmer studs supporting it or them between each pair of doors. Otherwise you'd need to size the header for the full span, and that would probably call for a LVL beam.


I have seen two 14/2 cables used instead of a 14/3 cable. 14/2 is a hot (black), neutral(white) and a ground(bare copper), 14/3 is hot, neutral, and a load (red). It is used for three-way switches or smoke alarms where the third one is used to signal all alarms to sound when only one detects smoke.

I don't know what your setup is but it may be similar to the smoke alarms, which would mean that the neutral is not used. The original installer may not have had 14/3 for whatever reason.


That would depend on how good the foundation is. Normally, the foundation is adequately overbuilt that it's not a concern. The weak link in this sort of conversion is USUALLY the "attic" floor above the garage wich is typically marginal even for light storage, and far from occupancy loads, over a very long span. Bringing that up to an adequate structure is a significant project if it was not built as such from the start.


Can I add insulation over the original layer in my new home's basement?

Really depends on your location. Aside from removing the wrap insulation and doing a spray foam insulation (which is flammable), the best job includes tar paper on the concrete(so any moisture coming through the wall doesn't wet the insulation) then the insulation in the walls with the bottom 6 inches left out and a 6 mm vapour barrier stopping short of the floor. The reason why the gap is so air can get into the wall and the moisture can get out.
Also be sure to put in adequate vents (including cold air returns) to ensure good air flow.


10 gauge wire should certainly fit on the screws; get a short bit of solid 10ga wire and pigtail that onto the switch.  10 gauge is legal for 30 amps, and a few inches of 10ga isn't going to defeat the purpose of running 8 gauge.


Repainting damaged acrylic coating on my shower tray. Help!

Is there any problems with my approach...?

Use coarse sandpaper to prepare the damaged area- GOOD
Apply epoxy repair filler to level the work area- GOOD
Use sandpaper again (medium)- GOOD
Paint white (spray)- NO
Apply acrylic clear coats (spray)- NO
wet sandpaper medium>fine>extra fine- GOOD
Buff it with a cutting compound to get the gloss on- NO

Rather than using spray paint, use a 2-part brush-on epoxy paint specifically designed for wet service, such as this. Repaint the whole shower pan. Note that this is fine for acrylic, but not for flexible plastic shower bases. This kind of coating can be made non-slip by adding an aggregate additive and can be tinted almost any color. And it is exremely tough/durable.


Ice in your fridge with a RH of 40 is not because of your humidifier, unless you stand with the door open for long periods of time.
I would expect your defrost timer in the fridge was not is not functioning or a fan was not properly moving the air.
Any moisture you put in the intake of an ac system it should by design take out l. Don’t introduce into the intake , the purer water is the faster it will freeze.
If you want to humidify air the moisture should be introduced after the air is chilled.
dehumidification Is a side effect of air conditioning  this may be why you are struggling to get the Humidity up all the moisture you add is being removed with each pass through the evaporator (cooling coils in the air handler).  Try adding moisture at the vents so the moisture air is pushed around or add a humidification system after the coils then all the vents will vary the humid air.
One thing I almost forgot to add the type of humidification can cause worse allergies if there any impurities in the water I would call good RO water the same as store bought distilled probably 19 meg ohm per centimeter.


What is this tiny ventilation mechanism in my window frame and how do I replace it?

Is the ventilation port going to a covered port on the outside wall? If so, the purpose would be to allow ventilation that rain could not get through. In the past it was important to have a route for outside fresh air to get into the living space because natural gas space heaters drew their combustion air from the living space and the combustion gasses were vented into the living space. The fresh air prevented the formation of carbon monoxide.

If the ventilation port is a route into the space between the two panes of the double pane window, then the purpose would be to dry out the space between the two panes. This would prevent fogging between the two panes.

EDIT
Having lower humidity interior air flow through the space between the panes both keeps the window clear from fogging and heats the window. So even on a very cold day it should be comfortable to sit next to the window and not be chilled. This might slightly increase your heating demand, but this is an ingenious feature which shows the designers of your building really thought about making the apartments comfortable for the occupants.

And it could even decrease your heating demand as follows. Consider a person sitting by the window to read, do a crossword, or sew. If the window is cold, the person sitting by the window might turn up the heat in the whole apartment.


installing shower in basement without rough in plumbing

It sounds like you want to install a sump pump drain system so that the drain can be pumped overhead. I find that sump pumps generally last a few years... replacing the pump every few years is onus, and these sytems add a stink to the living area. If the septic or drain system is above the shower drain level (above the basement) then this is your only option, anyway.

But if the septic/drain system is down hill (gravity fed), then my advice would be to run the shower drain in an inconspicuous area and attach it to an available stack. If that is not practical or possible then my advice would be to cut the concrete with a water saw and install a drain; then you will need to lay new concrete over the drain... cutting concrete is kind of a major task... depending on the length of the drain, but believe it or not, I would still recommend going with gravity- over a sump pump for problem free plumbing that doesn't stink.

If you need to contract this job, then price-wise, your best bet may be to run the drain where it is not a tripping hazard (to a stack pipe). The next cheapest option would be the sump installation. Cutting the floor will cost labor... the most expensive part of a contract. But if you do try a sump pump, you can still change your mind later.


How do I secure a one-armed toilet paper holder, which constantly slips off the mount?

This looks like a bad piece of engineering design to use a slip finger bracket to mount a cantilever paper holder. This type of bracket would work pretty good for a towel bar that was mounted on both ends or possibly for a soap dish that was mounted right on center.

I can suggest two possible courses of action that would solve the problem as long as the finger bracket on the wall was very nice and secure.

You could mix up some good quality epoxy (the kind that takes 24
hours to set up) and force it into the finger slots on the bracket
and on the fingers of the wall bracket. Then install the roll hanger
and let the epoxy set up. Note that this is a pretty permanent fix
and future removal would require cutting the hanger off with a dremel
tool or some such.
Alternatively you could clean up the wall and hanger assembly to
remove any oil and soap film and then re-install the hanger. Rubbing
alcohol can work great for this. Then run    a small bead of clear
silicon sealer all around the perimeter of the bracket. This
sealer will take the twisting load off the fingers and transfer it to
the tile which should stop your problem. For removal the silicon
sealer can be cut away with a razor blade.

If it is the finger bracket on the wall that comes loose then you'll have to investigate how it is currently mounted. If the two screws there are already go directly into a stud or wooden cross member then some longer screws may be in order. If the screws just go into some cheap plastic hollow wall anchors then you may want to investigate some more secure types of metal anchors such as toggle bolts or molly screws.


above ground pole support for sail cloth

It will be very hard to give guidance as to if a particular size of base will be adequate for your application. Here are some of the variables to consider:

Length of the metal pipe that holds the sail cloth. The longer (and presumed higher) this pole the more lateral leverage it can apply to the base.
Span of the sail cloth overhead. The longer span you have for the sail cloth the more tension it will place on the metal poles and in turn on the base.
Placing the base into the ground. I know that you desire a mobile application but be aware that putting the base assembly into the ground will give it a lot more stability that just letting it sit at ground level. It would also look a lot better than having a huge block of concrete sitting there. I can easily imagine a buried base that would only project enough from the ground level so that the dirt and debris does not easily get into the slide in hole for the metal poles.

Do also consider that even at the size you asked about that these bases would not be so "mobile". Concrete weighs approximately 150 pounds per cubic foot. A 16" (i.e. 1.333 feet) diameter concrete pillar 4 feet high is going to be:

V = 3.1415 x 0.666 feet x 0.666 feet x 4 feet

V = 5.57 cubic feet

Weight = 5.57 x 150 pounds

Weight = 836 pounds

That does not seem particularly mobile to me.


Can I operate a well pump with no pressure tank by using the breaker as a switch?

Not really.

You can do that if you only turn on the pump when you're consuming water. You don't want the pump running if no water is moving. You'll wear it out.

The point of a pressure switch is to prevent just that, and the point of the pressure tank is to reduce the frequency of pump startups (along with stabilizing pressure during usage).


How to hide angle between two uneven drywall panels

You don't have a lot of options with your situation; you said:

Working on the bottom side. And it's not new work, so would like to avoid pulling down and changing the framing

The only thing to do is float it out, which like you were getting at means you build up mud on the face away from the point to make the point itself less conspicuous. Look up how to float out a high drywall joint or high spot on youtube and you'll find what you're looking for. Basically, you build up two lesser high-spots a ways out from the problem spot, one each side of the joint.
If you are up for it, blend into a heavier texture in the area. You don't want the area to pop out because of some crazy heavy texture, but a little heavier and it plays less noticeable with the eye.
Don't plane the drywall or shave it or anything like that. Once you compromise the paper, the gyp core will start to fail and ding easily and crumble out and then you'll be trying to shape it with hot mud or just replacing the boards anyway.
If you could get at the framing, you could adjust the plane of the stud in various ways or you can add joints in the field that help adjust the plane.
Good luck!


Does this 3 prong 250V outlet in the Philippines have two hots and a neutral or hot/neutral/ground?

It looks like the Philippines uses a system similar to Europe, so it would be 1 hot ( 240V @60 Hz.), 1 neutral, and a ground.
Typical Worldwide Voltages
Japan, Taiwan, North America and some parts of northern South America.
100 - 120/240V  ± 5% @ 60 Hz.
Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and most of South America
230V  ± 6% @ 50 Hz.
Here is a map of voltages and frequencies around the world from Wikipedia.


How to remove stuck locknut from porcelain toilet?

If the plastic part you are removing is headed to the scrap/trash/recycle it might be ripe for "crush it with locking pliers" as a brute force removal technique that should still be low-stress for the porcelain.
At some intermediate level, grab it with locking pliers to unscrew since it does not have much for a wrench to grab might apply, but it might just break anyway.
If you are trying to preserve it, but remove it, good luck.


Why is my A/C condenser fan motor wiring backwards, and how can I fix it?

Yes, the concave shape should always curve in the direction of the air flow...

(Click to enlarge.)

Switching the L1 and L2 wires wouldn't change the motor's direction and the colors are a bit arbitrary since this is a 220V circuit.  Verify that it is 220V and that neither wire is the neutral, then mark the white wire with black electrician's tape to signal that it is "hot" too.

It's a common thing to switch the polarity of the start windings relative to the run windings to change an AC motor's direction.  These are usually yellow and orange wires, and the previous installer may have switched these.  If you can't tell that this kind of switch was done, don't worry about it and set the new motor's jumper to get it spinning in the right direction.

But, if you aren't certain or comfortable with the situation, have an electrician look it over.


Replacing rotted brickmold and sill - what’s the sill piece called?

The bottom piece of your wood window is called the sill.

I had to replace some rotted sills in my home an had a piece leftover
Here are some pictures of it to show the profile.


How to loosen a nut when bolt and nut move together?

Best way: put a wrench on the nut and the proper driver or socket into or over the head of the bolt, and turn one while keeping the other stationary.

Second best way: put a wrench on the nut, and a pair of locking pliers on the shank of the bolt. You WILL damage the threads of the bolt; just try not to cause so much damage the nut won't come off. This is the only way besides cutting to remove a carriage bolt, which has a flat or a smooth dome head that can't be "locked on" with a socket or driver, or to otherwise remove a nut from a bolt when you can't get to the head.


If your refrigerator is on a dedicated circuit, then a GFCI is not required.

GFCI protection is also not required for receptacles that are not readily accessible [whatever that means].

When I wired my laundry room which included provisions for a refrigerator, I mounted the receptacle up high (so I could reach it above the refrig, which in located in a little alcove), and put it on it's own dedicated circuit.

Note, I was doing this work with a licensed master electrician, had all the necessary permits, and passed electrical & final inspections.


How can I fill a small tapered gap between my pavers and a step?

You just lay the carpet or rubber sheet on the pavers (not attached) and use the vibrator.

As for the sidewalk being lower than the dirt by about 4-5 inches, you could put in a retaining wall/edge, or make a box planter into an edge (a french drain may be helpful, here), or shape the soil so that it diverts/drains away into a swale (aka a ditch).

To help keep pavers put (because you're worried about pea gravel in the sliver), use paving edger:

For the concrete idea, here's a couple of videos: Pebble inlay in concrete and Stone pebble mosaic ideas. Another method involves simply exposing aggregate by basically washing off the surface of the concrete.


Are mounting anchors necessary for plaster walls?

A screw directly in plaster or drywall is not very strong. Over time it will work its way out and leave a hole in the wall.

It's OK to use a nail to hang a framed painting or photograph. If you do this, first put a piece of scotch tape on the wall, to resist cracking. Make sure the nail is angled 45 deg from vertical. You can pull the nail out when you're done and it will only leave a small hole that is easy to patch. (Many people don't patch, but you'll still see the hole when you repaint.) There's a limit to how much weight I'd want to put on nails in drywall, though - if it tears out, it's a mess.

There are a variety of drywall anchors that you can use for larger loads (see http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/inffastener/infanchor/infanchor.html for a good list). Most require you to drill a hole first. Be careful when you do this, because if there is wiring or plumbing behind the wall you could make a lot of trouble. Threaded anchors don't require drilling and are very easy to use.

For the most strength, screw in to a stud. I do this with towel bars especially, because I know people like to use them as hand-holds. Also, people yank towels from their holders, which puts a lot of strain on the wall.


Can a 40amp breaker be used safely and without issue with a 40amp device on 6AWG wire?

Your "electrician" is not one of the brighter bulbs in the pack.

The 40A is to protect the wiring and the device.

If the wiring is AT LEAST 8Ga then it's adequate to protect the wiring. It also protects 6Ga, (or 500 MCM for that matter) just fine, and it properly protects the device at the end of the wire just fine.

"Ohms law" has squat to do with this. You could have a cooktop located 3 feet from the breaker panel and connected with 8 Ga or one located 100 feet from the panel and connected with 6 Ga - the 8 Ga would have (much, about 20 times) lower resistance, because of the wire length. Upsizing wire for longer runs on heavy circuits is actually quite normal. As stated, not a particularly knowledgeable electrician you have there.


Greenish gray mold on wooden window frame

You are probably getting this because of condensation buildup on the windows plus the wood to feed on at the bottom.  Probably no way to totally stop the condensation but simply opening the windows once a week or wiping off the window area with a towel would probably help.  Also turn on exhaust fans when taking warm showers or cooking a lot.

To clean just use soap or laundry detergent.  Scrub it with a foam pad and a wire brush for wood parts.   You will probably need to go through a couple buckets of water.  Once everything it is off spray on bleach to the area and wipe off with a towel.  Most of the time bleach will have little to no affect on wood unless it pools there but test on a small portion first if you want.


Can't drill into exterior walls for screw anchors. Why not?

Hitting something super-hard means don't drill there.

Normally pipes and electrical cables are run far from the edge and close to the center of studs.   This is so you can safely drill 1-1/2" onto any wall's skin surface to install screws, anchors, etc.

When it is necessary to place electrical wires or pipes just under the skin surface, they are required to put steel plates there as guards, to prevent someone from drilling onto the pipe or electrical wire.

The idea is the person drilling will hit an unexpectedly hard surface, and think "this is probably one of those".


To be honest I haven't seen one like this but the simplest solution would be to turn off the water to it, should be a valve under the sink and remove the valve stem. The first hex nut above the large thread, turn counter clockwise, once out take it to a plumbing supply to match it with a replacement new one and install it to get things working again.


Replacing wall switch with wireless relay receiver

Sounds like a commonplace switch arrangement to me, the kind where the power comes to the switch and then to the lamp.   This is the simplest type (in tems of understanding it) where hot+neutral come first to the switch, hot is switched, then switched-hot+neutral proceed to the lamp.

Yellow is rarely seen in residential wiring.  I think they are actually white, but faded.  One is neutral from the panel and the other is neutral to the lamp.

If I'm right, you're in luck: you have the exact wires the smart switch requires. (Which is often not the case.)


How do I install this lamp on my ceiling?

I want to install this simple Ikea lamp, but I'm dumbfounded by what is expected from me.

Yeah, I can see why you might be.

Honestly, I understand the original reason for picture-only instructions (they save money and paper when you're selling the same product in many countries with different languages), and I even understand that they've become a part of IKEA's brand identity.  But surely it wouldn't kill their budget (or their marketing) to occasionally splurge a bit and indulge in a couple of words on their manuals, especially when said manuals deal with electrical safety.  The Sumerians invented writing 5000 years ago for a reason, and the reason is that, sometimes, there are some things that you just can't express clearly and easily by drawing cartoons on clay (or on paper).

Still, being kind of used to deciphering these kinds of instructions, let me decode this picture puzzle for you, and provide the "missing captions" that the instructions should've included.  For clarity, I'll do this panel by panel, and highlight each panel above its explanation:

Panel 1

You can attach this light fitting either directly to wires coming from a hole in the ceiling (as in your case), or using a cord that runs along the ceiling surface (e.g. if you want to install it at a spot where there isn't a convenient access hole available).

In the former case, follow the instructions on this page; in the latter case, follow the instructions on the next page instead.  (That's what the little arrow and the page-flip icon are supposed to mean.  That's probably the most confusing part about the instructions right here.)

Panel 2 (left page = direct attachment)

(Since you're attaching the lamp directly to wires coming from the ceiling, these are the instructions you should follow.)

You will need a mounting hook in the ceiling to hang the lamp from.  Do not just hang it from the wires!  If you need to install your own hook, make sure it's solidly attached (e.g. drilled into a support beam, not just into a flimsy fiberboard sheet) and will bear the weight of the lamp.

(In your case, you might be able to attach a suitable hook to the existing mounting bracket, but it's probably better to remove it and replace it with a hook that attaches directly to the ceiling.)

The picture shows the correct hole to use to hang the lamp from the hook.  Do not use the other holes; they may not properly bear the weight of the lamp!

Panel 3 (left page = direct attachment)

You will then need to attach the wires to the connector block.  While the instructions don't actually mention it (at least not on this page), you should obviously turn off power to the fixture first, preferably at the main circuit panel, and verify this with a voltage tester.  Also make sure that nobody can accidentally turn the power back on while you're working on the light.

Another thing the instructions don't explicitly mention is that, in your case, you'll first need to remove the existing "sugar cube" screw connector along with the currently installed lamp, leaving just the wires (black and brown in your photo) coming out of the ceiling.

To attach the wires to the connector, press the rocker switch on the connector, insert the bare end of the wire into the hole, and release the switch.  You may want to give the wire a gentle tug to check that it stays in.  Then repeat this for the other wire.  (That's what the "2x" presumably means.)

The actual electrical work should be done at that point.  You are then instructed to flip to page 13, but since you haven't shown us a scan of that page, I can't tell what it's supposed to say.  (If it's anything like these assembly instructions I found for another version of the same lamp, it's probably about assembling the lampshade.)

Note: In the IKEA instructions, the black wire (shown going into the upper hole in the connector) is the live one, and the white wire (going into the lower hole) is the neutral, as shown e.g. on page 4 of the PDF manual I linked above.  You can consult e.g. the Wikipedia page linked by RedGrittyBrick to find out which color means live and which means neutral in your part of the world.  The lamp will work even if the wires are swapped, but doing so can make it slightly easier to get shocked if you accidentally touch the inside of the bulb socket while changing the light bulb, so getting them the right way around is recommended.

Incidentally, looking at your photo, and the various color combinations listed on Wikipedia, I suspect that 1) you're living in Australia or New Zealand, 2) the brown wire is the live one, and 3) your current bare bulb socket is wired the wrong way around.  That's just a guess, though.

For completeness, let me also briefly annotate the alternative installation steps shown on the right-hand page:

Panel 2 (right page = indirect attachment)

If you want to attach the lamp to a surface-mounted power cord, you'll first need to cut a notch for the cord in the plastic cone thingy.  (I have no idea what the proper name for that thing is.)  Otherwise it won't sit flush with the ceiling, and will look ugly.

Panel 3 (right page = indirect attachment)

As before, you will need to hang the lamp from a hook in the ceiling.  Make sure to use the correct hole for the hook.

Panel 4 (right page = indirect attachment)

To make sure that the power cord doesn't get accidentally torn off from the connector block, thread it through the two holes on the connector assembly as shown in the picture.  (That's what they're for; you're not supposed to hang the lamp from the hook using them.)  Then insert the bare ends of the live and neutral wires into the connector, as shown on the previous page.


$65 at Harbor Freight or other import discounter. You are wasting your time with a scoring cutter. If you had a lot to do I would recommend a quality domestic saw, but for a one time job this saw will work so well you will kick yourself for not biting the bullet and buying one before you even started the job.


Almost all sky lights on a roof are mounted a 2x3 or 2x4 curbing that is nailed down to the roof sheathing. Flashing metal pieces are the bent up and nailed to the outside of the curbing and put down under each succeeding tier of shingles. The skylight generally us sized to fit on the top of the curbing and has a flange that comes down along the side of the outside of the curbing. The flange should come down far enough so that it fully covers the top edges of the flashing metal pieces that come up along the side.

As the roofers are already up on the roof doing work around the skylight it should be a piece of cake to have then install the new skylight. Mounting is typically as simple as nailing or screwing through holes in the side flange into the side of the curbing. Having the roofers do the job allows them to remove the old one and give then the correct access to install the new flashing metal as then shingle past the opening and curbing.

Another significant advantage is that it keeps one less person or group of persons off your roof that could do damage to your new roofing.


Furnace turns off before temperature is reached, fixed by unplugging and replugging thermostat

A professional HVAC guy would have a spare tstat and swap it for testing if you were bent on keeping the old thermostat.  Unfortunately, while for a century furnace thermostats were as reliable as a rock, and nobody would ever suspect them, furnace thermostat makers have discovered if you build it just expensive enough to last 5 years, when it breaks people will just accept it because so much other electronics these days has designed-in short lifespans.  Then they will buy another.


Does a 100 year old home need attic ventilation added if no problems have occurred?

This is a subjective question which depends on your prerogative for several things. How long will you stay in the home (or what's your predilection for saving the planet)? Better venting may keep the attic cooler, which may in turn reduce air conditioning costs (financial and ecological). The payoff (in time and pollution savings) isn't clear without a detailed analysis of current conditions and potential improvement.

If you don't have moisture problems now, and you haven't found cooling costs to be unreasonable, I would not make changes at this stage in the home's impressive life. If you feel like the HVAC system struggles in the heat of summer, it may be a wise move.

FYI, attic vents should remain open year-round. Even in winter there's moisture to be released, especially without a modern sealed building envelope. Much more vapor than you realize may be migrating out of the living space. Also, you want most of the heat to be released anyway to prevent ice damming. You might close them somewhat to retain a bit of heat, but only if it's convenient. If it means pushing into an attic and getting insulation all over, don't bother. Leave them open.


what is the best way to restore teak outdoor furniture?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no magic solution you can spray on and restore the original beauty. As an owner or an older Carver with lots of teak, the only solution is to sand it down.  We solved the every year restoral ritual by using Seatrol medium sealer by Sikens. (found in marine stores)  Couple of coats of this stuff and your teak will look good for years.


Should I replace "backstab" light switches?

95% of the time, backstabs fail "open" - they seem pretty good at that.  That's not a fire starter, but it is an annoyance that will send you on a day-long "bug hunt" for the faulty connection.

The other 5% of the time, it will create a weak, overheating connection or a series arc fault, and yeah, that'll start a fire.

The main reason we recommend scourging them is the future annoyance of a failed "open".


There are two kinds of “sound control” problems: 1) air borne sounds, and 2) impact sounds.

1) Air borne sounds (talking, tv, etc.) is the easiest to control and it looks like you’ve solved that issue.

2) Impact sound (closing doors, heels clicking on floor from walking, etc.) is much harder to control. Impact sound travels through building materials (floor joists, wallboard, etc.) much faster and much more efficiently.

In order to control impact sound, you need to isolate the surrounding material. Some of these problems are “built in” and cannot be resolved easily (or cheaply).

We try to 1) stop floor joists and underlayment from extending under a party wall, 2) provide separate party walls between rooms, and 3) stop roof joists from crossing from room to room.

Obviously it’s too late for those techniques, so now you need to consider techniques for each individual problem.

For doors, I’d try: 1) provide rubber bumpers on jambs, 2) provide weatherstripping to cushion the door when closing, and 3) add closer to control speed of door closing.


what are the little dots on wiring diagrams?

Are you talking about the orange/yellow dots in this?

These are not standard wiring diagrams, they're just drawings that Tester101 makes to make his answers easy to understand.

He appears to be using the orange/yellow dots to indicate splicing the wires together using a wire-nut.


How to install new chandelier when impossible to fish wires?

Assuming you have wires from where the green line starts, this should be simple enough, provided you're OK with some wires showing.

You'll want to buy

A heavy-duty (fan rated) metal fixture box (octagon) and screws to mount it into the top beam. I would suggest you buy a box with clamps built in
If you didn't buy the box with clamps, buy a NM clamp that fits the knockouts
Finally, buy the proper size wire in armored cable, as well as clamps to secure the wire to the beam

If you're wanting to add a switch, buy a surface mount metal box, switch, and switch cover


What kind of sensor will detect a car outside the end of my driveway?

I think hall effect sensors may work (like those used to synch. traffic lights), laser/IR gates (such as 'garage-door' stop-close sensors) or a computer vision based 'car-detection' system, but just a background-suppression system will work.

If you're good at programming, computer vision system may be better and most-effective (you can get easy notifications and also add a 'people detector' at little effort). Only things you need are: low-end computer (for simple BS), IR webcam and IR lamp.

But PIR may also do this job (it has to be adjusted) and is absolutely the cheaper.

... But if you like twitter notifications go for CV [Computer Vision].


That looks to be VERY little space and a one-time need, so I'd just hack (neatly, with an eye to the repair that comes later) enough holes in the drywall to do what you need to do, (from below, standing on a ladder or platform) and then button them up. While I hate this approach IN GENERAL, for the specific case of a TINY attic space that will end up pretty well full of insulation (hopefully with vent channels along the roof deck) there is no conceivable need for a permanent access hatch, and drywall repair is going to be a lot cheaper than a virtually useless attic hatch/ladder. It's pretty obvious from the first picture that there's hardly room to crawl up there (and probably not really enough room for a good insulation job, at a guess.)

Alternate approach judging by the doorway/frame height would be to run new ceiling joists below the current ceiling, move the light fixture(s) down to that, build in the projector reinforcement of the your dreams, and insulate the newly gained "attic" space between it and the old ceiling. You probably can't do anything useful to the sloped sections unless you are willing to lay foam sheets and more drywall over them, losing a bit more space in the room. You could still open up the original ceiling and do what you can do for the insulation above it, but rather than repairing its drywall, you'd just do the new drywall on the new, lower ceiling.

Unload the room and cover the floor before you start cutting - it will be messy.


How to drill a hole near a wire in a wall?

Use the depth of the plaster/lath; say it's 5/8".

Put a piece of tape around the drill bit at 5/8" to ensure you don't drill deeper.
Drill the surface hole 5/8" deep.
Once the surface hole is made, you can turn on the electricity and insert a non-contact inductive wire sniffer (like this one from Fluke: https://www.amazon.com/Meterk-Non-Contact-12V-1000V-Flashlight-Multi-sensor/dp/B0711KGPYD).

Note this will only detect the "hot" line (not ground).


Add more Polyurethane to recently refinished hardwood flooring?

For anyone reading this I did as I said and it came out really well.  Process was to get a 220 grit screening pad and hand sand all the edges.  Then I cut a piece to go on my finish sander and hit the whole kitchen lightly.  Then I swept and mopped.

Painted on semi-satin polyuruthane with a brush.  I used Semi, because I was informed than for a satin finish you only want to do a satin base coat or else it will come out milky.

The kitchen looks much better now and I will repeat the process on the rest of the house when I have time.


Will 2" x 6" treated lumber warp if used like this?

Treated lumber is more likely to warp due to its high moisture content, and the outcome depends on several factors:

How securely it's mounted - warpage can create strong forces, but they can be resisted in some cases.
How quickly it's allowed to dry - direct sunlight dries the exposed surfaces quickly, exacerbating warpage.
The grain of the board - those with cupped grain are more likely to experience cupped warpage.


HVAC Heat only comes on when Fan is set to "ON" (not Auto)

The zone board's gone bad

Since upstairs is broken, yet downstairs is fine, and it's not a thermostat issue, I'd point the finger at the zone board having something wrong with it. Just to make sure, try pulling the upstairs thermostat and jumpering R to W on its base; if the heat doesn't come on, then something's dead with the W input for that zone.


Washing greasy/contaminated construction textiles

I would wash them in a bucket or tub with plenty of detergent and water as hot as the garments can take. Then rinse them with a hose onto grass or soil. Check to see if grease is removed before putting in the regular washer.


Why do different meters show different voltages between hot and ground?

Any time you see wack-a-doodle voltages associated with safety ground, you should consider that safety ground might not be connected to anything.

It's very common in pre-1965 homes to have the original wiring laid groundless with contemporary /2 no-ground cable, and then in the 1970s and onward, extended with /2+ground cable.  Typically they either connect the extension ground to nothing (preferred), or to the metal boxes (bad, since if it isn't connected back to the panel it only causes those locations to share their ground faults, energizing all their grounds if one has a ground fault).

So when you see a hot-ground reading like that, you are best off investigating why that safety ground is not properly connected back to the main panel (or maybe the hot is not properly connected).  If the wiring is old enough that it simply isn't connected, then furl up the ground wire in reserve for the happy day when ground is retrofitted, and do your best to insulate it from touching the metal box.


What is the purpose of a window well for a window that is above grade?

If you were in a really dry region, it might be overkill, but window wells and covers also help protect basement windows from physical damage (stuff the mower throws, ornery pets, etc).

That said, two inches isn't terribly much, and installing them would probably be prudent if you planned to raise the grade around the window with flower beds or something.

I'm pretty sure you're wondering if installing them on your home would also be a good idea. If you've never had a problem, then you probably won't. It's worth asking your neighbor about, if they were installed as a requirement for a home inspection, it'd be nice to know.


Connect 5w 100k ohm resistor between neutral and hot to prevent LED light blinking when switch is off

First, you are not allowed to use electronic components in mains electrical wiring.   You must use "equipment" which has been tested and certified (listed) for use in mains electrical wiring.  Equipment may simply be an electronic component in a safe housing built to a certifiable spec and run through the independent testing lab to test for fire and health safety.  TUV or UL are testing labs, CE is not.

A resistor is a resistor, as long as it is made for this purpose and the ohm values are within 50-70%.  If Moon Rune Importers there can't provide a Listed resistor, get a resistor from another manufacturer.

If that doesn't work for you, change the smart switch to one that does not have the resistor requirement.  Electronic ballasts/drivers are not a surprise.   CFLs have been on the market for over 20 years, governments have been expressing their intent to deter/ban incandescents for almost that long, to warn manufacturers to stop making things that aren't compatible with electronic drivers.  So they have no excuse.

A 100k resistor on 110/120V will draw as follows:

E=IR   120V = I * 100,000ohm    I = 0.0012 amps
W=EI   W = 120V * 0.0012A       W = 0.144 watts

A 100k resistor on 220/230/240V will draw as follows:

E=IR   230V = I * 100,000ohm    I = 0.0023 amps
W=EI   W = 230V * 0.0023A       W = 0.529 watts

Either approach seems reasonable.  I'm not sure where you get a 100k resistor that's listed for use with mains electrical, but 0.5 watts is little enough energy that cooling won't be a big factor.

It will be a short, as you suspect, but it won't be a dead short.  Current will be limited to 0.0012 amps or 0.0023 amps, depending on your voltage.  This will result in watts of power consumed being under 1 watt.

The only thing that surprises me is that such low current flow would suffice.


Why won't the bulbs light even when the fixture is has power?

You probably need to replace the base (where the lamp goes) in the fixture. Keep in mind that your tester does not draw much of anything at all, so it won't detect a bad connection in the base that shows up when the lamp itself is actually pulling something.

Check also that the connections from the box to the fixture are solid.

If the fixture itself is cheap, consider just replacing it completely. If you continue to have problems, the loose connection isn't in the light fixture.

You can quickly determine this by attaching a pig tail light:

.. directly to the feeders in the light fixture. If the pig tail works, the problem is the fixture (most likely the base). If the pig tail doesn't work, you may have a bad switch, loose neutral, or something else that an electrician should probably inspect.


Identify your new cable going to the ceiling lamp.  Mark the black wire with red tape.    The color of this wire is now red, because the tape overrides the original color.

Identify the cable going off to the switch.  Mark its white wire with black tape, and mark its black wire with red tape.

Now join black to black, red to red and white to white.

Put a blank cover plate over it.  This must remain accessible forever. You can paint over the cover plate but cannot remove it.


How do I seal a gap between a concrete step and the entrance of the house?

Are those two concrete slabs just laying on dirt or are they attached to anything?

If they are just laying there, which is what it looks like, putting goo between them is not going to work because they will move around due to changes in temperature and work loose.

Assuming the blocks are free standing, the natural thing to do is just leave them as is.

If you are determined to get a perfectly sealed fit, the blocks need to be attached both to each other and to the stoop. One way to do this:

Remove the two blocks and set them aside and check out the foundation of the stoop.

2a. If the stoop is just laying on dirt, like the blocks (doh), then dig under the stoop all along its length until you have at least 6 inches of overhang, then put down an inch of gravel, then two inches of concrete, and finally a thin mortar bed. Before the mortar bed sets, put the two blocks back on top and the mortar bed will hold them firmly to the stoop and both will be joined to the concrete mini-foundation.

2b. If the stoop has a good foundation (going below the frost line 4 feet down into the earth), then you are going to need some kind of bolt system at the very minimum. The idea here is the same as 2a except that the mini-foundation will be poured over bolts or rods that are driven into the stoop, thus joining the two together.

Either way make sure that the new mini-foundation is drained. You need to have gravel underneath and a pipe of some sort leading from the gravel to wherever. By the way, water flows DOWNHILL, so that pipe needs to be sloped down and it needs to keep going down.

Obviously, as you can see, all of this is a lot of work. The bottom line is: no foundation, no seal. This is because without a foundation stuff will move around. If you just throw pavers on dirt, they are not going to be sealable in a climate which has below freezing temperatures.


How flat does a subfloor need to be for laminate?

Check the specifications for the particular laminate you are planning to install.  For example, Armstrong Flooring specify:

  Variations in subfloor flatness should not exceed 3/16" in 10' (4.76
  mm in 3.05 m) or 1/8" in 6' (3.17 mm in 1.83 m). Level floors with a
  suitable cement-based self-leveling underlayment following the
  manufacturer’s recommended guidelines.

If you do have to level the floor, you are going to need a lot of fill.  You might want to use something other than self-levelling compound.


Why does my latch not retract when I push or swing the door shut, but will retract when the knob/lever is used?

You may have a deadlocking latch bolt, which in addition to a normal door latch has a plunger. When this plunger is retracted (which happens when the door is closed), the spring loaded mechanism on the latch is disabled. This prevents someone from using the credit card trick to open the door from the outside, so the only way to open the door is by unlocking it and turning the knob.  In other words, it's for security.

Sample image from doorware.com, no affiliation

My guess, assuming this is an external locking door, is that this plunger is either jammed or some of the internal mechanisms that it activates have jammed.  You can unscrew the door knob and remove both sides, then unscrew the latch and pull it out of the door.  From there, try some lubricant (silicone spray and graphite powder are my preferred lubricants for locks, WD-40 will quickly dry and attract dirt).  And if it still doesn't work, it's probably time to go to the store to pickup a new doorknob.


Nail position is not as critical with ridge cap as it is in the plane of the roof because of the bend, which keeps the ridge from being able to move in high-wind situations that would lift flat shingles. At the tar line is probably fine. I wouldn't go much either way because you reduce holding power or increase water leak potential.

When in doubt, follow the manufacturer's recommendation for the normal nail position, and lap the shingles at least an inch past the nail. When possible, lay them out so that the lap falls downstream with respect to prevailing winds.

Be aware that 1-1/2" nails are typically not long enough for ridge cap due to layering and possible ridge vent gap.


That is exactly right.

The purpose of this arrangement is to put the mains voltage on one side of the "Great Wall Of Separation", and the low voltage on the other, as called out  by the Code requirements for (not) mixing low voltage and mains.

However, as Tyson points out, the junction box must remain accessible and have a cover.  I assume this is unimproved space, or you are putting a box extension on it to raise it to the finished wall surface. Burying the entire junction box and transformer behind drywall, that is no-go.


That spring is definitely broken. It sits in the square bracket and pushes against the lever above it.

Do you have another working handle that you can disassemble to compare to?


A Stillson wrench that you referenced is normally called a "pipe wrench" and comes in sizes from 6" through 96". The most usable sizes for a home owner would probably be sizes from 8" through 18" inch. They are normally used to hold or turn smooth type piping. Due to their flexible, top jaw they do not work well on soft materials like plastic pipe and fittings. For the home owner, a pliers looking tool commonly referred to in the piping industry as "channellocks" (pardon the use of a proper name, but that is what they are called by tradesman) or the older name "water pump pliers", would be a great choice. You may also want to buy an adjustable wrench called a "crescent wrench" to hold the parts with the flat surfaces. By the way, when you replace the ball valve make sure you use a quality ball valve made in the USA since most of the foreign ones are of very low quality. I am not trying to belittle or disparage any manufacturer or supplier, that is just the way it is. Also that reducing fitting on the left side of the picture should be replaced if that is a domestic water line. Only brass, copper, or plastic fittings and pipe should be used on domestic water supply.


Need to allow swivelling/rotating fitting for steel wire

Your local mountaineering/rock climbing/etc. store (Mountain Equipment Co-Op is the one I am familiar with) will care a Swivel device that allows for rotation while still supporting the loads seen with a swing.

Swivel Image http://images.mec.ca/fluid/customers/c822/4001-684/4001-684_PDP_Image/main_variation_NOC02_view_view1_350x250.jpg?20110209163550

The model pictured is good for a working load of 5kN which is about 1124lbs and a breaking strength of 23kN. They are expensive, however.


How to get cold air from one room to another

I have used temperature controlled fans in the past with a covers to transfer heat from the lower floor where there was a high efficiency wood stove to the upper floor. You could do the same thing in the wall using return air grates to cover the fan, the most expensive part of the project was the fancy window fan I used that both low and high temp cutouts and could vary the flow by using 1 or both fans. I don't. Remember the brand but it was expensive ~$125 for a fan but it has been in place for 14 or 15 years. I did put an outlet in the cavity so it looked like a return air vent in the downstairs and fancy brass heat registers upstairs I think it looks great and it moves the air quite Well, I think this would work in your case also.


Diagnosing RCD tripping to decide whether to fix or junk basic electric oven

Yes. Get an extension cord (I assume they are all 3-prong in the UK).   Slice down the edge of the cable and remove the outer sheath for about a foot.   Don't cut into any of the insulation on the individual wires (though if you nick ground's insulation, don't worry about it).

Bind the hot and neutral (brown and blue) wires tightly together with electrical tape.

Now get a clamp ammeter and clamp the hot/neutral bundle.      The amp reading should be zero.   If that is not zero, that is a ground fault, which explains the RCD trip.   Now clamp the ground wire.  The reading should be zero. If it is not zero and the same number, you have an internal ground fault that has been caught by the ground wire.

If the non-zero figure on the conductors isn't accounted for by the figure on the ground, you have current leaking in a third direction.

Either leakage implies a problem with the oven.  Try giving it a good clean, especially in the wiring areas.


Use a 4-square metal box. Use any common masonry anchors. Anchor into rock not mortar. Half inch ENT (electrical non-metallic tubing) would be a good choice for conduit.  You can use the ENT as a sleeve for the NM cable. Use a 1/2" raised cover and a standard receptacle. You will need a small hammer drill to drill holes in the rock and rock bit. Support the ENT every couple of feet. P.


Should new plywood be installed over old separating plywood?

If the old plywood was clean and not infested with dry rot or mold it should be OK to cover it with the new plywood. One thing to consider is that the new plywood probably wants to be the same thickness as what would be used if it was used by itself on the rafters (i.e. if the old plywood had been removed). This will ensure that the strength of the plywood is enough to bridge spots on the roof where the old plywood was weakened to the point that it would sag under the load on the roof.

You also should consider the design parameters of the roof to ensure that the extra weight of the added plywood is well within the static load capability of the roof support structure.

Lastly it would be best if the new sheets of plywood were offset from the seams of the existing plywood but at the same time placed so that the new seams can be properly nailed into the rafters and other roof structure members. It is unlikely that seams of new plywood simply nailed at random locations into the relatively thin old plywood will be assured to keep the plywood held down over time.


Leave the recommended 3/8" clearance gap.

Install your baseboard gently down to the flooring material. If there are minor swails in the floor surface the baseboard may very well leave a vertical gap up off the surface the the flooring material. The way this is normally dealt with is to install base shoe molding. Base shoe is a narrow molding which can easily bend down and follow the floor surface variations.


You have a lot of flexibility, as if there is not enough water flowing out the depth in the gutter will increase, increasing the pressure and flow rate.  Here is an online calculator which says a 1/8" hole at 0.036 psig will flow 3.7 gallons per hour.  I picked the pressure to be roughly one inch deep water.  The flow rate increases with the square root of the pressure.


What is better for plywood - varnish or paint

If you were to paint the surface it would cover and look more uniform than if you were to try and re-stain. Re-staining is more labor intensive in that unless you know the stain color it is hard to get a perfect match.
Without a picture to judge what is currently on the surface the best way to apply a paint coat is to start sanding. Hand or orbital (or both). Start with 80 grit and work through to 120. Be aware that this is most likely a veneered table top which may have only a thin layer of wood grain. If you sand through it you will expose a core or wood ply that may look different. Paint will cover this under layer but be aware. Use any paint type you prefer. An oil based paint will dry harder than other latex paints, but is harder to work with. Apply several coats.
If the stain color is even and no re-staining is required you could give it a light sanding with a 220 grit paper, wipe the dust off with a dampened rag of paint thinner, let dry and apply several coats of polyurethane (oil or water based, gloss, semi-, or matte finish).
Be aware that while you can varnish over paint it (in my opinion) will not look good. The varnish will give a light toned paint a red hue. Painting over a varnish is possible ,too. You must apply a de-glosser to the entire suface first. This allows the paint to adhere better to the surface.


High Efficiency Furnace vented through the roof. How screwed am I?

All of the units I have installed the condensate in the exhaust drains back to the firebox and drains with that condensate. The pipe if run horizontally is supposed to have a slope. So I do not see a problem. Adding an ac coil or evaporator should not affect the heat system exhaust unless it needs to be re routed you can add the ac drain to your condensate pump but I would install a sensor to alarm if the pump fails. So you know because both systems can make quite a mess when the pump fails and they do fail.


Wiring for humidifier to Goodman gmpn080-4 furnace

Connecting one wire to HUM and the other to ground worked for us. I believe this is the solution for this furnace, as 'C' (Common) is usually recommended, but this model does not have a connection for that.


How should I prepare an all-concrete warehouse space before building out?

A layer of leveling compound will result in a very clean look, but it may not withstand the abuse that it will receive in an industrial environment.  The result could be a lot of chipping of all your hard work, making it look worse than before you started.  If you're just patching, make sure to clean out the divot in the concrete to get the sides clean and vertical, if not a little past vertical, so that the patch can't pop back out.

When power washing indoors, make sure you turn the electricity off first.

For painting the walls, a paint sprayer will get the job done the fastest.  Just get some coveralls and respirator.

For the floor, I would look into an anti-skid sealer that will look good, improve the durability, and keep you safe.


How can I reduce the sound of rain on a range hood vent?

First, the vent exit should have a weather flap on it that should mitigate sound somewhat. Be sure that it's present and functioning properly.

The sound is echoing through the duct, so insulation outside the duct won't do much. You'd need insulation inside the duct to do that, which isn't a good idea here.

Instead, protect the vent cap from direct impact by rain. Install a secondary cover of some material other than metal so it doesn't ping as loudly.  You might get away with just wrapping the existing vent with self-adhesive rubberized roofing membrane to make it heavier and softer.


How should I build a garden fence on the edge of a swamp?

Well, there is a whole university of thought on how to best keep fence posts from rotting. There are also quite a few good answers on this site - try searching "fence post rot".  Some of them are linked below:

Why did a gate post rot after just 6 years?

Using PT (Pressure-Treated) posts

Setting in dirt vs. gravel vs. concrete

In general, water is not necessarily bad for wood - it is the combination of water and air that allows microbes to grow and causes rot.  On our farm, we usually use bare cedar posts for our wire fence, which hold up pretty well, but we still end up replacing them every 5-7 years.  For structural posts, or where we want to hang nice wooden fencing on the posts (sounds like your application), we generally coat the bottom few feet with creosote, which helps somewhat with minimizing water penetration (depending on whether you soak or paint it), but mostly keeps the air from getting in.  The most important part is to extend the coating about 6 inches above the soil, to complete the barrier.  Personally, I don't know whether the coating could affect the fungi - I would go for actual creosote, as opposed to the CCA compounds, but both can have health risks.


Electrical outlets in my bathrooms don't have power

Check for tripped breakers in panel and all outside receptacles for tripped GFI's.


AC Condenser Fan Won't Spin and Overheats But Can Be Kickstarted

Before you begin, make sure to pull out/turn off the serviceman switch, and/or turn off the breaker, to remove power to the unit. Once you open the unit, you'll want to discharge the capacitor(s). A charged capacitor can store enough energy to kill you, so you want to make sure you discharge them.
Test the motor
To check the motor, you're going to want to check the resistance of the coils in the motor.  To do this, you'll need a multimeter set to measure resistance in Ohms. You'll also have to identify the wires, which will depend on the unit you're working on.  Use the schematic printed inside the unit, or in the manufacturer's documentation, to determine which wires are which. You'll want to determine which wires connect to the Common, Run, and Start motor terminals.
Once you know which wires go where, you'll measure the resistance as follows:

Common -> Start
Common -> Run
Start -> Run

If you sum the value measured between Common and Run, with the value measured between Common and Start. You should end up with a value right around what you measured between Start and Run. If the values are way off, the motor is bad. If any of the readings are infinity (open), it means the coil is broken and the motor is bad.
NOTES:

Depending on the motor, there may be multiple speeds. If so, you'll have to measure them as well, to determine if those coils are good.

Test the capacitor
When checking the capacitor, the first thing to do is a visual inspection. If the capacitor is bulging, or has released the magic goo. Then the capacitor is bad, and needs to be replaced.
Make note of all the wires connected to the capacitor, then disconnect them. Then set your meter to measure capacitance in microfarads (uF). Touch one meter lead to the terminal marked C (common), and the other to the terminal marked FAN.  Hold the leads on the terminals until the meter settles, then take note of the reading.  With one lead still on C, put the other lead on HERM. Again, wait for the meter to settle, and note the reading.
Compare the readings you took, to the values printed on the side of the capacitor.  The measured values should be within the tolerances printed on the capacitor, otherwise the capacitor needs to be replaced.


Your east west wall as the floor is concerned is a non bearing wall. For the situation, you want to address, I usually double the rim joist to add a little width under the subfloor to support the wall above. If the wall above is a bearing wall, the doubling of the rim joist should handle the load as well as long as the load is transferred to the foundation.


Why did my light string turn off after a short while with GU24 to E26 to socket outlet adapters?

My first guess would be that your existing (presumably outdoor fixture) socket was connected to a "dusk to dawn" photocell (light sensor) somewhere, with a 2 minute delay (not uncommon) to automatically turn your outdoor fixture on and noght and off when the sun comes up. So when you turn it on, the light from your string lights is enough to make the sensor think it is dawn and it turns off. Usually if the existing outdoor fixture had a flood lamp in it, the light from it was directed away from the sensor so that didn't happen, but the string lights are spreading light in all directions, so now the sensor sees it and reacts.

Look for a photocell or sensor somewhere and if you find one, cover it with something dark, like electrician's tape. Sometimes, like in the example below, they provide a sliding metal cover to use for this purpose.

The photocell may not be a separate device like this however, it might be built into the fixture itself. But the "cell" might look like that round area with the squiggly lines in it. It also might look like the gray area on the top of this example:


Is it more effective to insulate the walls, or ceiling of an unheated basement?

If the ceiling of the unfinished space is the floor of the bedroom and is uninsulated, the floor of the bedroom is going to be cold. It would help a lot if that floor was insulated. There is not any real downside to insulating that floor or the unheated space. Insulation on the walls of the unheated space would help a bit, but you will see much better results if you insulate the ceiling/floor first. Doing both would be great.


Can I replace Halogen fixtures with these LED fixtures?

They Look similar.  Best bet is to check with Cree.  THey make fantastic LED products but without a spec sheet one couldn't know for sure on this.


Is there such a thing as a DIY heat pump or mini split

Yes, there is. The problem is that a mini-split is, after all, split.  That means the pipes between compressor and evaporator are custom fit and routed through your house.  Obviously, you can't fill the pipes until after they are fit.  So if the fluid is freon, yeah, you're gonna need a license.

However that's not the only way to do it.

Entire Freon cycle outside

In this scenario, we have a complete unit that sits on a pad outside. It contains all the Freon machinery, pre-filled from the factory.  It makes cold water, which is piped into your house and run through a radiator (one made to deal with condensate). Then the warm water goes back out to be chilled again.  You can have as many registers as you want.

This is called an "air to water heat pump system".

Instead of water, you use antifreeze, not for in-use times, but for the winter so you don't have to drain it.

Outside unit, containing all the freon. The inside unit is simple.

Split Freon cycle

This is the mini-split you are familiar with. Put the Freon condenser outside and the evaporator outside, with custom fit plumbing between carrying the freon. Freon must be added, so must be installed by pro's.

Entire Freon cycle inside

This is a factory-built box, with the Freon pre-charged, that sits inside the room being cooled.  The box gives cold air and hot water.  You plumb the hot water outside, let it cool through passive radiators, and return it to be heated again.

Science fiction? No, there's one of these 10 feet away from me right now.

These systems are called "water-sourced heat pumps". In a small residential system you would use antifreeze, so it doesn't break pipes in winter.

Inside unit, containing all the freon. The outside unit is simple. This thing is loud, by the way.

Most of these systems can actually reverse to be heat pumps.  In that case, when it is too cold outside for the heat pump to work, one choice is to bypass the outside radiator and run it through a fuel-fired water heater instead. That's cheaper than resistive electric "emergency heat".  Or you could interchange with groundwater, which is always at a moderate temperature.

Alternate refrigerants

Manufacturers are starting to tinker with "alternate" refrigerants, probably to get around the environmental hazard and licensure of CHC/FHC/CFC Freons. One promotes "environmentally friendly CO2"... amusing, but that actually is reasonable since it will be captured inside a coolant loop for the next 20 years, not emitted on a regular basis.

Amazingly, they're re-branding CO2 as R-744.  Next thing you know, they'll patent it and we'll have to pay a license fee to exhale!


Rent a mini hoe or skid loader with a hammer attachment for a day. Git 'r done.


One issue I can see, is that in 35 years I've bought three washers and one electric dryer. If you are referencing to is attached stacked units you may be replacing a working dryer because it is attached to the broken washer. The dryers have so few moving parts they are easily and inexpensively repaired. The same can't be said for washers.


Do they make 24v transformers that have individual terminals for up to 4 thermostats?

If you want neat installation, either add a 4x4 steel junction box ($2) and hide the wire nuts in there, or openly mount any of a variety of terminal blocks sold at electronics supply houses such as Digi-Key, Mouser or Galco.

Make sure the terminal blocks are rated for several amps, and not merely telephone or ethernet junction blocks.

Smart Thermostats take very little power (traditional 'stats take none at all, being dumb switches). What takes power is what the thermostat operates: contactors and solenoid valves to engage furnace, blower, A/C etc.  That is your limiting factor, those vary, and I assume you know what you're doing. All that to say, a transformer powering more than 2 furnaces would be highly unusual, which is why one with 4 terminals on each output won't be found.


Here's what doesn't apply to you, but does apply to most consumer LEDs (sold as primary lighting devices, i.e. screw in bulbs, fluorescent replacements etc):

They are significantly overdriven from spec, for instance an LED will be sold as a 10 watt emitter, however the datasheet will spec it for baseline performance at 1050ma at around 3.3 volts - now hold on, that's only 3.6 watts, not 10! As you read on, you discover they achieve the "10 watt" nameplate by driving it at 2800ma at 3.6 volts, which is allowed, but with lower efficiency and higher junction temperatures requiring bigger heatsinks.    Of course that overdrive figures into the LED's life, as the higher junction temperature is one factor in lamp aging.

The other factor is the driver circuit which converts 120/230VAC into the low-voltage, constant-current the LED emitter requires.  For a packaged consumer product, this driver circuit is the weak link in the chain, and is the likely cause of death, especially since there are so many ways for bottom shelf brands (FE, UT, LoA) to cut corners here.

In that light, here's what does apply to your LED strip accent lighting.

Those strips usually run on 12VDC or sometimes 24VDC, but they don't include that complex driver circuit.  They use a simple, bulletproof resistor for current limiting.  Those strips don't have cooling fins, so they don't overdrive the LEDs much.  The resistor is also sized for worst-case 14V (or 28V), which is what a car's alternator is putting out to charge the battery.  At actual 12V they derate considerably - I've seen a 16 foot "24 watt" strip drop to 15 watts actual. These factors combine to make them dimmer than they could be, but conversely, more long-lasting.

Generally, DC LED strip installations have an AC power supply that is a separate item.  It is a failure point, but you can replace it separately.

The other thing is, people really have no idea how long LEDs will actually last.  The numbers they throw down are guesses.  Realistically they will probably last a lot longer than claims made, but the claims are tempered to avoid appearing unrealistic.  My rule of thumb is your installation won't live long enough to see the LED fail - you'll modernize, sell the home or die!

The upshot is, you're already in pretty good shape, and so dimming will help, but not a lot.

I would say the bigger reason to dim it is that lights bright enough to be useful workspace lighting would be annoyingly bright as ambience lights.


Why does my front loading clothes washer stink?

As one of the comments already mentioned, a common problem with front loaders is mold in the gaskets. The easiest way to avoid this is to leave the washing machine open after you're done using it.

There are special cleaning detergents you can use to help get rid of the smell and mold (they are basically bleach in puck form).  One product I have used with good results is Affresh (I have no affiliation with this product or company).

Some front loaders have a special cycle to run with these.  Check your owners manual for any specific cleaning instructions or cleaning product recommendations.