How do I wire this 240v fan motor and thermostat

That thermostat is not meant to switch high voltage. You need to use a 240V thermostat. Or wire that one to switch a relay to switch the fan.

A 240V t-stat would be easier. It simply wires like a light switch.

To use a relay you need something like this.


How can I change the lighted area on my restaurants refrigerator?

You will need to contact either the manufacturer or a company that make back lit signs, since the panel comes with that design already and putting something in front will only block the light.


How can I level a floor with uneven joists?

Egads. Why would you not fix the framing properly? By leaving gaps between your new underlayment and the subfloor you allow much more flex (and possibly noise) than you have now.

I'd sister 2x4s to the sides of your joists on plane where needed. Run drylines across the floor at intervals, one pencil thickness above the high points in the joists. Make additional level adjustments if things are tilted. Set your new lumber using a pencil as a spacer.

Use construction adhesive and framing nails or gold screws to attach the lumber and prevent squeaks. Lay your new subfloor and underlayment. (I'd recommend 3/4" tongue-and-groove BC plywood or OSB, then 1/4" birch plywood.)


How can I eliminate a 4-way switch and still have two 3-way switches operating the lights?

Nothing easier.

You have 2 travelers.  The 4-way either sends them through straight, or exchanges them.
So take 1 traveler off a brass screw, 1 traveler off a black screw, then splice them together to each other.
Repeat with the other traveler.  And done.


Where do I put the hot wire on a double pole 20 amp breaker?

What are you trying to accomplish?

A double pole breaker is used to supply either a 120/240V circuit, a straight 240V circuit, or a 120V multi-wire branch circuit.

If you're wiring a 240V circuit, the black wire goes to one terminal and the white goes to the other. If you're trying to wire a 120/240V circuit, or a multi-wire branch circuit,  you'll need another wire. If you're trying to wire a 120V circuit, you need a single pole breaker not a double pole.

Both terminals on a double pole breaker are hot.


No, it is not normal.  The solenoid allows water to run over the humidifier's screen.  If the blower isn't running....it's a pointless waste to have water running.
I assume you aren't confusing the running of a condensate pump (if you have one) with the solenoid.  The pump can kick on even if the blower isn't running.


How do I remove white beverage stains from my dark finished wood table?

I had a similar problem with water stains on my bar. I used a 50-50  mixture of vinegar and olive oil and wiped it on the stains in the direction of the grain. The vinegar removed the stain and the olive oil polished up the surface. I've heard that a hair dryer on high will remove the stains too but have never tried it. Hope this worked for you.


A ring main as the name implies, is a wiring ring between a circuit breaker on a consumer unit and the sockets it supplies.

One wire leaves the consumer unit and connects to the first socket, a second cable then leaves this socket and goes to the next, at the last socket in the chain, the last connection goes back to the consumer unit creating a ring. The power load is shared both ways around the ring allowing use of a smaller diameter cable than a radial wiring system. This smaller diameter was one of the principle reasons for its introduction after the war in order to reduce the amount of copper which was in fairly short supply.

Older wiring systems have remained in use until fairly recently, my grandparents house was only rewired in 1987 although many were converted earlier.

The wiring scheme has some criticisms including less apparent fault symptoms and more lengthy testing requirements which aside from the complexity of retroactively adopting a new standard have probably contributed to its limited use outside the UK.

The Wikipedia article contains some more details on the standard, its history and issues but adequate training should be arranged before making any modifications to existing circuits.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_circuit

It's worth noting as well before considering any work that Part P of the Building Regulations may well apply, the IET has a good faq on the subject which is worth reading:

http://www.theiet.org/publishing/wiring-regulations/part-p/


Is using a shielded industrial cable a bad practice when used as an outdoors AC mains cable?

It depends on your jurisdiction, but it is unlikely that that particular cable meets all of the code requirements for mains wiring.

I would recommend using an isolation transformer for the mains connection, and use a 1A fuse in series with this cable.

There's nothing wrong with using shielded cable per se — it probably brings some benefit in radio applications.


How do I make a curtain rail on a curved bay window easy to use?

If by "stack," you mean that the curtain hooks get out of order, which makes opening the curtains back up impossible, then you could put a small screw or nail in the top/window side of each hook (perhaps two in each hook if it is really bad.)  Or you could just get bigger hooks. That would make it would be impossible for them to overlap.

If the problem is that too much friction is created by pulling on the curtain material, then I would suggest finding a curtain pulley system (or attaching a rod to the middle-most hook on each side of the curtain.)  Such systems would create an entirely horizontal force on the curtain's hooks, as opposed to the diagonal downward force created by simply pulling on the curtain material, which will create friction between the hooks and the rail.  Or, if the rail and hooks are metal, you could simply try oiling them to reduce friction.

If the problem is something other than the hooks overlapping and becoming inseparable, please explain the problem... maybe even a picture would be in order!


Slightly extending an opening in plywood

Correct thing to use in this situation is a rasp -- you are just trying to remove a small amount of material and get it to conform to the existing garbage can.

A coarse file would also work, as would a draw knife or spindle shave.

I would avoid saws, as it is hard to cut relatively small amounts of material out using a saw.


I'm not sure I understand your proposed installation, but this is what you do, assuming the outlet is not switched in any way. I understand the two pairs of wire are both physically connected to the outlet. This sounds like a North American installation, I am assuming such, but instructions should apply to other areas, just that what each color does may vary. One pair is in coming power, the other continues on to feed other outlets or lights.

Remove all the wires from the outlet. Always connect all blacks together and all whites together (and bare grounds together). Each wire nut connection will have the two original wires, the new wire feeding new outlets, and a short pigtail wire. The pigtail is connected to the original outlet. Black wire connects to the yellow or brass colored screw side. The white connects to the silver colored screw side, usually marked as "neutral" (in North America).

I recommend properly binding the wire to the screws instead of using the convenient push-in connectors if you have a choice. IMO, you get a much more reliable connection this way, but the connection must be properly made up.


Any building over 3 stories is probably constructed with steel.
I’m sure those are enclosed steel structural columns with a pipe chase.
Leave it alone. Do not remove the material they used to cover the columns because it’s a fire rated assembly.


Applied stain to deck and still not dry after a week, what can I do?

When ever I prep a deck for restaining, I clean it with a mixture of TSP, bleach and water. I apply the mixture, scrub it with a stiff broom and rinse it well with water or a power washer. Let it dry well, then apply stain. The cleaning solution helps remove the dirt, grime, spills, etc. Pretty basic stuff, I admit.

As far as why your stain doesn't want to dry.  There may be several reasons for this. First thing that comes to mind is that the stain may have not been mixed well before application. The solvents and drying agents can separate from the oils and pigments in stain. The oil tends to stay at the top of the can, and the oil won't dry well without the solvents mixed in.

Another reason may be other sealers, grease or spills that have sealed the skin of the wood, not allowing the stain to penetrate.

Sometimes, one can get a little carried away and apply way too much product. This will saturate the wood and the access will sit on the top of the surface.

If after a couple weeks of good drying weather, you still have sticky or tacky spots, I'd be tempted to remove this excess with a cloth wetted with mineral spirits. This should thin the sticky stain, remove some and distribute it to help it dry.


Why are the front and rear slide rails offset on my Craftsman table saw?

The rear rail is shorter because the rear clamp of the fence does not need as much side to side space as the near side of the fence. Here is a picture of a typical table saw fence:

Notice how the near side has the widest part of the assembly.

The measurement scale on the front rail is lined up so that the index arrow on the front side of the fence shows the distance from the saw blade to the side of the fence. The recommended distance from your instructions, using the edge of the table as a reference, is an easy setup. However that may only apply specifically to that model saw with a particular fence and a particular thickness of saw blade. Also note in the picture above how the index mark arrow is offset from the actual fence side.


Should an exterior door frame always be flush with the interior drywall?

OK I run into this 3 or 4 times a year.  I like putting doors on basements.  For 7-10k you can get 1000 sq/ft and 2 extra bedrooms in a house.   I won't answer this for just basements though so let's go over the options.

For minor issues you can add a jamb extender.  More often than not I like to use strips of plywood (it doesn't split like solid wood).  So if my door is right on the wall and I need to add drywall I would use 3/4" plywood (which is less than 3/4").  Then trim around the jambs with that.  Then once drywall is up (1/2" true) plus mud you are probably even or damn close.  And certainly nothing caulk wouldn't fix.
We would make the door opening bigger.  Maybe add some sidelights or maybe just some rustic wood that is cool.  We often do the wood because we can run electric through this and then boom, we have outdoor lighting.  With an extra 12-20" a door can open plenty enough.  Now let's talk about the reason why you want to do this.  A basement door that sits below ground level is the perfect example.  I want to create one edge for the basement that is a good 3-6" higher than the pad next to it.  I don't want my door sitting inside where water may get into and leak into the house.
And for your case the fix is easy.  Take the door out, jambs and all, and then install them on the inside part of the thick wall.  This should take an hour max.  Now the only thing extra that needs to be done is to finish the exterior parts of the wall now.   When I am in France doing houses about 90% of new builds are insulated cement blocking.  Doors are installed on the interior edge and then almost all will get a storm door on the exterior edge.

Let me know if you have anymore questions on this.


How much should replacing septic tank lids cost, and what is involved?

To some extent, this is going to depend on the lids required by the manhole material, and local codes.  In our area, for example, both concrete manhole covers, as well as bolted down plastic covers are acceptable.  That being said, either way it shouldn't be terribly expensive, if it is only the lid that needs to be replaced.  For example- I just had a pump tank and elevated drain field added to my system.  The tanks that were put in had plastic corrugated manholes, and I opted for plastic lids (the manhole can then be brought down to ground level, and you can mow right over the lid).  IIRC the lids themselves were $75/each or so.  They just use a 6" lag screw that goes into the plastic manhole (if it is a matter of simply replacing existing plastic lids, you can probably do it yourself).

From my conversation with the installer, he said that using the concrete lids (same type that we have for the primary tank) would be around the same price.  I have no idea what the old steel lids cost, but I would guess they are a bit more pricey.

In terms of the labor- if it is just replacing the lids, and no work needs to be done to the manhole, I would guess an hour job at most.  If the existing lids are plastic- just unscrew the lag screw, pull the old lid off, put the new one on, and screw down the lag screw.  If it is a concrete lid, just dig up the lid (ours were a couple inches under ground, except for the PVC pump tube), pull up the handles, pull off the old lid, place in the new lid.  Throw the dirt/sod back on top.


What is the R-Value of plastic over a window?

A 0.0025 inch thick sheet of any solid has negligible R-value in-and-of-itself (for purposes of home insulation).

The (relatively) calm air next to it does have some R-value, on the order of R 0.7.

Heat flow is calculated using conductivity (U-value).  U-value is the inverse of R-value.  R-value has units of (square foot)(hour)(Fahrenheit degree)/(British Thermal Unit).  A British Thermal Unit is enough heat to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one Fahrenheit degree, or about 1055 Joules.  1 BTU/hour is about 1055 Joules / 3600 seconds, or about 0.3 Watts.

If you have pulled your sheet of plastic tight against the window, then you have not trapped any air between the plastic and the window.  Thus, you have not improved the R-value of the window.

If you have pulled your sheet of plastic taut, but with a layer of still air between the plastic and the window, then you have replaced an air-pane assembly (with a total R-value of about 1.2) with an air-pane-air-plastic assembly with a slightly higher R-value (perhaps 1.9).  If the effective R-value of the original assembly was higher, your savings would be less.

Here are the ΔU-value calculations for going from an R-value of 1.2 to 1.9, and from an R-value of 2.2 to 2.9:

1/1.2 - 1/1.9 = U 0.83 - U 0.53 = ΔU 0.30
1/2.2 - 1/2.9 = U 0.45 - U 0.35 = ΔU 0.10

Suppose you reduced the heat conduction by 0.10 - 0.30 BTU/sf/hr/F°.  For 140 square feet, with a temperature difference of 58 F°, this is a savings of 800 - 2400 BTU/hour, or 250 - 750 Watts.

Citation (for materials available in 1950):  http://wps.prenhall.com/wps/media/objects/2513/2574258/pdfs/E09.4.pdf


Mini Split Condenser wall mount on wood exterior wall

If the brackets are lag screwed into plywood, I wouldn't trust it.  There isn't much meat for threads to work with in 1/2" plywood, and there is going to be some vibration from the compressor.

If it's held in with toggle bolts,

it will be very strong, I would not be worried about it pulling out.  But I'd still rather not have a vibrating piece of equipment of this size and weight hanging on the plywood sheath.  I'd be concerned that the weight would warp or otherwise deform the plywood over time.

To make an attachment like this, you could bridge across studs with three horizontal pieces.  You'd anchor the horizontal pieces into the studs with long lag screws, and anchor the brackets to those pieces.

You could use 2x4's for the horizontal members, and lag screw the brackets into the 2x4's.  The 2x4 will hold the threads much stronger than the plywood.  You could paint the wood and it might look pretty good.

I would probably use 7/8" tall strut channel for the horizontal pieces lagged into the studs:

and strut channel nuts to attach the brackets to the channel:

Some consider strut a little too industrial looking for home use, but I think it might look fine in this case.  It will make such a strong mount you could get by with just two horizontal pieces bridging the studs.  After all air conditioning compressors are not invisible, you are going to have to look at something here.  The strut is quite a bit smaller than a 2x4 and once it's painted I think it will look good.

This is a slightly harder install than using 2x4's.  The vertical spacing between the two pieces must match the spacing between the holes on the brackets, and needs to be pretty precise.  The easy way to do that is attach the brackets to the strut FIRST, then screw the strut into the studs.

The hardest part here is going to be disconnecting and reconnecting the unit.


Is there a way to find out how often your furnace is running?

Some of the more advanced thermostats will track how often they are running.  I have a Filtrete Wifi-Enabled Progammable Thermostat.  It gives you a per-day total of how often the heat and A/C are run.  You can also download an hour-by-hour export of the usage in CSV format.

I am in no way affiliated with this company. It is simply a product I have installed at home

It also gives you an idea, for a given temperature change, what the % change in heating cost will be:


Required Cabinet Width for Apron (Farmhouse) Sink

I followed the steps outlined above, and was able to very successfully set up the sink/cabinet this way. Here are a couple details to think about if you're considering this:

Apron sinks can be heavy, especially when full of water. I built a hardwood support inside the cabinet that supports the bowl of the sink, rather than just the outside of the sink that sits on the cabinet box. While it may work without this, it only took a few minutes to do.
Don't install the brace described above till after the countertops are in and the sink is fastened to them. The countertop install will dictate some shimming of the sink, and this is best done between the sink and the cabinet box. Once that is all set, remove the doors from the cabinet, slide your frame in, prop/clamp in the correct location to support the sink bowl, and screw from the inside to the outside of the cabinet, through the support, fastening it in place. Just remember to be very careful with screw length, to make sure you don't penetrate the boxes of the adjoining cabinets.
If you can't do the process above, get the brace as close as possible to the right position (before countertop install) shim as required, and go back and fill in the space between the sink bowl and support with rock putty. This is what I ended up having to do, and while not ideal, it worked fine.
Caulk the sink to the face frames of the cabinets around it. This is to prevent water from running down the face of the sink, across the bottom, and into the bare wood left from where you cut the cabinet off. These caulk lines will be largely hidden by the finished install.
Read the cabinet manufacturer's drawings for your sink base. We ended up using a normal apron sink base (rather than a "deep apron sink base"), even though the manufacturer's directions said otherwise. The "deep apron sink base" would have left a 4" gap between the top of the doors and the bottom of the sink. Our current setup has a 1/2" gap in that space, with the narrow section of the face frame above the doors reinforced with a length of 1-1/2" steel angle, painted and epoxied to the back of the face frame. This is a much nicer looking solution than the large gap. I wouldn't recommend going this route unless you're going to follow through and reinforce that face frame, because it is a weak portion of the cabinet without it.
Be careful as you're cutting off the cabinet box. There are likely pocket screws holding it together, or metal staples in the corners - locate these before you cut.

Thanks for the help!


Is it common to have no ceiling joists above joist-parallel walls?

I have seen this many times in older home renovations here in VA.  Even homes older than the 20's.    I would recommend bracing and installing supplemental support before removing the wall.  It can help prevent movement.  Also make sure you are not removing a load bearing wall.


Plugging a kitchen sprayer that has a quick-connect fastener?

Home Depot carries caps for most quick connects. Go to the store and look at the RP40301 (cap for round) or the RP60295 (cap for square quick connect). Both are made for Delta to convert faucets from "with sprayer" to "without sprayer". These Delta numbers will work at other stores, too.
Hope this helps.


How to support 20 feet of 4 inch pvc drain pipe horizontally along a concrete wall?

Any of the pipe hangers available at your local big-box home improvement store are designed to support a full pipe. They would be just decorations if they didn't...
Pick a type that seems simplest to you to use, get appropriate fasteners (you're attaching this to concrete, a simple screw or nail isn't going to do the trick), ensure you've got the proper 1/4" per foot of run slope (i.e. the drain end needs to be 5" lower than the input end after 20') and have at.
You can use J-hooks, saddle clamps, or just about anything else designed for the purpose.


Yes, you can do as you describe. There's no need to double the cross blocks, as the span is short and the only real weight on the truncated joist is the drywall, which partially carries itself across the gap. Just be sure to nail the cut joists into the cross blocks well.

Yes, normally attic accesses are built parallel to the trusses. There's no cutting then, just the installation of two cross blocks.


How do I fix a broken brass drawer pull?

You may be able to find some NOS (new old stock) pulls of the same type on eBay or Etsy. I recently did the same thing for an old writing desk that was missing one of the pulls. I couldn't find a match for the missing one, so I replaced the whole set.

If you want them repaired, then they will probably need to be brazed and re-tapped. That is a job that you should have done professionally if you aren't comfortable using a torch.

Brazing


laundry room fluorescent lights dim and flickering

You have a real fluorescent fixture of stout construction.  This is a good thing. You can do anything with this, convert to LED, convert to T8 or keep T12.

The fixture has two ballasts, you showed a picture of one.  It is an old magnetic ballast, which may flicker and run poorly in cold weather.  One ballast powers the inside tubes, the other ballast powers the outer tubes.  The ballasts are not designed to power a single tube, you need 2 good tubes in a pair.

The ballast has 2 yellow, 2 red and 2 blue wires, which is the usual wiring for rapid-start or programmed-start ballasts.  It can be replaced with same.  By the way, black and white are power.

If it is cold (under 45F), that would explain the observed poor performance.  Old ballasts do not like cold, and flicker worse as a result. If not that, I suspect one or both of your ballasts are failing.

What I would do (what I usually do)

I would upgrade the unit to electronic ballasts (so it Just Works in the cold and doesn't flicker) and get some very good 90+ CRI tubes so that the color (of what the light is lighting up) is simply amazing.   I would consider upgrading to T8 tubes, which require a T8 ballast.  Those will fit in this fixture, but the ballast must match the tube, so they must be changed together.

I'd shop for a rapid-start or programmed-start ballast either for F40T12 tubes or for F32T8 tubes, 2-lamp, from a reputable vendor (Advance, Sylvania, or my favorite, GE).  These will have the same 2 yellow, 2 red, 2 blue wiring scheme - if you see only red and blue, wrong thing. Also beware 277V ballasts, though 120-277V is fine. It's OK if they're "used" pulls from new fixtures, even if they have short wires.

I'd buy a pack of blue wire-nuts.

Then I'd cut the circuit breaker to that fixture,  cut the wires off the  old ballasts immediately at the ballasts (that's my code for "this ballast is defective, do not reuse") and swap in the new ballasts. Splice yellow to yellow, blue to blue, etc. with the wire nuts.

Finally I'd look for some 90+ CRI tubes in the color temperature you want.  I don't know if you realize it, but you selected 3000k color temperature (comparable to halogen). That's fine if you want it.  You will have wider selection if you switch to T8, as T12 is being deprecated.


Is a wood shed with 12mm walls worth it?

After further contemplation I suspect that we're discussing siding, not sheathing. The latter is installed over framing and under siding. Siding is probably plywood or pressed fiber hardboard.

Most sheds (and indeed most homes) in my region are built using 7/16" (about 11mm) oriented strand board (OSB) wall sheathing underneath some sort of siding. This is standard. Wood panel siding is rarely used anymore except on sheds, but 1/2" (about 12mm) siding panels of good quality provide plenty of strength and durability when applied over good framing.

How long it lasts depends on now it's cared for and protected. It should be primed and painted or otherwise sealed initially and every few years thereafter. Ideally all edges are sealed, particularly the bottom where rain splash will soak into the wood, causing swelling, decomposition, and eventually rot. Plywood or hardboard siding that's cared for and doesn't reside in perpetually wet locations can last 10 years or more.


This is really for licensed people, the system needs to be evacuated prior to charging.
If you have the correct adapters you could pressurize the system to 120 psi with nitrogen (don’t use air it is dirty and wet) let the system sit for 15 minutes to see if you loose pressure this is a gross leak test and can identify larger leaks.
The hvac guys will need to pull a vacuum on the system to remove the air (non compressible in hvac terms)  and any moisture , they will usually do a leak back check no change in pressure then charge the system and checks for leaks with a detector.
We use nitrogen for leak checking because it is clean and dry. Using air from your home compressor can contaminate the line set with moisture and possibly compressor oil. Other than this if you have a vacuum pump you could pull a vacuum on the system , EPA recommends a base pressure below 500 microns of vacuum I like keeping a new system at high vac for several hours or even overnight to fully remove any moisture. Anything beyond this would require a licensed technician in most countries. In the US fines up to $25,000.00 For unlicensed person charging a system, the compressor has the charge opening that valve and allowing Freon to fill the line set is charging the system.
So to stay safe don’t go any further than a pressure / vacuum leak test on your line set.


Help Repair Chemical Damage to Dresser Surface

Just sand it smooth and repaint. It's really not that complicated. You'll have to be careful not to sand through the veneer, so do it by hand, don't use an electric sander. Start with coarse sandpaper, then medium, then fine. At the fine sandpaper stage, sand the whole top of the dresser, not just the damaged area, it'll help the paint adhere.

Word of advice on choosing the paint color: you probably won't be able to get an exact match. So try to use a contrasting color instead, it'll look better than a color that almost matches. Or repaint the whole dresser at once.


You can straighten out the dryer tube with just a needle nose pliers. The dryer hose can be trimmed with just a heavy pair of scissors or tin snips if you have a pair.

Many dryers have additional vent exits. Check your owner's manual. Good luck.


What does the panel release button do on this hinge?

To directly answer the question: The panel release allows the hinge to be separated into two parts, so the door can be dismounted without removing the screws and later snapped back into position. (Essentially, it gives you the same capability that removing the hinge pin would in a more traditional design.)


Can I use individual wires in PVC conduit for just a portion of a kitchen circuit?

In answer to the question you asked in your title. There is no issue with changing from a cable (romex) system to a conduit system just so long as it is done properly.

FYI - The difference between a cable system and a conduit system other than initial cost is that a conduit system is more flexible when it comes to upgrades, remodel or repairs. For example, you have a receptacle burn up and it also damages the conductor far enough back you can't make a splice to repair it, with a conduit system you simple go back to the next junction and pull a new conductor. If you have a cable system you will have to open the wall up to replace the cable.

Running PVC to the island and installing conduit and conductors is a good idea since it allows you the opportunity to replace or modify your circuity to the island without cutting up your finished floor. Most houses in the US are normally run in Romex because of the initial cost and electricians are trained to deal with the problems they may cause down the road.

Hope this helps.


How do I tell the difference between a small spring under a neighbor's slab and a leak from drain pipe?

If you think it could be a drain leak (and your neighbor is agreeable to it), you could get some water leak dye and put it in your neighbor's bathroom drains and see if it comes out into the wet ground or not.


Separate furnace & a/c units on same breaker

This is a broken thermostat, miswired furnace, or normal operation that you are mistaking for something else.

The fact that they're both on the same circuit breaker has nothing to do with it.

Shutoff switches positively deny power to the A/C condenser unit.  It is impossible for the A/C to function with the switch pulled.   On the other hand, how would you know? What you hear inside is the interior fan, which may run in conditions other than A/C.

Most typical forced air furnaces in the US use the same fan for both heat and A/C.

It should be literally impossible for the thermostat to command heat and command A/C a short time later by itself.  Most 'stats require you to throw a switch to run A/C or heat...  even smart stats like the Nest are modal and require you to switch it manually or on a timer.


How do I wire a ceiling fan with a light kit?

The manual for your fan should outline instructions for this type of wiring setup, but generally this will hold true:

Black in box goes to blue & black in fan.

White in box goes to white in fan.

Connect all grounds together.

This will cause your switch on the wall to control both the fan motor and fan lights. You'll have to use your pull chains to control the two independently.


Can a smoke detector circuit be GFCI and CAFCI protected?

A smoke alarm can be AFCI and or GFCI protected so the answer is yes. Code  exempts fire alarm systems installed to code NEC 210.12.A.6. from AFIC requirements. My state also exempts Fire alarms from GFCI requirements.
  The risk to the system tripping out is greater than the chance of a fire or shock from the system. I totally agree with @Harpers comment.


Why is a screen used to sand drywall, but paper used to sand wood?

Gypsum drywall and it's paper covering, spackle and joint compound are much softer than wood (except perhaps balsa) and produce a lot of dust that clumps together and sticks to sandpaper, rather than falling off as wood shavings do. The "holey" sanding sheets allow dust to fall through and therefore last longer on drywall.

However, they can be used interchangeably, if of the same grade, to achieve similar results, with the caveat that it might take more sanding sheets and more time if they're used at cross-purposes. For small jobs that may not matter.


I would think that some rolled roofing installed in horizontal overlapping strips starting from the lower edge of the leak area would be a much better temporary solution than mucking around with the plywood idea.

Rolled roofing will be much better to seal to the existing shingles at the ends of the strips and along the top edge of the upper most run. It may very well be lower cost that the plywood and is certainly more adaptable to size of area to be covered in a temporary way.

Rolled roofing is normally installed in such a way that the lower edge is top face nailed with exposed nails. The upper edge is then nailed but the next strip comes along with some overlap and will cover up that upper row of nails.

Use good old google to search with "rolled roofing installation" for links to sights and videos on the subject.

Note: If your roof has large areas with severely rotted roof decking use great care when navigating around on the roof to avoid crashing through and risk of serious injury.


How to remove silicone caulk from a shower wall?

If you saturate toilet paper with the remover and slap it on your vertical surface it will stick there and hold it against the caulking. Practice a couple times with water to get a feel for the appropriate amount of moisture. Scrape off as much as possible before you start in with the remover though.  Just to clarify, you should be using a plastic blade in the scraper so you don't damage or leave marks on the wall.

EDIT: BTW, you can also use acetone (i.e. nail polish remover) to remove silicone caulking. Acetone attacks some plastics, so I'd only go this route on tile.

EDIT 2: If neither of those options work, you can also go to an auto supply store and pick up an adhesive eraser wheel. You use these with an electric drill and they are designed to take adhesives off of auto bodies without damaging the paint.  Again, this might not be the best thing to use on a plastic surround.


Why does my furnace turn off after a few minutes, then re-ignite?

The control board may have an led that flashes a problem indicator.  My Goodman 92% lit up and shutdown. The led flashed "not normal". Replacing board fixed the problem.  I used an after market equivalent that I was able to find by cross-referencing p/n.


What does code 15 on a pennco gas boiler series 15b mean?

15 - Wait for limit to close - Possible thermostat call for heat; limit switch is open.

The system is waiting for a safety switch to close. You (thermostat) may be calling for heat, but a limit (safety) switch is open; meaning something is becoming to hot during operation or a limit switch has failed and needs to be replaced.

Manuel resetting of the unit is accomplished by turning off/on the circuit breaker. Power cycling the unit, every so often, may provided you with some heat until the problem can be further diagnosed.

If after waiting a while for the unit to cool down and then you power cycle it, and it does not come back on, one of the limits has completely failed and must be replaced.

On a forced-air system, changing the filter may help you ride-out an intermittent failing high-temp limit switch. For either type of system, ensure that the exhaust flue is not blocked; check for leaves, birds nests, ect.

Penco 15b Series II PDF, page 27


Can I convert ceiling mounted octagon box to electrical receptacle?

You might be able to get away with mounting an extension to the existing box, then using a box cover with conduit knockout and a cable clamp you could run your cable out the front of the box instead of through the side knockouts.


Typical high amperage applicance power cord age

The conditions the cord is exposed to will affect the life of the insulation, high heat and light exposure are 2 things that age insulation. If the cord is still flexible and there are no cracks it should be fine. I had a dryer that I kept going for 20+ years that the cord was still in good shape but, when I updated the wiring to a 4 wire receptacle, the 3 wire cord had to go.


Attractive way to hide screw heads in 8mm oak

There are trim screws with very small heads. They come in stainless steel. The trim needs very little support so the small heads are not a structural problem.

A  woodworker's technique is to use a small sharp gouge (a curved chisel) to lift a small patch of surface from the wood, bend it back, drive a trim screw in the divot created by the gouge, and then glue back down the lifted patch.


Short Circuit that only makes certain electronics go out?

There was probably a fault on the power grid and one of their circuit breakers operated and you experienced a momentary interruption of power, not a short circuit. These can happen a few times at a time while their breaker clears or isolates their problem. This is a very common occurrence in the utility business and many appliances had builtin devices that will tolerate a brief interruption but many still don't which is why you have to reset some clocks, TV's and microwaves and others don't need to be reset.
If you have critical equipment that is affected, you can get an uninterruptible power source from any computer store.


Does a sub-panel require its own local main breaker?

It's a convenience, but:

The breaker capability is unnecessary (and you can't make it trip locally first). However most breakers are actually combo devices, breaker+shutoff, breaker+GFCI, etc.  Those auxiliary functions are useful.

In an outbuilding, the shutoff switch is mandatory.  In other locations like hot tub, a GFCI may be mandatory.  You would use main breaker panels there to obtain that auxiliary function.


It sounds like a P-trap to me, one thing I learned years ago, water evaporates, thus the reason you have to re fill the P-traps.
Try pouring some vegetable oil in the P-trap at least enough to fully coat the surface this keeps the dry air in the house from pulling the moisture out of the traps, the plumbing side is very humid so it is not taking water out of the traps. I have had the same smells but after adding the vegetable oil to the floor drain, Sink and shower I did not have this problem in that house.
Since then if we have a mud room I put oil in those floor drains , in my last home we had a bathroom that wasn't used except when the family was home that sink and shower got a good shot after the first time we thought something died in the house , opened the bathroom door there was the smell. It never happened again with liquid vegetable oil, never had a bad smell from the oil.
One person, a snow bird I told about that, even used it on her toilets. I have not had an issue with toilets but if I was going to not be there for an extended time I would probably add to the toilet also.


Why do my LED lights flash on cold start?

I know this is an old thread, but I recently had this problem myself. Ended up being because of cheap bulbs. I have two of the same dimmers, one works fine, the other would flash once every time before turning on. I had just bought some "dimmable" LED bulbs on sale from Home Depot, and when I switched the bulbs for the LED bulbs I had in my other fixture the problem was solved. Guess not all dimmable bulbs are made equal. Hope this helps someone.


Removing sound dampening windows for cleaning

May be there by sheer force of personality.  Get a set of suction cup handles used for moving glass.  Attach to glass and try moving it.


Overhead Light Fixture - Didn't Use Green Screw

The reason for grounding to the electrical box is so that the whole system is grounded. If the box is not grounded then there if the hot touches the box, then the box will become energized. This creates two possible problems:

If the hot box is in contact with wood (like house framing), then it can leak electricity into the wood at high resistance. This will cause the wood to get hot. If it gets hot enough, it could start to burn.
If anybody touches the box, or anything connected to the box, they could be electrocuted. For example, you know those little screws that screw the switchplate over the switch? You know what they screw into? That's right, they screw into the box. So if the box is hot, then those little screws are hot too.


What is the yellow lever under my bathroom sink?

Figured it out!  The upstairs bathroom valve controls the outside spigot on the back of the house.  The valve in our master bathroom controls the outside spigot on the front of the house.  Thanks for all the help and comments.


So you have a keyed light (the pull chain is your switch). That likely means the power to the light is always on.

What I would do is add a double gang box below the light box. Disconnect the wire going to your light fixture (shut the breaker off first), and then wire it to an outlet. Now, run a new wire from this new box into the existing light fixture. You can buy an unkeyed fixture or just keep the keyed and stop using the pull chain. Add a light switch to the double gang and attach the neutral to the outlet, while attaching a hot shunt to your switch. Then add the wire to your light. You can then daisy chain additional lights off this light (they're generally designed to be wired in series)

Unless your attic is considered a livable space, you don't need armor clad. Armor clad is to protect wires that are exposed to high traffic areas where the wires could be damaged.


Before cutting, you need to flip it in a way that sticks the tape to those little ears.

It also helps to use quality tape. If the tape is crumpling and tearing when you try to peel it off e roll, that is definitely garbage tape, and just as it's side-tearing, it won't hold your boxes together either.

The apocryphal source for quality tape of any kind is almost always 3M.

It also helps to use quality dispensers.  Which those free red plastic dispensers found sonic-welded around the tape roll are definitely not.


Should I cover a skylight well from the inside?

The condensation is typically a sign of either a) too much moisture or b) poorly insulated glass in a cold climate. If the issue is too much moisture, perhaps there's a fix there first (is this a bath, for example?) As for the poor glass insulation, have you considered applying the 3M plastic overlay products in the winter to aid in insulation?

One perhaps cheaper and easier, albeit uglier, solution would be to cut a piece of EPS or XPS foam insulation board to almost the size of the shaft opening, add some weather-stripping ot the outside edge to make a snug fit, then just push it into the shaft during the winter months.

I actually have a similar issue in that our house has skylights in the baths with really tall shafts. The ceiling fan is on the ceiling (way below the ceiling light), so during showers, a lot of the hot air rises above the fan and condenses on the window. I've been thinking of covering the bottom shaft in glass as well, keeping the moisture from even getting into the shaft to begin with.


How do I fit a joist in this small space?

There is a simple answer to this.  Cut the angle matching the roof on the ceiling joist, slide it in on top of your wall and attach it to the side of the rafter. Then attach them together with small lags or carriage bolts. If you look at your picture the 8" joist will be in contact with the rafter well beyond your walls.  The rafters will help carry the weight of the floor joists through the rafters down to the walls.

Don't worry about the rafters, you will be applying the weight soo close to the wall it will not put more stress on your rafters.

Construction adhesive would be a good idea too.  Your Lag spacing may vary depending on the thickness of your rafter.  Keep lags 2" from all edges and 3" from each other.  Pre drill all the holes you don't want to risk splitting your rafter. Lags should be 3/8" or less.  There is also of high strength screws/ lags that are smaller but just as strong as a standard lags that would work good.


When I flip the switch to turn on the ceiling fan it works...for a while. Then the circuits in the room blow. Is the issue electrical or an old fan?

I can't say for sure what the issue was. I did go ahead and replace the fan with a new one based on the logic that the fan light can stay on for nearly ever, which made me think the issue was the fan motor itself.

I still don't have any answers on the light bulbs going out fast. I have a small hope that maybe the bad fan was causing some kind of imbalance in the house, but I have no idea if that makes sense or not from a technical perspective.

In either case, the new fan seems to be working quite well and so do the 2 outlet switches - one for the light, one for the fan.


Proper boxe for surface mounting GFCI outlet for a garage/utility space?

I'd use a 4x4 box with a raised cover. You can get the cover in a dual GFI configuration. You say a "GFI slave", I assume you just mean another receptacle on the load side. If so then you can get a cover with one GFI opening and one duplex opening:

Just so you know, there is a near zero chance that that old AC cable can safely be used as a grounding conductor. Older AC cable does not have the required bonding strip.
See here: How should I connect a grounding wire from a device to this box?

Box:


Can I run power to a shed from 110v 30 amp external house outlets 20 feet away using RV 30 A Extension Cord?

There are two three separate issues here:
Extension Cord
An extension cord is not supposed to be used for permanent wiring. You really should use a permanent wiring method - either cable designed for outdoor use or wires in conduit. Normally this involves buried cable or conduit, with specific minimum depth required depending on the type of cable or conduit.
Conduit may cost more initially (materials cost for conduit + wires is generally more than underground cable, but trenching cost/effort is lower for conduit) but has the advantage that you can start with 10 AWG and upgrade later if you need more power, and/or start with a single hot (120V, see below) and upgrade later to two hots (240V).
Breaker Size/Subpanel
If you have a 30A breaker, normally all wire in the circuit needs to be 10 AWG or larger. GFCI (which will be needed anyway) does not help protect against high current, only from unbalanced current.
The preferred solution, unless you only need one circuit (in which case you can switch to a smaller breaker) is a subpanel, with 30A coming in (or more if you install larger wire and breaker) and as many 15A or 20A circuits as you need to power lights, receptacles, etc.
There are a bunch of other things you will need:

GFCI - This can be in receptacles or as part of the breakers in the subpanel
Ground rods connected to the ground of the subpanel
Ground and neutral separate in the feed cable and in the subpanel
Shutoff switch - the easiest way to do this is a subpanel that has a main breaker. That breaker can be much larger than the feeder capacity - even 100A or more - as the breaker in the main panel will protect the wire (e.g., 30A for 10 AWG).

120V vs. 240V
I missed this until I read Harper's answer. You are referring to a 30A 120V circuit - i.e., a single pole. If you can manage it (two breaker spaces next to each other instead of just one) then a 2-pole breaker will serve you much better. Instead of 2 wires (hot/neutral) + ground, you run 3 wires (hot/hot/neutral) + ground. Depending on a bunch of factors, this will cost you a little more, but definitely not twice as much, and provide you with both twice as much total power and the ability to run 240V devices if you ever need to do so.


Can a normal fridge be quieter than one with inverter compressor?

I have not worked on Panasonic inverter refrigerators in the US but I do repair GE and Whirlpool and Electrolux inverter controlled refrigerators, and they are quieter than the standard style of compressor due to the gradual increase in speed. However, that does add one more control board that may have an issue in the future if you are concerned with durability.  I wish I had more experience with those brands... hope that helps some!


I doubt that a 4x4 hole that's fixed with mesh tape would be durable over the long haul (my limit is about an inch), but if it was somewhere that never gets any bumps or touching, then maybe it would be fine. (You're replacing something that's 1/2" thick with something that's much thinner...)

On a practical level, you're apt to have problems with the mesh sagging/bulging. If you're brave enough to try this repair, I'd suggest you use a stiff mix of setting compound both to butter the edges of the hole and to do the first coat. Try and press as much through the mesh as possible. (I know that "stiff mix" and "press through" are somewhat incompatible.) You might also look into the 6" wide rolls of mesh tape. They'd certainly have more structure than 3 strips of normal mesh.


Can I vent my portable air conditioner into my garage?

I did this and had no issues at all, I just open the garage window to let the heat out, also my bud who owns a heat and air company said he has done it many times on jobs. One being a fire station where they put 5 units that vent into engine bays..with no problems or issues.


I had to test this myself when 'gluing' an aluminum mounting plate to a stainless steel door. No 'glue' or epoxy that I tried worked under a repeated freeze / heat cycle test. What did work was RTV silicone rubber. Your chioce of colors. If the stress is too much for this application, 2-part epoxies designed for wide temperature range might work. Over-build the RTV or epoxy at the break so it will have a better grip. Give them 2 days to fully set before use I might add that if the torque at this location is very high (it did break there after all) and neither epoxy or RTV will hold then you may need to surf the web based on the make and model of freezer and try to order just the broken part.


Does it matter which wire goes where on single pole dimmer?

Unless the new dimmer is specifically marked with LINE and LOAD or similar, it doesn't matter which wire goes to which screw/pigtail in a simple two wire switch or dimmer.  Since your new switch can be used as a three way, the instructions should say which screw should not be used.

Some electricians will follow a standard of the hot wire going to the top screw and the switched wire going to the bottom, but that's just so they personally know what they did and not a "rule" or "code".

Edit based on comments:

Here is a diagram that I believe is for your dimmer:

They do specifically call out a screw for Line and a screw for "single pole" operation.  Now, the dimmer might work regardless of how you hook up the two black wires, but, they warn than the dimmer needs to be wired this way, so we really should listen to them.

With the old dimmer removed you can separate the two black wires in the box and make sure they are not touching anything then turn the power back on.  Using a voltmeter you can check the voltage between the two exposed black wires and ground or neutral.  The LINE wire will be the one with voltage (~120v).  The wire going to the lamp will be dead.  DO NOT touch any wire until the power is turned back off, or call an electrician if you are not comfortable making this measurement.

Based on the diagram, the wire that had voltage goes to the "common" screw and the wire to the lamp (that had no voltage) goes to the "single pole" screw.


Can a concrete block be split the same way you cut stone?

Yes that is the way to do it without a cutoff blade, it is old school. But you must chisel in deep enough, completely around the block that is accessible, before you strike with hard blows to break it on the score line you made. I have done this with as little as an 1/8" deep score, although deeper is better for a more sure result. Go around the block in levels. Light score all around, a little deeper the next pass. And so on... If you go too aggressive too quickly, it will not break on your desired score line.


Is there a home made solution that will clean drains?

I've heard that plumbers swear by bio-clean.

I guess the idea is that all the anti-bacterial soaps that people use tend to kill the "good" bacteria in the drain lines that naturally digest the crud that gets stuck in there.  This stuff restores those bacteria so they can clean the pipes out naturally.

My experience with it has been pretty good for cleaning out slow drains with lots of buildup on them, but I don't think it'll do much to larger hair-type clogs (although if the pipes are clean, the hair clogs might not form in the first place).


use screws then putty and stain the screw holes. i would predrill the screw holes. thats the way new construction is done


Do I need to close the windows and doors in the entire house when doing a radon test?

Fresh air from outdoors is presumed to be lower in radon concentration than air that is trapped in the house. Any introduction of outside air will thus lower the radon concentration inside the house.

The answer to your exact question depends on your goal:

Are you trying to see the maximum possible concentration in your house? Then you should keep all windows and doors strictly sealed.

Are you trying to see the concentration you experience during normal life in your house? Then open windows and doors as you normally would.

Are you trying to get out of doing mitigation? Then open everything and let the fresh air circulate.

Note that radon concentration changes with, probably among other things, the height of the water table underneath the building. In my house, this results in a seasonal variation that a short-term test wouldn't catch. I determined this with a yearlong test using an electronic radon meter.


Installing new panels in concrete fence posts with overhanging tree branches

Cut the panels (horizontally) into strips short enough (vertically) to slip between the limbs and the top of the posts. Stack as many strips as needed to get the full height.

So if you have 2 feet of clearance and 6 foot tall panels, cut them in to 3 strips, insert each strip. If you have 3 feet of clearance, cut them in half. If you have 18" of clearance, 4 parts...one variant of the type of fence you describe uses strips (boards or sometimes concrete "boards" when going for a "never have to do that again" method) that are only 6" or so tall. Stack 12 of those and you've got your 6 feet (tall.)


It sounds like you have a fault between the switch and the fixture. Search for nearby junction boxes to see if there's a bad connection somewhere. Do what you can to trace the line, especially if it goes up to an attic or down to an exposed basement. You should also check if the problem is a faulty hot (no current from the hot to a known good ground) or a fault neutral (no continuity between the neutral and a known good ground) to narrow your search. If you can't find the fault, you'll need to run a new line from the switch to the fixture.


Bathroom Fan with Humidity Sensor Wiring Question

Presumably the fan and humidity sensor can be switched independently to give you a choice of operational modes. Switching on the humidity sensor gives it control of fan cycle. Switching on the fan directly overrides that mode.

  The humidity control and fan can be operated separately. Use a 1- or 2- function wall control. Do not use a dimmer switch
  to operate the humidity control.

You can connect the brown to a switch or you can connect it directly to the hot conductor to have the humidity sensor operate full-time. It doesn't really matter as long as both blacks and the brown from the fan unit have power when you want it to run.


Is there a maximum thickness for shower float cement?

I am not aware of any maximum thickness requirements, only minimum. Many tile setters do not like going over a cement base that is thinner than 1 1/2" for fear of cracking, although there are additives of one sort or another to get it thinner, though not much. To have more concrete on one side or another to account for an existing condition, will not adversely affect the concrete. The concrete needs to be sloped to the drain anyway so no shower water sets.

The concern you have with a thicker concrete base is confusing to me. The only way that a thicker base can crack is to put too much water in the mix, when the water dissipates, the concrete will crack from shrinkage. But the amount of water to be used in that situation is to be only enough to get the concrete to set up. The term used with this type of concrete setting is "dry pack" at least it is what the tile setters called it. The amount of water needed to get the concrete damp enough to stay in a ball when you pick up a handful and squeeze. No squishing, no water dripping. Just getting it damp enough to hold together. With this, there is no maximum, though 2"-2 1/2" is the thickest ever needed to make the base for tile. You could add reinforcing wire to it although I have never seen it done for showers. mainly because of the rust potential, I think. Concrete and galvanized don't get along too well, let alone regular wire mesh with no rust proofing.


Replacing old toilet flange, pipe seems really messed up

I would be looking at using a toilet flange replacement/ extender.
The problem may be you will have to remove the lead.
Most of the old timers that did use lead were not using it by the late 70’s but if they came into a problem they would still use lead as they were more comfortable with lead than plastic. Another thing there were not as many available repair options like “flex on”or “twister” that both flanges have extended tails to tie into old pipes.
You may be able to use a 3” to 4” repair where the 3” flange drops down and seals to the 4” pipe. This might be a way to get past the lead bulges.
Putting in a 3” won’t be a problem as many homes are completely plumbed in 3” and have a standard “closet” or toilet flange.
The high end extended flanges can run close to 50$ but many are available for 1/2 of that but I think an extended replacement would do the trick and get past the mess of the lead.
If you have access you might consider cutting the entire mess out and replumbing but the cases where I have seen lead used it was because there was no access and lead is not that hard to work with but is really a lost art if you consider plumbing drains an art form.


How do I shut off the water spigot to the outside?

Assuming you're going to be in the house and it's going to be heated all winter, this should do.

Shut off water supply to house.  There is commonly a valve in the basement for this.
Open the water spigot outside.
Open any spigot or sink below it and let the water come out until it stops.
Close the water spigot outside and put one of those styrofoam covers on it from home depot.
Turn water back on to the house.


Replace individual window panes with a single pane

No, you cannot remove the wood “dividers” (mullions) and install a single pane, because 1) mullions will leave a gap at sash, 2) “stop” will have gap at sash that will leak, 3) thickness of glass may need to be changed, 4) energy code requires thermal pane windows, 5) glass may need to be tempered.

1) Those mullions are part of the sash. That is to say, the sash has a built-in reveal (at the perimeter of the sash) that creates one side of the stop. When the interior mullions are removed, you can’t just cut them off without leaving a gap. Trying to infill that gap to blend with the existing reveal will be impossible.

2) The “stop” (probably on the exterior side of the window) will leave a gap where the mullions are removed. You’ll need new stops around the entire perimeter of the sash.

3) Your glass is probably 1/8” thick float glass. That’s fine for small panes, but a larger glass opening will require thicker glass...probably 3/16” ...maybe 1/4”, depending where you live (wind loading requirements,etc.)

4) I don’t know where single pane glass is allowed. The energy code will require you to upgrade to double pane. This additional thickness will require a new sash.

5) If your window is within 18” of the floor or within 12” of a door, you’ll need tempered glass. This additional thickness will not fit in the existing glass thickness space.

If your sash has lead weights, they will need to be adjusted for the heavier glass load.

IMHO I think it would be cheaper and better to replace the entire sash.


Many, many houses have brick foundations, or brick-over-fieldstone as mine does. If it was built properly,  and maintained properly, it's fine; mine (with a real basement, brick down to about 6' below grade) has lasted over 100 years so far.


How do I determine the amount of paint needed for a room?

A can of paint will often indicate how much area it will cover. A general rule of thumb is 350 sq ft per gallon (as Shirlock mentions, use 250-300 sqft/gal for the first coat). Calculating the area of the walls and ceiling involves some basic math: multiply the length * width (or height) of the ceiling (or wall), then subtract any openings.


Wire a bathroom fan and light so the light always controls the fan, but the fan can be operated independantly from the light

You could do that with a double pole switch and a single pole normal switch.  Wire the hot to both of the line side poles on the double pole switch as well as to the single pole switch.
Wire both the fan and the light to individual poles on switched side of the double pole switch.  Then run a jumper from the pole that controls the fan on the double pole switch to the switched side of the single pole switch.  All the neutrals and grounds stay connected as they are. Don't get confused with a 3-way or 4-way switch, those are different animals.  You may have to go to an electrical supply house to get a true double pole wall switch.
I could provide a diagram if you want.   But I want to post this quickly to beat out the big 3!  LOL  Competition for points here is fierce!  LOL

Carl asked me to provide more info.  This what I have time for right now. If others wanted to contribute a better diagram, that's welcome.


How to improve the insulation seal on French Doors to stop drafts?

You found the weak link in weatherizing French doors. I've found that it's as much art as science. Where the two doors meet the jamb is often a problem.
In the pic it appaears that the weatherstrip above the right door is offset from the vertical strip on the left. Did you try simply repositioning the weatherstrip where you have the gap. Sometimes the weatherstripping has peel and stick adhesive on the back side. See if you can reinstall it to conform to the door and fill the gap.
If that doesn't work your local home store should have any number of pliable insulation strips that you can attach to the exizting strip in that corner. At worst, replace the entire weatherstrip - they're pliable and can be made to fit.


Moisture gets in the wood and then the heat (and sun) will bring the moisture out to the surface. This causes the paint to blister and peel.

Exterior wood (especially fascia hung away from a building) should be primed on all sides to keep the moisture out.

You may need to protect the wood boards with a tarp until they are “dry”.  Pic a day when it’s not too humid.

Often paint will peel if there is no interior moisture barrier. However, this is not your problem, because the boards are away from the house.

You may need to check to see that rain is not seeping down between the roof and the fascia board. This could soak the wood and make the paint blister when the sun comes out. That’s why all edges need to be primed when dry.


TP-link Kasa 2 way HS200 only controls 1 of 7 lights

This won't answer the reason why it worked-sort-of, nor exactly how you're wired - I'll leave that to the real electricians - but, I don't think you can use the HS200.
The HS200 requires a neutral for itself.  Because it's a smart switch, and not just an expensive detachable piece of metal, it actually consumes current; so it can't just have a hot wire passing through it.
TPLink's page on installing the switch covers this in some (poorly written) detail.
If the black-wrapped wires (B1,W1) were solely going to the breaker, and the yellow-wrapped wires (B2,W2,copper) were solely going to the lights, then you could make it work - you'd have your neutral.  But, that doesn't seem to be what you have, based on what you wrote - if that were the case then you'd not be able to turn on only the one light and not the others.
The yellow wrapped wire is irrelevant here - it is relevant to the lights it feeds, of course, but from the point of view of powering your switch, you need three wires plus ground: two wires that go back to the circuit breaker (one each, hot and neutral), and a third (hot) wire that goes to the light (with the light also having one go back to the breaker's neutral).
Consult an electrician, who can install a neutral wire for you to the switch, and fix the wiring of the current switches as needed.
You also could consider a smart switch that doesn't require a neutral, though I would bring an electrician in to make sure your wiring isn't wrong in other ways; but see for example this article about smart switches which do not require neutral, which also does have a nice bit explaining what your setup probably is like (disregarding the yellow-wrapped wires, which seems like they're just piggybacking on the black-wrapped ones).


Smart thermostat (high voltage) makes heater constantly on

It turns out the thermostat itself was bad and was creating a short between L1 and load, so whenever we turned on the breaker the heater was on at max. Verified this when switching around units. Will file a warranty claim.


It's pretty much up to you. Look at some pictures, find ones you like, make guesstimates.

When in doubt and looking for a ratio, there's always Phi (0.618) and 1/Phi (1.618) aka "the golden ratio" but you're still free to do with it what you will.

When you think you have an idea, grab some masking tape and mock up the outline on the ceiling (I'm assuming the ceiling is there, and flat, at the moment.)

While it would be difficult to mock up the whole edge, you probably can suspend a sheet of cardboard at various heights (I assume you are lowering the edge, not raising the center, as that's more structurally simple) to get a feel for how various levels for the lowered edge feel to you, standing under them. If you find that a 7'6" ceiling height (18" down from 9 feet) feels too low, better it's a piece of cardboard you can easily relocate than the whole framing system and drywall.


To do it right a new piece of trim that matches or 3 new ones around the inside would be a start. An over sized strike plate (the part the latch drops into) and a couple of longer screws to secure the strike plate. Then find a small flat blade screwdriver to keep close in case this happens again. Most of these doors have a small hole in the outside knob. With the door open practice unlocking it. Some only need to push the button out, some you need to turn to get them to unlock.


It is possible that a few of the gas nozzles closest to the ignitor are clogged or blocked, and so the burner will not light until there is so much gas pumped out that it eventually makes it to the igniter, and hence the explosion. You should clean it out, and if that doesn't work, replace the ignitor.


Gas Fireplace: How do I arrange rockwool and logs for maximum heat?

The "optimal" placement of the logs is that shown in the manual for the unit.

Rearranging the logs doesn't change the amount of gas being let through the gas valve, which is the only variable that will change how much heat the fireplace produces.

It can however cause the unit to burn dirtier and create soot, if you place the logs in a way that causes impingement (flame touches them, essentially).

Chances are it feels warmer now because you've moved the front log which is allowing more "radiant" heat to come straight into the room, but the unit would not be creating any more heat than normal.


Is this drywall cracking a structural problem?

I'm not a structural engineer but I do have a fair amount of experience in dealing with drywall cracks of this type. First of all, there really isn't any way to be 100% sure of the cause of cracks such as this one short of bringing in a structural engineer. Having said that, be assured that in 99% of instances with minor drywall cracks the cause is not structural but cosmetic.
Over time houses and condos move and flex internally with expansion and contraction due to fluctuations in temperature and externally with shifts in soil around the foundation caused by expansive soil or changing water tables. The good news is that homes are engineered to withstand these stresses structurally although we will see the ocassional cracking in drywall or a door that starts to stick.
With structural damage you will usually see significant foundational cracking and major shifts in structural integrity around windows and doors.
Based on the description and the pictures provided it looks cosmetic - have the HOA repair it. However, for your peace of mind you might want to ask the HOA and neighbors  about other similar incidences in your community. If there are structural issues it would probably fall to the HOA to deal with them.


How to set stepping stones in steep, loose hillside

As long as the steps are well drained, you need no foundation.

Dig deep enough that you can lay down at least 4 inches of coarse stone (1/2" to 1" in diameter) below and 4 inches of regular gravel (1/4" in diameter) on top of that (round is better than angular, if you can find it). On top of the gravel use an inch of sand. Place the stone slabs overlapping each other about 50%. So, for example, if each step is 20" deep then shoot for a 10" overlap. The exact dimensions of the steps and overlap will depend on the steepness of the hill. At the bottom of the steps make sure there is some kind of good drainage so that water will not pool there.

Steps of this design will be very solid and last for hundreds of years.


Is spruce wood a good choice to make a bunk bed?

It seems like you are actually asking several questions here, so I'll break down my answer:

Is spruce appropriate?

short answer: yes. A softwood like spruce will be relatively inexpensive, and plenty strong enough if you use thick enough pieces. Be aware that it may dent more easily than a hardwood. For a project like this, almost any kind of wood will be fine (I would avoid balsa or basswood). Plywood would be another economical and appropriate choice for the slats.

How do I decide on appropriate dimensions?

Although you can do engineering calculations to come up with the answer, the easier way is to get used to material, follow some general guidelines, and err on the side of too-strong.

Handle the material. Try to bend it. Look at similar designs. Now you're ready to start guessing. I know this sounds silly, but that's how furniture has been designed for thousands of years. It is easy to build an intuition for the properties of wood once it is in your hand. You can do basic strenght/stiffness tests of the horizontal members by spanning them across some impromptu supports (like milk crates) and sitting in the middle. If two long beams have to support two people, test with one person on one to make sure it doesn't bend much. One person on half the slats (laid out side by side), should bend them a little (depending on preference), but not be in danger of breaking.
Horizontal beams gain the most stiffness from being tall, not wide. For example, if a beam (such as one of your slats) that's 1cm (tall) x 4cm (wide) isn't stiff enough, you can double the stiffness by making it 1.26cm x 4cm, or 1cm x 8cm. (1.26^3 ~= 2, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bending_stiffness for more)
You need solid joinery to prevent the whole thing from turning into a parallelogram and falling over. This could mean mortise-and-tenon, pocket screws, nails, glue, biscuits, dowel-joints, or brackets. I can't see your brackets, but if they look flimsy and there aren't a lot of other options you could double up with one on top and one on the bottom.

dowel joints may be an easy and strong alternative. You can do them without any difficult alignment if you don't mind them showing: put the boards in place and clamp them firmly so they don't move relative to eachother. Drill a hole through one board and into the end of another. The ideal size of the hole would be approximately 1/3 of the board you're drilling into. Put glue on a dowel of the same diameter and pound it into the hole with a mallet. Cut off the excess dowel with any kind of hand saw, and sand it flush. Repeat this so you have at least 2 dowels, depending on size. If you are joining multiple boards at the same point, such as where your horizontal pieces attach to the posts, be mindful that the dowels don't interfere. The beauty of this approach is that it approaches the strength of the mortise-and-tenon, but requires no measuring or alignment. The holes don't even have to be straight.

Is my design adequate?

Your design looks pretty plausible. I think the brackets and the slats seem to be the only potential weak points. If they prove problematic, try some of the stuff I mentioned above (double brackets, dowel joints, thicker slats).

disclaimers

Bad design choices could cause injury, so please don't take my answer as gospel truth. Use your own judgement and testing to make final decisions. You are responsible for your own safety.

Sorry for the wordy and possibly overly detailed answer. I have attempted to organize it and use words that will be easy to look up elsewhere, since there is a lot to convey.


What under-eaves vents can I use to maximize attic airflow and minimize insect infiltration?

I live a couple of hours south of you.  I installed a heat activated powered vent in the roof.
Our house was miserable in the summer at night.  You could feel the heat radiate from the ceiling.
After adding the powered vent that turned on @100 deg F the house was comfortable in the evening.
They have solar powered vents now , so power would not need to be run.
The powered vent was much cheaper than adding the vents at the soffits, and being close to the ridge it removed the hottest air.


I can think of a few things that would cause this.  The first is just a bad connection with either a hot or neutral - maybe a wire wasn't all the way in a wire-nut or had lots of corrosion on it. Also possible (if you trimmed any wires the second time) that a wire had a big nick in it.

The second possibility is an open neutral where one of the neutrals was not at all connected.  This can cause some circuits to have a higher voltage and others a lower voltage - hence the dim light and brighter second light.

As someone pointed out in a comment it is also possible that you wired it in series instead of parallel though I don't think this would cause a light to get brighter than normal.

Without seeing the issue occurring its really hard to tell for sure though.


A couple things here.

GFCI devices differ one from the other

I'd imagine that most of your GFCI receptacles are one brand/model, and then you have a few of another brand/model.  Expect differences between them, and to understand any particular one, you need read its documentation: which in practicality means yank it out, obtain its model number, and look it up on the Internet.  The "yank it out" part is not something a novice should undertake.  So if the lights on different units do different things, I really don't care.  What I'm looking for is:

If you push TEST, the power is knocked out.
If you push RESET, the power comes back.
If I use a plug-in GFCI tester in a location that is grounded and supposed to have GFCI, a GFCI trips somewhere, knocks out power, and power comes back when I reset.

It is forgivable if power doesn't come back because another GFCI also needs to be reset.

Some things should not be on GFCI

This is a matter of "best practice", not safety.  So if you have someone out for another reason, have them fix these.

Top of the list is refrigerators. That actually is a safety thing.  Suppose Person A makes lunch so they plug in a sandwich griddle. The GFCI trips. A can't figure it out and walks away.  Family goes out for dinner.  Next day, B is making breakfast, finds tripped GFCI, unplugs griddle and GFCI resets OK.  Ducky doo, right? The refrigerator has been off for 18 hours.

Second is most hardwired loads, i.e. those that don't get near water.  Lights which are not in a shower are at the top of the hitlist. You don't want the room turning pitch black the moment the grill, curling iron or circular saw trips the GFCI, because now you have hot things or fast moving blades inches from your body and you can't see.  The only way to make that worse is to add zombies.

Other things that don't need GFCI are other non-water appliances that are properly grounded: Range hoods, built-in microwaves, dryers ranges and ovens that have 4-wire connections and are actually grounded, etc.

In fact, having GFCI protection on a washer right next to a 3-wire-connected dryer is a picture postcard example of bad priorities: the grounded washer was never a threat, and the 3-wire dryer is waiting to kill someone. It's like a "No Smoking" sign right next to an unmarked open pit.

Other GFCIs should not be on GFCI.  If testing one GFCI knocks out power to another, the second GFCI is redundant and is not needed.  It doesn't do any direct harm, but it does the indirect harm of someone being tempted to rip out annoying GFCIs.   However, don't confuse GFCIs with AFCIs, they provide completely different protections.  GFCI stops electrocutions, AFCI stops house fires.

As for mysteries on Chinese power strips, I don't try to solve those.  Consumer grade power strips have weak surge protection that is only designed to last 3 months to a year depending on how many surges you get.  The 2020 Electrical Code will require a "whole house surge suppressor" on new and remodel houses and panels, and these typically come from the same Tier 1 suppliers who make the panels themselves, such as Siemens, GE, Eaton etc., so the good stuff.


Do 3-way switches exist that don't "stick" in UP / DOWN position?

The problem is that you need some thing to "remember your state".  A simple mechanical switch shows it's state externally.  Now you are talking about something that toggles every time you push.  Probably possible to invent some rotary mechanism to do that... but there is this ROI issue.

There is a technology, used in commercial settings, not sure if it's cheap enough for residential, where a relay is installed on the light, and  on/off low voltage wires are run (in parallel)  to any number of  operational push buttons.  This allows n-way operation and even automation options.

http://www.kyleswitchplates.com/low-voltage-switches-plates/


How do I seal a crack in flex pipe for a lawn sprinkler system?

Since you already have to dig it up to fix it, don't bother trying to repair the crack. Cut out and replace the damaged section of pipe. Use a coupling suitable for the type of pipe you are working with and that is rated for burial.


How to tighten a door handle with no visible screws or holes

The "inside" handle (on the right in the last/lower picture) will have a small spring-loaded button on the handle post (the part you don't put your hand on when opening/closing). Use an awl or equivalent tool to depress the button and remove the inside handle. Then unscrew the inside trim ring (lefty/loosey) to expose the screws that hold the whole assembly together. Tighten em up and put er back together.


What could cause fluorescent lights to sporadically not come on?

Fluorescent fixtures can be rather tricky. With that many installed on the same circuit, what you might be seeing is an unbalanced load on the circuit, causing some of the fixtures to have full current and others, less, and quite simply a ballast, or any fluorescent will not work without full current. With the warm up times of older ballasts,  combined with different features of newer electronic ballasts, this could be the answer.

Isolating part of the fixtures on the circuit from each other quite possibly will solve this. The simplest way would be to install two (or more) switches instead of one, preferably running from different circuits.

You might also consider replacing some, or all, of the can lights with LED. This would considerably lower the load, as well as saving energy. Quite interesting that you have can lights with an external ballast, as well. I've never seen that. What type of bulb do these use if not a CFL? Is it possible that what you think is a ballast is simply a wiring box where the can lights connect to the wiring, or some sort of dimmer control?


Should I lock the door between my garage and my house?

If your garage door opener is made in the last 10-15 years, it's almost certainly impossible to "hack" the code. Modern openers use unique codes for each remote with 64- or 128-bit keys (which allow for a ridiculously huge number of possibilities).

However, it can be really easy to break into a garage mechanically, using the quick release:

As others have said, once inside, someone is free to work on the door.

Often the walls between the garage and house are nothing more than drywall with insulation in it, so it's also possible to simply cut/smash the drywall and go around the locked door.

A locked door may thwart a crime of opportunity (if the garage door is left open, for example) but if someone actually goes through the effort of opening the door it doesn't really seem like a really big obstacle.


Should cedar furring strips be used behind cedar siding in a sauna?

Shouldn't the goal for wood longevity also extend to the furring
strips?

I say Yes.
Rip some furring strips from the T&G and your golden.

If not, why not and how long would pine furring strip last under those
conditions?

Unanswerable,  But negated by my answer to - Shouldn't the goal for wood longevity also extend to the furring
strips?


It doesn't look like asbestos; it also does not seem likely that a stove manufactured that recently would incorporate asbestos in a "user serviceable" area. Problem is that some countries still do not regulate asbestos. The only way to know for sure is to ask the maker or have it analyzed at a lab.

It does look like it could be refractory ceramic fiber (RCF) wool, which is also used as insulating material and is a suspected carcinogen when airborne particles are inhaled. I think it's mostly a problem with chronic industrial exposure in the workplace, and is not an issue unless/until it has been "fired" above certain temperatures.


How should I fasten window trim molding when I reinstall it?

First off, don't use wood trim. Vinyl trim is easy to find and it won't rot.

Second, you can use an air nailer if you can avoid the window. Caulk will cover the holes. I would suggest using galvanized nails. If you don't feel comfortable, or you don't own an air nailer, the next best option is construction adhesive. If you went vinyl trim MAKE SURE THE ADHESIVE SUPPORTS VINYL. If you don't, it may eat the trim instead. Make sure it's outdoor as well. The catch with adhesive is it will make future repairs harder.

Third, get a good outdoor grade caulk. It will prevent water intrusion


Means either the base wasn't flat or they cut their studs too short.  You really shouldn't shim load bearing studs but we do it all the time with non load bearing.  Ooops.


Do they make a pull-chain type outlet adapter for garage door openers to plug in to?

Sounds like a job for a light switch if you ask me.  If you don't want to tear up the walls, you can run the wire in some conduit along the ceiling and down the wall, placing the switch in a convenient location.


A quarter inch difference over a span of five feet? meh. Fudge it.

It doesn't have to be level, it has to be flat.


replace 250 lb propane tank with smaller tanks in parrallel

You can split the system and probably don't need 4 tanks but at least 2. If you are renting the tank and regulator you may need to buy a new regulator. Some states require restraints for smaller tanks these can be as simple as a 4x4 post in the ground with a snap chain to each tank. The post also provides a secure mounting location for the regulator. Some state require tank straps attached to the support a bit more expensive.


How thick should a plate steel stringer be?

Given that your stringers are going to be about 8" wide, you'll be fine with some pretty thin stuff. Heavy Jeep frames from the 1970s were only about 3/16" thick, and only about 4" wide. I've seen truck frames around 1/4" by 8", but they were larger single-axle agricultural trucks. Really large single-axle trucks only have about 1/2"-thick steel frames.

Come to think of it, I've walked stairs made with no heavier than 3/16" stringers in penitentiaries. They felt nearly like STONE.

If you're concerned about racking, remember that every tread will act as an anti-rack brace. Until your treads go on, the stringers will feel pretty flimsy if you push them sideways. AFTER the treads go on, they'll be train-wreck rigid.


As you'd need to maintain those $370/year savings for 54 years to gain any return on your investment you do need to consider other factors.

As you point out - you need to work out if it significantly increase the value of your home. Another side to this though is would it make your house significantly easier to sell? In a buyers market if you can offer things that others can't - full insulation, double glazing etc. then you might find a buyer more quickly and one willing to meet your asking price.
Pure environmental altruism is, by definition, impossible to put a figure on. Only you can decide whether $20,000 is an "investment" you want to make.

Finally, something that has just occurred to me. By doing this work you might get ahead of any future legislation requiring you to fit double glazing, extra draught-proofing etc. So if you can afford it now you won't have to make the investment later when you might not be able to afford it or when prices go up because there's more demand. The downside to this is that future laws might be stricter or have tighter limits which would mean that you still need to do some work.


Where should I connect the C wire in my furnace, trying to upgrade my thremostat?

You can connect the C wire to any of the blue wires highlighted below, as they are all connected.


Water pressure from slope causing crack and lean in foundation. Is a French drain the answer?

A French drain needs a location to drain to. Some drains are like a curtain in front of the house that extend down the side of the house to the lower area where the water can drain. If there is not a way to move the water or allow it to flow it would be useless.  Some drains on flat ground end up in sumps so the water can be pumped out. Most of my homes have been in areas that had a slope and I have installed them to drain water coming down the hill to the house and causing foundation problems simple 3’ French drain with pipe in the bottom extending to the low side of the house eliminated my problems, other homes deeper drains were needed but that property had a huge slope. After the drain was added the problems were fixes at that place. It looks like you have a fair drop to the property behind yours as the roof level looks to be almost at your ground level so you have 5-6’ of slope to work with if that is your yard, put the drain in the front drain to a low side or if level side to side both sides to the lower area in back, this should help if surface water coming down is the issue and this can cause problems with only a few feet of slope. The good news a small slope of only a couple of feet usually only requires a trench 18-24” deep, I find steep properties require deeper trenches , my last home had 5-1/2’ deep ~10’ in front of the house and that set of drains below the house we had to bring in more rock as it flowed like a fire hose ok no pressure but but the 4” pipe was flowing almost completely full of water, flowing onto rock we dumped. The drain helped in several areas of that property.


Why does the overflow pipe on a water heater open to the floor?

A- This is not an "overflow" pipe.

B- It is not connected to an "overflow" valve.

C- It is a drain pipe connected to a Temperature & Pressure Relief Valve which is not only a legal requirement, but a critical safety device to prevent an over-pressure event (boiler explosion- google it)

For years and years, it was common to see no pipe at all. The pipe is a great idea whether or not it is plumbed to a drain or alternative location because if the valve activates it is less of a hazard to humans when scalding steam and water are directed downward and away from hapless victims. Some (if not all) localities require that they be plumbed to the exterior of the building or to a floor drain if the appliance is located in the home. Appliances outside of the home (as yours appears to be) may not be subject to the same requirement. Check with your local building code authority office.

P.S.- there should not be water coming from that drain pipe. If there is you may have a defective TP Valve (or worse, a malfunctioning boiler). Call a plumber.


My guess is that you are hitting concrete behind the drywall or you luckily selected a spot with plumbing, electrical or something else running behind it.  It could even be wood behind it, which would be good, as you could screw directly into the wood, but you need to confirm that.

I would take the drywall anchor out and tap in the hole it made to see if it sound like a hard or wood surface.


How can I get a bolt with no head out of my wall?

This is a job for vise grips. What I would do is file the bolt flat on two sides. Don't take off so much that you significantly compromise its strength - just flatten the threads. These flat sides will enable you to grip it with a pair of large vise grips. That should provide sufficient leverage to remove the bolt. Take it a bit at a time.


Does water-proofing have structural benefits in cinder-block foundation?

Surprisingly, introducing water to the CMU will actually increase it's strength because you're providing more fuel for the chemical reaction that turns it from a liquid to a solid. The only time water will cause a structural issue with the CMU is if it susceptible to frost. If you feel the wall is wet on the outside of the building on a regular basis and you live in a region where temperatures drop below freezing then it can cause freeze thaw damage and destroy the blocks over time.

Typically, waterproofing is applied to blocks strictly for architectural purposes. They don't want to allow water in to prevent efflorescence, they want to keep humidity in the building down, or they want to keep actual water out of the building.


Differences Between a Cast Iron or Steel Base for a Belt Sander?

I can't imagine you would be applying enough pressure on a belt sander to worry about cracking.

It is definitely true that a heavier sander will not vibrate at the high frequencies generated by normal sanding.

Steel is strong and light, so it might be better for a portable belt sander.  But cast iron might be better for you in a workshop.

In the end, with light sanding, you might want to do some shopping and look at the features then find the best price to performance ratio to make your decision.


From experience, from inside the fridge you can clean it out with a cable tie (flexible long thin piece of plastic).
Insert tie and rotate.
It is unlikely to be blocked all the way down, just at the join at the top.


Loud brass valve - how to make it quieter?

A "globe valve" would be more suitable for the task. Both ball valves and gate valves are intended primarily for shutoff - either fully open, or fully closed.
A likely noise source is cavitation (bubbles forming and then collapsing) at the sharp edges in the flow when partially open. A gate valve has a plate with a (relatively) sharp edge that will be in the flow if partially opened, as does a ball valve.

A globe valve is more oriented to regulating flow at points between on and off. The opening is a ring that gets larger as the valve opens, without having part of the pipe wide-open for direct flow while another part is occluded by a sharp metal edge. There IS a sharp edge there, but it's presented equally to all the flow, and the valve design slows the water going through the partially opened valve.

You could also try running all the water to the higher waterfall, and putting the valve to feed the lower waterfall there, since you have excess pumping capacity. The additional pipe distance (friction head) to the lower fall and having already pumped up to the higher location would reduce the imbalance between the flows if they were split at this point, rather than at the lower falls. With some experimentation, you might also try a smaller diameter pipe to feed the lower falls, creating additional friction head (attempting to balance the additional 24" in real head to the upper falls, or at least put less of that job on the valve.)
Valve images are from wikipedia


If the air return in the bed room is blanked off it will reduce the flow in the bedroom. If there are no filters at the furnace you will need one at the intake once the plate is removed. Why would someone blank off an intake? It may have been to reduce noise and or if the room was two warm or cold when the system was running for central heat/AC.


Can I connect to a separate neutral (white) wire for my switch/outlet combination?

You must separate the neutrals completely.  Neutrals must be monogamous only with their individual hot.  That is a gravely defective installation.  If any neutral wire breaks, the hots together will overload it.

No need to untangle the Gordian knot right now, there's a simple workaround.  I once had an installation where I had 5 hots on 2 neutrals. (4 is feasible if two MWBCs are exactly correct, but this was not "exactly correct"!)  As a simple fix, I moved all the hots to one breaker.  This removed the overload issue, and for me since I was in conduit, was a compete solution.  For you, you'll still have neutral current returning on a different cable than hot current, and that needs fixing.  But it'll buy you time.

If you have one cable with two hots and one neutral, wired like a 120/240V circuit except it splits into multiple branches, that is called a ”multi-wire branch circuit" or MWBC.  If you have an existing one, learn all its tricks and traps.  Please don't create any new ones, as they are obsolete. (they don't play well with GFCI/AFCI)

GFCI breakers are very good "detectives" for this, they will trip if there is any neutral hanky-panky.  Being in a garage, they would need GFCIs if they were new work.  Fixing wiring defects is not new work.


Whirlpool dishwasher having issues, what would cause these symptoms?

After smelling burnt plastic for a few hours, I can safely say it was a short.


Help understanding the wiring of this switch

I think you're correct that either the upper right or the bottom are the line in. If you disconnect at the nut and probe, you'd be able to figure out which is hot. (Not that it really matters... you simply need to ensure that they're connected when you re-do everything.) Be safe when testing energized circuits.

You should consider a more elegant power feed to the existing switch by bringing pigtails off the nutted-together blacks. (And it's better to not use the backstab in switches, as they did on yours.)

Is this-all supposed to go back into the existing 1 gang box with a double switch? I haven't done the calculations, but my gut says you'll exceed the fill rules. I suspect a 2 gang box would be fine, but do the math.


Can a window A/C unit be installed without the side panels?

In my opinion, no they are not. they are conveniences added to the unit to fill the space of various window sizes.

Their main thing is to stop the transfer of air into the room

If you remove them, be sure that the openings (louvers) on the sides of the AC unit are not blocked by the thickness of the wall since the fillers used for a wider window opening would maintain some space automatically.


Will cockroach poison traps harm geckos?

When I was in Japan in the 1970's we were told that the geckos will eat the roaches. Fewer geckos means more roaches. I would assume any dead roaches would contain the poison. Any geckos eating roaches that had consumed the poison would be contaminated.


I think you're confusing Alumi-conn connectors (which do have a recommended torque) with CO/ALR. A normal CO/ALR outlet simply needs to be hand tight. I've never seen any specification listed for torque, nor have I ever needed to use my torque screwdriver on one.

Leviton's CO/ALR installation instructions do not list a recommended torque.


Why would my Goodman gas furnace start but not stay on for more than 2-3 minutes?

There are a couple of things that it might be:
It could be the flame sensor. I have seen them where they look clean but are dirty enough that the DC voltage being generated is not enough for the circuit board to keep the gas valve open. I would pull it out and clean it with some scotch brite or a brillow pad. be care full not to damage the porcelain base. It is generally fairly easy to remove, one or maybe two 1/4 screws holding it in place. Gently pull it out and clean it with the pad like you would if you where sanding a wooden dowel.
The 2nd thing it might be (less likely) could be a roll out switch. If your air filter is dirty it would prevent enough air flow across the heat exchanger to keep it from over heating causing the roll out safety switch to open.
If this is neglected for a long period of time it can cause the ROS to weaken and begin to trip at lower than designed temperature.
ps. there are typically LED lights on a the circuit board that will blink error codes to help in diagnostics. It is best to capture that info and will usually point you in the right direction.