Is it okay to have Sparks inside drill machines?

Typical AC line powered power tools do use universal type motors that use carbon brushes contacting with the copper poles of the rotating commutator on the motor shaft.

It is not uncommon to see sparks at the interface point between the carbon brush and the commutator as the motor operates. The amount of sparking will often reduce as the brushes wear in during use of the tool.

Brushes do wear down to the point of needing replacement. When brushes are replaced it is common to once again see increased sparking until the brushes wear to the shape of the commutator.

The presence of sparking should make it clear to avoid use of tools like this in an enclosed space when there is an extremely explosive environment with little ventilation.


What comes first, window trim or stucco?

First the window goes in then the stucco on the outside and trim on the inside. We usually leave finish trim for last just in case someone drops a ladder through a window while stucco is being put on (it happens) .


How Do I Bond My Antenna to Home Electrical Ground?

The purpose of an earthen ground is not to direct lightning. It's unlikely that you'll have lightning running down a wire routed through your walls, unless you have other more severe electrical problems in your residence. Your home's electrical wiring should have a current earthen ground "somewhere" and all devices using that electricity are conductive to that ground.

Having an independent earthen ground in the manner you describe ensures that your additional device, in this case, an antenna has the electrical potential set to match the rest of the system. If you did not have an earthen ground for the antenna and received outside electrical impulse (lightning), the charge would then attempt to travel through the signal cable into the electronics attached to the antenna and from there, through your house's electrical ground to the earthen ground. It's unlikely it would travel that far, however, as the electronics would take the brunt of the force and go up in smoke.

An independent earthen ground provides for a safer path for the antenna, the mast of which should be bonded to the ground. You can also bond the coax from the antenna to that ground with a grounding block. If you have satellite coax without a grounding block, install one and bond it to the same ground.

There is no reason to run the ground wire into the house, unless you have devices within that are not grounded to the house ground system.

The primary objective is to have every device at the same electrical-potential-level of the ground rod. The outer conductor of the coax will provide suitable ground connection to the electronics within, for both the satellite equipment and the OTA equipment.

If you were to take a severe enough strike on your antenna mast that the earthen ground could not safely dissipate it, and the "excess" traveled on the coax, it would likely melt the coax and prevent travel into the house. As a former cable television technician in Florida, I found many instances where the house ground was not bonded to the cable tv block ground. The lightning strike/surge that traveled into the residence on the power line exited on the cable tv ground, burning up the electronics in the television. Back in the 80s, it wasn't practice to bond the house and cable tv grounds together. That has since changed and destroyed television are rarer now.

Regarding the ground wire running in the dirt, it's not going to change anything with respect to electrical potential. I don't know NEC codes, but I'd be surprised if there was anything of concern there. If you could drive #6 copper straight down 8 feet, you'd have suitable grounding. It's easier to hammer in a 1/2" rod though.


What are some materials that I can use to build a chalkboard?

What about chalkboard paint?  Would that be a good solution?  Something like Rust-Oleum Brush on Chalkboard?


What is the maximum span for a beam made of two 2x10s screwed together?

The Code requires a Live Load of 40 lbs. per square foot (psf) plus a Dead Load of 10 psf for a total load of 50 psf.
You indicate the beams are 8’ on center, so the total load on each beam is:
50 psf x 8’ (4’ on ea.side of beam) = 400 plf
In addition, the code requires an adjustment for wood being pressure treated. If wood is pressure treated without incising then it’s a 5% reduction. If it is incised, then it’s a 20% reduction.
Summary:
Depending on the species and grade, 2-2x10’s can span 12’ with pressure treated lumber without incising and 10’-6” with incising.  (I’m using a species of SPF and a Grade of No.1)
Note:
If the beam is along the edge of a deck and is loaded with a single span, then 2-2x10’s can span about 15’ without incising and 11’ with incising.


Drywall Mesh Patch vs. Bulge? To remove or not to remove?

If you omit the mesh or paper tape a crack will form. I have had luck with a very high end home that had to have some but splices. The owners wanted absolutely flat walls and ceilings (did not care how much it would cost). What I did was cut through the paper on each side of the splice and remove it ~1" on both sides of the joint. Then I was able to add mud and I used spark gaped paper tape, sand then several topping coats with sanding in between until it was as flat as the sheets. Use caution to not go very deep when removing the paper but slightly in to the gypsum. Wiping with a damp cloth not wet to help remove the dust did assist in making it easier to work the mud into the Sheetrock with no blisters.


When does one get a new extinguisher or recharge?

It is normal in commercial establishments to have them "formally" inspected/tagged once a year. Generally someone is supposed to make periodic checks that they are still indicating a happy gauge reading more often than that.

If the gauge is not in "the green" then the extinguisher should be recharged immediately (if it is in fact one that can be - many "home" models cannot - those should just be replaced.)

So long as the gauge is in the green, "service" is not required until the tank is due for a hydrostatic test (once every 5 years) which requires emptying it, testing it, and then refilling it. I don't think this really applies to home "disposable" extinguishers, but it does apply to refillable models.

If you happen to have a CO2 type extinguisher, there is not a guage - you just need to weigh it periodically to verify that the charge is still present. The "tare weight" (empty weight) should be stamped on the cylinder, and the CO2 is whatever weight over the tare weight is registered on the scale.


You have a FPE panel, so why are you trying to put breakers in it? Just replace the entire panel, as the panel is telling you to...the fact you can't stick a breaker in easily should be a gigantic red flag that something is badly broken inside and you shouldn't bother trying to repair it!


How to repair concrete damage from pulling up nail strips

Those small dimples are unlikely to ever be a problem, but if you want peace of mind, get some vinyl repair patch material and skim it on with a wide putty knife or trowel.


Is the rating of the electrical household entry per phase or total?

The overall service is 130A@240V -- each service leg is 130A@120V.  The same rule applies to the subpanel.  (I.e. you can hang twice as much 120V load off of it as you can 240V load, but not both at the same time -- a given amount of ampacity provides twice the power at 240V than it does at 120V, IOW.)

Also, you may wish to swap those fuses for 125A fuses if the extra 5A don't matter to you -- 125A is a standard North American fuse rating, while 130A isn't, so finding replacements for blown fuses is likely to be...much more annoying.


Cut part of the baseboard without removing it

Something great for this is an "oscillating multi tool".

They have various blades and sanding attachments, but the straight cutting blade in the picture above will probably be the best thing for cutting out a piece of molding like you are considering.

You can control the depth of cut (by hand, manually) and they can cut right next to the floor to get a complete cut.  I've used it to cut molding next to a door when installing slightly wider door casing.  I've also used it to cut the length off of door jambs when installing thicker tile (like a flush-cut saw).


How can I build a wall mounted adjustable height desk?

one simple answer and one complex answer...

first: is to use twin slot shelving to create a large, adjustable shelf/desk.. where you could quite easily create a light duty desk. I have an image, however the shelf in the picture is too small to be a desk, i have personally used a heavy duty version as my desk (safely holding one desktop pc, CRT screen and printer)

Second, is to use some sort of linear drive where you have the shelf run up and down some form of runner (or drawer slide)..  this would be something close to the screw jacks that are used to jack up your car at the service station. - probably  a little too complicated for use as a desk.


Wire size for 100 amp subpanel in detached garage 215' away

1 AWG uncoated copper, or 2/0 aluminum. Unless you're not concerned with power quality, then you could do 3 AWG copper or 1 AWG aluminum.


Should I use self-leveling concrete or mortar to level a patched area of concrete prior to tiling it?

If you just have 2ft x 3ft there's no problem using usual (not thin-set) mortar to level the surface - it will be cheap (likely cheaper that self-leveling concrete) and quite easy to do.

Thinsets indeed can crack if it's too thick and also they are not very strong - don't withstand compaction as well as ordinary mortar and so there indeed is a chance that you have tiles cracking after thinset applied too thick. How much thick is "too thick" is typically specified by the thinset manufacturer and I seriously doubt that 3/16" (which is less than 5 millimeters) would be a serious problem - that is likely within spec. The problem is you might have hard time applying the thinset so that the tiles perfectly match the uneven surface - it's much easier to do if the surface is even, although my tiling experience is quite limited and I guess there're ways to use the thinset on uneven surfaces and have good results.


You should definitely not build that as drawn. The plug for the foot switch side will be electrified when the selector switch isn’t set to foot switch mode, and plugs should never be electrified.
Also beware that physical arrangement of wires matters. All the current-carrying conductors (both hots and the neutral) must be in the same cable, conduit, or raceway. You can’t have, say, some 14/2 for the always-on leg and a single wire loose a foot away for the switch side. You end up creating an electromagnet with heating and mechanical stress effects if you do that.
You also can’t have parallel conductors - running hot and neutral pairs for both the always-on leg and the foot switch leg and joining them at the receptacle is not allowed (maybe ok if you use a double-pole mode selector switch though).


Get the 220v outlet while you can. With that wiring, you can run two 110v circuits in the future or install an electric oven if you change your mind. Running another line in the future would be much more difficult, so now is the time to have it installed. The only change you'll likely have to make is replacing the double breaker with two single breakers if you want 110v, which any electrician should be able to do with minimal effort.


Drywall (Gypsum board) is not sufficient for hanging things (other than maybe very light picture frames), you'll want to attach the whiteboard to the underlying structure. How you do that, will depend on what the structure is.


When to use a spline vrs a biscuit joiner?

If you've got a biscuit joiner, then I'd just use that. They're 10x easier than splines, and I'm not convinced that there's any advantage to splines.

There may well be exceptions, depending on your exact circumstances, but since you didn't list any specific circumstances, we don't have anything else to go on.

Something I built with splines: http://www.instructables.com/id/Expandable-formal-dining-table-that-seats-ten-and-/ (see step 12)

Something I built with biscuits: http://www.instructables.com/id/Pantry-Cabinet/

Frankly, I haven't done a spline since I got my biscuit joiner.


If I pull an electrical permit for my home in FL can I hire a licensed journeyman electrician to do part of the work?

With you pulling the permit you are the responsible party for the work.
Hiring someone on the side is really common. I may have done this for many years myself :).
it’s not only the masters license needed to do work ( in my state general signing supervisor) but you also require a contractors license and this requires bonding. All those costs are why we charge so much.
My current apprentice I believe may be doing some work on the side for friends the same as you are doing I don’t know.
A sub for us is a very simple job, is it legal?
Only if blood related mother, father, brother, sister some states go out to grand parents, grandchildren aunts and uncles other than that no it’s not legal.
When the job is inspected usually the inspector will really look it over making sure it is done right for a homeowner. When I moved to my current location that I had not worked and pulled permits on my home I did it as a homeowner and on the inspection the inspector wanted that were not code required done and was not going to sign off until I grabbed a code book and he asked if I was licensed
After finding out I was he put his X on the paperwork.
When signed off by an electrician they look it over and test GFCI’s as that is a requirement in my state. knowing this the inspector may want more than is required by the homeowner.
Guys that work on the side for $ can be at either end of the spectrum but simple jobs like a sub should be easy for any journeyman and something my first year apprentice could do. today only very close friends get me but a young journeyman wanting some extra $ is quite normal just like a mechanic friend that works on the side.


How does the clean water supplied by your utility company differ from natural spring water? Where I live, tap water contains chlorine and chelating agents, and natural spring water contains none of these. Your water company will be able to tell you how to chemically test for tap water vs. spring water.


Garage Sensors Work Separately but Not Together?

The blinking red light on the sender would indicate that they are mis-aligned. The best way to test this is to remove them from the mounting brackets and hold them a couple of inches apart with the sensors aligned. Have somebody hit the door closer, then point them away from each other.  If they work as expected that way, you'll just have to fiddle around with the mounts until you have them correctly aligned.


Do I need a transformer to use this lamp in the US?

That mark actually means "Chinese Excrement".

You think I'm kidding.

Overseas makers of the cheap & shoddy are regularly forging quality marks.  Far and away their favorite is the CE mark; they either mess up the mark accidentally-on-purpose, or render it correctly but put it on total junk.  A proper CE mark is only applicable to bricks-and-mortar companies located inside the EU, who ships the product from their EU warehouse (not Amazon's) to an EU customer, and it is a self-certification by that company.  Naturally every Chinese maker self-certifies everything, and the EU can't do anything about it because they don't have assets in the EU.

The USA is not a member of the EU, so the EU can do nothing about products shipped from China to the US.  CE has become a self-fulfilling prophecy; "I see it a lot" (on junk) "so it must be legit!"

Actually, in the US, products for retail sale must clear an independent third party testing lab (which CE is not). The biggest labs are UL (Underwriter's Laboratories, surely you've heard of them), CSA, and ETL/Intertek. All will assign a "file number" as part of their listing; you can spot a fake UL when there's no file number nearby, but China doesn't fake UL marks very often.

Probably because UL is a private nonprofit company with an army of attack lawyers.

Here's more on marks.  Note the UL stamps with C/US and file number. Also notice, no CE anywhere.  There'd be no reason to put CE on a charger with a Type A plug.

All this is to shortcut all the safety standards that make products safe.  It's not insulated well enough not to energize the chassis or start a fire with arcing, the components aren't tested not to make toxic smoke if burned, the line cord's wires aren't thick enough, the insulation isn't tough enough, and they haven't paid for independent lab testing.  That makes the price lower, which is what draws you to it.

Is it safe?

It certainly does not meet the standards for any US product.  It was skated by Customs because Customs is overwhelmed and has higher priorities.

Can it function on 120V?  The sticker plainly says no, but that kind of sloppiness is why they can't get certified.  Reality? Maybe, maybe not. It depends if the fixture contains only wires, or has some sort of smart or powered thing (like a dimmer) in its internals.

If it's only wires - I wouldn't say it's safe at any voltage, but if it were safe at 230V, it'll be safe at 120V,  and the functional voltage will be decided by what kind of screw-in bulb you use.  If you use a 120V bulb you'd be fine.
If it has electronics inside - then it's hit and miss, but no lab anywhere has tested what happens, so don't be surprised if it starts a fire.

The other marks

Square in square means the appliance is double-insulated; that means one insulation failure won't cause you to be shocked; it will take two.  Don't count on this being true; it's probably faked.

The house and arrow says "Bring it in from out of the rain" which means it's indoors/dry location only.


Wall of smaller drywall sheet pieces - tape or replace?

Every seam is a potential crack.
Old drywall is more likely to have been hung with nails rather than screws, more opportunity to shift and pop nails.
Taping is the hardest part of drywall work and bigger sheets means less taping (and less sanding and mess).
Adding and removing paneling may have loosened the drywall underneath, exacerbating all of the above.
Drywall is cheap, labor is expensive, and pulling down and rehanging may take less time that all that taping and patching.
Big pieces result in fewer butt joints (edges that are not tapered), which are harder to tape well. In a full sheet you have 16 feet of tapered joint and only 8 feet of butt. Smaller cut pieces often have butt joints on three or four sides.
New drywall gives you an opportunity to use mildew/mold resistant material, if you are inclined.

I would start again.


Can I combine red & black wire from ceiling to black wire on remote reciever

No. You currently have 2 separate switches...1 for fan on/off and 1 for light on/off, correct? You need to cap either one, red or black, and remove the switch associated with that wire and cap the wires at the old switch location. Best bet is cap the red off, and remove that switch. You could replace the switch in your 2-gang box with an electrical outlet, or just get a new face plate that only has one switch opening.


Your old dimmer has got to go.

Dimmers are powered switches which need power themselves to do their thing. Other examples are lighted switches, motion sensors, smart switches etc.  The correct way to power a "powered switch" is to bring always-hot and neutral to the switch, and it can draw power from that in all conditions.

However plain switches don't need neutral; they only need always-hot and switched-hot.  So a lot of switch junction boxes don't have neutral. Adding it would require pulling a new cable through the walls.  So dimmer manufacturers couldn't rely on neutral being present when dimmers are retrofitted.

As it happens, incandescent bulbs have very low resistance when they are off. So, dimmer manufacturers discovered a cheat - power the dimmer by leaking a small amount of current through the bulb. The incandescent happily lets the small current pass, and doesn't light up because it's too little current.

Enter LED. They have active electronic power supplies. Those power supplies Do Not Like the tiny amount of current. At some additional cost, the power supplies can be enhanced to allow that current to pass. Either your Philips LEDs do not do that, or the old dimmer is flowing too much current for the LEDs to deal with.

One incandescent solves the problem by providing the near-zero-resistance path the old dimmer requires. This can also be solved by a well-placed resistor of appropriate size, and several companies make UL-listed resistor packs for that purpose. (Anything used in mains wiring must be UL listed for that purpose as mains equipment; bare resistor components bought from Mouser or Digi-Key aren't legal even if UL listed as components.)

Start by reading the instructions and labeling on your Philips LEDs.  Code requires you obey (because the equipment is not tested/listed for any other use).  It may tell you only certain dimmers can be used, in which case do that.

Otherwise aim to replace the old dimmer with a modern one rated for LED, and ideally, if your switch location has a neutral wire, use a dimmer that uses a neutral wire.

Also make sure you're not dealing with Philips HUE or other "smart bulbs" where the dimming is actually supposed to be done by a smart-device network talking to a microcontroller inside the bulb.  Those bulbs aren't even meant to work with traditional dimmers: remove the old dimmer entirely and fit either a plain switch or a system-compatible smart dimmer.


Replacement water shut off valve stem is too short to protrude past the wall board

Make the drywall hole a lot bigger or just big enough for your hand to operate the valve & put one of these Access Panels (left) over the drywall hole. Preferably glued or caulked & drywall anchor screwed, since you need to pry these open with a flathead screwdriver. Or, 1 or 2 (hot & cold) of these 2-gang electrical outlet covers (right). These just need 2 screws in the drywall at opposing corners to then just slide up & off...a shot of spray paint to camouflage.


What dimensions does the base need to be for a standing post?

To hang string lights you shouldn't need a lot of weight in the bases unless you're stringing 100' or so. For an average size yard I think what you show in the picture should be fine. I assume that you'll fill the base with with a counter-weight of stone or sand. You could use them as planters but then you'll want to put a liner in to protect the wood from the soil and moisture.
I would do large river rock in case you want to move the posts into a new configuration. It'll be a lot easier to unload and reset than sand or soil.
The structure in the picture is made up of 2x4s (actual size 1.5"x 3.5") with a 4x4 post (actual size 3.5"x 3.5"). Therefore that box is 19 inches high (including 1.5" for the feet on each corner). The width based on the 4x4 post is about 16" wide with an interior dimension of 13"x13".This might be a little off but not by much.
As I said above I believe that filled with rock or sand that will be a sufficient base for the posts to support light strings of 25 or 30 feet (you didn't indicate length of light string). However, it wouldn't hurt to over-build the base to a 24" square box with the same height.
Other factors to consider are:

The ground under the base needs to be level.
The post needs to be securely supported within the base (can't see inside). The river rock I suggested will help support it.

Possibly a StackExchange engineer might want to weigh in on this.


How can I prevent clothes and food stuff from going bad in a moist cabinet

I don't know what part of the world you're in, but I'm going to figure this might be mold, not algae.  Either way, a spray bottle filled with bleach solution will probably get rid of it.  Mix a gallon of water and a cup of bleach, and use that mix to fill the spray bottle.  Spray it on, wipe it, but don't rinse it off.

Keep in mind bleach is harsh stuff, keep the place well ventilated, use care not to get it on yourself, or anything else besides the wall.

edit:  the original poster commented that they were concerned about bleach ruining the paint.  This is a valid concern and a good reason to try this in a small and inconspicuous spot before doing the whole wall.

I was curious and found this page

http://www.howtoremoveblackmold.com/how-to-kill-black-mold.html

which had some other similar suggestions, along with bleach - ammonia, vinegar, borax, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and others.  If bleach turns out to harm the paint, maybe one of these would help.


Your wiring does match up the ground, neutral, and phases, so it would supply power, and since it is a 50 amp circuit it has more than enough juice for a 20 amp appliance, but it isn't really safe.  The appliance and its cord etc. are designed to be safe with a breaker that trips at 20 amps, not 50.


Sounds like the riser pipe is broken. Your softener will need to be rebedded (emptied, and then refilled, and obviously a new riser pipe installed).

To clear out your system, really the only way is the obvious way: flush it out with water. First off, make sure your softener is bypassed until it's fixed, so you don't add to the problem.

Regular faucets

Take off the aerators, shower heads, and anything else that has a screen or filter in it, and run water until you get everything out.

Other valves

There's a chance with some valves you could get something caught in them, so if you still notice a reduced flow or leak from a particular tap, you'll have to take apart the valve. How to do this varies depending on each particular valve, but you can find help online (try searching for "replace valve cartridge in ") or ask another question here.

Hot water heater

The hot water heater is a bit trickier, since you really can't get enough flow through the tank to "flush" it. The only way is to drain the tank:

Turn off water inlet valve and power/gas
Open some hot water taps in your house -- this will let air back in so the tank can drain
Connect a drain hose to the bottom drain valve (located around the bottom of your tank)

Open the valve and drain the tank


How can I fix poorly stained pine trim with routing grooves and rosettes?

The problem is that pine in general is a difficult wood to stain. Some areas will absorb lots of stain, others that won't. But you have made it worse (not intentionally so) because of the routed regions. These offer much end grain on the surface, which just loves to soak up stain.

There are solutions. First, use a sanding sealer. This is usually a thin, clear liquid that when dry, will plug up the pores of the pine, controlling how your stain is absorbed. (Many sanding sealers are just shellac.)

You can also use a gel stain, a stain that is designed for these problem woods.

As for the existing wood that has been stained and is showing a problem, this will be difficult to fix without stripping. If not much has been stained like that, I'd just replace it with fresh wood.


“Periodically” is the key word.   Keep a log of what water usage (if any) you’re using when the offensive odors blossom and look for correlations.   Might want to keep a log of what you’re feeding the dog too.   (grin)  The source of odors may have nothing to do with your water usage.   A friend can tell the speed of the wind by fluttering of water in one of the toilets, when it is really windy a stink will fill the house.   He’s had the vent pipes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drain-waste-vent_system) cleaned to no avail.  Another friend can tell when the neighbor gives their dogs baths, apparently the abundance of soap bubbles interfere with the vents.  (Too long for a comment.)


How can I reduce how much a flat roof heats my house?

They make roof "paint" designed for your problem. Will it help, yes, how much depends on a great deal of factors.

Roof coating reflects sun's rays to help lower cooling costs
Roof coating contains insulating ceramic beads
Urethane for ultimate
durability

Product link


How to repair separated rails and stiles on solid wood doors

I have had some similar projects.  On occasion, I have been able to force glue into a joint with a glue syringe and clamp the joints together.  The key to this method is cleaning out the joint with a putty knife or something similar and clamping it tightly.

The method that has been most tried and true for me is, unfortunately, a bit more involved.  Those old solid wood doors are great and ridiculously expensive to replace with the same quality so, in my humble opinion, it is worth the effort.  Over the last 70 years the expansion and contraction you are concerned about is most likely what has separated the joints.  I would expect a door from this era has nice big mortise and tenon joints.  Work the joints apart gently until you have separated all the stiles and rails.  Clean all the old residue off the joints and use thin pieces of wood to fill in gaps to get the joints to go back together tightly if necessary.  Coat both the mortise and tenon sides with a good wood glue to and tightly clamp the doors back together.  Hopefully, this will restore the original integrity of the door by maximizing the glue surface of the joints as originally intended and perhaps they will last another 70 years.


How should I clean my dishwasher filter?

Did some digging for you:
http://www.appliancerepair.net/dishwasher-repair-3.html

Here's the remove of the filter cover:
http://www.partselect.com/Models/GU2275XTVY1/Sections/PUMP-AND-MOTOR-PARTS/?ModelID=1619670&ModelNum=GU2275XTVY1&mfgModelNum=&ManufactureID=3&Selected=HALWT3WI&Position=9&mfg=Whirlpool&Type=Washer&Mark=9

Here's the arm parts:
http://www.partselect.com/Models/GU2275XTVY1/Sections/LOWER-WASHARM-PARTS/?ModelID=1619668&ModelNum=GU2275XTVY1&mfgModelNum=&ManufactureID=3&Selected=JY7US5YH&Position=7&mfg=Whirlpool&Type=Washer&Mark=7

So removal is righty loosey :)  DEFY THE RULES!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGZYhEljgPw

Good luck!!!


How can I level concrete pavement for an above-ground pool?

The best bet may be to build a frame around the area you want your pool.  This can be made from either 4x4 pressure treated timbers or pressure treated landscape ties. These can be attached by drilling and screwing through them into the cedar that is already there or by drilling into the concrete to hold stakes (you can use large galvanized nails) that go through the ties. You need to be concerned mostly with lateral shifting and less with holding them down.

This frame should then be filled with several inches of sand, as suggested by uncle brad. Sand is the standard base for both above ground and even in-ground pools that use vinyl liners. While you can trim or shim the frame to be level, that is not really necessary. The sand can be leveled even if the frame is not. You also could size the frame so that it is just outside the edge of the pool, or you could set it back a bit and use concrete paving blocks to form a margin around the pool for walking.


The "backstab" connections normally only take 14 AWG wire. While a 15A circuit normally uses 14 AWG wire (since it is the smallest/cheapest size that meets code), you sometimes find a 15A circuit wired at least partly with 12 AWG wire (which can also be used for 20A circuits). That would easily explain why the backstabs don't work. But that's OK, because screw terminal connections are more reliable than backstabs.
Three things that are helpful with basic wiring are:

Non-contact tester - this lights up when there is line voltage present. It can have some false positives, but used properly it should not have any false negatives, so it is a very helpful safety tool. Does a non-contact tester light up next to any of the wires in this box?
3-light tester. Or as Harper calls it, "Magic 8-ball". This is a plug-in tester that lights up for Hot, Neutral and Ground. It is not 100% reliable, but can help in diagnosing receptacle problems if you know how to use it. Does a 3-light tester show anything?
Multimeter. This can test all sorts of things. In this case, you are looking for ~ 120V between hot & neutral and between hot & ground and 0V between neutral & ground.

The next thing to check is GFCI/AFCI. If your breaker is not just a standard "flip the switch" breaker, i.e., if it has TEST/RESET buttons, then you may need to reset the GFCI/AFCI functions after turning the breaker back on. Unlikely for a bedroom, but it is also possible another receptacle on the same circuit has a built-in GFCI that needs to be reset for this receptacle to work.
And last, but certainly not least, it is possible that another receptacle in this circuit has a loose connection. That gets time-consuming to diagnose, but basically comes down to checking each one and, even if it is working, seeing if there are any loose wires (especially backstabs) that affect power farther along the circuit.


A/C cold air kicks in 30 minutes or more after the blower comes on. Any ideas?

If the problem is on start up it is most likely under charged ( usually due to a leak) when the system first starts up the system is cold, the gas is compressed this creates heat that is removed in the condenser coil,
 if there is not much gas it takes some time in this case once the compressor starts it is probably running close to 100% of the time As it is not cooling enough to shutdown.
A recharge can fix this with most systems
It may also Be a sticking thermal expansion valve can be the problem but I have not seen this very often and when that is the cause the unit will cycle funny.

Note if your system is R22 the cost is high $100/ lb and more so they may try and talk you into a new system.


Your salt could be "bridged" - having solidified in a way that most of it does not contact the water, which would go with "can't see brine" and "using much less salt" as you describe. If you cannot dig down and find the brine, you may need to break that up. I got out of the habit of dumping in all the salt that would fit after I first experienced the joy of that problem.

In my personal experience, it was more cost effective to get a new softener than to repair my old softener. (Note - unrelated to salt bridging.) Your experience might vary, the problems I was having were different (valves would stick) and it was a very old model that nothing "modern" was willing to work with/fit (and the parts that might tediously have been re-used were not very expensive parts in a new setup.)

Moving to a "modern" system with a usage meter rather than timer-only regeneration may reduce your water and salt use somewhat (depends how predictable/consistent your water use is on whatever timescale the timer regenerates.) Those will track water use and then regenerate at night when the "softening capacity" is used up, rather than on a time-only basis without regard to water use. Or is that some sort of early mechanical use-meter?


For anyone wanting the code reference as to why using a red (or black) conductor as a neutral is not allowed:

  2014 National Electric Code

  200.6 Means of Identifying Grounded Conductors.

  (A) Sizes 6 AWG or Smaller. An insulated grounded conductor of 6 AWG or smaller shall be identified by one of the following means:

  (1) A continuous white outer finish.

  (2) A continuous gray outer finish.

  (3) Three continuous white or gray stripes along the conductor's entire length on other than green insulation.

  (4) Wires that have their outer covering finished to show a white or gray color but have colored tracer threads in the braid identifying the source of manufacture shall be considered as meeting the provisions of this section.


Building a deck... Pier Size / Loading Question

I'm not a expert but the answer likely depends on exactly where you live. When I built my deck in Maryland the footings needed to 30" deep and 18" in diameter (for the bottom 8").
See local ordinances for Howard County Maryland.
If you are lucky your jurisdiction may publish their requirements. If they don't publish them you could give your local permit office a call.
Jonathan


Where does water in shower plumbing go after a shower?

As far as I know there aren't any return valves in these shower systems.

You will have a column of standing water remaining in the pipe.
(When the shower isn't used for a couple of weeks you should always run the water a few minutes before using the shower to get that stale water flushed out. It is an ideal place for bacteria to develop. In hot weather just a week is long enough for Legionella to develop.)

If the pipes and fittings are dry the drip is coming from somewhere else. Noise traveling along pipes can do strange things and it is quite possible the noise comes from somewhere else. It may not even be a drip you are hearing but something similar that you interpret as a dripping noise. (Hot water pipe or the boiler cooling down and making a ticking noise comes to mind. This can sound like a drip.)

What I have encountered myself:
After the shower is shut off that pipe filled with water going up to the shower-head cools off. Cooling causes it to shrink slightly (how much and how fast depends on the pipes material and the ambient temperature) forcing a little bit of water out of the pipe into the shower head.
That water then drips from the shower-head to the floor. Dropping with a noticeable sound on the basin below. (Often people don't notice this drip as the basin is wet anyway after the shower.)
Or, if there remains some standing water in the shower-head itself, it drips into that little pool inside the shower-head. Sound-transfer/amplification will do the rest.
This sort of dripping typically starts 3-5 minutes after the water is shut off and stops after some time (typically another 3 to 5 minutes) when an equilibrium is reached in the pipe.


I would never hang a deck off a brick veneer or any finish, you have to attach to something structural.  The pullout force generated by the cantilever is going to be tremendous.  When it fails, it won't be a minor mishap.
Honestly I wouldn't go anywhere near this without putting a lot more thought into it, getting an engineer or architect's stamp on the plan, and getting it inspected.


Remove old light box with a stud and nut anchor

These hangers were typically used in ceilings where they wanted the light to be somewhere which required space or location between joists. The bracket is typically nailed to both opposing studs or usually under the plaster or drywall.

You could cut it with a hacksaw and move it out of the way. Or for more work, cut a separate hole for the recessed light and then patch the old hole from behind.

You mentioned "retrofit". Retrofit usually means a prior recessed light fixture, which this is not.


300 feet of 3/4 poly is, itself, a restriction. That's a very long run for pipe that small.
Adding a section of 1/2 PVC doesn't help, but unless it's quite a long section, the 300 feet of 3/4 dominates the total dynamic head (which is what limits your flow.)
Is your incoming pressure so high that it would burst the pipe? If not, skipping the path through the PRV and house might be the easiest solution, as there would be more pressure head to start with, and you can put a garden hose or irrigation pressure reducer (quite inexpensive) at the end of the line, if needed.


Pick up a middle of the road tone generator and probe kit from a company you've heard of. No need to buy the most expensive model you can find, it will likely have features you'll never use.

I've used this one Gardner Bender Wire-Tracker Wire Tracer, which I purchased from Home Depot for ~$40.00.

It's not the best model on the market, but it worked very well for me. It was sensitive enough to accurately trace cables through both walls, ceilings and floors, and was able to attach to a variety of cables.

This model allows you to connect the device to a variety of cables including RJ-11, RJ-45, and coaxial. It also has alligator clips, which allow you to connect it to electrical and other wires.

Make sure the power is off before connecting the tone generator. Some models can work on hot lines, but it's still safer to kill the power.


Connecting a pump to wall socket using a transformer

You're nearly there!

Note: European wire colours used here.

Find a suitable enclosure for the transformer, switch and a fuse.
Connect the live wire (brown) to the fuse, the fuse to the switch and the switch to one of the 230 V red wires on the transformer primary.
Connect the neutral (blue) wire to the red of the transformer primary.
Connect the pump to the two outer blue wires on the transformer.
Connect the earth / ground wire to the black centre-tap of the transformer.

The result will be a 24 V supply to the pump with what is known as a centre-tap ground. This limits the voltages at the pump to 12 V with respect to ground while still applying 24 V to the motor.

A 500 mA fuse would be adequate protection for the setup.
Water-proof everything and, if possible, keep the control box remote from any water.

If the pressure switch is exposed or difficult to insulate you may further improve safety by putting the pressure switch in the low-voltage side. This has the disadvantage that the transformer will be always on and wasting a little energy when the pump is not running. (The pressure switch link in your question links to the transformer. Check that it is rated for at least 2 A.)

Version 1 wiring. Note that switch is on mains voltage side of transformer.

Version 2 wiring. Note switch is wired on low-voltage side. Wire switch internally with left cable in nearest terminals to cable entry as shown in the instruction leaflet. Note that there is no switch on the transformer mains side. Unplug when not in use.


Does a central A/C with copper lines that are too small cause compressor and diaphragm failure?

If the lines are two small it will change the efficiency and work the compressor harder. It is tough to fully clean the old mineral oil out that was used in older units. If the R410 smells acidic this could be an indication that the old oil was still in the system and mineral oil and ester oil don't mix. If there is old oil in the system this can cause early compressor failure. I am guessing what he called a diaphragm is the throttle valve or TXV that regulates the flow into the evaporator this could be damaged and part of the reason your system is not cooling. There are many electronic testers that can detect R410 at very small levels if a leak could be located a bubble solution can pinpoint it and there epoxies that may be able to slow or stop the leak but silver solder is the best way (not on a charged unit though) . The possible acid in the oil has caused damage already and compressors are not reparable. I would run the unit until it fails with a full charge it may last the season and shop around for a new system (get several quotes for the complete replacement). I am sure they did not want to put there name on a system that is damaged and have you upset with them as well as the first company for trying to save a few bucks that cost more in the long run.


What type of insulation/sheathing material is this?

Finally figured it out after having found another location that was more accessible with the same material.  It's Kimsul balsam insulation.


How much weight should a deck of a given area support?

I found the following VERY detailed tutorial on determining joist span based on expected live and dead load: American Wood Council

The weight your deck will need to support will depend whether you get snow and how much, whether there will be a roof over the deck, whether the deck will be sheltered by any other means, what do you expect to do with the deck (outdoor kitchen, hot tub, outdoor parties), etc.


I applied one coat on wooden planks using special paint for wood. Can I use regular paint for the second coat?

It is generally best to stay with whatever base material is used for the first coat. That is, if the "special" paint was oil based, then continue with an oil based paint. Switching to say acrylic or water based will not provide a good bond between paints.

Can you use it... well you can, but you may need to use several coats and you may find it comes off easily when bumped with the vacuum cleaner etc.


How can I effectively drain foundation water along the sump pail location?

From you question and follow on Comment, it appears that the location of the sump pump is at the right location.  It’s at the lowest point and after the heavy rain, the sump hole filled with water.  From your descriptions, it appears that you believe the sump basin is sealed therefore not allowing water into the basin.
From your original question –

There is no perforated drain in that corner. I was planning to attach drain pipe into each side of the basin leaving the side closest to the wall with no drainage pipe. How can I get the water from that corner into the basin? Thinking now that I should move the basin in about 2 foot and perforate the basin at the top so the water can drain into basin from that corner.

If the location is the lowest point in that corner, there is no need to move it closer to the corner.  Continue with connecting the drain pipes to each side of the basin.  If your basin does not have holes in the bottom or in the sides, I would drill a few ½” holes in the sides and bottom and the top if you are using one.  This will allow the ground water to weep into the basin.  You can also wrap the side and bottom with screening to prevent dirt from entering the basin.  I would using screen on the top also to prevent debris from entering the basin.
Dig the hole a little larger than the basin, and surround the bottom and sides with 3-4 “ of drain rocks.
Here’s a link to a YouTube Video showing a similar installation.  I would use drain or crushed rocks on the sides of the basin as well.


Radon abatement complete, but contractor used weird wiring?

That is 100% a code violation. A flexible cord CANNOT be used as a substitute for permanent wiring. The means of disconnect, or service disconnect, is the switch outside. They should have simply hard wired with cable to the receptacle box, or better yet, run a circuit to the fan, not for the added load, but to keep the fan isolated from other loads.


As others have suggested, it might be a good time to call a pro, but if you are going to handle it yourself, here is what you should do:

see if you have enough space above the slab to fit a rubber collar of the cast iron/pvc adapter. If this is the case, you should secure the cast iron pipe and cut it. Replace the section with PVC and put rubber adapters on both sides.

If you are not lucky and you don't have enough room, you have to break the slab (usually 4" max) and get to the sand/gravel layer. The main stack should make a 90 degree turn. You should place your cast iron to PVC adapter there. It is just as much work as it sounds like, but it can be done.


Economical way to prevent dusting from AAC blocks in your garage?

I ended up with this mix:
- 1 part PVA
- 5 parts white masonery paint

I also added some extra water (less than 1 part) to ease mixing and to compensate for the big absortion abilities of the blocks.

I will post some photos after but it was looking promising even after 15 minutes.


Can I clean my vinyl fence with a pressure washer?

It's not a matter of whether, but how. You can cut through many materials with a pressure washer if you go about it like a samurai. I've cleaned soft vinyl boat furniture with one, and I've damaged similar materials when I got careless.

Approach the job carefully and with just enough pressure (controlled by distance and nozzle shape) to do the cleaning and you'll be fine. Experiment on a scrap if you have one available to see just what it takes to cause damage.


In North America (+Colombia, Ecuador) we use 240v center-tapped for 120V on either side.  In the rest of the world, they use 220-240V straight, no center tap.

For us, conventional household plug/socket is the 120V, and it has a name, NEMA 5.

There's also plug/socket  which supports 240V only, omitting the center tap.   This is called NEMA 6.  It looks nearly identical, but is keyed differently so it can't accidentally be plugged into a NEMA 5.

He is saying use a NEMA 6 plug.

NEMA 6 plugs come in several styles rated for 15 amps, 20A or 30A.  Use one that is correct for the power draw of your appliance, and the manufacturer can tell you which one they recommend, or search/ask a new question. If a 15A plug is correct, but you have a 30A socket conveniently available, do not put a 30A plug on it.  If you have that problem, search/ask a new question.

There are also other plug/sockets intended for devices which need both 120V and 240V, and provide the center tap (neutral) as well.  As long as they provide ground (NEMA 14), you could use one of those instead, or you could use NEMA 6 and an adapter cable.

If your house does not have any NEMA 6 sockets, that is fixable, ask a new question.


Those two tiles have cracked edge to edge so they are probably done cracking and because of tile distancing, shouldn't affect the next ones. You could clean the tiles, and get some almond colored caulk and try to blend it into the cracks to help hide the cracks.
Did the tile installer leave any spare tiles for you?


If this is an old fashioned wire wound transformer, the 60 to 50 Hz will not matter, going the other way makes some difference though. If it's some sort of electronic switching transformer, it could be a problem, I've no idea.

The voltage difference is obviously a problem. The 400 VA is volt-amps, or watts. You don't need to get it, it just happens as a result of applied voltage and resistance in the windings. 400 watts isn't a huge amount of power, you may be able to find a step down transformer intended for travelers from North America. You may find such transformers cost more than the device you have. You may be better off getting a proper transformer and writing off the amount spent as a lesson learned if you are unable to return it.


How can a GFI installed on an ungrounded two-wire line be verified?

You can put a load across the Line Live and the Load Neutral or the Load live and the Line neutral (this is what the test button will do) or between one of the Load conductors and a grounded conductor. This should trip the GFI.

However doing this while the GFI is properly installed is difficult and dangerous because the connections should be hidden and it requires you to poke around a live circuit.

GFIs without a ground are legal but the sockets should be marked with a "no equipment ground" label.


Yep. It can fit in your pocket.

The whole point of a bevel gauge is to transfer angles as simply and compactly as possible. It's a carpenter's tool. You wouldn't want your utility knife to dice vegetables for you, and you don't want a fussy, clumsy tool in your belt pouch that you don't need.


My house is nearing 20 years, what will break soon?

It makes complete sense to replace your water heater early, because the failure mode for most of the older ones is "break and drain all over the inside of your house" -- and the 'drip pan' can only catch so much.

You don't say where you're from, so I can't give you any climate or region-specific suggestions on what to replace and what not to replace. I know that down here in Texas, a "30 year roof" does not mean that your roof will last 30 years because there are too many variables... including tree cover, rainfall amount, temperature, what kind of tar paper they used on the original install... the best you can expect is to have to replace the roof at 30 years; the nominal life of a "30 year" roof when installed perfectly is about 25 years before you start risking the sheathing. Once it's degraded to the point where shingles crack easily, all it takes is one good thunderstorm to blow a bunch of shingles off.

Depending on what kind of siding you have, the max life is also about 25 to 30 years -- especially if you have wood. I've replaced most of the T1-11 siding on my house with HardiPanel. It was worth it for the insurance discount as well.

Insulation in your attic is PROBABLY insufficient compared to normal modern standards, and your roof probably does not have baffles installed at the soffits. This is something I'd pay someone to do; have someone come in and add soffit baffles (and increase ventilation if you can safely) and blow in insulation until you're at R-60 in your attic. I feel the same about windows and doors, actually -- they should be replaced after 20-30 years of service -- but we're veering back into energy efficiency here.

Appliances are an obvious one. You can get by with not replacing a stove or a gas dryer, but washer, refrigerator, and dishwasher should probably all have been replaced by now with more efficient ones.

The only other thing I can think of off of the top of my head that tends to go 'boom' suddenly is toilet and sink shutoff valves, unless they're the quarter turn or ball valve type. If they aren't, consider replacing them with ones that are quarter turn or preferably ball valve.

Things I would have inspected or done yearly include pest inspection and treatment, chimney sweep/inspection, tree trimming if you have trees near the house, make sure your gutters are clear and clean and drain properly, and make sure that your yard is still graded so that water flows away from your house as opposed to towards it. Other things that haven't been mentioned but can blow up suddenly but can't be inspected for include foundation problems in slab-on-grade construction, garage door adjustment/spring, and issues with flooring if the flooring is still original to the house.

What you should be pursuing is energy efficiency. In the process of pursuing energy efficiency, you will probably uncover many of the problems you would otherwise experience before they become critical. A good example is when I put new windows in; I discovered a mold problem and an old insect problem that had never been remediated ... and ended up tearing down half of my house to fix it!


Nope.  Subpanels and bonding screws do not go together.

The only way you would be using the bonding screw is if this meter was a separate service from the electric company, and he was paying the electric company directly.

Who is paid isn't the issue, but rather, it's how the service is delivered to you.  Power companies supply service which is potentially "floating" or subject to transformer leakage (lifting it to thousands of volts), and you cannot count on the power company's neutral being anywhere near ground.  And the power company does not supply ground.  That is why the first point beyond the power company must be grounded.

Remember the NEC rules that let you supply a 120V outlet, a TT30, a NEMA 14-30 and a NEMA 14-50 socket to the same pad, and only need to deliver 50A powe to all that. Idea being different RVs use different ones, but none use more than one at a time.


Yellow stains on the ceiling, how to diagnose

The first step is to get up into the loft (assuming the bedroom is on the top floor of the house) and look for signs of water up there. You should have insulation of some sort, this will hold the water.

Then check for nearby damage inside and out. Binoculars can help with the latter. You'll probably have to get it professionally repaired but you need to stop things getting worse until that happens. And you may want to get in touch with your insurer.


What can I do about a hole for a dryer vent that was cut too big?

A good solution would be to make a collar/cover of a material that would fit visually with the outside wall, and would provide a reliable seal to prevent water, air, and pest infiltration. Then to support a good seal, use spray foam to insulate around the duct.

The appropriate material for the collar depends on the wall you're going through. If it's a masonry wall, you can use mortar or a concrete patching compound. If the outside is vinyl siding, a small sheet of vinyl could work, with the appropriate trim pieces to terminate the cut vinyl boards (you may want to cut them square so this looks better). If the outside is wooden shingles or clapboard, a painted piece of pressure-treated plywood or cellular PVC trim board would look OK.

Depending on what exactly was cut, and how much, you may want to replace some of your sheathing to support the siding or collar pieces.

Make sure to use the appropriate trim and caulking to seal the collar to the exterior wall. This is really important to seal out water. Consider how water would flow onto and off of the surface - you want gravity on your side. So if you're doing this with wood shingles, make sure the shingles overlap your collar piece on top, and your collar overlaps the shingles below. You don't want a situation where if your caulk wears out you are funneling water behind your siding.


Rail bookshelves on a wall with steel studs

There's no such thing as a "standard" screw. Every type of screw has a particular purpose. In this case you do want to screw into the steel studs, and therefore you want a screw with a thread pitch and depth to suit. Most screws provided with shelving systems are better suited to wood studs.

The first problem that you're likely to encounter is that the "standards" (vertical rails) are usually countersunk to accept a small #6 or #8 flat-head screw, which is a bit on the small side for a massive stack of books. The second is that they system in your photo appears to only be supported every 32 inches. That may not allow enough anchors to be used.

If you 1) use all available screw holes, 2) install standards on every stud (which means using a shelf system that has brackets every 16 inches), and 3) use the largest sheet metal screw that fits behind the shelving you're using (#8 or #10), I think you'll be successful.


How to position pocket hole jig based on wood thickness

The end of the guide is offset from the edge by the distance of the board the holes are being drilled into.  For 1/2", then set the guide back from the edge 1/2".  3/4" = 3/4" setback.  .  Use the Kreg Screw Guide
for the length and type of screw to use based on thickness and wood type.

Do some test drill on scrap wood before trying on your finished product.  The difficult part is setting the drill bit depth if your kit did not include the bit and collar.  Also clamp the two pieces together before screwing the screw in to make sure the two pieces are aligned.
The depth of drill is set by doing this.


2x6 span as rafter for shed with tin-roof

If you look at the span tables here

http://www.southernpine.com/span-tables/joists-rafters/

And look at a table for roof rafters for a very light load, "RAFTERS – 20 PSF LIVE LOAD, 10 PSF DEAD LOAD, 240 DEFLECTION, CD = 1.25"

http://www.southernpine.com/app/uploads/SPtable41_060113.pdf

You'll see there's a maximum span of 16'-4" for 2x6's spaced 12" - so you might get away with it.

Even without the goat factor, I'd bump up to 2x8's for sure.


Why are the neutral wires not connected in this box?

This looks like it used to hold a light fixture that was controlled by a switch. One white conductor is a grounded (neutral) conductor, the other is a switched ungrounded (hot) conductor (presumably).

To verify, follow the cable in both directions (one direction at a time, unless you have a split personality) and see if it eventually runs to another light fixture or a switch.

Alternatively, you could carefully connect a multimeter to the two wires. Then run about wildly flipping switches until either a reading is displayed, or the reading goes to 0.


why does my ceiling fan change direction 2or3times before it finally stays in one direction?

It's probably an optical illusion. The "wagon wheel effect"

You are probably viewing it in light produced by a fluorescent lamp rather than an incandescent lamp.

There do exist electric motors that can work in either direction but no motor will speed up then stop and start working in the reverse direction all by itself.


Oobleck (cornstarch & water) CLOG in DRAIN!

If it's only 4oz, the quickest fix will be to fill the sink until you can get your toilet plunger submerged in it. Then plunge repeatedly. Once it starts draining rinse the starch down with plenty of water.

If that fails, take the p-trap off and give it a good cleanout. Likely the starch settled down there.


Is conduit required when running a short distance to an adjacent 60 amp subpanel?

If you use cable, you are limited to the 60°C rating, so 6/3 isn't big enough for 60A - you'd have to go with 4/3
If you use conduit, and the terminations are rated for 75C, 6 (THHN) is fine. Also, if you use metal conduit, you don't need a grounding wire. The metal conduit is the grounding conductor.
Since it's less than 24 inches long, (a "nipple") you can fill to 60%, so 1/2" EMT, or IMC, or RMC will fit the 3x 6 AWG THHN wires you need (since you don't need a grounding wire, the conduit does that) - no large hole required. 75°C terminations are normal on service equipment, but do verify that yours are so marked - otherwise you are limited to 60°C ratings, in whch case you'll need the "larger of the small size holes" to take 3/4" conduit for 4AWG.


What is this mysterious odor from the kitchen sink and how do I fix it?

you could try removing the disposal and p-trap and cleaning those out.

also, if your sink has an air gap under it, check to make sure that it's not stuck closed. if it is stuck closed, then when you sink drains, the water that's supposed to be in your p-trap is sucked out and sewer gasses can come up the sink.


You can try a magnet.  They will have to secure any substantial patch with a nail or screw.  But really there is no exact way to know what was the patch and what was existing drywall, because the existing drywall will also have screws/nails around it.

So either the patching will be in a unique shape and you can find it or it isn't and you need to take pictures of the wall before they patch.

Real world I seriously doubt this will be patched absolutely perfect.  Not only would they have to do a superb job with the drywall and mud but they would also have to prime it and paint it feathered in with the existing area.  So in reality a high powered light and a good angle on the wall and you shouldn't have a problem.


Changing 3-way ceiling fan/light switch to separate fan & light controls

What you're after requires a whole new wire to the fan:  You currently have a single hot wire going to the fan, that supplies power to both the light and fan.  You want to be able to split that out, so you'll need an additional hot feed, one for the fan, one for the light.  So leave the three way switches as they are and get a qualified electrician to install a new 14/2 conductor from one of the switchboxes up to the light fixture.

You'll either need to install a double switch or expand the switchbox in order to make room for the third switch.


Absolutely you can skim. (Lots of people deliberately prime in order to see the defects that might not be obvious.)

If you can, use topping mud, which will sand more easily and give a better feathered edge than all purpose mud.


How to lay rebars for a 4'x4'x12" footing for a column?

Keep the rebar 3”” from the bottom of the footing and 3” from the edge of the footing.

I’d install the #4 bars 8” oc each way. (You’re not concerned with flexural bending of the footing, because the column on the footing is so large 24”x24”).

I would run 4 - #4 rebar vertically in the column and install 4” hook (90 degree bend) in each rebar and extend it into the footing 8”.  Make sure the vertical bars are about 1” clear from the edges, so concrete can encapsulate the rebar.

For that height of column, I’d use #3 ties at 12” oc. (#3 rebar you can bend by hand.)

I don’t know what you’re supporting (how much load), but that will support about 30 kips at each footing, unless you’re located in a swamp, like me. And the footing will weigh about 7 kips (dead load) each.

Keep all rebar down 3” from the top of the column.


Possibly Appliance shipping locks.  Probably for a washer or dryer.  Keeps the vulnerable internal parts from banging around during shipment (for instance, the washer drum).

Usually are just thrown away after installation.


Wire tone tracer loses signal. Best practices for how to trace an electrical line?

The Fluke Pro3000 is a nice unit, but like other tracers in this segment, it really picks up the signal best when the probe is held within an inch or two of the traced conductor. That's hard to achieve with conductors buried in walls. This kind of tool isn't designed for that job. The nature of building wiring branching out in a star topology going all over also makes it hard to trace a single cable. Fully disconnecting the cable where the transmitter is attached would help combat that, though the signal could branch out as well at the other end of the cable..
If you can get the probe up close and touch the jacket of the cable somewhere else you may get a hit. It could be productive to crawl through the attic to the area where the cables emerge from the wall, probe each of them, and get some idea of the direction the traced cable goes from there.
It might be useful to practice with a cable whose route you do know (or even with a scrap of cable). You could work in an unfinished/semi-finished area of the house to test the detection distance from an exposed cable to the probe, and from cable hidden behind wall board to probe. That'll at least help you set realistic expectations for what the tool may do.


How to shut off water valve to outside faucet?

In colder climates where freezing is common, there is typically a valve to shut off outside faucets just before the plumbing exits the warm interior.  If there is not a valve in that location, you'll have to trace the plumbing back and look for a valve along the way.

It's impossible to tell where the 3 branches go, without actually being on location. You'll just have to look around, or hire somebody to do it for you.

It's defiantly possible to install your own valve, and while the main is already shut off is a perfect time. As Fiasco Labs has mentioned, quarter-turn valves are much nicer than gate valves.


Black gas pipe in unconditioned crawlspace?

Sewer pipe is typically cast iron ( or plastic). Gas pipe should be steel, ( may be called "black iron") many jurisdictions do not permit galvanized steel in gas service. In my opinion , a very misguided concern over corrosion by sulfur. Steel corrosion is often caused by water, especially with salts. If no water sprays in your crawl space you are very unlikely to have corrosion with the gas pipe. Good ventilation should prevent any condensation caused corrosion. In a similar situation , I had some corrosion of the galvanized electric conduit but not the gas pipe.


Does it matter where my furnace condensate pump gets power from?

Are there any other connectors (not power)? If these are all connected up then I wouldn't have thought it matters.

The only possible thing I can think of is that if the condensate pump power is turned off and the furnace keeps running it could cause problems - but I assume that there are alarms/indicators for this (how did you know the original failed?).

It might look neater if you do use the furnace's electrical panel - assuming it delivers enough power of course.


What size posts for elevated Kids play house?

Decks made for people are to be supported by 6x6's. That being said, my 4' x 8' childhood treehouse was supported by 4x4's, until we tore it down 30 years later, still in serviceable condition.

I'd be more concerned that you do the footings right, then if you skimped out and used 4x4's.


Finding the temperature sensors in a room

The HVAC systems of most buildings are controlled by thermostats. However, in most offices and other public buildings, the thermostats are not accessible to the visitors. They are typically located out of sight, in areas where access is restricted, or they are physically protected in some other way.


Dehumidifying a basement apartment--protable AC Dry Mode or dedicated dehumidifier?

Thanks....well, I went out and bought a Toshiba 50 pint dehumidifier to see which one is more efficient in removing the humidity.  Well, the Toshiba does a better job in removing the humidity but it adds about an extra 4 degree warmer in my basement apartment.  The Toshiba can easily get the humidity down to near 40%, when my LG portable AC couldn't....even running it for more than 8 hours.  The lowest humidity the LG could get down to is around 60% with 73 degree.  The Toshiba can easily maintain the humidity around 50% for the entire night but keeping the indoor temperature around 81 degree.
Personally, I would prefer lower humidity but warmer than higher humidity but cooler.


What's the proper procedure for replacing ungrounded circuits?

I seem to recall (not from a handy chunk of code, just from talking with an electrician I work with sometimes) that abandoning wire is generally a no-no (not sure if that applies when  it's inaccessible and impractical to remove, which might make the exception.)

Fishing wires up or down exterior walls that have insulation in them will be potentially frustrating, to say the least.

334.30(B)(1) would appear to allow this, and 334.30(B)(2) only says it applies in accessible ceiling spaces. 334.30(B)(1) (an inaccessible, impractical to support space in an existing finished structure that wire is fished through) appears to apply, without a specific length limit. But they don't get a lot of points for clarity.

If you are opening up to put in larger boxes, you may be able to staple the ends of the cables before you set the box (reaching through the box hole.) Doing so won't really buy much though, since that end will be supported at the box. You definitely want to fish the wire before you set the new box.


Ok, so you will want to connect the white wires from the yellow, red, green, and the fixture.  Connect all the black wires together except the fixture.

Now the only two wires you have left are the white wire from the switch and the black wire of the fixture.  The white wire will be the "switched hot" and needs to be identified by wrapping a strip of black tape around it.  You don't need to cover up all the white, you just need to have an obvious band of black to mark that wire as hot.

Connect that switched hot white wire to the black wire of the fixture and everything should work fine.  Note that the larger bundles of wires will need to use larger wire nuts (typically red).  Don't try to force more wires into a small yellow wire nut.

Also, I hope the zip ties in the back of that box are not holding the box in place.  The box shouldn't wiggle and should be very securely mounted with strong screws if it's going to hold a fan.


Can I dry out insulation behind drywall?

Everything depends on the degree to which your insulation is wet.

I'd cut an exploratory trench about 6" wide across the entire width of the affected wall, both top and bottom. (Don't cut right into the ceiling corner -- stay a few inches down.)

If everything is wet, just keep pulling the drywall down. (It's not that hard to re-rock...)

If everything is just a tiny bit wet, leave the channels open for a while and check periodically.

If you're in doubt about what constitutes 'a tiny bit', I'd suggest you err on the side of demolition. Mold is not your friend.


Why bother referencing neutral to ground in residential transformer?

I know you're looking for a "tweet" of an answer, a simplistic reason "Oh, it's this". There's actually a lot to it.  It's not an ideology, it's hard empirical data culled from a sea of accident reports. They are using field data to "min-max" for minimum casualties.
What you're talking about is an isolated system.
That is a thing.  And yes, if properly maintained, it amounts to "your first ground-fault is free".
I discuss the matter at length in this posting.
However, that "first ground fault" creates a treacherous situation for the rest of the system.
I had exactly that happen on a system I did not intend to be isolated.  I found it when working on a circuit that I had turned off, and I flashed hot to ground just to be sure of it, and I got a tiny blue arc, and the fluorescent lights on that circuit came back on.  The neutral was 120V from ground (whoopsie!) and the other phase was 240V from ground.  Neutral was now dangerous, even though I had turned off the breaker, and it was a darned good thing I had done the "flash test" and chased down the problem before proceeding, because I was about to handle neutral in a grounded metal box, and that would've kicked my butt.
So "the first ground fault is free" is only clever if you have maintenance people actively searching and testing for that first ground fault, and they repair it BEFORE a second ground-fault occurs.  Otherwise, it simply fails in silence, creating a time-bomb that is a worse situation than a grounded system, and bites you later with very unexpected behavior.
Indeed, Code does allow isolated systems on sites where on-site staff do active maintenance and monitoring of the system.  That's sure as heck not a house.


Will I cause problem/cracks with jumping exercise in upper floor?

You shouldn't be able to damage a concrete floor by jumping up and down on it.

There will be sound transmission (as you've noticed) and there might be some movement in the floor if it's not properly tied into the walls. This would be more likely with a wooden floor supported by joists as there is more natural movement in wood than concrete.

If there is movement this could cause the ceiling in the room below to show cracks in the plaster (assuming it is plastered) but these aren't structural and shouldn't worry you unduly. If cracks do appear then monitor them to see if they are growing or not. If they don't change length or width then you'll be able to fill them in and repaint. If they do change length or width then it could indicated that there is something amiss - usually something is loose, but this is unlikely with a concrete floor.


Convert switched nightlight+outlet to non-switched outlet

I am a huge fan of using colored tape to re-color wires according to their actual function.
Here, with black=always-hot and red=switched-hot.

What to do next should be fairly straightforward.


Can I use the existing rigid copper plumbing when replacing a water heater?

The expansion tank shouldn't be supported by the water heater to begin with. Install the flexible piping and support the expansion tank with some 2x4 bracing and a pipe strap.


What are some of the best books/resources on home inspection for first time home buyers?

I can't agree enough with Greebo's statement that you should be present for the inspection. Even if you don't know why the inspector is doing everything he's doing, you can see that he's being as thorough as possible without causing damage to the house. Remember, Mike Holmes is called in when the homeowner discovers there's a problem, and so he has the homeowner's blessing to cut holes, pull up floorboards, and get to the root of the problem. Inspectors aren't allowed to cause damage to walls, floors etc; they can SOMETIMES remove screwed-in fixtures (because replacing said fixture is trivial and makes no additional holes).

However, Holmes will also show viewers what, if anything, the inspector should have caught but didn't. Basically, if it's visible, obviously wrong (or indicating deeper issues), and the inspector didn't make note of it, Holmes will call the guy out for it. There have also been times when Holmes has actually defended the inspector because he either did note an issue that the homeowners thought was minor, or because he couldn't have known there was a problem because it was so well-hidden by the previous homeowner.

Anyway, there are plenty of things an inspector should do that don't cause damage to the home. They are centered in five main aspects of the home: foundation, structure, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. The following are some basic tests that any inspector worth his salt will tell you about.

Foundation:

For slabs or basements: Are there any obvious large cracks in worrisome areas? Are there any running cracks in tile floors, or obvious change of grade angle in other types of flooring?
For below-grade foundations (basements/crawl spaces); are there signs of bowing or excessive settling of the foundation?
For pier & beam: Is there any obvious sign of deterioration of the piers or joists?
Is the earth eroding or pulling away from any foundation members, for any reason?
Is water collecting against the side of the house or underneath it, due to improper drainage?
Is water leeching through the slab or basement walls/floor?

Structure/Exterior:

Is the roof sound? Any signs of wear, damage or old age that indicate repair or replacement?
Is the "skin" of the house weathertight? Are there any cracks, breaks or gaps in brick or mortar?
Are the gutters appropriately designed, installed and maintained to ensure water is collected and directed away from the house?
Any creaking, flexible or unstable floors, indicating joists are loosening?
Tap tile floors with your hand or a hard heel. If you get a hollow sound, the tile is not properly adhered to the substrate; a lot of those will necessitate pulling up and relaying the floor.
Any obvious bowing or "waving" of walls or ceilings indicating improper construction?
Is there a stud every 16" (your average inspector may not check every wall, or even any wall, but a simple radar stud finder can be used on a few walls in the original house and any additions to it)?
For floors not directly on the slab: Is there a joist every 12", cross-braced every four feet? You may not always be able to tell, but in houses with basements you can at least check some of the first floor)
Any signs of lead paint? (unless there is loose or flaking paint, the inspector may not be able to test for lead without the homeowner's approval, and so it may cost extra)
Any signs of asbestos? (Asbestos was very common in home building materials; various types of home insulation, roofing shingles, flooring tile, even popcorn ceilings in houses older than about 1980 can contain asbestos; it's fine AS LONG AS it is left alone, but virtually any inspector will strongly recommend it be removed)

Electrical:

Do all lights work? Do all switches do something obvious?
Do all outlets work?
Are there any overloaded circuits (panel switches controlling too many lights/outlets)? Rule of thumb; Other than major appliances (HVAC, washer, dryer, dishwasher/disposer, and hot water heater should all have their own panel switch), count outlets or light bulbs controlled by a single switch, and if you count more than 12 that circuit has too much on it.
Are all outlets properly grounded? Believe it or not there are plenty of houses with two-prong outlets all over, and that was perfectly legal when the house was built. However, you have to know this up front; you can't plug in most high-amperage devices, including many vacuum cleaners, without a three-prong properly-grounded outlet, and it will cost a lot of money to have the house re-wired.
Is there any knob & tube electrical wiring? K&T was also legal at one point, and it is grandfathered, but if you're looking to renovate in the future you will need to know it's there and budget for an upgrade to Romex wire. K&T is also rarely grounded. Opening up a switch box, or taking a good look at the panel, will tell you this.
If GFCI is present on circuits, do they work? What outlets are protected (if GFCI is there at all, you want it in all "wet areas" including the kitchen, bathrooms, exterior outlets and basements)?
If GFCI is NOT present, would it have been required in a house this age (built or last renovated 1996 or later)?
If AFCI is present, it is present in all bedroom branch circuits? Does it work (there are arc fault testers, but generally that feature is not part of the average outlet tester)?
If AFCI is NOT present, would it have been required in a house this age (I believe 2006 and later)?

Plumbing:

In a house older than about 30 years, are there any obvious signs of lead pipes, especially on supply lines? (Lead is bad no matter where it is)
In a house older than 50 years or so, any obvious signs of clay drain pipe? (Clay isn't toxic and generally it's fine to have, but it's VERY old material and may be a harbinger of various plumbing problems like cracks or collapse)
In a house between 10-20 years old, any obvious signs of PVC (white plastic) supply lines? (PVC leaches Bisphenol-A, or BPA, into your water, which can affect young children. It's acceptable if not ideal for drains, but it should not be used for water supply lines, especially hot water)
Smell all the sink and tub drains, and the dishwasher. Any smell of sewer gas or general decomposition? In a house that's been vacant for months, a little of this is normal; the traps have gone dry. Run some water down the drains, then repeat the check at the end of the inspection. In a house still being lived in or recently vacated, foul-smelling drains indicates missing or improper P-traps on one or more drains, or improper slope of pipes causing wastes to back up in the pipes.
Run water through all faucets down all drains. Check that the sink doesn't back up from a slow drain (improper venting or improper angle of drain pipe; water being forced uphill). Fill each sink to the overflow drain (if present) and ensure the overflow drain drains properly.
Any obvious signs of water damage around any of the water faucets or drains? A leak or burst pipe may not be immediately obvious except in certain circumstances, but if that leak has caused water damage, the damage will be visible when the water isn't.
If there is a sprinkler system in the yard, does each zone work? Are there any broken or stuck heads?

HVAC:

With the A/C on (if you can; don't turn on the A/C if the outside temp is below 60 degrees or you risk freezing the evaporator coil), check the temperature of the air coming out of all vents. It should be 20 to 30 degrees colder from each vent than the OUTSIDE ambient air temperature.
With the heat on, check the temperature of the air coming out of the vents. It should be 20 to 30 degrees warmer than the current INSIDE ambient air temperature.
With just the fan on, or the system operating normally for the season, check the airflow through all vents. Measure the air speed with a simple wind gauge; that figure, plus the size of the vent, can be used to calculate CFM of the system. Compare that to the blower's CFM rating, and if it's not within about 10%, there's a leak or blockage wasting capacity.
Check the vents themselves with a mirror; look for dust accumulation. A duct cleaning isn't terribly expensive but you may want the seller to cover a complete checkup and maintenance if the overall airflow is low.
Check the filter; if it is highly caked with dust, you may consider redoing the airflow tests with the filter removed, to ensure that the blower itself is moving enough air when unimpeded.


Is insulation or damp proof barrier a requirement for walls in wood sheds?

Without sealing it pretty well (and it sounds like it's not right now), I don't think you'd gain any benefit from insulation. To be truly effective, you need to seal up air gaps, holes, etc. You'd also need to then consider insulating not only the walls, but the ceiling as well.
For an unconditioned space, sealing things up may just lead to other problems. If it's humid out and you're going in and out, you're letting the moist air in. Close it up, you seal it in next to your tools. Not great. Putting in something like fiberglass insulation in the walls would also make the drying of any moisture that got in the wall cavities take even longer, which is exactly what you don't want.
If you have no plans of heating/cooling this shed, and it's just an outbuilding for storage, I don't see why you'd bother with the expense and effort of insulating it.


What to do first in a basement? Dricore then frame on top? Or frame and then lay dricore?

The framing in a basement is non structural. The only weight on the walls is the wall itself and minor loads from shelving, etc.

The purpose of Dricore is to isolate everything from the floor and walls except the plastic spacing material on the bottom. Dricore is also installed with a small gap at the walls. If you build on top of the Dricore, the studs are kept away from any moisture that may seep through the basement floor or seep through the walls.

Keeping the studs from touching the basement walls also helps create a thermal break to assist with insulation. Additionally, an air-gap behind the insulation also increases the R value.

Build the walls on top of the Dricore. Pin the Dricore to the floor as directed.


You could try using some wire cutters. Squeeze the wire cutter blades under the head of the bolt. Use a screw gun with the right bit and spin the bolt, at the same time work the wire cutter under the head and use the cutters to help pull up the bolt.


Tap keeps dripping even after reseating - broken?

I would say that your excellent picture shows that the seat in this valve is not smooth and planar all the way around. With that said it looks like this valve is definitely in line for replacement.

As a temporary work around you may want to see if you can find a faucet washer that is made of silicon instead of the normally much harder faucet washer material. It may be able to squeeze down on the imperfect seat and seal off the faucet till you can make the full replacement. Do not wait too long however because the turning under pressure to close the faucet with a silicon washer is likely to degrade and tear up the washer surface.


Is there such a thing as a combination floor nailer and finish nailer?

I'm not aware of any 45 adapters and other nail guns can not drive the special nails used for hardwood floors. Also, the floor nailers are set up to actually smack the wood tight before driving the nail. I would strongly suggest renting the tool, one of those items that is well worth the cost.


How can I paint vertical surfaces without getting paint runs?

You should be working the paint out to the point that it doesn't run. (People paint walls every day without this problem.) Or buy better paint. (Cheap paint is very watery.)

You may also be applying too heavily. Put the paint on the surface and brush or roll it outward to distribute. You should have an even coat that's as thin as it can be without showing drag marks, bare spots, etc. If you do that, it won't run.

I like to work from one side to the other, applying paint in a leapfrog manner: Dip the brush, scrape one side clean on the container, dab the surface a few inches away from the previously painted area, and work back to it, blending. With a little experience you can actually feel when you have too much or too little paint on an area by the drag on the brush or the stickiness of the roller.


Need to Remove and Replace a Hook that is in Concrete

If it were really concrete, an expansion eye bolt is an obvious choice:  Where you drill a hole, clean it out (without breathing the dust), and tighten.

But you've got brick which is crumbly, and you want it secure against theft and pull out.  Thus you should consider drilling a slightly larger hole, cleaning out yet better, and setting a new bolt with epoxy.

Or get a bolt with plate, and multiple tapcon type brick anchor screws to spread the load out a bit in the brick:

The old bolt will likely pull out with a pry bar or screwdriver with a twist.  You may be shocked how easy it comes out of mortar.

If you need to hire, hire a "handyperson" or "handy".


Why does my bath fan duct have dried grass in it?

Yes, you have a rodent or bird nest in there. No, you shouldn't break anything.

That vent flap is simply hanging on two little integral pins or arms. You can see them in the photo. You should be able to tilt the flap into alignment with the duct, then flex it to release the arm on one side.

Do your cleaning and replace the flap. Now find out why your duct is open to the outside. It should probably have mesh over the opening to prevent pest intrusion.


Can sunpanel be mounted to horizontal 2x4?

You can secure a Panel by any means necessary. The reason they should be mounted by a back board or vertical stud is to make sure you have the ability to run circuits to the Panel with as little interference as possible.
Just something to think about while you are in the planning stage. Good luck.


How should I go about removing these two walls?

Seeing as you're in the UK (lots of well-enforced building regulations) and you're wanting to remove at least one load-bearing wall (the old external wall), you absolutely need to bring in the pros and start dealing with all the hassles of permitted renovation. I'm not sure if you'll be allowed to do any of the work yourself, but if you are, it will undoubtedly be under the supervision of someone with very comprehensive liability insurance. :)


3-way switch AND sgl pole dimmer in one gang

It's not enough to get any dimmer. You need a dimmer that is compatible with your LED system.  That's a hard find, and diy.se is not a shop-for-me site.  We can help with how to navigate the limitations of the available tech.

Very often these under-cabinet LED lights are 12 volts from a power supply.   If so, that is the place to do the dimming - after the power supply, on the 12 volt side, with a dimmer for that purpose.  Especially if you want to jazz it up with RGB LEDs or variable color temperature LEDs.  Have the switch just be a switch, and have a separate LED-optimized dimmer control under the cabinets where practical.

That will make finding the right switch a lot easier.  All you need is a duplex 3-way switch.  A 3-way switch can substitute for a 2-way switch.  Just use the "common" and one other terminal, leave the other terminal unused.


Is it normal for there to be tar showing from under some shingles on a roof?

Asphalt shingles have strips of tar on them that are designed to be covered by the next layer of shingles.  The top shingle will heat up, melt the tar strip, and then that tar strip will grab onto the shingle above, and so it helps stabilize the shingle in place.

Is that what you're seeing?


Congratulations on the cork.  I put cork in my master bathroom a few years ago and it was the best floor I've ever had - warm in the morning and soft under bare feet.  I liked it so much I put cork in our kitchen too.

My feeling is that you don't need to seal it.  I didn't see any lifting or swelling on our floor over three years.  We're not especially fastidious people either - we basically just swiped puddles with a towel when we saw them.

Any sealant you put on that is capable of sealing the joints will be a film finish.  My gut says the subtle expansion and contraction of the cork along with the flex of the floor will crack a film finish like that in pretty short order, defeating the purpose.

One thing you could try if you're nervous is some clear wax.  Test it under a cabinet or something to see if you can force a tiny bit into the seam and still thoroughly remove it from the surface.  Also satisfy yourself that the solvent in wax doesn't damage the finish of the cork tiles. If it works ok, it might slow down penetration of water into the seams while still remaining flexible.


I just had my driveway sealed, and the fumes are making my house uninhabitable. What can I do?

As Tester101 said, first step is isolating your house from them: close doors, windows, garage, and so on.

Next step is dealing with those vapors that do come in.  Have you tried activated carbon filters?  They make ones that fit in your air handler.  These things can absorb amazing amounts of organic vapors.

As for the sealer, it will off-gas the volatile components at a first order rate (I think, someone may correct me), which means it has a half life.  The amount will drop exponentially over time.  It should get better,but there's not much you can do to speed it up.


It sounds like this is an EV submeter. My guess is that adding a jumper is the equivalent of bypassing the meter, which means you'd be stealing power from the utility. I don't think they'd take too kindly to that.

However, if this meter is fed from your primary meter (which is possible, and what I have, albeit in a very different setup) then you could jump it by taking the wires and splicing them with a screw-down terminal, the same as the neutral (white wires) has been done.

It would simply be as if you didn't have a submeter. It helps that the wires are color coded nicely too. Red to red, black to black, leave the green as is...


Is it the house wiring or problem with electric stove?

I would carefully disassemble the stove, particularly in the sparking areas, and positively find the reason why.  It is not enough to say "Gee, it seems to have stopped sparking now".

People die from electric stoves with problems - and the last line of defense is a proper grounding system.  That's why I would beware of 3-prong NEMA 10 connections: If the stove requires NEMA 10 or 14 (as most do), convert the receptacle to NEMA 14 by adding a ground wire, and change the appliance cord to NEMA 14 as the manufacturer instructs.


Flame retartdant nonconductive panel cover

Sheet Metal
That's really the only choice. That was almost certainly what was there before.
Conductive is actually NOT a problem. If it is designed and implemented correctly, the metal will not be in contact with ANY wires under normal conditions. There is, obviously, a concern if somehow the metal is in contact with one of the hot wires and then someone touches it. The solution to that problem is related to the other concern about a panel cover - access. Basically, you want access to be possible (a) without tools and (b) without contact should that be a concern. An ordinary breaker panel will have a door that on hinges that can be opened/closed easily - that is essentially what you want to build here. If it is done right, you will, if needed, be able to open/close with an insulated item (e.g., a dry wooden pole) to access the breakers. But the cover itself metal. Probably some sort of steel, though aluminum may be more corrosion resistant.


How to connect a faucet to a buried water line?

EDIT: I bought a PVC 1" barbed to 1/2" threaded fitting and a kit with a 2' >braided hose and a shutoff valve. So I'll try bringing the 1" poly up to under the >sink, and then use these bits. We'll see...

I would have probably done that as well (caveat: I am only vaguely familiar with poly, aka "Polybutylene." I have never used it for a job or even had to replace it...It's very uncommon here in northeast Ohio. ) although at first thought, I'm not sure whether it makes a difference to put the Poly to PVC underground or above. I'd also probably put that poly above the sink, then put the Poly to PVC fitting > then the shut off valve, and finally, the braided hose to the faucet..

(FWIW, I'd still use copper, but my boss is extremely old-school..).


What type of water filter cartridge is right for drinking water in NYC

...you have some of the best tap water in the country. Either remove it completely, or possibly use a carbon filter cartridge if there's enough chlorine to bother you. If the filter looks off, the filter housing probably needs a good cleaning/sanitizing.

Which one (or how many) of the bottled water companies is just bottled NYC tap water?


How to ground a 3prong outlet for a cloth dryer?

You can retrofit just the ground. However you need to run the ground in #10 wire either back to the panel, back to somewhere that has a #10 ground coming out of that panel (e.g. a water heater), or to metallic conduit coming out of that panel.  A #12 ground path is not  adequate.

You may also not use water pipes, since they might be part of the grounding electrode system, but they are not part of the equipment safety grounding system.

There is a legal exception that allows  you to not ground a dryer.  However the exception tells you to bootleg ground off of neutral - exactly what they tell you not to do anywhere else, and for good reason.  Any flaw in the neutral wire will result in the dryer's chassis becoming electrified at 120V.


What can I do "spread" load on breaker for single bedroom?

If there's room in the panel, you could run additional circuits.  If not, you could install a second panel, or try and free up space in the existing panel.

If you have room for additional circuits, I'd recommend putting the A/C unit on its own circuit.  Because through normal use, the A/C unit will introduce surges and noise on the line. This is undesirable on circuits with sensitive electronics such as computers, so you should avoid having the A/C on the same circuit, if possible.

If you're seeing dimming lights when the A/C comes on, it's likely due to voltage drop. This voltage drop is caused, because the A/C is drawing a large amount of current when the unit starts up.  This drop in voltage can be damaging to sensitive electronics.

Depending on the load requirements of the servers, it may be desirable to install an additional separate circuit to handle them.

If possible; and depending on the load requirements, I'd recommend using three circuits. One for the A/C, one for the servers, and one general use circuit for the PC, monitors, and various other office equipment.

Installing a larger breaker is likely not an option, unless the wiring, devices, and equipment are all rated for the higher current (not likely).


How can I repair a nicked wire without adding a junction box?

I hate to leave questionable connections behind walls. I dream of fire and destruction.

I would repair the tear unless you were certain that the wire insulation was not compromised.

The easiest way to do that is with an inline cable splice.

These are mean to be concealed in walls where repairs to existing wiring is needed, and are UL approved. I use them sparingly (they are a hidden connection) but sometimes they are necessary.

Yon need some slack, so you may have to open a bay next to the current one to get more cable. You can then run a new cable to the next box. In a pinch, you could use two splices and a short run of cable between them, but I would try to avoid that.