Insert a 1/4 20 Threaded rod into a threaded 21/64 hole through metal

Let me take another swing at this.

This is a common issue when hanging pipe or conduit: your threaded rod goes up, but you need adjustability.  Preferably without having to take it all apart.

I would use a basic pipe strap.

Cut it so there are an odd number of (major) holes. Make a loop. Then use a short 1/4-20 screw to go through first a washer, then both outer holes (creating a loop around the screw head), then on into the concrete fastener.   Now a loop of pipe strap dangles from the fastener.  Run the threaded rod up through the center (bottom) hole, then a washer, then a nut. It will stretch out vertically, but you can turn the nut to adjust height.

First, that binder isn't made for .328 rod.  It is made for solid 1/4 to 5/16 rod, exactly like it says on the tin.

Now, using the setscrew hole is not a great plan.  It's the wrong size and pitch (finethread), and you won't find an adapter from 1/4-20NC to 5/16-24NF (if it's even that), not even a helicoil.

Also, the fastener only pivots 15 degrees from straight, but even if that is acceptable, it's not made to have tension loads through the ball joint, it's designed for shear loads across the ball joint.

However I would also consider standoffs like these if you can find them in 1/4-20.


Two suggestions:

Try finding a different supplier. Check out another big-box store, or even better try to find a local lumberyard/sawmill. The local place may well have sawn their own on site and they'll never have been banded, so there won't be an issue. The time saved in cleaning may be worth an extra buck or two that they may charge. It should go without saying that you'd return the marked up wood to its vendor.

Use a plane, jointer or sanding block to sand through the marks. They're not likely more than skin deep, so taking off 1/32" or so is probably all that would be necessary and wouldn't appreciably weaken the wood in any way.

And a third idea based on Graham's answer...

Pressure wash them. We did that with our deck prior to sealing it and all the lumber yard stamps washed right off. Warning: We found it difficult to get a nice, even surface coloration when pressure washing. No matter what I did, some of the surface grey seemed to remain, though most of the wood returned to the nicer, more golden color it started out at.


Adding a 110v circuit off 220v spa wiring

Can you come off the 50 amp feed for LED lights, yes. But what you have now is a non fusible disconnect, not a sub panel that can add another breaker for your LED lights. You can not just stick a 15 amp wire for lights under the 50 amp terminal and run your lights. (the wire would melt long before the breaker trips if there was an issue). You will need to take the 50 amp wire into a sub panel instead of the disconnect and then have 2 separate breakers for the hot tub and the lights that will be added.
It depends on your situation whether that is easier to do then running a new 15 amp line for your lights from the existing panel or even coming off another 15 amp circuit elsewhere in the house.


I have never used Alcolin, I usually use Henery's for "mop boards" & cove base the adhesives are really good. If you want to remove them you usually do a lot of damage to the sheet rock / or take chunks of plaster out. The adhesives will last as long as the board or wall do. Once they set I think tacking a cord on it will be fine if allowed by local code. No worries about the adhesive falling apart usually the wall or inexpensive trim breaks down first.


(note: this post assumes that by "gauge" you mean AWG)

I expect the biggest issue with longer leads is likely to be volt drop, especially during startup when motors can draw substantially more than their normal running current. Volt drop during startup may cause slower startup or even failure to start which in turn can lead to overheating.

I would suggest that if you need to use a longer cord you should aim to keep the resistance of the cord no greater than that of the cord the manufacturer recommends. So if you double the length you should also double the cross sectional area (which in american terms seems to translate to reducing the AWG number by 3).


The neutrals are hot until they're connected to the neutral bus whenever the load is connected (switched on or whatever). You have a very dangerous situation there whenever they're disconnected. You should never disconnect neutrals or grounds unless the associated hot is disconnected or the breaker switched off.

More info and explanation

In a main panel, ground and neutral are "bonded", and they share one or more bus bars. The neutrals and grounds for a particular branch circuit should never be installed together under a single screw. It is a code requirement that each neutral be terminated one per hole with no other wires. This prevents inadvertent and dangerous detachment of additional neutrals when working with a single screw.

UPDATE: Here's a good discussion on 408.21, the section that covers this issue. My interpretation is that neutrals must be individually secured, but grounds can be doubled (or even tripled) when the hardware allows. Confusion often stems from the terms "grounded" and "grounding". The former refers to grounded neutrals, and the latter to (typically) bare ground conductors.


What's the difference between Interior and Exterior scaffolding?

You're really going to have to look at them up close & personal if a simple 2x12 across 2 or more supports isn't to your liking. Interiors are either a fancy version of the 2x12 on empty 5-gallon buckets or self-standing & rolling cages of quite short lengths.

Exterior usually is not self-standing & must be anchored to the building, negating its use inside altogether, but they are made to receive additional sections & levels.

If you haven't used ladders & ladder jacks for exterior scaffolding you may want to try that out first & they can be used indoors with the Werner type of adjustable ladders that can be used as step or straight ladders.


If the only issue is mounting the fan, you can add a 2x4 or 2x6 (whichever matches your joists) perpendicular to your joists and attached to them in the attic. Like building part of a plenum box. Then attach the fan to that. Basic carpentry. I like GRK fasteners but any good screws (or even nails) will do. If you want it stronger you can use brackets but that's probably excessive for something as light as a fan.

Another alternative is to get one of the Panasonic fans that comes with a mounting bracket that spans the gap between joists on the attic side and lets you position the fan as needed. Cost is higher but hassle is less, and they are good fans. I know from experience.


Based on what I see, the green pipe is the hot out supply to the house as that is on the output of the temperature mitigating valve. The green cap can usually be adjusted - some need pulling out to allow movement (a safety feature to prevent accidental changes), take care if you want to change the temperature though, a usual maximum is 46 deg C but often they are set lower like 42 deg C.
The pipe coming to that mitigating valve is the cold supply which also is connected to the bottom of the tank ie the supply point.
The pipe further back to the right is from the pressure & temperature relief valve so that the tank is not damaged due to an excess of pressure or temperature.


Can I repair chips and holes in a wall with spackle and paint?

Yes spackle can fill those places. Do remove the loose piece at the bottom before you fill. The rough texture on the walls will make it difficult to get you patch smooth, and I don't think sanding the spackle will be the way to go when the spot is filled. There will always be overlap of the spackle when filling a low spot, but try to keep it to a minimum. After the low spot if filled sufficiently, and it may take  few coats, use a damp or wet sponge if needed to wipe the excess off of the existing texture to minimize the texture change. The roughness over the new spackle may be left alone, since sanding it flat may be more noticeable than the roughness left naturally by the application.
For the hole in the ceiling, that same thing can be done, use a small putty knife or even your finger to fill the hole, and wipe the excess with a damp sponge.


How can I have a ceiling light and separate fan on the same switch?

You must add another switch and wire and separate the fan wiring from the light.

or

Buy a fan WITH a light and remove the other light.


How do I wire a hard-wired wall switch and a remote for my ceiling fan/light?

Simplest answer is probably to get a second remote and velcro it to the wall, unless the controller is designed to also support a physical switch via a switch loop or the "toggle off and on again rapidly" signalling mechanism. Docs for the controller should answer that question; if they don't tell you how to also use a wall switch you probably can't -- or at least can't use it as anything but a master power switch.


How do I get the shine back on the bottom of my acrylic shower stall?

It's probably mineral deposits from your water.
Clean it with vinegar, or CLR.  Then, get a squeegee and wipe down the shower after you use it to keep it clean for longer.


Replacement GFCI isn't working correctly

I think I know the problem...

It's not necessary to put GFCI on a fan or light unless it is in the shower.

The LOAD terminals are not for onward power to other points-of-use. The LINE terminals are for that.  Any GFCI is capable of protecting onward points-of-use; when you actually want that, you put it on LOAD.

It sounds like the last guy put both this light and the other bathroom's light on GFCI either out of ignorance or "because it's saferer".

I do believe that "saferer" has paid off.  One of the lights or the wiring has a ground fault.

I gather this never occurred to you, but it all adds up.  The old GFCI didn't trip because it was bad; it was doing its actual job.  You replaced it, and the new one also tripped because it was doing its job.

How to test or replace a GFCI so that doesn't happen

First, if a GFCI refuses to not trip, you must remove everything from the LOAD wires before you can meaningfully test it.  Obviously if you remove a downline from the LOAD terminals and suddenly the GFCI behaves properly, the removed downline has a ground fault.

So that is one way to solve it: work the problem.

The other way is simply move the faulting load to the LINE wires and not worry about it... but that seems reckless. It's one thing to not bother to GFCI protect things that don't need it. But a whole 'nother thing to ignore a problem you know is there.  I mean if you did, and then a fire started there... you'd feel pretty dumb.


Why did this AC with a shared condenser stop working?

Disconnect C2 and measure the capacitance for 25uF. If the reading is out, replace the capacitor.


Why won't my shower's temperature handle let the water get hot enough?

Many faucets have an adjustable range.  In the last one I installed there was plastic ring with v-grooves around the outside of it: to adjust the range you positioned two stops that hooked into the v-grooves.

Recommend the TIA* approach to see what you can see - it may be very straightforward.  Just don't drop the screws down the drain!

*Take It Apart


Why is sewage backing up from this outdoor pipe?

My guess, and it's only a guess, is that that pipe is where the downspout used to attach to the sewer system.  Until very recently, downspouts used to connect directly to the sewage system.  Many municipalities have passed laws mandating the removal of these connections because the treatment plant would often overflow during a storm, leading to the dumping of untreated sewage into natural waterways.

So what's happened, is there is a block downstream of the connection between this storm sewer and the household sewer.  Typically, if the blockage occurs on the road side of  the water supply cut off --

-- then the city is responsible.  If it's inside, then the homeowner is responsible.
In my city, they'll run a camera down the pipe, and charge you $300 for the scoping if the blockage is on your side.  I'm betting in the short term, you'd be better of to get a city licensed plumbing and drainage contractor to snake it out and absorb the cost.  Not a DIY job, because the city will make you pay for anything that goes wrong.

The next issue is how to stop it from happening again.   You'll probably have to dig down to the connection, remove the downspout and cap it off.   Again, since you're playing with municipal systems, this is not a DIY job.

You might get lucky with calling the city, but then again, they might inspect certain systems and order you to fix them right away, at a cost you likely can't afford if you just bought the house.


Suggestions for treehouse platform support without posts

The Treehouse Guide is a pretty comprehensive resource. It covers topics from picking out the tree to building code adherence.


Wiring a dusty chicken coop without risking a fire

DO NOT use lights for heating.  Use actual heaters
Lights (even "heat lamps") are a terrible choice because they are unreliable. They burn out with great regularity, and chickens don't know how to change bulbs, so they freeze until you notice the light is out.
I advise using actual, built-for-purpose, infrared (radiant) heaters.  Or if you don't specifically need the radiant effect and need general  heating, use actual quality heaters made for fixed installation in buildings.  Any resistive heater that is 240V and doesn't have a fan (such as the ubiquitous, low-cost and reliable Cadet heaters) will cheerfully run at 1/4 power on 120V. So if you want 250W of heat, select a 1000W/240V Cadet heater (about $40).
With these heaters, you can use any common, off-the-shelf line voltage thermostat. (240V dumb thermostats work on 120V just fine).
For lighting, use modern bulbless LEDs
Since LED emitters are semiconductors, they will outlive us all.  As such, having sockets on LED emitters is utterly pointless.  (the drivers, on the other hand... but I digress).  Anyway, hardwired, bulbless LED fixtures are perfectly sensible, and do the most to reduce fire risk.

Other than that, don't worry too much about dust.  Use of metal boxes and conduit is plenty of security.  Generally boxes are supposed to be relatively sealed from dust; old style "snap" dust covers for receptacles may be a good choice.
I would go with compression fittings on EMT; personal choice, and it does a better job being a grounding path IMO.  Not a fan of the setscrew types.  Since you have EMT you might as well use THHN individual wires, rather than pig-wrestling NM cable and violating code doing so (both conduit fill and the prohibition on assembling conduit over wires).


What is the best method to patch a large hole (2-3 inches) in drywall?

Correct way to do it as instructed on 'Canada's worst Handyman':

cut a piece of strapping (wood) that will be a couple inches longer than the hole on each side.
put the strapping inside the hole and attach it using a couple of drywall screws so that it is across the hole.
cut a piece of drywall that is the same size as the hole, as close as you can get
attach the patch to the strapping with a drywall screw
mud, sand, paint.

Same process works for larger holes and also on the ceiling which can be tricky.


Are there some white wires in the back of the box?  If so, surely the blacks are:

One black (and partner neutral) which comes from power source.  It will be hot all the time, even when separated from the others.
One black (and partner white) going to other things such as receptacles, light switches and the like, things intended to be always-hot.
One black (and its partner white) going to the lamp - the one controlled by the switch. If you wire power source to this, the lamp will be on all the time.

The normal connection is to a) hook up all grounds.    b) attach the black/hot going to the lamp, to one of the switch terminals.  c) tie the power-source and the "other stuff" hot to each other.  d) Tie those two to the other terminal on the switch.

How to tie 2 wires to one terminal


Painting unfinished attic, what are the pros/cons?

Cleaning up

Pro: Reduce fire risk from scrap kindling material.

Pro: reduce wildlife habitat internal to house.

Con: It's work. Not that much of a con.

Painting

Pro: easier to see (if you paint it white.)

Con - expense (money and time) .vs. amount of time you'll spend in it, since it does not appear to resemble living space or enough space to convert to living space, unless you are housing hobbits or leprechauns.

There is no real benefit to "sealing the wood" since there should never be weather in here. Kept dry, "unsealed" wood lasts for hundreds of years.


Was this basement window installed properly?

The only thing at all possibly risky that I see in that AWESOME looking installation is the exterior shot of the window mounting.

The top edge of the window flange (I think is the word) points up, creating a potential point for water entry behind the window.

This is mitigated some by the near proximity of the siding above, but driving rain could still get in there.

I would therefore recommend you put a waterproof material around and over the edges of the window, and extending up to underneath the siding, to ensure that water that does hit that wall cannot get behind the window.

Beside that, dude, that looks great!


As it was never on its side, you should be able to use it without waiting.

If it was laid on its side, the manuals tend to say leave it upright for 24 hours before plugging it in.


Nest thermostat e heat link replacing the old danfoss

If this is the Nest E UK thermostat (the same designation is used for completely different products in the USA. Nest's own documentation is not always clear which product is being referred to.)

On the Nest, there are terminals for Common, NO (normally open) and NC (normally closed).  In addition to these terminals you can also see the OT1 and OT2 terminals, which are used for OpenTherm.

Ignore OT1 and OT2.

Connect Danfoss L Brown to Nest Common

Danfoss 3 ON (black?) Sleeved Brown to Nest NO.

Make sure that Neutral (Grey sleeved blue) and Earth (green/yellow sleeve) are tidied out of the way and cannot connect to anything.


Trane XR90 Furnace - 4 flashes "open limit device"

I figured out the issue.  I was focused on air intake and never bothered to check outtake.  The lovely lady closed the vents in unused rooms hoping to force more air into the MBR.  Opening the registers in all rooms resolved the "open limit device" issue.


Is it typical for the metal of corner bead to be exposed after it is finished being mudded?

Examine any corner in any building and you'll find that the paint is on plaster, not metal.  (Interior paint - even with primer - will scrape off of metal way too easily)

The plaster is supposed to just cover the metal corner, neatly.

In short - your drywallers (if these are the same guys who botched all the screws) suck.


Central AC is Icing up, but not cooling my house

Chemically clean the evaporator coil with coil cleaner, buy it at an appliance store.is filter ok.buy a cheapie for ac season they flow more air.


Can I reuse underlayment for vinyl flooring replacement?

I think what you meant was underlayment; but generally, yes you can still use it, unless you suspect or find damage. And scraping up vinyl is so tedious that many people or contractors would not even bother to tear up the old vinyl before laying down another floor, but I suppose that depends on the situation... for example maybe new vinyl over the old vinyl is not a good idea because the old vinyl is not in good condition anymore.


Ceiling fan + dimmable lights + old wiring?

Note: Depending on location and other factors (e.g., your lease) you may not be allowed to make any electrical system changes in a rented apartment. So any changes recommended by me or anyone else should be considered as "maybe I can do them myself or maybe I have to pay an electrician to do it".

Traditionally, a ceiling fan + light could be controlled one of two ways:

Two switches, with two switched hot wires. One switched hot would control the fan, one would control the lights and they would share a neutral. Putting a dimmer switch on the lighting only switch would work just fine, because it would control only the lights and not the fan. Based on your description (including "disconnected the fan motor"), I don't think you have this configuration.
One switch, with pull chains for the light and fan. This sounds like what you have. You can't use a dimmer in this configuration because whenever you dim lights you would cause big problems for the fan motor, as controlling speed of a fan requires a different kind of control than a normal dimmer.

There are two solutions:

Smart Switch - Get a smart switch that has a switch module with two switches, one including a dimmer, and with a remote box that connects to the fan/light. A smart switch can control multiple devices all over a single wire. If you want the option to connect "anything", that is the way to do it. But fortunately, new fans anticipate these requirements, so...
New Fan/Light with Remote - For example, picked at random Hunter Channing 54 in. LED Indoor Easy Install Brushed Nickel Ceiling Fan with HunterExpress feature set and checking the installation guide:

Remote controls fan speed and light dimming
Includes single-switch instructions on page 6 of the installation guide

Bottom line: Get a fan/light that includes a remote and single-switch instructions and you're all set.


Should I drywall and/or insulate my garage wall?

I would insulate it and drywall it.

You are already losing some heat from the house walls and the second floor into the garage. If you insulate it, your garage will be warmer - at least, after the door has been closed for a while - and you will lose less heat. It won't be super-warm, but it will help.

You do not need 5/8" drywall for the garage walls. In the US, you need it between the garage and living space, but not on the exterior walls.

I also recommend thinking about adding some outlets before you close the walls up - so much easier than doing it later.


How to calculate dead/live load on this 2x4 structure

Updated: I see a lot of questions referring to spans, strengths etc. Here is a very useful link for calculators regarding all things mentioned.
http://www.awc.org/codes-standards/calculators-software

Edit: Based on your diagram now showing.

I do not what type of finish look you are going for but as mentioned by others, the chance of hitting studs where you need them and lack of support are problematic. Either rethink your material or consider either metal bracing for a rustic look or a cable system if you want something that doesn't stand out.

Since your diagram is not showing up and you have a shelving tag, I will give it a go.

For a shelf you can use a sagulator calculator to give you the info you need. Which can be found here. http://woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm

Strength values for lag bolts into 2x4s.

A 3/8" lag bolt 2" deep has a pull force of 1900lbs.
At 1/2" at 3.5" deep and you have a pull force of 3500lbs.

If you are looking for a box frame dead load, let me know.


How can I restore the color of my Trex deck after sanding?

If you haven't sanded through the color topcoat and into the base material, try one of those automotive "miracle" formulas that restore vinyl tops or the plastic bumper covers on late model vehicles, to like new condition, so they claim. I haven't tried them but it may be worth a shot.


Dropping wire from attic through existing interior drywall wall

Since this cable is going through a concealed space between access points and adding support is impracticable, NEC 334.30(B) applies:

  (B) Unsupported Cables. Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall
  be permitted to be unsupported where the cable:

  (1) Is fished between access points through concealed
  spaces in finished buildings or structures and supporting is impracticable.

  (2) Is not more than 1.4 m (4½ ft) from the last point of
  cable support to the point of connection to a luminaire
  or other piece of electrical equipment and the cable and
  point of connection are within an accessible ceiling.

So, go ahead and use NM if you wish.  (The NEC has equivalent wording in 330.30(D) for MC cable and 320.30(D) for AC cable, BTW.)


I would not mount the latch to the door skin. Even if you can attach it well, chances are you'll pull the skin off the door over time. It's not designed to withstand that sort of stress.
Instead, use long bolts with acorn nuts to sandwich the two sides to the door, or use coupling nuts and bolts from both sides. The latter requires larger holes through the door, but you can use small bolts in the latch plates.
Through-bolt with acorn nut

    |        |
  __|        |__
 |  |        |  |_
(|==|========|==|_)
 |  |        |  |
 |  |        |  |
 |  |        |  |

Screws with coupling nut

    |        |
  __|        |__
 |  | ______ |  |
(|==|=______=|==|)
 |  |        |  |
 |  |        |  |
 |  |        |  |

It's critical that your holes line up, and with four such holes it's challenging.

Clamp or tape the latch plates in place. Verify that they align through the door. Mark the holes and remove the latches.
Drill through the door skin from both sides with a small bit, keeping the drill square to the door face.
Insert the bit through the holes in both faces. Ream the holes to shift position if necessary, aligning the bores.
Gradually increase bit size, finishing with a bit size suitable for your bolts. This will help straighten the final bore.

For what it's worth, my guess is that the door slab was installed backward, with the hinge side used as the latch side. Hollow core doors should still have blocking at the latch area. It's also possible that the slab wasn't intended for this use, and was designed as a bypass closet door, for example. Still, if you install the latch as I suggest it should work fine.


How can I install a tub over this tub box?

Take it out then install your tub.  This is there to make your life easier when connecting your tub drain.  If he laid concrete where box was you would have to break up the concrete around the PVC.  It doesn't matter if it is upside down or not...


if the post is within the line of the walls:

Blue is existing, red is nailing strips, green is bulkhead...


What is an acceptable temperature difference for rooms over garage vs not over garage in a new home?

Yes, there are energy efficiency code standards for residential buildings. The Code is divided into 1) one and two family structures, and 2) three or more residential structures. (There are also energy standards for manufactured housing, log homes, commercial, institutional, etc. too, but that does not apply here.)

I will reference one and two family structures only.

Each building department “adopts” their own “code”, but this is recognized throughout the U.S. This is based on the International Code Council (ICC), 2017 edition, which is the current edition.

First, you should know that the Code provides a “proscriptive path” for all building elements. If you use them, then you are approved for construction.

Second, the Code allows substitutions and “alternate means of construction “, but the calculations required to show you meet the Energy Code is difficult (and would probably require a mechanical engineer to do the trade-off calculations.) That is to say, you don’t have to use R-21 insulation in the walls, but if you don’t, you’ll need a more efficient heating/cooling system...etc.

So, here is a list (you can verify this list by calling your local jurisdiction...Building Department) and it doesn’t matter if you’re over a garage or not:

Walls: R-21
Flat ceilings: R-49
Vaulted ceilings: R-30
Under floors: R-30
Windows: U-0.30
Window area limitation: n/a
Skylights: U-0.50
Exterior doors: U-0.20
Forced air duct insulation: R-8

Note: R-values are for insulation ONLY. It does not include values for siding, sheathing, etc.

Gas fired furnace or boiler: 94% eff.
Air source heat pump: HSPF 9.5/15.0 SEER cooling
Ground source heat pump: COP 3.5 or Energy Star
Ductless heat pump: HSPF 10.0 in primary space.

There are many other Energy Code requirements like : window air leakage, slab on grade performance, etc., but too numerous to list here.

SUMMARY:
If your contractor met the above requirements, I’d expect better performance in your living space above the garage.

If the space is not too cold (in heating season) or not too hot (in cooling season), then the heating system is of adequate size.

I’d then check thermostat. Some have a “dead zone” setting...usually about 3 degrees. That is to say, if you set it at 70, then it must drop (or rise) 3 degrees before it turns the heating/cooling system on. If the thermostat is located in a drafty area (say by an exterior door) it could trigger the thermostat.

I would then check insulation thicknesses. One easy check is to see if the walls are made out of 2x4’s. The required insulation cannot be installed in 2x4 walls...a 2x6 wall is minimum. (You can easily check thickness of walls by looking at the walls by the windows.)

I’d check the ceiling insulation, because heat rises and you’ll quickly loose heat through the ceiling/roof quicker than walls. (Likewise, If cooling is an issue, then check the floor insulation. )

If the windows are not double pane or the exterior door does not have weatherstripping, then they do not meet minimum requirements.

Remember, your large temperature change is caused by a lack of retaining your heating/cooling AND your heating/cooling system not responding quick enough.


How can I cut a floorboard while it's still nailed down?

Oscillating tool, like a Fein Multimaster and all of its off-patent brothers. (Truly, I don't know how I got by so long without one.)

But, could you not just slap a 2x4 on the side of the floor joist and make a sturdy ledge for your existing hatch?


Is it possible for the black wire to be hot but to create reverse polarity in a GFCI?

As I've said elsewhere on this site, I find no-contact voltage testers to be unreliable. I've seen both false positives and false negatives with mine, especially in the presence of multiple conductors, some of which are hot. The only thing I would use a no-contact voltage tester for is to confirm a condition I already know, and even then I would only use it to test if an entire circuit is live or not, not individual conductors.

If you are getting confusing readings, the first thing I would do is use a proper multimeter to get reliable voltages, then you can go from there.

But to answer your question: no, the GFCI should not be reversing the polarity of the circuit. Are you sure you're wiring up the GFCI correctly? Most (all?) GFCI outlets have different "LINE" and "LOAD" terminals, which are you using?


What insulation materials for converted vans?

Answering my own question as I did quite a lot of online research on that topic.

I did this across different languages (English, French & German) which was interesting: habits/technics seem to vary from one country to another.

Criterias & vocabulary

Criterias

Thermal insulation: must be excellent
Resistance to humidity: must be excellent
Compression potential: your vehicle vibrates a lot, over time the insulating material might get very compressed (i.e. rockwool). So you might want to avoid materials that compress a lot, at least for the walls.
Sound insulation: a great plus

Insulation-related scientific terms

Thermal Conductivity: the lower the value, the better
Thermal Resistance: the higher the value, the better
Specific Heat Capacity: the higher the value, the better
Thermal Diffusivity: the lower the value, the better

Eco-friendliness values:

Embodied Carbon & EPDs: carbon associated with making the material, read more

Insulating materials list

Cork sprayed

Thermal conductivity at 0 °C: around 0.043W/(m K)

Price: in France, suber-spray.com sells a bucket of 12Kg for 215€ which can cover around 6 square meters if applying 2 layers (recommended). So a cost of 36€ per square meter if applying 2 layers (without adding the cost of renting/buying the gear to apply it).

Pros:

can reach any tiny part, great to avoid thermal bridges
fast to apply
apply the thickness you want by doing as many layers as you need
cork has many eco-friendly features, from production to destruction (recycling)
good sound insulation
can be the colour you like

Cons:

usually more expensive than other insulating materials
need of gear to apply it: spray gun, compressor, drill with mixer

Example of usage on vans: suber-spray.com/spip.php?rubrique10

Tip: it's expensive, so you might want to use a cheaper isolating material for the flat parts to be isolated, and this for the smaller hard-to-reach/hard-to-insulate parts.

Note: This insulating material is often use in sailing boats.

Buy sprayed cork:

in USA: vipeqindustries.com
in Germany: kork.net, see shop.korkmosaik.com/Korkgranulat
in Canada: sprayedcorkresolution.ca
in Italy: diasen.com
in France: suber-spray.com
in France: alsacork.fr

Cork rolls/sheets

Thermal conductivity at 0 °C: around 0.043W/(m K)

Exists in different thicknesses, but the ticker the less flexible.

Price: 2 mm thickness, 150 x 50 cm = 10€

Pros:

good sound insulation
easy to buy (your local DIY shop)
cork has many eco-friendly features, from production to destruction (recycling)

Cons:

mostly good for flat parts, otherwise time consuming (1 month, 4h per day for this Mercedes Sprinter youtube.com/watch?v=jAmyxwGx7aU)

Reimo X Trem isolator

Thermal conductivity: 0,020 - 0,034 W/mK (maybe around 0.03 at 0°C?).

Made of expanded polyethylene.

Sold as roll.

A product of Reimo, a German shop specialized in converted vehicles.

Data sheet - ihr-business-im-internet.de/anwendungen/ms-visucom/bilder/firma70/EN/zubehoerprofi/276.pdf

Price: 15€ per sq meter of 20mm thick - on campingshopwagner.de/product_info.php?info=p4340

Pros:

simple to put
good sound insulation

Cons:

may be difficult to obtain outside of Germany
mostly good for flat parts, otherwise time consuming

Buy Reimo X Trem isolator:

in Germany: campingshopwagner.de
in France: h2r-equipements.com
in France: reimo.com/fr
in UK: reimo.com/en

Aeroflex FIRO

Thermal conductivity at 0 °C: 0,034 W/mK

Sold as roll.

Data sheet: aeroflex.nl/en/products/aeroflex-firo.

Price: usually around 10€ per square meter when 19mm thick.

Pros:

simple to put
good sound insulation
different thicknesses available
self glueing available
clean & aesthetically pleasing

Cons:

mostly good for flat parts, otherwise time consuming

Tip: buy self gluing version to make things simpler.

Example usage on a Ford Transit : verpiss-dich-von-meiner-veranda.de/post/188/wohnmobil-isolierung/

Buy Aeroflex FIRO:

in Germany: ebay.de
in Germany: amazon.de
in Germany: hood.de

Armaflex (product of Armacell)

Thermal conductivity at 0 °C: 0,036 W/mK

Price: 10€ per square meter - ebay.de/itm/like/271583864528

Sold as roll.

Pros:

simple to put, just cut to the shape you like
good sound insulation
different thicknesses available
self glueing available
clean & aesthetically pleasing

Cons:

mostly good for flat parts, otherwise time consuming

Armaflex "AF series" - armaflex.com/www/armacell/INETFAQ.nsf/IDP/478F84DCC0A98ED6C1256CD700600264

Buy Armaflex:

in Germany: amazon.de
in Germany: ebay.de

Polyurethane foam

Thermal conductivity at 0 °C: around 0.025W/(m K)

Pros:

good sound insulation
can expand 50 times more, i.e. a 1L of product can produce 50L of foam
can "fill" an empty area, filling even the smallest cavities

Cons:

can deform the car body when added
prevent future car body work (in case of accident) on parts having that foam
compresses over time? (TBC)

Polyurethane on Wikipedia

Thin multi-layer insulation

Price: 5 à 15€ per square meter, according to number of layers & materials used.

Pros: very thin.

Cons:
 - poor sound insulation
 - fragile, so must covered by something almost straight away to avoid damaging it

Example usage: isere-evasion.com/isolation.htm

Example product: castorama.fr/store/Isolant-mince-multicouche-17-prod250073.html

Which country use it in converted van:

France, no idea why. There are big debates on French van conversion forum about the actual effectiveness of this material.
USA, I think they use something similar called "Refletix".

Denim isolation

Pros: eco-friendly.

I just came across that material & thought it probably was worth mentioning it as it's very eco-friendly. Further research on its characteristics is needed though.

hurriedyear.com/2016/02/10/insulating-a-sprinter-van/

ecohabitation.com/actualite/nouvelles/isolation-coton-recycle-choix-ecolo

More insulating materials

"Trocellen"
"KFLEX"
Sheep's wool

My biased opinion

I think the best is to use Reimo X Trem isolator (or Armaflex or Aeroflex FIRO) and afterwards add some sprayed cork in the parts you could not cover.

By adding sprayed cork on these parts that couldn't be covered, you'll reduce the thermal bridges, or completely eliminate them if you put enough layers.

Resources

greenspec.co.uk/building-design/insulation-materials-thermal-properties/
trafic-amenage.com/physique/thermique-isolation.html (FRENCH)


Footing for deck on slope with one side near grade

Those pier blocks or deck blocks are a waste of money. It's not going to be as difficult to dig a few holes and install some real posts now as it will be after the deck is complete and has sunken (unevenly). They might be okay for a light duty shed or dog house, but nothing significant, like a deck.

Edit based on comment:


Gas company decided to shut off gas due to leak from backfeed

If it was two homes there are probably two meters. If you see a second meter turn one off .If they are tied together anywhere the one working meter will feed everything.  If however they removed the meter and piped straight across where the meter used to be.... you have an un metered line feeding the house. That's the first thing to look for. The place where the second meter used to be. EITHER WAY HAVE A PROFESSIONAL HAVE A LOOK


What is this subfloor, and do I need a wood underlayment for hardwood

Yes, that's OSB. It's the only product that's made with large wood "strands". I wouldn't have guessed that it was 3/4" though due to the apparent lack of tongue and groove along the longitudinal edge, but maybe the photo is misleading.  Particle board looks like compacted pine sawdust. Fiberboard (MDF) looks like pressed pulverized wheat chaff. Neither of those are used as subfloor.
No, not all wood flooring requires underlayment. Modern t&g subfloor in the 3/4" class is adequate for some products. However, a second layer can result in a stouter, quieter finished floor which feels higher quality. Read the label.


Would it make sense to put 2 pinch clamps on every PEX fitting as an insurance against leaks?

I assume you mean two crimp clamp rings one after the other (i.e., side by side) and not one on top of the other. Putting on two clamps might trap water between the two clamps. Mold and bacteria could grow in this space. This volume would not be swept by flow and would probably be anaerobic.

Unless doubling up on the clamps is a described optional 'heavy duty' installation method, this kind of installation would be contrary to the instructions/specifications for the system. It could fail inspection.

If you wanted to do something which would improve the quality of the system, I think a much better approach would be to implement a system where each clamp connection could be inspected with the house finished walls in place. This might be small ports with inconspicuous covers. They could be so small that a borescope might be required.


Support for flagpole bracket on vinyl siding

I would recommend what you suggest about puling the siding piece, I have done that with great success, filling behind vinyl siding for deck ledger install.
In your case, I would use plywood that is the right thickness, that fill the backside of the siding. Since the dutch lap will require the strips to be narrow, using plywood will keep the backing intact, since it will not split when the screws go through it. Fill it up as much as possible,using pieces that are 8"- 1' long, keeping above the lower piece enough to allow for movement, just a paper thickness will do.. I do not know how the mounting block covers any holes in the siding, but with the siding properly backed up, in my opinion, you will not need the mounting block. Let the screws grab the well attached plywood behind the siding, as well as the wood siding and subsiding. That should give you approx. 1 3/4"+ of wood to mount to.


What type of wrench do I need to disconnect washing machine

A large pair of  pliers should work. They have a variety of local names including  Tongue-and-groove pliers—also known as water pump pliers, adjustable pliers, groove-joint pliers, arc-joint pliers, Multi-Grips, tap or pipe spanners, gland pliers and Channellocks ( Channellock are a brand of tools)


What are these bathroom mirror lamp holders called?

So, looking at the photos, what part is loose? The lamp socket, or the lamp base? Is the bulb loose in the screw base or the whole socket loose in the mirror? Here are some suggestions:

1) Bulb loose in socket (Lamp socket), breaker off, with a screw driver, gently pry up on the middle tab to bring it up into the socket further.

2) Lamp base loose in the mirror. You can remove the lamp base, and adjust the clamp on it, unless the clamp is broken. The clamp is the part that looks like a 2-prong fork on each side of the socket base (your last 2 photos.) Make sure that the prongs are on the mirror part and not falling into the hole. Sometimes those metal prongs become brittle and break. I had hallway lamps that used a metal "spring" that held the lamp shade on. After taking them down to clean them and do some painting, one of the "springs" broke and I was forced to replace the lamp or DIY a solution. The solution was to drill holes in the metal lamp base and use set screws. This doesn't look possible here, but you might be able to find suitable metal to create new clamps or build up the mirror surrounding the clamps.

If you can't do either, and the lamps are flush, you might have a hard time trying to find replacement sockets, and you might need to make a DIY solution that will work. You may need to convert to a keyless socket like this: https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/137319/SOCK-45389099.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA5NPjBRDDARIsAM9X1GJrCuKLGaqEfPjjn9EjRkCRqzLa7R1FIDpdcu-ViyEzrbYVU28fnjYaAuyQEALw_wcB

This is just a sample and not intended to be the only solution, brand distributor or manufacturer.

A keyless socket would have either a fixed ring and adjustable ring, or 2 adjustable rings, that would allow you to adjust the depth of the socket.


How do I repair spots of damaged hardwood floor finish?

Repairing these worn spots should be fairly easy assuming the damage is only to the urethane finish and not into the wood itself. This should be as easy as buffing the affected area with a green dish style scrubby to remove loose finish and slightly level the surrounding surface.  If the scrubby is not quite aggressive enough, use some very fine 220 grit sand paper gently by hand or with a DA or vibrating style sander. Without seeing the area and damage, it is hard to say how far you need to sand, but most likely do the area where the chairs have worn the finish to slightly into the non affected area. Be absolutely sure to get the same urethane product and finish (satin, semi gloss, or gloss) to do the overcoat. After cleaning all dust etc after sanding, apply a VERY THIN coat  of the new finish. Allow this to dry completely, buff sand the area again removing any dust that dried into wet finish, assuring it is extremely smooth to the touch. Repeat this process with at least 3 coats.  I recommend using a good grade foam brush or very good Purdy flared bristle brush. If the area is larger, consider a mohair roller.  A mohair roller is simply a very low nap roller avail at a good paint specialty store. You may see a slight difference in the new finish to the old surrounding area, simply because of the age of the rest of the room, however that is a small compromise compared to having the damage migrate into the wood which will require a much more extensive repair later.  Good luck


Are there any issues with having a garage and a washer on the same circuit?

In general, all fixed appliances are supposed to be on their own circuit.

Thus, by code, you can't have something else on the same circuit as a washing machine.  You can check your local building codes but I'll bet that's what they say.


The simple answer is that the breaker is tripping because two much current is flowing through it.

Here's a list of some possible causes for over-current:

Faulty wiring may be partly short-circuiting
Faulty appliance is drawing too much current
Too many devices on that circuit, in total drawing too much power

I would start by proving to yourself that there is definitely nothing else on that circuit other than the opener and the lights. Turn the breaker off and then go around and see if anything else is off. Outlets in the garage? Chest freezer? Sump pump?

Second, see if you notice a pattern of when the breaker trips. If it trips when you flip the light switch, then maybe the switch is faulty or maybe the lights are the extra current.

If you're positive there is nothing on the circuit, then you're looking at a defect. Finding it may or may not be in your skill set, but you could start checking the voltage at the opener with a multimeter. Then start opening outlet covers to see if there are any lose wires. Check for signs of arcing (which may leave black sooty marks around the outlet terminals.

FYI, the time it takes to trip a breaker depends in part on how much over-current there is. It may take several seconds or even a minute if you're only just barely over the circuit breaker rating.


Go to the hardware store and pick up a miter box and; if it doesn't come with one, a back saw.  While your there pick up a set of chisels, that's really all you need to make the shelves.

Here is a good description of how to cut the rabbet by hand using a back saw.

Warning: You may want to practice on some scrap wood until you feel comfortable.

If you don't mind spending the money you could buy a router and a rabbet bit, this would be the fast more efficient way to make the shelves.


Dremel rotary tool: Grinding holes in hardened plastic

The Dremel will do what you need here. The 2nd bit from the left will work perfectly. It will drill a small pin hole to a larger hole the size of the largest portion of the bit


Equalizing upstairs and downstairs temperatures when A/C is on

Cold air always sinks (gosh !   :-)  ), so the  stable condition will pretty much always have the lower floor ending up cooler than the upper floor.   Yes,  closing downstairs vents will help balance things out, and at least avoid overshoot in the downstairs temperature.   There should be dampers in the ductwork close to the heat exchanger (in the attic) and those are designed to adjust flow rates for each path.  If those weren't installed, go ahead and partially close whatever dampers are at the exit points of the downstairs vents.


You could put enamel right back down again.  One common brand of alkyd enamel paint is Rustoleum, commonly referred to as an "oil paint".   You'd want to keep it dry days before and after the repair.

For a more durble repair, use a 2-part epoxy paint.   Those paint systems have a fairly high entry cost, so I wouldn't do it for that job alone.  But if you already have access to it relating to something else you do, it can't be beat.


12 Volt DC wiring in existing home for under soffit LED lights

The main issue you'll have is with the power supply.  The "old" landscape lighting power supply is designed to drive incandescent bulbs.  Incandescents don't care whether power is AC or DC*.

The problem is, LEDs very much do.  Now, you know 120VAC LEDs don't care; that's true, but the way they fix that is with a diode bridge rectifier. The rectifier has a voltage drop across it of about 2 volts regardless of input voltage - no big deal on 120V, but a big deal on 12V.   So 12V lighting usually omits the rectifier and expects you to polarize correctly.

Best case: the LED shimmers, being on 50% of the time. Worst case, the reverse voltage damages the LED, or the fact that LEDs are non-linar does not play well with that 16.9V RMS* peaks, and fries the LED.

I recommend one of two options:

Get a correct power supply for this application.  I for one am a fan of GE power supplies.  However if you prefer this Amazon/eBay "fell off a truck in Shenzhen" cheap Cheese, get units that are much larger than your actual draw.  These products are wildly underbuilt and overrated, and will fail quickly at anywhere near nameplate.
Or keep your power supply and deal with a technically competent domestic supplier who really knows his product and can address the "working on AC" issue. I'm sure there are products that do; they aren't sold for peanuts on Amazon/eBay/Ali*.

While you're at it, you might want to revisit whether you want these bulbs to be all one color (and what color temperature, also CRI).  Or whether you want them to be color-changeable in unison; or be individually addressible - each color set separately.  This can't be retrofitted; each of these schemes requires different initial wiring.

A monochrome system requires only 2 wires (earth/ground is not needed for low voltage; DO NOT USE the AC power system's earth/ground as a current return!) An RGB "in unison" system requires 4 power wires (5 for RGBW), with 1 wire being larger than the others.   Individually addressable systems vary by the system, but only 2 wires handle all the power, the others are signal.

Sizing the wires:

You may need to do some light conversion between watts and amps, as needed.  Amps x 12 = watts, close enough.

Once you know how many amps you will be carrying what distance, head off to a voltage drop calculator (I like this one) and punch in your numbers.  Voltage is 12.  Percent allowable, I'd put in 10%, or 99% if you just want to see what the voltage drop will be.  Don't use 3%.  For current, put in your actual draw current of your lamps.**

High voltage drop is "dangerous" to you in a different way.  Now, overheating the wire is not an issue with this voltage drop calculator -- it automatically upsizes the wire to prevent overheating.  The problems are

12V systems flow more current, to make up for the lower voltage. More current equals more voltage drop.
12V systems don't have much voltage drop to spare.  A 7V drop isn't a big deal on a 240V circuit, but it dooms a 12V circuit.
LEDs are non-linear.  With an incandescent bulb, dropping voltage 10% drops current 10%, resulting in a 19% reduction in light - mind you, that's linear.  LEDs are much worse.

The upshot is if you don't keep a close eye on your voltage drop, your faraway LEDs will be noticeably dimmer than the nearer ones.

I would draw it out on paper, then calculate each segment of voltage drop separately.  You may need to allow some voltage drop on a long run, and focus on keeping each of the bulbs relatively equal.

A little bit of sharp-pencil work will help your project go much better.

* in fact, cities were already being wired for 110 volt DC when they converted to AC power.  (110 was due to two "bumps" from the original, nice round 100V). They needed to find an AC power voltage that would just work with all those existing 110VDC bulbs. (the main purpose of electricity in those days was lighting.) They figured out the bulbs were happy with AC voltage that was 155 volts peak to center, and this is how they worked out the "root mean square" method of defining AC voltage.  Since then, in the US/Canada there have been 2-3 more bumps to 120V, our now-official voltage.

** Some people will get mad at this advice, because they have been taught to always use 3% for allowable drop and the circuit breaker capacity (i.e. 20A) for the current. That's not always a good fit; this here is an example.


I’d guess the concrete masonry unit (CMU) that is wet, is also unreinforced...probably unreinforced all the way to the top.

Not all cells in a fireplace need to be reinforced and filled solid with grout. The corner unit is probably reinforced and grouted solid, but this cell is probably empty. If so, rain could enter the cell anywhere and run all the way to the footing. When enough water fills the cells, then it finds a crack and seeps out.

The CMU is porous so the water fills the cell a couple of inches and then “wets” the shell (wall of CMU)...thus the darkness.


Could a wall dimmer switch be connected as part of the power cord for a table lamp (UK

There are two different options here. Including both, as the question was initially unclear, but question now refers specifically to the first option:
Installed as part of the power cord
There are two issues here - safety & code compliance. I can't speak directly to code compliance in general on this, even more so for the UK. But as far as safety goes:
A regular wall dimmer switch is technically perfectly capable of handling a table lamp. Hot, neutral, ground go in & out, some power runs the dimmer, the dimmer passes power on to the lamp. However, there are a few things to keep in mind:

As I think is indicated by "UK 3 core wiring", you should make sure that you have hot, neutral and ground from the dimmer to the plug and from the dimmer to the lamp. In the US, table lamp cords often do not have ground. The dimmer switch may require ground, and if it does then you should make sure it is connected properly.

A dimmer switch (actually, any wall switch) is normally installed in a junction box. While it is quite likely that it is designed such that there are no exposed conductors, I would not consider it safe (and I am pretty sure it is not code compliant) to have a dimmer switch sitting "open" in the middle of a power cord. That would expose screw terminals and possibly some of the internal components of the timer to contact with pets, children and falling objects. The dimmer should be installed in a junction box, as if it were installed in the wall. The cords (one to a plug, one to the lamp) should exit the box with proper strain relief so that they can't be easily pulled out and mess up the connections to the dimmer.

Installed in the wall
There are two ways to use a dimmer switch in the wall for use with a light fixture:

Hardwired light fixture

This is the usual way. The dimmer controls one or more light fixtures which are permanently connected. The problem is that a table lamp normally plugs into an outlet. So to use it hardwired, you would have to essentially take the table lamp and permanently attach it to the house wiring. That seems a bit unusual and you would need to make sure the exposed wiring can't be accidentally tripped over, since it will not disconnect (at least not safely).

Control an outlet

Ordinary switches are often configured to control a wall outlet. It would be easy, technically speaking, to replace a regular switch controlling a wall outlet with a dimmer. However, dimmers are normally compatible only with lighting. If you connected a dimmer to an outlet and then plugged in another device (e.g., a toaster or a vacuum cleaner or a radio) you would get mixed results depending on the nature of the device (resistive load, motor or electronics), but in all cases (except lighting designed to be dimmer-compatible) the results would likely be less than ideal, and could in some cases even damage the device. Not recommended, unless you can clearly set aside an outlet EXCLUSIVELY for lighting.


Can I drill a small hole in a concrete beam?

As you (the OP) have discovered, small holes in concrete are perfectly acceptable.

No disrespect to other posters, but likening concrete to glass is inaccurate. Also, hitting chunks of igneous rock is never a problem in my experience. (Hitting rebar is a problem, though. You'll want to be careful when drilling... If you suddenly stop making progress and you've already cleared the dust, then pull back and either try to subtly change the angle or drill a different hole.)


Why is half of my house without power with no flipped breakers?

Well usually when "half" of something dies in residential electrical, it means one hot leg is down. This could be an issue at the transformer, the wiring to your meter, the meter itself, the wiring from the meter to your main panel, the main breaker or a fault within your panel.

It is pretty easy to test for, you're just looking for 240v at the service entrance. If you get 240v there, the issue is downstream in your house wiring. If not then it's likely a utility issue.  Testing does however require testing live circuits.

Since it doesn't sound like you have the experience to troubleshoot this safely, your best bet is to contact a qualified electrician.   It might be necessary to then contact the utility depending on the outcome.


Why are my clothes hot after washing them?

If you're not selecting a hot water cycle, then you probably have the hot and cold water lines hooked up backwards. Or the hot and cold taps are labeled incorrectly. Next time you run a load, touch the water lines or the fittings to feel their temperature. If the cold water line is hotter than the hot water line, then you should be able to find the problem.


Can I add a utility sink which utilizes the existing water and drain lines for my washer?

You can definitely utilize the existing water and drain lines for this; here is a video from This Old House where they do exactly that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-tUGX3M6zY

Your case will probably be easier since it's not in the basement.  Richard in the video re-routes some of the copper plumbing there - I'm not experienced enough to tell whether you can avoid that, but I imagine you should be able to get a splitter like this:

What you do for the drain is use a Y-fitting:

You will also need a couple other pieces; watch the video and it will show them.

Good luck!


If you kill the power to the furnace and A/C you kill the power to the thermostat


If you are going to remove the door and simply replace it with blocks, I would urge you to finish the outside like the existing walls are. Perhaps that is your plan all along but you did not specify that you were.
As mentioned in a comment, the floor slab that the door sets on needs to be broke back to the point that the face brick on the outside can pass in front of the slab. The existing brick need to be "toothed out" or raked back, since there are so few courses that the waterproofing layer (WPL) can be tied into with new material. The stucco needs to be carefully cut back too, or should be so the blockwork that serves as backing for the stucco can tied in to and expose the edges of the existing WPL to tie into that as well.
Then of course, lay up new brick that matches the original with the same mortar color and the necessary coats of stucco to build up and finish that the same to match existing as well.


That's easy. The problem isn't in the fan at all, but rather in the dimmer switch (on the wall, probably).

Most modern dimmers use a kind of transistor (a triac) to regulate the amount of power (and therefore brightness) flowing to the lamp. Those triacs do fail eventually, and when this happens they normally fail "open" (off).

These dimmers will still allow a tiny bit of current through. Not enough to light a single light bulb, but enough for a sensitive voltmeter to detect. If you disconnect the light bulbs and measure the voltage, you'll get close to the normal 120 VAC; but even a single light bulb will "sink" the tiny bit of current leaking through the dimmer, and the voltage drops to near zero. (You could have done the same test by just unscrewing the light bulbs and testing the contacts in the bulb sockets).

Note that for some electronically controlled fans, the dimmer electronics can be in the fan housing and not in the wall switch. This would be particularly true for fans with a wireless remote.

Replacing the dimmer will almost certainly fix your problem. (If you want to test the hypothesis before buying a new dimmer, you could bypass the dimmer, which will, if everything else is good, result in the lights being "on" all the time).

Obviously, make sure the breaker is off before doing any of this.


How can I fasten a low-voltage plate to drywall?

Low voltage plates without brackets make for a sad DIYer

It appears the last installer tried simply screwing the cover plate to the drywall directly without a bracket or box to back it up.  Unfortunately for them, screws don't hold well in drywall, as you found out the hard way.  While you could use drywall anchors, there isn't much left there for them to hold on to, thanks to the screw-job chewing up the drywall.

It'd be better if you got something called an "old work low voltage bracket", such as the one shown below, that installs behind the drywall with a set of built-in clamps that hold it to the wall.  You'd have to cut out the damaged drywall around the existing hole to the size of the bracket's cutout, insert the bracket, and then engage the clamps.  Then you can screw the faceplate to the bracket and have things stay together properly.  (Obviously, you need to undo the cable to do this.)


Dishwasher Power Cord has Two White Wires. Isn't the wide one neutral?

That looks like a standard appliance cord.

Look closely at the cord and you will notice one conductor is ribbed. Follow it... It should lead to the neutral side of the plug and the white wire on the dishwasher.   The ribbed side being neutral is an industry standard, if the plug is molded on to the cord it will follow this convention.

You are correct about the wide BLADE being neutral, but wrong about how to follow it.

I think I can see the rib in both pictures, when enlarged, and it appears correctly wired, but you should double check this.

Edit addition:

There are different type of rib on SPT cord, the picture shows a single rib.  There are also versions with multiple small ribs, which is more obvious.

On the straight cord picture in the question the ribbed conductor appears to be the one without the writing.


I would "brighten" the bleached area with an oxalic acid based cleaner/brightner, frequently the base chemical in deck cleaners.  Neutralize with a base, like baking soda.  Once dry, try a dye or a pigmented stain.  If the color is close, seal it with a similar finish, typically a satin polyurethane.


According to the company that installed my well pump and pressure tank, they say that this thing happens. Apparently some bacteria and iron are producing stuff that is getting caught in the filter, and occasionally there is a large amount of this. Some people may have to replace their filter every week normally.
As long as there's nothing that looks like sand and shells in the filter, everything should be ok.


How do I fix a gap in my refrigerator door gasket seal?

Measure the space between the door and refrigerator on all sides/corners to see if something is out of alignment. One of the steps in replacing most gaskets is to fix the alignment of the door before tightening the screws. To fix the alignment, you would loosen the gasket screws, push or pull the top and bottom corners of the door until it's properly aligned, and retighten the gasket screws.

See these instructions on the steps to replace a gasket to get a better idea of the steps involved.


What's going on with this switched outlet wiring in the middle of a run?

Did not ultimately get a lot of help here, but I figured it out myself, so posting in case there are others who run into a similar situation.
The first key was figuring out how the wires in each box matched up. I connected D, the hot wire, first to A, then to B, which helped me figure out which two wires in the switch box they matched up to. C I knew was the neutral, so it was the third wire; whichever one I didn't hit by hooking D up to A & B.
Then I essentially did this:

Knowing that D was the hot coming in and G was the hot going out, E was the neutral coming in and F was the neutral going out, I figured I had to connect the two of those
Realizing that I had a third wire, B, in my cable from the outlet to the switch, I determined I could use it as the second hot for the switch

So the top outlet is switched, the bottom is not, and I no longer have hots connected to neutrals, which to reiterate, is how I found it, not how I chose to wire it.


How much to grout around receptacle box?

You want to fill in all the grout lines under the cover plate. Don't worry about that last tile edge next to the outlet box and don't fill in all the space around the box. If the distance between the face of the box and the finished wall is greater than 1/4"  then box extenders are needed. Enjoy your new kitchen.


Converting I+ I- thermostat to 'standard' wiring

You should be able to wire your thermostat to the conventional terminal block on the air handler

If you look at the bottom edge of your air handler's control board, there is a terminal block to the right of the two ComfortSync connections that has been labeled with conventional thermostat signal labels.  This means that your control board should support standard 24VAC thermostat signals instead of a communicating thermostat.  You can test this by disconnecting the communicating thermostat from the rest of the system, then jumpering R to G on that right-hand terminal block; when you do this, the fan should come on.

If that is indeed the case, then I would wire the new thermostat conventionally, as it sounds like you have sufficient spare wires in the cable from the air handler to the thermostat to do so.  You shouldn't need to touch the wiring between the air handler and the heat pump, by the way, for that matter.


How to deal with this pair of wires coming out of transformer?

It's a doorbell transformer. Line voltage input and probably 24 vac output. Turn off the breaker and look closely at the transformer, the specs will be on it.

You should mount it in a covered electrical box (modern ones are designed with a 1/2" threaded post to facilitate just that) so the line voltage connection is properly enclosed, rewiring where necessary to replace deficient wire and connections. I would probably replace the transformer too but it's not strictly necessary.


Can I run just one wire to the sub-panel via schedule 40 separate from the others?

Run a new feeder in metal conduit

If you're going to run a conduit from the main panel to the subpanel, I would simply run a 2" EMT and pull an entirely new 100A feeder (1AWG Al hot/hot/neutral with the EMT for a ground) through it in your situation.  This is because the existing feeder SE(?) cable seems to have been improperly installed to begin with (its jacket does not extend down into the strain-relief clamp on the cable entrance), and as a result should not be relied upon for continued service.

While you are at it, you should re-terminate the existing NM cables into junction boxes above the panel, then bring the circuits down from those boxes using NM "jumbo pigtails" into the panel that are properly strain-relieved.  This because the original installer screwed up the strain relief on the branch-circuit NM cables going out of the subpanel, as well.


Solve washer/dryer closet outlet issue. Lacks 110v outlet, need to know my options

What to watch for in replacing washer/dryers in developments

The typical home washer-dryer set needs SEVEN utilities plumbed to it:   120VAC, 240/120VAC (both dedicated circuits), cold water, hot water, dryer vent, sanitary sewer, and gas line.   Needless to say, in large multi-unit installations, the builders commit some brain cells to reducing that number to three: 240V power, cold water and sewer.   How do they do this?

They eliminate gas by requiring electric dryers.
They eliminate dryer vent by using condensing dryers.
They eliminate hot water by using washing machines that heat their own water.
They eliminate 120V one of two ways:

They use a single-unit "combo" appliance that figures out internally how not to overload the circuit.
They use separates (because buyers like the sight of separates), but the dryer is extremely special, and provides a 120V outlet for the washer, and somehow has internal controls e.g. that draw less current from the washer's leg, to assure no breaker trips.

You have to be an educated buyer

Here's where such apartment dwellers get into trouble: They prance over to the appliance store and decide "I can get anything I want!" and just go "One of those, and one of those, whee!"

And of course they get them home and discover no hot water, no dryer vent and/or no 120V.  Whoopsadaisy!

So you will need to start this enterprise by either consulting with management or doing a careful survey of exactly which utilities you do have.  And then you will need to make a decision as to whether to ante up the hi-3/low-4 digit cost of getting those utilities plumbed in (dryer vent, expect a whole lot more; gas ain't gonna happen) ... or to go back to the appliance store with a list of the utilities  you do have, and narrow the list of options accordingly.

I suspect there'll be a few local appliance stores who are very familiar with your particular development and know exactly what you need.

Hork-a-dork adapters aren't going to cut it

Right off the bat, they'll trip your breaker when you try to run both appliances at once.  Further, the choice of adapters is a lot more limited than you realize, as I'll discuss below.  And lastly, it's good money thrown after bad - you're spending fine hard-earned coin so you can force a bad choice of cheaper unit into a place it simply doesn't belong.  You could be $300 down the "cheap splitter" rabbit hole before you find stuff that actually works for you, and even then, your performance will be degraded.  You'd have been wiser to put the $300 toward provisioning a proper circuit or buying the correct appliances.

There's also a huge supply problem with those cheaters.

And by the way, the dual 240V splitter is not necessary; it is already legal to fit 2 proper NEMA 14-30 receps on the same circuit permanently installed in or on the wall.  An electrician can do that easily.  Might not like the idea too much, but is legally able.

Just say no

Finally, don't let anything touch mains AC wires that doesn't have a UL listing.  That's a UL in circle.  You may also substitute any of the NRTLs: CSA and ETL are the ones you're likely to encounter.  Here is what is not an NRTL: CE (China Export really), CCC (China's attempt to locally sanction a fake mark), RoHS (lead-free solder etc.), and FCC (won't jam out radio stations).

Note that your Parkworld cable does NOT have a UL listing.  They say a lot of lies about how they use UL parts (not good enough) and built it to UL spec (where's the stamp then?) but no. The fact that they would deceive about this is even more horrifying. This is why they're selling on Amazon's junk shop, even Home Depot wouldn't let this in the store!
Generally buying mains electrical parts on Amazon is a terrible idea. Avoid!  Even if you sidestep the Amazon Marketplace flea market, you're running the risk of getting counterfeits due to "Commingling".

The Home Depot splitter you found is less alarming because Home Depot generally insists on UL-approved items - they're a retailer not a "platform", so they do have liability for what they sell.


It can be hard knowing what to search for in the first place if you don’t know the domain and the terminology.  This sounds like in-wall, so you’d want to search for “riser” or “horizontal” solid conductor cable.  There’s not much more to do than search for options and check specs to see what is thin enough.
I’ve run across bulk stranded cable as small as 3.75mm diameter, and since you have conduit you can technically run whatever you want in it, but just be aware that most RJ45 wall jacks are intended for use with solid conductors and punch down tools, so you’ll need to ensure you can properly terminate stranded wires.
Another thing that might help - a high quality cat5e or 6 will perform as well as a cat6a for short runs (~50-100ft maybe) since the spec is designed to account for longer runs. These tend to have smaller dividers or no divider in them at all, which would cut down the diameter. Belden 2413 is 5.3mm.
Hope this gives you some place to start your search!


Google tells me you need a HepKey or HepKey Plus. That's the blue part in this cutaway image.

Looking at how it works, it looks like you just need a round collar that can get between the tubing and the rim of that outer ring. I would try rolling a plastic card with a heat gun and see if I could push the release ring without hunting down the tool.


There are multiple reasons for outside paint to peel and crack.  It can be hard to pin down if it is a application issue or just an outside factor.  But as you state it was applied on newly installed (non-aged) wood has me tending toward that aspect.

Based on the product data sheet DATA SHEET the following is listed, "Pressure
treated timber should be weathered for 6 months. Denatured wood
should be abraded to reveal new cells. Any new finished wood needs
to be abraded."  So was the wood sanded prior to the first coat?
I myself would lean toward this thought if I was more familiar with the paint itself. This would be do to the fact I do not see paint staining of the cells in the underlaying wood where the peeling has occurred, fresh sanded cells can fill with the paints pigments.

If a primer was used was it of the proper type for the paint could be another issue.  With peeling more on the sunny side paint expansion and primer expansion should be matched.

This info may help you with other possibilities. WHY PAINT PEELS

If the surface prep (sanding) was not achieved then I would scrape and sand off the old paint and abrade the wood, then reapply new.  I would not just scrape off the loose and paint over it all for fear of old that remains would peel under the new.


Remove tile adhesive to get to screws on cement board

Finding and then using those screw heads is going to be a nightmare, so I would abandon the idea of removing the wall board semi-intact. Find the studs (with one of those cryptically-named stud finders), cut the boards between the studs, and then pry it all off. Or, use an abrasive disk to cut right down the line of screws.


Portable air-conditioning system output problem

As an abstract question, yes you could transfer the heat to water. But in practice it is a totally unfeasible solution. Even a small AC will remove 5k BTU/hr from the air while also generating some heat of it's own. So let's call it 8k BTU/hr total heat generated.

At that rate you would heat 5 gallons of water from 70 ºF to 100 ºF in less than 10 minutes. And that's assuming perfect heat transfer to the water and no heat leakage back into the air.


How to separate the two parts linked by these hinges?

You might be able to remove the hinge pin by gently tapping from the bottom up, using an appropriate size punch and hammer.  The photos don't show the top and the bottom of your hinges well.
If the hinge pin is flanged at both ends (like a nail head), then you won't be able to do this, though.

Otherwise, you'll have to remove the rivets...
You could try drilling them out, but take care not to damage the hinge and/or the mirror frame.

Likewise, you could take a Dremel cutting wheel and carefully cut off the rivet crimps (See the image below).

But, for small jobs like this and with small soft-ish rivets, I've had good luck just mashing the rivet-crimps with vise-grips and/or diagonal cutters -- squeezing it small enough that the rivet could be pushed through the whole.  If the rivets are not too tough, this can be the fastest and cleanest way to get them off.

Note for completeness: In some cases, rivet crimps and/or heads can be chiseled off, but in this case, it would probably wreck your cabinet in the process.


How can I measure the gauge of stranded wire?

Stranded wire is a tick bigger but it's certainly not a whole size bigger.  If stranded is sloppy-doppy in your #12 gage, it's #14.


Call a plumber.

In my locale, radiator "vents" (bleed valves) should be closed when you are not bleeding air from them (which should only be done with the boiler off). Boilers vent excess water into a header tank, an expansion vessel or other provision - not via radiators.


How should I connect the ground wires for my new light fixture?

Having all those ground wires is common because many junction boxes are nonmetal. I'm assuming yours is. The actual ground should be the bare copper ground coming into the box with the feed. Connect that ground to the green wire attached to the box. Now the box is grounded so any brackets you attach to the box and fixtures will be grounded when assembled.
I like to ground the box with the bare copper wire attached directly to it with a 10-32 grounding screw and pigtail off that to the ground wires from the bracket and fixture. That way, there's no lose wires floating around in the box


How can I fill a gap between the exterior wall and trim?

Correctly sized backer rod, a bond breaker, and properly applied sealant is the appropriate way to handle the joint between dissimilar materials with different coefficients of expansion [both thermal and moisture] such as wood trim and cement plaster.


Replacing single pole light switch with dimmer

If it were me, I'd take all the grounding wires out from under the screws.  Then I'd collect up all the grounding wires, including the one from the new dimmer, and an extra bit (6" or so) of spare bare wire of the same size.  Using a twist-on wire connector, I'd connect all the grounds together.  Finally I'd slip the other end of the short bit of wire (pigtail), under one of the screws in the back of the box.

This way all the grounds are bonded, and you're not relying on the metal box as a fault current path.


How can I temporarily close an arched interior passageway?

I would take two sheets of plywood or similar material, cut slightly larger than the opening, place one on either side, and use a few big bolts & nuts driven through to pull the panels towards each other. The tension from the bolts will hold the contraption in place; some weatherstripping or the like on the edges will create a better seal and protect your walls. You can fill the inside cavity with fiberglass insulation and paint the wood the same color as your walls.


Which exterior outlet cover is required by NEC?

NEC 2008
406.8 Receptacles in Damp or Wet Locations.
(A) Damp Locations. ... A receptacle shall be
considered to be in a location protected from the weather where
located under roofed open porches, canopies, marquees, and the like,
and will not be subjected to a beating rain or water runoff. All 15-
and 20-ampere, 125- and 250-volt nonlocking receptacles shall be a
listed weather-resistant type.
NEC 2008
Article 100 Definitions
Location, Damp. Locations protected from weather and not subject to saturation with water or other liquids but subject to moderate
degrees of moisture. Examples of such locations include partially
protected locations under canopies, marquees, roofed open porches, and
like locations, and interior locations subject to moderate degrees of
moisture, such as some basements, some barns, and some coldstorage
warehouses.
Location, Dry. A location not normally subject to dampness or wetness. A location classified as dry may be temporarily subject to
dampness or wetness, as in the case of a building under construction.
Location, Wet. Installations underground or in concrete slabs or masonry in direct contact with the earth; in locations subject to
saturation with water or other liquids, such as vehicle washing areas;
and in unprotected locations exposed to weather.


Diagnosing faulty ignition coil on lawn tractor

It sounds like the coil goes open circuit when it gets hot. That's why you didn't get a reading when you tested it post-failure, but now you do.

I would say go ahead and install the coil. 15 years is plenty of time for the manufacturer to change the design of the coil, while still being compatible.


How Do I Adjust the Depth of an Octagonal Junction Box?

Per Tyson's comment;  You should be able to move the box on the threaded nipple (pipe) that seems to be holding it to the hanger bar.

Loosen the nut, in the box,  down to the desired height.  Then tighten the one outside the box above it.  Since you had the ceiling open (at least when this was OP) that shouldn't be to hard.  Worse case you may have to back the wires out, remove the box from the nipple, and stack a nut up at the desired height and reassemble.


What are wrenches called that are just cut out of steel flats?

While I agree that when applied to bicycle maintenance these are called "cone wrenches", in general they're simply "thin open-end wrenches" or "tight-clearance wrenches".


Skinny pipe entering toilet siphon flush

I missed it as it was hidden in a decorative metal feature on the toilet.

There is a gasket and a kind of plastic locking plate specifically to tackle this issue.


HVAC blower often (but not always) gets stuck ON.

If there is a circuit board with relays, then it sounds like a faulty (broken return spring) fan relay. Other furnaces use a bimetal switch that extends into the heat exchanger. When the furnace warms up, the bimetal arm would bend and make contact for the blower motor. As the furnace cools, the bimetal arm would straighten out and turn off the blower. A replacement would be needed. It is usually located all by itself with 2 or several wires, and removes easily with 1 or 2 screws.


Why is it so difficult to cut through cast iron?

A quick read gives the necessary information. Interestingly, cast iron is not truly pure iron. In fact, a simple steel may be closer to pure iron than than is cast iron. The difference is that steel has a carbon content of less than 2.1% by weight. More carbon makes the mix harder, more brittle, so less ductile. Cast iron contains MORE carbon than that rough upper limit of 2.1% for steel.

What happens? That carbon prevents dislocations from forming when you try to deform (bend) the cast iron. The cast iron simply won't bend. Instead, it breaks, it shatters under stress. This is why when one is removing cast iron, the best solution is often to shatter it into smaller pieces.

Ok, so what does this mean in terms of true cutting with a sharp blade, instead of abrasive cutting with a grinding wheel? If you attempt to cut steel with a tough, sharp edge that is harder than the steel, the edge actually peels a thin slice of steel away. The steel deforms as it is being cut. Thus a saw blade or a drill bit truly cuts off chips of steel. But if you look at each chip, you will see they are curved pieces of metal.

A grinding wheel is composed of an aggregate of pieces of a very hard material, typically very hard materials like Aluminum Oxide, Silicon Carbide, Diamond, and Cubic Boron Nitride. Each tiny piece of this hard material will also cut into the softer cast iron. But it cuts only a very tiny swath, resulting in much heat production and very fine particles flying off.

You should logically conclude that cutting the comparatively ductile steel is far faster, and far more efficient in terms of the work involved, since each cut produces a relatively large chip.


Cheapest way to level large concrete floor without losing height

There isn't much you can realistically do that will make those slabs even: either one has to come up, or one has to go down. I don't know what options are available for mudjacking a slab with a house on top, but if you could even find someone that can do it, I'd imagine both the cost and risks would be.... a lot.
depending on how big the gap is, you might be able to level it with epoxy. There are self-leveling coatings designed to fill gaps and cracks. You could also try using vinyl floor tiles to make the transition more gradual.
Probably the easiest (and cheapest) thing to do would be to get a big diamond grinding wheel and bevel down the lip. It won't make the slabs even, but at least you won't trip over it anymore.


What is an acceptable gap between the siding and the wall sheathing?

So I've looked around online quite a bit more since asking this question, trying to see if I can find a building code or some other standard that will give a concrete answer. I didn't find a building code, but I did find some vinyl siding installation guides and, without an explicit building code statement, I would always defer to the OEM installation guides.
The Certainteed installation manual says, on document page 31,

Tips for applying wood furring
If you are working on an older home with noticeably uneven walls,
you must correct this condition before proceeding. If not corrected
during preparation, this uneven surface will produce a wavy
appearance in siding applied over it.
For best results, space horizontal furring strips 12" on center.
Do not exceed 16". To correct an uneven wall, use furring strips
(and wood shims if necessary) to eliminate low spots.
NOTE: You must apply rigid sheathing over furring.

(Emphasis original). They then go on to give the following graphic (document page 32):

This graphic specifically goes with the installation over concrete or stucco, but clearly shows a sheathing over the furring strips.
The Plygem installation manual says, on document page 17,

Step 4
Install furring in areas needing straightening and leveling. Apply rigid sheathing to  cover and level the furring strips. Do not apply vinyl siding directly to furring strips without sheathing, because the siding may conform around the furred areas causing an uneven appearance.
(See Fig 2)

And then gives Figure 2 as:

Again, clearly showing a sheathing ON TOP of the furring strips. Georgia Pacific siding seems to use the same document (warning: direct download).
The Vinyl Siding Institute's 2018 installation guide seems to be a little more ambiguous, stating on document page 18,

Make sure that any furring strips are thick enough to provide this penetration depth, or cover them with wood sheathing to provide the needed depth.

The "or" there is what makes it ambiguous to me, but the top of that page also clearly states:

A flat, level wall surface is necessary for proper installation of vinyl siding.

They also give the following graphic on document page 15:

So, ultimately, I think the decision here would be to use standard 1x3 furring strips (NOT pressure treated), such that they're dimensionally 0.75" thick, and then to face those with 0.5" foam insulation. Some reviews have said the furring strips are actually 5/8 thick, not 3/4, but it should be close enough for the siding to fit into the window trim (though I'd definitely dry fit one section before investing in a whole house's worth.)
Finally, regarding the NOT pressure treated furring strip, the general practice of installing the furring strips to create a cavity seems to be referred to as creating a rainscreen, and the author of that article makes a comment saying,

Using pressure-treated lumber is not only unnecessary -- it often requires the use of expensive stainless-steel fasteners.
Lots of researchers and ordinary builders have removed siding and inspected furring strips. The furring strips stay dry.
If a wall has rotting furring strips, something is seriously wrong with the wall design or installation. Rotting furring strips would usually be a sign of a serious flashing error.

Finally, I'll note that the article and the video I linked in the question all seem to be using furring strips without a sheathing as part of a wood siding installation. Again, all the sources I could find on vinyl siding are OEM installation guides and they're all uniform in their statement:
You must install vinyl siding on a flat surface. Attach sheathing to furring strips if you need to use furring strips.


How can I remove the tile from this wall?

When I used to do a lot of these for a building/renovation company, the approach our foreman recommended was to assume the drywall will need replacing anyway and just rip it out. That would let you remove that entire panel in 45 minutes, and then you can just pop a new piece of drywall in, which is another 15 minutes.

As you can see from your 45 minutes, the drywall is going to be ruined, so just bite the bullet - get in behind it and pull it all off. The use of a crow bar and hammer may help here.

If you are wanting to keep the tiles on the adjacent wall, make sure you have cut a gap in at the corner so you don't rip it out as well.

Also, make sure you have something over the drain, to avoid it becoming clogged (I know - sounds obvious, but people do forget)

Updated to incorporate comments

Cement board and a vapour barrier are the only suitable backing for your tiles here. Drywall shouldn't have been in there to begin with.
Watch out when hammering around plumbing, to avoid water leaks adding to your worries!


What’s this framed concrete rectangle in my unfinished basement?

It is a concrete footing (foundation) for a column or vertical support. It is used to support the buildings horizontal beams. There should be one directly above it.
It differs from the basement slab (floor) in that it is constructed to support heavy loads. It has a thicker/deeper concrete base with re- enforcement bar added to it. The bolts tell you it was meant for a steel column with a plate welded to the base that the bolts went through.
Why it's not being used is hard to say. Possibly the house was re-modeled so it wasn't needed or it was a mix-up in the design plans.


Count the amps on the breaker handles in your existing panel.   If you're extra skilled, figure out which pole they are on also.  You'll find you have well in excess of 100A of breakers on each pole, and well over 200A of breaker handles.  Already.
This kind of oversubscription is allowed because not everything will be going full-blast at once.
As such you can have the existing 100A panel plus another 100A panel at the house, plus a 100A panel in the shop.
You can have a new 200A main panel in the house that feeds the existing 100A panel as a subpanel, and a 100A panel in the garage also.
The way you avoid overloading that is called a "Load Calculation" which takes into account general house loads on average (3 VA/watts per square foot of house), certain circuits (e.g. 1500W per kitchen general recep circuit), and certain large appliances (either their actual nameplate or a stock formula e.g. for ranges).  A garage subpanel doesn't go into the load calculation by its breaker trip, but rather, by which tool(s) you're likely to use simultaneously with the other loads.   If your house is legal for a 100A load calculation right now, adding a "60A" panel in the garage isn't going to make you over-top a 200A service.
While you're doing the upgrades, consider a "Meter-Main" which is a combination meter and main breaker.  That will be Code when NEC 2020 is adopted in your state.  However it also provides ease of maintenance later.
They also make "Farm panels" which combine a meter-main with a miniature 8-space panel, to allow you to tap the 200A service to feed various subpanels and very large loads, while still sending the full 200A onward to a 200A subpanel. . So for instance the farm panel might have a 100A breaker to feed an existing panel, another 100A breaker to feed a shop, and the straight-thru feed goes to feed a 200A subpanel for large or future loads.
Again, the amp rating of the subpanels is irrelevant, what matters is whether the service size is sufficient for the loads to be served based on the Load Calculation.


Water leaking out the back of a Honeywell Evaporative cooler

I ended up getting a replacement unit from Lowes. I think I must've bent the media when I removed it and tried to reinstall initially.


Why does my boiler keep shutting down and reigniting after a minute?

I feel your pain, been there myself. This could be a problem with your boiler, it could be your system is gunked up, or it could be your thermostat commanding the heating system to turn on and off. My money would be the boiler and not the thermostat, but you could take the communication wires out of the thermostat and twist them together for awhile to see if your boiler stays on. If it does then buy a new thermostat and count yourself enormously lucky that it was that simple and cheap.

It could be that your heating system needs a flush, which is something you could do yourself with basic tools and some hose. Generally you would flush the system with water, then refill and add a cleaning compound for a couple of weeks, and then flush again and refill being sure to add a conditioner. If you live in the UK then these instructions may work for you. If you're not sure what you're doing then get a professional.

If it is your boiler and not your thermostat then your best option is to get in a very good heating engineer who really knows your boiler type well. There are simply too many boiler types and things that could be going wrong to give you advice, and you probably wouldn't be able to fix it on your own anyway.


What else can I use to clean glass windows?

Black ink newspapers work but they are messy and difficult.

If you have a lot of glass to do, duplicate how the professionals do it. They use dishwashing liquid solution (not an ammonia based glass cleaner like *%$dex). They use a soft absorbent scrubber (you could use a soft sponge mop maybe?), then they use a good quality squeegee to remove the grimy liquid from the glass. Follow that up with a quick dry rag wipe of the edges and corners.

You might think about blasting all the windows with a water stream first, to remove as much loose dirt from the sashes and mullions as you can.


Putting together a tool set for children 8-11

If I recall my time in the scouts well enough, I'd suggest the following:

a set of screw drivers
an 8-10oz hammer
a set of pliers
a small chunk from a bar of cheap soap for coating screw threads
a piece of chalk- both to use for marking things, but also to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
a small framing square
a retractable tape rule

If you shop around and hit discount stores, it's not an expensive proposition (in the US, I'd recommend Big Lots and Harbor Freight.)


Is it possible to use a drill press as a milling machine with the proper bit?

The thing that a traditional milling machine does well is handle sideways loads. Your drill press is designed for up/down loads.

Assuming you get the bit speed right, the downside to your plan is premature wear of the bearings on the drill press.

Now, if you can use it to only cut down into the stock, then you should do okay (though slow). (Assuming adequate safety/clamping of stock/etc.)


No the led is not your problem!
An led will only show if there is voltage. Try putting a load on that outlet a volt meter may show good but plug in a curling iron and nothing. This happens with backstabbed receptacles all the time , sometimes a loose screw or wirenut . Try a load test and you may find the power goes way.


What do I need to verify before taking down a wall?

I have come across quite a few houses lately where they have back-to-back closets and we have generally turned these into two walk-ins vs. two traditional sliding door (shallow rectangle).

If the wall is not load bearing it is simply demoing the walls, rerunning any electric, reframing where needed, lots of drywall patching and fixing the carpet/flooring issue.

If the wall is load bearing you may need to install a metal/LVL header.  In the cases where we have one like this we were able to install a metal header above the door (so not where the dividing wall is).  Almost all municipalities require an engineer/architect sign-off on the design.  We did come across a couple where we would have had to install the header in the middle of the closets and we just simply didn't tear down that wall - it would have added a good 1500 to the project.


How do I drill additional holes for adjustable-height shelving?

Do you need more shelves, or do you just need one of the existing shelves to be at a different height?

If it's the latter, it may be easier for you to add some supports underneath one of the existing shelves like this:

The supports should run the depth of the cabinet, and you can attach them with command strips or double-sided tape.  Be careful removing them because shelves are often covered with paper that's printed to look like wood.

If you need more shelves, it may be better for you to build a new shelf using the same idea, but have the new shelf resting on one of the existing ones.  You'd lose a little bit of space on the lower shelf, but you'd avoid the risk of breaking your rental agreement and/or losing your deposit.  You'd also need to be careful not to overload the lower shelf or the whole thing could come down.


want to install new led lights but they have aluminum wires , can i join to copper wiring with merrits?

Although I doubt you have aluminum wiring in a new device (probably tinned copper).
You can join aluminum wire to copper wire with alumiconns. These are special wire nuts that have a special jell inside and these are 1 use only (alumiconns are usually purple or the 2 brands I have used are purple) for example the box I have on the shelf is ideal brand Twister AL/CU, these are listed for aluminum to copper wire connections. Regular wire nuts create a fire hazard with copper to aluminum connections so it can or needs to be done with alumiconns.
I would bet you have tinned stranded wire coming from the new fixture. If you take a knife and scrape the wires there will s probably copper under the tin. If copper under the tin you can just use a standard wire it that is the correct size for the wire.