Concrete "post footings" for concrete patio floor?

As long as the total contact area of the footings in consideration of the load bearing capacity of your soil exceeds the total dead & live load of the patio, then it won't settle into the ground.

As long as the footings are below the frost line, they themselves will not frost heave.

However - if the slab is still in contact with the ground, then it will still be susceptible to frost heave. The entire contact area of the slab with the ground - except the footings - will be above the frost line and can get damaged.


This should work just fine, and gives you the advantage, if setup properly, of mostly separating the two networks. The key is that (typically) a router will have one "in" port and four "out" ports. Your router should have one of the "out" ports from your friend's router go into the "in" port on your router.
The one catch is that, unless the your friend's router is configured to separate the port going to your router from all the other ports, you may be able to see your friend's devices, though your friend will not be able to see your devices. That can lead to three types of possible problems:

You could print on your friend's networked printers. Not a big deal, as the first time he will complain and the second time start charging for paper/toner.
If any of your computers are infected with viruses, your friend's computers would be at risk.
If your friend's computers have minimal security, you may be able to get to "shared" files.

In addition, no matter how you set up the routers (e.g., even if you have one master router and two slaves, so that you can't possibly see each other's computers), if one of you does some nasty stuff that gets you on an IP black list, both of you will be affected.


how can I repair a leaking at the water main valve

Depending on your water supply, it may be as easy as calling the water company / department - depends where their responsibility ends and yours starts, in your local area. They might tell you it's your problem, they might send out their plumber to fix it at no additional cost to you beyond your water bill.

Otherwise, valve leaks or replacement can be easy or hard, depending on a lot of details it's hard to see from here. While a picture might help, you never know for sure until you start trying to take it apart. You might need the water company to shut off a valve at the street, if that's where their responsibility ends, so you can put the new valve on inside the house.


Why would it matter whether a front-loading washer is upstairs?

Front Loaders spin at an incredibly high rate compared to top loads. Because of this, the amount of vibration that is transferred to the structure is immense compared to the top loaders of days past.

A concrete slab is the ideal substrate, as it will absorb all vibration. But if the home has a solid joist system and subfloor, they are viable. However, there will still be noticeable vibration. We have a 1989 built home (also in Puget Sound) that, alas, doesn't handle the front-loader washer we just bought a few months ago as well as we'd like. I will be installing lolly columns in the crawl space to reinforce the laundry room floor. If that doesn't cure things, it looks like I'll eventually be building a laundry room in our garage.

The reason they are not allowed on second floors has nothing to do with leaking (as that's a risk of ANY washer, of course) but because the live load requirements for residential construction differ between the main floor and the second floor.

I can't find a direct source to cite (if anyone can find one, please share!) but IIRC, the live load requirements for the main floor of a house is 40psf, but the live load requirements for sleeping areas on a second floor are less at 30psf.

A front load washing machine, in spin cycle, is a very "live load"*. :)

The bottom line is that in the US, the typical construction of second floors aren't equipped to handle the abuse of a front-loader washing machine.

You could probably get an exception if you reinforce the flooring in the second floor room that will house the washer. But that's likely not going to be cheap--ultimately costing you more than the savings in energy you get with the front loader. I believe PSE's top loader option is still a high efficiency appliance, though, so you'll still see a savings in energy with that. It just won't rattle your house quite as much.

UPDATE:

Found the load tables. Here's an excerpt:

From the International Residential Building Codes

TABLE R301.5 MINIMUM UNIFORMLY
DISTRIBUTED LIVE LOADS
(in pounds per square foot)

USE                                 LIVE LOAD
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Habitable attics and attics
served with fixed stairs            30

Rooms other than sleeping room      40

Sleeping rooms                      30

(*) NOTE: As ben points out--and as I attempted to point out with the smiley face--the fact that washer vibrates a lot isn't what makes it a 'live load' necessarily in the eyes of building code. My point was that the upper floor is just built to a different standard than the main floor. That said, I do see the broad definition of live load also includes vibration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_load#Live_loads


Why does water in the toilet bowl empty?

The water in the toilet seeks the level of the highest level of the high level of the trap, so if you raise the toilet bowl you must raise the trap the same distance.  The trap is the curly, s-shaped part of the drain between the exit tube of the bowl and the wall. The highest level of the trap follows the line of bottom of the inner circumference of the trap where the the direction of the flushing water is parallel to the trap, as it is coming out of the climb from the bottom of the trap.

It could also be a vacuum in the drain sucking the fluid back into the drain if there is not a vent pipe running vertically from the drain to the roof to equalize the presscure.

I am not a plumber nor an engineer but a do it yourself person with a little math understanding from American public schools and a very basic, traditional grasp of physical science from experience and from the instruction of a peculiarly motivated chemistry professor at Bakersfield College, Ca  USA.


This is all LED related.

Option 1: You are changing from incandescent to LEDs.

The new LEDs you are using do not play well with the dimmer, smart switch or other smart electronics currently installed.  Those old electronics depend on a unique characteristic of incandescent bulbs, which most LEDs do not bother emulating.  When you change the last incandescent to LED, that breaks the smart device.  The fix here is to address the incompatibility (change one or the other) or add a Lutron LUT-MLC, which provides the characteristic the old dimmer/etc. is looking for.

Option 2: You are using incandescents, not LEDs.

Most fans have a safety circuit designed to prevent you from overlamping the light sockets, meaning put in bulbs that are too large and make too much heat.  These would damage the fixture or start a fire.

Adding the fourth bulb pushes the power draw over the limit, resulting in the safety circuit doing its job.

The cure here is to use LED lights, which draw vastly less power, and can give plenty of light for far less heat.  The fixture cares about the heat, not the light.


Does Sewage Ejector system need a dedicated circuit?

It all depends on several things.

What size is the circuit?
What else is one it?
What do the manufacturer's instructions say?

Typically you'd only need a dedicated circuit for something like this if it is big enough to warrant it, or if the mfg requires it.

When I say big enough I mean 50% of the circuit size since you are combining a fixed in place appliance (the pump) with general use items.


Can I use the area above my garage for storage?

The joists are almost certainly taking some tension load (keeping the walls from spreading) from the roof, at least, unless it's very strangely built.

As is, given a quick look at load calculators and those inputs, probably not. even reducing live and dead loads to 20PSF (minimum live load for a "storage attic" and a pretty low storage load) and allowing lots of deflection, it's too much for a 2x8.

Your best/most cost-effective approach would probably be to convert rafters and joists into a truss system by adding web elements between the rafters and joists. You'll need a structural engineer, but it's the least added material. My trusses spanning 24 feet are all 2x4 material, so it should not take much to make a 2x8 lower chord carry a reasonable load without support from below. So you'll spend some money on engineering and save a good deal in getting it done, while having some peace of mind.


Can someone review this garage loft design for structure and stability?

I'm not an engineer, this is just a layman review, but I think you should rethink the main supports.  I'd rather see you open the walls and support your ledger boards directly on the existing wall studs rather than lagging into them.  I don't think the 3 supports (2x4s?) under each ledger board is sufficient to prevent sheer and since you're lagging into a 2x4, that's a very narrow target to hit through the face of a 2x10 and the existing drywall.

I'd also go 10" on center for the joists, not 16.  Otherwise I'd be concerned about the span length of the 2x10's over your car.


Another answer by Fresh Codemonger suggests having two pumps, one on regular power and the other on your inverter.

I would like to suggest a similar option that I think is more efficient.

As the other answer says, you should have a second pump. However, instead of connecting it to your inverter, your second pump should be one that is designed to run directly from 12VDC and have a battery charge controller. That way, the pump itself maintains the battery charge and automatically turns on when needed. That removes the need for the inverter, resulting in a simpler and more energy-efficient setup.

There are also a number of sump pump companies that actually make a 2-in-1 pump which has both a 120VAC pump and a 12VDC pump in the same unit. It automatically switches between them as needed.


This type of door is called a pocket door.

The first possibility is that the door has simply come off the track or the door has come unattached from the hanger that runs along the track.  In that case you can figure out which side of the track it should be hung from and pick the door up and rehang it or attempt to fish the hanger out of the pocket and reattach it to the top of the door.

The more likely case, in my experience, is that the hardware is broken and will have to be replaced.  Here is a good guide to replacing the hardware on a pocket door: http://www.ronhazelton.com/projects/how_to_repair_and_replace_a_pocket_door


Old-style 2-wire thermostats are, de-facto, switches and switches doesn't have an 'order'. In new stat, if it is battery powered, is the same. In any case just connect R(H) and common (W). Anyway, if you wire the new stat wrong-way, worst case scenario is stat not working (no risk of rupture)


Should cracks and water in the crawl space concern me when buying a house?

The simple answer is I would never buy a house without a proper inspection by a licensed inspector. In some areas, you can find engineering firms that will do both structural and mechanical inspections and could tell you if those cracks are a problem. I suspect they're not, given that concrete is expected to crack at some point and part of the point of the metal reinforcement is to mitigate the effects of cracks. But if the cracks are prevalent across the foundation walls, I might be concerned. Get a professional opinion. The few hundred dollars you spend on an inspection could save you from financial ruin.


I have both a natural gas burner with baseboard heat and 6 Mitsubishi Mr. Slim units. Which would be less expensive to use for heating my house?

You'd need to do some math. Namely the cost of the energy source * the amount of energy needed for each method. The amount of energy needed will depend on the efficiency of each heating method.

It's not an easy calculation by any means, but it's definitely not answerable without those details.

In general, Heat Pumps tend to be one of the more efficient option these days.


How to replace wire next to another wire?

I would approach it first by trying to pull the network cable through with one of the audio wires.   Strip the covering from about 6 inches/10cm of the network cable and separate the conductors in the audio cable about the same distance.  Put the two cables end-to-end with the stripped parts overlapping and fold half of each cable back around the other and use electrical table to tape down flat to the original cable (folding the full cable may make your joint thicker and more likely to catch on the other wires in the conduit).   Tape the remaining conductors down flat to the opposite cable (I adjust how I do this for the flattest seam with the specific cable being pulled).     Now, see if you call pull that one cable through.   If not, you may need to pull all three out, in which case I would pull a "pull string" rather than a fish tape -- electricians use a synthetic string that is lightweight but slippery -- and then pull the wires you do want back through.

If you have access to the attic, you should check to see if the conduit is continuous or if you will need to make one pull into the attic and a separate one back down.

Depending on the length of the run, you may also want to look into wire lube that eases the effort to pull them through the conduit.


Why are my wall hooks ending up crooked?

The screws in your picture have a tapered head that match the holes for the screws, so when they are tightened all the way, it will force the screw into the center of the hole; this is why they are OK until they are tightened.  My guess is that your marks or holes are not perfectly in the center.  It could also be that you are drilling at an angle.  Grab a square and hold it against the wall so you can see what 90 degrees perpendicular looks like - are you drilling on that angle or slightly off?


I decided to install an A.Y. McDonald 6001 series brass stop and waste valve (for example, on Amazon, ASIN B003MXYJOU).  Such units are much more expensive than a common valve, and I was hoping to avoid that expense. However situations like mine are just what they're designed for.
Reading other answers on the site, it is best to prioritize quality and reliability when making plumbing repairs in difficult to access locations.


How to taper an irregular flat roof for a slight fall

The slope of the roof is 2/100 so the elevation of the roof at and given distance from the drain can be expressed proportionally 2/100=elevation/distance or e=(2d)/100. So yes, 236 from the drain the elevation is (2*236)/100 = 4.72. If you can measure with a tape or step off the distance with dividers you can dispense with any more math than that.

Basically on the building you can measure the distance from the drain to any point on the roof and mark the height. Or if you're trying to cut strips you can find the start and end heights as above then snap a chalk line between them.

As a practical matter you'd probably want to increase the slope slightly beyond code and pick a few critical points such as corners and the midpoint of long edges to set the height. The reason being that you probably a) can't build a perfect cone with construction lumber and b) the rest of the building probably isn't perfect either. Giving yourself a margin for error means that every point in between should have at least the minimum slope.

By the way, the angle is irrelevant to the Pythagorean theorem which states the length of the hypotenuse is equal to the square root of the sum of the squares of the legs.


My 15 amp hair dryer has a 20 amp plug. Can I put a 15 amp plug on it?

Of course you can't.  The 20A plug was put there for a reason.  Believe me, the manufacturer would much rather have put a 15A plug on there to make it more widely usable - they didn't use a 20A plug to annoy you... It's because they can't use a 15A.

The 80% rule also applies to portable appliances.  No portable appliance using a NEMA 15A plug can draw more than 1500 watts (which is presumptive that the working voltage is 125V).

As George points out, modern bathroom receptacle circuits are supposed to be 20A.  There's an exception in Code that allows you to put any common-as-dirt 15A duplex receptacle on 20A circuits; that's just so you only have to carry 1 receptacle on the truck instead of two (x 4 colors x normal/Decora; 8 is enough!) It also allows builders to use the 50 cent outlets instead of the $5 ones.

If your bathroom circuit is 20A breakered and wired with 12 AWG copper or 10 AWG aluminum wire, then you are at liberty to fit a 20A T-slot receptacle there.


AFIK a water supply pipe would not be 'cast iron'. Older water supply systems were made of galvanized steel with threaded joints. (Drain systems in the walls were made of cast iron, but the joints between sections of drain pipe were not threaded but rather packed and sealed with lead.)

The more modern supply systems were copper tubing joined by soldered joints so called 'sweated' joints. Outside faucets would oftentimes be threaded onto a brass or copper fitting which was sweated onto the copper tubing and transitioned to normal pipe threads (NPT) either male or female. The threaded end of this transition was also called 'iron pipe' even though the fitting was made of brass. The designation of these terminations would be MIP or FIP, respectively, for male and female terminations.

In my house the outside faucets are fed by 1/2" copper tubing and I sweated on 1/2" FIP fittings so I could replace the faucets by unscrewing them and not have to get out the torch and solder. These threaded connections do require sealing with 'pipe dope' or Teflon water pipe sealing tape.

If you have galvanized steel piping you will need a pipe wrench to hold the pipe and prevent it from turning and another wrench to unscrew the faucet. (The second wrench would not have to be a pipe wrench, but could be, although a pipe wrench takes a little practice to learn how to use.) You do not want the pipe to turn because this would loosen a joint further back and could cause a leak in the wall. To use a pipe wrench correctly takes a little practice and understanding if you have never used one before. A pipe wrench is asymmetric and must be oriented properly to clamp onto the pipe. Look this up.


How to space closet supports with even number of 16" spaced studs?

In my house the closets have 1x4 screwed on top of the sheetrock, on all 4 sides (minus the door opening of course) to mount the brackets. The shelf and rod bracket is exactly the one you have pictured. Where it is attached they added a short 1x4 vertically (with rounded bottom corners actually) to make a level mounting surface.


Need advice on air compressor for home use

If you are planning to purchase an air compressor to use for painting it may cost more than if you purchase a dedicated airless paint sprayer. Both tools are priced about the same (for mid priced tools). But you will also need a sprayer for the compressor and a desiccator and contaminate filter which will increase the cost for painting with a compressor. Air compressors, even the smaller models, weigh a lot and are awkward to carry. Airless sprayers are straight forward: easy to clean, no extra accessories to begin painting, light weight, and do a fast and excellent job. Here is a link for the one I bought 7 years ago and still use: http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=295433-48690-LTS+17&catalogId=10051&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=4745131  Here is the compressor I compared it against:http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=155839-70-D55146&catalogId=10051&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=1036715


Green Corrosion on new sink shut off valve after only a year

It may simply be condensation on a cold water line.  The rule of thumb in plumbing is if the joint isn't leaking don't eff with it.


How can I connect a N6-30 plug from a L14-30 receptacle?

Rather straightforward, since all the power pins your water heater requires are present, and ampacity is the same.

If you can't find it, hit the local electrical supply house and get

the appropriate L14-30 plug
N6-30 socket for cordage
10/3 cordage of your desired length, do not use Romex

A big-box store is not an electrical supply house.

Assemble per instructions and done.

Nothing goes on the 14-30 neutral pin.


Yes, common sense says so.

Maybe people are not there all the time but combustion happens even when no people are there.

Most times these rules are put in place to avoid consequences like poor combustion or combustion gases building up in poorly ventilated spaces.

Provide the combustion air and be safe.


Turn off the circuit breaker and pop the covers off and pull it out.  Disconnect anything from the LOAD terminals, tape up the bare wires so they can't touch anything, and put it back in the wall.

Does it still trip?  It's a bad GFCI.

Does it stop tripping?  It's because whatever was connected to the LOAD terminals has a ground fault... Or the wiring to those things.  You will know what those things are, because they lost power when the GFCI tripped (and also when you disconnected them).  You will need to troubleshoot further by disconnecting one thing at a time until you have narrowed it down to one thing.


I know there is a pressure vacuum breaker here, but what is the rest?

In my area, it is common for PVB to break if incorrectly winterized, but local water code requires these to be installed and inspected annually, with an inspection report filed with the city water authority. I see duct tape on the PVB so this is likely cracked and causing the leak you mentioned in a comment.
I'd hazard a guess that water does come from the house at (2), flows toward (A), (B) and the hose bibb from there. You can verify this by closing (A) and (B) and running the hose bibb to ensure it still works. Run it long enough to be sure you have flowing water and not just clearing the pipe.
With (A) and (B) turned off, you can also test-run anything that you think is attached to them. Once the water in the pipes (1) and (3) is drained, they should no longer run (and if it's a pool and irrigation as suspected, you'd notice lack of pressure even before the lines are fully drained). You mentioned you may have a separate irrigation line so it's possible that one or both of these don't go where you expect. Specifically, if any of (B), (C), (D) are turned off and irrigation still runs, it's not fed from 3.
(B) (C) and (D) may seem redundant as they all feed or cut off the pipe (3). In my system, (B) is located inside the house to cut water off before it flows outside, so the system can be winterized. (C) and (D) are also for winterizing by pumping compressed air through each zone to clear out any water and prevent it from freezing. The shutoffs prevent air from escaping into the house as the lines are pressurized with air.


Get drywall anchors that are the plastic kind that screw into the drywall.  Home Depot sells these.  Then when the anchor is in thread in a wood screw and hang the plate off that.  Twist-n-lock for example is one of that style.  Google "Brass Plate Hanger Displays Plates on Wall Size 5 to image" off etsy for what you need for the plate itself.


If your careful how you splice you can use the 4 conductor wire as you're guessing, send 2 wire out on red/black, bring it back to the panel on green/white... Send it out to the next detector on red/black... Etc etc, rinse and repeat for 10 detectors.  The end of line resistor would then go across the last green/white.  That essentially converts your 4 wire home runs to a 2 wire supervised loop.

The problem you will run into is you have about 40 more splices in the circuit than are anticipated.  Each splice adds resistance to the circuit, eventually most splices create higher resistance over time due to oxidation.  All the extra resistance could eventually give the vista panel a fire trouble condition (not a false alarm tho).

Hint: solder all those extra splices, or use a 3M silicone filled crimp style butt splice. A soldered splice never oxidizes over time.  Resistance at 12volts can add up quickly, sometimes you can kludge the end of line resistor to another value to compensate, but you lose the UL listing doing so.


New door jamb is smaller than the one it replaced. Can I use it?

It's the carpenter's responsibility to properly shim and anchor any door jamb. Unless it's a rigid steel commercial unit, it's not designed to be self-supporting.

I usually shim behind each hinge on the hinge side, and at four locations, including the latch position, on the latch side. Use a combination of wedge and flat shims. For an exterior door I usually use 3" gold construction screws behind the weather stripping.


How do I reinforce the ends of 2x8s that are sistered to 2"x5" (actual size) joists?

I'm reading this as the office is over the crawl space and you want to add the 8" joists so that the floor height is unaffected.

You say

  I will have to reduce the height of the new joists from 7.5" to 5" at the ends.

I say you don't, and if you do, it will compromise your attempt to strengthen your floor.

Get joist hangers:

Instead of sistering your joists to the old 5", hang the new 8" (ie: 7.5") joists halfway between each 5" joist.  Put them tight up against the floor and secure them with the joist hangers (again, tight) and that will reinforce your floor quite nicely without compromising the integrity of the board by cutting them down to 5" at the ends.


Turns out that the specific chime, down the the model, was not supported by Ring. It was one that included a transformer and the chime itself. I had to remove that and put in my own transformer and mechanical chime to get it all working. As soon as I did this, everything worked as expected.


In a house fire, how hot does the foundation have to get before it too has to be replaced?

The information is incorrect, the temperature at which concrete becomes unsafe for re-use is significantly lower, 570 degrees F actually. The 'telltale" sign is if concrete that was not charred from nearby combustibles turns a pinkish hue. That color change is due to chemical changes in the iron-containing compounds in the aggregates used in making concrete reacting with the Portland cement that is binding them together. Once it turns pink, it is unusable. The fracture mechanics are permanently changed and it will crumble under stress. That has nothing to do with the rebar inside.

Even IF it is not noticeable damaged, you may not be able to re-use it, or want to. After a fire where the rest of the house is completely destroyed or had to be demolished, when you go to try to re-use a foundation, the Building Permit code requirements will be "reset" to the current codes, you are not longer "grandfathered" into the code requirements from when it was originally built. But since it already exists, the inspectors cannot see HOW it was made. So they will require an Engineering Report from a licensed Civil PE certifying that the foundation meets or exceeds the current building Code requirements. To get that report from anyone other than a scam artist, the PE will require core testing, wherein a company comes out and drills cores from your foundation and takes them to a testing lab to test the strength. In addition, they may require a survey / map of the foundation for rebar locations (done with a metal detector). By the time you get done with all of that, it can be so expensive that tearing out the old foundation and replacing it will be less expensive.


Should I use a float "piggy-back" sump pump switch?

As kkeilman points out, your pump is fully submersible, so that part should be no problem.

You can easily just piggy-back a float switch like this one on your existing pump. It has a special plug that you plug the existing sump pump into (no wiring necessary), and this one in particular handles up to 1/2 HP, which is more than enough for your 0.3 HP Zoeller.

The nice thing about these tether floats is you can adjust the heights depending on where you attach it, and how much tether you give it. Just be sure to test it manually moving up and down to be sure it's at the right heights, and it's not going to get hung up on anything (causing it to either stay on, or not turn on when needed). I highly recommend you secure all the wires going into the pit with zip ties or electrical tape to be sure they're not going to fall down in the future.

You can leave the existing float working, which is fine - it will act as an extra safety to shut it off if the pit is dry, but also be sure this one doesn't get hung up - because both floats will have to be "on" to make the pump turn on -- if either is off, the pump is off.

If you don't want to use the existing float, there may be a way to bypass it internally by rewiring the pump, or you can simply zip tie it "up" so it is in the on position all the time.


Safe heater options for small cabin with no electric

There's an absolutely fantastic heater called a wall furnace.  It is a proper furnace that mounts in a wall, and is either one-sided or two-sided.  You could mount a 2-sided unit on an interior joist wall.  Or you could mount a 1-sided unit on an exterior wall by spacing it out from the wall 4", this would let you put a jog in the stack pipe and penetrate the wall instead of the roof.  (I hate roof pens, especially on containers which have irregular roofs).

A slight variation is the floor furnace which mounts below the floor in a grating.

They typically are sized for 25,000 to 50,000 BTU and intended to heat an entire, modest sized California or Florida home of 500-1200sf (depending on how well insulated it is).

They use a millivolt thermostat, which means a thermopile (Peltier device) right on top of the pilot light, creating just enough power to operate the propane solenoid valve.  The pilot must run 24x7.  They come set up for methane, but can be jetted for propane.

Exhaust is straight up, via convection. Most are not "direct vent" and rely on some draft in the building to fuel them. Keep in mind there is no electricity to force air through the combustion chamber, so the airflow can't be too convoluted.

You cannot find these in the snowbelt.  This is absolutely daft, because the furnaces they do have in the snowbelt all absolutely need AC power, and AC power fails a lot during the winter, often for days at a time.  I would want one of these at least as a backup.   It would also make a wonderful auxiliary heat for a heat pump system.

Combined with a modest but carefully designed DC battery/solar system, you could be toasty warm and watching Netflix while your neighbors are futzing with generators.


Can I add strips of lumber to studs in a framed wall to meet plumbing hole size limitations?

Ask your inspection office whether stud shoes are acceptable. They're sometimes listed for code compliance. Quick and easy, if not terribly cheap.


HVAC drip line sweats during heavy AC use in summer

The problem could be the high humidity in the house. Here, north of Pittsburgh, Pa. I run a dehumidifier any time I am using the A/C unit to help reduce the humidity. Most A/C units are oversized not allowing the unit to run long enough to reduce the humidity. If you live in a high humidity area the A/C unit will not remove enough of the humidity in your house to allow you to feel comfortable. I set my dehumidifier at 40% and allow it to run automatically. I bought a GE unit rated at 70 pints per day from Sam's club and it keeps the humidity in check. One more thing, the drip line should have it's own trap close to the unit to keep cold air from blowing down the pipe causing the pipe to become cold which in turn coupled with a high humidity in the house causes it to swet. I would probably allow the condensate drain to run outside the house if that is legal in your area.


Can I use a transformer for a 240v stove/oven on a 120v outlet?

6000W at 110VAC would equate to ~54.5A. It would be extremely unusual to see an 110VAC outlet supporting that level of current. You really need to show a picture of the outlet to allow members here to verify that this is a compatible outlet.

A 55A circuit would require feed wires of at least 6 awg copper wire. You need to show evidence that the "really beefy wiring" is actually connected with 6 awg copper or larger diameter. In addition we need evidence that this circuit is being fed from a circuit breaker not exceeding 55A.

If your power feed is indeed rated for 6000W at 110VAC then a transformer (assuming 100% efficiency which they are not really 100% efficient) would not be able to convert to more than 6000W at 220VAC. This would result in a maximum converted current not exceeding ~27A. Clearly this is not enough to supply current on a circuit to a stove that requires a 220VAC feed at 40A.


How should I remove the knockout for the drain in a recessed laundry box?

As far as I recall (been a while - I used one of these boxes once and thought it was a cheesy product I'd never buy again) you either cut with a utility knife or smack with a hammer to break the plug free (hoping there's actually a drain pipe & trap properly installed, if you didn't install this yourself.)


What could cause my boiler to ignite 3 times then goes off?

If you get good ignition and the boiler's ignitor stays on the entire time even after you have flame, then your flame sensor or controller is probably broken.

Otherwise, you have a mixing issue. Either not enough air is being moved by the fan or oil is not flowing sufficiently, possibly because of issues with the nozzle.

The 3 times lockout is a safety feature that keeps the boiler from filling up with unburned oil that possibly ignites in an undesirable way.


Ceiling fan mounting, old home, worried I did it wrong

That support is probably an old gas line (pre electricity) I say this because of the length you described. If it was shorter and anchored in the box itself or just above the box it would be called a hickey. Years back this hickey was a normal way to support heavy fixtures. And as long as it cannot come down your fan will stay up there. As far as other comments this is not knob and tube. Because it is in conduit, since it is in conduit I would consider pulling some new thhn wiring. Now for the last part of your question, current code calls for listed boxes but on older homes I have used the same hardware you have and there were no problems that pipe is probably stronger than a listed box.


How do I find the proper wires for service drop?

Determining the size of the grounded (neutral) conductor isn't as easy as saying, hey let's take off 70% of the load and look that up on a chart.

I imagine the 70% that was spoken about refers to the allowable reduction of certain circuits named in NEC 220.61 (B)(1) which deals with cooking units and dryers. Those circuits, when the maximum unbalanced load is determined in accordance with 220.55 and 220.54 respectively, can be reduced by 70%.

But that doesn't equate to a total reduction of 70% because we're only speaking of a few of the circuits in the dwelling. Also, that doesn't include the 100% of circuits you can leave out do to the fact they are not supplied a grounded conductor and therefore, perhaps not obviously, do not contribute to the ampacity of the neutral anyway.

All in all, yes, you could have a total reduction of 70%, but I'd make the electrician prove it. For one, I wouldn't put the burden/responsibility on the homeowner to get my feeder cables - maybe a 250' spool of 14/2 romex but, at least by my experience, they'll screw that up too. So, I question that decision; I won't go as far as to call him names for it though.

If you did indeed have an actual 125 amp service or feeder rating you would need a #2 cu. or 1/0 al. or al. cu. (copper-clad aluminum) feeder according to TABLE 310.15(B)(7). Now, if you actually had a 70% allowable reduction you'd have...

125 * 0.70 = 87.5 A

...and according to TABLE 310.15(B)(16) you would need a #3 cu. or #2 al. or al. cu. cable.

Note that even this answer makes assumptions. You speak of a 125 amp service which doesn't equate to the actual minimum ampacity required, only the next largest standard breaker size. This leads to the fact that you may have an actual load less than 125 A. Taking 70% of the breaker size, if larger, would result in a larger reduction than is actually allowed.


Do I need special primer for red(ish) paint?

You should have your Kilz 2 tinted the same color as the topcoat. Most places will do that for free.


You have three wires because its a two way (or more) switch; You will find your light is switchable in two (or more) locations.

The wavy line with an arrow is the 'load' terminal, meaning this should be connected to the light; either directly or though the other switch(es)

It is likely that the old L1 goes to the load; the other two won't matter.

To be sure you need to test that the wire does indeed go to the light; this will require some electrical test equipment, and may require testing live circuits, so shouldn't be done with some experience.


Can I convert a basement window to a door?

Yes, you can.  However, doing it properly requires solid knowledge of how to transfer structural loads.  The soundest practice here is to hire a structural engineer to draft plans for you to tell you exactly what you need to build to keep your house safe.


In what orientation should this L-bracket be when hanging shelves?

Put the leg that best matches your shelf width under the shelf. That is why there's different leg sizes. The bracket's critical section is the inner corner, it is equally strong in both directions. That said, usually the critical portion of the entire assembly is the withdrawal of the upper wall screw. Having the long leg against the wall somewhat reduces this force. But if that results in a significant portion of the shelf unsupported, that could weaken the assembly more than the modest gain in withdrawal strength.

The best approach is to fully support the shelf and use wall screws that are long enough to provide plenty of withdrawal strength regardless which leg is against the wall.


Yes, it is possible to install floor tiles on walls.


Can an extension cord be used to permanently power an outside sump pump?

Use of flexible cords and cables are covered in the NEC in Article 400. In this article 400.8 Uses not permitted 400.8 (1) As a substitute for a fixed wiring of a structure and 400.8 (5) Where concealed by walls, floors, or ceilings or located above suspended or drop ceilings.

Flexible cords can be used as outlined in 400.7 (A) (6) and (7). Think of uses permitted as a "no longer than 6' rule" which is usually accepted by the AHJ.

So in short according to your question no. Also running electrical in and exposed to weather you have to worry about deterioration of the insulation. If that doesn't satisfy your question I would also like to point out that this is one of the major causes of electrocution in the US.


I've stripped woodchip wallpaper with lead paint on it. I think I have all the dust in my carpet and furnitre. What do I do?

What can I do?

You could get a sample tested for lead. For example there is a 3M product called LeadCheck.

From what I've read: in the UK, lead-based paint was mostly used on woodwork. The relevant Wikipedia article suggests this. lead chromate was not used on walls after the early 1970s.


How much "slack" should I account for when doping a long run of electrical wire?

Wire expansion/contraction in conduit is quite minimal.  I’ve never left more than the few inches you normally get when you don’t straightline through a junction box.
Part of the reason 6/3 is so stiff is it’s not intended to be run in conduit. It’s intended for direct underground burial. And it’s stiff because it’s four wires bundled together.  It’s not illegal to run in conduit, just a lot of work.
Here, get 4 chopsticks and bind them in a spiral with tape, the whole length.  Notice how stiff they are as a package?  Notice how bending them makes the tape wrinkle, as they try to slide past each other?  Much stiffer than 1 chopstick, or even 4 chopsticks able to freely slide.  That’s what’s happening.
When you see linemen do that, they are working with individual wires.
The preferable way to work in conduit is to run the conduit all the way from panel to panel, and then, use individual wires.  They bend easier because they are able to slide past each other.  And that makes them easier to pull.
With individual wires, it’s easy to give yourself a couple feet of slack simply by having the wires “take the scenic route” from conduit entrance to the lugs they’re meant for.  This doesn’t even need to make the box messy.  That’s harder (but not impossible) to do with cable, because the sheath must extend into the service panel, so if you pull some out later, it’d need to still be sheathed.
Also, given your length, and the large size of your conduit, if you go individual wires you might want to think about switching up to #4 aluminum (with a #6 insulated aluminum ground, or a #8 copper bare or insulated). When used as feeder, aluminum wire’s safety is fully proven.  And you might as well - the subpanel’s lugs are probably aluminum. (Aluminum lugs play well with both Al and Cu as far as thermal expansion goes).  It’s less money, and it’s a bit less stiff (and lighter).
Lastly, I hope you’ve seen our strong recommendations to wildly oversize any subpanel you install.  Spaces are dirt-cheap when you are buying a panel, but running out of spaces is an expensive problem. And the old cheat of using cheater/tandem/double-stuff breakers is fading fast, as AFCI/GFCI is being required on more and more circuits.  Don’t hesitate to take a panel you already bought back in favor of one with 2-3x as many spaces. It’s OK for the busing (or even main breaker) in a panel to be larger than the feed breaker.  In fact, it’s a good thing.


It's not a concern unless you're immediately adjacent to a very vigorous pump or other device. Plenty of PVC pipe is mounted with metal hardware of various sorts, and I've never once seen evidence that it was wearing through enough to be a concern in many years of remodeling old homes and older homes.


Can an electric water heater and electric air handler/furnace be installed in the same closet?

It shouldn't be a problem, as long as there's enough working space around the units. See this answer for more details on how much working space you need, and this answer which includes a good graphic.

Here's a PDF from Mike Holt, that describes the requirements for space around the equipment (starting on page 16).


Side effects of wire mesh inside vent covers

Typical screening can reduce airflow about 50 to 70%. This could destroy the efficiency of your AC and heating units and possibly burn out the fan. Placing any type of screen on intake or exhaust of your furnace could cause it to shut down as it thinks there is a blockage in the venting. Your furnace /AC unit already has a filter on the intake side of the fan so you wouldn't need screening on the individual vents in the rooms.


Copper "wool" or mesh is sold for the purpose of plugging such holes. The mice cannot chew it and it doesn't corrode, e.g., https://www.amazon.com/Stuf-Fit-Copper-Mesh-Birds-Control/dp/B0001IMLTY


Low water pressure anytime we run 2 things at once

Maybe the pump is failing.  Or, if "pressure" (or more likely, flow) seems fine with one tap on, but not with two, it's possible your pump is fine but there is a partial blockage in the pipes that limits flow. It could be debris or an air bubble.  You'll need to do some testing to figure out what the problem is.


No, hot glue is not enough. And I hope that by "replace" you refer to the whole bath.

If it's a super critical emergency sand away the rust around the hole, being careful not to punch another one, and use some kind of silicone based sealant.


How should I support a stone mantel on a brick fireplace?

That is a pretty big piece of rock.

It would probably be better to distribute the load by using brackets.

In the photo above, the mantle is wood, but the principle for stone is the same.

What you want to do is build the brackets into the chimney as deeply as possible. So, you actually remove entire bricks and insert the brackets deep into the chimney superstructure. Then you just rest the mantle on the brackets. You can drill 1/2-inch holes in the bottom of the mantle and the top of the brackets and insert close-fitting steel pins to join the the mantle with the brackets, so it will not slide off.


How to make a Bevel Lap Splice joint, for connecting a portable floor?

This will be a tricky joint, and it won't be as strong as you'd like, because the 'neck' of the bevel will be pretty thin. But I'm going to explain how to do it.

You need a table saw and a jig/sled to hold your board vertically. This jig is usually used to make the 'cheek' cuts on tenons, so you may have one.

You'll make two cuts--one shallow crosscut at the deepest point of the bevel, and one face cut to make the bevel itself. Then you can optionally clean up the junction, or, you cut the notch a little deeper (at the expense of weakening the wood further); I show the latter (faster) solution here, since you'll be doing a LOT of these.

Carefully set the depth of the cross-cut to the depth of the bevel. (See picture two.) Cut a notch across the bottom of the wood.
Mount the piece of wood vertically in your cheek-cutting sled. Set the angle of your table saw to the angle of the bevel, looks like about 5-8 degrees might be enough. Adjust the left-right position of the sled so that the top of the cut lines up with the corner of the bevel. (See picture three.)

I have totally exaggerated the amount of kerf and overcut you'll get just so you can see the dangers. In practice you can make the second cut so that it doesn't overcut at all.

The annoying part is you can't test the fit until after step 2, which means you have to recreate the depth for step 1. Not the end of the world, just take your time and sneak up on the depth from the 'shallow' direction.


Guessing you intend it for a pull-up bar. That 1/2 will easily hold 400 lbs, possibly not at one point but at one time, I weighed almost that much and ma and my son were doing pull-ups, he said I made the posts wobble but the bar is still there 20 years later.


Can an illuminated switch be made to work with LED bulbs?

A dimmer-compatible LED bulb might work. A higher wattage LED bulb could also work better, but most likely you will need a series pass element like the referenced Lutron LUT-MLC in parallel with the bulb. This is 'like' adding a resistor, but it should not get as hot. If you use a suitably rated component, it should be designed to fail safe (i.e. open circuit).

To add a bit more context... The neon indicator passes a pretty small current when it is operating, and has a fairly high but dynamic series resistance. It is quite possible for an LED power supply to extract enough voltage to just light the LEDs (maybe 30v, depending on the design). A shunt bypass element needs to pass most of the indicator current in order to ensure that the LED can't light (and the internal LED discharge resistor should help). Since all LEDs are different, there is no 'simple' answer.


To cover a 15-second outage (power interruption) you need a UPS.

A basic UPS should protect your TV from surges, brownouts and overvoltages by switching to battery power (with a very short interruption to power) but during an extended brownout/overvoltage it will eventually cut power to the TV.

To cover extended brownouts or overvoltages, you need a line-interactive UPS.


Small nick on power cord from an electric alarm clock, and copper wiring exposed but intact

That cable, as is, will tend to "bite people". It also has damage that could increase resistance there causing that spot in the cable to get hot.  Continued flexing will worsen the wire damage and the heating.

An electrical-tape repair will work temporarily, but I would not resell it like that.

The right way is take your time and find a gray power cord of very similar style, open up the clock and replace the cable.


I have a Kenmore dryer that the Timer doesn't time and I have no heat

You may have a broken supply wire.  This could happen one of several ways.

A broken "hot" wire (L1 or L2) would knock out the 240V components (heaters) and randomly knock out some or all 120V components (timer, drum, etc.)
A broken "neutral" wire would allow power to the 240V components(heaters), but may not allow them to turn on, as it would randomly break and even damage 120V components such as the timer controls, drum, etc.

Warning: On the obsolete, 3-prong NEMA-10 dryer sockets , a broken neutral is extremely dangerous, because the entire metal chassis of the dryer becomes energized at 120V, either all the time, or the moment it is switched on.  A person can get a fatal shock if they touch the dryer and also anything properly grounded, like the washing machine right next to it, a water pipe, receptacle or switch, etc.  A 4-prong NEMA 14 should be safe if both cord and receptacle are installed correctly.

Turn off the dryer circuit breaker and unplug the dryer.  If it's a 3-prong NEMA-10 socket, proceed with great care, and maybe even call an electrician.  (not something I say lightly - those guys cost money). If at all possible, upgrade to NEMA 14 -- and remember, you can reuse the existing 3-wire and retrofit a ground wire separately from the other wires!  You would also need to change the dryer cord, and remove the neutral-ground jumper on the dryer.

It's rare for a cable to be damaged (though it does happen, especially if you've recently done construction or had a handling problem.)  Usually, a wiring problem is at one of the terminations.  So it's possible for a homeowner to skill-up on electrical, get a few basic tools, shut off the circuit, and follow it, disassembling and inspecting each connection point for a bad connection or broken device.  This often yields fruit, but it does require some learning.

It's also possible for wires to come loose between the dryer cord and the dryer proper.  This, you can do, by unplugging the dryer, pulling it back, and checking the connections.

Why am I up-playing a wiring problem and downplaying a mechanical problem? Because you report 2 things failed at the exact same time: the timer and the heaters. That's not likely.


In cables, the different wire colors distinguish wires.  They do not color code by function, except by accident.

In this case, the accident worked out.  White is neutral.  Black is always-hot.  Red is switched-hot to the lamp.

It's unusual because in this case, the cable from switch to lamp is serving a double purpose.  It is taking switched-hot to the lamp, and then, it is carrying always-hot power onward to other appliances e.g. Lamps.

You may be confusing neutral and ground.  Older houses don't have ground. They always had neutral or lights wouldn't work!

It doesn't appear there is any ground in the box, unless you see some ground wires tucked back there.

If you have a powered switch that does not need neutral or ground, beware, it may not play well with non-incandescent bulbs.

If you have a powered switch that doesn't need neutral, beware, some of them need ground because they are using it as a bootlegged current return (UL would list such products if current was very small, but that is coming to an end). These won't work without proper grounding back to the panel.


What is the proper method to prepare drywall for painting?

My bet is there's something in the old paint that's preventing good adhesion for the new paint. It's possible they used an oil-base indoors, or the paint had some chemical that messes with the latex you're likely using.

What I would do is buy an oil-based (mineral spirit cleanup) primer (like original Kilz) and prime the walls. Oil-based primers do a superb job of providing a "glue" layer for your latex to grab onto. Take a small area and test this hypothesis.

If that still fails, the next best thing is to put new drywall over the old and then paint fresh drywall. Obviously more expensive (and you'll need landlord permission), but you'd be guaranteed no paint problems.


Battening an uneven wall for plasterboard

You simply need to establish lines on opposite sides of your wall, then pull lines between those lines to create the plane for the rest of the boards. Use a level where desired to compare the two initial lines to check for twist in your plane.

Find the high point on one side (or top/bottom, depending on your strategy) and set lines on nails at each corner on that side. Do the same for the opposite side.
Check for twist in the overall plane by checking plumb between the top and bottom corners with a bubble level (and straightedge, if needed).
Install boards to those lines. Fasten the board at the high point and shim out as needed at the other mounting points.
Work across the plane established by these two boards, moving a perpendicular line to each mounting line as you go.

For example, if you're installing vertical furring strips, the first two lines would also go vertically, at the same locations as those strips. Then you'd check plumb on those lines. Then you'd set the first two strips. Now you move your lines to horizontal, against the first two strips, setting the rest of the strips to those horizontal lines. The first two strips act as your reference for all the other strips.


If you want the grey natural look anyway, I would not bother sealing it.  Here in Southern California a cedar fence should last a very long time.  The things that seem most likely to damage it (posts rotting out from sprinklers, insect damage) are not going to be helped by sealing, and you will have to redo the sealing frequently to keep it looking nice.


Correct air vent for a gap found in wall

You appear to have a hole in your brick wall that vents to the outside. You would like to put a decorative vent grill over the hole and want to know if there's anything, other than aesthetics, to be concerned about.

This hole will leak conditioned air out of your house. The room will be warmer in the summer and colder in the winter. It will also fluctuate with the outside humidity. Almost always this is not what you want.

This hole may leak conditioned air into your wall cavity. From there it will likely find some other path outside or into an unconditioned space such as your attic.

Either air leak is going to reduce comfort in the room and cost a lot of money in heating or cooling bills unless you live in a particularly ideal climate.

Normally when we vent a conditioned space we use a damper so that we can force air out when desired but not get unwanted air coming in. The spring- or gravity-loaded damper would be part of the vent on the outside wall and the inside wall would have a fan. For examples search on "wall mounted kitchen exhaust fan". You need some ducting between the inside and outside so that the vent doesn't simply feed the wall cavity.

Alternatively, if the purpose of this vent is to bring fresh air in then we would reverse the above arrangement to avoid having conditioned air leave the room.

If you are not in need of a vent then I would suggest plugging up this hole. I suspect that the wood box and rock wool you describe was an attempt to do this. Plug up the hole on the inside and the outside so that you don't leave behind a leak into the wall cavity.

[Editing to echo @isherwood's comment.] Before plugging up this hole I would try to figure out why it's there to begin with. You could ask on SE. We'd need more information on where you live, what else is in the room, what's your HVAC system, before hazarding a guess.


Do I need junction boxes where conduit containing data cables terminates?

I would use boxes or at least caps to prevent insects from using your conduit as an expressway. At worst, you could have water moving down from a leak; at best, you might have cold air moving down.


What is the best way to lay brick pavers on concrete porch

As Tester101 points out, the options you describe are mostly the methods used to set pavers on soil. The gravel and sand acts as the base. You already have a base, the concrete, so you'd want to adhere the bricks directly to it.

I imagine you could glue'em and then use polymeric sand in between, but since this is covered and out of the weather, I'd consider going the full mortar route.

That said, note that pavers are meant to be an ALTERNATIVE to concrete rather than an ADDITION to. Adding full pavers is going to introduce a whole variety of other issues...namely the height differential between the first step and the ground, and the porch and the front door.

HerrBag has a good suggestion that you can use brick veneer. Some other options I'd encourage you to consider:

tiles (concrete is ideal for tiling and there are plenty of outdoor options)
stone veneer (stone veneers can look great)
stain (not everyone likes the look of stained concrete, but a lot of people do. It's also likely the easiest to implement and if it ends up looking bad, you can always add tile/veneers after)
Stone topper (like a hearth...one large monolithic piece of stone)
epoxy texture paint (lots of options...many offer up a marble-ish speckled option)


Your hydronic floor heating system could have several problems.  You'll want to troubleshoot to narrow it down:

If you hold the pipe that returns from the upstairs room, is it warm like the other pipe?  If so, then there is circulation happening.  In that case, you can try to balance the system by directing more flow into that pipe.  This is done by turning those adjustment valves on top of the return manifold.  You would turn them down for the other rooms, and turn the up for the colder room.  If this still doesn't help, then you could add insulation to the upstairs rooms.  If nothing else, maybe your upstairs subfloor is more thick or more insulating that the downstairs rooms which are working.  You could try insulating from below with reflective shielding to direct all the heat up, but this would be possible only if you still had access to the underside of the subfloor.

There should be no air in the pipe, because that will prevent circulation or make the pump inefficient or damaged.  Air should be completely flushed from the system by bleeding one line at a time with the pump on.  If you grab the return pipe from upstairs and you feel no heat while the system is running, then you could have a lot of air, or perhaps a kink in the line, because there is no circulation coming through it.


How should I wire a GFCI outlet and a switch to isolate the switch but provide GFCI protection further in the series?

First things first, here's a link to Leviton's 7299 combination switch & GFCI instruction sheet.  For a tamper proof it will be a T7299. The only reason I give Leviton is because I know the part number.  Hubbell, GE or Cooper are just as good and make the same.

  GFCI protection for both outlets.

Follow the instructions that come with the GFCI.  There are leads for the switch and lugs for the GFCI and also the feedthru-protection of another receptacle.

  No GFCI outlet behind the dishwasher (for easy resetting without dishwasher removal).

This is accomplished by feeding the dishwasher receptacle using the GFCI feedthru-protection lugs.

  The switch only toggling the garbage disposal outlet and not the dishwasher outlet.

This is accomplished by using the leads on the combo switch & GFCI to feed the garbage disposal.

  Am I going to need to run some more wire through the walls?

If there are no wires between the combo switch & GFCI then you will have to pull some romex between the two.

  Should I investigate adding a GFCI breaker for that circuit?

The breaker will cost a lot more than the combo switch & GFCI.  Also, if the GFCI trips then you have to go to the breaker to reset it.  At least with the GFCI receptacle feeding your dishwasher receptacle, you will be closer.

  What other solutions would achieve the same effect as listed above?

I think this is the way to go, so you don't have to pull your dishwasher out to reset the GFCI.  The nice thing about this site is some of the people either can think out of the box or have faced this problem before.


Installing propane tank to gas range with strange copper pipe

I am going to "go out on a limb" as we used to say and tell you that the shiny flex gas line in the bottom picture is used for natural gas only and the copper line is the one for the propane connection. Any time I hooked up a bottled gas device to a bottled gas source the tubing to the appliance was hard piped or done in flexible copper with flare fittings at the connection point. Compression fittings were never allowed. You will probably have to remove that shiny flex piece up to a threaded fitting, and purchase or add the required fittings to adapt the copper tubing to the device (stove). The copper line looks like 3/8" OD or 1/4" ID (they are the same thing). To complete the installation, you may need someone that can "flare" the copper tubing (that would be a propane dealer or an HVAC company). Stoves in my day, could utilize either propane or natural gas with a minimum of adjustments. Yours is probably set up for natural gas.  If that is the case, nake sure it is changed or adjusted to the fuel you are using. I hope this helps.


Is it worth DIY remove old tiles or just put new tiles on old tiles in Kitchen?

It depends.

If the current tiles are intact but unfashionable, and if you have enough room above the floor and under the door for new tile, it's easier (read: cheaper) to lay on top. This is usually feasible for most types of actual tile, old and new. Linoleum (not tile), high-gloss tiles (ex subway), and non-ceramic tiles (ex parkay) often don't make suitable underlayment, so they can't be used regardless of the condition they are in.

If the current tiles are broken, missing, crooked, etc, then they need removed for two main reasons: 1. they won't provide a flat stable surface for new tiles. 2. They are probably hiding a sub-floor problem like leaks, joist sagging/warping, rot, insects, mold, etc that should be addressed before doing a new floor anyway.


I wouldn't be taking you father-in-laws key from him or you'll find yourself outside sleeping with the dog.

I think I understand all your dimensions and explanations. Very good...except I want to clarify two things: A.) The 260" long beam runs PARALLEL to the 160" long beam, but they are NOT side by side. That is to say, they're separated by 10' or so, and B.) When you say the 330" and 264" long joists are PARALLEL, you mean PERPENDICULAR.

If so to BOTH those issues, then the following applies and you can still let you father-in-law help with the remodel.

1) These are older style glue-laminated beams. (Beams now are 5 1/8" wide.) These beams are fairly "beefy" which indicate they are holding up a significant part of your house.  In fact, they are size appropriately to hold up 2 stories.

2) With the holes, their size has essentially been reduced to 5 1/4" wide x 10 1/2" high.  (I'm guessing all the holes are drilled up from the bottom about the same distance.)

3) The maximum load on the beams, (this means when all your friends come over for your daughter's birthday party and stand on the beam,) is about 1,000 lbs. per foot.

4) The 60" beam will support a gazillion pounds plus a car. No worry.

5) The 160" long beam will barely support 950 lbs. per foot, depending on the sources of wood, etc. (I don't know where this is located...I doubt Kenya.) However, the good news is that is a lot of support and I wouldn't worry about being 50 lbs. off the MAXIMUM allowable load for that beam.

6) The 260" long beam has some problems. We calculate beams for bending, shear and deflection. This beam can support about 350 lbs. per foot, about 600 lbs. per foot and about 250 lbs. per foot. Not so good.

Now, the good news: beams fail by cracking over time or bend and allow walls setting on / near the beam to settle and crack. So, we can monitor the area over this beam and see if cracks develop in the walls above the beam or the beam starts to crack. (You probably won't see the beam start to crack, because this failure is going to be "horizontal shear". Which means cracks will be horizontal in the beam and be disguised by the grain.) But you will see cracks in the walls above the beams until they become unsightly. Beams are designed to fail in tension first...not in compression, which would fail with an explosion...that's the good news.

Houses are grossly over designed (here in the states). Depending on where the hole is drilled (how far in from the end of the beam) it may not matter...much. If you want, let me know 1) where the hole is located along the beam, 2) species of beam, (or if you don't know let me know where the house is located,) and 3) keep all waterbeds and parties over 100 off this beam.


I would sketch out your plan to scale with dimensions and provide that drawing to your building department for your permit. I have done exactly what you are doing 3 times. Is your garage going to be totally enclosed?
If it is the wall needs to be fire rated , this is not that hard removing the siding 2 sheets of Sheetrock with the seams staggered is what it took for me. On the one I added a door directly into the garage it had to have self closing hinges and be fire rated the other 2 had man doors out the back close to a entry door for the house. The best advice I can give is to make sure you use a wide flashing up under the house siding at least 4” up and 8” on top of the roof possibly taller if your wall is on the wind side.
If the structure is going to remain open you may not need to have a fire rated wall but the ones I did were enclosed. Today any receptacles you put the garage will require GFCI protection even in the ceiling.
If your plan doesn’t meet code they will red line it with a correction unless engineering is required then you will know you need to have it revised and stamped.  I found my basic plan in a book back then laid it out and submitted I think they required a double cripple for the header but other than that it was approved.


How do I stain pine without streaks or blotches?

I prefer to use a thin, almost watery, stain applied with a cloth. Two or three coats, with a light sanding between coats gives a good finish. Maybe it's just the way I apply it but I can't get thick stain to go on as evenly as I'd like. I also haven't found any huge difference between similar products form any of the leading brands, so I don't have any preferences n that score.


The picture of your range hood indicates that it was designed to vent back into the kitchen area if desired. That is what those small louvered vents on the front are for. Most such units can be either vented through ducting in the traditional method (preferred method, IMHO) or vented through the vents on the front of the unit. They are called convertible duct units. When vented back into the room, a charcoal filter is supposed to be used along with (or in lieu of, depending on brand/model) the grease trapping metal mesh filter.

If you put your hand over the vents while the unit is operating, you will know if it has been converted to vent into the room because you will feel the exhausted air blowing out. if you don't feel air blowing out it is probably ducted.

You should not just assume it is not ducted, your picture shows a significant wall area above your cabinets that could be a soffit easily large enough to contain the ducting. Often a 4" x 10" rectangular duct is used (as opposed to a round duct) to save space, so there does not need to be a whole lot of room to run the duct. Inspect the rear of the cabinet above the unit to see if there are signs that a duct runs up behind, look at the outside walls of the home (in likely places) for an external duct hood. Or you could always drop the unit down a bit and take a peek.

As for your ceiling exhaust fan, I would take it out and thoroughly clean and de-grease the blade, motor, mounting hardware, and duct. If it still makes noise and does not run correctly you can buy a replacement motor for around $30-40 and it will run like new.


Looks to me like the fittings are soldered, so that would mean copper.  Can you gently scrape some of the gray paint off - it already appears to be flaking off in places - and see if the copper color shows?


How do I qualify for the 75C table in the ampacity chart?

UF can't beat the heat

Unfortunately for you, UF cable is like NM in that it can't be run at any higher temperatures than 60°C:

  340.80 Ampacity. The ampacity of Type UF cable shall be that
  of 60°C (140°F) conductors in accordance with 310.15.

Now, if this were a tri-rated (USE-2/RHH/RHW-2) multiplex cable, or a direct burial MC cable, it would be something of a different story, but that's beyond the scope of this answer.


Switching downspouts to the other end of a gutter

You will need:

1 - Rivets or screws. I would recommend rivets for aluminum gutter

2 - An outlet for the new downspout, if you can't reuse the old one

3 - A piece of metal slightly bigger than the width of your downspout

4 - Aviation snips, if you currently don't own any

5 - Gutter sealer or solder bars

6 - A new downspout, if needed

7 - As tester101 mentioned, you might need to change the slope of the gutter.

Now, All gutters should be sloped, but, this is not always done and is not always that big of a deal if the gutters is not that long. However, if it is sloped already, then you will most definitely need to remove the hangers and change the slope from one side to the other.

Directions:

1 - Start by removing the old downspout, however attached it is. If soldered you will need a torch or a soldering iron. If not, rivets or screws are easy to remove.

2 - Remove the outlet.

3 - Patch the hole with a piece of sheet metal, copper aluminum or steel

4 - If copper, solder the patched metal for that you will also need an soldering iron. To solder the copper together you also need soldering fluid, or acid. A torch will heat the metal too much and you won't be able to solder it together. If aluminum or steel, rivet it together and seal it with gutter sealer.

5 - Adjust gutter slope if necessary

6 - Using the newly purchased or older outlet, cut the new hole for it on the other side of the gutter. Use the outlet as a jig. Place over the bottom side of the gutter, as it will be easier to cut the hole. Using a scratch all or sharpie, mark the outlet on the gutter. Make sure you mark the INSIDE of the outlet.

7 - Place new outlet. Example

8 - Solder it if copper, or rivet it and seal it if aluminum or steel.

9 - Attach the downspout.

This should be done at your own risk. There's a reason professionals do it daily.

Have fun!


Minimum distance between main panel and feeder?

You can butt panels together as long as the doors open 90°
The absolute minimum distance between loadcenter cabinets, enclosed switches, or similar distribution enclosures is set by the 90° door-opening rule in NEC 110.26(A)(2):

(2) Width of Working Space. The width of the working space
in front of the electrical equipment shall be the width of the
equipment or 762 mm (30 in.), whichever is greater. In all
cases, the work space shall permit at least a 90 degree opening
of equipment doors or hinged panels.

However, you generally don't hit that save for corner cases; what will determine the actual minimum is loadcenter covers (combination covers tend to overhang their   respective loadcenter boxes) and nipple sizing (you can't get any shorter than a close nipple) for surface mount installs, or the width of studs (1.5") for flush mount panels.
And yes, there is a maximum height for panels, measured straight down
The issue with the steep slope in your alternative location is twofold.  First, a steep enough slope may simply not permit "ready and safe operation and maintenance" of the equipment in question, but that's an AHJ call.  More importantly, though, the NEC sets a hard limit of 6'7" from the floor or ground level to the operating handle of the highest overcurrent device in the panel in NEC 240.24(A), as the exceptions to that rule don't apply to your situation.  (This is so that you can get at your breakers in case you need to reset a tripped breaker or shut a faulty circuit off in a pinch, even if you aren't the Jolly Green Giant.)
Ditching the main breaker is actually a good idea
Since you were wondering, no, you won't need a main breaker in the subpanel provided that your subpanel is in or on the same building as the panel you're running the feeder from (and that you aren't invoking the feeder tap rules, but that's neither here nor there for you most likely).  In fact, choosing a main lug panel here gives you an advantage, as many main lug panels ship with separate ground bars fitted at the factory, which saves you the work of having to fit them in the field.  Just remember that neutrals go on neutral bars and grounds on grounding bars, in addition to pulling the green bonding screw or strap out of the new panel and running all four conductors (hot, hot, neutral, ground) to your new subpanel.
GO BIG OR GO HOME
Last but not least, there is no reason to pinch pennies on a tiny subpanel here.  I would recommend a 40-space or 42-space, 200 or 225A, main lug panel in your situation as a minimum, since you're already starving for panel spaces.  If you can, you might as well go bigger: the 2008 NEC allowed panels to have more than 42 spaces generally, so 54-space and 60-space panels have become available, if a bit pricier than their 42-space counterparts.


My furnace cycles once, then won't ignite again. What could be wrong?

A red light flashing 7 times typically means the furnace is in lockout mode, which based on your description seems to be your situation.

There are many things that could cause the furnace to fail to light, each of which requires its own diagnostics to determine if it is the problem.

Since it sounds like you don't know much about furnaces, your best bet would be to contact a local licensed HVAC company.

Things that could cause a furnace to fail to ignite include, but are not limited to...

Gas off.
Electricity off.
Clogged burner orifice.
Bad flame sensor.
Bad pilot assembly.
Bad igniter.
Bad control board.
Bad gas valve.
Restricted combustion air supply.


Can I calculate beam size if I know length, and weight support requirements?

You can do the math by hand or look for a beam calculator online, but it's easier if I just use engineering software I have to size this beam for you.

Use 3 plies of 10' long 2x6 to support 400# located at the middle of the span.  With 400# that will always be there, it will deflect 0.18", so less than a quarter of an inch. I sized SPF #2, so you'll be fine using any 2x6 stud you can find at your big box store.

Nail the three plies together with 4-1/2" 30d nails in two staggered rows. Technically this detail is for a built-up column, but just use the same nailing pattern.

If your next question is what if I sized it with 200# instead of 400#, the answer is that you can use 2 plies of 2x6. It will deflect 0.14", and nail them together in the same pattern but with 3" 10d nails. Personally I wouldn't do this though, because kids like to hang on these bags and I think the 400# loading and 3-2x6 makes the most sense.


Seeking ideas to correct and prevent sprinkler from spraying building

A 9 iron oughta take care of it. Wear speedos and have a stogey in your cheek when you take the swing, and don't flinch when the water sprays you in the face. Let's them know you mean business.


Electrical - converting 3-way to single pole for multiple fixtures

Three way switches offer a convenience that is sometimes not appreciated until you eliminate them and then are living without them.

One thing to consider if you are trying to split these four light fixtures into two in order to have times when your whole kitchen is not blaring in full light is to consider a different approach. You could replace these two 3-way switches with 3-way type dimmer switches.

This could give you want you want, reduced lighting, whilst being able to use the existing in place wiring. Depending upon device selection you could also get the ability to control the lights remotely.


Is sump pump supposed to discharge back onto property or onto the street curb?

You cannot make a case for yourself saying just because others do it you should be able to (just try that with a cop when getting pulled over for speeding)

What I have done in the past is to run the drain line to the curb and fill the last foot with gravel, when there is enough water it flows through the gravel and over the curb direct draining was not allowed, but this was legal, a big nosed neighbor trued to cause problems and called the city after I did this I did not get cited but several others on the block did, now every one has the same setup, makes no sense to me but if it flows out of the ground and over the curb it was legal in that city.


How to use Wiremold 700 Series Metal Surface Raceway (grounding, wire vs. cable)?

It can take its ground either from the underlying box or from a pigtail
From the installation instructions Legrand provides on their website for the 500/700 series products, I don't see any reference to an explicit grounding screw being driven, so it appears that it picks up its grounding from the underlying box being grounded.  If that's not possible, the bump at the top-left that doesn't have a mounting hole in the cover corresponding to it should be tapped to accept a 10-32 grounding screw and corresponding pigtail.
...but always uses individual wires
Surface raceways are designed to be used with individual THHN wires, just like their conduit brethren.  Furthermore, you have to obey the fill chart provided by the raceway manufacturer; if what you plan to run isn't a combination that's on the fill chart, you can't run it, as the irregular shapes of surface raceways mean that normal conduit fill calcs can't be used and the provisions of NEC 386.21 and the first paragraph of 386.22 apply instead:

386.21 Size of Conductors. No conductor larger than that for
which the raceway is designed shall be installed in surface
metal raceway.
386.22 Number of Conductors or Cables. The number of
conductors or cables installed in surface metal raceway shall
not be greater than the number for which the raceway is
designed. Cables shall be permitted to be installed where such
use is not prohibited by the respective cable articles.


How can I protect a hardwood floor against dog claws?

Figured out a solid answer.  It's a big project, but apply a layer of varnish.  Requires sanding the entire floor, applying varnish, rinse and repeat one more time for best results.


What could be wrong with my dryer timer?

In general, if the timer isn't advancing, is making odd noises, not stopping, etc. the solution is to replace the timer.

I am not familiar with Tappan Appliances but the last time I replaced a timer on my dryer the timer fit several models from different makers and had the same connectors. Thats a clue that the timer is a very generic part.

You should search for general dryer timer diagnosis steps. For most dryers you can test the timer by checking for resistance or the flow of current between pins with the dryer disconnected from the mains. The steps will have you check for resistance with the timer in various positions. You are checking to see if the timer is turning the right circuits on and off when it is supposed to. If the timer is OK but the circuit is not coming on then it is a problem with another component on that circuit . If you can find a guide for your brand of dryer that is best, however any guide should give you an idea of what the timer does. At each position it turns a circuit on or off to control the heater or motor of the dryer.

Some mechanical timers may just get dirty. I think this is a possibility in your case. Taking the timer out of the dryer and looking for burned contacts or mechanical jams might spot the problem. Since your timer is buzzing it could simply be stuck, the buzzing might be the timer motor trying to turn a jammed connection.

Nearly all dryers are fixable. They are a very simple product with a few simple circuits. You do need to exercise some caution. The circuits are simple but they do control powerful heating elements and motors and use higher current and higher voltage.

I hope this general answer helps you identify and solve your problem. Be confident that you can fix this!


Understanding and repairing kitchen shelf door based on a gas spring

Looks like this YouTube video answers the question:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp8365lEGjY

You have to release metal clips at both spring's ends to release it, and the new spring can just click in.

German name for the whole appliance is "Hochschwenkbeschlag", no idea how to call it in English.


How to make white portland cement stronger?

For maximum strength your first recipe, 3 to 1, is ideal. A better material that will increase the bonding strength of the concrete molecules is shredded fiberglass. Added in proportion to your mix it can substantially increase the concrete. I would also not use any admixture which is normally used to increase the bond when pouring fresh concrete to cured.   I agree with your mixing as little water as needed. That step alone will yield the strongest concrete. Conversely, it will also make it the most difficult to work. So finding the median can be difficult.   If the pavers are plain and with out an intricate pattern adding some sort of framing or reinforcing bar will allow the subsequent poured concrete additional rigidity able to withstand more compressive forces. Depending on the thickness of the pavers a 3/8 inch re-bar square an inch shorter from the edges of the paver will help a lot. Or a steel mesh or grid is also sufficient.  You should also allow the concrete to set as slowly as possible. Increasing the cure time by slowing the water that evaporates will produce a stronger concrete. Once the pour has become firm wet it down gently with cool water and cover it with plastic.  The air pockets found in the cured paver  may have occurred do to  the way it was mixed or how it was poured. If you are using a drill paddle switch to either a barrel mixer or a shovel. Either will decrease the amount of air that becomes entrained into the concrete.


How do I get the stem out of a hose bib to replace the washer?

(I need to do one of these myself in the next couple of days.)

As I recall, you would follow this procedure...

Turn off the water, so no pressure is found at the valve itself.
Remove the handle, by unscrewing the small screw in the center. Be careful not to damage the phillips head recess, as this screw is probably made of brass.
Remove the small nut around the stem.
Put the handle back on. This part is only temporary, to allow you to unscrew the stem itself.
If the stem will not pull out, you need to pull out the packing around the stem. That packing prevents water from escaping past the stem when the water is turned on. You may need a needle nose pliers to pull the packing out.
Once the packing is removed, the stem should unscrew easily. Do so.
Verify that you have the correct size washer, and put the new one in. Again, be careful with that screw as it is often made of a soft metal. If you damage the head, replace it too. (If the water has been dripping for too long, the seat for the valve can actually be eroded. So look inside for signs of this. There are tools you can use to repair a valve seat, but it might just be better to replace a valve that is badly damaged.)
Screw the stem back in.
Replace the packing. New packing can be bought from your local hardware store, and it is a good idea to replace it now. It is basically cord, impregnated with graphite or teflon, that will compact under pressure from the nut.
Put the packing nut back on, not too tight that the stem will not turn, but not too loose that water comes out when the pressure is back on. Either of these problems are easily identified and resolved of course.
Put back the handle in its proper place, tighten down the screw carefully.
Turn the water back on. Check for leaks.

I think I got the major steps down.


How well do metal inside corner beads work?

I've used them before and they do make it a lot easier, especially if you have trouble keeping paper still from moving in the corners, as I do. I don't think they have any structural benefits or anything like that so if you have trouble with paper tape, try them out in a corner and see if it's easier. You can always take it out and go over it with tape if you need to.


Unable to remove my hose pipe ( garden hose ) from the tap ( hose bib )

A spanner like straight jaws will not hold a round fitting well.

You need a pipe wrench or adjustable water pipe pliers with curved jaws.

These pliers adjust to hold the fitting without two much damage and are a basic tool all home owners or some one that lives in a home should have.

Make sure you are turning the correct direction, this may sound silly but after teaching scuba I was amazed how many folks could not turn on or open a valve because they were turning the wrong direction.

To remove the hose turn the fitting counter clockwise , I used to tell my students put your thumb on the top turn right to close or tighten OR turn left to open or loosen. “Righty tighty lefty loosy.


The curb stop and the portion of pipe between the valve and your house should have been buried below the frost line for your location.

There may be some freezing in the portion that is inside your house, but if you only have a short run and you leave the valves in your house open, the ice can push along inside the pipe.


Can I create concrete driveway with forms to get the paver stone look without the need for all the aggregate beneath?

If this was just a patio I'd say you have a good chance of getting some satisfactory results except for the fact that it would be about 2.5" above grade and there's be the possibility of tripping over it. This is a parking lot and driveway. You'll have cars driving over these slabs and parking on them. They will be shifting and sinking because of the weight and cracking. Rain will probably erode the ground between the slabs causing further movement. Doing it piecemeal will also cause some problems establishing final grade as you proceed. I think you need to bite the bullet and remove the extra ground and install a proper base.


How to stop cold air entering through the breaker box

What you are looking for is duct seal. You can pick it up at most home centers. This will seal the external conduit, where the power line enters the house.

For sealing the studs, you could get a can of insulating foam (Great Stuff or another brand). The Firestop type would be your best bet.

Any place wires penetrate your siding, you should seal them with an outdoor/weatherproof caulk.

I wouldn't recommend sticking anything into the breakouts on the box itself. If you want to, you can get some better sealing bushings for these, but you'll have to pull the wires and reconnect them. Sealing the outside conduit will give you the best bang for your buck.

You should also investigate the outside. It looks like the wired are coming straight in from the back, rather than through a mast. If there are any other boxes on the back (like your meter) you should caulk around the outside where the box meets the siding.


However, I have no idea how to select a placement. Why would I choose ceiling mount vs wall mount? Like is there an "ideal" place to mount the fan? If wall mounted - high or low on the wall? Near a corner or in the middle of the wall? If ceiling mounted, near the center of the room? Corners? Wall centers?

The fans you've referenced are fundamentally the same. I.e. the "ceiling" version still is designed to move air horizontally (as opposed to what we usually think of as a "ceiling" fan).

I would say that the choice of ceiling vs. wall mount is primarily going to be driven by the exact location you think the fan will be most useful, and the convenience of installation (e.g. where you already have existing wiring). It will have more to do with what's the best location to mount the fan, rather than any particular aspect of operation.

  Also, I assume oscillating is "better" than fixed (again, the price is only marginally more)? Is just "better airflow"? Are there any downsides?

Oscillation is a question of how you want to use the fan. An oscillating fan does a couple of things that a stationary fan does not:

It provides air movement over a broader area of the room, especially useful if the intent is to provide a breeze for two or more people at the same time, but who will be working in different areas. (Of course, you could accomplish the same with more than one fan, but that increases cost.)
It will help mix the air in the room more evenly. Depending on the nature of the heat, this may or may not be of concern. (Note that even a stationary fan can accomplish this to some extent, and other brands of fans, like Vornado, which specifically drive the air in a more vortex-like "beam" can do this even more effectively, as the motion of the air is better-preserved even after hitting a wall or ceiling.)

Bottom line on those two points: there's a reason the fans are offered in different configurations, and the reason is mainly because different users have different needs. You'll have to think about how the space is to be used, how you expect to use the fan, and what would be involved in installing the fan, and use that information to drive your decision. Within the four-option matrix (i.e. the four combinations of oscillating or not and wall or ceiling mount), there is no best option overall. It just depends.

As far as locating the fan, again that will depend on your specific need. If you want a stationary fan to blow on a particular spot, then a location at the right distance from that spot where the fan can be properly positioned would be best. If you just want to mix the air in the room, an oscillating fan positioned near a wall, or maybe up to 1/3rd of the width of the room (depending on how large the space actually is), might be better.

At the end of the day, you might find that practical considerations related to where you have power and structure available for mounting are the primary factor.

I note that in one comment, you mention that there is living space above. That could also be a consideration. It might be easier to control noise infiltrating the living space if you mount the fan on the wall rather than the ceiling. Assuming that's a concern, of course.

  Last gotcha - I have a door to an air conditioned house. Would keeping that door open while working (in a further attempt to cool the garage) be useful? If so, would it change the placement choice?

Unless you plan to hang the fan directly in the doorway, and preferably on the cold side of the doorway, it's unlikely that the fan would help much with mixing the air conditioned air with the warm garage air.

On a broader note: it's important keep in mind what a fan can and cannot do. The fan is not going to change the temperature of the room. In fact, running the electric motor is going to increase the average temperature a hair.

What the fan can do is even out the hot spots in the room, if any (e.g. you are using welding equipment, or doing something else that generates heat, or maybe there's a spot in the room that gets a lot more sunlight), and can provide a breeze to aid in cooling a person's body, taking advantage of the body's own mechanisms for dealing with heat (i.e. sweating and dilating blood vessels).

Even with a fan, if you're working and the room is hot, you're going to feel hot. Staying hydrated will be at least as important as any other consideration. If you really want to cool the room, you need something else that will actually change the temperature, rather than just your perception of it.

For somewhere between the same price as the fan you're looking at and less than double that price, you could get a window-mount or portable A/C unit. At the higher end of that range, you could even get a dual-mode (i.e. heat pump) model that will heat the space in the winter if needed.

At the lower of the scale, you also have the option of exhaust fans. Depending on the climate in your area and why the garage gets hot in the first place and whether you can provide an effective source of make-up air for one, an exhaust fan could be used to keep the space cool enough that a fan to actually move air in the space isn't needed, or at least would be a lot more effective.

Don't get me wrong: fans that just move air around have their use. I find them especially useful for spaces where conditioning isn't even possible (e.g. the space isn't even fully enclosed), as well as an accessory to be used in combination with conditioning methods (because it's always still helpful to mix the air in the room, conditioned or not). But if your primary complaint is just that the space is hot, a fan might not be the most cost-effective solution from a price/performance perspective, even taking into account the significantly reduced operating costs as compared to A/C.


How do you make flush cuts to a precise depth?

Since you're insulating and dry walling this "shed", you may want to treat it as an additional room, where extra insulation would go a long way toward your comfort.

Although it's possible to rip 1.5" off the edge of the 2x6 with an oscillating saw, you're likely to burn through several blades, and possibly a saw or 2 doing it. It'll be much easier to add 2x2 furring onto your 2x4 studs to make up the thickness. If you're insulating and dry walling, this would also let you add more insulation for a more comfortable room with only minimal cost and labor.

For more strength, in addition to insulation, if you have 2x6 top plates also, you could sister in 2x6 studs or add offset 2x4 studs between the existing ones for a double- stud wall.


I think you are right the cable was installed by a drunken sailor. First things first. Drill a hole with a long skinny drillbit through the doorframe (home improvement store) which is a little bigger than the cable than use a wire and some tape to fish the wire through the hole and back to the bell. The bell has low voltage and is save to touch (I am not liable !!!). Take pictures before you uninstall the wires. Now see where you at with your door.


What is this part near the entry point to my irrigation system

That is a strainer wye. There is a metal mesh filter in there to trap sediment/debris; it can be removed and cleaned as necessary.


My GFCI trips when fluorescent light turn off - light will turn back on anyway

Anytime a thing on circuit 1 trips a thing on circuit 2, you have a crossed neutral.   That's bad wiring.  On ground wires, it is ok to just twist all the grounds together (if they're all from the same panel) even if they are different circuits.  Some people think they can do the same with neutrals.  That was always bad... and with GFCIs, it does not work.

Another sign of sloppy work is two GFCI receptacles on the same circuit.  Occasionally a wiring topology makes this semi-necessary, but usually it means the installer does not understand how to install GFCI's.

What's happening with the crossed neutrals is that current to an appliance, now returning to source, has a choice of two directions: directly on circuit A's neutral, or through a GFCI device on circuit B's. Actually, it follows all routes at once, in proportion to their conductivity (1/resistance). That conductivity is influenced by loop effects and eddy current heating, because those occur at the cost of conductivity:  in short, it prefers to go back the way it came.  That still means some current is going the wrong way, and that will still tend to trip a GFCI.

So you need to untangle those neutrals.


Why does power to entire house go out when I turn on the microwave

If you're hearing crackling at the service entry, there may be some arcing there and/or in your service panel. This is showing as flickering (interruption to your whole house power supply) and either breaker shutoff or disconnection within your supply wiring or service panel.

These are all potentially major issues in the electrical supply to your house or the wiring within it. It needs to be investigated thoroughly on-site and you should make sure to personally inspect the panel as significant arcing could destroy your breakers, bus bars, etc.


How can I tell what dimmer switch to use with LED lights?

You will need to check the product packaging or manufacture website to see what types it is listed for.  All of the Leviton and Lutron products I see at Home Depot lately have clear markings on the packaging.

Lutron marks them as C-L and Leviton calls them "Universal Dimmers".

If your lights are 12V then you need a magnetic dimmers for low voltage lighting.


You absolutely need to water proof the surround. You can likely use any product (durock, hardie, wonder) that is rated for wet use (not "green" board).

You will still need to fully apply a waterproofing to wet side of the backer. I strongly recommend using a physical membrane like kerdi, but plenty of people swear by paint-on treatments like redgard.

Your finished setup will be something like this:

shower air - tile sealant - tile - thinset - waterproofer - backer - studs


How close can an electric water heater and an electric furnace be to each other?

Each appliance has a specification, available from the manufacturer, on various clearances.  This number is sometimes zero, usually not, but never more than a few inches.

That said 3 inches between the furnace and water heater does not sound risky.  Water heaters stay cool compared to furnaces: the clearance to the water softener may be the bigger deal. Your water softener counts as a 'combustible' surface.


What is this dishwasher drain solenoid seal part & how can I replace it?

This part is a shaft seal (the links below), you might want to get the push-on nut also (GE part number AP2059046), as you may have to cut it off to install the seal.

searspartsdirect.com, Part number: WD08X0181, Substitution: WD8X181. (Part may differ in appearance but is a functional equivalent)

appliancepartspros.com also shows this seal as: Part Number WD8X181


Is it a bad idea to paint the underside of a deck?

In my opinion you should never paint a deck it will only seal in moisture and prematurely rote the wood, painting the bottom even seems worse I don't think it will dry out, only use a stain/preserver