I feel your pain, I live in Western Washington and have the same issue.  One way to protect against gopher damage is a larger pipe. Like 2" conduit or similar.  They can't open their mouths enough to gnaw on it. But it's not an "old wives tale".  Gophers can do a lot of damage to buried lines.   So if I were doing this, I'd at least put in 2" conduit (or pipe) in areas that would be difficult to access later.   If you want to go further, put it all in conduit.  Depending upon how long the run is, it's not really all that expensive and good insurance.


The T-square is just that - a T-square for making sure that the glass is cut square, unless it has an integral glass cutter of course.

The tool they use is a glass cutter. It will have a diamond wheel or tip and scores the glass where it needs to be cut. Then a sharp tap will (hopefully) produce a clean break.

They should be easy to pick up at any hardware store. You might have more difficulty getting hold of a large enough T-square, but for a cold-frame you don't necessarily have to be 100% accurate.

Glass can be quite expensive. It would be worth getting a quote for buying the glass you would need and then compare to the cost of the tools you need to buy and your time.

However if (as chris points out in his comment) the glass is tempered then you won't be able to cut it. It will simply shatter if you try.


Device to "freshen" an unventilated bathroom?

Try putting a small dehumidifier in the room, which will cut down on musty smells.

Also if this bathroom is used infrequently, be sure the flush the toilet periodically, and run the faucet.  Stagnant water in the toilet will stink, and the drain trap will dry out, leading to sewer gas smells.  This will be especially true with a dehumidifier, which will dry things out.


Why did my dishwasher have a spark at the door hinge?

Are there buttons in the door panel? If so, then there are connections ie wires going through to the panel.
It may be that ine wire is broken and re-made contact with itself causing the spark that was seen. If so, this would not be detected as a fault because there was no fault.
If the broken wire touched the frame to cause a spark then that would and should have triggered a fault.
If the wires are starting to degrade / break then while it may work now it will only get worse. Start saving for a repair bill or replacement.


"Smart" switches use solid state (electronic) switching devices called "triacs" in most cases. The problem with triacs is that they don't completely turn "off" because the solid state nature of them has a very tiny amount of "leakage current" through them. When used on incandescent or even CFL lamps, that leakage current is irrelevant because the circuit can't really do anything with it. But LEDs take so little energy to illuminate that this tiny amount of leakage is enough to keep them glowing a little bit. The only way to stop it is to have a hard "contact type" switch that makes an air gap to isolate the LEDs off line. But those are typically not your "smart" switches. I have heard people say they can add one incandescent lamp to a fixture and that problem goes away, but I've tried it and it causes other problems if you try dimming.


It's definitely not a problem.  As @ChrisF mentioned, the best way is to drill a small pilot hole (1/8" would probably be about right) and use a self-tapping screw.

"Self tapping screws" suggest that you don't need a pilot hole, but they're really meant for sheet metal.  They'll never get started in the steel skin of your door.  A small hole will let them engage.

Drilling steel is not like drilling wood.  Please forgive me if this is too basic, but someone else might find it useful.

To drill the hole, first locate where you want it with a pencil.  Then use a center punch with a hammer to tap a small indent right where you want the hole.  If you don't have a center punch use a nail.  If you don't tap a center mark, your drill will skate right across the surface of the door and scratch the paint.

Then drill at the full speed applying some pressure directly behind the drill motor, in line with the twist drill.(1)  If you're used to drilling wood you might be surprised how much pressure it takes.

(1) A bit (ha ha) of anal-retentive vocabulary: the thing that you plug in is the "drill motor".  The thing that actually drills, which most people call the "bit", is not a bit, it's a drill, usually a "twist drill".  I only bring this up because the the anonymity of the interwebs makes me bold.


There can be lots of opinion here so what type of fabric to stop weeds? Just about any landscaping type will work as long as it is permeable (water can drain through).
Do you need to tamp the soil? If you like playing in the mud go ahead but clay will move around and sand really doesn’t need it.
When you talk about base and top that’s up to what you want.
I use crushed quarry rock or shale and a plate compactor the thickness 2-4” will be fine for most locations if you have a lot of mud maybe more.
You want the fines in the rock they help things to lock together.
Never use crushed river rock it will not pack well it moves.
If you want a decorative top rock spread it pack it and keep adding until you have the look you are after. If you want stones put down a inch or more of sand to bed your stones or pavers, fill spaces with sand and that’s it.


Why are the inside diameters of some pipe larger than the stated size?

1 inch pipe used to have an inside diameter of 1 inch.

As the fittings attached to the outside, the OD had to stay the same for compatibility with the old stuff. The manufacturers fiddled with the wall and the matching of the actual measurements with the named size was abandoned just as it had been at the sawmill.


Clothesline sagging even though it was properly tightened

They always sag , even steel . The only difference is the amount . For steel cables you would need instruments to measure the few thousandths of an inch of sag. The shape of the sag is called a "catenary" . You can find math equations to calculate the sag depending on the material and tension.


Replacement of the gasket is the best solution
The catch is that (a) replacement gaskets tend to be relatively expensive and (b) gaskets can be tough to replace. Take a look at Appliance Parts Pros or a similar site and search for your dishwasher model # to see if a replacement gasket is readily available.


How to enforce wooden shelf with steel strip

This can be done with hardwood strips, but it's definitely better to go with steel. But No, the strips should not be on the top or bottom, those won't do anything...the shelf is already the universal beam's flanges, you need to add the universal beam's vertical support.

The single piece full length strips of steel should only be applied (glued & liberally screwed) to the front face edge & the backside face edge, use as thick a strip as you can or double & triple them up. You can also use Angle or L-shaped steel. Try to keep 50kg the maximum load, but you'll have to gauge if it can take more & how close to center heavy items are, lighter items in the center is the best configuration.


Is it more work to replace or remove a skylight?

The real answer is:  Don't do anything until you've identified the root cause.  Find the leak.  FLashing and sealant can be replaced a lot more easily than a whole new unit, not to mention the difference in cost and time.
Similarly, if there's a leak where the glass (and frame) separates from the support frame as you open the skylight, address that specifically.

Never start out by attempting the most expensive solution.


Outlet with power won't supply power to anything plugged in

1: You should really use a meter instead of those plug in devices - they do not tell you much.

A cheap analog meter might cost $5 and make sure it is analog - a gauge with a physical needle. I know the clerk at a store will tell you the goods on the digital but skip that the analog meter will measure correctly with no phantom voltages, the digital unless it has Lo-Z will not measure accurately.

Is it just this one outlet or all the outlets on that circuit breaker circuit ?
If all outlets behave the same way - Replace the Circuit Breaker - it is defective. If only one outlet is defective read on.

Test Method 1:
Using that meter you can measure for 120VAC between the hot and neutral connections and also test hot to ground. Anything less than 110 VAC means you have a problem with that circuit.

Test Method 2:
Place an LED night light in the socket and see if it lights or even better a cell phone charger that has a little power light indicator to show that it is 'working' (don't plug the other end into your cell phone!) , if the charger indicator light is on or the LED night light is on - it does mean you have power there but does not tell you how much. Since you never said if one or all outlets on this circuit breaker circuit are affected, this test merely declares the possibility of a misbehaving breaker - Led charging light lit (lo current draw - probably a bad breaker).

If Test Method 1 Showed less than 110VAC or Test Method 2 the light on a cell phone charger lit up or even did not light - you have one of Five possible things going on.

A Bad Outlet.
A Bad Connection at the outlet.
A Bad Connection up stream from this outlet.
A Bad Connection in the Circuit Breaker Panel.
A Bad Circuit Breaker.

For items 4 and 5 I would check the other outlets controlled by that circuit breaker to see if they behave the same way. If they do 4 or 5 is your problem. If not 1 through 3 is your answer.


The pads are not a big deal you want ones that fit and are rated for the filled weight (filled weight of the revisor or tank) . If the pads are not heavy enough they will not support the unit and may cause damage to the structure.


I think you're right that using silicone or some other filling compound would just come out after unscrewing a few times. Personally I'd look at replacing what I assume was a self-tapping screw with a metal thread screw and use a threaded insert such as the following:

So just drill out the hole a bit for a tight fit of the insert and add a little epoxy to hold it in place. Alternatively you could try to do a similar arrangement using a standard nut by drilling to a fairly shallow depth at the bottom at a diameter just large enough for the nut and using epoxy to hold it in place.


Black&white live wires, unidentifed breaker

Connect a noisy appliance to the wires, then start flipping breakers until it goes silent. you're going to need an appliance that's happy with a 240V input.


Mount ceiling fan box to underside of joist

The only real reason to cut into the ceiling would be if you needed to bring the wires down from inside the ceiling. Since that isn't the case, I would buy some 3" lag bolts with pan heads (something like this) and drive them through the bead board and into the joist.
The reason for the diagram is they want to emphasize the joist part (#2 in the list). Screwing this into bead board only would be a recipe for disaster.


Can a triple stud be replaced with a thinner, stronger material?

There’s four things to consider: 1) structurally support the vertical load from the 3 joists (beam) above, 2) insure there is adequate support under the new post all the way to a footing, 3) adequately support the beam from crushing, 4) provide a support for material wrapping around the post.

we don’t know what the load is on that existing post, but we can assume the triple stud is adequate. Therefore, we can match the strength of the existing post with a new skinny post. I’d use a steel 3”x3” x3/16” wall thickness column, which is MORE than twice as strong as the triple stud post. (I checked for 8’ and 9’ high.) Make sure the steel plates (top and bottom) are bolted into the beam above and floor below with at least 2 - 1/2” bolts.

if the triple stud sat on the subfloor, then there needs to be additional blocking under the post down to the ground.

You’ll need to provide a steel bearing plate at the top and bottom of the steel column that matches the area of the triple stud. Wood compresses easier in side grain than end grain. Therefore, to insure that the beam does not compress, the steel plate must be the same size as the triple stud.

If gypsum board is wrapped around the triple studs, then some wood blocking will need to be added to support the gypsum board.


Stick a deck or drywall screw in the hole.  Remove it from the applicator.

It will harden up.  When ready to use again, yank out the drywall screw.

Remember silicones have a finite shelf life of only a year, or maybe two if stored in ideal conditions. The worst thing you can possibly do to yourself is try to use a silicone sealant that is too old.  The problem isn't just it failing, but the huge mess of removing all of the faulty product so a new application has a chance!  Silicones are annoyingy hard to remove.

Because of this I am very shy about reusing old silicones unless I am very sure of their provenance.  It's not worth screwing up your project to save half of $5.


Would a truss connector plate be what you are looking for? This joint is quite common in a truss.


how to fasten wood joist to cinder block notch


How do I safely clean my paver stone driveway?

If the pavers are the same on the bottom as well as the top, you can pull up the affected pavers, wash them with just water and maybe some dish soap and then put them back in upside down.  The newly cleaned bottom side should match the other pavers pretty well.  You'll then need to put down some sand and sweep it around to refill the joints.


If the blue circle is accurate in your picture, there is not that much damage to keep an oversized strike from working. Home Centers carry these although they are not the best looking item, they will fix the problem easily.

Picture courtesy Home Depot

You may even be able to use a "tee" strike, the strike is slightly larger than the standard, easy to find in any hardware store and the holes for the screws are farther apart than the standard so you will get into new wood with the screws

Picture courtesy Lowes

If you feel you must repair the edge by adding  dutchman as it is called, I would cut out a piece centered on the damaged area out at least 8" long. Make sure the cuts are flat and accurate to aid in matching the new piece you are adding. Make sure it is fully bedded in a good wood glue. There will be drips and runs, so have a bucket of water and rag or sponge handy. Set the dutchman in place by driving in a few smal brads in the angled ends, these will act as clamps util the glue dries. If there is a way to add clamps, better still.


How can I connect a 120V compressor to a 3 phase WYE 208 electrical system?

In a 208Y/120 4 wire Wye system, you'll get 120 volts between either ungrounded (hot) conductor and the grounded (neutral) conductor.  So if you're trying to connect a 120V appliance, all you need is one ungrounded (hot) conductor, one grounded (neutral) conductor, and one equipment grounding conductor.

The ungrounded (hot) conductor will connect to the brass colored screw terminal on devices (the small hole/blade), while the grounded (neutral) conductor will connect to the silver colored terminal (the larger hole/blade).  The neutral conductor should never be connected to the equipment grounding conductor, or equipment grounding terminal on devices.

Notes:
Since it sounds like you're a bit over your head, you should probably contact a local licensed Electrician to finish the project and for any future electrical projects.

While you can solder connections in house wiring, it's not a common practice anymore.  You'll also want to insure that you are using solder that is rated and labeled for the use, and that your solder joints are strong and insulated.


Is it a good idea to put 1/4" XPS under engineered floors?

You can find the answer to your question in the installation instructions for the engineered floor that you are going to use, and if there isn't data there, call up the manufacturer and ask.

My guess is that it will not be allowed; the XPS is likely to deform easily, which leads that portion of the floor to be unsupported. Flexing of the floor at the seams is a bad thing.


In my sink pop-up stopper, the tip of the pivot rod is broken, how do I fix it?

If you have actually snapped the rod but have enough length to spare you should be able to move it forwards, however are you sure this has happened?

The reason I ask is that I had similar symptoms, but all that had happened is that the rod had slipped back through the clevis strap so it no longer connected with the stopper. The clip holding it to the strap made it look like it was just broken, but I eventually figured it out.

Admittedly, on mine there is no hook holding the rod to the stopper, it simply pushes the stopper up, and gravity lets it fall again when you pull the plunger up.


According to what I am reading from the 2020 NEC Handbook, you're good. The only question would be about the fixture if it is inside the box or outside, but you do have it covered when you added the lamp yoke.
If you would like to verify this yourself. If you find the Commentary Table 314.1 "Summary of Items Contributing to Box Fill". Remember this is in the 2020 NEC Handbook. Not the NEC. I select the 2020 since it should have the strictest interpretation. This table might be posted online somewhere as a stand alone.
Hope this helps.


This video shows retrofit steel plate fasteners to strengthen the connections you have (at 3 min): connection of beam to post


Should we install beadboard paneling or countertop first?

There are advantages to doing it either way.

If you put the paneling up first, and slid the counter top back so it overlaps the panel a bit, you'll get a very nice looking edge if properly caulked.

BUT, doing it this way runs the risk of water running down the back splash, and running behind the counter, creating a rot/mould risk on the cabinetry underneath (particularly if the caulk fails).

If the paneling goes over the counter top, you mitigate the water risk, but it's going to be a lot harder to get a good looking edge.


Making a bookcase look perfectly flush with the wall when the wall is not a true 90 degrees

One method is to take a board of the right height, plumb it with the bookcase next to the wall.  Then take a compass or something to hold your pencil at the right distance and scribe a line along the board following the wall contour.  Start at the bottom where it's closest to the bookcase.  You don't want to leave such a thin edge that it's hard to cut.  I'd probably want half an inch minimum.  Cut the scribed line with a jigsaw.

Then attach to the side, flush with the front edge and it should sit against the wall with no gaps.  I might cut another board and put it along the side of the bookcase at the bottom so I can shove the bookcase into the corner and not stress the facade piece.


Your ambitions exceed your abilities... and there's a lot of problem scope you haven't really thought through.

Don't reinvent the wheel

First, really, seriously scour the market for existing consumer products which might provide an API.  I'm seeing good signs that several consumer home power monitors can provide raw data streams.  For instance neurio said in 2016 they were expecting to have this data.  Sense has it in beta.   It's around; look harder.

Also look into talking to your smart meter directly, which has the CT's in place. Some smart meters use Zigbee Smart Energy protocol.

Research the literature on the subject

If you can't find any datastream access, then research what's already been  done in the field.  I see plenty of halfway respectable efforts.

Use items that are actually UL-listed (CSA-listed, ETL, ЯU etc.)

CE is not a testing lab, it's the standard mark China puts on everything that will never see the inside of a testing lab because it's junk.  It's a fake of a European self-certification standard, but without the actual self-cert.  Everything you see on AliExpress, eBay or Amazon Marketplace will be rubbish from Alibaba.

For instance, Magnelab makes CTs with either ЯU or UL listing (component vs. product suitable for direct use).

Don't exit the panel with electrical wires of any kind

Any electronic equipment that lives inside the panel, stays in Vegas.  You cannot have any wire between your homebrew stuff inside the panel and the outside world.  The only possible communication scheme is wireless; and that's what all consumer home energy monitors do - they stick a WiFi antenna out a knockout.

That means you'll be doing Raspberry Pi and not Arduino.

Or both - the way you get >6 analog inputs into an Arduino is to use two Arduinos.  They could be slaved to the Raspberry Pi.

Absolutely no signal wires in or out of the panel.

No running with your panel cover off - it's not a PC.  The panel cover has a vital safety function other than the obvious; it holds the breakers in.  Without it you can rock a breaker out by turning it off.

One more thing: On simple circuits, put the CT's on the neutral wire.

And lastly, no signal wires in or out of the panel.


Yes, that's what "on" means.  It means the air handler will keep operating, even though nothing is heating or cooling the air.

Whether this is a good idea depends on how your system is setup and what is going on.

If you are getting thermal separation ceiling to floor or upstairs to downstairs or sunny to shady side, it can be helpful at evening things out.

One person on here a few weeks ago had a problem where one side of their house was much hotter. So they had their air conditioning re-"balanced". Now the side with the solar load got a lot more A/C; this also meant the other areas got a lot less.  With so much less air conditioned (dry) air, condensation started to occur.  "On" might have helped them with their problem.


How do I remove a drill bit that is stuck due to an overtightened chuck?

Put the drill in reverse, firmly grip the chuck (the part you were calling the head) and gently squeeze the trigger up the point that you cannot hold on. If you hear clicking, and it doesn't torque very much, you need to turn the torque setting up to the maximum (the highest number, or the drill setting if it has one). If it still doesn't budge and you're not able to hold the chuck against the force of the drill, you may want to use something stronger than your hand to hold the chuck. A strap wrench is well designed for this task and won't damage the chuck.


How often do I need to drain Boiler Expansion Tank?

I do most plumbing myself, but I hired a pro to install our new boiler. He recommended a yearly flush. The problem is the dirtier the water, the less efficient it is.


What do you call the clips for attaching a dado rail?

I suspect you could.. well, you could make your own using cut up gift cards or credit cards. It won't be as nice as the originals, but I think the plastic would be the right material.

Could you put up a photo of the groove this snaps into?


You can see the connection because it has a wrap of PTFE (Teflon) tape (just above the blue section). Someone used a pliers on it and boogered it up, but there are flats for an open-end or adjustable wrench. You can see one of them on the lower edge facing the photographer.
Support the pipe nipple as you turn the fitting--don't crank on it or you might damage the nipple or the plumbing in the wall.


pivot hinges on kitchen cabinet doors preventing removal for refurbish

If you are particularly interested in keeping the same door hinge system then it may become necessary to take down the cabinet sections where the hinges need to be removed. You already know that the cabinets were installed in a modular manner after they were built due the pivot hinge mounting. Taking down the cabinet would involve first emptying them out. Then search for screws inside the cabinet that go unto the wall studs behind the cabinet or screws that go up into the ceiling or cabinet soffit. In some cases there may be wood strip trim pieces along the cabinet edges against the wall or ceiling that need removing.


Adapt Porch Light for Power over Ethernet (PoE)

Typical porch light cable will be a 2 or 3 wire big (compared to Ethernet) cable (plus ground). That is not the type of cable you would use for Ethernet - it just won't work.

Could you replace that cable with an Ethernet cable - i.e., instead of running a separate cable? Maybe:

The existing cable would have to be either in a conduit all by itself, or NM (Romex) cable. If it is conduit then you can't share that conduit with any other high voltage cable (e.g., you might find that you have a switched hot for the light but also additional power cable going elsewhere in the same conduit). If it is Romex and not in a conduit then using the old cable to pull a new cable won't necessarily be so easy if it is stapled or otherwise secured in place.
At the other end (e.g., switch box), you would need to either pull the Ethernet cable out at a different location or remove any electrical cables from the box as you can't mix low voltage (Ethernet) with high voltage (e.g., 120V).
You wouldn't have a porch light any more, which means your camera would be in the dark.

I really wouldn't recommend trying to replace the electrical cable with PoE - just not worth it unless the electrical is really "extra" - e.g., two separate switched lights and you combine the two together and then reuse the conduit/replace cable going to one of them.

The good news, as you already know, is that at least PoE saves you from having to run separate power to the camera.

There is one other possible solution, depending on distances and equipment. If the porch light is wired in a way that power is always available (e.g., panel -> porch light -> switch instead of panel -> switch -> porch light) then you could:

Install a receptacle in a box next to the porch light, pulling power from the porch light always-on power cable.
Use a WiFi camera with power from the new receptacle.

And one more possibility: If no unswitched power is available at the porch light, you could leave the switch always on (or rewire so that the porch light fixture is always on and remove the switch) and install a receptacle next to the porch light, sharing power, and replace the porch light itself with either a motion sensor or a dusk-to-dawn photocell fixture. That way you can have power all the time for a WiFi camera without having the light on all the time.

I generally prefer wired cameras,  but this is one case where WiFi might save you a lot of trouble running a new Ethernet cable.


How did they get constant hot and neutral at far switch?

I’ll be darned.  I’ve never seen one of those before in the wild.
It’s a “Carter” 3-way

How did this wiring work?

It’s specifically for a case where the lamp is between the 3-way switches.  Always-Hot and neutral go to each switch, and through the lamp without connecting to it.   Obviously hot and neutral can also extend from or beyond either 3-way.  So we have hot and neutral everywhere (except the lamp doesn’t use either one).
Now, each of the 3-ways has 1 traveler going to the lamp.   The 3-way connects the traveler either to always-hot, or to neutral.   This gives us 4 conditions.
 Sw1    Sw2       Resulting state
 Neu    Neu       Lamp does not light. Socket is neutral.
 Neu    Hot       Lamp lights.  Socket is hot, obviously.
 Hot    Neu       Lamp lights.  Socket is hot, obviously.
 Hot    Hot       Lamp does not light. SOCKET IS HOT!

Is/was this illegal?

Oh you bet it was, because of that last case there.  Holy smoke-Andy!  The Edison shell is electrified at all, normally that’s impossible since it’s keyed to neutral and unswitched; and to compound the crime, it’s hot with the switch off! No, no, no!
However, we now live in an age where “bulbs” outlast “fixtures”, and therefore, the bulb socket is no longer useful and is only another failure point.  As such, it’s being done away with altogether.   Alternately, we have new socket designs such as GU24 specifically keyed to prevent incandescent use, and those are Euro-influenced (Europe doesn’t polarize, so they want to insulate both contacts).  This casts the Carter 3-way in a new light.
Personally, I don’t see a problem with it, as long as a) the fixture is bulbless and hardwired (I’ll guess Code supports my interpretation there), or b) the bulb socket is a modern “both pins protected” type like GU24 (and I’ll guess Code does not agree).
How to fix it
So.  My advice is to a) leave it, and b) fit a bulbless lamp there. You certainly don’t want anything with an Edison socket.   If the spouse is in love with a particular chandelier with Edison, then re-do the wiring as follows:

The traveler to one switch gets deprecated; cap it off on both ends.
The traveler to the other switch becomes switched-hot to the switch.
Place a smart-switch “master” at the switch box with switched-hot.
Place a smart-switch “remote” at the switch box with the deprecated wire.  It won’t use red at all.

Boy, I winding up to write you a solution with steam-era switches, then I realized “what am I doing, this is the 21st century”.
You will need to select smart switches that use wireless or powerline signaling, and whose remote wants always-hot and neutral.


Old Rheem rhqa 1000 to thermostat wiring help

So, reverse engineering this...

From the schematic, we can at least tell that your air handler has no heat strips, just a fan and a direct-expansion (DX, aka evaporator or indoor) coil in it.  As a result of this, and the fact that your heat pump appears to be a fairly simple unit with only a reversing valve and a compressor contactor, this is actually not a terribly complicated system to reverse-engineer.

From the wiring photo you showed, we can tell that the current thermostat is wired using the black, red, orange, and white wires.  If at all possible, you'll want to strip back a bit more jacket, extract enough blue wire from it to strip and wirenut a connection onto, and then use a jumper wire (a piece of 18AWG TFFN will do) to attach that stripped blue end to the existing junction of the thick yellow wire from the transformer (the whatzit in the middle with wires coming out both sides), the thick red wire going to the fan relay (black lump at the top right), and the thin red wire going off to the heat pump outdoor unit.

With that done, we can tackle the rest of the wires.  We know the red wire to the thermostat is R because it's connected to the other yellow wire to the transformer, first off.  From there, we can look at the fan relay and trace its white wire over to the black wire from your thermostat, which makes that black wire your G wire.  This leaves your white and orange wires, which both go off to the heat pump outdoor unit.  Conventionally, orange is used for the reversing valve which determines whether your heat pump is in heating or cooling mode, so that's your O (or O/B) wire, and that leaves the white wire as the Y wire that turns the heat pump compressor on.

So, in short, your wire designations go as follows:

Red - R/Rc
Black - G
White - Y
Orange - O/B
and Blue -- the C wire we just added

Your W/W1/E/AUX terminal will remain unconnected, unless it's hooked up to a different system altogether.  Also, you'll want to make sure that the O/B setting on your thermostat is set for O when you first program it, so that your thermostat energizes the orange wire when cooling and leaves it de-energized for heating. (Unless you have a Rheem or Ruud outdoor unit that is, where you'll need to set the O/B setting to B to begin with instead.)

If things don't quite work right

If your system heats when calling for cooling and cools when calling for heating, then you'll need to flip the O/B setting on your thermostat. (You'll only likely need to do this if your outdoor unit is a Rheem or Ruud, though -- they're the only units that commonly do things the other way around.)  If your system will not change over (i.e. heats when calling for both heating and cooling, or cools when calling for both heating and cooling), then your orange wire will be your Y wire and your white wire will be your O/B wire in that case.


I would be placing a junction box in the attic and only running 1 line down to each receptacle.
Running up and down is a waste of wire and if the walls are not open a lot more work fishing metal clad can be a pain in the back side especially if there is insulation.
Having a 4x4 box makes a great junction box get a deep box with all 1/2 or 1/2 -3/4 TKO and you will only need 1 box for most rooms.
When I usually do this I many times add a raised single duplex cover and add a convince outlet it can be handy to have if there are no outlets up there.
With balloon framing you need to reduce the amount of damage (drilling) I don’t work with balloon as often as it is somewhat rare but you need to be aware additional holes will compromise the structure.
Make sure to use the insulating bushings that came with the MC inspectors look for this if your roll doesn't have a bag get some they are only a couple of $ for 50 or 100 I cant remember how small the bags come.


Should I add another gable vent to my attic?

You need to consider airflow paths. Adding random vents is not always a good idea, as it can reduce flow from other parts of the system. Adding gable vents to a soffit/ridge vent system will likely reduce flow from the edges of the space.

If you have good soffit ventilation, do not add more gable vents. Instead, add ridge venting. If the soffits are solid, gable vents could be a good idea.


Sizing a circulator pump in a closed loop heating system with multiple zones

You may consider
boiler maximum power (30kW = 26kcal/h ), because you must be able to handle the heat your boiler can produce at full power.

difference in temperature between flow and return [usually 10°C, 20°C on condensing boilers] 20F (11K) is ok for standard boiler. If you have a condensing one I suggest you to increase the delta to 20K to both run your boiler at bigger efficency and reduce electricity need at the pump]

and get a pump that can hold that flow, in our case [10K delta] 10kcal/kg or about 2.6mc/h [1.3mc/h for 20K delta]

[26kcal/[1kcal/kg K] * [1Kg/L]] of water, then measure maximum water column you need on your system and choose a pump that can handle that flow for water column you have.

You should get zone valves with 'built in by-pass', so the flow is the same in any configuration (3 zone open 860L/h all trough the rads, if two zones are closed you have 1700L/h flowing trough by-passes and 860L/h flowing trough the only zone that is open and so on).

Anyway, 2.6mc/h (similar to your 12gal/min) won't fit well over 3/4" (20mm internal diameter) pipe because of excessive water speed (around 2m/s) that results in noisy pipes, it also will have quite high head (about 20cm wc per metre of pipe)

Anyway, flow [mc/h] = max power [kcal/h] / deltaT [K] (I use calories because 1Kcal heats 1Kilo of water 1K making calculation easy)


Installing circuit for tanning bed 220v 30 amp

For a 240V/30A circuit, 10 AWG copper is indeed correct (it's the same stuff you'd pull for a dryer hookup).  You'll want to use 10/3 NM (instead of 10/2) so that you can have the option of converting the circuit to 120/240V 30A or installing a subpanel at a later date.


What is the fire resistance on a corrugated iron wall?

My intuition tells me the exterior would not provide "1-hour" fire protection. Although the metal cladding certainly would not burn, it will readily conduct heat.
The gypsum/plaster-board is a very poor heat transfer medium and that along with the fire-resistant paper on it is what gives it it's fire rating.

You should start to think about maybe stucco or plaster over the cladding (yes, it can be done) which if properly applied would be great for fire protection (although rating it would be a guess). Or removing the cladding and adding a layer of the plaster board behind it.


Mounting Ceiling Fan to Old Junction Box

Boxes mounted with a center nut/collar are usually installed between joists on a support bar like the picture below. You're going to have to cut away the ceiling to expose the entire box. The cloth wiring you have is very old and there's a good chance it will crumble and the insulation will crack when you move it around. You'll have to straighten out the wire carefully, after you've turned off the breaker supplying the circuit. Then remove the nut/ threaded collar from the threaded nipple. The box should come loose. Remove any clamps holding the wires in place and unconnect any wires to completely remove the box. Take pictures so you'll know how to reconnect them. You might have to cut away a bit more of the ceiling to get behind the box to undo the clamps. Cut away the box support and install another one similar to the one below but rated for a ceiling fan. Run the wires into the new box and then attach the new box to the support bar. Repair ceiling or get a fan cover plate. Mount your new fan.

This will be very risky for a DIYer because the wire is so very old and likely to be unusable after moving it around so much. In that case, you'd have no option but to rewire the entire circuit. Being in a condo, there are probably rules about homeowners doing electrical work in their units. Consulting a pro might not be a bad idea.


How can I modify this load bearing wall to allow for a French drain?

There are a few issues here: 1) existing exterior concrete wall leaning, 2) location of French drain, 3) new wood wall installed to help existing concrete wall, 4) engineer designed,

If the exterior wall is leaning in, it could be dangerous. If there are no cracks on the inside of the wall, then it’s probably not in danger of immediate collapse. However, that pressure is probably due to earth and moisture pressure on the wall and needs to be eliminated.

In order to eliminate this pressure you’ll need to install a french drain on the exterior of the wall. (Some people have suggested a drain be installed between the concrete wall and the studs inside. This is not acceptable.)

Water flows in the direction of least resistance.
Moisture is either coming up from below (a rising water table) or its coming from the surrounding ground water in the saturated soil, or both.
If it comes up from a rising water table, it will enter the living space from below through the crack between the foundation wall and slab.
If it comes from the surrounding ground water, it COULD enter the living space through the wall, especially if the EXTERIOR side of the foundation wall is not sealed properly.
Either way the moisture enters the living space it will need to be collected and disposed. I think the best way to collect it is on the exterior side of the foundation wall in drainrock and a perf pipe laid 6”-8” below the interior basement slab.
To keep the subsurface water from seeping through the wall, I recommend installing a moisture barrier on the exterior side of the foundation wall and install a 2” thick plastic mesh on the wall to allow water to flow down to the perf pipe. If dirt is allowed to be backfilled against the wall, the dirt could hold the moisture giving it a chance to seep through the wall.
Once collected it needs to be disposed by extending a solid pipe over an embankment or in a collection well and pumped away.
This may be the most expensive method of solving the problem, but it’s sure to work.

You mention that the new wood wall was installed to help the leaning concrete wall. I hope your engineer didn’t come up with that idea. The Code does not allow wood to support structural concrete.

You keep referencing an engineer that helped you. I doubt he’s an engineer and I’m certain he’s not a structural engineer. I’d recommend you use a structural engineer (not a civil engineer) or architect that has experience in residential construction.

Side Note:
That wood wall does not have a header over the window. How can the wood wall support the floor joists above without a header? Did your engineer design that?


Plumbing is not correct.

You have a condensate drain that's been piped to the sump drain, and the check valve (black thing) is below it. But it would not work if the check valve was above it, either. (edit - perhaps that's just a coupling, not the common "check valve in a flexible coupling" I took it to be at first - does not change the answer.) The backpressure of the sump exit pipe to the exterior is evidently considerably higher than the small height difference to the top of the open tube getting the condensate.

Does the SUMP DRAIN operate normally if you close the valve? I'm assuming that when you say water runs out the top if you close the valve, you mean condensate from the furnace, not the sump drain water that you get when the sump operates if it's open.

If so, you just need to re-route the condensate to drain into the sump itself, not into the sump's drain line. Leave the valve closed, or cut it off and cap that.

If the sump does not successfully drain to the exterior with the valve closed, perhaps the sump drain to the exterior is clogged, causing more backpressure than when this was set up, and perhaps it worked when the line was clear. Still Not a good setup IMHO, but perhaps it "used to work"...9 years is a long time for things to build nests, or perhaps some trash got jammed in there in 2011 and was never removed.

If you wanted to needlessly overcomplicate things and add more stuff to fail confusingly you could configure an additional check valve so that the condensate drained into the line but the sump discharge did not go into the condensate drain stack. That is not an approach I would suggest, but it COULD be done.

To fix yourself, just replace the small pipe with a pipe that runs from the condensate tube to the sump (with an air gap so it cannot siphon) and close the valve, or cut and cap where the valve was. Possibly clear out the drain if it does not work with the valve closed (perhaps that's why you think you need a plumber now...?)


Does a dwang/blocking qualify as "protection" for non-finished walls?

The NEC requires the cable to be 1-1/4” back from the face of the stud. If it is not a nail plate is required. Code requires the cable to be protected in the stud bay by 1/2” plywood or sheetrock. This is normally required to a height of 8’(some inspectors allow 7’ the height is not specifically listed in code but protected by elevation at 8’ is listed so most use that)
It may look funny for the 1 bay to be closed in but these are the 2 requirements.


Hand-held jigsaws are not the right tool for cutting large notches in a 6x6 post. Yes, the blade must extend past the wood - they only cut on the front of the blade, not the bottom. And the blade will drift quite a bit going through 6 inches of lumber. Jigsaws are meant for fine detail work, not large straight cuts.

However, a close cousin is the reciprocating saw like the Bosch RS35. Larger motor, much heavier blades. You still have the problem of squaring off the bottom of the notch, but if you use a large auger bit to make a series of holes you will be able to remove the bulk with one good hammer hit and then use a thinner blade or a chisel to flatten out the bottom.

If you have a large number and want to mass-produce the notches I would rent a 12 to 16 inch circular saw, line up all the posts, bind them together, and make a jig to hold the saw in position on the ends. Cut, move blade down a bit, repeat.


How to fill 5 inch deep gap above and below window on internal wall

Gaps around windows are common (there's a reason why they're called "rough-in"). As long as the gaps aren't larger than the trim, you're fine. Oddly enough, the old trim looks like it was attached to the window. That would explain the gap (it wasn't visible from the inside).

The unusual thing here is the size. Expanding foam is your friend here, but be sure it will fill a gap that large. Not all foam will expand 1" or more but there are types that can.


The time delay between the hot water tank and the places where you use it is entirely determined by the distance between the two, which you have not changed. Note that larger tubing would be counterproductive here, because the flow is almost entirely determined by the outlet device, and you want to minimize the amount of cold water you need to drain before you start getting hot water.

Similarly, the pressure drop issues when using more than one tap are also related to your inside plumbing. What this tells you is that the badly corroded service pipe was not your "bottleneck".

The only way to improve the hot water access time is to move the tank closer to the places that need it. In a large house, this may require multiple heaters, possibly including on-demand "tankless" type heaters.

The only way to improve the pressure drop issues is to redo the interior plumbing, either by using larger tubing, or making every tap a separate run from the main distribution point. With modern PEX tubing, the latter option is less trouble than you might think.


How to wire 3way on-off-on rocker switch for central vacuum hose

It looks like a DPDT switch where they cut off one of the legs before soldering the board.   Black is closed in either "on" position, and white is closed in only one of the "on" positions.   Some DPDT switches have a center position which is all-disconnected, and I presume this switch has that feature, otherwise the black wiring would be utterly pointless.

If you want component switches, my usual places are Digi-key, Mouser, Newark, Galco and other electronics suppliers.   They are relatively standardized most of the time.  Trying to match a switch is a chore, but you might as well learn it.  Numbers on the switch can help, but some may be on the bottom and require unsoldering it.

Soldering is not a huge job, but to un-solder, you're going to want a "snap" solder-sucker, solder wick, or both. It's all done from the solder side of the board.  Don't heat it for too long or you'll cook the board, so if an attempt fails, move to a distant pad, or give it 2 minutes to cool off.  When un-soldering is done well, the device wtill won't come out because each pin will still be stuck to the hole by a microscopic amount of solder, but nudging the pin sideways will cause it to release. If you're nudging hard enough to bend the pin, you haven't removed enough solder.


Is a butt edge to tapered edge drywall joint OK?

It depends how fussy you are. A perfect finish is easier if you have the only joints at tapers and corners.


Kohler Push Button Diverter Leaking from Shower

So it looks like it was a bad part, see the o-ring missing below. BTW, you just need a deep socket wrench to remove the diverter, I wasted a few hours looking for plumber's wrenches before figuring this out...lol.

Glad it's working now but this valve kit was brand new, seems odd that something so critical would be missing. Also the part that I pulled seems used or refurbished (see discoloration). I hope the rest of the valve is ok.


Here's your problem right here.

There'll be a vertical screw going straight down through the porcelain toilet bowl.  If you follow that imaginary vertical line, you'll find some sort of recess or pocket providing access to the "nut" on the bottom.
Expect a plastic cartoon version of a nut that is designed to be tightened by hand; it's normal for those pockets to be confined enough to make it hard to get tools in there.  Or if not the pocket, the working space lol.   Sometimes the nuts get sticky and need some persuading, but improvise what you need - I've used a huge 1-1/8" hex socket that fit over the plastic nut, I've used pliers, etc.
DO NOT go down to the hardware store and get actual metal nuts of that same thread.  The cartoon nut is plastic for a reason; using metal hardware will easily crack the porcelain and then you need a new toilet. Been there, done that (the guy before me had selected metal hardware; I just tightened it without thinking).
Now you're saying "I know about that loose nut; I choose not to fix it and want to fix the problem I stated" -- but they're related.  One is causing the other.


Replacing an outdoor junction box - need some help

Looks like you've got a 1 gang 5 hole outdoor electrical box, like this.

A couple weatherproof lampholders,

and a motion sensor.

You should be able to find each of these sold separately, at your local hardware or big box store. To replace them, you'll have to be comfortable doing electrical work, and working from a ladder. If you're not comfortable with either, contact a local Electrician to complete the repair.
Replace the broken bits
If you have no problems with this type of work, the repair is quite simple.  Start by turning off the power to this circuit at the breaker, and verifying the power is off using a non-contact voltage tester. Next remove the cover from the box, which is likely held on by two screws.  This will reveal the wiring inside. Take a moment to note (and jot down) how everything is connected. Taking pictures is often helpful.
Remove the lampholder
Locate the wires going to the broken lampholder, and follow them to where they connect to the other wires. Disconnect the wires from the broken lampholder from the other wiring (likely done by removing twist-on wire connectors), making sure to remember where they were connected.
There may be a locknut where the lampholder threads into the box.

Loosen the locknut with a pair of tongue and groove pliers (channellocks), then simply unscrew the lampholder from the box.
Finishing up
Installation is the opposite of removal.
Follow the same procedure to replace the motion sensor.
Before replacing the box cover, inspect the gasket and replace it if necessary.


Are there timers to limit the hours a shower can be used?

You could plumb a 12 volt DC electric solenoid water valve on the hot and another one on the cold water line to the shower. Take a 120 volt AC to 12 volt DC transformer and wire it to them. Then put the 12 volt transformer on a 120 volt timer and have it power the solenoids when he is allowed to use it.


How to keep a window from opening too widely?

It appears that the regulation for the angle of the window is the distance between the mounting screws for the rails in which the brace slides.

The ideal work-around would entail removing the bottom screw from each side and inserting a metal shim that fits within the track below the slider. Return the screw and the slider cannot drop far enough to open the window to cat-head-width. CAUTION: cats can pass through holes far smaller than you might think!

One aspect of this method is that the sliding mechanism, including the rail, has to be accessible when the window is closed to the maximum desired opening.

But wait, there's a work-around to that as well.

The shim that would have been inserted between the bottom screw and the slider now has a slot to allow it to pass around the bottom screw. It is of sufficient length to reach to the bottom of the window frame and can be slipped into place even if the window opens only a few inches.

Depending on the width of the pivot assembly, one may be able to purchase a piece of aluminum or steel of sufficient width to work in this manner. The Home Depot has a materials section with solid aluminum rod and flat as well as solid steel rod and flat. Aluminum is easier to work and should hold up well enough if one does not slam things together.

You'd need a piece thin enough to slip under the inward facing lips with sufficient width to engage as much of the lip area as possible. Even if the thinnest piece you find is too thick, you could file or sand away material to get it to fit in place.

In the image above, the top represents the view from above if the flat aluminum is thin enough to fit in the groove/lips. The bottom is the answer if the piece is too thick, and has the corners filed/sanded away to provide placement.

All of this should work with the recently revealed "bumps" that provide limitation of travel of the sliding mechanism. The bumps are going to pose a problem with placing a single spacer above the screw, but the single spacer above the screw can be of the right hand side of my original drawing with a hole for the screw to engage.


Is a grommet needed for romex into this metal junction box?

You don't use a grommet in this application but rather an appropriate clamp.  The correct type depends on what you are connecting here but the usual thing for non-metallic cable is something like this:

https://images.homedepot-static.com/productImages/7b668807-9db0-42c3-86b1-e9ec7481045c/svn/halex-conduit-fittings-20511-64_1000.jpg


Aquatherm - thermostat is dead. What to check?

First off, check how many wires are connected in your stat. There should be 2. If so use a tester set to volts AC. Test for power, you should get 24ish volts across the two wires (usually .W and R or Rh).

If you get 0 or 120 you have a different issue comment back and I'll edit the answer.

So 24v at the stat; jumper W and the R/Rh with a small peice of wire or unscrew them and twist together. If the heat comes on your stat is faulty.

Since you already have a Nest, no point in perusing a stat repair. Now you need a common wire if there are indeed only 2 wires you have an issue. You'll need to pull another wire. That's another ball of wax covered several times on the DIY stack exchange.

Try the steps outlined above. It will confirm the status of your thermostat.

EDIT

Disconnect the white wire and the red wire from the wall and twist them together. After a few minutes you should have heat. I don't know why there is a wire on the O terminal without a wire on the Y terminal (unless there is one hidden) do you have air conditioning? If so Nest will be tricky if not you can use the wire conectet to O for the common.


Installing thermostat - No C wire or C terminal available on furnace

If you follow 24V VAC TRAN there are two thick wires SEC 1 SEC 2 that lead to the R (first from the bottom)  and COM 24V = C (4th from the bottom) connections.


What happens if ground and neutral are swapped in a light switch?

Green, yellow-green, or bare are supposed to be safety ground only.
In North America, neutral is required to be carried on white or gray wires.
If neutral is not needed in a cable, the white can be re-tasked to be a hot wire. Code now requires such white wires be marked with tape, but most installers do not.
Hots are every other color.
You have 2 white wires in that cluster. Even though they're not attached to the switch, they're equally important.  Generally a cluster of all whites are neutral.
Rarely, you'll see 1 white in a cluster of hots; that's the "cable exception" I mentioned above.


If the outlet tester said the outlet is not grounded, it is not wired properly.

The three black wires are not the problem. this is a common technique for bringing power to an outlet and then continuing the power down the line to other outlets or fixtures.

The connection between the outlet and the switch may be one of two things:
- if the switch is downstream (further away from the power source) the outlet is passing current to the switch and then on to a fixture.
- if the switch is upstream (between the outlet and the power source), the outlet, and everything else powered by the black wires shown, are controlled by that switch. It is not possible to tell from the wiring shown.

The white wires in the background may be correct, but it is hard to be sure from this picture.

The real problem is the lack of ground.  There should be a green or bare wire in the outlet box. This wire needs to be attached to the grounding screw of the outlet.  If it is already attached to something else in the box, you need to remove the grounding and attach two pigtails to that ground and then attach tem to the other grounded item and the outlet.

Given the information in your question, it sounds as if you have little experience in handling electricity.  It might be advisable to have this project done by someone with a bit more experience while you look on and become more familiar with power.

Above all, make sure that the power to all wires in the box is off (test with a non-contact tester) before attempting anything.


You can ground off the electrical ground. Cable companies do this all the time. I would only ground off a pipe if no other options existed.

Note: When cable companies do this, they attach a new saddle joint to the ground. Don't connect to an existing block.


Why doesn't the new shower hose have the same protruding screw as the old one?

It looks like there is an adapter stuck in your old shower hose. You can try to remove it (needle nose pliers and a wrench might work here) or look for a similar adapter at your local hardware store.


How can I align an existing drain trap with my new kitchen sink?

This is a pretty standard issue.  I'm a little confused why your drain end appears to have a permanent reducer coupling attached to it - but in any event they make a flexible, expanding part for just this issue:

Just install it and force the pipe into the best fitting position.  It connects to both ends with a compression ring.


Is this gap at the base of my wall allowing water to enter?

That's not the wall, exactly, but the stucco finish on the wall. I think I see the brick or block sub-structure behind it.

If that's the case, the stucco is not supposed to go into the ground. It's an above-grade finish, like most siding would be. Drainage away from the building is handled by proper grading (slope, surface material) and rain gutters, among other things.

Since this is apparently a rental, and since filling that gap probably won't solve the issue, you need to bring it up to the property owner. If they won't address the problem, investigate your legal recourse or consider finding alternative habitation.


How can I mate a stair skirt flush with the drywall below?

There are 3 options to fill the gap:

Assuming you want to fill the gap with new drywall of even width you first want to make the cut even. So find the widest section and then open a compass to that measurement. Attach a pencil and run one edge against the top edge/wood and the bottom pencil will mark a parallel line on the drywall. Use a utility knife to score and cut the drywall along the line (oscillating saw can also work, easier but dustier).
Cut a piece of drywall the width of the compass and place in the gap and screw into the currently exposed wood and fill small gaps with plaster/putty.
Or if you don't want to take more away and you are fine with using more putty measure the minimum width and cut some drywall. Position in place and cover leftover gaps with putty.
To get an exact match, but requiring extra work and lots of time/precision/frustration, you can lay painters tap on the top piece flush to the edge. Then open a compass to the widest of the gap and trace the edge on the tape (the other following the drywall edge). Once done, comes the tricky part, transfer the tape to the drywall. This can by done by measuring the bottom gap width, measuring from the edge of the drywall, over the tap to the bottom marking and taping the portion down. Then using a t-square press the rest of the tape down (or measure from the edge of the drywall to the tape and make sure that it doesn't change).
Cut along the line and attach. It will be a really tight fit and may need additional trimming. Putty any gaps, of which there shouldn't be many.

THEN:

Sand and paint.


Does this j-box follow NEC electrical code?

ecmag.com's interpretation of 314.16(B)(1) Conductor Fill:

  There is an exception under the conductor-fill provision that pertains to luminaire (fixture) conductors. An equipment-grounding conductor or four or fewer luminaire (fixture) wires smaller than 14 AWG, or both, entering a box from a domed luminaire (fixture) or similar canopy and terminating within that box, can be omitted from box-fill calculations. Under certain conditions, up to four luminaire (fixture) conductors and one equipment-grounding conductor can be installed but not counted in the box-fill calculation. The conductors must be 16 AWG or smaller and must enter the box from a domed luminaire (fixture) or similar canopy.

I always wondered why the wires on lights are so flimsy; that's why, so you don't have to count them in box fills.


Can I merge two drains with traps into one pipe?

Yes, in most every home, multiple P traps eventually go into a single drain. The important considerations are that there is proper slope, there's a vent within a certain distance of the drain (either wet or dry), and that the drains are properly sized. What you can't have is one P trap in line with another (creating an air locked section), but two P traps that connect to a Y and enter the wall should be perfectly fine.


Can I use a floating wood floor in a half bath?

If your bathroom is used mostly by responsible adults, there's no reason for concern. Plenty of kitchens (including my own) have wood floors. The rare splash should be wiped up, and a strategically placed rug can provide more protection.

Floating floors usually go around the flange.


Kenmore 51789 Fridge - Trying to Troubleshoot Defrost Problem

I would agree that it looks like the Tstat. Is the fan circulating air, this is one issue that can also cause problems and if ice dams form at the bottom even if everything else is working the freezer will start to warm up because the cold air can not circulate. I gave up on world pool / Kenmore after my last elite fridge freezer was a basket case under warranty and I have epa licenses so it turned into a pop cooler in the barn.


smelling sink when using water after P-trap change

The most likely cause would be syphoning, where the flow of water in the waste pipe empties the P-trap. This could be due to too small a diameter pipe and/or lack of vent in the pipework to prevent a vacuum caused by draining water. Did you change any other pipework apart from the P-traps?


Use the mitre box to guide the saw but make the cut outside the box.

Clamp the box to a table.
Place a board at least as thick as the bottom of the mitre box behind the box. Clamp it to the table or just hold it against the box while working.
Place the material to be cut on the board and hold it against the
mitre box.
Use a saw long enough to reach across the mitre box + work + cutting
stroke.

EDIT: This is the correct answer to the wrong question. OP is asking about cutting material that is too high for the mitre box; this answer is good for material that is too wide for the box.

So the analogue of my technique for op's too-high material would be to clamp a spacer under the mitre box to raise its top to 140mm above the table, hold the material tightly against the box, and cut part-way through the material.

The cut can be finished off by placing the material inside the mitre box as usual.


Caulk is usually applied only outside. That's where airflow should be addressed. Caulk on the interior makes for an unappealing appearance and, as you suggested, treats a symptom and not the primary issue.

I would apply interior window film, if you think the remaining winter season warrants it, and deal with your window installation issues in warmer weather. Windows installed in the last few years should've been foamed in, which creates a fantastic seal to the framing. they should also be caulked to the housewrap or wall sheathing as the situation allows. No air management should need to happen on the inner face. Window trim is not intended to be a component of the building envelope.


How do I fix a leaking outside shutoff valve?

It sounds like the packing on a gate valve is failing. You can shutoff the water and attempt to repair these valves with new washers, cleaning the seat, and installing new packing material. However, the far more common approach now is to cut out the old valve and replace it with a 1/4 turn ball valve. These ball valves are much more reliable than the older gate valves, and the effort to install one is often less than the effort to repair a gate valve.

To replace the valve (assuming copper lines):

Shutoff the main
Drain the water in that pipe
Clean the outside of the pipe on either side of the valve before you make your cut (it's easier to clean first rather than after the pipe is cut)
Cut the pipe on each side of the valve
Test fit the new valve
Measure and cut a short piece of pipe to span any gap, you'll use a straight coupling between this pipe and the existing plumbing
Remove the valve, clean all ends and fittings again
Apply flux to the valve, pipes, and coupling
Connect the junction, short pipe, and valve to each other and the existing plumbing
Heat the joints with a blow torch until the flux bubbles and the opposite side melts the solder into each joint, take care not to excessively heat the valve itself
Give the pipes a few minutes to cool, you can also wipe away excess solder with a rag while it's still hot to make the result look better
Turn the water back on and check for leaks


NEMA 6-15 and you're done

Outlets aren't that expensive.  Simply fit the correct one.

The third one.

If your wiring is 12 AWG or larger copper and your breaker is 20A, you can fit a NEMA 6-20 instead.

Now, noting this thing is dual voltage, the right way to deal with that is have it have a removable inlet (the way a PC does) that takes an IEC connector.  Then you simply change the cord to what you're plugging into.  However you can make a NEMA 5-15R to 6-15P cheater cord if you really want to. If someone finds a 6" long cord with a funny plug on it, that's a big fat hint to be careful what they plug in.

If you are thinking of wiring up a universal future adapter socket, you can't.  What you can do is run 6/3 cable (or #8 THHN in conduit) to a large 4-11/16" square junction box.    The large 4-11/16" square box gives you the room for big wires and splices.  At this point you can install any of these pairs:

NEMA 6-15 receptacle with a 15A or 20A breaker
NEMA 6-20 receptacle with a 20A breaker
NEMA 6-30 or 14-30 with a 30A breaker
NEMA 6-50 or 14-50 with a 50A breaker

Note that except for a 15A receptacle on a 20A breaker, the receptacle size must always match the breaker size.   And of course you can't exceed wire maximums.


Why does my nat gas furnace pilot light stay lit at normat temp setting, but goes out when I bump the temp up a couple degrees?

This is a tough one without being there to see it.... The only thing that I can come up with is that you have a 2 stage or modulating gas valve and that when you have your thermostat set at a constant temperature your furnace is only operating on the 1st stage gas flow, but when you bump the setpoint on your thermostat up to a higher setting then the 2nd stage or higher modulation is called for and therefor a higher gas pressure is admitted to the main burners.
This second stage pressure may be set incorrectly (too high) and causing the pilot flame to be pulled away from the thermocouple during the heating cycle which will cause the pilot thermocouple to cool off enough to cause the pilot safety to shut down the main gas valve and pilot burner. One other thing could be that if you do have a 2 stage or modulating gas valve and the main burner is shut off before the gas pressure is stepped down to the first stage then the sudden main burner shut down could cause turbulence and be snuffing out the pilot at the end of the cycle. This shut down could be from numerous things like a high temperature limit or other safety device shutting down the main burner while it is in the higher stage burn.


Can I plug a 15A snow thrower into a 15A receptacle?

Unless it came with a 20A plug (pictured below), it's designed to plug into a 15A receptacle.

The 20A plug has one blade twisted 90 degrees to prevent it from being plugged into a 15A receptacle. The corresponding 20A receptacle has a slot shaped to accept a standard 15A plug or a 20A plug:

This assumes that the plug on the snowthrower is factory installed and that someone didn't replace it with a 15A plug. If the motor really does draw 15A continuously, then it probably shouldn't be used on a 15A circuit as the continuous draw of the circuit should be less than 80% of the circuit capacity (12A for a 15A circuit).

Additionally, this assumes that the manufacturer put the right plug on the device. If it was purchased from a major manufacturer (and designed for use in this country) it should be fine, if it's from an off-brand and not UL listed, then it's less certain.


Bathroom Vent - exhausts into attic insulation - what to do today?

Many jurisdictions frown upon venting out of the soffit, particularly if the soffit is vented (perforated).  The rationale being that the warm/moist air from the exhaust vent will be drawn back into the attic.

I think the preferred location for the vent is through the roof or out the side of a gable.

Here's the way I vented a new powder room.


It should be fine all on its own, but if you want to be really really totally sure, just sand a bit to expose some of the CMU surface in the high areas.


What is the best way to incrementally finish an unfinished basement?

First, handle drainage. If you want to install a sump pump, perimeter drain, or water proof the walls, now is the time to do that. You should also install any plumbing drain lines at this point.

Next, framing. Concrete transmits moisture, so use pressure treated, and a styrofoam underlay that would normally go under the sill plate, to keep the walls dry. With pressure treated wood, you need galvanized nails to avoid a chemical reaction that would eat a normal nail. Make sure the framing is designed for the drywall (16" OC studs, nailing edge in the corners and around the ceiling perimeter). And make sure the walls are positioned/sized for any plumbing or other utility lines. For exterior walls, the thicker the wall (2x6 instead of 2x4) the more insulation you can include.

At this point, utilities go in, including plumbing, electrical, hvac, and communications. I'm a strong believer in conduit for running communications lines (like ethernet, catv, and phone) so that you can upgrade those without opening the walls or running wires all over the floor. Note that with more outlets, you will need more circuits, and copper isn't cheap.

Insulation is done after all the utilities are finished. If you have water proofed the walls, then I don't have much against the standard fiberglass insulation. Actually, I like fiberglass because it's easy to work with as a DIYer, relatively cheap, and replacing a piece or temporarily moving it (e.g. in the attic) is simple. However, with moisture concerns, or if you live in a northern climate with harsh winters, then I'd favor the spray foam. The spray foam has the downside of being difficult (impossible?) to remove, but it functions as a vapor barrier and leaves no cracks that air can get around.

After this, you have drywall, paint, doors and trim, and touch-up paint. I like to paint the walls and trim separately so there's less work on edging.

As for the flooring, you would usually do this before or after the trim. With hardwood, you would often do the flooring first, and then the trim goes up tight against it. With carpeting, you would install your trim 1/2" above the floor and the carpet installers would install the carpet right under that.


Sliding door drapes rod - special rod kit needed, or generic window rod OK?

I had the same issue recently and did not really have much room above the door frame to mount anything aesthetically please to the eye.  What I landed on was this.

My sliding glass door is off my kitchen and into the backyard, so in the spring and summer months it gets more traffic.  The panels easily slide back and forth with ease and putting


refractometer instead of hydrometer for battery testing?

A refractometer is actually a much more accurate tool for measuring specific gravity (of any liquid). Though IMO the accuracy of a hydrometer is close enough as to not justify the additional expense.


Bathroom lights went out, but breaker isn't tripped

The first part of the problem is that yes, your lights are downstream of a GFCI. Which is not usually required. It may be that someone was in the mode of "I better put GFCI wherever I can and protect everything in the bathrooms, including the light", or it could be that there is another receptacle (bathroom, garage, outside, kitchen) on the same circuit that actually needs GFCI protection.

The second part is right there in your question:

  As I was pushing the cover onto the can, all the bathroom lights went out.

You mentioned a ground wire, so this sounds like more than just a simple screw in bulb replacement. But whether that new ground wire was involved or not, it sounds like you pinched or shorted a wire when putting the cover on the can. That could easily cause a ground fault and trip the GFCI. Then you took things out, double-checked everything, etc. and when you put it all back together, everything was OK. Except that you had to find the GFCI and reset. Once you did that, all the lights worked.


Need guidance on drilling through wall plates

The vertical load bearing members of a load bearing wall are the studs. The bottom plate is less important than the top, when transferring the load from the roof trusses. If a truss lands between studs then the top plate(s) transfer the roof load to the studs and down to the floor. The bottom plate just ties the studs together and keeps them evenly spaced.

However, if possible, you should choose cells that do not have a roof truss between the studs. This would avoid weakening any load transferring ability of the top plate.

That being said, your inspector will probably want you to fire stop the conduits since these would allow smoke and fire to travel from the basement to the attic practically unimpeded.

Good luck!


How to remove dried latex paint out of painter whites

Lucky you. I've had to try to clean spots out with $80/gal reducer.

When I work in such a readily available and cheap solvent, I take the garment off immediately, get the whole garment soaking wet, work it in a sink if possible, and bag it.  Then wash it within 8 hours or so.  Should recover nicely.

Letting it dry is the mistake. This wrecks the fibers. You'll never get dried paint of of the fibers.


If you aren't changing the framing of the former exterior wall at all, you can basically do whatever is most convenient for the "wall" on the addition side.  Flat studded walls are not going to be load bearing, so you don't need a header.  The 2x4s on that side are basically only there to provide a place for the sheerock to attach.  Basically you'll be putting in 2x4 furring strips around the hole.  About the only thing that you should try to do is to attach whatever you put in to something solid (i.e. other framing) so the drywall around the window doesn't crack.


Fridge started intermittently tripping GFCI after fan motor replacement

Most of the refer fan motors I have replaced have been shaded pole, the coil on 1 side, these are fairly safe because if the motor freezes up (pun intended) they do not overheat like some motors do. Without a ground if there is a problem the fan may have 120v on its metal parts but if it is isolated I don't see a problem, I have seen shaded pole motors produce enough EMF or kickback that would trip a GFCI in some cases changing brands solved the problem, I am lucky my state allows for fridges to Not have GFCI , so if changing brands did not work I put in a non GFCI outlet.


How to go about staircase drawers and drawers below stairs

Stringers are the zigzag style angled beams that hold up conventional stairs.

They are used on each side ot the staircase and sometimes in the middle as well.  They hold up the treads and the risers (the vertical boards) are attached to them.

Image 1 is basically floating treads on the stringers and using the risers as faces of drawer fronts. As the comments reflect, this is easily done when building a staircase, but quite difficult to retrofit. It also won't work if your treads are wider and there is a stringer (or the need for a stringer) in the middle.

Image 2 is a hybrid.  There are no stringers on the near face of the staircase in the area of the drawers, and none in the middle. There may be conventional stringers above that level.  It appears that there are horizontal and lateral supports built around the drawers and supporting the treads in place of stringers. Again, something that can be done when building a staircase, but not practical as a retrofit.

Image 3, based on a comment by John Smith, leaves the staircase intact, preserves the supporting stringers and gives you flexible storage possibilities.

The weight of materials in the drawers is not really a consideration unless you plan to store gold bars or some other really heavy materials. The weight of people on the stairs is much greater than any strain from linens or even books.


What kind of fastener should I use to attach a mounting bracket to metal studs?

It depends on the type of mount.  If it's an articulating arm mount, the bending moment at the wall is going to be a lot higher than if you're doing a flush mount.  In that case the safest option would be to open up the drywall and put 2x4s inside the metal studs, and use the included wood screws to attach the mount to the new 2x4s.

If this is a load bearing wall, and you're certain the studs are heavier 20-gauge load bearing studs, you might get by mounting an articulating arm using toggle bolts like these.  If the wall is non-load-bearing, it's likely made of lighter 25-gauge studs, which just don't have the localized rigidity to support this type of mount so you're stuck reinforcing with 2x4s as I described above.

If you're doing a flush (or nearly so) mount, then you can get by with toggle bolts even if you have the lighter studs.

I wouldn't recommend any kind of self-tapping screw in a load bearing application like this.  It doesn't take much overtorquing (especially with 25-ga studs) to leave them just on the verge of pulling right back out.


In the UK, I think the rules are similar to the US and Canada in that you can't bury a junction box, but you can bury a splice, except in the UK you don't call it a splice you call it a joint.
The hardware used to make the splice / joint must be rated suitable for direct burial.  If you search for "resin joint kits," you'll find something suitable, such as the 3M™ Scotchcast™ Resin kit Series 92-NBA.
Since repairing or extending underground cables comes up all the time, I'd be surprised if they were not readily available in local stores.


Filling in low area to create platform with concrete / leveling

A picture of the site would be helpful for some of the forming questions.
First, I would recommend using one full piece of forming lumber instead of stacked 2x4.
Second, if you are handy,  it should be pretty simple to screed your concrete across the two steps, trowel and broom finish it, and skip the self leveling layer.


You'll have a hard time getting foil tape to bond there, I think, and that component is designed to be flexible, partly for noise abatement. Foil would probably fail before long.

I'd cut a patch of heavy fabric (maybe marine vinyl) and bond it with a flexible adhesive--maybe 100% silicone. Clean the area and let it dry thoroughly first. Silicone would be set up enough to use in a couple hours. If there isn't too much movement when the furnace is running, the heat will speed things along. You could temporarily pad the patch with some soft foam or cloth secured with tape to hold the patch in place.

If the fabric is sound, and it's just a seam that has let loose, a little needlework might do as well.


Are CFLs available with mini candelabra bases?

Sounds like you know what you want, an E-11 base CFL, not the more common E-12 sized base candelabra that Mr. Sherman linked to. Unfortunately, the mini term gets thrown around alot, referring to the over all size, not the base size. As you have found, E-11 CFLs are pretty rare, if they exist at all. However, you can get adapters that fit in E-11 sockets and accept E-12 based CFLs. Obviously they extend the height of the final installation, and some E-12 CFLs are fairly huge in the first place. However, if you look around, you can find E-12 CFLs that are reasonably sized, and even have something similar to the traditional candelabra shape. Happy searching :)


Is it a bad idea to use pine for painted exterior siding if prepared properly?

Pine has been the traditional siding in the Northeastern US for several hundred years (along with cedar shingles). Painting is the standard protection.

While numerous products are lower maintenance, if you have the skill (not too much required) and time to keep it up (a good bit required), it should be fine.


Can I remove my oven's wire conduit to save space?

You have that much so that you can make the connection, then put the appliance in place. There's generally no problem with finding space for it, as it naturally ends up behind and/or underneath the appliance as you push the appliance in.
Rushing to shorten it may make it impossible, or very, very difficult to connect the appliance to power. Correcting THAT may require ordering replacement, uncut, feed wires. Proceed cautiously and deliberately.
If it's typical spiral flex, you cut across the spiral strip (so not straight across the cable as a whole) and usually have to bend the cable a bit to get the spiral to snap, then you need to insert a bushing to keep the cut metal from damaging the wires.


What kind of paint should I use on the hinges and hardware of an exterior door?

Spray paint made for metal.  Take hardware off to get a professional look.


No power in r line after changed thermostat

check for 24 volts at the furnace. Some carrier boards will have a lit led even if the 24 volt circuit is non functioning. I don't recommend using a contact probe. I always recommend using a muti-meter.
 Check from R to C. your looking for 24 volts. if no voltage, then check 3/5 amp fuse on board. If fuse is good, check voltage from transformer.
 If you do have voltage From R to C. put a jumper from R to G and see if the fan comes on. if fan comes on, then you know the issue is at the thermostat somewhere.
 I hope this helps..


Even if the conduit is flooded, the wires should be completely insulated from any water.

I would use a voltmeter to see what is happening electrically with the wires.  If the neutral or ground wires are not at zero volts, then try to determine where the bridge from a "hot" wire is.  Hopefully it is in a junction box in the garage or house.  You can probably narrow down the problem by temporarily disconnecting the bridged wire at one end and then the other and seeing which direction the feed is coming from.

Only if both ends are disconnected would that indicate a failure inside the conduit.  Then you could try evacuating the conduit with a shop vac and see if that has an effect on the problem.  If so, it is time to replace the wire inside the conduit.  You need not dig it up.  You ought to be able to feed a replacement wire by attaching it to the old as you pull it out.  Be sure to use generous amounts of silicon lubricant so it gets easier as you go—and to make replacement easy next time.


Can I extend an electrical ground wire with a copper wire crimp?

Technically, you should twist the extension bare ground wire to the short one and secure it with one of the copper crimps like you have pictured.  A wire nut certainly would work , but it should be green. Practically speaking, either way will work and be safe, just a matter if you want to follow current NEC standards.


The electrical box in the ceiling should not be able to come through the hole under any circumstances.  If this one is, then it's probably a box that was not designed to support a fixture.    (You didn't mention what kind of fixture was in this room before, but there are several types of lamps which don't hang directly from a box -- fluorescent fixtures, and "swag"-style lamps of the 1960s and '70s are popular examples).

Unfortunately, your choices are two:

(1) Get an "old work" box that's rated to support a hanging fixture.

An "old work" box is one that installs into a ceiling after the house is built (i.e., now), while a "new work" box is one that is installed while building the house (i.e., before the ceiling is installed).

For the kind of lighting fixture you have, where it pulls down on the box (due to gravity),  you have no choice but to have a box that's rated to support a fixture --- typically, this must be reinforced to the ceiling structure.   A ceiling box that "clips" to the drywall or plaster ceiling relies on the strength of the ceiling, which means that if the drywall, or plaster, ceiling cracks, due to the weight of the lamp, your lamp will come crashing down.    This is a safety hazard, is prohibited by building and electrical codes, and might hurt someone.

Or:

(2) Get a different hanging lamp that doesn't hang directly from the outlet box.

There are plenty of fixtures that don't hang directly from the electrical box.   Either "strip" lighting fixtures (fluorescent-style), or "swag" style lamps are good alternatives.

For swag lamps, you hang them elsewhere, usually from a hook that's screwed into a stud above (also known as a ceiling joist), and then only a cord goes to the electrical box.

For a fluorescent or strip lamp, you screw the lamp into the ceiling-joists through mounting holes, so the screws bear the weight and the outlet-box does not.

Occasionally, you can find a "pendant" light that has a mounting ring which provides screw holes into the ceiling.  You'll need to make sure you have something solid in the surrounding area -- a joist very close to the outlet box, for example, which it sounds like you don't have.

For each of these choices, the electrical box doesn't have to support any weight, so you'll likely be able to use an "old work" box that just clips to the existing ceiling.

Whichever you choose:

It seems like you should replace the existing box since it isn't secured well enough to the existing ceiling.  The box should never come down from the ceiling.  A good local hardware store or big-box home improvement store can sell you what you need.  If the thought of replacing the box makes you uncomfortable, you should call a professional to complete the install.


GFCI randomly trips (very infrequently)- can I replace it with a regular outlet?

Are you sure it is a GFCI or could it be an AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlet? They look the same on the outside, although some responsible mfrs do put the letters "AFCI" or "AFCI/GFCI" on the face so that you know. GFCIs have no place in a bedroom, but starting with the 1999 code (2002 in Canada), AFCIs are now required in all bedroom outlets. Most of the time this is being done with AFCI breakers, but if your house was older and someone had to bring it up to code because of a renovation, it may have been simpler and cheaper to use AFCI outlets, especially if it's just the first outlet in a string.
One of the potential drawbacks of early AFCIs has been a tendency for them to falsely trip when electronic devices are plugged into them (which is now virtually everything). More recent releases have addressed these issues and are a lot more reliable, so replacing it with a newer AFCI receptacle may be something to consider.


Can I put an AFCI receptacle on a branch circuit that shares a neutral with another branch circuit?

Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) receptacles are similar to Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) receptacles, in that they both operate on the Line / Load idea. When connecting an AFCI receptacle, downstream devices are only protected if they are connected to the Load side of the device.  If devices are connected in parallel using pigtails on the Line side, they will not be protected by the AFCI device.

Since connection-wise, AFCI and GFCI receptacles are similar. The answers to these questions can be useful in this situation as well.

How can I add a GFCI breaker on two circuits with a shared neutral without rewiring?
How do I install a GFCI receptacle with two hot wires and common neutral?

Basically, these devices only monitor the wires on the Load side of the device. Which means, anything upstream on the Line side doesn't really matter. Sharing a neutral should not be a problem, as long as it's done properly (e.g. don't share a Load side neutral, only share the Line side neutral before the device).


What is my wall made of and how can I cut it without chipping?

What these layers are, I know one is drywall, oddly enough its the
  inner layer, but I dont know the other 2.

You have plasterboard, followed by plaster "brown coat", followed by finish plaster "skim coat/color coat"

  How can I repair the chipping that took place? Is it just spackle like
  normal drywall?

Traditional spackle would work

  is there anything I can do to keep the chipping from happening in the
  future?

Score the paint film with a knife where you intend to cut, then cut on the inside of that score line. Use a saw with a finer tooth count. The normal coarse-toothed drywall jab saws are for work on unfinished drywall, where mudding, taping, and finish work hides the rough edges. Painted wall surfaces will be prone to flaking and chipping out with a saw like that. Next time use one of these:


Could someone check this wiring diagram for outlets/switch?

I'd just use 14/3 throughout
If I were in your shoes, I'd use 14/3 throughout this circuit (homerun aside of course) with black as the always hot, red as the switched-hot, and white as the neutral.  Why? Well, someone down the road, maybe even you, might want to change one or more of the receptacles to constant power from being switched, and without always-hot available at all locations, that's going to have a good chance of requiring the wiring to be rerun.  It also simplifies the color-coding of the wires, which helps you keep track of things so you don't have surprises with regards to the behavior of the switch.


What is the optimal method of dealing with leaking brick veneer?

I have brick veneer too, but I have a 1” air space between the veneer and stud wall with plywood covered with a sheet of plastic moisture barrier. This allows any moisture that enters the wall to drain down the 1” void and out the weep holes at the bottom of the wall.

It would be nearly impossible to remove the interior drywall and install a correct system like mine.

Rather, I’d invest in verifying that you do not have any cracks in the mortar joints or between the mortar and brick and then install a clear sealer on the brick veneer.

I’d first hire a masonry contractor to “point” all the mortar joints. Then get the best clear brick sealer with the highest amount of silicone available. (I think mine was 5%.) and hire a painter to install it. They will spray it on and you should make sure they “flood” the brick to the point of refusal. They’ll use a lot, but it’s worth it.

The clear sealer will last 5-6 years, depending on the weather. Be prepared to re-do regularly.


Trimming timber support to remove suspected mold

First a disclaimer: You should follow all local by-laws and building codes in your area relating to mold mitigation/abatement to avoid lawsuits and painful death.

Having said that, since your probably going to handle it yourself anyway, here's what to do. The top picture does look like classic black mold but the other two look like a factory sealant of some sort. It just looks too localized to be mold growth. Better safe than sorry though so suit up and buzz out the affected areas with your dremel or better yet an oscillating saw (less dust). Douche any suspicious areas with a store bought mold treatment or bleach/water solution and then reseal the ends of those 2x4's with paint/oil/tar before you close it up and you should be fine.

In all seriousness though, although mold is harmless like 99% of the time and even if all of the stuff in your pictures is mold it would still be the least amount of mold growth in a bathroom substructure I've ever seen, its still nothing to mess around with. Eye protection, gloves, and dust collection are NOT negotiable. Dampen the area when your're cutting to help cut down the dust, and if you want to be really above board, go to a paint supply store and pick up one of those tyvek suits, they're only like $15 dollars. Cheers


Is it safe to exhaust a portable electric clothes dryer indoors?

Portable probably means electric, so yes that should be safe in the short term.

You may soon have mold problems and the like from excess moisture, if you keep doing this, but there's no immediate danger from the exhaust, as would be the case with a gas dryer which exhausts combustion products.

You could simply put clothes on hangers and set them to dry - during the winter, they dry fairly quickly just hanging on the shower curtain rod over the tub, without blowing lint around the house.


The answer is yes, you can run UF in conduit. For your short section this would be normal. I normally use 1 inch; it fits easily and the NM is not damaged. UF is slightly thicker but should fit it depends on the MFG; some are round and some are flat, 3 wire or 4 wire, etc. A water heater only needs 3 wire normally: 240v and ground with no neutral.

I usually have to have a section of metal flex conduit from the wall to a water heater to protect standard NM since smurf tube or non-metallic is not allowed and liquid tight is too expensive.


How do I connect a dryer with a four prong plug to a three prong socket?

You could replace the cord on the dryer, but you'd have to bond the chassis of the dryer to make that acceptable to current NEC codes (Article 250.140). This can be a safety hazard if done incorrectly, and it may or may not void the warranty on the dryer.
Since your dryer is set up to use a 4 prong receptacle, the optimal solution would be to update the receptacle to a 4 prong (NEMA 14-30R if I remember correctly).  However, this will require you to run new cable to the receptacle, since you'll need a cable with a ground. Depending on the draw of the dryer and the length of the run, you'll either have to pull new 10-3 /w ground or 8-3 /w ground cable.
EDIT:
As @TheEvilGreebo pointed out, you may be able to simply swap out the cord on the dryer for a 3 prong version. Check the manufacturers documentation to verify the procedure, and to make sure your model supports this.
EDIT:
This schematic for an electric dryer might help you understand how the dryer could be wired (depending on make/model/manufacture date).


Did a pressure spike cause this valve body to crack in half?

It broke because of the weight of the expansion tank. Only 5 psi on bladder side means it was full of water and very heavy. You need to support your expansion tank. Pre charge should match static pressure. The pressure does not increase or get higher without expansion tank so "overpressure" is not the cause of the problem. Expansion tanks Don't make pressure. They slow its action. Pressure increases slower and decreases slower. A fully filled expansion tank with little pressure on bladder side can like weight 50 pounds.


Is there any issue with the neutral and ground being connected in this panel?

In residential services only, you can attach grounding conductors and neutral conductors at on the neutral bus, but it must meet certain requirements. First the main breaker in the panel must be the first means of disconnect from the meter (no separate main breaker). Second the neutral bus must be bonded to the Panel (look for the green screw or a lead going to the encasement).

Any panel after that is considered a sub panel and must have a separate neutral and ground bus.

I will also say that this could change depending on the interpretation of the AHJ. So it's always a good idea to check in with them before proceeding with any argument.

Hope this helps.


Is it possible to install a pump to fix a slow drain?

This almost sounds like a common problem with draining RV holding tanks.

You should try to support the drain hose from the tub so you have a gradual slope reaching from the tub/shower drain to the floor.

I have a contraption called a "Slunky" which basically allows my RV holding tank drain hose to be very gradually sloped all along its run to a septic or sewer cleanout.


1/2 hp is a motor rating.  Motors have a whole bunch of inductive kick, so controlling relays must be de-rated.
20A is the rating at 277V.  Interesting thing, 277V was commonly used in industrial lighting, where they were interested in a high ratio of lumens to copper (40kw on twelve 12AWG wires); so 277V almost implied HID lighting with magnetic ballasts (sodium, metal halide, etc.)  This is called a "ballast load" because they too have an inductive kick, though not like a motor.  This seems to imply a 20A rating for ballast load.
20A is the rating at 120V.  120V lighting tended to be incandescents, i.e. a simple resistive load with no kick. Incandescents do have an inrush current which is considerable, so contacts need to be a little tougher than a pure resistive load. By the way, electronic ballasts and LEDs also have inrush current from the capacitors/inductors charging up.

The 30V DC is approximately what you get when you take a common 24VAC thermostat or doorbell transformer and rectify it to DC.  Very appropriate for a 1960s system.


From the FAQ on the Gorilla Glue website:

  To remove uncured Gorilla Super Glue, use a towel dampened with acetone or isopropyl alcohol to blot the area. Several applications may be necessary to completely remove the uncured glue. For removal of cured Gorilla Super Glue from the surface of your project, soak bonded area with warm soapy water or acetone. The adhesive should begin to soften, but many applications may be necessary. Keep in mind that isopropyl alcohol and acetone can damage some surface materials, such as countertops and some plastics. Always test in a small, unseen area first.

Using Acetone or fingernail polish remover is a common suggesting for removing super glue type adhesives.  Of course, you need to make sure the surface you are removing it from will be safe from the acetone.