Is my treehouse platform structurally sound?

Just notes:

2x6s... plenty big.   Weight is a factor unless you will reinforce more.   You do not want it too heavy and these trees aren't that big.

see no issue with having boards a couple inches from trees.   As commented you can always re-evaluate and cut/sister these in 10 years.   Having a tree house means your structure needs to move with the tree(s).

you do need cross bracing

I don't see a a good way to get IN the treehouse.   Is the plan really to climb 15 feet then turn your shoulders so you can squeeze through 14"?

really the only thing I don't like is the resting on the bolts.   I am not against this method but I would like to see an "eye" or a "C/D" anchor that holds these into place (installed underneath).   It doesn't have to lock but I think your current design flaw is this thing rolling to one side.


What can cause an electric water heater to stop working?

A few things to check:

First check the boiler - is it heating water? Does your hot water tank contain hot water? If not, it could be the heating element, a fuse or part of the heater circuit.
If you have a timer controlling the boiler, check it is working- does the relay trigger as it should?
If that is all working but you aren't getting hot water to your rooms, next check your zone valves to see whether they open and close correctly.
Can you hear your water pump?
Have you tried bleeding your radiators?
Do you have thermostats in the house? Check they are working- usually a click as they trigger at the set temperature.


How can I replace my main water shutoff valve?

I don't see the need for a union, just one more expense. I would replace the shut off valve with a ball valve, it will give better flow. Also I would go with copper pipe, not the galvanized.

EDIT:
Normally the Electrical Breaker Panel needs to be grounded to the water main. Because you have a non-conductive PVC water main, I believe NEC code requires that there be two ground rods connected to the Breaker Panel ground-Neutral bus bar. You should check your local codes to see if your's is up to date.


What type of bulb is globe-shaped with coils inside?

It's a CFL globe, but it's either a very old (early prototype) model that warms up slowly or it's simply worn out.

Also, according to DoxyLover...

  ...the glow is starting at the ends of the fluorescent tubing (which
  are near the base). This causes the part of the tube near the top to
  cast a shadow on the globe. This is why [it may appear that] the spiral tube
  is not the light source.


How to connect multi battery operated light to AC source

you can connect the letters in parallel to a single 3V supply.
The current requirement is going to add up so I can't guess how many amps you will need.
is there anything written on the lamps? (if they unscrew on the metal part)
You could use a multimeter to measure how much each letter needs (I expect that I uses less than W) and add those up.


Can you have both 15 and 20 Amp receptacles off the same 20 Amp GFCI?

Yes you can.

(I see the OP was edited to include details and will retain the rest for the database)

Having the GFCI marked 20 Amp is so the one model can be used for either type of circuit.  If you have a 20 Amp Circuit then there is no problem with using 15 Amp receptacles on the same run.

BUT

Having the receptacles is one thing.  Having the wiring and circuit breaker to support 20 Amps is another matter.

Unless you have the 20 Amp breaker and proper wiring, you will want to limit the total current draw to 15 Amps.

PLUS,

Most 20 Amp circuits are dedicated for specific purposes.   Most often there will only be one single outlet for a specific need like a computer rack or a dialysis machine.

In a GFCI situation like described here, the second outlet would most likely be very near to prevent causing the breaker to trip inadvertently.  Example:  Plugging in an electric heater.  Something that has nothing to do with the original reason a 20 Amp circuit was installed.

ALL THAT BEING SAID,

Yes, you can have either or both kinds of outlets on the same circuit, and it will work well unless you exceed the amperage allowed by the circuit breaker.


How can I add arc-fault protection to circuits in this panel?

Any electrician who looks at this would consider that subpanel 'maxed out' ... Not necessarily due to the technicalities of the code to squeeze another circuit or two in with complex tandems but because of the amount of wire packed into that small box and the extreme of things taken to extremes - meaning the multitude of tandem breakers. Generally tandems are used for squeezing in 'one more' or properly upgrading a bath or kitchen on a tight panel. While possible to expand this box is a bit fully loaded as it is.

I would suggest getting a larger subpanel and trying to keep as much as possible as single, standard breakers. You can keep the feed wire and originating circuit breaker (in other panel) the same as long as you're not planning on adding more load. But a new metal panel box is going to be a similar price to a number of $20-30 complex tandems and tandem arc fault breakers.

Here's a subpanel for $75


Drying and sanding cherry tree disc for coffee table

I think it all depends on what you're trying to achieve in a final look...

If you need the top to be perfectly smooth (no cracks, no blemishes), there are ways to do that, but they involve some fairly serious woodworking tools and time.

If you're willing to go a little more rustic and accept the wabi-sabi of it all, then get a belt sander and flatten the top; apply linseed oil; get some legs on (preferably 3 rather than 4, with a slight degree of adjustability); and let the natural checking process begin.


How can I fix a framing mistake so I can drywall?

Leave a gap and use a cornice(crown) molding to cover it.


Is it possible to convert a junction box with 4 sets of wires into a standard duplex receptacle

Yes, I see a big problem with crossed neutrals.  If the blacks are separated for some reason, the neutrals MUST also be separated.

Nobody cares about the grounds being all together.  Unfortunately some people get carnal knowledge that all neutrals and grounds are in direct contact in the main panel, and that makes them tend to think of neutrals and grounds as the same thing.  That's not true at all.  Ground is a safety shield and power flows only during fault conditions. Current flows in loops and neutral is the other half of the loop!

Thus, as Scott mentions, where the blacks are separated, the whites must be separated likewise.

Could you put a receptacle there? Yes, but only if you also add a "box extension" there as well.  A typical box extension would be a Legrand Wiremold Surface Conduit Starter Kit.

Since you have separated the hots and neutrals into 2 groups, place the receptacle on only one of those groups (hot and neutral pair).


Question about drain trap - limited space in cabinet

You're right. You don't want an S trap. They are against code. I think your idea to extend the drain up the wall is the right way to go. I'm not aware of any code issues with a short, vertical drain as you're proposing it. This will give you the vertical space you need to install a proper P trap. Make sure that when you install the horizontal piece from the P trap to the drain that you allow for a 1/4" per foot slope in the line.


Why is my water well tank staying at a constant 40psi even when faucets are turned on?

Option 1: the well is uphill (about 92 feet vertically) and a pump is entirely optional.
Option 2: the well is textbook artesian, (water comes out the top under pressure equivalent to being 92 feet uphill, unless a pressure seal is in place) and a pump is entirely optional.
Option 3: the pump is running all the time, and is worn out, and can't make enough pressure now to ever turn the pressure switch off. Can't be doing your power bill any good.
Option 3a: There's a leak in the pipe from the pump to the house. If the pump is submersible and the leak is in the part of the pipe inside the well, you would not see a wet spot, but you'd be pumping water in circles. If the leak is the right size, it might be holding your pump from ever getting above 40 PSI (But I consider worn out pump more likely, usually.)
Option 4: the pressure gauge is broken and stuck at 40, but "pressure in house is good" trends away from that.


The thing with using a rivet would be the precision of the drilled hole. Given the right size hole, it would absolutely be strong, (maybe not AS strong) but that hole would need to be drilled to a roundness within about +0.05" of the diameter of the rivet, which I highly doubt you'd be able to accomplish with a hand drill in concrete. Too loose and the rivet doesn't grab. Too tight, the rivet can't even try to grab and will break off before the pin moves.

Screws that are developed to hold in concrete will obviously be better because there's a lot more surface area to grab onto the concrete, and they're more friendly on inconsistent holes due to the depth of the threads.


How can I be sure my water softener is working?

Depending how they work, I'd have to wonder if the test strips are being thrown off by the "soft" salt ions replacing the "hard" calcium ones. But I really don't know for certain how those tests work.

You might try your "functional" tests on water that is drawn before the softener to see if the water after the softener behaves "essentially the same" or "significantly differently" in your testing: which would be one indication of "appears to do nothing" or "appears to work."


Those two bottom wires are connected internally in the switch, so if one is hot they both would read hot while connected to the switch. One of the wires daisy chains the hot to other outlets. Both of those wires need to be connected with the hot to the dimmer switch. You may need a larger wire connector than one that might have come with the switch. I know this is a DIY advice webpage, but if those two bottom wires are both hot when disconnected from the switch then it isn't a DIY problem.

Back some time ago in the previous century it used to be accepted practice to not ground light switches, those days are gone. Some dimmers require a ground to function properly, try folding out the wires in the box to locate bare wires that should be connected together and to the box. If you cant find a ground wire in the box then the ground might be accomplished by a cable assembly or raceway system that grounds the box. If you can identify that one of those systems are used you will need to find a 10-32 green ground screw to put into threaded hole in the back of the box.

Also it looks a little like the glue on the tape on the red wire may be failing, you might want to replace the tape or put a correctly sized wire connector on that before you tuck it back into the box.


Why did I have to change the wiring to use a smart WiFi thermostat?

The boiler probably has its own transformer. Removing the RH-RC jumper allows the thermostat to close the switch that the boiler needs closed; not powered.


How do I solve the allergic reaction (red burning eyes) from the mitsubishi unit in my bedroom?

Changing the filter once a year sounds underwhelming to me, they need to be changed based on load , Or how much dust is trapped on n the filter, once a year is a long time. Another user suggested hydrogen peroxide, I like hydrogen peroxide for other forms of cleaning but not on evaporators, I use special non acid coil cleaners they pull the dust and mold out of the fins without damaging the fins. For example NU-calgon makes a coil cleaner that you mix with water and spray on the coils, it foams and pushes dust and mold out without harming the evaporator coils and fins. This product can be found on line under the name of Nu-Brite, I use this for my home systems and at industrial facilities I do not work for them just really like this product. I don’t know what type of filter you have but once a year? Probably not often enough. At 12 years old I am sure both the inside and outside coils could use a good cleaning (never use a pressure washer to clean coils high pressure can destroy the fins) a good cleaning will reduce energy usage also. A gallon of new-brute cost ~25$  but would be enough to do several cleans on a home system, there are also no rinse versions that are easier to use for the inside unit (I just use a shop vac to clean up the foam and rinse water inside). Since you haven’t had problems in the past I would clean the inside coil at a minimum with a fresh filter, or have your HVAC company do this it takes time and the chemicals so expect about $150 if you have it done +- depending on location.
After re reading the question if this is a window unit the foam filter can be washed with warm soapy water an rinsed. The evaporator is tough to get to but the condenser coil on the outside is easy a good rinse of the system is probably needed.


Power equipment for removing compacted gravel?

Nope, you don't want to remove a stitch of it. What you want to do is take advantage of what you've got & capitalize on the perfect setup for a perfect garden. A Raised Bed Garden on top is what this has been patiently waiting for. The gravel is key to keeping pests at bay & to relieve overwatering. This is why garden centers & nurseries have gravel all over & under...no yucky mud.

SEEEEE

OOOOh

AAAAAh


My first home network Cat 5e, fiber 1 gig internet

Although it is true that Ethernet is bidirectional, it is still necessary that the packets from your fiber bridge reach the router before going to your other devices (and visa versa). This is because one of the functions of your router is to take the devices on your network and represent them to the outside Internet as a single device (actually multiple IP addresses as a single) using a protocol called NAT. Your network provider is probably expecting to see a single device (IP address) only and the router “fools” it.

Now because a single physical network can carry multiple logical networks through IP subnetting, it is possible to use a single cable between your garage and house and still run the packets to the router first. However, since this requires proper configuration of your local network and could require reconfiguration in the future if your provider’s configuration changes, I don’t recommend it to someone without knowledge of networking. It also requires an addition unmanaged switch at the router.

Assuming you need the router in the house, due to WiFi range limitations, I’d suggest that you run two CAT5E (or better) cables between the garage and house: one from your fiber bridge to the router WAN/Internet port and one back from a router LAN port to the switch.


How do I determine if a wall can be removed?

For the wall to be structurally important, it could 1) have a post located in it, 2) be a load bearing (vertical loads), or 3) a shear wall:

Posts can support roof beams or second floor beams. You’ll need to look in the attic to see if a post extends up to a beam. You’ll also need to see if there is a footing in the crawl space directly under the post...however, the load from the post could be transferred to the floor without a footing.
Likewise, roof joists or second floor joists could rest on this wall and you’ll need to look in the attic directly above the wall and in the crawl space directly under the wall.
Shear walls are tougher to identify. However, because of the height and width, I can assure you it’s not a shear wall unless there is plywood on one side or both sides of the wall.

Don’t forget to check for a plumbing pipes or electrical service lines in the wall that will need to be relocated.

I’d check to see if there is a duct in the wall that connects to the floor register shown in the pic too...but it could be re-routed.

You’ll also need to fill-in the floor material when the wall is removed.

BTW, if the wall needs to stay (for an electrical line, plumbing pipe, etc.) you could keep the wall by turning the studs 90 degrees and reinstalling the gypsum board. (It could make a nice visual barrier too so you don’t need to look at the side of the fridge.)


How can I fix my ineffective, slipping cabinet hinges without getting new cabinets?

It looks like the part of the cabinet that is gripped by the hinge has a reverse vee shape so the hinge should not be relying on friction to stay in.   You should look more closely at wear on the wood or the hinge that is preventing the hinge from taking advantage of this profile.  Your pictures are great but I can't quite see what might be wrong.  Open a good one to compare.
I may be wrong, that may just be deformity from moisture.  I've never seen a hinge like this before.  It's clever.  I'm rooting for it.


Can I use a Leviton MS302-DS switch as a 3-way switch?

No. That is a Double-Pole, Single-throw (DPST) which switch both hots on a 240 volt load.
For 3-way, you need Single-Pole, Double-Throw (SPDT) switches for 120 volts or Double-Pole, Double-Throw (DPDT) switches for 240 volts.
I have no idea how easily you can find motor-rated DPDT switches. One other solution is to use DP, normally open relay, motor rated, with a 120 volt coil. And power it through standard 3-way switches.


How can I install a dishwasher under a 23 inch deep counter space?

You can definitely get dishwashers that are not as deep as the standard, though selection will be more limited.

One thing to consider is that the dishwasher needs a bit of clearance and wiggle room, so you'll likely need to accomodate more than 1" difference.

I would recommend against chipping away at the studs in you wall as this will reduce the strength of the studs and wall significantly.  If this is an internal non-load bearing wall this might be OK but this would be a big problem if it were a load bearing wall.

I think the best/easiest solution is just to find a different dishwasher that will fit your space.


Can I use a 1KW inverter along with a motor starter to power a water pump?

The link is just a standard 4 pole relay it will not help other being an on off device. A motor inverter is a device that takes line voltage and adjust the voltage and frequency.
With a very old motors it is not advisable to use inverters or soft starts because of the harmonics generated will cause the bearings to be destroyed in a matter of months. Pump motors don't do well with soft starts because they slowly ramp the frequency or pulse full power then pause pulse pause until at full speed then a internal contactor locks the line to the load. With each delay in pulses the pump slows down and causes more heating.
Bearing failure was a huge problem in the early days of VFD’s (variable frequency drives). E series high efficency motors solves that problem. Here is a powerflex 40
From e-bay so you understand what a motor inverter or VFD is. With a VFD a relay or contactor is not needed. The Bestek 1KW may not be able to run the motor as these types of inverters usually will not push a pure inductive load like a motor.


Need help with wiring a new fan. Wire colors don't match instructions and I am a bit of a novice

First off, I'd rework the connections on the switch. They are pulling out of the terminal screws.

The red wire appears to be the switched voltage to the fan. It should be connected to the black and blue wires from the fan.
The blue wire is for a light fixture should you want to add one later.
The white wire from the fan should be connected to the group of white wires.

Find the bare copper wire and connect it to the green wire on the fan. If there is a green wire in there, connect it to the bare copper wire too. Good luck.


Hooking two washing machines up to one hot/cold water supply

You could use a hose wye with shut-offs on both hot and cold. Make sure you buy a heavy duty brass one with ball valves. You can run both washers simultaneously as they fill until a sensor or float says the water level has risen to the set-point. It will just take a bit longer for them to fill if you run them at the same time.


Chromalux Electric Boiler Replacement for Radiator System

The answer depends on where you are, what your local energy prices look like,  whether you already have gas coming into the house, whether you're going to be there long enough for investment in a new system to justify its cost...

In my area, gas and oil have historically alternated as most cost-effective, with electric heat always being most expensive.

When I bought it, my house had a 1945 oil boiler, inefficient by modern standards and with a slightly leaky tank as well. I budgeted for replacing it when negotiating the purchase. I personally prefer gas and already had gas coming into the house, so that's what I chose -- a direct-vented high-efficiency gas boiler, with new pumps, feeding the existing radiators.

(Actually,  I was very interested in the small gas-fired cogeneration plants starting to be sold as heating systems ... use the gas to run an engine which runs a generator, sell the electricity to the grid and use the "waste" heat to heat the house -- but for good or ill, they were only available for forced-hot-air systems and I wasn't ready to replace everything or deal with having only one or two trained technicians in the entire state to maintain the thing. So I'm just selling solar to the grid.)

One thing to keep in mind when upgrading a heating system:  Old units drew combustion air from their surroundings, drawing (cold, in winter) replacement air into the house. New units are direct vented, meaning they draw combustion air directly from outside, so you don't lose as much heat out the exhaust.  But their greater efficiency also means less heat lost to their surroundings, so the basement may actually become cooler rather than warmer unless you remove some pipe wrap to get more heat into that space... or add a zone and radiator(s) for the basement.


I vote for the longer cycles if you can live with the temperature variant.  The fewer starts is always going to be better for the equipment.  As far as energy consumption, that's well over my pay grade.  I might keep it slightly closer to 38*.  Keeps the unwanted growth down.


Do I need an 100A or a 200A current transformer to measure total current draw at my home?

If you have a 200 Amp service, I would take that to mean 200 amps at 240 volts - 200 amps on each hot leg.

However, you should check the rating of the main breaker in your electrical panel, and match the current transformers to that.


Repair driveway expansion joint sealant during winter?

I use a product called "Pli Stix". I am sure your local home center will carry something similar or order it on line. I haven't tried this product in the winter but I can't see why it wouldn't work. It is packaged in a 30ft coil. You clean out the crack using and air hose, leaf blower,shop vacuum etc to remove the debris. You fill the crack with the material and melt it in place with a heat gun or propane torch. The product melts and conforms to the opening.


Door not flush to door stop at the top but is at the bottom

Was it a pre-hung door? If one side of the frame is cut longer than the other (or if your floor isn't level and the frame rests on the ground) that could be pushing the frame out of shape.


Rheem PowerVent Hot Water Heater - Ignition Attempt Error Code Resolution?

My educated guess is that the control module is indeed going bad.  As their integrity begins to decline their operation becomes erratic and less and less regular. P.


While the high temps typically used in a dishwasher will kill a lot of life and will probably suceed in doing so with this dish, no you should do something to it first.

The dishwashers instructions certainly advise you to essentially clean dishes before putting them into the dishwasher. Anytime food or other "solid matter" is left on a dish, it will go to the diswashers drain, and it may very well stay there.

You are potentially likely to add the mold (alive or dead) to the filter, the grinder, etc, and promote clogging. Not to mention a small chance of smell or more rot to occur. Why risk it?

Flush the contents of the cup if its sensible, throw the contents in the trash, rinse the contents down the drain, etc. Wipe it with a paper towel if you feel that will help.

Then dish wash away.


Sealant used to prevent water getting between bath and wall?

The rubbery sealant is bathroom (or general-purpose) silicone caulk. As to why they don't use it between every tile, the answer is that it shouldn't be necessary; except for the one row of tile overhanging the "backsplash" of a "built-in" tub (helps keep minor splashes and overflow from seeping into the wall behind the tub), all tiles should be fixed to the wall, and unless the bathtub is not properly supported from underneath the weight of water should have only a minimal effect on stretching and shrinkage of that wall. If the wall IS stretching and shrinking enough to crack and flake the grout, it will probably also be affecting the tiles' adhesion to the wall, and you will, sooner than you should have to, be paying someone else to repair or replace the tile.

It's also a cost-benefits thing. Grout is very easy to apply; after applying the tiles to the backing, simply load a trowel with the grout mix, and scrape it over tile and gap alike, pressing the grout into the gaps. Then, with a damp rag, wipe off the tile, leaving grout in the gaps. Contrast that with going over every gap between tiles with a caulk gun, carefully applying just the right amount of caulk; caulking is precision work if you want it to look good. You can grout a full shower in less than an hour; you'd be there all day with a caulk gun.


How should connect my light to the wires in these three cables?

You probably have a standard switch loop and a cable that goes out to another part of the circuit.
It's basically this with an extra cable coming in, which would simply be connected by color to the supply cable wires.

You'll have to do some sleuthing with your multi-meter to see what's what.


You're looking for a barrel clamp and screw. There are a lot of them out there and in different sizes.... The one pictured below is from Belmetric.com which I'm not affiliated with in any way, shape or form.


Why is TV size relevant for wall-mounting?

Two possible issues come to mind:

The larger screen will not physically fit in the tv wall mount
The leverage of the larger screen can tear out the fixings (torque = force * distance).


Leak above window during rain, is this caused by a masonry drainage problem?

This turned out to be due to a problem with the installation of the window directly above the window where the water was evident. That upper window (the one in the last photo in the question) had a gap between the sill and the flashing at the bottom of that window was not caulked. Some of the rainwater that gathered on the sill found its way back into the wall through that gap and ran down the inside of the brick wall, ultimately draining out through the drywall above the lower window opening.


How about this:

Or, if permitted by code an air admittance valve (AAV). The AAV is a simple in wall or under sink vent that allows air to vent when needed but blocks water and sewer gas from escaping. Just remember, the AAV must be accessible and are usually covered by an access panel for inspection.

Option #2 is also fine. It's called a "Chicago Loop" and used for sinks on kitchen islands.

Option #3 wont allow the sink to properly vent causing drainage problems.

If that sink is near an exterior wall, you may vent it directly outside, code permitting of course.


How to remove plastic film on window pane

Unless it peels off, which it apparently doesn't, it's probably an adhesive-backed clear coat application. You don't mention if the window is glass or acrylic (Plexiglass). Assuming it's glass you might be able to get it off with a safety razor scraper. Any adhesive could possibly be dissolved with finger nail polish remover or a commercial product such as Goof Off.

If it's acrylic, any scraping or solvent application may damage the pane. In that instance, you may just want to replace it but if you're going to do that you might want to try scraping and solvent first. Nothing to lose.


Drywall ceiling crack emanating from/near the outside corner of two interior drywall walls

Could be a problem with the structure in the ceiling, or a problem with how the drywall was attached to structure. An imperfect but easy first attempt might be to add some screws into structure near the cracks, then patch with compound and tape. If cracks appear again after a couple of years, you have a structural issue and probably need to rip out the existing drywall to address that. If not, the likely cause was either some initial settling of the house.


How can I replace a pressure gauge on a well pump?

Turn off the power to the pump.
Turn off the feed to the house (there should be a valve between the pressure tank and rest of house). This is simply to make the next step easier.
Drain any water from the pipes where the pressure switch is screwed in. Usually there is a sed valve.
Unscrew the existing gauge.
Check the T where the gauge was screwed in for build-up/blockage. This may be what messed up the existing gauge in the first place. If there's any, clear it out as much as possible.
Use teflon tape or pipe dope on the threads, and screw in the new gauge.
Turn everything back on.


Can I glue poly supply line to a connector?

I used stainless steel pipe clamps and that fixed the leaks. Next time I will order the appropriate metric pieces from the original vendor.


How do I find out what's wrong with my phone (DSL) line?

STP should help. Just make sure to ground it properly, or the interference can be worse - like a long antenna.


Wiring a switch/outlet combo device and GFCI

First you must determine which of the two cables entering the box is the power source, and which goes to the light fixture. The one with the single wire that goes to the dual device without any wire nuts is probably the cable to the light fixture, but the way to tell for sure is to disconnect the hot (black) wires of both cables and test them with a volt meter.

If you want the GFCI to protect all the outlets, but leave the light on if it trips, wire it like this:

Break and remove the tab between the two hot terminal screws on the dual device.

Use a wire nut and a white jumper to connect the white wire from the power source to the white wire to the light fixture, and to the silver LINE screw on the GFCI.

Use a wire nut and a black jumper to connect the black wire from the power source to the brass LINE screw on the GFCI, and to one of the switch screws on the dual device.

Connect the other switch screw on the dual device to the black wire to the light fixture.

Use a white jumper to connect the silver LOAD screw on the GFCI to the silver outlet screw on the dual device.

Use a black jumper to connect the brass LOAD screw on the GFCI to the brass outlet screw on the dual device.

If your GFCI outlet doesn't have LINE and LOAD terminals, or if your dual device doesn't have four screw terminals, then you have unusual equipment and this diagram won't make sense. In that case, modify your question to describe your devices.


ABS offset toilet flange dilemma. Suggestions to make my 11" rough-in into a 12" rough-in. USA

You can get a flange that fits inside a 4" pipe, or if you remove inside get one that sits inside a 4" hub.


Solution to put down a window sill crack to prevent mold

I like 3% hydrogen peroxide to kill mold. It doesn’t stink like bleach and won’t be a problem to seal over once dry.


Why does my ice maker make a knocking sound and not produce ice?

Our ice maker recently had its water inlet freeze up, preventing water from filling the trays.  The mechanism kept dutifully trying to push nonexistent ice cubes into a bin that never filled up, which might account for the knocking noise in your case.

To defrost it we just unplugged the unit, took all the food out of the freezer section, and left the door open for a couple of hours.  It wasn't long enough for any of the frozen food to defrost, and since we were careful to minimize opening the refrigerator section's door, the food in that part stayed cold enough to be safe as well.


Adapter: 1/8" Dremel shank to 1/4" chuck

Even if someone makes an adapter in this direction, it's a Very Bad Idea.
1/4 down to 1/8 - no problem. 1/8 up to 1/4 - big problems.
You may exceed the speed rating of the larger shank tool - small shank tools tend to spin a lot faster, and can do so because their tools are smaller. Spin a tool that's too large too fast and you can explode it by centrifugal force. Shrapnel in all directions. Messy and frequently causing injuries.
Big to small does not need to extend the tool shaft. Small to big does, and that extension is inherently unstable. You're overloading the bearings both by putting on a tool that is bigger and heavier AND by giving it more leverage - this is bad for the bearings. You can actually bend the shaft, and once bent, it will bend more and flail about, also likely causing injuries.


Does anybody know what this is called?

This is commonly called a saddle valve; they are frequently (and notoriously unreliably) used to tap into cold water for supply to refrigerator ice maker, hence the 1/4" compression type outlet commonly used for 1/4" diameter tubing. IMO you should not try to plug it, you should get rid of it.

If you do not need to supply an icemaker, cut below it and solder fittings to restore the faucet supply valve. If you do need to supply an ice maker, put a tee in the line and get a high quality 1/4 turn valve with the same compression type outlet.


You May Have a Lost Neutral
If voltage only goes down, that is an indication of overload. But when voltage goes up in one place and down in another, that is an indication that your neutral is not working properly. Since you show 0V neutral to ground, the problem is very likely outside your home. In other words, a utility company problem.
Since you have a multimeter, one more thing to check:
If you have any 240V plug-in appliances (e.g., electric dryer), check the voltage at the receptacle. You should have a consistent value (~240V) between the hots and a nearly identical value (~120V) between each hot & neutral. Then see how that changes when you turn on any relatively large loads (like coffee pot or toaster). If you see a similar change - i.e., one side up, one side down - then that confirms a likely neutral problem.
CALL YOUR ELECTRIC UTILITY
Tell them you think you have a neutral out. They should treat this as a serious problem because of the problems it can cause. They should send someone out fairly quickly to check things and, assuming the problem is on their side (pole or meter) they will generally be able to fix it pretty quickly. If they determine it is not their problem then you need a licensed electrician to check from your meter to your breaker panel and figure out what is going on.
Meanwhile, I highly recommend you unplug any sensitive electronics (computer, TV, etc.). While many devices are able to handle a wide range (e.g., 90V to 240V), many can't and even those that can may not like the ups & downs.


How to properly seal the drain in the refrigerator? And how to clean the condenser coil?

Who knows what caused the plug to pop up possibly ice forming and jacking it up multiple times. The condenser coil can be cleaned with soapy water, don’t use any type of acid cleaner as fridges have aluminum condensers almost always and  have for years. I use a foaming non acid coil cleaner but that would make a big mess , simple green and a squirt bottle again you may have a mess but spraying it down is how I clean most of the condensers I work on.


What are the issues with using sour smelling paint?

The foul smell is from the volatile organic compounds in the paint decaying. Could very well have mold spores living in it. Whatever you are smelling its going straight into your lungs because smells are particular. If it was me I would get rid of it like it was a plague.
My suggestion is get a heavy duty respirator with the proper filters and a boat load of lacquer thinner. Scrub the walls down with the thinner using towels to get as much of that bad paint off as possible. Then apply two coats of Behr Primer & Sealer to the walls. Finally finish by applying a good brand of paint. Lacquer thinner is hard core so:

cover everything; it will take just about any finish off.
have all your fans running in that room with all the windows open and the door closed.
remove all pets from the home prior to and for several days after the lacquer operation has been completed.
let the walls thoroughly dry out with fans running before attempting to paint.


Solutions for a difficult-to-reach shut-off valve

crip659 is correct.
I vote for option #2.
You do not have to have the water utility shut off the water for option 2.
Turn off the valve, cut into the line on the house side of the existing valve, (not the city supply side). Add your elbows, piping and a 1/4 turn valve, then tie it back in to the line. Open the first valve   and then your new 1/4 turn valve  and you are good.


Neutral and ground wires for ceiling fan wall control

First off, the two neutral wires in the back of the box provide the path back to the source for the current that powers your fan, so they need to stay nutted together or else the fan won't work.

The ground wires should be terminated to the box, though.  Some boxes are functionally grounded (via conduit or cable armor) even if there is no ground wire present, and I can't tell if yours are that way or not from here.


Electrical wiring capped with wire connectors exposed to weather: bad idea?

FYI any exposed conductors should be protected and covered no matter where they occur. Especially if the exposed wiring is on an exterior where the insulation is exposed to a more severe environment.


Question about foundation and door of my house

Your question "how much chance i may need (to) repair foundation in the future" cannot be answered, because whether or not you choose to repair it is a choice only you will be making. The homes in my area have extensive history of foundation and slab floor cracking and movement due to expansive soil. Some people choose to take steps to remedy the movement, some live with it and engage in continuous plaster and stucco repair and trimming/rehanging of doors.
My home was built in the late 1950s and has undergone repeated wall, door, and floor repair, and a corner of the house has subsided considerably, but I have not yet seriously considered a full foundation rehabilitation.

Your question "what i can do" could best be answered by the foundation engineer you already spoke with. Strengthening and reinforcing a foundation on expansive clay soil to prevent future movement is possible and, in fact, is done frequently. None of the various methods is easy, cheap, or non-invasive.


Two ground wires from fixture in instructions but only one unattached

This is OK, as the greens on the pendant lights are connected via 1 bare copper to the fixture.
Normally, this would require both of the coppers to come from the same connection point if the shades are metal.
if the shades are non metallic, it would not need the lower ground, but the metal canopy that they hang from needs to be grounded.
Since the mfg. has already bonded the 3 shades, all you need to do is connect your ground to the unused ground and everything will be grounded.
I have found the same instructions with different fixtures because they may be being manufactured in a non English speaking place or what ever your language is I know this site is world wide but colors based on normal North America power.


I have put those in and depending on the model they do not have the holes. I have installed them reversed  to what you have (almost) you could reach the 3 handled for the faucet mounted on the wall, I am sure the same tub. I also have installed other tubs with the taps in the wall and 1 like yours where I had to use a hole saw to drill the 3 holes not hard but I recommend sharp or new hole saws and water on the cut like a spray bottle to keep it cool the faucet pieces are larger than the holes but 800$ tub is easy to mess up trying to use a dull 25$ hole saw.


Why are some light switches giving shocks?

Could be static - kinda depends on the nature of the shock/spark. Not uncommon in the winter (dry inside the house) to get a static discharge to the grounded screws - try touching a doorknob or some other metal thing before touching the switch - if the other metal thing has the shock then, and the switch does not, that might be it. If you still get a shock from the switch, move on to:

If it's more than just static, call an electrician ASAP...


What to do with ground wire when installing ceiling fan on ungrounded branch circuit

The green wire is a ground wire.  The purpose of it is to cause the breaker to trip or the fuse to blow if a short circuit develops.  The majority of the time you can just hook up the white (neutral) and black or blue wires and never have any problem.

HOWEVER! If a short circuit does develop you may burn the place down!

If you have a metal box connected to metal clad flexible conduit or EMT you should be able to screw a #10 screw into the box and fasten a green wire to it completing a ground.  Whatever you have, there should have been a bare copper wire coming in to the box with the black and blue. Some do it yourselfers figure they aren't important and cut them off.


It looks like part of the retainer has snapped off here

It may be possibile to have a new retainer fabricated or to have these repaired.

If all the feet have broken retainers take a gel cast of the attachment and then from that make a plaster cast so that the welder has something to fabricate a part to match up with. Alternatively you take the whole tub instead.

Two-part xpoxy glue is probably an easier solution and will probably last long enough to not be a problem.


Will a non-contact voltage detector find live wires in concrete walls?

Almost definitely no.

I'm not familiar with that exact model, but typically non-contact voltage detectors are designed to have to be within a few mm of the wire to work.  They're called "non-contact", but that means no electrical contact (i.e. they don't have to touch the bare wire). You'll just about have to touch the tool to the insulation of a wire for them to work properly, so it's not likely you'll be detecting wiring within any type of wall with one of these tools.

The description from the Fluke website for the Fluke 1AC II A1 VoltAlertTM Electrical Tester, seems to agree.

  The next generation VoltAlert™ AC non-contact voltage testers from Fluke are easy to use – just touch the tip to a terminal strip, outlet, or supply cord...

Notice that it says, "just touch the tip to...".


Is it ok to hang a ceiling fan from an Iberville Octagonal Box 1-1/2 Inch AC90 Steel Stud?

Nothing in the box itself, nor any of it sales literature, indicates that it’s fan-rated.  If it were, they’d be shouting that pretty loudly, because it’s a major feature.
Fan-rated boxes are special
Because fans are not a static load.  A 30-pound chandelier just hangs there.  A 30-pound fan vibrates and shakes.  These dynamic forces are what make ceiling fan boxes so critical/tough.
If you install a ceiling fan on a non-fan-rated box, it is likely to cause fatigue failure in the box or fasteners, and drop a spinning fan on somebody’s head.


How to locate the fuse of this FAAC automatic gate controller?

The fuse is located under the logic board. (see attached photo)

It is actually not necessary to remove the frosty plastic cover of the logic board. As a matter of fact, removing the cover incorrectly could bend and damage the pins of the radio module.
The fuse is a glass fuse T2A.


Bedrooms aren't being heated as well after new furnace

All of the air that blows out of your vents to heat or cool a room has to go somewhere.  That somewhere is the large air return vent.  When you close the door to a room, and there's not much of a gap under the door, the air blowing from the vents doesn't have any where to go (you just sealed the air's access to the return vent which is probably in a hallway or large common room), so the result is more air coming out of vents in other, non-closed-up rooms, and very little air coming out in the closed room.

The easiest solution is to not close the door all the way.  If you really need the door closed, you can trim the bottom of the door to give a larger gap, or put a vent in the door itself.


is it legal to cut of factory stab in plugs and replace with wire nuts

Yes... Maybe... Technically, probably not.

But let's talk first about why you want to cut off the quick connect fitting.  If you want to remove the factory installed connector, because you've read all over the internet about how bad "backstab" terminals are. I understand your concern, but you're probably overreacting.  The "backstab" terminals the internet rants about, were poorly designed terminals that were built into devices (receptacles, switches, etc.). Modern "push-fit" connectors are a bit different, and are designed with past failures in mind.

It's very common for newer light fixtures; especially recessed fixtures, to include "push-fit" connectors. These connectors make wiring the fixture easier, and are used by most installers. These new connectors seem to be reliable, and don't appear to suffer the same failures as the old "backstab" terminals. However, loads of folks still have a bias against these connectors, because of the poorly designed "backstabs" that proceeded them.

</rant>

As for removing the factory installed connectors. Technically, removing them is modifying a factory assembly. Which technically probably voids the UL listing. And is technically against National Electrical Code, since you're not installing the fixture according to the manufacturer's installation instructions.

However, I'm sure loads of people do it, and it's doubtful that an inspector would ever fail an inspection because of it. As long as you use the proper sized twist-on wire connector, and make a solid connection. There should be no problem removing the connector, and using twist-on wire connectors instead.

NOTES:

I don't have any statistical data on push-fit connector failures, so have no way to prove if they're better or worse than backstab terminals. At the end of the day, it's about your peace of mind. If you're not comfortable with push-fit connectors, then don't use them.


Why do I have shiny patches where I touched up paint on my walls?

This is a usually a problem with with the sheen differing due to different application techniques.  That is mixing spraying, brushing, and/or rolling.  My guess is the paint was applied by a roller or sprayer, and the touch up was done with a brush.  The sheen between the different application techniques will be different and noticeable.

We usually try to make sure every thing is rolled in some way so we can roll out our touch ups so they hide better.  So when we spray, we back roll a coat or the primer.  Then when we touch up, we back roll all the brushed locations with a low nap roller.  This typically will hide all the touchups very well.


Maneuverable Toilet spray pipes like kink free collapsing Garden hoses?

There are bidet toilets that spray (2 positions) heated water, and blow you dry.  It has a heated seat, too boot.

I've installed the Toto brand version (Washlet) (a seat replacement).  It has water and electrical hookups included.  The spray wand self cleans and self stores.

I can recommend its function and efficacy.

http://www.totousa.com/people-first-innovation/peopleplanetwater/cleaner-future/washlet-how-it-works


Garage Door Cable Drum Grinding Against the Track (Single Torsion Spring)

I fixed it by replacing the one spring with two.

Despite warnings to the contrary, replacing a torsion spring is a relatively straightforward process if you're careful and thorough. I ended up following the instructions found here: https://youtu.be/zxUoJrLhaSI. (I also ordered my replacement springs from them. They have an online calculator for figuring out spring replacements.)

From what I can discern most of the rhetoric around the dangers of garage door extension springs. Those are pulled tight with a cable that whips dangerously around if something breaks. To replace them, you need to do so with the garage door in the open position, leaving a risk that the door might fall on you.

With torsion springs, the garage door is kept closed (clamped in place for safety) and a broken spring would simply unwind around its central tube (though little bits could go flying I suppose).

Meanwhile, the cable drum that was grinding was about to catastrophically fail. See this picture:

The hook for the cable had almost entirely disintegrated. It was only a matter of time before the cable slipped out and the garage door came crashing down.

Evidently, grinding like this is common for single torsion springs, which really surprises me and seems dangerous. Replacing with two springs cost me about $100 and took about an hour.


How should I paint over a large patched area on a wall?

It's hard to completely eliminate signs of a patch. Try to get the patch as level with the rest of the wall for starters. You're still going to have some irregularities from the mud but if you feather it out it's less noticeable.

Just mud the outside of the patch for now. Do multiple light coats until you get out to a 12" taping knife. That should leave a gradual slope that will be less noticeable.

After the outside dries scrape down the inside edges a bit to get them a little even then  do two or 3 coats to fill in the inside of the patch so that the inside is flush with the inner rim from the outside mud.

Use a straightedge and a work light on the side of the wall to check for irregularities.

Once you're happy with it, prime then paint. Using a paint with very little sheen will help to hide any imperfections too.


What can I use redundant/spare AGM batteries for?

I would not charge a battery from other batteries; that is insane because it creates conversion losses for no good reason.

However, when one battery is charging, it is fine to tap that energy to charge another battery, using any of a variety of methods.  Like any charging, this should be a proper charge controller, not just a diode array.

You don't want to be in a situation of leaving a battery partially discharged for any longer than necessary, because that ages a lead-acid battery.

Lead-acid batteries are a perishable asset

A lot of people, especially who live out in the country and have barn space, don't throw stuff out.  They keep it around forever, on the logic that it "saves having to buy it again".  Do not do that with lead-acid batteries.  A lead-acid battery dumped in the back of the barn for 5 years will be dead as a stone when you go to use it.

Your only options for "surplus" batteries which are still working is a) sell it promptly to someone who can put it to work, or b) put it to work yourself.

So either get rid of it right now... or modify your system to make use of its capacity on a daily basis.  Every battery is an addition, because discharge wears lead-acid batteries, and the rate of wear is an exponential function of discharge depth.  Draining 2 batteries to 55% full is much worse for total-cost-of-ownership than draining 3 batteries to 70% full.

"Spare for when one runs flat" is also a fail

Similarly, the idea of running one battery pack dead, then switching to the next pack, is a bankrupt idea as far as total cost of ownership. Running a lead-acid pack to failure is absolutely brutal on service life of the battery.  A car starting battery is destroyed by 5-10 dips to dead.  A battery specifically for solar is destroyed by some dozens of such dips, and worn/damaged/capacity reduced by every single dip.

Again, for best use of the batteries, you want to pull them down as evenly as is practicable.  80-100% won't matter, so pull A to 80%, then B to 80%, then C to 80%, then A to 70%, B to 70%, C to 70%, etc.

Even better, have a smart battery merger/controller that blends all packs together, drawing them down equally; however this requires some intelligence - diodes alone are not enough.  (Also diodes take a bare minimum 0.2V drop and most diodes are more like 0.8% -- that's 2-6% of total battery capacity being wasted in heating up diodes.) A manual string of switches (B on, A off) would be more efficient.

Physical topology is also a consideration

If your house is spread out, and 60% of your load is in one place, 25% in another place and 15% in another place... it may be better to distribute your packs around the house so that the batteries are near the loads, rather than "wheeling" (hauling) 12V over long distances.  Voltage drop bites 12V very hard: with only 1/10 the voltage of 120V, it has 10x the voltage drop, which means 100x the power drop. You can end up losing a significant fraction of battery capacity to wiring losses, unless you're up on the ought-sizes of wire.


drilling and putting a wall plug into spackle, taped up dry wall

Only the lightest of curtains should be hung with hollow-wall anchors in the first place, even if you use togglers (anchors with mechanically-deployed wings). Screw-in or expanding drive-in anchors are almost guaranteed to fail after a short time, and heavy or frequently manipulated curtains should be mounted into framing.

To your question, if you fill the hole well with setting-type joint compound, which is much harder and stronger than "spackle" (a rather vague term leaving much room for confusion), and then you carefully drill for a toggle anchor, you'll probably be ok.


Can I have multiple GFCIs on one circuit?

Yes, it is OK, assuming your work to pigtail everything is done correctly (hot, neutral, and ground all pigtailed, with the box also grounded if it is metal).  You can test each receptacle individually with others in on and off states to be sure.

I assume your location is North America based on the circuit capacity and nomenclature used for wire sizing.


There are only 2 correct and safe ways to add a 3-prong outlet where formerly there was only a 2-prong one*:

EDIT: now allowed in Code since this answer was written:  Retrofit just a ground wire, using proper wiring methods. There is no need for the ground wire to follow the same route as the power cable. Grounds can be shared: You don't need to homerun back to the panel if you can reach another grounded circuit with the same size or larger ground wire also coming out of that panel.
Safe way #1: run a new cable with an appropriately sized ground all the way back to the breaker panel.
Safe way #2: Use a GFCI outlet (with the "test" and "reset" buttons), which will cut off power to the outlet if it senses an imbalance of current. (EDIT: As @EricLippert correctly points out in the comments, you can also replace the circuit breaker with a GFCI breaker instead of using a GFCI outlet.)

There are many wrong ways to add a 3-prong outlet, most of which are dangerous and some of which are hard to spot or test for:

Wrong way #1: Using a 2-prong to 3-prong adapter without properly grounding the tab (common but obvious).
Wrong way #2: Replace the 2-prong outlet with a 3-prong one, but only hook up the black and white wires (this is hard to see unless you open up the outlet box, but an outlet tester with reveal the problem).
Wrong way #3: Replace the 2-prong outlet with a 3-prong one and short together the neutral and ground wires (this is probably the sneakiest because it will test as OK with an outlet tester but is just as unsafe as #1 and #2).
Wrong way #4: Replace the outlet with a 3-prong one and connect the ground to a random piece of metal (the outlet box, a pipe, metal cladding on an armored cable). This too may check out as OK with an outlet tester but is not safe.

*There are actually a few other ways to ground an outlet safely, e.g. with armored cable with a bonding strip or a grounded box plus an outlet that allows grounding through the strap. But those are both pretty uncommon.


What is the blower HP needed for a 12ft column of water?

I don't think this is going to work.

Shop-vac posts their specs here:
https://www.shopvac.com/specifications/quiet_series.asp

Even their most powerful vacuum only has a sealed pressure of 64 inches. I would presume that the blower would have the same pressure.

I don't know specifically what you are using an air pump for to close a pool but I think you may need to use a compressor or some other device.

Good luck!


How can I patch holes in the roof left by satellite dish removal?

Leaving the lag bolts in is fine, but the bolts are likely made out of galvanized steel, meaning they will rust and corrode eventually when exposed to constant rain and water.  It is best to liberally apply roof cement patch to the lag bolts to ensure that no water will corrode or leak through where the bolts are.

You can get roof cement patch in a tube form like so that easily fits into a standard caulking gun.

It will eventually wear away so I would check on the patches every 3 or 4 years to make sure they are still there.


Level a linoleum or vinyl floor for bamboo flooring

I have read your question several times and feel there is no simple solution to the problem. Laying any kind of wood floor over an uneven base floor can be difficult with disappointing results. This is especially true with thinner laminates or veneer type floating floors. Seems can buckle or open and the floor can have a hollow feel.

It is much easier to fill low spots than lower a high spot. You said in your question that the difference is about 1/2 inch. That is a large difference to bridge. Usually the best way to eliminate a high spot is to raise the level of the rest of the floor to the highest level. Cutting down the joist is not a solution unless you are willing to remove the subfloor. You did not say how large the entire room is or how it transitions into other rooms or doorways. That information would be helpful to know. The fact that you installed cabinets before solving the floor issue complicates the fix.

The first step is to map the floor by using a long true straight edge and or a laser to visualize the contour of the existing floor. This will tell you what areas need to be raised and by how much. The differences will vary over the span of the room.  Since wood flooring can bridge small gaps, creating a perfectly smooth base is not necessary. The goal would be to create a level plane so the new floor will lay flat.  The fillers or shimming can be done with thin plywood, luan, scrap vinyl, leveling compound or a combination of materials. Baseboards need to be removed and reinstalled after the new flooring is installed. This process can be tedious and time consuming, but if done well, will result in a much better finish product. It really doesn't matter what the subfloor fix looks like as long is it leaves a flat surface. Your new floor will cover all that.


What did I do wrong when replacing a switched power receptacle?

You forgot to break the tab on the hot side off the receptacle in the half-switched spot, shorting out the switch and making both halves of the receptacle always on.  The easy fix for this is to turn the power off at the breaker, pull out the supposed-to-be-half-switched receptacle, break the tab on the hot (brass screws) side off, button things back up, and turn the power back on.


20amp afci breaker with gfci outlet tripping under 15amp load, but not lower loads

AFCI breakers are horrible with motor loads and even heavily loaded circuits with dimmers or ballast, to the point my state exempts circuits that have problems.

Why are they not able to tell the difference? Your miter saw creates tons of little arcs each time the brushes change from 1 commutator pole to the next, on top of pulling 3-5x the current for startup. This looks like arcs that could cause a problem. Dimmers and ballast change the wave shape causing harmonics that if a loaded circuit (well below the 80% standard) they will trip because they cannot tell the difference between the harmonics and an arc.

Using current code, you need GFCIs in the garage, not AFCIs, and if you want to cut with anything that has brush-based based motors or variable speed it will need to be less than 50& of the breaker value on some of the mfg info I have read.


How should I connect these two yellow wires?

These are called Bullet connectors. They're used as a male/female pair, and allow for quick, repeated connection and disconnection of a circuit. They can be found at any automotive supply store, and some hardware stores.

If you won't need to disconnect and reconnect the wires, you can simply cut the connector off, strip the wire, and use whatever other type of connector you'd like.  Just make sure the connector you choose is rated to handle the size of wire, current, and voltage that it will be exposed to.

Side Note:
Typically wires used in car stereos are 18 AWG, though sometimes the power (Red) wire is larger. The blue butt slice connectors you're using are rated for 16-14 AWG. You should be using the red 22-18 AWG connectors instead. You may find that with the larger connectors, you have to squeeze the crimp tool really hard to make a good solid connection. The wire size should be printed on the wires.


if its latex paint, it will come off with a paint remover like goo be gone or goof off, if its oil paint, you can use brake fluid.  either approach will mean letting the liquid sit on the paint for a few hours or overnight.

however, as both will not damage enameled steel tubs, either can damage acrylic, fiberglass or epoxied tubs, but it depends on the model and what/how its made.  i would probably do a test on a single tub in a single unit to make sure it won't destroy the underlying finish.

when all done, clean the area with a good degreaser and then some plain white vinegar (to neutralize the alkalinity of the degreaser)

hope that helps


Wheel chairs increase the psi due to smaller surface area. You need to have more supporting members and a thicker decking material. I would go with 5 total supports (two on outside and three evenly spaced in the middle; members should be 2” wide) and go with two layers of 3/4” plywood if used inside (outside would be pt 2” board). Those would support pretty much anyone. You also should think about transitions as well as maybe non-skid strips on the deck depending on the overall placement and usage.

You don’t say if it is inside or outside nor the length nor the pitch. These are important details as well as landing considerations.

This might help:
https://www.disabled-world.com/assistivedevices/ramps/ada-specs.php


Can I remove a wall stud to install a pet door?

If this is a load-bearing wall you'll want to frame the pet door in, just like you would a window.  This will allow you to properly carry the load down, and around the pet door.

The king studs should go all the way from the top plate, down to the bottom plate. The header will be made up of 1/2" plywood/OSB, sandwiched between two 2x4s.

If you don't want to tear out the drywall all the way to the ceiling, you could use the studs to the left and right of the stud you want to remove as king studs.

NOTE:
Since you're only dealing with one stud, you probably don't have to worry about carrying the load while you work. If however, you're removing multiple load bearing studs, you'll want to use bracing to carry the load until you've replaced the load bearing structure.


What is this round roof vent fan called and how does it work?

They're typically called air turbines or roof vent turbines. They can turn if the outside wind is blowing or if hot air is simply rising through them. They're a type of unpowered exhaust, just with moving parts. Typically you'll have ridge vents OR powered attic fans OR these. The advantage ridge vents have is they have no moving parts.


It looks like this is removable at this split
Try to insert a flatbar or a slotted screwdriver and pry it up.


You can rent or buy a circuit tracer, true.
But cheap and easy: turn breakers off one by one until the existing socket goes dead.
Now work backwards, finding the nearest also dead socket.  Yours likely takes off from that point.


We have a small apartment with wood floors and one cat. The iRobot Roomba 560 works well if we run it daily, but the bin needs to be emptied every couple of days, and the brushes need to be cleaned at least once a week.  With 3 cats, I imagine it may overwhelm the Roomba's capacity.

On the other hand, the new 700 series models have a higher capacity vacuum bin, and we just bought this new bin for the 560.  In theory this can hold more cat hair and the stronger motor sucks more of the hair off the brushes and into the bin.  We'll see over the next few days how much of a difference this makes...


Just spray some WD40 in there and work them a little bit. Dirt and moisture cause them to lock up over time.


Can I lay peel and stick tiles over existing, old vinyl?

NO- Peel and stick vinyl is a trap! Glue-goop seeps up from the seams after about a year, making black blobs on the floor (to clean, scrub with a putty knife, weekly at least), while at the same time dirt begins to find its way under the edges of the tiles and then the corners begin to fail, peel up, and crack. If you get any dirt on the goop underneath the broken tile the floor, it's awful to try to get it off. You can peel the whole tile off, but you will never clean off the goop/glue, so you really can't take them off; and you can't add new/more vinyl on top of the peel and stick tiles either! Once you put peel and stick tiles down, there's no return. You'll have to pull up the first layer of vinyl and remove everything before you can add something else (because the peel and stick tiles will eventually peel up).

NIGHTMARE!


Goodman Furnace short cycling because of high limit . Cant figure out why?

How many square feet is your house? When was it built? And where do you live? You should never alter the gas pressure from 3.5 inch water column. It has more to do with the flame speed then the capacity. If the pressure is too low then your flame will ride on the burner faces and destroy them. NG burns at about 12" per second and 3.5 inch NG comes out of the orifices at about 12" per second. Without the requested information above answering your question is essentially impossible. Duct size may be an issue, but it's more complicated then it's 8x24. Also if you have air conditioning make sure the evaporator is clean.


You are looking at a sillcock. The piece you removed goes into a larger pipe and the actual valve is at the end of the pipe, inside the house. When you turn on the water, the valve at the end opens up and water flows through the pipe and out.
You should be able to remove and replace the entire assembly simply by turning the outside spigot counterclockwise and getting one the same size. You might be able to get replacement parts from a plumbing supply store.
The below picture illustrates a normal spigot and then a sillcock installation.


Why G23 energy-saving lamps need ballast, does it make sense also for LED type?

I think you're thinking of all light bulbs as just a thing you put 120V on, and then magic happens and light comes out.
Voltage is pressure.  Current is flow.
Not at all. Lights work on current, and most of them need external help to limit how much current flows through the bulb (or else they will flow too much current and explode). Edison's biggest challenge with the incandescent bulb was to get it to work on constant voltage.  Using constant-current was impossible because in the day, that was only possible with AC power, which would've required conceding the War of the Currents to Tesla.
Of course Tesla did win, and the result was discharge lights were viable even before silicon electronics.
So the upshot is that every light source needs some sort of current-limiting device, except for incandescents are able to do it themselves because of Edison's vast search for a self-limiting incandescent.
So yes, fluorescents need a current limiting device called a ballast, that also knows how to run pre-heaters and provide an initial "arc strike" voltage when preheating is done (which takes less than a second).
All the HID lights (low/high pressure sodium, metal halide, and mercury vapor) also need a ballast.  So do neons and traditional arc lights ("Batman beacons").
LEDs too need a current limiting device.  A resistor will suffice, but if you want peak performance out of them, it really needs to be an active ballast-like device.  Because they're electronic now, they call it a "driver".
Fluorescent ballasts and LED drivers are not interchangeable and one will not play with the other.
The things on the market that you call LED "bulbs" that have an Edison base are actually a manufactured products containing a) LEDs, b) heatsinks, c) lensing/diffusion, and d) an LED driver circuit.
As far as an LED "replacement unit", first I wouldn't buy anything from Amazon ever since they became eBay, because so much of it is unsafe junk from the worst overseas factories who cut every corner and ignore safety standards.
But yes, there is such a thing as an LED "fluorescent replacement" designed to work even though the ballast is still present.  This too has LEDs, heat sinks, lensing and electronic driver.   So in effect the ballast feeds power to the LED driver, which is built "smart enough" to behave the way a ballast expects a fluorescent tube to behave.


Furnace Inducer Whirrs on and off before igniting, works when I tap circuit board

Tracking down an intermittent problem like this requires being careful and methodical.

First, take Ed Beal's suggestion pull the switch out so the furnace runs without the cover. Then, start tracking results. Are you sure that tapping the circuit board fixes it? How about wiggling the wires, one by one? Or, can you cause the problem to occur (not go away) by wiggling something?

Eventually you'll narrow it down to the flaky component, but it may take a while. Good luck.


What is the name of the device that allows switching between two power sources?

A transfer switch allows you to switch between two or more power sources.

An Interlock is a device that prevents a breaker or switch from being toggled. In the situation of two power sources, an interlock is used to allow only one power source to be on at a time.


What is the most common home automation technology?

Here are the most common technologies/protocols based on my experience purchasing devices:

Zwave: proprietary, wireless, and tons of devices available
Insteon: Uses power lines and a wireless radio for redundancy (dual-band)
ZigBee: Wireless, but shares the same spectrum as cordless phones, microwaves, etc. But you can purchase ZigBee chips without having a OEM license, so that can mean cheaper in some instances

Also, keep an eye on enOcean devices that will be getting cheaper and cheaper. They are used mostly in larger corporate buildings right now, but that could change as controller prices come down.

As far as getting started, you need some sort of controller to interface with all your devices. Have a look at MiCasVerde controller which connects to zwave devices (and many Insteon devices if you buy an additional plug component). That gives you tons of devices to interface with, but mostly on the lighting, temperature, door-locks, etc. Setting it up for controlling TV and fridge would not be trivial.

Hope that helps!


The existing switch is a three way switch, and the new one is not.  You’ll need to get a three-way switch to replace it.


I have never encountered the situation of a buzzing GFI before. Sounds a bit fishy to me. The trouble shooting procedure would be to turn off the power to the bathroom, unscrew the GFI from the box, pull it out a bit and remove the "load" side wires which should go to the dimmer and check that "line" screws are tight. Turn the power back on, if the dimmer is on the load side then the light with dimmer should be inoperative. Does the sound go away?  If it doesn't and the buzz remains, the GFI is probably defective.  Now turn the power back off, put the load wires back on and test again. If the buzz comes back then replace the dimmer or swap it for a regular switch. If neither of these subtitution tests stop the problem, call a different electrician.  Trust me, a buzz from a GFI or a dimmer is not a normal situation and could be a  potentially dangerous situation. Feel free to ask follow up questions if any of this doesn't make sense to you.  Maybe one of my buddies can do an edit to make this a bit easier to follow.


Wall stud in the way of vent hood exhaust

If you don't want to cut the stud, install 2 rectangular ducts on each side of the stud and split the original duct into two. if the two rectangular ducts have a combined area greater than that circular one, you wont have issues with flow restriction.


How to attach a top plate to a plaster and lath ceiling for a closet?

It should be fairly easy to determine the direction the joists run. In older homes they almost always run across the short dimension of the home's footprint. Once you know that, and you have your walls laid out, just start drilling holes with a small bit through the plaster and lath until you find a joist. They should be on 16 inch centers from there. Simply run 3 inch construction screws through your plate, through the lath, and into the joist. You will not crush the plaster, but watch for signs of cracking as you tighten things up.

If you find that you have a wall running parallel to the joists and between them, you'll probably want to just glue the top plate in place. There shouldn't be very much sideways force on it anyway. I would use heavy duty construction adhesive and run a few screws into the lath to hold it in place while the adhesive sets. Plaster and lath is actually very strong and it's unlikely you'll do any damage this way if your wall framing fits snugly. Connect the ends of such walls securely into other walls or joists as you can and don't worry about it from there.

The right technique would have been to install blocking between joists while you had the plaster and lath out. Obviously it's too late for that now but it's not a big deal.


I've determined this isn't bearing any weight, but what about as a lateral member?

There's no obvious reason to think that those would be structural from where I'm sitting. Neither end connects to anything that would require lateral bracing under normal circumstances. Were it my house I'd feel comfortable removing them.

Those pillars are probably fiberglass, not "plaster". I'd try to salvage them and put them up for local sale. You might get a couple hundred bucks for them.


Yes you can overcoat the primer with more joint compound.
If you have some left just use that, but if you need to purchase more consider topping mud.
Topping mud is made for feathering places like you have and it sands just a bit easier.
In either case standard joint compound or topping mud will work on a primed surface.
Remember to prime the freshly mudded areas or it will absorb the paint and look different.


Building a one or two step staircase in garage of awkward total rise

A landing is required if the door swings outward, except for screen doors. The landing is to be the width of the door and 36” in the direction of travel. (See ICC R311.4.3.)
The maximum rise of steps is 8”. The maximum difference between risers is 3/8” from smallest to largest. (See ICC R311.5.3.1)
The minimum tread depth is 9”. The greatest difference from smallest to largest is 3/8”. (See ICC R311.5.3.2)
A handrail is required if there are 4 or more risers. The handrail is to be installed a minimum of 34” and not to exceed 38” (See ICC R311.5.6)
I wouldn’t ignore the code. That’s how people end up in court after a neighbor has an accident without insurance.


That maybe your only way, so you may have to use a stubby screwdriver. Who is the manufacture and what is model number of your fan. If you can, upload a picture.


How can I take out dog diarrhea stain from unfinished pine floor?

Unfinished wood is tough because the nasties in the diarrhea have soaked into the wood fibers. to get the stain out you might end up bleaching the wood. I would try a weak hydrogen peroxide and water solution. Peroxide may take some of the color out but I think it would be less harmful than bleach and water. The products that take pet stains out of carpet probably won't work in this case. Another possibility is a real steam cleaner, my wife has a lady bug steam cleaner and it is amazing how well it works, a steam iron with a damp towel may work similarly. I think any stronger cleaners like trisodium phosphate will also bleach the coloring, since the floor was unfinished the stain might be fairly deep so I would try hydrogen peroxide 3% to water or steam cleaning prior to anything stronger.


There are manufactured solutions for your problem that will work way better than glue/epoxy or a bunch of work with saws and stuff.

Use a "fit-all" handle arbor that attaches to the stripped stem with set-screws. There are dozens of handle styles to choose from.

Will it prevent you from having to find a replacement stem or replace the whole faucet? YES

Will it work way better than other options and still be aesthetically pleasing? YES

Is it simple and easy and quick and relatively inexpensive? YES

Will you need to change both of your existing handles/knobs? YES


Are there "backstab" connections between here and the service panel?  This is just the sort of surge overload tends to damage them and provoke them into later failure.

I would eliminate those and move them either to side screws, or if equipped, screw-to-clamp.


How can I hook up my dishwasher drain properly?

I have had my Bosch dishwasher for about a year using the same setup you contemplate, so I'm familiar with the exact drain connector you have on the dishwasher hose.  On mine, there was something of a taper between the 1/2 and 3/4 section and being rather flexible rubber, and I had no difficulty stretching the 1/2 section of the fitting to fit on the 5/8 gap fitting.  I then tightened down the hose clamp with a hex bit on my cordless driver.  The clamp was tight enough to somewhat compress a groove into the rubber, and I tugged on the thing as hard as I could.  It isn't coming off IMHO.  I'm at work, but can send a picture later if you need.

I understand you are worried somewhat about the quality of the connection.  You could get a 1/2 to 5/8 adapter like this:

But that would entail 3 hose clamps and a section of 5/8 ID hose to connect between the adapter and air gap.  That seems like more points of failure.  At any rate, I think you already have what you need to get this working.


Sand (as opposed to larger material with larger pore spaces - e.g. rubble trench foundation, train track ballast rock) will hold enough water to freeze and move.

If your cabin has no plumbing or electrical going into the ground, I have several 8x12 sheds supported by pressure treated lumber piers that are simply set on the surface of the ground (removing the leaves/humus, but not otherwise "digging") which have been fine for 20 years now in a cold climate.

If you do have plumbing or electrical going into the ground, movement can be a problem. Cheap foundation option is basically to go "pole building" style and set treated posts into the ground below frost depth in postholes - they don't need to be concrete piers, but they do need to be below frostline.


Pressure clean it with at least a 3000 PSI power washer. Spray first with  two parts water to one part bleach. This has worked for me countless times for dirty stone. Your stone looks pretty darn good and doesn't appear to need any cleaning.


Can I change normal plug to a 15amp round pin plug?

Nate Strickland's answer is correct for the USA.

If you are in the UK, you'd need a similar adapter

Stage Electrics

15 amp round pin plugs are used for stage work in the UK for the additional reason that our 13 amp standard power plugs have fuses in them. A blown fuse on a lighting grid is difficult to change quickly, so unfused plugs are preferred. In schools the smaller 5 amp round pin plugs were often used.


What kind of rivet is this on an Andersen storm door?

I call them "drive rivets", as you simply slip them into the hole and drive the pin in. They're readily available at well-stocked hardware stores. Andersen uses 1/8" and 3/16" sizes, if I recall correctly.
For your application you could also simply use corrosion-resistant sheet metal screws, or, as Jimmy Fix-it suggests, pop rivets.


The niche width is usually the width of the opening the oven will fit into.  If you have a niche width 22", the oven you purchase would have to be smaller so it fits into the cabinet/space. The oven protruding width = 24" would be the width of the oven door which is usually 2" wider than the oven.

Oven depth is how far the oven will stick out from the wall. A common notation would be: oven depth = 22", protruding depth = 24". The extra two inches is for the handles and knobs that stick out from the front. Hope this helps.


My friend, you are in trouble.
I guess have a wet basement and wanted to keep it dry by diverting water to the subdrainage enclosed by the drain tile. Then you encased the drain tile in concrete in order to prevent the groundwater from getting into the drain tile and backflow into the basement. This scenario has several problems:

The concrete can crack, so the groundwater will get into it and flow back into the basement.

At certain times, the water at the discharge point could be higher than the elevation of the drain tile, then again, the drain line will be filled and backflow into the basement.

The water in the basement wouldn't drain or drains slowly due to the reasons above.

Most importantly, your wall wasn't designed for the hydrostatic pressure from the groundwater. Now as it has nowhere to go but stay still pushing against your wall, the wall can crack or even collapse depending on the height of the groundwater.

The correct ways to solve the problems of the wet basement:

If the local groundwater elevation is high, you shall keep/restore the drain tile, then waterproof the exterior face of the wall, and backfill with granular material. The finished ground shall be sloped away from the house.

Inside the basement, you shall install a drain pipe and slope the base slab towards the drain. The drain pipe shall end at a sump pit that pumps the water out automatically. The water shall be disposed into the stormwater line at grade level.

I suggest having an engineer look into your plan. But no weep holes, please.


What products are available to make coved ceilings?

Although I have never used them, and don't know the brand names, there are light weight cove sections made from composites that you can nail or screw to the wall/ceiling, then finish in with mud. I'm quite sure I saw a tutorial on using these products on the TOH website. If I can find it, I'll post the link.


Why is there water dripping from my ceiling AC vents?

Condensation is probably the result of uninsulated ducts running through uninsulated cavities in your home.

The solution is to find out what section of your ducts this is occurring at and either swap the ducts with insulated ones or insulate that section of your home.

I recently learned this about my home.  I had uninsulated duct work in the uninsulated/not sealed crawlspace underneath my house.


Can I install composite decking directly on top of concrete?

You can install composite decking on top of concrete but not directly. You would need to build a frame on top of the concrete similar to a normal deck. The framing could be smaller than normal, 2" x 2" and it would be secured directly to the concrete. The distancing of the "joists" would be the same as what the decking calls for. The reason for the frame is that the composite decking still need to be aired out. Your stairs would require the same type of framing. Stairs can be tricky so you'd want to check with local coded.
The problem you have with this procedure is that your concrete is all busted up and securing your frame to it correctly will be all but impossible unless you repaired it, which would be crazy.
You could build an entirely new deck over the concrete with a larger frame not supported by the concrete. Your best choice would be to remove the concrete and start fresh.


It's not confusing at all.  The work was done improperly.

That's plain. This was wired by a harpsichordist, not an electrician.  Perhaps whoever did this other one, did yours too.

Let me play you the song of my people", says Bad Electrician.

The problems are probably repeated all over your house.

The answer is the whole house must be searched for similar defects, including inside the panel, and of it must be fixed before you can even consider using a smart switch.  For one thing, this incorrect layout is dangerous and can kill you.

But the smart switches also care about "polarity" and will not play nice with this wiring scheme.

Correct colors are:

Ground: Green, yellow-green or bare
Neutral: White or gray
Hot: Black Brown Red Orange Yellow Pink Blue Purple, or white wires remarked with tape.

Switches must be on the hot leg, never the neutral leg.

Once that is fixed, hooking up a smart switch should be straightforward.


How do I tile across two different wall materials?

Easy peasy. Looks like there is a slight depth difference from concrete to plywood—not a problem.

Encapsulate existing plywood with 1/4” Hardibacker or other cementitious backboard using 2 1/4” galvanized roofing nails at all designated points. At the seam with the concrete, use fiberglass backer board tape and the same Thinset you use to set the tiles. You can set the new tile directly to the existing concrete as long as it’s smooth. If not, a skimcoat of Thinset mortar will even it out. If the difference is greater than 1/4” use 1/2” Hardibacker.

Use 1/4” Hardibacker and cover the plywood only. You have several options for the concrete. You could set stone tile or river rocks; many options. Since you want to go floor-to-ceiling with the new tile, for visual interest set a larger, thicker tile on the concrete as a “baseboard.” This base tile should be approximately 1/2” thick lug-back tile (or stone, etc.) which will meet the bottom edge of the hardibacker a quarter of an inch out. For wall tile, easiest installation is 1/4” thick, talc-back tiles.

If you post a photo of a design you’ve seen and want to use as inspiration, I’ll give directions on that particular installation process. Here’s an example of a tiled wall with a base different from the rest of the wall.

Post photos after your project is completed. Good luck!


How can I convert an exterior light junction box to an exterior duplex outlet?

Do you have room to install a "raised switch box cover"?  I put that in quotes since I don't know what it is called but I found a picture of what I meant (and that is what they call it).  I think it would let you use two receptacles but it would stick out a little further and you may have to find a waterproof version if this is for outside.


The outdoor units are meant to have water hit them.  Only a flood or major major standing water would hurt the unit - unless the water came down at such a high rate that it bent something.

Go outside and look at your unit.  It will have a "section" or box with the electrical compontnents.  It would basically have to flood to that height to hurt your unit.

Water could have a good impact in that it would cool your unit and clean off dirt and small debris.  I can't really see how this would hurt anything.


I'll defer to the experts but personally, I wouldn't mix brands of chainsaw chains.

I seem to recall that Stihl chain designs help reduce/prevent kick-back and binding (which presumably explains why they're more expensive). Plus, they use a green and yellow color-coding system to help you select a powerhead, bar and chain combination that complies with kickback requirements of various safety standards (e.g. ANSI Standard B175.1).

But again, I'm no expert -- just paranoid about safety. =)

-M


Wiring stapled across bottom of beams? Can a running board be attached and the wires secured to the running board?

1/2” plywood is legal and would work great in this case pop all the anchors slip the wood in place and everything will be to code  NEC exhibit 334.1 has a great example of exactly this.
Your example is a good one but I tend to go directly to the code book as it is the document most jurisdictions use in the US and that is my location.


Should data ground wires be attached to plumbing?

National Electrical Code 2014
Chapter 8 Communications Systems
Article 800 Communications Circuits
IV. Grounding Methods
800.100 Cable and Primary Protector Grounding.
(B) Electrode. The grounding conductor shall be connected in accordance with 800.100(B)(1), (B)(2), or (B)(3).
(1) In Buildings or Structures with an Intersystem Bonding Termination. If the building or structure served has an intersystem bonding termination as required by 250.94, the grounding conductor shall be connected to the intersystem bonding termination.
(2) In Buildings or Structures with Grounding Means. If the building or structure served has no intersystem bonding termination, the grounding conductor shall be connected to the nearest accessible location on the following:
(1) The building or structure grounding electrode system as covered in 250.50
(2) The grounded interior metal water piping system, within 1.5 m (5 ft) from its point of entrance to the building, as covered in 250.52
(3) The power service accessible means external to enclosures as covered in 250.94
(4) The nonflexible metallic power service raceway
(5) The service equipment enclosure
(6) The grounding electrode conductor or the grounding electrode conductor metal enclosure
(7) The grounding conductor or the grounding electrode of a building or structure disconnecting means that is grounded to an electrode as covered in 250.32
(3) In Buildings or Structures Without Intersystem Bonding Termination or Grounding Means. If the building or structure served has no intersystem bonding termination or grounding means, as described in 800.100(B)(2), the grounding conductor shall be connected to either of the following:
(1) To any one of the individual electrodes described in 250.52(A)(1), (A)(2), (A)(3), or (A)(4)
(2) If the building or structure served has no intersystem bonding termination or has no grounding means, as described in 800.100(B)(2) or (B)(3)(1), to any one of the individual electrodes described in 250.52(A)(7), and (A)(8) or to a ground rod or pipe not less than 1.5 m (5 ft) in length and 12.7 mm (1/2 in.) in diameter, driven, where practicable, into permanently damp earth and separated from lightning conductors as covered in 800.53 and at least 1.8 m (6 ft) from electrodes of other systems. Steam or hot water pipes or air terminal conductors (lightning-rod conductors) shall not be employed as electrodes for protectors.

800.100(B)(1)
An Intersystem Bonding Termination can be either a set of terminals securely mounted and electrically connected to the meter enclosure, a bonding bar near the service equipment enclosure, or a bonding bar near the grounding electrode.  These terminals are specifically for bonding and grounding of communications and other "intersystem" circuits.
If this exists, the telephone and dish should be bonded using these terminals.
800.100(B)(2)
If an Intersystem bonding termination does not exist, this section provides a list of acceptable alternatives. Included in the list is the "interior metal water piping system". Which can be used as long as the connection is within 5' (1.5 m) of the point of entrance, and the piping is in direct contact with the earth for 10' (3 m) or more (250.52(A)(1)).
800.100(B)(3)
This section gives even more alternative bonding locations, and again points to 250.52(A)(1) Metal Underground Water Pipe..

tl;dr
Bonding to the water piping system may not be a problem, as long as the termination is within the first 5' of the pipe entering the building and the pipe is in direct contact with the earth for 10'.  However, if the dielectric union is not conductive, there should be an appropriately sized bonding jumper connecting the two sections of pipe.
If you're worried about it, or you're having problems. You could move the bonding terminations to the other side of the dielectric union, use an alternate bonding method, or install an intersystem bonding termination and use that.


What is the most effective way to remove epoxy plumbing putty?

Epoxy hardens and adheres by undergoing an irreversable chemical reaction.  You won't be able to dissolve it off with anything.  You will need to cut and grind it off with a dremel tool and/or saw.

EDIT: If you used it on a metal pipe, you may have luck burning it off with a blowtorch.


Yes, you can -- just mind the box fill and labeling, and make sure to keep your neutrals separated!
A five gang box composed from gangable, 2¾" deep boxes as you describe provides 70in³ of fill (14in³/gang as per the Steel City catalog).    You are bringing 4 14/3, 3 14/2, and 2 12/2 cables into the box, in addition to mounting five devices in it, three of which are connected to 14AWG wire and the other two connected to 12AWG wire.
This means that we are using 72¾in³ of fill; 36in³ for the 18 14AWG wires, 9in³ for the 4 12AWG wires, another 9in³ for the two receptacles, 12in³ for the lighting controls, and finally 6¾in³ for equipment grounding, as per the 2020 NEC rule that requires an extra equipment grounding allowance for every four additional ground wires past the initial allowance's worth.  This is just a hair over what your box supplies, and would be legal under the 2017 NEC fill rules as the fill for the additional grounding wires is what pushes it over the top, but doesn't account for any cableclamps internal to the box. As a result, I would go with a 3½" deep box if you are sticking with the field-gangable boxes, or order in a factory-fabricated 5 gang box that is taller and thus provides more fill volume if you'd rather go that route.
You'll also want a consistent way of labeling your wires so that you can tell the various circuits involved here apart; crossing your streams could lead to false AFCI trips, overloaded neutrals, and other such badness.  Thankfully, premade wire labeling booklets are available for this job, and make this relatively simple; all you have to do is come up with a consistent scheme for using them.
Finally, even if you don't use the wire labels, you must keep your neutrals on the two circuits separate for the reasons mentioned above. However, you also must join all the equipment grounding wires involved together and pigtail them off to the box and to the receptacles (unless they are self-grounding that is).  (Think of how this'd turn out if you were wiring this in Chicago, where you'd have to use metal conduit instead of cables.)  In fact, you could use a divider in your box between the three lighting controls and the two receptacle devices; you'd then need grounding pigtails in both compartments, but it would make it much easier to keep your circuits apart.


You probably cannot use your new switch there because there is no neutral   in an old style "switch loop".
One of those 5 wires is permanent-live and was connected to "com" (common) on the old switches -- it now needs to be connected to "Live in" on the new switch. The other wires need to go to L1 ... L4 on the new switch. Unfortunately, you don't have a real neutral, that would be a 6th wire (plus nowadays a 7th CPC/earth/ground).
It may be that the black is permanent live.
If you have a voltage tester and an onlooker with the emergency services on speed-dial you can temporarily isolate all the wires in separate positions in terminal blocks then turn on the lighting circuit breaker and use the voltage tester to identify permanent live.
Then reconnect old switch and get quotes for running new wiring through the walls

Footnotes.
CPC = Circuit Protective Conductor. What the UK regulations now call what used to be called earth in the UK (which is mostly called ground in the US).
Your new switch is not legal to use in the UK because it is not CE marked.
How a 240V light switch gets FCC approval I don't know, that FCC mark seems suspicious. It probably only refers to electomagnetic emissions testing.
2A per gang seems low to me. Your old switches are 10A rated on a 6A circuit. I'm not sure it is legal in the UK to use a 2A switch on a 6A circuit. If a cheap Chinese LED light bulb fails short passing say 5A, the circuit breaker won't trip and your switch wil be overloaded and there is a significant chance it will catch fire. Using a 2A switch on a 6A circuit does not allow the breaker to properly do its job of saving you and your family from death by toxic smoke inhalation at 3 a.m. as the property burns down under you.
Those exposed clamp-screws on the new switch are unusual. UK switches mostly have all of the live metal parts recessed behind insulating plastic casing (see your top photo). I don't know if those exposed screwheads are legal.
Since my level of concern has been raised, the fact that the label doesn't fit the recess on the case now makes me worry about the general standards of design and workmanship in the factory where that was made. Was it very cheap?
It will probably work but if it burns your house down, your insurance company might have grounds for refusing your claim.
Personally I would take that new switch to Trading Standards.

What should you report to Trading Standards
You should report a company to Trading Standards if, for example:

they sold you unsafe or dangerous items
they sold you fake or counterfeit items

It's the sort of thing
which Big Clive likes.