Is my plan for embedding a mirror in a tile wall ok?

Mirrors get broken.  Mirrors lose their silvering on the back.  Neither is a likely event, but in this case a very expensive or time consuming one.  As a general rule I hate to create situations where fixing it later is difficult.

For this reason were it my project:

Don't attach the mirror to the substrate with adhesive or thinset.  I don't know what the chemistry between either and the thin layer of aluminum on the back of the glass would be. If you do removing the mirror will be difficult.
Buy a mirror with holes drilled in it.  Buy a set of the cute rosettes and attach the mirror directly to the wall.
Frame the mirror in a complementary wood, and attach THAT to the wall.  The outer edge of the frame should be raked about 5 degrees so that it can be removed from the tile when necessary.


How can I fix a nail pop in vinyl flooring?

A not-entirely satisfactory "fix" I've used:

Use a very sharp nail-set or strong awl to punch the nails well below the surface, being careful not to further damage the surface itself.
Fill the divot and cracks with a cement such as epoxy, removing loose pieces or those that cannot be pushed in. Leave the patch slightly proud (above) the surface.
Carefully sand the patch even.
Color the patch to blend with the flooring, perhaps with a furniture stain kit.
Overcoat with varnish, polish or wax.

The nails might pop up again, perhaps in as few years.


What's the correct way to pass wire to exterior electrical box?

The IRC or the NEC doesn't apply here, common sense does.  What you need to do is apply a paintable silicone acrylic or silicone caulk to the back of the box and around the entry hole before you screw the box to the wall. There should be holes inside the box or external ears for mounting.  The idea is to stop water from going behind the box and around the conduit into the wall.  Don't be afraid to use it, you can wipe off the excess with a damp cloth.  Good luck.


I installed a fan in our bathroom to improve air circulation in the house. It is intended to be run all the time at a low setting. We have a motion sensor module in ours that will increase the fan speed (and thus the CFM) for a period of time (settable). I kept the switch on ours, but you're not generally supposed to. Instead, it is common to swap the switch with an outlet, like it appears was done in your case.

A house is intended to have a continuous exchange of air with proper ventilation. If you do not have that, your indoor air will quality will suffer... more CO2 and humidity, leading to mold growth. If mold is detected in a house, a common recommendation is to increase air exchange by installing a continuously-running fan.

If your fan is running all the time at a high rate, it may be possible to install a motion-sensing module. Google the fan's model number to get a manual to find the right part numbers to buy.

If you think your air quality is fine, and you want to make the fan switchable again, you should be able to easily swap the outlet back out for a switch. Generally speaking, you'll want to remove the outlet (with it's pig-tailed wire(s)) and then find the wires that go to the fan... there will be two coming into the box in the same spot which, when disconnected will leave a working light switch, but the fan will be off. One of these two wires will go to one side of the new switch and the other wire will go to one of the existing capped bundles... then you'll need to add the pigtail from the other side of the switch to the other color capped bundle.

Take this all with a grain of salt... I'm not an electrician. Be sure to turn off your breaker when you are doing the changes. If you're not sure which wires are which, it's best to make one change at a time so you can reverse it as needed. I always take a picture before I make any changes. Writing it out on paper sometimes helps me get my thinking straight.

Finally, if you just want to split the difference and be done with it, you could consider just turning the CFM dial down until it is quieter but still moving decent air.


Why did my sink drain blockage clear after several weeks?

Happens here fairly frequently.  Stationary tub and washing machine share a drain line.  Tub isn't used much.  Side flow from the washing machine refills the tub trap with dirty water.  Eventually it gets enough crud that the drain slows.   Use the sink, and the first 3-4 inches of water drain slowly, then it flushes the crud out.

In your case, a slow response to the chemicals seems probable.


How to install a large mirror on drywall?

Mirror Adhesive ("mirror mastic") exists:

As for how to hold it up; rest it on something:

the top of the backsplash
rest it on a strip of wood fastened to the wall

and use mirror clips while it sets.


Is the trim and wall using same latex paint?

A common approach is to use flat paint on walls and satin or semigloss on trim. This is independent of whether the paints are latex or oil based.

Even if the same color, a higher gloss paint tends to look lighter than its flat mate.

Often an additive is included in trim paint to make it lay smoother and to reduce brush marks. Again, this is done on both water based and oil based paints.

It is uncommon to us the same paint on walls and trim. Flat (or other low luster textures) are less durable and do not hold up to the touches and bumps that trim receives.

Some purists use latex on walls and oil based finishes on trim. There are now water based alkyds that are positioned somewhat in between water and oil.

When repainting, the key is to clean, sand, and prime (if needed), and then put quality paint of whatever type on top. More and more, even pros are leaning toward high quality water based paints. Plus you avoid that whole nasty VOC stuff.


How to prevent moisture from ruining a climate-controlled wooden outbuilding

You don't mention where you live so it is hard to give specific advice.  The best suggestion is that if it will be climate controlled, it should be built similar to any other climate controlled structure in your area.  That means keeping damp, warm air away from cold surfaces, and building such that the walls can dry if moisture enters them.

If you aren't worried about energy efficiency and don't build the structure to be particularly airtight you probably won't have an issue as long as exterior claddings are built to shed water well.  But if you want to minimize the energy usage you'll want to build tighter, and then controlling water becomes an issue.

The four ways water gets into buildings: bulk water from rain and leaks.  Capillary action: water gets drawn through porous materials.  Air transported: moist air leaks into and out of conditioned spaces through air gaps and gives up its water when it cools.  Vapor diffusion: moisture in the air passes through vapor permeable materials.

My advice, work with a builder who knows what they are doing in terms of energy efficiency.  Do a good job on keeping water out from leakage (good singling work, good flashing, airseal gaps before the drywall is up, and if you can swing it, insulate with spray foam or Rock Wool insulation.  You can find plenty of good advice on the internet.  I recommend browsing the Energy Vanguard blog, and Green Building Advisor if you want to get a little in depth.


Stopping outside damage from active outside loo overflow pipe

It's just what happens when you have too many subcontractors. Details get ignored. Your question is a pet peeve of mine as well.

Personally, I'd add a collector and downspout, when it's my job. Over time, prevents the side of your building from looking like an abandoned mess.


Is this normal and should I be concerned about square on my ceiling?

Somebody else worried about the leaks and this is the results of someone  fixing them in all probability. With limited access to the attic, you would have to cut an access area out to get to the problem and fix it. It looks like they used thicker drywall to repair the ceiling than what was there before. It's a shame they didn't do it right because the texture was done after the repair and it could have been unnoticeable. The cold feeling is probably due to the insulation not being replaced before adding the drywall.


I need a signal when my furnace fan turns on

As noted in the comments, depending on your furnace make/model, but assuming it's not too ancient, it likely has a signal wire coming from the furnace control board that can control a damper.

Alternatively, they do make "barometric" switches that can serve the same purpose. Installed in the return, such a switch would detect the lower pressure and activate a damper.

All that said though: opening a fresh air damper isn't necessarily going to introduce fresh air into your house, if there's not something pulling stale out out of the house. Assuming your fresh air damper feeds into the furnace return, then to the extent that the lower pressure in the return does pull in fresh air, that will reduce the draft at the return grill and cause the house air pressure to increase, pushing air out through chinks and cracks as best as can happen.

I suspect that in practice, you won't get much incoming fresh air from the damper. In any case, you might want to consider a more active approach, with a fan, or at least another exhaust damper that opens when the fresh air one does.

Bottom line: it's not really enough to just let fresh air in. You also need a solution to let the stale air out, to keep things balanced.


How can I install a thermostatic shower head in a finished bathroom?

Thermostatic mixing valves control the temperature by adjusting the amount of hot and cold water.  By the time you get to the shower head, you only have one temperature of water to work with, and the only adjustment you can really make is on or off.  So, no, there's no such product to do what you want.

While I was shopping this weekend, I did see a shower head at the store that changed its LED light colors depending on the water temperature.  With something like this there would be a visible indication of the water temp, but it's not going to prevent scalding, or adjust the temperature.

Also, keep in mind that you can often open up the wall behind the shower to access the plumbing while keeping all the tilework in the shower untouched.  That might be an option for you.  If you're lucky and the back of the wall is in a closet, you can install an access panel and avoid drywall work altogether


What could cause a ground/soil smell on the first floor?

This is very likely a drainage issue. I would check the following things:

Does water drain away from the house
near this room?
Are plants growing
right up next to the foundation?

You might want to put a buffer of 10" of rock (4-6" deep) next to the house.

Since the house has vinyl siding you need to peek under the siding and see if you have moisture collecting under the siding. Spray the side of the house gently with water or go out after a rain and pull back some of your siding and check for water seepage. The smell could be the result of smells outside but it could be moisture in the walls.

The cinder blocks can also be an issue. Concrete holds a surprising amount of moisture. In addition to the things mentioned above, you likely would benefit from a dehumidifier in this room. Check the humidity with a cheap humidity tester and if the room is over 65% humidity you should consider dehumidifying.


Comapatibility with dedicated hot water recirculation plumbing

Looking at the pump here and at a Lowes store, I would have to say yes to your question. I see nothing on that pump that forces you to install it on the tanks discharge or under a sink, per instructions.
I have a re-circulation loop I installed in my home. I brought a dedicated 1/2" line from the 3 bathrooms in my home. I soldered in a "Tee" and brought all 3 dedicated lines back to the hot water tank. After each tee I added a check valve to each line to stop any back feed through that line. All 3 lines were collected into a 3/4" copper line that went to the smallest B&G pump I could find (38 watts) and connected it to the tank at the bottom drain. I added a cheap timer so the pump runs 15 minutes per hour, except at certain times when more hot water is needed for things like showers and turn it off at night.  Hope this helps.


Stranded aluminum on outdoor light switch

There are two separate questions here:
Timer Installation
This particular timer has connections for:

Line - This should be the hot wire coming into the existing switch.
Load - This is the currently switched hot wire going from the switch to the lights.
Neutral - This is NOT normally connected on a plain (not timer, not dimmer, not "smart") switch. In newer installations it is required to be in the switch box. But it might not be in an older installation, in which case you have to find it, if it is available, which it might not be!
Traveler - This can be ignored, unless you have a 3-way switch (a second switch somewhere else controls the same lights as the switch you are replacing).

So the basic timer installation is easy, provided you have an accessible neutral.
Aluminum Wiring
Aluminum wiring is generally not used for low current (e.g., 15A and 20A circuits for residential lighting and receptacles). Depending on the type of wire, it may be "OK, but need to make sure it is compatible with anything you connect it to" or it may be "really nasty stuff that should be ripped and replaced." I can't guess what you have. A few things that might help us figure this out are:

How old is your house? Where are you located (city/state/country)?
Is there any writing on the outside of the wires (i.e., codes that might tell us exactly what kind of wire you have)?
Are all the wires in your house aluminum, or just a few?

In addition, pictures of the current switch with its wires attached, as well as the model # of the new timer, may be helpful in figuring out what to do.


How can I add a light fixture to a three-way circuit by connecting to the switch?

Re-designate the wires between switches to be as follows:

Black = always hot
Red = switched hot to the light
White = neutral
Green/bare = ground, as always

Find and obtain "smart switches" which support this wiring scheme.  They would need some wireless or power-line method to communicate with each other.

One option that would work slick for this is neutral required motion sensors, since they  would not need to communicate with each other.  They need to be "neutral required" types because "don't need neutral" types rely on leaking currrent through the turned-off lamp, and this won't work at all if the other motion sensor turns the light on.  It also doesn't play nice with LED/CFLs.


The short black wires are pigtails; their color can be disregarded.

Ground is always color-coded green, yellow-green stripe, or bare. It goes to the metal chassis of the junction box and lamp, or any ground wires coming from the lamp (e.g. There should be one running down any chains).  It never goes to anything else.

The cluster of black wires goes to your black supply wire.  These are all "hot" wires.  You can simply attach the supply wire to the black pigtail after stripping off about 5/8" of wire so it'll go in the wire nut.

With those dealt with, all that can remain is neutral.  Those go together.  They are white except for the black pigtail, which we'll pretend is white.

Neutral is safe if everything is working, but certain malfunctions can cause neutral to become hot, so it is insulated like it's hot.


I don't have access to the Florida Plumbing Code or the International Plumbing Code. I do have knowledge of the Canadian National Plumbing Code:

What you have is two groups of fixtures, both being vented via wet vents. One of the rules of wet venting is that the toilet needs to be the last fixture connected.

The second floor group passes this requirement but the downstairs group does not. The correction is simple: instead of using the two 3x3x2 wye & 45 combos, use a single double 3x3x2 wye & 45 combo fitting to connect both the sink and the shower to the 3" pipe.

This provides a symmetrical connection of all three fixtures and resolves the issue.

The intent of this rule is that when the toilet is flushed, it has the potential to choke off the wet vent portion serving the shower.


Wiring a pole barn that is 750' from my main power box

Long-distance circuits are a huge opportunity to spend way too much on wire unnecessarily.  Given the amount of money that is at stake here, let's debunk the usual 3% knee-jerk.

There are two huge mistakes when made when sizing circuits.

sizing for 3% voltage drop.  3% is simply wrong.  There's no support in Code for it anywhere (it's a suggestion, one place). This myth is widely spread by the companies who sell wire, for obvious reasons -- the first place they do it is in their "free" voltage drop calculators.  They default to 3%, and by that they mean literally 3.00% - if a cheaper option would come in at 3.25%, they will hide it, and "blame the computer" for being too literal.
Sizing for "breaker trip rating" instead of practical load.  Remember, loads are already supposed to be derated 20% (literally, breaker should be 125% of load), so sizing to breaker is always wrong.  Indeed, the simplest step of sizing to 80% of breaker usually results in a couple of wire size drops and thousand$ saved.  But you should go farther, and size to actual load.

Voltage drop is proportional to current right now

Remember that voltage drop in a circuit is a function of current actually flowed.  Here's what's not true: "The voltage drop the calculator says will always apply to all loads". Actually it will never apply to any loads.

Suppose someone puts in monster wire on their "50A" circuit and gets to 2.5% drop at 50A.

You draw 10A @ 120V.  You actually get 1.0% voltage drop.  Not what we expected, eh?
What happens if you have a "30A" dryer, which actually is 23A, and that actually is about 21A on the 230V side and 2A on the 120V side. So drops of 0.525%, 0.05%% and 0.575% per leg.  The 240V heating element sees 1.1% voltage drop, and the 120V mechanism sees a 0.575% voltage drop.
A 40A (9600W) heater sees 2.0% voltage drop, which it doesn't need -- heaters will work on 30-40% voltage drop.

Getting the idea how wasteful this is?

For a welder, consult with your manufacturer, but voltage drop is pretty normal for a variety of reasons inside welders, so it's probably not going to bother them all that much.

Transformers

Then there's using transformers to step up voltage.  All fixed-installation wiring is rated for 600V, and there is nothing wrong with stepping up power that high for the transition.  Transformers are expensive, but on a long haul, they're cheaper than wire.  Often, simply "stepping up" the circuit to 240V, and using a transformer at the far end to make 120V, is all you need.  I have plenty of postings about this.

Let's run some numbers in your case.

And to be clear, we'll be running aluminum wire, because running so much copper isn't even stupid.  Use the goop and torque to spec.

Scenario 1: Obedient Consumer.
Let's do exactly what the voltage drop calculator and wire companies say we should do. Compute on breaker trip and stick to 3%.  3/0 wire would have 3.05% drop and the computer says "no" to that and computers are smarter than us, so we are forced to 4/0 wire. 750' of 4-wire 4/0 URD will cost $2145, trench it at 24" and we're done.

Scenario 2: Compromises.
On a 50A breaker, actual draw shouldn't be more than 80% or 40A.  We go for 4% voltage drop at 40A. This comes up as 1/0 wire.  750' of 4-wire 1/0 URD will cost $1297.

Scenario 3: 480V Transformers.
In this case we use 15 KVA transformers and breaker for 60A (which is more power).  The transformer halves the current, which also halves the voltage drop, and voltage drop is only half as important anyway, since it's coming off 480V instead of 240V.  So now we can happily use much smaller wire.  240V at 40A becomes 480V@20A.   With #4 wire, voltage drop @ 20A draw happens at 2.45%.   Even if we max out the circuit to 60A@240V (30A@240V), voltage drop is only 3.67%.   Further, we only need 2 wires between the transformers, because neutral is created locally by the transformer.

The two 15KVA transformers cost $2000.
3-wire #4 SEU is only $555.

Scenario 4: Mini-transformer.
In this case, we only aspire to provision 20A (16A) practical, but we use a (smaller) transformer so we can transmit at 240V on 2-wire, even though we are only using 120V.  Fortunately, these smaller 5 KVA transformers are readily available on Craigslist for about $100. If we go for only one 20A circuit, then we base voltage drop on 8A@240V and the calc says we're just fine with 6 AWG aluminum at 3.58% drop.

However, instead, let's go for two 120V circuits at 20A breaker (that's table saw and dust collector). That will realistically be about 24A together, or about 12A@240V, but let's assume circuit continuous max of 16A x2, so 16A@240V. Voltage drop calc says that happens at 4.57% with 4 AWG Al.

one used 5 KVA transformer for $100
3-wire #4 SEU for $555.

And hey, that's the same #4 wire we use on our 480 scenario, and we know we can pump that to 60A or even 80A with better transformers.


Buying a new home and had questions on electrical box

Generally I really like how this panel is set up. Neutrals are all landed on the bus on the left. Grounds are all landed on the bus on the right.  It is a main panel, and neutral and grond buses are bonded by the wide black strap, but that's as it should be.

The red wire landed on the ground bus, I would have questions about that.

The capped wires on the left are no problem, those are simply unused circuits you might be able to put to use in the future, depending on where they go.

On the right are all 2-pole breakers, on the left 1-pole for 120V circuits.

The only thing that catches my eye is the red wires on the 120V circuits.  Follow those back to the cable they enter the box with.  They should be in a cable with a black and white wire.  Now follow the black to its breaker.  The red and black from the same cable should be on a 2-pole breaker.  These are multi-wire branch circuits, and the red and black need to switch off together.  This panel type is BR, which is a perfectly acceptable panel, and 2-pole breakers cost $9.


Fence to Fence Post Gap, Fix a Leaning Fence

You could just use the same fasteners they used for the 2x4s to the post. Align a sister 2x4, 2' is enough, to your 2x4s and fasten away. If you don't have a nail gun, I'd use screws for the sistering so it make it easier to align things up. Nice thing is that you just gained 3" of additional land.


Can the water supply pass through a water heater before the expansion tank?

It doesn't need to be anywhere near the water heater.
It can be placed anywhere (that's not blocked by a check valve or the like from the cold water inlet of the water heater) in the cold water supply. The pressure is equalized throughout the pipes. Folks with a pressure tank for a well system don't need an expansion tank for the water heater because the well pressure tank already is serving that function as well (unless you slip a check valve in between the two for some reason, which is arguably not going to be a good reason.)
While it is common to put one intended for hot water expansion near the water heater, there's no logical reason to follow that practice, other than putting it on the same shutoff valve.
A possible detriment to your proposed location is that the tank forms a "dead end" - while this is very common setup that looks the same with a well pressure tank, a well pressure tank is the furthest thing from a dead end, as water is cycled through it continuously as the house uses water and the pump supplies water. With an expansion tank for hot water, the movement in and out of the tank is going to be slow and small, so the water out at the end of that pipe may be sitting there moving back and forth slightly for a very long time. Thus, a location where the cold water flow is past the tank opening may be better for the quality of water in your system.


Scotch guard will greatly increase the stiffness and how it holds up to dirt and abuse.  I suggest a heavy heavy layer of scotch guard once a year right after it has been shampooed (let it dry of course).

Long-term carpet might not be ideal.  You need to try to figure out what is under the carpet.  Almost all of the time you can take out the carpet tacking, sand, and the stain/paint the stairs.  This is not hard to do, doesn't cost much, and it is a true DIY project.


How can I move loose-fill insulation temporarily?

Assuming the insulation is safe to be around, use a plastic lawn rake. After years of settling, you can use the same rake to "fluff" up your loose fill insulation to make it more efficient.


How should I build the walls for a tiny house on a camper frame?

It depends what you're after & if you'd "hope" to get an official Use & Occupancy approval. Will you be hauling it around the nation (or locally) or just parking it on a piece of land to drag it into the Sun for the winter & under the trees for summer?

If it's just a Glorified Shed Dwelling, then whatever your Local Building Dept. says is whom you have to please. So, they don't condemn it, fine you $10,000 & destroy your masterpiece. Being a dwelling is what paints the bull's-eye on you. Everything will be legal & fully inspected & corrected until it passes as proper & safe...or you can't live in it, period.

Otherwise, I agree with Ed Beal. A house is a house & 2x4's 16"oc with 1/2" exterior plywood properly screwed are the minimum structural elements, for just the walls, that your Local Building Dept. will approve.

Toting this puppy on the road is a whole different issue & your Dept. Of Transportation will have another set of requirements. Maybe, they want 1/2" plywood inside too for structural & vehicle intrusion stability or 12"oc spacing or the building sealed with Poly Sheeting or all screws & no nails.

Other people's Tiny's aren't your concern. They may not take them anywhere nor did it legal at all & will pay the price for not building it proper with well proven & tested materials, methods, procedures & designs.

Here's a very loose Summary of CA's Notice to Tiny Housers

Here's the Full Notice from CA, directing you to their Uniform Construction Codes


How do I replace a 3-way switch that is connected directly to the house wiring?

I presume your new 3-way dimmer switch has 4 braided wires coming out of it. Green (ground), a couple of red wires (travelers) and a black one (common/hot).

Yes, just cut the wires from the old switch (leave them as long as you can) and connect them to the wires on the dimmer switch using small wire nuts (no bigger than the standard yellow ones; the dimmer switch probably came with some wire nuts). Make sure you can't pull any of the wires out of the wire nuts, and make sure the stripped ends of the wires aren't so long that you have bare wire outside the wire nuts. You can wrap the wire nuts with electrical tape for good measure.

I presume you know that of the three conductors (plus the ground wire, if there is one) connected to the three way switch, only 2 are travelers and the other one is the "common." The common, depending on which switch you're looking at, is either supplying power into the 3-way switches, or feeding power out of the switches into your light fixture.

The travelers can be hooked up in any order, but the common must be connected to the common terminal/wire on the switch, or it won't work.


Replaced outlet, no power to that circuit

If you are correct that nothing on that circuit is working (including an outlet closer to the circuit breaker panel) then something would appear to be wrong at the panel.

I wonder if perhaps you got the wrong breaker and the actual breaker for this circuit is sitting in the tripped position? Sometimes it can be useful to flip each breaker on and off one at a time (of course that can play havoc with whatever else is on those circuits, such as computers wot don't have a UPS).

If it was only that outlet and ones further down I would suspect that the incoming wires are not correctly connected or the outlets have been separated by breaking off the tabs between the two receptacles.


How to cut many shallow grooves on the side of a square aluminium tube?

I believe this can be done in a home-shop environment using a table saw with a carbide tipped blade. I cut 25 mm square aluminum tube often enough without harming the saw. The swarf is a bit of a mess, as one might expect.

The challenge here is to properly index the cuts. As you require 4 mm slots, it means two passes for each slot, along with the need to index for each individual slot.

I think the best approach would be to construct a sled with the required angle and create a stop-block that is secured to the angled portion of the sled with indexed holes into which you'd thread a bolt or screw for more precision.

The requirement for two passes would be managed by a shim on the stop block. One pass for the main cut, insert the shim and make a second pass for the correct width, then relocate the stop block

From Lumberjocks.com:

The photo represents a simple, flexible saw sled for angle cuts. The indexing stop block could be attached to a longer piece of wood on the right side in the image. Alternatively, one could make the right block indexed to the sled or to the hold-down clamp.

This isn't necessarily the only answer, and is expected to be used as a starting point for expanding one's thought process to reach the goal.


Those appear to be some sort of insect-related holes that were almost certainly there when the board was sawn.  I'm sure they are long gone as the kiln-drying or other processing will kill any bugs in the wood.


Why do I have a large PVC pipe venting warm air outside intermittently?

Do you have a high efficiency furnace? If so this is the exaust and air intake for your furnace.  Unlike older furnaces, HE furnaces do not exaust up through your chimney and instead use PVC or ABS pipes.

Not sure about the third pipe though - do you have a heat exchanger?

Best way to know for sure what they are is to try and trace them back to the source.


Can I convert a 120v circuit to 240v without running new cable?

IF the outlet is the ONLY outlet on the circuit, it's perfectly fine to change it to a 240V outlet (or disconnect, given it's for a heat pump) and change the breaker to a two-pole 240V 15A breaker - all your 120V wiring is already rated for 250V if not 600V. Since 15A/14Ga is the minimum wire size for house wiring, the wire size is already adequate by default for a 15A circuit.
If there are other outlets on the circuit, then there's going to be a problem, or more changes / rewiring will be required.
The white wire should be remarked red (preferable, IMHO, more obviously not just tape for tape's sake) or black (or any other "hot color" so not gray, white, or green) at both ends.


What would cause the ceiling fan light to blink or shut off?

Filament a likely culprit, but is the fan perfectly balanced? We all assume not perfectly. Bad connections, even good ones, break with enough movement over time. Potential chain of events:

Power on - rush of power bridges air gap, or gap doesn't exist, connection holds together

Running - something gets hot or vibrates loose, loses connection

Stop - cooling or lack of vibration allows physical gap to close enough so that...

Power on - rush of power bridges air gap, connection holds together, repeat

The connection could be filament to post, switch to wiring, internal in the fan, the place where a rat ate away connection material, anywhere in the current loop really, but filament, switch, and internal to fan are my top three suspects.


How do I correctly wire my ceiling fan with these other switches and outlet?

Given the most recent edit, including your comment below:
First, you need to figure out which circuit, out of everything you're working with, is the power-in. One of the easiest ways to do that is separate every circuit and turn the breaker back on, the wires that your tester reads as live is the one you want to work with as described below. Take pictures or label or draw a diagram so you can put it all back together once you're doing identifying which is the real power-in.
Somehow, your new wiring configuration is breaking the circuit or failing to complete the circuit that brings power from the panel. You need to figure out that first.
If you truly do have the end of the line there at that primary outlet you are saying is the power source, remove the black wire from the outlet (assuming you found that black is hot from the panel), throw three pigtails on it one goes back to the outlet and one to each switch (more conductors if you have more receptacles to power off it), follow the same idea with the neutrals and ground, and proceed from there as follows:
Starting from scratch, you would either run power to the fan mount jx box or to the receptacle box with the switches (usually just choose whichever creates the shortest path for the wiring), run a hot line to each switch nutted to the line voltage (power in), then run a separate hot line from the switch to the load connection. The switches need to open/close current to the fan and the light. The neutral should run through to the fan assuming the light and fan switches are dedicated. The ground should tie to switch and run to fan. Case #4 here describes the process and This is the diagram.
Now it sounds like you may be missing something, and your outlets may be wired in series and you just don't realize it. If you can't solve it with what I've laid out above, your next best thing is to find some receptacle box where it is a simple 2 conductor outlet, and run power to the fan or switches from there.
Deal with the other circuits as other circuits and be careful you aren't going to over-current the switches.


Strip on side of window letting cold air in

If you rent you can always ask the apartment manger the reason for the vent and if it can be closed.  Also look on the side of the window to see if there is any switches, levers or slides to open/close it.  If you don't own, you can always just cover it with 2 inch wide masking tape which will drastically cut down on the airflow and be easy enough to remove at the end of the lease.


Dual 60 Amp circuit for Well and Tankless Heater

The tankless water heater will have instructions detailing how many breakers of what size. What is the make and model?

The Rheem 36 kW model requires four 40-A double-pole breakers. Probably it has four separate heating elements each 9 kW. I would think you would  need to upgrade your electric service to at least 300 A to supply this heater. How large is your house and how many people in the household?


How can I clean and restore old interior shiplap planking?

Almost all old shiplap was once painted, so it probably isn't raw wood. If so, it has some resistance to moisture.

You can try to clean it using a mild soap cleaner, such as Murphy's or other soaps advertised for cleaning wooden surfaces. This should remove most of the dust and other water soluble soils (and a bit of the oil/grease based as well).

If that works, you may have a surface that is acceptable as is. If not, you can progress to a solvent based cleaner. Mineral spirits is the least aggressive and will remove most grime, but leave most finishes intact. However, this gives off significant fumes, so you need to be able to adequately ventilate while doing this, and for some time (a day) thereafter.

If is still isn't fresh enough, you are now in the realm of heavy duty strippers, and this needs a whole different analysis.

If you get a satisfactory result with one of the above approaches, you can just leave it, or you can try to seal it with a flat or satin based clear coat, such as a water based poly.


Multi-layer insulation for private houses?

No. The product in question has been designed for applications where low weight and resistance to radiant heat transfer are the dominant goals, and justify a high price. Residential construction involves different goals (resistance primarily to conduction and convection; low cost; ease of installation and retrofitting), so the product's high price is unjustifiable.

The closest residential equivalent would be sheets of foil-faced polyiso--installed correctly of course, with the foil facing an airspace of 1" or greater.


What is the cheapest way to make well water with 800ppm TDS suitable for bathing and washing dishes?

There are three basic non-snake oil devices that one might use: sediment filter, RO filter, and water softener.

A sediment filter doesn't remove dissolved solids.

An RO filter is not suitable for high volume uses like bathing, dish-washing and clothes washing.

A good water softener is the right product for your needs.

But you might add an RO filter in the kitchen to supply water for drinking and cooking also.


How do you calculate water supply fixture units?

At the 3/4" main you look at everything beyond that (i.e. everything, for this question.)

Everywhere else you look at everything beyond that - so once you pass the Tee for the kitchen, the 1/2" side feeding the kitchen is looked at for the kitchen devices, and the 1/2" side feeding the half-bath and bar sink is looked at for those devices.


What's the best/easiest way to paint edges?

A good old fashioned, quality paint brush.

Get a good quality paint brush and take good care of it.  It's a lot less time intensive to use a good brush and make a good line than it is to have to tape it first.


How do I shut off the ceiling fan without a pull chain?

Here is a good diagram that shows how a 3-speed switch works.

To control the fan speed without the switch, you'd have to apply current to the proper wires to get the speed you want. Since this is likely a mechanical device (not electronic), the only way to change the setting is to physically move the switch to another position.
A tiny bit of chain is visible
If even a small bit of the chain is left, you may be able to pull it using needle nose pliers. If the fan is connected directly to power (not controlled by a wall switch), you'll probably want to shut off the breaker to stop the fan while you do this (so you don't loose your head). Most fans have the same click pattern.

1st Click = High.
2nd Click = Med.
3rd Click = Low.
4th Click = Off.

So be careful to count your pulls, or you'll be making another trip to the breaker.
The chain is just GONE!
If the chain is completely gone, the easiest option would be to replace the entire fan.
If you like to tinker; and have a bit of knowledge about this stuff, you could take the fan apart and replace the switch. It's probably a good idea to have the old switch in-hand, when you make your trip to the hardware store for a replacement. Don't forget to label the wires when you remove the broken switch, you won't remember where they all went.
Note: Flipping the breaker on/off a couple times, will do nothing but turn the fan on/off a couple times. It is possible to control the speed of the fan by continuously flipping the breaker on/off, but your arm would get tired pretty quick.


Weather Resistant Outlets vs Weather Proof Box

Yes. If the receptacle is in a wet or damp location, the receptacle must be a weather-resistant type.
In a damp location, you can use any weatherproof cover.  In a wet location, you must use an "extra-duty" cover. "Extra-duty" covers, provide  weatherproofing even when a cord is attached to the receptacle.

National Electrical Code 2014
Chapter 4 Equipment for General Use.
Article 406 Receptacles, cord connectors, and attachment Plugs.
406.9 Receptacles in Damp or Wet Locations.
(A) Damp Locations ...All 15- and 20- ampere, 125- and 250-volt nonlocking receptacles shall be a listed weather-resistant type.
(B) Wet Locations.
(1) 15-and 20-Ampere Receptacles in a Wet Location. ...All 15- and 20 ampere, 125- and 250-volt nonlocking-type receptacles shall be listed weather-resistant type.
Chapter 1 General
Article 100 Definitions
Location, Damp. Locations protected from weather and not subject to saturation with water or other liquids but subject to moderate degrees of moisture.
Location, Dry. A location not normally subject to dampness or wetness. A location classified as dry may be temporarily subject to dampness or wetness, as in the case of a building under construction.
Location, Wet. Installations underground or in concrete slabs or masonry in direct contact with the earth; in locations subject to saturation with water or other liquids, such as vehicle washing areas; and in unprotected locations exposed to weather.


Help identifying type of texture on walls

Top two are orange peel, bottom is knockdown. You can tell that it's knockdown by the presence of the large flat areas (where it was "knocked down" with a trowel).


How can I transition from tile to stained concrete?

This simplest tile transition is the integral metal edge. It comes in quite a few profiles, some of which can handle a small amount of elevation change. If you need something more elaborate I'd really need more details and hopefully some pictures.


The easiest way to achieve what you are looking for with what you already have is to:

Shut off the water at the angle stop shown in your first photo
(confirm that the valve is closed by opening the cold on you sink)
Cut the copper tubing in half (the tubing between the angle stop and
the second valve)
Install the valve tee shown in your second photo (this will reconnect the cut tube)
Test (by opening the angle valve)
Slowly tighten the compression fittings if they are leaking

Here's a video on how to install compression fittings: Youtube video.


Do I need to do anything special when drilling a hole for a deadbolt in a 2 inch door?

No, actually, the locking rod is made to snap off at various lengths, to make up for varying door thicknesses.

Make sure to center the bolt itself on the door edge. Disregard the factory template, as it will be based on a different door thickness.


How to loosen this strange nut of a cylinder lock?

That is a circlip.
Just use a small flat screwdriver in the gap to prise it off - make sure you keep hold of it because it can ping away.
If you put the screwdriver in the gap at 3 o’clock and twist it will force the circlip over the diameter of the shaft.


Wow, where to begin...First, “adding” a window is “structural “ and therefore requires a Building Permit. The Code says the “owner of the property is responsible for obtaining all permits”. However, the Code says, “no work shall be completed until plans and specs are approved and a Permit issued.”

So, your contractor could say it’s your responsibility to get the permit, but you could say he should not have started until it was issued and you’re going to apply for a permit next week.

The bigger question is whether the “work” is acceptable. No, it’s not, because it does not meet, 1) minimum nailing requirements in Table R601.3(1) of the IRC, 2) framing requirements of Section R602, 3) no cripple stud (or nonexistent connection) under window sill framing, 4) questionable header size and lack of securing it to the wall.

I see building paper directly fastened to studs, but it appears a plywood or OSB wall sheathing is installed on top of the building paper. If the house is covered in stucco, as you state, the stucco system has a moisture barrier and will trap moisture in the wall sheathing. I’d verify that I’m wrong...or cut out the paper on the studs.

For you, building on an improperly installed base will only lead to future problems. I’d have it fixed before proceeding.


How should I handle areas of soft polyurethane left after sanding?

Has the polyurethane in areas other than the gummy spots dried alright? If so, then maybe these spots are the result of not stirring the polyurethane enough prior to application. Sometimes the the product settles in it's container so a couple of slow and steady stirs is needed. Second possible cause could be application method. How was the polyurethane applied? Assuming your able to access all spots and that all areas around the spots did dry properly, I would take a rag dampened with some mineral spirits to those spots. Try taking them down to a level that matches the surrounding areas.


GE profile cooking range traditional glass cooktop not working properly

The OP said he already tried power cycling it just in case it was some transient controller problem, so my next best guess would be that the switch is bad.

It looks like it's the switch marked part number 20 "Dual Burner Control Switch" on the product diagram on the parts page he linked to. Several people on the comments page for that switch said they had the same problem before replacing the switch -- the burner stays on high.

If a wiring diagram of the stove (or switch) is available, you should be able to test the switch with a multimeter. This site gives some guidelines, basically you're just testing for continuity between the switched terminals. With a switch like this that has multiple outputs (and possibly an independent indicator light output), it would be difficult to test it without knowing which terminal is which.


How can I wire a new outlet from a light switch, with light switch set-up I've never seen before?

I was taught to feed the hot from the top. It could be the bottom or top. Get a noncontact voltage tester to see which one is hot with the switch in the off position. Trial and error will work here as you only have 2 choices and it will not hurt anything to use the wrong one your outlet just won’t work when the light switch is off. Other than that yes White to White, Grounds all tied together.
Make sure your new wire is sized right, 20A breaker 12 gauge wire, 15 A breaker 14 gauge wire. (you can use 12 gauge wire on a 15 amp breaker just not the other way around).


How can I measure the r-value of a wall?

Getting R-value is based on three things really.

Materials
Distance
Sealing

Example - If you framed with 2x6s instead of 2x4s with just sheetrock - your wall would have more r-value because there would be a greater distance for air to travel to the other side.

Also materials are given an r-value based on their use in a best case scenario.  Just because you have insulation that is r-13 doesn't mean you are getting r-13 returns after installing.  Think about putting in one piece of insulation that is 12 inches wide to fix a 50 foot gap.  Did it do anything measurable?  Probably not.

Also r-value is a max measurement again.  If the temperature outside is 70 degrees and it is 70 degree inside you could have 5 feet of materials with an r-value of 500 but in actuality it is providing an r-value of 0.  r-value is measuring a change in temp from one side of a system to another.  The more drastic the temperatures the greater need for more r-value and the greater r-value returns you will get.

So to answer your question without getting the CSI team together you will need a thermometer and a couple hours of steady weather (turn off your heating/air too).  Optional piece of equipment would be a shoebox - to keep thermometer out of sun and drafts.

Notice that I didn't answer how much potential r-value a wall could have because that doesn't matter.  You will have taped seems, outlets, studs, whatever.  You want real world functionality.  Take the temperature on outside wall, take the temperature inside, and take the temperature right by same wall in same location.  This chart does work.  Easiest to do on a window area but works everywhere.

To know your systems true r-value you will have to have extreme temps outside/inside.  If your system really did perform at greater than r-15 which is about a 5 degree change over the course of a 100 degree temp conflict then you will have to have one of those -40 degree days with a toasty 80 degrees inside to get your true measurement.  I have tested out very well insulated houses and they usually max out around r-15 to 20 range.  Spray foam in some cases has out produced r-20.


how do i remove kitchen sink drainer basket without a visible lock nut?

The entire lower plastic portion is the locknut.

Have a helper hold the strainer in place from above using a strainer wrench (it's a thing, sometimes called a spud wrench), or by jamming the handles of channellock pliers into it, while you get under there and unscrew the whole plastic body from the strainer (turn CCW if looking up at it from below).


Why does it have to be at a 45 degree angle? At the angle, you have a hole behind the counter where debris could get caught and become messy and a potential fire hazard. If you want the angle for aesthetic reasons, you should have a way to get back there and clean it out. As for the back side..that is up to you. If it won't be seen, then it won't matter. If you are worried about heat or something/someone getting inside it from behind, then use brick, stone, whatever. As for the floor under the oven area, pour extra concrete or use patio pavers. Its all about how it will look to you. I would also leave some room between the wall and island in case you need to repair either the island or the wall in the future.


The joist finder screw is designed so that it will go through the subfloor and spin freely if there is no joist.  Once you find a spot where it does not spin freely, you have found a joist.  If there is no joist, you have to pull up on the drill to get the screw out.  I assume the screw isn't spinning freely.

If the screw is totally stuck and will not move, you have most likely ran into a nail embedded in the joist.  So, the good news is you found a joist.  To remove, grab the screw with a pair of vice lock pliers as close to the floor as possible.  If you just grab the head, it it likely to break as the shaft flexes and twists.  Tapping it with a hammer could help loosen it, but don't hit it hard enough to bend it.

Either the screw will break, or you will still not be able to turn it.  If all else fails, you will have to cut it off with a Dremel tool or other similar cut off tool.  If it comes to this, it will be hard to cut without leaving a mark on the carpet.  Protect the immediate area with masking tape (like a 1 square foot area).  The remaining shaft can be pounded flat with a hammer.


Black wire x3, white wire x3, ground wire x3.

This answer is brought to you by the term Switch Loop.

You're thinking "Oh, they must be color-coded".  They can't be color coded because Every cable in every house in North America looks exactly like this.  Black white bare.  Bare is reserved for safety ground, so it doesn't even count!

A light has 3 wire functions:  1. Always-hot.  2. Switched-hot (hot when the lamp is desired to be on). 3. Neutral (the current return for all loads).  You can't code 3 different wire functions when all your wire is the same 2 colors! (ground can never be used to carry power).

This is why I own 10 colors of electrical tape. So I can tape wires by function. Neutral must be white; I prefer black for always-hot and red for switched-hot.

I trust you have googled "switch loop".  That's one of your 3 cables.  The two wire functions are always-hot and switched-hot, and obviously, at least one of them has a misleading color!   (white is allowed to be things other than neutral- sure be nice if someone had taped it like I do!)

The other two cables are supply; and power onward to other outlets.  In both these cables, the wire functions are always-hot and neutral.  Since neutral is present, it must be white.

Your next step is figure out which of the 3 cables coming into your box is the switch loop.   Separate and cap them all, and turn power on.

The black wire that lights up a voltage tester, that is your supply cable.   One down.

Now if you notice, somewhere in your house something else has lost power. Go find it.  Put a load of some kind on it so you can tell when it comes back.

Turn off the power, and pick either unidentified cable.  Nut its black to the supply cable's black. Nut its white to the supply cable's white.  TURN OFF THE SWITCH. (the third cable will be disconnected) Turn the power back on and see if the thing that had lost power has it back on again.  If it does, that cable you just nutted is the onward power cable.
What remains is the switch loop.  You can confirm this with an ohmmeter with the power off; near 0 ohms with switch on, infinity with switch off.  Open up the switch.  Get some RED electrical tape.  Get access to the white wire at both ends, and wrap both ends with red tape to mark it as  switched-hot.  Do the same to the "hot" (non-white) wire on your fan or light.

Now thanks to the tape, you are color coded, and you can match "like color" to "like color" with wirenuts.


NEC 220.55

The load for household electric ranges <...> individually rated in excess of 1.75 kW shall be permitted to be calculated in accordance with Table 220.55.

Based on note #3; since one range is rated 7.2 kW (30A x 240V) and the other is 4.8 kW (20A x 240V), we are able to simply add the total rated kW of both and multiply it by the demand factor as found in Column B -- you have 2 appliances that are both between 3.5 and 8.75 kW, so the demand factor here is 65%.
7.2 kW + 4.8 kW = 12 kW
12 kW x 65% = 7.8 kW or 7800 W
7800 W / 240 = 32.5A
Finally, since the oven circuits are under 600V and noncontinuous loads, the following code applies:
NEC 210.19(A)(1)(b)

The minimum branch-circuit conductor size shall have an allowable ampacity not less than the maximum load to be served after the application of any adjustment or correction factors.

..., i.e. your conductors (wires) should be sized to at least 32.5A (they should be already) and your breaker should then be sized to your wires (which it is.)
Your current 50A breaker will suffice for this application.


Can I ground a ceiling fan to another electrical ceiling box nearby?

Yes you can

Recent NEC editions allow you to run a retrofit ground wire (equipment grounding conductor) from an ungrounded box/circuit to a grounded branch circuit's ground wire, provided the donor circuit has a large enough ground wire to be a suitable ground for the circuit being retrofitted.  (For instance, if you are grounding a 20A circuit this way, the donor circuit would need to have a 12AWG or larger ground wire.)  The permission for this is given in NEC 250.130(C):

  (C) Nongrounding Receptacle Replacement or Branch Circuit
  Extensions. The equipment grounding conductor of a
  grounding-type receptacle or a branch-circuit extension shall
  be permitted to be connected to any of the following:

  (1) Any accessible point on the grounding electrode system
  as described in 250.50

  (2) Any accessible point on the grounding electrode conductor

  (3) The equipment grounding terminal bar within the enclosure where the branch circuit for the receptacle or
  branch circuit originates

  (4) An equipment grounding conductor that is part of
  another branch circuit that originates from the enclosure
  where the branch circuit for the receptacle or branch
  circuit originates

  (5) For grounded systems, the grounded service conductor
  within the service equipment enclosure

  (6) For ungrounded systems, the grounding terminal bar
  within the service equipment enclosure

  Informational Note: See 406.4(D) for the use of a ground-fault
  circuit-interrupting type of receptacle.

Furthermore, since ground wires do not need to run with the circuit they are grounding as per NEC 300.4(B)(2):

  (2) Grounding and Bonding Conductors. Equipment ground‐
  ing conductors shall be permitted to be installed outside a race‐
  way or cable assembly where in accordance with the provisions
  of 250.130(C) for certain existing installations or in accordance
  with 250.134(B), Exception No. 2, for dc circuits. Equipment
  bonding conductors shall be permitted to be installed on the
  outside of raceways in accordance with 250.102(E).

, you can simply run a bare 14AWG wire from the new ceiling fan box, through the ceiling, to the "donor" box, bring the wire into the box, and connect it to the existing ground wire bundle there.


Unless you have had your house professionallly tested for radon and got a positive (i.e bad) result, do nothing.

If you do have high levels of radon, it's much simpler to install an exhaust fan system, either in the basement or (more properly) by cutting a hole in the basement floor and dropping a 6-inch pvc tube down into the dirt.  That acts as the source for a closed-system exhaust fan that should be ducted to the outside.


Buy a new microwave.

It sounds like your microwave door is pretty cattywampus.
Microwaves are carefully engineered and undergo extensive testing to ensure radiation is kept in, and are typically not intended to be user serviceable.
Even a very small leak could have serious health consequences over time. Finally, if you are able to replace a door, you still don't have the equipment to verify that there are no leaks. In short: it's not worth the risk!


Laundry sanitizer is a different chemical than detergents and is targeted at killing microbes. Apparently pine oil is an example for a natural laundry sanitizer. Other types include phenolic, chlorine based or quaternary if you want to do some more research on the chemicals. And yes they are more effective at killing microbes than detergent. Many microbes can survive regular detergent and it is the high water temperature that can kill them though.

Laundry sanitizer is either an additive to be added to regular detergent or it is a complete product which includes the detergent. Be careful and read the instructions on your brand closely because some sanitizers cannot be mixed with regular detergent or there will be a bad chemical reaction.


3 way switch receptacle to recessed light

Basically yes, typically we would say that connecting to a switched hot would be called a switchleg, so you would have a Switchleg, Neutral, and Ground if you pigtailed to the bottom two wires and the ground.


A short circuit is a fire hazard, though it may not require rewiring the house to repair. When this happens, identify all affected outlets and lights.

Then, when the circuit is normal, locate section of wire that must contain the fault by separating the line and load at various points to map out the circuit. When you disconnect the hot at one point in the circuit and turn the power back on, everything that doesn't have power is part of the load from that device, and everything still working is part of the line.

With the process of elimination, you can identify the 2 outlets where only the problem outlets are affected when the hot is disconnected, one outlet that has the problem itself, and another that doesn't have the problem. The fault will be at one of these outlets or the line between the two will need to be replaced.


So you have low flow rate out all the hot water lines. This indicates a restriction in the hot water system which could be in a pipe or in a valve. The latter is more likely in my experience.

The restriction could be in the cold water line that feeds the water heater or it could be in the hot water line before the dividing into the various usually smaller lines that go to different areas.

All systems have a cut-off valve on the cold water feed to the water heater. Sometimes these valves develop a restriction, if they are of the old gate valve type. I am not aware of quarter-turn ball valves developing restrictions.

Some systems in addition have a cut-off valve on the hot side of the water heater. This valve could also develop a restriction. Do you have one of these?

Did you recently operate one of these valves before this low flow condition has occurred?


Running multiple camera cables from outside to indoors, do I use bushing and wall plate?

I have installed several camera setups the way you are describing for friends and my house.  I use an outdoor 90 degree outdoor junction box like these to bring the wire into the house.  I use silicone sealant in the hole in the stucco and the back of the junction box.

you insert 1 plug at a time through the hole.  I use a short 1 1/2 " pvc pipe through the wall.  The pipe in the back of the junction box can be inserted into the pipe that goes through the wall.

On the inside, I use a plastic electrical box and drill a large hole in the back for the wires to pass through.  For the cover on the inside, I use the plate with the large hole in the middle or take a blank cover and cut the hole to the size you want.

See diagram below:


Why do these LED light bulbs flicker when my remote control has turned them off?

The remote you use to turn the light on and off is not compatible with LED bulbs.  One reason people love LED bulbs is because they use so little power.  Unfortunately, some devices in the past used the fact that a regular light bulb can pass some current without glowing.  Certain types of switches use a little bit of "parasitic" voltage running through the bulb to supply power for them to operate.

Now, some LED bulbs will flicker even if they have a very tiny current.  The two solutions that I see are to try a dimmable LED bulb, and if that doesn't work, remove or replace the remote module.  Even if you don't have a dimmer function, the dimmable bulbs have more electronics in their drivers that could prevent them from flickering when a small current runs through them.


Which type of termite control is the most efficient in term of price in my case

The most cost-effective methods of termite control, in descending order:

Live where it's too cold for termites - $
Treat the soil around the perimeter of your house with termiticide once every 5-10 years - $
Build a physical termite barrier around your house out of metal, fine sand, cementboard, or some other material that termites can't eat or pass through, leaving inspection strips along the perimeter of the foundation - $
Build the structure and finish materials of your house out of non-wood materials - $$$

...

Wait until your house has a major termite infestation and needs to be fumigated and major structural and finish materials replaced - $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


How can I build shelves that are 66" wide?

You can put a 1/2"-thick wooden board over the metal piece to camouflage it. And if the shelf is really that long, you'll need something strong for the metal piece. A structural engineer could probably tell you the minimum dimensions, but I would guess a 1.5" angle, or square tube, would do it. And that means you're limiting access to the shelf below that.

If this was my shelf, I'd focus on finding shelf supports that take up as little space as possible. Something like this:


How do I remove window sill / apron overhang?

I would agree with #2.  Sealing it up would be easy with some spray foam or caulking.  You would have to put some type of flush trim on to hide the cut, or chisel out a bit more of the sill and piece in some sheetrock and mud it and/or change the window trim to a picture frame casing.   Not really a hard job, just not sure what you want. I would like to see what you want the seat to look like in relationship to the window. How much lower than the window do you want the top of the seat to be?


Buying a House On Underground Spring. What to do?

You didn't indicate your location or site characteristics (slope, hillside, etc), but the location of the country, even generally could be helpful, but not required.

You indicated the water bill was not high, so it could not be a water leak.  That would only be if the leak was after the meter.  However, the leak could be before the meter and impossible to detect through usage alone.  A few tests to help determine if this is a spring:

Temperature: Spring water would be the average annual temperature (between 56-59°F).  If it is different, turn on the cold tap water and measure it's temperature.  If it is close to the temp of the water in the sump, that is more likely the source. If the water is a different temperature than either of those, it is likely ground water.
Chemical Composition:  Have the water chemistries evaluated and compared to the houses tap water - if they are very similar, the water is likely a leak from the main, and not a spring.  If there is chlorine, that is a dead give-a-way (but it off gasses quickly, so absence is not a complete indication)

If it is, in fact a natural source, then if could be spring or runoff.  Most springs are intermittent to some degree with natural cycles.  Perhaps this is a heavier time or from recent storms that are working their way underground and bumping into an impervious layer of shale that your house was built on top of.  As a home buyer, you only have a point in time reference, and the neighbors may not know the details from the inside of the house as to how often and consistently the pump runs.

You also assumed it is only pumping a few gallons — some sumps hold 15-25 gallons.  If it were built intended to handle the flow you mentioned (~900 gal/day) it likely would have been larger to begin with to run less often.

  Is this a red flag / deal breaker? Is this just something we need to
     keep an eye on, or is there a possibility that the foundation might
     crumble at any time?

If it has been in place for 25 years, I don't think this is a major concern. If it was retrofitted, especially recently, I might have a different opinion.  But this depends on where you live somewhat — is your area composed of a lot of Karst or cave features? Florida for instance is known for its sinkholes and springs are one possible concern with those.

In most areas, however, if the water is directed well, this should not be a concern because the water is directed away from the foundations and out of the house properly.  Consider getting a home inspection & point out your concerns. They may find additional evidence of water damage, remodeling or other evidence of concerns that you could have overlooked.

  Assuming it is not critical, what precautions should I take? I
     already plan on buying a water-powered sump pump as backup, and
     getting a couple alarms for both pumps. The current pump already has
     a battery backup.

Alarms and backups are great. A small, but high-quality generator would be fantastic to keep things running for a longer period if needed.  Make sure it's rated for constant duty.  Be sure to have a plan to allow easy switching from the pump's current electric source to the generator.  You could make this tie-in at the panel or the pump, but be careful not to backfeed into your system.

  The water looks clear and fresh. What can I do with all this water?
     Anything productive?

Do you have gardens?  Make a rain-barrel type system using large holding tanks - plus, you'll see how much water you are actually removing seasonally.  But be careful in planning that whatever you do that your system is able to handle cold weather without freezing up or you risk a damp basement and a blown pump.

But If you really are pumping what you claim (3 gal every 5 min = 960 gal per day) you will likely have limited use for all that water, unless you're in California and will share with your neighbors!

Good luck with the new home!


No way from here to know which wire fed the light or fan, but you have a continuous hot feed into the box that fed the receptacle, light and fan. The third wire, maybe it fed the fan or maybe something something else farther down the line, if the latter that needs to be tied in 100 percent to the hot feed. All whites still tied together, blacks to the dimmer from the light and hot. All grounds tied together set with a screw to the metal box. Securing the ground to the box is not needed if the box is plastic.

Before I got too wordy, here is a sketch

Still have to learn to format better

The sketch is a little rough, it should get the idea across I hope


Is Roof De-Icing Cable good for the roof?

Providing the constructed building was properly insulated to code and spec, adding environmental impact, nothing beats a ladder and shovel to clear snow.  Cleared gutters and eavestroughing after the leaves drop every fall and if ice damming does occur, purchase de,ice pucks from a hardware and supply center. Most chains carry it. Simply toss a puck every few feet apart up onto the roof. They de ice and clear out eaves.  Ice dams also are pretty good indicaters of an improperly vapor barriered or insulated roof.  DO NOT RUN HEAT TAPES!  Thats asking for trouble.  Jon, AB, CAN


Type of Replacement Switch For Auto Dimming Outdoor Security Light

Exactly the switch you already have.

You look at your wiring -- and in doing so you ignore ground wires (which are green typically).  Ground is connected everywhere, but it doesn't participate in the normal wiring, so we don't talk about it.   If you see

If the switch has 2 screws (again ignoring ground screws/wires), it's a plain switch.
If the switch has 2 brass and 1 black screw, it's a common 3-way.
If the switch has 2 brass and 2 black screws, it's a 4-way middle switch.
If the switch doesn't have screws but has pigtails instead, it's a dimmer, smart switch, motion sensor, that kind of thing. Snap us photos of anything distinctive and edit your post to include them.

With 3/4 way switches, which screw is on brass vs. black is very important.  The physical position of the screws is useless and misleading (since every switch puts them in different places!!)  Also, wire color is useless and misleading - the screws they go to are the key.


Options for a remote-controlled bathroom exhaust fan/light?

2 devices, 1 switch, 0 problems

If you don't mind having to operate your switch in a slightly funky way, a Functional Devices HLF3 can be wired to control the fan and the light from a single wall switch.


Based on your description, and assuming your horizontal lines are joists, I would say A and B are load-bearing. C is likely safe to remove.
However you provided limited details, so we can't say for sure...also don't blindly trust people on the internet.


How to fix a window, keeping rain out but allowing wind in?

You can get a Tilt and Turn window - a window that tilts inwards slightly (and locks in place so that it doesn't tip back anymore) to let air circulate, but can also be opened as a traditional window too (albeit one that typically opens inwards instead of outwards).


Need to split water line behind refrigerator to add an espresso machine

Pressure regulator would depend on your incoming water pressure. Ask the city if it is city water. As for plumbing the tee in, you can use an length of hose needed to get the water to the fridge and espresso maker.


I have an R&T A1260, which looks very similar. This is how you open it up. At the bottom, you'll see a little pull tab. Pulling on it will remove a filter.

The top has a blue cap that can be lifted by the two protrusions.

There is a horizontal pin here that you can remove with a pair of needlenose pliers by simply pulling it out.

This frees up the water level adjustment arm, which you can set off to the side. Now you want to rotate the whole top part so that the groove that held the adjustment arm rotates to align with the green overflow tube, which is about 15° counterclockwise. Take a pair of standard (not needlenose) pliers and grip the two raised walls that contained the adjustment arm, push down into the shaft and turn. This unlocks the top of the mechanism so you can just remove it.

With your needlenose pliers, grab the inner plunger and lift it out.

When it stops, gently tug on it with some more force. There are some O-rings that give some resistance but you should be able to overcome it easily. This pops the whole plunger out, finally exposing the inner chamber of the shaft.

In my case, I found a piece of metal that had blocked the inlet. It's otherwise in good shape, except perhaps for the worn gasket at the bottom. Yes you could replace the whole thing, but if you have the patience to disassemble and clean it out, you could probably get a few more years of life out of it.


How to connect switch to electric box containing 3 grey (twin and earth) cables?

Looks like a standard UK ring circuit.  The chances are that the top two are two sides of the ring, and the bottom one is to the fridge.  It should be obvious if the fridge outlet is immediately below the switch.
So the two top reds go to the "in" L side of the switch.  The top two blacks go to the "in" N side of the switch.  The bottom red goes to the "out" L, the bottom black goes to the "out" N, and all the earths go to an earth terminal.


What should I do about this smoke detector that beeps constantly?

Doesn't look like it has a battery.  How old is it? There should be a manufacture or expiry date written on the cover.

Many older AC powered detectors didn't have backup batteries.  That cable you unplugged is the AC power. If it's over 10 years old (or maybe it's 5 years now) it should be replaced anyways.

Replace the smoke detector. They aren't expensive. If it is acting up you don't want to depend on it when there is a fire.


Should I worry about these white marks on my exterior wall?

Generally in housing, the white marks (efflorescence) is caused by salts in the cement washing out to the surface when wet, and being left behind when the water evaporates.

If there's any salt being added to the system (I did some research in college on a brick wall built with seawater exposure), then over time the efflorescence can be part of the system that will cause the cement to break down over time.

However, if your patio is inland and you don't use any salt on it (like de-icers) then the efflorescence is cosmetic and fairly harmless. If it bothers you there are chemical solutions (bleaching agents) that you can find at the hardware store that can remove efflorescence. They will not prevent it from coming back, it will continue to effloresce until all of the salts are removed from the cement.


I believe this is "phantom voltage", as suggested by @Ed Beal.
Duplicate question: https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/110093/43268


Bed joist seem to not suit to the job here. Different kind of structure work. Your vertical element here works now as cantilever, while in former role (as a ladder as I suppose) it was supported as a continuous beam, which part was hanging up (if your bed is the upper one) or was to be tied as end of that ladder (if your bed was the lower one). Similar tensions, yes, but distributed differently .

I have two suggestions:

Use your two bolts, but with metal plates.
Your bolts probably worked too much on the wooden element's structure, and became loose through time. Try to put metal plates (regular steel plates that carpenters use with wood structures) between the bolt/nut and wood, use double nut. That would help to distribute the load from the steel bolt to the wood more 'per area' (crudely speaking) and avoid local deformations. A double nut may help prevent the first nut from unscrewing itself.
Your idea with metal bracket is good.
Using a clamp-like metal element wide enough (to make a torque) and steel plates (small ones would do) on the interior side of the bed is a good option. If you can't find that kind of shape, just buy simple perforated steel carpenter plates (as in suggestion no. 1) long enough and bend them to suit your desired shape.

If you can't visualize anything from my text wall (sorry about that), I may try to produce some drawings, but I need time with that. Also, more answers - more choices. I encourage other DIY-ers to post their answers, too.


Hook up 2 wires to the LINE terminals only.  Cap off the others.  Plug something into it.  Switch the breaker back on and see if the appliance powers up.  If it doesn't, you got the LINE terminals wrong.  Power back down and Work on that.

Once the unit powers up and acts normally, then hook up the other wires.


Power related question about LED strip lighting

Not sure the level of problem you are taking on here.
Most "bare" LED strips you can pick up these days are DC based, and you need to add a AC to DC power supply that provides the voltage (12 or 24v) and current required by your strips.  First you need to find those requirements and pick a supply.

Next, you can daisy chain these strips together, soldering low voltage wires from one to the next,  to get all the way around your room, though I wouldn't recommend that.  The problem is that the copper in the strips is not very thick, and there will be a voltage drop over the length of the strip, so the end LEDs will be dimmer than the first.

A better plan would be to feed them from the center out.  A even better plan is to run a separate set of wires from the power supply to each strip. The number of wires will vary depending on if the strips are single color, multi, or RGB.


Can I screw a wall light mounting plate directly into the pine wall covering the junction box?

You should be fine as long as you also install a box extension. It looks like you will probably need to cut your recess a little bigger in your paneling.
NEC 314.20:

Flush-Mounted Installations. Installations within or behind a surface
of concrete, tile, gypsum, plaster, or other noncombustible material,
including boxes employing a flush-type cover or faceplate, shall be
made so that the front edge of the box, plaster ring, extension ring,
or listed extender will not be set back of the finished surface more
than 6 mm (1∕4 in.).
Installations within a surface of wood or other combustible surface
material, boxes, plaster rings, extension rings, or listed extenders
shall extend to the finished surface or project therefrom.

So if your wall material is one of the non-combustible ones listed, you can have the box be up to 1/4" recessed. But the wood requires the box to be flush and you can use an extension to make it so.
And you are right, it wouldn't be any less safe than the current setup, but the current setup is unsafe and not up to code. If there is a bad connection in that box and things start to heat up in there, you want something fire-rated in between the heat source and the wood paneling.
In addition to the above, you will also need to follow the instructions provided with your light fixture. If the instruction say don't do this, then you shouldn't do it.


Do you use joists sistered to rim boards?

"Rimboard" is a somewhat unusual term for what is usually (in the US, at least) called a "rim joist". Since there's already a joist at the outside edge, and it's usually supported directly on the foundation (or piers or whatever foundation system you're using), there's usually* no need to sister it up.

*Note: If you have an unusually long span, are cantilevering joists of the outside of the rim, or have some other, unusual situation, there may be cause for sistering the rim joist.


How do I install a Rubbermaid closet organizer in a paneled mobile home?

The best solution would be to attach a finished piece of plywood over whole wall.
Hollow Wall anchors work best on thin paneling. I like toggle bolts except for the fact they make a big hole in wall.


Oh yes, and it's a good idea, too!  "How" depends how you feel about it being outside.

A combo meter pan/main breaker

If you want the master switch to be outside, simply get a combo meter pan/main breaker.   Some main breaker types even have room for another breaker or two, like this 200A meter-main combo that provides 4 spaces to feed 2 subpanels for instance.

You can lockout/tagout simply by locking the door.

At that point you no longer need a main breaker in the service panel, and can select a "Main Lug" type panel.

A "main breaker disconnect" indoors

Indoors or outdoors you can get a very large box containing only a 200A main breaker; that is a cost effective way of getting a 200A shutoff switch.  However, these cabinets are positively enormous - and any shutoff switch will be too. The reason is the cable bending radius required for 300kcmil aluminum wire, which someone might potentially use for a 200A panel fed from a long distance.

However, this gadget can serve as your main breaker, simplifying your service panel(s).

Most have a means to lock the breaker or lock the access door. Watch for ones that don't.

Generator transfer switch

This does not serve as a main breaker.  It's just an expedient way to get a really big shutoff switch.  Not a cheap way, however, and again the boxes are enormous.

Again, lookout for units that do not provide a way to lock the switch in a "Gen" or "neutral" position.

Pull the meter / just have the power company turn it off

Traditionally, when you need to de-energize everything after the meter, you'd pull out the electric meter and replace it with a plastic blanking plate.   The power company would reinstall it and install their tamper seal.

However today, there's a faster way: don't pay your electric bill - no, just kidding, you can call up the electric company and ask them to remotely shut off the meter. That will de-energize everything downstream of the meter pan; however it will not provide lockout-tagout.

One last word about lockout/tagout. If your scheme is to manually interlock a generator so you can backfeed your panel, NOPE.  Big bag of NOPE.  It is illegal to use any scheme that involves a manual checklist to provide interlocking.  Why?  Because humans don't rise to the occasion in a crisis, they sink to the level of their training.  So in the dark, in the rain, with other problems to deal with, that is exactly when this sort of thing gets botched.

If you want a gen interlock just buy one - however since it sounds like you're rewiring anyway, you can architect your electrical system for maximum advantage. One of my favorite strategies is to use a 40-space Siemens main-lug panel, and a $30 kit they sell which interlocks two 2-pole breakers (so they both can't be on). It also straps the breakers down and it doesn't require the panel cover to be on, so it complies with Code.  You make this a subpanel and put as many circuits as you please in there - put the whole house in there, for all I care! Somewhere else you have a main breaker (/panel?) that feeds this subpanel. That main panel can have circuits you don't ever expect to power off generator - hot tub, half of your heat pump emergency heat, that kind of thing.


Refrigerator won't cool if it's warm in the house

Refrigerators are cooled using a heat pump, the principle that all air conditioners work on. Basically, a refrigerant is pumped through the cool side and absorbs heat, then that heat is radiated out into your home. The hotter your home's air is the more difficult it is for the fridge's cooling system to radiate heat. A refrigerator that is working fine won't have a problem with this, it just takes a bit more energy to work, however your refrigerator has a problem.

I can't say for sure what's wrong with your refrigerator, but it could be a number of things:

Fouled radiator: over time the radiator on the back of the refrigerator can get covered in dust and crud which reduces its efficiency. If it's bad enough the fridge won't be able to work. This is easy to resolve, you pull the refrigerator away from the wall and vacuum the radiator off. If there's stuck on grease clean it off with a brush and/or cleanser, but don't use any abrasives or power tools. Make sure all grates are clear of dust and aren't blocked so the internal components can cool too. When you put it back make sure you leave enough clearance for air to circulate around the radiator
Low refrigerant: Over time the refrigerant in your refrigerator may seep out and need to be replenished. There could also be a slow leak. You obviously have some refrigerant or it wouldn't cool at all. You'd need to get a specialist in to replenish the refrigerant, they'll also run a pressure check for leaks
Mechanical problem: there are compressors and pumps which move the refrigerant around the system, if these have problems they may not be able to keep up with the demand. You'd need a specialist to diagnose and fix these problems

So, pull out your fridge and give the back a thorough clean, then make sure it's got good airflow and see how it works. If that doesn't solve your problem you'll have to get someone in.


Why would a short cause the main breaker to trip instead of the branch circuit breaker?

I don't think this indicates a problem.

Circuit breakers have at least 2 different triggers for cutting the power:

Thermal mechanism for small over-current protection, e.g. trying to draw 20 amps from a 15 amp circuit. This may take several seconds or even more than a minute, depending on how much over the rated capacity you are.
Magnetic mechanism for short-circuit protection, which should kick in around 20x the rated ampacity. This should trip the breaker virtually instantly.

You can look up the time-current curve for your breakers if you're curious how long it takes them to trip under different conditions.

(There may be additional features that cause the breaker to trip, such as arcing or ground fault detection.)

If your circuit had tripped because of a slight over current, such as too many appliances running at the same time, only the breaker for that individual circuit should have tripped.

However, for a short-circuit condition (which I assume you had with your dimmer), either one could go. It's a little surprising that both tripped, but there is a  slight delay in response time so it's not inconceivable.

(Actually, you could have had 3 different breakers trip: the breaker for the circuit, the breaker for the sub panel feed, and the main breaker).


Foundation concerns with 40 year old home

Floor bounce is often a factor of the spacing and span of the joists. Assuming you are in the US, there was a time in the 70s when the building codes were still based on the pre-WWII lumber strength data. But after the baby-boom era in the 50s and 60s, most of the old growth trees were harvested and lumber was coming from new faster growing trees that were not as strong. Eventually the "Floor Joist Span Tables" that are used in the construction industry were updated to reflect this, but the lag time meant a lot of wood frame homes built in the 70s have more "bounce" than older ones or newer ones. It's not necessarily bad, it's just different than you might have experienced in a newer or older home. I have a home built in 1971, I noticed it the day I toured it before buying and I researched it, thinking that the home was defective. But the spans and spacings were correct, for the time it was built.

The vibration from the slab and the cracking may be due to the type of soil you have. Clay soils tend to change a lot each year as they absorb water in the winter and dry out in the summer. My house is on California Adobe soil, in the winter and spring I can feel vibrations coming from transformers in a utility substation 1/2 mile away, but by June or July, I can't feel them any more.


Replace radiator mains and reduce electrical consumption

1> install a constant delta-P pump ERP rated circulator (it'll adjust the power to the required delta-P instead of running fixed RPM)

2> install constant-delta-P thermostatic preregulation valves (Caleffi Dynamical)

3> Calculate each valve maximum flow allow no more than the needed flow to heat each room

This configuration can let your (GAS) consumption go down by at least 10% if you have a condensing boiler and you set properly the delta-T, also can push down the electric consumption by about 40% or more (up to 95%), (Pump will run maximum just for the first hours, when valves start to throttle down radiator flow, pump 'reads' less need and slows down it's speed accordingly, pumps are also  'intrinsically' much more energy efficient (EEI<0,23 when older 'A-class' had EEI of about 0,40)

Similar configuration may be achived (knowing diameters and lenght of each pipe) using delta-p compensation before zone valves and using 'standard' preregulation valves on radiators (But in this case, calculating each valve is much more difficult, with dynamical calculation is quite easy)

This is a reference for dynamical (it's in Italian, but I think google can help translating)
Another reference (see summary: blue box on page 29)
ERP-related (1)
 ERP-related (2) information (English)


How can I replace a recessed light with a ceiling fan?

That is a recessed light. That flex whip goes to a junction box mounted on the frame of the light. You need to remove the whole light, after removing the circuit cable from the junction box. DO NOT wire the fan box from that metallic flex whip.

What you have looks something like this:


Go with the larger dimmer. It will allow you to add higher wattage bulbs down the road. Your 9 watt LED bulb is equivalent to a 60 watt standard bulb. That's a middle of the road wattage so allow for larger bulbs.


One very basic thing to wrap your head around is that the loads in power circuits are all in parallel;  circuits are generally completed through loads such as say a light bulb or a cord and plug device like a toaster or a TV or a computer power supply.  On 120V household branch circuits the power goes out on a hot, through a load, and returns on a neutral.  All the lights on your daisy chain are in parallel, not in series.

If your switch box has just two wires, it's not a hot and a neutral; if you closed a switch with hot on one terminal and neutral on the other, it would make a dead short and the circuit breaker would trip immediately (hopefully!).
 A regular switch has constant hot on one side of the switch, and a switched hot on the other.  If there's just two wires in the switch box, its a switch loop.

Given the age of your house don't make any assumptions about the wiring color code.  This is good advice even with modern wiring, you never know what the last person may have done, or done wrong.  But older wiring systems simply didn't color code the way modern systems do.

If you have to identify a neutral, it can be tricky.  In modern house wiring, switching the neutral is a no-no;  in the old days it was standard practice.  They used to use some complicated circuits for switch wiring.


What features should I look for in a full-house surge protector?

First off: If your lights dim and brighten, that's due to changes in voltage.  To solve this requires a "power conditioner", or solving a serious problem known as a "floating neutral".

To protect against lightning or high voltage spikes, you want a "surge protector".  These protect equipment from damage (the spikes can be tens of thousands of volts).

To keep computers or TV's running through brief power outages you want an "uninterruptible power supply" or UPS.

And finally you might want a "backup generator".

It's possible you want all four types of device in different places.  Some devices combine more than one function.  For example a good offline UPS will offer power conditioning and and surge protection, but will be limited in capacity and not suitable for the entire building.

Power does not "flow through" a whole house surge protector.  One unit, costing perhaps $100, protects the entire house.

There's typically only one whole house unit made for your particular brand of main electrical service panel.  Thus, choosing a whole house surge protector is easy (see a list of them over at my website http://guides.obviously.com/Whole-House-Surge-Protectors/1482 ).


Led lighting typically requires a transformer or power supply.  The power supply is plugged in or hardwired somewhere that is hidden like under the sink or on top of the cabinets.  Low voltage wire 18/2 is then typically run from this location to each location that requires led lighting.
You could use your armored cable to carry low voltage if you know where the cable ends and can disconnect it from the actual junction box.  At that junction box you could then hookup the power supply and splice the low voltage output onto the armored cable to supply the led fixture under the cabinet.
I don't think there are any gfci requirements for low voltage lighting in proximity of a sink.


Or, you could get a faucet filtration system and a glass jug. This is basically a water filter that clips onto your faucet. No taking things apart, and no water sitting in a plastic jug.


How do I add a door to an already existing wall?

Add 2 inches to the door width to get your RO (rough opening) width. Add 2 inches to your height, to allow for a gap at the floor. (You probably won't need all of it, but sometimes level on the floor doesn't cooperate.)

If you absolutely know that the wall isn't load-bearing, then technically, you don't need a header. However, it's not hard to build a simple header, so I'd suggest you do it.

If your wall is load-bearing, you'll want support while you've cut stuff away.

Other random tips:
Try really hard to get your hinge side studs perfect. If it's right, you can easily screw the hinge side of the jamb directly to the stud.
Cut an entire sheet of drywall away on each side, so you have lots of room to work on the framing. This also means that the new sheet you put in will have no seams around the door, which will help with cracking.


What is the importance of "breathable" home exteriors?

Walls don't need to breathe--people do! What these people mean is that it is important for walls to be able to dry out when they get wet; that they should not trap moisture. This is true, but is only orthogonally related to "breathability." In practical terms, what this means is that in reasonably moist climates, you want a wood-framed house's wooden sheathing to be able to dry to either the interior or the exterior if it gets wet. The sheathing would dry to the exterior if it's placed closer to the siding than the interior drywall, and to facilitate this, you would want there to be a ventilated rainscreen gap between the siding and the tar paper or housewrap covering the sheathing. If, on the other hand, the sheathing is covered up with a bunch of rigid foam insulation, it needs to be able to dry to the interior, which is accomplished by not putting any totally impermeable materials between the drywall and the sheathing like plastic sheeting or closed-cell spray foam.

As to how this relates to the siding material: it's irrelevant. Vinyl siding in no way impedes a wall's drying power, and in fact often improves it because it automatically includes a weak form of rainscreen gap in the form of the open channels behind the planks.

On a wood-framed home, you should choose brick as an exterior cladding because you like its look, durability, low maintenance, or acoustic advantages, not because of its moisture-related characteristics. In fact, brick is more dangerous in a cold and rainy climate because the brick will soak up water, which can freeze if the temperature drops far enough before the water has all drained out of the brick. And the brick siding absolutely needs a ventilated rainscreen gap separating it from the tar paper or housewrap covering the sheathing. Otherwise a phenomenon called "inward solar vapor drive" can force any water in the brick into whatever's touching behind it--such as the wooden sheathing!


Honeywell Humidifier Leaking Near Overflow Tube

My suggestion is that you take a look at that plastic bulkhead fitting closely. The drain hose is attached and clamped in place with a nylon tie wrap. Upon inspection you will likely see that if the hose were removed the outer portion of that bulkhead fitting would screw off like a nut. The rest of the fitting projects through from the inside. There would be a flat rubber washer that seals the fitting against the inner side of the bulkhead.

It is also possible that the fitting is one that was pressed through from the inside with catches that came through those notches and then the fitting was turned to lock it into place. In this case there should still be a rubber washer or O-ring on the inside of the drain tank.

My guess is that the rubber washer or O-ring has degraded, cracked and has thus led to the leak that you are seeing. The best bet is to replace this sealing component.

You may have an alternative that could stop the leaking on a temporary or semi permanent basis. If the tank surfaces around the fitting were nice and clean and dry without any scale or gunk it may be possible to apply a bead of silicon sealer around the fitting to stop the leaking. Success of this will depend upon if the plastic type is one that will bond well with the silicon or not.


The paint marks are used as a general guide to how tightly the spring is wound.  In this case it's clear that the right spring is wound more tightly than the left one.  Yes, it's possible that the left one has slipped or they were not evenly wound to start with.
The two springs should be tensioned the same and this is done by counting the turns as you wind them.  The tension should be set so that the door is roughly "neutral".  By that I mean that it can be moved up and down with minimal force from either the opener or from a manual operator if the opener is disconnected.  At the top it should stay up when properly tensioned.
You are correct, however, that tensioning these springs can be very dangerous!!  But using proper tools and methods and wearing safety glasses you can minimize the danger of personal injury.
Using the winding tool that fits snugly into the sockets on the hub, you take the tension off the setting bolt and then loosen it.  Now using one of the tools (you will need two of them) you can wind or unwind it from about 1/4 to 1/2 a turn.  Repeat until you have tightened to the desired tension or loosened it fully.  DO NOT RELEASE THE HUB AND LET IT SPIN!!  That is VERY dangerous!
If you find you are unable to do this yourself safely, please call a qualified overhead door service tech.


What to look for in a new water radiator?

There are a number of companies that make very low profile radiators such as this one:

There are several factors such as the type of system - steam, hot water; if steam, whether one pipe or two.  You will also have to accomodate certain valves, so placement is an issue - piping through the wall or from the floor, whether you can accomodate valves in the wall, and how to access if you do.

Size is also a significant consideration and you need to determine how much area you need to replace a much more massive old radiator.  While the new ones may be more efficient, you may need more surface area, depending on the overall demand for heat.