Why is my furnace leaking, and what is it leaking?

I know it's in the comments, but I feel it's important enough to place in an answer:
Never EVER throw water on a fire that is , or might be, oil or gasoline - based!
If your furnace does not have an automatic thermal cutoff valve on the fuel line inlet, you're out of code (at least in Massachusetts), and should definitely have a plumber install one.
Keep a fire extinguisher that's rated for gas/oil/volatiles near your furnace; but if a fire starts, always call the fire dep't.  They know how to check for hidden "hot spots" .


This is done with a special roller and common plaster/mud.  It's just sort of hackle-dackle spackled on there, really amazingly cheap.

The purpose is to roughen the surface to conceal lack of parallelness in the ceiling panels, drywall taping lines, hole patches, and other surface defects.


Burcam 506532ss booster pump pressure too high

You did not mention an expansion tank installed after the pump that would allow the pressure device time to respond to a shut off of the flow or demand. The expansion tank would also absorb the thermally expanded water.


Can I use a universal 22" wood saw for cutting studwork?

If this is for studwork, i.e. constructing internal wood-framed walls, doorways etc, a 22" 7tpi saw should be suitable.

You would use a finer-toothed saw if you need a better finish with less tear-out/splintering, or if cross-cutting very narrow pieces.

Unless you are sawing large logs, the saw should be ok for a variety of uses.


I have about 50 55-gallon drums stacked in my basement, all filled with water.  They are stacked one on top of the other (bottom row/top row) along our north basement wall.  I have two in floor-mounted fans, one pushing, one pulling, mounted in the ground-floor joist cavity (from above they just look like floor mounted cold air returns).  During the day, the fans circulate the air around the house.  Our furnace has a bypass door on the cold-air return that opens a door into the basement cold-air return.  This way, during the summer the furnace fan (on 365 days a year) pulls all the intake air from the basement.  With so much air coming from the basement, our 2 to 3 ton AC units run maybe 6 days in the entire summer.

The system is cheap to run (about 1/4 of our cooling costs with just the AC units).  I got all the barrels for about $200, and I have emergency water for years if i need it.  Plus, my house won't blow away in a gale.


Why not swap breakers 20 and 22 to see if the problem moves with the breaker?
Shut off the main breaker and remove the panel cover. You can disconnect and swap the wires from the two breakers without moving the breakers.
You should replace the panel cover as your test is going to take several days.
If breaker #19301 trips in position 20 then it is obviously bad. If breaker #20033 trips in position 22 then you have a difficult problem in circuit 22 -- probably a loose neutral connection.
If neither breaker trips after several days then breaker #19301 is faulty (but circuit 20 does not apply enough load to trip it).
EDIT in response to OP's comment about switching the wires without changing changing the breakers:
Actually, what I would do if this was my house, is disconnect the wires but not move them, then physically swap the breakers, then reconnect the wires to effect the swap. I didn't suggest this at first because it involves more steps and is more tedious to describe.

Turn off main breaker, remove panel cover.
Disconnect circuit 20 from breaker #20033 and circuit 22 from breaker #19301. Avoid moving the wires as much as possible.
Pull both breakers from the panel, swap their positions, and replace them.
Connect circuit 20 to breaker #19301, and circuit 22 to breaker #20033. All the wires should be exactly where they were before you started.
Replace the panel cover, turn on main breaker.
Wait for something to trip.

Now nothing has changed but the breakers. If the problem does not move with breaker #19301, then it could be in the panel bus bars behind the breaker, or where the neutral from the breaker connects to the neutral bar, or in the neutral connections somewhere in the run to the kitchen, etc. But you will know that you don't need to buy a new breaker.


How can I refresh the finish on my kitchen cabinets?

First off you will have to clean off the grime. Any attempt to dress up the surface of the finish with the grime still present will look worse in my experience.

Cleaning the grime off can be attempted using a washing solution of TSP and hot water. TSP should be available at your hardware store in powered form as TSP or trisodium phosphate. It is an awesome cleaner but will require you to use good rubber gloves that cover up your lower arms.

After you get the grime removed you will be in a position to evaluate the condition of the finish. It the finish is in relatively uniform condition and not worn completely away or cracked / peeling you may be able to improve the looks a lot with an nice quality oil wipe. I would not recommend Pledge type products for reconditioning the finish surface.

If the finish is mildly non-uniform but clean you should be able to pipe on a thin coat of wipe on combo stain/finish. Select a color very close to the current appearance for best results. Make sure to try this out on a non-obvious surface to make fully sure that you are satisfied with the results - in other words do not rely solely on my advice and do read and follow manufacturer instructions.

In cases where the finish is completely gone and bare wood is showing it may be necessary to go to the extreme and strip off all the old finish, sand and re-finish. This can be a huge project (I can speak to it after doing a whole kitchen some 25 years ago and many cans of very smelly strong stripper later) but can be the best way to get cabinets look close to new again. Mine in that project had two coats of paint over original baked on blond finish on ash wood. After re-finishing they looked awesome.

If there is physical damage to doors and drawer fronts you could consider another option that is available. There are businesses that will apply a new covering all over the visible parts of the cabinets. I have a hard time recommending this approach because I think the results of such effort are ugly.


Old furnace with extra wire, but no c terminal Janitrol, 19 year old furnace

Attach it to the junction of the fat blue wire and the skinny red wire

Since it appears like you have air conditioning, as the yellow wire from what looks to be your thermostat cable goes off to what looks like a connection to a white wire in a two-wire cable, likely running to the outdoor unit (compressor).

Because of this, we can make a good guess that the red wire from that two-wire cable connects to a C wire, and that guess is supported by the wire color scheme; the wiring diagram calls out the C wires as blue, and sure enough, the wire that red wire connects to is blue indeed.  So, I would try incorporating the C wire to your thermostat into that bundle, then.


How do you remove a wire from a push-in fitting when there is no release opening?

Unless the wires are way too short, just cut them off - it's not worth wasting your time for 1/2" of wire. You can use wirenuts and add a pigtail if you need more wire. If the wires are way too short, and the circuit is dead, put on safety glasses and use a hammer or locking pliers or a bolt cutter to smash the crap receptacle and release your wires quickly. Life is way too short to fuss with a rotary tool cutting them open.


Suspended platform hanger support spacing calculation

You want to support the equivalent of 18.75 lbs per square foot which is a relatively a lot of load compared to what your ceiling is designed to support. You will need to reinforce your ceiling or provide an alternate support structure.

You need a minimum of (4) supports for it to be stable. Supports at each rafter or joist will spread the load better.

There is no hardware that couples threaded rod with a lag screw.


Removing an old refrigerator water line tap and patch the pipe

Try tightening the brass nut right above the handle. That should top the leak. Use an adjustable wrench, not pliers or channel locks.
If you remove the valve, you'll have to install a repair sleeve on the pipe and sweat solder it for the best results.


Heat transfer to adjacent solder joints behind wall

I don't see any reason why unintentional reflow of the solder on that nearby elbow would inherently be any problem. Try to minimize disturbing it while the solder is molten -- don't pull the pipe out of the elbow, and hold it with pliers so the pipe won't rotate while you're trying to work the other fitting off the same stub of pipe.
It'll probably work out just fine, and if you have the parts and tools on hand you'll be ready to deal with any trouble that might arise.
The biggest thing is to make sure you keep all the water cleared out while trying to solder. Have a dissolvable sponge (such as a slice of white bread) on hand to stuff up into the pipe to hold water at bay, just in case.


How can I replace the seal on the bottom of my shower door?

What you're looking for is a "replacement shower door gasket".  I found what appears to be an exact match for what you need here:

Replacement gasket

Check the measurements against your own part to be sure.

Good luck!


What are some safe and ethical ways to dispose rinse water used to clean up lead contamination jobs?

Let the water evaporate and then dispose of the bucket in a plastic garbage bag.


How to and how much to clean the HEPA filter?

There are washable filters and one that can not be washed, trust the manual about that.

Don't worry over or fight the small spaces that did not get clean. You will annoy yourself, and be limited in how much you can clean them if you try.

View them as a very small reduction in the filter area, be proud that you are one of the few taking proper care of your filter, and enjoy your clean air.


Can I turn a 4 X 4 deck post, eight feet high, into a 6 x 6 post by laminating a 2 X 6 and 2 X 4 to it?

If I understand your description correctly, you have a maximal load area of ~38 ft². If so, 4x4s are more than sufficient for the posts. (Check your trusted load tables; don't believe some random guy on the Internet.) If you replace some posts there is no harm in upgrading them to 6x6s, but I don't see a reason to sister onto the existing 4x4s.

However, it sounds like there is so much rot that it will be easier to tear down the entire deck and build a new one. If you do that, the new deck will of course need to meet current code requirements.


Keep in mind that the feedline (coax cable) going from the access point to the external antenna will drop your signal strength. Here's a good quote from SuperUser on this topic:

"A common relatively inexpensive cable for short runs of WiFi antennas is LMR100. At 2.4 GHz (the common WiFi band), 15 feet of LMR100 will result in signal loss of about 6 dB. That's equivalent to dropping power to just 25% of what it was. (Each 3 dB = 50% gain or loss in power)"

If it looks like you would have to run a long feedline, an alternative is to use an outdoor access point. You'd place it on the outside of your garage, set it up as a wireless client, and wire it with ethernet to the access point inside the garage.


When wiring a mains plug, why are the cables squeezed under the screws and not circled around?

It might be important to add a photo of a plug, so us Yanks can understand what you're talking about.

Based on the image it's clear to see that the terminal screws have no heads, so it's much different from most screw terminals a US user would come across. Terminals like this; even in the US, are designed to clamp a straight bit of wire. With a terminal like this, wrapping the wire around the screw would not allow the screw to clamp the wire at all.


Which professional should I call for leak coming down the furnace exhaust flue?

This is a common problem in windy areas with rain. In many cases the leak is rain getting inside the pipe and running down. Based on your photo I would say this has been happening for a long time.
I would want to call a general contractor that also does roofing because the roofing only guys may not be the best at repairing the interior damage. The cleanout looks like it is rusting through.  Water has probably been sitting in there a long time.


Is sand mix concrete appropriate for a shower floor?

in a normal curbless install you want a 100% sealed system. it sounds like this over a concrete substrate, so once the drain is  installed and secured, use a mud bed mix thats been fortified or add a latex into it, this will help with strength as the pitch gets shallow. in addition to latex in the mud bed, trowel mortar to the cement before the mud to help it bond to the cement.be sure to dampin the cement before combing mortar on it, so it doesnt suck the moisture out of it to fast and weakin its strength. after that its all about the water proofing, several options there from roll on to fabic membrains. choose the one you feel u can manage the best. showers are all about being water proof, if u cant take a shower before the tiles up without it leaking, then its not ready for tile.


How far can #12 wire be run without voltage drop becoming a problem?

25 feet is no big deal for voltage drop.  We start worrying about 70-100'.

You don't need a 20A switch unless you're switching 20A of lights.  For a common household light, a regular switch will do.

You're speaking precisely about wire type, i.e. NM-B, but that's absolutely the wrong wire for that job.  NM-B can't go outside.   I say "wire" instead of "cable" because you are better off using actual wires in conduit, which is to say THWN-2.  If you want to staple cable to walls at the ends of the conduit run, have the conduit end in a junction box, then use the junction box to splice between your NM (outside conduit) and THWN-2 (in conduit).

You can get multiconductor cable similar to NM that is rated for outside, but it's more expensive than THWN and it will be much harder to cram down a conduit.

Make sure you bury deep enough, 6" for rigid conduit, 18" for other conduit.


This isn't to Code

First off, we start at 110.12, which requires a "neat and workmanlike" installation, and this pretty clearly flunks that test since the wires could get weighted down into the fan blades with obvious bad consequences.

Second, I'd take this as a violation of 300.15, which requires splices to be in a box or other sort of enclosure (such as the motor terminal housing), save for a few exceptions that don't apply here.

Finally, I'd be asking what's under all that electrical tape for a splice...there are some definite 110.14 questions there.


Best way to close gap around a fire place?

That looks like a good solution. There's no fire hazard there (if there were, you'd also be worried about the wood). You may have to switch to something thinner at the bottom there, and use additional pieces to fill in the joints between the blocks. Something I've used with good success are lengths of foam pipe insulation; it's cheap, and you can easily cut strips of any width you like.

Given that there's no water to be blocked, if you can get the gap completely filled by the backer rod you may not even need the caulk; doing without caulk would be nice since caulk would be really hard to get off the masonry.


Possible to Recess Over the Range Microwave Into Wall

If you pay attention to @ratchetfreak's comment about leaving enough space, and are willing to go to the bother/mess, you can frame up a hole in the same manner as a window opening.


How do I determine the thickness of wood needed for a desk?

If I were making a desk 3/4" is the minimum that I would go on thickness.  You could definitely go thinner with strapping under but I just like the look.

If you are worried about flex I would use the sag calculator.  It is great and I use it when I build custom shelves.  A desk should inherently have more support than a shelf but a desk will also have more load - so I believe the the calculations should be pretty close.


How to connect a neutral wire from a bundle connected to a push in connector

That type of connector has a fourth hole. I'd use it.

If it didn't, I'd twist out the wires and replace the connector with one of these lever operated connectors:


How can I protect a vending machine wire from being cut again?

Even if the cord is protected by FMC (flexible metal conduit), once the unit falls on it, it'd best be inspected anyway.

Install an Anti-tip Bracket on top of the unit: (intelligentvending.co.uk)

If the owner of the building will not let you secure a vending machine to the wall (which has fallen over multiple times) it's time to find a new place to put it; neither of you should want the liability of not having an anti-tip. And then never set foot in the building again; who knows what else is going on in there...

-Note, use a purchased replacement cord, wired inside the machine (no splicing outside the unit) and cord strain reliefs (grommets).

Also, you need the sticker where the machine eats you if you shake it.


Residential hot water in the USA is potable.

Source: (CIC) National Standard Plumbing Code 10.1 QUALITY OF WATER SUPPLY
a. Only potable water shall be supplied to plumbing fixtures used for drinking, bathing, culinary use, laundry use, cleaning, or the processing of food, medical, or pharmaceutical products


I know this may be a little longer than you might want but it is rather important.

Short answer - Use a heat gun and mineral spirits.

Removing Paint from Wrought Iron, Cast Iron and Steel Using Thermal Methods

This specification provides guidance on the selection of appropriate thermal methods of paint and rust removal from wrought iron, cast iron and steel. These metals should be repainted immediately following paint removal in order to prevent exposure to the atmosphere and subsequent corrosion.

Thermal methods as used herein shall apply to high velocity oxy acetylene or oxy propane flame cleaning, a standard surface preparation method for steel and cast iron, or to the heat gun.

The heat gun works using a hot blast of air at 500 to 750 degrees Fahrenheit. Extreme caution should be taken when using this method.
Heat higher than 1100 degrees Fahrenheit will vaporize lead paint and is hazardous.
The hot air blast produced by the heat gun can ignite debris within a wall cavity or behind a cornice or soffit. The dust can smolder only to ignite hours later after the work crew has gone home so extreme caution must be taken when using this method.
As with flame cleaning, the hot air of a heat gun can overheat cast iron and steel features creating localized thermal stresses, or causing small sections to become distorted.

There are several causes for paint failure on metal.

Excess moisture can cause rusting. As metal rusts, the rust expands breaking the bond between the metal and the paint.
Inadequate or improper surface preparation can interfere with the proper bonding of the new paint. The wrong primer can cause anything from pitting of the metal surface to peeling of the new paint.

It is not necessary to remove all previous coats of paint if:

They are adhering soundly.
The new painting system is compatible.
Important design details are not being obscured by the paint layers.

Chemical products are sometimes sold under a common name.

This usually means that the substance is not as pure as the same chemical sold under its chemical name. The grade of purity of common name substances, however, is usually adequate for stain removal work, and these products should be purchased when available, as they tend to be less expensive. Common names are indicated below by an asterisk (*).

Mineral Spirits:

A petroleum distillate that is used especially as a paint or varnish thinner.
Other chemical or common names include Benzine* (not Benzene); Naphtha*; Petroleum spirits*; Solvent naphtha*.
Potential Hazards: TOXIC AND FLAMMABLE.
AVOID REPEATED OR PROLONGED SKIN CONTACT.
ALWAYS wear rubber gloves when handling mineral spirits.
If any chemical is splashed onto the skin, wash immediately with soap and water.

Available from construction specialties distributor, hardware store, paint store, or printer's supply distributor.

Here is a video link on YT for removing paint off metal
Stripping paint with heat gun 1965 Mustang


How can I keep the front door from blowing open?

If the latch plate is flush with the door edge, the set back is correct.  The flat back (faces street for out swinging doors) must be able to extend into the strike plate to hold door.  Many alignment issues crop up to pull those 2 edges apart.
Door gaps tell what has happened to its alignment over time.

up/down misalign due to top hinge pulling away from jamb.  This will rotate the door down (the door will have a wider gap at the top hinge side), lowering the strike in relation to the strike plate, AND make the door hit the opposite jamb.  Sometimes a long screw(3") in the center hole of the top hinge (in a 4 hole hinge, its the 2 inboard holes) can  pull the door back. Sometimes this treatment is necessary for the middle hinge also (if there are 3 hinges)
The strike plate can be filed some amount if the misalign is small (and the hinges are otherwise tight to the jamb).
The strike plate can be moved, but this gets complicated, as the recess has to move with it.  If this is necessary, cutting out and putting in a "dutchman repair", (illustrated below) may be necessary.


Identify a washing machine part - the exit port

Appliance parts like are generally specific to the manufacturer and possibly model. My usual approach, which has served me well, is:

Find the manufacturer's service website.
Do a parts search there, based on the model # and part description. Ideally, check the existing part for a label.
If that doesn't work, look for a parts diagram of your model. Often these include part IDs expressly for the purpose of ordering replacements.
Based on the part number identified in step 2 or 3, search on google and ebay for the part. Usually you can find it from a third-party retailer for significantly less than ordering direct from the manufacturer.

You might also try a local appliance repair parts store -- they may be able to guide you to find the right part if they are familiar with your brand of appliance.


With proper drainage and base material, no concrete is needed.
Without proper drainage, concrete will (also) fail (at least in a freezing climate.)


Safe to use a 16 amp motor on a 20 amp circuit with a 15 amp outlet?

Just change out the receptacle

I bet your tablesaw has a 5-20 plug on it, which won't fit into a 5-15 receptacle. Since you have a 20A circuit, though, there's nothing wrong with having a 5-20T duplex receptacle on it, or even changing all the receptacles on the circuit to 5-20Ts from 5-15s.  This shouldn't be too tricky a job, as long as you turn off the breaker before you start (of course), change the receptacles one at a time, and note down how things were wired before you start unhooking them.  Also, if the existing receptacle is a 15A GFCI, it'll need to be replaced with a 20A GFCI, not a regular receptacle.


Why would the pressure in my kitchen faucet drop overnight?

You have to work your way back through the plumbing system to track this down, but start with the easy fix of a clogged aerator. Many kitchen faucets have an aerator that can be easily unscrewed and they usually have a mesh that not only aerates the water, but acts as a filter. If there was any junk in the pipes that got to this point, you can just wash it off (just don't drop any parts down the drain).

Beyond that, you are left with checking and potentially replacing each valve from the sink to the next junction that doesn't have any issues.


Roxul is our #1 choice of insulation in exposed areas.

It is non-flammable.
After installation it releases very little dust comparatively.
The dust released has really no harmful effects other than slight irritation.
It molds and conforms stronger than fiberglass and other roll insulation.  Just make your cuts bigger than the area and compact the material in.
It has little to no smell.
Mice/Rats don't like it.

I personally have exposed ROXUL in my laundry room which is the only unfinished room in my house.  It is jammed into ever joist crevice on outside walls.  It also is in at least 30-40 basements I have finished.  It is the best performing insulation I have used - my laundry room is an oven in the winter and was cool with fiberglass sheets.  I would also suggest that you do not put up a vapor barrier unless the ROXUL is below human height - and really unless you are in a very cold climate you should not be insulating that low on a basement.  For basement windows it is the perfect choice.

(Not affiliated with the company at all nor a fanboy.  There are just a few products out there that beat the competition by a lot and I recognize that.  Mike Holme's uses it on everything too.)


Interior Sliding Door Latch or Snib, openable from both sides

After speaking with a few door specialist stores for doors. I had to settle for buying two privacy sets and latch mechanisim to allow for opening/unlatching on both sides of the sliding door.

(Each specialist was perplexed they did'nt actually have a product to cover this situation.)


It sounds like a Fireplace Screen or Cover and not an "Insert" with its own firebox. But, the fireplace floor must be replaced with Firebrick using High Temperature Fireplace Cement/Mortar and according to your local regulations, may need to be slightly lower than the hearth.

The hearth Slate that you plan, should be laid and leveled on a bed of freshly poured fireplace cement/mortar (not the old stuff) and, by regulation, may need to be pitched back toward the fireplace so stuff can't roll onto the combustible floor...regardless of The Insert.

Due to the re-purposing of an open fireplace to now contain an Insert you may, by regulation, be required to blanket and surround The Insert with high-heat resistant Mineral Fiber wool or board. Check Your Regulations.


How can I secure a wall-mount server rack?

You can overkill the job as much as you like, but it's easy enough to use a studfinder or a magnet (looking for screw-heads) to establish the location of the stud non-desctructively, or drill some small holes that will be covered by the rack (and which you can spackle) to destructively identify for certain where the edge of the stud is, and thus infer the center. Given an inch and a half of surface, you don't have to be too precise not to miss the stud.

I've mounted dozens of wall-mount racks and never bothered with more than a studfinder and/or magnet, and not one has fallen off the wall.


Yes. This is called balloon framing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framing_(construction)#Balloon_framing

The catch in 2015 is that it might not be all that easy to find 16' 2x4s that are all that straight.

I'd personally go with 2x6's in this case for added rigidity, load bearing abilities, increased insulation space (important on that high wall) and just plain easier to deal with in terms of getting straighter walls.

Unsolicited suggestions:

have you considered leaving the gap along the side wall? That will allow you the maximum head space up in the loft area towards the front (tall) wall.
I'd consider going with a 3' gap rather than 2' just to make it that much easier to get stuff up into the loft (namely furniture).


Connecting thermostat common wire to air handler or boiler?

From your picture it looks like the C from the air handler is simply connected to the boiler C. So you could pickup a C for the thermostat at either the air handler or the boiler.

The main problem you are going to have is related to turning off the electrical supply to the air handler. You will lose the 24VAC power feed to the thermostat if you do that. So instead you want to leave the air handler powered but program the new thermostat so that it does not turn on the demand connection to the air handler when you do not require its usage. This should result in very little standby electrical power consumption but allow your new thermostat to work.

The "demand connection" I refer to is the thermostat output that is turned on to request heat, cool or in some instances fan. You may need to check if the air handler has the fan running when you think the thermostat has both the heat and cool modes shut off.

Another thing you should check is if the thermostat will run with just one of the Rh and Rc wires connected. Check to see with the air handler power shut off if the Rx wire from the boiler still has 24VAC.

I see that you have the G wire connected to the air handler. As I recall the G wire is for running the fan. You need to see if the air handler stops blowing out air if you disconnect the G wire when the AC power is turned on to the handler. It could very well be that the thermostat activates the G wire in heat mode despite your boiler heat source not using an air circulation fan. A truly smart thermostat may have a programming option to not drive the fan in heat mode to support boiler applications.


Washer: Whirlpool WFW95HEDW0, spin cycle isn't really spinning out the clothes (leaves them wet)

I would check the pump again. If it's 120 Volts, remove the connections and jump it to a 120 Volt source and see if it drains the rest of the water out. The spin cycle will not function correctly with water remaining in the drum. Maybe remove pump from the drum and make sure nothing is clogged inside by the impeller. It seems that the pump just isn't doing it's job.


Can solid offset blocks be used to build a retaining wall in excess of 5'?

There is another and better choice than solid blocks with lips and cinder blocks with rebar. Look at both Keystone and Versa-Lok (versalok.com/products/residential-commercial/standard). These are concrete blocks with heavy fiberglass-epoxy pins which hold the courses together. There are other similar systems now which may be cheaper than Versa-Lok and may be adequate for a wall 4 ft or 5 ft above grade.

Thirty years ago we got a retaining wall built on the downhill side of our lot, wrapping around back until the top of the wall reached grade.  The height is 4 blocks or 32" giving a max height above grade of 28".

The contractor used Keystone "compact units" about 44 lb each. The Keystone blocks are held together with stout fiberglass epoxy pegs and have four holes on top for two pegs (and two holes on the underside) giving a choice of two different offsets per course, about 1" and about 2". This was somewhat overkill for this wall, but it certainly has not shifted. I did not want the possibility of blocks on top ever getting loose and falling on a child or a dog.

I think Versa-lok has some features that make installation easier and result in a very strong and long lasting wall which is easier to build. For example Versa-Lok has slits in the top of each block into which a special gripper is inserted to allow carrying and positioning of the blocks with no need to have fingers in danger.


Shared ground on bathroom light, fan, heater combo

Connect all ground wires together in the light/fan combo. Ground paths often parallel, like anytime MC cable is used, a ground wire is pulled into a conduit, or a metal box is installed on a metal stud.

250.130(C) only applies in conditions of the paragraph ahead of it, where it refers to receptacle replacements and circuit extensions of existing circuits (that were initially installed prior to a grounding conductor being required).


Do I need rim joist for this tree house platform? What will happen if I leave them off?

Do you have to?

No.

What will happen if you don't?

The unsupported ends of your joists will:

sag
twist

The decking on the left of the single tree (from the angle of the picture you provided) will become uneven, making tripping hazards for the occupants up top. You'll also end up needing to replace those deck boards more frequently, since not only will they want to do some warping and cracking of their own (it's wood, that's what it does), but they'll be forced into even more warping by the joists moving underneath them.
An additional consideration - without the rim joist, what are you going to attach the railing to? Having the nice straight, even surface of the rim joist gives a good mating surface for screwing the railing posts to (with some serious sized structural screws, not decking screws (they're not designed for that kind of load), and especially not drywall screws). Without it, you're going to have to fabricate some pretty unique and beefy brackets to hold the railings to the ends of the joists. You'll probably have to cut through that last deck board to attach them. Then, you'll get to watch the whole railing get ripped apart as the joists twist with age.
But, you don't have to.
Maybe OP had thought about this, but it just occurred to me: I'd put a rim joist at the far end, too, even though each joist is directly supported by the beam and attached to them with the hurricane clips (kudos for that!). Those metal clips will help prevent the bottoms from moving when the joists want to twist (if it twists away from the metal, a joist can pull itself off the nail, leaving the metal behind), but will leave the tops free to move. A rim joist on the far end will help prevent warping all the way along the ends of the joists.


Hot and cold lines can communicate through single lever delivery faucets. But the shutoff valves will stop this. Turn off the hot supply at the shutoff at each single handle control. Usually it is the kitchen faucet doing this, but it can be any where.


Need help running and connecting a 'C' wire to my new thermostat

You will want to use the wire labeled "Y" in your schematic as the "C" wire for your thermostats.


What type of bulbs dim to lowest setting?

Have you adjusted the low-end trim? There is a PDF which they class as "advanced" instructions that describes the procedure on Page 25.

Hold On button for 6 seconds, until LED (on dimmer) starts to flash.
Hold Down button until lamp turns off or starts to flash.
Tap Up button until lamp is not flashing and is stable (or is as bright
as you want the lowest dim to be.)
Hold Off button until the LED (on dimmer) stops flashing.


Can I run a dehumidifier pump to a washer stand pipe?

Yes, there should be no problem with doing that, provided you're within distance constraints of the pump. The washer stand pipe should just be a vertical pipe, with your washer drain going inside it, and not actually connected/sealed. This is done so that there is a vacuum break. You should simply put the pipe from this pump along side the washer pipe in the same way - do not attach it with fittings, otherwise you risk water from the pump going into your washer, or more likely, drain water from the washer going into the pump.

In this picture, the white pipe is the standpipe, the black is the drain connected to the washer.

Basically, just put the pipe from your dehumidifier pump alongside the black pipe.

To echo @Jeff Widmer, you may want to tie the pipes down afterwards (a zip tie or some electrical tape around the whole thing may work), just to be sure neither pipe ever slips out and sprays everywhere. Again, don't seal this up or use fittings - you specifically need an air gap.


I'm not sure that complete removal is an option.  As a result, the way I would tackle this is as follows:

First, remove as much as possible with scraping.

Next, paint (matching the brick color).

If that still doesn't provide an acceptable asthetic, cover it up.  Contact the window manufacturer to find out what stain was used and make a trim piece of wood that will cover the gap and the residual caulk.


Where to start when standing oscillating fan motor wont turn on?

The easiest component to test is the switch, but the most likely to fail is the capacitor, which is that thing on the right with the purple wires. Your motor looks like a simple induction type. Do a web search on "why does my motor have a capacitor" and you'll know as much as I do.

Here are some tests you can try.

Spin the shaft by hand (You've already done this, haven't you?) If the bearings are seized you can probably get it to run by cleaning and lubricating but my experience is that cheap motors never last long after this.
Turn the fan on and spin the shaft by hand. If the motor starts then the capacitor is bad. Replacing this part is dead simple but finding the replacement is an exercise in industrial engineering. It's a great learning experience, especially if you want to continue fixing stuff.

For the following test you'll have to cut some wires.

Isolate the switch and test it for continuity with your ohmmeter. This is great fun with a multi-speed switch because you have to simultaneously find out how it works, and why it doesn't.
Isolate the capacitor and test it with your ohmmeter. The capacitor should first show zero resistance, then quickly go to infinite resistance. Swap the probes to see it again. If it consistently shows zero or infinite then it has failed.
As long as you have it all apart anyway, test the motor wires for continuity. It is very rare for a motor winding to break but you paid for that meter so you might as well get some use out of it.

I think everyone will agree that cheap appliances are not worth the time to fix, unless you enjoy the work and the learning. Personally I have been pulling machinery to pieces for seventy years and I never get tired of it. Sometimes it even works after I fix it.


How do you choose when to use oil vs latex paint?

Oil has a lot of advantages for other reasons.

One is it looks better. Many of my customers have spent a lot of money on "high-end" latex paints, and once it was up and they saw another friend's house with oil, they still wanted the oil. Not all people obviously. But the solid heavy body feel is an issue.

Another issue I run into is, being a painter, you realize when you do a lot of homes over time that people are all transient, especially in Florida. So I do a lot of condos and houses that once people get into they do not know what was there. I run tests on the older paint and often in rentals there is a mixture of paint so I cannot estimate within the budget and re-prime or strip the whole house trim.

So oil is a great solution, it looks solid and it will always adhere, so it looks good and no one calls me back when the latex peels.

You cannot make these ridiculous promises with latex when most often any problems with latex are that it's cheap looking within a year or two, and the people notice the thin layer, and it scratches and peels with not much hardening - it is soft.

When you get to the unit or project fresh I would start with primer and latex when I'm in control of whats there, but often in my projects with re-paints you got to work with what is there and within a budget.

Sometimes owners will give me a thumbs up to re-prime, sand, and re-work all the doors and trim. That takes time, and I'm still not convinced all primer and latex systems over old paint will adhere well, not without stripping it down or heavy sanding and a thorough cleaning.

Most often, I see problems with painting, it is poor prep or latex involved. Very rarely will you see oil-based fail in adhesion. It is always reliable as a solid authentic painted finish, it just goes with the craftsmanship of an old fashioned real painter. When someone gets a painter in their home, they are not looking for a pre-painted factory Wal Mart painted in China pre-fab finish. I mean, you can order vinyl pre-painted baseboards or something similar like that - they sell temporal items like fake wood or synthetic furniture that mimic wood or sprayed pieces, mimic the original look of an item/piece. With a hand painter they want that feel and appeal, it just is real and better. They still want that certain look.

Latex has gotten way better but it still lacks a certain quality. Latex is good as well for painting two coats in the same day, but I can totally tell the difference on many types of surfaces in its body and the touch.

And years later when you go back to a home that has had oil it looks solid still, maybe yellows some but it is solid - any paint will need to be re-painted years later anyway (Porter Glyptex oils most often earliest in my experience).

Oil is superior by far for many reasons. The problem comes in when people that have painted over it never prepped it right, or failed in converting.

Oil in and of itself, when done right, the best. IF you do a home a oil, follow up the next time with oil again, have your painter touch it up with the same product. That is another major key, not to mix and match too much, you need to keep good records and use the same paint if possible, it can save you a lot of headaches and a lot of painters in the future will differ on opinion and may sway you. Just be consistent and you will have painting bliss. And if you have a situation where there is a mix and match oil will save the burden and a bundle on tripping and re-doing. Some may have the money and not mind and can afford to rebuild and redo everything, then just renovate the whole unit in question if you are that wealthy.

You see oil has practical use, a solid traditional solution, a hard core absolute thing. There are even more good pro's to oil, I can think of more but this is enough to chew on for now.

Latex is finer but I was reading here on this page someone saying they had no idea why oil these days and I believe I come across a lot of situation where its a win-win for me and my customers if I can save them some time and money. Of course sometimes thinking of others and being honest leaves me not so wealthy , but there is a higher calling to this as well.

Just saying, but my customers are always happy with extra money in their pockets and accounts, so I did the right thing than, "I hope".


Very small pictures, but if I'm seeing them correctly, that's a standard shingle roof which means it'll be over wood sheathing.

So no, using a flame cutter would be a substantially bad idea.  Unless you want the building to burn down, that is.


3 white wires & 3 black wires coming from ceiling box

The likely scenario is that the single white wire is the switched hot and the bundled white wires are the neutral. You need to confirm this.

With all wire bundles clear of each other and any metal, turn on the switch and then restore power at the breaker. With a non-contact tester, check the black wire bundle, the white wire bundle and the single white wire.

The black bundle should register hot. The white bundle should register not hot. The White wire should register hot.

Now turn off the switch (not the breaker) and check again. All should be the same except the white wire, which should now be not hot.

If that is the case, we have confirmed the setup.

Turn off the power at the breaker. Attach the white wire from the fixture to the white bundle. Attach the black fixture wire to the single wire. Attach the ground to the bare or green ground wire (if present) or to the metal box if no ground wire wire, or leave alone if no wire and a plastic box.

All should be well. If not, write back.

P.S. If this does work, the single white wire should have a black marking on it to show it is sometimes hot. Tape or a marker will do.


Removal of the cardboard pier footing forms in the crawlspace - how to do it?

It's doesn't hurt anything to remove it. Take a sharp utility knife and bring extra blades with you.


You have 2 completely different questions in two completely different scopes. Don't confuse them.  You must consider and answer each individually, and use the higher of the two answers.

Given the receptacle you want to use, which defines the breaker size, what is the minimum wire size you must use to keep from cooking the wire?   A 30TT or 14-30 requires a 30A breaker, and the answer is "10 AWG wire".
Given the current you realistically expect to draw, actually, how much voltage drop do you feel will be acceptable to you?   This is more complicated, starting with the "current draw, actually".  It depends dramatically on what appliances are installed in your RV, which appliances you actually do use, and how much current those draw. Which you need to survey.

Remember -- having a 30A plug does not mean the RV draws 30A.  It means that is the standard socket at RV parks, because some other RVs draw 30A.

Continuing part 2, you need to figure out the voltage drop you find acceptable under your practical load(s).  I for one don't have a problem with a 5-6% drop, but then, I don't feed my family by upselling you into thicker wire.  Those who do, say 3% is max.   3% is not mandatory, it boils down to what you find acceptable.   The voltage drop cannot damage your wire, the required breaker in step 1 guarantees that.

As an example, let's say your practical load is 10A most of the time and you'd like to have a 3% drop then; or 20A in extreme circumstances and you don't mind a 6% drop then.

Plug those into a voltage-drop calculator, and there you go.  (only consider the distance from the last subpanel to the RV).

Now, take the largest (smallest numerically) in step 1 (10AWG) and step 2 (in my example 12AWG).  You must use at least 10AWG.

If you did the numbers again with 3% at 24A (the highest you are likely to draw continuously), I get 10 AWG.

If you want to for thicker wire nonetheless, that's between you and your wallet.

Now consider the new AA-8000 aluminum alloy wire.  The ooga-booga about it never applied to AA-8000, nor to large conductors.   At those large sizes with lots of metal content, it is far cheaper, and bonds better to large lugs, which are made of aluminum.

Starting at 6 AWG Cu, I start pricing it both ways - you need to run the numbers and typically go up a wire size i.e. 4 AWG Al.  For the cost, you could even upsize the AL and reduce your voltage drop further.

If you upsize the feed to a subpanel, you can upsize the supply breaker.  If you upsize the feed to a receptacle, you must use the breaker the receptacle requires.


This is a low-pressure application, so almost any rubber hose of the correct diameter should work. Measure the plastic tubing outside diameter and look in an auto parts shop for heater hose or radiator hose of that inside diameter. Some radiator hoses have a right-angle bend, and smaller diameter heater hose should be flexible enough to bend without kinking.


How to remove waves from ceiling and paper from walls [picture]

There are many approaches. One of the least labor-intensive (but folks who have not gone down the route of removing wallpaper, etc. almost never believe it) is to apply a new layer of drywall (thinnest you can source) over the walls & ceiling you don't like the paper/texture on. That spares you from hours of steaming wall paper and fighting with the resulting wall (usually not) taking  paint nicely, and filling and/or scraping off the ceiling texture. You may need to extend electrical boxes, but you get a nice new paintable surface without the fuss of removing the old one.

Or, if electrical or insulation upgrades would be good anyway, rip out the existing drywall and replace it.

Of course, if you "saw a house" the easiest approach is to not buy that one. If you buy it anyway, letting it be for a year to see if you still hate it enough to bother is often worthwhile.


Is it safe to have an additional load before a switch first circuit?

2014 NEC, 210.11.C.3 Bathroom branch circuits. 1 20 amp shall be provided and have no other outlets. So it would be a code violation if not in the bathroom.


Support for shelves already on L brackets

You should be able to install 4 or 5 such shelves, each having three brackets and being similarly loaded, with no ill effects. Some minor deflection of the wall is expected, but it should be negligible. The wall is not in danger of being torn apart.
Yes, legs would remove the bulk of the stress from the wall. I don't consider it necessary in this case, however.


How do I wire one switch in a circuit with two "fixtures" but only one being operated by the switch?

It sounds like you have a setup like this.

If you want to control the pump independently, simply add a switch between the transformer and the pump.


Partial power outage ,facing single-phasing

Key question: Where are you (country/region)? If you are in the US/Canada or another area with 120V/240V power - i.e., "regular" receptacles & lighting are 120V but a few large appliances (cooktop, oven, dryer, etc.) are 240V then you may have a "lost leg". This is a very serious problem. The key reason I suspect this type of problem is:
after I hit turn/on touch wire of oven or cooktop then power would come back on.
That indicates a correlation between having 240V loads and other 120V circuits working. That can happen if you have a lost neutral or some other serious problem.
Call Your Electric Utility and tell them you have an Outage
The good news is that very often this is a Utility Company problem. Call them and tell them you have think you have an outage. Specifically a lost leg or lost neutral. They will (at least in the US) come out pretty quickly to check things  out. Most of the time this will turn out to be a problem on the utility's side - e.g., wire from pole to meter - and they will fix it at no charge. If they determine it is not their problem then you will need to get a licensed electrician to check things out.
As a very basic test, you can use a multitester (voltmeter) to check the voltage. In a normal receptacle it will be ~ 120V. If it varies significantly (more than a few V) and especially if 1/2 the receptacles read very high and the other 1/2 read very low or if the voltage varies significantly when you turn on/off the oven, cooktop or other 240V loads then you almost certainly have a lost leg or neutral. The only question is whether it is the main panel (electrician) or outside (utility).


Can I split a single nonmetallic cable to multiple lights?

NOPE across the board. 1) Any exposed wire must be protected by conduit, enclosure or it's own heavy duty armor, as in only proper Armored Cable can be used. 2) You may pigtail or split the Romex only within the confines of the ceiling box itself using a wire nut or similar approved connector & the box must then be securely & entirely closed.

Basically, you need to make & wire your own actual complete fixture. You wire it how you want & have just single leads attached to each member of the Romex, just like any normal fixture. If the fixture's enclosure is metallic or conductive, it needs to be grounded along with or in conjunction with the sockets. I suggest finding a cheap off the shelf fixture & adapting it to your needs.


The minimum service size in the NEC current code is 100a (Ca. may have an exception) the wire to the service can be derated 83%. I don’t know how they got away with a smaller service but all gas appliances 60amp would probably be fine, even A 48” sub zero doesn’t draw that much power especially if full I love mine. And the 5 ton ac is probably the largest load on the system at about 30 amps , the total lighting and receptacle load would be 28 amps if everything was maxed out so you still have room for garbage disposal trash compactor etc. the dryer may be electric and if everything and I mean everything is on at the same time it probably would be ok because of load diversity load calculations are covered in article 220 of the NEC if you want to look them up.


Minimum ampacity for circuits in a home from 1964

It is possible that the circuit that you are wishing that you could connect an AC unit to may very well be equipped with a 15A breaker and 15A wiring. However it is possible that this circuit services three users and so the landlord is telling you that it is limited to 1/3 of that capacity to your outlets on that shared circuit.

It may even be possible that the main wiring panel does not even have circuit breakers and instead equipped with fuses. It is old enough where that is a possibility. And 5A fuses were not unheard of.


With a fresh utility knife blade cut through the wall paper around the area you wish to repair. It can be any shape, but give yourself some margin, say a few inches away from the edge of the brittled or cracked areas.

Shmoo shapes are best. (What's a Shmoo you ask?)

Within that area peel off the wall paper and anything that comes with it. Make sure you don't peel outside the area, and re-cut as needed.
Perform drywall repairs with proper backing as needed (drywall board on wooden backing, or mud on backing etc.., depending what's behind the hole)
Patch and smooth with a finishing drywall compound and feather lightly into the existing painted area. Sand as needed.
Prime and paint.

Textures may not match.
If you need more tips on the plastering / mudding part, let us know. Compounds come in different packaging (bags, tubs) and types (setting vs drying), and some are better for this task than others.


How to GFCI-protect a 3 gang box where each receptacle is on a different circuit

First, "GFCIs", it sounds like you are talking about the "GFCI + receptacle combo device" readily available all over.  While that is one way to provide GFCI protection, it can also be provided by a GFCI device upstream.  Any GFCI device can protect all downstream loads.  As such, GFCIs come as

a GFCI+circuit breaker combo device
a GFCI-only device (deadfront, looks like a receptacle but with no holes)
a GFCI+receptacle combo device, if having a receptacle on that circuit is allowed there, which in the case of kitchen receptacle circuits, it is not.

So for instance, providing GFCI protection to a switch obviously can't be done by a GFCI+receptacle combo device at the switch location.  You need to find an upstream location and install a GFCI device.

You said "GFCI protect your 3-gang box", and it doesn't work that way. Boxes don't get GFCI protection, outlets do. (an "outlet" includes any electrical tap, including hardwired loads such as a light or disposal).  This box has a mix of things that do, or do not, need GFCI protection. Lighting generally doesn't need GFCI protection.  A disposal may, but putting it downstream of a switch is bad form, as some GFCI devices don't like their power being interrupted.  The better location for that GFCI device is upstream of the switch.

Home inspectors are particularly awful about spreading this "GFCIs are receptacles" myth. . If they don't see a "Test" and "Reset" button, they tell you it needs a GFCI there.  This is why "GFCI protected" stickers are required on plain receptacles whose GFCI protection is sourced from upstream.  Unfortunately, some people consider them unstylish, and tear them off.  Get more.  You can also make them with a labelmaker, they need not be blue.


How can I replace a missing IKEA drawer slide?

I would purchase a complete drawer slide from IKEA.

They're not expensive and then there won't be any questions as to whether they have changed the mechanics of the device or not.


Converting a KitchenAid KOSC504ESS 4 Prong to 3 Prong

Figure out what the appliance requires I strongly suggest reading the installation instructions to avoid fire and electrical shock hazards. If the instructions were not included with the oven they are available on the manufacturer's website. The instructions will direct you to read the model/serial/rating plate which will specify the voltage requirements, rated wattage, and required amperage of the appliance. The required amperage can range from 20A to 50A. The KitchenAid website specifies 30A for model KOSC504ESS but you should verify on the plate that is attached to your appliance.

Figure out if you can re-use the existing branch circuit. Find the circuit breaker that controls the existing outlet and read the rated amperage. (If the wire is exposed it's not a bad idea to confirm the wire sizes are consistent with the circuit breaker: 10 AWG for 30A, 8 AWG for 40A, 6 AWG for 50A.) If the existing amperage is below the appliance requirements you will need to run a new circuit. Sometimes a wall oven shares a circuit with a cooktop or built-in microwave. Consider the combined load when deciding whether the circuit will need an upgrade.

If a new branch circuit is required it will need to be 4-wire and provide a separate equipment grounding conductor. At this point you will likely call in an electrician to do the work.

About the wires you describe.
On the appliance the black/red wires are ungrounded (240V), the white wire is grounded (neutral), and the bare copper wire is the grounding wire tied to the appliance frame. Under normal conditions the ungrounded wires carry most of the current for cooking. Some functions such as the controls and timer run on 120V (e.g., between the black and white wires) in which case the white grounded wire carries current. In the case of an electrical short to the metal frame of the oven the bare grounding wire must provide a low resistance path back to the service neutral so that the circuit breakers on the ungrounded wires blow.

If you are re-using the existing 3-wire circuit you must tie the appliance white and bare wires. Do not leave any of the 4 wires disconnected. NEC 250.140 requires that the frame of the oven be grounded to a separate equipment grounding conductor. However, the code allows an exception where there is an existing 3-wire 120/240V branch circuit of the type you describe.

If you go this route, you need to tie the appliance white and bare wires to the branch grounded neutral wire (may be white, gray, or bare wire), tie the appliance black wire to one of the ungrounded wires, and tie the appliance red wire to the other ungrounded wire. If you are hard-wiring into a junction box that's all there is to it. (If the box is metal it must be grounded as well.) The manufacturer's installation instructions show images of how to tie this together for a 3-wire and 4-wire configuration.

If feasible you would be better off converting the obsolete 3-wire socket to a 4-wire socket. This can often be done by retrofitting a ground wire. The problem with 3-wire connections is there is no separate ground. If that neutral wire breaks it will put line voltage on the oven chassis. Which is metal.

From the 2011 NEC edition:

  250.140 Frames of Ranges and Clothes Dryers.
  Frames of electric ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, clothes dryers, and outlet or junction boxes that are
  part of the circuit for these appliances shall be connected to the
  equipment grounding conductor in the manner specified by 250.134 or
  250.138.

  Exception: For existing branch-circuit installations only where an equipment grounding conductor is not present in the outlet or junction box, the frames of electric ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, clothes dryers, and outlet or junction boxes that are part of the circuit for these appliances shall be permitted to be connected to the grounded circuit conductor if all the following conditions are met.

  (1) The supply circuit is 120/240-volt, single-phase, 3-wire; or 208Y/120-volt derived from a 3-phase, 4-wire, wye-connected system.

  (2) The grounded conductor is not smaller than 10 AWG copper or 8 AWG aluminum.

  (3) The grounded conductor is insulated, or the grounded conductor is uninsulated and part of a Type SE service-entrance cable and the branch circuit originates at the service equipment.

  (4) Grounding contacts of receptacles furnished as part of the equipment are bonded to the equipment.

A plug/receptacle adds some complication. You mentioned purchasing a 3-wire plug. The grounding terminals on a 3-wire plug are probably not listed to connect to two wires at once (white plus bare Cu). I suspect you will need to remove the existing 4-wire flexible cable from the oven and replace with a 3-wire cable with plug. Search for "3-wire range cord" and you will find several one-piece units with screw terminals. Make sure it meets the amperage rating of your appliance. Remove the existing cable first to see how it is attached to the oven. You should see a terminal block like the image below. You will need to tie green and white wires together on the appliance side. Often there is a strap included to do this.

All of this terminology can sound rather intimidating. At the end of the day we are talking about tightening a few screws in the back of the oven. Still, do it wrong and someone dies or your house goes up in flames. So if you feel lost there is no shame in asking one of your more handy friends to come over and guide you through it. Or failing that hire a professional to do the install. If you purchased from a local store the install is often less than $50 in labor.


We need to divide the problem in half. In the case of an engine we need to decide if it's not starting because of gas or spark. Too test the engine for spark your going to need an extra set of hands or some electrical tools. If you have help you can have some one hold the spark plug wire close to the spark plug while you pull the string. If electricity is getting to the spark plug you will see a spark jump from the wire too the sparkplug. IF you see a spark we can now trouble shoot the fuel.

The easiest way to check the fuel would be to buy a can of ether, that is what the guy in the video sprayed into the engine. If it runs for a couple seconds (or even acts like its about to start) then we know the problem is with the carburetor or fuel system in general.

If you complete these next steps please come back and +1 my answer(so I get a notification) and I will continue to assist you in trouble shooting. Regardless if it's spark on fuel the trouble shooting only get more and more complex from here. I would replace the spark plug and if that doesn't work I would look at calling Home Depot, they might even pick the lawn mover up for you. They are good people.

How to check for spark video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUOmsGiirTU


Is there a standard for marking wires negative/positive?

If one of the conductors is intentionally grounded then the National Electrical Code requires that it be colored white or gray. Refer to Article 200 for the grounded conductor and Article 690 for the PV system.

For ungrounded DC conductors supplying circuits operating at more than 60 volts the 2017 National Electrical Code requires red for positive and black for negative or other methods that are described in Article 210.5(C)(2) for branch circuit wires and 215.12(C)(2) for feeders as ThreePhaseEel points out in the comments below.

Good luck!


I prefer graphite. It will act as a lubricant, but since it is a powder and not a liquid, it will not capture dirt like oil will. Oil would be my second choice. Grease is normally too thick and would require taking the hinge apart to really get it in there good.


remove sheared screw from electrical outlet box?

Corrosion isn't your problem. The screw was too long and it bottomed out on what looks like a cable clamp in the box.   The screw is in compression.  If you get in there with a Dremel with the tiny cutoff wheel, you should be able to saw through it.  Once you do the compression will be gone and you should be able to finger-spin it out.

It looks like his mistake was using extra long screws because of the depth of the plaster there.   And he went extra extra long, and was too long and bottomed out.   Choose length more carefully, or use the feature on your wire stripper to cut bolts.


Dishwasher electrical connection up to code?

For a hardwired appliance, either one of two things are true in order for the connection to comply with Code:

The appliance provides a junction box on itself where the field wiring connections can be made, or
The appliance provides a "whip" of cordage or wire-in-flex that has bare ends -- this is intended to be terminated in a field-installed junction box.

If it's the former, then the drywall damage is pure sloppiness (and wouldn't qualify as "neat and workmanlike" if you ask me -- some sort of LV bracket could be used for cable routing purposes I suppose?).  If your dishwasher does the latter (which is my suspicion), then you need to install a box and NM clamp for the cable (a surface mounted "handy box" would do, as would an old work box cut into the wall) and then use a faceplate with a knockout on the front along with a cable clamp or bushing to route the appliance whip into the box.


How can I attach the divider for sliding closet doors to concrete?

Use plastic concrete/wall anchors with long pan head sheet metal screws. Pick the diameter whose screw matches the holes in the guide you are mounting. Use masking tape over the carpet and mark the hole locations using the guide you are mounting on the tape. Leave the tape in place while you drill the pilot holes. Drill through the carpet, pad and into the concrete. Make sure you drill deep enough in the concrete to completely sink the plastic insert.

Leave the tape in place or you will lose the holes. Insert the plastic inserts. If the carpet and pad is thick,  be careful to push the insert into the hole as far as possible, then use a hammer over the hole to carefully seat the plastic anchors fully. They should be fully in the concrete. Place the door retainer over the tape and start the screws. Tighten the screws,  drawing the retainer against the floor. Once in place,  you can trim around the door retainer and remove any visible tape.


Need to find out if this is a load bearing wall on my second floor

Probably not load bearing because:

This wall runs parallel to the ceiling joists (doubt they are trusses in an 1892 house), and
it doesn't seem to have load-bearing structure below (though it's possible there's a bearing beam underneath, inside the floor/ceiling).

Of course, if you want to be sure you should have it inspected in person by a builder or engineer. They will want to confirm that any load above this wall is adequately supported by other structure. They may also do some less scientific testing like attempting to wiggle the wall studs. Both forms of inspection are helpful because in old houses, sometimes things are modified or settle such that even members not originally designed to be load-bearing end up carrying some load.

Even if all signs point to the wall not bearing significant load, be careful when starting to demolish it. If your saw binds up while cutting through a stud, that's a sign there is compression load on that stud and you should stop and shore up the structure before continuing demolition.


How to frame the side cantilever joist for deck?

Add 2 or 3 blocks perpendicular to the joists directly under the post locations. The longer the block are the better to minimize splitting when you run the post mounting screws into them.

You may already plan to, but you can move the posts over the last joist to get a little more room on your deck.

When the mounting screws go through the decking, sandwiching everything up will be quite strong.

But this does only address the strength of the railing. The joists must attach to the ledger, no "floating" joists


Isolation valves on tankless heater: is this setup ok?

This kind of connection does not need pipe dope because a plastic washer or seal is compressed between two hard metal rims. The threads are not exposed to water pressure and are not part of the sealing so pipe dope would not be useful.

Twelve years ago I bought and supplied to the plumber who installed my tankless heater a set (hot and cold) of Webstone 50443 service and isolation valves. I had bought two of these Bosch heaters as discontinued models on sale at Home Depot, intending to put one in my house and the other in a rental house I owned, but I chickened out on doing it myself and hired a plumber. He acted like he had never seen valves of this type. These are specifically for tankless heaters and allow cutting off the cold water supply and the hot water piping of the house from the water heater and then opening up the heater for draining and for descaling with vinegar.

I had it descaled once in 12 years of service. The plumber who did the descaling was not familiar with these valves and wrenched one in the wrong direction over the stop. Luckily this didn't break it and I was able to remove the handle and restore normal operation. He used a pump in a bucket to circulate a couple of gallons of white vinegar but  decided to turn the heater on with the vinegar circulating. I don't think that is a good idea.

I wonder whether descaling is necessary for most installations. If yours is new just use it for 10 years and then think about descaling.

What model is your tankless water heater? Mine is a Bosch Aquastar 125 (?), a discontinued model with a standing pilot light that does not require electric power.

Noritz seems to think that there is no one universal descaling time interval. http://www.noritz.com/blog/biggest-myth-tankless-water-heater/


Deck Posts Were Covered With Dirt, Dealing With Rot

That first post is looking pretty bad. Most deck lumber is not meant to have contact with ground/dirt. The concrete filled holes should have been higher than the existing grade and sloped away from the posts. Filling in the area you dug out will not solve the problem as water will still accumulate. Your best bet would be to get some concrete deck supports and place them over the concrete after cutting off a portion the posts. The remainder part of the posts would go into the concrete supports.

As far as the wood running along the ground, clean it off, reseal it and dig out the area so there's no further contact.
As always, it never hurts to check with local authorities on what to do.


How can I trust a local window manufacturer? What to research or check?

I guess it depends what you mean by quality.  It seems like the only thing you are interested in is the frame.  You have no requirements around the glass?

I've bought windows from a small manufacturer before - they forgot to drill the weep holes.  Post drilling the weep holes look pretty rough.  One of the triple GUs had a 2' long scratch on the interior of the glass (this is the glass manufacturers fault but doesn't say much for the quality assurance on the side of the window manufacturer).

Are you doing the install or do they have a team?  I'd go out and take a look at some of their other installs and talk to customers who have their windows.  I'd also take a look at their warranties.

I also bought windows from a local company but toured their factory.  I also specified the low-e coatings.  This was a higher end window company though and their product is/was great.

I've bought windows from the box stores as well - they seem good.  Typically you buy from a window manufacturer if you are after high performance and custom sizes.  The box stores are great for pricing if your window openings are sized for there in stock sizes.

Cost effective and energy efficient kind of go against each other.  On a new build I typically go with less windows but bigger.  I find the best compromise is vinyl frame with steel reinforcement, triple pane windows with 366/180 on surface 2/5 and a 90/10 argon/air mix and a super efficient spacer.  Absolute best performance would be fiberglass frame, triple pane, 366/180 on 2/5 and a 90/10 krypton/air mixture.  3mm glass is quite thin so possibly in the future I'd opt for 4mm or thicker.  Also some 3mm is actually less than 3mm depends on the glass manufacturer.


How do I get rid of mold from the bottom of a bath mat (where the suction cups are)?

My experience is that the black growth actually gets right into the bath mat material and cannot be easily removed. I suggest that you replace the mat and then use an alternate procedure when stowing the mat after use.

After use always rinse it off well so no bath scum and other things are left on it. Then hang it up over a towel bar, suction cut side up, so that it can fully dry after each use. When you suction cup the wet mat to the wall you are leaving it there as a perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew growth to occur.


Aprilaire 500 humidifier wiring question - no "C" common on furnace

Find the other compressor wire, and that's your C

There will be three wires going to the outdoor unit in your setup -- one comes from the Y wire from the thermostat (call for compressor), another comes from the O wire from the thermostat (reversing valve), and the third and remaining wire is the return path for both those signals, so it must land on the C terminal, or whatever your system calls it (likely B, but can't tell for sure from your photo).


What are the pros and cons of various hardwood floor finishes?

I have done both a refinish and a new install, and did a bunch of research before choosing.  These are my generalized conclusions about the different choices:

Linseed / Tung Oil

Pros:

Easy to apply
Relatively durable
Quick curing and drying times

Cons:

Will darken with age
Provides very little protection against wood damage

Oil based polyurethane

Pros:

Durable
Low maintenance

Cons:

Long dry times in between coats (~8 hours)
Long time to fully cure (~30 days).
Yellows over time
Strong odor during application and cure
Requires some skill to apply correctly

Water based polyurethane

Pros:

Durable
Low maintenance
Easy to apply
Short dry time (~3 hours)
Short cure time (~7-10 days)

Cons:

Short dry time requires a "wet edge" when applying.
Provides less protection than Oil polyurethane

I don't have personal experience with the Tung/Linseed oil approach.  Both of the areas which I was working are relatively high traffic, and I did not want to have to worry about damage to the wood surface.
I have seen the Oil-based poly done, and it is a production.  It usually results in evacuation from the house because of the VOCs in the finish.  The long cure times made it a deal breaker for me, because the areas in question were main walkways in my house.
So, in my case, I chose to go with the water based poly.  It is durable, comes in several finishes (satin to high gloss), and is maintenance free for many years.  It is easy to apply, and dries very quickly in between coats.  It can be applied without specialized brushes or equipment.  You can sand, stain, and seal your floors over a weekend, and they will be ready for walking 24 hours later, and will be fully cured a week later.  This is a really good choice for a DIYer, and I would not hesitate to use it again in the future.


You should check a number of things.

First off have the water in the house checked for high iron content and confer with the neighbors on the same. Red coloring of the curb is likely from high iron content water evaporating and then oxidizing.
The persistent wet spots in the front like this seem to point to the possibility that there is a water main break under the front yard. If this has been going on for some time and was partially under the former driveway it could have led to driveway damage. Best bet is to monitor the water meter at the street hookup and see if there is high water usage going on.
There is always a possibility that there was an underground spring in this area that was covered over when the housing tract was built. Often times there is a possibility as ground preparation for the tract was done there may have been higher level ground scraped away from this area and exposed an latent spring. In either case a year cycle period where there may have been more rain than usual the water table can rise and cause a latent spring to start letting out water. Fixes for this could be complex and expensive in a developed neighborhood.

You may want to steer clear of this property unless the water source problem is root caused and you understand the potential financial burden of the problem.


Can I run 8 4 bulb fluorescent fixtures only on one breaker?

I am assuming the fixture you are referring to is something like a 2X4 layin or surface mount fixture with 4' fluorescent lamps. We used to use a rule of thumb of 200W per fixture. So 200*4 = 1600W or 13 1/3A if you voltage is 120V. These fixtures also need to be calculated as continuous duty or a circuit can only be loaded to 80%. A 15A circuit can only handle 12A worth of this type of load which means a 15A circuit can't handle your load. You can use a 20A circuit which would handle 16A of this type of load. That is what I would recommend.

If you still want to investigate using a 15A circuit, we would need more information on your fixture such as lamp and ballast type.


How do I wire a three way switch with two lights?

Based on my understanding of what you have described, I believe you are dealing with a dead-end 3-way switch setup with what is known as an extended switch leg. Translation: all junctions are made in the first 3-way switch box.

Your questions/guesses on how to wire it are not exactly clear. I recommend following this wiring diagram. Please clarify if this wiring diagram does not apply to what you have described.

Wiring Diagram

Circuit Example


Water shut off to bathroom sink: valve not working and I do not have ready access to main water supply

Depending on access to the pipe in that area, there is a pipe freezing kit available which freezes a small section of pipe. This blocks the flow of water and allows the valve or whatever to be changed.

Some places hire these, and some plumbers have them as part of their kit. Plumbers will normally use the most effective solution for the situation...


Should I add a return vent to a pantry that doesn't have an a/c vent?

I don't think you want to rely on encouraging cold air into the room.
I have a walk-in closet that had the same problem and I solved it with a through the wall fan similar to the one below. Mount it between a room with AC and the pantry. Cold air will blow into the pantry and the space under the door will act as a return.


I would probably still put a liner in.  It doesn't hurt to have, and a liner makes sure all the water goes where you want it to go.  You can use RedGuard in place of a shower pan liner, but make sure you read the product instructions on how to achieve the correct thickness.  I believe it's 2 coats of product to meet the requirements for a pan liner.

You can also mortar/tile directly over RedGuard (in fact, you have to - RedGuard is not meant to be left as a finished surface).


What is the longevity of a three speed ceiling fan switch?

Ok, I don't have an answer about average multi-position switch longevity, but I went ahead and went on my hunch that this was a switch issue and not a fan issue. I found a replacement switch that was almost identical to my broken one and replaced it, and the problem is now solved. I had to look in envy at the other newer switches that use an analog slider to give finer control over the fan speed. But because they had different switch dimensions and because my current fan switch was already in a wall port with a faceplate featuring three switch slots, I went with the part that matched mine.

So, on a sample size of 1, the duration of a wired four-position ceiling fan switch is 14 years.


Handyman working along side general contractor

As long as the work areas don't overlap too badly it should be no problem whatsoever. People who do larger renovations, for example house flippers, hire lots of different contractors for different purposes. Serious contractors are used to working on shared projects and have no problem with it.

Just organize the dates and areas to be worked on to not overlap.

I had situations myself where I hired attic cleaners at the same time as plasterers for the living room and a demolition crew for the garage.


Taking power from double light switch to GFCI outlet

Your wiring should look something like this.

You'll use a twist-on wire connector (or other approved means) to connect the incoming ungrounded (hot) conductor, to three lengths of black wire.
Connect the first length of wire from the bundle, to a terminal on the single pole switch.
Connect another length of wire from the bundle, to the common terminal on the double switch (the common terminal should be black, or some other odd color other than green).
Connect the final length of wire from the bundle, to the brass colored LINE terminal on the GFCI.
Connect the ungrounded (hot) conductor leading to the light, to the other terminal on the single pole switch.
Connect the ungrounded (hot) conductors leading to the light/fan, to the terminals on the double switch.
Connect the ungrounded (hot) conductor leading to the GFCI protected devices, to the brass colored LOAD terminal of the GFCI.
Use a twist-on wire connector (or other approved means) to combine the incoming grounded (neutral), the grounded (neutral) from the light, the grounded (neutral) from the light/fan, and a length of white wire.
Connect the length of wire from the neutral bundle, to the silver colored LINE terminal on the GFCI.
Connect the grounded (neutral) conductor from the GFCI protected devices, to the silver LOAD terminal on the GFCI.
Connect all grounding conductors in an approved manner.

NOTE: Notice that the grounded (neutral) conductor leading to the GFCI protected devices, is NOT connected to the other grounded (neutral) conductors in the box.

NOTE: Since I don't know the exact devices you're using, the terminal layout of the diagram might not be correct.


The closest you're going to get is joist hanger brackets.

There are some short versions that may be adaptable.

All kidding aside, there are stainless steel hanger brackets for 2x2 made for Macaw and Parrot cages similar to your item shown. Probably a little expensive.

The item shown is an OEM bracket made specifically for the furniture manufacturer.


I plugged in a Space Heater to my outlet, now my outlet doesn't work. Power still on

Check for a tripped breaker, not always obvious, but usually are.   If the panel is properly labeled, try turning off the breaker for the problematic circuit and then back on again, if that fixes the problem, you're good to go and don't use that space heater on the same circuit again!
EDIT:  An excellent comment below which needs to be repeated here:  If you are renting the house, this is a landlord problem and you should limit your activities to resetting breakers.
If no breakers tripped and  resetting them just in case didn't fix the problem,  you probably have a blown back stab outlet.   They are notorious for failing under heavy loads.
Since you said you have no electrical experience, A quick lesson:  Back stabs are a colloquial term used in electrical trades for outlets that to install, all you had to do was strip the ends of the wires and poke them in the back of the outlets (back stab). The actual connection was very tiny and prone to failure, esp. under heavy loads like a space heater.
What you need to do is get a voltage tester, find the breaker that controls the recalcitrant circuit, be sure, using your voltage tester that the power is actually off, and start pulling out outlets, looking for damage like burn marks, melted plastic, etc.
Best practice to put them back together is to pig tail the connection (power in, power out, power to the outlet via the pig tail wire-nutted together, blacks to blacks and whites to whites).  That way you don't count on the outlet itself to serve down stream outlets.
Be careful here, while this is a DIY site, it's up to you if you're comfortable doing this, if not, while we don't like saying this here, you might need to call a pro.


How one is supposed to "plug" a conduit running from basement to attic?

Duct seal is another option. Duct seal is a dough-like product that often carries some form of fire rating (depending on manufacturer specification) and it remains flexible.


I did exactly this to fit a slightly bigger sink into an existing countertop made from laminated chipboard. The difference in size was very little (perhaps 5mm)

I used a cheap jigsaw - it was a struggle and the line was not straight but I managed to keep the top edge of the cut within my marked rectangle. Part of the problem was finding a long enough blade that would cut on the downstroke (since I only cared about breakout on the top, from where I was cutting).

I finished up and straightened the edges of the hole with a surform, a rasp and a coarse sanding plate (like coarse sand paper only made of very long-lasting metal, I happen to have one I bought decades ago).

Sanding is too slow.


How do I cut down a bathroom wall drain?

You'd need to reduce the entrance (easy, fittings are made) and RAISE the pipe in the wall (possible but a relatively huge amount of work/expense.) So I'm not quite sure what you mean with "cut down" the drain pipe.

As shown in the pictures, I'm inclined to say cut a notch in the back of the drawer for pipe clearance, and get the reducer you need to go from the drain you have to the tailpiece (the Ikea plumbing you have.)

Alternatively, cut as much as you need off the base of the vanity unit, but if you've already mounted it, that will be a pain, and if you like the height of the countertop now, it would change.

Responding to comment - if it's glued ABS pipe (as I would appear to be) you'd cut it off at the back of the fitting that's on there and glue on an elbow - there appears to be enough pipe behind the fitting to do that. If threaded, you'd unscrew the fitting and screw on an elbow. Reduced or not reduced it will run into the drawer if going straight out. I'm unclear where you are going to fit plumbing and traps with two drawers evidently in the space they'll need, unless there's some sort of room off to one side.

Additional note: - you really should fill in around those water pipes. That type of convenient opening into the back of cabinets is loved by The Uninvited Guests That Travel and/or Live In The Walls.


How can a ceiling fan be mounted to a fan-rated box that has been extended?

422.18 paddle fans shall  be supported independently of an outlet box Or by a listed box or outlet box system identified for the use and installed per 314.27.C.

There may be listed box extensions out there for paddle fans but I have never seen one. To be code compliant the better route to take with a paddle fan that has more conductors than the box fill allows would be to add a second box. If the ceiling (attic) above the fan is accessible this would be fine. If the ceiling (2 story fan on main floor) above the fan is not accessible a second box could be cut in and a cover plate attached after being wired.
After seeing the damage done to the electrical system and home when a DIY home owner incorrectly installed a nice fan I would strongly recommend making sure the fan support box is listed for the weight of the fan or more.

An additional code reference for those hanging chandeliers weighing more than 6 Lbs. If a luminaire  weighs less than 6lbs it can be supported on other boxes or plaster rings with no fewer than 2 #6 screws 2014 NEC 314.27.1 exception 1. (even a simple light fixture weighing more than 6lbs requires a listed box).


Could a gas pipe obstruction could be causing a reduction in gas pressure to my furnace?

Did your HVAC tech disassemble any of the gas supply piping, specifically directly upstream of the furnace control valve/regulator? Any obstruction caused by debris (and yes, this is very possible) is very likely to be at the small orifice(s) associated with the furnace control valve/regulator than at other areas of the gas piping, which have significantly larger bore.

Built-in gas appliances should have a "drip leg" debris/condensate trap just upstream of the appliance:


Looking to ground roof mounted mast - No ground rod at service entrance

Yes it's likely that merely doing what the cable guy did meets "legal code" for that county.
I prefer to treat antennas like lightning rods since that's exactly what they become during a lightning strike.
So I drive in a 8 foot dedicated ground rod and run a minimum of #10 solid copper or #8 solid aluminum wire to the antenna mast.
Then run a #6 copper bonding jumper from the rod to the main electrical ground to meet code.


From your description a line in (the hot or feeder)
The load out (2 circuits going different directions).
Look at your line and load neutrals I see 3 wires on the line and only 2 on the load that will cause issues.
It also looks like one of the black hot’s has damaged insulation but it is a guess as it is fuzzy on my phone.
The line hot and neutrals should be connected on the line 2 wires looks like an extra neutral.
The load outputs should each connect to 2 circuits looks to be 1 short on the neutral.
Or did this get wired with line and load reversed I can’t quite tell on my phone.


With the hot being supplied at the ceiling fixture when you tied the hots and neutrals together you wired the light hot all the time. If the switch wiring was included when tying things together when you turn the switch on it should trip the breaker. To correct this the best practice is to wire the white going to the switch to the hot and Mark this white wire black or another color other than green, or gray. Next the black coming from the switch to the black on the light and the white on the light to the bundle of whites (not the white black already connected). This way the remarked white is easy to identify as an old style switch leg. If you pulled the old 12-2 or 14-2 with ground out you should pull a new 12 or 14 3 with ground as modern code requires a neutral at the switch location for smart switches. Then the always hot to the switch would be tied to the black hot from the panel to the switch and the red wire connected to the other side of the switch would be to the black of the light. Grounds connected together and whites connected together in the ceiling box. If not using a smart switch just cap it until it may be needed later.normaly Normaly red is used as the switched conductor by profesionals. This should get your light working and the other devices powered from this location. I just reviewed the photos again and you already have an x-3 with ground going to the switch but the wire is short, adding a junction box in the ceiling would allow some connections to be made then a short piece of wire to the old junction box to make these connections , I would check at the switch box to see if there is enough wire slack to make the switch connections if not an old work box can be added and another short section of wire added to make it to the switch. In a garage it would add 1 box that will be exposed and need a solid cover and 1 box in the ceiling that will need a cover but this way be cheaper and less work than pulling new conductors unless the walls are still open.


Can I run a central air conditioner in the winter?

After reviewing the spec sheet for the unit i have found that the LX series has a variable speed blower that will allow the unit to operate under low ambient conditions. Is specifies the system can operate down to 20 degrees. Anything below this and the system will not operate. If you do not have the LX unit and do have the standard, the. The unit is not permitted for low ambient use.

Most central air conditioning systems do not work under low ambient operation and doing so can damage the system. Residential condensers will very rarely come with a crank case heater for the compressor as well as a low ambient control that can modulate the condenser fan speed to maintain proper operation of the system. This is however common practice on heat pumps and ductless units. Most will only allow operation down to 32 degrees. A low ambient kit is normally required to lower the minimum operating temperature of the system.

The issue on running an air conditioner in cold weather is that refrigerant will migrate underneath the oil in the compressor crank case. When the compressor is then energized the refrigerant will rapidly change state as it is agitated and absorbing heat. This will cause the oil to be forced out of the crank case and will cause the compressor to run dry on oil for a period of time until the crank case has refilled with oil in the system. This can cause the compressor to fail. A crank case heater is utilized to prevent this by keeping the compressor pre heated.

So in conclusion if your system is the LX model it will stop operating when the outdoor ambient is below 20 degrees. The fact that the system is advertised for low ambient operation means that it is ok to operate down to 20 degrees.
If it is the standard model then you may have damaged the system from running it in low ambient conditions.


How do I fix wall paint that was removed with tape?

Taping isn't commonly done in cases like that, but the issue is obviously a poor paint bond. Maybe you had dust on the wall, or maybe the sanding wasn't adequate at the corner.

Anyway, use a high-quality brush and re-edge your walls. A good technique is to hold the brush at a 45 degree angle with respect to the wall, press it in to feather out the bristles, then twitch the brush as you move along horizontally. This allows extremely fine control of paint flow. There are plenty of good videos on YouTube, too.

I also recommend removing tape almost immediately after painting, for two reasons:

Dried paint acts as a film, which obviously has to be torn or cut to prevent damage and ugly edges.
Torn or cut edges are much more harsh than edges that dry after removing the tape. They can shrink and soften as they dry, resulting in a nicer finished appearance.


Should I install baseboards before or after skimcoating?

I would put on the baseboards, but only tack them in place so they can easily be removed when the drywall guy is done.

The reason he is probably asking you to install them, is so he can make sure you are happy with the finish before he leaves so he doesn't have to come back.

It's probably a good idea anyway, because it would be a shame to get all the painting done only to realize the baseboards don't fit right.  Then you would have to start all over again.


Option 1: Measure 15 1/4 inches minus the thickness of the drywall (or panell etc.) from another exterior wall. If that misses, measure 23 1/4 inches minus the drywall. If that misses, go to the other side and measure from the opposite wall.

Option 2: locate an outlet. A stud will (probably) be on one side or the other.

Option 3: read more on How do I locate studs in my wall?


What size wire should I use to feed a subpanel in my garage?

My answer is almost always the same when talking about garage subpanels.

60 ampere double pole breaker in the main panel.
6 AWG copper wire (x4) for a run less than 75ft., 4 AWG copper wire (x4) for runs less than 150ft.
60 ampere panel with 60 ampere main breaker.

Unless you're running a whole bunch of stuff at once, a 60 amp panel should serve you well.

If you're running individual conductors, you'll definitely want to run it through conduit.  If you're using a cable assembly, you'll probably only use conduit if you have to. For example, if you have to protect the cable from physical damage, or it will be underground.


Are 6 volt fluctuations in a 120 volt home outlet harmful to equipment?

This is typical. Can't exactly say "normal", because if everything is sized and installed correctly then there should not be significant fluctuations. But it is really quite common, particularly in older homes. In my case, I installed a UPS due to real power outages (used to be common, now very infrequent thanks to Pepco rewiring the neighborhood a few years ago), and it kicks in due to voltage drop every time the laser printer goes on.
Most equipment should be immune to these problems, as long as the range is relatively small - e.g., between 110 V and 125 V. See ANSI C84.1 for more details (thank you @Khrrck).


During construction of multi-unit dwellings, we install homasote on top of the subfloor (in the unit above yours).  In the ceiling, we will add a layer of insulation.  And then before installing the drywall on the ceiling, we would install resilient channel that keeps the drywall from directly contacting the joists.

Your options post construction are very limited unless you want to replace the ceiling.  Ear plugs, fans, white noise, etc, may be the best you can do until one of you moves.

Edit: If you have option to rearrange your floor plan, I'd move your bedroom to be under another bedroom instead of a living room.


Can I connect a gazebo light to a shed sub-panel or outlet?

Since the garage panel is a subpanel and not a service entrance, you should be able to turn the entire subpanel's feeder off upstream -- I'd lock it out with a breaker-lock + padlock myself to avoid a shocking surprise from somebody else in the family.

With that done, running the gazebo circuit into the subpanel should not be an issue -- it's like running wires into a giant junction box in that you'll need to support and clamp them in the same way as you would a box. Once you have the wires in there with enough slack to make the connection -- simply screw the bare wire to the ground bar, the white wire to the neutral bar, and the black wire to the screw terminal on a spare 20A breaker, presuming you have one.  You'll also have to take the front cover (dead front) off and put it back on, but that shouldn't be too hard.

Once everything is hooked up, put back together, and ready to go, simply take the lock off the feeder breaker and turn it back on.


Any external exposed engine parts that are steel or have iron in them probably need to be painted with a high temperature engine type paint. (You can get it in a convenient spray can at the auto parts store).

Anything that is going to get hot from the engine operating you do not want to use an oil or other petroleum based compound for a coating. A clear varnish that is made specifically for metal parts would be suitable. WD-40 --- Never.


Electric installation - find connected corrugated pipes

The basic tool for installing wiring in conduit is a fish tape

It's nothing more than a stiff strand of steel, plastic, or fiberglass made to push into conduits.  You push it through the conduit, tie your wires to the end of it, and pull it back through.

When you're not sure where the conduit goes, you will want a non-conductive fish tape - you don't know if it might come in contact with live wire, in an electrical panel, etc.