On a new main 3 wire panel where do I connect green from MC lite(BX) wires?

Since this is an upgrade of the service panel the grounding and grounded conductors really don't matter the side they are on. Both neutral and grounds can be on the same buss. If it is a sub panel the neutral and ground need to be isolated and the grounds on 1 side and the neutrals on the other to be code compliant.


Reading the measurement of the slope of a floor

48 inches Tan(2.5 degrees) = 2.10 inches.

or a 4% slope.


What should I look for during a deficiency walkthrough?

At the risk of simply stealing something from the internet and re-posting it (oh the horror!)...

http://coolthingstoremember.blogspot.com/2006/09/new-home-walk-through-checklist.html

  Pre-Delivery Checklist

  Bring a level, measuring tape, notepad/pen, flashlight, mirror,
  stud-finder …

  Doors

  Open and close all doors. See that doors are well-fitted and operate as intended.
  Make sure all six sides are painted – front, back, top, bottom and both ends.
  Be certain locks, including deadbolts, operate properly without binding, and that thresholds are adjusted correctly.
  Look for warping.
  Hinges should be clean and free of paint.
  Sometimes doors must be trimmed to fit. Make sure the cut is at the bottom, that it's straight, and that so much hasn't been cut off that
  the door is now hollow at the bottom.
  Check that locks are well-installed and do not rattle when the door is closed.
  Check that the exterior doors have been sealed with weather-stripping.

  Windows

  Open all windows.
  Determine that locks operate properly.
  Tracks should be lubricated to prevent binding.
  Make sure screens are in place and not torn.
  Look for broken panes.

  Walls

  Walk the perimeter of each room, checking floor and ceiling moldings to be sure they are uniform.
  Look for gaps that need caulking, protruding nail heads and proper finish.
  Examine all wall and ceiling surfaces under natural light and, if possible, at night under artificial illumination. Poor drywall work
  tends to show most when the lights are on.
  Look for visible seams, nail heads that have popped out and other irregularities.
  Be sure the walls are square. Otherwise, the tile floor or patterned vinyl floor will be askew. In such a small space, anything
  that's out of line will become a constant source of irritation.
  Inspect the wall finishes for uneven paint coverage.

  Electrical

  Be sure all wall outlets and switches operate correctly.
  Test light fixtures, making certain they are attached securely and contain the correct-wattage bulbs.
  Locate the main electrical panel and review the function of each circuit breaker and fuse.
  Your new home must be equipped with ground fault and arc fault circuit interrupters (GFCI and AFCI). GFCIs protect bathroom and
  exterior receptacle circuits, while AFCIs protect bedroom receptacle
  circuits. Ask your builder how to test these devices.

  Flooring

  Tile and vinyl flooring should be clean and free of chips and cracks.
  Check for missing grout, and be sure molding is installed and painted or stained.
  Walk all carpeted areas, checking for loose fits at the edges, ripples in the middle and squeaks in the subfloor.
  Walk across all floors. You should hear only a minimum of squeaks and notice a minimum of spring when walking on the floor. Due to the
  nature of wood, a wood floor system will have a certain amount of
  unevenness.
  See that floor coverings have a relatively flat surface.
  Examine seams in carpets and vinyl to ensure they are tight.
  Inspect ceramic tiles for surface cracks. Joints between ceramic tiles should be well-filled with grout.
  Inspect flooring for damage.
  Examine carpeting for stains or shade variations.

  Kitchen

  Check countertops for scratches and abrasions, a frequent complaint. Counters are a magnet for toolboxes from every trade.
  Also make sure the cabinets and appliances are level and properly anchored to the wall or secured to the countertops.
  Check all doors and drawers. They should open fully and without binding.
  Ask for the instruction manuals for every appliance in the house – the range, refrigerator, dishwasher, furnace, heat pump, water heater,
  electronic thermostat, everything.

  Bathrooms

  Look for scratches and nicks in the sink as well as the shower enclosure and tub. Workmen like to put their toolboxes there as well.
  Check that the sink and tub stoppers hold water, and that the shower strainer is fastened securely.
  Make certain the toilet is securely fastened to the floor. Don't test the commode by trying to rock the fixture back and forth. That
  will break a seal that's correctly installed. Just sitting on it is
  enough to tell if it is tight.
  While sitting there, close the door and take a long, hard look at the walls and other surfaces to make sure they are acceptable. Flaws
  show up most when semi-gloss paint is used, and that's what bathrooms
  should be painted with, not flat paint.
  While you're at it, be sure to see if the toilet-paper dispenser is at the right distance and height. If it isn't, you may have to be a
  contortionist to reach the roll.
  Check for chips in bathtubs, toilets and sinks.
  Ensure that all faucets work properly.
  Check that cabinets are securely fixed to the wall.
  Examine caulking around tub and shower enclosures and at countertop backsplashes.

  Heating/Air-conditioning

  Test for cold A/C.
  Check the furnace and hot water heater.
  Ask about the capacity, shut-off mechanisms and the type of filtering systems installed.
  Review the operation of your heating system.
  Locate the furnace filters and ask about their care and maintenance.
  Ensure that heat registers are not located below a thermostat.
  Check the location and number of cold air returns and make sure they are unobstructed.
  Learn the location of any fuel lines (gas, propane or oil) and understand how to operate any shut-off devices on these lines.

  Mechanical ventilation

  Locate the switches for ventilation and circulation fans (normally placed near the thermostat).
  Locate supplemental fans and switches in each bathroom and in the kitchen and ensure they are operating. Make sure you understand how to
  achieve proper ventilation in order to avoid condensation problems
  which may not be covered under the warranty.

  Plumbing

  Locate the shut-off valves for the main water supply and the location of other shut-off valves throughout your home.

  Kitchen

  Check for damage to countertops, cupboard doors, sinks and appliances.
  Ensure that cabinet doors are properly aligned.
  Check spaces for standard appliances unless specific measurements were given to your builder. The space allotted for your appliances
  should be correct.
  Test the range hood fan and light.
  Make sure there are electrical outlets above the counter.

  Closets

  Make sure that doors are secure and that they open and close easily.

  Upgrades and options

  Rain glass it kitchen cupboards.
  Rain glass shower enclosures.
  Tile in kitchen and bathrooms.
  Vinyl in laundry.
  Marble in bathrooms.
  Granite in kitchen.
  Correct carpet and pad.

That list is pretty comprehensive. :)


How can I add lights and a switch downstream of a pull-chain fixture?

So your existing fixture (assuming standard US wiring, you'll have to verify) has a hot (black), neutral (white), and ground (bare) and has constant power.  The additional lights will need 4 wires - constant hot to travel to the switch (black), a neutral (white) and a switched power that will come back from the switch (red).

The existing wire (assuming 14G wire for lighting circuits) is sold as "14/2" cable.  The ground isn't counted in the number scheme, so it's considered to have 2 conductors.  What you will need for the rest of the run is "14/3".  This new cable (black, white, red) will run from the existing light to each of the new lights and then to the switch box.

At the existing light, black connects to black and white to white, but the red will just be capped off and unused.  Red will be power coming from the switch.  In the future if you wanted the pull chain light to be controlled by the switch, you could hook that light's black wire to the new red.

At the new lights, white will connect to white and the black on the fixture will connect to the "switched" red wire.  The black wire of the 14/3 will not connect to the new light and will just "pass through" the box.  In each box, all ground wires are connected to each other and the bare or green wire from the fixture.

At the switch, the white wire will be capped (unless you use a smart switch that needs the neutral) and the black and red wires will connect to the two screw terminals on the light switch.

Older wiring practices would allow you to do all of this without the extra red wire, but now all switch boxes require a neutral so you must use 14/3 to do it properly and allow for future flexibility.  You could do this now with a mix of 14/2 and 14/3, but if you just use 14/3 you don't have to buy 2 rolls of different cable and again, it gives you flexibility later.

Diagram added by request:

The "dotted" red wire is optional and if you never want the pull chain light to be on a switch it will serve no purpose.  The white wire going to the switch is not used unless you have a smart switch but it is required by code.


A typical well installation includes a pressure tank in the circuit. The tank contains a bladder which is inflated while the system is turned off and no water pressure is indicated. You use any inflator device such as a bicycle hand pump or tire pump to load the bladder to the recommended pressure.

When the pump is powered on, it will load the tank with water, compressing the bladder until the internal pressure reaches the cut-off switch setting. Let's say that's 50 psi as a reference level. Also, your cut-in setting should be lower, say 35 psi for this example.

The bladder pressure now matches the cut-off pressure and will continue to apply that level of pressure to the water in the system as it is used. When sufficient water has been used to expand the bladder to the original inflation level, the overall water pressure will drop during use until the cut-in figure is reached.

If your bladder has lost pressure or otherwise failed, you will have the circumstances you've described.


What outdoor materials can be damaged by by ice?

Ice/water can damage anything and everything.

A vinyl deck should be OK. Your pavers might heave a bit if water gets under them and freezes. But that's the great thing about pavers. Easy to fix come spring. (tamp it down or add more sand if it needs to be raised)


How do I wire a replacement ceiling fan?

Look at the switches that control the fan/light... What color wires are connected to them? How was the previous fixture connected? Why didn't you simply connect the new device in the exact same manner?

If the fan and light used to be controlled independently by separate switches, I'd assume the previous wiring used the green wire as an ungrounded (hot) conductor. This would be confirmed by seeing the black wire connected to one of the switches, and the green connected to the other. This is an uncommon use of the green wire, and as you've found can be confusing.  If this is the case, you should mark the wire in some way to indicate that it is not a grounding conductor.

If you've confirmed that the green wire is indeed used as an ungrounded (hot) conductor, then the wiring will be as follows.

Black from ceiling to black from fixture.
White from ceiling to white from fixture.
Bare copper from the ceiling to green/yellow from fixture.
Green from ceiling to blue from fixture.

If the green wire is not used as an ungrounded (hot) conductor, contact a local licensed Electrician and have them install the fixture.


Should washing machines be placed on tile or other water-proof flooring?

It is common to set washing machines in a washing machine pan

These can handle minor leaks. Some versions include connections for floor drains that handle larger leaks.

Many apartment buildings that allow above basement washers require that a built in pan be an integral part of the floor and sometimes specify a deeper pan than the 2" versions.


In my experience, with a house built in the '80s, there was no separate shower shut off valve. I had to shut the water off for the entire house to repair the fixture.


Zone system

A true zone system allows different areas of the house to be isolated, by closing off certain areas using dampers, or just having completely isolated air handlers.

This allows fairly accurate control of the temperature each zone, allowing a specific (and if desired, different) temperature to be maintained in each.

Multiple sensors

The Ecobee is more of a "multiple thermostat" or "zoned sensors" system (not sure if there's a more proper name). The limitation is there is no isolation in air handling, so multiple zones cannot be controlled independently.

However, there are two distinct advantages over the typical "single thermostat" setup:

1) The house can be maintained at a temperature based on averages of all sensors

As an example, let's say right now the upstairs is 26 while the main floor is 21, and your target is 21.

By averaging everything, it'll keep the house slightly cooler and set the upstairs to 23 (a bit above target) while the downstairs is 19 (at bit below target).

2) Which sensors you're using can be scheduled

This means during the day, you can give priority to the main floor living spaces, while at night you give priority to the upstairs.

The downside is during the day the upstairs floor is uncomfortably hot, and during the night the main floor is colder than desired, but the areas where people mainly are stays at a nice temperature.

Aside, I have an Ecobee3 and this works extremely well for me. I also use the "ensure fan runs for at least x min/hour" feature which recirculates air and (I think) keeps everything more even.


Trying to hook up dimmer/fan switch but have an extra wire?

Everywhere in the world, green, green/yellow or bare colors are reserved for ground.  The only exceptions are the former Soviet Bloc, and they now have harmonized to this rule too.  So that is as simple as that.  Grounds are never used to flow current normally, and only come up in fault conditions when it is time to save your bacon.  So from a logical, "how does this circuit work perspective, they are disregarded.  I never show them in diagrams, but they are always there.

Your old controller controlled the fan and light separately, so it plainly had 3 wires because that is the bare minimum needed to do that.  Your new one has 3 wires (from a functional perspective). Therefore, this is easy.  Go to it!

If you are unclear which cable is supply, most likely if one cable is 2-wire (black/white) and the other cable is  3-wire (red too) then the 3-wire must necessarily be the one going to the fan, and the 2-wire goes to supply.


What kind of saw should I use for cutting thin metal?

A hacksaw would definitely get the job done. If you're looking for a power-tool version, a Reciprocating saw is the (fun) way to go.

Probably not a good thing to use a jig saw on as usually they are intended for making more precise cuts, hence are slower.


My ceiling fan is sparking even though i have turned its switch off. What to do? Will it cause a fire?

With a lot of new ceiling fans, the "switch" in the box in the wall is nothing more than a wireless transmitter and the fan is permanently wired at the ceiling through the wireless receiver. So if that receiver unit fails shorted, the fan cannot be turned off. If you are not comfortable with electrical work, this is something that will require the services of a qualified electrician.


Parallel connected LED lights -last one is dimmer, why?

Not all mains powered LED lights are compatible with all types of dimmers. And when you do happen to get a proper LED compatible dimmer with dimmable LED bulbs/drivers it is not uncommon for not all of the lights to work exactly the same.

If you were to swap the positions of two of the LED bulbs/drivers that you have installed you will most likely see the aberrant behavior of the one LED (like your last one of three) move with the bulb/driver and not be related to the position in the circuit. There are a couple of good reasons for this:

The amount of energy used by each LED bulb/driver is so small that there is not going to be any appreciable voltage drop along the typical 12AWG wiring that is used to hook up a string of three lights. That of course assumes that all the wire interconnections were made with really good quality wire nuts and good workmanship so as to eliminate a high resistance connection.
The circuitry used in each LED bulb/driver is not going to be a precision designed circuit with carefully tuned behavior with respect to how it reacts to the chopped AC voltage waveform produced by the dimmer unit. Unfortunately the circuits used in LED bulbs/drivers is typically produced in a way that keeps cost to a minimum. This will result in the various bulbs/drivers having different thresholds of chopped AC waveform where they will come on or turn off.

The best advice, if the behavior that you are seeing is too annoying, is to swap in additional LED bulb/drivers until you find a set that all operate to your satisfaction. This need not be an issue having to purchase extra LED bulbs/drivers because in many cases of converting a home from the older incandescent lighting to the energy saving LED lighting you will have some lighting circuits that only have a single light position. You can place units that didn't play well in a group at these locations. And in some cases if the dimming behavior of some units is objectionable you can choose to equip those particular lighting circuits with full on/full off switches instead of dimmers.

I have recently done a 100% conversion of my house over to Lutron smart switches and smart dimmers. I have experienced first hand results of how various LED bulbs and some light fixtures that drivers+LEDs react to being controlled by a dimmer. In several cases I veered away from using a smart dimmer in favor of using a smart on/off switch for the reasons mentioned above. I also experienced some LED bulbs that gave out distinct noise when operated at a dim setting and so replaced those with newer LED bulbs that had a better dimmer compatibility. (This latter has occurred because some lighting positions were changed to LED bulbs a few years ago when regular manual flip toggle switches were in use and the earlier bulbs were just not as dimmer compatible). And finally in some lighting fixtures where there are multiple low wattage bulbs the decision is to stay with incandescent bulbs because of the desire for all the bulbs to exhibit uniform behavior when power to that fixture is controlled by a dimmer. I have not yet addressed two multi-bulb fixtures that use halogen bulbs. These work nicely with the smart dimmers but eventually I will want to look at converting those over to energy saving LEDs. I may be looking at having to do fixture replacement if I end up having problems with multiple parallel halogen->LED replacement bulbs. In that case the most viable solution will likely be a new fixture that uses multiple low voltage LEDs that are sourced from a single driver.


What's the easiest way to reframe a portion of a wall with minimal disturbance to the electrical lines?

The best way to deal with this, since you have the walls open, is to turn off the power and then find the nearby electrical boxes where these wires terminate and un-string the wires back out through your framing area. After new framing is in place then drill new holes for the wires and re-string them back to their destinations.

In some instances these wires will just be passing by the area where the walls are open but not terminate in any boxes in the open wall area. In this case life gets all that much more complicated. There are several strategies to deal with the latter, none of which are particularly good ones.

1 - You can notch the new studs to let the wires pass by. This requires extra care to protect the wires including the placement of nail / screw stopper plates over the notches.

2 - Cut the wires near the center. Then you could choose to add some new outlets to that wall and use the electrical boxes behind the outlets as splice points to support adding the new length of wiring needed to bridge the circuits back together.


Why would a door be installed without all the hinge screws?

Just some notes:

This is just plain lazy.  Maybe he forgot but forgetting = lazy.
Maybe he ran out of screws.  But these are basically the most common type of door screws so again that goes back to being lazy.
When installing doors it is best practice to get at least one screw per hinge all the way into the actual framing of the wall.  This requires some pretty long screws - 2-2.5" at least.  He may not have had those screws on him.  Again that is not planning well and shouldn't have been left like this, which is lazy.


How can I remove stuck anti-vandal rings in tap head?

if you just need to replace the washers can you

turn off the water
open the tap fully
unscrew the cover flange at the bottom of the tap
fit a pair of mutigrips under the flange and undo the spindle from the breach

hence replacing the washers?
Once you have the spindle out you will find it easier to get at the anti-vandle screw and undo it


Do I need a corded drill to mix thinset?

First of all, I have to say that with the volume of work you have you can just mix the thinset by hand. I once had to install about 2.7 square meters of tiling and mixed several small batches of thinset with a spattle - no problems at all, I wasted much more time on applying the thinset and installing the tiles evenly. Totally not worth risking the drill.

Next, you should not use any drill for mixing unless its manual says it's suitable for mixing or that it has overload protection that slows the drill down in case of overload. Drills explicitly suitable for mixing are typically professional drills with very low RPM (500-700 RPM) and so very high torque. The "HF corded drill" you reference is nothing near that. Drills with overload protection are typically professional cordless drills with smart electronics that monitors all the parts for overheating and reduces the output power in case of overload. The Milwaukee M12 you have likely has the right type of overload protection (that's the impression I have from reading the online specs of the drill) and so you likely could use it for this purpose.


How to test voltage on open wire with multimeter?

Two suggestions:

A non-contact voltage tester can detect line-level voltage without needing to complete a circuit. It does this by detecting the alternating electric field that radiates off any “live” household wire. It won’t detect direct current (uncommon in household settings) and will sometimes give false positive readings if the wire being tested isn’t grounded and is close to a live wire.
You can always use your multimeter in the AC Volts mode to test between an unknown wire and a ground. In the modern US, that means put one probe in the central U-shaped hole in the nearest outlet, and touch the other probe to the wire under test. This may also give false readings for the same reason as mentioned above.

By the way, the reason it’s valid to test voltage relative to ground is because that’s the test that matters to personal safety - if there is voltage relative to ground on a wire you touch, you could potentially complete the circuit with painful results!


Should I install a hot water recirculating pump before or after the thermostatic mixing valve?

I believe that Grundfos comfort system is comprised of two parts:

The Pump
A special tee fitting

The pump is installed on the outlet of the hot water tank and the special tee fitting is installed on the furthest fixture in the house from the hot water tank. This special fitting bridges the hot and cold water supplies. The basic concept is that when the hot line is not in use, it will cool off. This special tee fitting allows the pump to pull the cooled off water in the hot water line back to the tank through the cold water line. This reduces the amount of wasted water that is poured down drain while waiting for hot water.

In your case, you are going to want to install the pump on the outlet (common port) of the mixing valve. This will allow for the proper loop to be created as well as to maintain the proper pressures on the valve as noted by UNECS.

As for advise on cutting the existing out, you're going to have to remove the entire portion from the wall back to the mixing valve outlet. It also looks like there is not enough room left on the pipe sicking out of the mixing valve to reconnect a new fitting to. You may have to sweat out the pipe and solder in a new piece, but be careful not to overheat the mixing valve as you will damage the internals. If you are going to be soldering the new pipework, keep in mind that the existing fittings that have been used are ProPress fittings which have a rubber seal inside of them (the bump in the hub) and that you need to be careful not to overheat them as well. In both cases you can wrap the fitting or valve with a wet cloth to help keep them cool.


Can these locks be rekeyed to the same key?

With that last bit of info, there is no way to key the Norwalk alike with the Schlage using the existing tumbler, it must be replaced with a Schlage or even Baldwin tumbler, which has a Schlage keyway. Yes you can still do it yourself but you must remove the tumbler, take it to the locksmith and have it matched up. This will only save you a house call charge. The screws to remove the lock are hidden behind the latch plate most of the time. Sometimes there are visible holes through the latch plate to access the set screws for the lock. Just the Norwalk tumbler needs to be swapped out, not all three. But the locksmith will need to know the key that it will be change too as well otherwise he may give you a 7 pin Schlage tumbler.


Replacing Non-Working Single-Pole Dimmer Switch

I'd be surprised if the wires coming in from the bottom of the box (the 14/2 NM) weren't the supply (hot).  It's fairly common to use a 14/3 for the run between the switches and the light\fan. In that you only have 2 cables coming into the box and you're working with single-pole switches, the easiest way to verify is to use the regular switch to test for the hot.

I'd connect one of the non-green terminals to the red wire coming in from the top and one of the non-green terminals to the black wire coming in from the bottom. Switch it on, and turn the breaker back on. My guess is that either the fan (most likely) or light will come on.

You can then confirm this by turning the breaker back off, removing the red wire from the switch, and replace it with the black wire coming in from the top of the box. Turn everything back on, and the other device should be on now.

After you've confirmed that the bottom black wire is the hot, follow the installation instructions on the new switch and dimmer. You'll need to connect both of line terminals on the switches to the hot. You can either jumper them (tacky) or wire-nut two pigtails onto the hot and connect one to each switch.


Can I add a booster fan to increase pressure?

What is it that you want? Flow or pressure. CFM is a measure of flow rate in cubic feet per minute. Pressure on the other hand is created by forcing more and more air into a confined volume which implies that the flow rate is decreased!

If it is simply more flow rate that you want through a certain sized volumetric space then use a larger fan on the ducting into the working space. You also may have the option to increase the rotational speed of the fan which will increase flow rate as well.

Another option is to redo the input ducting in a Y arrangement and use two fans, one on each arm of the Y and have the air flow from each merge at the leg of the Y and into your working space.


Can I move a kitchen waste vent? If so what is allowed?

If that vent is only venting the lav, you can use an AAV

Its approved by IPC, and many jurisdictions these days.


should i remove trim before caulking window

Adding expanding foam around windows and doors is a cheap way to add insulation. If you're willing to do the extra work involved in removing and reinstalling the trim, it's definitely worth doing.

Adding caulk alone might stop drafts but isn't as good of a thermal break.

Make sure you use an expanding foam that is specifically for windows and doors. This product will not expand as much in order to prevent malforming the frame.


That brick wall has a lot of character!

Cleaning brick can be messy, so have plenty of old towels on hand or use some drop cloths. I would suggest cleaning all of the brick with a hard bristled brush. Use either a mixture of soap, vinegar and water or you can clean it with a solution of muriatic acid and water.

If you go the acid route, be sure to wear gloves and eye protection. Follow mixing directions on the acid container carefully. Also, be sure to ventilate the area well.

Either way, be sure to rinse the surface with plain water. You can do the cleaning in small sections and when you rinse, dab it with a thick towel.

If you want to bring a natural uniform look back to the brick, allow the surface to dry and apply a uniform coat of Brick Sealer. Sealer will bring out the original color of the brick and give it a nice shine. The sealer is also available in a low-luster version.


Shop around, if you can wait a bit - folks remodel and put them on craigslist somewhat regularly; or look more seriously at having the range you have repaired, if you have not (unclear how far you went down that road before declaring it dead) as it may cost less than anything else, even if it feels expensive. For most ranges, a good rebuilder can not only restore function, but also remove most of the "very used" look and feel. Ask to see examples of their work. You may need to look to a larger city you'd have to drive to in order  to find one, but appliance rebuilders are out there.

The problem with "adding storage" is that you are only looking at 4" less width, so by the time you put in a couple of cabinet sides you've got a space that can be handy for cookie sheets, but not much else - if you don't extend the countertop over it, it looks weird (and collects crud, spills, grease etc), and if you do, it still looks weird, unless you can actually get a full-on match (possible with some stone and solid surface materials, and a good contractor - but it may cost you enough to make the replacement stove at 40" look like a better way to spend your money.)


What's required to wire a repurposed cooktop in my shed?

You don't say what region of the world you're in, but that's commonly referred to as a "cooktop" in the US, distinct from an electric range. (which is a standalone appliance that includes the oven.)

But both cooktops and ranges can have "3-wire" hookups in older units, where more modern appliances will now use 4-wire hookups, which adds neutral as the fourth conductor. Two of the three wires are hot, and the third is the ground. With 4-wire hookups, a neutral is also included.

If that is what you have, it requires 240volt (in the US) power. Do you have that in your shed? You would need to hook the two hot leads up to an appropriately sized dual-pole breaker, red to one pole and black to the other, ground to ground.


Can I cut these wires? Apartment build phone/intercom system

Phone wiring is mostly low voltage, though old-style electromagnetic ringers can briefly kick it up to 90v when ringing. If you really want to just discard this, I'd just cut off the bared copper ends, fold the wire back on itself once so the ends are against the outer sheathing, give it a quick wrap with electrical tape to hold them there (just once or twice around the ends), and shove it back into the wall.

That may not be the best answer. But it would work, and be fairly easy to undo if you discover you need them after all.


It will work as well as the previous path has.  Building the slope into the path means you don't have to worry so much about the base - one of the main reasons for a good crushed rock base is to aid in draining.  Also, this is not a large slab area - it's just a narrow path, so going with a packed dirt/clay base is fine.

In the worst case, you'll shovel it back into a mesh to separate the pebbles from the dirt, and re-lay it out later, but I expect if you follow the design of the existing path you'll be just fine.  It'll match better as well.


Can I use an exhaust fan instead of a hood in the kitchen?

A 48 inch gas range sounds large to me and 350 CFM may not be enough. Many people have up to 1000 CFM for smaller ranges and cooktops.

A hood will help collect the cooking fumes while the aperture of an exhaust fan is not as large.

Real kitchen hoods have grease collection mechanisms and are designed to be easy to clean. An exhaust fan will not.

Don't forget to provide a way to replace the air you remove or it will be as effective as a clogged vacuum cleaner.


Do beam supporting posts need to line up from basement to roof

The posts do not have to line up- structures can certainly be designed and engineered that way.
Is this OK for your project ? There is no way that anyone here can make that judgement with the information you have given. There are many other structural considerations when thinking of replacing a bearing wall with a beam (load, uplift, lateral forces, etc).
I am guessing you would like someone here to say that it will be just fine- and it very well might be OK.
This is something you need to be sure of. It is really worth the time and money to have a proper evaluation done by a qualified engineer familiar with your local regulations.


Repair Ceiling Hole for Round old work ceiling box

Likely too late to be of use to OP, but for others who may come looking.

Look what's up there? Lath? Joists?
Cut a nice rectangular wallboard patch larger than the hole. Trace its outline on the ceiling.
Remove plaster within the outline so patch can fit in snugly. Ensure that opening is wide enough to access a joist to which box can now be affixed.
Install box.
Cut opening in patch to allow sufficient access into box.
Attach patch - now a rectangular frame - to ceiling structure.
Apply joint compound and finish

I'm in the midst of a repair where I'm stripping plaster off lath and will then glue and screw my patch in place. I can update once I'm done.


Known damaged wires in a hidden location? Not a good idea. It could be "just on the edge" such that movement over time will eventually cause arcing and a fire.

The best thing to do is to replace the cable. The problem is that you can't simply wire-nut in a section of cable. The connections need to (a) be in proper junction boxes and (b) accessible for maintenance. Inside a floor or under a baseboard is not considered accessible. Your options are:

Replace the entire cable from the receptacle back to the next junction box (which could be another receptacle or the main panel or sometimes something else). The problem is that it can sometimes be quite hard to do this.
Splice using connectors certified for hidden use. See [Is there a way to simply splice in an additional length of 12/2 NM-B cable? for an answer that is one possible solution.
Replace the cable with a cable going a different, easier, route, such as connecting in to another nearby circuit. The catch is that if your refrigerator is on a circuit by itself, you may want to keep it that way to avoid a number of possible problems.


How can I make 3 wire sub-panels compliant with current codes?

TL;DR: your subpanels are seriously screwed up.  Fixing it will require running wires, because the last installer was likely an idiot

We start this journey in NEC 215.6:

  215.6 Feeder Equipment Grounding Conductor. Where a feeder supplies branch
  circuits in which equipment grounding conductors are required, the feeder shall
  include or provide an equipment grounding conductor in accordance with the
  provisions of 250.134, to which the equipment grounding conductors of the branch
  circuits shall be connected. Where the feeder supplies a separate building or
  structure, the requirements of 250.32(B) shall apply.

Since all your panels are in the same structure, 250.32(B) is irrelevant (and so is the length of the feeders -- the NEC doesn't care about how long a feeder is provided the voltage drop is within limits), so we move on to 250.134:

  250.134 Equipment Fastened in Place or Connected by Permanent Wiring Methods
  (Fixed) - Grounding. Unless grounded by connection to the grounded circuit
  conductor as permitted by 250.32, 250.140, and 250.142, non-current-carrying
  metal parts of equipment, raceways, and other enclosures, if grounded, shall
  be connected to an equipment grounding conductor by one of the methods
  specified in 250.134(A) or (B).

  (A) Equipment Grounding Conductor Types. By connecting to any of the
  equipment grounding conductors permitted by 250.118.

  (B) With Circuit Conductors. By connecting to an equipment grounding
  conductor contained within the same raceway, cable, or otherwise run with the
  circuit conductors.

  Exception No. 1: As provided in 250.130(C), the equipment grounding conductor
  shall be permitted to be run separately from the circuit conductors.

Once again, we ignore the reference to 250.32, but now there are several issues at hand.  First, 250.140 is also irrelevant, as it deals solely with electric ranges and dryers, not feeders.  While 250.142(B) looks promising,

  (B) Load-Side Equipment. Except as permitted in 250.30(A)(l) and 250.32(B)
  Exception, a grounded circuit conductor shall not be used for grounding non-
  current-carrying metal parts of equipment on the load side of the service
  disconnecting means or on the load side of a separately derived system
  disconnecting means or the overcurrent devices for a separately derived system
  not having a main disconnecting means.

  Exception No.1: The frames of ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted
  cooking units, and clothes dryers under the conditions permitted for existing
  installations by 250.140 shall be permitted to be connected to the grounded
  circuit conductor.

  Exception No.2: It shall be permissible to ground meter enclosures by
  connection to the grounded circuit conductor on the load side of the service
  disconnect where all of the following conditions apply:

  (1) No service ground-fault protection is installed.

  (2) All meter enclosures are located immediately adjacent to the service
  disconnecting means.

  (3) The size of the grounded circuit conductor is not smaller than the size
  specified in Table 250.122 for equipment grounding conductors.

  Exception No.3: Direct-current systems shall be permitted to be grounded on
  the load side of the disconnecting means or overcurrent device in accordance
  with 250.164.

  Exception No.4: Electrode-type boilers operating at over 1000 volts shall be
  grounded as required in 490.72(E)(1) and 490.74.

none of the exceptions to it apply at all to your situation, and the reference to 250.32(B)'s exception is also, again, irrelevant.  In addition, 250.30(A)(1) is inapplicable as it deals solely with separately derived systems (such as a generator) and not utility mains service.

This leaves us with 250.130(C):

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

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

  (2) Any accessible point on the grounding electrode conductor

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

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

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

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

Unfortunately for you, point 5 here isn't a blanket authorization to do what was done in your house, just the ability to run a new ground wire back to the neutral busbar in your service panel.  So, you'll have to run ground wires back from the subpanels to a point tied into the grounding network, then separate neutral and ground at all the subpanels.

As to Longneck's concern about broken ground wires -- while running a single ground wire by itself may be Code (it depends on how your AHJ interprets 250.130(C)), there are two vastly better options:

Run new RMC from the main panel to the subpanels via whatever route is convenient and use the RMC itself as a grounding conductor as per 250.118 point 2; this RMC can be sized to accommodate a future feeder upgrade as well, if such a thing is ever needed.  However, this approach does have a much higher upfront cost, as running conduit's quite a bit of work.
Run a single bare conductor type MC cable as per 250.118 point 10(a).  This is easier/faster than running conduit, but means you'll have to tear both it and the old feeders out to run new feeders in the future.  It does address longneck's concerns about a single bare wire being snipped, though -- cutting MC cable is not something one does save for a full-scale demolition!  (The 6/1 I linked is adequate for any subpanel you'll ever find in a residential setting, by the way -- Table 250.122 allows for a 6AWG copper grounding conductor for all circuits up to 200A.)


How to measure voltage in a duplex (three-way) wired switch?

What you are looking for is called "Three way switches", although it will only be two switch locations. There are several wiring schemes that can be used, depending upon where the main power is derived from, switch box or light fixture. This link explains 8 different scenarios.

One box will have the feed voltage, 120 volts ac. It can be in either of the switch boxes or the light fixture box. Any readings across the switch terminals would depend on the switch settings and that would require a light bulb installed that would complete the circuit.


New install: What's causing a tripping arc fault breaker?

This behavior is because arc-fault breakers have an interesting quirk: they also provide a small degree of ground fault protection as well! (They are not GFCI's because their ground-fault trip threshold is set to the 30mA used for equipment protection (GFPE) devices as opposed to the 5mA ground-fault (differential) trip of a Class A personnel protection GFCI.)

You will need to contact your electrician and tell them to get their neutrals straight.  Tell him he violated NEC sections 200.4:

  Multiple Circuits. Where more than one neutral conductor associated with
  different circuits is in an enclosure, grounded circuit conductors of each
  circuit shall be identified or grouped to correspond with the ungrounded
  circuit conductor(s) by wire markers, cable ties, or similar means in at least
  one location within the enclosure.

300.3(B):

  Conductors of the Same Circuit. All conductors of the same circuit and,
  where used, the grounded conductor and all equipment grounding conductors and
  bonding conductors shall be contained within the same raceway, auxiliary
  gutter, cable tray, cablebus assembly, trench, cable, or cord, unless
  otherwise permitted in accordance with 300.3(B)(1) through (B)(4).

and 310.10(H)(1):

  General. Aluminum, copper-clad aluminum, or copper conductors, for each
  phase, polarity, neutral, or grounded circuit shall be permitted to be
  connected in parallel (electrically joined at both ends) only in sizes 1/0 AWG
  and larger where installed in accordance with 310.10(H)(2) through (H)(6).


How much weight should a standard cabinet be able to support?

I would recommend calling the cabinet manufacturer. They have almost assuredly done load tests to see how much weight their cabinets can carry before failing.


Toilet tank leaking on the floor after removing and reinserting flush valve

I always put a thin layer of silicone sealant on both sides of the gasket and have not had leaks, but nothing is guaranteed.


Option A is necessary if your present panel is Zinsco or FPE Stablok, but we can do that in a sneaky way that isn't so impactful.  Otherwise, option C.
Option A-1 is to install a replacement panel right next to the defective panel, fit double-lugs in the original panel so you can daisy-chain the new panel off the old -- then cut over one circuit at a time at your leisure.  Once all the circuits are gone from the old panel, bypass and remove it.
Now I'll discuss why option B is out of the question.

NEC: There must be a main disconnecting switch installed at every building to disconnect all service wires, either underground or overhead, and that it be located in a readily accessible place as near as possible to the point where the wires enter the building. This disconnecting means must be arranged to cut off the entire current.

This referred to DC power; the Code edition was 1897.  Current code says the same but splits it up, all in Article 230. Nonetheless, its terse language implies several things.
Only one set of service conductors per building.

230.2 Number of Services. A building or other structure served shall be supplied by only one service unless permitted in 230.2(A) through (D).

And those exceptions call out fire pumps, generators, apartments, too-large services, and different voltages/phases.  There's some blather about 230.40, which is full of very confusing terms and you will need to keep referring back to Article 100 to clarify them  - but there's nothing there that helps you.
One shut-off switch per service, practically

230.70 General. Means shall be provided to disconnect all conductors in a building or other structure from the service-entrance conductors.
230.71 Maximum Number of Disconnects. (A) General. The service disconnecting means... shall consist of ... a combination of not more than six switches and sets of circuit breakers, mounted in a single enclosure, in a group of separate enclosures, or in or on a switchboard. There shall be not more than six sets of disconnects per service grouped in any one location.
230.72 Grouping of Disconnects. (A) General. The two to six disconnects as permitted in 230.71 shall be grouped. Each disconnect shall be marked to indicate the load served.

This is no good at all.  It means even if you can snake two sets of service conductors by the inspector by snowing him with 230.40, the panels need to be right next to each other.  The service conductors would be uselessly doubled, lay right next to each other.
This "Rule of Six" is a liberalization of the 1897 rules, often seen in obsolete split-bus/"Rule of Six" panels.  Note that if your service panel is a split-bus/Rule-of-Six, a second panel would be a seventh throw, violating the Rule of Six.  The exception "6 per service" doesn't work because you have only a single service.
Option C
Being out of space is an intolerable situation.  We constantly advise people to get the largest panel they can bear to get, and then some. I aim to finish projects with 50% of spaces unused. Where we see full panels, we often see twin/duplex/"double-stuff" breakers, which have hazards of their own, not least, they actively impede upgrading circuits to AFCI/GFCI.
So right off the bat, I recommend a subpanel right next to your "main" subpanel, and cutting over circuits from the main to the new sub, as convenient. This will free up spaces at your leisure and at a scale that is DIY viable.

As we've discussed, double-feeding it is utterly futile.
You could daisy-chain it off the lugs of the "main" subpanel, but second main breakers aren't free.
Or you could wire it as a sub-sub-panel off the "main subpanel", using, say, a 100A feed breaker in the main-.  The sub-sub-panel must have an ampacity rating at least that of the feed breaker. It does not matter whether this subpanel has a "main breaker" or not**.

As we will always recommend, go really huge on the panel.  Space is cheap, regrets are expensive.
You can move circuits at your leisure from the main-sub-panel to the sub-sub-panel.  Right away move enough circuits to liberate two spaces for the sub-sub-panel's feed breaker.
My recommendation for the addition is a second subpanel, so liberate 2 more spaces.
Option C part 2: Service to the addition
I gather from your question that you'd rather have a panel in the addition serving loads there. Just another sub-sub-panel.
If you can accomplish this with only the addition sub-sub-panel and move enough house circuits to it, that will suffice.
Again, the addition sub-sub has its own feed breaker in the main-sub.  The wire between the two decides the size of the feed breaker (and this is picked out of the tables for branch circuits, 310.16, not for service drops).  If you're looking at #4 or larger wire, seriously consider aluminum, it works extremely well for feeders like this, and the lugs are aluminum anyway.   Again, the sub-sub-panel's rating must be larger than the feed breaker. (or equal).
I recommend two subpanels to make it simple to describe, and because being out of spaces is a major annoyance.  If you can reroute enough circuits from the main-sub to the addition sub-sub, then perhaps that is the only one you will need. Regardless, don't scrimp on spaces.  A 42-space subpanel is not excessive at all. Doing all the work to install a 12-space, and then running out again, is excessively wasteful of your time.

** However, if your main subpanel is old, and maybe worthy of replacement, it would be clever to choose a sub-sub-panel which is capable of performing all the functions of the main-sub. Then you can slowly migrate every circuit over to the sub-sub, and one day, switch the service conductors over and eliminate the old main-sub entirely.


How to disassemble old Moen kitchen faucet

So far, everything I find online shows that the screw is certainly under the cap but no direction how specifically to remove the cap. Here is an image that I found:

Hope it helps!


Are these tools appropriate for a roofing project?

I have seen nail guns that accept both roofing and framing nails; I would look for one like that. I would generally recommend a coil nailer, which holds more nails, and usually accepts roofing and framing nails (but be sure to check it before you buy it).

As for air tanks, I would look for something on the small side (like 6 gal) for roofing, because I find that you have to keep moving the tank. You also have to think about carrying or hoisting it up and down. Lighter is easier.


Can I blow dryer exhaust into a pillow case or sheet?

I'm presuming you're using the pillow case as a lint filter.  The bigger problem will be humidity.  You'll be putting all of the moisture from the wet clothes into the air.  After a couple loads, this makes the room really, really, REALLY humid (I've been there).

If you can swing it, you might be well off getting some flex dryer duct and running the end out the window while you're doing laundry.  Then you won't need the pillowcase at all, which might cause some other problems due to back pressure/poor airflow (e.g., it might take longer for your clothes to dry, and it might cause the dryer to run hotter).


Will my floor support our bathroom remodel?

That looks to be an "engineered" truss system, not standard floor joist construction. If it were me and I did not know the original specs from the truss supplier, I would hire an engineer to determine the strength.


Any "upright freezers" that have a water/ice dispenser?

They exist but I have only seen them for very high-end application.  Here is an example.  I bought one for a house I was redoing a few years ago but have to say it is a little out of my price range.  Most of the models are made to take custom front panels (match cabinets).


Never seen one like this - BUT have installed many a hood in cabinets where the vent did not end up exiting the center of the cabinet.  a combination of adjustable elbows will offset the vent if you have at least 15" height in the cabinet.  As a last resort flexible aluminum duct could be used but only if you have no other options.


What could be causing low pressure in my new faucet, a Moen 87690SRS?

Sometimes replacing fixtures will break loose crud that will end up in 1 of 3 usual places:

At the shut off valve/connection hose

Inside the cartridge

At the aerator screen
Start at the aerator, its the easiest to check.  Make a water check with the aerator off.  You can flush out the aerator in reverse at that time.  Be careful to reassemble in the reverse order, you wouldn't want to leave the restrictor plate off accidentally.


Why does my electric oven present the option of 40A and 50A breakers?

There are a few different issues here:

120 vs. 240

A typical oven for installation in a system like the US (split 120/240) will use 240V for the heating elements (i.e., needs 2 hot wires) and 120V for the controls (i.e., needs 1 hot, 1 neutral). So you can't run it on only 120 or only 240. That is different from, for example, a computer power supply that might list 120 - 240 (or more typically something like 100 - 250) which means that any voltage in that range is OK. That is because a computer uses a power supply that can take "anything" and convert to a single lower voltage. An oven will actually use the power "as is" (at least for heating elements and lights) and has to get what it needs or it won't work properly.

40A/50A

An oven is designed with specific power requirements. It will not, unless damaged, exceed those requirements. In addition, as a device with a continuous load (i.e., it can be on for a while), it will actually be designed to use less (I think the normal number is <= 80% of the rated current) power. So there is plenty of safety margin even at 40A, by design. As far as 50A, there are some ovens that require 50A instead of 40A. By designing a 40A oven so that it can operate safely on a 50A circuit - i.e., that it is engineered such that the breaker not tripping until 50A instead of 40A is "OK", that gives a little bit of flexibility on the installation. Otherwise, if you had a 50A circuit (both appropriate wire and a 50A breaker), you would need to replace the 50A breaker with a 40A breaker in order to install this oven - but that is not the case here and you are fine with 40A or 50A.

ground through the neutral

You didn't ask about this part, but I will tell you anyway. For historical reasons, many ovens used to have no ground and then later ground was piggybacked on the neutral wire. That is not safe (though marginally better than no ground at all) and is not recommended, even if local code permits it. If you have a hardwired oven then you need to connect the oven ground to either a ground wire or (if you have a metal junction box attached to metal conduit going all the way back to the breaker panel) to a metal box. If you have a plug-in installation then you need to use a properly wired 4-wire socket (NEMA 14-50) connected to 2 hots, 1 neutral and 1 ground (ground again can be metal box/conduit). If you have an older 3-wire socket, now is the time to replace it - and yes that may require running a new cable.


Wood filler or glue for small fracture after nailing?

If the nail is holding this thin piece in place I would use wood glue over filler, filler may not hold the split together where wood glue would.


Can I sense filter replacement need based on filter pressure drop?

Since the purpose of replacing filters in the first place is to restore airflow which has been diminished by reduced filter porosity, it would be a better approach to use a differential sensor to monitor airflow, rather than a differential across the filter(s)

In a ‘passive’ system with no blower control, the filters are simply replaced when the flow has reached some minimum acceptable level.

In an active system, energy to the blower is regulated in a control loop.
The desired operating volumetric flow is first established, and this forms the reference for two control set points for the loop.
When the flow reaches the lower set point energy to the motor is increased to restore specified airflow, and decreased when the upper set point is reached.
Filter replacement is indicated when the blower can no longer sustain the required flow.

An example of how a differential sensor is applied in deriving volumetric flow can be found here:
http://www.bapihvac.com/CatalogPDFs/I_App_Notes/Determining_Air_Flow_CFM.pdf

I have just completed a design applying this principal in extending the service life of HEPA filters in a forensic laboratory environment.

I also used the Freescale MPX2010DP, coupled to a PIC16F818, which has just enough pins to drive the 4 seven segment display digits, scan three buttons (START/STOP,  and set point UP, and set point DOWN) and implement PWM control on the motor.
The sensor requires to  feed into an instrumentation amplifier (fabricated from the ubiquitous LM324) as the full scale voltage output differential is only 0.4V, and the ADC on the microprocessor requires an order of magnitude greater than this to realise adequate resolution.

The two air duct  probes, one for total pressure and one for static pressure, which connect to the pressure and vacuum sides of the sensor respectively could easily be fabricated DIY  from thin copper, aluminium or other soft metal tubing, or they may be purchased online for very little.

The cost of materials for this type of project would be trivial, the question is whether one would enjoy and derive satisfaction from the substantial effort it will require.


Why is my electric water heater not working?


Can i use Existing Light fitting to power video doorbell?

This has great potential to become a hokey fix-up DIY bodge, but try not to be tempted into cutting all the corners.
BTW, you said it's "only pulling 24v" which is incorrect. It's pulling 240v, but only 0.2A
That's actually less than half the power consumed by a 60w light bulb, so even if your ring is running a chandelier in the hall too, it's unlikely to be anywhere near maximum capacity, which is 5A.
Right. That settled, onto the bodge…
Is it to building regs? No.
Is it actually going to hurt anything if you do it properly? No.
Would I do it? Yes.
You're going to need to wire it in parallel above the drop to the light switch unless you only want it to work when the light's on*. Don't try to wire it in above the light itself. That's a no-no.
Late edit.
I feel I ought to clarify this, reading back.
The ring main runs round from light to light, not from switch to switch, so directly above the fitting you can get to it - but it's in the porch, so it's not weather-proof enough for a cheap switch-mode power supply. You have to find another segment of the ring indoors to wire from (not the drop to the switch, that's not in the ring.)
End of edit now read on…
Do not place it outdoors, even in a porch, no matter what you box it in. That it has air-vents tells you it needs some airflow, so you cannot box it up tight enough to be placed outside the main building. It will get just enough airflow placed in the ceiling so long as it's placed in free-space.
To get it closer to building regs, if not absolutely to spec, you really ought to put an old-style 5A socket on a joist in the ceiling space & plug it to that - that way anyone who finds the socket in the distant future won't expect it to be on the ring main at 13A. That would also allow you to correctly earth the socket. At a push, put a 13A socket in & label it 5A Lighting.  Use correct boxes at any junction you need to make - no insulating tape, no free-floating terminal block & no solder, thank you very much.
Of course, by the time you get up into the ceiling space, you might find you're close enough to a regular ring main to just run a spur off that, legit, kosher & above-board.
If there was any part of the simple terminology I've used in this answer that you don't understand, get an electrician ;)
*That's kind of a joke… don't do that.


Is my washer clutch in need of replacement?

I had a similar problem a few years back, and as a novice, had to look it up on YouTube.  This was one of the best videos I found for troubleshooting and replacing the clutch.  I was able to do it myself.
https://youtu.be/TB_W6sPdzkM


What kind of bulb is this? How to remove it?

If that's the kind I think it is, it pulls straight out; it's just held in place by friction. Use a towel or something so if it breaks you don't slice your hand, and wiggle it back and forth a bit along the long socket axis.

EDIT: These are called a Glass Wedge Bulb.


What is the difference between a 10a and 15a powerpoint?

Earthing pin is taller.  This is a way of keying the receptacle so a 10A or 15A load can plug into a 15A receptacle, but a 15A load (tall earth) cannot plug into a 10A receptacle.

North America does exactly the same with NEMA 5-15 and 5-20 and 6-15 and 6-20, just more obviously (which helps users understand why it won't fit).

And it's probably the same thing: it means the cabling behind the receptacle is either the thinner cable that saves money, or the thicker cable with higher current rating installed at extra cost. With a different size overcurrent device (breaker) for each to protect the wires.


Skil gives two reasons for it.

From the operating manual for a Skil brand circular saw:

and in the "kickback" warning section:


Is occasional puddling of water in an unfinished basement a problem that needs to be addressed?

I would definitely be concerned, mostly about mold but also about property damage (you said it's used for storage) and long-term foundation damage.

If your downspouts are not properly discharging water away from your house then you definitely want to address this. In the grand scheme of wet basement solutions, this is probably the cheapest fix you will find.  Tight property lines or not, make sure that your downspouts discharge water far away from your foundation. It's hard to say whether you would benefit from a dry well.

If this fails then you should investigate whether you have a French drain and/or weeping tiles and whether that system has failed.  If it is just clogged it could be a somewhat easy repair.  If you don't have one or it has failed beyond repair then you will need to install or replace the drainage system.  You said your house has tight property lines so it might not be realistic to dig up the outside, in which case you'd have to look into an interior French drain and sump pit solution.  Either way this is probably going to be expensive.

I would definitely advise you to bring an expert in to review your situation and suggest some solutions. Make sure to get a few opinions/quotes. Fixing this this is probably outside of the DIY-scope for most people as messing with your foundation is risky business.


Floor heating: is electrical heating better for me?

Hydronic heating is much cheaper to run but more costly to install. 40 square meters is a pretty large space for electric. If it's going to be your only heat source and you live in a cool climate go hydronic.


Is is safe to have rainwater recycling tank near the bedroom windows?

Standing stagnant water can harbor legionnaire's disease, be a mosquito breeding ground, etc. And as @mike says, regional hazards vary, check with your local health authority, what works here in Oregon might not work for example, in Florida, etc.


What could cause my range burner to be bright red and really hot when the dial is set to low?

IME, Most electric stoves rely on duty cycles to adjust the heat of a burner. They do not alter the "flow" of heat like a gas stove. The burner is either producing heat, or it is not. If you watch it long enough, I bet you could even time the patterns of the different temperature settings.

I would call the manufacturer and see if there are any known issues, defects or recalls. Otherwise, I'd chalk this up to it's normal mode of operation.


Pilot Light keeps going out when thermostat is kicking on furnace

A good serviceman should be able to figure out what the problem is and how to correct it. Things to check; does the inlet gas pressure fall when the gas valve clicks, does the pilot go out instantly, is it blowing out or is the gas pressure to the pilot changing, did you keep the old gas valve for reference or throw it away? If you can, post a few pictures of the furnace and gas line connections at the furnace and state the furnace make and model and where you live.


An easy way to complete a wall like you describe is to build it flat on the floor. That way you can screw or nail the studs to the plates through the plates.  I recommend installing a separate plate on the floor or across the upper joists first. Floor usually works best.  Then simply measure the shortest dimension from the floor plate  you just installed to the joists and build your wall to that measurement less 1/4 inch.  Now you can stand it up usually without the angle getting hung up on existing ceiling and walk it into place. If you don't use the extra separate plate, it is almost impossible to stand it up into place. Attach it to which ever plate (top or bottom) you installed first, then shim it to keep it stable and plumb it as you nail it to the bottom plate or the joists. When you build the wall on the ground, lay out your 16 inch centers etc. Flush up the second plate to the one you just marked and transfer the marks to other plate with a square. Now you know where to place the studs between the plates. This method is the most common practice for building non-load bearing walls in an existing structure and works with any size lumber you want to use.


What is the most energy efficient way to heat a converted garage space?

In that climate, the most energy efficient method is a heat pump.  An added bonus is that it can air condition during hot times, something that is presumably a requirement for an office space or guest room in SoCal.

Heat pumps come in all kinds of flavors, but those designed for and often used in commercial and residential space should be plenty quiet.  Perhaps a 3/4 ton (9,000 BTU/hr) ductless unit (at $500) like this would be more than adequate:

Beyond that, energy efficiency can be further increased with better insulation, decreased air infiltration, and more efficient windows.

Comfort probably can be further improved by adding thermal mass:  heavy furnishings, dense partitions, heavy curtains and wall hangings, etc.


Trane Air Handler GAT2A0C48S41SAA Create "C" Wire

Inside the unit, you should find a transformer. On the secondary side of the transformer (low voltage side) you should see a red wire attached to one terminal, and blue attached to the other.  The terminal with the blue wire will also have a green with yellow strip wire, which attaches to the chassis.  The blue wire is the C wire.

Using a multimeter set to AC volts, you should measure about 24 volts between the red and blue wires.
Connect a wire between the blue wire terminal on the transformer, and the C terminal on the thermostat.  That should get you up and running.


How do I remove a wiffle ball from a pool vacuum pipe?

You are going to need to "pig" the line. You will need to insert something very slightly smaller than the pipe diameter (so it doesn't get stuck!) into the pump side of the pipe (i.e. where the whiffle ball wants to go "to") a tennis ball or racquet ball might work, so might just some crumpled up news paper. Seal your pig into the pipe and rig up a fitting for the air compressor hose. Turn on the air compressor and your pig will travel to the blockage and then proceed to push it backwards out of the pipe.

You will probably spend $25-$50 USD on the fittings and such (depending on what you already own) but it is far cheaper than digging up the pipe and cutting it out.


Removing side panel from dishwasher for part replacement - general advice

General advice: you need the service manual that has exploded diagrams of every replaceable part (which is what this is), not the user's or the installer's.


Are intermediate vertical supports necessary for horizontal fence rails?

The thickness of the horizontal "pickets", the quality of the lumber chosen, and the prep and maintenance will determine the rate at which the wood will warp, split and crack. I don't think that a 2x2 or 2x4 stiffener will do much to prevent any of this.
However, the stiffener will stiffen the boards, even on a 6' span, helping to hold them in position against wind, someone climbing the fence, or just simply leaning against it.
It seems, from the tone of your question, that you don't particularly want to install these stiffeners. I'd recommend that you not install them at first. Try out a few sections of fence and see how it works for you. Lean on the fence (as you might if talking to a neighbor), try climbing it (as your kids are guaranteed to do at least once) and see how it holds up. If the "wobble" is acceptable to you then leave the stiffeners out of the equation. If the "wobble" is not acceptable, then you know your answer.
Heck, you could build the whole fence without these extra verticals, then install them all later if you determine if you need them.

As a side note, it almost appears that the stiffener in your image is acting as an intermediate fence post - it could be touching the ground or even buried in the ground, but I'm not sure it is.
Additionally that looks more like a 1x2 or 1x3 stiffener, and I'm not sure how much that would do in comparison to 2x material.
If you do decide to go with the stiffener, I'd suggest only one screw/nail per picket into the stiffener. This will allow your horizontal pickets to expand and contract with the weather and the seasons and minimize the splitting damage to them. If you put 2 screws/nails in there, it's possible that you'll increase the rate at which they fail.


What is the name for the kind of eye-bolt used to secure bicycle fender stays

They appear to be called, fender eyelet bolts, eyelet bolts, or bicycle fender bolts. There is a link I found for Fender Eyelet Bolts, 5mm here.


Mitsubishi Hyper Heat Models Capacity Weirdness

The fact is that all heat pumps loose efficiency as it gets colder. I think if you check that they can still heat down to 5 but the efficiency is not there because the heat differential is outside the heating range. If memory serves for an inside there some that go to -10f I remember this number from a training class a year or 2 ago but not the brand or model.  We were lucky our heat pump was mounted outside our chimney (with a wood stove insert this kept the bricks warm so our unit would work in the -f range even though it was only rated for 20f) as you can see from the curves when it gets below the teens that max heat starts to drop off, to say it another way you might need 110 f coil temp to get 78f inside the home so when the coil is down to 78f now you’re down to 52 or cold for inside temps. Things that will help keep snow off of and away from the outside unit, if you have high winds a wind break can also help as this will allow the heat radiating from the house to increase the efficiency, hope this helps but depending on the unit it may heat but just not efficiently.

Added to address op comment: I have installed old classic heat pumps with fixed orifices and TXV (temperature controlled throttle valves), there is no real comparison in efficiency of this older single speed system compared to inverter driven or variable speed systems, the old orifice type topped out about 12 or 13 seer where the inverter driven units are in the low to mid 20’s for the most part and improving about every 3 years, the additional improvement is with modern split systems each room is independently heated Or cooled, so you save by not running as hard, minis vary there speed so there is not much starting and stopping and this also saves no ductwork to heat or cool is another plus. a system running at 40% for an hour compared to a old fashioned system starting and stopping at least 3 times, then running at full speed prior to shutdown is less efficient because on startup compressors draw 3-5x there normal running power, in the long run running at a variable speed is easier on the equipment and more energy efficient. We have used this technology in industrial plants for close to 30 years to save $ but it wasn’t until about 10 years ago the smaller inverters actually were robust enough for home use (I used to say they were a waste for anything under 20hp) but a few years Back they started coming out with tiny modules that were lasting as long as the big units, I finally installed one in my home not long ago (not saying the brand but mine and several others now have 10 year warranty’s) where not that long ago it was 1,3 or 5 years on the systems I saw. So it comes down to the type of system and the type of drive controllers and the over all seer rating (the higher the better). With split systems they can be even more energy efficient because you don’t need to heat or cool each room for example, summer during the day keep the kitchen and living room nice and cool, but let the bedrooms be 20 degrees warmer, an night adjust so the kitchen and living rooms are warmer but the bedrooms are just right.
Not  cooling the entire house works plus, as the rooms reach the set point the fans slow to a whisper , the compressor slows to just keep up with demand so it is quieter all saving $ and extending system life.  This is what I have seen and some of the reasons some can work to lower temps, the type of Freon, the seer of the combined components and how they are set up all make a difference. Hope that helped without being two long winded.


toilet slow to flush with bubbles from the jet

If the tank water level is correct and you don't detect a restriction/blockage between the tank and bowl, and the drain below the toilet is clear;

the problem could be a restriction/partial blockage in the toilet bowl trap.


How effective are outdoor foam faucet covers to prevent freezing?

I live in Canada and there are only two ways to stop your spigot from freezing in the winter.   The first is to have a cut off inside your house, lower then the spigot and it has to have a relief valve on the exterior side to drain the water away from the wall.   The other way is a frost spigot that extends about 20" into the warm zone on the inside of the wall.   This actually has the shut-off all the way into the house.   These have to be installed with a slope towards the faucet end so when you close it the water drains out the spigot.

Those are the only two ways to truly and confidently stop your hose spigots from freezing.


Adding Siemens Whole House SPD to Pseudo neutral Siemens GFCI

Remember when I warned you not to get tempted to use the pseudo-neutral for anything else?   This.

This is exactly the sort of "scope creep" I'm talking about.  "Oh, I've got another thing that needs neutral, I'll just grab it from there". Nuh-uh. No way.

See, the GFCI uses neutral only for its  own internal power, it's a tiny load.  The surge suppressor doesn't use neutral for internal power, it uses it to suppress surges on the neutral: it aims to flow hundreds of amps down the neutral.

That would vaporize the tiny transformer.

It's also possible the surge suppressor has some lights on it.  Those are probably to indicate faults such as a lost pole or lost neutral. The latter being particularly dangerous in North America, but a big nothingburger in your part of the Philippines.

(To our readers, the Philippines is in the midst if a transition between North American 120/240V and European 230V.  The first step of the process was deleting center neutral. Those neighborhoods get 2 legs of power, neither one near ground. This is unlike Europe, where one of the legs of power is neutral and thus near ground.)

The simple fact is, surge suppression in the Philippines is a difficult problem. At first glance, Euro style surge suppressors are a better fit, because they only protect surges on 2 poles.  However, Euro units expect there to be a neutral that is near ground, so they may not br a good application.

Indigenous units actually built for the Philippines would be the best choice.  Otherwise you have two options, and I would consult with the factory:

hook the surge suppressor's neutral and ground to your earthing system.
if the suppressor can stand 240V across hot-neutral, wire both hots to one leg of power and neutral to the other leg of power. But I would not do that without factory consultation.

Keep in mind, you are seeing the spec call out a higher voltage across the 240V wires because it should be that way for 240V.  You can't outsmart the factory, they are pretty smart.


Stove top ground wire connected to neutral wire

Many years ago, electrical was done without ground wires.

Range/ovens need 240V for all the stuff that makes heat, and 120V for the oven light (so you can use readily available bulbs).  Because of this, ranges were supplied 120/240V hot-hot-neutral.

When the grounding "fad" took off, the NFPA wanted to mandate 4-wire range and dryer connections: hot-hot-neutral-ground.  However, the appliance industry was appalled at the idea that people would have to upgrade in-wall wiring the next time they bought an appliance.  It would crush appliance sales!  So they pressured for a compromise, where if ground is absent, ranges and dryers could bootleg ground off the neutral wire, so the chassis is 'grounded' to neutral.

It helped their case that most 3-wire connections go back to the main service panel, where neutral and ground are bonded. The failure of the neutral wire would have the effect of electrifying the chassis, but that was reasoned to be "a risk worth taking" since these connections are rarely disturbed.

Even today, all ranges/ovens and dryers can be connected in 3-wire or 4-wire modes, with neutral internally jumpered to ground in 3-wire mode.  It's not a good practice.

It was allowed to do this with /2+ground UF cable, which has a bunch of ground wire strands orbiting the conductors.  These are bunched up and used as the neutral. Some thought they could do the same with NM cable (nope). Of course some installations have /3-no-ground cable, where the neutral wire is actually white.

In an installation with /2 UF or NM cable, you can redesignate the bare neutral to be ground. Otherwise you can retrofit a ground wire.  You cannot retrofit neutral wires.

Now you know the history of 3-wire range connections, you can see why they attached ground to the neutral wire: appliance shop installers think of them as interchangeable, and are trained to use whichever. Installers are certainly not electricians.


You need neutral in that box. Now.

I don't mean for your current dimmer.  I mean as of 2008?, they changed the Electrical Code to require that you pull neutral down to almost every place a switch can go.   This being a "switch loop" circuit, it must be wired -- by amazing coincidence -- exactly the way it is now. Lucky you.

That means you must keep it that way.

Your particular dimmer does not require neutral. Increasingly, more and more of them do.  That's because dimmers, motion sensors, lighted switches  and smart switches are capable of doing more cool stuff when they have real neutral.   Eventually I assume you'll upgrade to LEDs and experience the limitations of this dimmer, and want to change to a better one.

In the meantime, just put a cap on it (orange or blue wire nuts are about right) and tape the cap down to the wire pretty aggressively, because wire-nuts fall off single wires very easily.  Neutral loose in that box would be a problem.


My basement wall is adjacent to a filled foundation. Is there any point in insulating?

The concrete provides almost no insulating valve. Walls 3 feet below grade are usually figured as being about 55 degrees all year long. Above that 3 feet line they are usually considered to be outside exposed walls. When I finished my basement (near Pittsburgh, Pa.) I insulated all the walls with 1" styrofoam (pink board) and studs. It worked for me


Is it damaging to turn off a small fridge for two days every week?

Someone will close the door and...

It will fill the fridge's internal spaces with mold

Air holds moisture.  Warm air is capable of holding more moisture than cold air.  Everytime you open the fridge door, you let in room air.  This contains more moisture than air can possibly hold at refrigerator temperatures, which means condensation occurs inside the fridge.  When it occurs on the coils, it is visible as frost.

Those panels that line the fridge interior are not airtight.  Air also circulates behind them and condenses there.

The upshot is, a fridge has a lot of water or ice inside it, in all sorts of inaccessible nooks and crannies.  When you shut off, the interior warms to room temperature, a sealed space with more condensed water than the air can possibly hold. It hits 100% humidity and you have a petri dish for mold.

The only cure is to leave the door open enough that air circulates freely, which keeps the humidity same as ambient.  However, this doesn't work. Humans have embedded programming to close any refrigerator door on sight. The entire species has 18 years of full-immersion psychological conditioning starting nearly from birth to close refrigerator doors.

Why the mold is bad

I learned this by repeatedly cleaning mold off a fridge we ran when needed.  It seems a simple fix; clean off the surfaces and you're all good.  However, those are not the only surfaces. There is also the backside of those surfaces, the machinery including evaporator coil, and electricals.  You cannot reach those to clean them.  And to be clear, the interior lining of fridges are decorative, not hermetic seals.

Exactly the same black mess is happening in  the inaccessible locations, in roughly same proportion, since the humid air is convecting all over the fridge.  If it happens repeatedly, the mold gets thicker since you're not cleaning it.

Obviously that can affect machinery, but this reserve of mold spores can also get on food.


Making a 15kg table to move around without drilling

Well if drilling is not an option than that eliminates castors, which would be the logical choice. If you have hard surface flooring you could apply furniture pads (high density felt) to the feet and just slide it around.


Refrigerator temperature fluctuates wildly

There may be list of reasons based on your refrigerator design.
1. May be a faulty pump that pumps coolant.
2. May be a faulty leaking capacitor in the circuit.
3. Leaking of refrigerator coolant.
4. Most power circuits have a ceramic round dial shaped capacitor that usually takes power surges when there is a sudden spike. After a few years(1-3) due to multiple surges it is subjected to a wear and tear and finally explodes. It happens many times and is located in coolant pump under a hard shell casing enclosed in hardened glue so that there will not be any visible damage.
5. There may be a leaking door as doors tend to loosen a bit on sides causing an air gap where cooling leaks.

Better call a technician as he can as sess and tell. I it covers warranty exchange for a new product.


I think a conventional toggle bolt is your best bet here (and hopefully 2). You need something that doesn't rely on threads grabbing cementboard material, and something that spreads the load a bit.

I'd also use some construction adhesive around the bolt once it's in place to help fill the gap and provide stability.


How does one put a horizontal drain (ABS. 1 1/2") pipe in a wall that is already in place?

Get a bigger hammer (and use a wood block to protect the end of the pipe). Large pipe (3", or maybe even 2") would not slide into there but 1-1/2" should.
Make sure the first hole particularly is drilled generously oversized so the pipe won't bind in the hole while you're forcing it in. It may even help to drill that first hole slightly off perpendicular, angled toward the surface of the wall in the direction the pipe will be inserted.
If you're trying to start the pipe going through that stack of three wall studs that could make life miserable. Insert the horizontal pipes from the right instead if that's an option, or from a couple studs back to the left. It's OK to drill holes in other studs so the pipe can be inserted at an easier location even though the pipe won't forever occupy the extra holes.
If all else fails, cut the pipe into sections small enough to be inserted and use couplers to re-join the pieces.


Can I use 22/4 wire instead of 20/2 wire?

For power delivery through copper wires for this type of load the amperage capability of the wire is proportional to the cross sectional area of the conductor. You can check this in a standard AWG wire table.

Your existing 20 awg wire has an area of .518 mm2. On the other hand a 24 awg wire has an area of .205 mm2. So two 24 awg wires @ .410 mm2 would not be equivalent to the 20 awg wire.

It is possible that your system would work OK with the pairs of 24 awg wires if the current draw in the wires did not come close to the total capacity of the originally specified 20 awg wire but I would suggest that instead you try to either find some actual 20 awg wire, use surplus wire that had paired 22 awg conductors or find 6 conductor cable with the 24 awg conductors and set them up in two sets of triplets.

Update. I misread the original posting as specifying 24 awg wire instead of 22 awg. Sorry about that. The fact still remains that two 24 awg wires in parallel are not up to the same current capacity as the 20 awg wire. However a pair of 22 awg wires, each with a with a cross sectional area of 0.326 mm2, will be more than the equivalent of a 20 awg wire. So now you know that a pair of 22's or a triplet of 24's will suffice as a substitute.


How can I add a "C" wire to my thermostat?

More than you've ever wanted to know about the C wire:

Lets start by explaining what the C wire is, and why it's needed.

Ye olde thermostat

In the olden days thermostats were simple switch devices, that used Mercury Switches to complete the circuit and turn on the heat/AC.

  Mercury switches were commonly used in bimetal thermostats. The weight
  of the movable mercury drop provided some hysteresis by moving the
  bimetal spring slightly beyond the point it would normally assume,
  thereby holding the thermostat off slightly longer before flipping to
  the on state and then holding the thermostat on slightly longer before
  flipping back to the off state. The mercury also provided a very
  positive on/off switching action and could withstand millions of
  cycles without degradation of the contacts.
  Source

Because of this, there was no reason to run a return wire to the thermostat. For example a thermostat that only controlled heat, would only require 2 wires.

Welcome to the future

Newer thermostats that offer clocks, backlit displays, WiFi, etc. are controlled using circuit boards and integrated circuits.  These new circuits require a path for electricity to return to the source, and so require an extra wire.  This new wire is known as the C wire, or Common wire.

How do I get a C wire?

If you're lucky when you upgrade to a newer thermostat that requires this connection, there will be an extra (unused) wire in the cable at the thermostat.  If you're not, you'll have to run new cable to the thermostat.

If you have heat and AC, you'll have to pull an 18/5 cable. If you have just heat you can get away with pulling 18/3 cable, but you may want to pull 18/5 anyway to make adding AC in the future easier.

What do all these wires do anyway?

There are no standards for wire color, so any wire could be used for any purpose.  The most common color code would be (note: this is for forced air furnaces, heat pumps and other systems may be different).

Red - R - 24VAC
Red - Rh - 24VAC (dedicated to heat call)
Red - Rc - 24VAC (dedicated to cooling call)
Green - G - Fan on
White - W - Heat call
Yellow - Y - Cool call
Blue or Black - C - Common

Alternative Solution

This solution is illustrated in this video from Honeywell. With this solution you lose the ability to manually turn on the blower fan, but the fan will still run properly in the Auto position.

WARNING: This procedure involves modifying the wiring in the furnace, and may not be approved by every manufacturer. Check with the furnace manufacturer, and all local codes before attempting this procedure. Make sure the breaker for the furnace is OFF before you begin.

Make sure the breaker for the furnace is OFF.
Start by removing the access panel on the furnace, and locating the thermostat wires.
Remove the wire from the G terminal, and connect it to the C terminal.
Using a short piece of 18 AWG wire, make a jumper and connect it between the Y and G terminals (this is only required if you have both heat and central air).
Replace the access panel.
Remove the thermostat from the wall to gain access to the wiring.
Remove the wire from the G terminal, and connect it to the C terminal.
Replace the thermostat.
Turn the furnace breaker back on.

A bit more about transformers and C wires.

A transformer uses coils of wire, magnetism, and a bit of magic to transfer energy from the primary side of the transformer to the secondary side of the transformer.  Usually during the transfer, the voltage is either increased or decreased. In the case of our furnace we're likely talking about taking 120VAC, and transforming it into 24VAC. Once the voltage has been reduced, we can use the lower voltage and a thermostat to control the furnace.

Now that you know even less about transformers than you did before, lets look at a diagram.

This is an actual wiring diagram from a furnace, but you'll notice I've highlighted a few things.  First, in red I've highlighted the 120V primary side of the transformer. I've also highlighted the secondary side of the transformer in a couple shades of blue. This was done to illustrate that one side of the transformers secondary winding (light blue), is attached to the R or power terminal. While the other side of the secondary winding (dark blue), is attached to the C or "neutral" terminal.

Locating transformers

On a schematic

On a schematic or wiring diagram, a transformer will look something like this.

Often you'll see a number written on each side, which denotes the expected voltages on each side of the transformer. Notice in the schematic above that the top side lists 120V (120 volts), while the bottom lists 24V (24 volts).

In the real world

When actually digging through HVAC equipment, a transformer will look something like this.

Notice the rectangular middle section, flanked by a bulge on each side. These are the typical physical characteristics of a transformer.

Volt-Amperes

Transformers typically have a volt-ampere (VA) rating, which can be used to determine the amount of current that can safely flow through the transformers coil wires.  To determine the maximum current, simply divide the VA value by the voltage.

For example, a 120V/24V 40 VA transformer would be capable of 1.66667 amperes on the secondary.

40VA / 24V = 1.66667A

and .3333 amperes on the primary

40VA / 120V = .3333A

Normally this is not a problem, since the only things supplied by the transformer are switches and relays. If you install a thermostat that draws more current than the transformer can carry, you're going run into problems.  So in this case, you'll have to upgrade the transformer and any fuses that protect it (since the fuses are sized based on the VA rating).

What about systems with multiple transformers?

In some systems, there will be separate transformers for the heating and cooling systems. In these situations, you'll have to check with the thermostat manufacturer, to determine which system should provide the C wire.  In the case of Nest and Honeywell (and probably others), their thermostats expect the C wire to come from the cooling system.

When you're connecting the wires to the thermostat in these systems, you'll have to remove any jumpers between the R terminals.  You'll wire the R wire from the heating system, to R or Rh, and the R wire from the cooling system, to Rc.  Then you'll have to wire the C wire from the cooling system, to the C terminal of the thermostat.


What kind of paint do I need for baseboards?

Just go the paint store or home improvement store and tell them you want white interior trim paint.  It is usually a little more glossy.  Painting is not my favorite thing to do so I always take the easy way out and go Porter and ask for their trim white.  I usually judge the quality of the paint by the price.  As for eliminating masking tape, you can buy a guide that has a steel blade and a handle to hold up against the edge to get a clean line.  You just have to wipe it with a rag frequently.  Happy painting!


Is a long shower the main cause of this leak? Would clear silicone on all grout lines help?

This could be a typical problem related to installing tile directly onto either regular drywall or the type called green board.
A far better installation is to install tile onto cement board and even better is to coat the cement board with a paint on sealer such as RedGuard before hanging the tiles.
One last thing is that the cement board really needs to be installed after the shower base is pushed up against the walls so that the cement board can come down past the turned up lips on the wall sides of the base.
Based upon this you should have a discussion about how the tile was originally installed. It  may very well have been done at less than current best practices in the industry to save building costs, especially if this house was built in a large tract or building project in a mass produced way.


The simplest way to insert the new spindle is to make sure the hole in the bottom of the handrail is deep enough that the new spindle can be inserted higher than its final position, high enough to allow the bottom stub of the spindle to clear the hole in the step and then be lowered into the hole.

Once you have sized the spindle and tested it for fit, remove it, place some glue in the upper and lower holes, and reinsert the spindle, You should then pin it to the stairs with a finish nail in a 45 degree angle, then fill the nail hole with wood filler or caulk.


How can I get 2X6X12's cut at a slight angle so I can build a level floor?

If the joists are all the same, layout a master on some 1x material then use a pattern maker bit to rout off your pieces (cut off majority of excess with skill saw first). If they are all slightly different use a straight edge or chalk line to establish your line, then cut off with a circular saw. If your floor is really wild scribe the bottom of each piece, then cut with a band or jig saw. Then lay back in place and mark the top line using a laser to create a global level, or measure and and mark off of a reference point if you want flat but not necessarily "level".


Is there an easy way to track where switches go/do?

I assume there must be a main breaker panel somewhere. Start by tripping all breakers, shutting off electricity to the whole house.

Activate a single breaker. Walk all over the house, seeing what still seems to work. Note that on a (large) drawing. Make extensive notes.
Deactivate this breaker. Activate another. Repeat until finished.

This should give you a rough view of what goes where. If there are smaller breaker panels hanging off the main panel, go through the same process.

Some types of detector can help detect live wires, even beneath wall panels. This was on Amazon

(disclaimer: I have never used this particular type.)

By the way, I also assume there must be a building code where you live? And a part of that relating to electrical installations? And that insurance will not cover you for damage (i.e. fires) caused by installations that do not conform to code? You get where I'm going with this.

HTH


Chances are you only need to replace the screws that mount the hanger to the ledger. The screws that go diagonally through the joists aren't in shear and should be fine.

I'd think that no-shear screws of the same size (#8?) as the original screws would do, and hanger nails are typically only 1-1/2" long anyway, so that they penetrate the joist that they're hanging from. Here is Simpson Strong-tie's offering.


Basement rough-in PVC drain pipe is not centered with stud

You can use a pair of 11.25, 15 or 22.5 degree bends back to back to offset the pipe.


Why can the gurgling sound of water only be heard when it's disappeared down a drain, and not before?

This happens on direct vented fixtures that have no actual vent; they're close enough to the stack (<5') not to need one.

And when there's a 'head' of water above the trap while the water's running, there's too much suction to let any air in, so it pulls air down the stack. Once it has less 'head' it's easier to pull air past the water in the trap then it is to pull it down the stack. : gurgle gurgle

Basically, when water travels down a vented pipe, it creates an air pressure differential. The make-up air will take the path of least resistance. Be that, pushing a little bit of water out of the trap to make an air gap, or pulling it all the way back down from the roof.


Fairly simple process.  Remove any and all damaged shingles so you are back to good firmly secured, making a block area to be replaced.  Start at the bottom, using exact same size/color shingles.  Put a few daps of blind roofing cement or roofing sealer (caulking tube type) along the old sealing tabs of the lowest existing shingles. (located just above the tab slots). Lay and nail the new shingles going up until you get to last course.  You will have to lift and pull the nails on the top border of existing shingles so you can insert the top of the new shingle under it and get a few nails in them. Now add a few more daps of sealer, lay the tabs down over your new shingles and replace the nails holding up the tabs of the next tier.  put a few daps of sealer and just lay the tabs back down.  Along the sides, you may have to do a few under slides, but use the same procedure as you would at the top.  Good Luck. BTW, shouldn't your homeowner's insurance be covering this fix, along with the interior damage?