Any suggestions for incorrectly-wired thermostat?

Since you have baseboards, you don't have a fan.  That means it's probably a 2-wire thermostat.  Check the voltages with a voltmeter to make sure  you're not playing with 120/230V line voltage.  (it's likely either 24V or millivolt).

The thermostat you describe is for a 24-volt system. Those simply short wires together.  To call for heat, they short R, G and W.  To call for air conditioning, Y, G and W.  If it shorted all 4, it would run heat and A/C against each other, which would dry out the air in a hurry.  (your car's "defrost" mode does exactly this).  Here's the upshot: If you short random wires together, nothing terrible will happen. That should remove some fear.

If your thermostat is millivolt, it either shorts the wires, or does not.  Again, shorting will do no harm and probably cause the heater to fire.

Your system doesn't have a fan, so G is irrelevant.  You don't have A/C, so Y is irrelevant.  So, if you short the right two wires together, the heat should fire.  That's it.

Here's the only wiggy bit:  They doubled up the wires.  That's because they're using telephone cable which is maybe too thin for thermostat service.  You should probably double them too.  How do you find the right pair?

First, find the right singles.  Short wires 1 and 2 and see if the furnace fires.    Don't do it for any longer than it takes to find out.  Next, try wires 1 and 3.  Does it fire?  OK, then, logic it out.  It must mean 2 and 3 are equivalent.  Try every combination. If you get it wrong, the heat will run continuously.

Once you have them paired, attach one pair to "24VAC" (R) and the other to "Heat call" (W) on the thermostat.  Doesn't matter which one, since the thermostat just shorts them either way.

(it will matter on a thermostat with 3 or more functioning wires, be it Fan (G) or common (C) for a smart thermostat.)


Low-voltage LED Light string flickers when turned on, flickers go away after 2 mins

Most likely, it's the converter

Those are electronic power supplies, and they are made in China.   Fortunately they're also commodity items.  If you want a more quality version, try looking for a "meanwell" brand.

It might be the wiring, and that is a serious fire-starter problem at any voltage, but that's not likely if powering off/on fixes it.


How can I prevent the nuts in my shelving from coming loose?

If you use a product known generically as anaerobic thread locker, you will prevent the rotation of the fastener unless it is done by a wrench. Locktite™ is one such brand name, although many other names abound. Do not use the red version, as it is nearly permanent, requiring application of intense heat to release. Blue is medium and holds well under vibration, while green is considered low strength. For your application, one would expect even green will work well, although in my experience it is rare to see it on the shelf. You can find threadlocker in red and blue at most auto parts stores and certainly in a well stocked hardware store.

Until I read the Loctite page, I wasn't aware there is also purple threadlock.

As noted in the text from the web site, use caution on selecting the product. The packaging/bottle color is not a good indication of the holding strength.


Why are ball valves spherical instead of cylindrical?

A sphere allows for sealing with simple o-rings in a flat configuration. This simplifies design, component acquisition, assembly, and repair and maintenance.


changing 60 amp outlet to two 30 amp outlets?

Depending a great deal on EXACTLY what you have now and how it's wired:
Possibly you could replace your current 60A outlet with a sub-panel and put two 30A breakers in the sub-panel for your two 30A outlets. That will only be the case if what you have now has 4 separate wires feeding it (Hot, Hot, Neutral, Ground - also known as L1, L2, N, G) or 3 wires plus a continuous metallic conduit which acts as ground.
If this is an old installation without a separate grounding conductor, you can replace the cable you have now with a cable with 4 wires, 4 wires in plastic conduit, or 3 wires in metal conduit (the metal conduit acts as ground) and still place a sub-panel. In that case you might want to consider using a larger size of wire and a larger breaker to feed it, to allow for future expansion, if your service / main box will support that.


There is a "U" shaped clip that holds the cartridge in, it is sometimes hard to spot it. Use an awl or small screwdriver to get the clip out.

It is VERY common for these cartridges to get kind of stuck and be difficult to remove. They make a special puller tool specifically for removing them, you can probably rent the tool at a plumbing shop or good hardware store. The new cartridges come with a tool to assist in breaking the old cartridge loose.

I made my own tool to pull the cartridges out, it is just a flat piece of steel bar stock with a small hole drilled in it. I use the knob screw to fasten my bar to the cartridge stem and then just grab it and pull and twist.

Check out this video.


How to protect non-metallic cable parallel to face of joist in attic?


GFIC Breaker keeps tripping unless another breaker is off

Hunting those wascally cross-wired neutral wabbits

What you have here is a case of "crossed neutrals", where either:

Something on the lighting circuit is wired using a neutral from the GFCI circuit, or
The lighting circuit and the GFCI circuit have their neutrals connected (nutted) together directly.

The former requires a load on the lighting circuit though, so as long as there isn't a hidden hardwired load on it somewhere, I think we can rule it out.  The latter can happen on an unloaded GFCI due to the grounded neutral detector circuit kicking in, though, as it impresses a small signal on the hot and neutral lines that the N-G fault then disturbs.

I'd check every junction box the GFCI breakered circuit uses looking closely at how the neutrals are joined in them.  The lighting neutral needs to remain separate from the GFCI neutral in all places, or else you'll get a trip.


How do I keep my carpet edges from curling upwards?

They make a product called Rug-Gripper that is specifically designed to hold a throw rug down.


Will spray paint bleed through paint on new plaster walls?

Primer will cure a lot, and this is one of them.  I'm assuming you will be using painters, they will know how prep the walls so you will never see where it was graffiti-ed.


Stair hand rails are primarily supported at the top and bottom by the newel posts. While some additional support is needed in a span over 5 or 6 feet, the handrail does not need dozens of braces. You will often see an inside wall handrail with attachments that are several feet apart. The spindles are primarily intended for safety, to prevent someone from slipping under the handrail on an open staircase.

No spindles on a full handrail run would allow the rail to flex too much, so they are necessary. But if a number of them are loose, there is little likelihood of risk unless the attachment at the newels is also compromised.

Having said that, it makes sense to firm up the spindles. Driving 1 1/2 or 2" finish nails on an angle, pinning the tops and bottoms of the spindles to the handrail and the base should probably do it (much easier with a nailgun).


laying hardwood floor in the basement over concrete and vinyl

I think you need to go with a primer and liquid leveling agent.  The problem with usinng shingles for something like this is getting the shingles to bind with the vinyl.  They would normally be stapled to a wood subfloor.


Range hood - not powerful enough to clear smoke?

As many have mentioned the exhaust duct needs to be sized properly, I have seen folks spend a lot on higher cfm fans that did no better because the root problem was the home was sealed so no air could get in to efficiently allow the hood to do its job. Try opening a window and see if the hood works better. If no change the duct may be two small, if the hood works with the window open you have a cheap fix. More expensive methods involve pressure switches and make up air from outside.


what type of guard rail is needed on an open part of a 5 tread stair

For new construction, over 3 rises requires a railing to code (can't pass a 4" sphere). At a minimum I'd think you'd want a continuous handrail (extending to a newel post) for safety. I had a similar situation in my previous home, and I did exactly that. It was never a concern for small children in my case, and the inspector at sale didn't flag it.

If you can't switch your rail to that side, consider a newel post and rail to the end of the wall, even without balusters.


Contact your power company and report an outage.

Specifically, a lost neutral.   This is a serious problem that needs to be fixed lickety-split.

Your neutral is either gone or fading fast, and differential current is flowing through the neutral-ground bond, grounding electrode system, earth, to the transformer's ground and back to the transformer.  Dirt doesn't conduct electricity well enough to do that job, which is why the voltages are going out of balance.

I bet the workers servicing the grounding electrode system were getting "zappity zap zap" while they were working on it. There should never be current flowing on ground wires.


How do I open this flush mounted kitchen light fixture?

It might be that the entire fixture is supposed to rotate a little and unlock from a base plate, but someone was lazy when painting the ceiling last time and didn't remove the fixture first, they just painted around it and got paint in the joint. So now it is being prevented from turning by adhesion to the painted surface. I would run a razor blade /Exacto knife around the rim where it touches the ceiling paint to break that bond.


This is not about the trim, but…

Danger! Danger! The top flange of the window has no flashing over it to direct water running down the wall onto the exterior of the flange rather than the interior. As a result, any water that runs down the wall will go right into the inside of the house. For that matter, the whole window looks un-flashed. That exposed wood is going to rot and let water into the house. You need a water-resistive barrier (WRB), like Tyvek or tar paper something, to cover this wall.

The typical safe way that windows are installed in solid masonry walls is to deeply recess them in the wall, sit them on top of a sloped sill, and install "block frame" windows that can be directly caulked and sealed right to the wall, rather than in "nail fin" form--a surface-mount window style that was designed to be nailed onto wooden wall sheathing on the outer surface of the wall.

The easiest approach is probably to turn the window into a sort of artificial block frame window by relocating window and frame alike deeper into the wall, caulking all the gaps, then covering the exposed flanges and wood in PVC trim.

If you insist on going to keeping the window in place, then to make this installation work you need to treat it the same way you install such a thing in a wood-framed wall: with flashing and a water-resistive barrier (WRB) integrated with the window flanges. Now, this looks like a foundation wall, where such coverings are not typical, so I understand that there may be aesthetic considerations at play. If you are not willing to add a WRB and some type of cladding to cover the wall, you need to do the best you can to salvage this installation. Flash those window flanges using high-quality window flashing tape to cover up the wood, lapping them so that gravity will not carry water into the window or infiltrate hind the tape. The most important one is the top flange. You should caulk that seam and then apply the window flashing tape over that, and then caulk the top seam of the tape where it meets the wall. But even all of this may not be enough since concrete is not waterproof. Water that soaks into the outermost inch of concrete above the window will bypass these flashings and drip into the inside of the basement. I strongly recommend relocating the window or adding a WRB and cladding.


Mounting a Fireplace Mantel - Steel Studs

A plywood backer is a great starting point. From there you could bore some hole edgewise in the live edge mantelpiece and install the anchors mounted into the plywood. If done properly and carefully your Live Edge mantel piece should be able to withstand much weight plus its own weight without moving. One thing to keep in mind is the height to distance ratio of your mantelpiece. Combustibles going over a fireplace have a ratio of how much horizontal distance off the fireplace to how vertically high above the fireplace your combustibles are.


I'm kind of confused as to why the box does not have a plaster ring on the box. Generally we used to retap to an 8/32 since the 6/32 is stirpped I don't think you would be able to retap. Probably wouldn't hurt to try. You can order trim screws with painted heads but you would probably have to order from an electrical wholesaler or a specialist like Fastenal and you probably would have to order a bulk amount. Last ditch if you can find a #8 or #10 metal screw with a trim painted head we have used them from time to time. I would cut off the point before installing so it wouldn't puncture the insulation of any wire.


Does anyone know what kind of rod to use with these brackets?

I've seen similar shaped curtain brackets. They used a length of coiled spring rather than a solid rod.


Connect neutrals together in 3-gang box (load side) with 3x 3-way switches?

Neutral is not ground

Neutral is the normal path of current return.  Ground is an emergency path,  only used if something is seriously wrong (in lieu of sending power through a human, and it helps to get breaker to trip).  Because of that, it's OK to spiderweb all grounds to each other.  This should never be done with neutral.

Currents must be equal in each cable or conduit

Because AC current in wires causes AC magnetism, and the wires' magnetism must cancel each other out.  If it doesn't, it will cause eddy current heating, and noise/vibration leading to fatigue, breakage and arcing, both of which can start fires.

It's a lot to sort out. Mark the wires.

They sell 5-packs of colored electrical tape for about $5 at the hardware store.  Typically blue red yellow green white.

So you might do something like this in box 1

and this in box 2

*The neutrals will be a wire from each cable that need be wire-nutted; I simply didn't bother drawing the wire nuts.

Note how the 2 travelers are color coded the same.  That is because there is no need to distinguish travelers from each other.

I also spiraled the travelers' markings quite some distance, but the switched-hot only the width of the tape.

Now that looks super clear on the drawing, however in the box, things may be so confusing you need to mark the neutrals too. But you cannot use red, yellow or blue (hot colors) on a neutral wire, or you will inadvertently redefine it as a "hot" wire, which is wrong.  White, gray and green don't have that problem.  They won't redefine a hot because you're not allowed to redefine a hot to a neutral or ground.  White and gray are neutral colors, and green won't redefine a neutral to ground, because that's not allowed either.  So brace for an argument with the inspector, but I say using white, gray or green on both hot and neutral does not change the purpose of the wire, therefore is only marking for identification.


What type of connector is this and how do I remove it?

It's a push-in wire connector, like these from Ideal.

The wire should come out without too much difficulty; grip the connector firmly in one hand, then pull the wire with the other.

The instructions for the Ideal connectors that I linked to say:

  7. In order to remove a wire, pull and twist the wire back and forth.

Since you're installing a new light fixture, this is also relevant:

  6. Connector is reusable on solid wires of the same wire gauge or larger.  If reusing connector, cut and re-strip conductor.


How to hardwire combined HVAC system for cooling?

A heat pump system has a valve that switches the system from heat to cool.  This is typically controlled by an orange wire, and based on how your nest was wired, it looks like your system follows that convention.

I'm not sure how common each type is, but some systems default to heat, and some default to cooling.  You hooked up the R wire to the Y and G and you got hot air, so we can assume yours defaults to heat.  Add the orange wire to your bundle and you should get cool air.  You need to wait some time when switching from heat to cool, so let the system set for 15-20 minutes if you've been messing with it and got hot air recently.


I’m needing advice on making garden spheres

The question is on how to build a sphere not how to decorate.
Are you using a medium to hold the concrete in place?
We built reef balls using a similar procedure. (Reef balls are concrete balls dropped on the ocean floor to create artificial reefs for fish to hide)
We would wrap chicken wire around the ball making openings for the fish and pack about 1” thick of mortar with some fine rock called Turkey grit. We mixed until it felt right not runny at all but wet enough to be able to push the mix into the layers of wire.
we would do 1/3 to 1/2 the ball at a time depending on size and let it cure for 2-3 days then do the next section or finish it.
We eventually found that 18” worked the best for our project the larger ones got two heavy and the beach balls did not hold up well. The smaller 12” ones worked but would disappear from the area?
There are all kinds of methods, molds and doing 1/2 shell at a time. we found the wire and mortar mix worked well but using that same method you could build your sphere without the holes once it is completed if the surface is two rough you could give it a finishing coat to make it smooth (we wanted rough surfaces for plant and animal life to attach to).
There are all kinds of examples on line not many do the balls like we did but last time I dove the area. There was a lot of life in that area that was a “desert” before.


how long should I let latex paint dry before installing outlet covers and other fixtures?

Give it at least 24 hours to be safe.  The best way to minimize adhesion is to just let it dry.  If you need to get the covers on sooner (say you have children crawling around) then just loosely tighten the screws, then go back after 24 hours and fully tighten the wall plates.


Can my dryer exhaust crossing my HVAC duct be a fire hazard?

I really doubt it since your dryer duct should never get hot enough.

With the said, a couple things to consider though 1) how close to the dryer does the HVAC line cross and 2) are they touching? If the HVAC tub is plastic covered, I would make sure that they are not touching as it might melt it.

You might also find this article useful: http://www.ashireporter.org/articles/articles.aspx?id=41


Help debugging this circuit, voltage across lights drops to half unexpectedly. Diagram in post

You have your transformers in series they should be in parallel, sorry I could not keep reading and all the comments. With the transformers in series the output voltage will be 1/2 . Connect the transformers in parallel and your voltage will double.
I don’t think your before drawing was accurate. I have seen this done many times by new DIY folks trying to add lights.


Trying to repair a leaking faucet handle, but can't determine the brand

That looks a moderately standard tap

What I'd do,

Shut off water to the faucet (isolation valve below or elsewhere).
Use pliers to pull the spring-clip off.
Use the correct sized spanner to undo the nut.
Remove the assembly.
Take the parts to a plumbers-merchants or DIY store.
Show an assistant the parts and ask for advice about replacement washer.
Buy an appropriate replacement washer.
Swap old for new washer.
Replace parts in faucet.
Carefully open isolation valve.


Just an update and answer for anyone that comes across this looking for help. I turned off the breaker to the outlet, removed the outlet cover, removed the outlet hardware so there were just three wires (two hot, one ground). I added a junction box and wired the oven directly. As per the instructions with the oven, neutral and ground went to ground and one hot wire to each of the hot wires. Done and done, super simple.


Is it ok that my laundry drain trap is tilted?

It looks like the hole drilled on the outlet side of the p-trap needs to be enlarged so the hub of the fitting can slip in, thus leveling the p-trap, thus keeping it from sticking out of the wall, however, ideally, and by most codes, there needs to be a larger drop directly from the installed washerbox, because  as piped, when the washer drains, water will shoot right back out of the opening.  The y fitting in the stack where this drain connects, needs to be lower, and you can eliminate some couplings in the lateral, by feeding your piping from the end of the wall.


Sparks and no power after accidental short

You smoked your neutral

Now with your pictures, I see this is not a multi-wire branch circuit, just a simple circuit.

The white needs to go to neutral, and from your pictures and comments, we can see it does not.   I would bring it to a different screw if it will reach; this one may be charred.  Still, loosen up that screw and get the bit of wire out of it.

I suspect it "burned out" at this location, right where the wire meets the screw.  Perhaps the screw was loose, and that caused arcing which damaged the wire over time; or your short was enough to cause the burnout. I suspect a little of both.

The black needs to go to 1 circuit breaker, and the breaker needs to be an appropriate size for the cable.  The cable will be marked either "14 AWG" which needs a 15A breaker, or "12 AWG" which needs a 20A.   If the breaker size was wrong, that would contribute a lot to the wire burnout.

Neutral being dead explains why the non-contact tester senses voltage on the hot ... but the conductive tester doesn't sense any voltage.  As you know, a voltmeter requires 2 connections and the neutral is dead.


Regardless of what you prefer, you need to meet both the requirements of your town/city/county (LAHJ) for proper woodstove installation, and your insurance company's standards, unless you operate "at risk" without insurance.
Both of those entities will almost certainly require transitioning to UL Listed Class A insulated chimney before leaving the room. If the beams in question are at, near (and you transition to class A before passing them), or in the ceiling space that will likely also address protecting them adequately, since those systems have much smaller clearances to combustibles than uninsulated single-wall stovepipe.
You will need to extend the exterior chimney at least 2 feet above the peak of the roof (2 feet above the highest part of the roof within 10 feet is the code language, so far as I recall at present.) You might be able to save money on Class A Chimney by locating the class A chimney at the peak of the roof (where it only has to stick up 2 feet above the peak) and angling the singlewall pipe to the center in the room below. That position is also less prone to leaks than a chimney sticking out 10 feet down the slope of the roof.
You will need to give consideration to access for cleaning your stovepipe and chimney, as well. A long run of singlewall can help to heat the space, but it also serves as a great place to collect creosote and start chimney fires.
It may also be required (and would be advisable regardless of that) to install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the space.


No, because the G terminal gets power from the R. When you turn on the fan on ther thermostat, the thermostat is really just connecting the R to the G terminal.

Internally on the furnace control board, the other side of the relay that actually powers the fan is connected to C. R and C come from the two sides of a 24V AC transformer.

There's almost always a way to get C from any control board, it's just a matter of identifying a C wire from a schematic, or by finding the transformer and identifying how it's wired in.


Supplying power to my camp with a generator

If your gen hasvoltage fluctuation better than regoular incandescent 220V output, it's better (for gen. health) to use both phases and balance the circuits across them, if your gen is 110 only... you havn't asked the question.
I suggest not to use electric hot-water also but to run it on LPG .
If you consider keeping the generator running all the time, electric fridge is better then LPG-fired.

For lighting I suggest to go for LEDs, now it's cheap and tolerate voltage variations better than a regular incandescent/halogen. Also will give you more light-hours without having to refuel or more light for the same power.

Also suggest to install breaker (on outlet circuits) that, as total, won't drain more than 80% power capacity of your unit (remember you have also  lighting). So if your gen is 5,5kW/220V 2-Ph, your 'general breaker' shouden't be bigger than 5500/220 = 40A and 'outlet' breakers souldn't be bigger than: (40 x 80%)/2 = 16A for each 'leg' if you have 2 outlets' circuit

Note: protections are kept 'low' (compared to standard) to avoid overloading the generator.

Edit: if you don't have a 'utility' power connection to your panel, you can connect the generator directly as 'main' supply, without the need for an interlock (as the generator will be the only source for your power).


How to remove this two-piece door hinge?

It was difficult to pull up by hand, because of the paint and because it's been there for awhile. But I just used a lot of force at the bottom of the door (using a hammer handle to help me pry up) and I was able to start moving it and then got it off.


Can an SPST switch be used instead of a thermostat for a gas stove?

Disclaimer: I am not a professional. I am an electronics hobbyist who has researched and tinkered with my own home heating.
Yes, a relay is almost certainly all you need.
In conventional thermostat systems the device being controlled supplies 24 VAC (if it has an electric supply line to it) or a small DC voltage generated from the heat of the pilot light, for gas appliances not otherwise powered (a so-called "millivolt" system). In either case, the circuit consists of the power source, the gas valve, and the thermostat contacts.
(Side note for completeness: electric heaters are sometimes controlled by thermostats which directly switch the power to the heater. It's still true that a relay can replace the thermostat, but in that case a relay capable of handling the full voltage and current must be used, and installed safely. I have not heard of line voltage control circuits being used for gas appliances.)
You can cautiously confirm this for your system step by step:

With a multimeter, check the voltage across the thermostat terminals with the heat off or the thermostat disconnected. It should be 24 V AC or something like 1 V DC.
With the thermostat disconnected and the meter in resistance/continuity mode, check that the thermostat is closing a circuit across R and W when it is on and not when it is off.
Having established it won't do harm by step 2, touch together the R and W wires going to the stove and expect that it turns on.

If all of that is as expected then you can add your relay without fear.

By the way, it is also entirely safe to hook up two thermostats in parallel to the same control wires (two closed relays are the same as one). In particular, you could add your Alexa-controlled relay and also connect the stove to a thermostat so that the stove is on if either of those controllers calls for heat.
You could also consider controlling the stove with the "emergency heat" / "second stage heat" terminals of the same thermostat that controls your heat pump, but that's trickier to do right because you're connecting two separately powered electrical systems and to make sure there are no consequences of that you'd want to use another relay as interface, with a 24V coil powered by the thermostat-c-wire from the heat pump.


Gas Range requires 120V 15A yet comes with a Nema 14-50 Plug

A 14-50 receptacle can be a 40A or 50A circuit (i.e. that fuse/breaker). If wired with 8 AWG cable, it can only be 40A.  The reason for this exception is 40A receptacles don't exist, because this chart is big enough already!

If you have a new stove that comes factory-wired with a 14-50, then they sold you an electric stove.  Edit: That's what you have.  Since the red wires aren't thick enough to support an all-electric range, my guess is only the oven is electric. As you say in comments, it's the broiler.

How does that work?  NEMA 14-50 supplies everything NEMA 5-15 can possibly supply.  In North America we use 240V AC (on L1 and L2), but with neutral (N) tapped in the middle of the 240V, and safety grounding biased to neutral.  (so each leg of 240V is only 120V from ground, making the power safer if you get bit).

Common NEMA 5-15 receptacles give L1 (or L2) and N, giving 120V, plus ground of course.
NEMA 14-50 receptacles give L1 and L2 and N, giving a smorgasboard of 120V or 240V. And ground, of course.  In an RV, the 14-50 feeds a subpanel.

My guess is your appliance doesn't actually need 50A of 240V.  It probably needs 15A or 20A - the manual (the real one) will tell.  However, this puts you in a real pickle because 120/240V split-phase isn't found in kitchens - you'll have to wire a circuit.  The default for a kitchen is a NEMA 14-50 receptacle with either a 40A or 50A (8 or 6 AWG) circuit.

If it can use a 20A circuit (NEMA 14-20) you can run that with 12 AWG wire and save a bit of coin, but no future range will be able to use that connection, because the standard for ranges is 40A or 50A (NEMA 14-50).  Also, building codes may require a NEMA 14-50 to power any future owner's stove.  I realize I'm spending your money, but even if I was spending my money I would pull 6/3 cable and the 14-50 receptacle, so I'm future-proof and don't have to worry about building codes.  The cost difference for the cable is small compared with the work/labor needed to pull it through the walls.  Not a job you want to do twice.

In this discussion we disregard the obsolete and dangerous NEMA 10, which is a throwback to the days before grounding. They don't force people with older homes to rewire, so appliance makers provide a scheme to connect new appliances to NEMA 10. This scheme is dangerous and has killed.  It's also unnecessary: rules changes make it easier than ever to change a NEMA 10 to 14: either retrofit a separate ground wire; or fit a GFCI breaker and a "No Equipment Ground" sticker. Easy peasy.

Speaking of that... your photo shows a strap between neutral and ground. That strap is only used in the NEMA 10 scheme and should be removed for any wiring scheme (NEMA 14, NEMA 5) that provides a real ground wire.

Now if you just don't care about the broiler, you can attach a NEMA 5-15 cord to the black, white and ground wires and you're done.  Do remove the neutral-ground strap!


Is there a way to mount a crystal ball on a stair post finial?

i've actually done this myself and love the way it looks.  can't tell you how many compliments i receive on it.
but i think the compliments are because i took it a step further and ran some battery powered lights to them, so they double as night lights.
i just glued them in place with an epoxy and they've been holding for 9 years and counting.
i've included a photo of the ball and also tried to cover it up with a blanket to take one in the dark with the light on.
the house is over 100 years old, so i don't mind it not being perfect. if anything, the glue looks like a bit of dust in there.
i just noticed that the first photo also shows the one at the bottom of the stairs...

 :)


Do I need a back-flow preventer for a new water to garden?

You likely need a backflow valve to meet code regulations these days. That said, I don't see any reason to have two of them. Whether it's at the hose bib, or at the well, it's doing the same thing for you.

I suppose one argument for putting it closer to the well is that you block more of the water from back flowing, but if the pipe to the hose is rated for potable, that shouldn't matter.


How can I lock a sliding door that doesn't have a door lock?

You can cut a stick to lay in the track where the door slides, that's an old trick.  You can also drill a vertical hole in the track, say an inch deep, and drop a 2" nail in there, to block the door from sliding open, similar idea.

They make little clamp on sliding window locks

that might work.


How can I seal around a light fixture/light switch outlet?

If the gap is small enough, you can just use some general purpose caulk.  For bigger gaps, patch it with some mud or spackle, then caulk to finish.  Since it's going to be hidden behind a light fixture, it doesn't even have to be that pretty!

(They do make a fire-retardant foam, but I look at the  warning labels and get nervous when they say "extremely flammable while curing.“)


Options for skirting board on slightly different levels

There are a few different options that I'd consider:

Ordering made-to-measure skirting for the dining room that's taller than the skirting you have the kitchen, but with the same top profile. This allows the tops of all skirting (and hence the grooves) to line up.
Stepping it down with a transition piece. You can either cut at 45 degrees and have the transition piece run vertically, or cut at 22.5 degrees and have the transition piece run at 45 degrees. In the following diagrams the black diagonal lines represent cuts, while the blue lines represent one of the grooves on your skirting. Note that the 45 degree transition in version A leaves a gap underneath it, which will require wood filler before painting. Or alternatively the transition can be moved to the right to avoid this, version B, but this leaves the skirting looking too low at the end of the kitchen.


I also believe you don't have an electronic spark ignition and a pilot.  Although I don't have a thermostat, I do have a light switch which will turn on my logs burner.  I suspect your thermostat turns on your burner.  Suspect that your gas valve does have a pilot and therefore, a push-and-hold requirement to light the pilot because there is a safety thermocouple that must get heated up or the gas stops flowing to prevent an explosion/fire hazard.  You may have missed a shut-off valve, so look for that. Otherwise, find the push-and-hold piece of the burner and turn it to the pilot position while pushing it in and light the pilot and hold the button long enough that the flame doesn't go out when you release which means the thermocouple heated up enough to allow gas to flow.  Then your thermostat should work the logs/burner.  Since you have the added complexity of a thermostat, you need to be sure the thermostat is getting power to operate.  Usually, there is going to be a transformer that supplies power to the thermostat.


Found neutral and ground feed twisted together in a junction box. Safe to fix?

It was wired this way because Goober the appliance installer guy, whose job is pushing heavy appliances around on dollies, needed to hook this up and collect the customer's cheque ASAP.    Goober had a 3-wire appliance to attach, and saw 3 wires in the wall, and boom zoom and out the door.
You actually have 4-wire service to this range.  However it is in aluminum wire, which is a serious problem.  If the ground is aluminum, surely so are the hots and neutral.  None of those splice connectors are rated for aluminum wire.
You will need to obtain some "MAC Block" connectors, which are a somewhat miniaturized version of Polaris lug connectors, which are proven to work well with aluminum.

The two hot wires use a MAC Block to go from that aluminum wire to the corresponding copper wire from the range.
The aluminum neutral wire is simply capped off; one of those wire nuts is fine for that, but tape it on.
The aluminum ground wire goes to one side of the MAC Block. To the other side go 3 wires (which is allowed): the range's ground wire; a new jumper wire to the steel box; and a new jumper wire to a new hole in the cover plate.  All need to be grounded.

... By the way, fix that schizoid lid.
On one hand, you've got a 4x4 junction box with a 2-gang mud ring that has 6-32 mounting screws in the correct positions to mount 120V outlets and switches.  On the other hand, you've got a common 4x4 junction box lid that expects to attach to the corners of the box.
I see now that the junction box is blocked in by cabinetry.  That isn't allowed and is a serious code violation: not only is it uncovered, but flammable materials are inside the box!   Get a vibrating tool and cut away enough of the cabinetry above it that it's possible to mount a normal junction box cover plate the normal way.  It looks like what's above that is nothing special, just the back of a drawer box or something, so it won't do any harm to remove the offending material.
Now you need a different lid that attaches to the 2-gang screw locations... a real electrical supply can help you out there.  Home Depot won't have it, it's not popular...


Could this crack in shower caulking be causing drywall damage to the subfloor?

Could the crack cause damage below on a lower floor?

Absolutely most tile is inside the pan but the backer whatever was used is outside so if the water gets past the grout it can run down.
I would say that little bubble looks like a bad tape job because there are no watermarks I can see. As far as that is concerned I would use a t pin or hat pin and pole a tiny hole there just to make sure, if the spot was caused by water it may drip and that tiny pin hole can help it to dry out. As far as the hole next to a penetration we go for the best utilization of the Sheetrock the hole could be between 2 sheets as any pro will tell you.

The crack can be caused by the corner not being tied when I plan on installing tile I lock the corners (framing together so they will not flex and crack. If not tied calking is better than grout

Last I have pulled dozens of shower and tub shower surrounds that had no barrier. I have found some builders that glued the tile directly to water resistant Sheetrock, I have also seen many with backer board and nothing else.
 It is possible the crack originally was just calking I know contractors that regularly do this to try and prevent corner cracks. Clean it out the best you can and fill with calking, make sure to use a kitchen & bath type these have mold inhibitors.
Good luck.


Is it OK to extend furnace gas pipe to the other side of the house (traversal) to connect a barbeque?

"Is such an extension allowed?"

That's entirely up to at least two entities that "the internet" has no particular way of knowing about, but you do. Call them.

Your gas company (and that may involve an assesment of whether the
furnace pipe is of adequate size to feed both appliances, or not)
Your "Local Authority Having Jurisdiction" or LAHJ - town/city/county/state may have a dim view of DIY gas piping, or they may merely require that your gas company bless it before commissioning, or they may not give a fig - though the last is uncommon in LAHJs with piped gas. Your gas supplier may be helpful in telling you who you need to call locally.


Can I build a car-port on the side of my garage?

This is highly dubious since you mention snow. The current garage sidewall is not high enough to support the high side of a shed roof over your proposed additional space, and the additional roof (if you just slap it on there anyway) will introduce additional snow-loading to the garage roof that it's probably not designed for. You can get some massive snow drifts in that configuration.

You would do better to build a totally separate structure away from the current garage. Once again, given the mention of snow, that structure would probably better be a garage - aside from people blindly following trends from elsewhere-that-it-does-not-snow-in, carports have never been all that popular in snow country because the car still gets snow on, around, and under it anytime the wind blows, so it's barely better than parking it out in the open.


What kitchen counter material would you recommend and why?

We are happy with our Granite.  The only drawback is that we have to watch out for stain's - from oil or red liquids like red wine.  And even then, as long as you don't let it sit overnight, you are fine, just wipe it up.  After living with Corian and Formica, the ability to place very hot pans on the surface it a must.  I can't tell you how convenient that is.

depending on the style of granite and edge you use, it may actually be just as cheap as many of the other "cheaper" alternatives.  We found that going to the local Granite supplier, was way cheaper than buying it from a kitchen place or major home improvement stores.  In our case, we started at Home Depot, and we wanted to see larger samples.  They told us to go look at their supplier's location.  We went there, and they were like, just buy it from us directly, we not only supply it to Home Depot, but also install it for them, so we completely eliminated the middle man.

Corian is also soft, and can be scratched.  They will tell you, "we can fix scratches, and buff it out", but that costs money.  Why not just get something that can't scratch.

I am not 100% familiar with all the others listed.  I would just recommend going with something that is heat resistant and scratch proof.  If any other the other alternatives over granite are also less porous (resistant to stains) that would be a plus.


How can I install an electrical panel in my shed?

What you have is NOT legal and really should be corrected. You CANNOT have general use lighting and receptacles on 30A circuits, even with #10 wire. You also do need a means of disconnect at a detached structure.

You can use this feed to power a 30A-120/240V sub-panel using a tied two-pole 30A breaker in the main panel. This is only true if there are two hot wires, one insulated white and a bare or green ground. You CANNOT do this with only a 3-wire feeder.
You can use a small 100A main breaker panel being fed with the 30A feeder. The 100A main will only serve as the means of disconnect and the 30A breaker will protect the feeder wire.


Does the NEC permit brazing for connections to ground electrodes?

Actually 35 some odd years ago we approached the Airport and the FAA with the same question and they had no problem with it, and sent out a memo that it was ok and met miltary spec. In my mind Cadweld is just another method of brazing but AHJ may have a problem with it if it isn't familiar with what everyone else is doing. Their argument is based around the fact that everyone else is doing Cadwell it works so that's what we want and to be fair that's not a bad argument.

I know I keep beating the same drum but if you have the time I would submit it as a question to the IAEI (the international association of electrical inspectors). They publish answers every month and if you can get them to buy off on it. It would be awful hard for an inspector to go against his own association.


Check the four corners of the table, underneath it. There should be a bolt or two coming from each leg thru the frame with a washer and nut on it. Get an adjustable wrench and tighten all the nuts. Good luck.


Smoke detector wiring - black wire in 3 wire appears to be damaged. Can I use power from AFCI circuit to power but use red wire to interconnect?

Per:

It seems like the black wire must have been damaged in the wall.

Well, do you honestly feel comfortable knowing there is an exposed hot wire in your wall?
I understand that if you proceed with your plan then both ends will be capped off but will the next owner of your home understand the necessity for turning off two breakers in order to de-power all of the smoke alarms?
I don't think there is any requirement per se for the circuit to be dedicated. Just make sure a regular light switch does not control them per https://homesteady.com/12359235/what-are-buss-fuses-used-for:

The power circuit providing electricity can be a dedicated circuit, which means it is the only device powered by cables that run directly back to the circuit box. It can also be powered by a circuit that serves outlets and lights if the circuit is not controlled by a switch.

When in doubt, check with your local code officer!


Can I tie into a 12 gauge 20 amp line with 14/2 NM-B to run a light?

You must use 12/2 to extend a 20amp circuit.   -Or- the breaker can be downgraded to 15amp if the circuit contains 14.   (If downgrading the circuit, you should also tag the wire in the panel "circuit contains 14 gauge wire" to eliminate confusion in the future.)

What you're missing:. Under normal circumstances that segment of the circuit would normally carry little watts/amps as you point out.  However in the event of a fixture fault, or even defective bulb in that fixture causing a direct short, the wire would overheat and catch fire, because it's 15 amp wire carrying a dead short.


How can I remove this stuck screw in my bathroom?

I like the approach of going in from the front offered by dandavis. But, you have some others. First, it bears mentioning that you should duct tape a piece of thin sheet metal you have handy out from the set screw to protect the surface.

Before we begin, did you try some Kroil and a larger key first? It could be it's reluctant because the threads are slightly corroded. I think trying to use a binary epoxy to spin it out is likely to fail.

Some other options depending  are:

Use a flexible shaft to hold your bit.
Use an extended drill bit.
Instead of a grinder, use a cut-off wheel on a
grinder or cut-off tool. This way you're slicing through what you
need to. It's tough to determine what the dimensions are, but if you have a 3" wheel, you should be able to get rid of that set screw without many issues.

Good luck!


Battery backup system for tankless gas water heater (outdoor install)

Technically, a UPS could be wired in, but there are a few caveats:

It depends on the electrical codes and gas codes in your area. The thought of making a change which might affect a gas-powered appliance would make me very cautious. Another worry would be an improperly isolated device feeding power back into the line, creating a shock hazard. Be sure to use an approved device, installed by a technician qualified in both gas and electric maintenance.
Though the UPS has ample power to operate the heater, the run-time is limited by battery size. A quick "off-the-cuff-" calculation: Assuming an 18 ampere-hour battery in the UPS, at 12 volts, gives a maximum of 216 watt-hours. Assuming a 20% duty-cycle, i.e. moderate use of water, the heater would use ~18 watts on average. With an 18 amp battery, you'd have about 12 hours of operation.
The UPS would need to be kept indoors, because a battery loses significant capacity in cold weather, and because the UPS is doubtless not designed for outdoor use.


While it looks like fiberglass, you probably don't want to be wrong if you are going to be doing any work on that area.  The easiest thing to do is get the material professionally tested.  When I was looking into scraping the nasty acousitcal gunk from our ceiling, I sent a  small sample to a local testing company (http://www.asbestos.org/sampling/samples.html) and got a pretty quick response (it was asbestos).  It's worth the money to be completely sure.  It's your (and your family's) health after all.

If you are not going to be dong work on that area, just leave it undisturbed.  If asbestos stays where it is, it isn't normally a problem.

Good luck.


How can I remove brown coloring/stains from logs?

Had a similar problem with building a 10" round log home, some of the logs got wet. We tried everything including sandblasting to remove it.

The only solution we found was 40 grit sandpaper on a random orbital sander to really rough it up and remove 1/16" to 1/32" of wood before we switched to 120 and 200 grit to smooth it back out. Matching the stain might be tough though.


To properly seal the fireplace flue, I’d 1) Install a flue cap, 2) put a cement “wash” between the flue and fireplace bricks for positive drainage, 3) Install a clear sealer on the fireplace bricks, 4) Install flashing between the fireplace bricks and the roofing material, 5) verify that the roofing around the fireplace isn’t leaking.

If the flue only leaks during extra strong wind storms, I’d look at getting a flue cap that has a wind screen, like this:

http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwjq0drjitndAhWaj7MKHVATD84YABAfGgJxbg&sig=AOD64_1Tlc34Pk7FQbwhjdDVtQj--CakTg&ctype=5&ved=0ahUKEwjy1NTjitndAhXLu1MKHVLuCtIQwg8ILQ&adurl=


From the link that you supplied in the product details section:

  Can be finished with varnish or either oil or water-based paints

So yes, you can paint it with water or oil based paints and varnishes.


Powerline Networking - Outlet lost data throughput

Noisy Neighbors

It could be a new appliance or device that you or one of your neighbors has installed, putting more noise on the line than what was their previously. Or it could even be new powerline networking devices that your neighbor has installed, causing interference with yours. It could even be that your neighbor moved an old powerline networking device to a different outlet in their house.

Wait, one of your neighbors?  ;-)

Networking Through The Power Company Transformer

The two 120 Volt hot buses in your service panel are fed from opposite poles of the big power company step-down transformer outside (some people will refer to these poles/buses somewhat but not entirely misleadingly as "phase legs.").

The 120V outlets in your house are all fed off of just one of those buses in the service panel.

All of the branch circuits on each bus are electrically connected to one another inside your service panel, inside your house, but connected to branch circuits on the other bus only through the power company's big noisy transformer outside.

All of the branch circuits in your nearby neighbor's homes are also connected through that very same path through the transformer.

Communication Paths & Interference

So, if the powerline networking devices connected to your computer and your switch/router are on branch circuits on the same bus, then they can "hear" each other through the service panel inside your house. This is a relatively short and probably a fairly "quiet" path.

If the devices are on branch circuits on opposite buses, they can only "hear" each other through the power company transformer, which you also share with all your neighbors and their electronic equipment and electric motors (air conditioners, refrigerators and freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, clothes dryers, fans, power tools), as well as with your neighbor's powerline networking devices.

It's even conceivable that their powerline networking devices are interfering with yours in the same way that two wireless access points on side-by-side channels can interfere with one another (powerline networking is just broadband radio transmission through the wire, like WiFi is broadband radio transmission through the air).

Howdy, Neighbor

And either way, yes this does mean that signals from your neighbor's powerline networking equipment are propagating all over the electrical circuits everywhere in your house, and with the right equipment you could snoop on their traffic, or they could snoop on yours. But those transmissions from your neighbors' equipment might be loaded with enough noise and distortion to cause your equipment to falter, especially if you're both using the same brands and frequencies, and your devices are trying to communicate with theirs. Or maybe worse, if you're using different brands which are competing for the same frequencies and not coordinating their efforts very well.

Somebody once tried to tell me that circuit breakers stop these transmissions. That is absolutely, positively bunk. If that were the case, two devices couldn't talk to each other unless they were literally on the same circuit.

Having said that, you're likely to get the best signal in this order:

Same branch circuit (no circuit breaker in the path)
Same bus in the service panel (two circuit breakers in the path)
Different buses in the service panel (at least two circuit breakers plus the inner coil of the power company transformer in the path)


Detecting mail in the mailbox, too far for WIFI

I have two suggestions that seem, to me, to be very simple:

Walk to the mailbox to check for mail. Very few people get enough exercise, so a few extra laps will, most likely, be beneficial. Of course, your dad may not get around very well these days, so that may be very impractical, which leads me to...

Check once, later in the day, after the latest time known for the mailman to stop by. Unless there's some critical reason to get the mail out of the box the moment it arrives, just check at 5pm (or whatever time is convenient).

I'm all in support of high tech and cool gadgets, but sometimes we get so focused on the gadget that we miss the point...
If there is a desire to tackle this simply because it's a challenge, I get that too. Try looking into a "cantenna". It's a way of extending WiFi signal range, sometimes quite significantly (into the mile+ range, if memory serves). A cantenna on the mailbox and one on the house and Bob's your uncle!


What type of material is my countertop made of?

I could be wrong, but from the photos, you seem to have a quartz countertop.

Some brand names of quarts countertops are Silestone, or Caesarstone.

As good as your photos are, you may wish to compare visually with a countertop distributor to see if you agree with the guess.

---- now that people tend to think it is quartz ----

Quartz is strong (about as strong as granite) but that also makes it brittle.  The problem with brittle counter tops is they chip with a hard enough impact.

There are products to clean and fill the chip.  A quartz counter top installer probably has access to them, and will hopefully have enough experience with them to match color and embedments close enough to not notice.  Another option is to have the edge ground down with a bullnose.

There is no special cleaning for quartz, other than the standard "don't use highly abrasive materials" which will scratch off the polish layer.  Your ring looks like a rust ring, and it may have embedded into the resin binding.  If you call a pro out to fix the edge, you can might ask them if they can buff the surface and re-polish to match.

I would still use trivets and hot pads for hot items.  Sure the counter can take the heat without them, but you want to minimize (like granite) the possibility of thermal expansion of the counter top.  They also provide a padding for setting things down (which can minimize chipping if you slightly drop things on the counter)  While heat expansion won't be very much, the hardness of the material will be such that small amounts of heat expansion could promote cracking.


How to resolve subfloor squeaking when screwing does not fix the problem?

Do you have basement? If you can get to the joists, you can use shims and glue to stop the movement.

see: http://monkeysee.com/fixing-floor-squeaks-from-the-underside/


What are good cleaners to use on pruning shears?

I use miracle fluid on mine.  I'm referring to WD-40, of course.  Protects from rust, lubricates, and cleans.


How to prepare cinder block wall for painting?

To get a smooth surface you'll need to either use plasterboard (or sheetrock) or plaster (mud? in the US).

Both are DIY jobs, but you need a lot of practice to get a good finish with plaster.


Just moved into a new house, what is this tube in the ground outside my wall?

What diameter?

From here it looks like a vent for a drywell or French drain. If it's about 4" (10cm) diameter, that'd add to my suspicion.


Prevent water spill from shower pipes during removal of stem

Take a 3x5 index card or similar size flexible but not to thin piece of paper and bend it into a curve so that it will slide into the opening under the stem, angle it slightly so water will run out towards you.

You may have to trim the length and width depending of the depth of the wall and the opening. It only needs to curve up slightly, you are creating kind of a half funnel, for lack of a better term. It sits under the stem so when you take stem out the water falls onto the funnel it runs out and not into the wall.

If a few drops get past it it is no big deal, as long as you divert the majority of the water.


Ensure smooth drywall surface around stone mantel

Cut and set 2 vertical studs screwed to the horizontal stud by bending tabs to attach to the underside of the horizontal stud. You can do the same for the bottom, but bend the tab out so far to find stable concrete or masonry to use concrete screws to attach. The mud bed the hearth will need will allow you to run that tab under the hearth to find good attachment there.


Replace wire terminal connector to heating element

The ones from AppliancePros are what you need, except that you may need a larger gauge size (wire side) if you want to gang the two wires together. On the other side (terminal side) it's hard to tell if it 1/4 inch from the photo but they are the most common. More importantly you should investigate why it burnt in the first place. If it's an older stove I wouldn't be too concerned because that happens over time due to corrosion on the terminals, heat speeds up oxidation, oxidation causes resistance, resistance causes heat. Just clean up the male side with a bit of sandpaper and reconnect. If it a newer stove and corrosion isn't evident I'd recommend having an appliance technician check it out. I
I know your crimper is a little different but the idea is the same. You strip back a little bit of insulation and insert it into the terminal and crimp tight. You shouldn't be able to pull it out once done.


Difference between interior and exterior headers

Think of it as “bearing” and “non-bearing” walls.

Although, when I tested the beam calculator out, it is not accurate. It’s very conservative...especially the end bearing requirements.


Is a bedframe necessary to keep a boxspring & mattress in good working order?

A bed frame is at best going to support the box-spring around the edges (perhaps even somewhere in the middle if there is an extra cross member).

If the box spring is on the floor (or a platform bed), then it's supported everywhere. Which in my opinion is better for the mattress. Of course, your wife may dislike the look of it on the floor.

I'd chock it up to either having a very fun 3 years, or poor quality mattress.


Can I cut tile to follow the profile of a closet flange?

That is totally normal.  1/8" would actually be a superb cut.  The toilet hides the gap.


I've dealt with something similar but in a laundry room and it was brick not tile.
I did the floors and left that part alone and covered it with thin base cabinets to hold supplies.


Can you run a ground wire from stove directly to ground pole in the ground

Depends what you're trying to protect.

If your goal is to protect the oven from ESD (static electricity) damage or lightning-strike damage, or help it receive radio signals, then going out to a ground spike can help you with that.

It won't do a thing for human safety, though.  To protect humans from electric shocks, you can go one of two ways.

GFCI protection

You replace the oven's breaker with a 2-pole GFCI breaker. If there's any place to mark this, you mark the oven's outlet with the words

 GFCI Protected
 No Equipment Ground

And then you wire the oven correctly for a 4-wire connection (i.e. remove the neutral-ground strap on the oven) and don't connect ground.  If it's a receptacle you fit a 4-prong (NEMA 14) receptacle and do not connect ground and apply the above sticker.

Retrofit a ground

You need a #10 ground wire going back to any of these points:

The ground bar of the service panel this oven is powered out of
A junction box of any other circuit with a #10 or larger ground path going back to the panel
non-flexible metal conduit which is continuous all the way back to the panel
the Grounding Electrode System, i.e. the bare ground straps between the service panel and the house's grounding electrode(s) - ground rods, metal water main, or Ufer ground.

This wire can be retrofitted as a solitary wire.  This wire does not need to follow the same route as the other wires.

If you really, really want to, you can replace the whole 3-wire cable with a 4-wire cable, but that is just a harder way to do the above.


Of course you can. Future owners of the house will swear at you to no end, but that's their problem, right? ;)


Wiring multiple switches off 1 load wire

The basic technique is called "pigtailing".

Cut about 4-6 inches off some wire, and pull the conductors out of the outer insulation.  Do this for as many connections as you need to make. (It looks like you'll need 2 black and 2 white wires for this job.)

Strip both ends.

For the three way, you'll wire a black stub wire to the common terminal of one three way.
Wire another to one of the terminals of the single pole.   Now, with an appropriate sized wire nut (There's usually a sizing table on the back of the package) you will wire the two stub wires together with the live wire coming into the box.  Of course, you've turned the power off and double checked the live wire with a Non contact voltage tester before touching it.

Hopefully the three ways are already connected.  If not, you need to pull a 14-3 bundle from on switch to the other.   Connect the black and red travellers to the other screws on the three way. Pigtail the white to the white conductor to the panel.  At the other end, connect the black of a 14-2 to the common, and the other end to the fixture. White comes back from the fixture to the box, where it is wire nutted to the white of the 14-3.  And all grounds should be wired together and to the box, and to the green nut on the switch.

For the single pole, 14-2, black to the empty screw, to the fixture, and white from the fixture, and wire-nutted to the white from the panel.

If you don't have 100% confidence in your ability to do this, then hire an electrician.  This is potentially dangerous stuff.

The diagram is a bit unclear, but every wire connection MUST be made inside a box.  Don't ever nut wires together in the wall or attic.


Is there a good way to make a composting watering tank that won't clog 1/16th inch holes?

What you're looking for is called compost tea. The compost is placed in a barrel of water and aerated, then the solids are filtered out. The resulting water can be used in an agricultural sprayer to fertilize fields. Harvard uses and promotes it extensively if you're looking for more information.

At home sized scales you can use aquarium pumps and aerators, along with pantyhose filters.


Buy Fluorescent Bulb With Warranty Or Without In This Case?

If I'm understanding correctly, E14 is the bulb base size (14 millimeter, right?). That means that the bulb is about $10. Which means that the cost in your time and energy to make good on the warranty (not to mention storing and then finding the original receipt again) is probably more than just buying another bulb.

That's not to say that you shouldn't buy the more expensive bulb, if you think it's better made go for it, but I doubt that you'll ever make good on the warranty.

As to why they burn out: How long did the 15W last? And what is the hood rated for (they usually have a sticker inside somewhere that lists maximum bulb size)? I'd put the 9W in, run it for a few hours and see how hot it seems to be by touching the outside of the hood. If it's really hot, then drill it out for airflow, if it's not, then leave it.


This would most likely be a 100A meter

The only time you ever see a 15A electric meter in North America is when it is a transformer rated meter used with instrument transformers to measure large electrical services (such as those found on large commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings).  However, this meter is a Form 1S meter, which means that it is a self-contained meter that requires no transformers to work.  (It also means that it is a 120, single phase, two wire meter, but that is neither here nor there.)  Therefore, this meter has to be a Class 100 (100A continuous, 125A peak) meter by deduction.


For home use, I generally scribble on glass -- usually my bathroom mirror.


You could do either solution as long as you know the proper way to wire up mains electrical circuits.

The solution on the bottom right is probably the preferred solution because you just have to add wires. If you go with the left side diagram you cannot just split the existing wire and expect it to nicely be spliced into inside the added switch box. There just would not be enough wire length available.

If you do go with the left side solution make sure to split off the cable well below the new switch box location so there is adequate length to pull into and out the face of the new box. Then you would need to run a new longer wire from the lower outlet box back up to the new switch box.

So as you can see the right side solution is easier as you are just adding additional wires instead of disturbing existing connections.


How can I remove this old tub drain stopper?

If you just wish to confirm the issue is with hair in the drain, you can try something like Zip-It Drain Declogger ("Hair Snare"). They're inexpensive (The Home Depot sells them for $2.48) and you may also solve the problem without having to disassemble your drain.


Why is there green stuff on my heater pipe?

When copper oxidizes, it first turns dark brown (like a copper penny), and then if left undisturbed into a somewhat moldy-looking green. This is normal. If you notice the pipe starting to deteriorate around areas that have a lot of green, this may indicate a leak in the pipe that is introducing more water into the area, speeding oxidation.

Just keep an eye on it to ensure it isn't deteriorating. Usually, the layer of oxidation forms a good protection of the copper behind it against further oxidation, and in this way that green stuff is beneficial.


Doorway transition between hardwood and floating bamboo with different heights

You probably want a threshold molding.

https://www.preverco.com/en/accessories/mouldings


Installing a window casement operator (on a window that's never had one before)

The pivot point for your operator is going to be off-axis from your window's hinge line. Because of that, as your window opens and shut, the distance from any single point on your window to the operator's pivot will change, which means you can't have a fixed-length arm attached to a fixed point on the window.

You can handle this in two ways:

1) Use a split arm operator, where the swung arm has a second link connecting it to a fixed point on the window. That way the two arms will flex as the window opens and shuts, compensating for the changing distance

2) Use a straight arm operator, where the end of the swung arm slides in a channel on the widow as the window opens and shuts.

Choosing the length of the arm is just figuring out the geometry. Getting it right may be difficult without some trial and error; you may consider buying where you can return the unit if it's wrong.


How to move from RH/RC thermostat to C thermostat in AC only system?

Run a new cable with at least five conductors. Connect a wire between COM 24V, and the C terminal on the thermostat.

The cable that connects to Y and COM 24V, goes out to the outdoor unit.

If the indoor unit only blows air, and doesn't add heat. It's called an air handler.


Not knowing which brand you are using, I just googled double stacked switches, saw the Leviton 5224-2W and noticed the black screws are for the switch legs going to each light while the brass screws are for the hot common, which are typically bridged together with a removable fin (or "tab" as Brad Gilbert mentioned). If the fin has been removed, you will have to create a bridge with wire to feed both switches. When connecting, use the brass screw(s) for the constant hot and the black screws for the independent switch legs. If the connections are mis-arranged on the switch you would have the issue as you describe.

In pictorial form, if you have this:

You'll need to do this instead:

The Black and White coming in from the bottom would represent your hot/neutral feed at the switch. This is assuming some things, as your feed could just as well come in at one of the lights. A few pictures from your end would help if this does not look like what you have.


Standard procedure is to cover them, not remove them. Those are structural members and cannot be removed without an engineer designing a replacement which will likely be bigger and more obtrusive.


How can I clean water stains off my shower stall?

Ammonia is not the right chemical anyway. Try vinegar; if that's too much of a chemical for you, get out a razor blade and start scraping. Or rinse after using it....

Once you have it clean, use a squeegee to remove any water from it before it dries after each use to keep it clean.


Can rock salt be used for sewer maintenance?

I was able to find a reference to this in chapter 22 of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Household Solutions.

Though honestly, I've never heard of this approach until now. I'm no expert on the corrosiveness of salt, but I would imagine the levels of salt in the sewer would not be high enough to rust the pipe. I'm also skeptical that the salt levels would be high enough to completely kill and prevent the roots. While I wouldn't recommend pouring a bag for rock salt down the drain, a handful once or twice a month will probably not hurt the pipe.
There are other tried and true methods to remove roots from sewer lines.
Mechanincal
Augers
Augers can be used to effectively remove roots from a sewer line, by cutting the roots out. This is not likely a solution for a DIYer, since it involves expensive specialty tools.  This method will not prevent roots from growing back into the sewer.
Hydrojetters
A hydrojetter is essentially a power washer with a rotating mechanical "sweeper", that is designed to be fed into the sewer line and blast and sweep roots away. Again, this is not likely a DIY option and does not prevent the roots from regrowing.
Digging
In some cases roots may have caused too much damage to the sewer line, and the only option available is to dig the line up and replace it. This can be very expensive, and will almost certainly not be a DIY project.
Chemical
Contact Herbicides
Contact herbicides are chemicals that will kill the roots, and in some cases prevent them from regrowing.  These are typically a more DIY friendly option, and can be found as simple "pour down" solutions.
Contact herbicides can include:

Bensulide
Copper Sulfide
Dichlobanil
Dinoseb
Metham sodium
Paraquat
Potasium Hydroxide
Sulfamic Acid
Trifluralin

A common product recommended by plumbers is RootX. This is a herbicide in a foaming carrying agent, that allows the herbicide to reach roots at the top of the pipe.  RootX uses Dichlobenil, and is non-caustic, non-fumigating, and non-systemic. Unfortunately, it's not readily available to homeowners, so you'll likely have to contact a plumber for this treatment.
Searching around, I stumbled upon a product similar to RootX that is available to homeowners. Roebic® Foaming Root Killer is available at Lowes for about $20.00. It foams up, and uses dichlobenil as the herbicide just like RootX.
Make sure you check with your local municipality and environmental agencies, before pouring chemicals down your drain
Planning
One of the best ways to prevent roots from entering your sewer line, is to carefully plan where you plant trees and other deep rooting plants.


I would not.
That's a very lightly-constructed roof by modern standards. Those "beams" are little more than stiffeners--the roofing boards are carrying most of the load over their much shorter span. By themselves the beams are not up to the task of spanning that distance with any integrity.
In my judgement any load, even static, of 100 lbs. will result in sag or other effects, and the dynamic forces of a jiggling load of such weight could pull the beam loose from the deck boards. You're also likely to see spreading of the walls due to ridge sag since there are no rafter ties preventing such movement.


You could Have an HVAC company install an electronic air cleaner with a charcoal pre or post filter in that window. This would remove most if not all of the smell, but would cost a significant amount. You could also install an exhaust fan in that window if there is another window you could open to allow air in for the required ventilation, say from the front or side of the house. Blowing air out would not allow the smell in. Regular cloth coverings or filters in a window will not take out the smells.


How can I attach a kick down door stop to a hollow metal door?

If you make the plate with spacers combined with internal threads you should be able to arrange that the screws cause a clamping on one surface and just a bit of compression on the whole thickness.


How can I remove ice damming on my roof?

It may seem counter-intuitive, but you can simply run a garden hose up there and melt it off. By working from the bottom up you'll be less likely to force water through the roofing and cause a leak.

You don't want to use hard tools on your roof if you can help it. Shingles don't last long when you do.


If you want to tee off the 1/2" copper line, then you can start with something like this.

Once you get down to 1/4" copper tube, you can reduce further to 1/8" tube as follows.

If you want to tee off after the sink shutoff valve, we'll need to know what size the outlet is on the valve.


Why does my bath fan turn off when light switch is on and vise versa?

To simplify things, there are two ways to wire a light switch and a light:

Power=========Switch==(A)===Light

Power=========Light===(B)===Switch

(traditionally, but wiring standards have changed)

If the switch comes first, the cable coming from the switch (A) will provide switched power to whatever you want to put on it.

If the light comes first, the cable between the light and the switch (B) is called a "switch loop".  If you open up that cable, it will have a white and black conductor so it looks like hot and neutral, but it's actually playing the role of only the hot.  If you were to splice in a fan at position (B), the fan would complete the circuit, and it would run by pulling power through the light.

In most cases the light would also come on, but depending on the electrical characteristics of the light and the fan, only one of them might come on.

When the switch is turned on, it is what completes the circuit to the light, so the power no longer has a reason to run through the fan.

If the above seems true - you spliced into the cable between the light and switch - the only way to wire it correctly would be to run a cable from the light to the fan.  The switch box most likely wouldn't have a neutral, so you can't run a new cable from there.


How to add corner trim to a shed without exterior access?

I would build the shed on rollers or skids three feet from the neighbors' walls. Finish it completely and properly, then roll or slide it into position, lever it up and slip the timbers out. A 10x10 shed should be very manageable.
Leave any unnecessary interior work for afterwards to keep weight down.


How should I go about fixing a holey laundry room?

The vent flaps are easy to open (by design, it has to open with air pressure) so birds and rodents could easily open them up and make a home. Birds are relatively easy to evict, but rodents are likely to chew their way through the duct and find their way into other places. As for the crawl space vent, I wouldn't want a possible intake vent so close to to the dryer exhaust, it's a humidity issue waiting to happen. So because of that, I'd go for the roof vent. Try to clean it out yearly, and make sure to clean the lint trap out of the dryer between each usage.


Can I use the wiring from a disabled home security system to power wireless cameras?

18awg is small for power wires. With 5VAC 2A:

At 20ft you're going to get ~4.5V
At 40ft, about ~4.0V.

For comparison, if it was 16awg, at 20ft you'd get ~4.7V.  With 22awg, at 20ft you'd get ~3.7V.

You should check the specs on the camera: they'll often give a voltage tolerance. On top of that, some transformers (especially cheap ones) don't exactly supply the voltage they say they will, especially as the current draw is higher. A crappy transformer coupled with under-sized wiring may mean not enough power for the camera, which will result in it either not working or being "glitchy".

Because you also have a wifi camera, the lower the wifi signal it gets, the more power it will take. I'm not sure how significant this actually is, but wifi is likely to be one of the main demands for power in the camera.

You can compensate for the voltage loss with a slightly higher input voltage (a 5.5V transformer would work perfectly for you). Power over Ethernet compensates for this by supplying a higher voltage (48VDC) and requiring devices can accept as low as 44V DC.

You could also potentially use the existing wire as a fish to pull a larger wire though, but that of course depends on if it's exposed in an unfinished basement or how willing you are to open and patch drywall. If you're going to pull wires, it may just be easier to pull ethernet and use a PoE hard-wired camera (more reliable, plus the power problem is taken care of).


Should I remove vinyl flooring to allow the floor underneath to dry out?

If you didn't put insulation and/or a poly vapor barrier over the bare dirt before you poured the basement slab, you made a mistake, and that mistake is causing moisture in the soil to wick into the concrete, keeping it saturated with water. That's very difficult to fix now, but vinyl will not mold, so you may be okay. If you're really worried about it, you might consider removing the vinyl flooring, sealing the concrete with a waterproofing agent like RedGard, and then installing new water-impervious flooring over it, like vinyl or tile--you can tile right over RedGard. Don't go with anything wood.

But there's more going on here than just that. The fact that your basement had a dirt floor and the house has no gutters leads me to believe that your basement was never designed to be finished; it was instead designed to harmlessly flood. Now that you've finished it, you need to fix the water management detailing of your house so that it doesn't flood anymore, because floods are no longer harmless. First, you need to add gutters. Then, you should build underground drainage channels for water so that it seeps into the ground a number of feet away from your house rather than right against the wall. The easiest way to do this is to insulate the walls of the basement as if you were building a shallow-frost protected foundation, which should also make the basement a bit more comfortable too. Trench down 1-2 feet all around the house, put rigid foam boards up against the exposed wall, and then place horizontal insulation sheets at the base of your trench, sloped away from the house. The result should look kind of like this:

Finally, drywall and wood moulding are bad choices for a basement that floods. Those are very moisture-sentisive materials. You need to implement my suggestions ASAP if you want to save them.


How can I take the pop-up stopper out of my sink?

Grip the nut with the 2 'slots' and turn it counter-clockwise until it spins off and you can pull the pivot rod backwards enough to release the plunger. Reverse the process to put it back together.

A plastic setup like that is designed to twist off by hand. If it seems too tight simply use a pair of pliers to grab it and turn it.

Good luck!


Why am I getting strange results when using a power meter to measure CFLs?

Why your various meters don't do a good job measuring power being used by various devices is due to an AC Circuit phenomenon known as Power Factor.

Power Factor The ratio of real power to apparent power.

Real power is the work done, apparent power is the product of the current and voltage in the AC circuit.

Capacitive and inductive loads cause a phase change between the current and voltage.

Inductive loads cause current to lag voltage and capacitive loads cause current to lead voltage. Think of two sine waves, one representing current and the other representing voltage that get offset by up to 90 degrees depending on the type of load. This phase shift messes up the reading of the real power consumed by the circuit. And if the power meter does not measure power factor and correct for it, you basically have a good door stop.

If you have a lot of motors in a plant, you often have to add capacitors on the power line coming into the building so you don't mess the power grid up. It is done to reduce the phase difference between current and voltage.

So, if you're going to measure AC Power, the device must measure True Power (Watts), Apparent Power (VA), Power Factor (%PF) in addition to Voltage (RMS), Current (Amps) and Frequency (Hz). Once you have the True Power and Time, you can read kWH consumed.


How should I insulate rim joist cavities behind backing blocks?

I see a few options:

leave the batt insulation
build out the framing to the sill, fill with batt, apply vapour barrier
build out the framing to cover the foundation as well, ceiling to floor, and apply batt + VB.
as you suggest, apply EPS, or better, XPS. Cut it in horizontal strips, leave a slot for the deck's ledger screws, and slide under. Apply technical tape at horizontal seams. If the gap is 12" high, this might work with 6" high strips.

For 4, you can additionally apply spray foam into the perimeter of the cavity and promptly insert the board thus "squishing" the foam and creating a tight seal.


Ceiling fan/light in bathroom shortcuts when humid

You could apply liquid electrical tape around the connector to reduce the moisture getting to the electrical connections.
For a better seal, remove the connector and wire it using heat shrink butt connectors, or use regular butt connectors with heat shrink tubing and a water proof sealant like liquid electrical tape.  This will reduce the ability for moisture to get into the connector.  Though I understand this might be more difficult to do with some light/fan combos.


Nest snow thermostat with a McLain PEG-45 boiler

You'll need to run a 4 wire thermostat cable
The issue with your proposals so far is that unlike many setups, your boiler (and some other Weil-McLain boilers as well) puts various safety controls ahead of the intended thermostat connection point in a steam configuration (see page 8 of the control supplement), so the wire that's typically connected to R isn't actually constant power.  To avoid thermostat derangement in the case of a safety cutout or worse yet, bypassing a critical safety control (such as your all-important low-water cutoff!!!), you'll need to pull a 4-wire cable instead of your existing 3-wire cable, then wire it as follows:

Nest Rc to boiler R
Nest C to boiler C
Nest Rh to boiler G
and Nest W to boiler Y


What could cause the blower in my furnace to come on?

If your power flickered, that might have confused the furnace's electronics. Otherwise, your furnace might possibly have an automatic periodic purge to keep condensate from forming & the burners / blower from rusting.

Which make & model furnace do you have? If yours supports periodic purges, that should be mentioned in the owner's manual (available online).


With no 120 v reading the grounded and or grounding lugs going to a main panel are open. This happens at the outlet quite frequently. I mentioned both because it was not stated if it was a 3 or 4 wire.


I used sand on my floors. I'm a drummer and this really helps.


How to prevent heat loss over a recessed light?

if its ic rated  i recommend roxaul mineral insulation  over the fixture. if it is not ic rated or the rating  cant be determined i advise replacing it with one that is ic rated  and placing insulation over it.


Improving TV Sound Quality: Must I go for higher RMS Power in external speakers than the TV speakers?

No, the RMS rating determines how much wattage (volume) a speaker can handle before blowing out. Generally, this just means a more powerful magnet and a cone with a center sleeve which is longer and a more durable cone. In fact, in some scenarios, the speaker cone could be constructed out of materials which are more durable, but have less desirable sound properties.

In fact, this can be easily illustrated by the fact that no matter the RMS rating, you will still want to purchase tweeters and bass to produce the full range of sound. Were higher RMS directly correlated to sound quality, you would not need to buy these at the high end - but this just isn't the case.

If you don't need to simulate the volume of a jet plane at 5 feet from the engine and aren't planning to blow out your eardrums, lower RMS ratings are fine. You will probably want your peak volume to be about half to two thirds of the RMS rating. At the high end of the rating, speakers tend to resonate and generate bad sounds.

Speaker Quality

Instead, what you should look for are speakers made of quality construction and quality materials. For example, low end tweeters tend to be made of silk and high end tweeters made of titanium. Speaker cabinets (these are probably the most underrated aspect of sound quality) should be correctly ported, be made of quality materials and construction and have a mathematically correct resonance chamber to ensure that sound off of the back of a speak is properly delayed and the sound coming out has a good resonance.

Directivity

Good speakers will also have a high amount of directivity. This means that sounds should be heard while standing in the broadcast field for the speakers while not heard outside of the broadcast field. Speakers with a high amount of directivity will have a markedly pronounced volume difference when you move out of the broadcast field. The higher the differential, the better the directivity. This is generally achieved by setting tweeters back into a horn within the cabinet rather than being flush-mounted to the surface of the cabinet. This prevents sounds from bouncing off of surfaces which alter the sounds and deteriorate sound quality.

Speaker Size

There is also something to be said for speaker size. Generally, with mid-range speakers, I have found that larger speakers produce better sound. They have more surface area to generate a richer sound. This does not translate well to bass speakers however as 10-inch bass speakers produce a tighter hitting sound while 12-inch bass speakers produce a richer and deeper more resonating sound. If you listen to music with a lot of emphasis on drums, you will probably be happier with 10-inch bass speakers, while music with more bass guitar is better suited to 12-inch speakers. Or, you may with to simply get one of each.

Receiver/Amplifier

Similarly, your receiver can play a big part. You want to ensure that it does a good job of filtering the hertz ranges. Trying to play bass sounds out of your tweeter will shorten the life of your tweeter and sound terrible. The better a receiver can divide the spectrum and send it to the correct speaker, the better your sound system will sound.

(I sold home theater equipment on commission for about 2 years)


What are my chances to revive a (gasoline) pressure washer after ~ten years?

You let it run dry, which was key. This means you don't have smelly, gooey, inflammable fuel dried in and clogging the small carburetor passages.

Check the oil level and fire it up. If it's lubricated, it's probably just fine. If there's moisture in the oil it'll evaporate when the engine comes up to normal operating temperature.

There's no reason to change the plug unless you have reason to believe that it's fouled, but storage doesn't do that.


I think they're there for stabilizing the brown beams/joists.  Typically, a loft is unused space with no floor.  Between the joists, there is insulation supported by drywall or other material depending on the age of the house (as in pic 2 and 3).

Typically one would put in blocking between joists to stop horizontal flexing and torsion.

Since an attic is usually unused space, I think someone took a short cut and just screwed the 2x4s to the tops of the joist. (Significant labour savings!).  Your flooring probably makes it unnecessary from a flexing point of view, but you still have a torsion problem (especially since you're now loading the joists).

When you go to make improvements,  block the joists properly, but I wouldn't worry in the short term.


Hot water pipe sticking up in back yard?

Carefully dig it out (a garden hose may be useful for "hydro-excavating" right next to the pipe, otherwise some careful trowel and shovel work) and figure out where it does run, then you can decide what to do about it. Beware of possible other poorly buried items while you are digging (wires, etc.)

Assuming you have to work with where it comes out of the garage (Point G) and where it goes into the house(Point H), dig deeper and bury it deeper, reconfiguring the line to fit the deeper trench, and insulating it very well (buried hot water line sounds like cash leaving your wallet in a hurry.) Remove the damaged section of line while you are at it, or change everything between Point G and Point H to PEX.

One relatively good technique for insulating underground lines is to build a box of XPS styrofoam around the pipe and fill that box with polyurethane foam; I'm not sure if you'd have to do anything special to make it termite-resistant, those are not an issue where most people I know are using them to protect heating lines running outside between buildings.

If you would prefer NOT to run it where it runs now, that is certainly an option under "and decide what to do about it" especially if you are up for tearing into the house as much as needed for re-routing the line inside the house.


How can I prevent water from remaining in a flexible shower hose?

i would have to disagree with daniel above.  standing water leads to mineral deposition and galvanic corrosion much faster, and in places it may not normally happen.  pathogenically, you could also be hosting lots of little bacteria and fungii in that standing water, particularly on a well water connection.  hand wands sometimes go months between uses, so i think you are probably right in trying to avoid this.

in these installations, it depends on a few things:

1)  loops in the wand hose will hold the most water.

2)  some wands have a backflow valve in them,  this will prevent any break in the column and could leave water in a hose no matter what you do.

3)  some tub diverters don't open properly on stop of water.   they pop open when the pressure comes on again, but dont necessarily release when the water flow stops.  that could hold water above them.

4)  some thermostatic mixing valves (like the moen 3285 and 3210) are notorious for not letting water flow back through them freely or predictably.  this is just the valve design and cant be worked around.


How can I go back to a gas water heater?

Only "power-vent" type gas water heaters can be vented with plastic pipe. These are gas water heaters with a fan on top which blows the flue gas (and cools it by mixing surrounding cool air with it, hence plastic vent is OK) out of the house. Most can be vented with 3" PVC (white), ABS (black), or CPVC (kinda tan colored). These vents can be run horizontally and can have 90 degree bends (limits on that though, see instructions/local code). So if the black pipe in question is plastic, it is probably ABS, and the vendor might be wrong.

Not sure if you know what you are getting into, direct-vent heaters are significantly more $$ than regular natural draft gas heaters (which require metal vent pipes that go more or less UP only). Some of these direct-vent heaters now require a fresh air supply from outside because they have sealed burners, you may not be equipped for that. You would need to be 100% sure of the condition, length, and route of the existing vent if you use it. Then there is the piping for water and gas and such, labor...

It might not be worth the trouble and expense to change back. Amortize the cost of the new heater over time and I am not sure it would pay off.


Would it work if I prime only a partial height of a painted wall?

Just to answer a rather odd question the way it was written...
No if you plan on going to specific height and stop right there all the way around.   You will create a paint seam and it might take a few coats to make it less noticeable.
Yes if you kind of go to a height and taper off randomly on both side of the height with less paint/pressure as you go up.
My advice would be to cut corners, in the corners (and to get more people to help).   You can prime pretty quickly - and paint - open walls.   If you are not worrying about the ceiling or edges painting is twice as fast.   I would suggest you prime to ceiling but start tapering off as you go up and the top 6-8" need very little.


I need a stronger fan for this CO2 scrubber

I have removed CO2 from breathing air (a rebreather for diving) the area of the absorbent is a big part of the systems ability to convert the CO2. The
 gas needs to be in contact with the media pushing it faster may actually reduce the efficiency where reducing the flow by increasing the area may be a better choice.


Can I use separate 14 gauge outlet taps on 12 gauge circuits?

Nope.  Generally you cannot downsize wire on the end of a circuit to below the breaker size.   The only exceptions are in the tap rules, and they don't allow that on household receptacles.  So wired as you propose, the breaker must be 15A.

For a 20A circuit, it would be a waste of material anyway, since an exception permits 15A receptacles on 20A circuits (specifically, only this case, not any others), and your two 14AWG pigtails need only be one 12AWG pigtail.  (UL requires every 15A receptacle to be rated 20A for passthru). You can chain any number of 15A receptacles on a 20A circuit and be golden.

That scheme leans heavy on the concept that "the appliance itself will limit current on each endpoint".  That makes safety conditional on everything working to spec.  If so, you don't need any safety devices at all!  So you can also toss grounding and all the breakers in the unsightly service panel. Splice right off the service drop and cover the splices in drywall.  Done!

Obviously experience shows that doesn't work, so we build for failure.


Consider a lunos or a couple lunos.

https://foursevenfive.com/lunos-e

Do you humidify in the winter?  If so you might want an ERV core.

What are you hoping to achieve with the HRV/ERV?

In a tight house an HRV runs all the time doing .33 ACH to remove VOC, moisture, etc.


16 showers , 6 toilets, 8 sinks and 6 urinals what size of water pipe should be for the supply?

Usually a fixture will receive a 1/2 inch supply line; one for hot and one for cold.
Based on "16 showers, 6 toilets, 8 sinks, and 6 urinals" we would want 2 lines to each shower and sink:
(16 * 2) + 6 + (8 * 2) + 6 = 60

Using the pie * radius squared formula, we know that a half inch diameter circle has an area of 0.2 sq. inches (0.19635 if you want to be exact).
Now multiply by the number of half inch lines you need to run 0.2 * 60 = 12
Now that we know our supply pipe needs to have an area of 12 sq. inches we can work backwards: ( ( square root of ( 12 divided by pie ) ) and double the result ) to get a diameter of 4 inches.

If you think that only half of the fixtures will be used at any given time then we cut our square inches (12) in half to 6 and work backwards to give us a 2.75 inch pipe.


How do I relocate a generator inlet box?

You have what you need. That box or every one I have ever seen are listed for outdoor use. I would open your transfer switch, find a handy spot and drill a hole through the wall install a bushing or short piece of conduit to connect the transfer switch to the inlet and secure the inlet box. I will use caulking around the bushing or nipple to seal it up.


Basement (re)finishing insulation question

This is what I did in my house near Butler, Pa. I installed 4X8 sheets of pink/blue styrofoam  panels directly onto the concrete block and taped the joints with 3" wide aluminum tape. Next I studded the walls with 2X4's using a bottom plate bolted to the concrete floor using 3/8"X3" Red Head anchors. (not the kind that you set with a hammer). I screwed the top plate to the joists with 3" dry wall screws.  I insulated the walls with R11 fiberglass insulation with the vapor barrier. Last, I drywalled over the studs. (hire someone to do the drywall). This has worked for me, but some people say I should have left a gap between the block and the finished wall. This is the 2nd time I have done this and it has done a good job for me. One thing I want to say is that My sump pump worked hard when it rained and I had a contractor check the pipes for the rain gutters and down spouts. The contractor that built did a bad job and used SDS pipe which smashed and the joints came apart, allowing that water to dump into the french drain and into the basements sump pump. That pipe was replaced as necessary with sch 35. Now the sump pump runs much less.  This is what I did and I am happy with it. Good luck and stay safe


Can this ceiling box support a 12 lbs ceiling fan?

Sorry, but this junction box is not rated, won't support a ceiling fan. You will have to investigate further to determine how the box is mounted and replace it with a box rated for a ceiling. If you have attic access to this box, replacing it will be easier. If not, it will be more difficult and you might have to remove some of the ceiling around the box to cut it out.


You do not use cement or any sealant on the threads of a p-trap. It would not do any good and would bond the threads and so prevent adjustment. The purpose of the threads in these drain elements is to compress the joint. The seal is made by rubber or plastic ring seals or the faces of the two parts of the p-trap.


What's the best way to secure soffit that joins a roofline?

It's hard to say much from the very distant photo, but I'd guess that there's no metal channel against the roofing (shingles). That would prevent all but the burliest of birds and rodents from shimmying under.

The wall has a channel for the soffit to slip into, and that channel should wrap down the slope to the backside of the fascia.

Or, work in some lumber, fastened at the wall and fascia, to stiffen things. Don't puncture any existing roofing.


C WIRE MISSING, Trane Air-Handler Variable 4TEE3F