How to add a lamp on the other side of the switch series?

Be aware that any voltage drop across the relay coil will make LS1 correspondingly dimmer, so choose the correct type of relay. For this series-wired application you want a current-actuated relay rather than a voltage-actuated type.

A simple current-actuated relay has only a few turns in its coil, which is wound with wire sized to handle a lot of current. For your application the winding might have one to three turns, and the wire must be at least as large as your household wiring.

When you shop for the relay, you may find it easier to buy an electronic device than a simple relay. This would probably operate on the same principles as a GFCI. Its voltage drop and power consumption will be too small to measure. Such a device may require its own constant-hot and neutral connections, which fortunately you have available at S2.

One disadvantage with this circuit is that if lamp LS1 burns out or is unscrewed, lamp LS2 cannot be switched on. - Nevertheless I believe you have devised the best solution for the constraints as described.


Why is there an extra conductor in my hew home's light switch circuit?

TLDR: Because NEC 404.2 requires a neutral be brought to all "switch loops" for future smartswitch use.

Color codes are pretty weak in North American wiring.  You can go by color somewhat, but you're going to have to know what you're looking at.

I don't like that system because you have to open up 3 boxes and stare at them for 5 minutes to figure out what you're looking at.  I like a much simpler system, and that's why I own 10 colors of tape.  I'm not stupid, it's just too much workload.

Grounds all just connect in a big web.  They are the only wires that do. Neutrals do not.  Ignoring grounds,  wires have functions, I give the functions names, and I have an "ideal" color I like to make them, either direct or with tape tagging.  Certain functions are in certain places depending on where you are.

Unfortunately most house wiring is done with multiconductor cable, which comes in fixed colors: black/white... black/white/red... whether you like it or not.  Hence the tape.

Here are the color codes I prefer:

hot (works much better if you choose black)
neutral (Code absolutely requires neutral be white*)
switched-hot (in a perfect world: red but not common)

Incoming supply has two wires:  hot and neutral.

A lamp needs two wires: switched-hot and neutral. (assuming you want it switchable). If it isn't that way, mark the wire with tape.  When a wire has two ends, mark both ends the same.

A switch needs three wires: always-hot because hot has to come from somewhere.  Switched-hot so the switch can switch it!  Neutral (white) which must be present per NEC 404.2. Old style mechanical switches don't need it, but smart switches do, hence the requirement.

Old style switch loops did weird things, like make the white (taped black) the always-hot and black the switched-hot.  That's no longer legal per 404.2.

Your lamp may come with a black hot cable. Since you want the lamp on some of the time, I would wrap the wire with red tape to mark it as a switched-hot.

See what I've done?  Everything is properly color-coded by function and you just go red to red, white to white etc.

* White can also be gray, if you're willing to pay a fortune for custom Romex. Don't laugh, one Nevada builder uses pink Romex and has an understanding with every scrapyard and building inspectors to BOLO; any pink Romex not at one of his houses is stolen.


An HVAC technician should be able to repair the line, assuming the rest of the line is in good shape. Refrigerant line repair is not a diy project, as it requires specialized tools and training, as well as a license in most places.

After the leak is repaired, you'll have to recharge the system. Which also is not a project for a typical diyer.


How a concrete/brick storm drain is made?

There are so many manufactured options for channel shaped surface drainage equipment that you should not have to create one from scratch. Search the internet.
If you must create your own, your method with the slab and brick should work, or make some wood forms and make it entirely out of concrete. Make sure the surrounding soil is firm and compacted to support it or it may move or crack. And reinforce the concrete.


What should I do about damaged electrical conduit?

As a minimum, you really ought to test the cable (or have it tested by a professional) to ensure that it hasn't been damaged. You really don't want to find that there is a problem when a fault occurs at a later date.

If there is no physical damage to the cable, you should at least seal the conduit to prevent further ingress of water, for example wrap the damaged area with self-amalgamating tape.


How can I tell if stains are caused by a ceiling that is drying out, or if there is still a leak?

We had a leak going into our ceiling. Luckily, as a wood turner, I already own a moisture meter. This can test the moisture content of wood (but other similar density substances too) merely by pressing a button. That meter worked very well for my problem. Of course, if you do buy one, I don't expect you will find many other uses for it than catching an occasional leak, but it can still be cheaper to buy one than to pay someone to make a simple reading for you. Just store the meter after you are done with it with the battery removed.

It will take several weeks or even months for a ceiling to dry out. This depends on how enclosed the area is, and whether there is still water getting in. Readings made over time should be decreasing. If not, there is still a problem. The moisture content of even dry wood will be around 8%. Check other walls in your house, because this number will vary by where you live, and what time of year it is.

There are several styles of moisture meters. One relies on pins that must be inserted into the material, testing electrical conductivity between the points. As such, it will leave small holes. Better are the styles that do not leave a hole, but they are more expensive. Note that the cheaper models use a probe. This probe will have pins to stick in the wood.

By the way, while the ceiling is still damp, stains WILL continue to spread by capillary action. The water will continue to wick the stain further away. 2 months later is a long time for new stains to appear, however, old stains can bleed through new paint. You may wish to use a product like Kilz to seal in those stains. But wait until it is surely dry before you paint. This is where the meter will help you out.


What is on my shower drain and why is my shower not draining?

I have one of those that I have to unscrew then unscrew the drain itself, notice the hairs on the cross bars as you remove the drain assembly. Don’t break those hairs just unscrew the lower section and lift it up. What you wipe probably find is a wad of hair and soap scum. YUK! My wife daughters and most of my grand daughters have long hair, when they shower some goes down the drain so I have to do this several times a year. I haven’t needed a snake and you might not either, it is gross but only takes a few minutes. My drain has an o-ring seal but in the past I had to roll a bead of plumbers putty to seal the flange when re installing. I have a wrench to pull the flange but have used heavy duty needle nose pliers in the past. I would recommend pulling it out with this method because a drain cleaner won’t dissolve the entire hair ball and it may break loose and lodge lower in the plumbing and then a snake would be needed. Give removal a try , it’s gross but usually works.


How to find areas where heat/coolness are lost?

Whether for heating or cooling, your goal is to limit the amount of heat going through the building envelope, it's just the direction the heat is moving is reversed. Cooling loads are complicated by radiant heat gain which is not much of an issue for heating loads. Thermal imaging can identify areas of high heat conductance, indicating where more insulation is required.

Other than that, simple inspection can indicate where the heat is getting in (or out). Are there any gaps in windows and doors allowing air to leak in or out? If the windows are singled glazed, that will be the largest single cause of heat gain. How much insulation is in walls and ceilings? What's good for heating is good for cooling. In addition for cooling, how is the sun allowed to radiate heat into the building. Lack of shading devices, window tints, draperies or shades, etc. all contribute to heat gain.


All toilets in my house flush slowly, afraid that there is a clog in the main line

Slow flushing is not a symptom of a clog in the main line, that's not how toilets work.

You are probably thinking the pipe is full of water, so the toilet is having a hard time adding more, but if your pipe was full of water you would have water coming out of your bathtub! And every sink downstairs would be full of water.

A slow flushing toilet is simply an old, bad, toilet. It has nothing to do with the sewer line.

A sewer line is empty usually, unlike supply lines, sewer lines do not normally having anything in them, except for the few seconds after use. Even if the main line was slow (which it probably isn't), the small amount of water in the toilet would simply fill up the pipe above that part at a normal speed, then move down a bit slower - you would notice nothing.

Get yourself a new toilet, I like the Toto brand, you can buy one on Amazon for about $200.

If you had a clog the symptoms would be different: When you started using the sink it would work completely normally. Only after you ran the sink for a while (5 - 10 minutes even) it would start to slow down, and then it would stop draining and the water would just sit there. You would wait a long time and that water would very slowly drain down.


Why does my heat pump keep triggering the high-pressure cut-off?

This is a classic sign of low refrigerant. Refrigerant is not a consumable, so low levels indicate a problem. This is not something you can fix yourself. Call a technician, but don't let them just top it off and leave; make them stick around to find the leak.

Since this is a heat pump, the expansion valve is actually a mechanical device and not just a simple orifice like in a regular air conditioner. A failed expansion valve can cause the pressures to be incorrect, mimicking the problem of low refrigerant.


Can I reuse a /2 cable for a 120V subpanel? (formerly an old sub wired 2-pole 30A for my trailer)

Yeah, that's fine, but you'll have to rearrange things a bit to make it work.

However, you'll need a disconnect switch

The best way to get that is to fit one more breaker, and backfeed it.  (i.e. the supply comes in where the power normally goes out).

A backfeed breaker requires a tie-down kit to be applied.   Tie-down kits only fit on 2-pole breakers.  (it's called "pole" by the way).

Normally, you would split the feed, e.g. with a wire nut and 2 pigtails, to this 2-pole "master" breaker.

I'm not sure why you're getting such a small panel (in terms of spaces).  But since you are out of spaces, we can do a trick.    On the 2-pole breaker, one side is the backfeed side from supply.  The other side is one of your 30A loads that you mentioned. So this breaker is serving as both the disconnect switch and a branch circuit load.  Not elegant, but it will work.

"But wait. I am only backfeeding one leg.  How does power get to the other leg?"

Surely this panel has main lugs. You run a wire from one main lug to the other.  I recommend a #3 Cu wire since it is a 100A panel after all. But a #10 would be safe for now.

Okay, okay, I hear you on "big panel". How do I wire that?

If the new panel has a main breaker, use that for the disconnect switch. Simply put two #10 pigtails on the two "hot" terminals and wire-nut them to your #10 wire coming in. (use a big tan or red wirenut).

If your panel is "main lug", you still need a disconnect switch, so you'll be forced to backfeed a 2-pole breaker again. Since you have the space, go ahead and get a 2-pole breaker with tiedown kit, and do the "two #10 pigtails" thing as described in the last paragraph.  (we didn't do that with the 6-space panel because there wasn't room).

Then proceed normally.

Remember do not put MWBC (shared neutral) circuits in a 120V panel.


Sink Tailpiece Doesn't Line Up With New Trap - Need Help Making Connection

You should not have used that type of trap. You should have used an adjustable P-Trap, which gives a whole bunch of horizontal adjustability:

It's probably not too late, you could cut that trap off and glue the 1 1/2" male adapter (included in the trap kit) to your drain pipe stub-out.

Each and every suggestion and direction given by the salesperson at the "big box" hardware store should be met with outward courtesy but inward scepticism. A good plumbing shop would have never sent you home with all those glue fittings.


I've used HOMAX Tough as Tile for years. It's an epoxy coating that will stick to just about any clean surface. You can pick this kit up for about $25. It has everything you need for the job (Tri-Sodium Phosphate, Brush, Gloves and Paint). Follow the directions and especially the cleaning section in order to remove soap scum, etc. The process requires 2 coats and will take about 2-3 days to dry but you will be amazed at the end result which will be a candy shell appearance like porcelain. For optimum results, remove the drain for the work and then re-install it when the job is finished. The fumes will need to be addressed by ventilation and the odor is also a consideration.

Note: This kit comes in almond or white. It also comes with a spray can option which I don't recommend. The spray gets all over everything and takes a long time to dry.


Actually, those are absolutely Tempered Glass, Standard Glass has no lateral stability. And, any glass within 18" of the floor, legally, must be tempered glass regardless of thickness. I've had no breakage problems with glass tables in the past that had taller right angled legs of this rectangular fashion. Glass table tops slide around so you don't stress & break the glass.

But, I don't like that bed setup at all, especially on carpet! Each corner should have 2-pieces to make a corner of glass in order to provide full resistance to both the X & Y axis movements. Sleeping & tossing & turning are one thing, but sex done right is another.

Before I clicked the link, I expected specialty 1-thick wall glass tubes or boxes with metal rods or tubes through them...flanged black or galvanized iron pipe & fittings, painted to whatever you want. Where to get thick walled glass I wouldn't know, but I'd just box-in the legs with small tempered panels siliconed together, being a faux support.


I accidentally short the c wire and both units not turning back on

after a few tips from @ThreePhaseEel I be able to fix the problem that I'm having.
after I short the circle on a furnace and blow off the fuse. Since I'm not a AC tech so I don't know much about a ac or a heat pump. beside the unit outside that they need a furnace unit inside as well. so the problem that I'm having with out knowing that so I'm not be able to located the furnace. since @ThreePhaseEel mentioned that the furnace should be under the attic so I went up there to found the furnace with a fuse blow off. so replace it with a new one. Tada! it works.
what I learned here that.
even you cut the power off on the AC to put on a new thermostat that the power the fed to a furnace might come from the different source. so make sure to cut the power off from the attic as well.
or I should protect the C wire at all cost so it won't touch any other cable and I should be good.
sorry about my bad english. this is the best I could do to answer to my own problem.
cheers.


The LED driver is most likely faulty. You should be able to take the whole lamp back for replacement or refund.


Grout or caulk on tile floor to tile wall

Caulk is the way to go when there is a change of plane as there are shifts in the structure that will crack regular grout. You should clean all that mess out of there with a utility knife, single edge razor blades, a #10 scalpel, whatever. Clean out with some vinegar to kill any mold residue, let dry and re caulk with  quality silicone caulk.

The only time grout would/could be used here is if you use the epoxy grout. It is more expensive and harder to work with but will yield great results.

By the way, all wet surfaces will mold over time without regular cleaning.

You would grout a location like this by placing mixed grout on the floor and ramming it into the crack with a grout float... something like a thick rubber trowel....


How do you hang something on sheetrock where there is a plastic stud?

How old is the building you are working in? Only a very new one might have (ecostud.com/product_details.html ) plastic framing studs. More likley you have drilled into a plastic pipe. If your water is on and you haven't noticed a leak you have drilled into a drain line or a plumbing vent stack. If it was my house I would cut a small opening in sheet rock at that very same location to verify what you have drilled into and if it is in fact a pipe open the wall enough to repair the hole in the pipe.

Please let us know what you find.
And if it is a stud made of plastic explain why a screw would not pierce it.  Studs are after all supposed to be accepting of dry wall screws regardless of what they are made of.


Switching between two appliances on a single power socket

Something like this perhaps?  Your question is somewhat ambiguous but this sort of independently controlled power strip appears to meet the requirement:


Problem mounting TV wall mount / possible cracked stud

If you have three good solid lags in predrilled holes that is more than enough to support the TV.  I suspect that you did break off the edge of the stud.  You can always drill the metal of the bracket over a 1/2" and put in a new hole.  Go Luck and happy viewing.


Kind of switch required to select between power sources

Transfer Switch
A double-pole double-throw break-before-make is essentially what you need. But there are devices designed exactly for this. Transfer switch is the term.
Large transfer switches are used in buildings to transfer between backup generator and utility power. You just need a small one - ~ 20 Amp - to transfer one circuit, but the principle (and the terminology) is the same. Depending on how your RV electrical supply is setup, you may be able to put a transfer switch inline with the one circuit for the microwave, or you may want to install it with the main breaker panel. If you install it with the main panel then you have to figure out how to separate different circuits so you don't overload the inverter when you flip the switch, though adding some LED lighting or other small loads would probably be fine.
There are automatic transfer switches, but those are typically for unattended switching to generator when the power goes out, but there is no benefit to that here, and in fact you would probably NOT want it on automatic as there will be times when you don't have shore power AND don't want to turn on the inverter either.


What is this triangle shape thing that holds the bottom of shade to the door

They are called mini-blind hold down brackets and can be purchased on E'bay, Amazon, and at Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot etc.


What type of 6ft fence should I get, that can take a lot of high winds?

How much is "a lot of high winds"? I have a classic cedar panel fence (now with pressure-treated posts; it was time to redo them all and PT lasts in ground contact better than cedar), and it has withstood a couple of microbursts and the like with little or no damage. It did lose one board from one panel and a couple of post caps and cap strips over the years (which I also had cleaned up as part of this redo), but not much more than that.

Use good materials (PT in ground, PT or a weather/insect-resistant wood like cedar above ground), set the posts properly, and a wood fence can be good for 20 years with only minor maintenance.


I'm willing to bet that it is dirt and grime in the plumbing that is preventing a good seal. I would take out the linkage and plunger and clean out the pipe at least to the length of the plunger unit. There are several ways to do this but it should be mechanical in nature, like scrubbing a dirty pan. Here is one example of a tool that you can buy and you can make one yourself with some stiff wire and a rag. DO NOT lose the rag in the pipe!


I used autobody primer and autobody spray paint for metal rails.  Need to allow a few hours after priming.  And a good 2 hours between each top coat or you can end up with bubbles and build up.

This can be bought at big box or auto parts store (and many more colors if you buy online).


How can I fix a leaking sprinkler valve?

The most likely issue going on here is that the sprinkler piping down stream from the valve is at the same elevation or higher elevation than the valve itself. Water left in the line is flowing back through the anti siphon air gap in the valve and resulting in what you see as a "leak".

Normally sprinkler valves are meant to be installed so that they are eight to twelve inches above the highest elevation of the watering circuit to prevent this problem.


Can I split ceiling light wire to create a receptacle on ceiling?

Split, no. Splice, yes, assuming the box has adequate space for the box fill with additional wires, or that you upgrade the box if needed.
Since you are adding a receptacle, you'll need to put a GFCI on the circuit or as the receptacle if the circuit is not already GFCI protected.


If there is not any backup evident at the outdoor clean-outs or tub drain when sinks and toilets are flushed together, then I would say the septic is not slow draining and air bubbling into the toilet requires that the soil vent serving the toilet be plugged some other way.   Since the toilet vent line was recently cleaned and found to be plugged, I would surmise that the vent has somehow become plugged again.

Offhand I can think of two possibilities:

(1)  The toilet soil pipe has a sag near the connection to the soil vent such that the branch to the vent tends to collect sewage and become plugged;

(2)  The toilet soil vent is connected to the drain line incorrectly (incorrect wye, installed backward, etc);

There are companies for hire that can run a camera through the lines to find the problem if you are so inclined.


For the full 30A load, the least expensive option that doesn't involve a direct bury cable would be to pull an aluminum 2/2/4 direct bury URD/USE triplex cable through 1" Schedule 80 PVC conduit, although it'll be a very tight fit (234mm^2 used out of 236mm^2 available).  If you wish to go with Ed's 24A number, I'd use a 6/2 W/G UF cable instead -- NM has no business being run in outdoor conduits!  While you could run individual 4 or 6AWG copper THHN/THWNs in the conduit, that'd be a bit costlier than the UF or URD cable, especially for 4AWG.

(If you use the URD/USE cable -- the 2 AWG wires are the hot and neutral, while the 4 AWG wire is the grounding conductor.)


My air conditioner sparks, but only sometimes, even with a new cable

Now it's a week later and since an hour I have a new air-con installed.

The technician from the old air-con was here basically every day last week. And every day he fixed some more cables and every day it seemed to work when he left. Most of the time it worked for at least an hour and then not anymore.

Finally, since last Friday we didn't have any sparks anymore. The air-con started ok but then after anywhere between 10 to 30 minutes, it was not cold anymore.
Finally, on Monday, the air-con guy diagnosed that the compressor sized and it's time for a new one.

This is obviously not "the" answer for every case like this. But I wanted to let you know that this is what happened in my case. Maybe this will be helpful to someone else in the future.


Can't find correct size outdoor spigot handle

I know this thread is old but I found it because I'm having the same issue. I wanted to share what I found for a solution. Hope this helps anyone else out there.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M16DANU


US residential stair railing code: What is the requirement for terminating an open railing?

That handrail does not meet code, because it is not continuous from top to bottom of stairway and the ends do not terminate correctly at the bottom.

The Code (ICC R311.7.7) requires handrails:

1) Height to be between 30” and 38” above the nosing of the tread, and

2) Be continuous on at least one side of a stairway with 4 or more risers and be from a point directly above the top tread to a point directly above the lowest tread. (It can be interrupted at turns,) and

3) The size is to be between 1 1/4” and 2” if it’s round. If it’s not round, then it needs to be 4” or more around but not more than 6”. If it’s bigger than that, it needs finger grips. (It gets complicated because the finger grips are restricted too.)

4) If it’s located next to a wall it shall have a minimum of 1 1/2” clear space to the wall, and

5) The handrail end must terminate to the wall, newel post, or safety terminal. Safety terminal is not defined in the code.

The intention of returning handrails is to keep it from catching someone’s pocket, etc. Btw, we design a lot of handrails and when only one is installed, we prefer it on the right side descending.

The code does not require tube handrails to be capped, as Ed indicated.


Ceiling Fan Toggle Switch No Longer Used - Can I do anything else with it?

You can get a double blank plate with one toggle and the other part covered, like:

What you need to look for is 1 toggle 1 blank combination wall plate.

There are varieties available for regular toggle, Decora, etc.

You will need to cap any unused wires, from the switch you remove, with wire nuts, plus a little electrical tape to make sure they don't come loose (but the wire nut provides the actual insulation needed).


You need to verify your box fill #10 wire uses a 2.5 multiplier. You only have to count 1 ground wire, add up all the other wires in the box and multiply by 2.5 then add 5 for the device. If using boxes with clamps another 2.5 added to to the above will provide the minimum listed box size. The size in cubic inches required by code that is stamped on the box. Be aware that measuring the box and multiplying the length, width and depth gives a larger number than the listed size in table 314.16.A.


How much can you do as a homeowner in Texas without requiring a permit/inspections?

For questions one and two:

Legally, it's up to local code. I'm not up on code in Texas. But where I've lived, it's generally acceptable for homeowners to do most work themselves. If it's a structural change (new walls, new foundation, new electrical circuits etc.) It typically requires a permit and inspection.

Granted, just because something requires a permit, it doesn't mean one was pulled. This is common--even if you hire a contractor. Alas, just because you hire a contractor does not mean that a) they will pull permits voluntarily or b) actually do things right anyways.

I've done work as a homeowner with and without permits and I'm still on the fence about it. I appreciate what permits are supposed to do, but have also had to deal with some very backwards and out of date inspectors. I can see why people skip the permit step at times. Sometimes it's to cut corners, but, ironically, I think sometimes it's so they can be left alone to do the job right rather than what the inspector wants to see. ;)

As for question 3, you'll have to seek out a lawyer for that.


Technically, exposed NM wire should be protected from physical damage, especially in heavy traffic areas like kitchens.

For your situation, a 1x1 piece of wood to buffer any accidents is all that is needed.


Would a concrete ramp added to an existing slab be less durable?

They are taking out the lower area to have a full 4” pour, they are tying them together with rebar so I don’t see any issues, for foot traffic in a small area 2” even works. I see driveways poured at 4” all the time so I think they are planning a proper fix as long as you are happy with there design.


Is it OK to leave a dimmer switch on low constantly (LED light)

There shouldn't be any dangers if you use a dimmer that's designed for LED lights. There are different types of dimmers for different types of lights. See this page from Lutron for a rough idea. Basically, most modern dimmers rapidly modulate between on/off and is safe for long term use in a low state. A side effect however, is that it may generate RF interference or even an audible humming sound.

In terms of danger, you might be thinking about very basic dimmers for hobby projects, which may use resistance dimming with a potentiometer. In that case, it's bad to keep it on in a dimmed state for a long period of time since it generates a lot of waste heat.

You should check this PDF (found on this page) by Leviton to see whether your specific LED light is compatible with your dimmer.


First off, you likely want type UF cable for this application -- URD isn't even a recognized NEC type to begin with, and even URD/USE cable can't be run indoors as per 338.12(B)(1) as it lacks the fire-resistive insulation of NM, UF, and SE cables.

Second -- while 2AWG copper USE has an ampacity of 115A as per the NEC, since you cannot use USE in this application, you must use 1AWG wire here, as UF has a lower temperature rating than USE (60deg vs USE's 75deg) and thus a lower ampacity (2AWG copper UF can only carry 95A, while 1AWG copper UF is limited to 110A).  This may also require you to upsize to 2" conduit in order to keep the conduit fill acceptable.  Of course, since you are doing the run in conduit, 2AWG copper THWN is also an acceptable choice of wire for this task, provided the indoor run is done in conduit as well, and would allow you to keep the existing 1.5" conduit.

As to the neutral and ground wires, a 2-2-2-4 configuration would be used -- this is as per 215.2(A)(1) Exception 2, which would prevent an undersized neutral in your situation when the feeder is fully loaded.  Of course, 2-2-2-2 is also acceptable, and may be easier to manage when working with individual THWN wires in conduit.

If you do decide to use URD/USE for the outdoor run -- you will need to use a different wire type for the run indoors.  You'll either want copper THHN/THWN in conduit (2AWG works), or a 2-2-2-4 copper SE (note, NOT USE) cable, either in conduit or run as if it were NM.


How to properly ground new three way switches being installed?

The proper way is indeed to pigtail ground wires from that bundle to each switch. They should be wired in such a way that detaching ground from one switch (to replace it, for example) doesn't impact the grounding of the other switch or anything down the line.
If this makes your bundle of grounds large, you may need to upgrade to a larger wire nut. The wire nut container should have a list of color-coded sizes and the number and gauge of wires it supports.
Side note regarding wire nuts: they should hold every wire very very firmly. Many pro electricians around here note that amateurs don't connect the wire nuts firmly enough and encourage a "yank test": after connecting the wire nut, yank each wire pretty hard. If it comes out, the wire nut isn't connected firmly enough or may be the wrong size.


It went further to the center as long as it did not push the one to the right out of place don’t worry.
If you want to this is an easy fix but not needed in my opinion (I am a professional electrician).
There are screws that hold that face plate in position. Remove the lower screws first when you only have the top 2 left press in on that cover to hold it in place and remove the last 2 screws.
Pull the cover (called a dead face away) set it down.
Turn that breaker off then pry the handle towards the left and out they just snap out.
It may slide at this point prior to pulling out.
Look around at the wires if you see burned insulation let us know with another photo, if every thing looks good carefully put the panel cover back on I usually do the top 2 screws first opposite of removal put all the screws in make sure the breakers are all on some times you bump one and it will trip to the off position.
Always move a tripped breaker fully to the off position and back to on. Most when bumped or turned off will go to off but a light pull to off then it should move easily to the on position.
Give it a try, don’t touch any of the wires going into the main or any breaker these are the hots, I am sure there will be a U tube video on replacing a breaker if you want to watch it but it is a simple job you can do if you want but it is fine.


The floor joists are rotted in that particular area. It could be the same all over. The only thing you could try is to remove some more of the decking and "sister" the joists (Nail a second joist alongside the old one). This will give you some new area to nail your decking. You might be looking at replacing this deck in the near future. If all of the joists look like that, someone could get hurt.


Given the constraints, I'd remove the walkway stones, lower either side slightly (and probably bury a perforated pipe, or several to connect them and speed drainage) raise the walkway (possibly just using soil removed from either side), and reset the stones.

Beware of buried utilities - The official ones 811 (or your local call before you dig option if it's not 811) will mark for you, and the ones they won't know about such as wiring between your house and garage. They should be below the extent I'd expect to dig for this (less than a foot) but always check, and aways be wary (smooth black roots are not roots!)


Is it possible to recover waste heat from a boiler?

You should look into condensing boilers that do just that and capture a lot of heat that would normally fly out of the chimney. In fact they vent through a PVC pipe producing a lukewarm steam and have efficiency as high as 96%

So if your current boiler is close to the end of its usefull life, then upgrade might be a sensible investment.

However it's not a bad idea to evaluate your house as a whole. If its poorly insulated and drafty, then that should be addressed as well.

A lot of states and some energy companies offer free or very cheap home efficiency auditing and insulation programs.


What's the best way to fix skirting board without nails / screws?

Well, you could form the skirting directly out of plaster, but that would only fulfill the "appearance" and not the "function" (such as it is) of the skirting board. And for most of us that would be more "messy" than "elegant", though the real plaster pros can do very elegant things in the high side of the wall for moldings that won't see the abuse a skirting board will.

Wedging is probably the best way to do this - rather than tryng to get "precise" lengths across, if you can get a pack of tapered shims (narrow wooden shingles) you can use a pair in opposite directions to make a wedge-clamp arrangement on studs just a hair shorter than the width. Drive in the wedges to tighten.

I'm not familiar with your brands, but if it's a good quality polyurethane construction adhesive, once cured, it should stay put.

When in doubt, leave it clamped longer. When not in doubt, leave it clamped longer anyway. An extra day or two of stepping over clamps is not nearly as inconvenient as trying to do it over...


Why are my appliances failing and the breaker tripping?

Let's start with NEC Article 220.52 (B). which requires a separate laundry circuit for the  washer only. So you will need to find a second circuit for the freezer. Next you purchased a used washer and we have no idea what type condition it is in and it has no warranty (see comments above). Now that you have probably overloaded the circuit with a bad washer, you have picked up "Hissing" in the receptacle. This means you have probably caused some damage to the receptacle or its wiring. So you need to kill the circuit and pull the receptacle from the wall and inspect it for damage and make any repairs necessary. Personally I would replace the receptacle and make sure your wiring did not overheat and damage the insulation. If the wiring is damaged you need to trim it back. If the wire is then too short you need to pigtail it and reattach it to the new receptacle.

Sorry to deliver the bad news, but having a freezer compressor and a washer motor on the same circuit can cause a shortened life for each appliance. So you really do need to correct that.

Good luck and stay safe.


The trade answer is a toner and probe, it is also the easiest.

An amazon search for ' telephone tracer ' will show a range of products I am talking about.

A toner is the tool that the phone company supplies to their employees that need to find a specific pair of wires in a cable, or inside a wall. Other places use them too.

The tool is art meets science if you are looking for 1 pair of wires in a bundle of 100, but if you are just looking for a cable, they are fairly easy.

This can also be used to find DEAD - NO POWER - outlets/breakers


Toilet tank will not refill after flush unless water valve is closed and reopened

Some fill valves have a device that shuts the water off if it detects tank leakage. Sometimes these devices get sticky and the pressure has to be cycled to open the valve. I have not been able to clean one in the past and have had to replace the fill valve when this happens regulary.


There are several versions of that type of bracket available.
It is called a post base bracket.
My local home improvement centers carry them.
Here is one
It is fastened to the concrete with nut and bolt.
You may have problem when you remove yours as the nut and bolt are probably rusted like the bracket.
I would spray them with PB Blaster several times over a couple of days, heat it with a torch and wack the top of it with a hammer before you try to remove the nut.
If you break the bolt off you have a problem dealing with a steel bolt in the exact spot you need to drill for installing a new bolt/anchor. It may be easier to relocate the post if that happens.
You will need a temporary post to support the structure while you remove the old post and replace the bracket.


Remote control with offline functionality | Home Automation

I can't think of a smart (home automation) switch that doesn't have that "offline" capability.  I've got Insteon (Smarthome) switches in my house; they're Decora-style paddle switches with radio- and powerline connectivity. They talk to Insteon's "hub", which in turn talks to the cloud and your mobile app. You can turn the light on or off locally or remotely, and since they're bidirectional you can see on your smartphone whether a given light is on or off.  Is what you're looking to do any more complex than that?


Why my new hot water heater performs worse than my old one?

You or the plumber must have missed something because if you had 38 gallons of hot water at the start of the shower, you would not run out of hot water during the first shower. I would re-check that the dip tube is actually hooked up to the cold water inlet and that the thermostat actually switches the power to the bottom heat coil when the top element is satisfied. If only the top element is working then only the top part of the tank will get hot giving you a short supply of hot water. Either of these 2 items could yield the problem you are having. I would check the tank thermostat first since this is the easiest to service and is more likely the problem.


For the space with the copper pipe you could use a thin piece of pine or hemlock trim material that is typically called a lattice moulding. The type I am thinking of is 1/2" thick and 2 1/2" wide. Before installing you would want to patch up, sand, prime and paint the drywall material. Then nail the lattice strip into place and prime and paint it. When I install such material I will typically prime on all sides and paint it even before installation. A pneumatic brad nailer is an excellent tool for installing such moulding using 16ga slight head brad nails that are 2 1/4" long. Use extreme care not to nail into that copper pipe of any electrical wiring in the wall.

The repair of the part of the baseboard in the doorway can be a bit more problematic. I see two possible ways to deal with this.

The first method would involve removing the existing base board in both directions back from that corner. Then install new matching baseboard that comes all the way to the corner. The moulding from each side would meet right at the corner with an outside corner miter joint.

The second method would involve cutting back the baseboard that currently comes right to the corner by an equal amount that the base board on the left side of the picture is shy of the corner. Then you would fit 3/4" pine corner boards that fill in both sides and meet in the corner with an outside corner miter. This corner block would want to be just a small bit higher than the existing molding.


How can I insulate a finished 1 1/2 story space

You can do it outside, if you're planning any siding work. But, inside you could cut out (so you can reinstall it) a 1-foot or more slit across each wall & literally shove faced fiberglass batt insulation up to the top & down to the bottom.

This is tedious, but once you get a feel for it & in using a push stick, then it's not so bad. You can also do this with Rigid Foam Board insulation that's cut snug to the stud spacing. This is a little cleaner & easier but you'll need to put in 2 layers of 1.5" thick or 2" & 1" thick layers. You need that 1/2" dead air space for maximum insulation value with foam.


How do I match the color of old wood with stain after a repair?

Most of the wood finish displays at your local home center will have samples. They will show what the finish looks like on various wood types. The issue with matching older trim is the colors change as the product ages and there are variations from batch to batch. I have had the best luck by bringing an original sample and matching it to the display for similar wood. If it is close but a little light you can try multiple coats to see if it will darken. You can also add a few drops of a darker or colored stain  in small batches to alter it slightly. Try various mixes of finish on multiple scraps of the replacement wood keeping track of the formula of each sample.


Suggestions to hold floating laminate floor from sliding on vapor barrier installed over concrete slab

Last time I did this I put wedges along the long side to stop the floor moving, once complete they were removed to allow proper expansion and the gap around the edge was covered.


How can I install laminate flooring without removing base molding?

Pick yourself up a laminate flooring installation kit, like this one.

It comes with spacers that can be placed between the already installed planks, and the base molding. The spacers will maintain the required gap, as you hammer the planks together.

The kit also includes a pull bar, and tapping block. Both of which will come in quite handy.

Installing laminate (and any hardwood flooring) without removing the base molding is quite common.


How should I attach this sheet flooring?

Looks like vinyl flooring (appropriate for bath rooms). It most likely needs to be glued down. Be aware that some sheet material needs a special adhesive while others are glued by just applying adhesive to the perimeter of the sheet. look for the manufacturer's name on the bottom and check their web page for specifics.
Just a quick primer on installation: try to use a sheet for the full area (2 pieces are troublesome.
starting at the longest/most noticeable wall lay the sheet along it and push it into the room.
push it up to the bases of the toilet (if installed) and/or the vanity or pedestal sink.
you'll need to make a cut so that the vinyl sheet can be split around each side of the base.
Once the sheet is cut into the room half of it is pulled away from the floor and adhesive is troweled on the floor and the piece is returned and smoothed to the adhesive. Repeat on other half. Push air pockets out towards the perimeter with a rag.
You will most likely need an adhesive compatible with concrete floor. concrete


How to change switched outlets to half switched and half always hot

You should not have broken off the tabs on the hot sides of the receptacles unless you had an always hot in the receptacle boxes.

If you want to restore the existing function without buying new receptacles, you can

(1) make a pair of pigtails with black or red insulated wire and connect to the two hot screws and connect the switched hot to that with a wire nut or

(2) make a loop with the one switched hot wire over to the other screw and strip off a little of the insulation, or

(3) if the receptacle has back wiring secured by a screw (not just push in) you can connect a jumper (insulated black or red) in the back holes


For a 30A breaker, honestly, you're fine at #10 wire.  At that distance you don't need a wire size bump even for 120V loads.

You said the word "cable" which means several individual wires in a sheath. That's not what you want, it's very difficult to pull through a conduit.  Get individual wires, of type THHN (typically dual-labeled THWN-2). They will easily fit in 1" conduit.


Power service to your building includes a 3-phase, 208-volt, wye (or star) distribution system. That provides 208 volts between any two of three phase terminals and 120 volts between any phase terminal and the neutral terminal. Any one condo in the building would be served by two phase conductors and a neutral conductor plus a protective earth (ground) conductor that is connected to neutral at the service entrance. This system is used in some commercial and multi-unit buildings in the US, but it is somewhat uncommon.

If you have loads that rated to operate on 208 V, 60 Hz, it makes sense to install 208-volt receptacles for those loads if it is not too expensive. The equipment should be marked with a voltage range and frequency. If is says something like 200-240V, 50/60 Hz or 47-63 Hz, the equipment is ok for 208V, 60Hz. You can probably not use any existing wiring, because it is likely protected by larger circuit breakers than would be permissible for lower current receptacles and loads. In addition, the existing circuits are intended to serve certain loads. An electrician can tell you what is involved and the cost of the wiring. In addition to that cost, there may be repair of plaster and painting required for any openings made by the electrician. An electrician would not usually do that repair.

Read you condo association documents, wiring may be owned in common, not owned by the unit owner. Your individual ownership may be only the paint on the walls inward. In addition, any wiring must conform to the local electrical code and all receptacles are more than likely required to conform to Underwriters Laboratory (UL) standards. Code may not allow a schuko receptacle.


How can one whole group of outlets stop working, but the wires to one plug on one outlet are still hot?

Ground-fault circuit interruption (GFCI) receptacles, are not wired the same as regular duplex receptacles. In a standard duplex receptacle, both receptacles and all terminals are directly connected together (Unless modified). If one half of the receptacle is powered, then the other half is as well. With a GFCI receptacle there are LINE side terminals and LOAD side terminals, which are separated by an internal switching mechanism.

The wires feeding the circuit are connected to the LINE terminals, which supplies power to the device.  If everything is wired correctly, there are not ground-faults, and the device is not tripped, then electricity is allowed to flow to the receptacles on the device and to the LOAD terminals.  So if everything is functioning as it should, there should be be power at both the LINE and LOAD terminals. However, if the GFCI device is tripped, there will only be power at the LINE terminals.

Resetting the GFCI

If the GFCI has tripped, it can usually be reset simply by pressing the RESET button.  If you press the RESET button and don't feel/hear a click and/or the button doesn't stay in, it means there is a problem and the internal mechanism is not allowing the GFCI to be reset.  You can try pressing the TEST button, then pressing the RESET button again making sure you press the RESET button all the way in.  If the device still will not reset, you'll have to try and determine the reason.

Why won't a GFCI device reset?

There are three reasons a GFCI device will not reset.

Wiring is wrong

If the GFCI device is not wired properly (LINE and LOAD reversed, hot and neutral reversed, etc.), the device will not allow a reset.

There is a ground-fault

Obviously, if there is a ground fault, the device will trip as soon as you try to reset it.

There is a problem with the device

If the device has gone bad, it will (should) not reset.  Some devices will continue to hold, even if there is something wrong internally. However once they trip, they cannot be reset. Other devices will trip as soon as something internal dies, and will not reset.  This is why monthly testing is suggested. If you press the TEST button, and then are unable to reset the device. You'll be made aware of a problem sooner, and can have it repaired (hopefully) before any damage is done.

Rewiring a new device

Before you begin, turn off the power at the fuse/breaker box and make sure it's off.

Locate the supply wire pair

There should be an ungrounded (hot) and grounded (neutral) conductor pair (likely as part of a cable assembly), that supplies power to the circuit.  As it sounds like you've already located these, I won't go into detail as to how to locate them here (there are many other answers on the site that explain this procedure).

Terminate the supply wire pair

Connect the bare/green grounding conductor to the green grounding screw on the receptacle (and to the box if required), and to any other bare/green grounding conductors.
Connect the (white) grounded (neutral) conductor to the silver colored screw terminal labeled LINE on the device.
Connect the (black) ungrounded (hot) conductor to the brass colored screw terminal labeled LINE on the device.

Terminate load side wires

If there are devices downstream that require GFCI protection, you'll have to connect the wires feeding those devices to the LOAD side terminals on the device.

Connect the bare/green grounding conductor to the grounding conductors in the box.
Connect the (white) grounded (neutral) conductor to the silver screw terminal labeled LOAD on the device.
Connect the (black) ungrounded (hot) conductor to the brass screw terminal labeled LOAD on the device.

Set the device

Once all the wires are connected, install the device in the box using the mounting screws. Install the face plate, and turn the power back on.

Press the RESET button.

You should have power to both receptacles, and any downstream devices.

Press the TEST button.

You should no longer have power at the receptacles, or any downstream devices.

Press the RESET button again.

Power should be restored to the receptacles, and downstream devices.


What could have caused the hot and cold water to stop running in one sink, while all others are fine?

OK...I'm embarrassed. I know I said it wasn't the filter, because every three months I take of the filters and clean them with vinegar.

I went ahead and took out the aerator assembly, and there was what looked like very thin plastic stuck in the hole in the center, blocking all water from coming through.

A few years ago I saw similar material in my shower faucet when I was replacing it.

All I can imagine is that some type of coating is flaking off from the PVC pipes (house is 15 years old). Is that possible??

Thanks to all for the responses...gives me some material for future issues as the home ages. :-)


Disconnecting quick connect fitting while hose is pressurized

The osha approved method would probably require depressurizing the hose prior to removing the male from the female disconnect. I do this at full pressure of 150 psi on my system all the time, I do use caution because the air shooting out the male fitting can contain rust or large dust particles. I grasp the male end in 1 hand and the female in the other, pressing in on the male end I slide the lock sleeve on the female and allow the male to start coming out but keep the fitting inside the female until depressurized this diffuses the blast of air and I have never been hit with rust or dust using this method.


Normally, the freezer is where the "cooling" coils are, heat is exchanged with the refrigerator compartment through interconnecting vents (sometimes fans assist with air movement). The vent ports are often adjustable.

Sometimes these vent ports get iced up, this is a very common cause for the description of your problem. Check out this video.


How to tighten a nut in a tank that can not be reached?

Use a deep well socket and two 36" extensions. Tape them together really good otherwise you might have to fish them out with a magnet if they come apart. If the nut is at a right angle then fasten a long handle (piece of pipe works well) to a ratchet wrench.


Wall surface is too smooth after spackle

If the drywall has a substantial amount of texture, you'll find 'texture in a spray can' at your favorite big box store. Probably get the one that says, "orange peel" on the label. Like this: spray texture

If it's just a tiny bit of texture, use a thick nap paint roller and start putting coats on. You'll have some texture in no time.


In your first picture the round disk looking objects on either side of the keyway are screw covers that are driven after the screws are tightened.

A strong sharp object, something like a chisel that you don't mind getting dull would do the trick. The pin that is in the screw head isn't very long so the cover will fall off readily after the cover starts lifting out. After the covers are removed, the screws are removed using a Phillips head screwdriver. The screws under the covers are #1 the screws in the latch are #2.


How to provide power to laptop in unused ceiling access panel?

Besides having chosen possibly the most hostile environment to run a laptop, you have an advantage in using a laptop...it probably has a wall wart transformer and some lower voltage lead that actually goes to the laptop.  Since this is low voltage wiring it is much easier to run and not (usually) restricted by code.

So, the right thing to do, if you insist on the location, is to plug the transformer into some outlet relatively nearby and run the low voltage wiring from there to the laptop.  This may require splicing in additional length, or even getting a replacement connector to terminate on.


How to stop a circular saw from locking?

It is unusual to need to retighten the nut. If one side of the nut is concave, ensure that side is against the blade.


A picture would help, but if I'm understanding correctly, many of those latches come with a metal plate:

Find/make one of those, and then screw it into the floor appropriately. Eg, if it's stone, you'll have to pre-drill a hole with a concrete bit, and install it using concrete screws (eg, tapcons).


Can a PVC sprinkler pipe that is encased in concrete have restricted preasure due to the concrete?

If the pipe was collapsed it could create an issue but normally it will have no effect on the flow pvc pipe is tough enough not to collapse even with several feet of concrete over it.


What could be causing the bizarre whistling sound that is coming from the pipes around the en suite and main bath?

All drains must be vented to the atmosphere, to allow water to exit smoothly..  Vent pipes (on the roof, can act as pitch pipes, as the wind blows across them.

Clogs (or restrictions-soon-to-be clogs) in the drain pipes can cause water to rise into the vent pipe, changing the pitch as the water level varies.

Sometimes a bird can block the pipe with a nest or other critter can bodily block the pipe.

In any case, checking the main vent pipe is a the first order.


How can I connect a T568 cable to a 4p4c jack?

Phone lines only use a single pair.  As long as the same wire goes to the same pin on both ends of the RJ11 connector, it will work. Standard pair colors are black/yellow and red/green.  A single line uses the two middle pins of the RJ11 connector, but two-line phones will use the inner and outer pairs.

T568A/B only applies to Ethernet connections.


Do I really need to replace the anode rod?

Most water heater tanks are steel with a thin glass lining to protect
the metal from corrosion. Since the lining eventually cracks, tanks
have a second line of defense against rust: a long metal “anode rod”
that attracts corrosive elements in the water. When the rod itself
becomes so corroded that it can no longer do its job, the tank soon
rusts out, leaks and needs replacement. However, if you replace your
water heater anode rod before it fails, about every five years, you
can double the life of your water heater.
source

The fact that plumbers don't often do this shouldn't be taken as an indicator that it isn't important. The homeowner may not be aware of the purpose of the rod or the resulting benefit from changing it, so they don't ever call the plumber to do it. Few plumbers are going to maintain service records and call you to suggest you have it done.
The guidelines for replacement are averages and your situation may be different. You can either 1) change it on a fixed schedule and hope that's often enough, or 2) change it when you're under the impression that it's not doing its job.
In short, it's up to you.


Three-way switch circuit between house and barn - how to wire

Big problem: no ground

NEC 2014 gives you broad latitude to share grounds among circuits.   The one thing it does not allow you to do is share grounds among panels.  Circuits served from the main house cannot use the grounding system from the subpanel, or vice versa.

Sharing neutral is out of the question

What has never been allowed is sharing a neutral among different circuits.  This causes a lot of problems.  It breaks GFCIs and AFCIs.   It causes potential overloads, since neutrals do not have overcurrent protection (breakers) and depend on being mated with only one single hot which does have appropriate overcurrent protection.

What's more, neutrals have to be white.   No tagging a colored wire.   So if your three 12AWG wires do not have a white among them, you'd need to pull one - and might as well pull a ground too.

Of course... If the circuit was 240V, none of the wires would be neutral, would they?

Relays?

Given 3 colored wires, no neutral or ground, here's what makes sense to me.  Power both circuits (the 3-way and the simple switched circuit) from the subpanel at the barn.   Use the 3 wires to control the coils of two relays.  I think if you put the relays immediately off the subpanel, e.g. in knockouts on the subpanel itself, you would effectively be inside the steel shielding of the subpanel and dodge the the grounding issue. It's a stretch, but it's all you got short of pulling more wires.

At the house, you bring 120 or 240V to your two switches.  Plain 1-way switches.  You send two switched wires and a common to the barn.  Each relay coil takes 1 switched wire and shares the common.

Then you feed power off a breaker in the barn subpanel, which goes to the relay contact marked common on each relay. The relay to control the simple load is a plain SPST relay (any other kind would also do) and is wired like a plain switch.  The common contact takes always-hot from the barn subpanel, the NO contact is switched-hot for that load.

The other relay is a SPDT type.   Note that this is exactly the same layout as a 3-way switch, and you do the standard 3-way switch layout.  You wire always-hot to the common relay contact.   Each of the NO and NC contacts go to the two messengers, which go to the barn 3-way switch.  The common of the barn 3-way switch goes to the light.   Standard 3-way switch layout, except one switch is a relay.

That's how I would do it with the wires present.


I recently purchased and assembled two of that exact same product (except mine are the dark brown color) and had no problem with the step 5.

If you look closely at the small IKEA tool it has more than 6 lobes in the tool opening so it can engage the hex nut in multiple positions. I also noticed that since the handle of the tool is offset to one side of the wrench end it is possible to remove and flip the tool over on each stroke of securing the legs onto the Listerby end table.

In the end I am very happy with the end tables. I also assembled the companion coffee table as well.


As much as you may want to avoid it, the best way to find the source of the water leak is to open up the ceiling and trace the path back to the source. Water can run a long way across ceilings, joists, roofs, etc. So if the non-destructive investigations didn't reveal anything, it's time to do some investigative demolition. You'll also want to leave it open until you see the leak happen again and then wait until the fix it tested before closing it back up. The only positive in this is that you really should remove and replace the moldy parts of the wall anyway, so this is positive motivation to fix it right.


is it possible to do a 3 way switch if power source is in the second switch?

Yes, it is possible. But you may need to replace the existing switch. The key to making it work is that you need a connection behind the existing switch between two wires.

You need to do this:

The existing switch needs to be a change-over switch, switching active.
The two poles of the existing switch are cabled to the new switch, as well as a single return wire. (That's three wires between the switch plates.)
The new switch is also a change-over switch, switching the return wire between the other two.
Behind the existing switch, you connect the return wire to the light socket's active wire. This is the connection which doesn't connect to the existing switch.

Normally you would use the loop terminal for the last point, but that might already be in use for the neutral connection. In that case, you will need an in-line connector.

http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Projects/Electrical/Switch/how-to-wire-a-threeway-switch/View-All">site</a&gt;">


Depending on where you live abstos abatement can be a DIY project but to answer your question if not disturbed and or encapsulated with paint there is no risk. The risk comes from disturbing it. Things like popcorn ceiling texture many times had asbestos in it. What is the risk to remove asbestos? If done with the proper equipment and decontamination procedures there is not much risk at all. People worked for years in plants without having problems others maybe just a few exposures were enough. Many building materials used to contain asbestos some of the more common ones are pipe insulation not the pink glass more like a cardboard material, flooring many types of square tiles and even rolled flooring. Siding most was like shingles, and popcorn ceilings as mentioned above. I would not be concerned about living in a home that had it but would have materials tested before doing any remodeling. Then find out what your local code is. In my area if double bagged and taken directly to a land fill not a transfer station it is legal to do your own work. Things like respirators, tyvek suits rubber boots &gloves are some items needed to do it safely.


1 It sounds like it was installed according to standard engineering practices.
2 This type of installation is usual and customary practice by today's standards.
3 Sounds like the home inspector is out of his depth.
4 Have the original installed write a letter to the above effect.  That should do it.
1 These type of dampers are fairly tight.  They are gasketed.  You should see very little air movement in the area not calling.


Just wire nut off the red wire and push it into the back of the box. You should remove that switch and safe-up that wire on that end also. You can purchase a snap -in blank to go in you plate.


The frame is not supporting the weight of the water, but is used to provide a form for the canvas/vinyl that contains the water. Standard galvanized piping threaded into pipe fitting would be quite strong.  You could use fittings like you linked to or standard threaded pipe fitting.  You would need to add more vertical side braces on the sides and ends than in the Zen Design to support the vinyl water bed.  Their design is made with waterproof canvas.
To provide better support for the sides of your water “pond” or bed, I would line the ends and sides of the pipe frame with plywood.  This would provide better side support for your vinyl bed. A sheet of plywood on the bottom would also provide protection to your bottom of your float tank.
With the use of pipe fitting, no "soldering" would be involved.  You would have to use some pipe “union” fitting to complete some of the joints if using standard pipe connectors.  With the connector you linked to, No unions would be required, as those are slip joints, held by set-screws.
Edited to add Additional Notes: Notice that you stated "tubing", and I was thinking about galvanized pipes.  Galvanized conduit used for electrical work could also be used.  The fitting for electrical conduit uses set screws which are similar to the type the Zen used in their assembly and the ones you linked to.  This would be adequate for a float tank with 10” of water.  You would NOT use this type of frame assembly to make a deep spa or a deeper float tank.  Ten inches of water would most likely be your maximum depth.


Do hardwood floors need to get glued to subfloor?

The best answer is one that will apply to your situation no matter what your region: Follow the manufacturer's installation instructions for that specific floor.  Should you have an installation related issue which side of right would you want to be?  The variables are your subfloor (wood or concrete), the wood flooring ((engineered or solid), and the regional characteristic circumstances associated with installation on, above, or below grade aka ground level.


Extending copper water pipe to fridge/icemaker and leaving options open

If you don't want to solder any fittings then use compression or push-on (Shark-Bite or similar).
Don't fret over issues like "if I go with plan A there are 6 pipe-to-fitting connections that could fail, but if I go with plan B then there are 7 of them but it accommodates future changes.." Plumbing has joints. Don't use two dozen fittings where 8 could do the job, but don't get all tangled up in optimizing a small job like this one for fittings cost or joints count or whatever.
You can add a tee now and leave a capped stub of pipe for future use, or you can just put that stop valve on the end of this thing and be done with it. Since this plumbing is all exposed, when (if) in the future you want to add a hose bibb or something you can splice in a tee at that time just as easily as you could do it today. Easier, in fact, because at that time you'll know exactly where you want the hose bibb to go whereas today you're agonizing over the possibilities of where it might eventually go.


OSB vs plywood for window padding/shimming

You are correct about the swelling. If it is just padding and will not get wet, it will do just fine.


Trenching and running power to detached garage about 135 feet away

You need THWN

Since underground conduit is assumed to be full of water, you need wet-location wire, such as THWN.  Fortunately, garden-variety building wire you get for conduit jobs is dual-rated THHN/THWN 99.9% of the time, so finding THWN is just as easy as finding THHN.

Also, use a bare copper ground wire -- you'll need to use 6AWG for this if you use the 6AWG copper or 4AWG aluminum hot wires because of 250.122(B) which requires the ground to be upsized when upsizing wires to control for voltage drop, but you'll still be able to save on conduit fill area that way.  The phase and neutral wires can be copper or aluminum as they're running from breaker lug to breaker lug most likely anyway, and breaker lugs have no trouble with aluminum wire provided they're torqued correctly.

Put in the fattest conduit you can get

This is a job for the fattest schedule 80 PVC you can lay your hands on -- it'll make future upgrades easier, and also make your pulling job easier especially since you have 135' and two 90deg sweeps to contend with.  Also, make sure to get Schedule 80 -- it's more resistant to accidents than Schedule 40 is, which is important for the terminations.

You'll need a disconnect at the garage (and perhaps a ground rod too)

You'll need some sort of disconnecting means at the garage.  A spa disconnect that's been retrofitted for straight-up 120V use works, or you can even use a 20A light switch, but the best plan is to put a decent sized main breaker subpanel in a NEMA 3R enclosure in there (a 20 slot, 100 or 125A unit with a backfed 20A main breaker would be my bare minimum), making sure the bonding screw gets pulled (unless you go with Harper's transformer plan) and the neutral and ground feeder wires are landed to the correct busses in the subpanel.  This does mean you'll need to run some more of that bare 6AWG copper from the subpanel grounding bus to a driven ground rod as the exception to 250.32(A) no longer applies, but that's cheap (and good) insurance even on an underground run (I'd consider it mandatory for an overhead run).

Last but not least: TORQUE MATTERS.

One thing you'll want to make sure of with this job is that your connections are torqued to manufacturer specifications.  "Gudntite" can easily be too tight, leading to connection failures down the road with setscrew lugs, especially with aluminum wire as it's softer and easier to damage than the stiffer copper stuff.  Also, this is a requirement as of the 2017 NEC, see 110.14(D) for details.

In practice, this means you'll need an inch-pound torque screwdriver for torquing down the connections properly -- make sure it can go down to 10 in-lbs for receptacles and switches, and up to 50 in-lbs for torquing down the breaker and lug setscrews.  Better that than the electrical version of being Greg Biffle trying to lose lugnuts mid-race, don't you think?


Can you use a hopper gun to spray finishing plaster?

No. A couple weeks ago when i was drywall mudding my room I thought of the idea, and i decided to try and find out immediately rather than ask the internet and wait. I don't recommend trying.

First there were immediate delivery problems, hand tools suddenly starts looking alot more practical. The plaster is far too thick & heavy for the gun to shoot. When it does shoot some, its random spurts of gobs and most of it didn't make it from the gun to the wall. I may have fared better if i had a conventional spray gun (high pressure low volume), i had a common low pressure high volume gun.

Second problem was nearly as immediate, and could make you cry. Paint guns are designed to use paint, that if you leave in the gun it doesn't dry and clog the gun in 20-30 minutes. Paint also has solvents that clear the gun for you if it did dry in the gun. Plaster sets in about 30, and there really isn't a solvent to make dried set plaster go away. So basically you have to mix, spray and clean it all out of the gun in 30 minutes, or you won't have a functional paint gun anymore. It didn't make me cry because I had a feeling my gun will break and i had one of those so-inexpensive-its-nearly-disposable harbor freight paint guns.

If you use a slower setting joint compound it wouldn't ruin the gun, but it won't spray on the wall like paint either.

IF you have a conventional high pressure, low volume paint gun though, maybe lots of pressure is all you need to make it work. Slower setting compound will give you ample time to clean it all out before it sets/dries.


Should I add insulation to basement ceiling?

The answer to this question will help: How should I insulate my basement?

Short answer: You don't need to insulate the ceiling, but you can optionally do it if you want some sound blocking.


I would just replace the trim. If you were good with an oscillating saw or sharp wood chisel you could cut the molding just above the damaged area at an angle. Remove everything from there down.

When you take out the lower piece try to keep a piece that is undamaged so you can take it with you when you go searching for replacement trim. Hard to tell from the picture just how standard that trim profile is and when you go to the store it will be very handy to have a reference.

Cut and fit the new trim to fit the angle and length to the bottom and then nail in place with small finishing nails. A small amount of spackle can be used to blend the joint if it is not a perfect fit.


Best way to fit a clothes washer under a counter

I had the exact same problem and rather than removing the wood from under the counter, I totally removed the feet from the bottom of the washer and that gave me an extra 5/8". I put some thin furniture felt pads on the corners of the washer and it slid right into the space.
If that doesn't float your boat, the Dremel with a routing bit will be accurate but will take a lot of time whereas a belt sander will knock off the job fast.


Transitioning between conduit sizes and types using a threaded bushing

I'd get a weatherproof box with 1" hubs on it
Amazingly enough, weatherproof boxes with 1" hubs are a thing, although you may have to order one in through your nearest supply house (or online) instead of just stopping by the nearest big-box store. I would use one of those instead of trying to field-fabricate a swedged reducer down to 3/4", since you can use reducer bushings in the larger hubs much more easily than you can expand a smaller hub out to fit a larger conduit.


Can I use a 30 amp disconnect for a 20 amp circuit?

For the disconnecting means at the equipment, yes

A 30A "air conditioner disconnect" box will work for this job, since it a sufficient current rating for the circuit and switches all ungrounded conductors.  (One theoretically could use a 20A two-pole/DPST lightswitch for this, even, but that's likely to be more expensive than a 30A A/C disconnect box.)


Shouldn't a kitchen 'fridge be on it's own circuit?

In the US, under the NEC, a residential kitchen fridge is not required to be on a dedicated circuit. It is certainly a good idea and best practice, but not a requirement. A fridge can be on one of the minimum two required "small appliance branch circuits".

A 15A duplex receptacle is rated for 20A feed-thru. What you are reading about "15A only" is regarding the push-in wire connections in the back of the receptacle. They are limited to #14 solid wire and a 15A circuit. Check out the wording in the image in this related answer: Can a 20 amp circuit have a 14 gauge pigtail directly to one receptacle?

A "well-regarded" builder would never put a fridge on with the counter receptacles. Not unless this is a code-minimum tract home.

As for kitchen receptacles being shared with receptacles in a laundry area, this has not been allowed by code for many years. Well before 2000.


Much obliged to those who gave answers and comments. They were all very useful.

I ended up getting the manlift to work just fine by recharging its battery (there was only 1, it turns out) as if it were a car battery. It ended up working just fine.

Thanks again for all your suggestions.


Convert a Hunter Fan (with light) from a wireless remote control to two wall switches

In the beginning wireless ceiling fan controls were simple things consisting of little more than a box of relays (or triacs, or whatever other kind of electrically controlled switch). They were grafted onto an ordinary non-remote-controlled unit either at the factory or as an aftermarket kit. It was easy to add or remove the remote control option.
Now it's more common that the fan is originally designed and built with the wireless unit. It's also more difficult to separate the two because the circuitry that makes the motor work has been migrated into the wireless control unit.
Supposing that the motor itself is still a plain AC motor like they always were it may be possible to achieve your goal. You'll have to figure out which of the motor leads are the correct leads to energize, and it's possible you'll need to add a capacitor to help the motor get started or for speed control. If you measure resistance between pairs of wires on the motor you can figure out which ones have an electrical path between them. You can try blindly energizing them and see what happens..
From here we get into motor control and control design, or into circuit analysis to figure out just enough of what's in that wireless controller for you to either replicate or modify/reuse. That's probably more into the electrical engineering stack than this DIY stack.


Grounding my 4 gang metal electrical box

I am not sure but I believe that would be CEC compliant.

Another way to go, a lot of people use crimp sleeves in crowded switch boxes to save a little space.

For this box you might do it like this:

Wrap the receptacle cable's ground wire around a screw
Fold all the ground wires to a point in the opposite corner
Twist all the ground wires together and secure with a crimp ring
Terminate ground wires on switches / receptacle grounds

The picture below is not quite what you're doing since it's a plastic box, but it gives the general idea.  It's from this article at Fine Homebuilding.

Although this might be more ground wire in the box, it will probably fold up better - sometimes ironically with wires too short, it's actually harder to get things folded up nice and compact.


After more than a month and service visits from multiple technicians from multiple companies, I finally got a technician who solved my problem. He listened to me describe what was happening and said "That's the thermostat. Let me see if I've got an extra one on the truck." 10 minutes later he drove off without charging me and the furnace has worked fine ever since. I feel like an idiot for not just installing a new thermostat in the first place, but at least I don't have to get up three times a night.