Do you need to service air conditioning units?

Annual maintenance is recommended by the manufacturers, and installers of the systems. The majority of the maintenance time, will be spent on cleaning the unit.  Keeping the unit clean will help keep it running more efficiently, and can increase the life of the unit.

The technician will inspect the unit to insure it's still in good condition, and will look for parts that may be near the end of their life.  Replacing parts before they fail, can save you the headache of replacing them when they fail (which will surely be on the hottest day of the year). Replacing part before they fail, can also help prevent damage to other parts of the unit.

Depending on which company does the service, they may actually measure the amount of cooling the system is providing. They may also check for refrigerant leaks in the system, but likely only if the refrigerant level is low. If you have any questions or concerns, they'll likely address those at this time.

While these units can run trouble free for many years without maintenance. Keeping them clean and in good repair, can save you money and reduce the chances of a failure. Of course you can do some of the work yourself, but often it's easier to pay somebody else to do it.


What would cause a chainsaw to only start when trigger is pulled?

Some saw manufacturers, when starting is difficult, specifically direct the user to lock the throttle "On" to start, then depress the throttle immediately, to bring it to idle. If you do mess with the idle screw, make sure that you do not increase the idle speed such that the clutch drives the chain to move when idling.

You might try "flashing" the choke a couple times while the saw is running (choke the engine for a brief moment) as this helps clear air from the fuel system (The choke restricts airflow, creating a higher vacuum pressure that pulls air out of the fuel system.)

If you have messed with the carburetor, make sure you follow the user manual. Most have 3 adjustments: Low Speed fuel/air mixture, High Speed fuel/air mixture, and Idle Speed.


You don't have a trap seal, to prevent air from moving through the drain.

Only the dishwasher is draining through the trap, so there's no trap to prevent air from coming up the drain. you'll have to fix the plumbing, so that both the sink and dishwasher use the trap.

Instead, the plumbing should look more like this...

Use a tailpiece like this, off the bottom of the sink.

This allows you to connect the dishwasher to the drain. You can trim the end of the tailpiece, so that it fits into the space you have.

Connect one side of the trap to the end of the new tailpiece, and the other end to the drain pipe.

You'll also have to add a vent to the system. Depending on where you live, air admittance valves (AAV) can be used.

After looking more at the plumbing, you might not need additional fittings (other than for venting).

Remove the sanitary tee connection from the drain.
Connect the dishwasher outlet to the sanitary tee, where it used to connect to the drain.
Connect the end of the trap (where the dishwasher used to connect), to the drain.

Basically, just swap these connections.


How do I apply latex paint over oil based paint?

There are two critical steps in prepping kitchen walls.

Clean and degloss

Cleaning is critical:  TSP or TSP substitute.

Deglossing: either light sanding (120 grit) or a chemical deglosser

Once a surface is deglossed, it should be primed, especially if going from one paint type to another.

A deglossed oil undercoat can be primed with a latex primer.  Either oil or latex can then be used as a topcoat.

A deglossed oil undercoat can be primed with a oil primer.  Either oil or latex can then be used as a topcoat.

It is better to stick within families of paint types, if you can, but going back and forth between types is possible with primers.

At this stage in coating, I'd let everything dry for a week, then sand lightly.  If the previous layers are adhering, then proceed with latex primer, latex topcoat.

If,, however, they are sloughing or chipping or you can easily pull a layer off if you leave painters tape on overnight (and then pull it off), then you must sand down to the last well adhered layer and then repaint.  Good luck.


Shower in another room leaks when bath is running

It may be due to a so-called 'power-shower': a little pump next to your loft tank that boosts the hot water pressure or just a well or thank pump that boosts pressure while water is in use.

If so, just check the gaskets in the leaking (hot-water) tap: maybe those are worn and cannot withstand the increased pressure or, if you have single-command handle, replace the inner cartridge.


How do I replace an Australian light switch?

Yes; just wire it up as it is now. The terminals should be labeled the same.

Note that US/Canada and the rest of the world have different definitions for 2/3 way - in Aus, 'two way' means a light that is controlled by two switches, while in the US, that would be called 'three way', because each switch has three connections.


If I blow insulation everywhere in my attic except the door trap, will heat escape through it?

You don't put blow in above the door.   Use batts or cut several layers poly board insulation to mimic slightly less than your attic cover.   4-5 layers will give you good coverage.

This will not provide a perfect barrier but is the recommended way of handling attic openings.bb


Tempstar (ICP) furnace short cycle (runs 10 -15 minutes) then repeats

Thanks guys, I had a pro check it out. The furnace is working fine. He found too much air restriction on the return side, and corrected it.  There was too much of a temperature difference between the cold return and the hot side. The heat exchanger was fine.


Remove the blade by removing the nut that attaches it to the mower.
If there is any rust on the blade, remove it with steel wool or a steel brush.
Clamp the blade in a vice, or to the edge of a solid work surface.
Run a file down the cutting edge, following the same angle already on the blade.
If the blade is badly damaged, you will have to use a bench grinder or have it professionally sharpened.

Run the blade perpendicular to the grinding wheel to remove any nicks or gouges (this will give you a straight blunt edge).
Hold the blade at the proper angle (the angle already on the blade) and grind the length of the blade until it is sharp.

Balance the blade (from the center point) on a nail or on a Blade Balancer (~$5) to check that the blade is balanced.

If the blade is not balanced, you will have to remove a bit of the material from the heavier side (Do not remove this material from the cutting edge).

Now that your blade is sharpened and balanced, reattach it to the mower.

Sharpening the blade more frequently will make the task quicker and easier, since you won't have to grind as much to get a good edge.

If you do sharpen the blade using a power grinder heat from the process can weaken the blade, so you'll want to quench the blade to prevent overheating. dip the blade in water frequently during the sharpening process to cool it, and wipe it dry before you continue grinding.


Drywall stain bleeding thru after 5 coats of paint

Fortunately there are not many things that are soluble in both oil and water.

If it's a water stain use an oil based undercoat, or a shellac based sealer.

If it's an oil, grease, or wax, stain use a water based undercoat.

Use two coats of undercoat to get a good seal.


Need to determine the correct start capacitor for hvac unit

You have a single start cap there not a dual (from the wires I can see)  The resistor is a safety bleed down for the cap.  I would ASSUME that the blower motor uses a run cap and if you look on the upper right of the label on the blower motor it does give a run cap value of 5.5mfd.  Bleed resistors are not normal on run caps.  You may be able to find the value of the needed start cap by looking at the compressor nameplate.  You can use any cap of the correct capacitance and voltage and if it lacks a bleed resistor and the bleed resistor is still good on that cap in the picture you can move it to the new cap.  I'm sorry to tell you but none of your pictures have legible writing when blown up enough to read.


Use a simple cinch loop:

Connect to the first eye and tie a small loop about 2/3 the way across the span.
Run the tail through the second eye and back through the loop.
Pull the tail toward the second eye to create the desired tension and pinch the tail to maintain position.
Tie off the tail at the loop.

Source

The key here is the pulley effect, which compounds the user's strength, and the friction of the assembly, which helps hold position while tying.


Try playing with the pressure switch on the inducer blower.

Test all sensors for continuity.

Verify the gas assembly control valve is still functional.


Identification of unique DIY floating shelf bracket

They're called "custom-made brackets, specifically for this product". Otherwise known as "bespoke".

You should be able to buy one of these from the company, dismantle it, and send a specimen to a metal fabrication shop, who will make as many as you please for you. Of course, by doing so you'd be violating their patents or design rights.  If you can find a "maker space", they also have the light metalworking tools needed to replicate such things, and you can rent time on their machines, often by a monthly fee a-la a gym membership.

You would be better off designing this differently anyway. Not least, since it's holding books, it ought to go into studs or bricks, not hang on drywall (which is basically chalk and paper). As such, the supports will need to be physically on top of the studs, which means you need to be able to move them back and forth.

You could use plain old L-brackets for the top anchor, with the L angle folded down against the wall so the books hide it.  For the bottom anchor, you don't actually need an anchor; simply screw into the bottom rail a bumper of the right length, and let that hold it at the right distance from the wall.  You could also use L-brackets as in above.


Is this 15 amp w/2usb outlet on a 20 amp circuit against code? Does it present a fire hazard?

I believe it does, based on the 2011 NEC (which I believe applies to you?)

Definitions used are available here

A strict interpretation of "receptacle" and "attachment plug" would make that a multiple receptacle.

There are 20 amp versions of that available; here for example


Repair the overflow drain under a Corian sink where the tube and box has come unglued

I ended up using a utility knife to cut off the old glue then I washed the part.   I also cleaned the underside of the sink and sanded old glue off.  It turned out pretty well:

I used clear silicone (applied with a caulking gun) as the adhesive:

Because the silicone doesn't adhere very strongly, I followed the advice to find a way to put pressure on it.   I cut a wedge that can go between the overflow and the cabinet:

This overflow drain is in the front of my sink, although I have another similar sink where the overflow is in the back.   In this case because the overflow is in the front, I figured out how to remove the front panel of the cabinet to make access easier.   Here it is installed with the silicone and the wedge:

I used a screw from the outside of the cabinet to hold the wedge in place.   The front of the cabinet ends up covering up the screw, so it isn't even visible once everything is back together.

I then added some more silicone around the outside, connected the tube, and put the front of the cabinet back.

So far it is working for minor overflow problems.   I can splash water down there.

I tried filling up the sink up above the overflow and it isn't perfect in that case.     The overflow drain doesn't take water as fast as the faucet can put it in the sink, so eventually the sink will overflow.    I didn't glue the top of the overflow because it looks like it isn't meant to be glued there.  Because the water level can get high, that means that water eventually comes out the top of the overflow into the inside of the cabinet.

I think I have repaired this the best that I can, but it appears to be a very poorly designed overflow system.


when there isn't a ground wire , is it ok to ground to the neutral on a outlet?

No.

The usual solution is to replace that outlet with a GFCI outlet, attaching the included label to indicate that it is ungrounded. This provides equivalent protection, perhaps better.

In older buildings where the wires run in metal conduit, the metal outlet box is grounded through the conduit. The prong outlets are designed so they can ground to this through their mounting tabs, though some of us prefer an actual wire between the ground terminal and the box. This is traditional and it should work as long as all the conduit and box connections are secure.

Or install a GFCI and make sure it is properly grounded. Belt and suspenders.

But do not connect ground and neutral at any point except the main breaker box, and do not try to use neutral as a ground.


Hot water heater T&P discharge going into furnace condensate pump?

If the T&P relief valve opens for most reason it is designed for, (over pressure or over temperature) the  water flow can be a slow trickle or could be a fast and sometimes violent event. If it is a slow trickle, the pump will handle the water but if it a quick discharge there is going to be a lot of water flow. As far as the valve on the hot water side of the heater, I have no idea how that will alleviate any of your problems, unless i do not understand it's function. Without a drain in the basement, I would not store anything in that area that could be harmed by water. If the water heater's T&P valve is flowing a small amount of water you need to find out why this is happening. If it leaks all the time you may need a PRV to limit the water pressure in the house or the T&P valve may be worn out and need to be replaced, and if happens only when you use hot water and the water is being reheated , you may need to have an  expansion tank installed to accept the expanded water as it is being reheated.


Which material to use for filling those gaps?

You can use Great Stuff to fill the gap. It's easy and quick. It might not be the best solution, but it is very cheap. After you use it, then you could joint compute or vinyl spackling to smooth out the joint.


On wall near floor or ceiling for supply ducts in basement

Ceiling.  Basements get water on the floor.  You do not want your air quality messed with based on a leak or flood.

Also note that if you have a properly insulated basement that its temperature should stay relatively calm compared to the rest of your house so the heating and cooling needs are not as impactful as they are on floors above ground.  Meaning if your basement is done right you should need very little AC in the summer and very little heat in the winter to keep it comfortable.  (I have three vents in my basement and they are always shut.  In the winter if I open them it is literally hot as hell.  In the summer they only are needed after we air things out.)


Sub Pabel Install, NEC 250.24 question, Mixed ground/neutral at main

OK the NEC and AHJ have always allowed the grounding conductors (Ground) and the grounded conductor (Neutral) to be connected to the neutral bus bar in the main panelboard or loadcenter. You are correct the busses are interlocked and bonded. The only reason some electricians put the ground on one side and the neutral on the other is because of the "workmanlike manner" clause. I have never seen where mixing them has ever caused any problems.

Now, your sub panel is not covered under this rule due to the single point of ground rule. You need to install a grounding bus and an isolated neutral bus. Each bus must be connected from the service panel with a corresponding conductor and you do not bond the sub panel neutral. This is true with any other device, equipment or sub panel installed downstream of the service panel.


How can I alter a chimney to make the smoke rise higher?

Raising the flue may help a bit by increasing the draft. The direction of the smoke once it exits the chimney is totally dependent on the weather, winds and atmospheric pressure. You will notice that the smoke will go up when the atmospheric pressure is low, and will linger or drop in high pressure.

Raising the flue temp would require they open the damper and burn the wood more rigorously. This is often counter productive and sucks more heat out of the house than it puts in.  Also in the case you site, a single wall metal flue could become extremely hot, especially close to the firebox. The smoke will exit the flue more vigorously, but not necessarily raise far enough before it cools to cure the problem.

Here in Maine where many folks heat with wood, the exhaust smoke is becoming an issue in more densely populated areas. There have been many stories on the news, and experts talking about new wood burning technology, but no one has found a way to reduce smoke pollution from older units, airtite stoves or folks that burn damp, or not fully dried wood.


Should I insulate an attic that's over an open porch?

Is the porch heated?  If not, then don't bother.

The purpose of insulation is not to keep the attic warm, but to keep the house warm (or cool).  You actually want the attic to stay relatively close to the outside temperature to prevent ice problems in the winter or overheating in the summer.


I would say it is not safe to replace the fuse with a higher amp fuse. If the fuse is 15 amps, that means the wiring can handle 15 amps. If you allow too much current over too little wire, things get hot, fast. You definitely don't want an electrical fire. So let's troubleshoot the problem instead...

If you're running a lot of those strings and there's other stuff on the circuit (e.g. a fridge or air conditioner) you might be overdrawing and tripping the fuse.

What else goes out when the lights go out?
How many strings of lights are you linking?
How many amps is the fuse that keeps blowing?


The motor itself is usually assembled on to the shaft and housing using pressed on bearings. You won't be able to separate them without destroying the motor. Since the motor is intended to never be serviced, there's no reason to allow for them to be disassembled; doing so would only add more parts to potentially fail or loosen.


If you got 120 volts of current on each leg of a 50amp breaker but only 25v on each wire going into the stove outlet ,what could be the problem?

You do not note where in the world you are, so this is tricky to answer well.  In the US each screw terminal on the 50amp two pole 240V breaker should measure 120V to ground or neutral, and 240V terminal to terminal.  At the range itself there should be an outlet with four openings.  The two small rectangular pins opposite each other should be about 240V as the meter is showing in the below image, and the rest of the pins should be about 120V relative to each other.  If the voltage is off by more than a few percent on any of the measurements, there is probably a break in the wire of one or more pins.  With a voltmeter it is possible to read voltage that has leaked from other sources, so low numbers should generally consider to be open circuits.

You may have to trace the wire through the house and figure out what has been done. Often you'll find that some previous owner rerouted it for a new electric dryer or hot tub (if there was a gas stove there and the range plug was unneeded at the time).  For your own safety I recommend contacting with a locally licensed electrician for repairs.


How can I prevent my dining table from tilting?

If the base is hollow and open at the bottom, I would try making it slide around something heavy.  Make a concrete block or something that will fit fairly tightly inside the base.  Make it a bit shorter than the base to ensure the table goes all the way to the floor.

Then when you setup the table you sit the block on the floor, lift up the table and slide it down on the block.

If it fits nice and snuggly, pushing on the table will try to tip the block as well.

To me this sounds better than filling the base because eventually, someone is going to have to move that table.  It is going to be much easier to carry up a flight of stairs if you have 2 pieces - a large but relatively light table, and a heavy but small concrete block.  You might even make some handholds in the block to make it easier.


Floor Makes Metal Clang When Walked On - One Room

This was due to was old HVAC duct-work that was strapped to the floor joists and rattling. Had a contractor crawl under there are cut it all down + haul off and problem has been gone ever since!


Why would an air conditioning unit specify a maximum breaker size?

The unit won't be protected properly by a larger breaker
While hermetic compressors and fan motors are protected against overload by internal means, or by their drive electronics if you have an inverter-based system, the wiring of the unit still needs to be protected in case it shorts out internally.  As a result of this and the fact that air conditioners universally are complex, multimotor loads, UL has taken pity on installers and inspectors and requires the manufacturer to do the breaker sizing math for us.  (Otherwise, you'd have to dig into Articles 430 and 440 of the NEC and size the breaker yourself, which is a bit fiddly for a multimotor load.)
So, simply use the 15A breaker the manufacturer calls for and call it a day, although I doubt you need 8AWG wire for a unit that draws less than 10A at 240VAC.  In fact, for that run, 14AWG is perfectly fine.  (The chart you found is probably for low-voltage DC circuits, where voltage drop is a far greater limiting factor than at 240V.)  However, there is some merit to future-proofing an air conditioner circuit, and to that end, I'd run ½" ENT as that'll get you up to 50A with THHN wire and the assumption that your panel supports 75°C terminations, then pull the 3 14AWG wires needed through it.


Can I use a threaded rod for a rafter tie?

Corrosion would be one concern.  Another would be carefully and slowly tightening the turnbuckles in a sufficient and even manner.  Your rod could well deform the wall/roof if adjustments are done too quickly.  Small adjustments over months.  Perhaps a laser and mirror could give clues.

I used SS cable with stainless fittings for my leaning garage and used 2 levels to put a leaning wall straight.

Many issues regarding fixing leaning, sagging buildings are here


This is an interesting question, and like many of these questions a simple yes or no isn't going cut it.

First, a PE license grants you the right to practice the design and approval of systems, but does not grant you the right to preform certain work. As @Haprer has pointed out the PE must apply for a EPA license and probably a contractors license. So you would have to have more than one license. In my state it does allow a different path to a license. For example, in my state the licensing jurisdiction allows people with a degree in electrical engineering to apply for a master electrical license and foregoes the four year apprenticeship and training. Even then it does not allow you to perform your own work without a contractors license.

Second, would be why would they do it. If you are a practicing PE you are probably trying to move to a career different than that of a contractor. Then there is the matter of liability. As a practicing engineer you or someone has to pay for your professional liability insurance and as a contractor you would have to pay for a different type of liability insurance. Plus the other cost of licenses and professional requirements. It would be like a person becoming a licensed medical doctor and then getting a job as a paramedic. It really doesn't make sense, most would really like to see their careers go the other way.

Third, as far a purchasing, a wholesaler has an entirely different set of rules about who they sell to. They are in the business to sell large amounts of specific equipment and material to a select group of people, and they are usually regulated by the state to only sell to particular parties that are licensed and approved to used certain products. All this requires that purchasers are usually licensed and are approved before purchasing. It's usually on a credit line and invoiced for payment every thirty days, because it is not a cash and carry retail outlet. So there is approval of licenses, credit application and other legal documentation before being granted an account.

So in answer to your questions I give you the ambiguous "it depends", unlikely but not impossible.

Hope this helps


Are electrical subpanels safe in the bedroom?

It should be safe as long as you maintain the required minimum distances to flammable materials and don't obstruct access to the panel. That means you can't cover the panel or have it near any wall hangings, curtains, bedding, etc.

You also must keep access to it, which means it shouldn't be behind furniture or inaccessible for some other reason.

As for moving it, that would be a lot of work. It would require rewiring all the circuits that go to that panel, and also rerunning the cable that runs from the subpanel back to your main service panel.


I want to permanently remove and fill-in below grade windows in multi-family building. What's the risk?

Depending on the size, weight would be my only structural concern.  A large window well filled only with concrete is going to weigh a ton.  That could potentially put unwanted pressure on the foundation.

The windows should be blocked/bricked in, add some below grade sealer/barrier (whatever the foundation of the building is made of), the hole filled with dirt and the top paved over to be part of the driveway.

All that said you should also call a building inspector BEFORE you start work to ensure that blocking in those windows isn't violating code...I doubt it will be a problem...but yeah, ask first in this case.


proper way to run conduit on top of siding

Reading your question and comments I am assuming you are trying to install a service drop to a meter. In that case you would want it to be as short as possible and use GRC. I am not sure if you can read the image or not but if you use 2" GRC you can use that as an unsupported riser for the drop any other conduit you may wind up installing a support bracket. That's what I am trying to show you in the image below.

Remember I said it should be as short as possible. Generally what we try and do is get down to the meter and in this case install a 200A enclosed breaker. Then from there you can run to a main lug only panel and from there you can use any allowable conduit EMT, PVC, etc. Because it is exposed to sunlight over 10' on the exterior you need to factor in derating per NEC Article 310.15 (B)(3)(c). Also Article 310.15 (B)(3)(a) exception will allow you to use Type XHHW-2 insulation on you conductors and you do not have to derate.

Finally in your comment you mentioned an AEP engineer disallowed a run over the garage. Are you sure you have to move the meter? In the state I am in we are allowed to raise the service drop to meet overhead clearances.

These images are from the Oncor book which is our utility company in this state. I don't know which utility you are using or where you are but I am pretty sure they have something similar to this. If it were me I would make sure that the engineer would just allow you to readjust the drop to meet the modern clearances before I would start the project you are proposing.


Have kwikset deadbolt with interior knob with setscrew is not coming off after setscrew has been removed why?

Deadbolt: I’m assuming what you call the “set screw” refers to the two long mounting screws on the inside side of the door lock, by the thumb turn assembly.

You should be able to remove those two long screws and the thumb turn plate should come right off. The lock cylinder assembly on the front of the door should then be removable. Finally, when the front and rear are removed, the deadbolt mechanism can be removed from the side of the door.

If the rear or front don’t easily come off, often it’s because they were painted over or applied when the door paint was fresh. A very gentle rap with a non-marring hammer should knock them off. I often just use a block of wood to soften the blow and rap gently.

You can also try to cut the seal or pry them off with a razor but it’s easy to mar the surface of the door.

Knob or handle: if you’re instead referring to a locking doorknob, you again remove the two mounting screws (they’re not easily visible in the schematic below but they’re roughly in the same place and roughly the same length as the deadbolt above) and the handle assembly should pull right off.

There’s no need to try to remove the handle from its base.

Again if it feels stuck, it may be glued on because it was painted over or applied in wet paint. A gentle tap with a non-marring hammer or block of wood should take it off.

Note: both sets of schematics from Kwikset’s website. Fair use claimed.


How do I cut grooves in self-leveling concrete to incorporate an existing drain?

24 sq ft would be an area approximately 4x6?  Adding two inches of depth... I think what I would try in this case would be to get several 1/2" dowel rods and cut them to lengths that would allow me to align them in a radial pattern out from the drain, something like this:

Around the drain, I would prop them 1.5" up in the air, and at the periphery I'd prop them 2" up in the air, that way when I poured, I'd end up with 1/2" deep semi-circular troughs that ran downhill towards the drain.  Pour concrete, let it set up and remove the dowels.

DEFINITELY add a new drain cap on top of the old one as a 3" diameter 2" deep hole in the floor is a serious trip hazard.


It depends. (Notice how many of our answers begin like that?)

A deck is a structure, usually attached to a building, that supports people and furniture in a somewhat open area.  As some comments point out, because deck flooring is exposed to weather, there are generally drainage gaps in the floor.

A porch is generally a deck-like space with a roof, attached to a building. As also stated, porches often have tight floors since little water/snow lands on them to need drainage.

But there are numerous variations on porches, and these have a significant bearing on their construction.

Weight - The foundation of the porch structure needs to be able to support the roof and a possible snow load (depending on your location) and wind shear force (again depending on your location).

Drainage - Unless the porch is fully enclosed with walls and windows (at which point it is approaching an unheated room), you need some drainage to allow rain or snow that comes in form the sides to exit.  This has a bearing on how you structure the edges of the roof and the edges of the deck. You may need gutters, weep holes or other moisture diverters.

Sides - These may be fully open, railed, screened, partially walled or even windowed-in. All of these factors have bearing on the construction details, the weight bearing system and the drainage.

Lighting - You need to consider whether you need additional lighting if a roof is added. Decks generally have only peripheral lighting, but porches often have ceiling lighting as well.

Ventilation - A porch may need additional circulation and fans are often used, not usually found on decks.

Codes - There may be different permits and regulations depending on whether the structure is considered a deck or porch. You need to check with your local building authority.


Can I use marine plywood as a deck surface?

Marine plywood is not that different from CDX plywood they use the same glue and pre press process and hot press cure process.

The main difference is in the veneer used , tight knots , with the core plugged so there are no voids compared to cdx.
 Even marine plywood needs to be protected from water so you will be adding a paint or other material on top , drilling holes for drainage creates places for water entry Into the core. It may sound like a good idea I would just about guarantee it won’t last as long as a dimensional lumber surface with a simple stain. Have you priced 5 quarter marine ply? I don’t think you would want a deck made out of anything thinner than 5/4 and that may be pushing it. If it freezes in your location don’t use it, the water will penetrate the wood and when it freezes it will come apart.

Again the difference is in the quality of the veneer and by the time you go thick enough and seal it you would do better with a wood or composite product.


Got Red Tag warning from gas company for hot water tank (Canada)

What size is the vent pipe. Most water heaters use a 3" or 4" flue pipe. If it is larger, and it does look larger than that in the pictures, you could resize it to the correct smaller size, which would yield a little more clearance. Also ask the gas company's inspector if you can replace that single wall pipe with double wall "B" vent of a smaller size (correct size) and also nail  a sheet of 5/8" fire-shield drywall to the butchered wood. Another thought, if the other flue pipe is the one to the left in the top picture, you could cut that pipe, install a pipe flue tee of the correct size and eliminate the flue pipe that is in question. You may need to hire a professional sheet metal person or HVAC company to perform this change since The pipe after the connection point would have to increased slightly.


Will a non functional blower keep a gas dryer from heating?

Yes.  Without the blower running, the dryer will overheat and shutdown.  Some models may not even fire if the blower is not running, since they may rely on the blower for exhaust flow.


Do I need to replace attic insulation directly against new framing for a bath fan?

Leaving voids under insulation but outside the air barrier (the drywall, for example) usually results in loss of efficiency. This is because if there's even a small escape path for the air to the unconditioned space the air in the void will cycle via convention, making the area effectively uninsulated. This allows faster heat transmission.

This is why batt insulation is fitted between ceiling joists rather than simply being laid across them. It's usually best to fit insulation directly against the air barrier.


Is this open supply duct in my vented crawl space necessary?

Without addressing the moderately unanswerable "do I need this duct" since that depends on a lot of factors specific to your house/insulation/comfort/budget/etc.
Moderately standard freeze protection thermostat setting is 45°F/7°C and "freeze alarms" at 41°F/5°C - running much closer to freezing than that risks freezing in spots that might be colder than where you are measuring the temperature, or in the case of the alarms does not give you time to take action.
The level of engineering you need to "not freeze pipes" while running them as low as 33°F/0.5°C is considerable and rarely engaged in. i.e. standard "heat trace" (the quality electric pipe heating tape that is the thermostat) starts to heat at 50°F/10°C, and (along with an insulation overwrap) is the standard (quality) solution to below-freezing crawlspace pipes down to sub-zero °F temperatures. The cheap heat tape with an external thermostat is much more prone to fail, but is a common approach by those who like to make their own mistakes rather than learning from the mistakes of others.


What’s preventing my drill from going though my wall?

A likely possibility you have to be aware of before you up the drilling stakes - you are hitting a steel protective plate that is specifically intended to warn you off of drilling a hole right there, because there are wires or pipes too close to the edge of the stud which you might drill or screw through, causing a larger problem.
Other possibilities depend on what your walls are made of (the above assumes typical wooden studs.) If it's plaster over brick, you might have hit a mortar joint on the "successful" hole. What came out when you drilled the hole? Masonry dust, or wood shavings?


It sounds like the mill’s blow detector was not functioning. Or a bad batch of glue, , plugged nozzle several possibilities,
take it all back. I used to work in a plywood mill and with 2 sheets bad that unit probably will all have the same issue. I would take the cut sheets back. The mill randomly pulls sheets and chizzles chunks and those chunks only a couple inches square have to stick together.
So take it back and get some from a different unit.


What type of primer is required for pine?

If you bought Zinsser Cover-Stain, that is about the best option for any type of wood.

Cover-Stain


Loud noise in the pipes when I turn off my hot water

Easy fix, if it is water hammer, is to install a water hammer stub -- just a capped pipe on a T downstream of your boiler.  If that doesn't fix it no harm done.

You should also ensure that you have an expansion tank in the system.  You'll need to check your boiler manual to determine if it has a backflow check valve, in which case the expansion tank also needs to be downstream.


Need help to understand my electric panels and subpanels

You're going to have to start by mapping your house.  It helps to have a whole bunch of night lights, or any kind of lights, or loads of some sort that light up clearly when the power is on.  One for each receptacle in the house.

I'm fond of making up names for them.  So for instance the Square D breaker box, I might call those Quill, Rocket, Gamora, Groot.  Then in the fuse block, call those Thor, Loki, Sif.    Then in the main one, use names of other Avengers not affiliated with the Guardians or Asgard.

Starting with the subpanels, pull one breaker or fuse.  Then walk the house to see what dies.   Label them as you please, so you know what that outlet or hardwired device is powered from.    Repeat for each subpanel breaker or fuse.

Next, go to the main panel (the StabLok?) and do the same thing.  Two of them will most likely shut off power to each subpanel, and you'll know that because everything connected with the subpanel will die.  Label that Asgard, Guardians or whatever grouping you are using.   All the other fuses will shut off some loads or one load.  Again mark the outlets/hardwired loads.

Now you know what circuit every outlet and hardwired load is on.

Next, read the number on the breaker or fuse.  That is your circuit limit for that circuit.  Figure 80% of that (12 amps for most of them) and do not exceed that.

Generally, as far as the common 1500W heaters, you can put one of them per circuit, with nothing else except maybe a cell phone charger or at most a TV.

To find out what loads draw, either read their labeling, or get a Kill-a-Watt and measure them (at maximum working load, e.g. Full-on FPS gaming, not editing a Word document).


hook and loop tape. adhesive to the tablet. You might get away with adhesive to the wall too, but you might prefer to screw a thin plastic panel to the wall and stick the fuzzy (loop) side of the tape to that for better adhesion.


What is the recommended way of attaching ledgers to Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)?

DAGS for SIP ledger detail, e.g. http://www.extremepanel.com/Details/PDF/EP-120.pdf - if you have enough info about the house to know who made the panels, look for info specific to (or from) them, .vs. generic panel info.


How should I waterproof an upstairs bathroom floor?

Most of the floor of a bathroom should not see any great water leaks or standing water. The average puddle you make getting out of the shower before you can towel off will not pose any great threat. If your plumbing work is up to code, that shouldn't be a concern either. However, a plumbing emergency can pose a greater threat.

For laminate floors, it is generally a good idea to lay down a layer of moisture barrier, like Tyvek, between the sub-floor and laminate, and if the sub-floor is over concrete (doesn't seem to be the case here) another layer between the concrete and the subfloor. This prevents the transfer of liquid water between the layers of the floor, while still allowing the layers to adjust to changes in humidity without forming condensation. For the majority of the bathroom floor this should provide ample leakage protection if properly installed.

Make sure that the laminate, once installed, is well-sealed; laminate's great for providing a wood-like floor, but if water gets under the waterproof (or water-tolerant) top layer of the laminate and into the particle board underneath, the boards will swell and your floor will be ruined. A poly or acrylic topcoat will seal the cracks between planks and help protect the flooring; your flooring dealer can probably recommend a product that's compatible with your particular brand of laminate.

Where you really need to take care is in the shower area. If you have a tiled shower, behind that tile needs to be a waterproof barrier which will contain water that gets behind the tile grout (not waterproof) and direct it to the drain, instead of letting it contact the drywall or subfloor. It is not a terrible idea to install the same type of membrane everywhere in the bathroom, but it's probably overkill especially since you'll be wanting to prevent water even getting that far.

The main source of water leakage out of a bathroom, which you will likely not be able to prevent, is inside the walls. You probably won't know there's a problem until you hear water dripping onto your ceiling, or see that telltale tea-stain on a ceiling or wall. There is not a whole lot you can do to prevent this once the walls are up; the keys to prevention are in proper installation of the pipes in the first place. Minimizing joints in supply pipes, which can swell and shrink at different rates with temperature, and making sure all joints on all types of plumbing are well-sealed, are key to minimizing leaks. Any plumber worth his salt will use the appropriate joining materials liberally (solder and flux for copper pipe, glue for PVC/HDPE, rings and cement for PEX).


What is this electrical fixture above a natural gas fired forced air furnace?

That looks like it was part of a whole house smoke detector system.
Smoke detectors do have a limited life and when they start failing folks just pull them out.
Since the detector was close to the furnace it could have been smoke , carbon monoxide or both. I would see if the other detectors in the home work and in any case get replacements that are compatible with the others. You may find that multiple units may not be functioning.
On several jobs I have had to replace every smoke detector only the thermal detectors were still functional. In some cases I could get the same or similar model in other cases I had to replace the bases as the new models did not fit but used the same wiring.
You may be able to get more info off of the ring that is still there but getting a complete head will help you find compatible units.


Can I change a 15a breaker with a 20a breaker?

No, you can't just "upsize a breaker".  The breaker has a job, and you would break its ability to do that job.  I gather you don't understand what that is, but fooling around with creaky old wiring... Well, I'm glad you asked first.

No, take the breaker back to the store.  The only breaker you should be installing is a 15 amp AFCI. Where you have old/suspect wiring, AFCI is a fantastic safety system.

Anyway, that won't fix your problem

Breaker size is not the issue.  Bathroom fans are considerably less than 1 amp, they certainly shouldn't be tripping a 15A breaker, for Pete's sake.  Your fan has a big problem.  It's not supposed to do that at all.

So either the fan has been miswired, or, the fan is defective.

Maybe it's time to call a competent handyman or electrician.


Well, the site may desire long complicated answers, but in this case "You can't" is the correct one. The only (if any) hope for that thing would be to tear it down, chip off the remains of the failed mortar, and build it again.

You could try all sorts of cockamamie things with polyurethane glue, etc. but they will ultimately fail, while wasting time and money.


Is air conditioner installation a DIY project?

Unless you have the tools and knowledge, let the pros handle this one.  I don't think this is really a diy project, there is a reason the installation cost is so high.


Those cables have totally different applications.  On the left, you have common household power cable in the modern EU (IEC) colors:

Ground: mandatory green/yellow
Neutral: mandatory blue (today; older installations use other colors)
Hot: by common practice, brown

The American equivalent is bare-white-black.  These colors in 14-2 Romex (jacketed cable; 14 gauge; 2 conductors +ground) is used all over the place in every US home.

The right is for three-phase power, specifically "delta" power (which by definition does not have a neutral.) That is why there is no blue "neutral" in the bundle.  This is bigger power, for heavier loads such as factory lighting or air conditioning in a large retail store.

It'd be an odd duck in residences — while three-phase "wye" power comes down your street (230 V to neutral, 400 V phase to phase), it's rare to pull all 3 phases into a home.  Probably more common in a townhouse (mansion) or a 12-unit apartment block.  Because of its notable lack of neutral, this cable would only be useful for running large motors or heating units, say to deliver 400 V delta to a large air conditioning unit of 5 kW capacity.  Here are the IEC color codes:

Ground: mandatory green/yellow
Phase 1: Brown
Phase 2: Black
Phase 3: Gray

Black is no longer legal for neutrals in the UK, and unless the cable is pre-2004 old stock, it is certainly intended for 3-phase delta, since the colors are just right for it.

What I hear from Euro folks is this is how  normal 3-and-earth is sold, and you are expected to re-mark one of the phase wires to be neutral (if you need neutral).  I would re-mark the black, since you should take it "out of play" as it's not a valid neutral color anymore, so that'll reduce confusion.

Note: North American people can never re-mark or re-sleeve wires, *except in cables, they can re-mark a white (neutral) wire to be a phase/hot. In wiring where only certain wires are always-hot, the remarked white must be used for the always-hot.


According to the web page, the Gecko-loc uses silicone rubber suction cups which are held in place by turning the knob, ostensibly pulling a vacuum on the inside of the cup. It describes the removal as simple as peeling it off. That's the only reference I found.

One would therefore believe that you would remove the hanging device from the cup and turn the knob in the opposite direction to release the vacuum.

I've also noted that the company offers a 3M VHB tape option. 3M VHB tape is not so easily removed. One method of removal, if you have used that option, is to carefully slice with a razor or equally thin sharp cutting device between the wall and the cup mount. Once the body of the adhesive is split, additional scraping and application of adhesive removal product such as Goo-Gone will eliminate the residue. The web site provides for replacement adhesive panels.

Ideally, you have the suction cup design. Pop off the caddy, turn the knobs and re-locate.


How do I build an "internal frame" for a reclaimed wood door?

That's a hard thing to google. I can offer 2 possible approaches:

1.) I think you could do something like these doors with battens:
 You would have to turn the battens 90 degrees from the drawing since your facing boards are horizontal. The most important part would be the vertical battens on the left and right side. This would effectively form a frame with the top and bottom boards.

2.) If you want the frame to be truly internal, you could build a mortise-and-tenoned rectangular frame, and then apply facing boards to both sides. For more info on this, I would google "frame and panel doors". You could do the simple rectangle, like cabinet doors, and leave out the panel. This frame then  could be sandwhiched between layers of facing boards. If you don't feel like doing mortise and tenons, substitute loose tenons, biscuits, dowels joints, pocket screws, etc.

Either way, screws or nails should be fine for attaching the facing boards to the frame. If you use nails, hammer them in at slightly varying angles to prevent the boards from pulling straight out.

Also, leave a little space between the facing boards. Here in the US, I would use a dime as a spacer, but you could use a couple business cards, or a small drill bit, or measure a millimeter, etc. This allows the wood to expand and contract with temperature and humidity changes.


Can I use a Miele washing machine for US (2 x 110V) with 220V plug

It's not supplied with 2 cords.

The washing machine is supplied with a 5’ 3“ (1.6 m) long, 3 wire cord, ending in a NEMA 5-15P plug, ready for connection to a 120 V, 15 A, 60 Hz, AC power supply.

Instructions page 84.
If you see a second cord-and-plug, it's for the dryer, which is a completely different appliance.
Your plan is not going to work for several reasons.  First, there is no way to develop 120V from a Euro style 230V supply, except by using a large transformer.  (the hokey travel adapters will not work; they use electronic trickery that will not work with a big motor load like a washer.)  Second, the power frequency is wrong, and the washer cares because it has a big motor that will now be running at the wrong speed with the wrong reactance, and will tend to overheat.
So really, you need a rather hefty electronic sine-wave inverter that would turn 230VAC/50Hz into 120VAC/60Hz, but this is not some $50 travel adapter off Amazon, it's a large multi-hundred dollar machine.
Do not ship large electric appliances across oceans.
It's a waste of fuel.  They won't work. Just sell em on Craigslist and buy replacements off Craigslist once you're there.


Should we use carpet tape or tack strips?

Get rid of the linoleum, clean out any mold.... and use tape instead of tack strips and padding. Save yourself some money since it’s a basement.


Replace soil pipe or continue cleaning it annually?

If you have roots in your pipe it needs replacing. The cleaning company is just using you as a yearly revenue source. If there is a leak in your waste pipe you are leaking untreated waste into the ground. Not particularly good from an environmental standpoint.

Have a look into pipe burst. These guys actually pull a new pipe through the old one breaking up the old one as it goes.


What could cause the ground wire on my baseboard heater to burn?

Burnt wires are usually the result of a loose connection.  When a connection is not solid, wires can heat up. This can be an even bigger problem with high amperage devices (heater, stoves, etc.).  This likely has been an issue for a long time, and finally reached the breaking point.

The problem with overheating wires, is that the issue becomes compounded over time. Through constant heating/cooling cycles, the connection can become looser, the wire can become brittle, and the resistance in the wire can be increased.  The more the resistance of the wire increases, the hotter the wire gets.  Eventually, the wire can get hot enough to burn off the insulation. When it gets to this point you hope the wire breaks causing a short (which will trip the breaker), or at least breaking the circuit so current can no longer flow.  If the wire does not break, you could be in much bigger trouble if the wire gets hot enough to start a fire.

The fact that the ground is burnt, is concerning.  Typically the ground should not be carrying current, and so should not be heating up.  You'll want to check the heater for a ground fault, to figure out why current is flowing in the ground. Check to make sure the bare ground wires behind the thermostat are pushed to the back of the box, to prevent them from touching the bare terminals on the thermostat.

My advice to you, would be to contact a local licensed electrician. It's difficult to accurately diagnose issues like this, through the internet. An electrician will be able to explain the cause to you, and tell you what the options are to remedy this problem.


Replace handles/locks on Novoferm garage door

In case somebody is looking to do the same... I contacted Novoferm - and they do have something similar to what I need.  They offered me the product below (the images are their original - and they apologised for the quality). It's a bit on the expensive side, but it's very similar to what I am looking for.

They quoted me the price of £75 plus £5.50 P&P.  Part number is 80349003.


I need to pressurize a room and I'm kind of at a loss as to how to do it, hoping someone out there might have some advice

It depends if you're looking for a "proper" solution or any workable solution, and your tolerance to noise.

It looks like filtering is one of your requirements, so you'll probably want to use a squirrel cage type fan, which is capable of developing the requisite pressure to push air past a filter.

Common sources of these fans:
-Air purifiers (also filters the air for you), 100-600CFM depending on what you get, often cheap on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Might be too small. ~25-200W. Also try "air scrubbers", available with higher CFMs like furnace blowers.

-Furnace blowers or old furnaces (cut the furnace part off, leave it, or just build a box) and filter, 2000-6000CFM. ~300-1000W. Usually has a few speeds. Also try "air makeup unit". Not toooo loud.

-Bathroom fans. Broan LoSone (pretty big)(300cfm) ~250W, Costco has some real quiet ones ~100cfm last I checked ~50W.

-Air mover blowers for drying floors or whatnot (need to rig a filter onto this), pretty cheap at Home Depot ~100-300w.

-Range hood fans - get a "chimmney style" one which will likely be squirrel cage and replace the grease catch filters with a furnace filter. Often cheap on Craigslist etc. ~200-400W.

-Hack a filter into a portable air conditioner or salvage the fan(take the "condenser" fan)

-Search Craigslist for words like "fan" or "blower" and find something that looks like it takes at least a few hundred watts

Crappy options:
-Box fans with furnace filters on them
-Induced draft blowers, small squirrel cage blowers, pressure blowers etc etc are a little too small for the room I think

Expensive options:
-Proper air handler with filter
-in line duct fans (unusually expensive for some reason)

Before you commit to installing something, try an experiment first: Tape up and seal the fan with filter rigged on to one of the doors with plastic or something, and make sure the plastic bulges out significantly.


Direct Burial Wire for 200 Amp Sub Panel from 200 Amp Main

I'd use a 4/0-4/0-2/0-4 Mobile Home Feeder cable for this job
Given that you aren't going to be pushing a full 200A over the cable (which'd require 250kcmil Al, since the 83% reduction in 310.15(B)(7) doesn't apply to your situation), but need a 4-wire cable as your shed is getting powered by a feeder from your service disconnect at the pole, I'd use a 4/0-4/0-2/0-4 aluminum Mobile Home Feeder cable for this job.  Furthermore, while you can direct bury MHF, I'd run it in a 2" PVC conduit instead; this way, if you decide to go up to a full 200A, you can repull the wires instead of having to dig everything back up to replace it.
You are correct on the grounding rods
The good news is that you are correct that you'll need two grounding rods at the shed.  A 6AWG copper grounding electrode conductor will suffice for connecting them to the shed panel's grounding bar.  Note that if your shed panel doesn't come with grounding bars, you'll need to fit the appropriate grounding bars yourself in addition to using them to land your grounding wires and pulling the green bonding screw out of the panel.
TORQUE ALL LUGS TO SPEC
Last but not least, you'll want to use an inch-pound torque wrench and/or torque screwdriver to tighten the various connections to their specified/labeled tightening torques.  This is required by NEC 110.14(D) in 2017 and newer NEC editions, and is a good idea anyway as it'll keep your electrical system from giving you the loose lugnut!


100 amp main with not enough ground slots

You should be able to purchase an additional grounding bar at the local big box home improvement, or a local electrical supply shop.  You should be able to install the bar in your panel without too much trouble.

Without more detail about your equipment, it's difficult to be more specific than that.


Is it recommended that 1/8 thick plywood be used as underlayment?

If the subfloor is plywood no other ply is necessary; but you do need a flat surface for the Ditra.  If the subfloor cannot either be scraped, chiseled, or sanded flat then self leveling compound may be required. If you use self leveling compound remember that the surface should be primed first - follow the product's prep recommendations.   1/8" plywood, in my opinion is not sufficient; unless it was set down on flat surface with troweled adhesive and stapled 4" o.c. I would recommend 1/4" min - which can be found at most flooring supply stores - specially formulated for flooring; i.e., all voids filled in the plys and water resistant glue.


No More Nails adhesive on PVA primed drywall?

I wouldn't try to primarily use any adhesive for this, it would be better to use a brad nailer. This will be easier, faster and stronger (and cheaper, if you already have or don't count the cost of buying the nailer itself).

Mark the studs, and put a nail in the groove (which will be hidden by the next piece).

You only really need adhesive for the top row. I'd put it on the bottom row as well, just for good measure, but the bottom row can usually be nailed or even screwed to the wall at the bottom where it will be covered by baseboard.

Since it's not really holding much weight, 'No More Nails' would work, as would basically any silicone or construction adhesive.


What technical reasons do builders use white baseboards over wood-woodstained?

Painted white is cheap. That's really all there is to it, no reason you can't do it differently, and you can find plenty of non-white baseboards in the states - but a preponderance of Florida housing is mass-built developments that are going to run towards cheap and standardized.
Wood is common in older houses, but once some idiot decides to paint it, it becomes a huge job to strip it back to the original, and the paint companies ran successful propaganda campaigns (which had the delightful effect of getting a lot of white lead paint into places it might not have been otherwise) to sell paint in the 30's and 40's


I had a leak caused in a sun-room that was hard to identify. It turns out the roof to wall flashing wasn't properly secured under the siding. It only ever leaked when there was enough water weight to push the flashing down causing it to pop out from behind the siding.

Long story short, ensuring that the flashing is properly secured is one of the first things I check.


Can I add four new ducts to my HVAC trunk line?

I admire the drawing of your existing duct-work. Using a .1" external static resistance for the duct-work and guessing that you have a 3 ton A/C system that requires 1200 CFM of air flow, I would estimate  that the 8"X20" duct is almost fully utilized as is the 8"X8" duct. The 8"X14" duct could handle all the airflow required for the basement heating. You did say that you wanted to utilize the 8"X20" duct for the basement heating. You can do it but it may unbalance the existing airflow. You may have to increase the blower speed to achieve the required air flow in that duct and add dampers to the other 2 ducts to help control the increased air flow. Adding 4 heating registers would require approximately 320 CFM more air flow you may or may not have available. I would add the ducts you require and balance the resulting system as best I could and live with the results. If the blower that is installed in your present heating system is sized for more air flow and a higher static head than I allowed for say you could easily add the 4 registers you will need. If on the other hand your blower is maxed out the system will still heat but the 2nd. floor heating may suffer. This is the best I can do since I am not at you residence and I am only guessing as to the existing set-up. good luck with your project.  I think that you will be OK. I compared your home to mine 2000 sq. ft rqnch and finished basement. Mine heats great.


What is the best way to join toe kick boards?

Don't join Them
Well the best option is to only have one kickboard.   Looking at yours I would just throw them away.   For kickboards I use 1x and I use either pine or Azek.   That is the area of the kitchen that has the most chance for water damage so don't use plywood or something like that.   MDF would be your worst choice (isn't it the worst choice for almost anything).
If you do... do it with style
The other option and just used this for the toekick on a rather big island is a rosette.  If you center this it becomes a design element not a stop-gap solution.   I used something very similar to this - link.   Note that rosettes are often thick... So you may have to plane the back.   I usually put the toekicks next to the rosette.   You will not be able to do that if the boards you have are as thin as you described.
Also my suggestions are based on the other materials being used...  Your cabinets look really nice.   Throw those toe kicks away and go with a long piece of pine or azek (any pvc 1x6).  If you need to rip the 1x6 put the ripped edge on the top - no one will ever see it.


What are my options to change the finish on a faucet?

Lots of chatter in the comments, so here's my take that tries to take a few of those into account.

Paint/finish at home is probably a dead end. You can try, but I can't imagine how you'd get anything attractive at the outset, and I have even stronger doubts that it'd be durable.

Powder coating (really just a plastic paint that's baked on) tends to be cheaper, but not incredibly durable.

Electroplating is the way to go for a quality finish, but you have to weigh the cost/benefit of plating versus replacing. This faucet looks quite new from the picture, so it's not like it's at the end of its life cycle. Regulatory frameworks (and thus prices) vary a lot by jurisdiction, so shop around and be prepared to mail your faucet somewhere. Google 'electroplating' to find places. You might save a buck or two if you're prepared to take your faucet apart for them. They'll advise on what other preparation (ie, sandblasting to remove old varnish) is required for a quality finish.

If you want to dispose of the faucet because plating costs more than a new one, I'd encourage you to look for a place that re-uses building materials. Habitat for Humanity runs one called the ReStore.

My personal opinion is that I'd buy a new one in the finish I want.


How much weight will 1/8" plywood sustain for compression?

You appear to mean compression perpendicular to the plane of the plies.

Depends a good deal on what the plywood grade and material is, and the conditions it's operating under.

http://www.g-lumber.com/pdf/APA_Plywood_Design_Specification.pdf Suggests that between 340 and 160 lb/in**2 for dry service and 105-210 for wet service (for grades appropriate to wet service) so you'll need a fair number of square inches (which you have inconveniently left out of your question) to support 50,000 lbs.

Looks like 476 square inches on the low end to 147 on the high end (of loading) though any sensible person would derate a bit more for additional safety factor, or use 1/8" steel as a shim rather than 1/8" plywood. That's 3.3 square feet to a bit over 1 square foot.

8 feet (96inches) by 8 inches = 768 square inches, resulting in a loading for 50,000 lbs evenly distributed of 65 pounds per square inch, so per the above document you should be safe at that loading.


How can a circuit be designed with a switched live connected to multiple PIR motion sensors? [UK]

I answered your core question here. Just go into photoshop and copy-paste as many more sensors and lights as you please.  Go read it, but let me re-color that for UK.

The only trick is going to be UK wire and cable.  You need 3 wires:

Always-hot to supply sensors
Switched-hot for sensors to send power to lamps
Neutral for everybody.

So you need 3-core + earth cable.  But while North American /3+gnd cable accommodates neutral, I note that common UK 3-core+earth cable does not.  You need a light-blue neutral.  Your 3-core appears to be black brown gray.  I don't know if you're allowed to get light-blue tape and re-mark the gray wire to be neutral, or whether you need to source special 3-core that has a blue wire.


Drill bit coming loose on a basic rotary/impact/hammer drill

You bought inexpensive equipment and you are getting inexpensive performance .


Are small air bubbles on the surface while applying wood finish normal?

It can be a problem when drying conditions are too fast for the finish to release the bubbles.  Here are some strategies to try.

Good quality brush, china bristle (boar) for oil
Slight thinning (up to 10%).
Drying extenders (retarders): Floetrol for latex, Penetrol for oil based paints and stains
Don't shake your finish, stir only (to prevent mixing air into finish).
"Tip off" slowly (lightly drag brush almost laying flat, no pressure) to integrate sections and even out finish.
HVLP spraying is within home user capability and pricing.


Kitchen cabinets - what thickness and type of backer board should be used?

You have to remove the plaster & lathe to do "backer boards" as they go between the studs & are typically 2x4's or 2x6's. If you're leaving the plaster & lathe then you're talking more about a Ledger or Hanging Board that gets screwed to the studs & just sits on the face of the lathed plaster.

These are typically just 1x6's or 3/4" plywood strips & should be shimmed to straighten & flatten the wall for the cabinets. You'll need to fill the end cabinets' gaps if using this method or skin the cabinet sides & scribe those to the wall.

However, you really shouldn't need either & you should be able to hit 2 studs for each larger cabinet's top & bottom. Use Beefy Coarse Thread Deck or Wood Screws, not drywall screws. In the case of small 12" wide type cabinets, they will be screwed to the bigger cabinets & supported solely by them.

Molly bolts, Mushroom-Heads or Spreading Anchors can be used just to suck them against the wall. Screw everything loosely to start with & then shim the cabinets to perfection beside the screws before sinking them. Use an impact driver if possible, this will sink the screws better & avoid chewing up screw heads.


Will I get more pests/insects if my neighbor sprays and I don't?

Pests (and all living things I suppose) tend to populate their environment to capacity.  If any action drives them to seek new territory, and that territory is already at capacity, then any population spike will only be temporary.  Population dynamics is a complex topic and no real-world system is inherently stable or predictable, so take this with a grain of salt.  But I'm pretty sure the pest control company is just giving you a sales pitch.

As for "orgainic" sprays, you'll have to be specific about the type of bug you are spraying for.


Hi this is Jason of Builderbeast.
I built this pergola, and was also not thrilled about the size of that Simpson connector. I had a larger 1/2" stainless  mount fabricated.  It extended about 12" up the column.


Remove brown bicycle tire marks from vinyl floor

The only things I see you haven't tried are vinegar and nail polish remover. With the vinegar - just put some on the stain let it sit a bit, then wipe off. I'm not sure it'll help you as you already tried bleach.
About the acetone in the nail polish remover, I'm more optimistic - it cleans everything (just first test it on a part of the vinyl that is hidden under a cupboard or something so you know you won't damage further). Good luck! :)


How do I convert my fireplace switch into a thermostat switch?

@JonathanReez if you find out that your fireplace is  millivolt controlled as @ThreePhaseEel says make sure that you purchase a thermostat rated for millivolt service. (it may make a difference).


Are 2 prong outlets that are downstream of a GFCI outlet ground fault protected?

Ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) work by looking for imbalances between the ungrounded (hot), and grounded (neutral) conductors.  A grounding conductor is not required for a GFCI device to detect ground-faults. Any devices connected to the Load side of the GFCI device, are GFCI protected. This blog post might help you understand how GFCI devices work.

If you take a look at the code quoted in this answer, you'll see that not only are the "No Equipment Ground", and "GFCI Protected" labels required. You should also not connect any grounding conductors to any 3-prong receptacles that are downstream. If there is no grounding conductor in the circuit, no grounding conductors should be connected anywhere in the circuit.

Also of note, is that this only applies to existing circuits that were installed before the code change.  All new circuits must meet or exceed current codes.


Summary: a ground rod will not substitute for the neutral/ground connection back to the main.

To be clear, your third wire is actually providing two functions: neutral and safety ground. The power disturbance is due to the failed neutral. 120 v loads on only one leg do not have a return path and so will not work. If you have loads on both legs, they will conduct through each other but, depending on the ratio of the loads, the voltages will vary between nearly 0v and nearly 240 volts and may destroy equipment or cause a fire.

The safety ground has multiple functions but significantly is to prevent shock with metal-cased, three-prong equipment. If a hot wire were to come lose and contact the metal case, excessive current would flow to ground and trip the breaker on the hot. If a GFCI is in the circuit, the trip will come with much less current. This prevents fatal voltages from appearing on the case.

In this case, because the neutral and safety ground are combined and have become disconnected, you are actually in worse shape. Voltage will conduct through switched on loads and actually energize grounded objects (metal-cased 3-prong equipment, outlet and switch screws, etc.) providing a great shock hazard.

This is why the electrical code has been changed to require a 4-wire feed to sub panels.

A ground rod would mitigate this to some degree but dry dirt is a poor conductor. It is a poor safety ground and a lousy neutral. You absolutly need a working neutral/ground back to the main panel.

At a minimum, I would fix the open conductor and add a ground rod at the garage. You should also consider upgrading your feed to 4 wires to separate the neutral and ground, as current code requires.


What brand and model is this thermostat?

This looks like it could be the CP1719, or one of their related thermostats, from Comfort Stat.

Here's the manual to that thermostat:
http://www.comfortstatusa.com/thermopdfs/cp1719.pdf


GE gas dryer noise - is this from motor?

No Ted, I believe it is the dryers blower that's creating the sound. The blower pushes the hot air into the dryer. I may be hearing things but to me it sounded as if an article of clothing may be stuck inside the blower and is causing the "fluttering" noise you hear.  Since you are familiar with fixing the dryer bearings, unplug the power cord and then open the dryer case to get to the blower in the back. Look for any obstructions (lint, socks..).


The bigger problem is the transformer is going to set you back about $100, so it spectacularly fails to make sense for a $40 humidifier.

Dollar for dollar, if you're coming to North America, you may be better off just adding a couple 240V circuits to  your house, and running the appliances off 240V straight shot.  North America has both 120V and 240V available.


Here's the answer.

It turns out there must be another junction box.  I made an incorrect assumption that Light/Junction #1 is the main junction.  It isn't.

It appears to be wired like this: Breaker feeds some junction that I can't see which then feeds Outlet A and Light/Junction #1.

So anytime the breaker is on, Outlet A is powered no matter what.

Really sucks if this main junction is in the finished garage ceiling and no way to find it without busting up that ceiling (cement/plaster type with lath of heavy wire mesh).  Jeez, all they had to do was put the main junction in the unfinished ceiling of the adjacent laundry room where the power cable comes through anyway.

Update: There may not be another junction box afterall.  See photos.  That's a very tiny access hole that I pushed my phone up against.  You can't see the full width of the joist bay.  Two cables coming back towards the camera.  One is the cable from the breaker and the other actually goes down the wall to Outlet A.  The two cables going horizontally to the left is odd, since the only thing over there is Outlet B.  More investigation is needed, but it looks like I might be able to feed a new 20 amp (12 gauge) cable through here, which is what I've been wanting to do.  Unfortunately, there's no access on the other side for Outlet C and this junction box can't be removed without busting up the ceiling as the cross bar mounting goes through the box.

Update 2: There is indeed another junction box, but it is not hidden.  Well, sort of.  The furnace duct in the garage is very close to the wall where Outlet A is.  The photos I took put the junction much closer to the wall than the known Light/Junction #1.  Sure enough, there is another Light/Junction "hidden" behind the duct.  No bulb in it, so I never knew it was there.  But this is definitely the main box for the garage.  Whew!


Should bottom wall plates in a basement be treated lumber?

In my state the bottom plate is required to have the foam seal and treated lumber for external load bearing walls only. I do use foam internally but not treated lumber. The foam prevents moisture from wicking into the plate and rotting it. I do use the foam inside but more often  I will use tarpaper as I usually have a roll and it works well and is cheaper than sill seal foam. What you are doing will last but is a bit over the top (one of my buddies says I am over the top with the tar paper). In the case of a flood, the Sheetrock itself is going to wick the water faster than the wood will. I like the barrier under the plate be it foam or tarpaper.


Can I put 15 amp switches on 12 gauge wire

Yes. As long as the switch is rated for the amperage of the load served and the voltage of the circuit. Your instance is an example of this (as long as the switches are rated for the voltage).
Here is the applicable 2011 NEC code reference:

404.14 Snap switches shall be used within their ratings and as indicated in 404.14(A) through (F).
(A) Alternating-Current General-Use Snap Switch. A form of general-use snap switch suitable only for use on ac circuits for controlling the following:
(1) Resistive and inductive loads not exceeding the ampere
rating of the switch at the voltage involved

Good luck!


Low-cost hardwood flooring... what's the catch?

There are a lot of factors when it comes to pricing flooring as it has become a highly competitive, mass produced commodity.

What you have here is the cheapest specs you can get in wood flooring:

2" wide planks are about as narrow as it gets, it is a harder install
3/8" thickness is about as thin as it gets and will limit its application to something that has a very very good subfloor.
these planks can be made out of literally the scraps because they are so narrow and thin.  The wood costs are probably ridiculously low and most of the cost to consumer goes to transportation and cutting the tongue and grooves.
quality hardwood flooring is 3/4" thick.  Yours is half that.  There is usually a 1/4" wear layer which allows 3-4 sandings.  I wouldn't expect more than a very very light touch up sanding out of 3/8" flooring.
thinner hardwood is more likely to develop splitting or impact cracks
thinner hardwood is more likely to warp
the cost differential between this and other flooring options is negligible.    I can get decent 3/8" laminate and engineered flooring for about $2 sq/ft.
in fact laminate and engineered flooring might be a much better solution if going thinner as there is more control for humidity variance and moisture intake.
I personally just installed engineered flooring in a house that was 5/8" thick, looked beautiful, and had 4.25" width.  It costed $2.89 sq/ft.  It was a dark brown and we got a quantity discount which dropped it 50 cents sq/ft.  It would beat any 3/8" hardwood on the market as it had a solid pine layered backing (no mdf).  I mention this because its ugly sister - same exact stuff in really ugly orangish brown try at cedar - was selling at $2.05 after the quantity discount.
you will pay a premium for a manufacturer of hardwood.  If it is not being labeled by a major hardwood manufacturer it will cost less.  It is like going to the store and buy Cola or Coca-Cola.  You know how one will perform and not sure about the other.  I have gotten some bad and good really cheap flooring.
Every major hardwood distributor carries 3/8"x2.25" planks that I know of from anywhere between 1.50-2.25 sq/ft.  It is mainly so they can say in their ads, "Hardwood flooring from $1.79".  Another reason would to be just to satisfy a cheap customer.  They do not really want to sell you this stuff.  It has innate problems and needs to be installed right and they don't want to hear about problems on a product with slim margins.  If someone is pushing this on you it means they are carrying way too much of it and need to make space.
And to summarize - what you are talking about isn't "real" hardwood flooring.  It is a cheap imitation made out of wood.  It is a con job on the uninformed consumer.  You are informed now so you will buy something with at least 5/8" thickness or you choose laminate or engineered flooring as they will perform better with the same or longer life expectancy.

Note:  This is not a shameless plug but I have used BuildDirect at least 20 times to buy wood/tile/laminate - I have absolutely no affiliation with them.  (waterproof laminate they have is awesome.  They have sales and clearance sell offs.  They send you free samples.  There are a range of flooring in the low 2s that meet your criteria and 3/4".  Maybe a utility grade flooring will give you what you want as it is actually great flooring but has knots, natural cracks and blemishes - but done with thought these look great.


Can particleboard subfloor be used as a nail base for 3/4" solid wood strip flooring?

I have seen it fail.  I have momentarily tried it.  And I will never waste my time again.

Fail

Went through a potential house 8-9 years ago.  Mid 60s house.  They just put down hardwood to sell it.  A floor that had just been laid a few weeks earlier had shifting in at least two areas.  I popped off a piece of trim in a closet.  Pointed flashlight down, stuck screwdriver in and broke off a piece of particle board.  I ended up talking them down 15K on the house because of the issue which I reminded them they would now have to disclose.

Two workers and myself had all of the wood popped up (1000 sq feet worth) in about 3-4 hours.  I was using a putty knife in some places.  The staples didn't hold - and they were long.  We took the particle board out and threw down plywood...  Probably the most tedious task was pulling the staples and numbering the planks.  We got 15K for 2 days of work.

I tried it....

A couple years previous to this I pulled up carpet out of a house (lush wool from the 70s that was past its time).  I had a few hundred feet of leftovers from a previous house so what the hell... In my third row I was push my first row over... I stopped and retreated.

Particle board was used a lot in my area in the 60-70s for carpet.  I can see it working for anything else.  Hell I am not even sure how it lasts 40 years in some houses.  When you pull it up you can see it swollen in some areas.  Even when screw down it pops right up.  Nothing sticks in it (don't get me started on glued down particle board which is a disaster to demo).

Take a couple planks.  Staple them down  and watch how fast they move.

I think you have some options... Go back to carpet.  Go to a floating floor and make sure you have a really good underlayment (semi-waterproof).  Or take out particle board and replace with plywood.  If you are by yourself on the job it could take a while but with a couple of helpers it could be a one day (long day) project.  OSB is a subfloor that I would really be wishy-washy on installing hardwoods (never in my house) but particle board is never a thought to me.


Running electric to barn: what size subpanel?

Leave the subpanel breaker as-is

For the barn subpanel, leave its breaker at 100A (or whatever the factory provides).  You don't need a breaker there, you need a shut-off switch. Using a "main-breaker panel" is just cheaper and neater than having a totally separate shut-off switch...  nobody cares if the shutoff switch says "100A" on the handle :)

Breakers protect wires and equipment, and the 40A breaker in the house panel more than suffices to protect the 100A rated panel.  If your logic is "oh, I want the breaker to trip locally first", timing breakers like that just doesn't work. It's always the far one that blows.

(On the other hand if you used large enough wire to justify a 150A supply breaker, then the 100A breaker would protect the 100A rated panel.  You might reasonably do that if the 150A feeder was going onward to supply other subpanels at other barns).

Consider running bigger pipe

It's easy to get in a hurry to pinch pennies, but there are two places not to do that.  First is on pipe.  Price it all ways, but the cost increment to larger conduit is often not that much, and buys you a lot of flexibility. (also consider the "aluminum factor").

Consider aluminum wire

Ironically, one place people fail to pinch pennies is going with copper wire as a default, or worse, as a moral panic. There's a lot of FUD running around about aluminum, and that had some truth when it comes to small branch circuit wiring (the wires to your outlets and lights).  Look closer, the bad actor was actually copper lugs/terminals that did not play nice with aluminum wire.  Aluminum lugs play well with copper though -- which is why your subpanel's main lugs will be aluminum.  Aluminum remains the wire of choice for feeder (though only the power company is still allowed to use the scandalized AA-1350 alloy, you'd use the new AA-8000 alloy).

At 40A circuit size (#8 copper or #6 aluminum), there still isn't much of a cost motivation to go aluminum.  Starting the next size up, #6Cu or #4Al, aluminum makes increasing sense.  So if you are thinking of a size bump for voltage drop, price aluminum - especially for such a long distance.

On feeders, copper is not an upgrade. Go with Al if it makes cost sense.

You may not need to bump for voltage drop

For a certain circuit size (40A), there is a minimum wire size you must use (8 AWG) or the wire will overheat.  This is good for any length of wire, though at excessive lengths, the resistance of the wire stacks up, and you start running into serious voltage drop. The voltage drop is proportional to current actually being drawn in that moment - lights alone won't provoke much drop, but start the table saw and you'll get a bunch.

Voltage drop can be computed, and there are voltage drop calculators on the web to make that easy.  The classic blunder, made even by many experts here, is to calculate voltage drop based on the number written on the handle of the circuit breaker (40A).  That is wrong.  Voltage drop  should be computed based on your actual, expected loads, while thinking about how sensitive they actually are to voltage drop.

For instance if you have a delicate data center and a huge air conditioner motor on the same feeder, you'd need to get out the sharp pencil and really run the numbers.  For LED lighting (again with auto-ranging power supplies) and a "12A" table saw, maybe not so much.

That said, if you were using 80% of circuit capacity (32A) most of us would proscribe a wire size bump at about 110 feet, so in your case, 2-1/2 bumps (5 wire sizes) to #3 Cu (really #1 Al, unless you own a copper mine). Needless to say, your conduit pipe needs to be large enough to accommodate that wire, back to my advice to upsize conduit.

On one hand, you won't be loading this circuit to 32A.  On the other hand it is still quite a distance.  It's leeeegal to use #8 Cu wire and just lump the voltage drop, but I think I would price #4 Al (=#6Cu) just the same.   Cheaper to invest now than have to tear out and re-pull such a long run.

Also, 120V circuits suffer twice as badly from voltage drop. So if you will mainly have one load, and it's 120V, think about additional bumps still.  Make sure you are saying "120V" in the voltage drop calculator.    For instance a 120V table saw will have four times the voltage drop of a 240V saw of same power.  If there's also a dust collector, and it's on the same leg, that will make things worse still.  If it's on the opposite leg, that will help things somewhat, by moving some of the return current to the other leg.

If all else fails: transformers and 480V

One thing I love to do in these cases is get a couple of appropriately sized transformers (10KVA in your case) and connect them tail to tail, 480V or 600V primary to primary.  You backfeed the house transformer with plain 240V (no neutral).   It sends 480V or 600V down the 2 wires to the barn, for 1/4 to 1/6 the transmission losses for the same power (1/16 to 1/36 for 120V loads).  The second transformer drops it and splits it to 120/240V.

The transformers make it a separately derived service, which means the local panel here becomes a main panel which must have neutral and ground bonded.  The ground rod becomes your one ground. You don't need to pull a ground or neutral from the house, 2 wires does the trick.  The wires can be smaller - in your case 12 AWG would suffice.

This is wizard-tier stuff, and you'd want to very carefully design it so there's basically no chance of anyone getting near the 480/600 primary voltage.  That stuff bites very hard.

Misc.

You actually need two ground rods, unless you do a complex test to confirm the efficacy of the one ground rod.

As you know, you need a ground wire also. The ground wire can be smaller than the conductors, but take note -- Its size must be based on the conductor size not the circuit ampacity.  Don't go "A 40A circuit can use a #10 ground wire", that is wrong - if you upsize wire for voltage drop, you must upsize the ground wire also; a table from conductor size to ground size tells you what you need.

If you're even thinking of using an alternate power source in the barn, such as generator or solar, install a Siemens main-lug subpanel with the "shutoff switch" breaker in the #1 position.  That will let you use their $30 factory-spec generator interlock later.  FYI, a generator at the barn cannot backfeed the house unless you put a second set of feeders in the pipe.

You can have up to 3 circuits in the pipe before you have to start derating wires. If you have upsized wires for voltage drop, you can go to 4 circuits.  Since it runs to an outbuilding, each circuit would need to have a reason that it couldn't just be supplied out of the subpanel, e.g. Switched circuit for lights or pump, gen backfeed, etc.

Never forget the dust collector. When there's a table saw, there's a dust collector. Don't forget to include it in the figures.  As mentioned, putting it on the opposite 120V pole will actually ease voltage drop, by splitting the load across all 3 wires instead of just 2.


The Code says it cannot be vented into the attic or crawl space. (See ICC M1507, 2017 edition.)


What is the correct way to seal/flash coolant lines through T1-11 siding?

Depends on where the indoor unit is that he had to connect to, in comparison of where the other were in your neighbors house.
The important thing is, the tech did slope the pipe down and out of the wall at a heck of a good angle. The only problem I really see is the type of sealant he used as a finish, unless the plan was to come back, carve off the excess foam and use that as a backer for a good brand od polyurethane caulk to finish sealing the hole where the pipe goes into the wall.

The foam does a great job of insulating around the pipe in the wall, in an otherwise difficult area to seal.

If the tech never comes back, all that is needed now is as mentioned before, is to clean the foam back enough to leave a small recess, say 1/4", not a "dished out" 1/4" but a clean, flat recess that has the edge of the cut exposed, not covered by a skin of foam, so the caulk bonds to the siding, not foam that will degrade over time by exposure. If a little more is removed than the 1/4" I spec'd, no biggy, it is just more caulk, and it will be a little less flexible.

Use tape to cover areas you do not want caulked, poly caulk is contrary, but it cleans up with paint thinner... Still messy when not prepared for it.


Yes, building your own cords is fine, as long as you use UL-listed plugs and sockets, and use them correctly according to instructions and labeling, e.g. with right size cable and using the strain reliefs.  Make sure they gave you well-fitting ones.

And you need to use correct cordage, one of several types including SJOOW (off the top of my head).  It is always stranded wire.  UL-listed plugs aren't even listed for solid wire.

I don't agree with their advice of build up both ends out of line cord; I prefer to start with a pre-made extension cord and cut one end off, leaving one end a factory end. Factory plugs are more durable than field-fitted plugs, or, you can preserve a triple socket end.


Can I use 4x4 posts as the primary support for a deck?

Around here, 4x4s are not uncommon. This table shows that a 4x4 pine post that is 6 ft or shorter can support a load area of up to 10 ft² assuming 50 lbs/ft².

Don't trust me or a random table on the internet; make our own calculations from tables in the building code or other trusted sources and consider having them checked by an engineer.


How to unscrew a screw that I can't access frontally?

Use an angled (or offset*) screw driver:
Image courtesy of chelseaclockwallpaper.blogspot.com. First reasonably small image I found for what I was after
There are also ratcheting right-angle screwdrivers such as:
Image courtesy of harborfreight.com
If you don't have enough room for even that, use pliers to grip the head. You might use locking pliers (ViceGrip™ is one brand name) depending on how tight the screw is in.
*As noted in a comment by Greg Hill. Thanks!


Should I turn off the cold water while replacing a hot water faucet stem?

In all likelihood you probably don't need to turn it off, but I would still recommend that you do so, if only because you might inadvertently hit the cold side of the faucet when working in the area.

You know the saying - if it can go wrong, it will.  What's easier - cleaning up lots of water, or turning the valve off and back on?


Never operate a broken door.  A garage door has a great deal of preload tension on it, between the weight of the door and the counterweight (which is typically a spring). The door is always loaded with energy, and that energy can explode, and kill or maim.

The counterweight also means that a healthy door can be operated easily by hand. I have 30 year old 12x14 industrial doors, I throw them open by hand every day. The doors are so old I don't trust them on openers.

Here's what happens with an opener.  Roller starts rumbling in the track due to dirt. Easily fixed, but the operator doesn't know or care because the door opened and "therefore it's not broken".  Dirt and rust in the roller bearings follow, making the door stiffer.  That eats the bearings and the wheels get wobbly. They start crabbing up the track, gouging the track, hanging up on track bolts and bending the hinges.  "But it's all good, because the door still opens".

It's a death spiral: every spot of new damage makes the door grind against itself more, taking more damage. Eventually the roller and track take enough damage, or the counterweight cables take a hit, and the door drops violently.

With hand operation, you notice binding immediately and do whatever trivial thing is needed to fix it.  With motor operation, the damage just stacks and stacks, you may not know until the door falls on you.

It would suffice to unhitch it from mechanical operation and work the door manually a couple times a year, as routine maintenance.

Now what about that door?

First, you don't lubricate tracks.  Doors use this ingenious invention called the "wheel" to roll down the tracks. Putting any sort of wet or sticky grease on a track Turns into into a dirt magnet which is the last thing you want.  The only part of a track to even think about lubricating with graphite paint, is the upper edge, which the roller does not conventionally run on, and is nothing more than a guard to keep the roller from falling of the track. Don't drip lube on the working part of the track.

The roller wheel bearings need lubricant such as silicon lube for garage doors. The bearing shafts also need lubricant since they need to slide freely in and out to match any small deviations in the door track, if they bind, it can cause cascade failures.  The hinges also need lube.

Give everything a once-over, including wobbling each of the rollers to make sure they are stiff. A wobbly roller will cause a lot of problems.

Make sure the counterweight cables are both equally taut, and the door lands evenly. Sometimes a cable drum slips on the shaft, causing the door to tram and bind badly.

Get experienced help with door repairs or do your research, particularly about the dangers of working around doors and springs.

If, unhitched from the motor, the door operates freely with one hand, then your repair work on the door is done, it's an opener or control problem.


I like your first idea best. In fact, you could expand the addition to include the area to the left and include an entry closet. (I don’t like the looks of additions “pasted” on.)

By expanding up to the existing roof, you’ll give the entrance a sense of volume and space, AND you’ll have an interior entry chandelier.

Remember, any glass in a door, within 18” of the door or within 18” of the floor needs to be safety glass, (tempered or laminate).

Be sure to check with Building Codes to make sure you’re allowed by zoning ordinances, (i.e.: lot coverage limits, setbacks,etc.)


Corrugated pipe is generally intended only to be used as the last connection to an appliance, in a living space where it not vulnerable to banging or jostling (usually behind or in a space at the bottom of an appliance), but where it can be seen and accessed if work is being done.  It is not intended to be buried in a wall, where it could be pierced by a random fastener driven blindly.

It is also only used where an appliance needs to be moved to connect or disconnect it to the supply line. In all other cases and places, solid black pipe should be used, not corrugated. Solid should be run to the connection right before the stove, a cutoff valve should be installed at that point before attaching a short length of corrugated between the stove and the valve.

Having said all this, I join in the various suggestions that you engage a professional plumber (pipefitter). I know how to do it, I have done it in the past, and I would NOT do it again. The risks are very high, and a simple oversight (common to many a DIYer) is disastrous. The pros avoid those oversights because of long practice.

Please stay safe.


Whirlpool electric dryer works on 120 but not 240

You can't use a 3-wire socket

You're not allowed to use a 3-pin socket anymore (been outlawed since the 1990s). You need to use a NEMA 14-30 cord/plug and socket.  There is a procedure for changing this on the dryer that involves removing a jumper between neutral and ground.

If you insist on using a 3-wire connection to a dryer, you need to put it on a GFCI breaker.  Those cost about $80.  I recommend a 4-wire connection.

Use of /2 cable (2 conductors + ground) is not allowed

You need /3 cable (3 conductors).  Dryers need neutral.  And you cannot use the bare wire in the cable as a neutral; that can only be used for safety ground.  That's because neutral handles current under normal conditions, and that bare wire is not safe to use that way.

Once you have /3 + ground cable, how to hook up the NEMA 14-30 connector is obvious.

Your cable must be 10 AWG not 12

If you are retasking a 120V circuit to be a dryer circuit, it is surely 14 AWG or 12 AWG.  Those wires are too small to support the heavy current draw of an electric dryer.

Your breaker must be a 2-pole not a duplex

... and it will not fit in one slot (space).

Fair chance you have a "duplex" or "double-stuff" breaker, with two handles. The breaker fits in one space. The dead giveaway is that the handles throw independently from each other, which means it is absolutely inappropriate for a dryer.    Dryers need a breaker with common throw on the handles, and also a feature called "common trip" which assures both sides trip at once.

Further, dryers need a 240V breaker.  By definition, a 240V breaker must span across two "spaces", or it wouldn't have 240V!


Fanning outside air into basement apartment

I think it's a bad idea. I understand the intent & initially it sounds good, but it's a basement. If anything you really would only want it to exhaust air & you absolutely wouldn't want to introduce humid outdoor air into the basement. You might even have a Radon problem that this would be better used for.

If you can't use it for Radon, Bath or Kitchen exhaust venting, then plug it up with foam or fiber insulation until a future use can be determined. You could also use the hole as natural light by making your own Sola-tube type of setup.