Dusk to dawn dimmable control for indoor stair lights

The light sensor is obsolete

Modern light sensors "learn".  It takes them a day or two to learn "This is as bright as it gets" and "this is as dark as it gets", but once it does so, it will correctly switch the dusk-to-dawn lighting.  However it loses the memory if you switch power off to it.  So don't do that.

So toss your obsolete light sensor and get a new one.

One does not simply "dim" LEDs

Your best bet is simply get smaller (lower lumen) LED "bulbs" if it takes bulbs.

Your second best bet is get some cinematic gels (a sheet of tinted plastic).  Figure a way to tuck them inside your fixtures and cut them to shape. If it's not enough dimming, use two or more.  I'd use light gray, and also it's a good time to correct color temperature issues, that's the main use of gels.

Third best is to get an IoT/smart home/connected home controller, and get LED lights built to be dimmable by that smart controller.  The smart controller has no sensor; it gets on the Internet and finds out when dusk and dawn are. Then you implement both the dimming and the dusk-to-dawn with controller scripts, "at dawn turn off lights 1,2,3,4,5" "at dusk set lights 1,2,3,4,5 to 27%".

Other than that, dimming LEDs is byzantine.  Most of them have a switching power supply designed to work on multiple voltages, and will see dimming as a "brownout" and either refuse to dim, or shut off.  You have to buy particular LEDs designed to be dimmed, note which particular technology of dimmer they work with, and get a compatible dimmer. But most of them assume the human wants to change the dimming daily, they are not made to set once and hold forever.  After a power failure they'll likely bounce back to full brightness.  Generally unless you've designed the system to be dimmable, dimming ain't gonna happen.

And mind you, all that stuff in the last paragraph probably won't "play well" with the dusk-to-dawn sensor.  Either the dimmer will "dim" the sensor which will cause problems, or the sensor will shut off power to the dimmer and reset it.

You're asking a lot of technology here and you'll have to cope with some compromises.


What is the best approach to repair outside cantilevered wood deck joists with dry rot?

The method you found in the This Old House article - treating the rot in the original joists and adding new joists - is pretty simple stuff.  I am pretty sure the author of the BayAreaContractor.com is well aware of that option for repair.  It works fine with joists supported at both ends of the span.
I agree with that article - that it's a much more complicated job with cantilever joists, and to make a structurally sound retrofit repair is really tricky.  You can't simply repair the cantilever portion.  You're going to need a very capable contractor to pull this off without risking an unsafe deck and without doing further damage to your house.


3 way circuit only works in some switch states

I've had this happen more times than I can count after replacing switches. They aren't all oriented the same, and I can't visualize the circuit in my head well enough to know where the travelers go.

The good news is that they're all carrying the hot branch in your case, so you can try different combinations willy-nilly and not risk a short-circuit. Open which ever switch is easier to work on (probably the standard toggler since it's the only thing in that box) and start moving things around.


Joining a branch drain line at a 30 degree angle?

How do plumbers get a 30 degree angle from PVC ?

There are lots of ways to go about it for example reworking your plumbing, but the easier way is to just buy the 30 Degree PVC pipe that you need.

Below is not an endorsement but a reference for where you can get it .. of course a plumbing supply might have them in stock and on hand for same day pickup ..

https://www.supplyhouse.com/PVC-Schedule-40-30-deg-Elbows-15206000


Is it possible to replace my phone wires t network wires in the walls?

If you are thinking of using the existing phone wires to pull ethernet cable through the walls, the answer is most likely no.  The phone wire is almost certainly smaller, so it will probably be passing through smaller holes. On top of that, it is likely stapled to the framing.

That said, fishing new wire through the walls usually isn't that hard if you have access to the bottoms and tops of the interior walls in the basement and the attic. The easiest way would typically be to wire the first floor in a star pattern from the basement, and the top floor in a star pattern from the attic, then connect them with one cable running from basement to attic. Good places to try and fish a basement to attic cable would be alongside the main vent stack for your plumbing or through a wet wall. If you don't want to put individual jacks in the walls, you can always just run one cable and put a second access point on the upper floor.


prevent splitting w/ nailgun in small pieces of wood

Predrill, and also probably use a hammer, not a nailgun, for this piece.


Loss of power to several circuits at the same time without tripping the breaker

Sounds like you have a problem in your panel. How old is it? Sounds like it could be a split-buss panel and only the "lighting main" fed breaker are being affected.

In my strong opinion you need to have a qualified/real electrician (ie: NOT a "handyman") come out and check it. This is typically NOT a DIY fix.


Does your kit contain components that look like these:

Or these:

Note that these both types of these studs have a differing type/size of threading on each end.

For your chair leg application in all likelihood the studs to hold on the legs look like the latter type. These are installed with the lag bolt thread end screwed into the end of the chair leg. Since you have a chair kit the installation holes are probably already pre-drilled into the leg at one end from the side corner. Here is a picture that shows a common usage for chair front legs or table legs.

One way to install the stud into the chair leg is to thread two nuts onto the bolt threaded end of the stud. Then use two wrenches to tighten the two nuts toward each other so that they lock onto the thread. Then use one wrench to screw the lag bolt thread end into the chair leg using one of the nuts as a bolt head. After the stud is screwed into place use the two wrenches to loosen the pair of locked nuts so that they can be removed off the stud.


Wall Mounting a tv, how much can my wall take?

A stud can hold much more weight than a 20 lb TV.

However, since your mount extends, that 20 lbs will actually add a lot more force to the mounting location.

You will still be fine as long as you are mounting directly to a wall stud. You should be certain that you are screwing it to the center of the stud.

Also, follow the installation instructions with the mount. With such a small mounting footprint, I think it is more important that you get everything correct.


Complete Waterproof Service Panel AWG 1 Splice

I'd use a Burndy UGSKIT250

For this sort of outdoor/exposed-splice application (as you would find when splicing a triplex or quadruplex overhead feeder or service cable to riser wires in a mast), I would use a Burndy UGSKIT250 for the individual wire splices.  This kit consists of a bare (uninsulated) mechnical splice suitable for 1AWG-250kcmil wire, either copper or aluminum, and a length of heavy wall heat shrink tubing to be shrunk over the top of the splice for waterproofing.  It is UL listed for use outdoors (and even in direct burial applications), and does not require any sort of junction box.


What information do I need to size a sawn or hewn beam?

It depends on what kind of wood you're using. Different woods have different strength characteristics. You may want to swing by the local library and grab a copy of a "Timberframing: Design, Construction, Finishing" by Ted Benson, which has tables of wood characteristics.

Note: If you live in a town where a permit is required to do the work you're planning, you're going to have to get sign-off by a structural engineer - in which case, you might as well ask the engineer what dimensions you need for the wood you're planning to use.


You can use a clamp meter to measure current through a single conductor.

Current is the number of electrons flowing through the wire per unit time, and is measured in amperes. If you know the voltage, you can use that to calculate power (watts):

Power [watts] = Current [amps] X Voltage [volts]

If this is a standard residential power system you can assume 110V or 220V for the voltage, or you can measure it with a voltmeter/multimeter. If you want kW instead of watts, you divide by 1000. (The formula on your website includes a "Power Factor" which is based on the appliance being used. In most cases it's close to 1, so you can just leave it out unless you need to be super-precise or happen to know that you have a low power factor.)

The major limitation of a clamp meter in measuring household power is that it can only be clamped around a single conducting wire, not the entire romex cable. If you clamp around the entire cable you will get a reading of 0, since the two conductors have opposite currents and they cancel each other out. This limitation means the meter is probably only practical inside the circuit breaker box or an electrical box, where space and safety concerns may make it a bad idea.


Why would a GFCI trip on refrigerator circuit?

Residential Kitchen

In a dwelling unit (residential), GFCI protection is only required for kitchen receptacles that serve the countertop surfaces. There's no requirement to GFCI protect receptacles that serve a refrigerator. Unless the fridge is plugged into a countertop receptacle.

  National Electrical Code 2014

  Chapter 2 Wiring and Protection

  Article 210 Branch Circuits

  I. General Provisions

  210.8 Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for Personnel. Ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel shall be provided as required in 210.8(A) through (C). The ground-fault circuit-interrupter shall be installed in a readily accessible location.

  (A) Dwelling Units. All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and
  20-ampere receptacles installed in the locations specified in
  210.8(A)(1) through (10) shall have ground-fault circuit interrupter protection for personnel.

  (6) Kitchens— where the receptacles are installed to serve the countertop surfaces.

Garages, Unfinished Basement, and Other Locations

If the refrigerator is in a garage, boathouse, or unfinished basement. All the receptacles are required to be GFCI protected, so the fridge will have to be plugged into a GFCI protected receptacle.

Why does the fridge trip the GFCI?

Any inductive load when switched off, can produce electromagnetic interference (EMI). This interference can, and often does, trip GFCI devices. Most vapor compression refrigerators have a few inductive loads, any of which could cause the trip.

Is there anything that can be done?

There are devices called snubbers that can be used to reduce, or eliminate the effects of EMI. Installing one between the fridge and the GFCI device, could prevent nuisance trips. The best solution though, is to connect the fridge to a non-GFCI protected circuit.

If that's all it takes, why isn't there already one built in?

While most (all) manufacturers are aware that refrigerators can cause nuisance tripping of GFCI devices, most (none) seem willing to provide a solution. It would be complete speculation for me to try and tell you why they don't care, so of course I'll go through a few possibilities.

Cost.
Plain and simple, it costs money to implement a solution.
Warranties and Operating Conditions.
Most refrigerators are designed to operate in a kitchen. Running them in dusty, dirty garages and basements could lead to more warranty covered repairs.


What is the name of the round metal bit at the top of a bathtub drain?

The following is UK terminology.
As a unit it's a 'bath waste', but that includes the part it's screwed to underneath and quite often the pipe & overflow linkage too - everything above the trap.
If you want only the part you can see in the photo, it's a 'jumper plate' - but be careful, because a jumper is also a tap [faucet] washer.
I have to admit to having to look up what just this bit is called. I've never dealt with anything smaller than the entire waste, which also tends to be how you buy them; as complete sets.
If you were to visit a merchant's in person, you could get away with just calling it a 'plug hole' & wait for them to ask you which bit of it you require & what size. Bath wastes tend to be 40mm standard, though ask for 'inch & a half' as we Brits seem to have hung onto that as a definition.
BTW, be very very careful of just unscrewing the jumper plate unless you can reach underneath to hold it up. That's not a predicament you want to be in if you have tiled the bath sides, or can't come in from the ceiling below. Your question doesn't make it clear just what access you have or quite what you intend to do.


Just wrap a small encasement around the board and last couple inches of wall. Three boards finished to match the rails. I doubt you would even need to do 45s, just drop the side boards from the top board by cutting it longer than the wall is wide/thick by twice the thickness of a side board.


It is very common to have outlets, even panels near sinks.  No biggie.

Remember the dryer is going to be plugged in 24/7 and not likely to be messed around with, so not unsafe.


Is there a practical, inexpensive way to track power usage by source?

The low cost "plug-in" energy monitors are actually quite good, but are limited to devices that plug-in. As soon as you want to monitor devices that are hard-wired like your pool, spa, water heater and electric car charger, you are going to have to have something installed by a licensed electrician if you are uncomfortable with working on your household power system.

The clamp-on device shown will not show you "Power"(watts), it will only be able to show you Current, which is a COMPONENT of Power (W = V x A x Power Factor). For the devices that are only resistant heat, like your water heater and pool heater and spa heater, Power factor is 1, so you can safely estimate Power by assuming the Voltage and measuring the Current. But for the pump motors and the car charger, there will be Power Factor involved and you need specialized metering to read it correctly, otherwise you are just guessing.

A very INDIRECT way of determining consumption of any given device is to use your utility metering in the following way.

learn how to read your utility meter. Most utilities will provide you with instructions, often on a web page.
Turn EVERYTHING off in your entire house, EXCEPT the load you want
to measure
Record the Watt-Hours at the start, and again in exactly 1 hour. For the pool and spa, make sure you are doing this under the worst case scenarios; the pump is running, for example during the filter time frame, AND the heater is called for because the pool/spa cooled down. The same for the Spa. You can "force" this by turning them off for a few hours before hand (but check to see when your filter runs, often they are scheduled for off-peak hours). That energy (Watt-Hours) will give you a general idea of how much power you are using per hour of run time.
In the case of your car charger, do the same; plug it in and turn it
on when you know that the car needs charging.

Unfortunately, you will not necessarily know exactly how many HOURS per day these things actually run. That's where a sub-metering system comes in handy. It will record the actual Watt-Hours they use in a given time frame. that takes more sophistication, hence the added cost. There are by the way some companies in some areas that own this equipment and will perform an energy audit for you for a fee, likely less than the cost of buying the equipment. In some places, like mine in California, the utility will do that for you if you ask. might be worth checking into.


Bathroom light/exhaust fan fixture wiring

There is a flapper (back draft damper) in the outlet of the exhaust fan. Make sure that it opens when the fan runs and is not stuck closed by anything including a mounting screw or discharge pipe item. Make sure that all the packing material has been removed from the fan housing. You can remove the fan and motor so you can inspect the vent damper. On the roof, make sure that the discharge damper assembly will open with  any air movement.  Hope this helps.


Do I have to do anything different to use compression fittings on chrome pipe?

When I was installing radiators we used brass olives that had a one sided chamfer instead of a chamfer on both sides as per normal olives.

Also using nylon olives with a boiler is usually a bad idea as they might not be able to take the heat.


Can I use flexible LED strips to get better lighting in my kitchen?

You can definitely get flexible led strips that are bright enough to do what you want. Many of them run on 12V, which you can easily get from a small power supply, and you could just plug it into an outlet on the counter.

I would put them under the cabinets; it would be easily to hide them there. Many of the strips can be had with adhesive backing, which would just stick under the counter.

To answer your question on the individual lights, the individual LEDs will blend together nicely.

If you look at Amazon, you'll find a lot of solutions, and they are fairly cheap.


Ceramic Stain: Removal (from hot water tank)

Sounds like a rust stain. I would go with a product like CLR.

But, before trying it, try it on a spare uninstalled tile to be sure it won't do more damage to the tile than the stain.

These products are very caustic, so don't underestimate them! Heed the instructions carefully regarding sitting time, use of personal safety equipment, and thoroughly rinsing the tile afterward.


How can I use a 240 volt circuit for 240v and 120v appliance as per code?

If the microwave is going to be plugged in to a receptacle, which almost all are, then the following articles apply:

406.4 General Installation Requirements.  Receptacle outlets shall be located in branch circuits in accordance with Part III of Article 210. General installation requirements shall be in accordance with 406.4(A) through (F).
(A) Grounding Type.  Except as provided in 406.4(D) [this refers to replacing old two prong receptacles and doesn't apply to your case], receptacles installed on 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits shall be of the grounding type. Grounding-type receptacles shall be installed only on circuits of the voltage class and current for which they are rated, except as provided in Table 210.21(B)(2) and Table 210.21(B)(3).

This is a crude recreation of the Table, notice 40 amp circuits require 40 amp receptacles.

Table 210.21(B)(3) Receptacle Ratings for Various Size Circuits
Circuit Rating (Amperes) : Receptacle Rating (Amperes)
15 : Not over 15
20 : 15 or 20
30 : 30
40 : 40 or 50
50 : 50

This means a receptacle on a 40 amp circuit has to be rated 40 or 50 amps.
If your microwave is hard-wired, then there is an exception to allow taps on a 50 amp circuit but not on anything smaller so this exception does not apply to your 40 amp circuit.

210.19(A)(3) Exception No. 1: Conductors tapped from a 50-ampere branch circuit supplying electric ranges, wall-mounted electric ovens, and counter-mounted electric cooking units shall have an ampacity of not less than 20 amperes and shall be sufficient for the load to be served. These tap conductors include any conductors that are a part of the leads supplied with the appliance that are smaller than the branch-circuit conductors. The taps shall not be longer than necessary for servicing the appliance. [This means the microwave would have to be hard-wired with minimum #12 wire.]

So, after reading through these articles, my opinion is that you will need to run a separate circuit for the microwave. And as long as you are doing it, you should make it a 20 amp circuit to allow for a higher powered microwave. In this case, doing the difficult thing is the safer and Code compliant thing.
Good luck!


Only if you can get the required slope on the line.

Waste lines larger than 2" are required to drop 1/4" for every 12" of run. So, this line must drop 1 1/2" for every 10 feet or 9" for 60 feet overall.

Can you get that much vertical drop in you line?

If not, you are asking for a clogged line and backed up toilet and nobody likes that.

Good luck!


Can I use romex in my unfinished, detached garage or should I use MC?

New Jersey apparently is using NEC 2011 with some minor amendments that would not appear to affect the question.

I believe that means the wire needs to be "protected" and as stated in my comment I'd personally recommend EMT (lightweight steel conduit) first and foremost, though MC/AC also suits my concept of keeping it rodent-proof (and barring insane rodent pressure, PVC conduit also works.)


What rivets should be used for gutter work?

It depends on your gutter brand's seam overlap. A narrow riveting area should prompt a small rivet (1/8") because you do not want to drill a large hole (for a thicker rivet) which could weaken the gutter material in the riveted area, causing failure of the gutter material under stress.

The grip range required is determined by combined material thickness.


How can I install a timer with three-way switches?

If you have more than two screws on a switch it's probably a 3 way. The other option would be a 120v/240v switch or something like that for a motor load possibly. If you have a black screw where the red wire is tied to on each switch, it's a 3 way. Yours are probably both 3 ways. They would not operate if they weren't. Anyway here are a few variations on how to wire that up:

http://www.wfu.edu/~matthews/courses/p230/switches/3way/variations.html

great and easy to follow!

Forgot to mention the timer has to be a 3 way timer as well. From the pdf you linked it didn't look like it was unless I missed something. I know a lot of those are both single or 3 way depending on how you want to use it.


Is it safe to do a three-way splice in a single gang junction box?

box fill for 12 awg wire has a multiplier of 2.25.
the ground wire is only counted once so with 3 cables plus the feed 1x2.25 for the ground 8x 2.25 for the 4 hot and 4 neutral.
There is no switch or device in this box so we could skip that but if there was 4.5 adder would be needed because 2x of the largest wire connecting to it.
The integrated clamps in that type of box do not count but if internal clamps in the box that would be a 2.25 adder.
so right now with 9x 2.25 The required volume would be 20.25 cubic inches
The box you listed is a little undersized. When I have this many cables I usually go to a 4 square box they do make 4 square old work boxes but those usually require clamps and a 2 gang face plate because a mud ring (single gang adapter) kinda messes up the old work idea. A 4 square x 2-1/8 deep would provide 30.3 cu inch if you wanted to put the device in that box it would be large enough for that and the clamps.


How can I wire a bathroom light switch which has an outlet, exhaust fan, and vanity light all from same junction box?

sounds like you probably have a 14-3 wire but the red wire may not be doing anything. The black wire should be across the switch and anything on the other side of the switch will go off and on with the switch. White wire shouldn't go across any switches. On receptacles, the black wire always goes to the brass screws and the white wire always goes to the silver screws. There are two ways to connect to a switch or receptacle with 14 gauge wire: you can push it in the holes in the back or you can connect it to the screws.


No you do not need to repair the drywall, but you will need to fill it back in around the metal plates that are there. If you have the scrap drywall that was cut out, set it back in place at least over the studs, but, I say again, not over the metal plates. You DO NOT want any fasteners there, the metal is protecting something inside the wall cavity. If you do not have the scrap drywall handy, 1/2" plywood cut to size will work too. The idea is the base you need to reinstall, is well supported at the bottom as well as the top. The spaces where the metal is, the base will span that short dimension with no problem.

The length of finish nails (pictured in Testor 101's post) you will need are 2" long. Set 2 at every stud location. If there is no stud available because of the metal plates, you can nail into the bottom plate, that will always work. The amount of nails you need to drive do not warrant a compressor and nail gun, unless you have one handy. You will only need about 20 or more well set nails, figuring you have about 10 studs along that line. Keep your nails about 1" from the top and bottom edge. Piloting is a good idea for a novice. A 3/32" or maybe an 1/8" drill bit will do nicely for a 2" finish nail.

As suggested before, do use blue tape where you want to nail. Use it to mark the ends of the metal plates so you will know where you nails can go without hitting the metal plates.


Subfeed Lugs for GE Powermark Plus Loadcenter

Paralleling subfeed lug blocks is an option...

While the THLK2200 indeed is only supported by PowerMark Gold loadcenters, there is nothing that prohibits one from putting subfeed lug blocks (as opposed to actual breakers) in parallel, provided they support attaching large enough wires (1/0 or larger), and the attached wiring obeys the NEC rules for parallel conductors, namely that the wires must all be the same length, use the same kind of wire, and be derated appropriately if they're in the same conduit.  This lets us use a pair of THLK2125s to get 200A total out of this panel, despite the lack of a single 200A subfeed lug block that'll do the job.

Furthermore, one can also use subfeed lug blocks to backfeed a panel provided they are held down with the appropriate retainer kits, just as one would do with a backfed main or generator breaker.  This allows us to come up with a way to handle the length-matching issue without undue difficulty, given that your panel does not have any global restrictions on stab ampacity given on its label.

Of course, you'll need neutral lugs to match, and for this, we'll use a 286A8894G1 add-on neutral lug kit, mounted to the left-hand inboard neutral lug position at the top (the "tab" there), along with the existing 2/0 lug at the right-hand inboard position.  The two subfeed lug blocks, then displace the existing breakers at the top of the existing panel, going across (these breakers will have to move no matter what, since your panel only permits T(H)QDL breakers to be fitted in the top four full-width spaces).

As to the feeder itself...

For the feeder, we can easily get 6 1/0 Al (or even 2/0 Al if you want some extra safety margin in case something comes undone) XHHW-2 wires in a 2" rigid nipple fitted between the two loadcenters, coming out the bottom of one side of the existing panel and going into the bottom of the adjacent side of the new panel.  You'll want to order a single length of XHHW-2 Al wire for this and cut and tape it yourself (black, red, white is fine) so that you can ensure that you have equal lengths of wire and that everything is correctly phase taped so you don't accidentally short something out by way of mixing your wires up.  The conduit nipple, then, serves as the grounding path between the two enclosures; you'll need to make sure that the locknuts are made up tightly for this, and that any paint on the insides of the boxes around the locknut contact areas is removed.

...and the choice of loadcenter

We already know that we'll need a 200A or 225A NEMA 3R (outdoor/weatherproof), main lug loadcenter for this new panel.  The only question left, then, is a matter of spaces, and for that you'll want to go as big as you can get.  If you're sticking with GE, this means using a TLM4020RCU or perhaps a TLM4225RCU; however, this limits you to 42 spaces, with no way to migrate breakers from the old loadcenter to the new since neither of those panels can accept half-width (double-stuff, THQP) breakers.

With these panels, you'll want to leave them configured as main lug, but leave the normal main lugs unused. Instead, you'll want to fit another pair of THLK2125s in the topmost set of spaces, going across, held down by a THQLRK4 backfeed retainer kit (one retainer kit holds down both subfeed lug blocks).

The incoming feeder neutrals, then, land on both neutral lugs in the new panel, one per lug, and a TGK42 ground bar will need to be fitted to the new panel as it's a subpanel.  You'll also need to be careful when wiring up the new panel to make sure that both wires connected to the A leg in the first panel connect to the A leg in the second panel, and likewise with the B leg, lest you create a 240V short that the main breaker in your existing panel will tell you about with no shortage of urgency when you try to turn the power back on!

If you don't want to go through this hassle, though...

If you find the above process to be too much of a hassle, though, there is a way to get a 200A breaker for your panel, it just takes a bit of cleverness and understanding of corporate parentage.  You see, GE has a subsidiary known as Midwest Electric that makes RV pedestals, metering equipment, and such; what's not as commonly known is that this equipment uses GE breakers, despite the fact that they have their own breaker part numbers.  So, as far as I can tell, the Midwest CB2200B should be equivalent to a TQDL21200, and somewhat more available as well (KSCdirect has the former for about $300 at the time of this writing).

With this, we can use the same 2" nipple to the new panel, but a somewhat more conventional feeder consisting of two 250kcmil Al hots, run from the lugs on the new feeder breaker to the main lugs on the new panel and a pair of 1/0 or 2/0 Al neutrals, run from the top set of neutral lugs (with a 286A8894G1 fitted to the inner left-hand neutral lug mounting position, again) on the existing panel to the neutral lugs on the new panel.  In this case, phase taping isn't critical, but it's still important to make the paralleled neutrals the same length!  (Your panel apparently can't accept the larger neutral add-a-lugs for some reason, based on its labeling, and I can't find any instructions that say otherwise.)


If the 2x4 is not too twisted, then you can probably just use a clamp or a block. Start by fastening one end of the stud in place, and then use one nail to fasten the other end. The nail should be placed such that one of the edges of the stud is centered (as it should be). The other edge (lets call it edge B) will not be on center until a clamp or block is used to straighten the stud. If edge B is off center such that it is closer to the adjacent stud, the a block should be inserted between the two studs. Once the stud is aligned with the appropriate center, nail it in! Or if edge B is further away from the adjacent stud, a bar clamp can be used to pull it back toward the center.

If the stud is very twisted, you can relieve much of the stress with boiling water. You will need to boil about 1-2 quarts of water. With the twisted stud in place, (3 nails in it) begin pressing/untwisting it with a block or clamp. After you have untwisted it partly, wrap a towel on the on the area (2 to 5 ft) with the most twisting and pour the boiling water onto the towel. Pour slowly allowing the hot water to contact and saturate the wood. After a few minutes continue to apply pressure with the block or clamp. It may take up to 10 minutes for the wood to begin to soften. Again, once the stud is aligned with the appropriate center, nail it in!

Note: boiling could soften the wood too much, and allow compression failure. Source: (http://www.primitiveways.com/bending.html). So, studs treated with boiling water should not be used for load bearing walls.


I would recommend heavy duty constructive adhesive followed by grout colored caulk that best matche the grout around the tiles https://www.google.com/search?q=grout+colored+caulk

to minimize cost and work I would risk using the caulk as glue

try to remove the old adhesive
clean back of tile and wall well
put a lot of construction adhesive on the back of the tile (risky optional: replace construction adhesive with caulk)
put tile back on the wall and hold in place with masking/painter tape
1  hour later remove tape
caulk around the tile and clean any thing that doesn't look neat with your fingers


It could be mites from another type of animal, such as mice. I get bites in the garden in the summer from invisible mites. I don't know how to get rid of them but next summer I was going to try putting vaseline or olive oil on my legs. The olive oil works for no-see-ems in Mexico, as they drown in it.


what size propane back-up generator is needed to run

The 3 hp pump full load amperage should be 230 V 3910 VA x 125% since this is the largest motor 4887.5 VA.

The 1/2 HP would normally be 115 V 1176 VA.

3 refrigerators / freezer total 4320 VA for a total of 10,383 VA.  I may be a bit over on the fridge/freezer size since I used 80% of 15 amp x 3.

I would not go lower than a system that had a peak rating of 10 kW but a continuous wattage closer to 7.5 kW should work.

Watch out.  Some generators list their peak rated value and some list  continuous rating trying to make a smaller unit look like a deal.

I have a 8.5/13? (peak/continuous kW) that runs 2 wells (3 hp & 1.5 hp both 230 V) 2 fridge/freezers, all the lighting in the house and barn and power to run the wood stove fan with some reserve.


Can I bury RG6 in the same conduit as electric?

No, you cannot. Unless you're not covered by National Electrical Code (or similar), you don't care about following codes, or you're also installing a permanent barrier or listed divider.

  National Electrical Code

  Chapter 8 Communications Systems.

  Article 820 Community Antenna Television and Radio Distribution Systems.

  820.133 Installation of Coaxial Cables and Equipment.
  Beyond the point of grounding, as defined in 820.93, the
  coaxial cable installation shall comply with 820.133(A)
  and (B).

  (A) Separation from Other Conductors.

  (1) In Raceways, Cable Trays, and Boxes.

  (b) Electric Light, Power, Class 1, Non–Power-Limited
  Fire Alarm, and Medium-Power Network-Powered Broadband
  Communications Circuits. Coaxial cable shall not be
  placed in any raceway, compartment, outlet box, junction
  box, or other enclosures with conductors of electric light,
  power, Class 1, non–power-limited fire alarm, or medium-power
  network-powered broadband communications
  circuits.

  Exception No. 1: Where all of the conductors of electric
  light, power, Class 1, non–power-limited fire alarm, and
  medium-power network-powered broadband communications
  circuits are separated from all of the coaxial cables by
  a permanent barrier or listed divider.

You can Either put a second conduit in the trench for communications circuits, or put direct-burial coaxial cable in the trench.


How can I remove the faucet cover I dropped down the drain?

Fish it out. A piece of gum (or tape) on the end of a stick might work, as might a clipped coat hanger with a 90° hook at one end.


Old wiring - no hot in switch box - possible switch loop?

I think the problem is that you have the white wire which is the return of the switch leg tied into the neutrals. This creates a direct short when the switch is thrown.

Find the white that's in the cable for the switch loop, mark it with black tape (because it's technically a hot), and use it as the hot for your fan. Connect the fan's neutral wire to the white bundle. Then you can put all black wires together.

The third black wire is probably an outgoing branch for another light or outlets. I think this is your scenario (you can reverse black and white in the switch loop if you label the white with tape):

Image attribution


How should I seal a drain waste line that I'm no longer using?

There are different ways this could be sealed easily and correctly. One way would be a rubber overcover with stainless steel band clamp.
I would not remove this sewer line from the ground unless it is corroded or likely to corrode to the point of leaking. At some later date someone might wish to install an outside sink, e.g., for a fish cleaning station, dog washing,  or other use which is incompatible with an inside sink. Cut it off out of the way, and cap it properly.


Did unfinished attics serve a functional purpose in old houses?

Not functional, but cost. Roofs have slopes to drain water and slough snow. It's the nature of their design that there's a hollow below. Since the finished space is relatively small, and since it costs more to build a floor robust enough to carry  people and furniture, and since it costs more to finish the space and insulate and add (larger) windows, and since the space was useful as storage without being finished, and since people back then were happy with less space and fewer things, they didn't bother.

An indirect benefit to an attic, as opposed to a completely open roof cavity, was that it didn't need to be heated. Lower ceilings keep heat down where the human inhabitants are.

Obviously there's some energy efficiency to be gained by having enclosed attics above a ceiling in an uninsulated home, but that's not the primary reason attics were built. Drainage (and to a lesser extent, style) were the main drivers.


I'd go with 2 5,000's side by side in windows 2 & 3. However, if any of the 3 operable windows are top & bottom tilt-ins for cleaning & therefore both sashes can be completely removed. Then, I'd go for a thin but Tall AC unit, click the right scroll bar 4-times to see the larger models. As you'll see these would even fit quite loosely in window #1, the preferred window.


What's the best way to cover my egress window (not soft plastic) where the window is above the window well?

I would recommend against the flimsy dome covers bib recommends in his answer/comment based on safety concerns with children. However, he is on the right track with a domed window well cover, you just need to search for one designed specifically for an egress window that supports weight, covers the full well, and allows egress. Here is an example http://www.egresswindows.com/product/Dome-Cover-5600-Egress-Well/window-well-covers-grates (note this not an endorsement of the linked product).


they are contributing to strength .but can probably be replaced by a plywood bracing panel where the stairs overlap


How can I attach a handrail to the wall so that it will be easily removable?

I solved the same problem by with t-nuts.  Embed the t-nuts into the stud, or in my case a wooden brace between the studs.  Then attach the bracket to the t-nut with a machine bolt.  I've screwed and unscrewed the bolt repeatedly but because it is metal-to-metal it does not compromise the wood and thus does not wobble.

(I agree this question is different than the one about a removable stair railing because this railing goes into the wall).

I haven't yet figured out how to mount such a wall rail into masonry.  A 2-part or removable bracket, as you ask, seems like a good idea but I haven't found one yet.


Double water inlet from kitchen sink (to install a dishwasher)

First question. Do you have a garbage disposer unit? If so there is highly likely a port on the side of it where the dishwasher drain line can connect. The disposer cavity provides an air gap between the actual drain and the dishwasher drain hose so there can be no possibility of a siphon back into the washer. Before attaching a drain hose to a disposer there is normally a knock out slug that must be removed inside the drain nib on the disposer.

If you have no disposer then you will have to add an air gap for the dishwasher drain line that mounts in a hole up on the back skirt of the sink. The dishwasher drain connects to the air gap and than another short hose goes to a modified sink down spout fitting before the P-trap. The air gap and alternate downspout fittings look like this:

The connection for the dishwasher water line will require the application of a Tee type fitting onto the existing faucet under your sink. The exact nature of the fittings required will depend upon the type of connections there are there now and what the dishwasher comes with. If you do not consider yourself a sometimes plumber it may be well to call in a local expert to deal with the water piping (and the drains if you so wish). Here is an example of dishwasher water line Tee connection. Note it can be a good idea to equip the branch line with a ball valve shut off. The picture shown is a Tee with the branch valve built right in.


Vertical cracks on newly poured foundation

Sounds like he back filled the wall too soon, it will crack every time.  And leak.


Projector arm on drywall (possible stud available)

The answer to "how do I mount an articulating arm to drywall" is "you don't". Find a stud. It's not worth taking the chance considering the cost of the projector.

Your best bet is to get this hung off of the stud. To do this effectively, you should firmly attach a piece of plywood or hardwood to the stud, and then attach the arm to the wood. I suggest pre-drilled lag bolts for attaching the plywood to the stud, and T-nuts with bolts and lock washers to attached the arm to the wood.

If you can't find a stud where you need one, then find them on either side, cut a piece of wood to span them, and bolt the arm to that piece of wood.


How to fix out of level foundation walls

Concrete that's "fixed" like this is sure to begin crumbling right after the contractor moves out of state. I'd be dissatisfied with this. As far as I'm concerned this is a breach of contract and is the contractor's responsibility, even as far as removing the entire thing and doing it over. That's out of scope for this site, though.
The only fix I'd DIY is to level the top wall plates and cut the studs custom to fit below. You'll then have to deal with the situation when you install siding, etc., so it is all parallel with the top plate. I would not fiddle with concrete repairs that may not hold up well.
One possible fix by others that I might deem satisfactory would be to have a skilled mason lay a shorty block row on the footings, level on top, and built up with mortar below where needed. That could be poured full of concrete to retain the integrity of the current foundation.


Best way to ground an Intersystem Bonding Termination (IBT)?

D) None of the above

Most purpose-made Intersystem Bonding Termination devices are designed with a lay-in lug as part of them, designed to connect to a wire-type Grounding Electrode Conductor without disrupting the GEC, which is required by NEC 250.64(C) point 1 to be unspliced save for exothermic welds or irreversable compression splices.  As thus, I would do just that, mounting the device at a convenient point along the GEC and routing the GEC through the lay-in lug to make the connection.

If that is not an option, I would use a Burndy BDT mounted to the service equipment cabinet, with a minimum 6AWG bare copper bonding jumper inside the enclosure connecting the device to a ground bar.  This avoids having to reroute the GEC itself while still providing a convenient intersystem bonding termination point.


Gap in sealant round edge of bath, mould underneath, what to replace with

If there is moisture still there, then mold and mildew will return. If the problem was not fixed, then it will return. Bathrooms are particularly bad in this respect, since moisture is a natural consequence of using water. I would expect to need to redo things like caulking every few years to fix this. It will not last forever.

Scrape/pull off the old silicon.
Apply a solution of bleach to kill the mold. Be careful when you apply it, as bleach can damage the clothes you are wearing. Keep the area ventilated well.
Let it dry. If you are in a hurry, a fan blowing on the area will help. A hair dryer can also speed that process considerably.
Apply new caulk in a smooth bead. I use my finger to spread it along the joint. Definitely use a high quality silicon caulk with a mold/mildew inhibitor. These are caulks that are designated for use in bathrooms.
Allow it to fully dry before you get it wet again. Give it a day or so. It will skin over in an hour or so, but make sure it has properly cured before use of the shower.

Expect to redo this process in some number of years. The exact time it will last depends on how well the area is ventilated.

Of course, there may be mold in the wall itself. This is difficult to deal with unless you tear the wall down to replace it completely, and even then water tends to attract the stuff. Mold spores are everywhere.


Questions about shower wall tile install

Here is a post I found on JLC's website.

Re: Vitreous or Semi-Vitrious tile in shower?

The absorption problem is behind the tile - not on the surface, so sealing the face of the finished job will not prevent moisture from penetrating the tile body (via moisture seeping in through grout joints.
 Unless the shower will be used so much there is not enough time for the installation to COMPLETELY dry out in between uses, semi-vitreous tiles are a poor choice. Whether or not this (degree of use) is the case, the density of the tile grout, and the adhesive contact are critical: grout mixed, applied, packed, and cleaned properly with an absolute minimum of cleaning water; 95% minimum adhesive contact between backs of tiles and setting bed. If you remove a tile and can see ANY trowel marks - there is not enough adhesive contact: voids in the adhesive layer will collect moisture and guide it into the tile body. When both are saturated, mold will grow: once established, you cannot kill it.

Make sure that the customer knows that impervious tiles are the best choice in wet areas. Semi-vitreous tiles are not the worst choice, but I would not recommend them. A disclaimer in your contract will help once discoloration or mold appear.

End of post

It sounds like a really bad idea....


Help Identifying this Shower Faucet Cartridge

I'm confused, you have two cartridges in your hand and all the cartridges are in place in the shower valve. Is it a different shower?

If there are no markings anywhere on the valves or handles, You've got two choices: go to your home store and look on the plumbing racks for an identical cartridge (bring the old one with) or go to a plumbing supply store and they should be able to match it. Those guys usually know their stuff. It will be hard to find one online without actually being able to line it up with the old one. Good luck and stay safe out there.


Replacing a fan fixture with a light fixture

Ground (bare, green or green/yellow) can only be a ground.

You need one neutral/return, and it must be a white or gray wire, so that's your white.

You need one "switched-hot" wire.  Electrical code says you can use any color not already mentioned.** An often-used convention is that a switched-hot is the color other than black, i.e. red.

The remaining wire gets capped off at both ends. Put a smallish wire-nut (e.g. orange if you have it) and hold it on with a few loops of tape; as wire-nuts are prone to falling off single wires.

** outside of certain industrial installations.  The general idea is that electricians should measure instead of assume.


the project turned out OK with a transition from light gray to white. the 90 cuts took some time, but went faster once I developed a technique.

finished grid


Should I clear up a small space with snow against a window?

Sure, snow insulates if it's air tight. Seems like plenty of space between the snow and window for fierce windchill to set in.
Assuming the window is at least double-pane and doing it's job with argon gas then there is not much benefit to having the snow there.
Consider this, the snow will melt and re-freeze several times throughout the season so you're better off preventing the melt from infiltrating the window frame and re-freezing. The sash might not rot but ice doesn't care about the material; water will freeze, expand, and damage, period.
Additionally, don't forget that your window is constantly losing heat and causing this melt-freeze cycle. The weather doesn't have to be above 32F in order for that snow to melt.


Baseboard/skirting board before or after carpet tiles?

You could do it either way. I probably would not put carpet in a laundry room as that area is more subject to spills, like a kitchen, and it’s harder to clean up detergent or water from carpet than vinyl, but...if you choose it, then: there are advantages to either order. The carpet tiles may need trimming and putting the baseboard on last will cover the edges so that will look a little neater.

Applied last, the baseboards will sit a little higher off the subfloor and may just look a little different. Only downside I see is if you want the baseboards to sit at a level that matches the height of another section of baseboard not above carpet tile, in which case you could rip it on a tablesaw to make it shorter to match the final height.


Is it inadvisable to reuse PVC? (Sch-40 white stuff)

Odds are it's fine, but you have more information to make a proper risk assessment than we do - for example, I wouldn't want to reuse it in my house, around wood or other materials prone to water damage, or if I was running something more valuable or potentially harmful than just water through it; just in case it did decide to fail majorly on me. I probably wouldn't do it if the cost of fittings would be greater than the cost of the pipe, either, since if it failed I'd likely double that cost to fix it.


Best insulation to adhere to back of door leading to attic space?

Rigid foam insulation will be the easiest to install, since you can simply screw it on. The blue or pink stuff should be fine, and they are easier to handle than Poly-Iso (yellow with a foil backing). You should pick up a pack of insulation washers, often sold for duct insulation, at your home center or on amazon. These are essentially large domed plastic washers, which flatten against the foam board, and provide a much stronger connection than a simple screw-head. Make sure you place your screws into the solid wood at the edges of the door too, so they don't pull out of the flimsy center.

You should really look at air infiltration first though. Make sure you run weatherstripping (either rubber gasket or foam strip) all around the opening. Make sure it latches snugly.

Even a heavily insulated door won't do much good if you have a 1/4-inch gap running around the frame.


Toilet with brown sediment in the toilet bowl

If on a well: While it's odd to have it only at one toilet, it otherwise sounds exactly like "clear water iron" (dissolved iron in the water, turns to rust when the water is exposed to oxygen.) That will pass right through a filter unless it's oxygenated first.
Try filling a clean white bucket with clean water, and then wait (or stir and wait.)
Or, check your water test results for iron and manganese.
If not on a well, check your aerator screens in the downstairs faucets, particularly.
You may be getting sediment or rust from the water distribution system, in which case a whole house filter should clean that up. You may not see it upstairs yet because it may be settling out more in the lower pipes.
Try filling your clean white bucket from the lowest drain valve or hose bibb in the house, or from the lowest sink with aerator removed. You probably won't have to wait long for it to settle out if this is debris, rather than clear water iron.


The manuals can be downloaded by entering your product number at this link.

This part attaches to the bottom-front of the dishwasher when you install it as a built-in (see page 2, step 1-6). You remove the excess from this part by cutting it along one of the groves (see page 2, step 5). This then becomes a toe kick that should somewhat resemble the location of the toe kick along the rest of the built-in cabinets in the kitchen.


Is the orientation of an expansion tank with respect to the pipe important?

In general, the tank can be installed vertically above or below the plumbing, or horizontally.  Typically, the tank is only required to be supported when installed in the horizontal position.  Most smaller tanks are designed to be supported by the plumbing, when installed in the vertical orientation. The most common recommendation seems to be, to install the tank vertically below the plumbing.
You'll want to check the manufacturer's installation instructions, to determine how to properly install the specific tank you're using.
Here's example installation instructions, from a Watts® Potable Hot Water Expansion Tank.

5. Install the expansion tank in the system (refer to Figure 1).
a. The weight of the expansion tank filled with water is supported by
the system piping. Therefore, it is important that, where appropriate,
the piping has suitable bracing (strapping, hanger, brackets).
b. The expansion tank may be installed vertically (preferred method)
or horizontally. Caution: The tank must be properly supported
in horizontal applications.
c. This expansion tank, as all expansion tanks, may eventually leak.
Do not install without adequate drainage provisions.


How can I neaten up the corner between stairs and wall

There are 2 typical ways to neaten things like this up:

Trim: thin pieces of wood or plastic cut into short pieces that fit in the treads and risers, tight to the wall. These can be painted or if it is wood, varnished. Pros: looks good, Cons: material cost, requires tools and expertise to look good, installation time
Caulk/mastic/silicone bead: gel sealants which are squeezed from a long tube in a continuous line that would trace the contour of the stairs between the stair and the wall. Pros: looks decent, cheap, fast and requires few tools. Cons: Not as nice looking as trim, only covers the crack between the tread and the stair, does not cover up the wall above the tread

You have a challenging set of stairs to trim because the front of the stair is curved, so any trim would need to match that contour exactly in order to look good. This can be done with the right tools, it's just a matter of expertise. Some sort of sealant bead would be a much simpler and cheaper solution, I would suggest paying someone to do it as they will do a better job of it.

Note: the above assumes you want to keep the look of the wooden stairs, if not you could carpet them up to the wall. If you do plan to carpet them nothing else is necessary.


Typical requirements for electrical final inspection?

I have done work as a licensed "homeowner" many times.   (passed local electrical exam)

Your local inspector can work out whatever they want to - basically they make the rules - but in general for the final electrical inspection, all outlets must be connected and all light units must be workable.

Every inspector that I have had has turned on every single light (need bulbs too), fully ground tested every outlet, and opened up most junction boxes.   These are the basics.

But again your local inspector can do whatever he wants but I highly doubt you are passing your final electrical before lights are in.   You should expect to install them and take them out if you need to do other work.

Note: I pulled the last inspection sheet I had.   It had a checklist for the final electrical walk-through that needed inspector checks and signature.


Electricity passes through a bulb holder, even when the switch is off

Look closely at that light switch.  See the two switch blocks (one blank) and the almost-square translucent fringe around both of them?  That lights up.  That is a backlight designed to help you find it in the dark.  You may have known this and forgot to mention it, or maybe it doesn't work for a particular reason.  Here is how those switches are wired internally.

As you can see, power flows through this circuit at all times.  If it's not going through the switch, it's going through the backlight.  Incandescent bulbs are quite low resistance when they are not burning (their resistance increases greatly as they heat up).  These backlights exploit that by leaking a tiny amount of current through the incandescent bulb, too little to make it glow, but enough to light the backlight.

Well, LED bulbs monkeywrench this arrangement. They aren't low resistance when off.  If current will go through the LED bulb with the backlight impeding flow, it may make the LED bulb function.  It might even make the LED bulb work, and the backlight not.  And that kind of thing is what you're running into.

Solution:

Go back to incandescent bulbs.  If it's a multi-bulb lamp, only one needs to be incandescent.
Go to a plain switch with no backlight.
Get a more modern switch that works the new way (not depending on leakage current, but requiring a neutral to the switch).


Is this light switch installation safe and legal?

My concern here would be for physical abuse

Right now, nothing stops those NM cables from getting whacked/pinched/crushed with books and such, especially if you have heavy tomes on your shelves.  This could be considered a violation of NEC 334.15(A) or (B):

  334.15 Exposed Work. In exposed work, except as provided
  in 300.11(A), cable shall be installed as specified in 334.15(A)
  through (C).

  (A) To Follow Surface. Cable shall closely follow the surface
  of the building finish or of running boards.

  (B) Protection from Physical Damage. Cable shall be protected from physical damage where necessary by rigid metal
  conduit, intermediate metal conduit, electrical metallic tubing,
  Schedule 80 PVC conduit, Type RTRC marked with the suffix -XW, or other approved means. Where passing through a floor,
  the cable shall be enclosed in rigid metal conduit, intermediate
  metal conduit, electrical metallic tubing, Schedule 80 PVC
  conduit, Type RTRC marked with the suffix -XW, or other
  approved means extending at least 150 mm (6 in.) above the
  floor.

  Type NMC cable installed in shallow chases or grooves in
  masonry, concrete, or adobe shall be protected in accordance
  with the requirements in 300.4(F) and covered with plaster,
  adobe, or similar finish.

You have two options to address this

There are two ways to address this issue: you can either replace the NM cables with a wiring method better suited to withstanding said reader-inflicted physical abuse, or you can put something in that will protect the boxes and cables from rough encounters with books while still allowing for access to them.  We'll discuss these options in turn.

Making this more rugged

While the normal wiring methods that are used to withstand the NEC's definition of "physical damage" are the various flavors of heavy-duty rigid conduit (RMC, IMC, EMT, Schedule 80 PVC, and RTRC-XW), surface metal raceway is also rated for such a duty, and doesn't suffer from the bending radius issues that other wiring methods in this application would have to deal with.

If you're using Legrand's Wiremold line for this, you'll need:

Two BW17 right angle raceway-to-1/2" conduit fittings, attached with 1/2" chase nipples and locknuts
Two BWH6 flat elbows
A BWH7 inside elbow
A length of BWH1 raceway
And a two gang metal extension ring for the old switch box

The idea here is that you use the extension ring instead of the normal starter box (as they don't make one in two gang, and two-gang to one-gang mud rings stick out too far) along with one of the BW17 fittings and associated parts to get the raceway going upward from the gang furthest from the inside corner, then use the two flat elbows and the inside elbow to get around the bend and going back down.  Then it's just a matter of using the other BW17 and its friends to transition the wires back into the box.

Once the raceway's in, then, you run individual THHN wires inside it to connect the circuits between the two boxes, just as if you were working in conduit.  (The existing NM cables can be tossed, or shucked and their wires kept for pigtail duty, your choice.)  Don't forget to plug the knockouts where the cables once entered/exited the boxes!

Using some cabinetry to box the boxes

If you feel yourself a better cabinetmaker than electrician, another option for this situation would be to put a cabinet divider wall in just to the right of this, and then add a cabinet door over the front, maintaining access while protecting the existing assembly from physical abuse or damage.  This also has the advantage of being a more finished look, at the cost of having an "un-cabinet" in your house that you can't really use for anything at all.  Making it match the existing built-in bookshelves may be a challenge, as well.


Clean mold/mildew from honed travertine tile in shower

2 household chemicals come to mind both work well for killing mold spores. House hold bleach and hydrogen peroxide. Both have the possibility of changing the color, I prefer hydrogen peroxide because it doesn't smell as bad. I learned about using Hydrogen peroxide when working at a hospital for a few years they would purchase stronger than the normal store bought type and add it to water then wipe the infected areas down. Since finding this out I have used a 3% solution to remove mold from carpet and spray directly on wooden surfaces with better results than bleach and less damage (discoloration) without the smell of bleach. The store bought Hydrogen Peroxide will work with a good saturation of porous surfaces.


Why does a wall in my finished basement only have a steel plate and no studs?

As Legion600 suggested, you probably have steel studs as furring strips. You need to be sure you are not hitting protection plates installed on wood studs.

These protect electrical or plumbing lines close to the stud face, and you must never attempt to drill through these. Usually, if you drill several inches above or below such plates, you will hit wood. If you are hitting metal along the entire stud length, it is not a protection plate, but a metal stud. Metal studs in this application should be fairly light gauge and easy to drill through. Protection plates are about 16 GA and are not easy to drill through.

You may anchor objects to metal studs. They are sturdy enough when finish sheathing is attached along their length. Do not use toggles, the hole required is too large. It's best to use a number of self-drilling screws that are barely long enough to engage the stud face material after passing through the mount and wall finish. This avoids damaging any lines routed through the center holes of the stud. You can also use self tapping screws into pre-drilled holes, but drill very carefully so as not to damage any underlying lines when the drill breaks through the face material, and again, use appropriate length screws.


The cap is called a "popup emitter" and is used to cap a drain line.  When there is water pressure the center part "pops" up and allows the water to flow.

Perhaps it's from a downspout or a sump pump.  It looks as though it may be clogged up.

Popup Emitter


I've used Miniwax Wood Hardener after removing rotted wood and have been pleased with the results. Also, when I do a repair like you're doing, I use an exterior grade epoxy. What you're considering should be fine. I also attach screws into the wood below the surface to better hold the epoxy in place.


Can I mix 12 gauge and 14 gauge wire in the same 15 amp circuit?

Yes.  There is no problem using 12 AWG wire on a circuit protected by a 15 ampere circuit breaker. If the lights; or anything else on the circuit, tries to draw more than the #14 wire can handle, the breaker will trip.


How do you interlock 2 pieces of plywood

A router with a straight bit or a table saw with a dado stack are the two best options for this task.

A dado stack will be more versatile if you have multiple widths of plywood that you want to work with:

A straight router bit isn't adjustable in width, but it will produce a cleaner bottomed cut. They're often available in sets for different sizes of plywood:

If you'd rather not spend the money on either of those, you can always use a table saw with a regular 1/8" kerf blade and make several passes. Then you can clean up the bottom of the groove with a chisel. I wouldn't recommend trying this with a circular saw, but if you do, you'll definitely need to make a straight cutting jig for it.


Adding an Interior Door on a Stair Landing

There shall be a floor or landing on each side of a door. Such floor or landing shall be at the same elevation on each side of the door. Landings shall be level except for exterior landings, which are permitted to have a slope not to exceed 1 unit vertical in 50 units’ horizontal (2-percent slope). - Florida Building Code 1008.1.4 2007 - See more at: http://inspectapedia.com/Stairs/Stair_Landings.php#DoorSwing

There's all sorts of code requirements that will not allow a door to be put in there. If you must have a door and not a curtain and you don't care about code, then I would put the door like this:

You'll have to install a door jamb, I would be surprised if you found a door from a big box store that perfectly fit so you might have to custom build it all yourself. It would be a big project!


Best way to fill gaps between lumber and masonry or rocks

I have seen fine wood dust mixed with a putty of some kind mixed and placed inside gaps, if the wood is stained then also add a little stain to match the color.
Sanding down to the exact shape would have been the first step for me then doing the filling.


Is there really any difference between yellow and white PTFE tape?

The colors mean something, but the meaning has changed over the years so some info may be old. The CURRENT standard is:

White = single density tape and is ONLY good for small fittings up to 3/8 in. pipe. Most people are unaware of this. "Double Density" tape used to come in white as well, but because that could be used for larger pipes, it was impossible for inspectors to know if the white tape used on 1/2" and larger pipe was in fact double density, so they stopped making it.

Yellow = double density, required for natural gas (methane) piping 1/2" to 2" dia. pipe. In many jurisdictions you MUST use double density tape on gas piping, so inspectors will look for yellow.

Pink = triple density, required for NPT threads 1/2" to 2". Again, most people are unaware of this change and hardware stores rarely sell it for the DIY market, but if you are going to get an inspection, this is what you must use now. This is also good for gasoline and propane lines.

There is also green for medical gasses (oil free tape) and gray / silver for use with stainless steel and aluminum pipe (has anti-seizing compounds embedded in the tape).

Over 2" you must use sealing compounds.


What type of space heater is best for an uninsulated garage?

I would recommend an oil-filled radiator style rather than an open coil style. This should reduce the chances of fumes and sawdust igniting.


Should I remove vinyl flooring before laying down hardwood?

Yep, it's actually pretty easy. For the most part it'll peel up, you just need a good scraper (available at Home Depot in the flooring tools aisle) to get up the stuck down parts. Don't worry about getting all the glue up, just get the majority of the chunks up so that the floor is smooth.


Can I safely install outlets in my basement?

There are a number of different factors involved. All of this can be a DIY project, depending on the particular situation. Some of the considerations:

New circuits vs. old circuits

Adding additional receptacles to an existing circuit is generally pretty easy. However, if you actually need more power - e.g., if your workbench will include power tools such as a table saw, drill press, shop vac, etc. then you will want to have additional circuits. New circuits mean new circuit breakers. That involves more work (which can be DIY if you study up first and know when to ask questions) but may involve serious panel issues, particularly if you are running out of space in your circuit breaker panel.

AFCI and/or GFCI

Depending on where you are, any new circuits or additional receptacles (as opposed to straight replacements) on existing circuits will require GFCI and/or AFCI protection, depending on the code in your area and depending on the location in your house. You need to determine what is required so that it can be properly included.

Cable protection

Electrical cables need to be protected from damage. In some areas (e.g., Chicago), all wiring must be in conduit, which provides protection from damage. But in most areas that is not required. There are specific requirements for how/where to run cables to keep them out of harm's way (e.g., above a certain height) or to protect them.

Grounding

Grounding leads to a LOT of confusion. Basically, in the US, typical wiring will have either 3 or 4 wires - hot/neutral/ground for 120V, hot/hot/neutral/ground for 240V. Neutral and ground are connected in the main panel but not elsewhere, and you need to properly handle the ground wire to avoid creating problems.

Permits/Licensing

In most place, a homeowner can work on his own home in a limited capacity without a license. That typically means replacing switches and receptacles. Once you start adding receptacles or circuits or making other significant changes, permit and license issues can be a big deal. Depending on the rules in your area and how you want to handle things, that might mean working together with an electrician where you do some work under his supervision but with the electrician handling the big stuff and supervising.

And there are plenty of other details. To figure out more about the practicality of doing this as a DIY project, we need to know:

How many circuits do you need/want, and how much power do you need on those circuits?
What kind of breaker panel do you have and how much space is available in it?
Where are you?


Condensate drain does not drain properly

Make sure that the vent pipe is the same size as the drain line coming from the coil and is before the trap. Also the trap has to be of sufficient size and has a lot of fall, so any negative pressure remaining after the vent will not cause the drain to reverse and keep the water from draining from the rest of the piping going to the outside.


Hot weather AC Efficiency - a nightly cold-soaking head start?

It's all about thermal mass

You say your house is concrete block and insulated, now where's the insulation?  If the insulation is outside the block, then you are using a technique used in passive-solar construction called thermal mass.  **, Trying to have a large thermal mass in the house which resists change in temperature.   If the insulation is inside the concrete, different deal, then it is your friend in the morning and your enemy at night.

If it can store/ resist temperature change for 12 hours, then this is worth doing.

Otherwise its just yet another excuse people make up when they want to crank the A/C.

The other thing is, your thermal mass may be different than most.  But if this worked for most people, the power company would be telling everyone to do it.  They want to sell you power, sure, but the hardest thing for them is producing peak power.  Anything they can do to move power consumption from the peak to the valleys (night/morning) they're all about.

Based on what you say, I don't think a 3 degree swing will matter much.  The stored energy is degree difference x mass, and a small temperature difference doesn't give you much storage.

There are better ways to do this

First, the best way to avoid interchanging with 120 degree air is interchange with 50 degree groundwater.  If you have groundwater in your area that is near enough the surface to be worth pumping.  You have to buy a condenser made for this, of course.  It works particulary well with heat pumps, because groundwater has a usable temperature all year, even in cold places.  You make yourself 2-5 watts of heat for 1 watt of electricity, the other 1-4 watts come from a very large RTG called planet Earth.

Second, you do the same thing using dirt itself, but the coolant loop must be much, much larger, because it needs to interchange with a lot of earth.

Third, if your house isn't built with a thermal mass, you can get your own thermal mass with a huge insulated tank of water.  At night, you use cheap evening electricity to chill the water, by day you use it to interchange heat, as above.  Nowhere is it written the tank of water can't have a concrete skirt, a shallow end and a diving board... But it does need to be well insulated.


There are voltage limiters in ceiling fans these are to prevent people from installing lamps that are a higher wattage than the fixture is listed for and overheating the fixture.
They were first mandated around 05 so this may be your issue.
It looks like a black square and has 2-3 wires as these fail they do get dimmer or go completely out.
I looked some up last week on amazon around 8$ for a replacement a 3 wire can replace a 2 wire but you have to connect the white to the neutral the 2wire is a direct replacement if you have a 2 wire but both are available the 3 wire last longer.


How can we move a subpanel without replacing the supply cable?

This is pretty routine, and I've done a lot of it.

Slap a 120mm (4-11/16 if you really want to say all that) square deep junction box where the subpanel used to be.  Plumb 3/4" preferably 1" EMT or rigid conduit from the new subpanel to the aforementioned box.  (Do all this in reverse; coordinate the location of subpanel and junction box so the conduit run is easy, then run the conduit.)

Bring the #6 cable into the 120mm box with a cable clamp.  Attach the cable ground wire to the junction box shell.  The metal conduit is the ground path, and you don't need to run a ground wire unless you really want to.

Get some #6 stranded THWN-2 wire. Run three wires:

neutral (must be white or gray wire)
L1 (any color but green)
L2 (any color but green, bonus style points if different color than L1)

If L1 or L2 are white or gray, you must mark them near both ends with a color of paint or tape other than white, gray or green.

These wires run from the junction box to the subpanel lug.   Inside the junction box they are wire-nutted or spliced  to the corresponding wire in the cable.

If you want to splice other cables into that box too, use 1" conduit and don't go crazy - no more than four circuits per conduit, and watch your junction box fill cubic inches, on a deep 120 you're nearly out already.   They do make box extensions.


How can I indicate when a shower is in use?

This is the sort of thing that's trivial with new tech, and quite involved (expensive) without it.

It's easy with a few smart things. Assuming hot showers, a humidity sensor can trigger action. powering a dummy sensor with the exhaust fan circuit could trigger. or use a microphone sensor, or a PIR (motion detector) above the shower. Once the trigger's in the system, you can have any output you want, like a smart outlet or app notification. You can even setup "gates" around it like min/max trigger duration, debounce, etc, that would be god-awful to do in "analog".

The system can be a home-rolled node-red setup, or a commercial turn-key like SmartThings or HomeKit. The initial setup would be cheaper than fixing the problem, and then you could do lots of other neat things. If you don't have one already, it's the way to go, and if you do, then just add a new sensor and call it a day.


Pressure washer will not start after replacing carburetor and cylinder head

Since this is a pressure washer and no one has mentioned it - when I have a hard time starting one, I will hold the trigger of the spray wand while starting so the pump can't build any pressure. Unless the engine is in perfect "start on the first pull" condition, this is a requirement because the pump will build pressure and make it harder for the engine to turn.

You used to be a mechanic, so I'm not going to talk about checking for fuel, spark and air - I assume you've done all that, so we are left with why the engine is hard to pull start and for me, its normally the compressor.


Can I install a new pressure-reducing valve inline with another one?

Yes you can add additional PRV or regulators. The only possible side affect is a reduction in flow as they usually have restrictions. I have machines that I use 2 regulators one to do some basic isolation from the heavily fluctuating main air down to a fairly clean 90 psi then a second to provide a rock solid 80psi. And this machine runs great with no mishandling like that so Yes get the pressure down to what you want.


What are the consequences of incorrect positioning of air separator (and swapped return/flow) in solar heating system?

Having the coil connections crossed over will decrease the efficiency of system.  In the worst case it would be better to turn off the solar part of the system than have it run as installed!

In a heat exchanger like this, you want the outgoing fluid to be as cold as possible.  For this reason you want it exiting the bottom of the tank where the water is colder.

In your case it might be so bad that hot water tank is heating the fluid above the input temperature and that the solar system is actually removing heat from the hot water tank.  Even if it's not that bad it's definitely not good.

For more information look into counter-flow heat exchangers.

I don't know what would cause the pressure drop but I would agree with you that it appears your air separate was not installed as per the manual.


How to cleanly remove a section of countertop

Usually tops like that are built by fitting a base sheet (usually particle board for flatness and smoothness) and edging it with hardwood using miter joints. Then laminate is applied across the entire surface with contact cement. The laminate is then trimmed flush with a router, and a bevel or more detailed edge is routed into the hardwood and laminate simultaneously.

Stain (optional) and several coats of high-quality sealer finish the job. With this technique, virtually any shape is achievable with basic carpentry skills.


Speed Queen washing machine stopped working mid-cycle

Take a look at the lid switch. On some machines, the lid switch only interrupts the spin cycle. But it may be required to be closed for everything on this machine. The lid switch can fail with little or no warning and should, ideally, fail open rather than closed.


There's no such thing.  OSB will swell, warp, and degrade unless it's kept safe from sunlight and perfectly dry. No paint will do this. If you want to use OSB to sheathe the walls of your shed, you need to build those walls like the walls of a house: with a weather-resistant barrier like Tyvek over the OSB, and then cover that with siding of some sort. Vinyl siding is cheap and DIY-friendly.

If you want to build a shed out of a single material without needing to do any of this, I recommend concrete blocks.


Hardwood flooring nails showing through plywood from underneath

Most of the time, anything that's fastened to plywood is required to have the nails penetrate beyond flush with the lower/back face of the plywood. This is to give maximum grab to the nail shank. What you're seeing is perfectly normal and expected. Other examples are roofing shingles and vinyl siding.

The wood debris on the floor is a result of normal vibration causing slivers to drop over time. It's not cause for alarm, and to prevent it in the future do some brooming or otherwise rub down the underside of the subfloor to knock the slivers off all at once.


How can I re-use a hole in wall for ventilation?

I realize that this is a U.S. reference, but you may be able to find a wall exhaust fan locally similar to this.

You need to find a unit that is intended for exposure to the outdoors.  Also you may need a cover in the colder months if the unit you find does not have a self closing louver. The one depicted does.

If you use 110 voltage and 60cycles, you may be able to order something like this from the U.S. Otherwise, be sure that it matches your local electric supply.


There are a number of adhesive solvents on the market, one of which is named Goo Gone. The "way too long" aspect may result in less than ideal removal rates, however, as the adhesive is like to be excessively dry and may not respond well to the solvent. I expect you'd have ot use a combination of mechanical methods and solvents. The mechanical methods would involve a plastic scraper, not metal, to prevent damage to the tile. A blunt edge as opposed to a sharp one will "snowplow" the old tape and not dig into the tile. Most big box stores and chain hardware stores will carry plastic scrapers. If the ones you find are sharp and not blunt, carefully sand a square edge to it.

You could use a hot air gun, but the temperature control on most models is possibly insufficient. You want to soften the remaining adhesive but not heat the tile in such a way as to damage it. A hair dryer has lower temperatures and may be just the right amount. With the tape "warmed up," it will respond better to the blunt plastic edge.

Another direction involving solvents is to apply the liquid to a rag strip and allow it to soak atop the tape. Using a prickler which looks like a pizza cutter with teeth to puncture the tape may help, but too much pressure will result in tiny dots in the tile, of course.

Extreme conditions would require to construct a series of dams using putty or modeling clay to hold the solvent in place around the tape.

All of the above methods will require varying amounts of elbow grease.


Installing an adjustable deck post support-what is the correct way to install the support?

You seem to be asking about the orientation of the threaded socket. The lower the height of the bracket, the better for stability. This favors the first option. Also, with the first option you don't have to drill for anchor bolts. I'd only use the second option if you need the height for some reason.

If you're worried about water you could fill the socket with grease or silicone caulk.


How should I remove a raised concrete pad on my basement floor?

If it was poured onto an already existing slab, I would try separating it from the slab first to see if it can be broken away and leave the floor intact.  Note:  The pad should weigh about 815 pounds (370 kg) so light duty efforts are inappropriate.

Obtain two heavy steel digging bars like this along with some scrap 2x4s or similar.  With heavy gloves on, try to wedge the pointy end into the joint between the pad and floor by holding it mostly horizontal, but still a down angle of 30° so the point is against the floor and firmly swing it into position.  Or use a hammer and cold chisel to chip out a notch right next to the floor so the flat end of the digging bar can get a grip underneath the pad.

If you can establish a catching point, place a 2x4 3–4 inches away from the edge and use it as a fulcrum to lift the pad.  Recall leverage basics:  If you push down on the far end of the bar with 100 pounds force and the fulcrum is one-tenth the distance from the other end, that is a 10:1 force gain, so you will be applying 1000 pounds of lift.  If you can get it off the floor, insert the other bar with another (or a shared) fulcrum to raise it 1.5 inches off the floor.  Slide in a 2x4 to support it at the lifted edge (this probably requires one or two helpers) and withdraw the bars.

Once the pad is mechanically separated, have some Wheaties and then swing a heavy sledge hammer (15+ pounds) approximately one-third the distance away from the supported edge.  It is easiest to crack the pad by starting close to the edge.  Don't be discouraged if you don't see any cracks even after a dozen husky whacks—especially with six inches.  Each impact is being absorbed and is weakening the pad.  However, while it is intact, it is strongest.  Persist and it will soften, crumble, and eventually break.  After the first crack, it will become much  easier to break up.

Break it into convenient-to-carry pieces and dispose.  Clean up underneath.  Probably the floor will be in good condition if the pad was added much later than the floor.  Otherwise, you might have to sand down bits that stick and smooth the floor.


How To Get A Noise Barrier In my Community

Yes, contact everyone you mentioned and ask them who else you should contact. These projects are prioritized, budgeted and then approved. In order to get to the top of the priority list, you need to find out who makes the list and who determines what is important.

First, find out if it's a state or federal road. They are your target. Contact them and ask for help. They can guide you.

Then, I'd hire a TRAFFIC Engineer to get his advise. He can have a sound test completed. If it's a noise issue, I'd contact your town, or surrounding towns, to see what the ordinances are for noise. Yep, every town has a noise disturbance law. Then see how it compares to your local noise disturbance laws.

Your Traffic Engineer can prepare a cost estimate, which will enable you to get started with the appropriate budget committees.

Also, contact your local government representatives and ask for their help.

This is a long process. I'd guess it will take 2-3 years before you see progress.


Install Sump Pump Check Valve on Washing Machine

If you have water backing up your drain line is partially plugged or under sized. I would fix the problem back pressure on the washer pump may cause it to fail much sooner than normal. If the line is backing up it would be advisable to run a snake down the line to clear it out. Many homes have a clean out close to washers but not all. Snaking the line would be my first thing to attempt.


What kind of receptacle to buy for a Tappan Stove-top (electric)?

There seem to be two kinds of generic plugs, one of them has small circles, the constitutes a more traditional plug you don't want this

The other one has friction slots. Tappan uses the friction slots.

For my specific Tappan stove I used RR117 from Supco (pictured above).

It was marketed on eBay as

  Frigidaire Kenmore Gibson Tappan Stove Burner Terminal Receptacle Kit 5301167733

The bag says it replaces 5303935058, 330031, 868464, 709T034S01, WB17X210, 0089336, W10116799

If you need wire, for my job I paid $10 and got some nice stuff.

Copper Wire, 14 GA, AWG, GAUGE .116. High Heat, Resist Abrasions. For Truck, Motorcycle, RV. General Purpose. (25 FOOT COIL)


transitioning from 16" diameter duct to rectangular return for A/C

Search for "duct boot", or "transition".


What should I do with misaligned sink pipes

This looks all wrong. It looks like you have installed an adjustable P-trap upside down. The upside down "U" shaped piece attached to the pipe coming from the cabinet floor is supposed to be under the sink strainer.

You need a proper tailpiece to attach to the strainer, which will come down into the "tall" end of the "U" shaped piece. The piece you now have attached to the strainer is supposed to be connected to the "short" part of the "U" shaped piece and runs horizontally to the pipe coming from the cabinet floor, where you will need a slip-joint elbow to connect them. Something more like this:

Please do it right and avoid "clamp-on" Fernco type connectors, as some have suggested. They always end up leaking.


Is it ok to screw those red utility hooks into wall studs, or should I use a crossbar between two studs?

The hook is going to be inserted horizontally, so the load is mostly shear (downward) on the hook itself. You are in effect compressing the shaft of the hook downward on the bottom of the screw hole.  There is some tension pull outward on the wood, but it is minimal for the types of items you listed. Studs made of 2x lumber can easily handle light loads in this configuration.

I would not try to hang items weighing several hundred pounds in this manner.

Also, I would not drill several holes, closely spaced, one above the other. While this would still probably hold your loads with little difficulty, it might compromise the integrity of the stud overall.


Was this outdoor outlet properly installed?

Lucky you. That installation is grandfathered and you have the old type that work.

Today for new work, "in use" covers are mandatory, but those things are a complete disaster.   They are expensive, the seals don't work, they divert water into the junction box, and the door breaks off after the first or second use.  On top of that, they won't even close over most extension cords.  It's a racket.

If you want more water protection, build a little birdhouse around the receptacle with a hinged door and an open bottom for cords to exit.

Just put GFCI protection on the circuit somewhere upstream, and don't worry about it.

Here's the trick with GFCIs.  Never put one outdoors, you need a special expensive type if you do.  Every GFCI receptacle has a second set of terminals called LOAD.  It is designed to feed additional receptacles, and it will confer GFCI protection to those receptacles also.. You add "GFCI protected" stickers to those downstream receptacles.

So you put a regular GFCI indoors in the circuit upstream of that receptacle.  Voila, done.

The other reason not to put GFCIs outdoors is that the wires going into a GFCI (to its LINE terminals) do not have GFCI protection.  If they get wet, they can create a serious shock hazard.  By putting the GFCI safely inside and feeding off LOAD, the entire outdoor socket and supply cables are all protected.


Way to mount a small tv (27-32”) on bottoms of stairs angled down slightly?

If you mean anything remotely like a "modern" TV, (flat panel with VESA mounting holes on the back) it's trivial - just screw a "ceiling mount" to the bottom of the stairs. Get one which allows for an angle adjustment - most do.


What is the proper way to leave unused nonmetallic sheathed cable inside walls or ceilings?

There's nothing in National Electrical Code about removing abandoned electrical cable.  If it's communication, television, radio,  etc. cable, you have to remove the accessible portion of the cables.  If it's wire in a raceway (conduit, cables trays, etc.), you do have to remove it.

Connecting the ungrounded (hot), grounded (neutral), and grounding conductors together is a common practice (one which I've recommended before). However, it relies on the breaker functioning properly, in the event the line is ever energized in the future.  The safer practice is to cap each wire separately, and label the wires as abandoned at both ends.


This sounds like a standard "3-way" switch configuration. Each switch has a "common" terminal and 2 "carrier" terminals. Power comes into the switches on the common terminal of switch "A," travels between the switches on the carriers, then travels to the load (your wall receptacle) from the common terminal of switch "B."

3-way switches can be wired with the supply power coming into one of the switch boxes, or with the supply power coming into the load box (your wall receptacle) and traveling into the switches from there.

If the line voltage comes into the receptacle box, you can easily rewire it so that one socket is always hot and the other is switched. You would just break the metal tabs connecting the two sockets, and pigtail one of the sockets to the incoming hot conductor, while leaving the other socket wired to the common wire returning from switch "B."

If line voltage comes into one of the switch boxes, then you would have to run an additional cable from that switch box to the receptacle box.


If you plan on automating it, you should go with a garage door. Standard sizes would be 10', 12', 14', 16' wide by 7' or 8' high.  The sides and top can be framed in with 2x6es and covered in white PVC board to make up any size difference.


How can I pour a concrete floor/slab with two levels?

I'd pour the slab, leaving a 'hole' where the bath will be. Essentially, you will make a hole in the slab using forms.

After the slab sets, remove the forms, come back and pour your slightly-lower slab in the hole that was left.

Ideally, use some rebar in the original pour to tie in the new slab for the bath.

Alternatively, maybe consider pouring it all flat and use a transition strip between the concrete outside the bath and the slightly raised tile.

Alternative option 2: if the whole house is going to be polished concrete, why not the bath too? Maybe stain the bath concrete a different color?


How can I repair a worn and rusting dishwasher rack?

There are products designed specifically for this, like this one:

I haven't tried it - I actually have a kit but never got around to it...
I definitely would not use tape because if it comes off during a wash cycle and clogs the drain you have a real mess. The racks (doesn't matter what brand) vary by model. Even when you can get replacements, the cost is a significant portion of the cost of a new dishwasher.


Which is better/safer for cutting concrete slab, hammer drill or angle grinder?

The standard approach used by electricians routing large conduits through concrete floors is using a diamond edged hole saw cutting 3 or 4 inch holes. Several of these holes overlapping could do it. Or several holes near each other might suit your purpose. These drills need to be water cooled while drilling. You may be able to rent one.

Alternatively a smaller grinder could score the cutout on both sides, a drill could then break through the webbing left under the scoring and a chisel to finish it off.


Would this be the correct way to add a timer switch to an existing fan with thermostat?

Yes, that is precisely correct. Though I prefer red tape, but that's a preference, not a requirement to go buy a roll. Nicer (IMHO) because you can easily mark switched hots whether they be black or white.


To much attic exhaust venting? Help check my math

You can never have too much attic vent.  If you have proper insulation installed,  with vapor barrier, there's no problem with heat or moisture loss from the house proper.
The roof itself is 'happiest,' i.e. will last longest, when the underside (in the attic) is as close in temperature as possible to the top, exterior, side.  That's why attics are supposed to have full airflow from outside the house.


Plug-In Power Monitor causing washing machine drum to become electrified?

There needs to be multiple compounding faults for you to get a jolt like that from the tub. The tub should be grounded to earth, but to give you a jolt, it would need to be instead bonded to one of the mains lines. Since your detector is no longer complaining, it must be bonded to the neutral line. While a bad situation, in normal use there are likely no adverse effects from this.

The other thing that needs to happen is a polarity reversal from either the power monitor or one of the plug adapters. For example, if you accidentally got an UK to Argentine adapter, it would appear outwardly to be for Oz, but in fact the neutral and active pins would be reversed. This too is bad, but also usually no adverse effects are apparent.

Now you have active mains power running down the neutral washer wiring, which inappropriately includes the tub. If the tub were properly grounded and active power somehow came in contact with it, the breaker would trip or the fuse would blow. Having been instead bonded to neutral, and now hot due to polarity reversal, two somewhat innocuous errors combine to become a potentially deadly combination!

First identify which device is reversing polarity. Looking at a wall outlet, with the ground pin on the bottom, both UK and Oz outlets have neutral on the right. Anything that switches sides should be destroyed. Not just thrown out, destroyed, as in render unusable.

The washer should be inspected and the connection to neutral identified and removed. It may be simply a wire with worn insulation that needs to be replaced, or something more intentional. It's impossible to say without inspection. The situation has not changed from before. While the tub bonded to neutral cannot ever be called "safe", as long as polarity is observed, nothing really bad should happen. You can still get shocked from this because the neutral and true ground are likely at different potentials, but nothing like the full 220v jolt you got.


I replaced my bathroom exhaust fan switch with a countdown switch

This switch is for use with halogen or incandescent light fixtures only and is not designed for motor loads. Motors do screwy things to electronic switches. Get a simple spring operated countdown timer.


How can I tell if wood is properly dried?

Your best bet is to get a moisture meter, like this one:
Amazon link to one meter.  Moisture meters come various ranges: you want one that measures in the 6-14% range or so.  Anything above 14% is not useful for woodworking as it will shrink too much.

Meters come in two varieties, pinned and pinless.  The pinned meters measure stick two electrodes into the wood about 1/4" and measure the electrical resistance.  You tell the meter what species you're measuring, and it uses an internal table to tell you the moisture content.

The pinless variety won't mar your wood, but they're quite a bit more expensive.  They use induction or ESP or fairy dust or something to read the moisture level.

If your wallet is glued shut, you can use weight to measure the moisture content.  Have a look here.