How can I pull single phase 120V from a 3 wire two phase 240V drop?

Ground rods are no substitute for ground wires

Because at the risk of stating the obvious, dirt doesn't conduct electricity very well.

Further, electricity wants to get back to source, not earth.  Natural electricity like lightning and ESD, their source is the earth.  They are extremely high voltage, and so the poor conductance of dirt isn't really a problem for them.

However human-generated electricity is extremely low voltage (by Nature's standards, anyway) and it simply will not move effectively through dirt.  That's why ground wires must be fitted as well.  The purpose of the safety ground wire is to return (to source; i.e. the ground bar back at the main panel via its equipotential bond) any fault current due to malfunctioning equipment etc.

That is excessively important for water areas like a pool.

Electrical drownings happen every day, and are especially horrifying because it also kills rescuers - until about the second or third arrives and realizes "oh, something is killing rescuers, don't dive in".  Every time, the problem is traced back to a faulty or just obsolete installation like yours.  And the firemen shake their head and go "I can't believe anyone allowed / continued this in service this way".

Neutral is not ground

Some people think it is, because they see them tied back at the panel.  Some particularly awful installers even put the neutral and ground wire on the same screw in the neutral bar, making it seem particularly pointless.  No, it's serious business.  Location is everything.  Why does a classic torque wrench have the big beam and the separate little stick? The big bar bends, the little bar doesn't.  That doesn't begin to describe what ground is all about.

But make sure the pool pump's "neutral" is actually neutral, and not safety ground.  Neutral is a white wire.  If the wiring was done with SE cable (ancient and unlikely) and it has braided bare wires around 2 black conductors, that also is neutral. Any other bare wire is ground.

Do not tie ground to neutral anywhere except the main panel.

Get that pool pump on a GFCI breaker. Now.

I know you're thinking "GFCI is a 120V receptacle" and "GFCI breaker" seems like "Ford cupcake".  But first, never use the LOAD lines except for one purpose. And the one purpose is that any GFCI device can protect other outlets downline.   That's what GFCI breakers do - they protect the entire downline - the entire circuit.  It must be a GFCI breaker because it's 240V.   And yeah, that's an expensive beast.

At this point, the pool pump is rendered safe, even though it doesn't have a ground wire.  Any leakage current will snap the GFCI.  (mind you if it's leaking already, that means the trip will be instant, but on the upside it may have saved a life).

At that point, you will be able to do your plan - attach a 3-prong PLAIN receptacle to pool pump hot and neutral, connect the ground wire to nothing, and label the receptacle like this:

 GFCI Protected
 No Equipment Ground
 Reset at breaker

Yeah, it's perfectly legal to have a grounded recep with no ground, if it's labeled just like that (third line optional).

There are some other rules about putting 15/20A 120V receptacles on circuits like this, but I'm not too worried about them because they're not 5-alarm shocking safety issues.  They include

can't put receptacles on a circuit where hardwired loads account for 50% of breaker trip (put the pool pump on a NEMA 6 receptacle tee hee!)
can only put common 15A/120V receps on a 15A or 20A breaker

You can solve both of these by fitting a subpanel here.  However go ahead and feed the subpanel from the GFCI breaker.  That way you are better protected and only need one of them.

You can retrofit ground if you really want to

It's perfectly possible to retrofit a ground wire to the circuit.  However I wouldn't make that a priority, since the GFCI breaker back in the panel will do all your heavy lifting for you.  With a ground wire, you improve the odds of preventing an electrical drowning, with a GFCI breaker you pretty much set the odds to zero.


Heavy things are easier, actually. Standard approach for a "non-penetrating" roof mount is to simply let gravity hold it, with suitable "load-spreaders" to keep the weighted feet from damaging the roof surface, and sometimes EDPM rubber to add friction. Easier on "flat" (low-slope) roofs, or on the peak of pitched roofs.

If you thought that adhesive was a good idea in that case (most don't, is roof damage can result when the thing needs to be removed, or when forces beyond what you planned for remove it anyway) hot roofing tar would be ideal - it's most of what "asphalt" is, so it's compatible, and it will act a whole lot like hot glue. Of course, you are then depending to whatever extent you have uplift forces on how well the layer of roofing you glued to is glued or otherwise fastened to the layers below it - which is another reason this approach is not normal.


Garage door opener won't open/close or start light when called for

Looks like power cycling the opener was the fix.

Glad to have helped.


Why did my electric range wiring burn out at the terminal block?

This is a fairly "common" issue, that typically occurs due to high resistance at the terminal.  The high resistance can be caused by corrosion, or a loose connection. The high resistance causes heating, which causes higher resistance, which leads to more heating. Eventually the insulation on the wire starts to melt, and/or burn.  Usually the heat will transfer through the terminal block, and into the smaller wiring in the stove.  When the heat becomes too much, the smaller appliance wiring will fail and open the circuit.
In most cases this is not a super dangerous event, as the wiring is contained within the stove.  However, there is a chance that this can lead to a fire in the house, especially if the cover is not properly installed.
Causes
Corrosion
Corrosion is more commonly a problem if the wiring is aluminium, though can still be a problem with copper wiring.  Because stoves/cooktops/ranges draw large amounts of current, there is typically some heating of the wiring during operation. The constant heating and cooling cycles of the wiring can lead to corrosion, and/or hardening of the wiring over time. This corrosion and/or hardening increases the resistance of the wiring, which cause the heating to be worse.
Solution
Occasional inspection of the terminal block and wiring, can prevent the corrosion/hardening from getting too bad.  If you notice any discoloration or corrosion, have the cord replaced. There are also conductive pastes available, that can be applied to the wiring and terminals to help prevent corrosion.  While this should always be used with aluminium wiring, it may also be applied to copper wiring.
Loose Connections
This can be caused initially by not tightening the terminals to the proper torque (usually specified by the manufacturer), or over time by heating/cooling cycles.  Loose or bad connections can cause arcing and/or higher resistance. As discussed before, high resistance leads to heat.
Solution
Make sure all terminals are tightened to the manufacturers specifications.  It's also a good idea to tighten the terminals after a few hours of operation. As stated before, occasional inspection can also prevent this situation.
Why didn't the breaker trip?
The heating was localized to the stove\cooktop\range, so the thermal protection in the breaker would not trip.  Since stoves\cooktops\ranges draw large amounts of current during normal operation, the current during the event likely didn't go high enough to cause heating in the breaker to trigger the thermal protection.  It could also be that the breaker is faulty, so it should be inspected.
Is the stove scrap?
The stove may be salvageable, though you'll want to thoroughly inspect all the wiring to insure it is not damaged.  Replace any damaged wiring with equivalent parts (cooking appliances use high heat resistant wiring).
If the stove is still under warranty, you'll want to contact the manufacturer to discuss your options.


Convert a ceiling fan controlled by two switches to a remote control

You'd need to replace the switch with a remote controlled switch. Since you currently have two outputs, you'd need to find one that has two outputs - I believe they sell one which has a button for the fan and another for the light. Regardless, they'd still have to be separate.

Also, getting this to work would require no modification to the fan itself or the wiring at it. Everything would be changed at the switches.

If you can't find a remote switch module that allows two outputs, then you'd have to leave one currently as is and only control the other.


Small post and beam project sanity check

Can I use your canoe rack to drive my quad up and work on it?
That is a bit over built but will be rock solid. Make your cuts tight when using pegs everything is a friction fit but you have it well laid out.
It appears you will be just setting it on the ground so you can move it that would be my justification for the lower horizontal braces. This should hold up fine for whatever size canoe you can hoist up there.
My grandfather always used hard wood pegs, we used fur for the timbers but I only did a few small additions with him to his barn and the hard wood was important but a pain in the back side to cut off on his tree limb ladders.


Do the quick connectors in my new bathroom fan need to be in a junction box?

All connections must be in a junction box. They're mentioned several times in the instruction manual.

  Pull the wire through the hole and into the junction box (not
  included). Using a quick connector, secure 120 VAC house
  wiring from the wall switch to the fan as shown in the wiring
  diagram on page 3.

It is odd that this model doesn't provide an integrated box, but you're expected to provide one. Either that or we're all misled by poorly-written instructions and the connections should be made inside the fan housing as with every other fan ever made. Ever. Be sure to use a strain relief on the knockout (which is also usually included).


Do I have studs on my plaster and lath wall around/above fireplace?

It sounds like you have some arrangement of thin furring strips that has been adhered to the original fireplace in order to install some sort of backer board or drywall. If so, these furring strips might be enough to hold your TV but would be safer to take a look. It's unlikely there are studs around a fireplace in a house that old. I'd assume the original brick is still behind all of that.


How can I hang a heavy bag from this beam in my garage?

Since this is a rental unit I would have concerns with drilling holes large enough to hang a heavy bag. It could cost you the security deposit when you leave. If you check the website of the bag maker they may offer a free standing frame or you could fabricate an "A" frame out of wood. The advantage of the freestanding unit is it will isolate the house from the vibration hitting the bag generates. I have a bag hanging in my basement. The load is spread over three floor joists and it is very obvious when someone is hitting the bag as the vibration resonates through the entire house.


Best way(s) to soundproof interior wall between rooms?

The easy and fairly attractive solution is to use sound attenuation panels. You'll often see these in home theater settings. Hang them on the walls like you would a picture. You can DIY a similar solution by hanging a large thick tapestry on the wall, with an optional thin piece of foam behind it.

If you haven't already done it, carpeting in the room will make a huge difference.

To completely sound proof the room, you'd see the best results by removing the drywall from at least one side of each wall, and the ceiling if there's living space above, and installing specialized quiet drywall on top of sound attenuation channel that's attached to the studs like furring strips. This both separates the drywall from the studs to remove base sounds, and the quiet drywall absorbs the higher pitched sounds. However, even after all this work, there are still air ducts and doors that will often transmit sounds.


The structural integrity of a backyard structure

As with any structure you need to define the loads on it (wind, snow, furniture, people etc) and from there define the structure or framing capable of supporting those loads.

There may well be local codes or regulations that need to be respected as well.

Since this does look like a neat design, why not check out a local structural engineer or architect to see what it would cost for them to set it up properly. (often, tasks like this are given to the office "junior" to improve their experience - under the "eye" of the engineer / architect to make sure it is correct).

That way, any contractor will have fewer problems, and if something is wrong you have a clear path of responsibility to the contractor & architect / engineer.


How do I mount the new work electrical boxes with the nail-in flange?

The 1/16" difference is not a problem. You are allowed up to 1/4" difference. The slight recess is much preferable to the box edge standing proud. Since nothing ever lines up precisely at this level of construction, better to err a little low than a little high.

The flange thickness is also not a problem. It will push the wallboard outwards a bit, but the resulting bulge will occur over a substantial distance, so it will not be discernible to the naked eye. It's similar to the slight bulge when the ends of wallboards are butted on ceilings and then taped over. There is an obvious bulge if you place a straight edge on it. But once everything is finished, an unaided eye cannot see it except with unusually oblique lighting.

These sort of boxes are a great solution to tight installations.


Would it be GFCI protected?

It would be if you install it properly, by splicing off the load side of the GFCI in the garage, or off of the light switch or the 'other outlet' you mentioned.

  Does an outdoor outlet need a GFCI plug?

No. It needs a receptacle (not a plug).

That receptacle should have GFCI protection.  That requirement does not mean you have to install an outlet with GFCI buttons outside.  In fact that's a bad idea because those buttons won't weather well.

But if you provide power to the new outside outlet VIA splicing into the load side of an indoor GFCI outlet, or GFCI-protected circuit, a plain old cheap outlet will be perfectly GFCI protected outside.


Is it legal to wire a bath fan using load from top of GFI outlet?

The real answer is "it depends on what else that circuit does". According to the NEC, if your outlet circuit goes to more than one bathroom, powering the fan/light from it is a violation. If it's only in that bathroom, you may be able to do this without violating code, but I'd recommend consulting a licensed electrician for advice, if nothing else.


How can I remove a hot water timer installed by the property owner?

The device is probably something like a hot water timer (but installed upstream, in the mechanical room), which comprises a timer mechanism and a shutoff or diverter valve.

As to how you'd disable it, you'd have to find out the model of the device. Chances are it can be disabled via its controls. Otherwise it would need to be removed and the pipe spliced.


How to move/remove the bracing from this desk?

You could remove the brace, drill holes into the other bars that are thiner and move the brace up closer to the glass. Obviously the closer you get to the top the less steady it will become so only allow enough room to where you are comfortable. I actually use to have the same desk in black. The glass makes it heavy so as long as one side is braced correctly it shouldn't move to much.


Should a second layer of asphalt be placed over an older layer of asphalt?

Another layer of blacktop asphalt, usually a finer "grit", will fill the low spots and get you through another year -- but it sounds like your driveway is under-engineered for the weight you're regularly driving/parking on it. So, you've got a few choices:

Another layer of blacktop every year or two, and probably mopping tar on it every summer.
Tear it up and put in a new asphalt driveway, which will probably have the same problems. I would make sure you consult an engineer and have a few soil cores/studies done before you pursue this angle... you will want to have the substrate rebuilt from the soil on up, and you will want to have had some soil studies for expansion ratios and whatnot done and an appropriate base engineered before you pursue this angle. This will PROBABLY include digging up everything that is there -- the blacktop, crushed gravel, and all, re-tilling the soil with some additives to improve it's compressibility for your climate, and then re-laying everything... probably a bit thicker.
Tear it up and put in a concrete driveway with a high PSI load concrete, which will occasionally have problems due to the freeze/thaw cycle, but won't sag due to vehicle weight and where you can have any lippage that appears ground down and then can cover it with blacktop again when it does finally blow out or get too thin to grind. See notes above about soil+engineering study, plus tearing out all the base layers and digging deeper/re-packing them.

The last is the pattern that will last the longest, but is obviously going to cost most.


Non-metallic cable in Knob and Tube Boxes

The NM has to be secured near the box, or by a NM clamp in the box.  When you're fishing NM, you can't secure it near the box, so you really have to secure it at the box.  I think your best bet is to install a new old-work box.


12 gauge on 30 amp circuit - after thermostat

NO. If this electric heat circuit is on a 30A breaker then ALL the wiring on the circuit must be #10cu (or larger). Even if it feeds just one heater.


How to childproof small table intentionally away from wall?

According to your question, I assume your "childproof" means to fasten the table down so that it cannot be moved or tipped over, rather than to cover the sharp edges.

If both the table and your floor allow you to put in some fasteners, the simple solution would be use a corner brace like this to fasten your table to the floor:


Let me say first that I have never worked with this type of boiler, but the question you ask is similar to a few problems I have had with boiler systems here in the USA. I do not know if this is the same as your installation but I will tell you what I think may be the problem.

Someone specifies a larger pump than necessary or a larger replacement pump for an existing installation. The system is filled with water, vented, and put into operation. When the pump starts, the water pressure on the inlet side of the pump falls and the PRV (heating system pressure regulating valve) which is installed on the piping near the inlet side of the pump senses the drop in pressure and adds water to the system to correct for the reduced pressure.

When the boiler and the pump shut down, that extra head the larger pump exerted on the supply piping is the felt on the whole system. When this happens, the relief valve (which you call the overflow tank pipe) opens to get rid of the excess water that was introduced when the pump started. That extra water raises the whole system pressure above the set point of the "relief valve" when the system shuts down.

I do not know if this is what is causing your problem but it sounds similar. You may need to go back to the old pump size to correct the problem. Changing the pump just because a radiator was added or changed is a foolish mistake done by the uneducated in their trade.


How do I eliminate and prevent future stink bug infestations?

Take a look at this article How to Control the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Presently, there are no viable
strategies for control of the Brown
Marmorated Stink Bug. The use of
insecticides has very short-lived
effect and there is evidence of
resistance development. Even where
insecticide is effective, repopulation
occurs through migration from
non-treated areas. In addition,
on-farm insecticide use is not ideal
due to disruption of integrated pest
management programs.
Homeowners
Do your best to prevent
them from entering your home.
Placement of screens over windows,
doors and vents, removal of window air
conditioners and caulking cracks in
windows and doorframes will deter the
adults from entering. Removal of
window air conditioners is important,
as numerous BMSB will enter this way.
If small numbers occur indoors, they
can be removed either by hand or by
using a shop-vacuum.
If large numbers are observed or have
been observed in previous years, you
may wish to contact your local pest
control company who can do a perimeter
pesticide spray. This must be done at
the appropriate time (when the insects
first appear) and control may be
difficult to achieve. It is important
to consider the effects of pesticides
in your home before any pesticide
applications occur.

It seems the best method of control is prevention, here is what the Stink Bug Guide has to say about controlling stink bugs...

The easiest way to get rid of stink
bugs is to never have them in the
first place. Prevention is key to
controlling stink bug infestations.
Typically, they are attracted to light
and heat reflected off of the house.
Turning off the light at night during
summer and fall nights can help reduce
the number of stink bugs attracted to
houses. Other methods of prevention
include: sealing all windows and doors
tightly, caulking any cracks and holes
around the house, removing window air
conditioning units, and treating the
exterior of your house with chemical
repellents.

Keep in mind that they lay their eggs on the underside of leaves. If you have any plants that you leave outside in the summer and bring inside in the winter, make sure you check the plants for eggs before bringing them into the house.
You can try contacting a professional exterminator, but from what I've read infestations typically reoccur.
As you may already know Don't Squash them! If you do you will quickly find out why they are called stink bugs!


Bleach and water in a spray bottle (anywhere from 10 to 25 percent bleach to water ratio) will kill mold.   Watch the over-spray and wear old clothes.


Use existing light switch to also power bathroom exhaust fan?

You can use the switch to operate both the fan and light, if you so choose.  In fact, this is a common feature in single user public restrooms.   As long as the switch and wiring are rated for the amount of current, which unless you get a huge fan, it should be.

If you have the ability to install a new cable (or pull an extra wire, if the wires happen to be in conduit), you could use a device that has two switches that fit in a single gang box.  Which would allow you to control each device separately.


OK, get a sanding block and sand that area smooth. Concentrate on the ridges and smooth them out. Then get some vinyl spackle and fill in the grooves. You could also use joint compound if you have some handy.Smooth it out and try to match the paint and paint the section. The landlord might even have touch up paint.


Can I span a gap between pipes with heat tape?

There are 2 types of heat tape the self regulating type can be in open air and even cross over itself. This type changes its resistance based on temp so it won’t overheat.
The current based type more similar to lots of small resistors creats heat and depending on brand most can not handle non contact or wrapping on top of itself.
I would verify what the manufacturer states as things may of changed since I started purchasing self regulating heat tape about 15 years ago.
The self regulation is not the temp sensor in the cord that is used to reduce energy consumption with temps above freezing.


Screwing down toilet flange spacers with metal flange still on

You need a "Set-Rite Flange Extender Kit" This can solve the entire problem. I believe in US they are available in Lowes, Menards and Ace Hardware. In Canada harder to find. Best bet is a larger RONA store or an ACE Hardware if you can still find one.
See this site < https://set-rite.com/frequently-asked-questions/ >


How can I hang small weights from a drywall ceiling in a way that's minimally destructive?

You might have answered your own question... what about a (larger) needle?

Tie the fishing wire round the middle of the needle (and perhaps use a dab of glue to hold it in place if it won't hold itself).

If you can't find a large enough needle, try a small gauge knitting needle? Again it might need a dab of glue to hold the wire in place in the centre.


Microbubbles on kitchen cabinet doors using HVLP sprayer, how to fix the issue?

I've had similar problems with my HVLP gun and after playing around with it and asking Google for tips I found that

Good quality paint (as in excellent coverage paint) is essential for spraying because you are diluting it thus reducing the coverage.
Diluting is essential and finding the right mix is trickier then it seems. I found the consistency of heavy cream works well with my gun.
Less is more. Don't try to apply it thick. Mixing the paint and applying it in your garage is not an exact science. Pros have the facility and the equipment to know how to micro adjust the environment and equipment to get a favourable result quickly. It's better to do many coats once then 1 coat 5 times with sanding in between.
The secondary air is very important to adjust properly. It dictates the spray pattern characteristics.
Always spray perpendicular to your nozzle. As in left to right if your spray pattern is oriented vertically.
This is the most important. Test and adjust repeatedly on a scrap

At first I found it difficult and messy. Now I use it to batch spray gas pipe quickly, baseboards, doors and casings, I've even done walls but for walls I apply it thick and backroll for texture.

I think based on the image your applying too much with too high a secondary air setting.

I'm by no means a pro. But I have work it out with my setup.


Gap in conduit running to electric meter

Don't sweat it.

Wires that are used underground are pretty tough, and are well waterproofed, if water gets in there no harm will be done.

the cable run to the meter is usually maintained by the electricity supplier, so you could contact them for assistance but they will probably not do much.

I see a wide bit and a narrow bit pf conduit, if you line them up the wide bit might slide down to cover the gap.

there's a chance that the conduit might crack when you try to bend it. it depends how old it is. if that hapens call the power company.

if you want an easy  DIY fix slit a piece of PVC tube or conduit so you can clip it over the gap and fasten it with hose clamps.  this won't be waterproof but it will keep fingers out.


You said

  At the switch box there is a light switch that is for the vanity light and one that controlled the old fan.

So you are removing this switch and replacing it with the new one?
It isn't exactly clear what you are trying to do. A drawing or pictures would help.

If the new fan has a light in it then you need to use the either the black wire for the fan or the light and the red for the other. The new switch should be fed with a "hot" wire (one that is energized all the time) and one of blacks goes to the light and the other to the fan.

Hope that helps.


How can I figure out the surround sound system left behind by the previous owners?

If you simply used the ohm meter to check between the wire pair at each of the three terminus points then it is very likely that you would read infinite. The reason being is that the other ends of the pair are laying open someplace else.

To check for the wire routing you would need to check for continuity from one wire at say point C0 to one of the wires at point F.

The two pairs of wires at point F may have been connected to speakers located at or near that point. If that is the case then it is likely that all six of your speaker wires terminate at some location that you have not yet located. Some systems that people install put all the equipment out of site in a closet or adjacent room. This is particularly true for cases where the equipment is almost totally controlled through a user interface on the video screen.

You may have wire pairs looking something like this coming from a closet someplace:

You could investigate trying to trace the wire routing. There are tools that you can purchase that inject a signal into a wire from a battery operated transmitter. Then there is a separate receiver unit with a probe that you slide along the wall. The receiver module will produce a sound that chirps and varies in intensity depending upon how close to the driven wire it is located the probe. I own several of these units and have good to mixed results with them. Here is a link to the unit that I have had reasonable success using.

You can find this unit at better hardware stores, big box locations or online. The price showing at the link above is decidedly better than what I paid for the same unit about 10 years ago.


Can push in connectors be used for parallel circuits?

"old yellow cap twists" - if you hate the things then use something else.
However you should hate the old ones. Old wire-nuts aren't very good, or to be more precise, newer ones are better designed.  I throw away all old wire nuts especially Scotchloks.
The other reason to hate wire-nuts is if you have not learned proper technique.   If they don't firmly hold together by themselves, you're not tightening them enough, or wrong-size nut for that many wires.  I stock yellow and red, that covers just about everything.
Never, ever tape wire nuts. Or to be more precise, never need to tape wire nuts. A proper splice must easily pass a "pull test" (hold nut, yank each wire one at a time).
"Backstab" connections on receptacles and switches are known to be unreliable.  Some here will vouch for the stabby splice, but keep in mind those "came free with the lights" which isn't the highest recommendation in the world.


Woodworking tips to fix a stripped MDF screw hole WITHOUT glue

Use a glue/wood mix to fill the hole and let it harden.
Then you can drill it and use the existing screw as it should be used to hold the part in place.


The fact you have to turn it off or down to reset the unit tells us the unit is having a fault and locking out which requires a reset or a time span to pass before it will run again.

Typically this is due to  the induced draft proving switch, it is a pressure switch that proves the induced draft motor is operating and it is ok to transition to ignition and burners.The switch has a tube that attaches to a barbed port on the induced draft housing.

This port will obstruct fully or partially and require reaming clear to allow sensing the inducer motors operation. The tubing can collect condensation if drooped  and a low spot exists.  The flame sensor also may be dirty, this requires 0000 steel wool to gently wipe it clean. The ignition module can also be going bad though less common to find than the aforementioned issues. If it were going off on a high limit it would require manually resetting the safety device tripped, as they will not auto reset.


Yes, you should get it tested.

There is absolutely no way of knowing by looking at it and this home is old enough to have used building products from before the dangers of asbestos were known.


Oven "flickers" in power every now and then

This may be a device fault (loose wires, failing control panel, etc.) but it may be an actual power problem.
In the olden days, a short power outage - even a minute or two - made little difference to anything. Your AC-line powered clocks (whether in an oven or on the wall) would be a minute off and everything else would be "as it was before".
Now many devices, including ovens, have electronics that keep their state only if the power stays on continuously. This includes digital clocks (except the old "flip clocks"), computers, TVs and many, many other devices. They have "soft switches" that don't truly turn the AC power on/off, so that a circuit is running all the time that "knows" whether the device should appear to be on or off. Typically, a power outage of more than a second will turn all of these devices "off", so that when power returns they come back to a default state - typically "appear off" but in some cases "appear on" (e.g., many computers have a setting to automatically turn on after power is restored - crucial for servers, security systems, etc.) and in some cases give a power failure indication (like my Kitchenaid oven).
The big problem is on outages between roughly 1/60 of a second and 1 second. Almost any device can tolerate an outage of 1/60 of a second - one AC cycle. But handling more than that depends on the power supply design. Some devices will ride through several cycles quite easily. Some devices will not. I see this occasionally with failing battery backups (UPS). A UPS is typically designed to switch over to battery power in 1/60 of a second and for any low voltage (perhaps < 100V), not just a full outage. But if the battery has failed then the connected devices get nothing at all until power is restored, and can actually end up worse off than if they simply tried to ride through the outage on their own, particularly if the problem is low voltage rather than a full outage.
End result: If your incoming utility power has some very brief interruptions, you can easily find some devices resetting while other devices act as if nothing ever happened.


What would be the best tuck pointing temporary alternative?

It sounds like you're asking how to apply a temporary fix to missing mortar. Honestly, filling in the holes is already 50% of the work. You might as well clean out the failing mortar first and do the job right.
Proper tuck point repair does not require significant skill or investment:

Cut the failing mortar joints with an angle grinder.
Remove the mortar with a rotary hammer or just a chisel.
Clean the joints.
Apply new mortar with a trowel and tuckpointer.
Clean errant mortar off the bricks

But if you really want to skimp on the job, you could skip removing the old mortar and just add new mortar to the major holes. Then when you're ready you can cut out problem mortar as described above.


Power Outlet -3 Wire Conductor on Tandem Breaker Wiring

On the old receptacle were the break-off tabs connecting the contacts on the hot side of the two receptacles removed? What about the break-off tab on the neutral side--was it removed or in place? If you just want to use only one hot (red or black) to power both receptacles of the the duplex receptacle, then on the new receptacle, don't break off either of these connecting tabs.

But if you would want to power the two receptacles independently using one neutral (i.e., a MultiWire Branch Circuit (MWBC) using both red and black and the one white), you must put in a 2-pole breaker and put it in a different spot than this tandem breaker. This might require rearranging the breakers in your panel. If you would try to insert a 2-pole breaker in the same location as this tandem breaker, I believe you would find that the 2-pole would not snap into place. It is that way on my GE panel and I think this is a universal requirement.

And on the new receptacle you would remove the break-off connecting tab on the hot side, but leave the tab on the neutral side intact. (You have only one neutral and you want it to serve both receptacles.

In any case do not connect the red and black wires together. You either abandon one of the hots and cap it or, if you use a MWBC, you connect each hot to "its own" receptacle.


What is the difference between the various types of particle boards?

Pressed Wood is a broad category that includes Particle Board, OSB, MDF, and the trademarked Masonite [edit: Masonite is a type of "hardboard], as well as, engineered wood (think: engineered flooring), particle board, and plywood as these all require the product to be pressed (compressed).

Particle Board is a pressed wood that includes OSB and, maybe, Masonite as both are made of wood particles/fibers that are not made of thin sheets of wood, paper, or pulp.  Usually, when people say, "particle board" they're referring to the type used on ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture.  It can be identified by looking at the cut ends where one can see wood particles, as well as, voids.  This product is almost always laminated.

OSB (Oriented Strand Board) looks like a patchwork of thin scraps of wood and is used for house underlayment (though I prefer plywood for this).  It is never recommended for applications where it would get wet frequently as it will come apart after a while (of continuous wetness).

Masonite is smooth on one side and a pattern of diamonds or squares on the other.  It is most often used as the backing of ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets and the backing of factory made furniture (ie. end tables, etc.).  Older clip-boards are also made of it.  Peg-board is the same/similar material.

MDF is made of several sheets of paper that have been pressed together (get it wet and these layers will separate from each other....permanently).  MDF is a favourite for chair rails and crown molding and the like.


How can I support a joist length of 9 meters without steel?

I just checked some Ontario tables.   For an Attic, not accessible by stairs (i.e. not used as living space,   a 2x12 every 12" can span 32 ft.  But you can't put anything above it.

I've found nothing in the tables that allows a 30 ft span supporting a floor.

While this doesn't mean it can't be done, it means you need to consult with an engineer, and pay for a proper design.


How to connect garbage disposal when drain is too short

Original drain was longer. That piece has been added back on and is in use now. Props to brhans for the tip!


You should get a permit to do this and the permitting authority will tell you what you can and cannot do. Even if the structure is sound and up to code as a carport, if you fill in walls this would change the wind loading. Contact building inspection.


Wall Switch | Want to Install Rocker Switch

WHY THE BLOODY GREEN BLAZES IS A RED WIRE ON A GROUND SCREW????

The answer is because you replaced a 3-way switch, and you do not know what a 3-way switch is or what that means, because you are lunging forward on these projects without nearly the adequate learning.

Nor do you know what a green screw means.

Further, you are prone to experimentation, in which you just toss stuff together and "try stuff".  The problem with experimentation in electrical is there are many combinations that work and will kill you.

So please just stop.

If you insist, then please go to the library and read books on electrical-how-to, find a book that speaks to you, and read it cover to cover.  Why would I advise that when Google is easy? Because Google gives you swiss cheese knowledge; it only answers what you ask, and doesn't tell you the 20 other things you didn't know to ask.  You need a well-rounded primer on the subject so you aren't constantly tripped up on mistakes this dumb.

This isn't saving you any money.  On selling the house, the buyer's or city inspector will detect one of the problems that "worked, but will kill you", and will inspect more closely and find more. You'll have to hire an electrician to bug-hunt all your mistakes, which is more expensive than just hiring it done in the first place.  Especially because on simple stuff like this, a handyman will do.


Drawbacks of Bonding Earth & neutral in Industrial sub panels

Don't remove earth-neutral bonding unless you are sure both neutral and earth have genuine, quality separate paths back to the main panel.

Dirt is not a genuine, quality path.  So if the only path back is via dirt using grounding rods at each panel, you need to hardwire a ground wire.  Ground rods are for returning lightning, not human-made current.

However, earth-neutral bonding elsewhere than the main panel creates a serious safety issue that might also damage equipment.  If there is trouble in the shared neutral-ground, there can be extraordinary voltages on both neutral (which may hurt equipment) and ground (which may hurt people).

So yes, a neutral break could cause voltages as high as the opposite phase voltage. So if your service is 240/416V wye, you could see 416V between neutral and hot.  You could also see voltage as high as 176V between "things which should be grounded" and genuine earth.


What type of anchor for fastening to block wall?

With stucco the wall is two thin for tapcon screws, Since you already have a hole I think your best bet is a molly bolt or toggle that expands once inside the wall  fill the hole with calking so no moisture or bugs can find thier way in.


The whites aren't hot, they're neutral

The white wires here are not hot wires at all, they're the neutral wires that return current back to the power company.  So:

Blacks go to switch terminals (one is the always-hot, the other the switched-hot to the light)
Whites get nutted together to provide a neutral return to the panel/power company service
Grounds get nutted to each other and to a bare pigtail going to the switch's green ground screw.


That type of latch rotates (there is a half-cam inside)
That square hole you see is engaged by the shaft on the missing knob, and rotates that piece.
You can use anything to turn that either way. A screwdriver with a bit too big to fit straight, but will fit in 'diagonally' will do the trick...
a quarter turn should open it fully.
This is provided it is the same as the kind I am trying to describe, from what I can see in the picture.
Also, after you get in, when you try to put the pieces back together, make sure the key works BEFORE you close-up and lock yourself out.  It is often possible to get the inside knob and outside knob together wrong by 90º, and then you will probably not be able to rotate the key one direction, and/or be able to turn the lock-tab inside both ways.  Check the knobs and keys and lock tab function, with the door open, for proper operation BEFORE you close the door...


How to properly relocate wiring on different circuits

You do not need a separate junction box for each line, nor do you need one per circuit. Unless you're strapped for space inside the box, one does just fine.

The National Electrical Code does say that the junction box has to be accessible "without removing any part of the building". So any junctions will need to be accessible through some sort of hole - normally covered by a simple faceplate. All the more reason to keep the number of boxes as small as possible.


Applying joint compound over old and dirty drywall

You don't even need to clean anything unless the soiling is greasy or would otherwise inhibit bonding. In fact, you risk damaging the unprotected paper surface of the drywall.

I'd do your taping and use a good stain-blocking primer/sealer over it all.


It is not uncommon for folks to install "access hatches" in areas that commonly have problems (e.g. shower valves) but I don't see any reason for access in the spot you reference. The in-wall plumbing for your new toilet is no different than all the other plumbing in your walls that is covered up with drywall.
Access hatches are always visible (and not usually pleasing aesthetically) and creating one is more work than just repairing the drywall. I don't see the point.


A 220/240 GFCI supply for a spa is not difficult. There are several ways to accomplish this. One of the more common is to get a "spa panel" that can be located close to the spa and serve as the disconnect and GFCI. These usually cost under $120, plus the feeder wiring. Many home DIY books cover the requirements, but it is a good idea to read up and ask questions first. Many states allow a homeowner to pull permits and do the work themselves. A few states require licensed electricians. So it is best to read up and find out what your local rules are. Call your local permitting office and ask what they require. Asking additional questions here can also help you out.

Yes this is something that is good to know, and it can save you hundreds in most cases and over a lifetime possibly many thousands.


Drain line adapter recommendation for reverse osmosis kit + dishwasher?

That short piece of black rubber hose (with 2 hose clamps) that is included with the adapter in your link should attach directly to the copper pipe. Then you clamp your dishwasher hose to the proper size barbed tube; the RO drain uses the quick disconnect.

If the black hose is too big, use an adapter:

You should know that your dishwasher drain should be equipped with an air gap, or at least put an anti-siphon loop in there:

diagram stolen shamelessly from the web


Unclogging faucet aerator: can I do anything more?

Leave out the piece shown in the top right of your picture, it is a restriction device.
Don't tell the government or your tree-hugging neighbors, friends or relatives because the .6 gpm per minute excess flow might dry up all the rest of the fresh water on our planet.


Master bedroom switch must be on in order for spare bedroom lights to turn on

I fully agree that you need an electrician, but I wanted to place a guess on what may have happened, just for fun.

The problem was most likely made in the ceiling box in the MB. Someone obviously tied the switch in the MB to the switch in the spare room; so when you flip both switches on, the current is travelling through two switches then up to the spare room light.

I'm guessing that the culprit is the black wire- it is travelling from the switch in the MB, to the light in the MB, and to the switch in the spare room. And (another guess) there is probably a cable connected to both ceiling boxes... the travelling black goes through the ceiling box in the MB to the ceiling box in the spare room and then down to the spare room switch. Then the white wire from the spare room switch will carry the power up to the light and I'd bet the end of it is wrapped with black electrical tape.

In the ceiling box of the spare room there are (guessing) two white wires connected to the fixture (one is probably wrapped with black electrical tape) and two black wires tied together (separate).

Now back in the MB, the power (the true hot) is connected to the red wire in the ceiling which goes down to the switch. When the MB switch is on, power flows through the switch, up the black wire to the ceiling box where the black wire is tied to both the light fixture and to the switch in the spare room.

And I'm guessing that the solution (in the ceiling box of the MB) is to connect the red wire to the light in the MB; and connect the black wire to the true hot, so that both switches have a hot wire.


How can a sock gets into a washer's drain boot

The washing machine consists of what is effectively a barrel with a spinning cage inside.  That cage is where the clothes go.  There is a gap between the top of the cage and the barrel.

If the gap between the top of the cage and barrel were big enough, and the washer were carelessly loaded, then a small item could easily fall behind the cage into the barrel, where it would get sucked into the drains.


How can I stop the humming produced by my water heater blower motor?

If you think it is harmonic resonance, changing the length or diameter of the PVC pipe can help stop it. Refer to this prior question for more details: How do I prevent harmonic resonance hum in PVC vent of newly installed hot water heater?


How can I install this automatic transfer switch?

According to the Manufacturers Installation Guide (PDF)...

Physical - install the UTS within one foot of the building circuit breaker panel

Page 4

Caution: The UTS must be installed within one foot of the building circuit breaker panel. If the UTS must be located further than one foot from the circuit breaker panel, a licensed electrician must extend the wiring using standard electrical wiring conduit and junction boxes.

Page 7
According to National Electrical Code (NEC)...

National Electrical Code 2011
ARTICLE 110 Requirements for Electrical Installations
110.3 Examination, Identification, Installation, and Use of Equipment.
(B) Installation and Use. Listed or labeled equipment shall be installed and used in accordance with any instructions included in the listing or labeling.

I'm guessing the unit has permanently attached wires in a raceway, which is of a limited length.  So mounting the unit further from the panel would require you to extend these wires and raceway, which requires knowledge of wiring methods to do properly.  It's not likely you'll have to upsize the wires, but you will have to understand basic wiring methods (Chapter 1-4 of NEC).


What type of tool has hooked jaws and a threaded shaft with a T-handle?

It is a copper tube flaring tool.  There should be another part to it, a clamp that will hold different size copper pipes.
If you ever use one, make sure you put the nut on the pipe before flaring (not that I ever forgot to do that).


Do they provide the FLA?
Air compressor vendors lie about horse power!!!
Going by code we would use the fla book value 5hp or 28 amps plus 125% because it is a motor load or 35 amps requiring a 35 but probably a 40 amp breaker and #8 wire.
In reality your fla is probably going to be closer to 13 amps ( 2.98kw /240v) and that will be fine on a 12 awg circuit with a 20 amp circuit breaker.
Why do I say air compressor (and vacuum cleaner) companies lie?
With locked rotor no work is being done and the definition of 1 horse power is the work of 746w. They put the LR value and at locked rotor no work is done.


You can DIY install low-e (low-emittance) storm windows that retain the views and  dramatically reduce window heat loss. There are operable storm windows that don't need to be removed seasonally.

https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/services/do-it-yourself-energy-savings-projects/savings-project-install-exterior-storm


How can I remove this toilet shutoff valve?

I don't think that is a compression fitting, it looks more like the valve is threaded. Have you tried just turning the valve (silver in color) and not the brass fitting (which is probably soldered onto the pipe)?


What can I use to fix a gap between the light fixture and the ceiling?

Wires and connections must be contained in an enclosure that is designed for that purpose. You might be able to find a decorative canopy extension ring at a good lighting and/or fan shop. it might look something like this:


Will plaster on basement walls and ceiling provide insulation?

According to Bon, plaster has an R-value of about 0.12/inch, so your plan will give you about 0.24.  That little insulation is not going to be of any practical value (R-0.24 means you're stopping about 4% of the heat transfer).  Comparatively, EPS or XPS has a value of 3.5-5/inch (stopping 72-80% of the heat transfer) and will help with keeping things warm.


An infrared camera might be useful if you were trying to detect or document rodent/pest activity. If you know you already know you have mice, rats, and (maybe) a squirrel, focus on getting them out and preventing them from entering. These questions/solutions might be of some help:

How can I get rid of a mouse in my house?
How do I find where mice are entering my house?
How can I figure out where squirrels are entering my attic?

Alternatively, you could contact an exterminator, who can handle the removal and entry prevention for you.


Universal wood blade might not be the best for this.  Blades with a high tooth count (100 or more for a 10" blade) will work best.  Try to find a blade with a low rake angle (teeth should look straighter rather than laying down at an angle).  Blade height should be adjusted so the blade sticks above the material 1/2 or more rather than just clearing the material as is common with wood.

For thinner material, you want very tight clearance between the blade and the throat plate.  This helps prevent chipping because the material is supported as much as possible.  This might mean making a custom throat plate or buying a low clearance plate made for your saw.

Your fence needs to be strait and sturdy, and again for thin material make sure theres not a gap under the fence where the material can slide.


Can I use 12/2 NM-B wire for basement outlets?

You can use nonmetallic sheathed cable in basements, as long as you follow a few rules.

If you're using 12 AWG cable, and you're installing the cable at angles to the joists. You'll have to pull the cable through bored holes, or along running boards. You cannot staple the cable along the bottom of the joist.

When you come down the wall, you'll have to protect the cable in some way. This could be in conduit, or by installing a wood framing member (2x4) for the cable to attach to.  If you use the framing member, the cable will have to attach to the side not the face of the member.

This answer will provide code references.

Yes, you can use 12 AWG conductors with 15 ampere rated receptacles and switches.  You'll have to use the screw terminals, instead of the push-in terminals. As most push-in terminals on these devices, are only rated for 14 AWG conductors.


Is a home with concrete walls more likely to propagate noise between floors?

When thinking about sound there are three factors: absorption, reflection and transmission [1]. Reflection leads to reverberation and echos. Transmission means the sound gets through and it is like the wall is not there. Absorption is where the sound "magically" disappears. It doesn't get reflected back nor does it make it through. Concrete is a rigid and dense material meaning it reflects sound well and does not transmit or absorb sound. Painted and plastered concrete is even more reflective and less transmissive [2]. Depending on the sound level and frequency, painted concrete floors and walls will prevent someone in the next room from hearing the sound. If you had a perfectly sealed concrete room with someone yelling at 100 dB, outside the room it would sound like a quiet conversation of about 50 dB. The reverb in the concrete room would be awful, but you could try and treat this with some soft low density material.

To directly answer your question, you will likely be able to hear the music and tools downstairs. If you replace the concrete with a different less dense material (e.g., wood), the sounds will get louder.


How would one install a wall-mounted toilet when the original is on a concrete slab?

Reframing behind and busting open the slab seems typical for going from a standard toilet to a wall-mounted.  My question is - why?


What's the correct name for this type of bath and shower mixer tap?

Google 'bar mixing valve' or 'thermostatic bar mixing valve'.

The one you picture looks to me like it is not thermostatic nor pressure balancing. It has no 'anti-scald' protection. Anti-scald valves are now required for a shower in nearly every plumbing code as far as I know.

The bar mixing valve type has the advantage that the entire valve is outside the wall, enabling repair or complete replacement without disturbing the wall.


Making exposed structural wood look nice

Aesthetics of a home design is very personal.  I like the uniqueness of your Structural bed frame. I don’t think it needs to be covered with wood trim or gypsum board.

I have two fireplaces in my house...one is a large brick fireplace and the other is made from logs off the beach. Everyone that sees the brick fireplace comments on this one unique brick that is extremely twisted. They love it. Everyone that sees the log fireplace comments on the rusty steel connector located at one end. They love it, but everyone misses the rest of each fireplace.

My point is: make it unique. Go ahead and finish the rest of the bedroom but leave the structural wood exposed. I’d finish it with transparent stain...don’t paint it and try to “cover it up”.

There’s a “thing” in design that says put opposites next to each other...they’ll accent each other’s qualities. That is to say, putting a piece of wood next to a gypsum board wall, will make the trim stand out and the gypsum board look monolithic.

We design custom homes that are all white in a natural wooded environment so that the house says, “I’m unique to this environment.”


Is it common to layout sprinkler heads differently between front and back yards?

Yes, it is.

Water needs of your yard and landscaping will depend on several factors:

type of grass / plant / tree
different types of plant in the same area
amount of sun / shade the area gets

Based on number 3 alone, back yards tend to get differing amounts of sun / shade than the front yards due to the house itself, and so that may lead to a different layout. It could be that only the part of the yard nearest the house needs to be laid out differently, or maybe just one side of the yard.

Just as important as where the sprinkler heads are laid out, though, is how they are connected. This is done with "zones" - groups of sprinkler heads all connected to the same valve, so they all run at the same time and for the same amount of time. Some areas of your landscaping require more water than others, and so it's important for those areas to be in a different zone. This allows you to water those zones for longer, giving the areas which need more water more water while not drowning those areas that don't.

On top of all of that, the maximum number of sprinkler heads is determined by the incoming water pressure, as well as the flow rate of all the heads. You can't have too many in one zone or they won't put out the correct amount of water.

Shaded areas should probably be in a different zone than sunny areas, so the sunny areas can get watered for longer. Additionally, your plants which require lots of water should be in different zones than those which require little water. And none of the zones should have too many heads.

All that could lead to a lot of zones (they make controllers with 8, 12, or 16 zones, and some installations require multiple controllers!), which could also mean a lot of trenching and PVC installed. You and your landscaping contractor will probably need to balance the "ideal sprinkler layout" with the cost and effort involved in getting it.


WR outlets; is it trying to tell you which way is up?

The NEC book does not address the issue, though many Outlet Suppliers have cut-sheets that say to mount with the ground up. From the brief comments I had with Electricians and Inspectors, it because if a plug is pulled slightly out form a outlet, there is a potential for something to connect the Hot/Neutral together by landing across the two spades. If the Ground is up, that potential for that is dramatically decreased.   What does the cutsheet for your outlet say?

Most plug (not outlet) vendors make plugs for devices that have the ground down as that seems to be the way most people install them.

All of my Installs have been with the Ground up.


How deep do I dig to install a walkway when there is already a trench that has some vegetation?

You don't need to go deeper than what you need for your design.  Remove any substantial exposed roots on the starting surface (say pencil diameter or larger), mainly to level it and prevent voids if they eventually rot away.  Landscape fabric can't hurt, but I'm not sure how much difference it will make.

It's generally a good idea to start with a compacted layer of paver base.  The material is a designed mix of sizes, and the pieces aren't rounded.  It interlocks to make it more stable so it doesn't shift and settle when it gets wet.  The finer material gets washed into crevices between larger components, making it even stronger and tighter.  Once it's compacted and gets a little water, it can approach concrete in its characteristics.  It also helps to block roots.  Then use a layer of sand for the slabs.

Be aware that your decorative stone and underlying sand will quickly form a "garden".  Dirt will collect in the stones, and seeds and pollen that fall there will grow (even if you have a layer of plastic directly underneath).  You will need to regularly treat it with weed killer.  I've done a couple of approaches to create a maintenance-free barrier.

One is to use exposed aggregate concrete as the filler where you're showing the decorative stone.  You can mix in colorful pebbles and then wash the surface to expose them.  If you want to stick with a look closer to what you show, you can fill partially with mortar or grout and then embed a thin layer of stones in the surface.

Another approach I've used is to put in the decorative stone chips, add some fine sand to fill the lower voids (wash it in until you can just start to see it), let it completely dry, and then add plastic resin.  That amount of resin can get expensive, but you can make your own cheaply.  Explaining how to do it is a bit long and tangential to this question, but if you're interested, we can dedicate a separate question to it.


Cost effectiveness of fireplace with insert vs electric furnace

electricity, hands down.

electricity at $0.10 = $330 / cord. (using estimate from link)

your wood is $1,065 / cord. ( 128cuft/cord * (1/0.6) * $5 ). that's high btw...

the electricity is 100% efficient, inserts are roughly 50%.
checkout http://extension2.missouri.edu/g5450 for more info and comparisons.


How would I feed a subpanel from this service pedestal?

As usual, conduit will make your life easier in the long run

I would run a fat (2") schedule 80 PVC conduit from the pedestal to the shed, with a reducer and possibly-offset nipple to fit the conduit to the pedestal and the shed's disconnect box and pre-fab wide sweeps to connect to the stub-ups.  This means that all the hard work (trenching, laying conduit) only needs to be done once, even if you want to pull the fat wire over for 200A to the shed sometime down the road.

Once you've done that, there are three approaches one can take

Once you have the conduit in the ground, you have three basic possibilities open to you:

Run a feeder (either full size or tapped) off the 200A breaker to a subpanel at the shed
Run a 20A hybrid branch/feeder to the shed that is tapped to feed the existing 20A receptacles using a 20A, 2-pole, common-trip breaker
Slap a non-CTL, common trip quadruplex breaker in there and feed a 30A RV receptacle and up to 50A of shed feeder that way at the cost of the existing receptacle or a 30A shed feeder shared with the RV receptacle if you wish to keep the existing receptacle.

(A fourth option would involve mounting an extra subpanel to the pedestal, but that would be tricky to do as most pedestals aren't designed to accommodate such hijinks.)

Feeder taps are fun

The first approach lands the feeder wires to the shed on the 200A main breaker's load lugs.  How can we do this without running 4/0 Al to the shed? The answer lies in NEC 240.21(B)(5)'s criteria for outdoor feeder tap conductors:

  (5) Outside Taps of Unlimited Length. Where the conductors are located outside of a building or structure, except
  at the point of load termination, and comply with all of the
  following conditions:

  (1) The tap conductors are protected from physical damage
  in an approved manner.

  (2) The tap conductors terminate at a single circuit breaker
  or a single set of fuses that limits the load to the ampacity of the tap conductors. This single overcurrent
  device shall be permitted to supply any number of additional overcurrent devices on its load side.

  (3) The overcurrent device for the tap conductors is an
  integral part of a disconnecting means or shall be located immediately adjacent thereto.

  (4) The disconnecting means for the tap conductors is installed at a readily accessible location complying with
  one of the following:

  a. Outside of a building or structure

  b. Inside, nearest the point of entrance of the tap conductors

  c. Where installed in accordance with 230.6, nearest
  the point of entrance of the tap conductors

Installing the feeder in Schedule 80 PVC throughout should be good enough for the AHJ as far as physical damage protection goes, and since you want a subpanel anyway, using a main breaker subpanel suffices for criteria 2 and 3, while it needs to be located in a spot that complies with point 4 anyway, due to NEC 225.32.

This has the advantages that it would allow you to run a full 60A feeder  to the shed (or more at a later date), and also frees up the pedestal's breaker space to supply the existing receptacle and a RV receptacle -- either a NEMA TT-30R using a single pole, 30A breaker (BR130, Q130, or THQL1130) in the open slot, or a NEMA 14-30R by replacing the existing breaker with a non-CTL common trip quadplex breaker, the BRDC220230, with one of the 20A poles feeding the existing 20A receptacle and the 30A poles feeding the NEMA 14-30R RV receptacle.

It does have the downside that it requires a full main breaker subpanel at the shed, though, but that's not much of a downside, really, given the advantages that having a subpanel there provides.

Mixing the (electrical) streams

The second approach uses a 2-pole, 20A, common trip breaker (BR220, Q220, or THQL2120 -- the Durham meter-mains aren't at all picky) to feed both the receptacle and the shed, tapping one leg of the feeder with a wirenut and pigtail to provide a hot for the receptacle.  It has the downside that we wind up running out of breaker slots at the pedestal before we can consider providing for the RV, though.

Cramming it in

The third and final approach is similar to the second, but uses a non-CTL, common trip quadruplex breaker (the same BRDC220230 I mentioned above) to provide room for the shed feeder and a separate pole for the existing receptacle.  This limits you to 30A for the shed, and would require you to tap the shed feeder with wirenuts and pigtails (since it's a full size tap, the feeder tap rules don't apply here) to provide a NEMA 14-30R or TT-30R for the RV, but does have the advantage that it provides the shed with a bit more power (30A vs. the second approach's 20A), and also provides all three loads you wish (the existing receptacle, the RV receptacle, and the shed) without tapping the main feeder and thus invoking the tap conductor rules.

At the shed...

While a main breaker subpanel can be fitted at the shed in all three approaches, the subpanel selection equation varies slightly between them.  For the first and third approaches, going with a 24 or 30 space, 100/125A panel, fitted with separate ground bars of course, is a good minimum to go with, although you will need to use a backfed main breaker in this case if the panel is not already designed for such, as 30A and 60A breakers don't come in main breaker frame sizes.  The use of a subpanel also means that the shed will need its own grounding electrode system (if that is not already in the cards).

For the second approach, though, if you're willing to accept having to replace it should future needs come up, an inexpensive non-fusible AC disconnect box can be used instead of a subpanel, as all it needs to provide is a disconnecting means for the incoming branch circuit.  Because the feed to the shed is a (multi-wire) branch circuit and not a feeder at this point, as well, it means that a grounding electrode system for the shed is not needed (but still permissible) under this approach, as per the Exception to NEC 250.32(A).

Finally, if you're going with the first option, it may be best to bump the shed up to a 42-space, 200A panel -- this provides ample capacity for whatever size feeder you, future-you, or somebody else wishes to put in.

Don't be a loose lugnut

Last but not least, make sure to torque all breaker and busbar lugs to spec using an inch-pound torque wrench -- this will ensure reliable connections in the long run, and also is required by 2017 NEC 110.14(D).

As to those follow-ups....

80' is not a particularly long feeder, fortunately -- 6AWG copper will do the trick at the 60A mark, and for a 125A feeder instead, you can use 1/0 aluminum, with more of the same copper you used for the GEC for the feeder ground.  You will not need to replace the jumpers from the primary lugs to the secondary busbar, by the way -- they look to be at least 8AWG if not thicker, but you will need a 30A breaker to protect the RV receptacle and the wire from the breaker to the receptacle.

And to fix one more divot

There is one final issue you'll need to fix with this setup, and that's the lack of a grounding electrode (ground rods) at the pedestal.  I would drive two ground rods 8' apart and use a #4 bare copper GEC, buried 18" to a 1/2" Schedule 80 PVC stub-up to the pedestal (that way, the GEC is unlikely to sustain physical damage), where it goes in the left-side bay and connects to the smaller lug on the N/G bar there.


Door seal to stop spreading cooking odour

You'd essentially use the type of weather stripping commonly seen on exterior doors. Foam tape, rubber bead gaskets, brass compression strips, bottom sweeps, etc. Which you use is up to you.

I think you'll end up disappointed, though. If odor is escaping even with your exhaust fan running and creating negative pressure, something is moving it around. Sealing that door probably won't yield satisfactory results.


Yes.  If you run the heater without water, the elements will burn out. Unless the heater has a safety limit, that prevents it from running empty.


Subfloor and Batten Construction of 1950s Hardwood Floor

Your situation is not typical unless those are intended as sleepers (used to correct out of level joists) or furring (used to raise the plane of a surface in order to flush with the plane of adjacent finishes). In the first case, you would still be missing a layer of sheathing above the sleepers as sub floor. In the second case, underlayment should have been full coverage. As you are discovering, what they've done leads to issues for a typical lumber flooring plank spanning across a typical joist layout.
Some quick points:

It would be impractical to fix this in any other way than to live with it or pull it up  and relay your floor properly.
The brown paper is probably kraft paper for a little moisture resistance from the basement humidity. Most likely, whoever installed this was cutting costs and willing to live with the consequences. Without sub floor to support the paper, it's a miracle they could lay it at all.
There is no reason to run electrical between flooring and subfloor.

Since your Plan A didn't work, maybe this could be your plan B:
You might try finding any nails that are sitting on the side of a joist, which squeak from rubbing under normal circumstances as you walk across the floor, and any nails that are sticking out from the side of the joist, which squeak under normal circumstances from the inadequate withdrawal resistance. You can try pulling them through with a pair of end cutters.
Other than that, try adding a picture to your post and maybe it will allow for a solution as the description you've given is currently explained.


Older Zenith motion activated flood light not working properly

Replace the Fixture
In this particular case, since the red light flashes, it sounds like the sensor is OK but it isn't activating the relay for the light. But on an older halogen unit it is not worth repairing - just replace it with a new LED fixture. The electronics do wear out over time, especially with outdoor fixtures, and you will save money on electricity with a new LED fixture.
Look at the existing bulbs to find the power (watts) used and then translate that into an equivalent LED. For example, if your existing fixture has 2 x 100W Halogen bulbs, that is roughly 2,000 to 2,500 lumens according to this chart. Replace it with a new fixture like this one picked at random from Home Depot and you get 2,400 lumens for 26W. At 0.13/kWh (average US according to a quick search), saving you $8.25/year for each hour/day that the light is on (motion detected -> lights actually on; the motion detector (old or new) uses very little power).


Based on that pic, I'd agree with the comment that some small stock, ripped to the appropriate width to fill that gap is going to be your only way to trim that out. Personally, I'd suggest using PVC "wood" as it's guaranteed to never rot (since it's not wood). If you want to stick with real wood, I'd suggest that investing in pressure treated at a minimum or possibly something like cedar that is naturally rot resistant, then, once each piece is cut to fit, prime all six sides with a quality primer (don't skimp here or you'll be replacing it sooner than you'd like) before installation and paint the outside the appropriate color after installation.
I'd decide how far out from the concrete you want it to stick, then get the appropriate thickness (or build it up out of layers if using PVC - it usually only comes in nominal 1"), rip pieces to width to fit into the narrow gaps, then either use wider pieces (where you have the room) that match the width of your other window trim or use the same width as this narrow gap has where you don't have the room.
For the side shown in the picture, I'd put a heavy bead of caulk down the side of the concrete, and another down the side of the window, then push the trim into the caulk and use the appropriate screws to attach it to the wall. I purchased a kit of screws that came with a driver bit with a depth stop and little white PVC plugs that just fill the holes when the screws are driven to the proper depth.
For the bottom trim, depending on how far above ground this is, you may want to leave the caulk off the bottom, so that any moisture that manages to get behind the trim has a place to escape. If this is very close to the ground, I'd put caulk along the bottom there to prevent moisture from wicking in should there ever be any flooding or snow build up in the window well.


Extending sink drain rough in. Legal? Correct?

I believe the 22 inches would just be a maximum height you could have it in order to achieve the  proper slope for drainage.  It is not uncommon to plumb sinks into drains that are less than 22 inches .  Just use a longer tailpiece or extension from the drain basket down to the trap and then over to the drain.  Your wife's husband can rest asured that it will be all right.


I am (mostly...) a fan of use the right tool for the job.
Can a WiFi controlled smart switch be programmed to track sunrise/sunset? Sure.
But how about a simple photocell fixture? That is a far simpler technology that has been around "forever". No computer, smartphone, etc. needed. No worry about forgetting how to program it. Automatically on/off every day with sunset/sunrise.
Alternatively, you can get a motion sensor light. Automatically turns on when it detects someone within range and stays on until there is no movement for a while.


how to remove frost free outdoor faucet drain valve assembly

That part is called the stem, and is typically fully replaced, or more often, you simply replace the o rings and, well, as noybman mentioned, the bushing(s).

I have a feeling, if you pull the stem completely out, you'll fine the little brass part you're really looking for. There's a base at the back of that stem that closes the valve, and it will be replaceable on some spigots, in whole or in part. If yours is replaceable, it is typically adjustable as well.

Do a google image search for your spigot under 'repair kit'. You'll get a very handy diagram.


24,000 watts continuously.  Such as racks of Bitcoin miners.

Or 30,000 watts if it's an intermittent load like an anti-misile pulse laser.

However, we're not done.  If you inject 24,000 watts of heat into a house anytime but the dead of winter, the home will overheat, possibly to the point of damage when combined with normal solar load.  So ther  must be air conditioning to remove that heat.  That air conditioning plant will dig into your total energy budget.


Horrendous electric bill in new apartment - what are we doing wrong?

In answer to your first question: Yes. If there is no one occupying an area you should set you T'stat lower while you are out.

In answer to your second question: I have no idea anymore as to what is a fair rate, but I will say your bill makes no sense. We all get the $145.79, but according to the breakdown of your Delivery Services, it only adds up to $110.82 not $133.04. So where does the extra $22.22 come from? Look over your bill and see if it mentions that charge and if it doesn't, I would spend some time on the phone having someone explain it to me.

On you third question: The first thing I would do is go online, make phone calls, and find any social sites that are discussing this problem. When I say go online and make phone calls, I am talking about directing them to the service provider. I would not try and be rude or mad, but be firm and ask detailed questions about your billing. Also expect and be firm about getting detailed answers.

On matters of saving energy, first as you originally proposed. Set your T'stat to prevent you AC/Heat from coming on as often if you are not in the residence. I use a programmable T'stat and have mine set for 58F in the winter and 80F in the summer. Also I would suggest you don't need it so high if you are sleeping in a bed under covers. I would suggest an electric pad or blanket to keep you warmer in the winter and set the AC for say 60F and come back up to 72 an hour or so before you get up.

Also orientation is everything as brought up by @1006a. Windows and their exposures are key, you might look and make sure you have heavy insulated curtains to keep conditioned air in especially on extra cold and hot days.

Hope this helps, good luck.


Are there any DIY polyurethane foam insulation options available?

Spray foam insulation for large areas with a closed-cell foam tends to be a job performed by professionals. They will mask off the area being sprayed, and bring in a bunch of specialized equipment to do the job fast. The result doesn't require a separate vapor barrier since closed cell foam is a barrier. It does have the downside that any future repairs or renovations will require a significant effort to remove the foam.

The main reason to spray foam an attic space is to make the area a living space and eliminate the need to ventilate under the roof (typically done to prevent ice dams). To do this, they would spray directly under the roof, between the rafters, rather than between the joists. Otherwise, the traditional solutions are blown and fiberglass insulation.

Blown insulation requires the vapor barrier to be put down first, soffits to be protected so they aren't covered over, and then a machine can be rented to blow in as much insulation as you like. The advantage of blown insulation is speed, fewer gaps in the insulation, and it's easy to add a few extra inches. If you ever need to remove a ceiling under blown insulation, it becomes difficult since you first need to remove all the insulation unless you want it falling into the room below.

With fiberglass insulation, the vapor barrier is often attached, but it needs to be stapled to the joists, which is difficult to do from above. It's much easier to temporarily move out of the way for a repair or renovation, but it's also easy to leave small cracks where moisture and heat can escape.

If your problem was that you had wind blown rain entering from your soffits, then you may need to add a baffle or some other storm resistant vent that blocks the wind driven rain while still providing fresh air all other times.


That is vermiculite.

You can buy that stuff at Walmart in the garden department.

There is a small possibility that it contains asbestos.

It is possible that there was an asbestos vein in the ground where the vermiculite was mined.


Why do basement walls need less insulation than crawlspace walls?

The earth is a good insulator itself relative to cold air that may circulate outside a crawl space.  The temp of the ground even few feet down is much warmer (or, in the summer, colder) and more stable than the outside air.  If the air outside is in the 20s, the soil even a few feet down is much warmer (in climes as far south as yours). Ground source heat pumps take advantage of this fact.


Feedback: sounds like a good idea. But I suggest you use as big fasteners as possible, as your moment on them will be quite high...the load being so far from the anchors themselves.  Something at least 3/8" or even 1/2".
The entire weight of the set is around 112lb and your TV will stand at least 6in from the brick surface; this will create a torque of ~56 lbf, higher the more you extend the arm away from the wall.
I suggest you consider fastening the TV-mount THROUGH the wood, into the brick itself, and consider the wood just a "spacer", as 2" of wood only may be to little to hold the assembly.  I would personally install a long internally-threaded sleeve (such as this), and fasten it with a chemical anchor such as Hilti HY-270, Simpson Strong-Tie AT-XP, DeWalt AC100+ or other similar non-epoxy resins suitable for masonry.  You can then drill and drive threaded rods through the lumber, and fasten the mount with nuts.  If you cut the threaded rod to the correct length, you can use black dome nuts, that would look as good as a regular bolt.


1.) Golf Cart batteries are the easiest supply for a home electric backup battery bank.

2.) Bigger is better with the solar panel array. If you're only going to be running the router (why not the modem too? Or is it combined?) you can probably get away with a cheap small solar kit from these guys : Silicon Solar They offer some great battery charger kits that pretty much take all the work out of it for you. You'd still need to wire these to your battery and convert the current to your AC plug for the router.

3.) For connecting the Router to the power grid you've created in Steps 1&2 you'll need an inverter. Depending on your interest in making something pretty to look at and safe to handle you might want to do some more research on an inverter you can wire to your power grid.

Here's a graphic that should help explain the setup and get you thinking visually on the setup explained above:

In your case the panel box would be replaced with the inverter output device combined as one item since you're only looking to power 1 device.


choices besides UF-B wet damp location not inside conduit

You use individual wires in conduit, not a cable

Pulling cable through conduit is a miserable job -- NM and UF cables use solid wire, making them awful stiff, and the jacket just makes them stiffer and harder to pull still, especially around bends.  Instead, you want to take some single wires rated for wet location service (you can get THHN/THWN-2 dual-rated single conductors basically anywhere building supplies are sold) and pull an appropriate bundle of those through your conduit instead of a cable.

This will make your pull easier then and there because said bundle's less stiff and snag-prone due to not having a jacket; furthermore, you can get stranded THHN/THWN-2 wire in most places, which will make your pull easier still as stranded wire beats solid wire of equal size on flexibility, every time.  Just do not ever try to get away with shucking the jacket off a cable to get at the wires inside -- wires inside cables are not marked for use outside the cable jacket!

At the ends of the conduit, you'd put a box and transition to a cable wiring method there

With individual wires in conduit, the conduit run needs to be complete between boxes.  So, this simply means you need a suitable box at each end of the run, mounted indoors, that you can make splices in to transition between NM and wires-in-conduit.

Run another conduit for the networking wires

You can't put network or coax cables in the same conduit as power wires -- this is governed by 800.133(A) and 820.133(A), not 300.3(C).


Load bearing wall and basement beam don’t line up. Want to add a header and larger opening. Problem?

Without seeing any pictures its hard know so they would help. If its a 60's ranch house I would think that the roof is a truss roof and the roof load is on the outside walls. With that said there would be no load bearing walls interior. The purpose for the beam running down through the center of the basement is for floor support because back in the 60's truss roofs were becoming popular but not truss floors, they used 2x6/2x8/2x10 depending on the span and placed them on a steel W beam in the center.
Its all guesses without images - but go in your attic to see what type of roof you have, you have to look up before you look down in the basement.


Is there a replacement mailbox lock that is more pry-resistant?

I believe you're going to find that the lock itself is not the weak link in this mailbox product.  The doors are thin Aluminum and I believe are easily pried open with a standard screwdriver or similar tool.  You can replace the lock with a high-security version if there is such a product available for this model, and you still will not solve the problem.
I have a couple of suggestions, however:

There are higher security mailbox systems available from numerous vendors.  These are more expensive that what you have but having your mail stolen can also be quite expensive.  So replace the current flimsy unit with a better one to discourage opportunistic theft.
Relocating to a more visible location, adding lighting, enclosing the mailboxes in a structure that only residents and the USPS have access to might be helpful.


Where to check for neighbors stealing power?

Understand how much power you are using
4000 KWH per month... 720 hours per month... that's 5600 watts on average all the time.
This is the equivalent of a dryer running continuously... 24 x 7...
If this was heating water, that is enough energy to heat nearly 1 gallon per minute continuously - nearly a low-flow showerhead.  A pretty big leak in the hot water system would do that.  A big leak!
If someone tapped an outdoor circuit, the most they could draw is 1800 watts or about 1/3 of your draw. That wouldn't explain this.
Since you don't have gas, the #1 probability is your heat. Resistive strip electric heat is CHEEEEAP to install and expensive to run.  (However in many locations where electric heat is popular, the power company often offers special electric tariff rates to make electric heat beneficial - so talk to your power company about rate plans).
To give you an idea how much heat this is, this is 19,000 BTU/hr continuously on average.   That's about right for heating a house.


Can I get 10 Gig on cat6a running through two wall jacks?

If everything is done properly, this will work fine. However, every component - in-wall cable, jacks, patch cables, network cards - has to be able to support 10 Gig. Plus, your installation quality (especially installation of the jacks) needs to be perfect.


Contractor wants to "derate" my subpanel

Yeah, that's a thing.  The problem is you have potentially two energy sources feeding the panel: The 200A main breaker and the 60A Tesla PowerWall.  That's 260A on a breaker bus that is rated either 200A or 225A - I suspect the former, though the label will say for sure.

Now, they give you a mulligan for 20% of the panel ampacity. So they'll let you slide up to 240A on that 200A busing.  But you need 260A so that is not enough.

So, one option is to derate whatever breaker happens to supply this panel. Now you have   175A + 60A = 235A = you're inside 240A.

Another way is to go talk to the dealer who sells those lines of panel.  They put a large variety of panels on a limited number of panel box sizes.  The goal is to find a panel with 225A-rated busing, where the bus assembly will bolt up to the same mounting holes that are in your panel.

Now you'll have 225A x 120% = 270A, which covers your 260A.


Furnace fan starts slow and is getting slower

Sounds like the capacitor is dead/dying.

If you have a capacitor tester, or a multimeter with a capacitor test feature, you can test the capacitor. There should be a micro farad rating on the capacitor (e,g, 10µF), and a variance percentage. When you test the capacitor, it should be withing the variance percentage. If it's not, then it's bad.  For example a capacitor rated 10µF ±6%, should test between 9.4 and 10.6 micro farad. If not, then it should be replaced.


Can I paint the background of my gas fireplace?

Yes.  These are painted all the time.  I just used this for a traditional wood burning fireplace.  You can search for fireplace paint but really you are looking for it to withstand the max temperature.  Since yours is gas I am guessing your max is well less than 1000 F.

Also most fireboxes are painted black so you can see the fire easier.  And because of the heat a lighter color may get burn marks in it from the heat.


Can I have two pressure tanks on my system?

That sounds like an overly complicated setup with far more pumps than it should need. Or else you said pump when you meant tank in two places, actually, re-reading it.

In short, you can have as many pressure tanks as you like. Locating them closer to the point of use (the house) would be helpful, to a limited extent. That limited extent is the "effective volume" of the pressure tank at the house - while it's got pressure, you get better pressure at the house. As soon as it runs out of water and you become dependent on the pump, the pressure loss of the 300 feet of 1" PVC to the house comes into play, until you slow down your water use to the point where the pressure tank at the house fills up again.

If you do not change the setpoint pressure, the peak water pressure in the house will not be affected at all. Once the pressure tank at the house is depleted, the pressure will be the same as it is now. If you have a pressure gauge at the house now (or can add one) it might be useful to know the pressure at the house when "loads of interest" (showers, say) are drawing water.

Most pump controls can be altered to have a higher setpoint pressure, and most well pumps will provide that, within reason. General recommendations are to stay below 80 PSI - but if you are now running your pump on at 20 off at 40 (a typical default) you could turn it up to on at 30 off at 50, or on at 40 off at 60 - you will need to adjust your pressure tank (and any you may choose to add) for the higher pressure, particularly if they are bladder-type tanks - with the system drained, a bladder tank should typically be 2 PSI less than the low water pressure setpoint (ie, 18, 28, or 38 for the three ranges I've just given) and you may need additional pressure tank volume (because the effective volume of water a pressure tank can hold goes down as the system pressure goes up.) So, you can probably get more pressure without another pump, and possibly without another tank, but we'd need more details of what your system is doing now to know that for certain.

Unless your water use is extreme, 300 feet of 1" PVC pipe should not have a lot of effect on the pressure - at 5 gallons per minute, about 2.2 PSI - at 10GPM, 8.2PSI, 15 GPM, 17.4 psi


I think your best bet is to look into woodworking stores. Machinery, specialty cutters/blades/etc are what they are known for, and many even deal in furniture hardware. Maybe checking a place like Rockler should be able to point you in the right direction if they cannot help you out directly. A simple Google search for woodworking stores and hidden hinges should also give you a pretty good start.


Adapting 3/4 gas outlet to 1/2" appliance?

If you don't want to remove the 1/2" adapter from the dryer you will need a new supply line that has the correct size. I don't like using intermediate fittings but prefer the the correct size fitting on the flex as this reduces the possibility of a leak.


Can I move second-floor duct-work from the floor to the attic

Drywall is the enemy.

That dryer vent is disconcerting; lets find out what other shenanigans are going on here. You may not have ever done ductwork but at least you seem to know a proper installation will require opening the walls to install rigid (use flexible only if you must).

Can you run it in the attic, sure: at a loss of efficiency; longer run, more leaks\back-pressure. Also, efficiency will drop like a rock if you run any ducts through unconditioned space. Ideally everything is within the building envelope.

Running ducts isn't that hard; fixing what you had to destroy to get them in, is.

You will cut yourself while working with sheet metal. Proceed slowly and methodically; everything is sharp...


General case: your utility sets the requirements for this

Since the meter socket is part of the interface between you and your electric utility, most electric utilities publish a document that specifies what sort of meter socket they want, among the other various requirements and conditions they place on consumers of electric services.  For the case of PG&E, this document is called the Greenbook.

In your specific situation...

PG&E is a member of what's called EUSERC -- this is a coalition of utilities that set and use a common standard for metering equipment.  In particular, you will need a ring type meter main that conforms to the EUSERC specifications (EUSERC drawing 301, 301A, or 302, to be precise, but if the manufacturer's catalog says that it complies with EUSERC, that's good enough).  As a result, the QC3040M200S is not usable for you; in fact, none of the Class 200 (150/200/225A) all-in-one CSEDs in the QO line meet EUSERC requirements, so they're a non-starter for you.

Furthermore, PG&E will not accept a setup with the meter for a single-family residence inside a garage -- this is prohibited by the Greenbook, section 5.3.2, point F.  So, you'll have to put the meter-main and any loadcenters on the outside of the garage instead if possible (as you can't put the subpanel by the gas meter either, NEC 110.26A would likely prohibit it even if the Greenbook didn't).  Thankfully, this gets them out of the way of the gas meter set, so you now have the flexibility to use a separate meter-main and loadcenter, as described below.

If this doesn't work, then you'll have to find a new home inside for the setup, or hope that PG&E and your electrical inspector will grandfather the noncompliant location.

Avoiding repeating this pickle down the road

One of the problems with "all-in-one" service entrance devices, as you are finding out the hard way, is that they tend to be short on breaker spaces and are hard to expand or replace.  As a result, if a meter-main is required, the use of a single-disconnect meter-main or a meter-loadcenter with feed-through lugs in conjunction with a separate 200A panel is a far better choice than a single 200A meter-loadcenter combination from an expansion and flexibility perspective.

Given the lack of options in the QO lineup for this, I would go with a Siemens MC0816B1200E(FN/FT/SN) for the meter main.   It is listed as EUSERC approved in the Siemens catalog, has 8 full size spaces for outdoor branch circuits or the like as well as an available secondary main disconnect of up to 50A (useful for an outbuilding), and has a set of feed-through lugs at the bottom of the busbars that can be used to provide the full 200A capacity of the main breaker to a subpanel without taking up any spaces.  With this, you can use a 200A panel of your choosing -- I would use something with a minimum of 42 spaces, but would not turn down a 54 or 60 space unit if one was available.  Plug-on Neutral is a nice-to-have (albeit not necessary), and since the meter-main provides the main disconnect, you can use a main lug panel for the subpanel.

Sidebar: 4-jaw vs 5-jaw

Self-contained electric meters and meter bases/sockets are not all alike -- they come in various current ratings (or Classes), as well as in various jaw configurations to accommodate different supply systems.  The 120/240V split-phase system used for most houses and light commercial buildings uses a 4-jaw meter and socket, as it only needs to be involved with the two hot lines (hot 1 in, hot 1 out, hot 2 in, hot 2 out).

A 5-jaw meter socket and matching meter are used when the service is a "2 out of 3" service, where instead of providing 2 legs 180deg apart from the opposite ends of the supply transformer, you get 2 legs and a neutral 120 degrees (and 208VAC) apart, as they came from picking 2 legs out of the 3 phases provided by a 120/208Y connected three phase supply.  Many 4-jaw sockets can be converted to a 5-jaw configuration in the field using a fifth jaw kit, as all this fifth jaw does is supply a neutral connection to the meter so it can correctly measure power in this asymmetric configuration.  However, unless you are in NYC (and you aren't), you will only see a 120/208 3-wire service or feed in a high-rise building fed by three-phase electricity.

So, while a 5-jaw socket can be used in a 4-jaw application (with the neutral jaw sitting unused), 4-jaw sockets are more widely available, so that's what I have specified here.


joining two 190x35mm to make one 190x70mm

What you have sounds very much like what we Americans would call a 2" x 8" (nominal size, actual size: 1.5" x 7.5" - yeah, we're weird that way...).

What you're proposing is making a 4" x 8" (70x190mm) out of it by nailing the two pieces together. That's not only perfectly acceptable, it's very commonly done for use as a header over a door or window*.  Usually, one puts columns (across the short dimension) of 2 or 3 framing nails (16d, ~0.131", 3.3mm)  through the two boards every 6-8" (150-200mm) apart (along the long dimension).

Yes, this is very doable under US code and is very acceptable - it is probably acceptable under your local codes as well. You'd have to check your local building codes to confirm and to see if they have any specific requirements for nailing/screwing patterns and fastener sizes.

*For use as a header in a standard wall thickness, we also have to include a piece of 1/2" (12mm) thick plywood to make the header the same thickness as a standard 2x4" wall stud so that the finished surfaces are the same distance apart. This may or may not impact your situation.


I would certainly think a palm nailer should work. A hammer should also work.

Is it possible that the nails were originally nailed flush but they have released and moved outward? If that is the case, then probably there would be no resistance when tapped lightly with a hammer or even pushed.

If there is resistance, then that would indicate the nails were never driven flush. Probably they were driven with a power nailer set a little too soft.