Connection new 4-line phones to an existing multiline network system

It would help to know what your old phone make and models were and what the models of the new phones you got are.

Based on what you provided so far I have a feeling your old system was a keyed system with a KSU or possibly a pbx and your new phones work without a KSU. The new phones are not compatible with your current phone system.

In a keyed system with KSU (this is also similar if you have a PBX as far as wiring goes) you're going to have some sort of box (KSU or PBX) mounted in a rack or more commonly on the wall for small systems. All the incoming lines will connect to this box.

All the phone lines that go to your phones will also be connected to your KSU. The phones usually only need one pair of wires going to them from the KSU to be able to access all incoming lines. The connection between a phone and a line is done through the KSU. The phones are digital phones that need to be compatible with the KSU you are using. Think of it sort of like a network switch or router for your phone system.

In a keyed system that doesn't use a KSU (like a lot of the panasonic phones that have individual line ports) all 4 incoming lines go to each phone. The signals going to your phones are just the regular analog phone lines. So each phone is basically directly connected to each incoming line. These are not digital phones and won't work with a KSU.

One thing to note, I simplified the connections but most likely you'll have a number of 66 blocks where the wires are actually terminated and not going directly into the KSU.

Update after phone models added:

Unfortunately I guessed correctly. The new phones won't work with your existing setup. You can either:

Get phones intended to work with you system (check model number of the KSU first). Even though Nortel went out of business you can still find used/refurbished phones for those systems. This is the easiest and cheapest option but you're stuck with an old system that is no longer made. All you have to do though is plug in the replacement phones.
Get a whole new system with new KSU or PBX and compatible phones. Get a similar system that can support your incoming lines and send one pair of wires to each phone. This should be pretty straight forward but you might need to hire someone to set it up. If there's any rewiring needed it should only be some minimal changes at the telecom closet. I haven't used it but the XBlue X16 system seems very popular and should work with your setup with maybe some minor rewiring of cross connects at the 66 block.
Get rid of your old system and use the new phones on their own. This is going to require that you have 4 pair wire going from the telecom closet to each phone jack. If you already do have 4 pair (8 wires in the cable) going to each jack then with some minor changes you can use the new phones. If you don't have 4 pair cable going to each jack you're going to have to run new wires which can be expensive.


Which side of an over-tightened brass NPT joint needs to be replaced?

Try this; take the fitting back apart. Put 2-3 wraps of teflon tape (no more than 3). then coat the male threads with RTV silicone caulking. snug as normal and let set overnight. I would normally not use the teflon tape but the brass has been stretched and enlarged by the over tightening. When I as still working I would put whole jobs together using only RTV silicone and no pipe dope or teflon tape.


Is it common to have a fuse box and breaker box?

I guess none of really answered your question if it was common to have both breakers and fuses. I would not say it is common at this time but it is not uncommon for a house that was partially updated to have both. Years ago the code changed and we could no longer have rentals with fuses because of the fuse fire risk if oversized. A friend has quite a few rentals built in the 30's & 40's we did go in and replace the fuse boxes with mostly 100 amp panels on the houses that had gas heat and 150 amp panels with electric heat. These were all or mostly 2 bed 1 bath 900 square foot homes so these panels were close to 2x the size of the original fused mains. Of the 12-15 houses we updated I think 9 or 10 had mixed breakers and fuses, many of his other houses had been fully updated so in this specific case of homes in this era it was approx a 30% chance of a mix.


Do I really need screw piles for a Yurt platform?

I am not a structural engineer, but I would not recommend using concrete deck blocks to hold up your entire home.

These blocks are not great for freestanding structures because they aren't anchored to the ground. Heavy winds may be able to get underneath the yurt and blow it over. The soil below could also rapidly change and cause part of your supports to sink or heave and cause damage to your home. Decks typically are mounted to a building and the blocks are there just to carry some of the weight. I would be very wary of using these alone.

You could try to keep jacking it up over time and level it with blocks, but that would not be very pleasant, especially if it had to be done in the Winter when it was below freezing. If there was a lot of snow on the ground, you may not even be able to get to the footings at all, and you would have to wait until Spring.

I think sonotubes would be your best option. There are some types of sonotubes which have a "bell" at the bottom which make them virtually impossible to pull out of the ground. The extra weight on the bottom means that they are much less likely to move. They use these in areas where it would be impossible or at least very impractical to anchor directly to bedrock. You would just need to make sure that the tube is deep enough to get below the frost line and wide enough in diameter to support your home.

You could also use a combination of sonotubes and a concrete slab. The slab would give you some additional dry storage below the yurt. You could then use skirting to enclose the gap between the yurt and the slab to prevent animals from getting in as well as allowing you to insulate the floor.

I'm not sure how feasible it would be to install helical piles because of how rocky the soil is. They typically are installed in soil which is too soft to support traditional concrete footings.


Is GFCI protection required for a dedicated exhaust fan circuit?

The National Electrical Code (NEC) does not require bathroom exhaust fans to be GFCI protected, however, there is this bit in Article 110.

  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.

Which means you have to follow all of the manufacturers instructions while installing the fan. If you read the installation instructions that came with the fan, you might find something like this.

  SUITABLE FOR USE OVER TUB OR SHOWER ENCLOSURE  WHEN INSTALLED IN A
  GFCI PROTECTED BRANCH  CIRCUIT.
  Source

If you install this fan over a tub or shower, the fan must be GFCI protected according to the manufacturer.


How to make 3" concrete "legs" via reusable casting structure?

Yes, you could use 3" PVC schedule 40 pipe such as This one from The Home Depot.  Cut it to length, then cut it lengthwise on one side and use duct tape to hold it together... This single cut will keep the round shape and when it has set, it will give you the ability to flex the pipe enough to have your cast come out.  I would not use a PVC end-cap, but I would just make a duct tape one.  Cutting ten foot length pipes will make you six molds per pipe @ ~$9 per pipe.. 100 casts in 8 batches for < $20.


How to properly install tongue and groove plywood subfloor?

The plywood goes down so the groove is away from the wall, that way, after the row is finished, or at least when you decide to start the next row, a 2X4 can be placed across the joists at the edge of the next row and drive, with a sledgehammer, the second run into the first. The gap should be 1/8" between ends. The tongue and groove (T&G) of the sheets should be driven snug. Do not try to drive them tight, although in some cases it might be needed in order to keep a straight run. The first run is set to a chalk line, but the rows after that can start to meander after a few runs are down, and to correct it with a tighter fit or if need be, a loose fit to correct the run so it remains true

The subfloor adhesive I choose to use is polyurethane based adhesive. It has a long open time, Meaning you don't have to rush to get it covered before the glue "skins" over, thus minimizing the bond. Also, it is twice the cost of regular subfloor adhesive, but you can actually use less. Since there is no "skin" that will form that will need to be broke again by the laying of the plywood over it, to squeeze the glue again out of the skin that was formed by it sitting open before the plywood goes down. Do not drop the plywood on the glue or set the plywood off the final placement too far or firstly the glue will splatter all out off of the joist, or slide or scrape the glue off the joists. I seen both of these things happen in my years of construction. Needless to say the bond will not be worthy. The tongue or the groove does not need to be glued, although there is no reason not to. Some engineers require it in certain applications, but for standard subfloor applications none will be needed. Again it is to your discretion also. If you choose to place the glue at the groove, so the tongue drives it into the groove.

Screws are the best to secure the plywood with, and since a premium glue is used, there only needs to be enough set to draw the plywood to the joists. You can still place them as it has been done before the days of glue which is 6" on the edges and 8" in the field.
With glue you really can spread them out farther, 5 screws used on the ends if you choose, and 4 across the field. There are drills that are sold that use screws that have the screws collated in coils or strips. Makes this go much faster. Rental is an idea here.

Again with the glue, nails can be used too, since the glue will do all of the holding after it has set. Air powered nailers are available for this and will be faster than screws, but the nail gun in some cases does not draw the wood together like screws.


Will increasing the size of six shower head branches improve flow?

Probably not. You'd still be limited by the bottleneck in the system which is the half-inch supply line. It depends on how it's branched, though. If you can fit a manifold such that no branch is downstream of another you might see some improvement. In that case I wouldn't use 3/4" pipe. You'd see no benefit.

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How do I cap off / remove a single sprinkler head?

It depends on where the sprinkler head is located within that zone.  If the sprinkler head that you are capping is not a dead end on the line, then you can cap it at this sprinkler head.  If it is a dead end, then you need to go to the prior sprinkler head to cap the line.

  A dead end occurs with the last
  sprinkler in a series. Capping a dead
  end leaves water in the underground
  line with nowhere to go. If the
  sprinklers are spaced far apart, this
  wastes water pressure. In areas prone
  to freezing, it can cause water in the
  line to ice and damage the pipe. Dead
  ends should be capped at the preceding
  or next-to-last sprinkler head.
  Reference: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-cap-off-a-sprinkler-head

And you do not replace the rotor with a cap but actually just remove the sprinkler head and cap the line.  Removing the sprinkler head is very easy to do.  Just get a trowel and dig down around the sprinkler head until you have enough clearance to unscrew the current sprinkler head without getting soil in the line.

But before you start the work on capping/removing this sprinkler head, I would try adjusting either the current sprinkler head or the other zones sprinkler head to reduce the amount of water being delivered to that spot.  Depending on the type of sprinkler heads you have, you might be able to replace/adjust one or both of the sprinkler nozzles to reduce the flow.  Or look into adjusting the pattern on the sprinkler to deliver less water in your area.  Or you can even reduce the amount of time that one of these zones is watering.  My point is that someone already did all that work to install the line and sprinkler so try some other steps first.  There have been plenty of times that I have planted a tree or plant or did some other landscaping that blocked a sprinkler heads spray area and then wished I had another head in that location.


It's too gritty be a Textured Paint. And, the color & material seems to be full depth, so it's not a colored Resurfacer topped with sand or even a Stucco. But, you can go with any of those to match the surface look...after a lot of trial & error on a board.

But, I'm more inclined to think it's the stuff below applied at almost twice the thickness, allowed to setup & then water hose flooded & broomed down to expose the grains & aggregates.


Why does water from outside spigots seem to "stutter" (starts and stops)?

Sounds to me like you have some air in the line.  It could just be because you have a length of pipe/hose after the valve, which partly empties out when you shut the valve, trapping air.  Or I supposed you could have a small leak somewhere in the system.  But I probably wouldn't worry about it.


I have solved this buy purchasing a 40W Tube Heater and placing it into the back of the cupboard.  It now keeps the cupboard at around 50 - 60% humidity and at a temp of about 20 deg.


Nope, you have to extend a 20A circuit with 12 AWG wire.

The logic that "these will be lightly used receptacles" doesn't buy you a thing, because the safety of the wiring can't depend on how you use it.

You are allowed to put NEMA 5-15 (common receptacles) on 20A circuits, due to a special exception.

Even in the industrial parts of the Code, in the byzantine Tap Rules, such an extension would required a hardwired load of known value, or a single receptacle.  I'm sure you don't intend to install this:

So if you're installing the common duplex 15A recep, what keeps you from plugging two 9A loads into it?


Replace the Fixture
I know that isn't what you want to hear. I had a fixture sort of like this (actually a 2-bulb fixture). Bulbs burnt out frequently due to vibration (door right below). I replaced it with a fluorescent fixture (different type of bulb - i.e., not Edison base). A few years later when that burnt out, I replaced with an LED fixture (integrated LEDs, not a "bulb").
The cost is a more than a bulb, but you:

Avoid vibration issues affecting the bulb/socket.
Can get (typically) more light than with an enclosed "ordinary" LED bulb because instead of having to get a bulb that fits the maximum rating for an enclosed fixture, you get a fixture designed to produce the desired amount of light.
Save energy compared to fluorescent (though admittedly LED bulbs would provide similar savings).

Replacement should be straightforward, as long as the existing fixture was mounted correctly on a junction box and not just screwed to the wall around a big hole.


How to find a very low U-value replacement window for a bathroom?

I pushed the big box salesman to (a) give me the U-values for the windows I was considering, and (b) play with the parameters in the ordering software, to see what added features did to the U-value.  I found out that Pella 350 with foam insulation in the frame, and triple pane, got us down to 0.17.  Which is what I want for the bathroom.

I was not able to get much in the way of detailed information from the Pella salesman.

I bought the big box (Lowe's) Pella windows.


Can a convection oven be used without exterior venting?

Convection baking uses a fan to circulate air inside of the oven.  It does not require a vent to the outside.  You may want a vented range hood to collect smoke and odors from the cooktop, but you do not need one for the oven.


Central heat doesn't always kick back on

Your thermostat turns the furnace on and off. Off is easy :-) But sometimes when it turns back on, something doesn't work quite right. It could be a sensor that detects a temperature too high, a sensor that is supposed to detect ignition that doesn't (either due to a sensor problem or because the burner really isn't igniting) or something else. When that happens, the furnace stops trying, because (essentially) it has decided that doing the same thing over and over again will not produce different results. So it is now "locked" in a mode where until something changes it will not try again.
Then you lower the temperature on the thermostat. That tells the furnace "I'm warm again, you can stop trying." It then turns off certain key circuits. When you raise the thermostat temperature again to call for heat, the furnace gives it the old college try and this time it works!
This is not that unusual. It actually could be worse - I had a problem a few months ago where the thermostat trick wasn't enough and I had to cut all power to the furnace - and then it started working again.
If it happens once a month, you can probably ignore it. If it happens every day, get it serviced. The problem may be as simple as too much dust in the wrong places, but it could be a sign of real problems and a possible safety issue.
Safety Reminder - Carbon Monoxide
As my HVAC tech made sure I did the last time I had a big problem with my furnace, anyone with a gas furnace should make sure to have Carbon Monoxide Detectors in the house. Not right next to the furnace (too much of a chance for false positives) but definitely not too far away as the danger is very real - and impossible to detect with your nose. Incomplete combustion can cause a furnace to not always start correctly, and can also lead to deadly levels of carbon monoxide.


washing machine drain and kitchen sink drain

If an upstairs drain is flowing out of your washing machine drain then the clog is downstream of the washing machine branch drain and it may not be your (or the washer's) fault.

You will need to run a cable (snake) down the pipe to clear it, starting with the drain you think is closest to the clog (might as well start at the washing machine drain, you at least know that it is closer to the clog than the upstairs kitchen drain).

There are a lot of troubleshooting questions and steps a plumber might ask/take, and experience and skill matter a lot for these jobs. I'm not saying you should not try, but calling a plumber is likely to be less frustrating and a lot quicker than doing it yourself if you have no experience with drain cables.

If you want to learn, there are many questions with good answers already on this site, and lots of guidance on your favorite internet video hosting site. My advice would be to purchase a high quality drum auger like this and try it yourself:


There are many variables with the steel supports 1) type of steel, 2) grade of steel, etc. and with the wood supports: 1) species, 2) grade, etc.
I’ll use A36 structural steel and SPF No.1 grade wood for comparison.
A 2 1/2” x 2 1/2” x 8’ high square structural tubing can support about 28 kips (28,000 lbs.) in axial (vertical) load.
A 4x4x8’ high wood post can support about 9 kips of axial load.
If you’re thinking of a different type of loading, please advise.


A type of compartment that rises out of a desk

Search for "Lift up" hinges. These will let you lift up a section of desk to reveal something underneath, but won't let you click in the desk to lift it up. For that, you'll want push latches.
I'm not quite sure how well those will work in combination. As a fallback, consider some kind of recessed handle. (There's a bunch of options out there.)


Where can I find warming mats to prevent ice on access ramps?

A good search term is "snow melting mat". That turns up multiple products that look suitable. In the meantime, using some salt on the ramp may help, as would adding anti-slip tape to the ramp if not already present.


Extending the well casing above ground level is the standard approach, and works fine.

The only reason to put a (doghouse/windmill/wishing-well/lighthouse/etc.) over the extended well casing is for appearance sake (so you don't have to look at the bare well-head sticking out of the lawn.) The cap on the wellhead should do all the "keeping junk out of it" duties, the overstructure is just for appearance, if you choose.

There's absolutely no reason to "abandon your well because it's old and drill a new one" here. The risks and expense of that will be far greater, to no purpose. I presume that you'll be having a well company do the work and they will have the proper parts and experience. If you are a gung-ho home excavator and weldor planning to do the job yourself, you do have a few more parts to buy than just a section of casing. Depending where you are, that may not be legal (my LAHJ requires a licensed well driller for actual work on the well itself.)

Typically the wellhead was put in a "Pit" to keep it from freezing - you need a "pitless adapter" which goes through the side of the well casing and has a dovetail joint sealed with an o-ring that the pipe to the house connects to on the outside, and the pipe down the well connects to on the inside. That keeps the pipe below frost line. Power (assuming a submersible pump) is brought up to the cap. The cap seals the top of the well from entry of debris, and has a small screened vent (unless you happen to have a "real artesian well" where the cap needs to be a complete seal, and you don't need a pump.) It can be opened to access the well for maintenance, pump replacement, etc.


Can I swap the positions of the toilet and bath tub?

It's not going to be easy, but it's possible. The toilet drain pipe is going to be 3", and won't have a trap (since the trap is built into the toilet). The toilet will also only have a cold water supply. The tub drain pipe will likely be 1 1/2", and will have a trap. The tub will obviously have both cold and hot water supplies.

To switch the location of the fixtures, you'll have to reroute the plumbing for each to the new locations. Depending on the current location of the fixtures, existing plumbing, and the amount of access to the plumbing. This job could range anywhere from not so bad, to a complete gut and rebuild.


Electrical: How do I connect copper ground wire to metal wire passing through switch box?

Each of the 'conduits' as you say, have an uninsulated ground conductor.  If there are three such 'conduits' then there has to be a splice joining them.  Add your ground there.

I've installed many insteon devices before.  The first thing I do, and my best advise, is to spread out all the wiring after removing he old switch and before installing the new, to know absolutely what you have to work with.

If you absolutely have to connect to a ground without cutting and splicing the original, I would recommend a split bolt.

It's going to look weird as hell in an outlet box, but if you thoroughly clean/abrade the existing ground so it makes good contact, a split bolt should do the trick


Installing Nest From HoneyWell T8575D Condo 8-Wire thermostats

After a series of testing, I am sure the Fan Common (Green #6) line is hooked to high voltage line of heater/cooler valve motor end switch, when the fan is switched to AUTO mode. Subsequently, Fan Common is connected to the Fan Low/Med/Hi input, depending on  which fan level the user sets the Honeywell thermostat. In this arrangement, the fan can start and stop in sync with the heater/cooler.
When the Fan Always On is set, the Fan Common (Green #6) is no longer connected to fan low(Red #7)/Med(Blue #8)/Hi(Brown #9). Instead one of the #7 #8 #9 is connected to the 24V power line and driven continuously regardless the state of heater/cooler.
As for the Nest Thermostat, it is able to sync turning on heater/cooler with driving one of the fan inputs (#7~#9 on my question diagram). There is no need to depend on the Fan Common Line (Green #6) to signal when to turn on a fan.
As such, the Fan Common Line can be left out in the connection to the Nest Thermostat.

This is how I test out functionality of the thermostats without the Fan Common Line

With the above arrangement, my thermostat works with heating, 3 levels of fan speed.


Why aren't my in-ground lights receiving power?

Only 1 out of 6 of them light up.

So we know at least one of them is working. Odds are that fixture is the first in the string of the lighting circuit. I am assuming they are all on the same circuit. I am also assuming there is a photocell or timer that turns them on and off. Is there a lighting contactor involved? If not then you need to investigate the one that is working and see if there is a loose or corroded connection there.

If everything looks fine then you need to determine the route of the underground connections. Then by disconnecting the wires at the one light that is working and separate the line side (the one that is hot) from your load side to the next fixture. Twist the load side together. Using a continuity tester or ohmmeter go to the next fixture in the string and see if you can get a ring or a reading. If you can't get continuity then you have a break in the underground connection and it must be replaced or repaired. So make sure all splices are clean and corrosion free.

The hard part is trying to determine the route of the underground conductors. It's usually in some form of a loop. We are taught to use the shortest route possible, if that helps. If you can't figure it out then you will need to continue disconnecting fixtures and ringing between the fixtures to determine the route.

Remember you will be kneeling on damp ground so once you find the line side of the first fixture. Be sure and turn your power off to avoid shock.

Stay safe and good luck.


Mystery Clog & Backup in Upstairs Bathtub

Based on your description and what you have snaked, it appears that the blockage is in the down-pipe between the first and 2nd floor.  Water is traversing horizontal and able to back flow into the tub. I don’t know why the plumber didn’t do this, but if you can safely do this, look for the sewer vent pipes on the roof above the area where the blockage is.  You should be able to snake from the vent pipe to the down pipe and clear the blockage.
Before doing the snake from the vent pipes on the roof, You might try the chemical method first, such as Drano Gel and Main Line Clearners.  As always be careful while using the toxic chemicals.


The TEST button is a pretty darn authentic test
The TEST function on a GFCI is required to create a current imbalance in the sensing toroid, exactly mimicking the action of a real ground fault. (See UL 943, clause 5.15.3 for the details.)  So, you can be confident that a GFCI that trips when you push TEST will actually trip, whereas the TEST button on external testers may fail due to a receptacle being miswired in certain ways (such as Hot/Ground reverse) or a simple lack of equipment grounding provisions to the receptacle.  Note that NEC 406.4(D)(2) permits the use of ground-fault circuit interrupter protection as a safety retrofit when equipment grounding is unavailable.


Do I need to change the circuit breaker for a new stove with a lighter cord?

Like stated in the comment, appliances only draw the current they need. So simply put, you're fine. It sounds like new stove uses less power than the old one.

Edit since I feel like I should explain better...
The way it works, is a 50-amp receptacle has the ability to supply 50 amps of current. It is the device that controls how much it uses. Operating normally, your stove won't use more than 40 amps of current. Chances are it will normally use less than that.


How can we cover a carpet for the long term?

If your soon-to-be-landlord is already making unreasonable demands, I would reconsider your choice to rent with them. Minor carpet staining from traffic is considered to be "wear and tear" in most states, as well as scuffing of the walls and other things that result from simply living in a space.

Unless you're a group of college kids (to which, I could understand creating some fear so that people don't go party-crazy), a "no stains period" policy is unlikely to be legally binding, however, that is a question for a lawyer. Personally, if those are the types of demands the landlord is making, I would go into your lease expecting a bill for every single thing that should be considered "wear and tear". I've often rejected apartments simply because the landlord has alluded to charging for repairs before I have even moved in.

As for a permanent wall-to-wall covering, I can't think of anything permanent that would  would suffer the wear, be water tight, and especially fit a tight budget. If you are set on this rental, I would consider putting your money toward regular professional carpet cleanings and before moving out, and the purchase of some spot-treatment carpet cleaners for when the inevitable spill does occur.

Finally, if you can't trust your roommates or their guests to share/respect your concerns for the carpet, you're going to be disappointed.

-My 2 cents


Replacement part for coal stove blower rheostat

That looks like a standard A/C dimmer switch circuit:

http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/potentiometer-w-switch-wiring-for-lamp.79664/

I'd imagine you could replace it with a standard A/C variable motor control like this one:

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/hvac/exhaust-fans/in-line-duct-fans/kb-electronics-vari-speed-ac-motor-speed-control-kbwc-15-solid-state?infoParam.campaignId=T9F&gclid=CN-z8pGMtsoCFYM8aQodWAoOaQ

The 4-wire versions require you to connect the white wires in your box as well.

Alternatively, Harbor Freight and other sellers sell a replacement for this fan controller here:
http://www.harborfreight.com/router-speed-control-43060.html

All it is is a dimmer switch in a box with an extension cord.


Are these breakers single-pole or double-pole?

Those 3 breakers are two-pole breakers.
I see piggybacking off an existing breaker is indicated as permitted in the installation instructions, installation instructions are part of the NRTL Listing. You probably wouldn't have a function problem but you could run afoul of the Code if the installation instructions for the other item requires a dedicated circuit.
Landing a second wire under the breaker termination is also subject to the Listing of the breaker, most breakers also have the restrictions on the breaker. Schneider Square D QO breakers "have pressure plate terminals suitable for single or two-wire terminations"  There is a chart that shows minimum size is #14. https://download.schneider-electric.com/files?p_enDocType=Catalog&p_File_Name=0730CT9801.pdf&p_Doc_Ref=0730CT9801 .


Identifying a bulb from a 1969 built light fitting

I've owned a light socket exactly like that one - identical in size to an E27 but totally lacking in internal threads. Mine was simply a manufacturing screwup - the rest of the sockets on the shelf, with the same product number, had the expected internal threads. I got mine all the way home and installed before I noticed the flaw. The store was quite happy to exchange it for a "real" socket that worked.

Replacing that socket with a normal threaded E17 socket is an easy job.


Is wrapping Roxul around hot water tank pipe a fire hazard?

No. As you seem to be aware, Roxul is a mineral wool product, and mineral wool is fireproof. You're right that it will "trap the heat" but this is exactly what you want and the result will be less heat transmitted to the surrounding wood, not more. Mineral wool is actually one of the few materials you can safely use for filling these kinds of spaces. Proceed with confidence.


Is having a branch off the end of main heating HVAC duct bad and if so, why?

IMHO:

I don't believe the position makes any difference.  The pressure in the main duct, for all practical purposes, is uniform.  There is a slight loss at each exit duct along the main duct, but the original main duct should have been designed to handle this. However, if you added the duct to the end of an existing system, and the duct is comparatively too large-you can effect the air flow of the entire system.  Velocity changes with the duct size.


Yes, you can buy just the clock motor from Intermatic. Some good local hardware shops (typically those with heavy property management clientele) stock a variety of them. The number you posted (WG1773) is the clock-motor number you need.
And no, you typically would not be able to grab the toothed gear and turn it by hand...


Which blade should I use on a Silverline Adjustable Hole Cutter with Cowl?

TCT = Tungsten Carbide Tipped
HSS = High Strength Steel

The tungsten/carbide tipped would probably be best reserved when you're cutting metal or something harder; the high strength steel blades should be sufficient for most applications.


How is a gable vent attached to vinyl siding?

FWIW, it is a typical install for vinyl siding.
This could be installed in 2 different ways. Either way the vent or portion of the vent is installed before the siding goes on.
First way, a base plate or ring that will hold the grille/vent is nailed in place first. It defines the shape of the vent, and provides the means to hold the finished part that shows in place. This allows for easy cutting and installing the siding with the proper expansion gaps around the base of the vent.
The second way, it goes on as a one piece unit, with a nail flange just like the first one, that gets hidden by the siding, but this one will need to have the siding place into the groove around the perimeter, making it a bit more difficult to install.


"Press the push bar to activate control" message on Chamberlain or LiftMaster wall control panel

I disconnected the wall control panel and waited for five minutes before reconnecting it, and then it seemed to work.
Also, it is said that one might have to press the button "up to 4 times to see if it syncs back up".
A Chamberlain rep wrote me that also "Sometimes, depending on the unit you have, disconnecting the motor doesn't allow the wall control panel to fully shut down to try and sync it back the garage door motor unit. If the issue happens again and you have no had a power outage I would recommend to try replacing the wires the panel is connected to in case there is a short."
Finally, see also this post.

It was a known issue last year. They fixed it with the current ones.
All the controls out of the box should be good and if you have
individual wall controls the green sticker is bad and the blue sticker
is good.

For what it's worth, mine has no colored sticker.


basement subfloor - do i need sleepers for this solution

Yep, you can go with sleepers or with DA01 & Keshlam's concept while using tongue & groove plywood only. A variation between the 2 is to not do sleepers to keep the plywood flat but to do batten boards under the plywood seams with strips of plywood...you'd lay 1" or 3/4" thick insulation strips under the battens, depending on your plywood thickness.

This maximizes the thermal insulation & regular edged plywood can be used. 3/4" plywood would be more resilient if you envision heavier furniture. An aquarium, hot tub or weight lifting area would need full sleepers beneath the plywood.


How do I make a fire break around our chimney?

Prefabricated chimneys have specific firestop spacers that must be used to maintain the terms of their listing, though they are often just sheet metal with a hole cut in it.

For constructed chimneys such as those like yours of masonry units, use firestop foam to fill the gap between framing and the masonry at every floor and ceiling level. This stuff is made by many of the same companies that make other materials used in construction. It's typically much like expanding polyurethane foam used as a sealant to fill gaps in construction, except it contains chemicals so the material will not support a flame, the stuff just chars. Regular foam will support a flame and puts off noxious fumes when burning.


Is my plan for replacing 4x4 deck posts with 6x6s reasonable?

I could ask you to sketch your deck out with dimensions to calc out the beam reaction on the posts, but just shooting from the hip here to save all of us time: there's probably nothing wrong with using 4x4s, especially if they're only 6' tall, spaced that closely, and not also supporting a roof.

If they're leaning or warping badly, then correct the lean or replace with another 4x4.

Nobody in my market is using carriage bolts on any new deck, I don't know why that YouTube guy was telling people to. If your beam was a 3 ply instead of a 2 ply, the 1" notch leftover on a 6x6 wouldn't really hold anything. Everybody uses metal post caps from Simpson or USP now.

This sounds like a lot of work to fix something that isn't broken, all based on a recommendation from a random home inspector. They're usually a jack of all trades, but master of none type of person. I've never had a positive experience with one, they mostly just repeat stuff they have heard and don't really understand.

Home inspectors have to find things to feel like they're doing their job, and if they don't overreact to minor things they might even be liable if something did fail.

Replace the beam/posts if you want, but if it was me I would add two treated 2x4s to each 4x4 and attached with galvanized 10d nails (8" on center, in 2 staggered rows 1.5" from the edge). One on each side, directly under each deck beam so you have a 2x4 supporting each deck beam and not just the carriage bolts. You'd end up with your 4x4 post looking like it's a 3.5"x6.5" post because of the two 2x4s you added to each one.


How can 12 V halogen downlights be much more efficient than 220 V ones?

This gets into efficacy/usefulness verses efficiency and the important fact that less voltage is far more stabler.

If you look closely:

12V 50W energy consumption = 53 kWh/1000h
240V 50W energy consumption = 50 kWh/1000h

Thus the 240V 50W is 3kWh/1000h more efficient in energy consumption.

However the 240V 50W has half the life span of the 12V

12V 50W number of switching cycles= 50000
240V 50W number of switching cycles  = 25000

Thus the efficiency you would gain is nullified due to the decreased lifespan.

Next compare the luminous intensity

12V 50W luminous intensity = 1450
240V 50W luminous intensity  = 900

By far the 12V has a much greater efficacy to efficiency ratio.

Now to explain why

Voltage is the rate/speed/pressure of electrical phenomenon.

On average 12 volts is plenty fast to illuminate a 50 Watt incandescent or halogen.

Increasing the voltage beyond this point as you can see does little help as the efficacy "usefulness" of the bulb to achieve desired illumination in relation to the efficient use of energy it requires is most satisfactory at 12 Volts.

As an experiment, take a 9 volt battery and touch the two prongs to a 20 watt halogen MR16 or MR11.  The voltage required to reach the desired efficacy is very little, and less voltage/pressure is a good thing.


What size chuck key do I need for my Black & Decker DNJ62 drill?

13mm / 1/2" refers to the size of the chuck which is also the maximum size bit, though there are some larger bits specifically designed to fit in a 1/2" drill, with a 1/2" shank and a larger tip.

There are plenty of "universal" chuck keys available, which may be the best way to go. But you should be OK with a 1/2" chuck key.


I have wired many splits like this in the past I would check the outlet closer to the main panel 90% of the repairs have been from a bad back stab ( the push in connections) I have found a few that the wire has broken right at a wire nut or a loose wire feeding this side. I would check this first.


Dripping hand held shower head in off position

The vacuum breaker is there to prevent dirty water from contaminating the fresh water supply in the (unlikely) event you were to drop the hand-held unit into standing water at the bottom of your shower enclosure while at the same time there was a drop in city supply pressure (like due to a fire engine pulling from a hydrant on your street). Your equipment will function perfectly fine without one.

Any leak/drip from anywhere downstream from the control valve(s) would mean the the valve(s) need servicing (not necessarily replacement). If you post a new question with pictures of the handle(s)/knob(s) we might be able to help you fix it.


Low Voltage between Neutral and Ground wires in Dishwasher Junction Box

Yes, because of voltage drop

If you've ever done a voltage drop calculation, let's say you want to run a 12A well pump load.  You do the calculations and it says you'll have 6 volts of voltage drop, so 114V.  OK.

Well, how does that happen?  There are TWO wires - hot and neutral.  Is the voltage drop shared across both?  Yes.  Each one drops 3 volts.

Well, how does "dropping" voltage on a neutral work?  Certainly the hot sags to 117V, no question there.  Obviously if the neutral sags to -3 volts, there'd still be 120 across hot and neutral, so that can't be it.   Actually, the neutral "drops" the other direction - it rises to +3 volts. So with neutral at 3V, and hot at 117, you have the expected 114V.

Why doesn't ground move also?  Voltage drop is proportional to current; that's literally what Ohm's Law is saying. E=IR.  Since there is no current on ground, it doesn't drop.

So you measure 3V between neutral and ground in that case.

It's rather like the small rod on a beam-type torque wrench.  Your strength is bending the big rod, but the small rod is unaffected and indicates your torque on the scale.


Strange Breaker Behavior with Treadmill Electronics

The electronics of the treadmill are putting out "noise" that the CAFCI breaker is interpreting as a potentially dangerous arc. This can be caused by all kinds of things, including motors, but in this case the motor is fine and it is "no motor" when you have a problem. My hunch is that the noise of the electronics gets "lost" when the full load of the motor is in use but when it is by itself it stands out and the CAFCI treats it as a problem.
A few possible solutions:

Check with the treadmill manufacturer. They may have a fix.
Put the treadmill on a heavy-duty surge protector. Make sure it is rated to handle the full load of the treadmill. A surge protector is primarily to protect problems in the incoming power from affecting a device, but it can help with problems in the other direction too.
Check with Siemens. They may have newer/better CAFCI breakers that you can swap. A newer design may handle the noise more selectively, preventing false positives.
Check other breaker suppliers. Carefully. You can't simply "swap breakers from different brands", but there are some situations where one brand will make a breaker that is listed/certified for use with another brand. In other words, it has to be specifically designed to be compatible with your Siemens panel.


Looking for studs in thick plasterboard to attach 12" kitchen cabinet

Most likely it's a lathe and plaster wall, which can give stud finders fits. Since it's behind a cabinet anyway try measuring from a known stud and drilling a test hole with a small bit. You know there will be studs at windows and alongside electrical boxes. (Though you may need to remove the over plate and peek to find the correct side.)


I'm located in Miami and installed a whole house fan two years ago and love it. The best time for it is in the winter and yes, you have to open windows and/or doors. The fans are powerful, probably 5400 +- cfm. If the air is moving out, it's got to come in from somewhere. Winter is great because you get that cooler air flowing through the house, summertime, not so much. You would be able to draw some cooler air from downstairs to the top floors during the summer but be careful you don't draw up too much and cause your AC to over work. For the most part, I don't use the whole house fan during the summer unless the temp drops after a rainstorm. Then I open the windows, turn on the fan and air out the place.
Pollen hasn't been a problem but that would depend on the individual.


How do I dismantle a faucet assembly to replace a leaky valve?

When you go to product site check out the "for owners" tab and open the second installation and care guide.  On page 2, it shows the handle itself unscrewing so you can replace the red or blue color rings.  Start opening it up there and see if you can work your way down to screw 55431 which is holding down the rest of the faucet to the valve.

Upper handle assembly

Lower handle assembly


Safety concerns and precautions in setting up a workshop/studio in the utility room

I don't see any cause for concern with your intended use of the area. However, things don't always work out like we plan.

Therefore, a double-the-capacity Bath Exhaust Fan, Exterior Wall Fan or even a kitchen Range-hood (to be down much closer to your work...can be mounted to slide up and down) would be ideal.

Such an exhaust can be switched on and off only as needed and can act quickly to the demand. The installation of an Exhaust Fan intends to flow clean air past the furnaces and water heater as your fumes and dust exit the house while never coming near those appliances.

Yes, an Exhaust Fan can create a negative pressure scenario that could possibly draw CO from those appliances, but most homes leak enough air for that not to happen. Just keep your workspace Exhaust Fan, if you choose to install one, within a finite ability.


What could be causing low water pressure in cold line in only part of the house?

Somewhere between the good pressure and bad pressure there's a partial clog in the cold water line. Finding it will be tedious. You don't mention pipe material, which makes speculating about what it is difficult - if it's only happened in the past year and no work was done about the time it started, you'll just have to hunt. If plumbing work was done about that time, start there. If you happen to have galvanized iron pipe, think hard about total replacement, IMHO.

Possible clogs include - excessive pipe seal tape on threaded joints getting loose in the pipes - lumps of corrosion breaking loose and jamming downstream - could be corrosion from a waterline outside your house - Sand from a well running low... dissolved materials coming out of solution in the pipes, suspended materials settling in the pipes.

My personal most annoying was a soldered copper elbow that was almost, but not quite, full of solder on the inside (and evidently had been for years.) Great pressure for half a second, followed by a trickle. I just disassembled the pipe until I found it, when I finally faced the agony of fixing it.


The temperatures you're experiencing are normal for that type of saw. there will be little heat from the motor housing due to a fan fastened to the motor shaft for cooling, like a radiator fan in your car. The vent area does have warm air because that where the fan expels the heat from the motor and the gearbox. The vertical shaft holding the blade will be the warmest part of the saw with the exception of the blade when cutting. That's due to the constant friction of the shaft's up and down motion whether cutting of not. The gearbox for this motion is packed with grease but will still feel a little warm.


Dead outlet in basement for a cube freezer

It is possible that you have a bad outlet before the freezer. Many times contractors use the push in connectors on the back of the outlets called "stabs" (I think they should be outlawed). These knife edge connections don't do well with loads like freezers because they draw a large starting current. Start by checking the outlets close to the one that powers your freezer since you just replaced that outlet. There are usually several outlets on the same circuit the problem could originate from a working outlet that the load side stabs failed. I work my way back to the first working outlet on that breaker check it, then check the next one that is dead. It has been this almost 100% of the time. I have repaired well over a hundred over the years Only 1 or 2 had loose wires at the breaker and there one that the outlet was covered with sheet rock. If you don't find it you may need to hire an electrician that has a through the wall scanner to find breaks behind the walls with a tool like a Greenlee CS800 but these are expensive and not something a home owner would use very often.


What type of threshold weather-stripping goes here?

I'm guessing that it had a conventional rubber or vinyl gasket inserted into the slots on either side of the screws:

image source
With some diligence you may find a new part to fit, but it'll need to be just the right height. It may be easier to replace the entire threshold with a new kit.


Adding a new fireplace to upstairs bedroom. Want to tap into existing unused vent

I will start by saying, if you're willing to spend the time and/or money, almost anything is possible.  My gut feeling is that a wood burning fireplace would generally be out of the question without permits, engineer drawings and significant modifications.

A gas burning fireplace is definitely doable along an exterior wall using direct vent models, bypassing the chimney all together.  Some models can also use the chimney and I would think that as long as your current chimney can provide the necessary clearances of the exhaust vent, it could be used.


How to seal around an existing wood window after removing old siding

I'd be sanding them and caulking them before applying the house wrap.


Now we know the power is good at the breaker.
Trace the black wire back to where it comes in the panel.
Follow the white wire that the black comes in with to the grounded buss make sure the wire is not broken and is connected to the buss.
Next go to the first receptacle pull it out. Check for voltage, that wire splice looks small to me like 14 awg if back stabs were used the failure is at the last working receptacle or first non working (once the splice is put together).
If that is the first receptacle between the panel and that receptacle the wire is broken and needs to be replaced.
Remember to check the other side of the wall I have been called many times to fix circuits where the problem was a GFCI in another room almost exactly opposite from the dead receptacle.


How can I rewire to remove/relocate this hidden junction box?

I'd make the argument that this is indeed repair work in the scope of 334.40
Even taking the NEC 334.40 restriction on concealed use of NM splicing devices as limiting them to repair work in existing wiring, I'd make the argument that this is a repair, as it's fixing an existing Code noncompliance in an existing building (vs. simply expanding on Code-compliant wiring).
Once you do that to extend cable #5, you can then blow the S2/S3 box out from a 4" square box to a "5S" (really, just under 4¾" square) or a true 5" or 6" square box, preferably one with at least 3" of depth.  That should get you enough cubic inch capacity to land the cable #5 extension, as well as a 12/3 replacement for cable #3, cable #6, and a new cable for the new light, in the S2/S3 box and make all the splices there.  A replacement for cables 4 & 7 is then run over to the S1 box from L1, which makes the wiring for L1 straightforward, while the red wire in the replacement for cable #3 carries the S1 switched-hot back to the S2/S3 box where it can go to cable #6 to feed L2.
As to getting the new cable up thru the top plate? Well, one could cross it over the into the other stud bay by running a 12/4 instead of the 12/3 between the two switch boxes and then running the new cable up from the S1 box, but that may require a deeper box at S1 as well as replacing the S2/S3 box with something chunky.  It also should be possible to have 2 holes in the top plate and/or fireblocking in the S2/S3 bay, with the cables split between the holes.
The alternative if you can't use the NM splice on cable #5 would be to "flip" the J1 junction box to the inside wall at its current height, given that rerunning cable #5 is off the table.  One could disguise it with a nifty wall sconce or such if one wished, even; I'd use a deep 4" square or "5S" box for this job as one can put a single-gang mud ring of the appropriate size on either.


How to stuff a portable storage container?

The packing and weight restriction questions are things you should be asking the moving pod provider. They can give you their recommended procedure to safely pack the pod and how to distribute the weight in a safe way.

Any restrictions on weight are going to be fully dependent upon pod design and usage scenario (stationary storage or transport storage). In the case of the transport usage there will be limitations based upon the vendor's truck and lift mechanism.


What are my options for plugging holes in soffit for security cameras?

You can plug the hole with exterior silicone caulking. It comes in squeeze tubes or caulking gun tubes. That's probably all you need.
For a more aesthetic finish, and a hard cover to prevent stubborn rodents to bite through (though unlikely needed), you can apply a an exterior cable cover. This is best done in one step, with the caulking still fresh and uncured.


Leak underneath flooring, hot tiles, please help! RESOLVED

RESOLVED: I discovered that the middle pipe was leaking where it met the slab, so I cut it, put a stop, and voila! No leak :) Thank you for all the help everyone!!

Here's a brief video I made summarizing the problem and solution:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UEjCwygSKo


Sealing gap(s) around cabinet pipe penetrations

I'm wondering if I can seal those gaps if that might eliminate the odor?

Well, yes, if the odor is coming through the gaps. You could try to stuff something like fabric or cotton in there as a temporary seal, and seeing if it reduces the smell.

I think it would be easier to solve your issue if you could definitively identify the source of the smell first. It could be coming from your garbage disposal, mold on walls, the trash bin, or other things.


Do I need to staple cable when installing lighting fixtures?

NEC 334.30(B)(1) allows Nonmetallic-sheathed cable to be unsupported when fished though ﬁnished buildings or structures and supporting is impracticable.

Answer provided by @Tester101 here as comment.


The two black wires at the top are the hot from the panel and the hot continuing to the other loads. They are connected together inside the existing switch. The black at the bottom is the switched hot to the lights.
You need to connect together the top two wires and connect those to one side of the dimmer. The bottom black needs to be connected to the other terminal of the dimmer. The bare wire is ground and goes to the green screw or wire on the dimmer.
Assuming the dimmer has built-in wires, use a wirenut to connect the two hot wires to one of the dimmer wires. If it has screw terminals, add a short piece of wire (pigtail) between the first terminal and the wirenut and two hot wires. Do not try to put two wires under a screw; this will not make a reliable connection.
Also, if your dimmer needs a neutral wire, you’ll need to tap into the bundle of white wires. Don’t separate the whites but add a wire to the bundle. You may need a larger wirenut. Also, don’t use the ground wire as a neutral; it will probably work but can be very dangerous.
Edit based on new photos:
I was able to identify the dimmer from your photos and found the installation instructions here. You tried to wire the dimmer as a three-way switch but you need it as a single-pole switch. You must not use the YL terminal on the far side from the BL terminal; only use the BL terminal and the YL terminal next to it.
You need to connect the two wires originally connected at the top of the switch to the black terminal using a pigtail (short piece of wire) to a wirenut. The black wire originally connected to the bottom terminal of the switch connects to the single YL terminal.
Now I'm going to assume you've lost track of which wire is which at this point. Normally, I'd discourage experimentation with house wiring as dangerous but in this case, using only these three wires, it is safe, With the breaker turned off, wirenut together two black wires with a pigtail to the BL screw and connect the other black wire to the YL screw. Turn the breaker back on and see what happens. If everything works correctly, turn off the breaker, tuck the dimmer back in and turn the breaker back on; you're done. If the main light is always on or all lights are dimmed, turn the breaker back off and switch wires. Continue until you get the correct combination.


If the heat exchanger is leaking Carbon Monoxide into the heated air in dangerous quantities, it SHOULD trigger the Carbon Monoxide detector, but I wouldn't assume that everything is fine just because the alarm is silent. Your life is too important to gamble on that device working as intended.
On a side note, I think that a wood or cigarette burning smell is much different than any odors produced by a natural gas furnace (in my opinion anyway).
Best bet is to inspect your furnace periodically, or hire someone to do so.


Moisture or condensation is a normal part of an AC system, the outside unit only has a little area that be cold, the larger line into the compressor is the suction line this line should be insulated as it will sweat and drip when the system is running, very little of the suction line should be exposed. The part that really generates the water is the inside unit. This is where the cooled high pressure Freon is released to low pressure by an orifice or thermostatic valve. This creates cold and pulled the moisture out of the air the moisture drips into a tray and is drained into the house water drains or outside which ever is easily done. In a humid climate , just after a rain the inside unit can easily create 10 gallons a day on a 5 ton system and this may be the source of the water if draining outside on the pad. The outside unit if creating very much at all needs more or some insulation added and this will increase efficiency saving $ and reducing moisture from the outside unit.


TLDR: I ran brand new pipes down from the attic, and disconnected corroded old ones.
Update on what I ended up doing (the idea may help someone else):
I tried using plumber's epoxy on the pipe but it didn't hold. Then I tried a fiberglass resin, and that didn't hold.
Then, I called a plumber who basically said I'm SOL, but he offered to replumb my house for a little more than I'm willing to pay. But I liked his idea, so I disconnected all the connection points for that run of pipe, then dropped new PEX tubing down from the attic and tapped in at all those points. So now I have an unused pipe sitting in the ground, which isn't a problem for me, and I have hot water again.


How to cap and remove fireplace gas pipe?

You have the right idea. Just remove the flexible pipe and transfer your cap to the fitting on the shutoff valve.

Make sure you leave the shutoff valve in the off position.
Make sure you have the correct threads and seal them and the connection is tight.
Check for leaks with a thick solution of soapy water.
If at any time you feel uncomfortable or think things are not working out right then shut off the outside valve and call a pipe fitter.

Good luck!


Like I stated in my comment, the water cleared up after a 4 or 5 days. It has been fine ever since.


Should I add outlets inside my cabinets for LED lighting?

Your first plan was indeed no good...
As I and others pointed out in the comments, your initial plan to tap power for undercabinet lighting from a kitchen countertop receptacle was a blatant violation of NEC 210.52(B):

(B) Small Appliances.
(1) Receptacle Outlets Served. In the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, dining room, or similar area of a dwelling unit, the
two or more 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits
required by 210.11(C)(1) shall serve all wall and floor receptacle outlets covered by 210.52(A), all countertop outlets covered
by 210.52(C), and receptacle outlets for refrigeration equipment.
Exception No. 1: In addition to the required receptacles specified by
210.52, switched receptacles supplied from a general-purpose branch
circuit as defined in 210.70(A)(1), Exception No. 1, shall be permitted.
Exception No. 2: In addition to the required receptacles specified by
210.52, a receptacle outlet to serve a specific appliance shall be permitted to be supplied from an individual branch circuit rated 15 amperes
or greater.
(2) No Other Outlets. The two or more small-appliance
branch circuits specified in 210.52(B)(1) shall have no other
outlets.
Exception No. 1: A receptacle installed solely for the electrical supply to
and support of an electric clock in any of the rooms specified in
210.52(B)(1).
Exception No. 2: Receptacles installed to provide power for supplemental equipment and lighting on gas-fired ranges, ovens, or counter-mounted cooking units.
(3) Kitchen Receptacle Requirements. Receptacles installed
in a kitchen to serve countertop surfaces shall be supplied by
not fewer than two small-appliance branch circuits, either or
both of which shall also be permitted to supply receptacle
outlets in the same kitchen and in other rooms specified in
210.52(B)(1). Additional small-appliance branch circuits shall
be permitted to supply receptacle outlets in the kitchen and
other rooms specified in 210.52(B)(1). No small-appliance
branch circuit shall serve more than one kitchen.

Your revised plan will work though
The good news is that moving the undercabinet light outlet to a lighting branch circuit works just fine under the NEC, as there are no requirements for dedicated branch circuits to serve lighting in a dwelling unit, only receptacles.  My personal preference would be to use the kitchen lighting branch circuit to keep things logical for the next person who has to touch this, but there is no law that prohibits the kitchen undercabinet lights from going on the same branch circuit as the living room lights.


How thickly can I install self levelling concrete to fix a tilted garage floor?

Yes, you can only use such products to a certain depth. This is due to shrinkage and lack of aggregate, which means that thicker applications become rather weak.
More importantly, though, is that those products are not intended as a finished flooring surface. They're soft and chalky when cured, and you're supposed to put actual flooring over the top. It will not withstand the rigors of garage life.
Secondly, your garage slab may have been intentionally poured with a drainage slope. This means you can't use self-leveling products without causing a puddling problem. If you're in a freezing climate this is a serious concern.
You'll need to pour a new actual concrete slab--either as a replacement or over the existing in a substantial thickness.
However, if your only goal is a sealed door opening, I'd install a tapered shim onto your door and a new astragal (seal). Much cheaper and just as effective.


Is a gas water heater safe in a bedroom?

The amount of oxygen consumed by a hot water heater is negligible. The risk of the gas heater sucking all the oxygen out of the room is zero. Now that does not mean that it's code to have it in a bedroom, but there is no safety issue from consumption of oxygen.

The safety issue is on venting of the carbon monoxide (CO) from the hot water heater. In order to make the install safe, ensure that the new gas water heater is properly vented through the ceiling. There are lots of resources online about properly venting gas appliances. Here's a reasonable one to start with.

Obviously since a gas hot water heater requires adding a vent, it's more expensive to install. You may find that an electric water heater still makes financial sense once you consider installation costs.

As noted in the comments, be sure and get a CO detector for the room. These are relatively inexpensive and you can get them at your local hardware store or order through Amazon.


How to transition laminate flooring to this prefab threshold?

A silver carpet strip should do nicely there.


Confused about wiring outside light fixture with multiple switched wires

I replaced the light switch itself and the only thing in the box were the 2 wires connected to the old switch and the ground wire

Since there is only 2 wires in the switch box, that means the switch is at the end of the line. So to fix this light, you just need to wire it like this diagram:

To figure out which cable coming in to the light box is from the breaker and which is from the switch, hook the light directly to one cable and ignore the other cable. Turn the breaker on. If the light comes on, then that cable is coming from the breaker.


Well Pressure Tank from 35 PSI to 65 and back every 7 minutes

You should be able to CHECK that there's no leak on the house side by simply shutting off the valve (that should be there, but might not be if your plumber was clueless, I suppose) between the pressure tank and the rest of the house.

If you do that and the behavior continues, yes, you have a problem on the well side - check valve not working, cracked pipe, something not as it should be, and you will need to check that. Depending on what type of pump you have and your well setup and personal mindset, that might be "call a well company" or it might not. If you are not comfortable opening the well and hauling pipes (with or without a pump attached, depending on your setup) up out of it, call the pros.

If the behavior stops, you need to check the house side - water softeners are my "hidden leak of choice" because I used to have one that liked to stick open and run the well like crazy, but they are not the only possible choice.


Installing a PIR Motion Detector - Not working because it requires a neutral wire

There are several passive infrared switches available that operate without a neutral wire. Yours does not seem to be one of those types. Replacing the switch will be much easier than running a neutral wire to the location.

Search PIR switch no neutral.


How do I add support blocking for a floating sink (when the wall framing is metal studs)?

You can install wood blocking between metal studs, but you'll have to open up more of the wall to attach them (you obviously can't toe nail them). Notch the block so it fits into the channels in the studs, then just attach it with screws going through the studs.

I wouldn't hang a sink on tile without some sort of additional support.  Even if the tile were strong enough to hold it, it would provide a point of leverage against the wall that could introduce flexing.


Turning the water off will limit the supply of water but it may drip unless you try and fill a glass of water (yes with the water off) this will remove the pressure from the system and should stop the dripping.


Can I use 20 feet 2x4 studs to add a ceiling in the garage?

2x4’s at 16” o.c. spanning 18’ will not work. They’ll sag under their own weight, much less adding a layer of gypsum board.

The Code requires a minimum live load of 10 lbs. per square foot for limited storage (maximum clear space between new floor joists and roof joists of 42”) and 20 lbs. for uninhabitable storage space. (See IRC Table R301.5.)

If you want to use 2x4’s, I’d add a mid-span support, like a 2x4 extending from the 2x4’s up to the roof joists. If the roof joists don’t align with the 2x4’s below, you can add a 2x4 strongback the length of the garage. This will give you an allowable live load of about 24 lbs. per square foot and a dead load of about 4 lbs. per square foot, (joists at 16” o.c. and gypsum board on bottom),depending on the species and grade.

If you don’t want to use a mid-span brace, you could use 2x8’s at 24” o.c.

(BTW, your drawing shows 16” BETWEEN joists and it should be ON CENTER. Oh, and the first joist from the wall should be 16” o.c. From face of wall to its center.)


Adding one of those isolators is a good plan.

I used to put one inline with every tap as they are cheap and make subsequent maintenance easy - less draining of the whole system.


How do you frame a wall more than 8-10 feet tall?

I see from your other question, that you are rehabing an industrial space. Personally, I'd use steel studs in this application. You can build them to 16 ft, no problem. You will need to install horizontal stiffeners as Mike mentions, unless you go wider that the 4 inches of wall thickness. It is very difficult to build and handle a wood framed wall of that size, but stacking is an alternative. Finding 2X4's that are not waned or bowed will be a challenge as well. 2X6's would be better, but steel would be the best.


A standard 3-way bulb consists of two filaments (or light sources in non-incandescent bulbs). Low is when the dimmer of the two are on, medium is when the brighter of the two is on, and high is when both are on. So, you'll find that the high wattage is equal to the low plus the medium wattages.

Take a look at Amazon's stock of three-way bulbs. There are lots of 50-100-150 bulbs, plus smaller numbers of 50-200-250, 30-70-100, and 100-200-300 bulbs. In each case, high = low + medium, and generally the medium wattage is twice to four times the low.

If you want a very low low setting, then that has to be the same as the difference between the brightest and the next-to-brightest setting. So, let's say you want a 150W bulb whose lowest setting is 10W. To get that, the bulb will have a 10W filament and a 140W filament, giving you a 10-140-150 bulb. They don't make such bulbs, because the high and medium would be indistinguishable, and consumers would complain.


Do you need to use concrete for permanent garden fences?

It depends on what you call permanent
Increasing entropy is really the only thing that's permanent.
Although you can't say with certainty how long something will last, you do have the ability to influence longevity. Some sticks shoved into the ground are destined for early failure and steel reinforced 12" diameter x 6' 6000 psi concrete will surely be around after the house is torn down. I'm sure your solution lies somewhere in the middle.
This is decent compromise

http://mielcentral.info
I disagree with image regarding treating the underground lumber. I would still treat it.
Your frost line also has to be taken into consideration.


What are the pros/cons of installing floors before doors?

I like to put the flooring in first. If you're working on the last row against a wall with a door in it, and you have to cut a piece that's half strip against the wall for half its length, and a full strip in the doorway, it's easier to get it into place if the jamb isn't in the way. It also means you can get the fit better at the  bottom of the door jambs, without needing to use a flush-cut saw to trim the jamb before you can fit a floorboard under it, or ending up with a gap between the jamb and the floorboards.

As far as cons, I guess putting the doors in first means less activity in the room once the floors are in place, and thus less risk for dropping a hammer and marring  the floor, or tracking dirt across the finished surface.


Electrical junction box under the sink gets wet

Under the sink is where it is supposed to be, but without a photo we can't tell if it was done right or not. The real problem however is more likely in your plumbing leaking and getting it wet.


Hanging a new wall with Genie Clips and need to install a few studs. Will this affect the installation?

Add the studs at the ends of the wall. It should not affect the installation.

Look at the video. At 3:38 they talk about having clips close together in some places. They say it is normal.


Maximum length supported by a LED RGB controller

Yes, your numbers sound correct to me.  Another way of looking at the standard 60-per-metre 5050's is that they are 3-channel LEDs, with 400ma per metre per channel.  (3528's are 1-channel LEDs, and the same applies; 400ma/metre assuming 60 LEDs per metre).

I would not use drivers (power supplies) with a 10% derate unless I was using  top-tier suppliers (i.e. General Electric, Philips, etc.)   Most people use cheap Chinese power supplies off eBay/Amazon, and for those I recommend a 100-200% derate, i.e. buy 2-3x the power supply you intend to use.

I don't know what your topology is going to be. Given the length and the season, my guess is this has something to do with Christmas lights on the interior or exterior of your house.  These tend to have a lot of linear run distance.  Let me talk about the challenges of carrying 12VDC a long distance.

First, there's the internal wires which run down the length of every LED strip.  You can't use those.  They are quite small, and don't have the current capacity to daisy chain more than one additional strip - that's 10 metres tops - and at that, you'll still have serious voltage drop which will mean the farthest LEDs will be very noticeably dimmer than the near ones.

There are two main ways to solve that problem.

One is to run your own external "feeder" wire, and since you're RGB, you'll need to run 4 wires.  Then tie from your feeder to the strips everywhere you can - if possible, feed both ends.  The wire will have to be fairly thick - run it through a voltage drop calculator and you'll see.

The second way is to avoid the voltage drop entirely by having several 120VAC/DC power supplies (drivers) distributed around the installation.  Each driver feeds only the LED strips closest to it, so 12V doesn't have to go very far.  How do you then control R/G/B mixing?  You use a device called an amplifier (aka data repeater).  It takes your controller's R/G/B output as a control signal at extremely low currents (easily handled by thermostat wire).  It pulses each channel same as the controller was, and sends that to the lights.

A third option is to have a very fat 2-wire 12VDC feeder, and then several amplifiers distributed around as in the second option...
 so the 4-wire power only has to go a short distance.

Cost would decide which way to go: copper (wire) vs. silicon (power supplies/drivers/amplifiers).


installing a replacement fixture with three lamps in one on a two way switch

In most modern fixtures that have multiple lamps, the wires are preconfigured going into the hood so that there is only one black (hot), one white (neutral) and one green or bare (ground) wire coming from the fixture to be attached to the wires in the box.

If there are separate wires for the three lamps, all three black wires should be twisted together and connected to the single black wire from the box, capped with a wire nut (and taped if you want added protection). Similarly, all three white wires should be combined with the white wire from the box. And finally all the green/bare wires combined with the ground wire from the box.

The switch wires are already worked into the overall wiring (assuming they were working before) and need not be modified. By the way, when a lamp is controlled from two locations, the switches that control the lamp are called three-way switches.


You certainly can, if you do it carefully. Here are my tips:

Use clear silicone. Any color (including white) will be much more conspicuous over the grout joints. Clear will transfer the existing colors and blend much better, almost disappearing.
Run a roll of masking tape along the floor, tight to the tub. Once you've tooled your caulk you can remove this for a clean line.
Cut the tip of the tube small. You want it to fit the smaller areas of the gap well to minimize squeeze-out. At the wider areas, slow your slide rate to allow the gap to be filled well.
Inject a substantial amount of caulk into the gap. You don't want a wall of caulk that will collapse. You want a solid rope.
Be sure the gap is completely dry when you apply the caulk. Silicone doesn't grab wet surfaces.
Tool the caulk with a finger, wiping the finger clean on a rag often. You don't want excess caulk oozing out around the sides.

Good luck.


Should the tiny gap between exterior window trim and the window housing be caulked?

Yes for sure.   The caulk is rather important there more than anywhere else because water will run down those channels and rot out the window framing and window itself (rust if metal).

I suggest ge5020 concrete and masonry silicone ii and to do this window in clear or black.  I would not match trim color as something that light will show dirt more and you will end up with brown or grey very soon.


Is there a way to buy a sink stopper clevis separately?

Home Depot shows Delta #RP12516. It should be a somewhat universal part. Any brand should fit. If they don't stock it they can order it. I would first try a local hardware store they are likely to carry a store brand for less than a Delta part. You will also need the clip that attaches the rod to the pivot lever.


If possible wait 24 hours before allowing water to hit the grout. On the bag there should be a defined time such as 6-8 hours dry time. I would advise getting some grout sealer to apply to the grout after 72 hours. Just curious what type of grout did you use sanded or unsanded? Was it pre-mixed or mix with water?


How do you determine if a door is Right Handed (RH) or Left Handed (LH)?

Not only besides RH or LH, you need to determine swing direction. Trust me, this needs to be agreed upon. When I built the additional room onto my house, I thought 84 Lumber understood the direction of door swing and they didn't. There is left inswing, right inswing, left outswing, and right outswing.

The door handle on my exterior door is on the right-hand side, but it is considered a left-hand outswing. Whereas my front door swings in, and the handle is on the right hand side so it is considered a right-hand inswing. Make sure you know what you are buying before you spend the money!


Yeah just go with the moulding idea. Image a room with 8'3" ceilings. The drywallers aren't going to cut a 2.5" strip, they just leave the gap at the bottom.


What's a reasonable expectation for efficiency in modern solar panels?

If you're in the northern hemisphere, the lower angle of the sun in the winter is probably contributing to your low numbers. (When the sun is low in the sky it passes through more atmosphere to reach the ground.) Presumably you'll do better in the summer.

Also, the tilt angle of the panels should be matched to your latitude. If your panels are mounted on your roof and aren't at the optimum angle (or aren't pointed directly south), that would decrease your efficiency. In any event, unless you have tracking panels or constantly change the tilt, your panels will only be pointed exactly at the sun twice a year, and at all other times will be slightly misaligned.

This website has a detailed description of tilt angles, but the net result is that if you have a fixed array at the optimum angle, you'll only be getting 71% of the exposure than if you had a tracking array constantly pointed at the sun. If your angle is not optimum you will do even worse, obviously.

EDIT: I should also point out that your definition of "optimum angle" for a fixed array is dependent on what you're trying to optimize. There are a couple of ways to look at it:

Generate as much power as possible over the entire year. The 71% refers to this option.
Generate as much power as possible in the summer, when electricity usage may be higher due to AC and/or power may cost more to buy from the grid. This will be a lower angle [array pointed more upwards] than 1), since the sun is higher in the sky in the summer. Winter usage will be lower than 1).
Try to generate power evenly throughout the year. This will be a larger angle [array pointed more towards the horizon]. This approach tries to increase power generation in the winter relative to 1), at the expense of some summer power.


Slate and shale are essentially the same thing, but slate is the "metamorphic" form, meaning it was shale, but changed into a DIFFERENT (more dense) form by eons of time and tons of pressure. So slate would not be fissile ("flaky") to the average expression of human force.

That's shale, aka "flagstone". People use it for siding and walkways, but usually in larger pieces. It might have value to someone, but people generally want it to match the color of something else (more shale / flagstone, house or landscape structure paint, etc.) so I wouldn't waste money buying an ad to try to sell it.


Pluming vents do two things - they allow air in and they allow air out.  Simple right?

The first need of allowing air in can be visualized with a plastic bottle that has a narrow neck, like a soda bottle or milk jug, etc.  Fill it up with water, then turn it completely upside down to let the water out.  The water splashes out with a glug glug glug.  Air has to get into the container as the water leaves, so the air and water battle it out.  This isn't the exact scenario happening in your pipes, but the fact remains that water entering the pipe will displace the air in the pipe, and that air has to get out of the way in front of the water, and it has to come back easily behind the water.

If there was no vent, the water would drain slow and make a gurgling noise.  Depending on the length and shape of the pipe, water might not drain at all.

The second issue is that sewer water will create gasses/smells.  That gas can build up and create a little pressure.  If there was no vent, the gas could back up into your plumbing fixtures and do bad, smelly things.

The next thing you need to look at in the plumbing system are "traps".  Basically, they are bends in the pipe that hold a pool of water that prevent air from leaving the system where you don't want it to go.  The trap automatically seals a pipe with water near a fixture so that sewer gasses are forced up a vent rather than coming up through a drain.  Every drain in the house has a trap.


Scrape as much of that dried glue off as you can, then use thinset mortar applied with a 1/2" notched trowel.


The relative locations (upper right etc) of the terminals on the switch are not the factor with which you should be concerned. You need to know which terminal is the common.  That gets the AC from the circuit breaker. The other two go to the loads. Are they marked?  Do you have an ohm meter?

edit:

OK, based on your comment I think I know what's happened.

Your old switch appeared to you to have three terminals, but most likely it really had four, but two of them are connected together - maybe internally, hidden from you, or perhaps simply unnoticed? The new switch  probably has an external shorting strap/bar - the RED in the pic below - connecting the two commons together.

The switches you've been using are both set up as a pair of single-pole single-throw switches.

Previously you had the AC coming in on the Common terminal(s) and the two loads (fan and light) each getting one of the Load terminals. That worked as desired.

When you replaced the switch, you wired the AC coming in to one of the terminals on the Load side (A1 or B1), and wired your loads to a Common terminal.  Since the common side is shorted together, when you turned on the one switch to which you wired the AC input power, both loads powered up.  The other switch is effectively non-functional.


How can I add a service disconnect between main panel breaker and load side

The electricians will be along shortly. My recommendation would be a "non-fused safety switch" that can be bought at any electrical store, Lowes, Home Depot, or most any hardware type store, as long as you are feeding the power from a circuit breaker from the main panel. You may be better off by running a heavy wire from the main panel breaker and adding a small circuit breaker panel in the shop area that can be further broken down into individual 120/240 volt circuits.  You wrote that (we have 2 lines, live and neutral wire) which needs to be better explained since you don't get 240 volts from 1 wire + a neutral. The electricians will explain your needs better than I can.


How to mount a white board on a wall without making holes in the wall?

I have had a lot of success with those "Command" adhesives from 3M, but it entirely depends on how heavy it is.  If you are not familiar with them they have a tab that allows them to break their glue bond by stretching the material and I have not had any leave marks on the wall.  They are available at about any hardware store.  They have a weight rating on the package and I would figure half that.


Google 'locking shelf support' and find something that looks like this:

As long as your shelves are approximately the right width, these will hold them securely.


Piping 2 water heaters in parallel is much more than just piping, it is an art. If either tank has longer sections of pipe for the in and out connections, before the common piping, then the one with the shortest piping will get most of the flow.

The preferred method would be to start with 2 tanks from the same manufacturer, the same size and the same model number so both are exactly alike. You may need to contact a "good" plumber and ask him to do this for you. Myself, I prefer to pipe 2 tanks in series, it is easier to do, yields the same results, and is fool proof.

One last idea, if you need this much hot water to fill a large Jetted tub, you could use a single 50 gallon water heater and for the tub add a dedicated electric "point of use" water heater that would only be used when the water heater begins to run out of hot water. This is what I did.


I found a brand on the sinks that are the same style. The company that made the faucet appears to be Harden. The style of the cartridge has similarities to others I'm seeing online for Harden.

The part appears to be "harden 185"


How to apply varnish of a different color on a varnished wood shed?

Depending upon the varnish that got used, or more specifically depending upon that varnish's UV resistance, it may darken (yellow) soon from exposure to the sun. If it was a spar varnish, it'll withstand UV much longer. Either way, count on revarnishing after several years (less if non-spar varnish, more if spar varnish).

Walnut-stain varnish over mahogany-stain varnish will in fact result in a blended color, although the darker walnut-stain varnish will probably strongly predominate. You might try getting a tiny half-pint can of the color you'd like and run a test on a piece of scrap wood - varnish the scrap with the mahogany, let it set up fully, then varnish over in a small area with the walnut. If you still don't like the color, try another half-pint of a different color like "ebony", for example, or a blend, until you do like the color. When you decide what you definitely like, write a note describing what worked well and staple it to the inside wall of the shed where you'll remember it when it's time to varnish again.


Can I paint part of a wall in a seamless way a couple years after?

If you have any of the paint left from before, just use that. There may be some very slight differences, but they likely won't be noticeable on such a small area.

If you don't have any leftover paint, you can take a small sample from the current wall and have a paint store match it. Matching is very accurate and will produce results that are indistinguishable from the rest of the wall. The downside is this may be the most expensive, as some stores won't sell a matched color in any of their product lines, nor in any size. I just had this done at Sherwin Williams, and had to get a quart of Duration, for ~$25, to cover a square foot of wall. The color was perfect, but certainly not cheap.

Or, if you know the color and sheen used, just get a small can of it. There's more likelihood of there being slight differences due to the different calibrations of the tinting machines, but those should be very slight.

On all cases, feather the new paint onto the old painted surface. Your area is so small, though, that you provably doubt need to feather much.


Below quoted advice is pinched from here, How to paint a wood house?

  If you encounter any damp, rotten, etc wood during the preparation stage, I highly recommend removing it. When doing so, cut 150mm (6inch) past the last sign of damage ie Get back to good, solid wood. Preferably re-patch with the same wood species.

In your particular situation (outdoors, horizontal surface) I would not recommend filling such a large hole with any kind of filler.

If you feel confident enough in your woodworking skills (or don't mind a challenge and want to learn something new), I say go with the above quoted method. If you were going to paint the wood, not stain it, I would be more likely to go with this method (paint can cover those little mistakes, where as stain is unforgiving).

That said it might just be easier (and cheaper) to remove the 4 pieces of wood completely and replace them with new timber, especially if you are going to stain the wood.


Firewood needs to dry out. It won't dry out in a sealed shed nearly as fast and completely as it would in an open-air setup.

Worry about moisture in the air 'getting back in' to the wood isn't really much of a concern. It's not atmospheric moisture but the moisture that's in the wood initially that's the concern.

If you completely season your wood outside for a year or so, THEN bring it in to the airtight shed, that could work, but seems redundant to me.

If the only real concern is rats, then I think building a shed is equally problematic as they will find comfy homes under the shed or even inside after they chew a few holes in it.

The reason most firewood isn't stored in a shed is that it's just a waste of a perfectly good shed. :)


It may be a hot glue used, try a wet / damp towel and a hot iron to loosen it, but you will need to do so while it is extremely hot. Be careful. A broad putty knife may be handy for this.

Picture courtesy Lowes
This may not be an easy solution, while hot the laminate will be very weak and flimsy, let alone the hot glue may want to bond the laminate to the knife as you are going, if it does anything at all. Get it too hot, it will damage the laminate too.
If you really feel you need to cover the hole, recut the hole to a square opening, then cut the filler piece to match the size of the hole. Another tip would be to taper the sides of the new cut and the filler so it will stop at a given place.


water not turning on for washer supply valves

Without seeing the lines, I would say frozen. Sometimes if you can access them, you can tap on them lightly and see if there is a change in the sound from one section to another, follow the pipe all the way from the appliance as far as you can. It it sounds hollow in one section closer to the washer and more solid the other way, you have a blockage of some sort. Try to carefully heat the pipe where it sounds more solid close to the hollow section. You might also be able to "feel" the pipe for hot or cold sections. Usually of the wash basin and machine are close, they feed from the same pipe and if you have water at one and not the other, you have a blockage.


Flat roof membrane not welded at edge of each layer, need help

No, it’s not normal for the edges to be loose.

Poly glass is a self sealing modified bitumen roofing product. See here:

http://www.polyglass.com/public/COM/products/POLYFRESKO_G_SA.pdf

As you can see in Item #6 of the installation instructions, the seams are to be lapped 6” and side lapped 4”.

I think it’s installed correctly.

If there are loose edges you could have leaks, blow-off, etc. AND your warranty is void.


How can I safely test my (optical) smoke alarm?

There is a chance that burning something may contaminate the sensors. Several companies make an optical alarm test spray. It is an aerosol can that generally costs less than $10 U.S. It is large enough to last several years worth of monthly tests. It should be available at your local home center or hardware store.


How can I clean out my gutters while still on the ground?

You may want to look at something like the Gutter Cleaning Wand:

You don't need to hire a professional to clean out your clogged rain gutters. Attach the Gutter Cleaner Wand to any standard garden hose, and you'll be able to clear out those debris-filled rain gutters yourself. This heavy-duty hose attachment has a telescoping wand that extends from 41.5 inches to 68.5 inches to get to those hard-to-reach spots along your roof.

Rain gutter cleaner attaches to any standard garden hose
Spray nozzle directs water flow to blast away debris
Gutter cleaning device extends to 68.5 inches to aid in reaching remote areas


Judging by the screw hole on the bottom, left side of the picture (labelled "fan") the box seems capable of holding a fan.

Likewise, seeing two nylock nuts holding the box in is also a pretty good indication of a strong mount on the back side of this box.

I would say it is probably safe to proceed mounting a fan in this box.


Should I (can I?) temporarily unmount breaker box to drywall behind?

It's probably also secured by nails behind the panel.

Actually, you don't want to do that.  That plywood has an important utility purpose, it's where the power, phone and other utilities attach.  You need it.

The one thing I would do is extend the plywood to span out to the joists.   Feel free to lift up the cables and paint under them, might be hard to tell it's not drywall.  Don't paint the cables, it's important to be able to read their markings.  It's utility area, it's supposed to look ugly.


Replacing 3-way dimmer switch with 3-way switch

Three way switches (dimming or not) have a common terminal and two traveler terminals. The common terminal of one switch in the pair is connected to the hot source and on the other switch, the common is connected to the fixture.

On your dimmer switch, the common is the reddish colored screw on the bottom of the first picture. It has a loop because it is the source of the hot, and the other wire is feeding another part of the circuit.

The other two wires on that switch, black and red, are the travelers.

On the non-dimmer, the common terminal is plainly marked. It has a black wire. The white and red wires are travelers. The white wire should be marked as black (marker or tape) because it is a hot line. It is acceptable to use a white wire for hot if it is marked.

You can easily swap out the switches. Just make sure that the wires that are now common are on the common terminals of the switches when they are swapped. And mark the white as black.


You have several issues: 1) Hold your building up, 2) keep your building stable (lateral stability) 3) freeze/thaw,

1) I would be careful to calculate the number of piers required to support such a heavy load as a log cabin. The piers have a small bearing area (perhaps as small as 12”x12”) and your load is tremendous.

The benefit of a continuous footing is that it can span over a soft spot if necessary. With a pier foundation, each pier had better be on stable soil.

2) Urbanite (reuse of old concrete) is not appropriate for structural foundations. Tossing a bunch of concrete chunks into a form is not going to give you any reliable strength. Concrete mixes have carefully proportioned amounts of materials. “Random” is not safe.

Concrete foundations resist various loads and you need to know what those loads are and provide the correct strength concrete.

Lateral loads are a major concern for your “elevated” house. You didn’t mention rebar. ANY lateral load would be resisted with carefully placed reinforcing steel. Dumping used concrete into the forms does not allow rebar to be located properly.

3) Of major concern is having chunks of old concrete exposed on the edges of the piers allowing water to penetrate the piers. Then, when it freezes the pier will be broken apart.


Can I safely pigtail #10 wire and #12 wire on a 20 amp circuit?

If copper, no problem, easy, yes you can use 12Ga copper to add to it, it was just overbuilt. Using larger wire than required is fine, code only specifies the minimum size required.

Do make sure you use wire nuts (or other wiring connectors) rated for the combination and number of wires you use. There is normally a little table on the container listing acceptable combinations of wires for this particular size connector.

If Aluminum, it's complicated and not burning your house down is a main consideration.


How do I install a bathroom exhaust system?

Congratulations on your new place! Installing a bath fan is a somewhat ambitious project for a novice DIYer. You have to:

Do electrical work to wire the fan and switch.
Mount the fan in the right location.
Run ductwork from the fan and outside, usually via a roof or wall vent.
Avoid doing much damage to your ceiling when cutting into it.

The biggest challenges here are usually in the vent installation. If you can go out through a wall or gable, a vent can be easy to install, just requiring a round hole and some caulk. If you have to go up through the roof, there are a number of subtle ways you could install the vent incorrectly that would not be immediately obvious but would increase your chances of a future roof leak significantly. Try searching the site for "roof vent flashing". Also, depending on the height and angle of your roof, you should think about whether you're able to climb up safely.

The other potential issue is the electrical. Like roofing, it's easy to make a mistake that you might not notice for a while, but the risk is more severe as you could create a fire. You could also make a mistake that shocks and injures you. So if you are really new I'd recommend you start by learning how to safely do things like replace outlets and light fixtures first.

Most of all, make sure you take the time to understand what you are doing. A challenge is always fun, but you will probably have plenty more opportunities!


What tube should I use for a kitchen rail?

You could accomplish hanging a total of 8 kgs of pans on a 2.5 meter long tube of 25.4mm diameter x 1.2mm thickness. I assume this is the cheapest option, but it might be more susceptible to failure in the long run than your other listed options. Supposing that it was mounted well, it could withstand a good amount of static force... based on my familiarity with materials. I'm a scientist and I'm darned good at physics, but this question is more about familiarity with materials and kitchen rough-housing.

Generally, 2.5 meter a tube that is 25.4 x 1.2mm will hold your 8kgs of pans, but the 25mm x 3mm tube would destroy the 25.4 x 1.2mm in a "sword" fight. And although the 20mm x 3mm would probably beat the 25mm x 3mm in a sword fight, the 20mm diameter would not necessarily win the load bearing contest against 25mm pipe. So they are about equal except the smaller diameter tube should be a litte less susceptible to dents... it's probably more of an aesthetic choice for size.

If the prices aren't very much different, the 20mm or 25mm x 3mm will be about 6 times stronger than the 25.4 x 1.2mm. Also, you want to have a good stainless steel in the kitchen, like 316.