Connecting portable generator with L6-20P to house with L14-30R

Forgot to come back here since there was no answer posted. Appreciate @Harper's help, I wish they would have put an answer so I could accept!

So I ended up buying an L14-30R and replacing the L6-20R in the generator. I wired neutral over to the 240V and wired up the two hots to it. I wired ground over to one of the 120V that had ground on it but I REMOVED the jumper from ground to neutral.

Since I only have a interlock and a inlet plug for the house, neutral is NOT switched over to the generator. If you have a proper transfer switch neutral MIGHT be switched to the generator. Since neutral was not switched, I'm using the house's NG bond and therefore I want neutral to float in the generator. If you do this, you should label the generator as Neutral floating in case you sell it or need reminding.

Everything worked well when I was running on generator power for 3 or 4 days after an ice storm.


Standard height for kitchen sink drain exit from wall?

12 inches above the floor is really cutting it close. Most cabinets have a kick toe of 6 inches so you'd only have 6 inches to install and work the trap. I'd be looking at 16 to 18 inches above the floor. Good luck.


Question re: Installing New Power Strip in Kitchen

You can plug a normal power bar into a GFCI outlet and get the same protection as plugging directly into the GFCI.

If the outlet you'd be plugging into isn't a GFCI, you might negotiate with your landlord to get one.

Or get something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/TRC-90265-6-012-Shockshield-Portable-Protection/dp/B000XVG72G?th=1


How can I join 2x6 pressure treated wood for a shed base?

This should be a good starter project, here are a few tips I've picked up over the years:

Even pressure treated wood will deteriorate over time if it's exposed or in direct contact with the ground/moisture. Do what you can to protect it from the elements and get it raised off of the soil. Use a moisture barrier between wood and concrete.
Take care to perfectly level the area you are locating this.
Make sure your cuts are straight, preferably using a square to mark your lines.
Measure twice, cut once.
Look for the direction that the wood bows, mark the bowed up side on the wood, and layout all the wood with the bowed side up. You don't want the floor to be wavy or to have a dip in the center for water/dirt to collect.
Assemble the sub-assembles first, driving your nails/screws from the side of the joists into the spacers.
Make sure all connections stay perfectly vertical since they lose their strength when they start to tip over. You can use a clamp to get leverage and untwist a warped joist, but if the warp is too significant, I'd cut it into pieces for the short spacers.
Pre-drill when you are within 2" of the end of a board and going in from the side (e.g. all of the sub-assembly nails/screws and the 4 corners). Other than that, you can avoid pre-drilling, but it may help you keep a straight line if this is your first build.
Metal brackets to hang the joists will give you a stronger connection. They should include directions for the type of fasteners, which will likely be shorter but very thick nails.
Nails will have more shear strength, but screws will be less likely to pull out. If you have a sub-floor going on top of this, securing everything together, then I'd go with nails. I'd be lying if I didn't say I'd put in at least a few deck screws in each corner.
3 1/2" is a good length for any nails/screws. That gets roughly half of the fastener in each piece of lumber. When in doubt, get a longer/thicker fastener.
Any untreated nails or screws will react with the chemicals in pressure treated lumber and quickly corrode. Hot dipped galvanized nails or treated deck screws should be ok, but check the label on the box to be sure it will work with the chemicals in your lumber.
For each joint, a 2x4 would take 2 nails, a 2x6 would take 3, etc. Stay about 1" away from the edge of the board and space the nails about 1 1/2" - 2" apart.


The ground pin is usually facing down, and, if I recall correctly, when I installed some tamper-proof receptacles recently, the printing on them was right-side-up with the ground pin down.  I believe it's also a requirement in some localities.

On the other hand, people supposedly install the ground pin facing up as a safety precaution: if you're falling or dropping something onto a plug that's not securely plugged in, you'll hit the ground pin first so there's no risk of a shock.  If you've got both orientations within any one room, it's possible the installer didn't know what he was doing.

If your locality doesn't have a requirement for them to be facing down, I would just pick the orientation that you prefer and re-install the ones that are in the other orientation to match.


How can I drill through concrete blocks to allow drainage from my backyard?

Pictures might change the answer but...

Is the terrain outside the block wall your property?  Is the elevation lower than your backyard?  If you answered yes to both of those questions I'd say strategically and carefully, maybe hire someone, remove blocks or pieces of block. Drilling holes does not sound like adequate drainage but if they were big enough it might work.

I would probably remove a section of brick at the lowest point in the yard and dig a large pit.  Line the pit with some type of filter fabric that will keep fine soil particles from passing through and then almost fill the hole with large gravel. (Here in this part of the US we would use what is called blue stone)  Cover with the same fabric.  Install a porous grate or cover of some sort over it.  You could even cover it with soil and plant grass or something else if you liked.  Figuring out what survives there might take trial and error. This will give the water somewhere to escape to while it slowly drains out of your yard.


Can I install new construction lights into old ceiling with attic vs remodel lights?

If you can access the space above (or in the case where you are ripping off & replacing the sheetrock from below, even if that's not your case) you should be able to use "new construction" style can lights, yes.

It may involve hot, filthy work in the attic space, and depending where you want the lights and the configuration of the attic, it may be a tight squeeze (or there may be plenty of room - attic spaces vary, a lot.) Depending on your type of insulation, you might be well advised to wear a coverall suit, gloves and a respirator and/or goggles when working up there, which will make it hotter, so beware of getting overheated (passing out in an attic is not a great idea...)

With advancements in LED technology, surface-mount "can style" lights are also a recent option. Look like a can-light trim ring, but don't require a can above them.


Can two 120V outlets be converted to one 240V for stacked washer dryer combo?

Your unit already has a 240V dryer plug. Guaranteed.
An all-electric townhouse built in 1982 WILL have a 240V electric dryer plug in the laundry room.  Period, fullstop, end of subject.  You just haven't found it yet.
While you're searching, also search for a gas line.  That would be very surprising in a development that is all electric, because usually the whole point of going all-electric in a condo complex is to avoid even having to bring gas onto the property!   For instance my friend has an all-electric house, the entire square mile does not have gas lines.
I suspect you'll find no gas line.  If so, it is impossible for the building to receive an occupancy permit without a 240V dryer socket in the laundry area.  It MUST be there.
The longshot
Which makes no sense, because if the last guy did this, there'd be no way to dry clothes!!!!
Now, you know what the common 120V dual receptacle looks like.   Maybe you've also seen "single" 120V receptacles with a round socket instead of oval.  Each of those fits in a space we call a "gang" (no idea why).
If you're seeing two of those next to each other (say, 4 sockets, or 2 singles next to each other, or a duplex and a single) in a "2-gang" space with a basically square cover plate... then it's remotely possible that somebody hijacked the 240V dryer plug and replaced it with dual 120V circuits.
The hint is that a 240V dryer socket normally takes a 2-gang space.
Conversion in that direction is possible (240 to dual 120s).  And if that "240 -> dual-120" conversion was done, it can be un-done.
Other than that, conversion in the other direction is not possible: you can't take any random pair of 120V circuits and turn them into a 240V circuit.
This all seems highly improbable... but as Sherlock Holmes says, when you eliminate the impossible (the townhouse not having any dryer power), what remains no matter how improbable must be the truth.


pvc windows constantly wet ...door handles dripping wet inside of premises

Where do you live? Almost sounds like a cold and wet place like Alaska or Canada.

On the draftiness: Sounds like the windows are poor quality or they were installed incorrectly. A good window that's installed right should be airtight. You can caulk around the edges where the window meets the drywall, and that should stop air leaks between the window and the surrounding wall. If air is coming in between the frame and the sliding sash, you can buy and apply stick-on compressible weatherstripping gaskets that will seal when the window is closed. That should help. Even ancient single pane wood windows with zero weatherstripping are often measurably improved by this change.

On the moisture: getting condensation on the interior of your windows is a sign that the windows are poor insulators (R-3/U-0.33 or worse) and you have a lot of interior humidity. Because the windows are poor insulators, they're cold. When moist air hits a cold smooth surface, it condenses and turns into liquid water. To improve this state of affairs without replacing your windows with much more expensive higher quality triple-pane windows that do a much better job of controlling interior condensation, you can run a dehumidifier in winter, or you can install Low-E storm windows outside of the windows, or you can build airtight interior insulating shutters made out of foam board that completely cover the windows at night. But they would have to be airtight, sealed against the windows with gaskets. Otherwise moist air would get right past them and continue to condense on the windows.

Good luck.


Wiring Leviton Smart 3-way Switch when Load Line Goes to the Fixture

No.  You cannot poach a neutral from the other switches in Box B.  This is a Code violation, potential firestarter, and will trip any AFCI or GFCI breakers in use.
There must be separation between the 3 wires coming into that 3-way and all other wires in the box.  Nothing can cross that gap except for safety ground.
Since your circuits apparently do have ground wires, you need to search the market for smart switches which do not require a neutral wire.
Since your 3-way setup is a double "switch loop" (i.e. both 3-ways are on a switch loop with power in the light), then you simply have no option to use a neutral-using smart switch.  It cannot be done.
The only possibility is to use a "module" up in the lamp proper, which talks to smart switch(es) in the switch sites.  At that point the black & white from lamp to switch could be re-tasked to be always-hot and neutral.


There is a product known as plumbers grease, used for faucets and other plumbing applications. The water from those faucets is used for drinking and cooking and other household applications. The grease is also known as PTFE lubricant, also known as teflon compound.

A liquid oil would not have much staying power and may react with the walls of the syringe. Butter would eventually turn rancid as would other organic compounds.

Teflon is known for lack of reactivity as well as durability under high pressure and temperature, although it's unlikely you'd be dealing with either.

A thin film of teflon/PTFE/plumbing grease would provide a substantial reduction in friction with minimal contamination and also give you good duration of use. You would also want to consider if the hot glue you used is water resistant. Some products of that nature will slowly degrade when exposed to water.

All of the above is my opinion, backed up with some real world use and online research independent of this question.


Your flashing is probably galvanized steel. They last a fairly long while, but they do rust eventually. They're usually replaced when the roofing is replaced. It's not necessarily a leak concern unless they're so severely rusted as to be collapsing. I don't recommend attempting to refinish steel flashing. The benefit just isn't there and you'd almost need to remove it to do a thorough job anyway. If it's just an appearance issue you can purchase galvanized paint (or just use gray).

It's not difficult to replace a flashing, but you have to have a basic understanding of roofing techniques. You lift each row of shingles gently, releasing the tar strips, and pull the nails below. When you have enough shingles removed you can lift the flashing off and install a new one. Shingles are reinstalled or replaced. It's best done on a slightly warm day when the roof is in the shade.


Anybody have experience in hanging a huge clock?

For large heavy objects that you want to span multiple studs, I like a french cleat. You can buy them out of metal from the store, or make your own by ripping a board at 45 degrees along it's length.

Screw in the wall part to each stud with a long screw or lag bolt, and get either a counter sunk or flush head. And on the back of the clock, you can use lots of short screws that won't come through the face. When hanging, the two boards overlap to hold in place. For added security, you can install a single screw at the bottom of the clock into a stud to prevent it from being lifted up or away from the wall.


Correct wiring of float switch into two pole contactor for well pump

Wire the float switch and contactor coil just as if you were wiring a light fixture controlled by a wall switch.  Or, in bad ASCII art:

 ----------[float switch]---------
 |                               |
240V                           [coil]
 |                               |
 ---------------------------------


Hormann garage door opener automation with Loxone

According to the Guide you posted

The UAP enables you to

control the light of the supramatic
open the garage door
close the garage door
stop the garage door
check whether the door is totally closed or totally open, light status?

That tells me that it appears your UAP will not allow for the individual movements that you are looking to achieve.
The only things I get from what is stated is that if you press to open - you press the button again to stop it (not a true move up move down motion).

That being said you might be able to program a button to activate open when pressed and to also activate the same function on release.

Looking at the other link for the Hormann website using translation - it looks like they indicate it can do a partial open : "for controlling the partial opening and the drive lighting"

I do not see any manual on their site for this unit.

I see one for your supramatic (seems a bit over complicated for a Garage Door) - however reading the instructions for the ventilation position You might find what you need here. http://www.hormann.co.uk/fileadmin/_country/hoermann.uk/dok/SupraMatic_Series_3.pdf

6.1.13
Menu 43: Changing the
ventilation position
▶
See Figure
28
The partial opening position (ventilation
position) depends on the door type and
is pre-set at the factory.
Sectional door:
Approx. 260 mm slide
travel before the
Close
end-of-travel position.
Minimum
height
Approx. 120 mm slide
travel before each
end-of-travel position.
The partial opening position is triggered
using the 3rd radio channel (menu 13),
an external receiver, the additional print
UAP 1 or an impulse at terminals 20 / 23.
To change the partial opening
position:
1.
Move the door into the desired
position with the buttons
 and
,
via the taught-in radio code
impulse
or an external control element with
impulse function.
2.
Select menu
43
.
3.
Press the
PRG
 button until the
decimal point next to the menu
number is illuminated.
The changed partial opening position
is saved.
If the selected height is too low, a 2-digit
number starting with
1
 will appear with
a flashing decimal point (see section 17)


Ceiling fan and lights not working after bulb pop

Usually a capacitor in a single phase motor circuit is to shift the phase of the start winding so the motor will start.

Otherwise a single phase motor will just sit there and hum since it will be locked up.

Here is a diagram of a ceiling fan circuit.

If you bypass or short circuit the capacitor I believe the fan motor will no longer start.

Better to replace it if it is broke.

If you disconnect it from the circuit and test it with an ohm meter a good capacitor will show zero at first and climb to infinity. Then swap your leads and it should do the same again. If it shows open or shorted it is broke.

Good luck and stay safe!


Barn doors that angle into the entry way

You need a Floor guide. Most are installed on the floor, sometimes  they attach to the wall at the base of the door.
They come in a variety of kinds, some just plane plastic, some with rollers, some adjustable ETC.
You can buy them or  you could make something from materials you already have on hand.   It really is just a tab or roller that keeps the bottom of the door from swinging into or away from the wall.
You should check with the manufacturer of your doors track/hardware to see if they have one that matches the spacing of the tracks you have. If not it will not be difficult to place one at the appropriate distance from the wall to match that spacing.


A water-hammer arrester is an (initially) air-filled container that simply acts as a compressible "shock absorber". Over time, the air can dissolve in water and be lost, particularly on older models without pistons, leaving it filled with pretty-much incompressible water. They're easily fixed or replaced.
If the existing arrester has replaceable O-rings:

Close the main interior shutoff valve.
Turn on faucets in the lowest floors to help drain the system.
Get some buckets and towels to soak up water, and place below the arresters.
Unscrew the arresters, disassemble them to drain the water, and check for damaged O-rings.
The O-rings can be replaced at very low cost. If possible, find the right size O-rings in advance or get an inexpensive assortment to shorten the downtime.
Reassemble, turn on the main shutoff and test the system.

If the O-rings cannot be replaced, by design:

Replacement arresters are available for US$10 each and up. Follow steps 1-4, above, and at step 5, replace the old arresters.


Should I insulate the duct trunk as I finish my basement?

All ducts are now required to be sealed (at the seams), but you don't normally insulate unless:

they pass through a cold/hot environment such as an attic or unheated crawl space
you have an extraordinarily long run and need to reduce heat loss along the way

If you have a typical home, don't bother. Exhaust temps should remain acceptable unless you're skirting the fringes of performance with an old or inadequate furnace. The key is to have enough vents for each room (based on square footage, windows, and other factors) and good return flow.
Use foil tape and/or silicone caulk to seal all joints and be happy.


Are junctions allowed in an active panel?

Yes, you can have splices in the service panel. However, you cannot combine circuits that are required to be separate (if any).  You also cannot combine circuits, such that you're overloading the circuit.

A breaker terminal (or any terminal really) can only have one conductor terminated, unless the terminal is listed and labeled otherwise. Some breakers are listed and labeled for two (2) copper conductors, but not all are.  If the breakers you're using are not, you'll have to splice a pigtail to the breaker terminal  (though based on your question, it sounds like that's what you're planning anyway).

Fill rules apply, but it would take quite a bit to overfill a panel.


Is it safe to have a POE switch in an attic?

I don't know for sure, but I don't think it's a good idea to have something that CAN overheat in an area that you don't normally visit (i.e. attic)  Cables runs of Cat 5 and Cat 6 should be fine at any length in a house unless you have a mansion or are running parallel to power.  I believe up to 200 foot is okay before any loss in packets.

POE switches are typically safe, and a good quality one is definitely worth it if you plan on leaving it unattended.  Extension cords for permanent use is never a good idea, but a 12 or 14 gauge cord would be plenty overkill and should NEVER get hot with a low power drawing POE switch on the cord.  Obviously don't use a lamp cord for extension purposes.


How can I tighten a bolt in a circular hole?

You should get yourself a socket wrench (also known as a ratchet):


Could R-11 Sound Batt have a large impact on reducing sound

Fiberglass insulation helps more to reduce high frequencies than low. Since the sound made by exercise machines is primarily low frequency (i.e., dull thuds), such as the impact of feet, he insulation would not be very effective.

Some ways to decrease low frequency noise include:

Increase mass of surfaces: Add a layer of board to the floor.
Increase damping: Add a rubbery, elastic, layer, such as a rug or carpet padding.
Seal the edges and openings with elastic padding.


Yes, PVC conduit is nice stuff.  Make sure to keep water from entering it, or it may carry water to places you don't want water. (that said, all outdoor conduit is presumed to be 100% full of water all the time, so you must use wet-rated wire).

You'll be using single wires in conduit, just like most commercial buildings.  You need wire marked for wet locations.  There are many grades of wire, but what I find on store shelves is THHN or THWN - the latter has the "W" wet rating.  The cost difference is so small that many places only stock THWN -- but check, don't take any THHN.

You can choose solid or stranded wire, stranded is a lot easier to work with, but sometimes more difficult to terminate.

You cannot shuck down Romex wire and use the white and black wires, because the interior wires are not labeled.  Shucking down to bare wire for bare grounds is fine.

You will need at least 3 rolls of wire.  It's most economical in 500ft rolls.

Green or bare for ground wires (if you use them)
White or gray wire for neutral (I recommend white, you can use gray to distinguish a neutral from a different circuit.)
Any color not mentioned above, for your hots.  Most people go black, but you are welcome to install a rainbow of colors if you like, the only rule is you must be reasonably consistent within your installation.  So if you use orange for switched-hot for lighting, stick with that.

You will need to run a ground wire with plastic conduit.  I recommend you run a ground wire with metal conduit - in the great outdoors, that stuff will rust, even if it's galvanized, which will eventually cause grounding problems.

If you have metal (commonly aluminum) boxes in your system, there will be a hole already tapped 10-32 for a ground screw.  Attach a pigtail of solid wire to that screw, and wire-nut it to your other grounds.  I use stranded wire myself, and a crimp-on ring terminal.

In your photo, that guy needs more support for some of those pipes, especially the long run on the left.   PVC needs support at closer spacing than steel EMT.

Don't even think about buying PVC at the big-box store or any national-chain seller, because they won't have all the parts.  They'll have brand X boxes and brand Y box covers, and no, they don't play well together.  BTDT.   Rather than have to go to the electrical supply house 3 towns over for the missing bits, create a relationship with the electrical supply house in your town and use the system they sell and fully stock. For one thing, it'll be cheaper - big-box creates the illusion of cheap, but nails you on all but the most mainstream.


Lightswitch to Outside Light/GCFI Issues

The load is at the top of the photo this is where the wires to the light go. The line is at the bottom of the outlet this is your incoming hot and neutral.

Why is there black heat shrink on the whites at the GFCI the black on the white is designating the white as a switch leg and it should always be hot, if you put it on take it off.

With switched circuits a switch leg is where the power comes into the lamp not a switch. We use a cable black white to run down to the switch, the white is connected to the black hot so the white is always hot and marked with tape , marker or any means to designate it as the hot. The black is then the switched hot.

Only having 2 cables at the outlet make sure the load goes to the lamp and the line is the incoming power.

With the photos my guess you switched line and load and that won’t work.


Is there a 24VAC transformer for a thermostat, that fits in 1-gang wall-cavity?

Any transformer you use needs to be listed specifically for use in 120VAC wiring subject to the National Electrical Code.  Do not use some random transformer out of an electronics supply catalog, even if it is UL listed as a component.

One of the Code requirements is that high voltage and 24VAC must be separated by a divider etc.

Generally these transformers are readily available in forms which solve that problem.  For instance, a common form is a transformer built into an electrical box lid.  The low viltage terminals are on the outside of the lid, solving the separtion problem.

I see these often as 2-gang box covers (4”) and I swear I've seen them in a 1-gang (2”x4”).  We're not a product recommendation site but your question is do they exist; the answer is yes.

Phase issues

The problem you have adding a second transformer is phase.  The two transformers will both be attached to R.  If your transformer is out of phase with the furnace transformer, that means there would be 24v between your C and R, and another 24v between R and W when the furnace is off. So the thermostat would see 48V between C and W.   You'd need to check with the thermostat maker to see if it can handle that.

May not need C

Some thermostats (perhaps not yours) can also scavenge the power they need simply by being in series with the two wires R and W.  They do not need a C wire.  However this trick only works if the furnace's control relay draws a fair amount of current.  If it is too efficient, the thermostat can't scavenge enough power to function, and then they give you the advice to get a C wire.

So, you can fix this by making your furnace relay less efficient.  I would say put a resistor in parallel with W and C on the furnace, except for that "must be listed" rule.   So, use a furnace or air conditioning relay, which are readily available.  Make sure your furnace's transformer has enough power to drive it. The purpose of the relay coil is to waste energy; the contacts are connected to nothing.


The top grout line in the shower wall tile is about 2 inches. How can it be fixed?

Don't pay them until they come back and do it right, but since you're asking I'm guessing you've paid already.

To fix, you'd need to get a wet saw or tile cutter and some of the tiles used in the project. Scrape out the grout, cut tile to 2" minus width of your grout lines minus 1/8" to 1/4". Put the tile up with mortar, grout, and caulk along the top where it meets the ceiling.


How exactly do heat pumps work in a cold climate?

A heat pump transfers energy. I expect you've noted that the outside part of your A/C unit is really really hot in the summer. That's the energy from inside your house being transferred to the outside.

In the winter, the direction is reversed. The energy in cold air is substantially less than that of warm air, but there is energy there. The heat pump removes the energy from the cold air, making the outside discharge even colder (just like inside, during the summer) and transfers that energy inside to warm things up.

Heat pumps are usually equipped with a resistance heater for those days when the cold air is too cold to have any energy transferred effectively. The colder parts of the world will have less effective heat pumps.

High Performance HVAC suggests that in colder areas, the energy source for a heat pump during the winter would not be the outside air, but rather a warmer source for heat exchange. A geothermal source (ground water loop) will contain far more energy during the winter as well as provide a good heat sink for summer operation.

Such systems will be more expensive to install, but will be less expensive (more effective) during the winter months, keeping the abode warm.

The above link also references electricity costs as a factor to determine suitability for heat pump selection, as well as other considerations.

I live in the Southeast and the heat pump aux heater never engages during the winter. It is a very efficient air conditioner in the summer, saving electricity cost over the equivalent non-heat pump design. Of course, the heat pump is a newer technology than the A/C unit it replaced, which may have provided for lower cost operation as well.


None of the outlets in the kitchen are working

If you are showing hot on neutral this is an indication of an open neutral on the circuit with a load attached. You are reading the voltage on the neutral through the load.
Find the open neutral and you'll find your solution. It could be anywhere in the circuit, from the panel through any box or outlet.


drill concrete for installing tack strips

The tackless carpet strips installed on masonry surfaces have short evenly-spaced concrete nails on every strip. They are set in position and with a well placed hammer strike the point of the nail penetrates the concrete securing the strip tightly.   Of course in the real world not every nail hit goes as planned. It's a good idea to have a few spares on hand as some tackles will be missing a nail or a bad hammer blow renders the nail useless.  If you can afford the extra time to install the strips with concrete screws (Tap-Cons) then the strips will be anchored better than nails. Use a 5/32 masonry bit for the small Tap-Con screw.  Some suggestions: If you do use screws along with nails 3-4 per strip should be enough. I found that 2 and sometimes 3 layers of tackles in long rooms will not pull loose overtime.


how to remove gypsum board cemented to brick wall?

Unfortunately it won't be mortar but drywall adhesive; the so called 'dot and dab' in the UK, and it can be the very devils underpants to remove. It's not particularly hard but it is very 'grabby' and absorbs impacts, which means it sticks really, really well.

I use a small electrical breaker with a blade chisel. Work at a really shallow angle to the wall and tackle each dot (or dab lol) at a time. The shallow angle will protect the block-work and in theory get behind each clump of adhesive. They rarely come off cleanly (like mortar might come off a brick for example) as it's too soft.

Expect a solid band of adhesive at the top and bottom.


If you went to a Home Depot very close to your house (in the same town) and they said that BX is required, I would take that seriously and research the finer points of that rule.  A lot of the workers at home stores are not experts by any stretch, but they know what sells and what they have to stock, so there will be some truth to what they "know".

That said, your question illustrates perfectly why location is important, although I totally understand not wanting to give out more info that is needed.  After a little research into Chicago, it looks like you would have to tell us your exact location in order to weed through the various versions of codes that suburbs have adopted, and at that level of detail, a question is considered off topic because it's not likely to be helpful to anyone else.

It seems that Chicago is one of the places that requires metal conduit for residential wiring.  From what I can tell, the city is very strict on it and as you move into the suburbs, they are various levels of strict to the point of allowing NM cable in some areas.

A term that comes up in code discussions is Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).  It's important that you know what jurisdiction you are in so you can ask the right people about the codes in your area.  The county code compliance office should be able to tell you quickly what is required and if you need a permit or if you're even allowed to do the work (in some cases a pro has to do the job).


How can I stop cracking/squeaking sounds while leveling this floor?

Most any material that keeps the wood to wood contact to a minimum should work. The most common material used is red rosin paper, but asphalt paper used to be an old favorite. I would avoid any thick absorbent materials like untreated felt or open cell foam, as they can absorb moisture or water and become moldy.
Use screws whenever possible instead of nails, as nails will squeak as they become loose as wood shrinks around them.  If you have to use nails, be sure to use threaded/ring nails to minimize this potential problem.


You need to be very careful when removing the tile, as you don't want to break the substrate.  Taking a large hammer to the tiles is a great way to break the brick that is behind the existing tile.

My recommendation would be to get a tile chisel, and use that to break/pry up the existing tiles.  You'll likely be left with a very uneven surface.  Using the chisel, take off as many of the high points as possible.  However, even with lots of attention, you'll likely still have a pretty rough/uneven surface.  To take care of this, use some leveling mortar- apply the mortar in a thin layer, making sure to leave as smooth a surface as you can get with the trowel.  The point being to raise the surface to be flush with the highest points left after you chisel out the tiles.  Let it cure.  After it is dry, use some medium grit sandpaper to make the surface smooth.

Now you have a nice, flat, smooth surface to tile over.  Use a good wall tile adhesive, and tile away.


Safely possible? Back feed generator through existing 3 wire OR convert to 50A RV service

Nope, this isn't going to work.
The lack of a seaparate neutral/ground is a deal-killer here on both applications.
Further, that 8/2 cable is not allowable to 50A.
Neutral is not ground
There's really nothing confusing about it, except that you bit fruit from the tree of knowledge when you noticed neutrals and grounds go to the same place in the main panel.  Disregard this: that isn't what you think.
Electric current flows in loops - you kinda know that.  It wants to return to source (not ground by the way; source).
Neutral is the ordinary, everyday current return path, and it has current flowing on it all the time.  Neutral "works for a living". Because of this it can be hot under certain conditions, and that's why we insulate it.  Using a bare neutral would be dangerous.
However, trouble can happen. Equipment safety ground is a protective shield.   Current NEVER flows on safety ground except during a fault condition.  Safety ground returns fault current to source:  So for natural electricity (lightning, ESD) that is the earth.  For human-generated electricity, that is back to the neutral and the supply transformer.  (and now, you know what that neutral-ground connection in the panel is for).  If it wasn't for safety ground, the equipment would sit there energized.
Your pool heat pump ran on 240V only, and did not need neutral (which is in the middle).  The original installer saved a tiny bit of money by using /2 cable instead of /3 cable, which unfortunately ruined your ability to reuse it for your generator.
Your options
Since you need to pull new cable anyway, you might as well pull both of them - a 6/3 for the RV, and at least a 10/3 for the generator.  (A 12/3 would suffice for now, but there's a lesson here and I'm assuming you've learned it :)
The existing 8/2 could be used for a 120V feed to a generator, hot-neutral-ground, of up to 40A.  However, if your house is wired in "Multi-Wire Branch Circuits", that could introduce a danger.
The 8/2 could also be used for a 120V/30A RV connection called a "TT30" found on smaller RVs.   If your larger RV has the adapters to work on a TT30 connection, that is an option.


How can I make seamless upholstered chair pads?

The simplest solution I've seen is to use short finish nails to pin a flat finishing panel to the bottom after standard upholstering to the seat bottom. The finish pins can go just around the perimeter where they may be hidden by whatever frame is supporting the seat.

For instance, if you were using cheap but sturdy MDF as the seat bottom, on top would go your padding, and the whole unit would be wrapped in the fabric and stapled or otherwise adhered to the bottom.

Then a nice piece of 1/4" hardwood plywood could be neatly fastened to the bottom, effectively hiding and paneling over all the bunching and fastening of the fabric.


The only way to answer this is file a complaint with the local inspector for a safety hazard and have them come check it out.   There is no way stairs are exactly flat and 5% isn't flat but not extremely off.
You have already asked the manager and he told you he has no interest fixing it.   The inspector will either enforce the safety violation or OK it.   If he OKs it you can tell manager you will pay for it or you can let it go.   You just moved in - you should have checked this out prior to.
Just FWIW - I have managed many properties.   There are some people that would email me with suggestions and things I should do daily or weekly I kid you not.   The more you respond to them, the more they ask for.   They act like a house is a website you can just add stuff to.    Your manager may think you fall into that category.   My life is much easier now because everyone gets one of four responses.
1 - if it is broken or not code "I will fix it"
2 - if it is something small and no risk - "you can fix it at your cost" or "you can do it and I will reimburse materials up to $XX"
3 - "you can have a contractor do it and pay for it"
4 - "you cannot do it"
Maybe I need to feel the 5% slope (I have a step at my house that must be close to this) but yours would be in category 3.   If an inspector came out and told me to fix it, I would.   I wouldn't be mad, I would just fix it and also set expectation that for gray areas someone will tell me something isn't code on an official level.


In knob and tube wiring, how to identify neutral wire vs a dead wire?

Plug in an extension cord, and bring its socket end up to where you're working.  Measure voltage from extension cord "hot" to the mystery wire.  120ish volts - it's a neutral.  Significantly less - phantom voltage on a dead wire.

To sanity check what "120ish" volts should be, measure hot v neutral on the extension cord itself.


Electrical Distribution
In the United States, most residential electrical service is what's known as a split-phase system. Which is a 3 wire, single phase system.  The service entrance cable consists of two ungrounded (hot) conductors, and one grounded (neutral) conductor.  Once at your house the grounded (neutral) conductor is bonded to earth, and a fourth conductor is added to the system.  The fourth conductor is the equipment grounding; or simply grounding, conductor.
But why 4 wires?
A split phase system is aptly named, because the transformers secondary is center tapped (or split). This allows the system to provide different voltages, depending on how devices are connected.
120V
If a device only requires 120 volts it will be supplied using one grounded (neutral) conductor, either one of the ungrounded (hot) conductors, and one equipment grounding conductor.
240V
If a device requires 240 volts it will be supplied with two ungrounded (hot) conductors, and one equipment grounding conductor.  In this case a grounded (neutral) conductor is not required, since the circuit is completed simply by connecting a load between the two ungrounded conductors.
120/240V
Some devices require both 120 volts, and 240 volts.  These devices will be supplied with both ungrounded (hot) conductors, a grounded (neutral) conductor, and an equipment grounding conductor.
But wait... The old one only had 3 prongs?
In the olden days, we didn't care as much about safety (there were fewer lawyers around).  Before houses were wired with the equipment grounding conductor, devices that required both 120 volts and 240 volts would be supplied with both ungrounded (hot) conductors and a grounded (neutral) conductor.  Since there was no equipment grounding conductor, the circuit lacked one.  This is why older homes only have 3 prong dryer (and stove) receptacles.  The old three prong receptacles are NEMA 10 devices, and consist of two ungrounded (hot) conductors and one grounded (neutral) conductor (hot, hot, neutral).


Where to buy glass to replace the broken glass part of my door?

Since you are on Stack Exchange, I can safely assume you have access to the internet.  Use Google to search for 'Glass Store', and in its local search it should find some in your area.  If it doesn't, go to any hardware store and ask if they can order glass or cut glass to fit.  If they don't, ask them where you can go.


How can I switch between two generator inlets?

You're looking up parts with the wrong terms. What you want is a transfer switch. You don't need the kind that includes breakers, etc., since you're using an interlock; just a simple transfer switch.

In a transfer switch where the neutrals are bonded or overlapped during switching, the advantage is reduced arcing and transients during switching. The disadvantage of this situation is that the transfer switch can not protect your genset and other electrical system components from wiring problems, such as a neutral/hot reversal sending current along the neutral.

In your case, since you're using an interlock you will already be cutting off the electricity completely anyway before switching and starting your generator; neutral continuity is not needed. So you should use a transfer switch that switches the neutral along with the hots.

See http://ecmweb.com/content/switching-neutral-whats-controversy for more details.


Provisioning for a hypothetical electric car

See SAE J1772

  In the 2009 standard, two charging levels are defined.

            Voltage  Phase          Peak current
AC Level 1  120 V    Single phase   16 A
AC Level 2  240 V    Split phase    32 A (2001)
                                    80 A (2009)

Nissan say

  Most Nissan LEAF owners recharge their cars at home. The 6.6kW charger option lets you charge your Nissan LEAF at home in just 4 hours using a 32A Home Charging Unit

For that option you'd need a dedicated 240 volt 32 amp circuit.

Until you actually have an electric car it may be best to leave that circuit terminated in a junction box of some sort and leave the fitting of a charging-unit until later. You probably shouldn't fit a regular 240 V 32A outlet because the J1772 system requires some intelligence be built in to the supply side (the charging unit).

In some countries the government will pay you up to $1600 to have a charging point fitted in your garage. If you live in such a country, it might be worthwhile taking advantage of such offers whilst they are still available.


Thermocouples produce a minute amount of current with a minuscule voltage.  The connection to the gas valve where the new thermocouple is installed needs to be clean and free of debris or it will not be reliable.  Take the connection apart, carefully clean the contacts, and put it back together.  That may solve the problem.


How can I reduce squeaks in wood floors when no felt paper was installed between floor and plywood?

Since it is on a concrete slab, I don't think there is much you can do except tear it out and start over.


Can I fish low voltage cables through my plumbing chase?

Yes you can run low voltage and even mains voltage in the same cavity your plumbing is using.

I say this with the understanding that the cable is rated for the chase construction (some made out of brick / concrete the cable would have to be listed for use enclosed in brick or concrete).


I would imagine that it is luan sheets. Luan is used to 'skin' hollow core doors. It can also be used in other applications as a 'skin' when trying to create a light rigid platform with an internal skeleton of framework(much like a hollow core door or assembly table)


Bathroom light and fan combo safety and wiriing

NEC 2014 - 410.10 (D) outlaws certain types of luminaires in the bathtub and shower areas, but your fan/light combo is not included in that list. That bathtub/shower area, by the way is defined as 3-feet horizontal and 8-feet vertical from the top of the bathtub rim or shower stall threshold. So, with 11-foot ceilings you've got a lot of latitude (more than most people are blessed with) for hanging fixtures in this area. Probably a good idea if your unit is marked suitable for use in wet or damp locations. GFCI protection for luminaires in bathtub/shower is only required where installation instructions specify it. And, I believe, most manufacturers of the fan/light combo's I have installed do call for it. By the way, I just double checked and the code was the same in NEC 2011 and hasn't changed in the 2017.


How to repair a beam of structured 2x10s

The beam should be substantial enough. It's a bit baffling how poorly it was built, though. Were it my house, I'd jack up the beam and fasten it together properly. By doing so you should restore the straightness and rigidity that was originally intended.

Acquire a length of steel or wooden beam that's long enough to span from one post to the other and substantial enough to carry the load of the beam above. I assume that you have spot footings at the posts, but not between. Jacking between will probably crack your slab.
Place wooden blocks near each post, and span the temporary beam from one to the other. Run it diagonally from one side to the other so it falls below the upper beam where you need to place the jack.
Place a 10-ton or better bottle jack on the temporary beam below an intermediate member joint. Use a steel post or 6x6 wooden post with a pad block on top, centered right under the joint.
Using nails set into the underside of the original beam at each end, install a dryline (carpenter's string) some distance down (say 1").
With one or more helpers watching what's happening upstairs, slowly begin jacking the beam into position about 1/4" above the 1" target (string measurement 1-1/4"). This will allow some settling when you remove the jack. Ideally the beam members will slide back into position as you do so.
Drill for pairs of 1/2" carriage or hex bolts through the entire beam every 12 or 16", 2" from the top and bottom of the beam. Install the bolts with washers and nuts. Tighten well.
Begin to lower the jack, watching for excessive movement. If things really settle, leave a temporary post at that location while you do the others.
Move the jack and repeat for each location.

Notes:

Watch everything carefully as you work. There's potential here for damage to drywall/plaster, misalignment of doors, binding of plumbing, etc. Proceed slowly and inspect the effects of the movement regularly.
Be sure that you're happy with the results before drilling and installing the bolts. You don't want to have to repeat that work if you decide things won't work in the new  position.
It wouldn't hurt to have an experienced builder have a look at things before you begin. Maybe there's more going on than what you've noticed, and making this fix could be the wrong approach.


What should I expect to find above garage ceiling (drywall)?

I re-did my garage ceiling a couple years ago. Home built 2003, in Southeastern Ontario, Canada, so may not be entirely the same, but probably fairly close. Here's a picture after I had taken down some of the drywall, which gives a nice profile shot:

The drywall was mounted on another set of joists (I think they were 6") hung below the actual joists for the second floor, with about 18" from the bottom of the floor joists to bottom of the garage ceiling joists.
There are a couple I-beams holding up the second floor
There was batt insulation laid on top of the drywall
Drywall edges were sealed with caulk to keep gasses from getting into the house (though someone prior to me had played hockey in the garage, and there were a few puck-shaped holes in the drywall)
No vapor barrier was installed
HVAC and return vents run through this space
There was a dedicated 6" HVAC vent blowing into this space, and a hole cut into one of the existing returns about 6' away to act as a return. I guess this was to heat the space to make the upper floor feel not as cold, but it wasn't overly effective and I'm sure it was a waste of money.
The wiring for most of the garage lights/plugs ran through this space; I don't recall any other wiring though.

You'll probably note I used the past tense there. I took all the drywall and insulation down, cut the joists back to make the ceiling higher, installed some network/cable jacks in the rooms above (I fished wires between the joists to get to rooms not over the garage), installed central vac, and then used spray foam to insulate the ceiling, used the old batt insulation to insulate the exterior walls, and finally dry walled and installed some shelves on the ceiling. The room above is warmer, the garage stays above freezing, and both cars and the snow blower fit (though I have to move everything else up to the shelves in the winter).


8 way splitter degrades internet signal over time

It sounds like you might just be dealing with a bad splitter, so my first recommendation would be to just replace the splitter.

There is a loss associated with every port on the splitter.  If you look on the splitter, you'll probably see something like -4dB printed on each port.  This is how much signal loss there is on that port.

Typically your cable modem will be connected to a splitter directly from the source feed, then all other TVs split from a secondary splitter.

Amplifiers usually just add noise and if there is a signal quality issue, it's best to work with your service provider to get the addressed.

Bad connector fittings on the end of the cable can make a huge difference, as can the length and quality of the cable used. By SOP, most cable installers would probably replace every RG6 compression fitting between the source and the modem.


Swapping High voltage breakers; change 50amp to 40amp

The metal bar that the breaker connects to is hot.  The breaker provides power to the connected wires, and cuts power to them when it is off.  So, if everything else is working correctly, the wires connected to the breaker do not have any power.

While it's possible to not have a main breaker in that panel to cut off all power, there's normally a switch or a breaker in another box that will do it.  The bus bars inside a panel are large and easy to touch, so its best to turn off power to the whole panel when swapping breakers.  Cutting off all power also keeps you safe from wiring mistakes that could result in power being fed back into the panel from another, seemingly unrelated breaker.


It looks to me like weathered OSB roofing in the second picture. The first picture is likely concrete/mortar. Construction companies will generally still use boards that were used for mixing or forming concrete/mortar. If it were mold, it probably wouldn't be isolated to those single boards and would be "creeping" over the roof trusses. So in short, no, it's not mold.


Is a 3 way switch required at the stairs to a basement with no other entryway?

Stairway Lighting is Required, with light switches at top and bottom of the stairway if the stairs encompass more than three stair treads (Canada) or six stair treads (U.S.).


Difficult to start a four stroke mower when cold - how to diagnose the problem

I had an identical problem as yours with my Toro 4-cycle mower. Eventually, the mower wouldn't start at all, which I tracked down to a dead ignition module (ignitor). After I replaced it, it's been easily starting for about 4 or 5 years now. The ignitor looks like this:

This may or may not be your problem, but if you've eliminated everything else...I used a piece of card stock to set the gap between the ignitor and the rotor.


You can hide the color with paint or you can hide the color with primer.  In general, primer is cheaper than paint so on "color changes" you want to do as much as you can with primer - even to the point of tinting your primer if you're not using white paint.

So, I would go ahead and use another coat of primer and then paint over it with the final color.  You could cover directly with paint and still get good results, so it's really your call if the paint and primer are close to the same cost.


GE convection/microwave just quit. No heat. micro does not heat either. All else works. Lights, fan, timer, etc

One hot dead
A typical big oven (as opposed to a countertop/portable oven) in the US uses 240V for heating (possibly including microwave) and 120V for controls/lights/fans. The power is connected (ideally, not always due to "old stuff", among other things) with 2 hot wires, 1 neutral wire and 1 ground wire. The 120V items use one hot + neutral. The 240V items use two hots. If the hot used for 120V is good but the other hot is out, then controls/lights/fans will work but you won't get any heat.
Check your circuit breaker. A 240V/120V oven should be on a pair of breakers. They definitely should have common shutoff (i.e., if you manually flip the breaker off, both hots are disconnected at the same time) but they might not have common trip. So turn the pair of breakers off/on and see if that helps. IF YOU DON'T have a PAIR of breakers side-by-side, STOP and don't do anything else without posting some pictures to diagnose some more.
If resetting the breakers doesn't solve the problem then you likely have a loose connection somewhere:

Wires coming out of oven
Wires going into plug (if it is plug/receptacle rather than hard-wired)
Wires going into receptacle (if it is plug/receptacle rather than hard-wired)
Connection between wires coming from oven and wires from breakers in a junction box in the wall (if hard-wired)
Wires going into breakers

Before working on ANY of those wires, turn the breakers off.


Looks to me like a doorbell transformer.


How can I determine if my HVAC system has features which are not currently wired to my thermostat?

All furnace control boards will control the additional features that they come with (such as variable speed, or multi-stage heating and cooling)

The terminals on the thermostat will correspond with the furnace control board terminals. The furnace may have more connections than the thermostat, but most are not used or required.

For example with multi-staging furnaces you will normally see these terminals on the board. Most additional ones are to be used with 2 stage thermostats (such as w2 and y2). This would require having an additional 2 wires at the thermostat to have this feature. What is commonly done because in most homes they will only use a 5-wire, is that using the dip switches on the furnace control board, you can control how many minutes it will take for the unit to switch from first stage, to second stage. On top of that, you can bypass first stage to have the unit kick on second stage right away.

|W/W1|W2|R|Y/Y1|Y2|G|C|DHUM-|DHUM+|

Some boards will have DHUM terminals on the board which will control optional indoor air quality ad-ons such as a Heat Recovery Ventilator.

Most new high end furnaces will come with, or have the option to be used my a communicating thermostat thermostat that the manufacturer sells. These systems will have endless amounts of options to set up. However the nest is not a communicating thermostat thermostat so you will not be able to use these functions if you have one of these furnaces. On top of that, you are only able to use that specific furnace manufactures communicating thermostat thermostats on each furnace.

These boards will normally have these terminals:

|W/W1|W2|R|Y/Y1|Y2|G|C|A|B|C|D|DHUM-|DHUM+|

The A, B, C, and D terminals will be all that is needed to hook up to the communicating thermostat, and will give you full functionality of all the furnaces options. It is very rare to ever use all of the terminals on the control board of the furnace.


Can indoor cable be used under a patio roof?

Code considers areas normally dry to be ok for nm cable 334.10.A
under your roof is one of those locations that Is not subject to dampness or wetness some jurisdictions consider a porch a damp location it usually depends on the roof type for example a normal 3 tab roof with tarpaper is considered a dry location, but a roof with corrugated plastic and even metal if not insulated is a damp location. If you use a GFCI in this location it needs to be WR weather rated the electronics are coated to protect them from moisture and they can not be located above 5’7” but they can be used to protect the load side.
I would think as long as above 8’ exposed romex or NM cable would be allowed by your description soffits & normal roofing.
Updating because of change to thhn;
Where damp or wet THHN /THWN cable (almost all thhn is dual rated but thwn is the wet rating) needs to be used. Your circuit will need to be in conduit box to box 1/2” will be fine for your setup.
All wiring methods below 8’ require protection but THHN requires conduit from start to finish.
The reason most home owners use UF and NM wiring methods is because 12&14 gauge circuits with thhn requires 3 different colors hot usually black, neutral usually white, and ground usually green.  (Hot can be any color other than gray, white, green. Neutral can be white or gray , ground can be green or bare).
Home owners usually use pvc conduit as it is easy to cut and glue. From your box there can not be more than 360 degrees in bends or 4 90’s wire pulls get tough after 3. If you need more than 360 a conduit body is Normally installed I use a conduit body at a 90 in many cases called an LB, LR or LL  the hole being back , right or left. There are also form C body’s that are inline , a box can also be used.
The one thing I see home owners do wrong in most cases is the wrong kind of box. Outside a bell box or weatherproof box is required unless recessed in the building structure.
The pvc conduit needs a strap within 3’ from the box and supports per table 352.30 1/2”-1” max space 3’
These are the additional things to think about but should get you on your way to a safe instal of your lights and receptacles.


How to confirm screw is attached to stud through wood plank and dry wall?

I suggest you keep marking the centers like you've done and as each plank goes up, copy that mark to the face of the plank.

You can use painter's tape if you don't want to make marks on the planks. At minimum mark the entry and exit points of the projection of the joist across the face of the plank and make a line between them (a first order approximation). You'll hit a joist most of the time. If you want to be able to better detect a joist hit, then pre-drill holes in the planks or use partially threaded wood screws with a shank longer than your plank depth.

You may not hit a joist every time, but I really doubt that you actually need to. The screws are primarily going to hold the planks in place while the glue sets.

Concerning the weight: You're adding 1.5 lbs. per square foot.

You're adding about 12.2 cubic feet of wood to the ceiling (15'×13'×0.75"). You say it's barnwood, so I would assume something like western cedar. That's 23 lbs/ft³ (plug in a different value from here if it's not right). So you're adding a total about 280 lbs of wood plus screws/glue. Say 300 lbs. It sounds like a lot, but it's spread over the entire ceiling which is 195 square feet. That's about 1.5 lbs. per square foot, which is approximately the same weight as the drywall itself. I'd be surprised if doubling the drywall was enough to make the ceiling collapse, but I'm an electrical engineer, not an architect; so I could easily be wrong about that. Do check with a local contractor/inspector if you're concerned about it.


Should P trap be connected using Fernco coupling?

This will work, but there is a specific type of fitting which is made for this purpose called a trap adapter. One end glues directly to the stub, and the other has a compression fitting that will accept the trap.

There is a big advantage of using the trap adapter over gluing. It allows easy removal of the entire trap for renovations, or maintenance. Lets say that you have the trap glued in and you want to replace the sink or counter. You would have a tough time removing the trap, and it would involve extensive plumbing work. With the trap adapter, all you would have to do is unscrew it from the wall, and from underneath the sink and the entire assembly can come out in one piece.

The adapters are also fairly inexpensive, and may even cost less than a comparable fernco fitting. The adapter is superior because it is nearly flush with the wall, and easier to remove.

Below are some examples of trap adapters. They are available in 1.25" and 1.5", which covers residential use. They are also available in PVC and ABS.


What's the right way to sand/shave/reshape particleboard?

If you don't have a lot of material to remove, you could use a belt or palm sander to gently sand it down.  Be very careful not to press too hard so you don't damage the wood, if you take your time it should work just fine.

If you have to remove a bit more material you could use a circular saw, just make sure you get a saw blade with lots of teeth.  For materials like this the more teeth the better, as it will give you a smoother cut and minimize chipping.


Is this scenario a bootleg ground? Is it safe? options?

The ground wires to the outlets...
...The outlets DO NOT have the ground wire hooked up at all, and no
"typical" bootleg with a jumper or something. Should I hook up the
ground wires in the outlets?

First off, there are ground wires TO the outlets, but they are just sitting in there? That makes no sense and if the ground wires are there, you should connect them to the ground terminals of your outlets.

...are bonded to the neutral wires in the shop's subpanel.

Secondly; is this a sub-panel or the SERVICE panel? The FIRST panel where the utility power comes in is the SERVICE panel, and you DO connect the Neutral and Ground wires together there. In a SUB-panel, you do not. If this is a sub-panel, then they should NOT be bonded (connected together), even though they are going to be at the Service panel upstream. The Service panel is where the Ground is then connected to the Grounding Electrode (ground rod) with a separate ground wire, called the Grounding Electrode Conductor (GEC). That should be the ONLY connection to ground in your building.
Thirdly, when talking about the number of "wires" in a service or cable, you do not count the ground conductors, it is not a "current carrying conductor" so is not considered a "wire". So "Romex 3-wire going from the breaker box to all the outlets" would mean 2 hot wires and 1 neutral, not 1 hot, 1 neutral and 1 ground. I'll assume you meant 1 hot, 1 neutral and a ground, which is called 2-wire NM cable with ground. NM cable is abbreviated by the size, the the number of current carrying conductors, then w/G if there is a ground wire, so for example 14-2 w/G is 14 ga, 2 wire (H+N) with Ground. The reason it is done that way is that you used to be able to get 14-2 with no ground, in which case it was just called 14-2.
Lastly, a "bootleg ground" is when there is NO ground wire run out to the receptacle box, so someone bonds the ground terminal of a grounded receptacle to the neutral terminal with a little jumper. That was technically legal up until 1969 but has not been since then. But from your descriptions, that's not what you have.


If it is really a false positive - i.e., the light is incorrectly showing something on, but all burners cycle on/off correctly, then I see no real concern.

If one of the burners is not working at all - i.e., you turn it on, the light goes on, but the burner does not actually warm up, then this is also not a significant problem as you just can't make use of that burner until you fix it.

However, if you have a situation where the light is on due to a burner turning on and not cycling but STAYING on then this is a real safety concern as you could forget and turn on that burner and forget about it for a little while and end up with your house burning down.

Simple enough to test. One burner at a time, put a pot of water on. Turn the burner on medium and watch it for a while. If it cycles normally, great. If a burner stays on -- gets red hot -- and never cycles off, then you have a serious problem that needs to be fixed. If I found this problem and it only affected one burner, I would remove the knob for that burner to prevent someone (including myself) from accidentally turning on that burner until it is repaired.


Is this Coleman Recessed Heater Model #69 gas or electric?

The AGA logo and the nameplate specs are dead giveaways

This is a gas heater -- the nameplate specs are in BTUs, while an electric unit is specified in watts.  Furthermore, it's AGA certified -- the American Gas Association doesn't deal with electric heaters!


When wiring a wall plug is the common wire white or black?

Black (hot) wire, brass screw (small blade)

White (neutral) wire, silver screw (wide blade).

Ground (bare or green) wire, green screw. (U blade)


Do I have one or two 24V transformers in HVAC control circuit

If you have forced air A/C and radiant heat, you almost certainly have two separate transformers.  So you'll have to use a thermostat that can work with separate transformers.
If the thermostat you choose requires a C wire, you'll likely want to supply the C from the A/C transformer. It's almost always easier to get the C wire from a forced air system, than from a boiler. Also, some thermostats actually require that the C wire come from the cooling system.
Once you've selected the thermostat you want, connect the wires as follows:

Remove any jumpers between Rc and Rh.
R from the A/C to Rc.
Y from the A/C to Y.
G from the A/C to G.
C from the A/C to C. (Where required)
R from the boiler to Rh.
W from the boiler to W.

Extra reading
With two separate transformers, the wiring should look something like this.

Notice there's no jumper between Rh and Rc.
The green line represents the equipment grounding in the building.
In this situation, everything works as expected.
If you have two separate transformers, but only connect one of the R wires.  You could still have a complete circuit, if the transformers secondaries are bonded.  However, since you're using the buildings grounding system to complete the circuit, you may find that there's not enough power to get things to work properly.  You might find that the A/C works fine, but the heat doesn't (or vise versa, depending on how it's wired).

Two separate transformers, with only one supplying the thermostat.
Notice there's a jumper between Rh and Rc.
If you have one transformer that is supplying two R wires. It's the same as having one transformer, and using a jumper to connect Rh and Rc. It's just a really long jumper.

If you have two transformers, and you connect a jumper between Rh and Rc. You'd be connecting the transformers in parallel. If the transformers are identical (or close enough), this may not be a problem. As long as the transformers are in phase (and identical), everything should be at the same voltage potential.  If the transformers are not in phase (or not identical), you'd be creating a short-circuit.

If you have two R wires at the thermostat. The best bet is to remove the jumper between Rh and Rc, and connect the separate wires to separate R terminals.


Replacing a toggle dimmer switch with a regular light switch

As the others have said, you need a 3-way switch.

The copper colored screw on your old dimmer is your "common" screw. The other two are your travelers.

The new switch will have similarly color schemed screws. Typically black for the "com" and brass for the two travelers.


Should old knob and tube wiring be replaced?

Generally, it is a good idea to replace it, especially if you can easily access it. One thing you don't want to do, is replace part of a circuit. Then the next guy might see the new romex and make some assumptions about the rest of the wiring. The other time you really really should replace it is if it runs through insulation, especially blown-in cellulose. That is a serious fire hazard. Knob and tube was designed to use open space as an insulator.


Can I safely use (2) 40 W fluorescent tubes in a 70 W fixture?

First, the internet is wrong, bulbs will fit that won't work.  Especially with T12 sockets which are the same for T12, T8 and several wirings of LED conversion.  Some LED conversion wiring is violently incompatible with real fluorescent tubes or even other LEDs.

For instance a T12 on a T8 ballast will be very dim and flicker.

Now the way you find out what works is:

Pop the cover off the ballast compartment.
Look at the sticker and Read the list of tube sizes permitted.  Most likely either F40T12 or F32T8 will be at the front of the list.
Also get the ballast model number and search the web for the ballast's data sheet. It will have some additional lamp sizes and combos.
Buy a compatible tube.


Grounding light switch to electrical box?

You can add a ground wire to the box from the panel that feeds it if you want to.
If there is conduit it is using the conduit as the ground.
With older homes you are not required to update the wiring in this case add a ground wire if the box is not connected to ground I almost never suggest lighting be updated to add grounds but regularly do suggest receptacles have GFCI protection added and or a ground wire added (the ability to add a separate ground is somewhat new in the past this was not code compliant)
So it is up to you.


Where can I find a replacement bracket for my glass counter top?

I actually found out that I can actually just use glass shelf brackets.


Why is my Hoover Pet Cyclonic belt not spinning the brush anymore?

I worked on vacuums for years, though I am not familiar with this particular model. Still, there are only a few things that can cause a roller not to spin:

roller bearings
belt
motor

The plate above the roller, or the housing above the roller must be able to be removed to get access to the belt/roller. You'll have to figure out which. There are usually plastic clips/tabs that are indicated (usually with an arrow or something). It may have a couple of screws. They should be very visible.

Once you have access to the roller, pull it out of the housing. You may have to flex the housing to achieve this. That is ok and expected. Flexing over about 1/8" is a problem, so don't go too far. Most of the time the roller should just slide out. It probably has a lot of gunk/dust/hair around it, so you may have to finagle it out.

The belt is usually a flat belt (though sometimes they are round). It runs from the roller to a metal post sticking out of the motor. If it is a flat belt, it will attach to the roller and motor on one side. If it is a round belt it will likely attach in the middle.

At this point the roller should be out of the housing. See if the roller spins easily by holding the end caps. If it does not, the bearings are bad. Sometimes the ends will screw off and you can see if hair has wrapped around the bearing. If so, you may be able to remove the hair and it will function again. If not, you need a new roller.

If the roller works, make sure the motor pulley spins. Locate the motor pulley/post. Spin by hand or run the vacuum and carefully determine that the motor pulley is spinning. If you can hear the motor, the pulley is almost definitely spinning, but not in all cases.

If the motor spins and the roller bearings are good, all you need is a belt. Make sure you have the right belt. They will sometimes be surprisingly small. Loop the belt around the motor pulley first and then the roller, while the roller is out of the housing. Plant the non-belt end of the roller into the housing and, while holding that end in the housing with one hand, leverage the other end into the housing while stretching the belt. This can be anywhere from moderately to very difficult. Lastly, spin the roller by hand making sure the belt is not caught in the housing somewhere. This almost always happens. If you spin by hand it will naturally center out on the pulley. If you don't do this and put the vacuum back together and start the motor, it will burn through the belt very fast.

Lastly, it sounds like you may be having some problems with the height adjustment not working correctly. I can't really tell by reading your post. If so, your father-in-law may have gotten a little overzealous with the screwdriver and taken apart part of the height adjustment linkage. Vacuums rarely need a lot taken apart to change a belt. If he went too far and you can't figure out how to get it back together, you may need to take it to a repair shop.


GFCI's are set to trip between 4-6ma of leakage current. This is a pretty sensitive setting to measure.

It is possible the GFCI in the thermostat has gone bad. Like all electronics, it is prone to failure at some point.

I would try a new thermostat to see if it holds. If not, you need to investigate the wiring further.

Good luck!


What's the use for a tapered handle socket wrench?

That is a tool for scaffolders or similar so they carry one tool and not two, given where they work having to keep changing tools means the risk of dropping one increases...
The taper is used to align the holes so the bolts go in.


Adjusting a sliding patio door: does the door have to rest equally on both rollers?

Moving a roller up or down has a minuscule effect on the load shared by the two wheels. The door's center of gravity will not move more than one-half inch either way. The two wheels will always share the load equally +/- 5%. Wheel replacements are available, or remove the door and oil the pivot points.

The top or bottom sill can have a dip or a bulge and still read level. Use a string line to check your bottom sill. From your drawing, a dip in the middle of the bottom plate would cause the 2 glass sections to lean toward each other. Set the rollers to achieve parallel between each section, and between the sliding glass and the side frame. If you lower the sliding part, be sure the frame remains in the top track.


How can I protect an exposed refrigerant pipe outdoors?

There is now made a product that is called a a/c line set cover.  Google 'line set cover'.  tons of companies will pop up more than happy to sell to you.


Put the tape back on the LOAD terminals.   You may know that common receptacles have two screws on each side, one is a spare for continuing the circuit(or for splitting the receptacle for controlling each socket separately; watch out for a broken tab between screws.)  The LOAD terminals are not spares.  They have a specific purpose and we won't be using them for awhile.

Now, connecting only to the two LINE screws, hook up the hot and neutral from one cable.  Aim for it to be from the power supply.  Does the GFCI power up and act normally?

If not, the cable you used is probably not the supply cable.  Try another.

Okay, you now have a working GFCI.

Now the rest of the wires.  Consider these questions:

Are you sure the supply cable has only 2 wires (and a ground) with no red wire?
Do you know where the other wires go?
Do you want to provide GFCI protection to those other places?
Are you sure those places are properly wired and do not have any ground faults?
Are you ok with this GFCI tripping if one of those places has a subtle electrical problem?
If that happens, are you prepared to troubleshoot it?

If any of those questions are "no", then leave the tape on the GFCI "Load" terminals as you will not be using them today.

Use the "pigtail" techique - attach short wires to the GFCI's "Line" terminals, and use wire-nuts to join all the always-hot wires together and all the neutral wires together which are part of this circuit.

If the answer to all the above questions is "yes", then leave the wires currently on the LINE terminals where they are.  Here we go!  Peel the tape off the LOAD terminals.  Attach the remaining always-hot wire(s) to the brass and the remaining neutral wires to the silver.

Turn the breaker back on (it goes without saying that you do ALL wire changes with the breaker turned off) and run the GFCI through its paces.  Then go to all those downline destinations and test them too.  Does the GFCI trip?  NO? Then you are done.

Yes?  Then there is a problem with the downline loads.  Fix it.   Or if you are not willing to fix it, then one of your answers above should have been "no" and put the tape back on the LOAD terminals and wire it as above.


How do I remove a frameless glued mirror?

I would...

Use a glass cutter to run scores across the face of the mirror in a roughly plaid pattern. The idea is to give the mirror some encouragement to crack when you start to pull it off. Smaller pieces are good to handle. Do not run the glass cutter along the same score multiple times. One firm score is enough.

Make the scores no farther than 6 to 12 inches apart. Now, tape up the entire mirror. Packing tape would work, as would masking tape. Use enough tape to stop any pieces from falling down and shattering or hurting someone.

Now, use a hammer or pry bar to lever up under one corner of the mirror. As you pry out slowly, tap with a metal object (a small hammer is good, but anything will work, even a heavy screwdriver or the back end of the glasscutter) along the scores you made with the glass cutter. The glass will probably start to crack now along the score line you made. Break away the mirror in small pieces so that you can carry it away easily.

Be very careful of the edges, as they will be sharp. Wear good gloves as well as eye protection. When you are done, sweep up the area carefully, then vacuum. Make sure there are no slivers of glass on the floor.


Depending on how the gas valve or the burners are designed it may be possible to convert to propane fuel. Most conversions are as simple as changing the burner orifices. The orifice is the component that has a miniscule opening that emits the gas just before it ignites. The size of the orifice opening is dependent on the gas being used and how many Btu's are required. Natural gas will have a different sized orifice than propane. One Should not be used with the other.  Look around the gas lines for a small spud like this orifice spud. Some spuds come with no openings and can be drilled to a custom opening.


How to properly seal the transition between basement wall framing and spray-foamed box joists?

When we insulate the joist boxes in apartment buildings or commercial buildings we are required to close the boxes over the foam with drywall or flame retardant foam board.  Since your job is for utility purposes here's my thoughts.  After you spray a couple of inches of foam into each box, cut measured pieces of foam board that will snugly fit above your wall, between the joists and up against the 1" rise of the sill plate behind the wall. Put a few dabs of construction adhesive on the edges and fit them into place.  This will do a couple of things for you. It will create a larger dead air space in your now insulated boxes, extra R-value and also seal the top of your wall against the foundation.  Smaller pieces can be glued in under the joists to complete the wall seal.  If you want to further seal and joints in the foam board, use some HVAC aluminum tape.


The problem is, you're trying to solve this problem as a box i.e. you want to do all your improvement in this box.  But you have 3-way switches.  You need to solve each 3-way switch group as a group.

Indeed, the right 3-way is totally separate from the others, and should not be cross-connected.  If your box allowed separators you could even put a separator in there.

Rightmost 3-way

On the rightmost 3-way, this is location is the "remote" and both power and lamp cables come into the other end.  That is where the smart-switch should go.  Lutron Caseta all operates wireless, and their remote switches don't even use wires, so if you put the remote here you simply won't use the 3-way cable at all.

If you want to use a mechanical switch, then you'll need to follow their guidance for wiring one, which is fairly illogical actually. What it's trying to say is you connect a remote switch between the Caseta's black wire and its blue wire.  If the switch is thrown, Caseta treats that as an on/off switch command.

So in this case, the Caseta at the far end would send always-hot on the black wire to this location.  That goes to the black screw on the 3-way.  From a brass screw goes the red wire, back to the Caseta's blue wire.  White is unused.  The other brass screw is unused.

The rest of it

The left half of the box is complicated.  The top cable goes to a lamp, its wires are switched-hot (black) and neutral (white).

The top left cable has 2 3-way travelers (white and red) and always-hot (black) heading off to a remote 3-way switch.

The bottom left cable is kind of interesting.  It goes to the lamp controlled by that 3-way (that's the red wire), and it is also the source of power for the box (black=always-hot, white=neutral).

Anyway, here, you would install the Lutron Caseta master, adding its always-hot to all the wires in the black bundle, and adding its neutral to the neutral bundle.  The "Load" would go to the red wire from the lower left cable.

As it happens, the remote 3-way is already set up in an advantageous way, with red and white going to travelers and black going to common and that's already wired to always-hot.  So leave the black where it is.  Tap red for the Caseta's blue wire. The white traveler is capped off.


It may be mold, but even if it were, you hardly need a professional to help you get rid of it, just spray down the area with bleach and wait a few minutes (not too many though, as that can damage the finish further) to let it do its thing, then (while wearing proper protection, ie rubber gloves, etc) wipe up the area using a cloth and warm water. Then continue cleaning the rest of the cabinet with the disinfectant of your choice. However, its important to keep in mind that this isn't a permanent fix.

The discoloration (brown) that you see is simple water damage, and unfortunately I don't believe there's an easy way to fix that.

The most important thing though is to identify the original source of the moisture and ensure that you keep the cabinet dry in the future to prevent additional buildup of mold and mildew.

Taken from Fred's comment:

It is mold and with fungus and was caused by a leaky faucet and/pipe (fitting).

You will need to remove that piece entirely and replace it with a new one.

Simply cleaning it will not be enough. Don't go putting a piece on top of it, because it will come back.


Is it viable to vent a range hood back into the kitchen?

Here's what I did in a previous kitchen makeover.  The original microwave (part of the range, not separate) vented into the wall, down to the basement, then to the outside.  For the new microwave I brought the vent up through the cabinet above the microwave, then ran it along the top of the cabinets to the outside wall (left in this picture).  This was hidden once the crown molding was installed.

Here's a close up view of the cabinet and duct work.

EDIT1 - Added picture below
Boxing in the refrigerator with a shallow cabinet over the refrig.


Should I be concerned about foundation seepage and what to do about it?

I had to draw a small diagram to see how the area was around the house. I drew a swale in to show what is there already, or hopefully something that can be created

What looks troubling here is the concentration of runoff heading to the house IF there is no swale there, that is why I hope there is one there, if not you really need to get the flow away form the house. It is bad enough that it is sandy, the water can still perk into the foundation, though it will be minimized with a swale. The clay base on the north side, sounds exactly as you describe, a bowl.

You need to do whatever you can to minimize the water infiltration, to start. It may not require to pipe the downspouts away from the house to a drywell or into a French drain, well not a French drain as you may plan around the house. French drains return the water to the ground, and in turn the crawlspace. What I mean is terminating the downspouts into an in ground pipe that daylights downhill of the home. A drywell would work too, but it is much more than may be needed.

This is the minimum I would suggest, although it is still a lot to do. I would also consider waterproofing the foundation, it may work on most of the foundation, but I think the runoff would still migrate under the foundation on the south side since it is still on sand/ clay mix presumably.

All of this is still tempered by the symptoms created by the water in the crawlspace. If there is no evidence of black marks (mildew) or white fuzzy stuff growing in places from the excess moisture in the crawlspace, if none of these symptoms exist, al least extreme measures are not needed. Regrade if needed, would be the minimum, downspouts to daylight away from the house the next active remedy, drywell addition the next, and if you are doing all that digging, waterproof the foundation, all these measures combined are the extreme I mean.

Edit 1/26/13

Aside from the shape of the house and other extensions from it, it shows the same thing happening except your swale that exists is more of a collection point. It appears the rain runoff takes the same path, but the house is in the way. The swale in the above sketch I posted would divert the rain water before it gets too close to your home. Is this a possibility to happen? It can be done by lowering the grade or if the house is high enough above grade, the grade can be raised, but that has implications too. The water in the swale may be of no concern. I would draw more concern to the south and west side where the rain looks like it is path is unencumbered to the foundation.

I will edit your drawing to show a more accurate idea and post it.

Back at the downspouts that I mentioned earlier, if the grade looks like it can daylight a underground lead would help reduce the amount of water at the foundation. Yet the addition of the swale will redirect the downspout water as well.


Hammering a rebar into the ground without bending it

Depending on the size, you could see about renting a demolition hammer and a ground rod drive bit.

You might also want to bevel the tip of the rod, so it's not just a blunt end.


First note -- a GaN green LED can provide acceptable brightness at sub-milliamp currents, so the amount of energy a status LED on a GFCI draws can easily be reduced to something truly insignificant.

Second -- GFCIs themselves draw a small amount of current for the operating electronics.  Older models draw a dozen mA or so, while newer ones need less than one milliamp -- so even without the LED, you're still going to have a very small quiescent current draw.

Third -- modern GFCIs are required by recent UL943 revisions to have some sort of self-test/end-of-life indication in them.

However, if you really want to banish the little green lights -- getting regular switches and outlets without them is not an issue, and your GFCI protection can migrate into the breaker panel in most cases.


Quickest way to identify line wire and load wire in a multiway switch

Every 3-way switch has two brass screws, and the two traveler wires always go on those.    They also have one black screw whose name is common, and either your always-hot or your switched-hot wires will go on those.

Every 4-way screw has two brass screws for two travelers inward, and two black screws for two travelers outward.  Every wire on a 4-way is a traveler.

This means in an entire 3/4-way complex of any size, every wire is a traveler, except two.   Those are always at 3-ways, always on the ends, always on black screws, and are always either always-hot or switched-hot.

If you're fond of not losing your mind, I have a suggestion.  I work in conduit with individual wires in my choice of color.  I use 2 yellow wires for travelers*.  Travelers are interchangeable, and there is no need to distingish them from each other, though it sure helps to distinguish them from other wires.  Two identical odd-color wires running together are quite distinctive.  If you're not in conduit, you are stuck with black white red for everything, but you can mark them with colored electrical tape.  They sell 5-packs of colored electrical tape for $3 in a lot of stores.  I'm fond of yellow for travelers, green** and blue for alt-travelers if two separate sets are nearby, red for switched-hot, black for always-hot and the law already requires neutral be white.  (But white can be anything).

* If I have several 3-way circuits in close proximity, then I'll use purple, blue, etc. for the others, again in pairs, it's quite distinctive.)

** Small wires cannot be remarked with green tape to be a ground.  So it changes nothing; the wire is still a hot.


That flapper needs to be replaced completely - good news! It's a very cheap part.

Turn the water off to the toilet, remove the flapper, and take it with you to any home parts store of your choice. Pick a flapper of the same size (most universal will work). Once you get a new one in there - turn the water back on.

With a new one it'll seal properly and stop flushing continuously.


If it is a normal single pole switch, then yes. Remove the switch, connect the line and load wires, cap it off and put a blank cover over the box.

As per the second question, no there is nothing wrong. Just do not leave a dead switch in the box or ever bury the box in the wall.


Installing new dishwasher but using existing power cord

Use a multimeter set to test continuity or resistance.  Touch one probe to a prong on the plug, and the other to one to the wires. If you get a reading, it means the prong you're touching is connected to the wire you're touching.  Label the wires as you locate them.

NOTE: Do the testing with the cord not connected to anything.

Or go to the local hardware store, and pick up a new cord.


3 way switch controlling outlets. Top working bottom now?

I do not think the wiring is bad .Do the 3 way switches operate on  off at both switches and makes one or all work ? Just  trying to get through switches. Now try to find first recpt. that comes after switch, will have a bit of wire in it. That will be load out from switch. Unscrew recpt. from boxes leave the wires on is fine. Should be a 3 wire going to any recpt. that can be switched. Very odd if you want to control all with switching. If you have no lights only one  has to be switched  or if you have more lamps to put in ect,  3 wire will have black red white bare ground. One is going to be for switching power (load out) the other will be constant power. Pick what outlets you want to switch . Must have the load out to be able to switch. I take this as all on one circuit if so take recpt no broken tabs take the whites put on the common screw . Now if you want to be able to switch recpt. must have a (load out). Lets say red is (load out) should be two reds spliced  with pigtail , and two blacks spliced and pigtailed. Break off tab for hots only. Black on one red on the other. If switch ok should work. Say next recpt. you dont want to switch it. Take recpt. no tabs broken whites on common, wire nut two reds no pigtail on together,push into box. Take black splice together with pig tail tabs not broken mount to hot on recpt. Have now a constant recpt. with reds spliced through to go on to another outlet. Also all bare grounds spliced together if metal box must ground box,and recpt. Looks like switches are not grounded in pic. Hope this helpful took me long time to type,Could drive there fix and been home by now.


RCD spur to protect a wall light fitting

I'd use a 13A max RCD spur fitted with a 5A fuse
What I'd do in this situation, since FCUs/"fused spurs" use BS1362 fuses based on my limited research, is take a standard 13A RCD spur and downfuse it to 5A by replacing the stock 13A BS1362 fuse with a 5A BS1362 fuse instead.


Is the drain cover in my shower sufficient?

Hair going down the drain is inevitable and no solution will completely prevent it.

Some drains can be replaced from above while others cannot. Unless you are having a chronic problem with clogging due to hair, I think you are making more work for yourself than necessary.  If you try to remove it and can't, or don't install the new one correctly you'll go from letting a bit of hair down the drain to a full-scale leak.

It's also not going to stop draining completely out of the blue; it will gradually start draining slower, so it's very unlikely that this will become an emergency one night.  I'd just wait and see. If you have a problem, then you'll obviously need to unclog it, otherwise, enjoy your shower and don't worry too much!


You can't paint over flaking paint. Doing so only adheres the new pait to the old paint, and since the old paint is flaking, so will your new paint.

You need to remove the flaking paint. Scraping is likely best, along with the appropriate safety gear (Lead approved face masks, lead approved filters for the shop vac, etc.)

If it's only going to stand for another 5 years, though, I'm not sure I'd worry about it too much--unless you have children playing in there.


If the wall is standard drywall, I would use a punch, wooden dowel or something similar and push them in. By design they are resistant to pulling out with out some wall damage. They just need to be slightly below the surface. Repairing the holes will depend on the wall finish. If it is painted then spackle as @Craig suggested, and repaint. If it has wallpaper with and intricate pattern you can try to use small pieces (providing you have some extra) cut with a paper hole puncher and glued in place.


A double-pole breaker with a "60" on each half will trip at 60 amps. The reason it's two connected breakers is to give the circuit 240V potential, by using two opposing AC phases. These do not "add up" to more current -- you're using them to double the voltage.

So if the heater requires 240V power at 120amps, you will need double-pole breakers that can provide a total of 120amps, e.g. 4 30A double-pole breakers as Tester101 suggested.

An electrician will be able to tell you if your service panel can accommodate this extra load -- it's a lot, but your 200A service might be adequate, depending on the normal load elsewhere in your home.


Advice for mounting exercise hooks to a section of drywall without studs

Find and use studs for this.   Dynamic human weight ... moving, vibrating, 200 pounds in motion being pulled to a stop by the wall.  Drywall anchors are not designed for that, nor is drywall.   You want 3-inch lag bolts centered carefully on wood studs or toggle bolts through metal studs and ideally multiple ones for redundancy.
Also I agree with the comment above ... roughly a zero percent chance that you don't have a stud at the door frame and in the corner.  How do you know you don't?   And if it's true, and you do what you said with the plywood etc, you'll just snap off the whole sheet of drywall when you hang from it because there is nothing holding it up other than a corner bead and its own rigidity.


I'm presuming here that your service is three-phase "wye" with 230V between each phase and neutral.  First, let me say on behalf of all Americans how jealous we are.

I can't see the Ikea link, but I'm guessing the cooktop is listed (certified) to be connected to two separate phases like this.  It's common for EU homes to be served by two phases; getting all three is kinda nice.

I don't know German Code but from a North American perspective... Why change the breaker? You need 16A circuit protection on each leg, and you have it.  Connect the stove to two legs, and the oven to the third. Done.

Now you have what is called, in North American parlance, a "multi-wire branch circuit" or MWBC.

Yes, all sides of the circuit will trip together.   That's mandatory in the USA for a good reason: to protect repair personnel.  The breaker functions as a shut-off switch, and the rule is the shut-off switch must shut off all legs at once.  That way a repairman isn't caught unaware that part of the MWBC is still energized.

The 13A requirement for the oven is a peculiar number.  13A is a commonly used fuse or circuit breaker value in the UK.  I don't know if the oven will be alright with a 16A circuit breaker, I'd check with the manufacturer.  I would imagine so, since they engineered it to sell to all of Europe.


That's a Square D panel and in their world, a 12 space - 24 circuit panel is rated 125A. The largest 100A panel they sold was 8 space - 16 circuit. This is what they offer CURRENTLY, but in reality not much has changed in the last 30 odd years with them.

But that doesn't mean your SERVICE is rated for 125A, that would be determined by the main breaker that is feeding this panel. You will need that information as well. Here is the rule they are referring to:

(Busbar Rating (A) x 1.2) - Main Breaker Rating (A) = Max PV (A)

Most likely the solar contract already knows the size of your main, but he doesn't want to take on responsibility for determining the size of your panel bus. So if your panel bus is 125A and your main Service breaker is 100A, then your PV system limit is (125 x 1.2) - 100A = 50A of PV solar. But if your panel bus is only 100A and your breaker is 100A, your PV limit is only 20A.