A closed breaker has some voltage going through - how is that possible?

The 2-6 volts is not leakage, it's being induced - picked up like an antenna from adjacent conductors which are hot. You're only seeing it because your DVM is very sensitive.  If you put any kind of load on it, even a night light, the voltage will disappear because there's no force behind it.  I've built passive AM radios that work on this principle, the airwaves itself powering a very tiny, delicate earpiece, doesn't work with heavier headphones.

RCBO, we call them GFCI in America, because they detect "ground faults".   They work like this.

In the drawing, tying the RCBO's incoming AND outgoing neutral to your panel is a complete fiasco, because it gives neutral current a path around the RCBO, which utterly defeats the purpose.  Here is how that will trip unnecessarily.

The smaller RCBO in your diagram is "less wrong" but still problematic, as neutral can go down the ground tie to your neighbor's ground tie, into his panel and back to the transformer that way.   Assuming you share a transformer.   And even worse, the ground bus is tied to the neutral output of the RCBO, which means the RCBO can't see actual ground faults.

You should have TWO neutrals - the rough-and-tumble base neutral prior to the RCBO, and the protected neutral after the RCBO, which serves the exact same circuits as the RCBO hots with no exceptions.  IE something like this.  (note that chaining RCBOs like this is purposeless and I assume you're doing it because of the panels you are stuck with.)  I shaded the protected area blue, note the ground is outside of it!

And of course, the safety ground is also run to every outlet - that is the third wire.  The safety ground must be tied to neutral before the RCBO - if it is tied downstream of an RCBO, then the RCBO won't be aware of ground faults. Fault current must bypass the RBCO.

This thing looks odd, because we're mixing European and American paradigms... Thailand.  Having a whole-house RBCO is a European concept.  In America you use individual GFCI breakers on certain circuits and not others - as a result, a trip will not plunge you into darkness or leave you a fridge full of spoiled food.

And lastly, I suspect you have a ground fault somewhere in the house - perhaps that's why you hooked up the RCBOs wrong (in the drawing) - because if you hook them up right, they trip.  Well, they're supposed to trip.

Seeing 220V on your ground line is not right, unless you are measuring improperly somehow. That indicates a condition that the breaker or RCBO should be tripping on.


Should I install the vanity, or the split faced stone first?

I've installed that tile. It's not to hard to cut--even by hand as you can just cut through the mesh backing. Even easier with a tile saw. So I'd suggest not tiling more than you have to and live with the cutting.

So I'd install the vanity first, then tile around it.

That said, note that that tile a) can't be grouted and b) is very uneven and c) porous and rough. I'd suggest not using that as a backsplash at all as cleaning it will be a nightmare...and no matter how dainty we may think we are in the bathroom, the backsplash will get splattered when washing hands, cleaning makeup, brushing teeth, etc. I fear that you will regret using that type of tile as a backsplash.


What is the meaning of the letters on the top of a common hex bolt?

Those sets of three letters sound like a whole slue of manufactures as seen here (fastenal.com) in the example of a head marking, on page 44. The Appendix, beginning at page 36, shows industry standards. Any bolt not conforming to these specifications is assumed to be a grade 2 or less.


Can I remove the water supply hose from this valve?

NO, the tubing is part of the valve and not a seperate removeable piece. These valves were common (because they were cheap) a few decades ago. I have seen many where the tubing broke where it is connected to the valve, causing a suprise flood; be careful messing with it.

If you need to tee the line you will need to do it a different way. I recommend soldering a male pipe thread adapter directly to the copper, then using a threaded tee.


Usually around here these pipes are in corrugated plastic conduit. Same for wires.
The conduit is free to move around inside the drywall, so it you drive in a screw (or a drill bit) it will scratch the conduit but it will push it out of the way instead of going through.
Here's an example (European metal drywall studs, not US wood studs, but you get the idea):


How to seal porcelain so that the sink will be easier to clean?

If you've got the time, don't want to get rid of the piece, and have some degreaser and muriatic acid lying around, you might save a few bucks.

For any application of coating, preparation and the right materials are essential. After getting rid of caulk and taping off, filling in chips and cracks with epoxy, some light sanding, an acid wash and degreaser, you'll have a surface that's as ready as you can get. Try something along the lines of 2000 grit with a light touch to keep the surface nice and smooth. You're not looking to strip the current coating, but put a little tooth into it. Blow with your compressor (I always tape an airfilter to a cheap box fan to gather up the dust) and you're ready to go.

When the surface is clean and ready to go, don your PPE, ventilate, and give a few light applications in succession. Usually, you have to let the current coat get tacky before the next. Don't try to spray heavy, because you get runs that have to be cleaned. The technique for spraying is finding the appropriate distance, and doing smooth passes in a line in succession. Of course, follow whatever instructions the product gives you.

On such a small unit, I wouldn't buy any fancy kits. For less than $15 you can spring for an aerosol solution. Don't bother messing with rolling and brushing this stuff on. Be careful because there are spray products meant for appliances like washers and driers and it's cheaper in cost, but not the same.

In my way of thinking, if it's a nice piece, you work quickly but carefully, then worst comes to worst, you're out of an afternoon of time and maybe $20 worth of materials if you're not satisfied. Then you can go pick out a new one, and you have the experience to tackle the same project again down the road.


If this ribbon flexes , it is possible that it is broken. The LED's work that tells you that you at least have some parts of the cable working. The buttons are usually in a matrix - address and row. or a control signal and simply a row. You would be missing the control line in this case. So I would check the circuit board for a bad solder connection where that cable attaches. Checking continuity of the conductors on that cable - I would be flapping the cable a bit (while testing for continuity) to see if I lose continuity - looking for a cracked cable. Obviously this cable connects to a single touch pad.
Simple solution to verify bad touch pad. Trace the wires that need to be connected for any one of these functions (heavy, normal, light, rinse only) then using a jumper wire JUMP them with the wire and see if the function lights up (remember you might need the door switch in the locked position).
If it does not try the same for the other non-working buttons and also one of the working buttons just to be sure.
None of the functions work except the previously defined working function - then your controller is defective.
If the functions all work then your keypad is defective.
Remember you are jumping them on that beautiful ribbon cable.


Can I use construction screws to pull together bowed joists?

It shouldn't be too difficult to pull that bow out, and the screws should hold it in place. I'd use a rope with a cinch loop or a ratchet strap to pull it all together, then run your screws in.

Seeing as you're pulling from end-grain you may have a hard time doing it with just screws. They might strip.


Control fanlight with both remote and switch

The receiver for the remote needs power to work, so you can't fully control it with the switch and the remote.  When the switch is off, the receiver will not have any power so it can't turn anything on. So, at a minimum, the switch can turn the light off, but in order to use the remote, you would have to turn the switch on.

Another possibility is to not use the included remote and instead power the fan with some "smart" switches that can be controlled with their own remote.  Doing it that way means the switch on the wall "is" the remote, so you can control the fan and light two ways.


I ended up riveting the boxes to brackets and bolting those to the existing "grain bin" bolts holding the Quonset Hut Hoops together.  Then ran EMT through them anchored to other bolts via P-Clamps.  An important note:  The boxes need to be secured rigidly, not merely hung on the conduit and supported by conduit (this would not be allowed)
I posted a picture of the final configuration in the question.


Fire pit inner ring. Purposes and can I make my own from a barrel cut out?

(edit Most barrels...) won't last very long as fire pits. I know this from burning trash when I was a kid. By the time the barrel was full it was falling apart. I never counted, but I would expect it to work well for about 10-20 burns and maybe 50-60 burns before its paper thin and falling apart.

Edit: The thickness of the metal is what matters. 18 gauge drums are what I find to be the industry standard; 18 gauge won't last very long in my opinion. A thicker drum would last longer. I personally own a fire pit object that is very thin, which probably would not last more than 10 burns. So it goes to show that any ol' manufacturer may not necessarily make a decent product.

I have seen barrels converted to wood stoves. I have seen some of them fall apart and I have seen some stand for decades. This is due (primarily) to the thickness of the steel.

Edit2: Product reviews are probably important when you can't get the actual specifications. Amazon has reviews for the example product that you linked... 3.5 stars is not so hot.


Best way to level a room and lay temporary flooring

Thin plywood will only flex and make noise. Anything on top of shims must be able to carry the load of furniture and foot traffic just as a standard subfloor must.

If your floor slopes gently just half an inch, there's probably no reason to do all that work. Most flooring will accommodate that. Lay your temporary flooring on what you have. If you do need a better substrate for the particular type of flooring, lay some inexpensive 1/4" OSB or mahogany plywood to provide a smoother surface.


How can I make an even ground for a garden nursery, without using concrete?

4" of packed gravel (tamped every 2" with a plate vibrator) will meet all your requirements: cost, DIY and drainage.  In fact, unless you are sited over clay, no slope will be needed: rain will percolate through.

If you want a more formal surface, add an inch of sand and top with pavers or flagstone.

Use a mix of crushed 3/4 gravel with fines (particles all the way down to stone dust, 21AA in my area)

Plate vibrator:


Why will my fluorescent light not come on when it is warm in the room?

Is this a cfl or tube fluorescent bulb? And to be honest i have never heard of this. I do know some older t12 bulbs with magnetic ballasts fail to operate at low temperatures roughly 32 degrees F. They should work better at warmer temperatures. I know with newer t12 bulbs that have electronic ballasts operate at lower temperatures than magnetic ballasts as well as t8 and t5 bulbs due to their electronic ballast. Cfls operate roughly the same was as electronic ballasts. You shouldnt have to turn ur bulb to have it light up. It could possibly be a bad bulb. Have you tried a different bulb in the same fixture to see if it is just the bulb?


You need to tie into the white and ground and take them with the hot to the vent. There are double switches that will fit in the single gang box. double switch .


How can I prevent sewer gas coming from the drain of an infrequently used shower?

There's two solutions to this - a trap primer and baby oil.

A trap primer is a device that has a tube running from a fixture to a seldom-used drain. Whenever that fixture is run, a small amount of water is diverted to the trap to fill it. There are also standalone primers that run based on a timer and don't rely on a fixture.

Since oil floats on water, baby oil will coat the water in the trap and keep it from evaporating. Next time you notice the trap is low, top it up and add some baby oil.

Adding a trap primer will probably be disruptive and expensive - I'd go with the baby oil.

You can use any oil, but baby oil (or plain, unscented mineral oil) won't go rancid as a food oil (vegetable oil, canola oil, etc) eventually will. Plain unscented mineral oil is sold as a laxative in most pharmacies and some supermarkets.


Wall Removal - Not Load Bearing - Keep Ceiling Joists

Short answer:  If the joists overlap, than it's load bearing.  Take that wall out, and the ceiling will collapse inward.  That being said, it's really only supporting the ceiling load, not a full structural load.  But, you can't take it out without replacing it.

Long Answer:  2 Part blog I wrote for exactly this scenario.  Part 2 deals with the structural bits.  http://diy.blogoverflow.com/2014/07/kitchen-renovation-moving-to-open-concept/

Hire an engineer and get a permit.  It'll stop the insurance company from cancelling, and the city from shutting you down.

Also, find a new home inspector.


I ended up contacting the plumbing company that did the rough in.  They said:

1-Drain and vent for basement sink

2-Toilet rough-in

3-Backwater Valve

4-Tub Drain


Is it common for residential foundations from the 1960s to contain asbestos?

For concrete foundations no, asbestos is not an issue. However, the earth in your location may contain asbestos. In Northern California my brother is having a pool installed and they had to monitor for asbestos while digging.

The dust masks are used for cutting concrete or just the dust. The concrete and rock dust is not good to breathe so we usually wear masks.


With the water running, and presumably making the noise, put your hands on the copper pipe - can you feel the vibrations?  Does it go away if you hold the pipe?  (Be careful of the hot water pipe - it can get, well, hot)

It could be that the pipe is simply loose.


How can I make steel post bases more rust-resistant?

I would spray them with a cold process galvanizing or Zinc-rich spray paint. This will prevent the rusting and can be done in place, use a wire brush to clean the rust off shake the can 2x of the instructions and recoat the area.

I use this method after welding galvanized parts together because I grind the galvanized coating off to allow a clean weld and not have the nasties in the vapor (welding on galvanized is dangerous--if welding inside I place a fan to blow the vapors if any away).


How do I reverse erosion which is lowering earth around fence posts?

Looks like that hill is mostly bare dirt. So, that's going to be a problem.

You've already mentioned two options: retaining wall and ground cover. If you can't do the retaining wall, I'd start with the ground cover. Find out if there are some hardy local native plants that will spread to cover and hold the earth together on that hillside for you.

If the erosion is primarily weather (rain) you could consider the ground cover along with some sort of physical barriers as well...perhaps pretreated timbers running horizontally down the side of the hill staked in. This would be a form of DIY geogrid.


What is this weird knocking sound in a wooden closet?

It’s usually just the house settling depending on how old the closet is could be the cause if not that it could be cracking caused by the house settling if no cracks sometimes wood can release stress in them causing a weird pow noise.


How to make a long straight cut in a board at an angle?

Sawhorses with a board on top to form a makeshift table, then your green board on top, and a straight aluminum ruler (up to 3m, in most hardware stores) fastened with clamps to the green board parallel to the cut with an offset as big as your circular saw is wide? Or is your circular saw fastened to a saw-table?

.
image: amazon.com

Alternately use a very straight board clamped to the work as a guide for the saw.


Knee brace support hold down bracket for treehouse

Not too hard -- the page I suspect you got that photo calls it a "hold-down bracket,"  and that exact part appears to be available here, fastenersplus.com

I'll take my finder's fee in chocolate :-)


How well will LED strips hold up in a kitchen?

Longevity: LED's are generally marketed between 50k-100k hours of burn-time. I installed them throughout my home 18 months ago; none of them have failed yet.

Grime Resistance: For a kitchen, buy waterproof strip lights like these - they'll hold up against steam. You can also fabricate an easy-to-clean cover using clear PVC and brackets

Heat: If the strips are installed correctly, each LED will be cool to the touch. Monitor the installation for excess heat and wire in a resistor if needed.


Install a single handle with latch on closet door

If you put a conventional door handle latch system on the pantry door you will want to have a working knob on the inside in the event someone gets shut inside the pantry!!

If the pantry is as you say a closet that no-one could get into then you certainly can install what is known as a "one sided door knob". Google it - you will find a plethora of ideas.


What are these parts described by the service manual?

Center one is the element. You can tell because it has a metal outer tube, white ceramic filler and a center nichrome wire which is the heating element. It is a loop and each end of the loop is the spade terminals attached to the center nichrome wire. This is a typical build for an immersion heating element.

On the other two, it's a moot point which is which as they're both showing continuity at two tenths of an ohm and should be ok.

The thermal fuse would be showing infinity if it failed and is probably the one on the left. It will be long, rectangular and the body projects into the hot water stream so it will fail if it gets overheated.

The right side item looks big enough (round center section with two wings that have the spade terminals) to have one of those snap action thermal discs and is probably the thermostat.


Bottom of dishwasher leaking when not running

Best case scenario is the brass bit just needs a bit more Teflon tape, and no parts are required. However, you need to figure out whether it is from the dishwasher to the brass L adapter, or the L adapter to the hose. If it is between the dishwasher and the L adapter, you have no choice but to take everything apart, because you can't possibly re-apply the Teflon tape otherwise.
If you need to replace anything, you may consider just outright skipping that L adapter and attach a hose directly to the dishwasher.  You should have enough floor clearance to do that.


Is it safe to use a 100 watt LED bulb in a 3-way lamp that specifies using incandescent bulbs only?

I'm assuming this is a 100 watt equivalent bulb, that is actually only running 18-20 watts.  Using a 100 watt equivalent will be safe as they run much cooler than even an incandescent.


Why were the screws set in pairs in my drywall?

Like others have said in comments, drywall was commonly nailed in pairs to help prevent punch-through--hammers had a tendency to crush the drywall and weaken the hold of the nail. When screws were first adopted the practice was continued until it was known that precisely set flute-head screws hold better than nail heads, or until old-timers retired away.
Fun fact: Purpose-built drywall hammers had convex (mildly domed) head faces to help set nail heads below flush without tearing the drywall surface, so that tapers could cover them with compound.


Sure, it's done all the time.  Thickness of the wall will likely be determined by the required vent size.  With two toilets, two tubs and four sinks, I think you'll likely have to go to a 2x6 wall if you go with a single vent stack, but you'd have to run the numbers.

I did run into a code issue with drains T'ing into the main vertical stack at the same level.  Still not sure what the issue was, but the made me change it.

As far as accessing it later.  If everything is properly pressure tested before you close it in, you should be fine.  But stuff happens.  The odds of it happening are inversely proportional to how easy it is to access the area.  So if you had an access panel there, it would never leak there anyway.  Mostly joking, but seriously - if you have a problem, you may have to break into the wall.  No fun, but unlikely and not the end of the world.


Do I need to sand my new fence before staining?

If you were hoping for a smooth finish, buying rough lumber was probably not the way to go.  Nobody would try to sand a fence - if nothing else, because of the time required.  Boards like that get run through a planer to take off the roughness in a few seconds - sanding would take far longer.  I suspect you'd throw in the towel at about board #2, even using a belt sander.

Cedar is soft and porous, and will absorb stain just fine either rough or smooth.  As far as application goes, either way should work.  You'll have to repeat the process every few years anyway if you want to maintain the look and protect the wood.  Personally, I'd stick with what you've got, make sure the boards are dry and clean, and rent or buy a good sprayer.


Can I pour concrete if it's raining out?

If you're manually mixing under cover (garage, gazebo, kitchen fly) and only dumping when ready, then no problem.

Definitely cover in case of heavier rain.  Its never a bad idea to slow cure concrete, anyway.  Plastic can make flat work look bad (plastic wrinkles), but for deck piers, no problem.

Now get to work and quit stalling by playing on the computer ;-)


If you are certain that the leak is indeed coming from one of those compression style unions and you do not have enough room to attempt to tighten them in place, yes you will have to remove the sink.

Check closely at the base of the pedestal before pulling it away from the wall, there are usually bolt holes at the bottom for fastening the pedestal to the floor.


To answer the comment about brick wall thickness in a Victorian era house, it will at least be an 8 or 9" wall thickness. The style of brickwork shows that, with the ends of brick showing (header courses). 4" thick walls with header courses did not occur that I am aware of until much later.

It also appears that the firebrick that lined the firebox, may have been a later addition, since firebrick may have been a later development. This I am not sure of, but a search online could confirm the timeline of masonry material and availability. The main reason I bring this up it the charring of the brick, even low on the brick where the heat and smoke is normally not so heavy since it all rises with the air currents going up the chimney. I know it still gets really hot there but not like the rest of the back wall where the brick degradation is really bad. And since the box was getting in bad shape, and firebrick became available, it was rebuilt, covering the old brick. Otherwise the old brick would have survived much better.

So with all that said the remedy for me would be to make sure all the remaining brick are intact, no more crumbling, can be loose, but not crumbling for those can be reset with the proper mortar either type "N"  or type "K" which will be compatible with the softer old brick. After everything is made "tight", parge (skim with a heavy layer of mortar) over everything to finish off the surface to seal it all up. This may take more that one application to do, filling the deepest spots first, then coming back the next day and leveling everything up. Does not have to be pretty, although it can be made to look pretty good with lots of practice, but it really just needs to be there to do its job.


Rewiring a UK dimmer switch with a Wifi switch

Put the two blues into the N connector

The browns go into L and L1, but you have to get them the right way round.

one of the browns goes to the lamp and the other comes from the supply (you will probably need to check for voltage to determine which is from the supply)

The supply brown goes into L and the lamp brouwn into L1

join the earth wires with an approved joiner. over here earths need two screw joiner while other conductors don't, so you probably shouldn't use that joiner that came off the blue wires.


How long should refrigerator defrosting take?

It should not take more than a couple of hours.  If it still doesn't work, you can remove the cover off the evaporator in the back of your freezer and check to be sure.  Your evaporator blower may also have stopped working, or the motor may be so weak it isn't moving air properly.


This is an interesting situation and the problem you have could be for more than one reason. I am going to try and explain it without getting too deep into the science behind it.
First you have simply too many pieces of equipment attached to your circuit. Since I don't know specifically the name plate ratings of you refrigerators or the freezer I have to use generic amperage's. A standard 20-25 cu/ft refrigerator uses 3.5 - 4 amps when it is running and a 10 cu/ft freezer uses about 2.5 amps. Your 15 amp miter saw will run about 1700 watts or 14 amps under full load. So if you add this altogether 3.5+3.5+2.5+14 it comes out to 23.5 amps.
Logically speaking you should be asking why doesn't it trip all the time? Well to start refrigerators and freezers only run about two hours a day, and your Miter saw pulls 14 amps if it is under full load. If you are cutting smaller softer wood then there is a good chance your Miter saw is only running at about half of full load or more like 7 amps. So when a any of these appliances are coming on there is a start up surge and if any other equipment is running it may be enough to trip a breaker.
That explains why you are tripping a breaker, but why doesn't it trip if you put the miter saw on a 100' extension cord?
That would have to do with voltage drop, demand amperage and fault current. Very basically it means that when you add a 100' of extension cord you get a situation where when your miter saw starts and it calls for 14 amps, the length of the circuit creates so much voltage drop it can't deliver 14 amps. Instead it is delivering say 10 amps. This causes the motor and the circuit conductors to heat up causing more resistance causing less amperage to be delivered to the load. So there is not enough energy being passed through the circuit to cause an overcurrent situation which means the breaker wouldn't trip. This could also be true of the old circuit if there were corrosion or loose connections causing more resistance in the line.
Even though it appears that adding an extension cord fixes the problem it really doesn't. Compressors and motors don't like low voltage situations. They heat up and overwork and eventually burn up. That is why major appliance manufacturers specifically state not to use extension cords, otherwise it will void their warranty.
As I stated earlier I don't have specific information about your situation so I can't make a definitive conclusion, but based on generic information and the situation you have given, this would be my best guess as to what is happening.
I would suggest you investigate this particular circuit and check it for loose fittings and corrosive wiring and verify correct wire sizes. I would also suggest you add a few circuits to distribute the load a little better.
Hope this helps and good luck.


A cable with two insulated 4 AWG wires and an uninsulated grounding wire in a common sheath (which is what makes them a cable.)
You might need a real electrical supplier, rather than Homely's Despot to find that. It's a bit out of their usual range of product.


Determining if a recessed light is rated for outside use

A damp location is defined in the National Electric Code (NEC) as an outdoor location protected from driving rain.  The underside of outdoor porches, breezeways, and the like are typically considered damp locations.  Wet locations are those unprotected from driving rain, splashing or sprayed water, such as car-wash rooms.

It sounds like you are referring to a damp location.

Also, by outdoor porch, I do not mean a little, postage-stamp sized awning over a landing-sized stoop, as is sometimes seen in low-cost tract housing.  The rule is common sense: can driving or blown rain reach the location?  If so, then wet; if not, but outdoors, then damp.

The first fixture you link is fine, as it specifies "damp". The second one probably is, as it us described as for indoor or outdoor.  If you physically looked at it, it probably have the words "for damp location" embossed on the frame.  If not, as a licensed electrician, I would hesitate using it.  The code stated that these words are required.  If it doesn't say damp or wet, then it's dry only.  Also, "for wet" is acceptable for damp locations.


For a small building, should joists or girders run the long dimension?

I'm not sure exactly what the orientation of this floor is? It is also common to split the 16 foot span in half with a center carrier beam, thus allowing you to use 8 foot joists on either side. The advantage to using two sets of 8 foot joists as opposed to single longer ones is that you can use smaller less expensive stock, and you can more easily control any wain or bowing typical in longer stock. Using a center beam also gives you a good structure to add additional center concrete post supports. This is also done by running a perpendicular double beam half way under the 16 foot joists, which gives the same support as using two 8 foot joists with a center support.

Another consideration is what kind of material and orientation you want to use as decking. If you are using planking, the aesthetics may be a determining factor. Got any drawings we can look at?


after using blender, all outlets in kitchen stopped working and now devices connected to them flicker on and off

Ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) can be triggered by a current pulse, e.g. that from starting (or shutting) an electric motor. This is normal behavior and does not necessarily mean that there is an issue with the motor.

Be sure to unplug any device with a motor or transformer (e.g. blender, food processor, radio or refrigerator) and then reset all GFCI's on the circuit, because if a device with high inductance is left plugged into the circuit, it may immediately re-trigger the GFCI again as soon as the reset button is pressed.

To reduce the nuisance of false GFCI triggering, a snubber or surge-protector may help prevent the inductive kick from a blender, food-processor or refrigerator motor from triggering the GFCI. Caveat emptor: success with snubbers and surge-protectors depends on the inductance of the motor, sensitivity of the GFCI and rate of current change (di/dt). Sometimes it's just easier to reset the GFCI.

For that reason, though GFCI's are required in wet locations, e.g. kitchens, it can be problematic for refrigerators. When the fridge compressor cycles on and off, the GFCI can trip, leaving food to spoil. In the US, the NEC allows installation of kitchen refrigerators on a separate circuit without GFCI in private dwellings.


I shorted a circuit, reset a breaker, now much of the house electricity only works if I turn on a wall AC unit

Possibly the main breaker partially (only one pole) tripped in addition to the individual circuit.  Since it is presumably an older breaker, this is not out of the realm of possibility.  A newish breaker would have definitely completely tripped.

Start by switching off the main breaker and then turning it back on while carefully noticing if the spring action of both poles are resisting turn on.  (Don't worry if you cannot tell.)

If all circuits come on then you are good, though scheduling replacement of the main breaker should go on the todo list.

Otherwise, it is possible that the panel's bus bars need tightening or other maintenance.  Remove the panel cover and have a look for anything amiss:  wires dangling, soot, melted metal, melted plastic, discolored metal bus bars, discolored lug screws, etc.

Once I mis-wired a replacement electric stove top switch so that when a certain pair of switches were both on, it placed a complete short across the 240 supply.  It tripped both the range breaker and the main.  The range breaker was melted internally.


How are fireplaces and inserts different?

A fireplace is the broad term for the place you can safely have a fire. Be it gas or wood. A gas fireplace was designed to emulate the look of a natural wood burning fireplace. Now they come in a wide variety of styles and shapes. A wood insert is designed to contain a fire and allows for control of the flame by controlling the air entering the combustion chamber. A gas fireplace insert is designed to be installed in an existing fireplace opening and usually mimic the look of a wood burning fireplace insert.


Putting in a new 240v circuit for a dryer

10/3 will be more than fine

You won't start hitting voltage drop issues (upwards of 3%) on a 10AWG dryer circuit (~21A at 240V, using the Article 220 standard dryer load of 5kVA) until you hit about 160' of distance -- feel free to plug the numbers into your favorite voltage drop calculator and see what comes out.


How to stop a door from banging while closing

There are a few things you can do:

Check the hinges and use a level to see that the door is square. A heavy door hung incorrectly can slam heavily. Check this guide at national contractors for how to level a door. Some tips from it: check that the hinges are tight, not too heavily greased, and the same distance from the frame.

Install a closer arm (can be expensive)

(source: keylessaccesslocks.com)

If the door isn't closing too hard, but makes a fair amount of noise, try putting some small felt pads on the inside of the jamb to soften the closure.


Dip in Driveway causing car to bottom out - How to bridge the gap?

It looks like the dip is there for drainage, so you can't fill it in - otherwise water from the street would flood your garage every time it rained!

My suggestion would be to get hold of a set of "bridging ladders", as used by off-roaders to bridge gullies - they look very similar to the grids covering the drain in your photo, but thicker, wider and stronger to hold the weight of a car. You could probably bolt them down if necessary to stop them moving, or just store them loose in the garage, depending on how often you need to get the car through.


Hardwood Flush Door or Pinewood (softwood) flush door, which is better?

Warp is a very important point to consider. Though depending on the species and the cut, this answer could very a lot.

Pine may be lighter, but also has a much higher moisture content.  If the door is kiln dried and sealed quickly, you can keep it from absorbing the moisture from the humid air.  Also if it is air-dried, it may be more stable. I have seen pine warp significantly due to changes in humidity, and being in India -- especially if you are in the South or East -- I would wonder if this wouldn't be the case as well.  (especially if it was a knotty pine)

Hardwoods are denser, and generally have a lower moisture content allowing them to dry well and remain more stable lowering the chance for major warp.

My opinion: Go hardwood.


Why did the junctions in a circuit for my electric range melt?

Electric ranges usually use size #8 American Wire Gauge (AWG) conductors. What does the rating plate on the electric range say? The wires must be large enough to handle the rated Amperage, and the breakers must also be sized correctly. What size are the wires in the attic? If they are too small a gauge they could melt from too much heat in the line, caused by too much resistance, like trying to force Niagara Falls through a small garden hose ....


How can I secure / fasten a half installed floating engineered hardwood floor?

I've seen this opening of seams and it regularly happens with a "snap together"-type floor. Unless the manufacturer states the flooring can be secured it would be wise not to chance any repercussions that may occur. The working mechanics for a floating floor system is to allow the planks to expand and contract freely (that's the reason for the 3/8 inch spacing along the wall). If  no allowance is made for movement the boards will move in the plane of least resistance, usually upwards. I found that it's easiest to close the gap by kicking the board tight with a rubber soled sneaker. Nice looking floor BTW.


Just about the only thing you can do is turn the cam 1/4 turn at a time and keep trying to separate the joint. These are usually easy to lock and unlock is why they are used. But if they were over tightened ever or the wood was repaired or even wrong in size like from a factory defect, you could find yourself turning these things back and forth all day because they will only unlock in one specific "sweet spot".

I know these cams can be frustrating and even cause people to second guess clockwise,counter clockwise, lefty loosey-righty tightly and so on.


The only issue I would anticipate is that the sump pump outlet is probably not arc fault protected.  Depending on your local code requirements, you are probably required to have arc fault protection on a circuit supplying receptacles in a closet.


How would I go about building a movable-arm keyboard & mouse tray?

These things do exist.

However, there is an interesting idea in the first review on this page.

The reviewer suggests using a Monitor arm, and attaching a custom surface to the VESA plate.

Benefits of this are that the monitor arm is sturdier, and that it is much cheaper. Good monitor arms can be found for < £30 as opposed to ~£200 for a custom keyboard tray arm.


You need to identify the line, the load, and each of the switched wires. When everything is disconnected and the power is turned on, the line is the wire that will be hot. Use a non-contact tester to locate this, and follow the appropriate safety precautions to avoid electrocuting yourself (if you don't know these, it may be time to hire an electrician). The line could be coming directly into the fan box, in which case it's likely the separate pair of two wires. Or it may be coming in at the switch.

Next, turn on each switch and see which wires become hot, again with a non-contact voltage tester. Note which wire belongs to which switch. If there's no current going to the switch, then the line isn't connected anymore and you can instead use a continuity test from the wires in the ceiling with each switch turned on individually. This can/should be done with the power turned off.

Finally, determine where your load is going, if you have any. This is going to be any remaining wires, and you'll know where they go by all the items that don't work when the power is switched on. If the pair of wires in the ceiling isn't the line, then it's the load.

My best guess, updated from your video's findings, but without being there to test anything or get a better look at how wires are tied together in the back of the switch is:

The line is connected at the switch.
From the switch, it is likely running a non-switched hot to the fan box to connect to the load inside the bundle of 6. There will also be a neutral running in that bundle of 6.
The other wires in the bundle of 6 are each individually switched hots. You'll need to test each one and label them. They should also be marked with a piece of black tape on each at the fan so there isn't any mistaking them for a neutral.
The 2 wires in the ceiling are likely the load to another location.

And to hook it up, if my guess is correct:

At the fan you'd wire the hot non-switched hot to the load. Pigtail the neutral from the bundle of 6, the neutral going to the load, and the neutral going to the fan. Then the switched wires are connected to the fan depending on each task.
If your new fan doesn't have the extra lights (and therefore doesn't use the extra switched wires), then you should disconnect them on each end, bind and cap all unused wires together, and label them as unused with an indication of where the other end of the wire is. I'd also replace the switch with one that only has the necessary number of switches (otherwise everyone will be trying to figure out what the unused switches do).
Since it sounds like your fan has a ground, and I don't see one in the picture, I'd strongly encourage you to add one. The conduit itself may be grounded (you'd detect continuity from neutral to the conduit in that case). But modern wiring practices, along with the fan you purchased, expect a dedicated ground wire.


Is it safe to remove part of the drywall behind plumbing to eliminate noise?

I'm guessing you have a transitional hybrid plaster, where you have 3/8" gypsum panels behind and about the same plaster in front. This makes your wall very robust, so yes, you can carve it out a bit. Try not to go more than about 1/3 the total thickness of the wall panel as a whole, and only remove the paper facing where necessary. That's really what provides the strength with the gypsum panels.

I would carefully cut the paper around the carving site, then use flat screwdrivers and other tools to gently dig out the gypsum as needed.

If the trough becomes substantial, you could reinforce the back side (which we see in your photo) by bonding some blocks or plywood using construction adhesive and screws to the stud alongside. I'm guessing that the contact is only at the joint hub, though, which means the carving will be small enough to not warrant reinforcement.


Where can I download the U.S. NEC at no cost?

Yes, the NEC. Is free once adopted . search for free NEC and you will find it. This is only for the "code" I don't think they release the hand book that has a lot of information on why, this is the version most inspectors use , but once adopted the NEC is free on line. Just checked look up nfpa.org free access just need to sign in..

Free Access to NEC


Can I pull a c-wire from a second nearby thermostat?

No, same as any electrical circuit, you need a two way street on the same circuit and the c wire is only one of those lanes. The R wire is the second lane (most cases). Additionally, you risk frying your furnace's circuit board, and your fireplace blower still needs switching that converts back to millivolt.
Your solution is to pull from a transformer (install a low voltage power supply of some kind) and provide an appropriate switch relay.
See here:

Can I share "C" wire on two thermostats?
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.instructables.com/Nest-Thermostat-With-Gas-Fireplace-or-Other-Milliv/%3famp_page=true


I feel your pain.  In some rooms I had 2 layers of wall paper and the upper layer had been painted - SWEET.. yeah!

I have had your issues tried the sanding methods.. I tried joint compound to fix the imperfections, and used flat paint - that kind of works - but lots of work and not perfect.

For how much wall are you talking about I would pull the old drywall and replace with new - Faster, Cheaper, Better.

Assuming you are in the USA The drywall will set you back $10 a piece, and the joint compound about $8. Joint tape about $6 . Given it is a stair way there probably is not much dry wall ..

After my experience here is my opinion: I would Remove and Replace (R Square for short) the dry wall with new as I think it is faster, cheaper and will turn out better and you should be able to use any sheen paint you like.

EDIT

To answer the question about the liner..

Basically a tape product - personally I wouldn't use it.

You can however sand and then use a thick primer to cover up small imperfections.
Just don't expect thick primer to go on like paint - it doesn't, it is work - but for stairwell maybe you take the plunge - worth a shot anyway but will cost you some green for that primer.

To help you understand the process a bit more I attach a video for a drywall surface repair. As a preface to the video so you can understand the purpose and reasoning behind how it is done. In the video the reason for the thick primer is to keep the fibers down and have a surface suitable for the joint compound. It works but can be tedious depending on how much area has to be fixed. The sanded areas of your wall - well you get the idea from this video that it works similar except you are not adding joint compound over those areas.

This video will give you an idea of some fixes
Dry Wall Paper Repair Process using thick Primer


If it's inside of the attic, it's not exposed to lightning or wind, which is why you ground them in the first place.

You don't need a ground here.

If your wire runs outside the house, however, it wouldn't be a bad idea to ground the wires.


I'd do (and have done) Ed's suggestion of up the wall a then LB (or LR, LL) straight into the back of the box. It works, no fuss, no muss.

If you want to come in lower for some reason, I'd stay with PVC on the exterior but transition to a metallic product (EMT, IMC, RMC) once in out of the weather. Among other things, a lot more compact than their PVC friends for the same "size product"

A handy thing I've only just now seen in PVC (but was familiar with from metal) is a "pulling elbow." Oddly called an "access elbow" for some reason in PVC?

Those are a lot more compact than an LB.

Making some assumptions about your wire insulation, I also see that your conduit fill % is quite low (generally good for pulling) but that does mean you could switch to a smaller size for the presumably short section inside the building without violating 40% fill. 1-1/4 EMT or PVC-40 would appear to work (with the assumptions I'm making, basically XHHW insulation) - you need PVC 80 where subject to physical damage, but if you are already in 2" outside that's fine if the inside is protected by being in the wall.


Should I use thinset or silicone to reattach shower tiles?

If you are going to regrout the pieces that came off, you should use thinset.

If you are going to grout with silicone, you could affix the loose tiles with silicone.  I don't like silicone for use in wet areas, once moisture gets behind it, the area never dries out.  With grout/thinset, moisture can escape.  Sealing grout is like using a moisture blocking/vapor permeable housewrap over your sheathing.


Can different gauges of wire be used on the same circuit?

It is fine for the 15 amp circuits, but not for the 20 amp circuits.
The National Electrical Code requires circuits protected by a 20 amp circuit breaker to use #12 AWG copper wire throughout the circuit.
The National Electrical Code allows circuits protected by a 15 amp circuit breaker to use #12 AWG copper wire but #14 AWG wire cannot be protected by anything larger than a 15 amp breaker for power and lighting.
Regardless of where it is in the circuit, even if it is after the first receptacle, #14 wire cannot be used on a power or lighting circuit protected by a 20 amp breaker.
The following are pertinent excerpts from articles of the National Electrical Code:

210.20(B) Conductor Protection.  Conductors shall be protected in accordance with 240.4.
240.4(D) Small Conductors.  Unless specifically permitted in 240.4(E) or (G), the overcurrent protection shall not exceed that required by (D)(1) through (D)(7) after any correction factors for ambient temperature and number of conductors have been applied.
...
(3) 14 AWG Copper.  15 amperes
...
(5) 12 AWG Copper. 20 amperes

The #14 wire that is installed on 20 amp circuits would need to be replaced with #12 or the breaker on that circuit needs to be replaced by a 15 amp breaker.
Usually, 20 amp circuits are used for receptacle circuits and 15 amp circuits are used for lighting circuits.
Good luck!


The wire appears damaged. Regardless of size it would probably fail inspection and should be replaced.

Questions on how to add pictures should be directed to the Meta Stackexchange.

Good luck!


You'll need a different tool to get the plunger and/or linkage - your drain snake would be unlikely to get it. You might have one of these grabber tools somewhere in the house, and it would be worth trying it (down the access plate opening, so it's got a straight shot at the plug.) If that fails, you're probably near the tipping point where calling a plumber might be quicker and cheaper than continued DIY.


Can I use an 8" dado blade set in a 10" table saw?

There is NO problem with using an 8 inch dado blade on a 10 inch saw. In fact, it is quite common to do so. I use an 8 inch stack on my Delta contractor's saw with no problems, and before that, I used an 8 inch wobble dado.

You certainly would not want to use a 12 inch blade on a 10 inch saw, as that large of a blade might have clearance problems as it is adjusted. Use of a larger blade also causes somewhat larger tip speeds, so that might potentially cause problems. (Unlikely, but possible, since the differential in tip speed would be only 20%.) Perhaps these issues are what the author meant when they made that statement.

In going to a smaller blade diameter though, the only question is whether that blade will be able to reach the surface of your table. On an 8 inch blade there is no problem.


Grounding electrical sub panel in separate structure

You have a 5th option if no grounding path is available and you want to update. Current code allows for a separate grounding conductor to be added to be compliant with 4 wire feed (if not metal conduit approved for use as such).
And a 6th option, install a GFCI breaker or receptacle at the first device in each branch circuit. This is the same option that allows 2 wire receptacles in homes to be converted to 3 wire and a tag stating no equipment ground on the receptacle (they come with these stickers pre printed).
Your system is the same as any home built prior to 1999 is it really hazardous? Code allowed this for almost 100 years.
If it was really hazardous code would have changed much earlier in my opinion.
Having a separate grounding conductor makes sense even if you have a grounding electrode at the detached building. Most non electricians spout all kinds hazards but think about this the grounding conductor can be smaller and if a large current is on that conductor there will be a larger voltage drop so is it really that much safer? , how many electrocutions do you hear about? Not many to start with.
Your #1 would be just like a new install but now that you updated the panel most jurisdictions want all the receptacles to now meet code every circuit with a receptacle requires GFCI protection (yes even lighting there are no exceptions unless local).
Your #2 put a GFCI on the feed at the house panel. I hope you are trying to get in shape because not only is this expensive you will be making a lot of trips to the house to reset it (GFCI’s do not use ground, but they do use the neutral code defines them differently grounding / grounded).
Your #3 install a transformer 1:1  again an expensive task it creates a separately derived system and you can now bond the neutral and ground in the main Panel it is no longer a sub 15kva 1:1  $600+ new $400-500 with shipping eBay used (shipping hurts here).
Your #4 leave it as it is, understanding millions of homes have this same setup.
As you can tell I might suggest running a new grounding conductor at the most. Possibly GFCI breakers or receptacles but I don’t have them in my shop. I have a customer that calls me almost every other month to replace a GFCI receptacle on one of his 3 saws he is afraid of electricity even though he has never been shocked and had me add GFCI receptacles almost 10 years ago well before they were required.


Why do the lights on my newly installed ceiling fan flick on and then off immediately?

I had the same problem. It is the wattage limiting black box that is bad if you used the bulbs that came with it and it doesn't work.  I am an electrician so I found it to be a simple fix.

Turn off power at the switch. Open the bottom of the fan where you plugged the light in. You are basically going to bypass the little black box that goes into the lights. Mine had a red, blue and white wire going to the black box. Cut or unsplice the 3 wires as close as you can to the black box and remove the black box. Splice the white wire going to the light to the white wire that came from the selector fan switch back together. Then splice the red wire from the plug-in connector to the black wire going to the lights. This will solve your problem.

You can also get a new black box if you want the wattage limiting feature still. I am an electrician of 15 years and I don't see the point of it as my fan only takes small bulbs anyways. If you do remove this black box do not put in bulbs that will add up to over 190 watts together.

Good luck


What's the correct term for a steam radiator valve pipe with tapered threads?

In the US, most likely "National Standard Taper Pipe" Thread.

Elsewhere in the world most likely "British Standard Pipe Taper" Thread.


epoxy grout in contact with regular sanded cement grout

It's OK to do that. The epoxy grout is great for bathrooms because it doesn't stain, is virtually waterproof and it's not affected by the cleaning supplies you'd usually find in a bathroom. The installers need to do the epoxy grout first and let it set up. It needs to stay in the bathroom because the sheen will be different than the regular grout so you don't want it to be worked into a hallway. Once the epoxy group has hardened, but not completely, they can use the regular grout right up against the epoxy group which will not absorb any moisture from the regular grout... .enjoy your new tile.


did you check for a clogged pipe? pipes from kitchens laundries and showers build up with grease hair and lint and unfortunately clean outs are not usually added to gray water lines like they are with septics.


AC not turning on until well over 4 degrees of set temp

Thermostat controls will always have some hysteresis between the ON detect temperature and the shut back off temperature. This is necessary so that the AC unit wouldn't be toggling on and off all the time at a rapid rate.

More exact control is possible with a more expensive temperature control but that normally requires that the AC unit have an ability to operate an a variable mode other than straight OFF and ON.

It is possible that the thermostat that you have is really cheap or out of adjustment and leads in part to the behavior that you are experiencing. The wide range behavior can also be caused by a situation where the thermostat and the temperature setting controls are mounted separately from each other or not in optimum placement. There is also the possibility that the scale of the thermostat setting and the temperature monitor are not in agreement.


How do I use a multimeter to check for power?

WARNING

  If you're not comfortable working on live wiring, please contact a local licensed electrician. Working on live wiring can be dangerous, and could lead to property damage/loss, personal injury, and/or death.

To test voltage, you'll want to set the meter to the "Volts AC" setting. On the meter it will likely look like a capital "V" followed by a "~".

Typically there will be more than one setting within the range, so you'll want to choose the setting that is higher than what you expect to get. For example. In the US a lighting circuit is typically 120 volts, so you would choose the "200" setting typically found on most meters.

Check the documentation for the meter you're using, to determine where each probe should be plugged in. Typically the black probe goes in "COM", while the red goes in "VΩmA", "VΩ", or "V".

Carefully touch one probe to a known good ground, and the other to the "hot" conductor. (When I say "ground", I don't mean dirt. I'm talking about electrical ground). Next with the one probe still touching ground, touch the other probe to the "neutral" conductor.  (When I say touch the conductor, I mean touch an exposed part of the conductor with the tip of the probe. Touching the probe to the insulation on the wire, isn't going to do anything). Finally, touch one probe to the "hot" conductor, and the other to the "neutral".

When you measure between ground or "neutral" and "hot", you should measure line voltage (about 120 volts). When you measure between ground and "neutral", you should measure 0 volts.


Cable colors are black white bare simply because that is how cables are manufactured, the colors do not reflect the functional purpose of each wire.

You may do wiring in either a string configuration or a tree configuration where unlimited branching is allowed.  (In fact a string is just a kind of tree configuration).  The tree layout means any number of cables can come together in a box.  So 3 cables at the switch and 3 cables at a light is not weird.  This is allowed:

               /-----------Lt1
 Supply -----SW                          /-----Lt3------------Lt5
               \                        /
                \--------------------Lt2-------------Lt4

However, are you including the cable from the light itself among the 3 wires/cables?  In that case you are simply doing the in-wall wiring in a string, and branching a very short branch out to the light itself.  That is fine and normal.   Counting the wires of the light itself, for instance in the above diagram, Lt2 would have 4 of each color wire.

You mentioned 3 cables at the switch.  I can only account for two:

Supply (always-hot, neutral, and ground)
Switched to the lamps (switched-hot, neutral and ground)

I cannot fathom what the third might be.  It might be a branched circuit to the lights (as in example above) or it may be

onward supply to another point-of-use (always-hot, neutral, and ground).

This starts to get confusing, so I like to use colored tape.  For instance the conventional color of choice for switched-hot wires is red.  Always mark a wire on both ends at the same time, when you mark wire.


You'll need 8 AWG copper wire.  Your breaker will need to be 40A and 2-pole.  Unless the labeling or instructions says otherwise.


Adding new overhead outlets in garage - conduit required?

The vent is under the roof and you said you have Sheetrock inside so that would make the location “dry” by code standards.
Can you run NMB exposed on a ceiling, actually you can if it is over 8’.
Code has no specific height some states allow over 7’. Most inspectors use the height protected by elevation of 8’ as a basis for the 8’.
I would suggest using metal clad type MC it is a little more expensive but exposed it is more common and most consider that first finished compared to nmb or Romex.
Believe me for resale metal clad or MC makes a difference. As someone that has been part of a team that flipped old houses this is one of the “upgrades” we commonly did in garages a 250’ roll 12-2 (3wire) is under 100$ You can get smaller coils but 250’ was usually the best price and a manageable spool (1000’ sucks because of the weight and size and is not much less per foot). The realtor we used said ~10k price increase compared to open wiring of cloth or nmb that is common in my area in the older homes. Note your home would Not be considered older and the nmb on the outside screams DIY and no permits. Conduit or metal clad if installed neat looks much more like a pro job.


What is the safe/correct way to work on gutters? From a ladder or from the roof?

Given the choice, I'd put the ladder 2-3' to the side of the downspout.  That should allow you to safely reach the downspout and a majority of the problem area without getting off the ladder.  Using a stabilizer bar so that you aren't resting on the gutter helps:

This also minimizes wear and tear on the shingles.  If you do need to walk on the roof, stay low with your feet always lower than your body, wear shoes/boots with a good grip, and if possible, have a rope attached to something fixed.  If you're going to be on the roof a lot, you may want to invest in a harness.


Why am I getting 20V from a light socket after changing the bulb?

BMitch's answer is most likely correct, but there is another possibility as well, although  it's unlikely. If the breaker tripped and the line feeding the socket follows parallel to another live line, then you can get a small amount of voltage on the line. They basically act like a very badly designed transformer. Although it won't have any real power behind it. I've seen this happen a few times before and with voltages as high as 70 volts. But again it's more of an odd occurrence than anything though, but something to think about if you rule out the usual suspects.


Can a 208-230/460 blower motor be wired for 220 plug

$600 solution

You can fit a phase converter, which will take single-phase 240V power and synthesize 240V 3-phase delta (by creating the phantom third phase electronically).

$400 solution

You can replace the entire motor with any bog-standard 240V single-phase 5 horsepower motor that is 3450 RPM.


Why do my LED lights turn on for split second when I turn ceiling fan on/off

LEDs need ***very**** little power compared to other kinds of lights. A weak induced current from an adjacent circuit being turned on or off could well be enough to get a momentary flash from them. If this is the only problem you're seeing, I recommend just ignoring it.


Ground Wires in a Multi Ganged Switch Box

Yes, All of the grounds should all be tied together first and firmly bonded together and then from that connection point all the switches should be individually grounded. The neutrals are all tied together and stuffed into the back of the box.  Ensure that a ground wire does not come into contact with any of the bare terminals on back of the devices.


HE Front End Washer vibrations on wood floors: any tried-and-true solutions?

After spending several hours researching, there still appears to be little consensus on this topic. But here is a summary of potential solutions.
The Problem
But first, the problem: the issue with High Efficiency Front loaders is that the vibrations are vertical. The drum spins horizontally so the vibration is all in an up-and-down motion. It's also incredibly high speed. The problem is that wood framed houses aren't designed to withstand the vertical vibrations of these newer washers that well. a HE top loader, while also fast, transfers the vibrations horizontally, which the floor framing of a house is better suited to handle.
The List of Possible Remedies
Get a top-loader instead.
A traditional top loader (agitator) spins, but not nearly at the same speed as a front loader. It also does it horizontally so doesn't transfer nearly the vibrations that a HE FL will.
The catch is that these are harder to find and more and more top loaders are now HE top loaders. Instead of an agitator, it uses jets of water. Reviews of HE top loaders seem to be mixed. However, there seems to be consensus that they don't clean quite as well as front loaders (a con) but that they also don't vibrate as violently as a front loader (a pro if vibration is an issue in your house).
Only put HE Front Loader washers on top of concrete slabs.
10 years ago, this was supposedly the only option. Apparently technology has improved to allow these to be installed on wood framing--however many professionals still do not recommend installing it on a second floor (as second floors tend to not be built to handle the same loads as the first floor).
Make sure the washer's feet are all level.
This is the easiest/first thing to check. I thought mine were but on careful examination I was able to improve things further by adjusting the feet. The easiest way to check this is to reach to the back of each rear corner and try shaking it towards the opposite front corner. You're are testing the diagonals to figure out if one of the corners needs to be raised. I had one ever-so-slightly out and adjusting it helped quite a bit (I suggest grabbing the rear corner is that is likely sheet metal and rigid rather than the front, which is often plastic and hard to 'feel' for wobble).
Move the appliance towards a wall/corner
The closer to a corner, the more rigid the structure may be (might be closer to a support beam, walls may add lateral rigity, etc.) I moved ours closer to the corner of the laundry closet and it seems to have helped.
Use rubber vibration feet/pads/matts
There are dozens upon dozens of companies selling anti-vibration feet. A majority of people claim that these help, but a strong majority claim it makes things worse. My (non-physics-expert-mind's) opinion is that when they do work, though you may reduce the transfer of vibration to the structure, you are likely increasing the total amount of vibration the appliance, itself, now has to absorb (reducing its lifespan).
Use pool noodles on the sides
A common youtube/facebook suggestion is to take the pool noodle foam floaties and cram one between each side of the washer. This will only work, of course, if your washer sits close enough to the wall on one side and the dryer on the other. I haven't tried this yet. My (again, non-physics-expert-mind's) theory is that this spreads the vibration load out to more planes/points of contact.
Reinforce the floor
I see many suggestions of this, but not necessarily any first-hand reports as to how succesful it is. I'm guessing it's just because it's likely a pain to deal with. The suggestions are to tear out the floor and then glue-and-screw two layers of subfloor together with a tight screw schedule. The subfloor being plywood or dedicated subfloor products.
In addition, add blocking to the joists underneath and, in extreme cases, ass a support beam/post directly under the laundry area.
My conclusion
As previously mentioned, double checking the level of the feet has helped considerably. And while I'm happy with the improvements, it still vibrates hard enough on its final spin cycle that you physically feel uncomfortable standing in front of it.
I'm now narrowing it down to two options:

Try a HE Top Loader. The problem is that I really do like the front loader's performance. It uses less water and cleans better that the top loaders apparently due. And because of the extreme spin cycle, we save a lot of energy with the dryer. As such, I think I'm going to...

...reinforce the floor. Right now the sub floor is chipboard with hardwood flooring. Neither is all that sturdy. I'm going to take out the hardwood (bonus is that we can use this to patch parts of the kitchen later) and possibly the existing subfloor if it's not too difficult. I'm then going to glue-and-screw down one or two layers of 3/4" plywood (I may use maple ply for the top one and apply poly on top to make it a 'finished' surface). I'm also going to add blocking between the joists.

What we ultimately ended up doing
I bought a 4x6 and created a beam in the crawlspace under the washer/dryer area with two lolly columns. Alas, that still didn't seem to remedy the situation.
So, we gave up. I hired an electrician to wire up a space in the garage and I plumbed a new drain line and vent stack and we moved the entire thing into the garage onto concrete.
And things are good now. I do believe that these HE front loaders are truly only really designed for placing on concrete slabs.
The plus side is now we don't have to try and do laundry in a hallway closet.


Leaving old wiring unconnected in a wall

Disconnect the wires at the thermostat, wire nut, tape and mark for future use and tuck them back into the box. There's no problem just leaving the old heater in place with the wires connected. I don't think a GFCI breaker is required at that location.


Picture not really clear, but I will take a shot. From left to right:

socket adapter
looks like torx bit - specialty (newer version of Phillips)
looks like torx bit - specialty
looks like torx bit - specialty
#2 Pozidriv - deck screws
#1 Pozidriv - smaller screws (curtain rods, cabinets)
#2 Phillips - Most common
#1 Phillips - Most common
#2 slotted - most common
#1 slotted - smaller slotted screws


How do I shut down power on my standalone generator so it doesn't backfeed while I put a 100 Amp panel in my polebarn?

Disconnect the starting battery cable on the generator. Leave a sign informing others not to reconnect it without your permission. You could even take the battery away to be extra safe.


I've been looking into a heat pump replacement.
You said "However, when the heat pump is in heating mode, the exiting refrigerant line is actually colder, not hotter, than when it enters. As a result, you cannot heat water during the winter."

That will depend on the location of the internal connections.  The HP models I have seen with a desuperheater ( hot water generator ) place the HWG after the compressor before the reversing valve.  That means the pump always runs forward, the HWG always has hot refrigerant to use and it works in summer and in winter.  The reversing valve does just that - in summer it sends the leftover heat to the outside and extracts heat (cools) the inside.  In winter it sends the heat to the inside and extracts heat from the outside.


You should stuff backer rod in where the depth exceeds 1/2", to conserve your sealant. That self-leveling sealant will flow/drop to the bottom of the opening rather than bridge the gap. You would get around 12' of fill from a single tube with a bead exactly 1/2" wide by 1/2" deep, much less than that if you don't fill it.


Most hardware stores will be able to find a match. Bring the stem with you. There are usually many replacements in stock. If not the usually have a plumbing parts book or software they can look up the specifications and then special order it for you. It may be helpful to take a picture of the faucet if they want more information.


Can I use SCH 40 for buried and above ground feeder wire?

National Electrical Code 2014

  Article 352 - Rigid Polyvinyl Chloride Conduit: Type PVC

  II. Installation

  352.10 Uses Permitted. The use of PVC conduit shall be permitted in accordance with 352.10(A) through (H).

  (F) Exposed. PVC conduit shall be permitted for exposed work. PVC conduit used exposed in areas of physical damage shall be identified for the use.

  (G) Underground Installations. For underground installations, homogenous and nonhomogenous PVC shall be permitted for direct burial and underground encased in concrete. See 300.5 and 300.50.

  Article 300 - Wiring Methods

  I. General Requirements

  300.5 Underground Installations.

  (D) Protection from Damage. Direct-buried conductors and cables shall be protected from damage in accordance with 300.5(D)(1) through (D)(4).

  (4) Enclosure or Raceway Damage. Where the enclosure or raceway is subject to physical damage, the conductors shall be installed in rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, Schedule 80 PVC conduit, or equivalent.

352.10(F) says that the PVC conduit "used exposed in areas of physical damage shall be identified for the use". I know schedule 80 is suitable for protection from physical damage, however, the Authority having jurisdiction in your area may allow schedule 40 as well. You'll want to check with your local inspector to be sure, or use schedule 80 for the exposed section.

300.5(D)(4) says that even though the conduit is buried, if it's subject to physical damage (not deep enough, under a garden, etc.) it still has to be schedule 80.

  UL 651

  Schedule 40, 80, Type EB and A Rigid PVC Conduit and Fittings

  1.2 Schedule 40 and 80 conduit and fittings

  1.2.1 Schedule 40 rigid PVC conduit and fittings are for aboveground use indoors or outdoors exposed to sunlight and weather, and for underground use by direct burial or encasement in concrete. Schedule 40 rigid PVC conduit, elbows, that are specifically marked for underground use are suitable for use underground only by direct burial or encasement in concrete.

The UL listing says both 80 and 40 can be used in both above and underground installations.

  Guide Information for Electrical Equipment The White Book 2013

  Rigid Nonmetallic PVC Conduit (DZYR)

  Use and Installation

  Schedule 40 conduit is suitable for underground use by direct burial or
  encasement in concrete. Schedule 40 conduit marked "Directional Boring""(or "Dir. Boring") is suitable for underground directional boring applications.
  Schedule 40 conduit is also suitable for aboveground use indoors or
  outdoors exposed to sunlight and weather where not subject to physical
  damage. Schedule 40 conduit marked "Underground Use Only" is only
  suitable for underground applications.

  Schedule 80 conduit has a reduced cross-sectional area available for wiring
  space and is suitable for use wherever Schedule 40 conduit may be
  used. The marking "Schedule 80 PVC" identifies conduit suitable for use
  where exposed to physical damage and for installation on poles in accordance
  with the NEC.

The White Book clearly states that only schedule 80 is suitable for use where exposed to physical damage, though again, says schedule 40 is suitable for aboveground use (unless labeled otherwise). So while you may be able to use schedule 40 for the entire run, you'll have to use schedule 80 through any areas where the AHJ deems the conduit is exposed to physical damage.


Removing a stud (or two) under a ceiling beam

Are these wall studs for your first floor?

If so then you need a proper header above the door and double up or triple the 2x6 studs on the outside of the door to support the header. The header should have 3 boards to accommodate the wall thickness. A 2x6 header is probably sufficient but I would go for 2x8 or 2x10 if it doesn't impede head clearance. Better to over-engineer than to under-engineer. Speaking of engineer, you may wish to consult with one.
It's looking more and more like a load-bearing wall. I don't think they double up the top plate for the fun of it when building a cosmetic wall.


Old Outside A/C Unit - replacement vs repair?

If the unit is starting and not make your lights go out or dim I would not change it. All contactors have have some evediance of arcing after a short time again since the cap is good and it is starting it really is fine. Last if someone wants to change out the outside unit and continue using the inside unit RUN AWAY! I have seen two many times where someone tried to save a few bucks and the new unit failed in 3 to 5 years, I would only do this if the old refrigrant uses the same type as the new poe or pag oil is what modern units used very old ones used mineral oil. So I agree if it is not broke don't fix it you have a functional unit, companys do free inspections to drum up business in my area and I think it is a scam.


Double-sided carpet tape, or blue tape protecting both surfaces with superglue between. (If the ceiling is popcorn, neither of these will work.)

If you have a popcorn ceiling, I'd experiment with thumbtacks superglued to tape on the sensor. My suspicion is that 3 tacks would hold and not make too much of a mess of the ceiling, but you'll have to do a bit of trial/error.


What happens if I use the DC Voltage setting on an AC line? What about the reverse?

As long as the meter's voltage range is initially set to at least the highest that can be there, you won't damage the meter, especially if you make just a momentary initial connection to see what the meter does.  What happens with the readings will depend in part on the type of meter, whether it auto-senses polarity, whether it is auto-ranging, and whether it has a digital display.

For example, a mechanical meter with a needle and scale will "peg" the needle below zero if the meter is set to DC, and you measure a DC voltage with the polarity reversed.  It will peg the needle at the end of the scale if the voltage is higher than the setting, either AC or DC with the correct polarity.

With a digital meter that auto-senses polarity, you will get a negative accurate reading if you have a DC setting and measure DC with the polarity reversed.  It will show zero or an error if the polarity is reversed and it isn't auto-sensing.

AC will display as zero voltage on a DC setting, regardless of the polarity.  Reversing the leads and still reading zero will distinguish this from DC with reversed polarity if the meter displays zero for reversed polarity DC.

Measuring DC on an AC setting will depend on the meter.  The meter rectifies AC to turn it into DC for a reading.  DC with polarity in reverse of the rectifier will read zero.  Reversing the leads should give you a reading, but it is likely to be inaccurate because the meter is scaled for the rectified voltage.

The combination of AC/DC settings and polarity reversal should allow you to figure out whether the source is DC or AC.


Should I have any readily apparent concerns about the foundation and framing of this new build?

The builder will likely have an inspector, along with the local building authority. If you want a truly independent inspection, you should hire your own inspector.


Checking light switch for grounding problems

Typically the metal screws in the face plate/trim of a home electrical device (outlet, light switch, etc.) attach to the electrical device itself. This, in turn, should be grounded.

To address your question in general (the spirit of what you're after):

If it only shocks you one time, which is to say if you touch it and it shocks you, but subsequent touches without moving don't continue to shock you, then I would say that you are getting a static electricity shock because the screws in the trim plate are grounded and you are not. This would be more likely if you have carpet, the air is dry, and/or you are wearing clothes that are wooly and/or you don't use dryer sheets.

If you get shocked (badly - shocks from 110 HURT!), and every time you touch the screw you get shocked (badly!), then you have a serious problem and should contact an electrician.

Most likely, though, you're just experiencing drier air because Winter's coming and the dew point is dropping while your interior temperatures are staying relatively constant. Every winter every outlet in my house shocks the **** out of me. But only the first touch. Subsequent touches don't do anything because I discharged my static buildup.

To answer your numbered questions:

Turn off the breaker to the offending outlet, remove the trim screw, remove the retaining screws that hold the device into the wall box, then pull the device out. Check for problems with the insulation - you may find these where the cable enters the junction box - and for bare wire ends touching the junction box. If you have a multimeter (not sure if most people would consider this a common household tool, though it should be!), then you can try turning the breaker on and measuring voltage between the ground wire in that device to ground in another outlet.
If there is a real problem, contact a licensed, bonded electrician. You may need new wiring pulled to the offending device if the insulation is frayed/nicked where it enters the wall box.
Yes, other things can cause you getting shocked - primarily the fact that the outlet is grounded correctly. Though I suppose maybe if your building has a ground wire that isn't grounded, and the thing that's shocking you is a doorbell or something else outside, and you're standing in a puddle, and that is when you get shocked, that maybe you're getting shocked by some piece of deranged (damaged and/or improperly grounded) piece of equipment somewhere else in your building that is powering the ground wire. But, in this case, the ground wire would have to go nowhere, else the deranged equipment would be safely handled, which is the point of the ground wire.

Anyways, like I said, ultimately the shocks are (annoying but) one-time events that don't hurt that bad and are nothing to worry about, or they happen repeatedly and hurt very bad and you should contact an electrician.


How to remove sink faucet pipe from shutoff?

Take a large pair of diagonal wire cutters and about 3" above the shut off valve cut the faucet riser pipe in two.  Now carefully use a pair of common pliers, jaws  clamped around the riser pipe stub, swivel the stub back and forth a few degrees, at the same time lifting and rocking.


The problem is that pressure loss in 1/4" tubing is relatively high. You'll have much better results if you use larger tube for distribution and use the 1/4" only for branching to single emitters (maybe two, but likely not more than that).

Pressure loss in a tube is a function of flow (gallons per minute, or other similar unit) and tube diameter. As tube gets smaller or flow gets larger the pressure drop increases. This happens remarkably quickly with 1/4" tube.

I suggest building your system by working from the most distant emitter back toward the source. Pick an emitter and measure off the length of tube needed to get to where you want the next fitting to be. Instead of connecting to that fitting, connect to the water source. Verify the flow from the emitter is satisfactory - this confirms that the 1/4" tube is adequate for the flow that lone emitter requires. Add the next emitter, tube, and tee, and test with the water source again. After a few iterations you'll have an idea how many emitters a length of 1/4" tube can supply. It's at this point that the system needs to transition to a larger tube.

Since the system is already assembled, you could repeatedly break it down into smaller pieces until it becomes a set of subsystems that each work well on their own. These would then be joined to a larger distribution tube from the water source.


I have learned to not dispute things Tester has said, it is bad for one's reputation in this part of the world. I will not say he/she is wrong in this answer.
I will not be insulted if you just pass by this answer.
--- WARNING ---
I write too many words and use too much detail in my writing, always have and always will. Even my warning was too long.
Having said that, I offer this simply as data to show how Tester could have reached his/her conclusion and provide some background information. Hopefully it will help others looking for detail.
If anything I write seems useful, but confusing, let me know, and I will do my best to explain my thoughts. I am not an ass, it just seems like that sometimes.
--
Home HVAC control is more complicated than it needs to be, this is because as features were added - Air Conditioning, Heat Pumps, 2 stage heat, more control wires were added to the system.
The advantage is that everything is backwards compatible, clear back to the day that thermostats were invented.
A couple of disadvantages are that some wires are now redundant and there is not a standard for wire colors.
The color code became an issue, because when what was then 'standard' thermostat cable ran out of wires, the solution was often to pull another standard cable. This results in 2 of every wire color. This is where things stop being simple.
Terminal Designations and -- 'conventional' wire colors, don't place bets on them being right --
R - Power - 24 volts, to the thermostat - like the Hot wire in a light circuit - Red
RC - Cooling power -  Air conditioning power into the thermostat - Red
RH - Heating power - heat power into the thermostat - can be the same wire as RC - Red
Y - Air conditioning compressor power - this is the piece outside of the house - Yellow
Y2 - Second stage A/C compressor power - not all compressors have this feature - Light Blue
W - Heating terminal - Heat power out of the thermostat - White
W2 - Second stage heat - Not in all furnaces, for Heat pumps this is Emergency Heat - Brown
G - Fan Power - Green
C - Power to thermostat - this is similar to the Neutral wire in a light circuit - Black
O or B - Power to heat pump Reversing Valve in outside unit - Orange or Dark Blue
E - Emergency heating on heat pump, a different way to get emergency heat - None
X or Aux - Back-up power/auxiliary, another different way to get back-up heat - None
S1 & S2 or Outdoor1 and Outdoor2 - Temperature Sensors, not connected to thermostat wires

Now, to Charlie's question:
I read '... continues to heat the house ...' as the furnace stops heating when expected, and not that is always continues to provide heat. This is confirmed with the statement ... heat when called for ... .'
First, remove the wire on the 'G' terminal of the controller in the furnace.

If the fan stops, the problem is between the wire that was on the 'G' terminal out to the thermostat and the and back to low voltage (24 volts) transformer located inside the furnace.

If the fan keeps running, the problem is from the 'G' terminal on the controller to the transformer. See step 5.

-- 3, and the fan stopped, attach the G wire back at the controller in the furnace. Expected result is that the fan will start again. At this point, go to the thermostat, and remove the wire from the G terminal. Move to step 4
-- 4, If the fan stops the problem is a short on the wire that was attached to the G terminal on the thermostat and the wire that was on the G terminal on the controller in the furnace. Most likely a pinch from something. It will most likely to have happened where the wire is tight. I have found problems in my system just fractions of an inch from the screw terminal in the thermostat.
This will be a short, and not a broken wire, a broken wire would cause something to stop, and not continue running. Since the short seems to only be between the G wire, and a power wire, expect it to be somewhere that the wires are not inside the jacket of the cable.
This is because it would be unlikely for the short to have happened on the jacketed segment, and not seem to have effected any other wires.
Crushing the entire jacket would likely, but not certainly, short more than the 2 wires. If you find the short, either separate the wires, and some tape on them, or use another wire, if you have a spare in the cable.
Hopefully you can find the problem in this 1 one run of cable, and you will live happily ever after.
-- 5. Remove the wires, after marking them, one at a time, starting with red ones, then black, from the controller terminals. If you remove a wire, and the fan stops. The problem is from that terminal on the controller to the transformer.
If all the low voltage wires are removed, the problem is either the controller, or somewhere between the fan harness and the fan. If you disconnect the fan harness from the controller and it continues to run, the problem is a short to ground from the harness to the motor. Or, and this is unlikely, demonic possession. Unless there are many wires, more than than three, then you have a state of the art, electronically controlled fan motor. The problem could be either the motor, or the 'module'. Replace the both parts, you will thank me later.
If the fan stopped when it was removed from the controller, the problem is in the controller. Replace, reattach all the wires, carefully, and live happily ever after.
--- If it is still not working. Then it is time to start drinking.
But seriously, let me know and we will get serious about fixing this thing.
Best of luck to you.


Extending ground from one circuit to another

Apparently the answer is that it's okay to ground your 20 amp circuit to another 20 amp circuit next to it.

The key is the gauge of the ground you're tying into has to be as large or larger than the original circuit. So your 12 gauge ground on the compromised circuit has to tap into another circuited ground that is at least 12 gauge.


Dimmer dims the lights about once a second

I managed to speak to the manufacturer, their advice was "the dimmer is faulty; have it replaced."


What should I run from the main breaker box to the garage?

As Isherwood and Ecnerwal advised, it would be in your best interest to set a sub-panel in the garage.

TL:DR Set a 60 amp sub-panel and feed it with #6 NM wire from the main panel. Separate all your neutrals and grounds at the sub-panel and buy the ground bar kit for the ground wires to attach to in the sub-panel. DO NOT install any bonding screws between the box and neutral bar. (If your welder draws more than 20 amps you should probably upsize this to 100 amp panel fed with #3 wire if you plan to have the compressor and welder on at the same time.)

Longer version:
The size of the panel depends on what you plan to run now and what you may plan to run in the future. The 2.5 hp compressor is the largest load you listed and will draw a little over 24 amps at according to Table 430.248 of the National Electrical Code. Let's say 28 amps at 120 volts. (Is there any way to re-wire the compressor for 240 volts? This would halve the current and reduce your voltage drop.)

The proper way to size this is 125% of the largest motor's listed current from the Table 248 in the NEC plus 100% of all the other motors table listed currents. Then, take all your other devices and add the current draw on each one at 100%. Take the total and divide it by 2 since you will be running a 240 volt circuit and all the loads are 120 volts and the current is split between the two legs. Now you have your current draw for all loads in the garage and this is the current draw for the feeder to the sub-panel.

For the sake of argument let's say you come up with 40 amps (this may be high or low for what you have listed but you didn't have a current draw for the wire welder so I will press on). You could then run a #8 circuit if the feed was shorter but to compensate for distance and voltage drop you upsize one wire size to #6 wire. Since you can only get sub-panels in certain sizes you will most likely have to buy a 60 amp sub panel without a main breaker in it. (Since the garage is attached through the breezeway you don't have to drive a separate ground rod. So don't worry about that.) If you go with a 100 amp sub because of the draw of the welder then You may end up with the #2 wire to compensate for voltage drop.

Now, unless your local building code requires it (and Chicago is the only place I know that requires Conduit in residential) you don't have to use conduit. You can use standard NM copper cable to make this run and it will be way more affordable than running conduit and pulling wire.

Power factor is not considered when sizing circuits in residential occupancies. End of story.

The number of circuits is a consideration for convenience but is not taken into account when calculating the size of the sub-panel and its corresponding feeders and breaker.

So, there you have it. Simple eh?


That part that you think is a rivet is actually a plastic plug which can usually be sprung with a small pin or needle (cover the drain hole first). This reveals a screw which can be a slot head or a hex or allen key. Loosen this and the top handle lifts off revealing a large nut that holds the valve in position.


The reason you need guy wire is to support the mast place strap at the top of the mast then extend the wire behind the mast so when you pull the wire tight you look down the wire and the pole and mast line up with each other. I like my anchor into the roof to be as high as possible because higher up on the roof there is less water and leaves to hang up as they go down. Next is to find a rafter to screw into I usually use 1/4 x3” lag bolts and that is plenty for a 40’-60’ span the normal range I see houses set back from the lines.
When I was an apprentice I was taught to site to the top of the transformer to the top of the mast and put my anchor in on that line but many times that did not end up on a rafter and that angle really did not help as much as a longer run. With a longer run of wire or cable usually you will cross a rafter and that is just right because the rafters are the strong points in your roof.


Tried repairing a broken lamp and it's weirdly dim - high resistance in wire?

Likely is a bad switch, or a bad connection.
Unlikely is "high resistance wire"
And if you are planning to "put your engineering degree to use" please learn the difference in line connected items between "neutral" (Grounded) and "ground" (Grounding - safety ground - whole different thing.)
Your safest bet if low on real world experience is to rewire it as low-voltage DC. That way if you spork it up nobody gets hurt. Far too many internet tutorials are terrible, and if you don't know enough it's hard to sort the terrible form the good, and terrible can be quite unsafe...


I'm surprised that the box or paperwork that came with the switch didn't have instructions, so here is my advice (25 years as an electrician):
The black wire goes to the hot bundle, the green wire is ground, and the blue wire goes to the light that is being switched.
If there is a pig-tail that acted as an individual wire to the old switch, you can either keep that and attach the black wire to it, or remove it from the bundle and connect the black wire on the switch directly to the bundle.

As a way of checking what I am telling you, on the switch itself, there may be some labels for each of the wires (the black, blue and green wires).
Typical labeling for the 'hot' wire is: "Hot", "Common", and "Line"
Typical labeling for the switched wire is: "Load", "Line", or "Switched"

Note that in my experience, whenever the label for the Hot wire is "Line", the switched wire is never called "Line" -it is almost always labeled "Load" (which is more accurate -but let's not argue semantics).

Good luck and happy wiring!

:)
Greg


how can I Soundproof a room without wall modifications

Update: with all the concerns you can also use what is called Mass Loaded Vinyl which is normally used in a non abrasive method which is good for places such as rentals, flats, homes etc.

  Mass Loaded Vinyl is used to reduce airborne sound transmission
  through walls, floors and ceilings. They are typically comprised of  a
  limp-mass material sound barrier made of high-temperature fused vinyl
  and no lead fillers.  With a typical weight of 1 lb. per square foot,
  these barriers are as heavy as lead, but only 1/8" thick. This
  improves the sound transmission loss (STC) of a construction assembly
  without losing valuable space. It may be used in new and retrofit
  soundproofing construction. The standard offering is a non-reinforced
  barrier for use in typical construction. Other configurations include
  lag and wrap materials for pipes and ducting, a transparent version to
  allow line of site or light, a surface mount option and a reinforced
  version that may be suspended. These materials are often combined with
  other materials in soundproofing applications to help provide a
  complete sound blocking solution.

You can check it out here. I am in no way affiliated with acoustical solutions.

https://acousticalsolutions.com/product-category/sound-barriers/mass-loaded-vinyl/

You can use soundproofing foam, this is how we soundproof recording studios or if you want something cheaper, you can use egg crate flats. Each will require at least some glue.

foam

egg crate flats


Copper to CPVC transition fittings : allowed by code to be used inside a wall?

The code does not specify specifically that such joints cannot be inside of a wall.


Yes, of course that could be done but you'll likely be looking at some significant ducting work.  The air return, that normally comes from the living space will need to be re-routed and brought in from outside.  Since that will create back pressure on the air handler blower, you will also need to duct the living space to the outside.

Often air-to-air heat exchangers are used in cases like to to minimize losses.

But to your point, I don't believe this is going to be in any way effective in removing COVID-19 virus particles from your space.


How do I attach a carpet runner down a staircase with a turn in it?

In most cases the bars are cosmetic.Each tred/riser set is done individually and stapled or tack stripped in place.I believe this is done for liability,if a bar came loose the carpet would slide.


How many shock absorbers are in washing machine LG F1480QDS?

There are 3.

I opened the washing machine and found three shock absorbers. Unlike on older LG models, these are now placed below the tub on sides: two on the left and one on the right.