What can I do about a toilet flange that is 1/4" below the finished floor?

The flange should sit on top of the finished floor, if it doesn't you'll have to modify the plumbing or find another way to achieve this.

Notice in this image how the toilet waste pipe sits just inside the flange opening, this is the proper way for a toilet to sit on a flange. Even without a wax ring, this union is not likely to leak under normal circumstances (I'm not recommending a wax ring not be used).
Wax as a waste pipe?
Some folks recommend using a thicker wax ring, or even doubling up wax rings.  The problem with this, is that you end up with a waste pipe made from wax. Now this might hold up, but more than likely it's eventually going to fail, and leak.
Modify the plumbing
If you have access to the flange from below, you might be able to modify the plumbing to make the flange sit atop the floor. In most cases, however, this is not an option.
Adapters
There are adapters available, that solve this exact problem.  The Set-Rite Toilet Flange Extender Kit; described in the answers to this question, Comes with different size spacers, which allows it to compensate for various sized offsets.


As far as the international plumbing code is concerned (relevant section is here), you're fine putting it pretty much anywhere that meets the distance requirements. In fact, the only mention of accessibility is in mental health facilities where traps are required to be inaccessible.  This is really no different than pouring concrete over the trap in a floor drain - just make sure it gets noted during the rough-in inspection.


I think you have it right.

In the US one would put the switch (if a simple switch) in the hot line and the neutral and ground would run through to the new fixture. This achieves the effect that when the switch is off there is nothing hot past the switch. Some simple switches have a ground connection so one would attach a ground to them and the ground would go on from there. Some modern switches require that a neutral be connected to the switch because the switch itself consumes power. There will still be a continuous neutral from the line to the light. The switch does not break the neutral when the switch is off.

In practice one length of cable would enter the box from the line and one would leave to the light ot be switched. The two grounds would be connected according to Australian practice (and one short piece of wire would be connected to the other two to go to the ground contact of the switch if any). The two neutrals would be connected (and if, and only if, the switch requires a neutral, one short piece of wire would be connected to the two neutrals to go to the neutral contact on the switch). The hot line wire is connected to the switch line contact and the other hot to the load contact.

It is also important to have the hot and the neutral paired and running beside each other in the same cable or conduit. Once inside a box it is OK for them to not be parallel.


Hook it up exactly like the old lamp was

Do not disturb any of the uninvolved wires: this is the mistake that gets a lot of people into trouble, they take them all apart and then get confused. Every wire has a job.  They are not color coded; the color codes are to distinguish the wires in a cable and are not reliable for indicating a meaning or purpose.

The old fixture had 2 blacks and 2 whites simply because it had 2 bulbs.  It's no big deal.  Put the new lamp's white wire where the old lamp's white wires went.   Ditto black.   That is all.

The blue wire is obviously not ground, since it has a black wire going to it.  One of the few reliable color codes is that green, yellow-green stripe, and bare wires are always and only ground.  I doubt that is a ground wire, I believe it's a blue wire and your house is wired in metal conduit.  Conduit allows arbitrary wire colors to be used (which can make colors more meaningful) and metal conduit provides a ground path so fewer ground wires are needed.


Concrete isn't for resurfacing. It's a structure unto itself. So you need to likely pour at least a 4-5" slab for it to work as new garage flooring.

So that means your current flooring would have had to sink 4-5" already. The catch with that is that for it to sink (at all, really) it means it had a poor base to begin with (or no base).

As such, I'd say this is a bad idea.

I think the arguments for pouring on asphalt would be that if the asphalt has remained in good condition, it's likely in no small part due to the good base it had.


TRANE XE70 GAS FURNACE - HSI only works once

Fixed this issue by replacing the Control Board and using a longer timing program insert key from 4 seconds to 7.


elegant attic hatch design for several purposes

The standard solution for an insulated hatch cover has it resting on trim flush with the ceiling.  You should pound or pack out the framing for the hatch so that it is tightest at the bottom (where it meets your ceiling).  Add weatherstripping to the top of the trim on which the cover sits to prevent airflow when it is in place, and the insulation on top of the cover will prevent radiant/conductive heat loss.


Sudden leak from toilet after years of no problems

Yes, wax rings can "dry out" when it breaks down causing shrinkage, hardening, and cracking.  In your case, an old(er), rarely used toilet with a dried out wax ring might have broken when someone sat on the toilet.

Leakage would also be noted around the base of the toilet though, if it's not a lot of water, may be hidden by the toilet base.  If one puts his nose to the toilet base and smells sewer gas...yep...broken ring.

Note: One should periodically run water in all bathroom fixtures to ensure water in P-traps doesn't evaporate.

Removing a toilet is not difficult.  Buy a new wax ring and replace the one you have.  If water stains continue, move on to some other possibility.

No.  There's no characteristic of PVC drain pipe that would lead to leaking after extended disuse.  But you state water is run periodically; therefore, there's no real disuse...just not frequent use.


Wood isn't going to harbor bedbugs. Upholstery might, but if this is your trigger I would bet dollars to donuts that this is simply autosuggestion.

When I was a kid, I had my brother conditioned to the point where I just said "ants" and he'd start to itch, whether ants were possible or not... It really isn't hard to convince yourself that you might feel something when nothing is there, or to convince others by suggesting the idea to them... even unintentionally by scratching more than usual.

(My most successful bit of suggestion was many years later, as a college student. I'd learned a bit about self-hypnosis, and I'd learned that under some circumstances I could distort my vision by deliberately misinterpreting perspective. When I was particularly bored, I would sometimes "levitate" an object by momentarily convincing myself that it was a bit closer to me than it actually was, and therefore had to be floating over the floor or table rather than sitting on it. One day some friends and I were in a restaurant, waiting for our order, and I started playing with this... and one of them noticed me staring fixedly at the salt shaker, with my body language suggesting that I was pulling upward on it, and for a moment got caught in the illusion. Shocked the heck out of him...)


You should wrap the pipes with lengths of foam pipe insulation. Both the hot and cold sides.


How to mount a floating shelf on ridged ceramic tile

Since floating shelves apply a lot of torque to their mounts, I don't recommend adhesives. That's a recipe for a noisy disaster.

You can drill tile like that with a few precautions.

It can be very difficult to accurately start a hole. A small chip in the glaze made with a nail set and light taps can help. Otherwise, brace the drill well against the wall to keep it stationary.
Don't use the hammer setting. Use a grinding bit (diamond or tungsten) at fairly high speed and with light force.
Keep the bit aligned during the entire process. Allowing the drill to cant to the side will cause binding, which could damage the tile.

A stable, light touch should get you good results. If you don't have any spare tile in case the unthinkable occurs, reconsider the value of your fancy shelves. Maybe use a standing unit instead.


It doesn't look like they shoved 2 ends under the screw - that would be very shoddy indeed.  It looks like they stripped insulation off about 1" of the wire mid-run, and looped it around the screw.  That's legit.

If you need to cut that for some reason, either pigtail or cut it dead in the middle and get a "screw-and-clamp" type recep, which allows 2 wires per screw. Easy peasy.


Installing base cabinets - Securing to floor/shimming?

Shims are ordinarily left to just friction for anchoring. In your case, even if you only glue them to the subfloor they're unlikely to move. You could certainly also glue them to the cabinet base.

I wouldn't bother trying to screw them in, though. That's overkill alongside construction adhesive and will probably result in a bunch of split wood and swearing. You might pop a few trim nails into them if your have an air gun on hand, just to secure them while the adhesive sets.


What type of subfloor will stand up to water in a bathroom?

First of all, you cannot assume that any flooring you install is going to be "waterproof".  That is an impossible standard in home construction, so the solution is to PREVENT water from getting to the floor surface and also to ACCOMMODATE any that does get there.

That being said, you should choose a flooring material that doesn't degrade when wet.  Tile is one choice, vinyl flooring is another, also some engineered flooring products.  Check with your local supplier for some good wet-location choices.

To prevent water from getting to the floor in the first place you want to fix the problem with your shower/bathtub so that the water is not able to be sprayed or splashed on it.  Obviously shower curtains are one cheap solution but it seems in your case that's not being used.  How about a surround that keeps the water contained in the shower/tub?

Finally as far as your underlayment, use a product that can withstand long-term water exposure.  Cement-based backer board is a commonly used product for this application.


How can I remove an inner wall of a gambrel house?

If there is a wall directly above the wall in the basement, then don't take it out.  Otherwise, cut the drywall from the top of the door.  If there is a header above the door opening, then it is most likely load bearing and the wall cannot be removed. If no wall above the wall and no header, you should be okay.  Take all the drywall or paneling off the wall and do a good inspection before you knock any studs out.  Look for diagonal bracing, heavily nailed plywood, and/or heavy anchorages in the corners which would be an indication of a shear wall, which cannot be removed. If it turns out to be load bearing for just vertical loads, you can always install a longer header to open up the space.


How to check if my house is properly grounded?

Based on the model of the surge protector, I'm going to guess those are German outlets.

  Does that mean my house is not properly grounded? How do I check? Is there any risk if your house is not properly grounded?

Something like a socket tester can tell you the status of an outlet These can be found at most hardware stores or online:

https://www.amazon.de/Schwabe-Steckdosen-Tester-Null-Leiter-Anschluss-Prüfstecker-Schuko/dp/B01I3IPV1I

This will tell you whether or not your outlets are properly grounded. The surge protector has a version of this tester built-in, and it's showing that the outlet you have it plugged in to is not grounded.

  The surge protector says "This product must be connected to earth ground" in the back. So is it safe to use even if my house is not properly grounded?

Without grounding, the surge protector becomes a power strip. The surge protection is designed to redirect "surges" of electricity to ground, instead of to the outlet where equipment could be harmed. So the harm is that you might think your equipment is protected when it might not be.


Rewiring a flat (apartment) with concrete walls

I would focus on replacing the consumer unit.
Once you have RCDs (or better: RCBOs per circuit), the state of the wiring becomes less critical.
As far as earths, the fact that your wiring was done inside pipes (conduits) is very important.  Generally the pipes are installed before the wires are, so it's no trouble installing additional wires (or pulling all the old wires out and replacing with state-of-the-art wires).
Carrying earth on the metal pipe is perfectly fine.  Or, a yellow/green earth wire can be pulled into the pipe.  Either way is fine.
In fact, the old way of using metal conduits is superior to modern methods.  They stopped doing them because new ways are cheaper.
So my advice is to make the most out of the existing conduit in the wall. A variety of surface conduit methods can be used for new outlet locations not currently in the piping network.


How can I safely get rid of fire ant mounds in my backyard?

I am a huge fan of Amdro.  I find it works most of the time in a day.  Every now and then I get a mound that needs a second application.   I find good results if I don't mess with the mound and I hit them in the morning.

Having a pet I do spread some bait outside of his play area even when there are no mounds.  I have even gone into my neighbors lot and hit their mounds (with permission).  I try to get as large of perimeter as possible.


Which to replace - the water heater or the 3-way switched plug adapter or something else

I was trying to figure out what "3-way switched plug adapter" meant until I Googled it and realized it's a UK idiom.  So you mean one of these?

No. Just No.

Unplug that on-demand heater at once.  An on-demand heater takes far too much power to work with those adapters. It needs to be directly plugged into a listed receptacle.  Realistically, it should probably have its own circuit, and be hard-wired onto that circuit so no plug is involved at all.  (though UK does have nice beefy plugs).

I think you'll find the heat is not from the plug proper, but from the 3-way adapter getting rather much too hot.

Those 3-way adapters are intended for things like cell phone chargers or at worst, a television.  Big loads like a heater are right out.  If in doubt, look at the amps, watts or VA the device draws, if it takes more than about 2 amps or 500 watts/VA, it's too much for one of these.


What is the best way to fix these displaced tiles?

The best and proper repair (short of addressing what's under them by ripping the whole thing out) is to chisel out the old thinset (might as well get the broken tile behind) and use new thinset, probably with a polymer admixture (liquid instead of water) as well as polymer modified thinset (the dry part), since the area has evidently been less than ideal for tile staying put, so more flex in the mortar is better.
Wait the proper time (tyically 24-48 hours) without traffic, grout between the tiles, wait more time (typically 24-48 minimum again), and ideally limit or avoid traffic for as long as is practical up to a couple of weeks.
For quick & dirty repairs in a similar situation I've used polyurethane construction adhesive. It's not best, but it beats a loose tile if you need it done quickly.


Best way to parge exterior stone foundation wall

I have used wire mesh attached to stone to stucco stone walls, I doubt your wall is moving after all these years but the mortar possibly could use some repointing but the stucco layer would take care of it by taking the weather.

Added to answer OP questions. The stucco mix is sand, lime,cement and water on larger jobs I pick up a trailer load of sand & bags of lime and Portland cement, for smaller jobs I pick up a couple of bags of pre mix. When Covering stone work I use expanded metal mesh because it requires less fasteners than wire, I have tried to use concrete nails but they don't hold well the reason we doing this in the first place was because the exterior had similar problems like you are having, a powder set driver just blew out chunks of mortar. What I did have very good luck with was tapcons screws, I was able to drill the mortar and if not overtightened they held fine and drilling the pilot holes was quick in the mortar. Where there were large stones at the corners I drilled the stone but that takes much longer than the mortar. We mixed our batches 5 gallons of sand about a gallon of lime, and a small coffee can of Portland cement maybe a quart , mixed by hand in a mud tray maybe 2'×3' about 8" deep. Mixing in small batches is important if just 1 person is applying just enough water so a trowel load when placed in a pile will stand up 4-5" damp but not wet, with the expanded mesh only 2 coats was needed the first worked into the mesh then the top coat. I am not a pro at this because I don't do it all the time but have done complete houses and a bunch of foundations where 1 job lead to 1/2 dozen more in the same neighborhood.


If carpet has been dry for years is moisture level OK on slab?

The difference is that carpet breathes, and padding doesn't (as much), so you wouldn't have noticed moisture beneath the padding.

One good test is to securely tape down a sheet of plastic, say two feet square, and leave it for a few days. See how much vapor accumulates under it.


How can I change a single box in a vaulted ceiling so that it can accommodate a double fixture?

I would consider floating the double baseplate down far enough to gain the width you need. I'd add a box extender that's just enough to get it clear of the ceiling.

The baseplate will be floated a bit, but in my experience this doesn't detract from the appearance assuming that you don't have a level vantage point nearby.


How do I put a fluorescent light on a motion sensor?

Assuming you're talking about motion sensors like this:

Switches like that need power. They can work by trickling current through incandescents if hooked up like a normal single-throw switch (in series with feed going to lights). If the switch has 4 wires (hot, return, switched, and ground) then you can hook them all up and it will power itself using it's own hot + return. In that case, it shouldn't have to trickle power through the light's circuit, and fluorescents should be able to turn off.


If you can't crawl in it, it isn't a crawl space - PERIOD.

This isn't an alarming issue.  But you should try to look at it in whatever way you can.  Floors that low to the ground can have dry rot, retain water and can create thermal issues in some climates.  It really depends if it was done right and insulated.

Now if I were buying a home I would almost treat this like a slab.  Know that you may need to tear up the floor to move electrical and plumbing in the future.  Inherently this is a bad thing and should make you think about the value of the home but it certainly isn't a deal-breaker when buying a house.  (Mike Holmes would tell you to dig it down and pour concrete - but it just needs to be insulated really)


How would I cut an angle greater than 45 degrees with a circular saw?

I would cut at 30 degrees with the saw table on the end face of the board. This is a bit precarious due to the small work area on which the saw will rest, so be sure to use a stable platform and be safe.

For this case it's not necessary to cut to a full taper. A typical circular saw cuts to 2-1/4". If a person cut that off one side of the board, it would make a fine joist. I'd probably scribe a line 1/2" from one edge and cut on that.

Use a straightedge extending along the outer face and beyond to position the joists on the layout line.


I'm with Mr Stewart on this one. I have no doubt, a vent has been disconnected.

You are correct in assuming their remodel, no matter what toilet they use, should never affect the performance of your toilet. That's a ridiculous suggestion.


Connect 4" Dryer Vent Duct to 4" Exhaust Pipe

At the least, buy this.

The reason it is the least, is lint will still get trapped in the edge that goes into the flexible part. Joints should be placed so the moving air flows over the joint, not into the joint. The reducer you have at first will restrict the flow, and still have the joint facing in the wrong direction, although you would not need to cut the flexible pipe.

The corrugated ends of the piece I linked to will fit inside each end of the vent pipe and the flexible duct, and minimizes restriction. It would be best if the flexible pipe was reduced in the same way, then the air would flow over the joint the proper way. There is a tool to do that reducing, any duct man worth his salt has this.


Landscape lighting system only puts out one volt

The usual cause of this kind of symptom would be a short, likely an internal short in the power supply, but if you're seeing the power supplies both do the same thing and both work on one side of the house, it must be some kind of "feature."

I have not used a power supply that works like this;  most low voltage DC power supplies will show full voltage on the load terminals with nothing connected.  As mentioned in the comments, maybe it's a safety feature.  (If so it's a little surprising to me, since 12V is pretty safe, I could see this making more sense with 120V...)

But going with this presumption that this is a safety feature, where the transformer cuts voltage in a no-load condition, my first guess would be that implies one (or maybe even both) of the conductors between the power supply and the first light are broken.  Maybe they got damaged somehow while decorating, maybe someone drove a stake in the ground and hit a conductor.

If the wires were in tact to the first light, you would have a load.  If the fault was downstream from the first light, you'd get at least one or some lights working.

The simplest way to test this would be to run a test cable across the yard from the power supply to the first light and see if everything works.


Smart Energy Tracking / Metering Receptacle Outlet

iDevices Switch is a point of use power meter. With the app you can toggle the power to the device and access the energy consumption. It doesn't require a IoT Hub, it will connect directly to your WiFi network, but it will also work with Apple HomeKit.

Elgato Eve Energy is another point of use power meter. With the app you can toggle the power to the device and access the energy consumption. It needs a Apple HomeKit (other IoT Hubs may work too), because it only has Bluetooth LE for connectivity and can't connect directly to your WiFi network.

Unfortunately the first two options don't look like a regular electrical receptacle. I'm not sure if that product exists for a point of use power meter. You would need to install something at the main breaker box to keep everything inside the walls:

Sense is an option for whole house energy consumption. It works by installing CT clamps around the power mains at the breaker box. It can identify large appliances like washing machines, electric dryers, dishwashers, and electric ovens based on the current "fingerprint" that it detects. This would be invisible to the end user, but doesn't fit your needs.

If you needed more detail than that, another option is the TED Pro Spyder. This works similarly to the Sense, but you add CT clamps to each individual circuit instead of just the mains. This will narrow down the usage to an individual circuit, but still not get you to the level of data you're looking for unless you run dedicated circuits for each device you want to monitor.


Problem installing rivnuts into aluminum skin and steel tubing

I think that part of your problem is your use of the super economy installation tool. With that kind of tool it is difficult to hold the rivet nut very firmly into the hole.
I use this type tool for installing rivet nuts and have had good luck with its use. The tool allows you to press down firmly on the rivet nut while at the same time folding the handles together to compress the rivet nut.

Picture Source
Rivet nuts are designed to allow crimping into materials in a certain range of thicknesses. They do require a hole through solid material that is a snug fit with the body of the uncompressed rivet nut. It is quite possible that you will never achieve a satisfactory result with the soft adhesive material between the outer skin and the metal tubing. One thing that you may want to try, after obtaining a better installation tool, is to heat up the area surrounding the installation site for a four or five inch area to soften the adhesive. Then with the better tool you may be able to compress the softened adhesive a bit when pressing hard down on the compression tool.


It sounds like a led problem to me also, although LED’s draw very little current arcing on the circuit can cause other lights on the same branch circuit to have problems. I would check the connections at that first fixture, worst case swap the lamp from the first and the 2nd or 3rd fixture a lamp with a problem might cause problems similar to bad connections. Give that a try. With LED’s I have have lots of problems with lamps and fixtures from overseas. I found out about DLC listing and have not had any flickering problems with them and the few that have failed were promptly replaced 2 different vendors. DLC is design light consortium, they require A 5 year warranty on most fixtures, they cost a bit more but I have installed over 300+ with only a few failures , non DLC lamps I have had close to 100% failures within 1 year and the warranty did not cover anything longer than 90 days. So it could be the lamp or the wiring both are possible, swapping them may fix the problem or verification of the wiring.


How should I remove a wooden fence from a tree trunk?

I would have to agree with Ed, with the added suggestion that a SawzAll might be used on the fencing if nails are an issue, or if you don't have a chain saw. The smaller size might also work better if the clearances between objects that are being cut are such that a chain saw might be unwieldy.

But, yeah, chain saw rules otherwise.

Be safe,
Bill


Get a plumber

It sounds like the flooding may have caused your sewer lateral to collapse in on itself, blocking all the drains in the house from ever reaching the city sewer system.  Sadly, this is something that generally requires a professional to fix, and is also quite expensive to repair.


What is the recommended method of insulating PEX piping?

The "heat tape" you are referring to is what we use in Western Maryland as the "go to" way to keep our PEX piping from freezing.  It works great and is a low cost way of making sure your pipes don't freeze.  Warning though, make sure you have a way of always knowing the tape is working.  If you bury it behind a wall totally and can't check it a few times during the cold season, you run the chance of it malfunctioning.  You also have to make sure it does not overheat by overlapping the wire on itself.  And if the power goes out and it's below freezing, it also won't help at all.  Our company has rentals that are very old homes and apartments and the piping in some of them are very close to the exterior surfaces of the units so we use this all of the time with great success.  When we are using heat tape for plumbing behind walls and under floors, we use a product called Hotline internal pipe heaters.  This goes inside the pipe rather than outside.  It also prevents overheating that can cause a fire.  As I said before, if you bury regular heat tape behind something you have a huge risk for malfunctioning which can be anything from a non working tape to a fire.  Also, if you can get another type of insulation around the pipe, such as spray foam, that should do the trick.


How to fix an uneven (curved) upper window box to install blinds?

I would insert the spacer as you suggest, and then re-trim the front. Sanding 1/4in is a lot of work.
It seems that the casing trim is straight, but the window box is curved. You can get small trims (e.g. pine stop molding) which you could mount to the front face of the box, butting it against the existing casing and against or even in front of the top of the blind frame.


In general, you should keep running water and the disposal for at least 10 seconds after it sounds like all the stuff you are disposing has gone through to rinse things clear. If you have not been doing that, that may help. Depending what your dishwasher is putting out, debris may be piling up against the grinder screens, especially if you use the disposal infrequently, since "the clog always clears up in less than a second of running the disposal."
Run the disposal when the dishwasher is draining - not "for just a second" - through the whole drain cycle (run hot water into the sink as well) to help clear it out. Not the whole wash cycle, just when the dishwasher is pumping out. The extra volume and dishwasher detergent should help clear things up.
In a different direction (can be noisy) run cold water, fire up the disposal, and dump in ice cubes - which can help to clear build-up off the blades and mechanically clean things up.
If you'd rather not get into tearing it apart (or you'd like to exhaust all avenues before you do) a third option is to plug the drain, run the sink full of hot water, and dissolve a good bit of baking soda in the water, then unplug & run that through and let it sit, without rinsing or running more water for several hours or overnight. The less hazardous end of drain chemicals...turns grease to soap. But so does most dishwasher detergent, so it may not do much more than the first approach.


Can indoor cable be run through an exterior wall and into a disconnect box?

It depends on the jurisdiction. NM-B cable is not ok for exterior wiring, but a receptacle inset in a wall is 100% ok.

If the box is NEMA 3r rated it may be allowed even as a surface mount. If it is not, cut a hole the size of the box and inset it in the wall then it would be legal again. The box needs to be 3r rated.

It may sound silly but a flush mount box can be inset (I have done this with main panels). At first the inspector was going to red tag it, but when he saw the back of the box was inside the siding he was ok. I have done this several times in the last ~2 years. My boss likes the look better than flush mount but they are a pain in the butt to feed for a main.


I have worked in construction in Indianapolis, and this is my experience:

Hand drawn drawings will not be rejected by the permit authority.
I drew my own plans for the update to my home:  Hand drawn, in pencil.

Hand drawn drawings will be more scrutinized by the permit authority.

When submitting the plans, I had to be ready to answer more questions than usual.  I have submitted plans that were drawn by engineers for commercial construction (yes, some hand drawn!), and they were received and stamped in seconds.  For my plans, the receiving person looked at the drawings and did not see an engineer stamp.  At that point, they asked if I had a general contractor, to which I answered that I was overseeing the construction directly.

They asked about greenway requirements (amount of grass compared to building/concrete covered area) to which I pointed to the water drainage page.
They asked about whether there was an increase in water drainage to the city to which I pointed to the fact that the house footprint didn't change.
They asked about where the spoils (dirt being excavated) would go, and how that would change drainage and I explained that all spoils were moving off-site to a commercial greenhouse nearby.
They asked about the new footers under the house; how they stick out four inches toward a neighbors yard where the setback distance was already too close (according to current standards) and claimed that I needed to change that.  I stated that current setback fulfilled what was required by regulation because the current setback was grandfathered in, and that they should look at the eave of the house to see that the building line was the eave line, not the wall line, so the four inches of footer would still be under eave.

This went on for 15 minutes.

All-in-all, I had construction know-how to answer these questions and in the end they had no grounds to reject it.  I just warn that in some areas you may have to be ready to defend hand-drawn plans that are not engineer signed.


How to prevent washing machine drain overflow

Well... you've got 22 gallons coming out of the washing machine each cycle. You've got about 2 1/2 gallons in the vertical pipe, and another gallon in the horizontal pipe, so you'd need to store another 20 gallons to be reasonably safe if you go down that route. I wouldn't advise it -- drain water has all sorts of junk in it.

Personally, I've never heard of a floor drain that is 2" or less, so your drain should have sufficient capacity to drain the water thrown off by the washer.

So it sounds like there's some back-pressure causing the water not to flow through the drain pipe as fast as it should. I'd start by snaking it, and if that doesn't work, I'd extend the PVC pipe through the hole and fairly far down the drain; this should reduce the pressure drop and force the water through the drain faster.


What is this construction material under my drywall?

I can't speak to what sort of construction this is, though it looks like cement board to me. Hopefully someone else can tell you more.

But to answer your second question, how to locate the studs, I have had similar issues with the walls in my house, which are plaster, on top of sheetrock. A studfinder won't work, but what does work, though it is a little tedious, is a magnet attached to a fine piece of string. I used a magnet you can get at a craft store, it's about the size of a crown bottle cap. I used tape to stick it to a piece of floss.

You basically run along the wall in a left right motion, back and forth, and moving up or down slightly after each pass. The magnet should stick, or hang up, where the fasteners are that hold the drywall to the studs.


Can I add handle ties to QO tandem breakers?

This is OK, as the manufacturer has a specific part for this job

Handle-tying the two inner half-breakers in a pair of (modern style) QO tandem breakers is legal, no different than handle-tying two full-size breakers save for a change in part number: instead of a QO1HT (the normal QO handle tie), you need a QOTHT instead (image from Square-D's product page):


How can I tell if slow drainage is caused by a problem in the main sewer line or the venting system?

I'm afraid it's probably both. You have a venting problem because the sinks gurgle. Watch the water level in a toilet when the washer starts to drain, it'll probably drop a little. The reason you don't have a bigger problem with water getting sucked out of traps is because the main line is obstructed, minimizing the demand for makeup air through the venting system. If the mainline were not obstructed, the backed up water would quickly drain away once the traps were voided of water, providing an alternate path for makeup air.

The fact that toilet paper is a contributing factor also indicates main line problems. The waste water backing up could have caused solids to float up into vent lines and get lodged there. Hopefully snaking through the roof vents will free any vent obstructions. Depending on the nature of the blockage, simple snaking may only temporarily allow drainage. More aggressive clearing may be called for.


You could try tighting the brackets. If the brackets are screwed on unscrew remove thread and apply some adhesive like F-26 or Liquid Nail then reinstall. If that's not possible you could screw or nail thru top of thread directly to the riser.  This old school trick might be an option, squirting a small amount of either baby powder or graphite between the tread and riser. I'm guessing the stairs are made of wood.


Does a whole garage door need to be replaced if the middle bracket broke?

You can buy most common parts separately. Replace the part rather than have it welded. Ask at your local hardware store (NOT "big-box" store) for a handyman reference, someone familiar with garage doors. Garage door companies will almost always recommend a new door.

Hey, while you are at your local "mom and pop" store, why don't you pick up a few items and help them stay in business?


That looks like hardboard, "High density fibreboard" to use its full name.

AKA "Masonite"(tm)


Using two legs at a "T" will result in a table that is very prone to tipping. In the diagram below, the sum of the moments (torque) about the R1-R2 axis must be zero for the table to remain in equilibrium. Just before the table tips, all the reaction force from the legs against the floor will be concentrated at R1 and R2.

If the weight of the table at the centroid contributes to a greater moment about the axis than that from a downward force at AB, the reactions from the legs will be distributed more evenly than just the tipping point at R1 and R2.

If you're dead set on a "T" table leg configuration, consider making L1 and L2 the entire length of W and H respectively. That's not enough to achieve stability however, since the far corners of the table are still at a much larger distance from the R1-R2 axis than the centroid of the table is. Therefore, consider trimming the table down to a trapezoid or triangle, with the narrower end corresponding to the bottom of the "T". Otherwise, consider an "H" or "X" configuration for the legs as @Wayfaring Stranger suggests.


why my dimmer in the kithen also dims lights in another room

Sounds as though the feed for your other room is simply connected to the wrong side of the kitchen dimmer switch.  The kitchen dimmer is in series with the other room dimmer.  This was presumably deliberate at the time.

Move the connections that feed the other room to the other side of the kitchen dimmer.  This will take the kitchen dimmer out of the other room's circuit.


Do I really need a 1200 CFM Hood for a 48" Range?

A 1200CFM hood has no business being in a 3ACH@50Pa house (or worse yet, a tighter one)
One common misconception among custom kitchen shoppers is that a large, commercial-style range such as the 48" brute you're looking at requires a range hood ventilation system fit for a restaurant environment.  The reason why commercial hoods are the brutes they are is because they have to maintain an environment reasonable for OSHA while the underlying appliances are being used for 10 hours per day, 6 days each week, for all 52 weeks of the year.
Your range, though, will never see such a usage pattern, and thus can and should be vented with a more domestically sized hood fan, on the order of 300 CFM.  This is because all range hoods suck air out of the house, and that air needs to come from somewhere.  In old houses, it just came from random air gaps in framing and sheathing as well as around penetrations such as windows, pipes, and electrical boxes; in newer houses, though, we seal those gaps so that we can control the air we're bringing in.
However, that control depends on there being a good balance of air in and air out, and a big range hood sucking on the house disrupts the balance, depressurizing the house and sucking in any contaminants that might be in the soil, in outside air (sucking on a house in the South is a great way to have a humidity problem!), or coming from sources such as combustion appliances.  As a result, the IRC sets an upper bound of 400CFM for range hoods unless you provide a make-up air supply that's interlocked with the hood's operation and dedicated to the range hood.  Given that you can't run kitchen range hood exhaust through an HRV or ERV due to issues with grease fouling of heat exchangers creating a fire hazard, you're best off not bothering with a hood that requires makeup air supply.
However, this doesn't mean you should get a physically tiny range hood that sits way above the range, sucking pointlessly on the air at the ceiling!  You want the actual hood to span the full width and depth of your range, with a decent overhang and a tall catchment "bowl", so that you get good capture efficiency, maximizing the utilization of the CFMs you have installed.  Likewise, downdraft ventilation has no business being used in this situation.


How to remove bricks cemented on patio floor? Who do we hire?

Removing bricks set in cement/mortar is basically just a brute-force operation.
You can use any of the following methods:

A short 4 pound sledge hammer and mason chisel to break things apart at the joints
A full size 6-12 pound sledge hammer to just crush everything to dust and a pickaxe for chipping loose parts
An SDS hammer with a chisel attachment to quickly break through the joints
A full sized jack hammer would laugh at the endeavor

If you wish to minimize damage to the old brick underneath then choose option #1 or #3.
There will be leftover cement/mortar on the old bricks so you could grind that away with a diamond cup disc or chisel it away as much as possible.
You could feasibly hire just about any general contractor and they will be able to remove the new brick.
A mason would be preferable because they would know how to make the end result look nice.


Can I safely power a three-prong electrical device from a light socket?

If you're talking about an E26 lampholder (the medium screw-in base widely used in the US), there are only two electrical contacts: live is at the back of the lampholder and neutral is the screw thread.  While the light fixture itself should be grounded, it's not available via an adapter.

In an outdoor situation, ground protection is even more important than indoors; if your exterior circuit also includes exterior receptacles, it should already be covered by a GFCI.  As I said in an another answer, that breaks the circuit if there's a ground fault, but without a ground connection, any current is going through you to ground, instead of through the ground lead.  So no, it's not safe to use a two-prong to three-prong adapter and leave the ground on your lights disconnected.

I have seen exterior light fixtures with a grounded electrical outlet built into them; if you were able to change the light fixture, that would be the safest way to go.


That blue water service line could be PEX, but it also could be HDPE. If it's HDPE then it might be CTS (copper tube size) or IPS (iron pipe size). Based on the shade of blue I'm leaning toward HDPE, but it's hard to tell in a photo. Use a small mirror to inspect the full circumference of the pipe -- it may have something printed on it indicating the type. You also can measure its outside diameter and based on that narrow down the possibilities. In my (limited) experience, the blue coating on HDPE tubing is thin. If you scraped a little away and found black plastic beneath then it's HDPE. You could also test opacity with a flashlight: PEX is somewhat translucent but HDPE is very opaque.

Because the PVC adapter makes you uncomfortable you could replace it with brass. If the blue tube is PEX then this is easy an inexpensive: use a barbed fitting with a crimp or clamp ring, or use a push-on fitting ("Sharkbite" or other brand). These are readily available in any home improvement store. If it's HDPE, though, you'll need a different kind of adapter. These are going to be harder to find because they're normally sold through waterworks distributors. Expect to pay about US$30 for one of these. They're likely to sell over the counter to the public, but figuring out the name of your local waterworks distributor may be a challenge. If you got lucky at Home Depot you might find a plumbing associate who'd know a name. Somebody in your municipal water department may also be a good referral source.

In any case, I'd adapt the blue plastic tube to a brass male pipe thread and set a quarter-turn ball valve on top. The PRV would be down stream of the valve. Pressure gauges are a fine idea (I've done the same at my house), and if you want to incorporate these, then insert a tee between the valve and the PRV and another downstream of the PRV. Use tees with a threaded branch so you can screw in the right reducer bushing to work with your pressure gauge (probably 1/4").


cringe

This was a bodge job from the beginning.  Hole unguarded, NM cable coming outside as if Shelter-in-place was over, fitting intended for octagon box misapplied to mount an outside light, etc.  Is the light even rated for outdoors??

(NM-B is not legal nor reliable outside; this could be tripping a GFCI if it was on it just from hot-ground leakage from insulation breakdown. Meanwhile the paper stuffing is wicking water tens of feet down the cable).

I think a plain old 1/2" conduit body would be perfectly fine as part of a nutritious breakfast - er, proper wiring method.

I would run up the wall with conduit to your desired light location then fit an appropriate box there.  My preference is a box where the flexible cable to the light exits the bottom of the box with a proper liquidtight strain relief; that way when the liquidtight leaks, water still doesn't get in.  You don't want the conduit to turn into a rain superhighway into your house.

The only issue is, you can't run NM cable outside, and UF cable won't fit inside conduit (unless you make it stupid-huge).  That limits you to THHN wire, which works great in conduit (use stranded since you'll be splicing to wire nuts at both ends).  You will need to make a transition from NM to THHN somewhere inside the house, and that requires an accessible junction box to do that.


Second floor radiators only heat with all other radiators off

It looks that pressure is low, the highest point in the system must still have enough pressure to expel the water in it. That you can remove the bleed cylinder without making a mess is the biggest clue.

Add more water into the system (usually from a tap near the boiler) and bleed the upstairs radiators.


Security Cameras Don't Display Video Despite Proper Hookup?

You should get new cameras. A Google search on the item number came up with nothing. As they are over 10 years old they may just have died of old age. Good luck.


your approach should be fine, just make sure you get a good bond between the new concrete and the old otherwise it may spall.  just make sure your electrical line is in good shape.  otherwise you may go to all that work for naught.


Convert Double Gang Switched Half Hot Outlets to Always Hot w/USB

Wow, I'm getting a headache just looking at that mess.  This person went to extremes to avoid wire nuts, and made aggressive use of the notoriously flaky "back stab" connections in the quest to avoid wire-nuts.  This adds, I count, 5 unnecessary connections.  So buy some red wire nuts and some black and white solid THWN-2 #12. We're getting rid of all that noise.

However, the setup as-it-is has done a good job of matching wire colors to functions, so we're going to make full use of that. Color codes will be:

Black = Always-hot
White = Neutral
Red = Switched-Hot

Pigtail those receps on the bench

Normally we advise "Don't tear everything apart", but this time - yes, do that.  Unscrew the red wire from the right recep, but leave that attached to the left recep.  All other wires, remove them from the receps.  If you're willing to work there on your knees, you can leave ground attached to the right recep (that one's a little complicated to remove).

Now, I want you to attach pigtails as follows:

To the left recep: Put a black pigtail on the same side as the red pigtail, but on the other brass screw.    Also, put a white pigtail on a silver screw (either one).

To the USB recep: Put a black pigtail on the brass screw, and a white pigtail on the silver screw.

Now you match color to color.

Now, aside from grounds, you have 2 black 2 white 2 red coming out of the wall, and 2 black 2 white 1 red coming from receptacles. Join all the blacks on a red wire-nut.. Join all the whites on a red wire-nut.  Join all the reds on a red or yellow wire-nut.

And you're done.

So easy when it's color coded!

Now it's true, it's possible to make splices on the recep itself.  But you also saw how messy that makes things.  This, you can understand, right?  So will the next person.  Onward power only goes through 1 splice instead of 6.  And you get to do the pigtailing on the bench!


If I want to deodorize my carpet with baking soda, should I spray water on the baking soda?

Baking soda needs to be in contact with the odors to work.  If the baking soda is wet, it will not really work at all because the water will be blocking the odors from getting near the surface of the baking soda.  I also suspect it would be a real mess to clean up.

In the past I've tried baking soda on carpets (dry!) and found it to be a waste of time.  A professional steam cleaning is probably the most effective solution.


2 wire smart thermostat nest but no RC or RH

The basic colors are Red =24v
White = heat
Yellow= cool
Green = fan
I have seen many different wiring ideas so it is best to verify how the existing one is wired or check at the control board and match that  common blue but I have also seen it as clear snd orange.


Can I tile over Linoleum felt paper on a concrete slab?

It is not uncommon to apply a coat of embossing compound over a firmly bonded vinyl floor, then tile right over it. It certainly is not my favorite method, but as long as the existing vinyl is well adhered and not curling at sides etc. the tile should stay down well.

Since you have already removed most of the vinyl, I would not worry too much about some left behind backer. Get as much off as you can, and don't leave any loose paper. If any of the leftovers will soften easily with water, soak them a bit and remove it. Other than that, if it is stuck good, go ahead and tile over it.


How do I remove permanent marker from a solid hardwood table?

Often permanent markers can be removed with isopropyl alcohol.  First, assuming you still have the markers, I'd try using this to remove it from a test surface.  If it works, then try on the bottom of your table to ensure it does not damage the finish.  If it is safe, then use it to try and remove the marker from your table.


How to close a doorway between two apartments?

First off, opening a common wall between two separate living units is fine if you occupy both units. It is however against most fire codes to have such a doorway between separate units. Now that you are selling one, you will need to reframe the opening and cover BOTH SIDES with the proper fire rated sheathing, ie: 5/8 or two 1/2 inch pieces of drywall.

To do this, you should frame the opening with 2X4's on sides, top, and a center stud. Attach the drywall as you would for any other interior wall. Tape the seams and use joint compound to smooth the joints. Refinish/paint etc. This will restore the wall to it's original specification. Anything less than a proper fire rated repair should/would be picked up by a competent home inspector and will have to be repaired properly before you can close on the sale anyway. Good luck.


10k btu should cool a fairly large room but 2 rooms maybe not, I found that the problem with these units is the filters get plugged up and removed then the coils get plugged up with dust and they don’t work as well.
A 20 degree delta +-2 is a good rule of thumb for a clean unit and if your unit has a txv or thermal expansion valve sometimes a slight adjustment will allow for a larger delta. It could have gotten bumped when it was serviced or cleaned by others the bulb in solid contact turns off the flow of refrigerant two far away two much flow the coil will ice up (this happens when really dirty also).
Can you shine a flashlight behind the coils and see the light if you open the filter housing? Or looking through if no light passes it could use a cleaning.
A can of aerosol coil cleaner is less than 10$ at most big box stores a can may be enough for your unit. (The can may show a window ac that’s ok your unit is really a very high end window unit put in the wall) .
Don’t be tempted to use vinegar acids etch the fins and eat the galvanized coating then they start rust.
I think foaming cleaners are the best they push the dirt and dust out. If there is or was a smoker in the house get 2 cans smokers really plug the evaporator coils but they clean up really well.
Since the unit was recently serviced I would expect it to be in good shape but a clean unit will cool much better than a dirty unit. As we hit temp extremes the delta may drop a bit but should be 20 for most systems and can be much higher but this brings other issues like freezing up excessive condensation on the discharge side.


Can I use two layers of window film to create a narrow, convection-reducing gap?

Reducing convection is a minor concern. The benefit described in that answer is trivial compared to the benefit of sealing against airflow through leaky windows. As a proportion of total heat loss, convection is very small as compared to drafts.

There would be a benefit to adding a second layer, but not primarily due to convection restriction.

A second layer of film adds insulation on its own. I wouldn't clutter your view with bubble wrap, which provides relatively little additional benefit. Because the seal between the first and second layer of film is (presumably) better than the seal between the inner layer and the outside world (due to a leaky window), the net benefit of a second layer is already better than the benefit from just the first layer.

All that said, the savings afforded by a second layer may not outweigh the cost of the product. My advice (having owned older homes in Minnesota) is to do a good job of installing one layer and be happy.


What is this part of a double hung window sash called?

Those are safety catches that prevent the window from being opened all the way.

They pop out, and with the window unlocked, they let it open just a few inches. Supposedly an intruder cannot open the window enough to crawl in, and more importantly a child cannot crawl or fall out.

If these little catches are not in place then all you have are cosmetic closure caps.

Here is a photo:


Venting the attic space during summer to cool the house

Given that hot air raises, have you considered a Passive Stack Ventilation system.  Basically:

A tall pipe coming out of the top of your loft so the hot air can raise
You must not have bends in the pipe or it does not work as well
The topping on the pipe must not add much to the flow resistance
The sizing of the pipe is important (sorry can’t help on this)

Too wide you don’t get fast enough upwards air movement.
Not wide enough, you get to much air resistance

The pipe must come out of the top of the loft and be high enough above the roof
Soffit venting of some type so the colder air can get in at the bottom

The system will only tent to pull air though the loft when the outside air is colder than the air in the loft (just what you need).

Given the correct conditions and design, a Passive Stack Ventilation system will work forever with no running cost or maintenance.  Get anything wrong and it will not work at all.

Also check that your ceilings are well sealed, otherwise all the expensive cold air from your AC will just go up into the loft and be vented out.


If the fill valve puts water into the reservoir every few hours this indicates that water is leaking through the flush flapper that neds to be replaced. If the fill valve does not flow water as soon as the toilet is flushed to refill the reservoir then the fill valve should be replaced. Both items are not expensive and are replaceable They can be purchased at Home Depot, Lowes, or any hardware or plumbing supply store.


Since you said "hard freeze", I'm guessing your from an area where it normally doesn't get below freezing.  If this is the case, and the cold temperatures aren't going to last more than a day or two. You likely won't have any problems, since the heat from the home should keep the water above freezing (assuming the plumbing is in conditioned space, before going outside).

If you have a shutoff for that faucet inside the house, I'd definitely close that one and open the outdoor faucet.

If the freeze is going to last a few days, you could open the faucet a bit to allow the water to trickle.  Moving water tends to not freeze as quickly, so letting it run could prevent it from freezing.

There are also insulated hose bib covers available, which can be installed to prevent freezing. Since your bib is leaking, this may or may not work.


What kind of store sells wood that isn't pine or MDF?

I ran across this issue when building custom shelves.  Found that the right search term is "Specialty Wood Suppliers".  Add your area in and you will probably find something near you.


What is the difference between an AFCI and a whole house surge protector?

Yes.

An Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) is designed to detect arcing faults within a home, and interrupt power to prevent fires. A Combination Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter (CAFCI) will detect both parallel and series arcs, while an AFCI will only detect parallel arcs

A whole house surge protector is designed to divert surges coming from outside the home, to prevent damage to electronics within the home. Typical surge sources would be, nearby lightning strikes (it likely will not protect against direct strikes), malfunctioning service equipment, etc.


You are right to be concerned about switched neutrals. A dangerous situation.

You can test it by using a non-contact tester similar to this one

Turn on the breaker (after making sure no terminals are touching anything metal). Check the wires going to each of the switches. If wired correctly, one of each should be hot.  If they are not, you have a switched neutral.

Hot should be labled black, red or blue. White wires are often used for hot on switch loops, but they are supposed to be labeld black with marker, paint or tape.

If you do find a switched neutral, you need to rewire the circuits. This may be a time to call in a pro.

Images and links are for illustration only, not an endorsement of goods or sources.


What type of chimney liner and vent pipe are required for a wood stove?

Check local codes. I suspect triple wall will be needed but may be able to use double wall. Ohio and TN is triple. H-D contractor's desk should be able to tell ya?


Is the fibrous material in this plaster coving asbestos?

If it's traditional plaster, it's horse hair.  When horses were common transport, horsehair was cheap.  Like dogs, horses shed each year.  Stuff was used for cushions too.  More recently they are more likely to use fiberglass, or some form of plastic fiber.

Plant fibers could also be used.  Jute, sisal, flax (linen).


This noise is not from the bulb, it is from the LED driver. Each LED driver (it is a small circuit board usually inside the bulb, sometimes also called LED ballast) has an inductor inside (bunch of wire wound on a ferrite core). During operation, the current via this inductor rapidly appears and disappears. If the circuit is using cheap parts or is improperly designed, this may cause noise (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coil_noise for more details).

The core problem is that your driver is not good enough -- maybe engineer made a mistake, maybe the factory did not put enough epoxy on the coils. The only easy way to fix it to to replace the driver.

There is a small chance that your problem is incompatibility between the dimmer and the driver, but in this case noise should disappear as you turn the brightness to maximum.


How can I install a recessed light container in an abnormally thick ceiling?

There is a category of power tool called a multi-tool that is basically a very small saw usefull in cutting in tight spaces.

After you cut the initial hole, this tool could be used to trim away  the area in the uper section on an angle to make room for your retaining arms.

The tools come in corded and cordless version, and at various price points. The are very handy and can do other things, such as spot sanding and grinding.


I was thinking the same as user19141. You can have more than one GFCI on a single branch circuit. But only if they are wired correctly. If we pretend we are electrons traveling down your circuit, It would leave the panel and go to your first GFCI at some point. If than at that first GFCI you leave that box on the load screws on your GFCI and run to a couple more plugs, than another GFCI. It will not work properly. The point being that another GFCI can not be ran off the load side of another GFCI. Perhaps this is the case? And it just started acting up because thats the way it goes sometimes!


Carrier Weathermaker 8000 AC not stopping

The outdoor unit's contactor is welded shut, most likely

My first port of call at this point would be to check the contactor in the outdoor unit that turns power to the compressor on and off based on the Y signal from the thermostat -- if the contacts on that are welded shut, then the air conditioner will run constantly no matter what the thermostat and control board have to say on the matter.


3 wire subpanel to a new 3 wire subpanel

Absolutely not.  You cannot run 3-wire to your sub-sub-panel.

You will need to run 4-wire from the grandfathered subpanel to the new sub-sub-panel.  You will need land the neutral and ground feeders on neutral and ground buses in the existing subpanel.  You will need to separate ground and neutral buses on the new panel.

Tell you a story.  A company did a remodel on an old 2-story building.  They needed wheelchair accommodations in upstairs hallways and bathrooms. "Why?" they said, "will wheelchair users drag their wheelchairs up the stairs?" (in fact, they do).  Three years later, they built another building right next to it, with a 2nd floor walk-between.

The other shoe will eventually drop, you will want to upsize the existing feeder.  At that point you will go 4-wire, and since the new extension is 4-wire, you are Code complete.

Save money other ways

The current subpanel has the same breaker size as the intended feed to the sub-subpanel. As such, the $40 subpanel breaker feeding the sub-sub is redundant.  Get rid of it.  If the subpanel has feed-thru lugs, you can just tap them.  Otherwise you can get a lug "breaker" that fits in two breaker spaces but is just lugs.

The sub-sub does not need a main breaker.

AA-8000 Aluminum wire is your friend in feeders (not least, the lugs you'll be attaching to are aluminum, why create a dissimilar metals issue when you're paid not to).  You should use 1-1-1-3 Al instead of 3-3-3-5 Cu, so your cable cost will be $100 instead of $250.

3-wire aluminum cable in these sizes is likely AA-1350 alloy, which was outlawed except for service drops/laterals which are outdoors.

I already bought the cable. --->> At these large sizes, most of the cable's value is mineral value.  Strip the insulation off and take it to the metal recycler.


how to connect an electric heater with 2 black wires to the wall?

They don't make cables with black/black/green

Since /2 cables do not come in black/black/green as a color combination, and running neutral to a heater that will never need it is rather pointless anyway, the previous installer ran a regular /2 cable (black/white/green) and used the black and white as the two hots.

So, with the power off, connect one heater black to the black from the wall, the other heater black to the white from the wall, and the greens together and to a box grounding pigtail if the box is metal.  While you're in there, put a wrap of black electrical tape on the white wire from the wall to mark it as a hot and save the next installer the trouble.


Should I replace ELV 12V transformers with LED drivers?

How to apply LED lights
You should probably read Lutron Application Note 559. It describes how to attach LEDs to that dimmer, and makes specific product recommendations.

They have two different groups of LED lights they recommend, depending on if you want to dim down to 20% or want even lower light.
How to install the ELV “transformer”
Firsts, you must use a device that is approved (NEC 110.2), and that means UL-Listed (not RU-Recognized), or another equivalent “NRTL” such as ETL or CSA will suffice.  No CE, no cheap Cheese junk off Amazon.
Second, you must follow the installation instructions that come with it, since those are part of the UL listing etc.  They will tell you where you can and can’t fit it.  As long as you install it per the approved instructions, you’re golden.
LED drivers are probably not what you want, at least I don’t think they are what you think they are.  But as you see with “transformers”, it’s very common for people in LED marketing to toss around the wrong words for things.  I would build out at least one pendant light with exactly the products which Lutron recommends in Note 559, so if problems come up, you can narrow it down between the dimmer, “transformer” or LED.


Is it safe for dryer vent ducts to overlap in different directions?

You basically answered your own question.

No one here should answer you and say "it's safe" and even if they did, would you blindly trust that as the final answer?

Is it safe to walk over Niagara Falls on a tight rope? If you are Nik Wallenda, yes. Should he do it? That's debatable, but he did - and indeed, many safety precautions were taken.

Dryer vents are NEVER EVER EVER "Install and forget." All families drying clothes are different sizes, and the clothing they own are different materials, and qualities. Even the dryer itself has a YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) effect on the amount of lint passing into the tube. Eventually, the tube will have to be cleaned.

Technically speaking, at any given point in time a dryer tube with lint in it could catch fire (think cause and effect/affect; intentional pun). So anything you do that negatively impacts the desired laws of physics (as you have correctly described their relevance in your pictures above) increases the mathematical likelihood of an eventual fire by some factor.

The real point is that you should install it the right way. Regardless of if you follow through with installing it the right way, you should develop a schedule of checking it and cleaning it at regular intervals.

I do not sell nor necessarily advocate this product, but products like this are made that are supposed to give you feedback on when it might be time to clean your duct work. I bought this device and in about 6 months will be checking my recent duct work install to see how clean it is and probably clean it for good measure.

Whatever you choose to do, I recommend you go with what gives you peace of mind and just be sure to check it at a regular interval regardless.


Is this line voltage thermostat sufficient?

Six-foot baseboard heaters are sold in varying voltage and wattages. You can buy a 1250 watt, 1500 or even 2-3000 watt heaters in the six foot lengths. So, I would not assume anything about your old heaters. On a 20-amp circuit, you can have a maximum of  3850  watts. So, you might be within that limit, you might not. There's my caveat. So if you're installing exactly what you had, you could be "safe".
See this chart https://king-electric.com/pro-tips/sizing-the-heater-circuit/


Loosen the set screws.
Pull handle off (may have to tap or wiggle handle to get it to come off).
Use a flathead screwdriver to pry the  escutcheon (rose, rosette) off (pry right near the dimple, to release the rose).
Once free, slide the escutcheon off.
Remove the screws that were hidden.


Brass/plastic part to keep toilet seat lid from lying back too far

I have tried all kinds of search terms with no luck.
I would suggest that you affix something  to the tank that the seat will rest against instead of the flush handle. It would need to be thick enough to stop the seat before it reaches the handle (and not so thick that the seat will not stay up)
Perhaps a nice piece of foam wrapped in some material that matches your decor or towels.
You could use some light duty hook and loop fastener (Velcro) on it and the tank to affix it so you could remove it form washing it and cleaning the toilet.
If it proves to be successful then we can advertise it with late night TV infomercials and make millions.

(Actually we could do that regardless of whether it works or is even necessary and still make millions as long as we speak loudly and with conviction)

OR You could even just place something on top of the tank thick enough to stop the seat before it reaches the handle (and not so thick that the seat will not stay up) like a decorative box to hold potpourri or scented matches or grandma's toilet paper cozy.


Should I add any additives when mixing Bifen IT

With credits to reddit, there are a few adjuvants to mix with Bifen:

Insect growth regulators: Pyriproxyfen (Nyguard), Methoprene (Precor).

Pesticide synergist: piperonyl butoxide (Exponent).

Wettable powders [?]


Can I use a polarized cord and plug to rewire a non-polarized clock?

You're absolutely right.

Since the original plug is non-polarized, the clock doesn't care which wire is live and which is neutral.  With the polarized plug, live is always going to be on one wire, and since the clock doesn't care which one, neither should you.

The only thing to worry about is that the new wire is the same gauge or thicker so that you can be sure that it will safely carry the current that the clock requires.


Circuit rewired to accept 5th receptacle

If the the AC power wires are connected to the receptacle using poke-in type connections then it is the possible source of your problem.

The string of receptacles are wired in a string. The AC feed starts at one end and feeds the first. Then another run of wire daisy chains to the second receptacle. This repeats to the last one in the string.

If you are using the poke in style terminations for the wires do know that the poke in lock mechanism inside the receptacle is fabricated out of the same piece of metal as that which engages the ends that you inserted into the outlet. If you had difficulty pulling out a plug it may have deformed the metal contact in such way that the poke-in lock on one of the wires has disengaged the wire and is not longer making a connection. All the downstream outlets that depended upon that wire will no longer be powered.

It is also possible that the hard to remove plug caused an improperly installed poke-in wire to slip out with just the flex of the contact as you tried removing the plug.

If this is the likely description of your problem it may be necessary to replace the problem outlet.

Many here also consider the poke-in style of wire terminations on outlets and switches to be crap. It is far better to use the screws supplied on the side of outlets to connect the wires.


Convert Light Switch to Light Switch + Outlet Combination

The Regulated and safest answers is No.
The DIY answer is absolutely not.

Why?

Running carpenter machinery of even the smallest type will use a good 300Watts? Then to the large saw tables or routers that can be anything between 800Watt and 2000Watts..
It can cause an electrical fire and will void any insurance of any kind in any country.

Light Outlet

By building regulation these should be about 1200Watts maximum.. That is 12 100Watt lights bulbs that is easily achieved in 3 rooms with 4 fittings... Also these wires are usually 1.25mm core which is way to small for heavy loads!

Solution

You will have to pull a SEPARATE, or find a separate socket that is handled by 1 breaker for this heavy machinery.

It might take a bit of work but this will be the best and safest way to do it. Pulling power from your DB(Distribution Board) you can put a new 15Amp breaker(220Volt) on the supply phase giving you extra 3300Watts just for your heavy tools. You also want to make sure to have earth leakage connected as this is a life saver in many cases!And that is no joke.

You would pull that using a 5mm2 Solid copper core cable. You can run it along the outside of the wall or in tubing but it MUST be in a shielded coating. If you run it within pipes within the walls unshielded wire is fine.

TIPS

When working on the DB, turn off the Main incoming power, usually a big switch before the DB in newer installations of somewhere outside your house. This can seriously hurt you if you don't.

A DB box should be neatly wired, like this.

Earth leakage, a life saver! It is easy to install however it can be costly, but its worth it!

Cables, this flex cable is commonly used

Cables, a shielded copper core flex cable, for extra safety!

Alternatives

If you really really cannot do it the proper way for whatever reason then you must seriously think about some safety precautions when connecting to your light switch. At least put a breaker 5amp(@220v = 1000Watts) after the light switch stop overload if any and then wire a plug in. Sometimes you can buy Isolated plugs with build in fuses. Try not to exceed 5AMP. This is highly unrecommended though.


Previous owner filled in fireplace shelves with incorrect brick. Can I chisel them out?

You might not get the original look back, but you can make it better.  I'd take grinding wheel and cut a deep groove in the outer ring of mortar, then go to town on the bricks in the middle (as the groove will protect the older brick from damage).  This will make quite a bit of dust, a dust shroud and HEPA vacuum rental are highly recommended, along with closing off the room.

After that operation, you may be stuck mortaring the inside of each nook smooth, as exposing the brick ends is a dicier proposition.  The new mortar, unfortunately, looks perfectly good and probably bonded quite well to the old brick.  The new brick and mortar may well be harder (even considerably harder) than the old.

Note the (now) traditional use for this space would for a flat screen TV.

See the two small holes, one of them with a metal expansion bolt?  There may have been a heavy picture or mirror here in the past.


Is tung oil a good product for natural oak cabinets?

It's possible-but-unlikely that there's nothing on them. Most likely they were done with a penetrating oil finish, - tung, walnut or linseed oils, or in the most minimal, least-color-changing but non-hardening realm, mineral oil.

You could use any of those (use BOILED linseed oil inside, or else that never hardens, either) again, though linseed and tung may darken the finish a bit, or your could simply put a coat of paste wax on (I prefer "bowling alley wax" for non-floor purposes - it does not have the grit that some floor waxes do, and I prefer the clear to the "tinted" stuff, as well.) You can also mix walnut or boiled linseed oil with paste wax, rub on, rub off. Check the "look" of anything you intend to try on a surface like the inside of a cabinet door to make sure it works for you before you apply it to the whole face of the cabinets.

Polyurethane will drastically change the look of the cabinets from a "more like raw wood" to "clear plastic coating over the wood" look. Whether that's good or bad is a matter of taste (and hard to go back from.)


How to cover gaps between hardwood floor and bottom of door frame

The short answer is that it isn't usually "fixed" by inserting something in that gap. Ideally there would have been an underlayment installed to bring the new flooring up to the level of the old, but I can see why that effort and expense would be foregone.
Just about anything you'd put in there will make the situation more conspicuous and possibly create more nooks for dust and dirt to accumulate. From an aesthetic standpoint I think I'd gently scrape away the caulk or whatever's on the door trim and call it done.
I'm not sure why you feel like you need to seal between interior rooms in your home--every door in mine has about a 1" gap under it anyway. If you do, here are some ideas...

Rope caulk: foam bead or plastic tubing that you'd insert under the trim, following its shape.
Custom-cut plastic or vinyl plates that match the shape of the trim profile. I'm really not sure how you'd make or procure these, but maybe someone with a 3D printer could help. You'd secure them with something like silicone caulk as an adhesive.
Simple rectangular plates of plastic or vinyl, sized to the outer dimensions of the trim.


Replacing light switch with dimmer - can't identify wire colours; no ground

Most likely, it makes no difference if you're installing a simple dimmer switch.  All a single pole switch does (even a dimmer) is interrupt a hot circuit.  If your switch installation instructions call for specific connections (i.e hot must be hot, switch leg must be switch leg), then use an electrical tester to determine the hot lead.


How do I clean a very dirty refrigerator?

There's a lot of good advice here on cleaning the inside of the fridge.  One thing I'd like to add:

Don't forget to periodically clean the fridge's coils. The coils are typically found underneath or on the back of the fridge, and are meant to dissipate the heat.  The coils will, over time, get blocked with dust etc. and the fridge runs less efficiently as a result of such buildup.    Keep the coils free of dust and you'll save money and extend the life of the fridge.  Use a vacuum with appropriate connectors, and be careful when moving the fridge, vacuuming the coils, etc.

Here's a good reference: How to Save Energy--Clean Your Fridge Coils


Is there an easier way to remove glued-down hardwood than hammer & pry bar?

It is a shame because it sounds as if your parquet is a good sound floor. If it is that hard to remove then you could lay straight onto it but I imagine there are height issues.

You can hire a small SDS masonry chisel which should get them up faster. Wear ear and eye protection.  I have a larger machine of this type on wheels that I use on commercial buildings. It saves hours of work.


What is indicated by a well pump temporarily recovering when shutting off the power for several hours?

In this particular case, when the well drillers came over, they agreed with many of the comments: it was either a bad pump, or a leak. They ruled out the leak after testing the water pressure directly at the well head. The submersible pump was over 275 feet down (at the very bottom of the well). The pump was determined to be as old as the house: 36 years old, and only 0.5 horsepower.


Why should an electric heater not be daisy-chained?

The first recommendation would be related to the amount of current such a device draws. If one uses an outlet multiplier or a power strip, one can add other devices which would increase the power draw, placing the chain in danger of overheating, fire or tripping a circuit breaker. One could argue that the operator can take the responsibility of not connecting other devices into the multiplier. This can be valid, but legal statements such as these "protect" the manufacturer.

My experience with outlet multipliers is that the quality can be suspect. A poorly made one may work fine with today's lower power electronics but have failures when subjected to high currents such as those drawn by heaters.

The second caution follows that heat generated by the heater should be be applied to the power outlet and power cord.

I have a different stand-alone heater which is connected to a power strip. The power strip power cord does not get warm, but the heater cord does get warm. If both levels of heating are engaged on the heater, providing maximum heat, the power strip pops/opens the breaker circuit, terminating power.

This places the responsibility of safe operation on me and I never activate both levels of heat simultaneously.

One could expect that if you observe caution, you can be successful operating your heater in a manner inconsistent with the safety instructions. If you can trust that others in the household will also use appropriate caution, all the better.


I have a double light switch in my living-room that I want to cancel out for the time being

Always turn off the power at the service panel before working on any house wiring.

The particular method depends on how the switches are wired.

If each switch has three wires (including the ground) connected to it, then the solution is very easy. For each switch: leave the ground wire connected, disconnect the other two wires from the switch terminals, straighten the ends, twist them together, and screw a wire nut onto the ends.

If any switch has more than three wires (including the ground) connected to it, then you need to make a diagram or photo to get help deciding which wires to twist together.


Is there a way to reduce the moisture content in wood in a short period of time?

Space heater, fans, blow dryers, sun, sit it on a roof on hot days (no rain)...  Basically how you would dry anything but this is too big to go in a dryer.


What went wrong with this wall, and how do we fix it?

It looks like the skim coat released , this can happen for many reasons the most common is getting wet. On the ceiling it may have been caused from poor prep work when the remodel was done. I don't see evediance in that 1 section that the new coating stuck to the base surface at all. So making sure the surface is clean will be important, I used to always wash walls in kitchens with TSP, trisodiumphosphate, I think a safer type is available than what I used to use but it is a very strong cleaner that removes grease and other surface contamination prior to resurfacing or painting. I think this is what wrong but it could also be from being wet, or if the skim coat was two dry when applied. In any case remove any loose areas clean then recoat if moisture is not found, if moisture is found the leak needs to be fixed first.


Is my plan for adding a sub-panel correct?

No a 60 amp breaker is way to big with 10/3 your max is 30 amp breaker with that wire size


How should I wire this White-Rodgers fan and limit control? What about the thermostat?

Here's the installation manual for that thermostat:
http://www.emersonclimate.com/Documents/White-Rodgers/instruction_sheets/0037-1558.pdf

You're right about L1 and L2, and about it not mattering which is which inside the thermostat housing.  It is a single throw switch so its terminals are interchangeable.

The yellow triangle labeled "2" in the diagram is any device you want to turn off when the temperature gets too high.  The installation manual uses an oil burner as an example of such a device.  In your case you'd leave that switch unwired, unless you want to rig up a solenoid valve to douse your wood fire.  :)


Crusty stuff coming up between basement floor planks

Some vinyl planking, like mine, has a thin layer of corkboard on bottom to help padding.
This is why orange-brown crust is seeping up. Moisture from slab is pushing thru the cork layer and forcing it up. In my case, just in very heavily traveled area in front of bar.
Just scraped mine up with plastic dish scrubber and put some lemon oil on it after.
Lasted 3 months and had to do it again. Cheaper than getting new floor!


How can water be diverted away from the street curb in front of my house?

Sure you can get rid of the water, but it would take re-grading the street or adding additional pipes.

The street is in the right-of-way so you’ll need a permit and engineered drawings. We often take care of our clients roads, maintenance, etc., but it’s expensive once the City has screwed up the layout and paving.

You have a “low spot” that will need to be 1) raised, or 2) additional underground drainage added.

1) If there is adequate slope, a topping can be installed and re-contour the street so the water drains away. An engineer will need to survey the area and show the City how it could be done.

2) Additional pipes could be installed, but , again, an engineering company will need to show depth, slope of pipe, size of pipe, how to connect (and where) into existing storm pipe, etc.


Should I frame a wall before or after installing the subfloor?

Sounds like your wall is perpendicular to the joists? You can do that within limits, but the new subfloor edges need to be supported. This means you need a row of blocking on each side of the wall. That doesn't sound easier to me.

From an overall structural standpoint, you would not want a discontinuous subfloor the entire length of the house, but for just the length of a bathroom it shouldn't be an issue, as long as the edges are supported.


How to create waterproof dog kennel floor?

Your idea of using a concrete slab is a good start, since you want to have a raised edge the assumption is you want containment, and since you also want to be able to hose it down you want a drainage / washable system.

Sounds very similar to what a food processing plant would do - so there are surface treatments you can make to the concrete that will allow you to wash it down even with chemicals.

Your slab should be poured with a grade - slant towards your drain system - and depending on how you want to handle that drainage i.e sewer system or other methods should determine how high up the slab should be for proper drainage (for example a pump system or gravity system).

Given your requirements , for the drain you might want to consider a catch system or a trench style drain (basically this is a grate with a drain underneath) - the slab should slope its grade towards the drain. Or you can use a simple floor drain with a removable cage to catch debris (so your drain does not get clogged - with hair or other things).

You should use an Epoxy type resin coating to cover the slab there are many types available but if you look for washdown epoxy floor coatings there are several manufacturers and types available.

Stonhard

Florock


How can I locate the entrance of a wasp nest, and prevent wasps from entering?

It MAY have been a carpenter bee. They look like big bumble bees, and are good to pollinate plants. However they will do a great deal of damage with the galleries they build, gradually eating away a lot of wood. Don't let them get a foothold or you will truly see a great deal of damage done.

A carpenter bee will drill a hole that is perfectly circular. They like cedar, and go for places like fascia boards and soffits. Then they turn, and will drill galleries just under the surface of the wood.

A symptom of carpenter bees is that you have woodpeckers hammering on your house. They will find the galleries, and can hear the echo as they tap against a hollow spot.

If it looked like a wasp, then it still has a nest there. A wasp will not just wander into a hole. It has a reason to go in there.

No matter what it is, I would suggest dusting the hole with an insecticide. (Delta Dust seems to work well for me. I use a bulb to inject the dust into a hole. Carpenter bees are not aggressive, but then stand well back, in case these are more aggressive wasps or hornets.)

If you find carpenter bees tumbling from the nest, wait until they are all dead. The last nest I got rid of had 15 (LARGE) bees in it. I had to repeatedly dust it until they all were dead. Then you need to clean out the galleries (I use a Rotozip tool for this) and fill them with caulk or Bondo, as otherwise the bees will just re-inhabit next year. And if you just fill the entrance hole, a hungry woodpecker may still find that nest.

Once you manage to eradicate the nest, yearly spraying will prevent them from building new nests. They will just find other places to live, NOT in your home.


Coarser sand is better.

Concrete sand would work much better than mason sand.

When I used to do pavers we would use crusher dust.

That being said, it's a patio and not a driveway or a road, so I don't think I would be overly concerned if I had already put down mason's sand.


How can I clean this older paint roller to make it usable again for painting my walls?

These are consumables

You wouldn't worry about reusing a rubber glove or a paper towel.  If it's pristine, sure... But generally you don't expect to.

That roller cover is $3, the hot dog is $1 and the brush is $2.

Stannius makes a good point about buying a quality brush and taking care of it.  That idea actually harkens back to the age when everything was brushed (and oil based) and the best brushes were badger.  It makes even more sense with latex/emulsion.  Won't work with 2-part paints, though.

It's a waste of your time

You used these supplies for a previous paint job.  At the end of that job, you left them in that state.  That means at that time, you chose to scrap them.

And that's fine. Cleaning them better would've taken more effort.  Your decision back them was probably correct.  Getting them clean is a lot of work and your time also has value.

Okay then... Here's how you save them

Short-term: you wrap them tightly in plastic, ideally in a ziplock bag and press all the air out.  Air makes them dry and cure.  If they are a 2-part paint such as an epoxy or LPU, you must put them in the fridge or freezer, and you will need a dedicated fridge just for that, because the fumes will contaminate food. I can get 2-4 days tops this way.  This doesn't always work, if your wrapping is poor they will dry in the bag.  If you don't want to chance it, use the following longer term methods.

Long term:

Latex/emulsion paints:  you work them in soap and water.  A lot.   You work soap and water into them aggressively, rinse, over and over.  Brush/roll on a clear surface (such as the bottom of the sink) to see how well you are doing.  You are done when they are so clean it is impossible to tell what color you had been painting.   For rollers, some multi-purpose paint scrapers have a hook for squeezing out rollers.

source

Alkyds, lacquers, and other oil base: Paint the brush out as far as possible on masking paper (don't use newspaper). Splash it with a bit of thinner, work the thinner in, and brush it out again.  Repeat until diminishing returns.  Now put 1/2" of thinner in the bottom of a soup can and work the brush in it.  Dump the thinner, repeat until the thinner runs nearly clear.  Hang the brush by the hole to dry.  Try not to spend more on thinner than the brush is worth, and don't do this on Spare The Air days.

For rollers, toss them in the trash unless you have a useful application for the paint-contaminated thinner you'll burn through trying to clean them.  For instance I'm fond of painting ultra-thin, and so I save the thinner for later reducing the next coat.  Roll them out on masking paper, put 1/8" of thinner in a clean roller tray, roll through the thinner, squeeze it out as dry as possible, recycle that thinner, repeat until clean.

2-part coatings of any kind that come in an A and B part: into the trash it goes. Because you definitely will spend 4x the brush's worth in the expensive solvent.

I just did an LPU project.  I ordered 3 boxes of chip brushes, and 20 of the exotic LPU tolerant rollers.  They are a consumable, like thinner.

How to save dried out plastic roller trays: soak them in water, for a really long time.  I found this out when I abandoned a tray I had used too many times for 2-part epoxy primer.  It filled with rain.  The epoxy coating chipped and blistered, I flexed the tray and the coating just popped out in chips.  This surprised me, as epoxy coatings are used to line the inside of tanks.    That works because roller trays have a very glossy finish paint doesn't want to stick to. The water gave it the nudge it needed to let go.  It would not happen in a properly prepared tank interior.


Does IR remote work through acrylic glass?

Here's a search result from ePlastics, a reliable plastics manufacturer (companies I have worked for have bought from them repeatedly).

  Infrared transmitting (IRT) sheet was specifically formulated for projects requiring ultraviolet (UV) and visible light blockage while allowing infrared (IR) transmission starting about 750nm. The physical properties of this product are the same as standard extruded sheet and thus the same fabrication techniques apply. What makes this product special is its ability to transmit light in the IR region. We stock this in 0.060" and 0.118".

  Note: All plexiglass sheet is infrared transmitting. This grade is
  opaque to visible light and allows infrared light through. Unlike
  glass, you can put all grades of plexiglass in front of DVR's, cable
  boxes, DVD players, etc. and your remote control, wireless router,
  etc. will still work. This particular acrylic material is black and
  only transmits infrared, which makes it ideal for hiding a CCD video
  camera.

While it's probably not safe to say that all acrylics transmit all frequencies of IR light, based on this I would say it's safe to say that most acrylics (and Plexiglas brand specifically) would allow transmission of remote control signals.

The particular result above is for a plastic that is opaque to visible light, but if you're looking for clear, you could probably call them and verify that the clear versions transmit IR light, even if you're not going to buy from them.


How should I vent bathroom exhaust fans in an old brick house with slate roof?

Cutting a hole through brick is no big deal.  You could use one of these as a disposable hole saw for $20:

Or one of these as the "right" tool, which will be reusable for $75:

Most hole saws require a 1/2 inch drill plus a ~$10 arbor, both of which will be very useful for other projects in the future, like installing door knob sets in new doors, installing plumbing, ductwork, plenums, and all kinds of projects in plywood, sheet metal, lumber, plastics, etc.

When making the hole, take care to slant it slightly downward (2%—1/4 inch per foot—is typical) toward the outside to prevent rain, etc. from finding a path indoors.  Install a vent device with a damper to prevent hot/cold air from coming inside when the fan is not on, and seal the hole at the outside surface thoroughly with silicon caulk.

Slate can be cut by this type of blade too, but holes through the roof are often fussier to make leak free.


Allen key bolts vs Phillips head make a difference?

A Phillips head bolt can be more difficult to drive tight than one with an Allen (or hex) head, because the screwdriver will easily slip out of the screw when resistance increases. The way the hex key fits in to an Allen bolt will prevent it from slipping.
However, NoSparksPlease's comment about thread pitch is probably your main issue. Looking for an M6 bolt is only half the battle. You have to have the right pitch and length, as well. If the thread pitch is right, you shouldn't run into nearly as much resistance to driving the screw and a Phillips head should do the job.


How many cables are you allowed to run through a single hole in a wooden floor joist?

Nonmetallic-Sheathed Cable

The Answer

According to the National Electrical Code, you can have 4 12/2 nonmetallic sheathed cables through a single bored hole that is fire- or draft-stopped using thermal insulation, caulk, or sealing foam, or where proper spacing is not maintained for more that 24 in. If you maintain proper cable spacing (which is defined by individual cable manufacturers) where not passing through joists, you can jam as many cables as you like (without damaging the cables) through a bored hole (that is not fire- or draft-stopped using thermal insulation, caulk, or sealing foam).

The Work

Article 334.80 tells you that you can use the 90°C column from Table 310.15(B)(16) for derating, but the final value must not exceed the 60°C column.  If you look at Table 310.15(B)(16), you'll find that 12 AWG copper wire is rated at 30 amperes at 90°C and 20 amperes at 60°C.

Table 310.15(B)(3)(a) tells you that with 7-9 current carrying conductors, you'll have to derate the ampacity by 70%.  So with the information from Table 310.15(B)(16), and Table 310.15(B)(3)(a). The math is quite simple.

4-6 current carrying conductors
30 amperes * 80% = 24 amperes
7-9 current carrying conductors
30 amperes * 70% = 21 amperes
10-20 current carrying conductors
30 amperes * 50% = 15 amperes

Which shows that you can have between 7 and 9 current carrying conductors through the bored hole, before the wires are derated below 20 amperes (from Table 310.15(B)(16) 60°C column). Since each 12/2 cable has 2 current carrying conductors, you can figure that only 4 cables can pass through the bored hole (2 * 4 = 8).

The Codez

  National Electrical Code 2014

  Article 334 Nonmetallic-Sheather Cable: Types NM, NMC, and NMS

  II. Installation

  334.80 Ampacity. The ampacity of Types NM, NMC, and NMS cable shall be determined in accordance with 310.15. The ampacity shall be in accordance with the 60°C (140°F) conductor temperature rating. The 90°C (194°F) rating shall be permitted to be used for ampacity derating purposes, provided the final derated ampacity does not exceed that for a 60°C (140°F) rated conductor. The ampacity of Types NM, NMC, and NMS cable installed in cable tray shall be determined in accordance with 392.11.
  Where more than two NM cables containing two or more current-carrying conductors are installed, without maintaining spacing between the cables, through the same opening in wood framing that is to be fire- or draft-stopped using thermal insulation, caulk, or sealing foam, the allowable ampacity of each conductor shall be adjusted in accordance with Table 310.15(B)(3)(a) and the provisions of 310.15(A)(2), Exception, shall not apply.
  Where more than two NM cables containing two or more current-carrying conductors are installed in contact with thermal insulation without maintaining spacing between cables, the allowable ampacity of each conductor shall be adjusted in accordance with Table 310.15(B)(3)(a).

  Article 310 Conductors for General Wiring

  310.15 Ampacities for Conductors Rated 0–2000 Volts.
  (B) Tables.
  (3) Adjustment Factors.
  (a) More Than Three Current-Carrying Conductors in a Raceway or Cable. Where the number of current-carrying conductors in a raceway or cable exceeds three, or where single conductors or multiconductor cables are installed without maintaining spacing for a continuous length longer than 600 mm (24 in.) and are not installed in raceways, the allowable ampacity of each conductor shall be reduced as shown in Table 310.15(B)(3)(a). Each current-carrying conductor of a paralleled set of conductors shall be counted as a current-carrying conductor.
  Where conductors of different systems, as provided in 300.3, are installed in a common raceway or cable, the adjustment factors shown in Table 310.15(B)(3)(a) shall apply only to the number of power and lighting conductors (Articles 210, 215, 220, and 230).