Why are "Attefallshus" (Attefall houses) in Sweden not allowed to be on a land without a big house already on it?

Property values.
The same issue is coming up everywhere. In the old days, it was about mobile home parks. And subsidized housing (which tends to be "as small as the builder can get away with"). Now it is tiny houses. But the basic problem is the same:
Existing homeowners, and their elected officials, know that if there are a lot of smaller/cheaper housing units then it will, inevitably, lower the value of the larger units. If you currently have a large mortgage and a change will make your house be worth less, you want to prevent that from happening. Ironically, allowing tiny houses as add-ons to existing property does the exact opposite - having a second unit (as a rental or for a relative) increases property values.
In certain cases - with the smallest/simplest "houses" - there are very real differences that can very seriously justify not allowing them as the only building on a residential property:

Bathroom - including toilet, sink, tub or shower
Kitchen - oven + cooktop + sink + refrigerator
Minimum living space per person - this is a little more subjective, but it is quite clear that while a full-size house might be fine for anywhere from 1 - 8 people (and depending on the size of the house, possibly more), a tiny house might be practical only for between 1 - 3 people.
HVAC - This depends a lot on climate, but building codes normally enforce certain minimums so that a house can be kept at a comfortable temperature year-round.

So a "super tiny" house that doesn't have its own bathroom and/or kitchen would be, arguably, inappropriate as the only building on a residential property. The Attefallshus appears to satisfy these basic "livability" requirements. Which, to me, indicates the restrictions are based much more on NIMBY than actual practical concerns.
Many other things are more subjective. For example, many apartment buildings are not designed with laundry machines in every unit, so requiring a washer/dryer in every tiny house would seem a bit arbitrary.
Long-term, it seems to be generally better in many ways to allow for a variety of housing options. But in the short-term it is always "how does this affect me". The people living in the big houses count. The people who would be living in the small houses don't count, because they are not there yet!


Number of devices supported by one outlet

Check Wikipedia's AC power plugs and sockets and identify the connector and current rating (amps or 'A')for your sockets.

Figure 1. French power socket. Source Wikipedia.

The relationship between power, voltage and current is very simple: \$P = VI \$ where P is power (watts or 'W'), V is voltage (volts or 'V') and I is current (amps or 'A).

For example, if your sockets are capable of 10 A then the maximum power you can draw is given by \$ P = VI = 220 \cdot 10 = 2200~W \$.


What are these 3 thin lines draining into my sump well?

Suggestions for investigation:

(1) Temporarily attach it to a piece of transparent tubing held vertically above the sump, to see how high the water rises. This will give you a clue to the location of the source.

(2) Force high pressure air into it and walk around listening for a hissing noise.

(3) Stop it up and see what floods or overflows.  Be prepared with mops, bucket, shop-vac, etc.

(4) Inject a harmless dye or other tracer under pressure and see what turns colors.  Green is best for deniability if it turns out the source is not on your property.


When should I change / replace my water pipe?

Note, since you don't provide your location, my answer is based on a US water supply and building materials.

To answer the question that you asked, you don't replace the pipes in your house until they fail in some way (leaking), present a health hazard (.e.g lead pipes), or you need to move them for a renovation. Pipes are installed inside of the walls in such a way that they are not easy to access, which is one of the reasons that plumbing problems can be a difficult and expensive repair.

For the questions you didn't ask:

If your fixtures are old, you may want to replace them with newer fixtures that will have new valves, clean aerators, along with a better look.
If your water is bad, filter it. This solves the problem of bad water from your pipes (rare), bad fixtures, or from your water supply.
If your kettle is rusty, replace it if the kettle itself is rusting. Otherwise, clean it and use filtered water.


How can I get my shower head to increase water pressure?

First as Henry Jackson mentions the low flow shower heads are part of the the water consumption laws passed in the US.  I am not sure how the US compares to other countries.  I have done construction in France and in Spain and nobody has mentioned this to me and I never really thought about the pressure after installation - if I were to guess they seem to have a lot of pressure.

Removing the restrictor (sometimes referred to as the flow control by some manufacturers) is probably the easiest thing to do.

Actually let me take it one step further.  Given the green restrictor you see in the picture above, I don't want to totally take it out.  This is because the depth of the gasket that is over this may not match up well with this out and could be loose.  So I like to just remove the center part of the restrictor and put it back in how it was.  Boom - half of the shower heads I had issues with are fine after this.

The next factor we have to think about is how much water is making its way to the shower valve.  The size of the plumbing will determine how much water your shower is getting.  Most showers in the US are fed with 1/2" PEX or copper.  This should be plenty to get a pretty powerful shower.  If you have 3/8" or 1/4" feeding your shower this could cause low flow.  But this is usually pretty costly to fix and includes opening bathroom walls.  Some people will differ with my take on the 1/2" being enough and say that a shower head needs 3/4" - this is more personal preference but you can get a good shower from 1/2" in my opinion.

Then to go along with the amount of water pumped to the shower head another restriction point is the filter of your shower valve shown below.  If you have a newer shower valve they will come with on or two filters (hot/cold).  These become clogged and restrict water flow.  In the picture below there would be a mesh filter under the two smaller gaskets.  These can get clogged with mineral deposits or "dirty" water.  To clean these you can get a new filter from manufacturer or often you can just soak the screen in vinegar.  If the filters are really clogged often they will have damaged the filter mechanism enough that you will have to replace.

The next factor is if the head pressurizes the water.  Some manufacturers do a turbine type of effect that pushes out the water faster.  Others restrict the water before outputting which increases pressure.  Others add air into the mix to create pressure.  And others do something else or a combination.  This is really "what to buy" thing.  I don't want to get buying advice but I have bought these types and have been happy.  Read reviews.

The last factor that I can think of is how many outlets the shower head has and how big they are.  The less outlets for water to go through and the smaller they are will lead to more PSI output.  This is really a buying question too and one where you want to read specs and reviews on a shower head.  I tend to go for the mulit-function ones below that can adjust through 5-10 stages.  Usually 2-3 of them outputs pretty high.  (The picture below is not a recommendation, just an example)


Fernco coupling to join ABS drain pipes under basement?

Be quite difficult to use a normal abs coupling here.  The couplings have a stop built into them and you typically need flexibility in the two ends being joined.  These look concreted in.  If the connection is going to receive concrete on top of it I don't see any risk of this separating.  Rubber does tend to age, get brittle and crack over time.  I'd probably just embedded it in concrete on all sides, if the rubber does die overtime at least you still effectively have a concrete pipe directing the effluent into the other portion of pipe.

One thing I've done in the past is to take a hole saw and drill out the stop in a standard abs coupling, then slide the coupling onto one side of the pipe, abs glue the two sides and slide the coupling over top the two pieces.  The sides need to be quite clean and I did this with 2" pvc last time.  I am not sure how much force would be required on a 3 or 4" abs to pull the coupling over the glue.  I don't think I'd do that in this case.


Why does rust colored water come out of shower head?

When water doesn't flow from a faucet and remains "standing", rust will collect if the pipe is galvanized (steel). Most new plumbing is copper, but may have galvanized pipe or fittings, too. Rust is composed of iron oxide flakes. Ingesting it in small amounts can give you the daily recommended (for males) dosage of iron. There are also filters that can be installed just before the showerhead.


TLDR: 1/0 aluminum with #6 copper ground wire.  And yes, you can run straight through with either cable or wires-in-conduit, however, if you splice, you need a really big box.

Hold on. I'm a little unclear on your power requirements.

Provisioning

It seems like you're kind of armwaving the hot tub, but most hot tubs seem to take a 50A or 60A service, so let's be hopeful and call it 50A (provisioned).
The sauna with 8000W heater needs to be derated 125% to 10,000 watts, so we must provision 41.6 amps.
The 1000W wall heater also needs a 125% derate, so 1250 watts or 10.4 amps.
The tandem 20A breaker, you didn't say that that's for and I'm not sure a tandem is a sensible choice since it puts both 20A circuits on the same pole, requiring us to provision as much as 40A for them.

If you wanted to tandem the 20s to squeeze in to 8 breaker spaces, that's the road to perdition. Breaker spaces are cheap, replacing your panel because you cheaped out on breaker spaces is ex-pen-sive.  For a few latte's you can kick up to a 16-space or 20-space (not circuit) panel and never have to worry about spaces.  The extra room allows us to put those two 20A circuits on opposite poles.  They sit 20A side by side instead of stacking, so we only need to provision 20A for them.

The 15A circuit I assume is for lighting, and in the LED age that'll be negligible, so I'll provision 0A for that.  (by the way, if you don't want to have to buy two sizes of wire, you are totally allowed to do lighting in #12 / 20A).

Siemens makes a $30 generator interlock for that panel I linked. It ties two common 2-pole breakers so they can't be on at the same time.  If those breakers are for your hot tub and sauna, that means you only have to provision power for one of them :)

So, provisioningwise, with the two 20A circuits on opposite poles (not stacking) I see 50+41.6+10.4+20= 122 amps. Whoa.

Now if we interlock the hot tub+sauna, then 50+10.4+20 = 80.4A, call it 80A.

Wire sizing - distance and metal

Upsizing wires is appropriate for long distances, but that's not a suicide pact.   It pays to spend some time with a voltage drop calculator and figure out what happens to voltage drop when you use various size wires.  The "rule of thumb" says 3% is an ideal, but Code is more concerned with 8% overall. So let it slip past 3% a good distance if not doing so will waste money.

Speaking of wasting money, at #6 or larger it starts to become time to look at aluminum wire. My answer here really drives that home (they have a 260' run @ 100A, but hold that thought).

If this were a short distance and your load were really 70A, you could use #4 copper or #2 aluminum ($486 or $210). We are using Table 310.15b16, and we're required to work out of the 60C column because we are less than 100A.

But this won't do, for two reasons. First your load is really 80A+++. And second you need to make a wire-size bump because of the distance.   So we look at the very next size up, #3Cu or #1Al ($594 or $312), good for 80A @ 60C.  But a funny thing happens here.  At 100A, we're able to use the 75C column. And these same 3Cu/1Al wires are good for 100A @ 75C.   So we get a free bump to 100A.

Mind you, the "free bump" doesn't have any effect on our voltage drop.  The voltage drop is still a big deal.  So what if we make one more bump, and what does that do to price? So we bump to 1/0Al ($354). (copper is over the moon at this point).

1/0Al is good for 120A @ 75C.  They don't make 120A breakers, so we round up to 125A.  So we can actually breaker this thing for 125A and power everything, no interlock needed.  How bad would voltage drop be at that point?  My calc says 3.10% voltage drop, red alert, it's over 3.00% - lol just kidding, 3.1% will be peachy.  We can power everything.

But wait. Aren't we paying extra to power everything?  Yeah, our previous option was the #1 aluminum for $312.  $354 - $312 = $48.  We're spending 48 extra dollars to fully provision all the power we'll need. Sounds like a good investment to me!

So you're going to spend about 70 extra bucks listening to me... buying much larger panel and wire.  What's this whole project, about $10,000?  Don't worry about $70.  Besides, if I steered you away from copper, I just saved  you about $300.

Routing

Can it be run in one continuous shot?  Absolutely.  If you want to splice it at the transition, that's allowed, but it needs to be inside a junction box and the junction box needs to be fairly large, practically gutter sized - ask a separate question about that.

In either segment, you can use either cable, or conduit.  With conduit you can use either cable or individual wires. Individual wires (THWN-2 or XHHW-2 or USE-2/RHH/RHW-2) must be inside conduit. For practical DIYing, use 1-1/2" conduit.  Cable is very stiff, so it requires a bigger 2" conduit to be DIY friendly.

Underground, direct burial cable needs 24" of cover over top of wires. Conduit requires only 18" cover, or merely 6" cover for expensive Rigid and IMC conduit (12" under driveways).

My own preference is conduit the whole way, however theft is a consideration: a lot harder to steal direct burial wire.

Grounding

With two services in such close proximity, you really need to make sure your grounding is absolutely tip-top.  There is a genuine likeihood of the ground potentials being quite different between the two services.  This is no place to be playing "cheapie" games like forgetting the ground wires in each feeder and thinking the ground rod will suffice.

Imagine there is 120V ground potential difference between the service that supplies the hot tub and the service that supplies the building... they are different transformers, surely.  That means between the local ground rod at the hot tub, and the local ground rod at the building, there could be 120V of ground differential 10' apart from each other.  That will create a ramped voltage on the ground, meaning different voltage under each foot!  Now if that was a product of transformer leakage, the voltage difference could be 2400V, and that will kill you.

This is nothing to toy with, especially around water.

So I would link those two ground rods with a buried copper ground wire. Or simply both tap the same rods.


What mortar mix for flaunching on chimney stack?

Nobody answered so I went with:

2 parts sharp sand
1 part soft/builders sand
1 part cement

Seemed to work ok.


Trying to rehab tired plaster ceiling need help please

You'll want to use a setting type compound, like Durabond, for the initial "fill-in" coats. Then regular joint compound is OK after that, in multiple thin coats.

Wet the old plaster prior and during the first coat, with a well wrung sponge, or mist it with a spray bottle. Don't soak it, just get it damp.

On the finishing coats, you don't have to get it wet, but do allow plenty of drying time, between coats, and wipe any sanding dust off, between coats with a well-wrung sponge.

Do not put regular joint compound directly on the old plaster - it will dry out too fast, shrink,  and fall off. The interface layer of "Setting Type" (I use Durabond 90, in the bags), is required, if you plan to finish with "All-Purpose" premixed joint compound.

Note: It is entirely OK, and recommended, to work in small sections at a time - don't try to get it all done at once, or even in one day.


What paint do I use to paint wood in a bathroom?

I'd suggest a quality primer (Killz would be a good brand) and then a high-gloss latex, perhaps with an anti-mildew additive (most paint departments will have anti-mildew bases designed for high moisture areas).


Look on the left hand side, in front of the gas filler.  There's a black plastic cover, about 4"x6".  That's the air filter.  The carburetor is right behind that.  Here, I think:


No air in one room in flat roof house, why?

Either a damper is wrongly in the closed position or ducting has come loose. If it is an adjustable damper, then it should in an accessible location, e.g., in an attic utility space. Another possibility is that a duct is plugged or crushed.

If you want to try to analyze the problem yourself, remove the register grill in the room and see what you can. If the duct makes a turn near the register, then you won't be able to see far. You could lay a flashlight inside, then use a mirror on a rod to look inside the ductwork.

I would think that there are cameras that are used to look inside HVAC ductwork, but that would be a professional instrument. Plumbers use those to examine sewage drain lines and you'd want to be sure if you got the use of a camera that it had never been used on drains.


Proper framing for connecting two deck beams together

A skewed joist hanger is the right solution. The key is be sure that the one you choose is robust enough for the intended use. Simpson Strong-Tie, for example, often make similar hangers in several metal gauges and nailing configurations.

When in doubt, go with the heavier one (though your application is fairly light-duty).

Strong-Tie skewed hanger product page
Strong-Tie skewed hanger PDF
(Links for reference only.)


Did I ruin my bathroom faucet during descaling?

Im am no expert in this topic, But I do clean metals often. I can only say what I would try. Most of the time the answer is just to polish and clean manually.

From what I can see, you have relatively hard water, and you tried to clean mineral deposits off the faucet. The Vinegar was the correct application, however you are left with some residual mineral deposit which was not removed by the acid wash (vinegar)

I would try now to clean the excess deposits manually. what you don't want to do is damage the chrome surface so steer clear from any sand papers or rough pads you should only use sponge or cloth. Also recommended is to use some toothpaste as your abrasive additive, it will have just enough grit to get the chrome clean.

Try to find a long thin piece of cloth, put a dab of toothpaste and wrap the cloth around the tap, then pull both ends one at a time to make a diy polisher.  If you could get one person to "shank" the cloth (pull-pull motion) while you use the back of a spoon to press the cloth harder against the tap (at a point) you will get some really good polish action going.


Will dark gutters stay ice free better than light colored gutters?

I had problems on the south side of the house with the elbow and spouts coming out from the elbow at the ground level freezing up. Last winter I wrapped the bottom elbow and spout with black plastic bags and I had  no freezing. You must brush the snow off of the black so the sun can do its job.I am thinking of painting the bottom elbow and spout flat black this year. I am in Wisconsin so the winters are cold.


Is it OK if the house's roof makes noise

Roof construction varies depending on where you live. In the north  you need to build to contend with a heavy snow load so roof trusses are more numerous and stronger. Sothern climes, not so much. Further, the roof cladding makes a difference. Many roofs in Europe are covered with tile or slate, which is heavy and needs the extra support.

All buildings will creak and groan to some extent in the wind even steel high-rises. Though you may not notice in stronger buildings.

As for tornadoes.... If the roof blows off.. the drywall wont matter.

In some cases, wood frame is actually better than say brick. A wood frame house will creak and groan and bend, but except in the strongest wind, will not, if constructed correctly, catastrophically fail like a brick or cinder build building. In hurricane areas you will often find the timber frame buildings still standing surrounded by piles of rubble. Same goes for earthquake regions.

One more thing though. Creaking and growning is ok... Banging is not and is an indication that a roof panel has come away from its fastening and should be corrected immediately.


As others have said, contacting the inspector is the best way to determine what they expect.  As for which circuit to install an outdoor receptacle on, I'd go with the garage circuit. It's already GFCI protected, and in my mind makes more sense on a garage circuit than a bedroom circuit.


What should I do to make good on some lightly water damaged plaster?

If the surface is undamaged and it sounds solid just leave it to dry out completely. If it's now dry to the touch then it is drying out. If there was a lot of water coming in it will take a while to dry out.

Once it has dried then seal it with a coat of thinned white emulsion before putting the main colour on or wallpapering.

One caveat though - it could be permanently stained so it might still look damp but be perfectly dry - so even if the discolouration hasn't changed in week (or so) it will be safe to decorate. What you could do in the first instance is just paint. If there is still a problem with the damp it will quickly show up and you can then look at replastering.


60A two pole breaker supplying a sub panel (220v) - how many amps for separate 110v legs?

Jeffrey is correct. You will have 60 amps of 240 volt power available.

As to the use of single pole breakers for a multiwire branch circuit, that is a code violation unless the breakers are tied together with a handle tie from the manufacturer. You can't use tie wire, a nail, or any other unapproved method. Better yet, you can use a common trip 2 pole breaker. This is the preferred method.

Informational Note: 110 and 220 volts are not normally available now. The voltages keep moving up. Most equipment is now rated for 125 and 250 and the National Electrical Code lists 120/240 or 120/208 as the nominal voltages for dwelling units.


How can I reconnect the tension cable to the bottom of my overhead door?

There should be a cable on both sides of the door that go up to pulleys on a long rod mounted above the door. In the centre of the rod will be a large coil spring that is affixed at one end to the wall.

As the door is brought down the rod rotates and winds up that spring. The spring acts as a counterweight for the door so it only takes a few pounds to lift the door rather than lifting the entire door weight.

When the door is fully open the spring should be relaxed. When open, each pulley can be untightened separately and turned by hand, or with a lever to adjust the tension on the wires.

DO NOT ATTEMPT that with the door down. There is a lot of energy stored in that spring.

Getting the tension the same on both sides is important to ensure the door travels true and mates with the floor evenly.


Are self-grounding outlets appropriate for use in metal boxes with BX cable?

If the BX is properly installed, the cable's metal jacket should provide a ground path. BX should always be connected into metal boxes with the appropriate clamps so that the box itself is grounded. You can test for this using a voltage tester - the box should test at 120V to hot and 0V to neutral.

If that's the case, a self-grounding outlet receptacle installed in the box will be grounded. The ground terminal on the receptacle is connected to the box mounting hardware, so you're just having the box provide the ground path instead, and connecting it via the existing mounting hardware. Note that this method of grounding (relying on the BX jacket) is no longer code compliant, but it is functional and safe as long as there is a reliable grounding path.

If the jacket is not properly grounded, you can use a GFI to provide some ground fault protection. You can also run a new ground conductor in some cases.


After doing a bit of research on what exactly hot water return lines are I found this page which goes into a lot of detail about how they work and their benefits and drawbacks.

The big drawback I see is that you will need to make sure that all your hot water lines are well lagged to minimise the inevitable heat loss that will occur with the hot water sitting in the pipes. Otherwise you will be heating water for it to go to waste when you aren't using it.

So you will need to add up all the costs:

extra pipework
lagging to minimise heat loss
extra redecoration where you've worked on the pipes
the extra heating costs
etc.

and decide whether it's a fair price to pay for instant hot water.

Another alternative would be to change the pipework so you don't have any long runs or even install secondary heaters for parts of the house.


What are some tips for working with inaccessible power receptacles?

After some experimentation, I have a solution that I think will be useful to others.  I go into some detail here, so that people can take the principles and adapt them to their own circumstances.  A lot of it seems obvious in retrospect, of course!

Tools I used:

Two long plastic yardsticks (wood or fiberglass would be fine, too).
One small plastic binder clip (like the ones used for potato chip bags).
One high-powered flashlight.
(Optional for other circumstances: a piece of plywood)

First, here are some questions that capture the underlying principles that I puzzled out.

How can I have fine-grained control over rotation of the plug parallel to the wall, so that I can properly orient the ground pin and prongs clockwise/counter-clockwise relative to the receptacle?
How can I control rotation of the plug perpendicular to the wall, so that the prongs and pin are properly facing the receptacle?
While maneuvering the plug, how can I detect when the plug is properly aligned with the receptacle, so that the insertion is accurate and safe?
Once the plug is properly aligned relative to the receptacle, how do I apply the proper amount and direction of force to insert the plug?

For #1, I used a plastic binder clip (like the ones used for potato chips) to attach the cord (near the plug-end of the cord) to a long plastic yardstick.  By changing the angle of the yardstick relative to the ground, I had fine control over the rotational position of the plug.

For #2, I angled the plastic binder clip so that it secured the plug as close to the end of the cord as possible, so that it was firmly holding the flat side of the flat plug to the flat side of the yardstick. By keeping the yardstick parallel to the wall, the plug stayed naturally aligned.

For #3, I used a high-powered flashlight to illuminate the area, so that I could clearly see when the alignment was close to perfect.  By aligning my vision to be at the same height as the receptacle, I could see when the two prongs were parallel to each other relative to the ground.  When that happened, I could also feel the prongs and ground pin settle gently into the outer edges of the holes, so I had both visual and tactile confirmation that my alignment was good.

For #4, I inserted a second long plastic yardstick between the first yardstick and the bookcase with its flat face parallel to the flat surface of the first yardstick, but at a 30-degree angle or so relative to the ground, so that the two yardsticks intersected at the point directly behind the plug.  I then rotated the second yardstick around its long axis, which, once the second yardstick contacted the back of the bookshelf, gained some leverage and, as rotation continued, it naturally applied progressive pressure directly against the plug assembly.  This gently pushed the plug right into the receptacle.

Once I had the principles worked out, and tried a couple of approaches, it worked like a charm.  I believe that my method is reproducible and safe.

This method was dependent on having the hard back of the bookcase available for leverage.  In other circumstances (for example, if the receptacle was behind a soft-backed piece of furniture like a giant sofa), a section of plywood (flat enough to insert into the area, but wide enough to span any open space) could be positioned to provide the needed leverage.

And yes, I know that I could have spent the same amount of time emptying all three sections of the bookcase, unscrewing the earthquake brackets, emptying the filing cabinet portion of the middle bookcase, detaching the brackets connecting the three bookshelves together, moving the entire thing, and then reassembling everything.

But now I know how to solve this class of problem in ten minutes ... and hopefully, someone else will find this information useful.


What should I use to seal around the perimeter of a tile floor?

If all interior walls or, if insulated exterior walls,no need to fill gap with anything. Just get your baseboard moldings up to finish the job


If the thermal cut-off doesn't test conductive, in this case near 0 Ohm, it is dead.

Get a replacement with the same temperature rating.


Tapping 100A feeder at meter for EV charger

You know you can't tap arbitrarily, but you can tap when the tap is the same ampacity as the trunk.  Simply because the breaker protecting the trunk is able to protect the tap.

The problem is, you're hanging your hat on that, and your hat will fall down when you go to 200A service later.

So the first part here is some vision work, figuring out how you're going to protect that 100A branch on  the happy day 200A arrives.  I would propose some sort of combination meter pan + mini-panel with a main breaker and a couple of spaces for 2-pole breakers for branches.  Just have that product in your mind's eye (i.e. Selected and priced) for now.

In the garage, I doubt the EV charger is rated for a 100A feed. that means you will need a subpanel - but any cheapie will do for a temporary.  It simply needs to house a breaker of the ampacity specced by the charger.

I take it the 100' wire run will be a keeper, take super care to leave yourself excess length any way possible.  Aluminium is your friend on a run like this.

You won't need to upsize the wire for distance.  If you plan to run the garage circuit to full 100A actual draw on a regular basis, lay 120/125A wire.


GFCI issue with grounded protected receptacle

The hot line side needs to have the black wire to the brass screw on the line connector side. The white wire from the same cable that the black came from goes to the silver line side.
The load side to your outlets black to brass and white to silver and the bare coppers tied together and attached to the GFCI and outlet ground screws usually green in color.
I believe you have swapped your White neutral from line to load and that will cause the problem you describe.


Often seen grinders mounted on a pedestal, as long as they don’t move it gives more access for odd shaped work pieces.


How should I connect a Wink relay when two circuits are involved?

It is always safe to leave a hot wire capped off with a wire nut. However (as Harper says), you must also disconnect and cap off the corresponding neutral wire.

Find and remove the wire nut connecting the neutral that you want to discontinue. Having separated the wires, cap off the one leading to the circuit breaker. Connect the one from the light to the neutral wire nut that will remain in use.

fig.1a, left: Existing circuits; fig.1b, right: Modification for Wink 2-load control.

You should add up the total loads on each of the two circuit breakers, and power the switch from the one with the lighter load. The illustration assumes that the power feed on the right was from the more heavily loaded breaker.

You might consider leaving a label "no longer needed" taped to the wires, but that is not required, and any future maintainer who sees the two loads and the double gang box will not be horribly confused by what you did.


Am I using the correct concrete blocks for the base of my shed and how many do I need?

Personally, I would dig the topsoil out from under the blocks—preferably down to mineral soil so that almost all of the concrete is buried.  This makes less of a step up for wheeled equipment and less space for critters and weeds to grow underneath.  I put mine very close to the ground on concrete blocks with slots for 2 inch wide lumber and concrete screws through the joist into the block to keep the wind from lifting it up:

The kind of concrete block you are using is plenty strong, though I don't see anything to keep your shed from moving, for example from strong wind, heavy rain, or leaning livestock.

The strength of the joists is the next weakest link in this design.  Some more support in the middle could be overkill, but it is unlikely to be so.


What is the junction that connects conduit to a structure called?

It's officially called a conduit body, but is sometimes called an LB by tradesmen.

It's known as an "LB", because the outlet (or inlet I guess) is on the back (ell back). There are also "LR" (ell right), "LL" (ell left), "T" (tee), "C" (cee), and "SLB" (service ell back) type conduit bodies available.

SLB not pictured.


A septic tanks purpose is to allow the anaerobic bacteria to break the effluent down and also allow the aerobic bacteria to die.  This takes time so a septic tanked should be sized based on the inflow to allow a slow enough change over (in days) for this action to happen.  Then, in the drain field, the anaerobic bacteria dies off when it meets the soil and aerates.

For this to process to happen septic tanks also need to be completely sealed; this is critical otherwise the effluent does not spend enough time in the tank for the bacteria to work or die.

Concrete septic tanks are not simply concrete but concrete with a coating to make them impermeable to water because concrete by itself allows water through it.  This means effluent and its aerobic bacteria could immediately enter the soil before it had a chance to die off and continue to possibly thrive.

Further if you had rocks at the bottom you would not have a septic tank you would have a cess pool.  These are a health hazard due to the fact the aerobic bacteria is not "dealt" with all and can proliferate through the soil into ground water and such.

Point is a spectic tank should completely contain the effluent; no leakage at all.  This is why sealing cracks if found after time in tanks is important as well.


Electric water heater making a squeaking noise

As water gets hot inside the boiler the excess volume needs to be released. This is done with a pressure relief valve. That might be the squeaking you hear. If you also hear the squaking when the power is off the pressure relief valve can also be activated when the pressure in the piping suddenly increases. This could happend when a valve is closed fast.


You're a metal worker? How about stainless?

This DiY Headstone suggests high strength mortar mix.

You should use colorant to achieve your final color instead of attempting to stain it afterwards, which would only be skin deep.

However, this is why you use granite:

I'd suggest Uba Tuba for its flakes:

Truly though, what I'd recommend, is having a real stone cut for you. They're not as expensive as I would've thought. Even a somewhat fancy one should be under a grand. But it doesn't really matter what we think... what does The Boss want?

This:

Or this:

Food for thought, regarding the fact that you're a metalsmith, if your only tool is a hammer...

If it needs to last, then it needs to be made out of granite.


How can I connect to an unthreaded galvanized pipe stub for a garden hose?

They make fittings that we call "Moody Couplings"; this may be a regional or colloquial term but probably evolved from a manufacturer's name.

These are designed for pressure pipe, the size designed for 1/2" galvanized pipe also fits 3/4" copper. These are not designed to be installed in locations where a leak would not be evident/fixable, and they do require a relatively smooth outside surface (but are a bit forgiving in that respect). If you do this, I recommend not covering it up, so you can monitor.


How do I drywall when the studs are not flush?

The difference appears to be about 1/4" to 3/8". If so, I'd fur it out with some 1/4" plywood strips or some 3/8" lath strips.


Can I fill the upper void in an I-beam laid on its side as a seawall with concrete?

With a concrete thickness of only about 100mm, it is not easy to get it right — that is pretty close to the limit of what is reasonably possible. Some points to consider:

The concrete recipe is critical, and you should hire professionals for this by buying the fresh concrete ready to pour directly into the form. Assuming that's sea water (containing lots of chlorides), the concrete will extremely exposed to freeze/thaw issues and the mix needs to be exactly right. This aspect is not diy-territory in my opinion.
Drain holes won't do anything until after the concrete is heavily cracked. Don't bother drilling those.
As for coating, you probably won't have to do anything. The optimal steel surface for cast-in steel items is usually no coating at all, so you shouldn't add anything. Whether the existing paint job is suitable for being in contact with fresh concrete is hard to tell, but that is unlikely to be a problem.
You will need to reinforce the concrete to limit the cracking. Cracks will allow water and chlorides to penetrate into the concrete, which is what will eventually cause the damage. You can't avoid cracks entirely, but with appropriate reinforcement, you can ensure that the cracks will be small enough to not a problem. The appropriate amount of reinforcement will depend on the exact concrete recipe, so hire an engineer to do the calculation. As an approximate guide, I suggest 12mm bars per 200mm in both directions (must be welded fabric) with a minimum cover of 40mm. The requirements to the concrete cover on the rebars is what makes this thickness problematic. And a minimum cover of 60mm would be a better choice. The cracks will primarily come from shrinkage and thermal movements in the concrete during the hardening phase.
You should give the upper face a small slope to the side, so water can run off. 1:20 will be excellent but even 1:50 will increase the lifetime dramatically.
It might be better to extend the concrete off the sides of the beam, so the steel and concrete joint doesn't meet on the upper face, as that will expose the joint to water. If you don't do that, I suggest placing 20mm by 20mm spacers at the top of the concrete/steel interface, and later fill that joint with a bitumen based joint sealant. This is in order to prevent water from seeping down along the interface between the two materials.
Ideally, you would ensure that the concrete isn't able to slide along the very smooth steel surface (from shrinkage and thermal movements). The standard method would be welding headed shear studs onto the steel beam, but with a thickness of only 100mm, that isn't really possible. Any small steel items welded onto the beam will help, though, for example small 20mm by 20mm by 20mm steel cubes spaced regularly. You should expect to have to remove the coating on the steel locally before welding, as otherwise you may get various toxic fumes.


How to attach a 2x beam to the side of a post?

If the 2X stock is part of the supporting structure such as a wrap or beam attached to a post,  it must be secured by a threaded device, not nails unless it is held by a metal support. Local codes vary a lot on this type of connection, but IRC simply calls for a threaded device in applications like this.  A through bolt is always a good choice, but sometimes lags work well because of limited access to the back of the post. Usually two per union is good, 5/16"  to 3/8" is usually fine, but 3 pieces and a bit larger may be better if the 2X stock is larger like 2X12.   You can use a 10d nail or two to hold your stock in place while you drill or pilot for your threaded device. When you drill for your bolts, be sure to use the exact size bit or under size the hole by 1/32" so your bolts will fit extra snug. Drive them in with a hammer. Never oversize the hole just to make insertion easier. Get a bigger hammer!


Will 2x10 13'6" span support outdoor bbq?

Yes, two 2x10's spanning 13'-6" will support 2,200 lbs.  Grade of lumber can be No. 2 & better of typical framing lumber, like Hem.-Fir...it need not be Doug. Fir-Larch. In fact, each 2x10 will support 1,200 lbs.

To be clear, spans are measured as "clear spans". That is to say, from face of support to face of support. Also, if your BBQ is located in the middle of the span so that people can stand around the BBQ, then there will be an additional "Live Load" acting on the joists. This assumes the BBQ extends from support to support.

By the way, the code doesn't require blocking until you use 2x12's. However, for this "concentrated" load, I'd use blocking. (Yes, I know, technically, it's not a concentrated load, because it extends from support to support. However, it could be considered "concentrated" because it's resting on only 2 joist, not over multi-joists, like in a large space (room).)

If the joists rest on a beam, then secure the joists to the beam with a clip. If they "hang" on a beam, make sure the hangers are rated for the load, because you're approaching the joists maximum load. The joists need a minimum of 1 1/2" bearing at each end.

You didn't ask, but don't forget to install seismic deck straps (or rods) at about 20' oc. This is new to the 2014 code for all decks.

Re: your question about doubling joists...will that double the allowable supporting load...yes, that is how it works.

By the way, you reference a 10' space. Shouldn't that be 13'-6" space (span), or are you referring to the distance in the other direction. However, to me, that doesn't seem relevant because it doesn't contribute load to the 2x10 joists supporting the BBQ, right?


I will presume you will be rahabbing by replacing valve stems and trim with new. If soaking overnight in penetrating oil, tapping to and fro with a hammer, applying heat, using a puller, etc. has not worked you could always carefully cut it off with a hacksaw.


Can I mix type N mortar mix and type M mortar mix?

The fundamental difference is in the proportion of portland cement. Type M has a higher amount, and is therefore better suited for below-grade and high-strength applications. Type N is appropriate for lighter duty.

If you don't need to meet the requirements of foundation walls, for example, go ahead and mix it up.

More information


NM-B ("Romex" is a brand name...) in conduit is a pain. Conduit fill calculations treat "oval" cables like a round cable of the largest dimension, so if you need more than one you need HUGE conduit.

So, use a junction box in the attic to transition from NM-B to THHN in conduit, which makes life MUCH easier.

Properly attached rigid conduits (which can be a confusing term, since "rigid" (RMC) is the heaviest class of steel conduit, but in this case I mean "non-flexible" to include IMC, EMT and PVC) will not allow much, if any flex, since it's supposed to be attached near boxes/termination points.

So, you need a flexible product. ENT or "smurf tube" is a corrugated plastic conduit.

Flexible metallic conduit (steel or aluminum) is also reasonable.

Liquid-tight flexible conduit is probably acceptable, but insanely expensive and something you don't need, so it's unreasonable.


Can I put three NM 12 awg wires into a breaker box knockout?

You can, but you need a 3/4" KO and the correct clamp to do so
If you're working with a 3/4" or larger knockout, you can get 3 12/2 or 12/3 NM cables into it.  You just need a cable clamp that's listed/rated for that many cables; fortunately, the Arlington NM842 is cheap and fits the bill perfectly here.  It can even accept 4 12/2, or 2 12/3 and 1 12/2, or a 12/3 and two 12/2s.


Cutting side entry hole in main breaker panel

You can put a hole in a NEMA-1 enclosure, but if it is a NEMA 3R (raintight, outdoors) the conduit entry must be able to maintain the N-3R rating. The most common fitting is called a Myers Hub. This assures you from dripping water on live parts and that's why KO's are at the bottom and lower sides. Also any sharp edge must be bushed. I'm assuming that's you "threaded union" (not an electrical term).

As far as bending radius of conductors here's a link that may help.
http://www.cooperindustries.com/content/dam/public/bline/Resources/Library/catalogs/meter_mounting_equipment/ring-type_metering/ed-minimumwirebendingspace.pdf

Its Tables 312.6 (A) & (B) of the NEC.

There's also NEC rules for conduit entry and bending radius that is Article 314.28 pretty much the whole thing. It may not be directly relevant but should be looked at for verification.


Yes, this can be a common problem.

Unfortunately, equipment manufacturers fail to include simple devices to prevent nuisance tripping.  Hopefully either government regulations will require manufacturers to take action, or the AFCI/GFCI devices will get smart enough to recognize poorly built equipment.


How should I prepare the shower walls for tiling to prevent mold and mildew?

The main things you need to do are in other areas:

Make sure that the shower area is properly ventilated. Install a fan if necessary.
Make sure that as much of the water can drain away as possible.

You can seal the tiles after installation which will inhibit the growth of mold, but make sure that the grout is completely dry before application.

You can also use anti fungal cement and grout to inhibit the growth, but this would only have a minor effect.


Can I cool 540 sq. ft. with a single A/C unit?

Someone would need a lot of detailed information about your apartment to determine the actual cooling load. Even assuming you have a properly sized air con unit, it seems silly to me to spend good money on an air con system and then need to rely on box fans to get it to work right. You basically should have a fan/coil unit in each room that you require to be kept at a comfortable temperature.

If you do not, one room will inevitably be too cold and the other too hot. But on the average I suppose you could claim your apartment is comfortable ;)


What is the min. voltage cordless drill should I use to drill a hole in a 2 cm thick stainless steel

When drilling stainless go slow (do not over heat the metal) If the metal gets hot it will "work harden" and is hard to drill with a drill press. It may take a while but can be done with a good quality 1/2 drill motor and good drill bits. If you are purchasing a drill get one with at least 2 speeds and a 3 speed would be best used on the lowest speed. Cutting fluid or a light oil will help reduce heat and improve the cutting. Last you will want a high quality drill bit something with a titanium nitrite coating or carbide. I have a full set of carbide cutters for stainless but these are very expensive and if you drop them on cement they can shatter. If you only have 1 battery stop when the motor starts bogging down and recharge the battery. I have drilled 1-3/8" holes through stainless with my Dewalt but it did take 2 5AH batteries and part of a 4AH battery the stainless was only 3/4" thick.


Usage of 125V 20A receptacle for 240V 1A circuit

Use a 12V/1A enclosed chassis mount (or DIN rail mount, for that matter) supply
Your problem here is that you are trying to apply a "wall wart" in an application (inside a control panel of some flavor) where you'd be provisioning a receptacle solely for the wall-wart's use.  This is a waste of a receptacle, and also poses NEMA 5/NEMA 6 confusion hazards, so why not use something more fit for the job instead, such as a DIN rail mounted supply like the one shown below? (It's a CUI PDRC-24-12, BTW, and is fully cULus listed to UL508 for field application in industrial control equipment.)

Of course, more traditional enclosed chassis mount supplies will work, although they don't usually carry a full UL listing the way the supply I linked does.


Whirlpool dishwasher: can't set program and just says "Out"

Possible (probable in my limited experience) problem : the wires are corroded.

Take off the panel and inspect the cable (likely green with flat copper strands). If it's corroded, gently clean it with a magic eraser, or harsher methods if necessary.  Then coat it with liquid electrical tape.  Finally, inspect the seal around the door - it can be knocked off-kilter pretty easily, and just needs to be set back in place.

As I said my exp is limited, but with my dishwasher and range microwave, this has been the problem when display was snafu'ed.

If a noticeable amount of steam leaked from the top of your dishwasher in recent months, this is almost definitely the problem.

There should be some videos on how to remove the panel if you want a step by step.  Good luck!


mesh net to help keep crawlspace insulation from sagging

I had to insulate a crawlspace with joists at 24" on center, no-one seemed to have insulation hangers that length locally, and there was some urgency about getting it done. I had some 1" roofing nails and a ball of mason twine. I started in one corner, drove a nail part-way into the first joist a foot or so from the end and tied the end of the string to it, then drove the nail the rest of the way. I then went to the next joist, drove a nail part-way, looped the string around it, pulled it tight, and drove the nail home. I proceeded like this across the space, then repeated the process a couple of feet further along the joists. I went back and forth like this until I got to the far end of the house. The building inspector approved it, and the insulation was all still in place five years later when I went under there again. I would have used insulation hangers if I had been able to find the length I needed at the time, though.


Installing fixture with no junction box and off-center stud

Use a side-mount box and a spacer block
I'd use a side-mount or "L-shaped" type box attached to a spacer block screwed to the stud to handle this -- it'll require some drywall work, but will allow you to attach the fixture solidly to the stud while positioning it where you want it.  (Image below is an Arlington FB442 -- other manufacturers make products that'll work for this as well, I'm sure.)


Shower corner has grout covered in caulk

The grout, assuming the rest of the shower was installed properly, isn't the last line of water defense so it's probably fine to leave as is.  Grout is permeable anyway so it wouldn't be a good line of defense anyway.  That being said, you can leave it as is.

If you want to recaulk it then I would definitely remove the grout as the new caulk will not adhere well without more room.  They sell little hand-held grout removers at the home improvement stores and, in my experience, they're not going to do the brunt of the job.  You'll need an electric oscillating tool to get it done.  You'll also need ear protection because the echo in a shower will make your ears ring for a day (I speak from experience).  For obvious reasons you'll also need a mask.  Your electric tool will likely leave little bits of grout that you'll follow up with the manual tool.


Sounds like you just need a vapor barrier.


Will two 2x10 beams carry a a 2500lb floor for a tree house?

There’s several issues with your plan: 1) support 2500#, 2) connect platform to beams, 3) differential loading on cantilever beams.

1) Yes, 2 - 2x8’s spanning 4’ or 5’ can easily support 2500# depending on the species and grade of lumber. However, a 4’ or 5’ cantilever is excessive for either a 2x8 or 2x10 and will eventually fail depending on how much of the 2500# load is on the cantilever beams.

2) The platform could exert a force of over 600 lbs. due to rotation on each H-1 connector by having the live load and dead load on the cantilever. The Simpson H-1 clip is only rated for a resistance of 400# to 500#, depending on the species and grade of the joists and beams. H-1 clips are not suitable for this installation.

See: https://www.strongtie.com/resources/product-installers-guide/h1-installation

3) Structures like this will not have uniform loads distributed throughout the structure evenly. A more detailed design and structural analysis should be done by a structural engineer (not civil engineer) or architect if you decide to stay with the extremely large cantilever design.

Btw, there are many videos about how to connect beams to a growing tree for a tree fort.


How can I prevent curtain rings from catching on the joint between rod sections?

A great trick is to buy 2 curtain rods. IKEA is cheap enough. Join the bigger rods, with narrow inside. For some might need tape to make them snug. Put join in centre to go in support. All the same diameter in the end.


I would use a wood patch called a dutchman.
If your router has a plunge feature, make a small template to aid in cutting in a dutchman. The article the link refers to does it differently than I do, since it cuts out the damage and the  repair piece with the router using one template and two different guides. Where I use one guide only to cut the bad spot out, and a table saw or miter box, or sometimes both to cut the repair piece itself, depending on how big the repair is.

You would be able to get a dutchman in plane pretty easy with the surrounding material, but as with any repair of this nature, I would do it before the last pass of the router over the whole surface, then sand everything uniformly afterwards for the fine finish. This will clean up any glue mess from the install of the dutchman.

The router speed to use on that is not critical, but for the larger bits, you can go too fast. Sanding will take out anything the router leaves behind. I would keep it a the lower half of your routers speed range 10,000 RPM max. The rule of thumb is, the larger the diameter of bit, the slower the speed. Some router bit manufacturers list the maximum speed a bit should turn. Other than that, listen to your router while it is cutting, its distinctive whine will change as it is pushed into the wood. Do not let it change in pitch too much. The amount you are cutting in one pass is a good amount, take no more on a full cut pass. As in each pass of the router cuts the full 1" width.

Learning to make templates and using bushing guides are one of the more handy things you would do well by.


How can I remove rust stains from clothes?

Ouch. Rust (and metal filings in general) is one of the hardest stains to get out of clothing. The particles are very rough if you were to look at them under a microscope, and they "tangle" themselves into most natural fibers so tightly you can't get them back out just by washing. Metals, unlike most other solids, also don't dissolve readily in water; the metal atoms are more attracted to their buddies in the particle than to the weak hydrogen bonds water offers to potential solutes.

The home remedy for rust stains is to lay the garment on a flat surface, pile a bunch of salt on the stain, then pour lemon juice over the salt. This will cause a chemical reaction that produces hydrous citric acid to dissolve and capture the metal particles, which should then wash away in a soluble form. Don't leave it too long as the citric acid can also bleach the fabric.

If it is a white shirt, you can also try a similar but more powerful method using hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar. This combination of a weak acid and an oxidizer will supercharge the acid and also oxidize the stain particles, breaking down the rust allowing it to be rinsed away more easily; however, the peroxide WILL bleach the fabric, so you cannot use this trick on colored clothing.

There are more don'ts than dos:

DON'T use chlorine bleach; it will set the rust stain and you will never get it out (bleach doesn't work well on blood for the same reason).
DON'T put clothing with a rust stain in the dryer; that can also set the stain.
DON'T wash the stain in hot water; you'll set it, yadda yadda yadda.
DON'T try to use a lot of friction (scrubbing) to get the stain out; you'll just grind it deeper into the fibers.


How can I repair a Whirlpool top load washer that leaks during the spin cycles?

I had this problem too. Found that on top of tub drain holes where clogged with lint and grime. Some water spills on top while filling and splashes up when washing. Then because holes are clogged, water runs to front and over a section designed to shed water at front so as not to spill over back where electrics are. Cleaned gunk out and poked small screwdriver through holes and no more leaks. Hope this helps.
Mick.


Can I replace a cutler hammer GFCB120 breaker, with a GFCB120cs breaker?

So, since I had questions for Eaton tech support anyway, I threw yours in with the mix, and their rep said that the "cs" suffix is simply for retail (plastic clamshell) packaging -- it's the exact same breaker either way.  (The clamshell is what you typically find at a big-box store, while your average supply house would likely dispense with it and just give you the "bare" breaker without a package.)


Correct hardware to attach to stud with this dresser anchor kit?

Much more important than the hardware is what it is attached to.

The best protection against tipping furniture is attachment to a framing member in the wall. That generally means a stud (wood behind the finish sheet rock, plaster or paneling).

Studs can be found using a stud finder, and are generally on 16" centers, but sometimes 24". A hook-eye that goes through the finish material and 1" or more into a wooden stud is a good hedge against tipping. One centered high on the furniture piece, or better, one on each end will usually suffice.

A D-ring is okay, but the holes tend to be smaller and the screws attaching it are therefore smaller as well, with less holding power. The screw thickness does make a difference. The gripping power of a larger screw is greater than that of a small thin screw. Also the D-ring itself can be prone to failure with the wire leg pulling out from behind the mounting plate if there is a very heavy load.

If it is impossible to attach to a stud, a strong toggle is the next best attachment mechanism. I favor the pivoting bar type over the spring loaded version. These spread the load over a larger area of the finish material and the attachment bolt can be removed and reinserted easily.

I strongly urge against plastic type anchors when the load tends to pull outward rather than downward.

You may wish to reveiw this discussion of anchor types.

An exception is masonry construction, such as concrete, concrete blocks or tile blocks. These need special masonry anchors and matching screws or bolts.

Occasionally you may find steel studs, which need a finer threaded screw for attachment, and do not seem to hold as well as wooden studs.


Regarding detaching a tube from a valve on the top of a water storage tank

It's a quick connector. Water pressure actually pushes the locking mechanism to hold the tube in.

With the pressure completely relieved you can press the grey ring around the blue tube inward and at the same time pull the tube out.


Why does my laptop charger make a spark when plugged in?

It can indeed be "normal" for a small brief spark to be seen or heard, when plugging in or removing a plug.
Plugging in.
Electricity desperately wants to get home, and will go to extreme measures to do so. Inside your receptacle electricity waits, patiently biding its time.  As you bring the plug closer to the receptacle, the electricity can see a way home and gets really excited.  Once the plug gets close enough, the resistance of the air is no longer great enough, and the electricity is able to jump the gap.  As the electricity jumps the gap, it shows its excitement by releasing light and sound.
Pulling the plug
Similarly, when something is plugged in, the electricity is running through the circuit on it's way home.  As you pull the plug, some of the electricity makes a last-ditch effort to get home. Again it jumps the gap, and releases the familiar excitement light and sound.
Safety
This type of arcing happens; to some extent, in every electrical appliance that connects and disconnects an electrical circuit.  The points at which the arc contacts do suffer a small amount of damage, but can typically withstand many arcs without failure. Devices that consistently see larger than normal arcing, typically employ some form of arc suppression or protection. For example, circuit breakers commonly have some form of arc suppression, or protection.
When to worry

If the arcing is continuous, even when the plug is inserted fully
The arcing occurs when nothing is plugged in, or being plugged in or unplugged.
The spark is large (in brightness, sound, duration, and/or length).

Precautions

Keep flammable objects away (curtains, furniture, petrol, etc.)

Further reading:
Electric arc
Electrical breakdown


Remove sheared-off screws from a concrete slab?

Tack weld a bar onto them and use that bar to unscrew them.

Or grind them flat and forget about them.


Choosing the cutting length of a router bit

You wouldn't want a 1-1/2" bit in the first place, as that would require absolute precision with both router table depth and technique. You almost always want some buffer with woodworking tools, so a 2" seems ideal anyway.


Does converting a non-polarized plug to a polarized one actually make the appliance safer?

A polarized plug is not inherently safer than a non-polarized plug unless a device requires it. If a device was designed to accept the application of hot and neutral on either terminal, then adding a polarized plug which ensures hot and neutral will always be applied in a single configuration will not make the device safer.

All else being equal about a polarized and non-polarized version of the same plug (age, wear, voltage & current rating, etc.) replacing a functioning non-polarized plug with a polarized plug will not make it safer. However, the opposite (replacing a polarized plug with a non-polarized plug) could make a device unsafe to operate. This is because the device was possibly designed to accept hot and neutral in a single configuration and wiring in a non-polarized plug means that hot and neutral could possibly be applied in a way not intended as part of the device design. That said, the misapplication of hot and neutral terminals to a polarized device is more likely to damage the device than create an unsafe condition as hot and neutral being miswired on the outlet is unfortunately fairly common and is likely to be accounted for in design and testing for foreseeable misuse of more modern UL-listed devices.

The other device-specific questions, I cannot answer. However, if a device is old, it probably old enough to be beyond the age of expected use by its manufacturer and therefore beyond the age at which it has been tested for safe operation (if such lifetime testing was performed or required when the device was manufactured). Using a device beyond the manufacturer's expected/supported lifespan means the device is less likely to be safe and you are right to be concerned. That said, it does not inherently mean it is unsafe either, it is just unlikely that anyone will be able to tell you for a fact that it is safe to operate and you should use at your own discretion or base your decision upon other in-person expert opinion after examination by someone who has experience with your device or similar devices.


second window for toilet on rented apartment

Window insulation film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwkmgbzGG-g
This window kit is clear plastic sheeting.  You attach it with double sticky tape along all edges.  When I did this the last step was to blow hot air on it with a hair dryer which got rid of wrinkles.  3M makes a kit.  The plastic must be something like shrink wrap but I dont know if that is essential.
In my old drafty 1930s house I made adhoc extra windows with sheets of plexiglass that I cut to fit the windows.  I used foam pipe insulation along the edges and pushed them into place.  They worked great but the windows were big and the plexiglas was pretty expensive.  I toted those pieces around for some years after moving hoping to find other uses for them.
If I were going to do that stuff again with maximum cheapness I would skip the kit ($$$) get a piece of clear plastic sheet (¢¢¢) and put it up with double sticky tape.  Then in spring carefully fold up the plastic for next year.


What questions should I ask of a structural engineer about these cracks in my brick walls?

Get a reputable professional structural engineer in there ASAP -- it looks like the wall is severely cracked and would fail at that point when subject to shear loads.

I'm sure that the eyeballs of said engineer will tell a story when he sees a wall that's cracked that badly.

Also,

WHO THE HELL BUILDS WALLS ATOP LOOSE EARTH?


Breaker trips in one circuit but not the other

Your power conditioner has a ground fault

But it does not have an arc fault.

That is why it is failing on a combo GFCI-AFCI but not failing on an AFCI only.

The fact that it doesn't trip with the ground-removing cheater proves it is a fault involving the ground wire.  That is, it is not a fault to a water pipe, cat, etc.

Now, did the conditioner work with the ground-removing cheater?   If its own internal loads now do not work, that means its internal loads are drawing from hot and returning to ground, which you have severed.  They should not do that.    If the internal loads still work, that doesn't tell us so much.

The fact that the conditioner fails alone on the wire, with only its own tiny load operating, suggests to me that it's a hot-ground fault.

It needs to flow 8ma to trip the GFCI, and the conditioner's own loads should be quite small.    It may have a new hot-ground fault due to a short inside the machine, which is separate from its own loads.  That could be any value.

Or, it could have a neutral-ground fault due to bad design or a different short.   With a neutral-ground fault, power returning to source has 2 choices, and flows down both in proportion to their conductance (1/resistance).   Anyway, since current is flowing both paths, one of them correct, it takes more than 8ma to trip the breaker.


Will insulating my attic make a noticeable difference?

Yes it will make a noticeable difference, but I'd be hard-pressed to do that on a place I was renting. With free natural gas, I'd be tempted to get a NG generator and run bigger A/Cs. I'm surprised you need AC that bad in central WV. I grew up in southern WV w/o AC--and never really needed it up in the mountains... Good luck.


Fluorescent tubes have 2 pins because each end isn't just an electrode, it's also a preheating filament.  This helps the arc to initially strike, with less wear-and-tear on the tube (longer tube life).

You have chosen rapid-start ballasts, which start the tube after a very short delay, which is used to stretch bulb life.  The other options on the menu are

programmed rapid-start aka programmed-start, which monitor the filaments and wait until they're fully preheated before striking... Giving much longer bulb life, but longer to start in the cold (several seconds). These are great for harsh conditions, motion sensor (frequent on/off) or hard-to-reach bulbs.
instant-start which ignore preheating (hence, 1 wire per end) but strain tube life.

The line between rapid-start and programmed rapid-start is blurring, and I suspect your rapid-start ballast has a little bit of "smarts".  Since your environment is not cold, I suspect the problem is a broken tombstone (end lampholder) or the wire not fully/properly connecting to the tombstone.  One wire is connecting, but not both, so that end cannot preheat - and the ballast knows that and is delaying start.

Most rapid-start ballasts are 2-bulb-mandatory, so a problem with either tube could prevent both from starting.   So I would carefully check all your tombstone connections.

If you have a voltmeter you could also pull 1 tube and put a voltmeter between the two terminals on one end (at a time); you should see small voltage the instant power comes on, and more after.  If you see 0 voltage between the terminals, that may be the source of trouble.

Tombstones are pretty standardized down to just 3-4 types.  Watch that your height matches, there are 3 heights also.

As far as LED tech, I know everyone's all "Oh, just junk the fluorescents, get fancydancy LEDs!"  And they want you to run down to the big-box and grab the cheap $8/tube LED conversions.  The problem is, first, they're cheap stuff, whereas that ballast and those tubes are top quality product that will last.  Second, right next to them in the store is 90CRI or even 98 CRI real fluorescent tubes with absolutely fantastic light quality.  I use 90CRI T8s that cost less than $2 each.  The LEDs can get near that, but the cheapies can't.

If you go LED, make sure to buy ballast-bypass aka direct-wire LEDs, because it's stupid to continue to use the ballast.  Also get tubes that take hot and neutral on opposite ends, because those two little pins were never made for 120V.  Then you simply rewire (a rapid-start fixture) all blue/red to supply hot, and all yellow to supply neutral and bypass the ballast.


What is the name of the pump that goes in the drain between a washing machine and the sewer?

Ejector pump. If your washer is in the basement and the sewer is overhead, gravity drain won't work.


Since you have a proper transfer switch, you can safely connect the cord to both the inlet and the generator. As long as the switches on the transfer switch are in the LINE position, there should be no load on the generator.

Once you start switching from LINE to GEN, then the generator will start picking up the loads.

NOTE:

I'm not sure how your transfer switch is wired, but there should be no requirement to turn off the circuit breakers in service panel. The switches on the transfer device should handle that.  They should actually break the circuit when switching between LINE and GEN.  The switches will typically have three positions (LINE, OPEN, GEN), so that the circuit is always open before switching to one of the power sources.

Think of your transfer switch as having six contacts, with a shuttle that moves between two at a time.

When it's in the LINE position, the load is being supplied by the power company.

Since there's no load on the generator, you can plug it in and start it up.

As you switch to generator power, the transfer equipment will open the circuit as you switch.

When it finally reaches the GEN position, the generator will pick  up the loads.

So as long as the transfer switches are in the LINE or OFF position, you should be fine to start the generator with the cord connected.


Is it common for faucet handles to turn in opposite directions?

This is contra turn taps usually used for lever handle taps so they both turn away from the wall on a basin or turn both down in a shower or similar if used in vertical eg. Shower above and below you would get normal taps not contras so that they both turn in the same direction which are the ones that you are used to. Also re reading your post it seems that if you have lever handle taps the hot and cold taps shoul be swapped to make them both turn on when turn towards the centre of the basin.


How long can I expect my painted metal door to resist rust?

TLDR: 1 and nope.

Paint snob here.  My life's goal is to never paint something twice.  I think nothing of spending $300/gal. on aircraft grade paint.  I've evaluated a lot of the work in the field, including NASA's acclaimed book Hell of a place to put a million tons of military-critical steel latticework, seriously, we couldn't have done this in Arizona? now a website at http://corrosion.ksc.nasa.gov.  Which has some interesting stuff, mostly the idea to take paint seriously.

It's mostly in the prep

If you knock it down to SSPC-SP10 (sandblasting), even a poor primer will perform quite well because there isn't any rust. I bought a ton of $10/gal primer from a paint company right after the lead ban (when paint wasn't so great), and it's lasted 30 years on a sandblasted surface.

You're doing more like SP2 with the sander (they're categories, it's not linear) and you plan to do SP-nothin' on the next door.  By the way, that's gonna look ugly as sin.  It will be obvious to the buyer that you just painted over rust.

Keep in mind the rust is acting under the paint, and one more paint layer won't do anything at all, even if it's the aircraft stuff.  Needless to say I don't waste any aircraft paint on poor prep like that (even when necessity forces me to do it).

Water content accelerates rust. When I must paint over any rust, I prefer to do it in direct sun in low humidity days with the surface temp nice and hot at 130-140F. That removes as much moisture as possible from the pores of the rust.

Paint matters too

Especially if prep isn't fantastic.  I've found over rust, the exotic $100/gal primers don't work... rust converters don't work at all (NASA backs this up)... ironically what works is plain ole cheap Rustoleum 7769 Rusty Metal Primer.  Yes I know it's brown.  If you want a white one, I don't know what to tell you.  I haven't found anything that works. **  What I do is wait for the 7769 to dry fully then top it with 7780 Clean Metal Primer just for the white coverage.

So if it were me, I'd go back and wirebrush and then sand each exterior door til you've removed as much loose rust as possible, 7769, then whatever other paint you want from there.

Don't leave it in primer

Primer is not paint.  It is not a protective coating.  It is designed to prepare the surface for a protective coating.  You need to follow up and put a compatible topcoat on top of the primer.

If you need evidence of this, just look at any old car driving around that has been laboriously sanded, bondoed and primered, and now has rust eating through the primer   because the owner couldn't get paint money together. That is good primer on a well-prepared surface, that is failing because primer isn't paint.

** in fact, I intentionally use white primer on surfaces I'm unwilling to fully sandblast -- let it sit a few months (yes, in primer) and rust punches through wherever it will, easily seen against the white.  Sandblast those spots and done.


How can I get my stuck sprinkler heads to go down after watering?

This usually comes after years of use where there is grit in the water. The plastic sliding surfaces get abraded and start to stick. Usually the result is that you have to replace the sprinkler as the tube and piston are both pretty well shot.

You might try unscrewing that black cap, the insides come out and with removing the spray head at the top, you can completely disassemble all the sliding parts. Flush the cup underneath the cap out to remove sediment and touch up all the sliding surfaces with paste wax after completely cleaning them.

Which brings up mineral fouling, if your water has mineral content, soak everything in white vinegar to help the crusts disappear and clean out the filters.

If the wax doesn't add some plasticy glidiness back after reassembly, then replacement is the only option left.

Often irrigation supplies have the filters and nozzels available by the box load, optionally, the internals. Usually, you end up buying the whole shebang, if you stick with only one brand and don't have to deal with freezing, unscrew the top, leave the cup in the ground and replace just the working parts. Acceptable for DIY, professionals don't have time to waste on this and just replace them.

Down on the ranch, we called it Irritation and it involved moving tarp sticks in ditches and 20' RainBird pipes. At least it didn't have the added misery of suburban irrigation that can be totally halted by fine sediment. Oh, the misery of Drip!

Note: this appears to be a simple spray assembly, if you have rotators, the water motor and other parts are usually getting near life's end when this starts happening so attempting the wax job just postpones the inevitable.


Less than 24 volts on the thermostat C wire

Think twice before you do that, and talk to your sysadmin.  Do not do anything which would compromise the cooling in the server room.

If you don't like the balance, consider "portable air conditioner" units which dump the cool into the server room and the waste heat into the office space.  We had a big industrial unit, and it worked rather nicely.  Now they exist as consumer grade units for a few hundred dollars, so you could get 3 or 4, and only lose a little cooling if one fails.


"Reportable" electrical issues in commonwealth countries

I can't speak for NZ, but here in the US, electricians could be held liable for the problem under what's referred to as the "last eyes on it" concept. He saw something, did nothing about it, so he owns it. That doesn't mean he HAD to fix it, just that he would have to tell the owner about it and if they have a permitting process (like we do in most states), the electrician would be required to tell the inspector about it.

What an inspector (again, HERE) could do is to "red tag" the site, basically shutting down all work until the violation is corrected. They can't bring in jack-booted thugs, beat your door down and cart you off to jail, but in SOME jurisdictions they could issue a non-occupancy order, forcing you to go to a hotel or something.


3-way and 4-way circuits are simple. But they're made really strange because of the circumstances by which household wiring is done.  They're actually quite simple - forehead-slapping simple.

How hard is that? Switches line up, light comes on. This one's off, by the way.

Now a 4-way just goes in the middle between the 3-ways.  It either sends the yellows through straight, or crosses them.  Simple as that.   So what does that look like in actual wiring?

Disregard the color of the passing-through wire.

Notice the colored screws.   On 3-ways, there are 2 brass and the travelers go to them; black is common.   On 4-ways, there are 2 brass for one group of travelers, and 2 black for the other group.

How do we tell which travelers are in the same group?  Easy!  They came out of the same cable or conduit!

Colors: the real devil here

Now I notice you're not using yellow for travelers. Actually, you're using red and white because houses are wired with this stuff:

Which only comes in the one set of colors - black red white.  And of course you entered this deal thinking wires were color-coded for purpose.  You were thinking the red/white meant something.  Nope. Installers are stuck with the colors that come in the cable. Sometimes it "works out"; but often - and always in 3-way circuits - color coding goes right out the window, and it's catch as catch can.

They're only color-coded for purpose if you code them. That's why I own 10 colors of electrical tape :)  Mark wires religiously, both ends at the same time.  I'm fond of yellow for travelers since they are interchangeable (as you can see from the top drawing) and there's no need to distinguish one from another.


Can i use a 5v water pump as a vacuum pump to lift very light objects?

When you say a water pump, do you literally mean a pump designed to move water? If so, then no. Don't bother.

While technically it could have enough suction to do what you want, it is not designed for this application and using a water pump dry will absolutely burn it out (at different lengths of time, from minutes, to hours, to unknown). Depending on the cost of the unit, and the warranty or engineering the manufacturer put in to it (not to mention the parts itself), it could last quite a while. However, most manufacturers have become quite adept at materials manufacturing as their goal is to use as little material as possible, at the least amount of production cost while not producing something "cheap" (to the point people wont rely on it). So a water pump is almost certainly expecting a liquid for cooling. Not to mention the pump mechanism is shaped to move liquid.

This is a scenario where using the proper type of pump for the proper application would in the long run save you money and frustration.


Installing Ecobee 3 Smart Thermostat in Apartment

I actually figured it out. Very simple fix. Took the blue wire from thermostat that wasn’t in use and wired it together with the brown wire and made a common or “C” wire. Hooked the Ecobee up and it’s running good with no issues.


Does your garage door opener plug into an outlet located nearby?  If so the answer is yes, you can just use a plug mounted protector. It does not need to be specific to your opener model or type:

But if you've had a problem like this, your better bet may be a Whole House unit.  And your best bet is to use both.

I created a little guide Whole House surge protection over here:
http://obviously.com/1482/Whole-House-Surge-Protectors
(I was working on protecting a fire alarm and some boiler motors, but the principle is the same).

Be warned that "power strip surge protectors, despite impressive sounding warranties, have a limited record in protecting devices.  Some are poorly designed, others are actually fraudulent knock offs".  The whole house ones are only made by respected companies and they do actually work.


No, that's not right.  -- Unless UL says it is (i.e. if they approved the labeling and instructions for the lug to say that you can do that). But I really doubt that.

Retrofit a ground bar.  They are readily available in the $7 range.  Your panel probably has holes pre-drilled and pre-tapped for an accessory ground bar; add a photo of your panel's labeling and someone (ThreePhaseEel :) might even be able to identify the particular Eaton part number that will fit right up.

Then attach the wires 1 per hole, or whatever the ground bar's labeling/instructions tell you to do.

About separate bars

In a perfect installation, this N-G bond is a heavy wire (or several, redundancy allowed) that, ahem, you can put a clamp meter around.

In a best-practice installation, they may skip that, but still put neutrals and grounds on separate bars -- not least, this makes it easy to convert a main to a subpanel.

Worst-practice (but still legal) is to simply declare all bars neutral+ground bars, and simply land all neutrals+grounds onto the nearest convenient bar.  Obviously, that makes it a lot harder to put a clamp meter around the neutral-ground equipotential bond, or convert to a subpanel.

So it looks like somebody started out doing the "best practice" version of this, with neutral on one bar and grounds on the other.... and somebody else came along and added a circuit with the latter doctrine.

Since fully separated N-G has its usefulness, and it's 95% done already, I would maintain that in this panel.

Those MWBCs

One other thing.  Judging by the red+black wires, it looks like you have some multi-wire branch circuits.  From the numbered stickers being out of sequence, it also looks like breakers have been moved around.  This combination is a recipe for disaster.  To fix it, follow each red wire back to its origin cable, identify the red+black pair from that cable, then follow them back to their respective breakers.  Make sure the breakers are adjacent (240V between them) then add a handle-tie ($3) or replace both breakers with a 2-pole ($9).


Floor moisture issue, discoloration. What could be the cause?

So you must realize that although there is no standing water anywhere on the ground below the floor there is moisture (a vapor). Concrete can be thought of as a sponge in that it will absorb moisture (water) and allow it to move through it.
Most concrete slabs have a plastic vapor barrier (sometimes) installed on the ground, but not always. If the wood floor was glued to the slab and moisture is transferring from the ground this is what is causing the water stains and there is no easy fix.
On the plus side the wood is not swelling (looking at the photo's) and the staining appears to be limited (although it's hard to see). Perhaps a darker colored floor stain would hide the marks. Is the wood becoming loose or warped?


How long should it take concrete to fully cure?

Concrete will never fully cure; it continually hardens forever, although for all practical purposes, it reaches a point where further hardening will be so slow as to unnoticeable.

Unless the mix has retarder (or some cement replacement material) in it, it will generally be hard enough to walk on in less than 24 hours.

Mixes are usually specified with a design strength - the compressive strength that the concrete will reach in a period of time, typically 28 days. As a general rule, at 7 days it will have reached around two thirds to three quarters of the design strength.

Don't worry about the water on the new concrete - it will help the concrete cure if it is kept damp after the initial set. The early stages of concrete curing is the hydration of the cement in the concrete.


Does overmount fireclay apron sink need additional framing to support the weight?

Does over-mount fire-clay apron sink need additional framing to support
  the weight?

YES ERR on the side of caution and add support to your cabinets.

The sink you have linked to shows the counter running under the edge of the sink. This not structural support, the structural support is provided by the cabinet side that should be directly below that edge. You should not have a counter that is  floating or cantilevered out over the edge of the cabinet as this would not provide enough support for the sink, you would need to add structural support under that edge to insure proper support.

Is your cabinet the appropriate size for this sink ?

It is critical that the support,  cabinet or cabinet with added ledger board, be sized correctly. I.E. the space from side to side must be exactly what the manufacturer states in the specs for installation.

The PFD installation instructions for your sink say -

  " 4. Sinkology farmhouse sinks are considered fully support when ¾”
  inch or more of the rim is supported on three sides".

If your cabinet does not have ¾” inch side panels you can had some material to get it to the correct thickness, Use construction adhesive and screws to attach.

Once the sink opening is the correct size the counter is then cut to size, or manufactured, and installed then the sink can be installed.

Concerning the back support for the sink, ledger board,  the PFD on your sink does not tell me about the back of the sink. You need to make sure the ledger board on the back of the cabinet is at the correct height for the sink to sit on. I would assume that that will be the the same height as the counter that the sides of the sink are sitting on but that may not be the case. If that is the case then the back wall of the cabinet is not going to be that height so you ad a ledger board that will sit up above the top edge of the back panel to the correct height, A 1x4 should be good as only an inch or less will be above the top of the panel leaving plenty of board to glue and screw to the panel.

Since this is against the wall, if you could screw into the studs that would be best but you need to know where the studs are and where the plumbing and electrical are so you do not screw into them.


40-50 years is a fair lifespan. I've seen plenty of houses with galvi that was 60+ years old without it failing, the real issue to me is if you want to wait until it fails to replace it.
Not greatly accelerated the process, no.
Yes.
Potentially and at decent expense. It depends on the size of the water service, condition of the piping, and access point.

If you're re-piping your house and don't mind them digging up your yard, a water service replacement is a good idea. It should be cheaper to do it all at once rather than to do them as two separate projects.


There was a change to the 2020 box fill calculation but you only have 4 grounds so your totals will be the same.
14 gauge is a 2cu inch multiplier.
So you have 9 current carrying conductors
4 grounds= 1
Each switch is a 2x so 6 (a total of 12 cu in)
16 x2 = 32 cu inch if there are clamps add 2 = 34cu in
so you should be fine You have a 10 cu inch safety.
Added with the addition of the feed wire:
With the addition of the feed wire 14-2 this adds 4.5 to the total for 38.5 cu inch
See comments for the complete calculations.
The box fill has changed and this change for 2020 increased the calculated fill by +.5 cu inch.


Yes, it's a fine idea to add another valve and manifold location and to convert that long section of red so that it's an always-on main line rather than just a zone 2 feeder.

Your desire to add a separate zone for the garden, rather than make the lawn zone water the garden too, is a good one for several reasons. For example, gardens and turf grass have different watering requirements; and broadcast watering over the garden wastes water and supports growth of weeds all over the garden.

When running wire to the new valve location remember that you need a conductor for every valve, plus one as a common, plus one or two spares for when "it would be nice if..." happens later. ;-)


What would cause all my gfi recepticles to not reset in my kitchen?

Assuming the GFI isn't defective, there are three common things that can keep it from resetting:

There is no power to the outlet.
The GFI is wired in backwards: the wires coming from the breaker box are connected to the "load" side of the outlet rather than the "line" side.
There is a ground fault somewhere in the circuit the GFI is protecting.

Given that the breaker tripped, (3) is very much a possibility.  Alternatively, since you say there's a crack, the GFI may have been damaged.


This is a common problem with daisy chained outlets. I have learned over the years to find the first non working fixture closest to the breaker panel or last working one and usually find a bad back stab. Or wire nut. Since you just did some work you may not have connected all the hots or neutrals solidly where you did the work. So there 2 paths forward depending where the chain originates from. If the power to these outlets comes from the timer box 1 of the wires may not be making a connection in a wire nut. If the source is from the other direction find the first failed or last working outlet.


How to support 4x4 posts on cement driveway

+1 option #4, plastic standoffs.
"Any thoughts on the most robust way to anchor the posts?"
You said you are renting and can not anchor.
Take some five gallon buckets and mix up some cement, fill the buckets with the cement and put an eye bolt in so it stick out of the top. Put a nut and washer on the threaded part of the eye bolt  that will be in the concrete to prevent it from being pulled out.  Now you can place these on the sides of the structure and use rope or ratchet straps to secure the structure down to protect the wind from taking it for a sail.


For the speakers, the ceiling mount speakers I have used have their own "can" and just need a hole in the drywall and wires. They are not designed to be trapped by the drywall, they are designed to be installed into it and can be removed from it when/if desired. You can get separate empty cans and speakers to put in them if desired - any AV supply place, ceiling mount speaker cans...
For the wires: Conduit. This stuff changes rapidly compared to other building systems. So, place conduit and easily update it when everything changes again (enough that you choose to upgrade).
Otherwise in 10 years you'll have the equivalent of a VGA cable and quadrophonic speaker cables stuck in the wall today - antiquated, though you might be able to kludge some use out of them.
While you are at dried in but no drywall, think about networking, and wiring wireless access points (which work best if they are wired and the things that connect to them can see them without going though walls.) Easy now, hard later. Nobody remembers to put networking in the ceilings, but that's where you want it to make your portable devices work well.


What is causing the vibrations through my water pipes after flushing the toilet?

Could be that the float/valve is causing this. If you flush the toilet and hold down the float, then let go when the tank is full (you might have to pull up on the float to close the valve quickly), do the pipes vibrate? If not, replace the valve assembly. If there is still vibration I'm not sure what else could cause this (except if the tank value didn't close all the way) because there's no other active valve in the system at that time. For just $5, replace the valve assembly.


The tool referred to is an accessory for a ratchet/socket wrench setup. It simply allows one to access fasteners that are inside deep holes.
It has a female square drive on one end--this connects to the ratchet; and a male square drive on the other end--this connects to the socket.
Extensions of various lengths

Ratchet with Extension and Socket in place


With new construction the vent is probably in the wall, you would not be able to see it, it is probably tied into the upstairs vent and may not be a straight shot up, with the home being only 2 years old you should be able to get the blue prints for the plumbing layout and they will show the layout, I would not be concerned because the plumbing would not have been approved prior to the floor being poured without a vent.


How to shield or cover floodlight for christmas

You need barn doors.   Those are the funny black "cards" found on all four sides of theater lighting.

You dont need an actual product; feel free to improvise them any way you can, say with plywood or old election signs.  If they are straight vertical, and thin, they won't accumulate much snow.


Outlet/outside light dead upon plugging in air conditioner

When adding a load and multiple things quit working without tripping a breaker it is normally a back stab that has failed.
Back stabs are the push in connectors used on many receptacles , the wire is pushed in and a “edge of a metal” contact is made with the wire. Many times when heated the contact point arcs and looses connection.
Some times they start working later after cooling or vibration, but it still needs to be fixed because a heavy load will cause it to fail again.
This type of failure can be traced back to the last working device on the circuit or the first non working device. If you work from the failure working back to the breaker panel it usually only takes pulling  a couple of devices to find a loose wire or even a broken one at a connection or wire but. It can be the hot or the neutral.
If you pull out a device and did not find a problem the stab may have reconnected and the next time the ac is turned on it will open again, so I and other electricians suggest moving back stabbed connections to the screw terminals.
Just make sure to turn the breaker off when doing the work.


First off, your brother-in-law is wrong.  You cannot attach two wires to a single screw terminal (unless it is rated for that, which most switches are not).

Here's what I'm guessing you're dealing with. Remember it's only a guess since I'm not there and you haven't supplied a picture, or drawing.

Lets call the first switch you mentioned S1, and the other S2, then we'll use the numbers you mentioned above as the wire numbers.

Wire 4 that was attached to the screw on S2 might be power from the breaker.
Wire 2 that is connected from S2 to S1, might supply power to S1.
Wire 1 and 3 would then be switched hot wires feeding the lights.

You should also have 3 white wires connected together, and possibly 3 bare or green wires connected together.  The white wires are neutrals, one from the breaker, and one going out to each light. The bare or green wires are equipment ground, and should be connected in a similar way as the neutrals.

If I'm correct, you should connect wire 4 and two lengths of scrap wire (~6" or so) using a twist on wire connector or other approved method.  The scrap pieces of wire; or pigtails, should be made from a similar thickness and type of wire as wire 4. Next, connect one pigtail to each switch. Finally, attach wire 1 to S1 and wire 3 to S2.

Always make sure the power is off, before working on any electrical circuit.  And if you need help, please contact a qualified Electrician.

Also don't forget. I'm not there, and I only have your brief description to go on. So I could be wrong.


It is possible that the outter shell (Screw portion) of the outside lamp is longer not allowing the adapter to screw all the way in and touch the center contact.
with the switch off(perferrably circuit breaker off) you might try pulling the center contact out so it will make contact.
if this works you may need to place some insulating material behind the contact so it wont push back in when it gets warm from the light,
Please if you do this make sure the circuit is turned off best checked with a volt meter or non contact "tick tester" so you dont light yourself up.