Before Staining... Do I need to sand my deck first? Or just chemical wash/pressure washer?

Deck looks good to me.  I would not sand.  If you really want to restain, then just power wash, either with a mild detergent or plain water.


If you don't mind a little extra thickness, what about hanging some L brackets over the edge of your finish flooring, and then screwing the ducts to the L? Then, you can put the duct cover back on right over the lip of the L, covering it up.

Bad ASCII art time!

   --+       +--  L brackets
==== ||    || ====Floor
====  |    |  ====Subfloor
       \  /
      |DUCT

I have no idea how you'd hold the duct in place while screwing it, mind you, unless you can get access from below. Maybe you could glue a rope to the inside of the duct and have someone yank it back up into place.


Can my cabinet lights be operated with a dimmable switch?

According to the instructions, yes, they are "suitable for switch dimmer for dimming function".
No promises as to how well they will actually work with any particular dimmer.


Based on your details on what you did with the replacement outlet, I'd say you didn't remove the metal tab on the outlet connecting the two brass, power, screws. Doing this allows the two outlets to be split between always hot and switched hot.
The one wire you "punched" into the backstab should be pigtailed so you don't use the backstab. they are very prone to failure.


Can I build a 28" retaining wall using blocks with no lip?

If i understand the question, you want to use these blocks to create a retaining wall for your patio? the patio will be enclosed by these walls?

A 28" wall made from solid block is fairly heavy and might settle if not built on a footing or well compacted gravel base. You didn't mention what part of the country you are in. If you are in an area with ground frost, a footing becomes even more important. Seasonal movement can be substantial.

At 6 blocks tall, I would not recommend masonry adhesive. I think you should consider using mortar instead. Adhesive is fine for caps or just a couple of courses, but six interlocking courses should have mortar and possibly vertical re-bar if you want it to last more than a season or two.

Another consideration is the drop off height. 28 inches is a substantial drop. You should design some sort of railing or barrier so you or your guests don't step off a 3 foot drop to a broken leg or neck during a festive BBQ. Since I always cook with beer, it would be a concern to me!!!!


Cheaply repair burnt / melted vinyl floor

If these are minor holes that don't cause loss of function of the floor, I think they are probably "wear and tear" that is a legally mandated part of every rental agreement (in the USA), so you could not worry about it and leave them be...

Per your question, properly glued this is way the professionals patch.  I have noticed that they tend to put a little fillet of glue around the border if the patch, I suppose so you are less likely to catch the edge and rip it back up. I'm not sure what the glue is - sorry.

Cut the patch piece first (in rectangular shape) then lay it over the bad spot and use it as a guide to cut the damaged flooring.  This will help you get a patch that's the exact size for the hole.


I'm wondering if these two things were allowed by the electrical Code in 1981 in California

There is nothing wrong with striping a wire in a box and attaching it under a screw then feeding a second outlet. I don't do it but have seen it done quite often it saves a few cents for the installer but makes updates tougher.  If the circuit is a multi wire branch circuit this would require the neutrals to be pigtailed and that may be why they are pigtails.


Abutting moldings are often resolved with transition blocks. You could make a rectangular piece, slightly wider than the current gap.  Trim back the angled cap  so that it is flush with the vertical line at the end of the stairs. Trim back the base molding a bit. Make the block a bit taller than the end of the cap.

The ideal thickness would be different from all that abut it. Reveals (intentional offsets in thickness) are easier than trying to get exact flush matches. And they are usually better looking.


Soap and water with a rag or scrubby brush while wearing a mask.

I was at Home Depot yesterday and noticed a number of products for cleaning, killing, protecting from mold growth that I never saw before. I don't know if they're any better than soap and water and just keeping the area dry.


I have used a Shop-Vac to empty a clogged  garbage disposal,
It was messy and smelly.
I seriously considered throwing it away.
It is nearly impossible to clean the corrugations in the hose. If the clog is human waste I would try a closet snake first even if you have to buy one. If its a toy or a rag or similar item you still don't know what else you will suck up.
On top of the mess in the vacuum you have to realize with out a filter you will potentially be spraying bacteria out the exhaust port hole.


Paint peeling off layer of joint compound over plaster, am I in over my head?

Don't worry about the cracks but you do have to patch where it's crumbly.

Only worry about the paint that comes off easily, no need to scrape down the whole thing.

Depending on the look you're going for, the whole wall would need a skim coat of plaster.

Condemned, eh? Does the roof leak? Did it? (sad face)

If you are going to contract it out, start making phone calls TODAY. You'd be lucky to find someone who doesn't have at least a 3 week back log during the height of summer.


Light bulb stays on regardless of switch position after breaker flipped

It sounds like the element in the lamp welded and caused a dead short. With the switch off it worked the first time but the second time the switch welded. It happens. Time to replace the switch


What options are available to cover a gap in a stone countertop left when a slightly smaller stovetop was installed?

(I was lucky with my last cooktop - it was slightly smaller and my plumber was able to cut the counter a little bit to make it fit.)
With a stainless steel cooktop, I would look for stainless steel - or at least "shiny metal" to match. Something like this one on Amazon:

Definitely measure first! If a filler piece is too long, you can cut it down, but if it is too short then it won't work very well.


Can I replace a spiral window balance with a constant force balance?

As a manufacturer of all three types of window, balances, Caldwell are uniquely positioned to have insight into you question.

Does this look like your balance?  Its Caldwells' EZ Lift series

Unfortunately, their constant force balances require a much different mechanism, so a new window would likely be needed.


Generator connected direct to an Unused Breaker

Yes, but not safely nor legally. There are plenty of resources available explaining the risks of doing so and the right way do it. Here's one:

This is dangerous.
It is an electrical code violation.
It is illegal in most places.
It is a fire hazard. The power created by your generator is generally greater than the rating for the receptacle, wire and breaker [when connected using a male-male extension cord].
If you don't disconnect your main breaker it can shock the power company linemen - and you will get sued.
You can easily get shocked because the male plug prongs are exposed [when connected using a male-male extension cord].

I realize that the statements above refer specifically to the male-male extension cord to an outlet approach, but the legality and risk to linemen points are valid.

Plus if the insurance company determines that you were negligent or
reckless in using such a generator connection, they can refuse to pay
out on any insurance claims that result. The best thing to do is to
use an approved transfer switch or lockout device. ~Johnny


How to put drywall over garage uneven concrete wall?

Usually when drywalling over masonry walls you install furring strips.  Furring strips are verital strips of wood to which you can attach the drywall (or plywood or whatever you want).  You can easily position and / or notch the furring strips so that the face of the strips comes out level.  You can use lumber as small as 1x2s, it's also common to use 2x4's.  There are also metal furring strips available.

Heavier furring strips are better for attaching shelves etc.  Sometimes by the time it's all said and done, you're better off just framing a hollow wall in front of the masonry wall.  This way you can leave a little breathing room between the wall and the masonry, and you have a full stud depth for insulation, electrical, etc.


Can I position speakers near ceiling, as opposed to ear height?

I just setup a 5.1 system and obsessed a LOT about this. The room has 8 foot ceilings but has 4 foot knee walls on two sides (with a 45 degree run of sheet rock up to the ceiling). Placement in the corners was the "proper" location for speaker separation as well as aesthetics (and to keep kids from bumping into them). However, I was worried if I put the speakers in the corners I'd get a lot of harsh echos from the walls. In my case, yes I do get echos at some frequencies and it's obvious if a test blip is played from that speaker alone, BUT when I'm watching a movie I don't notice it at all (the speakers were the rears).

What I'd suggest is to try out the speakers on temporary mounts near the ceiling if feasible (command strips or the like depending on how heavy they are). If the "voices from heaven" effect isn't a problem, then you're good.

In my setup the fronts are essentially right next to the TV and I find I still get enough stereo separation for me. So keeping them nearer the TV but closer together likely wouldn't be a problem either (especially if having them high is distracting)


Confused by wires coming from ceiling outlet box

I wouldn't tamper with the wiring until you know what has been done already.  It looks like one device (presumably the light) is controlled in 2 locations via a 3-way switch, and the other device by a single.

I would probably start by getting a non-contact voltage detector (or temporary lamps) and see which wires in the ceiling are hot in various combinations of switches being thrown.  Figure out which one is energized by the switch you want to throw the most, and designate that the lamp circuit.  The other is the fan.  You probably won't have to change a thing in the switches.


Transparent screw-on 6" cap for PVC pipe

Clear PVC does exist and you might be able to locate some from Commercial Industial Supply (for example).

With regard to gluing wire (insulation) to PVC, a copious amount of epoxy or silicone should work. Luckily, the pressure should not be extreme. The most important instruction is to drill the hole just large enough to slide the wire though without pinching or damaging the insulation. For the best result, the connection (wire in the hole) should be practically air tight before using glue. But glue won't last forever.

What tool does one use to open & close these caps anyway?

Looks like you need a cleanout plug wrench or a Square for Counter-Sunk Clean-Out Plugs.

Edit- based on comment that a wrench could not be obtained-
Well, 2 inches is kind of large; perhaps a drum plug wrench is waht you need.

You just need to get anything (a hard piece of wood or metal) that is 2" x 2". But I think that a piece of plywood might be strong enough (birch would be preferable to pine). Cut a piece 2" x 2" (of course) and cut a nice long, wide handle. Pre-drill 4 holes in the corners of the 2" square before using screws (to avoid splitting the wood). Apply plenty of glue and screw the small square piece to the face of the handle. It might not work forever, but it will probably work a few times at least.


How to Mate Old Subfloor with New Plywood?

I see you have 3 layers of flooring that was under the old tile. The top layer I see the cement board, under that the underlayment, and under that on top of the joists, the subfloor.

To get a good tie in to the existing, use a right angle grinder or circular saw with the proper blade, and cut back the cement backer about an inch away from tile floor coming through the doorway from the other room. If it is not tile, like I think it is and there is a joint somewhere close to what I described earlier, remove the material up to that joint then. That looks like it may leave about 3-4 inches of plywood underlayment exposed after the cement board is cut and removed. Next set the circular saw to depth for the thickness of the plywood underlayment and make a cut about 1 1/2-2" away from the cement board, finish the cut to the side of the door rough opening with a multimaster or reciprocating saw if you can control the depth of cut, and remove that small piece. Do nothing with the subfloor. Add screws along the edge of underlayment to secure it to the subfloor. Add the ledgers/sister joist, the subfloor. When cutting the underlayment, make sure it is one piece going into the doorway and out into the bathroom a ways so the joints in the underlayment and subfloor do not line up. Use screws to hold the underlayment to the subfloor, use construction adhesive if you choose to as well. The screws go in at 4-6" on the perimeter, 8-10" in both directions in the middle. Do not concern yourself with those screws going into the joists, it is better if they do not. 1 1/2" or so long screws will do well there.

I typically gap all my plywood that is not T&G about 1/8" on all edges. when it is T&G, I still gap the ends 1/8"


NCV meter beeping over large area of a wall

When the batteries start to run down this can cause the filters not to work which can result in erratic sounding.  Also the electronics also go bad.  this can cause erratic sounding.  They are mass produced and don't always have a long life.


How can I remove the wires from this lamp holder?

I think I found the mechanism: There's a small hole to insert a screwdriver or something, which kinda keeps the wire in place. One of the wires required a bit more force then the other, that's why I was confused, but this seems to do the trick:


Is it possible to wire an electric radiant floor as a heat pump in my Nest thermostat?

Just remembered that I never circled back here.

I was able to get this behavior by wiring the floor as "Stage 1" heating and the main furnace as "Stage 2". To do this, the white wire from the floor heat goes to "W1" and the white wire from the main furnace goes to "W2/Aux". My "common" floor (green in my case, but not well standardized) wire went to "C" (optional) and my green furnace fan wire went to "G".

And the red wires? This was tricky. Normally the Rh and Rc terminals are short-circuited but the Nest manual says that the Nest does this automatically. However, all combinations of the furnace and floor red wires to either/both of Rh and/or Rc didn't work until I manually connected the two to a single red wire and connected that to Rh.

Final wiring:

Now, when the Nest needs to increase the temperature a few degrees it will only activate Stage 1 (the radiant floor), but when it needs to raise the temperature a lot (like in the morning or when it's very cold out) both Stage 1 (floor) and Stage 2 (furnace) activate.


If you can use the strength of your wall, it will be quite strong to butt against the house, I would dig up to the cement foundations, then butt your post against the wall. About 3/4 the way up, just fix the post to the wall. (if the wall is cement you can use a rawl bolt, otherwise a nice threaded bolt will do the trick. You will not need anything too over the top, since the forces will mostly be from side to side (i.e there will not be too many pull forces that would pull the pin out.
If you would like more specifics, you would need to elaborate the shape and material of the post as well as the wall.


Stamped concrete possibly put solvent sealer over water based sealer. What to do now?

The best way is to test each removal technique, side by side in an inconspicuous area. Then compare the results. Photograph your progress, take notes.


Designed a floating corner table, unsure of its potential strength. Any ideas?

I think the answer would really depend on the flexibility of the bar top. You could test the flexion of the board with a jig, and if it's up to muster, then the only other concern is the back corner. That is where the force on the outer corner is going to transfer to, in an upward manner. You mentioned that the angle iron is going into 2"x6"s, so those should be fine.
If the grain of the butcher board runs lengthways, I would stick with the threaded rod, but if it runs the short way, you might run into compression/differential problems with the glue joints.
It's a very smooth idea, I hop you can make it work!


Depends on the finish you select. A high-quality product won't be so dependent on a high-quality primer. The issue is mostly sealing, as the thin factory-applied primer bonds well, and facilitates a good bond with your topcoat, but doesn't necessarily seal well itself. Typically you'd plan on a re-coat after only a few years anyway to establish a hearty, protective finish.
I've never seen rabbeted siding buckle vertically, and I'm in a part of the world with extremes of temperature and humidity. Typically only thicker, more stable siding is rabbeted, and it's done so that the profile isn't so deep. There's really no drawback to it, in my opinion.
Cedar siding is prone to cracking along the grain if it's too thin. I'd be more concerned with the thickness at the top of the boards than the bottom. Ideally, you have a full 3/8" at the top. Some cheaper siding is barely 1/4", and you can feel the difference. If the boards are easy to flex across the vertical with your fingers, look for a better product.
Grade A (which I assume means "clear" in this case) will obviously be less prone to structural breakdown due to greater consistency. However, knotty cedar isn't necessarily a durability risk. Take a close look at the structure of the knotty boards and check for looseness and obvious weakness. When installing, cut out knots that look like they'll fall out--ones with sharp edge lines and which penetrate at a 90 degree angle.


Is heat a practical way to kill structual mold?

I have to agree with Solar Mike. Sure, it might kill existing mold, by drying everything. But, it will reactivate if its cause isn't addressed...you may just need to run the air conditioner or exhaust fans more often or plug-in a dehumidifier.

Although, is there a concern? Not really. Mold is literally everywhere and in every breath you take and run-of-the-mill mold concealed in walls has no effect on people nor building products.

Now, if you mean Black Mold that's even showing up inside rooms in little patches. Then, you really MUST rip out the walls and professionally remediate it from the property.

Black Mold is EXTREMELY serious and also means you have a very blatant construction problem or water leak that's been ignored too long. In order to avoid PERMANENT health problems the issue(s) must be fixed entirely and ASAP.


How can I repair or hide dings and scratches on polyurethaned trim?

If it were me I'd hit it with a dye stain first to help color the scratches but this takes a light touch and a bit of experimenting to get the tone right. If the marks disappear with a little oil you can probably just apply (after a good cleaning with Murphy's Oil Soap) a light coat of linseed or tung oil, followed by a reapplication of whatever poly was originally applied (the brand isn't often important but you'll need to know if the finish was water-bourne or oil based) or spot treat with a good wiping poly if you don't want to do the whole surface again. Another way to go about it is to accentuate the defects and call it distressing. If you like the worn look, substitute the oil with a quality glaze in the Van Dyke brown family, we like Sherwin Williams solvent based glaze. With all of these techniques you should do a test on an inconspicuous area to check the look and compatibility. Good luck!


Would mylar provide adequate insulation for an infrared sauna located outdoors?

Mylar reflects infra-red radiation. Most of your heat loss will be through good old-fashioned conduction (and convection), against which the Mylar does almost nothing. No, it's not worth it.

Use a bit of foam or polyisocyanurate sheathing instead, if you like.


Is it possible that my GFCI receptacle is bad?

When you say "the GFCI is NOT tripped", are you referring to a GFCI breaker or GFCI receptacle? If you're talking about a receptacle, have you checked the breaker/fuse to see if it has tripped/blown?

It's entirely possible that the GFCI is bad. Though it's impossible for anybody to inspect the wiring through the internet, so that's about the most definitive answer anybody will be able to provide. Your best bet would be to contact a local licensed Electrician.


The form ties are steel. So, a masonry ("carbide tipped concrete twist bit") drill is exactly the wrong thing to drill them with - that's what you use to make holes in concrete, which is not what you are trying to do (however absurd it may be to try that - I agree that this is a VERY strange and impractical thing to try doing.) That type of bit utterly stinks at drilling steel, the geometry is very different.
You need to remove the steel, not drill a new hole in the concrete - the steel is already making a hole there, you just need to remove it. So use a bit made for drilling steel, carefully centered, starting with a center-punched divot to keep the drill on track, as @jstola suggests. When you get to the point that you have drilled out almost all of the steel, you may consider switching to a masonry bit if you intend to enlarge the hole beyond the size of the form tie.
Personally, I'd return the product and buy one with less insane directions, as this is a lot of work with little prospect of benefit - it smells like "we know our product doesn't work well, but we'll insist that the problem is that you failed to follow our detailed insane directions so it's not our fault when it does not work." Cutting the ties off flush is the only normal treatment of form ties.


In vertical blinds, what is the part called that attaches a slat to the rail?

I can confirm that was indeed the part I needed.     It was listed as:

  Vertical Blind Repair Carrier Stem and Gear for Attaching Slats


Can I paint a door without removing it from the hinges?

Sure, but you increase the odds of drips and runs that way.

Either way you have to leave it open until the paint dries.

If you take it off, you can bring it to a warm part of the house so it dries faster. Might not be much different on a warm/hot day.

Be sure to put a dropcloth under it to keep paint off the floor.


Yes, either the interior or exterior pane can be replaced by a glazer (window company).

Most glazing companies have “on site” services, including replacing panes of glass. They will remove the broken pane, glazing tape, insulation bead, etc. and replace with new...

They will need to remove the unbroken pane too, in order to properly seal the panes together.

However, be careful that the glass matches in color, coating, tint, etc. (especially if adjacent to other windows) before they remove the unbroken pane.


How do I keep the door jamb moulding from pulling away from the wall when hardware is screwed in?

Did you pre-drill the holes for the screws?

It seems as though the screws have hit something solid (screw/nail head, etc). Which is causing the molding to be pushed away, instead of the screws penetrating deeper into the wall.

This might be a sign that the hardware is only held in place by the molding, which isn't going to be very secure. You'll want to make sure the screws are held securely in the studs, and not simply in the finish materials (drywall, molding, etc.).


Electrical and plumbing dielectric myth or fact

The metal / copper can create a problem. I have not found the insulation to be damaged but have found the points of contact created holes in the copper pipe and rusty spots on the metal. The pipe had failed in multiple locations under the house and the copper had to be replaced but the MC was ok even though water had been spraying on it.  I have seen several times when copper to galvinised pipe were made a metal union (it should a dielectric union) the pipes failed in a short number of years / months. I believe there is a photo on this site where chicken wire was used to hold up insulation and the wire was in contact with the Copper pipe and that pipe had started to fail. Not a myth copper and other metals can cause pipe failure, but I have not seen the insulation damaged.


Replacing fluorescent fixture with a normal tungsten lamp - wiring trouble!

You can't go by color alone, you have to understand what the wires do.  Here's what happened when you hooked all the like-colors together.   BOOM.

This is probably how it was connected originally.  However, this is wrong and illegal, for several reasons: white wires must be neutral unless marked otherwise, and here it's a hot mess.  Also, "hot" is always connected to the light fixtures even with the switch off, which can surprise the guy working on the fixture.  It's also likely that the white wires on the fixtures are actually "hot" - that's especially dangerous with Edison style sockets.

Here are the exact same wires, rearranged in a way which is legal and solves all of the above problems.  Now the "hot" wire to the fixture (red) is switched, and neutral is always connected.  With the switch off, the fixtures see no power.  Note it now matters which end the switch is on, because on one end, white is actual-neutral, and on the other, it is switched-hot.

On the right of this drawing is called a switch loop. Those are wired with black-white cable out of sheer practicality... the white is not neutral, but is switched-hot. Legally the wire must be marked, typically with a few wraps of electrical tape.  Black will suffice, use red if you have it.

This switch loop arrangement is actually obsolete.   In new work, code now requires neutral be brought on switch loops.  In that case, all 3 wires would be extended to the switch, and neutral would not be used until the happy day you get a smart switch or motion sensor.

The color of the wire-nuts do not matter, as long as they fit the wires - they have a lot of range.  Yellow is best suited for all the connections here.

All these drawings omit ground wires.  That's commonly done on illustrations like this.  Nonetheless, all the grounds do need to be there and be hooked up.

One last thing: You'll get way less light.  A dual 4-foot fluorescent (62-90 watts) produces the same light as 400-500 watts of tungsten bulbs.  If you hate the fluorescent flicker, lousy cold-start or hum, or the ballast or starter has failed - electronic ballasts fix all that! And you can retrofit your existing fixtures.  If you hate the fluorescent color, they fixed that too - tubes and LEDs now come in excellent color rendering (80-90 CRI) in 3000, 3500, 4000 or 5000k color.


Take the measurements of the internal and external diameters and turn 2 up on a lathe, if you don’t have one or access to one then any local machinist can do it.
They can make them with “ears” or tabs so they will clip into place.


Do the backstabs accept 14 AWG only?  Are the bathroom receptacles on the circuit?  You cannot use the lamp, bathroom receptacles must be 20A and 14 AWG wire is not legal on 20A circuits.  If it has screws, use them - backstabs are bad news anyway.

Ok, so get a 6 inch length of correct size Romex.  Strip it down for the hot, neutral and ground wire.  Use those to connect to the single terminal on the lamp.   This seems like it makes things worse because now you have 3 black wires and 3 white wires to connect instead of only 2.   Get wire nuts or other type of splice connector which accommodates 3 wires.


How do I apply the same texture to the bathroom wall after patching a hole?

The short answer is to repaint the entire wall. When patching, its almost impossible to get a perfect match of texture and color. If the patch is small you might never notice it, but large patches are usually noticeable to some degree.  This might be just because the original paint has cured for a few years (probably yellowed too), or it could be like your case with different textures.

It does however sound like the patch might not have been sanded well enough, so the first step is to sand the patch back down so the surface is smooth and even with the wall.  The prime the spot, and repaint.  If the original wall was painted with a roller, make sure to use a roller again.  A patch that is painted with a brush will usually stand out on a wall that was painted with a roller originally.


How to force installation of standard-width blinds for window with nonstandard dimensions?

Those 27 inch blinds you link to are top mount and will fit in a 27.5 inch opening without modification. But there are also side mount ones that would also work but you would need to add a 1/4 inch shim to both sides or a 1/2 inch shim to one side.

Most blinds can't be simply cut down in width except those that are designed to be cut to length.


How do I connect a new Lutron sensing switch?

I think I've installed the switch you are talking about before.

Blue wire (traveler) is for 3-way applications, just cap it off
Green wire (ground) ties in to the exposed copper wire of your Romex, or into the box if you have BX cable
Black wires: because you are using AC current, the switch doesn't really care which side of the circuit is truly 'hot'.  You just need to tie in one of them to a hot wire (A), and the other to the light(C).


How do I run wiring past this octagon box?

Any reason you can't install a 2"x4"x2.5" deep junction box horizontally at this location and just run your additional 12/2 above the box?


How can I get paint to come off more evenly with a heat gun?

Perhaps you should consider using a chemical help to supplement your heat gun approach. Obviously the very old paint has lost most of the oils and resins that can help it bubble for heat removal. You are probably dealing with mostly pigments (many metal based, including lead) and very dry resins.

There are newer less caustic strippers, such as citrus based products, that take several hours to cut through the old paint and may need a subsequent application. But they may allow more complete removal without gouging the old wood.

Once you stop making satisfactory progress with the heat gun, let the wood cool than then test the stripper in a small area. NOTE - Do not, under any circumstances, use the heat gun when there is a chemical stripper on the wood. Serious chemical reaction or fire could result!

You also could try cabinet scrapers. these are much less likely to gouge than the heavy duty paint scrapers. Some have sharp corners or curves that allow you to scrape out moldings and insets. Again, these could be used once you have removed a good bit of the old paint with the heat gun.

NOTE 2 - Given the age of the paint, there is almost certainly lead (and maybe other unpleasant metals) present in the finish. Use a mask to avoid breathing the dust and chips with all these techniques.


All the work needs to be done on the top.

See that metal disk on the left in the picture of the top-side. Press it in and its partner, and remove the seat/lid (by lifting off).

Now remove the large (one inch-ish) covers that remain. Now you can see the top of the screw. Tighten screws.

Put everything back.

To align the pins, turn seat upside down, and try to align. This worked good enough for me. I had no trouble with alignment.


Several on line sources report it is for demonstration purposes. It is there to show you how  the magnetic holder works. Pull, Tire, Tirez, are translated as "PULL" in English. This may explain why there is no holder in the case for it.


Leaking laundry faucet, seems too well attached to pipe to come off

This type of valve can be soldered or screwed on, in your case it was soldered making total replacement more difficult. You need to replace the stem packing.  Shut the water off at the source. remove the handle from the stem. Hold the hex closest  to the wall with a wrench or vice grip pliers, You don't want the pipe to turn, when with a second wrench you unscrew the packing nut. Remove the nut along with any old packing. Bring some of the old packing to your local hardware store to match it for size. Wrap a piece of the packing around the stem in a clockwise direction. Reinstall the packing nut. Reinstall the handle. The nut needs to be tight enough to not leak by the stem, but not so tight that the valve handle is difficult to turn


Can I install an outlet on a freestanding pillar platform?

Where I could not go deep enough I ran rigid ~5” below the surface then used a 5 gallon bucket brought up the pipe from the bottom to a bell box went back out to the next one. I  filled the bucket with concrete. That gives more than 1 cu ft of concrete and was allowed by my AHJ. The bell box’s I used had 3 openings 2 on the bottom for in and out and one on top for a light, every other one I put a receptacle on the box. I cut the bottom out of the bucket but did press the bucket into the gravel I had there. If I do it again I would put the top of the plastic bucket down in the gravel not the bottom of the bucket as they are slightly tapered and getting the bucket off was a pain with the taper going the right way it would have been much easier but if you have a few extra 5 gallon buckets this was allowed in my jurisdiction as sufficient I think 1 cu ft of concrete was the minimum.


Under Deck Ceiling Using Barn Steel Roofing Panels

The slope or pitch of the under panels can be at any degree that will shed the water. If you consider it as similar to a roof than according to Code: "minimum slope is 1/4 inch vertical in 12 units (2% slope)" and ideally :"1/2 vertical in 12 units (4% slope)". This is for metal roofs that have a sealant between their lapped seams. My only suggestion would be to remember to use the same metal fasteners as the roof and get the type with the neoprene washer below the screw head. Also depending on the roofs profile pick-up similar support backing (i.e. wavy board).


What metal is most suitable for a ladder submerged in an underground water tank?

Stainless steel is the obvious choice. Which exact grade is probably more dependent on what you can easily find than what the "most perfect for the job" grade might be,  but 316 or 316L would be high on the list and are quite commonly available.

Be very careful about ventilating the tank if entering it "for maintenance" - tanks can be deadly. If the water is clean going in and there's no route for contaminants to enter, the need for internal maintenance should be minimal.


Ring or radial circuit for garage workshop

I think I have an answer to my question now based on some research. So if a 16A breaker is installed and the maximum load I have is around 3.5 KW, it won't trip whether it's ring circuit or radial circuit. However I decided to put it into a ring circuit in the end because of the way I wired my workshop. The wires are surrounded by insulation and going through wall studs. As a result it's not the best setup for heat dissipation. Based on this table my wiring method reduces the current capacity of 2.5 mm cable to only 13.5A using radial circuit, which is not enough for my need. It won't trip the breaker but it'll be a fire hazard.  If I make it a ring circuit I'm effectively doubling the cross section of the wires making it 5 mm cable. With my installation method, it can sustain around 20A, which suffices my need.


Bad smell from disherwasher - is this a bad setup?

I think that the pipe from the dishwasher does not have a high point before its connection to the sink drain. So water flows from the sink into the dishwasher drain pipe and sits there. All you need to do is clamp the dishwasher drain pipe to near the top of the cabinet right before the connection with the sink drain.


Can I smooth a knockdown-textured ceiling with spackle?

Spackle might work, however it is specially designed for repairing holes and cracks and is more expensive than the product that is normally used for doing a skim coat: regular joint compound or topping compound.
You should do a bit of research and plan to practice with wide trowels/mud knives if you intend to do this yourself. Hanging the drywall is not the skill-heavy part of the job; mudding and sanding IS. Professional plasterers spend years/decades acquiring the skills to skim coat, it is probably the most experience/skill dependent craft in the trade...


Remounting an undermount sink in a manufactured stone benchtop

An undermount sink needs to be mechanically supported from below, with brackets or some kind of structure that can physically support the weight of sink. Between the water, dishes, maybe even someone leaning on the sink, and the sink itself, we are talking about a load on the order of 100 pounds or more. So definitely far in excess of what an adhesive can support in this layout. In the absence of proper support, the weight of the sink may be resting on your drain pipes, which they are not designed to support. You need to get and install a mechanical support, either brackets (the sink's manufacturer probably makes or recommends some) or a custom-built wood structure to carry its weight. While you're at it, make sure to reseal the edges using a consistent layer of putty or silicone caulk.


Replacement key for an old sewing machine?

To pick a lock like this, you may be able to simply push a paperclip into the keyhole.  If you normally put the key in pointed down, try to find a lever to press up or to the side within the top or side part of the lock.

If you're not able to pick it, then it depends on the design of lock as to whether you'll be able to slide something into a crack to push a spring loaded latch to the side.  You may also be able to drill a hole from beneath the machine to access the lock or strike plate where it won't be visible.

Once you have it open, either remove the lock, remove the strike plate, or fix the strike plate so that the lock is not able to catch.


Metal Studs - How they should be installed?

Yes, it matters how the studs are placed.  All should be facing the same C pattern. And the larger hole points up, so that if doing taller walls the metal stiffeners do not fall out.


How can I connect a sink, dishwasher, and laundry pump all to one drain?

You need have to have a vent between the washer and kitchen drain and you can't have a running trap in the pipe like that either, I know codes are different all over the U.S. but this is the way we would have to do it according to southeastern builders/plumbing code, been a master plumber for 18 years. Not sure if my drawing is going to post but you need a combo for the ks drain and a combo for washer drain, with a trap and pro vent above the trap on a make shift vent terminated wherever you cab access it in the future. Good luck


How to extend short wires into new panel?

Based on what you say you want to do, your only option is the Tyco type "inside the drywall" boxless splices now on the market.   That is the only code-legal way to make a splice without without a junction box that remains accessible.  And even then, your inspector may not allow the Tyco method given the limited conditions under which it's allowed to be used, and the pre-existing cable damage to this cable.

Really this cable should be replaced.

Now we talk about the "box" solution.

I do this all the time.

Many of my installations have a junction box near the panel. It solves all sorts of problems.  Not least, your panel does have a convenience receptacle for the Electrician right next to it, right?  No?  Why not put a receptacle on the face of this junction box? **

You just said that you intend to bury the box in drywall.  No you won't.  You can't do that.  You are never allowed to bury boxes.   Every junction box cover must be accessible without disassembling any part of the house.

Now, you'll be using a large size steel junction box because you'll be making potentially more than one splice in it.  Junction boxes have cubic inch requirements for splices.  With cable clamps entering the box, a handi-box is too small.  Splicing is illegal in conduit bodies*.

I would use a 4-11/16 deep box, unless you're sure you'll only have 2 of these, then a 4" x 4" x 2-1/8" box will suffice.

EMT Conduit

This box will be attached via less than 2 feet of EMT conduit, at least 8" simply to avoid blocking other holes.  Find the happy medium of the largest conduit size (1/2, 3/4, 1") that will fit both box and panel knockout, and figure out how to mount the box so it will ultimately be flush to the finish surface.

Noting that you have two drywalls there, use either one - whichever makes the best fit.  It would seem to be more aesthetic to have the blank cover plate above the panel not on the shown wall.

If you want to get fancy with bending the EMT to make room for whatever, go for it - but keep total EMT length < 2 feet.

By doing steel and EMT conduit, we remove grounds from the picture. There's a ground screw hole in the junction box tapped #10-32; we take a pigtail off that, and the circuit grounds to that.  We don't need to carry ground wires down the EMT conduit into the panel.

Attach and splice

Once the junction box is mounted finished, now bring that cable clamp into a knockout in the box.  Like I say, the ground ends here: the metal EMT carries it the rest of the way to the panel.  The two conductors (hot/neutral) you give yourself about 12" of length, and nut it to a couple feet of hot/neutral wire.  Those go down into the panel.

Here you are at liberty to use "stranded THHN" if you prefer, it's much easier wire to work with.  It'll work great on wire-nuts, breaker lugs and neutral lugs.

What if you have more than one circuit to splice like this?  How many splices can you do inside one junction box?   There's a formula for that.  2.0 cubic inches for #14, 2.25 cu.in. for #12 and 2.5 ci for #10.  *Except all grounds together count as only 1 wire (the largest) and all cable clamps together count as 1 wire (the largest).*   So in your case at #14, you'd be joining 2 wires to 2 wires, +1 for grounds +1 for cable clamps = 6 "wires" = 12 cubic inches.  And this is why we need big boxes.

When you see the job done right, instead of horked together dirty, you'll be proud and you'll want to do work of this quality in the future.

* Disclaimer: for all conduit that is sensibly sized for its wires. Don't ask why I have to disclaim this.

** Typically the electrician's convenience receptacle is on a dedicated circuit.  If you follow my box-and-EMT plan, you can easily add this to the box with 2 wires, a receptacle, a cover and a breaker.


If you can scrape the wax off first (handscraper, etc..) I believe that will add some life to your belt.


How to maintain a proper gap while installing vinyl plank flooring under the existing baseboards?

Mark the new plank with a depth line and measure the gap under the baseboard. Put masking tape on the plank so the line comes off after.


How can I remove tiny dust particles from the air?

A cheap and easy solution would be to strap an air filter to a box fan and run it in the room for awhile.  I've seen several variations of the basic concept.  Here is one example:

Build a do-it-yourself air purifier for about $25


Torque screwdriver hex bit for main panel breaker, etc

It looks like your screwdriver bit was too small. The bit should have a snug fit and be wider, from what I can see. If the bit is not wide enough then the torque is applied to a smaller area and the screw can be damaged as yours was.


Do I need to "fill in" concrete control joints before floating floor installation?

As far as the joint is concerned, you could fill it with a self leveling sealant, as represton says.  I don't think it will affect the flooring either way, though, as your moisture barrier will keep the humidity away from the flooring (and the room).

And, a point of clarity...  This is not an expansion joint, this is a crack control joint.  It is intentionally weaker so that as the slabs settle, as they eventually will, the cracks will occur along the joint and be less obtrusive.

But more important for all of this, I feel, is whether or not the slab is flat enough for an unsecured laminate.  High spots will allow the flooring to move, resulting either in an uneven feel under foot or noise.  You might want to caulk in the joints to keep the leveling compound out, then apply a self leveling cement based product to the whole floor.  Have you run a straight edge around to see if that slab is nice and flat, and will the flooring package insert tell you what the tolerances are?


Can I use a gap filler/expanding foam around HVAC vent?

It would be nice to know if it's a supply duct (bringing warmed or cooled air from the furnace/AC) or a return duct (taking air back to be processed again).  It looks like the latter.

But in either case, even a supply duct is not so hot that you could not seal the opening with ordinary expanding foam.  I would do that.

Typically supply ducts are covered with some minimal insulation so their air makes it to the room without loosing the temp difference (possibly to the basement as you indicate).   Return ducts are typically not.

You could also pay attention to any leaks in the ducting assembly, and use metal tape or duct mastic to seal them.  Expanding foam would also work around the duct's opening in the floor.


Need advice on how to wire a switch outlet combo with two hot wires

Your description and comments are a little confusing, and your picture lacks detail, but I'll take a general swing at this. I think you want to swap this switch for a Leviton style switch/receptacle combo with the new switch controlling the existing receptacle(s).
Add white wire from the existing nutted white wires to the silver screw on the new device.
It looks like the wire from the top of the switch goes unspliced directly into a cable with two insulated conductors, if your existing receptacle is not a split duplex that cable normally would be a cable to the receptacle.
If you want the switch to control only the existing wall receptacle, and the half of the combo to stay hot then attach that top wire to the gold screw and the wire from the bottom of the switch to one of the black screws. There should be two black screws, it doesn't matter which one since you should be able to see they are connected together.
If you want the switch to control both the receptacle at the switch and the existing then attach the top wire to one of the black screws, and the bottom wire to the gold screw.
Add a bare wire to the ground screw.


What range of heights are allowed for wall receptacles?

The NEC doesn't count a receptacle above 5-1/2' to satisfy the requirement -

210.52(4) Located more than 1.7 m (51⁄2 ft) above the floor

The NEC doesn't have a lower limit for height, in fact 210.52(A)(3) allows floor receptacles within 18" of the wall to satisfy the requirement.

  (3) Floor Receptacles. Receptacle outlets in floors shall
  not be counted as part of the required number of receptacle
  outlets unless located within 450 mm (18 in.) of the wall.

Now if there are any requirements for ADA accessibility, receptacles and switches must be between 15" and 48" and unobstructed.


Like most things in life, there's multiple answers.
The best option for a direct water contact surface is water impervious backer board.  This is typically used in shower walls, or behind tiles that will have direct water contact.  Even this excellent material can fail if installed improperly.  The extra strength permits it to hold tile easily, with proper bonding.
Non-water impervious backer board should be avoided for areas with direct water contact, for obvious reasons.  It is suitable for areas that will need to hold the extra weight of tile but aren't in direct water contact.
The "green" water resistant drywall can also be used where there is direct water contact.  I've seen a mix of good and bad installations with this material.  Some people love it, some think it's not as good as water-impervious backer board.  It is easier to damage, and can't hold as much weight as backer board.
Non-water resistant drywall can be used in the bathroom too, but limit it to areas not likely to encounter much (if any) direct water contact.  Mist and steam contact will be OK, provided you properly sealed the drywall with paints that block water vapors.
Yes, it's possible to have a cupboard in the bathroom.  Many of them have standard cabinets.  Again, you can upgrade the cabinets with custom cabinets if you are worried about direct water exposure.  A good bathroom floor plan tends to have the wet areas isolated from the cabinetry, preventing water from routinely getting under the cabinet.
If you are new to this kind of rework, to get into the details I would recommend getting a copy of <a href=https://www.amazon.com/Renovation-5th-Completely-Revised-Updated/dp/1631869590">Rennovations  Often reading through it will help you with questions like this; but more importantly, you'll also notice the other related steps, which will reduce the chance that something you didn't even consider becomes a problem in your home-building plans.


The images in the eBay post show a 12v 7a power supply with a pinout on the power brick. The pinout shows only a 12v positive (pin) and ground (barrel).

The connector is called a 4P Power Snap and Lock, but you may also find it loosely described as a 4 pin DIN connector. The latter description is slightly inaccurate.

If you have a volt meter, you can confirm that the inside four pins are all 12v. It's not out of the question that all four pins are hot in order to handle the relatively high current capacity of the 7 amp power supply or 7 amp power requirements of the DVR.


Is beeswax ok to use to keep a screw tight?

Wax will help make it easier to insert a screw (especially into wood) but I've never heard of it helping hold a screw.

I think what you want in your case is a product known as Thread Lock (Brand name: Loctite). This is essentially a glue that you apply to the threads. If you've ever taken apart something and noticed a blue (usually) substance on the threads, you've already encountered this product. It comes in a few different variants (usually differentiated by color) depending the strength you need and how likely you are to remove the screw.

See this manufacture for an example: Loctite Threadlockers.

I have no association with this product.


What's the best way to get rid of ants inside my home?

Some options to consider:

ant poison (Terro a being a popular choice)
fill in the crack (concrete crack filler)
get a pet anteater (not sure how easy they are to house train)

Once the ants are gone, you can then get perimeter ant poison for your big-box DIY retailer. It's a granule that you can spread around the perimeter of your house to help prevent them from migrating into the house. Diatomaceous earth is also a good choice as a perimeter barrier (it's basically a sand that is microscopically 'sharp' for insects and they are reluctant to cross it).


What is the recommended post cap or strapping for corner post under beam and rim joists?

If you are butting a rim joist into the beam, you can frame like the first photo with the beam held back 1-1/2" and the first rim joist extending to the end of the post.

Then, in the corner of the second (inner) rim joist and the beam, attach some Simpson A35's.  1 should do, but if you have enough height you could install 2.  Each A35 can transfer nearly 600lb of gravity load into the beam.  If this truly is a rim joist, then 1,200lb of (2) A35's + the shear on the first rim should be more than enough.

Then use (6+) 3-1/2" quality construction screws (vs cheap deck screws) end screwed through the outer rim into the end of the beam to tie the rim and the beam together.

I would not recommend a Simpson ECC style column cap; these are only needed in extreme (for DIYers) load cases.


Sure, but glueing would be difficult. Most just lap the tabs on the FACED insulation and staple to the bottom of the 2x4’s...or staple to the sides of the 2x4’s.

The goal is to get all the insulation in straight (no puckering) and all edges and ends pushed together with no voids.

The blanket of insulation will expand slowly over time (4-6 hours) and help fill in all the voids. Make sure it doesn’t block the soffit vents.

BTW, wear a breather mask.


I've used these simple extenders/spacers to move an outlet slightly forward. Basically, just unscrew the outlet's top and bottom screws from the box, bend and pull off as many of the green spacers (probably you'll only need 2 per screw) as you need, then place over the outlet screw holes and screw the outlet back in through the outlet metal tabs, through the green plastic spacers, back into the box. Note: If the gap is > 1/4", you must get one of these instead (by code).


Why do my replacement light bulbs not function?

Are these driveway lights controlled by a day/night control of some kind? If so, an incandescent control needs only 2 wires to operate but CFL's or LED's need a different 3 wire control. Try screwing in another incandescent bulb to see if that fixture still works.  If it does, and you have a day night control you will need to get the correct control. If you have a descent volt meter and know how to use it properly and safely you could check to see if you have voltage at the socket. If that light socket is old, it could have broken when you removed the first light bulb. One last thing, sometimes, when you buy a replacement bulb, if they are a cheap foreign brand, their quality control is poor and the bulbs contacts are not exactly as they should be.


Is there a way to have one zone at a time calling for heat?

yes

maybe with a newer style boiler controller like a hydrostat 3250 or definitely with a zone control such as Taco SR503-4 Switching Relay

at first thought you could wire one of the zones as the domestic hot water priority on the boiler controller provided it has a priority zone connection, which is typically where your boiler heats an indirect hot water tank (for your shower and all your faucets) in addition to heating zones... so whenever the device on the DHW priority calls for heat it gets priority and all the other heat zones if they were calling for heat have to wait for whatever is on that priority zone stops calling for heat.  You would just choose whichever zone of your two would be the priority, and if you have a domestic hot water indirect tank then put that on a different regular zone connection.

A zone control like the TACO I mentioned can do it

  Taco Switching Relays combine clearly labeled PC board layouts with advanced features that allow for total system customization. Whether using basic priority switching or the advanced features of the -EXP controls, the job is made easy

you can read hydrostat hydrolevel manual here to understand its capabilities: https://hydrolevel.com/fuel-smart-hydrostat-3200-plus3250-plus/


What could be causing my gas furnace to make a loud noise?

My gas furnace boomed like that until I took the cover off, brushed, vacuumed and blew out the burner box, then lightly wire brushed the ignitor electrodes.

A dirty burner box can cause booming.


Don't change them.  Single line steam radiators are tricky at the best of times, and most modern plumbers have little experience with them.  In addition base board radiators make it impossible to put bookcases in.  (In our climate they use up all of the external wall.)

There are lots of ways to dress them up

Recessing them is a bad idea, as the space to do that comes an the expense of external wall insulation. (Most radiators are on external walls)   In addition, most radiators are thicker than the wall you would be recessing into

The british use flat plate radiators.  I know they work with hot water.  Not sure if they work with steam.  Much less obvious, and easiet to clean and paint.


Does it violate US wiring code to have non-standard outlets?

There is no listing for non-standard receptacles, so at a basic level, it would require "examination" by the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) in your area under NEC Article 90.7 to make sure it doesn't violate the basic "suitable for use" rules in Article 110.3. You might find an AHJ who will accept the IEC certifications as adequate, you might not, there is no way to know in advance. Most states have specific rules as to what third party listing agencies they will accept, often deferring to a list maintained by OSHA, referred to as the NRTL (Nationally Recognized Testing Labs) list. But unfortunately, most IEC devices do NOT undergo testing by any third party listing agency, manufacturers can "self certify" to any applicable standards, something that we in North America don't accept. I would venture to say that MOST inspectors here are aware of this and will not accept IEC devices, but again, you can't know without asking THE one that is going to inspect your house.

All of this is predicated on you having it inspected at all. If it's just you living in your house, you can do what you want. But if there is a fire, injury or loss associated with the device, your insurance company may use the unauthorized installation of it to avoid having to pay damages. Then when you go to sell your house some day in the future, you would have to remove the devices or disclose to the buyers that there was unpermitted electrical work done, something that scares a lot of people.

Another aspect is the equipment you intend to plug into this device. First is the 50Hz / 60Hz issue; if there are any motors inside, they may not work correctly. Then there is the fact that 240V here in North America is Line to Line, 230V overseas is Line to Neutral, with the Neutral referenced to Earth (ground) the way we do with 120V. While normally they would have the Neutral and Earth separated, in rare occasions the Neutral of equipment is bonded to earth inside. In that case, it's impossible to connect it here, it would be a dead short to ground.


What size wire should I use to add an outlet to a light circuit?

Check the Breaker
If the circuit breaker or fuse is rated 15A, then you can use 14 AWG (or larger) wire. If the circuit breaker or fuse is rated 20A then you can use 12 AWG (or larger) wire.
If the existing wire is 14 AWG but the circuit breaker or fuse is 20A then you have a problem and the circuit needs to changed to 15A or the wire replaced with 12 AWG.
Wiring
There are a couple of ways to do this. The simplest is to connect the existing wire, in a junction box, to an outlet (either in that junction box or run a cable to a new junction box in a preferred location) and then run another cable (either pigtailed to the first one or off the second set of screws on the outlet) to the switch and light.
I don't know if GFCI is required for the receptacles. If it is, I would recommend pigtailing rather than using the load screws as that will avoid (a) confusion about line vs. load, which seems to cause problems for a lot of people and (b) avoid a GFCI trip from turning out the only light in the attic.


Q. What kind of paint is best to use on a wood house: Oil, latex, something else?

A. Being taught old school by my professional painter & decorator grandfather, I should say oil based paints, but I think he might even agree that modern top-quality 100% acrylic paints are the way to go nowadays. Mind you top-quality 100% acrylic paints are not cheap.

Q. What techniques are there to give the house an aged look?

A. I think you referring to the art of "Distressed" effects. Takes some practice and skill, and will most definitely add additional time and money to the project.

Q. What other important information should I know before painting a house.

A. Preparation. Preparation & preparation is everything to achieving a high quality paint job that will last for years...

For the most professional and longest lasting paint job (but will add great cost to the project), remove all paint ie Get back to bare wood, then prepare the bare wood for painting - filling cracks, holes, sanding to a smooth finish...

To save some money on the preparation stage you can leave existing paint on (but only the paint that is still well adhered to the wood). Remove all chipped, loose paint. Fill cracks and holes. Sand to a smooth finish, including the existing painted surfaces. Paint any bare wood with wood-primer...

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


Does the humidified air get filtered in a bypass setup

No. water vapor is a gas - it passes right through, same as oxygen and nitrogen (i.e., air)


House and shop on separate meters, will water line between the 2 be a problem?

If you don't have any piping or cabling between them, don't worry.

If you are planning to run coax, use a ground isolator designed for your type of CATV or satellite system. Your cable co might even be able to provide one which is guaranteed to work with your service.

Ethernet is already ground isolated thanks to transformer coupling so it's not ground referenced. It's part of the spec and was there from the start to specifically address concerns like yours. There is shielded Ethernet cable which is uncommon but should be avoided and most likely unnecessary.

Piping will be tricky. You are going to need what is called a dielectric union or other galvanic isolation device. Then bond the pipe on both sides of the union for lightning and grounding safety. The bond should not jump the union but rater establish ground at their respective building locations. This applies if your piping is metal. So if permitted by local code, run plastic pipe and problem avoided. Gas piping can also be plastic if permitted.

And lastly, use lightning arrestors on both sides of your ethernet and coax wiring at each building end. Bond them strait to a solid ground or their own properly installed ground rod.


How quick do tree roots re-clog the sewer drain after snaking?

I can tell you that in my area (we have full blown winters) the snaking is required once a year. You may be able to stretch in in a dry spell to two years, but is it worth the risk?

Your alternative is to pull up the tree, or to change your drains to PVC, both of which are expensive vs snaking every year.


Use Rigid Foam Underneath Sidewalk to Control Water

I wouldn't go forward with that plan.

Diverting the water three feet away from the foundation won't stop the water from getting to your foundation. You need to put a french drain in and ensure that there is an outlet for the water to go somewhere where it won't damange anything.

You can buy premade french drain material at your local home improvement store of you can building your own with gravel and perforated pipe. It's generally  pretty cheap either way.

Also, ensure that you have proper slope for your french drain or you won't have flow like you need to ensure that the water gets moving.


I was taught that: “If it looks like a hot dog stand, works like a hot dog stand, then it’s a hot dog stand.”
Working hard to trick people into thinking they’re getting 2 free bedrooms in the basement, is not commendable. You know they are not bedrooms, do you think it’s right to have family and friends sleeping in an unsafe room?
You are no better than one of those phone scammers.
Btw, the Code says the required ceiling height of “habitable rooms”is 7’, except in a basement, where it’s 80”. (See ICC R305.1) If the rooms are going to be bedrooms, then they need egress windows and smoke detectors. (Closets do not define what a bedroom is...)
Also, the floor area of each shall be a minimum of 70 square feet with the smallest dimension to be at least 7’ in any direction. (See ICC R304.3)


Can my new pressure switch's range be adjusted to match the original?

Depends on the switch.

The particular one (it's also a Square D, but they make various models) I have on my well is a 20 PSI differential and can be adjusted from 20/40 to 40/60 (perhaps beyond, I don't recall right now.) Check the instructions (should be in the box if it's brand-new, or look up the exact model number on-line.)

Instructions for the 9013 Pumptrol show a larger nut (1) and a smaller nut (2) with the following instructions:

  Adjust in the proper sequence:
  1. Range: Turn nut down (CW) for higher cut-in pressure, or up
  (CCW) for lower cut-in.
  2. Differential: Turn nut down (CW) for higher cut-out pressure, or up
  (CCW) for lower cut-out.

I will warn to be sure that power to the circuit is off at any point when adjusting the nuts - with the cover off to access the nuts, the line power contacts are exposed, and I prefer the level of being careful that shuts that off at the breaker to the level of being careful that is "I should avoid touching those."


A split bolt connector would seem to be right for this. Use electrical joint compound (such as Burndy Penetrox) then tape over the joint.

However, you would have to separate the neutral/ground enough from the insulated conductors and then tape over the split bolt and maybe interpose a piece of plastic or rubber so that it would not over time wear a hole in the insulation and cause a short.


How often should alkaline batteries be checked when they are in a device?

You don't need to check devices used frequently

Because you will soon notice that the device has gone inoperative, and will simply change the batteries at that point.  What gets 'ya is devices you rarely use.

One option is to use rechargeable batteries in those rarely used devices, which is to say NiCd or NiMH batteries. They will still discharge, however they won't be damaged by doing so.  In fact,  NiCds and NiMH's normally self-discharge over time, so if left in a drawer for a year, they will be fully discharged within 90 days and spend 275 days in a fully discharged state, without taking any damage.

Obviously after 90 days the device will not be usable and you'll have to take the batteries out and charge them; but you use them rarely anyway.

If you need to have your rarely-used devices "ready and good to go", then my advice is to use primary cells (non-rechargeable), and change batteries annually.  Don't throw out the old batteries; just demote them to frequently used appliances.


The proposed wiring shown as Revision 1 in the original drawings is not code compliant. Under NEC 300.3(B), all wires for a given circuit must be in the same cable or raceway. In your example, the new lights get the hot lead from a single wire from the switch and the neutral from a separate cable or raceway from the old fixture.

Basically you need a balanced load in each cable or raceway (hot out/neutral back or hot out/switched hot back) to prevent the possibility of induction heating.

As @Speedy Petey suggests, a much simpler, and code compliant method, is to run a cable with a neutral and a switched hot from the existing fixture to the new fixtures.

UPDATE: Based on the added drawing in Revision 2, the proposed circuit is now code compliant. Also, as @Ben noted, any white wire used as a hot that is exposed in a box or fixture must be marked black or red with tape, paint or marker to show that it is hot.


Sure it will dry.  I will not bind right because you missed the step of using a primer.   You are going to have to strip it no matter what.   If it is still "wettish" and a lot of the paint comes off with a putty knife, try to get as much as possible now.
You are looking at using some sort of paint solvent (thinner) or sanding.   There is no fixing this, just a learning experience.


No, you do not need a neutral "load" wire if you're running only 240V load. The GFCI will detect any imbalance between the two phases and trip if one occurs.  See picture below.

The green wire can never be used for anything but a ground.


code requirement for cooktop gas hookup to be in another cabinet?

I believe it's so that you can maintain easy access to the plug and gas valve if anything were to go wrong.

  "is accessible when the oven is removed"

You don't want to have to move the oven to shut off the gas.


(UK) Timber stud sizes and types, 38mm vs 50mm

Timber is dimensioned in 'nominal width' which means the size it is sawn to when it's processed. Studs are finished by planing, which reduces the nominal width to the actual physical width you'd measure when you installed it.

This webstore's description makes a bit clearer. It specifies that a nominal 50x75mm stud is reduced to 38mmx63mm by planing to produce a smooth surface.


Where are you located and is this for a 4-season living space?

You want to insulate your ceiling to keep the warmth in (if in a climate with a heating season) or keep the heat out (if in a climate with a longer cooling season).  Assuming you are in a region where you need to heat your house.

You will lose more heat through an uninsulated ceiling than you could ever recover through better wall insulation or better windows.

Make sure you extend your insulation over the exterior walls to the edge, otherwise you will lose a lot of heat through the corners at the exterior wall.


My basement kitchen has this circuit (20AMPs or 40AMPS-not sure) , can I run power tools on it?

What you're looking at is a 40A circuit at 240V.

It's possible to split a 240V circuit into dual 120V circuits, but then, it's the amperage on the breaker -- i.e. this splits into two 40A circuits, not into two 20A.

So a 40A breaker is absolutely useless for creating 20A circuits.

If you want 20A circuits, the breaker must be 20A.

This 40A breaker is certainly for an electric range.  Another problem you have is that electric ranges of this era were wired without a ground wire.  Trying to run equipment in a garage without a ground wire would be nuts.   It would take a great deal of re-work to try to turn this wiring into a usable circuit that could feed a subpanel, or be down-breakered to directly serve 20A circuits.  The breakers are cheap enough; it's the cost of retrofitting a ground.

However, a kitchen will certainly have ordinary kitchen countertop receptacles. It's supposed to have two 20A circuits. That should be plenty for saw and dust collector.

And you are correct, saw + dust collector on the same circuit is not likely to work.


How can I provide GFCI protection to my kitchen receptacles?

Simply replacing the first receptacle in the group with a GFCI receptacle, will provide protection to the entire group (if wired properly).
GFCI Receptacle
Locate the feeders
WARNING:
This procedure should only be carried out by persons with the proper tools and knowledge. And should be carried out with extreme caution.
When you open up the box containing the first receptacle in the group, you're going to notice two cables enter the box.  One cable brings power from the breaker/fuse box (feeder), and the other carries power to the remainder of the circuit.  You'll have to figure out which cable is which, so you know how to connect the GFCI receptacle.

Start by turning off the power at the breaker/fuse box.
Disconnect the receptacle, and position all the wires so that they will not contact each other or anything else conductive.
Turn the power back on.
Using a multi-, voltage or non-contact meter determine which set of wires is which. The feed from the breaker/fuse box will have power, while the line going to the rest of the circuit will not.
Mark the wires in some way, and turn the power back off.

WARNING:
If you got a voltage reading on more than one set of wires, STOP, do not follow the rest of these instructions. contact a local Electrician.
Connect the GFCI
On the GFCI receptacle you'll notice that one set of terminals is labeled "LINE", and the other is labeled "LOAD".

Connect the wires from the cable you marked as being from the breaker/fuse box, to the terminals labeled "LINE" (Black to brass, white to silver, green/bare to green/ground and the box if it's metal).
Connect the wires from the other cable to the terminals labeled "LOAD".
Install the receptacle into the box.
Turn the power on.
Press the Reset button on the GFCI receptacle.

WARNING:
If the receptacle will not reset, the wiring is connected incorrectly, or contains a fault.  Contact an Electrician to complete the job.
GFCI Breaker
Alternatively, you can install a GFCI breaker to protect the entire circuit.
WARNING:
This procedure should only be carried out by persons with the proper tools and knowledge. And should be carried out with extreme caution.

Turn off the breaker.
Remove the black wire from the terminal on the breaker.
Locate the white "neutral" wire associated with the circuit (should originate from the same cable).
Remove the white "neutral" wire from the neutral bus bar.
Remove the breaker (Caution should be used not to touch the hot bus bar while the breaker is removed).
Install the GFCI breaker.
Connect the white wire from the GFCI breaker to the neutral bus bar.
Connect the white "neutral" wire from the circuit to the GFCI breaker.
Connect the black "hot" wire from the circuit to the GFCI breaker.
Turn the breaker on.

WARNING:
If the breaker will not reset, the wiring is connected incorrectly, or contains a fault.  Contact an Electrician to complete the job.
Test the GFCI
Once the GFCI device is installed, it should be tested at least once a month to insure it's functioning properly.

Press the Test button.
Press the Reset button.

If the GFCI will not reset, the GFCI is bad, the wiring is incorrect, or there is a fault.  Correct any faults, and/or install a new GFCI device.


Can i connect 14-2 wire to the current 12-2 wire in this case?

That is fine.  Whichever circuit breaker feeds that entire circuit, must be replaced with a 15A breaker.  The presence of any 14AWG wire anywhere in the circuit requires the breaker be 15A.

I don't know what you had in mind with the switch, but switches are not circuit breakers.

If you plan to use a full 15A in the shed, a common $1 switch will not handle that, you'd need to upgrade to a $7ish heavy duty switch.


How to fix double pocket doors so they stays in the center when closed?

In our high end home the company I worked for built, we never got the converging kit. There was a block of hardwood carefully cut to full the gap in the track, slightly recessed so the cut block allowed the wheels to hit it. It's length was set so each side as it closes stooped just ever so slightly over the centerline of the opening, maybe a 1/16" or 1/32" to insure the doors met well. The block would be about 5-6" long though it could be shorter if warranted. The block was carefully centered and piloted for three screws to secure it in place. Stagger the screws as much as possible in the face of the block to help prevent splitting. Mask off and spray paint the track and block flat black and it all goes away.


Transformer, rectifier, regulator - aka, a USB power supply.

There are, of course, the small switching supplies that plug in, as seen as phone, ipad, ipod (or any other USB device) chargers.

I know that there are power outlets (ac) with built-in USB outlets available for the USA system - depending on the speed and conservatism of the UK electric regulators, that sort of thing will either exist, or be coming at some point. Looks like it's a done deal:


Drain rods with a "drop scraper" attachment might work. Although may take a few tries. If possible try accessing it from someplace closer.

The way this works is that you push it beyond the obstruction and then pull back out. When pulled back the tool opens and scrapes over the floor of the pipe, brings back any debris with it.


First problem: you'll need to pick a thicker wire.  The NEC specifies a minimum of 18AWG for fixture wire in 402.6:

  402.6 Minimum Size. Fixture wires shall not be smaller
  than 18 AWG.

Second problem: you'll need a reliable way of making connections.  Instead of soldering (solder splices in free air are finicky beasts), I would recommend box-style pressure terminals (made by Wago and others).  They are highly reliable (probably the best DIY multi-way connection option available) and UL listed for use in general household wiring, so they won't give an AHJ heartburn.  They also are listed to terminate 10-18AWG solid or stranded wire, so they can be used with fixture wire, no matter what you get.

Next, you'll need a fuseholder that's rated for your application.  I'd recommend an Eaton (Cooper Bussmann) HLR or a Littelfuse LHR type -- these are practically made-for-purpose for fusing fixtures, and are UL recognized as well.  They also are panel-mountable to somewhere on the fixture, allowing convenient, touch-safe access to the fuse.

Finally, as to terminating the fixture wires, what I'd do is use a multi-way Wago box to terminate it to a single 18AWG that can go to your fuse holder (in fact, the fuse holders I mention above accept solid 18AWG leadwires, and can be obtained pre-terminated with them), then bring an 18AWG hot and neutral to the box.  As to the earth? I'd simply provide a 10-32 tapped hole on the fixture base dedicated for a ground screw -- that way, premade ground pigtails can be used.


How can I remove polyurethane while it is still wet?

Okay first: don't use PolyShades for anything...ever. Its the worst.
Second: Stripper is great except when its not. Sometimes certain strippers react to certain finishes in a way that is...undesirable. Then you have a mess. I've been doing this longer than I care to remember and I still have weird results now and again. No rhyme or reason. CitriStip gel is pretty good, and safer to use than the solvent based variety.

I like to remove finish with a scraper, especially when green. It cuts through the finish quickly and doesn't clog like sand paper. Its a modest investment and learning to sharpen them properly takes a few tricks (see William Ng's tutorial on Youtube) and profiled moldings present a bit of a challenge, but its a skill worth learning if your into working wood.
Good luck.


Is it okay that a Leviton 9860-LHG CFL lampholder has no ground wire?

Yes, that is normal. In a metal fixture, to put it simply: anything that can conduct electricity (but whose primary purpose is not to conduct) must be grounded. This is in case something shorts out and energizes the fixture, if someone grabs hold of the fixture (and provides a path to ground via their body) they don't get electrocuted. Having the fixture grounded causes the electricity to go to ground through the ground wire (even if someone is touching it at the time, in theory the ground wire provides less resistance than a human body and so the human won't be electrocuted), and probably will trip the breaker very quickly.

In a plastic fixture, there is no exposed metal that someone can touch, and so there is nothing to be grounded.

Note that the junction box it's mounted in must still be grounded though, just like any other fixture. Often even non-metallic junction boxes have ground screws in them: I have insulated boxes I used in the exterior walls of my house that are made of PVC, but have a ground terminal connected to a small strip of metal that connects to the screw terminals, in this way the screws holding whatever is attached to the box are grounded.


If the rust is superficial and not has not corroded through the roof panels a light sanding with 60-100 grit sandpaper on a sander will remove the most of the rust down to shiny metal. What I like to do next is to apply a rust treatment such as Permetex Rust Treatment (found here
1: https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-81849-Treatment-10-25-Aerosol/dp/B000BKC25K/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1WIHUOS5UN97Y&dchild=1&keywords=rust%20treatment%20for%20car&qid=1607738762&sprefix=rust%20treatment%2Caps%2C213&sr=8-7). This will change the rust to a black inert polymer primer and prevent it from spreading. Once it is dry (black) it can be painted as usual. I'd recommend any enamel alkyd type paint specifically for exterior metal. Rustoleum has an Industrial-type paint for tractors and machinery (found here)   If the rusted metal is perforated or has through holes you will need an extra step to repair the damaged area. Start by sanding the rusted area as before. Remove the rust until you reach shiny metal again. Spray with rust converter as before. Now here's where you'll need some artistic skills. Depending on the profile (shape, plane, detail) of the damaged area you'll need to fit a patch of galvanized sheet metal , cut larger than the hole. You'll have to shape and bend the patch to the existing roof section. Allow an additional 1-2 inches of the new patch to extend past the hole. Mark along the new metal edge where you will drill holes for round head screws to secure patch to roof. Next you can apply a continuous bead of 100% silicone onto the outside edge of the hole. Lay the patch over and screw down with sheet metal screws. Apply protective coating to repaired area. This is a general answer to your question. There are many products and several ways to repair a metal roof. I've answered with the easiest and most durable way I've found. Your roof, I'm guessing is movable to open and close. Be wary of any repaired area that may interfere with the moving roof.


Help on identifying light socket? (Japanese apartment)

IMHO this is a somewhat low-quality answer just a cut above link-only (which is why it was posted as a comment), and based entirely on "choose the right keywords for a search about an item I know nothing about directly." But since at least two people have requested it as an answer, here it is. I encourage anyone who actually has direct experience of these or who has some in their home to answer.

Appears to be #15-18 here: plugsocketmuseum "Not grounded twist lock socket and plug for mounting on a ceiling. A (lightweight) lamp or pendant connector plug can be attached to the cable. The plug has to be rotated 35º to detach (16). Images 17 and 18 show the components separately."

I note that you seem to have a hook for a potentially heavier pendant fixture beside it.


What is the main difference between stopping and skimming when plastering and when to use each

Skimming probably does come from before plaster board became ubiquitous. Previously you'd apply a coat of undercoat plaster to the wall or laths and then a top coat to finish. You'd also skim a new coat of topcoat if the wall had been damaged beyond simple filling. A good plasterer would be able to get a glass like finish on this topcoat with no sanding required.

Skimming over plasterboard gives you the same options. You can get a good finish without sanding - which is a messy job.


Why is the circuit shorting after connecting a new light fixture?

Every white wire is not a neutral. If you see an "extra" white, you should not connect it to a bundle of whites (which are neutrals) in the box. The extra white must have been a hot -- either switched hot or an always hot. If you know which white was originally not connected, then disconnect it from the other whites.

The previous guy probably also improperly connected a black to a group of other blacks. The proper connections might be to leave the white disconnected in the box with electrical tape over the end. Or the proper connection might be to connect this extra white to a certain one of the blacks. This might restore the circuit to functioning, but at this point it would be for the best to call an electrician.


After removing popcorn I usually find areas that need some topping mud to make a nice even base. After that a damp rag wipe down or a kitchen sponge mop to remove any heavy dust and shoot the mud. Texture is normally put on bare sheetrock no prep work other than filling voids from screws and tape to hide seams is all that is needed.


What type of insulation can be used near knob and tube wiring?

None. K&T was designed to have an air space around the wires. If you fill that space up with insulation--any kind of insulation--you're defeating that part of the design and causing a major fire hazard. Keshlam is right--the best solutions is to bite the bullet and have the house re-wired. Then you can install whatever kind of insulation you'd like, including in the walls, which right now are most likely empty and uninsulated--another consequence of K&T wiring.


What kind of board is this, and where can I get some?

If you want to match that thickness exactly, you'll have to get something custom milled, or planed down from 1" stock.

The difference between .83" and 0.75" is just over a 16th of an inch.  Probably an extra layer of tar paper would make up the difference.


How can I install a Leviton timer switch in this box?

We start by numbering the cables in your diagram from left to right:

is an always-hot feed backstabbed into the single pole switch (it's always hot because it's backstabbed at the same end of the switch as the incoming hot feed).
is another always-hot feed (were I to guess, this is the circuit coming in, but there's an off chance some dunderhead wired it to come in on cable #1 instead).  I can tell because of how it's double-looped at the switch terminal screw then pigtailed off to the rest of the switches.
is the outbound switched hot from the single pole switch to whatever lighting is on it.  (It is connected to the other end of the switch from the hot terminal.)
is the outbound dimmed hot to its corresponding lighting load.
and 6. are the curious cases -- you'd expect both travelers to be in 6. but perhaps the two cables are run together as part of the same circuit in a California 3-way configuration?  (The traveler terminals on a 3-way switch are both at the same end.)  Either way, they're irrelevant to your timer trouble.

From here, we can tell where your error is -- you wired the switched hot on the timer to cable #1's hot, when the original single pole switch was switching cable #3's hot.

So, turn off the power to the circuit, then unnut the hot (black) and switched  (red) wires on the timer, and unwind the switched wire from cable #1's hot and cable #3's hot from the pigtail junction.  Then use new wirenuts to nut cable #1's hot into the pigtail junction and cable #3's hot to the switched wire from the timer.  Put everything back together, turn it back on, and enjoy your new timer!


Will my horizontal fence sag with 10 foot boards?

If you are using 1X4X10 horizontally, you may notice a bit of sag over time. The wider the board, the less likely it will sag. 1X8 would be a good choice, but if you think you are going to keep a consistent 1/4" gap across all boards, that will not happen. Not all the boards will be straight to begin with, and when moisture gets introduced into the mix of things, there is no way to predict what will happen with a gap that may be good at the time of install.


Why does it take a long time for water to start draining from my tub faucet?

The stopper you're describing is called the diverter. The symptoms you're describing sound like it's gotten slightly bent or nicked. I would take it apart and try re-setting the pin. Maybe scrub it a bit with a light abrasive to true it up. If that doesn't work, replace it. I assume your diverter is in your tub spout. You can usually remove that by removing the hex-head set-screw and then rotating the entire spout (the padded handle of a hammer stuck in the spout can help you get a grip).


Solution was to remove the cold water feed downstream of the check valve and remove the air from the mixed pipe using the hot water feed. I then reattached the cold feed. There is probably still a small amount of air in there but it doesn't noticeable impact the flow.


Alternative to electric heaters in bedrooms?

I understand your dilemma. I have a few comments about using  heated water from a wood stove to circulate in a radiator. The concept seems simple, however using a circulator pump also requires a control panel of some sort, unless you intend to let it run continuously and manually switch it on and off. This task is normally controlled by a thermostat and control board. The pumps usually run on low voltage supplied through the control board. Using line voltage (240VAC in most of Europe) and an in line full voltage thermostat would be very dangerous. Another concern would be protecting the circulating water loop from an over pressure condition. Heating water above the boiling point would be a major hazard. You would need a pressure relief valve and a way to shunt water away from the heat exchanger if the wood fire overheats the water. Another limiting factor would be that this heat source would only be available when the wood stove was burning.
Perhaps you might consider an infrared quartz space heater instead of the oil filled radiator. These heaters are extremely efficient, cost a fraction to run compared to traditional electric heaters.They come in a variety of styles and shapes. The cost of these heaters start around $80.00 USD to a high of $500.00 USD depending on how large and fancy a unit you select.  They do not require special wiring and have a fairly low electrical draw plugged into any standard outlet. Infrared heaters work by heating objects via infrared energy as opposed to heating and distributing air. The heat in the space is usually very even and comfortable.  Check out what is available in your area.


My Air conditioner suddenly became defective after a power outage

I'd start by checking the start capacitor for the fan motor.  If that's starting to go bad, the motor could be drawing high current for too long while trying to start.


How do I connect my AAL06 dimmer for single pole?

This really is as easy as the instructions make it out to be

First, turn the breaker off.  You'll want to do this one wire at a time though, so don't undo the switch completely straight away.

The bottom black wire is your always-hot coming in, and gets nutted to the black wire on the dimmer after it's removed from the switch.  The top black wire is the switched hot going to the lamp, and gets nutted to to the red wire on the dimmer after it has its turn at floating free.  The yellow (interconnect) and white (neutral) wires on the dimmer get nutted in with the existing neutral wires (as specified by the instructions for a single pole installation), and the green ground wire on the dimmer gets nutted in with the existing bare wires.

Button it all up, turn the breaker on, and enjoy your new dimmer!


problems hooking up propane tank to grill

It does appear that this grill is made for, or has been converted to use natural gas rather than propane.  To convert a grill, you need two things - a new hose/regulator assembly and new gas orifices for each valve/burner.

The hose and regulator needed for a propane grill are pretty universal and easy to find.  The problem is the orifices.  This is a part that has a tiny hole in it inside the valve that allows the exact amount of gas to come out.  The orifice for natural gas is larger than propane so using the wrong orifice could result in a dangerous situation (overheating/fire).

You will need to contact the manufacturer with your grill model number to see if a conversion kit is available.  This is hit or miss - some grills have them and others don't.  I've seen super cheap grills that have kits available and very expensive ones that do not.  There is no "universal" orifice kit.

Do not attempt to run the grill on propane without the proper conversion kit.


Whirlpool oven gas shuts off one second after turning on

Have you considered looking at the control board and the computer system behind it? Based on what I have read and seen from what you posted, that may be the issue. I don't know for certain but it sounds like a short circuit in that area. It may have occurred if you have kids. They perhaps may have repeatedly flipped a breaker in the breaker box or it may have occurred during a power outage. It is a $243 part though, and you might want to do more research on that specifically before purchasing this part. I will post a link here if you want to look at that information I read (mainly specs on the part). https://www.searspartsdirect.com/product/1vx34izmuz-0022-664/id-w10349742
Have a good day!

New correction: I asked someone who had more experience, and he suggested that you unplug and re-plug the stove many times before considering what I suggested. Electronic systems often will exhibit symptoms such as you explained if their system is fried by a surge. For example: due to several unexpected power outages and resulting surges, our printer started to glitch, our laminator died, an expensive part in our dishwasher failed, and the motherboard in our washer was fried.  Also re-read the above section for edited parts.


Should a circulator pump be installed on the supply or return of a forced hot water heating system?

Water pumps pump water, not air, so putting it on supply side makes water allways available for circulator to pump. If you put that circulator on other side it could be hard to fill system with water and avoid air pockets. And basicly you can't pump air with water pump as it makes them break.


Connected a new faucet, the pipes drip but only a little bit, is that a problem?

It is a problem, and you should fix it because small leaks tend to become bigger leaks. You can't rely on hard water deposits to seal things, and drips can cause corrosion and damage to your kitchen. Even if it stays a slow drip you'll always have it at the back of your mind. This is a case where it pays to do it right at the beginning.
It sounds like you have crud on the threads, or maybe the threads are worn. If you want to use the existing threads then clean them off thoroughly, you can use an old toothbrush to start, and a wire brush if that doesn't work. Then use teflon plumbers tape or thread sealant.
If the threads are worn or damaged you're better off cutting the pipe a bit and then either re-threading them or using a push-on or compression fitting.


Can a surface mount Spa Panel be recess mounted in drywall and 2x4 wall?

You are treating a "spa panel" as something special when it really isn't.  Considering this is indoors, you can get away with a standard indoor breaker enclosure (NEMA 1) instead of the weatherproof (NEMA 3R) "spa panel" box.  In addition, the spa panel looks to be designed solely for surface (not flush) mounting -- flush mounting may cause issues with the door, for instance.

I would get a standard 125A main lug indoor panel (your existing spa panel uses GE THQLs, so get a GE panel if you wish to reuse the breakers from the spa box) and configure it as a subpanel instead -- while your current setup complies with Code insofar as you're able to get access to the junction box with the conduit body hanging off the front, I agree that it is a rather ugly kludge.


Should I use an epoxy finish on a high traffic hardwood floor?

Epoxy solutions in general last longer than polys.  They do come with residential drawbacks too in that they are harder to patch and don't handle temperature differences as well.

I personally have used bona industrial for high traffic areas.  I would really look into the industrial products so you don't feel the need of yearly upkeep.


Why has my garbage disposal started tripping the breaker every time?

You probably have one of two possible problems.

1) The disposer may be jammed. Check this by making sure the switch is OFF and the breaker is OFF. Insert the proper hex wrench into the bottom hex socket (center bottom of unit) and rotate it left and right to be sure it turns free and easy.  If jammed, it may take a bit of forceful back and forth action to clear the jam.  Look down inside the disposer with a flashlight to assure there is no obstructions.  If all is clear, turn the breaker back on and try the unit.

2) If after doing step one and all is clear but unit still kicks the breaker, the disposer is probably faulty and may need to be replaced.


I would cut out the drywall to the highest open point (left wall in your photo) all the way around (or at least along the back wall). Cut tapered shims for each stud from the necessary thickness at the bottom to zero at the top. Rest them above the shower flange, and cut additional (thinner) shims for behind the flange.

You want the tapered shims flush with the outer face of the flange at the bottom. This will virtually eliminate any visible oddity in the drywall.


Can't remove screen from bottom of dishwasher

Those are called "push nuts" and they can be quite difficult to remove.  I've been most successful by inserting a thin screwdriver underneath the nut and gently prying up as you work your way around.

Alternatively, you can try to snap the nut by prying up an edge and then using a pair of needle-nose pliers to twist the edge until it breaks.

Another approach is to take a pick and pry up the teeth that are biting into the post so that they release.  You'll need to bend them far enough so that after you remove the pick they don't bite back into the post.  Work your way around and release all the teeth.

In either case the nut is unlikely to be reusable so you'll need to find some replacements.  I've seen them at well-stocked hardware stores or home centers and you can find many online suppliers after searching for "push nuts".

Try to avoid breaking the post itself as it appears to be plastic.

Are you sure you need to removed that screen?  It doesn't appear that the manufacturer intended for it to be removable, at least not easily for cleaning.  It appears to me that nothing large enough to clog the drain should fit through that screen.


Do I need to replace the door chime when installing Ring Pro?

A mechanical doorbell chime is a simple electromagnet that energizes when you press the button and magnetically attracts a striker that then contacts a chime plate that makes a ringing sound.  With a higher voltage, the electromagnet will increase in power, and the higher voltage can also cause more heat in the thin wire coil of the magnet.

The higher force could make the chime sound bad, and the extra heat in the wire could break the coil.  I haven't tested this, but if you are going from a 10v transformer to a 16v transformer, I think that the biggest issue will be sound.  I don't think it will burn up the doorbell unless someone is holding down the button, and that's not possible with the Ring, because it simulates the "button push" for a set amount of time.

That said, doorbell chimes are very cheap and unless its very hard to get to, you should just replace the chime.  The old one will most likely sound broken and could actually break down the road.