First off, that diagram is probably a Code violation

See how they run the travelers in one cable and the switched-hot/neutral in the other cable between the lamps? That can be considered a no-no under NEC 300.3(B)/310.10(H) due to issues with steel boxes and other steel parts (such as a steel stud that both cables run through) getting toasty from inductive heating due to circulating loop currents, as well as excessive 60Hz magnetic fields that can cause EMI.

The fix is simple -- run a single /4 cable (a /2/2 cable can be used instead with one of the neutrals retagged if you can't get /4 in the right size) between the lights, instead of the pair of /2 cables the diagram calls for.

From there, it's easy

Your third box goes between the left and right light boxes, and is wired as follows:

Traveller 1 in the cable from the left light box connects to Traveller 1 in the cable from the right light box, likewise with Traveller 2
All the switched-hots in the box (one from the left box, one from the right box, and one that's the black wire from the fixture) connect together
All the neutrals in the box (again, one from the left box, one from the right box, and one that's the white wire from the fixture) connect together
All the grounds in the box connect together

Tagging wires according to function makes it easier

Tape-tagging wires by function just makes this easier yet.  For instance: tagging all hots black, all switched hots red, and all travelers say yellow for one traveller and blue for the other in this scenario means that you can simply connect like-color-tagged wires together and have everything work.


Adjusting deadlatch so it doesn't fall into strike pocket

Best approach for adjusting the strike plate.

Size up where it seems the plate needs to go and how much offset it seems to need.
Remove the existing strike plate.
Fill the existing screw holes with a whittled pine plug that you glue with wood workers glue and pound into the hole.
Optional - If you are not into whittling a pine plug for the old screw holes you can try what many people do which is to dip tooth picks in the glue and shove as many as possible into the hole till it is not possible to insert any more.
Let the glue dry on the screw hole plugs.
Use a sharp chisel or very fine toothed hobby saw to cut off the excess screw hole plug material even with the jamb surface.
Mark and drill new pilot holes for the strike plate screws at the offsetted location. Remember that pilot holes for screws are smaller than the outside thread diameter of the screws but not smaller than the inner diameter of the screw thread.
Reinstall the strike plate using the screws into the new pilot holes.
If you messed up you can always go back to step 1 and repeat.


Install interior camera on an exterior wall.

What you can do is cheat and drill a hole through both the interior and exterior walls. You'll need an extra long drill bit and make sure there's no electrical in the way (i.e. identify where the studs are and where the outlets are).

Be sure to caulk the outside hole with an exterior grade caulk


How are thermal (fire) barriers installed over foam insulation in a crawlspace?

Do I need to install the barrier in a crawlspace?

Yes you need to install the barrier regardless of where it is.

  What would I use as a barrier since I don't have studs to hang wall board on?
  Is there an alternative that I am missing?

You don't need studs to install drywall. You could install furring strips and then attach the drywall to this. You can even get XPS foam with channels for the furring strips cut out so that you don't add any extra depth to the wall.


Other than the fact that you already have a coffee maker, many/most coffee makers with timer/clock arrangements will shut themselves off after an hour or so (whether started by timer or started by hand.)

The most straightforward solution with the coffee maker you have is to change what you interact with to turn it on - leave the coffee maker "switched on" at all times, and switch the timer on when you want to operate the coffee maker.


Gluing Table Aprons to Plywood Table Top

Glue is rarely a bad thing to add to a (permanent) joint. Pocket hole screws are plenty strong on their own for most typical applications, but adding glue only makes the joint stronger. Plywood is very strong and very stable (two big reasons for using it), so there's no concern related to that.

One potential problem that may develop as a result of using glue is getting the joint to line up nicely, especially while screwing in the pocket screws. Glue acts as a lubricant here, allowing the two pieces to slide around quite a bit during clamping. If the two pieces are not clamped very securely, they will move when driving in the screws. If you can come up with some kind of registration / alignment system it will make the whole process much easier. Use biscuits, dominoes, rabbets (UK: rebates) (even a 1/16" deep rabbet would aid alignment), whatever to keep the apron aligned on the tabletop.


Does this fill valve need replacing or should I replace cap? Its leaking

Looks fine, but what about the diaphragm/washer assembly? That is the stuff that gets soft and worn over time; you most certainly should replace that if ever you open up the cap...


Homeowner's Insurance requires electrical panel replacement after 40 years

Is that a standard thing? Nope.
So this is either a peculiarity of that company (read: they don't want your business) or, they are requiring it in your location because they know something about electrical practices in your neighborhood that you do not... e.g that the original builder scored a great deal on Federal Pacific panels, or that one particular drunk electrician did a lot of really bad work in that town.
The other wildcard we don't know is what the insurance company may have learned about your house.  For instance, if you had a home inspection done, and you forwarded that to them, they may be looking at a photo and seeing something you missed, i.e. would you even know a dangerous panel if you saw it?
But no -- it is NOT a standard thing, and the rest of your questions would need to be poised to the particular insurance company... or to a different insurance company lol.
What needs to be corrected depends on the nature of the panel.  Federal Pacific gets a different answer than Challenger than Pushmatic than CH.


Using dielectric grease on oven broil element connector

Make sure to get high tempature spade lugs. Standard tinned copper tend to get loose with heat, the ones I use are rated to 900 f.  As an example I use FR9C-250 terminals from elecdirect (without the name a bunch of gun parts came up).
I have repaired stoves that had some damage but the replacement lug needs full contact with the blade or even high temp connectors will overheat. I am not sure if dielectric grease in this application will do much good but I don't think it would hurt. It may smoke when the element is turned on for the first time or two.


What is happening when my A/C operates in "dehumidify" mode?

The fan is not running at high speed to prevent icing, but for maximum cooling of the space. The cause of icing is that the system is undercharged with refrigerant or the throttling valve (expansion valve) is malfunctioning so that the low side pressure is so low that the temperature of the evaporator coil is below the freezing point of water.

I have always been told that an a/c system is supposed to be operated so that the internal temperature in the evaporator coil is 38 to 40 F. I have always supposed that this allows a safety factor in the case where the expansion valve closes too far.

My understanding of the dehumidify mode is that the cooling cycle is run continuously, but at a lower fan speed. The lower fan speed means less cold air is circulated, but the automatically controlled expansion valve opens to maintain the evaporator coils at the set temperature (of say 40 F). By running continuously at a lower flow rate all the water vapor is removed from the room but the room is not overcooled.

Our 26 year old Carrier is a base model 12 SEER which (at 42 kBTU/h or 3-1/2 ton) is undersized for our house in Dallas summer heat. On very hot days (~> 100 F) the compressor will run continuously for 6 to 8 hours in the middle of the day. The result is very dry air inside and I have to use lip balm in the middle of the summer or my lips get very chapped.

I have not tried to measure the humidity inside, but I may do that. We keep the thermostat at 74 or 75 F. I sit under a vent at the kitchen table and like to have cold air from the vent bathing me. This air would be very dry so perhaps this is why I get the chapped lips.


How to bypass ballast for T8 4ft LED tube?

Not a problem if 1 or 2 fixtures , there 2 kinds of ballast bypass lamps single end or double end first we need to know the type, I prefer double ended because then all existing tomb stones can be used. First if this is a double ended lamp I would tie the center. Or middle tombstones to the hot or neutral it doesn't matter then the outside one at each end to the other tombstones.
If this is a single end led the tombstones can not be shunted, but if the tombstones are not shunted (the 2 contacts read open with a contunitity test) I would wire the center or middle toombstones hot on 1 side and neutral to the other of each of the center tombstones. These are the only connection options (other than if you wanted to waste wire and put them at the outside ends). Make sure to label the fixture and if single end the hot & neutral end. This will work with 1 or more lamps end to end.


Why is there a current in my house panel grounding strip

Looking at your question and reading your background I am betting you may have a lot of electronics in your house and you actually have two problems. First you are picking current in a ground and second you seem to have an unusual power consumption. When you put them together as single problem it generally boils down to Harmonic Distortion, K-factor. Electronics, as an example a UPS, have a habit of recreating the wave and causing a distortion due to the time lap in the return current in the neutral. Also Electronics have a habit of using the ground as a handshake between components causing a current flow in a ground.

  K-factor is a weighting of the harmonic load currents according to their effects on transformer heating, as derived from ANSI/IEEE C57.110. A K-factor of 1.0 indicates a linear load (no harmonics). The higher the K-factor, the greater the harmonic heating effects.

I am not sure but by reading your question I think the water pipe your are clamping to is not bonded back to the single point of reference at your ground. If that's correct you really need to do that. Also instead of trying to troubleshoot the panel try and turn off any electronics in you residence and see if that helps correct your problem.

As far as knowing whether or not this is the real problem with your power consumption. You would really have to run a power analysis to know for sure. FYI this type of equipment runs in the neighborhood of about $5,000.00. So I would suggest you find someone who does this for a living and try and work out some sort of quote if you feel it is necessary.

Hope this helps.


Trying to find correct bolt for ceiling fan electrical box

As Ed said, it's almost certainly an 8-32, with a slim chance of a 10-32. My guess is the screws aren't working because the threads got damaged by the old incorrect screws. This is most likely why it was suggested you replace the box. If the threads are damaged I would probably replace the box. It's a chore but is the best option.
The alternative (which may violate the UL listing and/or NEC which are there for your safety) would be to re-tap the holes at a larger size than the damage. This could be done with self forming screws or with a drill and tap set. However, this will almost certainly result in a weaker connection and given this is an overhead box holding something up above people's heads and someone could come along and do something later like install a ceiling fan I would not recommend it.


I noticed this spacing on floor behind stove, seal it?

Yes it is normal and no, you don't need to seal it.  There's always a space between the floor and wall, but in finished parts of your house, there is baseboard that will cover it.  If you want to spend money on baseboard behind your stove, go for it, but it serves no purpose other than aesthetics.


What can I do about small pools of water on my garage floor?

Your options are:

Do nothing.  A little bit of standing water on an unsealed concrete floor will seep away and vanish in a few hours to days.
Use a broom or squeegee and move the water outside or to a drain.
Place catch basins (if it comes from a drip above) or barriers (if it comes from the side over the floor) to prevent the water from standing on the floor.
Identify the source of the water and remedy it.


Wire Melts at Connector to Broil Element on Electric Oven

There is a poor connection wire to connector or connector to element, either causes an increase in resistance and therefore heating.

It may be worth replacing that wire either from its source or cutting it back until you get to clean undamaged wire with a good connection to a newcterminal and cleaning the element connection surface.


Maybe! but read the instructions for over-current protection of your 240 volt heater, you might have to swap out the breaker. Also, make sure the wire gauge size is good for the heater. Larger than needed is OK, smaller is obviously not. As always, wire size, breaker rating and device amperage requirements all need to be considered. But just having an extra conductor in a cable isn't an issue, to actually answer your question.  Use the red & black as the hots, the bare copper or green wire as the ground and cap off the white. Double check your voltages to make sure nobody monkeyed anything up.
IMPORTANT UPDATE:  JACK mentioned the possibility of this being a 120 volt heater due to the black and white wires.   CRITICAL that you make sure this is actually a 240 volt heater. If not, well, lets just say it will get very hot very quickly and probably start a fire if over-temp devices don't trip.   Sorry for my answer...it was clearly limited to other possibilities.


Do these two coax amplifiers do the same thing?

The VOIP port is meant for the cable company's telephony modem, it works even if the power to the amplifier is interrupted.  The label shows it does not have the same amplification or return loss.

So although it's possible it will work, it isn't the same.


Can someone explain this Tandem Breaker Setup to me?

GE does things differently
Since it appears you have a GE panel with GE breakers in it, your situation is a bit different than most folks.  What you see there aren't "tandem" breakers at all, but half-width "double-stuff" breakers (THQP) instead, with the top breaker independent and the bottom two breakers handle-tied to feed a multi-wire branch circuit.  A filler plate was then used to keep stray fingers out of the remaining half-space.
This means that the MWBC has a neutral wire landing on one neutral screw in the panel, and the outdoor lights circuit then has its own neutral wire landing on a different neutral screw in the panel.  As to why it was done this way? It was probably done this way simply because the installer had THQPs handy instead of THQLs; there's not really much to be concerned with about that, although occasionally a THQP will wind up losing its grip on the bus a bit and becoming wobbly as a result, which can be fixed simply by replacing the breaker.


Disposal operation forces drain water into second sink

And the main stack and vent are located about 4ft to left of double sink.

It seems you needed your vent to be to the right of the sinks. Although the installation is apparently within code for the length of a single trap arm, when the disposal forces water into the drain it is backfeeding the small sink trap. Having the vent to the right would allow air pressure to equalize in that direction instead of through the small sink.

A simpler solution might be a backwater valve for the small sink. Although it may be difficult to find room for it but then you were thinking about moving the disposal so maybe there is room.

Good luck!


That looks like it is a wye pipe fitting (cleanout) with a cap on it, but with a hose added to it to help drain the pipe stack when it backs up. I can only assume that there is a partial blockage later in this pipe, and this helps prevent it from backing up into a sink upstairs. The solution is to remove the blockage with a roto rooter or equivalent, and replace the cap with one that doesn't have a hole in it.


Protecting bathroom mirror from corroding around the edges

I would use a clear varnish. Varnish has very little body and would seal the edge where the glass and metalized layer are exposed. By sealing this edge moisture can not get in and start delaminating the new mirror. If you want something with more body use a silicone sealer. Both should work well to prevent your new mirror from having issues with the moisture.


Put the meter in upside down. If that works, then you can reverse the wiring or live with an upside down meter.

Also, since the meter is just for your own use, running backwards is fine. The math is just a bit different.


What are the symptoms when 1 of the electric water heater elements goes kaput?

It sure looks like you are on the right track with you assessment. Most electric water heaters have two thermostats, one that controls the main tank element, and one that controls the quick recovery element.  There are several very helpful test procedures available online or in the This Old House website. The basics of the test are very simple if you have knowledge of using a volt/ohm meter.(VOM)
 Be absolutely sure the breaker and power to the heater is off before attempting any OHM measurements on the elements.
 You will check for proper operation of the therostats. This is usually done with the power on (220VAC) , which can be dangerous if one is not competent in testing live circuits with a volt meter. Basically, you will first verify the 220 volt input at each thermostat. As you draw down the hot water in the tank,replacing it with cold water, the output relays(just a double pole switch for testing purposes) in the thermostats will close, putting 220VAC on the output terminals to the elements. You can also simply turn up the temp on the thermostats and check the outputs as you are now asking for hotter water. Assuming you verify proper operation of the thermostats, the next step will be checking the resistance of the elements with the ohm meter.
 BE SURE POWER IS OFF.
 Disconnect the output wires from the thermostats and measure the ohms of each element. Knowing the factory spec is very helpful, however a very high reading or a "0" reading will indicate a bad element.  I will try to find a good link and post it in the comments section for you, but a good procedure is easy to find as stated above.
http://homerepair.about.com/od/plumbingrepair/ss/element_replace.htm


How can I remove a temperature and pressure relief valve that seems to be stuck?

Lefty Loosey
The first thing you'll want to do, is to insure you're rotating the proper direction.  Make sure you're rotating the valve in an anticlockwise direction.
Lube
Apply a liberal amount of penetrating oil; allowing it to soak in for a bit, then give it another try.  This will help clean the threads, as well as providing a bit of lubrication.  Giving the threads a good second blast of penetrating oil can often remove more dirt and corrosion, which can be just what's needed to get the valve turning.

Size can matter
Using a wrench with a longer handle; or a breaker bar, can often help loosen stuck valves.  Just be careful, you may be able to exert enough force to actually snap the valve.
Tap and twist
Tapping the end of the wrench with a non-marring mallet, can also help loosen a stuck threaded joint.  Again, too much force can cause collateral damage, so be careful.  Place the wrench on the valve, and gently rap the end in the direction of rotation.

Note:
Make sure you have the water heater inspected for proper operation, before and after replacing the temperature and pressure relief valve. Once installed, test the new valve to insure proper operation.


Ironically your wiring system has reached 30 years which is its half life. Meaning from here through the next 30 years an average system can experience 50% failure of it's components. This is just a statistical average and does not apply to any one system.

I would start by performing some maintenance on the panel. First I would remove every conductor from it's panel connection, including neutrals and inspect and clean the conductor. Then with a voltmeter carefully turn it on and check to see if you are getting 120V on each pole of the breaker to the ground bus. Turn the breaker off and reconnect the circuit, turn it back on and recheck the circuit to make sure your voltage is OK. Then repeat all the way through the panel. I would start with the main breaker and go all the way through.

Second as long as I already had the panel open I would remove each breaker and check the resistance through the breaker with an ohmmeter. the resistance on all breakers should be consistent throughout the panel. If I experienced a higher resistance than normal or an open circuit, I would replace that breaker and I would check the connection to the bus for any corrosion, coloration or arcing. I would also do the same at the breaker conductor connection.

Then once I have reassembled the panel. Perform a voltage check by measuring the voltage from the main service feeder to the ground and the neutral, and check it against the voltage between the breaker post and the neutral/ground to make sure it is consistent with the incoming service voltage. It should not vary much more than one volt.

In short you are indicating that the panel connections are loose and it is not just with one circuit. So lets clean it up and see if we can get it back to proper working order before calling in someone for a complete panel replacement.

Good luck and stay safe.


Stick ceramic tile to outside brick wall

If the brick has zero movement year round, buy a high quality exterior rated thin set mortar. And simple follow normal procedure for adhering tile to a wall. A good thin set allows for enough movement that winter, and water, shouldn't be a problem if the substrate is stable.

If you are less confident in the wall's stability then I would suggest a tile membrane and use an exterior rated thin set for both sides of the membrane. Adhere the membrane to the wall, then the tile to the membrane. The membrane will allow for 1/8 inch movement parallel to the membrane without cracking the tile.

Example Tile membrane
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Schluter-Systems-54-sq-ft-0-0008-in-Orange-Plastic-Commercial-Residential-Tile-Membrane/4717375

http://www.menards.com/main/flooring-rugs/tile-stone/tile-installation-maintenance/tile-surface-preparation/prova-mat-reg-waterproofing-membrane-54-sq-ft/p-1444438746920-c-6590.htm?tid=-2511184973115174626

For grout you have the standard choices. Cement based, Epoxy, Urethane, and Resin grout. I've used cement, epoxy, and urethane. Epoxy and urethane grouts are good for slightly volatile environments, but they do cost a lot more than cement. A high quality cement grout will probably meet your needs in most cases.

Also be aware that ceramic tile isn't waterproof. Water will seep through it and drain away. As long as it isn't being sprayed with water at -20 degrees Fahrenheit, it should survive the outdoors just fine.


Your problem #1: UL/CSA/ETL certification exists for rather good reasons
The primary problem with what you've picked out so far for gear is that basically none of it is correctly listed to the applicable UL specifications (UL 1703 for solar panels, UL 1741 for charge controllers and inverters, and UL 1973 for non-lead-acid type stationary service batteries).  This isn't just an issue of providing the right paperwork for inspectors, either; solar panels are tested for their ability to withstand everything from reverse current to roof fires, while the tests for inverters are far more vital due to the key electrical safety role they play.
Sadly, though, much of the equipment (such as 12V solar panels and RV-style inverters) used in off-grid work isn't listed.  This partly has to do with the fact that RV and marine solar applications basically are "your vehicle, your problem", save for the actual inverter, due to limitations of the NEC, and off-grid solar was basically founded on these applications being transposed to buildings.  We see this here with the panels you've chosen; while inexpensive, their lack of a listing makes their fire ratings and electrical fault-withstanding ability questionable at best.
Your problem #2: Big voltage makes for big trouble
Your other problem is that your proposed configuration with two strings of five 20+V Voc panels and two charge controllers exceeds the 80V limit on in-array voltages during rapid shutdown as well as the 80V threshold applied to PV arc fault detection, neither of which your current balance of system hardware provides.  Fortunately, they're both achievable, but going that route limits your charge controller selection in addition to requiring module level rapid shutdown power electronics (Tigo TS4-F or IMO FireRaptor).  It does have the edge that the Tigo TS4 optimizers provide rapid shutdown support, which would allow you more array-layout flexibility as solar optimizers perform a limited per-panel MPPT function, useful in part-shade conditions like what you describe.
The other alternative would be to limit your strings to 80V maximum under all circumstances.  This would require you to go with 2-panel or 3-panel strings instead, and likely cram an extra pair of panels onto the roof you're mounting them on, but with two smaller charge controllers, would keep you under the 80V limit without resorting to a fused DC combiner box on your roof.  It also means you have more options for charge control, and can use less expensive charge controllers designed for lower voltages.
With either option, we still have to address PV ground-fault protection since you are dealing with a DC-coupled system.  Most of these systems provide this using a scheme called functional grounding, using a fuse or breaker in the neutral-to-ground bond to isolate the system from earth and thus stop the fault current if a ground fault happens, but this has the rather undesirable consequence that it puts severe stress on wire insulation due to the whole DC side of the system floating off to a potentially high voltage during a ground fault condition.
However, Morningstar makes ground-fault protection devices that break the wiring to both sides of the array when a ground fault is detected, leaving the battery portion of the system solidly grounded.  They're somewhat more costly, but do have some other advantages atop what I described, so we use those here.  This does mean that we may have to remove a bonding link from the charge controller, though, depending on what we use for that job.
Problem #3: DC is a mean drunk, even at 24 to 48V
The third and final issue you have not addressed in your proposal is the problem of DC circuit control and protection.  Switching DC, even at 48V, requires DC-rated distribution components; while these aren't unobtanium, there are several application caveats related to breaker polarization, short-circuit/fault-current handling capabilities, and lug/terminal capacity that render "obvious" choices all but unusable.
The good news is that DC rated UL Class T and J rejection fuses are fairly readily available, and we can use those with matching fusible switching hardware to get a system that we know will be able to handle the fault currents involved, as well as meeting the NEC requirement for current limiting overcurrent protection on energy storage systems, and preventing gross misapplication of non-DC-rated or non-UL-listed fuse types such as non-DC-rated branch circuit fuses as well as the automotive and marine battery fuses that are sometimes misapplied in off-grid service.
There is some good news, though
Fortunately, there is some good news to be had.  It is possible to get UL 1703 listed 12V-type solar panels for prices that don't completely break the bank if you're willing to shop around some (for instance, the Solartech SPM100P-TS-F), and 3-4 string PV combiners in NEMA 3R enclosures aren't too terribly expensive either.  As a result, we can go with a configuration with 2 charge controllers, each with 3 strings of 2 panels, letting us make up for the cost of the combiner with not having to spend on in-array rapid-shutdown equipment or AFDI-capable charge controllers. This does limit us with regard to inverter capabilites, though; again, we'll hit that down the road.
The MLPE alternative
The other alternative would be to use a single, AFDI-equipped, 300V charge controller in conjunction with a module level electronics package, and run either two strings of five to 6 panels or a single string of ten to twelve panels.  This has the downside of limiting our choices of hardware to Tigo TS4 MLPE packages (either TS4-F for rapid shutdown only, or TS4-O for optimization) and an Outback FLEXmax 100 AFCI for the charge controller along with a Morningstar GFPD-600 for ground fault protection, but lets us use a 48V battery bank and a better/beefier inverter as a result, allows for more array sizing flexibility (10 vs 12 panels), and simplifies the switching somewhat.
With this, we can use a Wiley ACE-PT to bring the PV wires into the house (and combine the two strings in a two-string configuration) since we don't need fuses in this setup, and the Tigo boxes have the rapid shutdown function handled already.  On the roof, 10AWG PV wire in the form of premade MC4 leads and "tails" can be used for any field cabling needed within the array; from there, we can use black 10AWG THHN or PV wire in 1/2" ENT ("smurf") with a 10AWG bare ground to connect to the GFDI, and red and white 10AWG THHNs to get from the GFDI to the charge controller via a 1" rigid nipple and a bonding locknut on the charge controller side.
Finally, we need a PV disconnecting means here, and for that we use a Siemens HF224N connected to the charge controller via a 1" rigid nipple and red and white 2AWG copper THHN conductors.  You'll need a bonding bushing where this nipple enters the charge controller due to the size of the wires and the charge controller's plastic case, and to connect the switch with the poles in series using more red 2AWG THHN, a Mersen NLJ200 "dummy" neutral link, and a Mersen HSJ125 or Bussmann DFJ125 high-speed UL Class J current-limiting fuse to protect the charge controller.  The switch's neutral is left unbonded, and a HCQ64 kit is used to tap the PV-side "hot" terminal with 14AWG THHN running to the 5A inline fuse holder from the GFPD-600, then down to a Traco Power TCL 024-112 DC 48V-12V DC-DC converter mounted to some DIN rail screwed into a suitably spacious place within the switch's enclosure.  From there, we run 12V to the GFDI's battery leads, the power supply connections on the Tigo TAP or RSS transmitter, and to a RIBRL1C relay whose NO contact bridges the shutdown terminals on the MPPT used here.
If you don't want to spring for MLPE...
If you are going with the initial proposal for a no-electronics-at-the-module solution, I'd use a pair of Morningstar TriStar TS-MPPT-30 controllers for this paired with Morningstar GFPD-150s, along with Outback FWPV4-FH600 combiners fitted with Outback PNL-75D-DC-RT shunt trip breakers in them to provide an approximate rapid shutdown function and 12A PV fuses for the Solartech panels given above.  This lets us use premade MC4 leads and "tails" for the in-array wiring, then for each array section, we run black 8AWG THHNs and a bare 10AWG ground in 3/4" ENT (smurf tube) down from the combiner to the corresponding GFDI/MPPT/disconnect chain, and then simply close-nipple the GFDI to the MPPT with red and white 8AWG THHNs thru the 1/2" close nipple connecting the two. As above, red and white 2AWG copper THHNs are used for the charge controller to disconnect connection; in this case, though, we run it inside a 3/4" rigid nipple.
We also need to supply PV system disconnecting means, and for this, I would use a Siemens HF262 for each charge-control train, fitted with a 45A high-speed UL Class J fuse (Mersen HSJ45, Bussmann DFJ45) in one pole, a "dummy" neutral link (Mersen NLJ60) in the other pole, and the two poles connected in series with more red 2AWG copper THHN.  We also fit each of these switches with a HN623 neutral kit, a HA161234 auxiliary contact kit, and a connector from an HCQ62 control tap kit, as well as leaving the bonding screw out as these disconnects are not where the DC bond in the system is made.
The control tap connector is installed on the PV side line lug in each switch, with 14AWG THHN wire running from the quick-connect for the control tap to the 5A inline fuseholder supplied with the GFPD, and more 14AWG supplying the return connection from the switch's neutral block.  From that fuseholder, it splits two ways: one runs to the battery power connections on the GFPD, while the other goes through the NC contact on the aux switch to the shunt trip connections on the combiner breaker, all using more 14AWG THHN.  This causes the PV disconnect to shunt trip the breaker when opened, thus disconnecting the array from the interior wiring, and is about as close as you'll get to rapid shutdown for this particular array configuration.  This comes with a caveat, though: you have to close the PV disconnect then close the shunt-trip breaker to re-energize the system; if you do it the other way, you'll trip the rapid shutdown breaker in the combiner when you close the PV disconnect, which means you have to reset said breaker again.
Now that we have the charging handled...
Now that we have the care and feeding of the solar panels handled, we now need to tackle the rest of the system, starting with the battery banks and the ESS disconnect, then converging on the inverter DC disconnect and inverter before we finally can tackle the AC side of the system, as well as the grounding electrode system and structure disconnecting means.
As to batteries
No matter what battery chemistry you pick (SLA or LiFePO4), you'll need a very sturdy box to house it all in.  MidNite Solar makes the MNBE-D which provides a mostly-suitable prefabricated solution, but building your own is not impossible either provided has enough room for your batteries, interconnecting cables, and the battery/ESS disconnect, as well as being able to accept a 2" rigid conduit nipple.  For that disconnect, we use a Boltswitch PAT325-1P fusible pullout, mounted so it can be pulled out without opening up the enclosure, with a 250A UL Class T fuse (I recommend the Mersen A3T250, but other manufacturers make fuses that will work) fitted in the center hot pole.  A 5/16" machine screw can be used to attach standard 3/8" preterminated battery leads from the positive side of the battery bank to one side of the pullout, while the other side is fitted with a Boltswitch TK400PA lug kit.  The matching negative wires from the battery bank are terminated on a Mersen MPDB67221 lug-to-stud power distribution block to provide a transition point from the negative battery cables to the 300kcmil copper THHNs inside the 2" rigid nipple that we're using to connect the battery bank to the inverter disconnect.  We also use a 2" bonding bushing on the nipple to provide a place to land any equipment grounding connections that need to be made inside the battery box.
Now, we can move onto the inverter
Now that we have a charge controller and a set of batteries, we can move onto the inverter and its disconnect.  For the disconnect here, we use a Siemens HF224N fitted with a Mersen MPDB67452 to provide a connection point for the various wires coming into this box.  The wires from the battery box and the charge controller(s) land on the load-end of the PDB, while the PDB's line-end gets connected to the bus-side hot and neutral lugs on the switch with red and white 300kcmil copper THHN jumpers.  Once we have this out of the way, we once again connect both poles in series but fuse only one, using a 300kcmil red copper THHN jumper, a Mersen NLJ200 neutral link in one pole, and a Mersen HSJ175 or Bussman DFJ175 UL Class J drive fuse in the other pole to protect the inverter.  The neutral bonding screw is fitted here as this is where the DC GEC will land when we get that far, and this switch is also fitted with an HG61234 grounding kit to provide a place to land the inverter DC grounding wire at.
A suitable length of 2" ENT with 4/0 red/white preterminated battery cables and a 4AWG bare copper EGC in it is then used to connect the inverter enclosure or trough to the inverter disconnect.  The battery box is connected to the bottom left of the inverter disconnect via the aforementioned 2" rigid nipple and red/white 300kcmil copper THHNs, while the PV disconnect uses more red and white 2AWG copper THHN in a 1.25" nipple going to the top left of the inverter disconnect.  (If you're using the no-MLPE configuration with two PV disconnects, it's easiest to use a 1" rigid nipple between the two disconnects to route the wires from one disconnect through the other and then into a shared nipple going off to the inverter disconnect, unless you wish to punch an extra 1.25" KO in the left side of the inverter disconnect, that is.)
As to inverter selection? It depends...
Now that we are at the inverter, our choice of inverter depends on which battery voltage, and thus which solar panel setup, you picked.  You see, most larger multimode inverters use a 48VDC battery bus to minimize voltage drop losses, but this isn't compatible with a panel configuration that has a maximum power point voltage of oh, 37VDC.  So, going with that panel configuration requires using a 24VDC battery bus, which in turn sharply limits your inverter selection.
As to that selection, I would use an OutBack FXR2524 for this task, fitted with an Outback FX-DCA conduit adapter for the DC end of the inverter.  While this limits you to 120V loads for the 'off grid' portion of the system, these inverters support full UL 1741 multimode functionality including the ability to sell power to the grid, and are rated to supply their nameplate 2.5kW output continuously.
If you're going with the higher voltage string, though, you can use a 48V inverter, and for this I'd recommend the Outback Radian GS4048A.  This gives you full 240V support for both off-grid loads and power sales back to the utility at not much more cost than the FXR2524, as well as 4kW of continuous output vs the 2.5kW rating of the FXR2524, but does have the downside that you need an enclosure to house the DC connections to the inverter.
While you could use a Radian GSLC for this, those are quite expensive even in their bare-chassis form.  Instead, we use a 12" by 12" by 10" NEMA 1 enclosure without knockouts (Wiegmann SC121210NK  or equivalent), making a 2" KO in the left side for the incoming DC conduit as well as holes in the top that mate with the plastic insulators surrounding the inverter's DC terminals.  This box is positioned so that it fits snugly against both the wall and the bottom of the inverter while staying clear of the AC KOs on the bottom left, and is grounded by looping the 4AWG DC grounding wire from the inverter disconnect thru an Ilsco GBL-4 or equivalent lay-in lug connected to the box with a Garvin GSST 10-32 self-drilling ground screw.  This grounding wire continues onward out of the terminal box and into the inverter where it lands on the AC compartment grounding terminal bar, using Arlington GC50 clamps to provide strain relief at the various entry and exit points.
As to the AC wiring...
Now that we have the DC side of the system basically covered, we can move onto the AC side, which is much simpler, thankfully.  We start with the feeder going to the chicken coop, which consists of 4 8AWG THHN wires (to control voltage rise) in a 1" PVC conduit, protected by either a 30A (for the 24VDC/120VAC) or a 50A (for the 48VDC/240VAC) breaker.
Once we reach the coop, we need to provide a structure disconnecting means.  The cheapest solution for that job is to use an AC pullout disconnect box, but the type of pullout we need depends on the rest of the system in this case. In either case, though, this pullout is where the AC grounding electrode conductor lands, and also provides a splice-point for the AC neutral wires, as they need to be wirenutted together at this point instead of landing on the grounding block in the disconnect.
For the 24VDC/120VAC system, we'll be using a fused pullout in this case, with a 20A RK5 fuse in the leg not going to the inverter so that it can power service receptacles and miscellaneous grid-powered loads, while the leg going to the inverter has a Bussmann NTN-R-30 "dummy fuse"/neutral link in it as we don't need to provide any overcurrent protection for it here.  From the pullout, we then run a 10/2 cable to the inverter, and from the inverter, we run another 10/2 cable to a Square-D QO35FM30TTS that serves as our AC load panel, with a QO130 fitted to that enclosure to serve as the main breaker there.
If you go with the 48VDC/240VAC system instead, we instead have the choice of either using a 60A non-fused AC pullout disconnect, or fitting a NEMA 3R main breaker panel here with a 50A, two-pole breaker for the onward connection to the inverter.  From this panel or disconnect, we use more 8AWG THHN in 3/4" ENT to route the AC line wires to the inverter, then do the same for routing the inverter load wires out to a main lug panel inside the coop which serves as the AC loads panel.  Make sure that all the bonding screws or straps are removed from the panels in question, by the way!
Bringing this all back down to earth
Assuming that you're simply driving rods for your grounding electrode system and don't have metal plumbing to care about, the grounding electrode conductor system for this become not much more complex than a mains-only setup would use.  You simply need to route a 6AWG or 4AWG GEC from the ground rods to the inverter disconnect's neutral block, using an Arlington GC50 to bring it into the box, in addition to the obviously needed AC grounding electrode conductor, which runs from the rods to the AC disconnect or outside panel on the coop.  (If you did have a metal pipe to bond, you'd need to run a fat 3/0 copper wire from the inverter disconnect to the plumbing bonding point to serve as a bonding jumper.)


Interior wall installation over hardwood finished floor?

I would suggest that you mark where you bottom plate is, adjust circular saw to hardwood depth and cut it out (might need a jigsaw or dremel in corners).

Not exactly sure what type of wood flooring you have but I would do this in all cases. If your wood is floating you MUST do it.

If you have nail down I would still do it because you are introducing different amounts of pressure on the floor which could lead to buckling/damage over time.  Keep the boards you cut out and they can be reinstalled.  Also your drywall and baseboards will overlap the cutout points so you don't have to worry about how the hardwood will look after cut - you will have almost an inch to play with on each side.


The fastest/easiest way is to:

Mount the bottom trim to the wall making sure it's good and level. If you're going to use finish nails I would also run a bead of PL or similar construction adhesive first. If that's a little too permanent for your taste use trim head screws
Plum a line of the point of the miter up to the height of the top trim.
Tack a side piece on the line.
Set the top piece off of the reference point created by the miters with a few nails/screws, checking for level. Build a little leway into your rabbet so if you can keep your miters tight even if its a little off of plum and level.
Check the other side and if it looks good finish securing your top and side. If not you might have to tune your miters.
Once you've got everything fitted, slide the mirror into place from the open end.
Apply remaining trim piece.

The down side to this method is that it can be difficult the get your miters to line up if the wall doesn't form a nice flat plane.
A more involved method is to create the frame first off the wall and apply around a pre-hung mirror.

Attach a ledger to the wall at the height you want your mirror.
Apply a liberal amount of silicone to the back of your mirror.
With a friends help, set the mirror on the ledger and press into the wall.
Take a few scrap blocks and screw them off to the studs above the mirror. (See drawing) As you tighten the screws the block will pull the mirror tight to the wall and hold it in place while the silicone goes off.
Don't over tighten or you might crack your mirror. All of this can be accomplished by using the mirror brackets you mentioned but then you have to notch out around them which is a real pain.
While you wait for your silicone to dry, at least 24 hours, construct your frame.
Once your mirror is secured and your frame is dry, remove the ledger and blocking and apply the frame in whatever manner you're most comfortable with being careful not to hit the mirror with any fasteners.
This method is probably overkill for you (usually it's reserved for much larger mirrors) but it does give you the opportunity to really fine tune your miters.
As for expansion and contraction, it's not a concern. Wood moves very little longitudinally, only tangentially and radially.


Nest learning thermostat 3rd gen - E80 error

Problem solved - connect the C wire! But really the credit should go to @ThreePhaseEel because he helped me figure out which one was C wire from the air handler for the other nest thermostat installation.


How to get cable staples to stick in the wall

Nail in clips just will not hold in drywall.  Even over studs, the nails are typically too short to get good penetration.  Nail clips and stapes can still work (barely) in drywall if they are used up high where they will not be touched.

I would instead recommend and adhesive clip option.

The Command Clips linked also have the advantage of coming off the wall cleanly if you ever need them to.

Another good option is adhesive wire mold that covers the entire length of the cord.  It's a little more expensive, but with no exposed wire, it becomes very puppy-proof.


How to refinish indoor window molding wood?

Refinishing it by stripping / sanding off the existing finish, restaining and resealing, would look great but a lot of work.

If it was older, rubbing it with fine steel wool and some finishing oil can make a beat finish look pretty good, though way short of refinishing.  At 25 years old, it was probably sealed with polyurethane, which doesn't rub up as well.  Still, it's worth a try.  I doubt it will make it worse, but still try it on a limited area first to be safe.

For the oil, there are many to choose from, one that no purist would approve of but works pretty good is Scott's Liquid Gold.

Since this method doesn't add any sealer or color, it won't make refinishing any harder if you have to bite the bullet.


What can I do about my drains constantly getting blocked?

When drain water from one fixture comes back out another fixture, it means your blockage is beyond the point where those drains meet.

You need to get a good look at the topology of your waste plumbing, to get some ideas about where the blockage is. Clothes washer -> bathtub is a common symptom, because the clothes washer drains a lot of water up high (it has a pump) and the tub drain is down low.

Snaking down a drain is really hard, because of all the curves of the P-trap. If you're lucky, you have a clean-out somewhere, like under the house or behind a wall. Otherwise, you can try removing a P-trap to get the snake in, or removing a toilet. Removing a toilet is not very hard, but can be daunting.

We had a similar problem in this house. There were a few clean-outs accessible in the crawlspace, and our landlord used a hand-held snake in them, but didn't have much luck.

They hired a professional plumber. He pulled a toilet out and ran a huge snake down the drain (not one of the handheld units, but a huge, loud, floor-standing model heavy-duty cable). After running all 75' out, he borrowed another snake from his colleague, for 150' of snaking. This is a single-story house, on a 50'-wide lot, so the snake was well in to the street!

He said he pulled out a lot of roots. This is apparently common in older plumbing. They develop a small leak, and nearby plants grow after the nutrient-rich water, and find their way in to the pipe. It took him about 4 hours.

Plumbing is simple. There aren't a lot of rules to follow. Everything works in obvious ways. You don't need a lot of expensive, complicated tools, and if you do need something big, you can rent it. Anyone can fix plumbing.

But it can also be unpleasant. Screw-on connections may be rusted in place - hacksawing is often easier. There's the spectre of old poop and hair. Things may be difficult to reach - in a cabinet behind a sink basin or in a muddy crawlspace full of rat droppings.

If the job takes a few days, and you're unaccustomed to living without plumbing, it can be a trying time. Especially if there's a whole family in the house, and they aren't sympathetic. A pro will get the job done much faster, since they arrive with the right tools, parts, and experience.

There's a lot of instructions out there, on the internet, at the library, at the hardware store. If you decide to get your feet wet (get it? ha ha) then you will be able to find the information you need.


2x6 or 2x8 Sill Plate on 8" foundation wall?

A 2x8 plate is not needed. In calculating the strength of the plate/anchor we look to "develop full strength" for resistance. The key factors are the thickness of the plate, size of anchor, size of washer, depth of anchor AND edge distance from bolt to edge of wood plate.

Edge distance required to "develop full strength " is 4 diameters. So, using a 1/2" anchor, you only need 2" of edge distance. That's why a 2x12 plate isn't even better.

(However, make sure the anchor bolt is not pushed up tight against the edge of the concrete wall or up against the face shell of a concrete block. You need a minimum of 1  1/2" of concrete to flow around bolt to develop full strength in concrete wall and 3/4" of grout in concrete block wall.)


A/C blower does not work after a power surge

Which facts are known about that power surge? Lightning stroke, switching activities in the provider's net? If there is a proof of liability, it could be an insurance case.

A voltage surge could have destroyed the surge protectors and/or the related fuses. Power has to be disconnected, line capacitors have to be discharged before any work. The exchange of those most probable soldered parts should be no big issue if some basic electr(on)ic knowledge is available.


Tried to move my doorbell over a few feet but now it constantly rings like a school fire alarm

I figured things out and was hoping to delete my question before it got any responses. I knew I did something wrong on my end. What I grossly misremembered were the wire connections before dismantling in the first place. Basically what I did (that was wrong) was wire the two red and white wires from the buzzer on the wall to the transformer; one per terminal. Then I wired a red and white from the doorbell chimes (front and trans) to match the red and white wired I connected to the terminals on the transformer. This was why the constant ringing was happening. It wasn't until I followed this diagram that I got it to work:

I got the above image from this site: Basic diagram of doorbell wiring.
I normally take a photo of whatever it is I'm about to dismantle with my smartphone and then mimic it when I redo it with a new product or after I move it to another location. This time I neglected to do that.


Can I alter the 'timing' of my toilet flush?

Actually, that's how a toilet is supposed to work.

You can simulate a flush simply by dropping a couple gallons of water in right away.

The spray paint fill is the natural water level.  Flushing occurs by suddenly dumping excess water in the bowl.  This raises the water level at the back, an a siphon effect comes into play with pulls the remaining water out of the bowl, giving the typical whirlpool effect.

If you're not getting the whirlpool, and a clearing flush, there are two possible scenarios.

The tank isn't full, and not enough water is coming down to clear the bowl
There is a small blockage in the drain.

But timing isn't an issue.


How to mitigate 12 AWG to 14 AWG transition at GFCI

You should change the breaker to 15A, or replace the wire. It is not OK to have 14 Ga wire on a 20A breaker like that.
The GFCI is not an over current protection device and does not help you here. It will happily let 20A through and light the 14 Ga wire on fire as long as there’s no imbalance between hot and neutral.


All you need is a short length of black 14AWG and a nut

The always-hot is already present in your receptacle box at the nutted-together black wires with the one white wire coming in.  So, once the power's off, take a short piece of black 14AWG solid wire (THHN works), nut it onto the existing junction (you'll probably want to use a new nut for this), and land the other terminal on the spare brass screw on the receptacle after breaking off the hot-side tab.  You should also take some black electrical tape and flag the white wire that runs from that junction to the switch at both ends with it while you're here, by the way.  Button it back up, turn the power on, and enjoy your half-switched outlet!  (What you're doing is "pigtailing" the receptacle screw to the existing junction.)


Should a new basement window have flashing around it?

That would depend on what exactly the contract called for. Hopefully you got a contract that spelled out everything that the contractor was responsible for, like trim, molding, foam, etc.


You are going to have to wet clean.  You can steam walls, hire professional carpet cleaning (the ones you rent don't get that hot), spray down hardwood floors with some green cleaner, same for the bathrooms.

Clean fans super good.

Replace air filters.

Have your ducts cleaned.  Use a company that hooks up a negative air machine - not one that "washes" your ducts.  You probably have a ton of cat hair in there.  Do your returns too.

Wash everything that you can.  Blankets, rugs, bedding... anything that can go in a washer.

Steam clean - or better yet see if your carpet cleaners can clean all couches, chairs, upholstery...


You can buy powdered marble dust which is used like a mortar to repair cracks.


What could cause a recessed light to come on when removing the neighboring bulb?

If the last light goes out when the second to last is removed, the wiring error may be:

Where electricity travels through the second to last bulb, on it's way to the last bulb.  If so the last two bulbs may also have been dimmer than normal (if they are incandescent).

The bulb type matters here: using CFL or LED lights during testing can add to the confusion.


How can I treat or replace steel bolts in aluminum nuts to avoid corrosion?

You could try using stainless steel bolts, dip in an anti-seizing compound like "Coppaslip". Under the head use locking washer, a good option is the "Nord-Lock" it is a 2 piece device, 2 washers that have serrated edge on one side and a series of wedges on the opposite side. The serrated edges grip the bolt head and the structure, the wedge faces face each other. They work by tightening the bolt and the wedges lock into each other, to release you first tighten slightly then quickly release. They are reusable and anti vibration, I used these often when I worked in the mines. Try this site for information; http://www.nord-lock.com/nord-lock/wedge-locking/washers/introduction/


Setting screws in concrete while it is still soft -how do I use epoxy in this case? Can I ? Should I?

Setting bolts in wet concrete is a standard practice, and using a board to hold them in place is a good idea.

You absolutely do not need any epoxy when setting into wet concrete. I don't know what effect that would have, but its certainly redundant. Epoxy is used when setting anchors into preexisting hard concrete which has been drilled.

Generally you wouldn't use regular hex-head bolts for this, you would use an actual anchor which would look something like this:

The bend prevents both pull-out & rotation once the concrete cures. These come in varying lengths depending on your application (eg 8, 10 inches) - but they are inexpensive so you can just err on the side of "bigger is better" assuming you have enough concrete depth (which in a post should not be a problem).

Where I live I think these are sometimes referred to as "J-bolts".


Sub base for slabbed area with cabin on it

The best base has a range of aggregate sizes so that they all fit together, lock in place and fill all the voids tight. Therefore the answer is dependent on the size of the pieces you break the old slab into. The smaller, and closer in size to the rest of the fill is best. Or have adequate space between larger pieces so that you can be sure to fill all the voids very tight or over time the soil and other aggregate will migrate to the voids and settlement will occur.


Preparation for laminate floor went south

You just need to fill the gap with a floor leveler.  You will clean area, prime it (primer is sold right next to floor leveler at big box), and add leveler.  You need a day for primer to dry usually and usually a day or two for leveler so add that into install timeline.


Clarifying separation of ethernet cables from cables running power (underground)

You're not allowed to mix low-voltage and mains wiring in any way, shape or form in the same cables, conduits or raceways. The reason is safety: the data cables may not threaten the power cables, but melting or damage of the power cables absolutely could cross mains "hot" voltages onto your data cables.

This is only allowed if the data cables and everything the data cables connect to is also inside Class 1 wiring methods.  Such as 24V latching-relay-based lighting controls.  Or 0-10V dimming controls run in the same conduit as mains.   Or ethernet used as SCADA between mains control equipment all mounted in Class 1 enclosures.

What's not allowed is running an ethernet through a mains conduit, having the ethernet land at an Ethernet cover plate, and then proceed via Ethernet cable which is decidedly not a class 1 wiring method to a local PC, where it enters a data port not hardened for mains power.

Anyway, as far as mains is concerned, "separate conduit and you're good".  If your conduit is metal, you probably really are good.  If it's plastic, then you might have signal interference if the signal is susceptible to 60Hz or whatever line noise is on the mains line; however the Electrical Code really doesn't care about that.  These days most electronic signaling is so high frequency that it seems unlikely that old mains line noise could have much effect.


What is the preferred method for removing & replacing electrical wiring in the garage?

Cut open the drywall. You can then use a piece of plywood to cover the hole so that it's easier to remove in the future.
Sounds like too much work. First step, make sure they are GFCI protected. If you don't know if they are GFCI protected, you can get a GFCI outlet tested from the hardware store. And while you're there, get outdoor box covers. Then you can just replace the face plates with the outdoor box covers. MUCH easier than removing the outlets.
You don't need conduit. Get an "old work" electrical box. Cut a hole BELOW your breaker panel. Run the wire from that hole straight up through a knock-out in the bottom of the breaker box. Then you can push the wire through the top of the "old work" electrical box and mount the box in the wall. See, no conduit needed!

Based on response to my first answer:

Hooray!
Turn off the breaker. Remove the outlets and install wire nuts on all of the wires. Install blank faces plates.
OK, you still don't need conduit. Just drill a hole through the top plate of the wall. You can then run the cable up the inside of the wall, through the hole, and then down to your breaker panel with all of the other wires.


How can I increase the effectiveness of the A/C in a hot 2nd floor converted attic master suite?

The HVAC guy has a hammer, and your problem looks like a nail. More ducts! Bigger equipment! Wrong. Your problem is easy to diagnose: this room's ceiling is terribly under-insulated. When people convert attics into rooms, they almost always (like 99% of the time) insulate the ceiling incorrectly and insufficiently. You need a lot more insulation; the lack of enough is the problem, and adding more is the solution. There are two ways to do this: by adding rigid foam boards under the rafters or above the roof sheathing. If you're not planning to redo your roof anytime soon, the latter option is probably right out. So you need to remove the ceiling drywall, put, say, 5" of polyiso foam (XPS, EPS or mineral wool would work too, but you'd need more) under the rafters, put up new drywall, and live with a 5" reduction in ceiling height.

A secondary problem is that the duct is in the kneewall area, which is unconditioned space. So the nice cold air is passing through a duct in a space that's maybe 130 degrees or more. You can wrap the duct in a ton of insulation, which will help. Adding a radiant barrier under the exposed roof decking in the kneewall area will help too. There are lots of other approaches that will work here, such as insulating under the roof decking in the kneewall area to bring it into the conditioned space.


Mystery circuit breaker causing odd behavior in other circuits such as polarity switching and power on ground

Omg turn off breaker 22 green can only be used as a ground .
I believe someone had heard about multi wire branch circuits wired them wrong and tried to make them work. I would turn all 3 off until getting this corrected. Go up stairs pull the receptacles out white should be routed to each receptacle and attached to the silver screw. Green should go to each receptacle and go to the green screw, red and black are the hot(s) and should be split up black on the brass or gold screw and some with red on the brass or gold screw , if the tab is broken on the brass side red on 1 brass black on the other this will put 1 circuit on the top 1 on the bottom (I do this often)
Move the green wire on breaker to the ground buss if the main panel the buss with white or green,
This should get your receptacles working correctly. When you turn  the breaker back on 30&32 they should have a handle tie or be a double pole (not 22).


It looks like blown in cellulose insulation.
it was probably done long after the home was built.
I want to say popular after the 70’s. You can put other types over or replace it with any kind of batts or chopped blow in.
Big Box stores still sell it (I just checked on line) so if you need to add it or a very similar product is available.


How can I use a switch for outlets to control a new overhead light?

To answer this question, a short description of the components is probably needed.

The 2-wire cable is the "Lead", meaning it is the hot side that provides power/neutral/ground to both the switch and always-on outlets.

The 3-wire cable is the "Load", meaning it is the delivery of power/neutral/ground to the outlets. The black wires that are connected to each other and the switch Lead lug (the darker screw) are always hot. The black wire that is combined in the 3-wire cable provides the power to the always-on outlet. The red wire in the 3-wire cable is the Load wire that is controlled by the switch.

To use the switch (or a dimmer-type switch) for a ceiling light, install a 2-wire cable from the new ceiling light to the light switch box and connect the neutral (white) with the other white wires (use the correct sized lug) and the ground (bare) with the other ground wires. Then re-work the existing switch (or replacement dimmer switch) so that the existing black stays on the Lead side (the darker screw) and the black wire from the ceiling cable is connected to the Load side (the lighter screw).

You didn't say how you wanted the outlets to work but in the scenario above the lower outlets (previously switched) would be dead. To correct this, you will need to replace the switched outlets with new ones. There is a connection between the switched upper and lower outlets that has been cut, separating the power feed, and the only solution is to replace them. It's a fairly simple process and the outlets are inexpensive at your local hardware store (HD, Lowe's, etc.). Lastly, the red wire would be abandoned and should have the stripped end cut of, wrapped with insulating tape (black electrical tape) and labelled.


Old drain clogged with a lot of ceiling spackle

There's a good chance the clog is in the trap right under the sink. Someone should try to remove it and clean it out. If it's not the trap, get a cheap drain snake and run it down the drain with the trap off.
I'm not sure any of the drain cleaners would work on spackle.
Good luck.


How to unscrew screws that are barely accessible?

You can use a ratchet handle with a screwdriver bit attachment, like this:


What can I do about a spot of rotten floor where I need to put in one of my toilet bolts when replacing a wax ring?

Mobile home floors are almost all chipboard of some kind. If you leave this damage it's only going to get worse and possibly soon now that it's rotten in the centre. I have come across a number of mobiles like this and I always carefully cut out a square around the toilet flange, remove the rotten piece and brace the edges underneath with plywood, then replace the rotten piece with 5/8 plywood. Works every time.


How do I install electrical through existing stucco (e.g. "old work")

You can do all of this using weatherproof boxes and conduit especially if you are not opposed to having conduit visible.  It will only require a single 3/4" hole through the wall.
Supplies:
1-gang rectangular weatherproof box.

round weatherproof box.

1-gang In-use cover.

3/4" PVC conduit.

3/4" male terminal adapters

3/4" PVC conduit clamps.

Procedure:
Start by boring a 3/4" hole through the wall where you want the conduit to pass through the wall. You can hide the hole by entering the receptacle junction box from the back knockout, so the junction box will cover the hole.
Next you'll want to slide the conduit through the hole, and seal around it using either silicone caulk or Duct Seal. Then using the 3/4" male terminal adapter, connect the conduit to the rectangular junction box.  Seal the rest of the knockouts in the box, using the supplied knockout plugs (leave one open to run conduit to the light box).
Seal all but one knockout on the round box using knockout plugs, then mount the box where you want your light. Using a couple more 3/4" male terminal adapters, connect a length of conduit from the rectangular junction box to the round junction box.
Pull the cable, and install the fixtures.
Finish the receptacle installation with an In-Use weatherproof cover, this will allow the box to remain weatherproof even when things are plugged in (I like the low profile models, because they are less noticeable when not in use).
Use the 3/4" PVC conduit clamps to secure the conduit to the wall about every 24-36".
Extra Weatherproofing:
For a little extra weatherproofing, squirt a bit of silicone caulk around the screws used to mount the round junction box before driving them all the way down. Then run a bead of caulk around the top and sides of the rectangular junction box where they touch the house (don't put any on the bottom seam). This will prevent water from getting behind the box, and leaving the bottom unsealed allows any water that might get in to get out.
Safety:
Remember, because the receptacle is in a "wet zone", you'll have to use a GFCI receptacle (or have some other form of GFCI protection for the receptacle).


Sounds like the plumbing system is not vented properly.

The venting system is intended to equalize the changing pressures in the plumbing system and prevent situations like this.

Unless you feel pretty handy with plumbing you will probably have to hire a professional if you want this repaired.

Good luck!


Sounds like the GFCI receptacle got wet (or perhaps a downstream receptacle if there is one), and something is shorted out, tripping the GFCI.

If you have any Christmas lights still plugged into the outlet, then something may have shorted out in the lights, making the GFCI trip. Try unplugging everything and see if the GFCI will reset. If it does, then dry out and inspect the lights carefully to look for problems -- don't plug them into a non-GFCI outlet since there is clearly an electrical problem and use care around them until the problem is found.

If it's not a problem with anything plugged in, then new GFCI's are cheap enough that I'd just try replacing the GFCI (fixing any water intrusion problems first, if there's water in the box, then figure out why and stop it from getting in there). If the bad GFCI eventually dries out and starts working again, I personally wouldn't trust it again.

This is likely not a serious fire hazard, but could be an electrical hazard (since something is apparently shorted out), so to be safe you could turn off the breaker that powers that outlet.

If the outlet got wet because the lights were plugged into the outlet while the outlet cover was open, you can purchase an outdoor outlet box that allows a cord to be plugged in even when the outlet cover is closed:

(this is just a representative sample, there are other styles and manufacturers of similar products)


Should my sump pump be running when the water level is below the pump?

Get rid of your mechanical switch.

Go with a HC6000v2, it has two sensors that you place at the activation and de-activation point and they are easy to adjust.

To your question, as long as the pump can pull water and is not sucking air you are good.  I typically try to have the pump operate for as long as possible as the pumps are rated for so many activations so preventing it from going on as often will extend the life of the pump.

https://www.amazon.com/HC6000-Hi-Lo-Controller-Float-Switch/dp/B006AU4L4U


The simplest way is a dab of painter's caulk right from the tube. As it dries, it may dip a bit, but you can hit it again the next day. The white version should pretty much disappear against the white of pvc.

I might glue the butt joint to keep it tight, but once again, a smear of caulk can mask a bit of a gap.


What can I do about my odd sized heating vents?

The "odd size" is due to what was available at the time compared to what is available today. Your exact size may still be available, but not through regular retail outlets, they carry what's commonly demanded. A Heating & Cooling Contractor or their Supply Store may be able to get new replacements readily. Also, scour the Internet, as many suppliers are now offering their catalogs to the world.

If you don't find yourself adjusting the Registers regularly, then you may have a system that was precisely balanced & comfort is always fairly uniform. Changing the size of the Registers & therefore their duct box wouldn't cause a problem or difference, just don't change any actual duct sizes.

Finally, why not repaint them or totally refinish them, if they're in good working order? A trip to an Automotive Store will have the Spray Paint Remover & the new Spray Paint so you can fully restore them back to new in the color you want. Bent fins can be straightened, mangled screws can be replaced & detached operation knobs or handles that are still around (in their absence a longer screw or bolt can suffice) can be drilled & screwed for secure re-attachment.


Can I power a single pole switch from the end of a 3 way?

Unfortunately, no. You need access to the white wire (neutral) coming into the first box from the load center and continuing to the existing lights. Since that is not in the second box, you have nothing to connect to the return from the new light.


How do I properly ground my subpanel that only has one neutral/ground bar?

The neutral and ground MUST NOT be bonded at a sub-panel.  They should only be bonded at the main service panel.  If you bond them anywhere other than the main service, the neutral return current now has multiple paths, including though your ground wire.

You should be able to buy a second bar for the sub-panel if it really is meant to be used as a sub-panel.  The neutral bar will need to be isolated (it should have plastic insulator separating it from the case).  The ground bar should be bonded to the case.

The ground wire from the house must be connected to the sub-panel ground.  Since it is a detached building the ground rods are also required by code and should be tied to the sub-panel ground.  The ground to the service is the most important because it will provide the low resistance path back to the service in case of a fault.


Water heater still won't heat after replacing thermostat and elements

With your volt meter check the voltage at both terminal screws at the same time (screw to screw ) the voltage should be about 230 volts. If it is not 230 volts then you probably have one leg of the 230 volt line open or not energized. Try shutting off the circuit breaker for the water heater and turning back on. If no change you may have a bad circuit breaker or broken wire.


How do I remove this keyed Jacobs drill chuck?

Final update - I managed to machine something close to a MT0 taper into the old arbour.  I also cleaned up the surface rust from the outside.

This lathe has a head stock that can rotate for tapers, which was a little sketchy given how much stick-out there was.

This shows the rotated headstock, so the taper is very approximately straight.  I didn't have a good solution for calculating the 1.49 degree rotation - will have to do better.  Perhaps a really big protractor?

And here's the newly finished drill chuck in use, drilling a hole in the top of a schrader valve cap... for reasons.

Only downsides - 1) its not stunningly accurate, but has already proven way better than "aim and pray" with a hand drill.   2) the tail is quite long, I did not want to remove the center hole on the end, so it only gives 20mm of travel on the tailstock.


Can I use 1/4 inch cork to equalize floors before installing laminate flooring?

There is no way I would use a cork underlayment to make the floors equal.  Cork has too many expanding properties.  I don't even think you could get the cork to "sit" under a thin laminate.  Also cork will feel softer than most other forms of underlayment.  To the point where your floors will feel different.

I would use plywood or what is under higher floor (probably plywood).


Hopper Gun for Knockdown: Decision Point

A hopper gun can help apply the mud quickly and more evenly for a light to medium knockdown. I find for heavy knockdown with patterns hand application is better. The main question I would ask , do you have a compressor that will provide the flow at the listed gun pressure requirement? My last comment would be Do not use hot mud in a hopper it drys faster and is harder to clean the gun. If you want what I consider a medium to light knockdown a hopper gun is a great time saving tool. Make Sure to clean the gun well after use and it can last for years and many projects.


Fixing very old, very undersized ceiling joists

You have several challenges when adding many thousands of lbs. of weight to a roof system like that (which almost certainly wasn't designed with that use in mind):

The ceiling joists aren't up to the task, as you know. The only real fix for this over a 24' span is to tie them to the rafters, which leads us to the next problem...
The rafters are barely adequate as they are. If you now hang the weight of a gypsum ceiling on them they'll soon be looking like your ceiling joists do, or they'll just give up the ghost. Unless...
You replicate a modern engineered truss with V-webbing and adequate gussets at all connections. They'd look about like this when done:

source
Note that gussets must be fastened properly--those spiky steel plates cannot be simply pounded into place. They're not designed for that. If you were to screw or nail plywood gussets on, they'd need to be robust enough. Wood isn't as strong as steel, so you need a larger panel of suitable thickness.
As to your strongback proposal... a strongback stiffens things by sharing load across several attached members and keeps them on plane. It does not hold them up. You'd have to install a beam that spans the 60' down the center of your building while carrying nearly all the weight of your insulation and drywall.
I strongly urge you to get a local expert on scene. This is a project that could get dangerous in a hurry if not done well. Good luck.


Modifying a dry stone wall is a tricky operation. Normally you need two kinds of chisels, a pointing tool and a pitching tool. You can buy them from a masonry supplier like Micon. I would get PKM-19 and SM40-R. Get a mallet too (1031-A).

Grave a deep furrow where you want to break off the stone, set the pitching tool in the furrow, then give it whack. If everything goes well, the stone will split clean off. There is a certain amount of feel that is required. Making sure the furrow is nice and deep will help ensure success.

Why you don't want to use an angle grinder. (In response to comment) The immediate problem with a grinder is that it will make a very unnaturally smooth face that will look nothing like the faces of the other stones, so the ones you cut off will stick out like a sore thumb and look even worse than they do now. The other reason is that cutting rock with an angle grinder, especially indoors, is a bad idea at multiple levels. First of all, if the rock is somewhat hard, like slate, it will take forever. You could have a diamond blade and be standing there cutting for 15 minutes and make it through 1" of stone maybe. Meanwhile you will be surrounded by plumes of dust and toxic fumes as shards of slate go flying in all directions at literally bullet-like speeds.


Is it OK to have a redundant path to earth?

Go ahead and put the second earth electrode in

Since your neutral is isolated from earth at the flat, you can safely put an earth electrode at the flat and wire it to the earthing terminal bar at the flat's distribution board.  (This works irrespective of whether your distribution system is TN-C-S, TN-S, or TT.)

There are no concerns about ground loops here since the only currents that flow on earth wires are fault currents, and the ground itself is too poor of a conductor to carry those fault currents.


dedicated return line and recirculation pump

Some recirculation systems are based on gravity/thermal expansion effects that create a small pressure differential to keep hot water moving and recirculating through the pipes, from the hot water output back to the recirculation input.
This is a feature for comfort, and it comes at the expense of efficiency: hot water continually leaves the heater (albeit only a very low flow) and returns a bit less hot after having been cooled by the piping, all this while never having been used for washing etc...
This same gravity/thermal expansion effect that is exploited for recirculation can also cause an undesired flow of hot water out of the heater. Hot water leaves the heater and returns to it a bit less hot, all in the same outbound pipe. It's convection within a pipe, much like convection in a tall and narrow upright cylinder.
This undesired convection can be stopped by installing a P-trap or a nipple. Both create counter pressure to stop the flow: the P-trap by the gravitation and counter convection by the P shape of a section of pipe, and the nipple (a short piece of pipe with two male threaded ends) by the elasticity of a membrane or a ball inside it. It will take more pressure than that provided by convection to cause water to flow through them.
Two traps are shown here, one is based on a heavier than water ball, the other on a membrane.

When a faucet is opened, the much larger pressure from the water mains will easily push through the minor counter pressure, allowing water to flow as expected, but only when a fixture is open.
The counter pressure to prevent convection losses can form a problem for recirculation pumps that are designed for low flow at low differential pressures. Thus, a recirc pump that intends to pump water at a very low rate through a heater with nipples in the lines will need to be slightly more powerful than one rated for lines without such counter measures.
So if a pump is not rated for heat traps, it means it cannot overcome the heat trap's counter pressure. If the heater or its installation enable recirculation based on the same gravity principle, then the pump most likely can push through it, as it will aid the gravity induced flow, not counter it.


This is typical and poses no danger.  It's just a superficial crack in the floor slab.  I suspect if you remove more carpeting, you'll find more.
The biggest concern is that sometimes insects (like ants) can find their way up through these and start invading your home.  I'd seal it with some silicone caulk to prevent insect infiltration.
Other than that, as long as it doesn't start opening up more you should be OK.


Can I route the neutral wire from a surge protection breaker across the panel busbars?

Having the neutral cross the hot bus is not a code violation.
However since neutrals are not protected for overcurrent, if for some reason a second circuit was tied in and the insulation melted it could damage the panel badly enough to require replacement. I have seen this.
I would route the wire around as not to create this remote but possible hazard.
But your wire is too short? Then splice enough to make it around and this would be a safer method that is also code compliant.
This is the reason electricians that do remodels hate to see wires with no service loops, now the wire requires a splice or less than desirable routing.


Can I connect a 3 Pole on/off switch to 1phase 120v?

The hot (line) from your 120Volt supply will connect to any one of the three poles in your disconnect switch (unless it has guidance for a particular pole for single-pole use in its labeling)

The neutral and ground connections pass through, with the ground connection  bonded to the case, assuming it's a metal-cased switch.

As commented, you may have some issues supplying more than 20 amps of 120V without some custom wiring, and it's often easier (for the many VFDs that will happily take 240VAC input - or swap yours if it's 120VAC-only input) to switch to 240VAC if you are facing custom wiring anyway.

In a standard line cord, neutral is White (or gray) (USA Standard) or Blue (IEC standard, not uncommon on imported equipment even if intended for the USA market.)


How to (re)support basement stair stringers?

Consider installing a pressure-treated 2x8 base plate onto the floor slab, underneath the stringers.  That's roughly how you'd build a new staircase by today's standards.

Notch the bottom of the stringers so the new base plate will fit.  This will be the trickiest part since you can't disassemble the staircase.
Slide the base plate into place.  It should be a tight fit requiring a little hammering or lifting of the stringers.
Fasten the base plate to the slab using your preferred concrete fasteners.
Fasten the stringers to the base plate using galvanized or stainless steel framing nails, or if not those, at least deck screws compatible with the PT lumber.

If you search for connect stair stringers to slab you can find a variety of drawings and photos that should be helpful.  The connections I suggest are more like the inner-stringer of a 3-or-more-stringer staircase, than then outsides.  That's due to using the base plate as a permanent shim.


This tends to be a common sales pitch from insulation companies. You have now insulated your shingles. The danger is build-up of moisture in the sealed cavities. At least you are in a northern climate.

You are correct on #1. Dust and dirt will begin to form at the joists and studs on both the drywall and on the roofing surface (over time). You just need to paint more often.

Your option #2 is logical, but reduces the size of your room (as does #3)

Current thinking is to insulate your roof from the exterior with 2" foam panels. You then have air ventilation (in case of moisture build-up) both inside and outside (when using furring strips) of the roof substrate. Here is a sample of the design (see Figure 7): https://buildingscience.com/documents/reports/rr-0108-unvented-roof-systems/view

It's also in the current IBC code, so if you go to your building permit department, they should know the design or be able to look it up.


Wiring Z-wave Dimmer switch into 2-gang switch setup

I can clearly see in the picture provided your neutral ( the one with a pigtail on it ) is not wired to anything.

That's your "4th wire", if I understood your question correctly. Your old switches didn't need a neutral.. Your new ones will... Use "those" neutrals...


Should I put weather stripping on my unsealed windows and doors?

If your leaking problem is from loose fitting window sashes or a poor fitting door, the simplest and cheapest method would be to purchase some self-adhesive foam weather stripping. This rolled product can be easily installed at the bottom of a window or around the outside edge of the door frame. Select the smallest size that will help seal the gaps, then just peel and stick. Too large and you may have difficulty closing the door etc.

Another good window treatment is the clear plastic window film like the 3M Indoor Window Insulator that mounts to the frame of the window. Use a hair dryer to "stretch" the film, thus sealing any air leaking in around the sides or through poorly glazed panes.

All these products are cheap and available at any hardware store or box store like Lowe's or Home Depot.  Stay warm!


Ice buildup on the evaporator is a sign of a low refrigerant charge. To verify this is the problem I would defrost the unit first, it could also be a bad defrost timer or a fan that died or even bad door seals. Since we don’t know the model or type all are guesses but these are the common problems.

If you defrost the coil and it immediately comes back (I mean in a couple of hours) low refrigerant charge is the most common issue. If after defrosting it takes several days to ice up I would be checking the door seals, fan and defrost timer.

I have found newer fridge/freezers do not last like they used to. I have found adding a service port and recharging brings the unit back to life for a few more years--I almost never find any leaks but believe there must be some that are smaller than my leak checkers can detect.  With these once the problem occurs I have found in 3-5 more years they do it again.  The lucky thing with r134a I have found is the charge is quite small many times less than a pound so it is easily fixed or topped off.


Yes, you can plumb the outlet of the condensate pump into the tailpiece of the shower. Assuming the condensate line is properly trapped, then there should be no problem.

You'll notice in the code snippet below, that it says "If discharged into the drainage system, equipment shall drain by means of an indirect waste pipe.". Which means you cannot, plumb the condensate drain directly into an untrapped waste line or vent.

  Uniform Plumbing Code

  Chapter 8 Indirect Wastes

  814.0 Condensate Wastes and Control.

  814.1 Condensate Disposal. Condensate from air
  washers, air-cooling coils, fuel-burning condensing
  appliances, the overflow from evaporative coolers,
  and similar water-supplied equipment or similar air-conditioning
  equipment shall be collected and
  discharged to an approved plumbing fixture or
  disposal area. If discharged into the drainage system,
  equipment shall drain by means of an indirect waste
  pipe. The waste pipe shall have a slope of not less
  than one-eighth (1/8) inch per foot (10.4 mm / m) or 1
  percent slope and shall be of approved
  corrosion-resistant material not smaller than the
  outlet size as required in Table 8-2 for air-cooling
  coils or condensing fuel-burning appliances, respectively.
  Condensate or wastewater shall not drain
  over a public way.

  814.3 Point of Discharge. Air-conditioning condensate
  waste pipes shall connect indirectly to the
  drainage system through an airgap or airbreak to a
  properly trapped and vented receptors dry wells,
  leach pits, or the tailpiece of plumbing fixtures.
  Condensate waste shall not drain over a public
  way.

  Chapter 2 Definitions

  211.0  -I-

  Indirect Waste Pipe - A pipe that does not connect
  directly with the drainage system but conveys liquid
  wastes by discharging into a plumbing fixture, interceptor,
  or receptacle that is directly connected to the
  drainage system.

  222.0 -T-

  Tailpiece - The pipe or tubing that connects the
  outlet of a plumbing fixture to a trap.

So you could have something like this, with the condensate pump.

If you can maintain the proper slope, you could remove the condensate pump.

In this situation the condensate pump is not required, since the tailpiece of the shower serves as the air gap. And you won't have problems with sewer gas, since the drain is protected by the trap on the shower drain.

You'll want to use proper fittings to connect to the tailpiece, rather than hacking together some leaking contraption.  Without knowing the size and material of the condensate drain, I can't tell you exactly what fittings to use. In the end, you should end up with something like this.

You'll cut the tailpiece, and fit in a new 45° wye. Then you'll use whatever adapters and reducers are required, to go from the condensate drain into the PVC wye. The condensate drain has to maintain the minimum slope, so you'll have to work with that as a constraint.


Most building authorities will insist that all framing connections are joined so that there is no space between them. Most carpenters will follow this idea as a matter of principle.  When metal framing connectors are used the joists should abut the metal plate in the same way; as close to the inside of the connector as possible with no space.


How can I replace the plywood under my air handler?

You've got a fairly sizable amount of extra refrigerant line. Lifting your air handler a couple of inches will not be a problem.

The only part I would worry about is where the lines attach to the air handler. That's where the tightest bend radius is and you don't want to get that any tighter. But since you're going up, that should actually improve that bend radius.

You should be able to find the weight of the air handler by doing a search for the specs online. Find the model number and drop it in to Google. In general, they don't weigh too much; two grown men can comfortably lift a fully assembled unit.

One thing you might consider is to leave your air handler permanently suspended. But instead of 2x4s, get 2 heavy pieces of angle iron about 8 inches longer than the width of your air handler, 4 threaded rods, and appropriate nuts/bolts/washers. You can also get rubber bushings to put on the threaded rods to damp the vibrations from your air handler.

Slide the angle iron under the air handler where the wooden blocks are that currently hold up your air handler. Attach the threaded rod to the angle iron. There's two different ways to do that. One is to drill a hole in the angle iron but that might be difficult because of how hard iron is. The other is to use u bolts. If you go the u bolt route, you need to attach it carefully to the threaded rod so it can't slip out. Don't rely on compression to hold it. . A good plan would be 2 nuts with a lock washer in between and 4 or more large washers stacked on top. That will prevent the u bolt from sliding off the end.

To attach the other end of the threaded rod to your trusses, I suggest two 2x4s or 2x6s running perpendicular to the trusses the full length of the air handler, plus an additional truss bay on either side (this will spread the load across more trusses). Lag bolt the 2x4/6s to the trusses. Drill through the 2x4/6s for the threaded rods.

Here's a marked-up copy of your picture showing where everything goes. I outlined your air handler in black and grey (the grey is the hidden edges). The threaded rod is green and the angle iron is blue.


What matters is the total thickness of the floor to support your finish floor. Tile manufacturers require certain thicknesses going under their products as well as some makers of "decouplers" that isolate the movement of wood under a tile floor. Laticrete and Schluter come to mind here. If it is vinyl flooring the surface needs to be smooth. The thickness of either layer does not matter which level it occupies. My preference would be to set the same thickness in the same level as original. Only thing I may do different would be to use a better grade material than the original if possible. Plywood not OSB, not particleboard. The more layers in the makeup of the plywood the better.


Help with 2 Dimmer Switches and bad wiring

Almost certainly the hot is one of the 3, and the single wire goes to the light this dimmer controls, while the other 2 wires feed unswitched hot to other devices. Given that your assumption is opposite, you MIGHT want to consider an electrician, or further self-education.

See Light Switch Terminals which is a very similar question (one less wire in the bundle.) "Braiding 3 together" is wrong. Using a wire nut (or other listed splice mechanism) to join 4, with the 4th being an additional short "pigtail" to connect to the switch terminal is correct.

Incidentally, having 3 wires stuck in one pole does not make the switch a 3-way switch. A 3-way switch is a particular type of switch commonly used so that you can control lights from two switch locations, which has 3 separate terminals rather than the usual 2.


What to do about a rotten top plate in the wall of old home addition?

It looks to me like the proper fix for this is going to end up being a lot more work that what you probably want to hear about. If I was the contractor recommending the repair scenario I would be saying to remove whole upper structure and replace it anew.

Such a flat roof is always a recipe for a mess like this. It it was at all possible to rebuild the roof to add some rafters above to give some more slope it would be the right thing to do.

Short of that, if you end up deciding that the rest of the roof structure is basically sound except in the area where these leaks have been then repair probably entails supporting the roof on temporary supports and then removing the window and the wall covering back to the corners. It may then be possible to fit in complete new plates and rafter / joists to completely replace the wet and rotted materials. Still a pretty sizable job. :^(


What does C, W, Y and S Plans mean when talking about central heating controller?

The type of plan refers ultimately to the arrangement of the pipes and thus the type and number of valves you have in your system.

This page has explanations of all types (Y, S, W and G (not C)). Y Plan is based on a single three way valve that either allows the hot water from the boiler to the heating circuit, hot water circuit or both.

With S-Plan:

  ... you can have as many zones as you like, but each zone must have its own valve and thermostat. A popular way is to have 4 valves, 1 for the hot water, 1 for upstairs,1 for downstairs and 1 for say, the conservatory.

The W plan is an older control system.

The G plan is for gravity assisted systems. I couldn't find a "C" plan though.

I've also found this page which has diagrams of the Y-Plan and S-Plan controller circuits. They're quite technical so I'm reluctant to summarise here.


How soon after laying is concrete drillable?

If you drill too soon after pouring I've found that it tends to flake and crumble around the drill bit giving you a much larger hole than desired.

After 24 hours, which makes it fairly hard, you should have no trouble at all.


Why would there be a 50 amp plug on a 30 amp appliance?

30 amps is where a 30 amp breaker should cut off, and to avoid that, you should only use 80% of the breaker's capacity. So for a 30 amp breaker, you shouldn't be using more than 24 amps. Using a 50 amp breaker and a dedicated outlet ensures that you don't exceed the capacity of the circuit with that appliance.


Looks like you are missing one or more parts.

Permanent Attachement

For permanent attachment, most fireplace screen/doors utilize some sort screw (masonry)to attach to the surrounding masonry around the fireplace opening.  Usually using supplied screws it would be attached to the opening using masonry drill bit.

Attachment

Other fireplace screen/doors use pressure points on the four corner's to secure (not attach) the door to the opening.  Basically the "screws" are turned until they make contact to the opening.  The screws usually have a plate or flatter contact point as they do not want to go into the material, merely apply pressure to it.  This is repeated 4x for all for corners until it is secure.

To simulate this method of attachment, stand in a door opening and put your arms out and press against the sides of the door.  If you apply enough pressure, basically you can hold yourself in place.  This method of attachment is not permanent, if one dials back the screws, the door can be removed.

You may be able to pick up some masonry screws and secure it, although I have not seen the back of the door for possible attachment locations or points.


Convert light socket to plug socket for LED lighting strip

In the US you could buy a "Medium Base Polarized Socket Outlet Adapter" at any hardware store for a couple bucks.

I suppose both ends are different where you are, but perhaps the picture will be enough to convey the idea?


How should I paint an exterior door to prevent sticking?

Don't paint the portion that will touch the stop
Swap in a spare door for a few days (habitat for humanity re-store has them quite reasonably priced, for instance.)
Do the paint job on a new, or new-to-you used door, and only swap it once.