Apartment cooling with fans I've just moved into an apartment without an air conditioner in Sunnyvale, California. The weather is not too hot, but there are going to be some pretty warm days in the summer, especially since I'm on the second floor of two. The temperatures at night should be cool enough to manage quite well - if I can get enough cool air in here!

There's no house fan, and it being an apartment, there's not much I can do about that. So what's the best way to circulate air with standalone fans?

Added fun: a neighbor smokes near my main windows, so I'd really prefer to pull air in through a screen door instead.

(I'm from Texas originally, where no one would dream of building anything without air conditioning, so I have absolutely no experience with this!)

Ideally, you would blow warm air out of your apartment.  Cool outside air will naturally take its place.  If you can take advantage of prevailing winds by having open windows on opposite sides of the apartment, do so.  Otherwise, use a box fan blowing out of the screen door (assuming it's not in a bedroom -- they can be pretty noisy) and smaller fans pulling air in through other windows.

You can also keep the apartment cooler during the day by closing blinds.  If you have a balcony that gets sun during the day, consider getting some large plants: they'll provide some shade, and they'll need watering, which will also help to bring temperatures down.


My push lawn mower will start when primed, then it dies unless I tip it backwards My Craftsman push mower will fire up fine after I prime it, but once that gas burns off, it dies unless I tip the mower backwards. I cleaned out the air filter and sprayed carb and choke cleaner throughout the carborator. Didn't fix the problem. Any thoughts?

It sounds a lot like the fuel filter or tank outlet has an obstruction which drops away when the deck is tilted. Assuming you do have an inline fuel filter replacing that can't hurt. You can drain and flush the tank while you've got the hose disconnected.

A second possibility is the governor, which often consists of a plastic flap by the flywheel. Since that is generally towards the rear of the mower, grass clippings or rodent houses will obstruct things when the mower is flat and drop onto the governor when it's tilted. Removing the shroud and taking a look is simple.

Speaking of simple, check the mixture adjustment too. It could be set too lean. I wouldn't go crazy on blind adjustments without the service manual but the screw should travel in both directions rather than being at one extreme.


What is the best way to break concrete under existing framing (2x4) to install plumbing? In the picture below I have selected the drain pipe that I need to install
How do I break the floor under that 2x4 used for framing?
Fist I will have to cut it out but after that what do I use to cut so close to the drywall on the opposite side without damaging the drywall or having an accidental crack extend beyond the drywall in the other room ?

You may have to adjust your ideas of what's needed to get this done.
You make sawcuts and drill holes as close as you can to the place you need to open, but it may well not be practical or possible to limit that to the particular room you want to work in, especially since you appear to be planning to run the pipe inside framing with drywall you don't want to disturb on the other side. Welcome to "drywall repair is comparatively easy, and breaking concrete requires a degree of access."
Or you make your hole on the side you plan to access, watch Shawshank Redemption 12 times for inspiration, and delicately hammer and chisel your way under the framing, but no further. By which time you could have ripped the wall apart, bashed the hole open, and repaired the wall 3 times over, but it's your choice.
One approach, depending on exactly what you need to do and what you are willing to rent, is to use a holesaw (for the lumber) followed by a diamond core drill (for the concrete) to make the hole for the pipe, and just cut a hole in the floor on this side of the wall for access, that does not directly connect to the hole for the pipe.


How can I take the arms off my desk chair? I am trying to take the arms off my desk chair to see if I find it more comfortable. I have almost zero experience with being handy or anything diy, but I though this would be something easy to start with.

Each arm appears to be attached with four screws. But they don’t unscrew no matter how hard I turn the to the left. I swear there’s something up, but I have no idea what it could be. Some sort of fancy screw that can’t be unscrewed?

I’m guessing there’s something simple that I’m missing, and I’d be super greatful if someone could point me in the right direction.

They're probably installed with some sort of thread lock.

Try a few good whacks with a hammer to the screw heads. Then use a high torque screw driver (One that you can turn with a wrench), or a vice grip on the outside of the head, or an impact driver.

Make sure to use the correct bit for those screws.  It should be the largest one that fits and doesn't wobble.

Sit the chair upside down, and place YOUR ENTIRE BODY WEIGHT onto the back of the impact driver to avoid stripping another screw head.  Hopefully the one that stripped one will loosen enough with the other three off.  It not, use one of these stripped screw remover bits.

If you have to use those bits, again, place extraordinary backpressure on the back of the impact driver when you do.

If all else fails (say they literally welded the threads in place) you can use an angle to grind away all four screws from both sides.  But be careful not to let enough heat build up to melt or burn the fabric.


Max pressure I can set my well to? I am new to having a well and the pressure in our house is OK, but not incredible. The well sits about 100 ft. from the house. We have 2 20 Gallon pressure tanks next to the pump. The pressure switch is a 40/60. The pressure reads about 43 psi. I am curious if I can set the pressure higher or if I risk damaging the system. The majority of the plumbing in the house is PEX.

Tank specs:

Pressure switch:

You can, but it's not all to the good...

Normally, most household plumbing fixtures (especially toilet valves) prefer a pressure of no more than 80 PSI. Your pipes are nearly always not the limiting factor. Most well pump controllers have a fixed 20PSI swing from on to off, but many can be adjusted so they can swing 40-60, 50-70, 60-80, 30-50, 23.5-43.5 etc.

The volume of water stored in your pressure tanks becomes less as the pressure is raised - a captive air tank swinging from 40 to 20 PSI stores far more water than one swinging from 80 to 60 PSI. This matters because more pump starts is one of the factors that leads eventually to pump death and replacement, always a fun time. So if you raise the system pressure, you should probably also increase your storage tank volume to prevent having lots of very short pump cycles. Switching over to a "constant pressure" (or "nearly constant pressure") system is another alternative, though it can be costly.

If you change system pressure, you need to change  precharge air pressure in captive air tanks (typically about 2-3 PSI less than the lower cut-in pressure - ie, 58 lb for an 80-60 setting.)

You should observe system pressure as water is used - a properly functioning 40-60 PSI system should drop to about 40, switch on the pump and raise to 60, switch off the pump and drop to 40 as water is used. When no water is used the system pressure should hold steady. If you turn off all other water use and measure exactly how much water is needed to drop from 60 to 40 you can gauge the health and current storage capacity of your pressure tanks. If you measure the time it takes to refill from 40-60 (without drawing any more water) you will know your pumping rate (and if it takes less than a minute, conventional wisdom is that you already need more storage capacity.)


Waterproof access door for electrical panel I had an electrician upgrade my old fuse electrical panel with a new breaker panel. I was trying to save a bit of money and decided I would build the external access door for the main shutoff. However, it seems to be a bigger challenge than I was anticipating.

From the picture you can see the bottom of the panel barely clears the framing stud that runs diagonal when you open it -- circled in red. I originally was just going to frame around the box and attach a door but now that the diagonal board is there I'm not sure what to do.

Does anyone have any suggestion on what I can do here?

That enclosure is a NEMA 3R, it is designed to be out in the weather. It should be set out to the outside edge of the stucco or cement siding. With it inset, water will get inside the structure because you need to open the panel by Code. Code does allow for a box to hang outside the structure and have a hole drilled in the outside bottom for drainage.

Since your panel is inset, you need to make a water tight cover that can be removed without tools. Since it looks to be your main disconnect, it will have be labeled, and in most cases the meter must be visible for the power company to read. I would never install a panel like this and if you have a contract I don’t think this meets most of the service panel requirements in the states I have worked in. A cover that can be opened without tools may be legal but your electric utility may disagree because the meter is not fully exposed.


Quick fix for a toilet that flushes water past the waste material? I've recently moved into a rented property with a dual-flush toilet. When flushing the new water seems to be sent directly under any paper/waste that's in the bowl, causing it to "roll" over the top and not evacuate down the pipe. This happens whether one or both of the buttons are pressed/held to flush, and it's starting to get a little embarrassing when we have guests round.

Since it's a rented property there isn't an option to replace anything, but I wondered if there were any quick fixes I could apply?

EDIT

A littie further information; the toilet seems reasonably new, there doesn't seem to be any blockages around the rim and and we've cleaned everything. The pressure is good; the water reaches right round to the front of the bowl where it creates a good jet, but it's this jet that seems to run directly under the waster causing it to roll.

More edits

I doubt it's a problem with the water pressure - the jet is powerful, maybe a little too powerful, which could be why it's flushing directly under the waste rather than over it, pushing it down. We've cleaned it thoroughly, though it wasn't necessary as there were no deposits or blockages. I've a feeling that it may simply be a design fault of the bowl. :(

Are you sure you understand how the toilet works?
Commercial toilets actually fire a jet of water down the drain to get syphon started while the bowl continues to fill from the water entering the top. I believe this is the design you are describing and it is supposed to do this.


How to change the speed of a table fan? I have just bought a $15 table fan, AC, ie plugged into wall mains. The lowest speed setting is still too fast for my requirement, and hence also too noisy.  I estimate it to be around 5 revolutions per second or 300rpm.  How can I change the lowest speed to say around 150rpm?

Are there resistors I can simply change?

Try rigging up a fan control switch - pretty commonly available at most home centers and hardware stores. With a little minor electrical knowledge, you could rig one one up to a plug and put your fan on it. That'd give you a L/M/H setting, at an additional L/M/H. That's, what, 9 speeds?


dig out and finish my crawl space into a basement I have a house with a continuous concrete stem wall, and a sill plate seismically bolted to the foundation. It's on a hillside, and the north (downslope) is post and pier (not continuous). There are anchor bolts as well.

The downhill side of the house has a crawl space big enough you can almost stand up in it, dirt below my feet.

What's the process (and reality) about digging this out a bit and creating a finished basement? Both for insulation and for increased livability / storage. I assume there's a building engineer in there?

Please use extreme caution if you proceed. This is not a job for an amateur. The back-fill dirt you are standing on in that crawl space is part of the engineered structural integrity of the entire house. If you pull too much of that dirt out of the wrong place, you can compromise the integrity of he foundation.  You don't want to go there.  This project can be done but you need an experienced builder in this type of construction or you need an actual building engineer to do the necessary calculations and provide drawings.


What can I use to hold an iron rod Torchiere lamp section to the pre-wired lower iron rod threaded bolt that won't tighten securely? I purchased a pre-wired Torchiere floor lamp that attaches together in sections of hollow iron rods that each have a smooth end and a threaded bolt on the other end. On one of the iron rods the thread on the bolt does not have a sharp edge - like the others - which is preventing the bolt from 'cutting' a thread into the connecting hollow iron rod end when I thread it into the opening. I was already issued a refund by seller who said to just "keep the lamp." My mom loves the lamp so, if possible, I want to try to salvage it. I tried turning it as far as it will turn and then taped a small plastic collar with foam around the rod to hold it in place. But the halo torchiere light makes it top heavy and it is not secure. Is there a collar or something I can use to secure the torchiere section to the lower iron rod since I'm unable to screw the 'threaded bolt" into the rod to tighten securely?

I solved this by using a pipe repair clamp from the plumbing department. It is meant to seal pinhole leaks in pipe. It looks like a 3-4" long bracket that clamps to the pipe --not in this case the floor lamp tubing-- and has a rubber, inner liner. Get one in the 1" or greater size. It has two parallel bolts that tighten to clamp it all together.
It's not the prettiest solution but it works. I salvaged a perfectly good floor lamp with bad threads this way.


Connecting an Ice Maker hose directly to a tap I'm struggling to find answers on here and from my searching, and my local DIY store didn't help much.

My home is a new build, and the kitchen has a tap directly where the fridge goes... This is said tap...

This tap is not used for a dishwasher or washing machine as both of those have their own taps in different parts / rooms in the house, this tap is specifically in the fridge area.

I'm looking if it's possible to connect my Fridge's Ice Maker hose directly to it somehow?

This is the connection...

I've seen solutions to join this onto the actual pipe, but I'm trying to find a solution to use an actual tap, if possible?

.

You need an adapter that will transition from your tap's thread to a compression thread.

Most (U.S.) refrigerators are equipped with 1/4" O.D. tubing which utilize 1/4" compression fittings. Your picture seems to show something larger than 1/4" O.D., my first guess would be 3/8" but if you are not in the U.S. I guess it could even be a metric size.

As for the tap size, I think it could be garden hose thread (adapter shown in top picture), or pipe thread (adapter shown in lower picture).

You will need to head to a good plumbing shop and describe your problem, bring along photos which include your measuring tape for scale.


How can I remove these Hep20 tees? can anyone tell me how to remove these Hep20 Tees please? I want to replace with elbows and cut the lower leg off.  (I know how to seal those off thanks).  Can't upload a picture but they were fitted in 2007. They have a screw off cap and are grey, fitted to plastic and copper

Google tells me you need a HepKey or HepKey Plus. That's the blue part in this cutaway image.

Looking at how it works, it looks like you just need a round collar that can get between the tubing and the rim of that outer ring. I would try rolling a plastic card with a heat gun and see if I could push the release ring without hunting down the tool.


How can I T splice a 120V line in a lighting fixture? I'm designing a recessed lighting fixture and would like to T splice some of the wires in it. The wires are 14AWG, will carry up to 4AMP and I'm looking to make an elegant connection so that it fits into the thin enclosing.

Is it ok to use a T-Splicing of this kind, and cover the splice with liquid tape or plain electrical tape? The splice will be at the top of the lighting fixture, but may get some dust as a result of not being covered, but rather being in a channel.

As I interpret the code, no. That "T" splice isn't allowed, and not really elegant IMHO.

2011 NEC
110.14 Electrical Connections
(B) Splices.
Conductors shall be spliced or joined with splicing devices identified for the use
or by brazing, welding, or soldering with a fusible metal or alloy.
...

Where the article says you could solder the joint, in your case it's shall solder the joint. As far as the taps being in a approved enclosure, I can't agree with the commentary. Just go to any lighting store and you will see lights that have fixture wires on top of a light that would be much larger than any typical box. However, I'm not a manufacturer, I just have experience hanging a ton of lights.


Coax through wall box Trying to hook up a coax port that the builders didn't finish. House built last year. They finished one coax port and left the other three with the wire ran but not capped. This box has the wire going straight through it. Foamed at the top and going out the bottom. This is on an exterior wall and there's nothing it would be going to inside or out. I've confirmed the other end is just open ended. I expected to be able to pull the wire out of the bottom of the box but it's not coming. Any ideas what is going on here? Should I just cut it so I can use it?

Yep, especially if you can see the end is free. If you think there's enough in the box to get a connector on, then just cut it and activate the box.

If you'd like to try and get more wire, then use pliers with their teeth wrapped a couple of times with electrical or duct tape. As long as you don't try too hard and rip the wire open, you won't damage anything.

Likely, you just need to break the foam's initial sticky area to slide the wire. Go straight in at the top or bottom of the box (top if pulling down and bottom if you're pulling up).

Use the outer edge of the box as your lever's (pliers) folcrum and pull up or push down (see above) the plier handles while gripping the wire tightly. This will usually provide much greater power and pop the foam's seal.


How much cooling is my mist maker humidifier causing? Closely related to Does a humidifier cool the air? but with a different kind of humidifier, and I'd like to know exact numbers.

First question: for the same production volume of vapor, does an ultrasonic mist maker cause the same amount of cooling as an evaporative humidifier?

Second, more practical question: My apartment already struggles sometimes with keeping the unit warm, but it's also far too dry, so I need to humidify. I bought a mist maker with stated vaporizing capacity of 1600ml/h.

It seems since I've had it running, the heater struggles even more than before. How do I convert from ml/h to BTUs I am losing to humidification? Do I need to provide other parameters (like a starting relative humidity and temperature)? I looked at Philip's chart at: http://www.truetex.com/psychrometric_chart.gif but I'm not really sure how to read it.

What you're asking about is the latent heat of vaporization.

It is 970 real BTUs per pound of water, or 2260 joules per gram.   A joule is a watt-second.  A BTU raises one pound of water one degree F.

That means if you have an ugly bag of liquid water, 1 pound, and it is 112F temperature, and you inject 100 BTU, it is now 212F.  If you inject another 970 BTU, it is still 212F but is now vapor.  If you inject 30 more BTU to make it an even thousand, it is now 242F.  The 970 BTU was eaten by the phase change.   Yes, you can use this to air-condition, but it works better with freon, propane, etc.

There's no free lunch.  That energy has to come from somewhere.

A gallon of water is 3785 grams (also 3785 ml, by wild coincidence, not). It will take 8.5 million joules or 2400 watt-hours, or 8200 real BTU,  to evaporate it.   If the humidifier avoids paying it (e.g. By misting), it is stolen from the air, cooling the air.

By "real BTU" I mean BTU is a timeless unit.  Remember when a furnace talks about BTU, that is slang. It actually means BTU/hr.


How can I straighten out a bent threaded rod? I recently got a 1/2" acme screw for a project that has a deflection of approximately an eighth of an inch deflection.  One would not think that it would be a big deal, but is is making alignment quite difficult on my project.  Is there any way to straighten out a threaded rod?

I've been able to manually straighten Acme leadscrew stock in the past by bending it down against a rigid surface, and checking its straightness by rolling it along a piece of scrap window glass (guaranteed to be flat). Rinse and repeat until you either bend it to within an acceptable tolerance, or you ruin it and have to buy a new one--which in this case is no big deal, since the one you've already got is already useless for your project.


I am building a pergola. What size of beam will span 20 feet. There will be no load on the beam aside from the weight of the beam itself This is my first time here and I have looked at other questions regarding pergolas. However, my situation is unique. There will be no load on the beams. The pergola is 20 foot x 20 foot. It only contains 4 posts and 4 beams. There will be no rafters or lattices.

For a beam that long deflection will control over strength. A 2x6 HF#2 would pass code with 0.6" sag in the middle if you are ok with that. Going with a 2x4 will result in a deflection of about 1-3/4" and it will want to roll over in the middle since there are no bracing members. If you go with cedar or pressure treated, it will be more.


Changing straight staircase to a turned stair with half landing, is this the Only solution to stairs cutting loft in half? This terraced house has stairs rising from hallway and cutting across the middle of the house between two sitting rooms. This is repeated from first floor to attic leaving a loft cut in half with very little floor space at the full height level.

We have money to put a full width dormer on the rear of the loft but would like to have a shower room up there. This would go at the front but there is only a corridor width of space at either end of the hole for the stairs.

Is there a way of getting a shower room in? Should we look at turning the two stair cases with half landings so the stairs stay on one side and give more floor space in the loft?  Am assuming we have to do both for this to make any sense when it's finished.

I believe the direction of the boards, and so the direction of the joists is a big deal.

If the stairs to the attic don't match the stairs to the second floor you're most likely going to wind up losing floor space on the second floor. How much depends on how many steps change direction. If you do change the first-second floor stairs to match you're going to lose some room in one of the sitting rooms. That might not be a bad thing because really... how lazy do you need to be to have two rooms dedicated to sitting? :) Your heart and your doctor will be happy but your renovation budget... not so much.

As to being able to fit a shower room... That can't be answered without seeing the floor plan.


Why does my remote control garage door opener not work when garage door is closed? Why does my remote control garage door opener not work when garage door is closed.  It works fine when door is open but once the door is closed, it will not work.  Have reprogrammed same but still does not work.  Works if I am inside the garage or if door is open but once I am outside with the door closed, it will not open.  New batteries were also purchased and installed in remote.

I find that stucco homes have this problem because of the metal mesh in the walls act like a faraday cage.
You may be able to extend the antenna to the exterior of the garage and it will work better.


All my outlets seem to be dead So after an overload from a power tool, I completely lost all my outlets but the breaker didn't trip.

I pulled that outlet and even removed the box to inspect as much wire as I could but there was no damage to the receptacle or wires.

I tested the breaker and it was 120. The neutral at the panel is also tight and undamaged. There is also a ground wire in the bus bar from that circuit but the outlets themselves have no ground (house was built in 50's)

The outlet I was using was the 3rd of 5 in the circuit. I pulled them all out and inspected but I can't see or smell any issues with the receptacles or wiring.

I figured out the rest of the circuits, so I know the outlets don't have any lights connected to them (although one in the living room is controlled by a switch on the wall)

Is it normal for the 3rd outlet to take out the 1st and 2nd like that?.. And also without tripping the breaker (I also replaced the cb just to eliminate that as a possibility)

*Not sure if I'm supposed to leave a comment or edit my answer to respond.. but it's a Square D panel and I can't trace from the first good or bad receptacle since they're all dead. As in, the very first receptacle after the panel, and then each one after that until the last.

Going in the other direction from the panel are the kitchen receptacles but they're on a separate circuit and working fine.

Don't bother inspecting wires that are not in boxes. There's no need, unless you've been doing construction work or have had an earthquake. Wires between boxes are rarely damaged.  All the mischief tends to happen where wires terminate, e.g. at receptacles, switches, neutral bars, breakers etc.

Any given receptacle obtains its power from somewhere.  Typically that is another receptacle.  It could also be a "tee" splice in the wiring; Code requires that any splice be inside a junction box whose cover is accessible without needing tools. For instance above a drop ceiling is OK; covered up by a screwed-down plywood panel is not OK.

So typically your receptacle gets its power from another receptacle, which gets its power from another one, etc. etc.

Your failure is a very common one

The circuit doesn't normally see heavy loading.  One of the terminations (wire meets receptacle) isn't very good.  The heavy load causes the poor connection to pop like a fuse.  Now it's open (non-connecting).

As discussed above, connections are generally "chained" with splits, like a "tree". There is a chain of outlets/splices from the panel, to an outlet, to the next outlet, etc.   The failure is always at the first bad outlet, or the last good outlet in the chain.

So if the chain is Panel-A-B-C-D-E-F-G, and you plugged in at F and now B through G are out, then checking D E F G is unconstructive.  The problem must be at A or B.


No Ground Wires - Can I connect a wire to the metal box for ground? I want to install new z-wave light switches that require a ground, but it appears that none of the electrical boxes in my house have ground wires and the previous light switches didn't use a ground.

Is it legal to have no ground wires?  Im in Chicago and my condo was built in 2001, so it's not super old.

Can I simply connect a wire to the screw on the metal box for ground?  how do I know if the box is grounded?

Congratulations, you have EMT conduit or better.  This is the good stuff,  much of the "pipes" you see in commercial and industrial buildings are this. Look at the ceiling at CostCo.

Your box looks exactly like it's supposed to.  All my boxes look like that. The metal conduit serves as the ground wire.

How do you attach a device ground?  Look in the back of the junction box.  There are several holes,  but one of them is different.  It is tapped for a 10-32 screw.  Often, it sits on a little "dimple" to give the screw threads somewhere to go.

Any short 10-32 screw will do, but for a professional flair, they make green screws for the purpose, and even will sell them with pigtails attached.  Do not use sheet-metal screws.

However, this may not be necessary. The device has metal tabs (ears) where you screw it into the box.  Pay close attention - if the ears "bottom out" on the metal of the box, you do not need that ground wire.  If they bottom-out against drywall, you need a ground.

Unrelated, one more tip on the device-mounting screws.  Some are shorter.  Look behind the lower right mounting screw on your box.  See where a pipe is coming in?  That screw needs to be shorter, or it'll hit the pipe. (the screw will suddenly get stiff to turn; stop or you can strip out the threads on the junction box, a painful repair even when it's not in drywall.)  The old screws may be captive on the old device; they are held on by a square of cardboard or plastic, easy to move.  Or you can buy short ones (1/2") at the hardware store, or cut them to length with the screw shear on the a multi-strip tool (that's what it's for).

 source


Why do I have shiny patches where I touched up paint on my walls? We recently had some remodeling done and the walls were all freshly painted with Behr Premium Plus Ultra Matte paint.  A lot of the walls got marked up from the workers still coming in and out, so I used the EXACT paint, from the SAME container that was used to paint the walls.

First I used the same roller that was used to initially paint the walls.  Every area I touched up has more of a sheen to it!!!  It's not noticeable when looking at it head on, but when you look from the side or in certain lighting, it's very noticeable.

Then I tried using the "dry brushing technique" and this made it even more shiny.  Am I going to have to TOTALLY repaint every wall that I touched up?  I'm so frustrated over this.  Home Depot was at a loss. Thanks for your help!!!

This is a usually a problem with with the sheen differing due to different application techniques.  That is mixing spraying, brushing, and/or rolling.  My guess is the paint was applied by a roller or sprayer, and the touch up was done with a brush.  The sheen between the different application techniques will be different and noticeable.

We usually try to make sure every thing is rolled in some way so we can roll out our touch ups so they hide better.  So when we spray, we back roll a coat or the primer.  Then when we touch up, we back roll all the brushed locations with a low nap roller.  This typically will hide all the touchups very well.


Moving a circuit from one panel too another I have 4 sub panels in my home and I want to move two 20amp breakers from one into another. I want to run #12 Romex from the one panel too the other and use the original panel and just splice each circuit. My question if the neutral stays in the original box can I just move the hot leg

You MUST move both the hot and neutral together!

The underlying principle is currents must be equal in each cable or conduit.  You can't have a situation where current flows on the hot wire from panel 4 to panel 2, but neutral just ends at panel 2 and takes a different route back to the panel (creating an imbalance in that cable too).

If currents are equal, each wire kicks a large electro-magnetic field (EMF), but the various wires are equal and opposite, so the magnetic fields cancel each other out.
Since currents are not equal, large electro-magnetic fields are kicked up. This will cause eddy current heating, and vibration -> fatigue failure on wires.

Further, neutrals do not have circuit breakers.  This is safe, because neutral only handles current for its partner hot wire(s), so they handle the same current and the "hot" breaker protects the neutral.  If you return current from a different path, you break that protection, and now the oversubscribed neutral can overload - and no breaker will care.


Can I buy a remote for a ceiling fan that will not turn off. Remote missing when purchased home We just got our keys to our home and in one of the bedrooms the ceiling fan is on with no pull chains, no remote and switch does not control the on/off of fan.  What should we do?

you could always add a remote module

http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Ceiling-Fan-Remote-Control/dp/B001I1M95E

i would take a look why the switch doesn't work properly

example see if it's connected to the switch or bypassed


How can I trim my pegboard? I really want to tidy up my tool closet, and step one is getting the pegboard hung back up.

I'd like to mount the board on the inside of a closet door, but it is about 2" too wide for that. I've had it forever so don't know exactly what it is made of but it feels like some kind of MDF or hardboard. It's pretty sturdy.

I have a jigsaw, a circular saw, and a hacksaw. What's my best bet for cutting the pegboard without damaging it?

Use the circular saw.

Clamp a piece of scrap 1" by something down to guide the saw for a straight cut. This will take some time to lay out, but it will be worth it.

Get your saw up to speed before cutting the hardboard.

Additional Tips from the comments:

Put masking/painters tape on the cut line and cut down the middle of the tape.  This will reduce splintering of the edges.

If using a circular saw, cut with the finished side down.  Splintering, if any will occur on the back side, which is hidden.

Pro-tip: A table saw with the blade lowered makes a perfectly serviceable dining room table.  It also makes carving a roast a breeze.


Can I build an anti-fatigue standing mat myself? I thought about buying a anti-fatigue mat for healthier prolonged standing but unfortunately the price tag is quite high and they are not available in my country, so I would have to pay for additional shipping costs. I’m wondering what material these mats are made of and whether I could simply buy the raw material for a cheaper price. They appear to be made from high density polyurethane foam. I don’t need surface structure to prevent slipping, by the way.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B00EJ9PVFM
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UA2WO2

You don't specify your location.  However, a child's play mat, a yoga mat, a good quality carpet underlay, a doormat, or a scrap of high density foam from a dumpster all can serve the need you describe.


Should I prime just repaired areas or the entire ceiling before painting? Just finished patching two holes in a ceiling due to a leak in the apartment above.

Ceiling is all smooth and ready to paint.

Question, should I prime the areas that were fixed or prime the whole ceiling?

I'm thinking the whole ceiling because the room was last painted over a year ago and it won't be an exact match to the walls. But also, the original paint is discontinued and the new paint was "closely matched" to the original paint color.

Any input advice is greatly appreciated.

This is mostly a matter of opinion. You'll usually get a better (more uniform) result if you do things edge-to-edge or corner-to-corner, including primer. The undercoat can have a significant effect on the sheen (and sometimes the color) of the topcoat.

Another consideration is lighting. If the room has few windows and low lighting, the ceiling finish will be obscure. If you have bright natural light or up-directed lighting it'll be in the spotlight, so to speak, and any variations in finish will be much more apparent.

Since you're completely repainting, and assuming the sheen and color of the primer are similar to the topcoat, you can probably get away with just priming the repairs. Again, it's up to you as to what level of finish quality you need.


How can flood water come in through a toilet? Video on Facebook

Fredrick Maryland is experiencing severe flooding and one home owner has flood water gushing in the house through the toilet. You can view the video from the Facebook link above. What I don’t understand is how water can come backwards up the toilet? Aren’t there traps and other things that create suction or a seal? I’m not a plumber but I thought the pipes were designed to prevent something like this.

The trap on a toilet (or any plumbing fixture) prevents sewer gas from escaping. It's a very low-pressure thing, consisting solely of a small amount of standing water filling a low spot in the drain. Any force capable of moving a little water can overcome it, including air vacuum if it's not properly vented.

In the case of this flooding phenomenon, there must be a break in the city sewer line somewhere, and water standing above it. This obviously creates pressure that will escape at any point below its surface level.


Why does my compressor bog down at low pressure? Just bought an air compressor, and when I turn it on it starts to build up air but when it gets to around 20 psi the motor seems to be slowing down almost to a stop. Does anyone know what's up with this?

This is the same thing that happens when you use an extension cord of insufficient gauge to power a compressor, as you say, it's insufficient power.  Of course, it will try to pull sufficient power, and if it succeeds, probably light the extension cord on fire.


Insulating a garage - from the outside or the inside? I have a metal garage, which I want to insulate to a level of a well insulated house (if that's possible at all). I live in the are where the coldest it gets is about -15 C (5 F) for a couple of weeks, and about +30 C (86 F) for a couple of weeks in summer.

At the moment the garage is insulated  with an inch of spray foam from the inside - both walls and ceilings.

Could you advice good but affordable material to insulate it with (walls, ceilings and the floor) from the inside? How thick should that be for such climate?

The garage looks looks as such, the floor is made of concrete:

EDIT: in case anyone will need this in the future, I decided to go for 10cm EPS80 polystyrene foam on the floor, 15cm of rock wool on the walls and roof. The garage will be heated by a 6kW wood burning stove, which should be enough during the cold winter months. If you are interested how this installation would cope with the winter please contact me directly or in the comments.

I don't think you can do this.  Even 1" of spray foam will stop most of the heat going in or out of the garage by conduction through the walls.

What it won't stop is heat being transferred by cold or hot air coming in around the door.  In a well insulated house, it is vitally important to control draughts; highly insulated houses have heat-recovery units to bring fresh air into the house without losing the heat.  The problem is that garage doors are not designed to be draught proof - so you will have massive heat loss/gain around the door.


How long can I run a vent duct for a new bathroom exhaust on an old house that doesn't vent out properly? all. I live in an old Edwardian home where the attic above is a finished loft space so I can't run any ducts upward. I have a second floor bathroom below that needs to be vented correctly. Right now it's only venting directly between the joists. What's really unfortunate is that the current exhaust in the ceiling is literally less than two feet away from an outside wall. But the joists run the wrong way. I don't know a lot but I know not to cut a four inch hole into a joist.

Since the joists run the wrong way there is a bedroom next to the bathroom. I think it'll be around thirteen feet, including the bathroom area to run a duct from that point above the ceiling along the adjacent bedroom to get to an outside wall. My question is, will this be too long to run a duct or will I encounter problems of some sort?

Here is the model that I'd like to get. It has good reviews and appears to be the quietest:

[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003U9TNG0/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1FB73YAR81YX4&colid=3CARMNY93861P&psc=1][1]

Unless anyone has any ideas for a wall mounted exhaust that is of similar quality and as quiet I feel like doing a ceiling mounted exhaust is my best option.

Hope to receive some suggestions.

Thanks.

The Panasonic product you listed supports 4" or 6" round duct, according to the installation manual. 13 feet should not be too far at all, especially if it is a relatively straight run. And to be extra safe, use 6" round duct. The rigid kind, not the cheap flex stuff! The increased size will allow less restricted airflow.

Also, try to avoid using any 90 degree turns. The model you referenced has a side port, which means if you install it between joists you should be able to take the duct straight out of the side of the fan and straight through the exterior wall to the vent cap.

In reality, you should be fine with a straight run of 4" rigid duct. But 6" would give you some peace of mind.


Constant Power to Garbage Disposal I put in a new counter top and had to take off my garbage disposal to do so. When I hooked everything back up and flipped the switch nothing happened. I grabbed my wire tester and touched the wire and there was a pop and some smoke from the disposal. Now weather the switch is on or off I have constant power to the garbage disposal. Everything else that is on that breaker works just fine. What could be the problem? And how can I fix this?

First the bad news. If smoke came from the disposer the windings are burnt and it's never going to work. Unless when you connected the power cord (the tail), it was made up incorrectly. When you "touched the wire"  most likely some of the fine strands were loose and caused a "pop".

So first take the disposer out from under the sink and check the connections and determine if the power cord was installed properly (you should be able to see the burns if it's at the connection point).  Then verify that you haven't burned up the windings (they should smell burnt). If there is any hint that the windings are burned return and replace the disposer.

Then check the breaker and make sure the power is on. Then use your tester to check the outlets under the sink. The outlet below the sink is usually a duplex and one side should be continually hot and the other should be on the switch above the counter by the sink. If you don't get power there start backtracking the circuit find the damaged location and of course repair the part.

If everything seems to be ok. Reinstall the disposer.

I know you probably would like to know another way to check the windings on the disposal. Unfortunately I can't recommend a way to check it safely without a workbench or a good understanding of how to check the windings with an ohmmeter.
If you really want to know that you need to take it to a motor specialist or the manufacturer's recommended warranty shop.

Stay safe and good luck.


Purpose of hot water tank and boiler What is the purpose of the hot water tank and boiler when it comes to a) heating and b) drinking water.

When I switch on my boiler (not combi) for both heating and drinking water, I see a flame lit heating something. Does this heat water that goes into the hot water tank (cylinder)?

Is this tank then used for both drinking water and heating the central heating system? Or just one of them?

Without seeing your particular system it is impossible to tell how it is configured.

Generally, the device called a boiler is for heating water to heat the house. This is a closed system and does not supply hot water for the house.

A device called a water heater is used to heat potable water for the house that is safe to drink and all other personal needs. This is an open system and takes in cold water from the domestic water supply to heat for use.

It is possible your system does both but the two piping systems should be kept separate so the potable water supply is not contaminated. Your system may pre-heat water while the boiler is running to heat the house and store it in a tank.

To get a better answer you need to post pictures or diagrams of your system.


Home Lighting Relay Characteristics I have old electromechanical relays that were installed in a panel with a transformer as part of a remote controlled lighting circuit.  It's a nifty setup except the relays are no longer manufactured.  Here is a patent that describes the relay.  The relay itself is marked:

1/2 HP - 125VAC, 20A-277 VAC
20A-125VAC, 60 CY., COIL 30VDC

And it accepts four pairs of DC inputs that seem to have 200-400 mV when a particular light is ON and 30V when the light is OFF.
What does 1/2 HP mean here?  Why are there two different ratings for VAC (i.e., 20A-277 and 20A-125VAC)?
My goal here is to find something I could use to replace these components without having to redo the entire panel.

1/2 hp is a motor rating.  Motors have a whole bunch of inductive kick, so controlling relays must be de-rated.
20A is the rating at 277V.  Interesting thing, 277V was commonly used in industrial lighting, where they were interested in a high ratio of lumens to copper (40kw on twelve 12AWG wires); so 277V almost implied HID lighting with magnetic ballasts (sodium, metal halide, etc.)  This is called a "ballast load" because they too have an inductive kick, though not like a motor.  This seems to imply a 20A rating for ballast load.
20A is the rating at 120V.  120V lighting tended to be incandescents, i.e. a simple resistive load with no kick. Incandescents do have an inrush current which is considerable, so contacts need to be a little tougher than a pure resistive load. By the way, electronic ballasts and LEDs also have inrush current from the capacitors/inductors charging up.

The 30V DC is approximately what you get when you take a common 24VAC thermostat or doorbell transformer and rectify it to DC.  Very appropriate for a 1960s system.


Wifi switched Elect Hot Water Tank For a vacation home application, I am looking for a wifi controlled/linked switch for the 220v, 30 amp hot water tank circuit.  I see that Rheem makes wifi controllers compatible with some of their tanks which allow you monitor, change temps, etc.

On/off is the only function needed and I would like to be able to use a similar  device to switch a 220v, 20 amp baseboard heat circuit.  Again, on/off is the only function needed.

Thanks for any ideas.

DKC

There are lots of options out there. Basically you need a wifi enabled relay. They all seem to have proprietary web interface/software and various limitations (operating temperature, normally open/closed, indoor/outdoor, etc.). You might want to inquire at a local pool supply shop as they seem to be popular for remotely controlling pool/spa equipment. This is a picture of one brand:


Best and thinnest way to cover masonry brick wall with drywall I am remodeling my 1950s home and I have exterior walls made out of masonry bricks (cinder bricks).  The interior of the bricks has been painted many times over.  I've been given 2 basic recommendations from contractor friends and I thought I'd ask the group.

First off, bricks are porous.  I can tell the previous homeowner had issues with this.  I'm planning to roll 2 coats of Redgard on the inside of the walls and the outside of the walls will be vapor barriered and stuccoed.  Then, my choices are to either place greenboard directly on the Redgard-coated walls or to hang furring strips and then place the greenboard.

I have a couple things to spell out.  2 of the rooms in play are already pretty small.  The thought of losing 4 inches of width in these rooms isn't a great proposition (2x 1.5" 2x4s + 2x 1/2" drywall).  So, how thin of a furring strip could I get away with?

I live in Southern California, so insulation isn't hugely important for outside cold weather, but should I use furring strips so I can insulate to keep cool air in?  Furring strips are also good for running wire, but I don't have a need there.

Any thoughts on my plan?  Any thoughts on greenboard on sealed bricks vs. greenboard on furring strips?

Thanks!

According to this link, you can fasten drywall directly to block.

Personally I would use 3/4" furring strip and fasten with tapcons - or build a wall so I have wood to screw into. Since losing space is a concern here, adhesive and drywall screws or drywall nails should be enough to fasten the drywall.


What are some tips for finishing wood? I'm kind of embarrassed to ask, but I'm looking for a good how-to guide for finishing pine furniture. (Could also apply to baseboards and trim, so I'm hoping for an on-topic pass here.) I watched my dad do this dozens of time when I was a kid, but I never really paid that close attention.

Specific questions I have are:

I'm planning on using a random orbital sander for prepping the unfinished wood. Do I need to worry about grain direction?
What's the best method for applying the stain? A rag, brush, or sponge?
What grit of sandpaper should I use between coats of polyurethane? Is 180 high enough?

I found this article which outlines a general how-to. Does anyone see mistakes or improvements on it? Any other hints/tips/tricks would be appreciated as well.

Update:

Here's the finished product! I finally got around to taking pictures of it. Thanks for all the advice guys - it turned out really well. I used a Minwax wood conditioner first, then a gel stain and then three coats of high-gloss poly, lightly sanding with 220 grit after the first and second coats.

Pine is a difficult wood to stain under the best of situations. Pine has areas of different density, color, and resin (pitch) content. Using a product like Minwax prestain helps a bit. Follow the timing instructions carefully when using a pre-treatment.  Little tips: i like to apply a liberal coat of oil based stain with a sponge brush.  Let it set a few minutes, then rub it in and evenly distribute with a lint free rag. As one rag becomes saturated with stain, I use a second drier rag to finish the rub in.  The wetter rag is great for distributing the color. You don't want any really wet stain remaining on your wood after the rub in.  Once you get to the urethane, sand lightly between each coat with 220 grit paper to remove any dust bumps. Remove all sanding dust with a slightly damp cloth, let it dry and apply next coat.  Again, I prefer a good grade sponge brush, but a good grade regular brush for oil/urethane works good for appling the urethane. Remember, thin coats, and sand between each coat.


GFI trips when light fixture plugged in When I plug a light (in a metal enclosure) into an outdoor GFI, the GFI trips.

This happens on two different outdoor GFIs that are near to each other.

My test meter detects no connection between the light's casing and it's hot or neutral wires, even on the meter's most sensitive setting.

The light fixture's ground wire has no detectable resistance to the fixture's casing.

However, if I insulate the light fixture from the ground (by putting it on a table), the GFIs don't trip and the light works.

If I put the light fixture in the kitchen sink (which is grounded), then a different GFI does not trip and the light fixture works.

Why do the two outdoor units trip?

It's an open-and-shut case of a ground fault

All your testing (two GFCIs, isolating appliance from earth etc.) confirms the appliance has a ground fault.

Your tester doesn't detect it because your tester is not a megaohmmeter.  The particular failure mode you have here is insulation breakdown; it's fine at the 3 volt meter test voltage, not so good at 120/230V line voltage and will certainly fail at the megaohmmeter's 200V/500V test voltage.

Just dismantle the light and clean everything and look for any obvious problems.


What could cause smelly water in the bathroom sink only? We put in a new sink/tap and plastic piping in bathroom about a year ago. Ever since, the water from that tap smells. Have tried plugging the drain and it still smells. Doesn't smell in the kitchen or in the showers at all and never has - only in this newly replaced sink. The plumber said he thought it was something to do with the new aerators (not sure of that spelling) but we removed that and it didn't make a difference. He checked the trap and that is set up correctly. The only thing that is different in that sink than all the others in the house is that we took out the copper tubing and replaced it with the newer plastic/bendable type feed lines - wonder if THAT could be the problem? The water tastes fine and is perfectly clear but it's enough to make you gag while brushing your teeth - yuck!!!

Just a few suggestions; I find it hard to imagine that it really is the water that smells, so also check the following:

Most obvious is that sewer gas is coming in somehow. Check the p-trap for leaks, make sure there is always water in it. If you don't use the sink often, the p-trap water can evaporate.
Check the ventilation of the sewer lines. Could there be some obstruction in it? Assuming the smell started when the work was done, did anything else change in the system. Is it possible the vent was closed off or obstructed by mistake?


How can I repair this sewer cap? My home was built in 1959.  The clean out cap in the basement is 2.5" ID but it doesn't have threads.  It has 2 nubs (now it only has one) opposite each other that fit into two notches in the pipe.  I'm assuming you place it and turn to close it.  I found it today laying on the concrete floor, one nub is missing and the whole thing looks pretty corroded.  Can I replace the cap, I've been looking online and don't see any that look like mine, just threaded ones.

If the pipe itself is in good enough shape, you could just use a compression cleanout plug (sometimes called a mechanical cleanout plug) or a pressure testing plug:

There are quite a few different styles of these, but almost all of them work by compressing and expanding a rubber gasket inside the pipe. 2.5" might be hard to find at the big box stores, but they are available numerous places online. The main consideration would be finding one that would seat deep enough into the pipe that it would be beyond the notches for the old cap.


How do I ground my LED retrofit in a ceiling can? I've got what appears to be a low height 5" can above the kitchen sink.  There is a 60W IC bulb in there.  It looks really trashy since the cover is missing.  So, I picked up one of those ceiling LED retrofit kits to put in there for the power savings and to make it look decent.

It looks like it's going to be a very tight squeeze, but should barely fit.  My issue though is that the LED kit says it must be grounded to the can.  They list 3 methods:

Attach supplied ground to stud in can.

Well, no stud in my can.  No go there.
Attach supplied ground with supplied screw to existing ground hole in can.

There is a hole in the can, but it's MUCH bigger around than the supplied screw and it's not anywhere deep enough for the supplied screw either.  In addition, it's so low in the can that I don't know that the assembly will even go into place with a screwhead there.  Presumably it was designed for a safety wire to be attached there to keep a cover from falling to the ground and shattering.  Probably not a good idea.
Attach supplied ground to one of the can height adjustment screws.

This sounds promising.  Except the ground is ring connector...  If I pull one of those can height adjustment screws all the way out, will I be able to put it back into place, or is there a nut on the back that will fall down and cause me grief?  I've considered cutting a notch in the ring connector to avoid that situation, but I don't want to hack up the kit any in case of a warranty issue.

So how can I properly ground the fixture?

Warranty? For 3), cut the ring connector. Don't cut a hunk out, just split it. Use dykes. Then you can bend it (like a key ring spreads) around the bolt and when you tighten it, it will flatten out again as a ring and won't fall off. But that's not the most secure place to connect (i.e., the height adjustment screws don't tighten very tight). Any other location for securing this connection to the can is probably a better choice (e.g., for 2), use self-tapping screw next to the hole that's too large).


Modifying a water irrigation timer to count in seconds instead of minutes I have a washing machine that requires manual filling from the sink through an inlet hose. If you forget about filling it, the machine will overflow.

I would like to add a timer valve like the ones used in home irrigation, similar to this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Melnor-Mechanical-Water-Timer-480-616/100659515

Unfortunately, these timers are in the order of minutes or hours rather than seconds. Is it possible to modify the timer to count down in seconds?

I doubt if you can modify that to count in seconds, but you can buy digital sprinkler timers (especially indoor propagation ones) that can be programmed down to the second.

You'd also need a valve - but the valves for sprinkler timers aren't designed for indoor use. Use at your own risk, etc.

Do you really need seconds? I'd say four or five minutes would be needed to fill a washing machine anyway, and the last bit you'd do manually, because of variance caused by the amount of clothes.


Ran into a weird setup at home, trying to replace switches with smartswitches So I've been replacing most of the switches at home to smart switches and ran into one I can't figure out.

It's wired like this:

Here's a pic of the switch (Circled in drawing)

Can I even put a smartswitch here? There is a ground wire, but it's grounded to the box the switch is in. When I disconnect the switch, I have no power to either outlet and obviously the light and ceiling fan. TIA!

The 2 blacks at the bottom will be the live from the breaker and the live to the outlets. There will be another place where the wire continues to the other outlet.

The red and black are going to the fan/light. The reason for 2 wires being switched is to allow easy upgrade from single switch to a combo switch that controls the light and fan separately.

The whites are the neutral.

So the smart switch will take line in from the bottom black which will need to be wirenutted and pigtailed if the switch doesn't allow 2 wires per connection. The neutral will be an addition white in the bundle of neutrals. And the switched out will be the red/black combo (again wirenut as needed).


Circular vs Miter Saw Blade difference? Why do manufactures distinguish whether a blade is for a circular saw or miter saw? Is there difference that I'm not seeing?

One of the reasons I'm asking this is that I'm determining the safest way to cut aluminum while not ruining the tool or consumable. It seems the only blade designed for metal cutting available at my local big box store is a segmented diamond blade LENOX METALMAX 1972924. The diameter, arbor hole, kerf or max speed parameters should work for my DeWalt 7-1/4" miter saw. The biggest risk seems to be the lack of protection on the lower guard given a 1/4" blade diameter difference, which seems like a marginal risk since it seems designed for circular saw.

I know carbide blades, likely the more teeth the better should work as detailed in this question, nevertheless I'm looking for the best option, not one that will work.

Mostly because 7-1/4" blades aren't of much use in a 10" miter saw (or even the rare 8" models), and vice versa.

They're both crosscut blades, so they could be used interchangeably, in theory.


Tiles or Hardwood: which one better handles movement across a subfloor joint? I bought a 2400 sqf house. It now has carpet everywhere. Below the carpet I have concrete slab in the new part (built in 2009, ~800 sqft) and the old house has a wood subfloor with on top a solid hardwood flooring (old house, built in 1959, ~1600 sqft). As you see from the pictures, the solid wood (old house) is about 3-4 mm below the level of the concrete slab (new house). Sanding the old ugly (thin planks)solid wood is not an option.
If possible, I want the same flooring everywhere. I am considering 2 options: Engineered wood and wood-looking porcelain tiles. Ruled out Luxury Vinyl for aesthetic reasons.
I would like to have continuous flooring between the 2 areas without transition areas, for open floor effect (9 foot opening, see picture). However, I am afraid that differential settlings between the old and new house might crack the floor.  I am willing to take the risk of no transition but I would like to estimate the cost of a repair caused by differential settling in the 2 cases.
Summarizing, the questions are: which of the two options tiles, and engineered hardwood, would better handle movement across a subfloor joint with no transition?

I will answer one of your questions:
Put a transition in.  Given the opening, I would put a single strip of tile that matches the frame depth,  that contrasts with the tile on either side of it.   So if you go with light coloured tile in both old and new part of the house, put a darker tile as the strip.
If you want to go with wood, do a single, or a few strips crossways along the joint.  Run the others against that.
Put a tile line exactly on the junction of old and new. This way if part of the house shifts, the crack will be in the grout instead of breaking a row of tile.  This may mean a double row of smaller tile.
Having a visible marker at the transition will reduce tripping if you can't level out the difference between the two sections of the house.
You probably should do a layer of Ditra or other isolation membrane for a project this big.  I have twice not used it, but my largest project was an 8x12 laundry room.
Trying to make a floor that flows through multiple rooms has issues:

If one part of the house moves relative to the other the flooring is under severe stress.  Having a natural movement joint relieves this stress,

Some years from now some accident (flood, fire, dishwasher leak, paint spill, uncaught dog pee...) makes it desireable to replace the floor in one room.  Replacing a room in a much smaller disruption than replacing the entire level.


Gap between foundation and wrap I recently purchased a new house in Ontario, Canada.

The grading will be completed in the following months.

During a walk around the house, I noticed gaps between the foundation walls and the wrapping. How much of an issue is this? Should this be fixed by the builder?

Thank you.

That's a water proofing hard'ish plastic called air gap waterproofing membrane, commonly referred to as dimple board. it's not a part of the vapour barrier and it's primary function is to stop water from the water table entering the foundation. It's is good practice to run that it up higher so that it's flush with the finished grade upon completion. The missing morter is actually a requirement to allow condensation for the space between the wood structure and the brick to dry or drip out in extreme cases. The builder will likely do nothing because any landscaping should always be sloped away from your house anyway. I'm from Toronto and see this stuff almost daily. I did have to look up the official name as everyone just refers to it as dimple board.


Paint finished metal I bought some standard American Craftsman screens (Anderson) from Home Depot.  The frame is aluminum and white.

I'd like to paint the frame to match the wood trim and vinyl door frame.

How should I prepare the surface for painting so the paint adheres properly and should I buy a specific type of paint?

Scuff-sand the surface to remove gloss and create a micro-jagged surface (aka "tooth")  the new paint can engage to.

For exterior doors my first choice is a marine LPU, but unless you paint boats (know anyone?) the cost of hardener, reducer, and other kit is prohibitive.

So I recommend a quality alkyd enamel ("oil paint").  Brush it unless you are setup to spray, get throwaway bristle brushes. Enough coats so the old color doesn't punch through.

Start with a wipedown with the paint's solvent to remove dust and surface contamination.

To buy the paint, either use a Rustoleum stock color (beware, some Rustoleum is latex), or go to a Sherwin Williams industrial outlet who can custom match and give you quarts.  A more hooty-tooty brand is Fine Paints Of Europe.


Incorrect Tub Drain Installation? I've recently replaced the trim in my bathtub/shower, including the drain trim. The neighbor below me (I'm in a condo) has said my bathtub seems to leak onto his ceiling now. Since I suspect there's hardly a way to cause a leak by just replacing the shower valve trim (correct me if I'm wrong), I'm curious if I installed the drain trim incorrectly.
Following online tutorials, I removed the old one and cleaned the area up, then put plumbers putty in a ring around the top of the threads of the new one, and screwed it in as tight as I could.

The darker colored putty on the bottom threads is likely from the old drain. Did I not put enough putty on all the threads? Or is that old putty causing an issue? Could it be the O ring in the actual drain?

I can't really tell from the picture, but the gasket looks kind of stretched out and I'd guess your leak is coming from it not sealing completely, not being located exactly right, or (perhaps because of the old putty?) the flange piece is not drawing down as tightly as it should to compress the gasket properly.
The gasket should be somewhat soft, elastic, and flexible in order to work right and ensure a good seal. Once you take the old flange piece off, if the gasket that has lost its flexibility (and they do over time) it just can't seal properly again.
You should remove all the old putty from the threads and fittings and clean it up as well as you possibly can. The old putty isn't really doing any good anymore and may be causing some kind of gaps or other interference that ends up leaking. A small wire brush might be useful to get all the debris out of the threads and so forth.
You don't want to really put the putty on the threads. The putty goes mostly under the lip of the flange and seals the gap between the flange and the tub. The gasket is what seals the drainpipe to the bottom of the tub and the flange piece needs to draw the two together to compress the gasket a bit and make it seal.


dehumidifier not filling anymore Dehumidifier has been working just fine until the last time I emptied it and replaced the catch bin.  Now the thing just keeps running but not dehumidifying.  The catch bin has no water in it. I cleaned the filter and replaced it.  I tried to change the setting to 45, but after a few seconds it just flips back to 60.

It flips back to 60 because that is the humidity it is reading in the space where it is. If it runs and does not produce any water try removing and re-inserting the catch basin to make sure it is the right position. If it still does not produce any water it may be time to replace the unit. If you have to replace the unit, it is probably a good idea to purchase the extended warranty/ insurance policy. My experience with new units is that they do not hold up well. Most usually last only 2-3 years.


Fix stripped screws in a doorframe My kids playroom door got beat up, and we managed to pull the screws out of the jamb.  Tips to fix it?  I've heard drill out + dowel + redrill, anything else?

In order of my personal preference:

Option 1: Go Go Gadget Screws
Get longer screws that reach the framing. Don't run them in so tight as to pull the jamb out of position. All-thread screws might bite into the jamb somewhat to prevent movement.

Option 2: A Square Peg in a Round Hole
Fill the holes with wood glue and tap in wood "dowels" shaved from a scrap block. They don't need to be perfectly round but should fit snugly. Let it dry well and re-drill with a 1/8" bit.

Option 3: Bulk Up for Success
Procure screws with the same head size but a larger shank. They're somewhat specialty, so try an old-school hardware store rather than a home improvement box.

Option 4: See You on the Flipside
Drill and countersink the hinge holes in an opposing stagger pattern. Pilot with 1/8" bit.


Connecting water to outside hose bibb My house is missing a hose bibb at the front of the house, there are two all the way in the back of the house. To get water to the front of the house (for watering my lawn and washing my car), I have two garden hoses connected to the back to the front. Now I'm thinking of installing a hose bibb on the front of the house. I have existing 3/4" PVC pipe to the front of the house from the old HVAC. In the picture below is the pipe, lower right. It's been cut off when they installed my new HVAC:

This pipe connects to the outside. Originally this pipe removed water from the old HVAC:

Here's the water supply:

I was thinking to connect a water supply valve to the cut off pipe in the first image. Then running the line to the water supply at the top of the water heater (which goes out to the sprinkler system, also broken). Can any one please give me some advice about how to connect the pipe to the water supply. Thanks.

That old PVC pipe is highly unlikely to be up to code for carrying a pressurized water distribution line.

You also do not want to place water service outside like that because it will freeze and burst the pipes when it gets cold in winter (unless you live in an Amazon tropical zone or Hawaii).

Proper installation is to install it inside near to the heated space of the home. Use of copper or PEX would be the preferred material for the water lines. If you use PVC makes sure that it is a proper type for pressurized water service.


Refurbish propane range top grates w/ KBS Coating XTC (rated to 1500 deg. F.) Suitable for a propane range grates? Exposed to direct flame? Whirlpool propane gas range and oven. Black color stove top burner grates, Cast Iron.

Propane can reach temps well over 2000f as far as a stove top burner you might be right on the edge as the mixture is not as well mixed as a “turbo torch” that uses propane and air . We used the same coating in light blue for a quad header and it held up ok until we sold it. So it may be worth a try , I have never put a thermocouple in the flame.


How do I stop grout in the corner of a shower from cracking? I moved into a newly remodeled home. The walk-in shower walls are grouted. Now the corners have started to crack.

How do I slow down the cracking? Should it be caulked, or would that be a bad idea?

The corners of the shower walls should never have been grouted in the first place.  Corners are the most subject to movement and thus the most likely to crack, so they get caulked, not grouted.


How big a hole in drywall can be fixed by spackle alone? How big of a hole in drywall can be fixed by spackle alone?

The previous owners left numerous holes in the drywall. Each with the diameter of a coaxial cable, which I want to patch up. Can I use spackle to bridge the gap? Or Can I press fit a piece of wooden dowel to form a firm base for the spackle?

I don't think you'll be happy with spackle for anything bigger across than a nail hole.  It's not very strong, and also not very sticky.  So what tends to happen in your situation is that the spackle will fall through the hole into the wall; if not when you're applying it then it will be likely to do it when you try to sand it smooth before you paint.

I think the solution that's going to get you the best results for holes that size would be to cut a 2" square of fiberglass drywall joint tape and stick it over the hole, and then use joint compound to fill the hole and cover the tape, feathering it out to a 6-8" diameter circle.  You can do this reasonably well with a cheap 4" putty knife.  Then sand it smooth, being careful not to sand all the way through to the tape.


What is the best method of hanging drywall on ceiling? I am hanging more drywall and will be doing a basement ceiling.  I generally start in a corner and work my way out.  I use glue on the joists and then drywall screws.

Is the glue needed?  I learned to use glue on ceiling from an old drywall pro.  He said his callbacks went to almost zero for sagging ceilings once he started gluing.  Second question is that I try to line my pieces to meet midjoist so I can get a screw for each piece on the joist.  Problem is that common drywall screwed often break the drywall when done that close to the edge and then if I angle the screw, that is another issue.  So how do you screw in your middle ceiling joins?

I find that it's best to attach 1x3 furring strips across the joists.  It's worth the extra cost. The 1x3 will give you 1.25 inches of screwing space, so you don't have to be quite as accurate with your cuts.  Glue is not needed, but will reduce screw pops by making the assembly more 'solid'.  I always use adhesive when I can (when there is no vapor barrier or insulation covering the wood).


How do I add an outlet between two other outlets? I would like to place my tv in between two outlets on my wall.  The TV will be far enough from either outlet that I would need to run an extension cord which doesn't seem like a good permanent solution.  To bring power where I need it, I would like to add an outlet between the existing two.

These outlets are on a finished, exterior wall (with the existing outlets and proposed new outlet on the inside).  They are 12/3 Romex (best guess on gauge) and the outlets are all half switched.  I believe that the two outlets I would like to add the new outlet between are in sequence on the circuit though I'm not sure how to confirm this before cutting the wall.

My plan was to cut the hole in the drywall for my new box and outlet and split the romex there for my new outlet.  However, if I cut the romex there, it probably doesn't have enough slack to wire the new outlet and remain connected to the two existing outlets.

So what is the best way for me to add a new outlet in the desired location?  I've seen plenty of tutorials on adding an outlet at the end of a sequence or off of one existing outlet but I haven't been able to find information on my scenario.

EDIT - Additional information:

The walls have a mud swirl finish that will be nearly impossible to match (as far as I know).  Because of this, I'd really like to just add a box.
I do have attic access. Would it be better to run from the first outlet up to the attic and over and down for the new outlet and to reconnect the existing outlet?

I would run up to the attic, over, and down. Unless you have basement access, it's the only way you'll do this without cutting up the wall. (I also value the absence of cords across my walls.)

Carefully disconnect all wires in one box, removing the outlet and all nuts. Take photos or make notes if you think you'll need them later.
Depending on the box type, remove it by cutting the nails with a small saw. A hacksaw blade in a Vice Grip plier can be useful. If it's a brown fiber box you can break it up with a plier. Remove the box from the wall completely while taking care to not damage your drywall. A couple layers of painter's tape around the opening are a good idea.
From the attic, drill through the double top plate in the same stud bay as the box.
Drop a new 12/2 cable down to the box opening, ideally in front of the insulation but behind the vapor barrier. An assistant is helpful here.
Cut a new hole behind your tv, sized for a remodeler (old work) box. Double check stud locations first. You don't want to have to notch a stud. If you mess up there, a sharp 1" spade bit will make quick work of the stud. Be sure to consider your tv mount location as well.
Drill through the top plates in that stud bay as well, and drop other end of the cable down.
Install remodeler boxes at both locations and install the outlets. Be sure to use a deeper box at the original location as it'll have many connections.

Be prepared to do some sweating and swearing, but for the aesthetically-minded homeowner it's worth it to have completely clean walls around a hanging tv panel.


Is a tight fit acceptable when fitting a GFCI into an old metal box? It was recommended by the inspector to replace the current 2-prong outlets with GFCI outlets (grounded 3 prong was the top recommendation, but that is a bit out of budget for renovations at the moment). During the installation today, I ran into the wiring below and had a rough time getting it into the outlet (ended up doing a back wire install as outlined in the guide[0]). All seemed to be working fine and tested with the multimeter, but have been a bit paranoid about the age of the wiring...
Questions:

What kind of sheath is around this wire? They are both black from dirt now, the wiring inside was fragile (the gentlest touch with the pliers broke off wiring tips)--is this old enough that a professional should be called to work with it?
Is a really tight fit generally safe? I ended up pushing the receptacle back into the box pretty forcefully to have it stay in place.

Specs:

Leviton Smartlock Pro GFCI (20amp/125v)

Image:

[0] https://www.leviton.com/en/docs/guidelight.pdf

All GFCI devices are able to protect portions of a circuit downline.  GFCIs simply look for differences in hot and neutral current; they don't even need ground for that.  Because of this, putting two GFCIs on a circuit is usually wasteful.  *Connecting them nose-to-tail, elephant style, is playing a "Yo Dawg" trick on yourself!  It will drive you crazy if you ever trip one of them, because they'll all trip, and they won't reset except in a particular sequence.

Install it elsewhere

Because of the above, if a GFCI will not physically fit, then you have the option of installing the GFCI protection somewhere else.   You can use a GFCI breaker if they're made for your panel.  If it's it's not a kitchen or bathroom outlet, you can install a GFCI receptacle somewhere, and route the circuit via that point.  If it is a kitchen or bathroom outlet, you can use a GFCI deadfront near the panel.

A bigger box

Don't downgrade from a metal box to a plastic one.  While the old "handy-boxes" were small and sized for their time, modern joists-and-drywall metal boxes are perfectly large. Stay with metal, not least for fire resistance (better heat dissipation) but also because some older grounding schemes depend on them.  Also, plastic boxes are incapable of providing standard knockouts, and many older wiring schemes depend on them.  It's not Code legal to try to cram an AC cable into a plastic box intended for NM, and that won't ground anyway!  Metal boxes can be had with either knockouts or internal cable clamps, or both.

Note that if you're changing the box, you should consider moving the box too. The wires in that box are entirely too short - they must stick out at least 3" beyond the wall surface and 6" of length past the clamp.  If both cables come from the same direction, you can move the box that direction and regain some critical length.

Use a box extension

You can buy yourself some additional space in a too-small box with a surface conduit starter box, which sits about 1" proud of the wall surface.  If you don't actually connect any surface conduit to it, I won't tell :)

Retrofit ground, instead

(This harmonizes well with metal boxes.)

As of NEC 2014, which California adopted, you are allowed to retrofit just a ground wire.  (You are not allowed to do that for any other kind of wire, for very good reasons; but grounds only carry current during fault conditions).   There are some rules.

The ground wire must be #14 for a 15A circuit, #12 for 20A, and #10 for 30-60A.
The ground wire can be bare, and routed independently from the other wires.
It needs to reach any of these points:

the panel itself, obviously
any other point with a large enough ground going back to the same panel
Any non-flexible metal conduit that goes back to the same panel (at a junction box)
a Grounding Electrode: bared copper wires that tie to water pipes or ground rods

Retrofitting grounds like this is often much simpler than pulling whole new cables, especially when you strategize.  Start by laying a backbone of #8 or #10 ground wire to service large 30A+ appliances.  Then connect up the 20A circuits with #12, etc.

Be careful not to "island" grounds, i.e. Don't hook several devices' grounds to each other but not back to the main panel.  This will not ground any of them, but will simply cause them to share ground faults, so the light switch would shock you if the lamp had a ground fault.  If it doesn't go back to the main panel, it's not grounded.


Help/Advice Half hot receptacle Half hot receptacle and the regular receptacle: always hot receptacle controls (powers) other power receptacles down the line . What's throwing him off (Mr) is there are black and white wires crimped together and grounds crimped together. I've included pictures below and I'm not sure if they're of any help though. I can take more and or explain betterenter image description here

All cables are the same exact colors: Black and white.  Or sometimes, black white and red.  This means colors are almost meaningless.  There are three rules:

a) bare and green are always ground;
b) White must be neutral if present, otherwise always-hot if present;  and
c) if the white wire is not neutral, it must be marked with tape or paint.

This is an old style switch loop. It contains always-hot and switched-hot; no neutral.  Therefore the white must be always-hot and must be marked.

The black and white joined together need to stay together.  These are "always-hot".  These two wires also go to the brass screw on the always-hot socket.

The remaining black wire is "switched-hot", it's preferred to mark it with red tape, and it goes to the brass screw on the switched-hot socket.

The remaining white is neutral, and goes to a silver screw.

Note that the tab between the brass screws is removed.


Can I locate a junction box in a wall that will be accessible through a vanity cabinet? I am remodeling a master bath and I have removed a knee wall that contained an electrical outlet. I have rerouted the wiring up next to the drain stack. I would like to locate a junction box in the new drywall behind the new vanity. I will make it accessible inside the cabinet. I will route wiring up and over about 3 feet to put an additional outlet in the wall above and to the right of the vanity.My question is..Can I locate a junction box within a foot of the under sink plumbing.

It looks good and accessible. The NEC doesn't say it must be readily accessible only accessible, in case you need to inspect or maintain it. If you are feeling like you want to help another owner or an electrician later on down the road, you might even put a label on the panel saying there is an electrical junction box behind the panel. It could save some time in the future.

Good luck.


Will 2 multi-port USB chargers overload a 13A socket? I am a bit confused about some supposedly basic electronics concepts :/ (I kind of have an answer but just want to confirm)

So let's say I have got this setup:

A 13A 220V mains socket
A 13A powerstrip connected to the above socket
Two 60W 5V USB chargers, such as this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P936188

Question: If I plug the 2 chargers and fully utilize them (connect all ports to charging iPads), am I overloading the socket?

The spec says it can deliver 2.4A per port, or 12A overall. Simple addition of the amperage is:

12A + 12A = 24A > 13A, so I am overloading

However, the wattage is just 60W so maybe the correct way to calculate it is:

Power = Current * Voltage
Current = 60 / 220 = 0.27A

So the input current is actually just 0.27A so I can actually safely connect as many as 13 / 0.27 = 48 of those chargers to the same mains without problems. The 12A is provided by the transformer inside the charger and doesn't concern the mains circuit.

Which one is the correct interpretation?

You're comparing apples to oranges. You're using the power output, to try and determine the input.  Without knowing about the transformer, and other circuitry, that's going to be quite difficult.  According to the specification listed by the manufacturer

The unit will draw about 1.4 amperes at 100-240 volts AC (VAC), which I'm assuming is the value when the unit is fully loaded.

The 12 ampere value you're using, is the output current which is at 5 volts DC (VDC).

This unit takes in AC power, steps it down and converts it to DC power.  The devices that are connected to it, then draw DC power to charge. The unit seems to be able to supply 12 amperes at 5 VDC, though it's not likely all the connected devices will take advantage of the full available current.

The 60 watts, is the amount of power available on the output side of the device.

12 amperes * 5 VDC = 60 watts


Refinishing wood floor We had our floors refinished and there are still separations between the boards. The company claims that it's due to the original installation of the floor and are not fixing it any further. Is it possible to fill the holes with something that doesn't need to be finished or sanded? The guy recommended painters putty, does anyone have experience with that? Other solutions?

Painter's putty would work, but I don't know if it'd be your best option.
First of all you'd need a ton of it to fill between every piece of flooring. Also, unless your going to use it after you put the finish on your floor, I'm not sure that the stain or lacquer wouldn't dissolve the putty.
Unfortunately, I don't know what would be your best option, but I couldn't imagine that you should entertain the notion of painter's putty. I could be wrong, though...it certainly has happened before.....once...ha


Confirming C wire in my thermostat can someone confirm that the blue wire is the "C wire"? What are the other wires (yellow, light pink, brown, and orange) that are not connected to anything?

R and C are your power wires. W is for heat and G is for fan. Cables come with multiple wires in the bundle. The rest are just extra for future use like if you added air conditioning you would use the yellow wire usually. Orange if you were to add a heat pump and so on. Or if one of the wires were to break you could use one of the other ones.


Is there a good reason NOT to reuse the power cord when replacing my electric range/oven? I'm going to replace my house's original 1970's electric stove (oven+range).  I'm pretty sure the store is going to try to sell me a power cord for an extra $20, which isn't a big deal but I'd rather spend the money on something else if there's no safety concern.  Assuming the old cord is still working fine and the insulation appears to be intact, is there a good reason why I should buy a new cord, vs. reusing the old stove's power cord?

A nearly 40 year old power cord is going to be nasty. Dust, grease, possibly cracked insulation internally, possibly asbestos insulation if the "original" cord was itself recycled. All are fine unless you disturb the cord. Pulling the stove out disturbs the cord.

Pulling out a stove is a fairly major operation, I would take the opportunity to completely clean under it and update whatever I could.

Changing the receptacle would be a decision based on it's current condition (one crack -> replace; any green copper -> replace) and the state of the wires. Open your breaker panel and check the stove wires (they'll be the biggest ones). Still soft and flexible? New receptacle.

A stove is your house's biggest power consumer. Maybe you don't mind a 40 year old cord handling all that power; how do you feel about a 60 year old cord? That's the old cord in another 20 years. If the original cord was recycled itself, it is now 60 years old and will be 80 when you retire.


How to fix a gas fireplace? We have a gas fireplace. My dad said that the pilot wouldn't stay lit, however that would mean that it needed to be cleaned. I tried to clean it and relight it. However, every time I've tried to turn it on I don't smell even a little gas like you usually would when you turn it on. What am I doing wrong? How do I check to see if there is gas?

Usually you have to turn the gas valve to pilot and hold an override button to get the gas to flow. If the pilot lights wait at least 30 seconds then turn the gas valve to on. If the pilot goes out it is usually a bad thermocouple (the little metal probe sticking up that the flame hits). If this component has failed the pilot won’t stay lit ever. They are fairly inexpensive and easy to change. They are clamped at the pilot the tube goes back to the gas valve and it unscrews. They start at about $10 and that might be the problem.


What can I do if my toilet bowl fills with water, but doesn't actually flush? Instead of actually flushing (or pushing) the water down the drain, it just fills with water and drains out over the course of a few minutes. Anything liquid will drain out but nothing else (not even toilet paper). I want to know if there is something in the back of the toilet that I can adjust, because it seems like it doesn't even try to flush anything away.

Sounds like the flapper is leaking and/or broken altogether.  See instructions on replacing a flapper here:  http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Flapper-on-a-Toilet

See other possibly useful answers here:  How can I fix a toilet that flushes incompletely? and here: Why do my toilets flush slowly and often incompletely?

EDIT:  Um, after re-reading the question, I wonder if the toilet isn't simply clogged.  Does the tank re-fill and water stop flowing into the tank after flushing (you can hear when water is flowing)?  If the tank re-fills and water shuts off, it isn't the flapper.  If the tank re-fills and water stops, then it sounds more like the toilet is simply clogged. Did you try a plunger?  If that does work and the tank does refill properly, then you'll need the drain snaked I think.


Heat pump vs gas efficiency and comfort I'm looking for a house to buy in the South Carolina low country, where average lows in January get down to just under 40 deg F and highs in the summer get to just over 90 deg F. The houses in that area seem pretty evenly split between "gas and central A/C" and "heat pumps" for heating and cooling. I'm not sure which one is better.

I have read that "heat pumps operate optimally at approximately 45-50 degrees" (that source could be biased but I've seen similar numbers other places) - would it be right to conclude that heat pumps are more efficient than gas for my location? Or maybe a better question, how can I measure efficiency? Mostly I care about my utility bill, after all. Cost of gas and electricity obviously will change over time so I know I can't ask which is absolutely cheaper, but it seems that the most efficient of the two should "win."

Other factors I'm considering are long term cost and speed. I don't want to have to replace a major fixture every year. Is there a big difference in average "lifespans" between gas and heat pump? And I have heard stories that gas produces hotter air than heat pumps. Does it make temperature change noticeably faster as a result? In other words, if I'm cold, I don't want to wait four hours for the temperature to go up a degree.

C'mon Stack Exchange - you can do better than Yahoo! Answers did right?

It's illogical to compare the efficiencies of gas to heat pump systems because the way they produce heat is completely different. One directly burns fuel to produce heat, the other consumes energy only to move heat around. The source heat for heat pumps is essentially free. Thus calculating heat pump efficiencies will yield numbers well over 100%, something gas can never do.

In addition, if you really want to determine the root energy impact of each system, you need to consider the efficiencies involved in producing the energy and delivering it to your home. This will vary greatly by how each energy form is produced. Hydroelectric has a very different efficiency than coal fed power plants. Some utilities vary the source of power seasonally and through the years, so the root number is a moving target.

While it is true energy costs fluctuate, it still makes the most sense to compare your actual direct costs from using each system. While the actual cost of energy will vary significantly through the years, unless there is a major change in your area regarding sourcing each type of energy, the relative costs of each type should not vary nearly as much. When comparing costs, you must consider installation costs, maintenance costs, and eventual replacement costs. Comparing only direct operating costs can be very misleading.


Subfloor repair for LVP installation I'm preparing to install luxury vinyl plank in the living area of the second floor condo I just bought (carpet was installed previously). It's a woodframe condo with a wooden subfloor built in 1985, and there are several places where there are drops and dips in the subfloor. I'm trying to figure out what level of "level" I need to bring the subfloor to and what's the best way to do it. I'm hoping to DIY but understand I may need to hire a professional if it's bad enough.
I'm attaching a photo with a map of the problem areas. The worst is near the entrance to the room where there's a drop of roughly 1" over 4 feet, which from my understanding is quite substantial. The second biggest issue is a local low spot in the middle of the room.
I have had both Henry 549 "feather finish" recommended for filling in the low spots, or self leveling underlayment. Also gotten some recommendations for 1/4 plywood all around to even things out. The low spot in the middle of the room seems like a very straightforward fix with the Henry's 549, but I'm wondering if that 1" drop is over my head.
So far I've had 3 contractors take a look, and every one said that this is the nature of the beast with wood-frame construction and that they wouldn't recommend doing too much since the building will continue to shift over time.  They all said everything seemed to be structurally sound (I even took one to the unit below and confirmed that the ceiling looks normal there), so I should only repair to the extent necessary for the LVP install.
I'm wondering if it would it make sense to fill in the local low spot (and other more minor low spots) with Henry's 549 patch, and then add some 1/4" plywood everywhere except for the area marked high, up until say a couple feet out from the drop, then ramp up to the high area using the 549, so that the incline is less extreme? Or if anyone has other suggestions for how to approach this they would be quite welcome!  One of the contractors also mentioned using the underlayment that you roll out, but the installation instructions for my LVP mentioned only "APA rated" underlayment which I think is just the plywood.
Thank you!!

Professional flooring installers would flood from the high point to the low point with self level.  They typically charge per bag and I've seen this kind of job cost 15k when done for more than one level of a house.  You can do as you suggest a hybrid approach.  Installers won't typically go that route because it is a lot more labor and requires a lot more expertise and judgement calls.  They want a fool proof and easy way to get the floor flat and there is more room to go wrong when making judgement calls.
Note you are going for flat not level.  Typically your finished floor material will say 1/8" over 10' or something like that.  To see how bad your floor is you take a 10' straight edge and move it around the room, then I sometimes use horseshoe shims (these come in 1/16 - 1" thick) and see which size will fit under any gaps that are visible under the straight edge.
Some things to keep in mind.  You can go outside the 1/8" over 10' if you can tolerate being able to detect bounce in your floor - I am assuming you are going for floating install.  It is worth also thinking about what section of the floors are being used for.  You'll notice out of flat more if this is a walking area than if this is under furniture.
I've done the hybrid method before.  If you put plywood down first to build up the 1" and then try to use SLC to feather out to the plywood you end up having a join between the edge of the plywood and the SLC and this edge is likely to crack.  If you just pour the SLC then there is no sharp edge transition.  You can mitigate the transition with different techniques.  This is why SLC is typically the one stop solution.
I hadn't heard of Henry 549 - it is interesting that it is a cement based SLC but doesn't require a primer over plywood.  Mapei and Sika both require a primer.
If you are doing the work yourself at $20-30 a bag you probably aren't much ahead using the plywood - labor is probably worse for the plywood with the cutting screwing and gluing but if you aren't investing in the SLC tools (spiked roller, squeegee, trowels, spike shoes, etc) then might be easier if you already have the carpentry tools.
If you are going the plywood layer method then filling in the large dip with SLC first makes a lot of sense.  The issue you run into is how do you adhere the plywood over the SLC.  I've screwed through it before and it can crack.  If it cracks and the pieces are able to move around then you can end up with noise when you walk on it.  Probably the best approach is to use construction adhesive on that section but you'll need to put a substantial weight on the plywood to ensure it pushed out any air.  Construction adhesive also can tend to be thick so it can end up pushing the plywood out of level especially if you aren't screwing it down (this is harder the thicker the plywood is.  You could trowel the adhesive onto the plywood much the way tiles are trowels do the ridges collapse and the air is able to escape.   Probably better to go with a glue used for glue down installs and use that to bond the plywood to the SLC over the area.  Hopefully the dip isn't huge - hard to tell how large the area of the dip is.
I'd expect any settlement to be finished.  If your joists are undersized and you have crazy amounts of movement in the floor it is possible the SLC would delaminate from the plywood overtime.  If you are installing with an underlay then I wouldn't expect a problem if it cracks but the floor is flat then any cracked piece won't have anywhere to move.  The underlay would further suppress noise of it between the finished floor and either the intact SLC or the subfloor.  Professional floor installers use SLC on super high end homes, if there were a tendency for it to breakdown overtime they wouldn't use it or there would be crazy amounts of lawsuits.  The henry 549 has a max lift of 1/2" so you'll need two lifts.  The other thing to watch is that this product doesn't require a primer and the plywood is going to suck the moisture out of it.  Sika and Mapei require primers (on plywood it is a latex primer) which prevent moisture from being sucked out of the mix.  I'd go for cold water for extra work time and you probably want to prewet your plywood.   Both mapei and sika have SLCs that can be feathered.