To react to your proposal about solving this problem by planting shrubs around it ... it doesn't seem like the way to go in my opinion. For one thing, the shrubs will create a misleading illusion that there is not a drop-off or that it is not as severe, adding potentially more danger to the unwary (or unaware.) Another thing, using shrubs to hide or camouflage sometimes (fairly frequently actually) ends up creating an even bigger monstrosity (visually speaking.) If it were mine, I'd first be looking for any possible uses and readiest ones seem like something for wheeled entertainment ... skates ... BMX, etc. But this would require designing and ADDING to the monstrosity in order to finish it off by making it into something useful. One would need to conclude that they really wanted/needed such a thing, which is sounds like you're not apt to conclude, before they spent any money on extending it. The third thing that occurs, since this thing is concrete, do you need any retaining walls anywhere on your property? This section of drive could be broken up into manageable, fairly uniform pieces and used as retaining wall material. It would require the rental of a jackhammer and some labor. Cheaper, but not free. You'd also need to cart away (or figure out how to use) the dirt pile that will be under this drive. (BTW, the last pictures added were more useful for comprehending what it is you are dealing with.)

There is a problem with the electric resistance heating and its sequential operation. With all breakers ‘On’, the backup should active automatically WITH the HP (compressor ‘On’) when a demand for backup is called. This should be when either the temperature of the house drops 2-degrees or more below the set point or when the HP compressor has been running continuously for a pre-programmed period of time, that could be 45-minutes or more. Then backup comes on with the HP compressor. When the thermostat demand has been met everything shuts off and resumes ‘normal’ operation with the next demand, that is HP no backup. Emergency Heat should be electric backup no compressor, just blower. These issues are strictly electrical, programming of thermostat and HP control board. I don’t know what city you’re in or near so I can say what the ‘design temperature’ should be. I’ll make some assumptions about your system based on the information provided. It’s a 2-1/2 ton HP, 4- pipe linear horizontal non-pressurized ground loop with no expansion tank and a ‘QT’ Flow Center. As such, being non-pressurized, there is a reduced likelihood that the horizontal loops have lost contact with the ground due to contraction as a result of reduced temperature. However, it is important that you verify that the antifreeze level of the fluid in the ground loops is at least 20% as it would be quite normal that fluid level temperatures, particularly Leaving Water Temperatures (LWT) could be 25 degrees Fahrenheit. These (normal) temperatures below freezing might put your ground loops at risk of bursting should they freeze. That would be a disaster! Other issues are that your ground loops may loose contact with the earth during a prolonged dry spell. It is normal and highly desirable to have all ground loops installed with a ‘Soaker Hose’ or line and a HP selected that can monitor this condition and when called for activate a circuit, usually a solenoid, to turn ‘On’ the ‘Soaker Line’ to automatically rehydrate the earth so that the HP can resume ‘Normal’ operation. Does your system have a ‘Soaker Line’ buried below the frost line? Based on what you’ve indicated about your system operating properly when ‘fixed’ I’ll assume for now that your ground loops are sized correctly. Another factor that might be in play here is, is the flow rate high enough to generate ‘Turbulent Flow’? You need a contractor that knows about this and can verify the ‘Reynolds’s Number’. Basically, what you need is a flow rate of at least 3-gpm/ton to achieve turbulent flow and complete mixing of the circulating fluid in the ground loops. If flow rate drops below this figure, what you have is ‘Laminar Flow’ where the circulating fluid stratifies in the ground loops, circulates in a linear fashion as opposed to a turbulent fashion, and does not pick up all the heat from the ground that it was designed to. It is for these reasons that I recommend the flow meter linked to below. This device will allow you to verify the flow rate and unlike a straight gauge like a circular temperature or pressure gauge, will allow you to see the fluid and watch for air bubbles that will impede the flow, reduce the heat transfer and possibly degrade the impeller on the flow center circulator pump (which should be verified as well). However there is a reduced likelihood of bubbles in the system with the ‘QT Flow Center’. Does your system have a ‘Desuperheater’? If so please discribe it along with the buffer tank configuration and plumbing. SR Here is a link that might be useful: Flow Meter

I'd guess a subpanel feeds the dryer and the affected circuits. The neutral is loose in the sub or where the feed connects to the main. Over time oxidation increases the connnection's resistance and it won't pass enough voltage to operate light dury appliances and lights. However, the dryer is a large load (low resistance) and thus raises the voltage drop across the oxidized loose connection. It arcs across and makes contact for a while, until the oxidation builds up again. The reason the cycles are getting more frequent is that each time the arc is struck, the gap in the "connection" gets wider. The motor in the dryer runs on 120v. The loose neutral caused voltage on that leg to jump way up, and it smoked. Another possibility is that one of the hot legs in the main is loose. This would leave the dryer motor failure unexplained, but that could be coincidence. QUestion. DO you ever notice that your lights, esp. on the "ghost" circuit, momentarily get BRIGHTER when a large 120 volt load (iron, air-con, water pump, etc.) on another circuit starts up?

Hi Carrie, sounds like those glides will do the job. It's great they upgraded them for you for free! I think leaving the others is a good call. If worst comes to worst (which it hopefully won't) it's something you can change later, as others have done. I am an occasional poster but mostly a lurker, and I have been following your process from the beginning. I just wanted to say how thrilled I am for you that your reno is starting next week! (Living vicariously, since my own is still years away.) You may be more stressed at this point than excited, but you've planned really carefully and your new kitchen is going to be amazing. Do you know how long it is supposed to take? Good luck, hang in there, and please keep us posted!!