|
I have a 200A Siemens breaker panel. Is there anywhere to get just the cover/door, possibly in options besides grey? The previous residents painted over it...real badly. I currently have it disassembled down to its most basic components and I'm going to try to strip it, hoping the factory enamel survives. At that point I might stop, or I might paint it myself, since a little care (and the aforementioned disassembly) would make it far better than before. But I have seen white panels, which surprised me, and more...well, not decorative covers, but less industrial ones certainly. On that note, what are the rules on covering the panel? I assume they're pretty strict, as in, "just don't," and at the same time I'm not going to get arrested for hanging a picture in front of one because who would even know in my own home, but I'm still curious what one can do within code.  Anyhow, just considering what my options are.
|
#
?
May 1, 2017 04:45
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 30, 2024 04:10 |
|
|
Qwijib0 posted:That was a thing in the 50s and 60s, look up This is my house, I have the full remcon system. I've explained it to people as "imagine all your internet controlled switches, but not having an internet, or tiny enough electronics to build them into the switches". It's very amusing to me to have a 9 plug switch in the hallway beside the master bedroom where one of the switches will turn off every light downstairs. It's an amazing bit of technology for 1950s/60s, but I would say that it has some fairly significant downsides, especially in parts availability. The relays are still available, but every switch is like a precious commodity. There's replacements available, but the only choice if you want to keep a consistent look is to find NOS on ebay. As far as doing this for a new house or retrofitting an existing structure, I'm not an electrician, but I don't know why you wouldn't be able to. In looking for replacement parts, I've seen things such as this company who are offering modern systems, so it implies to me it's not banned outright.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2017 06:38
|
|
|
Bad Munki posted:I have a 200A Siemens breaker panel. Is there anywhere to get just the cover/door, possibly in options besides grey? The white ones are usually painted. Yes, you can order just the panels for them, but they're special order items. Talk with your local electrical supplier. Maybe write down the part or model # from the label on the inside of the door. The rules with panels and decor mainly do with accessibility. IIRC, they need 30" out from the front, down to the floor. Just don't glue the thing shut with paint. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 18:04 on May 1, 2017 |
|
#
?
May 1, 2017 07:32
|
|
|
kid sinister posted:IIRC, they need 30" out from the front, down to the floor. I find this one amusing because I'm aware of it, but I've never seen an inspector gripe about stuff in front of it as long as the stuff is "clear." As an example, at my last house they had put cabinets and a counter along that wall, right under the panel, no complaints from the inspector. They were fully-installed units, not something you would expect to move out with the sellers, unlike the couch we had to move in order to inspect the panel at my current place, which gets a pass because it's transient.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2017 15:05
|
|
|
So if anyone is curious, the trick to removing shittily-applied interior house paint from a breaker panel without damaging the factory enamel is scalding hot water and a plastic spoon. Good as new.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2017 06:38
|
|
|
Bad Munki posted:So if anyone is curious, the trick to removing shittily-applied interior house paint from a breaker panel without damaging the factory enamel is scalding hot water and a plastic spoon. Good as new. Enamel is pretty stout stuff, and latex not so much, so I'm not surprised. I was going to suggest you find a place that does powdercoat nearby and throw $50 their way to get a panel in "whatever color you've got going on right now."
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2017 11:34
|
|
|
Hi thread, I'm not really sure what the best place to post this is but I'm hoping someone in here can give me some advice. I'm looking into picking up some screen printing equipment, including a flash dryer for curing ink. Most of the units I'm finding are rated for 1600-2000W. Some have specifications that say that's the maximum draw and that the average is lower (ex: 1700W max / 1350W average). The equipment would need to be in a part of the house supplied by a 15A breaker (US voltage) and I'm concerned that that will cause issues. Can I make this work somehow? Here's a link to one of the flash dryers. I'm sure it's a piece of junk but I'd be making maybe one or two shirts a month so I'm hoping it can at least handle that. https://www.amazon.com/Happybuy-Adj...163&sr=1-8&th=1 Thanks thread!
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2017 19:35
|
|
|
Max draw on that amazon item is 16 amps, so you are gonna wanna get a 20amp outlet pulled. That is jusy the cost of doing business, write it off on your taxes.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2017 19:48
|
|
|
Yip Yips posted:Hi thread, I'm not really sure what the best place to post this is but I'm hoping someone in here can give me some advice. I'm looking into picking up some screen printing equipment, including a flash dryer for curing ink. Most of the units I'm finding are rated for 1600-2000W. Some have specifications that say that's the maximum draw and that the average is lower (ex: 1700W max / 1350W average). The equipment would need to be in a part of the house supplied by a 15A breaker (US voltage) and I'm concerned that that will cause issues. Can I make this work somehow? 1700W is a 20A breaker (1700 / 120 = 14A, 80% of a 20A circuit is 16A.) This is a simplistic view, so pay attention to the people who actually know how this stuff works. The reviews on that item are all a paid scam. I bet you can get the same unit on aliexpress where at least you can be confident you aren't overpaying for it to burn your house down.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2017 19:51
|
|
|
H110Hawk posted:1700W is a 20A breaker (1700 / 120 = 14A, 80% of a 20A circuit is 16A.) This is a simplistic view, so pay attention to the people who actually know how this stuff works. If it's cord-and-plug connected, your device is limited to 80% of your breaker rating for a dedicated outlet.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2017 01:29
|
|
|
The Gardenator posted:Max draw on that amazon item is 16 amps, so you are gonna wanna get a 20amp outlet pulled. That is jusy the cost of doing business, write it off on your taxes. H110Hawk posted:1700W is a 20A breaker (1700 / 120 = 14A, 80% of a 20A circuit is 16A.) This is a simplistic view, so pay attention to the people who actually know how this stuff works. Cool, thanks. It's not actually a business venture and unfortunately upgrading the circuit isn't an option so I'll have to figure out something else. Appreciate the input.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2017 03:59
|
|
|
Yip Yips posted:Cool, thanks. It's not actually a business venture and unfortunately upgrading the circuit isn't an option so I'll have to figure out something else. Appreciate the input. Check in your kitchen for an outlet that has a little "--" on one of the prongs (so --| | ). That's 20A and as long as you aren't running any high loads alongside it (coffee maker, microwave, etc) you'll be fine. Check above your stove if you have a range hood.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2017 05:50
|
|
|
H110Hawk posted:Check in your kitchen for an outlet that has a little "--" on one of the prongs (so --| | ). That's 20A and as long as you aren't running any high loads alongside it (coffee maker, microwave, etc) you'll be fine. Check above your stove if you have a range hood.
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2017 03:22
|
|
|
If you're only using it twice a month look for one that runs on 240v and unplug your dryer or stove for the duration. Then it only draws half the current and should be on a more than overspecced circuit.
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2017 03:49
|
|
|
Low-voltage is pretty much the wild west, right? Like if some dork previous owner put a loving coax drop in the closet, and I want it gone, I can just stuff that wire into the wall and patch the hole, right? I don't know why he put that there. It's not even all that big a closet. Also note the quality of the hole itself. I am constantly dealing with this low-quality effort, even on the most basic poo poo.
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2017 04:08
|
|
|
Bad Munki posted:Low-voltage is pretty much the wild west, right? Like if some dork previous owner put a loving coax drop in the closet, and I want it gone, I can just stuff that wire into the wall and patch the hole, right? I don't know why he put that there. It's not even all that big a closet. This will of course result in it gently occasionally touching a nail and causing your moca network to drop out. Would you really notice a blank faceplate in a month with the cable still in the box?
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2017 05:04
|
|
|
Bad Munki posted:I don't know why he put that there. Server closet.
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2017 05:07
|
|
|
H110Hawk posted:This will of course result in it gently occasionally touching a nail and causing your moca network to drop out. Would you really notice a blank faceplate in a month with the cable still in the box? It's literally blocking some shelving I want to put tight against the wall, is cut so badly that the faceplate doesn't even cover the hole, and serves no purpose. So, I mean, yeah. I think they make little plastic caps for terminating those in order to prevent shorting it, I might even have some lying around, and would throw one on there before committing it to oblivion. kid sinister posted:Server closet. If it were ethernet I could see that, but it's just coax, and while they had the entire house plumbed with cat5 for the phone system, none of it uses ethernet jacks (at least until I came along) so that is suuuuuuuuuuper unlikely.
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2017 05:37
|
|
|
H110Hawk posted:Check in your kitchen for an outlet that has a little "--" on one of the prongs (so --| | ). That's 20A and as long as you aren't running any high loads alongside it (coffee maker, microwave, etc) you'll be fine. Check above your stove if you have a range hood. How bad of an idea is it to use a ~30 foot extension cable carrying that much power? A quick google search says a 10 or 12 gauge can handle it but I'm trying really hard to not burn the house down. The dryer itself has to remain in the workspace because the prints need to be flashed in between colors while still on the press. Removing a print before it's totally done to cure it and bring it back would make registration a nightmare. Oh, and moving the entire press would be a royal pain in the rear end to the point of being a dealbreaker (which is how this may turn out but thems the breaks) Thanks again! Crotch Fruit posted:Really the only reliable way to know amperage is to flip. 20amp breaker a d see what shuts off, or possibly check the color/gauge of the Romex inside. I did do this before my original post. I was hoping one of the nebulously labelled 20A breakers controlled the area I want to be in but they're all for the kitchen. Yip Yips fucked around with this message at 07:16 on May 5, 2017 |
|
#
?
May 5, 2017 07:11
|
|
|
If you get an appropriately rated extension cord for the amperage you need and it's only temporary usage (I think you'd be using it a couple of times a month if I read correctly), an extension cord would be fine. No different than using an extension cord to plug in a miter saw or something.
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2017 14:44
|
|
|
Yip Yips posted:How bad of an idea is it to use a ~30 foot extension cable carrying that much power? A quick google search says a 10 or 12 gauge can handle it but I'm trying really hard to not burn the house down. A voltage drop calculator says: " 1 conductors per phase utilizing a #10 Copper conductor will limit the voltage drop to 0.79% or less when supplying 15.0 amps for 30 feet on a 120 volt system. " I rounded up your current to 15 amps from 14.1. Should be fine. Bad Munki posted:If it were ethernet I could see that, but it's just coax, and while they had the entire house plumbed with cat5 for the phone system, none of it uses ethernet jacks (at least until I came along) so that is suuuuuuuuuuper unlikely. MOCA network. Fill the gap with goo, blank faceplate, never think about it?
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2017 14:46
|
|
|
H110Hawk posted:MOCA network. Fill the gap with goo, blank faceplate, never think about it? Knowing these people, there's basically a zero chance of that. More likely, he just had a small tv in his closet so he could say he had a tv in his closet. Anyhow, the whole point is that a faceplate protrudes from the wall and I'm trying to put something actually flat against the wall. Not to mention that putting a faceplate on there still leaves the hosed up portion visible where the guy can't find a stud to save his life and performs void discovery by way of just cutting in until it doesn't work, and then trying again shifted a little bit. As you said I can fill the gap, but patching drywall is easy, so there's no reason not to just fix this to the spec I want, provided I'm not violating code by abandoning some low-voltage wiring like that. If needed, I can go to the other end in the basement and remove it up into the floor joists, thereby making it inaccessible from both ends for a more proper abandonment? Bad Munki fucked around with this message at 15:15 on May 5, 2017 |
|
#
?
May 5, 2017 15:11
|
|
|
Bad Munki posted:Knowing these people, there's basically a zero chance of that. More likely, he just had a small tv in his closet so he could say he had a tv in his closet. I don't have my book, but iirc you must label abandoned low voltage cable that remains accessible, otherwise it must be removed. If you render it inaccessible it can stay and doesn't need to be labeled, but I think labeling everything when you know what it is should always be done.
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2017 15:29
|
|
|
All righty, thanks.
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2017 15:31
|
|
|
Yip Yips posted:How bad of an idea is it to use a ~30 foot extension cable carrying that much power? A quick google search says a 10 or 12 gauge can handle it but I'm trying really hard to not burn the house down. As long as it's not a permanent installation and the cord and outlet are rated for the amount of power you want to use, you're fine. Just go to the hardware store and get a heavy-duty extension cable instead of using a $10 cheapo cord from Walmart.
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2017 17:28
|
|
|
Yip Yips posted:How bad of an idea is it to use a ~30 foot extension cable carrying that much power? A quick google search says a 10 or 12 gauge can handle it but I'm trying really hard to not burn the house down. Not very. Get the shortest cord that's usable in the largest gauge you can afford. If you're only going 25', then you could squeak by with a 14ga (I wouldn't), but should go with a 12. If the shortest you can find is a 50', then go with a 10ga. A fifty-foot 10ga cord is going to be pricey.
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2017 23:47
|
|
|
babyeatingpsychopath posted:Not very. Get the shortest cord that's usable in the largest gauge you can afford. If you're only going 25', then you could squeak by with a 14ga (I wouldn't), but should go with a 12. If the shortest you can find is a 50', then go with a 10ga. A fifty-foot 10ga cord is going to be pricey. the only times in my entire life when i'm glad i worked in a cable shop for 4 years is when it's time for a new extension cord
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2017 05:43
|
|
|
SoundMonkey posted:the only times in my entire life when i'm glad i worked in a cable shop for 4 years is when it's time for a new extension cord SJEOOW for life
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2017 06:10
|
|
|
shame on an IGA posted:SJEOOW for life we only used SJOOW  also gently caress any customer who wants double-jacket 4/0. that poo poo's for locomotives. they just wanted the double jacket so they could half bury it and have forklifts run over it.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2017 06:32
|
|
|
Here's an odd question -- how much weight can RMC support? I have some 1" conduit (about 1 3/8" outer diameter) left over from my workshop build, and I'd like to use a ~30"-long section of it as a pivot to support the top of a flip-top work cart. Flip-top carts have one power tool bolted to the top of the cart and another bolted on the underside of the top, so you can spin them around to change which tool is in use. I'd put my router table and thickness planer on there. The router table's not all that heavy, but the thickness planer probably weighs around 50 pounds. Whatever transfers the load from the cart top to the rest of the cart has to support all that weight at least while you're flipping the cart around. I could probably find a 1"-thick dowel and run it through the middle of the RMC as reinforcement, I guess. This is obviously not an intended use case. But does anyone know how strong RMC actually is?
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2017 15:46
|
|
|
TooMuchAbstraction posted:But does anyone know how strong RMC actually is? No clue, but here's someone making a table out of it. http://vintagerevivals.com/2013/03/how-to-build-table-out-of-metal-conduit
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2017 15:56
|
|
|
TooMuchAbstraction posted:Here's an odd question -- how much weight can RMC support? I have some 1" conduit (about 1 3/8" outer diameter) left over from my workshop build, and I'd like to use a ~30"-long section of it as a pivot to support the top of a flip-top work cart. Flip-top carts have one power tool bolted to the top of the cart and another bolted on the underside of the top, so you can spin them around to change which tool is in use. I'd put my router table and thickness planer on there. The router table's not all that heavy, but the thickness planer probably weighs around 50 pounds. Whatever transfers the load from the cart top to the rest of the cart has to support all that weight at least while you're flipping the cart around. A buddy of mine uses a length of it as a pullup bar, so at least 150 (he's a skinny guy).
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2017 16:16
|
|
|
Slugworth posted:A buddy of mine uses a length of it as a pullup bar, so at least 150 (he's a skinny guy). Oh cool, that was something else I was considering doing with my remaining RMC. Sounds like I'm good to go then. Thanks, both of you.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2017 20:07
|
|
|
insta posted:Is there any reason I can't make all the lightswitches in my house run on 24v and control my lighting with relays, outside of the enormous increase in cost? I just came across this thread which seems to be someone doing pretty much exactly what you're looking for. https://www.reddit.com/r/homeautomation/comments/69kbqs/prototyping_my_home_automation_system_loxone_and/
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2017 21:59
|
|
|
TooMuchAbstraction posted:Here's an odd question -- how much weight can RMC support? I have some 1" conduit (about 1 3/8" outer diameter) left over from my workshop build, and I'd like to use a ~30"-long section of it as a pivot to support the top of a flip-top work cart. Flip-top carts have one power tool bolted to the top of the cart and another bolted on the underside of the top, so you can spin them around to change which tool is in use. I'd put my router table and thickness planer on there. The router table's not all that heavy, but the thickness planer probably weighs around 50 pounds. Whatever transfers the load from the cart top to the rest of the cart has to support all that weight at least while you're flipping the cart around. 1" RMC is used as the handle for 1/2, 3/4 and 1" (EMT) pipe benders, so a 3' length will withstand a 300lb gorilla reefing on it pretty good. It's not rollcage strong, but it's plenty beefy enough to be considered structural for most noncritical DIY construction tasks.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2017 23:33
|
|
|
I have a question that is really more utility related than wiring, but I feel as if I shouldn't ask the power company directly: several years ago, the power company replaced all of the meters in my area with smart meters, and the plastic tag that they used to reseal the meter promptly split along the outer edges, fell off, and was swept up by the yard crew. The meter has a western exposure, the sun is intense here in the summertime, and I suspect they cheaped out on the plastic. I know that running unsealed is bad, and that the first suspition will be that I tampered with it, but I have not. I suspect that bringing it to their attention will get me disconnected. I also think that if I wait for them to notice the tag is missing that I will be disconnected. I have kept my head in the sand long enough. WTF should I do about this?
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2017 20:37
|
|
|
The truth will most likely be accepted.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2017 23:07
|
|
|
Skinnymansbeerbelly posted:I have a question that is really more utility related than wiring, but I feel as if I shouldn't ask the power company directly: several years ago, the power company replaced all of the meters in my area with smart meters, and the plastic tag that they used to reseal the meter promptly split along the outer edges, fell off, and was swept up by the yard crew. The meter has a western exposure, the sun is intense here in the summertime, and I suspect they cheaped out on the plastic. I know that running unsealed is bad, and that the first suspition will be that I tampered with it, but I have not. "I was doing yard work the other day and swept up that plastic tag thingy that's normally on the meter" "kthx"
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2017 23:11
|
|
|
Be sure to point out that you honestly weren't trying to bypass the meter or anything crazy like that because you're definitely not growing pot in your attic.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2017 00:51
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 30, 2024 04:10 |
|
|
I can't speak for all utilities, but we literally have a service ticket for "re-seal meter". I did one Friday. It's really not a big deal unless we strongly suspect stealing, and at that point we'd install a secondary lock.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2017 03:44
|
|
