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Ethics_Gradient posted:Is something like this safe? I was going to use a standard Make the whole thing plug into a wall with an extension cord and go hog wild. That set of instructions looks at a bare minimum acceptably not-going-to-kill-yourself OK.
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Aug 10, 2018 00:41
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Ethics_Gradient posted:I'm building a top for my standing desk. Most stuff will be there permanently and powered by a power strip concealed underneath/behind, but I'd like a few outlets up top that I can plug stuff into temporarily like a soldering iron, heat gun, etc into as needed, without having an unsightly power strip sitting on the desk. There'll be a 10cm or so ledge on the back, so I thought having real outlets on it would be ideal. Depending on where in  you are, it may be illegal to make that instructable without being a licensed electrician.https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/injury-prevention-safety/electricity/homeowners-and-consumers/dontdiy
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Aug 10, 2018 02:06
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ElCondemn posted:If it's not permanently wired into your house you can pretty much do whatever you want, I would just buy a power strip and mount it under the desk though. How often are you actually unplugging stuff at your desk other than maybe a phone that uses a USB cable? I'm already going to do that, but like I said in my original post, there's stuff I'd be using on it only every now and then (soldering iron, heat gun, etc) that would normally be stored away. It's backing up against a tight alcove so getting back there to plug/unplug something is going to be a real pain in the arse. n0tqu1tesane posted:Depending on where in Thanks for that clarification. Was reading it and thought I was safe per babyeatingpsychopath until I got to: quote:This covers tasks such as installing a new power point, replacing a light switch, replacing a batten holder with a new light fitting, repairing an appliance such as a heater, altering the location of an existing power point, replacing a light fitting with a ceiling fan, or constructing an extension lead and replacing a plug on the end of a lead. I'm not in QLD but I imagine it'd be similar here. I will run it by the construction guy at work - not sure if he's a sparky on top of a chippie, but if not he'd probably know somebody who'd do it for cheap, or just sign off on my work.
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Aug 10, 2018 08:05
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So is no one in Australia allowed to do thier own electrical at all? Absolutely no DIY at all? I couldn't imagine having to call an electrician just for a simple light fixture replacement. Or to put a plug on an appliance...
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Aug 11, 2018 00:44
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Based on that description I don't think you are allowed to replace a cord/plug on anything: power drill, lamp, drop bear alarm, weed trimmer, etc.
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Aug 11, 2018 01:02
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stevewm posted:So is no one in Australia allowed to do thier own electrical at all? Absolutely no DIY at all? It wouldn't surprise me at all; we are very heavy into health and safety legislation. Officially, I'm not allowed to stand on a chair to reach something at my job.
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Aug 11, 2018 02:54
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Is it Australia or the UK where you have to be 18 to buy plastic silverware because it contains knives?
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Aug 11, 2018 05:34
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That sounds like the UK. I was working in NZ a few years ago and there was a concerted effort to remove all ladders from every job site. Some bean counter noticed that most falls from heights happen from ladders (would it have something to do with the prevalence of ladders on sites as opposed to lifts/scaffolds? Who knows...) so they started mandating all work be done from elevated work platforms/scaffolds/lifts. Obviously this is impossible as you can't fit EWPs into some tight spaces (electrical closet with 20 foot ceiling) and all it did was make guys come in before sunrise, do all their ladder work for the day and then stash the ladders before the GC showed up.
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Aug 11, 2018 15:33
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I think I know the answer to this, but wanted to run it by people that are smarter than me. At my job we have three UPS systems sitting on a shelf that provide power to a couple of racks. The racks themselves have newer and not crap UPS systems that were installed last year. I going to have an electrician come in and redo the wiring for the first set of UPS systems but due to an issue this weekend I'd like to remove them now. The UPS systems are plugged into the wall using twistlock (L5-20R I think) connectors and everything that is plugged into them is NEMA 5-15 plugs. Is it possible to get some heavy duty power strips or surge protectors, change the end to the twistlock one, and use that instead of the UPS systems? I wouldn't be losing the power backups since I already have other ups's in the chain and we are also on a generator that should fire up quick. I'd also be able to spread the load out over four outlets instead of the three that are in use now. None of the UPS are running at more than 50% power load if that makes any difference. Here's a pic that might help explain things better.  The ups systems are at the bottom of the pic and you can see the power connections on the wall.
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Aug 13, 2018 16:42
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diremonk posted:I think I know the answer to this, but wanted to run it by people that are smarter than me. You're looking for a rack mount PDU. We use ServerTech's because you get a lot of bells and whistles. Had a lot of luck with Baytech as well. Stay well away from APC, they are hot garbage. Give stayonline.com a call and describe what you need w/ those pictures. Have input and output voltages, phases, and amps at the ready, and number of outlets. You will need to either go to the breaker and find it or unplug the outlet. L5-20 is 120v, single phase, 20amps. The cheap dumb ones are probably $500. The 208v, 3phase, 60A fully controlled outlets w/ phase interleaving are like $3000-3500? I forget what list price is. https://www.servertech.com/families/cb01 That with the correct inlet cord is likely all you need. Edit: That unplugged one will say on it "L5-20R" on it. Read off the sharpied breaker notes and go verify all 4 are the same. The cords will be embossed with "L5-20P". (R = Receptacle, P = Plug.) H110Hawk fucked around with this message at 17:12 on Aug 13, 2018 |
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Aug 13, 2018 17:07
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diremonk posted:None of the UPS are running at more than 50% power load if that makes any difference. Unfortunately it doesn't. You're going to want to make sure your if something goes wrong in your PDU or PSU and it starts pulling more current than it's supposed to, that the breaker trips before your cords melt & catch on fire. Plus if you lose power or swap cords around the PSU's are going to draw their max wattage until they recharge the batteries to 100%. The smarter ones do test cycle every once in a while too even if they haven't lost power. It probably won't be at 100% long enough to overheat a 16 or 14 gauge cord, but for 24/7 duty cycle stuff that's hidden in a closet I wouldn't chance it. How many PSU's do you have that 4 outlets isn't enough for each to have it's own plug?
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Aug 13, 2018 17:26
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I took another look at everything and it looks like the outlets are sized for L5-30 plugs and it looks like the breakers are 20 amp ones. Ideally I'd get an electrician to come in and setup a couple more outlets for each circuit that way I can just unplug them from the old UPS systems and go straight into the outlet. That is the plan right now but I'm trying to hold off on it until we rip out the power panel for our board chambers that just off to the side of the old ups systems. I have five newer APC (I know) rack-mounted UPS systems that are plugged into these older ones so I'm not worried about losing the battery backup. Every plug coming out of the UPS in the pic are going to another UPS in the racks or are going to a wall outlet that has non-critical equipment. They set up this power distribution before I was hired but it goes from the panel to one of the L5 receptacles to the old UPS (Liebert GXT). From there there are three cords for each ups going to a box on the wall then to the racks. These old UPSs aren't hidden away in a closet, they are about 15 feet from my desk and aren't even on a rack, more like a piece of furniture. 
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Aug 13, 2018 19:02
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diremonk posted:I took another look at everything and it looks like the outlets are sized for L5-30 plugs and it looks like the breakers are 20 amp ones. That's a problem. Aside from that, yes, you need a PDU. Super-cheap basic Tripplites like the RS-1215-20T can be had for well under $100.
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Aug 13, 2018 19:25
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IOwnCalculus posted:That's a problem. I actually have a couple of those Tripplites laying around right now. If I change the power cord over to the twist lock, those should be ok?
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Aug 13, 2018 19:47
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I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but I figure that I'd better ask some pros just in case. The 480V AC at one of our work locations poo poo the bed last night. In fact, it poo poo so hard that it tripped the main breaker to the 480V panel instead of its own circuit, knocking out power to the entire location since the transformer circuit for the 120V panel is also in this panel. I don't usually mess with high voltage stuff. Did I just have a breaker fail closed? We got the AC fixed for now, but should I replace the breaker? The actuator still works to turn it on and off manually.
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Aug 16, 2018 21:31
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On the off chance anybody's shopping for one, I just wanna chime in that Eaton's big cabinet industrial UPS's are dogshit. We've had to have service calls every 2-3 months.
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Aug 16, 2018 22:07
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shame on an IGA posted:On the off chance anybody's shopping for one, I just wanna chime in that Eaton's big cabinet industrial UPS's are dogshit. Go on. I sometimes run across them in datacenter tours.
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Aug 16, 2018 22:08
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kid sinister posted:I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but I figure that I'd better ask some pros just in case. The 480V AC at one of our work locations poo poo the bed last night. In fact, it poo poo so hard that it tripped the main breaker to the 480V panel instead of its own circuit, knocking out power to the entire location since the transformer circuit for the 120V panel is also in this panel. I don't usually mess with high voltage stuff. Did I just have a breaker fail closed? We got the AC fixed for now, but should I replace the breaker? The actuator still works to turn it on and off manually. I would on principle (especially if your job is footing the bill) but I've seen that happen on sudden, large faults before. Maybe the smaller breaker is dealing with more internal magnetic forces than it's built to withstand, while the larger and heavier-duty main can perform better since it's built with much larger values on it's TCC?
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Aug 16, 2018 22:29
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Really simple question: I'm trying to change a light switch in my house - specifically changing from a dimmer switch to a normal one way on/off switch. The switch controls two lights in the room. I'm in the UK if this helps at all. Looking at guides online they all say the live (brown or red) wire goes in the common and the neutral (blue or black) goes in the L1, and the earth goes into the metal box that holds the switch (and/or the switch itself if it's made of metal, which it isn't). However when I took the old switch off there are three of each wire; the three neutral wires aren't used at all (they just go into a plastic clip) and two of the live wires have been taped together. The way the old switch was wired was that the two taped together live wires went into the common and the third live wire went into the L1:  I wired the new switch the way the old one was set up and the switch works as expected without the electrics tripping so have I done it right? I opened another switch in my house (a two way that is wired up as a one-way) for comparison and it appears to be wired exactly the same way (the only difference is on that one the earths don't do anything which I assume is because on this one the box it screws into is plastic not metal), so is this just how the wiring in my house has been done?  in hindsight this may be a stupid question oh no computer fucked around with this message at 12:21 on Aug 18, 2018 |
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Aug 18, 2018 11:02
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If you want to visualize it ignore the blue wires, they are neutral and all tie together. The top two brown are the live voltage path in/out of the box. They are tied together because it should be a continuous path from the feed/to the next box. The bottom brown is to the light so it is on the toggled side of the switch. Also I know nothing about UK code so I can’t comment on that aspect. I wouldn’t think a screw terminal like that would be rated to hold those three blue wires but maybe they are. How are the top two brown wires terminated, are they backstabbed?
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Aug 18, 2018 12:59
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Spagghentleman posted:If you want to visualize it ignore the blue wires, they are neutral and all tie together. The top two brown are the live voltage path in/out of the box. They are tied together because it should be a continuous path from the feed/to the next box. Spagghentleman posted:How are the top two brown wires terminated, are they backstabbed? edit: a bit more googling and it looks like my lights are "loop at the switch" as shown here, whereas most of the tutorials I'd seen appear to be for "loop at the rose" oh no computer fucked around with this message at 18:19 on Aug 18, 2018 |
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Aug 18, 2018 16:58
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I just finished mapping my house circuits, and of course we have one idiot circuit that is covering a quarter of the house. Specifically, it seems to have 8 light fixtures and two outlets, while all my other circuits have a fraction of that. I seem to have some that are just a single regular outlet. Anyway, should I be at all worried about the load on that circuit? I'm primarily concerned because those two outlets currently provide for our computer and a window unit AC. It's a 15amp breaker and we haven't tripped that or had any actual problems, but now knowing how much stuff is sitting on that circuit I'm less comfortable. Do I need to worry, or try to move around stuff to split up the load? We're planning to have some electrical work done in the nearish future to clean up old outlets and fixtures, and I assume we can do something to better distribute the circuits at that time, but I want to make sure we're not inviting trouble before then.
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Aug 19, 2018 14:05
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I had a breaker like that. Did half the basement lights, stairway to upstairs lights, kitchen lights, fan, one countertop outlet and the hood range. I ended up finding the midpoint and breaking it into two circuits. I still need to isolate the kitchen outlet and range to give me some piece of mind. If the wire isn’t oversized and your breaker isn’t tripping it is technically safe for now, but should be separated anyway.
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Aug 20, 2018 00:58
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kid sinister posted:I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but I figure that I'd better ask some pros just in case. The 480V AC at one of our work locations poo poo the bed last night. In fact, it poo poo so hard that it tripped the main breaker to the 480V panel instead of its own circuit, knocking out power to the entire location since the transformer circuit for the 120V panel is also in this panel. I don't usually mess with high voltage stuff. Did I just have a breaker fail closed? We got the AC fixed for now, but should I replace the breaker? The actuator still works to turn it on and off manually. You can replace it if you're feeling cautious, but as long as the toggle on the switch is firm and it's holding under load, you should be fine. Tripping the main instead of the sub-breaker isn't common but it's not unheard of either - I had it happen this past week with a whole slew of brand new equipment after a newbie on the site pinched some wires on the lights he'd just wired in, in fact. youtube commenter posted:Does this mean it's correct as per the picture? Some switches/outlets/etc will have holes in the back that you slide the stripped wire into and then tighten up the screws on the sides, as opposed to screws that you're meant to curl the wire around externally. The former are backstabbed. Your switches are weird and alien looking to my American eyes, but yeah, they're backstabbed. Ashcans posted:I just finished mapping my house circuits, and of course we have one idiot circuit that is covering a quarter of the house. Specifically, it seems to have 8 light fixtures and two outlets, while all my other circuits have a fraction of that. I seem to have some that are just a single regular outlet. Lights are gently caress-all if they've got LED lamps, though. mynnna fucked around with this message at 01:27 on Aug 20, 2018 |
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Aug 20, 2018 01:25
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What is the BTU on that AC? 14,000 (with some variation) BTU is the biggest manufacturers make for a 120v 15amp outlet.
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Aug 20, 2018 05:52
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Thanks for the responses; we'll see about reorganizing some of our stuff so that we're spread over more outlets; the lights are all either CFLs or LEDs so I guess that isn't really much. When we do some rewiring I'll probably still try to spread those out anyway. Some lucky electrician is going to make a killing on this place.  The AC unit is [utrl=https://www.frigidaire.com/Owner-Center/Product-Support--Manuals/?productCode=FFRE0833Q1]this one[/url], which is 8000 BTU. It's in my kids room and we generally just run it at night when it's oppressively hot so that he can sleep comfortably. . I imagine that's why we haven't tripped the circuit yet, it's usually only running when everything else is off.
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Aug 20, 2018 14:43
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mynnna posted:Some switches/outlets/etc will have holes in the back that you slide the stripped wire into and then tighten up the screws on the sides, as opposed to screws that you're meant to curl the wire around externally. The former are backstabbed. Your switches are weird and alien looking to my American eyes, but yeah, they're backstabbed. I always thought the backstabs people got all  about are the spring loaded ones, while the kind you tighten a screw down for aren't as bad.
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Aug 20, 2018 18:15
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opengl128 posted:I always thought the backstabs people got all You got it right, there's nothing wrong with the screw type (the ones where you feed the stripped wire end into a hole on the back and tighten the screw to clamp it).
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Aug 20, 2018 18:52
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One Day Fish Sale posted:(the ones where you feed the stripped wire end into a hole on the back and tighten the screw to clamp it). Lugs?
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Aug 21, 2018 17:23
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I wish more stuff came with industrial-panel style spring-cage clamps, they are the poo poo.
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Aug 21, 2018 17:52
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I am trying to hook up to a fairly simple (I hope) control panel that will run a 240v single phase motor for an exhaust fan and two 120v fluorescent light fixtures off (I think) a single 240v line coming in. Is that possible to run both voltages off a single circuit? Will it be three wire (2 hots and a neutral) that gets split inside the control panel vs. normal 240 that is just 2 hots and no neutral? It’s rated 21A full load so I was going to put it on a 30A breaker, but the run is probably 150’ from the box-is #10 wire still good for that or should I go to #8 since it is over 100’? May need to bring the electrician in on this but I’d like to know the why and the how in any case.
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Aug 25, 2018 05:52
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:May need to bring the electrician in on this
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Aug 25, 2018 07:30
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You really June or even July bring the electrician in on this one.
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Aug 25, 2018 07:37
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It's one of those situations where "if you're asking these questions, you need an electrician". Why? You need a sub panel, and it sounds like you're dealing with an outbuilding (garage, barn, etc), which is a whole different set of rules (electrically and legally) vs just slapping on another circuit. That 21 amps - is it locked rotor current? Running current? Those will determine the breaker size you need.
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Aug 25, 2018 08:24
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The motor is 120/240 3hp and says 14A max at 240 which is how it’s wired. This is for a small paint booth at work-the control panel is supplied by the manufacturer and says 21 A full load. I am guessing that is 14Ax1.5=21, and the two lights are just an amp each, so a 30A circuit may be too large. We’ll call the electrician on Monday, we were just hoping to get it up and running this weekend if it was as simple as ‘put this wire there’.
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Aug 25, 2018 14:13
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this guy can electric - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Ubh1Rml6E very knowledgeable and useful guides into practical home wiring Здравствуйте! This is my gaming video channel with thick Russian accent - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7bdvXtjexnJ7doOCSYvmZg Aydjile fucked around with this message at 15:29 on Aug 27, 2018 |
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Aug 26, 2018 13:16
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:I am trying to hook up to a fairly simple (I hope) control panel that will run a 240v single phase motor for an exhaust fan and two 120v fluorescent light fixtures off (I think) a single 240v line coming in. Is that possible to run both voltages off a single circuit? Will it be three wire (2 hots and a neutral) that gets split inside the control panel vs. normal 240 that is just 2 hots and no neutral? It’s rated 21A full load so I was going to put it on a 30A breaker, but the run is probably 150’ from the box-is #10 wire still good for that or should I go to #8 since it is over 100’? May need to bring the electrician in on this but I’d like to know the why and the how in any case. I saw your second post after responding, so edits. I'm guessing 14A is what the motor's nameplate says. You'd use that number for sizing fuses if you're using a fused disconnect switch (multiply by 125% and select the next standard size down, so 14*1.25 = 17.5, next size down is 15A, if you're wondering.) The wiring and circuit breaker are sized based on the full load current, which actually comes from the codebook and is given by voltage and horsepower. For a 3hp 240v motor, it's 17 amps. For the wiring, you take 125% of that number (21.25A), while the circuit breaker is 250% of that, or 17*2.5 = 42.5A, which means using a 45A breaker. The reason for the differences in all these numbers is that the fuses are meant to protect against gradual overload (from the motor overheating, for example) whereas the breaker is to protect against short circuits or ground faults. Should note that if I recall, the 45A we come to there is the maximum size, not necessarily "you must use this size." It could go smaller if appropriate, which it would be for an exhaust fan motor that's not going to be under particularly heavy load. (Call an electrician.) mynnna fucked around with this message at 21:54 on Aug 26, 2018 |
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Aug 26, 2018 21:18
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Last night our sketchy outdoor lights made a fun crackling/snapping/buzzing noise in the lightswitch box itself in lieu of turning on. Eventually it subsided and the lights turned on about 30s later. Obviously I turned them right the hell back off. It's been on "the list" for a while now because the outlet is unusable in it as well, but anytime I wander past that section in home depot I get confused as to what I need. Is there a easy guide / shopping list somewhere to use for this? I have all the misc "inside" bits like wire, green ground screws, wire nuts, and a spare switch. (Assuming it's not like outlets where you need that WR stamp.) It's a single gang outdoor box, with a simplex outlet/lightswitch in it. It's connected to the garage via rigid conduit. I'm just going to lose the outlet because I don't want to deal with GFCI and it's literally few feet away from a modern breaker from our re-wire. (This was excluded as part of the garage.)
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Aug 27, 2018 00:11
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(How) Can I run power for a TV from a floor level outlet to a wall mounted TV without having the cable just visibly running up the wall? I obviously would want to do this in a legal and safe manner, I'm in TN for code purposes.
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Aug 29, 2018 02:57
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tangy yet delightful posted:(How) Can I run power for a TV from a floor level outlet to a wall mounted TV without having the cable just visibly running up the wall? I obviously would want to do this in a legal and safe manner, I'm in TN for code purposes. If the upper outlet will be in the same stud space, it'll be easy. 1. Cut a hole sized for a cut-in box in the stud space above the existing outlet. 2. Shut off power and remove lower outlet. 3. Fish a 12/2 romex wire from the existing outlet up to the new hole. Removing the box of the existing outlet will make this much easier, but you'll need to saw off the nails that fasten the box to the stud and remove the box without damaging the existing wire(s). 3. Install cut-in box in upper hole (and lower if you took that box out). Leave a minimum of 6" of wire from where it enters the box. 4. Install upper outlet and make a pigtail (if there's not one already) in the lower box so that power, feed to the new outlet, and pigtail to the lower outlet are all tied together. You'll need a tamper-resistant 15a duplex outlet, one or two cut-in boxes, a few feet of 12/2 wg (with ground) romex, and maybe two tan wirenuts and one green wirenut. Edit: this is assuming a stud wall and sheetrock/wood/etc. covering; if you have lathe and plaster walls or something that would prevent easily pushing a wire a few feet up a wall obviously this is all a bit tougher. edit: this would cost about $15-$20 Blackbeer fucked around with this message at 03:45 on Aug 29, 2018 |
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Aug 29, 2018 03:11
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