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H110Hawk posted:Unscrew the plastic covers on all of them, read what the device is - it will say "dimmer" or "fan speed controller", etc. If you are unsure, post legible pictures of them. If you have a bunch of led/CFL on them make sure it says led/CFL. Otherwise it probably says like 3600w incandescent dimmer. I don't yet have a screw driver at the house. Working on it, though!
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Nov 13, 2019 18:45
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Mr. Powers posted:My mom is getting carpet replaced with hardwood floors. They pull up the carped and there's this metal plate. We're all speculating about it and finally I convince the flooring sub to pull it up for curiosity's sake. As it was, no. Outlets aren't allowed to be buried like that. That being said, floor outlets are a thing. Floor boxes usually come as a kit with a really thick face plate. They're usually used for like lamps in the middle of the room. Like Ferrule said, check for switches that you think don't do anything.
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Nov 13, 2019 19:22
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They said they didn't have any unknown switches. They're going to use it, though. On my fan/lights problem, the fan/light combo is a Lutron combo fan controller and light dimmer unit. Fan control side works without issue. Going to try replacing the bulb first. I can't see a model to see if it is LED/halogen/fluorescent capable, though. The flickering lights seems to just be a bad dimmer. If I come just off the top of the dimmer, there's no flicker (it's a random flicker), so I'm assuming the dimmer slider or electronics are having a problem and I'll just replace the unit.
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Nov 13, 2019 20:59
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Well, replace it with a fan control/light dimmer and make sure it's compatible with LED if those are the bulbs you are using.Kaiser Schnitzel posted:I am replacing some lights hanging from conduit with some suspended LED high bays in my shop. I’ve never worked with conduit at all and I am not sure about the fittings on this very old work. A 4x4 box should work, provided the length in the middle there is the same Should be, may need to muscle it in, cut back conduit). The connectors going into the fitting there are fine but you'll need lock nuts (the fitting is threaded, a new box is just a knockout). Get a ground screw for the box. Trace the conduit back to the panel. It's most likely grounded but you need to test that. If it was me, I'd touch the hot to the pipe but that's gonna pop the circuit and scare the beejezzus out of you.
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Nov 13, 2019 21:19
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Mr. Powers posted:I don't yet have a screw driver at the house. Working on it, though! Somebody get this goon a Leatherman, stat!
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Nov 13, 2019 21:39
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Nevets posted:Somebody get this goon a Leatherman, stat! I have one. It's packed wherever my tools are. I just picked up a #2 Phillips and 1/4" flathead screwdriver at Walmart so I could at least perform basic tasks. I have everything I need to run in-wall Ethernet, and yet I forgot the most basic of items I would need: the screwdriver.
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Nov 13, 2019 22:25
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:I am replacing some lights hanging from conduit with some suspended LED high bays in my shop. I’ve never worked with conduit at all and I am not sure about the fittings on this very old work. If I can figure out where everything goes, I'd like to add a switch for these lights I'm putting in (currently the breaker is the only on/off I have and that's not a good way to do things). Does a common neutral complicate that? The outlets seemingly sharing the neutral are already on a separate switch. Much of the wiring has old rubberized cloth insulation. Replacing it isn't really affordable/practical at the moment-is it pretty much okay to stay where it is as long as it doesn't get moved around much? Putting electrical tape around the ends I had to strip to splice stuff made it hold together much much better.
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Nov 14, 2019 02:02
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Can two hots share the same neutral and be on different circuits? Yes. They split phases. It was custom for a while. Run a new neutral. If you've got a lot of conduit there get rid of that clot poo poo and run some THHN.
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Nov 14, 2019 02:07
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STR posted:(mostly) called it. it flickers but BRIGHTER flicker it needs new bulbs i guess. got all outlets working and plugged in light and heater for stupid cat all is good. i'm going to wire in LED ceiling lights when i get around to it
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Nov 19, 2019 22:43
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I recently bought a house and it came with a heated driveway. It’s a gas fed boiler that heats water that goes under the driveway. There is a temperature gauge on the driveway that will activate the system when it gets near freezing temperatures. The previous owner said the that the temperature gauge doesn’t work well and he just ran the system by turning it on and off by the emergency shut off switch, so most of the time the whole system was off until needed. My question is if it’s possible to just install a Wi-Fi switch like this - Kasa Smart Light Switch by TP-Link - Needs Neutral Wire, WiFi Light Switch, Works with Alexa & Google (HS200) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EZV35QU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_LDw4Db2GY9ASW Is this doable? Will this cause any problems?
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Nov 29, 2019 19:47
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Without details on the actual electrical requirements of the device nobody can answer that question with specificity. If it's like most gas boilers it will probably work fine.
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Nov 29, 2019 19:53
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Mr. Powers posted:I have one. It's packed wherever my tools are. I just picked up a #2 Phillips and 1/4" flathead screwdriver at Walmart so I could at least perform basic tasks. I have everything I need to run in-wall Ethernet, and yet I forgot the most basic of items I would need: the screwdriver. Sounds like a fish tape situation too.
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Dec 2, 2019 18:23
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I’ve found a fiberglass rod set to be infinitely more useful than fish tape for home use. Then again, I’ve never had a need to deal with any conduit runs for Ethernet.
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Dec 2, 2019 20:59
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Having some limited experience with both, tape excels in conduit and rod is great for blindly poking for holes in 2x4's hidden behind drywall.
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Dec 2, 2019 21:10
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I've used/use three kinds - the fiberglass (awesome when there's insulation), stiff tape (just general use, easy to cut and ,make a hook a catch and end), and what we called a "sparky" which is the goldfish super flexible kind (excellent for conduit). A plastic bag tied around a bucket of line and shop-vac is a nice option for conduit, too.
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Dec 2, 2019 22:31
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I bought both fish tape and the fiberglass rod kit from Harbor Freight.
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Dec 3, 2019 00:41
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I always liked the name "fish sticks" better.
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Dec 3, 2019 02:12
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Mirror on a telescoping rod and a fish tape is all I've ever used (and a leftover piece of #8 bare to hook something in a wall cavity). Are the fiberglass rod kits bendy? If I need to refit things and get power from one studded out wall cavity to another, I'll just remove the box and drill a hole through the stud. Is the fiberglass set good for more than that? Edit: I've refit lighting where it might be more useful than a fishtape for getting across ceiling joists, is this the main type of use? Blackbeer fucked around with this message at 02:31 on Dec 3, 2019 |
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Dec 3, 2019 02:22
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Mr. Powers posted:I bought both fish tape and the fiberglass rod kit from Harbor Freight. Same here. The rods are so cheap and handy.
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Dec 3, 2019 02:43
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Blackbeer posted:Mirror on a telescoping rod and a fish tape is all I've ever used (and a leftover piece of #8 bare to hook something in a wall cavity). Are the fiberglass rod kits bendy? If I need to refit things and get power from one studded out wall cavity to another, I'll just remove the box and drill a hole through the stud. Is the fiberglass set good for more than that? I've used it for straight wire runs and unblocking drains. The kit I got at HF isn't bendy but does have a flexible attachment. I don't have a mirror on a stick, but I do have a borescope that hooks up to my phone that was like $20 on Amazon and has been awesome.
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Dec 3, 2019 04:37
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I am not a wiring professional but in the course of MSP life I've run many a network cable. I have fish tape, fiberglass sticks, and a cheap USB borescope. The latter two are by far the most useful, the fish tape I've only ever used once outside of conduit when I needed to get a wire down an exterior wall in a finished basement and I didn't have enough clearance between the top of the wall and the actual ceiling above the drop tiles to get the fiberglass sticks down. The sticks are great for almost every wall and especially crossing large distances in a ceiling. The borescope is one of those things you don't realize how much you needed it until the first time you use it. When you can actually see the tiny hole you need to get through inside the wall it's infinitely easier than just randomly prodding and hoping you find it.
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Dec 3, 2019 18:08
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Agreeing with the consensus here. Modular fiberglass fish poles are invalueble when running cable. You can use them to fish through a tight space, or to javalin across an expanse of drop ceiling. I have about 30 feet of pole I can put together if needed. For conduit, the two times I've had to deal with it, the plastic bag, bucket of line and shop-vac trick has worked well.
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Dec 3, 2019 23:21
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I have a situation where I need as minimal a plug as I can put in. I really, really like Bocci's 22 line, they're perfect, except for the minor gotcha that it's two hundred loving doll hairs for a plastic mud ring and an outlet to clip in to it. Anyone know of a similar, sanely-priced alternative? I probably need two of them. https://www.bocci.ca/22-series/22-dry-wall/ https://www.bocci.ca/shop/22/ 
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Dec 5, 2019 17:52
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Wall or appliance? Appliance rules are a bit more lax in their accessibility requirements.
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Dec 5, 2019 18:37
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Bad Munki posted:I have a situation where I need as minimal a plug as I can put in. I really, really like Bocci's 22 line, they're perfect, except for the minor gotcha that it's two hundred loving doll hairs for a plastic mud ring and an outlet to clip in to it. Anyone know of a similar, sanely-priced alternative? I probably need two of them. I didn't know I needed one of those, but now I do.
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Dec 5, 2019 18:39
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How does that meet code? All the wiring and connections are literally covered by the drywall compound when installed. There's no way to access it without a knife and/or hammer, at which point it might as well be buried behind actual drywall. Edit: Helpful suggestion: Have you looked at these wall plates? https://www.amazon.com/EATON-PJS26W-Decorator-Screwless-Wallplate/dp/B002GBOZ3E/ The top cover snaps onto the mounting plate so no screws are visible, and with a plain white decora style outlet they are fairly innocuous. I've used them throughout my house. Nevets fucked around with this message at 19:47 on Dec 5, 2019 |
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Dec 5, 2019 19:39
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Nevets posted:How does that meet code? All the wiring and connections are literally covered by the drywall compound when installed. There's no way to access it without a knife and/or hammer, at which point it might as well be buried behind actual drywall. I believe there's a socket that you insert around the receptacle, turn it and pull it from the wall.
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Dec 5, 2019 19:42
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Yeah there's still a junction box in the wall that all the wire nuts live in, this is just a fancy plate you semi-permanently drywall in, and the socket itself clips into that. Removing the socket later requires a special tool that probably costs another three digits, but it can be done. Oh, look at me so silly, I stand corrected. The tool is only $75. https://www.bocci.ca/product/remove-tool/ Bad Munki fucked around with this message at 20:26 on Dec 5, 2019 |
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Dec 5, 2019 20:20
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It's the outlet version of gold-plated HDMI cables.
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Dec 7, 2019 18:28
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Ferrule posted:It's the outlet version of gold-plated HDMI cables. Nah, because there are people who think the cables are actually doing something mechanically different, while the outlets are clearly just for aesthetics.
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Dec 7, 2019 19:17
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Ferrule posted:It's the outlet version of gold-plated HDMI cables. Price-wise, yes, but: TooMuchAbstraction posted:the outlets are clearly just for aesthetics. That being said, it’s just killing me that said aesthetics apparently come with a 3-digit price tag. :/
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Dec 7, 2019 21:32
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Seems like eventually you'd have a bunch of scuff marks around it, from trying to plug stuff in and occasionally missing. Unless you never unplugged things from it.
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Dec 8, 2019 00:17
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hannibal posted:Seems like eventually you'd have a bunch of scuff marks around it, from trying to plug stuff in and occasionally missing. Unless you never unplugged things from it. If you're paying $300/outlet, you're making enough that your servants can clean your walls when you drunkenly miss plugging something in.
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Dec 8, 2019 00:39
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In this scenario, the outlet(s) will be above my mantel and only get used a few times a year, the rest of the time it’ll just sit there and be ugly unless I can minimize it. And the simple “put something in front of it” doesn’t really suffice, that’s committing to having a fairly large object at exactly that position in perpetuity. As for having my servants fix the drywall, my drywall game is fairly adequate, so that’s me, I’m my servant.
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Dec 8, 2019 01:36
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You can buy a single gang outlet for, like, less than 5 bux. Toss in a screw less cover and you're fine. This is the dumbest thing I've ever sen but you do you, bro. edit: However, I'd love someone to hire me to install these things because you can be drat sure my labor time is gonna equal the material and my kids can all get ponies for Christmas.
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Dec 8, 2019 02:53
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Bad Munki posted:In this scenario, the outlet(s) will be above my mantel and only get used a few times a year, the rest of the time it’ll just sit there and be ugly unless I can minimize it. And the simple “put something in front of it” doesn’t really suffice, that’s committing to having a fairly large object at exactly that position in perpetuity. Wait this is for you? Not some eccentric client?  I would hang art during the off season.Don't get me wrong I have an expensive German money pit locked in my garage but it at least makes vroom vroom noises between making "not enough money" noises.
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Dec 8, 2019 04:11
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Ferrule posted:Toss in a screw less cover and you're fine. Yeah no, that’s not the same. Regardless, the point is, I’m NOT going to spend hundreds of dollars on an outlet. That was the whole point of the original question, looking for something that minimal that DOESN’T cost an insane amount for a simple outlet. Yeah there are plenty of options that aren’t as glaring as a standard outlet, but even a blind man could see they’re not even close aesthetically, which is the critical factor here. But y’all go ahead and get bent out of shape by me not being satisfied with a dumb switch plate. Like seriously, how did this go from me saying “this thing is priced stupidly, anyone seen something like it for a reasonable price?” to “lol dummy don’t spend that much on an outlet.” I mean, no poo poo?? Bad Munki fucked around with this message at 04:47 on Dec 8, 2019 |
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Dec 8, 2019 04:44
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Bad Munki posted:Yeah no, that’s not the same. There's a couple of small round outlets on amazon at better prices although I've never used one: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B06XCRYJ8B/ You could 3d print a flat white cover for it on the offseason, or something.
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Dec 8, 2019 04:59
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Rexxed posted:There's a couple of small round outlets on amazon at better prices although I've never used one: Right. So even a Leviton single-gang outlet would have a rectangular cover that this guy doesn't want. So your Amazon link is also an option. Or mount a floor outlet on the wall I guess. What are you plugging in "only a few times a year"?
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Dec 8, 2019 15:44
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Rexxed posted:There's a couple of small round outlets on amazon at better prices although I've never used one: Those say they are only for wood mounting, though I suppose if you did the math and attached some wood braces behind the drywall where the screws come through (and bought longer screws) you could get it to hold.
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Dec 8, 2019 21:31
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