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Elviscat posted:You have a bad connection somewhere. Could be two things. Thanks. I think this is enough for me to go on, I've got the tools. The circuit is off for now and won't be used til I've found the bad connection.
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Nov 27, 2020 03:49
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Jenkl posted:Thanks. I think this is enough for me to go on, I've got the tools. Nice! Check any outlets that have push-in connections in the back, those like to burn open.
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Nov 27, 2020 07:02
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Just wanna say that everyone should put in outlets for Christmas lights under the eaves if they can; all that work was totally worth it. I added an additional GFCI circuit to the garage, with 3 more outlets inside, one outside the back garage exit door, and an outlet above the door in the foyer for decorations. I also ran three outlets under the eaves left of the garage, by the front door, and on the second level for next year once we buy more lights. Why bother with extension cords if you don’t have to? Thanks to this thread for pointing me in the right direction especially when it comes to reinforcing safety practices I already knew, but always worth remembering.   
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Nov 28, 2020 18:04
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Literally told my wife that as we redo and update our house that’s one thing that is going to happen. Looks awesome.
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Nov 28, 2020 20:33
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Grr. Guess which circuit the insulators turned on after being explicitly told not to touch it?
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Nov 29, 2020 19:32
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Jenkl posted:Grr. Always tape the breaker when working on a circuit. Also duct tape the panel door closed and write "do not touch" on the tape in sharpie. Then, set up home-alone style security system that hits any ne'er do wells with swinging paint cans.
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Nov 29, 2020 19:42
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Jenkl posted:Grr. Hit the main, lock the panel. gently caress em.
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Nov 29, 2020 21:04
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My panel doesn't have a cover. I'll tape/sign it if I ever encounter this in the future. I'd heard about that before but figured the verbal warning would be good. This is the first time someone other than me would've been working while I had circuits killed. Actually other than my wife who's working with me, I don't know that anyone else has even been in the home while we had circuits off. Im still struggling to process how someone would just ignore warnings about electricity - like it's as much for their sake as mine.
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Nov 30, 2020 01:30
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Jenkl posted:My panel doesn't have a cover. You mean it doesn't have the little bit that covers the breakers, not that all the wires and busswork are exposed, right?
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Nov 30, 2020 02:47
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Elviscat posted:You mean it doesn't have the little bit that covers the breakers, not that all the wires and busswork are exposed, right? Yes, no cover for breakers. The wires/busswork are not exposed.
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Nov 30, 2020 03:08
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Jenkl posted:My panel doesn't have a cover. What I think is a little scary is houses in California (and possibly other areas, but all the house flipper shows were in CA) with the breaker box mounted outside the house. I like the piece of mind in knowing that a random teenager can not walk up to the back of my house and flip my lights off because that's what is popular on Tik Tok this week. If anything, I would actually be worried about a burglar flipping off the power to try to disable any security system or cameras. I assume these boxes could be secured by a padlock but I also think a lot of people would leave the padlock off because it's too much effort when you already have to get dressed and go outside whenever a breaker trips. Similarly, what do you do when you trip a breaker and it's raining outside? I'm sure there must be some advantages to a breaker box mounted outside but I cant think of any.
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Nov 30, 2020 05:29
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Not Wolverine posted:I'm sure there must be some advantages to a breaker box mounted outside but I cant think of any. When your house is on fire or flooded, emergency personnel can cut the power quickly.
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Nov 30, 2020 05:37
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It also keeps the potential for a utility-level high current fault condition to your outdoor box and conductors.
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Nov 30, 2020 14:47
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I am a new house owner with no electrical experience / know-how. I have a question to the experts of Doorbell wiring that may save me some time and effort. I'm attaching a pic of my front door, you'll see in red where the old doorbell is. The seller said hasn't worked since he's owned it (a couple years). He installed a wireless door chime on the right (in green). I want to put in an Arlo doorbell camera, but if I fix/replace the wiring of the old doorbell it will be pointing wrong as it's mounted on the side even arrange to be pointing out it wouldn't have the view I would want. I like the concept of the door camera having a panoramic eye on my front yard. I would like to put it around where he has the wireless chime, but that white frame you're looking at is solid wood. Is there some way around this? There is a wireless Arlo doorbell camera coming out soon (I have an Arlo camera system so I want to keep it homogeneous) so could always wait for that, but I would prefer wired. Any insight? Feel free to disappoint, I'm used to it. 
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Nov 30, 2020 16:45
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Of course anything CAN be done. But at a minimum you're gonna be pulling off a load of door/window trim either inside or outside. Not knowing where you need to get to after that, whether you have a basement or it's on a slab, etc I couldn't hazard any further guess. Edit: SpartanIvy posted:When your house is on fire or flooded, emergency personnel can cut the power quickly. We can already do that. We pull meters here.
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Nov 30, 2020 17:30
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Motronic posted:We can already do that. We pull meters here. You have your meter on the outside of your house? How do you monitor your electricity usage during storms? just kidding
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Nov 30, 2020 17:34
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2020 NEC now requires an outdoor, main disconnect specifically for emergency use (e.g. firefighters.) I believe it can be locked with a simple padlock (since a fireman can cut that easily), but I haven't seen anyone go on record allowing it. I also marvel at outdoor breaker panels, but I live in the Mid-Atlantic where that box would be corroded beyond recognition and full of mouse nests within about 2 years.
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Nov 30, 2020 18:38
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B-Nasty posted:2020 NEC now requires an outdoor, main disconnect specifically for emergency use (e.g. firefighters.) I believe it can be locked with a simple padlock (since a fireman can cut that easily), but I haven't seen anyone go on record allowing it. Fixed. Yeah I'm very surprised when I see them in videos etc being in the Northeast USA. I agree with disconnects for firefighers etc.
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Nov 30, 2020 18:46
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My outdoor panel / meter combo unit gets hit with the sprinklers every odd numbered day. It has no lock on it. If it ever faulted on the utility side it would be quite the spectacle given the 1.x" metal conduit that runs inside the 2x4 stud bay to the panel In our bedroom wall. Fight me. (Better hope the fire isn't caused by something on the utility side of the meter. Seems like good advice in general.)
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Nov 30, 2020 18:54
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Motronic posted:Of course anything CAN be done. But at a minimum you're gonna be pulling off a load of door/window trim either inside or outside. Not knowing where you need to get to after that, whether you have a basement or it's on a slab, etc I couldn't hazard any further guess. Wireless it is! Thanks.
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Nov 30, 2020 21:13
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If the existing wiring is OK you could just build a small 3 sided box in that corner with the outer face at a 45 degree angle to mount the wired doorbell camera on.
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Nov 30, 2020 21:57
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I was sent here from the homeowner's thread. Essentially: we had a pretty big rain storm, and now the outlets that have the Christmas decorations plugged in outside (that my wife demanded to put out early ) aren't working. I've tried to reset the breaker without any luck (ie: flip it off/on), and one of the indoor outlets on a different circuit has a light with a GFI that won't go out/let me reset it. Anything else I should try before a I call an electrician?
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Dec 1, 2020 14:48
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Residency Evil posted:I was sent here from the homeowner's thread. Essentially: we had a pretty big rain storm, and now the outlets that have the Christmas decorations plugged in outside (that my wife demanded to put out early ) aren't working. I've tried to reset the breaker without any luck (ie: flip it off/on), and one of the indoor outlets on a different circuit has a light with a GFI that won't go out/let me reset it. Anything else I should try before a I call an electrician? Unplug all of the outdoor lights and try that GFI again. If you're 100% sure it's on a different circuit, then call an electrician. If you're not absolutely, 100% completely positive, I suspect that one indoor GFI is feeding your outside receptacles.
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Dec 1, 2020 15:26
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:Unplug all of the outdoor lights and try that GFI again. If you're 100% sure it's on a different circuit, then call an electrician. If you're not absolutely, 100% completely positive, I suspect that one indoor GFI is feeding your outside receptacles. I'll give it a shot when I get home. On the indoor socket, the GFI light is on, reset button is pushed in, and the test button doesn't do anything, if that helps.
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Dec 1, 2020 15:27
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Residency Evil posted:I'll give it a shot when I get home. On the indoor socket, the GFI light is on, reset button is pushed in, and the test button doesn't do anything, if that helps. Ok, then there's something else going on. "light on and button in" means working on some GFIs, depending on the light. Test button not working usually means "GFI broken." Outdoor receptacles must be GFCI protected if your house is in any way modern, so figure out where the GFCI protection is and reset that. Safety tip: test your GFCIs!
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Dec 1, 2020 15:36
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:Ok, then there's something else going on. "light on and button in" means working on some GFIs, depending on the light. Test button not working usually means "GFI broken." Just to double check, by GFCI protection, you mean the button on the outdoor outlet, right?
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Dec 1, 2020 15:46
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Residency Evil posted:Just to double check, by GFCI protection, you mean the button on the outdoor outlet, right? Well, I mean the entire concept of some method of protecting the circuit from ground faults. A GFCI breaker is one option, as are GFCI receptacles. The Receptacles have a test and a reset button, and sometimes a light indicating status. If your stuff is plugged into a GFCI outlet outside and it neither tests nor resets (neither button does anything) when nothing is plugged in, then you've got issues somewhere else.
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Dec 1, 2020 16:40
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GFCI receptacles do wear out and die, as do the breakers. If it won't reset with nothing plugged in, there's either a problem elsewhere or the receptacle has died.
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Dec 1, 2020 17:25
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Take a $10 non-contact voltage tester from home depot and try it on the sides of your GFCI outlet. If it doesn't give you a BEEP, then you know the circuit to that GFCI itself is off. Otherwise, the receptacle is dead. If the circuit is off, then it's most likely somebody wired that GFCI from another GFCI that has tripped. Or your house wiring is loose everywhere.
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Dec 2, 2020 08:48
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Ugh, so I traveled around the house resetting all of the gfis I could find. Still don’t have power to the bathroom (reset button pushed in, test button doesn’t work, light on) or the outside (test/reset don’t work).
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Dec 2, 2020 09:46
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movax posted:Hold my beer while I hit this 2/0 zipline Ouch. I made the thread title. Hah! No, I was invited to build a "spare room". It's gonna be a few months off, but I'll be sure to drop a tour of the cottage when done. Two weeks ago we cleared a hole in the woods along one of the roads, placed footings, and built the platform the cottage will stand on. (We means the property owner and I.) You'll be happy to know, I'll be renting a trencher to run power lines. Nerobro fucked around with this message at 10:17 on Dec 2, 2020 |
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Dec 2, 2020 10:00
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Residency Evil posted:Ugh, so I traveled around the house resetting all of the gfis I could find. Still don’t have power to the bathroom (reset button pushed in, test button doesn’t work, light on) or the outside (test/reset don’t work). Don't ask me why the master bath is on the same circuit as our porch lights, but here we are, and replacing the bathroom GFI plug worked!
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Dec 2, 2020 17:52
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Residency Evil posted:Don't ask me why the master bath is on the same circuit as our porch lights, but here we are, and replacing the bathroom GFI plug worked! Not really surprising. A lot of places were wired as room/area swaps between lighting in one room and outlets in another. Failing that level of planning, sometimes it's just "poo poo, we need another fixture over there. Let's grab the closest piece of hot romex in a box and go from there."
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Dec 2, 2020 17:58
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Motronic posted:Not really surprising. A lot of places were wired as room/area swaps between lighting in one room and outlets in another. yeah, that master bath is right over the porch so it kind of makes sense. My wife will be so proud of me. 
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Dec 2, 2020 18:00
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Residency Evil posted:yeah, that master bath is right over the porch so it kind of makes sense. That's gotta be a COLD floor. Make her really proud and install a heated floor.
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Dec 2, 2020 18:00
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Motronic posted:That's gotta be a COLD floor. Make her really proud and install a heated floor. Floor temp is fine, because the master bath is hardwood. 
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Dec 2, 2020 18:02
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Residency Evil posted:Don't ask me why the master bath is on the same circuit as our porch lights, but here we are, and replacing the bathroom GFI plug worked! Congrats! A lot of places have "all GFCIs" on one circuit. My house has the master bath with one GFCI outlet, which chains off to another outlet in the bath, then the front porch outlet and lights, then the second bathroom's outlets about 30' away. The lights for both bathrooms are on the same circuit, too. Oddly enough, there's a half bath off the mud/utility room that has its own circuit, with a single GFCI outlet and light fixture.
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Dec 2, 2020 19:45
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I recently installed a sewage effluent pump and I would like to automate and create a robust alarm system. I'm used to working on marine electrical (as an engineer, not an electrician), so I've typically worked with over-engineered stuff. In this residential case, I would still like an outdoor waterproof enclosure I can install the components. But I'm not sure of where I can find inexpensive suppliers for electrical and automation equipment. Any suggestions? (preferably that ships to Canada?). They typical online retailers (amazon) don't seem to have anything. And does anybody have any experience/suggestions for DIY automating residential sewage pumps? My biggest concern is if the pump runs for extended periods of time due to loss of prime or clogging, and simply using a buzzer may not work because maybe we're gone for a day. I don't want to kill an $800 pump.
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Dec 2, 2020 19:56
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Kindest Forums User posted:I recently installed a sewage effluent pump and I would like to automate and create a robust alarm system. I'm used to working on marine electrical (as an engineer, not an electrician), so I've typically worked with over-engineered stuff. In this residential case, I would still like an outdoor waterproof enclosure I can install the components. But I'm not sure of where I can find inexpensive suppliers for electrical and automation equipment. Any suggestions? (preferably that ships to Canada?). They typical online retailers (amazon) don't seem to have anything. Your pump should have thermal protection to prevent damage from happening when running dry, and any of the standard tank alarms with the floater should take care of the overflow condition. You may even be able to find one with some dry contacts to throw at your home automation setup. (you're over-thinking this)
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Dec 2, 2020 20:05
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Probably stupid question, this house is wired with CAT5e already accept it was terminated all voice, so I'm re terminating it for Ethernet. I have one extra cable in my media enclosure tied to another cable with the wiring and a diode or something capping at the end. What does this mean? Can I take them apart and throw RJ45 caps on them? 
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Dec 3, 2020 20:17
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