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chedemefedeme posted:Whats the age of the home? I'm not licensed but that seems a bit odd to me. I'm not sure anyone would wire a residential central light to be 100% always on. If you've turned every switch around and cant get the light to turn off my instinct wants to say something may be going dangerously wrong. Someone else who sees these things on a regular basis should jump in here but could it possibly be something like a floating ground shorted to the hot somewhere going to that fixture? That seems out there but I really cant think of a situation that would legitimately be wired as "always on". I have a few always live ceiling fixtures, but I put them in to hang ceiling fans, so it was intentional. I'm not sure why someone would replace a fan with a light that they can't turn off though.
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Sep 20, 2010 12:59
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chedemefedeme posted:Hope that all made sense. Typing fast because dinner is ready. Feel free to ask other questions. Post a picture standing back from your whole demarc/service entry area on the house if you want. Can probably judge things better that way. Here are some terrible photos: http://ntrnt.com/phone01.jpg http://ntrnt.com/phone02.jpg http://ntrnt.com/phone03.jpg http://ntrnt.com/phone04.jpg I can answer questions after lunch!
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Sep 20, 2010 16:41
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Associate Christ
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light fixture question: we have a ceiling light in our kitchen which had a 40 watt bulb when we moved in. It's dim, and I'd like to up it to a 60 or 100. But I don't know what wattage the fixture is rated for. The sticker has worn off, and I can't see any other kind of markings or engravings on the fixture itself. The apartment is from the 40s or 50s. Any ideas how I could figure the max wattage for his fixture?
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Sep 20, 2010 19:23
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The Swinemaster posted:light fixture question: Put a CFL in it and don't worry about it. 150W Equivalent CFLs are only 20-30 watts.
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Sep 20, 2010 19:28
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:Put a CFL in it and don't worry about it. 150W Equivalent CFLs are only 20-30 watts. Related question: do they make CFLs that don't take ages to warm up to full output? My parents put them everywhere, but when they flip on the lights in the dining room it feels like a 25w incandescent until I'm half finished eating. Unless they bought a cheap kind or something, I'm sticking with my old fashioned bulbs, especially for rooms I'm only in for a little bit.
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Sep 20, 2010 19:43
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:Put a CFL in it and don't worry about it. 150W Equivalent CFLs are only 20-30 watts. That sounds sensible. Thanks, will do.
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Sep 20, 2010 19:44
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eddiewalker posted:Related question: do they make CFLs that don't take ages to warm up to full output? My parents put them everywhere, but when they flip on the lights in the dining room it feels like a 25w incandescent until I'm half finished eating. They bought a cheap kind. The new instant-starts are substantially like incandescents. If it's a 60W equiv, it'll start at 55W then brighten a bit over the next 20-40 seconds. Until they start going bad, then they take a bit to warm up and hum a little, but I only have 1 lamp in my entire house that does that, and it's in a bathroom, and is nearly 5 years old at this point.
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Sep 20, 2010 20:00
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:The new instant-starts are substantially like incandescents. I find that temperature still plays a part - the colder they are the dimmer they seem to start out and the longer it takes to "warm up" to full brightness. Which is annoying as I keep my house awfully cold in winter.
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Sep 20, 2010 23:59
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Kaluza-Klein posted:Here are some terrible photos: Ahhah wow. So unless I'm missing something in this photo it looks like they bring service into the old nid, then out of it and into the service side of your new one with the jumper(s) flying between them not even secured to the house. I really hope I'm missing a second service entry cable but it actually just looks like a craptastic telco install. I'm impressed. Gotta love those old nids though. Memories of getting popped with voltage on those nice big pegs. Edit: and upon further inspection there are still cat3/5 lines going to the old nid, probably connected. This is a pretty screwy setup. Not really problematic..just stupidly done by the telco guy. Why the heck he bothered to put a second nid is what i don't understand. If service is just coming from the old one why not just screw everything down on the old one? They're actually easier to hook a ton of lines into.
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Sep 21, 2010 00:01
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It could have been a repair where there was no access to the house when the tech showed up, so they just slapped a NID on and got the hell out of there. I'm hoping it was the customer that tied into the original protector later and didn't know what they were doing.chedemefedeme posted:Ahhah wow. SolidElectronics fucked around with this message at 00:26 on Sep 22, 2010 |
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Sep 22, 2010 00:09
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Kidsmoke posted:Was helping a friend with her house the other day and stumbled across a problem in her master bedroom. The central lighting is just "on". Put in some lightbulbs and they were on. There's a single light switch in the room but it's wired to control an outlet in the room. I disconnected every set of wires in that light switch and the central lighting would remain on when i flipped the switch at the main breaker. What's my next step here? Get up in the attic and trace the wiring? The light is probably on a different breaker than the receptacles in the room. Keep trying breakers until it goes out. If you need to, turn them ALL off. Edit: another possibility is that someone replaced a broken half-switched outlet and forgot to snap the jump tab off, which could cause issues like this. Someone had a similar problem a few pages back. grover fucked around with this message at 00:29 on Sep 22, 2010 |
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Sep 22, 2010 00:25
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I have a rather unusual question and would really really like some input from an electrician on this one. I just bought a large commercial cotton candy machine! I'm having a pretty hard time figuring out how to power it for portable applications (i.e. bringing it to a fair or festival).  It is 125 V and has a maximum surge of 17 amps, although it operates at less than that most of the time. Right now it has a 30 amp plug (NEMA 5-30R configuration) on a super-fat 10 gauge cord. I have two ideas: 1) Change out the 30 amp plug for a 20 amp one. I figure 125 volts * 17 amps = 2125W so I could buy an expensive "quiet" style generator from Yamaha around 2400W-2500W and plug it in. Would that work? 2) Is there a way to split the 30 amp cord into two 15 amp ones which I could plug into two standard 15 amp outlets? This is a stupid idea, is there a more intelligent way to make it work? Feedback is much appreciated, this machine is amazing but at the moment I have no way to make it portable. Grid Commander fucked around with this message at 23:32 on Sep 23, 2010 |
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Sep 23, 2010 23:29
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A model # would help along with anything and everything on the data plate. Is that the original cord set, or has it been swapped out? That'd also really be pushing the limits of the generator, that's most likely the generator's rated surge current, meaning it won't be able to supply that much current nonstop. May need to nuisance breaker tripping or worse yet, frying the alternator on it. Do you know what its continuous draw is? Or just the surge? I really wouldn't feel comfortable putting a 20 amp plug on anything that pulls more than about 12 amps continuous (and you're going to have a hell of a time finding a 20 amp plug that'll even take a 10 gauge cord). Splitting into 2 cords is extremely dangerous, and you'd still have to make sure that, not only are the outlets on different breakers, but that they're also on the same phase. Otherwise the magic smoke gets let out (you could wind up feeding it 207 or 240 volts depending on if the building is single or 3 phase). Not to mention the possibility of back feeding circuits if 1 breaker trips, and the hazards associated with having a "hot" male plug. Keep in mind you're more likely to see 115-120 volts at most places, so it may wind up drawing more amps at startup. Also, it's extremely important that something like this has a good solid ground - you're not going to have a ground with a generator unless you drive a ground rod every time you use it. An acceptable substitute would be placing a GFCI between the appliance and generator - it won't be "grounded", but it'll trip the GFCI if you get tingled. *Disclaimer: I am not an electrician, I do not pretend to be one. I just happen to know a bit more about electricity than the average person. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 12:47 on Sep 24, 2010 |
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Sep 24, 2010 12:44
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I am an electrician, and would like to get a shot of the nameplate for this device. My thoughts on this are that the best solution is to put a 20A plug on it and run it from a generator (only). If it starts to draw too much current, then the generator will sag, preventing anything from melting. That said, you really shouldn't have a 20A plug on anything that draws more than 16A, but that's continuous load. If your constant amps on the thing are down in the 3-8 range, you should be just fine. If it's more like 7-12 amps running with a 17A surge, then you probably want to find a generator with a 30A plug; you can usually find these at motor home stores, as 30A is a reasonably common service for smaller motor homes.
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Sep 24, 2010 19:13
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Question for the electricians out there who wire in new circuits to then be drywalled over. Would it be wise to put a spraypaint dot on the floor below the junction box to know where they are after the drywall goes up? I just randomly nailed up junction boxes I have pretty much no clue where each one is by memory. I was also wondering if low-voltage wiring like CAT6 strands need junction boxes installed. Currently I have the wire strung to different studs with about 3 feet of spare nailed to the wall.
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Sep 24, 2010 20:58
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dietcokefiend posted:Question for the electricians out there who wire in new circuits to then be drywalled over. Would it be wise to put a spraypaint dot on the floor below the junction box to know where they are after the drywall goes up? I just randomly nailed up junction boxes I have pretty much no clue where each one is by memory. dietcokefiend posted:I was also wondering if low-voltage wiring like CAT6 strands need junction boxes installed. Currently I have the wire strung to different studs with about 3 feet of spare nailed to the wall.
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Sep 24, 2010 21:23
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I just finished insulating the floor joists above my home theater and was slightly curious about the recessed lighting. I just jammed the insulation up against it. They are IC-rated or whatever with the full heat shield, but is that still kosher? They will be running either LED lights or compact florescents their entire life, so nothing too hot will be cooking up there. EDIT: Also now have black O's and E's spraypainted on the floor all over the basement. The light switches are super obvious impossible to miss... oh hey wasn't this ceiling supposed to emit light or something guys?
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Sep 25, 2010 02:52
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dietcokefiend posted:I just finished insulating the floor joists above my home theater and was slightly curious about the recessed lighting. I just jammed the insulation up against it. They are IC-rated or whatever with the full heat shield, but is that still kosher? They will be running either LED lights or compact florescents their entire life, so nothing too hot will be cooking up there. IC means in contact. If the fixture doesn't say "keep insulation clear" then you can have it touching.
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Sep 25, 2010 03:02
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:IC means in contact. If the fixture doesn't say "keep insulation clear" then you can have it touching. Well then, guess its going to be fine.
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Sep 25, 2010 03:03
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I have a (hopefully) simple question. I have a closet that I'd like to put an outlet in. The back wall of the closet backs up to a guest bedroom, and on that shared wall is an outlet. What's the best way to accomplish this? Also, I'm getting ready to put in undercabinet lighting in my kitchen. Right now, there are outlets everywhere that I'd like to put in a light, but I really don't want to have plugs visible everywhere. Also, these outlets aren't switched, and I'd like to have the lights turn on when I turn on the kitchen lights. How do I go about learning how to do something like this?
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Sep 27, 2010 04:09
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dietcokefiend posted:Question for the electricians out there who wire in new circuits to then be drywalled over. Would it be wise to put a spraypaint dot on the floor below the junction box to know where they are after the drywall goes up? I just randomly nailed up junction boxes I have pretty much no clue where each one is by memory. I used a crayon to mark the location of each box, and also wrote the height to the approx. center of the box. Also, look at the wires in each box and make sure they're pushed back at least 3/4" from the front. Any closer and they could get nicked by an errant rotozip blade.
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Sep 27, 2010 05:56
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Thanks for the responses regarding powering the gigantic commercial cotton candy machine. After reading your replies I spoke with a local electrician and decided on a solution. I am removing the 5-30 plug that is currently on it and replacing it with a 30A twist lock style plug (L5-30), so that it can be run from a Honda 3000W generator for portable applications. I will also have a dedicated 30A breaker and outlet for it.
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Oct 2, 2010 23:54
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I'm renovating an old office at work, and there's a cutout in the wall for a window air conditioner. I'd like to install an outlet underneath, but I'm thinking it would be wise to put a GFI in it in case of condensation. The problem is, the GFI outlets I'm finding won't fit in a 1-7/8" handy box. Is there something specific I should use for this application?
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Oct 3, 2010 01:12
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Surface mount it in a surface mount box placed over/near the current opening? You can even get these rated for outdoor use and thus water resistant if you're concerned about an odd air conditioner failure. I dont know the code enforced in your area but I don't typically notice these on gici outlets? The only one at my location is simply on a dedicated breaker, but is not gfci.
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Oct 3, 2010 22:58
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Maybe someone here can help me out: I live in a trailer that was put on this property 25 years ago. The power lines run on the other side of the street from me, so I have a short utility pole on my property that the lines run over the road to meet. This pole was put in at the same time. Over the last year I've had a few occasions where the breaker box outside on my pole has tripped, but not a single breaker inside has done so. I never thought it was a big deal, I went outside and flipped the breaker and all was well. Until last week. Last week it happened again when we were running the washer and dryer. I flipped the breaker and decided not to run either appliance until we figured out what the issue was. This weekend we had exactly four lights on and I was shaving in the bathroom, running hot water. The breaker outside tripped again. At this point I said "gently caress it" and stayed overnight at a friend's house. The next morning I came and flipped the main breaker on and all was well for 5.5 hours. We ran the furnace, xbox, plasma screen, etc with no issues. Then my girlfriend started doing dishes and within 20 minutes the main kicked off again. I turned off the interior breaker belonging to the water heater and we didn't have a problem nearly 24 hours, leading me to believe it was a element that needed replacement. Cut to tonight where after washing a load of clothes (in cold water) upon starting the dryer, that outside main breaker kicked again. Does anyone have any ideas what this could be? I find it curious that it never affects any breakers inside the trailer, but only the one outside. I'm also a retard at this sort of thing, so I'll probably only be able to answer very basic questions. Thanks.
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Oct 6, 2010 00:52
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It certainly sounds like the water heater. What's the rating of the water heater breaker vs the size of the breaker on the pole?
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Oct 6, 2010 01:01
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grover posted:It certainly sounds like the water heater. What's the rating of the water heater breaker vs the size of the breaker on the pole? Crap I'll have to get back to you on that. My question is, if it's the water heater, would it still trip the pole breaker when it's breaker inside in off?
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Oct 6, 2010 01:32
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A Fancy Bloke posted:Crap I'll have to get back to you on that. My question is, if it's the water heater, would it still trip the pole breaker when it's breaker inside in off? Breakers that trip a lot can go bad and if it's 25 years old, may be tripping prematurely and could simply need to be replaced. Do you have access to a clamp ammeter to be able to measure how much electricity you're using when it trips?
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Oct 6, 2010 01:46
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grover posted:No, it wouldn't. Are you saying the breaker was OFF when it tripped? I must have misread your post; I thought you turned it back on and it quickly tripped after that. Nope. I'm a complete novice at this sort of thing. I was told by the previous occupants that they used to have a fuse box outside instead of a breaker and that they'd go through a few fuses every couple months.
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Oct 6, 2010 01:52
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Should I worry about voltage drop running 12ga 125ft to a shed?
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Oct 7, 2010 20:03
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dwoloz posted:Should I worry about voltage drop running 12ga 125ft to a shed? Are you just supplying a single 20A outlet? If so, assuming 16A load, your voltage at the outlet would be 112V. That's still within the operating range for most devices.
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Oct 8, 2010 00:49
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dwoloz posted:Should I worry about voltage drop running 12ga 125ft to a shed? The code book says no more than 3% drop from panel to outlet, no more than 5% from service to outlet. Our rule of thumb was one size up for every hundred feet, which works out pretty well from 14AWG->#6AWG.
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Oct 8, 2010 05:57
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Papercut posted:Are you just supplying a single 20A outlet? If so, assuming 16A load, your voltage at the outlet would be 112V. That's still within the operating range for most devices. NEC's 3% and 5% at full load are only recommendations and not strictly required, but I recommend you treat it as if they're hard requirements.
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Oct 8, 2010 15:38
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Yeah, I almost edited in "but upsize to #10 anyway". It's cheaper to be safe now than it is to redo the whole thing when it's giving you trouble.
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Oct 8, 2010 17:10
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grover posted:YES! Also, take lots of photos of what's inside the walls before the drywall goes up. You will thank yourself later. You know a lot more code than I do, but aren't junction boxes required to be accessible? I didn't think you could just drywall over one.
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Oct 8, 2010 18:22
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jackyl posted:You know a lot more code than I do, but aren't junction boxes required to be accessible? I didn't think you could just drywall over one. Or, if you're like a friend of mine with lazy-rear end drywallers, find the boxes they covered up and didn't cut out.
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Oct 8, 2010 18:27
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grover posted:The boxes are required to be accessible, but knowing where the cables are really helps when you're trying to hang shelves & do other things and may be worried about hitting a cable or pipe (or simply trying to find a stud). Or if you want to add another box with minimal mods, you can try to intercept a cable that's in the wall. I have a 3rd line of cat5 going somewhere in my house that is a situation like that  Blueprints only called for 2 lines (cat5e used for phone) and both of those go to the correct spots. Problem is I have a third line at the box and no clue where it goes once inside the wall.
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Oct 8, 2010 20:25
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Papercut posted:Are you just supplying a single 20A outlet? If so, assuming 16A load, your voltage at the outlet would be 112V. That's still within the operating range for most devices. Nothing is set in stone at this point but most likely a 15A branch circuit (this won't be a shop with power tools, a microwave maybe though) Thanks to both of you for the help (esp. the tip on going up a size every 100ft)
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Oct 8, 2010 22:31
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Beginner wirer here. I'll make my problem simple. I'm cutting this thin doorway in the wall for nefarious purposes...  Click here for the full 488x816 image. ...but as expected, there is a bit of a roadblock to my dreams.  Click here for the full 488x816 image. This mysterious device is blocking my way.  Click here for the full 488x816 image. What will happen if I unscrew this magical screw?  Click here for the full 488x816 image. I believe the pipe is just servicing outlet wiring. Basically I want to rewire it up and over my new doorway. What can I expect opening this up? what materials to I need to reroute it up, over, and back down? Cutting holes in poo poo is no problem. I got that covered. Advice is appreciated!
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Oct 9, 2010 08:50
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Mouse Has Knife posted:I believe the pipe is just servicing outlet wiring. Basically I want to rewire it up and over my new doorway. What can I expect opening this up? what materials to I need to reroute it up, over, and back down? Cutting holes in poo poo is no problem. I got that covered.  
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Oct 9, 2010 12:37
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