|
Nevets posted:The reason I suggested chopping up an extension cord is that for uses like this replacement appliance plugs usually cost 2x as much Having done exactly this, yes. A plug with screw terminals by itself costs like $5, or a plug on 8" of wire costs $12, while an extension cord, or broken blender, or fried surge protector you can harvest the cord from will be $2 at Goodwill.
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2018 15:44
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 27, 2024 13:04 |
|
|
Father Jack posted:I've got some cheap photography lights with what appears to be a symmetrical, 2 blade, ungrounded plug. What you have there appears to be the 2 pin Chinese plug. Given that China uses 220v/50hz, I don't see why fitting a UK plug would be an issue.
|
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2018 16:25
|
|
|
stevewm posted:What you have there appears to be the 2 pin Chinese plug. Given that China uses 220v/50hz, I don't see why fitting a UK plug would be an issue. I'm guessing the wires won't conform to the UK, or possibly any, standard colours. Does it matter which way round they go as long as they go to live and neutral, and not earth?
|
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2018 18:08
|
|
|
Father Jack posted:I've got some cheap photography lights with what appears to be a symmetrical, 2 blade, ungrounded plug. Edit: RabbitWizard fucked around with this message at 18:18 on Nov 1, 2018 |
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2018 18:16
|
|
|
Father Jack posted:I'm guessing the wires won't conform to the UK, or possibly any, standard colours. Does it matter which way round they go as long as they go to live and neutral, and not earth? Optimally hot (live) goes to the base of the socket if these are socketed type lights. You can use a test light or multi meter to figure out which one that is. Sometimes the cord itself has an estra ridge or other identifying feature on that side (if this is a standard 2 wire moulded cord), but even then I wouldn't trust a Chinese manufacturer to have oriented that correctly considering it literally doesn't matter in their domestic market because of their awful non-polarized sockets.
|
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2018 18:19
|
|
|
RabbitWizard posted:I don't know where you getting the 6A fuse from. Assuming that from the cable is bad. I mean, yeah, the cable will be probably be ok while it's setting things behind it on fire. UK plugs have fuses in them. The short version why they do is that it was their solution for rewiring their country quickly after getting bombed to poo poo during WW2. Father Jack posted:I'm guessing the wires won't conform to the UK, or possibly any, standard colours. Does it matter which way round they go as long as they go to live and neutral, and not earth? On most lamp cord light that, the smooth side is the hot wire and the ribbed/edged side is the neutral.
|
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2018 19:20
|
|
|
kid sinister posted:UK plugs have fuses in them. The short version why they do is that it was their solution for rewiring their country quickly after getting bombed to poo poo during WW2.
|
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2018 19:35
|
|
|
I've got a detached garage that's currently running off of a small sub panel fed from a 20A single pole breaker in the house. I wanna get 240v out there, and up it to 60A to run a ductless ac/heater and potentially an arc welder in the future. Distance from the panel to the garage is about 40 feet, so I'm planning on voltage drop for a 100 foot run (40 ft + 10 ft to work with then doubled for the return). It looks like 2AWG AL would work and a 2" schedule 80 conduit should give me plenty of room to work with. 6AWG copper for grounding back to the main panel and another 6AWG wire going to an 8ft grounding rod. What do I do when the wire hits the interior of the house? Can I hit a junction box and connect into regular romex for the run back to the panel? Should I run the XHHW-2 all the way to the main panel? If so, how is it not a violation for it to not be jacketed and run through joists?
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2018 21:35
|
|
|
I'm having problems with my tankless water heater and have been considering a switch to electric, as it's the last appliance in my house that runs directly on fossil fuels. Rather than take a chance on running short on hot water, I'd like to size the heater as large as possible for my service (200A). If the water heater I'm looking at says "minimum recommended service" is 200A (max draw is 120A), how bad of an idea is it to be right at the minimum? My gut tells me that unless I'm running every shower at once in the middle of winter, I won't even come close to 120A, so I should be fine, but I don't like the idea of a single appliance being sized for over half of my house's service. In case anyone is concerned, I am planning to hire an electrician to do the wiring for it (needs some new dedicated breakers) regardless.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2018 22:28
|
|
|
BIGFOOT EROTICA posted:I've got a detached garage that's currently running off of a small sub panel fed from a 20A single pole breaker in the house. I wanna get 240v out there, and up it to 60A to run a ductless ac/heater and potentially an arc welder in the future. You're fine running #3 aluminum; the voltage drop will be less than 1% for a 40 ft run. I think you only need to consider the phases when it comes to voltage drop, by "return" do you mean the neutral? To go through the house you'll either have to run conduit the whole way or use a junction box/set-screw connectors and run the rest of the way with "service entrance cable" (SEC). You'll need a pretty big junction box; 6x6 would be the minimum (I think) but 8x8 would make things easier. A ground rod won't be necessary; the dedicated ground wire in your sub-panel run will handle that.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2018 22:55
|
|
|
KnifeWrench posted:I'm having problems with my tankless water heater and have been considering a switch to electric, as it's the last appliance in my house that runs directly on fossil fuels. Do you know your electric (house) heat load or what the total over-current protection is for the heat?
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2018 23:03
|
|
|
Blackbeer posted:Do you know your electric (house) heat load or what the total over-current protection is for the heat? I'll cop to my ignorance here and say there's a big-rear end 200A breaker at the bottom of my panel; is that what you mean by total? Or are you talking about the water heater I haven't yet bought or wired for yet? That will have 3 dedicated 40A breakers (if it ends up being the one I'm looking at). That's what I'll hire an electrician to do once I figure out what size water heater I can handle. It's a ~9 year old house in CA, if that provides any useful context.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2018 23:22
|
|
|
KnifeWrench posted:I'm having problems with my tankless water heater and have been considering a switch to electric, as it's the last appliance in my house that runs directly on fossil fuels. Those things are far less sustainable as energy goes, than your gas instant heater. Large switched loads are the absolute worst thing, and if your utility ever goes to a time-of-use billing structure, your power bill is going to suffer if you're not careful about when you use hot water. I dealt with one guy who was going to install the same size you're looking at, and he was going to need a 400A service and we were going to have to install a 50Kva transformer and 4/0 overhead wire. In our case, that utility upgrade (the transformer and service wire) would have been free, in your case it may not be, or may not be as easy to get. At any rate, he decided to go gas instant because it was going to be way way cheaper than upgrading his electric service and running new circuits.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2018 00:19
|
|
|
KnifeWrench posted:I'll cop to my ignorance here and say there's a big-rear end 200A breaker at the bottom of my panel; is that what you mean by total? Do you have electric heat? That'd be the only thing that concerns me about your total load. If so, check what the breakers that run the heat are rated for (the number on the breaker handle) and add them together. This won't tell you your total heat load, but it'll give an idea of the possible maximum. Blackbeer fucked around with this message at 00:55 on Nov 3, 2018 |
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2018 00:52
|
|
|
If you want to switch to electric for heating water and you're interested in energy efficiency, just get a tank heat pump (hybrid) hot water heater. In HP mode and depending on rates, they are usually the cheapest way to heat water, and definitely the most energy efficient. A potential added benefit in your case is that they take the standard 240/30A circuit, but if you have it on heat pump only mode, it draws far less than that.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2018 01:52
|
|
|
^^^^Seconded (Though in his case, it depends on the space he has available. A 9yo house may have come with the instant gas originally and difficult to fit a standard tanked heater)
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2018 01:54
|
|
|
Blackbeer posted:You're fine running #3 aluminum; the voltage drop will be less than 1% for a 40 ft run. I think you only need to consider the phases when it comes to voltage drop, by "return" do you mean the neutral? To go through the house you'll either have to run conduit the whole way or use a junction box/set-screw connectors and run the rest of the way with "service entrance cable" (SEC). You'll need a pretty big junction box; 6x6 would be the minimum (I think) but 8x8 would make things easier. A ground rod won't be necessary; the dedicated ground wire in your sub-panel run will handle that. I might do 6AWG copper honestly, it looks like 6AWG THWN isn't too pricey compared to AL. And yes, by return I meant the neutral. What do you use to splice something that big? I found some 6/3 Romex which would be great to run to the panel once the conduit hits the basement.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2018 02:33
|
|
|
BIGFOOT EROTICA posted:I might do 6AWG copper honestly, it looks like 6AWG THWN isn't too pricey compared to AL. If you use #6 copper you can use the large blue wire nuts. For larger wires/aluminum I use something like https://www.morrisproducts.com/pc_product_detail.asp?key=272FE6C8CABC4B35A79F44E287D7E943 or a crimper. I might spring for those anyway. You can use a cheaper bare splice or wirenut for the ground. Blackbeer fucked around with this message at 05:40 on Nov 3, 2018 |
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2018 05:09
|
|
|
Thanks everyone for the feedback. I don't have space for a tank water heater, so I guess I'll just rethink this plan altogether.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2018 16:14
|
|
|
KnifeWrench posted:Thanks everyone for the feedback. I don't have space for a tank water heater, so I guess I'll just rethink this plan altogether. Is the problem with your current natgas one that it's a lovely builder special?
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2018 17:06
|
|
|
B-Nasty posted:If you want to switch to electric for heating water and you're interested in energy efficiency, just get a tank heat pump (hybrid) hot water heater. In HP mode and depending on rates, they are usually the cheapest way to heat water, and definitely the most energy efficient. Out of curiosity, how loud are these? I may wind up buying a condo in a few years, and they're mostly all electric in this part of the country. A lot of them do the apartment-style thing and stick them in the laundry room (where i'm at now, I have a short wide 40 gallon hung above the dryer... on a shelf that has a corner that loves flesh and blood  ). But let's say I'm looking at a place with a similar layout to the apartment I'm in now - where the laundry is in the bathroom, and the bathroom is attached to the bedroom... or just has the water heater close to the bedroom in general.I can see how they'd be awesome in an attic or garage closet situation, or away from any sleeping areas. But a hall closet or a room next to a bedroom, maybe not so much?
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2018 09:12
|
|
|
Mine is a first generation GE geospring, and noise is similar to a small window AC unit, cause that's basically what it is. Mostly just white noise from the fans. A bigger issue may be how much heat it can suck up in the winter, if used in a small space. My old house was 1000sf and if it was running on a cold night (say under 20f) the central HVAC couldn't keep up. It's an easy process to switch off the heat pump and have it use its elements, though. Current house is about 3x as big with the laundry opposite the bedrooms and it's never been an issue. (Yes, I liked the thing enough to being it when I moved  )
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2018 14:46
|
|
|
H110Hawk posted:Is the problem with your current natgas one that it's a lovely builder special? Probably. It's a Noritz something-or-other, and was definitely installed by the builder. The issue it has is that it will have the oh-so-specific "combustion abnormality" error 90 and shut off sporadically. Reboot it, and it is fine again, but it sucks to have your shower go cold and then walk down the hall with shampoo in your hair (somehow it seems to know when you're washing your hair). I have tried to get it fixed in the past, but the failure mode is so inconsistent, it's hard to confirm that it's been addressed while the guy is here, and then it comes back a month or two later.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2018 15:56
|
|
|
Can someone just give me a sanity check on this: Currently I have a Siemens 100 amp (G2020MB1100) 20 spot main panel. This is for a house with 3 bedrooms and 1 (soon to be 2) full baths (~2400 sq ft total) plus a detached 2 car garage. I only have 1 double pole and 1 single pole spot open in the box now. New bathroom needs 5 dedicated circuits: 15 amp jetted tub - pump 15 amp jetted tub - heater 15 amp lights 20 amp outlet 15 amp heated floor So my plan it to ask a contractor to install a panel like this (https://tinyurl.com/y7klrud5) and use my open double pole spot to power it with another 100 amp breaker. Then I can wire my new circuits to this box. Most of the existing wire is ancient metal clad stuff so eventually I will rewire the whole house on the new panel and eventually switch the service to this panel. Any gotchas I am missing here?
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2018 17:26
|
|
|
ManDingo posted:Can someone just give me a sanity check on this: Nope. Just get your service upgraded and run it to the 200 AMP main breaker in the new box, abandon the old 100 Amp service feed past the meter tray. At this point you'll have to (well, you should) switch your ground/neutral bond to the new panel if that's already happening in the existing panel. This could be messy if the old panel has been poorly landed (i.e., gounds and neutrals mixed on the same bars). If it's at the weatherhead or meter box this might not be an issue for you at all.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2018 17:42
|
|
|
ManDingo posted:Can someone just give me a sanity check on this: You'd have to do some math if the existing box could take the amperage of 5 more circuits, but you could fit 5 circuits in 3 slots by using tandem breakers. Note: not all boxes accept tandem breakers, and not all that do accept them in all slots. Read the label on the inside of the panel door.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2018 20:00
|
|
|
STR posted:Out of curiosity, how loud are these? I have a (basically) brand new Rheem, and they claim to be the quietest in class. The spec sheet says 49 dBA. (https://s3.amazonaws.com/WebPartners/ProductDocuments/B68404C8-F5F0-4033-A295-761DCACBBE05.pdf) I'd say it's similar to a loud-ish gaming PC with fans with an additional low-level, high-pitched whine of the compressor. I wouldn't want to share a room with it, necessarily, mostly due to the cold air that comes out. The fan for the coils is basically a large PC fan, so it's not blowing like an AC unit, but there's definitely a cool stream of air near the unit. To be totally fair to energy calculations, you'd have to figure in the heat that it is 'stealing' if you live in an area that requires heat part of the year. However, at least in my case, it's in the basement, so there's some geo-thermal gain, and my heat is provided via a dual-system with heat pump and oil furnace. Both of those methods, even with inefficiencies, are going to come out on top over standard resistive elements. I also get some added dehumidifcation during the summer so the regular dehum doesn't have to work as hard. edit: I also just noticed they added a model which must only have 1 backup element, because it only needs a 15A (240 I assume) breaker instead of the usual 30. This would be a decent choice if you're (sadly) stuck on some 60-100A service. B-Nasty fucked around with this message at 23:37 on Nov 4, 2018 |
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2018 23:31
|
|
|
This isn't exactly a wiring question, more of a "wiring adjacent" one, but I just moved and my new computer desk is very minimalist. What's the best way to do some wire management so it doesn't look like Doctor Octopus below the desk? I have quite a few connections, 3 monitors, laptop docking station, a few external hard drives, speakers, etc.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2018 00:13
|
|
|
Sounds like you want some stickybacks and zip ties. Little plastic thingies with double sided tape on the back and slots for zip ties on the front, they're great for making any kind of wiring job neat. That'd let you run stuff along the underside of the desk and keep it all nicely hidden.
Mimesweeper fucked around with this message at 00:38 on Nov 5, 2018 |
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2018 00:34
|
|
|
Question regarding a bathroom fan install I'm doing. The wiring to the old fan is not long enough to use with the new fan. Running a new wire from the switch is going to be too difficult and time-consuming, so I want to put a junction box in, and just run a longer length of wire from there. The bathroom in question is on the top level, and the bathroom ceiling is accessible from the attic. Can I install a junction box that is only accessible from the attic and still be to code without cutting another hole in the bathroom ceiling, or am I required to install a box that can be accessed from the bathroom? To clarify: the attic is accessible from an access point in one of the bedrooms.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2018 00:39
|
|
|
As long as you can access the box from the attic you're good.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2018 00:46
|
|
|
B-Nasty posted:I have a (basically) brand new Rheem, and they claim to be the quietest in class. The spec sheet says 49 dBA. (https://s3.amazonaws.com/WebPartners/ProductDocuments/B68404C8-F5F0-4033-A295-761DCACBBE05.pdf) Most places I've lived have 100 amp service (I've been in two with 60 amp). I'm honestly not sure what I have now, since the main is outside at the meter (and I've never looked at the main breaker), but I'm assuming it's 100 amp. Not sure what version of the NEC my area had adopted when this place was built (2004). I also just looked at the WH breaker... 30 amp. My last place had a 40 or 50 amp breaker for it, also a 40 gallon, but it was a tall with 2 heating elements, instead of the short/fat with 1 element. But I think originally that place was built with larger tanks (plus they were outside on the patio... my electric bill in the winter was loving amazing). Since condos and apartments tend to stick them in the bathroom/laundry room here, the dehumidification would be a very nice bonus, but nearly 50 dB + a high pitched whine wouldn't be that nice. Definitely quieter than my dishwasher, but high pitched whines set off my tinnitus pretty bad.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2018 09:30
|
|
|
From the "what random thing in my building will break today" file that has been awfully active lately... You can almost see the odor.  Burned clean through the board. I'm kinda surprised I didn't start my day with a chat with the fire department.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2018 14:24
|
|
|
glynnenstein posted:From the "what random thing in my building will break today" file that has been awfully active lately... ... well THERE'S your problem!
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2018 22:45
|
|
|
thats a big rear end dimmer
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2018 00:08
|
|
|
Grrr new house, walking into one of the bedrooms and I step on something. I look down on the ground and see a smoke detector. It looks like the previous owner just taped them to the ceiling.   What do I need to do to fix this? Is it as simple as just getting better screws? The wires up there kinda freak me out.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2018 01:06
|
|
|
Medullah posted:Grrr new house, walking into one of the bedrooms and I step on something. I look down on the ground and see a smoke detector. It looks like the previous owner just taped them to the ceiling. Look at the date code, they're good for 10 years. Unscrew the plastic mounting ring that he taped it up by. Screw it to the ceiling using whatever drywall anchors you like. Then put the detector into the bracket. I assume the wires are for a hardwire system. If yours in compatible connect it up. If not, don't, but you should put a cover over the box if you're not using it. That's $1 at the hardware store, show them the picture and say you need a cover and fasteners if you aren't sure. If you have to buy a new detectorthen you could get one that's hardwire compatible w/ 10 year battery. I assume the previous owner did not.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2018 01:38
|
|
|
H110Hawk posted:Look at the date code, they're good for 10 years. Unscrew the plastic mounting ring that he taped it up by. Screw it to the ceiling using whatever drywall anchors you like. Then put the detector into the bracket. Yeah I was more just concerned that the wires were a problem and that's why it was taped up. I didn't even think about hardwiring, I'll pursue that. I had my eye on a combo smoke/carbon monoxide detector and that'd probably be a good thing to have. Thanks.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2018 01:45
|
|
|
Less wiring and more electronics but I don't know of a more appropriate thread: What kinds of household appliances are/aren't ok to run off of a cheap (non-sine) inverter? Like I believe laptops or anything with a power brick are fine, but anything with a motor running straight off the AC is not. Context: I spend a good bit of time at a friend's place that runs entirely on solar, but has a "modified sine" inverter that every AC motor in the place very audibly hates, and I don't want to ruin any of my equipment if I take it over there.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2018 01:59
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 27, 2024 13:04 |
|
|
Medullah posted:This isn't exactly a wiring question, more of a "wiring adjacent" one, but I just moved and my new computer desk is very minimalist. What's the best way to do some wire management so it doesn't look like Doctor Octopus below the desk? I have quite a few connections, 3 monitors, laptop docking station, a few external hard drives, speakers, etc. Mimesweeper posted:Sounds like you want some stickybacks and zip ties. Little plastic thingies with double sided tape on the back and slots for zip ties on the front, they're great for making any kind of wiring job neat. That'd let you run stuff along the underside of the desk and keep it all nicely hidden. Do yourself a favor, and don't use zip ties. Having to cut and reapply whenever you want to pull a cable out is a pain in the rear, and wasteful. Spend a little extra money and get some velcro instead. https://www.amazon.com/VELCRO-Brand-Reusable-Fastening-Organizing/dp/B001E1Y5O6/
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2018 05:31
|
|
