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Look closely at the ants and check if they are carpenter ants. You might have ants in your walls.
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Oct 1, 2023 00:46
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This morning, basically every other breaker went out. Garage was dark, lit only by the EV charger, which was still working. The AC turned off at the moment of failure, the oven was dead, but the stovetop still worked for making lunch even though the microwave was also down. The breaker for one of the lines at the main service panel had visibly cracked in the electrical closet, killing half the circuits. The AC and anything needing full 240V was dead, but the EVSE downgraded itself to half voltage.
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Oct 1, 2023 00:56
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H110Hawk posted:Looks good to me but I am not an electrician. You will get faster as you get calloused and the hang of stripping wire. Do you have an auto-stripper? That makes it much faster. The main panel? We don't look at the main panel. It is inherently cursed.  Now a cursed brand? I have no idea? Also this is not the main panel but merely a leaf on the huge tree of electrical clusterfuck this place is. There are 6 buildings all with 240. I killed power to the building with the outlets I am replacing, but the non-contact voltage detector beeped a multi gang switch + outlet box? Hmmmmmm..... Turns out one of the outdoor lighting circuits is a 4-way, with switches in multiple buildings. I ended up flipping the enormous disconnect (400 amps! Two meters! Need that for electric heat) I do not have an auto stripper! Neat, $40 seems like a reasonable tool.
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Oct 1, 2023 01:37
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Oh poo poo carpenter ants! I dont see any frass in that box. I will look into this
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Oct 1, 2023 01:38
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What tools are you using? The proper set of tools laid out in easy to reach spots that you make sure to put them back into will make things go much much faster when replacing receptacles. I like to have: linesman's pliers, diagonal cutters; needle nose pliers; regular pliers; wire strippers; Phillips, flat, and Robertson screwdrivers, and a utility knife all in separate pockets of a tool bag. It is much faster to swap out for the right tool than to try and make the wrong tool work. If the wires are long enough just snip the old receptacles off as close as you can with the diagonal cutters and skip trying to straighten out the ends. Also the ground wires don't need to be clean clean clean. Give it a good rub with the emery cloth, wipe it with a rag to get the dust off, and then go to town.
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Oct 1, 2023 02:37
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Leatherman wave+ cutter/pliers, screwdriver set (bunch of flats and phillips), one of those $7 harbor freight wire strippers that sorta look like scissors. Now that I've typed it out yea, this sounds like crap! Ok, an auto stripper, better cutters (diag or linesman) are probably reasonable tools to go buy, maybe more depending on cost Snipping off the old receptacles is a good idea. A lot of time seems spent on getting those loops out from around the screws on the old outlet.
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Oct 1, 2023 02:48
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Yeah that sounds like a recipe for frustration if you are doing more than two or so. Good linesman's pliers and diagonal cutters will each cut through the wire like it isn't even there and allow you to have the old receptacle off in a matter of a few seconds. I find both pretty really useful to have around the house so imo they are worth spending a bit on to get not harbor freight. Linesman's pliers really shine when you are twisting wires together so if you aren't doing that you probably can get away without them. I really can't emphasize enough the importance of organizing the tools well and consistently putting them back in the same spots though. After two or three receptacles you will get a feel for what you need to reach for to get the tool you want and you can absolutely crank through the work.
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Oct 1, 2023 03:28
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I can't recommend getting linesman pliers enough. I use them all the time, not only for wiring stuff. Need to grab something without fail? Bend? Twist? Spindle? Mutilate? All trivial with them. They have heft - use it. Yeah vise grips can do a lot of these things but they're fiddly and I wind up snapping my fingers with them. Linesman pliers do not give a gently caress what you're doing. If they bite, you're golden. Leathermans are a jack of all trades - fine at most, good at none. Want to make it go even faster? Get screw down or clamp down back wire outlets. Cut, strip to length, insert, screw down. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Klein-Tools-Lineman-s-Pliers-And-Diagonal-Cutters-2-Piece-Kit/5014355533 H110Hawk fucked around with this message at 03:47 on Oct 1, 2023 |
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Oct 1, 2023 03:44
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As someone who just did a DIY 40-circuit panel swap I'm going to recommend some beefy stand alone side cutters, nice needle nose pliers, and automatic strippers... linesman's are nice, I've used mine a bunch, but not as necessary, use Wago's not nuts, twisting not required. If you're going to actually deal with panel replacements, sub or main, and thus 2+ gauge wires, consider ratcheting cutters. These Klein strippers are nice and cheap available right from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BC39YFQ Edit: Guess I should add, trip report, Thursday I replaced a 40 year old 42-slot CH panel with a new 42-slot Siemens panel. The end result is messier than I'd like compared to SyNack's green field panel(  ) but was 100% successful, no problems encountered at all so far despite going from 0 to 100% AFCI on all 20amp circuits, tandem AFCI no less. I had actually expected I would need to replace a bunch of old outlets and switches but so far nothing has given me any problems.
Elem7 fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Oct 1, 2023 |
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Oct 1, 2023 04:00
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Chronojam posted:This morning, basically every other breaker went out. Garage was dark, lit only by the EV charger, which was still working. The AC turned off at the moment of failure, the oven was dead, but the stovetop still worked for making lunch even though the microwave was also down. I was gonna guess floating neutral. Also, 
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Oct 1, 2023 04:09
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kastein posted:I was gonna guess floating neutral. Also,
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Oct 1, 2023 04:39
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linesmans are great because they act as both wire strippers and a hammer, negating the need to buy either. edit: buy a good set from klein, ive abused the poo poo out of mine over 8 years and only had to replace them twice. once when i snapped the handle trying to cut 4/0 and the other when they were stolen from site. My Spirit Otter fucked around with this message at 04:02 on Oct 4, 2023 |
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Oct 4, 2023 03:54
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I've heard good things about the Kobalt linesmans and diagonal cutters (and all their tools really). Specifically that in nearly all cases you can abuse the absolute gently caress out of them then show up to any Lowe's to get them replaced with no questions asked despite them not technically being under their "no hassle lifetime guarantee". You don't even have to make up some story about how you were practicing your monthly hobby of cutting 20ga copper wire into various lengths when a giant notch appeared in the blade. Oh I nearly forgot: when replacing a bunch of outlets and such a small cordless vacuum is really nice to tote along. You end up with lots of little bits of insulation and cut wire on the ground. Has anyone heard of using an oscillating multi-tool to cut old work boxes free of studs? I remember reading that a fairly easy way to get old boxes feee is to pry the old work box a bit away from the stud then slip the blade of a multi-tool in there to slice through the nails, but can't seem to find it now.
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Oct 4, 2023 10:51
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Yep, works fairly well, just need to be careful that the blade doesn’t slip.
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Oct 4, 2023 11:03
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Mine are kobalts and I can confirm they work way better than my drill at being a hammer. Basically if I can't find my needlenose, strippers, or cutters I can still easily use them to replace an outlet. They can strip (gentle gentle...), make loops as long as I have a few inches of extra to cut off, then snip to length.
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Oct 4, 2023 15:13
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I just discovered Lutron pico remotes and they are a god drat blessing for me and my old house that has switches in dumb locations with no easy way to wire in a 3 way. I just spent all of 15 minutes putting one in my son’s bedroom so I don’t have to walk across the room to get to the only light switch. Countdown to losing my mind and having rooms with 4+ switches.
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Oct 4, 2023 15:20
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The Dave posted:I just discovered Lutron pico remotes and they are a god drat blessing for me and my old house that has switches in dumb locations with no easy way to wire in a 3 way. Zero. Gogogo
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Oct 4, 2023 15:36
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devmd01 posted:Yep, works fairly well, just need to be careful that the blade doesn’t slip. I've done it too. Works like a dream.
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Oct 4, 2023 18:32
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The Dave posted:I just discovered Lutron pico remotes and they are a god drat blessing for me and my old house that has switches in dumb locations with no easy way to wire in a 3 way. I have a similar use case for that, and a serious downside in that I already know the box is stuffed full and I'm afraid to try and add a bulky switch to replace a simple one. It's a dream deferred until I remodel.
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Oct 4, 2023 19:14
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The Dave posted:I just discovered Lutron pico remotes and they are a god drat blessing for me and my old house that has switches in dumb locations with no easy way to wire in a 3 way. Picos are loving amazing. Has anyone here ever replaced the battery in one of them? I've only had them for ~5 years (on the oldest one) but I'm legit curious. I could see them only 'dying' due to the self-discharge / leakage of the coin cell, which is also really low...
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Oct 5, 2023 06:18
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The stuff I was reading online was saying to expect around 10 years of battery life.
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Oct 5, 2023 11:10
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StormDrain posted:I have a similar use case for that, and a serious downside in that I already know the box is stuffed full and I'm afraid to try and add a bulky switch to replace a simple one. It's a dream deferred until I remodel. can you set the box further back and add a box extender, or no?
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Oct 5, 2023 15:55
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My Spirit Otter posted:can you set the box further back and add a box extender, or no? Mmmm maybe. It's seriously so low on my priorities that it probably won't ever hapoen. I can just walk across my kitchen. Its just a double gang switch box but it has a three way in it for the kitchen table light and I think a second circuit comes off of it so there is one feed in and four out. That's a lot of wire. When I remodel the kitchen I can make that. Into two of the fancy switches and eliminate a lot of bulk.
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Oct 5, 2023 16:06
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I just had the electricians back to do the finish work for my kitchen remodel. I've got a new three-way switch now for the ceiling lights and I already hate that it means that one switch will always be "wrong". Also one is a Decora style paddle and one is an old school toggle for reasons that I thought made sense at the time but now it just looks really dumb so I'm going to have to swap the toggle out anyway. I found this Lutron tap light switch and am thinking I'll now swap both of them out with it: https://www.amazon.com/Lutron-Incandescent-Single-Pole-Multi-Location-MA-S8AM-WH/dp/B000MOF6XU?th=1 I can't seem to find any similar products that Decora style and are a tap or button instead of a toggle/paddle. Are there other options out there?
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Oct 5, 2023 22:10
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The new Lutron Claro Smart Switch and an accompanying Pico Paddle Remote might work for you. If you do end up going with that Maestro switch you were looking at, note that you need one main switch (the one you linked) and one MA-AS-WH accessory switch. Two main switches can't be linked together. TacoHavoc fucked around with this message at 04:14 on Oct 6, 2023 |
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Oct 6, 2023 04:09
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Sirotan posted:I can't seem to find any similar products that Decora style and are a tap or button instead of a toggle/paddle. Are there other options out there? Tap option from Leviton - 1x D215S-2RW smart switch plus 1x DD0SR-1Z remote switch will do this. There are also dimmer versions. They're available at Home Depot or from Leviton. I had a hellish time with these for the first year I had them, but they've been 100% reliable since a firmware update, so a tepid recommendation.
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Oct 6, 2023 06:08
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TacoHavoc posted:If you do end up going with that Maestro switch you were looking at, note that you need one main switch (the one you linked) and one MA-AS-WH accessory switch. Two main switches can't be linked together. Yep, I had read through the instructions on accessory switch initially and saw I needed the main switch. KS posted:I had a hellish time with these for the first year I had them, but they've been 100% reliable since a firmware update, so a tepid recommendation. I guess I am going with the Maestro then.  Mostly bc I'd prefer to stay away from smart switches if at all possible. Thanks for the additional info though! I remain shocked there are not more tap/button options out there.
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Oct 6, 2023 14:08
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StormDrain posted:Mmmm maybe. It's seriously so low on my priorities that it probably won't ever hapoen. I can just walk across my kitchen. thats not too much work, heck, you could even replace the double ganger with a deep double ganger. just break connections one at a time, pull both wires out of the box, wrap a piece of tape around each wire and write a 1 on both pieces of tape then repeat the process with the rest of the wires. for the 3 way, label a b for the traveler so you dont lose track. probably a 1.5 hour job if youre taking it slow.
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Oct 6, 2023 22:35
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Sirotan posted:I just had the electricians back to do the finish work for my kitchen remodel. I've got a new three-way switch now for the ceiling lights and I already hate that it means that one switch will always be "wrong". I would seriously try ignoring it for a month before you spend $100 on making it complicated. This is something pervasive in every home you have ever lived in previously. Every house you visit. Etc.
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Oct 7, 2023 17:10
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H110Hawk posted:I would seriously try ignoring it for a month before you spend $100 on making it complicated. This is something pervasive in every home you have ever lived in previously. Every house you visit. Etc. I've never lived anywhere with a three-way switch before! And too late I already ordered em!!!!
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Oct 7, 2023 17:12
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if you turn the lights on and off from the same spot, none of the switches will be wrong. i know it doesnt matter now, but something to keep in mind before wasting money and resources on replacing perfectly cromulent switches.
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Oct 7, 2023 17:14
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Actually in this case I think the correct solution is to spend $50,000 on an architectural lighting control system. You can even run it from your phone! https://www.etcconnect.com/Products/Architectural-Systems/Paradigm/ It'll be an extra $15,000 if you want the ability to reconfigure it yourself without calling the installer.
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Oct 7, 2023 17:30
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Sirotan posted:I just had the electricians back to do the finish work for my kitchen remodel. I've got a new three-way switch now for the ceiling lights and I already hate that it means that one switch will always be "wrong". If one switch is always "wrong" then flip that switch around. Turn power off, pull it out of the wall, rotate 180°, reinstall. I did that for a switch in my parents' house that had been bugging them for TWENTY YEARS and my mother was flabbergasted that it only took me two minutes to fix.\ corgski posted:Actually in this case I think the correct solution is to spend $50,000 on an architectural lighting control system. You can even run it from your phone! I thought you were linking to L-shaped house.
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Oct 7, 2023 17:52
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At closing, the previous owners of my house told me they just left their basement lights on for 40 years because the 3-way switches were wired wrong. I’m always amazed at the simple problems people are willing to put up with.
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Oct 7, 2023 17:58
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:If one switch is always "wrong" then flip that switch around. Turn power off, pull it out of the wall, rotate 180°, reinstall. Feels like that makes them even more wrong. That is a unique solution through. But I still would rather just have a stateless button.
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Oct 7, 2023 18:52
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Sirotan posted:Feels like that makes them even more wrong. That is a unique solution through. But I still would rather just have a stateless button. Their complaint was that when the light was off, the switches were in different orientations. So to turn the light on, you either flipped one up or the other down. Both up for off was fine. Both down for off was fine. If you want it so both switches are in the same orientation when on, then flip a switch around. The positions will only be "wrong" when it's off, then. You pick your poison, I suppose.
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Oct 7, 2023 18:56
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Get toggling smart switches that do not rest either up or down and can be done by your phone, bing bong so simple
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Oct 7, 2023 22:54
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Chronojam posted:Get toggling smart switches that do not rest either up or down and can be done by your phone, bing bong so simple As much as I think the stated need is absolutely bonkers and money would be better spent on therapy, my preferred home automation smart switch is:  There is a non dimmer version and either works with a "remote" 3 way switch. Home automation with manual override ability. Things go wrong you just turn off the automation. It's neutral position is the middle and you click it up or down. or click and hold it up or down depending on desired function. In my experience most people seem to find it intuitive.....at least for on and off.
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Oct 7, 2023 23:00
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eliminate the issue of switch positions altogether with industrial momentary start/stop button pairs tied to a latching 120v relay that controls the lights.
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Oct 7, 2023 23:11
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ive removed all light switches in my house and replaced them with clappers. the problem is i live next door to the LA ampitheatre
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Oct 7, 2023 23:11
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