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So I just bought a house on Tuesday  and I've been doing some fixing up and minor upgrades before I move in. There are two switches in the bathroom. One turns on the light, the other turns on the fan. Pretty standard. However, the light switch also controls power to the outlet(s), which is weird and not optimal. I figured it was just a case of moving the wires around in the switch box to put them in parallel, but that's not it. I'm not sure what's going on here but it was definitely a  moment. I think this was caused by a bad job screwing the cap on the wires, but could it be something else I should be concerned about? I'm also still trying to figure out how to break the switch off the outlet. I didn't think of this until I got home but I think it's also possible that the switch is wired in series at the outlet. So tomorrow I should pop that outlet cover off and check it out. Regardless, I'm going to try to fish down a little more wire, cut and recap those burned wires.
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May 31, 2018 02:55
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| # ¿ Apr 30, 2024 03:16 |
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All the wiring is copper. It was built in 1950.
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Jun 1, 2018 13:15
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So can I just like, throw another 12/2 romex connection onto a junction box and run it down a wall? There's a junction box right above the wall I need to out an outlet on, but I'm not sure what it junctions to/from. Probably the bathroom and back room but everything is windy and goes under plywood and insulation  I guess I could try popping fuses out and seeing which fuse it's on. e: As an update to my prior burned-wires post. There was not any slack on the wires to pull more down and retwist, so I put a piece of heatshrink over the hot wire nearby and retwisted the two melted ones to make sure they were getting as good a connection as possible. I think I'm going to try and rerun that entire wire assuming I can find where it comes up into the attic. (It should be the junction box mentioned above but I can't find any wires that go down that wall) e2: I also confirmed that the outlet I was hoping to take off the switch is indeed run off the bathroom light, as another goon predicted. So oh well. SpartanIvy fucked around with this message at 03:31 on Jun 3, 2018 |
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Jun 3, 2018 03:28
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Hubis posted:Do you mean like this? In theory yes, but I want everything in the wall, and to run it from the attic down the wall. Although where I want the outlet is actually the opposite wall of where the light switch with the burned wires are. So now I'm thinking I might just tear out some sheet rock in the water heater closet, and put the water heater outlet box opposite the bathroom switch, rerun the wire from the attic down the wall, and kill 2 birds with one stone. I'd have to put the sheetrock back, but it's in a 20"x20" closet that literally no one but me will see.
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Jun 3, 2018 03:59
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Added the new outlet to my water heater closet, and fixed a splice in the attic that was just sitting under insultation. Put everything in a proper junction box and mounted it on a rafter. Redid the wiring 3 times to make sure I had good contact and pretwists on the nuts. Then I discovered I had spliced it off of the living room fuse instead of the bathroom  Might just leave it because the whole living room is on a 30 amp fuse and I don't think my TV setup, a ceiling fan, and some lights will ever get close to that.
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Jun 4, 2018 05:09
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shame on an IGA posted:I can almost promise your whole living room isn't supposed to be on a 30A fuse. Go change it to 15 asap Maybe? Oh god does this mean the whole box is supposed to be 30 amps total?  
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Jun 4, 2018 06:11
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The Gardenator posted:You should consider replacing that panel. In the interm, make sure your smoke detectors are less than 10 years old and functioning properly. That is a specific problem with the Stablok breaker panels. The fuse boxes are okay. I am considering replacing it and upgrading the rest of the houses wiring as well but it's a very expensive proposal so for the time being I'm making due. (But yes I do have smoke/carbon monoxide detectors)
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Jun 4, 2018 13:36
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shame on an IGA posted:Yeah that box is rated for a total of 30A at once split across 4 circuits which each have individual smaller fuses on them, which is fine as long as the fuses installed are the right size for the wires. 15A on 15A circuit, 15A fuse blows. 12A on each of 3 15A circuits, 30A main fuse blows. Right now it is wired up with 30 amp fuses on all 4 circuits. So I'm definitely going to be changing those out. Funny thing is the fuses are the old solid glass type so it must have been that way for a long time. I guess that's why none of them have blown.
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Jun 4, 2018 13:57
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Hubis posted:Hey, maybe all his wiring is 10awg v I wish. The wire heading to the living room was 12 gauge. Not sure if that was the only wire going to it, but I'd bet money it is.
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Jun 4, 2018 15:20
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I'm in the same boat. My house is a nightmare right now but it's leagues better than the other houses I looked at. I think every house is a nightmare, but it's your nightmare. That's just home ownership
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Jun 28, 2018 01:27
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STR posted:I like the helpful post-it showing "UPS Reset Button" helpfully pointing to the 15 amp circuit breaker built into the UPS. (I have the same UPS powering my modem/router/etc) Also the metal strapping when that UPS has provisions for wall mounting built in... I would hope the UPS is only there to detect the power being out in the first place and starting the generator to power anything of substance. I have a bigger UPS than that for my PC and it will power it for about 10 minutes before making GBS threads the bed. I imagine a UPS of that size would not even be able to supply an observable amount of power to the house before dying.
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Jul 17, 2018 05:06
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STR posted:So uh... just gonna quote this gem from OP: 
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Jul 17, 2018 05:42
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shame on an IGA posted:lol I have 4 15A screw fused circuits for literally everything in my house except the oven, dryer, WH, and HVAC Please get out of my house. I also have a couple of breakers in my additional panel that I have no idea where they go to at this time. Not to mention some 220v 15a outlets in rooms that I think are wired to the fuse panel but I have no idea how that's supposed to work and I'm terrified to even touch them. SpartanIvy fucked around with this message at 14:11 on Jul 25, 2018 |
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Jul 25, 2018 14:09
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I got a couple quotes on my 900 sqft(although at the time it was believed to be 1100) house and it was around $11k for a full rewire and fuse to breaker upgrade. $5-7k for just a fuse->breaker conversion, although it sounded like they wanted to turn the fuse box into a junction off a main breaker which is not the way I want to do it. E: also they almost certainly will tear up walls to run wires and their prices probably won't include repairs to it because they're electricians not drywall repair men. So factor in whatever that will cost or be prepared to do it yourself. SpartanIvy fucked around with this message at 18:25 on Jul 25, 2018 |
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Jul 25, 2018 18:19
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For it to be to code you'd have to have access to the junction boxes, so if you were planning to stick them behind a wall or something in the basement that would be a reason not to.
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Jul 25, 2018 21:22
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:My house walls are drywall > stud bay > tar paper > exterior siding. There's not even any sheathing (thanks, 1950's construction and mild climate!). So there's no "other side" for insulation to go in. You are like my house twin. Although mine has brick after the wood siding, and my one rear outlet doesn't work.
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Jul 25, 2018 22:10
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Man if those count as vintage I don't even want to post what I've been pulling out of the my walls.
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Aug 1, 2018 16:28
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GFCIs work by tripping if there is a variance in the neutral and hot wires. If the variance is 0.05 amps or more (IIRC) it will trip. This why you can use them in outlets without a ground. If the current isnt going where it's supposed to it will stop it. This does not completely protect you from being electrocuted though. If you are completing the circuit between the neutral and hot wires it'll still fry you. It only protects you from electrocuting yourself from the hot wire and some other ground.
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Aug 1, 2018 18:39
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Slugworth posted:So... how dangerous is it that my pool pump is currently running to an outlet via an extension cord with no ground prong on it? IANAE but I would agree it's kind of dangerous. Grounds exist to give electricity an escape path that's not you when something goes wrong. So if your pool pump has a short it will best case scenario stop working. Worst case scenario is that it would transfer current through the pool (and you) and that would be bad. However, fresh water is actually a real bad conductor so I'm probably more afraid of it than is realistic. With that said I would unplug that bad boy before I jumped in the pool every time. Or put it on a switched outlet. You can never be too safe!
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Aug 1, 2018 20:03
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Afaik there's no code violation as long as everything on that 15A circuit is setup correctly, as in not up-amped somehow. My 1950 house has 4 15-Amp fuses for the whole thing and one of those is the entire kitchen. Granted my stove is gas, but that does also include a washing machine. I haven't blown a fuse yet though I think modern appliances and lighting are pretty drat effecient so it's not a huge concern these days.
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Oct 30, 2018 22:47
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Bleh Maestro posted:
This may be a dumb question, but you have switched the thermostat over from AC to Heat, right?
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Nov 19, 2018 22:12
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Bleh Maestro posted:I probably should have said that because I'm sure I sound clueless, but yes I have. If you have the old thermostat, could you try hooking it back up to verify the heater works still? Also, make sure you cut the power when you swap wires around. If the two wrong wires touch it can blow a fuse, or even break your HVAC transformer. I did this in an apartment once when I was installing my own thermostat.
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Nov 20, 2018 01:26
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Holy poo poo
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Jan 28, 2019 21:09
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Is there any code against having two 220v plugs on one run? If not I would just wire them together and make sure to only use one at a time.
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Feb 11, 2019 20:46
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Just spent the last 2 hours consolidating 3 different boxes of varying out-of-code levels into this one. One of them was a bakelite box that was literally crumbling. So if you have any of those in your house, you might want to check or replace them. The switch goes to the attic light, which I am going to upgrade to LED bar lights. The GFCI is only powering my security cameras, the middle black wire is powering a little fan in the bathroom, and the 2 black wires on the right go to a transformer that I am 99% sure is powering the door bell chime. So nothing with any demanding amperage. I did use some of those WAGO lever nuts and I have to say, they are SO easy to use. I'd still be leery of using them in a heavy use situation though. 
SpartanIvy fucked around with this message at 23:10 on Feb 24, 2019 |
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Feb 24, 2019 23:01
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Motronic posted:GET DOWN ON THE GROUND AND PUT YOUR HAND OVER YOUR HEAD WHERE I CAN SEE THEM.  So in other news, recently my kitchen circuit has been blowing fuses like crazy. For reference I've lived here for 8 months and in the last week I've gone through 3 15-amp fuses for the kitchen circuit, without blowing any before that. So far it's blown when I ran the washing machine and microwave, rice cooker and microwave, and the popcorn air popper and microwave. I know I've done the last 2 several times in the past without issues, so what could be doing it now? The microwave has been the common denominator, but I'm not sure if that's the culprit. I haven't changed power levels or anything on it recently. Nor have I messed with anything hooked up to that circuit. I can deal with it if it's just a limitation of my very old electrical system, but why did it work fine for so long? I'm worried it's a symptom of something else being wrong with the wiring somewhere else. e: After looking up the Microwaves specs, it's probably mostly the microwave. The thing uses 13ish amps. SpartanIvy fucked around with this message at 05:25 on Feb 25, 2019 |
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Feb 25, 2019 04:27
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stevewm posted:Waygos for the win! E: apparently I have "screw & clamp back wire" type outlets which are not the same as backstab, but look identical. SpartanIvy fucked around with this message at 23:57 on Feb 25, 2019 |
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Feb 25, 2019 23:54
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FogHelmut posted:Further investigation shows this is stupider than it sounds. You fool, those were electrical load bearing beetles!
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Feb 26, 2019 00:01
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Busy Bee posted:I have three switches for my bathroom. The top left turns on and off the mirror light, the top right turns on and off the bathroom light while the big button on the bottom controls the fan. Sounds like the switch has broken or a wires come loose. After you TURN THE BREAKER OFF, take the switch off and tighten all the wires down and reattach any free wire you find. Should be super easy, but I'm not familiar with that type of switch so I can't say for sure what it looks like inside.
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Mar 16, 2019 14:08
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RabbitWizard posted:Are you suggesting that he should connect every wire that is found in the box to the switch or am I misreading you here? Because that would be terrible advice. Maybe my house is the oddity but I've never opened up an electrical box and had loose wires, or at least more than one. So if there are any loose wires they should go to the spot on the switch missing a wire. I feel like this is pretty simple logic.
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Mar 16, 2019 16:10
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That looks a lot like what I had in some of my boxes. In my case under that tape is some gummy material, and soldered wires. It was a pita to deal with but I replaced it with nuts and my house hasn't burned down yet.
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Mar 19, 2019 18:11
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I'm a big DIY guy but I would call an electrician for that. You're going to want to pull the meter before messing with a breaker box at the very least. I would anyway.
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Mar 23, 2019 01:09
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Can you post a picture of the box in question?
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Apr 2, 2019 04:50
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Definitely an improvement, but keep on improving. My garage is in a similar half assed state.
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May 9, 2019 05:15
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You can! But they must be GFCI or Daisy chained off a GFCI outlet.
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May 30, 2019 23:08
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mwdan posted:I just bought a house, and in the living room area on either side of the picture window is a plate with a plug in it. I couldn't find anything that matched those pictures, but I did discover that a company called Sierra made a low voltage home system, and I'm betting that's what it's a part of. https://www.kyleswitchplates.com/sierra-electric-low-voltage-lighting-info/ e: Found this thread, and while I can't see the pictures, it looks like they're describing exactly what you have. http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_...t-odd-what.html Consensus seems to be an antenna or antenna related. SpartanIvy fucked around with this message at 04:26 on Jul 12, 2019 |
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Jul 12, 2019 04:14
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So I have a nema 6-30 (250v 30a) plug in my bedroom that is 125v on each prong and uses the ground pin as neutral. I have literally never seen an appliance use this plug but it's apparently a thing. Anyway, my question is this: would there be any danger or issue if I make a power strip/box assembly that splits each 125v line into separate 125v standard outlets that share the neutral? I don't see why it wouldn't work but I would prefer not to burn my house down.
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Aug 11, 2019 06:46
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Yeah I should have specified that most of my house doesn't have grounds because of it's age so I am flush with GFCI outlets and they are the norm for me. However, swapping out the double pole breaker for a single pole and actually having a grounded outlet available seems like an obviously better move. I could also put in a second single-pole breaker and use it somewhere else in the house (I'm looking at you, entire kitchen on a 15a fuse)
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Aug 11, 2019 16:55
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STR posted:Code doesn't allow you to use anything except a bare wire or a green (or green+yellow) conductor for ground. Not saying you can't do it (if you do this, make sure you relabel that wire with green tape at both ends), but it may be an issue down the road if/when you sell if an inspector opens it up. Guess what kind of wire the 6-30 plug is using for neutral! (Bare copper in a Romex 12-2)
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Aug 14, 2019 14:43
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| # ¿ Apr 30, 2024 03:16 |
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The real question is ground on top or bottom
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Aug 14, 2019 20:33
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