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Bad Munki posted:I thought code allowed for non-gfci circuits for devices that should still operate in those conditions, specifically for things like sump pumps and refrigerators. I believe that's the case in either the I-codes or the NEC but not the other. At least there was something screwy like that going on when I last was enforcing code. I never gave anyone poo poo for using a non-GFCI for specific purposes like that for obvious reasons.
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Sep 18, 2013 19:50
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Gothmog1065 posted:Would the stranded wiring be OK? It made it pretty much impossible for anybody else to ground to that wiring as it seems TWC requires all of their service drops be pulled to power now. Stranded is perfectly acceptable, and I don't know why it would prevent anyone else from using it. Do you mean flat braided (which still wouldn't prevent anyone from using it, they just likely don't know how or have the correct parts).
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Sep 19, 2013 15:21
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Gothmog1065 posted:More along the lines of they put conduit on it, and I guess they're not allowed to get into the box itself to ground. One ground is just attached to my box itself. I'll have to get a hold of an in house tech to find out. Oh...so we're back to the issue is that a brain dead cable contractor is trying to do electrical work. Okie. Well, if you want it done right do it yourself or get an electrician to bond something to the ground and run it out of the meter box with a proper grommet so the short bus guy can connect to it.
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Sep 19, 2013 16:29
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Bobulus posted:Here's something to make the thread laugh/cry: That's all pretty typical, and the only problem there is that they didn't enclose the splice in the box (and didn't use enough wire to make that happen). On the scale of "dangerous electrical", that's way way down the list.
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Sep 21, 2013 21:36
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Ballz posted:Recently got a dehumidifier (this one) and overall it works great except for one concern: the power supply gets hot. I mean stupidly, ridiculously hot. That's a low budget Chinese piece of crap with known problems. Take a suggestion from the thread title and put it in the trash or return it. You already knew this or you wouldn't be asking and keeping a trivet under it. You are correct. Don't doubt yourself.
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Sep 29, 2013 21:48
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Farside posted:We found those examples but it doesn't give a step by step as to how to piece these things together. You are unlikely to find anything like that. Ashcans posted:Here's a question for you guys. Last night, the power went out in half of our apartment. Basically we lost it in the kitchen, living room, and one bedroom, while it stayed on in the bathroom, second bedroom, and study. (Also there was one outlet in the kitchen and one in the bedroom that stayed on). I went and checked the breakers, everything seemed ok, no idea what is happening. About 45 minutes later, power goes out in the rest of the house, and then everything comes back on about 15 minutes later. Sounds like you lost one phase. This should't have anything to do with "being fed from two different poles."
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Oct 9, 2013 21:11
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Ashcans posted:The explanation I have is basically third hand (The electrician/NSTAR talked to my landlord, who called my wife, who emailed me at work) so it's very likely there was a mistranslation or terminology drop somewhere. If we lost a phase, is it something we should be concerned about and is there anything we should ask the landlord to do? He seems content that Nstar solved the issue with whatever work they were doing. Nah, if everything is working again you're fine. The way power works in the US is you get two hots and a neutral. If you connect to one hot and the neutral you get 120v. Connect to both hots and you get 240v. One side of your breaker panel has the one hot leg and the other side has the opposite hot leg. 240v breakers grab both, 120v stays on it's own side (some panels are different, but operate on the same principle). This is GROSSLY oversimplified, but should explain how you can lose only half of your circuits.
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Oct 9, 2013 23:22
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socketwrencher posted:Wiring up some LED can lights. Lights have ground leads but the cans don't. Do I just leave the grounds unconnected? I'm using 14ga NM cable. Thanks. The metal chassis of the can should be ground. There's really not any (green) screw on the can chassis to attach a ground to?
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Oct 13, 2013 00:21
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rekamso posted:Replacing several breakers: if I don't care about the NEC, should I still be using AFCI breakers (the current breakers are not AFCI)? That depends on what those breaker are for........
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Oct 17, 2013 20:27
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rekamso posted:One bedroom outlet (replacement) and a new outlet in the living room. They are significantly safer. In fact, replacing existing breakers with AFCIs and CAFCIs will show you just how bad your existing wiring may be. We all did fine for many years with standard breakers, and before that glass fuses that often had coins jammed underneath them to keep them from blowing. If you don't care about code then you need to decide how much a one-time cost is worth it to you to prevent a fire.
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Oct 18, 2013 01:02
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ADHDan posted:Hopefully I'm in the right thread for this question. Pictures of the dimmer/box inside and out would probably suffice to point you in the direction of matching part(s) for replacement.
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Oct 21, 2013 17:45
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kastein posted:Square D Homeline is fine... Square D Homeline QO is cool too but expect $texas breaker prices. Cutler Hammer CH panels are on par with QO panels. And the proce difference between Homeline and QO or CH *FCIs are not all that huge for your average stuff (15/20A single pole). We're talking $38 vs 50 or something. For a panel that has a copper bus bar rather than aluminum. But, yeah.....Homeline is sufficient for a house or garage if you aren't a spergelord about these kinds of things (like I am, having just installed yet a larger QO panel in my barn, fully understanding that I need about $400 worth of breakers now). But if you need a ton of high amperage exotic breakers in a shop you probably want a Siemens panel anyway.
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Oct 21, 2013 20:28
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raej posted:Could I use a CFL to use less power, or will it still want that 120v? That is not a resistive load and will require AC. LEDs. You need LEDs. You could run the whole thing for 12 hours on 2 AAA batteries. Think about a book light that you can modify and put into a gutted lightbulb.
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Oct 28, 2013 20:30
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Bad Munki posted:There's a gfci outlet next to my breaker panel. The only thing plugged into it is the gas alarm. The outlet keeps tripping, most likely cause that the outlet in question has just gone south for some reason or another? Is there some way to test its goodness? I have an outlet tester that will test gfci functionality, but that'll just tell me that it'll trip, not that it's gone soft or anything. What else stops working when that outlet trips (if any)? There can be other outlets downstream that it is protecting and something plugged into or wrong with one of those could be causing it to trip. Ot your gas alarm could be causing it to trip. GFCI outlets are cheap enough and it's a likely enough scenario that it may just be bad that it's probably easier to swap it out (if you are comfortable doing that kind of work) and see what happens rather than trying to track down the other possibilities.
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Nov 1, 2013 19:09
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Guy Axlerod posted:What would that outlet be for if it can't handle a standard kitchen appliance? When you find the fuse, I'd be interested to know what the rating is. While it shouldn't be the issue, a toaster oven is probably the largest draw counter top appliance in a kitchen, and something that didn't exist when this stove was made. At that time, something that draws about 1/4 of your average toaster oven was the largest draw: a toaster. My grandmother had a range like this in her kitchen. Super top of the line for an early-1950-whatever thing with a rotisserie and everything. The outlets had a 15 amp Buss screw-in type fuse. These things "wear out" (fatigue) with heat and vibration, so when they are on the back of a stove they like to blow pretty much constantly. I'm assuming we're talking about an ancient range here, as I've not seen anything with an outlet on it since glass fuses were no longer a thing. If it's something newer, the model number should be on a sticker inside the oven door and lead to an owner's manual pretty easily. If it's one of these old boat anchors, pictures would probably help.
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Nov 2, 2013 15:31
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Skier posted:Code question: I replaced a standard outlet in the kitchen with a tamper-proof GFCI one and it's now protected two other downstream outlets. However there are three other outlets in the kitchen. They are on the other side of the kitchen. One for the microwave/vent hood in a cabinet, one on the counter and one for the fridge. Do any of them need to be GFCI protected? If it was code when it's installed it's still code. GFCIs aren't retroactively involved other than in some jursidictions on ownership/occupancy change. So if you've already for a C of O, you've already got a C of O. On the other hand, if you're asking about what is smartest thing to do you'd be replacing all of those receptacle breakers (and even lighting circuit breakers) with CAFCIs. Yeah, it's expensive. Yeah, it's either current code or soon to be current code depending on where you live. GFCI protected kitchen receptacles are the bare minimum I'd be comfortable with in my own home. Skier posted:Also I am going to be wiring up more garage lights and more outlets. Well.....you can tap what's in there if it has sufficient amp capacity based on the length of cabe and it's size. Maybe that's fine, but if it's a long run of contractor grade 14 wire I sure wouldn't do it. As far as GFCI, it's an unfinished storage enclosure so yeah....all outlets regardless of location or purpose need to be GFCI. Skier posted:Outlets: previous owners added five outlets to the garage on a new circuit. Need to actually read the cable but looking in the garage attic it was orange and big: 10 gauge? I want to hook up from the farthest outlet, go up and over the attic and down to the other side of the garage. Any issues grabbing power from the end of run receptacle and continuing it? I assume these need to be GFCI protected, that should be on my list, too. Yes...in "new cable" orange is 10. Yellow is 12. As for issues adding another outlet to the run, that entirely depends on how long it is already, how much longer you want to make it, and what size the breaker is. Chances are good assuming normal home and garage dimensions and a 15 or 20 A breaker that you are A-OK.
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Nov 4, 2013 02:46
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So yeah, white would be 14 wire. For what you're proposing it pretty much sounds like you'll be fine.
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Nov 4, 2013 04:09
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Cat Hatter posted:That socket is long gone, somehow the contacts were bent so I cut it off and replaced it with two wires soldered together. I'm mostly concerned because I've only ever soldered low voltage stuff and I'm not sure if it's safe/legal to solder household voltage wiring. It's not safe or legal to do it for house wiring.....as in wall cable. That should be wire nutted or similar and in a box. As far as dealing with what's little more than an extension cord......there is no "code" to fall back on. The only people who would have any say about that is your insurance company. But if you soldered it properly and then taped or otherwise insulated it properly I really wouldn't worry about it.
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Dec 8, 2013 21:42
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eddiewalker posted:Outdoor flood light fixture came with stranded wiring. I had the worst time getting a connection to romex with just a wire nut. It could be, it could be fine. Based on most CURRENT codes you need to use wire nuts or other mechanical attachment devices ACCORDING TO THEIR LISTING. None of them list "solder" as being acceptable under them. But old school codes? Most of them said solder was acceptable AFTER good mechanical and electrical connection. So, properly soldered=safe but not to code, most likely. grover posted:Most local codes require all appliances, cords, etc., to be UL listed for the purpose used. Soldering a socket would presumably violate that UL listing. That's a gigantic technicality. Of course, it's exactly the kind of thing an insurance company would use.
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Dec 8, 2013 22:04
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rekamso posted:I'm looking for the cleanest way, visually, to install track lighting. Yes, you want the second type. You can put a box above/near it in the ceiling and feed it from there with a short piece of MC. Realistically, that's not even needed since it's all above the drywall, but it's not a bad idea just incase something goes screwy and the tracks get pulled down.
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Dec 9, 2013 19:18
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kid sinister posted:Energized cable can only terminate inside boxes. You can't run a cable still able to be powered via a switch to the middle of a ceiling and bury it behind drywall. That's adorable and so idealistic. This guy was talking about the real world, not inside the covers of a code book.
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Dec 12, 2013 04:57
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Those are decorative. Install a proper "fan box" or similar appropriate box and brace that spans rafters.
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Dec 14, 2013 20:59
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MrDingleDangle posted:The issue with that is I don't have access to the rafters from the attic at the peak, I could do it from the bottom, but also worried how to extend the box so it reaches to the bottom of the 6 inch "beam" Cut drywall and patch it. It beats having the chandler fall down. And if this is any kind of "normal" chandelier ist's on threaded pipe that should be plenty long. You put an escutcheon where it meets the finished ceiling. If it's too heavy for the lid of a box use a chandelier brace (installs across rafters, accepts threaded rod, some are adjustable to make it easy to hang the fixture straight down on a sloped ceiling). You'll still need a box for the connections and you'll still need to cut drywall. Actually, if you're trying to get this to come through those decorative beams you will probably have to use a chandelier brace and hang it high. You may ot may not have the access you need to do that in a way that allows you to cut the drywall so you can patch it without removing the beam/trim stuff. Bottom line: there is not likely going to be any way to do this properly without cutting at least drywall if you don't have access from above. Motronic fucked around with this message at 22:34 on Dec 14, 2013 |
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Dec 14, 2013 22:32
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MrDingleDangle posted:Sorry for not being clear, the junction boxes I have used before are only maybe 2-4 inches deep at most, wouldn't i need one to come all 6 inches down, would this be accomplished by adding an extension? I'm making the (pretty good because it's common) assumption that this chandelier mounts on a threaded rod, which is going to be quite long and probably even replaceable. That is how you make it "lower" in relation to finished ceiling height. If you want more specifics you're going to have to pony up a picture of the ceiling side of the chandelier
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Dec 15, 2013 20:29
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Economic Sinkhole posted:I'm going to be replacing three butt-ugly surface-mount light fixtures with LED recessed fixtures soon. The instructions I've read seem pretty straight-forward, especially since I'm just changing these fixtures 1-for-1. Is there anything I should know before I get started? What size should I install (or how to I choose?)? Are you talking about cans? Like the kind of lights you'll find on the ceiling? If so, the LED retrofit kits are quite simple if you don't care about your exiting trim rings. If you do, you are better off getting LED bulbs (the type the screw in) of the right shape/size. Also, some of the retrofit kits have a gimbal option, which are kinda cool in the right place. And, like everything else......you get what you pay for.
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Dec 16, 2013 19:26
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So "easy" is pretty relative and you've not mentioned if you have any access from above, insulation in that area, etc, etc, etc....... Lots of factors can affect this. ninja edit: that looks like some kind of funky retrofit can. It's certainly not a standard one I've seen. additional ninja edit: I've never seen a light like what you have now be in a reasonable position to be replaced with a single can. More typically they are in the center of a room where you rarely want/need a can and you end up having to patch over the hole left from it as you install 4, 6 or 8 cans around the outside of the room. Motronic fucked around with this message at 19:49 on Dec 16, 2013 |
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Dec 16, 2013 19:47
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Guy Axlerod posted:Start by getting a real volt meter (instead of just a detector), and measure the voltage out of that outlet. This is good advice, but is the GFCI simply tripped? That would explain the non contact reading voltage. I don't want to assume this person doesn't even know how to hit a test and reset switch........but it's a possibility.
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Dec 18, 2013 01:17
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kid sinister posted:If you want to get really technical, then all grounds in a service must be joined together. If your circuit panel isn't grounded to the water pipe but your new outlet wire is, then technically that's illegal, but I doubt you would ever find an inspector who would give you a problem from making that outlet safe. You could just run that wire directly back to the panel busbar and it's legal, period. That's not some meaningless technicality as you seem to making it out to be. Bonded grounds are quite important, and you can end up in some really funky and dangerous situations if this is screwed up. Remember, grounds aren't there to make circuits work. They are there to save your rear end if something goes wrong.
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Dec 19, 2013 00:24
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kid sinister posted:That depends on how much drywall work. The first coat of drywall mud takes a day to dry by itself. You can probably get the second and third coat with all the sanding done the next day though. I've started using the setting-type 20 minute drywall compound for patches, not the premix buckets that have to dry. You can go over your first coat in an hour or less with this stuff, and be sanding the final coat in 30 minutes or so if you run it dry enough. If you run it too wet it will have to dry out after curing, pretty much defeating the purpose. Just be aware that once it starts to set it's off to the races. It cures rather than dries, so it all happens astonishingly fast once the process starts. I never mix more than a single tray at a time. e: it's also cheaper than mud by the bucket and you don't have to worry about it drying out on you if you don't use the whole sack. Motronic fucked around with this message at 01:16 on Dec 19, 2013 |
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Dec 19, 2013 01:14
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kid sinister posted:removing the wallpaper There is seriously not a worse job than this. And I've done septic work.
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Dec 19, 2013 04:06
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What's the draw on the fireplace? It probably shouldn't be going through an outlet. It might even need bigger wire to begin with. But if the wire is the appropriate gauge for the length/draw I'd suggest a simple solution that itsn't really something you'll find in a code book: Take the outlet out of the circuit and put it in through a tap. As in, take both sides of that run that is currently coing through the outlet and wire nut them directly together along with a short piece of romex. Attach this short piece of romex to the outlet so the current is no longer going "through" the outlet to the fireplace. This is not the right way to do it. If I were you I would run a dedicated circuit the the fireplace and stop screwing around. But I would do as I suggested until I had the time to do it right.
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Dec 22, 2013 21:56
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Hazed_blue posted:but I rent this home Well......I mean....what do you expect? Have them run a dedicated circuit and/or keep up on you renter's insurance. I'm not sure what people expect when they post questions like this and don't own the home/apartment they are in. If it's not right then call you landlord. That's the only reasonable solution available and one of the top two benefits of renting rather than owning.
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Dec 22, 2013 23:55
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angryrobots posted:I don't understand why only that receptacle is getting warm, unless there is a tap off of it, feeding another load. Like the outlet the fireplace is plugged into? Yes, that's exactly what's happening here.
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Dec 23, 2013 02:43
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Rubiks Pubes posted:In our living room we have some I guess spotlights. They are like a can light but swivel and have a floodlight bulb in them. I would like to change these to LED and actually got a good deal on a couple of LED retrofit fixtures, but I wasn't thinking about them being the swivel kind. The fixtures that I bought have an Edison type connector on it, is there any possibility of making them work with the swivel fixtures or can I somehow make this work without pouring too much more money in to it? It's called a "gimbal" and yes, you can absolutely get them as LED retrofits that are gimbals. You'll be removing all of the original gimbal stuff and replacing it with the LED retrofit, and may need to directly wire the retrofit rather than using the supplied bulb-type fitting. It really depends on what your particular can looks like inside.
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Jan 1, 2014 00:40
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Rubiks Pubes posted:Well, I ended up deciding to use them in my kitchen instead as we had two straight floodlight cans in there. But there is no bit of a gap between the trim and the ceiling. It looks like the can has some adjustment built in but not enough, it is probably a 1/8" gap. What could I use to seal the gap? Help me understand how/why there is a gap? The LED retrofit kits I'm most familiar with are friction fit, so unless your can depth is too low you should be fine. And if your can depth is too low and it's a standard-ish can like a Halo you should be able to move the backplate (what the incandescent bulb used to be screwed to) up a bit. It's adjustable for various bulb/trim ring combinations.
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Jan 1, 2014 17:08
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Rubiks Pubes posted:Right- it is a Halo can and while there is some adjustment it doesn't seem the back plate can be moved any higher than it is. So when the retrofit is screwed in to the socket in the can, the trim etc is all hanging down slightly rather than fitting tight against the ceiling. So what style retro is this? The ones I'm picturing are like this: http://www.lightingnewyork.com/product/design-fountain-led-recessed-recessed-led4742-wh.html?gclid=CIuppb7W3bsCFQPNOgodaQMAGg Are you saying yours is retained by screwing the entire assembly into the socket?
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Jan 1, 2014 20:09
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GWBBQ posted:When running low voltage data and video cables in a suspended ceiling, is just resting them in J hooks along walls to code or do they have to be zip tied or otherwise fastened to the hooks? There aren't really any codes for what you do with that other than being suspended in some manner every 4-5 feet. But you've already gotten a good answer as to what you SHOULD do for sanity.
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Jan 4, 2014 23:27
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XmasGiftFromWife posted:And the dryer rating was inside the door hidden like car tire pressure. Wouldn't you think power information would be on one of the 3 labels on the back, specifically the one next to the cord? : That seems to be where washers/dryers/dishwashers nearly always have their make/model/serial/data plate, probably so you don't have to crawl behind them to access the information but to still have it in an unobtrusive spot.
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Jan 7, 2014 17:55
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kastein posted:I'd probably use rather small wire nuts, they come off again in case you ever want to change something else. This sounds like a job for scotchlocks. Not sure how common they are outside of telecom though, so it may not be the kind of thing the average person can get their hands on without ordering a box of 100 or more. 
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Jan 13, 2014 20:28
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wormil posted:The other day I walked in, picked up the outlet end and it was slightly warm, just a little above room temp. The saw had not been running. Should I trash it? Rebuild it? What would cause it to warm up? In the mean time I am unplugging when not in use. My first reaction to this would be to open it up and check out what's going on with the outlet. Are the connections still tight? If everything looks good, toss another $0.88 outlet in there and see how it goes. My second reaction would be to look at this and say "self, if I know how to wire an outlet and there is one close enough to plug in this extension cord why don't I just bang a box in for real and wire it in to the existing outlet."
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Jan 18, 2014 23:07
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