Wiring Thread: This stupid safety device started alerting that there wasn't safety!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Wiring Thread: This stupid safety device started alerting that there wasn't safety!

Explosionface: May 30, 2011; We can dance if we want to,
we can leave Marle behind.
'Cause your fiends don't dance,
and if they don't dance,
they'll get a Robo Fist of mine.

Tremors posted:

Hello wiring thread! I replaced a broken ceiling fan today with an LED light fixture. I thought all went well until night came, and discovered that instead of turning off with the switch it was actually just getting very dim. Where do I even start diagnosing this?

My first inclination is a loose neutral. General rule is that is really weird poo poo happens, it's a neutral issue.

# ¿ Jul 23, 2020 04:20

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# ¿ Apr 30, 2024 07:38

Explosionface: May 30, 2011; We can dance if we want to,
we can leave Marle behind.
'Cause your fiends don't dance,
and if they don't dance,
they'll get a Robo Fist of mine.

STR posted:

Looking at Austin Energy's website, it looks like I need to have a licensed electrician on site for any meter shenanigans.

I'll stick to the extension cord. It's just a string of LED lights under an eve to light up the patio, and we don't go out there that much (the yard is just dirt, we only go out there to grill). No clue why there's only one outlet outside on the house (by the front door), everywhere I've lived had one in the back too.

My house doesn't have any external outlets. The closest I have is one just inside the garage in front and one just inside my laundry/mud room in back.

# ¿ Sep 10, 2020 16:51

Explosionface: May 30, 2011; We can dance if we want to,
we can leave Marle behind.
'Cause your fiends don't dance,
and if they don't dance,
they'll get a Robo Fist of mine.

corgski posted:

Electrical engineers are to electricians like computer scientists are to system administrators

I've had to explain a few times why I wouldn't do some wiring and step 1 is explaining that being an EE doesn't make me a good electrician.

Similarly, when there's a wiring issue at work I order fixed in a panel, I want the people that do it every day to make it look nicer than I will in the five minutes I have to allocate to the task.

# ¿ Sep 23, 2020 14:45

Explosionface: May 30, 2011; We can dance if we want to,
we can leave Marle behind.
'Cause your fiends don't dance,
and if they don't dance,
they'll get a Robo Fist of mine.

SpartanIvy posted:

I'm honestly surprised someone was dumb enough to do this but also not kill themselves in the process.

Yeah, it wouldn't take too much to mix the phases up and get a nice phase-to-phase short in your face.

# ¿ Sep 23, 2020 16:39

Explosionface: May 30, 2011; We can dance if we want to,
we can leave Marle behind.
'Cause your fiends don't dance,
and if they don't dance,
they'll get a Robo Fist of mine.

kid sinister posted:

There was this neato sleeve thingy that I saw over in the Electronics thread. I forget the name of them, but car audio guys use them all the time to be able to use stranded wire in screw terminal blocks. It's really simple, just a metal sleeve that fits over the stripped strands and you tighten down the screw on it. Can anyone help me out with the name?

Ferrule?

# ¿ Oct 2, 2020 19:13

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# ¿ Apr 30, 2024 07:38

Explosionface: May 30, 2011; We can dance if we want to,
we can leave Marle behind.
'Cause your fiends don't dance,
and if they don't dance,
they'll get a Robo Fist of mine.

First picture seems fine to me, other than some lazy pushing wires through too far on the neutral bar.

SpartanIvy posted:

This, however, terrifies me. Like, not as an issue today, but at some unspecified time in the future. There's a possibility that the breaker is approved for use in the panel. I don't know for sure, but investigation may prove that it's a valid installation. I have hesitations given the spacing between the add-on new breaker and the older existing ones.

My real issue is that wire termination. Looks like poor contact that works for now, but if that circuit is ever stressed, that connection is probably getting worse and a ticket to Fire Town. I think the wire is sitting on top of the cage clamp it's supposed to be resting inside? It's hard to tell from the one picture. Luckily, this should be solvable in a minute or two with a screwdriver and some appropriate caution.

# ¿ Apr 15, 2024 16:37

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Wiring Thread: This stupid safety device started alerting that there wasn't safety!