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Our closing is March 5th for an awesome 4br 1995-built ranch on a crawlspace. 200A service with a mains breaker, and everything is up to code except for an improperly terminated loose wire in the crawlspace, which is easy enough to fix. However there are some projects that need to be done and sooner rather than later. I'll know more about what I have to work with once we have the keys, but most of them shouldn't be too difficult. Install lights in vaulted living room ceiling - currently there are two recessed lights but they are more intended for highlighting the fireplace/mantle. Considering that a light switch already exists, it should be a simple matter of extending that circuit to two additional lights to be installed. Install overhead lights in BR1, BR2, BR3 and wire for ceiling fan installation - Why anyone would custom-build a home and not include overhead lights is beyond me, but this is going to be annoying. The light switch by the door does the whole "control top outlet for a lamp" thing. For this, I'm assuming I need all new outlets, disconnect the wiring from the switch and rewire all outlets to the main circuit line for the room, and run the cable up the wall and over to the center of the ceiling for light/fan installation. Power drop high up on the wall in the garage for a network rack - This will probably be one of the easier things to do, I just need to select a good spot to locate the rack. Replace multiple light fixtures - 10 Goto Lowes 20 Let wife buy whatever she wants 30 Turn off breaker and wire in fixture 40 goto 10 Install track lighting above kitchen counter - Circuit already exists for a light, i'd just need to patch up the ceiling where it is currently.
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Feb 2, 2010 15:51
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Is it a requirement that the first GFCI outlet in a chain be visible? The wife wants under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen, which isn't a problem for most of it - there's already a receptacle there for the microwave. However on the other side of the kitchen where the sink is there is a GFCI to the right of the sink with the cabinet above it, and then two standard outlets to the left of the sink along the countertop. I believe that the GFCI there is the first in the chain, so what i'd like to do is take the feed line and back it up to a GFCI receptacle inside the cabinet, replace the existing gfci with a standard, and then continue the daisy-chain to the rest of the outlets.
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Jan 10, 2011 16:53
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Timely answers for me as well. Managed to nick the jacket on the line going to our front lamp while planting some shrubs, it was only buried 4" down. Unfortunately I can't do a trencher, as the line goes right underneath a really nice japanese maple. I'm thinking dig down to 30", backfill to 24" with pea gravel for drainage, run 1/2" schedule 40 pvc from the wall to the lamp post, do a concrete base for the lamp like this, and run THNN/THWN 12ga from the lamp back in. I'm hoping that the junction is inside where it enters the wall, otherwise i'll just cut the line up in the attic and do a junction box there. I already have a fish tape, so it should be fairly straightforward except for the digging. Sewer/mains feed/water/gas/telecom are nowhere near where I plan to do this. Thoughts? devmd01 fucked around with this message at 17:28 on Apr 9, 2012 |
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Apr 9, 2012 17:25
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I did 411 six months ago when I planted a tree and had everything marked at that time. I'm pretty sure the utilities haven't moved since then.  I popped the cover plate off where it exits the side of the house, and my job just got easier - the connection in the box is joined with some inline 20A fuses. devmd01 fucked around with this message at 23:43 on Apr 9, 2012 |
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Apr 9, 2012 23:37
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Just wanted a sanity check on my plan before I went off and bought the necessary supplies. All of our basement lights are on a single switch, which means that the lights in the unfinished portion are on unnecessarily when we're down there. I'd like to rectify this situation as well as add a switch for a light in a closet that currently just has a plug-in light. Ceiling is drop tile and we do not plan to change that or finish the unfinished area. These lights are the only thing on the circuit as far as I can tell. The plan is to pull back the feed line from the existing light switch and split it out in a junction box to the existing switch as well as the two new switches for the unfinished area + closet. - Since the junction box will be accessible above the drop ceiling, is that acceptable? - For 14/2 romex using external cable clamps, the box should be at a minimum 18cu in? - As long as I get large enough wire nuts, is that acceptable for joining four conductor wires together?
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Feb 6, 2019 19:28
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I already have the 14/2, so it’ll be like $20 in materials if that. I already have LED bulbs in the finished area boob lights, but for the unfinished area and closet I would need to replace large fluorescent fixtures, so that adds up quick. Definitely in the plan long term but we have more important house projects to spend money on.
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Feb 6, 2019 19:51
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Got the closet switch in and the junction box wired up correctly. I’ll run the leg for the unfinished part at a later date. Unfortunately my oldest managed to shock herself in here the day before I finished wiring it up, she tried unplugging and plugging back in the fixture that was in there while I was wiring everything up. She managed to have her finger on one of the prongs as she plugged it in. She learned two lessons that day, be careful with electricity and stop immediately when i tell her to stop. devmd01 fucked around with this message at 15:23 on Feb 13, 2019 |
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Feb 13, 2019 15:14
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I want to move my thermostat. It takes up a living room wall that could be used for decoration. I want to move it to the entry hallway where it’s much more central on the first floor. It won’t get sun or blown on from any vents. It’s just a simple 4-wire cable and I’m technically moving it closer to the furnace, so I’ll have plenty of slack to work with. Plan is to turn off the hvac with its switch, document, disconnect, then move the cable to where I want it and reconnect. Anything else I should consider?
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Mar 6, 2019 14:11
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I have a 50A outside circuit breaker intended for a spa. I want it gone, at a minimum disconnected from the panel and the existing cable run pulled back into the basement. I want to use the current conduit path for a new conduit to handle Ethernet/fiber/coax up to the second floor. What should be my steps for disconnect/removal?    
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Mar 23, 2019 01:06
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kid sinister posted:gently caress fire blocks up the rear end with a wire brush. This will be me in a couple of hours.
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May 23, 2019 10:12
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I want to remove an exterior sub panel that was put in for a hot tub and need a sanity check please. 1. Shut off main switch 2. Pop out 50A breakers 3. Disconnect wire from breakers 4. Disconnect wire from ground bar 5. Pull wire up and out of the box 6. Button things up and pop in filler plates 7. Main switch back on 
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Aug 26, 2019 00:17
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That’s the long term idea, if/when we get an electric car in the distant future there will be room for it. And yeah, I’ve mentioned it before, I’m just finally getting around to tacking this project. I’m not going to physically remove the panel, just disconnect the wiring and pull it back into the basement where it feeds and coil it up. It’s in a conduit on the wall in the garage. Where it’s mounted is the only possible space to route ethernet/fiber/coax up to the second floor from a planned 9U rack in the basement. I can get cables to a second floor IDF in the laundry room where that existing Comcast coax goes up into the ceiling. 
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Aug 26, 2019 01:28
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It adds up quick. In no particular order: 2U patch panel 1U cable organizer 1U 24 port POE Switch 1U Router 1U PDU 1U battery backup 2U shelf for cable modem/etc Overkill is the point! I sure as hell don’t need redundant fiber interconnects between the MDF switch and the IDF switch but dammit I only want to run this cabling once. The second floor IDF will mostly be for exterior IP POE cameras and another AP, the kids sure as hell aren’t getting Ethernet drops in their room for any reason.
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Aug 26, 2019 13:20
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This is the larger version of the 9U I have in my list. That extra space is tempting... NavePoint 12U Wall Mount IT Open Frame 19 Inch Rack with Swing Out Hinged Gate Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0714JBWMF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_P0izDb4MJDVZZ edit: just put in for PTO on Friday to take advantage of the long weekend, I’m gonna work on getting the breakers out/wiring pulled back. I’m gonna ask a neighbor to come hang out just in case something goes horribly wrong. I have a good contact tester, etc. so will report back. devmd01 fucked around with this message at 16:41 on Aug 27, 2019 |
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Aug 27, 2019 02:54
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Got the breaker and wiring out without incident. Had a neighbor come over and watch just in case. I just need to buy blank covers, and finish up pulling the cabling back into the basement. 
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Aug 30, 2019 16:51
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Took advantage of the long weekend to clear out the sub-panel wire as well as add a couple more outlets in the basement. The telecom rack will get installed right next to the new outlet on the wall.   
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Sep 2, 2019 23:07
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I used what is probably a similar kit for my living room TV. I got lucky and didn’t run into a horizontal fire stop block since it’s on an exterior wall.
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Nov 2, 2019 00:51
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I’ve found a fiberglass rod set to be infinitely more useful than fish tape for home use. Then again, I’ve never had a need to deal with any conduit runs for Ethernet.
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Dec 2, 2019 20:59
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So this has been a fun afternoon. I wanna punch the motherfucker that not only installed a shallow ceiling box (not their fault with the stud but still) but also used really long slotted screws for the mounting bracket. The ugly generic poo poo I replaced: 
devmd01 fucked around with this message at 00:16 on May 24, 2020 |
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May 24, 2020 00:12
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The back 1/4 of the garage has the main light source blocked by the air ducting and support beam, so it’s relatively dim compared to the rest of the garage. I want to add one of these light kits over that part all the way down both bays: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HBT3BVM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZeDfFbKT6ZNYZ The existing light switch box had two toggles, one that controlled the main garage lights and the other that turned on exterior lights.  So I added a third light switch to control an outlet that I can plug the light kit into. Swapped the switches for lighted ones while I was at it. Had to pigtail them together but I thankfully had enough wire nuts the right size.   I swear the wall plate and socket are level, it’s the garage door openers that throw everything off. If I place the light correctly, it should be able to shine right into the engine bay of both cars if I just pop the hood.
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Jul 20, 2020 18:30
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You’re right, I was basically copying what was there without thinking about updating it at all. I’ll go back in and correct that, thanks for pointing it out all.
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Jul 20, 2020 20:39
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I’ve been slowly adding a new gfci circuit to the garage, running an outlet as I have time. I realized this weekend that I could easily add an outdoor outlet next to the garage exit door for $20 in parts, which would be very handy since I haul the table saw/router outside to make cleanup easier. I also replaced the motion lamp, the old one was falling apart and had water inside the housing. Two more outlets and I’ll be done with the circuit then I can tie it in to the panel.
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Aug 25, 2020 21:27
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I used a kit like that when I put the living room tv on the wall, it worked really well.  
devmd01 fucked around with this message at 12:44 on Aug 29, 2020 |
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Aug 29, 2020 12:32
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Whatever holes you make, don’t forget to seal it with fire caulk.
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Sep 1, 2020 02:21
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Get a roll of velcro, not zip ties. Makes it a lot easier to mess with the cabling when you don’t have to go get the bag of ties and some snips. You will thank yourself years down the road. Same reason I left pull strings in all of the wall/attic cavities I pushed Ethernet through, I may not end up needing it ever again but it’s nice to have it there if I do. Your best bet is probably some kind of wire raceway at this point. I need to get one for my exposed wiring in the garage, punching into the garage from the basement then up along the wall was the only way to get it to the second floor. devmd01 fucked around with this message at 12:00 on Oct 5, 2020 |
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Oct 5, 2020 11:44
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How annoyed is an electrician gonna be if I have them come in to just connect the circuit breaker for a circuit I already put in myself? I mostly don’t wanna deal with getting it down inside the wall into the breaker box from the attic. Everything else is wired correctly.
devmd01 fucked around with this message at 14:55 on Nov 3, 2020 |
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Nov 3, 2020 14:29
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God bless the electricians that built this house 25 years ago. Had a hunch, took the cabinet off the wall, and the access hole in the drywall was already cut out above the box for feeding wire inside. For my first time adding a circuit to a breaker box that was surprisingly easy.
devmd01 fucked around with this message at 18:56 on Nov 22, 2020 |
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Nov 22, 2020 18:50
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That makes sense but something I’ve never even considered. Pretty sure all the existing drops are good, but I went out and disconnected them from the dmarc splitter in the outside box anyways. I only need the two coax lines running to my rack for modem and power injector return.
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Nov 25, 2020 20:08
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Just wanna say that everyone should put in outlets for Christmas lights under the eaves if they can; all that work was totally worth it. I added an additional GFCI circuit to the garage, with 3 more outlets inside, one outside the back garage exit door, and an outlet above the door in the foyer for decorations. I also ran three outlets under the eaves left of the garage, by the front door, and on the second level for next year once we buy more lights. Why bother with extension cords if you don’t have to? Thanks to this thread for pointing me in the right direction especially when it comes to reinforcing safety practices I already knew, but always worth remembering.   
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Nov 28, 2020 18:04
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My wife went to use an outlet in the basement and it wasn’t working. Seeing as I had touched that circuit a couple of months ago it was pretty easy to find the problem. Due to some basement leak remediation I had to abandon an outlet that was embedded in the concrete wall so I pulled all the wire out of the conduit. Looped it up nice and neat with velcro, attached it to the ceiling joist above the drop tile, tied it all together inside of an old work box, and put on a blank cover. Turns out I did a lovely job of twisting the hot wires together and they popped apart out of the wire nut. Good thing it was a plastic box or that could have been a nasty surprise! devmd01 fucked around with this message at 19:36 on Dec 6, 2020 |
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Dec 6, 2020 19:34
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Oh I know, I was just in a hurry to get it done before the contractors arrived. Good, cheap, fast, pick two, etc.
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Dec 6, 2020 21:12
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Yeah, I would agree that you are overthinking it. I have some Ethernet runs that are unfortunately in the same path as some romex for about 8 feet and they don’t experience any issues. Also shielded cat6 is a waste of money for residential unless you have a drat good reason.
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Dec 17, 2020 21:47
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1996 code but yeah it’s pretty great, any additions/modifications have been straightforward. The kitchen even has dual gfci circuits.
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Jan 22, 2022 10:57
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Unless you plan on being in your crawlspace a ton past the project, why not just buy a good work light or two in whatever battery system you have?
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Jan 30, 2022 17:56
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I want to add a second switch to two of the upstairs bedrooms for controlling the fan separately from the light. Replacing the existing wiring run of 14/2 is easy. *looks at price of 50ft of 14/3* 
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Mar 22, 2022 10:51
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Extant Artiodactyl posted:no need to get 14/3 to replace the existing 14/2. simply add another 14/2 Oh I know, but I prefer to Do It Right. Same reason I ran fiber for the network switch trunks between the basement and second floor, overkill.
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Mar 23, 2022 12:36
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tfw you add a second switch to control the fan and light separately and it all works perfectly as soon as you turn the breaker on  now to do the other bedroom that needs it. Also go to hell PO, you didn’t put in a fan box/bracket when you installed the fan seven years ago.
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Aug 17, 2022 23:32
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Mine definitely won’t take about 75ft of 4 gauge from pulling the hot tub sub panel but that I get for liability reasons even if it is in good condition. Annoyingly not quite enough to make it worthwhile to spend the time/gas to take it to a scrapper and get a couple bucks.
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Dec 18, 2022 13:03
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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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I’ve also found that reading this thread over the years has been immensely helpful for learning, especially for what not to do. The only thing I’ll ever deal with are basic residential circuits but even so I like learning beyond that scope.
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Apr 5, 2024 15:06
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