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Slugworth posted:Why do xmas lights use non-polarized plugs anyways? And is there any particular reason these skulls, which are literally just a single small light bulb in a plastic skull, would use polarized plugs instead? Generally, the theory with single light bulbs and polarized plugs is to ensure that the socket has the neutral line connected to the threaded socket part and the hot is on the little tab on the bottom. This is meant to help prevent you from touching the hot, because you would literally have to stick your finger in the light socket to do so. The outside metal socket is far more likely to have accidental contact if the bulb doesn't block it completely, or if you were changing it or mucking around. With a typical Xmas light strand, the bulbs are wired in series (sometimes multiple series depending on length), so an individual bulb only has a few volts across it. This doesn't pose the same shock hazard as a single bulb/socket getting the full 120v, not to mention the fact that Xmas strand bulbs have contacts that are recessed and very difficult to touch accidentally. The bigger issue here would potentially be trying to pull more power from the end of the strand's outlet than it was designed to handle. I highly doubt this is the case with a small, single bulb, but it's not necessarily a good idea to try. It's also considered a bad idea to have a ghetto adapter chain, because each socket-plug mating increases the risk of poor contact leading to arcing or excessive heat. Especially if these devices are outside and exposed to weather/temperature shifts. Given a small enough load, you're probably 98% likely to be perfectly fine, but running a separate, good-quality, outdoor-rated extension cord is a much safer option.
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Oct 28, 2018 05:23
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Slugworth posted:In regards to pulling too much power through the lights though, wouldn't the fuses in the light strand blow before anything got dangerous? I ask because I do have other stuff with non-polarized plugs attached to light strings. Yeah, I was going to mention that most of those strings now have teeny tiny fuses in the plug end to protect against drawing too much current. I had to look it up, but UL recommends a maximum of 210 watts total for a chain of single strings. For the old school incandescent bulbs, that's about 5 strings of 100 bulbs each. For the LED strings, it's about 10X that.
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Oct 28, 2018 16:40
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skipdogg posted:Is that safe/legal/up to code? That seemed like the easiest solution, but you know... want to do it right and not burn my new house down. If it's that easy, I'm good to go then. Do the lights already have a wire coming out of them? If so, something like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-15-Amp-125-Volt-Light-Duty-Plug-Black-101-EP/301304861 is a better idea than wire-nutting a chopped extension cord.
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Oct 31, 2018 19:56
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If you want to switch to electric for heating water and you're interested in energy efficiency, just get a tank heat pump (hybrid) hot water heater. In HP mode and depending on rates, they are usually the cheapest way to heat water, and definitely the most energy efficient. A potential added benefit in your case is that they take the standard 240/30A circuit, but if you have it on heat pump only mode, it draws far less than that.
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Nov 3, 2018 01:52
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STR posted:Out of curiosity, how loud are these? I have a (basically) brand new Rheem, and they claim to be the quietest in class. The spec sheet says 49 dBA. (https://s3.amazonaws.com/WebPartners/ProductDocuments/B68404C8-F5F0-4033-A295-761DCACBBE05.pdf) I'd say it's similar to a loud-ish gaming PC with fans with an additional low-level, high-pitched whine of the compressor. I wouldn't want to share a room with it, necessarily, mostly due to the cold air that comes out. The fan for the coils is basically a large PC fan, so it's not blowing like an AC unit, but there's definitely a cool stream of air near the unit. To be totally fair to energy calculations, you'd have to figure in the heat that it is 'stealing' if you live in an area that requires heat part of the year. However, at least in my case, it's in the basement, so there's some geo-thermal gain, and my heat is provided via a dual-system with heat pump and oil furnace. Both of those methods, even with inefficiencies, are going to come out on top over standard resistive elements. I also get some added dehumidifcation during the summer so the regular dehum doesn't have to work as hard. edit: I also just noticed they added a model which must only have 1 backup element, because it only needs a 15A (240 I assume) breaker instead of the usual 30. This would be a decent choice if you're (sadly) stuck on some 60-100A service. B-Nasty fucked around with this message at 23:37 on Nov 4, 2018 |
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Nov 4, 2018 23:31
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I find well-fitting (tight is key) mechanic's gloves, like the Harbor Freight black Hardy ones, to work pretty well. Really tiny screws are somewhat fiddly, but you can get better with them if you use them all the time. Obviously, those gloves won't stop a really sharp edge, but it at least gives you one layer prior to flesh.
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Nov 19, 2018 01:13
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angryrobots posted:I completely agree, they come with a caveat. The square footage of the home, location of the water heater, and the climate of the area all matter when it comes to hybrids. It's worth noting, though, that you still may be coming out ahead. Resistive element heating is pretty much the most expensive way to generate heat in most of the US. If your house is heated by heat pump/natural gas/oil for most of the Winter (assuming Winter is only a few months), stealing some of that for the heat pump water heater is probably still a net win (even with inefficiencies.) Mine is in the basement, so there's some geothermal as well. It's worth noting that the newer Rheems HPWHs do have the ability to be ducted, so you could Macguyver a switched outside/inside duct system if you wanted to. In my opinion, the tankless electrics just don't make sense unless you absolutely don't have the space for a tank or you need the endless (and with electric tankless the flow is fairly limited) hot water. Modern tanks are insulated so well that you aren't losing tons of energy, even if you have it in an unconditioned space.
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Dec 5, 2018 01:23
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Spring Heeled Jack posted:I do not, however I have one of those 'live circuit' testers and it reads as active on the cables that go from the thermostat to the baseboard, so it 'should' be getting power. I'd have to pick up a multimeter sometime. Harbor Freight has its usual one for free with a coupon and another purchase: https://www.hfqpdb.com/best_coupon/7+FUNCTION+DIGITAL+MULTIMETER It's not a meter that's going to win any awards, or be something I'd trust my life with, but it'll handle 99% of what a homeowner needs to do and is basically disposable/bottom of toolbox ready. Any meter is better than no meter; no need to drop $200 on a Fluke.
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Dec 5, 2018 17:17
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X10 was simultaneously ahead of its time and total garbage. My favorite part was that the signals could only traverse one leg of the customary US 2-leg home power setup. I had a device that used a dryer outlet (230v, both legs) to bridge the signal. Somehow, this device needed to be the size of a small pineapple to accomplish this feat: https://www.smarthome-products.com/p-1698-signalinc-4816b2-plug-in-phase-coupler-for-3-wire-220v-dryers.aspx X10, once the moved into security cameras, was also one of the original scumbags of the pop-up, pop-over, pop-under internet advertising game (before browsers universally blocked this technique.) Their ads usually were unnecessarily sexually suggestive and creepy: http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~kuan/x10/x10-11.jpg
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Dec 7, 2018 14:57
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Slugworth posted:I helped a co worker run a new circuit for a heated floor he was installing. He wasn't sure if he was gonna end up needing a 15 or 20 amp breaker, so I ran 12g wire and threw in a 20 amp breaker. Turns out it's more than he needed, and a 15 amp breaker would have been fine. There's no harm in it being over-sized though, right? It's fine, you just can't extend that circuit with any 14g wire in the future.
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Dec 11, 2018 21:02
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big crush on Chad OMG posted:First electricians quote to rewire the K&T wiring: 30k-50k. Not even sure why he bothered to show up when he’s just going to give a bid to tell me to gently caress off. Same reason why cars have a MSRP and TrueCar price... because occasionally someone will be stupid or desperate enough to pay it.
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Jan 5, 2019 22:23
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GWBBQ posted:Chop the wire before the existing ceiling box, put another box next to it where you split the wire, and run your new outlet off of that. That would assume that there's enough slack in the existing (now severed) lines to allow you to strip and nut in the new box, which is unlikely if it's properly run and stapled to begin with. Or, you mean to just run a new line from the new box to the old light box, which I agree with, but would still require a taller ladder.
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Jan 10, 2019 22:47
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Blindeye posted:How bothered should I be that the common single-pole switches in my house are not grounded? Do it, if it is at all possible. Switches are always supplied with a hot, and if that lead gets loose and contacts any metal on the switch or the ground lug itself (or the switch mechanism itself is damaged), you now have a dangerous situation. When someone slaps their hand on the switch to activate it, it's likely they'll hit the faceplate screws.
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Feb 27, 2019 15:12
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Blindeye posted:That has been my approach so far. Some switches (abouf half) are just hopelessly cramped due to being used as a junction and, naturally, the ground wires are cut short after they were twisted together. If they'd gone to the trouble of having grounded metal boxes none of this would have been a problem.... Can you fit a pigtail onto the existing twisted grounds with one of those copper crimps? A good twist is better than the crimps, but they'll work in a pinch if you're tight on available wire.
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Feb 27, 2019 17:25
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Blindeye posted:There are a few where I could twist a bit of 12 gauge wire around the base of the twisted romex grounds, but it feels weird not using a proper connector like a wire nut. Are there any downsides to twisting on a pigtail if it's only for grounding? You need a crimp/nut for it to be up to code, but, if I had a nickle for every box I've seen with just a huge twist of the grounds without a mechanical connector... If I had my choice between a solid, stable twist of the grounds without any crimps/nuts and an ungrounded switch, I know what I would do.
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Feb 27, 2019 18:19
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Yeah, personally I'd pull brand new wire (preferably 7 conductor for future needs.) Thermostat wire is thin and usually solid (not stranded), thus brittle and prone to getting breaks in it when pulled/bent. You might be potentially introducing some frustration caused by bad wires just to save a few bucks.
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Mar 6, 2019 16:44
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The struggle question in the US is for a switched outlet, is the feeder circuit (i.e. the neutral) in the switch box or the outlet box. Modern code expects the former, which allows for things like smart switches, but the latter is useful if you want to make an outlet half-switched/half-constant-power, which I've done to most of my switched outlets.
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Mar 16, 2019 17:16
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Nevets posted:So are you supposed to run 12/2 to the switch and then 12/3 from the switch to outlet? With 2 hot legs, one switched and one always on, and a shared neutral? That would be how it's done, though I think it's rare to have switched outlets actually wired to be split nowadays.
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Mar 18, 2019 00:01
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Nevets posted:If it's freestanding how are you getting shocked by it? The static charge in your body needs a path to ground, are you sure it's not touching anything metal that could be grounding it, like a floor vent, radiator pipe, etc? Capacitance, especially if the object is large and metal and it's grounded even somewhat better than you and able to dissipate any charge increase.
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Mar 19, 2019 17:28
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Rhyno posted:Is there a beginners guide to 3 and 4 way toggle installation? Because I'm feeling pretty stupid over here. Here's the LMGTFY guide: http://users.wfu.edu/matthews/courses/p230/switches/SwitchesTut.html Be sure to use the correct colored wires, so that the next guy doesn't curse you out after trying to track down which wire is which.
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Mar 22, 2019 20:38
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Blackbeer posted:Also, don't use recessed cans in new projects; you can just use a standard round nail-on box and a 6" disc LED (or whatever) that mounts directly to the box which will save you money both on the equipment and installation time. I don't know. I think there are still major advantages to using cans like the fact that the bulbs are easily replaceable and dirt cheap. If there's ever an issue with a light, Joe Homeowner can pop a new $2 bulb from Home Depot instead of installing a new fixture or hoping for replacement parts for some specific integrated unit. The cans can also use Hue bulbs or you can change the color temp after you get sick of your kitchen looking like a hospital. About the only downside to cans besides cost is the insulating around them, though many are IC rated, and it doesn't practically matter with a cool LED in there instead of a hot rear end incandescent.
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Apr 4, 2019 01:57
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Rocko Bonaparte posted:What's a good terminal connector for speaker wire I am running through some 3/4" PVC? If you were to ask the power utility/Verizon installers around here, they would recommend the biggest gob of duct seal molded around the end possible. I think they just miss playing with Play-Do as kids: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-Bender-1-lb-Plug-Duct-Seal-Compound-DS-110/100212441
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Apr 9, 2019 16:00
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Motronic posted:We don't use "off book tricks" because that ends up looking a whole lot like getting fired, having your certs yanked and/or getting sued. With an attitude like this, NBC is never going to ask you to write episodes for their new, medical drama "Priority 5" starring super-hot blond lady and chiseled abs stud muffin.
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May 2, 2019 21:35
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DaveSauce posted:What are the odds that replacing these with the modern outdoor receptacles will fix the issue? I would try replacing just the GFCI outlet in the chain first. Older GFCI outlets were notoriously lovely and sensitive and they got worse with age/use. I recently have one do a click of death (more like machine gun sound effect) and let the smoke out, and the modern replacement has been fine. The outlets only last 10-20 years anyway.
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May 9, 2019 14:39
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stevewm posted:I am a bit soured on crimped grounds myself.. Yeah. I'd actually prefer the old school way of like 5+ twists of the grounds in one big lump. Far more robust mechanically than a simple insert and crimp. Especially when, as is common, the proper crimping tool isn't used and the barrel is deformed and weak.
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May 23, 2019 19:38
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Anyone have any opinions or stories about box-mounted whole house surge protectors? I'm thinking about putting in the Square D HEPD80, which I should be able to do for about $100 ($90 unit and $10 30 amp breaker.) I can't get over my feeling that surge protectors in general are a bit of snake oil. They'll only really help under certain ideal conditions.
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Jun 11, 2019 13:25
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H110Hawk posted:Start with something that isn't free with a coupon from hazard fraught. Disagree. The free one from HF is plenty sufficient for someone just messing around with standard 12 (auto)/24 (hvac)/120/240v and basic hobby stuff. I mean, if you make a living doing electrical work or you're routinely working with 500V+ circuits, invest in a Fluke. I know my way around a circuit, and have multiple pricier meters, but the red HF one gets knocked around in my toolbag (because who cares) and gets more use than all the others.
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Jul 13, 2019 01:33
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:I had a HF that was knocking around in a tool bag forever. Didn't realize the mode knob was knocked one position off. Went to check AC volts and it was in AC amps. I'd gotten that one specifically because it only had two lead positions so I wouldn't have to bother swapping leads around for amps. It caught fire in my hand as it welded itself into the socket. Eventually the breaker popped. I'm certainly not going to bat any more than I have for a free meter straight from the crappiest factory in China, but I had to check, and there's definitely a fuse inline with the + volts/ohms/mA terminal. Mine does have the separate 10A lead banana hole, though. If I'm not pimping for HF, my favorite non-Fluke is this little guy: https://www.amazon.com/Uni-T-B4Q094-UT210E-Current-Capacitance/dp/B00O1Q2HOQ/
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Jul 15, 2019 01:33
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Bad Munki posted:this works, and only requires an extra neutral in the far box, which we can run up from the basement Just be sure to leave a little note in the j-box for the next owner who'll be cursing you as a Joe Bob DIYer.
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Jul 30, 2019 13:17
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The Human Cow posted:Is this a terrible idea? If by neutrals and hots you mean by color, yes it's a bad idea. You should pull that outlet out more and take a look at where the romex actually enters the box to figure out which wire pairs (excluding grounds) are grouped. I'd probably get a multimeter and carefully, with the power on and everything disconnected, figure out which incoming circuit supplies the power. You can also use that time to determine what's downstream, now that it no longer is connected. If you're sure a particular circuit isn't providing power (probably downstream outlets), connect the wires together and use the continuity feature at the outlet (that you've already confirmed has no power) to see if your guess of it being the downstream one is correct. Basically, you need to do some methodical troubleshooting.
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Oct 17, 2019 01:30
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Motronic posted:In homes that had electricians who gave a poo poo, this is true. I've rarely run across them in new/development construction. It's usually the entire outlet, which of course makes little sense. I wonder if this just a function of the 2011 code that requires a neutral in the switch box. In my 80s house, the incoming circuit is to the receptacle box, with just a 14/2 running to the switch. It was easy for me to make half of my outlet switched (always the top one, dammit, to allow for wall warts), since I had the constant-on hot in that box. The downside, of course, is that you can forget about many smart switches that require a neutral. I know if I was a cheap-builder, I wouldn't spend an extra 50 cents to run 12/3 or 14/3 from the switch to the outlet.
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Nov 1, 2019 21:32
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Nevets posted:Wouldn't a 220V GFCI require different technology? IIRC 110V GFCI's work by sensing a difference between the power outgoing on the hot line and returning on the neutral line, but with 2 split phase hot lines when a ground fault happens they would both leak the same amount so you couldn't compare them to each other, I think. It works the same in 240v split-phase, just that all 3 conductors are run through the toroid. The neutral (to get 120v) can be used or not; doesn't matter. All the magnetic fields cancel each other out and an imbalance (fault) is sensed as current.
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Dec 20, 2019 14:58
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Ferrule posted:You should try real hard to hire an electrician. Circuit breaker extension cord guy is the best representation of the Dunning-Kruger effect I've seen. Most DIYers that aren't experienced with electrical would think: hmm, breaker doesn't fit like it does on Youtube, I guess I better call a pro or keep researching. Only someone with the perfect combo of ignorance + overconfidence in their ability would use bus bar mounting screws to attach leads to. Actually, how are the wires attached to the breaker? Are they just sandwiched in the spring clip hanging on a hope and a prayer?
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Dec 20, 2019 17:11
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shame on an IGA posted:Same, those Wagos own own own for that reason alone. It's the same clamping mechanism we use in industrial cabinet terminal blocks, I strongly encourage everyone to pick up a box of the three-position ones and never look back. I'd have no problem using them when I absolutely needed to, but nothing will ever beat a strong pre-twist of the bare copper (including 1-2 twists of the insulated portion) and a winged cap screwed on as tight as you can by hand. That connection will still be strong and tight 30 years later. I don't use the stabs on the back of outlets/switches, and I crank down the screw as much as possible. For grounds or circuits where I know the load is minimal (LED lights), I'm perfectly cool saving time with the Wagos.
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Jan 7, 2020 02:39
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Ferrule posted:My only defense of cans would be that they are adjustable, mores than a box on a joist. So they can be spaced out and inline better than mounting a box. You can still use the LED retro fitting things. The other advantage to old-school cans is that you can slap your favorite Hue bulbs or sending-all-your-network-traffic-to-China-WiFi-bulbs in there and get remote on/off, dimming, or late 90's rave color changing light for cheap. Not to mention that quality A19 LED bulbs are cheap and much better with CRI and dimmer compatibility than some no-name brand recessed puck. If it's a level below unconditioned space (e.g. second floor below the attic), I avoid cans, however. Even with IC rated fixtures, you can never get them well air sealed like you can by throwing a puck up there with a gasket and dumping insulation on top of it.
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Jan 14, 2020 15:34
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Hubis posted:That said, I'm now looking at it -- are these the types of things you are talking about? Halo is one of the best brands for these types of lights, since they claim a CRI of 90, and they are generally compatible with quality dimmers. They're also UL listed and made by a major brand (Eaton.) The ones you want to avoid are the Amazon specials right off the China boat.
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Jan 14, 2020 21:59
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Blindeye posted:Since we're talking can lights, my basement has a nook lit by two of them in the finished drywall ceiling. Conventional bulbs worked fine but when I put in those LED replacements they veery faintly glow when the lights are off. I did get a lovely little buzz removing the old bulbs; could this be due to a hot/neutral reversal? Probably more likely that you're using a switch that bleeds current (one with a built in pilot light, illuminated, or dimmer.) Less likely, but harder to fix is the possibility of capacitive coupling in your wire runs. If you disconnect the switch(es), does it still happen? Do you have a voltmeter that you can measure hot-neutral, hot-ground, and neutral-ground voltages at the fixture?
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Jan 14, 2020 22:21
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Blindeye posted:I replaced the switch with a regular single pole switch. I do have a voltmeter but it's two cans on this switch glowing so it shouldn't be the cans, right? Measure the AC voltage from the hot (small terminal at the base of the bulb socket) to the neutral (ring of bulb socket) with the switch off. Do the same to those two places to a non-painted metal portion of the can. Then, do the same with the switch on (carefully) Ideally, you should see: (Switch off) H-N: 0V *** H-G: 0V N-G: 0V (Switch on) H-N: 120V H-G: 120V N-G: 0V If you measure voltage on the *** one, you may be getting ghost voltage sufficient enough to drive a LED.
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Jan 14, 2020 22:58
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Blindeye posted:Yeah, that's my fear. These units have not been touched since they were installed ~30 years ago until I came in and replaced the switch with a new grounded single pole, but I am not looking to disassemble a can light in a finished ceiling if I can avoid it. What else is on the circuit? Does the voltage still exist if you kill the breaker for that circuit? What happens if you unscrew all the other bulbs but the offenders? The quick check would be to use a multimeter that has a low-impedance setting to see if the ghost voltage is actually dangerous, though the fact that it is able to light an LED is somewhat concerning, but not necessarily dangerous. If that circuit is only those lights and the switch, I don't think I'd lose much sleep over it, but if it has receptacles on it, I'd probably want to figure out what was going on.
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Jan 16, 2020 02:14
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Those were simpler times... until the grounding prong came along and ruined all the fun. We could still have space saving designs like this:
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Jan 18, 2020 21:01
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