Need electrical help!

[jimnyc]

damned. not good.



so you have the ungrounded sockets. it really needs to be upgraded bad. im surprised it wasn't some time in the past. to meet code.
you said when lowered the fan the light came on. right?? if it didn't trip a breaker that's a bad connection. or what i call a malfuction at the junction. are the wires taped together?? I never use tape but instead wire nuts.




their cheap, code approved and fast to install. a good tight connection. so. if these wires are taped remove it and replace with the nuts. you may very well find your problem under the tape.

My bad, the other outlets do have the 3 prongs. I was replying incorrectly. The switches in this project were 3 way switches, one hot and 2 travellers wires. I "assumed" the others were 2 pin connectors, as in black/white, as opposed to the travellers, but they are 3 pronged and grounded.

The connections in the ceiling were in fact made with the wire connectors, but I also put a ton of electrical tape around them as well, in addition to the wiring up to where it met the ceiling.

[namvet]

My bad, the other outlets do have the 3 prongs. I was replying incorrectly. The switches in this project were 3 way switches, one hot and 2 travellers wires. I "assumed" the others were 2 pin connectors, as in black/white, as opposed to the travellers, but they are 3 pronged and grounded.

The connections in the ceiling were in fact made with the wire connectors, but I also put a ton of electrical tape around them as well, in addition to the wiring up to where it met the ceiling.

Jesus saves. so your up to code. are the wire connectors actually wire nuts?? you may need to just tighten them up. but there is a bad connection up there somewhere. a good eyeball inspection goes a long way here

[Gunny]

Jesus saves. so your up to code. are the wire connectors actually wire nuts?? you may need to just tighten them up. but there is a bad connection up there somewhere. a good eyeball inspection goes a long way here

Yes, he's talking about wire nuts. Took me a minute to figure that one out back on page one.

My grandfather was an electrician and he called them "caps". Terminology is a BIG problem in the electrical trade. It varies from company to company, and person to person. Deciphering WTH the guy your listening to is talking about is half the battle.

[namvet]

Yes, he's talking about wire nuts. Took me a minute to figure that one out back on page one.

My grandfather was an electrician and he called them "caps". Terminology is a BIG problem in the electrical trade. It varies from company to company, and person to person. Deciphering WTH the guy your listening to is talking about is half the battle.

well if his wiring is up to code that's the important thing. im with you. he should just hire a pro electrician to fix this and problem solved. trying to fix tech problems on the net can be a pain.

[Gunny]

well if his wiring is up to code that's the important thing. im with you. he should just hire a pro electrician to fix this and problem solved. trying to fix tech problems on the net can be a pain.

Sounds like he got it right. He just had his travellers crossed. As far as getting up to code is concerned, you're only up to code for a max of 4-5 years. That's how often they update that $100. NEC code book. A lot of code is overkill and purposefully so. That 1940's house would probably cost him $5K to bring up to code.

As I stated previously, most electrical problems are either the user's appliances, or the devices. Not the wiring. The BIGGEST problem I've seen is the know it all, wannabe's overloading their panels and/or circuitry.

[namvet]

Sounds like he got it right. He just had his travellers crossed. As far as getting up to code is concerned, you're only up to code for a max of 4-5 years. That's how often they update that $100. NEC code book. A lot of code is overkill and purposefully so. That 1940's house would probably cost him $5K to bring up to code.

As I stated previously, most electrical problems are either the user's appliances, or the devices. Not the wiring. The BIGGEST problem I've seen is the know it all, wannabe's overloading their panels and/or circuitry.

ive owned 2 homes and never had one update required

[fj1200]

As I stated previously, most electrical problems are either the user's appliances, or the devices. Not the wiring. The BIGGEST problem I've seen is the know it all, wannabe's overloading their panels and/or circuitry.

A friend bought a new house in the neighborhood and I went into one small bedroom, about 10 by 10, and it had no less than 20 outlets packed into that one room. I don't even know what that could be used for but thankfully when they update it'll be ripped out when an actual electrician goes in there.

[Gunny]

A friend bought a new house in the neighborhood and I went into one small bedroom, about 10 by 10, and it had no less than 20 outlets packed into that one room. I don't even know what that could be used for but thankfully when they update it'll be ripped out when an actual electrician goes in there.

Uh, yeah. You can put 13.3 receptacles on one 20 amp circuit, if they are general purpose outlets (don't carry a continuous load). The math to a 20 amp circuit is 80% of the max load. That's roughly 16 amps per circuit. The panel is configured the same way. 80% of maximum load. Almost all houses have 200 amp panels. That's roughly 160 amps max load. Most houses are wired bare minimum. The developers and contractors want to keep cost to a minimum.

The size of the room doesn't matter. What matters is the above. That room would have to have 2 circuits, minimum, on its own. I somehow doubt that's the case unless that was custom built that way.

[fj1200]

^I'm sure you would have just walked out shaking your head. It was mind boggling.

[Baba Booey]

Those wiring schematics suck especially if you have multiple on/off switches and fan/light combos also.

Fuck that.

I'll climb down into the septic tank in rubber boots to clean it out with a shovel before I try rewiring something like that.

[Gunny]

^I'm sure you would have just walked out shaking your head. It was mind boggling.

Depends on whether or not I was getting paid.

$25. an hour can buy you a LOT of electrical expertise. But that includes the 3-4 hours it takes for me and a calculator to figure the load on your panel and circuitry before I even start rewiring.

[Gunny]

Those wiring schematics suck especially if you have multiple on/off switches and fan/light combos also.

Fuck that.

I'll climb down into the septic tank in rubber boots to clean it out with a shovel before I try rewiring something like that.

Reading schematics is easy. But I do it all the time. First time I looked at a schematic, I turned it upside down trying to figure it out.

[Baba Booey]

Reading schematics is easy. But I do it all the time. First time I looked at a schematic, I turned it upside down trying to figure it out.

I can't do that, I have a certain dyslexia. Seriously, I get my right/left fucked up all the time. East/West - I'm hopeless. My wife points instead of saying left or right anymore.

Plus you already figured out, I'm comfortable around shit, so the septic tank is more user friendly for me.

[Gunny]

I can't do that, I have a certain dyslexia. Seriously, I get my right/left fucked up all the time. East/West - I'm hopeless. My wife points instead of saying left or right anymore.

Plus you already figured out, I'm comfortable around shit, so the septic tank is more user friendly for me.

[namvet]

Reading schematics is easy. But I do it all the time. First time I looked at a schematic, I turned it upside down trying to figure it out.

maybe for you



this shit gave me a headache. every day