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| Subject | Date Asked |
| elec. hot water | 2/10/2012 |
| Q: checked out my hot water heater ( not heating) and found that it had voltage at the element 120v ... A: Don Have you check to make sure you are getting the correct voltage to the elements? You need to ... | |
| Green wire exposed | 2/7/2012 |
| Q: Not sure really how to address this question, I hava a green wire that is hanging off of a thin rod ... A: Eva this wire is used for grounding,yes it can be removed only if it is not used for anything if the ... | |
| baseboard heater | 2/1/2012 |
| Q: I have a circuit for 2 baseboard heaters (2000W, #12 wire, 20Amp breaker) in the basement. I want ... A: Tad You have 2 2000 watt heaters on a 20 amp circuit? I hope they are 240 volts. Installing 240 volt ... | |
| Detectors alarming | 1/31/2012 |
| Q: My tenants left unexpectedly.. When I went to check the home all the smoke alarms are alarming. No ... A: Theresa usually when the power gets turned off the battery back up takes over. What they are telling ... | |
| RV Question | 1/30/2012 |
| Q: I have an RV. My primary AC is derived from batteries and an inverter. I recently got an Ideal ... A: Chuck The ground wire system and the neutral wire system are two separate wire systems. By code, ... | |
| Liton can light buzzing | 1/27/2012 |
| Q: I have a house with many 4 inch MR-16 bulb can lights: LH1499IC - IC DOUBLE WALL HOUSING, 4" LOW ... A: Mitch There are two types of transformers that you can choose from. The most common type of ... | |
| washer trips circuit | 1/25/2012 |
| Q: My Samsung washer (WF328AAW) trips the outlet. It works fine when plugged in to a different outlet. ... A: Julie yes you should change that receptacle to a 20 amp 120V & also the breaker to a 20 amp. Your ... | |
| Reverse Polarity issues... | 1/24/2012 |
| Q: In my apartment there were two outlets displaying 1) a building wiring fault & 2) a reverse ... A: Howard Initially, reverse polarity (DC voltages) will have a negative effect on electronics. ... | |
| Combination Switch/Outlet | 1/22/2012 |
| Q: I have a Levitron Switch/Outlet combination and want the switch to power just the outlet in the ... A: Dave In this switch combo you have a set of screws the colors are the way to determine how to do ... | |
| GFI | 1/20/2012 |
| Q: Do I need to run a dedicated circuit to my outside outlet I am installing one on the back and front ... A: Bill This depends on how many other outlets are on that circuit,most time if they are outlets in the ... | |
| Gas stove power requirements | 1/17/2012 |
| Q: I am planning to replace my electric stove with a gas stove. Can I plug gas stove to electric stove ... A: Nalin You can not use the same outlet as the range outlet it is 45-50 amps 240 VAC. The new gas ... | |
| wiring | 1/16/2012 |
| Q: I'm having a problem with my lights flickering. Also my dryer will click on and off, when this ... A: lyndy Actually the ground is not the problem your neutral is the usual cause. Here is some help for ... | |
| washer trips circuit | 1/15/2012 |
| Q: My Samsung washer (WF328AAW) trips the outlet. It works fine when plugged in to a different outlet. ... A: Julie when you say trips the outlet do you mean the GFCI? The washer should have a single 20 amp ... | |
| Wire heat rating | 1/10/2012 |
| Q: I recently bought a light fixture and noticed it said: "Branch circuit conductors must be rated 90 ... A: JJ yes that is what the UL requires a rating. make sure that your cable is only NM? If it is in ... | |
| 20 amp circuits | 1/10/2012 |
| Q: I have recently purchased a Lincoln 140 mig welder. This unit requires a 20 amp circuit but has a 15 ... A: Allen You would need to replace the cord and plug to a 20 amp,sometimes 15 amps will not work. Your ... | |
| loose ground wire?? | 1/5/2012 |
| Q: All lights and outlets on one breaker went out. Checked the breaker & and at switch,have votage. I ... A: Charles ground wires are not used to supply power or return power to anything. They are only used to ... | |
| wiring equipment | 1/4/2012 |
| Q: I have a customers eqipment sent in for evaluation.Thier wiring on power cord is L1/N/and ground, ... A: ed something is missing in your question. What type of equipment are you talking about? There has to ... | |
| Wall Humming in the morning | 1/3/2012 |
| Q: We have recently completed a kitchen remodel and in the process acquired a new Keurig coffee maker. ... A: Liz Sounds like you have a problem with the Keurig, I have one also and had to return it as the ... | |
| powering an out building | 12/30/2011 |
| Q: I have 100 amp service to my house. The breaker box, which was just replaced a few months ago to ... A: Mike You would need to make sure that the shed's equipment doesn't exceed the load you all ready ... | |
| faulty switches/wiring/breaker? | 12/28/2011 |
| Q: Ben, One of my breaker switches (a single; it's not one of the paired switches) is either faulty or ... A: Andy Sounds like the problem is in the wiring for sure. Here's what you need to do go to the ... | |
| Electric | 12/26/2011 |
| Q: I have multiple outlets on one breaker and it has been that way for years. I plugged in the vacuum ... A: Karen Somewhere in the Outlet boxes the neutral has come loose. Shut the power off this ... | |
| weird flickering and power loss | 12/24/2011 |
| Q: We are having the weirdest problem in our house. ok, 2 months ago we were having bad surges which ... A: Megan If you have flickering lights or surges there could be many reasons for this problem, but ... | |
| wiring 60 gallon air comp. | 12/23/2011 |
| Q: Bought new Husky 240 volt compressor.We wired it about 25' from breaker panel. I bought new 30 amp ... A: Russell Make sure in the panel that you are using both side of the bus bar,the reason you are ... | |
| lighted 3-way switches | 12/22/2011 |
| Q: My home is 18 years old and I am changing several 3-way switches from non-lighted to lighted. No ... A: Troy the way 3-way switches work is that when you are at one location & you want to turn on a light ... | |
| electrical wiring bathroom | 12/20/2011 |
| Q: I want to install 2 fixtures on the bathroom ceiling. An exhaust fan and a light (separate) Each ... A: Mike You said you have a box in the ceiling,are both switches going in in the same location in the ... | |
| electrical wiring bathroom | 12/20/2011 |
| Q: I want to install 2 fixtures on the bathroom ceiling. An exhaust fan and a light (separate) Each ... A: Mike What you need to do is run a 14-3 to the new switch location, in there you will now have 3 ... | |
| New lighting/old home | 12/17/2011 |
| Q: My mother has knob and tube wiring in her home. She wants me to replace her kitchen light in a drop ... A: Joe You would have to remove the new fixture cover and wire it to the receptacle outlet. Remove the ... | |
| Faulty Electricity Problems | 12/16/2011 |
| Q: I have been experiencing drops in the power (my apt.) and there is one outlet with the left side ... A: Howard First of all a Fridge & a Stand up freezer would have no problem working on your system ... | |
| convection oven | 12/12/2011 |
| Q: Kenmore Classic oven 4 years old. Ben: Someone cut the cable off removing this unit There's 5 wires ... A: Ralph Never heard of that color type wire for supply wires usually it is used on control circuits. ... | |
| Ceiling Fan Wiring for Fan/Light | 12/7/2011 |
| Q: We have a Hunter ceiling fan that has the light attached to the bottom. I mounted the fan to the ... A: Bob if they both have a red wire then one of them goes to a outlet,open up one of the outlets until ... | |
| Foyer outage | 12/7/2011 |
| Q: While putting up christmas lights I put a nail through the light strand and the lights went out. I ... A: Starlla have you checked the outlet? You may have shorted out a wire and caused a break in that ... | |
| What is best generator for home use | 12/6/2011 |
| Q: I have my switch in place and looking for a reliable 6500W or so home gas powered generator. I cant ... A: Ron Well I can use your help for my van then... There are a few good generators out there just ... | |
| Ceiling Fan Wiring for Fan/Light | 12/6/2011 |
| Q: We have a Hunter ceiling fan that has the light attached to the bottom. I mounted the fan to the ... A: bob The switches in the box may be only for the light the black in the box makes sure the fan is ... | |
| Ceiling light won't turn off at the switch | 12/4/2011 |
| Q: I made the mistake of using the wrong light bulbs in one of my ceiling fixtures and now the light ... A: Sounds like you shorted out one of the switches,take the lamps out of the fixture and look to see ... | |
| metering for campground site | 12/2/2011 |
| Q: I want to add individual meters for approximately 6 campers. I have 200 amp service at the pole and ... A: Dawn Thanks for the donation! for the wires the best thing to do is run wire in conduit 2in pvc this ... | |
| metering for campground site | 11/29/2011 |
| Q: I want to add individual meters for approximately 6 campers. I have 200 amp service at the pole and ... A: Dawn What you need to do is add 6 new breakers for the smaller campers you may have to install a 30 ... | |
| 10-3 Wire problem | 11/27/2011 |
| Q: I ran a 10-3 wire from the service panel in my garage to a new barn that I built. I hooked up the ... A: Luke What is hooked up in this panel? since this is a sub panel you need to unbond the neutral bar ... | |
| Power Feed to a garage sub-panel | 11/15/2011 |
| Q: My garage was roughed in for a small 40 amp sub panel by teh previous owner . The existing feed wire ... A: David That wire is fine in the conduit,#1 it is protected by the elements and it is good for up to ... | |
| electrical outlets | 11/13/2011 |
| Q: My brother's house was wired by the previous owner. There are 10 outlets in the kitchen/dining area. ... A: Tim Following the code when the kitchen is wired the outlets need to be on a 20 amp circuit,wired ... | |
| Ballasts | 11/12/2011 |
| Q: What is the difference between rapid start and instant start. I'm changing from T12 to T8 in a ... A: John Instant Start (IS) ballast require a larger amount of energy to start the lamp than Rapid ... | |
| hot plug in | 11/7/2011 |
| Q: I bought a new radiant heater. Plug in was hot to the touch.I replaced the heater and the new one ... A: Marv I should have worded that better as I was talking about the plug itself and the wire.You may ... | |
| hot plug in | 11/6/2011 |
| Q: I bought a new radiant heater. Plug in was hot to the touch.I replaced the heater and the new one ... A: Marv A radiant heater will get hot to the touch this is normal as the heater is using a principal of ... | |
| Existing switched outside electrical 120V outlet | 11/1/2011 |
| Q: I currently have a 20A, 120V duplex outlet in my outside soffet which is a switched outlet. Can I ... A: Jim yes you can run a new 12-2 just make sure that the white wires are pig tailed and installed on ... | |
| double throw switch | 11/1/2011 |
| Q: I've been looking for a double throw switch for our generator (7000W honda/blackmax). I want to just ... A: Ben That switch is used for turning on or off a motor,or something else that is 3 Phase,You really ... | |
| generator | 10/29/2011 |
| Q: my electric is shut off.i want to hook up my water heater to a generator.not to the fuse box but ... A: Sharon Not a good time to have the power off with winter coming. Anyway what you need to find out ... | |
| Jacuzzi Tub keeps blowing outlet/breaker | 10/27/2011 |
| Q: I have a Jacuzzi bathtub. Not overly large. I have it on a 20 amp outlet on a 20amp breaker ... A: Angela Your tubs motor may be going bad,most times when that happens the tub's motor starts to draw ... | |
| electrical | 10/26/2011 |
| Q: i live in a mobile home and my lights dim. could this be a serious problem A: Edward Flickering Lights If you have flickering lights, there could be many reasons for this ... | |
| Dimmer Switch | 10/25/2011 |
| Q: Recently I had recessed lighting installed in my kitchen. 11 cans were installed with 2 switches ... A: Don Check the wires and the wattage and that being OK then the heat is normal. They all get warm to ... | |
| 3 way switch | 10/21/2011 |
| Q: I have a ceiling light controlled by two 3-way switches. It suddenly went dead. Checked the bulb ... A: Randolph Somehow the wiring is not correct a lot of times the switches are different so you have to ... | |
| electrical ground wire problem? | 10/21/2011 |
| Q: Had an electrical problem where we lost power to several outlets and switches. Traced it back to a ... A: Lyle The neon ester is not a good source of testing the circuit to see if it is correct all it shows ... | |
| AMPS | 10/19/2011 |
| Q: Our house is about 58 years old and have 100 AMP box. My question is, with today's living and all ... A: Judy The next sizes are 125,150,200 amps Since most house use 200 amps it is cost effective to use ... | |
| Existing switched outside electrical 120V outlet | 10/19/2011 |
| Q: I currently have a 20A, 120V duplex outlet in my outside soffet which is a switched outlet. Can I ... A: Jim If you are going to run a extra wire then use a 12-3 with ground in this cable there is a ... | |
| Several outlets not working | 10/18/2011 |
| Q: It appears that several outlets on one breaker are not working in our house. We have narrowed down ... A: Mary the most likely thing that caused your problem is a lost connection in a receptacle. It may ... | |
| phone wire | 10/15/2011 |
| Q: I am building a cabinet with lighting. Each lighting fixture uses .035 amps on 120 volts ac. I will ... A: Mike No you can't as the phone wires insulation is not rated for the higher voltage,you need to get ... | |
| connecting generator to transfer switch | 10/15/2011 |
| Q: I have a Coleman Powermate 5000 generator which obviously would have an output of about 20W at 240V. ... A: Phil The generator is wired to put out a certain amount of wattage,how it is configured is up to the ... | |
| Porch light | 10/14/2011 |
| Q: I just installed a photocell porch light. The same switch also operates the two lights on the ... A: Scott Sounds like your wiring is messed up.open the garage lights and the switch box you should ... | |
| outdoor light | 10/5/2011 |
| Q: I have a mercury vapor outdoor light that goes off several times a night. It will come back on after ... A: Tracy Most likely you have a bad bulb the tungsten element will get hot and then shut down. The ... | |
| Flickering lights | 10/4/2011 |
| Q: I have a problem with flickering lights in my house. The kitchen, living room, library and office ... A: Edd If you have flickering lights, there could be many reasons for this problem, but it's ... | |
| wiring electrical outlet | 10/2/2011 |
| Q: First,as a Vietnam era veteran, let me say 'Welcome home and thank you for your service. I’m ... A: Bob yes you can leave the white wire on there in fact if the hot side has 1 terminal screw not used ... | |
| wiring electrical outlet | 10/1/2011 |
| Q: First,as a Vietnam era veteran, let me say 'Welcome home and thank you for your service. I’m ... A: Bob Thank you also for your service welcome home brother! The correct way and the best way to avoid ... | |
| Metal Halide fixture | 10/1/2011 |
| Q: Ben, we have a 1000 watt metal halide flood light at our church that will fully heat up, then cycle. ... A: Andrew usually when a MH fixture starts to go into a recycle status,it either a bad lamp,bad ... | |
| electrical wiring for flood lights | 9/28/2011 |
| Q: I have a large lot and would like to set up 4-100 watt halide flood lights on posts. The panel is ... A: Kellen Since they are over 100 feet away the wire size has to be increased,also you should wire the ... | |
| safety of toaster (home appliance) | 9/27/2011 |
| Q: When I looked inside the toaster I noticed one of the wires near the bottom was glowing green. This ... A: Sarah The green glow is the heater element having corrosion on it. Try cleaning the wire carefully ... | |
| installing light fixture . | 9/25/2011 |
| Q: as i have done some electrical, but not in older houses . the light i am installing has a black ... A: David With this outlet the whiet continues to other boxes as well as the black wires. The red wire ... | |
| electrical outlets | 9/19/2011 |
| Q: The electrical outlets in my house power big appliances and vacuum cleaner just fine, but for some ... A: April Have you checked the night lite's out to make sure there not the problem?To me it sounds like ... | |
| underground wire size | 9/18/2011 |
| Q: I am going to install exterior receptacles, the receptacles are going to be 100'-150' from the main ... A: Doug You can use a 12-2 uf wire for the low amperage lights. Run around 2 -3 new runs from the new ... | |
| Subpanel Feed | 9/14/2011 |
| Q: I am installing a subpanel in a detached pool house/shed. I will feed it from a 100 amp subpanel in ... A: AL Use the 6/2 with a ground and install it in a sub panel,you will not be able to run a 120v ... | |
| sub panel | 9/12/2011 |
| Q: I am installing a sub 40 amp sub panel in a shed type garage. I ran a 1" pvc conduit and pulled 3- ... A: Dan you do not have to install a ground rod,hook up the ground wire from your new sub panel to the ... | |
| Smoke Detector won't shut off | 9/6/2011 |
| Q: I have many wired in smoke detectors on all floors & they all went off at once. I shut off the ... A: Richard The reason they all went off is because they are wired in a series,so if you have one in ... | |
| wiring an fan light combo | 9/3/2011 |
| Q: I am tring to wire a ceiling fan and light with a dual switch and the power is coming in at the ... A: jon A ceiling fan requires a neutral wire (white), a ground wire (green), a hot wire for the fan ... | |
| Front light (on post) | 8/31/2011 |
| Q: Our front light sits on a post about 15 feet from the house; a light sensor turns it on at night, ... A: Len More than likely the light got wet and shorted out the photo cell on the post. it can be that ... | |
| floursent light fixture | 8/28/2011 |
| Q: I have a 4 ft. t-12 florescent fixture. It was working fine.I removed the tube to clean it, I ... A: Len Check the lamp ends and you may also have to replace the lamps as they get older the pins will ... | |
| GFCI wiring incorrect? | 8/26/2011 |
| Q: Today, I replaced a GCFI outlet (which I think may have been fried by a recent electrical storm), ... A: John The GFCI Is rated for the outlet only the load wires are rated for 15 amp so the outlet you are ... | |
| dimmer switches and ceiling fans | 8/24/2011 |
| Q: I recently installed a ceiling fan in our bedroom. It's a nice fan, well made, with a remote control ... A: Ben You can install a regular switch or a dimmer just for the light only or in your case just ... | |
| outlets do not work | 8/22/2011 |
| Q: I have 2 bathrooms, 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs. I have 2 outside outlets, 1 front and 1 back. The ... A: chip When a circuit is wired for a GFCI they usually wire the GFCI outlet to the line side of the ... | |
| Well pump motor is hot | 8/19/2011 |
| Q: My son's well pump motor gets hot and trips the breaker. I just replaced the box w/ electrical ... A: Terry21 Actually it is probably the pump it self if you have a amp meter check the amps while it is ... | |
| Home electrical issue | 8/15/2011 |
| Q: Ben, The other day all of the electrical power (outlets and lights) in one spare bedroom shut off. ... A: Greg You may want to check the neutral wire on this circuit,find the breaker that feeds the circuit ... | |
| 110/220 machinery | 8/15/2011 |
| Q: I just acquired an Edco concrete surface grinder. It can run off 110 or 220. It currently has a 110 ... A: Mark The way to change the voltage is to get inside the motor and change the leads of the motor,so ... | |
| Tork 1103 Timer | 8/5/2011 |
| Q: Having a little trouble with Tork 1103 timer this is the second timer we have installed and the ... A: Richard Yes you probably have 2 bad time clock motors make sure you check the hot to the neutral ... | |
| Generac Generator | 8/2/2011 |
| Q: Ben, It is time to upgrade the back up generator at my house. I am looking at the Generac 14KW and ... A: Deb Yes the #3 wire is good food for 125 amps,if you put in a whole house panel then you will have ... | |
| daily power out in 2 rooms, breakers on | 7/31/2011 |
| Q: A few weeks ago, I noticed the lights would start to flicker every once in a while in my house. This ... A: Mike You have a loose connection somewhere on the panel In my humble opinion you have a neutral ... | |
| Wiring confusion | 7/30/2011 |
| Q: So we are trying to install a chandelier. From the ceiling there is one red wire, 2 black wires and ... A: Mary The ceiling box with the red black and whites the black is what we call power on,the red wire ... | |
| noise in ceiling | 7/29/2011 |
| Q: When the ceiling fan in my bedroom is on I hear a tapping sound that comes and goes. I am wondering ... A: Jes Allot of ceiling fans make that kind of noise it has something to do with being out of balance. ... | |
| rv wiring | 7/27/2011 |
| Q: I made a mistake and hooked up an rv receptecle to a 240v breaker. When I plugged it in, something ... A: Carole Sounds like you burnt something up in the camper,Start unplugging things and see if that ... | |
| adding flood lighting | 7/26/2011 |
| Q: my house was built in 1950 and has BX/AC wiring attached to a metal box on which a double weather ... A: Robert I noticed you live in Sweden,I do not know the codes for your country or you area. So to ... | |
| 3 phase wiring | 7/25/2011 |
| Q: Can I take 2 legs off my 3 phase meter and use it for another breaker box. ANSWER: Ken No because ... A: Ken Yes SQ-D is a very good panel as far as the ground is concerned use the same ground that the ... | |
| Sub panel for my work shop | 7/24/2011 |
| Q: I'm wanting to power up my 10x12 shed/surfboard shaping shack.I want 3 circuits. one circuit for 2 ... A: Robert That depends on how far from your panel to the shed.If it is less than 100 FT and depending ... | |
| 2 double outlets in one box | 7/24/2011 |
| Q: I have 2 double outlets in a single box inside a wall. When i changed the older ones with new white ... A: Frank Next time take a picture or write down how it is installed,it will help you in times like ... | |
| water pump | 7/23/2011 |
| Q: we have a outside electrical outlet ran with 12gauge wire that is 100 feet from the breaker box, on ... A: The NEC requires and upgrade of the wire size after 100 ft because of voltage loss,The breaker stays ... | |
| 3 phase wiring | 7/22/2011 |
| Q: Can I take 2 legs off my 3 phase meter and use it for another breaker box. ANSWER: Ken No because ... A: Ken You asked me if you can " take 2 legs off my 3 phase meter " first of all you cannot do that to ... | |
| wiring a 3/4hp well pump motor to a/c compressor box | 7/22/2011 |
| Q: I put in a shallow well and have a 3/4hp sta-rite pump that I would like to wire(12) into the ... A: David when you have 2 loads on the same breaker and one of the loads goes bad that will cause the ... | |
| 3 phase wiring | 7/21/2011 |
| Q: Can I take 2 legs off my 3 phase meter and use it for another breaker box. A: Ken No because that would make the load unbalanced,but what you can do is come out of the 3PH Panel ... | |
| electrical wires damage from rats | 7/19/2011 |
| Q: I have one outlet off in one room,a light switch in the dining room, all electrics off in the ... A: Walter Does the bathroom have a GFCI? if it does then the button my have to be reset If no ... | |
| Flickering Circuit | 7/18/2011 |
| Q: Over the past week a lamp has began to flicker intermittently. At times it gets bad enough that is ... A: Yes as a loose wire on a breaker or a neutral will cause flickering continue checking each out let ... | |
| Flickering Circuit | 7/18/2011 |
| Q: Over the past week a lamp has began to flicker intermittently. At times it gets bad enough that is ... A: Don Check the panel and look for the wire that is on the breaker for this. Make sure it is tight ... | |
| air conditioner plugs | 7/17/2011 |
| Q: I need to find a ground fault plug for 115v window air conditioner. The breaker button seems to ... A: Linda GFI's are not effective in certain circumstances.They work by measuring the difference ... | |
| GFCI outlets tripping breaker | 7/15/2011 |
| Q: I have four GFCI outlets connected to a 15 amp GFCI breaker. The old breaker blew, so I replaced it ... A: Matt Are you saying that you have a GFCI breaker installed on the circuit that you have the GFIC ... | |
| Replacing 50-amp cooktop receptacle | 7/13/2011 |
| Q: I am changing my 50-amp 3-wire receptacle used for my old cooktop to a junction box (still the ... A: Scott Yes you are correct since that old wire has 2 blacks and 1 white you will be fine is there a ... | |
| 1 phase - 230/208V – 15 amp breaker | 7/12/2011 |
| Q: I am installing a high velocity (Unico) central air only system to serve the second floor apartment ... A: Michele As far as the unit is concerned you can run a 2 pole breaker 15 amp GE yes you can use any ... | |
| Hot tub | 7/10/2011 |
| Q: If 220 volts gets hooked up to a hot tub that is 110/220 internally wired at 110 burn up the motor? A: Ed The 220 is so the heater can run efficiently the pump is probably wired to run on 120V and it ... | |
| Electric out...stove or AC makes it come back on | 7/10/2011 |
| Q: So part of the electric in my house has went out. I had the breaker replaced but that didn't work. ... A: Tiffany What you have is a bad wire for the 240v service,it could be from the main breaker,it could ... | |
| Undercabinet power strip | 7/9/2011 |
| Q: I have a 5 outlet power strip attached to the underside of my kitchen cabinet and all 5 of the ... A: Jeff Thanks for the clarification, This can be repaired make sure the circuit is off,is there ... | |
| 3 phase | 7/8/2011 |
| Q: I have a commercial building that I have been told has 240 3 phase with a "wild leg" . I have a walk ... A: Greg The wild leg is used for equipment that has a need to start for heavy motors I have installed ... | |
| Electrical Plug Question | 7/2/2011 |
| Q: Hey Ben My dog severed the male plug head of the cord that goes to my in the wall A/C unit (it ... A: Chris I never heard of a Surge protector for a AC unit. Yes you can cut the old plug off and ... | |
| Identification of wire which is not color coded | 6/27/2011 |
| Q: I have removed a ceiling fan and find the four wires in the ceiling box are not color coded. They ... A: Mary If there are no colors that will be hard to do,as whoever rewired it has the code in their ... | |
| arc-fault circuit w/ceiling fan | 6/24/2011 |
| Q: I recently trouble shooted a ceiling fan on a afci circuit which continued to trip. I have been ... A: Carlos The fan may have a bad grounding system where the ground and the neutral may be connected ... | |
| generator | 6/24/2011 |
| Q: I wired up a Reliance transfer switch, I'm running a Crastsman 6300 watt generator, when hooked up ... A: Dave Sounds like a short in the transfer panel. Does it trip before or after you flip the breakers ... | |
| arc-fault circuit w/ceiling fan | 6/23/2011 |
| Q: I recently trouble shooted a ceiling fan on a afci circuit which continued to trip. I have been ... A: carlos If memory serves me correct Arc Fault circuits cannot share a neutral of a multiwire set. ... | |
| ceiling fan noise | 6/23/2011 |
| Q: We have a ceiling fan (with light) that has been making a whirring noise - not very loud, but enough ... A: The ball is what holds the fan in place take the cover off and you should see a black ball and it ... | |
| installing ceiling fan | 6/22/2011 |
| Q: I am having a problem with the ceiling mounting plate (one that goes with the ceiling fan). After ... A: Hank yes it looks like on of your wires is damaged from installation,this happens a lot they do not ... | |
| triple control switch | 6/21/2011 |
| Q: I am re-modeling a bathroom. I have removed the old bathroom light/fan/heat lamp and I am replacing ... A: Taylor The way it was wired originally was they had a 14-3 to the fan/light/heat they had to run a ... | |
| ceiling light cans | 6/12/2011 |
| Q: We have ceiling light cans all through out our home(3100 sq ft) we purchased in jan of this year. ... A: Terry Well the only other thing that is between the fixture and the lamp is the thermal overload ... | |
| ceiling light cans | 6/11/2011 |
| Q: We have ceiling light cans all through out our home(3100 sq ft) we purchased in jan of this year. ... A: terry Check the wattage of the lamps,most recess can lighting have a therm o overload switch in them ... | |
| Lost neutral | 6/6/2011 |
| Q: I have the old Pushmatic breaker panel, and I have recently had a problem. My wife turned on the ... A: John You can check inside the panel find the circuit that feeds this and locate the neutral wire ... | |
| Circuit breaker function | 6/1/2011 |
| Q: I wanted to change a light fixture in my home. After removing the original fixture with the circuit ... A: Summer to make sure the lights are in the off position with the switch turn the breaker off then ... | |
| Electrical panel and Riser replacement | 5/31/2011 |
| Q: I was wondering if you might be able to average the cost of replacing and re-wiring a residential ... A: Lack of spark If your mower is less than 15 years old, there is an excellent chance that if uses an ... | |
| pool pump wirring | 5/31/2011 |
| Q: My pool pump (220V) stopped working, I want to use a 110V pump instead of 220V, the 110V pump has a ... A: Al if you want to use a 120 v pump what you need to do is trace one of the black wire back to the ... | |
| Electrical panel and Riser replacement | 5/30/2011 |
| Q: I was wondering if you might be able to average the cost of replacing and re-wiring a residential ... A: Tim First of all when you purchased this house,did anyone do a inspection or was it as is? What part ... | |
| 3 way switch | 5/29/2011 |
| Q: The kitchen light went out this morning. The switch it is attached to also feeds another switch ... A: Mike 3-Way Lighted switches will have that 6.5 v on to keep the pilot light on.Rather than replace ... | |
| electrical | 5/28/2011 |
| Q: i recently got a used professional smoker with 120/208/240 power @10 amp. its current wiring is 4 ... A: derrill No this is a single phase smoker what you have is 2 hot legs 1 neutral and 1 ground wire. ... | |
| 1/0AWG wire into a circuit breaker? | 5/27/2011 |
| Q: I am powering my workshop by generator. This is a 200 amp service. The distance from the panel in ... A: Mike What you have to do is install a electrical block that will take the 1/0 wire to the block lugs ... | |
| 2 wire ceiling light | 5/25/2011 |
| Q: I have an old building built in the 40's I installed a new ceiling light fixture ,which worked ... A: ROGER The neutral wire is broken some where down stream.The reason you get it to work on the box it ... | |
| Wiring a double switch | 5/24/2011 |
| Q: I have a double switch - top one is for outside light and bottom in for the door entry - on left ... A: Jeff It sounds like you have a 3-way switch instead of a 2 pole switch.You should have on one side 2 ... | |
| Can a lightening arrestor cause a fire | 5/24/2011 |
| Q: i was wondering if the failure of a lightening arrestor could be the cause of a grass fire? I am ... A: Jeff is this a residential arrestor or does it belong to the power company? Pictures would help send ... | |
| Circuit breaker function | 5/21/2011 |
| Q: I wanted to change a light fixture in my home. After removing the original fixture with the circuit ... A: Summer When the 2 wires touched they can cause a weld or a break in your wiring. Recheck your ... | |
| flat wire | 5/20/2011 |
| Q: We are purchased an electric reclining sofa that will is in the middle of the room, however there ... A: Merle flat wire is not the best choice they make a wire mold rubber,floor channel to put your wire ... | |
| Celinig fan with light | 5/19/2011 |
| Q: I am replacing a ceiling fan with a light kit with a larger ceiling fan with a light kit. I am the ... A: Darrell Most times the schematics are much to involved because the units are made in different ... | |
| no 110v in a bedroom | 5/16/2011 |
| Q: I lost all power in one bedroom the breaker did not trip and the rest of the home is fine. I have ... A: Patrick First off some breakers can be blown and not look like it. Some CIRCUITS have many ... | |
| house electrical | 5/16/2011 |
| Q: i have lost power to a portion of my house. there is two breakers that come on and the lights will ... A: Tim If you lost a portion of your house there is a main leg that is loose, check the main panel to ... | |
| 30amp sauna heater | 5/9/2011 |
| Q: i have run the 2 10awg wires from a 30amp breaker comming from the main panel to a junction. from ... A: victor Make sure you run a ground wire,on the contactor there is a coil for controlling the ... | |
| 240 v 2- 3 phase? | 5/9/2011 |
| Q: Can you run 240 v eqiumpent on a regular house ac outlet? 120V i beleive is what's in the house, or ... A: Richie Your house is a 120/240 Volt service so you can hook up a 240 V piece of equipment,just make ... | |
| Generac Standby 7K | 5/6/2011 |
| Q: I own a 7k standby generator that I installed four years ago with no problems ever. But last week I ... A: Ed Check the battery in the generator,this will cause the no start problem and the chattering ... | |
| 150 Amp Panel Box | 5/5/2011 |
| Q: We have 200 Amp service coming to the house with a panel box rated for 150 Amps. All new. It was ... A: Bill Most times the guts are the same but the main is different,the only difference may be is the ... | |
| How to install a timer for exterior spotlights | 5/3/2011 |
| Q: I just purchased a home where the lights must be on some sort of timer because they seem to come on ... A: Louis You may not have a timer as you said they come on when it gets dark and go off in the ... | |
| wiring a compressor | 4/30/2011 |
| Q: I have a powermate 60 gal stationary compressor208v/240v. It came without a power cord, and it is ... A: Jim yes you can if you have the correct voltage and the correct amperage and the correct wire then ... | |
| wiring for Celing fan | 4/28/2011 |
| Q: I am installing a celing fan in the middle of a room where there was previously no light box. I ... A: Jerry If there are 2 switches operating this outlet then this is a 3-way switch.You would have to ... | |
| 220 volt circuit requirements | 4/26/2011 |
| Q: I'm going to be running a 220 vac, 1 ph, circuit and am trying to verify the size of breaker and ... A: Dave You wouldn't run MC Cable that is used in a dry location. If you are running 200 ft you will ... | |
| 30 amp Breaker Switch | 4/20/2011 |
| Q: I live in a manufactured home and just replaced our dryer. It is hooked up to a 4 prong cord and a ... A: To check the connections in the panel requires the power will be off so nothing happens while you ... | |
| 30 amp Breaker Switch | 4/20/2011 |
| Q: I live in a manufactured home and just replaced our dryer. It is hooked up to a 4 prong cord and a ... A: Lori This is normal as a Dryer is what we would call induction heat, meaning that the heating ... | |
| Electric meter | 4/19/2011 |
| Q: I have a pedestal in an rv park that went bad and we replaced it. the new one seems to need two legs ... A: Keith You can hook up the one plug for 120. The people that need 240 for there RV's wont be able to ... | |
| temporary loss of power/reduced supply | 4/18/2011 |
| Q: On the weekend I lost power to one electricity circuit in the house. The fuse did not trip, however ... A: Edward More than likely you have a loose wire somewhere it could be the hot wire or the white ... | |
| whacky wiring | 4/13/2011 |
| Q: A friend wants me to look at a problem she has. I'm kind of baffled. She replaced a double switch ... A: mike Sounds like she has gotten the wires mixed up,the wire that the freezer is connected to is a ... | |
| power to table saw | 4/10/2011 |
| Q: I'm running a table saw on 3 wire 220v the red wire is bringing 123v the black brings 200v from the ... A: Francisco Something is wrong there you should have 220V on the red and the black to use that saw. ... | |
| Home Electrical Outlets | 4/6/2011 |
| Q: My home was built in 1972; aluminum wiring... this was my first attempt to change an outlet, it was ... A: Diana You need to put a wire nut on that or use what they call a Buchanan this is a small copper ... | |
| neutral wire | 4/5/2011 |
| Q: My breaker keeps tripping.My lanlord replaced it and still tripps.His solution unhook the neutral ... A: Scott Yes that is dangerous, you can get a severe shock from anything hooked up to this outlet. ... | |
| undercounter puck lighting | 4/3/2011 |
| Q: Is it possible to hardwire undercounter lighting with a tile backsplash with removing the tile? We ... A: Susan What kind of under counter lights are you wanting to install? They make low voltage round flat ... | |
| undercounter puck lighting | 4/3/2011 |
| Q: Is it possible to hardwire undercounter lighting with a tile backsplash with removing the tile? We ... A: Susan Are you wanting to put the lights on a Kitchen outlet? What it sounds like you want to do is ... | |
| wiring | 3/31/2011 |
| Q: "i recently replaced an old exhaust fan with light and fan functions with a new one that has a ... A: neil Yes you can but it is complicated,and you have to make sure the wires are big enough to carry ... | |
| electrical problems in my mobile home | 3/30/2011 |
| Q: the lights in the house will get bright than they will get dim only certain lights will work on ... A: yes they would as they may be on the same circuit. If you have flickering lights, there could be ... | |
| Voltage Drop | 3/29/2011 |
| Q: For the past 6 or 8 months, my lights have dimmed for a few sec.or two and it is progressively ... A: Mark Flickering Lights If you have flickering lights, there could be many reasons for this ... | |
| Non-working Outlets | 3/28/2011 |
| Q: Recently 9 electrical outlets in two bedrooms suddenly stopped working. I suspect an electric ... A: Joe If a breaker is bad it is bad,if your electrician checked the breakers and they all worked,and ... | |
| Residential Wiring | 3/26/2011 |
| Q: My question is regarding a switch and receptacle that are not working. We plugged in a microwave ... A: Rich Thanks for the clarification Since you have power to the box. the only other problem would be ... | |
| Dryer wiring problem | 3/24/2011 |
| Q: I am having a problem with my dryer. The drum will run but the element will not heat. I checked the ... A: If you can not get voltage on the wire that is for the dryer,and you checked the output on the ... | |
| dryer wiring | 3/21/2011 |
| Q: I have a 220 dryer that keeps burning the wire going to thermal fuse I have done this 2 times I ... A: rod The reason you are blowing the fuse is the incoming voltage is 277 V it should be 240 v are ... | |
| WIRING | 3/20/2011 |
| Q: Have removed existing lighting [ two sets of 4 large bulbs in a row with two outlets /boxes} over ... A: Chris make sure you tie the black and white wires to the next box.the wires in the first box is the ... | |
| Jaccuzi Installation | 3/19/2011 |
| Q: After removing the tile around my bathtub on slab I am considering replacing the tub with a ... A: Larry Is this a indoor or outdoor installation? To be on the safe side I would wire the whirlpool on ... | |
| house wiring | 3/19/2011 |
| Q: In testing continuity in a circuit, the white neutral wire shows a ground connection is this ... A: Ches The neutral wire should show continuity only if you have a main breaker panel"thats a panel ... | |
| ceiling fans | 3/15/2011 |
| Q: I have 2 ceiling fans and both of them buzz when they are on middle or high speed. Do you have an ... A: Dennis try and find a noise suppressor to put on the switch wires. Do you have any electronics in ... | |
| swich and outlet | 3/10/2011 |
| Q: I currently insalling a light switch and outlet, the source wire are purle and white,when I hook ... A: Brian In this picture is this is how you hooked up the wires? It is wrong 1st all the wires are ... | |
| electric to my shed | 3/9/2011 |
| Q: I have a shed eighty feet from main panel which is 200 amps.I would like to run electric to it. Do I ... A: Pete What you say now is just a few outlets later on you may add more and then not have enough ... | |
| converting | 3/8/2011 |
| Q: I bought a tankless hot water heater online and it is wired for UK is there anyway to change it to ... A: Doug Since this is a tank less water heater you would have to look at the name plate rating on the ... | |
| Partial power in single mobile home | 3/7/2011 |
| Q: MOBILE HOME HAS PARTIAL POWER, FIND PROBLEM AND FIX? I HAVE 220 POWER GOING IN THE TRAILER AND 120 ... A: Chris You will need to make sure the main breaker is set right,shut the main breaker off then reset ... | |
| Garage electical Issue | 3/6/2011 |
| Q: Yesterday I was in my garage using my radial arm saw. I noticed It was running slower than normal. ... A: G Gosse Have you checked the breaker sometimes they trip and are hard to reset keep trying you will ... | |
| new electric towel warmer | 3/4/2011 |
| Q: is it necessary for safety (or otherwise) to have the household wiring connecting to a towel warmer ... A: Dennis No it is not allowed,if for some reason the wires in the box short out the sparks and ... | |
| electrical fluctuations in the home | 2/28/2011 |
| Q: In one-half of our house we are experiencing electrical fluctuations. They do not seem to be ... A: Mary Flickering Lights If you have flickering lights, there could be many reasons for this ... | |
| well water pressure switch | 2/27/2011 |
| Q: I just put in a new pressure switch replacing the square d one. I hooked up the red wires from the ... A: Dale L1 and L2 are the wires that come from the panel. T1 AND T2 are the load wires. If this is a ... | |
| 3-way switch | 2/25/2011 |
| Q: this is a followup to provide the requested detail. You had asked: "I need to know how the switch is ... A: Tom Again I remind you There can not be just 1 3-way switch some how you are looking at this the ... | |
| Microwave Oven wiring | 2/24/2011 |
| Q: I'm having trouble w/ my microwave. I think it is in the wiring. But, when I run an extension cord ... A: Dan Somewhere in that circuit you are missing the neutral or it is lose. If there is a outlet the ... | |
| 3-way switch | 2/23/2011 |
| Q: this is a followup to provide the requested detail. You had asked: "I need to know how the switch is ... A: Tom if you remove the wire that goes to the power then it will not work,maybe I don't understand ... | |
| Switch and Plugs | 2/22/2011 |
| Q: I have a switch that I am replacing. It has two other wires inside the box that go to other plugs. ... A: Chris If you have 3 black wires then those are the hot legs,the white wire should be hooked up with ... | |
| whole house fan | 2/16/2011 |
| Q: I have direct drive whole house fan It's been working fine. One night I switched It to low and went ... A: jerry The Question that needs that needs an answer is; Is a belt driven fan motor? If yes than the ... | |
| Electrical | 2/15/2011 |
| Q: In the passed couple of days noticed loss or lack of power at home, can't run any appliances or ... A: Nile Call the power company and have them check out the connections at the meter panel. They should ... | |
| Extension cord question | 2/13/2011 |
| Q: I am buying a 15 amp snow blower and have three long extension cords for yard tools. Is there any ... A: Frank Most extension cords are rated at 15 amps then there are others that are 20,30,40,etc. The ... | |
| Need to replace duplex outlet in wall | 2/13/2011 |
| Q: I have a small niche off my living room that has 3 3-prong duplex wall outlets and 1 light on the ... A: Ralph Yes if you plug 1 tester lead into the hot of this circuit and then test the ground to hot by ... | |
| Need to replace duplex outlet in wall | 2/12/2011 |
| Q: I have a small niche off my living room that has 3 3-prong duplex wall outlets and 1 light on the ... A: Ralph What you need to do is plug in a VOM =Volt ohm meter to find out there is power,you will have ... | |
| 3 Phase to Single phase | 2/9/2011 |
| Q: I have a 3 phase 4 wire 10KW generator that I would like to hook up to the 100 amp service in my ... A: Tom They make a buck transformer that you can get that can change the voltage, but not the phases.If ... | |
| moving the driier | 2/9/2011 |
| Q: There was a 220v baseboard heater in there that i removed, can I use that wire to power the driier? A: Jake You have to check the amperage of the hot tub if it is 30 amps and above you can change the ... | |
| Minimum gauge wire for 60 amps | 2/3/2011 |
| Q: My 50 amp, two pole circuit breaker for my heat pump auxiliary electrical heater panels keeps ... A: Fred The wire you have now # 6 is only rated for 45 Amps. You will have to install a #4 wire which ... | |
| 120v to 220v | 2/1/2011 |
| Q: I am looking at purchasing a tanning bed for my home. The one I want to purchase requires 220v. I ... A: Jessica Unfortunately you can not do that, as the tanning bed requires 240 V to work.The out needs ... | |
| Well pump on generator | 1/23/2011 |
| Q: I hope you can help. I purchased a generator and a transfer switch with the main purpose of being ... A: Ace yes the pump will break down eventually,if you have no choice just let it run.My well pump at my ... | |
| Well pump on generator | 1/23/2011 |
| Q: I hope you can help. I purchased a generator and a transfer switch with the main purpose of being ... A: Ace Generators are installed to run at a higher no load voltage,this way when a load is applied (as ... | |
| Outdoor Lamp Posts | 1/21/2011 |
| Q: I recently installed two outdoor lamp posts with weather proof electric outlets. The wiring for the ... A: Parris Check for a loose connection also did you use underground wire? The wire should be UF made ... | |
| Neutral wire | 1/19/2011 |
| Q: How can both my black and white wires be hot? I replaced a broken outlet that actually worked and ... A: Tim This happens when you have a open neutral some where along this circuit.. I would check all the ... | |
| concrete slab outlet | 1/18/2011 |
| Q: Ben, I have a house with a concrete slab on the ground. I'm in the process of getting ready ... A: John They sell a PVC floor box that you can install in a resisting floor and also in new ... | |
| Service Panel Breakers & PV | 1/17/2011 |
| Q: I'm adding roof-mounted solar power to my residence. I've determined that my home run will terminate ... A: Bill Why would you change the breaker size this panel is rated at 200 amps and that is the breaker ... | |
| new oven | 1/17/2011 |
| Q: I purchased a new oven which states "make sure surrounding cabinets and wall coverings can withstand ... A: Robert You will be safe with having the wire as it is.The oven wont get hot enough on the outside ... | |
| Service Panel Breakers & PV | 1/16/2011 |
| Q: I'm adding roof-mounted solar power to my residence. I've determined that my home run will terminate ... A: Bill How did you calculate the load in the panel? Did you use the circuity breakers as the way? What ... | |
| Electrical outlet issue | 1/14/2011 |
| Q: I recently changed out all my home's electrical outlets. I did not know at the time about breaking ... A: Logan For your Question 1)No do not break the tabs because the wires connected to the terminals ... | |
| detached garage wiring | 1/13/2011 |
| Q: i have a very old home that has a detached garage with the existing cloth covered wiring. the wires ... A: mike No you can not use conduit due to it sagging you would have to put at least a brace every 5 ... | |
| Electrical outlets hot to the touch | 1/10/2011 |
| Q: I have a wall in my bonus room that has 3 electric outlets on it. Two of the outlets are warm to the ... A: Sherry The outlets should not be warm if there is nothing plugged in them,however if you have ... | |
| New Pot Lights | 1/4/2011 |
| Q: I have recently installed 6 new pot lights with the manufactures box so I can insulate around them. ... A: James You may have a problem withe the thermal overload inside the fixture. You may be overheating ... | |
| outlets to light fixture and switch | 1/3/2011 |
| Q: I have two outlets high on adjacent walls, and i wanted to turn one into a light switch that would ... A: Alica Ok what you can do is in the box you want to put the switch in shut the power off 1st. Then ... | |
| outlets to light fixture and switch | 1/3/2011 |
| Q: I have two outlets high on adjacent walls, and i wanted to turn one into a light switch that would ... A: Alicia That depends on what kind of wires are in the outlets.are you asking to make one outlet a ... | |
| Vanity Lights | 12/28/2010 |
| Q: I recently replaced two vanity light fixtures in my bathroom. Everything was working fine for about ... A: James What type of bulbs do you have? Are they the correct wattage,having a higher wattage bulb will ... | |
| undervolt? on a dedicated circuit | 12/24/2010 |
| Q: I am an owner builder and I assisted my electrician with my home construction 5 years ago. I have a ... A: Tom You need to check the neutral wire as that makes the 120V circuit. What you should have on ... | |
| Sub panel ground | 12/24/2010 |
| Q: I just moved into a house and the previous owner took out their washer and dryer from the basement. ... A: Mark Just because a box says 60 amps doesn't mean that it is 60 amps. What that is is that this box ... | |
| electical surge | 12/22/2010 |
| Q: recently I redid my roof, shorty after I notice that the power in the house fluctuate, even when you ... A: Roddy if you noticed this after the roof was fixed then somewhere a wire is broke.Check the neutral ... | |
| bath fan/light switch | 12/19/2010 |
| Q: Residential, bathroom, switching a fan/light switch to a fan/light/humidity switch. I have 3 Romex ... A: Randy You are correct the wires that up to fan/light are probably on one switch leg wire. Does this ... | |
| Maximum height of an outlet on a wall | 12/16/2010 |
| Q: I am having my kitchen re-wired and new outlets put in, is it against code/ regulations to have an ... A: Matt You can put the outlet at 8 ft. Also the code requires that you have to have 2 circuits on a ... | |
| only half the outlets work | 12/13/2010 |
| Q: we built our house 5 yrs ago and only finished half the basement the half that works since then we ... A: Michelle This depends on how many outlets you have in the section that works. Look in the outlook ... | |
| electrical | 12/9/2010 |
| Q: I have a wall dimmer switch that gets very warm when I use it.the wall just above it and the ... A: Alice What is the wattage on each can light lamps. have you changed them recently? Most dimmers for ... | |
| Replacing 3-way toggle with 3-way dimmer | 12/9/2010 |
| Q: Replacing a toggle with a dimmer and could use some color-matching assistance. Current toggle ... A: Roger The switch you are replacing has only 3 wires plus a ground in that box??? What does the 3-way ... | |
| 220 Stove Outlet Receptacle | 12/8/2010 |
| Q: I have an existing 220 receptacle that is mounted on the surface of the drywall. My stove will not ... A: James the reason it was mounted like that is for cost. You can buy a bigger box and new outlet and ... | |
| 20 amp ARC breaker tripping | 12/7/2010 |
| Q: 1-house built in 2006; no problems until 2 days ago. 2-ARC tripping only when space heaters are ... A: Pedro From my experience, if the breaker just started this constant tripping, the breaker needs to ... | |
| Breaker keeps heating up and tripping | 12/6/2010 |
| Q: I have a central heat/air unit that is installed above my shower in the master bathroom, it has it's ... A: Christopher by the looks of the breaker it is time the box and the breaker gets changed,when you ... | |
| Electric Dryer - Safe to tape? | 12/6/2010 |
| Q: I have three prongs on the back of my electric dryer. The one on the right evidently goes to the ... A: Daniel The tape is rated for 600 volts I would seriesly go get another cord,the wiring in the cord ... | |
| sudden HIGH electric bills | 12/5/2010 |
| Q: I have a home with old wiring. We use a large amount of electricity, but we have seen a giant ... A: Mike wire and electricity are not like a pipe and water,when a pipe breaks or cracks it will leak ... | |
| Wiring for sump pump in septic system | 12/4/2010 |
| Q: I want to run a separate circuit for the sump pump in my septic system. I have a Rigid 1/2 horse ... A: Duane Since you only are running a 10.5 amps you should use a 15 amp breaker with the #14 wire. A ... | |
| GFI outlet in the kitchen | 12/2/2010 |
| Q: I just had a home inspection and the report says that I need to install GFI outlets in my kitchen. ... A: Kathy I do not know your codes in Maryland,but the NEC states Any receptacle servicing the kitchen ... | |
| non powered outlet with several reverse polarity outlets | 12/2/2010 |
| Q: if i have several reversed polarity outlets in my home, can this cause an outlet to be "dead" A: Nick no because they will work either way,are these grounded outlets? If these are just 2 spade ... | |
| Home Power Drops | 11/30/2010 |
| Q: I sure hope you can give me an insight on this. The power in my home will drop when an appliance ... A: Brian If you want to check the neutrals or remove them to tighten them up you will need to find the ... | |
| Converting a 4 prong dryer cord to a 3 prong dryer cord | 11/29/2010 |
| Q: If I have converted a 4 prong dryer cord to a 3 prong dryer cord does it matter if the dryer spins ... A: Ron You are saying the dryer spins backwards? I don't see how that can be because dryer motors are ... | |
| Buried wire testing | 11/28/2010 |
| Q: I have a uf-b 12/2 wire buried in the ground that's about 200ft long that isn't connected to ... A: Paul First make sure nothing is hooked up to these wires.get a tester with a means of showing a ... | |
| automatic tranfer switch | 11/27/2010 |
| Q: I have a 10k generac generator 50 amp auto transfer switch I have a number of unused slots in my ... A: Bob The way to install a transfer switch is to put the transfer switch on a circuit breaker related ... | |
| Home Power Drops | 11/26/2010 |
| Q: I sure hope you can give me an insight on this. The power in my home will drop when an appliance ... A: Brian If your house is an older house it is very common to have lights flicker. They used to put ... | |
| Wiring | 11/23/2010 |
| Q: We purchased a new light fixture for the guest bedroom, we pulled the old fixture down to replace ... A: Becky That ceiling light is used for a fan the red wire switches the lights the black wire is for ... | |
| electrical problem | 11/20/2010 |
| Q: why is it that there is no electricity at the plug ends or the light. I am using a wiggle tester it ... A: Dan Check your neutrals A wall power outlet is the two or three prong receptacle used to plug in ... | |
| Power drops and surges | 11/19/2010 |
| Q: Throughout my home I have constant power drops and surges. I checked connections, polarity, gave ... A: Brian so the power company says that there incoming wires is ok? What you need to do is go into your ... | |
| Power drops and surges | 11/18/2010 |
| Q: Throughout my home I have constant power drops and surges. I checked connections, polarity, gave ... A: Brian Have your power company come out to check for a bad neutral,that will cause lights to ... | |
| Sub Panel | 11/16/2010 |
| Q: I am putting 100amp sub panel in detached garage from a 200 main panel. It is roughly 60 feet from ... A: Michelle Here are the answers to your questions #1 you would need to run 2 #4 hot wires 1 # 6 ... | |
| cord ends don't match up | 11/15/2010 |
| Q: I am putting up Xmas lights outside and have a problem. The female end of the LCD lights has two ... A: Steve The outlet has 1 prong larger (neutral wire) because it is polarized for certain devices.A ... | |
| fans and lights | 11/15/2010 |
| Q: I have a number of halogen 12V downlights in a cathedral ceilling and would like to add a fan. ... A: JJ They make fan/light combos that you install a constant hot and the remote controls can operate ... | |
| Baseboard Heater | 11/13/2010 |
| Q: . I think I am going crazy. I am trying to install a 1250 watt 240 volt baseboard heater wiith an ... A: Grant Sounds like they are are the same phase,first check to make sure the base board heater works ... | |
| abandoning unused furnace thermostat | 11/7/2010 |
| Q: I bought a house that has an unused thermostat in the living room. I want to remove it and repair ... A: Kathy Is this low voltage wire? If the wires are small and have 6 or 8 wires in the bunch they are ... | |
| Locating breaker | 11/2/2010 |
| Q: we moved into our house about 6 months ago and just recently had a problem that has me stumped. The ... A: Jim No there is no separate breaker box. Go into your bathrooms or your garage you should have a ... | |
| generator wiring | 11/2/2010 |
| Q: I have a small single room trailer that I plan to use as a portable kitchen for homeless feedings. I ... A: George With that kind of application you would need to find out what the demand will be when you are ... | |
| Smoke Detectors Go Off When Breaker Turned On | 10/31/2010 |
| Q: Awhile back our smoke detectors (which are wired into the house) started going off and when one goes ... A: Brandy Try taking a vacuum and blowing them all out. Even a cob web that has gotten in or a speck ... | |
| want to add an electric water heater | 10/29/2010 |
| Q: This is a house I purchased about 7 years ago and all items listed below were as it was at that ... A: BOB Your question "Is it legal in California to have a gas water heater in a closet in the bathroom" ... | |
| ceiling light wiring | 10/29/2010 |
| Q: I know better, but I disconnected my old ceiling light without diagramming what I did! Help. The ... A: Wes The wires that go to the wall switch need to be hooked up like this from the switch you should ... | |
| 3 prong welder to 4 prong receptacle | 10/28/2010 |
| Q: I have a mig welder that has a three prong cord and requires 220 input. I would like to make an ... A: Glen You can not do that your welder has 2 hot wires and a ground. The dryer outlet has a 4 WIRE ... | |
| wiring electrical outlets | 10/24/2010 |
| Q: I'm having problems rewiring some outlets. When I check the outlet with a voltage meter hot to ... A: Bryce Somewhere along this circuit you have a open neutral which is dangerous for anything hooked ... | |
| 3 phase to singloe 220V | 10/23/2010 |
| Q: I have a shop that has a 3 phase main breaker box. It has the two outside legs at 135 volt but the ... A: Ron The service that you have is called a wild leg used in industrial type environments. This type ... | |
| ceiling fan light | 10/22/2010 |
| Q: I have a ceiling fan with a remote. The light stopped working. I disasembled the light. I have ... A: Jeff How did you check the the socket for the lamp,if you have power on the black or hot wire ... | |
| Am I overloaded | 10/21/2010 |
| Q: If I upgrade a 20 amp 2 pole with a 30 amp 2 pole can I run the fridge(9.4 Amp) and the furnace(8.5 ... A: Rett No you cant because if 1 of the devices has a problem the breaker will not trip because you ... | |
| Light bulbs constantly burning out | 10/20/2010 |
| Q: I have two carriage house style lights over my two garage doors. We are constantly replacing these ... A: Dave Increasing the wattage won't help What you need to do is go find new bulbs that are 130 Volts ... | |
| Panel sizing | 10/18/2010 |
| Q: I notice that the average residence has a 100 amp panel, mine included. At what point is an upgrade ... A: Jorge Seems like now is the time to upgrade, as you add more & more loads to your 100 amp panel it ... | |
| Tork 1101N Timer Wiring | 10/15/2010 |
| Q: I am replacing an old Tork 1101N Timer and tried to connect the wires the same way the old timer was ... A: Jim What you need is a 2 pole time clock as what you are telling me is that the red & black come ... | |
| Removed light fixture; outlets stopped working | 10/11/2010 |
| Q: We're painting our guest bathroom, and have temporarily removed the light fixture over the sink. ... A: Gerry Inside the light fixture you may have disconnected the power to the other outlets. If you ... | |
| dead outlets | 10/10/2010 |
| Q: We have a circuit that has four outlets, wired in series, on it. The first three outlets are dead ... A: Johnny The outlet that is working most likely feeds the 3 outlets that are not working. Take the ... | |
| Tork 1101N Timer Wiring | 10/9/2010 |
| Q: I am replacing an old Tork 1101N Timer and tried to connect the wires the same way the old timer was ... A: Jim Your timer is a single pole time clock. 24 Hr. Dial Time Switch NEMA 3R Raintight Case - SPST ... | |
| Wiring Mystery | 10/8/2010 |
| Q: I have three lights linked to a single dimmer. Never had any problems with them for years. Then I ... A: rans I would go back and recheck the wires,some where along this fixture you may have hooked up the ... | |
| WIRING EXTERIOR SPOT LIGHTS | 10/6/2010 |
| Q: Ben, I want to take an existing exterior light source, that is on a dimmer, and use the power to run ... A: ROBERT You need to find out what else is on this circuit first,you do not want to overload the ... | |
| GE 15071 | 10/6/2010 |
| Q: I am replacing an Intermatic switch with GE 15071. This switch controls an outside porch light. ... A: John The GE 15071 requires a(white) neutral it will not work without it Hook up the green to the ... | |
| rewiring an older home | 10/5/2010 |
| Q: I am recently married and have moved into my husband's residence, an older Cape-style home with one ... A: Kate He probably said amps not volts volts are a standard unit to make the connection to what ever ... | |
| lighted 3-way switch | 10/4/2010 |
| Q: I have a lighting circuit with two 3-way switches controlling multiple incandescent bulbs (200 watt ... A: Randy I have the same switches in my house and they do the same thing,sometimes they flicker even on ... | |
| GFI recepticals why tripping | 10/3/2010 |
| Q: I have 3 plugs inside my garage controlled by 1 GFI plug. There is no moisture here in Buckeye AZ so ... A: Steve Yes it could be a bad GFCI,a GFCI works like this A GFCI monitors the amount of current ... | |
| ceiling fann | 10/3/2010 |
| Q: well apparently i let an idiot try to wire my fan anyway I'm in an old apartment and my plugs in my ... A: Linda Since you live in a older apartment the were are probably cloth covered.Even older wire were ... | |
| lost neutral | 10/2/2010 |
| Q: Yesterday I came home to no power. I called the power company, and they advised me to check the ... A: Samantha The utility transformer feeding your service is 240 volts single phase. In order for you ... | |
| Wiring heating elements | 9/30/2010 |
| Q: Is there a way to determine the voltage of an old heating element (220 vs 110, 1/4 inch bent tube ... A: Bob The heater should have a name plate rating on it telling you what the voltage is and what the ... | |
| wiring | 9/29/2010 |
| Q: 1/2 of my condo has power the other q/2 does not I;ve turn the braker box on and off and still does ... A: Annalise You may have a bad main breaker,or there may be other problems. If you live a condo and ... | |
| 10 foot tap rule | 9/29/2010 |
| Q: Is NM cable a raceway? I remember not being allowed to run NM cable in pipe because you can't ... A: Joe NM Cable is a type of wire meaning non metallic.It is not a raceway just a type of covering and ... | |
| 3phase system | 9/25/2010 |
| Q: I have to wire up a building with 4/0 awg wire and 3 hots and a ground to the main breaker inside ... A: James When it comes to a 3-phase system it doesn't matter if you wire a to b or c to a. The only ... | |
| federal pacific thermostats | 9/23/2010 |
| Q: have a customer that had a fire because of this thermostat. they also have the fp stablock panel.are ... A: As far as fires I have no information on the thermostats but here is some information on this ... | |
| smoke detectors won't test properly | 9/23/2010 |
| Q: Kidde smoke detectors, six total, not more than three years old. When each individual detector is ... A: Ben One of the detectors along that line may be bad causing the unit not to forward the signal even ... | |
| wiring | 9/21/2010 |
| Q: sir: i am running a new line of 12-2 to a double switch to a junction box where i want to switch to ... A: Greg Run the 12-2 to the switch box then from there you need to run the 12-3 to the outlet,use the ... | |
| federal pacific thermostats | 9/21/2010 |
| Q: have a customer that had a fire because of this thermostat. they also have the fp stablock panel.are ... A: greg Those are not thermostats they are circuit breakers.All home electrical systems require some ... | |
| faulty light fixture | 9/18/2010 |
| Q: a recessed canister type light fixture comes on with the switch then after a few minutes goes out. ... A: randy The thermal relay is what is shutting the lamp off,it is installed in the fixture to prevent ... | |
| GFCI or AFCI | 9/14/2010 |
| Q: Good morning, What's the difference between GFCI and AFCI breakers? Can I replace a GFCI breaker to ... A: Angel AFCI breakers protect against arc faults. GFCI breakers protect against ground faults. They ... | |
| stove | 9/12/2010 |
| Q: i has a bad stove and i got a new one him taking off the plugs off the bad stove to put it on the ... A: Camarron This has become a common problem with the installation of a new range/stove (and dryers) ... | |
| Light wiring | 9/8/2010 |
| Q: How and/or where do I attach the bare copper ground wire when there is not a ground on the light ... A: Rick Are you saying the fixture doesn't have a ground? Or the wires coming in? If the fixture has a ... | |
| 3 way bakelite switches | 9/7/2010 |
| Q: I just finished a renovation of a older home (1920s). There is a two gang set of switches at the ... A: Marcus Get a New electrician he doesn't know what he is talking about. Wires are wires in order to ... | |
| light dim when ac kicks on | 9/4/2010 |
| Q: my 200 amp main has only 4 breakers and feeds a 200 amp sub. when my 30 amp heat pump kicks on the ... A: Matt The cause is the surge from the ac,most panels will get this it has a heaving start up ... | |
| Kitchen aid hook up elect | 9/4/2010 |
| Q: Our house was built in 1986 and we are replacing a Jenn Air electric down draft cook top with a ... A: Sam you need to double check the voltage and polarity of the plug in the wall. Verify that there is ... | |
| Pool Light and GFCI | 9/3/2010 |
| Q: I purchased the home with a pool. The light was replaced and the GFCI was replaced. However, the ... A: What kind of bulb is in the pool fixture? Those who have Low Voltage lamps will have a transformer ... | |
| Pool Light and GFCI | 9/1/2010 |
| Q: I purchased the home with a pool. The light was replaced and the GFCI was replaced. However, the ... A: Wayne Is the pool light on a low voltage transformer?If it is the the switch turns on the pool ... | |
| wiring | 8/25/2010 |
| Q: plug. black hot side is hot with the ground. Is not hot with the white common. is there a break ... A: Ron In order to complete a circuit you need to have a hot wire to a neutral. The ground wire is only ... | |
| Power Outage on a Single Circuit | 8/24/2010 |
| Q: My wife was using her hairdryer in the bathroom when she said the lights flickered and then the ... A: Randy Somewhere along this circuit a wire is either broken of loose in a wire nut.Check all the ... | |
| Switch conversion | 8/24/2010 |
| Q: I want to put an outlet in a closet that only has a light switch. I pulled the switch out and ... A: Curtis If you are using a combo/switch/outlet the switch leg goes on a screw that is on the same ... | |
| found screw in wall with 220 power to it ! | 8/23/2010 |
| Q: I am staying with son in Germany, I was cleaning walls, and I touched a screw in a the wall where ... A: Ali Some where in that wall the screw has punctured into the wire. Shut the power off and remove ... | |
| Correct Subpanel for the job | 8/23/2010 |
| Q: I am adding a sub panel to a main panel which has a breaker in every possible space except one. And ... A: Sandy First of all the panel is mounted wrong,it needs to be rotated counter clock wise,with the 2 ... | |
| Electircal pop and now no power | 8/22/2010 |
| Q: While operating the micro wave in the kitchen a loud popping noise was heard and the electricity ... A: Tim The problem with aluminum wire is that it is soft and breaks down easy,that is why when they did ... | |
| Switch conversion | 8/22/2010 |
| Q: I want to put an outlet in a closet that only has a light switch. I pulled the switch out and ... A: Curtis One of the wires coming in is a power wire the other wires are the switch leg. take the ... | |
| pool lighting | 8/21/2010 |
| Q: my problem is I have 3,120V circuits,1 for lighting on awnings,1 for receptacles around the pool, ... A: Gerald Yes you can install GFCI outlets, for the awning and the outlets around the pool (outlets ... | |
| outside wiring, new run | 8/20/2010 |
| Q: I am running a new circuit to an outside pool pump. The easiest route would be to go from the panel ... A: Bill You cannot use a disconnect box as a junction box to splice or have wires pass threw the ... | |
| Electrical plug and switch in cabinet | 8/19/2010 |
| Q: I have a client that requires adding a tall closet about 15 inches wide by 29 inches deep. This ... A: Dan The switch/outlet needs to be accessible so that if needed it can be worked on. What ever way ... | |
| LED retrofit lamps | 8/17/2010 |
| Q: is there anything special i need to know about adding a dimmer with new sylvania a19 retrofit led ... A: Bruce Many fluorescent, CFL, and LED drivers are not capable to use with the dimmer because it is ... | |
| Re-Wiring House | 8/17/2010 |
| Q: Ben, Our House was built in 1967 and aluminum wiring was used. I realize this is no longer ... A: David Actually you can put 1 outlet on a breaker there is no rule on that. there is a code that ... | |
| aerial connection | 8/16/2010 |
| Q: we are adding a sub panel to a detached garage - what connector is best for the splice from the ... A: Carol You will need to crimp the connectors,they make a crimp that splices the wires together. So ... | |
| 3 way switches | 8/15/2010 |
| Q: Residential problem There is one light and three switches to turn it on and off. The client would ... A: Randy with a 3-way switch circuit you can only have 2 3-way switches. The rest of the switches are ... | |
| electric dryer | 8/12/2010 |
| Q: I just moved and we previously had set up for an electrical dryer and our new place has a gas set ... A: Ryan The wire size has to be at least a # 10 or above. What was that outlet used before? The ... | |
| wiring a ceiling light | 8/11/2010 |
| Q: I'm replacing a chandelier. The wire on the old chandelier connected only to a black and white ... A: Steve How was the old chandelier getting its power all the time or was it hooked up to a switch? The ... | |
| Wiring a Jacuzzi | 8/10/2010 |
| Q: I will be installing a 6 person Jacuzzi. It is a 240V unit. It will be approx 100 feet from the main ... A: Jack Run at least a 2-#6 1 # 8 for the neutral and 1 #10 for the ground wire in PVC conduit 1 inch ... | |
| Residential: Remove 3-way switch | 8/10/2010 |
| Q: I want to remove the 2 3-way switches that control a wall outlet and make the outlet a full-time ... A: Bob Step One Find the power supply in to one of the switch boxes (one hot, and one neutral), on a ... | |
| electricity lost | 8/9/2010 |
| Q: i happen to plug in baby monitor in basement and then started using the shredder. suddenly the ... A: alpa Where did yo plug the monitor at in the basement? Is it a finished basement. You may have ... | |
| floor outlet | 8/9/2010 |
| Q: We just put an offer on a house in AZ. We have these great big rooms that will require 'floating' ... A: Jean There has to be outlets somewhere as the NEC requires outlets to be spaced at least 12 ft or ... | |
| outdoor electrical outlet placement | 8/7/2010 |
| Q: I am putting electric outlets on the outside of my new pool house. I am located in NJ. Is there a ... A: Bev Art. 680 of the NEC is what controls this subject. outlets at least one 15 or 20 amp outlet ... | |
| gfci plugs | 8/7/2010 |
| Q: i had two regular wall plugs in dinning room suddenly stop working. there are two gfci plugs in ... A: William In the kitchen you are required by code to install 2 circuits minimum. When any of these ... | |
| Tork EW103B Timer | 8/6/2010 |
| Q: Looking to hook up a EW103B timer for my pool motor/pump. The wiring diagram shows 6 terminals ... A: John Yes the way you have it is correct the terminals 1-3 & 2-4 are the timer switches showing that ... | |
| main service electrical | 8/5/2010 |
| Q: I need to run 353 feet from service pole to meter to feed 100amp what size wire do I need to run and ... A: Rick The wire size depends on what type of wire. Are you using copper or aluminum and is it going ... | |
| 220v connection with incorrect voltage | 8/4/2010 |
| Q: I have a 220 volt connection that will not run today. Yesterday the equipment ran, a clothes dryer. ... A: Skip Somewhere the feed for this is not working the 120 v is one leg the other leg should have 120 ... | |
| Wiring basement and installing five light fixture, a switch, and a plug | 8/1/2010 |
| Q: Greeting; We have a basement that is 1200.00 square feet: 60L, 20W, and 11 feet high. There is ... A: Habib Does this wire power anything else? if it does you need to find out whats on the circuit.You ... | |
| AFCI/Light switiches | 7/31/2010 |
| Q: I have a current CO but I am remodeling a cabin in Colorado and the new code demands AFCI. Is there ... A: Lloyd AFCI is only used for outlets not lights.It doesn't matter where you get your power source. ... | |
| Dedicated circuit for washer/dryer | 7/31/2010 |
| Q: I am having my main electrical panel replaced in the house. The electrician suggested to also ... A: Sam That seems a little high I know wire has gone up but that seems allot. What you can do is ... | |
| Dedicated circuit for washer/dryer | 7/30/2010 |
| Q: I am having my main electrical panel replaced in the house. The electrician suggested to also ... A: Sam While they are doing the work have it done now as later on it will cost twice that or maybe ... | |
| 4 prong to 3 prong | 7/30/2010 |
| Q: My issue is the generator I have has a 4 prong NEMA twistlock,240/120 volt outlet socket, and the ... A: Dave Leave the outlet on the generator as it is, you may have to use that someday.They make ... | |
| Breaker Box | 7/29/2010 |
| Q: My electrician and contractor do not seem to like the idea of the Electrical Engineer plans ... A: Clive This depends on your location as prices vary thru out the country. In NYC that would seem ... | |
| Blowing dryer fuses | 7/28/2010 |
| Q: Our dryer was not heating, so we replaced the heating element (Whirlpool dryer, heating element ... A: Jessica Sounds like something is grounding out against the power. Remove the back panel again and ... | |
| bathroom combo, heater, vent fan and light. | 7/28/2010 |
| Q: I have a bathroom combo fixture and it had the original push button switch until few days ago, Vent ... A: Jeramy You would need to install a 3 gang box,after you do that tie in all the ground together if ... | |
| SO cord vs MC | 7/27/2010 |
| Q: I'm wiring an old compressor that requires 20A/240 service. I have an ample supply of 10GA MC. The ... A: Neal Yes you can use MC,What size wire is the MC? The wire has to be rated for the name plate ... | |
| fuse suddenly blowing | 7/27/2010 |
| Q: even though there's been no changes in number or configuration of appliances a fuse and then a ... A: Kerry Is anything plugged in this circuit that may overload It?If there are appliances on this ... | |
| Doorbell Wiring | 7/26/2010 |
| Q: I'm hoping you can give troubleshooting advice for hooking up a doorbell. My contractor installed a ... A: Jeff This sounds like the timer mechanism is bad or the plungers need cleaned and aligned.Tell your ... | |
| 50 amp welding machine plug | 7/26/2010 |
| Q: Good morning Ben, I have an exiting 50 amp circuit it would like to terminate with a welding machine ... A: Darren The 50 amp circuit that you have is a 4 wire system used when your equipment requires a ... | |
| Plug and switch in same box | 7/24/2010 |
| Q: I am at the end of a run. The very last box has one constantly hot light on it plus one light that ... A: Vikki On 1 side of the device is a set of brass terminals there should be a connection between the ... | |
| Generator Requirement | 7/24/2010 |
| Q: Ben, I live where utility pwr supply comes at 220V. Not sure if it is 3 or single phase. For some ... A: Bernard If you have 220 V as your service and live in a house you only have single phase service.As ... | |
| 4 prong to 3 prong dryer connection | 7/23/2010 |
| Q: I just moved into a home with a 3 prong outlet for a dryer, and picked up a dryer with a 4 prong ... A: Joey For Three Prong Cords the Center cord wire goes on the center terminal, the left on the left , ... | |
| Commercial-Grade Lighting Fixture | 7/22/2010 |
| Q: please assist me to identify a commercial grade lighting fixture and bulb type. The fixture I wish ... A: Alex The type of fixture you have is High Pressure Sodium,it gives off the Orange lite this is ... | |
| 3 way switch to a 2 way switch | 7/21/2010 |
| Q: Bathroom 3 way switch 1 turns on the exhuast fan the other the heater the other is suppose to turn ... A: Charlie The bathroom switch you are referring to is not a 3 way or even a two way.Each switch is ... | |
| air compressor | 7/20/2010 |
| Q: i have this 30 gallon ASME tank with 2.0HP 135 max psi 120v 60hz the problem that im having is ... A: pacheco The air compressor motor needs to be on its own circuit. The motor is pulling two many amps ... | |
| changing a ceiling light to a fan | 7/17/2010 |
| Q: I have an older home(approx 30 yrs old) and am changing the ceiling light in my son's room to a ... A: Sandi The wires in the light box black & 2 whites since there is no ground you can not use the ... | |
| wiring air conditioner | 7/16/2010 |
| Q: Okay I replaced an air conditioner that I had for a long time. The old unit was plugged into an ... A: Larry The old AC was wired for 30 amps,Since the new one is now 20 amps the 20 amp 2 pole breaker ... | |
| ELECTRICAL | 7/15/2010 |
| Q: in a walk in cooler there's a light switch that connects to a light fixture and from there all wires ... A: Jesus If the switch that goes to the light box has just 2 wires plus the ground then you need to ... | |
| generator | 7/14/2010 |
| Q: i have generator that is work but don't have electricity out it was working good,but now only start ... A: JOSE As an alternative to flashing a rotor winding with a battery applied to the brushes, an ... | |
| underground branch circuit | 7/13/2010 |
| Q: where do you transition rigid pipe to PVC tubing, above the ground line or under? Would you use a ... A: Tom The transition needs to be at least 2 feet under ground this way the PVC is not subject to ... | |
| adding three lights with a dimmer and continuing | 7/12/2010 |
| Q: Good afternoon Ben, I have an electrical scenario, I'm not familiar with. PLEASE HELP !!!! I have a ... A: Barry I am kind of confused on what you are asking me? Do want to add more lights on the same ... | |
| Meter lugs | 7/10/2010 |
| Q: I am renovating a house and the electricity stopped working. I called my power company and they sent ... A: Ann The lug in the meter base is how the power company hooks up to the meter. What has to happen is ... | |
| Running wires through PVC conduit | 7/5/2010 |
| Q: Suppose I'm running power out to a newly-built detached garage underground in PVC conduit. Do I ... A: Jordan Yes you can run romex but it is not advisable because romex is made to be installed in ... | |
| Electrical question | 7/5/2010 |
| Q: I was taking down a ceiling fan, and did not turn off the power. As I was bringing down the metal ... A: Shiloe Is the Satellite on the same circuit? If so it may have back fed the unit. Look for a fuse on ... | |
| nightlight wall switch | 7/2/2010 |
| Q: Sorry if this is a stupid question..but, I have a night light switch in the bathroom, and the light ... A: Dawn I have the same type of switches and mine do the same thing,they flicker all the time it is ... | |
| Wiring a 2 speed Attic Fan | 7/1/2010 |
| Q: I am installing a "intilitech 7 day in wall timer" replacing an old mechanical 12 hr timer. The load ... A: Greg This fan may be rated for a speed control as the windings only will change speed with a motor ... | |
| Outlets Popping | 7/1/2010 |
| Q: I have two bathrooms that are back-to-back to each other. When I turn on the light in the one ... A: Tamara The other outlet in the bathroom is it a GFCI? A GFCI has a small red button and a other ... | |
| Installing pool...Adding GFI for pool pump | 6/30/2010 |
| Q: I have an existing outdoor workshop. It is fed from the 150amp main panel at the house with 12-3 on ... A: Chris Yes there is.Just to let you know a #12 wire is only good for 20 amps it doesn't matter ... | |
| Panasonic fan installation | 6/29/2010 |
| Q: I have a Panasonic fan and need help with the wiring. It is a fan, light, night light unit. I would ... A: Carrie Yes you need to run 3 switches, You need a hot wire to a 3-gang switch box,then from there ... | |
| generator hooked up with out Transfer switch, breakers did not work after | 6/29/2010 |
| Q: My tenant lost power last night, he hooked up a generator to the house. The house does not have a ... A: Kathleen First of all I would tell your tenant that you do not wanting him/her to hook up any kind ... | |
| adding service panel in garage | 6/28/2010 |
| Q: I have upgraded my house from 100 amp to 200 amp service. I would like to add a service panel to my ... A: Curtis Number 8 wire is only rated for 40 amps so you need to install a 2 pole 40 amp breaker in ... | |
| Dryer short circuit? | 6/27/2010 |
| Q: We have an electric clothes dryer in our garage, and it just suddenly stopped working. So, I bought ... A: Jeff What you may have is a neutral wire hooked up to a ground. The dryer cord needs to be a 3 prong ... | |
| Wire a cooktop | 6/25/2010 |
| Q: Our new cooktop has 4 wires; black, bare, red %26 white. The feed from the house has 3 wires; ... A: Leland You can not use the existing wire as it is a 3 wire with 2 hots and a ground. Your new cook ... | |
| hooking up new trailer | 6/25/2010 |
| Q: i am trying to hook up a trailer house, and not sure what size main to go with outside. inside is a ... A: Joseph Yes you can install a 200 amp service with a 200 amp panel with spaces to add breakers. Then ... | |
| adding a 120V outlet from a 240V (2 wire) cirucit | 6/23/2010 |
| Q: Ben, I have a well pump that is wired with a 2-wire (plus gnd) 240V circuit. I need to add some ... A: Alan You can do that as long as you do not use the pump. Install a small sub-panel with may be 4 or ... | |
| ceiling fan w/up & down light all on remote | 6/22/2010 |
| Q: Have installed this fixture on single switch (not a 3 way switch). All works perfectly with wall ... A: Dana The red wire is a switch leg from the switch usually to operate a fan light. Then there is a ... | |
| install light & switch combo | 6/22/2010 |
| Q: I'm installing a light and plug switch to replace old switches that didn't work. I hook up the light ... A: Eric If you want to install a switch/outlet combo. Then you need to make sure the hot wires are on ... | |
| GFIC Problem | 6/21/2010 |
| Q: My wife as vacuuming last night, and was plugged into a GFIC outlet next to our kitchen sink. She ... A: Dennis First of all 2 GFCI can not work together,So the problem may be that the 2 GFCI circuits are ... | |
| weird flourescent light issue | 6/20/2010 |
| Q: Over the vanity in the master bath, we have 3 separate flourescent fixtures. 2 use three-foot lamps, ... A: Karen Sounds like you may have a loose neutral wire the white (Neutral) wire if it is loose or not ... | |
| Melted dryer prong and burnt the wall | 6/19/2010 |
| Q: We discovered that our electric dryer was not compatible to plug into the outlet of our new home. I ... A: Diane Sounds like the wires got mixed on the outlet is this a 4 prong outlet? or a 3 prong outlet? ... | |
| Short-circuited an outlet? | 6/19/2010 |
| Q: Before putting a new power cord on our clothes dryer to fit the outlet in our new house, I (very ... A: Gena Go to the electrical panel and find the dryer breaker. You should have a 2 pole breaker rated ... | |
| electrical service wires to house | 6/18/2010 |
| Q: I had a tree expert here to give an estimate for some work. As he walked around he noticed the 3 ... A: Tom Depending on your area the power company has jurisdiction over the line that come's in your ... | |
| RResidential service upgrade 200 to 400 amp | 6/18/2010 |
| Q: We are required to complete a load letter and have some questions for the KW totals. The service ... A: Jay In your case, there is an easy way out. Please note that this method does not establish the ... | |
| inground pool hookup | 6/17/2010 |
| Q: I have a few questions specific to hooking up a pool - 1. What kind of clamps do we need to use to ... A: Tom OK here are some helpful things you have to do. 680.12 requires the disconnecting means to be ... | |
| wiring | 6/16/2010 |
| Q: Why do electrians use #12 wire for outlets and code allows #14 for lighting A: Rodney The 12-2 wire is used where the circuits are 20 amps like the ... | |
| electrical subpanels | 6/15/2010 |
| Q: I have a Square D main, 200 Amp with 20 breaker slots on my house. I have 4 slots that are empty. ... A: Annemarie Nice Italian Name! Actually what you can do is install the sub panel in the studio, with a ... | |
| adding a light switch | 6/14/2010 |
| Q: Good afternoon Ben, I have an electrical scenario, I'm not familiar with. PLEASE HELP !!!! I have a ... A: Barry The first thng that you need to do is turn off the power to this circuit and verify that the ... | |
| installing ceiling fan | 6/14/2010 |
| Q: I want to install a new ceiling fan with light in a bedroom. The wiring in the ceiling is older ... A: john You can use the wire that is up in the box.You said there is a ground wire in the Box??? are ... | |
| underground cable | 6/12/2010 |
| Q: I want to install underground cable to power a 30A trailer. The run is 500' from a 200A service ... A: AL You can use a # 2 wire with a Neutral and a ground wire #6 Estimated Drop 4.5 Volts Load At ... | |
| grounded wires | 6/12/2010 |
| Q: My husband and I are in the process of purchasing our first home and just this morning had our home ... A: Jessica I don't understand why if the house was rewired within the last year, the only wire they ... | |
| Arc Fault Wiring | 6/11/2010 |
| Q: Ben, I am finishing our son's basement and am told that all circuits have to be arc-fault protected; ... A: Bernie Arc fault circuits are ran the same way as a regular wire run,you should have some already ... | |
| DC voltage in shower | 6/9/2010 |
| Q: I have recently had a problem with my shower giving me an electrical shock. An electrician was ... A: Susan Do you have cable TV and a House phone? Most likely you have 1 of them. The Phone co and ... | |
| low power | 6/9/2010 |
| Q: I have an old mobile home that has sat for a while. The outside paneling had to be replaced and ... A: Richard Try switching that breaker for another one in the panel,that will let you know if the ... | |
| Wires | 6/7/2010 |
| Q: I had roof replaced and the roofers removed a old exhaust fan I did not need. They cut the power ... A: Joe You said that the roofers tied the hot wires and the neutral together? If they did that it would ... | |
| Service location | 6/7/2010 |
| Q: I am remodeling a home that now has the service and meter base inside the garage.Does the service ... A: Steven OK here is what is best to do. Install the meter out the house on the side the power company ... | |
| Manufactured Home | 6/6/2010 |
| Q: I am wanting to put an electric outlet on the front of this home. There is one on the back. What ... A: Herschel First of all is it a inside out let or a outside outlet?? Adding a New Outlet To add a ... | |
| Electrical | 6/6/2010 |
| Q: I need to know how to run a 250v outlet for a window AC from the panel?can u help?thanks A: John The breaker size must not be rated more than the ampacity of the branch circuit conductors. ... | |
| Replacing ceiling light with a dimmer switch | 5/30/2010 |
| Q: Completely baffled with replacing a ceiling light. I should have noted how the original light was ... A: Brent Up in the ceiling box the black is for a constant hot it is on all of the time. The red wire ... | |
| current draw | 5/28/2010 |
| Q: We are trying to find the start-up current draw on a 220 volt A/C compressor. The HVAC guy put a ... A: Jim On the AC unit there is a Nameplate and thats where yo can see the start up load and the run ... | |
| wiring an old floor lamp | 5/28/2010 |
| Q: I have a single bulb floor lamp with a rotary switch on the pole away from the bulb. I got most of ... A: Elizabeth You have to unhook all the wires then there is a small nut on the outside of the switch ... | |
| roof exhaust fan won't run | 5/26/2010 |
| Q: My exhaust fan won't run. 120v power comes from a switch in my garage. The fan has a thermostat in ... A: Jim sounds like you have a open neutral somewhere.The 2 wires at the fan should have a reading of ... | |
| electric plug | 5/25/2010 |
| Q: can i plug a 110v 15 amp plug into a 110v 30 amp rv plug with a adapter safely A: Tom No the reason is the 15 amp plug is rated for 15 amps and if the 30 amp RV plug should have ... | |
| ceiling fan wiring | 5/24/2010 |
| Q: I would like to add a second switch for a ceiling fan with a light fixture. the switch in place now ... A: David You will need to bring a new wire to the switch from the ceiling box you can use a 14-3 ... | |
| 220 v outlet for welder -3 prong | 5/23/2010 |
| Q: Saw an answer from Don the other day that has me puzzled. Don said that in a three prong outlet for ... A: Perry As a master electrician you should know that any 2-wire with a ground romex only has a ... | |
| open neutral on receptacle | 5/22/2010 |
| Q: I have an outlet that according to the testerit has an open neutral, now it did worked before so ... A: Mario The reason you are getting voltage is because the neutral is the wire that carries the Unused ... | |
| receptacal boxs | 5/22/2010 |
| Q: I have remodel my kitchen and have installed tile for back splash. I now have all the receptacles ... A: Jack Yes they have these small green stacker's made by GB Electrical that you can put behind the ... | |
| Wiring a 120/240 split oven/stove combo. | 5/20/2010 |
| Q: Hey ben, I am wiring up a new stove/oven combo in place of a radiant cook top that was strictly ... A: David No you can not share a neutral because the neutral carries the unbalanced load back to the ... | |
| hooking up gfci thermostat | 5/19/2010 |
| Q: I have disconnected the ceiling electric radiant heat, and have installed 120v electric floor ... A: John No you do not need to run a new wire as long as the wire you are using is capable of handling ... | |
| 100 amp sub panel | 5/19/2010 |
| Q: Ben I'm running power to my detached garage, I have a 100 amp panel installed and I've completed ... A: Andy The wire size should be a # 3 #3 #4 and a #10 Alum if you use copper you can go down a ... | |
| 8 ft Metalux flourescent light (2 tube) | 5/18/2010 |
| Q: I have a metalux 8 ft (2 tube) fixture--Black & White wires with a plastic 2 part connector( 1 ... A: frank yes those are the new way of connecting wires,we in the field do not like them they are flimsy ... | |
| hooking up gfci thermostat | 5/17/2010 |
| Q: I have disconnected the ceiling electric radiant heat, and have installed 120v electric floor ... A: John No you cant you will short out the T-stat and the heater.Just use only 2 wires on the T-stat ... | |
| Multiple timer switches | 5/17/2010 |
| Q: A friend and I are trying to wire an attic fan that is controlled by two timer switches, one switch ... A: Andrew When you say 2 circuits do you mean 2 separate breakers? You can not use 2 separate circuits ... | |
| GFI Receptacle Problem | 5/14/2010 |
| Q: I am helping my sister in her new home. Well, it is new for her, but around 40 years old. The ... A: Fred Sounds like you have a mess on your hands.What does the switch turn on? The GFCI should have a ... | |
| Minimum wire size. | 5/14/2010 |
| Q: I am currently building a new home in North Ridgeville Ohio. The builder caught my ear by saying ... A: Jim The code states in the kitchen you must run at least 2 circuits and if they are with in 6 ft ... | |
| wireing a light and one plug in building | 5/13/2010 |
| Q: i put a breaker box in my building with 20 amp breakers. the wire was already ran in conduitwhen i ... A: Kenny The wire you said is a #3? there should be 4 wires in that conduit 2 hot legs 1 neutral and 1 ... | |
| Wiring 2 switches | 5/12/2010 |
| Q: I've done ceiling fan/light fixture wiring, and single pole switches. What I need help with is ... A: Mark what you need to do is run a 14-2 to the fixture from 1 switch and then run the other 14-2 ... | |
| ceiling fixture | 5/11/2010 |
| Q: I have taken the walls down around my solarium, in my condo (4th floor). I want to make the solarium ... A: Loret I do not know if your ceiling is accessible? If it is run the new wire from the old ceiling ... | |
| Living room outlets not working | 5/10/2010 |
| Q: I had a situation come up yesterday where three outlets in one end of the living room stop working. ... A: Larry The reason the voltage is dropping is you are losing the neutral on that circuit,if there is ... | |
| sub panel installation | 5/10/2010 |
| Q: Have a 200 amp residential master panel. All breaker slots are taken and need to add more. How do ... A: Larry What you need to do is install the sub-panel then if it is a 60 amp panel,then run this cable ... | |
| three way circuit | 5/8/2010 |
| Q: I currently have a single circuit serving my kitchen. It serves a center light in the kitchen on 3 ... A: Ted Do you want to add a 3-way system separate but use the power coming in? I am confused on what ... | |
| Romax wiring damaged shielding | 5/5/2010 |
| Q: While a contractor was digging a hole outside my house, he accidentally hit my romax wiring going to ... A: Richard Hopefully it was UF wire that is made to be direct burial in the ground.If noting is broken ... | |
| 120V Smoke Alarms | 5/4/2010 |
| Q: In a new ranch (1-story) home with 3 bedrooms and a basement, where exactly is the best place to ... A: Jordan First of all if this is a new home the code requires you now to wire them in a loop this way ... | |
| Using 12-2 romex for bedrooms | 5/3/2010 |
| Q: I'm a homeowner in Orange county, NY and have been replacing most of the old BX (mesh coated)wiring ... A: Greg That will be good because most window shakers (A/C) need around 15 amps 120V. Now this depends ... | |
| Adding additional electrical meter to new service | 5/2/2010 |
| Q: I have a state electrical license but no longer do electrical work for a living. I am wireing a new ... A: Hmmmmmmmm I don't think thats to code as the NEC states that 1 dwelling shall have 1 service and ... | |
| Sub panel wiring | 5/1/2010 |
| Q: I was helping a friend with a sub-panel and we could only get 3/4 FMC to supply the sub-panel. What ... A: Raymond Even though the panel is capable of handling 60 amps that doesn't mean you have to use a 60 ... | |
| switch loop | 4/30/2010 |
| Q: I'm replacing a light in the ceiling. There are two bundles of wires coming out of the old box. ... A: Peter The switch leg should be the red wire,get a tester and turn the switch off now put a temp ... | |
| dead curcuit | 4/28/2010 |
| Q: My bathroom light and GF outlet stopped working but the fan and light in the fan still work. i ... A: You may have a loose neutral somewhere along the circuit,that would cause a bulb to dim somewhere ... | |
| Hot Tub | 4/28/2010 |
| Q: I am going to have a hot tub installed and my 200A main panel is full. I have a sub in the garage ... A: Dave The sub-panel should be fine as the panel is rated 60 amp and The odds of everything in the ... | |
| dead curcuit | 4/28/2010 |
| Q: My bathroom light and GF outlet stopped working but the fan and light in the fan still work. i ... A: Glen The light should not be hooked up to the GFCI anyway actually it should just be by itself and ... | |
| Wiring a brand new light fixture | 4/27/2010 |
| Q: My home was built in the 70's and I'm putting a new light fixture in the one bedroom problem is, it ... A: Jenn Wiring a single pole switch is pretty easy. The first thng that you need to do is turn off the ... | |
| Wiring a brand new light fixture | 4/27/2010 |
| Q: My home was built in the 70's and I'm putting a new light fixture in the one bedroom problem is, it ... A: Jenn What you need to do is find out which black wire goes to the switch leg the other black wire ... | |
| exterior light fixures | 4/26/2010 |
| Q: Is is possible to install exterior lights that can be turned on and off by a switch, but also be ... A: Beth Yes that is possible if you have a switch to the light install the motion detector and when you ... | |
| GFCI Load Capacity | 4/26/2010 |
| Q: While troubleshooting our bathroom receptacles today, we discovered that our home has one (1) GFCI ... A: E B The best thing you can do is install a GFCI on half of the outlets you can not use 2 GFCI on a ... | |
| wiring to a circuit breaker box | 4/25/2010 |
| Q: I installed wiring to the backyard PVC tubing. I am having trouble getting the power in the lines. ... A: Charlie Some where along the line a wire is not installed correctly. Do a Continuity test on each ... | |
| gfci wiring | 4/25/2010 |
| Q: I am adding lights and receptacles to our barn. I used 12/3 from the sub panel to the first box ... A: Bill GFCI receptacles can be used on multiwire circuits, but they must be wired such that the ... | |
| Outdoor Outlet | 4/24/2010 |
| Q: I currently have two 20 amp circuits leading to the outside of the house (1 red, 1 black, 1 white, 1 ... A: Woodie You can share that circuit,you may have some problem with the GFCI because depending on the ... | |
| 240 where it doesn't belong! | 4/24/2010 |
| Q: I'll try to be brief. I'm in Roseburg Oregon. My home was originally built in 1949. We moved in ... A: Jeff some where this circuit is wired wrong or was wired wrong before you moved in.When you turn on ... | |
| Light Switch not working on any outlet in room | 4/23/2010 |
| Q: I just bought a house that is almost 11 years old. In one of the bedrooms, I tried figuring out ... A: Kat Usually they switch half of the outlet, you can test this with a lamp plugged in on the bottom ... | |
| Odd-sized fuses/breakers | 4/23/2010 |
| Q: I was browsing the electrical aisle at the hardware store, and I noticed fuses in sizes like 10-amp ... A: Jordan Those type of fuses are used for equipment, like motors and any thing that needs some more ... | |
| 28 volts on a circuit that should be 120 | 4/22/2010 |
| Q: I have a circuit that supplies lights and receptacles on two small bedrooms in my 1957-construction ... A: Michael Having low voltage on a outlet or a light fixture indicates a open neutral some where along ... | |
| Ceiling Fan installation--12/2 to 12/3 | 4/20/2010 |
| Q: I am installing a new ceiling fan with lights and a new wall switch. There is no existing overhead ... A: Steve Run a 14-3 wire from the ceiling box to the wall switch. 12-2 is too much for a ceiling fan. ... | |
| convert receptical from 2 hole to 3 hole gfi | 4/19/2010 |
| Q: My home is wired with a two wires (Black & white) electrical system.- I want to use a 3 prong power ... A: chuck By changing the plug to a 3 wire you would be risking some damage or other problems,the power ... | |
| 240v 4 wire outlet to 3 wire pump | 4/18/2010 |
| Q: I have a 240V well pump that is fed from my service panel with a 3 conductor (black, white, bare ... A: Mike Yes you can use the generator outlet,you need to keep the ground not the neutral. The ground is ... | |
| Range/Microwave Service | 4/18/2010 |
| Q: I am in the process of moving a range and microwave(also is convection) from my home to a villa. ... A: Chris This depends if the hundred amp wire is a 4 conductor.From what you are telling me it sounds ... | |
| outdoor iring | 4/17/2010 |
| Q: I have a shed that is enclosed with 3 outlets and a lite. The wires are romex and all installed ... A: don If this is a new install then you will need to protect the wire from physical damage by using a ... | |
| Neutral Wire | 4/17/2010 |
| Q: I am installing a new mechanical timer switch inside my garage that controls outside safety ... A: Tim What you need to do is get a tester and put 1 lead on a wire and check it to ground. If you get ... | |
| Not enough slots in bus bar | 4/16/2010 |
| Q: Ok, so I'm kind of confused here. Our service box is a 150A with 32 available slots, however there ... A: Eric One way is take the ground wires if they are on the Bar as the neutrals and insert 2 or 3 ... | |
| timer override | 4/12/2010 |
| Q: I am building a reptile enclosure. The lights are on a timer to simulater night and day, however, I ... A: Mark To over ride a timer you can manually turn the time clock switch to on, and that would turn on ... | |
| Subpanel wiring | 4/12/2010 |
| Q: I'm about to install a subpanel in a remote shop building, 140 feet from my main service panel at ... A: Steve Using a bundled cable like that, in a conduit is not a good idea because of the heat factor of ... | |
| ceiling light | 4/11/2010 |
| Q: The question is: In my bedroom there is no overhead lighting. It looks as if someone covered it up. ... A: Judy You say it looks like it was covered up? You may want to get a small tiny drill and drill into ... | |
| Voltage Drop | 4/10/2010 |
| Q: Ben a friend of mine has an out building approx. 200 ft from her house. She wants to upgrade the ... A: Jack That a good question Probably because there was a small load on the service. If she wants to ... | |
| Tankless water heater | 4/9/2010 |
| Q: I was considering switching an older (10+ yrs) electric tank storage water heater to a tankless. ... A: Susan The tank less water heaters use less energy as they are not constantly keeping the water hot. ... | |
| Tanning Bed Wiring | 4/8/2010 |
| Q: Wife bought a tanning bed and it has a 30A 250v plug on the wire. The basement was an appartment at ... A: Jon You will have to change the breaker and the receptical out. Check the wire on the tanning bed to ... | |
| Ceiling Fan and Wireless Remote | 4/7/2010 |
| Q: I am attempting to install a new ceiling fan and thermostatic remote. My original fan had a light ... A: Bob The red wire is just a switched leg for turning on the old fans light. The black wire that is ... | |
| Hot to the touch wires | 4/6/2010 |
| Q: I am having an issue with a breaker that keeps getting thrown. I have a Spa pump, Spa heater and ... A: Andrew Thr first I noticed it that 2 electricians were blind. You have that circuit over loaded the ... | |
| 3-phase panel and wiring | 4/4/2010 |
| Q: I am wiring from a main panel - 3-phase - to a GE 150A sub-panel. The primary purpose for using a ... A: mark Ok a sub-panel is a panel that come from a main breaker panel.The main breaker panel needs to ... | |
| MODIFICATIONS TO AN OUTDOOR OUTLET | 4/3/2010 |
| Q: Hopefully you'll be able to help me. I did something similar to this years ago but can't remeber ... A: Virge What you can do is change the box to a 2 gang weather proof box,you will have to also get a 2 ... | |
| 3-phase panel and wiring | 4/1/2010 |
| Q: I am wiring from a main panel - 3-phase - to a GE 150A sub-panel. The primary purpose for using a ... A: Mark For the oven You would need to run 3 # 6 wires and 1 #8 (neutral)and 1 #10 for ground.Either ... | |
| New Construction | 3/26/2010 |
| Q: I recently purchased 5 acres in Parrish FL, about 30 miles south of Tampa. I've been doing research ... A: Jordan I lived in bradenton for 15 years so I know where you are at. you will have to talk with FPL ... | |
| GFI code residential yr. 1993 VT | 3/25/2010 |
| Q: What is the proper way to secure the oven plug to flooring? What was the code for wiring GFI in ... A: Rockie The code stated that a outlet shall be 2 feet or more from any bathroom kitchen sink and ... | |
| Dead outlets and ceiling light | 3/25/2010 |
| Q: "I have two outlets and a light in my ceiling all located in the same room which I cannot get any ... A: Michael you just have to eliminate areas that are not associated with any 20 amp circuits. Hopefully ... | |
| installing a ceiling light fixture | 3/24/2010 |
| Q: My ceiling has an outbox with two sets of wiring connectors. The first has two black wires close ... A: Sara Is the silver wire just bare or does it have insulation? You may have aluminum wire. It the ... | |
| installing a ceiling light fixture | 3/24/2010 |
| Q: My ceiling has an outbox with two sets of wiring connectors. The first has two black wires close ... A: Sara The wires that are in the box have to be connected like this the 2 black wires put them all ... | |
| Dead outlets and ceiling light | 3/23/2010 |
| Q: "I have two outlets and a light in my ceiling all located in the same room which I cannot get any ... A: Michael What you need to do is find out what is on that circuit. Shut the breaker off and see what ... | |
| 220 wiring question... | 3/23/2010 |
| Q: I live in the US but have a UK DVD player that I would like to use. The player runs on 220-240v AC ... A: Mark Actually you cant unless you use the dryer circuit only for the DVD Player.You would have to ... | |
| replacing kitchen range hood | 3/22/2010 |
| Q: I am replacing a kitchen range hood. I removed the old hood, circa 1980, and found two house lines ... A: Peter The reason you have 2 cables is because somewhere the other wire feeds something else. It is ... | |
| Water Heater wiring | 3/22/2010 |
| Q: I'm changing from Gas Water Heater to a Electric Water Heater, I ran 10/2 w/ground wire from a ... A: Ray yes you are correct by tieing the ground together. You can use Metallic flex or jut a romex to ... | |
| changing a 4 prong dryer cord to a 3 prong | 3/19/2010 |
| Q: i jus got a dryer that has a 4 prong cord but my outlet is only 3 prong how do i convert the cords? A: Stacey The reason you have a 4 prong cord is for safety 2 hots 1 neutral and 1 ground. To convert ... | |
| Electrical cord/ 220 heater | 3/18/2010 |
| Q: I have a nice 220 heater which has a large fan on it. I spend a large part of the winter in Florida ... A: Jim # 10 wire is only good for 30 amps,also you can not run romex wire that is only used for ... | |
| overhead light | 12/23/2009 |
| Q: I could hear a popping noise but could not trace it out. After a short time my kitchen light went ... A: Stephanie You just have to keep in mind that the furthest light is not the problem,if you checked ... | |
| low voltage, feedback on 110 volt circuit | 12/21/2009 |
| Q: Hey Bob this should be good info. for all. I have 40yr.s experience in building / remodeling & ... A: First of all moron If get your act together you will see that I did not write the last or 2nd ... | |
| underground electric wire size | 12/19/2009 |
| Q: I am building a home. I want to put in a 200 amp panel on the house. The run is 610 feet from the ... A: Al Thank you for comment yes we got treated pretty bad like we were the criminals,but the government ... | |
| underground electric wire size | 12/19/2009 |
| Q: I am building a home. I want to put in a 200 amp panel on the house. The run is 610 feet from the ... A: Al Are you going to bury the wire directly in the ground or are you installing conduit?First of all ... | |
| Dimmers/TV interference? | 12/18/2009 |
| Q: I'm stumped. Our house was built in 1992 and is full of dimmer switches. In many cases, those ... A: Kim Since you have slider dimmer I really believe that they are causing this problem,specially if ... | |
| new GFCI will not work | 12/14/2009 |
| Q: We are adding a whirlpool tub and needed a GFCI outlet by it's self. We managed to find a one that ... A: Shawna If the wires are swapped for sure it wont work,you said you took this GFCI out a wall ... | |
| weird issues going on in our 5 year old house | 12/12/2009 |
| Q: Our house is only 5 years old. We have lived in the house for a year. The light on our ceiling fan ... A: Dana Yes you should be concerned I believe what you have is a loose neutral wire, either in the ... | |
| Repairing a suspected "short" in a light fixture | 12/10/2009 |
| Q: "I'm assisting a friend and resolved one problem, yet caused another (sound familiar?). I was ... A: Mike First make sure that the lamp you are replacing is good try to put it in another fixture,then ... | |
| Residential Open Ground Cause | 12/9/2009 |
| Q: Ben, I plugged my RV into my garage 20 amp receptacle and my RV power monitor indicated I had an ... A: Steve I don't know the age of your home or if there were any remodeling done> The reason I am saying ... | |
| circuit breakers | 12/8/2009 |
| Q: I have two 20 amp breakers serving a double outlet with two extension cords running to an ... A: Dick First of all the 2 breakers serving the double outlet should have a tie on the breaker so when ... | |
| wiring a Ouellet heater with a thermostat | 12/7/2009 |
| Q: I am in the process of wiring an Ouellet garage heater (OASU 1000) with a Ouellet thermostate switch ... A: Bob First of all you never told me the voltage on this unit is it 240 or 120 V. I really can't see ... | |
| Service Change | 12/6/2009 |
| Q: my name is Dan, I am installing a new 200A service and replacing a panel. I have a question for you. ... A: Dan I don't recommend home owners to change their own service,there are a lot of things you have to ... | |
| upgrade electrical panel | 12/5/2009 |
| Q: i have a wadsworth 200 amp service panel. i want to upgrade to a cuttler hammer panel. first ... A: David Depending on the age of the house the NEC use to let you install aluminum wire,when I was ... | |
| GFCI trips | 12/5/2009 |
| Q: 20 amp GFCI in garage #12 wire on 15 amp breaker. Serves an outside pole lamp and 1 outside ... A: Richard You may want to check for some sort of leak. If the voltage sensor on the GFCI finds a ... | |
| upgrade electrical panel | 12/4/2009 |
| Q: i have a wadsworth 200 amp service panel. i want to upgrade to a cuttler hammer panel. first ... A: David If you are just up grading the service to a 20 amp,the power company ,may or may not change ... | |
| Is 100 amps enough power | 12/3/2009 |
| Q: My daughter has just bought her first home and it is a compleat fixer upper. It is wired for 100 ... A: Mike It depends what you are adding,I would upgrade to 200 amps 1 reason it is a most used service. ... | |
| Electric fluctuations | 12/3/2009 |
| Q: In my workshop I am experiencing power fluctuations I have not done any electrical work in my shop ... A: Daniel What you have is a bad neutral somewhere in the panel or at the meter or even at the pole. ... | |
| Moving subpanel and wiring | 12/2/2009 |
| Q: I am moving a 200-amp subpanel from my garage to an outside wall (approx 65 feet) as the garage is ... A: stephen 110.14 Electrical Connections. Because of different characteristics of dissimilar metals, ... | |
| wiring electrical baseboard heaters | 12/1/2009 |
| Q: Is it more expensive in terms of electrical bills to have each baseboard heater wired separately. ... A: Liz If you can wire the baseboards separately that would be OK. Then you can control each room with ... | |
| Wiring | 11/30/2009 |
| Q: I started rewiring my home because when we would use something that would take alot of juice ... A: Russell It may be the problem of PUD. Sounds like something is loose either at the pole,meter or ... | |
| outside outlets not working | 11/30/2009 |
| Q: All three of our outside outlets are not working. We replaced the breaker we think might go to the ... A: Debbie What you need to check is the bathroom,laundry,outside outlets for a GFCI outlet they have a ... | |
| Electricity intermitedly goes on and off | 11/29/2009 |
| Q: My house was built in 1966, we have just moved in and our 2nd night staying in the home all power ... A: crystal Maybe it's haunted?? What is happening there are wires loose in the panel or at the ... | |
| hooking 220 wire to 60 amp breaker | 11/29/2009 |
| Q: I need to hook up a 220 direct burial wire to my heat pump which already has the breaker in it. I ... A: Linda The breaker in the heat pump is only for servicing the unit,it offers no protection.The wires ... | |
| very old hall ceiling light fixture | 11/28/2009 |
| Q: Avery old[1930] ceiling light fixture sparked here in our home.I disassembled the fixture,and ... A: Steve The ceiling box has 2 screws holding up a bracket for installing each fixture. Remove the ... | |
| Residential wireing AMP capacity | 11/28/2009 |
| Q: my outside G.F.C.I.(rated 15 to 20 amps) keeps flipping off or the 15 amp breaker keeps turning off ... A: Rick 16 gauge wire ??? that is not used in residential wiring at all,maybe 14 G or 12 G. You can not ... | |
| Neutral wiring, transfer switch | 11/27/2009 |
| Q: Neutral issue: I’m installing a Generac 10kw propane air-cooled model 0055020. It came pre-wired ... A: Pete Yes you can change the breakers and use the twins as long as you do not exceed the panel ... | |
| changing a 240v baseboard heater | 11/27/2009 |
| Q: i've read a number of the post about 240v baseboard heaters and they've been hugely helpful. the ... A: Jeff How the set-up in the panel works is each breaker is a pole if you put a 20 amp breaker in the ... | |
| 208 volt power sourcde | 11/26/2009 |
| Q: I have a Dayton, Model 3UF82A, 5kw, 25 Amp, 208V (not 208/220 or 208/240), electric heater. Do I ... A: Charles Supplying a 208 appliance with 240 is a violation and not something I would not do for a ... | |
| wire size? | 11/25/2009 |
| Q: What wire size will I need to run from my house to a sub panel in the garage? It's 130ft. I have a ... A: Ray you would need to run 2-#3 and 1-#4 neutral.Then the ground would need at least a #6. You have ... | |
| 3 phase to regular household | 11/23/2009 |
| Q: I have power company (PGE) pole with heavy 3 phase (was a 10hp ag pump) service drop wires. Removed ... A: Danielle If you are planing more building then install a 3 ph panel and then you will have ... | |
| Add outlet into old concrete slab floor | 11/23/2009 |
| Q: My house burned down, only the slab and block exterior walls will be left after demo. I will remodel ... A: GARY First Welcome brother. Now The dept needs to be at the dirt level because of you don't the ... | |
| Can I wire 3-wire countdown timer (no neutral) for bathroom exhaust fan? | 11/21/2009 |
| Q: I bought 2 Leviton countdown timer, one is 3-wire (no neutral) type, another one is 4-wire (with ... A: MCW Is this your model #6652 Leviton Variable Countdown Timer Switch (Incandescent / Inductive) ... | |
| proper wire size from pole to service head? | 11/16/2009 |
| Q: GOOD MORNING BEN, MY HOUSE HAS A 200AMP SERVICE. MY LIGHTS WERE DIMMING AND APPLIANCES STRAINING ... A: TOM The power company has no juristicton on wire sizing.Basically they install what they think they ... | |
| Subpanel voltage loss | 11/16/2009 |
| Q: I have an outbuilding with a subpanel supplied from main panel in the basement of house. Distance is ... A: Steve When you get a lower voltage on a wire,it can mean 2 things 1 the neutral may be bad 2 the ... | |
| new electrical run in garage | 11/14/2009 |
| Q: I have bought a home with the following conditions. A. Garage with only two outlets. One at the ... A: David When you say temporary do you mean you are going to do a permanent installation later? I am ... | |
| electric wire | 11/12/2009 |
| Q: I ran wire under ground from a shed to a breaker box about 100 ft away. I did not have enought wire ... A: mark No that is not safe at all,if it does leak water then you will eventually have corrosion and ... | |
| Generator hookup to breaker box | 11/10/2009 |
| Q: I have a portable generator and have been told it can be wired directly to the breaker box. I ... A: Jim You can not wire it to the breaker box with out the generator hooked up to some sort of transfer ... | |
| Light delay in coming on | 11/9/2009 |
| Q: Recently some electrical wires were replaced in my 68-year old house. Now my kitchen light (3-way: ... A: wanjie First of all who did the wiring was it a Electrician? What sounds like somewhere there may ... | |
| Electrical Questions | 11/8/2009 |
| Q: Ben, I recently purchased a new home. I noticed that my well pump (AWG 10 Ground Type UF-B 600 ... A: Charles Uf wire is made to direct burial in the ground,your installation has a hole in the concrete ... | |
| Outlets work, switches do not | 11/7/2009 |
| Q: I just bought a house and 4/4 bedrooms have switches just inside the door (you would think to turn ... A: Jason The reason the switch does nothing is because the black wire is always hot so it won't allow ... | |
| full panel | 11/2/2009 |
| Q: My 200 Ge Panel is full and will not accept 1/2 inch breakers or 1 inch double pole breakers...I ... A: Lee what you can do is add a sub-panel you need to make sure the sub panel has the 2 hots a neutral ... | |
| Outlets work, switches do not | 10/31/2009 |
| Q: I just bought a house and 4/4 bedrooms have switches just inside the door (you would think to turn ... A: Jason Those switches are used to turn on half of a outlet usually the top.Shut the switches off and ... | |
| Short Circuit? | 10/30/2009 |
| Q: House electrical to separate building (Studio). Problem: Low voltage 20-30V on the studio side. On ... A: John What this sounds like is the neutral or ground may be bad or nicked. Check the voltage between ... | |
| 1 switch in a 2 switch box not working | 10/28/2009 |
| Q: I have a double switch box that controls 2 different lights. One of the switches works just fine. ... A: Chris Have you changed the switch? Switches can go bad,what you can do is remove the switch and take ... | |
| breaker | 10/26/2009 |
| Q: this is actually for my garage.I have a 220v lincon 225 amp,ac/dc welder I need to hook up.what size ... A: JR That depends one the amperage draw on the unit.There is a name plate on the welder it tells you ... | |
| Stove not receiving enough power | 10/22/2009 |
| Q: We recently purchased a fixer-upper home and brand new appliances for the kitchen. Come to find out, ... A: Michelle sounds like the breaker is on the wrong buss bars.Make sure that the breaker is sitting on ... | |
| 110 outlet 400 feet away | 10/14/2009 |
| Q: I have a 200 amp service box with plenty of room out at the pump house... I want to add a water pump ... A: David Wow that's a long way for a pump run,one of the things if you can do, is change the pump to a ... | |
| dishwasher and garbage disposal | 10/10/2009 |
| Q: i am running a new circuit for my dishwasher and garbage disposal. the questions are what gauge wire ... A: Brian You will need to run a 12-3 with ground for the dishwasher and the disposal. The dish washer ... | |
| Troubleshooting Panel problem | 10/7/2009 |
| Q: I have a 200 amp panel. It was installed back in 1986, roughly. After a recent set of storms, I ... A: Woody Sounds like when you had the storm the power company may have a broken wire coming into your ... | |
| ceiling fan hook up | 9/26/2009 |
| Q: Outlet box has a red, white & black coming down. Ceiling fan has a blue, white & black coming up. ... A: DON What you need to do is get the red wire from the outlet box. Take that wire and connect that ... | |
| Wiring a welder | 9/19/2009 |
| Q: I have a welder that runs on 230V. I would like to plug it into a dryer outlet, but the welder only ... A: Dave The dryer is wired with 4 wires 2 hots 1 neutral for the 120 volt timers and a ground to ... | |
| Old 60 amp service | 9/18/2009 |
| Q: I want to upgrade the service into my 1947 built home. The current 60 amp service I believe should ... A: Steve What you need to run is a 4/0 4/0 3/0 aluminum wire 2 4/0 for the hot and the 3/0 for the ... | |
| GFI wiring | 8/4/2009 |
| Q: I have wired a standalone GFI the problem i have is when i install a load or multiple loads i get no ... A: Keith You should not have continuity between the gold and the silver.The reset button may be ... | |
| Electrical Service in Home | 8/2/2009 |
| Q: We are in the process of remodeling our home. In addition to painting and new wood floors, we have ... A: Jeff Yes he is correct in telling you you need to upgrade 300 amp or 400 amp. This is not uncommon ... | |
| Light Install | 7/27/2009 |
| Q: I took down the light already in the room and hooked the new light up the same way.When i flipped ... A: Ty Take the red wire from the box and hook that up to the black wire then do the same for the white ... | |
| Breaker problem | 7/22/2009 |
| Q: I have a tenant in one of my duplexes that keeps blowing the breaker switch for his bedroom...This ... A: Dennis Since he is blowing the breaker find out what else is on that circuit.As you say he may be ... | |
| wiring a chandelier | 7/19/2009 |
| Q: Hello I'm trying to install a antique chandelier an can't tell which wire is hot cuz they are both ... A: Teresa There should be a small ridge in the fixture wires the one with the ridge is the Hot wire. If ... | |
| Electric Dryer | 7/15/2009 |
| Q: How can i safely wire a new 2 breaker sub panel with a 2 pole 30amp for a dryer? my panel is the old ... A: Rick What you need to do is come off the main panel with a circuit breaker at least a 40 amp circuit ... | |
| Dryer Cord Wiring | 7/10/2009 |
| Q: I recently replaced a section of dryer (220) wire in an older home that runs to a three-prong dryer ... A: John Make sure that the dryer wire you replaced has the same amount of conductors.Check in the panel ... | |
| Splitting a 240 Dryer line | 7/5/2009 |
| Q: I want to move my dryer to another wall. I need to put the 240 plug on that wall. Can I cut the ... A: Jim Yes you can use a J-box as long as it accessible. Make sure you make all connections tight and ... | |
| 3-way switch | 7/3/2009 |
| Q: I also have a 3-way switch that acts as a master switch, when in the off position, the second switch ... A: matt Someone wired this switch wrong,what you need to do is this. 1 Take the incoming wire blk & ... | |
| outlet question | 6/29/2009 |
| Q: I read several times not to use the holes in the back of a receptacle to hook it up, but to use the ... A: KC The holes in the back should never be used,why they put them there is a wonder.If you have the ... | |
| New AC / Outlet | 6/27/2009 |
| Q: I needed a new Ac Outlet plug in my living room, so what i did is i went to home depot, and ... A: Don Thank you for all the detailed information,do you want job? LOL What you did was perfect.The ... | |
| 110 outlet off a 220v outlet | 6/26/2009 |
| Q: I have a 220v outlet used to connect a washer and dryer from Germany. I am replacing the washer and ... A: Rich No you can't this is against the code. You would have to hook up the dryer and hook up the ... | |
| pressure switch | 6/24/2009 |
| Q: I have set up a portable water tank with a pump to supply water to my house. The power for the pump ... A: Richard Yes you can by-pass the pressure switch,then the pump will keep pumping till it fills the ... | |
| Mini Breaker for fuse box | 6/22/2009 |
| Q: Ben, I have been blowing 15amp fuses in my home for a while now during the summer when all of the ... A: Justin Have you checked the amperage on the AC unit? 15 amps seems small for a ac unless it is a ... | |
| wiring recessed lighting | 6/20/2009 |
| Q: I am planing to run my first lighting circuit and I need a little help. I am running 6 recessed ... A: rich The best way is to go to the switch first,then from there you can go to each fixture.You can ... | |
| Fireplace wiring | 6/19/2009 |
| Q: I would like to wire in a gas fireplace for my basement. The fireplace will be in the corner of the ... A: Chad Some fireplaces have a built in cord so you can plug it into a wall outlet.This outlet should ... | |
| Main electrical panel grounding | 6/18/2009 |
| Q: Some electrical panels for homes have a ground wire run from the buss bar to a ground rod, others ... A: Bryan It depends on the power company rules some power company's do not want the ground hooked up ... | |
| outlets and lights not working | 6/16/2009 |
| Q: Hey there, I plugged in my blow dryer and two outlets and two lights went out. No circuit breaker is ... A: Laurie hey there back to you.................:-} If the outlets are wired from a GFCI then yes the ... | |
| Fire shooting out of outlet | 6/15/2009 |
| Q: This weekend we were working outside and when we went to plug a drill into the outdoor oulet flames ... A: Kristen Yes if the breaker is off you are fine. I would remove the cover and the outlet from that ... | |
| adding lights n switch | 6/13/2009 |
| Q: "I am trying to add a few lights in a unfinished basement. There is a set of 3 lights that are wired ... A: Paul Yes you can add a switch take a wire 14-2 form the light that has the power in it from the ... | |
| confuring chandelier wiring | 6/8/2009 |
| Q: i am hanging a new chandelier. The fixture has 2 (thick) white wires and 2 (thick) red wires, plus ... A: Hal Since this house is that old, they used cloth covered wires and the color was under the cloth. ... | |
| Replacing an old 200 amp main breaker panel | 6/4/2009 |
| Q: If I replace an existing 200 amp main breaker panel, which is fed by a 3-wire SER cable, will I have ... A: Dustin The code says that if the panel is more than 6 ft from the meter than you must have a means ... | |
| electric outlet | 6/3/2009 |
| Q: I have an outlet at the end of a circuit that doesn't work. I changed it out with a plug that I knew ... A: Mike Have you checked to see if there is any power on the wires? Take the outlet out and check the ... | |
| 200 amp service | 6/2/2009 |
| Q: i am purchasing a home in arizona and it currently has 100 amp service and the underground wire runs ... A: Frank Depending if you want to put the wire in pvc conduit or just direct burial. If you was to ... | |
| outside light and bathroom light-Dead? | 6/1/2009 |
| Q: In the same week, for no reason two lights in two areas not connected at all in the electrical ... A: Amy What you need to do is check to see if the bathroom lights are on the same circuit as the ... | |
| 3 wire to 2 wire? | 5/31/2009 |
| Q: Replacing a ceiling fan/light operated by 2 toggle switches (one for light, one for fan) on the wall ... A: Steve What you need to do is use the red wire for the new chandelier take the black wire and wire ... | |
| aluminum wiring on CU devices | 5/29/2009 |
| Q: I am in total and complete shock of your response on aluminum wiring on devices listed for copper ... A: Mike First of all what the hell are you talking about??? What makes you think I wrote to someone?I ... | |
| feeding a 60 amp panel | 5/27/2009 |
| Q: A friend has a 240 volt, 50 watt welder he wants to run in his garage. At present his garage has a ... A: Peter What he needs to do is run a new PVC conduit 1-1/2 or 1-1/4 1-1/2 PVC is more common and has ... | |
| Electrical Terminology | 5/25/2009 |
| Q: What is "peckerhead" A: lonnie THIS A TERM WE AS ELECTRICIANS USE The wiring box mounted to an electric motor is called a ... | |
| Main Disconnect Breaker for Square D | 5/24/2009 |
| Q: Regarding a new install in an off-grid location. We're running 110 power (no 220) from the Solar ... A: JIM Why not use the 220v? or is this solar power only 120v. The problem would be that the breaker ... | |
| black versus white wires | 5/21/2009 |
| Q: I just installed five new porch lights, and the last one which was wired separately years ago only ... A: Jerry The way it is installed is fine,what will happen is that the center of the lamp socket will ... | |
| exhaust fan | 5/20/2009 |
| Q: I added an exhaust fan to my washroom and connected the wiring to the existing light switch. The ... A: Frank The way that switch is wired is called back feed where the 2 wires in the switch box bring ... | |
| loose wall socket/pushed in sheet rock | 5/17/2009 |
| Q: it is cracked. I took it off and the sheet rock around the socket is pushed in and the socket moves ... A: Shannon What you can do is go to lowes or the depot or any other big box store. They make these ... | |
| outlet question | 5/16/2009 |
| Q: I recently replaced a couple of outlets in my 1938 house and i noticed in 1 room the hot wire of my ... A: ed Somewhere along the circuit there is a loose or open neutral wire causing the hot wire to out of ... | |
| Amount of Amps in home | 5/14/2009 |
| Q: I had a home inspection for a client and the inspector was concerned that 100 amp service for a ... A: Sue That service may be somewhat over loaded for such a big home,but there is no code that says you ... | |
| Outside electrical installations | 5/12/2009 |
| Q: I am mounting 2 outside light fixtures and installing 1 GFCI outlet on the outside of my house. I ... A: Cindy What is a J Block?? never heard of that. You need to buy a weather proof box for the GFCI make ... | |
| Meterbase placement | 5/10/2009 |
| Q: I am installing a new underground service on a new construction (house). The ideal place for ... A: Gary what you need to do is contact your city's building dept I have no clue what you city's codes ... | |
| Attic lights | 5/7/2009 |
| Q: I currently have one light in my walk-up attic controlled by a switch at the bottom of the permanent ... A: Allen What you need to check is the fixture for bad connections,I have seen key less fixtures to ... | |
| outdoor 240V hot tub | 5/5/2009 |
| Q: We just got a new hottub and went to get the wiring for it. The previous owners had the spa wired ... A: Teri What you need to know is how many amps is the spa, there should be a nameplate somewhere on the ... | |
| bathroom wiring - fan and light | 4/27/2009 |
| Q: I had someone install a ceiling fan. The light was on one switch, fan on the other, but it was a ... A: Rich You should have a 4 contact screws on this switch and 1 for the ground on one side you will ... | |
| Enclosure | 4/23/2009 |
| Q: I have a water pond in my backyard that I'm "raising from the dead". There are 4 outdoor spotlights ... A: Joe I myself have a pond and waterfall what I did was run 3/4 PVC pipe from the pond panel 30 amp ... | |
| knob & tube problems | 4/21/2009 |
| Q: My 1939 home has a problem with a garage light. It has one switch that controls the porch light and ... A: Richard This sounds like a 3 way system because you say the white has power on it.Is this wire by ... | |
| No Chassis Ground | 4/18/2009 |
| Q: I am wiring a Sundance outdoor 240 volt connected spa. I have all 4 wires connected, red and black ... A: Joe You may have to install a ground rod by the spa,this way the spa itself is grounded.Just ... | |
| Fan Speed 3Way | 4/16/2009 |
| Q: I purchased the Leviton Fan Speed Control ... A: Luke Here is what the wires do VRF01, VRE06 and VRM10 have 5 wire leads for line, load, Neutral, ... | |
| Tork 1101 timer | 4/15/2009 |
| Q: I would like to hook up the timer to a outlet for the pool. I am just a little confused about the ... A: Steve The Tork timer has a very simple way of hooking up the L 1 can be used for different motor's ... | |
| Dimmer switch "popping" | 4/12/2009 |
| Q: I have a fixture with 5-60w bulbs over my dining room table that was installed by a licensed ... A: Guy Make sure that the wattage is not more that the dimmer can handle.I appears that you have 300 ... | |
| Tub spout that shocks you | 4/11/2009 |
| Q: I have read that it could be a grounding issue that causes my tub spout to shock me, this house does ... A: Michelle What needs to be done is have all the plumbing pipes grounded to a outside ground ... | |
| HELP - NO ELECTRICITY | 4/9/2009 |
| Q: One breaker box is failing without blowing a fuse. The only lights; outlets working in house are the ... A: Jessica You have a fried panel where the breakers get welded to the buss bar.Or you may have ... | |
| Service panel | 4/8/2009 |
| Q: I'm installing a new 200 amp service to my house.I live in Los Angeles County.My electrical provider ... A: Ozzie If you use copper wire then you need the 2/0, if you use aluminum wire the 3/0 is OK. Find out ... | |
| 100 amp service | 4/4/2009 |
| Q: I am about to make an offer to purchase on a home with 100 amp electrical service. The house was ... A: Greg The service you have now (100 amp)is not going to handle that kind of load,why the service was ... | |
| lighting conversion can to chandelier | 4/3/2009 |
| Q: I have slanted ceilings with can lights. (No access from attic) I am wanting to remove a pendant ... A: Leslie One of the ways you can do that is to hang the chandler from a swag kit. then have a blank ... | |
| Copper clad aluminum wire | 4/2/2009 |
| Q: I am wiring the Generator Transfer Switch into the main load center. The problem comes from the ... A: Peter Yes aluminum wire is not allowed any more,the problem now is that have electrical panels using ... | |
| half switched outlet | 3/30/2009 |
| Q: I have an outlet in my living room that I want to make half switched. The power comes from the ... A: Christian If the wires that go to that outlet are direct from the switch you will have to have 4 ... | |
| troubleshooting track lighting (Commerical) | 3/28/2009 |
| Q: I added several lighting to the tracks that I have installed in my church. I believe I overloaded ... A: Corey Are these low voltage track lights?What you need to do is count the number of lamps you have ... | |
| Switch controlls nothing | 3/26/2009 |
| Q: I purchased a home and have a switch that seems to control nothing. As far as I know, we've tested ... A: The switch may control a ceiling light that can be used with a ceiling fan.So you can control the ... | |
| wiring a nutone bath vent/light 763RLN | 3/24/2009 |
| Q: I am trying to replace my bath fan and I screwed up the wiring. The wiring diagram in the ... A: Jad The blue wire is for the light,the black wire is for the fan.Now hook up the whites together ... | |
| Recess LIghting installation | 3/23/2009 |
| Q: I have recently installed recessed lighting in an addition to our house without any surprises. Today ... A: Jeff That looks like a type of peg board with out the holes. I doubt it is ceramic as ceramic is ... | |
| residential wiring | 3/21/2009 |
| Q: IN A CONDO COMPLEX THE VOLTAGE READ DIGITALLY WAS 208VOLTS PHASE TO PHASE, 120V EACH PHASE TO ... A: Vince The building is wired according to what the power company has at the location.I am sure that ... | |
| 220 10 gauge and range installation | 3/18/2009 |
| Q: We are finishing our basement. There was debate about whether to install just a range top set in ... A: Heather A 220 & 240 is basically the same voltage and will work with the range top,wall oven either ... | |
| Max # of Twin Breakers in Panel | 3/17/2009 |
| Q: Here’s the details. Have a 1972 home. Underground wiring wired to a 100 amp panel box that has 16 ... A: Phil Sounds like you have a mess. I seen this allot when home owners want to do their own electrical ... | |
| arcfault breakers | 3/16/2009 |
| Q: should bedroom lighting be included on the arcfault breaker for that bedroom and can two small ... A: Ken Arc fault breakers should only be used on bed room circuits.Electrical fires happen every day ... | |
| halogen flood lights | 3/15/2009 |
| Q: in my kitchen can i use halogen flood lights in the high hats, i was using 100 watts ... A: PETER Yes you can as long as you do not exceed the wattage of the can.Halogen will last longer and ... | |
| Marking the neutral | 3/13/2009 |
| Q: I have a few questions, but I'll break them up. I have upgraded my main panel to 200A and I am ... A: Patrick The panel you are running to from your main panel requires a 4 wire install.The reason that ... | |
| Residential Air Compressor | 3/11/2009 |
| Q: Hey Ben, I've got a 240V 15A air compressor I'm trying to hook up in the garage via 2 single pole ... A: Ray If the compressor has a neutral then you will have to run 14-3 with ground. The compressor may ... | |
| Open neutral in all GFCI open loop | 3/8/2009 |
| Q: I recently bought a property and moved in. This property has one GFCI loop that includes an outlet ... A: Luis I have never heard of a GFCI switch,This must be something new.I believe this is a receptacle ... | |
| 20amp circuit breaker with 15 amp outlets | 3/5/2009 |
| Q: I have a 20 amp circuit breaker in my basement attached to a 20 amp single outlet. I would like to ... A: Anna Leave the circuit at 20 amps,that is what is required in basements.Yes you can add more ... | |
| wiring | 3/4/2009 |
| Q: i,m putting a light up and there are 3 wires coming out of yhe ceiling.1 black 1 green 1 white.the ... A: Ken Us the black wire to the black and the same as the white wire the green needs to attached to ... | |
| subpanel for addition | 3/2/2009 |
| Q: im installing a subpanel to accommodate an addition on my house. it will be fed from a 200a cutler ... A: Gerald What you need to do is calculate the wattage's on what you are using and then you can use 80% ... | |
| fluorescent lights on a motion detector flicker? | 2/27/2009 |
| Q: I have three 2-bulb fluorescent fixtures on a motion/photocell switch. Two of the fixtures are new ... A: Steve Some where there is a bad connection.Make sure that all the bulbs are the same as the others ... | |
| Problems with a double box in bathroom | 2/26/2009 |
| Q: My mom just purchased a home and I am doing a lot of upgrades. I am currently changing all switches ... A: Baxton Have you tried resetting the GFCI device? I am assuming that the box was a metal switch box ... | |
| Hot Prongs | 2/25/2009 |
| Q: After using my hair dryer, the wide prong is very hot.This happens only in one of the two ... A: Audrey Hair dryers are a conductive source of electric,what that means it the power is regulated by ... | |
| new ceiling fan w/power from outlet controlled by swithc | 2/24/2009 |
| Q: in the outlet controlled by the switch i have the following wires Set 1 is black/white/red/ground ... A: Kelly Get a new outlet and do not hook up the red wire in the box just cap it off.Now in the switch ... | |
| Hot plug | 2/19/2009 |
| Q: Ben, After using my vacuum cleaner the prongs are very hot. It may be run for a few minutes at the ... A: Bill Usually when that happens it is a sign that the motor is getting bad.Some vacs do run a little ... | |
| ganged dimmers, one 3 way | 2/18/2009 |
| Q: i asked an earlier question about ganging 2 dimmer switches using one power conduit to both when at ... A: pamela First of all is this a commercial job? You mentioned running conduit. You can use 1 15 or 20 ... | |
| New light installation wiring | 2/16/2009 |
| Q: I am installing a new light and the wiring coming out of the ceiling is 1 white, 1 black, 1 red, and ... A: Kevin You have the wires hooked up correct the red wire is from the switch. If you hook up the ... | |
| arc welder | 2/15/2009 |
| Q: I purchased a lincon ac 225 arc welder the garage has 100 amp service. the welder recommants 2-50amp ... A: Walter I am assuming that the welder is 240 Volts. You can hook the welder to the panel using a 2 ... | |
| Residential Wiring | 2/12/2009 |
| Q: I need to know if a 2/0 wire will be big enough for a 330' run from meter to sub panel, it is a 200 ... A: Scott What type of wire is it ? Copper wire will give you a better size for that service while ... | |
| Generator/well pump motor | 2/10/2009 |
| Q: Have a generator 125v 25amp 3000w. Well pump motor has switch on rear of motor 230v 9.3 amp / 115v ... A: Dwayne That well pump will not work with that generator. The reason is the generator is only ... | |
| Loose Electricity | 2/9/2009 |
| Q: they have built next door now they are desperate and I have the very clear sensation of electricity ... A: Stephanie What you need to check outside by your meter a ground wire attached to a ground ... | |
| 4 wire tanning bed | 2/5/2009 |
| Q: I bought a tanning bed for my wife today, It is an older Wolff 324 Model. It has 4 wires (Blue, ... A: Craig If this bed is a 240 volt unit I think the lady you got this from was mistaken,or it was only ... | |
| wiring a 2 rocker switch | 1/31/2009 |
| Q: Putting in a vent. fan with light in our bathroom need to know how to wire it with a 2 rocker ... A: David You will need to get a stacked switch or 2 switches depending on what type of box you are ... | |
| Portable Generator for Home Use | 1/30/2009 |
| Q: Ben, I would like to purchase a Generac XP8000E 8KW gas generator which has GFCI. My friend says ... A: Brad When they say "power derived from an electric utility company or from an on-site-generated ... | |
| outlet | 1/29/2009 |
| Q: I have an outlet that just stopped working. It doesn't seem to be getting power. It is the only ... A: Patrick Have you checked the wires in that box for power from hot to ground? What you may have to ... | |
| Portable Generator for Home Use | 1/28/2009 |
| Q: Ben, I would like to purchase a Generac XP8000E 8KW gas generator which has GFCI. My friend says ... A: Brad The reason the GFCI is on there is to protect the end user.I would not buy a generator with ... | |
| tripping breakers | 1/27/2009 |
| Q: I have 100 amp servive in a 1948 cape style home. Wiring has been upgraded with romex vs old styled ... A: Phill First of all if your basement gets that humid I would invest in a dehumidifier if the panel ... | |
| Generator - Proper cord from Gen to House | 1/26/2009 |
| Q: I have a small Coleman Powermate PM0524000 generator (4000W - 5000W surge). It has a NEMA 6-15 240 V ... A: ej Yes it should as long as you do not overload the generator. You need to buy a 10-3 cord with ... | |
| powere surge in home | 1/25/2009 |
| Q: have a problem with power or voltage drop when another appliance turns on, for instance, ... A: Kee I would call the power company and tell them the problem they may have a bad connection on the ... | |
| Sub Panel Wire Size | 1/24/2009 |
| Q: I have a few questions regarding sub panels. Is the amp rating of a sub panel supposed to be higher ... A: James If the sub panel is rated at 100 amps then it should be feed with a 100 amp service wire.The ... | |
| isolated grounding | 1/22/2009 |
| Q: we are working on a home theater and the receptacles call for isolated grounds.can we run separate ... A: Robert When a Isolated ground is used it must be Isolated from the complete grounding system of the ... | |
| electrical wiring | 1/21/2009 |
| Q: From my power source, I have a 12/2+ground cable running through a 3-way toggle switch to a light ... A: William Yes you can if you bring the hot wire into the switch box and then take a wire 14-3 w/g to ... | |
| Wire nuts inside breaker panel | 1/19/2009 |
| Q: A Friend had me look at the inside of his breaker panel. When I opened it I was Shocked. Every ... A: Robert What may have happened is the ground wires were either too short when they installed them or ... | |
| MC / FMC in residential | 1/17/2009 |
| Q: I am remodeling a room in my house and need to get around a corner of that room to a switch box with ... A: Mark You can use mc inside walls any length Although MC resembles its close relative, armored ... | |
| generator | 1/16/2009 |
| Q: Is there a minimum distance that a propane tank can be set from a 15kw backup generator for ... A: Kenneth The minimum distance between a tank and the closest part of any fuel fired appliance is 2 ... | |
| 240v to3phase | 1/14/2009 |
| Q: i made a bad move and bought a HUGE air compressor from a fly by night dude real cheap, but my ... A: Darren You may be able to find one at grainger, http://www.grainger.com or search the internet. ... | |
| wiring a band saw home run to panel | 1/12/2009 |
| Q: I want to run a home run line for a 220V 17" new band saw to my 220 electrical panel.Can you walk me ... A: Paul To do this correctly get some 12-2 wire with a ground. Purchase a box a receptacle and a ... | |
| electrical run to workshop | 1/6/2009 |
| Q: I am looking to run electric to my work shop,I already have a 30a run going to an rv parking,which ... A: Ken The first problem is voltage drop from the main panel to the work shop. You have a total of 150 ... | |
| adding 30 amp outdoor recepticle | 1/5/2009 |
| Q: For my RV I'd like to attach a 30 amp plug-in box on the outside of my garage. My main breaker box ... A: Jack You need to find out how many amps is the garage panel rated for.Then you need to see what ... | |
| determining single phase vs 3 phase 240 | 1/3/2009 |
| Q: I am moving into an industrial shop space and I want to determine at the outlets whether I have ... A: Matt By going to the outlets that will not tell you if you have a 3-Phase service. What you will to ... | |
| Knob and Tube dimming lights? | 12/31/2008 |
| Q: I recently bought a very old fixer upper. The electrical seemed fine upon first inspection but after ... A: Adam When you have a home that has knob & tube wiring you will get the dimming. When the house was ... | |
| converting a switched fan to a "constant" power fan | 9/28/2008 |
| Q: I recently had a basement finished and in one section I have a workout area. There is currently a ... A: Mitch You do not need to any drywall patches at all. In the switch box remove the switch for the fan ... | |
| wiring in cement | 9/26/2008 |
| Q: We have an outdoor light in our front yard that recently quit working. I checked the voltage at the ... A: Steve Yes it is possible that the concrete may have damaged the wire,What you can do is dig up ... | |
| Dual meter socket wiring | 9/25/2008 |
| Q: Situation: *Setting up service for new construction *200A panel for main *100A panel for offpeak ... A: Brian What size wire did you use for the water bond, and are the wires in the trough full sized for ... | |
| replacing range hood with over the range microwave | 9/24/2008 |
| Q: My name is chris, I am attempting to install a over the range microwave. I removed the over the ... A: Chris The hood wire is probably connected to other outlets in the house. Check the wires to see what ... | |
| Electrical conection - hot water tank | 9/23/2008 |
| Q: As part of cabin remodel, we relocated a working 30 gal hot water tank to another location. Initial ... A: Chip You have to verify that you are getting 240 volts to the elements. Take the bottom element ... | |
| Arc Fault Circuit | 9/17/2008 |
| Q: Only when using my portable generator, the arc fault circuit keeps tripping..Do I have to do ... A: Tom The reason the Arc fault is tripping is because you have not ground the generator. The neutral ... | |
| subpanel, hot tub | 9/17/2008 |
| Q: I have acquired a used hot tub that I plan to install in the back yard. I have a 150a service into ... A: Dale What is the amperage of the hot tub? You can run a new wire from the main panel to the ... | |
| size of wire needed? | 9/8/2008 |
| Q: i am putting a second load panel (100amp) off my main circuit load panel. was wondering what guage ... A: Ken When wiring a sub panel that is a 100 amp you will need to install 4 wires to the sub 2 #4 hots ... | |
| 60 Amp Appliance | 9/6/2008 |
| Q: I want to upgrade my electric range and the one I like requires 60amp service and the one currently ... A: Mark The Aluminum wire is a # 8 wire the 2 hots and 1 neutral this wire is rated for 50 amps only ... | |
| generac guardian ultra source 12500 portable | 9/3/2008 |
| Q: Generator 3 years old. Warranty 2 years. Meticulously maintained generator, started every 6 weeks ... A: Penny How do you know for sure the rotor is bad? Have you tried flashing the field?? Try that and ... | |
| wiring in a barn | 8/31/2008 |
| Q: I am installing wiring in a barn. This a large pole barn. I want to use romex wiring in most ... A: Buddy Yes that would work. The only thing is that rodents may chew on the romex wire. They are good ... | |
| Ceiling Fan | 8/28/2008 |
| Q: Have new home wired for ceiling fan with two wall switches. So 3 wires go to ceiling, a black, white ... A: John The fan remote does it turn on the fan as well as the light? If it does then all you need to do ... | |
| electrical outlet, one hot, one switched | 8/27/2008 |
| Q: I have an outlet under the sink. I want one plug hot constantly for a water filter, and the other ... A: Vince What you need to do is add a switch for the disposal then bring that wire in to the outlet ... | |
| 1 power source to 2 switches | 8/26/2008 |
| Q: I'm trying to wire a 4x4 switch box(2 switches) each to a different light with one power source. ... A: Brian Yes it can be done bring the power source and the 2 wires from the lights in to the new box. ... | |
| converting 110v outlet to 220v outlet | 8/25/2008 |
| Q: We are replacing our gas oven with a built in electric and a gas cook top as part of a kitche ... A: Toni If you have a existing circuit that is 120 v to the outlet by the old oven was that will not ... | |
| Ceiling fan issues | 8/23/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to install a ceiling fan, but am having trouble with the wiring. The box has an incoming ... A: Greg What wires are you talking about the box for the ceiling fan should only have a black a white ... | |
| electical wiring troubleshooting | 8/22/2008 |
| Q: I recently wired a new light fixture with new switch and added 2 additional outlets to the same ... A: john What may have happened is that the outlet may have gotten wet or there is a loose connection ... | |
| New Stove | 8/21/2008 |
| Q: We recently purchased a home built in 1984. The wall oven was the original oven. My wife wanted a ... A: Russ The wiring that you found sounds like a 120 v circuit on a 20 amp breaker. They probably used ... | |
| connect gas generator to dryer 220 to backfeed breaker box | 8/21/2008 |
| Q: I have a 5500 watt gas electric generator. I have not had time to get an electrician to install the ... A: Eric This will work as it will energize the panel and turning off certain breakers will help the ... | |
| breaker tripping | 8/20/2008 |
| Q: This may be one of the most random occurrences you have ever heard of but here goes....a breaker ... A: Michele If this circuit trips between 9:30 - 11:00 check to see if the pump is coming on at that ... | |
| Hot Neutral | 8/20/2008 |
| Q: My parents have 4 outlets on one circuit that have a hot neutral. Other outlets on the same circuit ... A: Richard You have what we call a open neutral somewhere along this circuit the white wire (neutral) ... | |
| Wiring new ceiling light | 8/18/2008 |
| Q: I replaced one-bulb light fixture with a two-bulb fixture. The ceiling box has one black, one ... A: Karen Is this on a switch? The wires up in that ceiling should be 120 volts take the meter and test ... | |
| Wiring Wall Oven 6-4 to old 6-3 | 8/18/2008 |
| Q: Ben, I am installing a new wall oven/microwave combo and want to use the outlet that served range ... A: Etienne The reason there is a 4 wire on new ovens is because when they just used a 3 wire the ... | |
| Run Seperate Bare Ground to Stove | 8/16/2008 |
| Q: I am remodeling my kitchen and I bought a new stove. The existing stove is on a 50 AMP breaker and ... A: Dennis Yes you can run a ground separate because the ground just protects the appliance only if the ... | |
| Outlet for Welding Machine | 8/14/2008 |
| Q: I have a Chicago Electric (China) Dual MiG 131 welding machine,new. The welding electrical cord is ... A: Will Actually this is on the border line because the wire for the welder is a 14 Gauge black white ... | |
| 3 Way Issues | 8/13/2008 |
| Q: I have two lights controlled (at the same time) by two switches. I installed a new fixture last ... A: Andrew You have to trace down where the red wire goes to.Open the switches up and look for a red ... | |
| Dimming Lights | 8/13/2008 |
| Q: I live in a house built in 1980. Whenever a big motor item like the air conditioning (new unit was ... A: John Since your house was built in the 80's your panel should at least 150 amps or 20 amps.Usaualy ... | |
| outdoor chandelier | 8/10/2008 |
| Q: can i install an outdoor chandelier to a pergola where the top is not fully covered and water and ... A: Fern Probably not as the rain or snow would start to corrode the fixture and may short the fixture ... | |
| 220 single phase exceed a 125 amp panel? | 8/9/2008 |
| Q: I am bringing in 220 volt single phase into my shop/apt. by way of two 4/0 and one 3/0 wires. The ... A: Dave The 4/0 wires is usually for 200 amps if this is aluminum wire. All you needed was a #2 ... | |
| Dryer 4 prong | 8/6/2008 |
| Q: I just rented a small house that was build 30 years ago and I have a new dryer with a 4 prong plug ... A: Joter No you can not use a converter with a 20 amp 120 volt to convert to a dryer outlet. You dryer ... | |
| re-wiring a house? | 8/5/2008 |
| Q: I just purchased a home built in 1926. It has knob and tube wiring. I wanted to re-wire it but was ... A: Martha Who ever told you that was wrong if you have only 2 wires (normal in Knob & Tube) you can not ... | |
| hidden doorbell wiring | 8/4/2008 |
| Q: When my home was resided, the company covered up my existing doorbell. How can i determine where ... A: Edie The way this can be done with out making a lot of holes is to get a Toner the toner has a ... | |
| Old Wiring In Old Bungalow | 8/3/2008 |
| Q: I live in an old, run-down 1931, tiny “Milwaukee” bungalow owned by my boyfriend, whose father owned ... A: Sheri Move out the house it is a death trap,the wiring problem is because the voltage is too low ... | |
| Wiring of new stove top (with a twist) | 8/2/2008 |
| Q: Ben, I saw the Q/A regarding wiring of a new stove and need additional help/clarification. I have ... A: Mitch The reason the new stove has a 4 wire connection is because of its features, Timer,clock etc ... | |
| Troubleshooting Interior Wiring | 8/1/2008 |
| Q: I own a rental that the tenant says a breaker keeps tripping. It is 15 amp and I replaced it ... A: John The first thing is to find out what makes it trip,like you said find out exactly what is ... | |
| connecting 3 #6 wire | 5/26/2008 |
| Q: What is the best way to connect three #6 wires in a metal junction box? I am wiring a wall oven and ... A: Bob You can use a split bolt these use allot of space and tape. You can use a big blue wire nut ... | |
| Wiring a new receptacle from single-pole switch | 5/25/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to add a receptacle near a new work box that currently has a single-pole switch in it ... A: David Ok in that box you have 2 black wires on the switch. One of those wires is the hot the other ... | |
| wall oven install, 240V | 5/25/2008 |
| Q: I have brand new KitchenAid wall oven/microwave combo. Needs 220V/40 amp separate breaker. I ran ... A: Gabriel On the oven you connect the wires to the respective colors and then the green gets screwed ... | |
| temp generator bypass | 5/24/2008 |
| Q: i buy homes often with no power turned on .i was wondering how the hud inspectors hook up their ... A: Scott This is a dangerous thing to do as you must be 100% that the main is off as you can back feed ... | |
| Hot & Neutral Feeds Reversed | 5/22/2008 |
| Q: The electrician I hired to upgrade my service panel connected one of the two hot feeds from the ... A: Bernie Probably the only damage was to the devices that were hooked up. The wires can carry voltage ... | |
| Ceiling fan installation - Arion "Bahamas54" | 5/22/2008 |
| Q: Ben, I just broke the ceiling fan from the box today, after purchasing it on Saturday at Costco. ... A: Don The red wire usually is the switched wire in the electrical box the black is the always hot.You ... | |
| Electrical fire from GFCI | 5/21/2008 |
| Q: I recently had a bathroom remodel done. The contractor's electrician installed a new GFCI above the ... A: The wires have to be installed correctly or the GFCI will not work as it senses the difference ... | |
| Short in electrical line | 5/20/2008 |
| Q: I have run a new line to my boat lift and everything worked fine for 60 seconds. Now the new 30A ... A: Chris Before you rule out the wire do a continuity test on the wire. Make sure that they are all ... | |
| wiring new ceiling fan | 5/19/2008 |
| Q: I have a wiring question. In the bedrooms I have a switch on the wall that controls and outlet. I ... A: Gerry The constant hot wire should be the wire coming from the outlet to be sure you will have to ... | |
| electrical placement | 5/18/2008 |
| Q: I am building a detached garage on the site of my home. My planes are to run a 50 amp service to ... A: Gary There is no limit the only thing is that if you bury wire in a conduit the conduit must be ... | |
| Electrical mystery | 5/17/2008 |
| Q: my electrical problem is in my home. One of the circuits in the house loses power for 2 or 3 seconds ... A: Erik This sounds like a loose connection somewhere. The circuit may be overloading,but as you say it ... | |
| Electrical fire from GFCI | 5/17/2008 |
| Q: I recently had a bathroom remodel done. The contractor's electrician installed a new GFCI above the ... A: Joe I would check to see if the GFCI receptacle was correctly wired. I have seen retrofit ... | |
| wiring new ceiling fan | 5/15/2008 |
| Q: I have a wiring question. In the bedrooms I have a switch on the wall that controls and outlet. I ... A: Gerry First of all you can use 14-2 for the lighting this will make it easier to make connections ... | |
| problems with installations | 5/14/2008 |
| Q: .30A.-125/250V OUTLET SO I CAN PLUG MY DRYER IN THE DRYER FITS THE OUTLET .WHICH HAS 3 PROGS ,BUT ... A: Randolph If the 4 wires coming out of the wall are red ,black,white and green. You should hook up ... | |
| Flickering | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: My lights flicker in the master bedroom and Not anywhere else around the house. It started a week ... A: Abel if this is isolated to the bedroom there is a loose connection somewhere in one of the ... | |
| Residential Service | 5/12/2008 |
| Q: Can I install the 200A panel in my garage and run 2/12 W-G through conduits to my house 20 feet ... A: Jim If you want to place the main panel in garage you can. Now you still would have to a sub-panel ... | |
| 3 AND 4 WAY SWITCHES | 5/7/2008 |
| Q: PLEASE HELP. HAVE TWO LIGHTS IN UPSTAIRS HALLWAY, CONTROLLED BY FIVE SWITCHES. FEED STARTS AT ... A: SEAN First of all you can only use a 3-way for power or switch legs. The 4 way is only used to ... | |
| Outlet installation and buzzing noises | 5/6/2008 |
| Q: I recently purchased a whirlpool tub and had an electricial install an electrical box under the unit ... A: Jane The tub issue sounds like some loose connections,Take it apart and see if all the wires are ... | |
| ceiling fan installation | 5/4/2008 |
| Q: Ben! i tried installing a ceiling fan with lights but it did not work well as i was not simply ... A: Nelson the fan should have a black a blue a white and a green wire Your electrical box should have ... | |
| Changing to canned lights in kitchen | 5/3/2008 |
| Q: I am a weekend warrior when it comes to being a handy man - I've installed ceiling fans, but not ... A: Eddie If you want to change the fixtures to recess can lights. They sell them at the big box ... | |
| power to shed | 5/2/2008 |
| Q: I have been working on this for three days now please help me. I put a 30 amp breaker into my ... A: dean First of all the wire that you used is not for a 120/240 V circuit together. You can have ... | |
| rewiring for an OTR microwave | 5/2/2008 |
| Q: I read a question where a guy had to go from an outlet to hardwiring on his Over The Range microwave ... A: SUSAN What you can do for the microwave is before the cabinets are installed,run a new wire if you ... | |
| undersurge? | 4/30/2008 |
| Q: I live in a apartment in Fresno county, CA. My problem has been reoccuring from time to time for ... A: Andrew After reading your message it sounds like the apartment has the problem. What I am referring ... | |
| Faulty Light | 4/28/2008 |
| Q: I have recently had a chandelier fitted in my hall. It is on a double dimmer with an outside light. ... A: Dave You may have a bad dimmer make sure this dimmer meets the load of the chandelier wattage. count ... | |
| baseboard heaters | 4/28/2008 |
| Q: what size wire and breaker do i need ?i have 2 4ft heaters with 1000 watts each 2ft and 12ft away ... A: Ken This depends on the wattage for each heater.the 2 4ft heaters will be 2000 watts that needs a 20 ... | |
| Grounding wire | 4/28/2008 |
| Q: I noticed when I was adding a new circuit breaker to my panel, and was moving the white wires around ... A: chuck The neutral wire is what we called the unbalanced load.This wire carries unused power back to ... | |
| Home tanning bed | 4/25/2008 |
| Q: ... 1 x 110 Volt Dedicated Circuit 1 x 20 AMP Circuit Breaker 1-Standard 110 receptacle My ... A: Rachel For now you can use the bed that way make sure you plug it into a outlet that has only a ... | |
| ground wire | 4/24/2008 |
| Q: Residential home The ground wire coming into the house is not currently attached to the plumbing. ... A: Randy To connect the ground wire to the plumbing you would need a ground clamp. Many hardware and ... | |
| Wiring a new light switch | 4/24/2008 |
| Q: Ben - I am wanting to change the single light switch in my bathroom to a double switch. CUrrently, ... A: Brian What you have in the bathroom may be 2 hot wires and 1 switch leg.Maybe in your situation you ... | |
| hot fuses | 4/23/2008 |
| Q: we live in a rental that was built in 1920.. there are two fuse boxes, with one that is original to ... A: Linda When a circuit gets hot that is a indication of a overloaded circuit. Check to see what's on ... | |
| electical problem in a residential home | 4/23/2008 |
| Q: I recently ran into a problem while troubleshooting a water heater. Upon turning off the cicuit ... A: Eric What this sounds like is that used the 30 amp breaker to possibly feed a sub panel some where ... | |
| 220v | 4/22/2008 |
| Q: I have a small garage that has a 100amp service that is supplied by 10-4 wire is it possible to add ... A: Randal For your information the panel you have in the garage may be 100 amps,but by using a 10-4 you ... | |
| 277v | 4/20/2008 |
| Q: When your dealing with 277v lights, how would you wire them from the panel, to a j-box, feed down to ... A: Dan Using 277 volts is the same as using 120 volts,just that the voltage is higher and more ... | |
| Replacing service wiring & meter bases | 4/19/2008 |
| Q: I've received 2 estimates so far for a service panel upgrade. One contractor (not the other) says I ... A: Cheryl It is wise when changing the service to change the service wires and meter base and any ... | |
| RV electrical problem | 4/19/2008 |
| Q: This one is stumping me. I was using the outside receptical on my RV and the power quit. I checked ... A: Ron Sounds like you have a loose neutral somewhere on that circuit open the panel and check each ... | |
| Open Ground | 4/18/2008 |
| Q: This is an older home and some of the wiring is 14/2. I am getting an open ground with my hand held ... A: Danny Someone must have added a circuit to this or extended the wires from a 2 wire device. See if ... | |
| electrical neat plumbing stack | 4/18/2008 |
| Q: Ben, I am doing some remodeling in my kitchen, including adding a disposal and dishwasher. Need to ... A: Brad No there is no requirements other than you can not use another's trade to support your trades ... | |
| 20 amp dual circuts with GFCI | 4/18/2008 |
| Q: I am converting my garage into a woodshop. I want to run 20 amp dual circuit outlets along the walls ... A: Joe You would need to install a double pole breaker,the reason is if you shut down one of these ... | |
| Power Supply for Battery Charger | 4/17/2008 |
| Q: We have just rented a Battery Charger (Brand:Hawker,Model 8MSE)for our newly vehicle shop. This ... A: Rodolfo If the charger is 230 volts and you use the 208 volts to this you would eventually shorten ... | |
| Subpanel Ground Wiring | 4/16/2008 |
| Q: I asked about wiring the neutral and ground together in a sub-panel. You told me that in a ... A: Richard The ground wire needs to hooked up to panel frame via a bus bar or some sort of lug.Now in ... | |
| wiring circuit | 4/15/2008 |
| Q: We just bought a house built in 2003 by licensed builder (with a good rep. but we're finding a lot ... A: Amy Outlets and lights are allowed on the same circuit. The reason the lights are dimming is ... | |
| Main Panel (Load Center) Wiring | 4/13/2008 |
| Q: I have been planning an extension panel to our 200Amp service. The house was wired last in 1978 or ... A: Richard When it comes to a main panel with a main breaker installed the neutrals and the grounds are ... | |
| Pool pump bonding | 4/12/2008 |
| Q: I have an Intex Easy Set pool and want to hook up a 1 horsepower 115 volt (grounded plug in ... A: Ed Grounding {Equipment Grounding} (Green or Bare) is the conductor which is not designed to be, ... | |
| wiring new cooktop into older home | 4/11/2008 |
| Q: i am wiring a new cooktop into an older home. the home was built in 1962. it has been remodled at ... A: Michael For some reason and we as electricians don't know why. They always make wire with a white in ... | |
| Reconnecting a chandelier | 4/11/2008 |
| Q: I am installing an old chandelier in an old house. I have a pig-tail with four wires (neutral wires ... A: Bryan Either wire on the chandelier will work on the fixture wires.You will see one of them has a ... | |
| changeing service from 60 amp to 150 | 4/9/2008 |
| Q: Where the connector comes thru the wall from the meter,does not line up at all with knock outs in ... A: Scott The correct wire size you need is 2 # 1 and 1 #2 plus a ground if the Local Power co allows it ... | |
| electrical problem with manufactured home | 4/8/2008 |
| Q: my i beam under the house has a shock to it when you touch it, and my outside central air unit will ... A: Anthony Some where there is a wire loose and it is using the trailer and AC for a return path. The ... | |
| Temporary Power / 50 Amp GFI Breaker | 4/7/2008 |
| Q: I am in the beginnings of building a home and hooking up temporary power. I have an older Temporary ... A: Todd I believe you are mis-understanding how GFCI devices sense a ground fault. Very very simply: a ... | |
| 220 curcit | 4/4/2008 |
| Q: i have a house that has a barn circuit from the panel box. the panel in the house is a 200 amp ... A: broderick Thanks for all the correct information. Just for your information bonding neutral to ... | |
| discontinuing an outlet | 4/3/2008 |
| Q: i recently pulled a wall down that had an electrical outlet in it. i do not need the outlet any ... A: stuart The accepted way is to make that wire accessible with a j-box or a outlet. If there is a ... | |
| Wiring a new structure | 4/2/2008 |
| Q: I had a new 150 amp service brought into the structure, with minimal overhead lighting. I need now ... A: Arnie The wire size you would need in conduit is # 12.A 20 amp or 15 amp breaker can handle this. ... | |
| Adding a light fixture | 4/1/2008 |
| Q: Ben, I would like to add a ceiling fixture to our former living room now a dining room. I will be ... A: Jim They make what they call old work boxes. These are used when the drywall is up and you need to ... | |
| adding a wall switch to an outlet | 3/30/2008 |
| Q: I would like to add a switch to turn my compressor on in the basement. If I run a new line with a ... A: Paul Take the existing outlet and add a set of wires from the outlet to the new switch. Install the ... | |
| New construction condo left covered electrical box with wiring in dining area | 3/30/2008 |
| Q: There has never been a light fixture in dining area but builder installed wiring & covered to add ... A: Pam You said there are 2 blue wires? I have never seen blue wires a residential installation unless ... | |
| Outlet boxes | 3/30/2008 |
| Q: I am curious as to the Pro's and Con's of plastic outlet boxes vs. metal outlet boxes. I have heard ... A: Gary This is a choice of peoples preferences.I have installing Plastic boxes when the first were ... | |
| Code violation? | 3/29/2008 |
| Q: They recently re-sided our condo complex. In doing so, they replaced all of the exterior 'porch' ... A: Greg First of all the only time they never used J-boxes is when Ben Franklin first invented ... | |
| Bad Breaker? | 3/29/2008 |
| Q: Recently the breaker that supplies power to my one bathroom, an outside plug and one plug in the ... A: William Before you replace the breaker get or borrow an amp probe,this will allow you to see how ... | |
| GFI tripping - leakage current | 3/27/2008 |
| Q: I just purchased a 2 year old home. For about a month, all went well. We have had an extended period ... A: Ken What is happening is the GFCI is reading a voltage difference from the light pole,could be from ... | |
| Question concerning problem wiring 100 amp service panel | 3/27/2008 |
| Q: We are replacing an older outside service panel, which this identical panel is no longer available, ... A: Robert What you can do is replace the wires that are going to the Power company.If that is feaseable ... | |
| Track Lighting | 3/26/2008 |
| Q: Ben, I have an old line voltage track light that I would like to either replace or get new lights ... A: Barry First thing you need to do is find a track head that will fit the track. If it is low voltage ... | |
| Power Blinking | 3/24/2008 |
| Q: I have recently starting having problems with the lights throughout my house blinking (or fading) in ... A: Chris Usually when you get that kind of problems it can be a numerous reasons. #1 The power company ... | |
| Electrical Wiring | 3/24/2008 |
| Q: We moved into our house in 2000; the house was built in 1995 but was a model home for five years. ... A: Murray Since this was a model home,they probably had the lights burning 24/7 which is not good for ... | |
| Need help with wiring for a used tanning bed | 3/24/2008 |
| Q: 03/24/2008 Ben, I just purchased a used tanning bed. My husband is planning on doing the wiring ... A: Pat Before you install the 240 volt line I would make sure that it is set for 240 if not you can ... | |
| Electrical wiring | 3/23/2008 |
| Q: I've recently had an electrical contractor in to install 6 recess lights in my kitchen. The lights ... A: Carl Run the wires from J-box in the attic to the switch box. Make sure you bring power into tis ... | |
| replacing electrical panel in house | 3/23/2008 |
| Q: I have a 70 electrical panel in our house. We need more space to add more breakers for the house and ... A: Tina If you have a 200 amp service coming into the house,then you should upgrade to 150 amps. ... | |
| outlets | 3/22/2008 |
| Q: Just another question or two while I think of it. 1) Is there a limmit to the number of outlets you ... A: Mike 10 outlets or lights is the most for a 15 amp circuit 10 outlets or lights is the most for a 20 ... | |
| gfci outlet | 3/21/2008 |
| Q: i wanna change the outlet above my counter to a gfci but attached to the old outlet is a black wire ... A: Eric What they wired was a 12-3 to the panel then they ran that wire to a outlet,what they are ... | |
| Outlet problems | 3/19/2008 |
| Q: We have had to replace our coffeemaker 3 times in the past 6 months. We kept it plugged into the ... A: Kathy You need to check the outlets to make sure that all the wires are working like they should. ... | |
| wiring | 3/19/2008 |
| Q: i have a bed room it has no lighting no wiring for a light fixture but it does has a light switch ... A: Luis Depending how they ran the wires to the plug there should be a black white and a ground there ... | |
| No-load amp draw on washing machine | 3/18/2008 |
| Q: We have 2 washers on one circuit that intermittently trips. Before using them one day, the breaker ... A: Wayne A washer should have its own circuit, when it goes into the spin cycle it has a load on the ... | |
| switch and gfci wiring config | 3/17/2008 |
| Q: We're replacing the switches and recepts in our bathroom. In one box, there was a single pole ... A: Beth You will need a voltage meter or a meter that shows you the voltage on the wires,you probably ... | |
| switch and gfci wiring config | 3/17/2008 |
| Q: We're replacing the switches and recepts in our bathroom. In one box, there was a single pole ... A: Beth When using a GFCI they have 4 screws or holes one is for the line and the other is for the ... | |
| residential dimmers | 3/17/2008 |
| Q: I am a handyman/remodeler, but cannot figure this problem out. I've installed 2 dimmers in a ... A: Paul Sounds like a neutral problem more than anything else. Are you replacing the dimmer with a ... | |
| Light Fixture Question | 3/14/2008 |
| Q: We are replacing a ceiling fan that is on a 3-way switch(I think), and replacing it with just a ... A: Jeremy In the light box where the fan was use the red wire only for the light take the blacks and ... | |
| Roughing In a bathroom Broan Model 732 (Heater/Light/Fan/Nightlight) | 3/13/2008 |
| Q: I am in the midst of roughing in the bathroom electrical and wanted to get a more expert opinion ... A: BC The Nutone equipment has a light a exhaust fan and a heater/with blower. Actually the 10-2 is a ... | |
| Trying to understand the electrical from the 1930's | 3/12/2008 |
| Q: I am installing some low voltage halo recessed lights in a friends house. I am having some trouble ... A: Paul "On that switch it is wired using the neutral on the switch. I do not think I have ever seen ... | |
| 120 and 240 volt pumps to one 240 timer | 3/12/2008 |
| Q: I have 2 pumps for a waterfall- 120 volt 1/2 hp- 10 amp draw & 120/240 no hp rating but draws 6/12 ... A: Steve If you did that you would be putting a uneven draw on each one of the pumps. What you could do ... | |
| Service change from 400 Amp to 200Amp | 3/11/2008 |
| Q: I currently own a home, I have a 400 Amp service. I don't think I need that big of breaker. The ... A: Chris Having a 400 amp vs a 200 amp has nothing to do with power consumption.The usage comes from ... | |
| Guardian 15kw generator | 3/10/2008 |
| Q: I installed a 16kw standby generator. When I first tested it, it started and ran my air conditioner. ... A: Randolph Unfortunately you can not use Ac control module.Sounds like the generator may have to have ... | |
| generator hook up | 3/9/2008 |
| Q: I have a 200amp murrary panel with the main breaker in the middle of the panel Iam trying to hook up ... A: Jim What ever type of transfer switch you have I need to know if you have a sub-panel one or a main ... | |
| No Ground? | 3/8/2008 |
| Q: Our homeowners association (HOA) just installed individual water meters on each condo. The same day ... A: Thomas The ground for the water meter has nothing to do with the panel ground,if anything they used ... | |
| service entrance | 3/7/2008 |
| Q: I recently replaced the fuse box 100amp with a 100amp breaker box .I also changed the service cable ... A: Jim Yes that is a good way of changing the panel from fuses to breakers. Anytime you use aluminum ... | |
| Requirements on residential interrupters | 3/6/2008 |
| Q: I am having trouble finding any info on old nickel sized fuse boxes and any requirement to update ... A: Chris your answer to question 1 Yes you can keep the fuse box in the newly renovated home as long ... | |
| Installing electrical outlet on kitchen island | 3/6/2008 |
| Q: We are remodeling our kitchen and she wants a semi-movable island in the middle of the floor, with ... A: Tom Woman they always want the impossible............. You can install a conduit stub up with a wp ... | |
| light switches not working | 3/5/2008 |
| Q: I have 2 light switches (both controlling incandescent ceiling lights, one in kitchen, one in ... A: Gil Somewhere you have a open neutral that explains why the red & black in the refrigerator out ... | |
| New Construction - Electrical Wiring | 3/4/2008 |
| Q: I am building a new home and the drywall is being istalled now. I am very concerned because the ... A: Lexi First of all you are worrying for nothing,on all jobs as long as the wire is near the center ... | |
| interior house wiring | 3/3/2008 |
| Q: What gauge wire is correct for interior house wiring. Is stranded wire or solid wire better A: Tom You need to use solid wire in a home,usually 14-2 and then 12-2. 14 wire is used in ... | |
| wiring a garabage disposal | 3/3/2008 |
| Q: I have a new house a want to wire for a disposal. I have a outlet plug next to the sink. I have ran ... A: Kevin If this is new construction installation then you need to bring a #12-2 wire to the disposal ... | |
| standby generator wiring | 3/2/2008 |
| Q: I have a 15kw guardian generator and have a few questions about wiring it up to the utility box. ... A: Allen The generator that is 100 amp would be a water cooled generator. You need a special transfer ... | |
| installing a dimmer | 3/2/2008 |
| Q: i recently decided to install a dimmer in my apartment but when i took out the old switch there was ... A: Becky The way this switch was wired is called a feed back system.They use the white wire from the ... | |
| Dimmer Switch | 3/2/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to install a dimmer switch into a very crowded junction box, i.e. the dimmer switch will ... A: Jerry How many watts is this dimmer switch? Is it a 600 watt,1000 watt? The problem with dimmer ... | |
| possible ballast problem | 3/1/2008 |
| Q: I have 2 light fixtures and 1 ballast, is it possible that the ballast is bad and 1 fixture works ... A: Jeff when you say 2 light fixtures and 1 ballast I quite not sure how this is layed out.If a ballast ... | |
| adding a emergancy generater to existing panel | 3/1/2008 |
| Q: I have a Murray LC4040B1200 panel in my home that I want to add the Murray Standby Power Manual ... A: John Yes you can extend the wires,that is allowed by code.The wire size you will need will be a #6 ... | |
| Light not working | 2/29/2008 |
| Q: Ben I hope you can help. I have a chandler in an entrance way that is controlled by 2 switches.This ... A: Jeffrey Have you checked the bulbs? Your 3-way switch may be bad open up the switch and check to ... | |
| Wiring a commercial air compressor | 2/28/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to wire a used commercial air compressor in my garage, but I can't seem to find any ... A: Brandon the 2 lines from the top are the power in, then there is a wire that will go to the pressure ... | |
| Motion detector | 2/28/2008 |
| Q: I am replacing a motion detector that illuminates my back deck. On an adjacent wall is a floodlight ... A: Dale P.S. remove the sliced electrical cord that is not safe. I thought I sent to you the way to ... | |
| breakers voltage | 2/28/2008 |
| Q: i have three double switch slime line breakers. the voltage on the left side switch is about 115. ... A: John The slim line breakers that are installed are on the same buss,are all the breakers like that ... | |
| 4 lights 2 switches | 2/27/2008 |
| Q: how do i wire from panel to light to switch to switch to 3 more lights. the first light to be ... A: Tony First of all bring a wire from the panel to the first switch,then from there go up to the 1st ... | |
| relay chatter or buzzing | 2/27/2008 |
| Q: Relay is substantial, operates 4 building frontage neon signs. The chatter or buzzing,,, what do you ... A: Ken First of all let me say "Welcome Home Brother" Yes you are better off replacing the unit as it ... | |
| Motion detector | 2/26/2008 |
| Q: I am replacing a motion detector that illuminates my back deck. On an adjacent wall is a floodlight ... A: Dale On the motion detector there should be 4 wire black red white and a ground. The black wire is ... | |
| electrical power intermittent | 2/25/2008 |
| Q: I have intermittent power to my master bedroom and bathroom. It comes and goes at will. (power goes ... A: Greg Go in the panel and check for a loose neutral,find the hot wire on the fuse and locate the ... | |
| Wiring a commercial air compressor | 2/25/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to wire a used commercial air compressor in my garage, but I can't seem to find any ... A: Brandon Yes you can use a 30 amp circuit for this. This is a contactor that runs whit the compressor ... | |
| AFCI wiring | 2/25/2008 |
| Q: In my basement there is a bedroom beside my bathroom. I ran a 3 wire from my panel. One circuit for ... A: Andrew You can not put the ARC-Fault breaker with a GFCI that shares the neutral there is too much ... | |
| ungrounded GFI recpt. | 2/21/2008 |
| Q: Ben, I replaced an old two prong receptacle (fed with knob & tube wiring) that served a kitchen ... A: Jason The GFCI has no equipment grounding conductor run to it as it is an old house. Your plug in ... | |
| two outlets and a light switch | 2/20/2008 |
| Q: i am helping remodel my moms home ..we took down a wall and the outlets as well ,when we took of ... A: Oscar in each outlet you should one of the following wires 2 blacks 2 whites and 2 green/ground bare ... | |
| General wire | 2/19/2008 |
| Q: I just bought a new house and I am finishing the basement off. I got 20 amp Receptacles. My question ... A: Dave in the basement you can put 10 outlets or light outlets switches are not counted as the just ... | |
| 240 air compressor | 2/19/2008 |
| Q: i have a 60 gallon 5hp air compressor i am wiring. the plug is preexisting. my problem is that i am ... A: Rick the wiring from the compressor should have 2 hot legs and one ground. If you have a Disconnect ... | |
| Service to Residence | 2/18/2008 |
| Q: I have a problem with my electrical service to a second home. The entire electrical system is new ... A: Kirk What this sounds like you have a lose neutral maybe in the meter or out side to the pole or ... | |
| Adding sub-panel | 2/17/2008 |
| Q: My main panel has 150 amp service. There is a 10-3 plus ground and 30 amp 2 Pole breaker that was ... A: Armand Yes you can use that to feed a sub panel. Run the 10-3 with ground to the new panel and make ... | |
| Sub Panel - Tranisition from Hot Tub | 2/16/2008 |
| Q: What determines whether a circuit will be 110 v. 220v? I recently got rid of my Hot tub, but am ... A: Carter What determines voltage is the transformer on the utility side they usually will feed your ... | |
| Electrical service entering the basement | 2/16/2008 |
| Q: I am in the process of layout out the entrance conduits for a new service for a commercial building. ... A: Fred You can use duct seal it is a play dough like substance that wil keep some water out of the ... | |
| circuit breakers | 2/15/2008 |
| Q: I work in a retail store and would like to know where I could find a compatibility chart for circuit ... A: Sandra Unfortunately there is no list like that because that would jeopardize the manufacturers ... | |
| hotwater heater | 2/15/2008 |
| Q: We were getting shortened showers so I changed the lower heating element. While doing so I found ... A: JC Have you installed the element correctly? Check to see if your T-Stat is working on the Water ... | |
| electrician adding additional breaker panel | 2/14/2008 |
| Q: Buying home built in 1920's. Home has electrical upgrades including breaker panel. We are adding ... A: Charles That depends on if there is enough room in the existing 200 amp panel. You are allowed by ... | |
| Generator Wiring | 2/14/2008 |
| Q: I have a generator that puts out 5500watts & has (4) 120 volt 20 amp receptacles and 1 Nema L14-30 ... A: Mark The Nema L14-30 can be wired for 120/240 volt Your RV should have this type of Outlet that you ... | |
| outlets | 2/13/2008 |
| Q: my home is wired with 12-2 wire the outlets are 15amp outlets is this a common practice? when would ... A: Jim Yes that is sometimes a practice for residential homes,one reason is the 15 amps are cheaper ... | |
| simple question I hope | 2/13/2008 |
| Q: I was given a crafteman air compressor. It runs on 220v. Testing the switch with a dvom, I found ... A: Mike Sometimes on equipment they have a DP switch That acts like a SP,What you have is 120 Volts on ... | |
| bathroom wiring | 2/12/2008 |
| Q: my contractor wants me to return my ceiling fixture because there isn't enough wire coming out of ... A: Anne Never heard of that. You should be able to install the fixture in the ceiling to the wires that ... | |
| electrical | 2/12/2008 |
| Q: I've added a bar in my basement and had to wire in all receptacles and lights. the problem i'm ... A: In your main electrical box you have a ground,maybe you are talking about the receptacle boxes.if ... | |
| 240 Dryer Connection | 2/11/2008 |
| Q: Feed lines are red, black, white. I'm moving the dryer outlet and am using 10-2. Does the 10-2 ... A: Shannon You will need to use the 10-3 wire with the ground,this unit is made to hook up that way,to ... | |
| NO AMP READING | 2/10/2008 |
| Q: I have no amp readings at the power panel. Used two meters. Got 0 reading. Checked meter at another ... A: Terry When you check for amps on a circuit the connected items need to using power,if what ever is ... | |
| all outlets on circuit with no power.. after re-wiring 1 outlet.. | 2/9/2008 |
| Q: I was recently replacing an outlet and.. - ALL outlets (3)/light switches (1) on that breaker are ... A: Steve Go back to the outlet you replaced and see if there is voltage there> If there is none you ... | |
| Doorbell | 2/8/2008 |
| Q: My house has a wired doorbell system that is connected to 3 doors. When we moved in it only worked ... A: Sandy You may have a bad door bell transformer check that first to see if it is putting out the ... | |
| Lights and outlets not working in one room | 2/8/2008 |
| Q: This afternoon, I was moving furniture and vacuuming in our bedroom. After plugging in the vacuum in ... A: John Very interesting,Is this outlet switched from the bedroom wall switch?If it check the ... | |
| adding new ceiling fan to existing light switch | 2/7/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to add on a ceiling fan and tap into an existing light switch. Everything is in place ... A: Mike The way to hook this up is to bring the wires from the switch to the fan and hook up the ... | |
| Tripping | 2/6/2008 |
| Q: We had an electrican remove some old wiring from our main panel because it was done without a permit ... A: Michelle The main breaker will not cause the single pole breaker to trip.Sounds like you have a ... | |
| FPE Fuse Panel | 2/6/2008 |
| Q: Ben, We've just purchase an older, small home in Florida, it has FPE fuse panel,vintage 1960. It ... A: Vic the PROBLEM IS THAT THEY DO NOT MAKE THE FPE PARTS ANY MORE SOMETIMES YOU CAN FIND ONE ON E- bay ... | |
| Wiring | 2/4/2008 |
| Q: First of all thanks for your help. I just bought a new home in Texas and was trying to change out a ... A: Stephanie The fixture does need a box and a connector to protect the home. Why the boxes are ... | |
| outdoor wiring | 2/3/2008 |
| Q: i just built a shed behing my house and would like to run power to it via an underground wire. i ... A: Jeff I would run a 1 inch conduit out there and install 2 # 4 wires 1 #6 and a #10 for the ground ... | |
| ub panel minimum hight | 2/3/2008 |
| Q: I'm trying to find the code section that will tell me minimum heights of panels.Question is: I'm ... A: Bill The nec does require that the panel have a certain height. What is done is that the center of ... | |
| Ceiling light | 2/2/2008 |
| Q: I am not an electrician. I was simply changing out some light fixtures to update a residential ... A: Ryan Sounds like you have a set of hot wires(2) and a set of Neutrals)2) and 1 switch leg. Separate ... | |
| wiring in hallway | 2/2/2008 |
| Q: my dad just built a new house. he has two lights in the hallway. one at the end of the steps and the ... A: Brandi Sounds like the 3-way switches are not wired correctly.In the switch box there should be 1 ... | |
| definite purpose contactors | 2/2/2008 |
| Q: Could you quickly explain how a definite purpose contactor works? And, How to use one in a situation ... A: Matt This contacter can be 1 -8 poles(like a switch) and what happens is that instead of hooking up ... | |
| loss of power on circuit | 2/1/2008 |
| Q: My children were fooling around in the bedroom with a beach ball. There was no light cover on the ... A: Renee Ok so I guess you are a expert? Nice comments from someone who knows nothing about ... | |
| rewiring old house | 1/31/2008 |
| Q: I own a 1942 flat roof house with a crawlspace under the floor and would like to know if it is ... A: Randal Yes you can this is a common practice when there is no access to the overhead crawl space. ... | |
| Generator | 1/31/2008 |
| Q: I was wondering if you could give me some guidance on what kind of whole- house generator to buy. I ... A: Ed A 7 or 10 kW would do you fine with a 8 or 10 circuit transfer switch panel. You could get a ... | |
| brown out - tanning beds won't power up | 1/31/2008 |
| Q: I went to work today to find that we were having a "brown out", we did not power up any of our ... A: Trisha Sounds like the voltage to the panel may not all be there. You need to have full voltage ... | |
| wiring a gfci | 1/30/2008 |
| Q: If you want to put a GFCI in a circuit in lieu of a GFI breaker how do you know where to put it. ... A: Pat The area you want to install the GFCI shut off the breaker and see what outlets go off.Then ... | |
| elec outlet failure | 1/28/2008 |
| Q: got new toaster - came home and the wife said it had sparked on her and could I reset the breaker. ... A: Chris The GFCI outlet may have a problem internally I would try checking to see if this is on the ... | |
| Service Panels | 1/27/2008 |
| Q: I'm getting ready to help a friend change his service panel. It's located in the dining area at ... A: Jerry The NEC does not allow any panels to be installed in any closets,bathrooms or any type of ... | |
| adding second panel off main disconnect | 1/24/2008 |
| Q: I have a Square D 125 amp panel in house and will be installing a second 125 amp panel to feed only ... A: James There is a main panel, and in this panel you said you have 2 50 amp breakers. Then you do not ... | |
| fluorescent lights | 1/24/2008 |
| Q: My issue is that my fluorescent light fixtures won't stay lit. Each fixture has 4 20watt bulbs but ... A: John The ballast are inside the fixture, you need to take off the cover and it will be inside. Make ... | |
| adding second panel off main disconnect | 1/23/2008 |
| Q: I have a Square D 125 amp panel in house and will be installing a second 125 amp panel to feed only ... A: James Your question says (adding second panel off main disconnect If this is true then that is the ... | |
| No power | 1/22/2008 |
| Q: 110 with only microwave on line. Plugged microwave in another outlet--it works. Still no power from ... A: Sheila Sounds like you lost the neutral. Check the hot wire with the ground and see if you get the ... | |
| electrical | 1/19/2008 |
| Q: I have taken out an over the oven fan. I want to replace it with a combined microwave fan unit but ... A: heather The Old Exhaust fan should have a 3 wire system a Black (hot) a white (neutral) and a ... | |
| Power for lights | 1/16/2008 |
| Q: Ben, I'm doing some upgrades to my garage (dark!). I want to install 5 48" florescent light ... A: Richard 1 circuit would be more than enough.lights are calculated by the wattage of the bulb and in ... | |
| Generator Setting 120 vs 240 | 1/15/2008 |
| Q: I have a small chinese generator, an Alton 3500 watt. I plan to use if for power outs to run my gas ... A: Rick You should be able to install the transfer switch and hook up the breakers according to the ... | |
| Contactor | 1/15/2008 |
| Q: Have a 240v contactor that's in a timer box for a pool pump I have power on both the Line sides and ... A: Chris When you go across the top of the contactor the line side you should have the 240 volts across ... | |
| Dryer blowing fuses | 1/13/2008 |
| Q: The breaker panel contains 2 30amp time delayed fuses. At no particular time either the heater ... A: Jason Sounds like one of the elements may be shorting out or get over loaded. Get a amp probe and ... | |
| All outlets work in new basement room but one | 1/13/2008 |
| Q: I've finished our basement and all the outlets in the basement work but one. I've got plugs on ... A: Stuart Check the wires that come out of the receptacle make sure they are tight,next do the one from ... | |
| 14V on hot wire w/breaker off??? | 1/12/2008 |
| Q: I recently tried to install a GFCI in an existing bathroom outlet box. Previously, there was a ... A: Reid Try leaving the GFCI by it self then connect each load to see what it is doing. Check to see ... | |
| 1 dbl sink vanity light to change to 2 lights - 1 over each sink? | 1/11/2008 |
| Q: I have a 14 year old home, with one long 7 bulb light fixture over a 2 sink vanity. I would like to ... A: Kathy Yes you can it may involve some dry wall cutting and patching. You will need to take the ... | |
| Outdoor light lamp post | 1/11/2008 |
| Q: Problem. I started having a problem with the light bulb going out in the outside yard lamp post. I ... A: Bish This could be a number of problems one could be that the wire underground or somewhere is ... | |
| service upgrade or not | 1/10/2008 |
| Q: I have a 1260 sq ft home with a 300 sq foot garage that has been converted into a studio. I have ... A: James Yes that would help allot if you got rid of the electric heat.If your bus bars over heats ... | |
| Wiring at home electrical service panel | 1/10/2008 |
| Q: Ben, I just recently bought a house that is approx 25 years old and have been updating it. Just ... A: Dan You are allowed to make a splice in the panel you just cant use it as a junction box. As far as ... | |
| service upgrade or not | 1/9/2008 |
| Q: I have a 1260 sq ft home with a 300 sq foot garage that has been converted into a studio. I have ... A: James What you can do is put a amp probe on the main incoming wires on each leg one at a time. See ... | |
| Can a GFCI be used with a welder | 1/8/2008 |
| Q: I have a portable mig welder and a portable stick welder. They both operate off of 230 volt (NEMA ... A: Marc You can buy differnt GFCI'S for that type of equipment. Basicly this is how a GFCI works. ... | |
| Combination Switch & Receptacle | 1/7/2008 |
| Q: I have a ceiling light controlled by three different light switches. In one of the boxes, there are: ... A: John One end of that switch system is the feed end and the other is the switch leg circuit. Find ... | |
| Adding a light fixture | 1/6/2008 |
| Q: I want to add a light fixture to one of my bedrooms, but it seems that the previous owner had the ... A: Frank In this switch you have white ,black & red wires. Install a 14-2 wire in this box that will go ... | |
| Wiring from 115v to 230v | 1/5/2008 |
| Q: I installed a 115v 15amp dedicated outlet to a pump outside my house, GFCI. The motors ratings are ... A: Matt 15 amps is 15 amps either on a 1 wire or a 2 wire or even the 3 wire system.The wire size is ... | |
| 460 volts | 1/4/2008 |
| Q: Have a small warehouse....standard 120 line in service...but the whole building is wire 220...even ... A: Leland No you can not do it that way, because the 480 voltage is not like the standard 240/220 120 ... | |
| Adding a light fixture | 1/4/2008 |
| Q: I want to add a light fixture to one of my bedrooms, but it seems that the previous owner had the ... A: Frank When this house was wired they use to take a outlet in the bedrooms and make it a switched ... | |
| Country wiring | 1/3/2008 |
| Q: I have electrical service to a small house in the country. My barn is about 600 feet away. To run ... A: David You could run a underground wire from your house to your barn.If you want a 50 amp service ... | |
| wiring specialty switches for fan/light | 1/2/2008 |
| Q: I purchased 2 Harbor Breeze Bellhaven fans and 2 Harbor Breeze switches. I wanted to install one ... A: Stacey You said that you have 1 power feed for the switches are these switches in the same box? if ... | |
| Making a three phase extension cord. | 1/2/2008 |
| Q: Ben, I have a question about making an extension cord for my 470 volt three phase concrete grinder. ... A: Denis First of all is the generator a 3 phase? if it is then you just need to hook up the hot leads ... | |
| Rewiring kitchen outlets, switches... | 1/1/2008 |
| Q: Greetings...I am in the process of finishing my kitchen remodel and want to add an outlet running ... A: Kyle Sounds like you wired the receptacle wrong. The new outlet you installed should have 4 wires ... | |
| New subpanel in detached garage | 12/31/2007 |
| Q: New subpanel in detached garage I am installing a new 70A panel in a detached garage connected to ... A: Laurent The first problem is that you can not use a #10 wire in a 70 amp panel.10 wire is only rated ... | |
| Need help Wiring a Ceiling Fan/Light separately | 12/31/2007 |
| Q: I have a ceiling fan in the master bedroom that I would like to add a switch so I can control the ... A: Ryan What you are showing me in the diagram is that the ceiling fan box is feeding the electrical ... | |
| Wiring a tanning bed | 12/30/2007 |
| Q: My service entrance to the meter is the common 2 wire & stranded bare ground/neutral?.Then..from the ... A: Bob The bed is probably a 20 amp 240 volt bed.If the ground and neutral were hooked up together ... | |
| wiring up 3 switches on one power lead | 12/30/2007 |
| Q: I bought a house and of the 3 switches in the bathroom, only one works. One is to the fan, one is to ... A: Keith If the power is in the switch box make sure that all the switches have power going to them ... | |
| Wiring a tanning bed | 12/30/2007 |
| Q: My service entrance to the meter is the common 2 wire & stranded bare ground/neutral?.Then..from the ... A: Bob To your house you have a 200 amp service consisting of 2 hot legs (4/0) and 1 neutral/ground/ ... | |
| Ground---Neutral bond or not | 12/28/2007 |
| Q: I own a poultry farm, with 4 houses each 400 foot long. There is one meter base, one 600 amp main, ... A: JASON Once you leave the main service, the neutral and ground are separate. So your sub-panel will ... | |
| standby generator setup | 12/27/2007 |
| Q: Forgive the long question but I want you to have all the relevent data. I am installing a 7KW Briggs ... A: rick First of all when you run the sensing circuit it is low voltage 12/24 volts and at 70 feet you ... | |
| GFCI outlets and 12/3 cable | 12/26/2007 |
| Q: Can I run 2 lines of power with 12/3 cable (on separate breakers) to feed 2 GFCI outlets, each ... A: Phil Yes it should work. I have found, however that with long homeruns (over 50') that I have ... | |
| Ground---Neutral bond or not | 12/26/2007 |
| Q: I own a poultry farm, with 4 houses each 400 foot long. There is one meter base, one 600 amp main, ... A: Jason The STAND BY Generator should have its own Ground rod. Look at it this way the generator is ... | |
| Kitchenaid Built-In Wall Oven | 12/25/2007 |
| Q: I recently purchased a new built-in Kitchenaid oven with a top microwave/convection oven. My old ... A: Doug You may have to rewire the oven as the circuit for the new oven is not adequate for the new ... | |
| wiring an unfinished basemnt | 12/22/2007 |
| Q: Our builder insulated our basement. We now want to finish it and need to install our lights, ... A: Tatjana Your best way of doing this is to install the wires and boxes in front of the insulation ... | |
| Connecting a generator to the house | 12/22/2007 |
| Q: Ben, I bet you've had this question before. My son-in-law has a portable generator to use when the ... A: Richard First of all you are absolute right When using any kind of generator. You NEED TO INSTALL a ... | |
| switching 220 volt loads | 12/20/2007 |
| Q: I acquired a HUGE 2 pole mercury switch that was used to control electric heat in a house built in ... A: Bruce First of all what is the rating of this switch? You can switch one leg of the motor with no ... | |
| stove wiring | 12/19/2007 |
| Q: I have a new stove requiring 240 power for the oven. I have power from a 30-amp 2-pole 120/240 ... A: Josh What you need to check in the panel is that both red and black wires are not on the same pole. ... | |
| Temporary power subpanel | 12/19/2007 |
| Q: I am a sound engineer, and a couple clubs I setup at have insufficient circuits, and are unwilling ... A: Dean You will have to use a 240 volt panel,as they do not make a 120 volt panel. The best way is to ... | |
| Generator Transfer Switches | 12/19/2007 |
| Q: Ben, I have read all of your replies, but I still have several questions. For the last 8 1/2 years ... A: Maurice I will try to explain this in a easy format. The transfer switch has what is called a 3 ... | |
| 200 vs 400 amp svc | 12/16/2007 |
| Q: I am building and it was recommended to upgrade to a 400 amp svc. The home is 3400 sq ft with two ... A: Mike Why do you need a 400 amp service? Did anyone do a load calculation on this home? Your biggest ... | |
| Confusing wiring diagram Cooper Wiring 6109 180deg motion-sensing switch | 12/16/2007 |
| Q: I bought a Cooper 6109 motion-sensing switch for my basement. The wiring diagram shows one of the ... A: Sam No not at all if you do that you probably burn out the switch. Usually the hot wire goes to one ... | |
| Replacing NEMA 6-30R with 14-30R | 12/16/2007 |
| Q: Years ago we purchased a Bosch washing machine that required 240V service and came with a NEMA ... A: Craig If the wires come from a main breaker panel then you can hook up the ground and the neutral If ... | |
| help | 12/15/2007 |
| Q: i have a building with 2 meters one meter was hit and and is crushed.in side the building i have 2 ... A: Jason First why was there 2 meters? There had to be a reason. You can upgrade the service and have ... | |
| Bathroom fan wiring | 12/14/2007 |
| Q: This is similar to a prior post, but not quite the situation. I am retrofitting a new ... A: Randy At the switch you said there is only 2 sets of wires that are in the box. According to what ... | |
| Marley base borad heater | 12/14/2007 |
| Q: I am using 12/2 wire from each heater to a junction box and have hooked up each heater with its own ... A: Paul You have a 12-3 coming from your breaker box, You can use the red & black for the power wires, ... | |
| electrical problem | 12/13/2007 |
| Q: some of the things in my bathroom just quit working, jacuzzi, and the fan, heater,vent all in 1. I ... A: Dwayne Have you checked the incoming service? Make sure that if you check the incoming go across the ... | |
| Voltage Converter | 12/12/2007 |
| Q: I want to buy and install a washer and dryer in my home. Unfortunately, these appliances usually ... A: Uche I would see what The 2 outlets are hooked up to in the kitchen and if you are using ... | |
| Generator Wiring | 12/12/2007 |
| Q: I'm installing a Coleman 7kw lp gas backup generator. My electrician friend says I need to get 8-3 ... A: Rod The 7 kw generator would need a 30 amp breaker which needs a #10 wire,So what you would need is ... | |
| sub panel | 12/11/2007 |
| Q: I have a 100amp service currently working fine. I have a 50 amp breaker in the service, that the ... A: Michael No bother at all When you size a breaker you size it for protection, that means that if ... | |
| remote wiring | 12/11/2007 |
| Q: I have a ceiling fan that has no wall switch attached to it,we just use the pull chain to turn on ... A: Phil That will be the only way to control the fan light. Un less you run extra wires. They have ... | |
| Bx wiring | 12/10/2007 |
| Q: I want to run an extra outlet in my house and I was going to use bx the bx I have is 12/2 it of ... A: Jeff The wire that you have is called a 12-3 2 hots and 1 neutral the ground wire is a given as this ... | |
| sub panel | 12/9/2007 |
| Q: I have a 100amp service currently working fine. I have a 50 amp breaker in the service, that the ... A: Michael I would get rid of that mess for sure it is a hazard and a eyesore.Yes you can install a ... | |
| Wiring a 220v outlet for a Welder. | 12/9/2007 |
| Q: I have a 200amp tig welder. That requires a 220 volt outlet. My current house does not have a 220 ... A: Jason Are you saying tat the welder needs 200 amps 220 volts?? That is allot of amps for a ... | |
| Hooking up a wall oven | 12/8/2007 |
| Q: We replaced our double wall oven, the new oven came with a cable already installed , the cable has 3 ... A: Gerard The older oven had 2 circuits that is why you have 2 blacks and 2 reds.You will need to see ... | |
| Wiring a GFCI receptacle | 12/8/2007 |
| Q: There is a GFCI receptacle mounted on the outside wall of my home. The line coming from the circuit ... A: Ed It is hard for us out in the computer to visualize Most problems. We can only assume and ... | |
| old ceiling electric heat | 12/7/2007 |
| Q: I have been re-wiring a 1950 house that has had serious electrical problems (i.e. bare hot wires ... A: Bill What they are running is a heating element in the ceiling for induction heat,so when they are ... | |
| Adding a pull switch to new fixture | 12/7/2007 |
| Q: I own a 130 yr old house where I have changed the old wiring in the areas of the house that I have ... A: JOE The way they use to wire lights was to bring a hot & neutral to the box then install a switch on ... | |
| Plugs burning out. | 12/6/2007 |
| Q: I work in maintenance at a nursing home in which we have (through wall)PTAC units in every resident ... A: Jason Well they have been installed for 11 years so with direct induction heat all it is doing is ... | |
| wire located in duct work | 12/5/2007 |
| Q: My house is 117 years old. I am retrofitting the bathroom on the second floor and making sure that ... A: Sean That is not a very good idea plus the code does not allow it. The reason is that when air is ... | |
| outlets, and grounds | 12/4/2007 |
| Q: when I touch the outlet in my barn I get a zap, we put a heater in cows water to keep from ... A: Glen The outlet you are using is not grounded In the main panel you have to make sure the neutral ... | |
| electric to an outbuilding | 12/3/2007 |
| Q: Just built a run in shed for our horses 400ft from house. I planning on running 12/2 direct bury ... A: Shane You will lose allot because of voltage drop,not amps it wont be enough to even turn a light ... | |
| service for new shop | 12/2/2007 |
| Q: Just built a new multi-purpose shop that is 130 feet from the house, I will be using a wielder and ... A: Mike Wilder You said that they stubbed you a future J-box? I do not understand the problem go from ... | |
| No power in circuit | 12/2/2007 |
| Q: One complete circuit in my house is dead. I checked all of the circuit breakers and they seem to be ... A: Frank What may be the cause is that you lost a hot leg or neutral to the circuit take the covers off ... | |
| Lights dimming/flickering in entire home | 12/1/2007 |
| Q: We're having an intermittent issue with lights dimming in the entire house (or at least on different ... A: Chris Dimming of lights indicates a big load being put on the service. It can also be from lose ... | |
| Additional basement circuits | 11/30/2007 |
| Q: My main electrical panel is located on the inside of my garage wall 5 feet from the wall that is ... A: Doug You have many options. Is the garage over the basement or just part of it? If it is then you ... | |
| wiring a sub panel | 11/26/2007 |
| Q: I already have a full 200amp panel w/a 220 out of it for a hot tub. I purchased a peice of equipment ... A: Andy Take the hot tub wire out and you can put it in the new sub-panel along with the other circuits ... | |
| dimming lights | 11/26/2007 |
| Q: I am experience lights dimming when large appliances are running like the microwave or vacuum. It ... A: Shawn It sounds like a bad connection either in the meter or a shorted or loose wire somewhere from ... | |
| Generator plugs | 11/25/2007 |
| Q: I bought a portable generator for my cottage. I have a shallow well pump which runs on 220V. The ... A: Jeff The 4 wire plug on the generator is wired this way 2 hots 1 neutral and one ground,you will ... | |
| 3 black wires and 1 white | 11/25/2007 |
| Q: I've got 2 switches in my dining room that control the overhead light. One is a dimmer; the other ... A: Amy Their is only those 4 wires?? Something doesn't sound right. For a 3 way to work you need 1 for ... | |
| Dimmer switch | 11/23/2007 |
| Q: I have a dining room light that had a dimmer switch. The switch controls only the dining room light. ... A: mark When the dimmer buzzes that is a sign of a bad dimmer or a overloaded or a miss wired dimmer, ... | |
| GFCI outle switch combo | 11/23/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to hook up a GFCI outlet switch combo. I have the feed line coming in (black and white) ... A: Mark the incoming wires the black & white need to be hooked up this way white to white black to ... | |
| GFCI Bkr | 11/21/2007 |
| Q: I am wiring a hot tub for a friend. I installed a 220v 2 pole GFCI bkr (GE)and ran 6/3 W/ ground to ... A: Jeremy is the hot tube grounded at another place? sounds like you are getting a voltage problem from ... | |
| mobile home power hookup | 11/19/2007 |
| Q: I am about to move into a mobile home in a week or two. I have been calling around to get quotes and ... A: Allan On the outside you should have a disconnect box with a meter near it or above it. Depending on ... | |
| Generator Hookup Aesthetics | 11/18/2007 |
| Q: I am concerned that the wiring from the Standby Generator to my home looks untidy (and maybe unsafe) ... A: George That should be in conduit as well the only exception is it may be done in romex,I dont what ... | |
| Generator Hookup Aesthetics | 11/17/2007 |
| Q: I am concerned that the wiring from the Standby Generator to my home looks untidy (and maybe unsafe) ... A: George I doubt you asked a electrician because if he was he wouldn't do it that way.The NEC Code ... | |
| Neutral Wire Burned at Panel | 11/17/2007 |
| Q: I have a 3 year old new construction hose in Michigan. I have had 2 contractors out to look at the ... A: Steve What may have happened is the neutral wire was not tighten down properly,this wire carries the ... | |
| horse arena lights going off/on | 11/16/2007 |
| Q: I turn my lights on at the circuit breaker box and sometimes when I first turn the breaker on there ... A: Diane Something the fixtures have a few reasons for cycling off and on.#1 The bulb could be bad #2 ... | |
| outage | 11/14/2007 |
| Q: i have a very strange situation.four circuits intermittently go out,no warning ( no breakers trip ) ... A: Paul what it still sounds like are on the same side of the buss as the 240 v circuit thus when when ... | |
| panel change from main 2 sub | 11/14/2007 |
| Q: I am upgrading my service to a 200A and install a new main panel on a different location. The old ... A: Roman The difference is this the main breaker panel will have a main and a neutral bar bonded to the ... | |
| Electrical, 3 way control of an outlet | 11/12/2007 |
| Q: Have a run of receptacles,at the beginning I have an outlet where the hot side of the duplex is ... A: Rosemarie The wires in the switch boxes should be the following colors. Red black white green then ... | |
| Adding ceiling fans in bedrooms | 11/12/2007 |
| Q: Just bought a house built in 1981 and there are no ceiling light fixtures in the 3 bedrooms. I want ... A: Lance What you can do is pull a 14-3 from the existing switch to the ceiling fan box. Disconnect the ... | |
| Installation of 240V 2000W electric baseboard heaters | 11/11/2007 |
| Q: My husband has been trying to install a Farenheit 8' 240V electric baseboard heater (MALEY) 2000W ... A: Lisa You have done a fine job of explaining,most women would say (the thing that's is hooked up in ... | |
| 20 Amp receptacle | 11/10/2007 |
| Q: My washer is plugged into a 20 single outlet receptcle. I changed to outlet to a 20 amp with two ... A: Steve the reason the washer was on a single receptacle is so that nothing else can be added to that ... | |
| Range wiring | 11/10/2007 |
| Q: I am renovating my whole house. The people that put the island in the kitchen ran the 240 for the ... A: JP You should have the following redstripe/black wire -black wire and a white wire and a green or ... | |
| dimmed and flickered lights | 11/9/2007 |
| Q: Was just wondering if you could help. A few days ago the lights in our house dimmed and flickered ... A: Sam When this happened did you hear that noise from inside your home?If you did then you may have ... | |
| electric tankless water heater | 11/8/2007 |
| Q: I'm trying to get a tankless water heater (Bosch Powerstar 115)installed in my 1970's era condo. ... A: Jim Yes it is, but is the wire capable to carry this load? The water heater has a 30 amp breaker and ... | |
| home electrical breaker box | 11/7/2007 |
| Q: I wanted to know whether or not my trailer's only breaker box should be very warm to the touch? I ... A: Nancy When you are running the space heaters they use allot of electric and use induction heat which ... | |
| generator hookup | 11/7/2007 |
| Q: I have a question for you about a generator circuit. A friend of mine wants to run a generator plug ... A: Sally What you are trying to do is hook the generator up in the pole barn panel and then when the ... | |
| Generator transfer switch wiring | 11/6/2007 |
| Q: We just had a new Guardian 13K Generator with auto transfer switch (12 circuits) installed today. We ... A: Barb Allot of times to keep costs down and labor down,electricians will run a 14-3 or a 12-3 for 2 ... | |
| Panel upgrade | 11/3/2007 |
| Q: I have a panel to upgrade from the old disc type fuses to what is now more common. I intend on ... A: Jeff There should not be 2 mains what you may have is a breaker for a sub panel.What you can do is ... | |
| standby generator | 11/2/2007 |
| Q: I have acquired a 12kw guardian generator. The tail from the transfer switch has the 4 load wires ... A: Andrew Yes 2 of the wires carry voltage to the generator #1 to keep the battery charged and to ... | |
| Recessed Lighting/Switch | 11/2/2007 |
| Q: I'm baffled by this because I think I did it correct, yet it's not working. Four lights being ... A: Dave To wire 4 lights you will need to come out of the switch wit a 14-2 black & white to fixtures ... | |
| standby generator | 11/1/2007 |
| Q: I have acquired a 12kw guardian generator. The tail from the transfer switch has the 4 load wires ... A: Andrew The connector you are talking about carry's the 2 control wires and the 2 voltage wires 240 ... | |
| Light switch | 10/31/2007 |
| Q: Im trying to install a light switch. The main wire coming into the box has a black,red,and a white ... A: Brad The red wire may be a different circuit take a tester and see if there is voltage on the red ... | |
| Generator power | 10/30/2007 |
| Q: I just installed a generator and transfer switch. The power coming from the main distribution panel ... A: Bill You should have the incoming power going to one set of lugs,then the load side should have 2 ... | |
| home electrical circuts | 10/29/2007 |
| Q: My son Ben was trying to figure out our delemia and gave up ! Four circuits go out at the same ... A: Beth Sounds like you may have problems in the Panel. The buss bar my be corroding if you can remove ... | |
| Wall Outlets work and then don't | 10/27/2007 |
| Q: For the past year, certain room outlets in my house (built 1942) work and then don't. When I plug in ... A: Matt The tester that shows reversed ground will show up when you don't have a ground on the ... | |
| How to find a contractor's insurance coverage | 10/25/2007 |
| Q: An electrician installed the breaker, wiring and GFI box for my hot tub on my back porch, and it was ... A: Barbie First of all I am not a attorney and can only give you suggestions. See if you know or can ... | |
| Keyless Lampholder Installation | 10/24/2007 |
| Q: I am installing a couple of keyless porcelain lampholders in the attic and have a few questions: 1) ... A: Michael to your answer to #1 if the box is metal then you need to ground the box if it is plastic ... | |
| AFCI's | 10/23/2007 |
| Q: We are moving into a newly constructed 4-bedroom house and when we plugged a vacuum cleaner into one ... A: Lynne A AFCI breaker is like a GFCI it protects the person from any available shock. They are pretty ... | |
| Electrical Installation | 10/23/2007 |
| Q: Electrical Installation (USA) - Qn: running underground cable 280 ft. for 100 amp supply. Length ... A: Peter What is happining is you are getting a voltage drop. And at 100 amps on a 200 amp wire you ... | |
| Electrical | 10/19/2007 |
| Q: I have this friend that's renting a older model trailer and her lights has been dimming and ... A: Jason Sounds like the main wires in the panel are loose. Try to shut off the main breaker and ... | |
| pool wiring | 10/18/2007 |
| Q: ben. thanx in advance, great site. am running 60 amps from existing box to pool house. 1 breaker ... A: greg A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) is one of the most effective means available for ... | |
| pool wiring | 10/17/2007 |
| Q: ben. thanx in advance, great site. am running 60 amps from existing box to pool house. 1 breaker ... A: Greg if you are using this for a pool house you can use the existing ground from the panel. Now ... | |
| Tripping Circuit breakers... | 10/15/2007 |
| Q: I purchased my house about a year ago, and at that time it only had a single 60 amp panel for all ... A: Tito When you use the 3 prong tester in the outlet is this outlet a grounded circuit? Just because ... | |
| service install on new metal building | 10/13/2007 |
| Q: I have built a new 40x60 wood framed, metal shop next to my home. We just finished the siding ... A: Joey First of all installing a 200 amp service is over kill for a shop and using rigid conduit is ... | |
| baseboard heater wiring | 10/11/2007 |
| Q: i recently renovated the kitchen in my house and eliminated the baseboard heater that was situated ... A: Steve Is the thermostat located on the wall or on the base board? If it is on the baseboard you will ... | |
| outlet burning smell | 10/10/2007 |
| Q: Within the past 2 months, whenever I use this outlet I would get a funny plastic burning smell, if ... A: Lori More than likely the outlet may be bad change the outlet and see what else is on that ... | |
| Ceiling fan wiring connections. | 10/8/2007 |
| Q: Sure you had your fill of these.. THis is a new home, ceiling junction box has 4 wires.red black, ... A: Ed In the ceiling box the wires are used as follows Black constant hot, red is switched, white is ... | |
| Adding a 220 Subpanel when Main is full | 10/6/2007 |
| Q: We had a retired electrician friend here yesterday to help us hook up a 220 volt dedicated subpanel ... A: Blaine What he did was perfectly fine and it is done everyday as long as the load doesn't exceed the ... | |
| sub panel wiring | 10/6/2007 |
| Q: I am adding a 50amp GFCI breaker to my subpanel for a hot tub and using 6/3. I read that the neutral ... A: Brian Yes this will be a problem as the GFCI will trip sometimes depending on the surge. Are you ... | |
| GFCI Trips | 10/5/2007 |
| Q: There are two GFCI outlets one on each side above my kitchen sink on circuit breaker #9 which seem ... A: Bob What is happening is that both of those circuits share the neutral and when you plug something ... | |
| 20 amp 250v service sufficient for old oven? | 10/3/2007 |
| Q: I purchased an old GE oven to use for some powder coating. Oven will be used only for short time ... A: Larry This oven may be a 30 amp circuit and it just may run on the 20 amp as long as nothing else is ... | |
| Wired Doorbell | 10/2/2007 |
| Q: Bryan, A few weeks ago I was changing out my doorbell and was drilling a larger pilot hole for the ... A: Beau What has happened is that you shorted the transformer out. You will need to replace the ... | |
| Service Wire | 10/2/2007 |
| Q: I recently installed a 150 Amp panel in a house about 1500 sq ft. And my co worker says the service ... A: Britt When you say the service wire do you mean the wire that comes from the meter? and then goes to ... | |
| replacing a light fixture in an old house | 10/1/2007 |
| Q: Good morning, I am working on remodeling a bathroom in an old house. The house itself has been ... A: Ryan First see what else is on this circuit so you know if you can add more of a load the light wont ... | |
| Buzzing from Wiring | 10/1/2007 |
| Q: We just moved into a new (1.5 yr old) house and are hearing a momentary "buzzing" sound when the Air ... A: Dave The length really has nothing to do with the buzzing sound.We have ran wire 400 to 500 feet in ... | |
| LCD HD TV won't power on | 8/15/2007 |
| Q: My husband and I purchased a new Viewsonic 42inch HD LCD TV. We took it home and it won't work in ... A: Linda first of all plug a working light into the outlet the TV will be plugged into to see if it ... | |
| Wiring | 8/15/2007 |
| Q: I need to replace a 2 outlet receptacle with a 4 outlet receptacle. What is involved in the wiring ... A: Mike You will need to get a 2 gang box for the 2 duplexes, take the black to the 2 receptacles and ... | |
| Burying 220 volt 6/4 Wiring for Hot Tub | 8/14/2007 |
| Q: I'm running approx. 85 feet of 6/4 220 volt wiring for my hot tub. How deep do I need to bury my ... A: Jerry What type are wiring are you using? it has to be rated for direct burial,or else you will have ... | |
| New GE clothes dryer blow circuit | 8/13/2007 |
| Q: I just purchased a new GE electric clothes dryer from Sears the dryer is on a 20 20 circuit.( the ... A: Barbara The dryer needs to be on a 30 amp 2 pole circuit with a #10-3 wire. The dryer may have been ... | |
| wiring 2 switches to a ceiling fan | 8/12/2007 |
| Q: I would like to know if you can walk me thru the step of how to wire two switches to a ceiling fan. ... A: Robiet Ok you need to run a 14-3 between the 2 switches. Then take a 14-2 to the fan. Now bring a ... | |
| outlet working off a switch | 8/12/2007 |
| Q: I have an outlet in my home office where the top part of the outlet is live all the time and the ... A: Craig First of all you will need to get a new outlet and insert the white wire in the gold colored ... | |
| Pool pump keeps blowing fuse and gfi | 8/11/2007 |
| Q: I bought a new 1 1/2 hp pump for my above ground pool. After a few hours use it either trips the ... A: Jordan You may have to increase the breaker and the wire to accommodate the new pump. What is the ... | |
| common neutral | 8/10/2007 |
| Q: When using a common neutral does each circuit have to be fed from different legs. Can you please ... A: Dennis When using a common neutral for a circuit. You are allowed to share that neutral,in a single ... | |
| Splitting a double-pole 240v into two | 8/10/2007 |
| Q: I have a manual transfer switch for my generator that came pre-wired for 12 cicuits. I have 2 240v ... A: Dana All of the neutrals should have been left in the original panel. What type of transfer switch ... | |
| Bedroom Wiring | 8/9/2007 |
| Q: I want to run a circuit to a new bedroom. The room will have about eight receptacles in it. What I ... A: Neil You are on the right path to wire the bedroom. First of all you can run 14-3 from the switch to ... | |
| adding a 220 outlet | 8/9/2007 |
| Q: where there is no 220 how do i go about adding a 220 line. describe what i need and how to create a ... A: James There are 110 volt ranges but they are not common. You need to take a #6-2 with a ground and ... | |
| Household voltage | 8/9/2007 |
| Q: What is the lowest that the voltage can safely be in a house? My voltage goes from 113 to 119. The ... A: Ernie Most voltages vary from 110 to 120 so you are ok what happens when there is a big load on the ... | |
| Sub-panel replacement | 8/9/2007 |
| Q: Don, I'm replacing my current 60A sub-panel with a generator ready sub-panel with a 60A/30A ... A: Greg You will have to calculate the load that you are putting in the new panel.You should not exceed ... | |
| Splitting a double-pole 240v into two | 8/8/2007 |
| Q: I have a manual transfer switch for my generator that came pre-wired for 12 cicuits. I have 2 240v ... A: Dana Yes you can replace the 2 pole breaker with a single pole. The wire that you are hooking up ... | |
| Subpanel installation | 8/7/2007 |
| Q: We are in the process of building an attached indoor pool enclosure. The pool equipment will be ... A: wade Give the cost of copper you can use the direct burial wire make sure it is at least 24 inches ... | |
| Subpanel installation | 8/5/2007 |
| Q: We are in the process of building an attached indoor pool enclosure. The pool equipment will be ... A: wade Question 1 Install a 100 amp sub-panel make sure you buy a grounding bar for it. The wire can ... | |
| throwing breaker | 8/5/2007 |
| Q: I was tiling my backsplash and when putting the plug back into place I accidently touched the side ... A: Annette You have to make sure that on the new plug that the wires coming in from the panel aren't a ... | |
| Old Stove/Newer Home | 8/4/2007 |
| Q: I have an older stove that has a three prong plug, the outlet in the wall requires a four prong ... A: Morgan Take the 2 hot wires and hook them up to the 4 prong plugs hot connection then take the white ... | |
| running power to a lake dock | 8/1/2007 |
| Q: I am out in the country and having a dickens of a time to get a licensed electrician to come to give ... A: Kurt Your best bet because of the distance is to run 3 # 8 wires and 1#10 in a 1 inch conduit to a ... | |
| Ceiling fan to light fixture wiring problem | 7/31/2007 |
| Q: Iam trying to re-install a hampton bays ceiling fan with lights, that was removed. The wires ... A: Seon The blue wire is for the light,the black is for the fan and the white wires are for the ... | |
| Light Switch | 7/31/2007 |
| Q: My friend has a light switch that was broken by a piece of furniture. It has not worked in a long ... A: Jim Sometimes you can get a small voltage reading on the the wires because something is plugged in ... | |
| home electrical | 7/31/2007 |
| Q: i tested 1 side of my house all outlets read hot/ ground reversed how do i narrow it down to the ... A: don Turn off the breaker to that circuit and count how many are on there. Then go to the middle ... | |
| pre existing house | 7/30/2007 |
| Q: I am wanting to rewire my home with new coax,cat6,phone,and low voltage wiring for intercom system. ... A: Doug You can use a tool called a flex bit it is around 7 ft long and very flexible it comes in a ... | |
| Adapter plug Generator to RV | 7/30/2007 |
| Q: I would like to make an adapter plug to go from my generator to my travel trailer. On the generator ... A: Carville What you will need to do is make a cord to go from the generator to the RV shore power ... | |
| Trying to wire ceiling fan confused about wiring found in the box | 7/29/2007 |
| Q: I have a box for a ceiling fan, and went to hook it up today, but was confused with what I found, ... A: Dennis While looking at the picture you have a black wire always hot and the red wire which is ... | |
| ceiling fan installation | 7/29/2007 |
| Q: I put up a ceiling fan that does not work. Usually they do. I did notice a RED wire in the ceiling ... A: Kathy The wires in the ceiling box are used as this black wire to the fan wire,red wire to the light ... | |
| Vent fan and light for shower | 7/24/2007 |
| Q: My master bath has a vent fan over the commode. I recently enclosed the shower and would like to put ... A: Don According to the NEC if a area is readily accessible you can install a outlet, But in your case ... | |
| Recessed lighting | 7/24/2007 |
| Q: I'm installing 6 new recessed lights in my basement home theatre. I've taken power off of an ... A: Jason Throw that book away you should never swap wires like that. Wire the lights this way from ... | |
| Switched Outlet | 7/22/2007 |
| Q: I've got a double electrical box that sometime in the past someone just put one outlet in. I've got ... A: Mike Take the wire in the switch box and use the black wire to the outlet you want switched. Now ... | |
| mc wire use | 7/22/2007 |
| Q: can i run 12/2 MC Cable across the top of my rafters in a all open space in my work shop. if yes ... A: Larry Yes you can run MC it will have to be secured with straps. What did you read that said you ... | |
| installing a 220 50 amp breaker | 7/21/2007 |
| Q: I am wanting to run a new 220 line for my kitchen stove. Was using gas stove. I have only one pole ... A: William What you need to do is get a 20 amp twin breaker that fits your panel and remove the breaker ... | |
| Replace fluorescent lamp ballast | 7/20/2007 |
| Q: My ceiling fixture has two 40w tube lamps.I want to change out the original ballast.The original ... A: Andrew You will have too remove the wires on the tombstone this is where the lamps plug in. you ... | |
| Cost of wire | 7/19/2007 |
| Q: I got an estimate from a local electrician (contracted by my power company - so I'd normally trust ... A: Heidi Someone is getting soaked and it is not from the hot tub. If he goes into the crawl space he ... | |
| hi | 7/18/2007 |
| Q: lately i ahve heard of someone that out of deseperation is hiring an electrician to install ... A: Yom First of all it is against the law to hook up electric that way 2nd it can be very dangerous to ... | |
| small comercial laundry | 7/18/2007 |
| Q: I will be installing new dryers it states I need 30amp 115 v breaker per dryer and 10 gauge wire I ... A: mike If this is a commercial laundry,you will have to use conduit, and then some flex the NEC States ... | |
| Wire Specs | 7/16/2007 |
| Q: I am in the process of installing a built-in home swimming pool. We got approval for our plan, ... A: Greg There is no such article. You can compliantly run Romex in conduit. It takes a conduit bigger ... | |
| Service panel, 100 to 200 amps | 7/15/2007 |
| Q: When we planned a new home we put the well (1993) in first. From the utility step down transformer ... A: George The answer to #1 is no because this panel is only rated at 100 amps #2 This needs to be a ... | |
| Putting wire from TV behind wall | 7/15/2007 |
| Q: I was hanging a Panasonic 50" plasma TV on the wall, and the installer said that, while he could run ... A: Jerry you can run wiring behind wall,this guy doesn't know what he is talking about Just about every ... | |
| subpanel/voltage drop calcs | 7/14/2007 |
| Q: My question is, should voltage drops be calculated before wire is pulled to decide if a subpanel is ... A: Lisa First of all at this stage to get a new electrician to finish the job may cost more money, but ... | |
| Water piper arc | 7/12/2007 |
| Q: We recently had our water service replaced with a new copper pipe. The plumber told us the pipes ... A: Greg when he was replacing the pipes to copper he was getting a ground feedback. Check your outside ... | |
| bathroom light/fan | 7/12/2007 |
| Q: the bathroom has a double switch and eaxh switch works the fan and a seperate light both ... A: Mike You have the wires on the wrong terminals. On this type of switch you have one side that has 1 ... | |
| Hot Tub upgrade | 7/11/2007 |
| Q: Currently I have an existing Hot tub that is connected to my main service panel (150 amp). Existing ... A: Kevin Yes you can use the same main panel.You are only go up 20 amps and that is for the heater when ... | |
| subpanel/voltage drop calcs | 7/11/2007 |
| Q: My question is, should voltage drops be calculated before wire is pulled to decide if a subpanel is ... A: Lisa First of all when a contractor gives you a bid for a job he should bid it as the prints are ... | |
| repl alum wiring | 7/10/2007 |
| Q: I am not an electrician. I do have substantial residential wiring experience. My home was built in ... A: Kent Usually when you have arcing it is from a loose connection.Usauly with alum wire once installed ... | |
| new service | 7/10/2007 |
| Q: I moved into a new home and recently built a small wood shop in my back yard. I am trying to save ... A: Jeff THANKS FOR PROTECTING OUR COUNTRY!! What you can do is run romex wire in a 1 " PVC conduit to ... | |
| repl alum wiring | 7/9/2007 |
| Q: I am not an electrician. I do have substantial residential wiring experience. My home was built in ... A: Kent Changing the wires from alum to copper is ok and cost effective if you do it yourself. Hiring a ... | |
| Pool Filter Wiring | 7/8/2007 |
| Q: I am preparing to run an underground feed to a pool filter. I am a little confused as to the ... A: Scott When you bring the conduit to the house and run it indoors, you should install a J-box 4Square ... | |
| Electrical | 7/8/2007 |
| Q: All my electrical appliances seemed to be running hot. We have blown many light bulbs, ruined 2 ... A: Ken Make sure that the neutral and the ground are separate in the panel. Most mobile homes require a ... | |
| wiring a shed | 7/7/2007 |
| Q: i have a 16' x 20' shed about 40-50 feet away from my houses main panel i would like to install ... A: lee I would run a 60 amp sub panel with a set of 2 #4 thhn 1 # 8 thhn and 1 #10 for the ground in a ... | |
| Switched Outlet | 7/7/2007 |
| Q: I have a double outlet, the bottom socket is constant hot, the top socket is supposed to be ... A: Riley From the look of your picture it looks like the ground wire is on the neutral side. That does ... | |
| track lighting | 7/4/2007 |
| Q: .. I bought an eight foot track lighting track. The brand is Hampton Bay. I wish it to fit ... A: Tom If you are very careful you can cut the track. If you can pull out the tracks wiring Now you ... | |
| GFI | 7/4/2007 |
| Q: I have a bathroom GFI that won't reset. I replaced the GFI outlet, the fuse, and several of the ... A: Cody You need a New GFCI this one is broke,when they wont reset they are usually bad. After you ... | |
| Rural Electrical Service | 7/2/2007 |
| Q: I am planning to install electrical service to a home to be built in a couple of years and a new ... A: Carlton When running a 400 amp service to a dwelling and to a shop. The best thing to use a 400 amp ... | |
| 200A underground cable to house | 7/1/2007 |
| Q: Ben, I'm building a home in Texas. The house is being built with a 200A service. The cable is being ... A: Dawn Well you were told wrong about using more electric. The difference is a few things one is ... | |
| New light switch connected to an outlet | 6/30/2007 |
| Q: We recently had a new house built. In several of our rooms, we have light switches that control an ... A: Katie what THE ELECTRICIANS forgot to do is break off the tab on the receptacle. Shut off the power ... | |
| Re-wire old house | 6/29/2007 |
| Q: First of all, thanks for your time. I'm researching repairs for an old house in NC to flip. The ... A: Tiffany First of all that will depend on the condition of this house.is the walls bare so you can ... | |
| Ceiling Fan - Wire Type | 6/28/2007 |
| Q: I've heard that ceiling fans should always be installed with 12g conductors, but I have one which is ... A: Mark Well you heard wrong most homes unless the ceiling fan is a super big one.Would be put on a ... | |
| pool pump keeps tripping the GFI outlet | 6/28/2007 |
| Q: The house I just purchased came with an above ground pool that the previous owner maintained very ... A: Jon Sounds like the pump may be the culprit. I would see about disconnecting the pump first then put ... | |
| Circuit trips when ANY device plugged in | 6/27/2007 |
| Q: This morning, turning off lights to leave but accidentally hit a 3 way switch with empty ... A: Mike The reason it would trip when you add a load is because you are making a circuit from the hot ... | |
| air conditioners | 6/26/2007 |
| Q: Is there any advantage in buying a 230 volt or a 115 volt air conditioner? Many units that are of ... A: Ron Yes there is first of all you can get better cooling out of a 240 volt, as with a 120 v unit it ... | |
| spotlight problem | 6/24/2007 |
| Q: i hope you can help me. I have a living room that leads into the dining room. The living room has 8 ... A: Josh When you get that kind of problem with the lights it has to do with the thermal overload switch ... | |
| Wire to Breaker size | 6/24/2007 |
| Q: In reviewing the elec. in the main elec. panel of this older home I found #10 wiring to a 20-amp ... A: Greg If the wiring is larger then that's not a problem because in certain applications we would use ... | |
| Dishwasher & Garbage Disposal | 6/24/2007 |
| Q: After receiving advise from a local Home Depot I have run new 14/2 w ground wiring for a DW and GD ... A: Joe Yes you will need to run a 12-3 with ground because they should be on there own circuit. I have ... | |
| hard wiring puck style under cabinet lights | 6/23/2007 |
| Q: I know how to set it up as far as hiding all the wires and transformers but I guess I should have ... A: Randy Now I See what you are asking..................... Ok in the outlet box you should have a ... | |
| hard wiring puck style under cabinet lights | 6/23/2007 |
| Q: I want to install the puck style under cabinet lights but don't want to see any of the wires and ... A: Randy It is hard to inform you on how to do this as I can not see the job. You can fish the high ... | |
| 220 wiring to Electric Heat Pump | 6/22/2007 |
| Q: Ben I have an old thru-wall heat pump with I've 50 amp breaker box on one electrical whip, to this ... A: Mike You will need to have a wire at each unit according to the amperage it is requesting. If the ... | |
| Running a Basement Subpanel | 6/21/2007 |
| Q: I have an unused 3-wire #6 cable (2 black and 1 ground) that I want to use for a new sub panel ... A: Chris To use a sub-panel you will need 4 wires to this panel if you want 240 volts. Now to make it ... | |
| end of circuit | 6/20/2007 |
| Q: I am putting some otside lighting on my house. I would like to add a double box where there is a ... A: Wally Take a new 14 -2 with ground and go from the outlet to the switch and then hook up the ... | |
| electrical outlets | 6/20/2007 |
| Q: My son was using the microwave, then a few seconds later he heard something pop. Now all of the ... A: Patricia See if there is a GFCI outlet in the Kitchen. It may need to reset or replaced,Also check ... | |
| a/c compresser | 6/19/2007 |
| Q: why does my outside a/c compressor have 2 hots (120v to ground each) and a ground wire for power. ... A: Brent because the 2 wires coming in from the power company are from a transformer that puts out 240 ... | |
| 220 wiring and bonding grid | 6/19/2007 |
| Q: A few years ago I ran 3 #6 solid copper wires in a now buried (under concrete) 1" conduit roughly 85 ... A: Jay You can use a 2 wire system for the heat pump. As long as the wire size is a #8 or larger hook ... | |
| a/c compresser | 6/17/2007 |
| Q: why does my outside a/c compressor have 2 hots (120v to ground each) and a ground wire for power. ... A: Brent Brent Brent............. add 120 and 120 you get 240 thats what takes to make the compressor ... | |
| electric outlet won't work | 6/17/2007 |
| Q: I have an electrical outlet outside that was working fine. I plugged a small filter into it that ... A: Colleen Sounds like you may have tripped the GFCI outlet. Check in your garage,bathrooms for a ... | |
| Add switch to wall sconce | 6/15/2007 |
| Q: How do you add a manual on/off switch on to a wall sconce. There is no wall switch to control the ... A: Marisa You will need to buy a small switch,and then drill out a hole the size of the switch in the ... | |
| The most power for 3/4" conduit? | 6/14/2007 |
| Q: I have ran 3/4" PVC pipe to a garage and 100 feet away a few years ago. I would like one 220 outlet ... A: Tom You can run 4 wires in this conduit to a small sub -panel in the Garage. You should run 2 # 8 ... | |
| generator l14-30 | 6/12/2007 |
| Q: I have a coleman (PM 0496500)- honda engine GX390 that has a L14-30 120v/240v ac/ca plug. The other ... A: Randy They make a cord that you can plug into the generator that will give you 4 outlets. The cord ... | |
| new electric cooktop install | 6/11/2007 |
| Q: I am wiring a new frigidare cooktop for a new kitchen--I installed a 4-wire system coming from the ... A: Rich Just keep the wires they way they are on the cook top as that is the way the manufacturer ... | |
| Generator nuetral grounding and transfer switches | 6/9/2007 |
| Q: My house has a DPDT manual generator transfer switch that powers the entire main house panel. It is ... A: Dave If you use that type of switch you will still have a ground from the PC supply.When the service ... | |
| australian 240 vac single/phase appliances | 6/7/2007 |
| Q: our wiring is 240 volt single phase ,active red or brown , neutral black or blue , earth green & ... A: lloyd Are you moving from Australia? If so the hertz like you say is 50 I am not sure what Canada ... | |
| Emergency generator wiring 1 of 2 breakers that use a common white wire | 6/5/2007 |
| Q: Wiring a breaker into a manual transfer switch that has a common with another breaker cause any ... A: Frank The Neutral only carry's the unbalanced load back to a original ground on the house not to the ... | |
| hackers | 6/3/2007 |
| Q: The apartment I live in was once a whole house now it is (2) apartments. the people upstairs 2nd ... A: Bonnie Is this your house or is it a landlords property? There is probably only one panel to the ... | |
| lighting | 6/3/2007 |
| Q: i am wiring 2 lights off one switch how to do it A: Stephen Go from one light to the other light then down to the switch make sure the wires in the ... | |
| breaker | 6/2/2007 |
| Q: Is it safe for me to replace a breaker that keeps tripping? Or, do I need to hire an electrician? ... A: JC Yes you can do it yourself. The only thing is you need to find out why the breaker is tripping is ... | |
| Pool Pump and New Shed Electrical | 6/2/2007 |
| Q: Ben, First of all thanks for volunteering your time to help us wannabes. I recently purchased a shed ... A: Tom Your welcome What you can do is run a line to the shed in 1 inch PVC Conduit with 3 #8 wires and ... | |
| weird beeping | 6/1/2007 |
| Q: I have a strange beeping noise in my basement and it seems to be travelling. I turned off my power ... A: Sara Oh That beeping yes the low beep beep beep..................that's the ants telling other ants ... | |
| Grounding for lightning protection | 5/30/2007 |
| Q: I am using a Toro sprinkler timer that is not very robust with respect to lightning surges. I found ... A: John The ground wire and the ground rod outside the home should have a ground clamp check that to ... | |
| intalling a gfi | 5/30/2007 |
| Q: I am installing a gfi recepticle in an existing junction box above the kitchen counter. There is ... A: Greg You wont be able to share the GFCI with the other load.The GFCI may trip the red wire may go to ... | |
| Ceiling fan with light kit and remote control | 5/30/2007 |
| Q: Can you help me? This is throwing me for a loop. I had taken the ceiling fan to paint the room and ... A: Emmy The wire in the ceiling box all you need to use is the black white and the green. Hook up the ... | |
| Fluorescent fixture | 5/28/2007 |
| Q: Ben- I have two tracks of fluorescent lights in my garage (total of 8 bulbs)controlled by one ... A: Shelly Sometime you need to check the ends where the fixture fits in the end. Make sure they fit ... | |
| pool switch | 5/27/2007 |
| Q: I'm replacing my pump motor on my pool. I need to make sure that i'm wiring the switch correctly. ... A: Roger The wires that come from your house are 240 Volt they go to the 2 pole switch (red & black ... | |
| Neutral and Ground | 5/26/2007 |
| Q: I have three wires coming from a breaker box and going to a 220-volt sprinkler system pump which is ... A: Larry yes that would work but it is not safe it is like driving around on one of those donut tires ... | |
| hot circuit breaker | 5/26/2007 |
| Q: When I first installed my baseboard heaters they worked fine. The breaker has been jumping lately. ... A: David There could be a number of reasons the heater may have a problem the breaker may be bad or ... | |
| wiring | 5/25/2007 |
| Q: I have installed nine recessed fixtures under the eave of my home around a patio. I have a ... A: Patrick Is the dimmer in a separate box? When you start using the higher wattage dimmers they have a ... | |
| GFCI's | 5/23/2007 |
| Q: I have two sinks at opposite sides of the room but on the same circuit breaker. I need to install ... A: Lisa you say you have 2 sinks? When you install a GFCI receptacle you can go from one receptacle to ... | |
| electrical box placement | 5/22/2007 |
| Q: ...i am in the process of buying a house, and after the inspection, i was told that because the ... A: Tim By saying that this is a complete rehab are you redoing the whole building? Removing drywall ... | |
| electrical box placement | 5/22/2007 |
| Q: ...i am in the process of buying a house, and after the inspection, i was told that because the ... A: Tim Who told you the box is a fire hazard if it was the electrical inspector or any other inspector ... | |
| Non working recessed lighting | 5/22/2007 |
| Q: I have recessed lighting in my basement. Four recessed lights do not work. I replaced the switch and ... A: Elliot The switch has a pilot light which lets you know there is power to the switch. when you turn ... | |
| 100 AMP Sub Panel | 5/21/2007 |
| Q: I would like to run a separate 100 Amp sub panel for my garage and home office above the garage. ... A: Steve yes you should run the SER 1-1-1-3 AS THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF 100 AMPS. MAKE SURE WHEN YOU ... | |
| Old to new wiring | 5/21/2007 |
| Q: my son would like me to replace 3 outlets and a ceiling fixture in his house, built in the 1920s. ... A: Jerry Usually if you look close enough to this cloth wire you can see the difference it is hard but ... | |
| Wiring to electrical panel | 5/19/2007 |
| Q: I had closed on an new construction condo (1332 heated square feet) in November 2006. The home has ... A: Randy I would go to the Local electrical inspectors office and ask to see the final inspection ... | |
| Power surges | 5/18/2007 |
| Q: We have a seperate power meter installed in our barn that is 6 years old. From the barn we have ... A: Susan What you can do is replace your service underground kind of costly. That will protect you ... | |
| electrical box | 5/18/2007 |
| Q: We are buying a house and hoped the seller would get rid of/replace the electrical box that feeds ... A: Caitlin It is hard to estimate a job with out knowing the Local codes and seeing the job, as a rule ... | |
| Ceiling Fan Installation | 5/17/2007 |
| Q: I've recently purchased a Hunter Ceiling Fan for my apartment. Upon disconnecting the previous ... A: J The wires coming from the ceiling are used in the following order Black wire always hot red wire ... | |
| 150 amp VS 200 amp service | 5/16/2007 |
| Q: I just had 12 recessed lights installed throughout the first floor in my home. The electrician is ... A: Jay A heavy load can cause a fire and a light load will cause one also. The wires should not burn ... | |
| Adding switches to my pool setup | 5/15/2007 |
| Q: Here is my situation for my pool. The filter/pump is on a dedicated 20amp circuit. From the panel ... A: Shaun What you need to do is run the 12-2 to the switch from the junction box. At the junction box ... | |
| ceiling fan wiring | 5/12/2007 |
| Q: I have a ceiling fan with a red and white wire coming from the fan and a white and black wire from ... A: Sam The wires in the ceiling box should have the following colors black (hot) white (neutral) ... | |
| 6th grade science question, need answer | 5/10/2007 |
| Q: Why do electric dryers and ranges require 240 volts? A: Peggy The reason is that they have heating elements in them or as in the range cooking elements. The ... | |
| remodel | 5/8/2007 |
| Q: I am currently doing a remodel of a commercial building with 4 apartment units upstairs. Right now ... A: Matt Yes you can leave the wires in the junction boxes as most likely your local code enforcement ... | |
| Wiring a Residential Range | 5/7/2007 |
| Q: I am installing a new range and have the following needs: the existing wiring is 4/3 aluminum and is ... A: Milt Use the color for color wiring connections,and since you are going from copper to alum you ... | |
| service panel to pole barn | 5/7/2007 |
| Q: Ben, i want to run an under ground elecrical service (in conduit) to my pole barn. i think a 60 amp ... A: broderick What you will need to install is 2 #4 thhn 1 #6 thhn for the neutral and 1 # 10 for the ... | |
| Switch will not work | 5/5/2007 |
| Q: I recently took down a plain light fixture and put up a chandelier in my bedroom. The problem is ... A: Kata In the switch box is there just 3 wires a black ,white and a green/copper wire. If so that is ... | |
| light fixture installation | 5/5/2007 |
| Q: I have a 4ft. fluorescent 2 tube light fixture in my kitchen. It's ugly and I hate it and want to ... A: Patti If the light is mounted on the ceiling there should be a box above it for the wires, if not ... | |
| electric wiring in a barn | 5/4/2007 |
| Q: We recently had an unheated farm building built. The electrician that wired it put the wires in ... A: Margaret Sometimes the code doesn't require the wire to be in conduit,you will have to check your ... | |
| mobile home electrical power pole | 5/3/2007 |
| Q: We are moving our mobile Home on our new land and have found out we need to do something for the ... A: David and Sally What we usually will do is install a 20 ft 6x6 pressure treated pole then mount the ... | |
| remodel can? | 5/2/2007 |
| Q: Ben, Thanks for being there. I'm working on a house that has 4 cans in the kitchen. they've had ... A: Yes they do have a overlimit switch did these cans have incandescent lamps before? IF they did they ... | |
| useing an electrical outlet to turn it into a dimmer switch | 5/1/2007 |
| Q: The pendant lights are low voltage with transformers in each base. When we turned on the switch the ... A: Kelly You may have burnt out the dimmer or the transformer. You need to disconnect the GFCI from the ... | |
| transfer switch hook up | 4/30/2007 |
| Q: I have a Champion 4000w generator that I bought for running the absolute minimum in the house for ... A: Joe No because the cord is a 4 wire 2 hots 1 neutral and 1 ground.The generator will probably have a ... | |
| Circuit Breaker Box | 4/29/2007 |
| Q: I have a circuit breaker box in a bathroom in my basement. Time to re-model. Electrician wants me ... A: Susan Yes it is the code will require that a electrical panel will not be allowed in any bathroom, ... | |
| New workshop wiring | 4/28/2007 |
| Q: I am having a 30'W X 50'L X 12'H shop built. I have a 1 acre X 3 acre lot. I currently have a single ... A: Steven The wire size will depend on you using copper or alum.the breaker will be the same.if this is ... | |
| Long service run to an outbuilding | 4/27/2007 |
| Q: I live out in the country. It cost me a lot to bring in power and I ended up with 2 transformers and ... A: Joel How far away are you from the well power?First of all if you run that wire make sure you run ... | |
| 2-200 amp or 400 amp panel | 4/27/2007 |
| Q: We are sorry, but Don Beck wasn't able to answer yourI currently have an upgraded 200 amp surface ... A: Brian Ringless means that the meter socket does not require a locking ring for the meter. #2 It is ... | |
| Whirlpool electric stove top | 4/26/2007 |
| Q: My problem I am installing a Whirlpool electric stove top and removing an GE electric stove top. ... A: Richard The wires for the new stove top white,red,black they are as follows the red and black are ... | |
| Cardio Room | 4/25/2007 |
| Q: I am in the process of designing a cardio room for a small college. There will be treadmill, ... A: Pat Well the code requires that you install convenient outlets inside a gym every 15 feet,for ... | |
| Hot Breaker | 4/25/2007 |
| Q: My Mother is living in her fith wheel in my backyard and we have her on a seperate breaker lately it ... A: Tina What is happening is the cord that you have running to the enough wheel is not big enough for ... | |
| Adding an auxiliary transfer switch for septic pumps | 4/24/2007 |
| Q: I have a 500 watt generator (specs below) that is currently run through a 10 circuit plug-in load ... A: Paul What you would have to do is install the septic pump to the same transfer switch because if the ... | |
| Electrical Wiring for the Swimming Pool | 4/24/2007 |
| Q: I recently bought a mid sixties house with a mid sixties pool that has mid sixties wiring. I've got ... A: Mark If you want to replace the timer and the GFCI for the pool I suggest installing a weather proof ... | |
| Rewiring front door light | 4/22/2007 |
| Q: I have an idea to rewire my front door light. Currently the light turns on and off according to a ... A: Jacob What you would have to get is a Lighting Control Starter Kit. It is designed to be the most ... | |
| wiring 12 to 14 volt Lamps | 4/22/2007 |
| Q: I am wiring up incandescent 12 to 14 volt miniature lamps onmy layout with a 110volt to 14volt ... A: Brian You need to figure out how many watts the lamps are if they are a 20 watt lamp and you have 10 ... | |
| Major Sub Panel Issues | 4/21/2007 |
| Q: I am an industrial electrician, and yesterday I went out to my detached garage to take a look at its ... A: Nick What happens when a installation is done this way,it is the unbalanced load that is in the ... | |
| Generator connection to house wiring | 4/20/2007 |
| Q: My house was built in 1978, when we purchased it two years ago we had renovations that included 200 ... A: Lewis The problem is that portable generators need to have the neutral switched. The EB Series is ... | |
| Installing Recessed Lights | 4/20/2007 |
| Q: I want to replace an existing light in my kitchen - which is connected to 3 way switches with 5 ... A: Jim The reason the lights dim is because of the microwaves start up amperage draw. it takes allot to ... | |
| three way switch and wiing | 4/19/2007 |
| Q: I have done th following: 1. run power to a light at bottom of stairs in basement. From there I have ... A: Paul Your first question is wrong if you are trying to run a 3-way switch. You need to run power to ... | |
| subpanel | 4/18/2007 |
| Q: SUBPANEL Question I WANT HOOK UP A SUB PANEL TO MY 3RD FLOOR APARTMENT SO I DON'T HAVE TO RUN ALL ... A: Leo What you will need to do is run a #6-3 with a ground,that will give you 60 amps.Install a 40 amp ... | |
| Adding a Sub-Panel | 4/18/2007 |
| Q: we have an exspandable upstairs (about 1000sqft) that we are going to finish into a master suite ... A: James What you will need to do is run a #8-3 with a ground,that will give you 40 amps.Install a 40 ... | |
| Generator | 4/17/2007 |
| Q: I have recently installed a 7kw Generac complete with transfer switch into a house. From the ... A: John You must use the 240 volt power as it is to the transfer switch,as the controls sense 240. When ... | |
| outlet box showing voltage | 4/15/2007 |
| Q: power from panel comes into one outlet in room and then connected to 4 other outlets, 2 to the left ... A: Bob it sounds like you are getting voltage back from the neutral, is there any other way something ... | |
| wiring a new light fixture | 4/15/2007 |
| Q: Hey there, I recently moved into a new apartment (it's actually a condo within a very big complex ... A: Cristina Yes if you go in the switch box and look for the wires that go up to the ceiling, you may ... | |
| Romex in Metal flex conduit | 4/15/2007 |
| Q: I am installing electrical in a finished structure. I obtained 1/2" flex and metal boxes for free. ... A: Dale You do not need the ground rod, you have to make sure that you have 4 wires coming from the ... | |
| Wiring issue: Billiard table light not working | 4/14/2007 |
| Q: I just removed some track lighting in my basement ceiling to replace it with a hanging billiard ... A: Steve On that type of wire there is a small ribbed section along the wire that is the neutral ... | |
| flickering lights | 4/14/2007 |
| Q: My parents live in a early 60's home and have been experiencing the lights flickering for no ... A: Kyle You said " They had the main service in to the house checked (and cleaned) and there were no ... | |
| flickering lights | 4/14/2007 |
| Q: My parents live in a early 60's home and have been experiencing the lights flickering for no ... A: Kyle YES you may want to contact the power company and see if the line coming to the house is in ... | |
| new main breaker in multi-dwelling home | 4/14/2007 |
| Q: I've got a huge building with 6 small appartments upstairs, and 3 storefront downstairs. Each ... A: Brian sounds like a do it yourselfer did this job,do you not have a local inspector?yes you can ... | |
| Romex in Metal flex conduit | 4/14/2007 |
| Q: I am installing electrical in a finished structure. I obtained 1/2" flex and metal boxes for free. ... A: Dale yes you can install the romex in the flex,what you can do is strip off the jacket to make it ... | |
| generator | 4/13/2007 |
| Q: We have a camp down a private road and we use an automatic transfer switch to turn on our generator ... A: Angie yes they have a device that will let you know when the power goes out by utilizing the phone ... | |
| piggy tail new switch | 4/13/2007 |
| Q: I had a single light switch on the wall that controlled a wall outlet. There was no ceiling fixture. ... A: Mike What you need to do now is take the wires that go to the outlet and make them a hot circuit. Go ... | |
| Wiring 3 lights and 3 switches | 4/13/2007 |
| Q: Remodeling our basement. Using all 12/2 wire. We have a line coming from the breaker box (20amp) ... A: Heather what you need to do if it is possible go from the J-Box to each switch box then take a wire ... | |
| dimmers | 4/13/2007 |
| Q: I have a light that is controlled in 3 locations. I want to put a dimmer in one of those locations. ... A: Becky When you have switches that are in three locations, one of them is called a 4-way switch. The ... | |
| piggy tail new switch | 4/12/2007 |
| Q: I had a single light switch on the wall that controlled a wall outlet. There was no ceiling fixture. ... A: Mike what you need to do is make sure there a 2 sets of wires or more in this box take all the ... | |
| wiring ceiling fan | 4/12/2007 |
| Q: i am wanting to install a new ceiling fan but i do not have an existing light fixture on the ... A: Paul what you need to do is bring a wire into the switch box. This box must have 2 sets or more of ... | |
| outlet box showing voltage | 4/11/2007 |
| Q: I wrote to you earlier and you responded, "the ground rod may not be connected" regarding voltage ... A: Bob If that wire is at the end of the circuit the you may a loose connection from the outlet before ... | |
| wiring from house to dock | 4/11/2007 |
| Q: I want to run power from my house panel box to our dock. I want to be able to run a battery charger ... A: ED HMmmmm 1200 feet big yard I guess. The wire size you will need will be rated on a 50 amp ... | |
| TV outlet wiring | 4/10/2007 |
| Q: I just brought a three-floor townhouse and it comes with two tv outlet, one at first floor and one ... A: Ishih That depends on the way the building is constructed is the 2nd floor a bedroom if so they may ... | |
| Home wiring | 4/10/2007 |
| Q: I recently had a family member wire my garden shed for power. After completing the job 2 of my ... A: Matt Maybe your family member took off the wire to the breaker or when he/she was working on the ... | |
| light fixture with an outlet | 4/9/2007 |
| Q: I tried replacing an old light fixture with an outlet on the bottom of it. When i tried hooking up ... A: Derek No problem ok here we go if you have wires in the light box and if there are 2 sets of wires ... | |
| replacing switch w/ switch outlet combo | 4/9/2007 |
| Q: I just purchased an older home. The bathroom only has 1 switch and one light. No power outlets in ... A: Ron Correct me if I am wrong,what you are saying is that you have only 2 wires in the switch box a ... | |
| Subpanel installation | 4/9/2007 |
| Q: I am planning to install a subpanel to the main panel in order to run power to a carriage barn out ... A: Mitch Actually when you do that you are still drawing a bigger load on your service so if your ... | |
| Total load for breaker panel | 4/9/2007 |
| Q: Would like to add some new 20A circuits to an existing box with 150 amp service. There are lots of ... A: Tim When using a amp meter with a clamp on it you would take the clamp and put it around the ... | |
| light fixture with an outlet | 4/9/2007 |
| Q: I tried replacing an old light fixture with an outlet on the bottom of it. When i tried hooking up ... A: Derek Ok this is what you need to do take all the ground wires and tie them together,do the same for ... | |
| ground wire/box showing voltqge | 4/9/2007 |
| Q: Coaxle cable installed in a friends' house by her brother is causing ground wires and/or the secured ... A: Bob What it sounds like is that the house ground is no longer grounded. I would check the ground rod ... | |
| electric code | 4/8/2007 |
| Q: Do the connections on outlets for residential or commercial wiring need to be wrapped with tape ... A: Scott No they don't that is not written in the code the reason it is done in the commercial jobs is ... | |
| two different voltage readings | 4/7/2007 |
| Q: I have a 220 main breaker panel in my home. 1 side of the main 2 pole breaker reads 110 volts and ... A: Charles The difference in voltages is a problem with the power company's transformer they may tell ... | |
| Adding a sub panel from a sub panel | 4/7/2007 |
| Q: I am building a shop about 125 feet from my house. I presently have a detached garage that has a ... A: Mike yes you can run wire to a sub-panel and it can be a 100 amp make sure you run 4 wires to the ... | |
| electric baseboard thermostat | 4/7/2007 |
| Q: My late husband installed baseboard heating in our family room 15 years ago. There are three ... A: Maureen You can not install a programmable thermostat on inductive heat (baseboards) You can buy a ... | |
| ceiling fan install | 4/7/2007 |
| Q: Wires from the ceiling box are: 3 white wires wound together...and one single colored wire (not ... A: Bill There has to be a wire in the box that's a black. Unless this is a commercial installation ... | |
| Sorry was incorrect on my last question. 2 neural 1 hot | 4/7/2007 |
| Q: Sorry I emailed you a little earlier with my question, it's correct the only thing I said ... A: Joe You should still have another black wire in there somewhere look in the back of the box if you ... | |
| Outlet with 3 wires - 2 hot, neutral | 4/7/2007 |
| Q: and thanks for the help. I have an outlet I was wanting to replace in my bedroom. It's tied to a ... A: Joe You said it only has 3 wires 2 hots and a neutral? There should be a ground wire also. If the ... | |
| Subpanel Installation | 4/6/2007 |
| Q: What is the correct way to feed power thru sub-panel from front house to guest house?? A: Rick the best way is to install a breaker in the main panel. Depending on the load in the guest ... | |
| replacing a light fixture-flo to halogen | 4/6/2007 |
| Q: I'm replacing a flo rectangular light fixture with a small Halogen track system.. I keep popping ... A: Stace The green & white wire is still a ground wire hook thaty up to the ground. Is there a switch ... | |
| replacing a light fixture-flo to halogen | 4/6/2007 |
| Q: I'm replacing a flo rectangular light fixture with a small Halogen track system.. I keep popping ... A: Stace You can use the fixture you have, what is happening is you are hooking it up wrong. Take the ... | |
| Hign Voltage | 4/6/2007 |
| Q: My main service Conductors entering my main basement panel the voltage reads 262 volts not 240, at ... A: Enrique What causes that is the power company's transformer outside or your house. The only thing ... | |
| Subpanel in detached garage | 4/5/2007 |
| Q: I am looking to install a sub panel in my detached garage. I will be digging approximately 65' of ... A: Spencer The most economical way to go would be direct burial alum wire you would need to up size due ... | |
| Adding a Switched Light to an End of Run Receptacle | 4/5/2007 |
| Q: I have a receptacle that is at the end of the run (i.e. only one cable <blk, wht, gnd> coming into ... A: Brian Yes you are correct you answer is the same as mine maybe I didn't read it correctly as we get ... | |
| circuit shut down | 4/5/2007 |
| Q: In my kitchen I have my stove, refrigerator and microwave. the outlet behind the stove is connected ... A: Anastasia The breaker should be tripping only when there is a short or a extremely excessive load ... | |
| service expansion | 4/5/2007 |
| Q: My home has an exterior service meter feeding a 150A panel (interior). I do not know the amp rating ... A: Steve Meters have a rating of 200 amps and above if you want to add a sub panel to a pole shed you ... | |
| Replacing an electrical outlet | 4/4/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to replace outlets that were probably original to the house (built in 1964). The ... A: Roy You will have to run a ground wire from the new outlets to a metal pipe,waterline or a steam ... | |
| Sub Panel Wiring | 4/4/2007 |
| Q: I am adding a sub-panel with a 50amp GFCI breaker outside my home to service my hot tub. I am ... A: Rob Yes you are correct when installing a sub panel it requires a separate ground in it as not to ... | |
| 3 romex in 1 recepticle | 4/3/2007 |
| Q: Having kitchen remodeled, told contractor I would do "finish" electrical. All going OK until I came ... A: Carol Find a short piece of romex about a foot long and remove the black,white and ground out of ... | |
| Adding a Switched Light to an End of Run Receptacle | 4/3/2007 |
| Q: I have a receptacle that is at the end of the run (i.e. only one cable <blk, wht, gnd> coming into ... A: Brian You are hooking up the wires wrong what you are doing is causing a short. Take the wire from ... | |
| wire size for gate opener | 4/2/2007 |
| Q: I am installing a one hp electric 110 Vac swing gate opener. It is 1040 feet from my breaker box. ... A: Darrel You would need a # 2 wire in copper or a #1/0 aluminum. Estimated Drop 1.6 Volts Load At ... | |
| bathroom outlet / breaker question | 4/2/2007 |
| Q: I have a reoccurring issue where the bathroom circuit breaks (stops working) when using a blow ... A: Pete Sometimes a breaker gets hot after a while of being used this may occur being overloaded or ... | |
| Power surging in home | 4/2/2007 |
| Q: What is causing and how to stop power surging in my home. The surging occurs approximately every 10 ... A: Wanda You may have a loose neutral in the panel or you may have some loose main hot wires. what may ... | |
| 2 pole GFCI Breaker Installation | 4/2/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to connect my clothes dryer to a new 2 pole GFCI 220v circuit breaker. The information ... A: Nick Why are you using a GFCI breaker? If you have a dedicated outlet for a appliance circuit then ... | |
| Exterior Electrical Outlet Safety | 4/2/2007 |
| Q: We have exterior electrical outlets on our deck (they originate from back wall of house, have silver ... A: Wendy Yes you can plug the water coler in as long as it is a grounded type plug.What you want to do ... | |
| wiring...not sure? | 4/1/2007 |
| Q: Our porch light went out, then a few minutes later,the next nearest light inside the house went out, ... A: Bonnie What it sounds like is that you have a loose wire in one of the light fixtures most likely ... | |
| lighting control | 4/1/2007 |
| Q: I want to control a lighting circuit with a timer and photocell in series. The timer would allow ... A: Jack You can not use a Photo cell on that because the photo cell will take over the circuit until it ... | |
| 1929 house receptical | 3/31/2007 |
| Q: I just purchased a 1929 home in kitchen also in 1 bedroom upstairs there is a 4 prong outlet 2 ... A: Clark You need to see what the amperage is on that circuit if it is 45 amps or above you may be able ... | |
| arc-fault circuit breakers | 3/14/2007 |
| Q: should an arc-fault breaker trip when using a saw or drill or hair dryer? A: Malcolm Sometimes they will because they are very sensitive to voltage change. How they work is they ... | |
| New circuit | 3/13/2007 |
| Q: I recently moved my tanning bed from the basement to an upstairs room. I had then found out that ... A: Bud The wire and the breaker is more than enough for that load of 19.8 amps,you have a 30 amp branch ... | |
| Breaker box problem | 3/11/2007 |
| Q: The breaker that controls the power to my backyard will not stay set. It controls power to my ... A: Martha Is this a GFCI breaker? If it is something on that circuit is shorting out the GFCI. If not ... | |
| Tripping Arc Fault Bedroom Breaker | 3/10/2007 |
| Q: The house in 1.5 yr. old. and all of a sudden the master bedroom 15amp Arc Fault curcuit breaker ... A: Mike It is possible you may have a bad breaker or something on that circuit is causing the ... | |
| New Sub-panel in Detached Garage | 3/10/2007 |
| Q: I am installing a 100amp sub-panel in a detached garage(in Florida). The garage is 100 feet away ... A: Chuck In the NEC code Book it states that there shall be only one ground system that is connected to ... | |
| potable generator for 240v service | 3/9/2007 |
| Q: I'm still a little confused.What should I be looking for as far as which size portable generator to ... A: Robert It is highly unlikely you will find 15 KW portable that you can lug around. When the load ... | |
| 110v3-wirw to 110 v 4-wire | 3/8/2007 |
| Q: I have a live 3-wire 110v lead from the house(bare, black,white wires) that lead to a junction , ... A: Luke The wires you have coming into the box were they ever hooked up to the breaker box in the pole? ... | |
| potable generator for 240v service | 3/7/2007 |
| Q: Does this surge rate of 6500 watts prevent the compressors from overloading the circuit if both are ... A: Robert The surge rate will only keep the generator from stalling if the compressor starts and it ... | |
| No power in One room | 3/6/2007 |
| Q: We had an extension built just over 2 years ago, we had to have the electrical updated to circuit ... A: DEE You said that the breaker you replaced was a GFCI are you sure that was the breaker tat took ... | |
| breaker expantion | 3/5/2007 |
| Q: My breaker box is about 25 yrs old with 28 single openings (200 amp). Currently I have 3 single ... A: Matt The best way is adding a 100 amp sub-panel this way you wont put that much of a stress on the ... | |
| Wire size | 3/5/2007 |
| Q: I purchased a new electric single oven and the factory wire that I'm suppose to hook to my junction ... A: Ralph Something doesn't sound right about this are you sure that that 16 gauge wires are not for ... | |
| Problem with 3way bulb | 3/5/2007 |
| Q: Why can't you use a timer on a lamp with a 3 way bulb? The first cycle works, but on subsequent ... A: Janis You should be able to I do at my house I have a lamp in my living room and it is a 3-way i set ... | |
| Dimmer | 3/4/2007 |
| Q: I want to replace a switch with a dimmer. Problem, the switch appears to be a 3-way but instead of ... A: John It sounds like someone use a 3-way switch instead of a S-pole switch. If you are sure it is a ... | |
| no power to part of house | 3/3/2007 |
| Q: I have a puzzling problem. I was working at my computer when the power went out - only in that part ... A: Gerry What may have happened is a wire came loose in one of the wall outlets. Start by checking the ... | |
| Stairway lighting | 3/2/2007 |
| Q: Sorry, my electrical books all call it "4 wire" meaning 2 hots, neutral and ground. You probably ... A: Ryan This is how the circuit should work. Switch #1 has a 3 wire in it and a 2 wire the 2 wire is ... | |
| circuit breaker and wire size | 3/2/2007 |
| Q: I have 50 feet of #10 wire and a 20 amp circuit breaker to run a 1 horse power water sprinkler pump. ... A: Michael The circuit breaker will be fine as you are not going to far over the protected circuit to ... | |
| Wiring | 3/1/2007 |
| Q: The other day my power went out on everything but the living room. The lights, ceiling fan, and ... A: Megan What wires did he replace? Sounds like you may have a loose connection in the panel on one of ... | |
| meter can change | 2/28/2007 |
| Q: i am changing a new service i know you must hook up 2 ground rods do they got into the meter can ... A: Wayne It depends on your local codes. Most times you put in 2 ground rods at 10 ft apart and the ... | |
| 220 receptable | 2/27/2007 |
| Q: I have a 220V arc welder with a combination round, small flat & large flat plug configeration. This ... A: Steve Yes you make a adapter that you can carry with you. What you need to know is what amperage ... | |
| Power Outage | 2/27/2007 |
| Q: I have a main box that routes power to two subboxes. The issue I have is that several appliances ... A: Daniel You said that you get a open neutral when you plug in a tester. To verify that you have ... | |
| Main Braker Problem | 2/24/2007 |
| Q: I run a (70 year old) church campground, we have a 200 amp main breaker box.. Last year we changed ... A: Michael You have to contact the Power company to upgrade your incoming service to 400 amps. If you ... | |
| generators and invertors | 2/22/2007 |
| Q: what happens if you reverse the end of a cord and plug it into a household outlet? for example - ... A: Jerry if you plugged in a cord that had 120 volts on it you would back feed the circuit it was ... | |
| New Recessed Lighting | 2/22/2007 |
| Q: So you are saying run the new recessed lighting wires to the existing switch which I mentioned in my ... A: Sal You could leave them on the outlet, then you would have the outlet and the Recess cans all ... | |
| RE: CIRCUIT BREAKER PROBLEM | 2/22/2007 |
| Q: THE BREAKER IS NOT A GCFI TYPE. THE BREAKER SHUTS OFF EVEN WHEN NOTHING AT ALL IS PLUGGED INTO THE 4 ... A: Renne You stated that the "THOSE 2 BREAKERS COVERING THE BEDROOMS HAVE A TEST WHEEL ON THEM " Which ... | |
| wiring | 2/21/2007 |
| Q: I have a large amount of 10 ga wire and want to run off a 100 amp service. What happens if I group ... A: Tom it is not advisable to do that as what you are trying to do is run a parallel circuit. The ... | |
| Running Wire on a non-studded wall | 2/19/2007 |
| Q: I am currently trying to "upgrade" my garage. Prior to drywalling (using furring strips, not studs) ... A: Chris If you are running wire on a wall with no protection you should put the wire in a conduit. ... | |
| Cooktop wiring | 2/19/2007 |
| Q: The answer you provided to my question seemed simple enough. Could the guy who left me the ... A: Bill yes if you were to wire this unit with a brand new feed then you would use a 4 wire ... | |
| Cooktop wiring | 2/17/2007 |
| Q: I am replacing a cooktop. The new cooktop leads are red, black and green & White crimped together. ... A: Bill Connect the wires from the service as this the black is hot the white is hot and the bare is ... | |
| wiring | 2/15/2007 |
| Q: I currently have a 4 wire cooktop and I purchased a 3 wire cooktop. The new cooktop is a plug in ... A: David You would need to cut off the cord plug from the new one or get a receptacle to match the new ... | |
| Water in Main panel | 2/12/2007 |
| Q: The problem I can experiencing is a small amount of water inside the main panel. I noticed a small ... A: Mike Sounds like you are getting condensation problems from the outside.Eventually it will cause ... | |
| Max Amp Ratings of Appliances vs. Generator Ratings | 2/11/2007 |
| Q: I'm trying to figure out how many things I can run from my generator and am having trouble ... A: Brian Sorry for getting back to you so late I had to be hospitalized while working on a job 3 hours ... | |
| outlets | 2/11/2007 |
| Q: I am changing the outlets in a bedroom. I made it to the last one and it is a little different then ... A: Kevin Sorry for getting back to you so late I had to be hospitalized while working on a job 3 hours ... | |
| Watts per 15 amp breaker | 2/10/2007 |
| Q: How many watts is a 15 amp breaker rated for. We are trying to do a load calculation and we have ... A: Steve Sorry for getting back to you so late I had to be hospitalized while working on a job 3 hours ... | |
| thrown breaker | 2/10/2007 |
| Q: I have a hallway light with a 2 way switch located at the entrance from the garage and one at the ... A: Dan Sorry for getting back to you so late I had to be hospitalized while working on a job 3 hours ... | |
| electric meter | 2/9/2007 |
| Q: I have a separate outside meter for my electric water heater. It runs for 11 hours at night and does ... A: Roger Sorry for getting back to you so late I had to be hospitalized while working on a job 3 hours ... | |
| Recessed Lighting | 2/9/2007 |
| Q: My husband want to put up recessed lighting in the kitchen but there is no existing lighting or ... A: Tina Sorry for getting back to you so late I had to be hospitalized while working on a job 3 hours ... | |
| 12volt adapter question | 2/7/2007 |
| Q: Don't know if you can answer this but no harm in asking I hope. I have a used LCD screen that has ... A: Steven Sorry for getting back to you so late I had to be hospitalized while working on a job 3 ... | |
| Wiring | 2/6/2007 |
| Q: I am installing a ceiling light, when I hook it up it doesn't work. I took the following voltage ... A: Robert Sorry for getting back to you so late I had to be hospitalized while working on a job 3 hours ... | |
| ETHICS OF ELECTRICIANS | 2/6/2007 |
| Q: I'M HOME OWNER IN WINSTON-SALEM N.C.,AND RECENTLY I REQUESTED AN $$ OF COST TO REPLACE 3 OUTLETS IN ... A: Colleen WOW Sorry for getting back to you so late I had to be hospitalized while working on a job ... | |
| Photo Eye to Contactor wiring | 2/2/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to install a 110vac photo eye that will pull in the contactor for a 3 ph. motor. These ... A: David You will need to hook it to the NC so that when the eye closes it puts power to the control ... | |
| Basement Bathroom Circuit Requirements | 2/2/2007 |
| Q: I searched the archives before posting this question, so I apologize in advance if I missed the ... A: Dan You can add up to 10 additional outlets on 1 GFCI Breaker The lights etc all need to be on a ... | |
| Switch Wall Cover too small for drywall cutout | 2/2/2007 |
| Q: we had a shady electrician who has dropped off the planet install a light switch in our home. We ... A: Sandra Sorry to hear about your misfortune,there is a bad egg in every box. What you need to do is ... | |
| wiring | 1/31/2007 |
| Q: I built a room in my basement and I need to know the basic wiring scheeme for 2 recepticles 1 light ... A: Greg From the breaker box run a 14-2 to the closest box, then from there go to the other boxes you ... | |
| Electricity problem | 1/27/2007 |
| Q: A: Richard The best way to check the circuit to find out where the problem is. Find out how many ... | |
| garbage disposal wiring | 1/27/2007 |
| Q: I took the wiring from my old disposal and cannot tell which wire is white or black,it does have a ... A: Bill The best way to check which one is the hot wire is take one of them with a tester and connect ... | |
| bathroom nightmare | 1/27/2007 |
| Q: I only have a light with a switch on the wall.I have attempted to install a GFI outlet 4 feet ... A: Alan if there are only 2 wires in the switch box not including the ground. Then you can not do this. ... | |
| Recessed Cans Installation | 1/27/2007 |
| Q: Is there a general rule of thumb to advise distance from outside walls in a room to install recessed ... A: Sandy You should keep them 2-3 feet away from the wall,also it depends on what kind of trims you are ... | |
| Circuit Breaker Temperature | 1/24/2007 |
| Q: I recently added 5 new 20amp circuit breakers to a subpanel. I was checking on them, after I started ... A: Mike When you use a electric heater it is called induction heat. That means it is just a bunch of ... | |
| motion detector flood lights | 1/24/2007 |
| Q: We have a "pro" who indicated he could replace our old floods with motion detectors. They are very ... A: Brenda Most Motion detectors are pretty good even the cheap ones they just don't have that many ... | |
| wiring | 1/24/2007 |
| Q: what is a uf wire A: Greg U F Wire is underground wire,it has a special insulation on it to prevent any damage to it ... | |
| Using a 120v fixture on a 277v line | 1/23/2007 |
| Q: We are redoing some of our landscape lights at our office building. The current landscape lights ... A: Jeff If the power you have to the lights is 277 volts you will not be able to hook them up to 120 ... | |
| Install ceiling light | 1/21/2007 |
| Q: Our home is 3 years old and was pre-wired for ceiling fans in all rooms. We are installing a ... A: Beth The red wire is a switch leg for a fan light combo. It was wired so that the fan can be on ... | |
| Neeed help | 1/19/2007 |
| Q: I am talking about the wire in the hole house and close to the plugs and switches. Thanks, Lee.Hi ... A: Lee What that involves is a lot of work the wires are stapled in the walls to the studs. It would ... | |
| electricty to shed | 1/19/2007 |
| Q: I had electricty run from my house to my shed. I have a flood light with a motion detector/sensor. ... A: Mark Most times when you have a motion detector flood light. They will need to be adjusted to the ... | |
| Main pannel problems | 1/18/2007 |
| Q: I have 240 going to my main 1oo amp breaker and that splits off to two sides for the breakers. My ... A: Ryan WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? I don't understand you say you have 240 volts going to your panel and it ... | |
| Power from Service Pole (meter) to barn. | 1/18/2007 |
| Q: I have built a 28ft W x 36ft L x 33ft H dairy type barn. I am looking to run power to it from my ... A: Troy Yes you can use the same meter if the local power company will let you hook up a main breaker ... | |
| electrical | 1/18/2007 |
| Q: What do you mean by "look in the lights themselves"? As for loose hot or neutral wire in the switch ... A: Fred Since they are recess cans you would need to take out the bulbs,then you will have to remove ... | |
| electrical | 1/18/2007 |
| Q: Ben, I have a room with two rocker-type light switches side-by-side at the entranceway controlling ... A: Fred The first thing I would suspect is a loose hot or neutral wire in the switch box, as that would ... | |
| Power to detached garage. | 1/17/2007 |
| Q: I want to run power to my garage from my panel in my house basement that is about 100ft away. I ... A: Troy what you will to run is a #6-3 wire with a ground this will give you 60 amps at 240 volts. At ... | |
| Jacuzzi Wiring | 1/17/2007 |
| Q: I am installing a Jacuzzi Tub and an inline heater for it at the same time in my home. Both require ... A: Joe The problem that you may have is that the heater usually has the amperage on while the pump is ... | |
| Sparking ligth switches | 1/17/2007 |
| Q: We have 3 or 4 light switches that click/spark when you turn them on. Is this a problem? What is ... A: David Sometimes when they build a new house they will quick wire the switches,that is they will ... | |
| What type of wire do I need? | 1/16/2007 |
| Q: I am building a small tool shed about 250 feet from my house. I would like to run a wire under ... A: Gregg The best thing to do is to install a 30 amp sub-panel in the shed. As we all know that we will ... | |
| wiring | 1/16/2007 |
| Q: i'm finishing a room in attic just studded now. i have 1 light. can i run from junction box at light ... A: Jim You will need to make sure that the outlets are wired hot then go to the switch.Run a 14-3 wire ... | |
| 220 | 1/16/2007 |
| Q: I made up a 10'Cord for the planer Heavy black rubber uses 50amp plugs in that cord was a ... A: Roger If the service you are using for the planer has a 4 wire connector to make it work then you ... | |
| 3 speed fan switch | 1/15/2007 |
| Q: My fan pull string broke, so I purchased a new 3 speed fan switch, double layer 5-8 wire. The ... A: John The wiring that you have is for a 3 speed fan. You need 1 wire for the hot 1 wire for low 1 for ... | |
| Electrical Appliance Conversion | 1/15/2007 |
| Q: Recently I purchased a "cook and stir" kitchen product in the UK. It is 220 50 Megahertz. I was ... A: Sharon In the USA we use a 60 Cycles (Megahertz)system.The problem you will have is to find a ... | |
| ADDING A ADDITIONAL 2 BREAKER BOX | 1/14/2007 |
| Q: TO AN EXISTING 10/2 UNDERGROUND CABLE FROM THE HOUSE TO AN OUT BUILDING,I REMOVED WHAT WAS THOUGHT A ... A: TERRY The ground wire is not considered a neutral it will leak electric as the neutral is used for ... | |
| Hooking A Generator to My House | 1/13/2007 |
| Q: My house is wired for a generator. The plug, as best I can tell, is an L14-20P. I bought a 4k watt ... A: Dave The plug that you have L14-20P is a 20 amp 120 volt.The receptacle you have on the generator is ... | |
| electric water heater | 1/13/2007 |
| Q: I have a 50 gal electric water heater that is burning one of the two 30 amp cartridge fuses in the ... A: Dave What this sounds like you have a element That is going bad in the water heater. The leg that it ... | |
| Lights | 1/12/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to wire two lights to two switches from one feed. No matter how many times i do this ... A: Jeff What you need to do is go from one switch with the hot wires to the other switch then from each ... | |
| Trying to convert an outlet to a light.... | 1/12/2007 |
| Q: I opened the box and there are two wires. One black and one white. Still think I'm gonna need a pull ... A: KEITH Yes you can make a wall mount fixture into a switched light you can use a small twist switch ... | |
| Trying to convert an outlet to a light.... | 1/11/2007 |
| Q: I'm remodeling my kitchen and found an outlet on the wall near the ceiling. It's located above the ... A: KEITH It probably is a clock outlet that they use to put in some homes as a convenice. The house is ... | |
| outlet and switch problem | 1/11/2007 |
| Q: I checked the breakers and their fine.Hi, I had a pool table installed and the workers were using an ... A: Omar Now what you need to do is and I don't know if you already did this.Shut the breaker off on ... | |
| 220v | 1/11/2007 |
| Q: I have a 220 outlet with a 30amp breaker. This is a commercial place. I have a washer installed in ... A: argento25 Actually you need to have both washers on different circuits to prevent any overloads to ... | |
| Using a range plug for a dryer | 1/10/2007 |
| Q: Bob- We have an 1950's ranch house and just bought a new dryer. The breaker is 30 amp, but the ... A: Jeff If you still have the dryer cord and it is a 50 amp cord and the breaker is 30 amps there won't ... | |
| Lighting | 1/10/2007 |
| Q: I'm finishing my basement and have been going back and forth with what I want to do for lighting. ... A: Doug When you are running new wire for any circuits including track wiring you need to install a ... | |
| Generator hookup | 1/10/2007 |
| Q: I purchased a 3500W generator to possibly us when power outages occur. I am aware 3500W wil not ... A: Martin The best and safest way, is to install a manual transfer switch,this way if the power comes ... | |
| Generator | 1/10/2007 |
| Q: I just bought a EXL 8000 generator for our K-9 search team and my question is.. We have a 16ft cargo ... A: Matt Just to let you know I was a K-9 Handler in V N and also trained Schutshund for 25 years. So ... | |
| outlet and switch problem | 1/9/2007 |
| Q: I had a pool table installed and the workers were using an electric stabler which was slowing not ... A: Omar If you have checked the outlets and all the wires were tight and the switches were also ok then ... | |
| hooking outlet up next to light switch | 1/9/2007 |
| Q: I have black, white, and bare power coming into box. I have black, white, and bare going to light. I ... A: Howard What you need to do is take 2 wires from the switch to the light. One being a white for the ... | |
| using dryer outlet for welder | 1/7/2007 |
| Q: i have a welder that runs on either 110 volt or 230 volt made by miller electric. it has 2 plugs ... A: Brad The welder plug is a 50 amp configuration. The dryer is a 30 amp configuration that is why they ... | |
| Wiring Reconnection | 1/6/2007 |
| Q: I have a bathroom light/switch, a flourescent light/switch, two wall outlets on the same circuit. ... A: David R Well hopefully I can help you out.if you have 2 switches going to the lights then 1 black ... | |
| 120/208 | 1/5/2007 |
| Q: can you feed a single phase 120/208v, from a 3phase transformer 120/208v, or do you only get the ... A: ALAN If you try to feed a single phase from a 3 phase you will have to hook it up to some sort of ... | |
| wiring | 1/5/2007 |
| Q: i'm finishing a room in attic just studded now. i have 1 light. can i run from junction box at light ... A: JIM Run a 14-3 wire from the switch on the bottom to a new switch box at the top of the stairs. Use ... | |
| hooking genator to office | 1/4/2007 |
| Q: Ben, I'm in building maint. at a trucking company. We would like to fix our office for hooking up to ... A: Roy You will need to install a transfer switch for the circuits that you want to put on the ... | |
| elecrtical question | 1/4/2007 |
| Q: the outlet now is not grounded does that mkae a difference? i know that its not the right way to do ... A: Becky It is till not ok because the ground is hooked up somewhere in the house and all the grounds ... | |
| Wire tracing | 1/4/2007 |
| Q: How can I trace a wire to find out if there is a short in the line.without the power on. A: Kurt What you need to have is a V O M (meter). Disconnect the power off the circuit and remove the ... | |
| Splitting a Switched Outlet | 1/3/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to split an already switched outlet. Currently, both outlets on the receptacle are ... A: Adrienne what you need to do is look in the outlet box and see how many wires are in there. Are ... | |
| transformer taps | 1/3/2007 |
| Q: Ben, I am the facility manager at a mid size commercial building. We are looking to expand our ... A: Bud Your model # 9T23Q3574 480 Volts Delta 208Y/120 Volts 75 kva (6) 2 1/2% taps: 2 above 4 ... | |
| light ballast | 1/3/2007 |
| Q: is it possible for a bad florescent light ballast to give off a foul smell (like dead animals) A: Tim If a ballast goes bad especially if it is a older type they will give off a bad smell. This is ... | |
| 100 AMP RUN | 1/3/2007 |
| Q: I want to run 100 amp service to a shop 350' from my house, that includes 25' in the house. I think ... A: Don Since you are coming off the main panel you will need to run a ground wire with it to the new ... | |
| Generator grounding/bonding issue: | 1/3/2007 |
| Q: I own a Coleman Pulse 1850 watt (camping) generator. The ground pins in the generator receptacle are ... A: Mike The best thing you can do and the fastest way is to ground the generator right at the location ... | |
| 220 volt wiring to Garage | 1/2/2007 |
| Q: I am running 220 volt 50 amp service to a garage 100 feet from my homes 200 amp service panel. I ... A: Frank All you would need to do is run a 4 wire conductor either in the ground with conduit or ... | |
| Adding a sub-panel | 1/2/2007 |
| Q: I have a 150 amp service and am adding a 100 amp sub-panel to it. The sub-panel will be 36 feet from ... A: Terri You will need to install a conduit to protect the wires as they are not made to be outside of ... | |
| GARAGE STRIP LIGHTING - blinking lites | 1/1/2007 |
| Q: I have an old strip light fixture(12yrs old)whose bulbs burnt out a couple weeks ago. I bought new ... A: Ramona What it may sound like is that there are some loose wires somewhere in the circuit and the ... | |
| Tempory power to new building | 1/1/2007 |
| Q: I just passed the rough inspection for the electrical in a new building that has line run from the ... A: Bob What you can do is ask for The new service to be a temporary service for construction purposes. ... | |
| Florescent light problem | 1/1/2007 |
| Q: I purchased a new home built in Feb 2006. After about 6 months, the florescent light fixture in my ... A: Adrian Is the light in the closet and the one in the laundry room on the same circuit?If they are ... | |
| Are busses dedicated in the Main panel? | 1/1/2007 |
| Q: Can you place neutral wires on the grounding buss and vice versa in the Main panel? I have read ... A: Bob When you have a panel with a main breaker in it that is considered a main breaker panel in the N ... | |
| pull chain wiring | 12/31/2006 |
| Q: The chain on the light fixture broke in the basement next to the boiler. When I removed it, there ... A: Mike Did the old fixture have a electrical outlet attached to it? If it did then the red and beige ... | |
| Light switch doesn't work after replacing outlets | 12/31/2006 |
| Q: I recently changed the outlets in a bedroom. One of the outlets was connected to a light switch. ... A: Joe The outlet that was connected to the light switch needs to be taken back out and on the right ... | |
| Dead electrical outlets | 12/30/2006 |
| Q: An outlet suddenly went dead. When checked with a volt-meter it says there's power in it (116 v) ... A: Bud When you are checking the voltage what slots on the device are you checking?? You need to check ... | |
| Generator Wiring | 12/30/2006 |
| Q: Ben, I will be installing a briggs and stratton 10kw standby generator with a 50 amp auto ... A: Bob The wires that are in the panel will stay there.You will need to bring into your main panel from ... | |
| Electrical Sizzle sound | 12/30/2006 |
| Q: There is an outlet in my bathroom that is located on a lower portion of the wall and every time I ... A: Tiffany What it sounds like is that there is a loose connection in the outlet some wiring may have ... | |
| power spikes to 220 on 110v plugs | 12/29/2006 |
| Q: I have a mobile home that belongs to a friend. I am a amateur eletrician.. very knowlegeable.. but ... A: Mike What sometimes happens is that when a home or mobile home is wired especially in the kitchen ... | |
| light switch | 12/29/2006 |
| Q: how can you bring in one power source and split it into two or three diffrent switches. A: Chris What you need to do is make a pigtail out of the one hot wire that comes in to the switch box. ... | |
| New electrical installation | 12/29/2006 |
| Q: I am currently upgrading my garage and have just finished the framing of the back wall, and now want ... A: Chris Since you are running a freezer I would recommend using a 12-2 wire as most freezers will draw ... | |
| new receptacle for 90amp tig welder | 12/29/2006 |
| Q: I was wondering what would be the best way to get power for a tig welder that has a 90amp rating. I ... A: Mario what you will need to do is install the wire off the main panel with a set off wires off the ... | |
| Which is hot? | 12/28/2006 |
| Q: I recently had an addition built. The contractor cut a wire going to the bedroom outlets (no ... A: GIG The way wiring was done back then it was a version of knob and tube wiring the red wire usually ... | |
| Voltage drop somewhere on GFI branch | 12/28/2006 |
| Q: A couple of days ago, I was running a vacuum from an outlet on a GFI branch. The vacuum suddenly ... A: Jay First thing you need to check is voltage from the hot wires to the white wire if you have 120 ... | |
| Size of emergency transfer switch | 12/27/2006 |
| Q: I would like to know how to size an emergency transfer switch for a portable generator. Do you size ... A: Jim Most homes are supplied with 200-amp service. That's the power available to you. The AC voltage ... | |
| GFCI Receptacle vs. 1 1/2 HP table saw motor | 12/26/2006 |
| Q: I just got a 10” Delta Contractor Saw (Model 36-678), with a 1 ½ HP motor, at my local woodworking ... A: Jose Check to see what else is on that circuit. It may feed other outlets that should be on a ... | |
| Variable Speed Control | 12/24/2006 |
| Q: I have a AC table top milling machine which has the speed control by moving the belt from one pulley ... A: Conrad What you are doing with the dimmer switch is reducing the voltage and the machine is then ... | |
| wiring a new home | 12/24/2006 |
| Q: Our electrican came in to wire our new home...he drilled holes about the size of a quarter in some ... A: Shirley Allot of times with new construction a contractor like a electrician will drill his holes ... | |
| electrical problem | 12/23/2006 |
| Q: Ben, Last night our electricity upstairs blinked a few times, then went off for a few seconds, and ... A: Loretta Sounds like you may have a loose connection somewhere. I would check in the panel box first ... | |
| New electric wall oven | 12/22/2006 |
| Q: To size the fuse would I take the power of the oven divided by the voltage: ie 3kw / 240 = 12.5 ... A: Bob commonly used of all above remember that when using smaller conductors, then if your conductor ... | |
| GFI breaker problem-20Amp,residential | 12/22/2006 |
| Q: 16+ years ago converted 20amp breaker to 20amp GFI breaker. It protects two circuits: #1 includes ... A: Al What may have happened is that when the breaker was installed to the bus bar, and the neutral ... | |
| New electric wall oven | 12/21/2006 |
| Q: Ok, let me ask anotherI can purchase suitable wire ie (4 14gauge) and run that to my electrical box ... A: BOB What you need to get is a wire that would rate the oven amps and watts.Look at the oven and see ... | |
| New electric wall oven | 12/21/2006 |
| Q: I am pulling an existing 120v gas wall oven and replacing with an electric wall oven. My new oven ... A: BOB When replacing a gas wall oven you have a 20 amp 120v circuit for the necessary times.clocks or ... | |
| GFI Outlet | 12/20/2006 |
| Q: I am installing an outdoor GFCI outlet at the base of the lamp post. The lamp post is switched on ... A: Paul What you need out by the light post is a continuos hot along with the switched wire you should ... | |
| Hot Tub | 12/19/2006 |
| Q: Recently I was given a Hot Springs Jetsetter Hot Tub and I am trying to wire it up. I am going to be ... A: Justin What you need to do is supply the Hot Tub with a 12-2 wire, if this wire will be used ... | |
| wiring issue | 12/19/2006 |
| Q: Here's what I have.Outlet has 2 sets of wires going to it.White to white and black to black.There is ... A: Kevin If you have a GFCI outlet backed up against the outlet that you are having the problems with, ... | |
| COLD GLITCH | 12/18/2006 |
| Q: IT IS LIKE THE LIGHT IS FLICKERING BUT THE PAUSE IN POWER IS LONGER THAN A FLICKER IT'S A PAUSE.HI! ... A: DEBBIE Ok lets try to narrow this down Is the light outside? what type of light is it? You say this ... | |
| home emergency generator hookup | 12/18/2006 |
| Q: ..IT WASNT SUPPOSE TO BE 4300 $...IT WAS $3000...THE 2500 YOU MENTIONED PLUS 6 TO 700 FOR THE ... A: Robert Sometimes the installation ca | |