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About Ben
(Top Expert on this page)

Expertise
Can answer questions in the residential,commercial electrical fields. From Trouble shooting to new installation,service changes and related items. We can answer questions about Generators,We are a Authorized dealer and service center for a few major Brands Visit us on line at www.gbelect.net

Experience
30 years in the electrical trade. Ran jobs from small houses to large shopping centers to new construction on Wal-Marts Nursing homes and Factories, CCTV,CARD ACCESS SYSTEMS

Organizations
NFPA,NEC CODE ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATION,VNM/MC VIET NAM VET OF OHIO VIET NAM VET K-9 HANDLER ASSOCIATION VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS

Education/Credentials
OSHA APPROVED TRAINING,UPTO DATE CODE BOOK DISCUSSIONS,MEMBER NFPA FROM 1996 TO PRESENT MEMEBR OF ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS NETWORK OHIO CONTRACTORS LICENSE FLA CONTRACTORS LICENSE MASTER ELECTRICIAN IN 5 STATES

Awards and Honors
HONORABLE DISCHARGE FROM THE UNITED STATES NAVY VIET NAM SERVICE MEDAL,GOOD CONDUCT AWARD EXPERT MARKMANS SHIP AWARD

Past/Present Clients
WAL MART, TOYS R US,BLIMPIES REST,McDONALDS CORP,ADENA HEALTH SYSTEMS, OSHP, STATE OF OHIO, US COAST GUARD,

   

You are here:  Experts > Home/Garden > Home Improvement/Repair > Electrical Wiring in the Home

Questions Answered By Expert  Ben 
In Category  Electrical Wiring in the Home

SubjectDate Asked

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 loss11/16/2009
  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 garage11/14/2009
  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 wire11/12/2009
  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 box11/10/2009
  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 on11/9/2009
  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 Questions11/8/2009
  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 not11/7/2009
  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 panel11/2/2009
  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 not10/31/2009
  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 working10/28/2009
  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 ...
breaker10/26/2009
  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 power10/22/2009
  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 away10/14/2009
  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 disposal10/10/2009
  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 problem10/7/2009
  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 up9/26/2009
  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 welder9/19/2009
  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 service9/18/2009
  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 wiring8/4/2009
  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 Home8/2/2009
  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 Install7/27/2009
  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 problem7/22/2009
  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 chandelier7/19/2009
  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 Dryer7/15/2009
  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 Wiring7/10/2009
  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 line7/5/2009
  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 switch7/3/2009
  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 question6/29/2009
  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 / Outlet6/27/2009
  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 outlet6/26/2009
  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 switch6/24/2009
  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 box6/22/2009
  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 lighting6/20/2009
  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 wiring6/19/2009
  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 grounding6/18/2009
  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 working6/16/2009
  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 outlet6/15/2009
  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 switch6/13/2009
  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 wiring6/8/2009
  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 panel6/4/2009
  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 outlet6/3/2009
  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 service6/2/2009
  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 devices5/29/2009
  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 panel5/27/2009
  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 Terminology5/25/2009
  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 D5/24/2009
  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 wires5/21/2009
  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 fan5/20/2009
  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 rock5/17/2009
  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 question5/16/2009
  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 home5/14/2009
  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 installations5/12/2009
  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 placement5/10/2009
  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 lights5/7/2009
  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 tub5/5/2009
  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 light4/27/2009
  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 ...
Enclosure4/23/2009
  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 problems4/21/2009
  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 Ground4/18/2009
  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 3Way4/16/2009
  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 timer4/15/2009
  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 you4/11/2009
  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 ELECTRICITY4/9/2009
  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 panel4/8/2009
  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 service4/4/2009
  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 chandelier4/3/2009
  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 wire4/2/2009
  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 outlet3/30/2009
  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 nothing3/26/2009
  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 763RLN3/24/2009
  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 installation3/23/2009
  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 wiring3/21/2009
  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 installation3/18/2009
  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 Panel3/17/2009
  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 breakers3/16/2009
  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 lights3/15/2009
  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 neutral3/13/2009
  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 Compressor3/11/2009
  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 loop3/8/2009
  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 outlets3/5/2009
  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 ...
wiring3/4/2009
  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 addition3/2/2009
  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 bathroom2/26/2009
  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 Prongs2/25/2009
  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 swithc2/24/2009
  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 plug2/19/2009
  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 way2/18/2009
  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 wiring2/16/2009
  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 welder2/15/2009
  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 Wiring2/12/2009
  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 motor2/10/2009
  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 Electricity2/9/2009
  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 bed2/5/2009
  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 switch1/31/2009
  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 Use1/30/2009
  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 ...
outlet1/29/2009
  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 Use1/28/2009
  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 breakers1/27/2009
  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 House1/26/2009
  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 home1/25/2009
  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 Size1/24/2009
  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 grounding1/22/2009
  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 wiring1/21/2009
  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 panel1/19/2009
  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 residential1/17/2009
  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 ...
generator1/16/2009
  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 to3phase1/14/2009
  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 panel1/12/2009
  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 workshop1/6/2009
  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 recepticle1/5/2009
  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 2401/3/2009
  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 fan9/28/2008
  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 cement9/26/2008
  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 wiring9/25/2008
  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 microwave9/24/2008
  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 tank9/23/2008
  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 Circuit9/17/2008
  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 tub9/17/2008
  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 Appliance9/6/2008
  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 portable9/3/2008
  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 barn8/31/2008
  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 Fan8/28/2008
  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 switched8/27/2008
  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 switches8/26/2008
  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 outlet8/25/2008
  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 issues8/23/2008
  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 troubleshooting8/22/2008
  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 Stove8/21/2008
  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 box8/21/2008
  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 tripping8/20/2008
  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 Neutral8/20/2008
  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 light8/18/2008
  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 6-38/18/2008
  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 Stove8/16/2008
  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 Machine8/14/2008
  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 Issues8/13/2008
  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 Lights8/13/2008
  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 chandelier8/10/2008
  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 prong8/6/2008
  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 wiring8/4/2008
  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 Bungalow8/3/2008
  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 Wiring8/1/2008
  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 wire5/26/2008
  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 switch5/25/2008
  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, 240V5/25/2008
  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 bypass5/24/2008
  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 Reversed5/22/2008
  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 GFCI5/21/2008
  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 line5/20/2008
  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 fan5/19/2008
  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 placement5/18/2008
  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 mystery5/17/2008
  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 GFCI5/17/2008
  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 fan5/15/2008
  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 installations5/14/2008
  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 ...
Flickering5/13/2008
  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 Service5/12/2008
  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 SWITCHES5/7/2008
  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 noises5/6/2008
  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 installation5/4/2008
  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 kitchen5/3/2008
  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 shed5/2/2008
  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 microwave5/2/2008
  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 Light4/28/2008
  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 heaters4/28/2008
  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 wire4/28/2008
  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 bed4/25/2008
  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 wire4/24/2008
  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 switch4/24/2008
  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 fuses4/23/2008
  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 home4/23/2008
  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 ...
220v4/22/2008
  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 ...
277v4/20/2008
  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 bases4/19/2008
  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 problem4/19/2008
  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 Ground4/18/2008
  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 stack4/18/2008
  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 GFCI4/18/2008
  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 Charger4/17/2008
  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 Wiring4/16/2008
  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 circuit4/15/2008
  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) Wiring4/13/2008
  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 bonding4/12/2008
  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 home4/11/2008
  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 chandelier4/11/2008
  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 1504/9/2008
  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 home4/8/2008
  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 Breaker4/7/2008
  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 curcit4/4/2008
  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 outlet4/3/2008
  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 structure4/2/2008
  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 fixture4/1/2008
  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 outlet3/30/2008
  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 area3/30/2008
  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 boxes3/30/2008
  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 current3/27/2008
  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 panel3/27/2008
  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 Lighting3/26/2008
  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 Blinking3/24/2008
  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 Wiring3/24/2008
  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 bed3/24/2008
  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 wiring3/23/2008
  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 house3/23/2008
  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. ...
outlets3/22/2008
  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 outlet3/21/2008
  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 problems3/19/2008
  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. ...
wiring3/19/2008
  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 machine3/18/2008
  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 config3/17/2008
  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 config3/17/2008
  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 dimmers3/17/2008
  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 Question3/14/2008
  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's3/12/2008
  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 timer3/12/2008
  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 200Amp3/11/2008
  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 generator3/10/2008
  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 up3/9/2008
  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 entrance3/7/2008
  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 interrupters3/6/2008
  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 island3/6/2008
  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 working3/5/2008
  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 Wiring3/4/2008
  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 wiring3/3/2008
  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 disposal3/3/2008
  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 wiring3/2/2008
  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 dimmer3/2/2008
  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 Switch3/2/2008
  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 problem3/1/2008
  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 panel3/1/2008
  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 working2/29/2008
  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 compressor2/28/2008
  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 detector2/28/2008
  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 voltage2/28/2008
  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 switches2/27/2008
  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 buzzing2/27/2008
  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 detector2/26/2008
  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 intermittent2/25/2008
  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 compressor2/25/2008
  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 wiring2/25/2008
  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 switch2/20/2008
  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 wire2/19/2008
  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 compressor2/19/2008
  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 Residence2/18/2008
  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-panel2/17/2008
  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 Tub2/16/2008
  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 basement2/16/2008
  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 breakers2/15/2008
  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 heater2/15/2008
  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 panel2/14/2008
  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 Wiring2/14/2008
  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 ...
outlets2/13/2008
  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 hope2/13/2008
  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 wiring2/12/2008
  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 ...
electrical2/12/2008
  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 Connection2/11/2008
  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 READING2/10/2008
  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 ...
Doorbell2/8/2008
  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 room2/8/2008
  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 switch2/7/2008
  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 ...
Tripping2/6/2008
  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 Panel2/6/2008
  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 ...
Wiring2/4/2008
  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 wiring2/3/2008
  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 hight2/3/2008
  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 light2/2/2008
  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 hallway2/2/2008
  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 contactors2/2/2008
  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 circuit2/1/2008
  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 house1/31/2008
  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. ...
Generator1/31/2008
  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 up1/31/2008
  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 gfci1/30/2008
  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 failure1/28/2008
  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 Panels1/27/2008
  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 disconnect1/24/2008
  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 lights1/24/2008
  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 disconnect1/23/2008
  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 power1/22/2008
  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 ...
electrical1/19/2008
  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 lights1/16/2008
  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 2401/15/2008
  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 ...
Contactor1/15/2008
  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 fuses1/13/2008
  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 one1/13/2008
  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 post1/11/2008
  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 not1/10/2008
  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 panel1/10/2008
  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 not1/9/2008
  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 welder1/8/2008
  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 & Receptacle1/7/2008
  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 fixture1/6/2008
  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 230v1/5/2008
  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 volts1/4/2008
  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 fixture1/4/2008
  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 wiring1/3/2008
  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/light1/2/2008
  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 garage12/31/2007
  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 separately12/31/2007
  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 bed12/30/2007
  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 lead12/30/2007
  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 bed12/30/2007
  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 not12/28/2007
  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 setup12/27/2007
  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 cable12/26/2007
  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 not12/26/2007
  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 Oven12/25/2007
  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 basemnt12/22/2007
  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 house12/22/2007
  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 loads12/20/2007
  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 wiring12/19/2007
  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 subpanel12/19/2007
  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 Switches12/19/2007
  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 svc12/16/2007
  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 switch12/16/2007
  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 14-30R12/16/2007
  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 ...
help12/15/2007
  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 wiring12/14/2007
  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 heater12/14/2007
  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 problem12/13/2007
  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 Converter12/12/2007
  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 Wiring12/12/2007
  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 panel12/11/2007
  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 wiring12/11/2007
  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 wiring12/10/2007
  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 panel12/9/2007
  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 oven12/8/2007
  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 receptacle12/8/2007
  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 heat12/7/2007
  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 fixture12/7/2007
  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 work12/5/2007
  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 grounds12/4/2007
  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 outbuilding12/3/2007
  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 shop12/2/2007
  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 circuit12/2/2007
  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 home12/1/2007
  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 circuits11/30/2007
  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 panel11/26/2007
  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 lights11/26/2007
  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 plugs11/25/2007
  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 white11/25/2007
  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 switch11/23/2007
  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 combo11/23/2007
  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 Bkr11/21/2007
  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 hookup11/19/2007
  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 Aesthetics11/18/2007
  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 Aesthetics11/17/2007
  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 Panel11/17/2007
  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/on11/16/2007
  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 ...
outage11/14/2007
  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 sub11/14/2007
  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 outlet11/12/2007
  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 bedrooms11/12/2007
  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 heaters11/11/2007
  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 receptacle11/10/2007
  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 wiring11/10/2007
  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 lights11/9/2007
  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 heater11/8/2007
  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 box11/7/2007
  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 hookup11/7/2007
  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 wiring11/6/2007
  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 upgrade11/3/2007
  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 generator11/2/2007
  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/Switch11/2/2007
  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 generator11/1/2007
  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 switch10/31/2007
  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 power10/30/2007
  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 circuts10/29/2007
  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't10/27/2007
  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 coverage10/25/2007
  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 Installation10/24/2007
  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's10/23/2007
  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 Installation10/23/2007
  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 ...
Electrical10/19/2007
  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 wiring10/18/2007
  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 wiring10/17/2007
  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 building10/13/2007
  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 wiring10/11/2007
  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 smell10/10/2007
  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 full10/6/2007
  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 wiring10/6/2007
  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 Trips10/5/2007
  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 Doorbell10/2/2007
  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 Wire10/2/2007
  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 house10/1/2007
  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 Wiring10/1/2007
  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 on8/15/2007
  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 ...
Wiring8/15/2007
  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 Tub8/14/2007
  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 circuit8/13/2007
  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 fan8/12/2007
  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 switch8/12/2007
  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 gfi8/11/2007
  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 neutral8/10/2007
  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 two8/10/2007
  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 Wiring8/9/2007
  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 outlet8/9/2007
  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 voltage8/9/2007
  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 replacement8/9/2007
  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 two8/8/2007
  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 installation8/7/2007
  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 installation8/5/2007
  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 breaker8/5/2007
  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 Home8/4/2007
  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 dock8/1/2007
  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 problem7/31/2007
  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 Switch7/31/2007
  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 electrical7/31/2007
  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 house7/30/2007
  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 RV7/30/2007
  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 box7/29/2007
  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 installation7/29/2007
  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 shower7/24/2007
  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 lighting7/24/2007
  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 Outlet7/22/2007
  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 use7/22/2007
  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 breaker7/21/2007
  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 ballast7/20/2007
  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 wire7/19/2007
  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 ...
hi7/18/2007
  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 laundry7/18/2007
  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 Specs7/16/2007
  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 amps7/15/2007
  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 wall7/15/2007
  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 calcs7/14/2007
  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 arc7/12/2007
  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/fan7/12/2007
  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 upgrade7/11/2007
  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 calcs7/11/2007
  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 wiring7/10/2007
  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 service7/10/2007
  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 wiring7/9/2007
  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 Wiring7/8/2007
  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 ...
Electrical7/8/2007
  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 shed7/7/2007
  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 Outlet7/7/2007
  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 lighting7/4/2007
  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 ...
GFI7/4/2007
  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 Service7/2/2007
  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 house7/1/2007
  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 outlet6/30/2007
  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 house6/29/2007
  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 Type6/28/2007
  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 outlet6/28/2007
  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 in6/27/2007
  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 conditioners6/26/2007
  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 problem6/24/2007
  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 size6/24/2007
  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 Disposal6/24/2007
  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 lights6/23/2007
  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 lights6/23/2007
  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 Pump6/22/2007
  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 Subpanel6/21/2007
  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 circuit6/20/2007
  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 outlets6/20/2007
  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 compresser6/19/2007
  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 grid6/19/2007
  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 compresser6/17/2007
  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 work6/17/2007
  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 sconce6/15/2007
  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 l14-306/12/2007
  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 install6/11/2007
  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 switches6/9/2007
  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 appliances6/7/2007
  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 wire6/5/2007
  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 ...
hackers6/3/2007
  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 ...
lighting6/3/2007
  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 ...
breaker6/2/2007
  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 Electrical6/2/2007
  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 beeping6/1/2007
  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 protection5/30/2007
  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 gfi5/30/2007
  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 control5/30/2007
  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 fixture5/28/2007
  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 switch5/27/2007
  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 Ground5/26/2007
  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 breaker5/26/2007
  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 ...
wiring5/25/2007
  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's5/23/2007
  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 placement5/22/2007
  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 placement5/22/2007
  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 lighting5/22/2007
  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 Panel5/21/2007
  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 wiring5/21/2007
  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 panel5/19/2007
  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 surges5/18/2007
  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 box5/18/2007
  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 Installation5/17/2007
  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 service5/16/2007
  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 setup5/15/2007
  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 wiring5/12/2007
  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 answer5/10/2007
  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 ...
remodel5/8/2007
  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 Range5/7/2007
  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 barn5/7/2007
  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 work5/5/2007
  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 installation5/5/2007
  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 barn5/4/2007
  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 pole5/3/2007
  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 switch5/1/2007
  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 up4/30/2007
  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 Box4/29/2007
  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 wiring4/28/2007
  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 outbuilding4/27/2007
  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 panel4/27/2007
  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 top4/26/2007
  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 Room4/25/2007
  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 Breaker4/25/2007
  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 pumps4/24/2007
  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 Pool4/24/2007
  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 light4/22/2007
  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 Lamps4/22/2007
  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 Issues4/21/2007
  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 wiring4/20/2007
  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 Lights4/20/2007
  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 wiing4/19/2007
  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 ...
subpanel4/18/2007
  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-Panel4/18/2007
  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 ...
Generator4/17/2007
  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 voltage4/15/2007
  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 fixture4/15/2007
  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 conduit4/15/2007
  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 working4/14/2007
  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 lights4/14/2007
  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 lights4/14/2007
  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 home4/14/2007
  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 conduit4/14/2007
  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 ...
generator4/13/2007
  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 switch4/13/2007
  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 switches4/13/2007
  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 ...
dimmers4/13/2007
  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 switch4/12/2007
  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 fan4/12/2007
  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 voltage4/11/2007
  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 dock4/11/2007
  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 wiring4/10/2007
  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 wiring4/10/2007
  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 outlet4/9/2007
  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 combo4/9/2007
  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 installation4/9/2007
  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 panel4/9/2007
  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 outlet4/9/2007
  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 voltqge4/9/2007
  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 code4/8/2007
  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 readings4/7/2007
  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 panel4/7/2007
  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 thermostat4/7/2007
  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 install4/7/2007
  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 hot4/7/2007
  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, neutral4/7/2007
  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 Installation4/6/2007
  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 halogen4/6/2007
  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 halogen4/6/2007
  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 Voltage4/6/2007
  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 garage4/5/2007
  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 Receptacle4/5/2007
  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 down4/5/2007
  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 expansion4/5/2007
  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 outlet4/4/2007
  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 Wiring4/4/2007
  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 recepticle4/3/2007
  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 Receptacle4/3/2007
  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 opener4/2/2007
  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 question4/2/2007
  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 home4/2/2007
  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 Installation4/2/2007
  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 Safety4/2/2007
  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 control4/1/2007
  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 receptical3/31/2007
  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 breakers3/14/2007
  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 circuit3/13/2007
  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 problem3/11/2007
  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 Breaker3/10/2007
  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 Garage3/10/2007
  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 service3/9/2007
  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-wire3/8/2007
  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 service3/7/2007
  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 room3/6/2007
  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 expantion3/5/2007
  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 size3/5/2007
  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 bulb3/5/2007
  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 ...
Dimmer3/4/2007
  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 house3/3/2007
  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 lighting3/2/2007
  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 size3/2/2007
  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 ...
Wiring3/1/2007
  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 change2/28/2007
  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 receptable2/27/2007
  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 Outage2/27/2007
  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 Problem2/24/2007
  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 invertors2/22/2007
  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 Lighting2/22/2007
  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 PROBLEM2/22/2007
  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 ...
wiring2/21/2007
  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 wall2/19/2007
  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 wiring2/19/2007
  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 wiring2/17/2007
  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 ...
wiring2/15/2007
  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 panel2/12/2007
  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 Ratings2/11/2007
  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 ...
outlets2/11/2007
  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 breaker2/10/2007
  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 breaker2/10/2007
  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 meter2/9/2007
  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 Lighting2/9/2007
  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 question2/7/2007
  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 ...
Wiring2/6/2007
  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 ELECTRICIANS2/6/2007
  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 wiring2/2/2007
  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 Requirements2/2/2007
  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 cutout2/2/2007
  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 ...
wiring1/31/2007
  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 problem1/27/2007
  Q:
  A: Richard The best way to check the circuit to find out where the problem is. Find out how many ...
garbage disposal wiring1/27/2007
  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 nightmare1/27/2007
  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 Installation1/27/2007
  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 Temperature1/24/2007
  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 lights1/24/2007
  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 ...
wiring1/24/2007
  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 line1/23/2007
  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 light1/21/2007
  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 help1/19/2007
  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 shed1/19/2007
  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 problems1/18/2007
  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 ...
electrical1/18/2007
  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 ...
electrical1/18/2007
  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 Wiring1/17/2007
  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 switches1/17/2007
  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 ...
wiring1/16/2007
  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 ...
2201/16/2007
  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 switch1/15/2007
  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 Conversion1/15/2007
  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 BOX1/14/2007
  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 House1/13/2007
  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 heater1/13/2007
  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 ...
Lights1/12/2007
  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 problem1/11/2007
  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 ...
220v1/11/2007
  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 dryer1/10/2007
  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 ...
Lighting1/10/2007
  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 hookup1/10/2007
  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 ...
Generator1/10/2007
  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 problem1/9/2007
  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 switch1/9/2007
  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 welder1/7/2007
  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 Reconnection1/6/2007
  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 ...
120/2081/5/2007
  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 ...
wiring1/5/2007
  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 office1/4/2007
  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 question1/4/2007
  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 tracing1/4/2007
  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 Outlet1/3/2007
  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 taps1/3/2007
  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 ballast1/3/2007
  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 RUN1/3/2007
  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 Garage1/2/2007
  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-panel1/2/2007
  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 lites1/1/2007
  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 building1/1/2007
  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 problem1/1/2007
  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 wiring12/31/2006
  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 outlets12/31/2006
  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 outlets12/30/2006
  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 Wiring12/30/2006
  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 sound12/30/2006
  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 plugs12/29/2006
  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 switch12/29/2006
  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 installation12/29/2006
  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 welder12/29/2006
  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 branch12/28/2006
  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 switch12/27/2006
  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 motor12/26/2006
  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 Control12/24/2006
  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 home12/24/2006
  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 problem12/23/2006
  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 oven12/22/2006
  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,residential12/22/2006
  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 oven12/21/2006
  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 oven12/21/2006
  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 Outlet12/20/2006
  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 Tub12/19/2006
  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 issue12/19/2006
  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 GLITCH12/18/2006
  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 hookup12/18/2006
  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 can cost anywhere from $500.00 to $800.00 depending on the area ...
wiring issue12/18/2006
  Q: Just bought an older home and discovered the following: When I turned on a vaccum cleaner plugged ...
  A: Kevin What it sounds like who ever wired the new outlet may have gotten the wires put back wrong.So ...
electrical heater12/18/2006
  Q: I recently bought a new baseboard heater and hooked it up when I turned the breaker back on it made ...
  A: Josh What it sounds like is the 1 new heater you had hooked up is a 120 Volt heater.The circuit may ...
home emergency generator hookup12/16/2006
  Q: I am tempted to buy one of those box store (home depot) generators...its a 5500 watt...(8200 peak ...
  A: Robert The generators that you purchase at the so called "BOX STORES" are just as good as ones you ...
how to ground a GFCI12/16/2006
  Q: There's no pipe available - what are my options to ground a GFCI in an older (1950's) home? thanks ...
  A: Erich What you will need to do is use a GFCI that is rated for a 2 prong device. The most important ...
Flickering lights12/16/2006
  Q: We have two rooms with flickering light. Now on occasion both rooms have even had the power go out. ...
  A: Pete What it sounds like is that the breaker may have a bad spot on the bus bar if this is so pull ...
conversion from 220v to 110v12/16/2006
  Q: I wonder if you can step down? a 220v to 110v ( without the use of transformer of course) . I ...
  A: asaniel Yes you can it depends where the circuit comes from if you want to change a 240 V circuit ...
Hard wired stove12/15/2006
  Q: It is time to upgrade my hard wired stove. I have been told not to hardwire the new stove and to buy ...
  A: Eric Some stoves are set up for a mobile home,those are the 4 wire systems because the mobile is ...
Neeed help12/14/2006
  Q: I am new in the electrical field and I need to install a timer on a 15A Dp (30A) commercial building ...
  A: Lee What you will need to do is get a lighting contactor and rate it for the 20 amp circuits if you ...
wiring problems with ceiling fan12/14/2006
  Q: I was attempting to replace a fan switch for a home ceiling fan yesterday, and ended up having to ...
  A: Matt . Fan lights where the pullchain is simply on/off use a two wire pullchain. This pullchain is ...
Generator hookup12/14/2006
  Q: My electric panel is full, how does the transfer switch get hooked into the panel? Is the portable ...
  A: Bernell What you would need to do is remove the wires for the pump and place the transfer switch ...
WIRES ON A LIGHT FIXTURE12/13/2006
  Q: I am changing a pendant light fixture in my kitchen. No instructions came with the new light. From ...
  A: Nikki The wire that you are in question of what color is it? Most time there are 3 wires from a ...
Generator hookup12/13/2006
  Q: I have a 8450 watt portable generator for use during power outage. I am interested in having a ...
  A: Bernell What you need is a Manual transfer switch that is approved for that generator. How it works ...
Bath fan to fan/light combo w/ 1set bl/wh and ground12/12/2006
  Q: Can I run the fan and light wiring to the existing wiring which exists of 1 ground, 1 black, and 1 ...
  A: Theresa It depends on how it is wired from the switch,If the switch goes to the fan with only 3 ...
Ceiling fan installation12/12/2006
  Q: I know I am pushing my luck but here goes. Rather than simply have a "on" "off" switch in bedroom ...
  A: Craig The way the Universal Wall Command Control works is by wire less transmitters and receivers ...
Ceiling fan installation12/12/2006
  Q: I recently installed a ceiling fan and mounting support box in bed room no. 1 and am having some ...
  A: Craig What you did was put the fan on the switch leg as well as the other rooms.You need to just ...
gfic12/11/2006
  Q: My gfic in the master bath clicked today and caused the light in my guest bath to turn off plus the ...
  A: Rosemary What you need to do is make sure that you are pushing the reset button not the test button. ...
live earth wire12/11/2006
  Q: in my lounge i have a dimmer switch with a brass plate front, my wife went to turn it off and got a ...
  A: Andy What it sounds like is that the dimmer may have a problem with bleeding off the voltage. That ...
flickering circuit12/11/2006
  Q: I have a 15 amp circuit that flickers and I replace the breaker thinking that might be the problem. ...
  A: Robert You said breaker has been replaced by you and you know that the wires on it are tight,since ...
General Swithc fuse box12/10/2006
  Q: ------------------------------------------- The text above is a follow-up to ... Thank you for ...
  A: Curtis A new panel couldd cost anywhere from $100.00 and up depending on how many circuits you ...
Ceiling Light Fixture12/10/2006
  Q: I was replacing a ceiling light fixture, something I had done several times in the house. This time ...
  A: Sean Sounds like one of the wires may have gotten shorted and sometimes will break inside the ...
General Swithc fuse box12/10/2006
  Q: I am a contractor from the big island of Hawaii and I am my father house in Omaha NE he has a ...
  A: Curtis sometimes you can on E-bay to do a search for old electrical items.There is a few places on ...
garage heat12/9/2006
  Q: Ben, the 60 amp subpanel is in the garage. I ran number 12 wire through external conduit for the ...
  A: Jim Sounds like the panel is pretty full,what you will have to do is replace the sub-panel with one ...
garage heat12/9/2006
  Q: I just ran a 240v 20 amp circuit in my garage off of a sub panel for a 4000w elec. heater. My ...
  A: JIM How far is it from the sub-panel to your garage? A 4000 watt heater at 240 volts is rated to use ...
Baseboard Heater12/6/2006
  Q: I have tried to hook up a baseboard heater going through a thermostat. What I have is a 20A double ...
  A: Jeff Seems like the heater is getting the 240 volts it needs to work. The thermostat is just a ...
Christmas lights12/6/2006
  Q: I have a 1 1/2 story 1965 home. I have put up led lights over the past 6 years without any ...
  A: Michael Seems like there may be a problem with the lights or the circuit it is plugged into. Take ...
wiring magnetic starter12/5/2006
  Q: I recently purchased a 80 gal compressor with a 7.5 hp 230V, 1ph, 32 amp motor. The manufacturer ...
  A: Tom What you would need to do is wire the ground wire to the Compressor frame or to the connection ...
Updating wiring........12/5/2006
  Q: I have recently moved into a home that was built in the 30's. The panel and service has been ...
  A: Joe When the wiring in the house only has 2 wires going to the outlets and there is no ground ...
duplex outlet12/5/2006
  Q: I need to replace a duplex-split circuit- outlet. I don't know how the old one was pulled out as I ...
  A: CIA BRUNO What you need to do is twist the ground wires together to make a pigtail (all wires become ...
Bonding/Grounding12/5/2006
  Q: I am also putting in a jetted tub. It also has a in line heater. Both have bonding/grounding lugs - ...
  A: RON You can use 1 wire for the groounding.It can be bare min #8 is fine. Run the wire to the panel ...
Main Panel12/4/2006
  Q: My other question was should I use an ARC breaker for basement. I will be using it as a TV room?I ...
  A: Ron Sorry about that I got involved in another question. the arc fault breakers are only required ...
Main Panel12/4/2006
  Q: I am running new electric for my basement. I have a Square D 200 amp service box. I am running out ...
  A: Ron Yes you can double up on the wires for the ground and the neutral just make sure that when you ...
Underground wiring12/4/2006
  Q: The shack will be a 12'X 30'. In terms of 220 circuits, I'm am planning an electric hot water ...
  A: PHIL What I would do is run a 2 inch PVC conduit from the power companies pole to your meter. I ...
residential light switch12/4/2006
  Q: This is an older home built in 1920. I have a light switch that has a dimmer. When turning the light ...
  A: ROSE To me it sounds like the dimmer switch may be bad to verify this you will have to remove the ...
exterior lights12/3/2006
  Q: I removed old porch lights and replaced with new lights which have a dawn-dusk sensor, the sensor ...
  A: Fred Some of the newer dusk to dawn fixtures have a feature in them that allows the light to go to a ...
maytag stacked washer dryer power plug12/2/2006
  Q: i just bought this appliance from home depot and the wires in that are supposed to be attached in ...
  A: Alex What is seems like is that the Black wire and the red & blue wire are the hot legs for the ...
knob and tube/ceiling fan12/2/2006
  Q: hey ben, I have knob and tube wiring in my house for the light fixtures, the outlets are already ...
  A: Kevin With knob and tube wiring it is very hard to see what is what on the colors.The wires at the ...
leviton 6124H programmable switch12/2/2006
  Q: The leviton 6124H switch includes 4 wires (green, white, blue (Load), black (line)). I want to hook ...
  A: Owen Take the green wire to the green wire Take the white to white take the blue wire and hook it ...
Generator/Emergency12/2/2006
  Q: I have a 7800 watt generator.If I switch off the main breaker.Can and how do I connect my generator ...
  A: Tim What you would need to do is install a circuit breaker in the panel that would feed the ...
Generator/Emergency12/1/2006
  Q: I have a 7800 watt generator.If I switch off the main breaker.Can and how do I connect my generator ...
  A: Tim Is it a Portable Generator or is a fixed type? You would need to get a transfer switch that ...
Underground wiring12/1/2006
  Q: I would like to run underground electrical service on my hunting tract from the main road to my ...
  A: Phil Even though the power company is suppling a 200 amp service to the pole you may not need to ...
electrical failure11/30/2006
  Q: the neighborhood boy was helping trim bushes using electric hedge clipper. I had some holiday ...
  A: Check in the garage or in the bathrooms for a GFCI outlet. It will have 2 buttons in the middle of ...
Electric Baseboad problem11/30/2006
  Q: 1 thermostat in Living room controls 2 Electric baseboards in living room and 2 in foyer also ...
  A: Frank It sounds like the thermostat may be broken.Is this a 120 volt or a 240 volt thermostat? That ...
inadequate wiring?11/30/2006
  Q: A little bit of info before I ask my questions (in case it helps with the answer). About a year ago ...
  A: Since your residence is a Home and not a commercial building you would not have any tubing (conduit) ...
replacing an old spring thermostat with a new digital11/30/2006
  Q: What is the electrical definition of terminated. There are 3 wires the colors are blue/green, ...
  A: Mira Terminated means they are on the screws or on some sort of connection to the heat unit.If ...
replacing an old spring thermostat with a new digital11/30/2006
  Q: We just have electric forced air heating and coolingOur wires are very old and wrapped in cloth. ...
  A: Mira Are the wires at the unit terminated, I can only give you the standard wiring for a unit. If ...
wiring light diagram11/29/2006
  Q: I want to wire a 110 volt light,so I can turn the lignt on at the bottem of the stairs and turn it ...
  A: Wayne What you want is what we call in our trade a 3 way switch. Do have access to get the wire ...
Bonding screw11/28/2006
  Q: my question is this, I have an old service panel that seems to be missing a bonding screw.Do I need ...
  A: Mark A bonding screw in a panel is for applications where you would have a main breaker installed in ...
ELECTRICAL PANEL UPGRADE11/28/2006
  Q: I have a 125amp service breaker to my electrical panel. The pannel has 5 20 amp breakers on the top ...
  A: Jesse With you having a 125 amp panel installed you should have enough to add a 220 volt ...
electrical11/28/2006
  Q: what if i used one switch with 2 toggles would that control the fan and light? as u can tell i am no ...
  A: Richard You need a neutral in the fan and the only way to get that would be from the light fixture, ...
electrical11/27/2006
  Q: yes the walls are covered with plaster in the old part of the bathroom. and like i said the the ...
  A: Richard The only other way would to run a wire from the light to the fan,if you have access to the ...
electrical11/27/2006
  Q: how and where do i bring a new line in from. what i tried was to run a short line from the one light ...
  A: Richard A couple of questions 1)Are the walls covered with drywall,plaster,Etc? 2)Can you run a new ...
electrical11/27/2006
  Q: the second switch wasent connected to anything. i was lucky when i put in my bathroom fan that i was ...
  A: Richard Unfortunately you will not be able to do that unless you bring new a hot wire and a neutral ...
electrical photo eye11/27/2006
  Q: There are six 100 watt bulbs on the circuit. The photo eye is rated at 1800 watts and there is no ...
  A: Bret Six 100 watt lamps is not a big load assuming the wire size #14 Min has been ran.To me I would ...
electrical11/27/2006
  Q: one switch is for the light with the old wiring with a black and white no ground. i ran wiring from ...
  A: It sounds like who ever wired this light got the power from the light fixture,you say you have a 2 ...
electrical photo eye11/27/2006
  Q: I have lights in the eaves of my house and they are controlled by a photo eye on the south side of ...
  A: First of all Is the photo cell located near any trees,shrubs or any other obstructions?The photo ...

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