Questions tagged [wiring]
The installation of wire and/or electrical devices, to allow the transmission of electricity from one point to another.
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What wire gauge do I need for a 100 Amp subpanel at the end of a 60' wire run?
I am adding an attached garage to my house. I'm going to be putting in a 100 Amp subpanel which is about 60 feet away and run through the basement joists.
What gauge wire do you recommend for ...
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When doing electrical work, what do I use to check wires are safe?
If I am thinking of replacing a light switch, a light-fitting, a socket/outlet or doing other work with household wiring where there may be 120 Volts or 240 volts present ...
There is already a ...
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Is it ok to have mixed grounds and neutrals on bars in a breaker box?
So to continue my line of electrical questioning (and perhaps narrow down my flickering light problem), I took a look through the two panels in this house. There is a 200amp main service in the ...
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Can Romex (NM-B) cable be run through conduit?
A few days ago I asked an electrician if I could run cable through conduit - he gave me a funny look and said "No, Romex is not allowed in conduit."
When I searched online, there seems to be ...
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Where does the ground wire go in a 3-prong dryer cord configuration?
We moved to a new place where the dryer connection is 3-prong instead of 4-prong. The dryer was originally 4-prong, so we bought a 3-prong cord and installed it. It works fine, except I am not ...
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What to do with a new duplex outlet when the tester says Hot & Ground are Reversed?
I switched out a regular outlet with a LeGrand Radiant Duplex Outlet, connecting all of the wires (2 White, 2 Black and 1 Green) exactly as the previous outlet was wired and according to the ...
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Can I run CAT5/6 cables parallel to electrical cables?
I am building a new house and am planning to hardwire network cables into each room.
Can I run CAT5/6 cables parallel to electrical wires without introducing any general safety issues or losing much ...
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What is the proper 'per code' method for running nonmetallic sheathed cable above a ceiling in the attic?
Can the wiring be run over the top of the ceiling joist, or must it be run through bored holes when running perpendicular to the joists?
This is a non-habitable space, will have an attic entrance ...
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Can different gauges of wire be used on the same circuit?
My father-in-law is a builder. He has put in 20 amp and 15 amp breakers, and ran 12-2 as the home runs to the switch's and the first plug to make them hot. He then ran 14-2 to feed the rest of the ...
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Can ground shock me? It's bonded to neutral in my panel
I have no outdoor outlets. I want to install a GFCI outlet underneath my main service panel.
Inside the panel there is only one bar with both ground and neutral wires connected to it. If I connect ...
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Why is it safe to use 15 A receptacles on a 20 A circuit?
OK, the one answer I got was way off target, and another commenter couldn't figure out what I was asking, so I'm restating the question...
Are 15A 3-prong grounded outlets actually rated to 20A, ...
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What is a multiwire branch circuit?
What is a multiwire branch circuit? (also known as "multiwire circuit", "multiwire branch circuit", "split phase shared neutral", "two circuits fed from one 12-3 or ...
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How should I connect the ground wire for my light fixture?
I am replacing a light fixture in my bathroom and have the following setup:
The electrical box is plastic
The wire coming from supply has black (hot), white (neutral) and copper (ground).
The light ...
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Can I run stripped Romex/NM through conduit?
If I have NM cable running into a junction box, can I strip the sheath of the NM cable starting inside the junction box and run the conductors without a sheath through conduit that is connected to the ...
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How many outlets can you have on one 15 amp circuit?
In my rebuilding project I have counted 18 outlets and lights on one bedroom circuit that travels through 3 rooms. Is that ok?
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Do I really have to fasten interior-wall electrical wire to a stud to keep it from moving?
I am fresh out of cable staples and would rather not go all the way to Lowe's just to get a box. What are the implications of not fastening loose electrical wires to a stud? It's not like there's ...
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Getting shocked by a neutral wire
I'm trying to figure out how I got a shock from a neutral wire. I didn't think it was possible until I read this article on being "in series with the neutral." Here's what happened:
I was ...
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Why am I getting 50V at a light when the switch is off?
I am trying to put in a switch and a light it controls in a storage building and this is how I wired it.
Click for larger view
When I checked the wiring it registered 120V when the switch was on, ...
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Cat 5/6 in same conduit as power: is NM-B required, or is THHN acceptable?
Preface: I'd like to avoid the question of whether one should run data and power together; my question is focused on Code compliance.
I'm trying to ensure I interpret Code correctly when running Cat ...
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How do I run ethernet cable through a wall cavity?
I want to install an ethernet jack in an interior wall of one room. I'd like to run the cable up through the wall cavity (so it is hidden) into the crawl space and back down another wall to another ...
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How do I run ethernet, speaker wire, and coax through a wall into a crawlspace?
I would like to run three low-voltage cables from my entertainment center through an old plaster wall, down (1-3 feet) through the sill plate, and into the crawlspace.
The cables are Ethernet, ...
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How can I install this programmable switch where a neutral is not present?
I'm trying install this programmable switch but the instructions do not match reality. The instructions refer to the existence of a black (load) cable and a white (neutral) cable supposedly coming out ...
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Can different gauge wiring be used in the same circuit?
I am extending a lighting and outlet circuit in a basement. The current setup has the following characteristics
15 amp. circuit breaker (200 amp service)
4 existing lighting fixtures using CFL bulbs (...
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How should I wire a ceiling fan remote where two switches are used to control the fixture?
I have 2 wall switches. 4 wires coming out of ceiling (black-hot, red-hot, white-common, bare- ground), a ceiling fan and a remote. How do I wire them and still be able to use wall switches?
I can ...
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When wiring a switch loop, which wire is which?
If you're wiring up a lighting circuit, where the power enters at the lighting outlet. According to the National Electrical Code, which wire should be "hot" and which should be "...
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Controlling 110v swamp cooler using Nest thermostat
I currently have an HVAC system that is connected to a Nest thermostat (2nd generation) and I'm planning to use the same Nest thermostat to control a 110 swamp cooler that is currently not connected.
...
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How do you know when and where it is safe to drill into a wall?
Lots of home projects involve cutting or drilling through walls (everything from nails, screws, or hooks to mount things to cutting through drywall and drilling through studs to run wire).
In general,...
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What is a GFI outlet used for, and where should I install them?
What purpose does a GFI serve? Where should they be used?
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Is switching the neutral OK?
What’s the worst that can happen if I put a switch in the neutral instead of the phase?
I just found out that 3 light bulbs sockets in my home are connected this way. It came to my mind to fix it, but ...
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Can I use #8 wire in a 15 or 20A circuit?
I have a customer with a detached garage/shed unit that wants to install a few outlets and light fixtures/recessed lighting - common residential use, meaning no heavy power tools, washers/dryers, etc.
...
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What is a split bus panel, and how do I recognize it in the field?
I'm having trouble identifying a split bus panel. I design and install Solar systems, and lately (after Mr Wiley gave a few seminars to local inspectors) the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) ...
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Can I install a Subpanel (in a seperate building) using a 3 wire connection (2 hots and 1 grounded neutral)?
Can I use a 3 wire connection (2 hots and 1 grounded neutral) to install a sub panel in a separate structure if I install a separate ground rod to the grounding bus in sub panel?
I have 8/3 w/o ...
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What is the maximum 12/2 wire length from a 20A breaker to a baseboard heater?
What is the maximum distance from a 220V/20amp circuit breaker to an 2000 watt electric baseboard heater using 12/2? At what distance would it require 10/2?
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What should I consider regarding LAN wiring before building a house?
I am planning a small house (4 rooms, 2 floors, no basement, no attic, 120 sq.meters) and I want to run a lot of LAN cables throughout because of poor WiFi experiences in my apartment.
Because the ...
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Why does my home's power fade and surge when I plug things in?
I live in Texas. I ran 300 ft of aluminum electric direct-bury 4-4-2 from the pole on street to my new home. The pole is metered and yes, I had my utility's blessing to do so.
Everything worked ...
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How should I run wiring for my above-fireplace mounted TV?
I'm going to mount my 47" LCD above my fireplace. I'm not looking for arguments against this decision. I'm looking for wiring solutions. The diagram below should help explain the situation.
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Is there an NEC-compliant method of repairing minor damage to electrical wire insulation without a junction box?
While trying to pry loose a stubborn cable staple that fastens a 14-gauge electrical cable to a stud, I accidentally tore a very small hole through both the outer jacket and the insulation around the ...
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Which side of a two-wire cable should be used for "hot"?
I bought a custom length of a 16/2 cable (two 16-gauge stranded wires, individually insulated). The two wires have identical colors and insulation; the only thing to tell them apart is that along one,...
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Why would replacing this 240 V outlet with a 120 V outlet trip my breaker?
I recently replaced a 20 A 250 V single outlet with a 20 A 125 V single outlet so that I could use it for my microwave in the kitchen. The original outlet had two gold screws and a grounding screw. ...
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Can a 20 amp circuit have a 14 gauge pigtail directly to one receptacle?
I'm rewiring a a small part of a wall and I'm confused about a combination of the NEC and the products that I'm able to find.
I'm working on a 20 amp circuit (with 12g wire of course). I'm ...
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Why am I getting shocked by a water heater?
Background:
I live in Metro Manila, Philippines where the electric distribution company, Meralco, delivers split-phase power to residential buildings. Our old (1980s) Meralco service drop consists ...
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How do I run a wire underground to an outdoor post lamp?
I live in Geauga county Ohio. My question is three part. First what type of wire do I need to run from the house underground to a post lamp 100 feet away? Second,does it need to be in conduit and ...
user2251
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Is it safe to install a three pronged cable into a four pronged dryer?
I just moved into an old home that has a three pronged wall jack as shown below:
I have a newer dryer that has a four pronged cable. Please see the back of the dryer, I've removed the four pronged ...
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Can I tie into a 12 gauge 20 amp line with 14/2 NM-B to run a light?
My refrigerator line is 20 amp with 12 gauge wire. Can I tap into that with 14/2 wire, and run a light switch and 1 LED light?
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Why are most of my cable/coax wires disconnected?
I'm researching an ethernet-over-coax solution for my home. In my closet where all the cabling meet, all but two coax cables are disconnected. There are 14 cables altogether, with 12 cables entirely ...
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If I run CAT5/6 cables parallel to electrical cables, is it possible to shield the cables with copper tubes to stop interference? [duplicate]
I'm remodeling my home and I wanted to hardwire some extensions of my ethernet near my 220v outlet, by near at least a foot away from it. I was wondering, would I be able block the interference if I ...
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Can I install two independent gfci outlets in one double-gang box?
Cam I have two GFCIs connected to one double gang box in my laundry room and if so can I do a single line connection so that they both can work independently?
I have a 12/2 going from the panel ...
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Can I use 14 gauge wire on a 20 AMP electrical circuit? [duplicate]
Running 12-2 Romex cable from the electrical panel to a J-box located in attic. J-box will connect two GFCI outlets and extend a 14-2 cable to the ceiling light fixture box, where other 14-2 cable ...
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Best way to run power to mobile home
I have 3 feeder wires coming up underground from the meter and main disconnect. They tie in to a 50amp receptacle box and a 6 AWG cord With 8Awg ground all in one. That cord goes into my electrical ...
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What is the purpose of these holes on my wire stripper?
I have been using this wire stripper for a while, but I have always wondered what was the purpose of those holes in the center and above LOOP, and those teeth on the handles.
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