67
votes
Accepted
Should all Federal Pacific panels be replaced?
Concurring mostly with Some Guy's answer here -- the reason why I take an aggressive tone in my other answers regarding FPE is because many of the OPs are coming to us because they want to do ...
- 79k
63
votes
My room lights' brightness pulses when I turn on my toaster oven
I've been in my attic and saw that some of the wires have been chewed
bare by mice.
Whether this is the cause of the dimming or not, you need to immediately get an exterminator to rid your home of ...
- 23k
22
votes
Accepted
Is it normal for GFCI receptacles to explode and burn?
This happens all the time if an exterior GFCI is not weather-resistant. I've never had a weather resistant GFCI go up in smoke.
Yes, they can be in a metal box, but they still should be marked WR (...
- 101k
20
votes
Accepted
Does unblocking power bar outlets through short extension cords increase fire risk?
Yes, but negligibly.
Any connection increases fire risk by increasing the chance of heat buildup due to resistance, sparks due to arcing, etc. The question is how much, and the answer is not much.
...
- 119k
16
votes
Does unblocking power bar outlets through short extension cords increase fire risk?
In fact, there are UL-listed power strips that provide an octopus of short cords-on-sockets. (by the way it was hell to find a genuine UL-listed unit of good provenance from Stanley; most of the ...
15
votes
Should all Federal Pacific panels be replaced?
There is not a reason to replace the panel in a panic. It has worked this long, there is no reason to expect it to fail.
Replace it when you can comfortably afford it.
Yes, you almost certainly have ...
- 2,237
14
votes
Is it normal for GFCI receptacles to explode and burn?
Move the GFCI
GFCIs have sensitive electronic components, as you found out the hard way. A regular outlet does not. If you can move the GFCI protection to an indoor location and then replace this with ...
12
votes
Accepted
Ground wire giving shock
This can be caused by a bootleg ground together with a poor neutral connection at the service panel.
In building wiring, a bootleg ground is an electrical ground that is wired from the neutral side ...
- 14k
11
votes
My room lights' brightness pulses when I turn on my toaster oven
There are more issues to cope with:
Damaged wiring, as jwh20 suggested. Yes, call electrician in and inspect all wires for damage. Enclose them in rodent-resistant tubes or something. (I am used to ...
- 1,097
10
votes
My room lights' brightness pulses when I turn on my toaster oven
The damaged wires (and the underlying pests that could cause even more damage) are definitely your #1 concern.
Once's that's addressed...
The pulsing could be the thermostat in the toaster oven. To ...
- 233
10
votes
Accepted
Can I burn away a rotten fence post in the ground?
Drill it out.
If your drill (or drill bits, or drill bits + extensions) won't do the job, rent or purchase one that will.
Even if the gas line WASN'T right there, the heat from burning it out would ...
9
votes
What can I do about electric code violations in a rental unit?
I had this same situation. I made a (written) list of issues (with pictures) and gave it to the landlord. When it became clear that the landlord would not fix them, I called an inspector. It turned ...
- 2,340
9
votes
Can buried gas pipe conduct flame between two structures?
The possibility of the natural gas line transmitting the fire is extremely close to zero. Yes natural gas requires air, about 20% mixture of gas and air (more air than gas). Getting that mixture in ...
- 4,366
9
votes
My room lights' brightness pulses when I turn on my toaster oven
Obviously, other posters are correct to note that the bare wires are the real issue here. However, as explanation for the dimming itself:
Many LED lights, especially those designed to be backwards-...
- 191
7
votes
Accepted
Is wrapping Roxul around hot water tank pipe a fire hazard?
No. As you seem to be aware, Roxul is a mineral wool product, and mineral wool is fireproof. You're right that it will "trap the heat" but this is exactly what you want and the result will be less ...
- 12.4k
7
votes
Does unblocking power bar outlets through short extension cords increase fire risk?
The problems of 'greedy' power supplies can be resolved by using power bars which have proper individual sockets for each position. They also tend to have better quality contacts than the cheap multi-...
- 2,643
6
votes
Accepted
Can buried gas pipe conduct flame between two structures?
A gas pipe is filled with nearly 100% flammable gas—at least under normal conditions.
Propane and natural gas need to be mixed with air (or oxygen) to be combustible. The ideal combination for ...
- 12.3k
6
votes
Accepted
Using fire retardant sealant for low-voltage cables through walls
If you don't run conduit, you won't be able to pull wires with a pull string going through holes in studs anyway. So you might as well firestop them (or run conduit and firestop around the outside of ...
- 174k
6
votes
Accepted
Why are my wall plates bowing outward?
You typically don't use domed head screws to mount the receptacle to the box (they stick out too far). You can get away with it if the back of the wallplate has a big indentation for those screw ...
- 5,988
6
votes
What are the requirements for fire doors in homes?
In England, the regulation is Approved Document B of the Building Regulations 2019
In Wales, Approved Document B of the Building Regulations (Wales) and amendments
In Scotland, Part 2 Building ...
- 2,643
6
votes
Accepted
How can I hide power cords for an entertainment system behind drywall?
If you want to hide all the wires, PSUs and accessories from view in both the TV location and the dining room behind, and assuming the dining room wall is finished, you will have to build a cabinet to ...
- 28.4k
6
votes
Is it safe to use the neutral wire as a ground
The ground is just for safety, it is not to be used as part of the circuit, so a big no.
Should get the same voltage between neutral and ground to hot, ~120 volts.
If you are only getting 92v on ...
- 18.8k
5
votes
Should all Federal Pacific panels be replaced?
Yes, I'm making a second answer.
Why? Because today I needed to shut off a circuit in an old stab-lok control center. I flipped the breaker and fortunately I checked. It did not actually turn off.
...
- 10.6k
5
votes
What can I do about electric code violations in a rental unit?
You should read up on what your legal rights (and responsibilities) are. Most landlord/tenant law in the US is at the state level, but your city and county may have additional rules. Most states have ...
- 13.9k
5
votes
Should old knob and tube wiring be replaced?
A big problem with K&T is the horizontal runs - sagging over time means stress on the insulation, which becomes brittle from oxidation (not the wire - the rubber insulation), and can break off. ...
5
votes
Accepted
GU24 to E26 light socket adapter -- any risks?
If I buy a GU24 to E26 adapter and install a 30- or 60-watt incandescent in it:
Is there a risk of fire because the fixture can't handle the heat produced by a 14+ watt light bulb?
Is there ...
5
votes
Accepted
Reflective bubble insulation for making stairs fire-resistant?
Wrong rating for the wrong job
The "Class A" fire rating you see on a package of reflective-bubble insulation is an ASTM E84 surface burning rating, measured using a horizontal apparatus ...
- 79k
5
votes
What material is used to create oven/cooker kitchen cabinets?
Every oven / cooker manufacturer will provide you with clearances that clearly state the distances needed on all sides of the appliances between the appliance and adjacent surfaces for safety. Please ...
- 2,072
5
votes
How can I hide power cords for an entertainment system behind drywall?
Problem is that I know I'm not allowed to run a 120v cord through a wall
Correct. All you do is install a bog-standard receptacle directly behind the TV so it is hidden by the TV, and you use ...
5
votes
Is it safe to use the neutral wire as a ground
NO
It is NEVER okay to use neutral as ground, or vice versa. They serve two completely different functions.
The purpose of neutral is to carry current back to the source. It carries current, and can ...
- 385
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible