20
votes
How can I get around 16 electrical receptacles in a small area with the least amount of wiring?
The standard method for providing power to equipment racks is a vertical multiple outlet strip mounted to the rack rails inside the cabinet on one side (with signal wires on the opposite side to avoid ...
- 1,874
11
votes
Is this screw inside a 2-prong receptacle a possible ground?
Almost assuredly not. To my untrained eye, that looks like knob-and-tube individual wires coming into that box. In addition to the very low chance of those actually being grounded, there's not a ...
- 5,254
9
votes
Accepted
Breaker trips when plugging into wall outlet(receptacle) directly, but not when using extension
Do the PC plugs feel looser in the wall outlet than in the six socket extension?
I would turn off the breaker and double check there is no power.
Remove the face plate and see if the outlet is loose ...
- 28.4k
8
votes
Accepted
Should I GFCI-protect a bathroom light and fan?
Don't put the light on the GFCI
Putting a bathroom light on a GFCI is unwise, because you don't want the bathroom light to go out when the GFCI trips because your significant other dropped their ...
- 85.2k
7
votes
Am I allowed to put GFCI protection stickers on inside of mounting plate?
The "GFCI Protected" marking must be visible to an ordinary user of the receptacle, from the room the receptacle serves. That is, on what would normally be called the “outside” of the cover ...
- 7,117
7
votes
Is this screw inside a 2-prong receptacle a possible ground?
The metal circles are knockouts, for wire entry at the other end of the box, just like the knockouts where the two existing wires enter the box.
It's difficult to see the screw you're pointing at, but ...
- 383
6
votes
How can I connect 120V outlets to a #10 cable on a 30A breaker?
You could change the breaker to a 20 amp. Then splice to #12 cable in a junction box in the garage and run #12 cable to wherever you want outlets.
- 38.6k
5
votes
Accepted
Why do we ground receptacles to their metal boxes?
If the hot wire accidentally comes in contact with the metal box, having a grounded metal box will close the circuit and trip the breaker, telling you that something is wrong and to check the wires. ...
- 8,690
5
votes
Accepted
Kitchen half-wall/pony-wall receptacle height
There's a maximum height above the countertop specified in code, but no minimum. Therefore, here are the relevant considerations as I see them:
I'd want them up as much as possible to avoid splash ...
- 144k
5
votes
How can I connect 120V outlets to a #10 cable on a 30A breaker?
Most subpanels expect two hots, which you don't have.
You can use a regular subpanel but can only use half of the breaker spaces (most simple setup).
From the top it will be the first space, skip the ...
- 28.4k
3
votes
How can I connect 120V outlets to a #10 cable on a 30A breaker?
Yes, if you want a 20 or 15 amp outlet from a 30 amp supply, you need a subpanel between them with a 15 or 20 amp breaker.
- 32.1k
3
votes
Adding an outlet from an existing switch outlet
All the neutral wires connect together. That's all of the white wires except for the white wire that is combined with two blacks in the red wire nut that is hanging out of the box.
Switched hot is the ...
3
votes
Installing GFCI with two white & 1 black wires
With the power off, remove the wire nut on the 3 white wires. Discard the "pigtail" that goes to the GFCI.
You now need to determine which cable is the "Line", ( power coming to ...
- 38.6k
3
votes
Accepted
Two solid plus one stranded wire in a wire nut?
Yes you can twist solid and stranded together and cover with a wire nut. (Wires should be twisted together, then be inserted in the wire nut, and the nut twisted further until tight. Do not just shove ...
- 38.6k
3
votes
Why do we ground receptacles to their metal boxes?
Code requires that the metal box itself remain grounded, even if the receptacle or other device is removed. NEC 250.148.
Given that all switches (and better receptacles) are "self-grounding&...
2
votes
Two solid plus one stranded wire in a wire nut?
Another option is to use a receptacle that doesn't have its own wires but has screw-to-clamp connections, such as this Leviton from Home Depot:
The key is the side screw connectors. Instead of the ...
1
vote
Am I allowed to put GFCI protection stickers on inside of mounting plate?
Visibly install the labels. Not every device with a ground prong is allowed to be used in ungrounded receptacles. The stickers are required by Code to assist you at not plugging in devices they are ...
- 19.1k
1
vote
Am I allowed to put GFCI protection stickers on inside of mounting plate?
The purpose of the sticker is so that:
Occupants can know that GFCI is provided at an outlet, and use that outlet if that is what they need.
Occupants can know that if an outlet fails, a GFCI device ...
- 43.7k
1
vote
Two solid plus one stranded wire in a wire nut?
Another option would be to simply use Wago connectors instead of nuts. You'd still want to pre-twist the stranded wires.
- 4,232
1
vote
Will running bare wire to this part of the box properly ground my receptacle?
If the ground (bare) wire is long enough, you make a loop around the grounding screw in the box, then continue to the outlet. In your case, the bare wire is short. Make a couple pigtails (short pieces ...
- 8,690
1
vote
Adding an outlet from an existing switch outlet
Mark the black wire going to the receptacle with red tape to indicate "switched-hot". That's for convenience/easy understanding, and is not a code requirement.
Mark the white wire in the ...
1
vote
How to fix this outlet stub up through concrete?
They will have to knock a hole in the concrete big enough for the electrician to insert his box and then mud around it. Tell the electrician to get a PVC adapter if he needs a smaller pipe. He should ...
- 114
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