Author Topic: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?  (Read 158132 times)

Offline myi

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #260 on: January 09, 2019, 07:29:58 PM »
Ok thanks for explaining. It’s an old switch in an old house, if there is now ground wiring in switch box, is there a simple way to ground?
The Bx would have a green ground, if it does take a screw on the fixture and screw the the ground to it, and if not, not sure how to produce  a ground. Not sure if it's possible.
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Offline tzifanya54

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #261 on: January 09, 2019, 11:13:51 PM »
The Bx would have a green ground, if it does take a screw on the fixture and screw the the ground to it, and if not, not sure how to produce  a ground. Not sure if it's possible.
Some of the wiring is original wiring from the 50’s. Don’t think they were so into grounding things back then...

Offline ElectricCPR

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #262 on: January 09, 2019, 11:30:47 PM »
The Bx would have a green ground, if it does take a screw on the fixture and screw the the ground to it, and if not, not sure how to produce  a ground. Not sure if it's possible.
I think you're a little confused. If there is a green wire (meaning it's MC cable) and the box is metal, it needs to be connected to the box as well as the fixture. If there is no green wire (meaning it's BX cable) and the armor is acting as the ground, you would have to attach the fixture ground to the box.

Offline myi

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #263 on: January 09, 2019, 11:37:30 PM »
I think you're a little confused. If there is a green wire (meaning it's MC cable) and the box is metal, it needs to be connected to the box as well as the fixture. If there is no green wire (meaning it's BX cable) and the armor is acting as the ground, you would have to attach the fixture ground to the box.
Correct, the MC I would ground to the box and the AC (or bx) I would have the thin wire or the bx acting like armor like you said act as a ground.
 
 Green to box and fixture ground to box as well/tighten around a screw if you like.
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Offline David R

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #264 on: January 09, 2019, 11:51:15 PM »
To attach a ground wire to a metal box:
If it is a relatively recently manufactured box, one or more of the holes in the back of the box is threaded for the purpose of screwing in a ground screw. Wrap the end of the bare wire or the stripped end of the green wire around the screw and tighten.
If the box is old, it may not have a threaded hole for grounding. In that case, use a ground clip, which holds the ground wire tightly against a side of the box.

Either way, I am not referring to the thin bare metal wire that runs through armored cable.

Offline myi

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #265 on: January 10, 2019, 02:05:35 AM »

Either way, I am not referring to the thin bare metal wire that runs through armored cable.
As that's made to wrap around the bx and stick in a bushing to avoid the wires from being pulled back into the bx and having the wires nicked on the metal shards of the bx.
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Offline good sam

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #266 on: January 13, 2019, 10:36:29 PM »
So now I replaced my old cans with led retrofits. Is there any reason in the world to save the old cans or should they go straight to the trash?
If you don't care why would you comment?
HT: DMYD

Offline yesitsme

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #267 on: January 13, 2019, 10:44:59 PM »
So now I replaced my old cans with led retrofits. Is there any reason in the world to save the old cans or should they go straight to the trash?
I Would keep it
["-"]

Offline good sam

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #268 on: January 13, 2019, 10:46:41 PM »
If you don't care why would you comment?
HT: DMYD

Offline David R

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #269 on: January 14, 2019, 11:48:03 PM »
So now I replaced my old cans with led retrofits. Is there any reason in the world to save the old cans or should they go straight to the trash?
The white pieces in the photo are trims, not cans. As for the metal pieces, I'm surprised you removed them. Would the retrofits not have fit if you left those metal pieces in?

Offline good sam

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #270 on: January 14, 2019, 11:58:34 PM »
The white pieces in the photo are trims, not cans. As for the metal pieces, I'm surprised you removed them. Would the retrofits not have fit if you left those metal pieces in?
Correct, would not have fit.
If you don't care why would you comment?
HT: DMYD

Offline stooges44

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #271 on: April 08, 2019, 10:32:14 PM »
 So my gardener removed some bushes today and in the process also cut out an outlet that was next to them connected to the fence, I don't really care  about the outlet because I don't recall ever using it I'm just nervous now that there is a buried live wire somewhere in my yard.

Should I be concerned?  Anything I can do aside from digging around and looking for it? (Something i'd rather not have to do)

Thanks
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Offline David R

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #272 on: April 08, 2019, 11:43:59 PM »
So my gardener removed some bushes today and in the process also cut out an outlet that was next to them connected to the fence, I don't really care  about the outlet because I don't recall ever using it I'm just nervous now that there is a buried live wire somewhere in my yard.

Should I be concerned?  Anything I can do aside from digging around and looking for it? (Something i'd rather not have to do)

Thanks
Yes, be concerned. If you think you know where the wire leads to, turn it off or disconnect it at the next junction box.

Offline myi

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #273 on: April 09, 2019, 01:10:21 AM »
Yes, be concerned. If you think you know where the wire leads to, turn it off or disconnect it at the next junction box.
If the gardener cut some live wires with an electric saw I'm sure there would have been some sparks or something, my hunch is its a dead outlet.
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Offline stooges44

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #274 on: April 09, 2019, 06:09:35 AM »
Yes, be concerned. If you think you know where the wire leads to, turn it off or disconnect it at the next junction box.

But what if I don't know where the wires came from?

If the gardener cut some live wires with an electric saw I'm sure there would have been some sparks or something, my hunch is its a dead outlet.

Good point but how would I know for sure? Maybe he just pulled really hard and it ripped
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Offline stooges44

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #275 on: April 09, 2019, 10:01:38 AM »
Yes, be concerned. If you think you know where the wire leads to, turn it off or disconnect it at the next junction box.

So I see this at the back of the house and I'm assuming the wires go from there and under the concrete to the the fence on the opposite side



How do I tell which breaker in the house is for this so I can turn it off?
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Offline jes

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #276 on: April 09, 2019, 10:37:09 AM »
So I see this at the back of the house and I'm assuming the wires go from there and under the concrete to the the fence on the opposite side



How do I tell which breaker in the house is for this so I can turn it off?
Use a wire tester and a partner and flip the breakers one by one.

Offline David R

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #277 on: April 09, 2019, 01:48:07 PM »
Use a wire tester and a partner and flip the breakers one by one.
The cover visible in the photo should be covering fully insulated wires, where you wouldn't be able to use a neon tester or multimeter to contact the wires without damaging them. Instead, use the test device that makes sound but doesn't require electrical contact.

Offline stooges44

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #278 on: April 09, 2019, 02:24:16 PM »
The cover visible in the photo should be covering fully insulated wires, where you wouldn't be able to use a neon tester or multimeter to contact the wires without damaging them. Instead, use the test device that makes sound but doesn't require electrical contact.

There is a light switch also that was for in-ground lights that are also gone, those wires are much easier to get to, would it make sense that both the lights and the outlet are on the same breaker?
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Offline myi

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #279 on: April 09, 2019, 04:23:51 PM »
There is a light switch also that was for in-ground lights that are also gone, those wires are much easier to get to, would it make sense that both the lights and the outlet are on the same breaker?
Where's the electric coming from? Another outlet on the opposite end?
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