Author Topic: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?  (Read 158107 times)

Offline ElectricCPR

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #400 on: May 05, 2020, 07:52:45 PM »
...and what if it is aluminum wire?
Aluminum isn't any different than copper (regarding device installation).

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #401 on: May 05, 2020, 08:01:16 PM »
Aluminum isn't any different than copper (regarding device installation).
Would you use the push in connector on a light switch with aluminum wire?
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Offline ElectricCPR

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #402 on: May 05, 2020, 08:02:24 PM »
Would you use the push in connector on a light switch with aluminum wire?
I never recomend push connect

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #403 on: May 05, 2020, 08:11:36 PM »
I never recomend push connect
Yes but using them for copper wire is not considered dangerous.  ;)
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Offline ElectricCPR

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #404 on: May 05, 2020, 08:13:40 PM »
Remember that I'm an electrician who's seen a lot!

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #405 on: May 05, 2020, 08:16:08 PM »
Remember that I'm an electrician who's seen a lot!
Have you ever seen a multi meter blow up in someone's face?
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Offline ElectricCPR

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #406 on: May 05, 2020, 08:21:00 PM »
Have you ever a multi meter blow up in someone's face?
Like my first helper who claimed to know how to use multi-meter and he really didn't know how to use one.🤯

Online skyguy918

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #407 on: May 05, 2020, 10:22:16 PM »
I had a dedicated 110v outlet for a window AC in each of my upper level BR's, and each was on it's own dedicated 15A breaker. I've recently had split units put in and those wires were left loose because their breaker spots were needed for the condensers. As I no longer need these outlets for AC's, I want to swap them out for regular duplex outlets, to be used for things like nightlights, clocks, etc. Any reason I can't simply pop the wires for those outlets into the existing 15A breaker for all of the upper level lights/regular outlets?

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #408 on: May 05, 2020, 10:25:48 PM »
Does that existing breaker already have a wire connected to it or is it an empty breaker.
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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #409 on: May 05, 2020, 10:34:08 PM »
Does that existing breaker already have a wire connected to it or is it an empty breaker.
Already has one. That one wire currently serves the lights and 1 duplex outlet in each bedroom.

Offline ElectricCPR

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #410 on: May 05, 2020, 10:40:53 PM »
Already has one. That one wire currently serves the lights and 1 duplex outlet in each bedroom.
If you have a blank space you can add a breaker, never put 2 wires in one breaker

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #411 on: May 05, 2020, 10:42:18 PM »
If you have a blank space you can add a breaker, never put 2 wires in one breaker
We have a winner.  :)
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Offline myi

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #412 on: May 06, 2020, 03:11:02 AM »
If you have a blank space you can add a breaker, never put 2 wires in one breaker
Talking about two wires in one breaker...

 Just recently my skylight in my main bathroom stopped working , so tested everything starting with the control switch/board.

 Tested that by swapping it with another board from another working skylight and that checked out fine, meaning I still didn't get the skylight to work so I knew it wasn't the control swiitch.
  As well as the fuse inside seemed intact, confirmed that with a MM.

    Thinking that there's no electric coming into the control panel so used a Greenlee digital tester which has a function by placing the actual multi meter near live wires it will show a set of bars ranging from 1 to 4 depending how strong the current is, placed it there and saw 1-2 bars so I knew that was all fine.

   Then jumped to the motor of the skylight thinking it's quite old as I've been using it each and every night before my shower or if I wanted some fresh air.
 Swapped it with another one from a working skylight and still nothing, so went ahead and check all the crimped wire connections , but nothing doing everything seemed fine.

   Now to make sure all the wires were in tack and there's no short in the wire, I started with 2 wires at a time and completed the circuit by connecting two together and then two together by the control board.
 In English there were 2 wires running from the panel to the bathroom skylight control board which gave power, that seemed fine so left it alone.
 Then those two wires were screwed onto a control board/switch which allowed you to open and close the skylight. And from there went another 3 wires going straight up to the sky light.
   So took two wires at a time while connecting two up by the skylight and then with my multimeter on the other end tested to see if it's a complete circuit, all checked out fine with all three wires.

  So my next step was to see if there was actually power coming to the board which seemed to show there was originally, while I had no clue how to test with a multimeter what current I should test for with these low voltage stuff.
   So did it the old fashioned way by taking some wire I had roaming around and took off another working skylight control switch which was close by and tapped into the wires  going onto the board to power the skylight to see if that was the culprit.
  That tests worked out fine and allowed the skylight to work,  now it seemed that there was some issue from the panel because the two wires weren't powering the bathroom skylight, while the other one worked flawlessly.

  Went to the breaker box to see what's doing , all seemed fine as well.
  Used a tester which showed current going through.
 Wires were a bit loose so tightened that , don't exactly enjoy having loose wires in my panel box.

 ("Oh and I forgot to meantion, that indeed there was 2 wires going into the same breaker, seems like they wired both skylights to the same breaker.")

   Now last but not least I was left with no choice but to check the transformer, googled a few videos of how to test that, and went on with that test, removed it from the wall and actually swapped it again with the working one and Bam that was the issue.

 So for the time being I just took the working one, and now in the works of finding a new transformer that would fit the hole in the wall so I can screw it in the same place without the need to play around and make new holes.
   Maybe one of you guys would be of help with some leads on where to get another one from, or a compatible one that would work. ( It was a Truth skylight , which had a Truth transformer but had no luck searching for that.)

 Too bad I didn't come here for some help, wonder if you guys would have recommended to check the transformer right away.
 But thank God I was able to fix it.
  Not fun at all to come out of a shower In a steaming hot, and wet bathroom.
  Sorry for boring you guys, but that was my two wire story!  ;)


Have you ever seen a multi meter blow up in someone's face?

That story sounds familiar! :)
« Last Edit: May 06, 2020, 03:18:01 AM by myi »
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Offline dovy2

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #413 on: May 06, 2020, 06:57:29 AM »
Yes, with old style I meant cloth covered, and where the wires are screwed in front of the switch.

It is brittle, I see that already without digging in much.

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #414 on: May 06, 2020, 08:06:21 AM »
Talking about two wires in one breaker...
Any numbers on the transformer?
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Offline ElectricCPR

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #415 on: May 06, 2020, 08:38:47 AM »
Yes, with old style I meant cloth covered, and where the wires are screwed in front of the switch.

It is brittle, I see that already without digging in much.
You can try and contact me when you're in the middle because the insulation cracked or contact me now.

Online skyguy918

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #416 on: June 04, 2020, 08:29:29 AM »
I'm redoing my deck and hoping to put lighting in on a built in pergola (ie for a sukkah, but permanent). I would like to put in something like tape LED strips on the underside of each of the pergola beams. Obviously it would have to be waterproof, and be able to be wired into an existing switch that controls an old flood light I'd be replacing. Is this doable for a reasonable price? And if so, any suggestions?

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #417 on: June 04, 2020, 08:50:47 AM »
There are all type of LED lighting strips that are used in places like kitchens. Will look to see if they have them for outdoor use.
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Offline ElectricCPR

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #418 on: June 04, 2020, 09:06:34 AM »
I'm redoing my deck and hoping to put lighting in on a built in pergola (ie for a sukkah, but permanent). I would like to put in something like tape LED strips on the underside of each of the pergola beams. Obviously it would have to be waterproof, and be able to be wired into an existing switch that controls an old flood light I'd be replacing. Is this doable for a reasonable price? And if so, any suggestions?
Ther are waterproof tape lights we call them ropes

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #419 on: June 04, 2020, 09:18:11 AM »
Ther are waterproof tape lights we call them ropes
LOL. After a Google search there are outdoor strips he can use.
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