fullygoldy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fullygoldy) wrote2006-11-13 08:21 am
fullygoldy) wrote2006-11-13 08:21 am
Electrical Lessons
Here are a few things you need to know when working with electricity. I'm assuming you already know to turn off a circuit before sticking your fingers anywhere near the wires.
1) A circuit will always calculate out to zero. (Okay, you probably will never use that one, because I haven't since I quit taking physics courses, and I never took any electrical engineering. But in case you take those kinds of classes, this is the most important thing to remember - it's the same idea as the fact that a stirred liquid containing ice will always be 32 deg. F/0 deg. C. Both facts are amazingly helpful at test time.)
2) When faced with some wires, the white one is "neutral." The colored one is "hot" (it carries the current). If there are only 2 wires (the ground is considered separately and will be bare copper), their most likely colors will be black and white. If a third wire is present (for 220 loads, etc.) it will be red. If you have blue and green wires present, you're getting into complicated territory, and why are you messing around with those wires anyway? At the very least, you should put down your "Home Wiring for Dummies" book and consult an electrician, if not hire one.
3) As long as you always attach Black to black, and Red to red, and White to white, you'll be fine. Really. It's like charging your car battery - same to same and you're good to go.
4) Most modern houses have most of their circuits wired to 15 amp breakers with 110 V. Bigger breakers (20 or 30 amps) are required for stoves, electric dryers, or well pumps. These items will also be drawing 220 V power, so they will have 3 wires in their circuits. Sometimes you get lucky and get 20 amp circuits. Twenties are nice, because you'll rarely trip them, but the builder will probably have put the maximum number of lights or receptacles on the circuit as well, so you could eventually run into trouble. Also, 20 amp circuits require 12 gauge wire, while 15s only require 14 gauge wire. Yes, it makes a difference.
5) There is nothing more helpful than an orderly and clearly labled circuit box. In lieu of that, schematic diagrams would be lovely, but good luck getting them, unless you're willing to draw them yourself. Don't forget to include the home runs. If you ever have a house built for you, make sure the electrician does both for you. Your next repairman will bless you for it.
6) Always use long-nosed pliers with insulated handles when working with wire. 12 gauge wire is a bitch to twist or bend, and the pliers give you lots of leverage. 14 gauge wire is definitely easier, but it's still better with the pliers. And if you get a pair with a curved nose, all the better. A set in all sizes and shapes is the best possible thing to have on hand. And a large variety of wire nuts. And a screwdriver with a magnetized tip is really nice. One of those little meters that tells you if the circuit is live can be helpful, but anything small you can plug-in works too.
7) If you're going to do a relatively minor electrical job at Casa de Decker, plan on it taking a couple of days. Changing out a fixture anywhere else is usually no big deal, but you might spend half a day or more figuring out what circuit it's on. And then, once you've decided and turned off that circuit, plus the other one that's carried in that junction box just-to-be-safe, you may well find out the white wire is hot too. Of course, it will be one of two white wires, and you'll have to figure out which circuit is sucking juice through a white, but have faith. You can do it. And afterward, you can have a nice big martini prepared by the wonderful Rupert.
8) Do NOT under any circumstances, open up the receptacle box under our bar. Technically, we know it carries power to circuits 6 & 8. However, there's at least one more circuit running through there and it ain't the dishwasher. It shouldn't be #7 either, but then, #8 shouldn't be in the box with 7 & 16, yet there it is. Two 3-wire cables run into the top of the box, and the black wire from the left one IS #8. It's the six white wires that run into the box from the bottom that have me most flustered. SIX. WHITE. Wires. None of them labeled. Each one attached to another wire inside a single gang box (who uses that for a junction box anyway?! - and yes, this IS the second house we've owned where that has happened, thank-you-very-little). So we've got white-to-black and white-to-red, and white-to-white (which should be neutral, but hey, don't count on it), and the next time I pull the cover on that box, I'll be paying an electrician to sort it all out. Because I'm not that much of a masochist, and the BIL is never going to agree to open it up again anyway.
2) When faced with some wires, the white one is "neutral." The colored one is "hot" (it carries the current). If there are only 2 wires (the ground is considered separately and will be bare copper), their most likely colors will be black and white. If a third wire is present (for 220 loads, etc.) it will be red. If you have blue and green wires present, you're getting into complicated territory, and why are you messing around with those wires anyway? At the very least, you should put down your "Home Wiring for Dummies" book and consult an electrician, if not hire one.
3) As long as you always attach Black to black, and Red to red, and White to white, you'll be fine. Really. It's like charging your car battery - same to same and you're good to go.
4) Most modern houses have most of their circuits wired to 15 amp breakers with 110 V. Bigger breakers (20 or 30 amps) are required for stoves, electric dryers, or well pumps. These items will also be drawing 220 V power, so they will have 3 wires in their circuits. Sometimes you get lucky and get 20 amp circuits. Twenties are nice, because you'll rarely trip them, but the builder will probably have put the maximum number of lights or receptacles on the circuit as well, so you could eventually run into trouble. Also, 20 amp circuits require 12 gauge wire, while 15s only require 14 gauge wire. Yes, it makes a difference.
5) There is nothing more helpful than an orderly and clearly labled circuit box. In lieu of that, schematic diagrams would be lovely, but good luck getting them, unless you're willing to draw them yourself. Don't forget to include the home runs. If you ever have a house built for you, make sure the electrician does both for you. Your next repairman will bless you for it.
6) Always use long-nosed pliers with insulated handles when working with wire. 12 gauge wire is a bitch to twist or bend, and the pliers give you lots of leverage. 14 gauge wire is definitely easier, but it's still better with the pliers. And if you get a pair with a curved nose, all the better. A set in all sizes and shapes is the best possible thing to have on hand. And a large variety of wire nuts. And a screwdriver with a magnetized tip is really nice. One of those little meters that tells you if the circuit is live can be helpful, but anything small you can plug-in works too.
7) If you're going to do a relatively minor electrical job at Casa de Decker, plan on it taking a couple of days. Changing out a fixture anywhere else is usually no big deal, but you might spend half a day or more figuring out what circuit it's on. And then, once you've decided and turned off that circuit, plus the other one that's carried in that junction box just-to-be-safe, you may well find out the white wire is hot too. Of course, it will be one of two white wires, and you'll have to figure out which circuit is sucking juice through a white, but have faith. You can do it. And afterward, you can have a nice big martini prepared by the wonderful Rupert.
8) Do NOT under any circumstances, open up the receptacle box under our bar. Technically, we know it carries power to circuits 6 & 8. However, there's at least one more circuit running through there and it ain't the dishwasher. It shouldn't be #7 either, but then, #8 shouldn't be in the box with 7 & 16, yet there it is. Two 3-wire cables run into the top of the box, and the black wire from the left one IS #8. It's the six white wires that run into the box from the bottom that have me most flustered. SIX. WHITE. Wires. None of them labeled. Each one attached to another wire inside a single gang box (who uses that for a junction box anyway?! - and yes, this IS the second house we've owned where that has happened, thank-you-very-little). So we've got white-to-black and white-to-red, and white-to-white (which should be neutral, but hey, don't count on it), and the next time I pull the cover on that box, I'll be paying an electrician to sort it all out. Because I'm not that much of a masochist, and the BIL is never going to agree to open it up again anyway.
See? Toldya it was easy.