HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

Alright, so I'm adding more recessed lights in the house and I came accross a couple things I need to clear up.


1) I'm using IC housings and I know they can come into contact with insulation, but one of mine is in contact with a flexable heating duct. The duct is insulated but the outer layer is like a .4 mil black plastic type material. I felt my other recessed IC housings that have been on for about 2 hours now and the outer housing is cold, but it's against an outside wall and it's 24 degrees out. I'm 95% sure that there isn't an issue, but I need to double check.

2) I'm running the romex from the 3 cans down the wall to an outlet that has one of the outlets controlled by a switch on the other side of the room. The top outlet is the one controlled by the switch. On the back there is one black and one white going to the regular outlet. The top outlet (switch controlled) has one black, and two whites. How do I make both of the outlets hot all the time and how should I connect the ?? wires so the cans are controlled by the switch?

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/8545/shit7ws.jpg

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

topic 1, your fine, just try to move the the duct over as much as you can, so its just not sitting on top of the can

topic 2, the plus is controlled by the switch.....but it only has 1 blakc in it? there is no red or anything? usually half hots (switched plugs) should have a red wire.

i got it now,

run your new romex down to your switched plug. go to home depot or lowes or somthing a nd get a new plug(have to to have your plug hot constantly)
now, the new romex that is for the cans, shove it in the same box as the plug, and wire nut the black2black, and the whites to the white that came from the switched part of the plug, shove them in the back of the box.

now your cans will work with that switch.

as for the plug being hot constaly, just plug in the wires that were not ran off the switch. now the plug will be hot constantly, and your cans will be off the switch. just consider the box where the plug is, a junction box for your cans.

the reason for getting a new plug: on the side of the plug there is a little metal clip, its broken, thats why the top is powered off the switch, and the bottom is constant. if the clip was there it would be sending power to the top portion of the plug

hope i didnt confuse you

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

I bought a single pole dimmer and I just took the switch apart to find way more wires than it should. The switch is a
3way and there's another switch that controls that outlet in the kitchen. :S

So I have to buy a 3way switch, but what I'm trying to do is tag the lights into the wiring of the switches and leave both of the outlets hot all the time.

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

you dont need to buy a new 3way switch, just buy a regualr 15 amp plug.

the top is switched off the 3way correct? sooo all you have to do is take out the single black, and the 2 whites and wire nut them together with the wires from the new romex you are pulling for your cans

the left over wires(the ones that are plugged intot he bottom of the plug) are constantly hot, so (this is where your new plug comes into play) just stab the white and black in and ground it and now the plug is constantly hot, and your cans are working off of the switch that used to control that top of the plug

get it?

do i need to ms paint it?

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

Ok, I can dig on the plug, but the dimmer I bought has a black, white, green and the switch where I want to install the dimmer has (I forgot and just re-installed it) like 2 blacks a white or something like that.

The switch in the kitchen that I didn't even know also controlled that switch I'm ok with leaving that as an on/off. I just want the dimmer to replace the switch at the front door, but the switch that's there now has 3? 4? wires, and the one I bought has three. Do I just combine some of them or what?

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

a switch shouldnt have a nuetral hooked to it unless its a dead end 3way, ora reversed switched leg.

are the nuetral wire nutted together? or was one of them plugged into the swicth?

also? the switch you are replacing with the dimmer, was it a 3way? if so you need to return the dimmer you have and get a 3way dimmer.

3 or 4 wires?

green is ground, white neutral, black is power/switchleg or traveler, depending on what kinda switch it is

TAKE SOME DAMN PICTURES, IT WILL MAKE IT EASIER

how old is your house?

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

ehh for the hell of it

http://images3.pictiger.com/images/7...68cc2cc07f.jpg

http://images3.pictiger.com/images/5...10eaff0d58.jpg

enjoy

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

The house is 1 year old.

Here's the outlet:

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/4779/outlet2ws.jpg


Here's the switch:

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4793/switch13eg.jpg


I didnt' take a pic of the switch in the kitchen, only the one I want to replace with the dimmer. On another note, one of the black wires on the top outlet is noticably from a differnt romex than the rest of the plug which is all bundled up.

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

Ok, I've got the idea of what I have to do to the outlet, it's just the switch that I'm dinking with now. I'm pretty sure I've got to get a 3 way dimmer and then I should see whats going on.

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

ok, that pic of the switch, that is a 3way switch, youll need to go buy a 3way dimmer.

notice on the switch, the screws by the black wires, there are 2 gold and one black. This means that the 2 gold screws are your travelers for your 3way, and the black is either your switchleg for the lights, or the power for the lights. remember this when you replace it with a dimmer.

as for the plug, all those wires bundled up...ignore that, its just taking all those whires and making it one.

also see on the black side of the plug, how there should be a little metal clip between the 2 wires that are stabbed into the back. thats why you need a new plug if you want it on constantly

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

^^ damn, beat me to it.

Steve, why didn't you ask me this ---- when I saw your nig nog ass today?

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

yes, just get a 3way dimmer, and remember what wires are your travelers and what one is your power/switchleg

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

Colin, I didn't know you knew jack about wiring, and I didn't know I was going to dive into this project. I just came home and wanted to accomplish something.

I know what you're saying about the clip in the middle, and the wires make sense now. The new 3 way dimmer should have enough wires for me to figure out what's going on too. I just saw all these wires and never even knew one of the plugs around the corner in the kitchen also controlled this outlet. (stupid builders).

I think I've got it down. If I get into a bind tomarrow after buying the new dimmer, I'll bump this up.

Hatchbox90- Thanks for your help. I owe you one, so use it. ;)

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

no prob, finally somthing i can post about. i dont post much, so i figured id lend a hand

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

I'm glad ya did.


Dr boost, your phone # in the admin forum is teh wrong (asswipe)

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

Justin FTW!! electrician giving solid info

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

I'm undercover. :6 Besides, it looks like you just got all the right answers. ;)
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Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

Ok, another problem.

I got the 3way dimmer, and I hooked it up exactly how the directions said. Green to bare, the different screw color to the black, and either of the 2 remaining blacks to either of the 2 reds on the dimmer. The "courtesy" light that helps you find the switch in the dark is on, but it's not turning on the outlet (I have a lamp plugged into the original top outlet that the switch controlled.) The second swith in the corner is also not controlling the outlet. No fuses popped, no lights, but courtesy light on new dimmer is on when it's in the off position. ???

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

Well since the ------- that wired your house decided to use 14-2 and save money on the 14-3 that leaves a lot of hokey ---- that could be wrong there. :-\

What are the white wires doing in the switch boxes? Are they all connected together and nothing else with them?
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Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

I got it all figured out. I had a bad dimmer, so I went and got another one and it worked out. I was going to put 4 over the couch, but then I thought it would be overkill, so I put 3 above the couch and 1 over the entry.
It was a bitch getting the romex through the top board of the wall, so I cut a hole (or 2) in the wall and pulled that bitch through. Drywall and paint ain't ----, so I'm just happy I didn't have to ---- with the ceiling or retexturing.

The place is a wreck, but all in time it'll come together.

[img width=700]http://img492.imageshack.us/img492/6022/lightsdone2fd.jpg[/img]

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

lol i'm high i thought we were having another election

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

So it was the dimmer, just as I thought ;) Looks nice Steve

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

I was gonna say...normally when i do switched outlets or 3-ways and 4-ways i use 14-3, not 2 sets of 14-2. That's just trying to be cheap right there. Out here the electrical inspector would actually fail for that on new construction. Did they at least have each traveler tagged on the 3-way? Sorry, just got done doing a bunch of fed and loaded 4-ways today so my brain's in overdrive... :S

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

I don't know what the hell any of ya'll are talkin about. The only thing I recognized as special was the one wire with the black screw. The house is one year old and it's a chinsy townhouse.

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

Ghettttto, using 14-2 is being a ------ cheap bastard pulling 2 sets.

----, the company i work for, we pull out homeruns in 3 wire, and a coupple in 4 wire. its more spendy but damn its ------ quicker than pulling a ---- load of 2 wire everywhere.

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

I don't know what any of that means, but the builders of this house suck balls. Everything is chinsed to hell.

Cold air coming through outlets, windows, and doors.
No insulation in interior walls. Only around the outside.
Hallow interior doors.
Shitty drywall and "paint"
Using a welder, radio, and lights in the garage usually pops a fuse. That popped fuse kills the whole garage and just the front living room (the one pictured). It's all on that one fuse.
When it rains hard, Minnesota acquires another lake under my sliding door and bedroom window. >:(

So, if you're telling me something about what you see in the wiring makes my house cheap, I'm not surprised. I'm slowly fixing/upgrading everything to my liking. I'm not an electrician, so I may not do anything about that, unless I hire someone to add bigger breakers? in the main box.

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

All those new slightly larger plats corporate house builders have been building here in the mid west suck tottal ass. Like ryland and beazer.. We used to roof them, tottal peices of ----. Sell it, and buy a house in a nice older plat. (when funds are permiting).

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

This house was built by Wright Homes. They blow balls.

I have a lake at the end of my street, and on the other side of the lake is a farm. A builder just bought the whole farm and is building very large high dollar houses over there. They also have plans to make a path around the lake, and a bridge going accross the lake. Right after that is when Stealthmode cashes out and buys a real house on a lake with some shooting land. ;)

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

what ampre breaker are you running your welder on?

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

I don't know. There's some breakers with 15 on them, and then the heater, laundry and dishwasher I believe they say 20. Not sure what all that means though.

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

8)

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

Amperage. I think we need to upgrade to 20 amp in the garage

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

Not if it's wired with 14g. wire. :1
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Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

Thats fucked.By code the garage should be on its own 20 amp circuit and be eather on a gfi breaker or have a gfi installed as the first plug and have any others on the load side of the gfi.But you cant just swap out the breaker for a 20 if its got a 15.Youll have bigger problems if you do.

Houses now days are built like ---- couse the profit margin is getting lower and lower because materials are rediculasly priced.And they just keep going up.Builders will cut corners any where they can.

So dont feel bad Steve.I get cold air through my plugs and windows too.My intrior wall arent insulated eather.I dont think any contractors are doing that now days.Thats why my next home will be custom.

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

Yeah, the shitty part of the garage is that they have two outlets on the ceiling for the door opener, one single bulb light fixture, and two outlets on the far corner. That's it for the garage. I had to install one of those cord reels just to have any kind of work happen.

In MN they don't even finish sand the joints or paint the garages. They just leave the drywall hung and the joints taped. I couldn't believe it when they told me they don't finish it, and the funny part is most people live with it that way and think it's normal. How could you buy a brand new house and everyday you pull in your garage and it looks like your house is still under construction? ???

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

The unfinished garage defebitly sucks. :-X

The first thing I did was install 4-2 lamp 4' flourescents in my garage.I have a 200amp pannel so I setup a 50 amp disconnect for my welder with a 30' cord.When I get back Im puttin in a 70amp sub pannel in the garage and 6-20amp recepts along the wall.

Buy me a plane ticket and I'll pimp out your garage Steve.

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

Hey, don't you have to be an electrician to do that sort of ----? :P
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Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

I will. The only things I have come accross that I just can't touch is electric (other than hooking up cans) and carpentry. I'm working on some woodwork right now, but it's not something that I'm picking up, I'm just getting it done (slowly).

Re: HMT Electricians (boost, raffi, ???)
 

48" ---------
l
l
l
l
you also have to be this tall to ride on carnival rides but they let you on anyways ;) :P