0
Modification of Old Electrical Work
Electrical and building codes have changed over time and new methods proscribed for safety. Converting the old to the new leads to lots of questions.
4,592 Questions
What size PVC conduit would be required to carry five runs of number 12 AWG conductors?
For five runs of #12 AWG conductors, a minimum of 1 inch PVC conduit would be required to meet the fill ratio requirements, providing adequate space for the conductors while allowing for future additions or modifications.
Which is larger in diameter12 AWG or 15 AWG wire?
12 AWG wire is larger in diameter than 15 AWG wire. Wire gauge sizes decrease as the number increases, so a lower gauge number represents a larger wire diameter.
Does a metal halide and mercury vapor use the same ballast?
No, metal halide and mercury vapor lamps do not use the same ballast. Metal halide lamps require a ballast specifically designed for metal halide lamps, while mercury vapor lamps require a ballast designed for mercury vapor lamps. Using the wrong ballast can result in poor performance and potential safety hazards.
There isn't a formula, but the general rule is that you allow for 1 amp per outlet and you load the circuit to 80% of maximum.
For a 15 Amp circuit you can have a maximum of 12 outlets.
How do you determine watts per square foot and total volt amp?
For lighting using CFL bulbs you can use 10 square feet per watt. The volt-amps is the volts times the amps, or the watts divided by the power factor. Most CFL bulbs are marked with the voltage and the current.
What color wire goes to the brass screw on the back of an outlet?
The brass screw is for the hot connection, usually the black wire.; sometimes a red one. The silver colored screw is for the white wire or neutral. If there is a green screw, it's for the ground, usually a bare wire but may also be green.
What polarities red wires and black wires indicates in case of dc measurement?
In DC measurements, the red wire typically indicates the positive polarity (+) while the black wire indicates the negative polarity (-). It's important to connect the red wire to the positive terminal and the black wire to the negative terminal when taking measurements to ensure accuracy and avoid damaging the equipment.
There are 2 sides to each controller, one is the positive side and the other is the negative side. A current is sent through that to produce the shock. I think there is proberbly a transformer in there which steps up the voltage from the small one that the batteries produce to a higher voltage which is the shock. However I think the transformer would step down the amps so that it is a safe shock.
How do you change from 15 amp fuse to 20 amp fuse?
The only way you can change a 15 amp to a 20 is you have to replace the 14 gauge wire going to it with a 12 gauge wire, then replace the 15 amp breaker with a 20 amp breaker. You can put a 15 amp outlet on a 20 amp circuit as long as there is more then one receptacle. A double receptacle counts as two receptacles.
Steve Green
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
new light switch somewhere nearby - either in the same room or in the next room
which is just on the other side of the wall containing the wall outlet - you'll need to
run a new set of wires from the socket outlet to a new fused wall switch and another
set of wires from that new switch to the new lighting fixture.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
A) Before you start, be sure to check the electrical wiring code for your locality (town/state) because the new wiring MUST comply with the safety requirements stated in that wiring code. Some localities will allow this work to be done by an amateur as a DIY job but others will insist that it must be done only by a licensed electrician, especially if the room or location in which the new lighting fixture is to be used will be subject to humid conditions of any kind. This means any place where there is a piped water supply, such as in a kitchen, bathroom, shower room, laundry room, etc. or any outside location such as the yard/garden outside the house. In other words, anywhere where the walls, floor or ceiling are subject to water spray, damp conditions, moisture or wetness of any kind. Your local wiring code will give detailed instructions about its installation requirements for such conditions.
B) In addition, depending on the locality and the actual installation site, some wiring codes will require - for personal safety reasons - that a new lighting circuit connected to an existing power socket outlet must be fitted with a protective device such as a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) or Residual Current Device (RCD). If the wiring code requires one of these protective devices you must fit one into the circuit to be compliant to the code.
C) The present socket outlet will be protected by a fuse on the main breaker panel that is suitable only for power socket outlets. That fuse may not "blow" if a fault condition ever occurred somewhere in the new lighting circuit. So, to give the new lighting circuit proper protection from fire hazards, it is advisable to use a new wall switch of the type which includes its own 3 AMP fuse.
D) It is essential that you find a secure place to mount the new lighting fixture. Depending on the type of room or location it may or may not be allowed to position the fixture on to a wall or the ceiling. If the location is to be the ceiling, the light fixture must be screwed through the plaster on to a wooden joist above the plaster board, not just on to the ceiling plaster alone.
Assuming you have noted all the above advice, here are some general instructions as to how to proceed with the simplest of installations. If you have a more complicated installation to do, such as one requiring a GFCI or RCD, you must follow the instructions supplied with that protective device.
1. Switch all the power off at the panel using the main power switch and then
CHECK that there is NO POWER at the socket outlet by using a meter or voltage
indicator to insure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.
2. Install a new wall box in the wall to house the new fused switch.
3. By unscrewing the fixing screw(s) remove the existing socket outlet from its
wall box. From that wall box run a new length of lighting cable - containing a
black (hot) wire, a white (neutral) wire and a bare or green (ground) wire -
to the new wall box for the new fused switch.
4. Working on the existing socket outlet, to connect the "hot" wires together,
unscrew the screw in the brass terminal that has the existing black wire(s) in it.
Put the new black "hot" wire into the terminal and tighten the screw to hold all
the black wires together in the terminal.
5. Working on the existing socket outlet, connect the new white "neutral" wire
into the terminal that has the existing white wire(s) in it.
6. Working on the existing socket outlet, connect the new bare or green "ground"
wire into the terminal that has the existing bare or green wire(s) in it.
7. Run a new length of lighting cable containing a black (hot) wire, a white (neutral)
wire and a bare or green (ground) wire from the new wall box for the switch to the
wall or ceiling box for the new light fixture.
8. If there is a ground terminal already supplied as part of the new wall box,
the bare or green ground wire coming from the existing socket outlet should
be connected to that ground terminal.
9. Also to that ground terminal connect the ground wire of the cable going to the
position where the new lighting fixture is to be mounted, even if the lighting fixture
itself does not require a ground wire. That should be done so that if, in future, the
lighting fixture is replaced by another one that does need a ground wire, it can be
connected easily and safely.
10. If there is no ground terminal already supplied as part of the new wall box for the switch, connect all the bare or green ground wires together in the terminal marked for a ground wire on the new fused switch, if the switch has one. If the switch does not have a ground terminal then use a proper insulated connector to connect all the ground wires together.
11. If there is a terminal marked for a ground wire on the new fused switch and you have not already used it as was advised in Step 10, use a six to nine inch length of green wire to connect it to the ground terminal in the new wall box, if there is one, or to the connector mentioned in Step 10.
12. Connect the black wire in the cable coming from the existing outlet to the
"Supply" hot terminal of the new fused switch.
13. Connect the black wire in the new cable going to the new lighting fixture to the
"Load" hot terminal on the fused switch.
14. Similarly, connect the white "Supply" and "Load" wires to the terminal marked
"Neutral" on the fused switch. If there are two separate Neutral terminals marked
for "Supply" and "Load" wires, use those accordingly. If you have decided not to use
a fused switch (even though it is good practice to use one for this kind of application)
then you must use a proper insulated connector to link the white "Supply" and "Load"
wires together.
15. Now connect-up the new lighting fixture to the new supply cable, being careful
to fit the hot, neutral and ground wires into the correct terminals. If the new lighting
fixture does not have a terminal for a ground wire then simply put the end of the
ground wire into a separate insulated electrical connector and cover it with some
green tape so it is available for future use on a different lighting fixture which may require it.
16. Check that all the terminal connections in all the fittings are screwed tight.
17. Then, using the appropriate screws, fix the old socket outlet and the new
fused wall switch into their respective wall boxes and also screw the new
lighting fixture to its wall or ceiling box.
18. Switch on the main power switch at the main panel and check that the new
fused wall switch and lighting fixture work satisfactorily.<><><>
As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.
Before you do any work yourself,
on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,
always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.
IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB
SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY
REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
How many romex wires can you put undet a staple?
It depends on size of wire and size of staple. a staple 1/2 inch long can hold 1 10-2 wire, 1 12-2 or 12-3 wire, or 2 14-2 or14-3 wires. basically the bigger the staple the more wires. Just be careful not to hammer the staple into the wire. You want the staple snug but not biting into the wire.
Can you use 40 amp breaker for a dryer?
You may use it but it's not safe to do so. The reason is,if a fault occurs in the dryer such that the current being drawn by the dryer increase but it's still lower than 40Amps,the current will heat the insulators of the electrical cord which will gradually destroy the insulator and in extreme case,it might burn the insulator causing fire.
What happens if you put a 15 amp circuit breaker in a light circuit?
The circuit should be protected by a 15 A breaker.
CLARIFICATION:If the wires and other components are capable of handling 15 amps (14 Ga wire or larger), you can safely protect the circuit with a 15 amp breaker.If the circuit is a non-standard lighting device for something other than typical residential application, you should contact an electrical engineer to help you determine the proper wiring and breakers.
What size feeder wire for 100 amps?
For a 100 amp service, a common feeder wire size would be 2 AWG (American Wire Gauge) copper or 1/0 AWG aluminum. These sizes are appropriate for handling the current capacity needed for a 100 amp electrical service. It is important to consult with a licensed electrician or local building code requirements to ensure the proper wire size for your specific installation.
How many watts does a sony xm752x amp put out?
The Sony XM752X amplifier can output up to 280 watts RMS per channel at 4 ohms, or 380 watts RMS per channel at 2 ohms, when both channels are driven with a 20Hz - 20kHz signal.
What size fuse should you use to protect a circuit carrying 6 amps?
A breaker or fuse in an electric panel is protecting the wire, outlets and switches that are part of the installed circuit. You could plug in an appliance that draws 6 amps and have a 15 A breaker protecting the circuit. The idea for protecting a specific device is to put in a fuse that blows before the current destroys the device. If your 6 Amp device would be destroyed by 6.1 amps then you want a 6 amp fuse. However, fuses aren't that precise so this would be hard to do. A rule of thumb is that the steady state current in a circuit is 80% of the over-current protection. In your case this would be 7.5 amps.
How many kilowatts are being used in a 120 volt 100 watt light bulb pulling 1.07 amps?
To calculate the power consumption in kilowatts, first convert the current from amperes to kilowatts using the formula P = V x I. In this case, P = 120V x 1.07A = 128.4 watts. Then, convert watts to kilowatts by dividing by 1000: 128.4 watts / 1000 = 0.1284 kW. Therefore, a 120 volt 100 watt light bulb pulling 1.07 amps uses 0.1284 kilowatts of power.
A dedicated outlet is a single circuit from a single or double pole breaker to a specific outlet or receptacle for a single specific device or appliance. An example of this would be a circuit for a refrigerator, microwave, dryer, range, etc..
This is typically referred to as a "dedicated circuit". A dedicated circuit usually is supplying power to only one or perhaps two receptacles, such as a computer station. An example in your home under current code is your washing machine is required to be on a dedicated circuit. Dedicated receptacle circuits may be either 15 or 20 amp.
A dedicated circuit is just what it sounds like. I'ts a circuit dedicated to one particular device. Most receptacle (you may call them outlet's) circuits will power several outlets. A dedicated circuit will power only one specific outlet or appliance. Some examples would be a refrigerator, a garbage disposal, or a microwave.
A 15 amp breaker will trip at 15 amps at an ambient temperature of 104 degree F. If the ambient temperature is higher the breaker will trip before 15 amps and if the ambient temperature is lower the breaker will trip after 15 amps. I would suspect the circuit is overloaded. But, you can change the breaker and see what happens. Just swap it with another one.
How many amps does a double 100 watt spotlight use?
I may be wrong, but I think you can calculate it by:
Watts = Volts x Amps
So:
Amps = Watts / Volts
Thus, if you're running them on a 240 volt circuit, it resolves to:
A = 200 / 240 = 0.83 Amps
Per the 2011 National Electric Code, Art 230 Services:
230.7 states:
"Conductors other than service conductors shall not be installed in the same raceway or service cable."
Exception #1: Grounding conductors and bonding jumpers.
Exception #2: Load management control conductors having overcurrent protection.
Does the ground wire on a 200 amp panel need to be looped through both ground rods?
No, the ground wire on a 200 amp panel does not need to be looped through both ground rods. The ground wire typically needs to be connected to the grounding electrode system, which may include ground rods, but it does not need to loop through them. It is important to follow local electrical codes and guidelines when installing grounding systems.
You cannot safely plug a 2000 watt 240v appliance into a 120v 20 amp breaker without risking damage or fire hazard. To use the appliance, consider installing a step-up transformer to convert the voltage from 120v to 240v before plugging it in. This will ensure the appliance operates correctly without overloading the circuit.
Why does my gas water heater need to be hooked up to a 30 amp breaker with 220 volts?
A gas water heater doesn't use electricity to heat water like an electric water heater does. The electrical connection is typically for powering the ignition system or other electronic components on the gas water heater. The 30 amp breaker with 220 volts is required to safely supply power to these components.
What size breaker is used with 10 wire?
For a 10-gauge wire, a 30-amp breaker is typically used for general household wiring. It's always recommended to consult a licensed electrician or local building codes to ensure the correct breaker size for your specific situation.
