Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Another homeowner electrical wiring disaster
Robert Wilber
Licensed Philadelphia Electrician
Philadelphia License # 3516 - 16765
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LIFE SAFETY WARNING! [disclaimer]
Electricity is dangerous!
You can be injured or killed!
Improper installations can cause fire, injury and death!
Are you qualified to do this work?
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National Electrical Code definition, NFPA 70 2008 Article 100 I: Qualified Person. "One who has skills and knowledge related to the construction and operation of the electrical equipment and installations and has received safety training to recognize and avoid the hazards involved."
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You are more likely to be killed by 120 volts than any other voltage [120 volts creates the PERFECT fatal current through the human body's electrical resistance!]
TURN THE POWER OFF WHEN WORKING!
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Question:
I have exterior lights blowing a circuit. I have successfully rewired all other wiring, but not this exterior wire. When I hook up the two wires it blows the circuit?? 2 wires positive and negative coming out of the circuit box that feed the entire basement and exterior lights, same as when it was knob and tube. I rewired it the same as it was. Now when I hook up the positive and negative wires it blows the circuit.?? Any ideas??
Answer:
Sorry you are having such great problems.
You may think your efforts are successful because the light glows. That is not necessarily the case.
A legal, safe wiring system can be relied on because it has been installed in accordance with practices and standards developed and defined over the past hundred years through the cooperative efforts of hundreds of thousands of skilled, experienced electrical workers with the combined practical knowledge of MILLIONS of years of installation experience.
... but I don't think there is anything I can do to alleviate the effect of your actions.
The statement that you "rewired it the same as it was" verifies that the wiring you have installed does not meet these standards.
The product you have created is unsafe and non-functional. And now you ask advice from someone knowledgeable in the subject as to how to mitigate the damage you have wrought.
The only guidance possible is to recommend that:
1] ... you need to learn the rules and practices for properly installing electrical wiring, then remove the deficient segments of your installation and replace them. [Modern wiring practice bears no resemblance to knob and tube practices.] At that point it may be possible to help you fix your existing problem, if it doesn't just get resolved during the correction process; or
2] ... you need to hire someone knowledgeable in the field to do the same thing.
I think the best course is to hire someone who is willing to let you help and who will teach you as they go.
Forgive me if I sound harsh.
I am presently in the process of resolving an installation which was the subject of a violation. It was installed without permit or inspection by an unlicensed individual who was not the homeowner. [Homeowners are not allowed to install electrical equipment in the City of Philadelphia. They are allowed to replace devices and fixtures at existing locations.]
Ignoring these issues, the installation failed acceptability due to the fact that "Handy Jack" installed a receptacle outside using non-metallic sheathed cable [not rated for exterior use], a non-GFI receptacle [GFIs are required to protect personnel for exterior receptacles], a cable connector not rated for outdoor use [which allows water into the enclosure - it was even installed in the top of the box!], insufficient cable support [there is actually a rule about how far apart staples can be] and an improper device plate.
Oh! Wait! That is almost everything involved in the installation!
The biggest impediment to correcting this mess is the owner's frantic need to believe they have derived some benefit from the money they have already expended. I cannot reasonably use the word "invested" here.
I do believe practically anyone can do electrical work, but I do not believe ANYONE can do electrical work without proper training and skills development.
What is true is not that you have exterior lights blowing a circuit, but improper wiring based on inadequate theory causing a breaker to trip
Philadelphia Electrican answers electrical FAQ
Licensed Philadelphia Electrician
Philadelphia License # 3516 - 16765
*
LIFE SAFETY WARNING! [disclaimer]
Electricity is dangerous!
You can be injured or killed!
Improper installations can cause fire, injury and death!
Are you qualified to do this work?
*
National Electrical Code definition, NFPA 70 2008 Article 100 I: Qualified Person. "One who has skills and knowledge related to the construction and operation of the electrical equipment and installations and has received safety training to recognize and avoid the hazards involved."
*
You are more likely to be killed by 120 volts than any other voltage [120 volts creates the PERFECT fatal current through the human body's electrical resistance!]
TURN THE POWER OFF WHEN WORKING!
*
Question:
I have exterior lights blowing a circuit. I have successfully rewired all other wiring, but not this exterior wire. When I hook up the two wires it blows the circuit?? 2 wires positive and negative coming out of the circuit box that feed the entire basement and exterior lights, same as when it was knob and tube. I rewired it the same as it was. Now when I hook up the positive and negative wires it blows the circuit.?? Any ideas??
Answer:
Sorry you are having such great problems.
You may think your efforts are successful because the light glows. That is not necessarily the case.
A legal, safe wiring system can be relied on because it has been installed in accordance with practices and standards developed and defined over the past hundred years through the cooperative efforts of hundreds of thousands of skilled, experienced electrical workers with the combined practical knowledge of MILLIONS of years of installation experience.
... but I don't think there is anything I can do to alleviate the effect of your actions.
The statement that you "rewired it the same as it was" verifies that the wiring you have installed does not meet these standards.
The product you have created is unsafe and non-functional. And now you ask advice from someone knowledgeable in the subject as to how to mitigate the damage you have wrought.
The only guidance possible is to recommend that:
1] ... you need to learn the rules and practices for properly installing electrical wiring, then remove the deficient segments of your installation and replace them. [Modern wiring practice bears no resemblance to knob and tube practices.] At that point it may be possible to help you fix your existing problem, if it doesn't just get resolved during the correction process; or
2] ... you need to hire someone knowledgeable in the field to do the same thing.
I think the best course is to hire someone who is willing to let you help and who will teach you as they go.
Forgive me if I sound harsh.
I am presently in the process of resolving an installation which was the subject of a violation. It was installed without permit or inspection by an unlicensed individual who was not the homeowner. [Homeowners are not allowed to install electrical equipment in the City of Philadelphia. They are allowed to replace devices and fixtures at existing locations.]
Ignoring these issues, the installation failed acceptability due to the fact that "Handy Jack" installed a receptacle outside using non-metallic sheathed cable [not rated for exterior use], a non-GFI receptacle [GFIs are required to protect personnel for exterior receptacles], a cable connector not rated for outdoor use [which allows water into the enclosure - it was even installed in the top of the box!], insufficient cable support [there is actually a rule about how far apart staples can be] and an improper device plate.
Oh! Wait! That is almost everything involved in the installation!
The biggest impediment to correcting this mess is the owner's frantic need to believe they have derived some benefit from the money they have already expended. I cannot reasonably use the word "invested" here.
I do believe practically anyone can do electrical work, but I do not believe ANYONE can do electrical work without proper training and skills development.
What is true is not that you have exterior lights blowing a circuit, but improper wiring based on inadequate theory causing a breaker to trip
Philadelphia Electrican answers electrical FAQ
# posted by Bob @ 9:18 AM 
