MrElectrician.TV

Connecting holiday decorations to the outside lighting fixture is convenient, but not always safe.  

The electrical circuit providing power to the light fixture is likely rated for 15 or 20 amps.  However, the light fixture itself and the light bulb socket inside is rated for much less.  It is also not protected by a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter which helps to prevent electrical shocks or electrocution.  

Consequently, a large electrical load on the light fixture socket can cause it to overheat and possibly contribute to a fire starting or someone getting hurt.

It is best and safest to have an outdoor GFCI protected electrical receptacle outlet installed that can handle the full load of holiday decorations.

While on a walk, I noticed the grounding electrode conductor had been cut at a utility company power pole.  Something like this could create a problem at your house or place of work in the event of a lightning strike.

When lightning strikes a power pole it wants to go to Earth.  The ground rod and the grounding electrode conductor facilitate that.  However, with a broken connection at the pole, lightning will find another path to Earth and it could be through your home or business.

Also, if the power pole has a transformer mounted on it, the ground rod contributes to voltage stabilization and is necessary for reliable electrical power.

If you see something like this, contact the local power company and give them the pole number.  They will fix it eventually.

The oval tags depicted on the pole are from pole inspectors who have checked the condition of the wood pole itself.  I don't know if they inspect the ground rod and wire.

In the 1960s we didn't have many inexpensive tools to trace circuits and find circuit breakers. So electricians came up with some of their own solutions. I read an article back then about an electrician who was using flasher buttons and an ammeter to identify circuit breakers. I tried it and it worked well.

I wrote an article about some of the methods I used for tracing circuits and finding circuit breakers. I also posted photos of some of the devices I used to find circuits and circuit breakers many years ago. Those methods still work today. Read all the details here: https://mrelectrician.tv/find-the-circuit-breaker/

Do not use a portable power cord with male plugs at each end to connect to a generator. It is the wrong way and not safe to use a cord with two male ends.

A normal, safe generator power cord or extension cord will have a male plug on one end and a female connector body at the other end. This way no live electrical parts are openly exposed as they would be in a male to male cord.

What are your box extender choices?  I have used all three of these styles and like them all.  However, the Arlington Industries outlet box extender tapers to a smaller opening in the back.  I usually trim it back to the length I need so it fits better.

I use the 3/4" ReceptXtenders on renovation projects during rough-in to prevent the existing electrical boxes from getting partially covered with finished walls, requiring me to enlarge the opening to fit a wiring device.  

I put 2-way, 3-way, and 4-way switch wiring diagrams on over eighty pieces of merchandise. There is no need to think about how to wire a switch when the information is on stickers, or your tee shirt, hoodie, tool pouch, phone case, or coffee mug.

Do you have a switched electrical receptacle outlet that you would like to change the wiring on?  I created a few wiring diagrams showing different switched outlet wiring scenarios.  These will help you to make changes to your existing switched outlets or for installing new ones.  

The most common change I have made to switched outlet wiring was making a LINE and a NEUTRAL in the existing switch box to wire in a new ceiling light or ceiling fan.

Does anyone remember using this style of fish tape reel?   All steel.  It was tight, pulling the snake out of the reel and a hand buster getting it back into it.   The black plastic handle winder was a purchased-separately accessory that helped to get the fish tape back in the reel.  I was so happy when the plastic reels came out.

I am still determining what I have seen more in my lifetime: connectors installed backward or the equipment grounding conductor wrapped around the outer sheath on the type NM cable.

The joys of working on old homes.  I had already opened up a couple of cans of worms when I found this wood-framed, drywall-backed homemade junction box behind a ceiling panel in a small room.

This single pole switch controlled an electrical outlet on the bedroom wall.  The client wanted a ceiling fan and light installed with a wall switch and dimmer.

I changed the wiring splices at the outlet to make it live at all times and to have a LINE and a NEUTRAL in the switch box. I also installed a 14/3 NM-B cable from the switch box to the center of the ceiling for the new fan and light.

Photos and paragraphs explain the details in my article here:  https://mrelectrician.tv/convert-switched-outlet-to-hot/

A client needed a ceiling-mounted electrical receptacle outlet in the garage for a house under contract for sale.  An extension cord, tacked to the ceiling, powered the garage door opener.

After discussing options with the owner, we agreed that the Wiremold 500 surface metal raceway was the solution.  It was a straight shot up the wall and across the ceiling to the garage door opener location.

I cringe whenever I see this type of electrical connection.  Someone needed a 30 amp, 240-volt electrical receptacle outlet for a floor sanding machine.  Except for electric clothes dryers, that type of circuit is rare in residences.

To get power for the floor sanding machine, it is a common practice to remove a few circuit breakers, say a prayer, and then clip directly onto the main busbars without any fault and overload protection or personal protection equipment.  It is not electricians doing this; it is the floor-sanding people who should not put their hands into a live electrical panel.

I have also seen welders do this on commercial construction sites to get power for their electric welders.

The alternative is to have an electrician install a new circuit and electrical receptacle outlet for a few days of equipment use.

Water got into this outdoor electrical box and caused the GFCI electrical receptacle outlet to burn.  I surmised that the water was coming through the pivoting knuckle of the outdoor lamp socket.  I suspect that the lamp socket was not rated for a base-down installation.

The house was a rental, and the landlord wasn't interested in improving things such as adding a box support stake.  He just wanted it back in working order.

I cleaned up the wires, added an extension collar, and installed a new WR GFCI receptacle and an in-use bubble cover.  I also generously caulked the top and sides where the cover and box joined and the knuckle joint on the lamp socket.

Someone replaced a bathroom exhaust fan but didn't put the wires back correctly.  

The fan depicted in the photos was not a retrofit model.  It was a fan made for installation during new construction and had to be jerry-rigged with screws into its side to make it stay in place.

I wrote a book entitled "Almost Everything You Need To Know To Repair A Bathroom Exhaust Fan In Your Home" to help you save the expense of replacing the entire bathroom fan.  When you join my mailing list, the automation will send it to you for FREE.

https://mrelectrician.tv/bathroom-fan-repair/