another electrical help thread!!!

[BigBudBalls]

kk, I'll post some pics in a little bit, I will not run the dryer when there is more than one light on, I think thats okay? just having onelight on? or should I shut them all off?
light seepage is no problem, my room is incased in black/white poly

I'd give it a whirl with one light on and the dryer on (set to the friggin' max. Mine has a anti bacterial setting) If the breaker doesn't pop, you should be good. Dryers are 200 and use both legs. If one leg gets over loaded, they both trip. So you *should* be safe. (Your millage may vary. Results not typical. etc )

(but then I'll change out a light switch with the lines live. NOT recommended.)

 

[tckfui]

thanks, no need for pics? or will they still help?
I tried running the washer, and drier (full blast) with one light on and no poping of the switches.
also my house is older than 70 years old, but this section of the house is maybe 40?

would it be a pain to have another circuit and an outlet or two?
also where can I read up on this kind of stuff, I need to learn more about electricity!

 

[BigBudBalls]

thanks, no need for pics? or will they still help?
I tried running the washer, and drier (full blast) with one light on and no poping of the switches.
also my house is older than 70 years old, but this section of the house is maybe 40?

would it be a pain to have another circuit and an outlet or two?
also where can I read up on this kind of stuff, I need to learn more about electricity!

Dryer will be on its own breaker(s) Washer uses near nothing (breaker-wise) House that old probably doesn't have a grounded outlet throughout. If its BX, they used the casing as the ground. (kinda scarey unless all is intact)

A place to read up would be the NEC code. (which may change in the near future, so make changes soon. Outlets may get rather expensive. No more $1 for a duplex.)

 

[tckfui]

whats BX?
they seem to be on the same breaker, if I switch the one switch off both shut off. is that bad?
they are 3 pronged outlets, and also both the washer and dryer have separate ground wire screwed into a metal plate around the outlet. this all seems very sketchy... would my meter guy know anything about safety and whatnot? could I ask him for help? or would he not know this stuff?

do I have to buy that or can I find it online? a google search got me into fire sites, and other not so relevant sites.
you mean I (or someone else ) can install a new outlet on a separate circuit for just one dollar?!

 

[Lokee]

I didnt read all the posts but speaking as an electrician a 20amp circuit is really only good for 16amps(80%) 80% is what any circuit is good for. now a 20amp breaker will hold 22-24 amps for a short time without tripping so be careful. anyhow i would recommend using another circuit with all of that equipment or installing a 240volt circuit. I have all of my stuff on a double pole 30amp breaker with #10 awg wire. not sure if this helps but you should really think about taking some stress off of the single receptacle you are hooked to before you start an electrical fire.

 

[tckfui]

It looks really difficult and dangerous for somone with no skill like me to do.
could you give me a ball park figure of how much it would cost to have a new breaker and a receptacle or 2 installed?

 

[scruffmcgruff]

just noticed he said an electrical dryer, my dryer uses gas. does that change anything? I can't get to the back of them, as their leaning on a wall and I cant really move them without fucking shit up.

That means that it probably uses only 110vac and won't draw a huge amount of current, since is uses gas as the heating source

 

[VictorVIcious]

Everything you would need o know is in Wiring Simplified, I have one of those rare 40th edition ones, the 43 may be out by now. Most old houses that have been sold in the last thirty years would have had to upgrade to 100amp service, probably was done at the time of the addition. Adding additional circuits is easy if you have space left in your electrical panel. The split breaker leads me to believe you don't have any space left. Start with the electric panel, look at the top switch, the one that says Main, whats the rating of the switch. In my area, I was able to have an electrician install a new bigger service panel. The panel I had only had twenty spaces, the new one has 30 spaces. Had a few other things done while he was here, total was $600.00 labor and materials. The electrician is one of my wifes clients, and I am sure that helped. With housing market down, there should be some eletricians willing to do something for you. I would recommend learning how to do simple 110v circuits from the box out. They make special work boxes for all of the different types of construction, the way they are attached determines which one's you use. All US standard wiring is color coded, simple as abc and sometimes d. A 'circuit' is from the box, back to the box, the electricity flows thru the circuit, a receptacle is what you plug your light into in the work box. More details of what you actually have could help. VV

 

[tckfui]

I can take picture!
well my house is probably not wired properly. first off, its a large house that has been made to house 3 families, so I have 3 seperate breaker box's only one is mine, the other 2 are for the other apartment, but all the box's are in my apartment,
there is a 4th breaker box (kind of) that says main, it has two 100 amp switches.
my box has only one free breaker slot, after looking inside the breaker box I got really scared, its a mess in there, and their are really old wires made of a cloth like material?
I think I'm going to take picture... they probably will help
I will also definitely buy that book!

 

[mountainhigh8]

sounds like some old nok in tube wire, thats some old shit there for sure!

 

[VictorVIcious]

I can take picture!
well my house is probably not wired properly. first off, its a large house that has been made to house 3 families, so I have 3 seperate breaker box's only one is mine, the other 2 are for the other apartment, but all the box's are in my apartment,
there is a 4th breaker box (kind of) that says main, it has two 100 amp switches.
my box has only one free breaker slot, after looking inside the breaker box I got really scared, its a mess in there, and their are really old wires made of a cloth like material?
I think I'm going to take picture... they probably will help
I will also definitely buy that book!

It sounds like it must be wired correctly, up to the point of grandfather clause. This was not a do it yourself job. Are there three electric meters? or four? Are there pipes from the 'Main' Panel that look like they go to the panels for the other apartments? and yours? If you were to install a circuit inthat panel your self you would work backwards to the panel and then turn off the power to the panel when you install the switch. Don't forget the flashlights that you will need when you do. This is a tough call in an apartment. I would have a tendency to ask the owner if he minds if I have an electrician install an new circuit. Make an excuse, when my dryer comes on, it overloads the circuit and I have to unplug my computer while it runs, I'll pay for it myself?? Watch what he does, hold the flashlight for him. VV

 

[tckfui]

the main breaker box has nothing going into or out of it.
their are three breaker boxes one ofr each apartment, and than a fourth which is the main one and only has 2 breakers.
I'm uploading pics now.
My landloard is fairly new, and knows nothing about the house, they only came in two or three times, and they didn't look at anything. so they would have no idea one way or the other.

 

[Hydrokronics]

the fans aren't pulling much for sure. those are pretty low wattage/low power fans.

but it is still alot for one breaker. i read somewhere if you're using a 20amp breaker you should only use 10amps off it continuously. and no more than 3/4 at peak.

i may be wrong but thats how i look at it.

Does anyone know if thiis true and if it is then what is the point of the fuses if they dont tell you when you are in trouble? and if this is the case i think that 60% of us are in danger

 

[tckfui]

I just noticed their is a 4th (5th?) circuit breaker, for the oil burner.

okay, pics.
Pic one- breaker boxes (mine is the one on the far left)
two-my breaker box close up!!!
three, inside my breaker box. What is that thing I have circled in red? my box is the only one that has it, what gives?
four- close up of the scary wires!!!
five- the main breaker?

 

[tckfui]

Does anyone know if thiis true and if it is then what is the point of the fuses if they dont tell you when you are in trouble? and if this is the case i think that 60% of us are in danger

I dont know, it seems really dumb to me, an electrician said a few posts back that you can use 16 amps I think he said.
but I dont get why dont they just call it a 16A switch? so people dont say hehey! 20! and burn their house down... thats like saying... you can put 2,500 pounds on an elivator that can only hold 1,900 pounds... ... ...

 

[mountainhigh8]

yea man get ust to that, thats electical for ya

 

[VictorVIcious]

That is a step down transformer for your doorbell, it operates on 24volts, or 12 volts, and that device is what makes it step down to the lower voltage. The box that runs along the bottom under the panels is where the service comes in, I need to see that open. The cloth covered wires are the old style, the other plastic covered ones are newer. You will notice that all of the white wires are connected to the return bar and all of the black and red wires eventually connect to one of the switches. This one is a mess, they left all of the old wiring in there, notice the red wire that doesn't go anywhere. If I were going to do this one, I would be inclined to use a new service panel that I could remove and take with me. Start at the four wires, Black, red, white and uninsulated copper grounding wire, that turn up into the bottom of the box. How you would do this will be determined by what is in existence in that panel across the bottom. How many meters??? VV

 

[Eharmony420]

look at all that free power!!!

 

[Eharmony420]

just to give you an idea. i am a navy tained aircraft electrician. I dont know shit bout the electricity, but i was good. All you need i the "pubs", that means reference books. You ever checked one out. They explain tis shit step by step, i have seen them in hd isles. Manuals on how to get power. I apologise if I make no sense, but i just skipped to see where your at as I was once an electrician

 

[tckfui]

The box that runs along the bottom under the panels is where the service comes in, I need to see that open.

the box under the picture of the box I took? its a meter, theirs no way I can open that box.

If I were going to do this one, I would be inclined to use a new service panel that I could remove and take with me.

I really need a book eh? what is a service panel?

Start at the four wires, Black, red, white and uninsulated copper grounding wire, that turn up into the bottom of the box. How you would do this will be determined by what is in existence in that panel across the bottom. How many meters??? VV

their are four meters all together.
I'm so confused!!! I'm going to google some diagrams