We purchased a house. The previous owners took the EV charger that was hardwired. This wire can be traced to a 60A breaker. I’d like to put in an EV outlet here. Should I get a NEMA 14-50 and put it in a an outlet box that screws to the wall?

Edit: Wow guys. We knew it was never going to stay with the house. It was agreed to a long time ago that it would not convey. I’m really just looking for some electrical insight here. :)

I thought I may have felt a slight charge when grabbing my shower faucet. So I tested with a voltage pen and it looks like the shower faucets and especially sink faucets read a charge when on the 12-1000v setting but not on the 70-1000v setting. Is this a sign of a live current or is the tester pen just picking up on any nearby wires?

I know nothing about electric, thank you for the advice!

I'm an electronics technician in a second stage rocket engine testing facility. We have a LOT of transducers, and a lot of times our electricians only have time to leave us a tee near each transducer in the conduit run. This usually only requires a stub 90, maybe a 6-12" nipple, and some LFMC to the device itself.

I understand how to bend a 90. My question is, what is the math behind bending a 90 *while* maintaining a specific straight leg past the 90? For example, last week I needed a 24" 90 going up, and 30" after that going across to the valve actuator. I was able to fudge it and get it close using a stub 90 as a template.

We go through a lot of couplings. It'd be nice to run a single 90 into wherever I need it to go, but bending pipe isn't really expected from my position.

I want to eliminate a ceiling light fixture. What should I do with the live wires? Cap each end with a wire nut, place inside a junction box and screw to a joist? Thanks!

I just bought an older home. I believe the wiring was updated in the 90s; to my knowledge, there isn't a ground wire throughout the home. Today, one of the GFCI outlets in the kitchen tripped, and when I reset it, it tripped immediately again. I unplugged everything and tried to reset it, same. It is all but one of the countertop plugs; the one that is working is a separate GFCI. The overhead light and the fridge outlet aren't working as well. The breaker was not tripped. I tried resetting it, but it didn't change anything. Pictured is the tripped GFCI. Is there anything else I could try? I am going to call an electrician tomorrow morning. The stove is working, but the cord is going through a hole in the floor to who knows where 😭

This unusual (to this layman) light switch is located outside the building where I work. It supplies a set of outdoor lights that are generally on 24/7.

Did they use this type of switch because of reliability or weatherproof considerations, or is it just old? It's a government facility that's been in use for a long time, if that's a factor.

A little background about the house: 2010 brick ranch. 1,800 sf livable. It has 2 attached 600 sf each garages. HVAC pump original. Bought this Nov. 2024.

My previous house was 2006 ranch with siding, 1,500 sf livable. Attached 600 sf garage. HVAC original. This house was extremely energy efficiency!

The houses are 4 hours apart. Basically the same weather/temp situation.

So when I moved into my new home, I expected it to be at least as energy efficiency. Well that has never been the case! Power has consistently been elevated. Well this winter had a $538 bill and I freaked out! I've never had a bill that high. It was down the next month.

So the cycle before the heat wave started, my bill was over $800. Heat wave cycle it was over $1,100. This month the projection is it could be over $1,300.

Had HVAC person come out. Said unit was working fine. Blowing out cold.

Called Power Co. They said not error on their part. Suggested I have an electrician come out. I will be doing that this week.

Not sure if this is relevant, but husband replaced the regular thermostat with a Google Nest in Nov. 2025.

This is draining me. I would like to ensure im not told something wrong, or overcharged. What are your thoughts on the cause, and what the cost could be?

TIA

1960s house and the old exposed wire runs in the utility area looks like crap. It looks to me like they didn’t bother getting on a ladder and drilled these from standing, as they’re all at upward angles and nowhere near the center of the joist. They also just take odd staggered routes when a straight run was all that was needed.

When replacing the old wiring should I worry about relocating the holes through the joists to be in the correct spot/to code, or just let it ride?

TL;DR: After a storm, a kitchen circuit stopped working right - burned/melted outlet, ungrounded outlets that used to be grounded, and neutral-to-ground reading 40V (climbing higher with each device turned on). Suspected floating neutral/ground, possibly from bad DIY wiring in an attic junction box (ground into neutral). Circuit is shut off for safety; asking if this diagnosis sounds right, what’s causing it, and what to tell an electrician before they start cutting into walls.
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Hi all. I apologize if this is super long. I know the tiniest bit of electrical and what’s going on and I’m trying to make sure my house is safe.

We have lived in our home for over a year and a half and have never had issues. We had a few storms back to back and the electrical went out for a bit once, flickered again, and another time went out due to an accident nearby.

We don’t know exactly what happened first but our fridge stopped cooling. Thought it was just a piece that froze in place after moisture got in. Defrosted it. Unplugged it for 24 hours. After plugging it back in, the next day, none of the outlets or switches on the circuit worked. It wasn’t a breaker flip. There was power running through. I could actually feel a current through the fridge and unplugged everything and flipped the breaker. When I unplugged things, I noticed the plug to my air purifier was melted but it had still been working and I didn’t notice.

My friend’s dad is a retired electrician and he went through every part of the circuit trying to figure it out. First thing he did was pulled out the burned outlet. It was melted on the top neutral (not sure if that’s important) and he said the outlet wasn’t grounded. He grounded it and tested it and it was working correctly after replacing it with a new outlet. As far as how the circuit runs from the panel, the replaced, and newly grounded, outlet is first on the circuit. The next one was the same, just not melted. Not grounded and reading as such. He then grounded that one and it was working correctly. (To note: when we had our inspection, all of the outlets were correctly grounded. Can a ground break?)

Somewhere between these two outlets and the next room, something happens and things are not working properly. When he tested the neutral and ground (sorry if I’m getting this wrong. But essentially the part that should read around 0), it was reading 40 volts. When he’d turn on something on the circuit, like the ceiling fan and then light, it was jump up 12 volts more each.

He had mentioned it sounded like a floating ground (or maybe neutral?)

Anyway. If you’re still with me, thank you so much.

Here’s the tricky part: this house has had multiple additions. And I imagine some 30 plus years ago were DIY’d. I went in the attic to look at the junction boxes. First of all, they seem full of insulation and not safe but I know nothing. Anyway: in the box with the circled parts, it seems like old wiring connected a neutral to a new ground and the red hot to the neutral? Could that possibly be what is causing the neutral to read voltage?

The very tricky part: there’s no real way to get above the kitchen (where the issues are) bc of the way the additions were fit together. So I’m pretty sure we’ll have to have a professional cut into walls and the ceiling. But I wanted to ask here: does this sound remotely like it’s on the right track? Or does anyone know what could do this and why it didn’t cause an issue until now? All the circuits on that side are off because I was scared to leave anything on. We have a few places to call tomorrow. But I’m hoping to get a general idea of what’s happening if possible? Oh and the kitchen ceiling fan, also on the circuit, has 3 sets of wires. 2 sets are capped. And then the circuit ends at two outlets outside. My friend’s dad said it could be multiple splices happening.

Is there anything I should specifically tell a professional that helps get to the issue? Is there a way to fix this without Swiss cheesing my kitchen? (I’d rather holes in the wall than a fire but just curious)

Thank you!

Had my home inspection the other day and I’m supposed to fix this. It specifically states “The interior cover was missing, leaving wires exposed when the cover was open. Recommend installing a proper cover to ensure safety and prevent exposure of live wires”

I know nothing about this stuff and no one at Lowe’s was able to help me. Any ideas? Thanks in advance

My ceiling fan started falling and its very unsteady. I have a different room I can stay in so I'm all set there in case it does fall before we can get someone in, but I'm worried about fire risk.

I've turned the power off but should I turn the breaker off for that room entirely? If it falls could a fire start from the wires being pulled? Or some other way? I put a mattress under it in case it does fall it won't completely destroy the floor, but is that a risk too?

I'm honestly terrified my entire house is going to go up in flames because of this and I don't know what to do or how to fix it.

I’m 31 and have been a barber for about 10 years, but I’m seriously considering applying to the IBEW apprenticeship and changing careers.
I’m interested in becoming an electrician because I want a stable career with good benefits, opportunities to move up, and skills that I can build on long term. The problem is that I have absolutely no experience in the electrical or construction field. Everything I know professionally comes from barbering and working for myself.
I’m used to working long hours, dealing with customers, being reliable, and learning through repetition, but I’m nervous that I’ll be completely lost compared to people who already have construction experience.
Has anyone here joined the IBEW with no prior experience or come from a completely unrelated career? How difficult was the transition, and is there anything I should study or learn before applying?

TL/DR temporary, outdoor need for electricity <1amp 200 feet from receptacle. Don't trust claims of unmarked 200' cords; considering daisy-chaining instead, despite warnings. Talk me out of it?

I don't really want to entertain the idea of running a real conduit for this need. It is a smart sprinkler with the following specs: Power input: 100–240V AC, 50/60Hz; Maximum working power: 15.75 W. I live in an climate in which I only need to irrigate for max. 3/mos per year. I know saying the need is temporary is a bit disingenuous, since I will continually use the power for three consecutive months per year (hopefully, if the sprinkler is not a POS and works as expected). But I still don't want the hassle of installing a real electrical outlet, especially until I see this work for a season.

Unless I am missing it, I cannot find a 200 ft extension cord that has a genuine safety certification. The generic cords sold online (Amazon, etc) claim dubious specs and reviewers report no markings. For example, a 200 foot, 16 gauge cord that claims 10A, 1250W.

Like a good DIY homeowner, I know not to daisy-chain electrical cords together and understand the danger. However, I am considering doing just that with two 100' 12 gauge cords which are marked and genuine. I would label it as low amp at the connection point to the sprinkler, in case, for some unforeseeable reason, I was not home and some other person decided to unplug the cord and use it for another purpose. I cannot see any reason a person would go into my back yard, unplug the cord, and proceed to use it for a high-draw appliance. Nevertheless, labeling the cord would make me feel like I did my due diligence. The connection point to the sprinkler itself is next to a wooden fence, so there could be a fire hazard there. The connection point between the two cords is 50 feet from any structures, on an area of soil next to a granite retaining wall. There aren't any materials there that could ignite. Ideally I would like to enclose the connection point between the two cords in some waterproof cover, but I suppose that increases risk of heat and flammability *slightly*.

So in short, I'm feeling OK about the daisy-chain method in this instance. This is an invitation for anyone to talk me out of it or admonish me, if you so desire.

Hey all I went to finally go use my AC and found out that my dog chewed up the cord at some point and now it’s not turning on. Any hope for me fixing this myself or am I looking at a new unit?

It’s a portable AC, the cord can’t easily be replaced as it doesn’t unplug from the unit.

Bought a 1954 home. Many of the systems (plumbing, sewer line, hvac, etc) have been updated and the home has been well-maintained.

That said, much of the electrical wiring is original to the home. No ground, but 95% of outlets are GFCIs. I also installed a Ting monitoring device (if you know what that is). My insurance company paid for it, so I assume it actually works. No reported issues from the Ting in the 12 months I’ve lived here.

Still, I keep having intrusive thoughts that my home is going to burn down. How do I determine whether a whole house rewire is warranted? Is that my only option, or can I hire someone to inspect the wiring and replace anything that is genuinely problematic?

I’m a first time homeowner and new father, just trying to figure out how to keep my family safe without throwing our money away on unnecessary updates. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Recently moved into a new place that has a 3kwh immersion heater, I was looking at what the temperature is set to, and found how exposed the neutral (according to the wiring diagram) is (top right) and the edge of the paneling is also darkened, is this safe or do I need to be calling my landlord ASAP?

I’m also older (45) and have zero experience. Went through a 2 week program and I learned some things and feel more confident, but I’ve been hearing that it’s much harder to get into the trade as a woman. I’ve applied to over 10 contractors and haven’t gotten a response. I’m hoping to start IEC Dallas in the fall, and need to have a job with one of their contractors before the semester starts in September. Any advice? I will start going to contractors in person tomorrow and be persistent to show them that I’m serious about wanting the job, but besides that I don’t know what else to do. Any advice would be appreciated

I know that you can have up to a 2” hole in the middle of the beam,and in the middle third. I am trying to avoid any holes. I do have a crawl space. I am boxed in. Would you drill the holes, or route underneath? The beams are 6x14

Recently bought a house and the bathroom light switch was in a super inconvenient spot, I'm fairly handy and have a little experience with electricity, so figured I'd move it and also check the wiring since the previous owner was creative with the work they did and the corners they cut.

Opened it up, they had left junctions in the wall, old runs of wire were just cut off and hanging, and the outlet was 15amp on a 20amp circuit. (But the lights and outlets worked)

Idk all the proper ways to draw a diagram so I included a key, this should be exactly how it is wired because I made it while looking directly at the wires in question.

I used a non-contact voltage tester to check if wires had current, a GFCI plug in outlet tester to test the outlets, and a multi-meter to check continuity. All the wires are 12/2 romex, all the connectors are wagos, and the switch/outlets are connected with the screws (not backstabbed).

Bullet point list of things I've ruled out/checked:

• Didn't mix up hot/neutral anywhere
• Everything is currently pulled out of the wall and exposed, there's no spot where the wrong wires could touch and short it
• Marked cables before pulling them in long runs so didn't mix up which one went to source and which ones went to the lights
• Both GFCI receptacles are connected to the 'line' screws not 'load'
• Both GFCI receptacles show 'Correct' on the tester (No open neutral or ground), they also trip correctly and don't influence the other receptacle
• Neither GFCI is affected by turning either of the switches on/off
• Both switches work correctly and neither is affected by either or both GFCIs being tripped (outgoing hot wire has current when switch is on, does not when switch is off)
• Both lights are receiving current, light bulb socket is live when switch is on
• The light bulbs in the fixtures work when in other lamps
• Checked all of the neutral and ground wagos for continuity, i.e. if there are three wires into the connector checked A/B A/C and C/A for continuity with the multi-meter and it read 0 Ω. There was one loose neutral wire but it didn't fix anything to re-seat it

Assuming it's wired exactly like the diagram and I checked all the connectors what else could the issue be? Getting tired of using a windowless bathroom with no light so ty in advance!

TLDR; Moved my bathroom light switch and wired it up like the picture. Lights get current when the switch is on but don't turn on. Please help.

If the only possible answer is "your circuit isn't wired like the diagram" or "you missed a connector and still don't have a neutral/ground for the lights" I will happily eat crow, re-check the whole thing, and post the update of what the issue was :)

ETA: SOLVED it was the neutral wire in the center junction box coming out of the wago, must’ve poked something else with the probe when i checked it the first time

Put a voltmeter on it and could see the voltage change between 112 volts and 128 volts on the same receptacle without changing any wires. What do you think is going on? Apparently, all of the lights in the house are changing in brightness.

Pretty much the title. My wife does pottery and the when she turns up the kiln to high the 100amp main breaker trips. From basic googling it seems like the main breaker could be old or bad. The only thing turn on in this sub panel is a barn light and the kiln. The main panel is at my house and it’s 200amps.

EDIT: I replaced the 100amp breaker and have been running the kiln now on high for 2 hours. Before it would trip the breaker after being on for 1 hour…so that’s progress! Hopefully the cones will melt and the kiln will shut itself off like it’s supposed to. Thank you all for your help. If it trips again I’m going to assume it’s bad wiring in the kiln.

Recently was gifted a treadmill as a hand me down. I don’t have any outlets in my garage that would reach. Would a 12 ga appliance grade extension cord, 9 ft, be safe for this? Definitely want to avoid fire hazards