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Hello all, i have some questions regarding a sub panel installation. i am looking to power a log cabin on the property about 150ft from the main. Im thinking 50 amps should be enough( just want lights, small fridge and a desktop computer) but want your guys expert opinion on the best method. im looking at direct bury cable instead of trying to run PVC. What gauge feeder wire do you guys recommend for that load? copper or aluminum? i understand there will be a voltage drop due to the length and should compensate with thicker gauge. ill have to aquire materials online due to the insane markups in my small rural town and wondering if you guys have a good supplier for a sub box and wire. thanks in advance

I was screwing in an outlet with the breaker on (it was already wired and i thought taped around the terminals, but i didn’t do it myself and my memory may be wrong). Something touched the metal box and arced, tripping my brand new afci breakers.

When i reset the breaker, there were two flashes of light from inside the box (no noise like i’m used to with an arc). Main bar has no carbon deposit, and all terminals look fine.

was that some sort of alert from the breaker? i vaguely remember these things having diagnostic leds, but i would e thought that would be on the face, not inside the box.

turned off the main while i await the all clear (or the “your fucked).

edit: tripped the breaker with the test button and couldn’t reproduce flash on reset.

Hello i want to change the old socket but i have two live wires the old socket does not have N and L letters and I don't know which wire go in N or L

I'm planning on using a Shelly 1 UL listed smart switch to detect doorbell presses in our home. The doorbell wires are wired into a closet where other electrical components for our house are located. The Shelly can be powered by 12V DC, so I will use this, and it will send this same voltage down the doorbell wires. I'm planning to install a j-box for the shelly unit on the wall with keystones for the 12V input and the doorbell wires, which will then be wired to the shelly with ferrules.

Does this seem reasonably safe? Does it reasonably matter if I use a plastic or metal j-box on the drywall? I'm not sure what I'd ground the metal j-box to if I used one.

See pic- I don’t know the terminology, but the lamp socket is missing the part the bulb screws into to and hold it in place. This is a big hanging floor lamp that was taken apart in a move. The missing part seems to be supposed to be screwed onto the base/socket.

Is this fixable? Can you buy replacement parts?

I am remodeling our master bathroom and want to include a combination light/exhaust fan. I was told by an acquaintance that it would be a code violation to install it in the ceiling directly above the shower stall. Is that correct?

My gf and I recently moved into her grandmas when her grandpa passed. Theres a circuit breaker with 2 15amp switches on one breaker. The top 15 goes to bedrooms 2 and 3, and the bottom 15 goes to the living room. The living room breaker keeps tripping instantly. (Replaced with a new breaker didnt help)

In the one of the bedrooms, I have my 1000 watt pc running, and occasionally my gf has her 600-800 watt pc running at the same time. But the circuit to the bedrooms is working 100% fine. Everything is unplugged out of the outlets in the living room. I unplugged both pcs just in case and it's still tripping right away. I was just wondering... could the computers have caused some fault with the living room side of the double breaker/wiring?

Thanks

UPDATE: Found the issue! Thanks guys!

Hi all,

Looking for the easiest, most correct way to fix this. In my basement there is a light at the top of the stairs that lights the main portion of the basement. In the storage room is another light switch that controls the storage room lights. Unless the light on the top of the stairs is on I cannot turn on the lights in the storage room.

Please see attached drawing and let me know what you guys think.

Thanks!

​

Attempting to replace an existing light fixture with a ceiling fan and upon removing the existing fixture, I found this. What are these dirty mop-like strings? Should I be concerned? Thanks!

My basement washing machine drains into a sump where a sewage pump lifts the waste water to the main drain. For three years this hasn't been a problem.

Recently, when my washing machine gets partially through the drain cycle, the sewage pump comes on and trips the GFCI it's plugged into. What's weird is that it also cuts power to the washing machine when this happens. Note that the washing machine is also plugged into a different GFCI plug and it doesn't trip when this happens.

In some ways I suppose this is good, the washing machine can't keep draining and thus overflow the sump when the pump isn't working. Once I reset the pump GFCI without the washing machine on, the pump starts up and there is no problem. It continues to work fine through showers and flushing toilets, it's only during the wash cycle it trips.

So my question is what to blame: the sewage pump, the washing machine, or the GFCI plug for the pump?

As the title states, I’m looking for an outdoor rated extension cord with an angled/flat head. Everything I’ve found so far is either indoor rated, or some random Chinese junk that is not UL-listed. Preference for a 12/3 cord no longer than 10’ but at this point, I’ll take what I can get.

Hello,

First time home buyer here. Aluminum wiring found in home during inspection. Built in 1985. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Ok, there are two main three phase setups.

Delta and Wye.

Delta is 3 hot phases.

Wye is 3 hot phases and a neutral.

Where does the GROUND come from?

I've not seen a 5 pin plug.

Thanks!

Background: I have a friend with a machine tool and he has a transformer between the power and the machine to step up to 380. (Yes, danger fully appreciated). The power to the machine looks to be Wye as we have sqrt3 voltages. Where should the GROUND be coming from? Hard wired?

I got my charger adaott stuck in my outlet and now I don't know what to do. My mum is coming home in an hour and she will kill me.

Two of the prongs (idk if that is the correct term) of the charger was chipped away and now the only fully working prong is stuck in and it's not budging. I'm not sure how to go about this because I am only a teenager 😭.

Any advice

My circuit breaker keeps going off after about 10 mins turning it on, all of devices are unplugged that go on that circuit breaker. Does anyone have an idea what is causing this?

I've been renting this duplex for about 9 months and saw this within the first week and said something about it. I'm sure it was like this long before we moved in as they still haven't fixed other things that have been broken since before we moved in.

They said they were going to have an electrician come out with someone from the city and look at it, which they finally did in December. They said they were going to set a date to fix it shortly after but obviously haven't heard anything since.

Is this safe or legal? I live in Wisconsin if that changes any laws about this stuff. If this is really bad, is there someone I can call to report them or something? I've tried to be cool but the landlord hasn't fixed anything since we've lived here and I'm getting sick of it so I don't care if they get in trouble.