Ask Construction Advice.com No charge construction advice for all remodeling advice ... free remodeling advice on any project you may have. Do-It-Yourself Electrical Wiring
Electrical wiring is basically straightforward. Black and white makes light. Actually, there’s more to it than that, but after you’ve wired 4 or 5 houses, installed the switches, lights, distribution panels and masts, there’s not much more to learn. It’s not rocket science. It takes a much longer learning curve to become a good carpenter than an electrician or plumber. Nowadays, distribution boxes have circuit breakers and fuse boxes that you could “hot-wire” by putting in a penny in order to make contact in a jam are antiquated. Your electrical experience is virtually riskless since the circuit breaker will trip before anything bad happens. You don’t need to contract a high-priced electrician if you can read a simple electrical diagram as a homeowner. There are a lot of reference books available at Home Depots, Loews, Barnes and Nobel as well as the public library. Most workers associated with the electrical departments at Home Depot and Loews can lead you in the right direction and many times there are actual wiring mock-up displays at these locations. Of course, you’ll need an electrical inspection. The electrical inspector will check your work (inspection costs are minimal) and you can look at it as having a college professor visiting your home, holding your hand giving you on-the-topic advice and training. Now how much is that worth? If you fail the inspection, do what your “professor” suggests and the next time you should pass. There are a few basics to do-it-yourself that you should understand. Let’s say you built a one-room addition to your house. The first thing you do is submit an electrical wiring plan to the building department and get an electrical permit. You are allowed to wire your own home in America. Next buy the boxes and run the wires to the outlet boxes, fixtures and switches. Use a level and tape measure to ensure the boxes are at a uniform height off the floor. Then call the town for a “rough inspection.” Make sure the tails are long coming out of the boxes and staples holding the wires in place are every 12 or so inches apart. Near the boxes you’ll need extra wire stapes to hold the wires secure. When you pass the initial “rough-in” inspection you can then insulate the wall, hang the sheet-rock and then install the outlet fixture. It’s easier and makes for good practice to put the fixtures up after the sheet-rock is installed. Make sure the “tails” of the black and white wires are long enough, that the caps are screwed on tight to the wires and the grounds are crimped together securely. The electrical inspector will spot check to make sure of this. Put the breaker switch(s) into the electrical panel and tie in your home run and you’re good to go. Generally, 8-10 outlets can be placed on a breaker switch, but use discretion. If each outlet is running an appliance that is always on, you’ll need more breakers. If you have a computer room or entertainment room with a ton of devices competing online simultaneously, plan accordingly. Also, you’ll want dedicated outlets and home run to breakers if you run a stove, furnace, refrigerator, 220 electric stove and such so you can isolate that line. When all is working, call for the final municipal electrical inspection and you’re good to go. Not only are you legal, you’re homeowners insurance will recognize that the work was done in compliance to the existing electrical code. |
|||
Construction Advice
Pavers |