@Deleted User @Lebens just curious, do you guys use a wall fish kit to fish wires down a wall? Like glowrods, or the wire fish kit, I don't know what they are called, or something like the python kits with the magnets? Or do you just drop the wire and manually fish it out?

I use glow rods, magnets and fishing drill bits

If I'm in an attic trying to fish down a wall I will measure out and find my location up top. I will drill two or three 1in sized holes with a paddle bit. I'll stick my flashlight over one of the holes that way I can use the other two to look down and fish wires. If you're in an attic you can you can just stick the wire down the wall it's easiest. You don't have to get the fish tape reel or glow rods out of the truck to do the job. A fish tape can be used in walls or in conduit to pull wire through metal tubing. I was trained commercial so I have used a fish tape to fish just about everything. You have to be careful with them around live Parts as they can short things out and kill you or cause an explosion

Thats why you always need a non conductive fish tape also

Yes sir I have a nylon fish tape that I use but it is very short so I use it when I'm around the panels

It,s kind of crazy because in a residential setting the ground wires are bare. I always thought it was crazy that you had all these live parts and then your ground conductors were always bare

Right on, I have both a fish tape and glowrods. I always preferred the glow rod. Coaxial cable is so easy to fish though.
@Deleted User that is crazy. Any reason it's bare?

I would say probably cost. They used to pull bare neutrals in conduit years ago but they discovered if someone broke a wire between a load and the panel the conduit would become energized as the neutral path to ground. That's why bare wire is not used in conduit anymore. Romex and certain grounding situations where you are burying a wire for grounding purposes for let's say service there are exceptions that allow you to use the bare copper

In regards to fishing wires in conduit. They make a vacuum system called a vacuum fish tape that uses little sponges with a wire connected to them that you hook a nylon string to and vacuum that device called a mouse through the conduit. It is used for long runs. It works good in PVC pipe because it is glued but if the pipe has been in the ground and has condensation water built up in it sometimes it will slow it down. You can use it in long runs of EMT which is the metal tubing but you have to have what they call compression fittings coupling the pipe together

I've never had a problem sucking rats in screw type connected EMT

@Deleted User wow, that's cool. I learned something today. I didn't know about that vacuum thing. Thanks bro

You can also just use a plastic bag, a shop vac, and jet line if you're doing it on the cheap

Yeah once have the gist you can use just about anything. I was on a job once and was searching for some plastic and ended up using part of a Fritos bag. I've used them with screw conduits before but it just depends on how big the conduit is and how long the run is.

I was about to ask how long of a run can you do that ghetto way?
I was just curious, because everyone has a different way to fish wire

@John O - so youre an electrician also?

Not yet, going to take my Journeyman's in a few months. I had a convo with you about it a week ago.

Lol that's right I'm sorry. It has been a rough couple of weeks. What part of the country are you in

It's cool, Florida

That's right. I'm just getting senile in my old age. Are you going to hit him up for a raise once you get your journeyman's

I'm probably going to quit. I'm thinking about moving to Seattle, where I can get $35/hr so that I can save up for when the housing market drops.

Maybe California. Idk yet.

The company I work for is huge, and since the pay isn't great, a lot of my coworkers are Haitians or Hispanics. I get a bit tired of it, and I'm not sure I want to be in charge of a bunch of guys who resent me for being white boy in charge

I understand that! What kind of a foothold do the unions have in those areas?

If that's your picture for your avatar you look to be about 24

None

I was just asking I was trying to figure out how long you been in the trade total

I'm 22

Got my job 2 weeks out of highschool

Yes it seems like two unions have a stronger hold the further north you go up to Northeastern Corridor. Up around New York and New Jersey if you don't have a union card you don't get much work

Yes I graduated high school and two weeks later had a job as an electrician. I didn't know what I was getting into at the time. I really enjoy it though I don't think I would have gone another direction if I could do it over

I was college bound, pretty happy that I missed out on that

Yeah most of these colleges are freaking cancer. Feeding these kids heads full of b*******

My family has been oven middle class for 3 generations. My mom still flips out at me, despite my p nice net worth.

My dad and I are the first out of three generations, cousins included, on both sides, not to get a 4 year diploma.

I need to get my Master's, but I want to see the country a little while I'm still young.

It's definitely a top priority.

@Deleted User I love under counter lights.

And those "hidden" plugs are sweet

Yes sir! What kind of cabinet is that with the strips mounted in it?

I think they were mounted after. I don't know anything about those cabinets, they were in a house in the triangle.

Koba bought some weird ass Chinese electronic lightbulb.

an electrician isnt going to be able to help me out with it but thanks

My bad breh

Are they wi-fi controlled?

Just wanted to add my endorsement for the LED tube lights to replace fluorescent fixtures as mentioned in the tutorial. I installed one in my kitchen a couple of years ago and it's been top-notch.

Fucking Haitians. What the fuck is faciling lights?

So I woke up today with power to only half of my house, I switched the breakers and still no power, anyone have any ideas? @everyone

Wait for the electrical fire and collect insurance?

Lmao, is that the best option?

@Whitelash it could be a couple of things. If you have a main breaker in your panel it will control both phases. A phase and B phase. If the breaker has malfunctioned and one side of it has gone bad only half of the house will work. Turn the breaker off wait a second and then turn it back on it may bring everything up it may reset itself. If you have an electrical tester you could take the cover off and test from the metal frame of the panel to each of the two main wires coming in. If you have power to both halves of your main breaker it could be coming in from outside the utility companies end of it

If you do take the cover off to test it make sure that you're very careful when removing the cover. If there is any damage to the wires going to the main breaker or the main breaker itself you should probably stop and call someone with some experience. If the breaker is burnt up in the wires just sitting there hot it could arc an blow up in your face

If the main breaker is bad the meter Globe will have to be pulled out of the meter base so that those wires are de- energized and then whatever repairs are needed can then be performed

I just got in the car to head home so if you have any more input shoot it my way and I will be able to check back with you in about 15 or 20 minutes

@John O - maybe they are trying to say fan and ceiling lights LOL

Booga booga booga

Bix nood

@Deleted User Good luck, sometimes you have to deal with shitheads.

Oh yeah this guy is into me for almost 3 Grand. He and I have been going back and forth I have got some of it from him so far but he's waiting on checks on projects that have been completed and I'm not racking up any more hours till I get my money. So I haven't really been around any work to be taking pictures and making post LOL I hope to have it straightened out this coming week though

That sucks, hopefully he'll come through but good luck with that bro. We haven't been doing anything fun. We finished our last box gutter and the other carpenter quit. So all we're really doing is windows. We just picked up a black Masonic lodge. I didn't know there were black freemasons.

Free?🤔masons huh.. lol yea i think it'll sort itself out but it suks

It's not nearly as exclusive as it used to be

@Deleted User Without doxxing yourself, are you an owner, or just a foreman/superintendant?

I work for myself. I have my Master's license so I primarily do electrical work but also dabble in some of the other trades. I do residential maintenance as well. General stuff appliances ceramic tile trim work etc

Jack of all trades

I knew you were a Master. You ever think about renting it out and taking it easy for a little while?

Sooo...we have a field fridge for our produce, which is basically an insulated tool shed with an air conditioner rigged to cool down into the 30s. It's on a 20 amp breaker, which trips intermittently. I'm thinking its moisture building up in the AC (which is obviously not designed to be acting like a refrigerator). What do you guys think?

This is the device we have to trick the AC. https://www.storeitcold.com/

@Deleted User @John O -

@Deleted User Got a pic of your setup?

Will send tomorrow, thanks brother.

I'll keep my eye out

A breaker Works off of heat. Heat and amperage are synonymous. If the breaker is just tripping intermittently it could be that the breaker is getting weak from a constant load being on it. Depending on how frequently the air conditioner Cycles it may just be wearing the breaker down. I would suggest replacing the 20 amp breaker

Yeah I was thinking that too. We’re really running the bejesus out of that circuit

@Deleted User That's what I was thinking. He could have one of those GFI breakers.

Yeah it’s GFI

In that case it probably is the moisture. Just elevate the unit so that it doesn't collect water.

How is the unit connected to your panel? Is it plug and cord, or hard wired?

Cord. We have it elevated quite a bit, with about a 3% slope and drain holes drilled out

@Deleted User Do they make water proof covers that are water tight when a cord is plugged in?

Ah you think it might be moisture at the plug?

@Deleted User If it's tripping the GFI, it's probably where the cord hits the outlet.

Nice. Will have a look

Post that pic

@Deleted User You're sure the GFI is tripping, not the breaker?

Yes because I don’t have to go back to the panel to reset it

I just trip the gfi

Ok, yeah, it's definitely moisture. When Greg gets back and you post your pic we can think about hardwiring it inside a weather proof box.

@Deleted User

Rgr thanks lads

Oh so it is the GFCI that is tripping and not the breaker? I got you. A GFI plug is sensitive to condensation and humidity. If there is considerable moisture building up in the area where the outlet is located you're going to have to try to isolate it in some Manner. Pictures would help definitely. It's possible you may be able to move the outlet or relocate the cord through the wall and plug it up exterior

Well the wife just told me she’s had to run to the panel several times so it might be both lol!

I can take care of the moisture problem easily enough

Yes I would go ahead and replace the breaker and the GFI outlet itself. You can get a 15 amp GFI outlet for about $13 and depending on the style of breaker it may be as the little as 5 or $8 to replace

@Deleted User make sure you go outside to where your meter is and disconnect the entire house before you open your panel.

@Deleted User So I tried to replace an outlet due to the plastic breaking on one of the receptacles. The new one is GFCI. The old one is decades old (possibly from the 50s) and the wires are from 1939 so I can barely see the white/black on the insulation. The outlet screws into a metal box, but it's loose in the wall (not totally detached, but loose) and I can't see if it's grounded to any pipes or what have you. There are no ground wires in the box. I wired the new outlet the same as the old: no power, LED unlit. I figured maybe the line/load was reversed so I switched them, now the LED lights up green but there's no power to the receptacles and it won't Reset. Is this thing just not grounded? Do I need to run a copper wire from the box to a pipe in the wall?

It's mid-series if that makes a difference