r/electrical

Hi everyone, I’m trying to remove a somewhat large three piece light fixture.

I’ve done some research and done the first steps (turned the power off from the breaker, double checked with a voltage detector) and I think that I’m good to just cut the hot neutral and ground wires loose and reattach them to the new fixture; am I right in thinking so? Cutting the wires feels wrong to me but they won’t come out when I pull.

I’ve added pictures for reference. Thanks!

EDIT: came crashing down with the unscrewed wire nuts. I’d add pictures because it’s really funny but I don’t know how.

i just realised my dad was attaching a new extension cord to the house. he plugged it in the main outlet. then plugged another extension cord onto the extension. i was concerned and i researched a bit of it and its called "DAISY CHAIN"

and the main outlet is infested with ants

i dont know if its dangerous or im just overreacting. ..

Hey all! I’m looking to swap out these old tan telephone/internet jacks and outlets to white Lutron version.

I need to plug a cable into the bottom blue jack running from my work telephone that then runs into my computer as Ethernet.

What do I need to buy and do to make this happen? I don’t really need more than one jack coming from the wall.

For reference, I’m looking to get matching white Lutron Claro wall outlets.

Any expertise is appreciated, assume I know nothing. I won’t be doing the install, but I’ll be getting the parts for the installer.

So this is for anyone that can help me and my wife the living room and kitchen outlets and power don’t work and it’s probably Because of our 14000 btu ac unit that caused the living room to trip the breaker. We already turned off all of the breaker in the off position and still nothing and other rooms have power just the two rooms don’t work anymore and is this a big problem or a small issue that can be fixed?

I recently imported a machine from China to start a small home-based business in Toronto. The manufacturer converted it to 120V for North American use, but we’re running into power issues and wanted to get advice before doing anything unsafe.

The main machine is rated at 3,000W and there’s also an attached air compressor rated around 1,600W.

We tried to test it in our condo, but the breaker trips almost immediately. Our condo mainly has 15A circuits, so we understand we’re probably exceeding what the circuits can safely handle. We tested it a few times before stopping completely.

The only higher-amperage circuits we likely have access to are:
- Washing machine circuit (30A, difficult to access)
- Stove circuit (40A)

(Btw we’re renters, so installing a dedicated new line may not be realistic)

A few questions:
- Is it even feasible/safe to run something like this in a residential condo setup? Could I plug them in separate outlets (the machine in the 40A stove and the compressor in a different outlet close by?
- Would a dedicated 30A circuit theoretically handle this?
- Are there any temporary solutions for testing?
- Should we even consider a generator for something like this? If so, are there large enough battery/inverter generators that could safely handle this load without using gas/propane?
- Would renting a small workshop/flex industrial space make more sense? Our priority is keeping costs low.
- We also have a friend who owns a self-serve laundromat and may allow us to rent a small corner of the shop. Would that be more suitable electrically?

Appreciate any insight. Thanks in advance!

EDIT: The machine was originally designed for 220–240V operation in China. We specifically asked the manufacturer to convert it to 110–120V for North American residential use because we assumed it would be easier to power here.

Based on the replies so far, it sounds like converting it to 120V may have actually created the issue due to the extremely high amperage/current draw (~4600W combined load).

We’re now looking into whether it can safely be reconfigured back to 220–240V and operated on a proper dedicated circuit instead.

First time poster and mediocre electrician

Hello all,

I’ve recently bought a new house and am working out some electrical gremlins. Our range randomly stopped working so I started chasing down the problem. Long story short I got the range hood working again but now the new GFCI I installed is not working properly. The hood is piggybacked off this outlet as seen in the wiring pictures and you can see the light from the hood is now on indicating there is power running through the outlet. However if I plug in a toaster or fan or something to the outlet itself it doesn’t work.

I must admit, the wiring is super confusing to me with the three different knob and tubes running into and out of the box and especially with certain ones wound around another.

If someone could explain why two neutrals are wound together and two blacks are wound together that would be great and also explain why the GFCI is not working now. Pressing test and reset do nothing.

Edit: thanks for the help, I’ve got it figured out. Also, picture number two is what I found no what I did to fix the other issue lol 😂 I probably should’ve clarified that.

Edit: thanks for the help you guys and gals. I got it working. Simply my line and load were crossed. I have one black line wire and two black load wires. Ditto for the neutrals. Receptacle tester is now showing correct wiring.

I recently purchased a VW ID.4. Our electric company is offering a $500 rebate for Level 2 chargers that run on a separate off-peak meter. I had an electrician install a NEMA 14-50 outlet this morning which I was planning to plug the VW 2-in-1 charger into. Unfortunately, I found out/realized after the fact that the program only works with hardwired chargers. I was looking at adding the hardwired EMPORIA Level 2 EV Charger w/ J1772 Connector. My electrician said he would only charge me for the visit cost, but that’s still over $200.

I have done plenty of small 120V upgrades around the house (outlets, chandeliers, etc). I know 240V/50A is more serious, but is it as straightforward as removing the outlet, adding a junction box, and just running the whip from the charger to the existing wires in the junction box? If so, that feels like a manageable project I can do myself. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

I’ve been seeing this creator on Tiktok make his cool and sick AC taser and plasma inventions and he’s outrageously charging 198$ for a singular taser and I feel like I can make the same thing if not better for 30$ or under components all together so please guys I need help and lmk what you find out

This is the hardhat you have to wear if you forget your ppe to my apprenticeship class, thought I’d share lol

I noticed that this GFCI outlet was getting hot. The little green light doesn't come on, but the tester says it is wired correctly.

I'm not sure if these just go bad and if so, why would it start heating up?

This is the gfci for two other outlets down the wall and they both show as being correctly wired.

I'll pick up a replacement today. Just wondering why.

Hello! Xfinity came and clipped the old Internet lines and removed a box that was attached to the exterior of our house. There had been a ground wire running from this big box next to our breaker panel, that connected to the Internet and phone lines in the Xfinity box. That ground wire is now just hanging down, can it be removed or does this mean the house is maybe not grounded? Thanks!

My plan was to wrap the wire around the pins and solder. Will that work?

Went to swap out this switch today and didn’t have the wiring I was expected. It controls one outlet only. Probably 50 years old, been working fine the 10 years I’ve lived here.

In addition to the red and black wires connected to the switch, the 2 white wires were coiled together but just floating around. I put the wire nut on.

Trying to put a Leviton Lever Edge switch on it. Any pointers? Voltage tester to find hot wire?