Stair lighting and structure upgrade

[Peanut]

I intended to finish this room today but cfs decided to make that impossible. Spent the morning not thinking clearly and making mistakes. Lay down at lunch for a nap, that helped a lot. So, I spent the whole day pulling cable through a cinderblock wall to this double box. And I'm still not done. Have to pull one more cable then I can install the switches and call it done.

What a pain in the butt!! I hope I never have to pull cable through a cinder block wall again.

 

[Pearl]

I intended to finish this room today but cfs decided to make that impossible. Spent the morning not thinking clearly and making mistakes. Lay down at lunch for a nap, that helped a lot. So, I spent the whole day pulling cable through a cinderblock wall to this double box. And I'm still not done. Have to pull one more cable then I can install the switches and call it done.

What a pain in the butt!! I hope I never have to pull cable through a cinder block wall again.

View attachment 168496

At least you accomplished something!!

 

[Patchouli]

Is cool when people here talk each other through projects. Thanks!

 

[Peanut]

Simple light fixture right? Not hardly! It was so old it wasn’t made with a way to ground the base. Didn’t matter because for the last 50yrs because the power being supplied wasn’t properly grounded either. It was wired from the attic with 70yr old electrical cable.

I changed everything about it, ran new wire from below with a proper ground. Grounded the junction box and modified the base with a proper ground point. Today I spent 2 hours trying to put it all back together standing on the 5th step of a 6ft step ladder.

What a royal pain in the butt!!! 7 or 8 trips up and down the ladder, my knees are screaming at me again. But it’s done, on to the next step in the process.

It'll still be a few days before I apply power to the fixture. Hopefully I have everything wired correctly. Don't want to take it apart again.

 

[Peanut]

Got the rest of the cable pulled for the stairway and storage rm, finally! Now I have to wire up the switches, outlets and install one junction box. Oh, still have to hang the 4ft led shop light too. It's easy, it'll hang from 2 small chains. But everything is ready to go together.

 

[Neb]

Got the rest of the cable pulled for the stairway and storage rm, finally! Now I have to wire up the switches, outlets and install one junction box. Oh, still have to hang the 4ft led shop light too. It's easy, it'll hang from 2 small chains. But everything is ready to go together.

View attachment 168931

Looks like the worst is behind you. Wish I could say the same.

Ben

 

[Peanut]

Well, the stairway and storage rm project is done for now. The stairway has 3 times the light it used to have. The lights can be operated from the top or bottom via 3-way switches.

I have a another 2ft led light ordered to go above the last short section of stairs (last pic), near the smoke alarm. For now it has plenty of light coming from a 4ft led light in the center of the storage rm. The storage area is 'blocked off' by a thin curtain made from old bed sheets. They are thin enough to allow plenty of light through.

The 4ft led light has an on/off chain so it can be turned off and not used. The led string lights also have an on/off switch and can be turned off. Both lights are plugged into a std outlet powered by the 3-way switches. Both lights can be unplugged separately and easily replaced.

I wasn't sure how long the led string lights would last. They are actually dc with a transformer plug. The 4ft led light also came wired with cord and plug. So I had to install a std outlet in the circuit. I mounted the outlet on the stair stringer just below the drop in ceiling panels so it can be reached from the floor via a step stool. Yet high enough to be out of the way of all the boxes stored in that room.

 

[Haertig]

That looks really good. Lots of nice lighting!

 

[Peanut]

Still have energy today so I started on the laundry rm. First up is replacing the receptacle for the washing machine. It's so old it isn't made for a ground wire... and it was wired backwards, hot to neutral, neutral to the hot side of the receptacle.

I have dad searching for the operator's manuals for the washing machine, clothes dryer and the new freezer I bought 2 years ago. They'll have the current/wattage ratings listed. I need this info to plan the circuits and outlets.

This outlet is at least 70yrs old, could be older. It needs to go! I had to cut the metal box out of the wall with a jig saw. It was hammered in.

 

[Peanut]

New double outlet installed, checked and working, load of laundry in the wash. Annnnnd I found a new project (i have to stop doing that ).

There's a cedar cabinet on the wall above the washer. It's too low by 2 inches. The washing machine lid hits it. So, the washer has to sit an extra 6" out from the wall so the lid with stay open while putting clothes in or taking out. The room has always been poorly lit by a single ceiling light in the middle of the 12'x12' rm.

If I raise the cabinet by 4" the washer lid will open underneath it and sit further back out of the way. Annnnd, I can install a led strip light on the bottom of the cabinet. For the first time in 50yrs I be able to see down into the washer drum while I load it (or if it gets out of balance).

 

[Haertig]

Put a magnet on a string tied to the cabinet to hold the washer lid open in the meantime...

 

[Peanut]

Question… Anyone else run into this?

Every outlet... switch, dble receptacle or combo I’ve installed recently is bass ackwards to every website drawing or youtub video I’ve seen.

First… it’s not just the combo below or recent purchases. I ran into this when I rewired the shop 15yrs ago. No device I buy in my state matches website drawings or videos.

It’s not a problem for me personally given my extensive training and work history. But for someone without training this would be a nightmare.

These pic’s are a combo outlet I’m about to install. Look closely at the 3rd pin, the long slot (neutral) and wire attachment screws on the sides. They do not match current information available on the net.

The last time I was at the big box store I looked at every outlet they sold. None match videos or websites.

 

[Neb]

Are you asking about ground lug on top vs bottom?

Ben

 

[Peanut]

Are you asking about ground lug on top vs bottom?

Ben

Every detail is reversed... and the ground lug is in the middle, not top or bottom. Every thing about the items I buy here are bass ackwards to the ones I see in videos or drawings.

 

[Neb]

Every detail is reversed... and the ground lug is in the middle, not top or bottom. Every thing about the items I buy here are bass ackwards to the ones I see in videos or drawings.

The differences may be patent issues.

Screw color is pretty much standard.

Brass is hot
Silver neutral
Green is ground

If in doubt, use a meter.

Ben

 

[Haertig]

That's a problem. You can't depend on the Chinese manufactures (probably the issue here) to get the instructions or even the brass vs. silver screw colors correct. Or the position/orientation of the ground lug (I expect that to be at the bottom - it feels "wrong" to me for it to be on top, although it's not technically wrong I don't think). If I'm not sure of what I'm looking at (which usually doesn't involve reading the instructions - that's how much I trust them!), I'll pull out my multi-meter and trace which screw goes to which socket slot. But you wouldn't expect the typical home installer to know to do that.

 

[Neb]

That's a problem. You can't depend on the Chinese manufactures (probably the issue here) to get the instructions or even the brass vs. silver screw colors correct. Or the position/orientation of the ground lug (I expect that to be at the bottom - it feels "wrong" to me for it to be on top, although it's not technically wrong I don't think). If I'm not sure of what I'm looking at (which usually doesn't involve reading the instructions - that's how much I trust them!), I'll pull out my multi-meter and trace which screw goes to which socket slot. But you wouldn't expect the typical home installer to know to do that.

Agreed except...

I want my ground lug at the top and crack my eggs at the big end.

Ben

 

[Peanut]

My using them or wiring them up correctly isn't the issue, I'm way over qualified for simple electrical work.

My point was.... for someone without training who looked at a video or website. These differences could lead to serious problems.

More importantly, I was curious if this were a state by state issue, regulations and standards in my state as opposed to others.

For instance, in one video I saw, the electrician mentioned the ground pin being above or below the prong slots depended on height from the floor. I think the electrician said above 3ft in height the ground pin was above the slots, below 3ft the grd pin was below the slots. I assume he was referring to building codes in his location/state.

 

[Neb]

My using them or wiring them up correctly isn't the issue, I'm way over qualified for simple electrical work.

My point was.... for someone without training who looked at a video or website. These differences could lead to serious problems.

More importantly, I was curious if this were a state by state issue, regulations and standards in my state as opposed to others.

For instance, in one video I saw, the electrician mentioned the ground pin being above or below the prong slots depended on height from the floor. I think the electrician said above 3ft in height the ground pin was above the slots, below 3ft the grd pin was below the slots. I assume he was referring to building codes in his location/state.

Good point.

Ben

 

[Peanut]

After 3 weeks I'm finally at a stopping place. The storage rm and stairway have good lighting. Switches at top and bottom of stairs, either can turn it's light on/off. The laundry rm has good lighting. A 4 receptacle outlet installed behind the washer. Cabinet above washer has been sanded, got 3 coats of poly and re-installed 4" higher so the washer lid no longer hits it.

The double box with switches for both rooms has been completely reworked. The switches were backwards. Switch on the left operated the rm lights to the right and vice-versa. Now each switch operates the lights closest to that switch. I put an always hot receptacle in the box also so a vacuum can be used on the stairs without running extension cords.

I have a motion sensing light ordered for bottom of washer cabinet so I can see the washer drum when loading/unloading clothes. It'll plug into the outlet behind the washer. Also have one more directional light for the stairwell but I'm in no hurry to install it. Gonna wait and see if it's really needed.

 

[Peanut]

Installed the led light bar above the washer this morning. It's motion activated, tested fine. It can be dimmed with 10 settings. It remembers the last setting. It plugs into the new outlet behind the washer so I don't have to worry with batteries. Only uses 5watts of power. Finally, after all these years I can seen into the washer when adding or removing clothes.