Electrical Basics for Beginners & Supplies

How To Calculate Safe Electrical Load Capacities We all have a mountain of electrical appliances around the house and may, if not all, of them have some sort of motor running them. These may include furnaces, dishwashers, sump pump, garbage disposal, and microwaves. These motorizedgadgets need a dedicated circuit just for their own use. You see, they should not be on a shared circuit with anything else. So how is one to know what sized circuit to put each of these items on? You see, the circuits are protected by either circuit breakers or fuses that limit the amount of amperage allowed to flow through that circuit. They watch over the circuit's power draw like a watchdog. But still, how do we determine the right size for these circuit breakers and fuses? Motors have a nameplate rating that is listed on the side of the motor. It lists the type, serial number, voltage, whether it is AC or DC, the RPM's, and the amperage rating. If you know the voltage and amperage rating, you can determine the wattage or total capacity needed for the safe operation of the motor. By using Ohm's Law, we can determine what the wattage of the motor is and determine what sized breaker or fuse is needed to protect it. In order to do this calculation, you simply take the amperage (AMPS) times the voltage (VOLTS) to give you the power (WATTAGE). But we're not done yet. A 15-amp circuit that is running on 120 volts has a total capacity of 1,800 watts. To determine the safe capacity, you need to multipy the 1,800 watts times 80% to give you 1,440 watts. The rating of your motor should not exceed this rating. so let's say your motor is 120 volts and 13 amps. 120V X 13A = 1,560 watts. Now consider a 20-amp circuit gives you 20A X 120V = 2,400 watts. 2,400 watts X 80% = 1,920 watts of safe capacity, more than enough for this installation. You can see that the 20-amp circuit will fit this installation well. By reading the nameplate information, doing a little math, and sizing the ciruit protection properly, you can safely operate the motor.

How to Size a Bathroom Exhaust Fan

Remove moisture and odor easily with a bathroom exhaust fan.

In order to keep bathrooms free from mold and mildew, bathroom exhaust fans remove moisture and odor quickly and easily. The real secret is getting the right sized exhaust fan for the proper room size. Bathrooms are especially susceptible to moisture and odors. Because of these conditions, mold and mildew are an ever-possible threat and must be removed to keep a fresh and odor-free room in your home. Because of the need for removal of these elements, a ceiling-mounted exhaust fan should be installed. These exhaust fans are rather heavy and are mounted directly to the ceiling joist via mounting tabs on the exhaust fan. Ceiling exhaust fans often come in models with just a fan or a fan/light combination. Either model is powered from a 120-volt circuit that is fed from a switch near the bathroom door. The bathroom exhaust fan is vented via a 4 vent opening which is connected to a pipe or flex hose leading outside the house where it is discarded. Now that we all know the theory behind using a bathroom exhaust fan, which one is right for my house? Are they all the same? Obviously, the answer is no. Bathroom exhaust fans are rated by the amount of air it can remove per cubic feet per minute (cfm). This equation should be used for bathrooms which are 100 square feet or less. To determine the square footage of a room, multiply the length times the width of the room. For example, a common bathroom dimension may be 5 X 8 or 40 square feet. This bathroom would require an exhaust fan of 40 cfm or higher. In the case of larger bathrooms, over 100 square feet, exhaust fans are rated by the fixtures in the bathroom and the amount of them. To calculate this formula, youll need to add the required cfm ratings per fixture. They are rated by this figures: a bathtub requires 50 cfm, a jetted tub, like a whirlpool tub, has to have 100 cfm, a shower needs 50

cfm, and a toilet should have a removal value of 50 cfm. Therefore, having a shower and a toilet in a bathroom would require 100 cfm-rated exhaust fan, but a whirlpool tub, toilet, and shower would require a fan with a cfm of 200 or greater to remove the moisture and odor from the space. If your home happens to have an enclosed toilet or shower, you will want to place a separate exhaust fan for that small area. Remember to keep switches out of reach of the side of tubs and showers for electrical safety. The idea is to not be standing in contact with water while switching on a switch for a light or whirlpool timer that could ultimately cause an electrical shock, or worse yet, electrocution. So before you rush out and buy the cheapest bathroom exhaust fan on the market, consider the area of your bathroom and the reason that you are buying the fan to begin with. If the fan isnt large enough, it wont be able to do the job. This will lead to excessive moisture in the bathroom and future problems. A well thought out plan will provide adequate ventilation and the right sized bathroom exhaust fan.

What Is Task Lighting?

Kitchen Lighting For Specific Areas

Task lighting in a kitchen is lighting other than general lighting used to light the room. The general lighting would be the light usually located in the center of the room that disperses enough light to give general lighting throughout the room. The downfall is that the light will likely be behind you when working on the countertop, casting a shodow on your work area. This is where task lighting comes in handy. Task ligting provides directional, area specific lighting for certain areas at higher illumination levels. Work areas always need additional lighting and task lighting does just that. In areas like sinks, islands and counter tops, task lighting can provide additional lightingwit the use of many different types of lights. Fluorescent under-the-cabinet and halogen lights provide nice lighting in areas that would otherwise be shadowed by overhead lighting. For the open areas of sinks, islands, and countertops, recessed can lights, pendants, and track ligting can provde optimal lighting. This concentrated lighting increases the visibility of these ares with either fixed position or movable lights and can trims. These adjustable heads on can lghts can be adjusted to point to the area you need additional lighting. The same is true for the track lighting lights that you can tilt the lght head to accommodate your lighting needs. Ktchens will almost always have some sort of natural ligting via a window or skylight. The problem is that on cloudy days or dark of night, you'll need the addition of lighting to fill the void. The secret to lighting is to have enough lighting where you need it, when you need it. By installing task lighting in addition to the general lghting you already have, your kitchen will be a safer and brighter area in your home.

Electrical Wiring Needed For A Bathroom

Know What Is Required Electrically In A Bathroom

Bathrooms are damp and have special needs when wiring them. This article will help you install appropriate electrical wiring to cover lighting, air flow, and safety devices in your bathroom. Everything from watertight lighting fixtures in bathing areas to effective ventilation to GFCI outlets for safety should be observed. Lighting We all know that bathrooms tend to be one of ther darker rooms of the house. For that reason, plenty of lights should be postitioned n the home to adequately provide enough light to light the room, but also to enhance areas like mirrors, showers, closets, and bathtub ares. When we discuss the watery areas like bathtubs, showers jacuzzis, and the like, we need to be concerned with watertight fixtures that have watertight lens covers. These areas often are in the dark and need lighting to allow the user to see and be safe stepping into and out of these areas. Either a strip light, can lights, or wall sconces should be placed over or around the mirror area to allow ample lighting to shine towards the user for putting on makeup, combing your hair and other personal items. Light switches for these lights may be positioned by the sink itself or near the entry door. Switches for the bathing areas should be held away from the water's edge by at least six feet.

Ceiling Fans Bathrooms are notorious for being moist and some don't have windows to remove the moisture and the less desirable stench from the toilet area of the room. In this case, a bathroom exhaust fan will draw out the moisture from the room. These fan units also sometimes come with a built-in heater to keep you warm while you dry off. Receptacles/Outlets You should position at least one outlet within one foot of the sink, but not over the sink where a cord will have to hang into the sink. This outlet should be a 20-amp ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) that can supply power to hair dryers, curling irons, razors and the like. Keep in mnd that you may need more than one outlet, and in fact, a quad outlet would be a great choice here, giving you four places to plug in whatever you may need. Proper Circuitry Distribution The lighting and fan circuit must be seperate from the outlet power. The idea is so as not to overload a circuit and have it trip, only to shut off the power to the devices, but also to the lighting in the room. You can see that on different circuits, the outlet power could trip and the lights would stay on. That is the proper installation technique. You need to check your local codes to see if the lighting circuit can be shared with another area of the house or if GFCI protection is needed for both lighting and power circuits. Remember, this may sound like a lot of overkill to you, but these safety measures are in place to help save your life from electrocution. Proper lighting helps eleiminate accidents and proper ventilation prevents mold and mildew from forming in your bathroom. Besides, the better the ventilation, the less embarrasing smells there are left behind after using the commode!

Common Electrical Mistakes by Homeowners

Electrical installations and repairs will happen throughout the years and if you are knowledgeable enough, you will attempt some of these electrical fixes yourself. Electrical wiring can be easy enough for the average homeowner, but there are some common mistakes that happen far too often. These common mistakes and blunders can be a safety hazard, and can ultimately cause electrical fires. Dont become a statistic working with electricity! See how many of these common mistakes are in your home right now. Correcting these problems will give you a safer home and peace of mind. Here are some common mistakes. 1. Wire Straps A common mistake among electrical do-it-yourselfers is to nail NM wire straps too tightly. When installing NM (Romex) wiring, you must support it securely to the wooden studs by nailing straps around the wire. These straps usually come with two small nails and a plastic wire cover. The straps secure the wire tightly to the stud. This ensures the wire doesnt hang loosely in the wall channel and so the wire doesnt get pinched in the wall when drywall is installed. 2. Box Installation Mistakes Nailing an electrical box in a wall seems simple enough, but too often they are installed too far out of the wall. Extend the face of the box out from the stud plus the thickness of the drywall to be installed. If youre installing 5/8 drywall on a wall in a living room, the face of the box will need to extend 5/8 out from the face of the stud of the wall. This way, when the drywall is installed, the face of the box and the face of the wall will be flush. If the box that you are installing needs to have an extension ring added, then youll mount the box face flush with the wall stud and add the appropriate thickness extension ring that matches the thickness of the drywall that you are installing. 3. Wire Size Mishaps It seems every day I either hear someone say something about adding an outlet or circuit in a home. This next part always scares me. I see someone holding 14-2 NM wire, which is rated for 15 amps, and this person is going to add an outlet or circuit to a 20-amp breaker or fuse. Wow! The wire is only rated for 15 amps and the fuse or breaker is rated for 20 amps. It makes me cringe every time I hear this. Here it comes... ready? This wire looks heavy enough

for this outlet, he says. What is he thinking? Would you drive a car that had a wheel falling off and say it should stay on? I dont think so! Only use wire and devices that are rated for the proper amperage. Your safety depends on it! 4. Fuse Replacement Heres another bonehead electrical move that is as dangerous as they come. The fuse keeps blowing every time you replace it or the breaker continues to keep tripping after you reset it. After a few times, frustration sets in, and you decide to replace the fuse or breaker with a larger size. No, no, no! Never do this! Breakers and fuses are designed to protect the wire ampacity rating and the devices and appliances that they are connected to. By connecting the wrong ampacity wire to a fuse or breaker that is too large, overheating of the wire can occur and this can cause a fire. The reason for the breaker tripping or the fuse blowing is because there is a problem in the circuit wiring and this should be addressed at once! 5. Light Bulbs Everyone that I know has been guilty of this at one time or another. Most incandescent light bases in your home require that you use 60-watt bulbs. A wattage limit is posted next to the socket for safety purposes. The problem arises when a 100-watt bulb is screwed into the socket. Yes, the bulb fits just fine in the socket and it lights just likes the 60-watt bulb, but brighter. So whats the problem? This bulb uses more power and gets much hotter than the 60watt bulb. The socket contacts are not designed for this extra load and as a result, the base will get hotter. This in effect can cause the base to overheat and potentially cause a fire. For your safety, always use the recommended wattage bulb in any light fixture. 6. Wire Connections in a Box When making a connection in a junction box, the length of wire in a box is important. The general rule of thumb is to install six inches of wire in a box in order to have enough to make proper connections. You need enough wire to strip, connect and fold over a connection in a box. Have enough wire left over in the box so you dont have to stretch wires to connect them and so youll have enough left in the box to strip the wire and still have enough to connect it again. On the other hand, having too much wire in a box can be just as bad. In this case, when you try to jam too much wire in the box and install devices in the same box, there is always the chance that the wires could get damaged and short out. 7. Loose Wire Connections This one will be hard to believe. It amazes me that someone would strip a conductor and wrap another wire around it to make a connection. This is just inviting an electrical fire. Connections of wires should be made with wire nuts and twisted together. Loose connections on switches and outlets pose another problem. When tightening a wire around a terminal screw on a device, bend the stripped wire in a half-moon shape and put the open end towards the right. Tighten the screw in a clockwise motion until tight. This will draw the copper around the screw, thus closing the loop tighter. If you have the open end the other way, the half moon will actually open up a bit, causing the connection to not be as secure. 8. Loose Connections in Panels Check the neutral and breaker connections in your panel to be sure they are tight. In this case, be sure to turn off the breakers before you begin. Safety first! A loose neutral will cause flickering lights and has been know to cause dim lighting in homes. Loose connections under breakers will cause the circuit to heat up and sometimes trip the breaker. This too can cause flickering of lights. 9. Proper Wires Connected to Terminals Please take time and examine any connections that you make. Connecting a wire to the wrong terminal can cause electrical problems. This is a common mistake and it can be avoided by knowing the following. The hot wire of a

circuit connects to the brass colored screw of an outlet. Look at the face of the outlet and look for the smaller slot. This is the connection side for the hot wire. The neutral wire connects to the silver terminal that will be on the side of the longer slot of the outlet. The ground wire is simple. It connects to the green screw and can never be mistaken for the other two. It is the rounded hole of the outlet and this connection is usually either on the top or bottom of the outlet. 10. Overloading Outlets Everyone has been guilty of this one. It may be Christmas dinner, Christmas tree lights, or just the entertainment center wiring nightmare. The hardware and electronic stores have these nifty multi-outlet circuit extenders that seem to provide an outlet for half of the house. The only problem is that the circuit can only handle 20 amps. Every appliance in your home needs its own circuit, so spread out the electrical load. Appliances like a dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, washers, window air conditioners, and garbage disposals all draw a lot of power and need their own supply. If a freezer and a refrigerator are on the same circuit, the load is too great and the breaker can trip. The contents can then spoil and cost you plenty. 11. Overloading a Drop Cord Using a drop cord for a load that it isn't rated for can cause it to get smoking hot! This is a great way to start an electrical fire. If you must use a drop cord on a heavy load appliance, use an appliance drop cord that is rated for the proper ampacity. They are a little more expensive than the cheap one you bought at the dollar store, but safety is what were looking for here. The overloaded drop cord is most popular during the Christmas season. I know there are a few Clark Grizzwalds out there that have a million and one Christmas lights in and around their homes. This is the house that looks like an alien spaceship landed in their front lawn. This is the house that makes the utility company smile from ear to ear.