- Vote on answer
- posted
19 years ago
Light won't turn off.
Loading thread data ...
- Vote on answer
- posted
19 years ago
On 21 Dec 2004 04:30:19 GMT "Bob K 207" used 3 lines of text to write in newsgroup: alt.home.repair
No, it's not. More people have been killed by 110/ 60 Hz than any other form of electricity. What if he makes a mistake and gets electrocuted? What if he makes a mistake and burns down the house with the family in it? Folks without training should NEVER work on high voltage wiring unsupervised. That is why you'll never see me give out advice regarding high-voltage wiring issues. Sometimes the best advice is "call a pro".
- Vote on answer
- posted
19 years ago
On 20 Dec 2004 19:09:43 -0800 "markp" used 2 lines of text to write in newsgroup: alt.home.repair
No offense man... Read my reply to the guy who said I was "mean".
- Vote on answer
- posted
19 years ago
I cant understand the reason he took all of them apart anyhow. Only TWO wires went to the fixture. There was no reason to disconnect the others.
- Vote on answer
- posted
19 years ago
This post, and also the one from Greg, both look accurate to me. If you are going to take this challenge, then I would first buy some books on home wiring and read all about it before jumping in. If it is too much effort to spend the time to read about it first, then I would take the safe way and get an electrician. For example, if the receptacle has a gold and a silver screw, you need to be sure you are connecting the right wire to the right screw, otherwise you could be setting someone up for electrocution or a fire years later. This opens you up to liability years after a mitake that was part of your learning curve. You should find this exact wiring setup in any beginner book, as this sounds like the most common wiring scheme used for a switched light with power entering the fixture box first. You may recall that when you unscrewed the wires there was a piece of tape, or maybe a black mark with a pen, on one of the white wires, seemingly doing nothing. What that piece of tape says is that this white wire is hot and not neutral, and that it is within a switched circuit. What you did wrong was you bypassed the switch, basically running it in parallel with the light so the switch did nothing. You need it in series with the light, so that it controls the fixture. Draw out your circuit, use a voltage tester and ohmmeter to be sure you understand the circuit, and be very very careful.
Dave
"MLD" wrote in message news:NvXxd.2501$sh5.159@trndny08...
- Vote on answer
- posted
19 years ago
I would have thought that both percentages would be significantly higher -- though sometimes nowadays given the lack of traditional training and apprenticeship,I don't know which group suffers more from the cruel disease of "clueless overconfidence"
- Vote on answer
- posted
19 years ago
Graham, I've got to agree with you. I'm pretty mechanically inclined, but I won't mess with electrical things, unless it's just a simple direct replacement of a switch or light fixture. Electricity is invisible, so you just simply have to know the rules and ins and outs of how it works. It's not like other things where you can see what's going on and react to it, causing a fix to come about.
I don't have a really good grounding in the laws of AC Electrical, so I stay away from it. I suppose that it's not completely rocket science, so if I set out to study the laws of Electricity and home wiring, I'd be fine, but until then, I stay away from it.
Some times you just have to know when to keep out of certain things.
Danny
"G. Morgan" wrote:
- Vote on answer
- posted
19 years ago
Danny I only wish everyone could come to the same conclusion. Unlike some electricians I have no problem with a home owner doing their own work. I am even happy to advise them if they show a glimmer of caution and some evidence of understanding the basics. No one is born knowing electricity. My allergic reactions are triggered by those who say there is nothing to it it is just color to color. The folks who want some techniques banned because it takes time to understand them and work with them safely are also a major irritant.
I've done a lot of work with customers who want to do some of the work themselves and use me as a paid coach and instructor. As long as they will make corrections as needed and take the time to learn enough theory and code to do it right they are a joy to work with. The few who want to throw it together as long as the lights light I drop like a hot rock.
-- Tom H