Electrical Outlet Wiring

[Proch]

I recently began a project where I built a shelf and moved lots of my computer stuff under the floor and into my basement. Part of it was a mount a power strip with a 15' extension cord onto the ceiling and then use those U shaped nails to neatly get the cord to the electrical socket. I spent a whole day doing it and when I was done, everything was great - except that when I turned off the basement light, the battery backup started beeping. The electric socket is switched...

There are two flat cables leading into the socket (which is mounted on the ceiling) and one that comes out. This one goes to a light. That light does NOT go on or off with the switch. It's my intention to open the box and rewire it to not be switched. Before I cut the power, can anyone give me an idea of what I'll see when I open it, and what the best way will be to make it not turn off when the switch is thrown.

Maybe one line just happens to pass under the switch, and all I'll have to do is switch between the outlet and the light (I wouldn't mind if the light were switched...)

Thanks

[franz frippl]

Unless you are absolutely certain of what you are doing, hire an electrician. Electricity is nothing to take lightly.

[RBM]

All you have to do is connect your wires to the same wires as the unswitched light, and you'll have an unswitched outlet. If you want the light to be switched, connect the wires going to the light, to the wires your outlet is currently connected to

[a]

Just go to the cutlery drawer, get a regular dinner knife and jam it into the socket in question while a friend flicks the switch on and off...

Seriously - it may not be an easy fix. You don't sound too much like you know what you're doing.

If you just *have* to do it yourself - your local library has tons of books on electrical repairs and would be a perfect place to start. I recommend this book:

a

[alvinamorey]

You can buy a thing that fits over the screws on a standard switch cover that prevents anyone from turning the switch OFF (or ON if it's reversed). You dont need to even touch the wiring. just remove the screws from the switch plate, stick the thing on the plate and put the screws back. I saw them at Ace Hardware (I think thats where). The cost is under $5

By the way, did you try BOTH of the halves of the DUPLEX outlet? Often half is switched, the other half is not.

[Proch]

Yeah, but then I wouldn't be able to turn off the lights ;-) Right now I've got duct tape performing the same task so the kids don't zap my internet connection.

Yes, I did try both... I was sure that one was going to stay on, like you suggested, but that wasn't the case.

[Proch]

Well I was a EE in college, but I know alot more about stuff that runs at 5V than 120. I'm not worried that I won't be able to figure it out, I'm just looking for a heads up because I can forsee being in the basement with a flashlight trying to figure the whole tihng out while everyone is whining about the power being out...

[Toller]

Someone with even a small amount of experience could fix it in 5 minutes. Do you know anyone like that who can do you a favor? Otherwise, it might not be a great first project. Depending on the competence of you electrician you could find just about anything under there.

[alvinamorey]

I agree, but if he dont know electricity he has to call an electrician and we all know what that costs. He could just put a pull chain on the light too, or another way would be to buy a long extension cord that is a #12 or at least a #14 and use another outlet further away. That's not necessarily the ideal situation, but computers dont use that much power, and the wire gauge is the same as whats in the wall anyhow.

It's sort of odd that BOTH halves are switched. Usually it's just one.

If this was my problem, I'd just put another dedicated outlet there and leave the old one alone.

[franz frippl]

Perhaps the better choice would be to create a brand new circuit just for the computer equipment. Add a circuit breaker, string some wire and you're done.

Sometimes computers like to be isolated from everything else. There would then be no dimming of lights when the printer kicks in. Less chance of breaker blown because of something else on the line.

[alvinamorey]

What the heck kind of printer do you use to dim the lights? I have never had that happen. Printers are low power users.

[franz frippl]

It's an older laser printer. When I had it on a 15 amp circuit in an older home, occasionally I did see some fluctuation.

The point of my post is that isolating the computer from any other type of interference or possible disruption might be a better choice than trying to tie it in to an existing circuit. It's not clear from the original post what else might be on the circuit. It could also be an older home with outdated and cobbled together wiring.

[a]

I agree completely - in the book I posted a link to, it shows you how to install a separately grounded, dedicated computer circuit. It's very easy.

a

[John Grabowski]

The easiest thing to do is just eliminate the switch. Remove the two wires from the switch and splice them together. Put a blank cover over the switch box.

[Doug Miller]

Obviously you've never used a laser printer.

Correction: ink-jet printers are low power users. Laser and dye-sublimation printers are major power hogs.

[alvinamorey]

Actually, I only use a laser printer. I refuse to pay the outrageous prices for ink. I have a canon 465. An older small laser printer. It never dims the lights. I do have an (almost) dedicated circuit for computer stuff. The only other things on it is a tv, stereo, and lamp on my desk. I normally dont use them all at once anyhow. Maybe my printer being smaller, dont draw as much power.

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

I was studying digital electronics in college, but did once take an elective course in NEC. I remember getting one test question "wrong", in one of those cases where you get penalized for knowing something you aren't expected to.

The question was about a 3-phase wye-connected motor, and asked True or False: the current in each leg is the same. The supposed "correct" answer was True, although I knew that was impossible. One of things they taught in electronics was that the sum of the currents in a node is always zero (electrons are flowing FROM somewhere TO somewhere). The currents could never be equal unless they were all zero.

[Eric]

Sounds like a classic case of both answers being right!

Measured instantaneously, you're correct - the sum of the 3 legs will be zero, but different currents (or 0) will be flowing in each leg.

But on an average basis, like if you connected an ammeter, you'd read the same current on all 3.

Eric Law

[TimR]

Once you open up the boxes and look it will be obvious how to do what you want to do. Look, draw, think, wire. Preferably in that order.

As others have pointed out that doesn't make it the best solution or to code.

Aren't you going to end up with lighting and branch circuits on the same breaker? Pretty sure that's against code, you ought to look it up. For that matter, your extension cord across the ceiling is probably wrong. You really ought to run a new circuit from the panel to your computer area, and this is not that hard or expensive to do.

[TimR]

Once you open up the boxes and look it will be obvious how to do what you want to do. Look, draw, think, wire. Preferably in that order.

As others have pointed out that doesn't make it the best solution or to code.

Aren't you going to end up with lighting and branch circuits on the same breaker? Pretty sure that's against code, you ought to look it up. For that matter, your extension cord across the ceiling is probably wrong. You really ought to run a new circuit from the panel to your computer area, and this is not that hard or expensive to do.