Electrical questions - off topic

mtfallsmikey

www.mikeholt.com

Any install/code questions can be answered there...
And yes, I have been a licensed electrician for 30 years.As well as plumbing, HVAC, gas.

Keith_19

Hi everyone just had a couple of miscellaneous wiring questions that I was hoping you could clarify for me.

I need to run some 300W quartz-halogen lights on the outside of my house. Sizing and laying out the circuit is no problem, already done in fact, but I haven't really run exterior wiring before. The questions that I have are:

Should I run 1/2" rigid conduit or EMT with compression connectors;
Can I make wiring joints inside a C or LB conduit body;
I'll be mounting a weatherproof box with a back tap, and penetrating the band joist through vinyl siding to run my wire to the outside. What would you use to seal the penetration? Silicone?;
lastly, this is one of opinion. I'm broadcasting some light into a patio area, one that I like having barbeques on once in a while. Do you think it would be better to mount a weatherproof switch outside to control the circuit, or standard switches inside near the door leading outside? Obviously you can't see my house, just wondering.

Anyway thanks a lot for any help.

Brad White_191

No offense but

you need a licensed electrician on board.

You could wind up having something in common with both Arthur Fiedler and Arturo Toscanini: You would be a conductor and dead.

The details you are asking leave enough things unasked as unknowns to allow confident guidance by remote.

Issues regarding materials, applications, GFCI protection, secondary grounding, etc. etc.....

Your local state electrical code or the National Electrical Code would be a place to start. Heck, even one of those Sunset publications on outdoor wiring would cover more bases than we collectively could.

Keith_19

Most of them were matters of opinion. I do have the 2005 NEC on hand, and although I'm not a licensed electrician, I do know what time of day it is. So no, you didn't offend me because I know what my capabilities are and you don't. So please don't interject with warnings.

Brad White_191

With

thin skin like you have, I would wear rubber gloves too.

True, I do not know your skill level so I have to assume the worst.

Why?

You are not the only person who might "take away" advice from your question and there were enough open questions about means and methods that my assumptions have some foundation.

Have a ball.

JohnNY3

makes you wonder

You come to a heat forum and ask an electrical question.

Your email address is worse than mine.

We can't see your house now, but flames may make it more noticeable, but I hope not for your families sake.

Tony_23

: )

To paraphrase Shania Twain, "So, you can read a watch. That don't impress me much."

Ask for help with crap for info and bite the hand that tries to help you. You're so smart, figure it out.

And the questions you asked about connections in LB's, etc. are not opinion questions, they're likely addressed in your copy of the NEC. That would make them code questions.

And, I second the motion for rubber gloves.

bob young

ungrateful amatuers

that is the one bad thing about giving gratis advice to amatuers. if they don't hear what they desire [right or wrong ] they snap on you. its happened to me several times also on this list. and Brad you are far more gentle than me or anyone else on the entire forum. and the ironic thing is that your advice is always spot on. all the time. some guys will just never get it. that dude is more than capable of killing his whole family. scary.

Mark Custis

Brad

You have me laughing.

Light up my life.

The very thick rubber gloves.

Bounce the ball.

^^^^goes back to shoveling snow for politically short Basset Hounds in Cleveland, OH.

realolman

I guarantee

They will give him a much colder reception than he got here.

bob young

HE MIGHT BE DECEASED.

Mad Dog_2

Yep.....I'm with Brad

If you have to ask.....you should be attempting this. Mad Dog

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

realolman

They don't go

for DIY'ers over there at all.

ChasMan

EMT

EMT, is for indoor use. I would use the Rigid PVC stuff. Its rated for outdoor use and easier to work with. Looks nicer too and won't rust. No, LB's are for pulling, not for joining in. I would seal the penetration with some Latex acrylic caulking.You should be able to make the hole so tight you have to tap the pipe in through the hole and the caulk will just seal the edge. Of course, You could hire a licenced electrician who will have some kid with a hammer drill make the hole with whatever bit he grabs first out of the tool box. In that case, seal it with some fiberglass insulation and caulk that with whatever will cover the 1/2" gap. You can also fix the cracks they will leave in your siding with a special colorized adhesive made by your siding manufacturer. As for the switches. Its best to have them internal. In my case I ran a switch wire up beside the patio door and then continued up into the attic and ran out to the eaves. Big floodlights like those can piss off your neighbours. I generlly don;t use mine for anything except blowing snow or when things go bump in the night. Its nce to have the switch inside when its 5 degrees out and all you want to see is that stupid deer eating your bushes.

bob young

ya gotta love it

one do-it-yourselfer advising another do-it-yourselfer not to use a lic. electrician -----now that is beautiful---- guess they never heard that sometimes even pros get fried

Bob Bona_4

I don't see

where Chas gave any technical advice, so I think that was a little disrespectful.

tim smith

If this is for your own house, ok, if for a client and no

license, no go. As far as for your own house. No EMT, ridgid pvc or steel. No wire nuts in LBs on J boxes, that is why they are called junction boxes. Check your local codes, verify wire size for load on circuit. Ground properly and have inspected. This is generic advice, consult local codes and have fun.

Timco

EMT for indoor??? I was a sparky for 10 years and ran miles of it with RT connectors. It is CERTAINLY rated for outdoor, and looks 100X's better than pvc glued together!!! PVC on the wall is a DIY special! Rigid is only for locations where it may be exposed to damage from crush from a car or on a service. LBs do not have the cubic inch capacity to allow for splices. If a splice is needed, run the pipe in & out of a 1 or 2 gang weatherproof box. I can still bend my name in cursive in EMT and measure every bend...

Tim

realolman

I think much

of what Chas said was: even if you hire a "pro" you will often get a sloppy job. The pro will often delegate many things to inexperienced laborers or people who just don't care... and for that privilege you will pay top dollar.

When if you do it yourself... and it often isn't rocket science... the laborer will be someone who cares about the quality of the job.


I think that is often true.

realolman

I agree

with everything you said.

How do you cross the T and dot the I? :-)

ChasMan

Ha..

I was mostly trying to be funny. Anyhow, I was just diggin at the Pro's here. You guys have the expertise. I know if I need something finessed, I end up doing it myself. Its just too expensive to pay a licenced electrician to run a wire through and around the way I might want it as oposed to the shortest route.

ChasMan

Ack

I guess you could use it but wouldn;t it just blacken the vinyl siding? And I know if you paint electrical stuff like meter boxes they start to rust out.

HeatingPro

Electric

Buy a book on basic wiring. What you want to do is a very simple job. The people on this board want you to think what they do is rocket science. Most jobs I have seen done by "PROS" is far from professional. If I could teach a monkey to read he would be better then most Pros.

Timco

I guess the name 'heatingpro' implies you do great work, not like us idiots? Gee, I am sooo insulted.

Tim