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Post by c64 on Mar 6, 2013 13:22:23 GMT
Nothing is as simple as it seems... I learned that I couldn't just get a 3/8" coarse -> 3/8" fine adapter (at least not at Home Despot) So, on the plumbing guys suggestion, I tried a 3/8" compression -> 3/8" fine after cutting off the existing pipe fitting But, the pipe is NOT 3/8" OD, it is 5/8" OD... Back to Home Despot for a 5/8" compression -> 3/8" fine, which it turns out is almost extinct as most modern plumbing is done in 1/4" increments, not 1/8" increments... In the end, the 5/8" compression -> 3/8" fine did the trick. (Added bonus: I now have a new pipe cutter and adjustable wrench...) Reminds me of when I had helped a plumber for a week. There was a customer who had hit a water pipe with his power drill. This customer is a very bad one, refusing to pay until the last minute and always complaining. So we opened up the wall and there was this ancient giant cast iron pipe. While the plumber was cutting out a section of the pipe, he had sent me to look into the van for a spare pipe. There was none. Me: "We don't have any of those 60mm (~2") pipes and the only fittings we have are 60mm to ½"!" Boss: "Since the customer is going to refuse to pay for driving back to the shop anyway, we'll just use these!" Before we were able to close up the wall, the customer saw the hourglass like construction. Customer: "What's that!?" Boss: "That's uem the 'water brake'!" Customer: "Huh?" Boss: "Well, you see, you know the effect when you flush a toilet, the shower turns hot?" Customer: "Yes?" Boss: "Well, the 'water brake' is there for that!" So we closed up the wall and left and the customer had paid after the third dunning letter as usual. |
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Post by The Urban Mythbuster on Mar 6, 2013 14:29:45 GMT
It would appear that 'very bad customer' is also 'very gullible customer'...nice one!
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Post by the light works on Mar 6, 2013 14:59:27 GMT
In contrast, I used to routinely cross paths with a plumber whose motto was "we're not building pianos"
couple of bits of advice: if you can accomplish it, and it isn't already there, give the microwave a circuit of its own - and, at all costs, do NOT just reroute the 15A vent hood wire for the microwave, because it won't carry it. spend the extra to get outlets where you plan to use them. if you want undercabinet lights, prewire for them and get good fluorescent or LED lights - they don't heat up what's in the cabinets. also, if you use a smartphone, you can now get receptacles with built in USB charging ports.
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Post by c64 on Mar 6, 2013 16:16:13 GMT
couple of bits of advice: if you can accomplish it, and it isn't already there, give the microwave a circuit of its own - and, at all costs, do NOT just reroute the 15A vent hood wire for the microwave, because it won't carry it. spend the extra to get outlets where you plan to use them. Overe here, the guys who install kitchens are no certified electricians and only hold a certificate to wire up a stove but nothing else. So the method of choice is 3-way power bar in 3-way power bar in 3-way power bar in … plugging lights, microwave oven, fridge, etc all into the available outlets - usually a single one! |
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Post by the light works on Mar 6, 2013 16:29:50 GMT
couple of bits of advice: if you can accomplish it, and it isn't already there, give the microwave a circuit of its own - and, at all costs, do NOT just reroute the 15A vent hood wire for the microwave, because it won't carry it. spend the extra to get outlets where you plan to use them. Overe here, the guys who install kitchens are no certified electricians and only hold a certificate to wire up a stove but nothing else. So the method of choice is 3-way power bar in 3-way power bar in 3-way power bar in … plugging lights, microwave oven, fridge, etc all into the available outlets - usually a single one! over there, you can install an entire kitchen with a screwdriver and maybe a pair of pliers if your hands are not strong enough to screw the hoses on the supply taps. here, the kitchen is a semipermanent installation. older homes actually have the cabinets assembled in place. (new cabinets come preassembled, and then are semipermanently screwed to the wall structure) it takes at least a finish carpenter and a plumber to do it. |
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Post by rick4070 on Mar 6, 2013 16:39:02 GMT
The existing microwave above the range has an outlet in the back of the cabinet for it.
There is no vent out the top, through the roof, both the old and new have built in filters.
So, after demo-ing, I think that the electrician can put in a J-box, and re-run the wire to the new location, no?
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Post by the light works on Mar 6, 2013 16:48:27 GMT
The existing microwave above the range has an outlet in the back of the cabinet for it. There is no vent out the top, through the roof, both the old and new have built in filters. So, after demo-ing, I think that the electrician can put in a J-box, and re-run the wire to the new location, no? just remember you have to be able to get to the junction box without dismantling the cabinets. |
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Post by GTCGreg on Mar 6, 2013 17:01:02 GMT
couple of bits of advice: if you can accomplish it, and it isn't already there, give the microwave a circuit of its own - and, at all costs, do NOT just reroute the 15A vent hood wire for the microwave, because it won't carry it. spend the extra to get outlets where you plan to use them. if you want undercabinet lights, prewire for them and get good fluorescent or LED lights - they don't heat up what's in the cabinets. also, if you use a smartphone, you can now get receptacles with built in USB charging ports. That's good advice. I had an old over the stove microwave that shared the same power as some of the kitchen counter plugs. Never had a problem. I then replace the microwave with a new one that was much higher power and also was a convection oven. The manual said it required a separate 20 amp circuit and they weren't kidding. I couldn't even run the can opener at the same time as the microwave until I pulled a new circuit from the breaker box. |
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Post by the light works on Mar 6, 2013 17:16:39 GMT
couple of bits of advice: if you can accomplish it, and it isn't already there, give the microwave a circuit of its own - and, at all costs, do NOT just reroute the 15A vent hood wire for the microwave, because it won't carry it. spend the extra to get outlets where you plan to use them. if you want undercabinet lights, prewire for them and get good fluorescent or LED lights - they don't heat up what's in the cabinets. also, if you use a smartphone, you can now get receptacles with built in USB charging ports. That's good advice. I had an old over the stove microwave that shared the same power as some of the kitchen counter plugs. Never had a problem. I then replace the microwave with a new one that was much higher power and also was a convection oven. The manual said it required a separate 20 amp circuit and they weren't kidding. I couldn't even run the can opener at the same time as the microwave until I pulled a new circuit from the breaker box. my rule of thumb for kitchen appliances is "does not play well with others" I'm getting to the point where I install 3 appliance circuits in kitchens as a matter of course - and try to get all three into the "appliance zone" I also avoid having multiple bathrooms on the same circuit, where possible. my personal record so far is a house with the facilities for 5 hair dryers running at once. |
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Post by c64 on Mar 6, 2013 18:00:57 GMT
That's good advice. I had an old over the stove microwave that shared the same power as some of the kitchen counter plugs. Never had a problem. I then replace the microwave with a new one that was much higher power and also was a convection oven. The manual said it required a separate 20 amp circuit and they weren't kidding. I couldn't even run the can opener at the same time as the microwave until I pulled a new circuit from the breaker box. my rule of thumb for kitchen appliances is "does not play well with others" I'm getting to the point where I install 3 appliance circuits in kitchens as a matter of course - and try to get all three into the "appliance zone" I also avoid having multiple bathrooms on the same circuit, where possible. my personal record so far is a house with the facilities for 5 hair dryers running at once. Before I had rewired the place, one of my flats had 5 circuit breakers in total. 3 for the stove, one for the left side of the flat and one for the right side  And all were 10A rated (not 16 as is the norm nowadays). When the flat was electrified, lights and maybe a radio were the only electric applications ordinary households had. |
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Post by c64 on Mar 6, 2013 18:03:24 GMT
I couldn't even run the can opener at the same time as the microwave until I pulled a new circuit from the breaker box. And the microwave oven salesman told you that this extra strong version will safe you time!? |
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Post by GTCGreg on Mar 6, 2013 18:16:52 GMT
And the microwave oven salesman told you that this extra strong version will safe you time!? He didn't tell me that, but in actuality it does save me time. The old one use to take me 4 minutes to heat a cup of water to boiling for a cup of tea. The new one does it in 2 1/2 minutes. Of course, that's if you don't watch it. Everyone knows that a watched pot NEVER boils. |
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Post by the light works on Mar 6, 2013 18:21:20 GMT
my rule of thumb for kitchen appliances is "does not play well with others" I'm getting to the point where I install 3 appliance circuits in kitchens as a matter of course - and try to get all three into the "appliance zone" I also avoid having multiple bathrooms on the same circuit, where possible. my personal record so far is a house with the facilities for 5 hair dryers running at once. Before I had rewired the place, one of my flats had 5 circuit breakers in total. 3 for the stove, one for the left side of the flat and one for the right side And all were 10A rated (not 16 as is the norm nowadays). When the flat was electrified, lights and maybe a radio were the only electric applications ordinary households had. here, the standard fusebox was referred to as a "range, main, and four" it has a 50 amp 240V circuit for the stove, and then 4 120V fuses for everything else. pulling the main would shut off those 4. we've gone from that to homes that have 50 or more circuits. |
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Post by GTCGreg on Mar 6, 2013 18:30:53 GMT
here, the standard fusebox was referred to as a "range, main, and four" it has a 50 amp 240V circuit for the stove, and then 4 120V fuses for everything else. pulling the main would shut off those 4. we've gone from that to homes that have 50 or more circuits. The ones I remember seeing had a 60 Amp MAIN puller that had cartridge fuses in it, a RANGE puller that also had cartridge fuses, and then the four screw-in "plug" fuses. On those, pulling the MAIN also cut power to the RANGE circuit. I'm sure there were different variations. |
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Post by the light works on Mar 6, 2013 18:33:01 GMT
here, the standard fusebox was referred to as a "range, main, and four" it has a 50 amp 240V circuit for the stove, and then 4 120V fuses for everything else. pulling the main would shut off those 4. we've gone from that to homes that have 50 or more circuits. The ones I remember seeing had a 60 Amp MAIN puller that had cartridge fuses in it, a RANGE puller that also had cartridge fuses, and then the four screw-in "plug" fuses. On those, pulling the MAIN also cut power to the RANGE circuit. I'm sure there were different variations. are you sure about that? all the ones I have removed have had the range in parallel with the main. |
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Post by The Urban Mythbuster on Mar 6, 2013 19:06:50 GMT
When I changed the (over-the-range) microwave at my house, I found out that the previous microwave was never vented properly - even though there was a vent going outside from the kitchen.
What I learned was: when the house was first built (about 50 years ago) and had a range hood (vent), it was properly installed to the external vent (cap).
But, when the kitchen was redone about 17 years ago, the range was relocated 18" to the right of its original location. So, in the spirit of saving time & energy, the contractor (fully licensed & insured) decided to just point the microwave up into the cabinet above it...which explains why the wine glasses were always greasy...
So, when I replaced the microwave, I installed a new vent outside & proper set up the microwave. No more greasy glasses...
My mom's house
Grandma's house.
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Post by the light works on Mar 6, 2013 19:16:46 GMT
when I redid my kitchen, it took several months before I got the time to extend the vent hood clear to the vent cap - I made a point of not using the hood until I got it completed, but I had to point out to my wife a couple times that she was loading the attic with food smells to attract the rats.
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Post by GTCGreg on Mar 6, 2013 19:35:33 GMT
The ones I remember seeing had a 60 Amp MAIN puller that had cartridge fuses in it, a RANGE puller that also had cartridge fuses, and then the four screw-in "plug" fuses. On those, pulling the MAIN also cut power to the RANGE circuit. I'm sure there were different variations. are you sure about that? all the ones I have removed have had the range in parallel with the main. This is the type of box I am talking about. Watch the video starting at 3:34. It shows how the main feeds the range circuit. I'm not saying all work this way, but all the ones I have seen do. |
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Post by the light works on Mar 6, 2013 19:50:07 GMT
the only fusebox I have in my own inventory is a 200A, 20 circuit box - if I cross paths with one again I will have to look and see if that is the case - I am pretty sure the last one I worked on had to pull both blocks to completely shut down.
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Post by The Urban Mythbuster on Mar 6, 2013 20:06:33 GMT
If I'm going to add a subpanel in my garage working off of the main breaker box:
1) How may amps should it be (30 v 60)? I'll be using it for lighting in garage & shed, garage door opener, air compressor (occasional usage), & assorted power tools.
2) Do I need to switch off the main circuit before adding the circuit for the new subpanel?
3) If I've got this right, 30A requires a three wire feed while a 60A would be a four wire feed, right?
4) Last question: For the feed from the main to the sub, romex vs armored? It will be a fully inside run from the main to the garage.
Thanks!
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And all were 10A rated (not 16 as is the norm nowadays). When the flat was electrified, lights and maybe a radio were the only electric applications ordinary households had.