Home electrical wiring for beginners
April 11, 2009 by Larry Angell
Filed under Bathroom
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I often get visitors at my site asking about electrical home wiring and different wiring methods and projects. Their main concern is to attempt to do the electrical project or hire it out to professionals.
Because of the housing crash and financial market meltdown, Im observing that many people cant get construction loans to hire contractors to do the home construction for them. I see many people doing the work for themselves out of necessity and not only to save money.
Most homeowners dont have a problem with things like outdoor siding and putting in doors and windows, but they are often doubtful about electrical home wiring.
First of all, the most important thing is safety. If any electrical work is done, you need to make sure that youre not working on energized circuits. The next point is that all home wiring jobs need to be inspected whether its done by you or a professional. This helps assuage the fears that homeowners have wondering if their home wiring projects are going to be a fire hazard to them.
Theres no need to have a complete knowledge of electrical theory to do your own wiring. The most important thing is to know the electrical codes in your neighborhood because they will be the mandatory regulations the electrical inspectors will follow. Looking at electrical diagrams and formulas really helps to understand how to run the electrical circuits.
If you can look at a drawing, photo, or other illustration, you can get a good understanding how the cable is run. There are a few types of cable that are used in home construction. Non-metallic sheathed cable or more commonly called, Romex cable is often used for home electrical wiring.
Romex has different types, sizes and quantity of wires per cable according to the needs of the wiring circuit. Its standard to use 12-2 and 12-3 cable for light switches and outlets. This means that the cable size is a 12-gauge thickness with either 2 or 3 wires in each cable. These types of indoor cables are used on 120-volt circuits which means only one of the wires is a hot conductor.
Certain appliances in the home need extra voltage and so these will have thicker wire and usually two hot conductors. These are 240-volt circuits. Water heaters, clothes dryers, air-conditioners and heating systems will typically use 10-2 or 10-3 cable. This always depends on local electrical codes though.
The big, high-wattage, circuits that use a special cable are ovens and ranges or most common, the oven/range together. These appliances require a lot of electricity and they use a heavy cable called, range cable which is usually two 6-gauge cables as hot wires and one 8-gauge cable as a neutral wire.
The low-voltage systems in home wiring include phone wiring, computer network wiring, and home security systems. These are usually wired with Cat5 cable which is an 8-wire cable designed for communications systems.
Its wise to plan out circuit runs in your home using graph paper or grid paper so you can keep everything to scale. Youll need a good floor plan of your house for drawing each electrical circuit. Youll probably want to make several copies of these plans because youll have many different circuits in your home.
When you have an idea of where to put the electrical circuits, you can plan out the breaker panel box needs. A standard size of breaker panel is a 200-amp panel with a minimum of 40 breaker slots. All the circuits will start at the breaker box with a breaker or fuse.
There will be some dedicated circuits which means only one fixture or appliance can be wired on the circuit. This is always according to the local electrical codes and regulations.
All home wiring electrical circuits will be have to be inspected at different intervals during the home construction process. The electrical inspector has to make sure all codes have been followed. This is a good thing because it helps us feel safe knowing we did the wiring correctly and were not going to catch fire in our sleep at night.
Buying Commercial Fluorescent Lighting Fixtures
April 8, 2009 by Tom Sanderrs
Filed under Decorating Tips
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When you are looking for providers to obtain your commercial fluorescent lighting fixtures from, you need to find the right place to go. Large stores with a vast selection are generally more convenient. This is because you can generally find everything you need at the one location.
So, what exactly are you looking for when considering commercial fluorescent lighting fixtures?
* Quantity: you may require a certain number of commercial fluorescent lighting fixtures. A larger store with a far greater selection will be able to supply you with this. A smaller store may not carry the sort of variety of lighting fixtures you need.
* The Price: bulk discounts are usually available at a bigger store. More competitive pricing means that you’ll have more money in the bank for other things after you make your lighting purchases. You might even find you’ll save money on associated costs like delivery and fitting.
* How lighting will enhance yo,ur store: Lighting can change the look and feel of your store. For example I am sure that you would rather shop at a store that is brightly lit and has a cheerful atmosphere. On the other hand a spooky atmosphere can be created for a Halloween store with shaded and tinted lighting.
* Quality: A larger store will generally carry a good range of quality fittings they recommend as well as niche and budget items. If they’ve been in business for a while it’s normal to assume that the reason for their success is customer satisfaction.
Advantages of a bigger selection:
* Variety: While it is a common mantra that a bright store generates sales, you may still want your store to have an individual touch. A wide selection of fixtures will help you to give your own store that individual touch.
* Everything you need: when you find everything you need under one roof it saves your time. Running a business takes time and you do not have much of it to spare. Therefore you do not want to be running around several stores to find the right lighting fixtures for your store.
* Better service: A bigger selection will mean a store that generates more business. The staff will likely be knowledgeable and capable of advising you if you have any queries.
Choosing commercial fluorescent lighting fixtures can be a tricky job. It’s easy to get side tracked and allow the task to take up much more time than originally planned. It’s important to be able to get exactly what you wanted without resorting to having to visit many different providers. It’s also good to be able to see the various results given by those different fixtures. This is why it’s a good idea to go somewhere where you can see the lights working and rely on that location having variety and depth of stock.
Restroom Leaks That Are Easy To Fix
If you want to help the environment by saving water and save yourself some money then you should consider inspecting all your bathroom fixtures for leaks. If they do leak then you’ll want to fix those leaks as quickly as possible. Fortunately, many minor repairs around the bathroom are relatively easy to tackle if you have a little patience and a few very basic tools.
You can really check your entire house for water leaks, but the bathroom is the easiest place to begin. The bathroom almost always has the most water outlets and is one of the most heavily used rooms in any home. Moisture has a tendency to dry out and wear on things a lot more than dry air, so it’s always a good idea to keep on top of any repairs in the bathroom before they get out of control. Here are some common leaks to look for and some basic ways you can fix them:
Dripping Sink Faucet: Sure, a little dripping from a sink faucet is annoying, but is it really a major waster of water? To find out you can put a cup under the dripping faucet and see how much water you collect in an hour and then multiply that amount by 24 hours. Chances are, you’ll be shocked by how much water you’re wasting. Most leaky faucets can be fixed by replacing the rubber washers in the handle mechanism or in the spout. Most faucets come with instructions on how to do this, though if you’re handy with a screwdriver and a wrench you should quickly be able to figure out how to replace the washers in your particular model.
Dripping or Leaking Shower/Tub Diverter: If you have a shower and tub combination in your bathroom then you probably have a shower diverter knob which allows you to divert the water from the tub faucet to the shower head. There are lots of different types of shower diverter valves and knobs, but they all essentially rely on a little rubber seal to block the water from the tub or shower faucet. These rubber seals can wear out and you’ll need to replace the entire shower diverter valve. Replacing that one piece will prevent water from running down the drain from your bathtub faucet when you’re taking a shower. This can lead to substantial water savings!
Constantly Running Toilet: A toilet that seems to run intermittently from time to time is almost definitely wasting a lot of water on a regular basis. The easiest, and most common, fix for a toilet that runs from time to time is to replace the toilet flapper. This repair takes a little bit of coordination and some understanding of how a toilet works, but it isn’t too complex and often doesn’t require any special tools.
All you need to fix these leaks is a little time and a minimal amount of tools. That being said, you should probably only attempt repairs you feel comfortable trying. Fixing some of these minor leaks in your bathroom will not conserve water for the environment, but also save you money in your water bill.
DIY: How to Be Safe
February 11, 2009 by Tal Potishman
Filed under Bathroom
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There are some home based projects that a person should not attempt to do by himself. For instance, a person should not attempt to install his own solar panels. On the other hand, there are plenty of projects that most United Kingdom residents should feel confident about doing themselves. Taking care of your own home repairs and projects has become quite popular in the United Kingdom and has resulted in its own acronym: DIY. Many home owners get great satisfaction out of DIY projects.
If you are interested in Do It Yourself home projects and repairs, you should make sure to practice proper safety at all times. Safety is not something that should be overlooked or “skimped on.” Taking the proper safety precautions will ensure that you are safe from injury and, depending on the project, can even save your life!
The first and easiest way to protect yourself while you work on home-based projects is to wear the proper clothing. Make sure that you are properly protected before beginning any DIY projects. Safety goggles and dust masks are a must. You should also take care to have well-fitting work globes and sturdy, closed-toed work boots or shoes. It is also a good idea to wear long sleeves and long pants that you can tuck into your boots/shoes and gloves. This way you will keep as much of your body covered as possible. Hats are a good idea.
Having the correct tools is another significant way to make sure that you remain safe while doing your own home projects. You shouldn’t try to use a different type of hammer, saw, etc. Unless you have extensive experience in construction and repair, you should not try to improvise. Have the correct tools on hand before you start and follow the project’s directions exactly.
Be respectful of electricity! A lot of DIY projects require the use of a tool that runs on electricity. When you are not using one of y our “power tools” you should take a moment to make sure that the tool is turned off and unplugged. The last thing you want is to turn something on accidentally and hurt yourself! You also want to take care to keep the power tools separated from any “wet” materials you might be working with.
Finally: take your time. Rushing through a job is the most common reason that do-it-yourselfers get injured. Slow and steady is always the best way to approach do it yourself home projects. Taking your time will ensure that you get the results you need and that you aren’t taking any safety risks.
Finding a Reliable Tradesman
February 5, 2009 by Tal Potishman
Filed under Bathroom
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Each and every United Kingdom home owner will encounter a situation in which he or she will be in need of hiring a Tradesman. One man might need to have his roof fixed. One woman might want a new heating and cooling system installed. Tradesmen are in constant demand throughout the United Kingdom and it is very important that all home owners learn how to hire a Tradesman who is reliable.
Hiring a reliable tradesman is important because if the tradesman you hire is not reliable you could end up paying quite a large amount of money for work that is sub-par and that will need multiple repairs. While it is important for home owners to understand that a tradesman needs to be reliable it is also important that home owners understand how to tell the difference between a reliable tradesman and one who is not.
When searching for a reliable tradesman here are some things a home owner should look into before signing any contracts:
*References: There are two main methods of obtaining a Tradesman’s references. The easiest and most obvious method is to simply ask the Tradesman for a list of references that you can contact. If a Tradesman is reliable and does good work, he or she will be able to provide you with a list of people that you can ask for more information and recommendations.
The other way to get references for a Tradesman is to simply ask your neighbours and your friends to find out who they (or someone they know) have used in the past. You should make sure to ask whether or not the reference would hire the person again (and why or why not).
*Professional Organizations: Is the tradesman being considered a member of any professional organizations? Check into the local business bureau to find out what the tradesman’s ratings are and whether any formal complaints have been lodged against him/her.
Many Tradespeople are required to obtain specific certifications and join certain organisations. Check into the trade itself to find out which registrations and certifications are required in your area. Make sure the Tradesman you are considering meets all of the requirements.
Most Tradespeople are required to obtain specific certifications and join specific organisations. Research the trade and find out what is required. Then make sure that each prospective Tradesman you consider meets all of the requirements.
If the tradesperson has been in business for a number of years but has only worked a few times it might be a good idea to move on to someone else. On the other hand, if a tradesperson has a steady history and seems to be working quite often that tradesperson will probably prove to be very reliable.
