Wirerunner

Ground Rods

2009-11-13T12:49:00.000-08:00

I've been getting some questions about the importance of ground rods. Here you will see a ground rod and the process of driving the rod eight feet into the ground. It can also be hit with a sledge hammer, but the Hilti T675 is a super sweet power tool. It plugs in and hammers the rod down into the ground. This ground rod was run in Alameda so it went down smoothly, probably hitting sand. Ground rods ground the entire electrical system. A ground wire is attached to the ground rod with an "acorn" and then also bonded to the main water pipe, and then to the main electrical panel. This ensures that in the case of lightning or an electrical short, the over current will take the fastest route to ground. The ground rod and wire are both made of copper, which is the second most conductive metal, following pure gold. This process protects the people in the house from being electrocuted, so it is very important. Please check your house and make sure that there is some sort of grounding system in place.

Surge Protectors

2009-06-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

I was sent a question about surge protectors and whether they protect computer components, especially lap top batteries. The most important part of an electrical outlet in terms of computers is the ground. Even a surge protector uses the grounded wire of an outlet to divert spikes or surges in electrical current. Plugging a surge protector into an ungrounded outlet will not fully protect your computer system.

Certified!

2009-06-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

I am officially certified as a California Residential electrician. Crammed all night monday night, took the test wednesday morning, and it is done. I passed. Woohoo!

Banana Plugs

2009-06-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

I just got a call about soldering banana plugs to speaker wire. I had never even heard of banana plugs, so of course I looked them up on you tube. This video shows how to solder banana plugs to speaker wire.

Painting and Remodel Team Available!

2009-05-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

My good friend Naomi and her partner are now available for remodels and general painting gigs.
Naomi has ten years of project management experience and she can help homeowners navigate the design, permitting and construction phases of any project. She can also make 3-d models of additions or new construction. If you are interested please email her at naomikamiya@comcast.net.

Screen Printing

2009-05-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

I've been really into screen printing, working on a design for 'wirerunner' and also making shirts for our music collective, 'TripKnight'. Here is the best video that I found on screen printing.

Rain Tight Electrical Wiring

2009-05-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

This shed had open inner walls and the roof was not completely enclosed. I used UF cable and all rain tight electrical devices with outdoor covers. The junction box is a replacement of the original indoor box with indoor devices. Luckily the previous electrician had already used UF cable for all of the wiring that existed.

Outdoor Wiring

2009-04-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a great example of what happens when outdoor wiring is done with indoor devices, boxes, wire etc. Here it is easy to see water damage, as well as lots of corrosion and insects. It is important to use U.F. cable when wiring anything that may be exposed to rain or sun. Liquid tight flexible conduit may also be used, as well as E.M.T. As for the devices, they must be installed within an outdoor cover, and it is a good idea to use GFCI receptacles. The boxes must be liquid tight. There is no doubt that over time anything will corrode and get infested with bugs, but this will quickly if indoor products are used outside.

Great Electrical Store in Durham!

2009-04-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

I went to Lowe's and Home Depot for a fan and vanity light for my mini bathroom remodel, and I left disappointed. The products were too expensive not to be perfect. My friend recommended Pine State Electric & Lighting Center in Durham. The address is 937 Washington St, and their phone number is 919 - 682 - 9258. The store hours are Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
I walked in and told them what I wanted. They found a fan that was the perfect size for $20 and a vanity light that was simple, nice and the exact length for $50. These prices were half of what I found at the enormous warehouse stores, and the quality was much better. They also have a room full of decorative lighting and great customer service.

Bathroom Fans

2009-04-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

I'm visiting my family in Durham, NC and I am really excited about the mini bathroom remodel I've started. One part of the remodel is replacing the old fan that has not worked in many years. I checked the voltage and the wiring is fine. The fan I am looking at is the Broan 70 CFM ultra silent ventilation fan from Lowe's. It will be quiet which is very important to me. I'll keep you posted.

Headed Back to Durham!

2009-04-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

I leave this tuesday for Durham. I'll be there for three weeks, doing small electrical jobs, yoga at the Y, and hangin out with all my people.

Lamp Parts

2009-03-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Lots of people have been coming to me with broken lamps, the trick is to find out what part is malfunctioning, usually it is the wiring. Lamp parts can be bought and replaced, and the lampholders and wires are found at any hardware store.

Flood Lights

2009-03-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

Motion Sensor flood lights are excellent for security. They turn on automatically, at night, when ever they sense movement. This will scare off intruders and also give you a heads up if something strange is going on in the yard.

Creative Light Fixtures

2009-03-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a light fixture using a baking pan for the canopy. Very cool!

Spring Music Rally

2009-03-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

Thank you everyone who came out to our 4th annual spring music rally on friday. It was a party for sure!

Line Voltage/ Low voltage

2009-03-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

Here is an old sub panel conduit run. The low voltage cable that feeds the phone line was run through the air wrapped around the sub feed wires. Here it is actually strapped on the conduit that supplies the panel. It is now common practice to run low voltage wires and line voltage wires at least 6 inches apart to avoid interference.

Labelling wires

2009-03-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

Before I changed out this old federal pacific subpanel I made sure to label all the wires so that none of the phases were crossed, it is very important to do this BEFORE disconnecting the wires from all the breakers because its easy to get them all confused.

Old Service

2009-03-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

Here is an old sub panel service entrance. Lights were dimming inside the house when any circuits were being used. I climbed on the roof to check out the service entrance because the sub panel was new and all of the neutrals wires were tightened in the lugs. A hornet flew out of the weather head when I removed it, and it was full of its nest. The neutral and hot were laying on top of each other because the plastic holder had broken. If the hot and neutral touch, there will be a short. One hot leg, and the neutral that was laying on top of it, had black marks, indicating some shorting. For now, until I replace the weather head altogether, I taped the neutral and hot leg wires extensively. I will also re-splice the neutral because the aluminum wire right near the splice is rusted dramatically.

Federal Pacific Fire Hazard

2009-03-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

Here is a Federal Pacific Electrical panel that is in use. The breakers rarely trip but the circuits are quite often overloaded, causing the wires to heat up. The job of a circuit breaker is to close up the circuit when too much power is being drawn. The Federal Pacific Electrical panel and breakers were recalled because they do not perform properly and have caused many house fires and tragedies. I am installing a Murray brand panel in place of this F.P.E. Murray is a new brand for me to use so I will document my process and keep you posted on the results!

Outdoor Switches

2009-03-03T23:06:00.000-08:00

This old outdoor switch was another part of the deck remodel. The switch itself was exposed to the elements, causing the wiring to deteriorate. I replaced this old style with a new outdoor switch cover and attached it to the deck post. This will keep the wiring safe from rain.

suspended pvc conduit

2009-02-26T20:08:00.000-08:00

After a deck remodel, the conduit that had been attached to the wall was suspended and unattached. I used liquid tight flexible metal conduit to re-pull the circuit that led to a small house in the back. I ran the liquid tight up in the beams of the deck.

Do your switches look like this?

2009-02-22T12:55:00.000-08:00

This is a sign that your house needs some electrical attention, switches are important and people want to feel safe touching them! Just something to think about... :)

Thank You

2009-02-09T15:02:00.000-08:00

I am still so amazed at the support I received in North Carolina. Thank you to everyone who hired me and recommended me. Here is a picture of where I am living in Patterson, California for your pleasure. Hope this finds everyone well!

California

2009-02-05T20:57:00.000-08:00

I am back in California, studying for my electrical certification exam and excited for the big TripKnight Music Rally on March 20th and 21st. Details to come. I am available for small electrical jobs in Patterson, Turlock, and surrounding areas, I also frequent the bay area quite often, so let me know! Thanks :)

Attics

2009-02-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

Attic spaces are a delicate area of the home in terms of wiring. It is very important for wiring to be safe and protected because attics are used as storage spaces, even more often than crawl spaces. The attic shown here is the result of a home being boarded up, so various people roamed the attic, threw things in, and maybe even lived in the space. The wiring was exposed causing a high risk of fire. This situation has been remedied by yours truly, but please make sure that your attic is safe before throwing objects in haphazardly.