Day1b, Stage 1
So, I needed to move an outlet. On the surface, this is an easy project...
The screen wall is the wall that is shared with a bedroom. So this project should be cake. Turn off the electricity and remove the outlet, pull out the box, cut a hole in the other side of the wall for a new box, slap in the new box and wire up the outlet on the other side of the wall. Finally, patch the sheetrock and call it good.
Estimated time for project: 1.5 - 2.0 hours, not counting time for the mud to dry.
...
Actual time for project: 6.0 hours, not counting time for the mud to dry. :(
I plugged a radio into the outlet and cranked it. When to the service box and started flipping breakers... Actually I guessed it on the first try. The radio went off, I said, "bingo", and got to work. The cover came off without much drama, and I pulled the outlet out and started removing wires. There were more wires than I was expecting, but only 3 sets and they could be accounted for, so I didn't think much of it. The outlet was an older style, that had room for 4 sets to be pushed in, and all 3 sets were pushed in. Only the ground wire was pigtailed.
No problem so far, got the outlet off, and started to separate the ground wires. wait... did I just see that? I think I might have seen a spark? That would be weird. I bring the ground wires together again and ZAP! I'm shocked... WTF?
Turns out the remodel of our basement was most likely down by the homeowners. After 6 hours I have finally traced most of the wiring in our downstairs, and sorted out the problem. Turns out the neutral wire for the hall lighting only went to the first fixture. The remaining 3 fixtures were pulling neutral and ground from the circuit of the outlet I was working on. Not only that, but they had tied all the neutrals and grounds together in the box for the hall light switch.
Retards.
I had to re-purpose a wire, and re-wire both switches, all 4 hall light fixtures, and 2 outlets, not to mention hours with my multimeter tracing which wires went where, but it's all sorted now. That pretty much killed momentum on the screen project. I slapped up a sheetrock patch and went to bed around 2am last night.
edited: Apparently being electrocuted means you died. I didn't. Shocked doesn't have the weight I want to use, but apparently there isn't any other appropriate word. WTF.
The screen wall is the wall that is shared with a bedroom. So this project should be cake. Turn off the electricity and remove the outlet, pull out the box, cut a hole in the other side of the wall for a new box, slap in the new box and wire up the outlet on the other side of the wall. Finally, patch the sheetrock and call it good.
Estimated time for project: 1.5 - 2.0 hours, not counting time for the mud to dry.
...
Actual time for project: 6.0 hours, not counting time for the mud to dry. :(
I plugged a radio into the outlet and cranked it. When to the service box and started flipping breakers... Actually I guessed it on the first try. The radio went off, I said, "bingo", and got to work. The cover came off without much drama, and I pulled the outlet out and started removing wires. There were more wires than I was expecting, but only 3 sets and they could be accounted for, so I didn't think much of it. The outlet was an older style, that had room for 4 sets to be pushed in, and all 3 sets were pushed in. Only the ground wire was pigtailed.
No problem so far, got the outlet off, and started to separate the ground wires. wait... did I just see that? I think I might have seen a spark? That would be weird. I bring the ground wires together again and ZAP! I'm shocked... WTF?
Turns out the remodel of our basement was most likely down by the homeowners. After 6 hours I have finally traced most of the wiring in our downstairs, and sorted out the problem. Turns out the neutral wire for the hall lighting only went to the first fixture. The remaining 3 fixtures were pulling neutral and ground from the circuit of the outlet I was working on. Not only that, but they had tied all the neutrals and grounds together in the box for the hall light switch.
Retards.
I had to re-purpose a wire, and re-wire both switches, all 4 hall light fixtures, and 2 outlets, not to mention hours with my multimeter tracing which wires went where, but it's all sorted now. That pretty much killed momentum on the screen project. I slapped up a sheetrock patch and went to bed around 2am last night.
edited: Apparently being electrocuted means you died. I didn't. Shocked doesn't have the weight I want to use, but apparently there isn't any other appropriate word. WTF.