Questions tagged [electrical]

Distribution and use of electricity throughout the home.
Electrical standards vary greatly worldwide, so you need to provide your location in your question or profile to ensure you get answers that are relevant to you. Posting photographs of wiring junctions or drawing a wiring diagram and posting it is also highly recommended.

When to use this tag

Use this tag on any question that's related to the electrical system in your home.

You should make it clear in your question where you are located. This is because different countries have very different codes and standards, so doing this will help the people who are answering it to give you information that is relevant to your situation. We have country tags you can add.

Related tags

  • for questions about the (typically low-voltage wiring) used for data, audio and video communications;
  • , , for lighting related questions;
  • for questions about installing, testing or replacing electrical outlets.
  • for questions about installing, testing or replacing electrical switches.
  • planning and installing all types of electrical wiring.

External references

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Why did my electrician put metal plates wherever the stud is drilled through?

My electrician put the metal plates pictured below wherever he drilled through a stud. My guess is that this strengthens the stud, because it was weakened by the holes he drilled. Studs with metal plates added: What are these metal plates? Why…
milesmeow
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Which way is up? (electric outlet)

My house has electric outlets in both orientations. Which one is correct? Should the ground hole be at the bottom or the top? OR
Jeremy Stein
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What does "1 Gang", "2 Gang", and so forth mean when talking about electrical boxes?

What does a "1 Gang" mean when talking about electrical boxes? Example: CARLON 1-Gang Metal Adjustable Electrical Box (Lowes.com)
C. Ross
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Is the Electrician trying to scam me?

I own a home in California and was emailed by my property manager about an electrical problem with an outlet. The outlet was fixed according to the tenant but the repair man through the manager thinks there is still a problem. Just wanted to know if…
K. Moore
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How can I restore power after a switch was shorted with scissors?

Ok, so I'm a 15 year old kid and my parents werent home, my house is under construction and I wanted to see what would happen if I put scissors to my light switches, so I took the pair of scissors and I put it to the light switch on the hot side and…
Josh
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If DC adapters are so prevalent, why is AC used in construction by default?

I'm not sure if there's a better place to ask this or not. Why, at least here in America, is the standard electrical system set up for alternating current (AC) rather than direct current (DC)? I'm just completing a long-distance move and realizing…
Naftuli Kay
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Why are homes wired using solid wire rather than stranded?

If stranded wire can carry more power for a given wire gauge, why are homes typically wired using solid? If solid wire is less expensive to make, that provides a compelling reason why solid is used, but if an electrician or homeowner wanted to use…
JYelton
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Why do I have voltage on a plumbing ground strap, and is it dangerous?

We have been having problems with the lights in our basement for awhile now (few weeks), sometimes they will work, other times they just won't turn on. Today I noticed a thin metal piece in the basement closet and I accidentally broke it off. I am…
Samantha
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Can I replace a 30A breaker with a 40A breaker for a new water heater?

I have a 30 amp circuit breaker installed for my tank type hot water heater. I would like to replace the hot water heater with a tankless hot water heater that requires a 40 amp circuit breaker. I don’t know the gauge of wiring used for the…
Robert Cole
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How do you plan capacity for electrical circuits?

I'm finishing a section of my basement, which currently only has one bulb for bare light. In planning the electrical arrangement of things, how do I estimate the load of light fixtures or electrical outlets so I know if I need heavier gauge wire,…
Scivitri
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Drilled into studs, light flickered momentarily but everything else seems fine now - should I be worried?

I was installing shelving in my closets, when drilled a hole into studs, the lights flickered momentarily for 2 seconds. I stopped drilling, and everything else seems fine now. The circuit didn't break and the lights are no longer flickering. There…
Vernon
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Why did my extension cord melt and arc?

I got this extension cord with a used electric oil radiator. I assume the extension cord had been used with the radiator in the past. It looks like a 14g or 16g extension cord. The extension cord has the factory end pieces on it. I went to use…
Fresh Codemonger
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Can I cause damage to electrical appliances by unplugging them when they are turned on?

I don't mean damage caused to the socket and prongs, but only to the appliance itself.
OMGsh
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What is the right way to connect 7 conductors in an electrical box?

What is the "right" way to join 7 different wires in a single electrical box? Here's the situation. I opened up a four-gang light switch. There were four switches controlling five lights. As expected, the four switches were interrupting the hot…
Joel Spolsky
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One circuit on two 20 amp breakers

Can I put one circuit on two 20-amp breakers? I'm drawing too much power on just one breaker and I'm not able to run a whole new circuit right now.
Thomas Sedwick
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