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Im wiring in a ceiling fan to a new box in ceiling.

Ran 14-3 wire from ceiling box to switch that currently operates half an outlet below

Switch began with graound to ground one white on top and one black connect on bottom of switch

Outlet has 3 sets of wires coming in. two black tied together and attach to the screw on top of out let in the same pole as the other black is inserted in the back and two whites are on the oposite side one top and one bottom. Third white has black tape around end and has been connected to the bottom of the outlet below the black .

OK here is what im thinkin

at switch attach whites together put black on switch one top one bottom. Red on opposite side top to control the light.

at oulet replace and not sure what to do with the wires. HELP PLEASE

What you have at the switch is called a “switch loop”. The white wire is bringing power to the switch and the black is a switched hot back to the receptacle. You do not have the required neutral at the switch box.

You will need to find another source for your power.

Are you adding a light kit to this fan? This may allow you to disable the switched receptacle and use the wiring already in place.

Posted under Electrical

Ok I have installed a Briggs & Stratton 7kw (model 040248) stand-by generator and a 16-circuit SIEMENS 2-pole manual transfer switch. I installed everything and once I fired up the generator and plugged into the 240 outlet the 30A GFCI breaker on the generator tripped and subsequently each other time I tried. After playing with it I noticed that if I disconnected the ground from the 4-wire cord going into the disconnect box on the outside, the generator would run and provide power to the house.

I then came in and did some research last night and found that the generator and the transfer switch are by code not compatible as the generator's Neutral is BONDED to the chassis, and technically you would need a transfer switch to "switch the neutrals". Well after a large investment in money and time and no way to take anything back, I am in search of a solution.

One thing I came across was that I can "REMOVE THE BOND" on the generator and everything should work because it would bond to the main panel in the house.

My ultimate question is if this the direction I should take? Are there any other alternatives? If this is the direction I need to go how do I effectively un-bond the neutral on the generator. I have included a link to the "WIRING DIAGRAM" below for assistance. I also have opened up the control panel on the generator and found a screw through the chassis in the back with 4 wires under it (2 white and 2 green), do I remove the whites from the bolt and tie them together and I am done or what are my options.

Also Manual of course says DO NOT REMOVE BOND as GFCI OUTLET WILL NOT WORK AND CAN CAUSE INJURY, but if everything flows down through to the main panel will the GFCI still not work?


I should think the solution to this might be a dual use set-up.

A way to use the generator connected to the transfer switch - either a connection before the GFCI on the generator or not bonding of the neutral on the generator.

Then also a way to safely use the generator as a stand alone unit - The neutral bonded and use the GFCI.

This whole thing is complicated and my mind is going in circles!

What I'm thinking of is the power company connection at the power company transformer. How is this wired? Well they ground the neutral at the pole. But there is no GFCI between the electric company transformer and your house!

So I should think a similar setup with the generator would be ok as well, a grounded (bonded) neutral at the power source and no GFCI.

But then looking backwards, you would then have your neutral bonded to ground at your main electric panel which would then sort of be a subpanel, but then this panel would not be supplying power, the transfer switch would!

So with the generator supplying power, would the bonding of ground to neutral at your main panel in any way be a safety issue?

I would say no since the main electric panel would not be carrying any power. However this ground would "translate" to your transfer switch (the neutral bonded to the ground), however the transfer switch would be like a "main panel" as it relates to the generator.

But now we have a different situation from the electric company service and that is instead of 3 wires to the transformer (2 hots and a neutral), you also have a ground wire run to the generator.

So is it necessary to run the ground wire to the generator?

It is not necessary to run a 4th ground wire to the electric company transformer!

(I have no idea what to do in this situation, so don't do anything based on what I have said here. I am just "throwing this out for discussion"!)

Posted under Electrical

MY OH MY IS IT HEAVY! Last year I removed 80′ of 5″ screw pipe handling a roof drain in downtown Chicago, and replaced it with 6″ cast. I need to do 2 more, but the problem is I don’t want to remove what’s existing the way I performed the 1st one. We used a sawzall, and cut them at 10′ sections. HHHEEEEAAAVVVYYYY! My question is this: Is there a saw on the market where I can just make 2′ cuts all the way down instead of a sawzall? I must’ve gone through 30 blades…and to cut one section took nearly an hour each. Wise one please come fourth…
PS- The existing line nests in a brick corner.

I have used a 4″ high speed grinder however; it is still alot of work, watch out for fire hazards, were protective goggles, gloves, it is much faster and I think more fun then using the sawzall going throw all the blades.

Posted under Plumbing