ElectricalAdvice

Pulling Cables

So, with the holes all bored out in the studs, plates and shoes of the walls, it is time to actually pull in some wire. Again, on the second floor, the various cable assemblies are “run out” to speed the installation time, as well as keep the cables from twisting as we pull them through the bored holes. This is a process that can be simplified by buying an uncoiling device, such as the one in the photo, a sort of lazy susan on which the coil of non-metallic sheathed cable is placed. The cable is then threaded through the outplay arm, or bailer, to avoid tangling. The unit itself is held in place by a friction connection of two steel arms which straddle the wood framing members; actually designed for use with the vertical 2 X 4 framing studs, see photo.

Photo of Cable Reeler

While the unit splays out the cable as you pull it, the spinning motion uncoils the wire just as it was manufactured (actually in the reverse), flat, kink free, and ready for stapling neatly along the framing members. Keeping the wire straight in this manner simplifies the installation, and keeping the wire straight is a much easier task than making it straight again once you’ve tied it in a square knot! I have been asked how I am able to do such a neat job of cabling and stapling; the answer is always the same, don’t foul the line and it won’t ever need untangling. (A bit of maritime humor here, I come from a long line of fisherman, beginning in 1848, in Gloucester, Massachusetts).

Photo of Smoke Detectors, a 3-way & a 4-way Switch

3-Way Switches And Smoke Detectors

Beginning with the 14/3 cable, I will pull in the 3-way wiring for the 2nd floor hallway lighting. I drag a cable up through the bored hole above the 2-gang switch box at the end of the hallway, at the base of the stairs to the attic. Pulling across the top plate of the framed 2 X 4 wall, the cable is kept inside the framing members, woven under the ceiling joists and between the furring strips of the ceiling construction. Once the cable is pulled across the hallway, it is then routed in a manner parallel to the joists, above the furring strips, to the area above the electrical box for a 4-Way switch. The 4-Way switch, which is part of the upper hall switching system, is located between the two bedroom doors. It is then pushed down through the bored hole above the switch box, gathering enough wire to reach the switch box, plus an extra 12 - 14" of slack. To prevent pull back of the cable it is stapled to the wood stud, just below ceiling height. The cable is then neatly stapled parallel along the ceiling joist until it reaches the crossing point in the hallway. It is then stapled across the underside of the joists, to the location above the initial 3-Way switch. The cable can then be pulled back taut and cut to length, leaving 12 - 14" of extra cable.
This done, a second 14/3 is pushed up through the bored hole above the same 4-Way switch and it is led down the hallway, over the furring strips toward the bathroom, until it reaches a point across the hallway from the 2-Gang switch box. From there it is woven under the ceiling joists and pulled down through on of the bored holes in the wall plate above it. Leaving the appropriate amount of slack, the cable is then cut off and it is stapled back to the stud, again just below the ceiling level, to prevent pull back. Stapling the cable to the underside of the ceiling joists, the cable pulled taut as I go across the hallway, for neatness. I finish stapling the cable parallel to the joists down the hall and back to the 4-Way switch box. These cable staples are the insulated variety, so as not to damage the cable. These are staples we are driving here, not railroad spikes, we don’t drive them in so far that they cut into the cable (I’ve seen apprentices do this).
I am not going to demonstrate the installation of each cable in this way, but you get the idea that this is the way to run cable, parallel to the framing members where possible, following the contour of the object being traversed, crossing at right angles otherwise. Always follow this method, keeping the cables parallel to the members and stapled back, away from the finished surface by 1-1/4", per NEC rules. For cabling in basements, running across ceiling joists is limited to # 6 AWG or larger (the smallest allowable size / conductors in the cable).

Photo, 2nd floor circuits

If I show you the 2nd floor circuit layout, you can see how we might feed the various devices. The single, darker lines between items depicts a 14/2 cable, as it enters, and sometimes also leave each electrical box, at every duplex receptacle location, as well as some of the switch boxes. No, these items are not wired like the old Christmas tree lights - where if one lamp goes out - they all go out, that would be a series circuit. These various electrical load devices (light bulbs in lamps plugged into wall receptacles) are wired in parallel, but they are none the less on the same circuit! If the circuit breaker trips, or if a fuse blows, the entire circuit will go off (eight or ten electrical items) and nothing will work.

Trouble Shooting With Ease

A key factor to understand and consider when doing your own electrical system work, and that is the fact that every wire, connection or device is part of a larger schematic diagram. Therefore if any of these elements fail to perform, the electrician may have to search through every electrical box, checking splices and such - while trying to troubleshoot, and therefore it sometimes does take some time to determine the source any problem. Believe me, for a professional like myself, finding trouble in a circuit that has been tampered with, either by the homeowner or an otherwise inexperienced person, is up there with the most time consuming and frustrating of endeavors! Nothing that the novice has done makes any sense to the pro, not the order, the method or the end result.

Existing Electric Wiring & Remodeling Or Renovation

You should consider that the licensed electrician responsible for the existing wiring in your house probably knew what he was doing and interconnected the various electrical elements according to accepted codes and practices, at least those codes that were in-force at the time of the initial installation. (most licensed electricians are well qualified, no matter how immensely unsung their feats; the least of which include hazard and intrigue) Therefore, the electrical cables running in between the studs and joist of your home, are a portion of those many circuits.

Interrupted Circuits

When a renovation project requires that a new window or a new door (or the old in a new location) be installed, a cable or series of cables might be found in the wall cavity in which the new opening is to be located. They might be serving other needs besides those in that particular room; the found cables could run to the 2nd floor, the basement, or elsewhere in the building. Interrupting the circuits (severing any cables) would cause the loss of power to all or some of the devices and/or utilizations that are a portions of any particular circuit. For this reason, remodeling or renovation electrical work is more costly than similar tasks being performed on new buildings; especially while under construction.

Feed Through Devices

In a duplex receptacle location, the conductors are connected to the duplex receptacle on one set of terminal screws (black to brass & white to silver) and fed out of the receptacle on the other set of terminal screws, these receptacles are therefore connected in parallel and are known as feed-through devices. There is a “tab” connecting the two screw terminal screws to each other; break off that tab, the connection is broken, and the device ceases to feed out to the next receptacle or electrical device. We use this broken tab feature to enable a switched receptacle, and, when necessary, the feed-through feature is accomplished with a splice and pigtail.

Switches And Their Place In The Home

Switches are housed in electrical boxes from 1-Gang to 4-Gang or 5-Gang and sometimes larger. The switched loads, or lighting fixtures, can be supplied with power through a number of configurations; in the case of a 3-Way system, at the first or second 3-Way switch location, or even at the fixture itself.
Back to the 2nd Floor plan again, where circuit 14 is routed to the 2-Gang box at the vanity where it powers the vanity fixture and the 14/2 is spliced-through to the 2-Gang switch box inside the bathroom door, where it powers the fan / light unit; on to the 2-Gang switch box at the top of the stairway, where it powers the upper hallway lights, and, finally, to the 2-Gang switch box at the base of the attic stairs.
Follow circuit 12, as it first hits the 2-Gang switch box inside the door in bedroom one. In this switch box is the load wire out to the bedroom ceiling fan as well as a line wire out to the 1-Gang switch box, a load wire out to the fluorescent closet fixture, a line wire out to the bedroom receptacle, and so on.
The cables we have just pulled-in to the multitudinous switch and receptacle locations now serve as the network for the next step in wiring the building, entering the cables into the boxes and connecting the circuit conductors, the switch loads, the 3-Way switch travelers, the Single Pole switch returns, the switch legs, comes right now.

A Bunch Of Spaghetti You Say?

As any good electrician should do, I have labeled the cables as I pulled them in to their sundry locations; through way too many bored holes. One at a time the cables are neatly stapled down the stud, with insulated staples, keeping the cables away from the finish side of the stud and out of harms way; kept from impalement by drywall screws, or picture-hanging nails.

Stripped Of Their Dignity

One by one, the cables are stripped of their outer jacket, untwisted and disentangled from the various nonconductive packing materials or components, and pushed in to the plastic, knock out cable entries available on plastic switch boxes. The cables are usually entered into the multi-gang switch box in the actual location where the switch is to be; that is, if the cable was for the first light in the room, the cable would enter into the 1st “box” or “ganged” location, if there were a 3-Way switch location, both cables would end up in the same box or “gang”. I usually would mark the load from these switch locations to ease identifying them later. The various conductors of these cables would be spliced together, starting with the grounding conductors. In the plastic box we would have to provide a pigtail to be connected to the ground screw on the device, for grounding purposes, therefore the two copper conductors from the two cables and a third, loose conductor, suitably long for the job, are twisted together, in a clockwise direction, an appropriately sized wire nut would be threaded on and the whole thing pushed to the back of the box. The next conductors to tackle would be the neutrals, or white conductors. The whites are gathered together, and one by one they are bundled together neatly, formed so as to facilitate conforming them to the shape of the ganged switch box most efficiently. They are stripped to their proper length for splicing, twisted together, a wire nut installed and the whole thing folded back neatly into the box. The conductors that will be affixed to switch terminals are pushed aside; the remaining black, sometimes red conductors will then be spliced together in the same manner and, if need be, pigtailed for use to power a device or multiple devices. At the rough-in stage, the individual conductors are wrapped to one another, to label, or distinguish, the use of a Single Pole, 3-Way or 4-Way Switch, and pushed back into the box.

Repetition Is The Answer

This method is repeated time and again, for circuit after circuit until the whole house is interconnected and ready for inspection by the Local Authority Having Jurisdiction, or, perhaps more succinct, the local Inspector Of Wires.
All of the homeruns (branch circuits)are pulled in to the location of the panelboard for connection for power.
At this time however, the rest of the cables can be routed throughout the structure, for cable television, maybe a satellite dish, telephone locations, including both desk and wall mount phones. Or, these days, maybe a network for the Personal Computer users in the house, an ethernet system for a home office, fax lines, etc., etc..

Once The Walk Through Is Over And Done With

With the Walk-Through complete, the final layout of the electrical system can begin, even if there are a few details to iron out. At this point the rough-in wiring of the house’s electrical systems can begin.
On Your Mark, Get Set, Wire! I always start my wiring jobs in the area the furthest away from the electrical panelboard, from which all the electrical feeders and branch circuits within the house will originate. If there is a sub-main panel board, this is where some of the branch circuits will originate; a sub-main feeder from the panelboard supplies power to it.
Remember these words "feeder" and "branch circuit", they are very important, distinctive and descriptive words. The definition of a feeder is: All circuit conductors between the service equipment, the source of the separately derived system, or other power supply source and the branch-circuit overcurrent device. The definition of a branch circuit is: The circuit conductors between the final overcurrent device protecting the circuit and the outlet(s).
There are also several types of branch circuits within a dwelling, or for that matter in any building being wired.
An Appliance branch circuit is one that supplies energy to one or more outlets to which appliances will be connected and has no permanently connected luminaires (light fixtures) that are not part of an appliance. A branch circuit supplies two or more receptacles or outlets for lighting and appliances.
An Individual branch circuit that supplies only one utilization equipment. A Multi-Wire branch circuit consists of two or more ungrounded conductors that have a voltage between them, and a grounded conductor that has equal voltage between it and each ungrounded conductor of the circuit and that is connected to the neutral or grounded conductor of that system.
A large building may have a main service panelboard and a sub-main panelboard at a different location, as part of the electrical distribution system. Some of the largest buildings will have many feeders and sub-main panelboards, spread throughout the building. In this way, all of the circuits (home runs) do not have to originate in the same panelboard. Our small house, has only the main service panelboard, where each and every circuit in the building will originate.

In this view of the 2nd floor, you can see the “circuit cable” feeding power to the actual devices and lighting switches by following the darker lines running between the individual units. The lighter lines you see run from smoke detector to smoke detectors, is actually the cable powering and interconnecting to each of them at once. Some of the lighter lines from switches to various devices represent the uses of the circuit, such as bedroom fans, hallway lights, etc.
Bath GFCI Receptacle. Notice that Circuit # 13 feeds the GFCI receptacle in the bathroom, and per NEC will be served with 120 volts, 20 amperes.

Bedroom Circuits And Smoke Detectors

Circuit # 12 is for receptacles and fan, as well as the closet light and receptacles in Bedroom One, but, can you also see the heavy line to the smoke detector, from that same bedroom circuit? That is the “power feed” for the detector system. This is a common way to feed the smoke alarm system, in that the fire detection system is required to be fed from a lighting circuit, instead of a circuit alone and by itself. The thinking behind this rule is, if the homeowner, tenant, or occupant wants to turn the smoke detectors off, they must also have the inconvenience of losing a lighting circuit. In this way the homeowner isn't as liable to turn the smoke detectors off and leave them off indefinitely. So, in this case bedroom one is the master bedroom and, if circuit 12 were turned off, there would be no power in that master bedroom, no fan, no lights, no television, nothing but darkness. Get the point? In most cases the detector can be taken down by the homeowner and reset, you'll see how shortly.

Battery Back-Up

These days the smoke detectors we install are self-contained, with battery back-up. This is an excellent way to ensure fire detection coverage even when the power is off! But, the batteries don't last forever, so if your own smoke detector in your present home is chirping at you, it is usually, but not always, an indication that the battery needs to be replaced.
It is always recommended that you replace all of the batteries in all of the detectors at the same time. Ergo, if one battery is dead the others can't be far behind. Local weathermen usually insist we check our smoke detectors batteries each time we toggle between Standard Time and Daylight Saving Time, in the Spring and Fall. What is that, Fall down Spring up, no, Spring forward, Fall over, or is it Fall back, Spring forward? Whatever, remember to change the batteries in your smoke detectors!
Each of these smoke detectors has to be hard-wired together, or daisy-chained, so that they alarm in tandem with one another; so if one goes off, eventually they all will go into alarm mode and nearly shatter your eardrums at a sound level of at least 8.5 decibels, the minimum required audio level. Okay, so it won't shatter your eardrums, but it certainly will wake you up!
Re-Setting A Smoke Detector that Has Gone Into Alarm. To clear a smoke detector that is in alarm; that is not involved with a fire, simply turn off the circuit that is feeding it for several moments. Allow the smoke chamber to clear, and, via the printed circuit board, reset itself. If when the circuit is re-energized, the detectors still will not reset, it may be that one or more of them are dirty, contaminated, or simply have an insect crawling inside them (a common problem).

Placement Of Detectors

Notice the lighter lines (representing cables) connecting the smoke detectors in the bedrooms, hallway at the base of the attic stairs and on up to the attic, if a detector is required there in your town. From the light switch, there is a cable for the attic light. Note also that the other end of the smoke detector system the cable heads down the stairway to the first floor detector, mounted on the ceiling near the bottom of the stairs A Little Physics LessonIt is common knowledge that hot air rises, as does the smoke from that incendiary source. Therefore the smoke detector at the ceiling of the lower level, near the base of the stairwell will be activated by the smoke wending its way to the second floor. This smoke, heated from the fire, rises to the ceiling and once there, spreads laterally across the ceiling. At the point where the ceiling meets the wall, there is what is known as a dead zone, in regard to the smoke and the now-heated ambient air. This "dead" zone doesn't allow the air currents to reach all the way into the corner, therefore it is best to mount the detectors at a minimum of 12" away from adjoining walls, and, for cathedral ceilings, three feet down from the highest point. The same law of physics applies here, in that eventually the super-heated air will fill the airspace at the roof peak, and actually block out the smoke, rendering a detector mounted at that level useless. Cleaning Smoke Detectors Cleaning smoke detectors is a project you, the homeowner, can do yourself. It is always best to take the detectors down on at a time. They all unscrew or twist counter-clockwise from there ceiling mount and unplug from the power source, with a safe and easy to operate plug mechanism. Use a vacuum cleaner to either blow or suck the dust or bugs out of the unit. Once cleaned, reconnect the plug and reinstall them as they were previous. Once all detectors are installed, the Smoke Detectors must be tested for functionality. Somewhere on the face of each detector there is a small push button for testing the detector. Pushing this test button should activate the smoke detector in your hand first; holding the button down until you can hear all of them chime in together is a simple way to ensure your family's protection from a fire. Releasing the button will allow the detectors to recover by opening up a relay in the detector itself; it may take several minutes before they are completely silent.
The building department, or fire inspector, will schedule an actual fire test, by introducing smoke directly to the smoke detector with a smoking torch. He will then check that all of the detectors are ringing, as is the code.
The electricians begin on the second floor, by first nailing all of the electrical boxes in their respective receptacle and switch locations as per the electrical plan (e-plan). From the e-plan can be identified all of the elements included, and these elements are then transcribed to the wall studs of the building, usually with a felt tip pen. The electrician would go around and mark an S1, S3or S4 on the stud closest to where each item, the switch, light or receptacle, would be mounted. Remember that we are talking about wood studs and that these are usually set at 16" on center and our 'locationing' is limited somewhat by support members that cannot be drilled through, chiseled into, or removed entirely.
Receptacles can be mounted at virtually any height, but, to comply with NEC an outlet must be mounted below 5'-6" to be considered a required receptacle. Receptacles serving the kitchen countertop, a bathroom vanity, or wet bars can be a maximum of 18" above the counter, vanity or wetbar to be the required receptacle. That said, we follow these general rules, but we all (each individual electrician) have our own heights for these different units.

Hammer Height?

In new construction, I ask the guys to mount the receptacles at 14" to 16" above rough floor, or hammer-height, as long as the installer use the same hammer in each room, of each house, bar none.
Hammer-height is achieved by placing the box against the stud we are mounting the electrical box to, lining up the depth of the wall covering with the gauge that is etched on each individual box. By laying the hammer head on the floor, with the handle held vertically against the chosen stud, the box can be set atop the handle for the height. Each hammer manufacturers length varies by an inch or so, from tool to tool, but they are all roughly 14 - 15" long. Switch boxes I like to mount at 42" above the rough floor, or 41-3/4" above the finish floor. This may vary from room to room, to accommodate special wall treatments like wainscoting, beaded paneling, or some other architectural feature that must be recognized and reconciled into the placement of these devices. Some designers and architects will make there electrician line up the elements that he/she installs, for example switches aligned one above the other, fixtures and smoke detectors in the center of the hallways, etc..
If we are doing a remodeling job, or partial renovation, I try to match the existing switch heights within the original structure. As to the receptacles, they can also be mounted in the baseboard, or mockboards, to remain unseen as they perform their function for compliance and convenience. Or, they can be mounted to match the existing detail of the building being remodeled. Telephone, Cable TV, and Data locations can follow the receptacles and be mounted at so called hammer-height, or be in the baseboard. In the kitchen, they can be mounted at the counter top height, matching the switch height for general congruity, or you can have a wall-hung telephone, mounted at 60 or so inches above the floor, 24" above the counter top. As with most everything else these days, telephones are cordless, everyone uses answering machines, and, if you have a data line you have a PC; therefore, it is a good idea to place these data, telephone and catv outlets next to a duplex receptacle, or, in the alternative, place a duplex receptacle next to them!
After the rooms are marked out for the boxes, and the boxes are all hung, 1-gang for the receptacles, some 2-gang boxes, as well as some 3 or 4-gang boxes for the switches. The rooms are then drilled-out for the non-metallic cable (romex) that will course through, between and behind the buildings inner sanctum; the framing and finish construction components. Usually a single hole is drilled above every single switch or receptacle box (1-gang), two holes for a double switch box (2-gang), etc. If some of the switch and outlet locations are accessible laterally, through the adjoining studs of a wall, we drill horizontally only when it makes sense to do so. No matter how the wall and ceiling members are drilled out, each hole must occupy the center of the framing member being drilled through. Also, when stapling the romex, the cable must not ever be closer to the finish side of the wall than 3/4". These rules are an effort to prevent a cable or group of cables being pierced by a nail or a drywall screw. In the case where the wire is run closer than these guidelines, a metal plate must be used, of at least a 1/16" thickness, to prevent this hazard. Remember, that if a nail or screw pierces the cable, and doesn't trip the circuit breaker, that nail head or screw head is now electrically alive. If you were to paint over a screw that is so-energized, especially with latex, water-based paint, you would recieve a small shock. I know this first hand!

The electrician and his apprentice continue to mount electrical boxes, for the various devices, switches, receptacles and light fixtures. The second floor has the recessed lights in the hallway, a fan & light unit in the bathroom, one closet fluorescent in each bedroom closet and the smoke detectors.
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Click On Plan To Enlarge
Once the switch boxes, recessed lighting frames, ceiling boxes and smoke detector boxes are all mounted, and the holes are bored throughout, the electricians will then start to pull in some of the cables for the connection of the various elements that comprise the electrical system. So, as they prepare to pull the circuits, switch legs, light returns, cabling for the smoke detectors and 3-Way light switching systems, I will explain the tasks at hand in more detail.
Before I go there though, I should explain to you the cable assemblies themselves, how they are constructed; what they are designed to do. This is a many faceted subject, that I will explain here briefly, as well as make other references and add further explanations of their make-up and uses for you, as we go along.
American Wire Gauge, or AWG, is a standard for conductor size, adopted as American Standard early in the developmental stage of wire and cable manufacturing. For all intents and purposes, we will be talking mainly about the following AWG sizes in the residential wiring sphere, I will list them by size and briefly explain the uses of each. Keep in mind that the lower the number, the thicker the AWG size and the higher the amperage they can carry. For the intention of this article, only copper conductors are being discussed, unless stated otherwise.
Thermostat wire, or low voltage control wire, comes in both 18 and 20 gauge, with configurations of up to 8 multiple conductors. An 18 gauge, two conductor cable is expressed as 18/2; a 20 gauge, three conductor cable is expressed as 20/3, etc. Ergo, gauge / conductors. As the name implies, these cables are used for thermostats and controls such as garage door openers, doorbells and buttons, furnace wiring, zone valves and dampers, among other uses. Thermostat wire can be used for voltages up to 300 volts (between conductors), but generally in the uses mentioned they carry only 16 volts for your door chimes; or up to 24 volts for your heating or cooling thermostat. Non-metallic sheathed cable (romex) is available in gauges from 14 to 2, with configurations of up to 4 multiple conductors, plus a grounding conductor. A 14 gauge, two conductor cable is expressed as 14/2 Romex; a 2 gauge, three conductor cable is expressed 2/3 Romex. Not expressed, but none the less included in the cable, is the grounding conductor. These cables can be used to wire receptacles, lights, switches, small appliances, etc., mostly used in wood frame construction. Service Entrance Cable (SEU) or (SER), comes in gauges from 10 to 4/0, in configurations of up to 4 multiple conductors, and a grounding conductor. A 10 gauge, two conductor cable is expressed 10/2 SE; a 10 gauge, three conductor cable is expressed as 10/3 SER. . The 2-conductor cable is called SE cable, for Service Entrance, the 3 or 4-conductor cable is called SER cable, for Service Entrance, Round. The 2-conductor is more or less flat, or oval cable, and the SER is round. These cables are used excusively for service entrance conductors, usually installed from your electric metering equipment to your panel board. SE cables can also have aluminum conductors; they are also sunlight resistant. Metal Clad, (MC) cable is available in gauges from 14 to 2, in configurations of up to four conductors plus a grounding conductor. A 2 gauge, three conductor cable is expressed as 2/3 MC cable; a 12 gauge, 2-conductor cable is expressed as 12/2 MC cable. The sheath is made of either steel, or aluminum. MC cable is used in rough service areas, where a flexible cable is preferred, on heating and cooling equipment and controls. Underground Feeder, (UF) cable is available in gauges from 14 to 2, with configurations up to four conductors and a ground conductor. A two conductor 14 gauge cable is expressed as 14/2 UF, etc. UF cable is used in direct burial conditions, for post lights, ground lights, for feeders and branch circuits; UF cable, like SE cable is also sunlight resistantAll of the cables above are constructed similarly, with the insulated conductors and the uninsulated ground conductor sheathed in an outer wrapping of plastic, aluminum or steel (MC cable).

Ironing Out The Details

If you were wondering - what if the owner wants a special recessed light fixture, or two light fixtures at the front door instead or the one I specified? At this point in time, the reason for the walk-through for the electrical work becomes crystal clear, and that is to give the customer, or homeowner, an opportunity to fine-tune the various elements in their new home, item by item. Just as you would have control of the paint colors of the various rooms, walls and trim paint for example, the plumbing fixtures in the bath and kitchen, etc., likewise you do have control of the electrical elements. If you are building a custom home, or even buying so-called spec house (being built on the speculation that it can be sold) you may be able to catch a builder with a house in-the-works such that you can have control over some of these selections.

When you think about it, is the telephone in your present home in a good location, or would it work better if it were somewhere else? How about the cable tv outlet, is it in a good spot, or would it be much more convenient in a different area? Maybe the phone location in a home isn’t as important these days as it once was, but nonetheless there are considerations for that even now; with cordless and cellular phones. In this day and age, all telephones need power sources in the home for a cordless or cellular telephone, for recharging or for powering an answering machine. As you can see, there are a lot of little decisions you can make at this stage of the game, that will help or hinder you for years to come.

The homeowner arrives and we begin by looking at the floor plan that I had marked out and discussing the job I had done making decisions for them (even though they weren’t factored-in with the design equation) basically finding out what were there likes and dislikes.

I ask them questions like:

1. Are they accustomed to their new spaces?
2. Have they taken time to locate or arrange their for example?
3. Do they have concepts regarding how they will utilize the various spaces?
4. Can I help them in presenting the variables on any given electrical item?
5. Do they have any previous knowledge about this process, or anything related to electrical, from a previous project?
6. Have they given thought to the various elements that we will be discussing for installation?



In this view of the 2nd floor, complete with smoke detectors, telephones and cable television outlets, you can see all the switching arrangement for the spaces. I have labeled the switches at each location, if not designated w/ 3 or 4, assume others are single-pole switches.

I mentioned that electricians have to be home traffic consultants to do their job well in the residential marketplace. Which way will you likely turn when you come in the back door into the kitchen, O.K., assuming you are not carrying groceries? Would you likely to cross the room to the hallway, to the bathroom, or the right to go up the stairs to the second floor? What about when you were carrying groceries, which way would you turn to off-load them, to the right to the pantry, or into the kitchen first? If you were coming down from the second floor where would you most likely head when you got to the bottom of the stairs? My vote? Probably the kitchen, to start the coffee. Which way do you open the basement door, away from the kitchen so you have to walk around the door, or toward the kitchen, where you will more likely be coming from. Electricians’ know these things, because it’s their job!

Once the customer shares their thoughts and I get a basic feel for the items that they may want to include for installation in regard to electrical items, I give them a basic course in National Electrical Code (NEC), or at least information relative to the residential installation at hand.

Wall Switches

I tell them that at every entry door to the house I need to have at least two switches, one for the exterior light on the porch for example, and one for the interior kitchen light. The idea here is that you would leave your house and turn the outdoor light on as you left, conversely turning off the kitchen light behind you as you leave the room. By NEC dictum this switching arrangement occurs every time you enter and exit a room, for example leaving the kitchen and going down the hallway to another part of the front door. As you left the kitchen you would turn the kitchen light off at one of the three switches that are at the start of the hallway. The second and third switches would be to turn on the light(s) of the room you were entering, in this case the back or the front hallway.

So, you have a switch inside your bedroom, and one in the hallway outside your room, for the hallway lighting for example. This arrangement is typical, in that it satisfies the lighted-way code issue by providing access to a switch to control the lights in the hallway with the hall switch, and have a switch inside the room to that now lighted-way. What if you don’t have a light in a bedroom you say? Well the NEC provides for that also by allowing us to switch a portion of a duplex receptacle, for example the lower half. Usually a lamp is plugged into the switched ‘half’ of the receptacle and the lamp itself is left ‘on’. Follow the lines from the bedroom switches, to the receptacles in each adjoining wall of the two bedrooms. In each of these bedrooms there are two receptacles switched by the door. I will go into more wiring detail about this in a How To” segment in later entries.

This switch ruling is actually enforced as a building code issue, as a lighted-way is a safe way, and adhered to in this case by the electrician, a typical crossover of National Building Code and National Electrical Code. So that covers the switching ‘have to’s’, but let me go on with a little more of this switching stuff, before I walk out and leave the kitchen light burning!

The Gamut On Switches

The Single Pole Switch

Ah, switches; there are several to choose from, starting with the Single Pole Switch. The Single Pole switch has two terminals and the toggle action of the switch closes and opens a circuit that it is controlling (turns on the light, turns off the light).

The 2-Pole Switch

The 2-Pole Switch is used in applications where it is necessary to break two poles or phases of power. These are used when a 240 volt circuit, like a water pump, or an electric heater, must be disconnected from its source of power. These are not found in your home as wall switches, but they may be used in your basement, or in your workshop. A 2-Pole switch, a term interchangeable with Double Pole switch, make and break two phases, and therefore has an ON and OFF written on the toggle handle; the switch should always be mounted so that you can read the words.

The 3-Way Switch

This name of this switch, a 3-Way, sort of suggests switches in three locations for the same light switch, but the expression is actually a misnomer. A 3-way switch allows the user to control a particular light fixture, or half-switched receptacle, from two locations, as in the switching configurations I mentioned, passing from one area to the other, throwing the light off behind you as you turn the lights on ahead of you. The 3-Way switch has three screw terminals, with one of these three terminal as a pivot point; the flipping action toggles between the other two terminals. The 3-Way switch has nothing written on the toggle handle, and can be mounted in any manner, since there is no top, no bottom, and no OFF position on a 3-Way switch

The 4-Way Switch

Not to add confusion, but there is also a 4-way switch, which by its name implies switching at a fourth location, but that is only half-true. Although you can use this 4-way switch as the fourth switch for a given light fixture, you can also use this switch as the third switch, the fourth and then the fifth switch, a sixth switch, etc., with one, two, or three 4-way switches wired in between the two 3-ways in the system.

The 4-Way Switch has four terminal screws, for the connection of four conductors, two from each cable assembly. The flipping action toggles the connection between two red conductors, one from each cable, with the connection of two black conductors. So sometimes the switch will be connecting red / red, black / black; other times black / red and black / red. The 4-Way switch does not have anything written on the toggle handle and can be mounted in any manner, since there is no top, no bottom, since there is no OFF position on a 4-Way switch.

You would also see this switching system in common stairways of multiple storied buildings, and mandatory for the lighting within such stairwells, whereby anyone entering the stairway from any level, can turn the lights on when they enter the space. So, that covers wall switches and NEC issues, are you still with me?



Duplex Receptacles

Good, let us now move on to another electrical element that must be installed in a concise and consistent manner, that is the convenience outlet, or duplex receptacle. These are the electrical units that will eliminate the need for extension cords, keeping your home free of hazards involving an overloaded and overheated extension cord. There are strict rules as to the minimum requirements for the installation of these power sources; but you can always add more than the NEC requires.

I just did hit on a major reason for the need for plenty of duplex receptacles, to eliminate the need for extension cords, both for the overheating hazard as mentioned, but further, considering the physical presence of extension cords, running under the rug; scary means necessary to getting power to that lamp, window air conditioner, fan, curling iron or hair dryer.. ...whatever! Extension cords are bad news and they shouldn’t be used to keep the electrician away. Because faulty extension cords are still the leading cause of house fires; the NEC has made a change recently about the safety of extension cords and what is now required to eliminate that fire hazard. Read more on “Arc Fault Protection” in future entries.

Receptacles Where?




NEC reads that every wall space larger than 24" wide, or that short section of wall between two closet or bedroom doors, measuring 24" or more, requires a duplex receptacle.
Now suppose that there was a closet, or a bathroom door, adjacent to the entry door to the bedroom, and, if the width between the two doors was 24" or greater, there would be a NEC requirement for a duplex receptacle to cover that space. If the space was less than 24" wide, a receptacle would not be required. Now we come to the other side of the closet door, as the wall continues along, enclosing the room. Measuring from the further edge of that door to the first receptacle the distance must be no greater than six feet, measured along the wall surface; from that receptacle the spacing to the next receptacle must be no longer than 12 feet, and, again measured along the wall surface.

The receptacle spacing in the kitchen, bathroom, hallways and foyers differs slightly, as the various rooms are treated not dissimilarly, since they have specific uses, and specific requirements, and the NEC is tailored to address those inherent electrical power needs and the hazards they bring into being. We spoke earlier in the conversation about providing GFCI protection in kitchens, bathrooms, unfinished basements and outdoors. See our kitchen plan below.




Notice the receptacles are spaced 2' from the sink edge, and 4' in between them; this is the code requirement for receptacles on kitchen counter tops. The reason is a pretty clear one, there are a lot of electrical appliances these days, and the lot of them come with only 2' cords, see the need? Also these days there is a new feature on kitchen countertops, and that is the so-called appliance garage, yes, appliance garage. These cabinets are brought down all the way to the counter top, and with a duplex receptacle or two inside them, the individual appliances can be used outside the garage, without unplugging them. The remaing counter top area must still be wired with duplex receptacles, as before, with the same stated distances. I include the following plan to demonstrate receptacle spacing on the kitchen counter top.




I will touch on the exterior receptacle requirements here and mention that in the receptacle count for the dwelling, by NEC rules I have to provide a weather-resistant duplex receptacle at the front and rear of any dwelling unit, and there must be one mounted at each grade level in the building. If there was a walkout room in your basement, which delivered you to a different grade on your property, you would be required to add a weather-resistant GFCI receptacle at that grade level. Also, the idea from the Code Making Panel, as to what hazardous situation you are trying to prevent, is the convenience of running an extension cord through the door or window and plugging into a receptacle that is not GFCI protected. This would leave the user in peril in regard to protection from electrocution.

Walk On

I always start walking through the house with a client by suggesting we start at the second floor, or the furthest reaches of the structure, and work our way out to daylight and the lower floors. By doing this I can often walk the person or persons through as if they were getting out of bed and beginning their day.

Being on the upper floors, I usually find a bedroom to begin the tour. For the homeowner it is usually best to know the spaces beforehand, the window placement, possible furniture layout like locating the bed wall, and where the dressers will be. The switch at the door can control a receptacle in the room, one conveniently located behind a dresser is usually the place for the lamp that will be activated by the switch, you choose. A Cable Television outlet can be mounted opposite the bed, and a telephone outlet can be located on a bedside table, with a telephone jack behind the bed.

I usually don’t recommend any light fixtures in the bedroom ceilings, since that was a practice that went out of favor years ago, but, although I don’t promote bedroom lighting, others do like them. A recessed over each headboard for reading, or sometimes swing-arm lamps are utilized, I recommend that the light fixtures be switched at the lamp, and not at the switch by the door. Overhead lighting for reading can also be a disaster, I should mention that you would get glare off the page that you wouldn’t be able to direct, making reading uncomfortable in bed, not to mention reflected light on your sleeping partner.

Closet Lights A Must

The two bedrooms in this view also feature closet lighting, restricted to fluorescent lighting strips, open lamp or housed within a plastic lens; open lamps of the incandescent type are no longer legal. The problem with the open lamp of yesteryear is the excessive heat created by the lamp; when considering the fire hazard of an over-filled closet, teeming with items, stacked high, touching the hot surface of the lamp. So it goes that the next thing you know, there is fire.

Ceiling Fans In Summer

Also in the bedrooms you will see ceiling, or paddle fans. Ceiling fans are used the world over, most especially in the warmer climate zones. Moving the air around, ever so lightly on a hot evening, cools the body down nicely, without air conditioning. Although in these Northern climes, when sitting around the woodstove, or fireplace, which is commonplace come Autumn, you wouldn't use the ceiling fan to recirculate the warm air, as most people assume. In fact, the moving air serves only to cool your body down, while evaporating moisture from your skin. The very perception of losing body heat in this way in Winter boggles the mind, but it's true! Keep in mind that a ceiling fan must be hung at a maximum height, usually 7'-6" above the finish floor from the lowest point of the fan blade in order to pass code. If the fan manufacturer says that you can hang their fan at a lower height, you may do so. Underwriters Laboratory (U.L.) sets the standard as the manufacturer's recommendations for use, always follow the guidelines that come with an electrical product. It is the law!

End Bedroom Befuddlment

In a bedroom I ask the client if they have a habit of reading before it’s “lights out”. If so, the swing arm lamps I mentioned earlier would be suggested now, and I would also give them a little idea that works for some people. It has to do with the switch at the door, controlling one or more of the outlets in the bedroom. If the answer is yes, they do read before retiring at night, I will suggest that we use the switch at the bedroom door to control the receptacle(s) behind the bed, switching only half of the device. The swing arm lamps can be plugged into these switched outlets, but what then? We have all had the problem, and that is what do you do every time you want to use the switch at the door to turn on your swing arm lamps, and the lamps are still turned off, as you left them the night before. I suggest to them that we install two 3-Way switches and a 4-Way switch in the room in stead of the single switch at the door, now you have three places to control these lamps, one at the door, one at each night stand. Leave the swing arm lamps in the “on” position and use the wall switches to control the lamps! Or, if there is only one reader in the house, you can put in two 3-Way switches, with one 3-Way switch behind the reader’s night table and one at the door! Now I have to know who sleeps on what side of the bed! Yikes!

Bathroom Solutions

Inside our bathroom, there is a small vanity cabinet, with a sink, a full fiberglass bathtub unit and a toilet. I generally recommend a switch, just inside the door, for a light source. The light source can be a ceiling light, either recessed or surface mount. Whatever is chosen, it should be placed near the center of the room, for general illumination, as shown. Another bathroom lighting option is that the required exhaust fan can also be combined with a light fixture, a unit called, not surprisingly, a fan/light! More on that below. In this house, the 2nd floor bathroom has a recessed light over the toilet area, this light is shown switched with the light portion of the fan/light unit, but it could warrant a separate switch.



At the sink, or vanity, I suggest using sconce fixtures, usually two mounted at an average height, somewhere between 60" or 72", depending on personal preferences. The object of these additional light fixtures is to provide ample light at the vanity sink. Men will use the additional light for shaving, women for putting on makeup. A single fixture could be mounted above the mirror or medicine cabinet; you probably have seen multi-lamp varieties; some would use or suggest an overhead recessed or surface lighting scheme, but this arrangement would cause facial shadowing and, I think Martha Stewart would agree, that is not a Good Thing! In order to make an accurate decision as to the location of these sconce fixtures we leave a cable inside the wall cavity, to be pulled out of the wall later on, when the vanity sink, the vanity mirror or the medicine cabinet are installed, when we can pinpoint the location of the two fixtures. I will get into that wiring procedure in a future blog, with a hands-on rough wiring segment. As to the switch location for the vanity fixtures I always suggest we put the switch at the vanity location.

Bathroom Exhaust Fans A Must!

I tell the client that they must have an exhaust fan in every bathroom space, regardless of whether or not there is an operational window in the room. The first question from a customer is always, can we have a separate switch for the fan? The answer of course, is yes; there is only the need for the exhaust fan, even if it's on a separate switch. As far as I know there are no exhaust fan police to arrest you, or your child, for not utilizing it!

There are myriad choices in the fan, or fan/light market, all with different configurations of air movers, light sources; types, not to mention the ultra-quiet models. And, since a bath exhaust fan can sound much like the clatter of an approaching freight train, the whisper quiet models get the most consideration these days. I sometimes suggest a fan/light unit and mount it within the bathtub enclosure, where it can light an otherwise dark area and immediately exhaust the moist air from your hot shower.

In the quiet division, there are now available so-called remote located, multi-space ventilating fans, or single source, multi-station intake/exhaust fan systems. but, whatever moniker they carry, the concept is to remove the sound source as far from the ventilated space as possible, with a fan motor actually installed in your attic, or crawl space, the single fan can serve one or more bathrooms. The individual rooms are connected, with wye fittings and flexible duct hose, to ceiling intake vents and dampered exhaust caps on the exterior of the building. These fans are available in several sizes, with their uptake/output measured in Cubic Feet Per Minute (CFM), according to the size (cubic feet) of the room(s) being ventilated. No matter what the situation, there are building codes which must be followed that mention minimum air movement, this is expressed in air changes per hour. The object of the building code and the practicality of a system to exhaust odors and humidity is a simple one -more air movement - less mildew and mold. Clearly a health issue.

As shown, this 2nd floor bathroom gets a fan/light combination, and, getting back to the separate switch for the bath fan, yes, we can put in that separate switch, but, since the fan should be used when showering, it is utilized most effectively if turned on before you start your shower, and turned off fifteen minutes after you turn off the shower. I usually recommend a timer, a simple spring wind-up type. They fit in the box like a switch, you can set it for 10 - 15 - 20 minutes, towel off, and walk away! The unit shuts down for you in the desired time frame, keeping your room's air quality in the fresh and healthy zone. My clients with children breathe a sigh of relief when they hear this solution!

Required Ground Fault Receptacles

Then there is the bathroom receptacle, which must be accessible to the sink area, or vanity top. This receptacle must be a GFCI receptacle, and, if a new house, it be on a 120 volt 20 amp circuit, that said, the same individual 120 volt circuit can service all of the bath receptacles in the house, although your electrician might find this troublesome from an economical standpoint. If the budget allows, I suggest the use of multiple GFCI devices, protecting each location. This method is the most convenient for the end-user, since when the individual device trips, the reset button is easy to find. The GFCI is almost always ganged together with the vanity light switch, at least on my watch! Make sure you have plenty of “receptacles” into which to plug all of your bath appliances, electric toothbrush, hair dryer or curler, a night light?

Out in the hallway, but still on the second floor, we discuss the lighting possibilities for the upper hall area, and lighting in the stairs down to the first floor. If there is a hall closet, the ceiling light source can be located nearby. Locating the stairwell light fixture so it not only lights the steps, but does so without creating too many shadows.




Hallways and Corridors

In this plan of the 2nd floor hallway and the lighting locations; in this case the hall fixtures are recessed. There are also three duplex receptacles, only one is required by the NEC. In some cases these hallway outlets can serve as a power source for a lamp, perhaps on a small table. It makes sense to place the required duplex so that it could serve that purpose, by placing it where there is adequate space. Other receptacles in hallways can be utilized when vacuuming, or using some other household appliance. In some older residences, where there are no hall outlets, the outlets are often hidden behind furniture and not exactly accessible.

Now, as we are about to turn off the lights in the upper hall, you will see another switch that will light your way to the bottom of the stairs, flip it on the way by.


1st Floor Switching and Power Plan

The Foyer, Or Entry Hall

As you came down the stairs you would turn off the stairwell lighting with the 3-Way switch at the bottom of the stairs, next to the window. The switch for the lighting in the back hallway, is one of the two 3-Way switches is at the front door. Some would want a second switch at the bottom of the stairs, to control those recessed lights, but, the owner decided they didn’t mind the reach. I think it is fine the way it is, only an arms length away. The front entry, or foyer, is lit by the array of recessed lighting, heading to the back of the house and the kitchen. Chosen for these locations were 5" incandescent recessed fixtures. Corridor receptacles are practically non-existent, save the one at the base of the stairs, where there may be room there for a small table under the window.
In some homes, the front foyer is the centerpiece of the house, where guest are greeted. A suitably elegant fixture could be chosen for this space, to accentuate an architectural detail, or merely blend with its surroundings.


bloghouse 1/2 bath

The Half-Bath

Inside the bathroom are two switches at the door for the exhaust fan and the general illumination is provided by the same overhead location, as part of the fan light unit. There is the required GFCI receptacle, to the right of the sink (some items have been hidden for clarity) and a switch for the single fixture over the mirror, as this one is shown. I will try to talk them out of the single fixture, we’ll see.... I will instruct the guys to leave a cable in the wall cavity, as always, so that two fixtures can be mounted exactly where they belong, measured off the mirror or medicine cabinet, once they are hung..



The Laundry

In the back hall, or laundry, the double duplex receptacle in the small coset is set in behind the washing machine and clothes dryer, a stack unit; two outlets for two appliances. If this were an electric clothes dryer, there would be a 30 amp / 240 volt circuit, just for the dryer, but in this case the clothes dryer is a gas appliance. The general area is lit by the ceiling light, but the owner wanted an extra fixture to light the area in front of the laundry. Notice the overhead fixture is on a set of 3-Way switches, between the hall three gang and the back door location.

Off the laundry is the back door, leading to the driveway. At the door there you can see three switches, one for the light mounted on the wall, that lights the back stoop. The second is a 3-Way switch, for the ceiling light in that hallway, as mentioned earlier. The third switch is the second 3-Way for the driveway flood (the first 3-Way is at the front door), that we moved to the forward corner of the house to light the drive better.

The Kitchen



We did a small segment on receptacle placement in the kitchen earlier, and I don’t want to repeat myself, so... ..the kitchen plan shows the spacing of the counter receptacles, in-keeping with NEC mandates, trust me! The “g” by the duplex receptacles signifies that the receptacles serving the counter top have to be GFI protected.

Recessed Low-Voltage Lighting

Notice the lighting layout and the switching for it. This is an excellent way to show you the possibilities for switching the lighting in this kitchen space, and in this case it actually worked out as I had previously sketched it in. This was a big consideration for the owners, since they spend a lot of time preparing meals, they wanted a clean look without sacrificing quality. They chose low-voltage, halogen recessed overhead fixtures, with step baffle trims; an excellent choice for this application!

In this instance, each recessed low voltage fixture will have its own transformer built in, to drop the line voltage from 120 volts to 24 volts, for the 12 volt MR16 halogen lamps. This fixture is a little bit more expensive than the incandescent variety, but the added cost is worth it when considering the energy consumption of this fixture is only 1/3 the cost of the incandescent. Another plus is the advantage of a clean white halogen light source which will render all colors of the rainbow in their true hues, without distortion.

The recessed lights will be installed over the counter tops, and will be situated so as to light the overhead cabinets as well, without throwing shadows onto the workspace below. By holding the center of the fixture at nineteen or so inches from the cabinet wall, we can bulls eye the 12" of counter space between the cabinet front and the leading edge of the counter. This will ensure a shadow-free work space situation. Notice the switching that control these fixtures, with one set of 3-Ways controlling a group of fixtures along the sink counter, a second set of 3-ways to control the set of recessed lights on the other side of the kitchen. These two lighting scenarios enable the owners a lot of options in regard to indoor traffic patterns. The recessed light over the sink will be enabled from the switch to the right of the sink and next to it will be the switch for the under-cabinet lighting.

A garbage disposal is not to be installed on this house, but if there were one, I would recommend it be turned on by inserting the stopper in a certain way so as to complete a circuit to start the unit. This is an acceptable and safe way to use your disposal. If the garbage disposal needs a switch to operated it, I do recommend the switch for it be installed under the kitchen sink, at about knee level, just inside the cabinet door. Only the person in front of that door can actuate the grinder, only the person in front of that door with arms long enough to be inside the disposer itself with one hand, with the other on the activation switch (read: nobody) can get hurt.

Ambiance Under-Cabinet Lighting

I also convinced them to use my favorite brand of under-cabinet lighting! From Seagull Lighting, Ambiance under-cabinet lighting is a system I have been using since 1993, practically as soon as the products hit the market. Very adaptable, easy to install, with stunning results. When I go back to a client’s house to see them about additional work, or to check a problem, I am heaped upon with compliments about them! The ladies really love the pure white light of the halogen recessed and the Ambiance under-cabinet lights, with zenon lamps, especially the manner in which it showcases their beautiful cabinetry and counter tops. The under-cabinet lighting completes the package, for a brightly lit workplace that you need.

The Ambiance lighting system can also be adapted to use inside glass front cabinets, over cabinets, for accent, and all of these offering a low light source when used in conjunction with a lighting dimmer. For the homeowner and for the do it yourself electrician, a blow by blow “Ambiance” “How To” segment is coming soon.

The Dining Room

The dining room is the next room, just off the kitchen. Note the overhead lighting fixture with a switch at each entrance to the dining room, from the french door, and also from the living room. This is another wire that we leave inside the building finish, in this case between the ceiling joists, until later, when the furniture is in place and the fixture can be aligned with various other elements in the room, most especially the dining table itself. The wire is initially set in the ceiling in the approximate location, where maybe a foot or two of extra wire is left, encircling several bays in-between the joists. The wire is then found by cutting a hole for the electrical box where the fixture is to be set, with a little searching to find the cable.

Exterior Lighting Choices

At the french door, there is a switch for the back door light, mounted on the building at 6' or so above the threshold of the door. The owners decided that they wanted a set of floodlights at the rear of the house, shining from the second floor height, at the outermost corners of the house, to light the back yard. I was told to do away with the floodlights on the gable at the far end of the house and keep the other gable flood switched at the back door, but locate it instead at the forward most corner of the building to better light the driveway.

They further opted to make some changes to the switching system for the outside floodlighting. Since the 2nd floor master bedroom overlooked the back yard, they said that they wanted the ability to use the floods at the rear of the house from that second floor window, as well as keeping the switch at the french door, off the dining room. This requires a 3-Way switching system, allowing someone on the first floor to turn them on and then to turn them off again at that second floor window location. They reasoned that if the heard something in the yard, they could activate them and dispel their fear, and/or scare off an intruder.

As to the flood lighting on the gable, front corner, they wanted the ability to use this lighting from the front door and the back door, requiring another 3-Way switching system. They decided that they didn’t want the post lantern, as I had drawn in, so we scratched that switch from the front door location.

Weather-Proof Receptacles

Outside, we chose locations for the weather proof, GFCI receptacles, one on the rear deck, and the one required at the front of the house. These two plugs will be cut flush with the shingles and will be equipped with a weather resistant bubblecover. Just as it implies, a bubblecover is a large clear cover that, when closed, will protect a cord plugged into it from getting wet. They are also called in-use covers, since they keep the connection dry, even when a cord is in-use (read: plugged in).

The Living Room

So, After a small detour completely around the outside of the house and back again, we return to the interior, through the front door. We added a door bell button at the front door and they also wanted a button at the back door. The chimes themselves will be mounted in the downstairs hall, opposite the bathroom, usually at 6'-6" or so above the finished floor.

In the living room there is a ceiling fan, switched there at the front door, and there is also a set of 3-Way switches, one for the two duplex receptacles in the living room, along the front wall. The second 3-Way is for the array of recessed down the hallway to the back of the house, the third is now for that flood light, relocated to the front gable.

Smoke Detectors

Smoke detectors are now required for all new homes in being built across the nation. Although the smoke detector systems vary widely in complexity, as do, to a small degree, the basics for installation, there exist similarities among them all.
I cannot speak for all fire departments in all municipalities, to whom this responsibility is often left, or other regions, but, in parts of Massachusetts, the law is such:
A single family residence, must be protected by an approved smoke detection system, that operate on 120 volts and additionally must have back-up battery power and be electrically interconnected to each other in a manner that allows all detectors to alarm simultaneously. Smoke Detectors, installed on the ceiling, or in some cases on the wall, must be located throughout the house, in the following specific locations:

• Inside all bedrooms, sleeping lofts, etc.
• In hallways outside sleeping areas.
• At the top and the bottom of staircases.
• Not mentioned specifically, but in need of protection are rooms with cathedral ceilings; attic spaces accessible by stairs; full basements.
• Each detection device is designed to cover 1,200 square feet of living space, with additional detectors as needed to meet or surpass the minimum requirements.
• Detectors placed within 20 feet of a bathroom should be of the photoelectric type; others can be of the ionization variety.

Ionization detectors react to ionized particles; water, present in the form of steam, and would interfere thereby setting off false alarms. I usually install photoelectric smoke detectors exclusively since the high humidity region of Cape Cod can also set them off without reason. Everybody knows the crying wolf story, eh?

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detectors are not presently required in dwellings, but they are increasingly being considered for inclusion in residential applications, especially in new buildings. Homes and other buildings are now being equipped with an insulation regimen second to none, and therefore new buildings are practically air tight. This feature, basically a building without air infiltration, can cause back ups in the exhaust system of any heating plant fueled by heating oil, propane or natural gas. The result is carbon monoxide infiltration into the home. Initially the Carbon Monoxide flows with the heated fumes of the boiler or furnace, usually to the ceiling level. Once the gas cools down it begins to accumulate at or near waist level in the home.

When installing these detectors, which can be connected in with your smoke detector system you can provide protection for your family from this very real household threat. Waist high is an accepted installation height.

To my readers trying to follow along, I can only apologize as I try desperately to assemble these installments in a manner that is easy to follow. This will eventually be a book for the home owner, or homebuilder, or whomever is interested.

When a new home is constructed it is necessary in most cases to erect what is known as a Temporary Service Pole (TSP) on the construction site. This power source would be used by the carpenters, plumbers and yes, even the electricians and others, during the construction process.
A TSP is basically a small electric service, with a meter socket for the utility company’s electric meter, a small circuit breaker panelboard with two or more GFCI-protected receptacles for both 120 and 240 volt electric power tools. When constructing a TSP, consult with the Electric Utility Company (EUC) in your area beforehand, they all have installation guide booklets, explaining all of the company’s required specifications.
The temporary service belongs to the person who paid to have it built, (the electrician in most cases) and remains as such after the equipment is disconnected from the grid. Hence the term ‘temporary’; because once the permanent service to the building is connected, the TSP is disconnected and can be removed from the construction site. The temporary service is generally disconnected from the grid once the permanent power to the structure being built is connected and operational. An electrician usually installs a board receptacle, or a GFCI reeceptacle, mounted on the backing for the panelboard, adjacent to or under it. By doing so, the electrician provides a power source at the panelboard location which can easily be energized and utilized for use when the TSP is disconnected and removed.
Sometimes mounted on a 4" by 4" or a 4" x 6" post, with roughly 24" of the post buried in the ground, the TSP should be braced for stability with driven stakes and additional support members. Remember that this perpendicular post has to support the weight of the service drop-cable, and, the length of this cable could be a factor if there is a long distance to the utility pole; the longer the distance, the heavier the load. The maximum overhead cable run is usually in the 100 foot to 125 range, depending on the EUC. The height of the TSP post is also a factor, since the minimum distance above ground for the service drop-cable must be no less than twelve feet at its termination point on the post.
If the cable drop must cross over a street, or commercial parking lot, the minimum distance above those areas would be even higher at 18 feet for the cable itself. Therefore the connection point at both the TSP and the utility pole would be higher to provide the 18 foot clearance (lowest point) of the drop , as mentioned. The TSP could contain only one circuit, but, depending upon the size of the project, there may be many 120 and 240 volt receptacles, with multiple circuits; remember we are only talking about residences here, not high rise buildings.
Once erected, the TSP equipment must be grounded through the use of a made-electrode, or ground rod. The ground rod, measuring 8' long x 5/8" diameter, must be driven near the TSP and connected with an approved fitting (ground clamp) by a bare copper grounding electrode conductor. A #6 AWG is best, although oversized, and it needn’t be in conduit for mechanical protection. The bare #6 conductor is led into and connected to the ground strip in the panelboard, or at any point along the current carrying, neutral (white) conductor.
A TSP is usually, and should be, installed as close to the proposed building site as possible, but out of the way of the construction process, excavations, trenches and any equipment staging areas, etc.. Keep in mind that the workers will have to run extension cords to and around the work site, keeping them as short as possible is the best way to save the electric tools.
The longer distance between the source and the power tool causes what is known as voltage “drop”. This drop, or dip in voltage, will cause harm to the electric power tools that are in use, because there would be an inversely proportional spike in current flow through the windings of the tools’ electric motor, which can burn them out. It is for this reason that you should always put the TSP as close as practically possible to the building. This will reduce the cord length of the workers’ tools, and keep them from burning out.
As mentioned earlier, the receptacles provided for the workers, including both 120 and 240 volt receptacles, must be, by National Electrical Code standards, GFCI protected. This is for the safety of the workers; it protects them from accidental electrocution.
For the connection-after-inspection process to begin the electrician, or electrical contractor, has to apply for an electrical permit to install electrical wiring, from the town or city building inspection department. For the electrician there is a usually a fee to pay, and an application form to fill out. These days the electrician must show proof that:
1) He has a Liability Insurance for his company or corporation
2) That he has his employees covered by a Worker Compensation Policy.
Once permitted the work needs to be inspected and the only person that can contact the power company and authorize the connection of the service to the utility, is the Inspector of Wires! Once notified by the electrician that he/she is ready, the inspector first looks at the installation and he calls or faxes the readiness for hook-up to the electric utility. No Connection Without Inspection!
If the site already has a source of electrical power, such as a neighbor’s house from which you can get a safe source of electricity, and/or if the construction workers are accustomed to working with an electrical generator, there are times when a TSP is not necessary. This may be a consideration if you realize that the EUC is going to charge you money to connect and disconnect the TSP, unlike the main service to your house. The fee to hook up and disconnect a TSP is in the $100.00 to $300.00 range, again according to the EUC’s going rates in your area. The electrician usually pays the fees for the permit application, and the EUC’s fees for the TSP connection / disconnection, and includes them in his price.