Coytee Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 So, we're converting a room to a full bath. Been busy framing, drywall, plumbing, electrical.... Today I put the Durrock down (fitted it) in hopes that tomorrow we can pull it up and put the adhesive down. I had this pesky electrical problem. Have an outlet next to the sink so the wife can use her hair dryer & curling iron. Used a GFCI outlet so she's got two outlets....but she wanted more. So, next to it I put a combination outlet/switch in so she'd gain another outlet and the switch controls the light in the closet. The outlet is controlled by the GFCI so they're all protected. When you have an outlet, you have black/power going to the hot side and white/neutral going to the opposite side right? I got everything wired up. (mind you I made 15 trips up/down two flights of stairs today to cut/place the Durrock) I made another 6-8 trips up/down same stairs to turn breaker off/on for this darn outlet....I'm tuckered out having run a marathon in my own house!) Turn breaker on and it trips. Reset......it trips. Hmmm...reset....it trips again. Something is wrong. Well.... an hour later of being utterly dumbfounded.... I cross-wired the neutral. On the lower half of this (on the outlet part) I had black/white going to their respective lugs....JUST LIKE I wired on the top except, for the top it was the switch part and it doesn't get wired that way!!! yanked the neutral, replaced it with the lead going to the fixture and all is well, in proper polarity. That pesky wire had me scratching my head until I turned the appliance over and saw it from the front, remembering that it was a switch and not an outlet. Bonehead 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JiminSTL Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 But look at the support you have given to all of us who have done things like that--probably a number of times, depending on how many decades of life have been experienced. Sometimes, being unique and one-of-a-kind is over-rated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfbane Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 I would say that any electrical wiring job that doesn't end with electrocution should be deemed as a success. Especially if you're not a electrician. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 You're not alone. At least you did figure it out. Won't go into my BONE HEAD moves. Take too much space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whatever55 Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 I would say that any electrical wiring job that doesn't end with electrocution should be deemed as a success. Especially if you're not a electrician. Agree.. if you don't do the Frankie you're good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joessportster Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Said that a few times myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceptorman Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 I would say that any electrical wiring job that doesn't end with electrocution should be deemed as a success. Especially if you're not a electrician. I agree. At least you figured it out yourself. Good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrestonTom Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Richard, I am glad you are able to admit these things in public. Most of us would not. Hang in there and keep your eye on the end result. Things will look great and your misadventure this afternoon will soon be forgotten. -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rummy Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 My wiring errors have me not figuring out the solution, paying an electrician $100 to make a visit that takes a whole 5 minutes to figure out about what you are saying, a crossed wire. Oh well, it is fixed, the electrician almost doesn't want to charge me, but he has to. I really don't like to remember this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babadono Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 'Hot switched to neutral' 'Arc' 'Over' is a variation of 'B+ to ground' 'Arc' 'Over' Glad your OK Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricktate Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 One day I was in a hurry to sharpen lawn mower blade. Done it 100s of times. Done and mowing the lawn.... not quite as good as I thought but mowing. Next day decide to see if something was caught in blade. OOOOPPPs had put blade on upside down whats weird is it mowed pretty good with the back side of blade. I think everyone has done stupid stuff but takes a real MAN to admit it. All of mine were cause for a good laugh now so in some ways its good to have a screw up sometimes to make you think it out more next time. Rick 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 I'm not (generally) worried about admitting to my bonehead moves. I don't take myself too seriously. Regarding the electrical stuff, I wired the HT room (four 20 amp circuits and more outlets than you can shake a stick at) My brother in law is an electrician. I usually ask him to double check my moves. In this case, I asked if he'd come over to fix it as I tried before and have been striking out. (I had three black wires but only one of them was hot. I thought the 'right' black was hot and wired everything accordingly....but it was actually the 'left' black that was hot so I only had a light working and no outlets until I figured it out) The downside of my electrician brother in law is "ok, I'll be over there later today" and you don't see him for three months. He's very unreliable for when he says he'll be over. I mean by weeks or months, not hours. I've learned over the years to just do it myself and keep at it. Once it works ok and my little tester shows everything is ok, I move on. Mower blade on backward? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Ok... I'll admit I've done that too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete H Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 I've said "you're such a F-in idiot" out loud, but speaking to myself, too many times to count, but that comes with doing things yourself. On the bright side, you normally only do those things one time for that particular task and then the correct way is stuck in your brain for life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cradeldorf Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 (edited) So, we're converting a room to a full bath. Been busy framing, drywall, plumbing, electrical.... Today I put the Durrock down (fitted it) in hopes that tomorrow we can pull it up and put the adhesive down. I had this pesky electrical problem. Have an outlet next to the sink so the wife can use her hair dryer & curling iron. Used a GFCI outlet so she's got two outlets....but she wanted more. So, next to it I put a combination outlet/switch in so she'd gain another outlet and the switch controls the light in the closet. The outlet is controlled by the GFCI so they're all protected. When you have an outlet, you have black/power going to the hot side and white/neutral going to the opposite side right? I got everything wired up. (mind you I made 15 trips up/down two flights of stairs today to cut/place the Durrock) I made another 6-8 trips up/down same stairs to turn breaker off/on for this darn outlet....I'm tuckered out having run a marathon in my own house!) Turn breaker on and it trips. Reset......it trips. Hmmm...reset....it trips again. Something is wrong. Well.... an hour later of being utterly dumbfounded.... I cross-wired the neutral. On the lower half of this (on the outlet part) I had black/white going to their respective lugs....JUST LIKE I wired on the top except, for the top it was the switch part and it doesn't get wired that way!!! yanked the neutral, replaced it with the lead going to the fixture and all is well, in proper polarity. That pesky wire had me scratching my head until I turned the appliance over and saw it from the front, remembering that it was a switch and not an outlet. Bonehead Oddly enough I won my first wife over this same exact situation, My brother couldn't figure out how to wire that setup and when I did it for her she dumped him and we spent 20 lovely years together. Edited November 6, 2015 by cradeldorf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 I always wondered why your avatar looked like a cromagnum/bonehead (sp) person. Now we know! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubo Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 So, we're converting a room to a full bath. Been busy framing, drywall, plumbing, electrical.... Today I put the Durrock down (fitted it) in hopes that tomorrow we can pull it up and put the adhesive down. I had this pesky electrical problem. Have an outlet next to the sink so the wife can use her hair dryer & curling iron. Used a GFCI outlet so she's got two outlets....but she wanted more. So, next to it I put a combination outlet/switch in so she'd gain another outlet and the switch controls the light in the closet. The outlet is controlled by the GFCI so they're all protected. When you have an outlet, you have black/power going to the hot side and white/neutral going to the opposite side right? I got everything wired up. (mind you I made 15 trips up/down two flights of stairs today to cut/place the Durrock) I made another 6-8 trips up/down same stairs to turn breaker off/on for this darn outlet....I'm tuckered out having run a marathon in my own house!) Turn breaker on and it trips. Reset......it trips. Hmmm...reset....it trips again. Something is wrong. Well.... an hour later of being utterly dumbfounded.... I cross-wired the neutral. On the lower half of this (on the outlet part) I had black/white going to their respective lugs....JUST LIKE I wired on the top except, for the top it was the switch part and it doesn't get wired that way!!! yanked the neutral, replaced it with the lead going to the fixture and all is well, in proper polarity. That pesky wire had me scratching my head until I turned the appliance over and saw it from the front, remembering that it was a switch and not an outlet. Bonehead I started having flashbacks from re-doing my upstairs bathroom 20 years ago........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cradeldorf Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 I always wondered why your avatar looked like a cromagnum/bonehead (sp) person. Now we know! Obviously you never read a High times Magazine. That's Zippy the pinhead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cradeldorf Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 (edited) I always wondered why your avatar looked like a cromagnum/bonehead (sp) person. Now we know! Obviously you never read a High times Magazine. That's Zippy the pinhead. Sorry our server is messing up here at work. :/ Edited November 19, 2015 by cradeldorf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.