Don't you just hate when that happens?

Red Squirrel

So I'm running a 20 amp receptacle in my office for the AC, and figured, while I'm fishing wire and such, may as well make it worthwhile, so I run two 12/2 (could not find 12/3) so I can break both tabs and have two separate 20 amp circuits.

So to make it easier to run the wire I measure how much I need and cut two pieces to lenght, then tie wrap them together all neatly. I fish the wire, staple it while I make my way to the panel.

1 foot too short! It will go right in the panel, but won't reach the breaker, neutral or ground bar! I guess I'm going to pigtail inside but I really don't like doing that, it's kinda sloppy. I *could* rerun a new wire, but I really don't like wasting that much wire. I probably could not remove the staples without damaging it not to mention the work I did routing it properly and all that.

Moral of story, always make your cuts a few feet longer then needed!

andrew79

end your wire outside the panel in a jb if it's not a finished wall and run new wire from there to the panel....eliminates the need for the inside the panel joint and all it'll cost you is a jb a few marrettes and 6 feet of new wire.

Red Squirrel

I'm thinking of maybe doing that instead. In fact there is an existing JB near the panel I can probably use, if there's room, or I can replace it with a bigger one. Maybe that's better then pig tailing inside the panel. I don't plan to drywall the ceiling so I don't really have to worry about future proofing it, it will always be accessible.

Speedy Petey

I'd do it inside the panel before I added a j-box.

Don't forget the two-pole breaker for this.

forresth

I am installing a sub pannel. I measured the distance to be about 135', so I ordered 150'. I really wish I'd ordered 155'. some how I still came up short. I could get it to go if I run it diagonally across the face of the wall, but figured, thats not really the best place to do a hackjob. to do the splice and to convert to thinner copper wire from the heavy aluminum wire (much easier to work with), I decided to add a 60 amp fused switch box (would have got a 100, but they didn't have one in the store, 60 should be enough for my needs). I figure later on down the road, I might get a real electrician to hook it all up to the main, but for now, just a 60 amp breaker.

AllanJ

Going from aluminum to copper is an excellent excuse to use a junction box and "pigtails" a few feet long to make up for a cable that was too short.

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secutanudu

I assume this is so you can't turn off half the outlet when doing work, forgetting the other half is still live?

Good idea, and it's one I wouldn't have thought of if I were doing something like this.

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Andrew

Red Squirrel

Yeah pretty sure that's why. I've actually been caught with that once. I changed a plug in someone's house after turning off the power to it. I only tested the top figuring the bottom would be out too, as I was taking it off I got a shock because the bottom half was live.

Red Squirrel

Ended up just tying the wires together and using a single pole breaker, making the outlet just one circuit. It was way to cramped in my panel to do anything more involved. At least I know I have two separate wires going to that receptacle so when I upgrade my panel I can make it two separate circuits. I don't really have a need for it, I just did it because the need may come in the future, and may as well do the job just once.

When I run network jacks I always run 2x as what I need. If I need one jack, I put two, if I need two, I put 4. If only they practiced that at my workplace... they are always short on network jacks, or power.

nap

we have a little saying around my area;

you can but it off but you can't cut it on.


something I wouldn't typically do for a customer but around the house I have never had any problems with it;

data wiring only uses 2 pairs out of the 4. You can actually split 1 cat5/6 cable and feed 2 jacks.

Scuba_Dave

For normal use Yes, splitting jacks is quite common
Bur for giganet speed you use all 4 pairs of wires

nap

giganet?

how about gigaBIT?

Do you know anybody with gigabit speeds in their homes?

secutanudu

The only effect gigabit would have would be between networked PC's/Devices in the home. And even then your disk has to be able to handle that type of speed. Maxing out a 100meg line over a standard connection....not going to happen

100 megabits/sec = 12 megabytes a second. I'd love those download speeds!

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Andrew

Red Squirrel

I do actually, I have a patch panel even. My only issue is all my patch cables are cat5e so I'm not getting true gigabit speeds. Next order to monoprice I will get a bunch of factory made cat6. (better then making my own)

I don't really NEED that speed, it's just nice to have.

secutanudu

What kind of hard drive do you have?

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Andrew