Advice on electrical work

[aaron]

I want to install a GFI on the outlet for my tank, I bought a new outlet at Lowes and just have to swap out the non GFI outlet thats currently there.
I just thought I'd ask here as there seem to be a few electricians on this site. How hard will this be? once i turn the power off is it just a case of sawpping them over or is there more to this?
I would appreciate any advice anyone might have before i get too deep into this.
Aaron

 

[inkblue]

FRY is an eLectrician... a dayM good oNe :afro: :usa1: :yo:

 

[zahner]

i am not an electrician, but i think it is as easy as just swapping the outlets

there a tutorial here:

http://www.easy2diy.com/cm/easy/diy_ht_index.asp?page_id=35720244

 

[aaron]

Thanks for the link Zahner, I'll have a go at it first thing in the morning. I'll let you all know how it went.

 

[FRY]

make sure the power is off first (test it),then remove existing outlet,with new gfi outlet
look at it you will see screws mark line or feed,these are the screws you will use,brass screw gets the live wire black ,silver screww gets neutral wire white, you have to test the wires to make sure that the black one is the hot wire,,some homes have white as the hot wire,make sure you have a good ground connection for the outlet, if you need help just ask glad to help.

frank

 

[FRY]

the diy link is good but the most importand thing they forgot to tell you how to test the wires to make sure that the black wire is hot and they neutral is white,i cant tell you how may times i found wireing in homes are reverse

 

[gforce6]

How do you test for hot wire? Do you need Multimeter?

 

[FRY]

you need a tester ,you can use a light blub in a lamp socket with 2 wires from socket,if you dont have a tester, touch one wire from lamp socket to ground and touch other wire of lamp socket to black wire if the lamp lights then that s the hot wire now touch one from lamp socket to the white wire and the other to the black now you know that the black wire is hot and white wire is the neutral and the box is grounded, make sure you DON'T TOUCH ANY BARE WIRES ANY TIME,

 

[gforce6]

DON'T TOUCH ANY BARE WIRES ANY TIME

Thanks Fry, I will give it a try.

 

[FRY]

JUST BE CAREFUL and watch what your doing,

frank

 

[FRY]

you can buy one of these tester at home depot forf about $4.00

 

[inline6]

I want to install a GFI on the outlet for my tank, I bought a new outlet at Lowes and just have to swap out the non GFI outlet thats currently there.
I just thought I'd ask here as there seem to be a few electricians on this site. How hard will this be? once i turn the power off is it just a case of sawpping them over or is there more to this?
I would appreciate any advice anyone might have before i get too deep into this.
Aaron

Quite easy, everyone here has given very good advice. Did the same thing to a couple of my outlets w/out burning down the house.

 

[Rborgia]

heh, I have a nice brandy new pair of wire cutters... in the blade it has a new window (big round hole about 1/8" .

I cut down onto the wire and POW! everything in the room went dark and a shower of sparks rained down.

And... my new pair of cutters... is ruined.

And my wife freak.. " I told you to turn off the breaker"... (yes dear!)....

 

[inline6]

:dead1: You still alive?
:shocked1:

heh, I have a nice brandy new pair of wire cutters... in the blade it has a new window (big round hole about 1/8" .

I cut down onto the wire and POW! everything in the room went dark and a shower of sparks rained down.

And... my new pair of cutters... is ruined.

And my wife freak.. " I told you to turn off the breaker"... (yes dear!)....

 

[aaron]

Well thanks for the advice everyone,
I replaced the outlet this morning, tested it and everything seems good.
Didnt zap myself or anything.
One thing though, I have another outlet i want to swap out for a GFCI but i had a quick look this morning and it doesnt have a ground wire in the box. Is the ground wire absolutey essential? I dont kow how i'd get one in there if i needed one.

 

[inline6]

Grounding is absolutely essential.
You should PM Fry (Frank) sounds like he knows more about these things.

 

[bad coffee]

Aaron, Most of the wiring in NYC is BX wire,(wire in a steel casing) so the ground is the box itself. Try it with the tester and see.

The correct way would be to screw a piece of ground wire to the back of the box and wire it to the ground screw. But most likely, your outlets will just use the screws that hold it into the wall to conect the metal to the metal.

Fry, Love the avatar!

B

 

[aaron]

Thanks BC, it all seems a bit sloppy coming from Australia with 240V and everything meticulously grounded (because aparently 240V is perfect for stopping your heart). Also in australia, all outlets come ith on/off switches.
Our Apartment is very crappy with regards to electrical, the outlet i replaced had been filled with spackle, but was still live on the inside. I feel a lot happier knowing exactly whats going on inside the new outlet.
thanks everyone

 

[FRY]

make sure you test the outlet for a ground,cant say enough how many times i found bx at the outlet and i didnt have a ground,by the way a GFI outlet only checks if there is a leakage between hot leg and neutral,it dosent detect anything between hot leg and neutral to ground