Existing lights question

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04-17-03, 06:05 AM

turbojimmy

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Existing lights question

I was in the basement last night looking at the new lights I installed when it occured to me that I still have the existing lights and circuit to deal with. I have 4 pull-chain lights on an existing circuit that will no longer be needed when I cut over to the new subpanel in the basement.

What do you typically do with these? Do I need to take them out and disconnect them at the source (not sure where that is at the moment). If I were to just leave them there, I'd have to leave access to them since technically they'd be junction boxes, right?

Thanks,
Jim

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04-17-03, 06:32 AM

John Nelson

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Yes, you will need to take them out and disconnect them at the source (you should figure out where that is). If you still need them temporarily during construction, you can leave them there for now. If you can't find the source (e.g.., the cable disappears into the wall or ceiling), I suggest that you convert the fixture closest to the source to a receptacle, locating it at the most convenient place that the cable will reach to.

And you are correct, you need permanent access to all wiring that you can't disconnect at the source.

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04-17-03, 06:32 AM

gard

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yes even if you are not going to use them if there are circuits in them they must be assessable. you could remove them totally which might be the easiest route but you have to look into each one and see if anthing else is fed off of them, because if there is then you will have to leave them or reroute the power to what is being fed. It is not uncommon in basements for the lights to feed a receptcle somewhere as home owners usually find them a easy source of power to something they decided to put in on the first floor of the house.

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04-17-03, 07:17 AM

turbojimmy

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I'll have to look and see where they get power from and what else they feed. 2 of them look like "end" boxes - only one wire to them. That means that they're either on 2 different circuits (not likely) or that they feed something I can't see and come back. I'm the original owner of the house, so I know no one has tapped anything strange off of them. I'll just have to flip the breaker off and see what else goes out.

Either way, the unfinished storage area is at the end of the basement where all of the wiring enters the house from the main panel. If I can trace the wire that far back, I can use that circuit for an outlet (GFCI, says the code guy) in that area and feed whatever else is on it from there.

I don't really need them anymore since I've been using halogen worklights anyway. But I don't want the code guy to come by and tell me that I shouldn't be disconnecting and moving things yet.

Thanks,
Jim

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Electrical - AC & DC
Water in my fuse box

S

shumax on Apr 07, 2003

After a recent hard rain I woke to water in my fuse box! No kidding. There was about 8oz. of water that had puddled on the bottom of the box and the shelf right below it. After absorbing the water carefully with a rag, I started to carefully poke around. I found no water on any of the wires---including the main power and ground line. I pulled the board off of the block wall that the fuse box is mounted to and found nothing. I then went outside and looked at the main line to the house. The meter/main line is on the same wall as the fuse box. I noticed that my main power wire is not in conduit. It's protected, but not in conduit. It runs from the roof down to the meter and then on down about 2' and into a small box about 3" square which goes into the siding and further into the house. I noticed some gaps around this 3" box. I cleaned it real good and then calked it. Thinking I solved the problem, I put a fan next to the electrical box and walked away figuring I had solved it. We had another hard rain today and it happened again! I went back and looked above the fuse box at the wires and saw nothing---no water anywhere---I even used a dentist mirror and 30min. of my time looking. Nothing. Went back outside and noticed on the bottom of the 3" box that I caulked I had missed a spot. I cleaned it and caulked it shut. I then put a plastic bag over it with duct tape to seal out moisture while the caulk dried. I called the electric company and they came out and looked. They said that what I was experiencing was somewhat normal!! What? He said I did the right thing by caulking and that I might consider a "cap" on the wire/meter outside. My wife talked to the guy since I was in the car coming home from work. I know this is a long shot---any idea what they heck he is talking about when he mentions this "cap?" I don't feel comfortable with ANY water in my electrical box. I know the foundation isn't leaking as there is no water coming from any of the walls. There isn't any water anywhere in my basement other than in the bottom of the fuse box. Ideas? Thanks, Curt B. Shumaker
Electrical - AC & DC
Central AC outside Fuse Box

M

mrtoledo on Apr 16, 2003

What is the reason why a Central AC Unit has an outside fuse box instead of a circuit breaker. Even on new installations I see a fuse box used on the outside of the house. (The pull out type fuse squares).