Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [power]

60 questions
13
votes
7 answers

Can I plug a generator into a dryer outlet

I have an electric dryer with a 30 amp circuit running to it. If I had a male-male plug to run from a portable generator to this outlet, would it be safe to run essential appliances (water pump, refridgerator, sump pump, etc) during a power outage…
Lucas
  • 267
  • 1
  • 2
  • 6
8
votes
5 answers

Wall Outlet with three sets of wires!

have another issue with another outlet in this very improperly done house I just bought. During my slow replacing of all the wall outlets, I came across this new one which has me baffled on how to translate this to a standard outlet. Here's what I'm…
Photographer Britt
  • 121
  • 1
  • 2
  • 5
6
votes
1 answer

I shorted a circuit, reset a breaker, now much of the house electricity only works if I turn on a wall AC unit

I'm wondering if any of you could guess what might have happened. I live in an older 60s ranch with an older electrical system. I was cutting some shrubs this morning and hit a 3 strand wire that was just hanging out in the shrub that I'm assuming…
Hairgami_Master
  • 171
  • 2
  • 6
6
votes
1 answer

Permanent USB Power Off Mains

I'm having my house (in the UK) rewired and want to install some PIR sensors (link) in a few rooms. Instead of using batteries there's an option to have them permanently powered via USB cable. Is there a device (transformer?) I can have my…
qu1ckdry
  • 163
  • 4
5
votes
3 answers

Should I replace ALL the fuses in plugs?

In certain countries (for example the UK), plugs have fuses in them. In most cases, this is a stand 13 A fuse. My question: If I know that a device (to which the plug is attached) won't draw even a single Amp of power (or maybe 2amps but definitely…
Phil
  • 253
  • 1
  • 4
  • 12
5
votes
3 answers

What gauge wire/cord do I need for these outdoor lamps?

I have two 700 watt outdoor halogen lamps, each connected to a splitter, then back to a power source. Given the distances illustrated below, what gauge cord should I use?
raffian
  • 323
  • 2
  • 5
  • 13
4
votes
1 answer

How should I run outdoor wiring under my second-story deck?

I have a light on one side of the space under my deck, and I'd like to add another. My plan is to add an extension box between the existing fixture and the house (using appropriate gaskets as necessary), then run UF wire out the bottom of that box…
willm1
  • 43
  • 1
  • 3
3
votes
1 answer

How do I read the usage information my electrical meter sends to my power company?

I would like to keep an eye on what information my power meter sends to my electric company. Is there a way to use, for example, powerline networking to read what usage statistics the power meter sends to my electric company?
Geremia
  • 165
  • 8
3
votes
3 answers

Mounting a TV wall mount to stud where A/C is detected

I want to mount my TV on the wall and just purchase a wall mount for it. I've done this kind of install before, but when I was using my stud finder, it is indicating that one of the studs has AC current. There is an outlet on this stud ~ 1 foot from…
Joseph
  • 245
  • 2
  • 5
  • 13
3
votes
3 answers

How to determine (not estimate) starting amperage of a motor?

I want to buy an inverter-generator to run my Trane heating system in case of a power outage. The Trane is on a 20 amp circuit. The sticker says it needs a minimum of a 15.2 amp circuit. My question is, how do I determine (not estimate) the surge…
Yehuda_NYC
  • 1,291
  • 11
  • 24
  • 40
3
votes
2 answers

What is this weird plug?

Trying to use a second-hand oven (bought in France) but it has this strange plug I've never seen before: The wall sockets in the kitchen are just the usual EU one: I searched the hardware store for an adapter, but could only find the inverse…
wim
  • 1,165
  • 1
  • 8
  • 11
3
votes
3 answers

Can I use an outlet splitter with my air conditioner?

I live in an old apartment building, and there is only a single outlet anywhere near the only window in my living room. My Air Conditioner works great with it, but now I can't use the desk lamp and digital piano that were plugged into that outlet…
Jer
  • 267
  • 1
  • 8
  • 15
3
votes
2 answers

Can I connect all of my LED strips to a single power supply?

Im working on a project with LED light strips, and want to connect them all to a sd controller. The lights are ws2812b 60 LED/meter, and have 20 meters of it. It calls for 14.4w per meter @ 3 amps per meter. Can I hook all these strips to one power…
damian
  • 33
  • 1
  • 1
  • 3
2
votes
2 answers

Troubleshooting faulty electric oven

My electric oven is exhibiting the following symptoms: Oven not heating up at all Grill (Broil in American English?) not heating up at all Fan is working OK Power light doesn't come on, nor the light next to the temperature dial (that indicates the…
james246
  • 223
  • 2
  • 5
  • 10
2
votes
1 answer

How to drill a hole safely?

A friend of mine rented a new apartment and asked me to help with some shelves. We will need to drill some holes for screwing the shelves. One of the places has a electrical socket near by and the water for the washing machine. I am really worried…
nsn
  • 515
  • 1
  • 7
  • 14
1
2 3 4