I Wired My Entire 3 Bedroom House and Failed Inspection. Here’s What I Learned
2023 ж. 10 Қыр.
296 519 Рет қаралды
I’m not a licensed electrician but I wired my entire 3 bedroom house. Including installing the meter socket and 200 amp Sq D panel. The inspection didn’t pass due to a few minor things that were missed. I’ll explain what I learned and how I fixed the issues
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When the inspector mentions draft, they're talking about in the wall. The idea is to minimize cavities that fire can spread in, especially when hidden in a wall. Sealing those holes also helps minimize the amount of air a fire can get from adjacent cavities.
I've been pulling wires for 26 years and I saw a lot of things that were not right
Yeah, if you've ever used a charcoal chimney you see the power of what a fire inside a wall can look like.
Not only that but you should really seal off any potential areas where conditioned(heated or cooled) air can get into your attic as much as ppssible for the efficiency of your home and to prevent ice dams on your roof in cold climates like im sure they have in detroit winters.
Just to add context to Joshua's comment: preventing a chimney effect in a wall cavity (i.e. spray foaming your penetrations) is important because an electrical fire would start most likely inside a wall cavity, and less likely in your stairwell, as the video describes. Essentially, the code is trying to address where an electrical fire is most likely to start and keep it from spreading.
That is not a NEC requirement but a building Code requirement that the building inspector looks for not the electrical inspector but being a former electrical inspector I'd point it out, just like the proper way to vent a bath vent or where the detectors should be.
To clarify the issue about firestopping holes in a basement with an open stairway: It's not about the access a fire has to spread. There will always be access somewhere. It's about buying time in the event of a fire. If you have a fire start in a part of the basement that away from the stairway, it would normally take a little while for the fire to spread to the stairway and make its way upstairs. If the fire can get upstairs through a hole in the floor you created to run romex, the stairway is now irrelevant, the fire is upstairs before even the stairs themselves get hit. Firestopping holes is all about containing the fire to the area it started for as long as possible, to ensure inhabitants the opportunity to get out safely - firestopping is NOT about protecting the house or the wiring. To repeat, FIRESTOPPING IS NOT ABOUT PROTECTING THE HOUSE. Leaving holes open allows a fire free reign to expand anywhere it wants very quickly. Your job as an electrician (or a homeowner doing his own work as an electrician) is to prevent that, to protect the inhabitants of the house, be it your family, your tenants, or future homeowners who buy the house from you. You can't help what anyone else does. The inspector can't control that either, he/she can't justify earlier owners/contractors' mistakes or code violations, they can only address what they see YOU'VE worked on, and only cares about what YOU do - or don't do, as the case may be.
Excellent comment! Hot air rises! Which is to say *you don't want ot be rendered unconcious or outright killed in your bedroom, by the fumes and fire that started in your basement!*
Yet it's okay for giant gaps around receptacle, switch, vent and fixture openings to feed the fire. Much larger than a Romex hole.
@@wojtek-33 A couple of reasons: 1. Generally speaking, walls have fireblocking (horizontal studs between the verticals, about half-way up the wall) in multi-story homes. So sealing off vents and receptacle/switch holes isn't usually a critical issue. 2. Even if they DIDN'T have fireblocking, a receptacle hole may allow fire into a wall, but the fire still can't get past the top plate (double-stud that runs the length of the top of the wall that an upper floor attaches to), so the fire still would take a while to penetrate to the next floor. What this guy has are direct penetrations to the floor above, and THAT'S what the firestopping codes are aimed at preventing - direct airflow to floors above or below. This is also why holes in a drywall ceiling for lighting fixture boxes don't need firestopping - they're mounted to the ceiling joists, so the ceiling above the drywall is the firestop, as long as there are no holes in the ceiling.
@@wojtek-33 It's actually not OK for giant gaps around the outlet covers or even the gangbox itself. Though not enforced as strictly as it could be, NEC calls no more than 1/8 of an inch, which isn't much. And some AHJs will even want those filled with something like spray foam.
@@kevinmach730 Do they give us an 1/8" of air gap around fireblocks, no. Horizontal wiring spanning multiple bays? No. If it was that important, they wouldn't allow allow air gaps period. The inconsistency is annoying.
I finished my basement. Failing inspection is not the end of the world. It’s informative and the good inspectors walk you through what you need to do to pass. They are really big on fire prevention. I had the same thing. It’s between the walls. Good work!
That's one of the major problems with the NEC in the USA: They are so obsessed with preventing fires in unlikely situations that they neglect fundamental electrical engineering knowledge. I know what they're trying to do, and I appreciate the intent, but reading through recent changes to the NEC just made me want to scream in some cases because they were so detached from reality and any understanding of how those changes make complying with actual engineering standards for some products difficult if not impossible. EG: Stacking GFCIs, as required by the letter of the code-both in a breaker box, which many landlords make inaccessible, and either inside of the equipment in use, like EVSEs, or at the delivery point-will lead to situations where the protection ends up being intentionally defeated just to actually use the circuit. This is something taught to watch for in many engineering ethics courses for a reason: incoherent requirements lead to increased danger as normalization of deviance become ingrained.
Nowadays, the NEC is written by anal retentive engineers, insurance companies and the NEMA. I was an electrician for over 40 years and I'm glad I retired.
Your inspector was too kind! The 13 cu in box can only have one 14-2 and a device in it, your fridge should be a dedicated circuit and I'd split those countertop circuits evenly. Way too many outlets on the second circuit. The idea about the fire stopping between floors is that fire should not spread because of the wire you installed. If the fire is in the area of your wire going through the floors it would spread faster without the firestop. Overal you did good for a do-it-yourselfer, but I'd recommend always using a professional, so that when you use your kitchen counter receptacles the lights in your fridge doesn't flicker. Thats why it needs a separate circuit.
A refrigerator pulls so little power it does not need a dedicated 20 amp circuit.
Also where are all the AFCI and dual function breakers??
Where are all the afcl breakers lol where they should b non existent
Fridges need dedicated? I missed that this last cycle, what article and section please? Seems little silly to require a design element on a 500w appliance when the nec specifically says it is not a electric design handbook…. I’ll save ya some time and don’t bother looking for a fridge plug requirement because it doesn’t exist
@@dustina6261 Us professionals have been putting fridges on dedicated circuits for decades. Just go to Home Depot and you'll see most fridges nowadays pull 15 amps. Dedicated circuit is best practice, but not the code. Anything less than dedicated circuit is a hack job.
I recommend you replace those small 1.5" deep Utility boxes with 1.5" deep 4x4 boxes w/side mount brackets and a 1/2" device ring, this will give you the room needed for dimmer switches in the future...even if you are legal by code, having more than one RX in those boxes is never good.
I would like a separate 20A circuit (2 in total) for the countertops because of all the stuff we tend to have, like toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, etc. I have 2 - 20A circuit in my 14 year old kitchen (plus a separate one for the fridge) and have tripped one because of heating appliance loads. Keeping the fridge on its own dedicated breaker is a good thing because you won't be tripping it from some heating appliance load.
Fridge these days don't take alot of power to operate so dedicated 20 amp circuit is overkill. 15 amp would have been more than enough.
I fully agree. My point was that only the fridge should be on that circuit. Same goes for a freezer. That way, nothing can kill the fridge or freezer from working, other than itself.
Refrigerator on own circuit is code in my state.
Yeah, I think it is that way here in NC. My house, built 13 years ago, has a separate circuit for the fridge in the kitchen and for a freezer in the utility room. @@anxiousappliance
I would put 2 twenty amp circuits in the kitchen with 12/2 wire and a 30 amp circuit with 10/2 wire. I would stagger the outlets and use 20 amp outlets between the circuits!
While a dedicated circuit for the fridge is not required by the national code, it is by some local codes. In any event it is certainly considered best practice. (50 year journeyman)
Not sure if still true but it was code permitted to run a 15 amp circuit if dedicated only to the refrigerator.
The NEC always said that any "motor" needed it's own circuit, but for a long time in CA, common sense didn't force us have dedicated circuits for dishwashers, disposals and frigs. Those days are gone. Add arc-faults and GFCI and the cost to wire a house is through roof. And before you lecture me on "just one life", when I see motorists wearing racing helmets in their car, I will agree.
Something that I didn’t see was a ground screw in your metal boxes. Even if the inspector didn’t flag it, (it is required) I’d highly recommend bonding your ground wires to the metal boxes as a precaution. Even though most devices will effectively bond the ground to the box, in the event someone removes the device to service it, that bonding will provide additional protection if the lugs on the device accidentally contact the side of the box while pulling it out or if there’s another issue - e.g. broken wire insulation.
Also make sure you wrap the device with tape to protect the terminals from accidentally making contact with the metal box.
There is one thing that I have always insisted on, or done myself if doing my own wiring. I always insist on having Lighting circuits SEPARATE from receptacle circuits! I have been in too many situations where something tripped the receptacles and everyone is Suddenly in the DARK! To me, that is one of the most dangerous situations to be in! Note that nobody has ever told me I cannot do it. But contractors do charge more, because it is more work and sometimes more wire.
@@GraemePayne1967Marine I did this with my 100 year old home. Put all the fixed ceiling and wall lighting on two circuits. Receptcacles on their own 20 amp circuits.
The inspector clearly didn’t care much. There isn’t any hiding a lack of code knowledge so having two minor points is worrisome.
Let's start with... I am NOT a licensed electrician! HOWEVER, I have more than 50 years' experience working with electrical and electronics Around the US as well as around the world. I also wired my entire 4100+sf home as a new build with NO EXCEPTIONS! (failed inspections) This video shows the home in a "rough electrical" state. EVERY metal box MUST be grounded for the "final" inspection! There is no exception to this anywhere in the world I have ever worked. However, for the rough inspection the grounds would NOT be connected to the metal boxes. SOME locations require that all ground pigtails be made but FEW if any would require the termination to the box at the point this video was made.
It's pretty cool to see to see you fixing up a place in Detroit i lived in Ecorse for a while and loved the city . I went to school for electrical and it can be tricky for someone who has never done it . Its pretty impressive that you have done all that you have !
My home was built 20 years ago, I’m in the Chicago area, we do everything in conduit. Some of your boxes are tight, others made comments that you should use the larger boxes. In my home all boxes are 4x4 (called 1900 boxes) metal boxes. I was successful in adding switches to all of the bedrooms and other rooms for adding things that I knew I wanted later. For example I added 3 ceiling fans, one in each bedroom. I added switches in these boxes that weren’t used, but the plaster ring was for two spaces, when I added something I didn’t need to fix the drywall to do it. In all I added 10 switches and I used them all. After the home was built, I had some help doing these upgrades with one of my new workers (he was a licensed electrician in his last job) where I worked. I paid him for his time and he saved me $3000 from what the builder wanted. We got rid of the closet pull down strings, etc. Ran a 50 amp panel to the garage. In all we spent 12 hours doing these upgrades. in the next few months I upgraded and added some 3 way switches that made life easier, like separating the garage lights, adding a extra attic light, adding garage lights and garage circuits, adding 2 extra outlets for Christmas outdoor lights, deck outlets including a grill outlet for a rotisserie. When I finished my basement I used 10 circuits for 19 outlets and 28 switches. I put the outlets 8’ apart on the walls and switches to control everything. Even the furnace/workshop has 6 switches and 8 outlets. I rarely used the small boxes (called handy boxes, or single gang boxes) you have in place. Thanks and good luck.
Electrical code in the Chicago area is VERY different from anywhere else in the US I have ever worked... You understand that, right?
@@TheTlagnhoj we have thin wall conduit, etc. In my area home runs also! In Libertyville, where I lived before, you need to separelt connect a green lead from box to each outlet. All boxes had to have a white (neutral) passing through. This last one helped me a lot in my current home.
@@TheTlagnhoj Indeed. All of Cook County for tha matter. The biggest differences are w.r.t. EMT vs. MC (BX) and no Romex, and using RMC (Ridgid) for service entrance vs. SER or PVC. I'm just talking about single (double?) occupancy. I'm not a huge fan of Romex, anyway. And MC is fine for short runs. If one is doing their own work (which your not 'really' supposed to do), start with the NEC (2018 I's the latest w.r.t. Chicago I think) and then look up the relvant parts in Chicago Muni. code. (or vice versa). I don't work on new construction. More fixing old homes, 2 and 3 flats. The amount of crazyness is always fun.
Thanks for sharing - I always learn more when people share their mistakes and how they fixed them than if everything is perfect all the time. You must have a great feeling of accomplishment!
I don't see any AFCI breakers in the panel. Also, you need to state that it is not just any spray foam. It has to be fire block foam or caulk.
Michigan does not require AFCI on new build for 1 and 2 family homes. If this was an apartment building, he might have an issue.
I believe it was a recent change on that requirement, depending upon what year code they are currently using but it would be a good item to have based on the most recent codes.
It has been in the NEC since 1999@@JSH1
Michigan is using the 2019 NEC, so they are required for bedrooms.@@hoodedgood
Wow I didn’t realize it was that long ago, thanks for the info!
Run the 20 amp you will not regret it!
For what?
@@coreyfranco7060yeah like I know I'm young and whatev but I've never used a single 20A appliance in my life
Technically your 13 cu in shallow boxes are only supposed to have a max of two 14/2 cables coming into them, but if you keep your pigtails as short as possible (which is ignoring a different code) and go with as small of wire nuts as you can and don't use the push-in type back-wired outlets then you should be fine. I've never seen cable run through turned 2x4s like that; looks like you had to keep those holes pretty small to minimize the structural impact - good thing it's just a closet. I think you did a pretty good job overall. Oh, and the foam around the wires is to force a fire to get oxygen from elsewhere, usually causing it to surface to where you can see it (and alarms can detect it) rather than letting it spread to other parts of the house while hidden in the walls.
Yes - the handi-box is overfilled. The count is nine (9) wires (2x3 current carrying conductors =6. Then (6) + (1) equipment ground + 2-count for the wiring device=9). The #14 wires are worth 2 in³ each, so (9 x 2 in³)=18cu³. Overfilled by 6 cubic inches.
I'm more surprised the inspector is ok with the wires being staples on the sides of those 2x4s. You miss a 1 1/4" drywall screw on that stud and it will hit that wire.
If you are going to run wires and think you are going to avoid a Sheetrock screw or a possible mishap good luck, 35 years running wires there’s no way you can run them unless you use MC cable and I have seen that blasted. That’s the real world, most of the time you do the best you can, and the breakers will do the rest.
@@MyDadCanFixAnything If he uses 1/2 drywall and 1 1/4' dw screws he will still only protrude out of the back of the drywall 3/4" if he misses. Since wires have to be stapled a minimum of 1 1/4"back from the face of the stud, it will be ok. Even if he uses 5/8" drywall and 1 5/8" screws he is covered.
Nice to see him sharing his experience and very grateful he isn’t recording an instructional on wiring. Question for electricians/inspectors: is there any way to know if a “homeowner” is just flipping a property so the inspector can be stricter? Certain KZhead channels glamorize house flipping which makes me concerned about the quality of work behind the walls for the next buyer. Any tips for how home buyers can tell? I suppose a lax inspection like this is better than nothing.
In Michigan, all electrical work is required to be done by a licensed electrician unless you live in the house.
@@Jeff-xy7fv You do NOT have to "live" in the house. You can buy a house and do any and all wiring without a license and flip it the day after "final" inspection! I know may people who do it in Michigan! OCUPIED rental properties vary by county! MOST require a license.
I got to give it to you! You're learning and sometimes saving! Some things are better left to the experts!
Your videos are great and it inspires me a lot to work on my house. I hope you keep being honest and genuine as you are. Super fan here!
It’s good to have two countertop circuits because it’s easy to exceed the capacity of one. All you need is something like a coffee maker and an air fryer on at the same time. I would have given the frig, dishwasher, garbage disposal, microwave (if built in) and at least two countertop separate breakers. The countertop, disposal and washer circuits would be on whatever GFI is required by your local code.
In my kitchen I have only one long counter. I used two quad outlets for that. The left receptacles of the quad on one circuit, the right ones on another. Knowing I have both circuits available all along the counter, I can balance the loads better that way. Refridgerator went on it's own circuit. I have a large toaster oven I use all the time that uses 15 amps so I put it on it's own circuit, disposer and microwave also got their own. I use a window A/C unit in my kitchen that also got it's own circuit.
@@Progrocker70 Thumbs up on the quad outlets idea. I did the same in mine. Most refrigerators are fine on one of the 20a SABC's (small applaince branch circuits) which can also power the 20a dining room outlets. Some inspectors even insist both required 20a SABC's appear in the dining areas as well, others don't. This video's inspector gave the homeowner a pass on 15 amps in the dining room but that was a pass, code requires kitchen counters, eat-in areas, nooks, pantrys and dining rooms have 20 amp receptacle circuits only. (They can all share the same 2 20 amp SABC's, so the inspector is figuring the dining room is getting another un-loaded 15a circuit so, no harm no foul. Not to mention rarely do people cook waffles or brew coffee in their dining rooms anymore anyway.)
@@darrendolphdragos9752 Exactly, most people don't have high wattage in their dining rooms. I never have! Lol. My dining room isn't used much, and the only thing ever plugged in there is a vacuum or phone chargers. My dining room is together with living room separated by an arched opening, and is not directly connected to kitchen. Dining and living room receptacles on one 20 amp circuit together never had an issue.
@@Progrocker70 Wow, dining & living on a 20 amp would never fly when I wired houses. This just goes to show that other sensible arrangements are workable but hey... they just had to put something in writing to be certain some minimum standards were met, and so everything had to be codified.
@@darrendolphdragos9752 Nothing was said about it, he was just happy all receptacle circuits were 20 amp throughout the house. In my case, no big issues the lights are on separate circuits and other than vacuum and chargers nothing else higher wattage ever gets plugged in there.
That’s some clean work. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Subscribed.
Stumbled across your videos researching for a basement reno. Thanks for making them, very informative, and really appreciated.👍
Thanks for watching
To add to the comments about sealing holes, as mentioned it has to specifically be fire caulk or rockwool insulation, or similar fire rated material. The idea is stopping the draft that can spread fire where you can't see it. Sure, fire can spread through an open staircase, but you can visibly see the fire there. As far as your two small appliance circuits in the kitchen, that is just the minimum required, I always put the refrigerator on it's own dedicated circuit as well as a circuit for a hood microwave, if you have one and dishwasher. Also, just a side note, I have seen many times the refrigerator receptacle placed lower than countertop receptacles, but there really is no practical reason to do so. In fact, I learned many years ago from doing remodel work that it makes more sense to put it the same height because if you or anyone else were to remodel down the road and relocate the refrigerator (happens more often than you might think), you don't have to fix any boxes that are too low. You should also look into some Arlington boxes for your outside receptacles. They have different options depending on what kind of siding you use. The boxes go on before the siding and give you an in-use ratedbox/cover that is low profile.
When I rewired I spit the lighting and receptacles. All receptacles where on 20a circuits lighting on15a. Guess it's from my industrial days. Hate to lose the lights if an appliance trips a breaker
That's how I did. I also upgraded the wiring from the pole to the house to 200 amp even though the electrician kept saying I could run the whole house on 125 amp service. Nope! Not the way I want to do it! :)
No problem with that. Lights a mostly led and they draw very little amperage. But id agree all outlets should be 20.amps. and even the 15 amp lights I would still run #12 wire
@@recordsgeek yea 200a would barely cost any more than 125a
I'm not sure if it's standard in NA but in europe, smoke detectors have battery backup (or are battery only - not ideally and not in new installs). In the event of mains failure (or batteries running out) they will chirp every so often, so you know something needs addressing. If this is the case for you I'd say it's better to give them their own circuit, as it minimizes points of failure, and allows you to service other circuits without affecting them and vice versa. It also allows you to use lower amperage breakers (which is safer) and even save some money with thinner gauge wire - obviously leave some margin above the rated wattage/current, which should be quite low as-is. Ultimately though whatever works as long as you're prioritising safety.
Not sure if it was clear in his explanation, but "best practice" is to have the 120V smoke detectors share a circuit with a nearby lighting circuit as a means to supervise the power serving the smoke detector. If the lights do not work, the homeowner will be quick to resolve the issue, whereas the homeowner may not realize that a dedicated 120V circuit serving the smoke detector is de-energized. The 120V smoke detectors sold in North America do typically have a battery as a backup in the case of a power outage so that the protection is maintained. Minimum size wire in dwelling units is currently no smaller than #14, so even with the new 10A circuits allowable, there is no savings in materials.
You didn't have a nice inspector, he was just doing his job as they are suppose to tell you the faults that need correction. But good for you, you gave it a shot, took care of errors and got the job done. Now take pride in a home build by your own hands as that makes this truly your home.
I'm surprised at the lack of outside emergency disconnect & arc fault breakers.
for all we know, the area is still on 10 - 20 year old code. Have seen that several times in recent videos.
Outside emergency disconnect is ridiculous. Pull the meter. Arc fault breakers are idiotic. How many lives have they saved? Zero.
not sure on the arc fault, but I was told today that the outside disconnect was only required on new construction, not retrofit. As for pulling the meter, in the fire service we were taught to pull meters, but that was back around 1980 or so. Now they claim too much liability to allow us to do that.
@maddierosemusic Your opinion is irrelevant - they are code in many places. But glad you know exactly how many fires etc.. they have prevented. Must have done a lot of research....
They've caused as many fires as children have died in the strings of those window blinds. Stringed window blinds are banned now, feel safer? Code schmode :)@@anxiousappliance
You're absolutely killing it, this channel is super under-rated for homeowners
Please create a blueprint of how you wired things. You can also take pictures and videos of how you ran everything. This will help in the future, when you need to change something.
Excellent point. I always snap a picture of all wiring and plumbing in a wall before closing with drywall. It's so easy to do and you can store the images on a PC, Mac, or in the Cloud for future reference. I imagine a lot of wires or pipes have been punctured by screws or nails over the years. I know of one situation where a drywall screw went through a cold water copper pipe and sat there for years, keeping the hole sealed. When the owner removed the screw for a reno, the place flooded (slowly). Take pictures!
Underrated advice. I made a drawing of all wires through my attic before blowin insulation, and it saved me a lot of time a year later.
Good work!
Can't wait to see the final inspection report after trimout. That's where reality will set in!
Sounds like you did a great job over all.
The fire stops in the wall prevent the fire spreading in a hidden manner to upper floors, if the fire is in your hallway, the fire stops in the walls are a moot point, your whole house would be on fire. They're there to contain the fire to the room affected by the fire so you don't have a whole house fire. The conduits of electricity ie wires run through the walls, fires are frequently caused by faulty wiring. Hope this helps. You do great work man, nothing but good vibes and hardworking! You're bright like a star and intellect! Wishing nothing but the best for you, keep shining! 🎉
Did you do your own framing work too? I saw your roofing video and you did amazing work all by yourself. Your strong and talented
Great video. Good to see what you learned. Saw some A/C pipes for your mini splits. Do you have any videos on the Mini Splits?
I’m hoping to do a video on that soon.
Electrician here. Was this your inspectors first day on the job? Overall you didn't do a terrible job, I'd say better than most non electricians would, but there is a glaringly obvious issue. I looked up to see what code Michigan uses, which is 2017. That is same as many are using right now myself included (2020 hasn't been adopted in the 3 states I work in). Arc fault protection is required, and in new construction or rewires like this it is always at the breaker. I didn't see a single arc fault breaker in that panel. I hate arc faults personally-but code does mandate them and your inspector is not great at his job for missing that. They've been required in some capacity since 2002 and every 3 years it expanded more and more. I'm really surprised there is no expansion fitting/slip coupling on your service. Neither the utility nor the inspector caught that. Guess Detroit is very lax..... I've seen what sunken undergrounds do, and there is a reason why our codes state what they state. Really need better inspectors everywhere. Code always mandates a minimum of 2 countertop branch circuits regardless of how big your house or kitchen is. I like the fridge being by itself, but it isn't a necessity unless it is drawing the majority of the circuit. More circuits are better in the kitchen-no one has ever complained about having too many circuits, but many of my customers have complained about tripping breakers when their coffee pot was running, toaster prepping a bagel, then someone came in and turned on the counter top microwave. Each 20 amp circuit is only good for 2,400 watts. A lot of these appliances can draw 1500 watts. One on each circuit works great, but the moment you add a 3rd item in the mix it can get problematic. Dining room being 20 amp is a no brainer. Short version-dining rooms are a communal food gathering area-picture crock pots being plugged in. Front and back outdoor receptacle-intent is to make sure if someone needs power outside they don't run an extension cord through a threshold-which is a pinch point where the wire can be damaged. The box fill on the closet box was exceeded-the inspector didn't catch it but it is technically a violation. With those narrow walls I try to avoid any electric in them and sleeve them in EMT conduit for extra protection. Anyone screwing hangers or shelves in can easily miss a stud and hit those wires. There are lots of nuances and things a professional would have done differently. One is it isn't usually a great idea to put room by room on its own breaker. Picture your spare bedroom. If it becomes a his/her office or another scenario where the room is heavily utilized, then everything is on one circuit. The way many of us would have done it is run a circuit along the front wall, one down the middle, one down the back. That helps diversify loads applied to each circuit without the average homeowner even realize they are doing it. The bigger the house the more circuits ran. All in all I fix handyman hanks electric all over the tristate area that is far worse than what I seen in this video. I'd give this a solid 6/10
I have heard other people having 2 lines to a kitchen, with every odd-numbered receptacle on the first line and even-numbered receptacles on the second line. This way 2 appliances plugged into neighboring outlets would be on separate lines and if they're both in use, they would not pop a single breaker. I did not explain this well, but having appliances split evenly between 2 breakers is what they're going for.
You kinda want every other because kitchen appliances use a lot. having it every other reduces that chance.
Go pro and run a 12/3 wire to the countertop.
@@KingSobieski Split wired 12-3 circuits are now illegal where I live.
In both my apartments i installed 2 20a counter top home runs. Run a microwave and coffee maker may be alright but add a 3rd appliance and it can go right out. Also i dedicated a line just for the dishwasher and another for the fridg.
Where and how did you ground your electric service? As for the fire breaks inside walls, I think they are designed to slow down a fire that is internal of the walls and thus harder to see and detect in the early stages of a fire. Fire breaks inside of walls will reduce the "chimney effect" of hot free flowing air that would otherwise serve to spread a fire much more rapidly to the upper floors. The more you can slow the spread of a fire, the more time you give the occupants to exit the building.
I have an 8 ft ground rod directly outside the house from where the panel is in the basement
@samuelkingentrepreneur in ny for grounding we have to have 2 ground Rods roughly 8 ft apart and about 3 ft from house with a ground wire all the way around then to panel.
Not sure about your location but you might need to install Arc fault breakers and/or combo AFCI/GFCI
Just subscribed. I love the openness and sharing your lessons learned. As someone who has never (and probably never will) wired a house, but have lived through delays due to code inspection failures, aren't these codes documented where it takes the guesswork out? For example, a dedicated circuit for your refrigerator. Aren't all those requirements spelled out in the actual code? I'm not saying it's in easily digestible language or perhaps even easy to find. Also, I understand inspectors may focus on different things, but I'm just trying to understand if you can take out the guesswork and build your home 100% to code and be guaranteed to pass as long as the inspector is competent.
For a diyer, I think you did an excellent job. Seems like you did a lot of research before. Of course you saved a hell of a lot of money doing it yourself and you can't beat the satisfaction of feeling and saying that you did it all by yourself.
Thank you!
Subscribed brother. From Norwich UK here 😊
I have a balloon framed house. We had a small fire in the downstairs wall it got into the attic within a minute or two from when it started hollow wall cavities are just the perfect environment for a fire to spread fast. Usually stairways are drywall and have many other obstacles for a fire as well as being larger and not creating a chimney effect which further feeds the fire.
Do you have surge protection on your panel?
Dirty commercial power is an issue that can damage inverter mini-splits and a great suggestion.
You did a nice job for a dyi situation. Skipping all the small stuff if definitely would incorporate the two appliance circuits around your kitchen counter top outlets.
I sure like that double door!
In our area, you must use listed fire caulk for all holes between floors. Expanding foam is not acceptable. Also, we always run 20 amp circuits for all receptacles, and usually for lighting circuits. The cost difference is minimal and you have fewer nuisance trips. We wire lighting circuits such that no two adjacent rooms are on the same circuit.
Not even the fire rated foam?
@@Adr1an110 yes, they do make fire rated foam these days and it should be acceptable to the inspector.
@@rupe53How do you prove it's fire rated rather than standard foam (or standard caulk)?
@@user-go8oj4dl4w save the can. It will say it's fire rated! Btw, most fire rated stuff will be red in color. (Caulk or foam)
@@user-go8oj4dl4w Fire rated is red in color.
Would be curious to see inside the panel.
Seeing this video after 4 months... I rewired 2 floors of a house (basement / 1st floor), and just went with 20 amp (12 AWG) circuits everywhere. It didn't cost that much more, and it's nice to have the capacity/versatility
Good job! Electrical is surprisingly doable.
I always put the smoke detector circuit in on the master bedroom circuit always run two circuits in the kitchen stove or sink been Centerpoint depending on layout but I always do a kitchen right in the kitchen left I always run a dedicated circuit for microwave and refrigerator
Yeah, keep questioning the inspector, that always works well…if it’s required then you just do it. Ask a fire fighter about drafts and a hidden fire in a wall and they can tell you personal experience on why it’s needed. 2 circuits required in kitchen…not sure why you didn’t purchase a code book to help you understand all the requirements before starting a project. “Black & Decker codes for homeowners” if what I used, easy to read and understand and didn’t have any issues with my inspections.
nicely done for a do it yourselfer. thank you for the walk through
I learned from my time doing fire remediation, the small holes where electrical and plumbing runs through are excellent corridors for fire to spread. What happens is, when fire has breached the drywall, the draft from the open room through the holes essentially turns the holes into blowtorches. It can be the difference between a 90 minute full loss, and a 15 minute one. It can easily save lives.
Kitchens are pretty exacting about circuits now. All 20 amp, GFCI, AFCI breakers and dedicated circuits for Dishwasher, Micro Wave, Garbage Disposal,, couple receptacle circuits, fridge circuit. and lights on another circuit. You can see why and it's partly nuisance factor if an appliance trips off a breaker, you don't want to loose all the other things too. I wired up 2 homes, outbuildings, my onw house and shed and to me it is certainly a money saver to DIY, plus a learning experience. Done three distribution panels, one was 400 amp with a massive 200 amp disconnect. And the outside meter bases.
On the dishwasher+disposal issue. They can be on the same circuit, but now the DW needs GFCI. If I had known I would have put in a 2-gang box under the sink with switched plain power for disposer on one side and GFCI for DW.
You need a recptacle on the end of the peninsula up towards the top to meet code for the finish. Put in on the counter top circuit behind the GFI so its protected.
that advice will be a Code violation once the 2023 code is adopted, believe it or not.
2023 makes it optional if im not mistaken
@@montgomeryfortenberry you are correct- optional. But the “option” does not include serving the space with receptacles below the counter surface any longer. Foolish change by the CMP. Spaces where no receptacles get provided will get served by extension cords instead - and the injuries and burns will get worse, not better.
Nice content bro, love it
Boy, you're just getting started with this.....😆
Nice work! In my kitchen I have each of my 6 countertop GFCI duplex receptacles on dedicated 20A breakers. Dishwasher, gas stove, microwave, fridge, and lights also all on their own dedicated 20A breakers. All of that is coming from a sub panel that I installed in the kitchen and fed with #3 copper and a 100A breaker at the main panel. 250’ spool of romex completely used up. Previous wiring job was a total abortion so I ripped it all out when we reno’d the kitchen. $1,200 (roughly) on all the electrical materials, labor was me so no charge there. Outside of an actual fault, I highly doubt I will ever trip a kitchen breaker, and that thought is extremely satisfying to me.
You will have lots of problems with your kitchen receptacles… circuit fittings the fridge should be solely for fridge because you don’t want to trip the breaker… also as electricians we usually put a minimum of 3 circuits in the kitchen plus the fridge and 50 amp circuit if needed. Also your panel needs to be balanced. Another point about inspection is the minimum for electrical as electricians we usually go above the and beyond so we don’t have to come back unless you want to add more… also inspector should of known that the reason we put foam on wires going from floor to floor is primarily for electrical fires… that means the foam is to stop fire in the electrical passing directly above or below… it will not give you a lot of time but it will give you a couple of minutes… once again is to stop electrical fire from going floor to floor… is understood that fire will still go from floor to floor but you are only getting the electrical inspection. I also noticed how you pass your rough in inspection we usually have a final inspection to make sure everything works properly and we balanced the panel and we test the grounding and we check for wires over heating so I wish you luck because you will need it
I feel like it's hard to get a single phase panel out of balance. Maybe if someone skipped ever other row? Most all your high load items will be 240v balanced.
Your comment assures me that you don’t understand electrical work…. Of course I’m not talking about your double pole circuits… just because you have the same amount of breakers on each phase doesn’t mean it’s balanced…. You can’t count on your circuit for your bathroom receptacles equally to lighting circuit? And this is only one example, there are plenty of factors…
@@Irving1203 I wouldn't sweat a bath circuit in particular, because heavy load will usually be for only 10 minutes... unless you have multiple baths, then maybe consider having them on opposing circuits. These days the lighting load is next to nothing, unlike 25 years ago when it was common to have a few thousand watts of floods on the outside, with rooms full of high-hats scattered around at 100 watts each. OTOH, that kitchen with an armload of appliances is worthy of consideration. A toaster and coffee maker is near max load on a single circuit. Add a microwave and a fridge to fill up the next one. It's no wonder they want 2 circuits just for the counter.
Irving! you overthink a lot of this, in over 40 years in the trade I NEVER SEEN a residential panel out of balance...NEVER! I've been to 2 rodeos and a goat mating, I've seen everything
@@UncleFjester depends on how you want to slice & dice it. 20 amps off is not a big deal in my mind. I have seen residential with too many pool / spa pumps and a few air handlers on the same leg. Balance was about 50 amps heavy on one leg. Was causing an issue with the generator when power was out.
Great video. I wish I had your courage. That is the full time job! Keep up the good work. If I had done that where I live all the copper wire would be gone in a day!
Just changed the main panel in my house and one of the requirements to pass was labeling the separate circuits on the panel face
Man one day I want to get a house built with exactly the layout I want. There's so many things I've picked up from videos like this that I've gone "man that's a great idea" but implementing them is either a massive pain or basically impossible once drywall is in. Number 1, I want a utility room where everything comes in to, and have Cat6 throughout my house, a manifold for hot and cold water so different rooms can be shut off from the one location. That sort of thing.
Didn't you do load calculations? No Arc faults or gfci?
When I remodelled my 90 year old house back in 2010, all the kitchen receptacles had to be split. I could tie two uppers together and two lowers together, but not on the same circuit. This is in Canada though. I paid the electrician to move the main panel from the kitchen to the basement, then rewired the entire house myself. I had to open up every wall in the house to replace the sawdust insulation, sweet jeebus... what a mess (lath and plaster). The house was a mix of romex and knob and tube wiring before I started.
breakers are there to protect the wire only. Find out the max current for the size of wire you are using.. Then break up your rooms as desired while keeping distance to a minimum.. The longer the wire the more resitance and that can limit the current on that circuit. As long as the breaker is rated for the wire size then even if your devices draws more current than the break is rated, then it will flip. Just make sure the wire will carry more than the breaker. Better to flip a breaker than to burn up a wire. So, always pick a breaker size that will flip below the amount of current the wire is rated for. You can scientifically have as many recepticles as you want. Its not the recepticles that draws power, it is only the devices that are plugged into the recepticles. So you have to prejudge how much current is expected on each circuit, then pic a wire size that is rate to carry that amount of current for that distance, then pick a breaker size to protect the wire... So if the current draw goes over, it wont burn the wires. But no inspector is going to know how the house is wired or how many feet each circuit is, unless you ahve a labeled diagram of everything
This is great to see. You did your research as best you could, its not a hack job I see all too often. I've seen "professional" sparkys fail and panicking all the time on jobsites Im on. Good for you, you should feel accomplished.
I have 4 20A circuits in my kitchen. The original circuit that previously powered stayed and kept one wall because it would be a right pain to change because those outlets are on an exterior wall (also aluminum wire because 1969 thought that was a great idea). I added a circuit for the refrigerator that also gets the built-in microwave. I split a wall of receptacles off the original circuit to a new circuit. Finally some of the outlets on the far wall share a circuit with the receptacles on the back side of that wall in my living room (yes I know this isn't proper but I didn't do it and I'm not fixing it until I have a good reason). If I was able to do it completely from scratch I'd definitely run a dedicated circuit for appliances that won't move and are a nice predictable load then I'd probably alternate outlets on at least two circuits per wall. Overkill, yeah probably, but it would be a one time expense and would keep the wife from raging when the toaster oven plus stand mixer combo trips out the circuit, again.
I would put 2 twenty amp circuits in the kitchen with 12/2 and a thirty amp circuit in the kitchen with 10/2 wire. I would use 20 amp outlets. I would stagger the outlets between the 3 circuits. The ceiling lights I would put on a 15 amp circuit with the closet light.
@@dimitriberozny3729 You can't put standard receptacles on a 30 amp circuit.
@@darrendolphdragos9752 I asked my local building electrical inspector,he actually liked the idea. This was in the 1990’s yet.
@@dimitriberozny3729 I prefer a larger number of 20 amp circuits, and limitations on how many duplexes, like 2 on a counter top and maybe one in the another SABC area where heating/ cooking appliances aren't likely to be used, like the dining room, breakfast nook, pantry, or some blank wall that just happens to be in the kitchen. Still, code does not allow standard 15 or 20 amp receptacles on circuits greater than 20 amps. Maybe they should start producing #11 gauge wire and allow 25 amp kitchen circuits? That would allow 3000 watts. And keep the refrig on it's own circuit just for good measure?
Good on ya for following through. -3 watts per square foot -calarado Jims for the flat Studs
There was a revision to the code that allows for the frige to be on a dedicated 15 A circuit 1 outlet per point of egress Get a Milwaukee romex staple gun Use wafer brackets when you can
A screw or a nail can penetrate those cables going up next to those flat 2x4’s because they are not back enough?
yea, I would have ran conduit or made the wall thicker. you can't put those plates over everything. I suppose you could put wood on both sides of the wire then connect them with dozens of plates on both sides, but that would be insane lol.
10:51 while he did put protection plates on all the new sideways 2x4s, the one old sideways wider board has the wire unprotected, running in front of that board. While it’s not all that likely someone will drill through the drywall at that low height, if they do, the wire is at risk.
Electrical code for kitchens is to the point that they might as well just require a sub panel in every kitchen to accommodate all the extra circuits it's going to take.
Firestopping holes got me too. The inspector described the point being to slow down a fire if possible. I used fire retardant caulk instead of foam.
When the fire starts in the wall, the stairway acts as a chimney, and it FEEDS the fire, it allows it to PULL the air to the lowest point of the fire, and blast it UP any cavity it is in, and when you have a small penetration, you increase pressure, which also increases temperature, which helps the fire spread much quicker. You can go watch some videos, without the firestop it can be as little as a minute to move to another floor, vs 15-30-60 minutes.
As a retired electrical inspector its not what I wanted but what the NEC requires, the biggest issues I saw day in and day out with what I called weekend electricians is they could make a light or receptacle work but didn't know Code. Always told them it was my job to enforce the Code not to teach it but I did anyway and "most" were very appreciative, I worked 24 years as a licensed electrician and IBEW journeyman electrician before a back injury forced me to become an electrical inspector for the last 31 years that didn't pay that much with no benefits.
Super. Check the code for how many outlets on your new island. I have to put three or four on the bigger islands now, usually with Arc Fault breakers and GFCI outlets, because the GFCI protection usually dies before Arc fault does, and this could save money by only requiring you to buy a GFCI outlet, not another Arc Fault breaker down the road. Also, make sure that you install at least one 20 ampere rated outlet on its own 20 amp circuit. The washer is a good place to install that type of GFCI receptacle, (One with a "T" for the neutral terminal.) I usually also put one by each door, partly for lawn mowing and such, but mostly to allow the future contractors to be able to plug in a heavy duty 20 amp machine cord or extension cord and not trip the breaker. Most homeowners dont even know about these 120 volt, 20 amp plugs, (Oops, forgot the NEMA number.) and even apprentice electricians that I know have never seen this plug, but it is usually installed on things like floor buffers and prevents you from plugging it in to a 15 amp outlet thereby saving the outlet, and maybe a trip tp the breaker box. 💙 T.E.N.
If your'e curious about the front outdoor outlet requirement, here's the basic situation: Somebody will inevitably feel compelled to plug in some electrical appliance to be used in the front yard for some purpose or another. If no outdoor outlet (which must be GFI) is provided, said user will naturally run an extension cord indoors and plug it into a non-GFI outlet, therefore, creating a shock hazard.
I like extra countertop circuits, I can run the microwave, toaster and coffee maker all at the same time. I also just use 12 gauge wire minimum for the option of bumping up to 20 amps, it’s also more convenient to just buy a large roll of one type of cable instead of having multiple different rolls for different sizes.
refrigerators should have their own 20 amp circuit per nec. and kitchen has to have one stand alone 20 amp circuit for things like toasters. unless nec code has changed. gfsi on all outless within 6 feet of kitchen sink. all kitchen circuits are 20 amp.
Half inch plywood is standard for subfloors. Don't forget to add 1/8" luan before laying vinyl or tile. Great electrical work! Insulate next (paper facing inside). If you replace the pressed board, newer homes are insulated under the floor, so you might consider that too.🙂
From a 32 year career firefighter, I have to say that its a little disconcerting that the electrical inspector does not understand the principle behind blocking up holes were wiring goes from one floor to another. You referenced the open stairwell and the ease of travel for fire. This is true, and also why there is requirements for smoke alarms. But....in a sealed up wall cavity, should an electrical fire occur, a smoldering fire has nowhere to go but through these un sealed opening and travel to another level. This can happen undetected, until the fire eventually breaks out of the wall cavity and then begins to rage. Once a fire is in the open, it doubles every minute, consuming all combustible material in its path. This includes carpeting, furniture, wood trim, and sleeping occupants. I hope this sheds a little light on the WHY this is part of the Electrical Code. Best of luck on this and future projects. Good work.
Seems like you are interested in learning and overall did good job. Lucky guy though. I can say you absolutely would not have passed in the several areas I have worked. Won't bemoan the firestop. Some inspectors worry it more than others. The few things I saw that would have failed here-- were no service loops at boxes. Maybe your area doesn't require them but always good idea. If you or dry wallers you hire accidently cut a wire while cutting box openings you are going to have issue. Yes those metal boxes are over filled and not bonded. They make a plastic narrow face box that has a curved side storage giving you volume of a 2 gang box. Better to change out. You were correct most places require dedicated for frig. 2 alternating small appliance circuits have been required for decades . lastly the exterior front receptacle you added, if I am not misunderstanding you tied it into the lighting circuit. If so not allowed. Those exterior receptacles have to be on 20 amp dedicated gfci protected circuit. In my area requires it be on a gfci breaker in box. Have been a couple places allowed gfci receptacles to be installed instead but most don't . gfci receptacles do.not fare well outside usually. Hope you keep at it. If you are doing this long term. Fine homebuilding published a set summarized code books for different trades. They are pretty helpful.
I will very soon wire an old house, thanks for the information.
So what NEC code cycle is your Jurisdiction using?
having a good inspector makes a world of difference. If they are having a bad day it can make everything a huge pain.
You are so lucky to live in an area where you are allowed to do this. I don't mind having to meet code and having the work inspected but I do not appreciate limiting the getting of a permit or doing the work to state licensed electricians.
Dining rooms and breakfast rooms are covered by 210.52(B)(1) which requires that one or more of the minimum two (2) required small appliance 20A branch circuits serving the kitchen also serve these areas. From what you describe, he let you off the hook, but your dining room is not code compliant. Aside from that, it's worth noting that you are not wiring the home with an eye toward making the inspector "happy". The inspector is there to hold you accountable to wire the home according to the code in force in your community. In most cases the bedrock of electrical code is the National Electrical Code (NEC - NFPA 70) as may be amended by your municipality.
I still agree with your putting the refrigerator on its own circuit. Sometimes, if they even share a neutral, some lights may dim when the refrigerator starts!
I'm no sparky, but doesn't the new code require arc fault / ground fault breakers?
Kitchen sink waste roughin is too high and vent is horizontal below flood level rim,code violation. Have you had a plumbing inspection?
Here in new york state it is ok to have a single outlet on a deciated circult, as long as your outlet is rated for the breaker you are using. So a 20 amp decicated circuilt must use 12awg wire and on a 20amp outlet. The way to get around not using a 20amp outlet on a 20amp circult, is to add more then one outlet. This technicially symbolizing you have devices plugged in the other outlets sharing the load. This was taken out of the national electric code.
Great job again. Why 20 amp required in Dining Room?
Seems a bit silly, but it’s code, and the reason is if someone wants to use a cooking appliance there.
Interesting set up in your town, typically fire blocking and electrical rough-in are two different inspections.
Very nice job! Your receptacle box rough ins wouldn't pass in Ontario. It's amazing the differences in the codes. I believe pulling power from a fridge circuit is not legal here either. The bedroom circuits all need to be wired to arc fault breakers. Perhaps you did that? The foam around wires is the dumbest thing I've heard of. A fire would burn through that in a second or two. Your argument about the stair well is perfect! Nice work!!
The foam is supposed to be fire block foam. Not sure if he just didn't explain that or the inspector let him use standard foam.
Not to pick on you - this was a great first project - but the closet walls with studs turned on flat which have NM cable running down the edge violates 300.4(D), which requires protection of cables which do not sit at least 1.25" beyond the back side of the drywall. This is of course to protect your cables from the errant drywall screw or nail which is usually about 1.5" long. The solution is metal guard strips, or I probably would have run an EMT sleeve down this edge (not necessarily using the EMT as a raceway here) so that these screws or nails glance off the conduit rather than drive into the NM cable and eventually short it out (or energize the screws or nails.)
You gave me an idea of putting short pcs of conduit in the stud holes with romex inside that. Is this a thing?
@@steventhury8366 it is. I think Southwire makes them to drive through a 1” bored hole.
@@steveloux4709Sounds better than nail plates.
Lots of comments about code violations, but remember it depends on what version of the code his state and municipality require. That being said, there's no reason you can't wire to more recent versions of the code for improved safety. Looking at what was done, it's a LOT better than many older houses I've seen. I've seen a couple where kitchen receptacles are on the same circuit as other rooms! Dedicated kitchen receptacle circuits have been a code requirement since the 1950's. Although his location may not require it, arc fault breakers and 2 ground rods 8 feet apart would be a good safety improvement. Older code versions require arc fault for bedrooms or none at all depending on how far back you go. But newer code wants arc fault almost everywhere. I've thought about it lately cause my house is much older and one place I might change to arc fault is the basement. We do get moisture through the walls and I wonder what condition my outlets are in. A coworker of mine had a basement fire because of a water damaged outlet in the basement. In older homes without arc fault breakers, i often see lights and outlets on the same circuit in bedrooms and living rooms. But with arc fault, separating lights and outlets seems much more important. Arc faults provide excellent protection but will be much more prone to tripping than regular breakers.
Arc fault's benefits are mostly in older homes. In newer homes, most of those issues are very unlikely to happen.
@@user-mt1wi2co4zwho told you that?
GFCI is more useful in the basement if the concern is moisture. Arc fault is better for faulting or damaged wiring. Then there are combo units that do both. All of them cost a little extra.
No arc-flash breakers for the bedrooms?
Some states don't require them, Michigan didn't back in 2017.
The stairway is the living space which has its own compliance standards, the between-floor firestops must be in response to oxygen feeding an electrical overload in that hidden unnoticed space creating a burn. Without the fresh air supply an electrical overload can probably complete melting itself into an open circuit without creating as much risk of ignition. Its statistically significant probably and you are happy your house is not going to burst into flames quite as much now.
If you're smart, you will put three 20 amp circuits above your kitchen counter. We have a microwave, a table-top convection oven, an air fryer, and a couple of 120 VAC induction burners on our counter because we converted to all electric when we installed solar. We had to scramble to find three different circuit outlets, within reach, so we could run three of these at once. Popping breakers in the middle of cooking dinner sucks.
Most of the questions you asked about are answered with a little research. It just takes time upfront instead of a second visit for reinspection. If you can't find state specific code the UBC is probably sufficient.
Probably nec and irc code not ubc?
Question. Was it WAY more expensive to run the individual wires for the dishwasher, microwave, recepticals, etc.. than if you had a single 15 amp wire for ALL of those? In my house, we seem to have 2 to 3 rooms on a single 15 amp circuit. When we run a cuple computers and ceiling fans.. it blows. Every damn time. It's the stupidest design ever. So I have always wondered.. is it legal/to code to run individual wires for each AC outlet if you don't mind the expense of the wires you have to run? Like.. for my home theater stuff.. I have 3 30amp amplifiers.. and then the TV/other things, and also separate 15 to 20 amp subs. So.. like ideally I want at least 5 or 6 separate 20amp runs and 3 30amp runs to that one room. Is that allowed/legal/to code as long as you run the right gauge wires to handle the amps? Separate question.. for a house already all walled up, how would you do this? Do you basically need to cut the wall from the circuit breaker area all the way to the areas/rooms you want to run additional wires to add new circuits.. or is this going to be way more trouble than its worth'?
I think the key is to know how much load there "could" be on one circuit. Running extra circuits cost more money but is well worth it. Of course, there are guidelines under the code but electricians also need to anticipate the total load. Subdivision homes are often the worst. I think the inspectors look at every 10 houses or so. I've worked on new homes where there's tons of code violations. In one basement I finished, I noticed a bundle of 14/2 wires fed up to the first floor through the same hole as the hot air furnace duct AND tie strapped to the duct itself. When I called for my electrical inspection, I showed the inspector and he just shook his head. You can't have live wires touching any furnace or water pipes. But I digress...😀.
@@acreguy3156 I would agree.. track homes like mine are built by various contractors.. lowest bid, etc.. the electrical outlets are all .10 china junk.. have had plugs yanked (tripped over) break the outlet housing and expose wires. $2 gets you a rock solid outlet.. so like.. $100 total extra for good plugs.. clearly they go cheap as possible. It's 2023, I would hope today we run multiple 10gig network cables to every room, as well as at least 1 20amp wire to each room and a few to the kitchen and garage and outdoors.. but not in my house. In my house we have 2 rooms + outside outlets on the same 15a circuit. I run an outside device + kids computer and POP there goes the circuit. It's unreal. If it's legal and "to code" to run a few extra 10gauge or 8gauge wires to rooms so each plug could have it's own 15amp or 20amp breaker.. why not? You're already in the process of running wires, just run a few more and be done with it while the framing is exposed. Just boggles my mind why you wouldn't just do it. Is it really that much more expensive to run 3 wires to each room instead of 1? Given the price of a home?
Here... the Frig is a Dedicated Circuit and Two Circuits for the Kitchen Countertop. This way, if a Kitchen Circuit Trips it doesn't turn off the Frig and everything Spoils. I run 20 Amp Circuits to everything... no 15 Amp Circuits.