Having graduated from House Plumping basics, I am now moving on to "General House Electricity." This is more of a lateral move than a "step up" I think. I know I still have a long way to go in the plumping field when it comes to connections and fittings. But I do at least know basic hydrology (Water flows down hill and looks for the easy path) and now... Due to the nature of a owning a house, I find that I have to make a "switch" to electricity. (Pun intended...)
Looking ahead, I see that the two topics share a lot in common. There are fittings and pipes. (It's called "conduit" for electricity...) There are plugs, outlets, and currents! (Like a river... only with electricity, not water.) Currently, I am working on trying to figure out the difference between AC and DC. While playing some AC/DC.... (Pun intended...)
So my first task was to find the closest outlet for the sump pump and do a little investigation. I finally found the breaker (unmarked in the box!) And made it safe to handle the wire that was dangling down where I set the pump up.
I knew I was in for an adventure when I noticed that the outlets were filled with Hot Glue! (Um.. That is not normal. Even I know that.) So I began the take down the set up and noticed something rather odd when I took off the first face plate....
The wires were hooked up wrong! In all of the Youtube videos I have watched, the black wires are on one side of the plug and the white wires are on the other. They never share a side.
Wondering if what I was seeing was actually real, I called my Brother, ( A Union Electrician!) And he confirmed that that was "F*@#$&-ed u&%#%P!"
We talked about various other options and how this mess came to be. Most likely someone without internet access. And a desire for DIY status. It could also be that lots of people did not know how electricity worked back then. I'm sure that answers the question concerning the hot glue.
There are other "things" I noticed. But mostly it just confirms why I think I need to rewire up the entire house. AND it gives me a visual and reason on what NOT to do! Being a former artist, I do like things looking neat and pretty. A sloppy job, even if it "works" is aesthetically unpleasing to me.
That being said, I also understand that there are moments when you can be obsessive and make things look "gaudy". It is a fine line that the French and Italians have been wrestling with for centuries.
But I digress....
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| No wire nut, only Tape! |
I should have this Saturday off. So that will give me a little extra time to wrestle with this project and hook up a new circuit to the breaker box. And some time to think and plan my next steps. Watch a few more Videos. And bother my brother with any more questions that are not referenced in those tutorials.
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| WAGO |
In the meantime, I was able to connect the old wires back together with WAGOs and now I have power restored to my bedroom again. And I have reduced, at least on a small scale, the chance of burning the house down when I plug in my AC unit! I can only wonder what other easter eggs I will find when I begin removing and replacing other circuits.
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| Much Better! |
That is all for now. I decided to make this a "Blog Day" instead of trying to tackle a small project or chore. (Mowing the yard comes to mind...) The basement shelving I purchased earlier was assembled, but I don't want to do crazy with that until I get those outlets installed and safely run along the walls. There is also the French Drain I eventually wan to run along that wall. So no need to clutter up the area this early in the ownership.
Time to Prep for work.... And hopefully I will have a story to tell while working on my first Electrical Project that does not involve me being sent to the hospital. (Who am I kidding, no one will find me for days! Except the Cat.... Who will eventually eat me when she gets Hungry.)
So I had better be careful. Learn as much as I can... And Make every second count!
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