Capping Off Live Wires

Hey everyone - question about home wiring that was done when the house  was built about 20 years ago (which putting it delicately...is very  shoddy at best).  I'd like to think of myself as fairly knowledgeable in  basic home wiring...but this one has me baffled and I really hope  someone can help.



I am redoing a screened-in porch at the back of our house.  There is  currently a working outlet, and single-pole switch that turns on an  outside bug zapper, and a wire running coming into a second  switch...then leading into nothing in the ceiling (presumably for a  future ceiling fan / light install that was never completed).  I gutted  the entire porch and using one of those audible voltage testers,  discovered the wire than ran into the second switch / ceiling box did  NOT work. 



Not thinking much about it, I tried figuring out how the first switch  (to that outdoor bug zapper) was wired.  Most of the wiring for that  switch and the outlet I mentioned is behind the plywood sheathing of the  house...so it's near impossible to figure out where it goes.  Initially  it LOOKED like the power from the circuit panel came into the outlet  first...and then went out to the bug zapper switch.  (Why did I think  this?  The outlet had a B/W wire coming into it...and another B/W going  out back into the wall somewhere.  Tracing that wire along the basement  foundation best I could...it looked like it went right into the bug  zapper switch).  So wanting to completely eliminate the bug zapper  switch, I disconnected all of the wires that were connected to the  outlet to figure out which set was leading to it.



Here's where I got confused.  When I did this and re-tested voltage at  the outlet, one set of wires was live...and the other set was dead.  And  that makes perfect sense.  Yet the bug zapper switch STILL worked.  OK -  so my conclusion: the power for this bug zapper switch isn't coming  from the outlet.  No problem.  But just because I was near it, I decided  to also check that 2nd switch / ceiling wire combo...and what do you know - it was LIVE!



I got super excited it was working but then super baffled because I  didn't do anything to that ceiling wire at all.  In fact - all I did was  DISconnect 2 sets of wires at a nearby outlet. 



Confused but happy, I was ready to pack it in for the evening and  re-connected the incoming / outgoing wires back to the power outlet.   Flipped the circuit breaker on.  No issues.  BUT - now all of a sudden  the 2nd switch / ceiling wire that magically started working was NO  longer working - just like it hadn't been since I started this whole  process. 



Logic is telling me it's obviously got something to do with the outlet  wiring...since that's the only thing I messed with.  But why would the  ceiling wire all of a sudden become LIVE when the wires going into the  outlet were all disconnected?  It's certainly a first for me.  Can anyone help me figure this mystery out?  Thanks gang!
      

I am selling my house and the Home Inspector said that the basement surfaced mounted receptacles needed to be in conduit because the wires were exposed.  He didnt say anything about the exposed wiring that was stapled to the bottom of the joists had to be in conduit.  Can I just leave the exposed wires on the joist exposed or do I have to but them in conduit too?  Could I also just drill the joists out and run the wire inside them?  Is there a code about this?  Did the Home Inspector forget this?   What would happen if I only fixed the receptacles with conduit and nothing else?  Thanks In Advance!
      

I'm replacing my electric range with gas.  The electric has (I think) a four-wire #6 or #8 cable approx 60ft run with a 40a dual post breaker.  I say "I think" because the wire is behind everything else in the panel.  I see red/white/black wires, but no ground and I can't read the jacket.  Once I cut the main, i'll have a closer look. 



The gas range requires only a 15amp breaker. 

Can I simply replace the breaker with 15A and the 4 prong outlet with a Nema 5-15p?  I'd cap off both ends of the red wire.  Is there some sort of code that says I need to maintain the 40A circuit for a future stove?

Or is there some sort of transformer I can plug into the stove end and avoid all that hassel.  ?
      

So I recently bought a home.  There was an old rusted and rotted lamp post out front.  This past weekend it blew over in the wind.  Not kidding.   I turned off the circuit on our breaker box, i unscrewed the caps connecting the main wire to the lamp head. I removed the poll lamp head, can I just recap the single wires and roll the wire back into the ground?  Will just capping the wires be safe?
      

Older house with the metal enclosed wiring has stumped me.  I am attempting to add a second switch for a fan off existing light switch in bathroom.  Existing wiring:  W,B,R from panel, W,B to light.  2 white wire are tied together, two black wires to one contact and red to other contact on switch.  Disconnected all wires and confirmed the black is live from panel.  It seems to me the light is seeing power the entire time since the blacks are connected? I'm confused, please help. how do I add another switch onto this circuit?  Thanks!
      

OK, here is my problem.  I live in a newly constructed house.  They are building a new house right next door.  I am seeing a power flux (dimming) in my lights whenever any of the following occurs:



- I turn on the A/C in my house

- I turn on the washing machine in my house

- the compressor next door kicks on (for their nail gun and/or other tools)



The compressor next door is hooked up to a temporary post on the street.  I have had my electrician come look along with the utility company.  The utility company says that the house is getting plenty of power.  So now, short of getting another electrician in here, trying to figure out what the problem could be (and if my electrician, who is the one who did the wiring during construction, doesn't know what he's doing).  Most of the lights in the house are 60W if that matters.



Any thoughts on what the problem might be?  I would think that given the proper wiring that I shouldn't see any kind of power flux.



Thanks for the help in advance.
      

Okay, I am fairly new to wiring but its not the wiring I am wondering about.  It is running the wires.  I have 2 rooms in my house, 2 story and an attic, on the main floor that doesn't have any overhead lighting, only can use floor or table lamps right now.  The ceilings are about 10 feet tall.  There are outlets in the room so I do have power I can tap into for the lighting, but how do I go about running the wires up into the ceiling?  I do know I have to cut the hole for the lighting but will i have to put cut flaps in the drywall where ever there is a brace to drill holes to run the wires.  I am going to go from the middle of the ceiling straight back to the wall and then down to the switch that I will put in and then down to the outlet to tap into for the power.  I am just trying to do this the easiest way to minimize any drywall repair that will be needed.  Any help or suggestions from anyone is greatly appreciated and if you have questions please ask and I willl try to answer them.
      

Hello I need seriouse help! In my situation I have a three switch, one for the light, one for the vent fan, and one for the heater. This is in a bathroom rent house. My problem is that when I turn the switch on for the light, the light and fan turn on, when I switch the heater on, that switch does nothing, the same when I switch the fan on. The wall plate is labeled: light, fan, heater. So what I attempted to do is put a switch outlet combo in. I have two black wires, two white wires and a ground. So I put the black wires on brass and the white wires on black,( they are black screws instead of silver, not sure if I got the right kind of switch). So when I did that, when I turn the switch on, the fan turns on, but no light, also when the switch is on the outlet is hot.( which fine that is how I want it). But what did I do wrong, why does fan work but not the light. I my biggest fear is that I might have made a fire hazard. Please help and tell me if what have done is safe, and maybe help me figure out how to turn the fan and light on with the same switch..  Thank you for all your input, have trouble falling asleep, keep thinking the house might burn down.. Sorry for the long post
      

Hey guys, I am looking to find out what kind of cable this is.







Some details



It looks to me like some kind of. 



3 Conductor surface shielded Cable



The outside is a black shield



It has 3 wires: red, gold green that were twisted together and have some kind of coating on them, not rubber but a color coating on them.



Its a verrrrrrry thin cable and the wires are individually twisted with about 8 strands and then the 3 twisted and then the outside.



Anyone have by any chance of this laying around or know what this kind is?
      

How do I replace a range hood for an over the range microwave?