certified journeyman(person? :) ) electrician

[Anonymous]

Anybody reading this an electrician?

I have a question about a connection that while it works as I wanted, I don't know if it's "proper".

Yeah I know if you have to ask then hire one. Whatever 🙂 But hey at least here you're mostly behind anonymity and can't be held liable 🙂

And if you're game then I also have a question about the location of a cable.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

Thanks again @Karnbot13. I won't worry about that cable then. I *will* check for what's hot in my other wiring.

[Karnbot13]

It may not pass an inspection but I highly doubt you have much to worry about, as you've noted. The person that replaces the door and jambs will have to deal with it then.On the scale of nasty surprises you find in a reno, that barely registers.

[Anonymous]

---

@Karnbot13 wrote:

---

Your wiring connections are sound but using the gap above the rough in is definitely a no no unless you're at least an inch and a quarter away from the finished surface. If you're going to be less you can use the nail guards to shield the wire. No way to do that around a door though. The previous owner of the home I'm in ran the power for the oven in the gap right behind the window trim in the basement. Glad I didn't go ahead and install the curtains before I gutted the basement. That would have been quite a show.

---

Hey thanks @Karnbot13.

Ok so the consensus seems to be that what I was actually worrying about is fine. It works so I guess that's why. I think maybe I should go to each fixture and see what's hot when the switch loop is off though as mimmo_L made a lovely drawing that showed maybe a slight difference. But I'm not certain. So I'll check.

But the simple question is the troubling one. With mimmo_L saying something about reno's and you saying that ever magical word "unless" 🙂 I think I won't worry about the cable above the door frame below the header. Admittedly I can't staple it inside of the required 5' as it's a 6' sliding glass door but I don't think anything will be nailed or screwed into the gap. Finished wall and finish trim will need to find the header...not the gap. And the cable is reasonably deep so again...

Thanks again.

[Karnbot13]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Hey thanks @mimmo.

I may even have 60 or 100 watt incandescent and still not be concerned. Wall plugs sure but not lights. I'll stick to 12 or less fine but I'm just not worried about it. And then yes I quite like the new-fangled led bulbs. More of my lights are using them now.

No I did a switch loop with 14/2. I did 14/3 from the first fixture box to the second fixture box carrying hot "black" across the red. I did fake "black" wrapping black tape around a white for the switch loop.

Those are great points of safety with new or reno. I'm doing reno.And it's a sliding glass door in vinyl. No I won't be nailing/screwing anything up in that direction.

But nor am I doing permits. So I don't get insurance as they'll just find ANY other reason to deny me anyway. But I keep paying. Colour me skeptical though 🙂

Thanks again for your input.

---

Your wiring connections are sound but using the gap above the rough in is definitely a no no unless you're at least an inch and a quarter away from the finished surface. If you're going to be less you can use the nail guards to shield the wire. No way to do that around a door though. The previous owner of the home I'm in ran the power for the oven in the gap right behind the window trim in the basement. Glad I didn't go ahead and install the curtains before I gutted the basement. That would have been quite a show.

[Anonymous]

Hey thanks @mimmo.

I may even have 60 or 100 watt incandescent and still not be concerned. Wall plugs sure but not lights. I'll stick to 12 or less fine but I'm just not worried about it. And then yes I quite like the new-fangled led bulbs. More of my lights are using them now.

No I did a switch loop with 14/2. I did 14/3 from the first fixture box to the second fixture box carrying hot "black" across the red. I did fake "black" wrapping black tape around a white for the switch loop.

Those are great points of safety with new or reno. I'm doing reno.And it's a sliding glass door in vinyl. No I won't be nailing/screwing anything up in that direction.

But nor am I doing permits. So I don't get insurance as they'll just find ANY other reason to deny me anyway. But I keep paying. Colour me skeptical though 🙂

Thanks again for your input.

[mimmo]

@Anonymous  I not an electrition but have decent uderstanding....  as Shawn said 12 boxes max, but since not worried about that... and since you are probably putting in led  bulbs you should be fine.

As for how you wired it, you brought power and newtral  from the light box to switch with the 3 wire, this then means  red then becomes the switch leg  for the light which is good, and you now have power and newtral at the switch box which can feed your new lights.

As for location of the wire you are putting it between the top of the door jamb  and the bottom of the header, if i understood correctly.  Usually there is 1" of space there so you should  be fine, is it to code?  i don't think so,  it would not pass an new construction inspection. Is it dangerous not really since you will probably never nail through the top of the jamb and hit the wire. Being done at as a renovation you can get away with much more than new constuction, as you are working with various restrictions .

[ShawnC13]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Who knew not all electricians would know everything to know about electrical 🙂

---

Yes I did my apprenticeship and work in an Industrial/ maintenance facility and have done some work for friends on houses but never actually wired one completely  so not completely up to the code requirements.

[Anonymous]

Thanks ShawnC13. And here I was more worried about my wiring than the location.

I guess we'll see if any residential electricians notice this thread.

Who knew not all electricians would know everything to know about electrical 🙂

Yes I'm aware of the max devices. I'm not terribly worried about lighting but I will keep it less than 12.

[ShawnC13]

Yes what you have done is ok.  The neutrals need to be tied together. The thing you will need to know is how many "devices" plugs/lights in that circuit.  You are allowed 12 on a circuit.  Max load 80% on any circuit so 80% of 15 is 12.  Again this is what I remember from trade school and haven't looked in a code book for a few years so if there is a residential electrician that notices anything I have said contradicts current standards please mention it.

[Anonymous]

Maybe I could describe it...but it'll likely be laymen terms. Hopefully you can interpret.

Power (14/2) into light fixture. Switch loop to a switch (14/2) and also "looping" to another light fixture (14/2). All good.

So...I wanted to install 2 other lights attaching to power at that second fixture with it's own switch. Power to switch. So leaving the first switch loop operating the two lights and then having another switch to operate 2 other lights.

What I figured out for myself was to change the cable going from the first fixture to the second fixture to a 14/3 rather than the original 14/2. Attaching the black in the first fixture of power in to the red going over to second fixture. And at the second fixture attaching the new 14/2 black to that red.

Everything works. I'm just not sure if it's proper to use all the whites like that. Sharing the neutral or some such terminology. Or even if what I did was at all right.

No permits in sight 🙂 but I'd like it to at least be right. Although I'm really hesitating on bl$$dy AFCI's for all plugs. Sheesh.

Thanks

I hope that makes some sense.

[ShawnC13]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@ShawnC13 wrote:

---

What ya got?  I am a red seal electrician.  You can send PM if you want.

---

Hey thanks ShawnC13. I wasn't expecting a response quite so quickly.

Easy question first ('cuz I can type it 🙂 )

So you got your rough opening for a door or window or whatever. It has a header or whatever it's call over top. There's a gap between the frame of the door/window up top to below the header. Picture it? 🙂 Can I run a cable in that gap?

That was the bonus question.

The main question I think I'll need to draw it somehow. I'll figure that out. But we'll start there.

---

Ok to start not a residential electrician and have never wired a house.  As for your question do you want to run a wire under the header but above the door or window?  I am just going on my thoughts on this as I don't have my code book with me that this wouldn't be allowed.  I would consider this to be outside of the building envelope/framework as that space is for a door or window as designed.  If there are any residential electricians I am sure they will chime in.

[Anonymous]

---

@ShawnC13 wrote:

---

What ya got?  I am a red seal electrician.  You can send PM if you want.

---

Hey thanks ShawnC13. I wasn't expecting a response quite so quickly.

Easy question first ('cuz I can type it 🙂 )

So you got your rough opening for a door or window or whatever. It has a header or whatever it's call over top. There's a gap between the frame of the door/window up top to below the header. Picture it? 🙂 Can I run a cable in that gap?

That was the bonus question.

The main question I think I'll need to draw it somehow. I'll figure that out. But we'll start there.

[ShawnC13]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Anybody reading this an electrician?

I have a question about a connection that while it works as I wanted, I don't know if it's "proper".

Yeah I know if you have to ask then hire one. Whatever 🙂 But hey at least here you're mostly behind anonymity and can't be held liable 🙂

And if you're game then I also have a question about the location of a cable.

Thanks

---

What ya got?  I am a red seal electrician.  You can send PM if you want.