light control wiring help

[rives]

Man, are you in the US? There is no mechanical protection whatsoever on that main cable coming in, and it is miles from conforming to code. Another option would be to set a main breaker under the meter, change out the feeder so that it is protected, and then feed that wire into the lugs where the romex is now terminated. You could then use the breaker space that is currently being used as a main breaker to feed another panel as I said above.

 

[dub bud]

looks like it comes from the telephone pole down into the top of this meter, than out of the bottom and into the wall and up into the bottom of the main panel. into the bottom left breaker...

 

[dub bud]

yea im in the US, out in the country, the people that own this place dont really care about it as long as they get there money... aka slumlords..

 

[dub bud]

well i felt like i was dooing good for a second there, now im felling discouraged again. cuz im not sure i can do the things you mentioned above, i have no idea how to..

 

[rives]

Well, I think that I've explained the options that I see. I don't know if you want to upgrade everything that needs to be done on a place that you are renting, but there is some shady shit there. The cheapest, almost decent way of doing it would be to run some 6/4 in place of that romex and set a small, surface mount breaker panel there to feed the washer, dryer and lighting. It wouldn't be right but it would be a damn sight better than what is currently there.

 

[rives]

What I'm talking about is actually very simple. Go to Home Depot and check their books on residential wiring, and study up on it a bit. For a minimal investment, you could make a substantial improvement over what is there and get the flexibility to hook up your lighting controller. Tomorrow I will get a look and post some links to an appropriate panel.

 

[dub bud]

ugh..ok well i really appreciate your help. im not sure what i should do at this point. i guess i will have to think it over. what do you mean by 6/4? how much would it cost to hook up/build the small surface beaker panel your speaking of? all im trying to hook up for lighting is 2 600 watts, and maybe in time 4 600 watts.....

 

[dub bud]

ok i will try to read up some more. thanks again for your help. im gonna get some rest.
im looking forward to hearing from you tomorrow.

 

[rives]

Here are a couple of pretty economical options for you. These panels would replace the funky fused-disconnect, and would give you the option of dedicated circuits for the washing machine, dryer, and lighting controller. It would not be anywhere near code, but is head and shoulders above what you currently have in place.

6-Space Load Center or 8-Space Load Center

In addition to one of the above load centers, or equivalent, you would need circuit breakers of the appropriate amperage and number of poles for each device that you want to feed. You would also need a piece of 6/3 w/ground or 6/4 cable to replace the existing piece of romex that feeds the fused disconnect. 6/3 w/ground is similar to romex, but has larger wire (#6, good for 60 amps). There would be red, black, white and a bare wire in it. 6/4 is the same thing, but the ground wire will have green insulation on it. Either one will be fine.

You would turn off the power and disconnect the romex from the lugs on the left side of your panel. The wall will have to be opened up enough to remove the romex, and the fused disconnect would be removed. The new load center would be mounted to the wall, making sure that you catch a stud with a couple of mounting screws, or use toggle bolts if there isn't any structural support that you can find.

It would be best if the 6/4 entered through the back of the panel so that it would be protected inside of the wall cavity and not exposed to potential damage like the existing romex is. If you need to do it similar to what the existing installation looks like, the wire really should be covered with something to keep it safe from incidental damage. This could be done by constructing a trough-like cover out of 3 pieces of wood and installing it over the top of the cable.

The red and black wires in the cable will attach to the main lugs in the new panel, and to the lugs on the left side of the existing Sq D panel. The white wire will terminate on the neutral buss of the new panel, and the bare/green wire will land on the ground buss. They will both be terminated on the buss on the right side of the Sq D panel.

As I said before, it won't meet code and it kind of makes my skin crawl, but it is far better than what you have there now. It may be your best option if you can't get the landlord to install a new service, which is what really should be done.

 

[dub bud]

i spent a little time at home depot today looking and reading around.
i think im going to shoot for your idea, i jus hope i can figure it all out.

 

[dub bud]

i really appreciate the help. thanks again. i will go buy the stuff and keep updated. im sure ill need more help =]

 

[rives]

I'll keep an eye out for you.

 

[dub bud]

ok i went to the hardware store and got this stuff,
GE main panel, 125 amps, 6 spaces.
5 feet of 6/3 with ground.
and 2 breakers, double pole, ones 30amp (for the light controller
and the others 50 amp for my washer and dryer combo)
and 25 feet of 10/2 cable to run from the box to the light controller.
and mis. fittings.
how do i look sofar?

 

[budleydoright]

That looks like it's going to get it done! This thread reminds me of the civilian that lands the aircraft after the pilot has a heart attack!

Rives will talk you in to a nice soft landing intact!

 

[dub bud]

 

[rives]

It looks to me like you are on your way! Remember to keep your fingers off of the shiny stuff unless you know that it is turned off - there's an invisible snake there, just waiting......

You'll be fine & learn a bunch. Have you eyeballed the reading material at Home Depot?

 

[budleydoright]

I used to tie audio system distros in to HOT panels back in the day. The big tip was to always keep one hand in your pocket when wiring!

Learning basic electrical wiring is the single best thing an indoor gardner can do to enhance their safety.

 

[dub bud]

ok heres were i am sofar. i got the old romex out and the 6/3 in place. im confused on were to put the white and copper wire..? i know its not the best set up but im jus tryin to work with what i have for now. hopefully all this will be temporary.

 

[dub bud]

and im also not sure if i bought the right cable for my light controller? i see my washer and dryer has 3 wires, red, black and white.... but the one i bought for the light controller has 3 but they are black, white and a bare copper wire.... is this going to be ok? or will i need that copper wire to be be covered? the hook ups on my light controller have 4 slots...hot,hot,neutral and ground....im guessing im leaving one slot not hooked up? but what one? thanks again for the help!!! its so appreciated =]

 

[rives]

In the existing panel, the white (neutral) wire and the bare wire both land on the buss on the right side of the panel where you see the existing whites & grounds going. The large lug on the bottom of the buss may be the only option for your new white conductor.

In the new panel, there should be separate busses for the ground and the neutrals. You can probably purchase a second buss to install in there and keep them separated, or just use what you have and say the hell with it. To be code compliant, a sub-panel is supposed to have separate busses for the two, and they are only bonded together at the main panel. At the sub, the ground buss would be bonded to the metal enclosure, and the neutral isolated from it. This eliminates the problem with ground loops, which can raise hell with sensitive electronics, etc. You aren't going to have much of a problem with a 3' long feeder cable, and code compliance is a distant fantasy at this point.

Sorry I missed the wire problem when you posted what you bought. You will need a 4-wire cable for your light controller. The red and black are hot legs (120v each, 240v between them), the white wire (neutral) gives you 120v between it and either of the hot legs, and the ground wire. You want 12/3 w/ground for a 20 amp circuit or 10/3 w/ground for a 30 amp.