Bill I am a retired GC and EC from Calif. I built homes for over 40 years. I have watched many of the Electrical videos on You Tube and I have to say that your emphasis on safety is the best out there. Keep up the good work and keep the videos coming. People especially DIY'rs need to be aware of the danger when working with electricity. God bless you.
You edited out the part I really wanted to see - how to keep tension on the tape while trying to get under the screws. In most of your other videos you completely remove the screws, but in this one you left them in like us normal people :)
You are a fantastic teacher. I moved into an 80 year old house. I cannot afford to pay for an electrician. So you are helping me immensely. I am trying to find a video where the old knob and tube insulated wires that are thick in diameter due to the corded wrapping wire insulation and are short in length and long so it is difficult to fit the outlet into the old boxes. It is difficult to fit the GFCI outlets into the box after attaching the wires to the outlets. Have you made a video that instructs how to handle these very old wires. Some wires are so short that I feel they need to be spliced to extend them. You are a very good electrician. I wish I had all the testing tools you use. Thank you, Gina
Hi Gina! Bless you, it sounds like you have a wonderful house. From the sound of it I really think that your house needs to be re-wired. Or perhaps if that isn't possible perhaps one circuit could be re-wired at a time. Knob and tube wiring has reached the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced as soon as practical. Until then be as gentle as you can be with that old wiring. Best wishes!
@@SparkyChannel That is exactly what I have. After living in this house 110 year-old house for 35 years, I am finally reworking the questionable circuits one at a time, like you have recommended here, and room-by-room. When a new service panel was installed well before I bought the home, they rewired all the visible wire in the basement with 3-conductor NM-B up to junction boxes where some K&T, and some 2-conductor wire went up the walls. My first step was to map the circuits and label the junction boxes. In many cases , it is easy to use the old wire to pull a new 3-conductor wire through the wall. Often it was just a 4 foot length of wire to replace. I am also replacing the small outlet boxes with fiberglass old-work boxes. My goal is to at least make each circuit safer with dual AFCI/GFCI breakers or AFCI breakers and GFCI receptacles, and to replace as much 2-conductor wire with 3-conductor with an equipment ground as I can. There are only a few circuits that will be beyond my ability to replace, and I will either hire an electrician to finish those, or use my map to disclose to the next owner. I am learning where I can be confident in the old wire, and where not. The old K&T is mostly in good shape. The problem is the 1950's wire which seems to have a much poorer quality of insulation.
Yes, and those switches are made of ceramic and thick brass (after daily use for 1/2 century and they are still working like a charm)---not some cheap plastic and thin metal strips, BUT when it comes time to sell your house and the young buyers (as clueless as they are) prefer new, "updated" switches because they don't care about functions and longevity but only cosmetics.....you know the usual with the new generations, forms are more important than substance..
@@trankt54155 well, I am 18 so I won’t be selling it for a long time, the house was built in 1959 and has pretty much all original stuff and I have no plans on replacing anything that is not broken or causing issues. Even my fridge is from 1987
@@trankt54155 nice, keep it that way. It always makes me really sad to see some old house completely gutted and all cheap materials put in so someone would buy it. I wish more people would appreciate things like that. You can always build new cheap houses, but you can never make a vintage one again. Once they have all been ripped apart that is it.
I remember doing this on the same age home in California. Thankfully all the boxes were metal and grounded so, adding newer grounded outlets was easy. the wierd part about it is that back then, the ground was always #14. wire.... but the good thing was that at least we were able to update the outlets for modern use............and this was back in the late 1980's.... at least the electrician was thinking right!
I was wondering why I was seeing neutral wires used as hots. 1979 build and now I'm feeling more confident taking on the switch change project. Thanks!
And that's why anytime a white wire is used as a hot it is supposed to be re-identified as a hot, by wrapping the end with black or red tape, heat shrink, or similar means. And a lot of 70s houses will have power run to a light fixture, with a single 14/2 cable dropped down to the switch, using the white as a hot, and the black as a switched hot.
The switch that you are putting is actually self-grounding with the ground connecting to the metal strip that you screw into the metal housing box.......on top of that there is a brass on the lower screw to indicate that it is self ground.......you do not need to go through all the trouble of drilling the box to establish the grounding, etc......you could short cut the video to two minutes by informing the audience that there is already self grounding of the box (which you showed with you multimeter and that is VERY USEFUL piece of info. and I salute that) and the new switch you are putting in is a self grounding switch.......but if the viewers chose to get a non self-grounding then they can go through all the trouble you did....but you still do not have to drill the hole in the box but just screw the ground wire onto one of the existing screws already in there since it is attaching to the metal box... Hope this comment did not offend you. You DID provide an informational video though. Thanks and have a good day.
True but still when it comes to electricity, redundancy are good. Say someone removes the switch without the turning the correct breaker off. Its still grounded. 2 minutes extra might just save a life.
I have a couple of older boxes grounded from behind. My home is grounded under NEC code in 1955. On those boxes, is it legal to use a grounding clip to the metal box and jump a ground wire to the grounding screw on the switch?
Using an existing screw would work electrically but would fail inspection. Ground screws must be exclusively for grounding. At least that's my understanding.
👌thank you sir for this clear demonstration of skills and proficiency that i've been looking for all over the internet and is very confusing - to tellya the true - vs. the highly simple but concise technical explanation with all details involved that you offered in one shoot 👍👀🤠
Yesterday I intended to install a dimming smart switch in the master bathroom. This house was built in 1990. Well, the new switch requires a neutral line to work. All I found in the box was ground, the hot (white) and the load (black) wires. NO neutral to be found. I know that is backwards of how it is done in newer houses. Apparently, back in the day, the electrician tried to save a few bucks and used only one Romex to the switch box. Therefore, no neutral was in the box. Luckily for me, there was a regular outlet about 18 inches away. I knew it would have a neutral. So, I ran a white 14 gage wire through the wall to bring a neutral to the smart switch. Bingo! The smart switch is working perfectly!
Well there is really no need for a return (white-neutral) in a switch box. He or she should have put black tape or used a black marker to mark the white wire. Glad you got it done. The way it was done is how I have done it for 40 +years
Sparky Channel Hi Bill In my opinion I don’t think the Seahawks are going to be that good at all this upcoming season, too many problems to list here lol Hope everything is going good for you!
Not for a light switch/switch because with the metal type of wiring if its metal type meaning armoured cable that is enough if it is uninterupted between the ground whatever you decide to use for goround such as any metal continuoues with grounding/earth contact either a metal NOT gas/fuel type of pipe nor steam but only water cold water prefferably... pipe or else the rebar of enougj surface area within some concrete for the ground what is called a ufer ground if making a new install etc... however this is not what you should do if you ever are going to sell because if you try to sell then it may need to be certofied that it is built with the techniqies of a specific way or method for just about anything so if it is then you need to be careful more so with how you build.
I have the same question. I thought about adding a pigtail just to make things obvious, but I decided against it for no strong reasons. I'd like to understand the pros of the pigtail addition and whether it's a code requirement.
I know it technically doesn’t matter which wire goes where on a single pole switch, but I was taught that the line side goes to the bottom terminal and the load side goes to the top so that’s the way I always wire it.
That’s how I do it, even though not required. It’s good to have a method when installing devices. I hook the conductors onto the terminal, and keep line in the bottom, load on top for switches. Old school wiring can be confusing. Modern wiring makes installations better.
IF your multimeter has a continuity check, couldnt you just check continuity between the case and the neutral wire, instead of turning the power back on?
This video really helped me out! We have a house built in 1961 that has grounding in the wiring itself, but the previous owners bonded it to a screw inside the box. Can I run the pig tail from the copper bond or should I still drill a tap into the box?
You have a second alternative because your electrical is grandfathered: you can run a ground wire by attaching a grounding clip to the metal box edge and run a ground wire from the clip to the switch ground screw.
Yep, stripping old wire is a PAIN, compared to fresh new stuff. Thanks for showing the Knipex hybrid pliers in use: they are very fancy, but I'm worried about the length & "height" of the nose.
I'm going to add heat shrink around my cloth BX cables in the box where there is fraying and damage in the air exposed switch box. What color should I buy for the Line and Load wires in the switch loop to be 2021 compliant?
I don't have metal boxes to screw the pigtail into. I'm trying to wire a lutron diva dimmer it comes with two red, one black and one ground. It's working with just the solid red and black wires connected. Do I really need the ground?
My boxes were all that old resin black boxes and the only ground was a red wire strapped to the cold water pipe at the kitchen sink and laundry. Naturally when the house was re-piped from galvanized to copped, those grounds were suddenly missing.
@@tkjazzer No, they were apparently not concerned about reattaching the ground wire, because the connection was a pipe clamp located in the attic, in a very small confined area that the new copper pipe was not close to. And I found the only three prong outlets were the garbage disposal and the washer and dryer outlet. These two had a #12 red wire ground attached to the adjacent galvanized old pipe inside the inaccessible wall cavity. But, it would have been nice if the plumbers had notified me of the abandoned ground attachments for these two outlets before they closed the wall they had opened up for the new pipes. Because I had to cut holes to fish new romex to ground them. I initially ran a single #10 ground wire from the panel into a junction box in the attic to ground those two outlets and left all the other outlets and wire alone. But after a kitchen remodel, it made sense to rewire all the kitchen outlets when the walls were opened up and then it snow balled, because I had to open the drywall to get access to the back of the panel. And then since that was open......
@@tkjazzer I always thought that the way they would ground the panel was with a # 6 wire to the water service where it first hits the house, providing they used a galvanized pipe in the ground and not pvc, but my house had the panel grounded to the galvanized cold water pipe in the very confined attic area. It was probably easy to get to when they did it, before the drywall was installed in the ceiling.
@Sparky Channel. Thanks for reposting the information. Question: If I have back stabbing receptacles and have a stock of back stabbing receptacles, should I only use the terminal screws in the future? And I take it the existing receptacles can remain in the wall until they really need to be replaced (the sockets are loose)? Hope you and your family stay safe and well.
How come you replaced this snap switch with a spec switch instead of just a cheap resi switch? Also, instead of tapping a new hole for a ground screw, you can remove the bottom clamp that wasn't being used for anything. It uses a 10-32 screw, just like ground. Removing that unneeded clamp also gives you more wire-fill, also a good thing!
Trying to change 2 light switches to 1 power box. The power coming in from the breakers has 2 wires only (black & white, no ground). However, the wires going out to 2 switches have 3 wires each (black, white, red). How do I go about this? Thanks
Glad to see ya again; for some reason you were deleted from my subscriptions after I updated RUclips few weeks back. Not sure what happened, but glad I got you back👍🏻 Hope doing well as “can be”.... Catcha L8R ✌🏼
Aepek! Great to hear from you! My channel got hacked and I lost 934 videos, 182K subscribers and 65 million total views. Easy come easy go huh? Anyway, so glad to hear from you and thanks for re-subbing. Catcha L8R ✌🏼
Sparky Channel that’s horrible, but does explain why I “lost” you..... Ppl can be horrible some times; but than.....surprise ya & be “great” the next.... Sorry to hear this happened; it glad your back in my feed again😊
This box wasn't grounded: How to Replace 2 Switches: 3-Way and Single Pole When You Have No Ground per NEC 2020: ruclips.net/video/go6ri_CHmac/видео.html
@@SparkyChannel I have the vintage 2 wire electrical system when replacing the light switch say the metal box isn't bonded , do I add a pig tail ground from the switch to the metal box ? Or will that create a short?
Love your videos but if the box is flush and if you have self grounding yoke and you have both than article 250.146B contact device or yokes designed and listed as self grounding shall be permitted in conjunction with supporting screws to establish equipment bonding between device yoke and flush type boxes
Sparky, thanks for the informative videos. I have a single pole switch that controls 8 flood lights on the 4 corners of my home. I wanted to add a Smart Switch that requires a Neutral wire. In the box there are 3 wires Black, White & bare ground. My guess is that this was done incorrectly as the white is not a neutral. Is there a safe way to add a neutral (required by the Smart Switch). Thanks for your advice.
Oh, believe me, the cheap switches we have today don't make it to 5 years sometimes. You can still buy quality switches that will last a lifetime though.
My switch recently broke. When I removed it, the ground wire was just floating in the box. My new switch has a ground screw. Can I just attach the ground to the switch?
Right, I removed a switch last week and the wiring literally crumbled in front of my eyes. The rope sheathing was gone, all the wires were practically bare,. SCARY
@@mook528 I feel you there same things happening to me on everything I touch in this house .. I been putting heat shrink over the wires to somewhat protect them from arking out ( use a heat gun on low setting to melt heat shrink ) Don't use a flame whatever you do .. but replace if you can with up to code wire
@@christophermedeiros1806 that's the issue, how do you "replace" wiring without ripping out walls? I wrapped the exposed wire with electrical tape, I thought about heat shrink but then I'd have to blast the box with a heat gun which on low is still very how so I decided against that. I even thought to cut the wire as far bask as possible and splice new wire on but I just decided not to press my luck
@@mook528 I replaced what I could but I had to cut openings in walls put new boxes and used a fish tape put sheet rock squares back seamed in and touched up or I cut back as far as I could put a new box and fished new wire off new box to light or plug whatever that was on first floor 2nd more challenging
@@YourEyesTheyLie Good lordy... what if there was never a ground wire run to the back of the metal box? Older homes don't always have grounded receptacles. The box has to already be grounded, if you intend to ground a new switch or a new outlet.
@@mts7274 Your original question wasn't detailed like your last response. Check the box for grounding by using a voltage meter. Touch one end of the tester to the hot (black wire) and the other to the inside of the box. If you have voltage, then it's grounded - that's when you can add a ground wire. If not, you'll have to replace the box.
I bought this exact switch. I couldn't fit the switch in the box without bending the tab that goes to the grounding screw on the switch. Is this common? What would you do? I have BX cable with grounded box. 1929. I am relying on the screws to metal box for ground. Is bending that tab ok?
Hi Mr. Sparky. I have an old style, single pole light switch, but it has the screws on the top of the receptacle instead of the sides. It has a metal box with only two wires.This house is very old. I turned off the power, but it still lit up my electric detector. What can I do? I don't want to get shocked! Thanks so much!
I definitely learned a few things from this video. Thank you. I'm in a 30's or 40's 6-story building in Brooklyn, NY. I have a light switch in the bathroom that looks very similar to this. There are two wires, both with black fabric jackets, and one has some white paint on it. I'm hoping to get some kind of combination rocker switch / single outlet in there because there are currently no outlets in the bathroom at all. I can't access the area behind or around the switch box, and I'm not sure if it's grounded. Is there an easy way to check?
Hi, Im replacing mine as well. can i leave the ground in the wall or since the new light switch has the ground screw, do i have to get grounding pigtails? (i believe i have a ground to the wall since theres open copper wire in the back of the box)
Sparky, you didn't exactly explain WHY you used the meter - you said "to make some important tests". It seems like your test verifies that the box IS grounded so adding a pigtail to the back of the box to ground the switch is OK to do. What would the meter have shown if the box WASN'T grounded and what should one do about that? Should they just install a switch without a ground wire/pigtail? I love your vids, I just need you to go a little bit farther in your explanation on this. Thx!
If the box not grounded or the box isn’t metal! Then you need to run a ground to like a metal plumbing pipe. They have ground connectors for hooking to plumbing pipes you can buy.. but normally you don’t need a ground on a light switch and many don’t have one either! Where the problem comes in not having the ground on your light switch is many of these new smart plugs or light switches do require a ground wire and they won’t work without a proper ground! If your box is plastic and there’s only the power and load wires connected. I don’t even worry about shutting the power off. You can’t get shocked unless there’s a ground or return wire in the box too or maybe if your standing in a tub of water? LOL Worse thing that happens if those two wires touch with the power on is your light turns on! LOL This older home with the metal box being grounded more understandable turning the power off first though, especially working with old wiring you never know where the wire insulation might be wore off?
Yay! House Renovation Time returns! BTW, I was also a victim of (silent/secret/evil) subscription deletion. I've been replacing some switches and receptacles lately. Any hints for dealing with old and super stiff wires? Also, I love that you use the industrial-strength version of the switch - I do the same (Leviton Decora line). Again, any hints for getting these bulkier devices in small boxes?
Hi Jerry! Great to have you back!!! I think it's awful the way all the subscribers got deleted with no notice! I've tried many times to get through to RUclips but they just ignore me. Oh well, it is what it is and it's time to just move forward and celebrate the good things like your finding Sparky Channel again. Yeay!!
I had to bend the ground screw tab while screwing it in and it bent the switch. Can't really notice but plate is slightly off now. Would love to hear his tips on this issue
Good video. One question, you have two metal screws there attaching to the metal box , why don;t you remove one and screw the ground onto it? Why do you need to drill a new hole on the metal box?
I just bought a house built in 1955, and it appears the wiring is from around then too. How can you tell if the box is grounded or not? I have mostly 2 "prong" outlets, and would like to replace those with new grounded ones
Chances are if your house is that old without any EGC the box itself won’t be grounded but if you want to check you can use a multimeter and set it to measure continuity (resistance) of the box
Bill, I wonder if you can help me. I'm trying to replace a single pole switch, but I can't identify the "ground" wire. It's not clearly marked on the old switch. What can I do? I have photos...
I was trying to change the 2 prong outlet to a 3 prong, but realized it didn’t have a ground wire. It had a metal box, and when I did the test with the multimeter(one lead to the hot, and the other to the box…I only got like 60). Does that mean it’s not grounded? The box was also coated in paint and plaster…could that affect my reading??
Paint and plaster can affect your readings. Scratch the box with a screwdriver and measure again, values less than line voltage means the box is not grounded.
the switch that sparky used, was for 15-20 amps, remember if your cables are 14 awg use 15amps, if you have 12awg wire use 20amps switch, but also you can see the breaker panel of that circuit and you will see.
So the way you tell if the box provides a good ground is that multimeter test? Can outlets be grounded the same way with pigtails? I have an older house built in 1966 and it has those annoying 2 prong outlets in the older parts of the house.
It will work without electricity finds its own least resistant way to ground and so you ground it so it goes the ground instead of making you become the ground in case of mishap it's not 12-volt it doesn't require ground none
Hey sparky! I have an older 60s home with non grounded light switch. Has plastic type material box. What im wondering is i wanna change my light switches to new decora style. Can i change them legal to code with out ground. And install a screwless face plate? Would tgat be code compliant? Thanks sparky
I have a triple light box wired with the 2 wires and no ground. But my box is some kind of old plastic not metal. Do I need to ground? I am changing to rocker switches..Thanks
Under ideal conditions when a switch or outlet is installed it is screwed down tight so the mounting strap is in physical contact with the box. However, many times the box may be too deep. Are you going to rely on ground continuity from 2 6/32 screw threads to carry a potential 15 to 20 amp fault current to ground? That's why it's good to use a tight screwed in 14 or 12 ga jumper, you now have a secure, low resistance connection.
This is true but better safer than sorry. If you aren't going to ground the device with a pigtail at least mount the device and then test that it's grounded, sometimes these old boxes have paint and so much dirt and build up on the face that a good ground is blocked.
Sharpies should not be allowed for color coding as they fade to nothing in a few months. I relearned that lesson when I was using a Sharpie to label home runs on the jackets a while ago. It was several months between the rough in and the finish. The labels were almost unreadable and this was an interior location. I have used them (only once!) marking out truss locations on a top plate which did not get completed that winter. Come spring they were completely gone. I had gotten spoiled decades ago with the old "Magic Markers" which had a strong smell of acetone but would write on anything and it stayed. Don't even bother trying to use Sharpies as a laundry marker. A paint marker is probably the best way to handle color coding the conductors. If you use electrical tape and do it according to manufacturer's instruction it can also be effective. The way most use it lets it loosen up and fall off with time. 3M has a tutorial on how to use theirs. I know, who would of thought electrical tape would be complicated! One of the tricks they mention is don't stretch it for the final few wraps if you do it will let go.
I love your videos! My family just painted rhe house and now i am replacing all the ugly yellowish light switches from the 1950s/60s… i just found one that has wires fitted on the TOP of the little box instead of the sides. Do you know what style that is??
Isn’t that a self grounding switch ?, I’ve watched other videos you posted and believe you don’t need the ground pig tail. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
@@pcar5 if you removed the switch while energized the redundant ground provides a path of equal potential to ground should a fault occur. If the device has a provision for ground use it.
That is actually going to be more on the orientation of the switch than how the wires are connected. It is going to read off when the circuit is broken(open) and on when the circuit is complete(closed) and for a simple switch, that is going to make no difference.
I wish you mentioned the red flashes when checking the wires - what does that mean? I get that sometimes and freaks me out. I have watched countless videos it never seems to happen to anyone else or anyone mention it could. I do feel better now seeing it didn't faze you one bit. 😏 I got a Fluke by the way and that helps too but I wish I could find somewhere explaining why that didn't seem to bother you any and what exactly does it mean.
Sounds like you may have a short in the system. You need to trace it where the true Hot wire from and check all those receptacle and switches that leading up to the switch you're replacing.
If you are wiring just one device and have good length of wire then sure, but when you have to install devices all day or are working with short wire you will appreciate back wiring.
Wait a minute, that NCVT is flickering red when there is no voltage or hot wire? Shouldn't it flicker green instead and then flicker red when it finds a hot wire? 🤔
This video makes me nervous. I don't trust the wiring in 2 wire houses. I used to live in an old Victorian era Queen Anne house my parents had been given that was so old that to light up the dining and living rooms the original owners had inserted wires through the old gas light fixtures and stuck on sockets back when electricity was new. That old 2 cord wiring was cloth covered rubber over the solid wire. By the 1970s and 80s that wire was so fragile that almost any touching of it resulted in insulation cracking or flaking off somewhere. If you tugged on a wire in an outlet box to get a little more, there was a good chance some insulation fell off inside the wall. We learned not to do that. Someone did some 'upgrades' in the 1940s(?) or 50s and added more wall plugs and switches but the wires were still the old cloth type. Fuze boxes in the basement when we got it in the 60s and 1 fuze receptacle had a 1930s penny in it instead of a fuze. The main power cut off was a huge knife switch on the all alongside the fuze box. There was some ground, but not on everything. There were some push button switches that if you touched them wrong you got a shock. When I took control in the 1990s one of my first self assigned tasks was to remove all of the old wires, replacing it all with new wires grounded to a well grounded new circuit breaker box. Such a waste of time and $ on my part and a lovely house soon to be gone. A few years later NYC claimed Eminent Domain and tore down it and all the similar houses on the block and built an "Ultra Low Income Housing' High Rise where they had stood. All that said, I prefer switches that go click or clack to the noisless kind the big stores sell. I want to here a click when I throw the switch.
So it won’t work if it’s not grounded? I changed out my switch but it didn’t have a ground wire or the green screw. But on the new one I put in it does . So would I have to do what u did n ground it?
Curious question from an electronics ("I don't like fiddling with anything above 50 volts") guy: What's the difference between an electrician's meter and the kind of digital multimeters used for low-voltage electronics? The one you're showing in this video looks very much like what we use in an electronics workshop, but does it have special functions pertaining specifically to an electrician's work?
Generally Electrician’s meters are normally rated for higher voltage and safety classes ; also true rms voltage measurements since we deal with AC on polyphase systems which will tend to give you strange ghost voltage readings with a non-RMS meter, and my higher end fluke meters have higher resolution to measure pulse modulated DC voltage and frequency something that a electronics guy really wouldn’t need to do unless he’s doing engineering or very high level bench work.
UK electrician. I would as well. Isolation with volt stick, un shielded test leads on fluke. Insulation tape? Didn't have sound on but CPC to back box means everything is protected. Never seen any testing.
No mention of if there is no ground. Old post and loop style wiring and replacing it would require total destruction of the walls. Spend 50K to replace the wiring, walls, parts, labor, etc, just for grounding purposes?
@@SparkyChannel The one you did does, but the vast majority of the ones in my house are ungrounded. Can't find any 2 prong outlets to replace weak ones I have either.
@@crazysquirrel9425 I'm a bit late to this conversation, but did you consider replacing the 2-prong outlet with GFCI outlets? Sparky has several videos about that, all of which I watched several times before I replaced 2-prong outlets with GFCI outlets.
@@chuckm.9744 GFCI outlets to not match the antique decor. Building is well over 100 years old. It even used to have gas pipes for gas lighting too. Fireplaces for heating. Pocket doors with crown molding. Etc. Even the covers do not match the decor. Haven't seen a dark brown GFCI either. If my panel was more modern, I might consider using a GFCI breaker. And placing ugly stickers all over the place destroys the nuance.
so what does a person have to do if these are the only 2 wires u have in the box....but yet you want to install a fancy dancy new smart switch that needs a neutral wire?
Do it your self, In this case It was not necessary to add the green ground wire, switch is grounded to the metal grounded box with the switch mounting screws, He over did it.
If installed during original construction it is likely nailed on the outside. You can run an oscillating saw blade between the 2x4 and the box to cut the nails (instead of breaking up the drywall).
@Sparky Channel Im electrician in texas, and I have seen electrician in Austin that they use the electrical screwdriver "bosch go2", what do you think about that tool for electricians?
Bill I am a retired GC and EC from Calif. I built homes for over 40 years. I have watched many of the Electrical videos on You Tube and I have to say that your emphasis on safety is the best out there. Keep up the good work and keep the videos coming. People especially DIY'rs need to be aware of the danger when working with electricity. God bless you.
Thanks Jack! Yes, safety first! God bless you as well.
You edited out the part I really wanted to see - how to keep tension on the tape while trying to get under the screws. In most of your other videos you completely remove the screws, but in this one you left them in like us normal people :)
You are a fantastic teacher. I moved into an 80 year old house. I cannot afford to pay for an electrician. So you are helping me immensely. I am trying to find a video where the old knob and tube insulated wires that are thick in diameter due to the corded wrapping wire insulation and are short in length and long so it is difficult to fit the outlet into the old boxes. It is difficult to fit the GFCI outlets into the box after attaching the wires to the outlets. Have you made a video that instructs how to handle these very old wires. Some wires are so short that I feel they need to be spliced to extend them. You are a very good electrician. I wish I had all the testing tools you use. Thank you, Gina
Hi Gina! Bless you, it sounds like you have a wonderful house. From the sound of it I really think that your house needs to be re-wired. Or perhaps if that isn't possible perhaps one circuit could be re-wired at a time. Knob and tube wiring has reached the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced as soon as practical. Until then be as gentle as you can be with that old wiring. Best wishes!
@@SparkyChannel That is exactly what I have. After living in this house 110 year-old house for 35 years, I am finally reworking the questionable circuits one at a time, like you have recommended here, and room-by-room. When a new service panel was installed well before I bought the home, they rewired all the visible wire in the basement with 3-conductor NM-B up to junction boxes where some K&T, and some 2-conductor wire went up the walls. My first step was to map the circuits and label the junction boxes. In many cases , it is easy to use the old wire to pull a new 3-conductor wire through the wall. Often it was just a 4 foot length of wire to replace. I am also replacing the small outlet boxes with fiberglass old-work boxes. My goal is to at least make each circuit safer with dual AFCI/GFCI breakers or AFCI breakers and GFCI receptacles, and to replace as much 2-conductor wire with 3-conductor with an equipment ground as I can. There are only a few circuits that will be beyond my ability to replace, and I will either hire an electrician to finish those, or use my map to disclose to the next owner. I am learning where I can be confident in the old wire, and where not. The old K&T is mostly in good shape. The problem is the 1950's wire which seems to have a much poorer quality of insulation.
i love those old switches that give a nice solid click. i have no plans on changing them in my house.
It is a heat tought memory
Yes, and those switches are made of ceramic and thick brass (after daily use for 1/2 century and they are still working like a charm)---not some cheap plastic and thin metal strips, BUT when it comes time to sell your house and the young buyers (as clueless as they are) prefer new, "updated" switches because they don't care about functions and longevity but only cosmetics.....you know the usual with the new generations, forms are more important than substance..
@@trankt54155 well, I am 18 so I won’t be selling it for a long time, the house was built in 1959 and has pretty much all original stuff and I have no plans on replacing anything that is not broken or causing issues. Even my fridge is from 1987
@@WalterKnox My house was built in 1945 and everything was solidly made in the USA. The walls are all cement plastered....
@@trankt54155 nice, keep it that way. It always makes me really sad to see some old house completely gutted and all cheap materials put in so someone would buy it. I wish more people would appreciate things like that. You can always build new cheap houses, but you can never make a vintage one again. Once they have all been ripped apart that is it.
I remember doing this on the same age home in California. Thankfully all the boxes were metal and grounded so, adding newer grounded outlets was easy. the wierd part about it is that back then, the ground was always #14. wire.... but the good thing was that at least we were able to update the outlets for modern use............and this was back in the late 1980's.... at least the electrician was thinking right!
I was wondering why I was seeing neutral wires used as hots. 1979 build and now I'm feeling more confident taking on the switch change project. Thanks!
Excellent!
And that's why anytime a white wire is used as a hot it is supposed to be re-identified as a hot, by wrapping the end with black or red tape, heat shrink, or similar means. And a lot of 70s houses will have power run to a light fixture, with a single 14/2 cable dropped down to the switch, using the white as a hot, and the black as a switched hot.
The switch that you are putting is actually self-grounding with the ground connecting to the metal strip that you screw into the metal housing box.......on top of that there is a brass on the lower screw to indicate that it is self ground.......you do not need to go through all the trouble of drilling the box to establish the grounding, etc......you could short cut the video to two minutes by informing the audience that there is already self grounding of the box (which you showed with you multimeter and that is VERY USEFUL piece of info. and I salute that) and the new switch you are putting in is a self grounding switch.......but if the viewers chose to get a non self-grounding then they can go through all the trouble you did....but you still do not have to drill the hole in the box but just screw the ground wire onto one of the existing screws already in there since it is attaching to the metal box... Hope this comment did not offend you. You DID provide an informational video though. Thanks and have a good day.
Thanks!
True but still when it comes to electricity, redundancy are good. Say someone removes the switch without the turning the correct breaker off. Its still grounded. 2 minutes extra might just save a life.
I have a couple of older boxes grounded from behind. My home is grounded under NEC code in 1955. On those boxes, is it legal to use a grounding clip to the metal box and jump a ground wire to the grounding screw on the switch?
@@maxheadroom8857 Yes. The clips are used whenever a tapped grounding point is not available in the box.
Using an existing screw would work electrically but would fail inspection. Ground screws must be exclusively for grounding. At least that's my understanding.
Thanks for explaining that so well. Bought an older home and the black and white not being hot and neutral had me confused for a min lol.
👌thank you sir for this clear demonstration of skills and proficiency that i've been looking for all over the internet and is very confusing - to tellya the true - vs. the highly simple but concise technical explanation with all details involved that you offered in one shoot 👍👀🤠
Yesterday I intended to install a dimming smart switch in the master bathroom. This house was built in 1990. Well, the new switch requires a neutral line to work. All I found in the box was ground, the hot (white) and the load (black) wires. NO neutral to be found. I know that is backwards of how it is done in newer houses. Apparently, back in the day, the electrician tried to save a few bucks and used only one Romex to the switch box. Therefore, no neutral was in the box. Luckily for me, there was a regular outlet about 18 inches away. I knew it would have a neutral. So, I ran a white 14 gage wire through the wall to bring a neutral to the smart switch. Bingo! The smart switch is working perfectly!
Well there is really no need for a return (white-neutral) in a switch box. He or she should have put black tape or used a black marker to mark the white wire. Glad you got it done. The way it was done is how I have done it for 40 +years
@@godfreyappliance5585 it’s been code since 2011 nec for exactly the reason above. An electronic control device.
Just be sure that the neutral you tapped was on the same circuit.
@@mook528 always do. 40+ years
Hey Bill I’m glad you’re back!!!
Great to hear from you!!! How are your Seahawks going to do this year?
Sparky Channel
Hi Bill In my opinion I don’t think the Seahawks are going to be that good at all this upcoming season, too many problems to list here lol
Hope everything is going good for you!
If the box is grounded, wouldn't the device still be grounded when the switch is screwed to the metal box or a ground wire is still needed?
Not for a light switch/switch because with the metal type of wiring if its metal type meaning armoured cable that is enough if it is uninterupted between the ground whatever you decide to use for goround such as any metal continuoues with grounding/earth contact either a metal NOT gas/fuel type of pipe nor steam but only water cold water prefferably... pipe or else the rebar of enougj surface area within some concrete for the ground what is called a ufer ground if making a new install etc... however this is not what you should do if you ever are going to sell because if you try to sell then it may need to be certofied that it is built with the techniqies of a specific way or method for just about anything so if it is then you need to be careful more so with how you build.
I have the same question. I thought about adding a pigtail just to make things obvious, but I decided against it for no strong reasons.
I'd like to understand the pros of the pigtail addition and whether it's a code requirement.
That’s one hell of a switch for just 1 light
I have also run into Mercury switches. Not often. They show up once in a while
Yes, they were very quiet.
I know it technically doesn’t matter which wire goes where on a single pole switch, but I was taught that the line side goes to the bottom terminal and the load side goes to the top so that’s the way I always wire it.
That’s how I do it, even though not required. It’s good to have a method when installing devices.
I hook the conductors onto the terminal, and keep line in the bottom, load on top for switches.
Old school wiring can be confusing. Modern wiring makes installations better.
IF your multimeter has a continuity check, couldnt you just check continuity between the case and the neutral wire, instead of turning the power back on?
This video really helped me out! We have a house built in 1961 that has grounding in the wiring itself, but the previous owners bonded it to a screw inside the box. Can I run the pig tail from the copper bond or should I still drill a tap into the box?
You have a second alternative because your electrical is grandfathered: you can run a ground wire by attaching a grounding clip to the metal box edge and run a ground wire from the clip to the switch ground screw.
Yep, stripping old wire is a PAIN, compared to fresh new stuff. Thanks for showing the Knipex hybrid pliers in use: they are very fancy, but I'm worried about the length & "height" of the nose.
my master would kill me if I used sharpie for black labeling?
Yes,, wires from the 1960's don't strip like the new wires. The Knipex is the best that I've found for the job.
You could look it up in the old 2008 NEC. Those wire wires had to be indelibly color coded. Red would work too, or black or red electrical tape.
Can you do a series of videos on how to connect newer switches, lights and receptacles to older aluminum wiring?
I have a switch that requires a neutral, and I have the same wiring as you. What can I do?
Nice video. You forgot to add a link for the Scotch 33 black electrical tape...
I'm going to add heat shrink around my cloth BX cables in the box where there is fraying and damage in the air exposed switch box. What color should I buy for the Line and Load wires in the switch loop to be 2021 compliant?
I don't have metal boxes to screw the pigtail into. I'm trying to wire a lutron diva dimmer it comes with two red, one black and one ground. It's working with just the solid red and black wires connected. Do I really need the ground?
My boxes were all that old resin black boxes and the only ground was a red wire strapped to the cold water pipe at the kitchen sink and laundry. Naturally when the house was re-piped from galvanized to copped, those grounds were suddenly missing.
Copper would ground. So they didn't reattach the grounding wire?
@@tkjazzer No, they were apparently not concerned about reattaching the ground wire, because the connection was a pipe clamp located in the attic, in a very small confined area that the new copper pipe was not close to. And I found the only three prong outlets were the garbage disposal and the washer and dryer outlet. These two had a #12 red wire ground attached to the adjacent galvanized old pipe inside the inaccessible wall cavity.
But, it would have been nice if the plumbers had notified me of the abandoned ground attachments for these two outlets before they closed the wall they had opened up for the new pipes. Because I had to cut holes to fish new romex to ground them. I initially ran a single #10 ground wire from the panel into a junction box in the attic to ground those two outlets and left all the other outlets and wire alone. But after a kitchen remodel, it made sense to rewire all the kitchen outlets when the walls were opened up and then it snow balled, because I had to open the drywall to get access to the back of the panel. And then since that was open......
@@tkjazzer I always thought that the way they would ground the panel was with a # 6 wire to the water service where it first hits the house, providing they used a galvanized pipe in the ground and not pvc, but my house had the panel grounded to the galvanized cold water pipe in the very confined attic area. It was probably easy to get to when they did it, before the drywall was installed in the ceiling.
@Sparky Channel. Thanks for reposting the information.
Question: If I have back stabbing receptacles and have a stock of back stabbing receptacles, should I only use the terminal screws in the future? And I take it the existing receptacles can remain in the wall until they really need to be replaced (the sockets are loose)?
Hope you and your family stay safe and well.
Yes, you inspired me to make a video to answer your question. :)
How come you replaced this snap switch with a spec switch instead of just a cheap resi switch? Also, instead of tapping a new hole for a ground screw, you can remove the bottom clamp that wasn't being used for anything. It uses a 10-32 screw, just like ground. Removing that unneeded clamp also gives you more wire-fill, also a good thing!
Was also wondering why he used an industrial spec switch.
Was wondering why he bothered to run the ground when it’s self grounding switch And the box was already grounded
house bulit in the 70 almost always got power from the light jumction box
Changed out switches in my inlaws house because there kitchen light would strobe. The switch was a ceramic type. Changed out problem fixed.
Now with the new LEDs, some iluminaries need fisical ground to work property, meaning nos flashing when they are turn off.
@@armdelgado what is fisical ground?
@@tkjazzer physical ground
Trying to change 2 light switches to 1 power box. The power coming in from the breakers has 2 wires only (black & white, no ground). However, the wires going out to 2 switches have 3 wires each (black, white, red). How do I go about this? Thanks
Love your channel. Keep up the great work sir.
Thanks, will do!
Very professional :3
But I'll show some love for the flathead screws. Especially if they sit flush. Easier for flush cover plates.
Thanks!
What if the box doesn't show close to 120 V when you compare it to the live wire? Then how could you ground the switch?
Those switches from the 60s just sound better.
LOL! Yes they do. Except at night when you're trying to sleep. :)
Great vid Bill ... Gotta love those flathead screws ... Lol ...
I saved them for you. LOL!
GREAT LESSON. THANKS FOR SHARING!
My pleasure!
At that point in time grounding meant running a wire to a cold water pipe
LOL!
YESSS... 😂
I enjoyed your video. Excelent job of explaining what you were doing. Keep it up!
Thanks, will do!
Glad to see ya again; for some reason you were deleted from my subscriptions after I updated RUclips few weeks back. Not sure what happened, but glad I got you back👍🏻
Hope doing well as “can be”....
Catcha L8R ✌🏼
Aepek! Great to hear from you! My channel got hacked and I lost 934 videos, 182K subscribers and 65 million total views. Easy come easy go huh? Anyway, so glad to hear from you and thanks for re-subbing. Catcha L8R ✌🏼
Sparky Channel that’s horrible, but does explain why I “lost” you.....
Ppl can be horrible some times; but than.....surprise ya & be “great” the next....
Sorry to hear this happened; it glad your back in my feed again😊
''أnMj
What do you do if the box isnt grounded while doing a device change out
This box wasn't grounded: How to Replace 2 Switches: 3-Way and Single Pole When You Have No Ground per NEC 2020: ruclips.net/video/go6ri_CHmac/видео.html
Is that necessary all the time to install a grounding wire? Thank you
Not if you use a switch with a self-grounding clip. Redundant grounds are a good thing though.
@@SparkyChannel I have the vintage 2 wire electrical system when replacing the light switch say the metal box isn't bonded , do I add a pig tail ground from the switch to the metal box ? Or will that create a short?
Love your videos but if the box is flush and if you have self grounding yoke and you have both than article 250.146B contact device or yokes designed and listed as self grounding shall be permitted in conjunction with supporting screws to establish equipment bonding between device yoke and flush type boxes
That's true.
So
Depends on AHJ. Some require EGC also.
but what if the boxes arent grounded?
Then just don’t connect to the ground wire but since it’s not grounded you have to use a cover plate it does not have any metal on it
Sparky, thanks for the informative videos. I have a single pole switch that controls 8 flood lights on the 4 corners of my home. I wanted to add a Smart Switch that requires a Neutral wire. In the box there are 3 wires Black, White & bare ground. My guess is that this was done incorrectly as the white is not a neutral. Is there a safe way to add a neutral (required by the Smart Switch). Thanks for your advice.
Doubt the new stuff will last 60 years
Oh, believe me, the cheap switches we have today don't make it to 5 years sometimes. You can still buy quality switches that will last a lifetime though.
Great tutorial!
Excellent breakdown. Great video. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
My switch recently broke. When I removed it, the ground wire was just floating in the box. My new switch has a ground screw. Can I just attach the ground to the switch?
Yes.
atleast you have nicer wires then the 1943 rope fraded scary ass shit I have
Right, I removed a switch last week and the wiring literally crumbled in front of my eyes. The rope sheathing was gone, all the wires were practically bare,. SCARY
@@mook528 I feel you there same things happening to me on everything I touch in this house .. I been putting heat shrink over the wires to somewhat protect them from arking out ( use a heat gun on low setting to melt heat shrink ) Don't use a flame whatever you do .. but replace if you can with up to code wire
@@christophermedeiros1806 that's the issue, how do you "replace" wiring without ripping out walls? I wrapped the exposed wire with electrical tape, I thought about heat shrink but then I'd have to blast the box with a heat gun which on low is still very how so I decided against that. I even thought to cut the wire as far bask as possible and splice new wire on but I just decided not to press my luck
@@mook528 I replaced what I could but I had to cut openings in walls put new boxes and used a fish tape put sheet rock squares back seamed in and touched up or I cut back as far as I could put a new box and fished new wire off new box to light or plug whatever that was on first floor 2nd more challenging
So how would you ground it when there is no ground attached to the metal box?
Did you not watch this video where he adds a ground wire?
@@YourEyesTheyLie Did you not read my comment? I asked how to ground it when there is NO GROUND attached to the metal box.
@@mts7274 Exactly, he adds a ground wire to the metal box. Is that not what you want?
@@YourEyesTheyLie Good lordy... what if there was never a ground wire run to the back of the metal box? Older homes don't always have grounded receptacles. The box has to already be grounded, if you intend to ground a new switch or a new outlet.
@@mts7274 Your original question wasn't detailed like your last response. Check the box for grounding by using a voltage meter. Touch one end of the tester to the hot (black wire) and the other to the inside of the box. If you have voltage, then it's grounded - that's when you can add a ground wire. If not, you'll have to replace the box.
I bought this exact switch. I couldn't fit the switch in the box without bending the tab that goes to the grounding screw on the switch. Is this common? What would you do? I have BX cable with grounded box. 1929. I am relying on the screws to metal box for ground. Is bending that tab ok?
Good video Sparky.
Thanks Gary!
Hi Mr. Sparky. I have an old style, single pole light switch, but it has the screws on the top of the receptacle instead of the sides. It has a metal box with only two wires.This house is very old. I turned off the power, but it still lit up my electric detector. What can I do? I don't want to get shocked! Thanks so much!
I definitely learned a few things from this video. Thank you.
I'm in a 30's or 40's 6-story building in Brooklyn, NY. I have a light switch in the bathroom that looks very similar to this. There are two wires, both with black fabric jackets, and one has some white paint on it. I'm hoping to get some kind of combination rocker switch / single outlet in there because there are currently no outlets in the bathroom at all.
I can't access the area behind or around the switch box, and I'm not sure if it's grounded. Is there an easy way to check?
Please see about 2:30
That is a test to see if your old metal box is grounded.
Hi, Im replacing mine as well. can i leave the ground in the wall or since the new light switch has the ground screw, do i have to get grounding pigtails? (i believe i have a ground to the wall since theres open copper wire in the back of the box)
Same question. 🙂
Sparky, you didn't exactly explain WHY you used the meter - you said "to make some important tests". It seems like your test verifies that the box IS grounded so adding a pigtail to the back of the box to ground the switch is OK to do. What would the meter have shown if the box WASN'T grounded and what should one do about that? Should they just install a switch without a ground wire/pigtail?
I love your vids, I just need you to go a little bit farther in your explanation on this. Thx!
I think the answer is supplied - but the point not really driven home - in this other Sparky video: ruclips.net/video/H-2ETtDBu9s/видео.html
If the box not grounded or the box isn’t metal! Then you need to run a ground to like a metal plumbing pipe. They have ground connectors for hooking to plumbing pipes you can buy.. but normally you don’t need a ground on a light switch and many don’t have one either! Where the problem comes in not having the ground on your light switch is many of these new smart plugs or light switches do require a ground wire and they won’t work without a proper ground! If your box is plastic and there’s only the power and load wires connected. I don’t even worry about shutting the power off. You can’t get shocked unless there’s a ground or return wire in the box too or maybe if your standing in a tub of water? LOL Worse thing that happens if those two wires touch with the power on is your light turns on! LOL This older home with the metal box being grounded more understandable turning the power off first though, especially working with old wiring you never know where the wire insulation might be wore off?
@@ghostridergale right, I only worry about grounding a switch if there is an available ground, if not then whatever. It's just one leg of a hot wire.
Yay! House Renovation Time returns! BTW, I was also a victim of (silent/secret/evil) subscription deletion. I've been replacing some switches and receptacles lately. Any hints for dealing with old and super stiff wires? Also, I love that you use the industrial-strength version of the switch - I do the same (Leviton Decora line). Again, any hints for getting these bulkier devices in small boxes?
Hi Jerry! Great to have you back!!! I think it's awful the way all the subscribers got deleted with no notice! I've tried many times to get through to RUclips but they just ignore me. Oh well, it is what it is and it's time to just move forward and celebrate the good things like your finding Sparky Channel again. Yeay!!
I had to bend the ground screw tab while screwing it in and it bent the switch. Can't really notice but plate is slightly off now. Would love to hear his tips on this issue
interesting and thanks for sharing. I ran into this on my grandparents house but the switch box is black and plastic
Good video. One question, you have two metal screws there attaching to the metal box , why don;t you remove one and screw the ground onto it? Why do you need to drill a new hole on the metal box?
Those screws should never be touched as they connect a ground wire to the back of the metal box. This is the old style 50's 60's grounding system.
What if that box was not grounded...
The just install the switch as-is
I just bought a house built in 1955, and it appears the wiring is from around then too. How can you tell if the box is grounded or not? I have mostly 2 "prong" outlets, and would like to replace those with new grounded ones
Chances are if your house is that old without any EGC the box itself won’t be grounded but if you want to check you can use a multimeter and set it to measure continuity (resistance) of the box
He just showed you in this video how to check for a grounded box
Replace with GFCI receps.
That door trim and stucco looks like just the 1960's Escondido home I just bought. Planning to swap out all the outlets and switches to decora.
I wouldn't doubt it because I live in San Diego. Excellent idea!
Bill, I wonder if you can help me. I'm trying to replace a single pole switch, but I can't identify the "ground" wire. It's not clearly marked on the old switch. What can I do? I have photos...
I was trying to change the 2 prong outlet to a 3 prong, but realized it didn’t have a ground wire. It had a metal box, and when I did the test with the multimeter(one lead to the hot, and the other to the box…I only got like 60). Does that mean it’s not grounded? The box was also coated in paint and plaster…could that affect my reading??
That's a back feed through the neutral correct?
Paint and plaster can affect your readings. Scratch the box with a screwdriver and measure again, values less than line voltage means the box is not grounded.
My house was built in the 50s and has a lot of these switches for exterior lights. How do you tell how many amps the new switch should be?
the switch that sparky used, was for 15-20 amps, remember if your cables are 14 awg use 15amps, if you have 12awg wire use 20amps switch, but also you can see the breaker panel of that circuit and you will see.
My apartment was built in 1962
Any normal light switch will work
I prefer the "screwed" look on switch and outlet covers myself.
Thanks!
So the way you tell if the box provides a good ground is that multimeter test? Can outlets be grounded the same way with pigtails? I have an older house built in 1966 and it has those annoying 2 prong outlets in the older parts of the house.
Why do you need a ground?
To avoid getting electrocuted
You don't need one, it just helps prevent shorts
Am I missing something here how are you getting ground from a metal box that's nailed anything wood??????
Or is your electrician Amish?
It will work without electricity finds its own least resistant way to ground and so you ground it so it goes the ground instead of making you become the ground in case of mishap it's not 12-volt it doesn't require ground none
@@davesmith1585It’s bonded with a ground wire to the back of the box.
Hey sparky! I have an older 60s home with non grounded light switch. Has plastic type material box. What im wondering is i wanna change my light switches to new decora style. Can i change them legal to code with out ground. And install a screwless face plate? Would tgat be code compliant? Thanks sparky
Nice job. Very professional. Thanks.
My pleasure, thanks!
I have a triple light box wired with the 2 wires and no ground. But my box is some kind of old plastic not metal. Do I need to ground? I am changing to rocker switches..Thanks
If the box is grounded which it is it makes no sense to add a wire from the switch to the box.
It's to ground the switch. Pay attention.
Under ideal conditions when a switch or outlet is installed it is screwed down tight so the mounting strap is in physical contact with the box. However, many times the box may be too deep. Are you going to rely on ground continuity from 2 6/32 screw threads to carry a potential 15 to 20 amp fault current to ground? That's why it's good to use a tight screwed in 14 or 12 ga jumper, you now have a secure, low resistance connection.
This is true but better safer than sorry. If you aren't going to ground the device with a pigtail at least mount the device and then test that it's grounded, sometimes these old boxes have paint and so much dirt and build up on the face that a good ground is blocked.
@@mook528 glad I stumbled upon this response.
Sharpies should not be allowed for color coding as they fade to nothing in a few months. I relearned that lesson when I was using a Sharpie to label home runs on the jackets a while ago. It was several months between the rough in and the finish. The labels were almost unreadable and this was an interior location. I have used them (only once!) marking out truss locations on a top plate which did not get completed that winter. Come spring they were completely gone. I had gotten spoiled decades ago with the old "Magic Markers" which had a strong smell of acetone but would write on anything and it stayed. Don't even bother trying to use Sharpies as a laundry marker. A paint marker is probably the best way to handle color coding the conductors. If you use electrical tape and do it according to manufacturer's instruction it can also be effective. The way most use it lets it loosen up and fall off with time. 3M has a tutorial on how to use theirs. I know, who would of thought electrical tape would be complicated! One of the tricks they mention is don't stretch it for the final few wraps if you do it will let go.
I love your videos! My family just painted rhe house and now i am replacing all the ugly yellowish light switches from the 1950s/60s… i just found one that has wires fitted on the TOP of the little box instead of the sides. Do you know what style that is??
Funny how a new switch looks exactly the same. That would not be the case in Europe unless it was a retro design which costs some 50 €.
Thanks Bill!!!!
You're welcome Mario!
Excellent job 👍👍very helpful Thank
You're welcome!
Great vid. Why did u put the federal spec not the decora plus?
I thought it might be less confusing for the tenants.
@@SparkyChannel this your rental property to make money for the apocalypse. damn!
@@SparkyChannel opq
Isn’t that a self grounding switch ?, I’ve watched other videos you posted and believe you don’t need the ground pig tail. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
I like to use both the EGC and the self grounding clip. Then you have redundant grounding methods.
@@SparkyChannel Which makes no sense.
@@pcar5 if you removed the switch while energized the redundant ground provides a path of equal potential to ground should a fault occur. If the device has a provision for ground use it.
@@ronaldarchibald2506 thank you, I finally understand why he is doing it.
Thank you again.
No problem, thanks!
It does matter which way you connect the line and load wires if you want the switch to read off or on when you put the switch back in the box.
That is actually going to be more on the orientation of the switch than how the wires are connected. It is going to read off when the circuit is broken(open) and on when the circuit is complete(closed) and for a simple switch, that is going to make no difference.
I wish you mentioned the red flashes when checking the wires - what does that mean? I get that sometimes and freaks me out. I have watched countless videos it never seems to happen to anyone else or anyone mention it could. I do feel better now seeing it didn't faze you one bit. 😏
I got a Fluke by the way and that helps too but I wish I could find somewhere explaining why that didn't seem to bother you any and what exactly does it mean.
Red blink every few seconds is to let you know the tester is on.
If you bump the testers hard enough they will give you a false indication. You're looking for sustained indication. That lets you know that it is hot.
hi,im planning on replacing my switch on my 1960 house but the wires are both hot.why is it?
Sounds like you may have a short in the system. You need to trace it where the true Hot wire from and check all those receptacle and switches that leading up to the switch you're replacing.
Maybe it is switching 240v?
Thank you
You're welcome, thanks!
Something about looping my conductor makes me sleep better at night🙄
If you are wiring just one device and have good length of wire then sure, but when you have to install devices all day or are working with short wire you will appreciate back wiring.
Wait a minute, that NCVT is flickering red when there is no voltage or hot wire? Shouldn't it flicker green instead and then flicker red when it finds a hot wire? 🤔
That particular model blinks every few seconds to let you know that it's working properly.
This video makes me nervous. I don't trust the wiring in 2 wire houses. I used to live in an old Victorian era Queen Anne house my parents had been given that was so old that to light up the dining and living rooms the original owners had inserted wires through the old gas light fixtures and stuck on sockets back when electricity was new. That old 2 cord wiring was cloth covered rubber over the solid wire. By the 1970s and 80s that wire was so fragile that almost any touching of it resulted in insulation cracking or flaking off somewhere. If you tugged on a wire in an outlet box to get a little more, there was a good chance some insulation fell off inside the wall. We learned not to do that. Someone did some 'upgrades' in the 1940s(?) or 50s and added more wall plugs and switches but the wires were still the old cloth type. Fuze boxes in the basement when we got it in the 60s and 1 fuze receptacle had a 1930s penny in it instead of a fuze. The main power cut off was a huge knife switch on the all alongside the fuze box. There was some ground, but not on everything. There were some push button switches that if you touched them wrong you got a shock. When I took control in the 1990s one of my first self assigned tasks was to remove all of the old wires, replacing it all with new wires grounded to a well grounded new circuit breaker box.
Such a waste of time and $ on my part and a lovely house soon to be gone. A few years later NYC claimed Eminent Domain and tore down it and all the similar houses on the block and built an "Ultra Low Income Housing' High Rise where they had stood. All that said, I prefer switches that go click or clack to the noisless kind the big stores sell. I want to here a click when I throw the switch.
Re-wiring is recommended, you're correct about that.
How can i install dimmer switches with black and white wires?
Look up a tutorial here on RUclips - there are plenty of choices.
So it won’t work if it’s not grounded? I changed out my switch but it didn’t have a ground wire or the green screw. But on the new one I put in it does . So would I have to do what u did n ground it?
Now with the new LEDs, some iluminaries need fisical ground to work property, meaning nos flasing when they are turn off.
Curious question from an electronics ("I don't like fiddling with anything above 50 volts") guy: What's the difference between an electrician's meter and the kind of digital multimeters used for low-voltage electronics? The one you're showing in this video looks very much like what we use in an electronics workshop, but does it have special functions pertaining specifically to an electrician's work?
Lol, you really have no clue, don't you? Can not be even much of an electronics guy if you asks these questions.
Generally Electrician’s meters are normally rated for higher voltage and safety classes ; also true rms voltage measurements since we deal with AC on polyphase systems which will tend to give you strange ghost voltage readings with a non-RMS meter, and my higher end fluke meters have higher resolution to measure pulse modulated DC voltage and frequency something that a electronics guy really wouldn’t need to do unless he’s doing engineering or very high level bench work.
@@jrbay1 Thanks for your useful answer ☺
Would love you to do a US reaction to Uk or European wiring? See what you think to do a chaps
UK electrician. I would as well. Isolation with volt stick, un shielded test leads on fluke. Insulation tape? Didn't have sound on but CPC to back box means everything is protected. Never seen any testing.
@@douglasgreaves188 That's because we don't need to test everything.
There really is no single European wiring, especially when one goes to the older stuff. What I find strange are those metal boxes.
No mention of if there is no ground. Old post and loop style wiring and replacing it would require total destruction of the walls.
Spend 50K to replace the wiring, walls, parts, labor, etc, just for grounding purposes?
There actually was an old-style ground running to the back of the metal box.
@@SparkyChannel The one you did does, but the vast majority of the ones in my house are ungrounded.
Can't find any 2 prong outlets to replace weak ones I have either.
@@crazysquirrel9425 I'm a bit late to this conversation, but did you consider replacing the 2-prong outlet with GFCI outlets? Sparky has several videos about that, all of which I watched several times before I replaced 2-prong outlets with GFCI outlets.
@@chuckm.9744 GFCI outlets to not match the antique decor. Building is well over 100 years old. It even used to have gas pipes for gas lighting too. Fireplaces for heating. Pocket doors with crown molding. Etc.
Even the covers do not match the decor.
Haven't seen a dark brown GFCI either.
If my panel was more modern, I might consider using a GFCI breaker.
And placing ugly stickers all over the place destroys the nuance.
PS even my light switches are the old snap switches. Loud CLICK too! lol
Some of those switches are porcelain.
so what does a person have to do if these are the only 2 wires u have in the box....but yet you want to install a fancy dancy new smart switch that needs a neutral wire?
It would have to be re-wired, this time with a neutral wire included in the box.
Can those switches be used in residential homes ?
yes
I thought black was hot and white was neutral?!!
This is a basic explanation. ruclips.net/video/dKKtSa0ONNg/видео.html
How about how much is the charge for just this change out and how long did it take you?
Depending on your electrician, a simple light switch replacement can cost between $50 and $150. It takes about 5 minutes.
Do it your self, In this case It was not necessary to add the green ground wire, switch is grounded to the metal grounded box with the switch mounting screws, He over did it.
Thanks
No problem, thanks!
I have an old switch box just like that which I want to change to a newer box...is it nailed to a stud?..how would I go about replacing it.
If installed during original construction it is likely nailed on the outside. You can run an oscillating saw blade between the 2x4 and the box to cut the nails (instead of breaking up the drywall).
Why change it if it works?
Hi, how can you tell that, that metal box is actually grounded?
The voltage test at 2:20. An ungrounded box will not have a return path for the current so the voltage reads 0 (or close to it).
@Sparky Channel
Im electrician in texas, and I have seen electrician in Austin that they use the electrical screwdriver "bosch go2", what do you think about that tool for electricians?
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when replacing ro new swirch,do you have to add new ground even though there wasn't one before?
No, box in video was already grounded, switch mounting screws will ground switch to box.