Did some at home electrical this morning

Philip d · Jul 1, 2020

I installed a surge suppressor in our homes panel this morning as were off work today (Canada Day). Lots of chores around the barn ,wrapped some silage this morning and mixing a load of ration this afternoon but I started the day off in the basement. It’s a Square D panel ,they make suppressors that just snap in where a double pole breaker would go, ideally as close to the main as possible. I pulled out 4 single 15A and replaced them with 2 tandem 15A to free up 2 slots them moved the rest on the right side down. I drilled a small hole in the cover so the green indicator light is visible when it’s closed. I relocated our outdoor lighting timer to where we installed a sub panel last fall as there’s usually a wood pile in front of the main panel and we quite often change the timer settings as we have more or less hours of daylight. I’m planning on installing a 4” LED wafer light in the kids enclosed shower upstairs on Saturday, with the window gone and curtain closed it’s dark for them, going to run it off the ceiling fan circuit.

David G · Jul 1, 2020

I have same thing, but homeline style in all my buildings.

I like the Square D power products.

John T · Jul 1, 2020

Good job Philip, great product and sooooooooooo much easier to install and wire, every home should have one or something equivalent. Wayyyyyy back when I was practicing power distribution I kept TWO BIBLES BY MY SIDE, The NEC Illustrated Handbook (had Code plus pictures and illustrations) PLUS the latest Square D Catalog. I have no doubt you're sharp on electricity and have separate insulated and isolated Neutral and Ground Busses in the Sub Panel. I always ran convenience receptacles on branch circuits DIFFERENT FROM any lighting so if a breaker tripped I wasn't left in the dark. Nowadays with GFCI and AFCI protection electrical caused house fires or shocks should happen less often. Many NEC changes came about following a fire investigation and even if lay people may poke fun at the NEC or they know better and are smarter then the boards panel of experts, over the years I came to respect and understand it more and more.

Thanks for the post, fun read for us sparkies at least lol

John T Stand for the Flag, Kneel for the Lord kinda guy

Steve@Advance · Jul 1, 2020

You mus have wired that panel, looks too neat for hired work!

I don't know if they still make them, but there was a timer switch that somehow kept track of the seasonal changes. It was small, fit inside a single switch box, so the current rating was probably low. They were at Home Depot, probably 10 years ago I saw them. Might be a solution to having to retime the old mechanical timer.

Philip d · Jul 1, 2020

Thank you I might have had something to do with it lol,that’d be nice to have ,I may look into that

buickanddeere · Jul 1, 2020

(quoted from post at 11:36:53 07/01/20) I installed a surge suppressor in our homes panel this morning as were off work today (Canada Day). Lots of chores around the barn ,wrapped some silage this morning and mixing a load of ration this afternoon but I started the day off in the basement. It s a Square D panel ,they make suppressors that just snap in where a double pole breaker would go, ideally as close to the main as possible. I pulled out 4 single 15A and replaced them with 2 tandem 15A to free up 2 slots them moved the rest on the right side down. I drilled a small hole in the cover so the green indicator light is visible when it s closed. I relocated our outdoor lighting timer to where we installed a sub panel last fall as there s usually a wood pile in front of the main panel and we quite often change the timer settings as we have more or less hours of daylight. I m planning on installing a 4" LED wafer light in the kids enclosed shower upstairs on Saturday, with the window gone and curtain closed it s dark for them, going to run it off the ceiling fan circuit.

While in there, how about freeing up two more spaces for this ? A legal and safe interlock for a generator connection. https://www.amazon.ca/Square-Schneider-Electric-QOCGK2C-Generator/dp/B00CONDIGO
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto49122.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto49123.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto49124.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto49125.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto49126.jpg">

Philip d · Jul 1, 2020

We have a propane generator with an auto transfer switch
that does that for us,otherwise that’s a great idea. The house
is fed from the barn so the noise stays over at the barn and
we also have enough power to do little jobs over there as well.

David G · Jul 1, 2020

I hate timers, put a photoswitch on it.

Philip d · Jul 1, 2020

That’s a good idea too but it’s for can lights under the deck and we only want them on a few hours a night

miangus · Jul 1, 2020

All Sq D QO here. Had to get the neighbor going after his non SQ D breaker lost a contact inside the breaker. Told him if he had Sq D the replacement would be as close as my barn. His original question was why does the trouble light go out when I shut off my drill press that doesn’t work.

dr sportster · Jul 1, 2020

Let the time clock control a photocell to come on at 3 pm then the lights come on at dark no retiming needed. Clock can turn off lights a 3 am or whenever you like.

buickanddeere · Jul 1, 2020

(quoted from post at 13:29:56 07/01/20) We have a propane generator with an auto transfer switch
that does that for us,otherwise that s a great idea. The house
is fed from the barn so the noise stays over at the barn and
we also have enough power to do little jobs over there as well.

Even better . Just did some work on my parents Automagic Start and Transfer 20Kw Briggs .

Philip d · Jul 1, 2020

Very very nice! Ours is Briggs as well but only a 12KW

Philip d · Jul 1, 2020

That’s a good idea too

Philip d · Jul 1, 2020

Thank you John! Square D makes nice products. Where I’m working now their go to products are usually Seimans but we do a lot of Square D as well. Your right ,the neutral and ground bus bars are isolated form each other I have great admiration for code,.theres always reasoning and a sense of something went wrong in the past and these rules will prevent it in future. Our CEC is very similar to your NEC from what I’ve been told?

Roger in Wisconsin · Jul 2, 2020

Agree

Did some at home electrical this morning

Philip d

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