🧑‍🤝‍🧑 / 🏡 I hate messing with electrical issues

[sean]

Plumbing? Yeah, I don't mind. But electrical? Not a fan. Especially the one I have to mess with tomorrow.

One of the GFCI plugs in my kitchen went bad. If I plug anything 3-pronged into it, it trips. 2-prong is OK, but 3-prong makes it trip. I'm HOPING it's just a loose ground wire or something easy. But knowing my luck, I'll have to replace it. And putting an outlet in that spot is a pain in the ass. The wires coming out of the wall are super short. I don't know who ran them (house was built in '69), but they sure cheaped out on the pigtails. There are 2 other outlets on that same wall and they're both like that, too. So if you have to put in a new outlet, you have barely enough room to get all the wires cinched down tight enough. The 1st wire is easy, but when you need to do the other side, the first one is so short and tight that it's damn near impossible to get a good angle on the other ones. You're basically working inside the box with the outlet, your hands (or fingers, really) and a screwdriver. I'd like to meet the asshole who did that and pole him in the eye with a barbed-wire-covered baseball bat.

 

[Krimson]

Plumbing? Yeah, I don't mind. But electrical? Not a fan. Especially the one I have to mess with tomorrow.

One of the GFCI plugs in my kitchen went bad. If I plug anything 3-pronged into it, it trips. 2-prong is OK, but 3-prong makes it trip. I'm HOPING it's just a loose ground wire or something easy. But knowing my luck, I'll have to replace it. And putting an outlet in that spot is a pain in the ass. The wires coming out of the wall are super short. I don't know who ran them (house was built in '69), but they sure cheaped out on the pigtails. There are 2 other outlets on that same wall and they're both like that, too. So if you have to put in a new outlet, you have barely enough room to get all the wires cinched down tight enough. The 1st wire is easy, but when you need to do the other side, the first one is so short and tight that it's damn near impossible to get a good angle on the other ones. You're basically working inside the box with the outlet, your hands (or fingers, really) and a screwdriver. I'd like to meet the asshole who did that and pole him in the eye with a barbed-wire-covered baseball bat.

Just add a pigtail. Easier to put 2 wires together inside the box than try to hook up the outlet in one.

 

[TerryP]

The wires coming out of the wall are super short. I don't know who ran them (house was built in '69), but they sure cheaped out on the pigtails

What @Krimson said is true. I'd do that in a pinch.

However, you can run up to Lowe's and grab a pack of lever wire connectors...a 10 pack will be about five bucks. You'll be done in minutes.

 

[TerryP]

https://www.lowes.com/pd/IDEAL-SpliceLine-10-Pack-Orange-Push-In-Wire-Connectors/50101794

 

[Krimson]

What @Krimson said is true. I'd do that in a pinch.

However, you can run up to Lowe's and grab a pack of lever wire connectors...a 10 pack will be about five bucks. You'll be done in minutes.

I'm a little old school, wire nuts and electrical tape make me feel better as far as a connection.

 

[TerryP]

I'm a little old school, wire nuts and electrical tape make me feel better as far as a connection.

WAGO makes a good one.

 

[OldPlayer]

This is what duct tape is for. Just cover the outlet.

 

[rick4bama]

I can seer you now getting it done!

 

[Bamabww]

Good luck Sean. Do you have just one cable with three wires coming in the box or two cables with three wires each?

Terry, a good electrician would never use those type connectors to splice wire. Those are made for homeowners who don't know the difference. I'm with @Krimson on this one.

 

[sean]

Good luck Sean. Do you have just one cable with three wires coming in the box or two cables with three wires each?

Terry, a good electrician would never use those type connectors to splice wire. Those are made for homeowners who don't know the difference. I'm with @Krimson on this one.

Thanks. And I honestly can't remember. I won't be able to get to it until later today (after work) or sometime tomorrow (after my nephews birthday party).

And while I'm no electrician, I'll definitely use wire nuts as that's what I have on hand. Those push on (or WAGO type) connectors are cool, but if I can connect the wires without having to buy something else (no matter how cheap they are), then that's what I'll use. No offense intended, I'm just cheap that way, lol. Plus, I have LOTS of wire nuts.

 

[TerryP]

Good luck Sean. Do you have just one cable with three wires coming in the box or two cables with three wires each?

Terry, a good electrician would never use those type connectors to splice wire. Those are made for homeowners who don't know the difference. I'm with @Krimson on this one.

Me? That was an option I was suggesting for @sean It's an option. He said he hated electrical work: that does work.

I was planning on asking Sean this anyway: is your's a "one owner home?" I've seen DIY projects in friends'homes where the former owner cut lines that short. I had my house built and still had the same issue: replacing a GFCI outlet a few feet from my kitchen sink underneath my "top cabinets." Now, I was just changing color when I was remodeling the kitchen. But, I had the same issue in another project and I KNOW it was the original electrical crew...installing a new light switch when I added another light. (That electrical crew on the original build...did a few things that just doesn't make sense. I've mentioned this...my front doorbell was wired into the light switch in my mud room in the back of the house. No clue why.)

With me, it all depends on whether a person is any good with drywall.

Long story short, in both situations I cut a hole in the wall about twice as big as the box, removed the box and pig tailed the line behind the box. Then it was re-attach it to the stud, repair the drywall, paint.

I can't tell you if I saved time. I doubt it; seriously doubt it. BUT, I do know in the end it was easier. In both situations I left myself with a couple of inches of wire I could "play" with inside the box.

 

[Krimson]

I know it's code but rarely will I reinstall a gfci in my house, kids bathroom being the exception.

 

[TerryP]

I know it's code but rarely will I reinstall a gfci in my house, kids bathroom being the exception.

Having a parent live in a state only described as addled led me to the change (as well as the color.)

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Lesson learned: When the house was built I wish I had paid more attention to where some things were located: like the landline (which was beside a cabinet door so you'd hit the phone every time you opened the cabinet.) There wasn't a light in the hall way leading to the mud room/laundry room. You could see, but no light. I put a chest freezer out there...had to put a light in to see.

Today, if I was in the same position, I'm also doing a walk-through at night as well as the day time. If I would have done that back then I would have noticed the need for a light.

 

[alabama mike]

I would be as lost as a goose on this.

 

[TerryP]

I would be as lost as a goose on this.

IF there were only a device, at the tips of your fingers, where you could find instructional videos in milliseconds.

What I'm about to share is tried and true. It works for everyone. It's doesn't matter if it's your first time working with electrical stuff, or you've been doing it for half of a century. I'm telling you. Tried and true.

Step One: Turn the power off.

 

[sean]

Me? That was an option I was suggesting for @sean It's an option. He said he hated electrical work: that does work.

I was planning on asking Sean this anyway: is your's a "one owner home?" I've seen DIY projects in friends'homes where the former owner cut lines that short. I had my house built and still had the same issue: replacing a GFCI outlet a few feet from my kitchen sink underneath my "top cabinets." Now, I was just changing color when I was remodeling the kitchen. But, I had the same issue in another project and I KNOW it was the original electrical crew...installing a new light switch when I added another light. (That electrical crew on the original build...did a few things that just doesn't make sense. I've mentioned this...my front doorbell was wired into the light switch in my mud room in the back of the house. No clue why.)

With me, it all depends on whether a person is any good with drywall.

Long story short, in both situations I cut a hole in the wall about twice as big as the box, removed the box and pig tailed the line behind the box. Then it was re-attach it to the stud, repair the drywall, paint.

I can't tell you if I saved time. I doubt it; seriously doubt it. BUT, I do know in the end it was easier. In both situations I left myself with a couple of inches of wire I could "play" with inside the box.

Mine is a one family home. It originally belonged to my parents. And they were the original owners (signed the papers before it was actually finished). Now it's mine.

I know it's code but rarely will I reinstall a gfci in my house, kids bathroom being the exception.

I don't think I'll be using GFCI, again. I'll be replacing the 2 with GFCI outlets (the other one doesn't have one because I never switched it over). And what's crazy is this will be the 2nd time I've replaced them. The first time I replaced them was when I remodeled the kitchen (back in 2011). I decided to "upgrade" the old outlets and went with GFCI for the 2 that are on the wall where the sink is (1 on either side). Those lasted maybe 2 years. The current ones have lasted since then. But I don't think I'll be using GFCI this time. It's probably code for newer houses. But I think there's a grandfather clause for older homes.

 

[Krimson]

Mine is a one family home. It originally belonged to my parents. And they were the original owners (signed the papers before it was actually finished). Now it's mine.

I don't think I'll be using GFCI, again. I'll be replacing the 2 with GFCI outlets (the other one doesn't have one because I never switched it over). And what's crazy is this will be the 2nd time I've replaced them. The first time I replaced them was when I remodeled the kitchen (back in 2011). I decided to "upgrade" the old outlets and went with GFCI for the 2 that are on the wall where the sink is (1 on either side). Those lasted maybe 2 years. The current ones have lasted since then. But I don't think I'll be using GFCI this time. It's probably code for newer houses. But I think there's a grandfather clause for older homes.

The code will only come into play if you try to sell the house or possibly if you had an insurance claim. No grandfather clause because nobody is coming to inspect houses people currently occupy.

 

[TerryP]

Mine is a one family home. It originally belonged to my parents. And they were the original owners (signed the papers before it was actually finished). Now it's mine.

What year was it built?

 

[sean]

What year was it built?

1969

 

[TerryP]

1969

Okay. Just a tad bit after the move from the true 2x4 to the 1.5 x 3.5. Ya know, back when they actually built thing that were true, plumb, level...