Electrical world

Most of us have some lighting outside our home that belongs to us, and that we control. Porch lights or security lights, for example. A lot of people also like to add outdoor lighting as part of decorating for the holidays -- some at Halloween and even more at Christmas. We all like to be safe too, and to keep our house, our family, our pets and our guests safe too -- even if they're only staying long enough to pick up some candy or sing a carol. That means that we want the lights, power cords, controls and everything else associated with our outdoor lighting to be done with safety in mind. There's one thing that isn't true about lighting, and electrical connections in general, but that many people believe, is that a temporary setup can be done without much regard for whether it's really safe, or "up to code," or not. That's not so. Because they're not permanent installations, temporary lighting and power connections can be more dangerous. The Nation

With the warm weather on the way, it's time to take a look at some of our outdoor lighting, receptacles, and wiring. With rainy days to come, wiring and devices need to be checked for safety and functionality. Here are some great articles to address these topics.     01 of 09     Outdoor Lighting and Receptacle Codes     Alexander Hafemann/Getty Images     With any electrical installation, there are some electrical codes that must be followed and outdoor electrical installations are no different. Here are a few outdoor lighting and receptacle codes that you will need to know before wiring your home or making room additions.     02 of 09     Outdoor Motion-sensor Security Lighting     Every home has dark spots around the outside of their home. The areas that need special attention are the entry points, mainly the entrance doors. You may choose an outdoor light that requires that you manually turn it on and off. These type, however, don't provide lighting on your trip into

Direct burial cable is a special type cable that is designed to be run in a trench underground without the use of conduit to surround it. The electrical wires are encased in a thermoplastic sheath that seals out moisture and protects the wires within. As many of your homes have, overhead service entrances were the power entrance of choice for years.  the downfall is wires running overhead, poles in your yard and the possibility of snagging a power. Usually, triplex aluminum wire was used to run from the power pole to the service entrance weather head feeding your electrical disconnect, that eventually powers your electrical panel in your home. The choice of running underground with direct burial cable is an appealing way to power your home without the unsightly wires showing. But placing power lines underground presents its own unique problems, mainly with digging. before you dig, be sure to have the power lines, cables, phone lines, and gas lines marked. Most just call 811 for the

IThe kitchen is the room that uses the most electricity in the home, and for this reason, it requires several electrical circuits. While a bedroom or other room may be served only by a standard lighting circuit that provides all the power for lights and plug-in devices, it's not uncommon for a kitchen to have five or six circuits, or even more if there are many hardwired electrical appliances. Here is a list of the most commonly used circuits in a kitchen.     01 of 07     Refrigerator     Modern domestic kitchen     Inti St Clair/Photodisc/Getty Images     As we get larger and larger appliances, the load demand increases in our homes. A modern refrigerator requires a dedicated 20-amp, 120/125-volt circuit. You may currently have a smaller refrigerator plugged into a general lighting circuit, but during any major remodeling, a dedicated 120/125-volt circuit should be installed.     For this dedicated 20-amp circuit, 12/2 NM wire with a ground is required for the wiring.    

It is commonplace for homes today to have three different circuits supplying the laundry room. The first is a 20-amp circuit to supply the 120-volt power for the washing machine. The second is a 30-amp dedicated circuit for running an electric dryer. The third is a standard 15-amp lighting circuit that likely supplies light fixtures in other rooms as well as the laundry area.   Washer Receptacle The 120-volt, 20-amp circuit supplies a receptacle for the washing machine. It is typically wired with 12-gauge, 2-wire cable containing a hot wire, a neutral wire, and a ground wire. The receptacle is a standard 20-amp receptacle. What's special about this circuit is that it is a designated circuit, not to be confused with a dedicated circuit. While a dedicated circuit supplies only one appliance, a designated circuit is intended for a single use, not a single appliance. The use in this case is laundry, and you can plug both a washer and a gas dryer into the same receptacle. Of course,

Question: Electrical Wire Sizes What sizes of wire do I need to wire the various appliances in my home? This seems to be a common question asked on a regular basis. Let's examine some appliances that need tobe wired. Answer: Electrical wiring is installed to provide a wide range of power options in your home. It is used for lighting, receptacles to power things like TV's, stereos, curling irons, and hair dryers. The wiring also feeds a variety of appliances, both big and small, throughout the home. These include ranges, ovens, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, microwave ovens, washers, dryers, toasters, blenders, pizza ovens, coffee pots, and crock pots, just to name a few. Installing the proper sized wire is essential for proper operation and electrical safety. The links below will help guide you through both wire sizes used and installation of many of these appliances.     Wire Gauge and Ampacity In order to install any electrical wire installation, the proper wi